《Tasting Darkness》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Previous Post Next Post Chapter 1 Aleera POV If there was one thing I was good at, it was running. Six years I had been running from them, ever since my magic fully manifested. Running from my mates, from the world, and a future I never agreed to or wanted. But I was also running out of choices as I turned up yet another alleyway as I tried to lose the monsters hunting me. Their heavy footfalls on the ground behind me were getting closer, and I knew they would force me to make a choice. My magic was getting low, my reserves depleting. I tried not to use it because I came closer to running out every time I did. Once a Fae runs out of magic, we are essentially human. Being human is dangerous in this world. Predators would pick you off in a heartbeat. I could hear the snarling beasts as they chased me down, getting closer with each step while I was getting weaker. I knew there was only one way out of this. One way I would get to live another day was by setting off a re off of my magic to them. All I had to do was alert them of my location and pray they woulde and didn¡¯t ignore it like I had ignored their calls for years. Growls tore out behind me, and I heard one knock something over as it gave chase, feel its aura as it tried to gain on me, yet adrenaline kept my feet moving despite wanting nothing more than to pass out, yet I fought the urge to give in and ept my fate. I nced down at my hands, my magic fizzling in my fingertips as I sought another way to lose them. Yet there was no other option. I had avoided setting it off my mark for six years. But with my magic running this low, I had no other choice. Either alert them to where I am or be killed by what is chasing me. One thing I knew was they wouldn¡¯t kill me; they woulde for me. But would I be any better off if they did? They would be furious. I knew my mate¡¯s magic was still strong despite me not being there. Fae¡¯s power is shared with their other mates. That¡¯s how we remain strongest, and I was the link to all of them. I was the power keeper, yet somehow they found a way without me. I could feel their power, constantly searching for me, trying to draw me nearer and promising me safety, but I knew I wasn¡¯t safe with them either. They just wanted to use me to get stronger. Growing more tired, as I ran up these darkened streets, the lighting from the full moon lit my way; and that was the worst time to be in a werewolf city surrounded by savage beasts that loved nothing but the chase and to kill for sport. I pushed harder and ran past some garbage bins, twisted my wrist, letting my magic flow from my fingertips, and sted one and made it explode, hoping to slow them down as I ran on the wet ground, puddles sshed my legs, and my clothes were drenched making it more challenging to run. Fae were the most powerful creatures in the world. As long as we had magic and our mate, it turns out I have four, and not one of them was a good option. Unfortunately, the longer I have gone without them, my magic has be weaker. I sure as hell didn¡¯t want to belong to those Savage men. My mates are the ones responsible for my parents¡¯ deaths. They tore my house apart and tore my heart from my chest the day Darius killed them. Then they crushed it further by leaving nothing left of them to bury. Only to be forced into a bond I never wanted, but I was out of options, and I just had to pray they would have mercy on me when they found me because from what I know of them, mercy wasn¡¯t a part of their vocabry. I turned up yet another darkened street. I heard the howls in the distance as more joined the chase. Shifters could smell a Fae easily; they could smell the power in my veins even as weak as mine is right now. I knew I should never have tried to get into the city at night. But I was desperate and hadn¡¯t eaten in four days. Most of the water sources outside the city were polluted. Sure, I could have conjured up water, but it wasn¡¯t worth the energy it would burn with me using magic. One stupid decision has just cost me another year¡¯s supply of my power, all burned up trying to escape these growling monsters. A year was all I had left to find a humanmunity to hide in and maybe live without fear of them finding me. Instead, here I am being hunted by werewolves and god knows what else through a city I was unfamiliar with. This was not part of my ns or how I saw my day turning out. Just when I thought my luck couldn¡¯t get any worse, the street turned out to be a dead-end and made me spin around as I looked around for another escape. There was no getaway. I didn¡¯t find any. That is when I realized they had herded me here, and now I was cornered and about to be torn apart all because I stepped into the wrong city. How was I supposed to know it was a shifter city? It¡¯s not like they had a huge ass neon sign at the city limits saying ¡®shifters only.¡¯ However, it did exin the stench of wet dogs, I thought to myself. Now was so not the time for my sarcastic inner monologue. A growl shoved me into reality again. Nine werewolves were closing in around me. Oh oops, make that ten; I didn¡¯t see the one on the roof drooling down its chest, wanting to munch on me like a damn chew toy. I was about to be chum dog food because I still couldn¡¯t bring myself to let off a re of my magic to them. I didn¡¯t spend this much time running, only to beg them for help. The wolves closed in, my heart pumped in my chest, and I knew I didn¡¯t have enough magic left to kill all of them. I weighed up my options, both unappealing, and neither option had any sense of hope for me. I would be doomed either way. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. My eyes moved to the marking on my wrist, their marking that said my soul belonged to them. I just have to alert them, and they would know my exact location, but what if they didn¡¯te? What if they let me die? They would have to know I must be desperate to be calling on them. They didn¡¯t need me; they have kept their magic strong without me. Maybe they might think, well fuck her, let her die. Hesitation ran through me, and I prayed to the fates to not stuff me over again and hoped this wouldn¡¯t be the worst decision I ever made. Yet nothing felt right about the decision I was about to make. It wasn¡¯t just them killing my parents. I had additional reasons, reasons they could never know about me. I swallowed down my fear and rubbed my fingertips over the infinity symbol of their four names. Each of us has the same markings. All of us are born with them on our wrists, yet they only appear when our powers manifest. Not only did I run from them, but they also waited until I was eighteen before they called on me, which I thought was odd. Previous Post Next Post Trending Novels Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Previous Post Next Post Chapter 2 Once a Fae manifests, most people hunt their mates down and wait for them toe into their magic. But they left me and let me finish school. It wasn¡¯t until I turned eighteen and the marking appeared along with my fully-fledged magic that I learned who my mates were. When their names appeared, I ran. I say fully-fledged because I had a secret. I already had magic long before I should. Growing up, I knew I was different, knew something was wrong with me with the way my parents kept me hidden, kept me from the world. If only I truly understood what it meant, I wouldn¡¯t haveined so much. My mother¡¯s voice rang clear through my head every time I felt the urge to use my magic. ¡°Don¡¯t let them see, don¡¯t let anyone find out what you are¡± Her words usually pulled me back, and instinct told me not to show what I was. I had learned early to mask it. The entire world contained Dark Fae. A gue killed all the white Fae leaving only Dark. I was thest of my species, a unique blend of Fae that no longer existed. My mother was a white Fae. She should have died, but my father was Dark Fae, and when the gue hit, her entire bloodline died out except her. Dad said it was because she was pregnant with me, and I¡¯m thest Harmony Fae in existence. I am the Light and the Dark, thest of my kind. I was the ultimate weapon when fully powered, a weapon Darius Wraith could not get his hands on. Hiding what I am was near impossible after my grandma died, and they chucked me into boarding school ¡ªforced into the world by Fae authorities. I thought for sure they would have figured out what I was. Now I need to hide it from the Fae poption and my mates if they don¡¯t let me die here tonight. The wolves circled me, tried to get behind me to jump me, and I kept turning while trying to watch them all at once. Tonight would be it; this would be the night I died. Their silver eyes sized me up, and teeth snapped in my direction. They were waiting for me to attack, yet I had barely any magic to use in my defense. Certainly not enough power left to save me. The wolf on the roof jumped down andnded behind me. The wolf¡¯s big heavy pawsnded on the dumpster with a thud. Please, Fates, don¡¯t let me die! I want to live, not die a virgin and hungry. Aren¡¯t I supposed to get ast meal? If your gonna kill me, at least feed me first. Seriously, if fate wanted to fuck me, at least do it gently and ease in, and would kill them to add some damn lube. My fingers twitch toward my mark. I was going to call on them, which feels like a low-frequency buzz over every inch of your body, making you want to go to your mates. I have ignored that buzzing feeling for six years, and now it feels more like an itch. One I just can¡¯t reach to scratch. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. A growl behind me made me jump, and I swear I watched my entire life sh before my eyes in that split second as they closed in. Lifting my hand, I ced it over the markings and sent a spark of my magic into it. Leaving enough so as not to drain mepletely. My wrist burned, searing with pain like it caught alight, making me scream and clench my teeth. The sheer agony in my voice makes the wolves back off, wondering what has got into me. The mate symbol glowed red and throbbed painfully. I knew it only hurt like this because I waited so long to answer their call for me. The world around me spun violently, and I fell to the ground. My palms bit into the road along with my knees. My power had be too low, a few more minutes and it would fade out, and I would be as useless as a human and killed by these beasts, that¡¯s if I didn¡¯t pass out from the pain of my searing mark burning into my soul and calling for them. Just as the wolves closed in again, teeth bared and snarling. I felt the air around me ripple, and the turbulent noise made me cover my ears. I recognized the whooshing sound instantly. They came for me, and for a few tense seconds, I believed they wouldn¡¯t. Four sets of feet hit the surrounding ground before the colored light of their magic was all I could see. It swallowed my vision, just their closeness made my reserves shudder slightly, and I had to stamp down the urge to pull on it before they realized. Their power gave me a taste of their magic, kept what was left of mine strong, and made me crave their power. mes missed me by millimeters, the heat so hot, I cried out when it burned the flesh on my arms when it rushed past me. When the howls and whimpers stopped, everything fell silent. Deathly silent. My heart was pounding in my ears. Their domineering auras surrounded me threateningly as they took up each side of me. Their auras made me want to cringe and flinch away. Can I take it back? I choose death; I choose fucking death fates. Nothing good woulde of me calling on them. By the feel of the angry ripple of energy surrounding me, they were livid, and these men were not ones you wanted to anger. No, you never wanted to be on the receiving end of their anger or their magic. Too terrified to look up, I remained frozen until boots stopped next to me. I clenched my hands into fists to prevent them from trembling. They stepped closer, and I found myself caged in by their legs and sitting at their feet. Previous Post Next Post Trending Novels Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Chapter 3 They could kill me, and I felt like they genuinely wanted to crush me like a bug beneath their shoes. I have never felt so small in all my life. ¡°Six years, Aleera, six fucking years, and you have the guts to ask for our help. We should have let them fucking kill you. Have you even got magic left because I can¡¯t feel it?¡± One of them screamed at me. I have feared no one more than my mates. I knew who they were and what they had done. Now I was second-guessing my decision to call on them. One of them grasped my hair, my head ripped back, forcing me to stare at the eyes of the one I feared most. Darius Wraith. His name is constantly in the media; nobody in the world feared anyone more than they did Darius Wraith. And to think he is one of my mates, not that the three others have ster reputations. No, they were just as dark and twisted as he was. I never understood how I could be fated to be theirs; they were pure dark magic while mine was not like theirs, mine was, well I wasn¡¯t exactly sure, but it is both, yet I felt the urge more to my pure white magic more, it made no sense why the fates punished me this way. They could not get their hands on my magic. It would be dangerous in the wrong hands, and their hands would be the worst. They didn¡¯t need more power, especially Darius. He is a Demonic-Fae, and they¡¯re the strongest of the Fae. He, too, like myself, was thest of his species. Demon and Fae, and here I am, thest of my kind, and mates with thest of his. What were the odds, two dying species fated to each other as if we should create a more incredible monster? ¡°Fucking answer me, Aleera, say something,¡± He bellows as I clutch at his hand, trying to free his tight grip. He yanks my head back harder by my hair, and I cry out, my hair ripping painfully from my scalp. ¡°Please, just let me go,¡± I beg him, now wishing I chose death. I was an idiot for even calling on them. A fate with them would be worse. Dariusughs at my pleading, but he lets go, shoving me back to the ground. His presence was suffocating me already. ¡°Never. You belong to us, Aleera. We gave you time, and we could havee for you when you were thirteen, but we didn¡¯t, and still, you ran from us. We are your fucking mates,¡± He yelled. His hands glow with his anger, and I watch as he fists them. Readying myself for the blow. ¡°Bloody monsters,¡± I whisper before I can stop myself, stupid no brain to mouth filter. I instantly regret the words I never intended to speak out loud. ¡°What did you say?¡± I shake my head, not wanting to repeat myself, knowing that would be a mistake when someone suddenly nudges me from behind. His foot connected with my thigh hard, and I could feel my thigh bruising. ¡°Darius asked you a question. Answer him,¡± someone says behind me, his voice velvety smooth, but the coldness of it sent chills down my spine. My hair was yanked again, my head jerked back painfully at an odd angle, and I saw the man behind me. His dark hair falls into his green snake eyes when he res at me. If he weren¡¯t so homicidal looking, I would say he was hot, but the look of rage on his face made me want to cringe away from him. So he must be Tobias Kade, I could tell by the fangs protruding from his mouth and, from what I know of him, he is Vampiric-Fae, a fucking bloodsucker. Nice to meet you too fuckface. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Answer him now Aleera, I want to go home, or we will leave you here to rot,¡± He says, with a cruel smile, and by the look in his eyes, he heard what I said. I say it, and chances are they may leave me here to fend for myself. Tears roll down my cheeks, and I hate that I cry when I¡¯m angry. I also cry when happy and sad too. I just suck when ites to emotion. Emotion to me is like squirting onion juice in your eye. I guess that¡¯s me, an onion girl, has a nice ring. ¡°I said bloody monsters,¡± I spit at him through gritted teeth; his smile chilled me to the bone when I felt fingers wrap around my throat, and Tobias suddenly lets go of my hair. Darius res at me, his fingers cutting off my oxygen, and I clutch his hand. His grip tightens. ¡°You have no idea the sort of monsters we can be. You would have been better off letting them mutts rip you to pieces because we will never forgive you for what you did. You will wish you never called upon us. I will make you wish for death,¡± he snarls before letting go. I suck in much-needed air, choking on my stolen breath. My throat feels damaged as I try to breathe through my mangled windpipe. ¡°Grab her, and let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Darius says before hands grabbed and tossed me someone¡¯s hard shoulder. The air around me heats and warps, rippling like a stone tossed in ake, and I am pulled through a portal they created. The motion and whooshing noise made my stomach turn before being thrown against the concrete floor. My head bounces painfully off the ground when he throws me off his shoulder. I hit it so hard darkness swallowed my vision for a few seconds, and I clutched my head in my hands and gritted my teeth through the pain that just exploded in my skull before hearing creaking and the m of metal on metal. Opening my eyes, I look around to see I am in a cell. Tobias locks me in with a key. He didn¡¯t even nce in my direction before turning on his heel and walking away. Trending Novels Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Darius Wraith POV I stared out the window overlooking the castle grounds. This ce was older than dirt and passed down through the generations, though we had renovated the castle to our taste. My father was old-fashioned, and I would not miss the gaudy drapes and the ugly furnishings he had throughout this ce. We had made it more functional for our needs and that of the army we were building here. Tobias would handle Aleera until I could get over my shock and anger at her calling on us after all this time. All this fucking time, and then she suddenly wants us to save her. Not a fucking call, not a letter, nothing. Nothing for six bloody years. To say I was angry was an understatement. I wanted to hurt the girl, strangle the life out of her. She needed to feel the agony she caused us. She would regret running from me from us. Kalen and Lycus didn¡¯t say a word, yet I could feel their eyes on me, watching me and waiting for the explosion that woulde, yet despite hating her, every goddamn thing about her, I have never felt so relieved at the same time. She would pay for betraying us, for nearly destroying us. Hearing the door open, I look over at it to see Tobias walk in. His anger was as hot as mine. He hated her just as much and, with good reason, what she took from him, what it had cost him, pained me still. She took so much from us, more than she could ever or would ever realize, but she would pay; Aleera would pay for what she had done. We would have loved her, we already did, we would have looked after her, but she threw it in our faces. ¡°Well?¡± I ask him as he drops into the armchair next to the firece, his shirt all creased, and he looked unkempt for the first time in ages. ¡°Hopefully, she freezes to death,¡± He mutters, ring at the mes licking at the wood as he tosses more kindling in. I hated that look on his face, the look he had when he re-lived that night. That night would forever haunt him. I look away, unable to handle seeing his torment. ¡°Where is she?¡± Kalen dare asks, and I look at him; his blue eyes instantly drop to the floor as if embarrassed he asked, no he is embarrassed because he still cared for her, and he should be after the damage she caused. Lycus watched him with a worried expression, and I knew why he was concerned. Kalen¡¯s obsession with her almost killed himst time when she never answered our call, and by the time we got to her school, she was gone. We thought she needed time to get her head around the idea of us, but after a few hours, we realized we misjudged her. ¡°She is in the cells,¡± Tobias answers him with a sigh before rubbing a hand down his face like he was tired, and he was. The anniversary ising up, and this time of the year, he never slept much, and I would have to exhaust him or put him under when he went too long without sleep. Tobias would be unstable and driven by his instincts. We had lost a few men to his grief. Having her here was going to make him worse. I watch Kalen as his head snaps up before he realizes I am watching him. His face shuts down, instantly recognizing his mistake. He was our weakness, and we couldn¡¯t drop our guard around her. I nod to Lycus, and he pats Kalen on the shoulder and nods toward the door. Kalen reluctantly gets up and follows him. I will have to pull him in ler. We won¡¯t lose him to her again. She has taken enough from us, and I won¡¯t allow her to do it again. She either falls in line, or she will rot in that cell for the rest of her life. ¡°We should have let them kill her,¡± Tobias mutters. He reached for the bottle that sat on the coffee table between the armchairs that circled the firece. Moving toward him, I watch as he twists the cap off the bottle before bringing it to his lips, swallowing down the amber liquid. My hands fall on his shoulders, and Tobias flinches, only rxing when I squeeze gently. He knows I would never hurt him. We were friends long before we became mates. I trusted this man with my life, and he trusted me with his. ¡°She will pay for what she has done,¡± I tell him, and he drops his head back to look up at me standing behind him. ¡°I want her to hurt, and I want her to bleed like we have all done for her.¡± ¡°Then make her,¡± I tell him. Tobias turns his stare back at the fire burning for a second, his green eyes reflecting oddly from the flickering light of the mes. His expression darkens as his mask slips back in ce. The same icy demeanor that made people run just at the sight of him. He could be cruel, he was nearly as sadistic as me, and he knew it. ¡°Aleera will wish for death long before we grant it to her.¡± He chuckles softly, shaking his head before tipping the bottle to his lips, and I take it from him, making him growl at me. His drinking had be worse, making me worry he was developing a drinking problem. My jaw clenches at the angry look on his face as he res up at me. ¡°You want revenge fine, but do it sober,¡± I tell him. ¡°And after?¡± He asks, and I stand upright. My lips press in a line as I stare at the mes, my mood plummeting further. Sometimes I hated the mate bond, hated it with a passion. It was the worst feeling, craving someone but hating them simultaneously. She nearly ruined all of us; Aleera nearly killed Kalen. We almost lost him because of her selfishness. We just need to remember everything she took from us. ¡°Then we kill her. We don¡¯t need her¡±. ¡°Are you sure that is a wise decision? We need her. I fucking hate her and wish nothing but death on her, but she is our power keeper. She would strengthen us,plete us.¡± ¡°We have survived this long without her, and I don¡¯t want her touching my magic. She doesn¡¯t deserve to after what she has done,¡± He nods in agreement bending forward and leaning his elbows on his knees. The tension in his body was evident as his back muscles tensed under his shirt, his arms flexing and straining against the fabric. ¡°She has no magic. I couldn¡¯t feel it. Could you?¡± Tobias asks me while looking over his shoulder at me. ¡°She must have burned herself out. I couldn¡¯t sense it either, but she has manifested; otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to call on us,¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°What was she doing there in the first ce? That was bloody stupid of her. Not even we would take on a Lycan City on a full moon.¡± ¡°Well, maybe you wouldn¡¯t,¡± I tell him, and his lips tug at the corners. ¡°Yeah, but you are crazy enough to,¡± he says, and he was right. I feared nothing, and I didn¡¯t have to. Nobody in the world feared anything more than my name. ¡°Would be an enjoyable challenge,¡± I tell him, and he looks over at me and smirks. ¡°I think Lycus should deal with her for a few days. I don¡¯t want Kalen near her. Not until he has control of his emotions. Probably best I steer clear of her, too. I may just kill her,¡± Kalen says, snatching the bottle back, and I have to agree. These would be testing times, with her under our roof and tested she would be. Trending Novels Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Aleera POV For three days, I have sat in this cell. Noone came except one man. He brought me a bottle of water and some bread, but that was it. Every morning, like clockwork. They hated me, but I didn¡¯t care; the feeling was mutual. Yet despite my hatred for the men that killed my family, I didn¡¯t think they would do this to me. Yes, I ran, but I had a good reason for not being with them. Did they honestly think I would go running into the arms of my parent¡¯s murderers? I should have chosen the werewolves. At least I wouldn¡¯t suffer this misery. Stupid Aleera. I was fucking stupid for calling on them. Hearing the steel door groan as it opens, I look over to see the man of the morning. He walked over, his back ramrod straight. He bends down, cing a metal te on the ground that holds three slices of bread. ¡°Are you trying to anger them?¡± He asks, speaking for the first time in three days. It speaks! I thought dryly. I was beginning to wonder if he were mute and was waiting for him to bust out some miming, it would have been nice to have some entertainment. I ignore him, and he growls. He growled like some savage, making my head turn to re at him. If he weren¡¯t one of my mate¡¯s minions, I would appreciate the conversation, but since he was also helping hold me prisoner. I couldn¡¯t care less about his words. He has brown hair to his shoulders and even darker pitch-ck eyes. His scent told me he was a Were-Fae; he had Lycan blood running through his system. That and the ck eyes were a dead giveaway. They looked nearly as eerie as Darius, but nothing made my blood run colder than Darius¡¯s demonic eyes. I blink at him before turning back to the wall that has captured my attention, and I continue to count the bricks on the wall; it has be some kind of game, that and counting the smears of blood. ¡°You are asking for trouble. Just be happy they let you live. Not eating will anger them, and if you don¡¯t eat or drink soon, I will be forced to tell Darius,¡± he says. The man didn¡¯t look that old, maybe in histe twenties around my mates¡¯ ages. His tone clearly showed that he thought I was some naive girl who ran into trouble and was brought here on a whim. ¡°Answer me, goddammit, if I have to go up there and tell them, they will probably order me to kill you, so please eat. I don¡¯t want to be responsible for your death. I have enough blood on my hands,¡± He mutters thest part more to himself, staring at his clean hands like he could see the blood that stained them. ¡°Death, now that sounds appealing. Bring on the grim reaper,¡± I tell him. ¡°I am being serious, they¡­.they will hurt you. Do you have any idea who they are, what Darius is capable of?¡± He asks. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I ask him. ¡°How can she still not know?¡± I thought I heard him mutter. ¡°After three days now, you choose to speak to me. Were you told not to talk to me?¡± I ask, and he looks away, so he has been told not to converse with the enemy. I chuckle to myself. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± He asks before chucking a water bottle to me. The bottle rolled across the ground, and I was almost tempted to drink it. I licked my cracked, dry lips, my tongue so dry it felt like sandpaper. My throat is raw, but if they intended to keep me here forever, I would rather starve to death and put myself out of my misery. I was doing well so far, nearly seven days total without food, three days without water. It shouldn¡¯t be too much longer if I could hold out a little longer, thirst will kill me quicker than starvation, and I guessed that if it were hot down here, dehydration would have killed me by now, but it turns out it is like an igloo down here, so it was taking a little longer than I predicted. Lucky me, I thought bitterly. ¡°Nothing. You worry about telling Darius. I find it funny, is all,¡± I tell him. ¡°Why would that be funny? They will kill you. No, they will force me to do it, and that¡¯s worse.¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Why is that worse?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to, that is why; you may have a death wish, but I don¡¯t like killing people; I have seen enough people die, and I am not someone that enjoys killing,¡± I snorted before coughing on my laugh. ¡°You hate killing people, but you are a were-fae. They love hunting and ughtering. I was nearly dog food before they brought me here,¡± I chuckle. ¡°I am not a monster and I sure as hell didn¡¯t ask to be down here with you, so please drink at least, so I don¡¯t have to tell them, I would rather you down here and away from everyone than up there with-¡± he doesn¡¯t finish what he was going to say; instead he was looking toward the door. ¡°How about you tell them I am eating and drinking like a good evil minion, and they will be none the wiser,¡± I tell him, rolling my eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t do that when they ask every day about you, so if you die and they find you, they will me me for not telling them.¡± ¡°Instead of asking you, they could check for themselves, so run back to your master,¡± I tell him, shooing him away with my hand, the movement taking way too much energy than it should. ¡°You have no idea; I warned you,¡± He says, rushing out. I sighed, reaching for the drink bottle and tossing it through the bars so I wouldn¡¯t be tempted to drink it. Trending Novels Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Hours passed. I spent most of the day sleeping on the cold concrete floor. I was too lethargic to move. My ass went numb hours ago, my legs were asleep, and they had pins and needles, yet moving them felt like too much effort. My teeth chattered as my temperature plummeted, and the day turned into night. The coldness of night seeped into my bones, making them ache worse. I was asleep when I heard the steel door open. ¡°And you are back. Is it morning already?¡± I murmured. Hearing the cell door open, I instantly knew something was wrong as he never once ever came into the cell. My eyes flew open to see Darius standing in front of me. ¡°Oh, shit!¡± I curse under my breath. ¡°Oh shit is right, why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± ¡°Not hungry,¡± I tell him, and my traitorous stomach growls at the mention of food. His eyes flickered, and he red down at me. He walked over to me, and I had to fight the urge to shrivel into a ball. Darius growls before reaching down and grabbing my hair. He jerks my head back painfully, but I can¡¯t even fight to loosen his grip. My entire body felt like a dead weight. He sneers at me, looking me over. ¡°Fucking disgusting,¡± He says, letting me go and shoving me against the brick wall. My back hits the wall so hard it knocks the air from my lungs in one short wheeze. ¡°Just let me go. You don¡¯t even want me, so why keep me?¡± I ask, trying to catch my breath. ¡°You¡¯re weak, eat, or I will force-feed you,¡± He says, kicking the te towards me. It resembled toast, only white with no color, but it was as stiff as toast. I turn my face away, looking back at the brick wall. ¡°I am going to give you three seconds, or I will make you eat,¡± He says coldly. ¡°1¡­.2¡­.3¡± I red at him¡ªa big mistake when his foot came down my shin. I screamed. The sound echoed off the walls and made my ears ring as the bone broke at the force. Pain radiated up my leg, and I blinked back tears while staring at his foot on my leg, his foot crushing it still as I panted. He counts slowly again, and I could only gasp and stare at him in horror at what he had done. His face is expressionless, like hurting me meant nothing to him. I suppose it did mean nothing, or he wouldn¡¯t be doing it. ¡°1¡­2¡­3¡± He twists his foot, earning another scream from me, yet I was too weak to stop him, and my magic was all but gone; I highly doubt he would give me any to renew mine. ¡°Stop, stop, stop, Darius¡± My scream agonized, and I tried to clutch my aching leg, only for him to stomp on my hand. I hear the sickening crack of my three middle fingers. Bile rises in my throat before I throw up the emptiness of my stomach. Acid burned my throat while I gasped for air as bile spilled from my lips onto the ground beside me. He removes his foot off my hand, and I clutch it to my chest when the door opens behind him. My entire body trembles and Darius steps away from me, looking toward whoever entered. The pressure on my leg leaves, but it is bent inward in the middle. Just moving causes me pain, and my blood coated the floor beneath it. The bone jutted out of my skin, and I fought the urge to throw up again at the gruesome sight of it. I could only stare at my leg in horror at what he had done. The pain receded, and I knew I was in shock. I weed the shock, anything to rece the pain, but I knew it would wear off any minute, and it does. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asks Tobias, making me look toward him, but I couldn¡¯t see him, with Darius blocking my view. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t eat; I was making her,¡± Darius says simply like he does this sort of thing every day, and it was merely some annoying chore to him. ¡°Just leave her be. Hopefully, she dies. We don¡¯t need her,¡± Tobias says coldly, and it was like a dagger in my chest. Tobias steps to the side and nces at me with an expressionless face. His eyes darted to my leg and the blood pooled below it. I watched his adam¡¯s apple bob as he swallows, and his eyes went to mine fleetingly before he turned his attention back to Darius. Darius grunts but adds nothing else before closing my cell door and leaving me as he follows Tobias. The moment the steel door shut. I fell apart; uncontroble sobs wracked my body, causing more pain as the floodgates opened. I could no longer contain it. My hand shook as I tried to use the one that wasn¡¯t broken to pull my pant leg up, the fabric catching on the jutted-out bone. Pain steals my breath away, and I slump back, trying to breathe through it as my leg throbs. Tears trekked down my cheeks. He broke it; he broke my leg and hand and just left me here. ¡°Why?¡± I whisper to no one. Was my life always going to be a battle, some disaster? Did the fates think I was indestructible? Because if they did, they are wrong. Gosh, how they are wrong. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Pairing me to these monsters was just cruel. I knew I would never survive them, and I had been asking why ever since their mark appeared on my wrist. The wrist attached to the hand Darius just broke. I should have chosen death. I couldn¡¯t fathom how they could hate me so much. I hated them for a good reason, yet I would never inflict this on someone, never hurt them like Darius just did. I stared down at my leg, hoping it would go numb like the rest of me, no such luck. Haven¡¯t they taken enough from me? What do they want? They clearly hate me, so why keep me trapped here? Trending Novels Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Chapter 7 I didn¡¯t know what time it was when the door opened again, but I cringed when it did. Fear coursed through me, making my eyes dart to it. Worried, Darius has returned to inflict more injury on me. My leg needed to be set back into ce, and I needed a doctor. Without my mates, I have no way of fixing it myself with one hand, and I doubt I could, anyway. My pain threshold wasn¡¯t the best. Relief floods me when I realize it isn¡¯t him. It was my usual morning visitor. He walks in, and I watch him as he tosses the water bottle through the bars. It falls at my feet and bumps my foot. I didn¡¯t even feel it, and I wasn¡¯t sure if that was a good thing because I wasn¡¯t in pain or a bad thing. ¡°Aleera, please just-¡± He stops, his eyes going to the odd angle of my leg and my blood that has frozen on the floor beneath it. His eyes moved to mine before going to the hand still held to my chest. I knew how gross it looked; my fingers were swollen and ck, and they still hurt; however, my leg was numb, and I prayed it didn¡¯t mean something terrible. ¡°Darius did that?¡± he questions, and I just look away from him. He appeared shocked. Why he thought better of him was beyond me? All the rumors of his cruelty turned out to be urate, and to think, I tried to convince myself over the years that maybe it wouldn¡¯t be so bad.. Perhaps I could get past him killing my parents. Thankfully, I never gave in to the hopelessness that comes from living out there and surviving. If I had, I would have been here over four days, and if this is four days brings me, just what am I truly in store for, and could I survive it. The door swings open and bangs on the bars, and I look over at the man. He curses but hesitates for a second before walking over to me with his eyes trained on me like he thought I would do something. He nced at the door behind him, and I watched as he kneeled beside me. He rolled my pant leg up. His eyes dart to me like he was expecting me to cry out at the movement of my leg, but I feel nothing when I see his hands move towards my leg where the bone poked out of my skin. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I ask him. ¡°I can¡¯t leave you like this,¡± He says; he almost looked guilty like he did this to me. ¡°Why do you care?¡± I mutter, looking away from him. ¡°Because you don¡¯t just belong to him,¡± He says, and my head whips back to look at him. ¡°You still haven¡¯t figured it out, have you? Do you know who I am?¡± He asks before I feel his hands grab my leg. My skin buzzes and vibrates, and I gasp. ¡°Lycus!¡± I whisper, and he nods once but doesn¡¯t take his eyes off my leg when I hear it crack as he forces it back in ce, and I scream. I wanted the numbness back. So much for being numb. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. His hand instantly mped down over my mouth while his head turned to look at the door, which I noticed was wide open. He looks back at me when no onees down before removing his hand, I try to catch my breath. ¡°Quiet, they are in the mess hall,¡± he says while examining m y leg. ¡°Mess hall?¡± Lycus nods but doesn¡¯t exin. He returns his hands to my leg, and I flinch as his hand comes in contact as h e feels my leg, searching for something. I have no idea, but it bloody hurt as he prodded before reaching for my hand that tucked against my chest. He turned my wrist, examining it, but no bones were jutting out. I watch as his eyes turn silver and his canines slip out before h e bites into his wrist before offering it to me. I just stared at him. When a thought hits me, I could siphon his magic and knock him out before he even notices; this was my chance to escape. ¡°Hurry, it will heal you, Were-fae!¡± He says, pointing at himself like he thought I couldn¡¯t tell what he was. I was d I had no magic right now because, with my pain, I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to keep it contained to shield him from what I was. I needed them to believe I was a dark Fae like the rest of the world. ¡°I know what you are,¡± I tell him. ¡°Are you sure because you didn¡¯t recognize me or feel I was your mate?¡± he says. ¡°I felt it when you touched me,¡± I muttered. ¡°Yes, but you have no magic left, or I would sense it, we all would nevertheless I still would have thought you would have had some inkling about who I am to you¡± he sounded almost upset I didn¡¯t recognize him or maybe I imagined it. ¡°Well, sorry if I¡¯m a bit power drained right now, and it is not like I see your face sshed all over papers and the media,¡± I tell him. ¡°Having no power is your fault, don¡¯t expect me to feel sorry for you because I don¡¯t,¡± He says, his eyes darkening back to their pitch-ck color. ¡°Kalen and I don¡¯t like leaving the castle,¡± He finally states, but my brain is still stuck on the word castle. Did he mean like an actual castle from fairy tales? Did they still exist? Was I in a dungeon of sorts? That exined the weird-ass shackles on the walls. I thought maybe they were some twisted Halloween decoration, or perhaps they were into BDSM, but now I was looking at them differently. I wondered briefly how many people hung up by them. ¡°Aleera, hurry before I heal,¡± he says before groaning, and I turn my gaze to his wrist that closes up before my eyes. His eyes turn silver again, his canines sinking into his wrist. He tears the flesh away, which made me pull ¨¢ face when he doesn¡¯t even flinch, oh how I wish I had his pain threshold. Right! Back to escaping, blood to heal, then siphon and run like my ass is on fire. I could do this. I hope it won¡¯t hurt him, though. I know I shouldn¡¯t care, but I didn¡¯t want to hurt him. The pull to his power and him now I recognized him was growing stronger-stupid mate bond. And couldn¡¯t the fates have made them as ugly as their shitty personalities? Seriously they get to be sick depraved assholes and get godlike looks. How is that fair? Grabbing his wrist with my good hand, he flinched, and I had a strange feeling he was fighting the urge to pull away from me. Like my touch repulsed him when I realized he wasn¡¯t healing me because he wanted to, but because he felt guilty. Anger courses through me, and he looks away as I press my lips to his wrist, letting his blood flow into my mouth. I could feel his magic in his blood as it coated my throat and tongue, making them tingle as I healed. Healing quickly, I wiggled my fingers as they healed before grabbing him with both hands and pulling, no that was the wrong word for it. It¡¯s like turning on a vacuum, and I felt his magic slip into me. The more I take, the higher chance he would notice. I wiggle my toes, and I let his wrist go. He wipes his wrist, cleaning my saliva off with his shirt, but I don¡¯t waste any time. While he cleaned his wrist, I lifted my foot and kicked him straight in his pretty face. I hope I didn¡¯t damage it. The shock would have been my only element of surprise, and I jumped up as he fell backward. Not expecting it and he clutches his nose, which sprays out blood. But I didn¡¯t have time to feel bad when I sted him with the magic I just stole from him, which wasn¡¯t much but enough to shove him backward until he smacked into the metal bars, which knocked him out. His face falls ck, and his shoulders slouch. I hesitated, feeling guilty I hurt him, but that wore off quickly as I looked t o the open door and my escape route. Running, I take the steps two at a time. Once I made it through the door and I reached the top. I find another door and push it open slightly, peeking out. Blinking, I am taken aback by the fact the ce was indeed something out of fairy tales. It was a castle by the high ceiling and enormous chandeliers, the massive staircases, and was that a ballroom? Oh, no, that is the mess hall, but it must have been a ballroom by its sheer size. It has a very modern look for a castle, one of them has good tastes. Pushing the door open, I could see a vast corridor across from me, but that meant running across to hide at the base of the stairs, which meant running past the double doors wide opent o the mess hall. Men seated at the long tables made me . wonder if I would go unnoticed-only one way to find out. So I ran like crazy. The screeching of chairs alerted me that I did not go unnoticed, and the fierce growl that echoed off the walls out to me. Still, I tried racing toward the double arched doors at the end of the long corridor. This ce is a maze, corridors leading everywhere, but I had n o time to explore while I raced toward the doors, praying they led outside to freedom. My blood runs cold when Darius suddenly materializes out of thin air, and my feet screeched on the floor. He appears in front of the doors I intended to run out of-forced to stop and back up a step. Turning, I run in the direction I just came from when I see Tobias behind me. A menacing look on his face before I see his hand whip toward my face a second toote. It took another second to register as darkness swallowed my vision. Tobias punched me. He knocked me out, I thought. Though I shouldn¡¯t be surprised, he is exactly like Darius. Darkness engulfed me, and I begged the fates not to let me wake back up this time. Trending Novels Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Darius POV Tobias¡¯s fist connected with her jaw. It happened so quickly I barely caught the movement until she started to fall. Tobias hesitated to catch her like he would let her hit the marble floors, but he moved at thest second, catching her limp body. Lycus storms out of the dungeons, looking extremely pissed off, and his shirt is coated in blood. Kalen was at his side in an instant, fussing over him. Lycus¡¯s shirt is saturated in blood, his nose bleeding, and Tobias turns, noticing my gaze is directed over his shoulder. Lycus smacks Kalen¡¯s fussing hands away as he storms over to us. ¡°Fucking bitch stole some of my power and hit me with it,¡± He growls, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. Kalen¡¯s eyes look to Aleera in Tobias¡¯s arms, his expression looking conflicted before reaching his arms out for her. ¡°No, we have talked about this. You are to stay away from her,¡± Tobias tells him. Kalen looked at me, and I could see the pleading in his eyes. He wanted to hold her, feel her close. ¡°She is unconscious; she can¡¯t hurt him,¡± I tell Tobias, giving i n to Kalen. Tobias growls but shoves her toward him and lets Kalen take her limp body in his arms. Lycus growls, not wanting Aleera near him. None of us did, and I worried this might start up the obsession again. I am pretty sure letting him take her will be just the beginning and a mistake on my part. Kalen was already attached to her. He has attached to her already, and he hasn¡¯t even spoken to her yet. She looked small in his arms, hugged close to his chest. How could he still want her after it nearly cost his life? He almost chucked it away for her, and yet he was so tender with her. I hated it, and Tobias¡¯ deadly re said he did, too. ¡°Put her back in the cells,¡± I tell him when he turns around with her in his arms. He freezes, turning back to face me. ¡°Darius, please,¡± His voice a soft murmur before he looks down at her in his arms. Lycus walks over to him, stopping in front of him. ¡°Put her back in the cells, Kalen,¡± Lycus¡¯ voice is a menacing growl. He was pissed off, but I wanted to know why he went into her cell. ¡°No! She isn¡¯t going back down there,¡± Kalen snaps, and Lycus eyes go to his, his lips turning to a frown. ¡°She attacked me. She just tried to run. Put her back in the cells, or I will,¡± Lycus threatens him. Lycus is never like this with Kalen. He has never challenged our mate, but Kalen was the weakest of us, and the fact he would go against us showed his obsession was already returning. We all knew he loved Aleera. He spent years talking to her. Without her knowing who he was to her, her running affected him most. Now she is here. I am worried about his mental state. Stepping closer, I was about to back Lycus up when Tobias spoke beside me. ¡°Put her in her own room in our quarters. Kalen, if she runs again. I will kill her,¡± Tobias warns him, and Lycus¡¯presses his lips together, and his jaw clenches. ¡°She won¡¯t,¡± Kalen answers before rushing off with her before Tobias changes his mind. We all struggled with saying no to Kalen. We are terrified of losing him again. ¡°What are you doing? We all agreed he was to be away from her. I don¡¯t want her near him,¡± Lycus growls, his eyes flickering to a silver, burning brightly as the beast that resides in him tries to take over. The savage side likes to terrorize its prey. Right now, I knew Aleera was his prey. Good, she deserves no mercy. Lycus was usually calm. Aleera attacking him seemed to set him straight. He hated violence unless it was protecting one of us. He spent most of his childhood and teenage years fighting for Kalen in the orphanage they grew up in together. Aleera was a threat to Kalen, one he wanted to ruin. ¡°You said she used your magic against you?¡± I ask him, and he looks away guiltily before making sure Kalen is out of earshot. ¡°Did you have to break her fucking leg and hand? I couldn¡¯t leave like that.¡± ¡°Well, you should have, so don¡¯t me us because Kalen is with her,¡± Tobias scolds, but his eyes dart to me. We aren¡¯t usually violent people towards women, but I had a particr spot reserved for Aleera. I had no qualms hurting her like she did all of us. ¡°You healed her,¡± I scoff before shaking my head. ¡°She was in pain. You said we make her suffer. You never said about literally breaking her bones.¡± ¡°She was suffering. I see no difference,¡± I answer. ¡°Don¡¯t let Kalen see you hurt her like that,¡± He says, turning and folding his arms across his broad chest to re at Tobias about to rant at him. ¡°He would have sat down there with her, don¡¯t look at me like that. You know I hate him with her just as much as you do, but I won¡¯t have our mate withering away in a cell with her or sneaking down to see her. It is better this way. We can monitor both of them,¡± Tobias says before Lycus could shout at him about letting Kalen take her to our quarters. Lycus snarls, clearly not happy, but says nothing else on the matter. ¡°This may be a better idea anyway,¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± Tobias asks. ¡°Because tomorrow she can start sses. Let¡¯s see how she fares when she goes up against an entire castle of pure demons¡± Tobias chuckles at my words, knowing exactly what I¡¯m thinking. ¡°But she has no magic,¡± Lycus says, and Tobias chuckles, dropping his hand on his shoulder. ¡°Exactly, we don¡¯t have to make her suffer; they will do it for us,¡± Tobias says before stalking off toward the stairs. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Lycus asks him. ¡°To get Kalen away from her before he does something stupid, like confessing his undying love for her,¡± Tobias tosses over his shoulder. ¡°So, what are you going to tell the men about her?¡± ¡°No, we will tell them nothing, only that she is our prisoner. Let them think what they want about her. I will just tell them she is an enemy we want to be kept close,¡± I tell Lycus. ¡°Good, I don¡¯t want them following her orders just because of what she is to us,¡± Lycus states while watching Tobias walk up the stairs to our mates. ¡°No, I have a better idea. Whoever breaks Aleera first wins the bad for a ranking officer,¡± I tell him, and he smirks. ¡°Well, that will be enough motivation for them, but she is not t o be in any of Kalen¡¯s sses,¡± Lycus says, and I nod my head i n agreement.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°I know you¡¯re worried about him-¡± He raises his hand, silencing me. ¡°Don¡¯t. You didn¡¯t find him. You didn¡¯t have to cut his body down from the rafters. Worried is not the word I would use to describe how I feel about Aleera being near him,¡± Lycus growls before turning on his heel and walking away from me. My jaw clenched at his words. I wasn¡¯t there, but luckily we got back in time. Luckily, Tobias could revive him and heal his broken neck. A few secondster, he would no longer be with u s. We would have never let him die, but resurrection could be tricky. It taints the soul, and not in a good way. She won¡¯t destroy us this time. No, she will break, and when she does, she will understand the torment she has caused us. Trending Novels Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Aleera POV My head throbbed, and the back of my eyes ached but not nearly as much as my jaw does. I groaned, forcing my eyes open when I realized I wasn¡®t on the hard concrete floor of the dungeon. No, I felt warmer andfortable. I blink, trying to clear the blurriness of my vision to find a man sitting next to m e, and I am in a bedroom on a bed. The man stared like he was looking through me as I jerked upright and pulled away from him. He had blo nde hair that looked like he had just run his fingers through it only moments before. His blue eyes were the lightest shade I had ever seen, almost so pale they were almost white. If it weren¡®t for my enhanced eyesight, I would have assumed they were until he blinked. The color returned t o them. I wondered where his mind went as the color returned, and his eyes were now a startling cerulean blue. ¡°Drink, please,¡± he says, reaching beside me for the tall ss o f water. He hands it to me, and I clutch it in shaky hands.¡± Please,¡± He repeated, and for some unknown reason, I didn¡®t like the idea of upsetting him, so I quickly obeyed, bringing the ss to my lips. The icy liquid pours into my mouth, which is so dry I gulp it down before nearly choking on it. ¡°Slow. Not so fast,¡± he murmurs, gripping the ss. My fingers tingle where his bumped mine. He slowly tips the cup up, allowing me to drink what is left in it. He goes to open his mouth to say something else when the door opens suddenly, and he turns his head to look at who entered, and so do I. Tobias le ans on the doorframe. I quickly look away from him, back to the man sitting beside me, and I know who h e is. ¡°You are Kalen?¡± I whisper, and his face turns back to me. He studied me for a second before shifting closer to me , his hand outstretched, and I wondered if he was going to hit me, but he didn¡®t seem like he was going to . I didn¡®t have time to find out when Tobias spoke from the doorway. ¡°Kalen, Darius wants to speak with you,¡± Tobias says while pushing off the doorframe. Kalen drops his hand and sighs. ¡°Why?¡± He asks, turning to look back at Tobias. His voice was deep yet not cruel sounding and didn¡®t make me want to cringe at the sound of it like Darius and Tobias¡®s voice makes me. ¡°You know why now don¡®t make him wait. You know he hates waiting,¡± Tobias tells him, his voice different, softer as he spoke to Kalen. Kalen¡®s shoulders drop as he gets up off the bed. I didn¡®t want him to leave. He is the only one that didn¡®t appear to want to kill me. Yet as he moved around the edge of the bed and towards the door, I noticed Tobias would not foll ow him. ¡°Close the door,¡± Tobias says, and my heart rate picks up at his words, and I nce toward Kalen, who nods before giving me a sad smile and shutting the door behind him as he leaves. Tobias ste ps slowly around the edge of the bed, and I move to the other side, getting ready to run if needed. He chuckles like he finds my fear of him amusing. He stopped next to the dresser that sat along the wall. ¡°I would remain where you are Aleera, don¡®t tempt me because it will only end in pain for you,¡± Tobias says, the softer kind voice he used with K alen gone, reced with a harsh cold one, that held a warning. I hesitate to ce my foot on the grey car pet. He turns his head to the side, and I bring m y leg back onto the bed before tucking both to my chest. ¡°Good, you can listen,¡± He says as the door opens again. My other three mates walk in. Darius is the most imposing out of them. The second was Tobias, but they were all intimidating. Darius and Tobiasmanded your attention effortlessly just by their presence alon e, and if looks could kill, Lycus would have turned me to ash. He had changed his shirt to a white one. Darius had ck cks and a white button¨C up shirt; the sleeves rolled to his elbows. Not only was he menacing, but he also looked the part, with the way the shirt hugged his body like it was tail ored to him. The fabric did nothing to hide the bulk of muscle beneath 1. it. Kalen had on jeans and a ck shirt. He was leaner than the others, yet still muscr from what I could t ell by his arms and the ridges of his abs pressing against his shirt. Lycus, however, was all muscle with having Werewolf genes mixed with his Fae ones. Typical shifter genes. Lycus¡® eyes had again changed, making me wonder if they changed with his temperament though he looked pissed off, yet his eyes color was now amber. Maybe it was the light down in the dungeon. I know werewolf shifters had deep silver eyes i n a semi¨C shifted or shifted state, so it must have been a trick o fthe light, which means this must be the natural color of his eyes. Darius folds his arms across his chest, ring down at me, and I drop my gaze, unable to handle the intensity of it; it burns into me with a hatred that makes my stomach twist. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°Nothing to say, Aleera,¡± Darius asks, and what could I say. What excuse would he ept that is good en ough because murdering my parents and burning my family home down wasn¡®t a good enough reason to run from them? If I told them the other reason, they would probably pin me down and use m e to destroy the world as their personal power source. Movement catches my eye, and Darius suddenly appears next t o me before gripping my face. His fingers dig into my cheeks a s he forces me to meet his demonic eyes. Darkness was all I saw in them. He is evil incarnate. ¡°I asked you a question,¡± He says, his voice deadly calm when he shoves my face away. I rub my cheek where his nails dug in a little too hard, breaking the skin. ¡°You will remain in this room between sses if you leave this castle without permission. You will find yourself back in the cells, understood?¡± Darius asks. ¡°Don¡®t try to run Aleera, our room is right next door, and I will have guards stationed on the stairs. They have permission to use force if necessary,¡± Tobias says, and Lycus walks over to a door I hadn¡®t noticed before. He opens it, and I see it is a bathroom. Another door on the other end, which I am guessing, leads into the room next door. When his words suddenly register, did they all share the same room? I stare at them but say nothing when Darius leans down, making me tilt backward as his hands drop on the bed o n either side of my hips. My eyes go to the faint outline on his neck, three marks ovepping each other. I blink in shock, wondering if I imagine why did he have all three of their marks on his neck, making me want to know if they all shared each other¡®s marks. ¡°Is that understood, Aleera?¡± Darius asks, and I tear my eyes away from his neck to look at his face. I quic Trending Novels Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Darius watches my face for a second, and I swallow as his eyes run down my body and to myp, making me shift ufortably. He growls; the noise makes goosebumps cover me as he towers over me. ¡°Lycus, go get her some clothes. Kalen, go grab her a shirt until Lycuses back so she can shower,¡± Darius says before pushing off the bed away from me. Lycus nods to him before walking out, and so does Kalen, leaving me with Darius and Tobias. ¡°You attend every ss. Someone will pick you up from your room of a morning to take you down to the mess hall, which is where all meals are for those that live here.¡± ¡°Where am I?¡± I ask before I can stop myself. Darius didn¡¯t like being talked over as he took a deep breath, and I watched his hand¡¯s fist at his sides before looking down. ¡°Meals are in the mess hall. I will have some books sent in here; under no circumstances are you to tell anyone here you are our mate. If you do, you will wish you were in the cells, am I clear.¡± ¡°Crystal,¡± I tell him. ¡°Also,¡± Tobias says, stepping closer to the bed and moving to stand beside Darius. ¡°You steer clear of Kalen, stay out of our way and if you can behave and do as you¡¯re told, you will have a bit more freedom. ¡°Why can¡¯t I go near Kalen?¡± I asked, confused. He appeared t o be the only one that didn¡¯t outright condemn me. ¡°Don¡¯t question us. Just do as we ask. It isn¡¯t up for discussion, ¡°Tobias says just as Kalen walks back into the room. He has a folded shirt in his hands, and he ces it on the end of the bed with a towel. ¡°Now go shower; you¡¯re filthy. Tobias will bring you something to eat when you are out of the shower,¡± Darius says before turning on his heel and walking out. He stops at the door, looking expectantly at Kalen, who turns around when Tobias touches his shoulder, nodding toward the door. Kalen leaves. He looked like he wanted to say something but kept it t o himself. They both go, and Tobias remains looking down at me. ¡°Count yourself lucky we haven¡¯t killed you yet Aleera, be careful not to give us reason too. Kalen may not want you dead, but the rest of us do; just remember that,¡± He says before walking out and closing the door behind him. I hear the lock click in ce, so I don¡¯t even bother checking it as I get u p and walk into the bathroom. A shower sounds excellent. I hadn¡¯t had a hot shower in god knows how long, usually washing inkes or streams. It wasn¡¯t the same. You never really felt clean with only cold water, and I was lucky to find soap when I could. I suppose that¡¯s what happens when you leave the Faemunity and are forced to live in the wilderness, amongst monsters never catching a whole night¡¯s sleep with jerking awake at every noise. Walking into the bathroom, I stopped in front of the mirror above the basin, making my brows furrow when I noticed it had five sinks. A shower took up an entire wall behind me, and there was a colossal bath that could easily fit five people in itfortably that sat in the middle of the room. A toilet was in the far corner, and I wondered if they specifically made this room for the five of us before I ran. Guilt gnaws at me as I ce the shirt and towel on the basin before looking at myself in the mirror. I looked different from what I remembered. My face had changed; it was slimmer. I didn¡¯t look like the same eighteen-year-old girl when I left the boarding school. Now I look older, drained of life. I was skinnier, my hair dull and lifeless. It was so much longer now. I t used to sit on my shoulders now; it is halfway down my back, having grown out. The door opens leading to the other room, and Kalen wanders in. ¡°There is shampoo and soap in the niches, spare toothbrush,¡± He walks over before bending down and opening the cupboards under the sink basin and reaching into it. He pulls a hairbrush out and a toothbrush before handing them to me. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°Thank you,¡± I tell him, observing the man. He nods, and I hear talking in the room he just walked in here from. ¡°You all share a room?¡± Kalen looks at the door before he nods while looking back over at me. ¡°Strange, huh?¡± I shrug, unsure what other mates did when they had multiple. I stared at his neck, finding the same markings on his neck as I saw on Darius¡¯s. Kalen ces his hand over it, pulling my attention back to him. ¡°I should go. They won¡¯t be pleased if they catch me talking to you,¡± I chew my lip as I watch him slip out of the bathroom. Turning back to the mirror, I peel off my hoodie and shirt before dumping them in the basket. The clothes were stained and holey, but I wasn¡¯t sure where m y bag was, and I believed I had left it behind in the city, vaguely remembering it slipping off my shoulder when I called on them. I unbuttoned my jeans and stepped out of them before unclipping my bra. I ced it on the sink basin, knowing I only had one. Turning around, I hurry to the shower and turn it on, my hand ced under the water as I wait for the temperature to heat before stepping in. It was like heaven, and I sighed, bracing m y hands on the tiled wall¡ªthe dirt, grim¨¦, and blood washing down the drain as I press my face under the spray. Opening my eyes, I reach for the soap in the niche before thering it on my skin. I didn¡¯t want to get out but knew I had no choice; the effort it took to remain standing was bing intolerable. Hunger made me feel weak and shaky; I needed to eat soon. The steam made me dizzy, and my hands hadn¡¯t stopped shaking since I woke. Shutting off the shower, I jump when I hear a knock on the door before the handle twists. Trending Novels Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Panic has me rushing over to my towel and snatching it off the sink basin. The door opens while I am trying to wrap it around myself, only just managing to cover myself when Tobias walks in. He sneered at me before his eyes ran the length of me while I stood clutching the towel awkwardly. My fingers are clutching the towel tightly, and I watch as his face twists in disgust like he couldn¡¯t bear to look at me. Shame washes over me. How could I be so stupid as not to check the door is locked. I would have saved myself this sort of humiliation. I didn¡¯t think I was horrid to look at, nothing that warranted the look of disgust he gave me. If I repulsed him with just a towel on, I would hate to see the look on his face if he got a good look at the burns on my back. That was something I consciously made sure was covered, my back permanently mutted because of Darius. Gym ss was the worst at school; I hated it, the girls would stare in pity, they never said anything but a look could tell a thousand words, express more sometimes than words could. And to think my mate did that to me when he killed my parents, he branded me permanently. ¡°Hurry up, I haven¡¯t got all night,¡± He snarls before mming the door as he walks out and back into the room they ced m e in. The bang of the door makes me jump before I scramble to dry myself and put on the T-shirt Kalen gave me to wear. It fell to my thighs, but I still had another issue. I had no panties, and I couldn¡¯t put the ones I was wearing back on. A little nasty to wear them again after having them on for days while in the dungeon. Tugging the shirt down as far as it would go, I suck in a breath, trying to calm myself as I open the door to see Tobias sitting b y the fire. He points at a bowl of something that smells delicious. ¡°Eat,¡± his voice is cold as he turns his attention back to the firece. Frankly, anything would smell delicious at this point. Seven days without eating would make the grossest food smell and look appealing. ¡°Now, Aleera, or would you prefer I bring Darius in here to force you to eat?¡± he asks, turning around from where he sat i n the chair by the small firece. Shaking my head, I force my feet to move, slowly walking past him toward the tray on the bedside table. Nausea swirled in my stomach at the smell. Maybe I should have eaten the bread. I thought as I watched m y hands tremble as they clutched the bowl before cing it on myp. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. The spoon rattles against the porcin as I grab it trying to scoop the soup on the spoon. Most of it spills back into the bowl as I bring the spoon to my lips, seven days without eating, and the smell of hot food shows how weak I had let myself be. I couldn¡¯t even remember thest time I ate hot food, mostly living off fruit and veggies I could scrounge up in the forests. The Lycan city had been the first time in months that I stepped into a city. And I wouldn¡¯t have even left, but the cold and snow had frozen my water source, and most of the vegetation was frozen or dead. At that point, I had no idea how much further the humanmunities were, and I was too weak to continue walking, so I dared to go to the city in search of water and food, only that was a mistake because look at where I ended u p in the clutches of men that didn¡¯t want me. Movement makes me flinch as Tobias moves toward me, his aura rushing out like a protective barrier, except it wasn¡¯t for protection, no he wanted me to know he could hurt me, inflict pain on me if he wanted as he stopped in front. I swallow nervously before I strain my neck to look up at his angry face. ¡°I warned you, and you fucking still refuse¡± He spits at me before turning on his heel and walking toward the bedroom door, and disappearing into the hall, the door clicks shut behind him, and I wondered what he meant; I was doing what he asked. Turning back to my chicken soup, I ce the spoon down before ncing over my shoulder, slightly embarrassed before I drink the soup straight from the bowl, having managed to get none in my mouth with the spoon from the trembling of my hands. They still shook as I brought the bowl to my lips and the warm liquid spilled into my mouth. A moan escapes me at the first mouthful, and some run down my ch¨ªn, and I nearly choke as I hungrily gulp it down when I hear the door handle rattle. I pull the bowl away from my lips and hastily grab the spoon from the bedside table, so they don¡¯t think I am some pig with no table manners, but it would have gone cold long before any made it to my mouth. My belly felt warm from the chicken soup, and I tried to scoop some onto the spoon when a shriek left me when Darius appeared next to me, his hand reaching toward me, and I scramble back, nearly spilling the bowl onto myp. Tobias grabs it before it ruins the bed and sshes over my legs just a s Darius grips my hair. I clutch his hands, tears burning my eyes as I try to figure out what I did wrong. I did what they asked. ¡°You were fucking warned,¡± Darius snarls before pulling a piece of flexible hose from his pocket and a funnel. ¡°Hold her down,¡± Darius says, shoving me back, and my eyes go wide as I see him connect the funnel to the hose. What was he doing? What did I do? Tobias grips Darius¡¯s forearm. ¡°Wait, she has eaten half of it¡± I blink at them, and Darius looks over at Tobias, and I scramble back on the bed. My heartbeat pulses in my ears as fear wraps around me and how I wish I never wasted my magic. Wishing I had tried to take on the Lycans instead of calling on them. Darius takes the bowl from him and holds it out to me.¡° Fucking eat, or I will force-feed you.¡± My hands trembled as I reached for the bowl, my eyes going to the hose and funnel as I took the bowl and sat back against the headboard. Tobias throws the spoon in myp when I realize the shirt had ridden up, but neither pays attention as I quickly tug it back down, covering myself when Kalen appears. His eyes are wide as he rushes into the room, and Lycus grips his arm as he goes to step toward the bed. ¡°Now, Aleera,¡± Darius¡¯s angry voice sends a jolt up my spine. I fought the urge to scratch myself, my body bing itchy. I t was a nervous thing. I hated it; whenever I felt fear, my skin itched, I couldn¡¯t exin it, but Darius and Tobias made my skin crawl just being near their intimidating auras. My hands shake, and this time not just from hunger as I try to scoop the soup on the spoon. Their eyes watching me make m e more nervous. Please just leave; I need them gone. Their presence made me feel sick as I sensed Darius ring down at me. The soup spills from the spoon before I get it to my lips, and a whimper escapes me when I see Darius¡¯s hands clench into fists. Darius leans toward me, and I cringe away from him, pulling m y legs to my chest and turning away from him. Shrinking in on myself as my body tensed, wondering what he would do.¡° Aleera!¡± His eyes Demonic eyes bored into me, and I could see my reflection in his ck, menacing eyes. The frightened look on my face made me feel pathetic; I should not be subjected to this. Scanned with CamScanner ¡°And still, you deliberately disobey me¡± I shake my head and nce at the funnel clutched in his hands as he steps closer. His hand wraps around my ankle his fingers dig into my skin painfully. I knew being Demonic-Fae, his temperature was hotter than mine, but his skin was searing hot against my cold skin, making me wonder if it was intentional that he was trying to burn deliberately. ¡°You will learn to obey¡± He spits at me before nodding to Tobias, and I watch, horrified as Tobias moves toward me, his hands reaching toward me. Trending Novels Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Chapter 12 ¡° No, no, no,¡± I shriek while kicking my legs. Darius pins them to the bed before crawling on it and straddling my waist. My eyes frantically search the room before my eyes fall on Kalen. Lycus looked away beside him like he couldn¡¯t handle watching as Darius and Tobias pinned me to the bed. ¡°I was trying. I was trying, Darius,¡± I scream as Darius takes the bowl from my hands, and Tobias shoves my shoulders down t on the bed. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I thrashed. I was doing what they wanted. ¡°Darius, what are you doing?¡± Kalen says, sounding outraged, his eyes going to me, and I look at him frantically, wanting him to stop them as he rushed over to the bed. ¡°She did it to herself; we warned her. Lycus, get Kalen out of here,¡± Darius snaps. Lycus grabs Kalen¡¯s arm. Kalen shoves him off and steps closer to Darius. ¡°She was eating for fuck sake,¡± Kalen tells him, grabbing his arm as Darius moved higher, straddling my chest. ¡°No, she was deliberately spilling it.¡± Darius snarls. ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t¡­ I wasn¡¯t, please,¡± I begged. Tobias pins my hands in one of his before pinching my nose, so I have to breathe through my mouth. ¡°She is starving, Darius. For fuck sake, you try holding a spoon steady when you haven¡¯t eaten in days; I told Tobias to put it i n a cup for her,¡± Kalen snaps at him before ring at Tobias, who growls at him. ¡°You dare go against us. You just saw her tip it back in the bowl ¡°Darius turns to re over his shoulder at him, but Kalen doesn¡¯t flinch away from his gaze. Lycus touches his shoulder, and Kalen shrugs him off. I don¡¯t know what look he had on his face, but it was enough that Lycus took a step back from. ¡°You haven¡¯t gone hungry; you have no idea how hard it is to eat when you have gone days without food. I will feed her. Just let her go and move. She wasn¡¯t spilling it; her hands are shaking,¡± Kalen tells Darius, who scoffs. Embarrassment hits me, making a huped sob escape me. This was so humiliating. ¡°Please, Darius,¡± Kalen pleads, touching his arm and making Darius nce at him over his shoulder. Darius res at him before his features soften like he couldn¡¯t bear to see Kalen upset before he sighs and looks down at me beneath him. Tobias lets go of my nose and wrists. Darius nods before climbing off me, and I scramble upright, tugging the shirt down and bringing my knees to my chest. It horrified me that h e was about to force a tube down my throat, not a care in the world that he would be hurting me. Kalen holds his hand out for the bowl, and Darius hands it to him with a growl. Kalen sits on the bed beside me and reaches for me, trying to pry my arms away from my legs. My eyes flick to Darius, who sighs, pinning me with his re when I feel fingers gently grip my chin and turned my face toward Kalen sitting beside me. Kalen nods, holding the bowl up and pressing it to my lips. My hands grab it as he tips it up, and my hands shake violently as I grip his hand on the bowl so I don¡¯t choke as he pours the soup in my mouth. ? ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± He says as I drink straight from the bowl. Soup runs down my chin and spills onto his shirt. ¡°Slow, you will choke,¡± Kalen tells me, pulling the bowl away for a second and letting me catch my breath. ¡°When did you eatst?¡± He asks as I reach for the bowl. He brings it back to my lips, and I drink the remainder of it, my stomach feeling heavy and full for once when he pulls it away when I have drained it. Kalen holds his hand out, and I notice Lycus has my towel in his hands; he passes it to Kalen, who hands it to me. I used it t o wipe my face and his shirt, where I spilled some of the soup o n it. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer,¡± Kalen says, and I look at him, my brows pinching as I try to remember if he asked me something. ¡°Better?¡± He asks, and I nod my head, giving the towel back to him. ¡°When did you eatst?¡± Kalen asks. ¡°Seven days ago,¡± I tell him. Scanned with CamScanner ¡°Bullshit, you have only been here three days,¡± Darius snaps, taking a step toward me, and I cringe. ¡°That¡¯s why you were in the shifter city,¡± Kalen states, and I nod. ¡°Yeah, everything froze over, all the vegetation and the stream, majority of the water sources polluted, I didn¡¯t realize i t was a shifter city. I was hoping it was a human one. I was desperate, mainly for water. I could havested longer; I havested longer but not without water,¡± I admit. ¡°You expect us to believe you were living in the forests and homeless all this time, bullshit! Aleera. Who did you run off with, we saw the surveince footage, and you left with someone? Who is he?¡± Darius snarls and Kalen res at him. Did he seriously think I ran off with some man, that I would run away for someone else? yton only helped me get out. That was it; we were not friends, merely acquaintances. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you believe, Darius. I know the truth, and that is all that matters. Whether or not you, believe me, is up t o you, or you could ask Tobias he should be able to tell if I am lying or not, I have no magic left to mask myself,¡± I tell him. Darius looked over at Tobias, who was observing me like a complicated math equation. He moves around the bed stopping behind Kalen before reaching his hand toward my face, and I pull away when he suddenly pinches my chin between his fingers.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Repeat it,¡± He says, his eyes boring into mine. ¡°I hadn¡¯t eaten before now in seven days, drank anything in nearly just as long. I ran because Darius killed my parents,¡± I answered him, and he let my face go. He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose and exhaling. D ¡°Well?¡± asks Darius. ¡°I was wrong; she is telling the truth.¡± ¡°So you called me in here for no reason?¡± Darius snarls at him. ¡°How was I supposed to know? I thought she was refusing to d o what she was told.¡± ¡°By fucking asking, did you bother to ask her?¡± ¡°You deal with her then; I didn¡¯t even want to be near her,¡± Tobias says before storming out of the room. I look down at my hands, my throat restricting at his words. The mate bond made his words sting, even though the feeling of hatred was mutual. Their outright tant rejection was like a p in the face, making me remember they don¡¯t want me. I was here out of necessity and for them to ruin. I don¡¯t want to be here either, but forcing me to stay was cruel. ¡°Can I sleep now?¡± I ask, wanting them gone. Kalen¡¯s hand drops onto mine as I pick at my nails before gently squeezing. ¡°Kalen!¡± Darius¡¯ angry voice makes me look at Darius, who was ring at Kalen¡¯s hand gripping mine, and Kalen sighs, removing his hand before dropping his head. ¡°Go with Lycus,¡± Darius growls at him, and Kalen stands, taking my empty bowl and the tray. Lycus follows him to the door before stopping. ¡°There is a bag with clothes in it in the wardrobe for you,¡± Lycus tells me before turning and walking out, leaving Darius alone with me. ¡°Just because Kalen stood up for you, don¡¯t think you can turn him against us, so stay away from him. If I catch you seeking him out, you will beg for me to kill you. Understood?¡± I nod, pulling the nkets back up. ¡°I asked you a question.¡± ¡°Yes, Darius, I understand,¡± I answered as I tucked my legs underneath the nket, my stomach sinking. Why wasn¡¯t I allowed near the only person that didn¡¯t seem hell-bent on trying to kill me? He is the only one that was sort of nice, and I couldn¡¯t go near him. Darius walks out before flicking the light off, leaving only the light from the fire in the firece. The door handle jiggles, and I know he locked me in when I hear the lock click in ce. One thing I knew for sure was, I needed to find a way to get out of here. Get away from Darius, because I could tell this was only the beginning of the cruelty I was about to endure at their hands. Trending Novels Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Restless, I tossed and turned all night, not really getting proper sleep. The tugging sensation of knowing they were so close was pulling me to seek out my mates, the bond urging m e to seek them out, knowing they could replenish my powers. I t must have been the early morning hours when I heard the twist of the shared bathroom door. My mind instantly became alert as I looked in its direction. I let out a breath when I realized it was Kalen and not one of the others. He stops when he notices me sitting upright in the bed before hesitating. ¡°Did I wake you?¡± he whispers, and I shake my head. He looks over his shoulder toward his room before quietly shutting the door. For some reason, his presence didn¡¯t scare me, I found his auraforting, and I wanted to keep him safe and close t o me for some reason. Kalen walks over to the bed, sitting down on it, and I move over, so he has more room, and heys on his side facing me. ¡°Sorry, it is the bond,¡± Kalen says. ¡°You might get me in trouble, though,¡± I tell him, thinking of Darius¡¯s threat. ¡°I can go?¡¯ he says, and he rolls about to get out of the bed. When I grip his arm, he stops. He didn¡¯t want to go, and honestly, I didn¡¯t want him to leave. It had been years since I actually met someone I wanted to be around. Kalen was the first normal interaction I had had since leaving school. Being the strange girl who stuck to herself in school didn¡¯t win me any friends, and for years the only friend I had was a stranger I spoke to online. It was the only way to vent m y frustrations, and I regretted leaving my tablet behind. I wonder if I could get ess to aputer here? I knew it wouldn¡¯t be anytime soon if they did agree, and I doubt they would let me use it to speak to my friend over the inte, whoever they might be. Kalenys back down, and I observe him the best I can in the darkness, yet curiosity is eating at me. ¡°You¡¯re not like them. You don¡¯t seem to hate me,¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t, I figured you ran for some reason,¡± ¡°And if I just ran?¡± I ask him. He shrugs. ¡°I can¡¯t say I me you. Darius scared the crap out of Kalen and me when he found us,¡± He paused like he was locked in his memories, his aura turned depressive, and I held my tongue, thinking it might be best not to ask what upset him. ¡°So, I still couldn¡¯t hate you for running even if you had no reason,¡± he says simply before wriggling closer to me. His hand reaches toward my face slowly, and he hesitates once again before I grab his hand, his magic coming to life beneath mine, yet I don¡¯t take it. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to break his trust. If I was going to be stuck here, I needed a friend to survive my mates, so why not keep the only decent one close. Kalen lets out a breath when I ce his hand on my cheek. His thumb brushes beneath my eye softly, and I close my eyes. Sleep finally taking me. When I woke up, I found the spot where Kalen was empty, looking around the room. A prickle up my spine alerted me to someone in the room before his voice did. ¡°Looking for someone?¡± Darius asks, and I shake my head, scooting up the bed. I yawn. Darius watches me or rather res at me. ¡°Get up; you have five minutes to get dressed; put these on,¡± He says, chucking some clothes at me. He then storms out, and I look to the window to see the sun is barely up. I groaned, wondering where he wanted to take me. I slipped the jeans on which fit perfectly and a white blouse. How did Lycus know my size? I shake the thought away before realizing I have no shoes. I look around the room for some when the door opens¡­ ¡°Time is up,¡± Darius calls, pushing the door wider. I nce down at my feet. Only socks on, and I quickly nced around once again but found no shoes. Darius, however, didn¡¯t care as he suddenly walked off. Was I meant to follow him even if I had no shoes on? ¡°Now, Aleera,¡± Darius snaps, and I rush out after him. His long strides had me jogging to keep up. My feet were cold even with the thick bed socks on. Darius walked down a flight of stairs, and I was bing lost with all the twists and turns. I could hear the murmuring of men behind the doors, and I raced to keep up with Darius before we went down yet another set of stairs to a floor I recognized from when I tried to escape. Darius walks to the mess hall, where I saw all the men gathered the other day. It had a few tables full when we walked in. All of them looked up, and I froze. More men file in behind me, bumping into me, and Darius grips my arm, his nails digging into my tender flesh. He drags me over to a table and dumps me in a chair. ncing around, I noticed something quickly, they were all demons. These men weren¡¯t Fae. The other thing I noticed was there was no woman in this room. Looking up at Darius, he was smirking cruelly at me. ¡°Wee to hell, Aleera, don¡¯t think my men are your friends or will be your friend. No one likes a traitor,¡± Darius leans down. His stubble brushed my cheek, and I hold my breath at his closeness. ¡°And all of them think you are and don¡¯t go looking for any woman. You will find none. You are the only one,¡± Darius says before standing upright. Darius turns to leave. ¡°Wait,¡± I reach out, grabbing his hand, and he growls at me, and I jerk my hand away and take a step back at the frightening look he gives me. ¡°You can¡¯t¡­ Are you leaving me here?¡± I ask, petrified of them, demons fed on fear and any emotion, really, and I knew I would be a nice treat to these men. An emotional buffet. ¡°Why, are you scared, Aleera?¡± I look around, their demonic eyes watching me, and I gulp before looking up at Darius. He chuckles, the sound mocking. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°I wanted to kill you, but now seeing the look on your face, I know this was the better option,¡± Darius says, and he looks around at all the men. He smiled; I didn¡¯t like the look he wore on his face. It was off, severely off. ¡°Zac,e here,¡± Darius calls out and waves a man over. ¡°Keep Aleerapany and take her to your first lesson,¡± ¡°Be my pleasure, my King,¡± the man taunts, his smile growing bigger as he stared down at me. ¡°Just don¡¯t kill her; I want to watch her suffer; I don¡¯t want you to incinerate her before she has,¡± Darius tells him before walking out of the mess hall. He leaves, and I remain frozen before turning to face this Zac person who grabs my arm, hauling me over to a table with three other men. Trending Novels Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Chapter 14 ¡° Darius can be a dick; he will settle down,¡± Zac said. I stare at him, confused. He almost seemed normal, nice even as he slid a tray of food over to me. Zac sits across from me, grabbing another before digging into his food. The man beside him is a huge burly-looking man with a short beard and dark hair, and he taps my tray. ¡°Eat; if your training with us, you will need it,¡± he says, and I looked down at the tray to find it has scrambled eggs on it. ¡°I¡¯m Satish, that¡¯s Zac as you know, and that one is Deacon,¡± The other man waves; he had blonde hair, a boyish face, clearly the youngest at the table, I think. It was impossible to tell the actual age of full- blooded Demons; they could be hundreds of years old or precisely the age they appear. ¡°And that one at the end is, Lyle,¡± The man nods, but his lips are pulled back in a snarl. Note to self stay away from the unfriendly one. I go back to my food, scooping up some egg on my fork. ¡°So Darius and the others don¡¯t eat down here with you?¡± I asked. Zac snorts and shakes his head. ¡°No, this ce belongs to Darius; he owns and runs it,¡± ¡°So he brought it then,¡± Zac shakes his head before leaning back in his seat, ¡°You don¡¯t know much about them,¡± ¡°About Darius and the others? No, only what I managed to hear on the radio or see on the news of their killing sprees,¡± ¡°Darius grew up here, and this was his home. Darius turned it into a dark arts training facility; they are all teachers in a way, who better to teach dark magic than the demon king himself,¡± Zac answered ¡°So you all like it here?¡± I ask, ncing around at the table, wondering if I could get an idea of where here was. ¡°Well, we all volunteered, so yeah. We may be demons, but we want to catch the ones responsible for releasing that gue, and taking over the world also sounds promising,¡± Zac answers, and I nearly choke on my food. ¡°Wait, Darius is building an army?¡± ¡°Why else would we be here?¡± Satish says with a shrug. Suddenly an rm res loudly, and everyone jumps to their feet. The silent instruction has me scrambling to my feet after them, and I follow Zac, dumping my half-eaten breakfast on the bench where everyone else did as they filed out. Zac grabs my hand, pulling me after him, and a few people trod on my feet by ident. I hiss when I feel my toenail bend back. Zac stops looking back at me, and I look down at my sock, blood staining the toes. Sighing, I rip the sock off quickly, knowing the tugging will make it annoying. I pressed my lips together for a second to stop from swearing. My toenail was half ripped off. I could live with that. I quickly removed my other sock since everyone appeared to be going towards the main entry doors. ¡°Man, you must have really pissed him off for him not to give you shoes,¡± Zac says, tugging me toward the door leading out. Excitement bubbles in me; this could be my chance to escape. That thought instantly died down when I stepped outside and saw vast fields with different obstacle courses, and then nothing but dense forest making me stop. ¡°Hurry up, Tobias doesn¡¯t like tardiness. The first lesson is with him,¡± Zac exins, and I nod, trying to keep up. ¡°What does he teach?¡± I ask, trying to hide my disappointment at not seeing a road leading in here. ¡°Hand-to-handbat, and the tracks,¡± Zac says, and I stoppletely. ¡°What like fightingbat?¡± Zac looks at me like I have grown two heads before heughs. ¡°Well, that is why it is called hand to hand,¡± he holds up his fists. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go easy on you,¡± Zac says, and I let a breath o f relief before letting him pull me along after him. ¡°So, how many men and women are here?¡± ¡°Six hundred men,¡± I waited for him to tell me Darius was joking about there being no women, but when he added nothing else, my stomach dropped a little. ¡°Wait, there is really no other woman here?¡± ¡°Nope, you are the only one, lucky you aye,¡± He says, tugging me to an empty ce on the field, men start getting into different stances, and I look around nervously. A few were stretching, and some just chatting amongst themselves. ¡°Well, I thought you were going to be aplete asshole since Darius asked you to show me around, but I am d to see he is wrong about you,¡± I tell Zac as he leads me over to his friends. ¡°He ain¡¯t wrong about Zac; he is the cruelest of us all,¡± Satish says, pping a hand on my shoulder. I look over my shoulder at him, and he takes a stance behind me when I see Deacon move to my side, and Lylees up to the other side of me. The four men were boxing me in. Looking over at Zac, he has a smirk on his face. ¡°What?¡± I ask, my voice trembling, suddenly feeling ufortable with the way they were all staring at me. ¡°Darius told her to her face that we would make her miserable, and yet she thought we could be friends,¡± Zacughs, and my stomach drops. What the heck just happened. But they were nice a few seconds ago. Satish sniffs the air deeply, and I spin to find him directly behind me, too close, and I take a step back only to be shoved. Inded in the mud, losing my footing and headbutting the ground hard enough that ck dots danced in front of my vision before I hauled myself up onto my hands and knees only to be kicked in the stomach. The air leaves my lungs in a long wheeze. I could hear themughing and braced myself for another blow when a whistle sounded. They all stop and Zac kneels next to me while I gasp for air. ¡°We told you our names, not because we want to be your friend Aleera, but so you know who to whine to Darius about,¡± he sneers before shoving my face away. The whistle blows again, and boots stop in front of my face, and I look up with m y blurry vision. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Get up. Why are you on the ground?¡± Tobias spits at me. I look over at Zac, who smirks. ¡°Tripped,¡± I tell him, and Tobias reaches down, seizing my arm and yanking me to my feet. I try to wipe some of the mud off using my hands but only manage to smear it worse. ¡°Fucking disgusting,¡± Tobias growls before stalking off, and I grit my teeth, fighting back the urge to cry. I couldn¡¯t let these monsters see me weak; I had to learn to block them out. At least until I escaped. ¡°Twentyps, then the obstacle course, no one-on-one today, . you have your prep exams,¡± Tobias calls out to the men. I gulp when I see the men start running toward a field, I make my way over, trying not to slip on the mud, and the tiny sharp rocks dig into my feet. I make it halfway to the field before stopping. The mud is too slippery, making me wonder why this side was all mud and slippery. What could you possibly do while sliding around? I clutch my knees, trying to catch my breath and also fighting the urge to throw up the little breakfast I got to eat. The backs of my legs were burning from having to unstick my feet and legs from mud. This was ridiculous; the mud was now up to my knees. ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡± I look up and see Tobias stalking towards me, and I flinch when I see his hand reach toward me. Losing my footing on the slick surface, I fall backward, slipping in the mud andnding on my bottom. ¡°Get your ass over there with the other men,¡± ¡°I have no shoes,¡± ¡°You need something; you fucking earn it. Clearly, Darius doesn¡¯t think you earned them yet, now get up,¡± ¡°Well, can I at least have mine back?¡± I asked. Tobias reaches forward, gripping my arm, his nails sinking into my soft skin, and I could feel the entire outline of his hand. His grip was that tight; I knew it would have bruised. ¡°You don¡¯t speak to me unless spoken to, understood? You weren¡¯t supposed to be in any of my sses, but here you are, s o shut up and quit whining¡± I nod before he shoves me forward, and I only just manage to stay upright as I mber to the field. A sigh escapes me when I find my feet on solid ground. However, my relief was short-lived when I noticed the track running a circle around the obstacle course was all gravel. Trending Novels Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Chapter 15 ¡°Move it, Aleera, twentyps now,¡± Tobias roared behind me. Despite not wanting to run, my feet start moving, the rocks digging into my feet painfully. It didn¡¯t take long before the men ovepped me. Around a hundred or so barging and shoving past me. What the heck was their problem? I didn¡¯t even know them, and they took no care when they came too close. ¡°Aleera!¡± I hear Zac¡¯s voice behind me before looking over my shoulder in time to see him running straight at me. I tried to step out of his way when he dropped his shoulder and barrelled straight into me, diverting slightly off track to deliberately hit me. My body was tossed across the gravel, and I felt like I was being skinned alive. My face burned as I skidded across the loose gravel, my hands I used to try and brace myself grazed, and I felt battered and bruised all over. ¡°Up Aleera, you have only done threeps,¡± Tobias calls from the center where the obstacle courses were. I haul my body up t o my hands and knees. Trying not to cry out at my pain and difort. It was agonizing, I kept going, and by the time I finished theps, the men hadpleted theirs plus the obstacle course. The rest of the ss moved on to their next lesson while Zac had been told to make sure I finished the course. His sneers and name-calling were starting to get to me. I was starving, and the sun was cooking me alive. I wondered how long I had been out here when the re of the rm sounded signally; it was lunch. Someone brought Zac out some food while I tried to navigate the climbing wall. My arms could not take my weight much longer and shook as I tried to haul myself up when I felt something smack me in the center of the back. I was about five meters up when pain rippled up my spine, and I lost my grip, plummeting to the ground below. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. A shriek left my lips as I grasped the air frantically, hitting the ground with a thud before darkness swallowed me. It was the sound of angry voices that pulled me back to my surroundings, a furious growl has me blinking, and I found the sun was no longer directly above me, the sky in orange and pink hues as I tried to remember what happened. ¡°If she ran again, I swear I will fucking kill her,¡± Darius¡¯s angry voice boomed. I groan, rolling on my side, my head pounding to its own beat, and every muscle ached. My back was killing me and my skin felt sunburnt ¡°You know she wouldn¡¯t be able to find her way through the . forest to the road. She wouldn¡¯t even know what direction to g o in,¡± I hear Lycus¡¯s voice answer, Darius. ¡°Wait, I can smell her scent,¡± Lycus growls, and I pull myself up to my hands and nce around to see theming up over the small hill from the castle. ¡°Found her,¡± Tobias calls out. Pointing at me. My vision was blurry, and I squinted about to get to my feet when suddenly Darius gripped my hair, yanking my head back. He moved with speed that made the air rush around me. One second he was over on the crest of the small hill; the next second, he was beside me. ¡°You think you can skip sses, Aleera?¡± He snarls as I clutch his hands and cry out. My hair ripped painfully from my scalp, and I would need to find some scissors. The taunts and bullying I could deal with. The hair-pulling was a low act and very demeaning. I suddenly cursed being a girl. ¡°Let go. You¡¯re hurting me,¡± I choke out, and heughs before shoving me forward back in the dirt. I rubbed the back of my neck and noticed Kalen was nowhere t o be seen, which at least gave me comfort, knowing the only person who had been decent to me since being here wasn¡¯t hunting me down to inflict more injury when my brain backtracked. He was one of them. He could be looking for me elsewhere. ¡°Get up; you have power cement with me. If I ever have toe searching for you again because you have missed ss-¡°. ¡°Ah, finally you found her,¡± Kalen says, cutting Darius off as h e jogged over to us and a look of relief crossed his features as h e let out a breath. ¡°Had me worried for a second, I thought you left us again,¡± Kalen says before his smile falters when he looks at me. Kalen turns and looks at Darius before he shoves him. ¡°Why is she bleeding? What the fuck did you do?¡± Kalen snaps out in an angry growl. Darius rips Kalen toward him by the front of his shirt. ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything but take that tone with me again, and I will make you watch her punishment,¡± Darius growls at him. Lycus grips Darius¡¯s arm, and Darius looks at him. ¡°We have enough going on. We don¡¯t need to be fighting each other, especially over her,¡± Lycus says before ring down at me. I remained quiet, not wanting to draw any more attention to myself. Kalen, however, doesn¡¯t. ¡°Punishment for what?¡± Kalen demanded. ¡°She skipped my ss and Lycus¡¯s,¡± ¡°Come on, give her a break. It¡¯s her first day,¡± Kalen says, reaching down to offer me his hand. I reached for it, and Darius pped my hand away. ¡°She can get up herself. She survived for six years holed up, God knows where, or with whom, she can get herself up,¡± Darius snaps at him. Kalen frowns and appears to be thinking.. He went to speak before closing his mouth. A dark expression crosses his features before he turns on his heel and walks off. My stomach sinks, wondering why the sudden change in his attitude. Surely, he didn¡¯t believe what Darius had said, but then again, I didn¡¯t really know any of them well enough to judge their behavior. Though a kick to my leg pulls my gaze away from a retreating Kalen. I hiss at the sudden pain radiating up my leg. ¡°Get up and get to your next ss.¡± Darius spits at me. The look of pure hatred on his face makes me cringe away. My eyeballs pulsated in my head, along with the pounding headache and all I wanted to do was find somewhere toy down and rest for a bit. Climbing to my feet, I staggered. The ground felt like it was moving, and my vision blurred worse. Touching the back of m y head, I wince, quickly pulling my fingers away to find blood stained them. ¡°I said get to the next ss,¡± I flinched at his closeness and forced myself to move. ¡°What time is it?¡± I ask as I try not to limp. Each footfall caused pain as the rocks stabbed and sliced my tender feet open more. ¡°Lunch just finished,¡± Lycus answers, and I nod. My stomach growls hungrily at the mention of food. I couldn¡¯t believe I had been out here for hours. Zac just left me there. That thought. stung a little at the knowledge that not a single person here cared if I suddenly dropped dead. ¡°Where are your shoes?¡± I don¡¯t bother answering Lycus, and Darius growls behind me when I stop ncing back at him. ¡°I don¡¯t know where I am going,¡± I admit. Let alone what ss I had next. ¡°The mess hall, now get moving,¡± Darius snarls. Lycus moves toward me and grips my arm, and Tobias and Darius both growl at him. ¡°For fucks sake, Darius, look at her feet. She can barely fucking walk,¡± ¡°Well, if she didn¡¯t skip sses, I may have given her shoes,¡±h e retorts. ¡°I didn¡¯t skip. I fell off because of that jerk-¡± I argue but stop not seeing the point in debating my tardiness with him. ¡°Because of who?¡± Tobias demands, and I nce at him to see Darius re at him. Tobias quickly looks away and adds nothing else when my feet suddenly go from under me. I shriek, not expecting it, and Lycus grabs me, scooping me up i n his arms. ¡°Lycus!¡± Darius roars, and I feel the energy rush out of him, which makes me suddenly want to run. Terror filled me, and I wanted Lycus just to put me down before Darius did something. Lycus just holds me tighter and starts walking when I smack into Darius¡¯ chest while in Lycus¡¯s arms. Lycus stops staring at him. ¡°She can walk,¡± Darius tells him, but Lycus holds his gaze unafraid of him while I push closer to Lycus. The movement is not missed by Darius, who res at me. ¡°She is done for the day,¡± Lycus says, his voice even as he barges past him, walking around a furious Darius. Trending Novels Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Everything ached, there wasn¡¯t a single part of me that didn¡¯t hurt, and I had never felt so relieved to be locked back in my room; I would take this prison cell over not having to face those men again. Lycus had ced me on my feet just inside the room before shutting the door. He locked it. I heard the door click and heard him storm off up the hall. He didn¡¯t say a word to me, yet I could tell after we got back to the castle-like he was second-guessing getting me out of sses. Every time my skin touched his, he would tense like he couldn¡¯t even bear the thought any part of me was near him. His jaw was tense as he climbed the stairs before cing me in the room and leaving. I kind of hoped I could see Kalen. I couldn¡¯t understand the strange vibes I got from him. Like I needed to protect him, but from what? Like he was fragile somehow, I noticed they were super protective of him, but I wouldn¡¯t hurt him. I had no magic to even if I wanted to. I t fizzled out, and until they either gave me some, which is unlikely, or I managed to sneakily obtain some, I was utterly defenseless, and that thought scared me. Moving toward the bathroom, pain rippled up my legs, it caused pain through the bottoms of my feet, but I needed to clean them. I winced when I ced my foot on the cold tiles, m y foot sliding as my blood stained the tiles, making it slippery. I made my way over to the bathtub and sat on the edge, nning to rinse them under the tap and assess the damage when the door suddenly opened. I look up to see Kalen step in with an angry-looking Lycus. Lycus quickly nced out the door into his room before shutting it and locking it. Lycus moved to the door leading into my room, and I jumped up in a panic when he closed and locked it also. They were locking me i ¡°Woah, woah, calm down. I won¡¯t hurt you, neither will Lycus, see,¡± Kalen says, pulling bandages from his pockets and alcohol wipes and showing them to me. ¡°Just hurry, Kalen, if Dariuses in and finds you with her. H e will lose it,¡± Lycus tells him. ¡°Since when doesn¡¯t he, Lye. He gets angry if I am out of damn sight for more than five minutes or If I don¡¯t text him every five bloody minutes,¡± Kalen mumbles. Lycus sighs but perches himself upon the sink basin while I nced between the two o f them. ¡°He won¡¯t do anything, Aleera, sit. We want to help,¡± Kalen told me. ¡°Speak for yourself. The only reason I even brought her up here is for you, not because I want anything to do with her, don¡¯t speak for me, Kalen,¡± Lycus snaps, and Kalen rolls his eyes and sighs. I nced briefly at Lycus but sat on the edge of the bathtub again. Kalen sets to work cleaning and bandaging my feet. My eyes burned with tears at the stinging sensation as he washed them with the alcohol wipes. ¡°Can¡¯t you just heal her?¡± Kalen asks, ncing over his shoulder at Lycus. ¡°Not afterst time,¡± He says, ring at me before looking down at Kalen. Kalen mutters under his breath and starts wrapping my feet with the bandages. ¡°Kalen, just hurry up,¡± Lycus snaps at him; his hearing would be a lot better than mine being Were-fae. I wondered what he heard Kalen mutter. ¡°No, it¡¯s fucking bullshit. Darius shouldn¡¯t be the only one allowed to have a say about her,¡± Kalen argued. ¡°Kalen enough, or he will do more than just take your magic,¡± Lycus scolded him. I was a little shocked he would take Kalen¡¯s magic. Is that why they didn¡¯t want me near him? ¡°He only did it because he knew I would heal her when pulls shit like this,¡± Kalen snapped back. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have pissed him off, now hurry so I can get you out of here before he realizes,¡± ¡°Just go if you are worried about being caught,¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried about me, idiot. I am worried for you, and I will not be leaving you alone with the likes of her,¡± I said nothing the entire time. Just observed. I peeked at the markings on Kalen¡¯s neck, and before I could stop myself, my hand reached out to touch them. Lycus¡¯s hand was wrapped around my wrist in a bone-crushing grip before I could, his reflexes crazy fast. His grip hurt, and I pulled my hand away, feeling stupid for wanting to touch him; their marks called to me. I knew it was the bond, making me act strange, yet didn¡¯t they feel any pull toward me at all? I just wanted to touch him, reassure him that I would be fine and not to worry. It was odd that I would even think to do that when I didn¡¯t know him. ¡°Don¡¯t touch him,¡± Lycus snarled at me, and I swallowed and tugged my hand away and ced it back in myp. Lycus growls, and I avert my gaze back to what Kalen was doing. ¡°Ignore him. You can touch me,¡± Kalen said before ring up a t Lycus. My fingers twitched to touch the markings, to give him magic. I couldn¡¯t exin it because I had none to give him. I sp my hands together to refrain myself. ¡°Can I ask a question?¡± I asked, finally speaking for the first time. Kalen¡¯s head whipped up instantly, and he smiled.¡± Always, ¡± My breath hitched in my throat at his breathtaking smile. Lycus, however, growled but said nothing. Instead, watching Kalen as he finished my other foot. ¡°Why did you mark each other. I thought mates only marked their keeper?¡± I asked. ¡°Well, you ruined that, didn¡¯t you?¡± Lycus snarled. Kalen pressed his lips in a line before running a hand through his hair. ¡°So we didn¡¯t lose our magic, and yes, it is taboo for male mates to mark each other, frowned upon. But it was the only way if we wanted to keep our magic,¡± Kalen exined. I nod. Looking at Lycus, he stood with his arms folded over his broad chest. ¡°I had already marked Lycus before I found out about you, or them, though,¡± Kalen tells me, and Lycus growled at him. ¡°Enough,¡± Lycus snaps at him, but Kalen ignores him. ¡°Lycus and I were already together before we found out we were mates,¡± Kalen tells me. ¡°So you were boyfriends?¡± Kalen nods, and my eyes dart to Lycus. ¡°Yep, we grew up in the same orphanage,¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°That¡¯s it, time to go,¡± Lycus snarled at him, gripping his arm before hauling Kalen up. ¡°Stop, Lye,¡± Kalen said, trying to shake off his grip. ¡°No, she doesn¡¯t deserve to know anything about us. If she wanted to know about us, she shouldn¡¯t have run like a damn coward,¡± Lycus tells him, shoving him toward his bedroom door. ¡°I will see youter, Aleera,¡± Kalen says, smiling sadly before looking at his mate. I nod, watching Lycus all but drag Kalen from the room. ¡°I ran because Darius killed my parents. Did you expect me toe running into your arms and pretend he didn¡¯t? I saw him burn my house with them in it to the damn ground,¡± I snapped angrily, and Lycus stopped. ¡°If that is why you left, then you are a bigger idiot than I thought. Darius didn¡¯t kill your parents, Aleera,¡± Lycus growls at me before taking a step forward. He stops, and his eyes flicker in his anger. ¡°You would know that if you bothered to fucking ask, Instead o f nearly killing us all.¡± Lycus spat at me. ¡°I saw him, I know what I saw,¡± ¡°Then what you saw was wrong. Darius and Tobias didn¡¯t murder your parents, Aleera,¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Tobias wasn¡¯t even there,¡± I argued. ¡°Who do you think dragged you out? So, if that is why you ran, then you deserve everything they do to you,¡± ¡°Lycus!¡± Kalen murmured behind him, and Lycus growled before turning on his heel and shoving Kalen out of the bathroom. He then mmed the door so hard it made me jump. Trending Novels Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Darius POV Lycus was in a terrible mood when I came up to the room. Pushing the door open, Lycus was yelling at Kalen, which was rare; he tried to never raise his voice around Kalen. We all knew how fragile he was. We had all had to pull him back from the brink at some point, yet walking in, I had no doubt that Aleera was the reason. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked, opening the door and shrugging off my Jacket. I tossed it over the back of the chair by the fire. Turning around, they were both ring at each other, yet neither answered. ¡°This has something to do with Aleera?¡±. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Who else, she needs to go,¡± Lycus snaps at me, finally turning away from Kalen. ¡°What is this about? What did she do?¡± If she has disturbed the peace, she will be back in the cells. ¡°She did nothing; Lycus is the problem,¡± Kalen says before storming toward the door to leave. ¡°Where are you going?¡± I asked him. ¡°Out,¡± ¡°Kalen!¡± I growled at him, and he stopped with his hand on the door handle. ¡°No, Darius. We are mates. You don¡¯t get to control all of us,¡± ¡°If it is to do with your safety, I do. You leave this room before I know what is going on. I will have her ced back in the cells, now sit your ass down,¡± I growl at him. Kalen¡¯s knuckles turn white on the door handle, where he gripped it before he mmed the door. I raised an eyebrow at his anger. I watch as he goes andys on our custom-made bed. Finding a bed that fits four men was impossible, so we made one. Lycus watches him and moves to the couch by the firece. Despite his anger, Kalen¡¯s behavior was as expected, and I could feel a hum of satisfactione through the bond when Kalen lays down, snatching Lycus pillow to use. I wasn¡¯t even sure he noticed he did it, but it¡¯s always the same when Kalen was in a mood. He would justy in bed and sulk or stare off nkly when he is depressed, clinging to our pillows like they were a safety. I watched, amused as he reassembled our pillows so he could steal our scents from them. Tobias walks in and pauses at the tension in the room. I turnt o him, and he nods, letting me know he dropped Aleera¡¯s dinner off to her. He nces at Kalen, and I shrug, and he rolls his eyes before climbing on the bed and sitting next to him. Kalen rolled instantly, cing his head in Tobias¡¯sp. Tobias leans back against the headboard and brushes his fingers through Kalen¡¯s hair and, I could feel Tobias magic oozing out and calming him. The tension leaves the room, and guilt shes through the bond. Both Tobias and I look at Lycus, knowing it ising from him. Kalen was our weak spot in more ways than one, and we hated upsetting him. His mind was fragile. One minute he was fine and overly excited and bouncing around. The next, he refused to get out of bed, would harm himself, or try and kill himself. I lost track over thest six years of the number of times he wanted to end it, the number of times he actually did, and we had to pull back from death, each time we brought him back, each time he was more mentally unstable. It is not natural to die ande back so many times. Thest time was the worst. We actually thought we lost him for good. 1 2 minutes he was dead for. For 12 minutes, he hung from the rafters unmoving. I had all the cameras pulled down that week. When I checked the footage, it sickened me. I couldn¡¯t unsee it. Kalen on that damn tablet wondering why she never opened his message, staring at the screen when he tossed it aside. He spent weeks begging her toe back or let him know she was ok. I didn¡¯t see the rope around his neck until he jumped off the staircase. It was thest ss of the day. He nned it perfectly. He knew no one was in the castle watching. He knew we wouldn¡¯t get back in time. Luckily, Lycus went back feeling sick. Kalen was dead before he walked into the castle, and Lycus found him hanging from the second floor. He cut him down and performed CPR until Tobias got back. We all felt his bond sever, yet Tobias didn¡¯t stop. He kept feeding his blood to Kalen, and by some miracle, his heart started up, and Tobias¡¯s blood healed his broken neck. Since then, for the most part, Kalen was fine until he wasn¡¯t. We finally got him to a good ce recently, and then she called on us. Kalen had never been happier until we had to remind him she could leave again, not to get his hopes up. Lycus crawls on the bed beside him before tucking his arm over him. I shouldn¡¯t have taken his magic, it always made him worse, and I couldn¡¯t believe I was stupid enough to take it from him, blinded by my anger With Aleera. I moved toward the bed and sighed. ¡°Come here,¡± I tell him, but he doesn¡¯t budge, just stares off nkly. ¡°You wanted to heal her?¡± I asked him and Kalen nodded. ¡°Are you angry at Lycus because he wouldn¡¯t,¡± ¡°He also yelled at her,¡± Kalen mumbles. ¡°She did the wrong thing,¡± I tell him. ¡°She didn¡¯t understand,¡± ¡°Because she didn¡¯t ask, she didn¡¯t want us, Kalen,¡± I tell him. Kalen shakes his head. ¡°If you let me speak to her, I can prove it. We can get her back, ¡°Kalen says, looking up at me. It was too dangerous, and I knew he wouldn¡¯t get the answers he was hoping for. Tobias tried to muffle his anger and block Kalen from feeling it. She destroyed all of us, one woman, and she near killed all of u s. She destroyed what we could have been. ¡°I can¡¯t let you do that. You know why, Kalen,¡± I tell him. ¡°If I heal her?¡± I ask him before gritting my teeth. I hated the idea of doing such a thing but to bring his mood up, I would. I couldn¡¯t risk him seeking her out. ¡°Can I sleep in there with her, or maybe she coulde in here? I will sleep on the floor with her.¡± Tobias growled at his words, and I didn¡¯t miss the flicker of anger in Lycus¡¯s eyes. ¡°No, I am still angry I caught you in therest night,¡± Tobias scolds him. I chewed my lip. Kalen could be child-like, could b e crazed, insane. So many different sides of him, and he had too many triggers. ¡°She must be lonely,¡± Kalen mumbles, looking at me like I would back him up, and usually I would but not when ites to his safety. ¡°I will heal her, but you will remain in here with us,¡± I tell him. Trending Novels Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Aleera POV I was sitting huddled under the nkets trying to get warm. The room was freezing since someone had opened a window, and the bloody thing was jammed open. I had asked Tobias if h e could shut it. He even watched me struggle with the damn thing as I tried to pull it closed, giving up when it hurt too much to stand. So I had gone and climbed in bed, wrapping the nkets around me like a cocoon. ¨C He said not one word and had ced my food in the room and left. I was starving, and I was pretty sure I inhaled my food without tasting it. I was that hungry from barely eating all day and starting to feel shaky. Darius walked in, and I was too cold to be scared. Freezing as the frosty night air seeped into the room and my aching bones. Darius walked over, gripping the handle on the window and yanking it shut. I watched his every movement carefully while wondering what he wanted now. Was he here because he didn¡¯t get to punish me earlier for skipping sses? I didn¡¯t doubt it. He hated me. They all hated me, and I didn¡¯t believe me running was an eptable excuse, as if they wouldn¡¯t have done the same. Yet despite me hating him too, I also couldn¡¯t deny the bond. The bond made me crave them. My entire body told me I needed them even if I didn¡¯t want them, and I hated myself for it. Yet also longed for interaction after so much solitude, longed for touch and to feel some semnce of normality. I wanted rest without having to look over my damn shoulder. I wanted for once to feel wanted. I haven¡¯t had any of that since nana died. I missed my nana terribly, missed when she was alive, and I had somewhere to call home before I was tossed into the care of the Fae Authorities and institutionalized at boarding school with nothing left but memories of what I once had and lost. Darius¡¯s entire body was tense as he moved toward me. I was too cold to care what he did to me at this point. I watch as mes spurt from his fingertips and form a sphere in his hand. Darius then tosses it at the small firece; the wood instantly caught alight. The mes erupt up the chimney before dying down and crackling loudly. Darius¡¯s hands were fisted at his sides as he approached the bed. Now I couldn¡¯t me the cold for all my shaking as his intimidating frame stood over me. It made it more obvious how easy it would be for him to hurt me or end me. His lips turned up as he snarled down at me. He reached for the nket and yanked it off. My body jerked forward, and I nearly toppled off the bed headfirst. He growled, gripping my shoulder and tossing me backward on the bed. My eyes widened as he reached toward me again. His hand grabbed my ankle as he yanked me toward him, a shriek left my lips, and I kicked my legs out, trying to free myself as h e trapped my ankles on the bed. My knee came up as I tried to break free, he snarled, and it connected with his mouth. Darius¡¯s nails sunk into my skin when his aura rushed out, halting my breath as I began to choke on it. Like invisible hands gripped my throat, and I wed at it. His aura is so much stronger than anything I had ever felt. I couldn¡¯t ce where I felt something simr. Tears welled in my eyes as my hands pawed at my neck; he ripped the bandages covering my feet off. His hand sped over the bottom of my foot when he dropped his aura, leaving me gasping for breath. My heart was pounding painfully against my ribs as I sucked in much needed air. He lifted my foot, examining it before growling and cursing under his breath. He dropped my foot, I scrambled away from him on the bed, and my back smacked the headboard with a thud in my haste. ¡°You really like causing issues,¡± he sneered, wiping his bleeding lip. His tongue darts out. It ran across the split where my knee connected with his face, and my eyes widened as he rubbed his fingers together. His eyes dart to mine, and the anger behind them made my throat thicken like something had lodged in it. I swallowed in horror as he moved towards m e, awaiting the blow I was sure woulde when he stopped i n front of me. His lip still bleeding, and his blood dribbled down his chin again, and he wiped it again. ¡°Kalen wants me to heal you,¡± he spat venomously, it was evident he didn¡¯t want to when his eyes darted to my feet briefly, and he sighed before they flicked to me, his lips tugged in the corners briefly. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Kiss me,¡± I blink at him. ¡°Wh..a..t?¡± I spluttered at his words, confused. ¡°You need my blood to heal, so kiss me,¡± I shake my head, horrified at what he asked. He couldn¡¯t be serious. ¡°So you would rather walk around with your feet like that?¡± M y eyes dart to my throbbing feet that seemed to now have their own pulse. My blood-stained the cream-colored sheets from m y thrashing. ¡°Maybe you could get one of the others,¡± I didn¡¯t want to get that close to him, just being in his presence was bad enough, let alone close enough to touch him. Darius growls at my words. ¡°Then forget it,¡± he says, turning on his heel to leave the room. My feet ached, the swelling making my skin shiny, and I would have to walk around on them. But why did I have to kiss him for him to heal me? ¡°Wait,¡± I blurted out. He was my mate, so it wouldn¡¯t be that bad. Although I didn¡¯t want to waste my first kiss on this monster, but my feet ached, and surely it wouldn¡¯t be that unpleasant, right? The bond zapped to life as my thudding heart pumped faster at what I agreed to do. Darius stopped and looked over at me. He smiled before walking back toward the bed. He stopped looking at me. I stared at him. Why was he making it more awkward? ¡°Haven¡¯t got all day Aleera,¡± Darius said in tauntingly. My eyes dart to his full lips as his tongue darts out. He smiled, and I hated how my heart skipped a beat at the sight. I hated that h e could hear it too. ¡°Aleera,¡± He says, annoyed; my face heats, and I hesitantly knelt on the bed. Darius just stood there waiting. Couldn¡¯t he bend down or something. He sighed and raised an eyebrow at me. Moving off the bed, I stood before him. I hissed as pain rippled across the bottoms of my feet that felt spongy to walk o n. The bond zinging in my blood urged me to go to my mate, wanting me to touch him even though he hurt me. Yet he was still too tall, so I looked up at him. I chewed my lip feeling very ufortable despite the bond urging me closer. Stupid bond. cing my hand on his shoulders, I stood on my tippy toes, and Darius gripped the back of my neck, and I sighed, relieved that he wouldn¡¯t make me humiliate myself more as he tilted his face toward mine. I feel his breath fan my lips, and his fingers tangle in my hair. His nose brushed mine softly, my heart hammered harder as his scent overwhelmed m e, and I leaned closer when he startedughing. My head was yanked back painfully by my hair. My hair tugged so hard I cried out, clutching his hands as I tried to lessen the pain. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t kiss you if you were thest person on this earth. You don¡¯t deserve love, only pain.¡± . Hurt rippled through my chest as the bond went berserk at his rejection, and my stomach sank at his words. I didn¡¯t want to d o it in the first ce, yet his words stung more than they should; like he just reached into my chest and crushed my heart in his hand. ¡°But it was entertaining watching you struggle with the bond that you ignored for 6 years,¡± he snarled at me. He bites his wrist before jamming it over my mouth. His blood flooded into my mouth, and I choked when I couldn¡¯t swallow fast enough. Sputtering, he shoves me away andughs before turning away and heading to the door. ¡°All meals from now on are in the mess hall. The less we have t o see you, the better,¡± he spits at me. Leaving me upset due to the stupid bond. I wiped my mouth on the back of my hand, and he mmed the door, locking it and leaving me gasping for air, clutching my chest as pain rippled through me. The moment he was gone, hot tears flooded my eyes and spilled over, running down my cheeks. I hated him. Trending Novels Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Someone ced an rm in my room when I left. I thought a fire rm was going off because it scared the crap out of me when it started ring loudly. It took me a few seconds to realize the noise was coming from beside my head on the bedside table. Looking at the screen, it read, ¡®breakfast, get up. No doubt it was Darius¡¯s doing. I couldn¡¯t even shut the damn thing off had to wait for it to shut itself off. My ears were ringing as I pushed open the bathroom door to pee. I also wanted to have a quick shower to wake up, as it was only 6 30 AM. The moment the door opened, I realized that someone was in the bathroom by the steam. I froze when Tobias looked over at me before turning back to the mirror while he continued to shave. ¡°Sorry,¡± I tell him backing out of the room. ¡°What?¡± he asked as I went to close the door. I shake my head. ¡°Aleera,¡± I paused. My eyes ran the length of him. He only had a towel draped low on his waist, and I could tell he had just gotten out of the shower. ¡°I will be out in a minute, but if you want to shower, I would remain if I were you. The moment I step out, someone else wille in,¡± Tobias says, not bothering to look over at me. I nod, stepping into the room and standing by the wall furthest from him. ¡°Did Darius give you some shoes?¡± I shake my head, and he nods, tilting his head to shave under his chin. I nced at him before doing a double-take. His entire back was covered in thick burns, making me think of what Lycus said. I opened my mouth to ask but quickly closed it. However, the movement of my lips was not missed by Tobias. He red at me through the mirror when the door opened up, and Kalen walked in. I couldn¡¯t help the smile that split onto my face when I saw him walk in. He didn¡¯t notice me at first and instead kissed Tobias¡¯s shoulder before plucking the razor from his fingers and going to sit between the sinks next to Tobias. ¡°You¡¯re up,¡± Kalen says, excitedly moving toward me. Tobias growls, and Kalen sighed before moving back toward Tobias. H e sits between the two sinks before grabbing Tobias by the towel and moving him between his legs. Tobias ces his hands on Kalen¡¯s thighs. It was strange seeing Tobias be pulled around by Kalen and letting Kalen pull him around. Kalen turned Tobias chin up. ¡°Darius give you some shoes?¡± Kalen asked me as he started shaving Tobias¡¯s face. Tobias growls so I don¡¯t answer, and Kalen grips Tobias¡¯s chin and turns his face toward his.¡± Darius said he would get her some,¡± Kalen tells him. Tobias¡¯s eyes soften, and I look away like I am intruding on some moment between them. I was beginning to realize that they all treated Kalen like he was made of ss; they were gentle with him. Even Darius was protective of him. ¡°I¡¯ll speak with him,¡± Tobias tells him, and Kalen smiles before turning his face back up and continuing to shave him. ¡°What sses have you got?¡± Tobias¡¯s eyes went to mine in the mirror, but I had no idea what sses or where they were. ¡°She has a theory with me,¡± Tobias answers. Kalen nods like w e just had an everyday conversation. ¡°Why not with Lycus?¡± ¡°Lycus refused the sses with her,¡± Tobias answered, and I swallowed. ¡°I will showerter,¡± I tell them about to leave the room. I felt somewhat awkward when Tobias hisses as Kalen jumped off the sink basin. ¡°Oh shit, sorry,¡± Kalen says. ¡°Aleera, the tissues,¡± Kalen said just as I was walking out. I stopped looking to where he was pointing at the windowsill above the toilet in the niche. I grabbed the box and walked over to him, and Kalen had sliced Tobias¡¯s chin. He repeatedly apologized to him, and I plucked a tissue out, handing it to him. I ce the box on the basin beside him and turn around. ¡°Don¡¯t leave; I don¡¯t know when Darius will let me see you again,¡± Kalen whines gripping my wrist. They have all warned me away from Kalen, and my eyes went to Tobias¡¯s in the mirror, and he rolled his eyes. ¡°You can stay,¡± ¡°See, Tobias isn¡¯t so bad, just a big blood-sucking teddy bear,¡± Kalenughed. Odd way to describe someone, I thought to myself. I remained where I was, but I could tell by how tense Tobias was that he didn¡¯t want me anywhere near him and was only tolerating me because of Kalen being here. I swallowed, wanting to leave but also not wanting to upset Kalen. I found my eyes trailing over Tobias again. My brows furrowed at the thick burns, which had me wondering if they were from the fire, but if they were, why didn¡¯t they heal? His power would have manifested by then. They were 18 at the time of the fire, and he could have healed himself, or Darius could have healed him. Kalen happily talked away; he seemed extraordinarily bubbly and upbeat this morning. ¡°Did you take your medication?¡± Kalen¡¯s eyes darken, and he cuts off mid-sentence and res at Tobias. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Have you?¡± Tobias asked him. Kalen didn¡¯t answer, and Tobias sighed. ¡°I hate taking them,¡± ¡°Go take them, Aleera needs to get ready, or she will miss breakfast,¡± Tobias tells him. Kalen went to argue when Tobias leaned forward and kissed him. ¡°You can see herter,¡± Tobias says, tapping Kalen¡¯s legs. ¡°I can¡¯t once Darius gets back,¡± ¡°I will take you to see her, but only if you take your medication,¡± Tobias tells him, and Kalen¡¯s brows furrow, but h e nods before hopping off the sink basin. Kalen moved toward me, and I expected Tobias to stop him, but he didn¡¯t as Kalen suddenly grabbed me, crushing me against his warm chest. He buried his face in my neck, and I sighed, hugging him back before he let go and walked back to his room. ¡°You like Kalen,¡± Tobias stated as I went to leave the bathroom. Was I supposed to answer that? I found it hard not t o like Kalen. I think anyone would find it hard to not like Kalen. ¡°Kalen, he can be erratic,¡± Tobias says. ¡°You mean fragile; I have noticed how you all are with him. What sort of medication is he on?¡± Tobias nods and chews his lip. ¡°You being here will either be good for him or destroy him,¡± I noticed he ignored my question about his medication. ¡°I won¡¯t hurt him; I couldn¡¯t even if I wanted to,¡± I tell Tobias. ¡°Do you want to?¡± Tobias growls, taking a step toward me. I shake my head, taking a step back. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean it like that. I have no magic that can hurt him, but I wouldn¡¯t even if I did,¡± Tobias watches me for a second. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t hurt him,¡± he mutters and nods before looking back at the mirror again. ¡°But would you leave again?¡± Was that a trick question? As if I would stay if given the opportunity to leave. Who would want this for life? I don¡¯t answer, knowing he could tell if I lied anyway. ¡°You can shower, and don¡¯t bete for ss,¡± he says, walking out. I quickly raced over and locked the door. I had the quickest shower in history before chucking on some jeans and shirt that I found sitting on the end of my bed. Yet n o shoes. I curse as I rip the brush through my hair, hoping I don¡¯t have to do anything outdoors today. When I was done, I made my way downstairs to the mess hall; walking in, the chatter stopped instantly. All eyes turned to me, and I line, but they refused to serve me, instead making me help myself. Filling my te, I looked for an empty spot. The only table was next to the toilet at the back. I walked over and sat down with a sigh, eating my food and trying to ignore their gazes watching me. I was on edge, and the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Thankfully though, the bell rang, and I waited for everyone to leave before following out after them. I was hoping to follow them to ss, but they all went off in different directions, which had me wandering aimlessly, trying to figure out where to go, when I ran into Lycus in one of the halls. This ce was a maze. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in ss?¡± He snapped at me. ¡°I don¡¯t know where to go?¡± ¡°Did you bother to ask?¡± Now, why would I after Zac¡¯s warm greeting? I shook my head, and he growled. Lycus walks over t o me and grabs my arm. ¡°You¡¯re lucky Darius isn¡¯t back yet. He would fucking lose it if he found out you ditched again,¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t ditching. I don¡¯t know where to go,¡± I snapped at him, ripping my arm from his grip. Lycus growls, watching me for a second. ¡°Fine, find your ss yourself,¡± he says, walking off. ¡°Can¡¯t you show me?¡± I ask him, but he ignores me and keeps walking. I had no idea which part of the castle or what floor I was on, but all doors were shut when the siren went off. Men flooded the halls barging past, and few called me a traitor, making me scrunch my face up in confusion. I tried to ask a few if they knew what ss I had next when I saw Zac at the end of one of the corridors. I quickly turned to race down the next flight of steps. Trending Novels Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Chapter 20 ¡°Aleera!¡± He called, and my blood ran cold. I raced down the steps, quickly disappearing amongst the other demons. Getting to the bottom of the steps, someone shoved me, and I hit the ground. I looked to see who it was, but too many men t o pinpoint which one, and I cried out when another stomped o n my fingers. ¡°There she is,¡± I heard Zac¡¯s voice just before a fireball rushed toward me. I shrieked, just managing to move, and it evaporated as it hit the ground where I was. ¡°Let¡¯s see how pretty she is without all that hair,¡± Zac¡¯s voice says, making me look up the steps. Zac smiled, and his eyes glistened evilly as he yed with another fireball bouncing it i n his hand. I took off running down the corridor. I didn¡¯t stop running until I ended up in a hall on my own. I had no idea if h e was still intending to burn my hair off when I stopped to try and catch my breath. ¡°I think she went this way,¡± I heard Deacon¡¯s voice. I cursed and started trying doors, finding most of them to be rooms set up with bunks, and I figured it wouldn¡¯t be a good idea to hide i n one of their rooms. I could hear the screech of their shoes as they ran toward me before I burst through another door and quickly shut it. Looking around, I find it is a ssroom. I could hear them opening and closing doors in the corridor and looked around for somewhere to hide before spotting a jar of pens and noticing some scissors. I grab them before darting underneath the desk. If I get out of this, the hair is going. I was chopping it off. My heart stopped when I heard the door open. I clutched the scissors in my hand as I heard footsteps walk toward the desk. The chair is dragged out, and my eyes meet with Tobias¡¯s. He went to no doubt curse me out when Zac¡¯s voice reached my ears, and I jumped, bumping my head on the top of the desk. Tobias growled and sat down just as the door burst open. I froze; I even held my breath. ¡°What?¡± Tobias snapped, pushing his chair in and caging me i n with his legs. ¡°Shit, sorry, Sir,¡± I hear the door creak like Zac was about to leave before it stopped. ¡°Have you seen the traitor bitch?¡± My heart skipped a beat at Zac¡¯s words. ¡°No, now get out of my fucking ssroom.¡± ¡°Sorry, sir,¡± Zac says before I hear the door shut. I let out a breath, but Tobias doesn¡¯t move. ncing at the scissors, I quickly pocket them before tapping his leg. Still, he doesn¡¯t move. ¡°Tobias?¡± ¡°You never answered me this morning,¡± he says, pushing the chair out a little to look at me but not enough for me to get out. ¡°You would know if I lied, so I didn¡¯t think it was worth answering,¡± he growls. ¡°Um, can I get out?¡± ¡°You missed my ss,¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t find it,¡± ¡°You know Darius won¡¯t be happy when he finds out,¡± he pushes his chair back further, and I scramble out before being trapped between him and his desk. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Unless,¡± Tobias said. I swallowed, and my thoughts went to Dariusst night and his cruelty ying with the bond. All night I was Restless from the pain of being rejected and humiliated for falling for it. ¡°Unless what?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t tell him, but I want something in return,¡± ¡°I am not doing anything sexual with you,¡± I snap at him, trying to push past his leg blocking my way. Tobias stands towering over me. His eyes flicker and turn blood red, and he pins me against the desk by cing his hands on either side of me, and I lean away from him. Tobias growled, and I watched as his fangs slipped out. ¡°What i f I want something else, like your blood?¡± he asked, and my heart rate quickened. ¡°You want to feed on me?¡± he nods, sniffing me before grabbing me and burying his face in my neck. ¡°You smell fucking divine,¡± he growls, I felt his tongue run over the pulse in my neck, and I tried to shove him off and failed miserably when he let me go; he grabs my wrist, bringing it to his nose. ¡°You smell sweet like Lycus,¡± he whispered. I felt his magic rush over me as he paralyzed me. My body became frozen as m y thoughts ran rampant, and my heart thudded painfully. ¡°Lycus knows,¡± I blurted out, petrified of him feeding on me. Would it hurt? What if he killed me? Vampires weren¡¯t the best with control. ¡°I will take care of Lycus, so what will it be, Aleera. I tell Darius, or you let me feed on you, I promise to be gentle,¡± he said, running his teeth against the inside of my wrist. My eyes widened before thinking of what Darius would do if he found out, but what was stopping Tobias from still telling him. But then again, what was preventing him from feeding on me if he really wanted to anyway. ¡°Tick tock Aleera, Darius will be back soon; your next ss is with him, so pick, or you will bete,¡± ¡°And you won¡¯t tell him?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t tell him, besides he would be pissed off if he knew I fed off you, so it will be our little secret,¡± My heart thudded so hard I could hear it, but I found myself nodding anyway, more frightened of what Darius would do if he found out. Apparently, my nodding must have been enough consent because I hissed in the next second as his fangs sank into my wrist, breaking my delicate skin. Initially, it hurt before my wrist and hand tingled; warmth spread through me, making m e realize he was using his magic so it wouldn¡¯t hurt. He didn¡¯t feed off me long. Tobias then pulled his fangs from my wrist when the siren sounded, signaling next ss. I nce at the clock behind him to find it wasn¡¯t a clock, but some strange moon wheel, with different, fazes of the moon. Tobias wipes his mouth with his thumb before sucking my blood off it. His eyes glistened, and I watched as he pricked his thumb with one of his fangs before running it over the two puncture marks on my wrist. They closed instantly, and he brought my wrist to his mouth. I thought he was going to bite me again when he ran his tongue over it, licking up the blood that spilled down my wrist. His eyes flicker before going to mine, and he smirks. ¡°You taste sweeter than Lycus, though,¡± ¡°Is that a bad thing?¡± I asked. ¡°Not for me it isn¡¯t, but for you, it may be,¡± he chuckles darkly. ¡°Let¡¯s just say I have a sweet tooth,¡± I take a step back when his eyes glow redder, and heughs before flicking his wrist, and a portal opens up beside him. ¡°Get to ss,¡± He says, shoving me through it. I gasp, feeling his magic swallow me along with the portal before I find myself spat outside on the fields. I landed on my hands and knees. I look around the vast area to get to my feet and see all the men walking in my direction and Darius. He stops cocking his head to the side. ¡°You decided to show up and on time. Thought you would have run when you found out your next ss was with me,¡± H eughed as he stopped in front of me. The men moved out onto the field, and I was thankful it was all grass. However, that was short-lived when I realized they were using their elements, and this was a magic ss. Fuck! I curse, knowing I have no magic. All Fae have an element, and I knew I was about toe out of here battered brutally because I wasn¡¯t dealing with Fae but demons, who only had one element and the most lethal, fucking fire. Whereas I was an elemental harmony Fae which is not only rare but extinct, holding not only one but all elements, plus some other odd gifts I couldn¡¯t exin or have dabbled much i n but being an elemental harmony Fae was no good to me now with no magic. ¡°Partner up,¡± Darius called out. I looked around at all the men, and one smiled at me. The man was a giant, tall with dreadlocks to his waist and mocha-colored skin, his demonic eyes ran the length of me, and I took a step back as he stalked toward me. ¡°I will take the traitor,¡± The man said. Traitor, why does everyone keep calling me that? Darius nods to him, and I look a t Darius. He doesn¡¯t surely expect me to fight without magic? I will get destroyed in seconds. ¡°Let¡¯s see how pretty you are without your hair,¡± The man sneered. What is it with everyone trying to ruin my hair? ¡°Her hair is off-limits; burn her hair off, and I will take fucking your head,¡± Darius tells him, which shocked me. ¡°But she is a traitor,¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care; her hair is off-limits,¡± Darius says. Maybe he likes long hair because I know he doesn¡¯t like me. Well, he would be in for a rude shock when I cut it offter tonight with the scissors I stole. I spent most of the ss dodging his fireballs, which I was d was all he used. He could have turned me into a raging inferno but seemed more amused with just tossing them at m e. Although, I noticed Darius stayed close for some reason. My clothes were singed, my arm was burnt, and one hand took a nasty blow. I was exhausted, having spent all my time dodging while the menughed and watched. Some even sat o n the grass just watching my torment as I tried to avoid the mes. Dodging another, my lungs were burning as I ducked, Scanned with CamScanner falling to my knees when suddenly mes erupted around me, boxing me in with firey walls. I jumped to my feet, looking for an escape as they drew nearer, panic gnawing at me. I hated fire, hated it, and nothing scared me more. ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± I heard Darius growl. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will only burn her a little,¡± The man taunted as the mes grew closer. My heart rate skyrocketed as the mes grew closer and closer. I coughed on the smoke and could feel the heat blistering my skin. ¡°I said enough,¡± Darius growled before the mes were sted with water. I looked through the smoke to see Darius turn and attack the man I was partnered with, drenching him too. Wait, how can he use a water element? I saw him use firest night? ¡°My word isw, defy me again, and you will find yourself in the dungeons,¡± He snarled as I choked on the smoke from the extinguished mes. Images flickered in my vision, the smoke ridiculously thick, and my eyes burned from the smoke. I remembered this feeling, the choking as each breath burned my lungs; I tried to suck in a breath, my vision tunneling as I was brought back to the night my parents were killed. I stumbled, cursing under m y breath, realizing I was having a panic attack. Air suddenly sted me as I became dizzy. The smoke was pushed away, and I blinked my brain trying to register where the air magic came from before all I saw was ck and heard the snickeringughter of the men surrounding me as I fainted and copsed on the ground. Trending Novels Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Darius POV Aleera was lithe on her feet; I will give her that. She could move when needed making me wonder how much time on the run she actually spent running. She moved quicker without magic than some of my men here who had been in training for years. It was like she anticipated where the next attack would come from, like she could sense it, and I found myself absorbed as I watched her. Even some of the men had stopped to watch. Mostughed, but most of them were floored with how she moved and she remained almost in the same spot, never stepping out of the barrier. This ss was a defense ss. You had to block your opponent, yet she had no magic to block with, but she watched. I figured out pretty quickly she studying the flick of his fingers; the way he stood. And it was almost as if she knew what he would do before he did it just by his stance. Mikhail was one of our best; he never missed a target, and at first, I thought he was holding back, but the longer it went on, I could see his frustration. He really was trying to hurt her; he just couldn¡¯t touch her. I knew I should have stepped in; a pit formed in my stomach when he decided to partner up with her. I initially was going to be partnered with her when he stepped forward, eyes locked o n his target, but I was ready to step in if needed. I wouldn¡¯t have hurt her knowing it would upset Kalen and Lycus, scared her, yes but hurt her probably not with how this stupid bond was growing stronger with each day. Ignoring the pull was bing harder until I remembered what she inflicted. Which infuriated me even more feeling the pull to her, feeling my mates pull to her. But she deserved it, god did she deserve pain for what she has caused us, but when I noticed her bing tired, I knew I needed to stop it. The bond called me to protect her, going absolutely haywire when I saw her get boxed in. Just like that night we found her i n her burning room. The entire ce was a raging inferno; she had tried to escape but was passed out on her bedroom floor. The moment we stepped into her room, we knew something was amiss. We tried to get back out, but a barrier had been ced on her door and window. Tobias and I only just got her out in time before the roof caved in. Tobias had used his body t o shield her and sustained severe burns while I broke the damn barrier spell ced on it. It took nearly all our power that night to heal her and put the cloaking spell on her and her grandmother so she would be protected. Little did we know it also cloaked us from her once she came of age. I always felt bad I couldn¡¯t heal Tobias. His back was destroyed and he refused to let Lycus and Kalen heal him, knowing our reserves were almostpletely depleted. We were literally running off borrowed time. Two and a half years Tobias and I went without power before w e figured out another way to power share. All of us agreed Aleera was not an option. She was too young, and her powers hadn¡¯t manifested, and none us werefortable with knowing what that meant for her to power share and transfer our power amongst all of us, and it would have been in disgusting. We were monsters but, not those sort of monsters. They tried to kill her. We never should have left that day. We simply wanted to tell her parents she was our mate and that w e would wait for her toe of age. We never thought they would try to kill her. But as the mes got nearer, I could see her panicked state as she gasped and I knew that was where her mind took her. I could almost feel her panicked state even without marking her. I heard her heart racing, so I extinguished the mes just as she copsed on the ground. Mikhail was warned, so I felt nothing towards him when I drove my hand through his chest and melted his heart. A few men gasped around me as his lifeless body fell on the ground a t my feet. ¡°When I say enough, you fucking stop,¡± I tell them, letting fire engulf my hand and burn off the residue of blood. Shaking the mes away, I looked down at my mate on the grass. I couldn¡¯t help the snarl that slipped on my face as I scooped her up. I didn¡¯t want to touch her, but I wouldn¡¯t leave her here unconscious with these men. They could truly be monsters, but none got away with defying me. Yet as I picked up her limp body, damn, she smelt good, felt good in my arms. I shake the thought away and open a portal to her room before stepping through it. Get a grip, idiot, I reminded myself. cing her on her bed, she stirred, blinking up at me dazedly, stuck wherever her mind had taken her. I needed to get out of this room, away from her when she rolled on the bed, and I saw something in her back pocket, just an outline and something steel poking out the top. Walking back to the bed, I fished it out to find it was a pair of scissors. My brows furrowed, wondering why she had them. Was she going to try and kill us in our sleep? Let her try. It wouldn¡¯t end well for her. I ced them on the bedside table next to the bed when she mumbled. ¡°You¡¯re an Elemental,¡± looking over at her, she was still passed out. Shaking my head, I walked out. She was bound to find out anyway what¡¯s it matter if she knew earlier. I may be thest o fmy kind in more ways than one, but it is not strictly like I kept that small fact secret from the world. It¡¯s partially why everyone feared me. It was one thing being an elemental, but a dark Fae elemental and demonic-fae was unheard of. I wondered what Aleera¡¯s perks or gifts would be. I knew she was dark-fae from her schooling paperwork, although it never stated any gifts, she wouldn¡¯t be the first not to have any, but I still wondered briefly before shaking that thought away, who cares we would never know anyhow. But each of us had certain gifts that were our own. Walking through the shared bathroom, I open the door only to bump into Kalen. He clearly wasn¡¯t expecting to find me in her room. He nces past me before tilting his face toward mine. His handsN?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. connected with my chest, and his magic fizzled out a s he tried to use it. If he had done that to Lycus, he probably would have shoved him through the wall. Yet his dark magic was no match for mine dying out as it touched me, and I felt m y magic get a jolt as it absorbed it. ¡°What did you do to her,¡± he demanded, trying to shove past m e. I grip his arm, shoving him through to our room before locking the door. I nced at him. His aura was all over the ce, his anger being the strongest toe through, but I could see the madness lurking through it. Lycus warned me this morning he was too upbeat and energetic. Whates with the high is a massive low. ¡°Where is your medication?¡± ¡°What did you do to Aleera,¡± he snapped, trying to get past me to the door. ¡°Where are you meds, Kalen? You promised Tobias you would take them,¡± I could feel our mates getting nearer as his emotions became more turbulent. They could sense his aggravation. I tried to reach for him, and I cursed, giving his magic back as I watched a portal open up. Grabbing him and pinning him when I saw it led to Aleera¡¯s room just as Lycus all but smashed the door in t o help subdue him, only it was toote as I tackled him, another portal opening up and swallowed him just as he punched me. His fist connected with the side of my face knocking me off him. I hit the ground where Kalen should have been. ¡°Where did he go, where did it lead,¡± Lycus panicked. Jumping to my feet, I raced to Aleera¡¯s room and burst through the door. Aleera was sitting up on the bed. She looked over at me. Kalen, however, was not in the room. ¡°Is he in there?¡± Lycus said, smacking into my back. Aleera looked at us, confused. ¡°What¡¯s-¡± ¡°Stay in your room.¡± I snapped at her before mming the door. Trending Novels Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Aleera POV I woke up dazed and confused and back in my room, and I couldn¡¯t remember how I got here. Thest thing I remember was being out in the training fields, and I remembered Darius using his magic. I rubbed my temples, looking around the small space when the door bursts open. Darius¡¯s eyes fell on m e, and at first, I thought he would scold me, but the panicked look on his face told me he wasn¡¯t in my room to deliver some punishment. ¡°Is he in there?¡± Lycus said, bumping into the back of Darius. ¡°What¡¯s-¡± I wanted to ask what happened, but Darius cut me off with a re ¡°Stay in your room.¡± he snapped at me before mming the door so hard I was surprised it didn¡¯t break. Something niggled at my insides, dread filling me, and I wasn¡¯t sure if it was my own feeling or the intuition of the bond that had been growing stronger daily. Without realizing i t, I ran my fingers over my infinity marking with their names. Kalen flooded to the forefront of my mind before my room suddenly disappeared. Just evaporated around me. My stomach tried to rise into my throat when I felt pulled into new surroundings. I had no idea what I had done, but I was suddenly inside Kalen¡¯s head. I couldn¡¯t hear his thoughts but could see out his eyes, see what he saw. I appeared to be in some attic. Dust-covered boxes were scattered everywhere. His hands started banging o n his head as he yanked his hair, nails scraping down his face. I could feel his flesh tearing, and I wondered what was wrong with him, why he was acting this way. I wanted to understand, and I cursed that I couldn¡¯t hear what he was thinking. What good was it to be in someone¡¯s head if all you got was seeing what they saw and feeling what they felt. His emotions were all over the ce as I tried to understand them when I was pushed out. I gasped, feeling breathless. How did I do that? I had no magic. Maybe it was a trick of the mate bond or possibly my harmony side of my magic. All I knew was I somehow thought of him, and I was suddenly in him. I looked down at the infinity symbol, confused. One thing I did know was I got the same nagging feeling of panic I saw on Darius and Lycus¡¯s face, that he shouldn¡¯t be alone. That he was a danger to himself. Moving toward the door, I was shocked to find it unlocked. Darius must not have checked the main entrance or forgotten with his worry. I peeked out into the hall and saw no one. Darius said to remain in my room, yet I found my feet moving on their own as I wandered aimlessly around. Coming to the stairs, I stopped when I heard Tobias¡¯s frantic voice and Lycus and Darius were arguing over where Kalen would go. ¡°He is not in the usual ces,¡± Lycus worried. ¡°Can either of you feel him?¡± Tobias asked. I glimpsed over the banister, I was on the third floor, and they were on the ground floor. ¡°What happened? What did you do this time to set him off, Darius,¡± Tobias said, gripping Darius¡¯s shirt. ¡°What do you think he did? He probably did something to Aleera. You know how he gets when it has anything to with her,¡± Lycus snapped. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°Fighting with me is not helping to find him; I did nothing. I only asked if he took his medication because I could tell he hadn¡¯t,¡± ¡°Shit!¡± Tobias curses. ¡°What is it?¡± Darius demanded, and I looked over to see Tobias clutch his head. ¡°I told him if he took them, I would let him see her tonight,¡± ¡°You what?¡± ¡°She won¡¯t hurt him, Darius, I think she even likes him,¡± ¡°If she liked him, she wouldn¡¯t have run the first chance she got,¡± Lycus scoffs. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but she is different around him,¡± ¡°How so? I swear if she has done something, I will fucking end her,¡± Darius snarled. ¡°No, not that. Like she can sense the shadows on him. I can¡¯t exin it, but she is different when it comes to him,¡± Tobias argued back. ¡°Maybe?¡± ¡°No!¡± Both Lycus and Darius bellowed at the same time. I turned away, having heard enough. I wasn¡¯t sure what was going on with Kalen but I needed to find him, the bond pulling me toward him and urging me to get to him. I had no idea where I was going, but I seemed to have wandered into an almost empty part of the castle. This side was cold and the draft told me it had been closed for a long time. Dust clung to the walls and the sparse furnishings. Pushing the door further open, I slip inside. The cold draft washed over me and sent a chill up my spine from my toes. This ce looked untouched, and I wondered how long I had wandered for beforeing to this blocked-off part of the castle. It was eerily silent over here and gave me the creeps. Walking down therge hall, I looked at the high ceilings, the chandeliers covered in cobwebs. This ce looked like it was out of some medieval movie. Like I stepped back in time to a different world. I ran my fingertips over the hallstand before brushing the dust off. Even without having magic, I could tell this ce was abandoned and forgotten for a reason. Something terrible happened within this part of the castle. Moving further down the hall, I stopped in front of a massive portrait of a man. He had a startling resemnce to Darius before my eyes fell on the teenage boy at his side. Reaching up, I swiped the dust off his face and it was indeed Darius. The man had his hand on his shoulder, and Darius appeared to be about thirteen or fourteen. Both dressed in a suit, and he shared his father¡¯s features, the same cold eyes, and expressionless face. Giving it onest look, I let the bond pull me to another corridor lined with doors, yet I never got the urge to enter any of them as I passed them, instead my feet took me to the end t o arge door with silver knobs. Trending Novels Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Chapter 23 I twisted it, having to push my weight against it as I shoved it open. I coughed and choked on the dust, and the draft here was so much colder. Ice cold and made me shiver. Stone steps led up. Climbing them, I stopped halfway up the spiraling stone steps to a stained ss window. I peered out and saw the back of the castlends but that wasn¡¯t all I noticed. It was road. I was high enough to see over the forest and I could just make out with my heightened vision a road snaked between the forest as a car drove along the narrow-looking path. That could be my escape, yet I wondered how it led into the castle grounds or if it did. Ascending further up the steps, I find I am in a round room. The pointed ceiling told me I had found my way to one of the castle towers. By the time I got to the top. I was covered in cobwebs and dust. The wooden floorboards creaked as I stepped inside. Boxes covered nearly all of the floor when I noticed a figure that looked out of ce amongst the boxes. Kalenid on the floor, his cheek pressed against the floorboards. He was murmuring t o himself in anguage I hadn¡¯t heard before, or maybe it didn¡¯t exist because his words held no sense to me. ¡°Kalen?¡± I murmured but he didn¡¯t move, and the feeling I got from him was cold and numb, shadowed with darkness. I called out his name a couple of times before giving up andying on the ground beside him; Iid on my side facing him. His eyes were closed and his lips moved as he spoke to himself in a barely audible whisper. I reached out and brushed his cheek gently with my hand. His eyes flew open, going to mine. I don¡¯t think he had heard me calling his name or felt my presence. He seemed to be in some trance-like state before I touched him or maybe he still was, I was unsure. He grabbed my hand on his cheek, kissing my palm, and he looked so vulnerable, desperate as he clutched my hand. My hand cracked in his tight grip, but I just gritted my teeth through it instead of jerking it away. ¡°You¡¯re here, are you really here?¡± he whispers, kissing my wrist and hugging my arm and hand to his chest. ¡°You feel real. I can even smell your scent,¡± He whispers. ¡°I¡¯m real, Kalen,¡± I tell him, but he mumbles to himself incoherently. His behavior scared me. He almost seemed insane. ¡°Why are you up here? It is freezing,¡± I tell him. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s cold, is it cold?¡± he asked. I wasn¡¯t sure if he was talking to himself or me. His eyes stared at me, but it was like he was looking through me. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go with them,¡± he mumbles. ¡°Go with who?¡± I ask him, and he wiggles closer. Scanned with CamScanner ¡°They want me back; I shouldn¡¯t be here. They want me back with them,¡± ¡°Who wants you back, Darius?¡± ¡°No, they won¡¯t let me near you. They took you from me,¡± his words made no sense because I was right in front of him. ¡°Now, I can¡¯t see you,¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you see me? I am right here, Kalen,¡± I tell him. ¡°But I won¡¯t be able to see you. They will make me take the pills. I don¡¯t want to the pills. I don¡¯t want Darius to take it away. He always takes you from me, I need you, I need you,¡± He mutters. I moved closer, pressing my forehead against his. ¡°I love you, Aleera. I have always loved you,¡± he mutters, wiggling closer to me, so his body was against mine. My heart twisted painfully in my chest? Was he like this because of me? Did my leaving send him insane? Surely a keeper didn¡¯t have this much power and influence over their mate. ¡°Kalen, we should head back to Darius,¡± I tell him. I didn¡¯t know what to do. And I didn¡¯t want to say the wrong thing, I wasn¡¯t sure if he was violent in this state, but I knew I didn¡¯t want to find out. Kalen shakes his head. ¡°We can stay a little longer; I don¡¯t want you to disappear again, just a while longer,¡± I chewed my lip, knowing I needed to call them somehow, but I had no magic when my eyes darted to Kalen. I could feel his dark magic oozing off him, it had utterly enveloped him, and it was so thick and strong, almost glowing off him, and I was surprised I hadn¡¯t noticed when I came in. Darius would kill me, but I didn¡¯t know what else to do. We couldn¡¯t stay up here, but siphoning even just enough magic t o alert them to my whereabouts meant they would know I touched his power. I swallowed, deciding I would take the wrath of Darius. I was their keeper. This was what I was supposed to be for, transferring power from one to the other and it was almost too easy as I touched my fingers to his hand that still clutched hand tightly. My fingers were purple as the cirction was cut off. I barely touched him, but I gasped as his dark magic flowed through me, making me giggle as it tickled my sense when I felt it trying to change to light. I couldn¡¯t allow that, so I quickly touched my mark, sending the power through my infinity symbol. It glowed silver but didn¡¯t burn like it did the first time. Just tingled when I felt a weird sensation, almost like an intuition run up my arm from my mark, letting me know they felt it, and I was d I didn¡¯t try to revel in the feel of Kalen¡¯s magic, they would have noticed my power change, and they may have figured out what I was. Despite sending the magic into my mark, it lingered in my veins writhing through me, and I felt it give my magic a little kick, urging it to life and my senses tingled with ecstasy before it died out, knowing Darius wouldn¡¯t let me keep it. Trending Novels Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Chapter 24 My mind flicked to Kalen in this vulnerable state. I could take his power and escape, but I couldn¡¯t do it for some reason. It would be so easy, but I felt like I would condemn him if I did. The floor creaked as I heard three sets of feet step into the room. I could smell the buzz of electricity as a portal opened u p. I nced over my shoulder to see Darius, Tobias, and Lycus step into the room. ¡°You were supposed to stay in your room,¡± Darius told me, and I nodded. ¡°How did you find him?¡± he demanded like I was the one that brought him here. ¡°I don¡¯t know; I just found myself here. I don¡¯t even know where I am, only that I was in some abandoned part of the castle,¡± ¡°What, you just stumbled across him?¡± Darius snapped and Lycus walked around Kalen and kneeled on the other side of him. He grips his shoulder. ¡°Kalen, can you hear me,¡± Lycus whispers. ¡°I won¡¯t let you take her from me again. Why is it bad? I just want to see her,¡± Kalen mumbled, and Lycus¡¯s eyes went to m e. I could feel them all looking at me. ¡°I am right here, Kalen,¡± I tell him. ¡°But not for long, they always take you away, always take you away,¡± my brows furrowed in confusion. Lycus pried his hand from mine. ¡°She is right there, Kalen,¡± Lycus whispers, kissing his cheek. Kalen just stared through me like he wasn¡¯t really seeing me when Lycus ced Kalen¡¯s hand on the side of my face. ¡°See, can¡¯t you feel her?¡± ¡°She is right in front of you,¡± Lycus tells him. ¡°Why can¡¯t I feel her,¡± Kalen mutters, his eyes scanning my face. His words confused me. ¡°She has no magic, that is why, but she is right there,¡± ¡°You lie, you always lie, then take her from me,¡± Lycus looks behind me at Darius, and I hear movement before I watch Tobias kneel beside him. Kalen growled before he could even touch him. ¡°Leave him. He may hurt her if you try,¡± Lycus tells Tobias. His hand fell to his side and I figured he was going to try topel him. ¡°Your point being?¡± Darius growled. ¡°He would never fucking forgive himself, Darius. Stop being a dick,¡± Lycus snarled, his canines slipping out in his anger. ¡°Well, what do you suggest then, Lycus? He hasn¡¯t had one of these for months. You know it is the only way,¡± Darius snaps at him. Lycus eyes went to me fleetingly, and Darius growled at him. ¡°Darius, she won¡¯t hurt him, will you Aleera,¡± My brows furrow in confusion at Tobias¡¯s words. ¡°What?¡± I asked when Lycus suddenly gripped my arm, and I felt his magic rush into me with a significant force when without thinking, I felt myselftch onto it and drain him. It made me almost choke before he let go stumbling backward, his eyes wide. Tobias grabs him, and the atmosphere suddenly ripples with Darius¡¯s rage at what I had done. I remained still, unmoving. Lycus looked at his hand when I felt Darius grab m y arm in his grip, and I knew he was about to take it off me when Kalen made a strangled noise. My eyes darted to his as h e blinked at me like it was the first time seeing me. His lips part and I know he could sense Lycus magic running through me, yet I remained still. Not moving, knowing if I did, Darius may just kill me for what I identally did, but the moment Lycus tried to force me to take, his magic bondtched on to him like a starving person getting its first-ever meal and absorbed itpletely. I know that wasn¡¯t lycus intention. He would have only . wanted me to take enough that Kalen could feel me beside him, feel my nonexistent aura that was extinguished with my power. ¡°You¡¯re glowing,¡± Kalen murmured, and I chuckled, yet his following words made me stop. ¡°You have color in your aura,¡± I swallowed, wondering what gifts he had that he could see it. I focused on the power running through me, fighting the urge to let the bond change i t, trying my best to ignore it as it tried to seep in deeper and mingle. I felt like I was back in school fighting to keep my secret kept. Fighting myself so no one would notice, I forgot how much strain it was from stopping the light from mixing with the dark and morphing it into something else entirely. I couldn¡¯t control my aura for those who could see it, but only one other person I hade across had the gift to see someone¡¯s essence within it. Yet the other person died when we were attacked. I didn¡¯t even know his name, but he saved me and sacrificed himself to do i t, but I still remembered the look on his face. ¡°Well, don¡¯t you burn brighter than the sun, the first time I have seen a rainbow aura. I knew there would be something special about you,¡± he had said, then he smiled before the bloodhounds came for us. I tried to save him, but he shoved me through a portal when w e couldn¡¯t run anymore. ¡°They wille for you,¡± He screamed when the portal sucked me in. When I tried to portal back, I couldn¡¯t like he blocked me from returning to help him. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Kalen asked, pulling me from the memory. ¡°Do what?¡± I asked him without thinking. ¡°Change it to dark. Can you make the colore back?¡± I ignored his question but could feel everyone¡¯s eyes watching u s when Kalen reached his hand, brushing the air around me, his fingertips touching my aura. I could feel him through it, I couldn¡¯t see my own, but I could feel him touching it; it was an odd sensation. ¡°What are you?¡± he asked suddenly. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°I¡¯m like you,¡± I told him, and I noticed Tobias tilt his head to the side observing me and I swallowed, wondering if he could tell I lied but I hoped I had cloaked it enough. Kalen went to say something, but I cut him off. I needed him to be quiet. It would raise suspicion if he kept talking of my aura or whatever he sensed. He wasn¡¯t of sound mind right now, so I could y i t off by letting them think it was his ramblings. ¡°We should get you back to your room, Kalen,¡± I told him. ¡°They will take it away,¡± ¡°Take what away, I am right here?¡± ¡°He means his power,¡± ¡°We won¡¯t have a choice, now. Not until he is stable enough to have it back,¡± Lycus exined. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I admit. ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t. How could you when you weren¡¯t here,¡± ¡°Darius, not now,¡± Lycus warns him. Darius¡¯s grip on my arm was tight still when a thought flicked through me, and I realized why Kalen¡¯s aura was so cold and dark. He had died. It wasn¡¯t darkness but shadows of death. I suddenly remembered doing sses on it in school. The more someone was brought back, the more fragile they became mentally. It is also why the keeper of mates is important. They can cleanse the shadows or share it with their mates until it dissolves. ¡°I.. could..um..¡± I stopped knowing they would disagree, I already had Lycus power running through me, and I knew that made them nervous, more so since they weren¡¯t sure exactly what my gifts were. Darius growled as I moved and gripped Lycus¡¯s shirt while he tried speaking to Kalen. Everyone froze at my actions. Darius¡¯s hand was suddenly wrapped around my throat in warning. Not tight, but like he was seeing what I was going to do. Lycus¡¯s eyes were on mine, and Tobias was on his feet with speed unlike any other. My hands shook as I let his shirt go before touching his face. I gave it back; I couldn¡¯t believe I just willingly handed his magic back to him like I was giving him a piece of paper. He gasped as it rushed out of me, my hand glowing with the darkness of his magic before it fizzled out of me, leaving a hollowness inside me. They all looked at me dumbfounded. Kalen tilted his face up, and I could feel his confusion at the sudden deadly tension in 1 the room. I knew I only had a second before Darius ripped me away from all of them. I wouldn¡¯t have time to take it without him willingly giving it to me via touch. I knew that. So I acted quickly. My lips crashed against Kalen¡¯s hard, so hard I hurt myself, but the moment they did, the bond red to life, devouring the shadows tainting his magicpletely. So cold, and I took it way too fast. Darius ripped me away and tossed me on the ground within seconds of touching him. I choked, gagging on the taste of it as I crawled to my hands and knees. My back ached, yet the pain running through me from his magic hurt way more. Smoky and twisted, I had never felt anything colder before in my life. A scream left my lips, and I didn¡¯t know how Kalen coped with i tas I gasped for air, feeling like I was dying, and the air in my lungs turned ice cold. I tried to suck in a breath, but I couldn¡¯t like my lungs to work; I didn¡¯t know how to function anymore. My vision tunneled as the room darkened around me. Everything numbing with the coldness of it. ¡°Wait, he still has his magic. She didn¡¯t take it, Darius,¡± Lycus screamed. I passed out just as he grabbed my hair. My body fell limply on the hardwood floor. I needed air. I couldn¡¯t breathe; I needed to breathe. These were myst thoughts as I sumbed to the darkness. Trending Novels Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Lycus POV I truly believed Darius would have had to knock her out before she handed my magic back to me. Aleera gripped the front of m y shirt as I leaned over Kalen, trying to make hime back to the room with us. Tobias could usuallypel him to follow before we would douse him in our magic to cleanse the darkness away, and he would finally release it to us. The medication helped him, but something had set him off. I hadn¡¯t seen him like this since hisst suicide attempt. Darius caught her movement and gripped her throat. We all thought she would attack. Why wouldn¡¯t she? This was her chance to escape us again. The furious look on Darius¡¯s face as his hand wrapped around her throat told me if she did anything, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to snap her neck. That would kill Kalen, but I knew Darius wouldn¡¯t allow harm t oe to us, especially when we weren¡¯t sure exactly what she was capable of. Aleera froze, and my eyes were locked onto her sapphire ones. Her hand trembled as she reached for my face; her fingers barely touched me but it was enough. She was our keeper, keeper of our souls and magic, so that small touch was enough to send my magic hurtling back into me with an rming speed that stole the breath from my lungs and sent m e backward. Although when she returned it to me, I felt it was different. f Something about it felt different, but that was soon forgotten when she smacked her lips against Kalen¡¯s. A growl tore out of me when I saw her steal his magic. How could she take advantage of him while he was in this state? ¨C Within seconds, Darius tossed her and I moved forward, smacking into Kalen, who gasped. His eyes flew open, stunned before they shed brighter, recognition returning, and the buzz of energy rippled across his skin and zapped me. She didn¡¯t take it. She didn¡¯t take his magic. Tobias also, realizing that gripped my shoulder as he stood up. Darius stalked towards Aleera, who was choking, choking on the darkness she had just taken from him. Horror washed through the bond because she had no power to cleanse it from herself. It usually took all three of us to contain the shadows that tainted Kalen, yet even we struggled because it always came back no matter what.. She crawled to her hands and knees, clutching her throat with one hand as she wheezed. An agonized scream tore out her, and her eyes burned brightly before the color left and they turned white. ¡°Wait, he still has his magic. She didn¡¯t take it, Darius,¡± I screamed as Darius grabbed her hair. Her eyes fluttered, and her face fell ck just as Darius looked over at us. I didn¡¯t see Tobias move when Darius was shoved by his magic, forcing him to let her go. Darius smashed against the window before the floor shook as he crashed back to the ground. Tobias rushed toward her and dropped to his knees at her side, gripping her face. Kalen wailed as he scrambled across the floor to her. He snatched her away from Tobias. ¡°Don¡¯t touch her,¡± Kalen snarled. His entire body rippled as his aura tried to smother Tobias¡¯s, but he was no match for the vampiric-fae king. Tobias ignored him. His fingers pried her eyelids open, and all I saw was white as I walked over and kneeled beside her. Darius groaned as he got to his feet and shook off the st of Tobias¡¯s magic. No doubt Tobias wouldter pay for attacking him. ¡°Help her, fucking help her,¡± Kalen wailed as he tried to force her to take his magic to cleanse the shadows that writhed beneath her skin. The ck veins wiggled under her pale skin a s the life drained from her when Tobias leaned down.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Tobias, no,¡± Darius snarled as he rushed to get to his feet just as Tobias sunk his teeth into her neck below her ear. Darius realizing he wasn¡¯t marking her, let out a breath, and Aleera¡¯s body jerked as he clutched her, feeding off her and trying to pull the darkness out of her blood. The dark veins below her skin¡¯s surface moved toward his bite mark when he jerked away, unable to absorb any more, and he began to choke, dropping her into Kalen¡¯sp. Still, Aleera didn¡¯t wake. ¡°Darius, please,¡± Kalen begged, and I looked at Darius, who stared at her unmoving. ¡°Darius!¡± I snapped when he didn¡¯t move to help her. I knew h e struggled the most with her. Just as much as Tobias did, I truly believed he would never forgive her. But right now, she was dying; he couldn¡¯t let her die for helping our mate. I understood his hatred toward her, I did. But she was our keeper and even though I hadn¡¯t forgiven her for what she did, I didn¡¯t feel it was worthy of death. Darius killed his father for her and for us. Doing that turned him cold. He wasn¡¯t always so bloodthirsty and emotionless. Darius would never admit it but I knew he loved her just as much as he hated her; he just liked to me the bond. Honestly, we all did. None of u s could deny the pull we had to her. He med her because he wouldn¡¯t have had to kill his father if she didn¡¯t run. His father would still be here with him. Tobias grips Darius¡¯s pant leg, and Darius looks down before growling. Darius was a demon, the shadows affected him, but h e could contain them. They just made him murderous when he took them, vtile and his magic would be numb. ¡°Please,¡± I gasped as Kalen wailed, rocking back and forth with her clutched in his arms. We only had seconds left before she would be lost to us. Darius¡¯s eyes softened as he watched Kalen. He knelt beside her, gently taking her from Kalen. He brushed her hair back from her face. Being part incubus, Darius could give and take magic from all of us, but it required emotion. Darius had been forced to be our keeper, and it was lucky he was an elemental, or we all would have perished when she left us. Though its consequences cost all of us everything, not that Kalen and I actually had anything before our mates. Tobias and Darius, it cost them the most since they were both straight before she left us. Tobias was also vampiric-King. His entire family shunned him except his twin brother so he gave u p his title for us, gave up his family and stuck by us. His lips covered hers, his thumb on her chin holding her mouth open, but I wasn¡¯t sure how it would work when she was pretty much dead in his arms, no emotion for him to feed off to take it. A tear slipped down his cheek, this man never cried, or if he did, it was never in front of us, and that was when I realized he wasn¡¯t taking the darkness. He was washing his magic through her and devouring his own power again, removing the taint which would indeed have some consequences. The color returns to her, and her eyes turn blue again. Darius stumbles back on his hands, gasping before he wipes his hand across his mouth and res at her, but I saw the flicker of relief cross his features and zap through our bond before he masked it when her eyes fluttered and she sucked in a sharp breath. ¡°Aleera,¡± Kalen choked, crushing her against him. Her body was all floppy in his arms, and she would probably remain like that for a few hours. We were usuallyatose whenever we cleansed Kalen. Although ncing at Darius and Tobias, they appeared alright, even after taking it from her. Yet Aleera showed no visible signs that she was still holding onto the shadows. Tobias was breathless but still conscious, Darius however, taken the most, was rippling with anger that usually came from taking the darkness. He rose to his feet before storming off, and I knew it was to stop from hurting us or hurting her in front of Kalen. ¡°I will check on him. Are you right to get them back?¡± Tobias asked me, sounding as breathless as he looked, and I nodded. Kalen was peppering her face with kisses while Aleera stared vacantly at the pointed ceiling. ¡°Kalen, we should get her back to her room,¡± I told him, touching his shoulder gently. ¡°She could have died, but she still did it¡± ¡°But she is alright now,¡± ¡°Darius, he was going to kill her,¡± Kalen told me, and I pressed my lips in a line. I hated how much Kalen cared for her, but she did just help Kalen and gave my power back. My brows furrowed, wondering why she would still help after everything we had done. Or maybe it was just a ploy to get us t o trust her so she could make an escape. ¡°You all hate her. Just get away from us,¡± Kalen snapped, and jealousy red through me that he would choose her over me after everything we had been through together. ¡°I don¡¯t hate her, Kalen,¡± I told him, and as I spoke the words, I realized it was true. I didn¡¯t hate her, but I didn¡¯t lose as much as Tobias and Darius did, only Kalen. Although if she had taken him from me, I probably would have told Darius to let her die. Kalen was mine, always has been since my father abandoned me in the orphanage. Kalen was the only pure dark Fae in the ce, the weakest, and he was tormented relentlessly and even abused by the teachers. My parents were both pure dark Fae. I should have been like Kalen, the weakest of the Fae. That was until my mother died and with my grief, I shifted. I was my mother¡¯s bastard. My father soon realized I wasn¡¯t his and dumped me o n the orphanage doorstep. Literally tied a leash around my neck because I didn¡¯t know how to shift back yet. He tied me to a chair like a dog until the orphanage opened the following day and found me curled in a ball on the footstep covered in snow. Looking at Kalen now, I saw the same thing in his eyes that I felt the first time I saw the other kids kicking the crap out of him. The same way my father kicked and punched into me when I shifted. I wanted to protect him. He was so smallpared to the other kids. So I did. No one dared touch him when I was near after that, and I made sure to stay by his side until we ran away. Kalen had that same look, he wanted to protect her, but he also knew he couldn¡¯t. Not against Darius o r Tobias. ¡°Kalen?¡± ¡°No, Lycus. You need to choose a side I won¡¯t lose her,¡± ¡°And I won¡¯t lose you. You know what she has done. They won¡¯t just forgive her,¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t know. No wonder she hates us. We don¡¯t deserve her,¡± Kalen tells me. I look at her limp body in his arms. ¡°She is cold,¡± I told him, and he looks down at her. Her lips were blue, and her breathing was shallow. ¡°You don¡¯t want her to freeze to death, do you?¡± I asked him, and he shook his head.. ¡°But Darius,¡± I gritted my teeth. Already hating what I was about to say before I even said it. ¡°We will stay with her until shees to,¡± Kalen turned his head to look at me. His eyes scanned mine for any deceit. ¡°You will help me?¡± I nod, looking away from her. Darius would be furious about me letting Kalen near her, but she just risked her life for him, and maybe Tobias was right. Perhaps she isn¡¯t a threat to him. Until we were positive, I would speak to Darius about letting him near her under supervision. Trending Novels Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Aleera POV Hushed voices woke me. They sounded angry as I opened my eyes. Thest thing I remembered was choking on the shadows and Darius grabbing me; I felt myself dying and, in some ways, I even prayed for death. At least I wouldn¡¯t feel like this. I felt hollow. I had tasted only briefly their magic before they took it from me. My bond screamed angrily, writhing within me for it back. ¡°Darius, just leave him be. I am right here with them.¡± ¡°Anything happens to him, and it is on you. It will be your fault,¡± Darius growled before I heard the door m. I jumped a t the sound and my eyes opened to find Kalen beside me asleep. He looked so peaceful, and I gently brushed his cheek with my fingertips. His stubble was rough and scratchy when I felt the bed dip behind me, and I nced over my shoulder to see Lycus sit next to me. ¡°You are awake,¡± He states, and I turn back to face Kalen. I tried not to let his emotionless tone upset me. He didn¡¯t seem too pleased that I was awake. ¡°Thank you,¡± Lycus murmured, and I chewed my lip and nodded at his words. It actually sounded like it physically hurt him to say it. ¡°Why did you give it back?¡± He asked. I wondered briefly the same thing. It was clear that even with me helping Kalen, nothing would change and I just tossed my only opportunity o fescape out the window. Yet the thought of Kalen being the way he was, I knew I would have done it again. ¡°Darius is angry,¡± I stated, ignoring his question. ¡°He always is,¡± Lycus stated before he leaned against the bedhead of my tiny bed. ¡°Kalen struggles to cope. He hasn¡¯t had an episode like that for a while. It has made Darius more anxious,¡± ¡°He mes me for it?¡± ¡°We all do. He has been fine for almost a year, then you show u p, and he backtracks,¡± Lycus growls before he sighs. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to snap at you,¡± ¡°How many times,¡± I asked Lycus, rolling onto my back to look at him. ¡°How many times he had tried to kill himself, or do you mean how many times he sessfully did before were brought him back?¡± I swallowed. ¡°Brought back, 8 times, lost count of how many suicides attempts he has had,¡± Lycus answers and my heart sank. Kalen was far from alright. ¡°You did something to my magic,¡± Lycus says, and my heart quickens at his words, making him nce down at me. He watched me waiting for my answer. ¡°What do you mean, I did nothing to it,¡± ¡°It feels different, stronger,¡± I let out a shaky breath. ¡°I¡¯m your keeper, of course, it does,¡± ¡°Yeah, but I didn¡¯t expect it to feel as strong as Darius¡¯s and Tobias¡¯s power, you may be a keeper, but you are supposed to pass and share our energy amongst us, so we are all the same strength, yet when you handed mine back for a while it wanted to challenge Darius¡¯s,¡± D ¡°Because I never shared it, it is the bond,¡± I tell him, and he nodded. ¡°Yeah, and I bet it is ying havoc with my magic out of your system and Darius¡¯s. Although it makes me wonder what you would be capable of if you shared all our power along with your own,¡± ¡°I never touched Darius¡¯s magic,¡± I tell him. ¡°Why do you think you are alive? Tobias fed off you and tried t o clean it from your blood. His saliva has magic in it, but he couldn¡¯t take it all. Darius flooded you with his power, so I bet you feel pretty ufortable now. Once a keeper shares power the first time, your bond will crave it for a bit until it is out of your system, which happens to Darius sometimes,¡±. ¡°Well, you all seem intent on keeping me defenseless, so of course, I feel like crap,¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t the original intention. It didn¡¯t need to be this way,¡± Lycus told me. Lycus went to say something else when Tobias walked into the room. ¡°Where is Darius?¡± Lycus asked him, but Tobias was too busy staring at me. ¡°Tobias?¡± Lycus snapped, and Tobias shook himself before he looked over at Lycus. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Darius, where did he go?¡± ¡°Where do you think?¡± Tobias snapped at him. Lycus growled before running his hand through his hair. ¡°I know it¡¯s not you, but I just copped it off, Darius. I don¡¯t need you starting on me too,¡± ¡°I was just checking on Kalen. I wasn¡¯t here to argue,¡± Tobias said. ¡°He is fine as you can see, I won¡¯t leave him alone with her,¡± ¡°Oh, for fuck sake, I am not going to hurt him,¡± I snapped as anger rippled through me. They both stared at me, stunned and honestly, I was surprised I voiced those words because I didn¡¯t mean to. ¡°Is that so. Fine, answer me this then,¡± I rolled my eyes, and Tobias was on top of me within seconds, his fingers squeezing my face. ¡°Tobias, what are you doing?¡± Lycus snapped at him and gripped his arm. ¡°She said she won¡¯t hurt him. Let¡¯s see how true it is,¡± Tobias said, sending a re at Lycus, who shrugged. Tobias¡¯s fingers dug painfully into my cheeks as he stared at me. ¡°If given the opportunity would you run again?¡± Tobias asked me, and I felt my heart skip a beat which earned a growl from him. ¡°Answer,¡± Tobias growled and Lycus sat up more, looking down at me. What kind of question is that? What answer did they expect to get? ¡°If you were in my ce, would you stay?¡± I asked instead. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to run from my mates. I wouldn¡¯t risk killing them, now answer the question,¡± Tobias growled. ¡°You already know the answer, or you wouldn¡¯t be asking just t o catch me lying, Tobias, now let me go,¡± The noise that left him made goosebumps rise on my skin before he shoved off me. ¡°Still think she won¡¯t hurt him?¡± He asked Lycus. Lycus sighed. ¡°Now get him to bed, make sure you lock her door. I knew she only helped him to regain our trust,¡± ¡°That is not true; I like Kalen. It¡¯s the rest of you I can¡¯t stand, ¡°You don¡¯t like him enough to stay for him, though, do you?¡± Tobias spat at me. He turned on his heel and stalked out of the room. ¡°You had to ruin it,¡± Lycus snapped when he left. Lycus climbed off my bed before walking around to the other side and scooped Kalen off the bed with one swift movement. My heart hammered in my chest as the bond cried out for him. My hand gripped Kalen¡¯s before I could hold myself back, and Lycus¡¯s eyes flickered angrily. ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t need to take him, just let him sleep here,¡± I blurted, needing him back where I could feel him and know he is alright. ¡°Thank you for bringing him back to us, but Tobias proved you only intend on hurting him again. I won¡¯t allow that,¡± Lycus said. He walked out, taking Kalen, who remained unconscious with him, his energy left the room, and I suddenly felt cold without any of them in here. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Time slipped by and the cold set into my bones. I would take their wrath if one woulde back and stay, anything to chase the cold of the empty bond away. One taste of their magic and my bond ached for them only now they were gone. I tugged the nket up as I shivered, needing their magic or some of my own. Why was I so cold? Why did it hurt like this? Being the keeper, I required their magic, but I lived without it for so long, deprived it so long, so I didn¡¯t understand how after one encounter, one taste that it felt like they were tearing me apart piece by piece when they took it away. No matter how close I sat to the firece, no matter how many nkets I surrounded myself with, I couldn¡¯t warm up. My teeth chattered, and my entire body ached. I hoped it was just an after effect of the shadows, yet I had a nagging feeling i t was them, and Lycus was right. I just hoped he was always also right about it wearing off. The door opened up, and my bond leaped with joy as I turned around to see who had entered. I tried to slow my heart rate as he stepped into the room. ¡°The effects of you touching our magic will wear off; give it a day or so, and you will be fine,¡± Darius said. ¡°Maybe you could?¡± ¡°Not a chance,¡± Darius said without looking at me. ¡°We will never give you magic. That was a once-off Aleera. Like I said, it will wear off.¡± I turned my attention back to fire and tried to warm up. He didn¡¯t even have to give me much, just enough to settle the bond until the effects left. This was torture in itself, and I promised myself that I was going to run as soon as I was able. I would rather battle it out there than live with this torment. Kalen would learn to survive without me, or maybe I could convince him toe? Darius walked over to me and dropped a box beside me on the floor. ¡°Shoes, don¡¯t bete to ss tomorrow,¡± ¡°Socks?¡± I asked, hopeful. ¡°In the box,¡± He called out over his shoulder as he left. My hands snatched the box up, instantly rummaging through it for the socks to ce on my cold feet. I would hardly call them shoes. They were ts, nothing special or even protective for m y feet, and the soles were paper thin but better than nothing. I told myself little victories, and if it was shoes, I would take any triumph right now. Trending Novels Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Chapter 27 I hardly slept a wink of sleep throughout the night. Yet as the rm went off it, it cut out before I could even open my eyes. Fingertips gripped my wrist, and my eyes flew open at the sharp sting of fangs piercing my skin. My heart thumped in m y chest, and Tobias growled before euphoria rushed through m e as his magic caressed over me, stifling the scream I was sure was about to tear out of me. His blood-red cat-like eyes watched my face, his finger ced on my lips in warning, and I wondered how long he had been i n here and why he was suddenly feeding on me again. My eyelids fluttered, and I waspletely frozen with fear. I was prey against the predator using me as his personal juice box. H e licked my wrist before healing it, cing it on the bed, and walked out of the room when he was done. I stared after him, but he didn¡¯t say so much as a word to me. Instead, just left the room. I nced over at the clock and groaned before rushing about the room and skipping the shower. I wanted to get to the mess hall before the others so I could grab something and slip out back to my room. It seemed like the safest option, and I knew I would be skipping lunch. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Retrieving my ts, I slipped them on while pulling my hood u p over my head. I felt unsteady on my feet from the blood loss and very shaky after rushing around. I was forced to clutch the banister on the stairs, feeling slightly lightheaded as I descended. Tobias¡¯s actions confused me. Why would hee and feed on me when he had three mates sharing a room with him that he would provide him with blood. My heart twinged at the thought of them, and my mind wandered to Kalen as I peeked into the mess hall. Relief washed over me when I saw I was the first one here. I rushed over to the disy of food and scooped up some bacon and two pieces of toast before voices at the other end reached my ears. I would have to see if I could change the rm to a little earlier. With my few pieces of bacon and two slices of toast, I escaped when more voices could be heard. Looking around, I nced at the door of the cell I was kept in and groaned. Eat in peace or try to make it back up to my room without being spotted. I chose the cells. I pushed the door open, and the cold draft made me shiver before I sat down on the second step listening to the voices slowly filling the mess hall. My stomach growled hungrily, and the loss of blood didn¡¯t help. I was starving, and those two slices of toast and bacon didn¡¯t even touch the sides, but I was just grateful for anything in my stomach right now. This morning, my first ss was with Tobias and at the stupid obstacle course. I shake my head at the thought. No way would I everplete that damn course. My mind wandered to Kalen again as I wondered if he was alright. I sighed, thinking about the men the fates decided to bond me to. Even on the run, I never felt this lonely, and this time I was surrounded by people. Not good people but still people, I spent so long on my own and thought I was lonely then, but despite being alone, it never felt this cold and unweing. I reminded myself of the aftereffects of the bond and the shadows, trying not to let it get to me. Yet the ache to go to them, beg them for just a taste of their magic was still intense. Although, at least the agony ofst night was over. It made me wonder how they power shared between each other. Being the Keeper, I only had to touch them, but why did I have a feeling it wasn¡¯t that straightforward with them. I didn¡¯t even think it was possible but then again, I didn¡¯t believe any elemental Fae other than myself existed. That was one thing I pondered while I had gotten dressed. The memory of power I had witnessed Darius use left only one conclusion. Darius was a dark elemental. Demonic- elemental Fae. I had never even heard of it before, but I knew in my gut I was right. Which exined why everyone feared him. But also, Kalen¡¯s powers were odd too. I had only met one other person that could read aura the way he did. We all saw auras to some degree, but they were essentially manifested energy we could get a feel for. Kalen though, could see them, clearly see them and even see the essence and soul that resided in it. That was a dangerous trait for him to have because it meant if I obtained power in any way. Kalen would notice straight away. He would also realize what I am, and now he was stable. I know he would ask questions and possibly tell 2 the others. I waited for the siren to go off and then waited some more before I heard the hallways clear of voices before I quickly raced out to join the ss. I was determined not to piss them off today because I wanted to see Kalen. I needed to know if he was alright because not knowing was driving me insane. ****** That dreaded fucking climbing wall, I have never despised anything as much as I did that damn wall as I stood staring up at it. Once again, the men all passed me, but I was alive and still kicking. Sore and every muscle ached when the siren blows, signally the recess break. The others already had finished the course, and I started climbing the stupid wall when arms wrapped around my waist, and I screamed and thrashed. ¡°Shh, it¡¯s me, stop,¡± Tobias growled below my ear, his hand mped down on my mouth to stifle the scream of fright that threatened to deafen me. I thought it was Zac. Assumed he was the one that would be ensuring Ipleted the course. Tobias removed his hand from my mouth, and I nced at him behind me before he ced me on my feet. ¡°Go eat and get to your next ss,¡± he says, straightening his shirt. ¡°I can go? But the others can¡¯t unless they finish it?¡± ¡°I fed off you, there is no way you willplete the course, and I know you are hungry, so go before I change my mind,¡± H. e didn¡¯t have to tell me twice. I hated that damn wall. Nodding my head once, I walked off toward the castle when Tobias caught up with me quickly. Trending Novels Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Chapter 28 N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. He gripped my arm, making me stop, and I almost groaned. Was that some bullshit trick? ¡°About this morning, it never happened, ok,¡± Tobias said, and my brows furrowed in confusion. Pretty sure it did, but why did he seem so nervous? ¡°Yeah, whatever,¡± I tell him. I am about to stomp off and try t o find my next ss, so I am notte. There is no way I was going in that mess hall, and I would just wait until dinner. Tobias grabs my arm with a growl and yanks me back. ¡°Say it didn¡¯t happen,¡± Tobias snapped at me. I thought his behavior was odd, his grip tight when realization dawned on me. He was forbidden to feed on me and the only person I could see him fearing would be Darius. ¡°Why notpel me to forget?¡± I asked and he tugged at the neckline of his shirt. ¡°Forget it,¡± he says, stalking off. ¡°Fine, it never happened, but I want to see Kalen,¡± I called out to him and he stopped. A growl tore out of him and he moved i n blinding speed gripping the front of my shirt. I gasped at how close his face was to mine, and his fangs protruded. ¡°Don¡¯t try to ckmail me,¡± he snarled. ¡°The way I see it is the only reason you haven¡¯tpelled me i s that you n on using me as your blood bag, but by the way, you keep insisting it never happened. You don¡¯t want Darius to find out,¡± I snapped at him. He let me go but red at me. ¡°If Ipel you too much, Darius will sense my magic on you, so will Kalen.¡± ¡°So you do want to continue feeding on me,¡± I tell him, and he looked away but nodded his head. ¡°Why not use the others,¡± ¡°Does it matter? I will let you see Kalen. Once and that¡¯s it,¡± Tobias snapped. ¡°I see him once while you get to use me as your personal buffet?¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t in a position to negotiate,¡± Tobias growled. ¡°And by how worried you are, you aren¡¯t in a position to say n o to me,¡± Tobias grips my throat, clearly not liking me arguing with him, and my hands clutched his. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lycus¡¯s voice reached my ears, and Tobias let me go, he stepped away from me, and I nced at Lycus. ¡°Your next ss is with Darius; I suggest you get going, Aleera, ¡± Lycus said, although his eyes remained on Tobias. I nodded my head before I rushed off to the next ss. Thank goodness Darius¡¯s ss was a theory lesson. Although I would have preferred being anywhere else and away from Darius¡¯s res, surprisingly, I was left pretty much alone. Maybe because he insisted on putting a table next to his desk like I was the naughty student that needed extra supervision. Everyone worked off tablets, and I looked down at the paper in front of me before scouring the pages on elemental magic while everyone did their pop quiz on the tablet. How was I supposed to fill it out when I didn¡¯t even have a pen? I nced over at his desk when he suddenly passed me a pencil without even looking over at me. Thankfully, the ss was uneventful, not even a murmur while Darius spoke and exined things. Everyone seemed to be nervous around him. Not that I med them, he made me nervous too with his explosive temperament. When the ss ended, I waited for everyone to leave before getting out of my seat. Darius watched me for a few seconds while I cleaned my desk and handed him the paper. ¡°Tobias messaged me earlier and asked for you to see Kalen this afternoon,¡± Darius told me. He took the paper from me and nced at it before cing it on his desk. ¡°After dinner, you cane to our room to see him; I don¡¯t want you alone with him,¡± I nodded my head and walked out, surprised Tobias even asked. Not that I was keen to go into their room. I was hoping Kalen coulde to mine, but I would take what I could get. I wandered around the campus grounds, bored. I wasn¡¯t supposed to wander off, but I knew their recruits were in the mess hall or recreational rooms, and I didn¡¯t feel like sitting in my room. Besides, I wanted to scope the grounds out and see if I could find that road I saw from the castle tower. I was just about to the corner when I heard voices. A loud squawking noise reached my ears. The sound was terrible, and I peeked around the corner to see four demonsughing before noticing what was on the ground at their feet. My heart sank. It was a phoenix, and I went to run out to try to save it but stopped myself knowing it would probably only end up with me getting hurt or having to exin myself to Darius. Luckily, they seemed to get distracted before they inflicted more pain on the poor thing. One of them kicked it, and a sob left my lips which made me cover my mouth with my hands. I watched them walk offughing and chatting amongst themselves. Once they disappeared, I rushed over to the fallen phoenix. It was only a juvenile. My hands were shaking terribly, and it snapped its beak at me, probably thinking I was here to hurt it some more. ¡°Shh, shh, I won¡¯t hurt you,¡± I tell it. The bastards burnt his feathers off, and one of his wings looked broken. ¡°You have to be quiet. I will help you,¡± I tell it, trying to get close enough to it. Phoenix hated dark Fae, all dark creatures i n fact. Phoenix¡¯s, however, loved white Fae and also contained magic themselves. But being a juvenile, he had no such power or healing ability. Pheonix¡¯s also could power share with their bonded. They bonded to their owners, primarily White Fae or other phoenixes. I scooped him up, and he squawked loudly, and I grabbed his beak. ¡°Shh, they hear you; they will kill you,¡± I tell it while holding its beak closed to stop the noise. Watching my surroundings, I raced back to the castle, making sure to remain unseen. But now what? Where could I hide him until he healed? Phoenix¡¯s hunted food, but he wouldn¡¯t even be able to fly for god knows how long I nced at the stairs leading to the rooms and the cell door. I could try to hide him down there, but they may hear him if he squawked. However, my room joined my mates, and Darius may sense him. He had no power yet, but he definitely would b e able to be felt once he did. The cells it was. I rushed to the door escaping inside before being caught. I flicked the light switch on, lighting up the rancid ce before descending down the stairs. When I got to the bottom, I looked at the cells. I refused to look at the one I was in. The memory of Darius breaking my leg and hand down here made bile rise in my throat. Trending Novels Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Walking to the one next to it, I ced him on the bed. At least this cell had one. The phoenix stared at me and nestled against it. His eyes looked sad, and I could tell he was in pain. I wished I had magic so I could heal him. Maybe I could try to siphon some from somewhere? Taking my jumper off, I cringed. I only had one and two changes of clothes. Hopefully, it wouldn¡¯t get too cold, but he needed it more than me. So, I made him a make-shift nest out of it. ¡°I have to go,¡± I tell him, patting his head. He watched me and nestled into his bed but when I went to leave, he squawked and my heart raced at the noise. I rushed back, mping my hand on its beak. ¡°Shh, shh, they will hear. You have to be quiet, I will try to catch you some mice or find some food, but you have to be quiet,¡± I tell him, and it made a cooing sound but dropped its head, tucking it under its good wing. I patted him for a few seconds on its orange-red feathers that remained on its neck before giving him a kiss. He ripped his head out from under his wing, and I thought at first he was going to bite me, but he pressed his big beak to cheek and I ¡¤ brushed the few feathers on his head. ¡°I will be back,¡± I told him. He stared with eyes far too intelligent. My mother used to have a phoenix before she died, and after my father brought her back, turning her into a Dark Fae. I remembered it hated my father, constantly pecking him and snapping at him when he got too close to her, but it loved my mother. After she changed, it turned on her and attacked her, so dad killed it. I loved that bloody bird and cried for a week straight. The Pheonix appeared to realize I was trying to help him nestled down in my jumper, and I raced upstairs. I went quickly back to my room, trying to find anything I could to help him and to see if I could find something to feed it. I smiled when Iid eyes on the bandages still sitting on the dresser from my ruined feet. They were filthy, but I might be able to use them to wrap his wing and part of his torso. Phoenix¡¯s grew quiterge and fully grown stood about 5 feet. My new little friend was a juvenile and was only around the size of a macaw right now, so I knew he would grow much bigger. I grabbed the bandages and my pillowcase stripping it off the pillow before deciding to try to smuggle the entire pillow out for him. I remembered how cold it got down there. Deciding to shower before dinner, I retrieved one of their shirts. I always thought it odd that I found a new one in the room to sleep in every night. I only had two pairs of pants and two shirts plus m y jumper, so I was excited because now I had socks and some ts to add to my tiny wardrobe. Just as I was about to walk into the bathroom, I noticed the glint of steel on the bedside table. I totally forgot about the scissors I smuggled, but why were they on the dresser? One of them must have found them, yet they left them, which surprised me. Let¡¯s see them rip my damn hair out when I have none to pull o n; I snickered at my thoughts, snatching the scissors off the top of the dresser and walked into the bathroom. I tugged my jeans off and ced them on the counter since I still had to try and go and steal some dinner from the mess hall, and I certainly wasn¡¯t going down there in just one of my mates¡¯ shirts. Looking in the mirror, I stared at my long, raven ck hair. It was unruly and hung to my waist. My grandmother and father had the same color hair, and it saddened me that I was about t o chop it off. But at the same time, I was sick of it being the first thing they grabbed. Grabbing the scissors, I hacked at one side. My stomach sank as I held up the handful of hair I lobbed off. Tears streamed down my face at how short it was sitting just below my shoulders des. cing the hair on the bench, I tugged my hair up in a ponytail, just chop it off. You can do it, plus I already cut one side that looked like I tried to cut it with a fork; it was that uneven and the scissors were blunt. So I couldn¡¯t back out now. I raised the scissors and gripped my hair at the top of my head, close to the scalp. I started chopping at it when the door opened before I didn¡¯t even have a chance to see whoN?velDrama.Org holds this content. it was before the scissors were snatched from my hand, and my head was yanked back by the very hair I was trying to get rid of. I cried out and clutched the hands before spotting Darius in the mirror. ¡°What the fuck do you think you are doing?¡± Darius snarled as Lycus wandered on in behind him. Kalen¡¯s voice reached my ears, but Lycus quickly mmed the door and locked it. ¡°Darius,¡± Lycus hissed. ¡°She was¡­¡± Darius looked at me in the mirror before noticing my hair on the countertop.. ¡°Why would you chop off your hair? What the fuck is wrong with you,¡± he says, thrusting the scissors at Lycus¡¯s chest. ¡°Because I am sick of everyone fucking grabbing it,¡± I snapped at him, and he quickly let go. He seemed shocked at me yelling at him. I rubbed the back of my neck and the top of my scalp. It felt tender as strands were yanked out on the crown of my head. Trending Novels Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Chapter 30 ¡°You are not cutting it. You will look like a boy,¡± Darius growled. ¡°That¡¯s the point, asshole. I would rather have no fucking hair than have you ripping it out every chance you get,¡± Kalen banged on the door demanding to know what was going on, and Darius growled and looked over at Lycus. ¡°Deal with him while I deal with her,¡± Darius snapped. He reached over, snatching the scissors from Lycus. Who looked a t him worriedly. ¡°Go deal with him,¡± Darius said, his aura rushing out and making the room hot with his anger. Lycus sighed but opened the door. He had to grab Kalen as he tried to force his way in before the door shut and Darius locked it. He turned to face m e, and I took a step back away from him when he went to step closer with the scissors clutched tightly in hand. ¡°You ruined it,¡± He snarled, and my heart rate skyrocketed at the evil look in his eyes. It¡¯s just hair. Why the hell does he care about whether or not I have hair on my damn head. ¡°Sit on the edge with your feet in the bath,¡± He snapped, pointing at the bathtub. I nced at the bathtub, and he growled at me, which made me move to do as he asked before h emanded me, giving me no choice. ¡°Don¡¯t cut your hair,¡± he paused, and I felt his presence behind me but didn¡¯t dare look at him. I felt fingers run through the lengths of it as he growled at my hack job before dropping the scissors beside me. ¡°Wait here,¡± He said before he walked out of the room. I wondered what my chance was of escaping whatever punishment he was about to inflict when he walked back in, and I looked over at him only to see Tobias was with him. Tobias sighed and looked at Darius. ¡°Fix it,¡± Darius snapped at him. ¡°Do I look like a hairdresser?¡± Tobias asked him. No to me, he looked more like someone that would scalp me, not fix hair. Darius dropped some pouch on the ledge of the bath beside me and rummaged through it. ¡°You do our hair all the time,¡± Darius told him. ¡°That involves clippers, not scissors, and I am not sure I can fix that. You do it. You are used to cutting long hair. I have never done a woman¡¯s hair before,¡± Tobias argued. That surprised me. I couldn¡¯t really picture any of them doing hair. Darius growled at him, but Tobias shook his head. ¡°Nope, you want it fixed, do it yourself. You used to do your mo -¡± Tobias stopped, his words cut off abruptly with the thunderous growl that left Darius. Tobias red at him and walked out, and I looked at Darius who was fuming before he scrubbed a hand down his face and looked over at me. I flinched when he stepped closer, but he only reached down and grabbed theb. ¡°Just stay still,¡± Darius said, he turned my head straight so I had to look at the tiles. Frozen with shock when I felt himbing my hair, I stared off at the tiled wall. I was curious to know what Tobias said before being cut off by Darius. ¡°You like long hair?¡± I blurted the words slipping past my lips before I could stop them. Fuck Aleera. Curiosity killed the cat. You are the cat in this situation, I tried to remind myself. However, I was shocked when he answered. ¡°Yes, Lycus used to have long hair, but it annoyed him, and he cut it off not long after we found him,¡± Darius said. I felt him brush up against me as he continued tob the knots out. H e reached beside me, pulling a clip out and piling my hair on m y head, leaving sections. My hair started falling away as he cut it, and I nced down to see it was cut just below my shoulders before he pulled another section from the clip beforebing it. ¡°were you a hairdresser in a past life?¡± I chuckled at the thought. Darius huffed. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°You believe in that past life crap?¡± he asked. I shrugged, unsure what I believed or if I believed in anything after death. ¡°Not sure,¡± I answered honestly. I jumped when he ced the scissors beside me and walked off before rummaging under the sink. He returned and wet my hair with a spray bottle, which made me jump again at how cold the liquid was inside. Darius distracted while fixing my ruined hair, almost seemed like an average person, or maybe it was the bond. His aura remained threatening. But he wasn¡¯t being cruel, so I figured h e must have some form of humanity in him. I tried to contain myughter at that thought when I remembered him telling his recruits my hair was off-limits when they threatened to burn it off. ¡°I will try not to grab it, but don¡¯t cut it again. It is now short enough,¡± Darius said behind me, and I almost turned to look a thim, but his fingers forced my face forward before I could. ¡°Stay still,¡± He snapped, and I swallowed. ¡°I can¡¯t picture Lycus with long hair,¡± I admitted and Darius chuckled. ¡°When we found them, it was really long, almost as long as yours was,¡± ¡°So you liked doing his hair,¡± I pried. ¡°No, he cut it off. I was furious, but-¡± he stopped like he remembered who he was talking to. ¡°Do you even care, or are you just trying to make small talk?¡± h e asked. I thought about it for a second because it was kind of both; I cared because if he was talking, that meant he wasn¡¯t killing me; but I was also curious why he was so upset about hair. ¡°Just curious why you got angry when you seem so intent on ripping mine out,¡± I told him honestly. He paused his cutting and cleared his throat. ¡°Don¡¯t try to cut it, and I won¡¯t grab it,¡± he finally said, and his aura dropped, which allowed my shoulders to untense. ¡°My sister used to have long hair,¡± ¡°I thought you were an only child?¡± I asked him. ¡°She died when she was seven.¡± ¡°What was her name?¡± ¡°Molly, she was my mother¡¯s illegitimate child. She had an affair on my father,¡± I chewed my lip at that bit of information. That definitely wouldn¡¯t have gone down well. Especially if he was anything like Darius. ¡°He forgave her, but when the gue hit my sister, died, along with the rest of the Fae,¡± ¡°Wait, your sister was a white Fae?¡± ¡°No, a harmony one, both my parents were dark-demonic, Molly¡¯s father was a white-Fae,¡± ¡°Wait, but the Fae gue hit before I was born,¡± I tell him, and he hums in agreement. ¡°Yes, but the second wave hit seven yearster. She would have been the same age as you,¡± my brows furrowed in confusion. I don¡¯t remember a second wave talked about, and how did I survive it if there was one? ¡°It wasn¡¯t like the first one. They poisoned the water system, we ran off town water, when the rumor started about the gue my sister and mother went into confinement under the castle, she survived the first wave because it was airbome. My father had strict protocols on who was allowed in and out. They lived down there for 3 years before we realized they coulde out. Mum wouldn¡¯t leave her down there by herself. Yet when the second wave hit, no one saw iting, and the water supplies were poisoned, she had a bath and fell ill,¡± ¡°So you used to do her hair?¡± I asked him. ¡°No, my mother¡¯s, after Molly died, she became depressed and couldn¡¯t look after herself; I looked after her until she died,¡± Darius answered. I swallowed, not knowing what to say, and h e didn¡¯t tell me anything else, just kept cutting my hair. When he was finished, he tapped my shoulder for me to turn around before gripping the ends. His face was in deep concentration as he cut some of the hair around my face before making sure the ends were the same length. He then nodded and stood up before he walked out. I stared after him before shaking my head and dusting off my shirt. Looking in the mirror, he cut just below my shoulders. Darius returned a few seconds later and ced some hair ties on the counter, not saying a word before he walked out again, leaving me alone. I quickly locked the door before cleaning up all my hair and dumping it in the bin. I then showered fast so I could get to the mess hall early so I could get back to my feathery friend. Trending Novels Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Chapter 31 I rubbed my arms against the cold night air that drifted through the castle doors as I came downstairs. It was freezing tonight, and I worried for the phoenix since he was almostpletely featherless and hoped he would be warm enough for the night. Voices in the mess hall made me cringe as I approached it, but I needed to eat something; I was beginning t o feel quite shaky. I couldn¡¯t survive off toast of a morning alone. I kept my head low as I made my way into the line, wishing I still had my hoodie to obscure my face. The smell of the food made me ravenous, and my stomach growled hungrily. The man in front of me turned and looked down at me before snarling and looking away. Retrieving a tray and te, I made my way down the line only whenever I stopped at one of the stations the person stationed there would close the lids, not allowing me to retrieve anything. I rolled my eyes and went to lift the lid off of thest one, not really caring at this point what it was. Only the moment I did, the demon stationed there mmed the piping hot lid on top o fmy hand and I felt his magic make the lid vibrate as he used his magic to turn the steel red as he forged heat into it. I cried out and tried to jerk my hand free, but he growled and pressed harder. The steel lid burned my flesh, and I could feel the bubbling of my skin. ¡°Traitor,¡± He sneered at me while I held back the tears that threatened to spill. I would not let him see me cry. Gritting my teeth, I jerked my hand out, bringing thedle with me full of what looked like stew, and tossed it as his face. He shrieked loudly but fuck him. If I had my magic, I would have scorched the bastard alive and watched him burn for the shit they keep doing to me. (This Novel Daily Latest Chapters provide it I silently promised myself that I would get my revenge and when it came that time these men would know who they fucked with. I had no idea when that would be, today tomorrow. Years down the track. However, when I came for them, they wanna beg because I would burn this ce to the ground with them trapped in it. He clutched his eyes as the boiling hot liquid sshed on his face, and I examined my hand. Blisters bubbled on the back of my hand, and the outline from the pot melted my skin and tore my flesh away when I jerked my hand out. I turned away t o leave when someone grabbed me by the back of my neck. I screamed and tried to fight back, but he was behind me as he dragged me nearer to bubbling stew. I clutched the sides of the bench as he tried to force my face into the boiling bubble. 1 Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Those presentughed, and my hand slid into the pot, pain seared up my arm to my elbow. I hissed in pain, and I yanked i tout only for my face to press too close. The heat I could feel against my face when I threw my boiled hand back and connected with something that made him let go. A shocked collective gasp filled the room as I turned on my attacker and looked at him, clutching his manhood he had dropped to the ground. Good to know I hit somewhere painful. Though that was short-lived when I got a good look at his face. ¡°You¡¯re dead bitch,¡± He choked out, and I looked in horror at the person I tossed the soup at. It was Deacon, one of Zac¡¯s friends. I quickly ran from the room as I heard chairs screeching and didn¡¯t bother looking back as I ran for the stairs. Fuck, I knew it wouldn¡¯t end well. But what choice did I have? Once on the top floor, I knew I was safe, or as safe as I could be, in this dreadful ce. I had noticed no one other than my mates ever came up to the floor where my room was. Like it off-limits to the rest of the recruits, I was thankful for that for once. My hand and arm seared with burning pain, and I rushed to the bathroom and turned the faucet on. cing my burnt limb under the cool liquid. My hand looked like bubble wrap; the skin was that blistered. Tears welled in my eyes, and I knew that was thest of my dinner outings. It looked like my only meal would be breakfast if I could get there early enough. I would have to manage until I found an escape out of here, but what would I do with my phoenix? I needed to find a way t o get out of here and figured I would wait until he got better. If I carried him, it would slow me down, and if they caught me, they would surely kill him. So I needed to make sure he could fly on the off chance they did catch me. At least he could escape and be free. When the pain subsided a little, I walked back into my room and flopped on my bed. I suppose I could try and sneak out tonight if they left my door unlocked. I could rummage through the bins for something for the phoenix to eat. He must be hungry. I knew I was, but I wasn¡¯t at the point where I was going to start eating everyone¡¯s leftovers, not that I hadn¡¯t dumpster dived before. How did it get to this? My life be this nightmare? I knew logically because I called on them, but now I saw that for what it was, stupidity. But what o f Kalen. Could I really abandon him after knowing him? (This Novel Daily Latest Chapters provide it I tried to light the stupid fire; the room was freezing, and whoever kept opening up that damn window needed a swift kick up their ass. I red at it before going over to yank it shut, and I actually managed it this time. The window mmed with a loud thud. I cringed, hoping they didn¡¯te i n and think I was breaking the ce up. Turning back to the firece, I tried to get the coals to catch a piece of wood on fire. They could at least leave me a lighter. Seriously who uses a flint? I thought, picking it up and examining the ridiculous thing. I shook my head when the door opened, and Tobias stepped in. I jumped to my feet when I saw the hungry look on his face; his fangs protruded. And he had me pinned against the dresser. A feral growl left his lips as he pressed his face in the crook of my neck. Trending Novels Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Tobias POV N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. We had just finished eating dinner, yet I was craving something else. Someone else. I never should have fed on Aleera. I was only allowed to feed on Lycus and Darius, and I knew the reason for it, but her blood had been calling me from the moment Iid eyes on her. I told myself just a taste, but I knew I was done for when I fed on her when I tried to take the shadows from her. Lycus watched me; he had been looking at me strangely all day since he found me arguing with Aleera. ¡°I need to check the wards in the forest. Do you want toe? ¡± Darius asked, getting up from his seat. ¡°No, I will wait here,¡± I told him. He tilted his head to the side, examining me. I always went with him, and I knew he was suspicious of me too. They all were. My hunger was insatiable, one of the reasons I was only to strictly feed on Lycus and Darius. They could fight me off. Kalen and Aleera, not so much if I lost control. ¡°When did youst feed? You seem to be in a mood,¡± Darius asked before his eyes flicked to Lycus. ¡°Earlier off me, twice actually,¡± Lycus answered, and Darius turned his gaze back to me, and I noticed Kalen get up to head through the bathroom, and I growled in warning at him. ¡°Sit Kalen, I will take you to see herter,¡± I told him, and he sighed but sat back on the bed, yet Darius still didn¡¯t leave. ¡°Are you struggling since feeding on her the other night?¡± Darius asked me, and I shook my head. ¡°No, I am just drained,¡± I lied. He didn¡¯t look like he believed me, but I also knew Darius had an obsession with the wards, and my mood wouldn¡¯t keep him here much longer; I just needed to wait him out. ¡°Lycus, do you want toe?¡± Darius turned and asked him. ¡°Can I?¡± Kalen asked him excitedly. ¡°I thought you wanted to see Aleera?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t until youe back anyway,¡± Kalen huffed before pouting ¡°Lycus can go. I will see if Aleera is back and take Kalen to see her,¡± I told them, and Kalen¡¯s eyes lit up. My lips quirked in the corners loving his excitement, and I wished he always looked so happy. Why couldn¡¯t we be enough for him? Why did she bring out this more optimistic side of him? ¡°No, Tobias. He needs to wait,¡± ¡°I will be with him,¡± I told Darius, and he sighed and rubbed his temples. Kalen pouted at him and gave him a pleading look and I knew Darius was going to sway. He had trouble denying Kalen unless it was strictly in the range of harming him. Darius knew I wouldn¡¯t allow her to hurt him, understanding that he sighed and turned to me. ¡°Don¡¯t leave him with her, and don¡¯t let her touch anything,¡± ¡°What, you still want to bring her in here?¡± I asked him. I didn¡¯t think he was serious about that. Darius looked away, and I knew he was just as affected by her presence as we all were. He was just better at hiding it. With me, her scent was all I could think about and the taste of her blood. I hated her more for wanting her, and I couldn¡¯t help but re at the floor. ¡°Fine, we won¡¯t be gone long, but remain with them, don¡¯t leave them alone together,¡± Darius snapped before opening up a portal. Lycus groaned, and I know he hated leaving Kalen. Nighttime was pretty much the only time we were all together in one ce, and I know he missed Kalen most. We all did; he was our glue. But Lycus and Kalen were together long before Darius, and I joined the party. At first, the idea of marking them disgusted me, and I could have lived without the powersharing. I could retrieve magic by drinking blood alone in little dribs and drabs, but I wasn¡¯t sure I could part from them after finding them. After the fire and Darius and I cloaked her, which was stupid o nour part, we cloaked her so well we couldn¡¯t even find her if w e wanted to. If she left, the chances of us finding her again were pretty slim. The cloaking spell had turned to a permanent shield on her for some reason. The only way to break it was by marking her, which Darius would never allow. And damn how we had searched for her, following lead after lead. We weren¡¯t sure powersharing was possible without our keeper, not until we witnessed it ourselves. Kalen and Lycus, when we found them, were sleeping on the streets, and Lycus had be sick after identally ingesting wolfsbane, which in turn made Kalen call on us. I still remembered how filthy and skinny they both were, and Darius and I were both furious at how they were both living, and to find out they had both been living on the street for two years together startled us. So when they called on our 18th birthday, we came to them and brought them back here. Just before learning Aleera¡¯s parents tried to kill her, we felt her distress. How we felt her was beyond all of our reasoning. It was almost like she called o nus. She wasn¡¯t bonded to us yet, but we all had an inkling she was in trouble, and our marks burned our wrists when she did. I shook that memory away and watched Lycus grab Kalen¡¯s chin and kiss him. I smirked, watching them before Lycus let him go and followed Darius through the portal. That was also how we realized we could power share. We walked in on Lycus and Kalen fucking and felt the magnitude of power in the air, s o Darius did some research, and we learned by marking each other that we could share our energy. It was taboo and only epted if the keeper was dead. Ours wasn¡¯t, so it caused a lot of issues. Mostly with mine and Darius¡¯s family. So we marked each other, but it didn¡¯t work. We were back to square one, but Lycus and Kalen continued having power somehow when we realized how they were transferring it. Emotion. It repulsed Darius and me when we figured it out. Knowing if we wanted to remain strong, we actually had to bond, which meant mate each other and commit to an actual rtionship. Lycus and Kalen had no such issues, but Darius and I were straight. Completely straight. She gave us no choice when she ran, and we were forced to forge the bond. Kalen and Lycus were both patient and never pushed us past ourfort zones too much. When eventually, Darius got injured, protecting me from bloodhounds, we had refused for years to share power the way Lycus and Kalen did. But while hunting for her, we were set upon by the hounds, and neither of us had enough ability to take them down, forcing us to run. He had sacrificed his life for mine, and in turn, I kissed him. Didn¡¯t even think twice about it? He saved me, and I owed him, and I realized it worked better than feeding him my blood. After that, it became a non-issue. As long as nothing went near my ass, I was okay with it. Well, for the first few years until the bond forged entirely, and I started craving them all, that craving extended to any way I could have them. Darius is the most powerful. His power was potent, and I had never met anyone that yielded or controlled magic the way he did. Darius sort of became our keeper. He had particr gifts. We all found ourselves more inclined toward him. When we needed power, we usually went to him for it. His was the most potent and charged us quicker. Good thing he has good stamina. I chuckled, not realizing I did out loud. ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Kalen asked, making me look up a t him. ¡°Nothing, just when we all first got together,¡± I told him, and Kalen smiled deviously before crawling to the edge of the bed. I could see he also remembered the orgy fest it turned into. His eyes sparkled, ¡°I was wondering why your aura changed,¡± ¡°Changed? How so?¡± I asked him while getting up from my seat. I walked over to him, and he leaned back to look up at m e, and he shrugged with a coy smile on his lips. ¡°More color in it?¡± he said before his brows pinched together. ¡°Well, that is new. Since when do I have color in my aura?¡± I asked him, knowing mine was usually a smoky grey color. He seemed to think. ¡°Since you took the shadows from Aleera,¡± h e shrugged. ¡°Well, she is our keeper. I suppose her aura would be vastly different,¡± I told him. ¡°I swear I saw something in hers, though, hers was different, something about it.¡± ¡°You were manic, Kalen, you know you see weird things when you are like that,¡± and he nodded when I tried to feel for his aura. His was surprisingly stable. I couldn¡¯t see it but felt it was the most transparent it had ever been. Like he was before he tried to kill himself the first time. Before the shadows clung to him. ¡°You took your meds?¡± I asked him, and he looked down at his hands. I ced my knee on the bed beside him forcing him back as I crawled on top of him. ¡°Is that no?¡± I asked, nipping at his lips. His hands went to my sides and under my shirt. Sparks rushed across my skin when h e tugged me closer, so I was pressed between his legs. His breathing became heavier, and his scent heady made me inhale deeply before I kissed him. He tasted sweet, not as sweet as Aleera¡¯s blood, but I swear I could taste her on him. Like she tainted him some way. Kalen answered my kiss instantly. His tongue yed with mine when I pulled away and kissed down his jaw to his neck. I could feel his pulse under my tongue as I licked his mark, and I pressed my lips together when I felt my fangs slip out. f ¡°Tobias?¡± Kalen murmured, and I heard his heart rate pick up, smelt the cologne of his fear seep from his pores. I shook my head and pulled away. He stared at me worriedly, and I pushed off from him. ¡°I will go get Aleera for you,¡± I told him before hopping off the bed and walking out. What is wrong with me? My fangs refused to retract as I moved toward her door. I could hear her cursing under her breath through the door, and I sucked in a breath trying to will my hunger down, trying to control the bloodlust as it tried to consume me. Thinking it was under control, I pushed her door open and closed it behind me, but the moment her scent hit me, a growl escaped me. Aleera looked at me startled and stood up, yet all I could hear was her blood pumping through her veins. She gasped as I pinned her against the dresser and buried my face i n her neck and an hungered growl escaped me when she dropped her chin, trying to stop me from getting to her neck. Her words were not registering as she spoke in what I could tell was a panicked tone. My fangs grazed over my skin, and m y mouth watered at the delicious scent permeating off of her. ¡°Tobias!¡± Trending Novels Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Aleera POV ¡°Tobias,¡± I shrieked, dropping my neck when I felt his teeth slice over my flesh. He growled, and his grip on my arms was s o hard I thought he was going to break my bones. I lifted my knee between his legs when I felt his teeth prick into my skin. He groaned and clutched his manhood. The feral snarling growl that left him made my eyes widen, and I shoved him away from me, ncing around and looking for something to use to defend myself. I grabbed the poker for the firece and brandished it as a weapon. ¡°Kalen,¡± I screamed at the top of my lungs. Tobias lunged at m e, and I jumped on top of my bed before jumping to the other side. ¡°Aleera?¡± Kalen yelled and banged on the door. It was locked when I felt the shudder of a portal opening up. Gosh, how I wish I could do that; it would be handy in a situation like this. Kalen appeared behind him, stepping through it. His eyes were wide as he took in the scene before him. Tobias turned and growled at him before his eyes flicked back to me. ¡°Tobias, you need to focus on me,¡± Kalen murmured with his hands out like he was trying to cage a wounded animal. Yet Tobias¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t waver from mine. Almost like he was locked on my scent and in a trance. I had heard of it at school but had never seen someone blood-crazed before. Every movement I made, he tracked. Kalen tackled him, but Tobias moved too quickly, and Kalen hit the ground before I was tossed through the air. I didn¡¯t even see him grab me, only felt his nails slice into my soft flesh as he yanked on my arm. I smacked into the bathroom door when I felt his teeth slice into my upper arm like a savage as he pounced on me. My scream echoed off the walls, and I noticed Kalen get up off the floor and shake himself. His head turned in my direction, and I reckon the horror on his face mirrored mine. Kalen rushed over when another portal opened up in my tiny room, and Darius stepped into my room. He quickly assessed what was going on just as Lycus stepped in behind him only secondster. I grunted when Tobias jerked me forward, his teeth sinking into my shoulder. Lycus growled and shoved Kalen through the portal while Darius gripped Tobias¡¯s shoulder and threw him backward. His teeth were torn painfully from my skin, ripping a chunk of my flesh clean off. Tobias snarled and tried to attack him; Lycus Intercepted just a s Darius grabbed me, shoving me through the open portal. I gasped at the sudden movement. The air wheezed from my lungs as I fell through it in a new room. Inded on top of Kalen knocking the wind out of him. The room tilted a little, and I rolled off him and looked at the ceiling, trying to catch my breath as I sucked in deep breaths. H e attacked me, and the only thing I could think of was what if Darius and Lycus hadn¡¯t arrived. Or what if Kalen had no magic to portal in. Banging and growls could be heard from the room next door, and I sat up and looked around at my surroundings. The room was dim; the only light provided came from themps that sat on either side of the enormous bed, which had t o be the size of two kings. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Kalen asked me, and my head whipped in the direction of his voice. Kalen looked me over, and I nced down to see blood gushing down my arm and spilling onto the ck stained floorboards. I nodded, not knowing what to say. I felt cold, freezing and Kalen moved toward me and gripped my arms. My head felt foggy, and my stomach woozy. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°You¡¯re shaking, ¡°Kalen murmured. You would be, too, if someone tried to eat you, and drain you of your blood. The banging next door slowly stopped when Lycus walked in through the bathroom door. His hands gripped my arms and the shock must have worn off because I threw up. Lycus looked down at his knees and shirt covered in bile since I had nothing in my stomach. Kalen gripped my hair as I retched when Lycus moved, picking me u p. At first, I thought he was about to lose it because I threw up all over him, but instead he scooped me up in one swift movement and walked into the bathroom. My head was spinning, and I was still bleeding profusely. I could feel the blood draining out of me as I fought to remain conscious. ¡°Take her for a second,¡± Lycus said, his tone was surprisingly gentle. Kalen took me from Lycus, and I leaned my head heavily against his shoulder when I heard the sound of skin tearing before getting a whiff of Lycus¡¯s scent beneath my nose. ¡°Open your mouth,¡± Lycus said, pressing down on my chin with his thumb. I obeyed too weak to anything else besides trying and hold myself back from retching again. Lycus had pressed his wrist to my lips, the taste of his blood breached the barrier of my lips, and I let my mouth open, allowing his blood to flood into my mouth. I could feel the bite marks healing although, it did nothing for the blood already lost. The sound of running water told me Lycus had turned the shower on. Seconds passed before I was pressed against his naked chest before the feel of water drenching my face made m e gasp as I breathed it in. My eyes flew open, and I jerked in his arms. ¡°Sorry,¡± He said before sitting down. His back hit the tiles with a thud since he couldn¡¯t ce his hands down because I was currently wrapped in his arms. I leaned heavily against him, and my eyes fluttered. ¡°Stay awake, Darius will be in soon,¡± All I wanted to do was sleep, and gosh, I felt cold. Icy cold but also numb, it was an odd sensation to feel. Kalen gripped my face before tapping m y cheek but I couldn¡¯t keep my eyes open. Trending Novels Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Chapter 34 ¡°Aleera, stay awake for me,¡± Kalen murmured, his voice bing more and more distant when I felt my clothes being tugged off. My limbs were floppy and Lycus moved me around like a puppet, yet the feeling induced by the blood loss had me not caring about anything as I focused on breathing. It seemed like a mammoth task. One I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to keep forcing because it was too much effort. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it A sharp prick in my arm told me someone had jammed a needle in me and yet I couldn¡¯t open my heavy eyelids. ¡°I don¡¯t get it? Why does she need blood? Lycus healed her,¡± came a voice. ¡°She has no magic, Kalen. She might as well be human. She will be fine,¡± Lycus murmured, and their voices grew louder. ¡°She looks so pale,¡± Kalen worried. Their voices became more explicit as my surroundings returned to me. I had no idea how long I was out for, but I was aware that I was no longer in the shower. Tingles spread up my arms from the fingertips that brushed up themzily. ¡°Left some nasty scars, but she is getting some color back,¡± Kalen murmured and I groaned. ¡°She is waking up,¡± Kalen said. The excitement in his words made my eyes flutter, and I opened them to look at the ceiling. The same ceiling I saw when I fell through the portal. Kalen hovered above me, looking down at me as he leaned over, pulling my eyelids up and making me blink rapidly. He sighed before dropping his head onto my corbone. My hand went to his hair, wanting to reassure him I was fine when I felt the tug in the crook of my elbow. When he lifted his head, I looked at my arm and the line that was in it, giving me blood. I followed the line to find Darius staring at me. He moved, twisting something and cutting it off as he leaned forward. He ced a cotton bud over the canr stuck in my arm before pulling it out. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it He said nothing when I looked for the blood bag, only to find the other end of the line attached to him. ¡°You gave me blood?¡± I asked groggily. He doesn¡¯t answer but yanks the needle from his arm. ¡°We don¡¯t have an infirmary here, not much need for blood here either besides Tobias, so we had to make do, probably not the safest way if you were human,¡± Kalen chuckled, cupping m y face in his hands. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, his blood is clean and since we all share the same blood type, no harm done,¡± Kalen shrugged. ¡°Huh?¡± I asked groggily before clutching my head. ¡°We¡¯re mates. Don¡¯t they teach this stuff in that boarding school you went to? I thought mates and fates weremon topics in schools. They even taught us about them in the orphanage,¡± Kalen continued to ramble, and Darius wandered off, so I turned my attention to Kalen, trying to listen to what h e told me. However, I knew it just took me a second to register what he was rambling on about. ¡°I thought you would know about how the fates chose, our mates though little iffy if you ask me.¡± ¡°I do know, sorry, you just caught me while out of it,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Then you tell me, can be memory check of sorts,¡± he chuckled. I rolled my eyes before noticing he was staring at me expectantly. Oh, he was serious. He wanted to know if I indeed understood how the mate bonds work. ¡°Um,¡± I shake my head. ¡°Ah, they are determined by the time of birth, the position of the moon, and the date,¡± I groaned. Why does my head still hurt? ¡°Yes, that is why all of us share the same birthday. You are the exception though, since we are all 29 and you are only 24. So, when we were born we were all born at 1.11 am on the 19th of May. You being our keeper didn¡¯t appear until 5 yearster. Although you share the same time of birth and have the same birthday, all mates share the same birthday. However, when I looked into it, no girls were born on the 19 may the year we were born, which is quite odd if you ask me,¡± He rambled. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°What, no girls were born on that day?¡± I asked, having not known that. ¡°Not one, only boys and the three of us were born at the same time setting our fates, the next turn around for that time was 5 yearster, and that was you,¡± I honestly never looked into our bloodlines or fate information, to be honest. I was too busy running from the fate that was bestowed upon me. ¡°But boys can be keepers,¡± I told him. ¡°Yes, and most are male. But since you were the only person born on that day time and when the moons lined, we got you, none of us were born with keeper gifts,¡± Kalen chuckled. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have been the only person born, on the 19th of May that year, that seems impossible,¡± (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°You forget that is when the gue hit, it is also when a lot of the Fae lost a mate, and eventually their magic, seeing as the majority of Fates were paired with harmony or white Fae. We just got lucky a lot were forced into a human lifestyle,¡± Kalen told me. I nodded, knowing full well of the effects the gue had. However, his words made me wonder about my mother. She survived the gue, but then Darius told me that there was a second wave making me wonder if that is what killed her. ¡°When did the second wave hit?¡± I asked. For some reason, my mind seemed to lock onto that thought. ¡°Seven yearster, you would have just turned seven when it hit. Though it wasn¡¯t as bad since those that did survive, which was only a few like Darius¡¯s sister,¡± I tried to figure out roughly how old I was, I know it was a couple of days after my seventh birthday, yet I don¡¯t remember her falling ill before she died. Her death was sudden. I just remembereding into the living room and my father jammed a needle filled with his blood into her heart. I remembered wondering why he had a random needle of his blood. I thought it strange, but she was sick for a few days afterward, dad wouldn¡¯t allow me in the room with her, although I begged, not believing she was ok. A few dayster, she just walked out while I was in the living room like nothing had happened. She was different after that. Dying had done something to her; it was an odd memory to have. With a shake of my head, the memory faded. ¡°Your aura is so dark,¡± Kalen murmured, whisking his fingers around my face. Trending Novels Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Chapter 35 ¡°Reminds me of Darius. His is as ck as coal,¡± Kalen chuckled. ¡°Probably because she is full of my blood and my magic is tainting her, it should wear off in a few hours, but until then,¡± Darius said,ing over to me. He gripped my wrist and mped something on it. It looked like a silver bangle, and I examined it. ¡°Until my magic fades out of your system, you wear that,¡± Darius said, and I felt its effects almost instantly as he locked i tin ce. It sent a shock wave of exhaustion through me like a mood tranquilizer. ¡°Come on, Darius, was that even necessary? She hadn¡¯t even noticed she had magic,¡± Kalen growled. Fuck in my grogginess, Ipletely forgot though actually absorbing it from his blood in my system was a little harder than me absorbing directly from them by touch. ¡°Regardless, I won¡¯t take the risk,¡± (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°Exactly what do you expect me to do if I had magic? I have no idea where I even am,¡± ¡°Open a portal and leave. That is what I expect,¡± I sighed if given a chance again, I would probably do that without question, but I had my phoenix here. Shit! My Pheonix! I sat upright, and Darius growled at me. Lycus sat silently watching us from the chair next to the firece. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. I looked around for Tobias before my eyesnded on him sitting in the corner of the room. He must have felt my gaze on him because he lifted his head. My blood drenched his shirt, and once my gaze met his, I couldn¡¯t pull it away, locked in a trance as the memory of the savage look on his face came back to haunt me. Tobias locked away as if he was almost regretful o f his actions. I was thankful when he did because I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look away from him until Darius stepped in my line of vision. ¡°Kalen, go get her something to eat,¡± Darius told him and Kalen nodded getting up when I noticed I was actually in their bed. How it took so long for that toe to my mind confused me. Kalen left and my stomach dropped when I found myself left with the three of them. I looked down at my clothes to see I was wearing only a shirt. Vague memories of being ced in the shower flooded my mind and I looked over at Lycus as I tugged the front of the shirt. I leaned down and sniffed it. Kalen scent was all over it. ¡°Darius dressed you,¡± Lycus answered the question that came t o my mind. I nodded no point crying over them seeing me naked it was already done; I was just d I was unconscious for that experience. However, Darius¡¯s next words kind of shocked me, and I swallowed my tongue feeling thick in my mouth, and I wanted no part of it. ¡°Tobias will need to feed off you until he can control his bloodlust,¡± Darius said before ring over his shoulder at Tobias on the floor in the corner, his arms over his knees and his head rested on them. ¡°But,¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t up for debate, and Lycus or I will be with him when he does until he can control the urge to kill you anyway,¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t he feed off one of you?¡± I asked. ¡°He has been, but unfortunately, you are our keeper and now h e has tasted your blood, he will withdraw from it. It¡¯s safer if h e learns to control it than going cold turkey,¡± Lycus said, also not looking happy about the situation. My eyes nced over at Tobias, who was now clutching his hair, looking rather stressed out. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it Darius followed my line of vision before speaking to him. His tone scolding ¡°We asked you earlier if anything was up with you, and you lied,¡± ¡°I had it under control,¡± Tobias said. ¡°Well, could have fooled me. This wouldn¡¯t have been an issue if you had told me you were struggling since trying to take the shadows from her; I could have cleansed your blood,¡± Darius snapped furiously. ¡°I thought I had control,¡± Tobias growled. Darius growled at him and I scooted to the edge of the bed before cing my feet on the ground. ¡°Where do you think you are going?¡± Darius said, his head whipping in my direction at my movement. ¡°I need to pee,¡± I said, pointing to the bathroom door. He nodded, and I got up; vertigo washed over me. I clutched the bedside table as I stumbled before noticing a photo. At first, I thought it was Tobias until I saw an almost identical man beside him in the picture. Was Tobias a twin? They looked to be the same age, and I swear I had seen him before. I tried to rack my brain for where I had seen him before. My hand moved to pick it up when it was suddenly gone and ced in the drawer. Looking up, I noticed Tobias was beside me, and he was the one that snatched it before I could touch it. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it He red at me, and I looked away before he watched me stagger into the bathroom. An exasperated breath left me as I locked the door only to hear them lock it from their side too. I shook my head before quickly using the toilet. When I was finished, I washed my hands and twisted the doorknob¡¯after I unlocked it, only to find it still locked. I sighed with relief. Obviously, they decided I could remain in my room. The sound of their arguing stopped when they must have heard the door, but I turned on my heel and walked over to the one leading into my room. Just as I stepped inside, I listened to the lock click on my bedroom one leading to the hall. Trending Novels Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Chapter 36 I waited, thinking someone wasing in, but I heard whoever it was moved back to their room. Rubbing my arms at the coldness of the room, I made my way to the firece to see if I could light it. Kneeling in front of it, I got a sense of deja -vu, which sent a shiver down my spine and made me nce a t the door. No one came in and I turned back to the firece. I looked for the flint and started trying to get the fire going. Stacking the kindling in and some wood. Just as I was almost about to attempt to light it. I heard the door. My heart skipped a beat as it unlocked, and Kalen stepped inside. He looked upset as he carried a tray in his hands. The smell of hot food wafted to my nose, and a few secondster, Darius walked in behind him. He tossed at fireball at the firece, and I jumped when it rushed past me before he sat down in the chair. ¡°Can¡¯t she stay in our room just for tonight?¡± Kalen pouted at him. ¡°I prefer to be in here,¡± I told Kalen before Darius could answer. Kalen dropped his head and walked over to me while Darius moved to sit on the small armchair in front of the fire. Kalen ced the tray in myp. ¡°You should eat,¡± He said, and my stomach growled hungrily as I looked down at the te, which contained vegetables and some steak. Real food, and it smelt delicious. Yet when I went t o take the knife off Kalen to dig in, the te was removed from me along with the knife. I sighed before looking at Darius, who then cut up the meat, and I rolled my eyes and looked over at the fire. ¡°Seriously, Darius,¡± Kalen whined at him. Darius ignored him before handing the te back to me but keeping the knife. I took it from him, feeling like a child that I wasn¡¯t even allowed to use a knife like an average person. He ced the knife on hisp. ¡°She could do just as much damage with a damn fork, can¡¯t believe,¡± My fork was suddenly plucked from my fingers, N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Thank you for pointing that out,¡± Darius growled at him. ¡°Darius, I didn¡¯t mean for you to take it from her,¡± Kalen snarled. ¡®Quiet, or you can go back to your room,¡± ¡°How do you expect her to eat?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Kalen; I spent most of my time in the woods ¡¤ anyway, no cutlery there,¡± I told him. Before picking up a piece of broli off the te. Darius leaned back and closed his eyes while Kalen watched m e eat and talked to me. He was very talkative, and I preferred this sunny side of Kalen as he animatedly told me about different things. ¡°So you spent most of your time in the woods?¡± Kalen asked, and Darius scoffed, making me realize he had sat up to listen t o our conversation. I plucked another piece of meat off the te. The sauce making my fingers sticky. ¡°No, mostly traveling, I was trying to find a human settlement or city to bunker down in,¡± ¡°Why a human one?¡± ¡°Because I was running out of magic,¡± I answered. ¡°The man on the footage from the school who was he?¡± Kalen asked, and I nced up at him from my te. His expression darkened, and I could tell I was quite upset over it. ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was footage, but he wasn¡¯t boyfriend if that is what you were wondering; I never ran off with anyone, Kalen,¡± ¡°Then who was he?¡± Darius growled angrily, and I jumped at the tone of his voice. Kalen stared at me expectantly, wanting me to answer. ¡°An acquaintance, I hardly knew him, he was also running from his bonds, I overheard him speaking on the phone in the library to his girlfriend. He wanted to be with her, so he was nning on finding her,¡± ¡°So he just helped you escape?¡± Kalen asked. ¡°Yes, we needed two people to break the wards, so I offered to help him break them if he gave me a lift into the city, that is all. We parted ways at the bus depot,¡± I told them. ¡°Then where did you go?¡± I shrugged. ¡°I had $43 and that was it, no money, so I told the bus driver to get me as far as he could heading north,¡± ¡°Why north?¡± Darius asked, and he genuinely sounded curious. I dropped my gaze, knowing my answer would probably anger him. D ¡°Why north Aleera?¡± Darius¡¯s tone of voice is more of a demand than a question. I looked at Kalen, who was studying me. ¡°I was trying to find a ce called Astrid?¡± That seemed to surprise them as they both looked at each other. ¡°Have you heard of it?¡± ¡°Yes, but we aren¡¯t telling you where it is. Why were you looking for it,¡± Darius asked, folding his arms across his chest and sitting back. He looked at Kalen, who sighed, also not offering any answers to where it was. ¡°Answer the question, or I make Kalen leave,¡± Darius growled. I nibbled on my lip, not willing to say and Kalen looked at Darius. ¡°Fine,e on, Kalen,¡± Darius said, hopping up. ¡°Aleera, just answer please; I want to stay,¡± Yet I didn¡¯t want my answer to upset him or for him to get the wrong idea. ¡°Kalen now!¡± Darius snarled before bending down and gripping his arm. ¡°Just a little longer, please,¡± Darius red at him and hauled Kalen to his feet, and the look Kalen gave me broke my heart ¡°I was looking for someone,¡± I blurted, and they stopped. Darius turned to look down at me, and Kalen looked at Darius. ¡°She answered, can I stay,¡± Darius¡¯ lip pulled up over his upper lip before he sighed and nodded, and Kalen sat down again. Trending Novels Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Darius watched me for a second before taking his seat. ¡°Who were you looking for?¡± Darius asked, and I looked away from him. ¡°Someone I used to speak to through a chat link online,¡± I answered, rubbing a hand down my face. When I looked up, Darius had leaned forward, bracing his arms on elbows. ¡°So you were seeing someone?¡± I shook my head. ¡°I never met them, I am not sure who they were, but we talked for years from the time my grandmother died,¡± ¡°A man?¡± Darius asked, and I shrugged. ¡°I am not sure. We became friends. That¡¯s all I know, I never met them, or saw them, not even picture I have no idea if they were male or female, could have been anybody,¡± ¡°Yet you went looking for them, instead of calling on us,¡± Darius said, leaning back in his seat, he turned his gaze to Kalen. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°What was this person¡¯s name?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Does it matter?¡± Darius shrugged. And since they didn¡¯t have a name, I didn¡¯t see the harm in telling him. ¡°I only know his login name. It was part of the chat group. We weren¡¯t allowed to use our real names, kind of like a pen pal, HTIARW,¡± I answered. ? ¡°You still remember their login credentials?¡± Kalen asked. ¡°Well, I spoke to them every day for nearly 4 years and they never changed it, so yes,¡± ¡°Why would you go looking for someone on the inte?¡± Darius asked, his eyes darkening. ¡°Because the person mentioned if I was ever in Astrid to look for them, I was hoping when I got there I could get ess to the inte and track them down, but I never found the ce, ¡°I gave up after a few years, it wasn¡¯t on any map, and I figured they gave me a fake name for that too,¡± I shrugged. ¡°But you have heard of it, so it must be real?¡± I asked, wondering if I was indeed sent on a wild goose chase. ¡°It¡¯s not on any maps because it isn¡¯t a town or city; it¡¯s the name of a ce,¡± Kalen answered, and Darius growled at Kalen. ¡°What sort of ce?¡± I asked but one re from Darius prohibited him from answering. Kalen looked down at his hands and picked at his nails. ¡°What about friends, at the boarding school, or from your previous school? Did you keep in touch with them?¡± Darius asked me. I shook my head. ¡°Mum mainly homeschooled me. It wasn¡¯t until I hit high school that dad convinced her to let me attend a real school that onlysted a few months before they died, and I was shipped off to live with my grandmother,¡± I said. That thought saddened me as I remembered my parents. ¡°You didn¡¯t like my grandmother?¡±, (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°Hmm, she was the best. She reminded me of my father, he looked a lot like her, stern like him too, but she was good to m e; I miss her,¡± I said, ncing at the fire. ¡°She died only few monthster, she used to visit when I was a kid, never missed a birthday or Christmas, she was the only family I had besides my parents,¡± ¡°We looked into your family background, only found your father¡¯s side. Your mother¡¯s records didn¡¯t exist, and we also thought it odd nobody knew her,¡± Kalen said, scratching the back of his neck. I knew no records existed. My father went to great lengths to hide what I was, and that meant getting rid of everything on my mother¡¯s bloodline. My brows scrunched together, wondering how he managed it. ¡°Your father was an important person, worked for the Fae government,¡± Kalen said. Now that surprised me, that I didn¡¯t know. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± Darius asked me. I shook my head. I thought he was just a businessman; mum told me he worked for the bank?¡± I answered. ¡°No, he worked for the dark political party,¡± Darius answered. He was one of the chairmen like my father,¡± ¡°Your father worked with mine?¡± ¡°Yes, but on opposite sides, though, they hated each other,¡± ¡°What did your father do?¡± ¡°He was an advocate for white Fae,¡± Now, that shocked me further. ¡°But your dark Fae,¡± Darius nodded. ¡°Yes, my father was shocked when he found your father actually had a daughter. You were the best-kept secret. We didn¡¯t even know he had a wife, let alone a daughter,¡± Darius answered. ¡°Hang on, I am still confused as to why your father was an advocate for white-fae being that he was dark,¡± ¡°Molly, his stepdaughter,¡± Kalen answered. ¡°That didn¡¯t anger him that your mother had an affair?¡± ¡°Oh, it bothered him, but he loved Molly regardless. After she died, he started fighting to have those responsible for the gue brought to justice,¡± ¡°Did they get brought to justice?¡± (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°Some were caught and killed, but we never found how the gue originated, only that it was Fae made,¡± Darius told me. I nodded, not wanting to pry too much since he was being civil, and I didn¡¯t know how quickly that could change if I asked the wrong question. I picked up another piece of cold meat and plopped it in my mouth. ¡°I have another question?¡± Kalen said, and I looked at him. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you try to contact your inte friend before you left to let them know to expect you,¡± ¡°Honestly, I panicked. By the time that thought arised, I was already gone,¡± ¡°So you never tried to contact him after that?¡± ¡°Why do you keep assuming it was man,¡± I said with a click of my tongue. ¡°Well, I was just assuming,¡± ¡°I am pretty sure they were female, or gay either one,¡± I told them. ¡°Why would you assume that,¡± ¡°Because of how they spoke, they seemed pretty gender neutral,¡± ¡°Well, that is stereotyping,¡± Kalen chuckled. ¡°Yeah, I suppose it is, it doesn¡¯t matter now, though. Not like I will speak to them again,¡± ¡°Would you?¡± ¡°I mean, if you could?¡± Darius growled, and I looked over at him. His hands clenched the arms of the chair his knuckles turning white. I swallowed, not bothering to answer. ¡°Well, if they are gay or female, what does it matter if she spoke to them,¡± Kalen snapped, and Darius seemed to think. ¡°And you had no other friends?¡± Kalen asked, pulling my attention back to him. I shook my head. ¡°So you spent 6 years alone,¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± Darius scoffed. ¡°I was doing fine on my own, and yes, Kalen,¡± I answered. ¡°So you met nobody else,¡± ¡°Well, of course I met people along the way, but I mostly stayed away from the cities unless I thought they were human ones. I just never found one,¡± ¡°6 years, and you never found one?¡± Kalen asked incredulously. ¡°Not one,¡± ¡°If you weren¡¯t attacked the night we found you, would you have called on us? Eventually?¡± Kalen asked, and I looked away. I swallowed thickly. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have, would you?¡± Darius said. ¡°Well, what did you expect after you killed my parents,¡± ¡°You say that like I am some monster and killed them in cold blood,¡± Darius scoffed. ¡°You are,¡± I screamed, and he seemed taken aback by my outburst. Darius red at me before he leaned forward, and I pulled away from him. ¡°I was fucking protecting you from them,¡± ¡°My parents were good parents. I sure as hell didn¡¯t need protecting from them,¡± ¡°So good they tried to kill their only child,¡± ¡°They would never hurt me,¡± I told him, looking away. ¡°That may have been true before they found out I was your mate,¡± he yelled at me. Darius stood up and gripped Kalen¡¯s arm, yanking him to his feet just as the door burst open to the bathroom. ¡°What¡¯s going on,¡± Lycus asked, rushing in. ¡°Nothing, we were just leaving,¡± Darius said, shoving Kalen toward the bathroom door. ¡°Wait, what do you mean?¡± I asked Darius, but he continued walking without so much as a nce back at me before he mmed the bathroom door. Trending Novels Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Chapter 38 That was it; he wasn¡¯t even going to attempt to exin what h e meant? The loss of their presence was instantly felt. The coldness of the bond slowly evaporated into the air, and I sighed, wondering if I would ever get used to losing their loss every time I saw one of them. It was making it increasingly difficult to hate them when the bond yed havoc constantly when they were around. Darius¡¯s words made no sense. Why would he have to protect m e from my own parents? I know what I saw, if only briefly. There was no doubt in my mind that he was the reason they were dead. I tried to remember that night, but nothing stuck out or showed my parents had anything to do with the fire. Stoking the fire, I got up before picking up the te that I had purposely eaten slowly, wanting to save some of the meat for the Phoenix. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it My eyes moved to the door; they came in the main one and went out of the bathroom one. With a nce over my shoulder, I walked over to the main door and twisted the handle, and my heart leaped with joy when I noticed it was unlocked. It was odd for them to forget to lock me in. Usually, I woke to the door being unlocked, but they always locked it when they went to sleep. Quietly as possible, I rushed around the room, grabbing my supplies. I grabbed a tissue and wrapped what was left of my dinner in it, before retrieving my old bandages. Grabbing one o fmy pillows off the bed, I snuck over to the door. Listening for any noise out in the hall. When I thought the coast was clear, I turned the knob slowly, so it didn¡¯t grind. My heart hammered in my chest at the thought of being caught sneaking out. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it Once in the hall, I nced down the dimly lit hallway toward the stairs. Rushing to them with hesitant steps and only stopping at the top to look back the way I came for any sign of them. They hadn¡¯t noticed, and I slipped down to the bottom level. It was clear everyone was tucked safely away in their dorm rooms because I saw nobody wandering about. The ce was dark, and I noticed the glow of the door handles that led outside in the foyer area. They glowed a fluorescent orange, and I wandered over to them. It took only seconds for me to recognize it for what it was, wards. Darius¡¯s magic emanated from it, and I wondered if he spelled the castle every night. My head turned back to the stairs, and I reached out before pausing as I went to grip the door handle. I wanted to see if I could siphon it, but I also didn¡¯t want to risk him noticing. I also wasn¡¯t sure if I would b e sted like an intruder by touching it. Definitely worth investigatingter on, but I needed to check my Phoenix for now. The doors to the mess hall were closed as I approached the cer door leading to the cells. With a pull, the door opened, and I descended the steps while feeling for a light switch. It wasn¡¯t until I reached the bottom that I found it, and I quickly flicked the light on. The bird cawed a yelp before calming when he noticed me. ¡°Shh, it¡¯s only me,¡± I whispered to him as I stepped into the cell. He observed me carefully, and I knew he was unsure of m e. Phoenix¡¯s were brilliant birds and could sense power. Even without magic, I could tell he knew something was different about me being a harmony fae. They could feel it. Phoenix¡¯s were almost drawn to the white-Fae, making me wonder if he had sensed me here, wherever here was. Just like Darius and I, Phoenix¡¯s were a dying species. They were killed off by dark Fae and considered pests because they hated dark-Fae and were known for attacking them. So most when found were killed, which was sad because they were amazing creatures. They were just a little temperamental when it came to the dark ¨C Fae, but they were amazing despite their hate for the dark Fae. Sitting beside him, I opened the tissue and pulled out the cut-u p meat. I tried to wipe some of the sauce off, but he didn¡¯t seem to care, pecking at my open palm, wanting to eat it. I held up a piece to his beak, and he pinched it before tossing his head back and gulping it down. His beak nudged my hand, wanting more, so I continued to feed him. Hoping I was gaining its trust because I wasn¡¯t looking forward to being bitten after watching its peak slice through the beef like a knife through butter. Its snake-like tongue slivered out, turning the beef strip this way and that as he hungrily ate. ¡°Do you have a name?¡± I asked it. The Pheonix tilted its head t o the side. I tapped my chin, trying to think of one. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°What about me?¡± The bird tilted its head the other way.¡± Scorch?¡± it shook its head. ¡°Ember?¡± It appeared to huff, puffing out its chest and making the feathers stand upon his head. ¡°How about Ryze, with a Z,¡± I offer, and it blinked at me before nudging my face with its giant beak. ¡°Ryze, it is then,¡± I chuckle. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Now, are you going to bite me when I try to wrap your wing? I f you are, a warning would be nice, but I will try to be gentle,¡± I tell him while scratching the top of its head. The Pheonix watched me unravel the bandages, and I carefully plucked him from where he sat on the bed, cing him on myp. He whimpered, and his snake-like tongue slivered out to lick at m y hand ced under his chest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I am trying to be gentle,¡± I told Ryze. I bandaged him up and then ced him on the pillow, and tucked my jumper and pillowcase on him to keep him warm. ¡°I need to go, but I will be back in the morning. You have to be quiet, though.¡± I told him. Ryze fluffed out his remaining feathers before ducking his head under his good wing. I sighed and rushed out of the cer and slipped back into my room. Trending Novels Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Aleera POV I was awoken the following day by the rm next to my bed. I tossed and turned all night after what Darius said to me, so my eyes felt like sandpaper. My mind went to the Phoenix when I sat up. I needed to steal some breakfast before sses started and quickly check on him. Tossing the nket off, I heard something slip off the end of the bed with a thump on the floorboards. Walking around to the end of my bed, I found a box. I bent down and plucked it off the floor and turned it over. A sticky note was stuck to it, so I peeled it off. ¡°I already hooked it up to the Wi-Fi. You just need to turn it o n, love Kalen,¡± it read. Looking at the box. I found it was a tablet. Was Darius aware he had given it to me, and why would he allow it? I pulled it from the box and looked at the shiny device. It was so much better than my old one. Shiny and new. I pressed the power button, and it lit up. No doubt they would track everything I did on it. I knew not even Kalen would be stupid enough to give me a device that could link me to the outside world and not have put parental controls on it.. Despite that, I smiled, wondering if I could speak to my pen pal friend or would Darius be angry. But he was aware, so he couldn¡¯t very well get mad, could he? I dressed quickly and made my way down to the mess hall. The door wasn¡¯t opened yet, and I had to wait. When they did, the demon that opened them sneered at me, and I gulped, taking a step away from him. He said nothing but turned on his heel and walked back out to the kitchens. My stomach growled hungrily at the smell of food. He ced the huge trays out, and I quickly grabbed a bowl, filling it with some dry cereal and another. I put some eggs and bacon on before retrieving a water bottle and slipped out before he returned. Although it was necessary to steal food, I felt like a thief. I couldn¡¯t live on air alone. After I walked down to the Phoenix, he ignored the dry cereal I ced in front of him and beckoned at my eggs instead. ¡°You know that is probably in some small way a rtion you are eating,¡± I told him. He chuffed and pecked at my bowl, and I sighed, cing it on the bed beside him so he could help himself. I chewed on a piece of bacon before eating the dry cereal. When I finished, I opened the water bottle and poured some in a bowl so he could have a drink. He guzzled it thirstily while I pulled the tablet from the back of my pants. The device was definitely monitored, I couldn¡¯t ess mucho n the inte, and half the apps didn¡¯t work. Despite it being pointless, I typed in the old chat group name and was surprised it didn¡¯t shut me out. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. After logging in and trying to remember my password, I discovered my email ount was shut down, and I had to create a new one. With a sigh, I typed in the search bar HTIARW. To my surprise, the ount still existed. I wondered i f the person would still remember me or even want to talk to me when I abruptly quit talking to them. Regardless, I sent a message exining I had a new ount and telling them my old login name, and also exined I couldn¡¯t get into my old one. With a sigh, I turned the screen off. ¡°I suppose now we wait,¡± I told Ryze. He nudged me with his beak, eating the rest of my eggs. When the siren red, signaling the start of sses, I groaned and got to my feet, saying goodbye to my not so feathery friend. Climbing the stairs, I waited for there to be no sounds, before slipping out and over to my first ss, which was with Tobias. As I walked down the hall, I was snatched and instantly thrashed as they dragged me into a nearby ssroom. They let me go, and I turned to find it was Darius. ¡°Where did ¨C you sneak off to this morning?¡± he asked. ¡°To breakfast,¡± I told him. ¡°I checked, and you weren¡¯t in there,¡± he snapped at me. I took a step back before noticing Tobias leaning against the wall. With a roll of his eyes, he pushed off the wall. ¡°Can we get this over with? I have a ss to teach,¡± Tobias said in a bored tone. I nced between them, wondering what he meant when Darius grabbed me. The moment he wrapped his arm across m y chest and jerked me against him, I shrieked. Darius tucked m e against him. He grabbed my wrist, offering it to Tobias, who snatched it in his tight grip while I struggled against Darius¡¯s hold. Scanned with CamScanner ¡°We warned youst night this was necessary, now remain still,¡± he snarled next to my ear. I stopped, and Tobias sank his teeth into my wrist, and I looked away while he fed off me. Though his grip only tightened, and after a few minutes and h e hadn¡¯t stopped, I felt light-headed. ¡°Enough, Tobias, let her go,¡± Darius snapped at him, but he didn¡¯t. Instead, he sank his teeth in again, making me whimper. ¡°Tobias, I said enough,¡± Tobias growled at him when Darius yanked my arm away, making me cry out as his teeth tore from the flesh. Tobias went to attack, but Darius flicked his wrist, and Tobias hit a barrier and froze. My eyes widened, and Tobias appeared stunned. Darius then bit his wrist and jammed it against my mouth. I turned my face, not wanting his blood. ¡°Now, that shield won¡¯t hold long,¡± Darius growled, and I opened my mouth, hating the idea of drinking his blood directly from him. I sputtered, and he ripped his wrist away before shoving me away. Only when he did, he yanked me back toward him before reaching down the back of my pants and yanking out the tablet. ¡°Where did you get this?¡± ¡°It was on my bed; Kalen gave it to me,¡± I told him. My body tensed, and I flinched when he examined it. He red at it before thrusting it back at me. I hesitantly took it before he looked at Tobias. ¡°Go before I change my mind,¡± Darius spat at me, and I rushed out. Trending Novels Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Darius POV I was on a warpath as I hunted Kalen down. Lycus jumped as I entered the bedroom, not expecting my burning anger. My eyes went to Kalen, and so did Lycus, as I pinned him with my stare. Kalen rolled his eyes, and I wasn¡¯t sure I liked this attitude he was developing with Aleera here. My steps were purposeful as I stalked toward him, where he sat. He didn¡¯t move, and it was clear he expected my anger at what he had done but also didn¡¯t care for it. Lycus moved quickly as I approached Kalen, stepping into my path before reaching him, and my chest smacked against his. Lycus growled at me, and his eyes flickered to his beast. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°Move, Lycus,¡± I snarled while ring at him. Lycus however, only pressed closer. The anger coursing through him matched mine as a growl rumbled from his chest. The threatening noise was a warning not to push him too hard, or he would bite. ¡°You won¡¯t touch him. You can try, but I won¡¯t allow it,¡± Lycus sneered as he stood chest to chest with me. ¡°Have I ever hurt him?¡± I asked, but his gaze hardened like steel before he spoke. ¡°No, but when ites to her, you can be erratic, and I don¡¯t like what I am feeling from you,¡± Lycus told me, and his words shocked me. Did he not trust me with our mate? I would never hurt them, not purposely, and they should trust me, at least when it came to them. His words stung and shocked me. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°Chill, Lycus. He is just upset because I gave Aleera a tablet.¡± Lycus¡¯ brows scrunched together as he nced over his shoulder at our mate. ¡°You what?¡± Well, maybe I am not the only one that could be erratic. Now Kalen was keeping secrets from Lycus. It was apparent Lycus didn¡¯t like that either. He turned toward our mate and folded his arms across his chest, and red at him. ¡°She won¡¯t try to run,¡± Kalen answered confidently, not even bothering to look at Lycus, who frowned. I hated to be the one t o tell him, but Aleera would run the first chance she got. I could see it clear as day, and he was a fool for believing otherwise. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°I deleted half the software; the only people she can contact is the old chat group we created, besides the castle portal, not that she has tried to open it yet,¡± Kalen answered. ¡°And you didn¡¯t think to tell us?¡± Lycus growled at him. ¡°You would have said no,¡± Kalen answered, looking over at him before he leaned forward, reaching into the coffee table drawer and pulling his phone out. ¡°Yes, because we don¡¯t want you talking to her. Remember what happenedst time, Kalen. It isn¡¯t worth the risk,¡± Lycus said, marching over to him and snatching the phone from his hand. Kalen sighed before standing up, and Lycus unlocked his phone. Standing behind Lycus, I peered over his shoulder when Kalen snatched the phone from his grip. ¡°Use your own,¡± Kalen snapped at us. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°I don¡¯t like this Darius, tell him,¡± Lycus said, turning to me. I scoffed and looked at him. ¡°What, now are you on my side?¡± I asked him. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°I didn¡¯t know he gave her a device,¡± Lycus said. ¡°I don¡¯t want you talking to her without us. You stepped out of line this time, Kalen,¡± Lycus snapped at him.. ¡°Lines should be stepped over, Lycus, so stop being a dick. I already uploaded and logged in off all your phones. You can monitor everything if you want,¡± Kalen answered. Lycus muttered under his breath before pulling his phone out and unlocking it. ¡°I want nothing to do with this. You monitor their conversations if she tries to talk to him,¡± I told Lycus. ¡°I still don¡¯t like this,¡± Lycus muttered, opening the app when it suddenly dinged. ¡°Who is that? I swear if you are talking to other people, Kalen/ I will put you over my damn knee,¡± I snapped at him, seeing a n unusual thread pop up. Lycus clicked on it. ¡°It¡¯s Aleera. She opened up a new ount,¡± Kalen sighed, and I eyed him. I know he was hoping she would open up her old one and realize it was him she spoke to for all those years. ¡°So this over your knee thing is still a possibility?¡± Kalen taunted with a devious smile on his lips. Lycus raised his eyes t o him with a smirk on his face. I clicked my tongue before moving toward Kalen, where he sat on the chair. I leaned over the back of it, and he looked up at me and smiled; his hand reached out for me. ¡°Maybeter,¡± I told him before pressing my lips to his. He gripped the back of my neck and ran his tongue across my lips. I growled at him, my cock twitching to life, making me want t o bend him over and fuck his tight ass. My groan made him smile against my lips, and I kissed him deeper, my tongue invading his mouth. All too quickly, I pulled away before I got carried away and made good on my desire to fuck him senseless. Kalen pouted, and I pecked his lips. ¡°Behave, I love you,¡± I told him, and he sighed as I stood up. Lycus watched us before adjusting the crotch of his pants, clearly turned on at watching us. ¡°Monitor them,¡± I told him, and he nodded as I approached him. ¡°I still don¡¯t like it,¡± Lycus said, looking over my shoulder at our mate. ¡°I know, but I have to get to ss,¡± I told him, kissing the side of his mouth. ¡°Watch him,¡± (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°Always,¡± Lycus mumbled against my lips before I walked out to give hell to my morning ss. And it would be hell because I was in a mood, and Aleera would want to behave because I was bound to snap at some point. Trending Novels Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Aleera POV For the past three days, I have felt terribly sick. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because I have only been getting half a breakfast a day since I shared with Ryze, or because of the bond. The siren for the next ss sounded, and I groaned. I wished I had a theory ss all day; I would have even put up with Darius and Tobias¡¯s torment. Thest thing I felt like doing was that damn obstacle course. Darius looked over at me and ced my head on the desk, not wanting to go. I felt hot, and my skin was mmy. My stomach was twisting violently, and I was hungry as well as pained. ¡°Aleera, next ss,¡± Darius said, and I looked up at him. ¡°Can I go back to my room? I don¡¯t feel well,¡± ¡°ss now, or you won¡¯t see Kalen after dinner,¡± Darius snapped at me and hauled my ass out of my seat. Seeing Kalen was the only thing I looked forward to besides seeing Ryze. I grip the desk as a wave of dizziness washed over me, and Darius watched me stagger to the front of the ss before turning his gaze away. ¡°Asshole,¡± I muttered under my breath. ¡°Want to repeat that?¡± Darius growled behind me, and I looked back at him. He red at me and went to get up. I quickly rushed out the door. Making my way down the (This Novel daily new chapters provide it corridors, I felt my stomach heave up my throat and ran to the closest trash can before throwing up in it. No, please, I thought as I lost my breakfast. I wiped my mouth on the back o fmy hand and staggered to the bathroom. I drank from the tap, knowing that I would stumble across someone if I went to the mess hall. I wet my face, trying to cool myself down after retching. Looking in the oval-shaped mirror above the sink my face was pale, and my eyes sunken in. My stomach growled hungrily, and I drank some more water, trying to fill it enough to stop the loud gurgling noises it was making. Wetting the back of m y neck, I leaned on the basin, trying to force myself to head to the next ss. My tablet Bing¡¯s, and I pull it out. My pen pal remembered me, and we had been talking for thest few days. I excitedly opened up the chat. ¡®How¡¯s your day?¡¯ They asked. I looked at the mirror. Shit! I thought, looking at my hollow cheeks. I had lost so much weight with the training and not eating I was starting to look gaunt in the face. I shake my head, wondering how it was possible in such a brief period. ¡®Crap, I feel sick and have to go to ss,¡¯ I replied as I made m y way out. They responded with a sad emoji. ¡®How¡¯s yours?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Boring, locked away as usual,¡¯ they replied. My pen pal had told me they too were having mate drama, that he didn¡¯t get out much. ¡®Which ss are you in next?¡¯ they asked. ¡®Stupid training one with Tobias,¡¯ ¡®You really don¡¯t like that guy, huh?¡¯ I chuckle. I had told him all about my asshole mates and the nasty shit they did. Well, except Kalen. ¡®You wouldn¡¯t either if he used you like his personal juice box daily, and you were starving after only getting one meal or half a meal a day,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Your mates starve you?¡¯ He replied, and I sighed. ¡®No, but I¡¯m too scared to go to dinner or lunch in the mess hall because of the other men. Last time one put my hand in a boiling pot,¡¯ I replied. They didn¡¯t reply straight away, so I continued to the obstacle course and walked over to where they were stretching. ¡®Who did?¡¯ came their reply. ¡®Some dick called Deacon, they will get bored eventually and leave me alone,¡¯ I replied when my tablet was plucked from m y grip. I looked up to see Tobias ring at me. ¡°No distractions. Now get out there,¡± he snapped at me. I went to ask if I could sit out, but he growled, so I dropped my head and started running. My stomach was sloshing from all the water I drank, making me regret that stupid idea to curb m y hunger. Lesson learned. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. The demons were shoving and pushing as I tried to remain on the track. Running out of breath because bile rushed up to my throat, I pulled off to the side and threw up again. Zac sniggers as he passes me and nudges me. ¡°Can¡¯t hack it, Aleera,¡± he taunts before I throw up again. ¡°Aleera!¡± Tobias calls, and I look up, hoping he would say I could go inside. He points to the track, and my shoulders sag a s I turn around. My surroundings spun, and I found the heat made it increasingly difficult to breathe. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it The ground felt like it was moving under my feet, and I felt delirious as I stumbled my way back onto the track. My harsh,bored breathing could be heard in my head along with my heartbeat when I felt my eyes roll into the back of my head. I knew I hit the ground, but I felt nothing, no pain, nothing as darkness swallowed me. I fainted. Someone was tapping my face, my ears were ringing, and I could hear a faint voice calling my name. The sun shone through the backs of my eyelids, and I blinked dazed, only to look into the eyes of Tobias. f He turns my face from side to side before prying my eyelids open when I close them. ¡°Yep, you¡¯re done for the day,¡± he said, scooping me up in his arms. I kept going in and out of consciousness, but I was soon inside the air-conditioning, making me shiver after being outside in the blistering sun. ¡°What happened?¡± I heard Darius ask, and I blinked open my eyes to find I was back in my room. Darius shuts the door while Tobias ces me on the bed. I could hear them talking but paid no attention. ¡°Heatstroke, maybe?¡± Tobias says. ¡°Sheined about being sick in ss. She looked pale then too,¡± ¡°So you forced her to my ss,¡± Tobias snapped when I felt his teeth sink into my wrist. I groaned, hoping he wouldn¡¯t take much. I was already light-headed enough. ¡°Anything?¡± Darius asks. ¡°No, not poison, but her iron is a little low. I had noticed that over thest few days,¡± Darius sighed when the door opened again. ¡°Lycus said she fainted,¡± I heard Kalen¡¯s voice. I couldn¡¯t remember seeing Lycus, but then again, I don¡¯t remember the walk to the room. ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°Making her something to eat,¡± Kalen answers before the bed dips beside me. He brushed my hair from my face and leaned over me. ¡°You okay?¡± He asked, and I shook my head. My stomach was beginning to cramp like I had a stitch. The door opened again, and I knew it was Lycus this time. ¡°I need to get to ss, but I will see you tonight after dinner,¡± Tobias says, making me wonder where he was going. ¡°Oh, almost forgot her tablet,¡± ¡°Why do you have it?¡± ¡°Confiscated it. She was using it when she came out,¡± Tobias said, and I heard the door close as he left. ¡°You two right with her?¡± (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°Fine,¡± Lycus says, sounding angry. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Darius asked him. ¡°Later, not now,¡± I looked at Lycus as he sat beside me before Kalen helped me sit up. I leaned heavily against him, and Lycus ced a te of tomato and cheese sandwiches on myp cut into triangles. ¡°Eat it will make you feel better,¡± Lycus says, pressing one to my lips. Kalen looks at him funny before he grabs my tablet at my feet. I try to reach for it, not wanting him to read my messages, but he ces it on charge. ¡°Eat!¡± Lycus snaps, pressing the sandwich triangle to my lips again. I take a bite, and he seems to rx but insists on feeding me like a child. I noticed Kalen watching him, just as confused as I was about his strange behavior. When he presses a third against my lips, I shake my head. Hoping Lycus would leave it so I could sneak down to feed my Phoenix tonight. He had started to heal and had some feathers coming back. His wing was still injured, but Ryze was on the mend. Trending Novels Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Lycus and Kalen stayed for a while, and whatever Lycus was angry about, even bothered Kalen as he repeatedly asked what was wrong. Lycus only growled before eventually storming out, saying he had to take care of something. It was now dark, and I wondered how long they would let Kalen stay. What I was most surprised about was the fact Lycus had left me alone with him. That never happened; Kalen was always chaperoned around me, but whatever pissed him off must have made him forget that I wasn¡¯t alone with him. ¡°I wonder how long until he realizes?¡± Kalen murmured, and I looked at him. ¡°Realizes what?¡± ¡°That he left me alone with you, Darius will be furious,¡± Kalen answers, and I nod, hoping I won¡¯t cop the brunt of that fury. With a sigh, I stood up, and Kalen looked at me. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To shower, and you should go before we both get in trouble,¡± I told him, and he nodded and stood. ¡°It will get easier,¡± Kalen says, and I look back at him. ¡°It¡¯s only because they don¡¯t trust you,¡± Kalen answers. ¡°And they¡¯re too stubborn to see their own ws,¡± he added. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°What¡¯s done is done; it changes nothing. He still killed my parents. No matter what he believed or his intentions, it would have ended up this way,¡± I told Kalen and instantly regretted i t when his face fell. ¡°Would you have run if you knew me before?¡± he asked, and m y brows furrowed at his words as I thought them over. ¡°No, I would have asked you to run with me,¡± I told him. ¡°But I also know you wouldn¡¯t leave Lycus,¡± he nodded and went to say something before stopping himself. I walked into the bathroom and stripped my clothes off when he said nothing. M y shirt stunk from sweat, and goosebumps rose on my arms as I waited for the water temperature to go up. The cramping had gone now that I had eaten, and I was feeling a little better. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Halfway through my shower, when I was washing my hair out, I felt a draft and near jumped out of my skin when I felt someone bump into my back. A shriek left my lips as I spun, trying to cover myself. Kalen chuckled while I backed away from him, looking nervously at the door leading into his room. When I saw it was shut, I let out a breath. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to startle you,¡± he said while stepping closer. His eyes dropped to my breasts I had covered with my arm. ¡°Kalen,¡± I squeaked, feeling rather exposed. I liked Kalen, but that didn¡¯t mean I wanted him to invade my shower. My face heated, and he smirked before dipping his face under the shower spray, and I moved closer to the wall. He reached for the soap before washing his face, and my eyes trailed down his bronze-colored skin. He was muscr but not as bulky as the others. My face heated when I followed his V-line and pressed my lips in a line, and tried not to giggle, not because he was small, but because I had never seen one up close or had seen one topare size. I knew it was stupid, yet I snorted, and he rubbed a hand down his face before looking at me. ¡°Something funny?¡± he asked, cocking an eyebrow at me. He raised his eyebrows at me, and I giggled like an idiot. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it is a good thing you are laughing or if I should feel insulted,¡± he sniggers. I tried to stop, yet they were so strange-looking and veiny. Like I wasn¡¯t a total idiot. I had seen sex scenes on TV before, but never in person, and so close I could touch it, not that I would. ¡°Geez, anyone would think you had never seen one before,¡±h eughed, and my giggling cut off abruptly. Oh my God, how embarrassing. Here I am giggling like some schoolgirl because I was 24 and had never seen a dick before. Kalen stoppedughing and stared at me. ¡°Wait, please tell me you have?¡± I shake my head, and his eyes widen before he suddenly covers himself with his hand. ¡°Well, this got awkward fast,¡± he said, looking away. ¡°Have you really never seen a dick before?¡± he asked. ¡°The girls had separate bathrooms,¡± I told him. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°But you¡¯re 24,¡± I shrug. ¡°Wait, are you a virgin?¡± I could feel my blush all the way from my head to my toes. I was never embarrassed about my virginity, but how he said it made me feel inexperienced and naive. Well, technically, that would make me inexperienced, but it still didn¡¯t stop my embarrassment. I moved from one foot to the other awkwardly while he stared at me. ¡°Can you not stare?¡± My voice is barely audible. ¡°Sorry, I am just in shock. The others are convinced you ran off with some man.¡± ¡°I told you I didn¡¯t,¡± he nods, and I realize none of them believed me, even after Tobias confirmed I wasn¡¯t lying as if I could somehow get away with it. He went to say something when the door suddenly burst open, and a frantic Lycus and Darius walked in. I shrieked, ripping Kalen toward me, using him as a shield in front of me. Could this get any more embarrassing? I heard their collective sigh of relief. ¡°Everything alright?¡± Kalen asked. Neither of them said anything for a few seconds. And I was too embarrassed to peak around to see their faces. One of them cleared their throat, and I heard a growl. ¡°You weren¡¯t in the room,¡± I heard Darius say. ¡°Yeah, because I was in the shower,¡± Kalen said. ¡°I can see that,¡± Darius said, and Lycus growled. ¡°Just showering, nothing else going on Lycus, no need to be jealous,¡± Kalen snapped at him, which only made him growl louder before he stormed out. ¡°Come on, out. You know better,¡± ¡°Fuck, why are you being a dick and acting like I am cheating? She is our mate too,¡± Kalen snapped, and I looked up at his shoulders, and they tensed. ¡°You know why, now out,¡± Darius snapped. ¡°Well, at least leave so she can put a towel on,¡± ¡°I have already seen her naked, and I wasn¡¯t impressed,¡± he retorted, and I could hear the anger in his voice. My face heated embarrassed, and I know his words shouldn¡¯t have hurt, but they still stung. It was one thing hearing the whispers in school about my burns, but another when you repulsed your own mates. Kalen snarled, and the air chilled significantly, making goosebumps rise on my arms, and the tension in the room rose significantly. D ¡°Either you¡¯re blind or jealous because I have seen how every man watches her, including you. Do you think I haven¡¯t invaded your dreams, Darius? Because they say a lot about how you feel about her,¡± Kalen snapped at him. Darius growled at him while I chewed my lipwanting to escape the situation. ¡°Out now,¡± Darius snapped at him. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°Should we pretend you don¡¯t sneak into her room and watch her while she sleeps?¡± Kalen said, and I gasped at his words. ¡°Kalen, one more word, and I will put her in the fucking cells,¡± Darius snarled before punching the tiled wall. ¡°And I said get out,¡± Kalen snapped, and I touched his side. He looked down at me, and I shook my head. He was ying with fire, and the only one that would get burned was me. I knew better. It was sweet he was defending me or whatever he was doing, but it was only going to make things worse for me. ¡°No, I am sick of him being a prick,¡± Kalen said, and he turned back to Darius. The shower screen opened, and tears burned m y eyes, and I knew Darius was about to rip him out. I didn¡¯t want them to fight, and I certainly didn¡¯t want to get caught up in it. So I bit down on my shame and pushed past Kalen and Darius and grabbed my towel. I didn¡¯t bother looking at either of them, just walked back to my room so I could die of shame without their watching eyes. I quickly got dressed and heard them arguing, and for once, I locked my own doors, not wanting to be near any of them. Trending Novels Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Chapter 43 It was a little after midnight before I finally got the courage to unlock the door leading into the hall. Surprisingly, they had once again left it unlocked. Th e key was still in it, but it hadn¡®t been turned, trapping me inside. The majority of the night I spent listenin g to Kalen argue and fight with them over me. I tried my best to ignore it and not eavesdrop but hearing the hatred spewing from my lips and listing to them warn me away from Kalen bothered me. Though I was a little shocked overhearing Kalen defend Kalen and me because he was furious finding Kalen in the shower with me. ? . Something went down in there, and I hoped Kalen was alright, and if any of them did get hurt, I prayed it was Darius. The asshole needed to know what pain felt like. I would love to be the one to deliver every blow he has shown to me. He sure knows how to ruin someone, that is for sure. Slipping into the hall, I made my way down to the cells, careful as I opened the door so it didn¡®t creak before making my way down the steps. Ryze peeked his little head up excitedly before tilting it from side to side as he looked at me. Ryze, I swear, could see into my soul. As soon as I sat down, he bumped his head against my cheek, making a low cawing sound, and I got the feeling he could sense I was upset. ¡°I can¡®t stay for long, but I saved you some sandwich,¡± I whispered to him before kissing the top of his beak. I held the sandwich out to him, but he nudged my hand toward me, pushing it away. I tried again, but he did the same thing. ¡°You don¡®t want it?¡® I asked him. He must be missing eating meat. I needed to see if I could catch some field mice. I sighed a breath of relief when he plucked the sandwich triangle from my hand, but instead of eating it, he stood pressing the old stale sandwich and his beak to my mouth. Iughed, watching as he tried to stuff the stale sandwich in my mouth and feed m e. I shook my head, and he puffed out his feathers before plopping down in his make¨Cshift nest. His snake¨Clike tongue licked the back of my hand, and I picked up the dropped sandwich and ced it beside him. ¡°I have to get back in case they notice,¡± I tell Ryze patting his back. Feathers were starting to sprout alon g his back, and his broken wing still looked terrible. I chewed my lip, thinking of If I could just siphon a little bit of power, I could at least heal his broken wing. Then we could get out of here sooner, or at the very least he could. That thought saddened me, he was all I had here, but it would be selfish of me to keep him down here, and I was already a prisoner. I wouldn¡®t do that to Ryze. Reluctantly I got and left, sneaking back into the castle foyer. I started climbing the steps when I paused mid¨Cway, looking back at the door leading to the cells. My eyes moved to the wards, and I quickly nced up to the other levels to see if anyone was around. When I saw no one, I moved toward the doors. Darius¡®s energy oozed off them, powerful and dangerous. cing my hand on the doorknob, I didn¡®t get blown backward or incinerated so I gripped it. Just enough to heal Ryze, that was it. Maybe Darius wouldn¡®t notice if I was careful not to take too much. Like who in their rig ht mind would attack a castle belonging to Darius Wraith and contained over 600 demons, you would have to be suicidal to try that. I felt my hand heat up as I felt for his energy, and I was about t o absorb it when a hand went across my mouth and nose, stifling the scream of fright that tried to leave me. I was ripped backward and away from the door by someone. I tried to breathe but the hand prevented it as I struggled. And it only took a few seconds to recognize it was Darius. ¡°You see, the wards, when touched, alert me of intruders but also those who try to escape Aleera. You wouldn¡®t be stupid enough to try, would you?¡± I swallowed and shook my head. ¡°But then again if you weren¡®t trying to escape, why were you at the door?¡± he growled, shoving me away. I stagger and barely correct my footing before hitting the floor. My heart was racing so fast I could hear it, feel my own pulse in my neck. ¡°You want to have a good reason to be done here, and what you were doing trying to leave,¡± I went to tell him I wasn¡®t trying to leave, but if I said I was siphoning magic, he would probably kill me and if I told why he would kill Ryze. ¡°So let¡®s hear it,¡± Darius snapped at me. I chewed my lip. No matter what I say, it would get me or Ryze killed. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Answer or am I right? You were trying to leave?¡± Darius asked. I say nothing. Sometimes silence is better than words. I was doomed either way, so I was surprised at his ¡°Get back upstairs,¡± he snarled, motioning with his hand toward them. I hesitated before running up them like m noticed Darius walking up behind me, so I moved faster, hoping to get to my room so I could lock him out. Walking down the dimly lit corridor to my room, I gripped the door handle to open my door when Darius¡®s voice stopped me. ¡°Next door,¡± he said and my brows furrowed. I stepped back, ensuring it was the right door, and it was definitely my room. Twisting the handle, I pushed the door open only to walk directly into Darius. My heart nearly leaped out of my chest as he appeared out of thin a the re he gave me. ¡°I said the next door,¡± he snarled, stepping out of my room toward me. I nced back down the corridor where he wa bedroom door. Trending Novels Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Chapter 44 ¡°You can lock me in,¡± I blurted, not wanting to be stuck in a room with them. His hand gripped my throat, and he w alked m e backward until I hit the wall. My hands wrapped around his wrist, yet he didn¡®t put any pressure on my throat just si mply held me, his way of telling me he could me easily. Darius pressed his entire body against mine, and his stubble brushed my cheek as he leaned in. ¡°I am being very lenient right now by not breaking your neck. You will be in our room from now on because you can¡®t be trusted.¡± I shook my head, not wanting to sleep in there with them or be anywhere near Darius or Tobias, Lycus. I didn¡®t want to be near either, but if I had to pick a lesser evil, it was him, kind of. ¡°Maybe Kalen can stay in my room,¡± I asked, and he growled, pressing so close I could feel the heat of his anger seep into m e. His aura press ed down on me suffocatingly. ¡°And tomorrow when our mates wake up, you can exin to them why you are in our room and what you attempted to do,¡± Darius murmured. I gasped, thinking of Kalen, how much that would hurt him if I said I was trying to escape him. ¡°But Kalen would hate me,¡± I whispered. ¡°Exactly,¡± Darius snarled before shoving off me. He took a step back and smiled. So that was his punishment, why he didn¡¯t just kill me. He wanted me to make Kalen hate me, and I gritted my teeth before ring at him. But two could y at this game. ¡°Fine, I will tell them then, I will tell them that you came into my room and tried to hurt me, so I ran, we will see who Kalen believes, me or his fucking sadistic mate,¡± I smiled and shrugged. Darius tilted his head to the side, examining me, and I turned toward his bedroom door. ¡°Tobias would be able to tell your lying; it wouldn¡®t work,¡± ¡°But Kalen also knows that Tobias would lie for you,¡± I retorted, he snarled, and I found myself mmed against the wall, the air expelled from my lungs with one harsh puff. ¡°Either I sleep in your room with you, or you sleep in ours, Aleera, so fucking pick, and you pull that shit again, and I may just ki ll you. I will not allow you to get between my mates and me.¡± ¡°Let me sleep in my room,¡± ¡°So you would rather be locked in a room with me than in a room with all of us?¡± ¡°I would rather you six foot down and buried, but I don¡¯t seem to get what I want,¡± I snapped at him. He ughed before pressing closer, so close I could feel his lips move against mine. ¡°The only reason you are alive is because of Kalen; the rest of u s wanted to kill you. Just remember that next time because if it was up to me, I would have let them wolves rip you apart,¡± Darius sneered. ¡°And if I could go back to that night, I would have let them. At least I wouldn¡¯t have to put up with you daily,¡± I spat back at him. ¡°So what is it, Aleera? Am I sleeping in your room, or would you rather be in mine where Kalen is,¡± Darius asked. ¡® ¡°For someone who finds me repulsive, you are pretty insistent on spending the night with me,¡± I said, ring at him. He went to say something when I spoke, cutting him off. ¡°Or was Kalen right about you sneaking into my room at night? You im to hate me so much, and if that was true, why the fuck can¡®t you stay out of my room?¡± Darius says nothing, just res at me. His burning anger made the temperature rise, and I knew what Kalen said was true. ¡°He was telling the truth, wasn¡®t he? You hate me yet can¡®t stay away,¡± ¡°Don¡®t tter yourself, Aleera. I do hate you, but you are our rightful keeper; I don¡®t get to control the bond, no m atter how stupid it feels about you,¡± Darius sneered. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°No, but you control your actions, so why come in? Or do you have a thing for unsuspecting sleeping girls, some fucked up kink?¡±, Darius pounced on me, and I crashed to the ground with himnding on top of me. I tried to kick him off, but he pressed all of his weight down on me. His hand moved, covering my mouth before he shoved his hand in my pants. I thrashed and hit at him when he uncovered my mouth before pinning my hands above my head, holding them in one of his. I red at him when his han d slid beneath my panties. I hated him, fucking hated him, yet my body reacted to his touch as he cupped my pussy which suddenly had its own heartbeat. Despite my hatred, his touch made me moan as his fingers cares sed my slit, his touch was rough and forceful when his fingers moved between my folds, and he shoved one inside me. A scream bubbled up my throat as I went to call out for Kalen when his lips crashed down on mine, almos The bond reacted automatically with no say from me and I moaned into his mouth as his tongue yed with mine. Darius slid his finger out before forcing another inside me. The stretching feeling made me jerk when he curled his fingers inside, and I thrashed as he rubbed his thumb across my clit. Tears of embarrassment brimmed as protests of not wanting his touch, yet the bond craved it. My walls clenched around his fingers as he built up friction, and he groaned into my mouth as his tongue assaulted mine, my body reacting, and I tried to think of anything other than his vile touch. However, the bond had other ideas, wanting and craving for him to keep going though my mind screamed for m e not to come. My stomach clenched and I struggled harder as heat ran through me, making me gasp when he moved his thumb quicker, his fingers soaked with the arousal the bond caused, and the friction became too much. My walls clenched and throbbed, and Darius kissed me harder, covering my mouth with his and stifling my moans as my orgasm ripped through My surroundings muted as pleasure rippled through me, and m y hips moved involuntarily against his hand. When the high subsided, his fingers slipped out of me, and I was left humiliated and breathless. Darius pulled away from me, and his hand slipped out of my pants. ¡°Now I am guessing you didn¡®t want toe, but it sucks when you have no control over your bond, just like I have no control of being in back to re at him.¡® ¡°As you can feel, I definitely feel the fucking bond, I just choose to deny it control, so don¡®t get it twisted, Aleera; the bond may want you, just like yours wants mine, but I will never be yours, nor will I allow you to be mine,¡± he says before shoving off me. I scrambled to my feet and away from him while he waited for me to pick which door when his bedroom door opened. Tobias groggily stepped out, ncing at us in the hall. ¡°What¡®s going on?¡± he yawned, and my cheeks heated, and I rubbed my arms, suddenly feeling cold. ¡°What will itbe Aleera?¡± I gritted my teeth, no way did I want t o be locked in a room alone with him, so I shoved past Tobias and walked over to the couch. ¡°Ah, what¡®s going on?¡± Tobias asked as I dropped onto the couch. ¡°Nothing she sleeps in here from now on,¡± Darius answered while I said nothing. Trending Novels Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Tobias growled, and I turned my head to look over the back of the couch. ¡°What the fuck did you do to her?¡± Tobias whispered yelled; before marching over to Darius. He sniffs him before grabbing his hand, and my face med red when I saw him sniff Darius¡®s fingers. Tobias grow led and shoved him away before turning to look at me. ¡°What the fuck? Did he force you?¡± Tobias asked me, and I saw Lycus and Kalen stir on the bed as he raised his voice higher. ¡°Shut up before you wake them; I never hurt her. Quite the opposite, actually,¡± Darius snarled back at him. ¡°That¡®s not what I asked,¡± Tobias growled at him. ¡°She is fine, are you hurt, Aleera, in pain?¡± Darius asked, and I red at him before turning away as emb arrassment coursed through me. ¡°That¡®s fucked up even for you. You can¡®t force her to do shit like that.¡± ¡°Says who?¡± Darius asked. ¡°You¡®re unbelievable,¡± Tobias spat, turning toward me. He walked over and reached out to me when Darius spoke. ¡°Don¡®t feel sorry for her, Tobias. She is the one who tried to break my wards and leave; I was just proving to her about who had control,¡± Darius said, and Tobias¡®s hand that was reaching toward me to do god knows what stopped. ¡°You tried to leave?¡± Tobias asked. I pressed my lips in a line, and tears blurred my vision, so Iid down and rolled on my side. I could tell him the truth, but he or Darius would kill Ryze that much was certain. ¡°This will kill Kalen,¡± Tobias hissed angrily. ¡°He doesn¡®t have to know,¡± Darius says. ¡°Then how do you n on exining her being in our damn room,¡± Tobias asks, and I sit up and see Dari us shrug. ¡°He asked to sleep in her room, this is giving him what he wants under supervision,¡± Darius said, and I red at him. I thought the whole point was to make Kalen hate me. ¡¤ ¡°You keep your hands to yourself. Kalen sees you forcing yourself on her, he will fucking lose it, and I want no part of this,¡± Tobias says. ¡°Fine, as long as Aleera keeps her mouth shut, everything will be fine, isn¡®t that right, Aleera?¡± Darius asks. ¡°If you keep the fuck away from me, peachy,¡± I snap at him.¡± See, everything is fine,¡± Darius says, looking between Tobias and me. I curl back up on the couch while Darius wanders off into the bathroom. Tobiases over and drapes a nket over me, and hands me a pillow. I take it when s uddenly he cups my cheek with his hand. ¡°Why would you do that? Don¡®t do it again, I am not saying what he did was right. It wasn¡®t, but you running?¡± he shakes his head. I just stare at him. Was he seriously defending him ? I pped his hand away. ¡°You¡®re just as bad as him. Get away from me,¡± I told him, rolling to face the back of the small two¨C seater. ¡°We told you if you behaved, you could earn more freedom, Aleera. We only just stopped locking your damn door, and you ran the first chance you got. How are we supposed to trust you, ¡°he asked. ¡°I wasn¡®t running,¡± I whispered. ¡°What,¡± Tobias asked, and I shook my head when he gripped my chin and turned my face toward him. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I wasn¡®t,¡± The bathroom door opens, and Tobias nces over at Darius, and I pull my face out of his grip. ¡°Aleera?¡± ¡°Doesn¡®t matter,¡± I tell him. ¡°Come to bed, Tobias,¡± Darius says as I snuggle under my nket, pulling it over my head. Tobias sighed before I heard him walk off and climb into bed with Darius. ****** The following day I woke to fangs in my wrist as Tobias fed off me. ¡°Tobias, she isn¡®t even awake,¡± Lycus growled at him, and I yawned, sitting upright while Tobias was still f eeding off me. I rub my eyes to see Kalen, stretching and waking up, and Tobias drops my wrist, and I rub it. 1 ¡°Aleera?¡± Kalen asks before rubbing his eyes. He looks around at the others, and I see Darius walk out of the closet half undressed. He was only wearing pants. ¡°Surprise, she is staying in here from now on,¡± Darius says, and I re at him. ¡°Darius said you can¡®t be alone with her, but if you want her close, she stays with us in here,¡± Lycus said, leaning down and kissing Kalen. I could feel Tobias staring at me, but I didn¡®t bother correcting Darius. I knew it would end badly if I did. ¡°Hurry up and get dressed, Aleera. You have to be down at the mess hall,¡± Darius says before chucking some clothes at me. It was a new pair of jeans and a ck bu up top. I looked at him. What were these hush clothes? I shake my head but get u p and head for the bathroom. ¡°I will take her to breakfast,¡± Lycus says as I reach the door and I stop. How was I supposed to feed Ryze if he was with me? ¡°She can go by herself,¡± Darius said, and I let out breath about to go get changed. ¡°No, I have something to do anyway,¡± ¡°Like what?¡± Darius demands. ¡°None of your business,¡± Lycus snaps at him. ¡°We always have breakfast together,¡± Tobias says, sounding needy, which surprised me. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°I will grab something down there,¡± Lycus shrugs, and I huff, shoving the door open, I went to get changed. When I came back out, Lycus was waiting for me. Tobias and Darius didn¡¯t look happy about himing to breakfast with me. While Kalen pouted. ¡°Why can¡®t she eat with us?¡± Kalen asked. Probably because they hate me, I thought but didn¡®t say that, not that I wanted t o stay in here any longer than needed. I wanted out of this room and away from Darius, not to be forced to spend more time than necessary with him. Trending Novels Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Chapter 46 ¡°Ready?¡± Lycus asks me and I sigh, and I nod my head. ¡°I don¡¯t see why you can¡¯t wait,¡± Tobias snaps at him. ¡°Chill, you can have your way with me when I return,¡± Lycusughed, going over and pecking his lips. His way with him? Is that why Tobias was pouting like a child? ¡°I just need to get my tablet,¡± I tell Lycus wanting to escape their doting affections. It was not that it bothered me, but I felt like I was intruding or some strange bystander gawking. ¡°I already grabbed it for you,e on,¡± Lycus said before pecking Kalen¡¯s lips as he was walking to the door. I quickly followed after him, and I could feel Darius ring at him at us as we left. ¡°Didn¡¯t think Tobias would pout over not gettingid,¡± I admitted as we went down the stairs. Lycus shrugs. ¡°He can be whinier than Kalen. Darius is the worst. He bes a real fucking asshole when his power gets low, and h e is horny,¡± Lycus says, and I stop. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°How do you think we power share, Aleera? We have to fuck each other. It¡¯s easier for Darius. He can siphon easier being demonic-fae, but now we are all bonded, we actually like fucking each other,¡± ¡°Wait, so you don¡¯t just fuck to power share?¡± ¡°Ah, no. We are bonded, Aleera. We do love each other, too; we don¡¯t just fuck out of necessity. We used to. Well, except Kalen and I. But now,¡± He shrugs. And I race after him trying to catch up. ¡°So what, you have an orgy during breakfast?¡± I chuckle. ¡°No, but mealtimes are the only times we really get to be in ce besides at night, and Tobias fed off you, which makes him horny,¡± Lycus said. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Makes him horny?¡± ¡°What, you haven¡¯t noticed he gets a raging hard-on every time he feeds on you,¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t usually look at his dick when he feeds on me,¡± I tell him as we line up in the cafeteria. He fills two trays full of food and walks over to a table. I stare at him when he sits down because I expect him to dump it and leave me. ¡°Sit and eat,¡± Lycus says, pulling out the chair beside him. ¡°You¡¯re going to eat with me?¡± I ask, ncing around at all the faces watching us. ¡°I said I was, didn¡¯t I?¡± With another nce around, I sit down. Everyone watched us, and I watched them back, waiting for one of them to do something, but none approached us. ¡°Aleera, eat,¡± Lycus said, nudging my te closer. I looked down at it to find it piled with more than what was on his te. Grabbing my fork, I started to eat while watching everyone. It wasn¡¯t until I was nearly finished that Zac wandered over to the table, and I tensed, wondering what he would do. ¡°Eating with the traitor, boss man,¡± ¡°And what¡¯s it to you, Zac?¡± Lycus asked, and I got the impression Lycus didn¡¯t particrly like Zac. ¡°Just curious as to why you¡¯re down here,¡± Zac shrugs, and Lycus leans back in his chair and looks at him. ¡°And why is that?¡± ¡°Because we rarely see Aleera in here, so it¡¯s interesting she came in with you,¡± Zac said, eyeing me. ¡°I noticed she was losing weight, wanted to make sure she was eating and not missing any meals. Now that you just confirmed she is, I may just need to eat with her every meal. Darius would be pissed if she starved to death,¡± Lycus snapped. My brows furrowed at this weird topic of conversation, and I wondered why he cared if I ate or not. ¡°Hmm, suppose your right, anyway have you seen Deacon he never returnedst night after he went into town?¡± ¡°Probably at one of his hoes ces,¡± Lycus shrugged. ¡°Yeah, I will keep trying to ring him,¡± Zac said before wandering off. I looked at Lycus, who was ring at Zac.¡± Can¡¯t fucking stand him,¡± Lycus growls before getting up. I quickly start picking up my te and tray when Lycus stops and looks at me. ¡°No, stay, finish eating,¡± Lycus says, and I shake my head. ¡°I¡¯m done,¡± I tell him even though my belly started rumbling hungrily. He looked around at everyone who was watching us. ¡°Are they not letting eat?¡± Lycus asks me, and I look around at all the men in the room ring daggers at me. I shake my head. ¡°No, I am just full,¡± I lie, and my stupid belly growls in protest. Lycus raises an eyebrow at me before turning to everyone in the room. My stomach sank when he growled. Was he trying to get me killed? ¡°No one messes with her at meals. She needs to fucking eat. I hear one word about you tampering with her food or preventing her from eating. You will answer to me,¡± ¡°But she is a traitor,¡± Zac protested. ¡°I don¡¯t give a fuck what Darius told you she is. Mess with her while she is eating, and you fucking answer to me. Is that clear?¡± Lycus snarled. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± a few said while some dropped their heads and others nodded. Lycus turns to me and points to the table. ¡°Sit, finish eating. They mess with you, fucking tell me,¡± He says, and I shrink back down in my seat. Lycus walks out, and I prepare to run the moment he leaves. Zac gets up, and I tense, grabbing my fork to use as a weapon if needed. ¡°Fucking bullshit,¡± Zac sneers before leaving. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Satish asks him. ¡°To look for Deacon,¡± Zac calls out over his shoulder. It took m e a good five minutes of ncing around only to realize no one approached me; they stared but didn¡¯te over. I ate cautiously while looking around until the bell rang, too scared t o move until they were gone, and I was sure no one wasing to hurt me. Carefully wrapping up my leftovers, I stuck my head out the door before rushing into the cells to give Ryze some food. Trending Novels Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Tobias POV Something was going on with Lycus because he never missed breakfast, and where did he have to go that was more important than our morning ritual? I waited for around 5 minutes before leaving myself and looking for him. Yet the bond led me to the mess hall. Walking to the door, I noticed he was actually eating with Aleera. Now that was new. Lycus hated being around her. Moving away from the entry, I waited for him toe out. Great, he was eating with Aleera when he should be sucking my dick. I growled, annoyed because this hard-on was bing annoying, and Darius wanted to check the wards so he couldn¡¯t help me out with it. Not only that, I preferred Lycus¡¯s warm mouth. The man was like a vacuum. Kalen was in a damn mood from the time Aleera walked out the door, so he was out of the question unless I wanted my dick bitten off. So I had no choice but to wait for Lycus. I sat on the stairs waiting, bored out of my fucking mind, when I heard him be angry and scold all the men in the mess hall. Eventually, he stormed out while muttering under his breath, and I stood up. ¡°Finally,¡± I whined, and he stopped looking over at me. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± he asked, turning away from the doors leading outside and turning to face me. ¡°More like what were you doing eating with Aleera? I thought you said you were just grabbing something, not actually eating with her,¡± I growled at him. ¡°She has been starving. They haven¡¯t been letting her eat,¡± Lycus growled, and I looked toward the door. My brows furrowed. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, though I had seen she was dropping weight and her iron was low, plus many other minerals and vitamin levels. ¡°Do you ever bother to open the damn chat link?¡± Lycus snapped. I shook my head, wondering what he was talking about. ¡°I deleted it before Kalen saw, but they have been forcing her t o starve. That is just in cruel,¡± Lycus snarls. a ¡°Who has?¡± Lycus tosses his arms in the air, frustrated, and storms off. ¡°Wait, I came looking for you for a reason,¡± I called after him. ¡°Suck your own dick,¡± Lycus calls, and I growl, annoyed. What is it with everyone today? With a sigh, I pulled my phone out a s the siren sts signaling sses started, but since I was not walking around with this all day, I was canceling mine until I found a hot mouth to put it in or an ass, I wasn¡¯t picky. With a sigh, I started walking up the steps when Zac stopped me when I reached the top of the stairs. ¡°Have you seen Deacon?¡± ¡°Nah, buddy, I haven¡¯t,¡± I tell him, and he looks down, he smirks. ¡°That exins why you canceled ss, I just got the notification,¡± Zac teased, and I shoved him. ¡°Bugger off, unless your willing to suck it,¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Hard pass,¡± Heughs, moving off with the rest of the men. I shake my head at him. He could be an idiot. Just as I was about to climb the next set of stairs, I stopped because I noticed Aleerae out of the mess hall with a stic bowl. She looked around suspiciously, and I watched her moving back as she went to look up the stairs. Now, what was she up t o? The creaking of a door had me ncing back over the railing to where she was, but she was gone, and I just looked over in time to see the door of the cells shut. Now, why would she be going down there? Tempted to ring Darius, I pulled my phone out when I heard the door before watching her sneak back out, only this time she wasn¡¯t holding the bowl. My brows furrowed and I waited for her to leave. ncing in both directions, I race down the steps before stopping by the cell door. Making sure she was indeed gone, I opened it and slipped inside. Trudging down the steps, I flick the light on only to hear a screech and hissing. My eyes open wide when I see a phoenix get to its feet and fall forward in the makeshift nest. Letting out a breath, I realize it couldn¡¯t fly. I nce at the steps leading up. How did she get it down here without it ripping her to pieces? The bloody thing couldn¡¯t fly but looked like it was tempted to attack me as it continued to hiss. I noticed bloody bandages wrapping its body, and my mind went to Aleera¡¯s wordsst night. ¡°I wasn¡¯t running,¡± she said, and I chewed my lip, wondering i f she was telling the truth. Darius came out before I could get her to answer again. But then why would she be trying to open the door. Darius said he caught her tampering with the wards. With onest nce, I rushed back upstairs, wanting away from the creepy-ass bird. I hated Pheonix¡¯s bloody vicious bastards. Tugging my phone back out, I went to call Darius to let him know when I stopped. He would kill it; I had no doubt that he would. He hated them, his father was a right prick, and when h e was a boy, his father used to lock him in cages with the damn things and let them attack him. Why he idolized that man was beyond me. Though he was a good father as long as he did as he was told, his punishments were just cruel and uncalled for. I would never understand how he idolized his father the way he did. Darius always thought he was a great father when I could think of plenty of things his father had done that was either just cruel or outright wrong. I put my phone away and nced at the door. I could set it free, but someone else would kill it, and I also had the issue of it trying to attack me if I grabbed it. I pondered what to do when I decided to open up this chat thing Kalen had with Aleera. Trending Novels Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Aleera POV The sses droned on, and I wasn¡¯t looking forward to being in the sun for the rest of the day. Although, for once, I actually made it around the obstacle course. I was pretty proud of myself, yet the cramping was bing ridiculous. Lycus sang out to me and waved me over; moving off the course, I made my way over to him. For some reason, he decided to run the obstacle course. ¡°Did they give you any shit after I left?¡± Lycus asked me. ¡°No,¡± I tell him. He nods. ¡°Good, go to lunch then, after you can take the rest of the day off,¡± ¡°Really?¡± I ask excitedly, and he nods. ¡°Just stay out of trouble and away from Darius and watch Kalen for me,¡± he asks, and I nod before realizing he wanted m e to go back to their room. Sulking, I headed back inside and to the mess hall. I felt queasy lining up for lunch, yet no one said anything to me, and I moved to a table closest to the door up the back, so I had a quick escape if needed. One thing became apparent, though. They all feared Lycus because not one of them approached me, and they let me eat. It wasn¡¯t until I went to get up that one of them spoke. ¡°She is getting up,¡± Satish smiled while also getting up, and I recognized Lycus¡¯s error. He said not to mess with me while I was eating. That wasn¡¯t going to stop them when I wasn¡¯t. Satish leering smile made me gulp. The man was huge and just as intimidating as Zac and Deacon in his ck ops uniform. How they all wore those uniforms in this heat was beyond me. Cursing, I sat back down and nibbled the corner of the other half of my sandwich. Satish and Zac growled, sitting back down and ring at me. Once again, I waited for the siren and for the voices to leave before getting up. I was expecting them t o be waiting outside to torture me but clearly, beingte for Darius¡¯s ss scared them from wanting to get revenge. Quickly looking around before I ducked down to the cells, excited that I could give Ryze some extra food today, and hoped I could keep this up because he would be fully healed in no time if he was getting the proper amount of food he required. I was scratching his belly as he leaned on his good wing when I heard the door open. Ryze hissed, and I grabbed his beak to quiet him. Fear wrapped around my throat, and my skin itched as I listened to the footstepse down the steps, and I got to my feet trying to hide Ryze with my body when Tobias appeared. ¡°I thought I would find you here, interesting pet you keep, Aleera,¡± Tobias says, sauntering closer, and I step back, and Ryze hisses. ¡°Darius will kill your pet if he finds it,¡± Tobias says, looking around me, and I step in front of his gaze, blocking his view of Ryze. Tobias clicks his tongue. ¡°I saw youe down here this morning,¡± Tears welled in my eyes because Ryze was all I had, and I knew he would hurt him. Tobias stepped down thest step with his hand behind his back. ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt him,¡± I whispered. ¡°Him? How do you know it¡¯s a male?¡± Tobias asked, tilting his head as he watched me. ¡°It¡¯s the beak; females have red beaks; his is ck,¡± I answer, which seems to shock him that I knew that. ¡°You like birds?¡± he asks, stepping closer, and I turned quickly, plucking Ryze off his nest and tucking him under my arm. Tobias stared at Ryze, and Ryze hissed at him. I grabbed his beak, trying to quiet him, and moved further back into the cell when I noticed that Tobias still had his hand behind his back. ¡°I will put him in the forest. You don¡¯t have to hurt him,¡± I tell Tobias. Ryze hisses, and I nce down at him. ¡°Shh, Ryze,¡± I whisper. ¡°You named him?¡± I nod while watching him warily and the hand he has behind his back. ¡°What I want to know is how you got close to it and why it¡¯s letting you touch it. Those things are vicious and hate dark fae?¡± Tobias says. ¡°They were torturing him, so I saved him. Once he figured out I wasn¡¯t going to hurt him, he got used to me,¡± I tell him, which was the truth technically. He tilted his head to the side, and I could tell he was making sure I wasn¡¯t lying. ¡°Very well, but you need to keep him hidden if you want to keep him,¡± Tobias says with a shrug while still eyeing Ryze. ¡°You will let me keep him?¡± Tobias nods before pulling his arm out from behind his back, and I notice he has a cage full of mice. Ryze hisses and squirms, wanting the mice when he spots them. ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡± I ask him. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°No catch, you answer honestly,¡± I chew my lip, debating whether or not to believe him. ¡°What do you want to know?¡± I ask. ¡°Last night, did you try to escape?¡± I look down at Ryze. ¡°No, ¡°I answer. ¡°You were with your¡­. Ryze,¡± He says, testing out its name while he reaches into the cage. He grabs a mouse out by its tail. It squirms and squeaks. ¡°Sit and hold onto that thing. It bites me; I won¡¯t be happy,¡± Tobias tells me. I sat down, hugging Ryze to my chest, careful of his wing. Ryze¡¯s eyes follow the mouse hanging by its tail, and Tobias steps closer, and Ryze hisses at him and then growls. ¡°You bite me fucker, I will scorch your ass,¡± Tobias tells him. ¡°Shh, Ryze, he said he won¡¯t hurt you,¡± I whisper to him, and his snake like tongue slivers out of his beak, and he licks my chin. Tobias watched him curiously. ¡°You know they are bonding birds, right?¡± I nod, patting his feathers and calming Ryze down, and Tobias brings the mouse closer, holding it out to him. Ryze struck like a cobra, and Tobias jumped, nearly losing his fingers when Ryze plucked the mouse from his hands. Trending Novels Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Chapter 49 I gag at the crunching sounds Ryze makes, which suddenly has me feeling sick. ¡°You want to keep him. You got to feed him properly, they are carnivorous birds Aleera,¡± I nod, but I don¡¯t think I could force a mouse to die after seeing how viciously he killed it. Tobias tries to pass me one, and I shake my head, feeling my stomach grow queasy. ¡°How do you expect to look after him if you won¡¯t feed him?¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t bring dead ones,¡± I asked and Tobias looked down at the cage, not watching his hand, and Ryze struck again, plucking the squeaking mouse. ¡°Fucker,¡± Tobias hissed, sucking his fingers where Ryze got him. Tobias sits on the ground next to his mouse cage and pulls another one out. ¡°So if you weren¡¯t trying to escape, why were you touching the wards?¡± he says, this time chucking a mouse to Ryze, who swallows it whole. ¡°His wing is broken; I wanted to try siphon some of the power from the ward to heal it,¡± I exin. ¡°So you weren¡¯t going to try use against us or use it to escape,¡± ¡°No, I wanted to heal him so I could let him go, I didn¡¯t want him trapped here.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t letting the bird go, Aleera,¡± Tobias said, staring at him. ¡°I have no choice, you said yourself Darius will kill him,¡± ¡°Good luck because the way he is with you, he has bonded to you, you can try, but he will keeping back,¡± Tobias said, and I looked down at him. ¡°And you just saved him, and he got used to you?¡± I nod, and h e sighs. ¡°So peculiar,¡± He mutters, shaking his head before tossing him another mouse. Tobias chews his lip thoughtfully. ¡°If given a chance, would you escape?¡± Tobias asked me. ¡°You know I would, so why ask questions you already know?¡± ¡°Maybe because I hope your answer would change Aleera,¡± Tobias says. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I won¡¯t tell them you have him here, but you will have to figure out something. Maybe the basement might be better, there is a hole in the roof, and he can get out and fly around when he wants. You can¡¯t keep him locked down here,¡± Tobias says. ¡°And how would I get him up there?¡± ¡°I could portal you up, but tell me something else first,¡± I nod, wondering what else he wanted to know. ¨C ¡°Did Darius force himself on you?¡± I look away, and he curses before shocking me with his next question. ¡°Are you okay?¡± my head whipped toward him, and he seemed genuine. I raise m y eyebrows at him. ¡°I mean with what he did, Aleera, I don¡¯t mean in general,¡± I nod, my face heating with embarrassment. ¡°Are you embarrassed because he did it or because he made youe?¡± Why would he ask that? He puts his hand up in mock surrender. ¡°Just a question, I could smell how aroused you were?¡± ¡°Both,¡± I mumble. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for defending him; I thought you tried to run and was mad,¡± ¡°Is that why you are helping me?¡± I asked him. ¡°No, I hate Pheonix¡¯s, but when I found him down here, I was going to tell Darius, but I knew he would kill him. Just because I hate something doesn¡¯t mean I believe it should be killed,¡± ¡°But torture is alright? Yeah, and abuse?¡± I scoffed. Tobias observes me for a few seconds and hangs his head. ¡°I don¡¯t hate you, I used to, but after seeing you with Kalen, I realize w e need you,¡± Tobias says. ¡°But not enough to stop Darius,¡± I ask. He sighs, ¡°he is our mate; it will get better. You just have to earn his trust, Aleera,¡± tears well in my eyes, and I look down at Ryze. ¡°If you hold him and don¡¯t let him bite me, I will give you some magic to heal him,¡± Tobias says, and I gasp, shocked. ¡°You will give me magic?¡± Tobias nods, staring at Ryze. ¡°Just enough to heal him, but there is a catch.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Take it, kiss me,¡± I shake my head, not falling for this shit again. ¡°Forget it,¡± I tell him. ¡°Wow, rejected pretty fast,¡± Tobiasughs and I re at him. ¡°I have already fucking had Darius tear into my bond by telling me to kiss him and thenughing in my face; I don¡¯t need it from you,¡± ¡°He toyed with your bond?¡± Tobias asked, not seeming to like that. I nod, remembering how painful that was and degrading. ¡°I don¡¯t want to toy with your bond, Aleera. Just want a kiss, that is all,¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because all day I have been fucking horny from drinking your blood and I need something, since none of my mates will touch me, your blood ys havoc with my bond to you. Juste satisfy it for a second until one of them can help me out, N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°I chewed my lip, remembering Lycus saying Tobias got horny from drinking my blood. ¡°Just a kiss?¡± ¡°Just a kiss,¡± Tobias repeats. ¡°Then you can heal your plucked dodo-looking phoenix,¡± Tobias says. I nced down at Ryze, who watched me back like he had been listening to our conversation. ¡°Just one?¡± I asked. If it meant helping Ryze, I would do it. ¡°One, but I want a proper one,¡± heughs. ¡°A proper one?¡± ¡°Using tongue,¡± Tobias said, winking at me. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t they be pissed off?¡± I asked him, and he shrugged. ¡°Kalen wouldn¡¯t care, the other two,¡± He shrugged. ¡°Well, they should have sucked my dick this morning. Neither did, so I will take my vices anyway I can get them,¡± Tobias said. ¡°I am not sucking dick,¡± I tell him. ¡°Never said you have to, just a kiss, so put your demonic pigeon down ande here,¡± Tobias said, opening his arms. ¡® ¡°I don¡¯t trust you, and if you were so horny, why not just have a wank?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t work like that; I have drank your blood, it makes me crave magic, and since you have none and only they do, I have to take it from them. But you can make the ache hurt less since your blood caused it by letting my bond have what it wants.¡± ¡°Your bond wants me to kiss you?¡± I asked. It sounded ridiculous. ¡°My bond wants me to fuck you, but I know you won¡¯t give me that, so it will have to settle for a kiss, so come here,¡± Tobias said. ¡°And that is all?¡± I ask again, not trusting him, and he nods. I look at Ryze before cing him in his nest I made and hesitantly got to my feet. Tobias looked up at me from where h e sat, not moving, and I stopped in front of him. Deja-Vu washed over me with Darius, and my stomach sank as the bond became excited again. Only this time, Tobias gripped my wrist and yanked me on hisp. Ryze hissed loudly behind me and screeched. ¡°Quiet bird, I won¡¯t hurt her,¡± Tobias snapped as I straddled his waist. I swallowed, and Tobias rolled his eyes before gripping the back of my neck and pulling me closer. His lips were warm and soft as he kissed me when I felt his tongue trace across my bottom, Tobias groaned and his other arm wrapped around my waist, tugging me flush against him, which made me gasp. Tobias took advantage of my parted lips and delved his tongue into my mouth. His groan was lewd as his tongue yed with mine, wanting me to kiss him back. The bond answered his kiss longingly, and I kissed him back hungrily. His tongue tasted every inch of my mouth when he pulled me closer, deepening the kiss, which made my stomach tighten as arousal coiled within me when he pulled away. ¡°Like I don¡¯t mind if you want to keep kissing me, but you are supposed to be taking my magic,¡± Tobias laughed. My cheeks heated, havingpletely forgotten as I was too busy enjoying the kiss. Tobias smirked and raised an eyebrow at me when I kissed him again. He groaned, kissing me back, and I moved my hand to his neck, feeling his pulse under my palm and his energy before stealing some of it when I kissed him deeper. Pulling away, I gasped at the feel of his magic writhing within me, cold and sweet. I shivered when I felt his hands slide up m y thighs to my hips, and I thought he was going to demand something more, but instead, he lifted me off him. ¡°Heal your Pheonix, then I will help you get him to the basement,¡± Tobias says. ¡°And don¡¯t let him bite me,¡± ¡°And you won¡¯t tell Darius?¡± ¡°Be our little secret,¡± Tobias says, and I turn back to Ryze, excited that I could heal him. 2 Trending Novels Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Every night, I had spent the night in their room, unable to return to mine. Darius still believed wholeheartedly that I was trying to escape. I wasn¡®t willing to tell him different for the sake of Ryze, who now lived in the attic. Tobias was right, however, because, even healed, he never left. I noticed, though, with each passing day when Tobias would sneak me u p to see him and feed him, that he grewrger, which was concerning because soon he would not fit throu gh the hole in the roof. I still couldn¡¯t bring myself to feed him the mice; I tried to give frozen ones, even thawed out ones, but he liked them live. So I was thankful that Tobias had no such issues sacrificing the mice for me. Ryze even let him pat him. He nearly lost a finger, and Ryze only tolerated his touch for a few seconds before snapping at him. Tobias was thrilled that he had touched a live Pheonix like it was some sort of eptance, and he was suddenly a Pheonix whisperer. ¡± Tobias opened a portal back to the room, and the moment I stepped through it, Darius was waiting, his arms folded across his chest. His temper had gotten worse over thest few days. The more time Tobias and Kalen spent with me, the more furious he seemed to get.¡± ¡°Where have you both been?¡± he demanded, and Tobias quickly closed the portal behind us before he could see into the dark attic. ¡°The library,¡± I lied. ¡°I checked the library,¡± Darius said, and I knew we would have toe up with a better ce. ¡°Must have just missed us then,¡± Tobias shrugged before pulling a book from his pocket. He tossed it to Kalen, who caught it and smiled. I had no idea when Tobias got time to grab it unless he got it before he went up, but it seemed to cate Darius for now. He muttered under his breath before storming out. Kalen looked the cover over before flipping it and reading the back. I realized Kalen spent most of his time reading because Darius had pulled him from the sses he taught, so I couldn¡®t spend more time than necessary with him. Moving toward the couch, I sat next to him when Lycus came over and rolled his eyes before walking off. ¡°I¡®m going for a run,¡± Lycus growled, also leaving. Tobias sighed before sitting at my feet on the floor. ¡°They¡®re just jealous,¡± Tobias said, resting his head on my knees. ¡°Of what?¡± I asked incredulously. What could they possibly have to be jealous about? They weren¡®t a prisoner? ¡°That Tobias and I don¡®t hate you and we spend more time with you then them?¡± Kalen said while opening the book. I sighed. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°And why do they hate me, exactly?¡± Neither answer, and I know it was to do with Darius, forbidding the m from telling me¡°Okay then, why did you hate me?¡± I ask Tobias. He shifts ufortably, leaning forward before also getting up and leaving. Was I a repellent? What was up with them all today? Tobias had been fine all week, and I asked one question, and h e too stormed off and into the bathroom. ¡°Well, can you tell me?¡± I asked Kalen and he sighs. ¡°Nope, because unless Darius agrees for you to know, we are bound by his stupid bond,¡± Kalen growls. ¡°Huh?¡± first I heard of them being sworn to secrecy. ¡°He has been our recement keeper for years. We are bonded to him most, even Lycus and I,¡± ¡°I still don¡®t understand?¡± I tell him. ¡°Keeper is the glue; Darius is our glue. We draw off him the most, for our bond to him is stronger. He controls the bonds, therefore, controls us in a sense, like a blood tie, or another way to put it is, we can¡®t betray him even if we wanted to,¡± ¡°So you have no say at all?¡± I ask, wondering how that works. ¡°We do, but only when powerful emotion is behind it can we overpower it, like the few times we have gone against him,¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Lycus guilt, when he healed you. Tobias giving you magic the other day,¡± I looked at him wondering how he knew. ¡°Don¡®t tell me, in case you haven¡®t noticed, I am the weakest link. If Darius asks, I will tell him why, I won¡®t be able to lie to him. Therefore, some things are best for me not knowing,¡± Kalen tells me, and I nod. I would have to r emember that. ¡°Wait, how did you know?¡± I asked. ¡°Your aura changed. It glowed, for a few hours, like you were recharged,¡± ¡°And now?¡± he nces at me. ¡°Same as ours, though fainter, since you have no magic,¡± I nodded, relieved. ¡°What can you tell me, then?¡± ¡°Ask, and we will find out, see what I can say,¡± Kalen tells me. I thought for a second, choosing my questi ons. ¡°Why does Lycus hate me?¡± ¡°He doesn¡®t; he just hates what you did to me,¡± ¡°What did I do to you?¡± ¡°Can¡®t answer, but you already know,¡± he says, and I nod, saving that forter to ponder. ¡°What about Darius?¡± He opens his mouth before humming,¡± interesting, that is one I think I can speak about.¡± ¡°He killed his father for you, for all of us,¡± ¡°Can you borate more?¡± ¡°Ah,¡± he tries to speak when his mouth shuts. ¡°I guess that is all I may say on that one,¡± Kalen says. ¡°Fine, um, Tobias then?¡± I ask slightly annoyed. ¡°His brother, and again all I can say,¡± he says, frustrated. ¡°Was that the man in the picture I saw on the bedside table?¡± ¡°Yes, it was his twin,¡± ¡°Was?¡± ¡°He is dead now,¡± ¡°Let me guess because of me?¡± Kalen¡®s brows furrow, but he says nothing else. ¡°Okay, well, can you tell me why everyone calls me a traitor?¡± ¡°Because of conspiracy theories surrounding the gue,¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I can¡®t; that is all you get,¡± Kalen growled, resting his head back on the couch. ¡°This is so stupid, believe me, if I could, I would tell you ever ¡°I know,¡± I tell him, gripping his knee. ¡°Okay, your turn. How about you answer some of my questions?¡± Kalen asks, and I chew my lip. ¡°Might help get you some answers,¡± Kalen says. ¡°You¡®re going to see if I can answer my own questions?¡± I ask, and he nods. I shrug. What could it hurt if it means learning more about them? Why not? The door opened, and I almost sighed when Darius entered the room, knowing how strange game would be over. Trending Novels Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Chapter 51 However, Kalen still asked, and I noticed Darius fall onto the bed. Could feel his eyes boring into the back of my skull. ¡°Tell me something, you remember the night of the fire?¡± I blinked at Kalen wondering how that helps anything. Yet the look on his face told me he was trying to prove something to Darius. Or maybe me, I wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°I remembering home sick from school; I think I got food poisoning,¡± I tell him, and he nods. I thought back to that day, but it was kind of hazy. My brows creased as I tried to think. My mum was angry, her and my father were arguing, and I threw up on the floor. Why couldn¡¯t I remember after that? I remember my father cleaning the mess up. I also remember my mother giving me a drink, but that was it until the actual fire. ¡°What else do you remember?¡± Kalen asked, leaning forward, and I noticed Darius hop off the bed and walk over to us. He drops into the armchair across from us and loads more wood into the firece, though I knew he had onlye over to listen. ¡°I remember the smoke woke me, and I remember calling out t o my father. He called back and told me to hold on, that he was trying to get to me,¡± I answer. ¡°What else?¡± Kalen nods. ¡°Just trying to move, trying to get to the door, but I felt so heavy, and my lungs burned, I think I crawled to the door,¡± I tell him. ¡°Anything else?¡± Kalen asks when the bathroom door opens. Tobias steps out, followed by a billow of steam. ¡°I remember burning, which must have been my side, then only waking up to see Darius standing in front of me, his hands out. My mother¡¯s screams when the roof fell in, and the forest behind the house caught fire, but that is it,¡± I avert my eyes when Tobias drops his towel, catching a glimpse of his ass as he slid some gray tracksuit pants on. Kalen chuckled as my face heated, and Darius raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing, nor did he add anything about that night. He simply sat back and watched Kalen and m Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Looking over at Tobias, I stared at the burns on his back, full thickness burns, and the skin patchy in ces. ¡°Your burns. Why didn¡¯t you heal them, and why are they so bad?¡± I ask, and he looks at me over his shoulder before staring at Darius, who nods to him. ¡°Because it took all our power healing you,¡± Tobias says simply, and I look at Darius, who had an indecipherable expression on his face. ¡°Your back would have looked ten times worse than his and your legs. When we got to the house, the roof over your bedroom was partially copsed. You were trapped on the floor with a beam on you. We dragged you out just before the entire room caved in after we broke the wards that trapped you in there,¡± Darius said, finally speaking. ¡°Wards?¡± I asked a little confused. ¡°Yes, your room was sealed. You could get in but not back out; Tobias is burned because he used his body as a shield while I broke them,¡± Darius answered. ¡°So why didn¡¯t you heal him?¡± I asked. ¡°As Tobias said, we drained our power healing you. What we had left, we used to cloak you.¡± I pulled a face. He made no sense. ¡°That is also why we couldn¡¯t find you after your powers manifested. We cloaked you so well that we cloaked you from ourselves.¡± ¡°Why cloak me at all?¡± I asked. ¡°To hide you from the person or persons that tried to kill you, what I want to know though is why they tried, because the only logical reason is that you were my mate,¡± ¡°And mine,¡± Tobias adds. ¡°Why does it matter if I was your mate?¡± I deadpan nobody knew I was; I didn¡¯t even know I was. ¡°Exactly, Aleera, so ask yourself this: why would your parents try to kill you just to stop me from having you?¡± Darius asked. ¡°My parents didn¡¯t try to kill me, Darius. I remember them trying to get to me.¡± ¡°You remember hearing their voices? Tobias and I got to you pretty easily by opening a portal into your room. Getting you out? We couldn¡¯t open one, so again, Aleera, why would they try to kill you?¡± ¡°They wouldn¡¯t. My parents loved me, Darius. I heard my father trying to smash through the floor to get to me, then you got there whenever you did and killed them, you probably started it,¡± I snap at him. ¡°I would try to kill my own keeper, hurt my mate?¡± he asks, nodding toward Tobias. I looked at him, and Tobias was watching me. ¡°Maybe you were only after my parents, then? You said it yourself. Our fathers hated each other.¡± ¡°For good reason, your parents aren¡¯t who you think they are, Aleera,¡± Darius snarls. Tears burn my eyes at his words. How could he say that? My parents loved me; I know they loved me. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. My life was fine before you came in and turned it upside down. My parents would never hurt me,¡± I answered firmly. ¡°And if you¡¯re wrong?¡± Tobias asks. ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± I tell him, and he shrugs. ¡°If that is what you want to believe,¡± Darius said. ¡°And if I was under a cloaking spell, then how did the authorities find me when my grandmother died?¡± I asked. ¡°Because you lived on one of my family¡¯s properties, that¡¯s why. I rang the school after she passed,¡± Tobias answered. ¡°Pardon?¡± what was he talking about now. ¡°The house you were taken to belonged to my family, the private school you went to, we paid for,¡± Tobias answers. ¡°What are you talking about? The Fae Authorities picked me up?¡± ¡°They said they were Fae authorities, they weren¡¯t, they were wardens of the school, that school you went to, Darius and I paid for, your grandmother was broke, your parents took her for everything just before the fire, cleaned her out not long after we left. So we took her in when she agreed to care for you, ¡°Tobias said. ¡°Bullshit,¡± I tell them, and Darius growls before walking off into the closet and returning with a box. Darius dumps it at my feet and nods toward it. I rolled my eyes before removing the lid and finding papers. I pull them out. All of them had my school letterhead, my school photos were even there, and most of them were bills for the school fees, thousands and thousands of dors they had spent on putting me through school. All addressed to Darius and Tobias Wraith, my next of kin. ¡°Still think we are lying? We have no reason to lie to you, Aleera, so maybe stop lying to yourself,¡± Darius said before walking off. I dig through the box, pulling out my school files, everything from when I started, even some of my schoolwork. Rummaging through the bottom, I found my grandmother¡¯s locket, the only item I could bring with me when I was taken from her house, beside a photo album I had lost when I called o n them. It was in the bag I dropped. They wouldn¡¯t even let me take my clothes, said everything would be provided. I rub my fingers over the locket. It had a picture of her with my grandfather in it and a lock of his hair she cut off. ¡°You got this from my room,¡± I tell them. ¡°Yes, when we came looking for you,¡± Kalen says. I nod. ¡°I never knew,¡± I told Tobias, and he nodded when Darius spoke behind me. ¡°How could you, when you ran before we got there?¡± Trending Novels Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Chapter 52 My entire body ached when I woke up the following day. Every part of me hurt, and I felt like I¡¯d been run over by a truck. It took all my strength to roll off the couch and onto the floor. It took some serious willpower to get to my feet and stagger into the bathroom. My legs couldn¡¯t even hold me upright in the shower; the best I could do was sit on the floor. Though the warmth helped loosen up my aching muscles. When I was finished, I forced myself up and grabbed a towel, only to groan when I recognized my mistake and forgot to bring clothes in with me. I looked at my now damp walked-on pajamas on the bathroom floor, picked them up, tossed them i n the hamper, and moved to the bedroom door. Poking my head out the door, Tobias was nowhere to be seen and probably setting up for the early morning ss he had since today was only a half-day. Lycus was not in the room, and I figured he went for a run. However, Darius was still in bed next to Kalen. Tiptoeing out, I tried not to wake them as I rummaged through the drawers for some clothes. Usually, my clothes were waiting on the end of the couch, so I had no idea where they kept them. No such luck this morning. Whoever usually got them out, hadn¡¯t this morning but looking at the clock, it was pretty early still. Movement on the bed made me look over my shoulder to find Darius spooning Kalen. They looked kind of cute snuggled together. My stomach twisted painfully, and I turned my gaze away when Kalen rolled into Darius, both of them moving and rearranging in the bed, and Darius groaned lewdly when Kalen kissed him in his sleep. Moving to the closet, I was about to give up and ask where they kept my clothes since they miraculously disappeared and reappeared when I felt warmth rush across m y back and heat the small walk-in closet up. Without even turning, I knew someone was behind me. I swallowed when Lycus¡¯s arm reached past me to the shelf overhead. He pulled some tights and tank top down before handing them to me. ¡°You¡¯re up early,¡± he whispered, and I nodded, feeling very caged in with him standing so close while also in the confines of the closet. I clutched them before turning around. I take a step back, bumping into the clothes hung up in here when I notice he is entirely naked. Stark naked, not a scrap of cloth-covered him. Lycus stood there watching me, and I tried to squeeze past him, but he stepped into my path. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Excuse me,¡± I whispered, not liking how he was backing me into a corner, a literal corner, and a coat hanger dug into my shoulder. I gasped; what the heck did he want? It was too early in the morning for their little games. ¡°You might want to get changed in here,¡± Lycus smirked, and I raised an eyebrow at him. Like hell was I getting changed in here with him while he was naked. With a roll of my eyes shoved past him, I heard him chuckle. Walking out, I stopped dead in my tracks Darius and Kalen were in bed, Kalen had his mouth wrapped around Darius. A shriek nearly left my lips out of shock. I had been in here for weeks, and I had never witnessed them doing anything. A hand mped over my lips, and Lycus pulled me back against his naked body. ¡°Next time, you might listen,¡± Lycus whispered with a softugh, and my heartbeat was like a drum when I felt him dip his face into my neck, skimming his nose from the back of my ear and down neck and shoulder, his erection pressing against my lower back. His grip was tight, yet I couldn¡¯t tear my eyes from Darius and Kalen on the bed. Like I was stuck in some trance. ¡°You feel his power,¡± Lycus murmured against my skin. Goosebumps rose all over, and he was right. Darius¡¯s power oozed out, and Kalen was taking it. Darius groaned, his hand in Kalen¡¯s hair while he took Darius in his mouth. ¡°Darius may let you join him, but he would something in return,¡± Lycus purred, and it was like someone chucked ice water over me. I bumped backward into Lycus as I tried to get away stomping on his foot, and Darius¡¯ eyes opened and settled on me. One arm tucked behind his head, and he quirked an eyebrow at me before smiling. Lycus¡¯s hand moved from across my mouth, and I turned in Lycus¡¯s hold, wanting to dart back into the closet, only I smacked into his chest instead because the wall of a man refused to move and was blocking the door. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Aleera?¡± Lycus chuckled, and I barged past him, and heughed while I became all hot and flustered. That stupid song, it¡¯s raining men suddenly came to mind, naked men, raining naked men, with penises, everywhere. ¡°I take it she doesn¡¯t want to join,¡± Lycus chuckled, and I red at his back as he walked away. Dariusughed at my embarrassment. I dressed quickly, even managed to put my shirt on inside out, and I was sure Lycus handed it to me in the right way. Flustered and wanting to escape the room, I yanked it off and pulled it back, then rushed out. My eyes automatically went to the bed, like how couldn¡¯t they? The bed was in the middle of the room, and I had to rush past it and there they were in all naked sex god glory. I gripped the door handle and twisted. The power in the room was making it harder to breathe, yet the door would not open. I knew who was behind it, who was preventing me from leaving ¡°Darius, please open it,¡± I whined, not wanting to turn back to face the bed. Lycus growled behind me, and I knew he was in bed with them now too. Trending Novels Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Chapter 53 The bond red, wanting to go to them. I wouldn¡¯t have the slightest idea what the heck my part would be in their orgy or what to with them. I needed escape before I embarrassed myself or Darius toyed with my bond and made me do something that would probably destroy any sense of hope I had left. 1/ m.techkaushal - 500¡Á300 - 1 ¡°Come here,¡± Darius said, and I shook my head. ¡°Leave her be, Darius,¡± Kalen whispered. ¡°Just shut up and suck my cock,¡± Darius snapped at him, and Kalen whimpered. Almost agonized, though, the sound was more like a moan. ¡°Aleera,¡± Darius purred, and I fisted my hands and gritted my teeth. Why does he have to fuck with my stupid bond? He would know this causes me pain. With a re stered on my face, I turned, and the noise that left me when I spotted them was embarrassing. Lycus kneeled behind Kalen before gripping his hips and pulling them air while Kalen wrapped his lips around Darius¡¯ cock. Darius smirked like he knew exactly the effect this was having on the bond. My feet moved, and I only just grabbed the dresser by the door to stop myself from climbing on the bed and begging Darius for his power. ¡°Everything alright, Aleera?¡± Darius asked, and my nails ached from clutching the dresser. ¡°Fuck!¡± Darius groaned, and my eyes moved to the bed to find Darius¡¯ hand fisting Kalen¡¯s hair while he bobbed away. ¡°Darius, please,¡± I begged, my speech more like a damn pant a s arousal flooded me; I needed to get out of here. He growled but flicked his hand toward the door, and I heard it unlock. Darius wasn¡¯t even looking in my direction, too busy, lost in the euphoria of what Kalen was doing to him. Turning, I ripped open the door and dashed into the hall, mming the door shut behind me. The strange fog from his magic lifted, and I clutched my knees to catch my breath. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Tobias asked, touching my shoulder. I hadn¡¯t even heard hime into the hall, but when I looked up, he stood in front of me. Tobias¡¯ eyes flickered, and I knew I was flushed, the stupid bond overriding my brain again. Tobias took a step toward me before shaking himself, and his eyes went to the door I had juste out of. ¡°I need to go to breakfast,¡± I tell him, rushing past him even though the bond was trying to pull me back to the room. ******** My bond yed havoc all day; the cramping in my stomach worsened, their energy regenerated only made it worse in their presence during ss, and I felt sick. Darius was smug in every ss I had with him. He knew it was torture for me. I would not give him the satisfaction of me begging him, and I know that¡¯s what Darius wanted. No doubt he would be one of those that enjoyed another¡¯s difort; hell, he enjoyed mine. Though as the day dragged on, something was amiss, m y entire body was yearning, and since seeing them morning, it had only gotten worse. Going to the bathroom to change into my gym clothes, I rushed into a stall and locked the door. We had the obstacle course again this afternoon. Taking my clothes off, I removed my pants and gasped. Fuck! The shredding, I had forgotten entirely about the shredding as I looked down at my panties. I was spotting which wasn¡¯t a good sign. Being the only girl here, I hadpletely forgotten about it and the fact I had never actually gone through it in the 6 years, careful to always make sure I had my herbs that prevented it. Horror washed over me. Keeper woman went through a faze, shredding every 6 months, where we shredded all our power in a day. It was like what humans would call a period only vastly different, seeing as Fae don¡¯t menstruate, though we have our own version of shredding, and it only happened to keeper women. We would bleed for a day and then the next three days we power-shred. There was just one issue, I had no power to shred, and I knew i t wasn¡¯t obtainable, nor could I afford for myself to go through it. Shredding is when most bond power is shared, during a shredding, you could power your mates with enough power tost until the next one, only making them more powerful, while I would be at my most vulnerable. Yanking my pants up, I knew I had roughly a week to find some devil¡¯s bane. I needed the damn root. It would stop it, yet if I asked for that around here, it would get me some curious questions seeing as it was poisonous to demons, And Darius finding out could be lethal. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Debating whether to ask Tobias or Kalen for it before shoving that idea away, they would want to know why I tried to stop it. There was no way Darius would give me power or allow the others to provide me with energy. While shredding, keepers are at their most potent, our magic at its strongest though also at our weakest because we would literally be throwing off power to our mates. I could not even imagine that horror had I had power. That exined the agony I had been in this morning, though shredding itselfsted a day. I knew that because I had been holding mine off for 6 years, I could not afford to lose my power without anything to replenish it. So I knew this would b e hell. One, because I had no power to shred, two, because they may find out what I am if I did. I had never gone through it to know if I could even mask my white Fae side. The sun beat down on my skin as I stepped outside. The sun was blistering, and I looked around the acreage of this ce surrounded by forest, and I knew there would be devil-bane in that forest. It was just a matter of finding it. Chewing my lip, I walked out going to the obstacle course; I internally groaned when I saw Darius was taking over Tobias¡¯s ss today. He made me run track. As the sun started going down, the whistle blew, and he called everyone inside as a storm was fast approaching. I sighed, excited to rest as I watched everyone head in. Zac walked over to Darius, talking as they walked back toward the castle like good friends and I red in their direction. Giving the forest a longing look, I turned to head in when I noticed Darius was gone, along with Zac. What I would give to be able to move so quickly, mist where I wanted. But no, I had t o walk. Trending Novels Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Chapter 54 The next day was no better. Only now I knew it was approaching, I had to think of away to sneak into the forest. Darius seemed hellbent on torturing me, which wasn¡¯t helping. Once again, I woke to them fucking. I had grabbed a sandwich for lunch today and walked outside needing some air. Lycus threat seemed to be working as long as I had food in my hand, no one came near me, and I was free to roam. 1/ m.techkaushal - 500¡Á300 - 1 Sitting on the bench outside in the warm sun, I stared at the forest before peeking around. Everyone was distracted eating lunch, and no doubt my mates would all be eating together. They always did in the room while I was stuck in the mess hall. Getting up, I was about to head inside when I realized this was my chance. I had an hour before lunch finished, and I could be i n and back before they noticed, ncing at the roof I wished I could get Ryze to get it for me but it was also poisonous to him. Poisonous to everyone more so, Demons it was lethal. The root is what I needed and I hoped I had time to dry it out. I beeline for the forest by giving a quick nce at the castle doors and seeing no one. Continuing on until the trees covered me. Catching my breath, I hunted for this damn nt. Searching beneath all the trees and brushing back ferns. Scouring the ground for any sign of this purple and pink budded nt. Climbing the small hill I moved further through the forest. I had no idea how long I had been out here scouring, bing obsessed with the damn task. Just on the crest of a slight incline among the trees, I saw it. Excitement bubbled up in me, and I mbered, slipping as I climbed the steep incline. I went t o wrap my hands around the stalk when someone grabbed the back of my shirt, sending me flying My back arched as I smashed into the dirt next to the tree I was just tossed against. I groaned, back arched as I rubbed the spot. The air knocked from my lungs when I heard a thunderous growl, and my eyes opened. In a daze, I saw Darius reaching for me, and I lurched to my feet out of pure adrenaline.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°I fucking warned you about trying to escape,¡± he bellowed as I mbered up the incline, trying to get to the nt. Fuck it, he looked livid; I would have to show him. His wrath couldn¡¯t be worse than it is now, I thought trying to grab the damn nt. ¡°No, the nt,¡± I blurted when he grabbed my ankles, ripping me back down, my head bounced off the ground and the rock I smashed it on making me see ck for a few seconds. I wed at the earth, screaming as I tried to get to the devil¡¯s bane. ¡°No, listen, I need the devil¡¯s bane, just the root,¡± I screamed, as he dragged me back toward him. Only realizing how bad that sounded after I said it. Admitting to needing something so poisonous to demons, it could kill them. ¡°Darius!¡± I screamed as he flipped me by my hips onto my back. My hand whipped out and pped him hard across the face. He seemed shocked; I kicked away from him, scrambling up the incline. I felt his hand in my hair only secondster. ¡°The shre-¡± 1 ¡°Enough, shut up. I am done with your lies,¡± he snarled, jerking me back by my hair. I clutched his hands and tried to exin, but my lips wouldn¡¯t open. Spelled shut the moment h e told me to shut up. Tears trekked down my face as he dragged me kicking and screaming from the forest before I felt his magic erupt as he opened a portal. I felt the feel of the suction before I found myself in my old room. Darius tossed me on the bed by my hair, and I felt the strands rip free painfully from my scalp. My scream was mute, I felt i t vibrate out of me, but no sound left my lips. I nearly rolled off the bed, and the door burst open as Tobias and Kalen stepped in. ¡°Get out, you don¡¯t go near her, you don¡¯t fucking look at her, you don¡¯t speak to her,¡± Darius roared as he turned, ring at Kalen, who stared in horror at what he was witnessing. Blood trickled down the side of my head, and I touched my fingers to it, wondering what I had hit ito 1. n. ¡°What happened? What did she do?¡± Tobias asked while Kalen was forced out of the room by Darius¡¯ command. ¡°She tried to escape,¡± Darius sneered, and I shook my head and tried to exin; the words never left me. Darius had taken my ability to talk. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t,¡± Tobias defended me. ¡°She was nearly on the fucking road,¡± Darius snarled. Road? I was near the road. I was sure I hadn¡¯t wandered that far in, but I wasn¡¯t paying much attention. ¡°Aleera?¡± I shook my head and tried to tell Tobias I wasn¡¯t, trying to exin, knowing he could tell I was speaking the truth. ¡°Let her speak,¡± Tobias snapped at him. ¡°She was by the fucking road, Tobias. What else would she be doing so far out? You can tell if I am lying, and I don¡¯t fucking lie,¡± Darius snarls at him, and Tobias watches him before his eyes fall on me. ¡°Why? Everything was going fine, Aleera,¡± Tobias snapped and stormed out, leaving me with Darius. ¡°You always ruin everything,¡± Darius snarls walking toward me and I flinched away from his burning rage but he grabbed the front of my shirt and jerked me forward before fishing my tablet from the back of my pants held by my belt. I reached for it but he pulled it away. 2 Tears trailed down my cheeks as he stripped me of everything, only leaving me with a sheet and my bra and undies, he took my tablet, my freedom and my voice. He took everything. Trending Novels Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Kalen POV I wanted to go to her, but Tobias red at me from where I sat on the bed. Lycus also stood before me, arms folded over his chest as we waited for Darius to return. When the door opened, my eyes darted over to it, and Darius stepped into the room. His aura was burning hot, threatening to set the room alight. 1/ m.techkaushal - 500¡Á300 - 1 My mouth opened, and I wanted to ask if he hurt her, but I quickly stopped myself with one re from Lycus. Darius removes his shirt before undoing his pants and chucking them in theundry basket by the door. ¡°Kalen, I can feel your burning curiosity. I didn¡¯t hurt her,¡± Darius says, not that he sounded happy about it. I knew he had reason to hate her, but I wanted to understand. She seemed so excited for years when I spoke to her about finding her mates. Then once she manifested, she ran, and I don¡¯t believe it was only because Darius apparently killed her parents. If only she knew the army that Darius was building was not to take over the rest of the world but to protect her, maybe she wouldn¡¯t have run. I wanted to know why she ran. There had to b e another reason. She had to have another reason, but instead of letting her exin, they wanted revenge for things she was unaware she had done. 2. Darius ced her tablet down on the bed, and I red at him. ¡°What the fuck, Darius?¡± I snarled at him before snatching it off the bed. ¡°She can earn it back, along with the rest of her possessions,¡± he said. ¡°The rest of her stuff?¡± I demanded to know, but he clucked his tongue at my outrage, and I saw his eyes flicker. He could be such a possessive asshole, and I knew half his issue was because he was jealous. I could fucking feel his and Lycus¡¯s jealousy. However, looking over at Tobias, he was livid. He and Aleera had been getting on well, and with one incident, he was back to being a prick. ¡°What, that¡¯s it? You won¡¯t say anything at all?¡± I asked Tobias, and he sat back in his chair and folded his arms, looking directly at me. ¡°Darius told the truth; I would know if he lied.¡± ¡°His version of the truth. Did you ask her?¡± Tobias chewed his lip and looked at Darius, who growled, and I felt the pang of hurt flit through the bond that we wouldn¡¯t believe him. Tobias, also feeling it, looked at me and said. ¡°I trust our mate,¡± Tobias said, his faith in Darius was beginning to annoy me. ¡°Aleera is our mate,¡± I tell him, and he res at the burning fire in the firece. ¡°And she tried to run, Kalen,¡± Lycus said,ing over to me and wrapping his arms around m y waist. I shoved him off, and he whimpered. ¡°No, let go. I am sick of you all using the bond against me. I am not just some fuck toy, and Aleera is also mine,¡± I argued when I was Champ N?velDrama.Org holds this content. suddenly airborne. Darius grabbed me, mmed me down on the bed, and I struggled under his grip; I knew he wouldn¡¯t hurt me, he never did, but he didn¡¯t like being spoken back to either. ¡°She isn¡¯t our mate; we are all mates. We don¡¯t need her,¡± Darius snarled. I red at him, and h e pressed his weight down on me. His erection dug into my stomach. He always liked it when w e fought him, always enjoyed forcing us to submit to him. But not when it came to Aleera. I would fight for her as much as possible anyway; the stupid bond and Darius havingplete control, making us solely dependent on him, made that challenging because none of us were strong enough to fight off his orders. ¡°You will stay away; you remain with one of us at all times,¡± Darius murmured, nipping at my ear, and I groaned and growled, trying to shove him off. ¡°Stop, I don¡¯t want to fuck,¡± I snapped at him, but he ignored me. Instead, he tugs at my belt before wrapping his hand around my cock and squeezing. ¡°You don¡¯t want me?¡± Darius questioned as he flooded the bond with arousal, making my dick harden in his hand. His power rushed out addictively, forcing me to submit to get a taste of it. One thing I hated about the bond, the one who handled the power, had all control and half the reason we have the issues we do with Aleera; I knew that. Darius probably even knew that. Yet a s the fog settled, we all became ves to the bond, to our keeper, to Darius. Like pigeons flocking, they were drawn to him and the bed, and, despite hating him at this moment, I rolled over at his demand. 1 ¡°You won¡¯t disobey me, will you, Kalen? You will stay away from her until I say otherwise?¡± Darius purred while stroking my length. I gritted my teeth, trying to fight against his will and the hold he had on me. Yet I would not win against him, and as the pain of denying the bond grew, I gave in. ¡°Good boy,¡± Darius purred before sucking on my neck and making me moan and push back against him. Trending Novels Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Aleera POV The next morning, I awoke cold; Darius walked into the room and tossed some clothes at me.¡± Get dressed and get to ss,¡± he snapped. I looked at the clothes on the bed and scrambled for them, snatching them and chucking them on. Anything for the extra warmth they would provide. I was just thankful he wouldn¡¯t make me go to ss in my bra undies. Darius stood in the doorway, watching as I got changed. 1/ m.techkaushal - 500¡Á300 - 1 He growled when I took too long, and I looked down at my feet, which were still bare. Great, back to no shoes again, thought. At least I had pants and a blouse. ¡°You try to run, you try to speak to anyone; I will retake your voice,¡± he said before waving his hand and giving me my voice back. Warmth tickled my throat, and I went to exin I wasn¡¯t running. The moment my lips moved, he gripped my throat. ¡°That means speaking to me too; I don¡¯t want to hear it. Now get to fucking ss,¡± Darius sneered before turning on his heel and leaving me. I swallowed and walked down to breakfast, hoping that Tobias would feed Ryze. Worrying about him kept me up most of the night, and I wondered if Ryze caught his own dinnerst night when I didn¡¯te up to see him. I made m y way to the mess hall. The moment I stepped in, all eyes went to me. I grabbed a sandwich and moved to an empty table. Something felt off this morning. I didn¡¯t know what, but something felt different as I nced around the crowded room. Leering eyes watched me from where I sat alone in the mess hall. M y usual spot was taken, preferring to be closest to the exit where I mainly remained unnoticed. Closer to the door was safest because it gave me an escape route. Their sleazy gazes had me on edge as they watched me hungrily. I hated this ce. There were no other women here. Most of all, I hated being the subject they loved to torment. All made worse by the fact I am powerless to stop them. The surrounding chatter quieted down and made me quickly nce around before I ducked my head when I noticed them. Darius had entered the room with my other three mates. They walked to the back of the room and took seats at the back, which I thought was a little odd; I rarely saw them here. It appeared they had something to talk about with their recruits because Darius spoke about some crap I showed no interest in knowing. Keeping my head down, I ate quickly, wanting nothing more than to get the hell out of here and also worried if Kalen tried t o speak to me, I would be forced to ignore him or lose my voice if I tried. However, the moment I stood up and went to chuck my rubbish in the bin, my muscles spasmed, my feet faltered as I tried to take a step away from the table, and my entire body locked up with onemand. ¡°Aleera, freeze,¡± came a voice. I recognized the voice instantly and dreaded what he would do this time. My entire body stopped at themand. I couldn¡¯t move an inch, and everyone erupted withughter. Oh, how I tried, but I couldn¡¯t so much as wiggle a toe. What were these savage men going to subject me to this time. They never usually went this far. Usually, they tormented m e, chased me, hurt me. However, this was the first time they usedpulsion on me, and it felt wrong as every muscle in my body tensed. My eyes went to my mates at the back; Darius, Tobias, and Lycus watched from the far table. They were always happy to witness my suffering. Kalen, however, nced around the room before he looked at me and dropped his head. My stomach dropped when Zac got up from his seat. My lungs constricted at the cruel smirk stered on his face. Zac sauntered over to me before he stopped in front of me. His eyes hungrily looked me over from head to toe. Zac was the worst out of all the recruits I havee across here. The vile bastard had no boundaries. He was usually behind my worst degradation. Zac walked around me slowly and plucked the sandwich wrapper from my fingers while I remained unmoving. ¡°Stand up straight,¡± he ordered, and I gritted my teeth. My forced body did asmanded as Zac¡¯s cold magic caressed over me. A violent shudder ran through me in repulsion as I tried to fight against the command, but it was pointless. I was a puppet on strings, and he was the puppet master at this moment. ¡°Nothing to say, Aleera?¡± he chuckled, and the entire room erupted withughter. Except for my mates that watched from the back with expressionless faces. ¡°Nothing I say will stop you. Did you want me to beg? Beg for you not to do whatever vile thing it is you intend to do?¡± I spat at him, knowing I would probably lose my voice for speaking Being trapped in this ce, I learned quickly not to beg. It just made the torment worse when I did. They didn¡¯t care that I was female; they didn¡¯t care I was powerless. All they cared about was the control they had over me. ¡°You¡¯re right. It wouldn¡¯t stop me; the guys and I want you to put on a show for us,¡± Zac said i n an amused tone. I nced around the room to find the men all were leaning forward eagerly; one even winked at me while another licked his lips. My eyes darted to the table where my mates sat. Not a scrap of emotion was shown on their faces for what I was about to endure. They would not help me, not that I expected them to. They never did. If they just told them who I was to them, if their soldiers only knew. I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with this shit daily. However, I knew they would deny it if I spoke up. Darius had threatened to kill me if I told anyone here who I was to them. So I had kept my mouth shut. They hated me, and the feeling was mutual. Yet, I couldn¡¯t bear to see them hurt, s o how could they watch my humiliation with no expression at all? My eyes went back to Zac, who looked me up and down. Was he going to make me dance? What did he mean by a show? I was already on disy. How much worse can it get? ¡°You could always say no?¡± Zac teased before he scoffed. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, you can¡¯t. Poor helpless Aleera, always so easily influenced, so easily overpowered, must truly suck being the weakest form of Fae,¡± He mocked. His demonic eves ran the length of me in a sleazy, obscene way. His gaze stopped at my breasts, and I felt my stomach drop somewhere deep and cold within me. I knew what he was going to say before he said it. Prayed, I was mistaken, but his following words confirmed my thoughts. ¡°Strip, Aleera,¡± Zac said, his voiceing out like a purr. I blinked at him, tried to fight hispulsion with everything in me, even though I knew it was pointless. My eyes burned as tears threatened to spill, and my hands shook as I tried to resist doing what he asked. ¡°All of it, I want to see youpletely bare¡± My fingers forcibly undo the buttons on my ck blouse. My breathing became harsher as I tried to resist hispulsion. A sob tore from my lips that sounded more like a whimper. My vision blurred as my top fell open and revealed my ck bra. Zac gripped my shirt and yanked it, my shirt tearing painfully from my body under the force he used. My scars were on disy for everyone to see. The worst was the burn that went from my shoulder to my hip. The men watching hollered and whistled, and some even poked fun at my burned, scar ravaged skin. Was this high school? Were they truly this immature? Fully grown men, and they were all subjecting me to this. Worst of all, my mates just watched. Although I noticed Kalen looked away when my eyes fell on him; he almost appeared to look guilty, like he wanted to step in and stop it. My fingers were still working to undo the buttons and zip on my ck cks. My eyes stung from the tears that brimmed and spilled over as I bent over to remove my pants. ¡°Please stop,¡± I choked out as I stood upright. How could they all be so cruel? ¡°All of it,¡± Zacmanded again. My entire body shook at hismand, my cheeks burned with the humiliation, tears ran down my cheeks and dripped off my chin, and I could hear them all talking andughing. My bottom lip trembled as my hands reached behind my back and fumbled with the sp of m y bra. A huped sob left me as it unclipped. I couldn¡¯t handle it, so I clenched my eyes shut so I didn¡¯t see their faces watching me. I hoped it was stuck, but of course, it woulde undone easily and expose me more. Zac¡¯s hand ran down my arm from my shoulder to my elbow as he pulled the strap of my bra down. My eyes flew open at his touch, his other hand moved to my hip, and I felt the bile rise i n my throat. The feel of his hands on me disgusted me. I wondered how far he would take this. Looking over at my mates, Kalen got up and walked out along with Lycus. Darius and Tobias, however, were enjoying my torment. ¡°Hurry, Aleera, take it off, take it all off,¡± Zac purred, as he tugged my bra strap off my other shoulder. I stared at Darius. Is this what he wanted? Was this still not humiliating enough? His eyes darkened when Zac ran his hand up my side before grabbing my breast roughly. He twisted my nipple painfully, making me cry out, and I felt more tears spill over as my bra fell away. The room erupted with whistles and vulgar taunts. Darius and Tobias could stop this, and I pleaded with my eyes for them to step in, just this once, and not subject me to this. My hands shook violently as they reached for my panties. It was thest article of clothing I had left, the one ce left untouched. My fingers gripped them, and I closed my eyes and went to tug them down. When something wet sttered on my face and skin. The sound was so sickening it made my eyes fly open to see blood drops on the floor before blood pooled around my feet. Zac¡¯smand was suddenly gone, and I felt the weight of it lift when arms wrapped around me, crushing me against a warm chest. My entire body shook, and the ce fell silent. Tobias¡¯s scent wafted to my nose, and a choked sob left me; I hated them, fucking hated them, but his body was the only thing shielding me from the watchful eyes of everyone else. The thunderous growl that echoed around the room made me whimper. When suddenly all the windows exploded with Darius¡¯s rage, the st sent shards of ss everywhere before I heard more sickening tearing sounds, blood washed over my toes, and I heard popping sounds followed by screams. Blood spatter hit me from everywhere, coating me in blood, and Tobias was murmuring something, but I couldn¡¯t understand anything until Darius¡¯s voice boomed through the room. His words left no room for debate or argument and I shook as publicly imed me. ¡°Nobody touches our fucking mate,¡± He snarled. The collective gasp from those present was audible. My toes squelched in the blood, and I looked down and could see Zac¡¯s body by my feet. The room cleared quickly, the screech of chairs was loud as everyone took off and ran out. ¡°Get her back to her room while I clean this up,¡± Darius snapped at Tobias, who turned to steer me toward the portal Darius opened. Bile rose in my throat when I saw blood covering the walls and ceiling, blood everywhere along with limbs. Zac was dead, and his entire group of friends, the man that licked his lips at me also dead, a few I recognized that catcalled and whistled also blown to shreds, their limbs lying everywhere like they suddenly exploded, while Zac¡¯s body was in pieces. His hands were removed, his head was almost severed offpletely, hanging beside his body, and a holey i n the center of his chest. Tobias pushed me through the portal which led to my room. The moment I was in my room, I smacked into Tobias. ¡°You just let them, you just let them do it!¡± I screamed, smacking and punching him. Tobias whimpered, and my fist connected with his face. Tobias tried to restrain me, but I wouldn¡¯t stop. I hated them, hated them, they all just watched. Tobias became angry, pushed me back before walking back through the portal and disappearing as it closed. As soon as it did, my knees gave out beneath and turned into a sobbing mess as my knees hit the floor.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Trending Novels Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Aleera POV 1/ m.techkaushal - 500¡Á300 - 1 My stomach twisted, yet I weed the pain, anything to stop the memory of them allughing, anything to stop the sight of my mates just watching. Darius had brought food in earlier and set it down. I just stared ahead; I had no appetite, no will to do anything. Darius lingered, and I remained where I sat; I hadn¡¯t moved from the spot since, even though it was now dark and entire day had passed by. ¡°You should shower,¡± Darius said. Silence was all he earned in response; I didn¡¯t even acknowledge his existence. I didn¡¯t care if Darius killed them. He still watched what they did and only interfered in the end; he still allowed them to get to the point they got to. They still allowed them to humiliate me. I heard the door lock when he left. If he said anything else, I didn¡¯t hear him. Eventually, I got up and showered. The blood coating me made me itchy as it dried. I was numb to everything; I couldn¡¯t even feel the water beating down on my skin. It offered no warmth. Getting out, I walked back to my room, only t o hear the bathroom door lock a few momentster when one of them showered. I looked for clothes only to remember Darius emptied my room out of everything and everything was in their room. The only thing left was a fresh pair of underwear and a sports bra from the clothes he gave me this morning. Which were for tonight; the punishments never end. I slipped them on before climbing into bed. All night I shivered, freezing cold from only having a sheet, my teeth chattering after the fire had gone out earlier during the night. I only had woken up when I heard the cawing sound of m y Pheonix making me jolt upright. I rushed toward the window, trying to shove it open, but the damn thing was stuck, and I saw him fly to the window next door. He had done it before, but Tobias luckily shooed him off before Darius spotted him, and I wondered if Tobias fed him for me. The fact he was at the window, I doubted he had. I tapped o n mine, trying to get his attention and divert him away from their window. Panic seized me, and I banged louder. I knew they were all in their fucking earlier by the power that emanated from the room and seeped under the bathroom door, and I could also hear the shower running in the bathroom. It was only momentster that I heard the ss shatter, and my eyes flew wide as Ryze, looking for me, barged through and broke their window. I hit the door so hard that I nearly knocked myself out in my panic. The shower cut off, and I started pounding on the door, praying they would open it. I could hear Ryze screeching, hear Darius¡¯s angry voice and Lycus yelling, and things being smashed. My heart sank, and tears blurred my vision. When the bathroom door finally opened, I burst through, nearly slipping on the wet tiles. I didn¡¯t know who I barged past because all I cared about at that moment was getting to Ryze, who was squawking loudly. Bursting through into their room, everything was getting knocked over as Ryze pped around trying to avoid Darius¡¯s magic as he tossed it at him, but he had n o escape. ¡°Shit!¡± Tobias hissed behind me, barreling into the room as Darius sted him and I screamed. The sound was blood-curdling, and Darius scooped him up by his neck only for him to p his wings frantically, Ryze turned his head totch onto his hand. Darius growled and let go. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Ryze pped his wings frantically, trying to escape, when I saw Darius lift his hand, stunning him in the air. My body crashed against Darius as I tackled him, and we both hit the ground. Inded on top of him before turning to look for my phoenix. Lycus grabbed Ryze, who was stunned, holding him by his neck. Tobias rushed over, grabbing Ryze from Lycus, who looked happy to be rid of him. I let out a breath and got to my feet, and rushed toward Ryze in Tobias¡¯s arms as he moved toward the window. I ran over, and Tobias looked at me before his eyes went behind me. Within seconds, I was ripped backward by my hair and dropped on my ass at Darius¡¯ feet. 2 ¡°Fucking kill it and be done with it. Fucking thing broke the window,¡± Darius snarled, and I screamed at the thought, trying to get up only for Darius to growl at me. Tobias looked torn and clenched his jaw. ¡°What the fuck are you doing in here?¡± Darius snapped at me before wiping his mouth where my forehead connected when I tackled him. Blood trickled down his chin and my eyes went to Lycus and Kalen, who stood around looking stunned by the situation. Or maybe they feared my phoenix; I wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°No, he¡¯s mine,¡± I yelled. ¡°Kill it,¡± Darius said dismissively, and I wondered if he heard what I said. ¡°No, Tobias, don¡¯t do it,¡± I begged. Darius jerked my head back painfully. My neck craned so far back I actually fell back against his legs. Darius snarls and lets me go. Ryze shrieks again and starts pping, ruffling out his feathers and using his beak to climb up onto Tobias¡¯s shoulder. Tobias froze while Lycus gasped as Ryze fluffed out his feathers and puffed before ring at Darius. Tobias, too petrified to move, made a strangled noise as Ryze started grooming his beak through his wet hair. I tried to get up to go to him when Darius jerked me down by my shoulders, and Ryze lost it; he flew off Tobias¡¯s shoulder and started attacking Darius, wing at him and snapping his sharp beak at him. Tearing him to pieces up with his talons. Tobias, shaking himself out of the stupor, rushed toward Darius as he flung his magic blindly, and Tobias was sted back. Sticking my fingers in my mouth, I whistled, and Ryze stopped, flying back to me and settling on my shoulder. His talons dug into my shoulder, piercing my soft skin as I tried to calm him while Darius got up, his chest and shoulders bleeding and torn to shreds, and I rushed toward the window to toss Ryze out, only Dariusmanded me, and my feet halted. I choked on a sob, and my eyes went to Tobias near the window. Trending Novels Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Chapter 58 ¡°Please. Tobias.¡± I cried when I couldn¡¯t move my body, he looked torn and his chewed his lin. 1/ m.techkaushal - 500¡Á300 - 1 his eyes went to Ryze. ¡°Please,¡± I begged, tears trekking down my face, and I saw his lip quiver before his eyes went t o Darius behind me. ¡°Turn around, and someone better fucking exin why that thing just attacked me,¡± Darius snarled behind me. My feet obeyed hismand, and the moment I turned, Darius stalked toward me, reaching for Ryze. Just as he went to snatch him, Tobias grabbed him first, earning a re from Darius. Ryze screeched as Tobias plucked him off my shoulder, holding him as if he was an oversized chicken, his talons ripping from my skin painfully. ¡°Kill it,¡± Darius sneered. ¡°No, please,¡± I sobbed. My knees gave way beneath me, and I fell at his feet. He tilted his head t o the side, looking between Ryze and me before his eyes went to Tobias, who turned his head away from Darius¡¯s re. Lycus and Kalen remained still, their eyes not leaving Ryze like they were petrified to move if he attacked. Though he had no magic yet, but was still deadly, especially with how big he had grown in a few weeks. ¡°It¡¯s a phoenix, Aleera. They are fucking dangerous,¡± Darius spat at me. ¡°He is hers; she has been looking after him,¡± Tobias blurted, and Darius¡¯s eyes flickered toward him. He looked at Tobias, and Darius¡¯ eyes turned demonic. ¡°What, and you knew?¡± Darius asked, looking at Ryze, still clutched in his hand. Tobias sighed and nodded. ¡°His name is Ryze; Aleera found him injured and nursed him back to health; I knew you would kill him, so I never told you; it¡¯s also why she fainted, Darius. She was sharing her food with him,¡± Lycus scoffed, and everyone¡¯s eyes went to him while I sat helpless on the floor. ¡°What?¡± Darius asked him. ¡°No wonder she fucking fainted when she was only eating one meal a day,¡± Lycus said from behind Darius. ¡°Bullshit,¡± Darius snarled, and Lycus shrugged. I have seen them down there, so how would h e know? 1 ¡°I had to go sit with her the other day. They weren¡¯t letting her eat. I also spoke to one cook; h e said she only snuck in just as the doors opened to steal food but never went to lunch or dinner, hadn¡¯t until I told them toy-off her,¡± Lycus snapped at Darius. I dropped my gaze to the floor; the way he said it, I sounded like a thief. Shame washed over me. ¡°And you didn¡¯t think to fucking say anything?¡± Darius snapped at me, gripping my face and forcing me to look at him. I opened my mouth before closing it. There was no point defending myself, not against him. I didn¡¯t care what he did to me as long as he left Ryze alone. Ryze squawked, and Tobias set him on the floor; Ryze moved, hopped, and jumped toward me before stopping and hissing at Darius, who stepped back from him as Ryze curled up in myp. ¡°You let it bond to her?¡± Darius snarled and Ryze hissed at him. Lycus and Kalen moved further away from him in myp, and I stroked his feathers, calming him. ¡°How is that even possible?¡± Lycus gasped, and I went to say because I found him hurt, but Tobias stepped in. ¡°He was nearly dead when she found him. She said he tried to bite her but then got used to her. Somehow he bonded to her,¡± Tobias exined. ¡°And you didn¡¯t think to fucking say anything?¡± Darius snarled. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to let you kill it,¡± Tobias snapped back at him. ¡°Is this where you two have been sneaking off to every day? To feed that?¡± Darius growled, pointing to Ryze. Neither of us answered, and Darius snarled. ¡°Well, she can¡¯t keep it. What happens when it awakens?¡± Darius said, raising his hand, and m y eyes widened. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°No,¡± I yelled, covering Ryze with my body. Darius¡¯s feet stopped next to me before my head was jerked back. Ryze hissed and tried to bite him. I held him tighter, knowing Darius would kill him if he did. 1 ¡°I will do whatever you want; just don¡¯t hurt him,¡± I blurted out unthinkingly.Darius tilted his head, observing my face. ¡°Anything?¡± he asked, and I nodded, clutching Ryze, refusing to let him go as he hissed at Darius, who still had a hold of my hair. He shoved me forward, and I let out a breath. 1 Ryze cawed softly, rubbing his face and beak across my chest, making me remember I wasn¡¯t even clothed as I looked down to see I only had my bra and panties on. Goosebumps covered m y skin, and I looked at everyone, all of them staring at Darius before my eyes went to him, too. ¡°If I let you keep it, you will do what I ask?¡± I chewed the inside of my lip and saw Tobias shake his head. He scrubs a hand down his face. ¡°Darius, no! You have done enough damage today, don¡¯t you think?¡± Tobias snarled like he knew what Darius would ask. I just stared at him, wondering what it was he wanted. 1 ¡°Yes or no, Aleera, you do as I ask, or I kill your pet,¡± Darius snapped, and I looked at Ryze. His tongue slivered out and licked my chin, and I looked at Darius, sniffled but nodded my head. I ¡°Fuck sake, Darius,¡± Tobias snapped. ¡°Shut up! It¡¯s her choice. She could say no, and I kill it, or say yes, I will let her keep it.¡± ¡°Until you want something else from her,¡± Tobias snarled. ¡°He bites me or tries to attack me. I will kill him, go put him somewhere,¡± Darius snapped at m e, and I got up and went to rush to my room when he called out again. ¡°In here, he stays, but h e moves to hurt me. He dies,¡± Darius says, and I froze, wondering why he kept saying that before looking for a spot to put him. Trending Novels Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Chapter 59 I looked at the open window and swept the ss off before cing him on it. His talons dug into the wood, and the ss crunched under his weight. He didn¡¯t fly off. I was hoping he would, but he remained. Tobias cursed under his breath, and I looked to Lycus and Kalen, but Kalen had a strange look on his face like he was dazed. 1 1/ m.techkaushal - 500¡Á300 - 1 ¡°Kalen won¡¯te to your aid, Aleera; he can¡¯t. He can speak, but he won¡¯t help.¡± Tears brimmed in Kalen¡¯s eyes, and that exined why he kind of just moved around wherever Lycus pulled him. Making me wonder what happened to him after the mess hall incident. ¡°Come here,¡± Darius said, and I rubbed my arms against the draft, trying to cover my exposed skin. I hesitantly moved toward Darius, who smirked. ¡°You said anything,¡± he chuckled darkly, and my stomach dropped, wondering what he wanted me to do. My eyes roamed over his scratched-up torso. He only had on shorts, and I nervously looked at Tobias, who couldn¡¯t even meet my gaze. I gulped, and Ryze shrieked and stared at me. ¡°You carry on, and that thing attacks,¡± Darius said, and I nodded. I stopped in front of him, and Lycus looked away. Kalen dropped his head i n his hands. ¡°Shut it, Kalen,¡± Darius snapped at him, which only made me more nervous when I saw Kalen¡¯s shoulder shake as if he was crying. What the fuck have I just agreed to? ¡°Wasn¡¯t earlier fucking punishment enough, Darius?¡± Lycus snarled. ¡°I told you earlier I had nothing to do with that,¡± Darius snapped at him. It became clear why Kalen was silent. They must have argued with Darius over the incident in the mess hall. Darius had warned him away again, because the look on his face was helplessness. ¡°On your knees,¡± Darius said, and I looked at him. ¡°What?¡± I blurted in shock. ¡°You want your bird to live, get on your knees,¡± he said, slowly, and he pointed at his feet and I looked down before noticing his raging hard-on. I gasped and took a step back. Darius raised his hand and pointed at Ryze. No matter what he forced me to endure, it was never enough. Tears brimmed in my eyes, and I knew what he wanted, and it sickened me he would ask for that after earlier. Wasn¡¯t that enough humiliation for one day? 1 A sob left my lips as I dropped to my knees in front of him. Ryze shrieked, and I looked over at him, trying to shush him. He cawed before tucking his head under his wing and I let out a breath before looking up at Darius. 1 ¡°Suck it,¡± Darius said, looking down at me. I pressed my lips in a line, and I couldn¡¯t help the tears that spilled over, but I remained quiet because I knew if I made a noise, Ryze would attack him. I swallowed and looked at him, horrified, and he raised an eyebrow at me. ¡°Darius? ¡± Lycus hissed at him, and Darius growled. ¡°What will it be, Aleera?¡± Darius asked, and I held back a whimper. My hands shook terribly as I reached for his shorts. My cheeks heated as embarrassment washed over me as I gripped the waistband of his shorts. ¡°Darius!¡± Tobias snapped as my tears dripped off my chin and onto my knees. ¡°No teeth,¡± Darius mocked me. 3 I tugged his shorts down to his thighs before dropping my gaze, trying to will myself to put his thing in my mouth. I could barely see through my tears as I looked back at him. There was n o denying that he was huge. ¡°Haven¡¯t got all day, Aleera,¡± he said, leaning down and grabbing my hand. I whimpered when he forced my hand to grab his cock. 1 ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Hurry up. Don¡¯t make out you haven¡¯t done it before; I know what a fucking whore you are,¡± he snarled, and I shook my head, and he growled, making me flinch. 3 ¡°Three seconds or bye-bye, birdie,¡± Darius taunted when I heard a thump, making me jump and look in Tobias¡¯s direction to see his fist through the wall. He hissed, yanking it out, and I noticed Ryze watching him before he fluffed out his feather and tucked his head again, only this time peering into the room like an owl watching. Darius thrust into my hand. I nearly let g o at the feel, only he grabbed my hand before I could. ¡°Choose, Aleera,¡± Darius snapped at me. I¡¯m doing it for Ryze; I had to do this, I reminded myself even though I didn¡¯t have the slightest clue as to what to do besides putting it in my mouth. My gaze went back to his cock and I nearly gagged just at looking at the size of it. I swallowed before leaning forward on my knees and opening my mouth. Cringing at what I about to do. ¡°She¡¯s a fucking virgin, you fucking prick,¡± Kalen snapped and blurted out, and I froze. ¡°Yeah, right, she is 24, for fuck¡¯s sake?¡± Dariusughed, and I looked up at him. ¡°Darius, I swear to you she is. She giggled like a fucking school girl when she saw my dick; she wouldn¡¯t make that up,¡± Kalen said, and I dropped my eyes to the floor, my cheeks ming hot. Darius gripped my chin, forcing me to look up at him. He tilted his head to the side. ¡°Is he lying? Are you a virgin, Aleera?¡± My cheeks burned even hotter all down my neck and m y chest became hot as well. I nodded, and he looked at Tobias while keeping his grip on my chin. ¡°Say it, I swear if you¡¯re lying, Aleera,¡± Darius didn¡¯t finish, but the warning was clear. ¡°Ask her, and remember, I can tell if you are lying, Tobias; you can¡¯t lie for shit,¡± Darius told him. Darius turned his gaze back to me. ¡°Are you a virgin?¡± Darius asked. ¡°Yes,¡± I blurted, closing my eyes, feeling humiliated. ¡°She is telling the truth, Darius,¡± Tobias said, and Darius jerked away from me, his cock slipping out of my hand. My eyes opened to see Darius had pulled his pants up and was looking at me, horrified. 1 ¡°But you¡¯ve done things with guys before?¡± he demanded to know. I could feel all their eyes o n me. Every single one of them had their attention on me. ¡°No, I never even kissed anyone until I kissed Kalen if you call that a kiss,¡± I tell him, remembering the night I took his darkness. ¡°Wait, I was your first kiss, like an actual kiss?¡± Darius asked, though he sounded appalled. I looked up at him and nodded. ¡°And when I,¡± He gulped and Kalen snarled. ¡°When you fucking what, Darius?¡± Kalen snarled, and Lycus growled loudly, ring at Darius. 2 ¡°I didn¡¯t think she was fucking virgin, or I wouldn¡¯t have,¡± Darius said, and he pinched the bridge of his nose and puffed out his cheeks while shaking his head. 2 ¡°Please tell me that wasn¡¯t the first time anyone fingered you,¡± Darius mumbled, and Kalen jumped up furious, and I dropped my gaze, mortified that he just said that out loud. Lycus grabbed Kalen, pulling him down. ¡°You fucking jerk,¡± Kalen spat and his entire body trembled as Lycus wrapped his arms around Kalen tightly. ¡°I have done nothing with anyone. I was saving myself for my fucking mate until I found it was you lot,¡± I breathed while covering my face with my hands. 2 ¡°You saved yourself,¡± Tobias and Lycus asked simultaneously, clearly shocked by my words. I nodded. ¡°I have done nothing besides kissing Kalen, and Darius kissed me and did what he did,¡± I mumbled out thatst part. ¡°And I kissed Tobias,¡± I said, hoping they would stop their embarrassing line of questioning. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Wait, you have all kissed her?¡± Lycus asked, and I looked at him as he looked between the three of them. ¡°Well, nice for someone to fucking tell me,¡± Lycus snapped before sitting on the edge of the bed and folding his arms across his chest. It almost looked like he was pouting. 1 ¡°To be fair, I wasn¡¯t really with it when she kissed me,¡± Kalen told him, nudging him. Darius ran both hands through his hair and breathed out loudly. ¡°Get up,¡± he said, and I got to my feet, trying to cover myself. I looked at Ryze, and Darius followed my gaze and sighed. ¡°Just sleep in the bed with us. No one will touch you,¡± Darius said. ¡°Darius?¡± Tobias said, shaking his head. 1 ¡°I said no one will touch her; she wants to keep her bloody¡­ Ryze, she sleeps in the bed,¡± he says before worrying his lip between his teeth. I nodded as long as I didn¡¯t have to suck anyone¡¯s cock; I could live with that. ¡°Can I have a shirt, please?¡± I asked, and Darius¡¯s eyes ran the length of me, and he motioned toward their cupboard. I rushed in and grabbed a shirt before grabbing an extra for Ryze. When I turned around, Darius stood in the doorway. I took a step back from him and tugged the shirt on, not liking how his eyes lingered on my breasts. When he didn¡¯t move, I went to step past him, but he grabbed my arm. 2 ¡°I¡­ I wouldn¡¯t¡­ if I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have done it¡­ 1..¡± He stops, and he looks away before nodding and letting me go. I was pretty sure that was his version of an apology. He stared at me, and I could see the guilt on his face. He let out a breath before stepping aside so I could pass him. I rushed past him, going to the couch and making a mini nest out of Kalen¡¯s shirt. 1 I whistled, and Ryze flew over before burrowing down in it. Darius stared before shaking his head like he couldn¡¯t believe I was touching it like it was a puppy and not something that could tear us apart. Turning around, Darius wiped the blood off his chest with a wet cloth Tobias handed him, and I stared at the bed, wondering where I was supposed to lie. ¡°Lay where you want,¡± Darius said, climbing into bed. I looked to Kalen, who patted the spot between him and Lycus. Darius was on his other side, and I figured I was safest with him and Lycus. So I crawled in between them. Kalen tugged the nket up, and Lycusy stiffly beside me like he was afraid of touching me. Only to be squished against me when Tobias climbed in beside him. I sat up, trying to get comfortable, and Kalen wrapped his arm around my waist, tugging me closer while Lycus rolled on his back and ced his arm under the pillow I was using. ¡°I won¡¯t do anything; I can keep my hands to myself,¡± Lycus growled. ¡°And apparently my lips,¡¯ he added, earning a growl from Tobias. Iid down, tucked between Lycus and Kalen. Lycus tossed his arm over me and onto Kalen, and I sank down between them, enjoying their warmth and relieved my Pheonix was alright. Trending Novels Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Chapter 60 The next morning, I woke up to somebody nudging me. With a groan, I rolled to find Lycus stiff as a board next to me and looking at the ceiling. Fingers jabbing in my ribs had me turning to look at Kalen, who was also perfectly still. I yawned and rubbed my eyes, only for him to nudge me again. 1/ m.techkaushal - 500¡Á300 - 1 ¡°What?¡± I groan, rolling on my side to face and Lycus whimpers behind me and Kalen lifts his hand, jabbing it in Lycus¡¯s direction, and I peer over my shoulder to see Ryze leaning down off the headboard. Ryze¡¯s head turned from side to side as he scrutinized Lycus¡¯s face. His long snake-like tongue slivers out of his beak and up the side of Lycus¡¯s face, who pales considerably as it runs across the shadow of stubble on his cheek. 3 I giggle at how terrified he looked. He didn¡¯t even blink like he was too scared to. The corner of his lip opens. ¡°Get it, get it away,¡± he grumbles, and Ryze caws loudly in his face. Lycus¡¯s eyes m shut before he peeks one open to Ryze¡¯s beak, nearly touching his nose as he leaned down. ¡°Ryze, leave him be; you are scaring him.¡± I yawn, and Ryze puffs out his feather and shudders; I sit up only for him to jump off the headboard onto my shoulder. His talons dug painfully into my shoulder. ¡°We really need to cut your nails,¡± I hissed at him. ¡°There is no we about it. I ain¡¯t holding that thing down while you go at him with scissors,¡± Lycus hisses, now able to move without being stared down by Ryze. I roll my eyes at their fear while Ryze snaps his beak at him, making him flinch and jump off the bed and away from him. Kalen rolls away from me, not even willing to sit up with him sitting on my shoulder. A soft thud reaches my ears as he hits the carpeted floor. 2 ¡°And you¡¯re supposed to be the big scary Wraith¡¯s, scared of my baby phoenix,¡± I chuckle before blowing kiss faces at Ryze, who immediately drops his head, pressing his beak to my lips so I could kiss it. 1 ¡°I have seen them pluck the eyes out of a demon, and I mean pluck it out! With its tongue! Like a scoop of ice cream, you are bloody nuts even touching it,¡± Lycus shivered just as the bathroom door opened up and Tobias stepped out. Ryze flew off my shoulder and over to him, making Kalen duck and drop to the floor, a shriek leaving him as he covered his head with his hands. Tobias grunts as his talons dig into his shoulder, and Ryze bangs his beak on top of Tobias¡¯s head. ¡°In a minute, let me get dressed,¡± Tobias groans, moving around the room and finding his clothes, with Ryze perched on his shoulder. Ryze had gotten so big his tail nearly reached the floor even while perched on Tobias, who was easily 6 feet tall. Looking around the room, I noticed Darius wasn¡¯t in the room, only for him to step out of the bathroom a few secondster with a towel wrapped around his waist also. ¡°Good, you¡¯re awake,¡± he says, walking out only for Ryze to nip him when he walks past. My heart leaped into my throat, but Darius waved his hand at him, shooing him. ¡°Control it, Aleera. I don¡¯t like them, and that is the second time this morning it has taken a chunk out of me,¡± Darius hissed, wiping his shoulder where Ryze got him. ¡°He picks up on her. He knows you scare her. What do you expect?¡± Tobias says before opening the window that I noticed was now fixed. ¡°You fixed it already?¡± I asked. ¡°Magic!¡± Kalen said, wiggling his fingers, and I frowned before sighing and moving to the end of the bed, only for Ryze to fly over to me. This time Lycus dropped to the floor as Ryze swooped past. Darius growls, stepping over him. ¡°Get a grip of yourself; it¡¯s a bloody bird,¡± Darius snapped at him. ¡°Eyeballs, they eat eyeballs,¡± Lycus growls at him. ¡°Nope, they eat mice mainly,¡± Tobias says, turning around with one in his hands from the cage. I didn¡¯t even notice that he had brought here. He tossed the mouse, and like a cobra, Ryze struck and chomped it. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°I think I am going to be sick,¡± Kalen murmured, turning a little green. Ryze licked his beak clean before flying toward the open window, and I shrieked, knowing there were probably demons downstairs out and about. Usually, he went outte afternoon. Rushing to the window, I peered out to see a few jogging the perimeter, but he flew up onto the roof. I sighed, a breath of relief leaving me, and I pulled my head back in the window. ¡°Can we swap sses this morning?¡± Darius asks Lycus while looking over at him. Lycus¡¯s shoulders sag, but he nods. ¡°Why, where are you going?¡± Tobias asked him. ¡°In town.. Aleera,¡± Darius says, turning his finger in the air, wanting me to turn around. My brows furrow when I see him grip his towel, and I turn my back on him. Lycus smirks at me, folding his arms across his chest. 1 ¡°What ss has Aleera got this morning?¡± Lycus asks. ¡°Mine,¡± Tobias says. ¡°Swap?¡± Lycus asks, and Tobias growls at him. ¡°Why, what ss is Darius got this morning?¡± I asked while taking some clothes; Kalen went and retrieved for me. Tugging the shirt off over my head, I tossed it on the bed before pulling the tank top on over my sports bra, only to look up to find them all staring at me. Lycus clears his throat as I pull the shorts on. 2 ¡°Um, what were we talking about?¡± Lycus asks, and I huff. ¡°What ss do you have of Darius?¡± I ask, shaking my head. Trending Novels Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Chapter 61 ¡°A practice one,¡± Lycus answers. ¡®Then definitely not going to leave a theory ss, only to have my ass set on fire for a few hours,¡± I tell him. 1 Tobias smiles triumphantly like he just won some prize, and Lycus groans, stalking off into the closet to get changed. Darius wanders in after him, and I get ready to head down to the mess hall when Darius comes out chucking me a shoebox; I caught it. My eyes lit up. Finally, shoes again. I pulled the joggers out, only for him to hand me some socks. ¡°You go to Lycus¡¯s ss this morning,¡± Darius says. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°But?¡± Tobias whines and I snatched the socks off him. ¡°Shut it,¡± Darius snaps at Tobias. I slip the shoes on before standing up and moving toward the door, pissed off I was going to spend the next two hours getting burned. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Darius asked as I moved past him. ¡°Breakfast, where else?¡± I ask him. ¡°You eat with us from now on,¡± ¡°And join your morning fuck-fest, no thanks,¡± I tell him. ¡°No one is fucking; I have to leave for a couple of hours. You eat with us from now on. All meals are with us. I don¡¯t want you in the mess hall,¡± Darius said, pulling a jacket on before pecking Lycus¡¯s lips as he walked out of the closet dressed in blue faded jeans and a cktop. Darius then left. 1 After breakfast, I sulked the entire way down to the training fields. ring at Lycus¡¯s back, everyone murmured and watched me cautiously as I followed him, not willing to leave his side. Tears burned my eyes at the memory of all these men seeing me nearly wholly naked. Lycus moved to the center and told everyone to partner up. Nobody stepped forward to partner up with me, and I thought for sure I was going to be able to sit this one out. ¡°Aleera, you¡¯re with,¡± Lycus¡¯ eyes scanned around before he called Gerald over. ¡°Gerald with Aleera,¡± I pressed my lips in a line, and he looked over at me before looking at Lycus. This fucker refused to let me serve myself. He was always on kitchen duty. ¡°But?¡± Gerald whined. ¡°You¡¯re with Aleera,¡± Lycus told him, and he dropped his head and stormed over. Everyone moved into their circles, the ones we weren¡¯t supposed to step out of, or it was instant point deduction. Too many point deductions, and it was a fail. I obviously was failing miserably in all practice sses. ¡°This is bullshit, Lycus. We hurt her Darius will fucking kill us. I can¡¯t spar with her?¡± Gerald said, motioning to me. ¡°You can, and you will, no repercussions, fry her,¡± Lycus said, and I took a step back as Gerald¡¯s eyes sparkled at me. My back hit a wall of muscle, and I nced over my shoulder to see Lycus. He ran his hands down my arms, and I felt his magic zapping against my skin. ¡°You¡¯re a Pyro,¡± I murmured, feeling my skin warm. ¡°Hmm, and electro,¡± He murmured before I felt the urge to pull on it. I had to stamp down the desire to take it. I had tasted his power before, but wasn¡¯t sure of what he could do with it. ¡°Take it,¡± Lycus whispered below my ear before pressing his face into my neck. His hands moved to my wrist before his fingers locked between mine. ¡°But Darius?¡± I worried. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to give it to you without him saying so,¡± Lycus murmured against my shoulder. I looked at Gerald, and he tilted his head to the side. In fact, I noticed everyone staring in our direction at Lycus¡¯s closeness to me and the way his arms wrapped around me, his hands holding mine. My only issue was trying not to let my white magic show, which wasn¡¯t a major issue. I only used my dark while masking my lighter side throughout school, but it had also been six years o fnot using magic. Yet as I felt it caress over my skin, I gasped before squeezing his fingers slightly, and his magic bled into my skin, making me gasp and warm all over; my toes curled i n my shoes at the sensation as it rushed through me. 1. My entire body shivered from my toes to my head, and Gerald smirked at the challenge; his smirk dropped when I smiled back at him like a Cheshire cat, and I let go of Lycus¡¯s hands. Lycus stepped back and out of the circle. He stood on the side between us, and I flexed my fingers when Gerald spoke. ¡°Ready, Aleera?¡± Heughed, and I turned my palm up, creating a fireball in my hand, molding it into the shape of an arrow. I giggled as it heated my skin, and I looked over at him t o see his eyes grow wide when I felt the jolt of a zap and looked over at Lycus as electricity zapped through the mes in my hand sizzling around the arrow me I created. He nodded t o me before I turned to face Gerald, letting the fire morph back into a ball, tossing my fireball i n my hand. ¡°Oh scary, let¡¯s see what you got then, sneaky Lycus,¡± Gerald taunted, yet I couldn¡¯t get the smile off my lips, much too excited to y this game now. Iughed at his words and challenge, which he seemed amused about. In school, I had to mask how good with fire I truly was, making sure my grades were mediocre and didn¡¯t draw attention to the fact I had more power than most before I manifested. Here I didn¡¯t have to mask my strength, just my lighter side. As I turned the fireball into ava one, my eyes gleamed with that knowledge. Gerald gulped and took a step back. ¡°What¡¯s your highest heat record again?¡± I asked him, and he folded his arms cockily because he held the highest record in the ss at 2200 degrees Celsius. ¡°2200,¡± heughed. ¡°You¡¯re so fucked,¡± I giggled, and hisughter stopped. ¡°What¡¯s your then?¡± he demanded. ¡°You¡¯re about to find out,¡± I smiled before setting the ring surrounding us on fire. Trending Novels Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Gerald jumped as the ring around us set on fire, the heat warming us while my eyes glowed with excitement. How I had missed having magic. ¡°That¡¯s the best you got,¡± Gerald taunted. I smirked before feeling the tether to my power strengthen, morphing it before I lifted my hands out to the sides above my head before tossing them down. The mes exploded in a cylinder-shaped wall around us. The fire flew towards the sky, higher than the castle¡¯s tallest point, and I chuckled while Gerald¡¯s mouth fell open. I couldn¡¯t see those standing outside of our circle, but the murmurs at my reach with the mes had them gasping in shock. ¡°Pretty sure, I just broke the record for highest,¡± I giggled. ¡°Not the hottest,¡± Gerald said with a cocky grin. ¡°How hot is cutting fire again?¡± I asked him. ¡°Yeah, right 3700, pfft?¡± he murmured, admiring my towering wall of mes. ¡°I burn hotter,¡± I whispered, and his smile fell as he looked over at me. Moving my hand, he watched as I turned my palm up before the mes burned brightly, turning purple and blue burning so bright I watched as he squinted from the harsh rays of light it emanated. Clenching my fist, the wall of fire plunged toward the earth, burrowing deep into the surface of the rock. However, maintaining it to remain on the ring¡¯s outer edge took some concentration as I cut the circle out, burning a hole through the ground turning the rock to moltenva. It bubbled u p, spewing out of the gaps as I cut a ring around us, leaving us in the center. In contrast,va bubbled and bled from the earth. Everyone jumped back and Gerald too, before nearly tumbling into the gap behind him before jumping toward me. It stopped with a twist of my wrist as I felt myself growing weaker from not having used that much power in so long. Gerald noticed my exhaustion as theva darkened as it cooled, and he smirked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Aleera? Can¡¯t hold it long?¡± he chirped before he shrieked as I flicked my fingers toward him and engulfed him in mes. He danced, trying to extinguish the mes covering him as I controlled the fire enough not to touch his skin, only burning his clothes from his entire body and hair. Still, the shriek of terror from him had everyoneughing as he jumped around like his ass was on fire. My own giggles as he shrieked, patting himself down before rolling on the ground made the mes cut out. Momentarily distracting me. He stopped thrashing, only to see he wasn¡¯t burned, just very naked and looking like a hairless cat. Even his eyebrows were gone. I snickered, and Gerald red at me. ¡°Pretty sure I just broke your record. Do you want another demonstration, Gerald? I¡¯m pretty sure I can melt you down. Shall we see what you¡¯re really made of?¡± I challenged. Gerald growled and jumped to his feet, rushing toward me like an enraged rhino. Lycus stepped over the gap. I cut into the ground and into his path. He halted instantly, nearly tripping over himself in his effort to not run into Lycus¡¯s wall of muscle. Gerald growled, ring at me over Lycus¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Issue Gerald?¡± Lycus asked, and Gerald looked between Lycus and me before sneering and turning on his heel. He stalked off while cursing under his breath. Lycus then turned to face me, a grin on his face. ¡°So you¡¯re a fire element,¡± he said, eyes sparkling with the knowledge. That made me a little nervous because they may start questioning if I showed any ability in any other element. Lycus held his hand out, and I sighed, knowing he wanted me to give it back, or what¡¯s left of it anyway. ¡°I would let you keep it, but,¡± ¡°But Darius,¡± I answered for him, and he nodded. I rolled my eyes before brushing my fingertips over his palm and giving his magic back to him. Turning around to follow him back inside, I stopped when I noticed Darius standing by the edge of the field with Tobias and Kalen. Looking over at Lycus, he shrugged. ¡°They came to see if you were indeed a fire element like all of us,¡± Lycus shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re all fire?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, we all have a low ability in all elements. Fire is our strongest manifestation, except Darius. He is a dark elemental. Tobias has a few other gifts, thepulsion and his ability to tell if someone is lying. He can also manipte a person¡¯s emotions,¡± Lycus exined as we walked toward them. ¡°What about Kalen?¡± I asked, already knowing he could read auras. ¡°Fire, but he is a lot weaker, being that he is just a pure dark Fae; he can also read auras better than anyone I have ever met. Tobias twin was almost as good as Kalen at reading auras,¡± ¡°Tobias¡¯s twin? The one that died?¡± I asked. ¡°What makes you think he is dead?¡± Lycus asked, and I shrugged. ¡°The way Tobias acted when I asked about him, but also, I think I have seen him before,¡± I murmured, trying to remember why I felt that way. Lycus said nothing, or maybe he wasn¡¯t allowed to answer the underlying question for that one. ¡°So, Kalen, besides the auras?¡± I asked, and he shrugged. ¡°He has a low manifestation in all; he seemed like he had never manifested; maybe it was his upbringing? Although he¡¯s a strong empath which is unusual for dark Fae makes him a better observer of emotions,¡± Lycus said, and my brows furrowed. We stopped by Darius and the others when Darius spoke. ¡°I looked through all of your records. I didn¡¯t find anything that indicated you were strong with this element or any actually,¡± I shrugged, and Darius studied my face intently for a moment. ¡°Do you have any other gifts besides being able to harness the fire element?¡± Lycus asked curiously. I cleared my throat, especially knowing Tobias was right there, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to lie without him noticing straight away. I couldn¡¯t risk questions that would lead them t o know I was a harmony elemental. That would really grind Darius¡¯s gears if he knew I would b e as strong as him with magic, possibly stronger, seeing as I still wasn¡¯t aware of the limits of my magic I have if given the chance to use them. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Trending Novels Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Chapter 63 ¡°What¡¯s the next ss?¡± I asked, changing the subject. Darius eyed me suspiciously, and Kalen stared at me. His eyes were more around my body than on me, so I knew he was assessing my aura, making me nervous as to what he was seeing. I was careful not to let it touch my lighter side. but I wasn¡¯t sure exactly how auras worked. I could feel them but not see them the way he did. ¡°You have a theory ss with Darius,¡± Lycus said, oblivious to the strange questioning tension surrounding us. ¡°Come on, we will bete,¡± Darius said though the look on his face never changed; I reluctantly followed him to the ssroom. When Kalen wandered into the room with me, I stopped and looked at him. ¡°Darius said I could join you,¡± he smiled, bumping my shoulder and pointing to a desk by Darius¡¯s. With a sigh, I pulled the chair out and sat in it. Kalen sitting beside me. The lecture was boring, and I felt extremely exhausted and heavy. Kalen nudged me halfway through.¡±You okay?¡± he whispered, and I nodded, feeling sluggish. Only a few minutes after h e asked, my stomach cramped and twisted painfully. Forgetting about the shredding with my excitement of being trusted with magic earlier, it wasn¡¯t until I felt my underwear dampen that I gasped. Moving my legs, I hoped I imagined it. When I did, horror washed over me, and I nced down at my jeans to find a small red stain on my inner thigh. ncing around the room, everyone was deep into discussing whatever the heck Darius was talking about. Sweat began to bead on the back of my neck as the cramping got worse, and I felt nauseous. My chair screeched as I slid it back before running from the room. ¡°Aleera?¡± Darius snapped, but I didn¡¯t stop; instead, I took off, wanting to get back to my old room. Please, please, please, I prayed before I felt my pants be saturated. The sounds of people walking in my direction had me rush into the first bathroom I came across. I bolted into the cubicle, locked the door, and dread filled me. How did I forget? Looking down, I felt the blood drain from my face when I found my pantspletely soaked; I could feel blood trailing down my legs and filling my shoes. 6 years I had put off the shredding, and now I know why they say not to, but I had no choice. However, I was regretting that now, as my feet became slippery on the tiled floor, it was like 6 years of shredding came at once. I looked like I was bleeding to death, my blue jeans now soaked red; frantically, I started ripping toilet paper out of the holder, trying to clean it up. It was no use, and I was mortified. How would I get back to my room, and what happens tomorrow when it¡¯s over, and I start shredding my nonexistent power? Trying to see through my blurred vision from the bloody tears I was shedding, I tried to clean the mess I was making, the tiles beneath me pooling with blood. My tears made the mess worse. It was another side-effect of shredding; our tear ducts changed. Our entire body changed for the shredding. Even my tears had turned to blood. Giving up, I sat on the toilet, I had no idea how long I was in there, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to open the door and have everyone see me like this. It wasn¡¯t bad enough that I was tormented daily and now had to be tortured over something I had no control over. Shame washed through me. ¡°She hasn¡¯t run, she wouldn¡¯t, Darius,¡± I heard Kalen tell Darius as I heard everyone in the halls outside the bathroom searching for me. My face heated at the idea of them finding me in this state. Yet I was in too much pain and too embarrassed to ask for their help. I wiped my bloody tears; I knew I was smearing blood over my face, but what else could I do? The tears wouldn¡¯t stop just like the damn shredding wouldn¡¯t. My stomach felt like it was twisting in knots. I would be stuck like this for at least the next 24 hours, although I wasn¡¯t sure since I had avoided this for 6 years on the run, and if this was anything to go off maybe, it wouldst longer. ¡°Fucking find her,¡± I heard Darius scream angrily at someone before hearing Tobias¡¯s voice, and my stomach dropped. ¡°Can anyone else smell blood?¡± he asked. Darius¡¯s yelling was cut off. I listened to the bathroom door jiggle. My heart beat frantically in my ears as it was pushed open. I stood up trying to find an escape but found none when I heard it creak open all the way. I held my hand on the cubicle door. Tobias growled, and the sound was more like a savage beast. ¡°Get him out,¡± Darius snapped at someone. ¡°Is she hurt?¡± I heard Kalen ask before my cheeks med when I heard one of them sniff the air. ¡°Aleera, I know you¡¯re in here. Open the fucking door; you don¡¯t just run out of my ss,¡¯ Darius growled. 1 ¡°I said get him out!¡± Darius roared; I heard a struggle before Lycus growled, and I heard the door shut as Lycus, pushing who I am assuming is Tobias out the door, My lip quivered, my vision blurred worse, and had tinged red. ¡°Aleera, open the door,¡± Darius snarled, pulling on the door handle. A sob tore out of me as I panicked, looking between the gap that went to the next cubicle over, but I was not going to fit through it. Darius growled before kicking the door. It flew inwards, and I screamed at the bang before dropping down and trying to cover myself. Blood coated the floor and me, my hands covered i n it from trying to clean it up, and Darius gasped. Yet I couldn¡¯t even look up to meet his gaze far too embarrassed. ¡°Is she alright? What is it?¡± Kalen asked. I looked up to see Darius just staring at me before looking over his shoulder at Kalen, who I couldn¡¯t see. ¡°She is fine. Just go,¡± Darius told him. ¡°What?¡± Kalen asked. ¡°I said go, go check on Tobias,¡± Darius told him. ¡°What, no, Aleera?¡± Kalen stepped closer,ing into view. He gasped as he peered into the cubicle. Darius growled at him, but Kalen pushed past him before reaching for me. I pulled my bloody hand away from him when he tried to grab it. Kalen looked over his shoulder at Darius, and I swallowed at the pitiful look they both gave me. ¡°Find her some fresh clothes,¡± Darius murmured, putting his hand on Kalen¡¯s shoulder, who didn¡¯t look like he knew what to do. Hell, I didn¡¯t even know, and it was my body. Kalen nodded before rushing off. Darius crouched down, and I looked away from him. ¡°This is why you wanted the devil¡¯s bane. You weren¡¯t running, were you?¡± Darius asked. I swallowed and nodded, and he sighed. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you cleaned up,¡± he murmured, and I looked at him, horrified at the thought of stepping out of this cubicle. ¡°I am not going out there. They will see me,¡± I panicked before pressing my face into my knees. However, the tears wouldn¡¯t stop making this already gory scene worse. Darius moved beside me before I felt his hand smooth down the back of my hair. Never in all m y life have I ever been so embarrassed. I am just d this didn¡¯t happen in the mess hall; I thought that was the most embarrassing thing I would face, oh how wrong I was. Darius sighed when I felt arms go underneath my legs and behind my back, making me jump and try t o move away from him. ¡°Stop, don¡¯t. I¡¯m bleeding all over you,¡¯ I cried, flustered. Darius ignored me and just scooped me up off the floor. ¡°It¡¯s just blood; I¡¯m not squeamish,¡± Darius murmured, pressing his face into my neck I looked at the mess on the floor, knowing someone would see it when I felt his skin heat. He moved his fingers, the tiles catching on fire and the blood staining it evaporated and burning off the tiles before I felt the room shudder. He turned, stepping through a portal and into the bathroom attached to our rooms. He sat me on the edge of the bathtub before turning toward the shower, just as Kalen suddenly rushed in with towels and clothes beforeing over to m e. He cupped my face in his hands. ¡°It¡¯s fine, nothing to be embarrassed about,¡± he whispered before kissing my forehead when I noticed Darius started stripping his clothes off. Kalen nced out over to him, and he bit his lip. ¡°Find some feminine products. Surely we have something here she can use until I can take her i n town,¡± Darius said. Though I doubted that. What purpose would an army of men have with feminine products? Kalen rushed out and shut the door while I peered over at Darius, who stood with his briefs drenched in my blood. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Darius tested the water temperature with his hand before walking over to me; he stopped in front of me before gripping my arms and pulling me to my feet. My face heated, my skin was prickling with heat, and my stomach cramped. I hunched forward slightly, the pain unbearable when Darius started undoing my pants¡¯ button and zip. I grabbed his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t, this is embarrassing enough,¡± I muttered, but he shook my hand off his ignoring me, and I was forced to grab his shoulder when he shoved my pants down that were sticking to my skin. I hissed, feeling like I was suddenly waxed. ¡°Sorry,¡± Darius murmured before gripping my panties and tugging them down. I stepped out o f them, looking anywhere but at him, wishing the ground would open up and swallow me whole. I removed my top coated in blood from crying when I felt Darius undo the zip in the middle of my sports bra, making me quickly clutch the front closed. ¡°Seriously, I have already seen them, just like the rest of you,¡± he says. I sighed before turning and tugging my arms out of it. Darius moved toward the shower and motioned for me to get in. I stepped into the shower, the warm water helped, and the floor turned red as my humiliation washed down the drain along with any dignity I had left. Darius stepped in behind me and moved the shower head higher, so it sprayed toward the wall near the seating piece before sitting down on the shower recess. He gripped my wrist, tugging me onto hisp. I tried to get off him, but he wrapped his arm around my waist, holding me in ce before reaching for the soap. My stomach cramping made me squirm when I felt his hand heat against my stomach. The extra heat helped, and I leaned against him. ¡°You should have reminded us of the shredding. Why didn¡¯t you say anything? I would have made sure we had feminine products.¡± ¡°I was going to stop it; that¡¯s why I wanted the devil¡¯s bane,¡± ¡°That¡¯s how you managed while running?¡± I nodded, and my body tensed as pain rippled through me, and he pushed harder on my stomach, his hand heating more. ¡°I will take you in town once we find something to tide you over,¡± Darius murmurs behind m e. Blood trailed down his legs from me sitting on hisp, my eyes moving to the steady stream, and I tried to wash it off when he grabbed my hand, tugging it back onto myp. 1 ¡°It¡¯s fine Aleera, it¡¯s not the first time I have been covered in blood,¡± I shuddered at the memory of the exploded demons and gory bloody limbs from the mess hall when he tore apart Zac and his friends for their wandering hands. The door opens up and Lycus and Kalene in holding fistfuls full of cotton buds and medical supplies. ¡°Really Kalen, a band-aid?¡± Darius asked, and Lycus nudged him. ¡°I found a wound dressing?¡± Lycus said, holding it up and Darius growled at him while shaking his head ¡°Find a face washer or something. What the heck is she going to do with a band-aid?¡± Darius said while I was too busy staring at the wall. It was sweet that they were trying to help, but they just made an already awkward situation more embarrassing. ¡°Out, you are both bloody useless. Where is Tobias?¡± ¡°In the room, trying not toe in here and gobble her up,¡± Kalen snickered. ¡°Out, both of you, and get my car ready,¡± Darius told Lycus, who nodded. ¡°You¡¯re driving into the town?¡± ¡°Yes, now go,¡± Darius hissed them, and they both left. ¡°Do you want toe with me? I am not really sure about buying tampons, wait do you use tampons or,¡± he shakes his head, obviously finding this topic of conversation just as awkward. ¡°Ah, no, I have never shredded before,¡± I tell him, my face heating at this discussion. ¡°Well, we can both be as clueless together then,¡± Trending Novels Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Eventually, the pain rippling through me eased enough that I could stand without wanting to double over, Darius quickly washed while I grabbed my towel. Despite being mortified at the situation I found myself in. Darius didn¡¯t seem horrified like I would have expected. He wrapped a towel around his waist before removing his briefs underneath and tossing them i n the washing hamper. Kalen had set out some clothes for me on the counter, and I moved toward them while Darius looked below the counter. Rummaging around before pulling out a face washer. He tore it in half before folding it. ¡°Not ideal, but will do until I can get you in town. Or maybe rolled up toilet paper?¡± He said, holding up the torn face washer. I nodded, my cheeks ming. But hey, at least he is resourceful. ¡°Get changed; I will meet you in the room,¡± he said before walking out. It felt like I was wearing a diaper. I was paranoid that I looked like I was walking like a cowboy who spent thest week riding bareback across the country. Yet it worked and held in ce, but I definitely wouldn¡¯t be doing any strenuous exercise with this thing stuck between my legs. Opening the door, I froze. Tobias was sitting in the armchair by the firece. Ryze was on his chest, lying on his back while Tobias stroked his tummy feathers. His long tail feathers ran down his legs to the floor. 5 ¡°I¡¯m fine, Aleera; you just caught me off guard. I won¡¯t hurt you,¡± Tobias said. Ryze hearing him speak, rolled onto his tummy. ¡°I swear he thinks he is ap cat,¡± Tobias chuckled, and Ryze puffed out his feather before flying over to me and perching on my shoulder. He yed with my hair using his beak and made a cooing noise. Lycus and Kalen were sitting on the bed just staring at Ryze while I scratched his feathers, and Darius walked out of the closet dressed in jeans and a ck shirt. Ryze hissed at him as he drew closer, and Tobias chucked Darius a set of car keys. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. You have been our keeper for years and never went through a shredding.¡± Kalen murmured. Darius stopped in his tracks and blinked at him before raising an eyebrow at him. ¡°I am male and technically not your keeper; she is,¡± Darius said, pointing to me. Ryze snapped at his pointed finger and hissed at him while I tried not to giggle at Kalen¡¯s question. ¡°I¡¯m checking,¡± Lycus says, pulling out his phone while Kalen looks over his shoulder. ¡°You can¡¯t be that stupid. How many times in thest 6 years have you seen me bleeding every six months?¡± Darius said with a shake of his head. ¡°Well, it¡¯s roughly every six months when you lock us in the room and fuck us every which way from Sunday,¡± Lycus said. ¡°Ah, yeah,st time, I couldn¡¯t sit properly for a week,¡± Kalen mumbled, earning augh from me. Tobias sniggered before appearing thoughtful. ¡°Huh, that is true; he does have a point,¡± Tobiasughed. Darius shakes his head when Kalen pouts, looking over his shoulder, reading whatever Lycus is looking at. ¡°So it should onlyst a day, then you shred power, hmm. Did you know during the shredding power- shared canst a year and is at its strongest for the mates; it amplifies threefold?¡± Lycus tells us. I chewed the inside of my lip when Kalen spoke. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have been keeping track of that sort of stuff?¡± Kalen asked, and my face heated. ¡°She has never gone through it before. I was wrong the other day when I said she ran. Aleera was trying to find some devil¡¯s bane,¡± Darius admitted rubbing his thumb across his lip and looking at me. Lycus nods before looking up at him. ¡°Yes, it says here, the root, if brewed and ingested, will stop the shredding.¡± His brows furrow before he continues. ¡°Aleera, that stuff is still poisonous. It could have killed you if you drank too much and has severe side effects, like delirium, vomiting, hallucinations, and an entire list of them,¡± Lycus says. ¡°Wait, she was looking for the devil¡¯s bane? Did we hear that right? Did Darius just admit he was wrong? Shit, get your phones. We need him to repeat that so we have evidence,¡± Lycus taunted. Darius growled before walking over to me and stopping in front of me. Ryze hissed at him. ar ¡°Stop it; I am not hurting her. Now off so I can take her into town,¡± Darius said, holding his arm out for Ryze to climb off. Ryze hisses, his long tongue snaking out and flicking at Darius¡¯s face, but I caress his tummy feathers. He turns his head, pressing his beak to my lips before climbing onto Darius¡¯s arm, which surprised me. Darius gulped and walked very stiffly toward Tobias, where Ryze jumped off him and back onto Tobias¡¯s chest. Tobias huffed at his weightnding on him. At the same time, Ryze shook himself before rubbing his feathery head all over Tobias¡¯s shirt. When Tobias didn¡¯t scratch his feathers, he bit him, making Tobias hiss. ¡°Ok. bloody bird, I will scratch your damn tummy, roll over,¡± Tobias hissed, rubbing the spot Ryze bit him. Darius shakes his head at Ryze before walking toward me. ¡°Even the bloody bird gets kissed before me,¡± Lycus mumbles, making me look over at him. Darius growls at him before his eyes move to mine. 1 ¡°Can you just kiss that idiot, so he stops pouting and getting jealous of a damn bird?¡± Darius growled. 1 ¡°I don¡¯t want no sympathy kiss, Darius, fuck off,¡± Lycus snarled at him, and Darius shrugged, unperturbed by Lycus¡¯ whining. ¡°Come on,¡± Darius said,ing to take my elbow when Ryze shrieked, flying over to me ¡°Bird, you can¡¯te,¡± Darius snapped at him. ¡°Howe we don¡¯t just portal? Wouldn¡¯t it be quicker?¡± I asked him, trying to get Ryze to go back to Tobias. ¡°Quicker, yes, but we also need to grab a few things, and I am not a pack mule. Besides, we will need to try to keep our reserves strong for when you shred tomorrow,¡± Darius answered. I gasped and took a step back. ¡°Pardon?¡± I asked, and Darius stopped looking over at me. ¡°You will need our power to shred, Aleera,¡± ¡°You will give me power?¡± I asked, and everyone stared at Darius, shocked. Darius said nothing, just looked between us all before raking his hand down his face. ¡°Can we just go?¡± Darius said. However, I now had something else to worry about. If Darius allowed me to shred. There was no way I would be able to hide what I am. That scared me the most. My mother always told me to keep what I am hidden, and shredding would be doing the opposite. ¡°Ryze, you can¡¯te,¡± Darius told him, and Ryze hissed at him, refusing to get off. I tried passing him to one of the others, but Lycus and Kalen nearly jumped out of their skin when I offered Ryze to them. Darius shook his head, and Tobias got up and walked over to me. ¡°Come, I will take him downstairs. He probably wants to go fly,¡± Tobias said, following us out. Kalen and Lycus also followed but kept their distance from Ryze, who was quite antsy inside the castle. He flew off my shoulder and out of a window, and I sighed. We made our way downstairs when I heard screeching, and my eyes widened. I took off running for the doors, missing a few steps in my haste as I raced down them. Trending Novels Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Rushing through the doors, I could see Ryze perched in a tree, and two men stood below it trying to hit him with a fireball. I gasped in horror and went running over to stop them when Tobias came up behind me. ¡°You touch that fucking bird, and it will be thest thing you ever do,¡± Tobias yelled to them. and they both stopped and looked over their shoulders at him. Tobias looked furious, and Darius wandered out. ¡°But it¡¯s a phoenix,¡± one said. ¡°That bird is off-limits, now go,¡± Darius snapped,ing up behind me while I raced over to the tree and looked up to see not only one but another higher up. It looked older, and I was surprised they didn¡¯t notice it amongst the orange ¨C red leaves of the tree as it tried to blend in Darius talked to the men, and Ryze flew down before Darius yelled out to me. ¡°Aleera, no!¡± he said, making me look over at him. Ryze dropped onto my shoulder, his weight knocking me forward onto my knees. My eyes went to my mates, who were all frozen. Ryze rubbed his head and beak onto the back of my head, checking to see if I was alright when suddenly the tree came to life. What I thought were leaves were actually feathers when around 10 huge phoenix¡¯s suddenly dropped on the ground around me. Towering over me, and these weren¡¯t juvenile ones, they had the power to rip me to shreds and tear me apart if they chose to. Everyone froze as the birds surrounded me, and even I shook terrified when I saw all four of my mate¡¯s hands begin t o glow. My eyes widened when I saw they were about to attack the birds. Horror washed over m e at the danger I was in but also fear for these beautiful creatures. Ryze ying with my hair squawked, and the birds backed up a little; I threw my hand up.¡± Stop!¡± I screamed to Darius as he went to st them with magic. My heart beat like a drum in my ears, pounding loudly as I moved slowly. ¡°They won¡¯t hurt me,¡± I called to them before slowly standing up, so I didn¡¯t spook the birds and make them attack me. I hoped what I said was true because I could see their curious gazes watching me. Phoenix¡¯s were lethal birds, and even standing one was nearly taller than me. The recruits that watched grew closer, and I could see the hunger on their faces to rip the birds apart and absorb their power. ¡°Don¡¯t let them hurt them,¡± I murmured, watching the recruits grow nearer, and Darius nced around, also noticing we had drawn a crowd. One of the Pheonix¡¯s turned its head, observing Ryze perched on my shoulder, his feathery tail wrapping around my body like a snake, and Ryze hissed at them. I scratched his tummy feathers, and my breathing became ragged when one hopped closer, and Lycus moved when Kal¨¦n¡¯s head tilted to the side, observing me. His hand smacked into Lycus¡¯s chest. My hand shook as I held it out toward the phoenix, and the other ones drew. The Pheonix tongue flicked out. I felt a folt sliver up my arm making me jerk my hand back to realize it gave me power, a small jolt of its energy. My eyes widened, and I had never seen so many phoenixes in one ce before when Kalen gasped. I could feel the bird¡¯s magic writhe through me and mingle with my white magic. ¡°They won¡¯t hurt her,¡± Kalen murmured, his head tilting from one side to the other. Darius, Tobias, and Lycus looked at him as if he was insane. While my heart pounded, wondering what he saw when the Pheonix power exchanged with me. I swallowed, hoping he wouldn¡¯t out met o the rest of our mates who didn¡¯t notice the small exchange, but Kalen, I knew, would have seen it in my aura. ¡°Call them off, Darius,¡± Kalen said, looking over at him. ¡°They will rip her to shreds,¡± Darius hissed at them. ¡°I said call them off. I don¡¯t ask for much, Darius, but you will do this for me, for her. Call them off and tell them to leave her birds alone, ¡± Kalen growled, ring at him. ¡°She can¡¯t keep them all,¡± Darius hissed. Lycus paled as he too looked questionably at Kalen, who wasn¡¯t giving anything away. ¡°That isn¡¯t up to you. It¡¯s up to them. Now call your recruits off,¡± Kalen repeated, and I had never seen him look so determined. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Take them to the roof,¡± I whispered to Ryze, who screeched at the other phoenix. The other Pheonix¡¯s all watched him, and some drew nearer trying to touch me, their feathers bumping against my legs when Ryze flew off my shoulder, and they took flight after him. The demons went crazy, and power was suddenly hurled their way as they took to the air. I screamed when suddenly Tobias and Darius moved as if in sync and raised their hands. The fireballs smash into a shield beneath the birds. ¡°No one touches them,¡± Roared Darius furiously at them. The demons stopped looking at him questionably. ¡°Anyone who does will suffer the same fate you bestow on those Phoenixes, are we clear?¡± Darius warned. I swallowed and looked toward the roof where the Pheonix¡¯s perched, watching us. Kalen rushed toward me, wrapping his arms around me and tugging me closer. H e let out a breath, and I watched the demons scatter away from Darius¡¯s furious anger. ¡°Thank you,¡± I murmured to Kalen. Lycus turned to make his way over to us when Kalen whispered to me. ¡°I know what you are,¡± he said, barely audible.I gasped, looking at him over my shoulder. Kalen pressed his head against mine and kissed my cheek. Trending Novels Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Kalen sighed. ¡°I knew there was another reason you ran, but you don¡¯t need to hide from us. W e would have kept you safe,¡± he whispered. I nced at my other three mates, who were making sure the demons left them alone. ¡°You can¡¯t say anything,¡± I whispered, my heart jolting erratically, knowing he knew. ¡°I won¡¯t right now, but you have to tell Darius. He will-¡± Kalen¡¯s words were cut off when Lycus approached. 1 ¡°That was some of the scariest shit I have ever seen. I thought for sure your eyes were gonna g 0,¡± Lycus said, then shivered. ¡°I can¡¯t believe they didn¡¯t attack you,¡± ¡°Probably because Ryze took a liking to her; they are smart birds,¡± Kalen tells him, giving me a knowing look. ¡°Well, I am not catching mice for all of them. They catch their own damn food,¡± Tobias hissed while Darius stood between us and the castle. He looked between the birds and me, his face taking on a strange expression. 1 ¡°Come on, we should go; I want to get back before dark,¡± Darius said when I noticed the sleek ck sports car parked out front on the driveway. ¡°You will make sure they don¡¯t hurt them?¡± I asked Tobias when he stopped in front of me. He gripped my chin, pecking my lips. ¡°Your devil birds will be fine, promise,¡± he chuckled, and I nodded. He let my chin go, and I felt Kalen bury his face in my neck. He pulled my tablet from his pocket, and I looked at Darius, who said nothing but nodded, so I took it from him. ¡°Please don¡¯t try to run,¡± Kalen whispered into the crook of my neck. I never had a chance to answer him when Darius called out, having unlocked his car. ¡°Aleera,e on,¡± he said, waving me toward him. Kalen unwrapped his arms from around m y waist and gave me a push toward the car. Yet I got that same sweeping feeling from Kalen when I first met him. That fragile state, warning bells saying he wasn¡¯t ok. Even Lycus looked a t Kalen worriedly, picking up the strange sensation. We all could feel the darkness enveloping him, and I paused midway. He thought I would run now that he knows, yet he wouldn¡¯t say anything to them. Moving toward him, I grabbed his face pulling it down toward mine while I stood on my tippy toes. I pressed my lips to his and kissed him. His lips were warm and soft, and Kalen clutched me to him. His strong arms squeezed me tight, and he let out a shaky breath. When I pulled away, Lycus stepped closer to him with a worried look on his face and gripped his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± I tell Ka?en. He looked down at me and searched my face for a few moments, and he let out a breath, pressing his forehead to mine and nodding before letting go. ¡°Promise?¡± he whispered. ¡°I promise, I won¡¯t leave you again,¡± I tell him, and he smiles sadly. ? ¡°What¡¯s got into you? You were fine a few seconds ago?¡± I heard Lycus ask him as I stepped away. Lycus wrapped his arms around Kalen¡¯s waist and rested his chin on Kalen¡¯s shoulder. When I reached the car, Darius was watching Kalen worriedly. ¡°He¡¯s worried I will run,¡± I told Darius and his jaw clenched as he turned his head to look at me. He nced down at the tablet i n my hands but didn¡¯t say anything or try to take it from me. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t allow that,¡± Darius said, looking like he wanted to go to Kalen. I looked over at Kalen, and Tobias was also walking toward Kalen.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°I know, but I don¡¯t think I could leave him again,¡± I whispered, and Darius looked at me. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t try again?¡± ¡°No, not without a good reason Darius. And if I did, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯d be taking Kalen with me, ¡°I answered honestly. He watched me curiously. ¡°You can¡¯t hurt him, can you? Or you wouldn¡¯t anyway,¡± Darius said while watching me closely. ¡°It took you all this time to realize that?¡± I asked him before opening up the passenger door and climbing in. I slid into my seat and buckled up, and the door opened a few minutester as Darius climbed i n. He looked over at me like he wanted to say something before shaking his head and starting the engine, and driving down the driveway to the grass. I watched when suddenly a driveway appeared in front of us. The grass covering it dissolving revealing the road that led toward the treeline. I closed my eyes when Darius floored it. Peeking my eyes open, I tensed, thinking we were about to smash into the trees. Darius chuckled, and I gasped when the mor lifted revealing a long road that weaved amongst the forest. We drove along it for a while before we pulled up at the gates. Darius hit a button on the visor and waited for the huge gates to open. ¡°Mirage ward,¡± Dariusughed and shook my head. Looking down, I stared at the ckened screen of my tablet and tried to turn it on, but it was dead. Darius leaned across, opening the glovepartment before pulling out some cords. ¡°One of them should fit,¡± he said before pointing to the USB socket in the dash. ¡°Thanks,¡± I said while finding the right one so I could plug it in and turn it on. Darius nodded, turning his eyes back to the road, and we continued to drive in a strange silence. After a about few minute¡¯s my tablet turned on and Darius peeked over at me. ¡°You messaging your friend?¡± Darius asked, and I chewed my lip wondering if he was mad. ¡°That bothers you,¡± I stated. He sighed and looked over at me. ¡°When we get into town, just stay close. Don¡¯t wander off.¡± He said. ¡°Okay,¡± I said, ncing down at the screen, wondering why he was being weird. ¡°No, I mean it, Aleera. Stick close to me. There is a reason I don¡¯t allow my mates to leave the castle. It¡¯s not safe. So stay close to me.¡± Darius said. My brows furrowed, and I looked over at him. ¡°Then why are you letting mee with you then?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t know the first thing aboutdy products and secondly,¡± he paused before he sighed. ¡°I wanted to apologize. Figured you would like to get out of the castle for a little bit. Kalen said it would be good for you to get out of that ce for a while,¡± I chuckled and shook my head. ¡°You can¡¯t hurt Kalen either,¡± Iughed. ¡°None of us can, Kalen is.. He is,¡± ¡°Special,¡± I offered, and he bit his lip and nodded. ¡°He is our glue. Kalen is the reason we all held together the way we have.¡± Darius answers and I nod. Trending Novels Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Chapter 67 The town actually wasn¡¯t that far from the castle. It only took roughly 20 minutes to drive there. The time seemed to fly by as I was busy talking to my inte friend. When Darius pulled into a parking spot out the front of a grocery store that was part of a small shoppingplex, he got out and walked to my side. The ce was bustling with shoppers as I nced around. The moment I stepped out of the car myself, Darius was already at my side before I had even shut the door. He grabbed my hand, and I nced down at my hand when heced his fingers through mine before raising an eyebrow at him. ¡°Don¡¯t argue; I want you close,¡± he said, ncing around almost anxiously, which I thought odd. He led me to a small post office first before pulling a key from his pocket and unlocking a PO Box. ¡°You don¡¯t get your mail at the castle?¡± I asked him. ¡°Nobody can find it. It¡¯s hidden,¡± he said, cing the mail in his back pocket. He dragged met o a few different ces, including a pharmacy where he picked up scripts for Kalen, and I was surprised to see how many different pills Kalen took. When we were done there, Darius pulled me to the grocery store. I did, however, notice that anyone that stepped near or in our path quickly scattered. The Pharmacy completely emptied of people when Darius entered, leaving only the pharmacist who was familiar with Darius. The grocery store was the same except even a few of the workers scurried off. ¡°Do you always get such a warm wee?¡± I whispered. ¡°It has its benefits. Never have to wait in line,¡± Darius chuckled while stepping closer to me and cing his hand on my hip so I was pretty much tucked under his arm. He led me to an aisle that contained feminine products, and both of us stood there like idiots. ¡°Please tell me you know which ones to buy?¡± Darius murmured, and I picked up one of the colored boxes reading it, and so did Darius. ¡°What, they couldn¡¯t make it one size fits all?¡± he said, picking up a couple of different boxes o f pads while I picked up some tampons. 1 ¡°One size fits all?¡± I asked him, shaking my head. ¡°Yeah, why are they different sizes, and how do you know what size to buy?¡± he asks, holding up two different ones. This was the most bizarre experience of my life and not one I ever pictured doing with Darius. ¡°Just go with regr?¡± I tell him, and he looks at the box in my hand. ¡°You are not using those, Lycus said. If you forget it is in there, you can die,¡± Darius said, cing it back on the shelf. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Lycus said something about some syndrome,¡± ¡°Toxic shock syndrome?¡± I offer. ¡°That¡¯s the one. Stick with the less-lethal kind,¡± Darius said; I shook my head at his words. Darius grabbed a few different boxes, chucking them in the basket he had. ¡°You know it onlysts 24 hours, right? I don¡¯t need all those,¡± I tell him. ¡°What if they are ufortable?¡± he said, and I just let him go, letting him steer me toward the next aisle. His basket was full by the time we were done, and he escorted me to the register. The entire time Darius kept ncing around nervously when his phone binged, and h e got a text message. He pulled his phone from his pocket. Looking at it and sighed. He looked around for a second before looking behind him. ¡°I will be right there, put the rest of the stuff up. If anyone speaks to you, scream,¡± Darius said, wondering off about 3 meters away to some confectionary stand. I ced the contents out with a sigh before putting the basket back beside the register when the man behind the register spoke. ¡°Never seen you in here before with Darius Wraith, family member?¡± he asked while scanning another item and cing it in the bag before looking at me. Surely Darius didn¡¯t mean to scream if the teller spoke to me. Before I could answer, though, Darius chucked some chocte bars on the register. ¡°Her mate, so eyes down.¡± Darius sneered at him. My face flushed; the poor guy only asked an innocent question. The man dropped his gaze and quickly started scanning. ¡°Why are you so nervous?¡± I asked Darius when I noticed him looking around again. ¡°Because you¡¯re with me,¡± he said before stopping as he stared out the window at something, cutting off what he was about to say. ¡°So?¡± I asked, and he looked down at me. ¡°Usually, I don¡¯t bring Kalen or Lycus in here without Tobias. I should have brought someone else with me. You¡¯re too exposed,¡± he said, and my brows furrowed. ¡°Exposed to what?¡± I asked, looking around at the empty store before looking at the man serving us. He smiled at me before dropping his head when Darius¡¯s hand fell on my shoulder a s he tugged me back against him, wrapping his arm around my waist. ¡°You won¡¯t like it if I have to warn you again about looking at her. Fucking do your job,¡± Darius growled. He scanned faster while my face med at how rude Darius was to him. Getting to the car, Darius ced everything in the boot before walking me to my side of the door and waiting for me to get in before walking to the driver¡¯s side. When he got in, he chucked a chocte bar on myp, and I stared at him. ¡°Lycus said you is could crave sweet stuff?¡± I shrugged before opening it. What girl turns down chocte? Not this one, that¡¯s for sure. ¡°Exactly why is Lycus googling about Keepers shredding?¡± I asked him. ¡°Because I asked him too,¡± Darius said, starting the car. ¡°And did you have to be so mean to that poor guy? He looked like he was about to wet his pants the second time you snapped at him,¡± I tell him, biting into the chocte bar. ¡°He is a Vampiric-Fae, Aleera,¡± ¡°So?¡± Darius tilted his head to look at me before looking at myp. ¡°Remember Tobias when I found you?¡± Darius asked, and my smile fell. My face heated, remembering how crazed he became. ¡°Exactly why. I don¡¯t want him taking a bite out of what is mine,¡± Darius said, pulling onto the road before mming on the brakes. I lurched forward in my seat and nearly smashed into the dash when Darius¡¯s hand flung out, shoving me back before I head-butted it. My breathi ragged when a dark-haired middle- aged man walked out in front of the car. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Trending Novels Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Darius growled, and the man just stared through the windshield at us for a second before walking off and watching us leave. I shook my head and turned to Darius, who was watching the man in the rear vision mirror. ¡°I need to get you home,¡± he muttered. ¡°Gosh, he came out of nowhere,¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°They always do,¡± Darius muttered, and I peered over at him, wondering what he meant. He never borated on his words but kept ncing in all the mirrors as he drove. Finishing my chocte bar, I pouted, and Dariusughed. ¡°I got you more in the bag in the boot,¡± Darius chuckled. We were about 10 minutes from home and had been driving on a backroad for about five minutes already. ¡°Maybe Lycus was right about that one,¡± I said before suddenly everything exploded and I was tossed forward in my seat. One minute we were driving the next, we drove into a wall. The front of the car smashed into a shield. The windows exploded on impact, and I remembered the sound of groaning metal and felt the ss rain shards into my face before everything went ck. Dazedly I blinked to find the car upside down on the roof. I groaned, my head throbbing, and I stupidly unclipped my belt falling headfirst onto the roof lining. Blood trickled down my face a s I tried to see what had happened when I noticed Darius hanging limply from his seat. Blood gushed from a massive gaping wound across his forehead. ¡°Darius?¡± I called, shaking his arm, but he was unconscious. Crawling out of the wreck, ss stabbed into my hands. I stumbled over to his side and opened the door. I kept trying to wake him, but he was knocked out and bleeding profusely. I unclipped his seat belt worried about a car mming into us, and he fell from his seat with a groan. The smell of petrol filled the air, and I shook him, trying to rouse him awake. ¡°Darius!¡± I hissed nervously, looking around at what we ran into, but I found nothing besides the clearing, forest, and a clear road ahead. Grabbing his arms, I pulled him out, dragging him to the side of the road to a small clearing amongst the trees before fumbling in his pockets for his phone. When a thought came to me. I could run! Yet as I looked at Darius unconscious and thought of the others back home, I dismissed the idea before clutching my head that felt like someone smashed it with a sledgehammer. My vision blurred as I tried to unlock his phone to ring one of the others when I heard a whooshing noise and lots of them. Blinking, I tried to clear my vision. The shimmer of portals glistened in the distance, blobs of ck spilling out. A gasp escaped when I heard the snarls, and my head twisted each way to see around twenty different portals suddenly open up in the clearing and on the road. ¡°Darius!¡± I screamed, shaking him when I recognized what they were. Hellhounds. They charged at us; I screarned, shaking Darius as they drew closer, trying to wake him. Darius groaned, and they got about 20 feet away. I panicked, crawling on top of him. My lips smashed against his. Their feral snarls sent shivers up my spine at the sound of them, their ck furless huge bodies bounding toward us, all sharp teeth and massive ws leaping our way. Darius¡¯s magic mmed into me like a tidal wave, stealing the air from my lungs. It was so cold, like ice, as I consumed it, taking it from him. It writhed in my veins and I choked, ripping myself away, unable to consume anymore. A scream tore out of me as four of them pounced about to rip us to pieces. My ears rang from the loudness as I tossed my hands out, mming them on the ground on either side of us and shut my eyes, waiting for my death when I jolted. The movement rattled my pounding head as the hellhounds collided with the force field that I created. The huge beasts growled, trying to find a way past it when I pushed the walls higher, creating a crystal clear dome around us. Their massive bodies collided with it. Trying to break through i t. Each hit weakened me as I tried to hold it in ce. Sweat beaded on my neck and dripped off my face as I tried to hold it in ce; everything ached and cramped at the amount of exertion it took on me. Digging my hands into the earth, vines started wrapping around the dome as it splintered from the repeated blows. The vines grew with thorny branches encasing the dome, and the hellhounds snarled louder. The trickling sensation running down my face told me I wouldn¡¯t hold it much longer when m y nose started bleeding, my blood dripping onto Darius¡¯s chest where I hovered above him whilst praying for him to wake. If he didn¡¯t soon, I was going to pass out from using so much magic at once, yet they kept tearing into the vines, ripping them down as quickly as I reced them. The magic it burned t o hold them started running low and faltering when I felt warm hands grip my waist and move under my shirt to my ribs. My eyes flew open to see Darius staring at me wide-eyed at me, his obsidian eyes watching my face. ¡°You¡¯re a harmony,¡± He whispered before looking at the crystal and vine dome surrounding us. ¡°And an elemental,¡± He sputtered, looking at my vines growing around us and encasing us. It was at that moment I felt his hands heat as he gave his magic to me, replenishing it more and trying to keep me strong. ¡°I can¡¯t hold it!¡± I said through gritted teeth. My vision turned red as I blinked through bloody tears. I could taste my blood running into my mouth from my nose. ¡°Hold it a second more,¡± Darius said before one hand moved off my waist, and he ced it over his mark. I felt a shudder run through me and my infinity mark burned on my wrist as ne used his to call the others. ¡°Darius!¡± I cried, digging my fingers into the earth further as ck dots danced before my vision, and I felt the dome start crumbling around us when Darius growled when I crashed against his chest. Darius¡¯s arms wrapped around me, and he rolled, flipping me onto my back a s the walls keeping us safe started to fall. ¡°Good girl, but now I need you to remain still,¡± Darius murmured, and I blinked up at him dizzily when he growled. His eyes glowed so brightly they almost turned silver. His hands hit the ground next to my head, and the noise was horrendous. The ground was lifting, in a wave all around us, and his car rm started sounding loudly. My head fell limply to the side, and I saw the hellhounds suddenly be air-born and st backward. The ground split around us as Darius¡¯s wave of power made the ground shake and move, sending them flying back. I blinked, trying to remain conscious as my vision doubled. ¡°Stay with me, Aleera,¡± I heard Darius call to me as the sound of portals opening up reached m y ears. Heat rushed around me when firewalls suddenly encased us. The sound of pained whimpers shrieked through the air and the dots taking over my vision grewrger before taking my sightpletely and leaving me blind to my surroundings. ¡°Darius?¡± ¡°Right here with you, you¡¯re safe with me,¡± he said above me though his voice sounded muffled, and I tried to nod but couldn¡¯t fight the exhaustion as it sucked me under. ¡°I got you, ¡®were thest words I heard before nothingness. Trending Novels Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Darius POV My mind was spinning as I held the hellhounds off. One stupid mistake nearly cost her life; I never should have taken her out of the castle grounds without the others. I was most shocked that she could have drained me of my power and portaled out and ran, leaving me, but she stayed to protect me. I knew something was off about her, but never in my wildest dreams did I think she was harmony Fae and elemental on top of that; not for one second did I ever entertain that idea, she shouldn¡¯t exist. Aleera would be a lethal weapon if appropriately trained. Why would she keep it from us? We would have protected her. However, it made so much sense now why her parents tried to kill her. ¡°Aleera, stay with me, love,¡± I called to her when my magic faltered when I was hit with a st of air. My eyes scanned my surroundings as my me wall suddenly encased us, and I barely covered her body with mine in time to stop the mes from burning her before reinforcing them stronger. Come on Tobias, where are you? I thought just before I felt the shudder of him close; Lycus¡¯s presence also felt near as my mark stopped burning, Kalen not here, and I wondered what they did to subdue him to force him to remain home. I knew that man would walk through fire for her. We all would. Whimpers and shouting could be heard all around, yet the shudder against m y shield as they bounced off it told me if I dropped it, they would get to her. ¡°Tobias behind you,¡± Lycus called out before I heard him grunt. Panic made me drop the shield to find him fighting with the man from town, the same man that walked out in front of my car. The vicious snarl as the hellhound lunged at us, ripping me back to my surroundings and the fact I dropped the shield. My body covers Aleera¡¯s head to shield her, expecting its teeth ws any second before hearing the fierce sounds of flesh being ripped from bone and mighty furious roar. Lycus¡¯ giant wolf gripped its neck in his powerful jaws, ripping the hellhound back at thest second and mming it on the ground before he shook his head, ripping out the beast¡¯s throat and spraying himself and me in blood. Looking around, I noticed he and Tobias had taken out the others, and the only person left was the man Tobias was fighting. Fool to try to sneak up o n him would have been smarter if he ran. Tobias plunged his hand in through the man¡¯s chest, his entire body became engulfed in mes. His screams drilled my ears. ¡°Idiot,¡± I mutter, thinking his puny air magic was any match for a fire user. Tobias rips his hand out, leaving his burning corpse to fall at his feet. The hellhounds put up more of a fight. Tobias runs over to us. Lycus¡¯ big ck wolfes over, sniffing and licking my face. I push his head away, lifting my body from Aleera¡¯s unconscious one. He sniffs her, licks her cheek, and nudges her before whimpering when she doesn¡¯t wake. Tobiases over and runs his hand down Lycus¡¯s back. ¡°She will be okay. Let us get her home,¡± Tobias tells him, and Lycus whines while I bundle her up in my arms. Blood trickled from her nose, ears, and eyes from using my magic. The amount she used told me she had never harnessed that much at once. Being an elemental, magic shoulde easy to her unless she hadn¡¯t used it. Tobias walks over to the car on its roof, and Lycus shifts back, going to give him a hand as he pushes it back on its wheels. The car banged and bounced as it was turned back upright. ¡°She has definitely seen better days,¡± Tobias mutters at my ruined car before he pushes it off t o the side of the road. Lycus retrieves the stuff from the boot and our belongings from the vehicle. ¡°Yep, need another one now,¡± Lycus hums. ¡°The car is receable. Lives aren¡¯t,¡± I tell them, and they nod before Lycus flicks his fingers a tit, setting it alight. Tobias opens a portal, and I groan as I stagger toward it with Aleera in my arms. Tobiases to take her from me, but I pull away, not willing to let her go, and he looks at me questionably. ¡°She saved my life. She could have run, but she didn¡¯t,¡± ¡°Goes to show how wrong you were about our girl then,¡± Tobias chuckles. ¡°We were all wrong; she is an elemental harmony fae,¡± I tell him, and the shock on his face is apparent; Lycus chuckles. ¡°Yeah, right, there is no harmony left, and what would be the chances of finding a harmony that was also an elemental, impossible?¡± I stare at him, and he looks between Tobias, who nods to him that I was telling the truth. ¡°What?¡± Lycus stutters. ¡°Aleera is an elemental harmony Fae. She took my magic and protected me while I was out. I woke up to her above me holding them off,¡± I tell him. ¡°Fuck!¡± Lycus curses, and so does Tobias. This means the war we were fighting to protect had more meaning; now, the stakes were higher. Anyone finds out about her. She would have an entire world of Fae after her. It was bad enough that I was stuck for years going through tests t o recreate the elemental status until I said no more. Not like they could force me when I could melt their insides with a click of my fingers. However, Aleera, no amount of fear for what she could do would stop the council froming for her. Stepping through the portal, I find Kalen shackled by Lycus¡¯s magic. If looks could kill, we would all be dead for forcing him to remain behind. Tobias flicks his fingers in his direction as we step into our room, releasing him from the hold of his magic. The moment he is released, h e stands up and punches Tobias. ¡°How fucking dare you,¡± Kalen snarled at him while Tobias rubbed his jaw before grabbing his throat. Lycus flops on the bed, and I turn my attention back to Tobias, who presses his lips against Kalen¡¯s. ¡°I will let that slide, but don¡¯t push me, Kalen; it¡¯s unsafe for you,¡± Tobias growls at him before tugging him closer and embracing him. Kalen¡¯s eyes went to Aleera in m y arms as he tried to escape Tobias, who sighed, releasing him so he could rush over to take her from my arms. He hugs her close, burying his face in her neck andying her beside Lycus. ¡°You gave her magic?¡± he asks, and I knew he was assessing her aura when a thought urred to me. ¡°You knew she was a harmony-Fae, didn¡¯t you?¡± Kalen growls but nods. ¡°I noticed earlier when one of the phoenix¡¯s power shared to her,¡± he says it so matter-of-factly like he hadn¡¯t kept it from us. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°You didn¡¯t think to say something?¡± ¡°Not my ce to say; I figured she would tell you when she trusted you,¡± Kalen said, leaning down and kissing her before adjusting her on the bed, so her head was resting on Lycus¡¯s shoulder ¡°She needs magic, Darius. She won¡¯t run,¡± Kalen says, looking over at me. ¡°I know, she could have, but she didn¡¯t,¡± I tell him, lifting my shirt to find a piece of the door trim stabbed into my side. Tobias hisses as I groan, ripping the piece of metal out before his hand was covering it as he tried to heal me. ¡°Save it, I will heal on my own, save it for Aleera,¡± I groaned, sitting down holding my hand to the side to stem the bleeding as I waited for it to heal. We all kind of sat around in silence, everyone shocked at what we learned when Ryze flew in the window and shrieked as hended on the windowsill. Trending Novels Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Chapter 70 ¡°Bloody bird, she is fine,¡± I tell him, and he flies over to perch on the bed head. He leans down, looking at her and licking her cheek, caressing it with his beak while Lycus remains frozen, only for Ryze to lick his temple. I snicker when he pales. ¡°Having a taste test for when he plucks those eyes of yours out,¡± Tobias chuckles before whistling to Ryze, who flies over but instead of going to Tobias, he perched on the arm of my chair, looking down at my bleeding wound before looking at Aleera and back at me. ¡°She is fine; you bite me, I will smack your damn ass,¡± I tell him while he eyes me with his creepy beady eyes. He then took off out the window. And we all rxed; that was only momentarily when he came back but with the big fucker that we thought would kill Aleera. My fingertips fizzled as it squeezed through the window and everyone froze to see what it would d It hopped down on the ledge walking across the carpet like an oversized fucking chicken, its long tail still outside the window when it stopped beside me. Its eyes roamed over me, and Ryze cawed at it, nudging the other Phoenix, who tilted its head to the side. Such intelligent birds, but they scared the crap out of me. Its beak opened, its long tongue slivered out split at the end. Going in two different directions. I leaned back, wondering what it wanted, and my eyes darted to Tobias. When its tongue suddenly zapped my hand, the buzz of its magic shot up my arm, making me jump. When it spoke. ¡°Wee,¡± it said, and I gasped before my side heated. The Phoenix then turned and jumped back out the window, and Ryze jumped up to perch on the armchair. Nudging my side with his beak. Looking down, I find my wound closed, and my mouth falls open. ¡°Lira,¡± Ryze tried to speak before sneezing, he was still too immature to pronounce words. I knew they could talk but had never actually witnessed one speak. Then again, I tried to avoid the bloody things too. ¡°That big bastard spoke right, and?¡± Lycus pointed to Ryze, and I nodded. ¡°Now we know why we suddenly have an infestation of Phoenix¡¯s they sense White Fae, they sense their own magic,¡± I tell him, looking at Aleera passed out still. Ryze flies over to her, sitting beside her and resting his head and neck on her hip like he was some kind ofp cat wanting cuddles from its mother. ¡°I need to shower,¡± I groan, getting up and walking to the bathroom. I showered quickly when the sounds of arguing reached my ears. ¡°Of all the days they want to argue, it has to be now,¡± I mutter, wrapping a towel around my waist and shoving the door open. ¡°No, you¡¯re doing it wrong; it has to go the other way,¡± Lycus says and I noticed Ryze was gone and they were huddled together arguing over something. ¡°How does it stick, though? It says it will stick, and where are these wing things,¡¯ Tobias says, showing Lycus something on his phone, while Kalen held a pair of Aleera¡¯s panties and Lycus was holding up some of the pads. ¡°What the fuck are you doing?¡± I ask, walking over to them. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°She was bleeding through her pants, we tried to wake her,¡± Kalen said, and I nced at her. Fuck, probably from using so much of my magic before she shredded. I peer at what they are watching on the phone, some youtube tutorials. ¡°Ah, we have to peel the back thing off,¡¯ Lycus says, turning the pad between his fingers. ¡°Now what?¡± he says, and Kalen leans over to peer at the screen. I shake my head, snatching her panties and the pad from Lycus¡¯s hand. ¡°Bloody morons,¡± I growled beforeying it in the underwear and folding the wing things over the sides. ¡°Ah, you used them before?¡± Kalen asks, and I raise an eyebrow at him. ¡°Common sense, fool,¡± I growl at him. ¡°Now, how do we put it on her while she is passed out?¡± ¡°We could alwaysy a tarp under her,¡± Lycus says, and Tobias snickers. ¡°What, we could then we don¡¯t have to worry about her freaking out if she wakes up while undressing her,¡± I shake my head before walking over to her removing her jeans. ¡°Get me a cloth,¡± I tell them, quickly cleaning her and cing panties on her. I tucked the nket around her, and Tobias climbed under the nket with her tucking her close. Standing up, Kalen and Lycus were staring at me. ¡°What?¡± Tobias rolls his eyes. ¡°Darius cared for his mother for years, stopping staring at him like that,¡± Tobias snapped at them. ¡°Granted, my mother wasn¡¯t a keeper, so I never had to deal with her shredding, but the same thing, stop staring at me,¡± I growled. Kalen shakes his head before climbing in bed beside Tobias. 1 ¡°We know that, it¡¯s just odd seeing you be caring toward her like you had a brain transnt,¡± Lycus snickers. ¡°Shut up,¡± I tell him, going to get changed. ¡°You think it was the council that time,¡± Tobias calls out. ¡°Who else would it be?¡± I tell him. ¡°Her parents,¡± he says. ¡°We masked her,¡± I retorted. ¡°Yes, until she used Lycus¡¯s magic earlier, it would have been like a beacon for some with those particr gifts,¡± I think over his words. We had been hunting her parents since they tried to kill her; now we knew why they did. Walking out, I stop at the end of the bed. ¡°We have an entire army; I won¡¯t let them touch her,¡± I tell him. ¡°But if she knows they¡¯re alive, what if she goes looking for them?¡± Tobias says, brushing his hand down her cheek. ¡°She won¡¯t. We are her mates,¡± Kalen whispers. ¡°But after everything?¡± Lycus murmurs worriedly. I bite the inside of my lip. ¡°She wasn¡¯t the only one that lost everything, Lycus,¡± I told him. Although, I now feel even worse after she saved me. She saved me despite everything I had forced her to endure. Trending Novels Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Previous Post Next Post Chapter 71 Aleera POV Pain radiated through my stomach, so I rolled only for me to be invaded by Lycus¡¯s scent. A hand moves across my stomach, heat radiating out of it, and I sigh as the pain eases and nce over my shoulder to see Darius pressed against me. Darius kisses my shoulder while his thumb brushes my stomach gently where ity. He tugs me closer, so I am flush against him, his entire body heating like my very own personal hot water bottle. ¡°It¡¯ste; you should try to go back to sleep,¡± Darius murmurs. However, with him this close, I wasn¡¯t sure I could sleep knowing he was lying beside me. It kind of put me on edge, but I was reluctant to move away at the same time. ¡°What happened to the hellhounds?¡± I asked, confused. I had no memory of returning here or of anything, in fact, since I passed out. ¡°Nothing, Tobias and Lycus got to us in time,¡± Darius says. The memory of teeth and ws trying to get to us made me cringe. Shivering, I jam my feet between Lycus¡¯ legs in an attempt to warm them. Lycus hisses at how cold they were when I realized I had no pants on. I lift the nket peering under it. To find I only had underwear on and one of their shirts on. ¡°I changed you; you bled through your pants,¡± Darius whispered behind me. My face heats at that thought before shaking it off. I had literally bled on hisp in the shower, and he didn¡¯t seem fazed. ¡°Geez, your feet are freezing, ¡± Lycus hisses before wiggling a little closer and rubbing my thighs and the back of my legs with his hands, trying to warm them. My heart races with their closeness, yet the bond soared, enjoying their skin against mine. It took everything in me not t o reach out and bury my face in Lycus¡¯s neck or climb on him. Although I didn¡¯t want to move away from my demon hot water bottle either, especially while he was being nice. 1 ¡°Move closer, Lycus; she wants your scent,¡± Darius says, and I peer at him over my shoulder. ¡°Demonic-Fae, Love. I¡¯m part incubus. So, I can sense your desire and what you¡¯re craving,¡± I thought over his words and turned back to see Lycus smile slyly. ¡°I have no issues being all nice and close,¡± Lycus says, his eyes flickering under the dim light from the open firece. Lycus pressed his chest against mine, his entire body touching, and I slid my leg between his, melting against him, suddenly not caring if I looked needy; I just wanted his skin and Darius¡¯s heat. ¡°Go to sleep, Aleera. You¡¯re safe with us,¡± Darius whispers. ¡°You¡¯re not mad,¡± I ask him. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Mad that our keeper is one of the most powerful Fae in the world? Never, but now we know w e need to take extra precautions,¡± Darius whispers behind me. His sudden change since the other day was giving me whish, and some part of me wondered if he was only being nice because he wanted my non-existent power. Or because he now knew he owned the ultimate weapon, one he could use to his benefit. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lycus asks, and I open my eyes to see him staring at me. ¡°Nothing,¡± I whisper, and I see his eyes dart to Darius behind me before I push my face into Lycus¡¯s neck, only to hear him start purring. The sound soothed my soul as I melted against them while Darius¡¯s heat bled through me like my own personal heat pack. I sighed, closing my eyes and snuggling between them, enjoying i t for now because no doubt they would probably go back to hating me when I was no longer shredding and of no use to them. So, for now, I would enjoy the bond and worry about its withdrawal when it happens. I knew I would pay dearly for letting them this close. The withdrawal from the bond would be pure agony, yet I ignoredmon sense, instead, giving into it for once. I let my eyes close. A few hourster, I was awoken by Ryze, his beak ying with my hair, his tongue flicking over my cheek, and I blinked up at him perched on the bedhead. Lycus was still asleep, and I could hear Darius snoring behind me, feel his breath on me tickling the back of my neck. Rubbing my eyes, I lift Darius¡¯s arm off of me and I wiggle out from between them and scoot to the end of the bed. Seeing that I was getting up, Ryze flies over to me and perches himself on my shoulder, rubbing his beak across my cheek and cooing softly. His weight was bing heavy, and his talons dug into my flesh, making me hiss. Still, I scratched his tummy feathers as I peered back at the bed. Kalen was beside Lycus, snuggled against him, also asleep. However, Tobias wasn¡¯t in bed, and I couldn¡¯t see him in the room. Getting I walked toward the bathroom; I turned the handle, only for it to open before I could. Tobias steps out, having just hopped out of the shower. A towel hung dangerously low on his hips, his hair wet, and droplets from the shower cascaded down his chest. Some foreign urge to trace the hard lines of his abs rushes over me. My breathing hitches as my eyes travel lower to his V- line that disappeared beneath his towel. Ryze shifts his weight on my shoulder, his talons digging into my skin and corbone, piercing through my delicate skin. ¡°Ryze, careful,¡± Tobias says, holding his hand out for him to climb on, I was relieved when Ryze climbed up his arm and off mine only to perch on Tobias¡¯s shoulder momentarily before he flew off out the window. ¡°We need to cut his ws,¡± I tell Tobias while looking down at my bleeding shoulder; I wipe the blood off only to look up at Tobias, whose eyes were zed over, staring at my neck. Tobias licks his lips. Previous Post Next Post Trending Novels Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Chapter 72 ¡°Tobias?¡± I ask. He shakes his head, snapping himself out of whatever frenzied daze he was in. ¡°Pardon?¡± he says. I look at the bed that Lycus was climbing out of, and Kalen and Dariusy still sound asleep. I held up my wrist with a sigh, and Tobias shook his head when I felt heat press against my back before feeling fingers swipe my hair to my other shoulder. Lycus kisses my cheek as I looked over my shoulder at him. ¡°He wants to feed on you,¡± Lycus growls before his lips trail up my shoulder and neck. My breath hitches as sparks zap and move over my skin. I tilt my head, giving him better ess, loving the feel of his lips on my body. The bond urged me to give myself to them and let them do what they wanted with me, and I wanted to do precisely that. Desire coursed through me so viciously it made my legs tremble as Lycus pulled me against him. One hand squeezed my breast while the other sat t against my abdomen. ¡°You¡¯re overwhelming her, Lycus,¡± Darius says, and I blink out of my lust-filled daze to look over at him as he sits up in bed. Darius rubs his eyes while Kalen wiggles closer, cing his head in Darius¡¯p and wrapping his arms around Darius¡¯s waist. I watched as Darius ran his fingers through Kalen¡¯s hair, and I suddenly wanted to crawl back into bed to be with them. ¡°Someone wants to shred,¡± Lycus whispers, and I look up at him behind me. Lycus smiles seductively, and his eyes turn obsidian as his big hand cups my cheek, tilting my face toward his. I swallow at his closeness when his eyes dart to my lips. He smiles mischievously, leaning his face closer; his breath fans over my lips teasingly, nearly touching but waiting to see if I would pull away. 2 When I closed the distance, his rich cinnamon and smokey scent enticed me, my lips brushing his plump ones, wanting ess. The noise that leaves me when his tongue brushes mine sounded needy as I turned in his arms, kissing him hungrily. He smiles amusedly against my lips as I maul him. My tongue tangled with his and I kissed him deeper. Lycus¡¯ huge hands gripped my thighs, hoisting me up. I wrap my legs around his waist, and my arms go around his neck. One of his hands slides up my back to my neck as Lycus kisses me harder, dominating my mouth as he tastes every inch, devouring my lips in a soul-destroying kiss. Heat rushed through me, and I gasped, pulling away from him breathlessly. Lycus smiles smugly, and his eyes flicker. He gave me some of his magic, just a taste, and I wanted more. His magic writhed through me, tickling my insides. Amoan escaped me, my eyes falling shut when warmth seeps into my back, stopping me from falling backward at the sensation rolling through me. It slivered in my veins; it felt empowering though it flickered and tried to mingle with my white magic, making me bite my lips as I fought the urge to let it meld together but oh how I wanted it too. Yet fear of the unknown kept me level-headed. I wasn¡¯t sure what I could do, and some part of that scared me after hiding it for so long. Thenst night¡¯s thought returned. Were they only using me because they now knew what I was, and I knew the only one that would get hurt if they were the case was me? My thoughts became troubled when I felt fangs pierce my neck, and power flooded into me like a tidal wave, cold and powerful, and my eyes fluttered shut and my toes curled. ¡°Don¡¯t fight it,¡± Lycus murmured before his lips crashed against mine. His power surged through me and mixed with Tobiass when I felt my heartbeat erratically. It felt like it was going to burst or leap out of my chest when desire so strong smashed into me, making me gasp as Tobias¡¯s hands moved up my sides. Tobias had marked me, and I could suddenly feel everything he felt. No malice, just Tobias and his hunger, desire, and eptance. He pulls his teeth from my neck, his lips traveling up t my neck to below my ear. ¡°I want you, Aleera, not what you can do for me,¡± Tobias murmurs when I feel Lycus¡¯s teeth sink into the same spot, making my toes curl. My hips roll against his, Lycus¡¯s hands squeeze my ass as all his power surges into me, along with Tobias¡¯s. Blending together mingling, forcing me to drop the barrier between both sides of magic, unable to contain it as it erupted, my veins tingling, and my skin buzzed. Lycus pulls his teeth from my neck, my blood- stained lips. ¡°2 down, 2 to go,¡± Lycusughs before his lips crash against mine hungrily. I could feel thempletely, everything they felt, and I could feel they gave me every drop of their power. They were both at my mercy if I chose not to give it back, and I smiled against his lips with that knowledge. 1 Kalenughed, making me pull away from Lycus, who also looks over at him. ¡°What?¡± Lycus asks him. ¡°She emptied your reserves,¡± Kalen teases with an amusedugh. ¡°So?¡± Tobias says against my neck. I sigh at the feel of his lips on my skin. ¡°What if she refuses to give it back?¡± Kalen mocks, and Tobias¡¯s lips stop their teasing. ¡°I¡¯ll get it back,¡± Lycus growls, rolling my hips against his front, his erection pressing against me and making me moan obscenely. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Aleera?¡± I shake my head, and he N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. growls, making me open my eyes to stare at him. Lycus nips my lips. ¡°You will give it back,¡± he purrs against my lips. ¡°Make me,¡± my airy voice almost a moan as arousal flooded into me and Tobias presses closer. Lycus chuckles darkly. ¡°Our little Vixen wants to y,¡± Lycus taunts. ¡°Hmm, appears so. Let¡¯s see who breaks her first then,¡± Tobias growls as Lycus¡¯s lips m against mine and Tobias¡¯s hands move up my hips, sneaking under my shirt and going to my breasts, squeezing them. Trending Novels Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Their touch burned and excited me. Overwhelmingly strong were the feelings through the bond. It should have scared me, having so many hands touching and tugging on me. Tobias¡¯s hand moved to my shirt, tugging it off over my head and forcing Lycus¡¯s lips to leave mine. Tobias¡¯s hand gripped my throat, tilting my head back before his lips covered mine, my back pressing against his chest when I felt Lycus¡¯s lips latch onto my nipple. Electricity shot through me, their magic swirling like a storm within me as it mingled with my newly awakened magic, strengthening it, armoring theirs, and fueling mine. My reserves re energized when Lycus bites my nipple, his teeth breaking the delicate skin, and I gasp, ripping my lips from Tobias¡¯s to scold him only for Lycus¡¯s lips to crash against mine. He chuckled, pushing me closer to Tobias, who was suddenly forced against the wall with me pressed between them. Lycus moans, and I drop my guard under the assault of his tongue, tasting every inch of my mouth. His fiery tongue tangled with mine when I felt the zap as he stole some of his power back. He pulls his lips from mine with a gasp; he shivers and groans, the sound almost a moan when his eyes bleed ck, and he suddenly looked demonic, a cocky grin on his face as he blinked. ¡°Fuck!¡± he groans, his skin rippling like he was about to shift, yet I could feel it was my power morphing with his that was causing it, his aura ten times stronger, and he wasn¡¯t even using it. Lycus¡¯s canines slip out from between his lips, protruding as he breathes heavily, his ws slipping from his fingers, and he loosens his grip, so they don¡¯t pierce into me just when I feel Tobias sink his teeth into my neck over my mark. My eyes roll in the back of my head as pleasure erupts all over, spine-tingling bliss as I feel him feed on me, yet even as he drained some of my magic instead of feeling weaker, my power burned hotter, stronger, and I exhaled when he pulled his teeth from my neck. I heard his head hit the wall as he threw it back. ¡°So seductively sweet,¡± He growled; his body shuddered and behind me when I felt Lycus¡¯s hands warm as he fed his magic back into me. ¡°Careful, Lycus, don¡¯t overwhelm her,¡± Darius growls, making my eyes open to see Darius climb off the bed. He walked over to us, and I could feel through the bond that Tobias was struggling with Just behind me, my magic bleeding through him, overpowering him. Darius stopped beside us, looking at Tobias worriedly behind me, but I knew he wouldn¡¯t hurt me. He had enough control, and I was sure I could take him if needed. Darius observes them curiously like he could sense the power through our mates. Reaching my hand out, I grip his shoulder and yank him toward me. He stumbles, and I lean over, smashing my lips against his, wanting to know what it would be like with all their magic racing through me. Darius¡¯ lips were warm against mine, soft, and I siphoned his power within seconds. His shock at me kissing me had dropped his guard, and it bled into me quickly as I pulled back away from him. His power was like ice in my veins, so cold and intense it made my heart stutter, and I gasped for air as I swallowed down the power bleeding into me and mingling with ours; mine was fighting to change his while his powerful magic was fighting to change mine. His power danced with mine, ying with it, teasing mine, and making goosebumps rise all over my body. ¡° N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. You little minx, you stole it,¡± Darius chuckled, and I giggled, worried he would be mad, but he just seemed amused. Kalen roared withughter behind me. ¡°Not such a big wicked demon after all.¡± Kalen laughed behind him, making Darius smirk before ncing back at Kalen. Hisughing cut off when Darius growled. My heart lurched in my chest when Darius pounced on him, causing him t o shriek, and I flinched about to help Kalen when Lycus¡¯ lips nipped at my chin. ¡°Darius is ying with him; he won¡¯t hurt him,¡± Lycus purrs, and he was right as I watched Darius pin him to the bed before his lips crashed against Kalen¡¯s. Kalen writhed beneath him while also trying to escape him. Darius chuckles, pinning his wrists above his head. Darius¡¯s hand was moving between their bodies, and arousal smashed into me when I saw him squeeze Kalen¡¯s cock through his boxer shorts. Kalen groaned and rocked his hips up against him. I couldn¡¯t tear my eyes away from them, loving seeing this yful side to them. Darius¡¯s tongue slipped into his mouth briefly before he pulled up a teasing smile on his lips, and Kalen pouted. ¡° If you want it back, take it,¡± Darius teases, making me realize Darius stole his magic. ¡°What do you want to do, love? I take you over there to them. You won¡¯t be leaving the bed, or do you still want to shower?¡± Tobias purred behind me. That was suddenly a tough question to answer because I wanted both things. ¡°Or one of us could join you?¡± Lycus purred. Darius and Kalen nced over to see what I would choose. ¡°In that case, I choose Kalen,¡± I giggled, and Tobias huffed behind me while Lycus growled, scrunching his face up before smiling. Darius looks down at Kalen beneath him. 1 ¡°Maybe you can steal mine back from her,¡± Darius purrs, leaning down at nipping at Kalen¡¯s lips before kissing him. I could see the exchange this time, paying attention as Darius gave him back his magic, Kalen¡¯s aura growing stronger before Darius lets him up. Lycus ced me on my feet and stepped back. The bond urged me to chase him, bring him back to me; it craved his touch. ¡°He¡¯s all yours,¡± Lycus chuckles as Kalenes over to me. His eyes roam over my face and down to my bare chest, his breathing bing heavier, and I watch his eyes darken. I reach for him. Despite craving his touch, I am more gentle with Kalen, unable to be rough with him, yet I felt he craved roughness like some part of him got sick of everyone treating him like he was made of ss. Kalen grabbed my throat before I could touch him, ripping me toward him before his lips crashed against mine. That was the moment I realized, no, Kalen didn¡¯t crave roughness, he desired control, something he was rarely given by the others, and I had no issues letting him have it as his mouth dominated mine, devouring my lips while his grip on my neck grew tighter. ¡°Kalen gentle,¡± Tobias whispered, but I shook my head, knowing Kalen wanted this, knowing he needed it. 1 His mouth went to my jaw and neck. The heat of Tobias pressing against my back seeped into me and his concern for me. ¡°He¡¯s fine. Leave him be,¡± I moan when his grip bes rougher, his fingers digging into my breast as he squeezed it with his other hand before pressing himself against me. My breathing became I clutch him closer, feeling the bond wash over me, Kalen¡¯s emotions bleeding into me along with his magic when he pulls his face from my neck. His eyes were closed, and my blood ran from the corner of his mouth. He sighed, and I gripped his chin, tilting his face down toward mine before licking the trail of my blood back to his lips before kissing him. Kalen smiled against my lips as my tongue delved between his. All too soon, he pulled away. ¡°3 down one to go?¡± he breathed, brushing his nose against mine. Trending Novels Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Tobias moves behind me. His lips press softly to my jaw, and I tilt my head, giving him better ess. My eyes flutter closed at the sparks rushing over my skin, making goosebumps rise over my body as he left open mouth kisses on my skin. Sucking and nipping at my soft flesh. His teeth grazed and teased as his arms wrapped around my waist, firmly holding me against him. Kalen¡¯s lips crashed against my own, his tongue demanding as it moved between my parted lips, tasting every inch of my mouth. Their touch was invigorating and empowering as their magic passed between us with each touch and gentle caress. I ran my hands across Kalen¡¯s warm chest, loving the tingling sensation beneath my palms and the feeling of his arousal from the bond. Tobias growls, the sound sending a cold chill up my spine as his teeth pierce my flesh and nearly cause my knees to buckle. My eyes rolled into the back of my head as his tonguepped at my neck, his grip bing stronger. His bite is no longer painful but pleasurable, and I push back against him, my lips pulling away from Kalen¡¯s as I moan at the euphoria coursing through me. Darius¡¯ scent reaches my nose. His masculine smokey scent wrapping around me made my eyes open to see him watching me. Kalen steps out of his way and moves toward the bathroom door. H e opens it, and I hear the shower turn on a few secondster. Tobias pulled his fangs from my neck, and I felt a little lightheaded as the ecstasy of his bite left and forced me back to reality. ¡°Go shower before they get carried away,¡± Darius whispers. His eyes flickered like he was fighting his own urges to mark me. His hands fell on my hips, and he turned me toward the bathroom, where I could see Kalen was already in the shower. I gulp when he turns, and he wets his face. His body looked like it was hand sculpted. Kalen was b y far the smallest, with his height and muscle, more athletically built and leaner. Yet his softness was what made him so appealing. That and the calmness I found when with Kalen. Whereas Lycus looked like he lived in a gym despite never seeing him use one, his werewolf DNA was strong, and he was all muscle on muscle. Darius¡¯s body, you could tell, was lethal, bulky, and hard pressed behind me. He and Tobias were built simrly, both towering over the rest of us. ¡°Are you just going to stand there?¡± Kalen asked, raising an eyebrow while I gawked at how perfect he was. He smirks, his hair falling in his eyes now that it was wet. He runs his fingers through his hair, flicking his hair out of his face as he turns back to wash himself. Darius pushes me through the door, making me stumble. His hand on my stomach caught me before I face-nted onto the tiles because I stared off in a daze, too busy perving on my mate. Dariusughed softly behind me. ¡°Kalen is delicious to look at,¡± Darius tells me, and I nod stupidly. I am pretty sure he could have said anything, and I would have nodded, still focused on Kalen, my mind refusing toprehend anything or anyone else. ¡°Kalen, stop. She can barely function,¡± Darius tells him, and I feel the trance that gripped me lessen, making me blink rapidly. ¡°He was fiddling with your aura, pulling on it.¡± Darius murmurs when I feel his fingers trail along the waistband of my pants. I grip his hands. -¡°You¡¯re not bleeding; I checked you early this morning while you were asleep,¡± Darius tells me, and I sigh, I know I should probably be embarrassed, yet I found I was anything but. Darius slid them down, and I quickly stepped out of them. ¡°I will get some towels for you both,¡± Darius murmurs, and I grip his wrist as he turns to walk out. H e stops looking at me as I turn, pulling him toward the shower. His eyes move behind me to Kalen. Kalen¡¯s wet hand gripped my hip as he tugged me to him. His skin was hard and warm against my back as he pulled me under the shower spray. He detaches the showerhead, and I shiver when the spray sts through my hair as Kalen wets it. Yet I stood waiting to see what Darius would do when I let his hand go. ¡°Would you like a written invitation, Darius? I don¡¯t think she could be clearer unless she said it,¡± Kalen asks him behind me as he hooks the showerhead back onto the wall. Kalen grabs the soap, his arm wrapping around my waist as hethers my skin with his hand holding the soap. Citrus and vani flooded the room as the steam heated the ce, making the mirror fog. Darius turns and walks out, and I sigh. Invariably, one step forward and ten back with him. Turning i n Kalen¡¯s arms, he smiles down at me before dipping his face lower, his lips brushing mine softly when heat moves across my back, seeping into me. I pull away from Kalen to see Darius step in behind me when I nce over my shoulder. His hot skin brushes mine as he closes the shower screen behind him. His hands move to my hips, and Kalen¡¯s hands trail up to my ribs, softly caressing my sides when he turns me to face Darius. Kalen¡¯s hand moves to my breast, fondling it, and I lean back against him, only for Darius to take a step closer. His face was barely inches from mine as he watched Kalen¡¯s hands exploring my body, touching and caressing. I ce my palm in the center of Darius¡¯s chest, the heat radiating from him hotter than the water ! stood under. Darius looks down at my hand and steps closer, his lips smashing against mine. His hand moved from my hip and went to my hair as he pulled me closer, deepening the kiss. His lips devoured mine, and I had to pull away for air. Trending NovelsC¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Chapter 75 N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. As he stepped closer, Darius¡¯s lips moved to my neck, so his entire body was flush against mine. Kalen¡¯s erection dug into my lower back, and Darius fists my hair in his hand, tugging at my hair and forcing my head back. His tongue flicked my earlobe. He nibbles on it, teasing it with his teeth, making me moan when Kalen¡¯s hand presses between Darius and me on my stomach. Kalen¡¯s fingers trailed down between my legs when he cupped my pussy with his hand, squeezing i t, making me shiver as sparks rushed straight to my clit. Lust coursed violently through me when his fingers parted my lower lips before shoving his finger inside me. My legs shook with the sudden intrusion as he slid his finger in as deep as possible, making Darius groan and pull away to look down at Kalen¡¯s hand, teasing and ying with me. ¡°Gently Kalen,¡± Darius says before his hand covers Kalen slowing his movements. Darius pulls Kalen¡¯s hand gently, guiding his finger inside me. Both of them ying with me, and my arousal spills out of me, coating Kalen¡¯s finger and hand as I writhed between them. I grip Darius¡¯ arm, my legs trembling as he moves Kalen¡¯s hand faster. ¡°Curl your finger upward,¡± Darius growls, watching Kalen¡¯s hand when he does, making me cry out when his finger brushes some part I did not know existed, causing a breathy moan to leave my lips and my eyes fluttered closed. ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Darius murmurs, making my eyes open to find Darius¡¯ eyes watching my face when I feel Darius¡¯ finger slip inside me alongside Kalen¡¯s. His finger is warmer and longer as he slid in, matching Kalen¡¯s rhythm and guiding Kalen to the same spot that made warmth pool in my lower stomach, my body tingling. My walls mp down on their fingers, and Kalen¡¯s arm tightens around my ribs, keeping me upright. My nails into Darius¡¯s arm earning me a growl when Darius¡¯ lips swallow his and Kalen¡¯s fingers moved quicker. The feeling they were stirring up within me builds quickly, and Darius kisses the side of my mouth. His tongue teasing the seam of my lips. ¡°Can I mark you?¡± he murmurs against my lips, making my eyes snap open when he asks for permission. ¡°You¡¯re asking?¡± I said, a little shocked. ¡°Maybe I should have all along,¡± he whispered before his finger curled inside me, making me shake and cry out. He smirks. My face heating and my head rolls back against Kalen¡¯s shoulder behind m ¡°Is that a yes?¡± Darius growls, his teeth grazing my jaw and down my neck where all their marksy. ¡°Yes,¡± I answer breathlessly. His teeth sink into my neck over their marks, sending me over the edge. My moans resounded loudly off the tiled walls. My inner walls clenched their fingers as my pussy pulsated, my orgasm rippling over me, making my knees go out from under me. Darius stepped closer. Kalen bore all my weight on his arm that was securely around me, trapping me between them. Their fingers slowed as rode out the orgasm that washed over me in waves when I felt Darius¡¯s teeth smash through the barrier and merge with all their bonds. His magic smashed into mine as it fought mine, wanting to return to its owner. His cold power bled into my veins quickly, tangling and dominating mine, only for mine to fight back and morph and change his, turning his magic from ice cold to warm as it slivered through me strongly. Darius¡¯ emotions bleed into me like a tidal wave. Shock and awe are the strongest, followed by his longing. Only he now genuinely realized what it meant that I was a harmony Fae. Both light and dark coexisting as one, mingling and blurring the lines between what should be impossible but somehow fit like pieces of a puzzle, and Darius just gave me thest piece. Darius pulls his teeth from my neck, and his eyes flicker oddly. The color-changing from ck to gold then shes before turning ck again. He cups my face with his hand, and their fingers slip out of me. Darius kisses me softly, sucking my bottom lip into his mouth, mal gentle he could be. ¡°Four down, Four to go,¡± he whispers against my lips, and my brows furrow at his words. ¡°We all belong to you now, so now you get to choose if you belong to us,¡± Darius murmurs, pressing his forehead against mine. I wrap my arms around his neck, tugging him down to kiss him. He answers instantly, and I hear the shower screen open up. Kalen shuffles around behind me, and Darius pulls me closer, allowing Lycus and Tobias to step into the shower with us. Lycus turns one of the other shower heads on, adjusting it as it wasn¡¯t detachable. Darius¡¯ hands move to my thighs before he grips them, lifting me. I wrap my legs around his waist. His hands squeezed my ass when I suddenly felt all their hands o n me. Tobias messaging my scalp with shampoo. Lycus¡¯ fingers teased as he and Kalen washed m My lips go to Darius¡¯ neck, and he groans lewdly, his hands squeezing harder, and I could feel him hard below me. Tobias gripped my hair, tilting my head back to rinse out the shampoo. I close my eyes when Darius¡¯ hot mouthtches onto my nipple, making me moan when I feel Lycus¡¯ lipstch onto the other. The bond was odd. I could feel thempletely, differentiate who was who and where they were without even looking like an extra sense now that they had marked me. Their lips tease when Tobias lets go of my hair, letting me lift my head back. Darius¡¯ lips went back to mine while Tobias¡¯s fingers swept my hair over one shoulder, his lips teasing as he nipped at my shoulder and neck. Darius growls. His tongue dominated my mouth as he rolled my hips against him. ¡°Hmm, someone is tempting darkness,¡± Tobias purred against my neck, and Darius pulled away. His eyes flicker, and he smirks. ¡°Now she is about to taste it,¡± Darius growls. Trending Novels Chapter 76 Chapter 76 My heart skips a beat at his words , and Darius¡¯s lips go to their marks on my neck , making me moan when Kalen grips my hair . He tugged my head back before his lips covered mine . I answered his kiss , turning in Darius¡¯s arms to wrap mine around Kalen¡¯s neck , pulling him closer when I felt him grab me . Darius transferred me over to him . Kalen pushes me against the shower wall , and m y blood sings in my veins at his roughness . My legs wrap around his waist securely , and the others move around , showering . I thought Darius would be angry that I wanted Kalen , yet they all seemed to ept it like they knew before I even did . Kalen¡¯s tongue moves between my lips , assaulting my mouth , and I gasp into his mouth . Any reservations I had left now , I a m safely in Kalen¡¯s hands . I knew he wouldn¡¯t hurt me . I knew none of them would , but I felt more rxed with Kalen . Kalen sucks my bottom lip into his mouth , his teeth tugging on it , and the bond res making me mewl . The noises leaving me as the bond thrived grew more robust and were embarrassing . However , they didn¡¯t mind or mention my sudden insatiable hunger for them and their magic . The urge to take his power and recharge him was overwhelming , and my body tingled as I ran my fingers up the back of his neck and into his hair . Kalen shudders before I feel the sparks zap my fingertips . My bond siphoning his magic and absorbing it before feeding it back to him stronger , the cycle relentless , and the more I did , the more desire coursed through me . It was almost maddening , the urges rolling over me entirely out of my control as I moved my hips against him . His hard cock pressed against my wet pussy . Any fear I may have extinguished , and I felt the moment carnal instinct washed over mepletely . My vision changed , and m y entire body tingled as I blinked . Kalen gasped , pulling away from me . My reflection in his eyes made me gasp when I saw my eyes glowing and turningpletely white , radiating back at me like a raging storm . 1/ m.techkaushal - 500¡Á300 - 1 The buzz under my skin intensified , a feral , hungered noise leaving me as my lips crashed against his hungrily . Any control I had was now lost and forgotten a s I gave in to the feeling . Kalen chuckles against my lips as I mauled him . ¡± Not here , Kalen . Take her to the room . She isn¡¯t losing her virginity on a shower wall , ¡± Lycus tells him ; however , I couldn¡¯t care less where I lost anything right now . All I could focus on was the feeling the bond was drowning me in , lust coursing through me rapidly and burning me up like wildfire as I attacked him . Tasting the saltiness of his skin , anything I could get my mouth on . I could feel him moving , felt the cold draft rush over me as he stepped out of the shower with me in his arms , yet my skin was boiling hot , my skin itching with a foreign need . Their hands touching and drying me made me moan . Kalen chuckles as my tongue assaults his lips , chin , and neck . He doesn¡¯t stop me or pull away , his magic bleeding in and out of me . So much power was being transferred that it was ridiculous . Arousing and electrifying at the same time . I understood why it was called shredding , like burning off energy rapidly , only to absorb more and burn it off by giving it back . Each time his power grew stronger , the more I pulled on it before giving it back to him . I struggled with focus , recognition , desire , and instinct taking over , and my back hit the mattress . Kalen tried to untangle himself from me , but my fingers refused to let go of his shoulders , and I growled like an animal when he tried . y My legs wrapped around him , securely holding him in ce against me . Yet his worry bled through the bond . However , m bond was uncaring , only hungry for him and his power . When hot hands gripped the sides of my face . My head is pulled back , and I am pushed t against the mattress ; I see Darius¡¯s demonic eyes staring down at me . A seductive smile on his lips . ¡± Calm . Slow Aleera , you will regret it in the morning , ¡± his words sounded reasonable , yet instinct refused to let go oI me as I clutched Kalen closer . Darius¡¯s eyes glow , burning brightly before I feel him turn his magic on me , forcing me to rx , and my legs unravel from around Kalen¡¯s waist falling open on the bed , and my fingers let him go . Kalen sighs , but Darius¡¯s magic almost had me sedated , and the fog washing over me and clouding me lifts slightly , making me blink up at him . ¡°C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org 1 Darius smirks . ¡± That¡¯s it , calm Aleera , Darius murmurs before leaning down and kissing me softly , his tongue gently brushing mine , his hands on the sides of my face slid down to my neck , his thumbs brushing along my jaw , warm and making my skin tingle . ¡± Maybe one of you should ? ¡± Kalen whispers , and Darius pulls his lips from mine to look at him . My breathing was harsh as the need for Kalen¡¯s power overwhelmed me . It was like the bond craved him , yet subconsciously , it went with who I would have chosen first . It was an odd feeling . Darius lets me go , and the moment he does , I attack Kalen ; the bond overwhelming me . Kalen¡¯s nervousness hits me like a p in the face when Darius grabs me , pulling me back down , his magic moving through me again and sedating me . Yet still , my hips rocked against Kalen , my legs locked around his waist . ¡± Her bond wants you , Kalen , ¡± Tobias tells him , but the fire coursing through me became painful the more he denied me , I groaned as my arousal spilled out , coating my thighs . But Kalen just stared down at me , and I mewl . Kalen bites his lip , looking down at me . I wondered why he was denying me ; the bond screaming out painfully for him , but he just stared down at me , and the feeling through the bond was almost fear . ¡± Maybe Tobias should , ¡± Kalen murmurs . Tears prick my eyes at Kalen¡¯s words . The bond recoiled in my chest , making me cry out . My back arched at his rejection as pain rippled through me when Lycus moved onto the bed beside me , his magic flooding into me as his hand moved across my stomach , the bond rxing under his touch , and I fell back against the bed . Humiliated at the way my bond was reacting , tears stung my eyes . I couldn¡¯t even speak , incapable of it . Everything became based on instinct and the feeling of my bond tugging on theirs . It became clear why everyone always said you needed your mates when shredding . It was agony and uncontroble ; I was at the mercy of my bond , inhibited by instincts I was not used to . ¡± Calm , he is scared . Aleera . He isn¡¯t rejecting you , ¡± Lycus murmured before leaning over and kissing me softly and sucking on my bottom lip . He nibbles on it before pulling away from me and smiling back at me . Darius ¡® hands still cupping my face warm up more , his magic bleeding through me , trying to calm my frantic bond , and I see Tobias kiss Kalen¡¯s shoulder . Kalen turns his head to face him , to look at him , and Tobias kisses him . The sight made my bond re stronger , saddened Kalen would give in to Tobias , but not me . ¡± I know you want him . He will give your bond what it wants . Kalen has never been with a woman . Just give him a second , ¡° Darius purrs , leaning down and kissing m e softly . His words startled me for a second , and when he pulled away , Kalen was staring down at me with a worried look on his face and his cheeks heat . His embarrassment hits me , and my bond calms , reacting to him . Wanting tofort him and tell him it was ok , which it was , I was a virgin , for god sake , and not many were at the age of twenty ¨C four , especially a damn keeper . A purr escapes me , a noise I wasn¡¯t aware I could make , my bond rushing out like an aura and reassuring him . Kalen sighs , closing his eyes and tipping his head back . My body felt foreign doing things I had no control over . The urge tofort my mate became overwhelming , and I felt the tension start to leave him . ¡± What are you worried about ? Hurting her ? I can assure you right now you won¡¯t , not while she is like this , ¡± Tobias chuckles , nodding toward me writhing on the bed . Kalen looks down at me , and his face takes on a darkened expression , his eyes flickering and the room chilled slightly , reacting to his mood . And for the first time , I got glimmers of his aura . I had never seen one , and I knew i t was because I was filled with his magic . However , Kalen¡¯s was ck as coal , and fractures like shattered ss crackled within it . Darkness , his aura , was tainted by the darkness that sometimes took over him , showing how close he lived to the edge of this world and death , a limbo between the light and darkness that swirled within him . ¡± Yes , but mostly what she will see , ¡± Kalen says , and Lycus cups Kalen¡¯s cheek with his hand . His thumb smoothed under his eye . Trending Novels Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Previous Post Next Post It won¡¯t make her love you any less , ¡± Lycus told him . Their words confused me , and I tried to process what he meant . I wanted desperately to ask , yet my tongue felt thick in my mouth . I nced at Darius , who held an indecipherable expression . Worry etched on his handsome face , a crease forming between his eyes as I stared up at him questionably . Darius licks his lip , and his eyes go to mine and soften slightly . ¡± There is a reason they are called keepers . They are keepers of more than magic , Aleera . You get their magic , but you also get all their secrets , even the ones we haven¡¯t told each other . ¡± Darius murmured thest part like he had just remembered that . That was what Kalen was worried about ? I knew that already , so why was he so scared of me learning about his past ? The atmosphere in the room changed now that Darius spoke the words . A nervous ripple coursed through all of them as they watched me . 1/ m.techkaushal - 500¡Á300 - 1 ¡± Kalen doesn¡¯t have a good one , Aleera . I ¡± know you are probably having trouble keeping a singr thought , but you should know not one of us has a ster past , ¡± Lycus whispers while leaning over me . He brushes his nose against mine and pecks my lips . My bond forgetting the conversation and my hands grip his arms , tugging him closer and deepening the kiss . Lycus palms my breast before rolling my nipple between his fingers as I kiss him . Hands smoothed over my thighs , and Lycus pulled away from me just as Kalen gripped my hips , yanking me closer to him . His eyes flicker at me , and he purrs , a cocky grin splitting onto his face . Kalen pushes my legs further apart before grabbing his cock in his hand . He runs the tip between my glistening wet folds , making me arch my hips , wanting him to sink himself inside my tight confines . Lycus growls , and my eyes dart to him to find him watching Kalen tease me by running his cock between my lips , parting them . Lycus leans down , and Kalen moves slightly as Lycus¡¯s mouth covers my throbbing pussy , his hot tongue brushing my clit , making me cry out and buck against his lips . Lycus growls , sucking on my clit , and I watch Kalen run his fingers through Lycus¡¯s hair . My hips roll against his fiery tongue . Arousal makes my muscles tense , and heat pools in my belly , desire coursing through me , and my thighs be slick a s my juices spill from me , coating his lips . Lycus pulls away , and Kalen grips the back of his neck , bringing Lycus¡¯s lips to his and kissing him . Tasting me on his Lycus lips . Kalen lets him go , and my breathing bes harsh as the bond grows impatient . Kalen looks down at me and smirks before running the tip of his cock between my pussy lips again teasingly , stopping at my entrance . Tobias moves onto the bed o n my other side , his lipstching onto my nipple , making me moan , and his hand falls on my knee , pulling my leg further open . Kalen¡¯s hand falls on my thigh , spreading my legs wide apart as he moves closer and pushes the tip in . I gasp at the feeling , and Tobias pulls away , and I see Kalen watching me as he slowly pushes inside me , stretching me around his thick shaft . His cock grazing my inner walls , gliding in smoothly coated in my juices . M y pussy grips him , and he groans . His eyes flicker before he shoves inside me , his hips flush against me . Kalen stills before watching himself slide out of me , and his eyes flick to mine when I move my hips , forcing him back inside . Darius growls , his hands moving to my shoulders before letting me go . His magic lets me go , and the bond is flooded with primal desire . Kalen smiled darkly , gripping my hips and mming into me . I reach for him , my hands wanting to touch him . I feel the bed dip as Tobias and Lycus move when Kalen gripped my hands ,cing his fingers through mine and shoving them into the mattress above my head . His lips crashed against mine hungrily . My tongue fought his for dominance as the bond red . I roll my hips moving in sync with his thrusts , and I moan loudly as bliss rolls over me when he floods me with his magic , giving me all of it , bathing me in it . My bond tangling with his , and my chest warmed a t the feeling coursing through me . Kalen¡¯s lips move to my mark , and he sucks on it , earning a moan from me when sparks make my entire body buzz . His hard length sliding in and out of me , slick with my arousal from the building friction . Kalen groans when my walls mp down around him . His lips returning to mine , and my fingers squeeze his as he drives me closer to the precipice . As he tastes every inch of my mouth , Kalen¡¯s tongue bes demanding , and I am overwhelmed with the friction and his magic slivering through me . My entire body heats and my breathing turns to a pant as I roll my hips against him when m y bond takes overpletely , hungry to mark him and im him . Kalen growls when my magic shoves out , and I overpower him , flipping him on his back . Kalen barely sat up in time before I had climbed on top of him . My legs straddling his waist , and Kalen¡¯s arms wrap around my waist , slowing me as I sink down on him . A sigh leaves my lips at the feel of his cock filling me , and my head rolls back at the pleasurable feeling , only for a set of lips to swallow my moans as Tobias¡¯s lips cover mine . Kalen rolls my hips against him , his lips going to my breast , his teeth tugging at my nipple as his tongue swirls around it . My stomach coils with tension , and heat washes over me . My inner walls quiver as the first ripple effect of my orgasm washes over me . Kalen groans , and Tobias¡¯s lips leave mine , only for Kalen to grip the back my neck , bringing my lips back to his . His kiss was hungry , and I shattered . My pussy pulsating and gripping his cock when Kalen¡¯s lips pull away from mine , and he groans as warm jets of his semen coated my insides , and his movements slowed just as I sank my teeth into his neck . Fireworks exploded behind my eyelids as his soul bled into mine , giving me every piece of him . His magic is no longer his or mine but ours . My bond calms , and I mean as his blood floods my mouth and moan as his bloo s my mouth and coats my tongue . Kalen¡¯s cock twitched inside me as he clutched me closer . My orgasm prolonged by the feeling of his magic flowing through both of us , and m y cries seemed endless as I rode out the effects of it . I gasp , pulling my teeth from his neck . Kalen cups my face in his hands , and the room spins around us , warping and the colors blurring . I felt like I was falling when Kalen kissed me gently . ¡± I love you , and I never stopped , ¡± Kalen whispers , pulling away , and he sighs , pressing his forehead against mine . ¡± So , please forgive me , ¡± he whispers . His words made no sense to me until I was plunged into the darkness of his memories . I was aware I was being moved , could feel their hands touching m e until I was no longer feeling anything but experiencing something else entirely . Thrown into new surroundings . A surrounding that I wasn¡¯t familiar with . I It was at that moment that I realized I had traveled back in time to Kalen¡¯s memories . Previous Post Next Post Trending NovelsN?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Chapter 78 It was like watching a timeline of the most significant memories he had, those that shaped him into who h e is today. A glimpse into the depths of who Kalen truly was and the things that haunted him, made him happy, everything that made Kalen, Kalen. 1/ m.techkaushal - 500¡Á300 - 1 His youngest memory was horrible. At first, I was an outsider watching until the vision warped, and I was suddenly Kalen, seeing the world through his eyes. Feeling what he felt, enduring what he endured. I found myself running into some room with gray walls with peeling wallpaper, exposing the mold-covered walls beneath. Beds lined the room in rows,rge bay windows overlooked the city, and the room was ice cold. He crawled underneath his bed by the window only to be ripped out by his ankles, his nails wing at the wooden floorboards, making his fingertips bloody as they tore away his fingernails. His screams were horrendous and hurt my soul. The fear he felt made my heart race, and at first, I had no idea what he was running from until he was rolled over. It was other children, Kalen crawling on his hands and knees is, blocked by legs and backed into a corner. The kids huddled around him in the corner of the room. He tried to cover his ears with hands over his head as they screamed and taunted. Throwing things and kicking and hurting him. Most of his childhood was spent being bullied relentlessly for being the weakest amongst the Fae. But Kalen wasn¡¯t just the weakest; he was also the smallest amongst his peers. The bullying was horrendous, the things they did to him. Setting him on fire, urinating on him, beating him bloody, and the teachers or those responsible for looking after him turned a blind eye to it or outright condemned him by telling him he deserved it. Kalen¡¯s childhood was tragic up until one day, and that day changed everything for him. Kalen was worried as he sat in the yground by himself, and a new kid walked out the doors. He thought it was another person to add to the list of bullies he already had. The boy reminded me of someone, and it didn¡¯t take long before I recognized who he was. It was Lycus. He was younger in this memory. Lycus was just a boy, like Kalen. Only he was frighteningly bigger, and Kalen watched, horrified a s he argued with one of the teachers before stomping off to sit on one of the bench seats. Lycus watched the other children y, his eyes falling on Kalen, and Kalen dropped his gaze, cursing himself for making eye contact with the scary-looking boy. When the bell went to signal ss and he had to return back into the orphanage, he ran for the doors, hoping to go unnoticed. However, Kalen knew his bullies weren¡¯t going to give him a day off when the one he hated most stepped into his path. The boy was a teenager and almost looked too old to be still in the orphanage that Kalen called home. Kalen had to have been at least half the other boys¡¯ age. As the bully steps out the door into the concrete yground, he takes a step back. Kalen¡¯s eyes scan his surroundings, looking for an escape. He notices Lycus watching curiously from where he still sat, ignoring the sound of the school bell. Kalen goes to make a run for the door across the quadrangle, only for the teenage boy to tackle him. Kids rush out the doors, circling around and taunting him while the other kid grips the front of his shirt and repeatedly punches him, making his nose bleed, and his eyes blur as they swell. Pain rippled through me as I experienced what he did, the helplessness, and the eptance. Kalen doesn¡¯t fight back. He knows it is useless and only brings on more pain. So instead, he just takes it. He thought the boy would surely kill him that day. He promised Kalen he would before he aged out of the system. Kalen epted it. In some ways, he hoped this was it, the day his torment ended. Just as his bully gripped his head in both hands, Kalen closed his eyes, knowing his head was about to be mmed into the pavement. Yet the deadly blow neveres. Instead, the weight holding him down was gone, and a collective gasp was heard from the surrounding crowd of children. Kalen¡¯s eyes flew open to find his tormentor beside him on the ground, and the new kid that had arrived was punching into him, the bully¡¯s head bouncing off the ground as Lycus pounded his face with his fists. Blood spurted out of the Bullies nose and mouth covering the new kid. Kalen was shocked but also petrified that Lycus would turn his attention to him when he was done. Lycus¡¯ eyes were a demonic ck, and he foamed at the mouth in his rage. Kalen justid there and stared, too scared to move. Lycus growled loudly when Kalen¡¯s bully fell unconscious. The other kids had scattered and ran away in fear as Lycus stood upright, breathing heavily before his gaze turned to Kalen, who cowered away from him as Lycus stepped over the kid. Yet instead of offering Kalen a fist, he offered him his hand and pulled him to his feet ¡°Are you okay?¡± Lycus asked him and Kalen just stared at him. No one ever asked if he was okay, and he suddenly found himself mute for another reason. ¡°You got a name?¡± Lycus asks him. Kalen nods, and Lycus raises an eyebrow at him. ¡°Well, are you going to tell me, or can¡¯t you speak?¡± Lycus asks him, ¡°Kalen,¡± he stuttered out. ¡°I¡¯m Lycus,¡± Lycus told him, and Kalen looked down at his bloody bully lying unconscious on the ground. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s find a first aid kit,¡± Lycus tells him, grabbing Kalen¡¯s arm, but Kalen shakes his head, pulling away. Lycus stops and stares at him. ¡°I will get in trouble. The teachers don¡¯t help,¡± he whispers to Lycus. That seemed to anger Lycus, who chucks his arm over Kalen¡¯s shoulder. ¡°They¡¯ll help, or I¡¯ll make them,¡± ¡°They won¡¯t listen. They don¡¯t care, ¡± Kalen murmurs nervously: ¡°I¡¯ll make them listen,¡± Lycus tells him. 1 Kalen looks at Lycus, and he smiles, shing his canines. ¡°Because if they don¡¯t, I¡¯ll bite,¡± he says, and Kalenughs, letting Lycus lead him back inside. After the day he met Lycus, they were joined at the hip, drawn to each other. Lycus always defended Kalen and taught him how to protect himself as best he could. However, when they were both fourteen, Kalen¡¯s mental health declined, and his depression worsened until Lycus got sick of watching him hate himself. His teacher had hit Kalen across the knuckles with a cane when he was trying to exin the work to Lycus beside him. Kalen¡¯s knuckles split open, and Lycus lost it, standing up and ripping the cane from his teacher¡¯s fingers. The man was cruel and hated both Lycus and Kalen and used any excuse to punish them. Lycus pulled the cane from his hand before wailing on him with it. Lycus was then shot with a dart gun after one of the student¡¯s raced into the halls to alert security. Kalen watched on helplessly as Lycus was then hauled away to the infirmary, and Kalen wasn¡¯t allowed in with him, so he waited by the door for him to wake up. ¡°Kalen! Now.¡± his teacher called to him. Kalen was waiting in a corridor for Lycus when he heard his name called. Kalen pushed off the wall he was leaning on as the burly vampiric Fae stalked toward him. Kalen nced at the door where Lycus was before turning his attention to the headteacher. ¡°Follow me,¡± the man said. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°But Lycus,¡± ¡°I am not here for the were-Fae. Now hurry up,¡± the man said, turning on his heel and walking into the gymnasium. Kalen followed. He had never had issues with the headteacher; he was only new to the orphanage, so he didn¡¯t suspect anything wrong. When he entered the gymnasium, his Math teacher sato na chair. Lash marks covered him where Lycus had beat him. A few other teachers stood off to the sides as they entered, and Kalen followed behind, thinking he would probably be issued the cane. He got the cane. Not a piece of his skin was left untainted when they finished beating him. This was their punishment for Lycus. They knew Kalen was Lycus¡¯s weak spot and the only person he cared for, so they hurt Kalen to teach Lycus a lesson. Then they fed on him, nearly killing him before dumping him outside the infirmary door for Lycus to find. A few dayster, Lycus had enough. Trending Novels Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Chapter 79 ¡°Psst. wake up. We are leaving,¡± Lycus says, shaking Kalen¡¯s shoulder and waking him. Kalen groans and rolls over to see Lycus hovering above him. 1/ m.techkaushal - 500¡Á300 - 1 ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Kalen whispers, sitting up and rubbing his eyes while yawning. Lycus grabs Kalen¡¯s face, that was still covered insh marks. ¡°We are leaving. We are better off on our own,¡± Lycus tells him, pulling Kalen¡¯s pajama shirt off and dressing him. Kalen¡¯s sleeping medication made him extra groggy and almost nonfunctioning, ¡°Where will we go?¡± Kalen mumbles, trying toy back down when Lycus grabs him under the arms forcing him to his feet. ¡°Anywhere they can¡¯t touch you,¡± Lycus growls before chucking a bag over his shoulder Kalen doped off his face from the medication woke upter at the bus stop, having no memory of the walk there. It was freezing cold, snow-covered the ground and Lycus was rubbing his arms, trying to warm him, who was leaning on him. The motion having woken Kalen, he peered around, confused. ¡°Shh, go to sleep,¡± Lycus murmurs, and Kalen trusts Lycus to keep him safe, so he does just that. They lived like that for years. Living day to day. Taking any odd jobs they could find, Lycus, at one stage, even became a male stripper to get them by. His werewolf genes made him appear older than he was, and as much as Lycus hated it, he did more than just strip for the filthy old pub tarts as he called them to get them by until he realized he was hurting Kalen and I was shoved into one of Kalen¡¯s happiest memories. Na Lycus had juste out to the kitchen at the back of the strip club where Kalen washed dishes, covered i n sweat with money stuffed in his briefs. Kalen hung up his apron as his shift ended before stalking off out the back. ¡°Kalen?¡± Lycus asked, chasing after him and pulling clothes on as he chased after him, but Kalen hated seeing Lycus with women and found it made him jealous. He didn¡¯t know what to think of the strange feelings he had for him. He thought it wrong to feel that way. Trudging home in the snow, they were currently sleeping in a tent at a nearby park, both still too young to rent a ce, and neither had ID. ¡°Kalen, did something happen?¡± Lycus asks him, catching up to him, but Kalen ignores him and keeps walking home. When they get to the small park at the back of the pub, Kalen unzips the tent and climbs in, sitting on his makeshift bed. ¡°What¡¯s got into you?¡± ¡°Nothing?¡± ¡°Well, something is wrong,¡± Lycus says, sniffing himself. He shudders, he hated how they pawed at him, hated the things he had to do, but he did them so they could survive. When Kalen doesn¡¯t answer, Lycus growls before stomping out of the tent and toward the toilets. There was a shower in there, but it only had cold water, but it was better than nothing. When he returned, Kalen continued to ignore him. ¡°Kalen,¡± Lycus said, and he looked up at Lycus. He passes Kalen a burger he must have got on his way home. Kalen sighs but takes it. Lycus sits across from him, eating his own food. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°You were in the red room,¡± Kalen muttered, taking a bite of his sandwich. Lycus shrugs like it is no big deal. ¡°Filthy whore, she was married too,¡± Lycus says, his eyes flicking to Kalen¡¯s. ¡°What?¡± Lycus asks, but Kalen shakes his head, going back to eating his food. ¡°You have been really strangetely. What¡¯s got into you? Have you run out of medication? I can pull a double tomorrow?¡± Lycus tells him. Kalen mutters under his breath, and Lycus growls at him. Kalen knew he was annoyed. They told each other everything. Well, except for one thing, he never told Lycus how he felt about him. When they finish eating, Lycus rummages through their bags, looking for Kalen¡¯s sleepina pills, and sighs. ¡°You are out. Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± Lycus asks. ¡°I don¡¯t want you selling yourself. I hate the smell of them on you,¡± ¡°It¡¯s just sex. It¡¯s no big deal,¡± Lycus says before he sighs. ¡°To me, it¡¯s not! They are using you!¡± Kalen screams, and Lycus seems startled by his outburst. Kalen hardly raised his voice, and he was quick to apologize. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, forget I said anything,¡± Kalen mutters, rubbing his temples. He could feel a headacheing o ¡°I don¡¯t mind. It is fine,¡± Lycus tells him. ¡°I will speak to Bill about doing more shifts,¡± Lycus says, and Kalen curses, getting to his feet to storm out of the tent. Only Lycus grips his arm, tugging him back.¡± What did I say this time? What is wrong?¡± Lycus asks. This time he was bing angry with Kalen¡¯s lack of answers. Kalen¡¯s face heats with embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m being stupid. It must be my meds,¡± Kalen tells him with a shake of his head, turning to leave the tent s o he could shower. Kalen froze in the shower, and by the time he got out and returned to the tent, he was shivering and regretting showering in the first ce. His teeth chattered as he rubbed his arms, and tonight it was snowing, making it just a little chillier; Kalen hated the cold. Lycus was reading with a torch between his teeth when he entered. Kalen falls onto the swag beside him, and Lycus looks over at him before lifting his nket and chucking it over Kalen. Lycus would sometimes shift, knowing his fur would keep him warm and help warm Kalen. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Kalen growls. ¡°You¡¯re freezing,¡± Lycus tells him as Kalen wriggles beneath his nket. Lycus ces his torch down before sighing and moving closer to Kalen. ¡°I can shift?¡± Lycus says, but Kalen felt guilty about their argument and believed he didn¡¯t deserve a friend like him. ¡°Man, this tent is fucking boring when you are so quiet,¡± Lycus says,ying down. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go sleep with one of your whores? I am sure they will keep you entertained,¡± Kalen spits bitterly, not meaning for the words to spill from his lips. ¡°What the fuck is your problem?¡± Lycus snaps at him before gripping his shoulder and flinging Kalen on his back. He res down at him. ¡°Fucking answer, I am sick of your snidements. Do you think I want to fuck them? It¡¯s a job. It keeps u s fed,¡± Lycus snaps at him. ¡°Well, you seem to enjoy it, or you wouldn¡¯t keep doing it,¡± Kalen growls. ¡°Ah, for fuck sake, if you have something to say, Kalen, fucking say it. I am sick of guessing where your head is at,¡± Lycus says. ¡°I don¡¯t want you fucking them. You earn enough without fucking them.¡± Kalen tells him. ¡°Your medication is expensive. It¡¯s the only way to cover it,¡± Guilt smashes into Kalen. ¡°What?¡± Lycus asks, but Kalen shakes his head, going back to eating his food. ¡°You have been really strangetely. What¡¯s got into you? Have you run out of medication? I can pull a double tomorrow?¡± Lycus tells him. Kalen mutters under his breath, and Lycus growis at him. Kalen knew he was annoyed. They told each other everything. Well, except for one thing, he never told Lycus how he felt about him. When they finish eating, Lycus rummages through their bags, looking for Kalen¡¯s sleeping pills, and sighs. ¡°You are out. Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± Lycus asks. ¡°I don¡¯t want you selling yourself. I hate the smell of them on you,¡± ¡°It¡¯s just sex. It¡¯s no big deal,¡± Lycus says before he sighs. ¡°To me, it¡¯s not! They are using you!¡± Kalen screams, and Lycus seems startled by his outburst. Kalen hardly raised his voice, and he was quick to apologize. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, forget I said anything,¡± Kalen mutters, rubbing his temples. He could feel a headacheing o n. ¡°I don¡¯t mind. It is fine,¡± Lycus tells him. ¡°I will speak to Bill about doing more shifts,¡± Lycus says, and Kalen curses, getting to his feet to storm out of the tent. Only Lycus grips his arm, tugging him back.¡± What did I say this time? What is wrong?¡± Lycus asks. This time he was bing angry with Kalen¡¯s lack of answers. Kalen¡¯s face heats with embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m being stupid. It must be my meds,¡± Kalen tells him with a shake of his head, turning to leave the tents o he could shower. Kalen froze in the shower, and by the time he got out and returned to the tent, he was shivering and regretting showering in the first ce. His teeth chattered as he rubbed his arms, and tonight it was snowing, making it just a little chillier; Kalen hated the cold. Lycus was reading with a torch between his teeth when he entered. Kalen falls onto the swag beside him, and Lycus looks over at him before lifting his nket and chucking it over Kalen. Lycus would sometimes shift, knowing his fur would keep him warm and help warm Kalen. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Kalen growls. ¡°You¡¯re freezing,¡± Lycus tells him as Kalen wriggles beneath his nket. Lycus ces his torch down before sighing and moving closer to Kalen. ¡°I can shift?¡± Lycus says, but Kalen felt guilty about their argument and believed he didn¡¯t deserve a friend like him. ¡°Man, this tent is fucking boring when you are so quiet,¡± Lycus says,ying down. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go sleep with one of your whores? I am sure they will keep you entertained,¡± Kalen spits bitterly, not meaning for the words to spill from his lips. ¡°What the fuck is your problem?¡± Lycus snaps at him before gripping his shoulder and flinging Kalen on his back. He res down at him. ¡°Fucking answer, I am sick of your snidements. Do you think I want to fuck them? It¡¯s a job. It keeps u s fed,¡± Lycus snaps at him. ¡°Well, you seem to enjoy it, or you wouldn¡¯t keep doing it,¡± Kalen growls. ¡°Ah, for fuck sake, if you have something to say, Kalen, fucking say it. I am sick of guessing where your head is at,¡± Lycus says. ¡°I don¡¯t want you fucking them. You earn enough without fucking them.¡± Kalen tells him. ¡°Your medication is expensive. It¡¯s the only way to cover it,¡± Guilt smashes into Kalen. ¡°I don¡¯t need them,¡± Kalen says, but Lycus growls. ¡°Yes, you do, we tried that, and you went into withdrawal and had a fucking seizure,¡± Lycus growls. ¡°Not if that is what you have to do for them, no. I hate that you fuck them!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just sex, Kalen. It means nothing to them or me,¡± Kalen shoves him back and sits up. ¡°You keep saying that, but I can¡¯t stand knowing the person I love is their fucking some bitch just to keep u they use you. I hate living like this. I hate seeing you with them!¡± Kalen yells, blurting everything out, only realizing what he said when it was toote to take it back. Lycus tilted his head to the side curiously. ¡°You love me?¡± Lycus asks, and Kalen¡¯s face heats and his eyes widen in fear. ¡°No, you know, like a bro-¡± his words are cut off when Lycus pounces on him, a scream bubbling up his throat. He had pushed Lycus too far. Lycus would abandon him too, he thought, until Lycus kissed him. ¡°You love me?¡± Lycus mumbled against his lips. Kalen says nothing, in shock that Lycus¡¯ lips were pressed to his. He had always secretly wondered if they were as soft as they looked. But his kiss was rough as he forced his tongue into Kalen¡¯s mouth when he didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Is this what you want, Kalen? You want me?¡± Lycus asks, pulling back to look at him. When he does Lycus rocks his hips against Kalen, and he realizes Lycus had an erection. Kalen gasps, and Lycus is watching him breathing heavily, an unsure look on his face. For once, Lycus looked scared. ¡°Please say something,¡± Lycus says to him. Kalen looks away from him. ¡°What I want is wrong,¡± Kalen murmurs. ¡°Then I guess it is wrong for me to want to want the same thing,¡± Lycus says, and Kalen looks at him. Kalen thought Lycus was ying with him until he looked at him. ¡°You¡¯re not grossed out?¡± Kalen asks. ¡°For wanting you too? No! I always have. I just didn¡¯t want to act on it. Didn¡¯t want to lose you, in case you didn¡¯t feel the same way,¡± ¡°You want to be with me?¡± Kalen asks, confused by his own words. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be here if I didn¡¯t,¡± Lycus tells him before smiling and dipping his face closer to Kalen¡¯s. He presses his lips against Kalen¡¯s, his tongue moving across the seam of his lips. Kalen¡¯s lips part before Lycus deepened the kiss. ¡°Just so you know, I love you too,¡± Lycus whispers. That was one of the first times Kalen felt truly happy. He got a glimpse of happiness. It was also the same night Lycus marked him. But now that Lycus was aware sleeping with women hurt Kalen, he stopped, which sent them back to having nothing. Lycus was okay with that as long as he had Kalen. Kalen, however, felt he was ruining Lycus¡¯s life. Stopped him from bing who he could be, and when their magic manifested, fear rushed through Kalen when he saw Darius and Tobias¡¯s names appear on their wrists. The marking made more shocking when they realized they were mates all along. I watch the memories y out before stopping again, it slows down, and I am sucked into it. It was a week after their 18th birthday. Both of them were sitting at the park under a tree in the sweltering summer heat. Kalen had felt faint all day from having not eaten. Neither of them had found anything much to eat, and the days were so hot now. Lycus was too weak and dehydrated to try to get to the forest outside the city so Lycus could hunt for them and Kalen was withdrawing from having no medication today. ¡°Maybe they will help?¡± Lycus murmurs. ¡°Are you insane? That is Darius Wraith. He will kill us,¡± Kalen murmurs. Everyone knew the Wraiths, and even they fear the demonic- Fae King. ¡°We don¡¯t know that. We are technically his mates,¡± Lycus says. ¡°Yes, if he wanted us near, he would have called on us by now,¡± ¡°Well, we haven¡¯t exactly called on him. Besides, I don¡¯t see much bad stuff about Tobias in the news. He mighte?¡± Lycus tells him. ¡°No, it isn¡¯t worth the risk. And what about that reporter, Tobias killed him in front of the cameras. And I thought fate couldn¡¯t fuck us over more, so to prove me wrong they had to fate us to the two most influential families, fucking a demonic-fae King and a Vampiric Prince? Seriously, Lycus, they find us, either would kill us, or me anyway, I am the weakest link¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know that,¡± Lycus said, sending a re of magic into his infinity mark before Kalen could stop him. ¡°What have you done?¡± Kalen gasps, horrified as his mark tingles. He looked at it. Mine name was faint, not like the rest on his wrist. ¡°Anything has to be better than living like this,¡± Lycus says, only the tingling stops, and Lycus huffed. ¡°See, told you,¡± Kalen mutters when they feel the mark stop.¡± I wonder who rejected it,¡± Kalen said, a little sad. He rubbed his wrist beforeying back down and resting his head on Lycus¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out. Maybe once shees of age, they will ept us,¡± Lycus murmured to him. They both fell asleep, and Kalen waster woken when someone kicked his foot. He yawns, shaking his head and sitting up. He peers down at Lycus when someone clears their throat. Turning his head, hees face to face with Darius crouching next to him in a suit. He eyes Kalen¡¯s mark on his neck before looking at Lycus. Darius¡¯ brows furrow while Kalen tries to shake Lycus awake petrified, his heart pounding in his chest when he notices Tobias standing behind him also staring at them. Lycus groans and sits up before noticing them and ripping Kalen behind him with strength that clearly indicates what Lycus was. Darius tilts his head at Lycus, looking him over. ¡°You are the one that called on us,¡± Darius asks. ¡°Yes,¡± Lycus says while Kalen was worried Da?ius would kill him for it. ¡°Why are you at the park? Do you live nearby?¡± Tobias asks, and Lycus looks up at him. Tobias tries to look around Lycus at Kalen, who is peering over Lycus¡¯ shoulder. ¡°We live here, but you can go. He didn¡¯t mean to call on you,¡± Kalen blurts. Darius looks up at Tobias, who nods to him before Darius stands. ¡°Come on then, I can¡¯t leave you here knowing that,¡± Darius tells them. Lycus looks at Kalen over his shoulder. ¡°Where would you take us?¡± Kalen asked, wondering if they were being led to their deaths. ¡°Home, nowe on. I wanted toe earlier, but I was in a meeting. Now hurry up. I have another in an hour and need to get you set up back home before I go,¡± Darius tells him. ¡°You will let us stay with you?¡± Lycus asks, a little shocked. ¡°Well, I won¡¯t have my mates living in a park, now hurry up,¡± Darius says, checking his watch on his wrist. ¡°Don¡¯t leave him waiting. You piss him off. He is insufferable. He can hold a grudge like he bloody invented the word,¡± Tobias says, clicking his fingers. Darius took them in and provided them everything they ever needed or wanted, looked after them despite his father shing with Lycus constantly, yet Darius was always quick to get on Lycus¡¯s side, which often turned into a battle of power. Darius barely winning against his father, no matter how much he copped a beating, in the arena which I recognized now as the outdoor obstacle course, though back then it was a simple training arena. Darius¡¯ father saw Kalen as a weakness, that being proven when Kalen nearly got them all killed in an ambush, he ran after Lycus thinking he was hurt, but he was being the bait. It almost cost them all their lives when Kalen alerted everyone to their location. It was dered after that night that Kalen wouldn¡¯t go on the scout teams. He would remain home in the castle. Which just added to his depression until Darius handed him a tablet one day. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Kalen asked, looking up at him. ¡°The school opened up a buddy system. Lycus said you were bored,¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying?¡± Kalen used, observing Darius¡¯s aura. Dariusughs and nods. ¡°Yes, I am. Tobias opened up a buddy system at the school, made it mandatory, and you have been assigned a friend to talk to, give you someone outside this room to speak with when we aren¡¯t here,¡± Darius said, kneeling between Kalen¡¯s legs. He hands the tablet to Kalen, and Kalen takes it from him curiously ¡°Lycus won¡¯t like me talking to random people,¡± Kalen tells him. ¡°This one he approves of,¡± Darius tells him. ¡°What would I say, though? I don¡¯t do anything. I am useless,¡± Kalen says, and Darius growls at his words. ¡°Don¡¯t speak like that. Don¡¯t listen to the shit my father spouts about, but talk to her. She is waiting for a response. The school logged her in this morning. She will be waiting to speak with you,¡± ¡°It¡¯s a girl?¡± Kalen says, shaking his head. ¡°I can¡¯t speak with a girl,¡± Kalen says, trying to hand the tablet. ¡°You can because she is our keeper, our mate. You can¡¯t hide from her now, can you?¡± Dariusughs, and Kalen bites his lips nervously. ¡°You think she will want to speak with me?¡± ¡°She has no choice but, yes, Kalen. You are worthy of your mates, of her, or the fates wouldn¡¯t have given her to us,¡± Darius tells him. Kalen sighed when Darius spoke again. ¡°No names. You must not tell her who you are. That is the rule of the school, not ours, by the way.¡± Darius nods and Kalen unlocks the tablet. ¡°I thought you said no names,¡± Kalen asks, staring at the pen name. Darius smiles slyly. ¡°You told her yours,¡± Kalenughed. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± Darius says. ¡°THIARW is Wraith spelled backward, definitely your name,¡± Kalenughs. ¡°Our name, you are a Wraith too now,¡± Darius tells him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°We all have to take a name, so what better name than to take the name of the demonic king? No one will dare touch you when you share ¡®my name,¡± Darius tells him. Kalen sniffles and nods, his thumb brushing over the tablet. Darius turns to leave his room when Kalen speaks. ¡°Darius?¡± he calls out. Darius stops and turns to look at him. ¡°Thanks,¡± He says, holding up the tablet. ¡°No, thanks. We are mates. What¡¯s mine is also yours,¡± Darius tells him. Kalen nods, and watches as Darius leaves. Even with Darius¡¯s words, he still felt unworthy. Kalen messaged me, and I replied. At first obligated to, until I was just as obsessed with him as he was with me. He was the highlight of my day, and I was his. Until I stopped replying. Kalen was excited because he would meet me today, and he waited patiently, but today he couldn¡¯t contain his excitement as the memories moved along. That excitement died along with him. Five years and, he was able to tell me who he was, only I never replied, and he spiraled. I was thest rejection he could take, so he hung himself. He believed he ruined everyone¡¯s chance to have their keeper. He convinced himself he was the reason I ran. Then he convinced himself they would b e better off without him. So he repeatedly killed himself, bing more unstable each time he came back to find I never came back for him. ¨C My heart broke, knowing I was hisst straw, a life of rejection, and the one person who should love him most. His keeper never came for him. No. Instead, I ran from him, and in turn, I killed him. That knowledge burned my soul, marred my heart, and broke the spell I was under as I lurched forward, ripping myself out of his memories and into the present world. Kalen sat next to me staring at me. Kalen dropped his head. ¡°It was you all along,¡± I whispered. Tears glistened in my eyes before spilling over. I never ran from you Kalen. I was trying to find you, find my inte friend,¡± I tell him and he sucks in an unsteady breath. ¡°You¡¯re not mad, I didn¡¯t tell you?¡± | shake my head. ¡°No, I am mad Iran,¡± I tell him before throwing myself in his arms. Trending Novels Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Book 2 Chapter 1 Kalen POV She was out cold for hours , her shredding had died off , but we all knew it was only a matter of time before it returned . There were four of us after all , and until shepleted it entirely , it would only keep returning , though the first part seemed to have worn off . ¡± Try to get some sleep , ¡± Lycus murmurs behind me , yet all I could do was stare and watch her eyelids move as she watched the disaster of my entire life unfold . I hated myself , hated that being our keeper , she would have to endure all my misdoings , all my failures , and most of all , I hated that she would know . She would see how truly pathetic I am . Aleer would know that I am weak . I had nothing to offer her , and I worried she would be upset that she was cursed with a mate like me . Lycus growls , gripping my face and tilting my head to look up at him . ¡± Get some sleep ! ¡± he growls , but I shake my head , gnawing on my fingernail while staring back at her sleeping body . ¡± Leave him be , Lycus , 1/ m.techkaushal - 500¡Á300 - 1 ¡± Tobias says as he gets ready for bed . He climbed in beside Aleera , tucking her tiny body against him . She reacted instantly to him , rolling into him and clutching his arm as she whimpered at whatever she was living through in my memories . Lycus squeezes my shoulders , kneeling behind me as he watches her . ¡± She will be fine , ¡± ¡± I know that . It isn¡¯t what I am worried about , ¡± I whisper , and he leans down , resting his chin on my shoulder and wrapping his huge tree ¨C trunk arms around my waist . ¡± Then what is it ? ¡± he asks , nipping at my mark . ¡± You¡¯re not weak ! ¡± Darius snarls , and I nce at him over my shoulder . He was sitting by the fire , ring at it while Ryze perched on the back of the armchair , watching him . ¡± Is that what you think ? ¡± Lycus growls at me . His anger erupted through the bond , and I hung my head . Darius always read me too well . They all did . Darius , however , was usually the most observant . ¡± What if she thinks I am ? ¡± I murmur . ¡± You are not weak . Never say that again . You know I hate when you talk like that . ¡± ¡± 1 Lycus snapped . ¡± Lycus , calm down , ¡± Tobias scolded as Lycus trembled behind me , fighting the urge to shift at my words . Yet I couldn¡¯t help but believe she would hate me for being weak , hate me for not telling her it was me all along that was talking to her , hate me for them hating her for what I did . ¡± Lycus , go for a run , ¡± Darius snarled , making me jump when he ripped Lycus off the bed just as Lycus shifted into his gigantic ck wolf . His ws ripped apart the rug as he skidded along it . Tobias clucked his tongue while Darius red at him and pointed at the door . Ryze hissed and squawked at at the huge werewolf . Lycus¡¯s anger grew , and his werewolf instincts took over , making him savage . No longer in control , he lunged at Ryze , but Darius snatched him off the back of the armchair before his powerful jaws wrapped around the bird . C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Tobias pointed to the door , and Lycus growled , his ws scratching the floor up . Lycus pivots and runs out the door when Tobias moves with inhuman speed and opens it . ¡± What¡¯s wrong with him ? ¡± I asked . He didn¡¯t usually lose control like that . 11 ¡± He is picking up on her anger as well , Darius says and I look at Aleera and put my head in my hands . She thought I was weak ; I knew she would . I wasn¡¯t like them . I wasn¡¯t powerful . I wasn¡¯t strong . Darius steps closer , holding Ryze in his hands like he is holding an oversized chicken . Instinctively , I cringe away , and Ryze ps his wings . Darius lets him go , and Ryze flies over to perch on the headboard . His tail flicked over her arm as he petted her like she was his pet , not the other way around . ¡± Crazy bird , ¡± Darius mutters , climbing on the bed beside her . Ryze hisses at him , but he waves his hand at him . ¡° Hate me all you want . Just do it quietly , ¡± Darius snaps at him . I shake my head , but Ryze seems to listen , huddling in his feathers like an owl watching with wide eyes , but he remains quiet . Darius leans his face closer , sniffing her neck before sighing andying back . He pats his chest with his hand while looking at me expectantly , but I don¡¯t move . ¡± One ! ¡± Darius says , and I ignore him , not in the mood to cuddle . I was antsy and irritable . ¡± Two ! ¡± I pick at the nket , watching her squirm as fear floods me through the bond from her . ¡± Don¡¯t make him get to three , Kalen , ¡± Tobias hisses behind me and nudges me toward him . I roll my eyes and look at Darius , who raises an eyebrow like he was daring me to disobey him before pursing his lips . He lifts a finger , motioning for me toe to him , and I growl before crawling closer . Obviously , I didn¡¯t move fast enough when Darius ripped me on top of him . ¡± Stop your pouting and sleep , ¡± Darius growled before pressing his lips to my forehead . His hand was warm as it trailed up my arm gently . ¡± You¡¯re not weak , ¡± he whispers , while I trace the scars on his chest with my fingertips . I looked up at him , observing his aura , but I could see he was worried about something . His aura was ck but flickering red oddly . Everyone had color in their aura , depending on the emotion . Mostly everyone was a shade of ck or grey , sometimes blue . Looking at Aleera¡¯s was like looking at a bubble when the sun hits it , a mirage of every color you could think of . Observing Darius again , he was nervous about something . ¡± What are you worried about ? ¡± I asked him . ¡± Nothing that concerns you , now sleep , ¡± ¡± Only if you tell me , ¡± I tell him , and he growls , squeezing my arm before he sighs . ¡± She will know all my secrets , just like she knows yours , ¡± You worried she will find out about your father ? ¡± ¡± No , something else , ¡± I could tell he wouldn¡¯t answer any more than that and sighed before looking at Tobias , who curiously watched Darius . Darius grabs my hand , cing it over his heart and holding it there . ¡± Try to sleep . I will wake you when she is up , ¡± he says before I feel his magic wash over me . I melt against him , letting his scent soothe my anxiety . A few hourster , I am woken by screams ; I lurch upright , and so do Darius and Tobias . Lycus , having returned , growls , stepping over me , his eyes on the door . Blinking , I see it is still dark , but definitely early morning . The light outside was lightening , and I could just make out the trees in the distance . ¡° For crying out loud . What now ? ¡± Tobias groans , tossing the nket back and climbing out of bed . Something was going on downstairs . Darius tapped my arm , and I rolled off him . He leaned down , kissing my lips softly , his tongue forcing its way into my mouth as he kissed me . All too soon , he pulls away before ruffling Lycus ¡® fur as he climbs off the bed . ¡± Stay here , ¡± he says , grabbing a shirt and tugging it on as he follows Tobias to the door . They leave , and I look at Lycus , who starts to shift back before moving off the bed toward the closet . Sitting up , I see Aleera was still asleep , but her eyelids moving rapidly when she shot upright , scaring the crap out of me . She blinks , her eyes trying to adjust to the light . ¡± ¡± It was you all along , ¡± I whispered . Tears glistened in her eyes before spilling over . ¡® I never ran from you , Kalen . I was trying to find you , find my inte friend , ¡± she tells me , and I suck in a breath . ¡± You¡¯re not mad . I didn¡¯t tell you ? ¡± I ask her .. ¡± No , I am mad I ran , ¡± she says , tears roll down her cheeks before she threw herself in my arms . I wrap my arms around her , squeezing her tight . She didn¡¯t hate me , and I had never felt more relieved . Feeling the bed , I watch Lycus climb on the bed . He kisses my cheek before running his fingers through her hair , and Aleera turns her head on my shoulder to look at him . I kiss her nose , hugging her tighter when Lycus runs a hand down her sides before pinching her chin and pulling her head off my shoulder . Her lips part , and he kisses her gently at first before his tongue invades her mouth , making my cock twitch beneath her . ¡± Thank you , ¡± Lycus whispers , pulling his lips from hers and she looks at him oddly , clearly confused by his words . ¡± For what ? ¡± she asks , confused . Lycus pecks her lips beforeying down , pulling us with him . Trending Novels Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Book 2 Chapter 2 Darius pov All night I was awake . I couldn¡¯t sleep . I hadpletely forgotten about the true meaning of keeper . She would know our darkest secrets , even the ones not even my mates knew , and some I kept were unforgivable . I was too ashamed to tell them , too afraid they would run from me if they knew the sort of monster I truly was . I could feel her so easily through the bond , feel her fear as she lived through what Kalen endured . Feel her burning anger at what they did to him . I wondered what she would think of my past , how much she would turn against me once the truth was out . We all had secrets , but none of them kept the secrets I did . None of them had done what I did . They all thought they were monsters . I was the biggest monster of all . Hearing the door push open , I see Lycus walk in . His wolf sniffed the air beforeing over to the bed . He climbed up ,ying across Kalen and me . I stroke his fur , and he purrs , resting his head on Kalen¡¯s lower back , his tail swishing back and forth in the air happily . Tobias flicked his wrist toward the door closing it before turning his attention back to me . Tobias watched me . I could feel his eyes on me , feel his burning curiosity . I knew he was also worried about Aleera knowing his past , knowing about his brother . At the same time , he wanted answers too . 1/ m.techkaushal - 500¡Á300 - 1 Some part of him wanted her to know what she took from him . He may act like he has forgiven her , but I know he hasn¡¯t . I could feel it festering inside him , yet the bond was irresistible , and he was done fighting it . We all had lost something because of her , maybe not directly because of her , but what would happen when they learned everything started with what I did . All of it was my fault . Everything that happened was my fault . I never should have gone looking for her . If I had known whose daughter she was , I would have waited until she came of age before seeking her out . I was not expecting her father to answer that door . What were the chances that I would be bonded to my father¡¯s greatest enemy¡¯s daughter ? Aleera was his best kept secret , but knowing what I know now . I was certain he was the one that unleashed the gue . Hearing amotion downstairs , Kalen jumped , sitting upright . I grip Lycus¡¯s fur as he growls and stands ring at the door . Tobias gets up . ¡± For crying out loud . What now ? ¡± Tobias growls , stalking toward the closet . Shaking my head , I push Lycus back so I can get up before kissing Kalen when he rolls off me . Getting up , I walk to the dresser . ¡± Wait here , ¡± I tell Lycus and Kalen . I grab a tank top , pulling it on before walking out of the room and down the corridor . Tobias cursing as the racket grew louder as the recruits freaked out about something downstairs . ¡± What time is it ? ¡± I asked Tobias . He pulls his phone out of his pocket . ¡± 5 am , ¡± he growls , shaking his head . We walked down the stairs to the next level . The recruits were freaking out about something , and I could see them all looking out the windows . Some even rushed back up the stairs to their rooms . Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡± What the fuck is going on ? ¡± I boomed , leaning over the banister and looking at the ground floor . They all froze , looking up at us , and Tobias cursed while a few pointed out the windows . All of them are too stunned to speak , and Tobias growls . ¡± Back to your rooms ! ¡± Tobias snapped , his voice echoing like a thunderp , and they took off . Waiting for the stampede of men to scatter , we descended down to the next level . Grabbing one of the stragglers , I yanked him toward me . ¡± What is going on ? ¡± I snarled at him , and his mouth opened and closed like a fish as he shook . I shoved him away , looking up to see haunted peering faces staring back at us . ¡± You call yourselves an army ? ¡± I bellowed angrily . Tobias turned toward the double doors . Some ran . Others shrieked when someone on the top level spoke up . ¡± I wouldn¡¯t go out , ¡± he said , and Tobias froze , looking at me and I , him . He looked out the windows , and I moved to the wide double doors and nced out but saw nothing . ¡± Fucking bunch of pussy¡¯s , ¡± Tobias snapped . He shoves the doors open and stalks outside , and so do I. ¡± I swear if this is a fucking prank , I am opening veins , ¡± Tobias snapped as we stepped outside . Looking around , we saw nothing . Shaking my head , we started walking toward the huge obstacle course to find what they were scared of . ¡± You have been quiet tonight , ¡± Tobias states , nudging me . 11 ¡± Just thinking , ¡± ¡± You¡¯re worried about her finding out her parents are alive , ¡± Tobias says , and I sigh . That wasn¡¯t what I was worried about . ¡± You might as well tell me . We will find out anyway , ¡± Tobias says as we stop at the edge of the obstacle course . ¡± What the fuck is that ? ¡± Tobias says , looking at the climbing wall . He points , and I follow his finger to notice something torn apart and bloody perched on top of the wall . Sniffing the air , it was definitely blood . I growl , stalking toward it to see better , yet the closer we got , the more unidentifiable it became . ¡± You going to answer ? ¡± Tobias asked as we climbed the hill toward the center of the obstacle course . ¡± What if I did kill someone ? ¡± I ask , and Tobias stops . He looks at me , and I look toward the forest , unable to meet his gaze . ¡± I think she would understand you killing your father , Darius , ¡± ¡± Not him , ¡± I admit . Tobias seems taken aback , and his shock hits me through the bond . I swallow , and he steps closer before grabbing my arm and shaking me . ¡± What did you do ? ¡± he snarls . ¡± I killed him , ¡± I tell Tobias . Though I had a reason , it was also a reason for her to hate me when she found out . ¡± Who ? ¡± ¡± Her father , ¡± I tell him . Tobias lets me go and tilts his head to the side . ¡± No , I was there . I would have seen you do it ? ¡± but he also knew I wasn¡¯t lying was just hoping I was . ¡± It was when I went back in , ¡± I tell him . ¡± Darius ! ¡± ¡± So you fucking killed them ? ¡± Tobias snapped . ¡± No , her mother got away , and she is lucky she did because I would have killed her too , but , ¡± I tried to exin . ¡± You killed her father ? ¡± he asks again and I nod . ¡± Fuck Darius ! How could you keep this from me ? ¡± ¡± She already assumed I killed them , and I didn¡¯t think . He was a fucking elder , ¡± I let out a breath . ¡± He is also guilty for unleashing the fucking gue . You could have told me ! ¡± Tobias forever , my defender . I swallowed guiltily , I never killed him for what he did to Aleera but what he said to me . ¡± Fuck ! Darius , she would be pissed knowing they were alive , but to find out you actually did kill them , ¡± ¡± ¡± Her father , her mother is still alive , ¡± I tell him , and he clutches his hair and gurses . ¡± Anything else I need to fucking know ? ¡± he asks and I press my lips in a line . ¡± There is more , isn¡¯t there ? ¡± ¡± You¡¯re unbelievable , ¡± he says , storming off toward the obstacle course . Tobias climbs the climbing wall , grabbing whatever it is and ripping it off , letting it fall to the ground in a heap . ¡± We agreed on no secrets , Darius ! What else ? ¡± He snaps before jumping from the top andnding beside me . ¡± Darius ! ¡± ¡± Shut up , ¡± I snap , squatting next to the torn apart creature or what was left of it . Tobias growls and walks off , and I see him pick up something on the other side of the wall before tossing it at my feet . It was a cow head . I take a step back . ¡± It¡¯s a cow , ¡± Tobias says , and I look at the climbing wall . ¡± Now , how did a cow get up there ? ¡± I ask , and Tobias growls . ¡± How else ? It is a fucking prank . I am going to kill them , ¡± Tobias says , storming off back toward the castle in a burning rage . I didn¡¯t know who he was madder at , me or the recruits . Climbing the hill again , I get to the peak , and Tobias was further ahead when color caught my eye , making me peer up at the roof . My feet stop in horror as I gasped . I look at Tobias , unaware of what is right above him . Opening a portal , I appear beside him and grab his arm . ¡± What ? ¡± he snaps , and I point to the roof . Tobias looks up and takes a step back . ¡± Fuck me ! ¡± he gasps , and I look around at the trees and tap his shoulder . Tobias turns , his eyes also going to the trees . How we missed it , I did not know . ¡± That¡¯s impossible . They are almost extinct , ¡± he whispers . ¡± Apparently not . They were just waiting for their master , ¡± I tell him , turning back to peer up at the roof . ¡± There are hundreds of them ! ¡± Tobias shrieks . ¡± Exins the dead cow , ¡± I tell him , nearly choking on my spit . ¡± What do you think they want ? ¡± Tobias asked . ¡± Geez , I don¡¯t know , Tobias , go ask one ? What do you think they want ? ¡± I snap at him . ¡± Aleera ! ¡± We both say simultaneously . ¡± She has a fucking army of them , ¡± Tobias murmurs . ¡± Well , you better hope you don¡¯t have too many secrets because she unleashes those things , you¡¯re fucked , ¡± Tobias says , storming off toward the castle doors . @ 11 ¡± And I ain¡¯t feeding them , ¡± he calls over his shoulder . I looked up at the roof , and I could not see a single tile . Hundreds of phoenix¡¯s all perched like a sea of ming color , every inch of the roof was obscured by them . But if this was after obtaining her power and marking one of us , what would she bring when she owned all of us ? But more importantly , if they could sense her , who else could ? Trending Novels Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Book 2 Chapter 3 Aleera pov I spent most of the next day drifting in and out of sleep , wasn¡¯t I supposed to shred until I had imed all of them . That it is how it usually worked so when I woke up to find the process over I was a little confused , though relieved . It ook me a few seconds to recognize what woke me , it was whispers . My eyes felt heavy as I opened them , blinking rapidly as I fought the urge to yawn and rub my eyes . Lycus was pressed against my back , his arm draped over my waist and his face buried in my hair . Kalen is asleep , facing me , his face ck looking rather peaceful . I wanted to trace his facial features gosh this man was beautiful . However the whispers I could hear wereing from near the firece and I couldn¡¯t help but listen . Tobias and Darius appeared to be arguing . I tried to listen , catching the end of their conversation . ¡± You could ruin everything , everything Darius , I can¡¯t believe you would do that , ¡± Tobias hissed . ¡± I am not a necessary piece . We can still maintain power . We have for years , and she seems fine , ¡± Darius growled . My brows pinch together , wondering what they are talking about . ¡± And when she wants to ? Then what ? How will you exin that to her fucking bond , to her ? You are a right prick sometimes , you don¡¯t need to control everything , ¡± Tobias snarled . 1/ m.techkaushal - 500¡Á300 - 1 ¡± Me controlling everything is what has kept us alive . As I said , we can work it out , we can- ¡± his words stop abruptly , and I hear their footsteps and quickly shut eyes , pretending to be asleep . Tobias touched my arm , and I knew he was checking to see if I was awake and I knew they both felt the stir of the bond . His hand was cool , soothing as tingles rushed over me . ¡± Darius ! ¡± Tobias snarled , his hand moving off me , and I opened my eyes to see Darius walking toward the door . He throws the door open and walks out in his zing fury . ¡± We aren¡¯t finished talking , ¡± Tobias calls after him , his voice rising above the hushed whispers . ¡± Conversation is over . My choice is final , I hear Darius say before he is gone . ¡± Fuck ! ¡± Tobias curses before shutting the door . He turns around , his eyes meeting mine , and he sighs , he rubs his face before scratching his chin and looking back the door . ¡± I thought I felt you wake , ¡± he murmurs , moving toward the bed . ¡± Why is Darius angry ? ¡± I asked . ¡± Darius is just being Darius . He wille around , ¡± Tobias answers . ¡± Come around to what ? ¡± ¡± Doesn¡¯t matter ; I will sort it , ¡± Tobias says , leaning over Kalen . He grips my chin , brushing his thumb across my swollen lips , his eyes flicker with hunger before he dips his head and his lips brush against mine softly . ¡± How do you feel ? ¡± he mumbles against my lips . ¡± Just tired , shouldn¡¯t the shredding havested longer ? ¡± I ask and he smirks . ¡± Did you want it too ? If you want me to fuck you , just asks , ¡± he chuckles , and my face heats . That is so not what I meant . I shake my head , and he smiles seductively , pecking my lips before standing back up . ¡± We figured it might be something to do with being a harmony Fae . ¡± Tobias says looking away from me and I got the feeling it was something else , I could feel the lie he just told which only confused me . ¡± You have a lot of power running through your veins ; I would say you need rest , so you don¡¯t burn out . ¡± It kind of made sense . Most Fae creatures hold one or two elements ; I held all elements plus more . Maybe I was reading to much into it . ¡± I have work to do , but will you be alright here ? I have a ss to teach , ¡± he says . I nod before he wanders off toward the bathroom and gets ready . I snuggle back down between my mates , tugging the nket back around us , only for Lycus to kick it back off and roll into me . I sigh epting his body heat since he would only kick the nket off again . It was amazing how hot he ran , Darius 1 expected it yet were ¨C fae seemed to be just as warm or maybe it wasbecause he harnessed fire . Hourster , I woke and felt wide awake . The bed was empty , and I stretched out like a cat and yawned . It must be around midday because the sun was at its highest from what I could see out the window . Yet the room was quiet . Sitting up , I move to the bathroom and quickly use the toilet before hopping in the shower . My body ached , yet the power in my veins made me giggle . I had never felt stronger . I rummaged through the closet when I finished showering and found some jeans . Yet none of my shirts were here , so I know Kalen must have gone to put a load of washing on because the hamper was also gone . Grabbing a button ¨C down shirt from the hanger . I slip it on and roll the sleeves to my elbows . I could wear it as a dress , yet I couldn¡¯t care less what I looked like as 11 pulled my hair up in a ponytail . I checked the phone that sat on the bedside table to see what day it was and to check the time . Two days had passed without me noticing , I checked my schedule to see what ss I had . Darius¡¯s ss was nearly over yet that is where I should be . Slipping my shoes on , I headed down to the field , walking past Tobias¡¯s open ssroom door . He turned to look at me as I passed the door and heading for thest stairwell leading outside . I was near to the ground floor when his strong arms wrapped around my waist , tugging me back against him . ¡± And where are you off to , and in my shirt ? ¡± he purred , kissing down my neck . I lean back against him . ¡± I had no clothes , and I am going to ss , ¡± I answered turning my head and looking up at him over my shoulder . ¡± You should rest . Darius won¡¯t mind , ¡± Tobias mutters against my neck . His fangs slip out and graze my flesh . Heat pools in my belly , and I tilt my head to the side , offering him my neck . He moves my hair to one side and runs his nose across my skin to the back of my ear . ¡± Hmm , I like it when you are willing , ¡± he growls before he sinks his fang into me , his tonguepped and sucked at my skin . Lifting my hand , I run my fingers through his hair while he feeds on me . My eyes flutter shut as he drains some of my magic before pulling his fangs from my neck . He ran his tongue over his bite mark , holding me against him while I waited for the room to stop spinning . ¡± You can skip Darius¡¯s ss ande to mine , ¡± he growls , nipping at my ear . ¡± Anyone would think you don¡¯t want me near him ? ¡± I question . ¡± Maybe I want you to myself , ¡± heughs in his arms . I searched while turning his face . He seemed worried about something yet never voiced it . ¡± What is it ? ¡± I ask him , but he shakes his head and smirks . ¡± Nothing , get to ss , or I may give you detention , ¡± he chuckles . I raised an eyebrow at him , since when was detention a thing here , though I wouldn¡¯t mind by the sly look on his face . ¡± Is that so ? ¡± Iugh . ¡± Hm , I wouldn¡¯t mind punishing that ass while your bent over my desk , ¡± he purrs . Tobias squeezes my ass and groans . I push on his chest at his yfulness when one of his recruits sticks his head out the ssroom door . Tobias sighs , looking over his shoulder . ¡± I gotta go teach , ¡± he says , pecking my lips and letting me go . I shake my head and turn to the doors . Stepping outside , the day was a little chilly , the sun hiding behind the clouds as I walked around trying to find the ss . Trending NovelsContent protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Book 2 chapter 4 I could hear Darius barking orders at his men and running drills . Walking around the side of the out building , I spot in the center of the field . Ie up behind him . Darius looks over his shoulder at me . His arms are folded across his chest as he turned his attention back to his men and red out at them . Demons appeared to fearful , nervously ncing at the castle roof . I look to the roof to see what they kept staring at only to find hundreds of Phoenixes standing on the rooftop watching the demons like they were prey and were waiting to pick them off one by one . I gasp at the sight of them when Darius moves toward me . He jams his fingers in my ribs , making me jump . ¡± You should be resting , ¡± he growled , tugging me toward him while I gaped at the roof . I was stunned . I had never seen so many in one ce at one time . ¡± How ? I ¡­ why are they here ? ¡± I ask , shaking my head . ¡± Why do you think ? ¡± Darius says , nudging me . I shake my head , and Ryze fly¡¯s down from the roof , perching on my shoulder . Darius ruffles his feathers , and 1 arch an eyebrow at him watching as he pet him . ¡± What , he is growing on me , ¡± Darius says while Ryze rubs his beak against my face before nipping at my hair . ¡± What do they want ? ¡± I asked Ryze . He looks at me . ¡± Alira , ¡± he tries to speak before looking at the rooftop . I turn my gaze back to the roof . Some were positively lethal , giants , and I was seriously worried about the roof caving in from the weight of them . R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only The recruits freak out when a huge one takes flight , moving high in the air and Darius growls . ¡± Get a fucking grip of yourselves , ¡± He booms at them . Iugh as he shakes his head , waving them off the field . I watch the huge pheonix fly around , circling the field . The Phoenixnds on the grass about a hundred meters away when I realize he has caught something . The shriek of whatever it he caught makes my heart flutter in my chest , and I swallow as the phoenix rips it apart before tossing his head back and swallowing it down . ¡± Marvelous creatures , but fuck they¡¯re savages , ¡° Darius mutters . He tosses his arm across my shoulders when the siren res , signaling the end of ss . ¡± Come on , you should eat , ¡± he says , steering me toward the castle doors . Ryze walks along my shoulder and onto Darius ¡® . He tenses briefly before Ryze starts smacking his beak on Darius¡¯s head like he was trying to crack open a coconut . Darius grabs his beak . ¡± Don¡¯t push your luck , Ryze . I will stuff you like a damn turkey , ¡± Darius warns him , and he caws but stops , instead ying with his hair . ¡± Where are Kalen and Lycus ? ¡± ¡± sses , ¡± Darius says , and I nod . ¡± Kalen is doing sses now ? ¡± I asked . ¡± No , he is just with Lycus . He doesn¡¯t teach , not anymore , ¡± ¡± ¡± Why ? ¡± ¡± Because , ¡± Is all Darius answers . I head for the mess hall when Darius grabs my shoulder , steering me back toward the stairs . ¡± Where are you going ? ¡± he asks , looking at me confused , and I shake it off . I didn¡¯t think I just headed where I usually went . ¡± I don¡¯t want you alone with them . You stay with one of us from now on , no exceptions , ¡± Darius says , nudging me toward the stairs . That was fine by me I hated being around them . We see Tobias in the corridor as we head back upstairs . He nces at us before turning back to whoever he was talking to . As we approach , his eyes go to Darius , some silent message passing between them , and whatever was going on between them had Tobias angry . ¡± Is everything alright ? ¡± I asked them . They look at each other before Darius walks off . I look at Tobias , but he shrugs , and I know I wasn¡¯t going to get any answers . ******* Days passed , and one thing became clear as I hopped in the shower to get ready for ss . Something was going on between Darius and Tobias . They were hiding something . Even Kalen and Lycus seemed suspicious about whatever it was . They barely spoke , or when they did , the tone was never friendly . I rinse my hair out , listening to them argue . Lycus opens the shower door stepping into the shower behind me before turning me around . His fingers rece mine as he starts massaging my scalp rinsing the shampoo out of my hair . Kalen shakes his head , washing himself as he res at the bathroor door where Darius and Tobias were again at each other¡¯s throats . ¡± Man , I seriously can¡¯t take much more of their fighting , ¡± Kalen mutters . I had noticed the darkness seeping back into Kalen over thest couple days , I knew he was picking up on their energy , and it worried me seeing his mind taking him back to some dark ces . ¡± Leave it , Kalen . They will sort out whatever is going on , ¡± Lycus tells him . I purse my lips hoping he was right . Darius had been sleeping in my old room thest two days , and I hated how my bond called out to him , Tobias was miserable . And we were hardly getting any sleep with Kalen constantly getting up in the night searching for him . Yet , they remained tight ¨C lipped whenever Lycus , Kalen , or myself were around , speaking in riddles and having digs at each other . Well , it was more Tobias who kept provoking Darius . I sigh , pushing past Lycus and grabbing a towel when I hear something shatter . ¡± Aleera , stay here , ¡± Lycus growls , reaching for my hand , but I pull back . ¡± No , I am bloody sick of it , ¡± ¡± Aleera , Lycus is right . Let them deal with it . You don¡¯t want to get between whatever is going on out there , ¡± Kalen says . I sigh , chewing my lip before hearing the door m . Kalen gets out , wraps a towel around his waist , andes over to me . He grips my hips tugging me against him , and presses his lips to my forehead . I sigh before waiting a few minutes to ensure the fighting in the room had indeed stopped . When I hear nothing , I open the door to find Darius ring at the burning wood in the firece . He looks over at us as we walk out but says nothing . Kalen moves toward the closet while I make my way over to Darius , stopping in front of him . He reaches for me tugging me down on hisp . My towel pushes up my thighs as I straddle him and he runs his hands up my legs to my ass . His hand grips my ass hard , making me squirm , and his eyes flicker . I could see Kalen watching us from the closet¡¯s doorway as he got changed . Trending Novels Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Book 2 Chapter 5 ¡± What¡¯s going on ? ¡± I asked Darins . He looks up at me , nipping at my neck , and I shudder . ¡± Nothing you need to worry about , ¡± he mumbles against my skin . My bond ignites as he grips my hips , rolling me against him . ¡± Something is wrong . You two have been fighting all week , ¡± I tell him . ¡± Just leave it , ¡± Darius says , his eyes darkening . Yet I know Lycus and Kalen were struggling with their bonds , too , with Darius sleeping in the other room , Kalen¡¯s sleep walking was out of control . Pain wasn¡¯t urate enough word to describe it , with Darius in the other room it was almost like missing a limb . They didn¡¯t know how to function without him He was an attachment of them , and over thest couple of days , And since I haven¡¯t marked three of them , I noticed how much they gravitate toward him , picking up on his moods , they reacted to him , and I wondered if it was because for so long he acted as their keeper . Darius growls , nipping at my neck before gripping my chin . He tilts my face down to his and kisses me , and arousal res through to life like burning embers in a breeze setting everything aze.. I could feel his magic rolling over me , consuming me , and my bond reacted to it , taking over as I kissed him back with the same burning desire . Lycus steps out of the bathroom . It was so odd feeling them . I could pinpoint each one , tell who was who and if they were close and where they were at all times , completely aware of them , so I knew when he stopped behind me . I pull my lips from Darius and look up at Lycus , whose eyes are pitch ck . He smiled , dipping his head down , capturing my lips , and I felt Darius tug at the front of my towel , pulling it apart before his lips were burning my skin as he nipped and licked my nipple . I gasped as heat rushed through me , almost like he was awakening the urge to shred . Lycus pulled away , looking at me oddly , and I tried to shake the overwhelming feeling rolling through me before turning my gaze to Darius . He growls , his grip tightening , and I realize it wasn¡¯t the urge to shred at all but him needing magic like he was drained . Power ¨C hungry , his lips traveled back up to my neck as he kissed and licked his way back to my lips . I kissed him back , letting him take what he needed , letting him recharge off me and my eyes fluttered shut as his tongue invaded my mouth . His kiss was domineering and hungry , tasting every inch as he pulled on my magic , I gave into him , letting him take what he craved . My bond wanting more , needing it so I kiss him back before nipping at his chin , and he sighs . Darius rests his head on the back of the couch . I kiss the marks on his neck , and he shudders , his hand moving to my hair as he fists it . My mouth waters at his addictive scent before running my tongue across his skin . My bond has overtaken every sense as I pressed closer to him , letting his heat into me . My teeth press against his seep skin , my blunt teeth breaking his flesh when he tenses , yanking my head back by my hair , pain rippled across my scalp , making me cry out . I clutch his hand in Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. my hair . His demonic eyes gleamed back at me while mine filled with tears . Darius stands abruptly and drops me on the couch . He breathes heavily , and Lyeus shoves him with a growl . ¡± Darius , what the fuck ! ¡± Lycus snarls while I rub the back of my head where he had pulled my hairs from my scalp . My bond recoils , rejection smashes against me , and my face heats with embarrassment . I want to run from the room as he res down at me . What did I do ? He was fine a few seconds ago . Realization dawns on me . Of course , he needed power . That is all it was , he didn¡¯t want me just what I had to offer . Power was everything to Darius . I thought we were past all this , but clearly , I was wrong . I felt used as he powered off me only to toss me aside when I wanted more . I swallow , looking away and he storms out of the room , not even bothering to answer Lycus . The door ms making me cringe and shame creeps into me . Why does he do that ? He does it every time I try with him , constantly pulling only for him to shove me away . Lycus reaches for me , but I jerk my hand away when he tries to grab it before tugging my towel up covering myself . I rushed past Kalen , who moved toward me and into the closet to get changed . I shut the door , slipping some clothes on . I felt stupid , stupid for believing he was capable of being my mate . ¡± Aleera ? ¡± Kalen says , knocking on the door , I pull some clothes on quickly . Opening the door , Lycus and Kalen stood there staring at me . I push past them , heading for the door . ¡± Aleera ? ¡± ¡± I have to get to ss , ¡± I tell them , not bothering to stop . I just wanted a way from them , so I went to my safe ce . Funny , how I call it that . It was the worst ce in the castle . The cells , yet the dark , deste ce , and the solitude allowed me to hide and regather as I sat in the old cell . Questioning everything , wondering what was bad about me that Darius couldn¡¯t just put the past behind us and ept me . Trending Novels Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Book 2 Chapter 6 My humiliation diminished after a while , and I felt stupid for running from Kalen and Lycus . I could feel them searching for me , yet I didn¡¯t want to be near anyone . I suddenly missed being on my own . I was alone butfortable in my own misery , yet I also didn¡¯t want that anymore either . I craved interaction , touch , power , everything I lived without for so long . I desired not to have to look over my shoulder everywhere I went . I dreamed of not having to hide from the world . I craved being able to use my magic without guilt , without fear of what would happen if I did . I wanted for so long to be free . And now , I had a taste of that freedom . And I wasn¡¯t sure I could box it back up and run again . Run from them and myself . Being down here , the more I contemted the chaos . Thought about what had be of my life , and wondered how the fuck I got here . What was the one part of my life that determined it would get to this exact point ? Where did I go so detrimentally wrong that I ended up here , at this very moment ? I couldn¡¯t entirely me ¨C them . We all yed a part , but somewhere along the way , just one stupid night , I gave into the bond and what I thought it offered . My bond had made me backflip on who they really were . Blinded by the bond , forgetting what they had done . Yet I knew they had their reasons , and I had mine . So why was Darius still punishing me for it ? For once , I let myself believe I could be with them and that it would work out . Hearing the door open , I sat up , leaning against the wall as his heavy footsteps came down the stairs . I quickly wiped my face with the hem of my shirt before ring at him as he stepped off thest step . ¡± Why are you down here ? ¡± Darius asked . ¡± Why are you down here ? ¡± I asked , wondering if he hade to humiliate me more . ¡± You¡¯re upset , ¡± he states because that much was obvious . A quick swipe at my face with my shirt wouldn¡¯t hide the puffiness of my eyes , or the blotchiness from crying like an idiot over this insufferable man . ¡± You toyed with my bond , and you used me . How else am I supposed to feel ? ¡± 1 snap at him , and he arches an eyebrow at me . He wanders over to the cell I was sitting in . ¡± I didn¡¯t use you . You¡¯re our keeper . That is what you¡¯re born for . Not my fault you got carried away , ¡± he growls , leaning on the steel bars . Wow ! My eyebrows felt like they escaped into my hairline at his words . So everything was just some game to him ? I was just something he could hold on a pedestal or knock the legs out from under whenever he pleased ? My bond panged in my chest , and I couldn¡¯t help myself as it reached out for his , but all I got was nothing , just indifference . I couldn¡¯t even tell if he was just forcing his bond to me back or if he generally felt nothing for me . ¡± Look , I didn¡¯t mean to upset you . You have the others . You don¡¯t need to mark me . I don¡¯t want you to mark me , Aleera . That is why I shoved you away . Not because I didn¡¯t want you , just I can¡¯t have you mark me . ¡° Was this fucker mentally retarded ? Did he not just hear what he said ? ¡± You know what you said is the same thing , right ? ¡± I scoff , shaking my head . ¡± You don¡¯t get that sort of control over me . The others may let you , but I need to keep a straight head . And I can¡¯t do that if I let you mark me , ¡± H ¡± A straight head ? ¡± I ask . ¡± I have this ce to run . I can¡¯t be at your beck and call any time you bat your eyshes at me ! I have to keep you safe from what¡¯s out there ! I can¡¯t do that if the urges of the bond blind me ! ¡± he snaps . ¡± But it was okay for you to mark me ? ¡± I asked , shaking my head . ¡± Yes , you won¡¯t retain power without us marking you . ¡± What about me marking you ? What ? Am I supposed to be a keeper when you feel like using me ? N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡± ¡± You are a keeper . You still have ess to my magic , and I yours . That is all that is needed . ¡± ¡± I just won¡¯t have ess to your bond ! ¡± I spit at him . ¡± I am not some toy for you to manipte ! Darius sneers at me . ¡± And I am not your fucking toy either ! So fuck off , Darius ! You don¡¯t want me ? Fine ! Not like I haven¡¯t lived without you before anyway , ¡± I tell him . ¡± Excuse me ? ¡± he says , pushing off the steel door . He takes a step toward me before grabbing my face . ¡± You even think of leaving , I will drag you back kicking and screaming and make you wish you never crossed me . You hurt them , Aleera . You will regret it ! ¡± Darius snarled , his fingers dug painfully into my cheeks and the look on his face told me he seriously would hurt me if I tried . I re at him before gripping his wrist and letting my magic flow . He hisses , ripping his hand away from me before grabbing my throat and mming me back down on the bed . His anger was suffocating as he pinned me , yet his hand was only a warning on my throat . He wasn¡¯t hurting me , just showing me he could and how easy it would be for him if he wanted too . Trending Novels Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Book 2 Chapter 7 ¡± Just remember , I gave you power , Aleera . I can always take it away . I allow you to be with us ! So take it or leave it . Our mates will listen if I tell them too . You may have the bond , but I had years of being their keeper . They are sired to me which is stronger than your iplete bond . You are not the only keeper here . Just remember that ! ¡± Darius growled before letting me go . He then storms out of the basement . I red at him as he stomped off up the steps . I should have known better . The media always portrayed him to be a monster . And once again , he showed me they were right . Yet the stupid bond craved him . I push the intense feelings to apologize and beg at his feet for eptance down . Instead , I let my anger over him fester . The longer I sat there , the more I hated them and myself . Well , no , not all of them . Not Kalen . I don¡¯t think it is possible to ever hate Kalen . He was as much a victim in all this as I was . We all were in a way , but they weren¡¯t the only ones that sacrificed everything . I tossed my entire life away to run from the very man who seemed hell bent on destroying me . When my grandmother died , and I was thrown into that school , I went on autopilot . Hide what I was from the world for so long , even I forgot who I was and what I was capable of . Everything that has happened , losing my parents , then my grandmother , my entire life turned upside down . It slowly broke the pieces off that I used to love . Only then did I suddenly believe I could live without magic , slip into the human world and be happy . And at first , I was happy to let those pieces go , d to give my magic up because it was the safest thing to do . Mum said to hide what I was , that no one could know . And I did just that , yet her words were more than words . They became my life . And now I didn¡¯t want to restrain myself any longer . I have been shackled for years . I didn¡¯t fit in here with them . I didn¡¯t fit anywhere . How could I , when I was the only one of my kind ? Never able to reveal what I am and who I used to think I would one day be before I lost everything ? I used to love magic , loved being a Harmony Fae . Until I was suddenly forced to hide it from everyone without realizing my parents were already hiding me from the world . Dad used to say , at home I could be whatever I wanted , and I loved that . But to the rest of the world , I had to be Dark Fae and Dark Fae only . It was the same with my grandmother . Home was a ce of safety , where I was free until she was gone and I no longer had home at all . I no longer had a choice . My safe ce was again gone , and I lost what that felt like . What having a home felt like . After I marked Kalen , I finally got a sense of that again . Only for Darius to rip it away this morning all over again . I thought we were past everything , and I was finally free to be who I actually was . It should have been a turning point , but now I wonder if it was just a ruse and Darius¡¯s shock at what I was that made him do it . I was just some tool he could use to be stronger because that is what it felt like this morning , with the way he used me for my magic , only to toss me away like I was garbage afterward . It angered me . I wasn¡¯t sure I could go back to hiding what I was . I was sick of hiding , sick of being repressed ! They know what I am now . And if they think I will just wait around for them to decide if they want me , they were mistaken , I was sick of being shackled and chained by fear , by the judgement of what others would think . I realized that I had given up everything until there was nothing left of me . I spent all my energy running from them , giving them control , which is what I did . N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. By running from them , I ran from myself put myself in this situation . Thinking that running from them was me taking control of a problem I didn¡¯t want to be in . I was wrong . and They held all the power , and Darius showed me that first chance he got this morning . However , I did know that despite him hating me , he would protect me and keep me safe if I stayed because it benefited them to do so . As much as I wanted to run again , I also didn¡¯t want to go back to that repressed version of myself . I no longer wanted to be a Dark Fae . I wanted to be able to be who I am without fear of it . Yet even I knew how dangerous it was to be a Harmony Fae in this world . So if I left , I would be forced to suppress it all over again . Here , I was at least safe to find out what I was capable of . I don¡¯t even fully understand what the true meaning of being a Harmony Fae was , and I suddenly wanted to find out . And Darius wasn¡¯t going to stop me from finding that power . The power I was born to harness . With a power that could even take the feared Demonic ¨C Fae King down . With that thought in mind , I got up . Anger coursed through me as I opened up the portal to Tobias¡¯s ssroom . I stepped into the room at the back , sitting behind everyone . I did miss school . I always loved learning about Fae history and loved the practical side that I always made excuses not to participate in . But now , now I had another motivator to get me to stay . Here , I could learn freely with no repercussions because everyone here was aware of what I was . There was no need to hide it . And if that helps me get back at Darius , then so be it . He wanted to destroy me ? y with my bond ? Toy with me ? And turn my mates against me ? Fine ! Two can y at that game . So let¡¯s see who breaks who first. Trending Novels Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Previous Post Next Post Chapter 8 Lycus POV One thing I loved and also hated about the bond was feeling everyone¡¯s emotions . I had marked her , and our bond was forged . Sure , she hadn¡¯t marked all of us , but I knew she would feel us , so I kind of felt bad . I just stood there . However , I was shocked . Darius had finallye to ept her , and I knew he wanted to be with her . We all did . The guilt that washed through me at how we had treated her was stomach turning . Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. So when her feeling of embarrassment and rejection hit me , it was like Darius had rejected all of us . I just don¡¯t understand what happened . ¡± What the fuck just happened ? ¡± I asked Kalen after I watched her leave in a rush without looking back . Darius had been in a mood for thest day or so since she had marked Kalen . He and Tobias had been constantly at each other¡¯s throats , and the dramatics were really bothering me . But he might as well as just pped her , teasing her bond out like that only to push her way stung even me . Kalen makes a strangled noise as her pain rattles through us . ¡± I have no idea , ¡± Kalen says with a sigh . I watch as he runs a hand through his hair before tugging his shirt on . ¡± Where are you going ? ¡± I asked him . ¡± To find her , of course , ¡± he said , sitting on the edge of the bed and pulling his shoes on . ¡± Just give me a second . I¡¯lle with you , ¡± I tell him . 11 ¡± I don¡¯t need a babysitter , Lycus , ¡± ¡± Ah , maybe I just want to help find her . She is my mate , too . I said nothing about babysitting you , ¡± ¡± I tell him . ¡± Kalen rubs his fingers over his infinity mark , trying to gauge where she is , we should be able to find her instantly with one touch , But when he rubbed his thumb over it , all we got was a cold feeling running up my arm as he brushed her name etched into his skin . My brows furrow and I look at Kalen . Kalen was the only that could hide from the bond . He could manipte it , which is precisely how he managed to kill himself repeatedly . Controlling auras came in handy but also a nuisance for us over the years when he would go missing because , with it , he manipted our thoughts and emotional patterns . Keepers usually harness their mate¡¯s magic , so it made me wonder if she was blocking us without knowing it . We searched the entire castle grounds when we suddenly got the first flicker of emotion back from her . It had moved us toward Tobias¡¯s ssroom . We spent hours looking for her , and I missed two of my sses by canceling them . Moving toward where Tobias was teaching , I stuck my head in the doorway . Aleera sat at a desk at the back of the room , a pen in her hand , nibbling on the end as she concentrated . Tobias watched her curiously as he sat at his desk . Walking in , Kalen goes toward her while I make my way to Tobias . ¡± Care to exin what the fuck happened ? ¡± Tobias hissed in a hushed voice . ¡± Darius , who else ? How long has she been here for ? ¡± I asked him . ¡± About an hour . She hasn¡¯t said a word , ¡± Tobias says . ¡± I didn¡¯t even know she was in here until I finished casting and noticed her sitting at the back . She should be in Darius¡¯s ss , ¡± he says . ¡± She portaled ? ¡± I ask , and he shrugs , ncing at her and biting his lip . I looked over at Kalen , who was whispering to her before he took her pen from her , scribbling something on the page she was working on . Her brows furrow as he exins something to her about wayward casts . ¡± I have a ss to teach , so either sit in or get out , ¡± Tobias says , and I nce around to see the demons waiting for Tobias to continue . I wander to the back , pulling a chair out on her other side . I sit down in it heavily and my hand goes to her knee under the table . ¡± Are you okay ? ¡± I whisper to her . ¡± Never better , ¡± she says , watching as Tobias teaches , and I lean back in my chair and peek over at Kalen , who gives her a strange look but says nothing as he leans back . ¡± Did she say anything to you about where she went ? ¡± I mouth to him , and he shakes his head , dropping his hand on the back of her chair and fiddling with her hair while she jotted stuff down in her notebook . ¡± Aleera ? ¡± Tobias calls to her , and her head snaps up to look at him . He waves her toe to the front of the ss , and I sit up straighter , wanting to see what he would get her to do , especially since this was an advanced ss ; she wasn¡¯t even supposed to take this ss . Her bond flops giddily inside her as she moves closer to him when she suddenly stamps it down so abruptly that Tobias gives her a questioning look before he looks over at us . Turning , I looked at Kalen , who was observing her aura . Kalen tilts his head to the side and leans forward curiously , watching her . I slide into Aleera¡¯s seat next to him . ¡± What is it ? ¡± I whispered , and I saw Tobias nce in our direction , so I knew he was listening ; I could also feel Tobias ¡® worry about why she was acting so strange , almost indifferent like nothing happened . ¡± She forced her bond back , ¡± he whispers , and I look at her , noticing how Tobias¡¯s jaw clenched and his eyes flickered , Great , whatever is going on with her , we have Darius to thank . Just when I thought we were getting somewhere . Now we were back to square one . Darius had some fucking answering to do . Tobias turns his attention back to her . He asks her to hold out her hand , and a devious smile ys on his lips . She does looking up at him curiously with bright eyes , excitement filling her at using her magic . As if she was excited to use it , having been deprived for so long , to her , it felt freeing that she didn¡¯t have to hide what she was . At least not here , well , until Darius walked into the room . She looks over her shoulder at him , and her eyes flicker strangely , turning ssy before she swallows and turns her attention back to Tobias . Her embarrassment came back and zapped through the bond before it turns to anger . She stamped it down , blocking us back out . Darius leaned on the doorframe with his arms folded staring at her . Everyone in the room watched him as his intimidating aura filled the room . He commanded attention without even trying , and right now , whatever was going on with him , he appeared to be angry with Aleera for ignoring his presence . But Aleera looked just as angry making me worry with the determined glint in her eyes . Previous Post Next Post Trending Novels Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Book 2 Chapter 9 Aleera POV Tobias asked me to step forward , and I did . My bond became excited , and I stamped it down , forcing it back . I knew they felt it , but when I felt Darius¡¯s presence moving closer , I didn¡¯t want him to feel my reaction to my mates . H So it was no surprise when I felt him stop behind me . ¡± Hold your hands out , ¡± Tobias whispers , then his eyes dart over my shoulder . I nce back at Darius . He leans against the door frame , watching us , but I turn my attention back to Tobias and focus on the casting he was about to show me . Tobias holds his hands out above mine , and I watch the air between his hands ripple and thicken . A picture forms and my magic wants totch on to him , and it does . He transfers the strange sphere into my hands , and it hovers above my palms . He pokes it with his finger , and it ripples , taking the form of the rainforest . ¡± Why are casts dangerous ? ¡± he asks , looking out at the ss , yet he looks back at me for the answer . Vampiric ¨C Fae primarily did casts because my kind no longer existed or was rare . It tookpulsion and could temporarily blind an opponent , yet it also took a lot of concentration to maintain . ¡± They are dangerous because they act as virtual reality , and people can be trapped within them until the cast holder releases them , ¡± I tell him , and he nods . One demon in the ss raises their hand , and Tobias nods to him . ¡± Why are we learning this , though ? Only vampiric and Elemental can yield it , ¡° the demon asks , and Tobias asks . ¡± You think a vampiric will care if you can yield it if they are nning to use it against you ? ¡± he asked , and as Tobias said , the man dropped his head . It was a stupid question to ask . ¡± So , how does one break out of the spell of a cast ? ¡± Tobias asked before the sphere was suddenly wrapped around my face , blinding me to the rest of the ssroom . Forest scenery surrounded me , and I could vividly see and hear , even smell , everything . The ssroompletely disappeared , and I stumbled forward . I could even hear the crickets chirping , the sound of the soft breeze , and feel it like it was real , the air thick and moist , and the ground smelled of moist soil . Yet Tos¡¯s voice I could also hear faintly , his voice bing more distant until he touched me , making me jump , thinking something fell from the trees andnded on me . My hand moves to his hand on my shoulder . ¡± Focus on my voice , Aleera , ¡± he says , yet the cast I am stuck in feels real , so I instinctively look up when birds take off out of the canopying trees above . ¡± You need to remember it¡¯s a cast . Remember your true surroundings , no matter how much fear or what is going on around you . It isn¡¯t real . You just need to focus on where you were before , paint that picture in your head , and imnt it . This will force fake reality away to bring you back to your true surroundings , ¡± I try , but I find myself stuck as everything bes overwhelming . ¡± Where are you , Aleera ? ¡± Tobias asks . ¡± Rainforest , ¡± I murmured , turning when I heard leaves rustle behind me . ¡± Where were you before Aleera , focus ? ¡± his voice says , and I look for him but can¡¯t see anything but forest . My pulse races when I see a giant tiger step out from the foliage . I stagger , taking a step back , only to trip over my feet . It charges at me , and I put my hands up to shield myself when the cast is dropped , and I find Tobias grabbing me and hauling me to my feet . Everyone in the ssughed , and Darius even chuckled at me . Embarrassment coursed through me . ¡± This is why you should have been in my ss instead of running hiding in an advanced defense ss , ¡± Darius says , making me re at him as I catch my breath . ¡± You did well . Ignore them . It was your first go , ¡± Tobias whispers , yet as I went back to my desk , everyone tried to stifle their giggles , and Darius clicked his tongue . ¡± Do it again , ¡± I snap , gritting my teeth . I hadn¡¯t wielded magic like that before it was banned in the schools , yet I could feel how he did it and knew I could mimic it if I could just touch it again . ¡± You don¡¯t have to , ¡± Tobias says , his lips brushing my cheek . The demon holler and whistles at his gesture , and I re at them . ¡± Do it again , ¡± I tell him , turning to face him . I refuse to let them think I don¡¯t belong here or that I can¡¯t do this . Tobias¡¯s eyes search my face before he s¨ªghs , looking past me to Darius . I look at him , too , and he waves arrogantly , thinking I would fail again . I could feel his amusement at my anger which only servedN?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. to anger me more . When Tobias sets the cast in my hand this time , however , my magic locks onto his , but instead of letting him manipte it when he flicks his fingers , I grasp onto it tightly . He raises an eyebrow at me . ¡± Aleera ! ¡± he hisses , wondering what I am doing , but I hold on firmly and feel for the compulsion he was using in it before crushing and stamping it out . His magic fizzled in my hands . I feel how it disintegrates his cast , dying out as I destroy it . The demonsughed . ¡± What¡¯s a matter , Aleera , scared , burned it out before entering it ? ¡± one chuckles . ¡± That was my intention , ¡± I tell the demon . He scoffs , throwing his head back . Lycus snarls at him , and he jumps when my mate stands behind him . ¡± Stop ying around and get either to my ss where you should be or back to your seat , ¡± Darius snaps at me , and Tobias nudges me , but I refuse to move . ¡± I can do one better , ¡± I smirk , feeling my magic sing in my blood , morph and twist as it writhes through me , cold and chilling while also warm tingling as I blend both sides of my magic , melding them into one . Trending Novels Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Book 2 Chapter 10 The air between my hands fizzles and zaps , electricity zapping between both as the air warps and I cast the sphere . I swallowed , feeling how hard it was to maintain and hold on to . Tobias made it look easy like he did casts regrly , but as hard as it was , I could feel my magic thriving , wanting to see how far it could push itself . ¡° Do you know why Vampiric- Fae casts are so dangerous ? ¡± I murmur . ¡± You¡¯re not vampiric , though , ¡± The demonughs . ¡± You¡¯re right . Because I am so much more , ¡± I tell them , and the sphere casting changed to mes , the forest Tobias created in my head now burning in my hands . ¡± But that isn¡¯t what I asked ? ¡± I tell the man who mocked me . ¡± What are you teaching now , Aleera ? ¡± Darius taunts behind me . ¡± Yes , teaching you all who you¡¯re fucking with , ¡± I tell them . Darius shakes his head at me . R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only 1/ m.techkaushal - 500¡Á300 - 1 ¡± And to answer my own question , since you idiots don¡¯t seem to know the answer , theypel your deepest fears and manipte them into the cast , ¡± I answer , making the sphere bigger . I focus on everyone¡¯s auras , pulling on Kalen¡¯s magic across the room , their auras dark and shadowy , and I am shocked at how easy it was to pull on his magic since I had marked him . He gasps , and I nce at the aura tainting the demon men , each a distinct shadow of darkness with a different consistency . ¡° So my next question is , what do you fear most ? ¡± I chuckle , clenching my fingers into a fist before opening them . My magic flew out , the cast wrapping around them all like a dark cloud , and the chair screeched as I manipted their auras , feeling for what they fear most . Watching as they scream and arms fly in the air . One in the front was petrified of spiders , and he wed at his clothes and tried to wipe them off . Screams rang out through the room as others ducked , fearing Phoenixes they thought were swooping . It was oddly satisfying watching them scream and fear the images I had put their heads . Theyughed , and now they screamed . I chuckle at the coldness of the magic meddling with them and spewing out of me , magnifying ,tching onto their biggest fears . All of them suddenly plunged into their worst nightmare , and I smirked , feeling the angry ripple when the one covered in spiders set himself on fire with his magic , the mes flying at the roof when Darius grabbed me and shook me . ¡± Drop it ! ¡± he snaps at me and shakes me . And I see Darius go to absorb my magic and drop it before he does . He res at me , and the screams die out . ¡± Are you trying to burn this fucking ce to the ground ? ¡± he snarled at me . I nced at the Demons , who were all shaken . I smirked , my eyes flickering . ¡± Do you think this is funny ? ¡± Darius said while his grip on my arms tightened as he shook me . ¡± Fucking hrious , as hrious as they found me falling on my ass , ¡± I sneered back at him , and he growled , and I noticed out of the corner of my eye . Tobias was helping some off the ground . Darius growls and looks at Tobias , but the moment he turns his gaze away , my magic erupts again as I mp my hands on his face . ¡± What is your greatest fear , Darius ? What makes you : shake in your fucking boots ? ¡° I spit at him as he gasped , and he became stuck in the cast . The sphere takes shape as Itch onto his fear , manipting it and making him relive it . I see a room . It looked sterile , with lots of science equipment and steel tables . He is a little boy , maybe only six years old , and he runs over to a man tugging on the back of his whiteb coat . My breath lodged in my throat when the man turned around . I don¡¯t know who I expected to see , but it definitely wasn¡¯t him . The man turns , and I am suddenly staring down my own father . I blink , watching the cast when Darius roars , his grip tightening on my arms , and I try to push the cast wanting to see more and hold it over him when the room inside the cast catches on fire when Darius maniptes it himself and I am shoved back . My ass and lower back hit Tobias¡¯s desk , and I stared at him wide ¨C eyed as he stalked toward me . His face was furious as he snarled , and I flinched as he smashed me with his magic , sucking the oxygen out of the air and choking me . ¡± You want to y , little Fae , then let¡¯s see what you fear ! ¡± he snarls , reaching for me . His hands lock on the side of my face . I don¡¯t fight him . I knew what I feared , and I have faced my fears head ¨C on . He forces the cast totch onto me . Only when it does what I fear is reflected at him , too . He staggers back when what he sees is his own reflection . The night he killed my parents was the first thing he saw . What I fear , I have always feared was him . The cast warps , and we are suddenly back in the basement where he broke my hand and leg , yet I don¡¯t scream when it snaps it this time . I keep my head , reminding myself it isn¡¯t real . However , Darius is not expecting to star in my biggest fears , his magic drops , and he takes a step back from me . ¡± What is it , Darius ? I face my fear daily . Not as weak as you thought , huh ? Because I¡¯m still fucking standing ! ¡± I tell him . He blinks at me in shock , which soon turns to rage when he grabs me again . ¡± Let¡¯s see how much bravado you have without magic then , ¡° he snarls before stealing my magic so quickly I stagger , sucking in air and gasping for breath when he takes every drop , leaving me with nothing , leaving me hollow as he siphoned me . ¡± Darius ! ¡± Lycus growls , rushing toward us , but he freezes when Darius turns his re on him . ¡± Give her power back to her , and she will be back in the fucking cells where she belongs . ¡± He yells at our mates before turning his attention back to me . ¡± If you think you can push me and win , Aleera ? You can¡¯t . You¡¯re smart to fear me . I am the monster you portray me to be , and pull that shit again against me , and you will relive your biggest fears . ¡± He snaps before turning on his heel and walking out . Trending Novels Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Book 2 Chapter 11 Darius POV My anger gets the better of me . I stole her magic , something I didn¡¯t think I would do again . I didn¡¯t want her powerless , yet I couldn¡¯t have her digging around in my head . My anger will also be how I lose them if I am not careful . Instantly , I regretted it as I walked out of the ssroom . The betrayal I felt from her stole my breath . My mate¡¯s anger was scorching me through the bond . However , Tobias¡¯s energy was curious as it washed through me , and I knew he would be following me . Opening a portal in front of me . I stepped through it before he could follow me Letting the suction of it zap me into new surroundings . It was cold down here . Far below the ground and directly beneath the castle were the bunkers . When my mother and sister lived down here , I swear it felt warmer . Now it felt as cold as the nagging at my soul , cold as the nagging guilt that gued me . No one knew this ce was here except my father when he was alive and the two guards that kept watch in the cells , and of course , my mates . Aleera is utterly unaware that she sat in the cell that was the only entrance into this ce besides portaling . However , only those of blood could portal into this ce . 1/ m.techkaushal - 500¡Á300 - 1 The blood encryption that protected the ce kept everyone out . Walking around and across the bunker , I sit on my sister¡¯s old bed . It was only a single , and she had drawn a fake window on the wall . I remember that day so clearly . She was so excited when I brought the paints down to her and snuck them in against Dad¡¯s orders . The beating I copped for that was worth it just to see her face light up as she painted what she envisioned outside to look like . My father was a good father , but with my sister and that idiocy on my part , he lost it . If there was a closet full of skeletons , this ce held mine , the bones and blood spilled by these hands , the souls destroyed and lives lost , this is where they are stored as a reminder of the kind of monster I truly am . An entire species of Fae is eradicated because of me . No one had blood on their hands as I did . No one can say they have killed more people than the Dominic ¨C Fae King . Was this my karma ? A punishment for my past ? Now I risked losing them all , the only four people I care about , and they would leave when they figured out what I had done . So many secrets , and now they were unraveling . I tried to make it up to her and apologize , but mum never looked at me the same after that day . She never uttered a word to dad or anyone again . She slipped into herself and became a shell . Her life force was gone , and she was an empty vessel of my mother . I did that to her , and she took it to the grave rather than risk losing another of her children . Waving my hand in the air , I let my magic fizzle through my fingertips , casting the memory like a projection , and watch it repeatedly , wondering how I forgot , looking at any little detail I may have forgotten or overlooked . Though , there was no denying it was my fault . The familiar echo of the sound of herughter as she skipped around the vast bunker . She was so small , pale from not being in the sun , but full of life even though forced to live down here . ¡± Darius , Darius , look at me , ¡± Sarah squealed as I stepped into the bunker . She did a cartwheel running over to me . I pped , watching her do another before she mmed into me , wrapping her tiny arms around my waist until I scooped her up . I had just gotten home from school and couldn¡¯t wait to show mum the grade I got that day on my test . R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only I ran straight down here . I always brought my homework down in the afternoon , and mum would help , and I wanted to show her that despite her being underground , I was still doing ok . She hated being apart from us , but none of us could bear the thought of leaving my sister down here on her own after the second wave hit . My father couldn¡¯t stay with her . He was too busy trying to find a cure . Setting her down on the ground , I ced my bag on the coffee table and rummaged through it . Mum was making afternoon tea at the industrial ¨C style bench and cutting sandwiches into the little hats , as my sister would call them . ¡± Mummy , mummy , can I have a drink ? ¡± Sarah asked , and my mother looked over at her and smiled warmly , a smile I never saw again after that day . ¡± In a minute , sweetie Darius is showing me something , ¡± my mother tells her , and she sticks her tongue out at me . I stick mine out back at her , and she rushes off . My mother stops what she is doing when I stop beside her and hand her my paper . She beams happily and gives me praise , hugging and squeezing me tight , telling me how proud she is . Something dad never did since mum became trapped down here . ¡± That¡¯s great , honey , ¡± she says , giving me a hug and kissing my head when we hear Sarah cough . The room fell silent , and it felt like time had stopped along with my heart . We turned from the counter to look at her . The scream that left my mother was loud , visceral , guttural torment . That noise my mother made would forever haunt me . The sound of Sarah¡¯s voice and the look on her face haunted my nightmares for years until I marked Kalen . The blood drained out of me when I looked at her My drink bottle fell from her hands as she coughed , blood sputtering out of her lips . The gue worked like acid , eating away at them so quickly no one stood a chance . No help was ever fast enough . ¡± I just wanted a drink , ¡± Sarah murmured as the orange cordial spilled on the floor , pouring liquid death all over the floor along with her life . ¡± Mummy ? ¡± she gasped as blood seeped from her tear ducts , ears , and nose . Sarah copsed and seized on the floor while my mother wailed , clutching her and all I could do was stand there in horror until my mother screamed at me to get help . But it was toote . They never survived . I had filled my bottle up from the tap upstairs before school . Tainted water . That error took her life and killed her . When she stopped seizing , I knew as I stopped at the door to the cells . A noise so agonized and tortured I knew I didn¡¯t just kill my sister ; I had killed my mother too . I flick my fingers , shutting it off , unable to see any more , unable to watch her shut down , unable to see the horrified look on my father¡¯s face when he came down . How did Aleera survive and my sister didn¡¯t ? Why didn¡¯t I die that day with her , with mum ? I sat in the ruins of what killed my family . Staring at the ce haunted me more than anything . Time slipped by , and it wasn¡¯t until I felt the tug of the bond that I found myself in my room . How many hours had passed ? I had no idea , but my mates were all asleep . Aleera was asleep on the edge of the bed beside Kalen . Her heady on his arm , and I brushed her hair back from behind her ear . Her bond tugged at mine , and I wanted to crawl in beside her , wanted to give in . Thank god she looked like her mother . I don¡¯t think I could bear staring into the eyes of her father every damn day . Even asleep , her bond tugged at mine , wanting my power , and mine wanted to give it to her , Ryze shakes his feathers out where he is perched on the headboard . Such wise birds , and I hated the way its beady eyes scrutinized me , though when be spoke , it shocked me . ¡± Sce in harmony , ¡± Ryze spoke . My brows furrow . ¡± Alirra , sce in harmony , ¡± he says , mispronouncing her name . I nce down at her , and Ryze leans down , raking his tongue across her cheek , and his tongue glows red . But he was still juvenile . Yet his message was clear . He wanted me to give her power back . I stroke his head feathers , and he moves , sitting back up his tail , swishing around , and pping Lycus in the face . Lycus swats it in his sleep , which seems to egg Ryze on because he continues to do it . Leaning down , I brush my lips against hers , my lips warm as I give it back , letting her bond take it when her eyes fly open . I stand back , and we stare at each other . She looked at me like she wasn¡¯t sure she was dreaming , her bond tugging at mine , wanting the connection back . When she sits up abruptly , she looks at our sleeping mates , and I quickly slip into the bathroom to escape back to her old room ¡± Darius ? ¡± I heard her question herself and felt her confusion , but I didn¡¯t stop needing to get away from her , get away before I broke and gave into her . Trending Novels Chapter 91 Chapter 91 book 2 chapter 12 Aleera POV Three weekster . Darius stayed away from me for weeks . I hardly saw him , and he would swiftly walk off from me when I did . Even when I had sses with him , he would swap with Lycus . Yet I knew it was bothering my mates . They were bonded to him , and him not being around I could tell , had them on edge . One thing I was sure of , though , was that Darius was right . Without me marking all of them , their bonds were more attached to Darius , which made me worry , knowing he could order them away from me , and they would all oblige , except for Kalen . They were drawn to him , their bonds seeking him out like he was their beacon . Sitting in one of Darius¡¯s sses , Lycus stood at the front exining something when Darius walked in . He looked like crap , huge dark circles under his eyes , his skin paler than normal . Lycus growled at him in annoyance as Darius walked toward me and I sat back in my chair before realizing he had no magic . He hadn¡¯t slept in the room in weeks and I would know if any of them had slept with him so he could absorb their power . They had exined that is how they transferred magic before me , yet it took strong emotion and was mainly only obtainable for Darius to transfer during sex or fury with them , whereas me he only had to touch , 1/ m.techkaushal - 500¡Á300 - 1 Yet I was still angry with him after catching him the other night . He was standing over me after he stabbed me in the hip with a needle . When I asked him what it was , he walked out of the room . Tobias and he had a huge fight , which ended with Tobias bleeding and absorbed of his magic after Darius stole it from him . Tobias exined Darius injected me with a devil¡¯s bane serum to stop me from shredding and marking them . My teeth weren¡¯t strong enough to mark them without shredding . I had tried , but their skin was too tough for me to pierce , Darius stops in front of my desk , and I look at him . ¡± Aleera , I need , ¡° ¡± Magic ? Yeah , not happening , ¡± I tell him . Until he either apologized or gave in to the bond allowing me mark them , he wasn¡¯t getting anything from me willingly . He growls and punches the desk , making everyone jump and scatter . They run from the room , and Lycus moves closer warily when Darius turns on him . One thing I hade to notice was Darius ; without power was like a withdrawing drug addict . ¡± Out ! ¡± Darius booms and his eyes flicker as he orders Lycus out . Lycus tries to refuse his order . Sweat beaded on his skin , he gritted his teeth . Lycus hands fist at his side and Darius¡¯s eyes glowed like burning embers as he used thest of his magic behind it . Lycus snarls but is forced from the room and Darius flicks his wrist using thest dribs and drabs , mming the door and flicking the lock before I could run out after Lycus . I grip the door handle and jerk my hand back as it burns me . I hiss . My palm burns fiercely and blisters . Darius growls , and I spin around . My hands glow as I feel for my magic , but my burned hand fizzles out , and I cry out as my magic burns my hand worse . Lycus would tell the others . He was out of magic now , but he was like a raging bull as he stalked toward me . I lift my hand , not wanting to hurt him , knowing it would hurt them , but he wasn¡¯t leaving me much choice . ¡± You could try saying please , ¡± I spit at him as he stalks toward me . ¡± Teine air a chuairteachadh , ¡° I blurt , and mes encases his body , but he just walks straight through them absorbing the magic in them and making me gasp before I remember he is demonic ¨C Fae , and fire won¡¯t burn him . He reaches for me and grips the front of my shirt and jerks me toward him , and ms me down on my back on the desk knocking the air out of me . I raise my hand . ¡± A l¨´badh ss , ¡± I scream as I palm in his face . Light bursts from my hand and blinds him temporarily , and he snarls , clutching his eyes . I kick him when a portal opens up , and Tobias rushes into the room . He tackles Darius and ms him against the wall . Tobias punches him , only for Darius to lose it and headbutt him , knocking Tobias out , and he tosses him off before repeatedly punching him . I scream and get to my feet . I grab Darius¡¯s arm as he goes to hit him again . Darius turned on me instantly , and his face was twisted and demonic ¨C looking , his eyes entirely ck and his teeth were sharp points , his skin had turned a greyish color , and I blinked in shock as he turned on me . My heart raced in my chest as I stared at him Tobias groans on the ground , and blood pools around him as Darius gets to his feet . Fear paralyzed me momentarily .C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org That moment cost me as he grabbed me , furiously , he started draining my magic , and I thrashed and panicked , setting myself on fire , but he didn¡¯t let me go , only growled , pressing me against the door , and I was forced to put the mes out or set the ce aze . My clothes were singed and my body tingled . 11 ¡± Give it to me . Stop fighting me , Darius suarled . ¡± Fuck you ! ¡± I snap back at him , and his grip turned bone ¨C crushing , making me cry out , I scream as he turns my magic against me , making me freeze as he turned my blood ice cold . ¡± Ryze ! ¡± I screamed , my breath making smoke clouds in the air , I screamed for Ryze again , hoping he could hear me . Darius snarls before fighting dirty . His lips crash down on mine when he yanks on my bond , forcing it forward . ¡± Is this what you want ? ¡± he snarls , biting my lips and forcing his tongue into my mouth . Darius rips at my clothes , and I thrash , punching him and wing at him before he sinks his teeth into my mark . The bond awakens like a live wire , and I moan involuntarily as his hands rip at my tights , trying to yank them down before fiddling with his belt buckle . My mind was screaming for him to stop , yet the bond was haywire as he pulled at it , wanting him closer when he was suddenly ripped off me . The fuzzy cloudiness of the bond being ripped away , and I staggered toward him , wanting to go to him before shaking myself as my mind clears of the haze . My vision blurred , correcting itself , and I saw Kalen . ¡± Get out ! ¡± Kalen yelled at me , flicking his wrist and opening a portal . I had never really seen Kalen use magic , only a few times , knowing it made him unstable each time he did use it . Darius got up , and his growl was like a p of thunder , and I screamed , running toward Kalen . He looks at me over his shoulder before twisting his wrist , and I run straight at him and burst into our room . I fall on my hands , and my heart races when I realize Kalen moved the portal in front of me before I could reach My breathing was harsh as fear coursed through me . I got to my feet and raced for the door , only for an arm to wrap around my waist as I reached for the handle . I thrashed and screamed . ¡± It¡¯s me , stop . You¡¯re fine , ¡± Lycus breathes next to my ear . ¡± You¡¯re okay , ¡± Lycus whispers , but I shake my head . ¡± Kalen ! ¡± I whimper . ¡± Shh , you¡¯re fine . Kalen will be fine ; Darius won¡¯t hurt him . ¡± Lycus tells me . ¡± He hurt Tobias , ¡± I tell him , and Lycus nods , kissing the side of my neck . ¡± Tobias will be fine , but Kalen can handle Darius when he is like that . He can manipte his aura and bring him back , ¡± Lycus whispers , tugging me back toward the bed . When lust suddenly burns through the bond . Lycus groans behind me and pulls me on hisp . ¡± I promise Kalen will be fine , ¡± ¡± No , you didn¡¯t see his face , ¡° I stammered , remembering the look on his face I knew it would give me nightmares . ¡± I know , just calm down . I wouldn¡¯t be here if I thought Kalen couldn¡¯t handle him . Kalen is stronger than you think . ¡± Lycus tells me . I shake my head worriedly . ¡± But Darius he , ¡± ¡± He became the Demonic ¨C King , ¡± Lycus says , and I turn my face to look at him . ¡± What ? ¡± ¡± Without magic , Darius is only a demon simr rest of the men here , but Darius isn¡¯t a normal Demonic ¨C Fae . He is thest of his kind . Darius is simr , but he also isn¡¯t like the other demons here . He has enhanced strength , speed , stamina , and other abilities , like possession , mental influence , lower elemental use , and body maniption . It is why he is so dangerous . Even without power , he is lethal . Don¡¯t tempt him when he is like that . You give him what he wants . ¡± But Kalen is in there with him , ¡± I exim . ¡± Kalen knows how to y Darius like a damn fiddle . Darius can¡¯t manipte him as he can us ¡± I don¡¯t understand , ¡± ¡± Kalen can manipte his aura , make him feel , remember who he is , who we are to him , control emotions and twist them , like persuasive coercion , ¡± Lycus tells me , and I moan . Covering my mouth with my hands when arousal courses through me from the bond with Kalen . Lycus chuckles . ¡± Told you , ¡± Lycus purrs , running his nose across my neck and shoulder . Trending Novels Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Book 2 Chapter 13 Trigger Warning !!! Rape Content . Kalen POV The portal closed , and I sighed in relief when I found Aleera was no longer behind me . Tobias groans on the floor behind me as Darius watches me with a predatory glint in his eyes . I moved around the desk , trying to keep my distance from him . If he grabbed me before I could touch his aura , I was fucked . This side of Darius only recognized power Darius was starving for it and would kill for it if I couldn¡¯t change his aura to recognize me . This was not Darius , and I had not seen him like this in years . He always made sure to keep this side of him contained . Nothing was more dangerous than the Demonic King . Just like when he killed his father , his father was power ¨C hungry , just like him . Once his mate died , his father would take power however he could . But Demonic Fae could kill and absorb power , yet that required someone to die . He reminded me of his father when he was like this , a cruel monster . Just like Tobias was a monster when frenzied , so was Darius , without power . It was why Darius killed his father . His father wanted us to im Aleera , so she could power share . I knew he wanted to use her so he could retain power also and we got into an argument over it . Aldric lost it ; he hadn¡¯t had power in weeks , after Darius learned how he was maintaining power and confronted him . So when I got into an argument with him over Aleera , Lycus jumped in to stop Darius¡¯s father from raping me . Aldric knew how we maintained power , and figured if we wouldn¡¯t share Aleera with him , then we were fair game . Lycus was nearly dead by the time Tobias and Darius got here . I had no memory of it after being knocked out when I called on them . Lycus refused to tell me what happened , and so did the others . All I knew was that I woke up to Aldric dead , and Darius had absorbed his father¡¯s energy and soul . So seeing Darius like this petrified me . We were all worried about this , but figured he would have enough sense toe to one of us and not let it get this far . Darius¡¯s aura was so ck it was like looking into oblivion . It stung as felt for his bond , temporarily blinding me as I looked through the aura that resonated around him consuming me as I sought out his bond . Darius lunged over the table at me . His sharp ¨C pointed nails reached for my neck when he was tossed sideways . Darius smashed into the wall on his side as a red light sted past me . I nced at Tobias to see him sitting up . His hand was outstretched , blood running down the side of his head from his temple a drenching his shirt . Darius groaned , and his skin turned scaled as he growled before rushing at me . I see Tobias¡¯s hand flick toward him , but I step in his way , making him drop his magic and I grip Darius ¡® head in my hands as his sharp needlepoint nails dig into my shoulder . I stun Darius , numb and mute his aura and him . ¡± Leave us , ¡± I yell at Tobias . ¡± Like fuck I will when he is like that ! ¡± Tobias says , spitting blood on the floor . Darius , who was stunned under my magic , stared at me as the tendrils of darkness seeped into me , telling me to give in to the darkness and to follow it . Focusing , I manipted his aura , trying to take some of the darkness out of it , but it was so cold , making me breathe smoke clouds in the air . ¡± Kalen ? ¡± Tobias says ,ing up behind me . I feel his hand touch my lower back , and his worry bleeds into me as the darkness tainting Darius washes into me from his aura . ¡± I¡¯m fine , ¡± I gasp as Darius ¡® grip tightens , his nails breaking my skin through my shirt . ¡± Twist it . ¡± Tobias growls behind me . ¡± What ? ¡± ¡± Change the direction of it . Stop trying to take it , I will do it . ¡± Tobias says . 11 ¡± Tobias , he will hurt you , ¡± ¡± I don¡¯t care . I won¡¯t have him hurt you . Not likest time , 11 ¡± I was fine , ¡± I retorted . Although he had a point . I couldn¡¯t sit properly for a week , and I was so power drained that I burned out , which knocked me out for two days straight . ¡± He doesn¡¯t want to hurt me , ¡± I tell Tobias , feeling some part of Darius stuck behind his basal instinct . ¡± But he does , doesn¡¯t he , ¡± Tobias says . ¡± Tobias , get out ! ¡± I tell him . ¡± Kalen ! No ! ¡± Tobias snarls at me . ¡± Get out or fucking watch ! I¡¯ll power him , but I am not letting him hurt you , ¡± I tell Tobias . I was useless at everything else . One thing I could contribute to our bonds was helping them stay in control or dealing with Darius when he was like this . But I knew I had to change his anger to something else , and warm and fuzzy wasn¡¯t Darius . The only thing stronger than his fury was his lust . I didn¡¯t mind , and I knew he didn¡¯t mean to hurt me . He would drain me of power , but I am used to not having magic . Darius used it as punishment over the years ; I could live without it . ¡± Fuck ! Then let me knock him out . ¡± Tobias curses , realizing I wasn¡¯t letting him swap ces with me . ¡± And when he wakes up , he will be ten times worse ! You know this ! ¡± I growl at my mate .. Tobias was more potent than me , but that would make Darius rougher with him . I know Darius fights it with me , but he won¡¯t with Tobias . And then once Tobias was drained of power , we would be dealing with a frenzied Vampiric Fae . Going from one monster to another . Tobias wanders off as I feel through the bond for Darius ¡® bond , tugging on it and luring it out . Darius ¡® breathing bes harsher as I use my aura to taint him , turning his hunger for power into lust . The moment I moved my hands , I was going to be like a puppet in his strings , because I couldn¡¯t fight him and maintain concentration at the same time to hold it over him . Every time this has happened , I have usually been on my own or with Lycus , and I always block Lycus out . Yet with Aleera , I wasn¡¯t sure I could block her fully now she had marked me . My hands trembled as I let him go , knowing what I was in for , and my eyes zed over as I tried to maintain the same level of control , contorting and twisting his aura . Still , at the same time that left me defenseless against him . It blinded me from my surroundings as his aura enveloped me . He had no control , he never did , and neither did I , which left us both at the mercy of his instincts . Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. This was instinct for him to take , to humiliate , and destroy souls and feast on their pain and magic . That is what the Demonic King does . He could twist your worst nightmare , demolish it and rebuild it into something worse . Take on the persona of the person you feared most . Blinded suddenly to my surroundings , I heard him growl before the air was knocked out of my lungs . The room fizzles into view momentarily as I drop my magic before I am suddenly blinded as I regain control . Darius tugs at my clothes , and I feel with my hands to realize I am on my back on the desk . He snarls , the sound sending a chill up my spine so cold I thought it would freeze my heart . Tobias , I could feel he was horrified as Darius shredded my clothes . He¡¯d never seen Darius like this . I always dealt with him when he was this way after learning firsthand what he was capable of . Therefore , I made sure I forced them out , yet Tobias wasn¡¯t leaving Darius ¡® hands fall on my hips before he flips me , making me lose my magic as he ms me on my stomach on the desk , flinging me around like a rag doll . Reaching out , I opened a portal , wanting Tobias to step through it . Yet all he did was shake his head , and refused to tear his eyes from us . My magic drops when Darius forces himself inside me , as pain rips through me . I grip the desk and grit my teeth , instead focusing on his aura and trying to slow him as he thrust into me . I felt like I was tearing in two when I felt him suction on to my magic and draw on it . Once it was gone , I would have not a sliver of control left over him until he was done with me and came back to us . It sickened me knowing this could have been Aleera if she didn¡¯t get out in time . Tobias growls and I feel my magic fading away with each brutal thrust . Darius groans behind me and my vision flickers as he drains me of power , the rooming back into view when I see Tobias step into a portal . It closes , and I sighed with relief , no one wants to witness this . However , momentster , it opens and I whimper as I find Tobias step through it with Aleera ¡­ Tobias¡¯s back was to me and I could see she was crying , making me wonder if I had managed to block her at all . I would kill him for bringing her in here , only when he moves I see she is blindfolded , her hands outstretched . M My scream is deafening when I feel Darius rip himself from me , feeling her energy burning like a beacon . And I turned , trying to grab him as he rushed at her . ¡± immobolize agus faigh ! ¡± Tobias says , and he grits his teeth , trying to hold it over Darius , as Darius resists it now writhing with my power . This was stupid of him to bring her here . Lycus steps through the portal behind her and nces at me before his eyes flick away . Lycus grabs her arms , leading her toward him . ¡± Hurry , Lycus ! ¡± Tobias spits as Darius breaks free of his magic and ms against her . They all tumble to the ground and Aleera screams as Darius bites into her neck ; he would kill her to get her magic . Lycus is trapped beneath the pair of them when Aleera mps her hands on his face . Her hands glow gold as she feeds her magic into him , burning it out . Her eyes glow through the blindfold like a torch was turned on beneath As he magic fades , Darius rips his teeth from her neck . Blood ran down his chin and Aleera¡¯s arms fall at her sides as her body goes ck . I see Darius ¡® aura flicker as his conscious mind returned . Meanwhile , Aleera¡¯s magic was burned outpletely . He drained her entirely , not leaving even a speck of power . Lycus was breathing heavily and Aleera¡¯s head rolled to the side of his chest . When Darius came too . The air fizzled around him , hazed , like a veil was lifted . He panted , trying to catch his breath before his breath haltspletely . His eyes peering down at her before realizing he was naked . His head whips to the side to look at us in horror . Tobias stood in shock . Lycus was just staring vacantly at the ceiling clutching her body when Darius ¡® eyes fall on Aleera pinned beneath him , her clothes all torn from their earlier struggles . He makes a strange Trending Novels Chapter 93 Chapter 93 Book 2 Chapter 14 Kalen POV Darius pushes off the ground , looking down at her , horrified . Guilt smashed into me , not his , but my own . They hated him for what he did , but they didn¡¯t know what it was like for him when he was like that . He wasn¡¯t human , man , or Fae in those moments . He was demonic possession , dark energy that knew no limits , no boundaries . I felt guilty because I couldn¡¯t get them to see that . The look of revulsion and pure disgust on their faces as he tried to pick her up upset me , and embarrassment washed through the bond . He was ashamed of himself . Tobias shoves him away when he reaches for her , but it is Lycus who gets up and growls ferociously . None of them knew . I kept the act itself from them just like I kept their secrets and how I kept Darius¡¯s . This was our secret . They didn¡¯t need to know . If Tobias just left as I asked , this wouldn¡¯t be an issue right now . Lycus always left , or I was always able to make him , 1/ m.techkaushal - 500¡Á300 - 1 convince his mind into thinking I was simply tainting Darius¡¯s aura .. Tobias being Vampiric , I couldn¡¯t compel his mind ; I wasn¡¯t strong enough . The joys of being a dark ¨C Fae , and empathic Fae . I hated it but also loved it . There was nothing they could hide from me , not even their darkest secrets they refused to share . I knew it all . Every dirty sin , every desire , and every secret . Despite the darkest parts of them , I loved them . I loved Darius and knew he would never hurt me , his possessive demonic side would , but I knew that was a separate entity to him . So for that , I couldn¡¯t hate him . Tobias grabs her off Lycus , cradling her to his chest and Darius looks wounded as he stares at her . Lycus , however , rises to his feet before punching Darius . Darius doesn¡¯t even fight back . He wants them to hurt him for what he did to me . He hated himself . Dariusnded on the ground on his back before Lycus pounced on him . Burning rage bled through the bond , and Tobias simply opened a portal and stepped through , abandoning Darius . Turning his back on him . He didn¡¯t care if Lycus hurt him , however ; I did . Darius was our mate , and I wouldn¡¯t let them harm him even if he wanted them to . Therefore , I yanked my pants up before rushing around the desk and mming against Lycus . I tumbled on top of him . His beast raged within him , and his eyes glowed , canines protruding from his lips as he snarled . He shoved me to the side and growled . Lycus wanted to rip him to pieces and destroy him like he thinks Darius did to me . Darius sat up , and I threw myself in hisp as Lycus¡¯s fist went toward my face . I closed my eyes a second before his eyes widened at the realization he was going to hit me . His breathing rasped , and he whimpered , making my eyes open to see Darius ¡® hand encasing his fist just off my face . Lycus jerks his hand back instantly , breathing heavily and looks at me , his eyes returning to normal , no longer the glowing obsidian of his beast , he stares at me in shock that I would defend Darius against him . I suck in a shuddering breath when ¨C Lycus cups my face in his hands , and I can feel the warmth of Darius¡¯s blood dripping on me , his face bleeding profusely ¡­. ¡± Come , Kalen . I will get you out of here . Let¡¯s get you cleaned up , ¡± Lycus purrs . The sound usually soothes me , but not today . I wasn¡¯t leaving Darius right now . His emotions were implosive , and I worried he would harm himself . Our secret was out . He always hated himself for what he did , but today was worse because he had their added hate amplifying it through the bond . I shake my head . ¡± Go . I am fine , ¡± I tell him , but his eyes move over my shoulder to Darius behind me , his eyes flicker , but I grab Lycus ¡® face , turning his gaze back to me . ¡± Go , ¡± I whisper . ¡± How can you even be near him after what he did ?! ¡± Lycus demanded , his voiceing out in a growl . He wanted to kill him . Lycus didn¡¯t care that Darius was our mate . He only cared that he hurt Aleera and me . ¡± Because he didn¡¯t do it , ¡± I tell him , and Lycus snarls , not believing me but I didn¡¯t care . I knew Darius better than they did , understood him and the monster that lurked beneath his skin . They didn¡¯t need to understand it , they needed to ept that I forgive even this side of him , and they should , too . ¡± How can you say that ? He is bad as the priests at the orphanage , ¡± he spat at me . I shake head and press closer to Darius . my ¡± No. They are monsters . Darius is our mate , ¡± I answered . ¡± Mates don¡¯t rape each other ! ¡± Lycus sneered , gripping my wrist to jerk me to my feet , but I pulled my hand away . ¡± Kalen now ! ¡± Lycus growls . ¡± Leave . I will be up soon , with OUR mate , ¡± I tell him , and I feel Darius move as he shakes his head behind me . ¡± Lycus is right . You should go with him , ¡± Darius whispers behind me . ¡± I¡¯m not leaving you , ¡± I tell him , not taking my eyes from Lycus , who still looked like he was going to rip me away from him . He shes his canines at Darius before his eyes move back to mine . ¡± Fine . But keep him away from me , or I will fucking kill him ! ¡± Lycus snarls before opening a portal and stepping through it . I let out a breath when it closes , leaving me alone with Darius . ¡± He¡¯s gone now , ¡± I whisper to Darius as his arms encircle my waist , and he buries his face into the back of my neck . His body shakes as he squeezes me . His tears ran down my skin as he cried . Only I ever saw this side of him , saw how broken he truly was . ¡± I¡¯m sorry , ¡± he kept whispering on repeat , pulling me closer like he was afraid to lose me , and he was . He feared nothing more than everyone abandoning him . They always did . His mother left him after he identally killed his sister . She becameatose , and Darius cared for her , living with the guilt of the secret his mother kept saving him from his father . Even if it wasn¡¯t intentional , his father would have killed him for it . His father left him to raise himself . His father was too consumed with finding a cure . A cure for the gue he helped create that destroyed his family . Darius was a boy , and it was an innocent mistake , yet he med himself for her death , for his mothers . Just like he med himself for being the one that ended the world as it used to be . He med himself for the gue . Nothing I said convinced him otherwise , just like he med himself for Tobias¡¯s twin¡¯s death . Twisting in his grip , I straddle hisp , his sadness , guilt , and pain seeping into me hotter than any emotion I felt toward him . He kisses my chest and neck before resting his forehead against my corbone .Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. His breath was hot against my skin . ¡± You should hate me . And I wished you did , ¡± Darius murmurs . ¡± I couldn¡¯t hate you even if I wanted to . But I will let you make it up to me , ¡± I tell him , and he pulls away and looks at me desperately . He would do whatever I asked . I knew Darius needed to make up for his sins , as he saw them , and needed to un ¨C taint what he tainted . ¡± Anything you want , ¡± he says , and I cup his face in my hands . His stubble was rough against my palms , his ck eyes searching mine . I could ask the man anything and knew he would oblige . Darius would kill for me and had . No one had blood on their hands like Darius Wraith . But he always had his reasons . He wasn¡¯t a cold ¨C blooded killer like the world perceived him as . They saw a monster while I saw him He was cruel and cold by nature , but inside , he loved fiercely and was protective . He wore the perception everyone gave him like armor and refused to let others in , knowing that was how everyone could also destroy him . ¡± Anything ? ¡± I asked him , and he nodded , clutching me tighter and dragging me against him . His lips pressed to the center of my chest . He could never deny me , but I also never asked for anything either . But this time I would . Trending Novels Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Book 2 Chapter 15 ¡± Stop giving Aleera the devil¡¯s bante . Let her shred Darius . Let her bond us . I get why you don¡¯t want her to mark you , but you¡¯re punishing all of us by not letting her mark the rest of us . Punishing her , ¡± I tell him , and he shakes his head against my chest . ¡± I can¡¯t let her mark me . You think I don¡¯t wish I could ? ¡± he says . ¡± She will forgive you . They all will . ¡± I try to reason . ¡± You don¡¯t know that , ¡± he says . ¡± I do , because I forgive you Your perception of what you have done is wrong . You can¡¯t see past your guilt . And Tobias will see that . Aleera will see that , ¡± ¡± ¡± I killed his twin and killed her father . I destroyed the white Fae . ¡± he says as sadness courses through me from the bond . ¡± No. Your father did , and hers . Not you , ¡± I tell him . Darius shakes his head . He would never believe me . I sighed , pressing closer and gripping his face to turn it up to look at him . ¡± You¡¯re worthy of their love . They are the ones not worthy of you . They don¡¯t see what you have done for them , but I do , ¡± I tell him , meaning every word I spoke . His lip quivers , not believing me despite feeling me through the bond . ¡± Let her shred . Even if you don¡¯t let her mark you right away , but at least let her mark them . The rest we can figure outter , ¡± I tell him , and he sighs and reluctantly nods . Darius turns his head , kissing my palm . ¡± Okay . Will you leave me if they do ? ¡± he asks , looking back at me . ¡± No. Because I know they won¡¯t be leaving you . Aleera won¡¯t leave you , 1/ m.techkaushal - 500¡Á300 - 1 R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡± I try to assure him . ¡± But if they did ? ¡± ¡± I go where Aleera goes , and you know Lycus will go where I go . Just make sure you follow us , ¡± I smile sadly . ¡± Always , ¡± he breathes . I knew he would anyway , even if they left him . I knew Darius would follow in the shadows and watch over us . He would never abandon us . ¡± They hate me , ¡± he breathes . ¡± They just don¡¯t understand , I tell him . ¡± And when they do , they will still hate me , ¡± he says . ¡± No. Aleera will understand , and she may not say anything to Tobias . I haven¡¯t , because I know you didn¡¯t mean it . And if anything , she would probably be more freaked out that you used to visit her every night while she slept . Because that is a little creepy , ¡± Iugh . ¡± Not every night , ¡± he chuckles . I pull away and raise an eyebrow at him . ¡± Okay , every night , ¡± he admits . ¡± But I wasn¡¯t being a creep , ¡± he adds . ¡± No , you just needed to make sure she was safe , I know . ¡± ¡± I couldn¡¯t let them hurt her , ¡± Darius growls . ¡± And they won¡¯t , because she has you , ¡± I tell him while getting to my feet . I hold my hands out to him , and he takes them , letting me pull him to his feet . ¡± I have no magic , ¡± I tell him , and he fl¨ªcks his wrist , opening a portal . ¡± I can give it back , but I don¡¯t want to hurt you more , ¡± he says . I shake my head , knowing once Aleera awakes , the others will power her , and she will give me magic . Stepping through the portal , I see we are 11 in the room next to ours , and I sigh . Darius ? ¡± I growl . ¡± I don¡¯t want to face them yet , ¡± ¡± You will sleep in our room tonight . With our mates . You promised , ¡± I tell him . ¡± I promised to let her shred . I said nothing about sleeping in the room , ¡± ¡± But you will , ¡± I tell him . He growls and clenches his teeth . Darius nods once before opening the door to the bathroom between the two rooms . Aleera was still with Tobias , though he was struggling to clean her up while she was still out cold . Darius makes a strangled noise , and Tobias nces over his shoulder and bares his fangs at Darius in a warning . ¡± Where is Lycus ? ¡± I asked while stepping into the bathroom . The steam made their scents extra potent and fogged the mirror . I knew her scent was making Tobias uneasy , her scent morphing without magic and he hated the new scent , wanting her scent to return to normal . ¡± He went for a run to stop from killing him , ¡± Tobias answers , ring at Darius . Tobias hoists her up higher in his arms , trying to wash the shampoo from her hair . I strip my clothes off and step into the shower with him . Taking her limp body from him , and he tips her head back to wash the soap from her hair . Her bond was dormant , and I was not too fond of the feeling of it . Knowing Darius had hurt her bond . He was the only one that could awaken it . We needed her bond to awaken so she could take power back and draw on us . ¡± No ! ¡± Tobias snarled . ¡± He is in control , ¡± I tell Tobias , and I look to see Darius walk back into the room . ¡± Darius ! ¡± I snapped , and his posture tensed , but he turned around , his eyes going to Tobias¡¯s blood ¨C red eyes . He swallows , looking down at Aleera in my arms . Tobias growls at him , and I turn my head and re at Tobias . ¡± Get out . You may not want him near her , but he can¡¯t awaken her bond if you don¡¯t let him near her , 11 ¡± And what ? Have him destroy her more ? You know she felt what he did to you , ¡± Tobias snarled , and I swallowed . She felt it . I hoped I could block her , but she felt it . I nced at Darius , who hung his head in shame . ¡± Doesn¡¯t matter . He hurt her bond , and only he can awaken it . I will speak with her when she wakes , ¡± I tell Tobias . ¡± And tell her what ? Huh , Kalen ? Sorry you got figuratively raped while our mate raped me ? ¡± He sneered , and I cringed at the thought . ¡± No. I¡¯ll tell her the truth . ¡± @ ¡± That is the truth ! ¡± Tobias screamed . ¡± As you know it . That¡¯s your truth , not mine ! ¡± I tell him , and he nces between me and Darius , who remained quiet . Tobias stepped out of the shower and snatched a towel from the heated towel rack . He wraps it around himself before turning on Darius . ¡± You fucking hurt her , I will help her destroy you for it , ¡± he warned before turning on his heel and storming out . He ms the door , making the shower screen and mirror rattle . I hoist her higher . Her deadweight was bing heavy in my arms . ¡± Can you take her ? ¡± I ask Darius while peering over my shoulder . He bites his bottom lip but nods , stepping into the shower . My legs shook , and I needed to wash the blood off , not wanting her to see it . ¡± She felt it , ¡± Darius whimpered . ¡± She felt my pain , nothing more , ¡± I answer . ¡± How can you say that ? ¡± he asked , shaking his head . ¡± Because for her to feel vited , I would have had to feel vited . And I don¡¯t , ¡± I tell him . ¡± You should , ¡± he says , sitting on the ledge that came out of the wall . He turned her on hisp , and I watched as he reached for the soap . His hands were gentle , and I could feel him searching for her energy , anything to lure her bond out so she would wake . ¡± Aleera looked at me funny before she passed out , ¡± Darius murmurs . ¡± Yes . Because she felt it . She felt it wasn¡¯t you . It scared her because she doesn¡¯t understand how it is possible . ¡± I tell him . ¡± You have to tell her . Your father was a monster , but you aren¡¯t . He made your entity like that . She just needs to understand it . Aleera needs to understand what happens when a Harmony ¨C Fae is stripped of their light , ¡± He shakes his head . ¡± That may scare her more , ¡± he whispers . ¡± And she is right to fear it . She is thest harmony fae , but she shouldn¡¯t have been . You two would have been unstoppable if you were still one too , ¡± I tell him and he sighs , knowing I speak the truth Everyone believes he was a dark demonic fae , and he is now , but his mother wasn¡¯t always a dark Fae , and she never had an affair like the world believed . No , she was pure white Fae and his father pure dark Demonic ¨C fae , and Darius was like his sister . Only she was pure harmony , and Darius was the first of his kind . A harmony demonic ¨C fae . How else would he be an elemental ? How else could he be our keeper for all those years ? ¡± I won¡¯t let them do that to you . I will keep you safe , ¡± he whispers to her , and I knew he would . Darius would die for her , he would die for all of us . Trending Novels Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Tempting Darkness By jessicahall Book 2 Chapter 16 Aleera POV I felt like I was stuck in a void, yet I could hear some buzzing noise trying to reach me, voices I was familiar with as the darkness sucked me under. Fragments of memory wereing back to me. The dead look on Darius¡¯s face was like he was looking through me. The power that emanated from him was demonic and as dead as the look in his zed over eyes. 1/ m.techkaushal - 500¡Á300 - 1 Eyes I was sure would haunt me for the rest of my life. Yet as I peered into those endless depths. I had seen and felt things, things I couldn¡¯t exin, things I wished I could unsee. People inb coats, the smell of metal, something that shouldn¡¯t have a scent but did. It was potent, and the metallic taste of it on my tongue I could 11 metallic taste of it on my tongue I could still taste even while in this state. It was like a ghost of a memory that wasn¡¯t mine, all seen in the pools of darkness that swirled within the darkness of untapped power when he touched me, sucking my magic out of me. I felt the coldness of it licking at my bones and sinking deep into my soul. The screams of a child and the smell of burned hair and metal I could still smell. The blurring vision of people inb coats, yet I felt blind and delirious. Was this some suppressed memory of mine, or was it Darius¡¯s? Was it a figment of my imagination or a reality he was once trapped in? Yet as the screams and the smells overwhelmed me and tried to trap me inside myself, I felt a tugging sensation. One that was luring me out of the darkness, calling me out of myself, calling me out of the void that was once my power. I felt cold despite the warm hands touching me and the sparks rushing over my skin. ¡°And she is right to fear it. She is thest harmony fae, but she shouldn¡¯t have been. You two would have been unstoppable if you were still one too,¡± I hear Kalen¡¯s voice, his words growing clearer, and I hear someone sigh. His words confused me, and I wondered which of our mates he was speaking to. The bond felt numb, felt like it was stunned, and my eyes were too heavy to force open. I wanted to know who Kalen was speaking to and what his words meant, yet my tongue felt thick in my mouth. ¡°I won¡¯t let them do that to you. I will keep you safe,¡± Darius whispers, and I 000 finally figure out who held me. The sparks made my skin tingle and burn, yet his voice didn¡¯t sound like the same demonic crazed voice from earlier. No, he sounded like his regr self, but what he did to Kalen, what I felt through my bond, made my eyes burn with tears. Kalen however, was epting. I remember that much, almost willing and resigned to his fate, I couldn¡¯t exin it. How could he be willing but not at the same time? Gentle fingers stroked my face, brushing my hair back, and I realized we were in the shower, the sound of rushing water reaching my ears and the feel of it hitting my skin. ¡°I can feel her. She is waking. You should take her before she wakes,¡± Darius murmurs. ¡°No, you hold her,¡± ¡°She won¡¯t want me holding her, Kalen. Not after what I did,¡± Darius says, and I tried to blink, try to move, yet I felt paralyzed, but finally, my body willed my eyes to open. I stared at the ceiling, and I could see the side of Darius¡¯ face, yet I couldn¡¯t turn my head to look for Kalen. Darius gasps looking down and seeing my eyes open and peering back at him, looking away from me when I catch myself staring at him. ¡°She is fine. Her bond is fully awake,¡± Kalen says. ¡°Kalen, please,¡± Darius says, his voice pleading, yet I couldn¡¯t understand why. ¡°No. You will hold her,¡± Kalen says, his voice sounding firm, which was odd. He was never so demanding, especially with Darius. What was more shocking was watching Darius give in to his demands as Kalen stepped out of the shower where I could no longer see him. Darius turns slightly, watching him get out before turning his face back to look at me. ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you,¡± he whispers. He sounded so defeated and unsure of himself, and it was odd seeing him like that. I wondered how long it wouldst before he was back to pushing me away because if past behavior was any indicator, he would do just that. However, for now, he was being pleasant. I couldn¡¯t think of any other word to describe his out -of-character behavior. Yet I knew he wasn¡¯t the monster I encountered in the ssroom. No, this was a different side, one I had a feeling only Kalen ever saw. He swallows before moving his hand back to my face. His thumb brushed over my lips. His touch burned and seared my bond like it wanted to recoil away from him for what he did to recoil away from him for what he did to Kalen and yet run to him at the same time. ¡°You don¡¯t want me touching you. I get it But I need to if I am to give it back,¡± he murmurs though, by the look on his face, he appeared to be conflicted. I too, was conflicted because it sounded like he was asking permission, something he never does, yet I was powerless and immobile to stop anything he would do. ¡­ A broken toy for him to break or fix. So I was shocked when his lips pressed against mine, his thumb on my chin tugged my lips apart so his tongue could slip inside and brush mine. The energy of the power radiating off him zinged through me, and his arms holding me to him pulled me closer as he kissed me deeper, yet I felt nothing, only the barest scraps of his magic when he pulled away. P ¡°Take it, Aleera. Pull on my magic,¡± he growled, yet I saw the monster he bes without it, so I refused. My bond even refused, not wanting to see that side of him again. It scared me, scared the bond, tarnished it with knowledge of what he could be. Darius sighs and presses his lips to my head. ¡°I will give you back to your mates then,¡± he whispers, looking away before he stands. Darius cradles me against his chest and moves toward the bedroom door. It opens seconds before he reaches it, and Tobias steps in with a towel. He growled at Darius, and I felt mortified, caught between them both as they stood off. Tobias dried my skin as best he could. Darius then ced me on the bed before walking back through the bathroom, only to return momentster. I recognized the ck purse instantly, and anger festered inside me as he opened it and pulled out a syringe. Lycus snarls at him as he draws the liquid from the small vial. ¡°No! You have done enough damage.¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Lycus snarls, gripping his wrist only for Kalen to crawl onto the bed from the other side. ¡°He is reversing it,¡± Kalen says simply, before falling on his side beside me. He pulls me over and onto my side, and I wonder how long I will be paralyzed. I hated it, and gosh, I hope I get feeling back before I need to use the bathroom. Trending Novels Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Tempting Darkness By jessicahall Book 2 Chapter 17 Lycus hesitates, then snatched the vial from Darius. He sniffs it before passing it to Tobias, who does the same. He purses his lips but nods to Darius, who then stabs the needle in my thigh. I felt nothing. It made me wonder why this time I was paralyzed or if it was a side effect of him hurting my bond because he had stolen my magic plenty of times before and it never affected me like this. 1/ m.techkaushal - 500¡Á300 - 1 N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Did you give her back her magic?¡± Tobias asked, leaning over me. All I could do was stare at him. I wished I could speak their anger toward Darius though warranted was upsetting Kalen, and I could feel the darkness swirling in him. The depressiveness of it tainting him, and it scared me. I knew how low he could get, and their anger was not helping him. 3 5 ¡°She wouldn¡¯t take it back,¡± Darius murmured, and the guilt on his face was clear as he looked at Kalen, who smiled sadly, sweeping my hair back over my shoulder beforeying his head beside mine on the pillow. Yet as the day turned to night, Darius moved toward the couch and slept on it. Yet as the bond awoke more I felt Darius¡¯s guilt, felt Kalen¡¯s anguish, and Tobias and Lycus¡¯s anger. All of them. And it made me realize how broken they all were, just like my bond was. I hated the feelings they invoked, hated how they all felt. I suddenly hated being their keeper because the yearning I had inside to fix it was almost unbearable, and part of me knew some things weren¡¯t forgivable. However despite that, I knew forgiveness was what Darius needed, what Kalen wanted and what the other two refused to give. My bond hated that Darius hurt it, yet couldn¡¯t hang onto the anger because it needed Darius just as much as the others. And Tobias and Lycus¡¯ hate towards Darius only seemed to bother Kalen. All of them, as they kept stirring all night. But as time slipped by the more my movement returned, until eventually I rolled myself over as I felt Kalen climb out of bed. Sitting up, I heard him muttering to himself, pacing the room, when I realized Darius was no longer asleep on the couch. Kalen was pacing the room and muttering in his sleep, almost as if he was searching for something. Recognition hits me momentster, and this was the darkest part of Kalen returning and the darkness that trapped him. Climbing out of bed, I move toward him and wave my 5 50 19000 hands in front of his face, but it was as if he couldn¡¯t see me despite looking directly at me. It took my bond only moments to recognize he was seeking out Darius as he usually did and I nced at the door, wondering if I should search for him. It was stillte at night, so I assumed he went to sleep in the other room. Moving toward the door Ryze, who I hadn¡¯t noticed was perched on the windowsill, flew over to me, he pecked at the door by my feet and I opened the bathroom door and walked through to my old room. The moment I pushed the door open, Ryze waddled over to Darius¡¯s bed and jumped on it. He rubbed his beak on his cheek and earning a swat from Darius, who was snoring softly. Ryze bit his finger, making Darius lurch upright just as I reached the side of the small bed. ¡°Fuck off, birdbrain!¡± Darius growls, reaching for themp. He turns it on and rubs his eyes, and Ryze squawked at him climbing up his chest and Darius groans. He huffs before realizing I was standing on his other side. Darius jumps and Ryze rubs his beak over his stubble, his snake- like split tongue licking him. It was odd seeing Ryze get along with Darius. Or maybe stranger yet, was that Ryze seemed to like him. ¡°Aleera?¡± Darius whispered, he looked toward the door I came in before looking at me. ¡°Kalen is sleepwalking,¡± I tell him, chewing the inside of my cheek. Darius sighs but tosses the nkets back. Ryze jumps off him and jumps along the floor toward the other room ahead of us. I watch as Darius reaches for a shirt that hangs over the back of the armchair in boo here, he tugs it on before staring at me. ¡°Are the others awake?¡± he asked, and I shook my head. ¡°No, I could tell he is looking for you,¡± I tell Darius, and he nods, walking ahead of me. He moved into the room and I noticed Ryze perched on the windowsill again. I pet his feathers and he coos softly as I watch Darius. His hands glow as he runs them up Kalen¡¯s arms, letting Kalen feel his magic. His muttering instantly stops. Darius gets him to climb back in bed next to Lycus, who instantly rolls, tugging Kalen closer and Darius turns to head back to his room. ¡°You need to stay, Darius. Kalen isn¡¯t alright. He will only wake again when you leave,¡± I tell him. It was odd speaking to him. My bond craved him, yet my voice was oddly calm. Darius pauses and watches Kalen for a second. ¡°You know I didn¡¯t mean to hurt him or you?¡± Darius asks and I nodded, looking at Kalen before looking back at him. ¡°You leaving will hurt him,¡± I tell him, motioning toward the bed. ¡°But does me staying hurt you?¡± ¡°You already did that Darius. You can¡¯t hurt me more than you already have.¡± I tell him. And I don¡¯t think anything would feel as pained as my bond did unless one of them died. ¡°Aleera, I¡­ ¡± I shake my head. ¡°I know it wasn¡¯t you. I could see that. But whatever you¡¯re hiding won¡¯t remain hidden, Darius. We all have secrets, and me not marking you won¡¯t stop me from figuring them out. But for now, get in the 5 figuring them out. But for now, get in the bed. Your mate needs you,¡± I tell him. ¡°Some secrets are best kept a secret,¡± Darius says. ¡°Like you being a dark harmony fae?¡± I asked. ¡°You heard us?¡± I nodded. ¡°I wish it was only that,¡± he murmurs. ¡°What did my father do to you?¡± I asked, remembering the cast. ¡°Your father did nothing. I did it,¡± he answers while watching me. I could tell he hoped I would drop it but I pushed wanting to know, needing to know something to set my mind at ease. ¡°You did what?¡± I asked. ¡°You don¡¯t want to know,¡± ¡°I do want to know. You think you can scare me away? But you can¡¯t. You think you can break me? You can¡¯t . Is it because you think I won¡¯t forgive you for what you have done? Because you¡¯re wrong. If Kalen sees the good in you and they do, what makes you think I won¡¯t forgive whatever it is you did? The bond won¡¯t allow me to hate you, so what are you so afraid of?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t hate me for what I did to Kalen?¡± he asks. I swallowed and I looked away. ¡°I hate what you did. But I know it wasn¡¯t you. And Kalen doesn¡¯t hate you for it either. So no, I don¡¯t hate you,¡± ¡°That will change,¡± Darius says, pressing his lips in a line. ¡°Why? Because you helped create the gue?¡± I asked. It was the only thing that made sense. The people inb coats, the blood tests, the torture he endured. He shakes his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t just help make the gue. I killed the white fae, Aleera. I was the one who unleashed it.¡± Darius tells me. My brows furrow because he was only a child. There was no way he could have unleashed the gue. ¡°Is that what you wanted to hear? Can you forgive that? Knowing I killed the Fae?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t kill the Fae,¡± I tell him. ¡°You say that now. Your father was a monster for what he did to me. But even still, it doesn¡¯tpare to what I have done.¡± ¡°And you let your recruits think my 0x0 PROKLY father started the gue?¡± Darius looks away guiltily. ¡°Do they know you helped?¡± I asked, and he shook his head. ¡°And if I told them?¡± ¡°They would try to kill me for it. Probably try to kill our mates,¡± he answers, watching me. Yet I knew Darius wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to hurt them. But it made me wonder if I did tell, if he would kill me for risking them, not that I would because I didn¡¯t believe he had unleashed the gue seeing as he was a boy when the first wave hit. .¡±Then it¡¯s a good thing I know how to keep a secret,¡± I tell him, motioning toward the bed. He looks at it and confusion crosses his features. ¡°You would still have me, knowing that?¡± 20000 I chuckle at his words. ¡°You four are all I have. Nothing you¡¯re hiding will change that. I will keep your secret, Darius,¡± he seemed confused as to why I would after everything. ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked cautiously. ¡°I want you to get in the bed,¡± I tell him. He scratches the back of his neck awkwardly. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± he asks. ¡°That¡¯s it Darius,¡± I tell him and he chews his lip nervously while looking at Kalen before he nods, walking past me and climbing in behind Kalen and I sigh. I would find out what he was hiding, but as much as I wanted to hate him, I couldn¡¯t. Not after what I saw in theb. Not after seeing the darkness that resided in him. The torment so simr to the darkness MG00 that swirled in Kalen. I climbed in beside him, tugging the nkets up. I drape my arm across his waist and Kalen¡¯s melting into his back and he sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t hate you, Darius. I just don¡¯t understand you,¡± I tell him. He says nothing, yet my bond rxes, feeling all our mates close and feeling Kalen¡¯s bond rx. The darkness inside him easing off. Comments Vote Trending Novels Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Darius POV The warmth against my back was driving my bond insane . Tingles red up my spine , yet it was the best night¡¯s sleep I had in ages , though Kalen¡¯s squirming woke me early , so I climbed out of bed , moving toward the couch . Kalen moved instantly and rolled toward Aleera , seeking her out . Seeking power out , but he would find none with her because she refused to take her magic back . I watched as their bonds sought each other out in their sleep , watched them drawn together like mas . Tobias groans , and I could see his boxer shorts had pitched a tent , and I tried not tough . Yet even Aleera felt the space beside her . 1/ m.techkaushal - 500¡Á300 - 1 Her outstretched hand touched the empty space where I was as Kalen rolled away , not picking up on her energy because she had none . I bite my lip as Lycus grabs Tobias ¡® cock in his sleep , making me wonder if Aleera would soon shred . They weren¡¯t usually stirring like this . Ryze , who was perched on the windowsill , tilted his head , watching them as they sought each other out before he craned his neck , turning his head in my direction . His long tongue slivered and waggled in the air at me , and I raised an eyebrow at the bird with whom I had a love ¨C hate rtionship . I roll my eyes , almost sensing what it is he wanted . Moving toward the bed , I hover over Aleera before gripping her chin . However , the moment I dipped my face lower , I could smell her intoxicating scent , awakening my own bond to another level . She would shred soon so that just made my mind up further as I pressed my lips to hers . She jolts , her eyes flying open , and she gasps . I use that as my opportunity to slip my tongue past her plump lips , kissing her harder , forcibly . She would be forced to take my magic or not breathe . Either way , she was taking it . Yet I could feel her resisting it . Fear coursed through the bond . She was scared of what I was without it . They all were , so it was no surprise , yet it would be more painful if she shredded without magic . Letting her chin go , my hand trails down her arm moving beneath the nket and down to her hip . Her bondtched onto mine hungrily as it took over . So , I moved my hand to her thigh before trailing my fingertips along the inside of her thigh . Her legs parted on instinct , her bond taking control , and I used mine to draw hers out more as I cupped her pussy through her pajama shorts . She moans , her legs closing around my hand , and she kisses me back hungrily , making me chuckle as she siphoned me without realizing it . Myughter seemed to pull her back to her senses because she jerked away from me , and I smiled down at her . Her face flushing as her bond called to mine , but I didn¡¯t withdraw mine and force it back . Instead , let her feel it . Though after pressing my lips back to hers , I moved away . And in the nick of time before , Kalen pounced on her , his hands pawing at her . As he stole her breath when he kissed her . I moved back to the couch , watching him trying to dominate her , but he wasn¡¯t really sure what he was doing with her . Us he had worked out , but Aleera , she was female andpletely different . Yet Aleera was just as inexperienced . So she didn¡¯t seem to notice the tremble in his hands as he tugged at her clothes . Though he yelps when Tobias sits up . Tobias smirks at me . Lycus was still asleep , squeezing his cock , when Tobias looked at Kalen . He had undressed the bottom half of Aleera but struggled with her crop top , making her giggle as her arms and hair got tangled in it . Tobias raises an eyebrow at me and smirks . Leaning over , he sinks his teeth into Kalen¡¯s bare ass , making him jump and hiss . ¡± Stop hogging her . ¡± Tobias growis , seemingly in a good mood . Or maybe they were picking up on her energy . Kalen growls at him , shooting him a re while Tobias licks his bloodstained lips . Lycus waking up between the pair of them , sits up , taking in the surrounding scene , and his eyes flicker to his wolf . A silly grin graces his face as he flicks his hair from his face and shoves Kalen off the bed . Kalen topples over the top of Aleera ,nding on the floor with a thud , while Lycus snatched up his spot , forcing himself between Aleera¡¯s legs . ¡± That wasn¡¯t nice , ¡± Aleera scolds him , looking over the side of the bed where Kalen shakes himself . ¡± I never imed to be nice , ¡± Lycus purrs nipping at her lips while Kalen pouted before his eyes went to Ryze . It was odd seeing Kalen use his magic . We mostly forbid him of it , knowing the dark ces it would take him . Yet the ze in his eyes , I knew what he was doing as he looked at the phoenix . I found it amusing the way they fought for her attention , simr to how they used to fight for mine . I just hoped they didn¡¯t scare her . They could be vicious with one another , though usually Kalen always won . Ryze opens his wings and ps them twice before swooping off the window ledge and sinking his talons into Lycus ¡® back , who squeals like a girl , and Ryze starts bashing his head with his beak while squawking . Tobias howled withughter while Lycus screamed like a banshee iling , trying to get Ryze¡¯s talon out of his back . Laughter spills from my lips when Aleera scolds the bird . ¡± Ryze ! Get off him ! ¡± she screeches as Lycus crushes her with his weight . Ryze releases his talons from his back , peering over Lycus¡¯s shoulder at her , before looking at Kalen to tell her he had permission to attack . His tongue flicks out , caressing her cheek , and I whistle to him , making him sit upright . Lycus hisses as Ryze walks across his back before jumping off and flying over to me . I pet his chest feathers and wink at Kalen , who had a mischievous grin on his face . ¡± Now , where were we ? ¡± Lycus purrs , nipping at her neck when she shoves him off , making himnd on the floor on his butt beside Kalen . ¡± Getting ready for sses , ¡± Aleera says , swinging her legs over the side of the bed . Kalen and Lycus start wrestling on the floor , and Aleera shakes her head at them , stepping over the top of them to move toward the bathroom . Lycus grabs her thigh as she steps over the top of them , and she looks down at him . His eyes were on her naked pussy . Lycus licks his lips when Kalen bites Lycus chest , who was pinned beneath Lycus , making Lycus let her go . She walks off , shutting the door as Kalen and Lycus fight trying to follow her . Tobias clicks his tongue . ¡± Instead of fighting each other , why don¡¯t one of you get here and get on your knees for me ? ¡± Tobias snaps at them . Lycus sits up and looks over to where Tobias was standing beside the bed , his pants tented still . C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Trending Novels Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Tempting Darkness book 2 chapter 19 by jessicahall Lycus huffs and shakes his head before pecking Kalen¡¯s lips . ¡± He¡¯s all yours , ¡± Lycusughs , pushing off Kalen , who tries to trip him as he saunters off toward the bathroom , where I could hear the shower running . ¡± Well , someone best be sucking this cock . It won¡¯t suck itself , ¡± Tobias whines , squeezing his dick through his shorts . I chuckle and look expectantly at Kalen , whose lips tug up , and my smile falls when he gets to his feet , rushing toward the bathroom , and I hear the lock click in ce . That little ¡­ I growl when Tobias¡¯s hands fall on my shoulders , and I groan , looking up to find Tob leaning over me . Hope you have your chapstick , ¡± Tobias growls , and I groan before gripping his arm and ripping him over the arm of the chair and onto myp . How I missed him . We had been at each other¡¯s necks , so to see him want me near without wanting to kill me and me wanting to kill him was thrilling , but I wasn¡¯t sucking cock this early in the damn morning . Tobias growled when I lifted my hips while gripping his . ¡± I am not sucking cock , but you can feed on me . ¡± I tell him , letting him sit up . ¡± Someone is sucking this fucking dick . I am not going to ss like this ! ¡± he hisses , straddling myp . I tilt my head to the side , and the temptation is too much , distracting him from his arousal momentarily as he sinks his fangs into my neck . His tongue hungrilypped at my neck , and his grip on my arms tightened . He feeds on me for a few minutes before pulling away , sated , and recharged . He runs his tongue over the bite mark when I hear Lycus¡¯s phone bing making me twist my head to look at the nightstand . Tobias clicks his tongue at Ryze , who flies over , scoops the phone off the nightstand , and brings it back , dropping it in his hand . ¡± What¡¯s wrong ? ¡± I asked Tobias as he flicked through Lycus¡¯s phone . ¡± Nothing , ¡± he says , but the way his brows scrunched and the strange anger through the bond , which wasn¡¯t directed at me once , was an indicator that he was lying . ¡± Tobias ! ¡± I asked , and he sighed , turning the phone around to show me . ¡± Like I thought . I will fucking deal with it , ¡® Tobias growls , climbing off myp . I look at the screen and press my lips in a line . ¡± What¡¯s he want this time ? ¡± I snapped . ¡± Probably the same thing as always , fucking money . And if I find out Lycus was in the pits again for that bastard when he took off the other night , I will fucking kill him , ¡± Tobias snarls . Just as the bathroom door opens , Lycus steps out with a towel around his waist . His eyes go to the phone in my hand , and he storms over , snatching it from my grip . stuff ! ¡± What the fuck ! Don¡¯t go through my ¡± he snarls , but I move before he can pull away and grips his wrist . ¡± Were you in the pits ? ¡± I snapped at him . He knows we hate him fighting , he hates it too , and if I find out he is running around for that bastard again , he was in for a world of hurt . Lycus snarls and jerks his hand away , only to stumble backward and bump into Tobias . ¡± Answer him ! ¡± Tobias snaps . smelt off when you returned home the other night after your run . I could tell you showered , ¡± ¡± I knew you ¡± I didn¡¯t want to fucking ask ! It¡¯s fine . I have it handled . ¡± ¡± Until he asks for more money . Cut him off . I don¡¯t understand why you still fucking run to him whenever hees looking for you , ¡± I growl , furious . ¡± I have it handled , ¡± Lycus retorts , ring at me as he storms off toward the closet . ¡± How much is it this time , Lycus ? ¡± Tobias asks , but Lycus doesn¡¯t answer when I notice Aleera standing by the bathroom door . ¡± What is going on ? ¡± she asks , looking at Lycus , who ms the closet door . ¡± Nothing . Just fucking Porter , ¡± Tobias says . ¡± Who¡¯s Porter ? ¡± Lycus¡¯s father , ¡± I tell her , and she looks at me . ¡± Wait , I thought his father put him in the orphanage ? ¡± she asks , and I nod my head . ¡± Yeah , had nothing to do with him until he learned of who Lycus was mated to , Tobias growls , walking off toward the closet . I motion to Aleera toe to me , and surprisingly , she does . ¡± Why would he talk to his father after that ? ¡± she whispered , still staring at the closet door where Tobias disappeared after Lycus . I tug her on myp just as Kalen steps out , his hair wet and a towel low on his waist . ¡± What happened ? ¡± Kalen asks , and I grip Aleera¡¯s chin when she goes to answer him . She seems to figure out my silent message as she looks at me because she doesn¡¯t tell him . ¡± Nothing , Tobias is harassing Lycus . So unless you want to suck his cock I would stay out here , ¡± Aleeraughs , and Kalen¡¯s lips turn up in the corners . I kiss her jaw , tugging on the front of her towel and opening it . She growls at me , snatching it closed . Are you right there ? ¡± she snaps at me , and my hand on her hip moves as I squeeze her ass , I tap her butt . ¡± Get dressed . We have ss , ¡± I tell her , and I look at Kalen over my shoulder . ¡± You will join us this morning . Tobias and Lycus will be busy , ¡± I tell him , and he nods , moving toward the drawer to grab some shorts . R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Trending Novels Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Read Tasting Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 20 ¨C Tobias Pov I was furious that Lycus would do this. Why he would sneak off to see the man responsible for abandoning him and almost killing him and Kalen multiple times was beyond me. ¡°Hurry up, Lycus! I swear if he followed you back here..¡± I don¡¯t finish when Lycuses out the doors. ¡°He couldn¡¯t have followed me, I portaled,¡± Lycus says, and I shake my head. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t follow you, ¡°I tell him. Lycus res at me while sitting on the edge of the bed and pulling on his socks and boots. Ryze watches us from where he is perched on the windowsill. I whistle at him, and Ryze lifts his head to look at me before he flies over. He might as welle since Aleera wasn¡¯t here, and we were going to check the wards weren¡¯t breached because Lycus decided to meet up with his piece of shit father. I grab my jacket, pulling it on. ¡°How much?¡± I ask him, opening up the portal. Lycus doesn¡¯t answer, and I knew if he went to the pits, it was to fight, which brought in hefty numbers. ¡°Does it matter? I didn¡¯t want to ask you for money,¡± he says as I pass through it. ¡°Because it would have been a no. He can¡¯t touch Kalen or us, so why do you continue to give into him?¡± I demand, stepping through the portal. Lycus follows, and I look around the forest. It appeared untouched, but we need to be sure he wasn¡¯t followed, and that none of the wards were broken. And Darius had nearly 30 wards ced that we now had to spend our day trekking through thick terrain to find and make sure they hadn¡¯t been tripped or broken. The ones on the castle, Darius felt, these one¡¯s around the perimeter, though we¡¯re more of camouge and deterrent. They had a wicked kick, which was usually enough to stop anyone who may try to cross. ¡°So answer me, how much did you make him?¡± I ask Lycus as I swat a fly that was buzzing around my head. I smack it, sending it flying into the ward, for it buzzes loudly and dies as it is electrocuted when Ryze jumps off my shoulder and snatches up a lizard. Lycus pulls a face as Ryze chomps the poor critter, then slurps its tail in like it is eating a noodle. I chuckle, watching the marvelous bird before he puffs out his feathers. ¡°30,¡± Lycus breathes, scratching the back of his neck nervously. ¡°Better be thousand and not you risking your damn life for $30!¡± I growl, and he stops and res at me. ¡°As if I would agree to be punched in the damn head for $30!¡± Lycus snaps at me. Ryze hisses at him before looking at me, and I roll my eyes when he ps his wings and jumps onto my shoulder. ¡°Better not have. Your pretty little head is worth so much more than that.¡± I chuckle while he res at me. I scratch Ryze¡¯s chest feathers. ¡°Why would matter if I did? It¡¯s my goo ¥± xx Tasting Darkness book 2 Chapter 20 head,¡± Lycus growls. ¡°You better not have, or I will beat your ass for free for your stupidity,¡± I snap at him. ¡°It was 30 thousand! Geez, what do you take me for?¡± Lycus says as we start walking. Ryze nips at my fingers when I stop petting him. And I flick his beak. ¡± You know you¡¯re heavy, right? So be nice, ¡®I snap at Aleera¡¯s pet. Turning my attention back to Lycus, he checks another ward, hissing when he pokes the stake. 11 ¡°Did you win?¡± I ask because I would beat ass for losing if he didn¡¯t. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°What do you think?¡± he asks, bending down and checking the next stake in the ground. He touches it before pulling his hand back when it jolts him and sucking on his thumb and growling 7 Dod Tasting Darkness book 2 Chapter 20 on his thumb and growling. ¡°Fucker! You¡¯re touching the next one,¡± Lycus hisses. ¡°Nope, you¡¯re the reason we are checking them in the first ce. Therefore, you get to poke them,¡± I tell him. We made our way around the site,ing up where we were lined up with the training grounds. We could smell the smoke and the charged air where everyone was training. I could even hear them hollering as they taunted each other. ¡°Did he say anything afterward?¡± I ask Lycus, wanting to know if he agreed to meet up with the bastard again because if he did, I would be following to kill the prick. ¡°He said that he would be in touch,¡± Lycus says, and I frown before shaking ¥ï Tasting Darkness book 2 Chapter 20 my head and cursing. I knew why he did it before, but now he had Darius and me. We won¡¯t let his father hurt them, so why? He did not need to do his father¡¯s bidding? Did he believe we couldn¡¯t keep Kalen safe from his father? I watch as Lycus bends down, checking the stake, when Ryze screeches, pping his wings where he was perched on my shoulder. Ryze had insisted on hitching a ride because the bird was toozy to fly. Instead, he wanted me to cart his heavy ass around. Lycus curses before standing and looking to where the next marker is and runs over to it . ¡°What is it?¡± I ask him and my eyes widen when I see him pick up the stake that shouldn¡¯t be able to be pulled from the earth. He ran through the shrubs, moving ferns and grabbing another, and the fear that raced through the bond was strong. ¡°Tobias, I¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡± his words cut off when Ryze screeches loudly, jumping from my shoulder and flying up and through the trees, just as screams ring out and shouting. ¡°We have been breached!¡± I gasped in horror as my infinity mark burned when a portal opened up directly behind Lycus. ¡°Lycus, behind you!¡± I screamed out to him, tossing my hands forward just as he ducked. Lycus turns and pivots before he drives the stake in his hands straight through the hooded figure¡¯s chest. The person crumpled to the ground, and I dropped my hands and raced to his side as Lycus bent down, ripping the hood back.¡±Power hunters!¡± Lycus gasped. ¡°Aleera!¡± I gasped, looking in the castle¡¯s direction before opening a portal. Spread the love Chapter 100 Chapter 100 Read Tasting Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 21 ¨C Aleera POV As I got dressed, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what caused the anger sizzling through the bond. I knew it had something to do with Lycus¡¯s father, yet it seemed like so much more than that. Yet I couldn¡¯t ask because it was obvious whatever it was, they didn¡¯t want Kalen to know. So instead, I followed Darius down to the training grounds. Kalen was particrly antsy today, jittery and excitable, and I was sure it was the buzz of Darius¡¯ magic that caused it. Darius watched him as we walked, and I could sense Darius¡¯s worry and moved to slip my hand in Kalen¡¯s as I caught up to him. The recruits were all waiting by the training grounds, nervously looking Tasting Darkness Book 2 Chapter 21 around, when I noticed the hundreds of Phoenixes on the roof. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only I gulped, knowing my magic had brought them here, yet Darius didn¡¯t seem to mind as they watched with their eagle-like eyes. The men took their ces, yet no one moved to train with me, and Kalen wasn¡¯t allowed, so I faced Darius instead. He quirked an eyebrow at me. ¡°Challenge epted then. Don¡¯t think I will go easy on you because you¡¯re a girl,¡± he chuckles. I smile at the challenge. ¡°And don¡¯t think I will go easy on you because you¡¯re my mate!¡± I tell him, and the gasps from the crowd of men were loud. They knew, but it was the first time I had outwardly imed them back. Yet Darius doesn¡¯t seem mad at my words. ¡°We¡¯ll see then,¡± he chuckles, moving into the circle. 7 Tasting Darkness Book 2 Chapter 21 For the most part, we worked on fire magic, seeing as that is what most of those here contained. Yet as Darius and I trained, I was beginning to understand why he was so feared among them. He had not only the stamina to keep up with my attacks but those the men would sometimes hurl his away. He didn¡¯t even break a sweat while I was bing drained of power and exhausted from it. My vision blurs as I dodge another of his fireballs . Our training had turned into a game of violent dodgeball. Everyone joined in. Yet I was exhausted when Darius called out for everyone to pack up. Yet as they moved around, they were still fooling around, and a fireball raced past me, and he growled, catching it and hurling it back, making the man who tossed it scream when it caught his clothes alight. 960 ¥± xx Tasting Darkness Book 2 Chapter 21 ¡°Aleera!¡± Darius calls, and I look back just in time to see oneing straight toward me. Ducking a blue ball of mes from one recruit, I shriek when another is hurled, and I close my eyes, waiting for the impact as I toss my arms out, feeling my magic fizzle out as I try to block it. I gasped, knowing I was about to be burned, when I felt the heat st around me, only to open my eyes to see the fireball split in half and go around me; the whistling of the wind was loud and I realized Darius used air magic to deflect it. His growl is thunderous. ¡°Ah,e on, Darius!¡± one of the recruits screams out, none of them wanting to quit their stupid game. ¡°No! We are done for the day. Pack up!¡± 4690 Tasting Darkness Book 2 Chapter 21 Darius orders, yet the energy around the field we stood on was fully charged, and Darius curses, making my brows furrow. ¡°Half an hour more, and that¡¯s it. Aleera, off the field, you¡¯re exhausted,¡± Darius says, and I wasn¡¯t going to question him, I was exhausted, and power drained, yet as I blinked, walking toward Kalen, my vision blurred, and my stomach cramped from the stitch in my side. Suddenly, the field goes quiet, and I rub my eyes, trying to clear the sweat from them. Opening them, I see Kalen get to his feet, and the look of pure horror on his face makes me turn to see portals opening up everywhere on the field. Stunned, I stopped when one man suddenly screamed out, ¡°Power hunters! ¡± he bellowed while another screamed that we were under attack. 60 7 Tasung Darkness Book 2 Chapter 21 Hundreds of portals opened up, and I stopped in my tracks when I saw Darius turn to look at Kalen and I before wind rushed toward me, and I was tossed backward as he lifted his hands. I smack into something hard and hear the person grunt, only to realize I hit Kalen before seeing the portal Darius created open, only for us to smash into the ground when his magic dropped abruptly, and the portal closed. I shake myself, rolling off Kalen to see Darius fighting alongside his men as they try to stop them from getting to us. I get to my feet to go to help them when Kalen rips me back. ¡°You have no magic,¡± he says, ripping on my arm and trying to pull us away from the fray. ¡°Kalen, get her out of here!¡± Darius screamed before being sted with green E 6009 7 xx magic and tossed into the castle¡¯s stonework. My eyes took in the scene as I watched their recruits slowly getting taken down when I felt my infinity mark burn violently, as Kalen called for our mates. Yet Darius staggered as he got back up when Kalen screamed when he was hit again, trying to protect one of his men. ¡°No!¡± I screamed as the figures in hooded cloak¡¯s stalked after him, yet my mind was reeling as to how they got past the wards. However, my scream made them stop and turn toward me, and Kalen and I gasped when Kalen tossed up a shield as they threw their magic at us. He grunts, deflecting it, and I look to the rooftops before sticking my fingers in my mouth. I needed magic, and those birds were full of it. Q What I wasn¡¯t expecting was the moment I whistled was the beat of their wings as if they were waiting for themand. They all took flight, circling the sky above, and I ran toward Darius as they all started diving, helping out the men and going for those in the hooded cloaks. 1 Yet even that was not enough when I felt the air expel from my lungs and my entire body became paralyzed, and every muscle in my body tensed and locked, and my nerve endings felt like they had been put on fire. ¡°Aleera!¡± Kalen screams when I see Ryze attack the hooded person who had me trapped in his magic just as another of my phoenixes fell from the sky, hitting the ground near me only to be pounced on by the hooded figures as they ughtered him. His squawks would Tasting Darkness Book 2 Chapter 21 forever haunt me when a mighty screech was heard above, and I gritted my teeth while Ryze tried to get the man to release me from his magic. Jessicahall Author Sorry guys I have had the worst writers block with this book, more toeter today. Spread the love Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Read Tasting Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 22 ¨C Aleera It was utter chaos. My birds¡¯ screeching squawks ripped my heart to shreds as they began to fall, half of them torn to shreds when the man holding me under his spell was thrown into the castle wall. I copsed on the ground, only to look up at the bloodshed surrounding me. I blinked, my eyes trying to track Tobias¡¯s blurring movement as he fought to get to Darius, who was surrounded by the hooded figures. His magic being the strongest, seemed to make him the biggest target. Turning my head, I saw an enormous wolfing straight toward me, all ws and sharp gleaming teeth as itunched Tasting Darkness Chapter 22 and sharp gleaming teeth as itunched itself directly at me. I closed my eyes, waiting to be torn to shreds when its fur brushed past my face as it jumped over the top of me; a feral snarl tore from deep within its chest. I gasp, twisting to see its powerful jaws ripping the hooded figure I hadn¡¯t noticeding up behind me. Blood sprays everywhere, coating me and the grass when I feel through the bond that it was Lycus. Ryze screeches loudly, and I get to my feet, searching for him. Only to find him attacking a hooded man on the ground. He swats at Ryze; only then do I catch the crazed look on his face and the blood drenching his clothes when he turns slightly. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. The man lifts his hand, and Ryze screeches as he is sted with his magic. My scream was deafening, and I fell deaf to everything around me when I felt my infinity mark burn as hot as Lava up my arms and spear through my heart when I realized the blood tainting the Vampiric- Fae was Kalen¡¯s. Kalen¡¯s body jerks on the ground as he sputters, coughing up blood and gasping for air. Lycus howls as he, too, feels the pain beat into him. I felt all their fear bleed into me as Lycus tore past me, tackling the figure while I ran toward Kalen, who lay bleeding on the ground. My legs gave out when I reached him. He was gasping for air, his throat torn out as he choked on his own blood, and I heard a roar behind me, yet I couldn¡¯t tear my eyes from Kalen as he clutched my arms. My hands frantically tried to stem the bleeding, trying to heal him, but my 8 magic was gone, and the vampire had not only sucked the power from his veins but his life¡¯s blood from his body. I turned to see Lycus tearing the man apart, Darius fighting for his life, and I screamed. ¡°Tobias!¡± I screamed, knowing he was the only one who could heal him fast enough. Yet he was fighting to get to us but was surrounded. My fingers be slippery with the warmth of Kalen¡¯s blood when I am jerked backward by my hair, and teeth sink into my neck. I thrash, trying to escape the figure holding me down and tearing into my neck with razor-sharp teeth. Yet my mind had one thought: Kalen. We needed to help Kalen. The petrified look on his face seared into my mind would forever haunt me, yet nothing will haunt me more than the feeling of our bond breaking and with it so did I Every nart breaking, and with it, so did I. Every part of me broke when the bond severed, and along with it a piece of me died with him. Spread the love Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Read Tasting Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 23 ¨C Lycus POV Everything stopped. My entire world stopped as a pain I wished I hadn¡¯t felt time and time again washed through me. It sucked the air from my lungs, and my body stopped fighting. The searing pain coursing through every nerve ending forced me to shift back, leaving me on top of the corpse of the person I had just killed. Yet it didn¡¯t save him. Only then do I see Kalen¡¯s name on my infinity mark turn grey fading out. He was dead, yet my heart still beat loudly in my chest. I do not know how, for I wished it stopped beating when his did. Yet the agonized scream of my mates made the world silent except for their agony. It was like time stopped when we all did. 4009 Turning my head, hey there, dead, cold, and covered in blood. Lying in the dirt as if he wasn¡¯t the center that held us together, we were nothing without Kalen. He was our glue, and time and time again, he held us together and us him, knowing without him, none of us could go on living. Tobias copsed to his knees. Just giving up. The same feeling coursed through me, and I resigned myself to death. Darius staggers, and I turn my attention to Kalen¡¯s lifeless form sprawled on the grass pooled in his own blood. Aleera rushed over to him. Tears streaked her face as she clutched him as if she alone could put him back together. Despite this, it was far toote for anything to be done. Kalen wouldn¡¯te back this time. His heart had 6 ¥± 60 stopped. Yet still, she tried as she beat his chest and shook him before she screamed. The power hunters even stopped at the sound of her scream, it guttural and tortured, emitting the dead hollowness she felt inside. Momentarily shocked, they all turned their attention toward her when she realized he was noting back. Ryze flies over, drops on her shoulder, and licks her cheek as her shoulders shake with her sobs. His presence jolted her, shocking her with his magic. Her head lifted, and her eyes glowed with her burning rage. I could feel it in every fiber of her being as she jolted the bond, awakening us from our heartbroken stupor, and I saw Darius start fighting with new zeal. As if her anger alone was enough to push 9000 60 Co us to keep fighting. And it was as Tobias got to his feet. Yet I was frozen, dead inside, as I saw her lean down and kiss Kalen¡¯s lips. She whispers something to him beforeying his head down on the ground before she stands, and I feel the entire ground ripple with her anger. As if she was drawing energy from the earth itself. Her frustration, anger, and sadness were bleeding and morphing into something so dark that not even the devil himself could touch it. As she flexed her fingers, the ground quaked and quivered, cracking, and the sky turned dark as if she sucked all the light out of the world and drew it closer. Everyone stopped, and even time appeared to stop under her fury as it too held its breath, waiting for her wrath. Everyone was stunned and looked from the shaking ground to the darkened skies, WN2I 6 O 000 00 only the light wasn¡¯t stolen. Clouds rolled across the sky, swirling and moving. The wind picked up, and the trees bent as the air tunneled above. Ryze screeches loudly, and the phoenixes, instead of running from the tunneling wind and rain, dive straight into it, and my infinity mark burns, making me clutch it, the pain hotter than anything I had ever felt. Looking up, I see Aleera raise her arms, and a chorus of screeches filled the air, making me cover my ears as it drilled through my skull. I clench my eyes and grit my teeth, only opening my eyes to see lightning fire engulf Aleer a as she screamed. Pain coursed through the bond, but it didn¡¯t burn as hot as her anger. No, that was far hotter as the phoenixes fried her with ¥± C 60 O hotter as the phoenixes fried her with their magic. The tunneling wind engulfs her and burns her; as the phoenixes sear her with their power. Each fell from the sky, bursting into mes as they gave their lives and magic to her. Each phoenix that dropped made her burn brighter until light filled the sky, and her screams died out, along with the wind. ncing up, most of the birds had fallen and burned once hitting the ground. Aleera staggers and copses on the ground, panting. When I noticed most of the Power hunters zero in on her, they could feel her energy shift. The entire world would feel the magic coursing through her. Fear for her courses through me, Darius screams at Tobias to get to her, and I shift, knowing she is now the target. 2000 7 60 4ood O She had too much power, more power than one could harness, yet when she looked up, I stopped in my tracks, my ws biting into the ground as I skidded along it before halting in my tracks and backing up. What the fuck was she? Yet the power hunters didn¡¯t see what I saw. I wasn¡¯t even sure of what I was seeing as I stood in front of her. At this moment, she was darkness incarnate. Aleera wasn¡¯t manipting darkness. She wasn¡¯t touching darkness. She became the darkness. Gold tendrils slivered down from her face when she dug her fingers in the ground, the gold streaking out and splitting the earth and making the ground shake with the power of an earthquake. In a blink, 0600 7 60 she was standing, and I gasped when I saw her wings spread out on either side, along with her arms. Wings . Aleera had wings! Something I had not seen on a fae since before the gue, yet they weren¡¯t like any wings I had seen before. White Fae used to have wings, crystalline or white, yet hers were ck with gold and red streaking through them. Aleera, also shocked at her new attachment, gasps before flexing them and blinking, regathering herself before turning her gaze to her victims. And she was running straight at them in the next blink of my eyes. And they were running at her. They wanted her power, and she wanted their lives. And their lives she took as she manifested magic I had never seen before. 4603 C Monsters, things of nightmares, crept from the crevices out of the earth as she cast them into the world. She created hell on earth. Hell houndse up from the pits she created, tearing into the power hunters. Ghostly figures wed from the ground and attacked alongside her. Ryze, who was still on her shoulder, jumped off, joining the fight as she hurled magic everywhere as they fell while others ran for their lives. Power hunter ran, opening portals and escaping the massacre. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. I could only stare in shocked horror at what she had be. Her magic flowed freely from her fingertips while she used her wings as weapons, sharper than swords and stronger than titanium. They tore through them like hot knives on butter while her magic burned their souls from 9600 7 C 60 them. Darius, undisturbed by what she became, moved to help her along with Tobias. Aleera, feeling them, turned on them, tossed her hand in Darius¡¯ direction, and he was thrown back. At first, I thought she turned on him when Tobias was thrown back too. Yet as they stood, I realized she recharged them, empowered them, and she did it without even touching them. Yet that momentary distraction cost her. A st from her right knocked her sideways, and her body lifted in the air, and she was tossed in the air. Darius got to his feet, and I was already running toward her as she wasunched into the sky. ¡°Aleera!¡± Tobias and I screamed at the same time Darius killed the figure 960 200 O Z holding her in their magic, the hot fire engulfing them and melting their flesh from their bones when she hit the ground. That momentary distraction, I realized it was a ploy as portals opened up everywhere, giving the few left a chance to escape. I rushed to her side and grabbed her only to let her go, her skin burning hot to touch, and she pushed herself off the ground with a groan and turned, looking for the power hunters. She wanted to kill them. A sob tore from her lips when she realized they had escaped, and the feeling through the bond turned cold. T 60 Spread the love Chapter 103 Chapter 103 Read Tasting Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 24 ¨C Aleera They killed him. They killed my mate, and I returned to my senses as I hit the ground. I had lost all control, driven by anger so hot I thought I wouldbust. ¡°Aleera,¡± Lycus murmured as I tried to clear my vision, my anger dying down and reced with sadness and a hollowness that would never be filled; I was dead inside. And I felt my magic crashing as I did, seeping back into the earth, yet my magic was recharged, energized, yet ice cold in my veins when I heard Ryze screech. The fighting had stopped, and the bodies of our men and the power huntersy on the ground. Few had survived, yet all I Bl Tasting Darkness Chapter 24 could think was Kalen was gone. That cold, sinking feeling made my bones ache as it settled over me. The weight was heavy, and I was drowning in despair. Is this what they felt every time he killed himself? No wonder they hated me. I couldn¡¯t live with this feeling, yet as my eyes searched for his body amongst the others, all I could see was carnage. ¡°Kalen.¡± I whimpered when Ryze screeched again, and I looked for him. Only to see what was left of my phoenixes huddled where his bodyy. My eyes widen, and I choke and sputter at what I see. He was being eaten by them. They were eating him. I screamed at them, getting to my feet and running toward them. 1 ¡°No, stop! Stop,¡± I sobbed, racing to stop 66 them from mutting him more. Lycus and Tobias were also running toward him too. I lift my hand and st them with my magic, only for it to hit some invisible barrier and be deflected back at us, knocking us all on our asses. Fury courses through me that they would betray me like this, and I sit with a crying scream when I see one phoenix copse. Then another.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org The huddled birds, ruffling feathers and chirping screeches, fluttered over him, and all I could see were his legs as they covered him before dropping one by one and bursting into mes around him when the one on top squawked loudly and erupted into mes. My heart became pulverized as he burned along with them. Or so I thought. My infinity mark burns, erupting with power, and warmth floods through me, and I gasp, looking down at my mark to see his name shing like an SOS. Blink. less Chapter 24 Blink. Blink before searing and burning brighter before it stopspletely. Yet gone was the grey, and his name was etched in a bright blue like the others. I stared at the marking and clutched my wrist, only to see Tobias and Lycus doing the same when magic erupted in my chest and made my heart swell. Kalen¡¯s magic. Kalen¡¯s bond. I gasped, looking toward where his bodyy, only for him to jolt upright with a harsh wheeze as he sucked in air. Ash and X soot covering every inch of him cascades off him, his clothes gone ¡°Kalen?¡± I murmured, and he breathed as if he had been holding his breath for a long time, trying to catch his breath. He clutches his chest, then his throat.¡± Kalen!¡± Lycus shrieked a sob, and he turned his head to look at us. They weren¡¯t eating him; they were resurrecting him. With a cry, we were all on our feet, racing toward him when he looked down at his naked legs covered in soot and ash. I crash against him first and clutch him tight, immense relief washing through me when he hugs me back. I kiss his face, every part of it, when he makes a strangled noise, making me realize my relief of him being alive was now strangling him when he jumps. Poc X I pulled back, and I look at him, seeing Darius and the other racing toward us. They were meters away from him when he reached between our bodies, and I moved off him, thinking I was hurting his legs. Yet Kalen cupped something in his hands before looking up at me. And all I could do was blink. He throws his hand out, and our mates slow, stopping as he looks around himself. I looked down at the ground, wondering what was wrong, fearing he was leaving us again, when I saw something move in his hands. The ashes rippled, and a featherless body shook off the soot and ash. Long tongue slivers out, and I look to the ground, the ash rippling as the phoenixese back from the ashes in tiny featherless bodies. 4¡Á6 ¡°Phoenix chicks,¡± I whisper, and he chokes a sob looking at me. I hold my hands out as he drops the featherless little body in my hands as the phoenixes that saved him move the soot and pop their heads out, giving a chirp. Ryze flies over and perches heavily on my shoulder, his tongue sneaking out and licking the chick¡¯s face. I giggle as the force of his tongue makes the squirming chick fall on its side in my palms. ¡°They saved me,¡± Kalen murmurs as the others fall on the ground beside us, careful not to crush the phoenixes hatching from the ashes. Lycus clutches Kalen¡¯s face and kisses him, a whimper leaving him as he squeezes him. Kalenughs, pushing away from him to scoop up another chick when Darius and Tobias grab him and crush Kalen in their embrace. ¡°The chicks! the chicks!¡± Kalen shrieks. He was more worried about the birds than the fact he had just died. Darius mutters something at him that sounds vaguely like a curse. ¡°Yes, watch the chicks!¡± Lycus snarls, shoving Tobias back and scooping one up. ¡°You hate Phoenixes!¡± Tobias snarled at him. ¡°Who said I hate them? I love phoenixes! Lycus snarls at Tobias, cuddling the tiny bird. 11 ¡°Such pretty little things,¡± Lycus coos, smooching its face when the bird screeches at his mauling lips and bites him, making Lycus hiss. ¡°Stupid bird,¡± he growled. ¡°I thought you said you loved them?¡± 2002. ¡°I thought you said you loved them?¡± Dariusughs. ¡°I do! Just not that one. It has your temperament,¡± Lycus says, thrusting the bird at him. Darius chuckles, taking the featherless thing while I look around at what became a battlefield. Some of Darius ¡® recruits survived but only around twenty or so, and they were scooping up fallen baby phoenixes as they made their way over to us. So much death. 2 ¡°Aleera?¡± Kalen says, drawing my attention back to him only to see his hand reaching toward my face, yet his hand doesn¡¯t touch me but goes past my face behind me. ¡°You have wings,¡± Kalen murmurs, and I gasp when I feel his fingertips brush what felt like a weird tickle on my back. As I turned my head, I realized he was right. I had wings! Spread the love Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Read Tasting Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 25 ¨C ¡°There¡¯s just one more,¡± Darius murmurs as I stagger along, trying to keep up with him as he steps through the portal after portal while putting the wards back up. Darius wanted to infuse them with my magic this time to strengthen them. The exhaustion I was experiencing was excruciating. The amount of power I used had exhausted me, and I was bing queasy and light-headed. My wings were dragging across the ground behind me because I couldn¡¯t figure out how to make them go away. Needing a break from the heavy weight of them on my back, I sat down on the moss-covered ground, my body felt like it had run a marathon. ¡°One more. I promise that is it,¡± Darius says, looking down at me from where I sat next to the ward he had just set. ¡°Just let mey down for a second,¡± I tell him, and he sighs loudly. ¡°We need to get thest ward back in ce, then you can rest.¡± Darius murmurs as he leans down, scooping me up. ¡°Watch my wings!¡± I shrieked when his arm moved across my back. He kisses my cheek when I gasp to find them gone.¡¯ Thank god,¡± I groan, leaning my head on his shoulder as he steps through the portal to thest ward. 11 ¡°I¡¯ll do thest one,¡± he says, setting me down on the ground. The forest was eerie out here after the attack. It had me wanting to return to the castle and the safety of our room, our little bubble away XC 808 from the chaos. With each passing minute, I could feel my magic receding, burning out, and me along with it. It was like I had a power surge, then my body expressed it, unable to hold onto it. Yet Darius¡¯ power was still strong. Even Tobias¡¯ was surging strongly through the bond, which made me wonder how? It made me feel weak and useless as mine dissipated. Sensing my question, Darius¡¯s eyes softened as he nced at me over his shoulder. ¡°You need to build up stamina. That was a lot of power. Your body will rid you of it to protect you. Tobias and I are used to magic, have learned to control it and preserve it¡± he told me and I chewed my lip. It sounded reasonable, but still, I hated the loss and the empty feeling settling inside me. I still had magic, but nothing like I had at that moment. 2000 ¡°You¡¯ll get your power back, Aleera. Until then, you have us.¡± Darius says, and I look up at him. ¡°I still have power,¡± I tell him. He chuckles as if he knows something I don¡¯t making me re at him when he opens a portal. Darius doesn¡¯t borate either as he grabs me, stepping through the portal back to our mates who were still finding Phoenixes. He ces me down next to Kalen. ¡°Is the ce secure?¡± Tobias asks, and Darius nods to him just as one of the recruitses out with a few baskets to set the chicks in. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. He ces two beside us going to help the other men clean up. ¡°I just don¡¯t get how they got past the wards,¡± I said before yawning. Lycus made a strangled noise while scooping up another chick from the ashes. I stared around at the devastation left behind from the attack and leaned heavily against Kalen, watching as everyone finished up what they were doing. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. I don¡¯t think your father would be stupid enough, and I think it has something to do with the Phoenixes.¡± Darius says to Lycus as he ces another chick in the basket beside me. They jumped and chirped inside it, trying to get out. I pet a couple of the squirming balls of skin and beaks. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, confused. ¡°Fae are useless without magic or their mates. We can¡¯t power share.¡± Darius states. ¡°Or so most think,¡± Tobias says, winking at Darius, who smirks. ¡°Phoenixes can power share with any creature if paired. Therefore if killed they can be drained O 808 Therefore, if killed, they can be drained or absorbed. We had an entire flock here. That kind of power would have been sensed here,¡± Tobias tells me. ¡°They probably thought they stumbled across something, not expecting to find us here,¡± Tobias said with a sigh, looking guiltily at Lycus. So it¡¯s my fault, I thought bitterly. Phoenixes hate Dark Fae and are drawn to White Fae and, well, Harmony Fae. I was the reason they were here and the reason for so much death. ¡°Yep, they would have lit this ce up like a beacon,¡± Darius mutters. ¡°And once they sensed Darius¡¯s power, he became the prime target until you manifested, whatever it was you did,¡± Kalen says, pressing his chin against my shoulder. Darius, Lycus and Tobias watched me curiously. But if they wanted P000 answers, they were looking at the wrong person because I don¡¯t even know what I did or how to exin it. ¡°So, do you think they wille back?¡± I asked, unable to handle their stares. Darius¡¯s men drop thest few chicks in the basket. There were too many to count, with their big eyes and oversized beaks as they stared up at me hungrily. Ryze bounces across the grass toward us, plopping a chick he had in his beak into the basket. ¡°Good boy,¡± I tell him, scratching his head feathers while yawning. ¡°Now they know we are here. It might be a deterrent, but it depends on how desperate they are for magic,¡± Tobias says, looking around at the forest surrounding the castle grounds. I blinked, trying to keep my eyes open. O 0000 I blinked, trying to keep my eyes open, when I felt a strange coldness settle through me, and I groan, knowing what wasing. I had burned out, and I heard Darius chuckle, making my eyes flick to him. A devious smirk was on his face. ¡°Shested longer than I thought,¡± vaguely hear Tobiasugh. ¡°Rest, Aleera. You¡¯re gonna need it for when you wake,¡± Kalen whispers next to my ear, his breath on my neck makes me shiver and I feel his arms tighten around me. Then everything went ck. Yet I was too tired to try to fight it, so instead, I sumbed, trusting they would keep watch over me while I was absorbed by the darkness. Spread the love Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Read Tasting Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 26 ¨C Darius POV Kalen tucked her closer as goosebumps pricked her skin, and she finally sumbed to the exhaustion. ¡°We should get her inside. I think a storm ising. The air is still charged,¡± Lycus says, and I could feel his guilt. He believed this was his fault. I watch as he sniffs the air, looking at the dark clouds rolling across the sky, the heavy clouds and how fast it began to darken told me it would be a big one, that and the silence of the forest earlier while setting the wards up. ¡°What are we going to do with all these chicks?¡± Tobias states, grabbing one basket as I retrieved the other before my eyes fall on Aleera. ¡°Are you right with her?¡± I ask Kalen, watching him stand with her limp body in his arms. ¡°Of course,¡± He nodded, but for once, I noticed the darkness that usually surrounded him with death didn¡¯t this time, making me stare down at the basket in my hands of the tiny birds responsible for bringing him back to us. There was no cold feeling through the bond, no numbness, just Kalen. ¡°More importantly, how are we going to feed them? I am not worm hunting or feeding them with syringes,¡± Lycus growls. I look at what¡¯s left of my men. They all begin to shake their heads, their eyes darting to each other nervously. They may be fine with the tiny powerless chicks, but I could see they didn¡¯t want them as pets. ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out, but we can¡¯t get rid of them,¡± I tell him. They saved Kalen and O sacrificed their lives for my mates, and I would make sure each one survived. We lost a few that were drained when killed, no magic left to bring them back, and the flock was down to half of what it was. So these ones needed to survive. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°We¡¯ll go look for worms and small critters,¡± one of my men called out. They may not like the Phoenixes. However, they all knew the phoenixes and Aleera were the only reason any of them were still breathing. Yet some part of me also knew the attack wouldn¡¯t have happened if they weren¡¯t here. ¡°Be sure to be inside before the storm hits. I don¡¯t want anyone out after dark, not tonight,¡± I called to the few men headed toward the treeline. They wave me off, and we head inside and back to our room. All three baskets of chicks were set in front of the firece where it was warmest. Ryze flies in the window momentster, perching on the windowsill as he watches his paired Fae as Kalen sets Aleera on the bed. I had no doubt he had paired to her now. I suspected they were linked already bit today proved it, and by the way, the Phoenixes outside kept flying by the window. I had a strange feeling all of them were now paired with her. Tobias nced at the window, watching the birds zip past, peering in the windows as they do so. ¡°Aleera Queen of the flock,¡± Tobias chuckled and shook his head. ¡°Queen of Darkness, more like it. I don¡¯t know what she did out there, but I have never seen power like that,¡± Lycus says, moving toward the bed. Lycus sits beside her where Kalen had set her down, tugging the nket back to reveal her XC 8018 back. Her clothes were barely hanging on her, her hair wild and unruly. She had cut it off a while back, which was my fault, but now, after her power surge, it was to her hips. Her hair was so dark it was almost obsidian, and the ends had blue and red hues under the light from the firece. Lycus sweeps her hair aside and rips the rest of her shirt open, his fingers lightly tracing over her skin and the markings of her wings etched into her soft skin. This Chapter is Provided By niniz ¡°How is it possible?¡± he murmured in awe. I never thought I would ever see wings on a Fae again, yet hers were something out of this world, no out of the darkness that enveloped her. Lycus traces his fingertips over her tattoo -like wings etched into her delicate skin, marvelous patterns of red, ck, and gold feathers tattooed into her flesh from between her shoulder des to her lower back. He strips her fully, and I see the same patterned feathers down the outsides of her thighs. Lycus traces them when he reaches the end of her wings. Her skin ripples and she shivers as a rippling wave effect had the feathered design move in waves as they flexed beneath her skin, making him jump. 11 ¡°That is cool, but damn is it creepy too.¡± Lycus mutters before sucking on his finger, where the feathers sliced him as they rippled from his touch. ¡± ¡°But fuck, they are sharp!¡± he curses, examining his finger. ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out. She¡¯ll learn to control it,¡± I tell them, wandering over to her and examining her wings examining her wings. ¡°Whatever it was, it was darker than anything I have ever felt before. Even now, with her magic running through my veins, it feels cold,¡± Tobias states, flexing his fingers in front of him. His magic glows and mist runs between his fingers likes snakes coiling and getting ready to spring. ¡°It¡¯s her dark side. It was triggered, so she brought it forth to protect us,¡± I tell him. ¡°That was more than darkness, Darius. Did you not see those things? The shadows she brought forth?¡± Tobias asks worriedly, shaking his head and dropping his magic. ¡°Hells shadows,¡± I murmured. I had heard of the legends of Demonic-Fae being able to raise the dead in a sense. It was simr to casting, only these casts became real, tangible, and she did something that I had only read about in history books. And only something Demonic-Fae could do. Aleera wasn¡¯t a Demonic-Fae but a Harmony-Fae, so it made little sense to me. But few things about her did. Harmony Fae were extinct, so it was hard to tell what they are capable of. Feeling her out there when she awoke that part of her, it felt like the dead feeling I get when my demons take over. But she had done simr before she had picked up on auras and empathic senses that were part of Kalen. It made me wonder if it was us she drew on, our power morphing hers. Time would tell when she had marked all of us, and she would be a force to be reckoned with. XO Running my hand down her back, her wings move beneath her skin, and she moans softly at my touch, which made Kalenugh. He swatted my hand away from her. ¡°Don¡¯t wake her. She needs some rest before her shredding wakes her,¡± he scolded. Ryze screeches loudly and I nced over at him. He had flown over to the baskets of chicks, all them jumping up hungrily and I sighed. Now to y mother hen. My eyes go to Tobias. He was the best with them. He held no fear of them because of Aleera. Neither did I, but that was a lot of chicks to feed and I wasn¡¯t a man of great patience. ¡°Fine, but you¡¯re helping with the night feeds,¡± he snaps, walking out of the room to find them something to eat. ¡°Aw look at you both co-parenting your 960P killer flock of demon birds,¡± Lycusughed. your ¡°You¡¯re in charge of the third basket,¡± I tell him and his cheeky smile slips right off his face. Spread the love Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Read Tasting Darkness [Tempting Darkness] By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 27 ¨C Tobias POV R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only I have officially concluded that I am not father material. Aleera has been asleep for two days and is showing no signs of waking anytime soon. Her phoenixes were driving everyone insane. Chirping little fuckers were always hungry, and we had to syringe feed the balls of fleshy mush. Once again, I awoke in the middle of the night, or was it day? It has been two days, and I was losing track of time already. Fuck doing that for months on end, years even. At least Ryze knew not to shit on the damn floor or your shoulder when holding him. These bastards had no manners. And were devouring more worms than we could dig up. We had resorted to hand feeding them mushed up Weetbix with a syringe. ¡°I need sleep,¡± Lycus growls, rolling into me. cing his hand on my chest, he sleepily blinks down at me, a smirk on his lips. ¡°I will suck and fuck the life out of you if you do this feed for me.¡± I shake my head. It was his turn. ¡°Please? I need my beauty sleep. You could go without sleep for a year and still be pretty,¡± Lycus says between yawning. He drops his head on my chest, and I hear Darius chuckle as Lycus tries to bribe me. ¡°Please? I won¡¯t evenin while doing it,¡± he purrs. I roll my eyes. ¡°Noining of a sore jaw or chapped lips, ¡°I growl at him, and he pats my chest, rolling off to face Aleera as I climb out of bed. Stretching my arms above my head, I look at Darius, who has a chick in his hands, as he forces the syringe in its beak to feed it before grabbing the next. ¡°Lycus will suck your dick if you make me coffee,¡± I volunteer the germ that woke me. ¡°He already owes me a dick sucking for doing his night shift,¡± Darius says, and I re at Lycus. ¡°That fucker is getting more sleep than all of us,¡± I groan, feeling a little used. That little bitch will be paying up, or I will pin him down and fuck his face. Either way, he is licking these nuts. ¡°Get in line. He¡¯s got a lot of dick to suck. Pretty sure he owes Kalen one too,¡± Darius says, and I shake my head, cursing Lycus internally for tricking me. Sitting next to Darius, I grab a bird and syringe and help him feed the squeaking hungry birds. Ryze flies into the room momentster, and I try not to throw up when he helps feed them. ¡°Good boy,¡± Darius tells him as Ryze feeds a few from the other crate. ¡°Marvelous creatures. I didn¡¯t even ask him. He flew off when they woke me and has been back and forth out the window,¡± Darius tells me as he gives Ryze a scratch under his beak. He then bounces off out the window. ¡°They sense her,¡± I tell him, and he nods, ncing at the bed at our mates. ¡°I don¡¯t think they just sense her, though. I think they know what you were,¡± I tell him. He swallows and nods. ¡°When she shreds.¡± I am about to ask when he holds up a hand and cuts me off. ¡°Don¡¯t; I know what you are going to say. ¡°Darius, whatever it is you¡¯re hiding, she¡¯ll forgive you,¡± I tell him. ¡°It¡¯s not her I am worried about. She may forgive me,¡± he mutters. ¡°Then what is it? ¡°I ask him. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he says, and I see his eyes darken as he reaches over by the fire and grabs another log. He tosses it in and turns back to the birds. I sigh, changing the topic, knowing that one I won¡¯t get anywhere with ¡°The power hunters?¡± I ask him, and he peers over at me. ¡°She has found us,¡± Darius answered, and I knew he was right. There was only one group of power hunters thatrge, and they hadn¡¯t been seen in years. ¡°I never saw her,¡± I tell him, and he shrugs. ¡°And they clearly didn¡¯t expect what they found? I don¡¯t think they even knew why they were here besides power. I believe this was just to test out our defenses.¡± You think she figured it out?¡± ¡°No other group, not even the council, are crazy enough to step foot into my Kingdom,¡± Darius says, and he was right. We had never been attacked here before, never. ¡°She would have been looking for infinite power source res and Aleera.¡± He peers around at the crates of Phoenixes. ¡°These birds, they would have been like a beacon, ¡°Darius says. ¡°Are you going to tell Aleera her mother is hunting her?¡± I ask him, reaching for another bird. He hushes me, looking toward her behind me, then shakes his head. ¡°You need to tell her, and you need to tell the others you did kill her father,¡± I tell him. Honesty was the only way we would get through this. Yet Darius, I knew, was the most secretive of us all. ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± he whispers. ¡°When she sees the truth, she will forgive. ¡°She may forgive me, but I will never forgive myself,¡± he says, standing up. I watch as he walks off into the bathroom, shutting the door. I sigh, scooping up the next bird when Kalen wakes up, sitting up and rubbing his eyes before ncing at the bathroom door. ¡°Everything okay?¡± he asks, tucking the nket around Lycus and Aleera. ¡°Yes, Kal, go back to sleep,¡± I tell him, but he shakes his head, climbs out of bed, and stops beside me. He stares at my legs where I sat beside the crate, and I roll my eyes before opening my legs, and he sits between them, resting his back against my chest as he scoops out a chick and reaches for Darius¡¯s syringe to feed it. I kiss his cheek and continue feeding the squirming bird in my hand, whose beak was wide open, waiting to be fed. ¡°I take it Lycus conned you too?¡± Kalen yawns, and I nod against his shoulder. ¡°Well, he¡¯ll be in for a surprise when he wakes,¡± Kalenughs. I kiss his naked shoulder ¡°Hmm, unless you want to take his ce? You suck dick better,¡± I whispered, wudzincaan hieman kn buah titing sucking on his ear. Kalenughs, tilting his head so I can¡¯t keep nibbling on it. ¡°Feed your chick,¡± Heughs. I groan. My cock hardening at the mere thought of his lips wrapped around it. Lycus will be paying up. I waited for Darius to finish his shower before I kidnapped Kalen, forcing him into the shower with me. ¡°Nope, Lycus is your man; I am too tired, ¡± Kalen whines when I shove him against the shower wall and try to kiss him. Kalen sighs instead, offering me his neck, and I don¡¯t hesitate to sink my fangs into his neck. Spread the love Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Read Tasting Darkness [Tempting Darkness] By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 28 ¨C Lycus POV Stretching, I snuggle into Aleera. I have to scoot closer when I don¡¯t feel her. Patting the bed, I feel for her, but she is gone when I feel a foot. My brows scrunch together, and I sit up, thinking she must have awoken finally. Instead, Ie face to face with a huge cock in my face. ¡°Geez, not what I want to wake up to first thing in the morning, Tobias,¡± I growled. Tobias is standing over the top of me on the bed, his cock inches from my face when I sit up. Rubbing my eyes, I push on his thighs, but he ps my hands. ¡°Pay up,¡± He purrs. ¡°Bit early for that. I need coffee first,¡± Iugh. ¡°That¡¯s what your excuse was yesterday, ¡°Kalen says, and I nce over at him. Bloody traitor. I re at him. ¡°It hase to my attention that you have not paid up on a single one of your cocksucking deals,¡± Tobias says. He gripped my hair hard and closed to my scalp. I brought my hand up to his, wincing from the sensation¡¯s pain. My eyes were wide, surprised, as I tested my ability to get out of the hold. Struggling made it more painful and seemed to wind him up more. His eyes flicker, and I give him my best wolfy eyes. It was too early in the morning for a sausage fest. And where did they put Aleera? With his open palm, Tobias pped my cheek. It wasn¡¯t hard, just a little shock, but it made me re at him. Heughed at that, pping me a few more times on each cheek and watching how I flinched but could not pull away. ¡°What was it you promised?¡± He asked, his voice low and serious. ¡°Oh right, I remember now. I will suck and fuck the life out of you if you do this feed for me. So, open up!¡± My heart was pounding as I realized what Thad gotten myself into. Roughly, with his fingers still entangled with my hair, he pushed me back onto the bed. For a moment, he let go of me. When he let go of my hair, I tried to turn my body away from him to see if I could run. I wasn¡¯t quick enough, though. Before I could move, he had pinned me to the bed. Sitting on my chest, he trapped my arms by my sides and dropped his weight on With adrenaline pumping through me, I test his grip on me to see if I could kick him and make him get off me. I wriggled from side to side, straining all the strength I had hopelessly against his weight bearing down on my chest. I saw him lick his lips as he pulled out his cock. It was already half-hard, hanging slightly limp but heavy in his hand. He held it over my face for a moment, watching me as I looked at it and enjoying the fear that was ring up in me from being trapped under him. Then he mmed his cock down onto my face. I flinched as it hit me. I am going to kill him when I get up off this bed. He pped my face with it a few more times, hitting my cheeks and my nose before rubbing the tip around my closed lips. It was much harder now, almost as hard as it could get, and he was producing precum that I could feel spreading across my lips. ¡°Open up,¡± He purrs. I clench my teeth and growl at him. Yet he is uncaring, so I go for another tactic, coughing. ¡°Can¡¯t, itchy throat.¡± Cough. Cough. ¡°You don¡¯t want to catch think I aming down with something,¡± I tell him, and he looks over at Kalen, who stood beside the bed, a smirk on his pretty plump lips. ¡°Mmm, fine. Suit yourself,¡± Tobias adds before pinching my nose so I can¡¯t breathe. I fought for a few moments and fought the natural need to open my mouth and breathe. I felt my cheeks flush red, and my chest be tight with the need for air. Then, finally, I opened my mouth and gasped for air. As I knew he would, he pushed his cock into my open mouth. His hands were on my cheeks as he shoved his cock into my mouth and down towards my throat. I kicked my legs as I gagged on it. He pumped his hips back and forth a few times. ¡°Fine, fine,¡± I gasp and mumble around his cock. He laughs, pulling out of my mouth and letting me suck in much needed air. ¡°Can I get an IOU?¡± ¡°Not a chance,¡± Darius says, walking over from where he must have been on the couch with Aleera. My heart pounds as I look down and see the bulge in his trousers. ¡°And when you are finished with Tobias, ¡± He grabs his crotch. ¡°I got a sack that needs emptying too,¡± he smiles deviously. I gulp, looking at Kalen, who was already unzipping his pants. ¡°On your knees, babe,¡± Kalenughs as Tobias grabs my arm and hauls me off the bed. I knelt on the floor. Just inches from my face, two huge, heavy cocks were waiting for me to y with them. I looked up at my two mates, seeing the smiles on their faces as they stroked their hard cocks slowly and waited for me to pay my dues. ¡°Can I at least brush my teeth first?¡±I ask, and Tobiasughs. ¡°Yep, consider it your toothbrush,¡± Tobias says, and I re at his massive cock Reaching forward, I held one in each of my hands. I move so that they were close tame Anasal racinginsteach of to me. One cock pressing against each of my cheeks. I stroked my fists up and down them both at the same time. I squeezed them and felt how hard they were while cursing myself for thinking I could get away without paying up. Leaning forward, I am about to take him in my mouth when Kalen speaks. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to squeeze his balls. Drives him wild,¡± Kalenughs and I growl before wrapping my lips around Tobias throbbing cock. Spread the loveThis is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Read Tasting Darkness [Tempting Darkness] By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 28 ¨C Aleera POV The sound of squeaking woke me, and Lycus tapped my chest or thumped it like it was a damn drum. ¡°Your turn,¡± Lycus growls, rolling over before kicking backward. ¡°Tobias, go before they screech!¡± Lycus snaps, and I blink up at the ceiling, wondering why he thinks I am Tobias and also what the heck he is talking about. Shaking my head at his terrible wake-up call, I climb over him and ce my feet on the floor before rushing to the bathroom and having one of those, Ah¡­. moments from holding your dder while torturously listening to a slow drip and not having a toilet in sight. After washing my hands, I hear the squeaking noises again and move back toward the room. ncing at the bed, I notice Lycus, Kalen, and Tobias in bed. Darius is nowhere to be seen. Peering around the darkened room, I barely noticed him sitting on the couch by the fire that was slowly dying out. Sighing, I walk over to the firece when I see the crates holding the tiny Phoenixes sitting in front of it. I chuck another log into the firece before flicking my wrist out of habit, and the log catches alight instantly, making me realize I still had some power. I smile, watching the mes lick up the sides of the wood, parts of it glowing bright orange as the wood cackled and cracked as it burned. Turning around, I find Darius sitting up, his head resting back on the couch when I notice his hoodie is around the wrong way. Tugging on the hood, I find three baby chicks snuggled underneath his chin and three more tucked in the crook of his arm that was draped over his waist. I smile and stifle augh seeing the big bad Demonic-Fae ying daddy with a hoodie and armful full of featherless chicks. Yeah, he looks real intimidating. Looking around, I grab my tablet and quickly snap a photo of himughing at how sweet he looked. Setting the tablet down, I try to catch one slipping out of his arm, only for his eyes to flutter, and he sucks in a breath, lifting his head and peering around, still half asleep. ¡°Don¡¯t wake them. I just got them to sleep.¡± He yawns, rubbing his eyes with one hand before checking if the ones in his hood are still asleep. I watch as he makes his kissy lips at them, as they wiggle inside before freezing and staring up at me. He blinks, realizing it is me, before ncing at the bed. ¡°When did you wake?¡± he asks, yawning again. ¡°A few minutes ago,¡± I tell him, taking two of the chicks from his arm while he drops the third into his hood with the others. I stare at him, watching as he does a head count. ¡°What?¡± he asks when he looks up and notices me watching him. I smile and shake my head. ¡°Nothing,¡± I tell him, taking a seat beside him. We satfortably in silence, and he passed me a throw- over nket that was beside him. After watching the mes in the firece devour the wood, I turned my head to look at Darius. Through the bond, I could feel he was troubled, yet he remained quiet. He was staring off at the mes as if whatever gued his mind could be burned away just by staring at them. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I ask him, tucking my feet under me and leaning against the armrest so I could face him. ¡°You¡¯re going to shred soon,¡± he says, and I figured that because my power was dwindling and frequently charging, which reminded me ofst time. Darius turns his gaze to me. ¡°I can¡¯t let you mark me,¡± he whispers, turning his attention back to the mes. My bond tugged in my chest at his words, and I wondered what scared him so much. What would I learn that he feared I would know? ¡°Whatever you¡¯re hiding, whatever I see, can remain between us, Darius,¡± I tell him, and he looks back at me. ¡°What if it involves you?¡± I shrug. What was worse than killing my parents?¡­ Unless he truly didn¡¯t? My brows furrowed in confusion. ¡°The night of the fire when you killed my parents.¡± I begin to say. He swallows and rests his head on the back of the couch.¡± Aleera, you do not want to have this conversation,¡± he murmurs, but he¡¯s wrong because I did. I wanted to, and I wanted to know what I saw when I did the casting when I saw his greatest fear was my father. ¡°Did you kill my parents?¡± I ask him. He tilts his head to the side and stares at me before he shakes his head. ¡°I won¡¯t change my mind, Aleera. You can make your own assumptions.¡± I sigh. ¡°Our own assumptions nearly tore apart our bonds,¡± I told him. ¡°And if I said I did kill them?¡± he asks.¡± Then what? Will you run again? Sometimes we think we want the answers, but then we get them, and they aren¡¯t what we were hoping for, and they cause more destruction.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t run, not now. Not after what I saw,¡± I tell him, and he scoffs. ¡°You don¡¯t know what you saw,¡± he says dismissively. ¡°I know my father hurt you. If my father did, I don¡¯t me you for killing him. I understand why you would want to.¡± He says nothing in reply to my words. Just stares ahead. ¡°My father did hurt you, didn¡¯t he? That is why you killed them?¡± he shakes his head. ¡°That isn¡¯t why I killed your father,¡± he says, and I swallow. Hearing him admit it still shocked me, despite knowing the answer already. I nod my head. ¡°That¡¯s it? That¡¯s all you¡¯ll give me?¡± I ask him. ¡°I answered, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°You half answered,¡± I tell him, and the chicks in his hood squirm. He tugs the hood and peers in before sighing. Leaning forward, I peek into his hood as they try to burrow underneath each other to stay warm. ¡°I already know about my parent¡¯s death. What else would you be so worried about me knowing?¡± I ask him, stroking, the one perched on top of the other¡¯s little bald head. ¡°Everything¡­ Maybe I am not worried about what you will see, Aleera. You¡¯ll understand the meaning behind the things I have done.¡± he whispers, and I sit back. Darius peers over his shoulder at our mates. ¡°But they may not. I don¡¯t want to risk losing them.¡± ¡°As I said, Darius. What I see doesn¡¯t mean I will tell them,¡± I tell him and he exhales, peering over at me. ¡°I don¡¯t want you looking at me differently, either. Some things aren¡¯t forgivable,¡± he says. ¡°I forgave you for killing my parents. If I can forgive that, I can forgive whatever you¡¯re hiding.¡± ¡°And if you think that is the worst thing I have done and believe nothing would horrify or shock you more than losing them, then you aren¡¯t ready to know or forgive what I have truly done, Aleera.¡± ¡°I know there is blood on your hands, Darius. I am not oblivious to what the media puts out. The moment I came of age, I recognized all of your names. I know what you are all capable of.¡± I told him. ¡°You think because my hands are tainted with blood and what the media has put out about us is what I am worried about?¡± Heughs and leans forward, scooping the phoenixes out of his hood and setting them in the crate with the others. ¡°Then tell me, Darius. Tell me fucking something! I am sick of guessing, and ¡­¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Darius moves quickly, his hand mping down over my mouth, and he peers over his shoulder at our sleeping mates. He growls but removes his hand and clenches his teeth. Cursing under his breath, he reaches over and grabs his jacket from the back of the couch. ¡°Whatever you did, Darius. It can¡¯t be that bad. You are not the monster you think you are,¡± I tell him. He laughs and shakes his head before turning his hoodie around the right way. ¡°Kalen, what I did to him? Was that a monster, Aleera? Or the times before that? Would you consider me a monster, knowing that wasn¡¯t the first time I had hurt him?¡± he asks. ¡°That wasn¡¯t you,¡± I tell him, knowing wholeheartedly that was a part of him he had no control over but not Darius. I had no control over but not Darius. I knew that, and Kalen knew that. ¡°When are you going to realize the monster the world portrays me as is urate? I killed your parents, raped my own mate, hurt you, and still, you would defend me.¡± ¡°Because you had your reasons, Darius. I know that now.¡± I tell him. ¡°Really? You know that with absolute certainty?¡± he asks, tugging his jacket on over his hoodie. He shakes his head. ¡°Then what excuse would give for making the White Fae extinct? What excuse removes the taint of ending the world and wiping out over half the Fae poption?¡± he asks. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± ¡°Believe what you want. And you wanna know the fucked up part? Wiping out the Fae poption is one of the lesser evils I am responsible for. And you want to see the shit I have done? You don¡¯t want that because I don¡¯t even like living with the things I have done. So I know there is no way you could live the rest of your life with me by your side knowing exactly what sort of monster youy beside at night,¡± he snarls before flicking his wrist. A portal opens up, and he steps through it, closing it behind him. I exhale and shake my head. Spread the love Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Read Tasting Darkness [Tempting Darkness] By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 30 ¨C Turning my attention back to the chicks in the crate I watch as they squirm, wondering what they have been feeding them. Yet as they got louder, the others began to wake, and Lycus groans before climbing out of bed and stumbling half asleep over to the crates. He tips the crates up, making my eyes widen before he starts removing his clothes. I wonder what he is doing when he shifts abruptly, giving me a view of his ass in my face before he flops onto his stomach and lies on his side. The squirming chicks rush to him, bouncing on the floor, and Iugh as they burrow into his fur. He puffs out a loud wheezing breath while the chicks get lost in his fur. ¡°About time he made himself useful. If only he would sleep in this form every night, we may get some sleep,¡± Tobias says, brushing his fingers through Lycus¡¯s fur. The chicks squirm in his fur, popping their heads and chirping quietly while snuggling into him as if he was their personal warm nest. Tobias carefully steps over him and falls heavily onto the couch beside me. His hands reach for me instantly as he drags me up his body and lifts his legs, turning slightly, so I am lying with him behind me. ¡°Where did Darius go?¡± he murmurs, his l*ps in my hair as he speaks. ¡°No, Idea. We had an argument,¡± I tell him. ¡°About you shredding and not being able to mark him?¡± Tobias asks, tucking me closer. I nod, watching Lycus wolf form, worried he would roll on them and crush them. But he remains still as a statue. ¡°He¡¯lle around, Aleera. He is just scared,¡± Tobias says, and it made me wonder if it was to do with me at all or if he did something to one of them without knowing. My eyes flick to the mantle where Ryze was perched and to the photo of Thomas, Tobias¡¯s brother. It was a sore subject, and I never mentioned him or how I recognized him, and I know Tobias thinks I abandoned him, but I didn¡¯t. I just couldn¡¯t get back to him. ¡°Your brother..¡± Tobias tenses behind me. ¡°Aleera!¡± he breathes as if he doesn¡¯t want the reminder I am to me for his death. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that he died because of me. And I¡¯m sorry he died saving me,¡± I whisper. Tobias moves behind me, his arm draped over me, pulling me tighter against him. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t have gone alone. We told him to wait for us,¡± ¡°Your brother had gifts simr to Kalen,¡± I tell him, and he nods. ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°Because when he appeared, he knew what I was¡­ he said, ¡°Well, don¡¯t you burn brighter than the sun, the first time I have seen a rainbow aura? I knew there would be something special about you,¡± I repeat his brother¡¯s words. It was also what Kalen had said while manic that my aura was a rainbow of color. ¡°He sensed your power,¡± Tobias tells me. ¡°That¡¯s how he knew where you were,¡± I swallowed, knowing my using my magic trying to escape is what got him killed. Guilt floods me, and the pain emanating from Tobias saddens me and makes me feel cold and empty. ¡°I tried to get back to him, Tobias. I swear to you, I never abandoned him. I tried to open the portal after he shoved me through it,¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asks, tugging me back so I am forced to roll onto my back. ¡°The hellhounds kepting. I was running out of power. Your brother sensed that and opened up the portal. Told me you woulde for me, shoved me through, and I was thrown into the forest. He had closed the portal before I could run back through to him,¡± I tell him. ¡°Why didn¡¯t he step through with you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it was as if he knew there was something worse out there than the hellhounds. I could feel your brother¡¯s power. He was strong. He could have taken them out,¡± ¡°That was one thing that never made sense to me. He could manipte those beasts, change their thought pattern, so when we showed up, and I saw his writing _¡± ¡°His writing?¡± I asked, a little confused. ¡°Yes, he used his blood to write on the pavement but died before he could finish. It said AL,¡± ¡°You thought he meant I killed him?¡± shame washes through the bond, and I know I am right. ¡°No, we thought you abandoned him. Left him for dead,¡± Tobias answers. He doesn¡¯t say much after that. Instead, we watch the fire burn for a while before he gets up and tells me he is going to have a shower. I watch him slip into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Yet I was still thinking of that night and how everything went wrong when I thought of Darius and him leaving. His words over the past few weeks whenever I mentioned marking him. It didn¡¯t seem like he was worried about what I would know so much, but more about how I would feel about him and what the others would find out. Yet I tried to wrap my head around what they could possibly find out that scared him. Unless it was to do with them? It suddenly clicked, and my eyes darted to the bathroom door where Tobias had disappeared to. Feeling for Tobias, I knew he was close by. Almost as if he was beneath us somewhere. I pull on the sensation of his bond, trying to feel sensation of his bond, trying to feel where he is. The more I pulled, the stronger the urge to go to him got when suddenly a portal opened up beside me. I blink, wondering where it came from. Standing, I stick my hand in before jerking it out when I realize I pulled on his magic from here. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Wherever he was, it was cold. The air felt different, icy cold. But it was definitely his power I could feel, and it was his power that I used to open it, my bond searching for his before ittched onto him and his location. ncing around the room, I step toward the portal, pushing my hand through it and shuddering at the cold draft. The suction of the portal pulls me in, and I step into a dark concrete room. I blink, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the darkness, when I notice lightinging from the other end. Just glimmers of light. I move toward it, my feet aching from how cold the floor was down here. Reaching the arched concrete doorway, I peer inside to find Darius leaning up against a bed. My eyes scan the room, wondering where I am when I hear a giggling noise making me look at the wall to find the glimmering light is actually images projecting onto the wall as if it were a movie. I watch, making sure to remain quiet, not wanting to alert him I am here, when I see a little girl¡¯s face popping up only to abruptly cut out. The room goes dark, and his thunderous growl makes me jump. I step closer to the door, peering in, when his voice suddenly sounds behind me, aking me jump. low did you get in here?¡± he snarls, and pin around to face him. I don¡¯t answer s question. Instead, I ask my own. Spread the love Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Read Tasting Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 31 ¨C ¡°What is this ce?¡± I ask him, looking around. This ce gave me the shivers like it was full of dark energy. It felt like I walked into a tomb or over someone¡¯s grave. Darius says nothing, making me look back at him to find his eerie demonic eyes watching me. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t havee down here,¡± he snaps at me as his hands m against the wall on either side of my head. The moment they do, lights flicker, and I hear the sound of a generator turning on, the fluorescent lights on the roof blink to life, illuminating the space. ¡°It¡¯s a bunker,¡± he finally says, pushing off the wall and stepping away from me. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I followed you. Don¡¯t ask me how because I don¡¯t know how,¡± I tell him, looking around the space. I find a tiny kitchen, a bunk bed, and scattered belonging that look old and abandoned. Drawings were on the walls in crayons and pastels, and teddies were on the bed with more dust than stuffing. I move around the space, looking around, yet I feel his gaze on my back as he follows me. Yet the more I looked, the more I was sure of where I was. ¡°This is where your mother and sister hid during the gue?¡± I ask him, ncing at him over my shoulder. He neither agrees nor denies, but I know I am right. ¡°Have the others been down here?¡± ¡°No, and you shouldn¡¯t be down here.¡± Turning around, I face him, looking him over. He seemed pissed that I intruded, but that are whanian but at least here, we had some privacy away from our mates. And maybe he might tell me something. ¡°Tobias is awake,¡± I tell him. ¡°He¡¯s having a shower,¡± he says nothing, just stares. ¡°We were talking about his brother,¡± I mention feeling the bond when he ms his walls up, blocking me out. But he wasn¡¯t quick enough, and I noted the sh of guilt that hit me. ¡°Tobias doesn¡¯t know, does he?¡± I ask him. ¡°Tobias doesn¡¯t know what. There is a lot Tobias doesn¡¯t know, Aleera,¡± Darius tells me, and I knew I was onto something. ¡°Doesn¡¯t know you me yourself for his brother¡¯s death,¡± I whisper. Darius stares at me for a few seconds. ¡°You think because I have guilt, it has to do with Tobias?¡± ¡°Does it?¡± I ask in return. ¡°You know nothing, Aleera, and you are opening closets full of skeletons that need to remain locked away,¡± ¡°That¡¯s what this ce is, isn¡¯t it? Your closet full of skeletons, though I don¡¯t think you realize the monsters you think you keep locked down here are spilling into your real-world haunting you. Wouldn¡¯t it hurt less to set them free?¡± ¡°Everyone has a past, Darius. It doesn¡¯t mean we should stay stuck in it.¡± ¡°Allowing you to mark me won¡¯t set me free, Aleera. It will only make you the next skeleton kept here.¡± ¡°Maybe I already am one of your skeletons,¡± I muse. Dariusughs, the sound as demonic as he is. ¡°No, Aleera. You aren¡¯t one of my skeletons. You¡¯re one of the gatekeepers. If I let you in, all this bes yours to live with, too. Don¡¯t you get it? It isn¡¯t just about losing them but protecting you, ¡°Protecting me from what? Your past, the shit you have done?¡± Darius says nothing, but I could tell he was getting annoyed with this situation, annoyed with me intruding on his privacy and creeping into his creepy bunker of sins. ¡°Tell me something, Darius. Because if you don¡¯t, I will keep prying until I figure it out for myself.¡± ¡°You killed my father. And I forgave you! What else could you be protecting me What else could you be protecting me from?¡± I scream at him. ¡°From me!¡± he screams back at me while stalking toward me, and the lights flicker as his power surges. ¡°Everything I touch, everyone I love, I kill, and you will be the same as the rest of them,¡± Darius snarls. ¡°Tobias, Lycus, and Kalen are still here, Darius. They ain¡¯t dead yet!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they? Look at Kalen, Aleera. I lost count of the amount of time he died because of me because he couldn¡¯t have you. I could have brought you home, and I didn¡¯t. Tobias, what I did, killed him, maybe not physically, but in here, I definitely killed a fucking part of him,¡± he punches his chest. ¡°I broke that and destroyed him, and Lycus, my father, destroyed because I swouldn¡¯t give him what he wantedl Yon wouldn¡¯t give him what he wanted! You think you know or want to know, but you don¡¯t want to live with the guilt of what I have done to our mates. That will kill you! ¡°he tells me, gripping my arms, his hands heating, and I know he is about to toss me back to our room. I hear the portal open up behind me as he walks me backward, and I grit my teeth, gripping his arms back and turning his magic on him. I warned him that I would find out what he was keeping from us, so instead of arguing with him; I plunged him back into my memories of the night Tobias¡¯s brother died. The cast fizzles at first as I try to siphon his magic, yet his resistance is hard to manage. But I am his keeper, and once my bondtched on to his power. I pushed it outward, setting the castpletely around, wrapping us inside a bubble of his power, a bubble of my memories. We stood watching it and my heart hammered as the memory pulled us. Though watching it was like reliving that horrid night, Darius¡¯ hand on my arms never left me as he watched the scene y out. ¡®Where are we?¡± Darius murmurs next to me. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I had portaled here. It was the one and only time I used my magic to portal,¡± I had told him. ¡°Why this ce?¡± he asks. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°I was looking for Astrid City. I tried to envision what Kalen had told me, and it sent me here, but nothing was here. I portaled to the wrong spot,¡± I whisper to him. Not that the memories of my past self could hear us. I was running, running for my damn life, which was a regr urrence now that I look back on it. I hade to a dead end and was trapped looking between the forest at one end of the parking lot. A forest that no doubt had worse things hiding within its shadow than what I was running from. ¡°That is Thomas,¡± Darius whispers, and I nod. Watched as he approached me in the memory, stepping out of the shadows of a portal. ¡°Well, don¡¯t you burn brighter than the sun? The first time I have seen a rainbow aura? I knew there would be something special about you,¡± came a voice that had me spinning around to face it. I find a man behind me. He smiled before hearing the footsteps of the Fae that were chasing me. ¡°He wasn¡¯t supposed toe for you. We told him to wait,¡± Darius murmurs. ¡°If he had, I would be dead,¡± I whisper, ncing at Darius over my shoulder before nodding back to where I stood with Thomas. The man turns, facing them and backing up. ¡°Run!¡± Thomas had screamed, and we took off across the pavement, running alongside the forest. The closer we got to it, the more I could feel the activation of the wards surrounding the ce. They were blocking me in. That realization made my blood run cold when a portal opened up ahead of us. What I wasn¡¯t expecting was for them to send hellhounds after me. The shaky portal opened up down the end of the parking lot, four of the beasts jumping through it andnding on the pavement. Thomas had grabbed my arm and ripped me back as the hellhounds came for us. Turning, I spun around to see the dark cloaked Fae blocking us from the other way, and my head whipped back and forth trying to keep an eye on the Dark Fae figures and the hellhounds stalking us when I stumbled as I peered at one of the Fae. Something about them was off. I could sense it. Sense the familiarity with them, which made me falter as they approached. Thomas lets off his magic, sending it flying toward the Fae, and they forced back when the hellhounds charged toward us. ¡°They wille for you,¡± He screamed when he slicked his wrist and opened up a portal. He shoved me, and I tried to grab his coat, but the portal sucked me in. ¡°You could feel her, couldn¡¯t you?¡± Darius whispers to me. My brows furrow in confusion as I watch myself get dumped into the woods. I was tossed violently against the hard ground and rolled into a tree. Lifting my head, I screamed as the portal shuddered just as I saw the hellhound¡¯s teeth rip into his coat. I jump to my feet, running for the portal to help him when it evaporates, leaving me stuck where ever he sent me. When I tried to portal back, I couldn¡¯t grasp his location. ¡°Felt who?¡± he doesn¡¯t answer my question. ¡°And you tried to go back for him,¡± Darius whispers as he watches me try to open a portal only for it to fizzle. I wasn¡¯t even aware of what city I was in or where I was within its limits. He blocked mepletely and now I was in a forest. God knows where and all I could do was pray he was alright. His power was strong. He should be able to fight the hellhounds off, but the Fae? ¡°These woods look familiar. Where did he send you?¡± Darius asks as the memory continues to y. I had walked in circles for days before finding a road, yet in the memory, I was able to speed it up to when I finally found a road. Darius curses. ¡°Of course, all we had to do was go home, ¡°Darius whispers, his hand on my arm as he watches me copse on the side of the road in exhaustion. ¡°The A wasn¡¯t for Aleera,¡± Darius murmurs. ¡°Pardon,¡± Darius looks at me, his hands clutching my arms tighter. ¡°I¡¯ll show you,¡± he whispers, and I found my memory being rewound and altered, and it was suddenly no longer my memory of the night but his. Spread the love Chapter 111 Chapter 111 Read Tasting Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 32 ¨C Darius was in some warehouse. He presses his hand to a wall and curses because of how low his magic is. Hellhounds followed him like obedient little pets, and I gasped, looking at him. And he swallowed when his phone rang. The hellhounds wandered off as he answered it. It was a three-way call; Tobias and Thomas¡¯ faces appeared on the phone. ¡°Thomas,¡± Darius says, watching his hellhounds look around. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Tobias asks his brother, who appears to be in a different location. ¡°I felt her. She is close,¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± Darius asks, whistling loudly and his hellhoundse bounding back toward him. ¡°Outside, Astrid,¡± Thomas tells him, and I blink, and Darius¡¯ eyes bore into mine, watching my reaction to his words. I searched for Astrid city and could never find it. When Kalen, words from months agoe back to me. It isn¡¯t a city but a name. ¡°Wait for us. We wille to you,¡± Tobias tells his brother. ¡°I think she is in trouble,¡± ¡°Thomas, wait for us. You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re running into,¡± Darius tells him, and his brows furrow when a scream sounds in the background. My scream. ¡°Thomas. Don¡¯t wait for us,¡± ¡°Sorry, brother, but this one is special.¡± ¡°Thomas, send me your location, now!¡± Tobias screams at his brother. ¡°Wait for us, Tobias. You need toe to get me. I am too low to portal,¡± Darius says. ¡°On my way, I mean it, Thomas, stay put, ¡°the phone cuts out, leaving Thomas and Darius on the phone call only. More screams sound, and it must have been when I escaped the first lot. I had burned so much power that night trying to escape them. ¡°Fuck, Darius,¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Darius tells him. ¡°I might not even be her,¡± ¡°¡®I know it is,¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that,¡± Darius tells him. ¡°She is right there, Darius. I can feel her power. She is¡­¡± The phone cuts out for a second, and Darius looks at his hellhounds and their location of Thomas, Darius tries to open a portal, but it falters dangerously. If he steps through it and loses the power, he could be lost between realms. He curses at the transparent matter flickers before looking at his hellhounds. ¡°Find her and kill anyone with her,¡± he snaps at his hellhounds, and they leap through the portal, yet when he nces back at the phone. ¡°Thomas, I sent some hounds to her,¡± he says, but Thomas is gone. The phone is dead, and he tries to call him back but gets no answer. He tries to Tobias, but no answer as he then tries to open another portal as panic sets in. ¡°You knew he went after me,¡± I whisper to Darius as he watches himself panic, burning his magic out further until burning his magic out further until Tobias finally reaches him. His handstched onto Tobias in panic, tossing him back through the portal. And I find myself back in the parking lot where it all happened. The scream that left him when he saw his brother¡¯s body was blood curdling ¡°The hellhounds that killed him were yours,¡± I whisper, and Darius nods his head, squeezing my arms. Darius, eyes scanned around for his hellhounds, finding them ughtered and their body parts strewn across the pavement. I swallowed as Tobias copsed beside his brother, trying to revive him. Wailing loudly, clutching his brother to him, whose body was torn apart. Darius moves me closer to them and points to the A written in his own blood beside his body. My brows furrow. ¡°You thought he meant me,¡± ¡°We thought it meant you abandoned him,¡± Darius whispers. ¡°But I didn¡¯t. He tossed me through the portal.¡± ¡°I know. Those woods surround Astrid,¡± he murmurs. ¡°Astrid?¡± I ask him. ¡°Yes, Astrid, home Aleera that is the name of the demonic kingdom, the castle. You were at home all those days. We just had to go home,¡± Darius murmurs as he walks over to one of his torn-apart hellhounds on the ground. ¡°The Fae you looked at in your memory,¡± Darius tells me as he turns around, Darius tells me as he turns around, looking at the scenery surrounding us in the memory. ¡°Yes, something felt familiar about them, ¡°I tell him as I watched Tobias break while Darius tried to pull him off his brother. ¡°¡®That¡¯s because she was your mother,¡± Darius tells me, and I gasp, spinning to face him. I shake my head at him. ¡°¡®The fae chasing you were power hunters, the same ones that came to the castle the other day,¡± he tells me. ¡°No, my mother is dead,¡± ¡°You know she isn¡¯t, and that is why you faltered, she felt familiar, and that¡¯s because she shares your blood,¡± The casted bubble fizzles around us as we are brought back to the present. I stared at Darius, his hand still gripping my arms and mine his. ¡°Tobias doesn¡¯t know,¡± I tell him, and he shakes his head. ¡°I killed his brother,¡± I shake my head. ¡°Not intentionally, but I did,¡± Darius tells me, letting me go. I clench my teeth. My mind goes back to the memory where I stood stunned for those crucial moments as I stared at that hooded figure. ¡°You didn¡¯t kill Thomas Darius,¡± he shakes his head, not agreeing with me. ¡°No, if you¡¯re right about that Fae, then you never killed him. My mother did,¡± I tell him. Spread the love Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Tasting Darkness [Tempting Darkness] By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 33 ¨C Darius and Aleera were gone when I woke up on the floor by the Phoenixes, I could hear the shower running, and Tobias was on the couch staring at his phone. ¡°Where is everyone,¡± I ask after shifting back. Tobias raised an eyebrow at me, and I knew he was still angry about me running off and helping my father. How could I have been so stupid trusting him? Was I that desperate for a connection to the very man who killed my mother? He robbed me of my childhood and almost cost me my mates. Losing Kalen again would have killed my mates and me. We could have lost not only Kalen but Aleera. I needed to be smarter next time, making it thest of my contact with my father. ¡°Tobias?¡± I ask while scooping up the Phoenixes to ce back into the crates. Tobias sighs, leaning down to help me. ¡°Kalen is in the shower, Darius and Aleera, I have no idea, but hopefully, working out their issues,¡± ¡°Issues?¡± I ask, and he clicks his tongue in annoyance. ¡°Aleera is going to shred anytime now, Lycus, so yes, Issues! If he doesn¡¯t let her mark him, we will never be at full power,¡± ¡°Jeesh, okay, sorry for bloody asking. I just woke up,¡± I tell him, wondering what crawled up his a**s. Tobias wipes a hand down his face and sits back. Ryze jumps off the windowsill and over to him, and I duck, not wanting to lose a damn eye. However, the oversized flying chicken was beginning to grow on me. Ryze walks along the back of the couch before dropping his head on Tobias¡¯s shoulder, before sliding down his chest like a slippery dip, and rolling onto his back. Tobias chuckles, scratching his tummy feathers. ¡°You know you are getting to be too big to be ap phoenix?¡± Tobias tells him. Ryze caws, swishing his tail behind Tobias¡¯s head. Yet I could sense something was seriously upsetting Tobias. He seemed to be in a strange depressing mood. His bond almost seemed sad. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I ask him, and he lifts his head, resting it on the back of the couch. ¡°Yeah, just Aleera was asking questions about Thomas,¡± he says, and I nod. Thomas was a touching subject for. Tobias, just as my father was a touchy subject for me. Kalen had no memories of his family. He only remembers the orphanage. ¡°Go shower. We need to find an alternative for the Phoenixes. So I wanted to ask the recruits, and I have to head into townter to buy food for them,¡± he tells me, and my eyebrows raise, knowing the recruits wouldn¡¯t like that, but then again, they did help us find them all and helped find them food. I nod, turning on my heel and heading toward the bathroom. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I step into the bathroom and stop, frozen on the spot. A magnificent body, pure goddamn perfection of lean muscles, stood under the stream of water. The sight of him is just what I need to feel my c*cke alive again. As if sensing my presence, Kalen nces over his shoulder and gives me a crooked smile. My eyes travel down his back and stop on his round a*s. The only thought in my mind is the image of my dick sliding between those perfectly plump cheeks, my hands gripping his a*s so tight that I leave bruises and ownership marks for everyone to see. I salivate at the view. I couldn¡¯t even remember thest time I had him to myself, and I nced at the door wanting to lock it so I didn¡¯t have to share him, but I knew that was a pointless idea. They would kick it in if they wanted into the bathroom, and the only thing that pulls me out of the trance is his chuckle. My c*ckes to life, fully erect, all attention on his *ss. I take a step closer, and his eyes are set on my dick. A grin spreads across my lips as he turns around and wiggles his eyebrows, pointing his finger down to his hard shaft. I¡¯m not the only one who feels like I¡¯ve been deprived of s*x, it seems. I lick my lips as I focus my gaze on his erection. It¡¯s nearly shining in the dim light of the one light he chose to use, water drips down his length, and I want nothing more than to drop to my knees before him and worship his c*ck until I get him so deep down my throat, I can¡¯t f**cking breathe. He snaps me out of the moment of fantasy when he reaches his hand closer, wraps his long fingers around my c*ck, and tugs on it to pull me under the stream of water. Once I¡¯m close enough, his lips attack mine, and with a loud groan, I force his back against the tiles as I thrust my tongue into his mouth. Every swipe is like a new sensation, like the first time! kissed him. I would never tire of Kalen; I¡¯m stuck on cloud nine as his tongue battles mine for dominance, and his taste overtakes my senses. ¡°F**ck,¡± he hisses against my lips as I grind my length against him. His breathing bes faster with every swipe of my tongue, every greedy grip I have on his body. Reaching my hand between our bodies, I grab our c**k and stroke his length from base to tip. He moans in my mouth, and I feel like I just took the only drug I¡¯ve ever been addicted to. The more I get, the greedier I be. Slowly, I slide my free hand behind him and grip his a*s. The action earns me another desperate moan from the captivating man in my arms, and I slowly slide my fingers closer to his crack. His body shivers, and for a second, I almost think it must be because he has spent too much time in the shower and must be cold, but I drop the thought at the sound of his whimper. Grinning, I p his a*s and let go of his pulsating c*ck to take a step back. I let my eyes take him in again, but unlike the confident man he was mere minutes ago when I stepped inside the bathroom, he¡¯s a flushed, panting, and whimpering mess of intense need and lust. I¡¯ve never had an effect like this on another man, and I¡¯ll be damned if I don¡¯t reward his as with a good nounding for the things his desneration pounding for the things his desperation for my c*ck does to me. I raise my hand and round my finger in slow motion to make him turn around. His eyes sparkle in excitement, and he follows my wordlessmand without question. F**ck, he¡¯s like y in my hands, so pliant and submissive- goddamn perfection. I grin and ce a hand on his back to push his chest against the tiled wall. The water still runs over our bodies, which makes this experience much better. We¡¯re moving like a well-oiled machine, with no words, just sounds of pleasure, passion, and need. He always has been. He just couldn¡¯t see it. His hand reaches behind his body to grab my c**k. That¡¯s all I need to start acting; an offering like that is one I can¡¯t pass on or deny myself of. My eyes scan the shelf of shower products as I reach for the shower head and turn it a little to aim the stream away from us. Once I noticed the small bottle of lube, one thing about having four mates was there was never a shortage of lube. He bucks and pushes his as closer to me right as I grab the bottle. ¡°Settle down; I¡¯ll give you what you want ¡°Ichuckle and open the lube. Kalen whimpers at the loss of bare contact we had as I take my hand off his back, but once he understands what I¡¯m doing, a shaky breath leaves his lips. I squeeze a generous amount of lube on my fingers and ce the bottle back on the shelf. Grabbing his cheek, I pull it aside to spread his a*s for me and reveal the grand prize. My eyes set on his entrance, the view alone makes my c*ck twitch. My balls feel so damn full and heavy; this would certainly relieve the blue balls from Aleera¡¯s impending shredding. Slowly, I round one slicked finger around his entrance and slowly push it inside as a loud hiss leaves his lips. His greedy hole s*cks in my finger, and he keeps pushing his as back to get me deeper inside, which is enough for me to add another finger. Slowly moving my hand and stretching him out, I finally get knuckles deep inside him. Deep enough that I can listen to those beautiful, needy moans escape his lips. Once I make sure he¡¯s stretched enough, I add the third finger, which makes him whine and push back against me. I pull my fingers out of his as, and my hand instantly shoots towards the shelf to grab the remaining lube. He grinds his as against my c*ck, and I have to restrain myself from pushing inside him like this. I love how tight he is around me, I enjoy his heat, but thest thing I want is to risk hurting him because he¡¯s in a rush for more pounding. ¡°Shh, slow and steady, baby,¡± I whisper and press my lips to his shoulder. A shudder runs through his body as I trace kisses along his skin and open the lube bottle to squeeze it over my erection. I pay extra attention to the tip of my c*ck and bite his shoulder once my hand squeezes the tip on instinct. ¡°Lvous hurry un ¡± Kalen whines ¡°Lycus, hurry up,¡± Kalen whines, bing impatient, and that is the moment I understand I don¡¯t hold the power to keep him from what he wants Since Aleera hase back to us, I have noticed his demand, his voice finally returning after years of just doing as he was told, merely functioning. Yet now he had more confidence, I felt it when he f**ked her, and she let him have control, almost as if she sensed his need for it. Kalen was never one to ask or make demands, and I loved that Aleera was helping him find his voice when for so long he had none, not even I could bring that out of him. I pull his cheek aside again and position the tip of my c**k against his hole. Now, a shiver of anticipation runs through my body. ¡°Brace yourself, baby,¡± I growl and m inside him. One damn thrust, and I¡¯m balls deep inside his heat. ¡°F**ck,¡± I groan and grip his hips tightly. Though I expected whining orining, he does none of those things. Instead, he moves his hips slightly to indicate it is okay for me to start moving I start slowly, withdrawing and pushing back inside him without any rush, but once he starts moving and meets each of my trusts, the deeper I get, the more of my mind I lose. ¡°Harder!¡± He demands, forcing words through gritted teeth, his hands braced on the walls pushing back against me. I tighten my hold on his hips and pull his a*s towards me on every thrust inside him. I don¡¯t let go of him even for a second as I slowly lose myself to sensations. Kalen moans, a panting mess in my hands. Over and over again, he whines and begs me to go harder or faster on him Iply with each of his demands, whatever he wants. I¡¯ll give it to him. And with a hole and body like his, I doubt there is anyone who could refuse him anything. Reaching around him, I grip his c*ck, stroking his length in time with my thrusts. I tighten my jaw and grit my teeth as I feel his hole pulsate around my c*ck. Just a few more thrusts, and he screams out as his cum paints my shower wall. ¡°F**ck, that¡¯s hot,¡± I groan and add a little more force to my movements. I thrust once more, as deep as I can get, and empty my balls inside him as he moans at the sensation my hot cum creates. We stay pressed against the wall and each other for a while until my dick softens, and I can pull out of him. The same as earlier, he whimpers at the loss of contact, so I press my lips to his shoulder. Someone clears their throat behind us. And I know it¡¯s Tobias. I could feel his arousal loud and clear and his presence behind me. Turning around, Tobias was leaning against the door frame. ¡°Thanks for the invite,¡± he says, and Kalen chuckles, stepping out of the shower and reaching for his towel. He moves toward Tobias and pecks his cheek as he stops beside him. ¡°He¡¯s all yours,¡± Kalen chuckles, and Tobias¡¯s eyes darken, turning a deeper shade of red as his fangs protrude.¡± Kalen!¡± I hiss, but he justughs as Kalen!¡± I hiss, but he justughs as Tobias kicks the door closed and starts lugging his shirt off. ¡°I thought we had to speak with the recruits?¡± ¡°We have plenty of time. Aleera and Darius aren¡¯t back yet.¡± Tobias says, gripping my shoulder and shoving me against the shower wall. ¡°Your a*s is mine first,¡± heughs. I roll my eyes, and he sinks his teeth into my neck.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Read Tasting Darkness [Tempting Darkness] By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 34 ¨C Aleera POV I almost stumbled back as the full realization of what I had just said hit me. I understood it, but knowing it and believing it were two different things. One does not want to believe they were raised by monsters. Because if they were monsters, what would they make me? My mother? She¡¯d been the source of everything that had terrorized us for so long, or was I missing some vital piece of information. I had uncovered so many secrets, yet not nearly enough to have a clear picture. She¡¯d been the one that had ruined everything for us before we even got to begin yet no matter what something felt off. Too many secrets and too many lies. I wondered when It woulde full circle, when the lies would pile too high and it would break down the walls and spill only truth. ¡°No,¡± Darius whispered. He shook his head. There was no hesitation in him.¡± Don¡¯t me yourself, Aleera. You couldn¡¯t have known,¡± Darius tells me, feeling my tumultuous guilt. Darius opens up a portal leading back to our room. Reluctantly I step through it to find Kalen getting dressed. ¡°I was wondering where you two went,¡± he says; I swallowed, picking up on Darius ¡®nervousness behind me. ¡°Everything okay?¡± Kalen asks me, and I nod, moving toward Ryze, where he is perched on the windowsill. I scratch his tummy feathers. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Darius asks Kalen. Kalen seemed to be in a very excitable mood today. I couldn¡¯t help but notice the change through the bond. ¡°Into town, we need more Phoenix food,¡± ¡°Not by yourself, you¡¯re not,¡± Darius tells him. Kalen smiles at him as he does up his shoce. ¡°With you and Aleera, of course,¡± he says, tying the other shoce. ¡°I am not sure about Aleera going into town, Kalen, maybe you both stay here, and I will go. It is safer that way,¡± Darius says. ¡°Safer by yourself? Have you forgotten what she is? The safest ce is beside her, and god help you if you are against her,¡± Kalen chuckles, and I smirk. ¡°Really?¡± Darius says, eyeing me c***kily. ¡°Yep, if she wants to, she would cook your a*s, and you know it,¡± Kalen says, nudging him. I fold my arms and stare at him. ¡°Hear that your a*s is toast,¡± I tell him. Darius chuckles, shaking his head. ¡°Don¡¯t get too c**ky. Everything you have done is ruled by emotion. You may have infinite power, Aleera, but that doesn¡¯t mean you know how to use it,¡± I roll my eyes at him, turning back to Ryze. ¡°I know how to do one thing,¡± I tell him.¡± And what is that?¡± Darius whispers, making me jump when I find he is suddenly behind me. ¡°I can control the phoenixes. If I can¡¯t fry vou they will for me.¡± Dariusughs and you, they will for me,¡± Dariusughs and looks down at the crates of birds. ¡°Those plucked dodos look real dangerous,¡± he says, and I lean forward and peer out the window seeing the biggest of my flock flying up high in the sky with the others. I whistle and stand back. We hear a mighty screech before the wind, as loud as a hurricane, blows past the windows as he fl***ps his giant wings outside the window looking in. ¡°You were saying?¡± I ask Darius. ¡°That I love your oversized ming pigeons,¡± heughs, shooing my phoenix away. He fl***ps his wings a few times, hovering in the same spot for a few seconds before taking off. ¡°Fine, you cane. But stick close,¡± Darius tells me just as the bathroom door opens and Tobias and Lycus hop out. Lycus is covered in bite marks, and it was obvious what they were doing in there. ¡°So, what¡¯s going on?¡± Lycus asks. ¡°Nothing that concerns you. You are housebound until further notice after your little stunt,¡± Darius tells him, and he groans, stalking toward the closet to retrieve his clothes. Tobias kisses my cheek as he passes me, also going to get dressed. Everyone was on edge when we headed into town for the first twenty minutes. We didn¡¯t bother with the car this time, instead taking backpacks and using the portals. I had hardly any magic when I left, but Tobias was staying behind with Lycus, to let me siphon his power until I returned. Yet his power was burning through me fiercely, and the longer we were cleaning out the grocery stores of mince, rice, and spam, the hotter I became. Moisture dampened my panties as I moved toward the freezer section. I was tempted to stick my head in one of the freezers just to cool down when a set of arms wrapped around my waist. I peer over my shoulder, his bare skin offering relief, and I lean back into him when it washed over me with startling rity. F***ck! Darius ties his jacket around my waist.¡± You¡¯re bleeding,¡± he whispers in my ear, making me look down. That exins why I feel so hot then. Yet could it have worse timing? This couldn¡¯t havee about an hour ago while still at the castle. ¡°Kalen, watch Aleera. We need to get out of here,¡± Darius calls to him. Kalen looks up from the shelf he stands in front of.¡± What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°She is going to shred soon. We need to get her home before any power hunters pick up on her,¡± Darius growls. ¡°Cr**p,¡± Kalen curses,ing to a stop by my side. He looks down at my ruined pants. Why oh why did I choose today to wear white tights? ¡°Get her out of here!¡± Darius snarls suddenly from somewhere at the front of the store. Kalen doesn¡¯t hesitate, tossing his hands up and opening a portal before shoving me toward it. Panicked, I look toward the front as Kalen tries to push me through the portal. ¡°Aleera, he will be fine,¡± Kalen tells me when I see a hooded figure walk across the aisle we were instim Cursing Ishove the aisle we were just in. Cursing, I shove Kalen through the portal, shutting it, knowing Darius would need help if power hunters were here. Yet as I race past the middle aisle, a hand reaches out and grabs me. I toss up my hands, sting them with power, but it bounces off the shield and smashes into the roof, blowing a hole in the ceiling and cutting out the lights. Yet as I peered through the shield. ¡°Aleera,¡± she breathes. ¡°Mum?¡± I ask, staring at a woman I thought was dead all these years to learn she worked with the power hunters. ¡°I knew it had to be you when Waylen picked up on your magic. He said it red off like a beacon, so strong, so beautiful,¡± she whispers, cupping my face in her hands. I push her hands away, and she nces down the aisle behind her. I was in too much shock to do anything other than stare at her. I knew I should probably be running from her. ¡°Who is Waylen?¡± I was unable to form a coherent thought; I was too shocked at actually seeing with my own that she was alive. ¡°He is Dark-Fae, also a power seeker,¡± my mother tells me, and I blink at her. ¡°We haven¡¯t got much time. I¡¯m not sure what Darius has told you,¡± she says, grabbing my arm. She nces around nervously. I look at her hand on my wrist as she tugs me toward the back of the store. I hear fighting at the front of the store. I jerk my hand out of her grip, and she stops. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°You attacked us,¡± I tell her angrily. She shakes her head. ¡°No, as soon as they said there was a Harmony-Fae. We couldn¡¯t leave them there in his hands; I just got lucky that it was you. We were trying to save you,¡± ¡°We have to go, quick while Darius is distracted,¡± she says, but I pull out of her grip. ¡°I know dad is responsible for the gue, ¡°I tell her, and she tilts her head to the side, watching me. ¡°Is that what he told you?¡± she chuckles and shakes her head. ¡°I knew they got in your head Aleera didn¡¯t think you would be silly enough to believe them,¡± she says, looking disappointed. ¡°You and dad tried to kill me,¡± I tell her, and she seems outraged at my usation. ¡°No, he killed your father and blocked us from getting to you. I looked for you for years, but they put some cloaking spells on you. Not even Spark could find you, we used to follow him and hope he would pick up on your magic when he went missing. We thought he was killed, though I am d he has been with you all this time,¡± I shake my head. ¡°Spark?¡± I ask knowing that was the name of my mother¡¯s phoenix. She nods her head. ¡°We lost him a few times over the years, you know how Phoenixes are with Dark Fae, he always turned on me eventually, and we had to kill him, but then he went missing and I saw him protecting you, we figured he went looking for his baby, then we saw he was with you,¡± ¡°Wait, my Phoenix, Ryze?¡± I ask her. ¡°The little one? You named her Ryze?¡± she asks and I nod my head. ¡°No, your little Phoenix, Ryze is Spark¡¯s daughter, she was unbonded,¡± my mother tells me. Wait, Ryze is a girl?¡° The biggest one of your flock, that is Spark, Sweetie. My Spark, or he was before,¡± she smiles sadly. ¡°He neveres close only a few times and they weren¡¯t good times, but he always followed me. He still recognized me, just not my magic, he went missing when your Phoenix did,¡± she tells me. ¡°I guess he is yours now,¡± she tells me before ncing around nervously. ¡°Come we need to go,¡± she says but I pull away from her, still untrusting of this woman. Yet she was mum and she wasn¡¯t trying to hurt me. My mother grips my arms and nces down at my ruined pants, and heat floods my face. She clicks her tongue. ¡°We were good parents. We loved you. Why would we hurt you?¡± she asks, and my brows pinch together. They were good parents; I never knew this evil side Darius ims they had. But what of Darius¡¯ memories I had seen where my father stood over him as a small boy? ¡°I can prove it,¡± she says, letting me go and taking a step back from me. ¡°How?¡± ¡°You¡¯re about to shred,¡± she says, reaching into her pocket. She pulls a stone from her pocket when I hear Kalen call out my name from another aisle, having portaled back. She thrusts the stone at me. ¡°I am on your side Aleera. Your mates are the bad ones, rub this stone when you need me; I will be able to find you.¡± she goes to turn away from me. ¡°Wait, how can I trust you?¡± I ask her, knowing better after everything I learned. She nces down at my ruined pants. ¡°Because I know Darius wouldn¡¯t risk the things he has done getting out. That man is responsible for everything, everything, Aleera. You¡¯ll see for yourself,¡± ¡°Your words prove nothing. Why shouldn¡¯t I just kill you,¡± ¡°Then you would be killing an ally, not an enemy. You want proof, ask Darius to let you mark him; it will be in his memories, ¡°she tells me, and my face falls. ¡°And judging by that look on your face, he won¡¯t, will he? That should be enough of an answer.¡± ¡°I know his reasoning,¡± I tell her, hearing Kalen call out my name again. ¡°You know what lies he fed you. I know the truth and when you want to know too,e find me, Aleera,¡± she says, pointing to the stone in my hand. ¡°His father is responsible for the gue. We tried to stop it. Instead, we were cast out and called criminals,¡± she tells me before opening up a portal and stepping through it. ¡°Then he and Tobias tried to kill us. We tried to stop him from getting to you. But he sealed your room when he recognized you were his keeper,¡± I shake my head, not wanting to believe her. ¡°No, you sealed me in; you tried to kill me,¡± my mother shakes her head. ¡°No, baby. No, we didn¡¯t. A seal can only be broken by its manifester. How else would he have got you out?¡± she tells me. ¡°I am so d we found you, sweetie,¡± she says, blowing me a kiss before closing the portal and vanishing. I stared at the spot, feeling somewhat confused. ¡°Aleera!¡± Kalen calls out, and I turn around, looking for him. Yet I find Darius first, and momentster, Kalen finds me. ¡°I told you to get her out of here,¡± Darius snapped at him. Kalen pressed his lips in a line, and I quickly pocketed the stone. ¡°Sorry, I wanted to help you. He did try,¡± I told Darius, not wanting him to get in trouble. I knew I should tell them about the sighting of my mother ut for some the sighting of my mother, yet for some reason, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say the words. Suddenly I doubted everything Darius and the others told me. ¡°Come on,¡± Darius says, opening a portal. ¡°In! I will grab everything and meet you at home,¡± he snaps at me before not giving me a choice when he shoves me through the portal and into Tobias¡¯s waiting arms. Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Read Tasting Darkness [Tempting Darkness] By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 35 ¨C Stumbling into the room the portal closes behind us, Darius didn¡¯t step through but Tobias steered me toward the bathroom and I could feel how ufortable he was. I could also tell he was breathing through his mouth so as to not inhale my scent. ¡°But Darius,¡± I tell him. He shakes his head and points to the shower, clearly not trusting himself not to talk. I wasn¡¯t aware it was about shredding that made him almost rabid. I also didn¡¯t want to know but it must be a vampiric-fae thing because I remembered the strange Vampire from the store the first time. Shutting the door, I strip my clothes off before stopping when I feel the stone in my pocket. It kind of looked like a moon stone, shaking my head. I turned and started the shower before trying to figure out what to do with it. Hearing the door open I panic and drop it into the bowl that sat between the basins full of bath bombs. Kalen steps into the bathroom just as I turn back toward the shower. He holds up some clothes and sets them on the basins just as I step under the water¡¯s spray. He turns around to face me before spotting my ruined clothes. ¡°Darius back?¡± ¡°Lycus went to help him,¡± Kalen tells me before twisting his wrist. ¡°Wait!¡± I screeched but it was toote as he incinerated my pants on the tile floor. It was so odd seeing Kalen use magic considering he was powerless when I first came here. on them were my favoritaman.¡± I buff ¡°Ah, they were my favorite jeans,¡± I huff. Kalen smirks. ¡°I¡¯ll buy you some new ones,¡± he chuckles and I roll my eyes at him. ¡°So are you hopping in?¡± I ask him wondering if he was intending to just stand there. Kalen shakes his head turning toward the door. ¡°No, I will sit with Tobias since no one else is here and you¡¯re in here smelling like a sweet dessert to him,¡± heughs before leaving me and I reach for the soap. When I finished Darius was back with Lycus and I got changed. Tobias, Kalen, Lycus and I moved the crates downstairs to the mess hall while Darius went to the recruits floor to tell them to meet us in the mess hall. Ryze flew above me heading down the flights of stairs and I watched her zip into the mess hall earning a scream from one of the kitchen earning a scream from one of the kitchen hands who must have been in there as he came barrelling out the doors with his chef hat on peering into the mess hall with a frightened expression on his face. I click my tongue and walk down thest couple of steps and past the terrified demon with a shake of my head. Ryze squarks from the windowsill she perched on. I whistle and she flies downnding on my shoulder just as I set the first crate down on one of the long tables. Momentster the recruits starting into the mess hall with Darius who was carrying bags of minces, spam and rice. He sets them beside the crates of baby phoenixes who chirped and bounced in their crates wanting out. The recruits look amongst themselves, some standing waiting for directions from Darius Rwe watches them as if they from Darius.Ryze watches them as if they were prey and by the looks on their faces they felt like it in her presents yet they didn¡¯t run like they usually did. Though none came too close to me with her perched on my shoulder. ¡°There are too many for us to look after so think of it as a parenting ss,¡± Darius tells them and they nce amongst themselves. ¡°Ah ¨C ¡± Darius holds up his hand cutting the man that stood closest off. ¡°All of you are alive because they died for you, now it¡¯s your turn to look after them until they are old enough to do it themselves,¡± ¡°They hate Demons!¡± Someone at the back called out. ¡°They can¡¯t hate you too much, they saved you all. You will do this or you know where the doors are,¡± Darius tells them. ¡°They won¡¯t attack you,¡± I tell them, before shaking the thought of what my mother said about Spark turning on her. ¡°Easy for you to say, you¡¯re a Harmony Fae,¡± The man retorts and I roll my eyes when Darius whistles. Ryze wiggles, opening her talons and clenching them painfully on my shoulder before flying over to him. She climbs up Darius¡¯ chest, opening her wings and wrapping them around Darius in some weird Phoenix hug. Murmurs break out. ¡°They answer to Aleera, they are her flock. Therefore you are part of their flock. Just don¡¯t p**ss them off,¡± Darius says stroking Ryze¡¯s feathers. ¡°Ain¡¯t that right boy?¡± Darius says. ¡°Girl, Ryze is a girl,¡± I tell him and he gives me a funny look. ¡°What?¡± Darius says. ¡°His beak though,¡± I shrug. Her beak resembled a male Phoenix which must clearly be a myth. ¡°I read you can tell if you check in its feathers,¡± Another suggests, Ryze¡¯s head twists like an owl obviously understanding what the man was suggesting. Her tonguees out like a snake as she hisses before she turns her head daring him to check. Darius fingers stroking her feathers stop. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to,¡± Darius tells her when her beady eyes re at him. She puffs out her feathers before flying over to me.¡± Definitely a girl,¡± Kalen chuckles behind Darius with a shake of his head. Darius waves them toe over to the tes. ¡°Sonick your chick and onbon crates. ¡°So pick your chick and grab one of the bags of food. You will be responsible for whichever one you pick. It dies, you die,¡± Darius calls out. ¡°But if they die, they get toe back,¡± ¡°But none of you will, so keep that in mind,¡± Darius tells them. ¡°But what if they attack?¡± Another asks. ¡°Then run, run really fast, you might stand a chance,¡± Tobias tells him. Reluctantly the men step forward looking in each crate for a chick to look after. ¡°Ah, they are kinda cute,¡± one man says wiggling his finger in front of its face. The Phoenix jumpstching onto his finger and he shrieks, shaking his hand but it refuses to let go. Darius smacks the man up the back of the head. He freezes his finger bleeding and Darius pry¡¯s its tiny little beak open and the man sucks his finger ¡°I don¡¯t want that one,¡± he says, scooping a sleeping one out and putting it in his hoodie pocket. He sn***hed up a bag of feed and walked out while I tried not tough at him. By the time each one had picked a Phoenix we were left with only three which we could manage ourselves. Over a hundred was impossible. I carry the three remaining Phoenixes up stairs back to our room. And set them inside a smaller wooden crate while Darius and Kalen set out some straw building a makeshift nest. We ended up keeping the biter, he wasn¡¯t friendly with any of the men so he came back with us and Kalen dered he was naming him chomp. But we still needed names for the other two. Ryze peers into the crate watching them as if they were her babies. ¡°How did you figure out she was a girl?¡± Darius asks and I look over at him. I shrug. ¡°Just a feeling I got.¡± I tell him but he eyes me suspiciously and I knew he could feel my deception. ncing at Tobias he also watched me and I gulped. ¡°Aleera!¡± Tobias growls, able to read a lie effortlessly since it was one of his gifts. The room falls quiet and I feel all their eyes watching me and I sighed knowing I wouldn¡¯t be able to hide it from them. ¡°In town I saw my mother,¡± I tell them, chewing my lip. Now that seemed to surprise them. ¡°And you didn¡¯t think to tell us?¡± Darius snaps at me. ¡°There was nothing to tell, she didn¡¯t hurt me, she wanted to talk to me,¡± ¡°About what?¡± Tobias demands. ¡°About what?¡± Tobias demands. ¡°She told me Ryze was a girl, that she was Sparks daughter,¡± ¡°Spark?¡± Lycus asksing to stand beside Tobias. ¡°The Biggest Phoenix, the one that talks fluently, that is Spark. He used to belong to my mother, she said he went missing a while ago and she thought he was dead. But she said he was mine now,¡± ¡°Anything else?¡± Tobias asks and my eyes go to Darius. Darius sighs and presses his lips in a line. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, she is safe, that is all that matters. You and I will discuss thister,¡± Darius says looking at me. I nod once turning back to the chicks in the crate. Tobias, unhappy with that answer, tries to argue but Darius is quick to make him stop. ¡°What about the other two?¡± I ask, changing the subject. Kalenes over and peers inside the crate. ¡°We have Chomp, and that one is Darius¡¯ little buddy,¡± Darius leans over looking in the crate and he huffs. ¡°It is too,¡± he chuckles, reaching for it. It jumps into his hand and hobbles up his arm before burrowing beneath his shirt and I realize it was the one he was kissing the other night in his hoodie. Darius makes kissy faces at it while we all stare at him. This man was not affectionate, yet was kissing one of the deadliest birds in the world like it was a kitten despite the fact they hate Dark-Fae. ¡°So what are you going to name it?¡± Tobias asks him, leaning over to scratch its tiny head feather as it licks Darius¡¯s puckered lips as he smooches it. Darius seemingly shakes himself and looks around as if he forgot we were watching him. He clears his throat. ¡°Ah, bird?¡± Darius offers and the Phoenix hisses clearly not liking that name. ¡°What about Ember?¡± Lycus says the bird hisses at him. ¡°me?¡± Lycus offers and the bird falls quiet. ¡°me it is, then,¡± Darius tells the bird as it rubs its beak in his chest hair that was showing from the top button of his shirt that was unbuttoned. ¡°What about the other one?¡± Tobias asks. We all shrug out of names and he sighs.¡± Ashes?¡± Tobias says giving the bird an option but it was fast asleep on its back dreaming of something with the way his little pudgy legs were running in the air ¡°Sleepy?¡± Lycus says and Tobias shoots him a look. ¡°Dopey?¡± Kalen chuckles. ¡°It isn¡¯t a dwarf!¡± Tobias says. ¡°Fine, Ashes it is,¡± I tell him not wanting to listen to them fight over names. Tobias smiles smugly like he won something.¡± Fine, since you named it; you feed it,¡± Lycusughs. ¡°Wait, but you¡¯ll help?¡± Lycus and Kalen shake their heads. ¡°Nope, they are all yours, so don¡¯te crying to us when they pluck your eyeballs out,¡± Lycus says with a shudder falling onto the bed. PreviouContent protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Read Tasting Darkness [Tempting Darkness] By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 36 ¨C Two Days Later. Aleera POV Darius was still refusing to let me mark him which made me suspicious after what my mother said. Yet if I couldn¡¯t trust my mates I couldn¡¯t trust anyone, but it should be the same with him. I stopped bleeding yesterday and each passing second my shredding grew closer, and my temperature grew hotter as power surged and died down in my veins as I stepped into the bedroom with Darius after showering and fighting with him in hushed voices. Tobias and Lycus wander into the bathroom behind me and shut the door lost in some discussion. I knew there was no point in telling the others. One I didn¡¯t want to upset Tobias, secondly that would not earn me Darius¡¯ trust by snitching on him to our mates. I red at this stubborn, beautiful, ignorant man. My rage grew like a match that was lit and quickly grew out of control. It became a ball of rage. It zipped through my veins, burning me from the inside out but it felt good. The pain was exquisite and I gloried in it. Even my vision turned red as I lost myself to my rage and the feeling of power bubbling and surging in me wanting release and wanting more, more power to awaken and strengthen me. My magic was gluttonous and no amount of power sharing seemed to ease it as I found with my rage it tossed me into the throes of the shred. I wanted, no, I needed with every fiber of my being to take my mates. I had to have them. I wanted to indulge in not only their bodies but their power as well. To fill myself to the brim with their cocks and magic. It was the most deliciously addictive sensation as it rolled through me from my toes to my head and I couldn¡¯t help myself as power rippled¡¯in my veins and died down making me crave theirs like some hungry subus. Nothing was going to stop me. I whirled away while Darius was still mumbling to himself over our shower argument. ¡°Aleera!¡± Darius called to me, finally breaking out of his stupor but I didn¡¯t look back instead my eyes fell on my mates who watched me like I was some predator. Darius may not give me what I want but I knew they would be all too willing to oblige assuming they didn¡¯t run from me first. It made no difference to me right now. All that did was completing this bond, settling the fire raging throughout my entire soul. Kalen was the closest one I spotted. He must have just finished getting ready for bed because he only wore Boxers low on his hips. His eyes flickered over me, taking in the differences I no doubt showed. A teasing smile touched his lips. He went to say something but he never got a chance to spit the words out because Iunched myself at him. My nails grazed his skin, drawing blood as I kissed him hard. It was all desperation and lust and the need to finally be one, a need for his power. I bit at his lip, catching his bottom one between my teeth and biting it hard until it split. I moaned at the metallic taste as it coated my tongue. There was something feral about this need inside and blood only heightened it. ¡°F****k me,¡± I whispered into his ear. I¡¯d already marked him, imed him as my own, but I needed him again, and this time I needed to be the one in control. I needed to be in control of all of them, force them down if I had to and take what I wanted. Bind them to me where they couldn¡¯t get away and I could feed off their power. Not even Darius would escape me this time if I had anything to do with it. ¡°Aleera,¡± he gasped. I mmed his back against the wall and Kalen growled. He grabbed me by my shoulders and reversed our positions, mming me hard against the wall. I moaned and wiggled beneath the roughness, loving every second. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you?¡± he all but purred next to my ear as he pressed himself against me. As if that wasn¡¯t the stupidest question ever asked. I shook my head at him, clicking my tongue in disappointment. I grabbed his boxer, ripping it off his hips with a strength that was almost savage as the fabric tore off him and grabbed his erect c**k. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter when you¡¯re this hard.¡± He groaned and stilled under my touch for only a moment before circling my hand with his and forcing me to stroke him. ¡°Is this what you really want?¡± he demanded. His eyes had grown ssy, his breathing labored. He smelled of sex and Lycus but I didn¡¯t care. I would smell like all of them before I was satisfied. I needed him and his power by any means necessary, as the power in my veins dwindled then burned only to dwindle so low it caused pain. Kalen growls and drops a hand on my shoulder and smiles seductively. ¡°One your knees then,¡± he growls, leaning forward and nipping at my lips. I bite him back just before he shoves me on my knees at his feet. ¡°Open your mouth,¡± he says gripping my chin, his thumb running across my bottom lip, teasing it. Opening my mouth I wrap my fingers around his c***k knowing what he wanted but I had never done it before. Yet I didn¡¯t hesitate wrapping my lips around the tin before I toolbim11 the around the tip, before I took him all the way into the back of my throat with one. shove, it got hard to breathe, and I gagged as he thrust into my mouth before pulling out. I re up at him and he smirks but raises his hands as if to say he wouldn¡¯t do it again so I suck on the tip, swirling my tongue around the tip and he groans. The hum of my mates¡¯s arousal was too strong of a siren song to just push to the side. I worked myself back and forth, gorging myself on him until he shuddered and worked his hand into my hair. He held me in position as he roughly f***ked my throat. ¡°F***k,¡± he groaned, hips working a mile a minute. I smirked beneath the assault. ¡°She¡¯s not going to be satisfied with that, ¡°remarked Darius from behind us. I lifted a brow but didn¡¯t turn his way. He wouldeter.¡± Kalen panted, but when given that look by Darius he knew better than to chase his own needs. He held himself still, the tip of his c**k twitching away inside my mouth. ¡°Darius.¡± ¡°Easy, get on the couch, Kalen. Spread your legs wide so she can ride you. This won¡¯t be over until she¡¯s finished shredding,¡± which shocked me to hear him say. For me to stop shredding meant marking all my mates. Had he changed his mind? Kalen jerked his head in a nod and grabbed me by my hair, dragged me off his c**k and took us both to the couch. He sat down and did exactly as he was ordered. ¡°I didn¡¯t need your help,¡± I snapped at him, still a little angry at him after our tiff in the shower. Still, I didn¡¯t waste the opportunity. I climbed on top of Kalen¡¯s desperate d***k and let it sink inside of me deep. As it slid in, the burning that spiraled out of control abated as my hands heated on his naked skin, absorbing his power hungrily. ¡°Move your hips,¡± Darius ordered. He didn¡¯t have to tell me twice. I worked my hips back and forth in a tempo that would make a belly dancer jealous. No matter how fast I moved, it was never enough. Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Read Tasting Darkness [Tempting Darkness] By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 37 ¨C Kalen grabbed my hips, moving me to his own pace. He thrust inside long and hard and I settled for his slower but deeper rhythm, it made the madness inside me simmer instead of boil. Darius continued to watch from his position leaning against the wall. His eyes were hungry, but he dared not touch us, instead he took his pleasure posing us like his own personal dolls. My release built inside me like a bubbling geyser. Kalen¡¯s grip increased, his fingers sinking into my a***s as he thrust harder into me and he growled in my ear. That deep vibrating growl was my undoing. I came hard and copsed on Kalen¡¯s chest. I kissed his neck before biting at his mark. It made his c**k twitch inside me as he too hit his limit and he spilled himself into me. It wasn¡¯t enough. The burning wasing back, building stronger and stronger inside of me, desperate for a release. I sensed their presence as Tobias and Lycus came out of the bathroom, water droplets still pearling on their bodies and dripping from their hair. I climbed off of Kalen without looking back, feeling possessed and drawn to them like a moth to me. Lycus. My bond wanted him, tugged me toward him wanting to im him. He gave me a crooked grin as I eyed him like a piece of meat. ¡°Like what you see?¡± he suggested with a wiggle of his hips. His fully erect c***k bounced with the action, ¡°Aleera, on the couch,¡± Darius ordered.¡± Kalen, get to the side, you can watch her with me. Don¡¯t interfere with this,¡¯ I didn¡¯t hesitate. Obeying Darius brought me pleasure, and even in this state, that was true. I got on the couch and spread myself wide. My entire body was so sensitive that the lightest brush from my mates was enough to make my body gush with wetness. ¡°Lycus,¡± I moaned his name, reaching out for him. He didn¡¯t hesitate. He came at me with that crooked grin and dropped to his knees in front of me, ¡°you can have all the d***k you want, but I¡¯m feasting on that p***sy of yours first, Aleera.¡± My head tipped back to the back of the couch as he grabbed my knees and pulled me to the edge of the couch. No matter how desperate I was for sex, I couldn¡¯t deny my mates to do whatever they wanted to my body. I was their ything, and I lived for it. I spread my legs wide but it wasn¡¯t enough for him, he jerked them to the side and leaned down, covering my cl**t with his tongue. And God what a talented tongue he had. Not only was he good at having a fast response, but the way his tongue flicked over my cl****t in fast long strokes made my insides squeeze together. I panted as he brought me to org*****m within seconds. But my greedy mate wasn¡¯t close to finishing. Instead of slowing down, he plowed me through the bliss, forcing my body to jerk. He held me down, devouring me, sucking away at the juices as they left my body, sucking hard onto my cl***t in what might have been pain but felt so good I was losing my go****amn mind. The fire inside practically purred. This roughness made it all better. I wanted to be ripped apart and to have my insides feasted on. I wanted them to f**k me so hard I broke and could only beg for more. Lycus pulled away, what remained of my or***sm was on his lips. ¡°I want you so wet my c***k is going to go swimming inside you.¡± he growled. He went back to work and my eyes rolled to the back of my head as he took me to the brink, and f***king threw me off the side of it. My body tumbled through space and time, jerking in his hold. Tobias watchedContent protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. us, hunger glistening in his eyes, but Lycus wasn¡¯t giving up his meal yet. Once I recovered enough to breathe the ba*****rd did it again. He sucked my cl*t into his mouth and bit gently down on it, almost to that delicious point of pain, but not enough to do anysting damage. I came so hard I thought I was going to ck out It wasn¡¯t enough. No matter how much my body shook, no matter how many times I trembled without being able to speak, I needed more, I needed his magic. ¡°There we go,¡± Lycus whispered. He kissed my thighs and pulled me down so my hips were just on the cushions. ¡°Now I can get nice and deep inside you,¡± He nced up at Darius as if making sure it was okay and Darius gave a short nod. Taking it for permission, Lycus surged forward and into me. His heavy c***k was curved at the right delicious angle that with every full stroke he brushed against my g spot. He took great satisfaction in watching my face as he rammed into me repeatedly. All I could do was grab onto his shoulders and hang on for the ride as he forced me to milk his c**k as earth shattering orgasm after another rocked through me. ¡°F***k,¡± Lycus groaned. It only made him thrust harder, hold my thighs open wider. He arched his back, thrusting deep as he could, filling me to the brim.¡± You¡¯re going to take it all,¡± he growled at me. I nodded, my eyes hooded. I was going to take it all, and not just what he could give me, but I was going to go after Tobias too. No one was going to be safe from this desperation that spiraled through me. Lycus growled as his body spent into me. Quick as an adder, I reached down and grabbed him by the shoulders, and yanked him forward, I dragged him up to me and bit deep into him, marking him as my own, iming him like I had Kalen, and it felt like his power exploded in my veins as I swallowed down his blood. I blinked rapidly as the back of my eyes burned and my vision turned white. The memories poured into me. My body shook as they hit one after another and the answering power that flowed with it. I felt myself falling yet trusted my mates not to let me crash wherever I was in the waking world. I blink rapidly, clearing the fogginess of my vision away. ¨C Lycus was kicking rocks on his way home from school. He appeared to live in a nice neighborhood. Yet as he got closer to home he groaned when he heard his mother and father arguing. From what I gathered from his thoughts this was a constant thing he would witness, Yet as Lycus walked up the porch steps and opened the door. Tossing his bag in the corner of the entry when he heard something smash before a loud thump. Lycus sniffs the air and scents blood before curiously walking down the hall to see if his parents were okay. In his child-like mind he knew they fought but that was it ;yelling and arguing but never was their blood. He knew his mother ruled the home and his father was a drunk but neverid hands on her. No he saved those fists for Lycus, and Lycus always took it, believing if he did his mother never would have to so as he stepped into the kitchen he was horrified by the scene thaty before him, his mother had her hands up in defense, blood coating the tiled floor red. And for the first time Iid eyes on this man, it was Porter. Lycus¡¯s father and he was as scary as he sounded. ¡°You f***king wh**re,¡± his father screamed angrily as she begged and sobbed on the floor, blood streaming down her face when his father brings the meat clever down on her head. Lycus¡¯ scream was deafening and blood curdling as he watched his father beat her head in, crushing her skull and spraying blood everywhere. He charged at his father wanting to save his mother but his father tossed him off, flinging him away and into the dining table. He brought the meat cleaver down again, caving her face in and a vicious growl tore from Lycus and his father¡¯s startled; looked over at him just as Lycus lunged and shifted. He tore into his father who was momentarily shocked at his son yet. Lycus, not understanding he had shifted only saw red, animalistic snarls tore from him as he yelled at his father. ¡°Of course you¡¯re that mutt¡¯s son,¡± his father roared at him and his hands turned ck with his dark magic as he lobbed the ball of shadows at his son. It wrapped around his face and Lycus suddenly couldn¡¯t breathe, his vision darkened as he tried to rasp in a breath and he didn¡¯t understand what was happening he understood he couldn¡¯t breathe before everything turned dark as he passed out. When he came to, it was to his father clipping a muzzle on him and he blinked up at his father. His father red down at him and for a few seconds he had forgotten what his father had done. ¡°Mum?¡± he murmurs yet no soundes out, just a strange whimper noise which confuses him when his father clips a cor around his neck. Lycus didn¡¯t understand, until his father yanked on it and he got a glimpse of himself in the ss sliding door by the back patio. He had shifted! Lycus stares at himself shocked and tilts his head to the side only for his father to jerk on the lead and rip him to the back doors. He was confused because both his parents were dark-Fae, yet for some reason he was were-fae. Only as he turns to try to run back inside does he see his mother lying dead in a pool of her blood. Lycus loses it and tries to break free when his father ties him to a tree and picks up a baseball bat. Each blow I felt, each blow grew harder as his father beat him from an inch of his life leaving the bat bl****dy, Lycusid in a pool of his own blood that had turned the grass and dirt beneath him into mud. He tried to shift back but couldn¡¯t, tried to break free but couldn¡¯t. His father was trying to kill him yet he kept healing before he would die. Yet Lycus wished for death as for days he endured his father¡¯s tortures, and learning of his mother¡¯s infidelity, until one day it stopped. Lycus lifted his head as he heard the sliding door open and he got a whiff of his mother¡¯s dposing body inside the house. His father was drunk yet again and angry only this time he didn¡¯t beat Lycus but grabbed the leesh and dragged him up the side of the house. Lycus was too weak to fight him, his body constantly healing had exhausted him to ¡ª- the point he had one broken back leg, his jaw hung limply as his¡¯ability to heal stopped. He was limp as he was dragged across the cold ground, the leesh strangling him but he no longer cared hoping he would die before whatever his father would try next. He passes out just as he hears a door open only to wake up tied to a step out the front of a huge stone building. He looks around in fear of his father. Yet doesn¡¯t see him, but sees his car driving off down the road. He whimpers before copsing yet as the sky turned dark and the snow fell, he shivered in the cold, and his bones ached more. If his injuries wouldn¡¯t kill him he hoped the cold would. My stomach twisted painfully as the memory faded and new one took its ce. Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Read Tasting Darkness [Tempting Darkness] By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 38 ¨C It was the day Lycus met Kalen, the day Kalen¡¯s bully beat him almost to death. Lycus¡¯ blood boiled as he watched for a few seconds before intervening, the rage inside him was like an erupting volcano. Grew hotter and hotter as the memories of his father standing over his mother and beating her to death returned to the forefront of his mind. He couldn¡¯t save her, but he could protect the boy being pummeled by someone much older. So that was what he did. Lycus¡¯s protective nature I watched grew to obsession. Kalen became his personal project to keep safe. Not only from the other kids but also from the teachers. Kalen was the weakest of the Fae. Lycus should have been like him, a dark Fae. And he couldn¡¯t bear watching the helplessness on his face, the same helplessness he felt tied to that tree muzzled and unable to fight back. Kalen distracted him and kept him intrigued as he watched who everyone called the strange boy, the outcast. Yet as he watched Kalen, he realized he was the strongest of all. There was something odd about Kalen, something dark and hidden, and for years Lycus watched over him waiting for him toe into his own, only for him to remain the same. It was odd seeing Kalen from Lycus¡¯s perception, he saw so much more than we did, saw a different side of Kalen I was yet to witness myself. A darker side that was destructive and dangerous, so much worse than I could have even known without his memories bing mine. Something drew him to Kalen as if they were mas, destined to collide on the same collision course. Lycus believed his growing feelings for Kalen were wrong until he no longer cared, and Kalen became his world, his infatuation. They were on their own, it wasn¡¯t much longer after they escaped the orphanage. They were living on the streets and in a dangerous neighborhood. Sleeping behind a dumpster one night by a busy nightclub. Some drunken men stumbled up the alleyway. Lycus tenses because there was something familiar about the scent he could smell. He believed he was being paranoid and shook the feeling away until one of the men stopped to urinate on the dumpster they were sleeping next to. Lycus eyed the man disgusted as he pi***ed on the ground. He growled and the man jolted clearly not seeing they were there. Yet his startled expression turned to a sneer as he looked them over. Kalen was fast asleep, unaware of the danger that surrounded them. The man was grubby, his light blue shirt stained and he quickly zips himself up and steps back. ¡°Look what I found?¡± he called out to his friends down the alleyway making Kalen jolt and wake up, he rubs his eyes as Lycus moves to get in front of him in a crouched position ready to shift. Kalen falls to the side not expecting Lycus¡¯s abrupt movement. Lycus growls as footsteps draw closer and Lycus¡¯ body twists, snaps, and breaks as the shift begins to take over. He would kill the man that dared try to touch Kalen. Yet before the shift took over the other three stepped forward and Lycus, stunned by his fear, froze as he set his eyes upon a man that starred in his nightmares for years. His father. His blood ran cold at the sight of him and his father looked at him as if he was the sc**m of the earth. ¡°Leave them, Patrick,¡± his father told the man in the blue shirt, not even acknowledging him. Yet the drunken man was looking for a fight andunched toward Lycus making me realize he too was were - fae. Bl**dy thirsty and lived for a good fight or hunt. Lycus doesn¡¯t hesitate to toss himself in front of Kalen to attack the man. Lycus took him down easily and his father watched with no expression at all, clearly impressed that Lycus was able to take down a wolf twice his size and without so much as looking exerted. Yet when his father whistles loudly, he realizes he was calling for more of his buddies until the alleyway turned into some makeshift fight club. Yet as time dragged Lycus grew weary and he realized his mistake. By defending Kalen his father knew had leverage against him. A way to use him and as three more circled men came into the alley and surrounded him he looked at Kalen in panic as his father moved toward him, where Kalen rocked with his hands over his ears having a full-blown panic attack. Violence was never Kalen¡¯s thing, nothing scared him more. He grabs Kalen by his hair making him cry out, yet Lycus was too far and surrounded. Yet that moment of distraction as he met Kalen¡¯s petrified eyes earned him a knife to the stomach as the demonic-fae plunged and piping hot glowing dagger into him. He howled, swiping at him as his blood spilled out onto the asphalt. The scream that left Kalen also distracted him as he turned to check him when the two other Were -fae jumped him, tearing into him. Lycus knew death wasing he didn¡¯t care, the only thing he cared for was Kalen who was screaming as his father started dragging him down the alleyway. ¡°Kill him,¡± His father told the other men. ¡°I will get a good amount for this one,¡± he tells the men attacking Lycus. Yet hearing that seemed to flip some sort of switch inside Kalen. And his father shrieked. He had no idea what Kalen had done, too focused on trying to remain alive as they tore into him. Yet when one of the were -fae whimpers and lets his neck go, the next one wails giving Lycus sight of what was going on. His eyes instantly searched the alley for Kalen, yet he wasn¡¯t by his father who stared off behind Lycus horrified. Lycus sta****ers to his feet in a panic looking for Kalen yet when he finds him, he is just as horrified as his father when a sh goes off making him twist his head to look at his father to see his phone in hand pointed at Kalen. Lycus¡¯ head turns back to Kalen, who seems almost possessed as he meanders toward the three men. The air around him thickened, the energy rippled and Lycus felt like he was suddenly suffocating in every bad emotion. Despair like he never felt before made him whimper, sadness so strong it broke his heart into a million pieces. Kalen¡¯s skin ripples as ck veins slivered across his bare arms and feet, he steps closer the aura emanating from him grew thicker, harsher, colder and that was when he realized what Kalen¡¯s gifts were, he was an empath and a strong one. Instead of feeling other¡¯s emotions, he forces them over the men that attacked him. Empaths were never considered dangerous, they usually channeled emotion, and they didn¡¯t use it as a weapon. Lycus didn¡¯t even realize it was possible as he watched Kalen force it over them as if it were an emotional cast, not a physical one. The men start wing at themselves, wing at their faces, their skin shredding it to stop the cold ache of the depression moving through them, Kalen was touching them, yet whatever he was doing was making them suicidal as they tore themselves apart, one man started mming his head into the concrete, bashing his own brains in the hard floor. The demonic-fae set himself alight, bing an inferno and thest one wed his own face off and ripped out his own throat. Kalen killed them without so much asying a finger on them, using magic that was considered harmless yet in the right hands could be used as a weapon. When thest man falls, so does Kalen as he exhausts himself and copses to the ground. Lycus limps over to him before hearing his father take off. Yet when the sound of sirens reached his ears, Lycus knew what would be of Kalen. Fae authorities would investigate and once they learned what Kalen did he would be shipped off. One thing the fae authorities and the council didn¡¯t like was power that was unknown because they couldn¡¯t control it or know how to defend against it. He would be a science experiment and ab rat. And Lycus wouldn¡¯t stand for that. So he forced the shift, forced his bones to realign, and screamed out when they did. His injuries not wanting to heal, and even with a broken ankle. Lycus leaned down, scooped him up, and tossed him over one shoulder, burning magic he shouldn¡¯t have, he opened a portal and stepped into a dark park. Behind some seedy strip club. Three days Kalen was out for three days Lycus kept watch and never left his side. Yet when Kalen woke he looked around in panic. ¡°How did we get here?¡± Kalen asked, clutching his head. ¡°I had the strangest dream,¡± Kalen mutters and Lycus watches him. ¡°You don¡¯t remember?¡± Lycus asks him and he could see the lost expression on his face. ¡°Did you get a chance to speak to the owner of theundromat?¡± Kalen asked. That wasst week and Lycus realized Kalen had not only no memory of that night but had lost almost an entire week. ¡°Yeah she hired someone else,¡± Lycus tells him. Kalen seemed confused as he took in his surroundings. So Lycus never mentioned that night but it made Lycus wonder if Kalen knew what he was capable of. So he kept it to himself. Yet Lycus noticed though, that the longer he went without his meds the stronger his aura got, the more unstable he got, and the more depressed. So he walked into the strip club and asked for a job. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. The manager told him Kalen could work the kitchens but he wanted Lycus on the floor. Lycus hated the idea, hated the idea of not having Kalen within sight. Yet after the first week, he had enough to put Kalen on his medication again. Worried that if he lost control like he did that night it would have him noticed by the authorities that Lycus would be powerless to stop. Yet Kalen¡¯s medication was extremely expensive when his father found him, once again. His father waited until his shift was over and Lycus did his best to ignore his presence. He knew Kalen was safe out the back in the kitchens, he just hoped Kalen didn¡¯t stumble out looking for him. As Lycus jumped off the stage, sn****hing up his tips. ¡°Your boyfriend, interesting gifts he has,¡± his father sneered and Lycus stopped. ¡°What do you want?¡± Lycus sneered at him. ¡°I noticed you going to the pharmacy a fair bit, talked to the pharmacist and his medication is expensive,¡± his father tells him and Lycus shakes his head about to walk off. ¡°I have a video of that night, I wonder what would happen if I handed that to the council,¡± his father said and Lycus growls turning on the man. ¡°Though I wouldn¡¯t have to, we coulde to an arrangement,¡± ¡°I have nothing you want, or I can give you,¡± Lycus tells him looking at the tips in his hand. He tosses it at his father who picks it up and counts it. He clicks his tongue. ¡°I¡¯ll give you halves, you will triple this,¡± his father says, handing the cash back to Lycus. ¡°And then no one has to see the footage of whatever that freak is,¡± his father sneered and Lycus snarled, his canines slipping free. ¡°The pits, I owe some people, bad people that would like to get their hands on your boy toy, if they knew about him. Come fight in the pits, it pays well, if you win it does,¡± Lycus shakes his head knowing that was suicide. ¡°You took down one of their best fighters the other night without breaking a sweat,¡± ¡°I am being nice Lycus; I could just hand this footage over, a manhunt is on, haven¡¯t you watched the news, they are looking for a serial killer. The entire city is in panic,¡± his father mocked. ¡°If only they knew that the man they fear is a pathetic dark-fae who isn¡¯t even aware of what he is, and a p***fter at that,¡± His father sneered. Lycus lunged across the table grabbing his throat. ¡°Speak of my mate like that again and I will f****king kill you,¡± he spat in his father¡¯s face. His father laughed, shoving him off. ¡°So you intend to take him as a mate?¡± ¡°Kalen doesn¡¯t see me in that way,¡± he admits, that hurt him more than he cared to admit. ¡°One night, help me pay off this debt and I will give you half the earnings to pay for his meds,¡± his father said and Lycus gritted his teeth, but they could use the money. ¡°When?¡± ¡°Midnight, tomorrow in the old drainage system under the city,¡± ¡°Think about it, Lycus. You don¡¯t want that footage in the wrong hands,¡± heughed before getting up and leaving. The next night, Lycus organized with his manager to get Kalen to work back so he could sneak off to it. Yet he knew he made a mistake when his father kepting back, using the footage over him to get him toply. After the first time, he refused and his father¡¯s thugs came to their tent while Lycus was working back one night. When he finished work that night and he stepped inside the tent he found Kalen beaten bl***dy with his pants around his ankles and a broken broom handle covered in bloody next to me. Before Lycus could react and help him, he was stabbed in the back. Literally, the knife plunged deep between his ribs copsing his lung before his father¡¯s voice sounded behind him as he took in a harsh pained breath. ¡°Next time I will have them kill him, ¡± Porter had whispered in his son¡¯s ear before twisting the knife making Lycus stand on his toes. Porter ripped the knife out, and Lycus went sprawling on the ground before he could turn to fight back his father was gone. Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Read Tasting Darkness [Tempting Darkness] By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 39 ¨C The majority of Lycus¡¯s memories were simr to that of Kalen¡¯s. Thing¡¯s I had already seen before. Yet hisst core memory was of Kalen¡¯s suicide, how Lycus Kalen¡¯s suicide, how Lycus watched his depression grow out of hand when I didn¡¯t reply to the chat group . I realized that all of Lycus¡¯s hate for me at the start was purely for that reason; he saw me as the person responsible for taking the one person who meant the most to him, the one person he spent the vast majority of his life protecting. Lycus saw me as the viin that repeatedly broke him and drove him to the edge. He med my absence for Kalen¡¯s destruction and med me for him killing himself. That hate only stopped that night in the basement when I took it from Kalen. Only then did Lycus see past his hate for me, only then did his opinion of me change. Only then did he realize I wasn¡¯t the enemy but the missing piece, their keeper and their mate but most of all the one that could piece Kalen back together again. Once thest memory hit me, I came out of it exceedingly fast. Thest time I shredded I was exhausted, but my bond was desperate, tugging me to finishpleting it, hungry for power, knowledge, and for them. Hours could have passed, yet I knew it was only moments that I was trapped in that state. Time wasn¡¯t in y at this time, and I was stronger. My body devoured his memories as if it devoured his magic fast, hard, and unforgivingly. My bond knew what I wanted and craved, and I knew what I needed to do. There was no other answer. My eyes opened to find Lycus hovering over me as he went toy me on the couch. ¡°Aleera?¡± he murmured as my eyes flew open. He seemed astonished, yet I felt the nervousness that washed through him at what I now knew, making me wonder if the others knew what Kalen was, yet the feeling I got from him they didn¡¯t. This one secret Lycus harbored and kept even from them. It made me wonder what secrets Tobias kept and ultimately, what Darius kept. Yet I didn¡¯t have time to ponder further as power surged in my veins, and tickled my veins as it burned cold, ice cold as his magic seeped into my bones and I could feel its icy tendrils filling and burning into my soul until that icy feeling started to boil, sizzle and turned my blood to moltenva. Lycus gasped when I practically threw him off of me. Only one other could satisfy this need inside me, this deep desire for power, a hunger that could not be satiated. This overwhelming urge to know, to put the puzzle pieces together. A deep desire to mend the bonds that were broken for so long, to repair my mates. After seeing Lycus¡¯ memories, I needed Tobias, and I would have him no matter what. If Darius tried to stop me, I¡¯d fight him down, however he remained where he was, still in the same ce. ¡°Aleera,¡± Darius growled at me. His voice was husky, and I could tell from the sharp outline of his body that watching me f***k, c****m, and mark our mates had done wonderful things to his insides. His c***k was straining against the fabric of his pants. He could pretend to be above it all if he wanted, but we both knew if he could get away with it without consequences, he would f***k me until I was a broken mess, then f***k the pieces until he shattered me. I would love every moment of it and so would he, he just didn¡¯t want anyone to know the dark desires that filled him, flooded the bond and I had a feeling our desires weren¡¯t so far apart, one in the same. ¡°What?¡± I snarled looking over my shoulder at him. He nodded to the couch again. ¡°On the couch. Kneel on it this time.¡± My bond wanted to rebel against his order yet I forced it down, knowing Darius could force my shred to end if he really wanted to, so it was best to give him what he wants then risk a needle in the a***s that would end it all likest time. Devilsbane would end this and even my bond recognized right now we were at the mercy of the shred and Darius so Iplied with his demands. My body quivered at hismand. As much as I wanted to say no, I also knew that Darius¡¯s orders brought unbearable pleasures like any other. I would drown in it and still be desperate for more. Tobias came behind me, kissing my neck and breathing against it.¡± On her knees,¡± he growled into my ear. ¡°You¡¯re mine now, Aleera. Darius wants to watch me f****k you. You¡¯re showing your true colors now my Naughty Girl. Kneel.¡± I didn¡¯t hesitate. I went back to the soaked couch cushions and knelt on them. The scent of sex surrounded me, but it did nothing to relieve the pounding in my blood, the thrum between my thighs. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Tobias kissed my a***s, the cushion dip behind me as he came to kneel behind me. He ran his tongue from the dip of my lower back all the way to my shoulder which he bit down on. I hiss as he breaks my skin before the euphoria of his bites sends my bond soaring, as his arm wrapped around my chest, pulling me up on my knees as he squeezed my breast. The warmth of his chest seeped into my back as he fed on me. Blood trailed down my neck, over my corbone, before running between my breasts. Lycus growls leaning forward and licking up the blood trail, his tongue following it back to my lips. Lycus kisses me and I kiss him back, the bond wanting them both when Tobias pulled his fangs from my neck, reaching for him with his other hand; he gripped the back of Lycus¡¯s neck, ripping his lips away, then crashed his lips against Lycus¡¯s. Kalen groaned at the sight of them and Darius cleared his throat making Tobias pull away from him, shoving him back as the high of his bite started to leave. Tobias grips my throat, tilting my head back. ¡°I never said you could kiss him. You¡¯re mine right now,¡± Tobias growled before he kissed me hungrily before I could protest that Lycus kissed me, not the other way around. My blood coated my tongue as he forced his tongue past my lips, kissing me deeply before he shoved me forward onto my hands and knees again. Pulling back, he smacked me with his open palm making one cheek burn with a sweet intense pain. ¡°Stay still,¡± he ordered. Darius continued to watch. He slumped onto the armchair across from us by the firece, kicking his pants off and revealing his own magnificent c***k. ¡°Again,¡± he ordered. He gathered the wetness that dripped from his eager tip and used it for lubrication as he watched the show. Tobias didn¡¯t need to be told twice. He smacked my a***s again, harder this time and on the other cheek. I moaned into it and he pet me. ¡°There¡¯s my good girl. Do you want another?¡± Whimpering, I nodded, my bond wanted whatever they would give me as long as it ended with power surging through my veins and my mark on their necks, it reveled in the pain and pleasure. I was walking a thin line between like teetering on a razor¡¯s edge, deliciously pleasurable, addictive and their arousal only enhanced mine. I pushed my a***s out against him. His very touch was like electricity, easing the ache inside me. ¡°More,¡± I whispered. Tobias pped me again, even harder than before. Dots of blood were left from where his nails had peeped turning to sharp points just like his fangs. The delicious heat of pain spread through my cheek and I writhed against him. ¡°Again,¡± Darius ordered with a grunt. His hand moved faster, still eyes locked on the both of us.¡± Keep going, I want to watch you paint her a****s red.¡± ¡°Hear that?¡± Tobias asked. He smacked me hard and I shivered beneath him. ¡°He wants your entire a****s to be red.¡± Tobias smacked the other side again making my entire body shudder.¡± Your greedy little bond will get what it wants after we give him what he needs.¡± He smacked me again and the burn spread over both cheeks, it was all over, but instead of hating it, I loved it. My outsides matched my insides at this rate, burning hot with desire. ¡°Good,¡± Darius panted. His eyes were hooded. His hips twitched as he thrust against himself, seeking his release. ¡°Now, you can take her, Tobias. Sink into that wet pu****y that¡¯s just begging for you.¡± Tobias nodded and pulled his hard c***k out, he pushed it against my burning a***s cheeks, teasing me. I pushed back against him, wanting him to sink into me. He chuckled and smacked my a***s one final hard time before ramming himself into the hilt inside of me. I was impressed my body could take this rougher than I was used to sex. Not only take it, but crave it. It was like some sinful creature had woken up inside of me and all I wanted was to feast this delicious mix of bliss and pain. ¡°Damn,¡± he grunted. ¡°She¡¯s so tight and so f***king wet.¡± I rxed against the cushions. I was more than willing to let him do all the work and savor the stinging bliss that worked its way through my system. The hunger that was creeping up on me again, I would need my strength. Yet as Darius got to his feet and came to stand by me, I nced at him. ¡°Yes.¡± Darius moaned. He bit his bottom lip hard, eyes trained on us. I couldn¡¯t help but crane my head to the side and keep getting glimpses of him. I loved watching as he stroked his enormous c***k.¡± Harder,¡± he ordered Tobias. ¡°She can take it. She wants it.¡± I nodded. I did want it. Tobias grabbed me by my hips and used them for leverage as he pushed my head low, and jerked my hips up higher. He plowed into me so fast and hard that I started seeing stars in my vision. I lost all sense of time; all I could focus on was how Tobias¡¯s c***k brushed against my inner walls and gspot in the most delicious way when he was rough like this. ¡°Faster!¡± Groaned Darius. But I wasn¡¯t sure if he was talking to himself or us anymore. His c***k jerked in his hand, Tobias jerked me up by my shoulder just in time as thick ropes of semen exploded out of Darius and across my face and lips. ¡°Lick it up,¡± he ordered me. I obeyed, which was difficult since Tobias hadn¡¯t stopped pounding me. I licked his c***k, and Darius groaned as I sucked on the tip, the salty liquid dissolved on my tongue almost with a bitter-sweetness I hadn¡¯t expected, and my bond whined when he stepped away, his c**k leaving my lips with an audible pop. Tobias held me in ce and pounded into me when with what can only be described as Vampire speed he pulled out of me and flipped me to my back before driving himself into me. I grip his shoulders before my bond goes berserk with its need to im him and overrides me. Tobias growls as my legs lock around his waist and my arms around his neck, but he relents letting me have control, and pulls me onto hisp, gripping my hips and mming me down on his c***k. I moan feeling my walls flutter and squeeze him while his teeth grazed and broke my skin as he sucked my skin, licking up the droplets of blood his teeth caused when I felt the walls inside me burst and power exploded in my veins. I absorbed him like a vacuum, his magic coursing through every atom and cell inside me, strengthening and tainting every part of me. We were both sent hurtling over the edge as my entire being squeezed around him, threatening to break him. As thest spasm pulsed through me, I sank my teeth into his neck; I would take what I needed from him too. He would be mine, and so would his memories and his magic. My power would be unstoppable. My surroundings blurred and I chuckled to myself at the falling sensation. Three down, one to go and I knew I saved the best forst because Tobias¡¯s power was far stronger then Lycus and my bond couldn¡¯t wait to get its h***ks into Darius but first I had to survive what Tobias endured, had to survive his memories and what I saw first sickened me to my core as my sickened me to my core as my scenery changed and I found myself in a new ce. Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Read Tasting Darkness [Tempting Darkness] By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 36 ¨C Two Days Later. Aleera POV Darius was still refusing to let me mark him which made me suspicious after what my mother said. Yet if I couldn¡¯t trust my mates I couldn¡¯t trust anyone, but it should be the same with him. I stopped bleeding yesterday and each passing second my shredding grew closer, and my temperature grew hotter as power surged and died down in my veins as I stepped into the bedroom with Darius after showering and fighting with him in hushed voices. Tobias and Lycus wander into the bathroom behind me and shut the door lost in some discussion. I knew there was no point in telling the others. One I didn¡¯t want to upset Tobias, secondly that would not earn me Darius¡¯ trust by snitching on him to our mates. I red at this stubborn, beautiful, ignorant man. My rage grew like a match that was lit and quickly grew out of control. It became a ball of rage. It zipped through my veins, burning me from the inside out but it felt good. The pain was exquisite and I gloried in it. Even my vision turned red as I lost myself to my rage and the feeling of power bubbling and surging in me wanting release and wanting more, more power to awaken and strengthen me. My magic was gluttonous and no amount of power sharing seemed to ease it as I found with my rage it tossed me into the throes of the shred. I wanted, no, I needed with every fiber of my being to take my mates. I had to have them. I wanted to indulge in not only their bodies but their power as well. To fill myself to the brim with their cocks and magic. It was the most deliciously addictive sensation as it rolled through me from my toes to my head and I couldn¡¯t help myself as power rippled¡¯in my veins and died down making me crave theirs like some hungry subus. Nothing was going to stop me. I whirled away while Darius was still mumbling to himself over our shower argument. ¡°Aleera!¡± Darius called to me, finally breaking out of his stupor but I didn¡¯t look back instead my eyes fell on my mates who watched me like I was some predator. Darius may not give me what I want but I knew they would be all too willing to oblige assuming they didn¡¯t run from me first. It made no difference to me right now. All that did was completing this bond, settling the fire raging throughout my entire soul. Kalen was the closest one I spotted. He must have just finished getting ready for bed because he only wore Boxers low on his hips. His eyes flickered over me, taking in the differences I no doubt showed. A teasing smile touched his lips. He went to say something but he never got a chance to spit the words out because Iunched myself at him. My nails grazed his skin, drawing blood as I kissed him hard. It was all desperation and lust and the need to finally be one, a need for his power. I bit at his lip, catching his bottom one between my teeth and biting it hard until it split. I moaned at the metallic taste as it coated my tongue. There was something feral about this need inside and blood only heightened it. ¡°F****k me,¡± I whispered into his ear. I¡¯d already marked him, imed him as my own, but I needed him again, and this time I needed to be the one in control. I needed to be in control of all of them, force them down if I had to and take what I wanted. Bind them to me where they couldn¡¯t get away and I could feed off their power. Not even Darius would escape me this time if I had anything to do with it. ¡°Aleera,¡± he gasped. I mmed his back against the wall and Kalen growled. He grabbed me by my shoulders and reversed our positions, mming me hard against the wall. I moaned and wiggled beneath the roughness, loving every second. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you?¡± he all but purred next to my ear as he pressed himself against me. As if that wasn¡¯t the stupidest question ever asked. I shook my head at him, clicking my tongue in disappointment. I grabbed his boxer, ripping it off his hips with a strength that was almost savage as the fabric tore off him and grabbed his erect c**k. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter when you¡¯re this hard.¡± He groaned and stilled under my touch for only a moment before circling my hand with his and forcing me to stroke him. ¡°Is this what you really want?¡± he demanded. His eyes had grown ssy, his breathing labored. He smelled of sex and Lycus but I didn¡¯t care. I would smell like all of them before I was satisfied. I needed him and his power by any means necessary, as the power in my veins dwindled then burned only to dwindle so low it caused pain. Kalen growls and drops a hand on my shoulder and smiles seductively. ¡°One your knees then,¡± he growls, leaning forward and nipping at my lips. I bite him back just before he shoves me on my knees at his feet. ¡°Open your mouth,¡± he says gripping my chin, his thumb running across my bottom lip, teasing it. Opening my mouth I wrap my fingers around his c***k knowing what he wanted but I had never done it before. Yet I didn¡¯t hesitate wrapping my lips around the tin before I toolbim11 the around the tip, before I took him all the way into the back of my throat with one.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. shove, it got hard to breathe, and I gagged as he thrust into my mouth before pulling out. I re up at him and he smirks but raises his hands as if to say he wouldn¡¯t do it again so I suck on the tip, swirling my tongue around the tip and he groans. The hum of my mates¡¯s arousal was too strong of a siren song to just push to the side. I worked myself back and forth, gorging myself on him until he shuddered and worked his hand into my hair. He held me in position as he roughly f***ked my throat. ¡°F***k,¡± he groaned, hips working a mile a minute. I smirked beneath the assault. ¡°She¡¯s not going to be satisfied with that, ¡°remarked Darius from behind us. I lifted a brow but didn¡¯t turn his way. He wouldeter.¡± Kalen panted, but when given that look by Darius he knew better than to chase his own needs. He held himself still, the tip of his c**k twitching away inside my mouth. ¡°Darius.¡± ¡°Easy, get on the couch, Kalen. Spread your legs wide so she can ride you. This won¡¯t be over until she¡¯s finished shredding,¡± which shocked me to hear him say. For me to stop shredding meant marking all my mates. Had he changed his mind? Kalen jerked his head in a nod and grabbed me by my hair, dragged me off his c**k and took us both to the couch. He sat down and did exactly as he was ordered. ¡°I didn¡¯t need your help,¡± I snapped at him, still a little angry at him after our tiff in the shower. Still, I didn¡¯t waste the opportunity. I climbed on top of Kalen¡¯s desperate d***k and let it sink inside of me deep. As it slid in, the burning that spiraled out of control abated as my hands heated on his naked skin, absorbing his power hungrily. ¡°Move your hips,¡± Darius ordered. He didn¡¯t have to tell me twice. I worked my hips back and forth in a tempo that would make a belly dancer jealous. No matter how fast I moved, it was never enough. Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Read Tasting Darkness [Tempting Darkness] By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 37 ¨C Kalen grabbed my hips, moving me to his own pace. He thrust inside long and hard and I settled for his slower but deeper rhythm, it made the madness inside me simmer instead of boil. Darius continued to watch from his position leaning against the wall. His eyes were hungry, but he dared not touch us, instead he took his pleasure posing us like his own personal dolls. My release built inside me like a bubbling geyser. Kalen¡¯s grip increased, his fingers sinking into my a***s as he thrust harder into me and he growled in my ear. That deep vibrating growl was my undoing. I came hard and copsed on Kalen¡¯s chest. I kissed his neck before biting at his mark. It made his c**k twitch inside me as he too hit his limit and he spilled himself into me. It wasn¡¯t enough. The burning wasing back, building stronger and stronger inside of me, desperate for a release. I sensed their presence as Tobias and Lycus came out of the bathroom, water droplets still pearling on their bodies and dripping from their hair. I climbed off of Kalen without looking back, feeling possessed and drawn to them like a moth to me. Lycus. My bond wanted him, tugged me toward him wanting to im him. He gave me a crooked grin as I eyed him like a piece of meat. ¡°Like what you see?¡± he suggested with a wiggle of his hips. His fully erect c***k bounced with the action, ¡°Aleera, on the couch,¡± Darius ordered.¡± Kalen, get to the side, you can watch her with me. Don¡¯t interfere with this,¡¯ I didn¡¯t hesitate. Obeying Darius brought me pleasure, and even in this state, that was true. I got on the couch and spread myself wide. My entire body was so sensitive that the lightest brush from my mates was enough to make my body gush with wetness. ¡°Lycus,¡± I moaned his name, reaching out for him. He didn¡¯t hesitate. He came at me with that crooked grin and dropped to his knees in front of me, ¡°you can have all the d***k you want, but I¡¯m feasting on that p***sy of yours first, Aleera.¡± My head tipped back to the back of the couch as he grabbed my knees and pulled me to the edge of the couch. No matter how desperate I was for sex, I couldn¡¯t deny my mates to do whatever they wanted to my body. I was their ything, and I lived for it. I spread my legs wide but it wasn¡¯t enough for him, he jerked them to the side and leaned down, covering my cl**t with his tongue. And God what a talented tongue he had. Not only was he good at having a fast response, but the way his tongue flicked over my cl****t in fast long strokes made my insides squeeze together. I panted as he brought me to org*****m within seconds. But my greedy mate wasn¡¯t close to finishing. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Instead of slowing down, he plowed me through the bliss, forcing my body to jerk. He held me down, devouring me, sucking away at the juices as they left my body, sucking hard onto my cl***t in what might have been pain but felt so good I was losing my go****amn mind. The fire inside practically purred. This roughness made it all better. I wanted to be ripped apart and to have my insides feasted on. I wanted them to f**k me so hard I broke and could only beg for more. Lycus pulled away, what remained of my or***sm was on his lips. ¡°I want you so wet my c***k is going to go swimming inside you.¡± he growled. He went back to work and my eyes rolled to the back of my head as he took me to the brink, and f***king threw me off the side of it. My body tumbled through space and time, jerking in his hold. Tobias watched us, hunger glistening in his eyes, but Lycus wasn¡¯t giving up his meal yet. Once I recovered enough to breathe the ba*****rd did it again. He sucked my cl*t into his mouth and bit gently down on it, almost to that delicious point of pain, but not enough to do anysting damage. I came so hard I thought I was going to ck out It wasn¡¯t enough. No matter how much my body shook, no matter how many times I trembled without being able to speak, I needed more, I needed his magic. ¡°There we go,¡± Lycus whispered. He kissed my thighs and pulled me down so my hips were just on the cushions. ¡°Now I can get nice and deep inside you,¡± He nced up at Darius as if making sure it was okay and Darius gave a short nod. Taking it for permission, Lycus surged forward and into me. His heavy c***k was curved at the right delicious angle that with every full stroke he brushed against my g spot. He took great satisfaction in watching my face as he rammed into me repeatedly. All I could do was grab onto his shoulders and hang on for the ride as he forced me to milk his c**k as earth shattering orgasm after another rocked through me. ¡°F***k,¡± Lycus groaned. It only made him thrust harder, hold my thighs open wider. He arched his back, thrusting deep as he could, filling me to the brim.¡± You¡¯re going to take it all,¡± he growled at me. I nodded, my eyes hooded. I was going to take it all, and not just what he could give me, but I was going to go after Tobias too. No one was going to be safe from this desperation that spiraled through me. Lycus growled as his body spent into me. Quick as an adder, I reached down and grabbed him by the shoulders, and yanked him forward, I dragged him up to me and bit deep into him, marking him as my own, iming him like I had Kalen, and it felt like his power exploded in my veins as I swallowed down his blood. I blinked rapidly as the back of my eyes burned and my vision turned white. The memories poured into me. My body shook as they hit one after another and the answering power that flowed with it. I felt myself falling yet trusted my mates not to let me crash wherever I was in the waking world. I blink rapidly, clearing the fogginess of my vision away. ¨C Lycus was kicking rocks on his way home from school. He appeared to live in a nice neighborhood. Yet as he got closer to home he groaned when he heard his mother and father arguing. From what I gathered from his thoughts this was a constant thing he would witness, Yet as Lycus walked up the porch steps and opened the door. Tossing his bag in the corner of the entry when he heard something smash before a loud thump. Lycus sniffs the air and scents blood before curiously walking down the hall to see if his parents were okay. In his child-like mind he knew they fought but that was it ;yelling and arguing but never was their blood. He knew his mother ruled the home and his father was a drunk but neverid hands on her. No he saved those fists for Lycus, and Lycus always took it, believing if he did his mother never would have to so as he stepped into the kitchen he was horrified by the scene thaty before him, his mother had her hands up in defense, blood coating the tiled floor red. And for the first time Iid eyes on this man, it was Porter. Lycus¡¯s father and he was as scary as he sounded. ¡°You f***king wh**re,¡± his father screamed angrily as she begged and sobbed on the floor, blood streaming down her face when his father brings the meat clever down on her head. Lycus¡¯ scream was deafening and blood curdling as he watched his father beat her head in, crushing her skull and spraying blood everywhere. He charged at his father wanting to save his mother but his father tossed him off, flinging him away and into the dining table. He brought the meat cleaver down again, caving her face in and a vicious growl tore from Lycus and his father¡¯s startled; looked over at him just as Lycus lunged and shifted. He tore into his father who was momentarily shocked at his son yet. Lycus, not understanding he had shifted only saw red, animalistic snarls tore from him as he yelled at his father. ¡°Of course you¡¯re that mutt¡¯s son,¡± his father roared at him and his hands turned ck with his dark magic as he lobbed the ball of shadows at his son. It wrapped around his face and Lycus suddenly couldn¡¯t breathe, his vision darkened as he tried to rasp in a breath and he didn¡¯t understand what was happening he understood he couldn¡¯t breathe before everything turned dark as he passed out. When he came to, it was to his father clipping a muzzle on him and he blinked up at his father. His father red down at him and for a few seconds he had forgotten what his father had done. ¡°Mum?¡± he murmurs yet no soundes out, just a strange whimper noise which confuses him when his father clips a cor around his neck. Lycus didn¡¯t understand, until his father yanked on it and he got a glimpse of himself in the ss sliding door by the back patio. He had shifted! Lycus stares at himself shocked and tilts his head to the side only for his father to jerk on the lead and rip him to the back doors. He was confused because both his parents were dark-Fae, yet for some reason he was were-fae. Only as he turns to try to run back inside does he see his mother lying dead in a pool of her blood. Lycus loses it and tries to break free when his father ties him to a tree and picks up a baseball bat. Each blow I felt, each blow grew harder as his father beat him from an inch of his life leaving the bat bl****dy, Lycusid in a pool of his own blood that had turned the grass and dirt beneath him into mud. He tried to shift back but couldn¡¯t, tried to break free but couldn¡¯t. His father was trying to kill him yet he kept healing before he would die. Yet Lycus wished for death as for days he endured his father¡¯s tortures, and learning of his mother¡¯s infidelity, until one day it stopped. Lycus lifted his head as he heard the sliding door open and he got a whiff of his mother¡¯s dposing body inside the house. His father was drunk yet again and angry only this time he didn¡¯t beat Lycus but grabbed the leesh and dragged him up the side of the house. Lycus was too weak to fight him, his body constantly healing had exhausted him to ¡ª- the point he had one broken back leg, his jaw hung limply as his¡¯ability to heal stopped. He was limp as he was dragged across the cold ground, the leesh strangling him but he no longer cared hoping he would die before whatever his father would try next. He passes out just as he hears a door open only to wake up tied to a step out the front of a huge stone building. He looks around in fear of his father. Yet doesn¡¯t see him, but sees his car driving off down the road. He whimpers before copsing yet as the sky turned dark and the snow fell, he shivered in the cold, and his bones ached more. If his injuries wouldn¡¯t kill him he hoped the cold would. My stomach twisted painfully as the memory faded and new one took its ce. Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Read Tasting Darkness [Tempting Darkness] By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 38 ¨C It was the day Lycus met Kalen, the day Kalen¡¯s bully beat him almost to death. Lycus¡¯ blood boiled as he watched for a few seconds before intervening, the rage inside him was like an erupting volcano. Grew hotter and hotter as the memories of his father standing over his mother and beating her to death returned to the forefront of his mind. He couldn¡¯t save her, but he could protect the boy being pummeled by someone much older. So that was what he did. Lycus¡¯s protective nature I watched grew to obsession. Kalen became his personal project to keep safe. Not only from the other kids but also from the teachers. Kalen was the weakest of the Fae. Lycus should have been like him, a dark Fae. And he couldn¡¯t bear watching the helplessness on his face, the same helplessness he felt tied to that tree muzzled and unable to fight back. Kalen distracted him and kept him intrigued as he watched who everyone called the strange boy, the outcast. Yet as he watched Kalen, he realized he was the strongest of all. There was something odd about Kalen, something dark and hidden, and for years Lycus watched over him waiting for him toe into his own, only for him to remain the same. It was odd seeing Kalen from Lycus¡¯s perception, he saw so much more than we did, saw a different side of Kalen I was yet to witness myself. A darker side that was destructive and dangerous, so much worse than I could have even known without his memories bing mine. Something drew him to Kalen as if they were mas, destined to collide on the same collision course. Lycus believed his growing feelings for Kalen were wrong until he no longer cared, and Kalen became his world, his infatuation. They were on their own, it wasn¡¯t much longer after they escaped the orphanage. They were living on the streets and in a dangerous neighborhood. Sleeping behind a dumpster one night by a busy nightclub. Some drunken men stumbled up the alleyway. Lycus tenses because there was something familiar about the scent he could smell. He believed he was being paranoid and shook the feeling away until one of the men stopped to urinate on the dumpster they were sleeping next to. Lycus eyed the man disgusted as he pi***ed on the ground. He growled and the man jolted clearly not seeing they were there. Yet his startled expression turned to a sneer as he looked them over. Kalen was fast asleep, unaware of the danger that surrounded them. The man was grubby, his light blue shirt stained and he quickly zips himself up and steps back. ¡°Look what I found?¡± he called out to his friends down the alleyway making Kalen jolt and wake up, he rubs his eyes as Lycus moves to get in front of him in a crouched position ready to shift. Kalen falls to the side not expecting Lycus¡¯s abrupt movement. Lycus growls as footsteps draw closer and Lycus¡¯ body twists, snaps, and breaks as the shift begins to take over. He would kill the man that dared try to touch Kalen. Yet before the shift took over the other three stepped forward and Lycus, stunned by his fear, froze as he set his eyes upon a man that starred in his nightmares for years. His father. His blood ran cold at the sight of him and his father looked at him as if he was the sc**m of the earth. ¡°Leave them, Patrick,¡± his father told the man in the blue shirt, not even acknowledging him. Yet the drunken man was looking for a fight andunched toward Lycus making me realize he too was were - fae. Bl**dy thirsty and lived for a good fight or hunt. Lycus doesn¡¯t hesitate to toss himself in front of Kalen to attack the man. Lycus took him down easily and his father watched with no expression at all, clearly impressed that Lycus was able to take down a wolf twice his size and without so much as looking exerted. Yet when his father whistles loudly, he realizes he was calling for more of his buddies until the alleyway turned into some makeshift fight club. Yet as time dragged Lycus grew weary and he realized his mistake. By defending Kalen his father knew had leverage against him. A way to use him and as three more circled men came into the alley and surrounded him he looked at Kalen in panic as his father moved toward him, where Kalen rocked with his hands over his ears having a full-blown panic attack. Violence was never Kalen¡¯s thing, nothing scared him more. He grabs Kalen by his hair making him cry out, yet Lycus was too far and surrounded. Yet that moment of distraction as he met Kalen¡¯s petrified eyes earned him a knife to the stomach as the demonic-fae plunged and piping hot glowing dagger into him. He howled, swiping at him as his blood spilled out onto the asphalt. The scream that left Kalen also distracted him as he turned to check him when the two other Were -fae jumped him, tearing into him. Lycus knew death wasing he didn¡¯t care, the only thing he cared for was Kalen who was screaming as his father started dragging him down the alleyway. ¡°Kill him,¡± His father told the other men. ¡°I will get a good amount for this one,¡± he tells the men attacking Lycus. Yet hearing that seemed to flip some sort of switch inside Kalen. And his father shrieked. He had no idea what Kalen had done, too focused on trying to remain alive as they tore into him. Yet when one of the were -fae whimpers and lets his neck go, the next one wails giving Lycus sight of what was going on. His eyes instantly searched the alley for Kalen, yet he wasn¡¯t by his father who stared off behind Lycus horrified. Lycus sta****ers to his feet in a panic looking for Kalen yet when he finds him, he is just as horrified as his father when a sh goes off making him twist his head to look at his father to see his phone in hand pointed at Kalen. Lycus¡¯ head turns back to Kalen, who seems almost possessed as he meanders toward the three men. The air around him thickened, the energy rippled and Lycus felt like he was suddenly suffocating in every bad emotion. Despair like he never felt before made him whimper, sadness so strong it broke his heart into a million pieces. Kalen¡¯s skin ripples as ck veins slivered across his bare arms and feet, he steps closer the aura emanating from him grew thicker, harsher, colder and that was when he realized what Kalen¡¯s gifts were, he was an empath and a strong one. Instead of feeling other¡¯s emotions, he forces them over the men that attacked him. Empaths were never considered dangerous, they usually channeled emotion, and they didn¡¯t use it as a weapon. Lycus didn¡¯t even realize it was possible as he watched Kalen force it over them as if it were an emotional cast, not a physical one. The men start wing at themselves, wing at their faces, their skin shredding it to stop the cold ache of the depression moving through them, Kalen was touching them, yet whatever he was doing was making them suicidal as they tore themselves apart, one man started mming his head into the concrete, bashing his own brains in the hard floor. The demonic-fae set himself alight, bing an inferno and thest one wed his own face off and ripped out his own throat. Kalen killed them without so much asying a finger on them, using magic that was considered harmless yet in the right hands could be used as a weapon. When thest man falls, so does Kalen as he exhausts himself and copses to the ground. Lycus limps over to him before hearing his father take off. Yet when the sound of sirens reached his ears, Lycus knew what would be of Kalen. Fae authorities would investigate and once they learned what Kalen did he would be shipped off. One thing the fae authorities and the council didn¡¯t like was power that was unknown because they couldn¡¯t control it or know how to defend against it. He would be a science experiment and ab rat. And Lycus wouldn¡¯t stand for that. So he forced the shift, forced his bones to realign, and screamed out when they did. His injuries not wanting to heal, and even with a broken ankle. Lycus leaned down, scooped him up, and tossed him over one shoulder, burning magic he shouldn¡¯t have, he opened a portal and stepped into a dark park. Behind some seedy strip club. Three days Kalen was out for three days Lycus kept watch and never left his side. Yet when Kalen woke he looked around in panic. ¡°How did we get here?¡± Kalen asked, clutching his head. ¡°I had the strangest dream,¡± Kalen mutters and Lycus watches him. ¡°You don¡¯t remember?¡± Lycus asks him and he could see the lost expression on his face. ¡°Did you get a chance to speak to the owner of theundromat?¡± Kalen asked. That wasst week and Lycus realized Kalen had not only no memory of that night but had lost almost an entire week. ¡°Yeah she hired someone else,¡± Lycus tells him. Kalen seemed confused as he took in his surroundings. So Lycus never mentioned that night but it made Lycus wonder if Kalen knew what he was capable of. So he kept it to himself. Yet Lycus noticed though, that the longer he went without his meds the stronger his aura got, the more unstable he got, and the more depressed. So he walked into the strip club and asked for a job. The manager told him Kalen could work the kitchens but he wanted Lycus on the floor. Lycus hated the idea, hated the idea of not having Kalen within sight. Yet after the first week, he had enough to put Kalen on his medication again. Worried that if he lost control like he did that night it would have him noticed by the authorities that Lycus would be powerless to stop. Yet Kalen¡¯s medication was extremely expensive when his father found him, once again. His father waited until his shift was over and Lycus did his best to ignore his presence. He knew Kalen was safe out the back in the kitchens, he just hoped Kalen didn¡¯t stumble out looking for him. As Lycus jumped off the stage, sn****hing up his tips. ¡°Your boyfriend, interesting gifts he has,¡± his father sneered and Lycus stopped. ¡°What do you want?¡± Lycus sneered at him. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°I noticed you going to the pharmacy a fair bit, talked to the pharmacist and his medication is expensive,¡± his father tells him and Lycus shakes his head about to walk off. ¡°I have a video of that night, I wonder what would happen if I handed that to the council,¡± his father said and Lycus growls turning on the man. ¡°Though I wouldn¡¯t have to, we coulde to an arrangement,¡± ¡°I have nothing you want, or I can give you,¡± Lycus tells him looking at the tips in his hand. He tosses it at his father who picks it up and counts it. He clicks his tongue. ¡°I¡¯ll give you halves, you will triple this,¡± his father says, handing the cash back to Lycus. ¡°And then no one has to see the footage of whatever that freak is,¡± his father sneered and Lycus snarled, his canines slipping free. ¡°The pits, I owe some people, bad people that would like to get their hands on your boy toy, if they knew about him. Come fight in the pits, it pays well, if you win it does,¡± Lycus shakes his head knowing that was suicide. ¡°You took down one of their best fighters the other night without breaking a sweat,¡± ¡°I am being nice Lycus; I could just hand this footage over, a manhunt is on, haven¡¯t you watched the news, they are looking for a serial killer. The entire city is in panic,¡± his father mocked. ¡°If only they knew that the man they fear is a pathetic dark-fae who isn¡¯t even aware of what he is, and a p***fter at that,¡± His father sneered. Lycus lunged across the table grabbing his throat. ¡°Speak of my mate like that again and I will f****king kill you,¡± he spat in his father¡¯s face. His father laughed, shoving him off. ¡°So you intend to take him as a mate?¡± ¡°Kalen doesn¡¯t see me in that way,¡± he admits, that hurt him more than he cared to admit. ¡°One night, help me pay off this debt and I will give you half the earnings to pay for his meds,¡± his father said and Lycus gritted his teeth, but they could use the money. ¡°When?¡± ¡°Midnight, tomorrow in the old drainage system under the city,¡± ¡°Think about it, Lycus. You don¡¯t want that footage in the wrong hands,¡± heughed before getting up and leaving. The next night, Lycus organized with his manager to get Kalen to work back so he could sneak off to it. Yet he knew he made a mistake when his father kepting back, using the footage over him to get him toply. After the first time, he refused and his father¡¯s thugs came to their tent while Lycus was working back one night. When he finished work that night and he stepped inside the tent he found Kalen beaten bl***dy with his pants around his ankles and a broken broom handle covered in bloody next to me. Before Lycus could react and help him, he was stabbed in the back. Literally, the knife plunged deep between his ribs copsing his lung before his father¡¯s voice sounded behind him as he took in a harsh pained breath. ¡°Next time I will have them kill him, ¡± Porter had whispered in his son¡¯s ear before twisting the knife making Lycus stand on his toes. Porter ripped the knife out, and Lycus went sprawling on the ground before he could turn to fight back his father was gone. Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Read Tasting Darkness [Tempting Darkness] By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 39 ¨C The majority of Lycus¡¯s memories were simr to that of Kalen¡¯s. Thing¡¯s I had already seen before. Yet hisst core memory was of Kalen¡¯s suicide, how Lycus Kalen¡¯s suicide, how Lycus watched his depression grow out of hand when I didn¡¯t reply to the chat group . I realized that all of Lycus¡¯s hate for me at the start was purely for that reason; he saw me as the person responsible for taking the one person who meant the most to him, the one person he spent the vast majority of his life protecting. Lycus saw me as the viin that repeatedly broke him and drove him to the edge. He med my absence for Kalen¡¯s destruction and med me for him killing himself. That hate only stopped that night in the basement when I took it from Kalen. Only then did Lycus see past his hate for me, only then did his opinion of me change. Only then did he realize I wasn¡¯t the enemy but the missing piece, their keeper and their mate but most of all the one that could piece Kalen back together again. Once thest memory hit me, I came out of it exceedingly fast. Thest time I shredded I was exhausted, but my bond was desperate, tugging me to finishpleting it, hungry for power, knowledge, and for them. Hours could have passed, yet I knew it was only moments that I was trapped in that state. Time wasn¡¯t in y at this time, and I was stronger. My body devoured his memories as if it devoured his magic fast, hard, and unforgivingly. My bond knew what I wanted and craved, and I knew what I needed to do. There was no other answer. My eyes opened to find Lycus hovering over me as he went toy me on the couch. ¡°Aleera?¡± he murmured as my eyes flew open. He seemed astonished, yet I felt the nervousness that washed through him at what I now knew, making me wonder if the others knew what Kalen was, yet the feeling I got from him they didn¡¯t. This one secret Lycus harbored and kept even from them. It made me wonder what secrets Tobias kept and ultimately, what Darius kept. Yet I didn¡¯t have time to ponder further as power surged in my veins, and tickled my veins as it burned cold, ice cold as his magic seeped into my bones and I could feel its icy tendrils filling and burning into my soul until that icy feeling started to boil, sizzle and turned my blood to moltenva. Lycus gasped when I practically threw him off of me. Only one other could satisfy this need inside me, this deep desire for power, a hunger that could not be satiated. This overwhelming urge to know, to put the puzzle pieces together. A deep desire to mend the bonds that were broken for so long, to repair my mates. After seeing Lycus¡¯ memories, I needed Tobias, and I would have him no matter what. If Darius tried to stop me, I¡¯d fight him down, however he remained where he was, still in the same ce. ¡°Aleera,¡± Darius growled at me. His voice was husky, and I could tell from the sharp outline of his body that watching me f***k, c****m, and mark our mates had done wonderful things to his insides. His c***k was straining against the fabric of his pants. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. He could pretend to be above it all if he wanted, but we both knew if he could get away with it without consequences, he would f***k me until I was a broken mess, then f***k the pieces until he shattered me. I would love every moment of it and so would he, he just didn¡¯t want anyone to know the dark desires that filled him, flooded the bond and I had a feeling our desires weren¡¯t so far apart, one in the same. ¡°What?¡± I snarled looking over my shoulder at him. He nodded to the couch again. ¡°On the couch. Kneel on it this time.¡± My bond wanted to rebel against his order yet I forced it down, knowing Darius could force my shred to end if he really wanted to, so it was best to give him what he wants then risk a needle in the a***s that would end it all likest time. Devilsbane would end this and even my bond recognized right now we were at the mercy of the shred and Darius so Iplied with his demands. My body quivered at hismand. As much as I wanted to say no, I also knew that Darius¡¯s orders brought unbearable pleasures like any other. I would drown in it and still be desperate for more. Tobias came behind me, kissing my neck and breathing against it.¡± On her knees,¡± he growled into my ear. ¡°You¡¯re mine now, Aleera. Darius wants to watch me f****k you. You¡¯re showing your true colors now my Naughty Girl. Kneel.¡± I didn¡¯t hesitate. I went back to the soaked couch cushions and knelt on them. The scent of sex surrounded me, but it did nothing to relieve the pounding in my blood, the thrum between my thighs. Tobias kissed my a***s, the cushion dip behind me as he came to kneel behind me. He ran his tongue from the dip of my lower back all the way to my shoulder which he bit down on. I hiss as he breaks my skin before the euphoria of his bites sends my bond soaring, as his arm wrapped around my chest, pulling me up on my knees as he squeezed my breast. The warmth of his chest seeped into my back as he fed on me. Blood trailed down my neck, over my corbone, before running between my breasts. Lycus growls leaning forward and licking up the blood trail, his tongue following it back to my lips. Lycus kisses me and I kiss him back, the bond wanting them both when Tobias pulled his fangs from my neck, reaching for him with his other hand; he gripped the back of Lycus¡¯s neck, ripping his lips away, then crashed his lips against Lycus¡¯s. Kalen groaned at the sight of them and Darius cleared his throat making Tobias pull away from him, shoving him back as the high of his bite started to leave. Tobias grips my throat, tilting my head back. ¡°I never said you could kiss him. You¡¯re mine right now,¡± Tobias growled before he kissed me hungrily before I could protest that Lycus kissed me, not the other way around. My blood coated my tongue as he forced his tongue past my lips, kissing me deeply before he shoved me forward onto my hands and knees again. Pulling back, he smacked me with his open palm making one cheek burn with a sweet intense pain. ¡°Stay still,¡± he ordered. Darius continued to watch. He slumped onto the armchair across from us by the firece, kicking his pants off and revealing his own magnificent c***k. ¡°Again,¡± he ordered. He gathered the wetness that dripped from his eager tip and used it for lubrication as he watched the show. Tobias didn¡¯t need to be told twice. He smacked my a***s again, harder this time and on the other cheek. I moaned into it and he pet me. ¡°There¡¯s my good girl. Do you want another?¡± Whimpering, I nodded, my bond wanted whatever they would give me as long as it ended with power surging through my veins and my mark on their necks, it reveled in the pain and pleasure. I was walking a thin line between like teetering on a razor¡¯s edge, deliciously pleasurable, addictive and their arousal only enhanced mine. I pushed my a***s out against him. His very touch was like electricity, easing the ache inside me. ¡°More,¡± I whispered. Tobias pped me again, even harder than before. Dots of blood were left from where his nails had peeped turning to sharp points just like his fangs. The delicious heat of pain spread through my cheek and I writhed against him. ¡°Again,¡± Darius ordered with a grunt. His hand moved faster, still eyes locked on the both of us.¡± Keep going, I want to watch you paint her a****s red.¡± ¡°Hear that?¡± Tobias asked. He smacked me hard and I shivered beneath him. ¡°He wants your entire a****s to be red.¡± Tobias smacked the other side again making my entire body shudder.¡± Your greedy little bond will get what it wants after we give him what he needs.¡± He smacked me again and the burn spread over both cheeks, it was all over, but instead of hating it, I loved it. My outsides matched my insides at this rate, burning hot with desire. ¡°Good,¡± Darius panted. His eyes were hooded. His hips twitched as he thrust against himself, seeking his release. ¡°Now, you can take her, Tobias. Sink into that wet pu****y that¡¯s just begging for you.¡± Tobias nodded and pulled his hard c***k out, he pushed it against my burning a***s cheeks, teasing me. I pushed back against him, wanting him to sink into me. He chuckled and smacked my a***s one final hard time before ramming himself into the hilt inside of me. I was impressed my body could take this rougher than I was used to sex. Not only take it, but crave it. It was like some sinful creature had woken up inside of me and all I wanted was to feast this delicious mix of bliss and pain. ¡°Damn,¡± he grunted. ¡°She¡¯s so tight and so f***king wet.¡± I rxed against the cushions. I was more than willing to let him do all the work and savor the stinging bliss that worked its way through my system. The hunger that was creeping up on me again, I would need my strength. Yet as Darius got to his feet and came to stand by me, I nced at him. ¡°Yes.¡± Darius moaned. He bit his bottom lip hard, eyes trained on us. I couldn¡¯t help but crane my head to the side and keep getting glimpses of him. I loved watching as he stroked his enormous c***k.¡± Harder,¡± he ordered Tobias. ¡°She can take it. She wants it.¡± I nodded. I did want it. Tobias grabbed me by my hips and used them for leverage as he pushed my head low, and jerked my hips up higher. He plowed into me so fast and hard that I started seeing stars in my vision. I lost all sense of time; all I could focus on was how Tobias¡¯s c***k brushed against my inner walls and gspot in the most delicious way when he was rough like this. ¡°Faster!¡± Groaned Darius. But I wasn¡¯t sure if he was talking to himself or us anymore. His c***k jerked in his hand, Tobias jerked me up by my shoulder just in time as thick ropes of semen exploded out of Darius and across my face and lips. ¡°Lick it up,¡± he ordered me. I obeyed, which was difficult since Tobias hadn¡¯t stopped pounding me. I licked his c***k, and Darius groaned as I sucked on the tip, the salty liquid dissolved on my tongue almost with a bitter-sweetness I hadn¡¯t expected, and my bond whined when he stepped away, his c**k leaving my lips with an audible pop. Tobias held me in ce and pounded into me when with what can only be described as Vampire speed he pulled out of me and flipped me to my back before driving himself into me. I grip his shoulders before my bond goes berserk with its need to im him and overrides me. Tobias growls as my legs lock around his waist and my arms around his neck, but he relents letting me have control, and pulls me onto hisp, gripping my hips and mming me down on his c***k. I moan feeling my walls flutter and squeeze him while his teeth grazed and broke my skin as he sucked my skin, licking up the droplets of blood his teeth caused when I felt the walls inside me burst and power exploded in my veins. I absorbed him like a vacuum, his magic coursing through every atom and cell inside me, strengthening and tainting every part of me. We were both sent hurtling over the edge as my entire being squeezed around him, threatening to break him. As thest spasm pulsed through me, I sank my teeth into his neck; I would take what I needed from him too. He would be mine, and so would his memories and his magic. My power would be unstoppable. My surroundings blurred and I chuckled to myself at the falling sensation. Three down, one to go and I knew I saved the best forst because Tobias¡¯s power was far stronger then Lycus and my bond couldn¡¯t wait to get its h***ks into Darius but first I had to survive what Tobias endured, had to survive his memories and what I saw first sickened me to my core as my sickened me to my core as my scenery changed and I found myself in a new ce. Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Read Tasting Darkness [Tempting Darkness] By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 40 ¨C At first, I thought I was staring at Tobias as a child, but it didn¡¯t take me long to realize it was his twin, Thomas. He would have only been about five-year-old. We were in what looked like some banquet room. A long table ran down the center as his father, who was an imposing man, snarled at Thomas. Tobias watched in horror as he grabbed his brother and then him by the back of the neck, dragging them closer to the table thaty in the center of the huge room. Blood spilled over the edges of the table onto the tiled floors. A woman with a crown atop her head red at them with pursed lips. She reminded me of Tobias, making me wonder if it was his mother. ¡°Please, daddy, please,¡± Thomas begged, and they are steered toward the table. ¡°You were both told not toe down here. Both told to stay in your rooms; this is what you get for disobeying me,¡± the man snapped at his sons, his grip on both their necks was hard and pinched their skin. As we drew closer to the table, we found a woman lying on it, covered in bite marks. Thomas thrashes, trying to escape. ¡°You wanted to disobey me. You wanted to see. Well, have a good look then,¡± his father tells them, shoving them toward the table. Tobias stumbles, catching himself on the table, his hands sliding across the slick surface, coating them in blood. Tobias pulls his hands back in horror, staring at his palms covered in the woman¡¯s blood before his eyes dart to her pale blue ones. ¡°Help me!¡± she chokes and gurgles on her blood. Tobias knew she was human and one of his parents¡¯ victims. ¡°Now I¡¯ll teach you a lesson Thomas, one you¡¯ll never forget,¡± his father says, smacking Thomas up the back of the head. ¡°Go on, no sippy cups for you anymore. You think you are old enough to disobey me. Then you are old enough to learn where your fruit juicees from. You both drink straight from the vein as a true vampiric-fae does.¡± his father says. His mother huffs, looking bored and staring at her nails. ¡°You heard your father.¡± she says. clicking her fingers at them. Thomas backs away, shaking his head, tears rolling down his cheeks. ¡°Her eyes are open. She is breathing; I can feel her,¡± Thomas murmurs, looking at his father.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°You will feel all over once you sink your teeth into her neck, boy. Now hurry up, drain her,¡± he snaps at his son. Thomas shakes his head, and I notice, like me; Thomas was power born, a rarity. He was already picking up on his gifts before manifestation. Tobias also knew this and knew his brother would be smacked and locked in his room away from him if he didn¡¯t do as he was told. He also knew Thomas couldn¡¯t hurt the woman. When neither boy moves to do as they¡¯re told, this angers his father, who grabs Thomas by the back of his neck and drags him closer, forcing his face in her neck. The woman whimpers, and Thomas thrashes. ¡°One of you will finish her, or it is a week in the cer; now choose,¡± his father bellows while his son wails in his grip. Shakily Tobias steps forward. ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± he murmurs before a s***b escapes him. He didn¡¯t want to hurt her. He didn¡¯t want to bite her. Vampiric Fae were born with fangs, relied on blood, and they were just curious where their parents went every day at tea time, so they followed and peeked through the door. They just didn¡¯t expect it to be like this, not truly understanding the meaning of what they were yet because they were so young. His father looks over at him and shoves off his twin, who falls down beside the table, ¡°Go on then,¡± his father waves him forward, Tobias hesitantly takes a step forward. He swallows, staring down at the petrified woman slowly bleeding out on the table. He hesitates only for a second until his father grips the back of his neck, forcing it into her bleeding neck. Tiny fangs protrude past his lips as a foreign hunger takes over him, Yet he shakes his head, tears trekking down his face as he realizes where his juice came from each morning and where his parents went every night to feast on the flesh of others and drain their lives. For his child-like mind, it was shocking but not as shocking as his father¡¯s twisted anger when he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it. His father¡¯s angry roar makes him jump to see his father grip Thomas by his hair and force him against the table. ¡°On with it,¡± his father snapped and snarled, thrusting a knife into his brother¡¯s hand. Thomas shook like a leaf in a strong gust as he shook his head. ¡°Please, daddy,¡± he begged and pleaded as the woman sobbed, knowing her death was sure toe. His father gripped his brother¡¯s hand and hovered the knife above her heart while Thomas fought not to take her life. Feeling her fear and reliving, Tobias knew if his brother did it, he wouldn¡¯t be able to shut her death out. That he would feel every second of her life slipping away along with his. Tobias shoves his brother¡¯s hand away, earning a snarl from his father, but he ignores the sound to whisper into his brother¡¯s ear. ¡°Close your eyes, Thomas,¡± Tobias whispers as tears prick his eyes once more, his vision turning to a blur as Tobias did as he was told, and Tobias sank his teeth into the woman¡¯s neck. She thrashed against him as he gave himself over to instinct, taking her life so his brother wouldn¡¯t feel it, so that he wouldn¡¯t have her blood on his hands. No, Tobias would carry the burden of her death, not Thomas. Even at this young age, Tobias understood the full weight of what he had done, what he had taken from the woman who was now staring up with wide vacant eyes at the ceiling The light had gone from her eyes, and the color drained from her skin, her lips turning shades of blue. He took her life as her body turned cold before his innocent eyes that saw too much and couldn¡¯t unsee what he had done. His rose-colored sses of his parent¡¯s were removed, and he saw the monsters they were. Human life meant little to them, and he vowed not to be like them. As the memory faded and a new one took its ce, I found that Tobias was always Thomas¡¯s protector. He did the things he knew Thomas couldn¡¯t handle. With each passing day, he was sure that more and more of his humanity left him, leaving a cold hearted monster. In this memory as it twisted and formed, Tobias was in his early teens. He waited for the Demonic King to arrive. He waited impatiently. The blood of his father¡¯stest victim stained his lips, and once again, Tobias was forced to take another life. He stared off vacantly, head held high as he was taught from the day he could walk. Tobias was of royal blood, his parents the Vampiric-Fae king and Queen. A title bestowed to him once he came of age. A title he didn¡¯t really want but to spare Thomas, he would take it. I watched as Darius walked in with his father, the demonic-Fae king, a respected council elder like his father. Respect Tobias knew in both cases was built on fear. Darius followed behind his father, eyes ahead and vacant. Tobias found himself doing the same, something that was unsettling and unnatural to see but also something familiar. He had grown up around Darius but ruled by their father¡¯s iron fists. Neither really spoke. They obeyed as good sons should. They attended all the same functions, sat at tables together, and sat side by side but never spoke. Yet today, he found Darius staring at him as he approached. Tobias met his gaze and saw the same dead look in Darius¡¯ eyes he saw every morning in his own reflection in the mirror. It was no secret what Darius was. Everyone knew he had extraordinary gifts for a boy his age. Gifts that elders wished they had, his dark magic was feared even as a child. ¡°Tobias, take Darius here for a walk around the castle, his father and I have much to discuss, and I want no interruptions,¡± his father ordered. As they both left the ballroom, he tipped his head to his father, and so did Darius. They walked without speaking, walked in silence, when Tobias stopped abruptly, staring off at the river at the back of the castle. ¡°Darius?¡± Tobias called, having spoken the boy¡¯s name for the first time. Darius¡¯s cold, calcting eyes peered at him momentarily before they nced away back to the river. ¡°Your brother is upset,¡± Darius says, pointing toward the trees, and Tobias follows his hand, and his shoulders sag wondering what his mother had done to him this time. ¡°Wait here,¡± Tobias said, about to cross the manicuredwns to fetch him when Darius¡¯ hand fell on his shoulder. He fishes in his pocket and retrieves a handkerchief from inside his suit pocket. ¡°Clean up, you have blood in the corners of your lips, and your brother is an empath. He shouldn¡¯t scent her death.¡± Darius tells him. Tobias, shocked, looks at him. ¡°Her?¡± Tobias asks, and Darius nods his head. ¡°It gets easier. Eventually, you will feel nothing,¡± Darius tells him. ¡°What do you mean Thomas is not an empath?¡± Tobias lies. Darius raises an eyebrow at him. ¡°Death, that gets easier. As for your brother, I won¡¯t say anything. His secret is safe with me,¡± Darius reassures him. Tobias and Thomas had gone to extreme lengths to hide what he is from their parents. And now Tobias worried, with a rival kingdom¡¯s son holding . knowledge that would surely get Thomas beaten by their father. ¡°How?¡± Tobias asks him, epting the handkerchief. ¡°I can feel his magic,¡± he says, simply crossing thewns to get Thomas himself. Yet as they approach, they find Thomas sitting on the ground, hugging his pet rabbit to his chest. Tobias gasped and rushed to his brother¡¯s side. ¡°She killed him, she killed him,¡± he sobbed. Thomas had raised the baby rabbit himself after its mother tried to kill it. He had it for three years. ¡°Who, mother?¡± Tobias asks. Thomas nods his head. ¡°He got out of his cage,¡± Thomas cried. When Darius grabbed the rabbit from his hands, Thomas saw that Tobias was not alone. He quickly clears the tears from his face and straightens up, knowing better than to look weak in front of the demonic prince. His father would whip him good had he seen them. Darius observes the rabbit finding its neck had been rung when he nces around nervously toward the castle. Momentster, his hands glowed green, then blue, and his eyes turned white as he wielded magic he should not have. Magic like mine. Seconds pass when the rabbit¡¯s feet suddenly kick. Thomas gasps, and Tobias¡¯ eyes search around frantically, knowing what that means if anyone sees. Darius was an elemental Harmony- Fae. ¨C ¡°You¡¯ll have to set him free, Thomas. Your mother will question how he came back,¡± Darius tells him. Thomas stared at him with wide eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a harmony-¡± Darius winks at him. ¡°But that¡¯s our little secret. I¡¯ll keep yours if you keep mine,¡± Darius tells him. Confusion set in. I wondered how it was possible that Darius was a teenager and somehow survived two gues set to kill him. He was around the age his sister died, and if he could resurrect the dead, why didn¡¯t he bring her back? Why was he not kept down in the cer with his sister and mother, and why was he still blessed with his gifts? At first, I thought I was staring at Tobias as a child, but it didn¡¯t take me long to realize it was his twin, Thomas. He would have only been about five-year-old. We were in what looked like some banquet room. A long table ran down the center as his father, who was an imposing man, snarled at Thomas. Tobias watched in horror as he grabbed his brother and then him by the back of the neck, dragging them closer to the table thaty in the center of the huge room. Blood spilled over the edges of the table onto the tiled floors. A woman with a crown atop her head red at them with pursed lips. She reminded me of Tobias, making me wonder if it was his mother. ¡°Please, daddy, please,¡± Thomas begged, and they are steered toward the table. ¡°You were both told not toe down here. Both told to stay in your rooms; this is what you get for disobeying me,¡± the man snapped at his sons, his grip on both their necks was hard and pinched their skin. As we drew closer to the table, we found a woman lying on it, covered in bite marks. Thomas thrashes, trying to escape. ¡°You wanted to disobey me. You wanted to see. Well, have a good look then,¡± his father tells them, shoving them toward the table. Tobias stumbles, catching himself on the table, his hands sliding across the slick surface, coating them in blood. Tobias pulls his hands back in horror, staring at his palms covered in the woman¡¯s blood before his eyes dart to her pale blue ones. ¡°Help me!¡± she chokes and gurgles on her blood. Tobias knew she was human and one of his parents¡¯ victims. ¡°Now I¡¯ll teach you a lesson Thomas, one you¡¯ll never forget,¡± his father says, smacking Thomas up the back of the head. ¡°Go on, no sippy cups for you anymore. You think you are old enough to disobey me. Then you are old enough to learn where your fruit juicees from. You both drink straight from the vein as a true vampiric-fae does.¡± his father says. His mother huffs, looking bored and staring at her nails. ¡°You heard your father.¡± she says. clicking her fingers at them. Thomas backs away, shaking his head, tears rolling down his cheeks. ¡°Her eyes are open. She is breathing; I can feel her,¡± Thomas murmurs, looking at his father. ¡°You will feel all over once you sink your teeth into her neck, boy. Now hurry up, drain her,¡± he snaps at his son. Thomas shakes his head, and I notice, like me; Thomas was power born, a rarity. He was already picking up on his gifts before manifestation. Tobias also knew this and knew his brother would be smacked and locked in his room away from him if he didn¡¯t do as he was told. He also knew Thomas couldn¡¯t hurt the woman. When neither boy moves to do as they¡¯re told, this angers his father, who grabs Thomas by the back of his neck and drags him closer, forcing his face in her neck. The woman whimpers, and Thomas thrashes. ¡°One of you will finish her, or it is a week in the cer; now choose,¡± his father bellows while his son wails in his grip. Shakily Tobias steps forward. ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± he murmurs before a s*b escapes him. He didn¡¯t want to hurt her. He didn¡¯t want to bite her. Vampiric Fae were born with fangs, relied on blood, and they were just curious where their parents went every day at tea time, so they followed and peeked through the door. They just didn¡¯t expect it to be like this, not truly understanding the meaning of what they were yet because they were so young. His father looks over at him and shoves off his twin, who falls down beside the table, ¡°Go on then,¡± his father waves him forward, Tobias hesitantly takes a step forward. He swallows, staring down at the petrified woman slowly bleeding out on the table. He hesitates only for a second until his father grips the back of his neck, forcing it into her bleeding neck. Tiny fangs protrude past his lips as a foreign hunger takes over him, Yet he shakes his head, tears trekking down his face as he realizes where his juice came from each morning and where his parents went every night to feast on the flesh of others and drain their lives. For his child-like mind, it was shocking but not as shocking as his father¡¯s twisted anger when he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it. His father¡¯s angry roar makes him jump to see his father grip Thomas by his hair and force him against the table. ¡°On with it,¡± his father snapped and snarled, thrusting a knife into his brother¡¯s hand. Thomas shook like a leaf in a strong gust as he shook his head. ¡°Please, daddy,¡± he begged and pleaded as the woman sobbed, knowing her death was sure toe. His father gripped his brother¡¯s hand and hovered the knife above her heart while Thomas fought not to take her life. Feeling her fear and reliving, Tobias knew if his brother did it, he wouldn¡¯t be able to shut her death out. That he would feel every second of her life slipping away along with his. Tobias shoves his brother¡¯s hand away, earning a snarl from his father, but he ignores the sound to whisper into his brother¡¯s ear. ¡°Close your eyes, Thomas,¡± Tobias whispers as tears prick his eyes once more, his vision turning to a blur as Tobias did as he was told, and Tobias sank his teeth into the woman¡¯s neck. She thrashed against him as he gave himself over to instinct, taking her life so his brother wouldn¡¯t feel it, so that he wouldn¡¯t have her blood on his hands. No, Tobias would carry the burden of her death, not Thomas. Even at this young age, Tobias understood the full weight of what he had done, what he had taken from the woman who was now staring up with wide vacant eyes at the ceiling The light had gone from her eyes, and the color drained from her skin, her lips turning shades of blue. He took her life as her body turned cold before his innocent eyes that saw too much and couldn¡¯t unsee what he had done. His rose-colored sses of his parent¡¯s were removed, and he saw the monsters they were. Human life meant little to them, and he vowed not to be like them. As the memory faded and a new one took its ce, I found that Tobias was always Thomas¡¯s protector. He did the things he knew Thomas couldn¡¯t handle. With each passing day, he was sure that more and more of his humanity left him, leaving a cold hearted monster. In this memory as it twisted and formed, Tobias was in his early teens. He waited for the Demonic King to arrive. He waited impatiently. The blood of his father¡¯stest victim stained his lips, and once again, Tobias was forced to take another life. He stared off vacantly, head held high as he was taught from the day he could walk. Tobias was of royal blood, his parents the Vampiric-Fae king and Queen. A title bestowed to him once he came of age. A title he didn¡¯t really want but to spare Thomas, he would take it. I watched as Darius walked in with his father, the demonic-Fae king, a respected council elder like his father. Respect Tobias knew in both cases was built on fear. Darius followed behind his father, eyes ahead and vacant. Tobias found himself doing the same, something that was unsettling and unnatural to see but also something familiar. He had grown up around Darius but ruled by their father¡¯s iron fists. Neither really spoke. They obeyed as good sons should. They attended all the same functions, sat at tables together, and sat side by side but never spoke. Yet today, he found Darius staring at him as he approached. Tobias met his gaze and saw the same dead look in Darius¡¯ eyes he saw every morning in his own reflection in the mirror. It was no secret what Darius was. Everyone knew he had extraordinary gifts for a boy his age. Gifts that elders wished they had, his dark magic was feared even as a child. ¡°Tobias, take Darius here for a walk around the castle, his father and I have much to discuss, and I want no interruptions,¡± his father ordered. As they both left the ballroom, he tipped his head to his father, and so did Darius. They walked without speaking, walked in silence, when Tobias stopped abruptly, staring off at the river at the back of the castle. ¡°Darius?¡± Tobias called, having spoken the boy¡¯s name for the first time. Darius¡¯s cold, calcting eyes peered at him momentarily before they nced away back to the river. ¡°Your brother is upset,¡± Darius says, pointing toward the trees, and Tobias follows his hand, and his shoulders sag wondering what his mother had done to him this time. ¡°Wait here,¡± Tobias said, about to cross the manicuredwns to fetch him when Darius¡¯ hand fell on his shoulder. He fishes in his pocket and retrieves a handkerchief from inside his suit pocket. ¡°Clean up, you have blood in the corners of your lips, and your brother is an empath. He shouldn¡¯t scent her death.¡± Darius tells him. Tobias, shocked, looks at him. ¡°Her?¡± Tobias asks, and Darius nods his head. ¡°It gets easier. Eventually, you will feel nothing,¡± Darius tells him. ¡°What do you mean Thomas is not an empath?¡± Tobias lies. Darius raises an eyebrow at him. ¡°Death, that gets easier. As for your brother, I won¡¯t say anything. His secret is safe with me,¡± Darius reassures him. Tobias and Thomas had gone to extreme lengths to hide what he is from their parents. And now Tobias worried, with a rival kingdom¡¯s son holding . knowledge that would surely get Thomas beaten by their father. ¡°How?¡± Tobias asks him, epting the handkerchief. ¡°I can feel his magic,¡± he says, simply crossing thewns to get Thomas himself. Yet as they approach, they find Thomas sitting on the ground, hugging his pet rabbit to his chest. Tobias gasped and rushed to his brother¡¯s side. ¡°She killed him, she killed him,¡± he sobbed. Thomas had raised the baby rabbit himself after its mother tried to kill it. He had it for three years. ¡°Who, mother?¡± Tobias asks. Thomas nods his head. ¡°He got out of his cage,¡± Thomas cried. When Darius grabbed the rabbit from his hands, Thomas saw that Tobias was not alone. He quickly clears the tears from his face and straightens up, knowing better than to look weak in front of the demonic prince. His father would whip him good had he seen them. Darius observes the rabbit finding its neck had been rung when he nces around nervously toward the castle. Momentster, his hands glowed green, then blue, and his eyes turned white as he wielded magic he should not have. Magic like mine. Seconds pass when the rabbit¡¯s feet suddenly kick. Thomas gasps, and Tobias¡¯ eyes search around frantically, knowing what that means if anyone sees. Darius was an elemental Harmony-Fae. ¨C ¡°You¡¯ll have to set him free, Thomas. Your mother will question how he came back,¡± Darius tells him. Thomas stared at him with wide eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a harmony-¡± Darius winks at him. ¡°But that¡¯s our little secret. I¡¯ll keep yours if you keep mine,¡± Darius tells him. Confusion set in. I wondered how it was possible that Darius was a teenager and somehow survived two gues set to kill him. He was around the age his sister died, and if he could resurrect the dead, why didn¡¯t he bring her back? Why was he not kept down in the cer with his sister and mother, and why was he still blessed with his gifts? Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Read Tasting Darkness [Tempting Darkness] By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 41 ¨C The next memory morphed to their eighteenth birthday. Tobias heard a portal open and sat up, rubbing his eyes, his powers had manifested during the night, but too exhausted to care he never checked his infinity mark. He knew the familiar energy to be that of Darius. He yawns, stretching his arms above his head. Darius smirked as he stepped through the portal into Tobias¡¯s room, holding up his wrist. ¡°It appears we are destined, brother,¡± Darius tells him. Tobias¡¯ brows furrow as he yawns, looking at his wrist when Darius rubs his fingers over the infinity mark on his own, and Tobias gasps, ncing at his own when warmth spreads up his arm. Tobias chuckles. ¡°Well, looks like you¡¯re not getting rid of me now,¡± Tobias smiles. He was d that his best friend was destined to be part of his life. Their brotherly bond is nowpletely solidified. Tobias stares down at the names on his wrist. ¡°F***k, feel sorry for whoever she is. I wonder who the other two are?¡± Tobias says, brushing his fingers over Kalen and Lycus¡¯ names. ¡°No idea; I called on them but got no reply,¡± ¡°Probably saw our names and went to hide under a rock,¡± Tobias groaned. ¡°I¡¯m more interested in why her name is faded,¡± Darius says, reaching for Tobias¡¯s to see if he is the same. My name was etched into both their wrists, yet mine was faint. Tobias nces at Darius¡¯. ¡°What do you think it means?¡± Tobias asks him, and Darius¡¯ eyes darken. ¡°One way to find out is to get dressed,¡± Darius tells him. ¡°What about the other two?¡± ¡°They¡¯lle to us when ready. Give them a chance toe around to it, and the idea of us, that would be a bit much for anyone to take in. Their magic is strong, hers I can hardly feel,¡± Darius tells him, and Tobias gets to his feet and grabs some clothes, pulling on some ck jeans and a gray shirt. Just as Darius stepped toward him and grabbed his wrist, Thomas entered the room. Tobias instantly rushed to him and snatched up his hand, only for Thomas to pull away. ¡°What is it?¡± Tobias asked him, grabbing his twin¡¯s wrist to see who he was destined for. Only when he does and turns Thomas¡¯s wrist over. Thomas¡¯ wrist was nk. No mates, his infinity symbol was there. It just held no names. ¡°Wait? But-¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Tobias. Maybe my mates were white fae,¡± Thomas tells him, but they all knew what that meant, that one day Thomas would run out of magic without his Keeper and mates. ¡°Who did you get?¡± Thomas asked him, grabbing for Tobias¡¯ wrist. He turns it over to see our names and smiles. ¡°Well, what are you waiting for? Go find them and bring them home,¡± Thomas tells him. Tobias¡¯ stomach sinks. Guilt set in that he had four mates and a keeper. In contrast, Thomas wasn¡¯t granted even one. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Tobias; the fates just have me destined for bigger things, you¡¯ll see,¡± Tobias¡¯ guilt nags him, but once Thomas leaves, Darius steps closer and grabs Tobias¡¯s wrist drawing his attention back to what they were doing. Darius¡¯ thumb brushes over the mark and power sings up his arm, yet it is different from before, different from the rabbit, darker, twisted, cold. It was like everything darkness could be, amplified but so much colder from when he healed the rabbit. ¡°Let¡¯s go find her then,¡± Dariusughs, excited that they had both fully manifested, that their magic was strong; it appeared by their markings and the surging bonds that their Keeper would be a powerhouse. They both saw freedom, and sadness bled into me, realizing they thought I was their freedom from their parents and their parents¡¯ demands. With me, they could take them down. No longer would they be bound to their families. They could both take their freedom back, and I was that freedom to them. Until the portal took them somewhere, they didn¡¯t expect. My school.. ¡°Okay, then. She is a teacher?¡± Tobias asks, scratching the back of his neck and looking around. He was confused until the bells sounded and I walked down the front steps. I walked straight past them without feeling anything, not even paying attention. I remembered that day, I felt sick, and now I wonder if it was because they had manifested and I wasn¡¯t of age. I didn¡¯t even nce up as I walked out of the school gates. ¡°F****k!¡± Darius curses. ¡°Bro, I know she is our keeper, but I am not dragging some young girl off who has no idea who we are to her,¡± Tobias says as they watch me walk away from them. ¡°Our parents can¡¯t find out about her,¡± Darius murmurs. ¡°We wait, speak with her parents. If my father finds out about her; he will drag her home himself,¡± Tobias tells Darius. ¡°Yeah, mine can¡¯t know either. He¡¯ll force me to mark her,¡± ¡°So what do we do? What if the otherse for her?¡± Tobias asks him. They both knew why my mark was faded, I was underage, and I, as an awkward teenager, made that even more painfully obvious for them. ¡°Follow her. We will find out who her parents are. Speak with them, and we cloak her,¡± ¡°Cloak her?¡± Tobias asks, knowing the amount of power that would take to do. ¡°Yes, I am not about to turn her world upside down and have Kalen and Lycuse for her, we don¡¯t know them or what they are willing to do if they find her,¡± Darius tells him. All night they camped outside my house up the street where the bus dropped me off, waiting for me to go to school; it was odd because I was terribly sick that night. They had slept in their car at the end of my street. My house was thest one next to three vacant blocks and almostpletely obscured by trees that ran either side of the dirt driveway. The three vacant blocks on either side made the ce look like a dead end. Until you came to the dirt driveway, you wouldn¡¯t even know a house was there. Watching through Tobias¡¯ eyes, had I noticed them, I would have thought it creepy, yet their intentions were anything but. Their only intention was to make sure my other two mates didn¡¯t try toe for me. They stayed to keep me safe, unsure of who Lycus and Kalen were. Yet that day, for some reason, had stayed with me, etched into my brain no matter how much I tried to forget it. My mother forced me to go to school, I had begged and pleaded to go to a real school, and now I was tossing it in her face by saying I wasn¡¯t going. Instead, dad drove me and the shock of Tobias and Darius seeing him drive out of the driveway with me was nearly as strong as finding out I was a teenager. Darius growls and Tobias grips his arm as he went to start the car to go after my father. ¡°He is her father, Darius. You¡¯re his daughter¡¯s mate. He wouldn¡¯t hurt his own daughter¡¯s future,¡± Tobias tells him. But what they were most confused about was why I was kept a secret, why I was never registered with the council. They figured that out when they tried to go down the driveway. Nausea washed over both of them, and they had to back out of the driveway. Darius and Tobias both got out to find they had crossed wards, wards my father put in ce to hide our house, hide my mother and me from the world. It took them half the day to break through them to find my mother at home. She immediately called my father, who rushed home. It was also the same day my house burned to the ground, the day I lost my parents, only I relived it from Tobias¡¯s point of view, and I found everything Darius had told me was the truth. They left and only returned when they felt my distress, Tobias suffered severe burns trying to save me, while Darius exhausted a good chunk of magic breaking the wards and getting us out. Tobias used his magic to heal me instead of himself. Healed some girl he barely knew because I was theirs and they would do anything to keep me, knowing I was their only future, and they were mine. Darius then cloaked me and they took me to my grandmother and cloaked her too. Tobias¡¯ memories weren¡¯t as dark and twisted as Lycus¡¯ or Kalen¡¯s, yet his struggles were just as brutal when he returned home with Darius. Both of their fathers demanded answers from them both. Tobias even endured watching his brother be tortured with magic. It was the only time Tobias forced his brother to suffer. He refused to give me up despite knowing he was causing his brother pain. He chose me over the one person he spent his entire life protecting, and Thomas, I found, took it withoutint, trusting his brother had good reason. Darius, too, refused to give up my location. Yet as thest of Tobias¡¯ memories fizzled and died out, I learned Darius was the only reliable constant person in Tobias¡¯s and Thomas¡¯s life; I understood why Darius felt guilty. Seeing Tobias¡¯ grief as he tried to heal Thomas, begging the fates to take him instead. That was when Tobias turned to the bottle. For years he held himself together, and all for Thomas, everything he did, he did for his twin. For his other half and Darius unknowingly took him from him, andR¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only so did I. Darius loved him just as much, and I now understood the destruction I had caused by running, no wonder Tobias hated me. I took the only person he truly loved from him. Tobias and Thomas had turned their backs on their family for me, had his title removed because he took the others as his mates to keep power, and all to keep me safe, to let me grow up, and me running made it look like it was all for nothing. I basically threw it all back in their faces as I felt the agony of Tobias¡¯s loss. His brother clutched in his arms, his mutted body tom to shreds from the hellhounds. ¡°We need to go,¡± Darius whispers to him, trying to make him let go of Thomas. ¡°I hate her, I f***king hate her,¡± Tobias sobbed as he stared at the letter drawn on the ground in his own blood. However, peering through Tobias¡¯s eyes, it wasn¡¯t all I noticed, and my heart sputtered in my chest in the waking world. How had I never noticed it before? How did I not see it in Darius¡¯ memories? So caught up in both of their grief as I watched that scene y out on a loop, first through my fragmented memories, then Darius¡¯s, and now Tobias, yet it was Tobias¡¯ memories I noticed. The Moonstone clutched in Thomas¡¯s hand. Tobias even picks it up. He nces at it, feeling the energy in it, but unable to ce it before tossing it aside, thinking his brother had found it, believing the power within it was mine. Yet I recognized the stone as he dropped it, recognized the energy writhing through it because I had the same stone sitting in our bathroom, a stone that I could feel contained remnants of my mother¡¯s magic. Just as that realization dawned on me, the memories faded, and I felt the sting in my thigh, felt the devil¡¯s bane run through me. Though it was weak and wouldn¡¯t stop my shredding, it would, however, give Darius time, and for once, I wasn¡¯t mad he did it because now I had to confess something myself. I unknowingly trusted a woman they warned me about, trusted my own mother, and I had just brought a ward breaker into their castle, our home. The Moonstone was never intended for me to call on her. No, it was intended to break the wards. Tobias knew the energy felt off and tossed the stone, yet I brought it home with me. I once again endangered my mates. My eyes opened to them arguing over Darius drugging me, yet I wasn¡¯t angry at him for it. I was angry at myself as I opened my eyes. ¡°You promised,¡± Tobias hisses at him. ¡°I made no such promises. It¡¯s weak, she is still in the shred, but she needs a break, I willplete it, she needs rest though,¡± Darius snaps back at him, and I sit up. ¡°Don¡¯t argue,¡± I groan, clutching my head as the heat rushing through me eases off but lingers around the edges, my head pounding with knowledge and power in excess. ¡°Aleera,¡± Tobias hisses, rushing over to me, but my eyes go to Darius. Guilt floods me through the bond, only amplifying mine. ¡°I have done something stupid,¡± I murmur and Darius watches me for a second waiting for me to explode at him stopping the shred even if only temporarily. I just hoped he would forgive me because I truly f***ked up, and that rity had me shoving past them and running for the bathroom. I rummage through the basket of soaps and pull out the Moonstone just as Dariuses in behind me. The furious growl that leaves him as every hair stands on end as he stalks toward me. ¡°What have you done?¡± he asks, and I swallow. The moment my magic touched it, it glowed, and my eyes widened as I felt the energy inside it. ¡°Aleera,¡± Darius panics, but I step back, knowing if I didn¡¯t get it out of here soon, it would absorb his ward¡¯s just as it was my magic, stealing it from me, every ounce I just absorbed, and I looked at them in panic as Darius reached for it. Jerking my hand back I shake my head. ¡°None of you can touch me. It will take yours too,¡± I tell them before groaning as cramps rippled through my stomach as it devoured the devil¡¯s bane and forced the shred, the stone urging me toplete it so it could take my power, our power, I would kill her. I would f****king kill her, This was never to protect me butto absorb my magic after ipleted the shred, to weaken me and take my mate¡¯s power from them, But she f***ked up, because ! figured it out before Ipleted il, and now the only power she would get was the wrath of phoenixes. She had taken so much from them, and I wasn¡¯t allowing her to take anymore. ¡°Aleera, No!¡± Darius screams at me, feeling my intention through the bond. Using the remnants of what I still contained, I toss up a shield blocking Darius as he goes to take it and run for my old room. sting the window, I grab a cloak, I spot hanging by the dark firece before whistling. The moment I do, I hear Sparks caw, and I do the stupidest thing I have ever done. I jump from the window, praying to the fates that Spark reaches me because, with the loss of my power, I just lost my wings, and we were six stories high. Previous Chapter Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Read Tasting Darkness [Tempting Darkness] By Jessica Hall Book 2 Chapter 42 ¨C Wind rushes past me as I fall, and I watch the ground grow closer. It was like time stopped, everything slowing down, and I saw every particle in the air, every vapor and streak of light from the moon when suddenly arms wrapped around my waist. The stone glows and burns hotter in my hand as I try to fight it from taking his magic through me when Darius opens a portal directly beneath us. My eyes widen when Darius grips my wrist, shaking my hand, but I refuse to let go, knowing what dropping that stone would do to the city he opened a portal to. When I refuse, he sts me with his magic, stunning me, and I scream as my arm spasms, my fingers twitching, and the stone slips through them, falling toward the portal. I grasp the air, trying to catch it, when Spark caws loudly, swooping off the roof toward us. My fingers outstretched, reach for the stone, as I try to stop it, knowing the destruction it would cause, the power it would absorb, when talons caged around my body, and I scream as Spark grabbed us, plucking us from the air and he takes flight, his powerful wings taking us higher. In contrast, my scream of horror rang out loudly as I watched the stone disappear into the portal before closing. He killed them; he killed them all. Spark moves toward the field below before dropping us to the ground and I round on Darius the moment my feet hit the ground, my hands mming against his chest, and he staggers backward. Sparknded on the ground not far from us, but my anger was ignited like a match had been struck, and my rage was the fuel it needed as I called on my Phoenixes. ¡°How could you?¡± I scream at him, tears streaming down my face as I shoved him; Darius puts his hand up, backing away from me. The phoenixes on the roof caw loudly, feeling my burning anger and take flight. They circle the sky above while Darius¡¯anger also rippled, his energy amplifying, and the air around us heats as the tension simmers between us, my shred tries to override my anger, calling on his power I could sense while mine was lost with the Moonstone. ¡°Don¡¯t put this back on me! You brought it back home; you lied! You should have told us!¡± Darius yells at me. ¡°I did what I had to do!¡± ¡°The city, that city. You just killed them all, led the power hunters straight to them!¡± ¡°I had no choice. That stone would have absorbed you, absorbed the wards and the power of your phoenixes,¡± Darius says, walking away from me toward the castle, and I charge and tackle him, furious that he would sacrifice an entire city when I could have led the Phoenixes straight to them. ¡°You monster, you just wiped out a city,¡± I scream angrily, and Darius rolls, pinning me beneath him. ¡°It¡¯s better than leading them here!¡± Darius bellows at me before pushing off me and getting to his feet and I shake my head knowing that that stone would absorb any protection of the city¡¯s wards offered, absorb the power of those that lived there, and lead the power hunters directly to them while they are defenseless. ¡°I could have taken them down; I have the phoenixes,¡± I scream at him, getting to my feet when the sky suddenly ignites, glowing crimson, as lightning streaks across the sky. We all look up at the trees toward the city as the power of the st, ripples over the dome encasing the castle from Darius¡¯s wards, shielding us from the st, but I knew the city¡¯s wards with an explosion that strong would have shattered, leaving them open to attacks. My eyes widen; I cup my mouth with my hands in horror before getting to my feet. I whistle calling on my phoenixes when Darius charges me, mping his hand over my mouth. I struggle against him, shoving him off.¡° I can help them. I can save them!¡± I spit at him, and he stumbles back. ¡°You don¡¯t know that! I am not willing to take that risk,¡± Darius screams back at me ¡°But I am!¡± I yell at him as Tobias, Lycus, and Kalene out of the castle, jogging over to us, their eyes casting nervous nces at the sky where light sparked and illuminated in the distance. Tobias waves his arms in the air trying to calm us. I wanted to beat Darius senselessly for his stupidity and for mine of believing her, trusting the one woman they warned me about. ¡°Picking up a rock, I chuck at him as he walks away, it hits him in the back, and he whirls on me, stalking toward me and Tobias backs up. Our mates watch from the sidelines as he reaches me, and I pummel Darius, hitting him wherever I can. My Phoenixes above caw and swirl in the night sky above like glowing beacons of infinite power, their magic zapping and recharging me with each cawing st. ¡°I could have taken them; I would have ended them,¡± I scream at him when he grips my arms. ¡°And at what sacrifice, your life? That sort of power, the power needed to kill the power hunters would have killed you. You can¡¯t harness that kind of power blindly, you aren¡¯t ready!¡± ¡°Better me, than them!¡± I cry as our mates draw nearer. ¡°How could you?¡± He was a monster. Thousands, and thousands of lives he has just put at risk because of me. ¡°Better them than you, because if it is between choosing between you and them, I choose you. I have lost you once. I won¡¯t lose you again. I can live with their deaths on my hands. I can¡¯t live with yours!¡± he says, shaking me. ¡°We don¡¯t know that! I could have taken it, I could have absorbed the Phoenixes ¨C ¡°. Darius grabs my face in his hands. ¡°Look up, Aleera, there aren¡¯t enough of them. You think you could, but you can¡¯t. That stone was a power absorber. The moment you touched it, you activated it. It wouldn¡¯t stop absorbing you or your birds until it contained everything you had left. Then what? You were giving the power hunters the ultimate weapon, the ultimate power.¡± I shake my head, tears streaming down my face at my stupidity. I was angry at him but mostly angry at myself, knowing this was my fault, I should have killed her when I saw her, should have told them. ¡°We don¡¯t know that.¡± I croak. ¡°I do! Because the magic that was used to create that stone. Is mine. For years I was their weapon,¡± Darius says, letting me go and I stagger back and look at him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°As soon as I saw that stone in your hand and the rune on it, I knew it was mine.¡± I shake my head. He was wrong. It was my mother¡¯s magic. I felt it inside that stone. ¡°No, it was my mother¡¯s power. I could feel it.¡± Darius clutches his hair and screams in frustration. The tormenting through the bond from him caused him physical pain, and my chest was restricted. ¡°I couldn¡¯t save them, you, I can save,¡¯ Darius yells at me. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°What are you talking about? It was my mother¡¯s magic!¡± I scream at him. ¡°It was mine, think Aleera. Think about it, think about everything I have told you, what you have seen! What you know!¡±| shake my head when he grasps my face in his hands. ¡°Think, Aleera, the second gue. How did your mother survive it?¡± Darius asks me. ¡°My father, he did something to her.¡± Darius nods before he whispers. ¡°He fed her my blood.¡± ¡°But that makes no sense,¡± I tell him, gripping his shirt and pushing back against him as the shred coursed through me, sensing his magic, and I try to ignore it, try to focus on my anger instead of the burning lust writhing and coursing through me, knowing he was thest one, with him I would awaken to my full potential, and my body sensed that with every fiber of my being, and it wanted his power, wanted him. ¡°It does if I am the gue. I created it; I unleashed it. You want to know how I can sacrifice an entire city for you? Because I already sacrificed the entire world thinking I was saving you all. I told you I have blood on my hands, and I told you that you didn¡¯t want to know the sort of monster youy beside at night. I am the gue Aleera, the reason it exists, the reason it got out, and the only cure, or I was before,¡± he stares up at the sky, at my phoenixes. ¡°Before I destroyed that too,¡± ¡°You were just a boy. You have this stupid idea in your head that you did this, but you didn¡¯t!¡± Darius laughs. ¡°Didn¡¯t I? My father wanted to destroy it, told me to destroy it when we learned what it was capable of -¡± he shakes his head and clenches his teeth. ¡°You think you know, but you don¡¯t,¡± Darius tells me, and I reach for him, but he pulls away, cing his hands in the air, not wanting my touch. That stung, but I refused to let him escape it this time. ¡°Then tell me?¡± I growl at him, recharging off slivers of power off my Phoenixes to hold him here, but he breaks it easily, feeding off my energy. ¡°It all leads back to me, all of you, Kalen, Lycus.¡± Darius looks over his shoulder at Tobias. ¡°Thomas, it¡¯s all my fault.¡± He tells me, looking back at me. ¡°You can hate me all you want, but I stand by what I did, their lives or yours?¡± He tells me, pointing off to our mates. ¡°Their lives!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll choose you all every d*mn time. No matter the sacrifice, I did not kill the world to lose what¡¯s left of mine. You are mine. Every single one of you, mine, my life. I won¡¯t lose you again. I just got you back,¡± he growls at me, with a sheen of madness in his eyes. ¡°You are making no sense, you¡ª ¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to make sense, Aleera! I did this. Not you, so what I did doesn¡¯t taint you. It¡¯s all my fault,¡± he tells me, and I shake my head while he growls, . turning on his heel. ¡°Show me!¡± I plead with him. Darius opens up a portal. ¡°Darius?¡± Tobias asks, and Darius stops looking at him. ¡°What have you done?¡± Darius looks back at me. ¡°I chose her.¡± He steps through the portal. ¡°Wait, that¡¯s it? You choose me and f**k the rest of the world?¡± I scream, charging in after him as he steps back into our room. ¡°I told you who I was. You didn¡¯t want to believe me.¡± his anger was palpable, and his voice cold and devoid of emotion. ¡°Then show me, let me in,¡± I snap at him, and he shrugs me off as our mates follow us into the room, and sweat beaded on my neck as the heat of the shred tries to overwhelm me when Darius moves toward the dresser. ¡°They¡¯re going toe for you, but I won¡¯t let them take you,¡± he says while digging through the dresser, and I could feel his intention through the bond loud and clear. He was going after them. He knew where they would chase the beacon once set off, which is why he tossed the Moonstone into the city because that was his Demonic-far Kingdom¡¯s city, one he was familiar with. He knew they would stoping for me if I didn¡¯t possess the power of fully merging with my mates if the bond was broken. He turns around, and I see the devil¡¯s bane in his hand. ¡°Darius!¡± Tobias hisses as he pulls the, syringe from the pouch. ¡°I won¡¯t lose you all. They¡¯ll stop. You can keep her safe,¡± Darius informs them, and my brows scrunch. ¡°What?¡± Lycus says, stepping past me toward him. ¡°Her power will die out, she¡¯ll be safe, you all will be safe,¡± Darius tells him, and I realize fully what that intention I could feel through the bond is. He was going to go after them, knowing that if they killed him, I would nevere into full power, and our bonds would eventually break. ¡°No!¡± I snarl at him. ¡°It¡¯s the only way. It started with me. It ends with me,¡± Dariuses toward me, and my skin buzzes with my anger. ¡°You¡¯re right; it does end with you,¡± I tell him, feeling the bond sizzle as I flick my wrist at him, giving myself over to instinct; the syringe goes flying. He won¡¯t escape me this time, I thought as I lunged at him; I was taking his power, and I was ending this, ending my mother and the power hunters for good. Darius growls, catching me, and before he can toss me off, I kiss him, absorbing his power. Darius gasps, feeling his power bleed into me as I take it, and he struggles, trying to toss me off instead stumbling backward and hitting the bed. I crash on top of him, my legs straddling his waist, and I pin with his own magic, my hands pressing against his chest. We were going toplete the shred. He will give me his power even if I have to take it myself. Darius growls, ring up at me, and our mates back off. Their energy ripples behind me as I stare down at him. ¡°Three down, one to go,¡± I tell him before giving myself over to my bond and watching as it forces his bond out,tching onto it. ************* Guys, pay attention to the Author¡¯s Note Attached. Follow my Author Page on F.B Jessica Hall Author Page for updates on book 3, Taming Darkness. Author Hey Guys. This is thest chapter of Tasting Darkness. Please jump on F.B and follow my Author Page. Due to an ongoing dispute with the app, Book 3, Taming Darkness, will be posted to *** Only I will noct on my Author Page when Chapter 126 Book 3 Chapter 1 Chapter 126 Book 3 Chapter 1 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 1 ¨C Aleera¡¯s face twists with rage, and she shoves me, making me stumble to catch her as she jumps me; I try to toss her off when her lips crash against mine, and I gasp at the force of my magic leaving me as she absorbs all my power, not leaving a drop. I feel the monster that lurks inside me rear its head as her bondtches onto mine. The nervous energy through the bond with our mates is palpable. Fear so strong, I could taste it as I fought to stop the darkest parts of me from taking over; we all knew she couldn¡¯t handle the monster I could be. Yet, she was determined and refused to let go, making me stumble back onto the bed. She crashes on top of me, her legs straddling my waist, and she pins me with my own magic, her hands pressing against his chest. I growl at her, ring up at her, and our mates back off-their energy ripples behind her as our gazes lock. ¡°Three down, one to go,¡± she murmurs, and I watch horrified as she gives herself over to instinct, letting the bond force its way out, and I struggle harder, trying to contain the monster that has the potential to obliterate us both. Instinct pulls as I feel her powertch onto me, and I lose control. Hunger to take it back, warping and twisting the parts of me that I fought so hard to keep, those parts dying out as she siphons me. Her nails dig into my chest, and ck and gold tendrils sliver up her arms, neck, and face, webbing beneath her skin when she shuts her eyes. It was the only thing I hated about killing off my harmony side, being unable to contain the incubus I truly was, a demon, a monster from the pits of hell. She has no idea what she has done, as I feel the edges of my vision go. I¡¯m going to Hell. ¡°Darius, give in. Don¡¯t fight it,¡± Kalen whimpers behind her. Was he crazy? I can¡¯t do what I have done to him, to her. She would never forgive me, and I would never forgive myself. I tried to toss her off, yet she was just as crazed as her lips smashed against mine. I struggle against her when her magic touches me, enticing me, and I go limp, surrendering to it, knowing I can¡¯t hold off. It was clear my mates would not help me, so I gave myself over to it. I let the darkest parts of me out. She would hate me after that much, I was sure of; when I felt Kalen, his magic slipping into me, I pulled away with a gasp. He was lending me his power to try to keep some control, enough to stop me from killing her. ¡°She is safe with us,¡± Tobias reassured me, as her lips traveled down my neck, Aleera was gone, gone to instinct, and it was strange seeing her so out of it. Even with the others, she had some control, maybe not over the shred, but she wasn¡¯t this vacant, hungered bond. She was still with us. ¡°Darius, let go. Stop fighting it. You won¡¯t win,¡± Kalen whimpered as my hands shake on her arms, where they grip them. They won¡¯t let me kill her. And with that, I let go, praying Kalen could at least hold me back somewhat. My bond is depraved, it didn¡¯t care for their emotions; it only knew how to take, and that¡¯s what it does. My nails slice her skin, and she hisses, her lips pulling away from my skin. I would make it up to her, but she wanted this. She did this, called it out, knowing full well I have no control of my bond. I knew I should stop, but I couldn¡¯t, as I grabbed her and rolled her over, pinning her beneath me. I wouldn¡¯t stop; I couldn¡¯t, especially once I had stripped her down onto the bed, like some sacrifice. Not when I¡¯ve been in love with her from the moment, Iid my eyes on her. Here she was, my Aleera, my Love, lying under me. Ready for me to do everything I have ever dreamed of doing with her. When ites to her, my brain can¡¯t distinguish the difference between right and wrong. A soft smile coated my lips. If only she understood the amount of love I had for her, if she asked me to burn the world for her, I¡¯d do it. I wouldn¡¯t think twice if she asked me to die for her. I¡¯d just do it. That¡¯s how much I loved her. She had a hold on me that no one else ever would, and soon she would hold every secret I fought so hard to keep from her, knowing she would hate me for them. I feel my bond take over, feel Kalen twisting and manipting my aura, allowing me some semnce of self as I give into it. There¡¯s nothing sweeter than the look of fear that makes you feel as if you¡¯re the most powerful man in existence. In all my years, I¡¯ve always known I was different. From the moment I killed my harmony side off; I could feel the coldness of the monster I learned to keep at bay. For a while, I would have relished her fear. Looking at her fear now, as she realized I was giving her what she wanted, I no longer craved it. She knew what she was risking as I saw her slowly return beneath me, epting that she had to have every dark piece of me to have me. She feared it yet was willing to sacrifice herself to obtain me, us, all of us. So much has changed in the past few months. Yet, the moment I saw her sacrifice herself to save Kalen, that all seemed to change. I no longer craved her fear, and when we were attacked, she could have run, yet she remained to save the very monster that was holding her prisoner. She killed and saved me simultaneously that day, killing the part of me that hated her. But saved the little humanity I was clinging onto. I just hoped she could still love me after I gave her what she was so determined to take. I slowly drank in her glowing skin as my hands moved on their own, down her body, feeling the silkiness of her flesh. Getting up on my knees, I removed my shirt first, and her eyes widened. She breathes heavily, her chest falling and rising with each harsh intake of breath. Her magic writhed beneath her skin, and her hips lifting, wanting me to sink into her. Before she could say anything, I mmed my mouth roughly onto her, causing her to gasp in surprise. That¡¯s all it took for me to sweep my tongue into her parted mouth, exploring and owning every inch of her while my hands explored the rest. I sucked hard onto her tongue, biting down, before lowering my hand to pinch at the tip of her nipples. ¡°Oh,¡± she cried out as she gripped hard onto the sheets. I don¡¯t waste a moment, dragging my mouth slowly downward and taking one taut nipple into my watering mouth. My free hand pinched the other, causing her to cry out even louder. With that, I violently ripped her legs apart to reveal her perfect pink p**ssy glistening under the light for me. ¡°F**k, I need to taste you,¡± I crooned at her while dragging my middle finger up her slit. My mouth was watering as I scooped up her juice before taking it out. The smell was like a d*mn aphrodisiac to me as I slowly pulled my finger out to press it against my lower lip. Sweet like honey, much like the rest of her. ¡°F**k,¡± I hummed lightly, barely able topose myself. Unable to take the tension anymore, I slipped my thumb between her folds and tightly pinched that little cl*t that drove me crazy, poking her entrance with my fingers. Aleera gasped at the stimtion, arching her back, and her thighs quiver. Soft moans escaped her mouth. Unable to take it any longer, I shoved my tongue in her,pping at her slick heat greedily. Her tight little body wrapped around my tongue, her p**ssy clenching against my harshpping tongue, and her hips bucked as I hungrily sucked on her. I sucked gently, ying with her cl*t between my lips, grazing it asionally with my teeth; another moan soon escaped from her perfect mouth that had me chuckling. I pushed my boxers down, reaching down to feel my erection. It throbbed under the mere touch of my hands, extremely hot, hard, and aching painfully. I panted and h**ked one of her legs with my arm, wrapping it around my waist. I bent slightly, feeling her entrance, before taking a deep breath and entering her with a harsh thrust. Her hands automatically reach down to hold me when I push in again, ramming into her mercilessly. Tears flowed down her face like liquid mercury, with her lips quivering. When Tobias moved behind me, his power slipping over me, giving me more control as he gave me his magic. Her eyes moved to him behind me; if she wanted it all, she would have to take all of us. I waited until she wasfortable with my size and rxed enough to see Lycus crawl onto the bed beside her. Without any warning, I mmed into her again, this time much more aggressively than before. The sight of them near her, wanting her, made me rabid. ¨C With every thrust, I rammed into her, breaking her into moans. She cried out, but I dare believe it was not out of pain anymore. All I could imagine was her juices and blood mixing on the d*mn sheets. There would be blood, her p*ssy too slick. The copper scent of it filled the room as I mercilessly pounded into her. Yet she took it, epted it, and loved it as Lycus leans down, capturing her lips and trying to distract her. Aleera whined when I hit that certain spot inside her, her back arching beautifully against me. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Eventually, with each stroke, Aleera lifted her hips and rolled them against me, the fire between our connected bodies growing hotter with each passing second, our mingling like an erupting volcano, beautifully lethal. I moaned, bending down again to kiss her while squeezing her perky breasts. My hips took on an irregr rhythm, constantly ramming and hitting her mercilessly. That¡¯s all it takes, she exploded all around me. Her inner walls mp down hard onto me as she bit hard on her lips to keep herself from crying out through utter ecstasy. Tobias¡¯ hands smooth over my chest, and Lycus pulls away, allowing her to catch her breath when I feel Tobias ¡®fangs sink into my neck. My hips stop ramming into her as he pulls me back against him, his magic slipping into me, and I feel the monster that lurks beneath my skin calm some. I pull out of her, only to feel Kalen¡¯s lips mold against mine; my fingers dig into his flesh as he kisses me, lending me his power. Tobias¡¯ tonguepping at my neck, Kalen feeding me his power in a kiss when I hear her moan. Chapter 127 Book 3 Chapter 2 Chapter 127 Book 3 Chapter 2 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 2 ¨C Aleera POV A moan escapes me as I watch Kalen kiss Darius, his fingers wrapping around his c****k, stroking his length while Tobias feeds from him. In return, I enjoy the sound of four, almost synchronized, growls as all eyes go to me. My blood suddenly rushes up to my cheeks, I know I¡¯m blushing, but the burn isn¡¯t nearly as intense as the one between my legs. Kalen lets him go, stepping back Darius moves closer to the bed; Tobias and Kalen close in his step. Lycus grabs my breast, from where he lies beside me. Once I notice the desperate look in their eyes, I decide to give in and let them do whatever they want to me. My bond craved them and finally Darius was willing toplete the power exchange, the bond. Despite the pain throbbing between my legs, I wanted more, the bond craved it, craved them. Lycus shoves me on my back and I close my eyes, enjoying the sensory overload as all four caress my skin. I can tell apart their touches; I know which man¡¯s hand and precisely which palm belongs to whom. As I open my eyes, I watch them while their eyes roam my body, and wide smirks spread across their lips. I bite my bottom lip, feeling too excited for my own good. Lycus next to me, leans over my breast. I gasp when I feel his mouthtch on my nipple, his hot tongue rounding it. He keeps flickering his tongue over the sensitive nipple, while I feel electric jolts travel through my body. A hiss leaves my lips, as Kalen takes the same position as Lycus and attacks my left nipple. Unlike Lycus, he nips at my nipple with his teeth and squeezes my breast, creating another sensation I can¡¯t describe but want more of. Darius lowers himself between my legs and spreads them wider while he runs his tongue over his lips. All I can see is raw hunger sh in his gaze, and while I attempt to stare down at him, Darius is so focused on my throbbing p***ssy, that he doesn¡¯t look away even if he can feel my eyes on him. A hot, firm tongue slides over my cl*t, nearly forcing a scream out of me, it stings from his pounding, yet pulses at his touch. Darius seals his lips around my sensitive flesh, as he sucks and licks my cl*t.just when I think this can¡¯t get better, Darius slides his finger inside me, my body sings with pleasure, and I cry out. The sensations overwhelm me, all their lips on my body, when a hand grips my chin and forces me to look up. Tobias smirks and presses his lips to mine, taking my mouth in a needy, passionate kiss. His tongue thrusts into my mouth, and takesplete control over the kiss. While the two men keep ying with my breasts and nipples, Darius slides his tongue inside me as low growls emit from his chest. The vibration of the deep sound makes my toes curl in pleasure. Darius works his tongue deeper inside me, as his nose asionally rubs against my cl*t. Tobias breaks our kiss sooner than I expect, but his grip on my chin remains firm. A grin spreads across his swollen lips, as he barks, ¡°Open wide.¡± I gulp and follow themand, opening my mouth right before he forces his c**k inside it. Tobias is ying with me; he¡¯s barely pushing the tip of his c*ck inside my mouth and withdraws it when he feels my tongue swipe over it. I almost mp my teeth around it, done with the teasing and ying, as I re at Tobias and open my mouth wider for him. He looks down at me, amusement on his face, so I take the matter into my own hands and force my head closer to his c*ck, wrapping my lips around his length. Tobias groans, but he doesn¡¯t move a muscle, as he watches me take over control. I start bobbing my head and suck in my cheeks. My tongue swipes over the tip of his c*ck, a slight smile appears on my lips when he hisses. Darius starts sucking on my cl*t, his lips, tongue, and teeth assault my p*ssy, like he¡¯s been starving for years, and he refuses to taste anything but me. The two greedy mouths disappear from my nipples and leave my breasts exposed to everyone. Their saliva is all over my skin, and even the warm air in the room feels like it can create some sort of pleasure. Lycus and Kalen, as if it¡¯s a move they have been perfecting for years, move closer. They grip my wrists and bring my hands to their lengths. I wrap my fingers around their c*cks and wrap my legs around Darius¡¯ neck. He¡¯s so adamant about taking me to the edge that I fear he will stop a moment before I explode in pleasure. I start moving my hands up and down the shafts as Tobias finally starts to move his hips and thrusts his c*ck inside my mouth. ¡°F*ck,¡± one of them hisses, but I¡¯m too far gone, pleasure overloading me, to understand which voice I hear. Tobias groans and throws his head back, giving me full control. ¡°I¡¯m about to c*m, d*mn it,¡± he hisses, withdrawing his c**k from my mouth. I watch how his long fingers wrap around his length, assuming he¡¯s about to squeeze it to hold back the or***sm. But instead, he starts moving his fist from the tip down to the base, as he aims his c**k at my breasts. A couple of rough movements of his hand and Tobias moans out, emptying his load over my moans out, emptying his load over my breasts. He chuckles and eyes his doings on my skin, grinning as if he had just created a masterpiece. Then, he clears his throat and winks at me. I nod, as if that¡¯s the most normal response I could have. Never in my life had I thought I¡¯d feel this comfortable nude, let alone surrounded by multiple men, yet I don¡¯t feel bothered by the fact that Tobias just came all over my breasts in front of everyone. My legs start shaking around Darius¡¯ neck, as his tongue keeps hitting the exact spot that drives me crazy, and all it takes is a sharper intake of breath for me to fly over the edge. I scream in pure pleasure, stuck in bliss, utterly numb to Lycus and Kalen, adding their c*m to the masterpiece Tobias left on my chest. Only when I feel it drip over my skin, do I realize I¡¯mpletely covered in their c*m. Someone presses a cold, damp towel to my skin and brings me back to reality. Tobias grins at me as he cleans up the mess they made. With no previous warning or a sign, as if this is something we do every day, he focuses on my breasts. I look around at the men, all but Darius look spent, but despite that, they¡¯re eager toplete the shred. When Tobias finishes cleaning me, he looks around at the rest of them. The next moment, he¡¯s in between my legs, positioning himself at my entrance. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. I know I¡¯m dripping in excitement and need; he doesn¡¯t need to do anything to slide inside me with ease. As the thought crosses my mind, he moves his hips forward and pushes his c**k inside me. I hiss, painfully, tender from Darius, when Darius ces a hand on my leg and slightly lifts it for Tobias to get a better angle. Finally, Tobias starts moving his hips while the rest attack my body, tracing open-mouthed kisses everywhere they can get their lips. Each leaves unique marks over my body in the form of love bites, while one rails me into another dimension. ¡°Go easy on her, my a**s.¡± I hear one of them say, yet too high on the ecstasy to figure out whose voice it was. I nce at Darius and lick my lips. Gone was the monster I dealt with earlier, and in his ce the man I love. ¡°Bl*w job?¡± I ask, but the mischievous grin on his lips instantly tells me he already has something on his mind. ¡°Tobias, let¡¯s switch the position,¡±. Darius says, and Tobias instantly pulls out of me; the grin on his lips matches the one on Darius¡¯. I look between the two, wondering if Lycus or Kalen will join whatever is going on, but as I nce at my side, I notice those two are too busy with each other. Lycus is pressing Kalen against the wall, their lips stuck together in a passionate kiss, and I think I just had a mini or***sm watching them. My breath trembles, as Lycus wraps an arm around Kalen¡¯s waist and slides it down to his a*s. F**k, that¡¯s hot. My attention is brought back to what we were doing, when Tobias plops on the bed and pulls me onto him. My back pressed against his chest, and his c**k aligned with my entrance. Maybe he wants me to ride him, if so, I don¡¯t mind, d*mn it. However, when Darius stands at the edge of the bed and grins, positioning himself between my legs, I gasp. Tobias grips my hips and lifts me a little to pull me back on his c**k. I scream out in pleasure once I¡¯m fully seated on his length. With his c**k buried deep inside me, Tobias ces a hand on my breast and pulls my back flush against his chest. It takes me another moment to understand what they¡¯re nning. Darius grabs his c***k, strokes it to the base, and winks at me. My eyes widen, but none of them gives me a chance to object as Darius thrusts inside me, his. and Tobias¡¯s cocks filling me to the point I feel like I¡¯m about to be split in half. I hiss, more in pain and shock than pleasure. They slowly start moving inside me, letting an asional moan or hiss leave their lips as they praise my tightness. Who the f**k wouldn¡¯t be with two c**ks stuck in one hole? I try to rx my body and find pleasure in the initial pain. Once both of them find the right rhythm, I scream their names each time one of them moves. My hands find Darius¡¯ shoulders, and I dig my nails into his skin every time he thrusts inside me. I close my eyes and slowly start moving my hips to try to meet their thrusts, but Tobias grins them and holds mein ce Tobias grips them and holds me in ce, stuck between two sweaty, loud men, railing me. ¡°More, harder,¡± I plead, my breasts bouncing heavily from their thrusts. ¡°That¡¯s it. You love this, don¡¯t you?¡± Tobias asks, moving in and out of me, matching Darius in harsh, deep thrusts. Snarling, one of hisrge hands wrapped around my neck, and it didn¡¯t take long before I¡¯m jumping off the ledge. This was the most intense sexual experience I had ever had, and it was perfect when I hear Tobias groan beneath me, and he stills. Darius increased his speed and f***ked me vigorously, before slipping his arm beneath my back and hauling me off him and Tobias, my arms wrap around his neck when he gripped my hair, tugging my head back and swallowing my moans. Tobias moves behind me and Darius pins me to the bed, I can feel all their magic writhing through Darius, it tickles my tongue as he continues to pound into me, his tongue tangled with mine, and I scream out my or***sm. Scream out as his power washes through me and I take it, everything he¡¯ll give me. My mouth waters at the taste of it when he pulls his lips from mine, his pitch ck eyes staring down at me, my gums tingle, and a savage sound leaves my lips. He stills inside me just as I rip him toward me, my teeth sinking into his neck, and the power that sted me stole my breath away. It was ice-cold, powerful beyond measure, and like nothing I had ever felt before. The force of it makes me pass out, falling ck briefly, my eyes flicker, and ears ring as Darius pulls out of me, the room goes dark, and I blink as I see the worry etched into his face as he peers down at me. I blink; his magic was dark, tainted with so much death, so much pain I actually tried to fight it from sucking me in. ¡°Darius, where are you going?¡± I hear Tobias¡¯ voice, it is distant, but I am fighting a losing battle as his magic sucks me under. ¡°Darius? Answer me,¡± I hear someone say. ¡°I¡¯m going to end it,¡± are thest words I hear when I find myself sucked into Darius¡¯s memories. Chapter 128 Book 3 Chapter 3 Chapter 128 Book 3 Chapter 3 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 3 ¨C My hearing is the first to go; I am met with total darkness and utter silence for what felt like eons as his memory flickered to life. Blinking, I find we are in the mess hall, only it looks different. In his memory, it is some kind of ballroom, with heavy drapes covering the windows and a crystal chandelier glistening under the light, casting the ground in orbs of light as the sun shone in. ¡°Now, Darius,¡±es a deep, booming voice. Darius shakes his head. ¡°No, please, father,¡± he begs. He must be about six years old. The room looked huge out of his eyes as he peered at the back of his father¡¯s throne, which satin the center of the room. His father looks over his shoulder, leaning over to peer around his chair. ¡°I said now! Either them or you?¡± his father snarls at him. Darius shuffles his feet, drops his head, and moves closer to his father. His father grabs his shirt, hauling him in front of the throne. Darius sniffles and his father hits him up the back of the head. ¡°Get on with it. Tell me what you see?¡± he snaps at his son, and Darius finally lifts his gaze. When he does, I find a man and a woman on their knees, both beaten and bl***dy. The woman¡¯s long dark hair cascaded to the floor, creating a veil and shielding her face. The man stared at Darius¡¯s father as if he wanted to kill him. ¡°Find the boy, Darius,¡± his father booms, kicking Darius in the backside. Darius whimpers and moves toward them, his fingers outstretched, and I gasp. He had magic, actual magic. I could feel it writhing through him. Powerful and strong. He had already manifested, or if not, he would have been a force to be reckoned with when he had. ¡°You ba***rd, you f****king ba***ard. We told you we have no son! Haven¡¯t you taken enough from us?¡± the man on his knees screams. Darius flinches. ¡°Ignore him, son. Either you find the boy, or you go back in the chair,¡± Darius¡¯s father tells him. The man looks at Darius. His eyes soften slightly, almost in pity for him. Darius observes him, his aura ck as charcoal, and he looks at his father, confused. ¡°They changed?¡± he says. ¡°Yes, we killed the harmony side, which is why we need to find the boy,¡± his father answers him. For a child, Darius, I could see, was far more intelligent than the average six-year-old. I could tell Darius was petrified of whatever his father meant by the chair, making me wonder. ¡°Find the boy, and I will let you go see Lucy, but only if you find him,¡± Darius¡¯ father tells him, an image of a newborn baby flits through his mind briefly and I know it must be his sister. His heart beats faster at her name before he turns to face the man and woman. Guilt smashes into him. Yet he wanted to see his sister. ¡°Remember why we are doing this, son,¡± Darius¡¯s father reminds him. Yet some part of him didn¡¯t believe his father. Nevertheless, he steps forward and ces a hand on the man and woman¡¯s heads. He closes his eyes when suddenly images flicker before his eyes. The woman and man starts sobbing when an imagees forth and takes shape, and I blink in shock. Darius looks around the room, yet I have seen it before. D¨¦j¨¤ vu hits me, and it only takes me a moment before I figure out why. It was an orphanage. Darius pinpoints the location where he feels the brightest energy, a power simr to his. He follows it, virtually walking through the ce, just by merely touching them he had a connection to their child. When he stops beside a bed. What I wasn¡¯t expecting was to see a face I had already seen before. It was Kalen. Darius watches him sleep for a second. Seeing the boy, he knew what would be of him. He knew what would be of his parents. His parents were no longer Harmony-Fae, but Dark-Fae and Darius knew his father did something bad to them. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Darius jerks out of their heads, jerks out of the vision he saw. ¡°Where is he?¡± his father instantly demands as his eyes focus on the man and woman at his feet. Darius swallows, peering down at them. The woman s*bs, dropping her gaze, while the man¡¯s eyes stare off vacantly. ¡°He¡¯s dead,¡± Darius lies. The man¡¯s eyes flick to him. His lip quivers when Darius does something I didn¡¯t believe possible, proving the magnitude of his power. He speaks to Kalen¡¯s father, his voice in his head, much simr to how Kalen tampers with auras. ¡°I¡¯ll keep him safe,¡± Darius tells him. Kalen¡¯s father inhales sharply. When hands grab a hold of Darius, his father shakes him. ¡°What did you see? Where are they hiding him?¡± his father bellows. ¡°He¡¯s dead,¡± Darius repeats; his father ps him, not liking the answer. ¡°He can¡¯t be dead. Look again; I know they had a child,¡± he growls. His father turns, reaching for the woman¡¯s hair when Darius wipes his lip. ¡°They killed him, trying to change him to a White-Fae,¡± Darius lies, and his father¡¯s hand stops. He looks at his son. His father res at him before his brows pinch in the middle. ¡°How?¡± his father questions. Darius swallows. He would be taking a total stab in the dark. He didn¡¯t know how to kill off the part that made him Harmony-Fae. He nces at them, but his father grabs his face. ¡°You better not be lying to me?¡± His father sneers, and Darius whimpers, his father¡¯s nails digging into his face. Darius says the first thing thates to mind. ¡°They drowned him in the bath,¡± Darius manages to get out. His father watches him, and Darius holds his breath when his father lets him go. Darius goes to run away when his father grabs him by the cor of his shirt. He shoves him toward them. ¡°Since they killed him, you can kill them. About time, I made you into a man, ¡± Darius¡¯ father says. ¡°He¡¯s just a boy,¡± Kalen¡¯s mother rasps in outrage. ¡°So was your son, yet you had no issue killing him, or is that a lie, Darius?¡± Darius¡¯ father sneers at them. Darius stiffens, knowing his father is testing him. Darius has never killed anyone before, nor did he want to. ¨C He shakes his head. ¡°Good, then you have no issue killing them,¡± he waves his son forward. ¡°Burn them alive?¡± his father nudges him. ¡°What?¡± Darius whimpers. ¡°I said to burn them alive or give up the boy,¡± so his father didn¡¯t believe him and this was a test to see if he is lying. ¡°He¡¯s dead, though,¡± Darius tells him. ¡°Then you will have no issue killing them. They are monsters,¡± his father waves him to do his bidding, and Darius trembles. ¡°It¡¯s okay, son,¡± the man tells him, and tears pr*ck his eyes. Yet the man¡¯s gaze softens, and he nods slightly, reaching for his wife¡¯s hand. ¡°Please, father, I don¡¯t want to do it,¡± he begs. ¡°You will, or-¡± his father doesn¡¯t finish, and Darius faces them. The woman tilts her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay, sweetie, don¡¯t be punished for our crimes,¡± she says, but Darius knows they have no crimes that need to be paid. His father was just a monster. A cruel king. Darius hups a s*b before shutting his eyes. He flicks his wrist, and he feels the heat of the mes that engulf them. Silent tears slip down his cheeks as he makes a silent prayer to save their son from his father. The smell of burnt hair makes him gag. And their screams would forever haunt him and me. I feel sick at what I just witnessed when I feel the energy around me shudder, and I am suddenly moving on to the next. And it is no better than thest. Previous Chapter Chapter 129 Chapter 129 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 4 ¨C In the next vision, Ie to learn that Darius not handing Kalen over means he became the `experiment, yet it still wasn¡¯t clear to me why they were experimenting. However, it became clear why he hated my father. My father was the head scientist and the one that came up with the vile tests they ran on him, yet Darius didn¡¯t hate him, not like he did his father. As Darius slumped over in the chair, drool dripping onto the floor after being shocked by electrodes, his father grabs his hair, lifting his head up. ¡°He has had enough. Are you trying to kill your son, Xandrius?¡± my father asks him. So that was his father¡¯s name, I had wondered, he hardly spoke of his father and no one referred to him by name. Xandirus Wraith was a monster. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°What? Of course not, Grayson. I am just saying Darius can handle more than you think.¡± My father shakes his head, and Darius watches them, his vision fuzzy. He just wanted it to end. ¡°We are so close to a breakthrough. We can replicate it, be all-powerful, we can save the world, save the Harmony-Fae from extinction, imagine how much we can sell this serum for, My father says, his words confuse me. Wasn¡¯t this serum the reason we were extinct?}) Darius¡¯ father purses his lips. ¡°Are you sure it will work?¡± ¡°Positive, we are so close. We just need to figure out the right tweak to his DNA. But that won¡¯t work if he is dead. Take your son home. Let him rest,¡± He nods before walking over to Darius, who could hardly move. He undoes his restraints, yet Darius¡¯ eyes are on the vial my father held up to the light before he sets it in some machine that spins it around. ¡°You have been very good today, son, you will be rewarded when we get home, you can see Molly,¡± his father tells him, picking up his limp body. Darius mood instantly lifts hearing his sister¡¯s name, but it was bing apparent that his sister was used as a tool to make himply. ¡°Give him the week off. Let him be a child. He endures too much. He needs rest,¡± My father tells him. I don¡¯t understand why this memory lingered in his head, why it remained, but for some reason it was one that stuck, some core memory of his. From Darius thoughts the only reason I obtained for why it stuck with him besides the agony he lived through, was that it was the day he realized by not handing over the boy he didn¡¯t know, that this would be his future, forever strapped to a chair to be tested on. The memory fizzled to what appeared to beter that night. Darius was reading over his father¡¯s notes, he had snuck into his father¡¯s office, stolen the documents with Kalen¡¯s parents names on it, opened it to learn how to kill off the Harmony- Fae side. He knew if he wanted to keep his promise, he had to find a way because Kalen would be sensed. It was only a matter of time. Darius could barely hold his head up, he was tired, his eyes hurt, but he had the information he needed, and he was right, to kill off what makes them a harmony-fae they had to die, or it could be removed by a Demonic-Fae, he could siphon it if he was careful enough not to kill the boy he saw. That¡¯s how Kalen¡¯s parent lost their white magic, Xandrious siphoned Kalen¡¯s father by ident, and his mother wanting to die with her husband, who she thought was dead, she jumped through a window to kill herself, only to wake up a Dark-Fae. Darius opened the portal to the room he saw in Kalen¡¯s parent¡¯s head. He hovered over Kalen¡¯s sleeping form, despite how much he wished he could give him up to take his ce, he made a promise. He killed Kalen¡¯s parents, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to kill Kalen too by giving him to his father. Darius watches him, watches the glow that emanates from him. Darius could feel his magic, it wasn¡¯t like his, it was weaker, untrained. Yet there was also something else he could sense in Kalen, something that separated them from being the same, Kalen¡¯s magic mad him feel sad, he couldn¡¯t exin it, he just knew the emotion of what he was feeling from him, some darker version of what he possessed himself. He purses his lips, ncing around at the other sleeping children, he was hesitant at first, worried that maybe Kalen was masking his power, worried it wasn¡¯t as weak as he first thought, yet feeling for it again, he lets out a breath, Kalen¡¯s power wasn¡¯t awoken yet, so it was nothing for Darius to steal it, remove it. Darius Ie to realize had been trained in hist magic for as long as he could remember, he had no memories where he had no magic, it had always been there, he was an oddity, a rarity. Darius feels for his darker elements, feels for the demonic side of him as he pokes Kalen¡¯s cheek with his index finger, I watch as ck webbing spreads across Kalen¡¯s face, his breath making frost clouds in the air, and he shudders. His brows pinch like he is having a bad dream, Darius curious peers into his head to see what he is dreaming. He knew he was their son, but what he didn¡¯t realize was that from the moment he was born, they knew he would be put at risk. So they ced him in the basket at the orphanage doors when he was born and through Kalen¡¯s dreams, he had ess to every moment since he was born. Seeing that Darius jerks out of his head, Kalen grew up believing he was unwanted, yet Darius knew otherwise, he knew Kalen¡¯s parents ced him in the orphanage because they loved him, they just didn¡¯t know any other way to protect him. Shaking his head, Darius wipes his puffy eyes before doing what he came there to do, he siphons Kalen¡¯s magic, careful to only take the light magic, knowing he had no way to return it, if he took it all. Darius watches Kalen¡¯s aura change, watches the shadows in it to determine he got it all, only once it was ck and no color remained did he remove his finger from his cheek. Darius watches him sleep, wondering why he saved him, he couldn¡¯t exin it, but he was d he did. Darius opens the portal to go back to his room, when he hears the nkets ruffle and Kalen whimpers in his sleep. He stops looking back at him, Kalen had kicked the nket off and Darius tucks him back in. ¡°Your parents loved you, I wish my father loved me the way yours loved you,¡± Darius whispers to him before turning back to the portal. Only when he does, did he notice his father watching him through the portal he left open. Darius freezes, his father¡¯s eyes furious. Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 5 ¨C My heart stutters in the real world as I watch Darius father through his eyes. A tiny six-year `old boy, he clenches his jaw, steels his resolve and lift his chin, stepping through the portal back to his waiting father. The moment he does, his father grabbed him. ¡°What have you done?¡± Xandrius growls at his son, shutting the portal. ¡°He¡¯s useless to you now, dad,¡± Darius says, his gaze ice-cold. His father snarls, backhands him, making him hit the ground. Hends on the floor on his stomach. He wipes his bleeding lip and rolls over, sitting up, just as his door burst open. Darius cold gaze moves to the door to see his mother. ¡°No!¡± she snaps at Xandrius as he starts undoing his belt. ¡°Get out, Lilith!¡± he yells at his wife. She shakes her head, this was nothing new for Darius, his mother always fought for him, even though it just got her hurt. Darius gets up, his mother attacking his father just as he is whipped with the belt. The blows are repeatedly rained down, his mother taking a good amount of them trying to protect him. His father was a monster, yet when his mother gets shed across the face with the belt, he had enough. Darius roars, his fist hitting the ground. The floorboards ripple, tearing from the floor, some even bursting and splintering to small shards. His father¡¯s eyes bleed ck, and his mother is tossed from the room and locked out. His father, sealing them into the room. Darius backs away from the demonic-king, gone was any semnce of his father and only the man the world feared. Splinters and wood cut and carve at his skin, as he tries to hide from his father when his back suddenly hits the wall.¡± His father smirks. ¡°You have done it now, son,¡¯ he tells him. Darius shakes his head. If bravery had a face, it was this six-year-old boy, no way anyone would face the beast that stood over him. Evil incarnate, yet he did as a small boy. ¡°No, father. You have, I won¡¯t be little forever, you best remember that because I will remember this day,¡± His father is shocked by his son¡¯s words, yet he wasn¡¯t about to let his son challenge him, and he didn¡¯t only this time Darius never peeped a cry, not a sound left him as his father beat him with the buckle of his belt until he fell unconscious. The memory warps and twists, disintegrates and moves away as I am tossed forward through his memories. One thing I was beginning to learn though as the new memory emerged was the reason why he believed his mates would hate him. Why he felt guilt for everything his mates endured, why he didn¡¯t want it known to them what he had done, especially when the next memory flickered to life, and I found myself looking at a much younger version of Porter, Lycus¡¯s father. Porter was working for Xandrius, Darius stood in his father¡¯s office, he was still young, not much older than he was before, though Darius seemed different, colder, indifferent, numb from outside influence, dead inside. He stares off at the wall as Porter takes his seat across from Darius¡¯s father. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Xandrius, I¡­ I didn¡¯t-¡± Lycus father stutters before Darius¡¯s father raises his hand to silence him, not even bothering to look up from his paperwork. He finishes reading the document before setting it aside. ¡°Years we have worked together, you should know the price of going against me,¡± ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t know she was your wife, I.. she tricked me.. Had I known, I wouldn¡¯t have¡­,¡¯ Darius turns to observe the man talking to his father, pleading his case. Xandrius tilts his head to the side.}} ¡°Don¡¯t bullshit me, you knew exactly what you were doing. You knew exactly who she was, you thought you could one up me, what you didn¡¯t know was my wife? My mate was ying a part I asked her to, I was testing you, and you failed,¡± Xandrius bellows, rising to his feet. Porter falls back in his chair. He scuttles back on his hands and feet, as Xandrius moves around his desk toward him. ¡°Wait, we can move past this. You can have my mate, make up for what I almost did. She will do it.. She needs me-¡± Xandriusughs. ¡°I don¡¯t want your mate, I don¡¯t want some whore that `has been passed around the council more times than I can count,¡± Porter scoffs and shakes his head.}) ¡°My wife is pure, she has only been with me, Xandriusughs, like what Porter just said was hrious. He waves Darius forward. ¡°Do you know how you got this job with me, Porter?¡± ¡°You were looking for a bounty hunter,¡± Xandriusughs harder. Tears spring in his eyes from his laughter, and he wipes them. ¡°No, you twit.¡± He motions for Darius to step forward, and Darius stepped forward, not wanting to show him what he pulled from Lycus¡¯s mother¡¯s head earlier when she was brought in for questioning. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°She fucked your way to the top of bounty,¡± Xandriusughs. ¡°Show him,¡± Darius grits his teeth, cing his fingertips on the sides of Porter¡¯s head, showing him his wife infidelity, showing him how he got the job, what Porter didn¡¯t know was that his mate had done all those things, to save him from going to prison, saving him from death for his crimes. Making his charges disappear. Then, when he became unemployable, she sucked off Xandrius, getting him the job he has now. However, Darius wasn¡¯t allowed to show those parts to him, just the acts themselves, which made him sick that the woman was taken advantage of. Porter blinks, horrified, before he snarls. ¡°Now with that out of the way,¡± Xandrius waves Darius off, and he takes his spot by the door again. ¡°You have three weeks to find out where Grayson took the antidote. Grayson has it, I know he took it when he burned the facility down.¡± Porter nods his head. ¡°I ordered him to destroy it when we realized what we created, yet the vials were gone, the ce burned down, I know he took it, I know the bastard is nning something, and we need that cure if we are to save what¡¯s left.¡± Xandrius tells Porter. Darius stares ahead listening, he clenches his jaw and from flickerings of memory flitting through his head. I knew my father didn¡¯t burn down the facility Darius did, he was also the one that stole the antidote for my father, under the impression his father unleashed the gue, that wasn¡¯t the case though, my father lied, telling Darius it was his father¡¯s n, and he could help correct it by burning down the facility and getting him the cure. ¡°Find it, and you will be allowed to live.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t that the council¡¯s job? Search his house.¡± Porter says, Xandrius shakes his head. ¡± I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t draw too much attention to it, not with my involvement. I am already being watched, the bastard lied to me. I thought we were creating a cure for the disease on the White -Fae, he lied. Now one gue has swept through, and we need that cure before the second wave hits,¡± ¡°Second wave hits?¡± ¡°Yes, idiot, Grayson made two originally! All week he has been spouting his nonsense at the council, I can¡¯t have my men investigate him, it will draw attention to me, and my involvement to the blood that created the gue used being my son¡¯s.¡± ¡°Grayson could just tell them,¡± Porter offers. ¡± Not without implicating himself, he won¡¯t risk his reputation,¡± Xandrius tells him. Porter sucks in a shaking breath. ¡°Three weeks, find it,¡± Xandrius dismisses him. Porter leaves through a portal. Darius, guilt nags at him, yet I couldn¡¯t figure out why he felt guilty about the antidote. Why he felt to be med for the gue. The memory skips ahead a few weekster before ites across the news about Porter¡¯s wife being found dead, brutally beaten to death, and his son was missing. Both were reported to have gone missing the day he showed Porter of her infidelity. Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 6 ¨C Tobias Darius was gone, and we were sealed in by Darius¡¯ magic. Aleera was stuck in this memories state, her eyes flitting back and forth, her power magnifying with each tortuous second that passed as I paced back and forth while getting dressed. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ck and gold webbing bleeds out of her pores, spreading like a rash over most of her body, her breathing bing rapid as we watch her. Kalen¡¯s worry and fear bleeding into me like poison as he chews his nails, staring absently at where Darius just left through a portal. Lycus grips his hair, he now has shorts on, but his fear is also potent, only amplifying mine. ¡°What are we going to do?¡± Lycus whines, she had only been out for a few minutes, yet that was long enough for Darius to escape us and trap us in this room. We could still feel him, though we knew he was badly injured. We have tried to break the seal that snared us in, yet we were just wasting the energy and power we needed when it dropped. With each passing second, we felt his power dwindle rapidly, and if she didn¡¯t wake soon, we had no way to break the seal Darius ced on this room. We knew Aleera could if she would just wake. His magic now writhed through her. All our power flowed through her, strong like a beating heart, a muscle waiting to be flexed and used. So I know she could break the seal that is in ce. Her phoenixes were cawing loudly outside. A storm brewing fiercely, and the more her magic strengthened, consuming her, as she came into more power, the louder the chaos got outside. Kalen looks to the windows, light casting shadows through the room, when we hear a loud cr*ck of thunder. And the power goes out. We are plunged into darkness, and at the same time, we feel Darius¡¯ pain, like a knife carving through our hearts, splintering our souls into a million tiny facets. The pain is so intense it drops us all. I gasp and drop to my knees. ¡°He¡¯s hurt!¡± Kalen grits out, stating the obvious, and Aleera sucks in a deep sharp breath, yet she isn¡¯t awake, still stuck in that transient state between the waking world and a time already lived. Watching her, her back arches off the bed, her eyes opening, and her hands wing at the sheets. She was fighting the memories, fighting to get back here, when suddenly the lights flickered brightly, too brightly, and the entire room started shaking, the brickwork cracking and ss shattering when she screamed. The moment she does, a shift in energy smashes us, and I feel it surging in my veins when it erupts out of her like a furious volcano. Like a slivering cr*ck in the ss, I feel the seal Darius ced start to ripple, bend and cr*ck before it explodes along with the light bulbs. The sound is deafening, and I scream, covering my ears when the seal shatterspletely, and the room goes ck. Opening my eyes, the room is so cold. My breath breathes smoke clouds in the air, fog fills the room, and goosebumpsce my skin. It was like ice in here; whatever awoke inside her wanted out, fire and ice, light and darkness, bothbative and just as lethal. Both fought a war inside her as she fights his memories, she could feel him, feel us. As I rise to my feet, Aleera is covered in ice, yet her eyes burn brightly, her veins turn to gold, and she is still stuck. She was stuck in a state she couldn¡¯te out of until she saw every piece of him, bonded to the darkest parts of him, bonded and tamed the darkness she now possessed. Lycus moves to touch her, hissing as his fingers touch her. They turn ck as if frostbitten, and he screams as his magic quickly works to heal him. ¡°How do we wake her?¡± he looks at me frantically. ¡°We don¡¯t,¡± I tell him, gasping for air as Darius loses what¡¯s left in him. ¡°But Darius,¡± Kalen chokes, wing at his throat. I groan, forcing myself to my feet¡ª ¡°I know,¡± Tossing my fingers out, I open a portal to the city. ¡°Tobias!¡± Lycus rasps, finding his feet again. ¡°I won¡¯t let him die,¡± I stagger toward it, and Lycus growls, grabbing me when I stumble forward. ¡°We can¡¯t leave her.¡± Kalen whimpers. ¡°Her phoenixes will watch over her,¡± I tell him, and he hesitates before nodding. ¡°God help them when she wakes up.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just hope she does in time,¡± I tell him, knowing whatever Darius is facing just absorbed half his power in one blow, he was the strongest out of us, and if he was struggling, we stood no chance. Not without her phoenixes. ¡°And if she doesn¡¯t?¡± I nce at Aleera. ¡°She¡¯ll forgive us for leaving her,¡± I whisper, knowing full well if they kill us, Aleera will make it her mission to make them pay for it. ¡°She is safe here, but Darius needs us. I won¡¯t abandon him, not when everyone else has.¡± I tell him before Lycus, and I step through the portal. The moment we do, we step into carnage and chaos. We just escaped the room to be sealed inside a dome ced over part of the city. ¡°Kalen wait!¡± I Lycus shrieks, but it is toote as Kalen steps through the portal directly behind us. ¡°Toote,¡± Lycus shakes his head. Kalen nces around and at the sky, and so do I, and I can see the bubble we are in, the translucent-like film wrapping the city. ¡°Now what?¡± Kalen huffs. ¡°We find Darius and try not to die,¡± I tell them, ncing around the empty city street. The flickering of light between the buildings told which direction the fight was. The storm inside this dome was powered purely by magic, as we ducked and weaved out of the way of flying debris. Dead bodies littered the street, and buildings were half blown apart. Power hunters had ripped through the ce and by the feel of the dome. Power hunters sensed him the moment he entered and ced it to seal him inside it. I ce my fingers over my infinity mark, searching for Darius¡¯ location. I feel his anger and disbelief that we found him, secondster I stop, hearing a growl behind us. Lycus shakes his head, Kalen pivots, and Lycus sighs, almost sounding bored. ¡°I just got these f**king pants too,¡± Lycus snarls, turning to face the threat as I do. Kalen pats Lycus¡¯ shoulder. ¡°Yeah, yeah, f**k me!¡± Lycus groans as I stare down the four gigantic wolves stepping out from between the buildings and rubble. They move closer, teeth-gnashing and growling as they prowl toward us from the end of the street. They stalk closer and Lycus takes his damn time to remove his pants and I hold out my arm knowing he wasn¡¯t losing those damn shorts, I could feel Darius fighting his way to us now, but he seemed to have the upper hand for now. ¡°I swear if one of you bas***rds gives me rabies, I will be pissed,¡± Lycus huffs, passing me his shorts. I fold them, setting them on a broken sign board at my feet. ¡°Oh, get on with it,¡± Kalen snaps at him. ¡°By all means feel free to take my ce,¡± Lycus tells him and I roll my eyes, not a damn serious bone in Lycus¡¯ body, the same sh*t whenever he used toe on missions with us while finding Aleera. ¡°Not my species, not my boarding kennel,¡± Kalen says folding his arms, and I snicker. Lycus turns his head to re at him, and Kalen shrugs. ¡°What, I can revert the terminology if you want, but monkeys don¡¯t seem appropriate, though the circus part still may be fitting.¡± he retorts before giving Lycus a nudge forward. Lycus mutters, leisurely strolling toward them. ¡°So which one wants to be my b*tch!¡± Lycus growls as they charge at him in full sprint. ¡°Even in the pits they sweep, f**k sake,¡± I hear him groan as he peers down at the litter on the ground, then he shifts at thest second just as Kalen nudges me, pointing to the sky. Darius sends a re into the sky, it hits the shield letting us know his location, fire engulfs the shield, licking and sliding down it showing us exactly how big it is. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I tell Kalen before taking off in the direction Darius is. Four measly wolves were no match for Lycus, so I did not fear for his life, Darius however I did, especially if he sent off a re of his magic. Darius wasn¡¯t taking on a couple of wolves, but a damn army of power hunters. However, what I am not expecting is the crater I nearly fall into as I rush out of the alleyway. My hand grabbing Kalen¡¯s shirt is the only thing that stops him from falling in as I rip him backward. Across the other side is Darius standing out the front of the old council building on the steps while Hunters surrounded him. Magic flew everywhere, the energy rippling and surging is intense, the air felt electrified and charged. Kalen tries to open a portal, but it shatters instantly. ¡°Go, I will find another way,¡± Kalen tells me and I nod. I didn¡¯t really want to leave him, but Darius was in a very precarious position and backed into a corner. Backing up, I run, tapping into my vampiric abilities to jump over the huge crater. As soon as I cross, I am chucked directly into the fray and only just see Kalen disappear as he tries to find another way across. Now we just had to hope Aleera¡¯s Phoenixes could break this damn dome to help us. If not, we may have finally just met our end. Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 7 ¨C Aleera POV The memories wouldn¡¯t stop. Ie to learn, through them, that the gue was never meant to be a gue at all. It was supposed to be a cure for Harmony-Fae who were dying off from some virus that spread like wildfire. Darius being Demonic-Fae was not affected by this virus, they couldn¡¯t exin why, neither was his sister. However, what my father created was never a cure, it was a gue. Xandrius ordered him to destroy it when they realized what they created. After all the things I saw him do, I wasn¡¯t sure how someone like him wanted to stop the unpredictable epidemic outbreak. And yet, they were hoping to find a cure. However, my father was scheming behind Xandrius¡¯s back, plotting a way to take down the Demonic Kingdom and the Vamperic kingdom. From what I saw, he was adamant to destroy everything, sacrifice as many lives as needed, in his way just to get closer to his goal. My father became the very definition of a mad scientist with a godplex.¡± All of his ns and doings were hidden right under the council¡¯s nose. And Xandrius could do nothing to prove it without implicating himself. Even if he wanted to, he couldn¡¯t stop my father, for it was toote to act once he found out what was happening behind his back. Through Darius¡¯ memories, I also learned why the first gue existed. The same as why Darius¡¯ mother was also immune. When the Harmony-Fae started getting this mysterious virus, and it proved to be not only dangerous but also deadly, cord blood was taken right after Darius was born. By none other than my father, of course. So I had no doubt he was the one who was responsible for creating the first original strain. But now, I also knew what Darius meant about him being responsible for the gue being set free. What he meant when he imed it started with him. His blood created the gue, and that wasn¡¯t all ¨C my father tricked him. Darius was so blinded by his hate for his father that it was easy to coax him into teleporting into theb, and retrieve the vials his father ordered to be destroyed. And my father was there, with a friendly smile on his lips, iming that Darius was doing the right thing. He told Darius that if he did that, he would be able to put a stop to his father¡¯s vile doings. Darius was fooled into believing that he could stop his father. Darius was under the impression his father was the evil mastermind. The root of all evil and ungodly deeds. Perhaps he even made Darius believe the reason for the vicious disease outbreak was his father. I couldn¡¯t know every detail, just the memories that were presented to me, but I was sure that my father did far worse. So, Darius did what my father asked ¨C he retrieved both vials and than he retrieved both vials, and then burned the ce to the ground out of anger. Darius hated that ce with passion. He was convinced if he did what my father told him to, he would never be strapped to that chair again. When the second wave hit, he knew it was his fault. And when the council ordered my father to find a cure, once again, Darius found himself bing another casualty to those experiments. Until one day he had enough. And again, I watch the world through Darius¡¯ eyes. He is barely a teenager now. He had spent all day at school and was now getting changed to meet his father, so he can go to the newb built. His father scrutinized every move made by my father. There were cameras set up on every desk, notetakers stood close by and copied down every move. Xandrius was trying to catch him red handed and have justice served for the vile crimes hemitted. He knew my father let off the second wave, but the council believed all evidence was destroyed in the fire, believe the lies my father told, and as far as the council was concerned Greyson could do no wrong. My father had them wrapped around his finger, because no one was hated more than Xandrius the demonic King. And after the building burned to ashes, nothing could be retrieved or taken in as a proof to point fingers at the guilty one. Besides, no matter how many times Xandrius had done awful things, he was trying to fix this and without him being present, there was no one who would stand against my father. And yet, he couldn¡¯t speak up without the much-needed evidence because then, the council could find out about his involvement in them. Xandrius believed my father stole them. He had no idea he was keeping an eye on the wrong person. As smart as he was, he didn¡¯t realize that the one who stole what he sought was none other than his own son. It was Darius, all along. What was even worse was that Greyson loved the power that secret gave him. He thrived in the sense of superiority over Darius. He liked to use that against Darius. He threatened Darius that ¡®if he were ever to say anything,e clean with everything that had happened and who was responsible for the mess ¨C he would tell Xandrius that Darius was the one that unleashed the gue. So, Darius had no other choice but to go along with whatever my father told him to do, or risk his father¡¯s wrath. If he were to disobey the orders, Darius knew he put his life at risk. What made everything even worse was that his sister and mother were trapped in the basement until a cure could be found. A cure that didn¡¯t evist. All he had was another outbreak of a deadly gue that crept over thends and destroyed the water supplies like death itself, and a secret that tormented him every moment of his life. I watch as Darius goes to his room and unpacks his bag. He knew that he had two hours before his father woulde searching for him. Two hours before, he would be subjected to all kinds of torture. All in the name of science. But Darius didn¡¯t trust anyone anymore. And how could he? After everything that I watched happening, those awful memories and the things he was forced to do, I couldn¡¯t force myself to question his inability to trust others. Darius couldn¡¯t trust a single person¡¯s intentions anymore, and he would be damned if he was the reason a new gue was unleashed. He set the contents of his bag on the counter as he double-checked the dosages from the book he spent the day reading. When he wasn¡¯t sure if he had enough, he added a bit more to the concoction. I could see tiny specks of sweat breaking out on his forehead. Feel his fear of the unknown and the weight of the actions he is about to take. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. He was so focused on what he was doing, so lost in the moment I believe Darius wouldn¡¯t hear if anyone were to make a sound in the hall. But nevertheless, I held my breath and kept watching. I had no idea what he was doing or where he was going with the concoction, but I was dying to find out. What were you up to here, Darius? What was going through your mind? And most importantly ¨C what were you trying to create in the secret of your room? What were you hiding? Some part of me thought it was all to stop our parents, or maybe he figured out how to save his mother and sister. Chapter 133 Chapter 133 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 8 ¨C Aleera POV The fumes were h*rrendous, and the liquid bubbled like a potion some film directors portray only in sci-fi movies. I kept watching Darius as he started crushing up the devil¡¯s bane. My eyebrows furrowed in silent question. What was he nning to do with that thing? It was extremely toxic to demons, so getting a hold of that much of it had to be challenging. Was he trying to kill his own father? Darius added sulfur and a heap of other, even more dangerous, ingredients. I couldn¡¯t stop wondering where, from who, and how the heck he got his hands on such poisons. It was such a wide variety of dangerous and toxic that I knew Darius had to be aware of the things he had there. It couldn¡¯t be a coincidence. I refused to believe or even think that he had no idea what those things were. Besides, the book he had opened looked like it could have been at least a hundred years old. It wasn¡¯t the in old recipe book, either. And I knew he wasn¡¯t baking a cake. My heart thundered against my ribcage as scenarios ran through my mind. I knew he wasn¡¯t trying to hurt himself, or at least I hoped so, but that didn¡¯t mean I wasn¡¯t feeling like losing my mind while watching. I knew he hadn¡¯t done anything deadly as Darius still was alive, outside these memories, he was alive. That¡¯s all that mattered. A movement caught my attention as I involuntarily held my breath. When Darius was done mixing up the dangerous nts, he took off the mask he had on. I gasped at the view of him choking on the fumes. But then, out of nowhere, he does something I never thought I would watch him do. He drinks straighter from the beaker. Darius freaking drank that thing until nothing was left without missing a beat! No second guessing, not a thought before he did it, just chugged it down as if it tasted like pure nectar. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. It took literal seconds for him to pass out and everything faded. His room disappeared, there were no surroundings for me to grasp or understand anything of where I was being taken. For ages, all I could see was ck. For ages, I listened to the harsh thumping of his heart in his ears. The sound was awful, painful even, and then, it abruptly stopped. Not a thump, not a sound or movement. I couldn¡¯t believe I witnessed this, I couldn¡¯t believe he did it. He killed himself. Darius killed himself to ensure no more gues were created from his blood. Darius killed off any chance of anyone ever manipting him and using him for everything he hated. But the price it took had to be too high, and soon after Darius killed himself, he came to realize the actual price. When he came back, he finally understood that with dying he not only killed himself but killed off his Harmony side. Darius didn¡¯t know better when he decided it had to be done. Yet, now what was left of him was so dark, so empty, and so wild in its roots, Darius had to face the new reality ¨C the new him. I already knew that with killing off that part of him, Darius killed off what little control he used to have over his incubus magic. Whatever he thought he used to have ¨C it was lost and forgotten. His demonic side came forward far harder than he knew was possible. The very thing he tried to hide and control now was the only part of him that truly existed. The monster that lurked between him now became a permanent part of him. It had more power and freedom than ever. Darius wasn¡¯t in control anymore, every moment of his life, the monster could break free and prove it had the upper hand. Darius constantly needed to fight against the monster inside him to keep it at bay. And just when I thought Darius might get some reprieve from the horrors he lived, I was wrong. It was only two dayster that Molly died. The pain, even if only a memory, that surged through him was indescribable. It targeted his heart, shattered his soul and drove his mind into a frenzy of regrets. His mother begged Darius to save her, begged Darius to bring her back. And he tried, oh god, how he tried, but nothing worked. Darius couldn¡¯t do anything to save his sister, to save the one person who was his true weakness. No matter how he hated that she was used as a weapon to control him far too many times, Darius still refused to let go of her. He didn¡¯t give up. He couldn¡¯t. Over and over again, he tried everything but the more time passed, the harder it became to admit that he didn¡¯t have that kind of magic anymore. He didn¡¯t want to give up, but there was nothing he could do to save her. Not without his Harmony-Fae magic. Something he destroyed, thinking he was saving the world from further damage. Darius knew that if he took the risk and chose to resurrect her, it wouldn¡¯t be his sister no more. His sister was dead, what remained was the outer shell Darius knew. If he brought her back, it wouldn¡¯t be her ¨C the real Molly would be dead. The ck magic like that came with that part of hm dying was dangerous and unpredictable. It was the shadows. Darius knew his sister would never live with them. She was purer of light than he ever was, softer, and the shadows would ruin everything Molly ever was. The shadows were something else, something dark and sinister, something all consuming, cold, and angry. Something dead. Tears stung in my eyes as the memory faded. Though the pain disappeared, and the heartbreaking view was nowhere in sight, it left a sour aftertaste and more sorrow than my heart had ever felt. The memory moved to the next, and out of nowhere, unexpectedly, I felt my soul shudder. As intense pain coursed through me, I knew it had nothing to do with this past reality, but with the real world. Our world ¨C our reality. Back home. Darius! I pulled and pushed on the veil, knowing my mates needed me. I knew something had gone terribly wrong while I was imprisoned in the memories and couldn¡¯t break free. It felt as if the more I tried to move the veil, the sturdier it became. The memories didn¡¯t stop as their panic bled into me, it consumed my senses and overtook every thought running through my mind. Pain. Such intense pain I didn¡¯t know existed. The emotions I felt stood nowhere near the rage that simmered in me. I could feel my soul darken, feel this sense of entrapment. Yet it wasn¡¯t just being trapped within my mind, I could feel Darius magic wrapping around me like a cocoon. And our mates were trying to break his magic down. Chapter 134 Chapter 134 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 9 ¨C Aleera POV As more memories washed past me, I couldn¡¯t be bothered to focus on them. I didn¡¯t care for them. I cared for the feeling of agony tearing through my chest as his pain bled into me through the bond. The pain was so intense and raw, so d*mn fresh, that I didn¡¯t believe it could be eased by the most skilled healers. Nothing I did would pull me out of the trance my body was in. It didn¡¯t matter how hard I tried to fight back, how much of my energy and my own power I forced into breaking the veil ¨C it didn¡¯t move. It didn¡¯t let me go. It forced me to watch his memories. I was stuck in-between the pain and past. The veil forced me to endure Darius¡¯ pain physically in this memory state and in the waking world. Even in my current surroundings, I could hear them. As if the veil took pity upon me and let me listen in while the memory scenes kept rounding me. The foreign feeling forced me deeper into the past of the very man who shared his pain with me. Their voices rounded me like whispers in the wind, but I could still hear the intense panic resonating through the few words I could understand. Tobias wanted to help Darius and I could hear my phoenixes cawing loudly, desperately wanting me to come back. They were telling me something was seriously wrong. Nothing worked, no matter what I tried, it didn¡¯t work, so I decided to focus on my anger towards Darius¡¯ past. Maybe that could help me break the chains that held me in this helpless state. A storm was brewing fiercely, it made the wind howl, and I was suddenly very aware of my outside surroundings. The memories that trapped my mind caught me between both worlds. I was present in two alternate realities at the same time ¨C one in the far past, and the other which needed me. The more I saw, the more enraged I became. Along with my rage, my magic strengthened to the point it consumed me whole. Yet, when Darius¡¯ pain and power surged through the bond, something inside me broke. My scream echoed in my head and bled out of me. It was powerful enough to force my eyes open and break the veil between reality and memories. I could hear and see everything, but my body was paralyzed. I could hear my mates, see them. Hear the ss breaking. Even the tiniest cracks were like the loudest speakers reying the same sound over and over again in my mind. And then, finally, I could hear the power surging as I forced it on them, feeding my mates with my power through the bond. For a brief moment, relief washed over me. I did something I had no idea I was desperate to do. I wasn¡¯t sure how I did it. Wasn¡¯t even aware it was possible, but when I felt Darius start fighting with new vigor, I knew I did something useful. Wherever he was, whatever he did, he had me now, and I would do anything to get him out of there alive. Just like he chose me. Regardless of how wrong or right his doings were ¨C he always chose me. Now, I chose Darius. Now I ept every dark part of him, just like he chose to love every dark and light filled part of me. ¡°He¡¯s hurt!¡± Kalen gritted out. His voice was filled with anguish, and that alone made my heart sink. Desperation overtook my senses again. I knew that, just like me, my mates were desperate to get Darius out of wherever he was and bring him back to safety. I sucked in a deep, sharp breath, yet couldn¡¯t break the trance. Although I thought I had gotten past the veil, broken it, I was as far from the truth as one could be. Darius¡¯ memories were translucent as I peered up at the ceiling. I felt like I was watching everything through cellophane. I was still stuck in that transient state between the waking world and a time already passed. His memories were forced on me to watch, but those were thest thing I wanted to see. What I truly wanted was him, safe and sound, away from the awful past and reality. All of a sudden, the lights flickered brightly, too brightly, and the entire room started shaking. Even the memories shook as I tried to break the hold his bond had on me. The brickwork cracked and ss shattered when a loud, deafening scream left me. I couldn¡¯t stop it. I didn¡¯t see the momenting. But the moment a scream broke out, a shift in energy rippled around me, and I felt it surging in my veins when it burst out of me, white-hot and f***king furious. Like a slivering crack in the ss, I felt the seal Darius ced start to ripple, bend and crack before it exploded along with the light bulbs. My breath hitched and cold seeped into my bones. The darkness enveloped me, making my bones ache. While I couldn¡¯t move a muscle and pain kept surging through me, my heart felt like a raging inferno, growing hotter with each throbbing beat. When I finally managed to open my eyes, the room was so cold that my breath reminded me of smoke clouds in the air. Fog filled the room as goosebumpsced over my skin. The room was ice-cold, like a freezer. Whatever awoke inside me wanted out. Fire and ice, light and darkness, bothbative and just as lethal. Both fought a war inside, as I did my damnedest to fight his memories. I could still feel Darius, feel my mates. Lycus moved to touch me, but once his fingers barely grazed my skin, he hissed in pain. His fingers turned ck, as if frostbitten, and he screamed, jerking away from me. ¡°How do we wake her?¡± I could clearly hear Lycus¡¯ voice. I tried to tell them I was right here, I was here with them, yet no sound left my lips. Frozen like a block of ice, trapped in a freezing room and my own mind. I could have screamed and even that sound wouldn¡¯t reach my mates. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Instead, i listen to them, focusing on them and their words. I barely grasped the short conversation as I tried to focus on the wing caws of my Phoenixes. I tried to make them go with my mates, but they refused to leave. Their disobedience only angered me more. My mates needed the Phoenixes, yet the stubborn creatures weren¡¯t willing to leave their keeper. Slight relief filled me as I heard them rush to Darius¡¯ aid, yet my nightmare was far from over. I was still left paralyzed in this state. I still couldn¡¯t break free and leave this ce to look for Darius. Just when he needed me the most ¨C I was¡­ here¡­ Coldness slivered in my veins as I stared at the ceiling, watching the memories y out. Each passing second felt like an eternity, the coldness did nothing to numb my torment. It did nothing to help me break free of the pure torture of knowing my mates needed me, and I was powerless. I was too far gone, too stuck to break free and help them. Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 10 ¨C Aleera POV As the memories slowly started to fade, the shadows started slivering over my skin. I shuddered; feeling for my magic, desperate to reach it and grasp it in my hands. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only If I managed to capture it, to hold onto it for long enough, I would be able to break free and go after my mates. They needed me now more than ever. Especially Darius. A loud s*b tore out of me at the first twitch of my fingers. Any movement was weed, needed and long awaited. The necessity to move and get out of my own mind was so intense that I kept forcing my thoughts and prayers towards another movement. Once my prayers were answered and my toes wiggled, I finally came back to my body. My power flexed ¨C strong, intense, angry, and so, so dark. Yet, to my surprise, it was so light, like a feather. As if it floated in my veins, under my skin. It was an odd and unheard ofbination. I sucked in a breath as I found my bond manifesting and bonding onto them. I could feel them as if I were them. Could sense and almost touch them as if they were extra limbs, suddenly attached to my body, yet so very familiar. I could feel their magic mold and transform with mine. Their powers became mine and mine became theirs, molding into something much bigger than everything I have known until now. After what felt like an eternity, I jerked upright to find my body covered in snakes. I couldn¡¯t tell where one snake ended and the next one started. Heads, tails and bodies slid over me as if I were the home these reptiles had never known they sought. I should have feared them, I should have tried to get away from the cold scales that slid over my skin, but I didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t fear them or have a flight or fight response. Deep down, I knew that wherever these snakes came from and whatever they were ¨C they were mine. All of them were a part of me, just like my phoenixes. A loud caw at the window startled me. My head twisted to look at the window, tearing my gaze away from the newfound addition. Two glowing eyes peered back at me. A soft sigh left my lips at the view. Finally, there was something familiar that proved I had *********** escaped the memories and was right where I needed to be. ¡°Ryze,¡± I murmured, and he c**ked his head to the side. The storm outside raged like the power burning inside my veins. Maybe everything around me didn¡¯t happen for a reason, but I had a feeling that the weather was copying everything I felt. As if nature tried to match what was going on inside my heart. Ryze cawed and flew over to me. He perched on my shoulder with such grace, anyone who saw him would im he had done it at least a thousand times before. Ryze screeched and tried to sn*tch one of the snakes, but the moment he did, the snake evaporated. Just like that, with ease, it disappeared right before my eyes, as if it had never been there, as if it never existed. Shadows. They were shadows ¨C they had to be. But how? As the snakes silvered and climbed up my body, they felt too real to be a figment of my imagination or a weightless shadow. A jolt through the bond forced me back to reality. Right back to everything I was missing in the moment of confusion, created by the shadow snakes. Before the thought flitted through my head I was standing, no doubt that had to be one of Tobias vampiric charms. Besides, I usually didn¡¯t move that quickly, yet I felt different, felt¡­ I couldn¡¯t identify the feeling, or try to describe it, so I focused on more important matters. Those feelings were a question to be answered later. As I moved about the room, I snatched my jeans off the shelf. I instantly pulled them on, there was no spare time to waste. Before I reached out my hand to snatch my bra and a shirt, I froze on the spot as I caught my reflection in the mirror I didn¡¯t recognize myself, I couldn¡¯t even if I tried my hardest to notice some of the details that made me look like¡­ well, me. The shadow snakes wrapped around my limbs like tattoos, they created intricate designs that didn¡¯t only adorn my skin ¨C they stood out and made me look better than ever. My eyes, however, reminded me of pure blood demons. ck, no whites. What was different and stood out were the irises of my eyes that were glowing like pure embers. I shook my head, reminding myself there was something more important to focus on, and quickly put on my bra. Then, I reached for my shirt, about to pull it over my ck bra before looking at the fabric. Once again, before the thought registered, my body reacted as my wings shot out strong. The power behind the sudden action was so great, it nearly sent every object close by flying to the sides. I gasped in amazement. My wings felt heavy and looked hard as steel. However, they were no longer the same either, something had changed. Ryze cawed, and I twisted, dropping the shirt as my eyes zeroed in on the open window. I don¡¯t have to think or voice my intentions when my wings close around me. My body bolts forward on instinct as I torpedo out of the window right before the wings open. The feeling is indescribable. The wings are strong and powerful, effortlessly hovering my body in the air. I could be wrong, but I felt as if this was just another time I could fly and watch over the world. Spark screeches high above me before shooting down toward me. I nce over my shoulder just when Ryze zips out of the window I just came from. My wings beat a few powerful fl*ps, thrusting me higher when Spark¡¯s massive body swooped beneath me and up. My legs opened as I dropped onto his back. I didn¡¯t have to think or n anything, Spark felt me, he knew me, and perfectlyplimented me. There was no better and more trustworthy ally than him and Ryze. ¡°Take me to them,¡± I told Spark, brushing my fingers through his feathers. Feeling him under my weight, under my palms, calmed me. Just a little, but for a moment, I felt as if everything was going to be alright. The loud, deafening screech that left Spark broke the short, momentary trance. My phoenixes mimicked the sound as my army headed for the city. We were a force to be reckoned with, and if my mates had a problem with that, they could voice everything after I saved them from the very mess they created. Chapter 136 Chapter 136 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 11 ¨C Tobias POV I sailed through the air andnded heavily on the other side, my weight leaving an imprint in the dirt. Only a few of the hunters nced away from their prey, the rest of them didn¡¯t pay me any attention, as if I was no threat. What they didn¡¯t know was that the way they scoffed at me only lights up the fire inside me more. Their indifference added fuel to my anger, setting off a violent inferno of mes, ready to break free and turn everything to ashes. They were underestimating me, I wouldn¡¯t let that go unpunished. I would be damned if I ever allowed those fools to believe they were better than me, that I was no match to them. The power hunter on my left pointed at me, and a spiral of fire shot out of their outstretched hand. They can¡¯t be thinking I didn¡¯t see thising. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Although many might get scared by the sudden attack, it was nothingpared to the fire that raged through me. There¡¯s no way I was going to let this go their way. All of them were going to be stopped. One by one, until there were no power hunters left. They had no idea what wasing for them. They didn¡¯t suspect that their egos already dug their graves long before they decided to start this war. The power hunters might have had the advantage of masses, but they forgot a very vital detail ¨C Darius wasn¡¯t trapped in here with them, it was the other way around. They were trapped here with Darius. Their shield on this ce will be their undoing, only fools lock themselves in a cage with a predator. They had the misfortune of being in here with Darius. He was them apart one by one. And judging by the crazed frenzied madness I felt writhing through him, he intended to do just that. The hunters¡¯ fire hit me, but my own mes surged out and absorbed the weak ones. ¡°Like this,¡± I instructed before holding my hand out in a mockery of their attack. My mes poured out and covered the hunter, bathing him in a nket of raging fire that he couldn¡¯t escape from. His shrieks got higher and higher as he batted at his body. The view was so magnificent, I was sure only gods would be worthy of waiting upon the pain and misery of this fool. But this is the oue he chose, the consequences he brought on himself for the vile crimes all of themmitted. I pried my eyes away from the hunter and nced over my shoulder to check on Kalen, but he shed out of my view as he tried to find another way across. Another group of hunters approached me, but this time mes weren¡¯t the only thing they were bringing. Tendrils of lightning flit through the group, and cold, heartless eyes glittered at me from more than one face. I suppose they finally noticed me and decided to bring in the big guns. And to think all it took was to burn one of their friends. While the hunters approached me at a slow but threatening pace, I quickly scanned my surroundings. Across the way, Darius was also surrounded. A loud, infuriated growl formed in my chest. I stopped the sound before it could leave me, trapping the proof of my anger in my throat. I knew we were risking a lot when we went after Darius, but now that I saw just how outnumbered we were, I. wanted to finish this fight before it started. I had to do anything to ensure my mates survived. And to my absolute displeasure, this would be a little more difficult than I thought it would be. Now we just had to hope Aleera¡¯s Phoenixes could break this damn dome to help us. If not, we might have finally just met our end. And if they keep up with this pace, our end won¡¯t be too far off. Darius POV I underestimated them. We all underestimated them. We thought we had seen the masses of power hunters in this organization, but we were so wrong. Who would have thought that there were so many more hiding in the shadows, avoiding the eyes of their enemies, and waiting for the right moment to strike? I knew the power hunters had an army, but that wasn¡¯t a big enough word to describe how many there were. Hundreds or thousands more than I assumed. I couldn¡¯t be sure as they stood in rows so far away, there was no chance for anyone to notice the end of the army. And worst of all, I knew I just got not only myself killed, but my mates. The rage I felt when I felt them break through the shield ced over this ce was palpable. I was willing to die, willing to die to keep them safe, yet they followed me. Yet I was baffled how, and now I was fighting to keep them alive long enough to find them a way out of this city. The group of hunters surrounded me, and I studied each of them, searching for that particr b*tch. The one I wanted to pull apart piece by piece and let my powers consume the remains. The one who had enough gall to go against me and the ones I love. The one that had dared to bring harm to my mates. If he believed I wouldn¡¯t seek revenge against someone who thought it was a good idea to put my mates at risk, he was so f**king wrong, the entire worldughs at him. A bulky power hunter approached me, twisting his neck back and forth until it cracked. I raised a brow. Was this their grand idea? Were they going toe at me one at a time? Or was this a feeble attempt to intimidate me? To scare me so much that I would run away from this ce and hide somewhere far, far away? B*tch, please. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry,¡± the hunter announced, cracking his knuckles. ¡°I asked to go one on one with you. I¡¯ve always wanted to see what kind of blood your kind has in your hellish veins.¡± I still couldn¡¯t believe they were underestimating me to this degree. Did they have a death wish, or had their egos destroyed the remains of their brain cells? It¡¯s hard to believe that someone couldck the basic survival instincts and be this happy about that. ¡°And what do I get from going on this little d*ck-measuring contest of yours? Though, have no doubt, I can assure you mine is way bigger.¡± I stared right into his eyes as I spoke.¡± I didn¡¯t need to try to intimidate this guy or try to appear better than him. At this point, I knew I was better. And for the record, my d*ck is definitely bigger than his. Heughed at me. ¡°I doubt that. As for why you should fight me? Aren¡¯t you looking for a certain someone in our ranks?¡± I snorted. ¡°And you¡¯re telling me you can magically produce her?¡± The man shed me a wide smile with his cracked and warped teeth, making it obvious he was not a Vampiric-Fae. It¡¯s beyond me how this fool could be so confident in his abilities. Did he really think he could beat me? ¡°She¡¯s the one that trained me. Fight me hand -to-hand, first one to plead for mercy loses. I win, I get to cut your fingers off one by one, and if you win I¡¯ll summon the woman you¡¯re waiting for.¡± He chuckled. At least now I know for that he is not only ugly, butcks brain power, has majorplexes about his d*ck size, unts the skills he doesn¡¯t have, and on top of it all ¨C his sense of humor sucks a*s. ¡°Though, that only means you¡¯ll get to fight her and her elite guard, not exactly the best reward, but hey if you want her here, it¡¯s the easiest way. She¡¯s watching tis right now.¡± Did I believe him? 11 didn¡¯t matter ili did or not. I will take them all on one by one if I have to. In order to get to her, I will crawl to hell and back and grin like a fool to show everyone how happy I am about meeting her death. I won¡¯t let her get away with the atrocities she hasmitted. Her life is mine. ¡°Whatever,¡± I grumbled, rolling my eyes. This guy looked like a blockhead, I doubt he could cause half as much trouble as he imed. ¡°Good choice,¡± he grinned at me again. ¡°Name¡¯s Terry, thought you should know before I take you apart.¡± Chapter 137 Chapter 137 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 12 ¨C Darius POV As the words left his lips, he lunged at me with one arm held up like a boxer and the other he jabbed at my forehead. Instead of merely dodging, I stepped in and twisted beside the attack before bringing my leg up and kicking Terry straight in his jaw. The impact was so strong his teeth shed together, and I had no doubt he lost more than a few as a result. I didn¡¯t have to wonder for long, as the proof was right before my eyes the next moment. One of his green splintered teeth dropped to the ground, and he held up a hand to his lips to stop the blood from dripping. ¡°Lucky. Shot.¡± He sneered. I barely held back the urge to roll my eyes at his statement and rage. Had he forgotten that I am a Wraith? That name doesn¡¯t instill fear for no reason. For all his bulk, Terry wasn¡¯t very good at actual fighting. At best, he made me feel more like I was thrown into a ring with a child. Or a child who couldn¡¯t swim and was chucked in the deep end of a pool for the iling he did. Terry got back to his senses and tried to strike at me again, this time a body blow with his other fist still protecting his face. I stepped in quick, swaying to the side to avoid the blow, and struck two times in quick session at his chest. The grunts that left him each time reminded me more of pained cries from an animal than anything remotely close to human beings. No wonder I didn¡¯t feel any pity for this shithead. Besides, god-damn it, for all his talk, I half expected a challenge. I was growing bored already. Did this guy even suspect that I could predict every move he was about to take? Every next damn attempt to attack me? So much for taking me apart, someone clearly was very bad at keeping his promises. Terry made a strangled gurgle and stumbled backward, bringing his fists back up. Using a technique Lycus taught me, I struck from above, driving my fist down on the bridge of Terry¡¯s nose. Blood spurted like a sprinkler, but I gave it no time before I took my other hand and repeated the action until Terry was squealing like a pig. Blood poured down his face.¡± Cheater!¡± Terry growled. His face became so red that now he not only sounded like a pig, but also looked like one. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. He thrust his fist at me, a shower of ice radiated from him, and it struck me in the chest. My eyes traveled down my body as the ice spread across my body, traveling from my heart all the way to my toes. Itsted for mere seconds as I summoned my mes. The mes from my hands were enough to melt the thin ice shell Terry managed to create. Again, I had no idea where this guy found the insane confidence he had. He was shit at fist fights, even one he wanted himself, and the abilities were below average. ¡°Enough!¡± A loud voice boomed across the battlefield, stopping us all in our tracks. Terry froze and took a step back, as if creating any distance might help his case, as my head snapped to the side and I spotted her. She was standing on a nearby roof. First, obviously, I noticed her, but when my eyes traveled lower, I noticed that she had someone in front of her, forced to his knees. Instead of fear, rage burned through me, fueling the insane anger and the need to get my hands on her. How dare that bitch think she could get away with something so brazen. Kalen was at her feet with a heavy chain around his neck as if he was a pet. Holding the end of the chain was the Queen Bitch herself; Aleera¡¯s mother. ¡°If you¡¯re smart, you will give up now,¡± she called out to me. Was that all she could think of? Her grand, impressive n? To capture one of my mates to stop me and save herself from the clutches of death? I would be damned if I ever let her get away that easily. Unharmed, at that. No, she was getting everything that wasing her way, so I shook my head and stared straight into her eyes when I spoke. ¡°That was my line, but giving up won¡¯t save your life. It will just mean how slow or how fast you die, bitch.¡± ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t see this mate of yours I¡¯ve captured?¡± She taunted me as she grabbed a fistful of Kalen¡¯s hair and pulled his head back. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you hate to bring this young man pain? Go ahead, tell him how close to nothing this man means to you.¡± As soon as we get out of this mess, I will kick Kalen¡¯s ass for getting caught so easily. Acting as if I didn¡¯t care was hard, but I still waved my hand at her and grinned. ¡°Go ahead, I¡¯ll slice through your little hunter army ande straight for you. Then, I will pull that twisted heart out of your chest and crush it.¡± She clicked her tongue at me and golden light sparkled in her hand.¡± Remember, this is on you, Darius,¡± she spat my name. I grunted, and the light glow brighter. It danced up and down the chain. Kalen hissed as the first wave of pain flowed through him from the chain, but to his credit, he didn¡¯t scream. ¡°Stop!¡± A new voice ripped through the air, and I turned to the side to see Tobias carving his way through a group of hunters. There had to be twenty or so men, but they were no match for him. He grabbed one by the throat and bit them before tossing them out of the way like they were rubbish. I had forgotten how powerful Tobias was. He dealt with the danger with ease, and even now that we had an entire army standing against us, he went through them like the hunters were paper he shredded. I didn¡¯t need all of them here. Why couldn¡¯t they listen to me for once and let me fight my own battles without them? Some things couldn¡¯t be fixed just because they were at my side. I could handle this on my own, they should have stayed with Aleera. The queen bitch released another burst of energy straight into Kalen. We watched how our mate¡¯s body jerked back and forth, but no sounds emerged from him. That little fact alone was pissing Aleera¡¯s mother off. She wanted his screams, his cries and his agony. She wanted for him to put up a show for us. It was herst attempt to prove she was better than us, that she would always find a way to hurt us. And because of her selfish, sick needs, more and more power flowed down the chains, but our mate somehow kept his cries internal. I could feel his agony, feel his need to scream, yet he held it. Kalen was determined to refuse that bitch the satisfaction of hearing his pain. Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 13 ¨C Darius POV ¡°Really guys? You couldn¡¯t handle this without me?¡± Lycus entered the battlefield from the other side. He kept grumbling something as he swiped a hand at his dripping wet bangs. Then, he scanned our surroundings and sighed. ¡°Tobias, you better still have my shorts. Those are my current favorite, and I¡¯m not okay with losing anymore.¡± Only Lycus was crazy enough to join in on an actual battle whilepletely nude. On the bright side of the situation, he was distracting some of the female power hunters that had stopped focusing on Tobias and turned their gazes to him. At one point, I caught one of them even fanning herself while staring at my mate. I shook my head and chuckled as pride surged through me. Even in the midst of battle, he still had bitches swooning over him. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°This is a disgrace!¡± Aleera¡¯s mom spat over the whispers and murmurs around us. Yet another wave of mes surged down the chain along with the electricity. I held my breath as I noticed that the chain had turned dark red from all the heat flowing into it. ¡°Give up, or I¡¯ll kill him!¡± She screamed again. Perhaps giving up was the thing a wise man would choose to do, but I knew myself and my mates. We knew no surrender and sure as fuck didn¡¯t want to let her go. Not now, not ever. Not after she pulled mymates into this mess and hurt Kalen. Instead of submitting, we all attacked from our different spots. Tobias burned another group of hunters to dust, Lycus sted through another with well-timed punches and dodges, and I strode forward. I kept my eyes zeroed in on my target. The bitch had to be watching my every move, because I didn¡¯t get much further when she decided to speak again. ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± She screamed as we blew through all the obstacles she threw at us. ¡°It¡¯s obvious our organization can¡¯t stop you now. Hunters of this level won¡¯t be enough, but this isn¡¯t all we have. Did you really think a group that¡¯s been around as long as us would be taken out so easily?¡± A smug, disgusting smirk spread across her lips. She snapped her fingers and pointed at me. ¡°Bring his head to me.¡± She barked out the order as the others backed away, moving to the edges. I didn¡¯t move a muscle, wondering what her so-called next test would be. While it pissed me off that the power hunters underestimated my abilities and the threat I brought, I sort of pushed my own fist down my throat here. I didn¡¯t consider what a hurt ego might do, how far it could push the person to go. And given that I was facing the biggest bitch in this universe, I had to know that her pride would push her into her grave. My attention jerked away from the Bitch, as portals shimmered to life all around me, and more hunters flowed through. I was not sure how they managed to do this, but they surged into the area, filling it up with more hunters than I could count. It was now obvious portaling in was doable, just not leaving the same way. Fuck me sideways and call me a school boy because I was sure I was able to count at least another hundred, but there were more fleas than I could notice. These weren¡¯t the pawn level of hunters we first went against. They weren¡¯t even the same level as Terry, no, these were strong warriors that would push all of us to our limits. Finally, a real fucking challenge for me and my mates. If those morons thought we weren¡¯t a match for them earlier, now they would see how great of a power we could be. ¡°Give up and let me take your head, ¡°she snarls at me again, as if her repeating herself all the time would ever convince me. Hasn¡¯t she understood that I refuse to give in? That I refuse to let her have her way? She tugged on the chain that was still wrapped tightly around her fist. Kalen¡¯s entire body was smoking, but even now, defiance glittered in his eyes. Despite the pain and suffering she forced on him, my mate still refused to give in and let the bitch hear just how much damage she was causing. His snarls and screams would do nothing but fuel her greed for power. She had to understand that no one was willing to give up to the one that had done so much damage. A pir of fire surrounded the area that Tobias was trapped in, but it was sucked away in front of my eyes by a funnel of winding from one of the hunters. He tried to dart through them using his advanced speed, but a hunter grabbed him by the back of the neck and threw him to the hard ground. These weren¡¯t typical Dark-Fae. Some reminded me of those unfortunate souls experimented on when I was a child, altered by my DNA. I thought they were destroyed along with any evidence that the ce ever existed, apparently not. And though I had the proof right before my eyes, I still struggled to understand how that was possible. I knew the bitch was crazy. She had lost her mind a long time ago and all she knew now was the intense. lust for more power. But I had no idea she would stoop this low. Did she have any idea what she had done? This war wasn¡¯t about anything but her anymore. It was her attempt to prove the world that she stood above everyone and there was no greater force than her. She better step aside because no matter how hard she tried to push us down, we would keep fighting till ourst breath. She will get what she deserves from the ones she wronged and hurt the most. My initial shock wore off as Tobias sprung back up, but the hunter with the wind flung it at him, and he was forced to the ground like the element had be heavy weighted cuffs of air. One of the hunters kneeled on his chest, and Tobias growled like a cornered beast. Sharp pain spread though my chest. It wasn¡¯t only the pain we shared though the bond that bothered me ¨C it was the view. It was the fact that I stood aside and watched my mate getting hurt. She wanted it. The bitch would do anything to hurt us, no matter how far she had to go with her sick ideas. ¡°Damn it!¡¯ Lycus snarled. He was battered and bruised by the countless hunters by this time, but now he had a group of the elites surrounding him. Magic sparkled all around him, like they were containing him in a barrier. As powerful as these hunters might have been, they had no idea what wasing for them. The beast inside my mate was sleeping, he wasn¡¯t dead, and now, they released it. Lycus snarled and dropped to the ground. He shifted with cracks and snaps as his bones relocated, and fur reced skin. His paws and ws reced hands, canines protruding as he morphed into the beast he truly was. An animalistic snarl left him as his lips pulled back over sharp teeth. Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 14 ¨C Darius POV He darted in without hesitation, but there was something different, and started tearing them limb from limb. Yet it became apparent that we missed something because these new Power hunters. Dead by his ws and teeth, missing limbs and blood drenching him were something more than power hunters. Because one by one they started rebuilding themselves, putting themselves back together. Limbs stitching back together. Like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, they put the part of themselves back together again. ¡°What the f*ck!¡± I curse in disbelief. Lycus stops and shakes his head with a growl like he can¡¯t believe what he is witnessing. The hunters form a circle around him closing him in and the power that flowed out of them, caged him until his body is pressed close to the ground, or he¡¯ll be burned by a dome of fire. He snarls, but there¡¯s nothing he can do. Kalen grunts as yet another attack is driven through his body. ¡°I¡¯m tired of this,¡± she grabs him by his chain and flings his body off the side of the roof. He free-falls and the chain jerks taunt as he reaches the end of it and the b*tch tries to hang him. My powers fly through the air, they crackle around me as I fight my way through the hunters. Kalen¡¯s limp form dangles above me, but I don¡¯t reach for him. I jump high into the air andnd beside her. She¡¯s startled and drops the chain¡¯s end, letting Kalen¡¯s body crash to the hard ground below. I waste no time in stalking forward. There¡¯s nothing she can do to stop me. ¡°Take one more step, and I¡¯ll blow your mate¡¯s head off,¡± she sneers at me, holding up a small red button. ¡°That chain is special in more ways than one.¡± I pause. The power flowing through his body I had no doubt he could take, but having his head removed? That was a bit more extreme. That would require more than a little stitching and help from the shadows to return him to Necromancy I had no issue dabbling in, but even it had its limits. Sheughs and struts forward, a long jagged knife in her hands. Its wicked edge glints with the light. On your knees, Darius,¡± shemands. Tobias grunts, forcing my attention to him. One of the hunters has a knife of their own and is slicing into him, cut after cut. Lycus is burning alive, the fire is too much for him in such a tight area, and Kalen is still a battered heap at the bottom of the wall. F*ck! My mind frantically searches for a way out of this, but my mate¡¯s lives were at stake. I came here willing to die, but I am not willing to sacrifice my mates. I drop to my knees, and she brings the knife to my neck, running the tip from one side to the other with the barest of pressures and creating a thin ribbon of blood. I close my eyes, reading myself for death, praying mine will be all she decides to take. One breath, two, three I take in waiting for it. However, a high pitched screech steals our attention and my eyes open and we both look up as a phoenix desperately throws its body into the shield, only to bounce off. The b*tchughs, the sound of it enough to beat against my ears. I wish I could throw her off this building, but I can¡¯t risk their death. She returns the knife to the ce she had put it before and smiled against the side of my face. ¡°Goodbye, Darius, go to hell where you belong.¡± She¡¯s right. I do believe in hell, i deserve to be embraced by its mes and for my soul to be devoured. I close my eyes and let my body rx as I wait for the sweet release of death, Each breath I take, waiting for it toe when the Phoenix hits the shield again, followed by another. ¡± That¡¯s impossible,¡± she murmurs, and I hear her stagger back. My eyes snap open to see the sky outside the dome burning orange. The shield cracked, fracturing like ss with each jolt. Each hairline crack growingrger than thergest as the Phoenixes torpedo the shield, like a meteor shower, when I hear her scream. Then feel her burning anger, making me look to the center of the circling Phoenixes as they dropped one by one, bringing assaults down on the shield imprisoning us. Aleera hovered in the air, her anger so violent, so consuming, I am stunned as she looks at the shield encasing us when suddenly she screams. Her Phoenixes caw a mighty scream along with her as mes erupt from their beaks, sting the shield, and engulfing it in mes. I lose sight of her, but not for long because her fury turns white-hot, and she suddenly burned brighter than the stars as she dove straight into the mes. Her wings closing in around her and I gasp as she free-falls through the mes and crashes straight through the shield. The st of power that emitted from her when she did was like a shock wave, burning hot air sting us and knocking me on my back, the ground rumbles. I sit up just in time to witness the Fae below scattering like ants. Most only got out of her way just in time as she hits the ground. The force in which she hit the ground created a crater. One so deep she disappeared. I crawl to the edge, peering down at it, whenva bubbles and spews out of it. I choke. Too much power, too much power for anyone to withstand. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No!¡± Tobias screams seeing theva engulf her, he screams the words my screamed, The same ones her mother did. ¡°Aleera!¡± Kalen screams only to be shocked by the device. Tense seconds pass, my heart thudding so hard it drowns out all other noise. Tears pr*ck my eyes and her Phoenixes circle above chirping in song when I see the violentva erupting and spewing out, eating away the edges of the crater. Then it stopped, rippled, and silence fell over everyone. It was as if time stopped, theva calms turning cid like the stillestke. I hold my breath until she casually walks out, the Lava and mes do not burn her. Like an avenging angel from the pits of hell, she took center stage, her eyes locked on her mother. And damn was she furious. Previous Chapter Spread the love Chapter 140 Chapter 140 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 15 ¨C Darius POV Her wings spread wide, burning as brightly as theva she walked on Yet when her lips parted on a scream, the sound matched that of her Phoenixes. It erupted out of her, shattering the windows on the building where I stood. The sound was so powerful, even the ground below me shook like an earthquake. I had no idea a scream could be as impressive, all- consuming and destructive. Our mate, she truly was a thing of beauty, grace and unseen dominance. She was a force to be reckoned with, and honestly, g*d should stand by those who ever dared to doubt her. Whoever had a gall to think of Aleera as less than she truly was, was in for a massive surprise. And pain. A lot of pain. I could describe her scream as the sound of chaos and destruction. It roared, tore out of her, as if the process hurt her. Those sounds grew louder when she lifted her hands. Theva spewed out and morphed into snakes, slivering out of the crater. The snakes instantly attacked, hunting their prey, just as her Phoenixes dived to help pick them off. Aleera¡¯s magic was unimaginable. It was powerful and strong, twisted and wicked, yet insanely beautiful. I couldn¡¯t find better words or ways to describe everything I was witnessing happening before my eves. I never dared to go as far as to assume that something like this might be possible. Her mother screamed for her minions to grab Aleera. A wicked smirk spread across my lips once I noticed what was happening right before themand. The minions were hesitant at first to do her bidding, yet once their true nature shone through, the morons were eager to steal her magic. Aleera moved almost as if she was dancing, so light on her feet. She looked graceful with each precise move. She managed to create a performance as she showed off her skills, unted her magic in front of those who were unworthy of ever holding so much power in their hands. Watching her, one would think she had trained all her life inbat. Assume that battles and wars were all Aleera ever had known. But it was instinct and intuitive sight as she anticipated their every move. Once she gave into the primal instinct of her nature, of her magic, the power hunters were no match for her. One by one, Aleera cut them down. Every hunter that tried their luck to go against our beautiful mate went down before they could get close enough to hurt her. Her wings were sharper than any sword and one of her biggest weapons. They cut and shed through skin and flesh, leaving clean, deadly wounds. Our Aleera. My Aleera looked like the angel of death. She was magnificent, indescribable and so, so unreal. After all the vile things I hadmitted over my lifetime, I still couldn¡¯t believe she was mine. Yet, as much as I loved to admire my mate, herbat skills, and her magic, I couldn¡¯t stand aside like a fool. We were in the epicenter of a war and my mates, all of them, needed me to survive just as much as I needed them. Just as I tore my gaze away from Aleera, Lidia turned her attention to the fight. Finally, her hand clutching the knife fell from my neck as she screeched at her men for them to grab her. I moved quickly, sweeping her legs out from under her. The de went flying from her hand as she hit the ground. Getting to my feet, I went to grab her when she lifted her hand, blinding me with blue light. I knew that b*tch didn¡¯t y a fair game. She found an easy exit for everything, no matter what it took, so I should have seen her next move. My eyes became scorched, and I was temporarily blinded when I felt her foot connect with my stomach. All of a sudden, I was falling. Wind rushed past me when I heard her whistle. The sound was as loud as a siren call, to which I turned and tossed my hands out to open a portal. Just as I thought I was doing something, Ryze swooped below me and then past, hertalons sunk into my arm as she pped with all her might to slow my fall. Insaneughter rang through the air as my feet touched the ground. Ryze screeched loudly, her wings, skimming my face as she shot off in the direction of Aleera. I ran for her too, Aleera needed me, she needed all the help she could get. F***k! This was my battle to begin with, and now, all my mates were involved. If any of them got hurt because of me, I couldn¡¯t forgive myself. Ever. From the corner of my eye, I noticed that Aleera¡¯s mother had opened a portal and now stood on the council stairs. Aleera, however, was too busy fighting the man who had Kalen¡¯s leash in his fist. I cursed under my breath once I noticed that Kalen¡¯s face was turning purple. The g*ddamn leash was caught around a pole as he fought not to let go. Time slowed, and my eyes widened when I saw Lidia raise the remote in her hand. She didn¡¯t hesitate to push one of the buttons, which in result jolted Kalen. The purple shade of his face turned into deep red, the pain traveled through the bond, nearly forcing me down to my knees. Just in time, Aleera pivoted her wings, slicing the leash the man held. Finally, Kalen was released. He instantly sucked in a breath and gasped for more, as if he was starved of one for centuries. Kalen hit the ground in a heap, and my breath lodged in my throat as I saw him scramble to try to undo it. Just as, Aleera¡¯s mother raised her hand, clutching the remote once again. My heart slowed before it started pumping erratically. I almost screamed when I noticed that Lycus was racing in Lidia¡¯s direction. I knew he wanted to stop that b*tch as much as I wanted to, but his decision was outrageously dangerous. So many things were happening around us that I only heard a sickening shing sound. I didn¡¯t realize what had happened until blood spatter hit my face. I blinked as I watched Aleera¡¯s wings slice the man in half. A second after the leftovers of the man hit the ground, her wings flexed. Feathers as sharp as razors and as strong as steel flew off her as she turned, coated in blood. One hard feather shed my cheek as it passed by me. The feather heading in the direction of her mother while more sliced our enemies. However, it didn¡¯t hit her, but the remote in her hand just as she hit the button. Lycus howled, and I screamed as her feather cut through it. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only My eyes widened in horror, moving to Kalen just as he unclipped the cor, tossing it aside. I waited for the explosion, but it didn¡¯te. Lycus¡¯ body crashed into Lidia, and he started tearing into her, only to be sted with power. The loud ringing of her magic made me clutch my ears. Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 16 ¨C Darius POV Since Lycus¡¯ hearing was far more sensitive, he shrieked. I couldn¡¯t look away as his ws tore at his head. Tobias wailed, covering his own. Although we were in the same situation, in the heat of the moment, I couldn¡¯t understand where to go or what to do. I needed them safe, all of them, but where was I supposed to go first? Lidia snarled, getting to her feet. She straightened her body and clutched her neck where Lycus teeth got her, a sheer look of disgust crossed her face. Lycus¡¯ cries of agony forced his shift, leaving him naked and clutching his head in his hands. Lidia casually walked down the stairs, unfazed by the chaos surrounding her. Aleera stopped, seeing the strange look on her mother¡¯s face and the way everyone suddenly backed up. ¡°You dare betray me,¡± Aleera snarled at her mother. Herva snakes slivered behind her as she faced her mother. If we had more time on our hands, I would dly stand aside and admire the beauty of Aleera¡¯s newfound, destructive power as she harnessed the shadows, morphed and tamed the darkness that was now writhing through her. Lidia¡¯s loud, screechingughter caught my attention. I snapped my head in her direction just as she spoke up. ¡°You silly girl, all you had to do wase to me. None of this was necessary,¡± Lidia chipped back at her. Although I didn¡¯t know what to expect, of all the things, I was more worried about the way Lidia¡¯s mutated monsters were backing away. ¡°Aleera!¡± I called her name, my voice sent a jolt up her spine as she turned her head briefly in my direction. Slowly, as if not to be noticed moving, Tobias also backed up, joining me in the center. He kept clutching Kalen close to him, refusing to let go. Lycus was still on the stairs, gasping for breaths. Finally, Aleera noticed the strangeness of their behavior. She had to understand something was terribly wrong if her mother¡¯s minions backed away as if the whole area was dangerous. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only No, the looks on their faces said so much more ¨C this ce wasn¡¯t just dangerous, it was deadly, and we were in the epicenter of a trap. ¡°Your father worked too hard for this to be for nothing,¡± Lidia spat at Aleera. It took a brief moment until I noticed her mutation Fae lift their hands. Then, the next moment, I finally realized what she was doing ¨C they backed away to get to their assigned ces. The minions didn¡¯t try to save their lives, they were changing their positioning Lidia got us right where she needed us, right where she wanted us to be. We were standing in a pentagram as the ground shook. My eyes scanned our enemies as each one retrieved something from their pocket. Now, I finally understood why they domed us into this exact location. They tossed the crystals at the ground, letting them shatter before using their magic. They sted the broken crystals, making them grow in size. Crystalline pirs raised from the ground. I didn¡¯t risk tearing my eyes away from everything around us, but the more I watched over their actions, the more I wondered for how long this had been nned. A sharp, loud gasp escaped me when I noticed the Onyx, Peridot, and Smoky Quartz Towers growing larger, surrounding us. The crystals grew tall, zapping a barrier from each one. Crystal couldn¡¯t do much to general Fae, but to Demonic-Fae, they could immobilize us. They could stop us from trying to stop that evil witch. Another gasp passed my lips as I watched each tower light up. Almost no time had passed since the crystal towers appeared around us, but I could already feel how they affected my magic. I turned to try to warn them, and Aleera¡¯s eyes noticed them too. She knew, just as good as I did, what was about to happen, and my lips parted in shock. Aleera POV As the towers rose, I could feel them drawing my energy. But the greed of the crystals didn¡¯t stop there, it clutched onto the magic of my mates. Darius turned to look at me. I could feel that he wanted to warn me, but when our eyes met, he knew that we were thinking about the same thing. I focused my gaze back on the towers rising from the shards. Each of them zapped the next as it created a barrier. A barrier I was trapped inside- inside a perfectly created fence that held me contained until the owner decided to release me. My Phoenixes started attacking the creatures, pouring their magic into the towers. I wasn¡¯t sure what they were, but it was obvious they were once Fae, but now something else. The creatures didn¡¯t react to the constant attacks. Their eyes were zed over, as if in a trance-like state. They weren¡¯t in control anymore. It was my mother, she held them hostage. ¡°Run!¡± Darius gasped as we watched power surge to thest Crystal Tower. That was thest key which would seal us in. The power of my mates was already immobilized, yet mine flexed at the challenge. Especially the shadow snakes. I could feel them slide over my skin, slowly taking their ces and dly hissing at the danger heading towards us as they fed power into me. I couldn¡¯t be sure, but it felt as if the cold-blooded creatures were d to test their strength, test my magic. My eyes turned to Kalen as he raced toward me. ¡°I¡¯m not running this time, I would never run from you,¡± I tell him, feeling my magic surge down my arms. We would not make it out of this pentagram. The only doorway out was closing in. Darius started running at me too as if they both believed they could scare me into running away or just force me out of this battle. I wouldn¡¯t let them be trapped here with me. My mates might think otherwise, but I knew she wanted me here. She needed me to be trapped inside here. So I flicked my wrist, opening a portal. Their eyes widened when a sad smile spread across my lips. I was doing the right thing, I knew I was. I sted my mates with wind. My Phoenixes screeched their song as my mates were sted backward. Darius screamed, his power surged to attack mine, but he was no match for me anymore. ¡°Aleera, no!¡± Tobias screamed as he was tossed into the portal back to Astrid. Lycus snarled, wing at the ground as I threw him through, leaving Darius. ¡°I forgive you, but it¡¯s about time you forgave yourself,¡± I whispered, addressing Darius, sting him with every ounce I had left. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Spread the love Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 17 ¨C Aleera POV Darius¡¯ screams of despair broke my heart as he was forced out of the pentagram, his body hurled through the air to the safety of my portal. I felt like I could break down in tears, yet was unsure if it was because of the relief that they were safe, or despair for possibly losing them. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. The portal shut, just as thest tower was charged, and I was smashed with electricity. It traveled through my body with such force, I didn¡¯t have enough time to register if I felt any pain. My knees went out from under me, hitting the hard ground along with my hands as I was propelled forward. I tried to get up, to fight the force that held me down, but each attempt ended with the same scenario ¨C a helpless dead end. I was wasting the little energy left in my body. The energy emanating from the towers slowly drained me of power, immobilizing it. I gritted my teeth and ignored the pain that slowly spread though my body as I lifted my head. My eyes found her within a second, and I made it a point to re at my mother. I forced all hatred I had for that woman into my gaze, but even that didn¡¯t feel like enough. There was no living person I could ever hate more than her. And yet, as unfazed as ever, she casually strolled down the stairs toward me. Her feet stopped next to my face. I expected a blow, a show of power and superiority, but instead, she circled around me. ¡°Your father¡¯s death won¡¯t be in vain.¡± An amused giggle escaped me at her words. ¡°You have no idea what you have just done,¡± I growled at her. ¡°See, now that is where you are wrong. I know exactly what I am doing, Aleera. Who do you think came up with the gue?¡± she murmured, crouching beside me. I didn¡¯t want her so near me, if anything, I wanted her as far from me as possible, or better yet, dead. She gripped my chin, forcing me to meet her gaze. As my eyes looked into hers, I couldn¡¯t believe this was the same woman who had given birth to me. The same woman I once called my mother. Her eyes no longer resembled my mother¡¯s. That part in her had died a long time ago. Buried so deep inside the leftover shell of a person that no attempts would ever bring back even half of the mother she could have be. Now, she was nothing but a monster. A woman responsible for so much carnage. I refused to show her how hurt I was. Not after what she did, but for what she had lost and robbed me of. A wicked smile spread across her lips, as if she could read my thoughts. She pressed her fingers deeper into my skin, nearly breaking the skin and drawing blood. ¡°I did,¡± she whispered. Although I suspected that there had to be more to the gue than I knew, a part of me refused to think someone close to me had a hand at its creation. My father, yes, he had lost his mind, but her? I could feel nothing but disgust, everything else faded, but she justughed as I tried to jerk my face out of her grip. ¡°Xandrius took everything from me, and once I am done, I will return the favor when I kill his son.¡± My brows furrowed at her evil promise. ¡°Silly girl, you still don¡¯t understand,¡± she murmurs, letting me go. My gaze followed her as she straightened her body and opened a portal before nodding to someone. Hands suddenly grabbed me when I felt my power immobilizedpletely as something was mped on both wrists. More crystals were hanging from the gold cuffs, entwined with magic I knew was hers. My wings folded in and disappeared under my skin. The shadows retreated once again, leaving me powerless. I felt exposed, naked, and vulnerable. The one thing I never wanted to feel just washed over me all at once, all thanks to the woman who was supposed to be my mother. ¡°When I am finished, this world will fall to the true Queen. Our species may be extinct, but not for much longer,¡± she announced, raising her voice for everyone to hear. ¡°I will restore the order back to the rightful hands of our ancestors.¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy, no one will follow you,¡± I spat at her. For how long had she been feeding herself all those delusions? Was she really that desperate for power to lose any grip on reality she had, to forget how to tell evil and good apart? Or had she always been like this? Vicious, disgusting and tainted by her greed for power? ¡°Oh, they will; they will, when they see who has true power,¡± she growled, her eyes flickering down to me as the portal behind her rippled and shuddered. I was hauled to my feet, as someone dug their nails into my upper arms. I almost hissed in pain, but before the sound escaped me, I pressed my lips together to keep the sound in. She won¡¯t get the pleasure of hearing my pain. ¡°And you, girlie,¡± she brought her hand to my cheek and ran her fingers over my skin, making me shudder. ¡°You are the key to it all, thest of your existence, a harmony. Pure of light and darkness. Our ancestors would be proud that through you, thest of us will be brought back to power, and not only that. You yield light but also darkness, the first of your kind. But you won¡¯t be thest.¡± I red at her, wishing I could burn the smug look off her face.¡° What are you talking about?¡± She clicked her tongue. ¡°You still have no idea what you are, do you?¡± More of her games. Couldn¡¯t she speak her mind, share her ns or just talk like everyone else did? Why did she do everything to sound mysterious and important? I shook my head. ¡°Of course, I know what I am. I¡¯m Harmony-Fae.¡± ¡°No, sweet girl. Why do you think we survived the gue when no one else did?¡± She asked, cupping my cheek. I jerked my face away from her. ¡°Your father was pure Dark-Fae, but me ¨C angel. Fae don¡¯t have wings. History is wrong, Aleera. Only the Seraphim do. And you¡¯re gonna help get mine back! You may be part Fae, but your wings prove you¡¯re so much more, just like I knew you would be.¡± Her words shocked me. Angels were extinct, and have been for centuries. ¡°The gue was never created to wipe out the White-Fae, it was created to wipe out Demonic-Fae, They caused our ruin, and they will pay for it, because now his very DNA is morphed in yours, his magic yours, soon to be mine.¡± She spat, and I was shoved forward toward the portal before I felt it suck me in, and I was suddenly looking at a ce I thought no longer existed. Home, I watched this ce burn to the ground, and yet here it stood, looking exactly the same. ¡°Wee home,¡± my mother¡¯s voice taunts. Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 18 ¨C Aleera Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. My eyes swept over my surroundings. This could not be what it looked like, she was using my memories against me. I was desperate to find a weak spot or vulnerability into what could only be an illusion. Though, the harder I looked at it, the more I got the sense it truly was my home that had been destroyed by fire, plucked out of time itself and given back to me. There was no way I would trust that. I nced over at her minions, they followed after her in perfect obedience, but there had to be some sort of weakness they would disy for me to take advantage of. ¡°You can look all you want, but you¡¯re not going to find a way back. You¡¯ll never escape me again,¡± she taunted. I kept my eyes low, avoiding hers, and tried to look like I was shaken about where I¡¯d ended up. Think, Aleera. Maybe there would be a hidden secret inside the building I could use, since there was nothing out here. My mates had spent years searching for this ce, it had to be the power hunter¡¯sir. I turned my head and watched my mother as she strolled forward. taking in my surroundings she was correct there was nothing out there, I couldn¡¯t even see the road leading in anymore, it led to the dead end street amongst the trees. The grass was overgrown, and this ce gave me an eerie feeling. Even the sky looked off, as if we were in some sort of matrix, it appeared to ripple and morph like looking through a bubble at the sun, it glimmered oddly. Turning my attention back to my mother, I watched as she talked with some of the power hunters that were standing guard around this ce. I wondered briefly if the power hunters were aware she was just using them, yet by the devoted looks they gave her, it was as if she was their deity they prayed to, or an altar they worshiped on. My mother smiles and converses in a tone that sets me on edge, one I realized was reserved for me as a child, she spoke to them like some loving mother and I watched as she caressed the guard¡¯s cheek, manipting him with soft words and gentle touches before he rushed off to do as she asked. The man she spoke to went in the direction of the surrounding forest, and suddenly disappeared, making me notice the dome-like protection surrounding this ce as the shield ripples. No wonder my mates were never able to find her. They¡¯d sifted through so many clues and witnesses, only to hit one dead end after another. They¡¯d even gone as far as hiring snitches and paying them off, those most likely to know exactly where this special little piece of hell was, but the results were always the same. The men I can see were brainwashed, the power hunters indeed did worship the ground she stood on as we approached the huge building that was once my home. Alling to speak and touch her while sneering at me as I trudged behind her. Every forward step of progress my mates made over the years, toward finding the real location, only ended in shoving them three steps back. They¡¯d been betrayed countless times, while my mother¡¯s minions had lured them farther and farther away from the truth. All of them had been desperate to unearth the ce where the root of all the evil had buried itself. Where it hid, right under our noses, concealed from the eyes of everyone outside their little members-only organization. After all the time that has passed, it boggles my mind that she never left. Never would I have considered the possibility, even if someone had sought me out and exined in great detail, that she was hiding in our home under concealment. Not even that would have led me to believe the truth. But seeing it now, it was the perfect cover, a ce no one would ever suspect. And yet, here we were. Me and the bitch of a woman who brought me into this hellish world. Never once in all this time had I ever dreamed of meeting her, this woman who thought she had captured me and was bringing me closer to my end to fuel her tyrannical reign. Unbeknownst to her, I wasn¡¯t the one that stumbled into a trap, she was. Reason escapes me as to why she would so easily fall for it in the first ce, was it because she had been in hiding for so long, or does she justpletely underestimated me? Either way, she never took into ount the ns other people might have. Her oversight worked to my advantage, and I nned to reap the benefits of her underestimating me and my abilities. Even the gardens looked the same as we walked through the small track leading to the front porch. I used to y in the gardens, which were slightly overgrown now. The grass in the garden beds strangled the nts, nts that looked like they were from another, not this one. I wondered how I had never noticed as a child the oddity of them. They were otherworldly. ¡°Is it how you remember?¡± my mother asks, motioning around me. It was the same but also different, maybe because I wasn¡¯t looking through the lenses of a child¡¯s eyes now. ¡°A little different,¡± I admit, and she smiles softly, and for a second I almost see the woman I remember from my childhood, until her lips purse and the glint in her eyes turns sinister. ¡°Your father hated this ce when we first moved here. However, I am d I managed to convince him.¡± Her words irritated me because I realized my father was just another victim for her to torture. Yet growing up they seemed devoted and loving toward each other. It made me wonder how much of my childhood was a ruse. She might have given birth to me long ago, but she was no longer my mother, but a dangerous stranger. She didn¡¯t know anything about me or the lengths I would go to for those that I loved. Nothing could prepare her for what I was willing to do to protect my mates and strip her of her position and power. Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 19 ¨C Thankfully, I have forged my own path and was like neither of my parents. Both were inherently evil in their own sick and twisted ways, with ns for power and domination. After everything that hade to light, experiencing what Darius had at the hands of my father, through his memories, and what I had witnessed firsthand of my mother, I could wholeheartedly say I am a better person than they were, and apparently smarter too. Maybe she¡¯d been too enamored with the idea that she had finally won against me to even notice the walls of my trap closing in. She hadn¡¯t overpowered me, even if she believed that to be the case, but my only goal had been to get my mate¡¯s out. Not only out of that awful ce, but far away from the eyes of my mother. Her hatred for them clouded the reality of what was actually going on. They were her kryptonite, which I would use to my full advantage, keeping her focused where I wanted. As much as they yed a part, it seemed I was enough of a distraction, her grand prize, the main attraction of all the twisted I things she had worked so hard to aplish. I was to be the key to everything she had ever wanted to be. From the moment I¡¯d decided to go after my mother, I was aware I would do whatever it took to ensure the safety of my mates, even let them think I risked my life for them. It was a small price to pay for the song of revenge that yed beneath my breath. Given the choice of suffering their wrath over having to watch them in agony another moment, it was not one I had to think about. What she attempted to do to all of them inside that barrier had been enough to cement my decision. I would not be the reason they lost their lives. Keeping in the forefront of my mind that my mates were not just Demonic-fae. Tobias was Vampiric fae, Lycus was Were-fae and Kalen, he was darkness. For these reasons, I had forced each of my mates through that portal and ignored their reactions. My mother would have killed them without a second thought. Her precious crystal would have drained my power, and we all would have been immobilized. If she had seeded, they would have been temporarily defenceless to her power, which was more than enough time for that vicious woman to extinguish their lives. With my n firmly in ce, step one wasplete. Although it had been heartbreaking hearing my mates, as I saved them one at a time, it had been sessful. I needed to get caught and taken away from them. I¡¯d allowed my mother to tap into my magic, as a distraction, so she wouldn¡¯t touch theirs. It was risky, that woman¡¯s greed knew no bounds, but that worked to my advantage and I aplished my first goal. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. If my n had failed, she would have syphoned all their magic, leaving them and me powerless while she ughtered them, forcing me to watch as they died. When it came to me, I understood her n, but she overlooked an extremely important detail. Her demonic crystals did weaken me, as she knew they would, but the effect was only temporary. Even now, my power was slowly creeping back. It filled my being and overrode the shackles she¡¯d constructed to take down a Demonic -Fae. That dark side of me was gone, it had burned out the moment her crystal towers zapped the power from me. She immobilized Darius! magic in me, butpletely forgot I wielded my own. But although intelligent, my mother kept overlooking the important little details, like I was a Harmony-Fae. Okay, apparently, ording to her, I was Seraphim. Which made zero sense, I wasn¡¯t sure if she was trying to trick me with an obvious lie or if there was more to it. It would be something to figure outter if time permitted. One thing was painfully clear, my mother kept underestimating me and what I was capable of. It was as if she was stuck in some vicious cycle of self sabotage. Her sole focus was on how close she was to attaining her heart¡¯s desire and everything she had worked towards and ever wanted. She was blind to my previous actions, my current ones, and how I was acting now. She was so tied up in herself, she probably wouldn¡¯t even notice me falling off a cliff. For the briefest of moments, I worried she might cotton on to how calm I was, and how I hadn¡¯t resisted, tried to fight back, or didn¡¯t spit profanities, at least out loud. I was acting like a model prisoner, not someone who wanted to get away from her. It was almostughable, she believed that she was the one who had trapped me. That she could just drain me of my magic and leave me powerless, an easy target. All of this was so far from the actual truth. Standing here, being restrained by her minions is all on me and my choices. I needed them to think they were winning this grand battle. I had given up my freedom in order to put myself in a position to take them all down. The moment we stepped through the veils and wards that surrounded this ce, I felt the shimmer of magic around me and I realized it wasn¡¯t just this ce but thend that held power, it was almost supercharged. I didn¡¯t have enough left to understand exactly what it was, but it was some sort of protection or concealment spell and that was also clear how her men moved in and out of the shields, just disappearing and reappearing elsewhere. They pushed and shoved me toward the house. The house looked exactly how I remembered it, making my throat dry. My mother casually walked through the door as if she¡¯d never left, and it made me wonder if she ever did. The magic crackled around me as we went through the door, and the fake outsideyer melted away, revealed to be the illusion I had suspected was there all along. It was nothing but a cover for what this ce really was. I was hot on my mother¡¯s heels when I stepped through the door frame and was transported, or maybe just exposed, to what was no longer my childhood home. She had brought me to her dirty little, or not so little from the look of this ce, secret. It was a massive facility, and I fought to hide the spike of joy that flooded through me. She¡¯d just led my mates straight to her. Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 20 ¨C Darius The surrounding air was all I could hear, the whooshing loud, like I stepped inside a hurricane. Yet her final words travelled to me regardless, almost as if carried on the wind she created. I witnessed the destructive determination on her face, as seconds slipped by me, before I truly understood the intention behind the look Aleera gave me, I raced toward her, tried to shield her power, absorb it.. Yet the moment my magic touched her, she siphoned me for every drop, red energy zapped toward the tower, stealing my breath as I knew I would be powerless within the barrier, when she hit me with so much strength I could no longer hold onto the miniscule piece of power I had left. A panicked scream ripped out of me the moment her power sted me into the damned portal. They rebounded off the crystal tower, and echoed inside the portal as I was vacuumed back to Astrid Castle, back home and far from her reach. My heart beat harder as I hit the ground, hand outstretched, as if my sheer will alone could stop the portal closing. I couldn¡¯t hold it in. Why had she done it? None of it made sense, and try as I might, I couldn¡¯t fathom why Aleera just handed herself over to them like she was a gift on a silver tter. Meeting death while fighting beside her would have been far better than being forced back home. I tried to keep the portal open, so I could return to her or even just fight to make it bend to my will, but all of my power was gone. Aleera hadpletely sucked it away, so she could overthrow us and throw us back home through the portal. Home? This ce could no longer bebeled that, not without her. Not for me at least, and I was pretty sure it would be the same for our mates. ¡°No!¡± Kalen gasped. He fell to his knees at first, then sprang up, flinging his hand out, trying to scrounge up enough power to conjure a portal back to her. But just like with my magic, his had been siphoned too. All of us were powerless. She¡¯d stripped each of us of any real chance we had to get back to her side. Despite knowing that, Kalen, frantically, continued to pull on any bit of magic he could muster. He seeded in opening a portal up for half a second. ¡°Maybe we can drive?¡± Tobias suggested. There was a dark haunted look in Kalen¡¯s eyes that hadn¡¯t been there before this whole mess. A look I hadn¡¯t seen in ages, not since Aleera¡¯s Phoenixes brought him back to us. The city was way too far, we all knew it. He was grasping onto anything he could think of that had even the slightest chance of working. By the time we got there, they would already be long gone. There was no way the wannabe Queen Bitch would give us enough time to get to Aleera and fight for her. She never yed fair. I still couldn¡¯t believe Aleera just tossed us aside as if we were unworthy of fighting by her side. She abandoned us, knowing full well what her mother was capable of. Kalen mmed his fist into the hard ground. ¡°She promised!¡± his scream echoed through the room bouncing off the walls, angry tears streamed down his cheeks. He mmed his other fist down again. ¡°She lied!¡± Anger was getting the best of him, but I couldn¡¯t me him. We¡¯d been prepared toy our lives down to protect her, and she¡¯d shoved us all to the side. I understood why, though I didn¡¯t want to acknowledge it. Kalen hissed as he grabbed onto his own hair, fisting his hands in it, as he pulled until the strands were tense in his grip. He jerked his head up to the sky and screamed in anger, frustration and the heartache we all felt. When Kalen had calmed down, I¡¯d exin her reasoning to him. Aleera had sent us away on purpose, it hadn¡¯t been ast minute decision, her actions were calcted. We would find out the reason for her actions, I was sure of it. She tossed us away, but I knew it was only to save us. I paced the room, mind focused. Had she given us any hints in thest words she¡¯d said to us? I thought about ourst encounter, reying every detail. She¡¯d given herself up to save us, herst words, saying she forgave me and I needed to forgive myself, left me no clues as to what she was thinking. Unless she wasn¡¯t sure if she had signed her own death sentence. Kalen groaned, the sound of a man breaking. ¡°I¡¯m not running this time. I would never run from you,¡± she had told him, and the words left my lips in a whisper before I could stop myself from repeating her. She understood how off the rails Kalen would get without her, how the shadows woulde and haunt him. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. She had lied about that too,e to think of it. It was a flicker of a memory, something buried deep by this point, but I recalled her words, that if she ever ran away from us, she would take Kalen with her. Did that mean she had just fed us all these lies? Or was there something else going on that I hadn¡¯t understood? A reason for her actions? What had been going through her head in those moments? Her Phoenixes had still been around at that point, she could have ordered a full-on attack, she had more than just my magic, more than what those crystals could hold power over. Everything snapped into ce in an instant, the puzzle solving itself as I finally understood. Aleera hadn¡¯t been captured, she¡¯d surrendered, and that changed everything. Now the question was, why had she done it? What was her n, or was it ast -second decision? Maybe one made out of desperation? Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 21 ¨C Lycus moved to Kalen¡¯s side, his hand ghosting over the others¡¯ shoulder. He leaned against him, trying to pull him away from the darkness that threatened our mate. His depression was heavy like a nket and was not only suffocating Kalen, but also us. Without Aleera he was a mess, he needed her to remove the shadows that threatened to overtake him. Tobias on the other hand hadpsed into silence since we found ourselves back here. Silent and troubled, he was lost to his thoughts, every bit the same as I was, trying to reason out her n. Aleera wouldn¡¯t have risked abandoning Kalen. Even if she did have a n for all this, her actions would still have consequences. She¡¯d forgotten the most important thing about our unit, without her, there was no us. If anything happened to her and her n went wrong¡­ There was no way we could survive her loss, not now when we were all connected to each other and finallyplete. Loud screeching caws echoed close by and my eyes moved to where Tobias stood still staring out the window. Did he not see it? From his nk, empty stare I figured he was trapped in his own mind, but I did. A sh of bright plumage in this dark hellscape. Ryzended on the windowsill. She screeched again at Tobias and almost automatically, he scratched her feathers. She shook her head and called to him again, but he continued to stare. Ryze screeched angrily before biting him hard enough to make him jump. ¡°What is it, girl?¡± I asked, approaching the pissed off Ryze.¡± Why did you leave her?¡± The bird ignored me and when I reached the window my attention was diverted by the training fields. They were covered in Aleera¡¯s Phoenixes, which all peered up at our window. Kalen looked up as their calls prated his prison of darkness. He gasped at the sight of all of them. He moved quickly, shoving me aside, so he too could stare at all of them. Hope bloomed within him and gged shortly after. He must have thought that she would have returned with them, but that would be too easy. His hope wilted away as she hadn¡¯t made her triumphant return as he had hoped. Ryze nudged my hand, nipping at my fingers. She screeched at me, trying to get me to show her my palm. Her feathers ruffled and she bit me harder. ¡°What?¡± I snapped. ¡°Finity,¡± she tried to speak, but the Phoenix still clearly hadn¡¯t mastered speech. ¡°Leera,¡± she added, biting my finger again, did it have to be the same one? I hissed at the abuse and quickly turned my hand to show her my empty palm. I had no food for her right now. Her tongue flicked over my wrist, and fresh power surged through my hand as my infinity mark lit up with fiery energy. The beacon was set off and through the connection, I felt it. It was a small glimpse, but the bond confirmed that she was alive. I had my own glimmer of hope. However, she was moving farther away, until she faded awaypletely. What? My brows furrowed as I reached out again but there was nothing there anymore. Ryze ruffled her feathers before zapping me once again with her magic. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only The jolt of power danced through me, forcing my muscles to go rigid, but it blessed me with the rity I so desperately sought. ¡°We aren¡¯t powerless, she sent them home,¡± I mumbled. Her intentions were crystal clear. She wasn¡¯t sacrificing herself, she was leading us to them. ¡°The Phoenixes,¡± I whispered. Lycus wandered over to me. He finally had on a pair of shorts. He peered over my shoulder, staring at the legion of magical birds. ¡°What about them?¡± He asked, his voice sounding oddly detachedpared to what I was used to. He cocked his head, seeming to think. The cogs were turning in his pretty little head. A deep chuckle escaped Tobias, and he shook his head as he stared at his glowing red wrist. The surge of power Ryze had given me, shone on my mates as well. ¡°She sent them home to us,¡± Tobias dered, pushing off the wall beside the window and snatched his jacket off the couch. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Kalen asked as I followed suit. ¡°To get our mate back, we aren¡¯t the only thing bonded to her, she sent them home,¡± I exined to Kalen, with a nod at the birds. Kalen scrambled to his feet and took a step forward, then stopped. He peered back at Ryze and the glimmer of hope from before bloomed through him. He shook his head as a crooked smile reached his lips. ¡°She was never trapped,¡± the words left him in augh. ¡°She was trapping them,¡± he grinned. I tossed the door open and Tobias rushed past me and disappeared. Lycus continued to stare obliviously into the distance. Thank God he was good-looking, it really helped with his sheerck of brain cells sometimes. I raised a brow at him, waiting for him to catch on to anything we just said. Kalen was long gone with Tobias. I waited for the moment the light bulb would go off, and his eyes bled ck to that of his beast. ¡°She is leading us to them!¡± Lycus announced with a grin, there was so much pride in his voice, I almost felt sorry for breaking his moment of brilliance¡­ Almost Yet as we made it outside her army awaited their caws loud as they circled like a tornado above, each screech renewing and sparking determination in each of us, every loud caw lending us power. We weren¡¯t powerless, we had the phoenixes, we had the bond I could feel her feeding us energy through it. I don¡¯t know how she had managed it, but I got the distinct feeling telling me she was biding time, searching and looking for something and when she found it, she would call on us. We would be ready when she did. Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 22 ¨C Aleera I was shoved into the facility and stumbled forward a few steps. I used the ck to yank out of their clutches. I couldn¡¯t stand the sensation of their hands touching me. Weren¡¯t the cuffs enough? I couldn¡¯t use my magic yet, nor could I call for help. One of the men grabbed my shoulder in a vice grip, his hold tightening around my upper arms. Did they fear me because of the damage I had done to their fellow minions in the battle? It was smart, but they acted as if I would break free with the little strength left in me. I wouldn¡¯t have fought back even if I did have some way of doing so. Not when I desperately wanted to know what that vile woman had nned. She¡¯d disclosed just a few tidbits so far, nothing that would give me a means of shutting her and her power hunters down for good. I needed more evidence, and I needed to see it with my own eyes. Besides, right now she was exactly where I wanted her, with all the false bravado to match. I wouldn¡¯t risk breaking my cover or spilling any of my own secrets. I needed her to think I was broken, that she was the one in control, that she had triumphed over her weak malleable daughter. She had to believe that she could take me off the board at any moment, if she wanted to bother herself to, that was. The grip on me didn¡¯t loosen in the slightest, if anything, their fingers dug deeper, like they wanted to cause me pain. They dragged me after her as she strode ahead of us, leading the way with her head held high, as if she was true royalty. She believed herself to be a Queen, but I understood she was nothing by a tyrant. I red at her back, wishing I hadser vision and could cut her head right off her neck. No, that wouldn¡¯t be enough torture for this bitch. I wanted her to truly suffer with every breath that left her body. I didn¡¯t want her to have a quick, merciful death. She was no mother, no Queen, nothing but a vile, rotten creature. Her only goal was to obtain power at any cost, everyone around her were just pawns to that end. During our little trip, my eyes darted around, trying to recognize any of the objects on disy. Would they trigger any of my memories? Would she actually stoop low enough to try to make this ce look like home to fuck with me? I wouldn¡¯t put it past her, but the question was would it be worth her time to try to torment me? Those thoughts all faded from me as we got to our destination. My steps stumbled, and my insides froze up. I never thought I would see this ce again, and all those warnings that had been pressed upon me in childhood came roaring back. The one reminder that I was never allowed to forget. Stay away from the basement. Don¡¯t even touch the door. It was pounded into me from the moment I could crawl. It was where my father spent most of his time, and it was strictly off-limits. I didn¡¯t have many rules growing up, despite who my parents are now, my childhood wasn¡¯t traumatic. But the basement for some reason always instilled fear in me, a deep-rooted fear I could not exin. My mother must have noticed my hesitation because she giggled and a cruel sparkle glittered in her eyes.¡± Say, Aleera, did you want to hear something funny?¡± she questioned me, stepping beside the door. I wanted to turn and run, I didn¡¯t want to go near that door, but their tight grip on my hands wouldn¡¯t allow me to move. I bit my lip to stay silent. My skin would be mottled with bruises from their disgusting hands, but despite the pain, I didn¡¯t want to y along with this sick bitch¡¯s game. ¡°No,¡± I sneered beneath my breath. If she heard my rude reply, she ignored it. cing a hand on her hip, she tilted her head as she gestured her free hand to the door. I hated this ce and I hated her. I did my best to not let my breathing change, I refused to give her any satisfaction from what this ce was doing to me. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. A wide, wicked smirk spread across her lips as she took a step toward me. Like an actual snake, she leaned in and hissed in my ear, ¡°This ce, your home, my dear Aleera, is what saved my life when that lab went down in mes. This is where I hid while the chaos broke loose. So many of your father¡¯s experiments were under these very floorboards when Darius set this ce alight. They died in that fire. I bet now you wish it was me to be one of the ones who burned to ashes, huh?¡± I repressed the urge to shudder. Had she nned this damn speech of hers? As always, she was doing her damnedest to hurt me. Why else would she go to these lengths to point out that the one ce I had any refuge in, my only home, was the same area that had saved her worthless life? I watched her every movement, trembling to contain myself. Sheughed and turned her back on me, sticking her hand in her pocket and pulling out an old key. She strutted to the door and jammed it into the lock, twisting it until we heard the heavy clunk of the lock. The old door screeched as if in warning, as she pulled it open and a grotesque putrid stench wafted out. I wished I could cover my nose because the smell burned my insides. What was it down there? Had she been experimenting with skunks and moldy macaroni and cheese that had been stuck down there since the fire? I wanted to vomit and my eyes watered. But despite how much I tried to turn my head and bury it in my shirt to avoid the odor, her brutes held me in ce, forcing me forward. ¡°After you, dear,¡± my mother mocked, giggling at me again. The men holding me shoved me toward the door, dragging me as my legs turned to jelly. Chapter 148 Chapter 148 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 23 ¨C Despite how my body had reacted, this was still to my advantage. This weakness hadn¡¯t been nned, but what better way to sell that I was powerless than not having the ability to walk? I would stop her, no matter what I had to endure. Her vile future ns and the madness she sought to spread over the world was going nowhere. Sheughed again as I flinched being drug through the doorway. When this was over I would never have to endure thatughter again. It was already burned into my memory, a sound that echoed in my head and featured in my worst nightmares. I would do anything to never have to hear it again. They shoved me the rest of the way through and for a moment I thought they would throw me down the narrow flight of stairs that led downward, but surprisingly, they held back. One of my captors lets me go and pushes me to the side as he stomps down the stairs. The other shoved me after him, making me stumble on the stairs. I caught myself before I lost control and took a deep breath as I descended. Worst decision ever. The intense stench only got worse the lower we got and these monsters had to be nose blind, they didn¡¯t even respond to it. I nced around, trying to make out where we were going, but beyond the dim light that reflected on the stairs everything else around me was pitch ck darkness. We were nearing the end of the steps and I let my mind race. What would she try next? What exact wicked n did she have up her sleeves? Considering she was bringing me down here, I was likely a prisoner for her schemes, I¡¯d be thrown in a cell until she was ready to use me. However, once we reached the basement floor, I understood how wrong I had been all this time. This wasn¡¯t a basement, it never had been. My mother was waiting for me on the hard concrete floor, tapping her foot. My trauma ofing down the stairs had apparently bored her. ¡°This floor here is the original basement, however, this¡­,¡± she motions to a door that she goes through, as one of her men opens it. They don¡¯t give me time before shoving me through it into another stairwell leading farther down. ¡°Was where I opened a portal to the night Darius came for you. Your father¡¯s experiments died on the floor above, but this ce remained untouched,¡± she continued to exin in that mocking tone of hers, while I descended the cold concrete stairs, only apanied by her thin irritating voice. The darkness below seemed to stretch forever, and it made perfect sense why I was never allowed to enter this ce. Why they had gone so far as to cause fear inside me at the thought of this ce. Once I reached the bottom, she flicked on the lights and illuminated the room. I was positive she hadn¡¯t done it earlier because she wanted to remind me that she was the one in control here. A clinical white glow cast over the scenery around me. I had thought this was some sort of torture room, but the scene before me was a different sort of depravity. The stench that had been tormenting me since I set foot down here made more sense now. If I had any doubts about the type of woman she had been, they were all cleared away now. There was no way for her to fall lower, not after this, not after everything she had done. Tears stung my eyes as I took it all in. An entire wall that stretched farther than I could even see, was full of rows of ss cages. They were separated cells and crystal chains were attached to each wall, ready to torment whatever subject found itself in its walls. I nearly broke when I saw what upied almost every cell. Harmony-Faes, we were supposed to be like unicorns, mythical beings of the imagination that had been snuffed out of existence. And yet, she had an entire basement full of them, caged like animals to be used for whatever sick purposes she so desired. It made me want to bend over and vomit, one of those unbearable odors wasing from them and I shuddered to think what they endured all this time. I scanned the vast clinical room, but couldn¡¯t see any restrained by the crystal cuffs. Those spots must have been reserved for her next victims. She wouldn¡¯t take any chances by leaving the house and leaving them out in the open. No, she had to insure no one had the tiniest chance of being able to escape her twisted clutches. The scale of this ce was beyond myprehension, but it was obvious that the Harmony-Fae weren¡¯t the nearly extinct species I had been led to believe they were. There were more Harmony-Fae here, more than I could have possibly imagined still existed. Not even in my wildest dreams would I have thought there were so many of us. All were prisoners of my mother, to use however she wished, or even kill if it suited her. Test subjects just waiting for her to need them. Used as a way for them to keep power. It exined how the power hunter¡¯s lasted so long. My mother wasn¡¯t just crazy, she¡¯d crossed that line long ago and lost any shred of reality she had left. From the moment I¡¯d seen my childhood home, I¡¯d made ns to escape this hell, but now I needed to change those. I wouldn¡¯t leave all these innocent prisoners behind to endure her wrath, but how would I find a way to release them? There were far too many for me to just escape with, and none of them looked like they would be useful in a fight. Their dull, hopeless eyes didn¡¯t even register me. While I was still gaping at the imprisoned Fae, my mother¡¯s minions forced me to move down the hall and stopped at my very own cell, simr to those of the other Harmony-Faes. One of them opened the door, while the other roughly shoved me inside, closing and locking the door behind me. As soon as the workman disappeared from my view, my infinity mark burned, reminding me I wasn¡¯t alone. It was a hard reach with the cuffs still on, but I managed it and covered it from prying eyes. I needed to alert my mates, they had to know what was happening here. I pushed my fingers deeper into the mark. This had to work. I needed to recharge their magic with my own and share my location with them. I couldn¡¯t give up, I needed to help these poor people that were trapped, being used for my mother¡¯s selfish gain. And I couldn¡¯t do it without my mates, they had toe after me.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. They had to find out that the Harmony-Faes didn¡¯t die or be extinct. All of them were kidnapped and hidden away by my evil bitch of a mother for all these years. How she managed to fool everyone into believing they were all dead for all this time was beyond me. It showed what greed and the promise of power could truly do to a person. I wanted to stare at my mark to see if maybe my mate would feel the mark and that my n would have a chance to work. A defeated sigh escaped my lips, yet my mark tingled, making my lips tug in the corners at the reminder of them. A movement to my left caught my attention and my head snapped in the direction and my eyes widened. Porter? Lycus¡¯ father stood there just a few feet away. He smirked at me through the ss, triumph glittering in his eyes. Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 24 ¨C I red back at him. He chuckled and shook his head, and walked way from me and after my mother. A defeated sigh left my lips as I kept hoping my darnedest that my mates would feel the mark, and that my n would work, right when a movement to my left caught my attention. As my mother¡¯s soldiers moved further down the hall and disappear through another door. Now to wait and see what she has in store for me. Time passes quickly while I¡¯m locked inside the damn cell. I paced back and forth, waiting for some sign, for anything really to tell me that things were going to turn in my direction. However, no amount of time stuck in there could have prepared me for the three scientists in pristine whiteb coats that bust into the room. My mother followed behind them, her hands sped behind her back and a wide smile on her lips. Two of her more burly minions shoved the scientists aside as they opened the cell and grabbed me by my arms, and dragged me closer. My senses were on high alert as I thrashed against them. I still needed to y the helpless victim for my mother dearest¡¯s benefit. I couldn¡¯t let her know that any of my power had returned. One of the scientists pulled a long syringe out of his pocket before proceeding to screw on the longest needle I¡¯d ever witnessed. One of the burly asses twisted my arm, preparing me for that monster. My damsel in distress act might have to be cut short if things got any more dangerous. I prepared myself just in case. ¡°I want to test it against the sample I have from when she was a child, see how much her magic has morphed since she manifested,¡± my mother exins to the man, clicking her fingers at him.¡± Charles, go and get a bed for her. I don¡¯t want just her blood, I think some spinal fluid would be appropriate for our firstparisons.¡± Fuck. I hated needles. Or maybe it was more, seeing what Darius had endured at the hands of his own mad scientists that scared me most. Whichever the case may be, I didn¡¯t want theming anywhere near me with that thing, or taking anything from me. Charles grunted and stomped off, I was left with just one of the sinister men. Unfortunately, Charles wasn¡¯t gone long. He came back wheeling a thin metal gurney and shoved it at hispanion. The other man caught it with one hand and together, the two of them forced me onto the table. Their crushing grip pinned me down and panic wed at my throat. My mother didn¡¯t get closer until they had me secure. Even if I summoned every bit of power I did have, it would be hard to get myself out of this situation. She grabbed my bra and reached for a pair of scissors one of the scientists handed her. ¡°You won¡¯t need this anymore, Aleera,¡± she chided as she cut my clothes off my body. The only thing keeping me from shing all the men in here was my body pressed to the cold metal. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about being gentle with her, just get me the sample.¡± One of the scientists stepped forward, the syringe held in his hand. I shuddered. I couldn¡¯t even jerk away. His hand reached out, stroking my spine, fingers searching for the spot he wanted to jam that fucking needle. He jabbed it into me, but there was no pain. In fact, it was almost like a little clink. I couldn¡¯t see what was going on, but the maniacal grin on my mother¡¯s face was gone. ¡°Her body¡¯s defense mechanism must be kicking in,¡± she growled.¡± The anat.. Try another, a bigger gauge this time.¡± Another massive syringe was produced, this time the needle was thicker than thest one. I closed my eyes, preparing myself for the pain that was to follow. Instead, another clink and this time a curse as one of the men holding me down staggered back, warm blood sttered across my back and I cracked an eye open to see what was going on. Sticking out of his cheek, like a long metal straw, the needle was buried, and the man was cursing as he yanked it out, only for blood to gush from the wound. ¡°Fucking bitch,¡± he snarled at me. Maybe my skin had be titanium. Now that would be a nice development. ¡°How is this possible?¡± One of the scientists asked, one of them that didn¡¯t have a big ass needle. This one was writing my reactions down. He chewed on the end of his pen, his big bushy brows furrowed. ¡°She has no magic and the cuffs are on, correct?¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Wrong, moron. You might think those things are true, but I¡¯m just not letting you see that I¡¯ve got magic back. I still needed to bide my time, thank God for the whole body defense thing. Thest thing I needed was for her to get away with taking my spinal fluid. I had to resist the urge to demonstrate just how incorrect he truly was, now wasn¡¯t the time for my breakout. My mother sighs, her earlier excitement wiped away. ¡°Demonic and Seraphim remember, Clint? She is part Seraphim, her mate is Demonic-Fae. When she is scared, even powerless, her body still has certain safely mechanisms. Why do I have to exin this to you? You¡¯re supposed to be one of the top men in your field.¡± She rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Greyson used to have to shock Darius regrly, even when he was powerless to drop his body¡¯s shield.¡± I wished she would keep going because I would also like to know more about these apparent safety mechanisms my body had that I¡¯d never heard of. Thatst line though was more than a bit worrisome. ¡°Charge her, you know the drill, it will weaken her bodies¡¯ reaction. Once that¡¯s finished, I want that sample, and make sure you fill the syringepletely.¡± My mother orders, walking off and out of the cell. Chapter 150 Chapter 150 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 25 ¨C Charles, and two of the scientists, left with her, leaving me alone with the bleeding man and Clint. A momentter, one of the scientists returned wheeling a trolley, and he handed it over to Clint. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of some of the other test subjects. I¡¯ll be back when you¡¯ve got the sample.¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Mr. Bloody grinned as the scientists prepared the electrodes and set up the equipment, plugging it all in. My heartbeat pounded like a drum. I recognized the device, it had been used on Darius when he was a child. The scientist frowned and handed a bloody hospital gown that gaped in the front to Mr. Bloody. ¡°She needs to be turned over, make her wear that.¡± Before I could object, I was yanked up and the offending outfit was shoved onto me, before the brick of a man mmed my back against the cold metal, and he used his weight to hold me down until he tied me up with ck leather restraints. ¡°Better?¡± he challenged Clint. ¡°I¡¯m going for a smoke, I¡¯ll be back.¡± He leaves the two of us | alone, and I can¡¯t stop the excitement threatening to spiral through me. My n was about to take another step forward. Clint nodded. He set about attaching headgear to me that had wires connected to the control pad in front of him and adjusted the strap. He pauses at my cold stare, his lip twitching. ¡°Do you think a re is enough to stop this? There is no pity left in me for someone like you. My wife was murdered by that bastard Xandrius. Watching his son¡¯s mate suffer will bring me more joy than anything this world has to offer.¡± He sneers as he speaks, tightening the cap until the restraints are cutting into me. He stepped back, admiring his work and all the ck wires that crisscrossed my body from the helmet and all the leads that have been attached to me. He moved back to the small trolley and gave me a grin as he twisted the dial. I smile a moment before the electricity zips up the line. For being her loyal scientists, my mother sure did hire morons. My Lycus¡¯s ability was to manipte electricity. All the volts this little machine could produce combined wouldn¡¯t be able to hurt me. No, all he was managing, was to make me even more powerful. He froze, ring at me, then at the wires. He twists the button off then checks each wire, each lead, he searched for some reason I hadn¡¯t reacted to his torture. Shaking his head, he returns to his seat and pushes the power button again, twisting the dial as far as he can, his eyes narrowed as if he could make me suffer through sheer strength of will. He looked up to check how the session was going when I smiled at him. He gasped, trying to back away. I¡¯m not the only one in this cell anymore. My shadow serpent slithers out of my skin and curls up into myp, its tongue tasted the air. Slowly it turned to regard the scientist. Clint jumped out of his chair, scrambling at his control station and twisted, mming any button he could. I could feel the currents zipping through me, but instead of any harm being done, all he¡¯s done is recharged me. My serpent rose from myp, and slithered closer to the man. ¡°This isn¡¯t happening.¡± Clint rubbed the sweat pouring off him onto his shoulder. ¡°You are powerless, I saw that myself. The serum must be making me hallucinate again.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure if he was trying to convince me or himself. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it,¡± he nodded and reached for another device on the trolley. He came back to my side and hooked up histest toy. My serpent hissed, and it grew in size until it was standing just as tall as he does. Through the mist of the creature, I got to enjoy Clint turn around to grab something else off his trolley ande face to face with my little pet. Clint screamed and jerked backward, hitting the ss panel of the cell next door. The girl that lived there watched my snakes with a wicked smile on her face. There was no doubt she knew it was me, but she was enjoying watching the scientist freak out as he tried to reason what he was experiencing. My neighbor is yet another Harmony-Fae and I give her a wink. Instead of returning it, she nced in the direction of the hall. I looked over there too, but I don¡¯t sense anything and there were no aurasing near us. It was the perfect chance to unleash more power. My veins wriggled under my skin and the entire floor was covered in my precious shadow snakes. Clint¡¯s eyes went impossibly wide, and he shrieked, running for the closed cage door, and nearly knocked himself out with it when he noticed the door wasn¡¯t open. He yanked it open, mming and locked it on me before running down the hall like his ass was on fire, and my neighbor burst outughing. I grinned at her, giving her a slight nod as we listened to the melody of his screams for help. I let the shadows drop, and she nced back in the direction he ran before turning to me and mouthing a warning. ¡°They areing.¡± I nodded and yed dead on the gurney and drop my head to the side, giving my best half-dead impression from all the so-called torture I¡¯d just received. I even went so far as to let my drool drip off my face. My mother threw the cage door open and stomped her way over to She grabbed a fistful of my hair and jerked my head back, studying me. ¡°She looks subdued enough to me!¡± she snarls to the shivering Clint. I rolled my eyes to the back of my head and let my body twitch. I was going to enjoy Clint¡¯s howls of torture. Chapter 151 Chapter 151 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 26 ¨C ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand, Ma¡¯am. She still has powers. There were snakes and they-¡± ¡°Stop being foolish, you are hallucinating fromck of sleep, Clint.¡± she presses her fingers against her temple. ¡°Why did I even bother leaving you in charge? You really can¡¯t do anything right around here.¡± ¡°No, I-I swear,¡± Clint pleads. My mother lets me go, and I drop my head forward, trying not to smile at how petrified he sounds. It truly was sweet music to my ears, and I hoped my neighbor was enjoying it. ¡°Get the spinal fluid from her and drop it off with Samson. If you can manage that without any more mishaps, I want you to go home and get some sleep, Clint. You have been awake for far too long, and it is making you unhinged. I need those that can do their job, not men I have to babysit. If I have to have this kind of discussion with you again, I will see you torn apart and fed to our captives, do I make myself clear?¡± she snapped and then before letting him answer, she stomped out of the cell, mming the door shut behind her for good measure. Clint whimpered after she left, his head jerked from side to side as he searched for my pets. His hand shook as he grabbed the syringe again. He crept his way over to me and timidly pressed my shoulder. I pretended to still bepletely out of it, only offering him a twitch in response. The confident, smirking man from before was long gone. He nudged me over until I flopped onto my stomach and let out a little groan. He poked me with one finger before sighing in relief. ¡°Clint, she¡¯s right. You do need to get some rest. Clearly there are no snakes in here, she¡¯s powerless. I must have been nodding off during her session.¡± he spoke to himself in third person, he shook his head and readied his needle again. His fingers traced down my spine, finding the spot he was going to stab me. It took everything in me to force my body to rx and let him take the sample. Every bit of my focus to not let my body resist or jerk as the needle slipped into me. I gritted my teeth, thankful his attention was diverted while my eyes watered. It took far longer than I thought it should, and the pain had been intense, but finally it was over. The man left, still muttering to himself about my snakes. He left me on the cold metal gurney before walking off and closing my cage. I flopped back over, ignoring the pain, as I stared up at the ceiling. How was I going to rescue my fellow Harmony-Fae? I wasn¡¯t about to leave them behind, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to live with myself if I survived, and they did not. After all, wasn¡¯t it my mother that had thrown them in here? Besides, I had no idea what she had done to these poor people over all these years. Just thinking about that or what she was nning to do to them in the future made my stomach clench and swirl. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. There were easily hundreds, no if I¡¯m being honest with myself, probably thousands of lives locked away in these little cages. My mates would find me, but with the increased danger, all of this could put them into greater danger than they already faced. How would I pull this off without losing any of them? The bubble of my thoughts popped as I heard heavy footsteps approaching my cell, and I looked up. Porter stood in front of my cell, Lycus¡¯ no good of a father. Did hee here to watch my misery and gloat about his sess? Or just toe and stare at me like I was some imprisoned bird? No matter how hard I tried toe up with at least one thing he could be proud of, nothing but filth crossed my mind. Someone with a face like that couldn¡¯t be the good guy, someone with the past he had couldn¡¯t have any redeeming qualities, I had witnessed his atrocities through Lycus¡¯s memories and all had scarred me. For a child to witness what he did happen to his mother, then be punished for it afterward, was purely disgusting. All of my assumptions were swiftly proven to be correct from the first line that left his mouth. Thank G*d, Lycus wasn¡¯t his. Lycus must have gotten his looks from his mother, this man was hideous inside and out, so he kinda dodged that misfortune of being Porter¡¯s son. ¡°So, you¡¯re the little b*tch that ba**ard Lycus fought so hard to find and protect, huh?¡± he turned his head to the side and spat on the ground. It hadn¡¯t bothered me before with Clint, and even her crazed men, but theck of covering my gown provided, made me feel dirty as this man visibly checked me out. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, you¡¯ve got a pretty face, and I¡¯m sure with those full pouty lips of yours there¡¯s a use or two for you, not that the bas*ard deserves to have anyone as a mate, let alone a f**k toy.¡± He shook his head as if to emphasize the sick statement he¡¯d just made. He chuckled, his eyes ming, ¡°Much less to have you as their keeper.¡± Sick f***k. Still, I couldn¡¯t hold back. The bubblingughter burst out of me, and the shocked, almost scandalized look he threw at me was almostical. If only he knew the truth, he¡¯d never smirk like that again. ¡°The man you¡¯re calling a bas*ard will tear you limb from limb if youe near me. Lycus is more of a man than you ever wished to be. More than you could be in your wildest dreams and fantasies.¡± I hissed with every bit of hatred and disgust I could muster. Chapter 152 Chapter 152 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 27 ¨C He recovered his shock during my tirade, and he stepped closer, puffing his chest out. Did he think I was afraid of him? I continued on, unwilling to let him think he¡¯d won. ¡°It¡¯s a shame how you lost everything you had and blindly went after the wrong person. You made every wrong decision you could have possibly made. And for what? For a lie, someone told you, one you were st*pid enough to believe to be the truth? You killed your wife and mate for choices she made protecting you! Something she was forced to do to keep your miserable a*s alive!¡± The smug look faded and was soon reced by anger. He banged his fists against the door and screamed at me. ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about! She betrayed me! That woman was a wh*re who led me to believe he was my son! She tricked me, and had me raising a bas*ard! A result of her infidelity, a constant reminder that the one woman I loved more than my life, chose to betray me!¡± he roared every word, like screaming them out would make me understand he wasn¡¯t the bad guy in this situation, that he was just some innocent soul. Fat f***king chance of that. His words did nothing but set off a geyser of fiery rage inside me. How dare he! His wife did not deserve the death she received at his hands. Lycus was a boy, and the things he had done to him, for protecting his mother, would forever haunt my memories as if they were my own. ¡°She was never a wh*re by choice! She had to make a decision to save your worthless life! Don¡¯t believe me, look for yourself!¡± I raised my voice. ¡°What you were shown was wrong!¡± Porter scoffs and shakes his head, but pauses, his head tilting to the side. Curiosity flickered in his eyes and his certainty faded. Was he wondering if he killed the woman he loved unjustifiably? She was guilty of what he said, but her reasoning for it should have mattered, it didn¡¯t warrant her death. ¡°How?¡± he asks, his voice is almost quiet, stripped of its earlier triumph. ¡°How are you going to prove to me she was innocent?¡± ¡°Open the door,¡± I challenged, sitting up and facing him. ¡°I¡¯ll show you, or are you too scared of the truth, Porter?¡± He licked his lips, eyes darting down in each direction of the long hallway, before pulling a swipe card from his pocket. He wasted no time in forcing his way inside and cell, and no longer hid behind the protective barrier the ss had provided for him. Porter stumbled to the foot of the metal gurney, and I nodded to the straps tying me down still. They had gotten twisted when I flipped over and were digging into my skin.¡± Loosen this, so I can show you,¡± I ordered. This would be the hardest part, would his desire to know the truth be enough to take this risk? His eyes darted to the door again and his back straightened. He moved towards the top of the metal table andpletely undid my restraints. ¡°You¡¯re still in this cell, but show me Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. He had to see the pieces of his story for himself to truly ept what had happened. I forced a cast on him, my eyes not leaving his. His face twisted as a dozen different emotions yed across it. I tried my best to ignore the memories I was showing him, trying to look through the cast and focus outside. Watching once was bad enough, especially to know my mother and father also had a hand in her torment. Porter¡¯s hands trembled, and he jerked his head side to side, trying to see the different angles of the cast he was trapped in. I¡¯ll admit I was tempted to lock him in it, let the truth y before his eyes over and over again until it was seared into his mind. Then again, I couldn¡¯t risk him screaming and alerting the rest of them to my magic, I couldn¡¯t afford that risk this early. Porter gasped, stumbling back from me. His lips part and he shakes his head, his eyes wild. ¡°No!¡± he growled. ¡°You promised to show me the truth!¡± I dropped the cast.¡± You¡¯re lying,¡± he used through gritted teeth. ¡°You are trying to manipte me into believing she did all that for me. No, this isn¡¯t the truth!¡± His aura ripples violently, yet the edges flicker oddly, I had trouble reading that emotion within his aura, I was still learning them, and only knew what certain color meant, being the poption was mostly dark Fae it was mostly ck, like lightning certain flickers of color emerge but mostly just tinging the darkness with their aura. I shook my head at his denial. Although, I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. Not many could ept the truth and to do so he would have to face the horrors he¡¯d done in his life, the rtionships he¡¯s severed, in service of the lie he¡¯d been believing. ¡°Ask my mother, she knows the truth. You murdered your wife for a life, and treated her son as worse than trash because she loved you and was willing to sacrifice everything. She loved you enough to be turned into a wh*re to stop them from killing you.¡± Horror yed across his face, vivid and visceral. He stared at me, breathing heavily, and he opened his mouth to reply to me, before he does, he starts shaking his head and turning on his heel and rushing out of my cell. He locked the door behind him, staring in at me with a tortured look on his face, before he st*ggered down the hallway, shaking his head in denial with every step. What a waste of the power I had used. He straightened again, his face hardening, and turned around, not toward my cell, but storming off in the direction my mother had left in earlier. Clearly my words got under his skin, because if he thought what I showed him was a lie he wouldn¡¯t be going to hunt her down, No now he was now doubting his actions. Chapter 153 Chapter 153 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 28 ¨C Porter That little b*tch had to be lying! I knew what Darius had shown me. My wife was nothing but a c*nning wh*re. That woman had never been worthy of me, and neither was her bas*ard child! I was not in the wrong about this, I was the one wronged! All those visions? LIES. I stormed down the hall until I spotted Lidia in theb with vials on every shelf and counter. She was inspecting one and eyeing the contents when I entered the room. She didn¡¯t even bother ncing up. ¡°Did you know about my wife? Did you know that she was forced to sleep with those pieces of sh*t?¡± I snarled. I couldn¡¯t keep the rage from vibrating through me. I needed her to verify this was all a lie, so I could focus on our important work. Lidia chuckled, swishing her little bottle around. ¡°Did you believe you were kept on because you¡¯re just so highly valued and skilled?¡± she giggled. ¡°Oh, Porter. You are a sl*ppy drunk, worthless, really. You were scheduled to be sacked forever ago. That woman begged and pleaded on your behalf.¡± She holds the vial up, gazing at its contents before setting it down. ¡°I always thought people exaggerated when they described people offering anything in order to protect loved ones. She was on her knees, her hands sped above her head, and she begged that she would do anything if I kept you on. Quite frankly I think she wasted her time, she would have been better off with you dead,¡± ¡°Although, it did p*ss me off when she offered herself up to my husband, although sharing her was fun, b*tch is good at eating p*ssy,¡± Lidia snickered. I feel bile rise up my throat and my hands clench. I wanted to kill her, yet she wouldn¡¯t even turn, unfazed by me behind her. ¡°Honestly porter, your wife had more c***ks than she had feeds, ask half the council, she is the only reason you didn¡¯t cop the death sentence when you robbed Xandrius and betrayed him, also the onlyThis is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. reason Greyson stopped your a*s being put in the incinerator,¡± This had to be some sick joke, I stared at her, her words echoing in my ears. Was my boss really iming that what happened to my mate was my fault? That couldn¡¯t be possible. She had to be lying. There is no way in hell that wh*re would have stooped that low for me, she did it because she liked it. She wanted to trick me into raising her bas*ard son! Lidia and her daughter were both liars, and I wasn¡¯t going to believe either of them. ¡°No, you¡¯re lying! She only wanted to trick me!¡± She set her bottle down and turned toward me, hands on her hips and a mocking smile on her lips. ¡°Did you know that he was to be the one that took your head? You weren¡¯t going to be merely fired of course, you were to be executed, and he was the one that was in charge of that. In fact, if she hadn¡¯t spread her legs for him, you wouldn¡¯t be standing here and sharing my air. From what I¡¯ve heard of that night, she was highly skilled. She impressed him so much that she was passed around like a party favor, everyone got a taste, and you got a promotion from it. You could say she sucked and f***ked your way to the top.¡± Lidia sneered. I stared past her, trying to let her words sink in. I¡¯d thought she¡¯d deny it instantly, that she would tell me that b*tch of a daughter of hers was lying, but that¡¯s not what she was saying. She was almost proud of it. Proud of using my wife like everyone else did. ¡°She should have left you to your fate, Porter, she was more useful to me than you¡¯ve ever been. s, she tried to save your life and how did you repay her?¡± she shook her head and tsked. ¡°Killed by the very man she was trying so desperately to save. Such a pity.¡± I hit my limit. I couldn¡¯t listen to another word she said. All I could think about was every moment I¡¯d spent with my mate before I¡¯d turned on her. Every smile, every caress, every sweet kiss. A growl tore out of my throat and I lunged at Lidia. I tried to wrap my hands around her throat but in the middle of my pounce, she sted me with her magic, knocking me back first into the table. Some of her precious bottles were thrown to the ground and shattered by my weight. I grunted, getting to my hands and feet, and st*ggered to get back to her. With a grunt I rushed at her again, shoving her into the shelves when something stabbed me in the side of my chest. I nced down to see a syringe sticking out, the plunger already pressed. My vision was already tunneling as I fell heavily to the floor. Lidiaughed, ¡°You really thought I wasn¡¯t ready for this? You really are pathetic. You deserve to suffer and die.¡± Breathing was bing hard, and my vision was fading in and out. I could barely make out Lidia walking away, leaving me on the ground in the midst of her broken beakers to die. No, I wouldn¡¯t let it end like this. I wed the ground, dragging myself to the foot of the counter, and I struggled to lift myself off the ground. More vials teetered from their ce above me. I stared up at one that was behind thick ss and froze. I closed my eyes tight and reopened them in case it would change what I was looking at. The writing on the vial was simple, but it made my blood turn to ice in my veins. gue One. All of this time I had truly believed Xandrius had been the one that started the gue, that he¡¯d started everything. I sagged against the counter. I was a fool, no, worse than that, I was a murderer. I¡¯d killed my wife and ced my son in a situation to lose his life and mate. And for what? Because of a lie. One I¡¯d used to justify killing her and destroying Lycus. All of this was my fault. I deserved death for everything I¡¯d done and oh so much more. Yet, I needed to hold on long enough to pass on this proof. My life had been wasted, but I wasn¡¯t about to let that crazy b*tch get away with what she had done. Time flied by and I tried to focus on breathing. My limbs quivered when I moved but I forced myself to study the rest of the shelves. From the corner of my eye, I spotted it. Hope blossomed in my chest, not for me, but for the future of the Fae. It was up above me, but I could just make it out. Aleera¡¯s name was stamped across it as well as numbers, and more importantly, it had the word antidote. I pushed all my strength into standing as high as I could and I reached for it, I grabbed the precious bottle and clutched it to my chest, almost falling back down in the process. If Lidia thought I would curl up in a corner and die quietly for her, the b*tch had no idea what she¡¯d done by revealing the truth to me. I would hold on a little longer, and I would do this one small thing for the chance to make at least one thing right. I only hoped Lycus could get her in time with his mates to save Aleera before it was toote. Chapter 154 Chapter 154 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 29 ¨C Kalen When I was younger, growing up in the orphanage, I always longed for home. There was some sense telling me I didn¡¯t belong there, that I was destined to be somewhere else. I didn¡¯t understand that feeling until after I manifested and figured out where home was. It wasn¡¯t a ce by itself. It made me understand the difference between a house and a home. I could stay in any house, but any ce without my mates would never be home. I used to dream about having a family, and that¡¯s exactly what I found with my mates. They were more amazing than I ever could have dreamed they would be, but there had still been something missing that stopped me from truly feeling at home within myself. It wasn¡¯t until Aleera came to us did I ever get that true sense of what I craved. Family, andpletion. She tamed the shadows that haunted me. We were no longer chasing her ghost across half the country. Instead, we summoned her spirit and let her be our everything. She summoned the good in us. Good? It was hard to believe that I understood what that word was. Before her, I¡¯d had an idea of it, but I had no true knowledge of just what it could personally do for me until she shone a light and showed us. With her by my side, the shadows were not so dark anymore, no longer a sinister thing that sought to pull me under. I wanted to fight them. I wanted to fight them for her. She didn¡¯t just tempt our darkest parts out of hiding. She tasted the darkness and still forgave us. Until, eventually, she tamed us one by one. The darkness didn¡¯t stand a chance against her. With her gone, I was falling all the way back to the start, past when I was searching for my home and family, and all the way back into the darkest recesses of my memory. My heart battled back, trying to convince me that all of this was not some cruel dream. I¡¯d had a way out of the ckness that I didn¡¯t have before. I¡¯d had many cruel and wild nightmares in the past, but I never thought a life with my mates could turn into the living hell that threatened us. A cycle of evil, maniptive b*tches, and past wrongdoings that would never stop haunting us, a never-ending river of pure bullsh*t. I was fortunate to have incredible mates. Each of them perfectlyplemented each other, and all together we made the perfect finished puzzle. They made me want to be a better person, buttely, everyone¡¯s fighting spirit had been sapped away. Aleera was exhausted, we all could tell through our bond, and it wasn¡¯t just physically, but mentally too. There had been too much dumped on her shoulders. The things she¡¯d learned about not just her past, but ours as well, and she hadn¡¯t had any time to process it or let any of it sink in. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say she was carrying the weight of the entire world on her shoulders, and those that lived within it. Despite all of this, there was nothing I could do to help her, at least nothing I¡¯d thought of yet. Her b*tch of a mother had kept twisting the pressure dials, trying to break Aleera. What could I do for her to ease her suffering? What words could I possibly say to save her from the load that was crushing her? I wanted to prove to her that my mates and I were here to stay and would be at her side no matter what came at us. I bit into the quick of my finger and froze. I hadn¡¯t even noticed myself chewing on my nails again. I took a deep breath, trying to clear my thoughts. A slight tug in my chest forced me to look around. My surroundings were changing around me. Everything was floating? Why was I so light-headed all of a sudden? I wanted to fall over, but it was like gravity was turned off. Had I forgotten to eat, or was all of this because of the extreme stress I was currently under? I took a wobbly step forward, and my knees gave out under me, gravity returning as my body crashed to the ground. I wasn¡¯t sure what was going on, but it was like a giant was stepping on me, squishing my body into the ground. I couldn¡¯t even try to get up. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. In a second, the weight was gone, and I was in an entirely different ce, white patches of thin mist spread across the ground. I sat up, inhaling the surprisingly fresh air. ¡°What the hell?¡± I whispered beneath my breath. Rubbing my eyes, I squinted, trying to see through the mysterious mist. What was going on? What was I seeing, and could this experience get any stranger? I couldn¡¯t touch the mist, couldn¡¯t even feel it beneath my fingertips, despite it floating all around me. Did that mean, wherever I was, it was just my imagination? Just in case, I got to my feet and stood straight up. I wasn¡¯t about to waste any time. I peered through the mist again, desperately trying to recognize something, but this ce was endless. ¡°Well, off on an adventure we go. Just call me Dora the Explorer,¡± I chuckled as thest words left me. In any other situation, I wouldn¡¯t have trusted myself to be the one to venture out and explore, but I didn¡¯t have any other choice this time. There were two choices, either I could sit in one spot in this sp***ky ce, and probably die, or leave and see where the journey would end up taking me. Huh, who knew I would pick life over death when given the option? I took a cautious step forward, and the mist parted around me, weing me farther into this strange ce. Had I ever seen anything like this before? I racked my brain, but I couldn¡¯t recall a single instance. I reached out, and the mist flowed to either side. Nodding to myself, I continued the slow, cautious trek forward. That had been the initial n, but the farther I walked into this, the more intense a need to hurry flowed through me. Something, or someone important, was waiting for me, possibly even needed me? The sensation was just up ahead, where the mists gathered the thickest. ¡°F*ck this mist,¡± I grumbled, swatting at it again. ¡°This stuff is really trying me.¡± The sensation was just as strong, but I had to have parted this stuff a million times already in my travels. I wanted to find out where I was being drawn to and what was making me rush forward. I needed the answer, and my patience was wearing thin. Just when I was about to give up and turn back, I saw a door hidden inside the mist. I ran thest few steps and reached for the handle, sucking in a breath before twisting A grin spread across my face as I threw the door wide open, and I was finally free of the maddening mist. It faded, disappearing, without a trace, that was when I spotted her. Aleera! Chapter 155 Chapter 155 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 30 ¨C What in the hell was going on? Was this her dream? How had I managed to get sucked into it, and why didn¡¯t it just dump me at her feet from the start? Why force me to go through the mist to get to my prize? I stepped closer, moving towards her side, when I came to an abrupt halt as I walked into something solid. I couldn¡¯t see what it was, it had to be invisible, like unbreakable ss or a transparent force field, but whatever it was, it felt solid. I pounded my fist into it, trying to get her to notice me. Not only that, but I screamed as loud as I could, but she never looked up. ¡°Aleera!¡± I shouted her name at the invisible obstacle, but the result was still the same. She kept moving along, focused on her own worries. She was so determined, it moved my heart. She wasn¡¯t afraid of whatever was going on, but then why was I here if I couldn¡¯t reach her or even talk to her? There had to be a reason for me to be here other than just being an observing phantom. There had to be something more. I stared hard at her, focusing with all my might. Wait. That¡­ wasn¡¯t possible. I rubbed my eyes and stared hard. I could just barely make it out, but it was there for sure. Hope, happiness, and peace mmed into me, one emotion after the other until I was a trembling mess. I rubbed my eyes again, staring onest time ¨C it was still there. My eyes were seeing double, not one, but two separate auras. My heart thundered against my rib cage, and my breath hitched. I didn¡¯t care about getting through to her anymore. I knew exactly what this meant. A goofy smile spread across my lips as I continued to watch her. I needed to get back to the others and let them know, reveal everything I¡¯d discovered. That would be the best strategy. The only issue was I couldn¡¯t just wake up until she did. I was a prisoner in her dream until that point, but I couldn¡¯t focus on anything but those auras and the way they stuck together and yed with each other. An odd hot feeling spread throughout my chest. I never dreamed I would get to see anything so truly beautiful in my entire life. No, it was more like I never thought a date like this would evere, period. I focused only on her until everything around me shifted again. Unlike the strange way I¡¯d been sucked into Aleera¡¯s dream, I was tossed out with a crazy amount of force that made me jolt upright and suck in a breath like I¡¯d been woken from the dead. I nearly mmed my forehead into Darius. Him, Lycus, and Tobias were arranged in a circle, watching me. Worry was written all over their faces, but all I could do was grin at them like a bloody idiot. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Kalen?¡± Lycus knelt in front of me and ced his hand on my forehead. ¡°Are you hurt? Sick?¡±! I found it hard to form words, I was far too excited for my own good. I was buzzing like I¡¯d downed three to four bottles of moonshine. Darius and Tobias knelt beside Lycus, everyone reaching for me and trying to figure out what was wrong. I didn¡¯t give thought a chance and threw my arms around everyone, reacting on instinct, and pulled them into a massive hug. ¡°I was in her dream,¡± I sobbed against Darius¡¯ shirt. ¡°I saw Aleera. She¡¯s ¡°¡® I squeezed them all tight as tears slipped down my cheeks. I was just so happy, I couldn¡¯t stop them. However, my tears had alerted my mate, and fear and fury started to take them over. ¡°I saw her. She¡¯s pregnant,¡± I gasped. The rage and worry that had been building vanished in a second. ¡°Aleera is pregnant!¡± Who cares if I acted like a child over this. All I could do was cry and let the happiness I so rarely got to feel, take me overpletely. My mates were frozen in ce, the news slowly sinking in. To me, it didn¡¯t matter. I just wanted to be happy about the news of our mate and our new baby! We were going to be parents! Until it slowly sunk in deeper. Aleera is pregnant and not only was she in danger but so are our children. Aleera It had to be just a dream, but it had felt so real. I didn¡¯t know how it happened, but I could see them. My mates were embracing each other, and Kalen¡¯s words echoed through my head as happiness med alight inside me. A tear slid down my cheek, and I brought my hand to my still t belly. ¡°Could it be? I¡¯m pregnant?¡± The question was but a whisper on my lips, and I smiled weakly at the thought, before grinning and staring down where one day a bump would form. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. I allowed myself a pure moment of joy before reality crashed back down, and I came to my senses. I jerked my hand away as if my stomach had burned me. There was no way in hell I could let my mother find this out. This changed things. My ns to try to take her down from the inside weren¡¯t going to be as slow and steady as I¡¯d first prepared for. No, in order to protect my family I was going to fight against her, and I would free the Harmony-Fae she had held hostage for decades. I would put an end to this, an end to her. Lidia want to prepare because soon she would meet something far darker than herself. For when Ie for her, she¡¯ll meet darkness incarnate. And unlike my mates, the Darkness inside me won¡¯t be tamed. Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 31 ¨C Tobias It wasn¡¯t like I was a master of Aleera¡¯s Phoenixes, but I could tell? when they were acting strange. Wild, uncontroble, and absolutely dismissive of everything that happened around them. They¡¯d never acted this way before. I didn¡¯t want to put my theory to the test, but at this point, I believed that they saw everything and everyone as a possible threat. Since we didn¡¯t have Aleera with us, they weren¡¯t even going to pretend to be under any sort of control. I wasn¡¯t the only one that noticed the difference in them, either. Until these creatures found their ce, their home, the fire in them would continue to rage. The only way to calm them would be finding her. When we set off on our journey, the animals seemed to settle, almost. They were still crazy wild birds that acted as if they¡¯d just broken out of a hunter¡¯s trap and had to find their escape. They were an unstoppable army that could ze through any obstacle in their way, and I didn¡¯t want to be one of those obstacles. The Phoenixes were just as beautiful as they were terrifying. A force to reckon with, just like our mate. Theyplemented each other perfectly. The bubble of my thoughts and admiration was violently broken when the Phoenixes changed direction in the sky, wheeling off to a whole new area, and I finally understood that I had to pay more attention to them. It hit me like a bag of bricks. These beautiful, magnificent creatures were taking us to Aleera, showing us the way to get back to her side. And I would be d*mned if I was going to lose track of them. There was no way to check if they knew where they were going or not, this was a test of faith, and we followed after them blindly. No matter how long or hard the trek was, we were going to get to her. We had to find her as fast as possible before it was all toote. None of us could predict what that crazy old hag had nned for our mate. She had already proven time and time again that she had no values such as family, and she couldn¡¯t give a sh*t about her daughter. The only reason Aleera had been taken was a simple one ¨C the power. Lidia wouldn¡¯t even bat an eye if she decided to kill Aleera. She couldn¡¯t. The emotions inside that withered frame had died long ago, and now she was the personification of greed, sick, intense, and deadly. I never took Lidia as someone that acted as an adult should. Instead, she reminded me of a child in a candy shop, she wanted it all. Every sort of candy she could get her sticky fingers on, it didn¡¯t matter who it belonged to. All she knew how to do was take, steal, and demand. The witch was more than willing to use whatever means she needed in order to force others to their knees and for her to get what she wanted. She had a legion of devoted followers, blinded by her fake shell. She could do so much with all that she had at her fingertips with their help, but it was never enough. Even as my thoughts dived deeper into my hatred, I also hated myself. Why was that b*tch able to overtake my thought process? It was far too easy how she wormed her way into my brain and how d*mn hard it was to shove her out. I hated how that woman managed to overtake my thought process. I hated how easily she could imnt herself in my mind and how darn hard it was to forget about her existence. For now, I had to focus on Aleera and her safety. On her raging beasts, that led us closer to where Lidia took her. D*mn it, I hoped we weren¡¯t going there toote. She had to be safe, she had to be alive. We needed her. I needed her. Time slipped by, and it was almost impossible to keep track of where we were or what time of day it was. But once the Phoenixes stopped, nothing else mattered. It was finally time for action. We would get our mate out of the hell her mother had thrust her inside, and we would get our revenge. That was¡­ odd. The ce we¡¯d been brought was none other than Aleera¡¯s old house, the location of it anyway. There was no house, no building, nothing but arge empty field, but the birds seemed excited. ¡°Where is she?¡± Darius roared, startling all of us, and even the Phoenixes shot him a re. They didn¡¯t care his face was beet red, and his breathing had be loud and heavy. Anyone that didn¡¯t know him would be scared to death if they saw him like this. ¡°F***ked if I know!¡± Lycus joined in, equally as p*ssed as Darius. They both looked around, scowling at their surroundings. I understood their rage, I really did, but someone had to be the voice of reason. I growled deeply at them and pinned them with my gaze. ¡°Shut up! We¡¯re here to find out where Aleera is, not argue about a f***king building we burned down years ago! The Phoenixes brought us here for a reason. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Besides, focus, can¡¯t you feel her? Because I sure can, and so could you if you didn¡¯t let your anger control your senses!¡± My rage seemed to get through to them because they all focused on the empty lot. Their eyes widened once they finally understood what I already knew. Aleera was close. We couldn¡¯t see her, but she was just out of reach. It¡¯s why the Phoenixes circled through the air. They felt her too. They were searching for any trace of their mistress. I exchanged wary nces with my mates. We knew what we had to do. There was no need for long- drawn -out ns. We split off, and each searched a different area, cutting it into pieces and each of us combing through our own for whatever we could find in this vast empty space. So desperate were we that we counted the d*mn rocks, just in case moving any of them would open a hidden door. Her b*tch of a mother had brought Aleera here, and though we still couldn¡¯t find a sign of her, there was no doubt that we were in the same area as her. That b*tch was smart, as much as I hated to give her any sort ofpliment. She always calcted every move she made and acted almost on instinct. She¡¯d hidden Aleera somehow. My mates were still frantically trying to find a way to bring us closer to her, but no one had been sessful. My eyes returned to the Phoenixes, the ones that led us here. If there was a way to get to her, they would know, but there was a set of them that hadn¡¯t moved from their previous positions. ¡°Guys?¡± I called out. My eyes were glued on the zing monsters that presented themselves as if celebrating. They¡¯d found something, that had to be it! The birds huddled together before they glowed, heat rolled off of them, and it wasn¡¯t possible for us to get any closer. They sted the ce with their magic, and the force of it nearly threw me to my feet. The boom of unleashed magic was deafening. They were screaming for her, calling her to give them a sign of how they could find their way back to her. Demanding that she let them in, and they refused to wait or waste any more time than we already had. The Phoenixes got even louder, if such a thing was possible, and visibly more violent. My mates put their hands to their heads to shut off the cries, but beyond all that, something else caught my attention. I took a step closer and squinted my eyes. With another flick of their massive wings, there it was again. Look, there,¡± I pointed in the direction they were watching. ((It was hazy at first, like we were staring at it through a mirage, as extreme heat was between us and it. It was just a flicker, but I could make it out. Aleera¡¯s old house. We were watching the building through what appeared to be a new portal the birds had seemingly ripped open. ¡°Motherf***ker!¡± I hissed in anger, kicking the rocks under my feet. Darius took a ce next to me and put his hand on my shoulder, his fingers curling around it to stop me. ¡°Lidia is good, better than I gave her credit for. Imagine protecting a house by throwing it in a different realm just to keep us away from our mate.¡± Chapter 157 Chapter 157 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 32 ¨C Darius The phoenixes circled above, jolting the veil between the dimensions, which this ce was shielded by. Now Tobias had pointed it out, I could feel the low vibration all around the ce, feel the veil like a pulse. We just had to figure out how to drop it. The b*tch was going to regret this move of hers, it gave us the element of surprise. Lidia had shielded it from the world, but that also meant she had shielded everyone else from this dimension. We just needed the power to bring down the shield and send enough energy into it to open the portal. Wards only went so far, which made me wonder what exactly she used to keep this never ending charge going. ¨C I examined the translucent veil. The shimmer of it was easy to spot now that we knew what we were dealing with thanks to the Phoenixes. We had a lot of power, but it would be foolish to use it all at once and burn through it. We needed to conserve as much as possible because we had no idea if Aleera could feel us or not. She gave us as much power as the bond would allow her to transmit to us, but it was nowhere near enough to bring this veil dividing the two realms down. If I was at full power, I would be more than enough to handle this issue by myself. But now, even with all of us, we weren¡¯t strong enough in our current state. My eyes lifted back to the still-circling phoenixes. They had the power, unlimited power through regenerating their lifespans, but there was no way to harness it without her, or them willingly giving it to us. What exactly was powering the veil, and what would we have to do to breakz it? would we have to do to break it? Tobias and Lycus scanned the ground, searching for a power source or anything that might be a ward, yet I knew they wouldn¡¯t find anything. Lidia didn¡¯t survive this long like a c***kroach, by leaving a map behind to locate her. We needed something to drain its power, or overwhelm the source. If we could somehow control something like a sr re, that might possibly do the trick, but I had no idea how to conjure up something like that. In the distance, Kalen also stared up at the birds. Ryze dropped out of formation not too far from him, and it made him jump. He watched the bird, and Ryze stared right back. I dragged my attention away from them and forced myself to focus. There had to be a solution to this, and I needed to figure it out, fast. ¡°Nothing,¡± Tobias huffed, wandering over to my side. He nced over at Kalen as he interacted with Ryze. Lycus joined us, watching Kalen and Ryze before tipping his head back and studying the birds. ¡°We need their help, but without her, there¡¯s no way to control the flock.¡± He shuddered at how close Kalen was to one of her lethal pets. ¡°Maybe I can try to absorb it,¡± I suggested. ¡°Are you insane?¡± Tobias demanded, turning on me. ¡°We don¡¯t even know what is powering this. Even your incubus side has limits on what it can absorb. What do you n to do if they can¡¯t charge it? What if whatever is powering this thing between realms is more than you can handle?¡± I scowled. ¡°Well, do you haven it better idea? I can try to siphon it, while they charge. It might be enough to break through it.¡± ¡°We did note all this way to save her just to lose you. Aleera would be furious if you went and killed yourself trying to get her out, Tobias snarled, his eyes turning a dark shade of crimson. ¡°It¡¯s the only n we¡¯ve got right now!¡± I snapped right back. ¡°Maybe not,¡± Lycus mused. He took a step towards Kalen who had abandoned his convening with Ryze and was hunting for a way to drop the veil. Lycus hummed with whatever n he¡¯de up with. I was proud of him, but a little worried what he might say. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± ¡°Kalen¡­he can manipte our auras, our intentions,¡± he pointed at Kalen and my eyes widened. I hadn¡¯t expected that from our resident pretty face. Yet Lycus knew more about Kalen¡¯s magic than Kalen did. ¡°What if he can manipte the Phoenixes, show them his intentions and what we need from them?¡± Lycus continued, still surprising me with his burst of a good idea. ¡°They won¡¯t allow a Dark-Fae to control them,¡± Tobias argued, Phoenixes didn¡¯t answer to Dark Fae. They only tolerated us for her, their loyalty was to Aleera. However, Kalen hadn¡¯t always been Dark-Fae and neither had I. Some part of me knew they could sense that through her, so maybe it really could work. ¡°Ryze!¡± I called, and her head turned to look at me. She opened her wings, pping them twice before riding the breeze and dropping in front of us. She squ*wked in my face, beak snapping. They were all on edge, restless for their Queen. ¡°Aleera,¡± I simply told her, and she tilted her head, such smart birds that they recognized ournguage, I just needed her to convince the other¡¯s to allow Kalen to manipte them. I turned my wrist up to show her, tapping my infinity mark. ¡°We need power,¡± I point up, then at Kalen. Her head followed my finger and considering she didn¡¯t try to bite it, I took it to mean she was paying attention. Ryze though was far different from the others, she was as much ours as Aleera, though would turn on us without thought for Aleera. However, Ryze wasn¡¯t the head of the flock. Spark is, her father. Kalen nced over when I pointed him out before wandering over to us through the long grass. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked. ¡°We need you to manipte their auras,¡± I exined, as Ryze observed her. ¡°I haven¡¯t got the power to do that, and I¡­¡± Kalen pauses, looking at Ryze. Her bird-like eyes watching him. Sh*t, he was right. We still needed magic. ¡°And I don¡¯t think I can use it on an animal,¡± he finally said. I nodded in agreement. ¡°Your father,¡± I grabbed Ryze¡¯s beak, turning her attention to me. Magic.¡± I exin to her, before pointing to each of us. Ryze watches, trying to understand what I am saying to her. She ruffled her feathers, her tail cutting through the air like a frustrated cat. (( ¡°Magic,¡± Tobias repeated, tapping his wrist. She c**ked her head to the side, observing him, before her tongue flicked out, licking his cheek. He sighed, shaking his head. In return, she screeched loudly in his face. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°This is pointless, you want to p*ss them off?¡± Tobias shrugged. I tried to think. ¡°She doesn¡¯t understand, she¡¯s juvenile, and I am not p*ssing off Spark.¡± he rified. I chewed my lip. We had no choice. Ryze hopped along on the grass, as I stormed past her, scanning the ground for anything that would help us. ¡°Darius!¡± Tobias snapped at me. ¡°We need Spark. He¡¯ll understand!¡± I snap with a growl. ¡°Are you f**king insane? He could fly down and rip you to pieces!¡± Lycus objected, tossing his arms up in the air. He was right. The Phoenixes weren¡¯t in the right frame of mind. They wanted their Queen, their mother. And we were not her. Chapter 158 Chapter 158 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 33 ¨C ¡°We need them. Aleera sent them back to us for a reason. She meant for them to help us. If we can get them to open a portal, and get the recruits here.¡± ¡°We still won¡¯t have enough power,¡± Lycus grumbles. ¡°We will if we convince her Phoenixes to charge us,¡± I argue. ¡°I can break this veil, but I need magic!¡± I growl at them, scooping up a rock. I tossed it in the air, catching it, looking for the giant f**ker. Ryze hissed at me, Tobias and Lycus both backed up simultaneously as Ryze opened her wings. Spotting Spark flying into the center, hovering as hemanded his flock, I took aim before throwing the rock, sting it with what power I did have, to push it high enough to reach him. However, Spark moved, and it missed him. The bird didn¡¯t even notice the sk*pping rock. Secondster, talons tore into my back. Ryze squ*wked in rage, thinking I was attacking her father. I swatted her, holding my hand out as she tumbled off my back, and I am thrown forward as she jolted me. ¡°F***k!¡± Tobias hissed. He waved his arms and rushed at her when she went to pounce on me again. ¡°Bl**dy bird.¡± I snapped. I point to Spark, only to find him peering down at his daughter. Ryze screeched, the sound making me clutch my ears. Tobias waved his arms, warding her off, trying to calm her down. ¡°Settle girl.¡± Tobias cooed and she huffs while Tobias calms her. Not that it mattered, her screeching drew the attention of her father. He stared down at us before tucking his wings to his body and dived straight toward us, using his body like a torpedo. Spark was going at a speed faster than lightning, it was hard to focus on him. His body pulled up just feet from the ground as hended, impressively, on his feet with his wings outstretched. I backed up as he hissed at me, and Tobias turned. Ryze was one thing, but Spark was no juvenile Phoenix. Spark stalked me and I held my hands up. ¡°We aren¡¯t hurting her, just trying to get your attention!¡± I yelled at the beast of a bird, Ryze hopped away to his side while Spark cawed loudly, and I cursed when he dropped his head and charged at me with wide open beak and wings open. Yet before he reached me, Kalen tossed himself between me and the bird. His hands were outstretched, glowing ck with the shadows. Spark reared back, and he snapped at Kalen¡¯s trembling hand, his fear writhed through the bond and I gripped his hips, readying myself to toss him aside if needed. ¡°Easy, Kalen,¡± I growled. Kalen took a hesitant step toward Spark, his shadows slivering up his arms and dancing between his fingers. ¡± We don¡¯t want to hurt her.¡± Kalen tells Spark. Spark snapped his beak mere inches from Kalen¡¯s hand again, and he sucked in a desperate breath.¡± Aleera!¡± Kalen yelled furiously at him. Her name seemed to get his attention. Spark c**ked his head to the side and Ryze nipped at her father¡¯s tail feathers, his wing batting her back, telling her to move away from us. ¡°Aleera!¡± Tobias repeated Kalen¡¯s words. Spark turned his head as Tobias stepped forward. He held up his wrist. ¡°We need magic!¡± Tobias stressed to him, tapping his wrist. Spark shook out his feathers backing up before nudging Ryze, and they took off. Kalen snarled, and reached down before I could stop him and smashed Spark in between his shoulder des with a rock. His wings opened instantly, and the bird pivoted, rearing up. I yanked Kalen back, only for him to turn and shove me. ¡°He¡¯ll listen,¡± Kalen insisted, just as Spark charged at him. Instead of turning away, Kalen ran at him too. Tobias screamed, darting after Kalen. Spark tackled Kalen, sending him tumbling to the ground. Beside me, Lycus shifted, prepared to take on the massive Phoenix. Spark screeched, scratching at Kalen¡¯s face with his razor sharp ws. Kalen rolled away and Spark tried to stab him with his beak. Kalen grabbed the bird by the beak, and the Phoenix jolted as the shadows touched him. He tried to st Kalen back with his own power, but Kalen gripped the feathers on either side of his head. Spark stiffened and stopped his attack entirely. ¡°Aleera!¡± Kalen screamed in the bird¡¯s face. Spark rustled his feathers, his eyes glowing, and the animal backed away. Tobias was at Kalen¡¯s side instantly, dragging him up while Lycus¡¯ growled, stalking the Phoenix in his wolf form as the creature backed up before he took flight. ¡°Well, great, that worked, and I lost another set of pants!¡± Lycus huffed when he shifts back. ¡°F**king d*mn near sh*t my f**king pants too,¡± he growled. I shook my head, trying to think of something else. Tobias was dusting Kalen off with his hand, scolding him for being stup*d. The sky darkened as a storm appeared out of nowhere, and the Phoenixes flew into the wind. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Spark¡¯s mighty roar filled the sky and in unison, the Phoenixes sang to his chorus, power zapped and sparked between them when they all suddenly dived and swooped toward us. ¡°Hold your ground,¡± Kalen snapped at me, and my attention darted to him to find his eyes had turned TTM white. Whatever he did to Spark, Spark was allowing him to manipte them, his eyes returned to normal when I was sted with a surge of electricity, and magic by Spark then Ryze. The force making me stumble back only to be sted with another jolt. The birds took turns hitting us and powering us up. Magic surged through my veins by the time they were done. Tobias instantly opened a portal to Astrid, and Lycus shifted and ran through it to alert our men. ¡°Turns out I can manipte a Phoenix,¡± Kalen chuckled, as my fingers tingle, power flowed in my veins as I feel through the bond an echo of Aleera sharing hers. I flexed, testing its strength as it twisted and transformed inside me, bleeding into my essence, before I looked up at the veil with new determination. Our men filed out taking their stances moving around the shield ready to fight for their Queen. Rubbing my hands together, the tendrils of darkness slipped from my fingertips just as Spark roared above me, and once again the Phoenixes sted the shield at the same time I did. The moment the veil flickers turning solid briefly veil flickers, turning solid briefly, our men didn¡¯t hesitate to touch it, sting it with their own power. ) I unleash some more of the magic and start absorbing the shield. I took on its energy, recycling it by sending it straight back into the veil. It cr*cks under the pressure before shattering like a ss when the pressure became too much and it erupts, we are hit with its shockwave, yet my feet remain nted on the ground as the veil between realms disintegrated. The sky pixted as it burst, revealing something I never thought I wouldv eves on again. Aleera¡¯s oldy eyes on again. Aleera¡¯s old house, and hundreds of startled power-hunters. We broke the veils between realms and I smirked at their horrified faces, cracking my neck, Lycus shifted, the Phoenixes dove. Tobias wandered back over to me. ¡°Now let¡¯s f**k sh*t up!¡± Heughed. Chapter 159 Chapter 159 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 34 ¨C Aleera My mind became lost to the dream walk with my mates. It was so real, I almost felt like I could reach out and touch them, to share the joy that vibrated through them. I was consumed by the emotion until I felt the very ground shake, and the walls cracked around me. Cr**ks zipping up the walls and making holes to the cells next door. Notrge enough to get into, but enough for me to see my terrified neighbor. I looked up at the ceiling, dust sprinkling over me, and my eyes darted to the other Fae locked in their cells. The power of my mates red through the bond, my infinity mark was glowing, lit up bright and burning against me they wereing for me. The tremors are violent, murmurs and panicked cries ring out as the Harmony Fae worry the roof would cave in. Now or never, now it is. The time for my mother having the upper hand, or even thinking she still had it, was over. I would not allow her to use me for her tyrannical ns, or risk my unborn child¡¯s life in the process. This little game of hers was over, I was ending it was ending it. Porter hadn¡¯t bothered chaining me down again, so getting out wasn¡¯t difficult, it was as easy as sending surges of electric current to disable the cell¡¯s locks. My neighbor jerked to attention, and watched me with wide eyes. I would get all the Harmony-Fae out of this hellish prison, we would all unite and fight our way to freedom, stopping my mother in her tracks. The time for waiting was over. I sent more power into the cell door, and the surge traveled not just to my cell, but up and down the entire line. The moment each lock undid, the digital panels controlling their cors exploded. The cors they wore to disable their magic fell to the ground. rms red as every single door slid open. One by one, the Harmony-Fae eased themselves out of their cells, almost not believing that their nightmare was about toe to an end finally. They looked towards me, or so I thought, until a stampede of feet rushed our way. Based on the odor that drifted to us, I could tell what we were dealing with long before they showed their ugly hideous faces Th Theor ugly, hideous faces. Those zombie like power hunters my mother used before were preparing to mob us. If only she knew that little trick of hers wasn¡¯t going to work on me, nor would it on the rest of the Harmony Fae who were preparing themselves for what wasing next. ¨C The first set of power- hunters stumbled near me, and I smirked as fire danced on my fingertips as I tossed it at their chests. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. The mes were so hot they were blinding, the scorching mes traveled from one monster to the other, setting an entire squad of them aze. 20 Somewhere behind these brutes, I was positive my mother waited. Knowing her and how she thought, I¡¯m sure she probably figured they could handle me, and she could just swoop in to pick up the pieces before they killed me. My wings rippled along my back, yet there wasn¡¯t enough room to spread and open them, however as I flexed the muscles of my back, feathers appeared with a mere thought, and reaching my hand back, I plucked them off, and I tossed them like daggers at my enemies, determined to cut down their numbers and pull that psychotic b*tch out from wherever she was hiding. I would turn this entire ce into ruins, along with herwork of power hunters. The battle I was waging must have given those Harmony-Fae around me motivation. Wisps of power flooded the hall as fireballs mmed into more of the zombie power hunters, setting them ame. Lightning cracked through the air and bolts mmed through some of the heads of the brainless minions. The wind whistled around me as a group of the hunters were gathered together, and another fireball consumed them. The Harmony-Fae were fighting back with a new-found hope. No longer restrained inside the confines of their cells, their power no longer disabled by the shackles around their necks. They rallied together, throwing their attacks with more and more enthusiasm as they saw the zombies fall one after another. I needed to get to my so-called mother before the slimy b*tch slipped away in the midst of the chaos. All of these lies, death and destruction started with her, and I would make d*mned sure it ended with her too. Under no circumstances would she get away this time, I would use all my power to ensure she didn¡¯t slink off into the shadows to keep plotting for a way to bring about mine and my mates¡¯ downfall. All for the sake of her insatiable greed and hunt for power. This ended today. The hunters fell to me and my razor sharp wings, the feathers shot through their bodies, like a hot knife through butter, doing devastating damage. I cleared out a path in the ¨C direction I¡¯d seen my mother retreat I made it to the stairs and hurried up them to the next level, finally having enough room to move effortlessly. Turning a corner, I froze when Ie to an area full of sciencebs. Porter was on the ground in ab coat with all kinds of vials surrounding his hands, trying to stem his bleeding. He wasn¡¯t moving very quickly, and at first nce, I assumed him dead. I stepped around him, and he let out a breath, startling me and stopping me in my tracks. Looking down, his hand reached for my foot. Blood spilled from his eyes, ears, nose and mouth. ¡°Wait,¡± he gasped out, his voice shaking as he did so. ¡°I know I don¡¯t deserve your kindness or your pity, what I¡¯ve done¡­¡± he trailed off and shuddered, he coughed up a dark red, almost ck blood clot that reeked of chemicals. ¡°You were right. It was all Lidia. She set the first gue with your father. Here, take these. It is all the proof you will need for the council.¡± I dropped my gaze to see what he was clutching so hard ¨C two vials in his shaking hand. Crouching down next to him, I gently took them and turned them around to study them. My brows furrowed. This¡­ couldn¡¯t be real. But there, in bold writing, one wasbeled the first gue, and the second one had my name on it, and it was obvious this was not from the spinal fluid sample. Chapter 160 Chapter 160 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 35 ¨C Putting a hand to my lips, I gasped. I was the cure. The way to stop the gues all along. Darius may have created the first gue, but I created the cure. Porter sn*tched my wrist, ¡°Please, take care of Lycus. Tell him I¡¯m sorry,¡± he whispered through ckened lips. ¡°I was never the husband his mother deserved, or the father I should have been to him.¡± He took a pained breath, wincing. More blood spewed from his mouth and down his chin, and he groaned in pain. It was obvious, whatever my mother had done, he was causing immense suffering. There was so much blood, I couldn¡¯t figure out how he was possibly alive. Had he held onto life to give me these vials? I stared down at the man that had caused so much pain and suffering and instead of the hatred that usually licked away at my insides, I found pity. I held my hand near his head. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of him,¡± I promised. Porter let out a breath and nodded his head weakly, closing his eyes. ¡°I know I don¡¯t deserve it, but I¡¯m sorry.¡± Porter mumbled, his hands twitched as his muscles spasmed. (( He would never forgive me,¡± Porter choked out. ¡°Maybe in another lifetime you can make it up to him,¡± I whisper, it was clear he was terrified of dying. ¡°I don¡¯t want Lycus to do it¡­ I don¡¯t want it on his soul. I have caused him enough pain. He will feel obligated, I know my son..¡± I understood what he meant, if I walked away and left him and Lycus learned he was down here suffering, he woulde down to put him out of his misery. ¡°I understand if you won¡¯t, you owe me nothing,¡± Porter rasped, spraying me in blood. I wasn¡¯t sure how much longer he could hold on, but it was obvious his magic hadn¡¯t burned out, and he was trying to heal himself. I cupped his cheek with my hand. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can heal you without bonding you to me,¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking that, I am asking you to kill me,¡± he said, opening his eyes and looking at me. ¡± Don¡¯t make him do it, he hates me, but I know deep inside, he still loves Why else would hee running every time I summoned him?¡± He coughed and I nodded. I knew mostly for Kalen, but part of him longed for his father, he had no reason to do as his father asked once he was with Darius and Tobias. I let out a shaky breath and nod. ¡°I don¡¯t like you, but I forgive you, >> I told him, holding up the vials to show him that I had them safely. ¡°Do you think Lycus may one day forgive me?¡± He said it with a deep sigh, the way a condemned man whispers right before their sentence is carried out. I tilt my head to the side, watching him. ¡°Maybe, maybe when he forgives himself for not saving her,¡± I whispered and his tears send blood streaking his cheek. ¡°Thank you,¡± he choked out before closing his eyes. I summoned my magic. I couldn¡¯t let him suffer. He deserved to, but he was Lycus¡¯ father and his remorse was enough for me to end him quickly. Fire spiraled from my hand and consumed him, turning him into ash on the spot. I sighed, ncing down at the ck spot his body left. Tucking the vials away into my pocket, I straightened and looked away from what used to be Lycus¡¯ father. Nothing would sway me from my mission to find my mother and put an end to this chaos all around me. On the floor below, the power hunters¡¯ screams were being cut off one-by-one. I almost wished I was downstairs to watch the Harmony Fae taking their revenge on those who had tormented them. From the sounds of it, none of the hunters would be making it up the stairs. Yet as I took in my surroundings, eyes searching, I spotted her. There was their Queen, darting out of another room far down the hall. She was running, a case clutched for dear life in her hand. Something, I wouldn¡¯t let her leave with. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. I tore off after her, my footsteps echoing down the hall. ¡°Lidia!¡± I screamed, almost roared at her with all the anger and hatred that waspressed inside. She froze in ce and her head jerked as she saw me. ¡°Aleera! Come with me,¡± she offered with a wide grin. ¡°We can rule together!¡± She was definitely more insane than I¡¯d ever imagined if she thought I was going to fall for this. Me, join her? Never, even if she somehow brainwashed me, I would off myself before I would fall prey to her. ¡°I will never join you, Lidia. You had me not because you wanted me, a child to love, but because you wanted a weapon to exact your revenge and lust for power. I was just a means to an end for you.¡± A shadow flitted across her face, making her appear dark and sinister. ¡°You would pick them over me?¡± she spat the words out at me. ¡°His kind are the reason the Seraphim are no more! He is the reason the gue killed all the light Fae! You would still choose him knowing all that?¡± ¡°No,¡± the word boomed out of me and for a second her c****y confidence wavered, I got to see her fear. ¡°Darius never started the gue. You and my father used him, just like you used me. All of this the gue and what came of it was to settle an age-old score and so you could sit on the ultimate seat of power. All of this time you knew I was the cure, and you wanted to use that and dangle me about like some toy. I will always choose my mates above you, especially Darius.¡± My words struck home. Pure hatred shed in her eyes and she screamed like a possessed banshee before charging straight at me. I stopped her mid-lunge, holding her in ce with my magic. Her eyes were wide, clearly she wasn¡¯t expecting this. Chapter 161 Chapter 161 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 36 ¨C The briefcase slipped from her hands, sc*ttering paperwork everywhere when I am hit from the side, my magic dropping as one of her men attacked me. I hit the ground hard. From my peripheral, I see my mother trying to scavenge the papers. My wings open when the Fae man sted me with his fire magic, my wings wrapped around my body protectively, shielding me. The heat made me scream, and I forced power into them turning my wings to steel. They glowed, turning a rusty red, from the rapid heat. Turning my head, I spot my mother rush out the door and clench my teeth as her foot soldier pins me with his fire. Yet the moment he is close enough, I spread my wings, slicing his body in three pieces, he looks shocked and looks down before his body slides apart and stters on the floor. Like some gruesome puzzle pieces. Without a second nce at the man and his grisly fate, I chased my mother out of the house and nearly stopped in my tracks at the chaos outside. My mates were fighting alongside the recruits and destroying everyone in their path to get to me. I scanned my surroundings looking for her, and I spotted her trying to sneak away in the midst of the battle, just the shimmer of her shield gave off her fleeing figure. ¡°Lidia!¡± I screamed out to her, and she stopped once more. Her eyes shed, and my mates, look in her direction. ¡°You had your chance,¡± she spits at I snarl at her and shook my head, stepping into the chaos when I noticed Kalen behind her and in the next moment, so does she. She smirked, and her fingerse alive with magic. ¡°It started with you, Lidia, and it will end with you.¡± I warn her. ¡°If I go, I am taking them with me,¡± she growled and turned toward Kalen. Darius screamed, and my heart stuttered as she lifts her hand, glowing with her powers, a cruel smirk on her lips. I don¡¯t think, I just feel, letting instinct drive me. ¡°Kalen!¡± Lycus screamed and Kalen lifted his head. Seeing my mother¡¯s outstretched hand his eyes widened when her magic left her fingertips only for me to smash into her making her drop it, I growl furious that she would try to hurt him again. My mother struggled under my hold and I refused to let go, instead flying high into the sky, soaring until I¡¯m with my phoenixes. ¡°When I¡¯m out of this, you¡¯re going to regret every second of your life. I¡¯ll get your mates, and I¡¯ll tear them apart, one by one, in front of you.¡± She really could be stup*d. Who else would threaten my loved ones when I have them in a vice grip? My anger roared to life inside me, and my hold on her tightened. No matter how much she fought against my hold, it merely grew tighter. The rage in me took over. The power hunters were far away and upied by the Harmony-Fae. My battling those that dared to try them. Perhaps if I was a less selfish person, I¡¯d let those that had lived under her rule be the ones to end her life. But I wasn¡¯t letting this go, she destroyed our family, destroyed my mates, and all for nothing, for some war we were never a part of. I squeezed her tighter, traveling higher, and her eyes bulged in her head as she struggled against the supernatural power. I had light in me, but right now the darkness had full control and filled me with power, surging through every molecule in my body. My decision to end her only satisfied that dark part of me more when I screamed until my throat hurt. It was such a feral sound that it took me back, but not as much as what I did after. My Phoenixes circled above, hearing my call, they looked up. Hovering in the air, she fought, her magic sting me, only for me to absorb ¡°Goodbye mother.¡± I tell her before letting go. She pinwheeled through the sky, desperately trying to catch onto something. The phoenixes swooped in, darting in and out and making her scream as tiny ribbons of her blood filled the air around her. She shielded her face, by holding her hands over them. My babies continued to rip her apart like a school of piranha¡¯s in a feeding frenzy. WIL What was left of her when she hit the ground wasn¡¯t much, her torso, her head, bits and pieces of her limbs that they hadn¡¯t pluckedpletely off of her. There was no emotion left in me as I stared down at her. She blinked up at me in total shock. I hovered in the air, noting the horrified faces of her power hunters. Those that remained were quickly killed off, it¡¯s what happens when you are distracted in a battle like this. Spark swooped out of the sky tond beside her, and she coughed, almost gurgled. ¡°Spark,¡± she managed to whisper, though it took most of her strength. My hand clenched, but I stayed where I was. I trusted my phoenixes. He moved closer to her, c**king his head as he stared. Blood coated the ground from all of her wounds. The phoenixes tried to swoop in to finish her off, but Spark screeched at them, and they wheeled a safe distance away and perched to watch. There wasn¡¯t much he could do anyway, she was nearly dead. Her magic was being absorbed by the earth as she bled out. Spark hopped closer, and she smiled at him. She tried to say his name again, but she could only mouth it. Spark leaned over and pecked at her face, and she found her voice again as a long, blood-curdling scream rang out. Spark lifted his head, one eye hanging from the nerve he had plucked out from his beak. He pecked again, taking her other eye, throwing his head back and Toorak swallowing it. Her screams were a crescendo, but Spark wasn¡¯t finished. He pecked straight through her skull, cracking it open, and her AA 11 Locat AS screams died out as he feasted on her brains. ¡°Hmm, I guess Lycus was right, Phoenixes do eat eyes.¡± I chuckled to myself. Her death was underwhelming, she was no fight against me and my Phoenixes, for all her talk, she was powerless. What power she came by was the numbers she stood behind, not by anything she actually possessed. Piece by piece they had ripped her apart into torn flesh and bone, making sure it was at points that would be the most painful, so she suffered every second she had, only for Spark to finish her off at the end when she thought he was the one that would save her. Not wasting time looking at the mess I made, I turned away. All I needed was to be with my mates and put all of this behind us. We would raise our baby in peace and never let it know it was rted to such a heinous woman. I would hand the vials over to the council and help salvage what was left of us. My mates were near, I could sense them fighting to get to me. Inded next to the Phoenixes who were eating what was left of her and witnessed thest of the war. Power hunters continued to try to subdue the Harmony-Fae as they fled the house.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Chapter 162 Chapter 162 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 37 ¨C Some of the braver ones even dared to attack me, but a few of my feathers stopped those thoughts. Once my mother didn¡¯t appear, and realized she was dead, the power hunters were ovee with fear and tried to escape. The Harmony-Fae weren¡¯t about to let that happen. They tore them to shreds with their own magic. My mates were getting closer. I could feel Darius¡¯ magic hovering in the air, the darkness of it called to me to bring back the shadows I had grown to love. I needed them, to see them, touch them, just be with them. As I rounded the side of the house and my heart sk*pped a beat. There they all were. One of the hunters ran away from the Harmony-Fae and tried their luck with attacking Darius from the back. Lycus grabbed him with one hand and with his hands turned to ws, he ripped into the man, shredding or*ans and pulling him apart. Kalen was holding his own, a newfound sense of purpose hovering over him as he nked Tobias. Most of the power hunters were dead, their bodies ripped to shreds, or smoking piles of ash until none were left. If anyone did get out, it wouldn¡¯t be for long. The council would track them down and each would be punished for their crimes. The moment Darius turned and saw me, I leaped into his arms, almost knocking him over. Kalen and Tobias huddled close, and the cracking of bones let me know that Lycus had shifted back as he joined us. Kalen¡¯s voice was cracked, his deep emotions swirling almost out of control. ¡°You never left,¡± he whispered. I peppered his face with kisses. I looked into his eyes. ¡°I made you a promise, Kalen, and you knew I¡¯d never break it.¡± The council had shown up within minutes of the battle ending, surveying the aftermath after we¡¯d taken care of most of the danger. Many of them stared in open-faced shock at the sheer number of Harmony- Faes that existed. ¡°Wait, I need to give them something,¡± I told my mates before digging into my pocket and pulling out the vials that revealed how evil my mother truly was. Darius¡¯ brows furrowed as he studied them. It took him a second, but recognition sparked, and his eyes widened before he stared at me. ¡°You were always the cure! I didn¡¯t destroy it.¡± he gasped. I nodded and handed the vials over. It was finally over, and now I was going to be able to enjoy my mates and raise our children without fear of that unhinged woman ever crossing us again. When we were finished I looked at the old house which was an exact replica of the house I grew up in. A house that should no longer exist. So I waited for them to finish retrieving what the council wanted from there, and when thest elder came out he stopped walking over to us. The man¡¯s energy felt familiar as he drew closer, his facial features were ones I had witnessed before in my mate¡¯s memories, Tobias¡¯s to be exact. The man stopped in front of me before looking at his son. In Tobias¡¯s memories, this man was proud, so angry, and felt so much bigger than he did now. Instead of the fear I felt in Tobias¡¯s memories, I only felt pity for him.¡±You found her,¡± he says, eyeing me curiously. Tobias says nothing, just drapes his arm across my shoulders and tuck me closer. ¡°Are you finished inside?¡± Tobias asks, not even acknowledging his father¡¯s question. His father nods and Tobias starts to tug me away when his father speaks again. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± he calls after his son. Tobias keeps walking and as we step past Darius I see he is ring at the man with so much hatred I knew he wanted to kill him. ¡°You could have been King.¡± Tobias stops. ¡°You are the next heir to the throne in the Vamperic-Kingdom.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care for any throne, father. And neither did Thomas,¡± ¡°Now you have her, you could retake your ce. Be the King you¡¯re supposed to be.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll never learn,¡± Tobias mutters. ¡°Does family really mean nothing to you?¡± Tobiasughs and stops, turning to look at his father. ¡°Family means everything to me, you¡¯re just no longer a part of mine.¡± His father actually has the audacity to appear hurt by what his son said. ¡°You¡¯re my flesh and blood. You¡¯re a f**king Kade,¡± ¡°Wrong! I am a Wraith, so shove your name up your *ss, dad. You had your chance to make up for the past. I don¡¯t need or want your apologizes, and I certainly don¡¯t need your forgiveness for choosing them over you.¡± Tobias snapped at his father. ¡°But you rang me, you called me here!¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re part of the council, not part of my life! Nor will you be part of theirs!¡±. Tobias says, his hand dropping to my stomach. His father blinks at me, his eyes darting to his son¡¯s hand on my stomach. Without another word, Tobias turns me to face the house, and I look up at him, ¡°Are you okay?¡± he nods, kissing my temple.¡° Yeah, I just want to go home,¡± he tells me, and I see Darius grip his shoulder. ¡°Thank you for not killing him,¡± Tobias nods to him. ¡°Don¡¯t tempt me because I want to,¡± Darius mumbles, looking up at the house. I lift my hand, letting a fireball dance on my palm and looking at my house. After a second, I toss it, setting the house aze while Kalen opens up a portal. We watch it burn for a few seconds, and I see my Phoenixes start flying home to Astrid. ¡°Let go home,¡± I whisper, giving the house onest nce before stepping through the portal after Lycus.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Chapter 163 Chapter 163 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 38 ¨C Aleera Two days Later I finished my shower and stepped into the room, more than ready to join my mates. I was blown away by what I was witnessing. I stood inside the door for a few moments, taking it all in. Gradually, I crept into the room, not wanting to disturb them just yet, but just appreciate the sight. My heart raced to the point I thought I was going to fall into cardiac arrest as I stared at them. The loves of my life, three of the four men I wanted to build a life with. The towel wrapped around my body made me feel over-dressed. They hadn¡¯t noticed me yet, too consumed with each other, and who could me them? Victory sex was amazing sex. I had a feeling though that once they did, it would be like being thrown in a den with starving, ravenous wolves. Darius was missing, and I wondered where he¡¯d gotten to. They had started without me. Theyy naked, tangled together on the huge bed. The three of them that were there writhed together in a sweaty heap of passion. There was so much skin on disy, slipping against each other, that I couldn¡¯t tell where one man ended, and the other began. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. But honestly, I didn¡¯t think that they could even tell that, either. Nothing was off limits for them ¨C Kalen had Lycus¡¯s finger pushed inside him. I let out a shaky breath as Kalen¡¯s moan echoed off the walls. My eyes followed their movements, focusing on the way he weed Lycus¡¯ inside him. He cut his own moan off as he wrapped his lips around Tobias¡¯ c**k, while Lycus sucked and nipped at his neck, dragging his tongue and teeth across the skin with such a starving look my cheeks burned. All of my blood had rushed to my cheeks, and other areas, if the throbbing was any indication. I couldn¡¯t wait until I would join their den of lust and passion. The sight of them together reminded me of something I read once about how snakes breed. The way they moved against each other made my insides ache. They were so breathtaking, I couldn¡¯t tear my gaze away from them, even if I wanted to. They were a mess of temptation and raw lust. I was pretty sure that I could easily find pleasure by just watching my mates y with each other. They were experts with every move they did. The way they crooked their fingers and found the spots that made their eyes ze as they were ovee with pleasure, or the way they would suck at each other and the wet slurping sound that came from it all. I had to remind myself that I wasn¡¯t there to stand aside and watch them have all the fun. I was there to join in. As happy as they were to y with each other¡¯s c***ks, to suck and f**k each other in infinite combinations and poses, they craved something that only I could offer. Besides, Darius wasn¡¯t here to steal it off. They needed my magic. Like Darius, they could also draw power from me. My mates could take it from Darius too, but I was like the battery that never ran out of life, which could make it all the more fun. I took a few more steps closer and Tobias looked up, giving me azy smile and reaching his hand out for me. I took his hand, and he pulled me towards him. I let him pull me onto the bed and , into the decadent pleasures that I had just been watching. It felt like the three men moved to the side to let me into the center of their y, surrounding me instantly as they touched my body with their soft touches from strong, warm hands. They turned from kissing each other to focus on me. Kalen captured my lips, and I tasted Tobias on him. Lycus buried his face between my breasts and kissed each of them before sucking on one nipple and then another. Tobias traveled down my body and kissed my thighs, slowly working his way up with soft fluttery kisses until he got to my quivering p*ssy lips. I closed my eyes as the sensations overwhelmed me. Pleasure swirled through me, making me moan into Kalen¡¯s kiss. I arched my back as Tobias¡¯ tongue swept almost teasingly over my wet p*ssy. I was so worked up from just watching them that the smallest touch was almost enough to throw me over the edge. He moved it around my lips in that teasing soft way before he flicked it against my cl*t. My eyes flew open as a surprised gasp was torn from me and Kalen took the opportunity to plunge his tongue into my mouth. Lycus abandoned my nipples and reached over my body, his d***k rubbing into me as he searched for Kalen¡¯s c***k. I stared at Lycus as he bent over and took Kalen¡¯s c***k into his mouth. My heart thundered against my rib cage, captivated. The sight of it made me shudder, and I turned to look at Lycus¡¯ own c**k. It was rock-hard and glistening with someone¡¯s spit and his own sweat. I reached for it, curling my fingers over the soft velvety and stroked it. I gave it a squeeze and relished in the pulse of it beneath my hand. I loved the power they gave me, the ess they provided, and the full freedom over everything I wanted. They didn¡¯t force me to do anything I wasn¡¯t willing to try, but dly went as far as I went. All three men had incredible bodies and even more incredible c***ks. Tobias¡¯ tongue continued top and twist around my p*ssy driving me closer, he licked and sucked on my cl*t, circling his tongue around it every time a gasp or a moan escaped my captured lips. Lycus gave me a side-eyed nce while he deep-th***ted Kalen. Kalen chuckled and pulled away from the kiss, and helped guide me to what I wanted. I shifted position so he was straddling me, and I smiled in between my moans. Tobias had helpfully held himself back, watching as I prepared to take one of his mates into my mouth. I loved the way it tasted. Pre c**m and sweat touched my tongue and filled me with the taste of sex. It made my excitement for what was toe and lust for these men grow ten times in strength. Magic flowed through my veins as Lycus¡¯ bond instantly attached to it,tching on the strongest energy it could find, and drew power from me. Looking up, I saw that Kalen was kneeling just above my head and, while I sucked Lycus¡¯s c***k, Lycus¡¯s lips were wrapped around Kalen¡¯s c***k. I moaned deeply, the sound m*ffled by the c***k in my mouth. I was surrounded by sex and by lust. Between my legs, Tobias thrust his fingers into me. I moaned as he did it, feeling how wet I was for him. I lifted my hips, encouraging his fingers to thrust in deeper. Not only did he shove his fingers deeper into my p*ssy, but he shoved one into my a*s too. I cried out with pleasure as my eyes shot open wide, and I stared up at Lycus. He smiled at me, clearly feeling and enjoying the immense pleasure I had received through the bond. He pulled away from Kalen¡¯s c**k, and Kalen whimpered as the warmth was taken away. Lycus growled at me, ¡°I want to f**k your a*s,¡± Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 39 ¨C I nodded, and everyone changed positions. I was the center of attention at that moment once again. I got onto my knees, sticking my a*s in the air and cing my face down onto the sheets. All three men gathered around my a*s, looking at me and pawing at me. I turned my head back to watch them. Kalen held my a*s cheeks open as they drizzled lube between them. His fingers pressed into my a*s, stretching me out and making me moan. Tobias sucked on Lycus¡¯s c**k a little before covering it in lube and stroking it. While Kalen held open my cheeks, still ying with my a*shole a little, Tobias helped Lycus guide his c**k to my hole. ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Kalen encouraged, reaching down and ying with my t*ts with one hand. ¡°Take his big c**k in that tight little a*s,¡± he said with a moan, ¡°I want to see it stretch you out.¡± Lycus¡¯s c***k pressed to my hole. He pushed forward and I rxed my body as his girth stretched me open. I moaned deeply, rolling my eyes, as everyone watched the way that I stretched out to take his big c**k. ¡°F**k,¡± Tobias grunted, ¡°that¡¯s beautiful.¡± ¡°So beautiful,¡± Kalen added. Lycus thrust back and forth. Each movement of his hips made me shudder and grunt with pleasure. I was so lost in it that I barely noticed Tobias bending over Kalen to the left of me and thrusting his c**k into Kalen¡¯s a*s. I turned toward the mming of flesh against flesh and watched him be pounded, just as I was being., We stared into each other¡¯s eyes. The passion that I felt, that I was sharing with all three of them, was incredible. Kalen¡¯s eyes rolled back as Tobias pounded him harder and harder. Secondster, Tobias cried out with pleasure. He wasing, pumping Kalen¡¯s a*s full of c*m. Once Tobias pulled out of Kalen¡¯s a*s, Kalen turned his attention to my body. He ran his hands under me before slipping his fingers into my p*ssy. Having a c***k in my a*s and fingers in my p*ssy was an incredible sensation that made me shudder powerfully. ¡°Let me f**k your p*ssy,¡± he asked, softly. I nodded, even though I didn¡¯t know how it would be done. I was getting so weak with pleasure that I could hardly think. Kalen knew what to do, though. He lifted me up, without letting Lycus¡¯s c**k slip out of me, and slipped himself under me. Holding me up, he thrust his c**k up and into me. I cried out when he forced it inside. With both my holes full, I was being stretched out impossibly wide. There was nothing more I could take, the pleasure was too much. As they pounded into me, f**king my holes hard and fast; I was dangerously close toing myself. I almost screamed with pleasure, my whole body convulsing as I was trapped between the two men. Still, they pounded into me hard and fast, chasing their own highs. I shuddered and moaned through that powerful or*asm, unable to stop myself from crying out with the pleasure cascading through me. Looking behind me, I noticed Tobias was behind Lycus. I think that he must have been slipping his fingers into Lycus¡¯s a*s because something had changed. Lycus¡¯ hips bucked powerfully, and he started toe. I heard the way that he cried out as I felt his c**k pumping its load deep into my a*s. When Tobias pulled out, it was just me and Kalen left. I looked down at him, feeling him gripping my a*s cheeks as he pounded his c**k up and down into me. The way that he f**ked me was intense, and my p*ssy kept convulsing with aftershocks of my or*asm. I could even feel the c*m drip from my p*ssy and down onto Kalen¡¯s balls. Soon he started to grunt. His c***k twitched in my oversensitive p*ssy, and he came ard. Pumping into me, until eventually finding his own release. When he pulled out of me, I copsed onto the bed. The things that I had seen and felt were still spinning through my mind when the door opened. ¡°What, you couldn¡¯t wait for me to return?¡± Darius scolded us as he kicked the door shut and stalked toward me. I smiled dreamily and the bed dipped as Kalen and Lycus climbed off the bed, heading for the bathroom. Secondster I smile hearing Tobias run the bath and I rolled, intent to go drown in the bath to ease my aching muscles, when Darius¡¯ hand came down on my a*s, I hiss and re at him over my shoulder. Darius smirks, leaning over and gripping my ankles. ¡°But the bath,¡± Darius arm wrapped around my waist, jerking my pliable limbs back to him as I w at the sheets trying to escape him. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, bring your a*s back here,¡± he flips me onto my back leaning over me. ¡°No, I¡¯m sore,¡± I objected with a sheepish smile on my lips. ¡°You will be when I am through with you,¡± Darius purred next to my ear. His hands clutching mine, pressing them into the bed when his lips crashed down on mine. ¡°Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to be in a meeting when you feel your mate¡¯s f***king around?¡± he growled, nipping at my chin, his lips traveling lower to capture my nipple between his teeth. I chuckled, trying to picture it.¡° Probably about as awkward as when your ss walked in on us f**king over Tobias desk,¡± I retorted, remembering a couple, weeks back when Tobias was supposed to be doing practice on the fields covering for Darius, only for the ss to walk in with me bent over a desk. By the sly look on Tobias¡¯ face, I knew that he deliberately decided to bring ss back to the ssroom. ¡°No, I can guarantee mine was more embarrassing,¡± Darius nipped at my jaw. His lips traveled to my other breast. He bit down on my nipple, making me squirm. ¡°How?¡± I breathed out the question and hissed when his teeth graze and nip at the side of my breast. ¡°Because you weren¡¯t in a meeting with your inws. But I was!¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. I snorted, just imagining the look on T*b**s¡¯s parents¡¯ face. ¡° How was your meeting?¡± I ask, squirming when his stubble brushes against my ribs.- ¡°Stop trying to distract me,¡± he growls, undoing his belt and freeing himself, he positions himself, hoisting my leg up around his waist. He groans as he sinks himself into me with a groan. His lips capture mine while my hands tug at his shirt wanting it off, with one hand he tugs it off over his head, tossing it away before his hands tangle in my hair as he jerks my face closer, his lips molding around mine as his tongue tasted every inch. I moan into his mouth, and rock my hips, and he chuckles, pulling away. ¡°I thought you were sore,¡± He mumbles against my lips. I growl at him, locking my legs around him, wanting him to move as my lips travel down his neck. Darius chuckles before he slides out of me slowly before mming back in, making me gasp, he tugs my head back by my hair. ¡°I love you.¡± he purrs, and before I can reply he swallows any words with his lips covering mine. Chapter 165 Chapter 165 Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Chapter 40 ¨C My baby bump had grown sorge in the matter of weeks. It was obvious to most that it was more than one inside there. Yet it was no surprise to me and Kalen, we could tell by the changes in my aura. I was having a boy and a girl. Reluctantly, we found a reliable source within the Harmony-Fae that was an OBGYN before my mother had imprisoned him. ¡°Well, we definitely have more than one.¡± He observed, the cold gel on my belly making me shiver. He rolled the handle down, pressing harder to show everyone the two heartbeats. I was excited for twins. ¡°So definitely twins?¡± Darius. asked to be sure. ¡°More than one?¡± Lycus stared at the screen, his jaw ck. ¡°Are you sure it isn¡¯t one?¡± he demanded. A heavy thud hit the ground, and we looked over to see Lycus passed out on the floor from the news. To be a Were-Fae he was so dramatic. If anyone was going to be doing any passing out around here, it would be me. Hell, I was the one carrying them. Only thing he would have to do was help with diapers and feedings. Though it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if he cked off. He always tried to weasel his way out of helping with the baby phoenixes. The phoenixes had grown up, and we had more than I had before the day we were attacked by power hunters on the training fields. They liked terrorizing some of the new recruits just for the hell of it. Ryze learned to talk more and be able to say everyone¡¯s names clearly. She constantly pestered Tobias and Darius for belly rubs. She was now too big to fit on myp with my growing bump. ¡°Depending on how your pregnancy goes, you should be okay with the delivery, but if anythinges up, don¡¯t hesitate to call me. We owe you a great debt for saving us from our prison.¡± the doctor bowed his head to me. I had moved Astrid¡¯s safe haven. We didn¡¯t need any more intrusions in our lives. We had all lost so much, but gained so much more through our bond. The Harmony-Fae were reintegrated with the rest of the Fae. They¡¯d recovered all the files they¡¯d needed from my mother¡¯s old base. It implicated my parents as the source of both waves of the gue. Well before any of us had been born, a long-standing war between the demons and Seraphim boiled over, killing the entire Seraphim poption with only a handful remaining. My mother, over time, filled my father¡¯s head with the desire to rule and bring down the demon king. Bringing back the Seraphim poption and keeping the ultimate weapon at their control, their own daughter. I was never meant to live as a child in their eyes, only a tool for their agenda. If it weren¡¯t for Darius and Tobias, I would have died in that fire, and the most painful part? My mother wouldn¡¯t have shed one single tear at my loss. It didn¡¯t matter to Lidia who died by the gue she released. All those lives lost, so she could parade around like the queen she clearly wasn¡¯t. My mother¡¯s n was decades in the making, making everyone believe the Harmony ¨C Fae died off, all the while she collected them one by one. There were moles everywhere within the Fae authority, seduced to believe they would be given control. Lidia nned to release a third wave of the gue, which is what she injected Porter with, killing him. Who did she think there would be to rule with the dark Fae gone? No rhyme or reason to make her n make sense. After Porter went on the run for killing his wife, my mother made him a deal, help her find me and kill Xandrius along with Darius. She knew Darius and Tobias were my mates and saw Lycus and Kalen¡¯s names on Darius¡¯ infinity symbol, connecting the dots. Lidia knew they woulde for me, being their keeper, destroying her ns. She convinced my father that it was better that I die than be mated to the son of their enemy. In her mind, it was better to kill me than Xandrius having ess to all the power and the cure that I contained. I wonder now did she ever have one ounce of love in her heart for me? Or my father for that matter. It was so much to process and take in. On a brighter note, Tobias¡¯ parents made the effort to ept Tobias and his choice to be involved with not just me, but our other mates. Ryze came swooping in and perched on the windowsill, she was able to finally say my name properly, ¡°Aleera, outside.¡± Her sharp eyes pleaded for me to go. I pushed up off my seat standing up, while she followed down the stairs. She had gotten too big to sit on my shoulders. I waddled down thestnding, exiting out the door only to be shocked, ¡°Surprise!¡± The recruits and my mates had thrown a surprise baby shower. I never knew demons even celebrated like this. They are usually dark and glum. Well, since most of them helped raise the phoenixes, a lot has changed with them. Still but with a ¡­. demons, of course, but with a lighter side. And to think over a year ago I despised them, wishing they were all dead. Darius came over, helping me to my seat. He cuddled me every chance he got, roping my feet up, kicking Lycus out of the bed for fear he would smush me and my growing belly. I definitely don¡¯t miss the old Darius, this version of him was growing on me. Tobias¡¯ parents were also here to celebrate their grandchildren, our son would be named Thomas, after Tobias¡¯ brother. He had saved me from Lidia, sacrificing himself in the process to keep me safe. I will forever be grateful to him. demons, of course, but with a lighter side. And to think over a year ago I despised them, wishing they were all dead. Darius came over, helping me to my seat. He cuddled me every chance he got, roping my feet up, kicking Lycus out of the bed for fear he would smush me and my growing belly. I definitely don¡¯t miss the old Darius, this version of him was growing on me. Tobias¡¯ parents were also here to celebrate their grandchildren, our son would be named Thomas, after Tobias¡¯ brother. He had saved me from Lidia, sacrificing himself in the process to keep me safe. I will forever be grateful to him. Darius seated next to me and Kalen on the other side smoothed over my bump, making my stomach ripple, and now one of them needed to get me up to use the bath from one of our babies sitting on my dder. ¡°Since you both made one of them stomp on my dder, you both need to help me up to use the bathroom.¡± I scolded. Lycus rushed over, ¡°I¡¯ll do it, you two are always trying to hog her.¡± Lycus lifted me up with no effort, stuck his tongue out at our mates and helped me back inside before I wet my pants. But I had a surprise for our daughter¡¯s name. It was the one name we couldn¡¯t agree on. They wanted to name her after me, I suggest Lycus¡¯s mother name, but he didn¡¯t want his daughter¡¯s name to represent such a horrid memory for him and mine was not an option. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 166 Book 3 Epilogue – 2 Years Later Chapter 166 Book 3 Epilogue ¨C 2 Years Later Read Taming Darkness By Jessica Hall Book 3 Epilogue ¨C 2 Years Later Our family wasplete. Our twins were now over-active one year olds. One boy and one girl and of course were all born with magic, all born Harmony Seraphim elementals. That was going to create challenges for all of us since we were still learning my abilities. Chasing them around was tiring, but I would have it no other way. Their fathers spoiled them all to no end, always making me the bad guy when they refused to go to bed. They would often sneak over through the bathroom and I would wake up with feet and hands in my face and my back. I loved them dearly, but I needed them to sleep in their own rooms for once, straight through the night. Forget sex, it was sleep I desperately needed. Tobias nudged me as I watched them chase the phoenixes around the field, ¡°We should have one more,¡± he suggested. I looked at him like he has grown another head, was he crazy? I could barely keep up with the two we had, much less one or more added to the mix, ¡°No, the two we have are enough. I can¡¯t even use the bathroom in peace without one of theming in to show a toy or tell a story about whose not sharing.¡± Ryze came swooping down, dropping onto Tobias¡¯sp, joined by her own little baby. She will forever be ap Phoenix, wanting belly rubs and scratches from Tobias. Her baby rubbed her beak in Tobias hair and cawed into his ear. ¡°You hear that? That¡¯s why we don¡¯t need¡­.. anymore. The crying, the pooping, the non-existent sleep and let¡¯s not forgot all the sex we don¡¯t have anymore.¡± I snapped. Tobias nodded after I made my points. ¡°Thomas, slow down or you¡¯re going to take your eye out with that stick!¡± I stood up to go and wrangle him in, ¡°I got it, you rx.¡± Tobias chided. Ryze switched ces and dropped on myp with her tummy up for me to rub. Her little one was still perched on Tobias¡¯ shoulder while he walked over to tame our wild son. Molly was still chasing Spark around when she fell, making my heart leap from my chest, Darius portaled onto the field in an instant, ¡°I got her, just a little scratch. She¡¯ll be fine.¡± Darius spoiled her the most. ¡°Aw, is my little girl hurt? Daddy will kiss it and make it better. How about some ice cream to make the ouch go away faster?¡± ¡°Darius, you¡¯re going to spoil her dinner. You know how I fight with her to eat her vegetables!¡± I yell at him. ¡°I will make sure she eats all her food, warden, I mean mommy.¡¯ >> He thinks he is so slick, he is just gonna use his magic to make her vegetables disappear like he always does. I huff to myself. Kalen finally over his fear of the phoenixes, sits down next to me, Ryze flicked out her tongue to lick his cheek. I lean my head on his shoulder, letting out a sigh. Happy?¡± He asked. (( I cuddle up against him as I answer, ¡°Always, as long as I have all of you by my side.¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Kalen kissed the top of my head Thomas came running over, jumping on Kalen with Tobias right behind him, ¡°Ready to go inside, Thomas?¡± Kalen messes his hair, while Thomas nodded his little head, ¡°Yes, daddy. Can I get ice cream too, like Molly?¡± I side-eyed Kalen, already knowing he was going to give in. ¡°Let¡¯s ask mommy to see what she says.¡± Of course, he was going to make me the bad one here. I sighed. ¡± Fine, it¡¯s only fair since Molly is getting some too.¡± Tobias chuckled at me caving in, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you your ice cream before mommy changes her mind.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± Thomas jumps up, reaching for Tobias hand when Lycus rushes past me in wolf form, he drops his head and Thomas squeals as he slides down his father¡¯s neck andnds on his back. My heart leaps as watched his little body get tossed in the air briefly only tond on his back. He grips his fur while squealing when Lycus darts off toward the castle with our son. ¨C Ryze flew off to the aviary Darius had built for the phoenixes following Lycus and Thomas I mber to my feet dusting grass off when I¡¯m scooped up by Kalen, ¡°Now I finally have you all to myself for once,¡± he growls softly, nuzzling my neck and making me giggle. The End The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!