It was the most difficult decision I’d ever made. Sacrificing someone in order to save myself. I felt sick even thinking about it… but I didn’t have a choice here. And not just that, but I also didn’t have time to digest it further if I wanted to escape safely. On the off chance that Thea had people lying in the wait to catch me, I gathered only whatever I could pack quickest, ripping open the emergency envelope with my location and beginning the long drive home. And whilst I had taken the time to retrieve the ring, I unfortunately couldn’t risk wearing it. If I were suddenly ambushed, then I needed to be ready to fight. One critical blow to my body and I would be instantly dead in seconds without my natural healing, something the ring would prevent. It meant I needed to work even harder to keep Thea out of my head, despite everything threatening to overwhelm me. 'Calm. Composed.' 'Everything was fine.' We were two h

…Dead?No… that couldn’t….I could feel my heart racing at hearing her words.Why would she have done that? Why do something before….Unless… unless she expected me to rush into war regardless of whether she used him as bait. Because she knew I wouldn’t have any way of knowing he was alive and would assume that I would come for him blindly anyway.'It’s just another move made to hurt me.'During our stay in the cabin, I’d always avoided the topic of Aleric marking me. I hadn’t wanted to tie him to me knowing I might not be long for this world, and I didn’t want to put him through feeling that pain upon my death. But I hadn’t anticipated for the reverse to now become detrimental to me. If only I’d actually done it, I would have known the minute it had happened and saved everyone from rushing in to save him.So then, was he actu

The ground came crashing towards me as I fell roughly down, unable to cushion the fall. All I could do was accept what had happened and feebly cover the wound at my gut; a futile dream of survival pushing me on. A dream I knew would die as quickly as I did. “Aria,” I heard Aleric yell, apparently having shifted back. My breathing was shallow as my body started to become numb to the pain; a coldness slowly spreading through me. …It wouldn’t be much longer. “Hey, there,” I said weakly. A small smile crept to my lips as I looked up at the man I loved. His face was wrought with panic, his eyes holding so much fear in them. And yet it was his wound that drew my attention the most. There were signs of infection on the skin, surrounding where it had been split open again. Since Thea had no intention of Aleric living for long, it made sense she didn’t have him properly treated. He needed to get to the hospital soon. “Y

This should have been expected, I knew that. Selene had touched Myra, thereby reembodying her with the power of a Goddess. Exactly as it had been when our species was first created. Only, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t raise some questions regarding her rebirth now. At the very least, I knew her body had aged in accordance with how old she was meant to be. We’d walked up as she was shifting back, meaning she had aged past eighteen. Hopefully, this meant that the only thing found to be out of place would be her memories missing from the time she wasn’t here. Though, despite having the gift of foresight, things rarely went as I expected. I shook the thoughts from my head, knowing there were more important issues to worry about. And, right now, the only thing that mattered was making sure she was alright. “Hey, you’re okay…,” I continued to soothe, patting her back gently. “You’re fine. You don’t have anything to worry about.” After a f

*MARCHIA POV* . 'The Devils of the Mist'. That was what I’d grown up being told, at least. Unlike any other territory in the country, if not the world, they were regarded as some of the most dangerous people you would ever meet. A force you didn’t want to cross, lest your head be taken in payment of apology. …And, of all places to find oneself, I had been sent there today. I’d been eleven years old when the Council of the Silver Mist was first established. Back then, it was completely unheard of for more than one Alpha to control a pack, and yet the council consisted of at least three in their midst; three and a Luna, if you included the second Saintess. A conglomerate of two packs that now held authority over whatever they desired. But for the past seven years, we’d been taught in our pack that their ways were wrong. That we held traditions with respect for a reason. That no one pack alone should hold so much power over others… and yet they did. “Marchia,” a voice then said ne