Mark Learning that Vladimir was all right was the best news I received in a long time. Over the months, he became a very good friend, and I saw him as a brother. I think of how much Vladimir accomplished since he got here. He is more confident, stronger, can shift, and is the perfect match for Elena. And Elena. I think she is in love. She is even smiling, and I haven’t seen her smiling since… Alec died.“Do you need help in the kitchen?” I hear Rose calling.Crap. I got distracted and almost burned the food. I am making steaks tonight.“Everything all right! No need to worry.”I had to practice a little to make sure I know how to prepare the food. I want everything to be perfect tonight. One more minute and perfect! I arrange the food on plates and take it to the table.“Oh, it looks so good, Mark. Thanks!” Rose says, smiling. Her dimples are so sexy.I want her so ba

ElenaI make it safely to Brazil, and a jaguar is waiting for me in the São-Paulo International Airport.“Thanks for coming,” I say.He nods and points to his car, a Land Rover.Alrighty, then. Guess he is not a chatty one. I hop in the car and put the seat belt on.“What's your name?” I ask the jaguar.“Joao.”“I am Elena. Where is Luiz?”Luiz is the tribe leader and the one that is supposed to help me find Cronus's scythe.“He is waiting for you back at the temple.”“Good. You speak English very well,” I say.“I spent ten years studying in Canada.”We travel two days and three nights through the jungle. We have to leave the car behind, take a boat and walk a lot. I am sick of the jungle already. The humidity drives me crazy. I prefer the forest

ElenaWhen we get out of the temple, Joao is gone. It doesn’t matter, I will get him another time.It is not the first time I walk in a trap, and I am taken as a prisoner. I already know what I have to do. When we reach the village, I look at everything around me, how many tribe people are, how many warriors, how the huts are distributed, any more slaves, where the Luiz hut is. I see around twenty warriors, about fifteen females with cubs. The females look sad and scared. I get a glimpse of three more slaves, all jaguar females.I am taken to a small hut.“This is where you will be staying until tomorrow. I can hardly wait to make you my wife,” Luiz says. “To make sure you won’t try to escape, two warriors will guard the hut.”The slave makes sure I get in the hut and stay inside. Now all I have to do is wait. I sit down and try to re

ElenaAs I grab hold of my dagger, I notice the scorpions. They are not the usual scorpions. No, they are shapeshifters as well. They are big and have plates that cover their chests. I see around three dozen warriors with spears made out of bones.This does not look good. I am strong and fast, but I don't know if I can protect Ralf and Mara's cousin, Abasi. Shit! I should have asked more before agreeing on going down here. The warriors take the position of attack.One of the scorpion warriors that looks like a general comes to us and says something in a language I don’t understand.To my surprise, Abasi starts talking to the general. They discuss for a few minutes while I get ready if we have to fight our way out of here. Finally, they finish talking, and Abasi looks at me.“The Queen wants to talk to us. She's been expecting us. We have to hand over any wea

VladimirI wait until Mark is gone so I can talk to Elena.“When did you get back?” she asks me and jumps into my arms.I grab her by her hips and lift her. Elena wraps her legs around my waist and puts her hands around my neck, and looks into my eyes.“I finished my training and came back, only to find out you went to Brazil. I was worried sick for you,” I say.“I missed you so much!” she says kisses me.I kiss her for a little longer until I realize what she is trying to do.“You are trying to distract me so that I won’t ask you anything.”“It’s not that,” Elena says, and I see she is uncomfortable.“Then what it is? I have opened my heart to you, told you all my secrets. Can’t you do the same?”“I… it is very hard to talk about it.”