LorBefore my guest comes, I flip through the dusty tomes about magic. The search for Celine is underway, and this time, it is more widespread than before. I’ve recruited everyone within my reach, which is more than half of the werewolf community and they are actively searching for any sign of her. I also have eyes and ears on the underground movement for any sign of her but my gut insists that I’m doing everything wrong. And so I came down here, following the strong gut feeling. My mind keeps lingering on things beyond my grasp, beyond the knowledge of almost everyone alive. The dusty tomes I flip through have a lot to say about the magic of old, before magic waned and entire species went extinct. I search amongst a tally of all of the creatures that used to be alive. Vampires that fed on human blood for sustenance were the most dominant species after werewolves. There were witches and mages that were gifted with several powers, and several others. I search through their features o

Lor“What did you find?” I ask the male. “Nothing.” He says with a grimace. “We chased old women’s tales and superstitions and none of them yielded a result.”My hands spasm into fists and everyone becomes restless in the face of my displeasure and frustration. They are the eighth group to send word, and none of them have a lead on the damn island. At this point, it feels like I’m chasing nothing but shadows, raising doubts that I might be wasting time and resources chasing the wrong lead. Other than my gut feeling, vague conclusions and the words of an old woman, there is nothing concrete that points to the island. Hang on, I try to tell her, to reach her through our bond but my efforts are frustrated on all counts. “How many more units are still in the field?”“One.” Tate says. “There’s only Halin’s unit left.”I run a hand through my hair, on edge. Losing my connection to my mate has degraded me in the past day, made me unstable. Anything can set me off now, and my wolves know

NeemAs I put a hand on the handle of Celine’s door, Maria’s words from earlier ring in my head. I played along with her and told her everything that has been going on with my life. She joined me in cursing the prince and the mood was light, until I mentioned that I now serve Celine as her personal maid. After lobbying about a hundred questions at me questioning me about how I ended up working for her and effectively shattering the light hearted mood, her parting words sent chills down my spine. She said I must quit working for her immediately. I should quit today and remove myself from the dynamics between Celine and the prince. I might have looked unconvinced because she shook me so hard my teeth rattled, making sure I had her full attention. Then she told me that there is a war coming, that Celine’s presence is the equivalent of the bad omen that everyone must steer clear of. There is a war coming, and I must make sure I am as far away from it as possible. She didn’t elaborate fu

NeemI seek Aden out, apprehensive of how I will be received. Our last conversation stank. He opens the door on my first knock and I freeze, my hand halfway to the door. “Hey.” I sign instead, my heart in my throat. “Come in.” His arms are crossed in front of him as he stares at me and the distance between us physically hurt. I put that there. “I’m sorry.” I say, diving in headfirst. “It was the prince wasn’t it?” He cuts in and I wonder how I thought he wouldn’t notice. He is exceptionally smart and little goes over his head. “I was... confused.” I sign and a shadow settles into his eyes, like I’m tormenting him with my words. “I was stupid.” I say, deciding to come out as honest as possible. “I fucked up, and knowing how much I must have hurt you.. it puts me in pain. I’m so sorry Aden.”He swallows hard. “Are you still confused?” He asks and I shake my head immediately. I needed the space after-all, to clear my head. I don’t like that the prince made a fool of me but after

LorFor the umpteenth time, I put a hand on the barrier and it goes straight through. My hand curls into a tight fist and I punch it hard. Nothing. It is just air. The demarcation that shows the island of Lyria, a slight shimmer in the air is quite obvious if you know what you are looking for. Otherwise, your eyes would probably skip right over it. We have besieged this perimeter for two days now and to my frustration, we have nothing to show for it. Not a soul has stepped out of it, and neither can we step inside either. If I didn’t have a strong gut feeling that she is behind that barrier, I would have believed that it is all a conjecture of my deranged mind.Maddilla comes to a stop beside me and peers into the barrier. It is not just Bloodbound pack but nearly every damn pack this side of the world out here. There are more than a hundred and fifty packs here, each one of them as eager and enthusiastic to pierce the barrier of the island as the next. I didn’t have much convincing