Chapter 43 - I Love You
We sheered into what I could only assume to be his bedroom. A huge king bed sat in the middle of the room. A white fur carpet laid beneath his bed. A perfect contrast to the black marbled floor and black bedding. The whole room smelled of him, and it made my head spin and my heart race. The walls of the room were red. The one wall was made entirely of glass facing the city. The northern lights were dancing with the twinkling stars. As much as I wanted to appreciate the beautiful scenery, I wanted to enjoy Balthazar more.
Garren warned me about how the bond would drive us crazy with lust. But I wasn't sure how I had ignored such an urge before now. Maybe it was the distraction of the mission or the fact that we hadn't entirely accepted each other until now. But now, all I craved was his touch, his lips on mine. I craved the throaty laugh he gave when he was teasing, temp
Chapter 45 -Queen of the underworldTwo weeks had gone by since Balthazar, and I came home. There hasn't been a moment that's gone by where I am not being taught the ways of the underworld, from learning the laws of a deal to the reasons behind a specific sentence. I didn't know there were so many forms of torture available. What is even more unnerving is that the demons assigned to deliver said torture have been doing it their whole lives. Jade told me a few stories of her encounters with the beasts of the torture cells and had warned me never to cross one. Balthazar laughed at her warnings and reminded her who I was. Even with his faith in the hierarchy, Oren and I still vowed never to go there alone.Between us, not being able to keep our hands to ourselves and learning everything I had to before I was officially crowned Queen. Balthazar expl
Epilogue *Five years later.* "Deep breath in and let it go through your nose with each hit. Stay steady on your feet." I shouted at Kai as he moved to make his next swing at his target. He did a quick sidestep before spinning and slicing the demon's head clear off. "Better?" He panted as he approached the bench for water. "Much better. Next, we will work on hand-to-hand combat. Then I think you'll be ready for your first collection. I think this time we will have you face Jade. These illusions aren't cutting it." He nodded before taking a swig of his drink. He let out a loud breath before running his hands through his short brown hair. "It would be easier if I could fight you. Besides Jade and Balt, you're the only other person here who knows what they're doing." He mused as he adjusted the blades sheathed to his bicep. "I know, but until I'm fully in control of my powers, I don't want to risk hurting you," I explained. He rolled his eyes before sitting down on the bench with
Prologue Breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth. Strike harder, faster, no hesitations. A simple slip-up is the only difference between life and death. I grunted as I stepped forward, thrusting all my weight into my next blow. The sound of metal on metal filled the air. Sweat dripped down my brow; I ground my teeth as I pushed forward. You have to be better than your opponent. Anticipate every movement, and keep your mind focused and clear. Even on the brim of exhaustion, you must give it your all, and never show your weakness. Never show your opponent what cards you hold in your hand. Fighting is both a game of strategy and preservation. You fight to protect your people, who count on you. Whoever comes out on top is stronger; they’re the ones to be feared. You hold that title until you fall. To be the best and remain at the top, you must always believe you can improve. You must believe that you don’t deserve the title constantly proving yourself to others daily, that yo
Chapter 1 - Wishes “Better luck next time.” I grin down at Cedric as I offer him my hand. He ignored my out-reached hand, getting up on his own, dusting himself off. Without another word or look in my direction, he joined the other trainees. My father, and grandfather, are the current leaders of the Royal Guards. The Royal Guards are a level of warriors tasked with protecting all entrances from each realm. They have a direct link to the moon goddess, Selene. From all the stories that are written in texts and told by my parents. My grandfather is one of the original Royal Guards. My father's pack only became a part of them, the guards twenty-three years ago, after defeating a great evil and claiming their rights to the throne. My parents had been through hell and back, almost losing one another along the way. There are
Chapter 2 - The Beast I walked out of my grandfather's house, deciding to head to the forest instead of the palace. I needed some time for myself; maybe I would even let my wolf run for a bit. Something about having the air blowing through our fur was so freeing. I had extra time with my wolf than most, but what I gained in perfecting my shifting, I lost in bonding emotionally. When most werewolves shifted at eighteen, I shifted at sixteen. Something not completely unheard of, it mostly happened in Alpha families. We figured that it was because of the Fae side of me. It had sped up the wolf bond and allowed us to shift early. Damon got his wolf at eighteen, and so did Nesrin. Balor was early too, getting his wolf this year, on his seventeenth birthday. All of our wolves were unique in personal
Chapter 3 - Summer Solstice I rolled over in my bed. My body was feeling heavy and aching. The sun was just breaking the night sky, the soft glow of pinks and purples mixing with the orange hues from the sun. I slowly sat up and let out a heavy sigh, my stomach greeting me with a loud rumble. “The longer you put it off, the worst she is going to react,” Oren said, her voice heavy with sleep. I rubbed my eyes and stretched out my aching muscles. “Let’s face it, Oren. Even if I went to her last night, mother and Phoenix would still scold us just the same. There is no reasoning with them when they’re angry.” I muttered. Oren let out a huff of annoyance, agreeing with me.
Chapter 4 - Night festival “I can’t believe you actually did it.” I laughed, wiping the tears from my eyes. I hadn’t laughed this hard in a long time. “I wouldn’t be a true werewolf if I didn’t keep my end of a deal.” Audra laughed. As we entered the edge of the village. She took my challenge to heart. She walked back to the village stark naked. Not a single care in the world as she strutted through the forest. I was half tempted to join her. She put her clothes on before turning back to me. “Now, we have a few hours before the night festival starts. I have a few more things planned, but I’m also still hungry so we need to fix that first.” She said, I shook my head at her.
Chapter 5 - Trouble “Is that the best you got?” I panted as I charged toward Cedric. A loud clinking sounded as our blades hit one another. He let out a grunt as I pushed forward, forcing him to step back. I spun around, ducking and kicking my foot out to trip him. He anticipated my move, jumping back and hitting me with an orb of fire. I hissed as it hit my back. Letting out a curse, as I used water to put out the fire before it could cause any serious injury. “Zip it, Mel, your mind games don’t work on me.” He spat as he swung the sword downwards. I rolled out of the way just in time. I shot vines from the ground, wrapping them around his ankles, tripping him. Cedric dropped to the ground, his arm twisting behind him. A snapping sound followed by Cedric yelling made ev