This is work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright© Avery Song, 2020

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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Cover Design by Covers By Juan.

Editing by

Rainlyt Editing

Format: Avery S.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you for purchasing ARRESTED BY MAGIC.

Thank you for giving Avery Song a chance! This was a spur of the moment decision, and I’m so glad I decided to create/write as Avery Song.

Special thanks to my amazing Mom for blessing me with the gift to write and supporting me in all aspects. I pray to continue making you proud as I strive towards success.

Finally, I thank God for giving me the strength to achieve my goals. Without Him, I would be nothing.

AVERY SONG

CONTENTS

BLURB

PSYCHIC PRISON MAP

Prologue: Beginning Of An Orphan Future

1.  Foster Care Woes

2.  Family Of Hope

3.  No Such Thing As Happy Endings

4.  Snowy Streets Of Homelessness

5.  Betraytral To Captivity

6.  The Test For Your Chosen Five

7.  Follow You To The End Of The Earth

8.  Five Supernaturals Of Protection

9.  Prison At The Golden Age Of Twenty

10.  Master Introductions And Distant Hoping

11.  Trouble In Art Class And Royal Savior

12.  Wolf Frenzy Of Miscommunication

13.  Trust Is First For Any Pack

14.  Escaped By Destiny

COMING SOON - BLAZING ACADEMY SEMESTER TWO

COMING SOON - BLAZING ACADEMY SEMESTER THREE

SNEAK PEEK - PSYCHIC PRISON

PSYCHIC PRISON BLURB

PROLOGUE: FAREWELL MEMORY OF PRIDE

LEVEL ONE: SUPERNATURAL INMATE

LEVEL THREE: PSYCHIC PRISON

LEVEL FOUR: CELESTIAL PRISON

SHATTERED PRINCESS

ABOUT AVERY SONG

Also By Avery Song

BLURB

Homeless at the age of twelve. Misfit among my peers at sixteen. Unemployed by eighteen. I have bad luck, but never thought I’d be in handcuffs by the golden age of twenty.

Some would blame the universe for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I know better. So does the Alpha wolf hidden inside me. Our potential is massive, but we can’t get a bloody break in a world full of crime, corruption, and hate…and someone did this to us on purpose.

Misfits like me often fall into traps made by higher shifters, and this is no exception. Five supernatural beings hold the key to my shackles, intent in the belief that my wolf holds the key to something powerful…something lethal.

They may be right.

Imprisonment is inevitable, but behind bars, a new world is waiting for me. One where captivity can be a blessing in disguise, creating the opportunity for my wounded walls to crumble in total submission.

I’m ready for it all. I’ll be a misfit no more. I will rise, and those responsible for my captivity will receive capital punishment at my paws.

PROLOGUE: BEGINNING OF AN ORPHAN FUTURE

“Iwant to be like Daddy, Mommy!” My cheeks puffed out in defiance as I placed my hands on my hips. “Girls can be Alphas, too! You know how I know?”

My poor mother glanced back at me, her hand still wrapped around the wooden spoon that stirred our dinner for the evening. She was making my favorite tomato basil soup, something we had during special occasions.

With Dad coming home in a few short minutes after a four-week expedition, today was surely special and deserved a feast of food.

Tomato basil soup with garlic bread, cheese, and steak!

“How do you know, Ivy?” she inquired with a sweet grin.

“I just know.” I put my hands to the side and shrugged. “It’s an Alpha trait!”

The giggle from my left made me twirl around to see my older sister. Her long purple locks with hints of blue cradled her face, the loose curls making her look like a divine princess.

She wore a simple black dress that reached her knees and black slippers.

“I’m sure it is,” she added before waving the hairbrush in her hand. “However, an Alpha can’t go running around with tangled hair, now.”

“Ah.” I put my hands on my head, noticing how tangled my short strands were after all the playing and running I’d done today.

Even after drenching it with water and changing out of the muddy clothes I’d been left with, my hair still gave me away.

I giggled nervously and skipped over to my sister.

“Sis! Help!”

“Your big sister is here to save your hair from a bad day! Sit right here.”

I followed her command with haste, kicking my feet up and down while my hands gripped the edge of the wooden chair. Personally, combing my hair was my least favorite thing, but with Daddy coming home soon, I didn’t care too much.

Daddy always said that sacrifices were needed in life to reach your higher self.

I still couldn’t figure out what that even meant, but he said if I kept up my appearance, it gave a better appearance to our pack and others.

MoonRise Pack was one of the strongest packs in our parts. Daddy was the Alpha, and he had high hopes that I’d follow in his footsteps.

I always asked why Iva wouldn’t take the role, especially with how beautiful she was. My sister had to be a princess in secret because everything about her screamed royalty.

From the curls in her hair that always remained in the perfect twirls to her pale skin that never tanned like mine. She was sixteen, ten years older than me, yet she had no pimples, didn’t tan in the sun, even when she stayed outside during training days, and she was tall, at 5′8″.

Daddy concluded that she wouldn’t grow much taller, but I didn’t believe him. My sister was growing stronger by the day, and it only motivated me to work harder and harder.

Iva didn’t like the outdoors as much as I did. Her idea of fun was cooking with mother or watching various videos on styling hair and clothes.

She was rather opposite from me. I loved to be outdoors, venturing into the forest with some of the other kids in the pack and training all day long.

According to the pack elder, Anya, our training would help us grow nice and strong, and that was my goal. To be as powerful as Daddy, or even stronger than he was.

Mommy said I had a long way to go, seeing as I was only six, but I had every intention of growing big and strong. That’s why I drank a glass of milk every single day.

“Iva? Has my hair grown longer yet?” I inquired in excitement. My sister giggled and leaned my head back to look down into my grey eyes.

Her gold eyes sparkled in return as she shook her head.

“Not yet, Ivy. Remember about the level of awakenings us Mageri wolf shifters experience?”

I pouted my lips but knew exactly what she was referring to.

“Mageri wolf shifters. One of the most powerful wolves. Blessed with magic abilities from the heart of the Moon and destined for great things. Like other shifter’s like hyenas and cheetahs, a Mageri wolf’s hair is very important. It signifies strength, and the longer it is, the more powerful the person is. Their hair doesn’t grow like the average person. It grows through stages and will determine a wolf’s strength. After the awakening of their wolf, the shifter hair will remain at the length it is until awakened again, which happens either when they meet their mate or when they awaken their potential.” I repeated the explanation I’d been told many, many times, my voice projecting my boredom and disappointment.

“Ivy.” Mother drew my attention to her while my sister continued to work through my tangled locks. “Short hair is just as beautiful as long hair, you know?”

I bobbed my head slowly, appreciating her short locks.

“Does Mommy like her short hair?” I asked.

“I love it very, very much.” She flicked the short strands that were like my mine, only her hair was all blue. Daddy had long, dark purple hair, the two leading to my short combination.

I’d always wondered why my hair was extremely bright in comparison to theirs. It made it hard to play hide and seek, especially at night, because my hair was what the elder called neon colored.

She explained something about my magic reflecting the pigment of my hair, and due to my neon strands, I may potentially be the strongest Mageri wolf in our pack when I grow older.

“Why did you cut yours then, Mommy?” I inquired. In the pictures that hung on the walls of our living room, Mommy used to have long hair like my sister and Daddy. It was when she gave birth to me that she decided to cut it for good.

“Well…” Mother tapped her hand to her chin, her eyes looking up at the ceiling. “Mommy decided she wanted a calmer life and to raise her loving family. So, I put that part of me away to raise you and Iva,” she explained.

“Will it grow back?” I wondered.

“If I want it to,” she assured me. Walking over to us, she crouched down and stroked my cheek. “I’m very happy with my short hair. It reminds me every day that I have two magnificent children and a husband that works extremely hard to take care of our entire pack. I have to do my own part in making sure the two of you grow up healthy, strong, and confident in who you are. Your appearance is only one aspect of strength, my sweet. Your heart and vision of this world will determine just how mighty you can become.”

“And milk!” I raised my hands up to emphasize.

They both giggled as my sister replied, “And milk.”

“You haven’t drunk your cup of milk today, Ivy,” Mommy reminded.

“Oh!” I was ready to slide off the chair and get it from the fridge, but I paused to look up at Sis. “Iva? Are you done?”

“A moment,” she answered and finished off the last bit of my tangled hair. “Go check the mirror really quick!”

“Okay!” I happily replied, while sliding off the chair and skipping over to the standing mirror. I beamed at my reflection, staring into my wide grey eyes. They weren’t like Mom’s, Dad’s, or Iva’s.

I was the only one in the family with grey eyes, but everyone said once my wolf was awakened, they would match the golden-colored orbs of the rest of our pack.

Wolves normally had golden eyes like the bright ball of the sun. Their fur was usually black, white, or in my family’s case, purple. I wondered if my wolf’s fur would be the same as the rest of my family, but who knows when that would happen.

Every wolf awakening was different and unique, some happening super early while others didn’t happen until the age of sixteen. Sister awakened her wolf at the age of twelve, and she was a beautiful lavender purple with a mix of dark plum and white.

In my dreams, my wolf was extraordinary, a word I’d just learned from my daily teachings. Her soft threads of fur mimicked my hair color, the neon blues and purples, with bits of white, like my older sister’s wolf.

Golden eyes always stared back at me when I locked eyes in the peak of my dream, and she’d protectively walk around me, her soft coat of fur brushing against my body.

She’d stand guard on my left side, and blue and purple sparks would surround us. We’d stand there, waiting for something to happen, and four black figures would be heading towards us.

I always woke up after that, but my parents and the elder didn’t deem it as a “premonition,” as they liked to call it.

The elder concluded that due to my heightened intelligence and ability to absorb information with a single read, I must be bringing that knowledge into my dreams.

As a smart six-year-old, I wasn’t one to argue the elder’s reasoning, so I kept my continuous dreams to myself. My sister at least inquired once in awhile about it, and I’d honestly tell her if I did have the same vivid dream.

I admired my sister’s work, then looked at the simple white dress that Mother had sewn just for me. My mom was handy with her hands, creating the majority of our clothes by hand and from various fabrics my sister bought online that were super cheap and sent in bulk.

Seeing as we lived up in the mountains, it was easier to order stuff and have them deliver to us versus heading into the city. I was super excited for this weekend because we’d be going to the city to celebrate my sister’s birthday.

Twirling at the thrilling thought, I was reminded of something and rushed over to the hooks that held our coats and sweaters.

We normally didn’t need to wear heavy clothing unless there was some sort of snowstorm. I ran super hot, which meant I used my sweaters and coat once a year - unless Mommy forced me to go outside with layers. Ugh.

Daddy said once I grew a little older, we’d be able to get somewhere in the city to live. By then, I’d be able to go to a school with other supernaturals and make some friends.

I couldn’t complain. I was friends with the few pack children. Ava and Brian were my best friends, but I didn’t spend a lot of time with them every day since I enjoyed learning more and climbing trees while they took a longer time studying and training with their mentors.

Daddy was my mentor unless he was away. During those times, my sister took his place, which made life far easier and more fun since Daddy was strict at times.

Reaching for my favorite grey beanie, I skipped back to the mirror and slipped it on.

I had what Iva called an obsession with them. When mother bought me and Iva one from the Wolf Beanie Express brand, I got hooked by their soft fabric and the cute little button that had a symbol in a black shadow effect.

It looked like a kitty from my perspective, but it was meant to represent all shifters that walked on four legs. The logo represented their brand, but I liked imagining that it was a wolf-cat mix.

I really wished we could adopt a cat from the shelters in the city, something I’ve been asking for since my fifth birthday, but Mom said I’d have to wait until I was twelve to have a pet.

Bummer.

“There!” I declared with pride and put my hands on my hips like a superhero.

“Ugh.” Iva shook her head, slapping her hand to her forehead. “I spent all that time combing your hair and you put a beanie on it?”

“Obviously.” I glanced back at her with a wide grin. “It keeps it perfect!”

“No it doesn’t,” Iva groaned while Mother laughed.

“You look lovely, Ivy,” Mother praised.

“Thanks, Mommy!” I felt giddy from Mommy’s approval. “Dinner time?”

“Your father isn’t home yet,” Mother reminded.

“Boo.” I skipped over to the door, reaching for the knob. “He’s probably at the door!”

“May-” my sister began, but my body jolted forward; my tiny fingers wrapped around the knob gripped the gold metal tightly, and a scream escaped me as my body went flying.

I closed my eyes shut, feeling as though I was on a swing that soared through the air, but it didn’t stop until something hard slapped into my body before I fell downward.

When I hit the ground, a soft patch of grass cushioned my fall. Whimpers began to escape me as my urge to break down and cry was overcoming the sudden pain in my arms and legs.

“IVY!” My sister’s scream came from afar, but it was hard to get up. Just opening my eyes felt like a difficult task, and as I struggled to pry those very lids open, there was the image of my wolf with neon blue and purple fur.

Her gold eyes stared at me, and she walked closer and closer until her nose seemed to be inches from what should have been mine. Fear spiked through me, not of my wolf friend’s appearance, but because of the screams and loud sounds happening around me.

I need help.

My thought repeated, again and again, the cries for help and the destruction happening all around me urging for my assistance.

I had to help those who were hurt. To make sure Iva and Mom were okay. To find Daddy and make sure he was safe. None of that would happen if I remained stuck to the floor, unable to move.

Please. You have to help me! My mommy, daddy, Iva! They’re in danger.

The wolf before me slowly nodded, and as if I were now knelt down before her, she pressed her forehead against mine, my tears running down my cheeks while I embraced the softness of her furry head and the comforting protectiveness she instilled within my bones.

The pain began to lessen as energy burst through me.

I shot up into a sitting position, my eyes scanning around, only to grow as wide as saucers. No words could explain what my eyes were witnessing. The scent of metal hit my nostrils while my sight blurred with more tears.

My body jolted up and I was racing towards my home, only to stop where the door once was and see the massive wooden structure was now nothing but shambles.

Shock hit me hard, my legs shaking and crumbling like the last bit of wood that fell upon my arrival. The flames that still lingered burned intensely, the heat from their dancing light making me dizzy.

I felt sick to my stomach, while a howl of pain ran through my head. My wolf friend was the culprit of the hollow sound of sadness, making the core of my heart ache with loss.

No. Mommy and Iva have to be here.

I fought to get up, my legs still shaking while my body ached with pain. I pushed it all to the side, my new motive to find those I cherished.

Scrambling around, my eyes caught on purple strands, and I was at the pile of heavy wood in seconds.

“Iva! Iva!” I worked hard to push the logs off my sister’s body, but it felt impossible. Tears stung my eyes once more, and I bit my lip until a nasty taste filled my mouth.

“Iva! Iva. Mommy! Daddy!” I screamed for my parents, but no one responded, leaving me in a frantic mess.

“I..vy.”

I jumped at the soft sound, and I quickly moved around to see my sister’s head peeking out from beneath the pile I was attempting to move.

“Sis!” I scurried to the other side, dropping to my knees to try and do something - anything. My hands were shaking violently, fear as bright as the full moon’s shining appearance in a cloudless sky.

“Don’t…speak so loud,” she ordered. Her voice was hard, barely revealing any bit of her emotion. I could tell from her scrunched expression that she was in pain, but there was nothing I could do to help her.

I was too weak to move the logs.

“Iva. I can’t find Mommy,” I quietly sobbed. “I can’t move the logs off of you.”

“It’s okay, Ivy.” Iva’s whisper made my wolf howl in agony, making me cry even harder. “Shh. I’ll…get out of here. I…just need a few. You need to find Dad. He’s somewhere. I can feel it.”

“O-Okay,” I stuttered. “I’ll go now and come back!”

“Ivy.”

The quietness in her voice made me stop moving, and I returned my gaze to her. “Come closer.”

I did as she requested of me, leaning in as close as I could. Her gold eyes seemed so dull of color; their usual pigmented gold looked like it was covered in dust or dirt.

My eyes were struggling to ignore the pool of red beneath her, but I noticed from the end of my once white dress that was tainted with dark red liquid.

She reached up with her shaky hand and pulled my head down until our foreheads pressed together. She hummed quietly, and it was hard to describe what was going on.

It felt like energy was flowing into me. My forehead grew hot and my wolf friend began to glow. Her golden eyes emitted bits of silver, the soft glow only accenting the pools of water that began to overflow from the depths of her shining orbs.

“Let us protect you. Now and always. The magic of MoonRise will live in you. It will rise, and when the time is right, prove to the world that cloaks our pack with darkness. Mother Moon protect my sister. Protect our little prodigy. Please. With all your shining light.”

THE LAST STREAMS of warmth filled my mind, and the weak voice of my sister echoed through my head.

I love you, Ivy. Your wolf will protect you. Remember who you are, and do not doubt who you’re meant to be. Mommy…loves you. She’s…coming home with me. Be good…for us.

“IVA? I don’t understand what you’re saying in my head. Why are acting like you’re leaving me?”

When there was no response, I opened my eyes, watching as my sister’s hand that pressed against my head fell to the ground.

I pulled back, my lips pressed into a line as I scanned my sister’s open eyes. There I knelt, waiting for her eyes to blink, but they remained open, the last sparks of color draining from her lovely jewels.

Those eyes that shone with love whenever she looked my way.

Those dazzling orbs that showed all different shades of emotion.

Those jewels that twinkled with pride when I did my best with any task she asked of me.

Now, those very eyes stared blankly back at me, not a hint of emotion left as they stared up to the full moon that shone above us.

Her words began to repeat in my head, the loud beating of my heart and the ringing of my ears going stronger and higher in pitch as my reality began to sink in.

My ears picked up on the silence, finally acknowledging that the usual heartbeat that drummed strongly against my sister’s chest was gone.

Absent. Stopped. Silent.

My shaky hands reached out to press against the side of my sister’s face, noticing how cold she now was, like we were out in the midst of winter during a snow storm.

My lips trembled, my eyes pouring with beads of salty water. I remained still as if my patience would suddenly reward me with one last chance.

One more moment with my dear sister, Iva.

The howl that shook through my pounding head was what sealed the deal. It was what made me open my trembling lips, and triggered the high-pitched scream that left my lungs and rattled through my throat to the surface.

The sound echoed around me. The flames that were beginning to shimmer down exploded into the air in rage. The agony hit me hard, and it was then that I understood what my sister was saying.

Iva and Mommy are gone…

The howls in my mind continued, my wolf friend mourning our loss. In didn’t matter how hard I cried or screamed, my loved ones wouldn’t be coming back.

I rose up slowly, my stance unsteady as I fought to breathe. The flames were working to destroy everything around, burning at a far faster rate than before.

Staring down at my sister’s dead body, I debated on what I’d do. Let the flames destroy what was left here, or protect her precious body?

What would even be next? The elder never taught me how to protect myself when my family is dead. I knew the basics of calling 911, but our phone was gone with the rest of the building.

Must find Elder Anya.

My feet moved on their own accord, but I stopped and looked at the flames that were right next to me. As if testing their heat, I reached out with my hand and placed it right into the blaze.

I waited for the scorching pain to consume me, and a tiny bit of me wished it did so I could join Mommy and Iva, but the heat did absolutely nothing to me.

Watching the flames dance around my hand, I pulled back to assess the damage, only to frown in disappointment at the smooth surface that was covered with blood and dirt.

No amount of pain that I previously experienced could compare to the pain thrumming through my heart in this instance - the loss of Iva and Mommy still sinking into me.

Slowly, my head drifted back to Iva’s lifeless body.

“You shall not burn a single thread off her body. You will protect her…and Mommy. No one shall touch them unless they are good. I must find Elder or Daddy. Do as I say. Protect them for me.”

The reason behind my words would never make sense to my young mind, but my words seemed to command the flames to move swiftly to where my sister was.

Instead of burning her like the remaining crushed logs and leaves on the ground, it circled around her spot, keeping it safe while her body remained untouched.

“Thank you.”

That was all I could muster to say as I turned away. My slow footsteps turned into a swift run, and everything blurred until I knew I’d arrived at the main square.

When I came to a stop, my heart dropped.

Bodies. Men and women that I’d say hello to on a regular basis lay on the ground that was littered with blood. Some were still in wolf form, their eyes dull of life, just like my sister’s had been, and their fur cloaked with the same dark red liquid.

I took two shaky steps, my eyes noticing my two best friends.

There were their little bodies, Brian’s hand in Ava’s as they both lay on their backs. Their eyes were lifeless. Ava’s were a pale blue while Brian’s brown ones barely showed their original wood appearance.

Slashes marked their bare arms and legs, and large sticks stuck out of their stomachs and chests.

All I could do was stand there, my eyes glued on my best friends and my thoughts centering on how I never got to say goodbye. There would be no more chances to say how happy they made me when we got to play in the forest or eat good food from the sweet bakery.

They were gone, just like my sister and mommy, and I never had the opportunity to save them.

My pack...

One shaky step after the next, until I registered the next familiar body.

There was Elder Anya, her eyes open like the others while her body was covered in slashes that were still pouring out thick, dark liquid.

I didn’t want to acknowledge what I knew was blood. At least liquid was something that could flow back into something. Surely, if I found help, they could move the liquid back inside and viola; all of them would be alive once again.

Daddy.

There was still a spark of hope as I began to walk once again. He must be here by now, maybe searching for help to heal our pack.

My walk soon turned to a run once more, and I moved to the humming that called out to me. Faster and harder, I pushed towards it, praying to the Moon that my last glimmering hope would bring me to my Daddy.

He was our Alpha. He always knew how to fix everything. I was positive that he’d be able to save our pack. He’d revive Iva and help us find Mommy under the logs.

Everyone relied on Daddy through the good and the bad, including me. He’d help me through this sadness and shield me from danger as he always promised me.

When the urge to stop tugged at my senses, I slowed down until I was at the very entrance of our little town on the mountain.

The dark glimmers of purple caught my attention, the mixture of black and bits of gold tugged at very being. The familiarity and massive size of the creature in front of the broken gates was one I knew with a single glance.

Daddy!

I rushed to the wolf that was laying on his side, and I was relieved that his body was still moving slightly in an up and down motion.

Running around him, I fell to my knees at his head, only to muffle a scream. Three thin, sharp poles of metal were poking out of his stomach, something I hadn’t seen from the angle I’d been standing at previously.

That rising force of hope came crashing down, shattering like glass as devastation rocked through me. I reached for his head, stroking his fur and shaking him a little.

“Daddy?! Daddy! It’s me, Ivy! Please, Daddy. I need you. Mommy is under the house. Iva…Iva is sleeping! Ya, sleeping. Daddy. The pack. Everyone is sleeping. They need you, Daddy. I need you!”

My desperate cries seemed to encourage his eyes to open just slightly. Golden circles stared back at me, but they, too, were already dulling from their vibrancy.

“No.” I shook my head rapidly. “No! Daddy! You can’t go. You can’t leave me, too. I was good like I promised. You promised when you get home, you’d hug me and tell me about your adventures this week! Daddy! We’re supposed to have tomato soup! Mommy…Mommy made us dinner. Iva…Iva was going to…braid your hair…like she always does when you come…back.” My sobs began to cut off my words, and I struggled to breathe.

There’s no way a child like myself could survive without anyone. The mountain was so far up, there would be no way for me to go down and get help.

The intense devastation of the situation fell on me like a wall of collapsing bricks. “Daddy. Please. I can’t…can’t get help. Don’t go. Don’t leave me,” I cried with all my might as I hugged him tightly.

A soft whimper left him, and I hugged him even tighter. He was the last bit of life left and I wished to cling to every bit of him.

“I love you, Daddy. I never…got to say it one more time to Iva and Mommy. To Elder Anya, Ava, Brian, and the rest of our pack. I love all of you. Please tell me you know that, please?!”

I craved to hear Daddy’s deep voice one last time. When he talked it was like a low rumble, and everyone always followed his command.

We trusted in him, and he was so strong, stronger than anyone in our pack. If he was hurt and fading away, none of us had a chance.

I don’t stand a chance out there.

“Please, Daddy. Stay with me. I…can’t survive without you. Please? Pretty please? I’ll do anything. I’ll be good from now on. Please?!”

I begged with all my might, my sobs making my words muffle together as I cried uncontrollably and rocked back and forth with Daddy’s head in my grasp.

His body moved just slightly, his head pressing against the side of mine. A massive howl cut through the air, echoing far and wide.

I knew that sound. It was one that Daddy had done once when he needed the aid of the packs down the mountain. They weren’t as nice as our pack, but when we needed help during weather emergencies, they always arrived to assist us.

Five howls shot back into the air, and I knew that meant help was coming. They would be able to help Daddy and the others. That spark of hope was back.

“Daddy! Just a little longer and the other packs will help us!” I cheered, hoping he’d stay with me until they arrived. They always assist us. They could surely fix this, and everyone would be okay by the morning.

“Daddy, everyone is going to be okay, right? Mommy and Iva will come back, and you’ll get better and we’ll be a happy family again,” I reasoned.

His half-open lids stared back at me, and I watched as they filled with tears. He whimpered again and snuggled right against me.

I wished to get rid of his pain, to exchange mine with his so he wouldn’t cry and so that he could see the spark of hope I was fighting to keep with me.

That spark then vanished. The same warm, flowing course of energy began to consume me, but there was no way of fighting it as a wave of emotions hit me so hard, I choked on my breath.

The heaviness in my heart that I felt before was nothing like this; the weight made it impossible to breathe. All I could do was hug Daddy, wishing for the waves of pain, sadness, and regret to stop.

When I thought I couldn’t bear any more of it, words of wisdom flowed into me while unknown faces flickered through my mind like a cartoon going in fast forward.

My wolf friend whimpered and cried, but it didn’t stop the rush of energy. It only seemed to amplify it, until my wolf friend howled so loud it reflected through me.

The next set of events would cling to me forever. Cracking and pain far greater than anything I’d experienced left me screaming. When it finally ended, I was heaving in agony, my body no longer on my knees, but on all fours.

Everything was too strong. The sound of rushing steps that felt way too far away to help. The emotional high that tried to consume me still thrashed within me, but it was the slowing of that beating heart that forced me to open my eyes.

Everything was far too bright, but I centered in on Daddy once more.

He no longer lay there in his wolf form, and we weren’t in front of the broken gates anymore. The ground was made of soft patches of grass, the sky still dark and emphasizing the massive moon that hovered below us.

The moon had to take up half of the dark sky, looking so close that with one giant leap, we could brush the surface with an open palm.

The grass moved slightly thanks to the passing wind, the cool softness of the breeze aiding in cooling my burning hot body.

Father stood there in his usual attire, his black tight fitted top and black jeans. His long hair was wildly loose like always, which was one of the reasons why Iva always loved braiding it when he returned home after a long week of travels and helping other packs.

His golden eyes looked down at me, and even as they welled with water, tears running down his flushed cheeks, he kept a wide smile on his lips - the smile he gave me when he was proud of what I’d accomplished with and without his presence.

I’d done nothing to make him proud, and yet there he stood in the wonderful field. He began to walk towards me, and I sat back while soft whimpers left me.

I didn’t want to accept what was approaching. The end of the fairy tale that spoke of an amazing father, mother, and sister, and their blessed pack that made my six years of life the best thing I could have asked for.

Mother’s sayings of being grateful before every meal rang through my mind, and here I was, grateful to have experienced all I had until this very moment.

When Father’s large feet stopped before me, I lowered my head and rubbed it against his ankle. My whimpers only grew, the sound like a crying puppy waiting for its master to return home.

Arms wrapped around me, only igniting more heavy sobs that pulsed through my body. This was it. The final hug I’d ever receive from the man who’d raised me.

My loving Alpha. A wise leader. My dear Father.

The soft strokes of his hands were growing colder by the second, and I looked up with my wide eyes, taking in every last bit of my father’s appearance as he continued to smile down at me.

“Ivy. Sweet Ivy. How proud I am of you. Do not be sad, for our time has come. I’m sorry for leaving you. Sorry I couldn’t be strong enough to protect your mother, Iva, and our lovely pack. Do not worry, for we’re going somewhere high in the sky. Mother Moon will guide us now, to a place where there’s no pain or sadness, only joy, and we’ll all watch over you.”

I shook my head roughly, desperate to say something - anything - but words wouldn’t leave my lips.

The only sounds I could make were loud whimpers, and they only grew louder as I prepared for the end.

“You’re all that’s left of MoonRise, Ivy. The other packs will come…but I do not guarantee their loyalty. I fought hard to make amends, to bring unity to our packs, but this was their response. Do not trust them, Ivy.”

His words only made this harder for me, and I was frantic for answers. To understand what all of this meant. Why wouldn’t the other packs help us? My family was fading away. Our pack who did nothing but good for them was all fading! They should help us. Why wouldn’t they?

“When you return to the land of the living, run. Do not wait for them to help. They will not. I’m sorry, sweet Ivy, but you must go to the city. Find a man named Louis. He will help you find a temporary family until you can discover a new place you can call home.”

Louis? A new place to call home? The very image of the man he referred to seemed to flash through my mind, but I’d never met him in my life. My home was here! Why would Daddy suddenly tell me to search elsewhere? Help was coming. Even if we couldn’t trust them, they couldn’t possibly ignore us when we needed them the most.

He pulled back and pressed his head against mine.

“My last remaining daughter. Remember how proud you made me. You are an Alpha. A powerful, brave, unique girl, who will grow into a mighty Mageri wolf. Vixen will protect you. She is the wolf that has come through to help you in this time of sorrow. You are never alone with her within you. She will protect you in my stead. Let the last bit of our family, pack, and heritage of magic flow through you, and may a day come where the Moon awakens the force buried inside your heart. Breathe for me. Live for me. Strive forward for me.”

He pulled away to give me one last stare. His hands let go, and he rose up. I couldn’t take the struggle against my inability to speak any longer. I fought with all my might, the thought rushing out like I was screaming.

I LOVE YOU! You, Mommy, Iva, our pack! I love every single one of you!

His eyes overflowed with tears and he began to move further away as if he were now floating above the grass and strings were pulling us apart.

Daddy! PLEASE! DON’T GO!

His lips trembled as he fought to continue smiling, and his hand reached out to me as if he wished to stroke my head one last time.

My sweet daughter, I love you. Remember that we love you. All of us.”

As if summoning our pack, everyone appeared behind him as he came to a stop. Mommy was on his left, while Iva stood to his right. Elder Anya, Ava, Brian, the rest of our pack that had made tiny impacts on my life stood there.

They all smiled proudly at me, tears streaming down their cheeks. Some of them stood with the side of their hand pressed against their foreheads, while others waved farewell.

“We’re proud of you. Farwell, Ivy Moonrise. May the Moon protect you and Vixen. Keep our legacy going, and may you follow your destined path to happiness. We. Love. You.”

A howl left me, one loud and full of pain as I felt the beginning of this sorrowful finale. The people I’d come to love and cherish began to fade before my eyes.

Bits and pieces of their bodies rose upwards, turning into pink petals that rose up into the sky and fluttered across the massive moon.

My family was last to fade, their smiles still prominent even as they became nothing but rose petals blowing through the air with the passing breeze.

Just like that, I was left in a field of raining petals, the last bit of our connection growing stagnant and leaving me in a hollow mess of abandonment.

My eyes burst open, and I moved back to see my human hands that shook like crazy. I looked up, only to be engulfed with the feeling of defeat - Father’s lifeless wolf body lying there with his wide, dull eyes.

I sensed approaching steps, but instead of feeling relief, I felt afraid.

Frightened to be caught by them. Scared to even be seen.

My body moved on its own, and I rushed into the bushes and hid behind a tree. My wolf friend, Vixen, came closer to what felt like a wall until she was right against it.

My sudden ability to control myself was seeping away, leaving me even more afraid than before.

“Do not fear, Ivy, for I am your friend. I’m here to protect you like Daddy said.”

Her voice was so soft and soothing, similar to Mommy’s and Iva’s when they would comfort me during sad times.

It eased the fear, and I allowed her to take control as we watched five individuals come into view. They stopped right before my father, and I picked up on their words.

“Fuck. We’re too late.” The man’s rough voice was out of breath as he shook his head. I expected them to hurry and look for survivors, but they just stood there.

Then manic laughter hit the air, and I moved my eyes to the culprit while my body remained completely still.

“Finally! Fucking peacekeeper. He thought we’d be fine with a peace movement? What does he think this is? Just because supernaturals are all friendly and shit with the humans, that doesn’t mean we have to get along!” He laughed, and the others turned their attention to him.

“Enough, Malachite. The Moon is watching us. We shouldn’t be mocking his mistakes. He only wanted good.”

“Good?” Malachite chuckled harder. “Look what doing ‘good’ landed him and his pack! All of them, dead! So much for that bullshit. He had all that hope, and don’t get me started with how he was so proud of his little daughter. The girl who’s already showing Alpha signs at six years old. Does he really believe a woman would be given the opportunity to rule as an Alpha? Foolishness! Stupidity at his finest! The wolf shifter world is a MAN’S world! Females are only good for fucking and babies.”

The others frowned, and the man who’d told him to stop shook his head.

“This is disrespectful.”

“No one’s watching!” Malachite huffed. “Shut the fuck up and make sure everything is burned to the ground. Let’s start with this!”

He snapped his fingers, a single flame bursting from the command and hovering above his fingertip. He flicked it forward, and the flame shot out to Daddy’s stomach, his whole body being engulfed by flames in seconds.

My scream was internal, rocking through my body that remained absolutely still.

“Nick. Stay here. We’ll do the digging since you have such a soft spot for this damn pack,” Malachite ordered. He and the other four were gone before the man could reply.

He watched as the flames grew higher, the smoke floating upward and covering the sight of the full moon.

I rose up then, and the man’s golden eyes moved in my direction.

When my eyes locked on his, I expected him to call the others. To come and finish me off like his comrades were surely going to do if any one of my pack members were still fighting for their last breath.

Memories flashed before me as tears ran down my cheeks.

Nick Marigold. The man who my Father saved from dying. The man who my mom helped meet his now wife and aided in the delivery of their only son. The man that also wanted peace but knew the others wouldn’t even consider it.

The man who had a slight hint of hope that I could become like my father. Maybe even stronger.

My eyes didn’t show a speck of sadness. They displayed raging anger that made the flames burn even higher and crackle with defiance.

He stood where he was, and I knew from the look on his face and seriousness in his eyes, that he was about to do the unthinkable.

He was going to let me go.

As if answering my thoughts, I watched his head slowly nod, and his lips mouthed the single word.

“Go.”

I’d never met this man before, but my father, our Alpha, had saved him. He was the reason this man got to experience the joys of having a family, while I watched everything I cherished begin to burn to the ground.

I could have killed him. Killed all of them and gone on a rampage until my heart stopped. But I had to keep to my father’s expectations of me. To be the last of the MoonRise pack and live for them.

To breathe and strive for every single breath I took until it was my time to be called upon by the Moon and return to the land of peace and happiness that my family and pack were now enjoying without me.

I took a step back, followed by another, my eyes never leaving his until I was lost in the dark depths of the forest. When he was out of my sight I turned away, and that cracking pain returned until I was on all fours.

Not wasting a second, my body moved swiftly through the forest that was now second nature to me. I rushed as fast as my legs would take me until I was running through alleyways and dark-covered streets.

When I arrived at a doorstep hidden within an alleyway, my bones cracked in place and there I was, standing naked in front of the door.

I knocked five times in an odd rhythm. It didn’t matter that it didn’t make sense. None of this made sense, but I had to talk to the single man I could trust right now.

The door opened, and wide gold eyes locked on mine.

I had no more energy to cry. To feel. To do anything but say what needed to be said.

“The MoonRise pack is dead…including its Alpha.”

That’s all I could fathom; my fate lay in this man’s next decision. I couldn’t care less about what he did. If he killed me right now or closed the door. My life felt like it was coming to an end, and whatever he said would follow with the crawling darkness that began to creep through my line of vision.

The tall man nodded and gestured for me to come inside.

“You are welcome to stay. I owe your father a favor, but I’m sure you know that you’re on your own once you’ve healed.”

He was laying the rules down now, warning me that he wasn’t someone who would take me under his wing.

I was about to experience the cruel part of this world, but the drive to live and make my family proud continued to pulse through me.

My answer was in the form of a nod, and I took three steps into the man’s home until my world fell into pitch darkness.

Tonight was the beginning of my orphan future.

FOSTER CARE WOES

~SIX YEARS LATER~

“IVY VIXEN! PAY ATTENTION TO ME.”

My bored set of eyes lifted from the sheet of scribbled words; the ten-page form that attempted to explain why my current foster father wanted to return me was written in fine ink.

Such a waste of time on his part, but who was I to interfere with his attempt to make me look like a bad guy?

I’d warned this barbaric woman of a councillor that a wolf shifter would have no place in a family of incubi and succubi, but no. All she cared about was getting paid, not the lives of us misfits, as she liked to call foster kids forced under her temporary care.

Was it my fault that my last name now fell into the U-Z category? Hell no. But the moment I made eye contact with the apparent shark shifter, I wished I’d gone with my true family name and not my new alias.

Ivy Vixen. Twelve-year-old foster kid, who was on the verge of homelessness. Essentially, I had two more chances until this vile woman gave me no choice but to say fuck you to the foster care system and live on the streets to survive.

I was honestly tempted to give up, now that I was sitting in this uncomfortable chair with my left leg crossed over my right, and my fingers around the carton of milk I’d grabbed from the common fridge area before coming into her tiny office.

This was the “plague room” as us misfits loved to refer to it. It was where we had to enjoy being lectured and reminded about how we’re a burden to the system and do nothing but drain the government’s money that could go to feeding children in the heart of starving Africa.

Every time they brought that shit up, I loved to remind them that not every African in that country was starving to the brink of death. Such a stupid assumption that only felt racist when this woman, Bella Andrews, continued to use it as if we should then apologize for our sins.

The ultimate sin of being homeless against our will.

It only made her statement worse, seeing as she was the whitest chick ever. Every stereotype you could possibly grasp from the newspaper, social media, and the common news, she seemed to perfect to a capital T. Not to mention the fact that she was extremely wealthy, and only doing this job from the “goodness of her soul”, as she loved to remind us when she was lecturing us. I really felt she had no right to say jack about any other country and their world problems.

Due to my enjoyment of the outdoors, which was an excellent way to stay out of this hell of a place or the twenty-eight other homes I’d been sent off to in an attempt to find me my forever home, I was pretty tanned.

Adding my neon short locks, tomboy fashion sense, and beanie-wearing appearance, I was far too “hood” looking to be a typical white girl. I was what some called ghetto Hispanic.

Where they saw any bit of Hispanic heritage in me was beyond my level of giving a shit, so I gave up trying to correct them.

Besides, I was the twelve-year-old who couldn’t stay with a family longer than three months before hell broke loose and I was back in this very office with the same forms full of complaints and justification for my swift return to the biggest foster home in the heart of NYC.

The government spent millions of dollars on this place, only for councillors and staff like this woman to enjoy their 200k yearly salaries, eight-week vacation times, lovely drug benefits…the list of perks went on and on.

What did we, the foster children with no place to call home, get?

Thin crumbling walls of the ugliest attempt at pastel yellow I’d ever seen. Beds that creaked with a mere touch and were so hard and filled with bugs and strong odors that the floor was the better and comfier option between the two.

The tiny bathrooms made a skinny gal with a hint of curves like me feel claustrophobic by the time I unbuttoned my jeans. And with a malfunctioning toilet, a cold-water-only shower, and one cubby with your name in masking tape, we were really enjoying the short end of the stick of poverty.

Obviously, on the days when inspections happen, the leaders of this place swirl their magic wands and make the wretched place into a fine piece of royalty.

One of the fosters, who’d recently been taken in by a fae family, said they used glamour to hide the truth of this place, and even if you tried to rat them out with all the evidence you could gather with a standard phone camera, the place was spelled.

That meant if an outsider witnessed the pictures, it would display the royal treatment of their created masterpiece and not the truth behind the pile of lies.

A few had already tried, and they ended up joining the juvenile detention centers for apparently “lying”. That left the remainder of us keeping our mouths shut and sucking it up.

What else could we do? Our entire existence since the life of orphan-hood began led to sucking it up and kissing ass to get a warm meal during the winter months.

That was only the tiny surface of what truly went on underneath. When the lights turned off, the quiet muffles of pain and pleasure echoed through the thin walls, the only lullabies for sleep.

Just before your own set of nightmares creep into your sleep to haunt you until wakefulness.

I wasn’t a victim like the other young children within this facility. I was the last one that still kept that sacred purity. The few that tried learned rather quickly that I wouldn’t allow anyone - man or woman - to take that away from me.

That would be given to someone worthy of it, even if it was to someone who wasn’t my mate.

As long as I approved of it, I’d carry the consequences of those decisions - or the joy they brought when they were deemed precious memories.

In conclusion, no one would take my virginity away from me unless it was my bold decision, and if they didn’t take my vocal disapproval to heart, I forced them to.

Cue in Vix’s dramatic entrance, which usually leads to a pretty fast exit with screams and half eaten limbs.

Vixen, or Vix for short; my Alpha wolf that stood by me through thick and thin. If she made her appearance to the surface, you might as well pull out your rosaries, say a quick prayer, and ask for forgiveness because death was surely coming your way unless we were in a good mood.

The few times we’ve had to get physical, our attackers and offenders had no choice but to remain “quiet” about their bold tactics to take advantage of me.

I mean, what would these forty- to sixty-year-old councillors say in the court of law? Sorry, Your Honor, I wanted to have a little fun with an underage child and she ended up almost ripping my arm off when I refused to accept her words of rejection? Please pity my mauled limb and pay for my expensive medical bill.

The thought always made me grin, and usually after those cases, the very men and women suddenly transferred to another foster home.

Cowards.

Many judged me by my age. They didn’t know the depth of my suffering. How I was forced to grow up like a chopped tree, which has nothing left but to start its growing process from its roots.

The day my pack was murdered was one that still floated around the wolf shifter community.

MoonRise pack. The strongest pack that wanted nothing but peace for our community, slain and their remains burned to a crisp. No survivors.

What hurt the most was acknowledging that I was the hidden survivor of the massive tragedy and was left to mourn alone in the dark shadows of the single room I’d stayed in for a year as I recovered from the ordeal.

Louis kept to his word, keeping me safe within his little home for a full year. He fed me three meals a day, leaving a plate of food and a cup of water by my door at standard hours.

He was the one to create my new identity as Ivy Vixen, creating my new birth certificate, social insurance number, health card, and other important pieces of documentation needed to get by in this society.

With his connections, I was dropped off at this very foster home and I’d been going back and forth ever since.

Louis was one of very little words. He was emotionally absent, and all that did was make mourning the loss of my lovable family and pack harder.

There was no one to hold me tightly and rub my back when I felt like my world was cloaked in darkness. No one to hold my trembling body through the peak of my nightmares and pat my drenched body down when I shook uncontrollably with cold sweats.

I had to morph myself into a hard shell, the fragile part of me now hidden in the depth of my hard exterior.

At twelve, I was a no-nonsense child who could care less about the world’s problems and if we all perished tomorrow.

All I could focus on was living day by day, being grateful for each breath I took, and acknowledging that each inhale and exhale were ones my family and pack weren’t blessed to enjoy any longer.

Six years had gone by, and yet I still remembered every bit of detail from the fateful day.

“Ivy!” The slam of the hand against the desk didn’t even make me flinch. I remained calm and collected as my lazy eyes moved to the culprit of the sudden sound.

“I’m listening.” My response was emotionless, like my blank expression, and I returned to sipping on my straw that was deep within the carton of milk. “Is this going to take long? I’ve got to take my meds unless you wanna deal with me going into a seizure frenzy of pain spasms.”

The woman’s seething expression didn’t brush away her silence that told me I’d made a valid point.

My wounds from that day left me with the occurrence of pain spasms. My aching muscles granted me a medical massage every two weeks, free of charge, and pain medication to fight against the random spasms of my muscles, the mind shattering pain, and it reduced the risk of seizures.

Since the medication had a metallic aftertaste similar to blood, I always drank it with milk. I wasn’t one to complain, seeing as milk continued to be my favorite drink.

The day I could meet someone who loved the dairy liquid as much as I would be an amazing day. That would be a rare occurrence. Maybe even impossible, since I couldn’t go a day without it unless I was unconscious for too long.

Any bits of change I got from the government and the tiny allowance we received in this place went to my milk fund, the rest put away for emergency savings.

I knew I was in the middle of that prime moment of puberty where girls got what they called periods, and I’d have to get pads on my own. The government was still in the talks of making a bill that ensured homeless children and teens would get free sanitary products, but again, it was only talking, and no one wanted to do the walking if it benefited women.

Another thing I’d come to learn about these parts. Being a woman sucked balls. Maybe we were in the midst of some sort of crisis, but being an independent woman in these times seemed more offensive to the male ego than anything else.

I was still more attracted to men than women, cutting out my curious assumption on whether I was suddenly a lesbian or bisexual. There was nothing wrong with it in my books. Wolf shifters are not ones with such religious beliefs. But that aspect of my life had to be dealt with on my journey of self-discovery.

The idea of me being on some journey of figuring myself out seemed saddening. My childhood was robbed, leaving me to be this cold-hearted brat, who couldn’t trust a soul yet.

Six years, and I have no one to rely on. Pathetically sad.

“You have two shots left! Do you want to explain to me why you decided this family wasn’t your cup of fucking tea?!”

Her screaming only made me suck on my straw even louder, the plastic straw curtesy of the restaurant, instead of my own metal, foldable straw.

Got to work on saving Mother Earth. Not like many give a shit.

I arched an eyebrow her, an act of defiance and a little reminder of my councillor’s “small” swearing problem.

You may wonder why I know all the swear words in various languages. That way, if anyone decides to insult me, I can insult them right back before kicking their asses.

“Oh, I don’t know,” I began and glanced at the time. “Maybe if Papa Dearest hadn’t requested for me to strip naked and give him head for the tenth time this week, I would have tried to last longer.”

My blunt reply silenced her, giving me the opportunity to spill the beans.

“Better yet, why don’t you take a lovely moment to think of how it must be for a twelve-year-old wolf shifter to be tossed in a family of incubi with their succubi always out of town, leaving me the only female in the house of a disgusting, sex-addicted father and his two horny sons that can get any girl or woman they want, but desperately try to get me to do their bidding?”

I shrugged and let out a laugh, feeling a little giddy at the memories of their numerous attempts.

“You and I both know I could sit here and write down every attempt made, down to the exact second and season of the moon, but let’s not waste each other’s time.”

I uncrossed my legs, the black leather thrift tights showing the slight glimmer in the material as I switched to putting my right leg on top of my left.

“Obviously, their attempts failed again and again. Why, you might ask? Oh, right. Alpha wolves are hard to control. Did you know Vix hates when people try to steal our control from us? She becomes a vicious force to be messed with and suddenly, the father is left with a lost arm and is now writing pages of utter bullshit to get me in trouble. If he wasn’t making shit up, he would have come here himself and forced you to kick me into the streets with his controlling voodoo shit, and then I’d really be screwed. However, he can’t, seeing as he has to get his arm fixed. He’s only lucky I didn’t eat his remaining arm. If I had, there’s no way he would have got it fixed by those fae healers.”

My whole explanation left her speechless, and I sighed and uncrossed my legs.

“Ms. Xina. I’m not going to waste any more of your time, seeing as I need to take my meds and lie down after a long day of bullshit. Send me over to the next family that thinks I’m worthy of giving a try, but I’m not going to take your advice to change who I am and comply with their commands so I can have my forever home.”

I didn’t bother waiting for her to reply as I headed to the door. I reached for the knob and looked over my shoulder to stare back at the woman’s scowling expression.

“Maybe for once, actually try and find me someone who wants a child, and not individuals who care more about government checks and vacations with their true families. I’m getting tired of being used by the same system that doesn’t give a shit about us.”

That’s all I had to say as I opened the door and headed right out.

I was so done with this place. So ready to suck up my pride and live on the streets. I’d been saving for a while now, and I had enough to last me three meals a day for two years, but that wasn’t the lifestyle I was aiming for.

If I had to take the homeless part, I’d aim to find a job of some sort and work hard for my money. Depending on people only forced you into unlikable situations where you owed another a favor.

That’s exactly what forced Louis to do his part and keep me in his care for a year.

Reaching my tiny sectional bed, I moved to sit down on the floor. Pulling off my mini black backpack I’d also gotten from the thrift store, I stuck my hand into the main compartment, moving around my common essentials, which were my wallet, a few pads, some tic-tacs, and a taser, to reach for the bottle of medication.

A twelve-year-old with a taser. What a pathetic world we live in.

I got the protective device from a woman whom I’d seen three times in my year staying with Louis.

It was my ‘be a brave warrior on the streets’ gift, and it only made me fear what was out there back when I’d turned seven. I’d only used it twice. On one occasion I’d had to use it on some drunk dude while I was waiting for my foster parents at the time to pick me up.

The other time was on the father of my previous foster family before this incubus one. He was a drunk drug addict who apparently wanted to sell me to some rich family.

I may have been struggling to find my ‘forever’ home, but I didn’t have time to be sold to another and made into some sort of slave.

Unscrewing the childproof cap, I took the two-pill dose and reached for my remaining carton of milk to wash it down. With a sigh, I rose up and peered out the window.

The sun was already setting, the transition from fall to winter making the days seem shorter as the sun returned to its nestled spot by five in the evening. It was a pain, in my honest opinion.

Sometimes I felt I had seasonal depression because the winter months always made me cringe and want to sleep all day long. It was the summer months where I strived to be outdoors and enjoy the lovely sun.

Summer was a little safer as the sun didn’t go down until nine at night.

My eyes returned to searching for a certain animal that had caught my attention. Ever since my arrival at this place when I was seven, a dazzling owl would sit in the tree near my sectional bed.

It didn’t matter if I changed to another location or floor, it would find the exact window where the bed was facing and sit on the branch of that tree. On a few occasions, it would linger on the windowsill, and on the rare occasions during the summer where I kept the window open in the late evenings while I was awake, it would let me stroke its soft feathers.

Vix and I always debated on whether it was a he or she, and we concluded it was a he. How we knew that was merely out of instinct, but his constant appearance throughout the seasons always gave me a little hope.

I always wanted a pet, but there was no way that was possible in foster care. This owl didn’t feel like a pet to me. More like a guardian angel watching over me as I grew up in this crazy hellhole of the foster system.

My ruined childhood had led to me growing up far too fast, and my trust in humanity was almost non-existent. I was one-hundred percent confident that I wouldn’t last here for the remaining six years I had left.

By law, we were supposed to remain here until eighteen, but if we surpassed the thirty foster home limit, the facility could kick you out into the life of homelessness.

Regardless, I took it a day at a time in this place, fighting the urges to end it all or be like the many other foster kids in this place’s care.

Most of the shifters here that didn’t get the golden foster family of their liking ended up on the rebellious side of life. They were led down the path of drugs, alcohol, and other illegal shit, and they usually ended up in prison.

I only stuck around the guys here. The girls normally hated my guts due to my hair. They literally deemed me as the bully target for their bitchy games and hate attempts because my hair was naturally neon blue and purple.

Whatever magic juju or amazing shampoo my sister and mom used to put in my hair gave it an endless shine. Even when it was tangled, it appeared as if I’d done it on purpose to give me more of a tomboy look, especially with my usual choice of beanies.

My addiction to the clothing brand had remained. The beanie I’d kept from the incident was all I’d kept from that fateful day. It was a little run down, but I’d recently met a foster sixteen-year-old who was willing to fix it for me, and now it looked brand new.

She was half-fae and had the ability to make torn clothing into brand new pieces. That’s what gave my grey beanie a new life as I continued this journey of foster bullshit.

When I couldn’t find the owl anywhere, I pouted my lips and sighed.

“Guess it’s just me tonight.”

A ding came from my locked drawer, and I immediately reached into my bag to retrieve my purse. In the tiny zipper compartment was the key to my top nightstand drawer, the place where I kept a small first aid kit, a spare bottle of my medication, some cash for emergencies, and the basic cellphone they gave us for, again, emergencies only.

Obviously, no one used it for that purpose. The basic plan of unlimited text and the thirty-minute phone call time was a blessed privilege. It had been a year since they changed the plan; the previous one with the ability to text one hundred messages per month was a joke when most of us were entering our teenage years.

With enough complaints, the government approved the upgrade. The adults around here loved to emphasize how we waste oxygen and taxpayer’s money with our selfish demands, and yet they were always on their phones, using the Wi-Fi that was supposedly for us but alas, very few of us had the password.

I only had it due to perfect timing, my sharp sense of hearing picked up the letter-number combination that was being exchanged by two workers.

It helped during the cold winter days and nights.

Those times were spent reading, using a kindle app to learn everything I could about my supernatural breed, while keeping up with the current news and changes in the supernatural world. On rare occasions, I’d get lost in reading romance to pass the time.

I tried to journal once in a while. During the days I had spare time to do so, I’d write three things I was grateful for. How funny it was to be grateful for the air I breathed, even though I was a loner in a world that was moving far too fast for my own good.

A world that didn’t give a shit about misfits like us.

A world that would rather see us perish at the hands of the system and the adults they assign for our utmost protection.

A world where the rich, famous, and successful will always rise to the top, and anyone else trying to reach that same level of prosperity falls to the bottom.

My heightened intelligence was only helpful in ensuring I didn’t get screwed over. I knew my rights and every line of the rule book within these walls. That secured my spot here, even with all the craziness I’d been through with the jump of foster families.

All the higher authorities in this place knew how smart I was, which was one of my few advantages.

When you know how to defend yourself against the law, no one can simply sweep you under the rug like a dust bunny.

Unlocking the phone, my eyes quickly scanned the text.

BADBOY JOSH:

Ivy, babe. The boys and I are heading down to the convenience store for some shit. Wanna join? We’ll walk ya back ;)

My eyes rolled without me realizing it, as I debated on whether today was one of those days.

Josh and the boys were part of the West Wind pack. Josh’s older brother was the leader, but apparently, he was deep into some drug connection and was currently “hiding” so the feds wouldn’t lock him up.

That left Josh and his boys in foster care, but they were in a different district than mine. Seeing as mine was the biggest in NYC, they were strict and always tried to follow the book when it came to inspection time.

Other foster places? They didn’t give a flying hoot about any of their kids, leaving them to roam the streets whenever they wanted until a family decided to take their chances and adopt one of them.

Compared to my facility, they allowed foster kids to remain in their care until the golden age of twenty-five. Once that happened, you were given a year to create a resume and start looking for a job, but you didn’t have to wait until then to start searching.

When I’d heard about it originally, my plan was to get a job as soon as I reached sixteen. That way, I’d save as much money as I could until I had a year or two’s worth of rent money and savings for food.

It felt pretty sad that I was thinking of my future at such an early age, but I’d sucked it up many years ago, and I simply had to remind myself of that when I envied other children who were better off.

Spoiled brats with the latest phones, attending the richest schools, and who had no respect for anyone. They would probably die living my foster life for twenty-four hours.

Staring at the text message, I bit my lip and quickly texted back.

ME:

Heading down.

With a groan, I looked to my tiny closet, opening it up to reveal the few outfits I had. All my clothes were from thrift shops, everything normally ranging from a dollar to eight dollars. The most expensive thing I’d bought was my black fifteen-dollar jacket that was made for windy spring days and not the wild, cold winters we dealt with.

I still ran extremely hot most days, giving me the advantage of not investing in sweaters and such. I would sleep naked if I wasn’t frightened of what creaked against the beds at night and moaned in the next room.

Shaking off the thought, I quickly got changed into black tights and a t-shirt. My bras were beginning to get tight, but I hadn’t gotten the chance to pass by the thrift store and see if they had a new stock of lingerie.

Those were the first to fly off the shelves, and it was one of the reasons why I was beginning to save. I wanted to be able to invest in a proper one. It was a separate saving section of my wallet. My beanie investment was only dedicated towards the Wolf Beanie Express.

Due to my loyalty, I got fifty percent off during certain times in the year, and one of those was coming up soon enough.

Fixing my hair and slipping on the black beanie with the gold button logo, I walked to the mirror plastered to the back of the door to give myself a firm nod.

“Look like a decent goth kid,” I muttered to myself. Gathering my purse and securing my items, I took a final look at myself, my grey eyes staring back at me.

Every day that went by, I was reminded of how I looked like my mother. That triggered memories of the last moments before my life went to hell and the bright light of my pack was blown out.

No arrest was made, and Louis explained that everyone had basically moved on. My family, friends, and place I called home vanished just like that. All because of selfish individuals who couldn’t see our world being run in peace.

Selfish assholes.

I bit my lip hard, my eyes narrowing as pure hate coursed through my orbs. They began to dance with a rich golden color while they began to emit a tender glow.

“One day. We will rise and get our revenge. For now, we have to count our blessings.”

Vixen Moonrise. My wolf was filled with power and wisdom. She always peeked out to calm me down when I got internally riled up by the past. It was her way of comforting me and reminding me that this wasn’t over.

The MoonRise legacy wouldn’t be forgotten.

It was now a memory that flowed on hushed whispers within the wolf community, but when I grew older, stronger, and wiser, I’d reveal the truth of my identity and seek the vengeance they wholeheartedly deserved.

Until then, I had to take it at a day at a time.

Patience.

I took a deep inhale then let it out slowly and watched my eyes return to their ash-grey beauty. Walking back to collect my things, I headed out and tossed my empty carton in the recycling bin.

Let’s try and enjoy this autumn evening.

“C’MON, Ivy. One puff. You’ll love it!”

I shook my head, giving him a grin as I slipped the thin black straps of my leather backpack over my arms. Securing the backpack, my gaze glanced around the group of teen guys, half of them already high on whatever they were smoking.

The other half were drunk on some new trending drink. I’d tried a mere sip of it, and all it did was leave me with a headache the next day.

Alcohol crossed off the list.

“Sorry, Josh. It’s getting late and we still follow curfew,” I explained. “Plus, I have a meeting in the morning.”

I hadn’t known about the meeting until I got a call from that bitch of a woman about another potential family that was next on the extended list. It always intrigued me how fast this woman worked when it came to finding horrible families, while other foster kids waited months to even get a potential meeting with a family.

Me? Nope. The next day, boom. Here’s your family and be off with you the following day. All the news did was ruin my evening, and though I’d been chilling with Josh and his friends for the last three hours, I wasn’t having as ‘good’ a time as I made out to be.

Let’s be real. Watching people drink and smoke while talking about girls’ asses and breasts wasn’t my highlight of fun.

I always ended up regretting hanging out with these guys, but maybe it was the attention Josh gave me that brought me over to wherever he and his boys were chilling.

He was five years older than me, though, and adding his bad-boy vibes, it was smart to stay away from him. Not like I followed my instincts on that one, but if I was going to be around them, it was always for a few hours.

Never spend a night around them.

Josh was good looking. He could manipulate anyone with his apparent charm. His bright blue eyes, dirty blonde short hair, and tall height were totally benefitting him.

No matter what he wore, he still attracted a lot of girls’ attention, and I’m sure he’d already had sex with multiple girls.

Sex education was one of the first things you learned in the foster home. Why was that such a priority? To protect us from the dangers of the world, blah, blah, blah.

It was all rubbish when the same teacher who taught us was doing half the girls in the closet.

At least safe sex was an important thing in this time and age. Females were allowed to get an implant from the moment you got your period, and I wasn’t going to miss the chance of doing just that.

From what the nurse explained, the birth control implant could remain there as long as I need to and a yearly checkup was done to ensure there was no negative effects happening with it in place.

She’d gone into detail about it, but I’d tuned it right out. I may have known about the basics of sex, but I wasn’t fascinated by the details of our reproduction system.

The sight of blood only reminded me of the nightmares that haunted me in my sleep, but thanks to the implant, mine had been mere spots with one regular day of ‘why am I a girl’ questions.

Josh got up from his seat and walked over to me, hooking an arm over my shoulders. “One puff, babe? Please?”

The way his golden eyes would twinkle only made it harder, especially when he was clearly using that Alpha power of his.

That was one of the things I’d researched from day one, and was probably the reason why I’d gotten out of the sticky situation with that disgusting incubi family of sex lovers.

The stronger an Alpha was, the harder it was to control them. I knew that the reason why Josh liked to keep me close was because my ability to defy his requests intrigued him - and his cock, apparently.

All the girls fell at his feet, their age merely a number in his apparent conquest to find his mate. He must have not researched that mates were blessed by the Moon, and you wouldn’t need to fuck every woman who threw themselves at you to find them.

I wasn’t going to be the smartass to explain that to him, so I merely played along with his games and left him hanging every single time.

“Maybe next time.” I winked at him and slipped out of his hold. Twirling on my feet, I waved to his group of friends.

“I’m going back! See you guys around.”

“Hey, Ivy. It’s late, baby gal,” one of Josh’s friends who seemed to be coherent acknowledged. “Hey, Josh. Didn’t you promise to walk her back?”

“Fuck off,” Josh huffed. “I’m waiting for Jaclyn tonight. We’re going to the hotel down the street. You’re coming, right?”

I obviously knew what that meant, and I wasn’t even bothered by his sudden decision to dump me. This always happened, and I was used to it by now.

“Uh…” He glanced my way, and I shrugged and gave another wave.

“See ya!” Turning around, I started walking towards the crossing lights, catching onto the guy’s response, “Uh, sure. Is it a threesome today?”

“Totally. We don’t have time to walk home brats.”

“You’re the one who invited her, you know. She’s quiet and all reserved.”

“Josh just hates her cause she can defy him. Just goes to show that she’s going to be a badass bitch when she’s older and has Josh all wrapped around her finger.”

“Fuck off! That ain’t happening. I’ll have her pinned to a wall and be able to do whatever I want by then.”

“Keep telling yourself that!”

Their laughter and taunts still echoed behind me as I crossed the street and began the walk home.

It was another reminder that I had to find another group to hang out with, but the hardest part of being a foster kid was making friends.

I had the personality to mingle with others, and I even craved to have a solid group of friends who I could trust and mingle with, but in this world where I couldn’t even trust adults, what would having friends my age do?

Humans were no different from other supernatural adults I couldn’t trust, especially now that they were ranked further down the chain of life. Since supernaturals took over after the human’s financial crisis, they had become pretty hard to be around.

If you had a human friend, they weren’t corrupted “yet” by those who wanted to work towards getting their financial power back. It was intriguing to read the articles every day regarding it and that was why I didn’t bother trying to even mingle with them unless proven otherwise.

As for supernatural kids, they liked to stick with their own kind. Only a few groups of shifters mingled with various supernaturals and respected them. Most of the time when you tried, be prepared to fight.

The walk back to the facility was twenty minutes, nothing too strenuous for me. I could walk miles and miles without breaking a sweat. I hoped to start running more.

It was hard to train in a busy place like this, but I had to hope that my next family would be kind enough to sponsor a gym membership so I could work on my fitness.

Until now, I did what I could from clips of popular workout videos I could stream through my phone and the occasional once-a-month free yoga gathering at the park thirty minutes away from here.

Staring up at the sky above, I noticed the full moon. Taking a second to admire it, I came to a stop and closed my eyes, feeling its comforting glow pool down on me.

With everything that occurred, I still couldn’t forgo my hope in Mother Moon. It was similar to how religious people still stuck to their beliefs even in the pit of tragedy.

Obviously, it was a choice. Not everyone would remain loyal to the higher being they respected, but I was born and raised to offer the good and the bad to Mother Moon, and that’s exactly what I did.

Maybe it was easier to begin the process of healing when you know you’re not completely alone in this world after immense loss.

Opening my eyes and lowering my gaze, I began to walk down the quiet path, only to notice three individuals in a little circle.

Vix, who was in her little corner of my mind, peeked her head up in interest, her level of curiosity as strong as mine. Being nosy was never a good thing, but it didn’t stop us from drifting from the concrete path and heading straight to the three gathered individuals.

“Bro, just kill it already. You’re the one who practically broke its wing.”

“Nah, you kill it.”

“Hey, what if it’s not just an owl?”

“Shut up, coward. You’re always such a scaredy-cat.”

“So what are you three up to?” I butted right into the conversation. The three teens that had to be fifteen to sixteen all jumped back like I was a ghost.

“Fuck! Where’d you come from, brat?!”

“The sidewalk,” I answered coldly, my eyes lowering to what they were crowding around, only for them to grow wide with familiarity.

My owl!

It was peculiar to not see him when the weather was fine and dandy, but the obvious injury to his white and blue wing was the answer to his absence.

I dropped down to assess the wing, noticing his eyes open slightly. It was apparent that he was in pain, and it made my heart clench for him.

My eyes immediately glared at the three individuals, their bodies flinching at my sudden gaze.

“H-Hey! How dare you look at us like that?” the first guy questioned.

“Ya. We didn’t do anything,” the second guy lied.

The third boy remained silent, looking guilty as ever.

“You hurt him!” I practically growled as Vix began to prowl forward. The three boys began to quiver, and before they could take a step back or run, I rose up and put my hands on my hips.

“Give me all the money in your wallets!” I ordered.

The two boys standing on either side of the first guy immediately dug into their pockets to retrieve their wallets, but the tall guy in the middle pointed at me with a shaky hand.

“We don’t need to listen to you! You’re just a kid.”

Instead of fighting back, all I did was grin as I began to slip off my backpack straps.

“Why don’t I demonstrate what a little kid can do after I’ve kicked your fucking balls all the way to China!” I growled as I tossed the bag to the side and punched my fists together.

The wind suddenly picked up, the leaves beginning to transcend upward and spin around me.

“O-Oh shit!” The other two boys quickly tossed their money to my feet before they raced away. “We’re sorry!”

That left the quivering guy by himself, and he quickly cursed and got his wallet out. Tossing a bundle of cash my way, he ran before things could get good.

With a pout of disappointment, I looked at the money and lowered my arms to my sides.

“Hmph. More than enough to get to the vet.”

Returning back to the owl’s side, I knelt down and checked on him. Stroking his little head, I quickly gathered the cash and my bag while the leaves slowly fell back down to the ground.

Scooping the owl up with caution, I tried to recall where an emergency vet could be.

Shouldn’t be far from here.

Looking down at the owl, I grinned with hope and plopped a kiss to his little head.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Owl. I’m going to get you help!”

With a determined nod, I turned away and began to sprint to the vet emergency place.

Don’t die on me, Mr. Owl.

“THERE WE GO,” I whispered in approval, admiring my work at making a little blanket nest for Mr. Owl.

Thankfully, my memory of the emergency vet clinic was spot on, and a kind doctor was able to help me out. She used magic to heal the broken injury that Mr. Owl had and rubbed a pain relief on the area and wrapped it up with a nice blue bandage to secure the area.

Mr. Owl wouldn’t be able to fly for a day or two, but after that, he’d be as good as new. That was a big relief, and the money those guys had tossed was enough to cover the expenses and get an Uber home.

I arrived way past curfew, but luck was on my side tonight since none of the main adults were around. Those who slept in my sector commonly remained out all night long, either doing night club jobs to get quick cash or other activities that normally only happened at night.

That left me feeling a little more secure about taking care of Mr. Owl and not worrying about being caught. No one normally came into my sector, especially since my stuff was always locked, so there were no worries there.

Mr. Owl slept the whole ride home, which left him wide awake and staring back at me in wonder. With a proud grin, I reached out to stroke his furry head.

“So sorry those disrespectful jerks hurt you. That’s not nice at all, but this world is pretty cruel, isn’t it?”

“Hoot!” His reply was unexpected and made my grin widen.

“Are you feeling better?’

“Hoot!” He lifted his other wing, spreading it out and flapping it just slightly.

“That’s good!” I was relieved, my hand resting on my chest as I continued to stare back at him. “Was a little worried.”

“Hoot?” His head tilted to one side and I giggled at his interested expression.

“Well…I know you watch over me from afar, and…well…” I struggled to continue, having not said these words out loud before to any human or creature. “Let’s just say that I don’t like getting close to anything I care about. I’m afraid they’ll disappear.”

Lowering my head, I allowed the words to linger in the air, all while I had a glimpse of the images of my loved ones.

“Anyway.” I quickly pushed it all away, giving Mr. Owl a wide grin. “I’m Ivy! Ivy Vixen. I’m not sure what your name is, but I’m going to call you Mr. Owl. You’re a he, right?”

“Hoot hoot!” he responded, outstretching his good wing again.

“Good. Get comfortable. You’ll stay here until your wing is better, and then you’ll be able to fly again and stay outdoors if you like,” I reasoned.

“Hoot!” he replied.

With a smile, I walked over to my closet and began to unwind for the night. It was already past twelve in the morning, and I decided it would be best to sleep and shower in the morning.

Changing into my pajamas, I turned the light off and crawled into my bed. My phone made a ding sound, but I ignored it.

Whenever common sense struck Josh, he’d text and apologize for not walking me home. I wasn’t in the mood for that tonight.

Taking one last peek at Mr. Owl, I watched his blue eyes begin to shift to an intriguing gold and then orange. The three colors danced in various combinations, but my eyes were already beginning to close as the darkness crept through my vision.

“Night…Mr. Owl,” I whispered, dozing off into a peaceful sleep.

Tonight, I wouldn’t dwell on my foster care woes.

FAMILY OF HOPE

“Mrs. Andrews. I’m so happy we can finally meet face-to-face.” The sweet African-American woman reached out to shake Mrs. Andrew’s hand.

She was beaming from ear to ear, her common expression of choice with every family meeting she had with anyone.

It was all fake, of course, but she’d perfected it to the point it was believable to those who didn’t see this woman’s switch in personalities on a daily basis.

I sat in the top corner chair of the office room, analyzing the two women sitting opposite of Mrs. Andrew’s desk.

Fosters always had to sit in the top corner, either on the left or right. It provided a safe distance between us and the new potential family, apparently helping give perspective on both sides.

Essentially some psychology bullshit, but I always fell asleep when trying to read more about it.

I was quietly observing the older woman, who was clearly the mother of the two. It wasn’t like she appeared super old, but she had to be in her early forties.

She could have been older, but I found with darker-skinned individuals, they aged like gods. From the file I’d quickly scanned earlier, this family was completely human, which was why I could safely estimate her age.

Supernaturals aged so slowly, you could be looking at a child who was actually one hundred years old.

I’d actually met someone like that who came to speak at the foster home about the importance of respect in the supernatural community.

This woman was Ms. Jones, a police officer in the force for twenty years. She had to have joined pretty early in her youth years. She was aiming to adopt because she was a single mother, her husband having died in the line of duty.

She had one daughter, the girl to her right, named Nina. She was twelve like me, so her mother was aiming to adopt another twelve-year-old. Maybe luck was on my side this time, but I wouldn’t fall for it so easily.

Thanksgiving was this weekend, and I doubt I’d be a part of the family table during the turkey festivities of saying grace and eating loads of food.

My previous Thanksgivings were a mix of horror stories and takeout food while the families enjoyed the dinner with who they rated as their true loved ones.

All the holiday did, like every other one, was merely remind me of my loss and how I was alone in this world.

Tuning back into the conversation, I arched an eyebrow at Ms. Jones. Her hand was wrapped around the usual black and gold pen Mrs. Andrews only used when it came to signing adoptee documents.

No way. She isn’t actually thinking of taking me in.

The idea of being in a diverse family was immediately making me worry. Not because I wasn’t grateful, but I felt bad for them. Wouldn’t people question it? The tanned white girl with a mixed sister and a black mother?

I shouldn’t have to think this way, but that was what graced the surface of my anxious worries. Biting my lip to hold back any unnecessary commentary, I looked over to Nina.

She was all smiles. Her long, curly hair had lots of body in it, giving a poof appearance. She had brown eyes, a pointed nose, large peachy lips, and was slim but curvy in her hips and thighs.

From when she’d first walked into the room, I knew she was the same height as me, and her nice tight jeans and t-shirt with the Wolf Beanie Express symbol immediately made me like her.

The company obviously made more than just beanies, but to see her interest in the brand told me she wouldn’t mind my vast beanie collection.

As long as she didn’t touch it…

She noticed my stare, her eyes meeting mine. Her smile widened brightly at my attention, her eyes twinkling with anticipation.

How could she be so excited to have a sister like me? Was the idea of having a sister like me something to be happy about?

My previous families all had long, frowning expressions and angry glares, and they couldn’t wait to sign the papers so they could shove me into their car and straight to the bank to claim the start of the monthly government checks.

In this case, Ms. Jones was smiling, laughing, talking about how pumped she was for this new chapter of her life. She’d been waiting for a call back for two years, and to now get the opportunity was a blessing from the heavens.

My supernatural status didn’t bother her in the slightest, especially since I’d never been disobedient or shifted in front of them. No record of any fights, my file pretty much proved that I was a good girl in all those regards.

Why I’d been rejected from twenty-eight other families was all on them and not me, all the reasons for my returns being laid out.

It brightened me that even with my past rejections, this woman would still consider me a blessed option, but until I saw her behavior without Mrs. Andrews around, I would wait to paint an image of her personality.

“Just one more signature, right…there.” Mrs. Andrews pointed to the final dotted line, and Ms. Jones didn’t even hesitate as the pen swirled in the art of her signature, sealing the deal.

“Excellent! Let me get these all photocopied and you’ll be able to get home before the crazy traffic. You know how it gets on Thanksgiving weekend. Madness, I say.” Mrs. Andrew was all smiles, obviously happy to get my ass out of here.

She turned to me, her fake smile only growing.

“Ivy. You can go start packing your belongings,” she encouraged.

“Okay.” I kept my response short as I got right up and headed to the door. It was always the same routine anyways, and I kept my expression blank even though my heart was racing at yet another chance at this whole family business.

“Nina? Why don’t you go help Ivy?” Ms. Jones offered.

“Sure!” Nina’s voice was slightly high-pitched, but it wasn’t an annoying type of tone. She walked over to me, her smile still as radiant as ever. My eyes analyzed her carefully, but I shrugged.

“Thanks.”

We headed out the door and walked in silence until we reached my sectioned room. My first priority was checking on Mr. Owl, and I did just that. He had his eyes closed, still asleep a good portion of the day.

I stroked his head just slightly with my finger, and one of his eyes slightly opened to acknowledge me.

“Hey, Mr. Owl. Looks like we’re moving,” I whispered to him.

He closed his eye once more, clearly not in the mood for talking while his feathers fluttered up just a bit, making him almost double in size.

“Is that an actual owl?”

I glanced back at Nina’s astonished expression. “He’s gorgeous!”

“Ya,” I agreed. “Some guys broke his wing yesterday. I had to take him to the emergency vet and get him fixed up. He’s better, but he needs lots of rest. He likes to linger in the trees here and watch over me, but I don’t know what I’m going to do now that I’m leaving.”

“Why? He’s coming with us, isn’t he?”

Her confusion about the current problem made me frown.

“He can’t come with us.”

“Why not?” Nina shrugged. “Who said he can’t come? It’s not like he’s owned by the facility, right?”

“Right…but we don’t get to have pets,” I reasoned.

“Says who?”

“All my other adoptee families,” I answered truthfully. “Twenty-eight, if you need a reference.”

“Well,” she began, walking closer until she was in front of Mr. Owl. He poked open an eye again, staring at Nina for five solid seconds before he closed his eye once more, again not bothered by our closeness.

“He’s cute, quiet, and we have a big home. We live out in the country parts, so it shouldn’t be a problem. We used to own a farm when Dad was still alive, but sold it and moved to a different area. An owl shouldn’t be hard to raise. I’m good with animals, if that helps!”

“What…about your mom?”

“Our mom,” she corrected and giggled. “Mother loves animals. I mean, obsessed to the core. It was her dream to have a farm, but you know it’s pretty hard when you’re black. They won’t look your way, even if you have a good reputation, money, all that jazz. My father, however, was white, and they approved him in an hour. Racism sucks but it’s a lot better nowadays. That’s what mom says.”

“You’re really intelligent,” I noted. “Not a lot of kids my age like talking about political problems and experiences.”

“Oh, I know.” She patted her chest. “Trust me. When you have to grow up being a mixed minority AND a human, life hits you hard. Mom is really high in the police force, but due to the shift with humans falling down in the rank of importance, she had to study really hard about the new laws for supernaturals. That inspired me to learn about it super early on, and that’s why my IQ is rather high.”

“Do you believe you’re weak because you’re a human?” I inquired.

“Not at all.” She shook her head. “You’re only weak if you allow yourself to think such. Sure, we have weaknesses, but they can’t destroy you unless you let them. Did you know humans can fight against supernaturals in different ways? Certain venom from snake shifters doesn’t affect humans unless they fear it. The heightened fright of dying escalates your heart, making it harder to breathe, and the shift in your body’s emotions is what rushes the venom to your heart. However, if you were completely calm and went on with your day, the venom slows in its transition and by the time it reaches your heart, it dissolves! It’s literally only a few seconds difference in real-time, and yet that determines if one lives or dies.”

I stared at her, completely blown away by her explanation.

“My bad, I sometimes get away with my thoughts and suddenly my victims are dealing with information overload.” She outstretched her hand. “Nina Jones. Just your average human ready to take over the supernatural world.”

My smirk was pure as I lifted my hand and grasped her welcoming one.

“Ivy Vixen. Wolf shifter foster gal. My goal is to kinda just get by a day at a time.”

“You don’t have a career goal?”

“Huh?” I stared at her. “Not really. I can’t plan my future when I’m not sure about what I’ll eat every day.”

Nina shook her head and squeezed my hand even tighter. “We won’t be having any of that attitude in the Jones house, Ivy. You’re a smart, beautiful, talented wolf shifter! You gotta dream BIG!”

She let go of my hand to put her hands in the air.

“See that?” she asked as she looked at the ceiling. “In this advanced world of supernaturals and magic, the sky is the limit. Nothing can hold you down unless you let it. We ain’t dealing with any negativity now that you’re in our family, but don’t worry. I’ll help change all of that!”

She lowered her hands and looked around the room.

“Now, let’s get packing! Do you have a suitcase?”

“Only a garbage bag,” I admitted.

“So glad I brought my pink one! It’s in the car. Let me go get the keys from Mom and we can go get it. My favorite colors are pink and blue, by the way, so when you get to the house, our room is the one with a pink window with star stickers on the glass.”

She headed to the door and glanced back with a wide grin.

“We’re going to paint your room tomorrow during Thanksgiving, so you only have to bunk with me tonight. Then we’ll go shopping on Monday to get you some clothes, shoes, any necessities, the works. Mom took a few days off from work when she got the call, so she’ll help you get all nestled in. Obviously, you have me as well. I’m so happy! Finally, I have a sister who gets me!”

She flicked her bouncy hair that barely moved from the gesture and turned away. “Be back in two minutes!”

When she left, I stood there in complete silence. I’d surely just wasted a minute in a stunned state, slowly taking in everything that had just happened.

Returning my attention to Mr. Owl, I saw that both his eyes were open as he stared at me. I couldn’t help but brush his head with my hand, the softness of his feathers and wisdom-filled eyes distracting me from the multiple emotions that flowed through me.

“We…may actually have a place to call home, Mr. Owl,” I whispered, choking on tears as my eyes watered.

“Hoot.” He brushed his head against my hand, and I moved to give him a little hug.

Mom. Dad. Iva. My beloved pack. I think I found a forever home.

NO SUCH THING AS HAPPY ENDINGS

~SEVEN MONTHS LATER~

“MOM IS GOING TO KILL YOU,” I practically sang while I slipped my hands into my pockets. “Are you enjoying your rebellious stage?”

“Ugh, hush,” Nina muttered, lifting the suspension letter in her hand to examine the words, yet again. “How can I remake this letter so Mom doesn’t beat my ass?”

“Not sure about remaking it, but I could always tell Ryo to rip it to pieces. That way we can both shrug and say Ryo tried to eat your homework.”

“Hoot!”

I giggled maliciously while turning my attention to Ryo, who sat on my left shoulder. He outstretched his feathers, keeping his usual ‘not bothered’ expression before he nestled against my face.

Since that fateful day, I’d been with the Jones’s for seven months now.

After packing my few thrift-store things in Nina’s pink luggage, I’d scooped up Mr. Owl and entered an expensive car called a Maserati before arriving at a massive home in what Nina called the countryside of NYC.

Little did I know that Nina’s family was loaded. Their home wasn’t the standard home with broken or faded plank woods or cracked windows.

Their home was three floors, the exterior all white with splashes of color around it which made it a little obvious where Nina’s rooms were. They had two maids, a gardener…basically a full set of people to ensure the house was kept clean when Ms. Jones wasn’t home and on cases.

When I’d revealed Mr. Owl, I expected her to nurse him back to health and let him go. Instead, she said if I truly cared about him, I could keep him. She didn’t think he was a shifter, but a potential familiar.

That was one of the many acts of kindness she’d shown me that day. From the amazing greeting I’d received to the tour of the home and my current massive room. It was like three sectioned rooms in one, and it even included my own large bathroom with a jacuzzi tub and a toilet that shot water at your butt to clean it if you decided toilet paper wasn’t the way to go that day.

Flat-screen TVs were standard in all the rooms, with a whole gaming room with the latest dance, fitness, RPG, and two-player games.

Meals were cooked by the specialized cook that did a variation of carnivore and vegan meals. Nina was all vegan like her mom, but they ensured me that they’d have steak and other meat options for me and Vix.

Nina had tutoring every week, and my arrival granted me the privilege of getting taught as well. Our school was one of those private ones, and since Ms. Jones was paying out of pocket, I was able to attend the following week, full uniform and all.

The school even allowed familiars to accompany their owners, so Mr. Owl was able to attend every class I’d been to.

The name, Ryo, came from my dreams. Since my first night sleeping in a queen-size bed, the name echoed through my mind in a soft, deep voice. The male always spoke when hints of nightmares tried to cut through my peaceful slumber, and I’d come to determine that it had to be Mr. Owl protecting me even in my dreams.

That’s when I started to call him Ryo, and he’d humbly approved by fluttering his wings and flying over my head for five minutes straight while hooting in approval.

The last seven months had landed me in a point of happiness. I got to wear the latest clothes, had the highest tech phone, and got to attend some concerts with friends and their parents. Also, getting to attend a high-class private school meant going to various musicals, events, art gallery tours, and sporting events.

Sports were my strong suit. My endurance alone landed me in the top spot in all the sporting teams. The usual limit was two, but because I was good at every sport, all the captains demanded I join and begged the principal to help change the days of training to fit the five-week schedule.

We’d already won multiple tournaments, and I was the new girl taking all the sporting medals.

Nina was talented in all the intellectual competitions. Chess, Math, English, and more. She was the top student in the entire league, which made our family the talk of the school.

Nina was totally right about the racism in these parts, everyone making it clear that there was no way we were sisters.

Every time someone mentioned it, I’d roll my eyes and say, “No shit.” It was as if they didn’t notice the significant difference between wolf shifter and human seeing as I didn’t have ears sticking out of my head or a tail out of my ass.

You’d think twelve-year-olds wouldn’t be as savage, mean, or such complete assholes, but I was coming to realize they were no different from the foster home kids.

You either had to know your rights, be popular, or be one of the richer students to enjoy an “easier” year at school. I couldn’t complain about it, seeing as this new life was far better than my foster home days.

I’m sure Mrs. Andrews was singing hymns every day that I didn’t come back. Not a single complaint of my behavior or anything. It was the first time I actually felt like I belonged, and I was finally working on referring to Ms. Jones as Mother.

It was the hardest transition for me, but from everything she and Nina had done for me, it was about time I acknowledged their acceptance in my heart. I was grateful for every meal, piece of clothing, and moment in their company, and it was thanks to them that I had savings in my account.

When I first shared what I’d saved since being in foster care, Ms. Jones taught me all about investments. We started small, and now I had more than enough to last me a year or two of the standard rent a month.

I saved every bit of money, not out of habit, but because I still didn’t trust that my current reality would remain the way it was. Always in the pit of my mind I would think of waking up one day and having all of this taken away from me.

I couldn’t get too comfortable, but apparently that was a usual reaction when you’ve been in foster care for so long.

Life was honestly the best it could be, but Nina was acting weird lately. She wasn’t the type to get into trouble, fights, or bend the rules, but as of late, she’d been doing the craziest things. Today the principal had called upon ten students who’d gone into the teacher’s grade book and changed their grades.

It made no sense to me, especially when we were twelve-year-olds, so grades didn’t seem to matter. If we were trying to get into a college or university it would make sense, but with how strict this private school was, maybe grades were a bigger deal than I realized.

The shocking part was finding out that Nina not only looked out for any adults but also changed her mark. She’d gotten a score of 98 and had changed it to a perfect score.

The end result? All ten of them were suspended for the rest of the week and would have to write a letter of apology to the teacher and principal, and explain why changing your marks could land you in prison.

I was pretty sure Nina would not only write a report that could probably win some sort of writing competition, she’d go into detail about the other injustices in the world and how changing a grade wouldn’t land her in a jail cell.

She already told me her whole plan.

“You know Mom is going to ask you why you did what you did. Especially because she asked you last week if everything was okay with school,” I reminded. Ms. Jones has super senses for a human.

It could have been heightened intuition, but whenever she had a weird feeling about something, it usually was right on.

Last week she had asked Nina if everything was okay at school, and it was specifically to Nina. I’d assumed because of what was going on with Nina’s rebellion as of late, she was just checking in, but Nina brushed it off and said everything was fine and swell.

She’s going to be so pissed to find out that wasn’t true.

“Ugh, I still have a plan. It means fewer booty slaps and if I’m really apologetic, I’ll avoid her ultimate weapon.”

“What’s that?” I inquired.

“Fresh ginger in your butt!”

“Huh?” I actually stopped in my tracks at the reveal. “What do you mean ginger and it’s going into your butt? Isn’t that…I don’t know…illegal?”

“Ugh. You don’t know the cultural ways of punishment in an African family. Apparently, back home if you were a bad child, they would grind ginger and gather it all up and BAM!” She paused to turn around and slap her butt. “Into your butt! It’s like your butt is actually on fire and then, they force you to sit down and squeeze your butt cheeks together for an hour! Sometimes longer. And then when they think you’ve suffered enough, you can go poop it out.”

I stared at her with my mouth open, trying to even imagine that type of punishment.

“Hoot.” Ryo pressed his body against my face, his feathers fuzzing up as he tried to hide within himself.

“That should be illegal.”

“Hah. Even if it was, would the police come to your home on time to find the evidence of ginger coming out of your butt? Imagine calling the emergency services and saying you’ve witnessed a horrendous crime. Then explaining putting ginger in your butt!”

“This conversation is already making me want to be a saint,” I concluded.

Nina laughed. “You never got beat before?”

“No.” I shook my head. “Wolf shifters don’t necessarily punish their children with their hands. They’ll just shift into their wolf form and chase you until you’re on the verge of dying.”

It was Nina’s turn to stare at me with stunned eyes.

“You…at least get a head start…right?”

“I guess, since it takes them a few seconds to shift. Hiding is rather stupid cause they can smell you, so you just have to pray to the Moon in that very moment that you’ll be possessed by an Olympic runner and have enough endurance to last a few hours. Mind you, you have to stay in your human form, but if your Alpha is giving you a punishment, you’re basically screwed.”

“Why?”

“There’s normally one main Alpha in a pack. That Alpha is connected to every single wolf. They can feel your emotions, the good and the bad, and they can command you to do anything. He wouldn’t need to shift and chase you. All he’ll do is command you to stay in your very position, or sometimes he makes you kneel down on a rock and you stay there all night long. I watched him do that a few times to the teenagers that would cause trouble.”

“Kneel on a rock all night? What about, like…creatures and stuff?”

“Hmm.” I thought about it. “Well, you kind of have to just pray to the Moon to protect you. My dad once told me one of the really rebellious teenagers was so bad, Dad told him to kneel on a rock in the middle of the forest. He wouldn’t be released from my father’s hold and allowed to come home unless he promised to never be bad again. The guy was really cocky and said he’d never submit, but the forest isn’t as well guarded compared to our pack home. We lived on the top of the mountain, so the trees outside of those boundaries were free for the wild to roam. Basically, a bear and his family were in the area, and the guy still wasn’t afraid. By the morning, all that was left of him was his shredded t-shirt.”

“That sounds like a horror story,” Nina stressed.

“It does, doesn’t it!” I smiled. “My dad would tell it to us so we’d be good and not have to experience what the guy had. There’s a bad thing about being Alpha in those situations.”

“What’s the bad thing about it in this case?”

“Dad had to experience every bit of pain the teen went through. Apparently, you can disconnect the bond if you’re the Alpha, but it’s painful for both individuals and would be double the punishment when the teen was about to face death. A member of the pack can also pull out of the bond, but it’s still painful for both of them. Far worse than being attacked by bears. So, Dad experienced it all. He’d tell the pack about it, and why it’s best to be good.”

“Hmm.” Nina turned around and stretched her arms out. “Man. I’m pretty blessed, then, with ginger up my ass.”

“That still sounds painful as hell,” I noted.

“Agreed,” she replied but stayed quiet.

“What’s wrong, Nina?”

“They never found the people who killed your pack?”

The question was a little random, but I locked down my emotions when she looked back at me. With a shrug, I mumbled, “Nope. It wasn’t even made into a case, so…”

Nina frowned and turned around to face me.

“Can you keep a secret?”

“Sure,” I replied.

“Seriously, Ivy.” She looked me dead in the eye. “You can’t tell Mom I told you.”

“Okay.” I frowned at her words but nodded. “I promise not to tell Mom.”

Nina nodded once, and she whispered, “Mom’s been looking into your pack’s murder.”

That wasn’t what I was expecting, and my eyes widened with shock while I struggled to say anything. Nina looked nervously around, reaching out for my hand and tugging me forward until we were sitting in one of the empty bus stations.

“Mom didn’t want to tell you unless they found a lead. She started looking into it a little after we adopted you. She was upset when you’d have nightmares and stuff and that nothing was done about what happened. No funeral or public acknowledgment of what happened. We’re in a world where supernaturals get funerals, too. Why didn’t your whole pack and family get a funeral or even recognition? It pissed Mom off, and she decided she was going to figure it out.”

She was quiet for a long moment.

“See, my dad. He wasn’t human. He was actually a wolf shifter.”

That was new knowledge to me, and my eyes must have given away my thoughts because she followed with, “I’m apparently only human. I didn’t take my dad’s genes. My mom was supposed to have another child with my dad, but she lost it when he was killed.”

Another new reveal, but I tried not to think too much about it until I had some alone time. Ryo kept close to my body, his feathers brushing my cheek from time to time as we continued to listen to Nina’s revelation.

“My mom had a similar experience with my dad’s pack. She went and tried to inform them of his loss, but his whole pack was gone. It was like they had all been slain that very day and he was the last of their community, only to be killed as well. My dad’s falling was no accident. He didn’t die from the case he was on. Even I know that, and I’m going to be thirteen soon. Mom gave up trying to find more about it, but I guess seeing you suffer nightmares at night made her want to discover more.”

“She won’t be able to find anything,” I muttered. “The people who did it…they’re fellow wolf shifters. My dad…my family trusted them. That same trust led to their deaths.”

I’d never told anyone about my experience. Not about how I saw my sister die, nor how my father perished in the flames, nor how I couldn’t even see my mother’s body.

This was the first time of me mentioning the other wolf shifters.

“Mom knows,” Nina whispered, and I looked up to meet her serious eyes. “Mom discovered which pack it was.”

“What?” I was trembling in seconds before I rose up. “Nina. You have to tell Mom to stop.”

“Why?” Nina rose up in confusion. “She can find your pack’s killer and bring them in!”

“At the risk of you and her! I…can’t afford to lose anyone else I love. Wolf shifters are dangerous! They’ll try to kill you or maybe even kidnap you and try to use you for ransom. Please. You have to tell Mom to stop. I don’t want any of you getting hurt. Even if it means I have to let those guys go.”

“Mom already submitted the file, Ivy.”

“W-What?” My heart was beating fast and I sat back on the bench. It was as though my legs had suddenly lost their strength. “Oh no. What if Mom gets hurt?”

Nina shook her head. “Mom’s best friends with the Chief of the Department of Criminal Affairs. He takes crimes like yours and my dad’s very seriously. He’s doing a private investigation on it with some Secret Ops. No one should find out until those who did this to you are caught and in supernatural jail.”

“Aren’t you in the least worried?”

“Nope.” Nina smirked. “It’s about time we got justice, especially you.”

She got up and moved to hug me from my right side. “We love you, Ivy, and you deserve justice like anyone else. Now don’t tell Mom or I’m literally going to get ginger in my ass. Maybe even my eyes. I don’t want to go blind, thanks.”

I shivered at the thought. “Thank you, Nina,” I whispered. “Mom knows I love her, right?”

“Very, very much.” Nina winked and offered her hand. “Let’s get going! Better face Mom’s scolding now before dinner. I think she said yesterday you’re having ribs.”

“Ribs!” I almost drooled at the thought before I was up and putting my hand in hers. “Love you, Nina!”

She laughed. “I love you, too, Ivy.”

“HOOT!”

We flinched at the sudden noise before we began to laugh.

“Yes, Ryo, you hooting bird! I love you, too,” Nina groaned.

“Except at night when he specifically goes to your window and hoots all night long,” I teased.

“Tell him to stop doing that,” Nina groaned. “It’s disturbing my beauty sleep.”

“Sleep is for the weak.” I laughed.

“Says the girl who needs eight hours of it or she’s a zombie!”

We began to laugh, squeezing each other’s hand as we made our way to the path home.

I may find those who killed my family. Is that something I truly desire?

“HOOT!”

We paused in our tracks, noticing the tall, black gate that was always guarded was half open.

“Why is the gate open? Where’s Wilfried?” Nina questioned with a groan. She headed over to the little security station where Wilfried or one of the other assigned guards for the day would reside during their shift.

I, on the other hand, was frozen in place. The all-too-familiar metallic scent that drifted on the passing wind made the tiny hairs on my arms rise.

Vix.

“Stay calm. I’m here.” The reassurance of her presence was helping me not completely break down, but it didn’t stop my hands from trembling.

“Hoot!” Ryo spread his wings out and pushed up into the air.

“Ryo. Stay close,” I ordered.

The sudden shriek to our left had me bolting to the security station, only to see Nina staring down with her hands over her mouth. Quickly following her gaze, there was Wilfried in a pool of blood, his eyes wide and lifeless while his body had multiple wounds.

Gunshots? Wolf scratches?

“Both,” Vix confirmed.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, fear running through me as I looked over to the massive house.

Mom.

“We have to call the cops!” Nina declared. “Wait. What about Mom? Shouldn’t Mom be home by now?”

She looked over to me in despair, and it took all my power to remain the calm one on the surface.

We have to be strong for her.

Vix’s way of agreeing was moving slightly forward from her usual spot in my mind. Her closeness brought a boost of confidence while I shoved the fear to the side.

“Let’s go inside. Stay close to me,” I ordered.

Even with the intense fright in her eyes, she nodded in understanding and rushed to my side. With one final look at the body of Wilfried, I mentally said my condolences and we rushed forward towards the house.

If the people who did this were still around, I’d have to protect Nina. During my one-year recovery, I’d fought to learn self-defense. It wasn’t your average human kind with moves that would shield you from an approaching physical attack.

This type of self-defense was to combat magical attacks. Shields, invisible walls, elemental forces that could slow down an advancing attack. It was something I’d secretly kept learning about, even when I was in foster care.

I never wanted to feel helpless again.

Yet, that very emotion was beginning to creep through me as we got closer to the white building that I’d begun to accept as my home.

Instead of entering through the front door, we headed to the side entrance. It didn’t take as long to go through the house, but it was a shocker to enter in and see the magnitude of damage.

Furniture was flipped over, statues and decorative pieces were shattered to bits. Picture frames of us were splattered along the ground, and the entire home was a mess.

Then we had to acknowledge the dead bodies of men we’d never seen in our lives. There were two on the first floor, one on the second, and a third that had fallen to his doom through our window.

The house was literally turned upside down, but there was no sign of Mom anywhere.

“There has to be somewhere else here,” Vix emphasized. “I still smell her nearby.”

“Nina!” I softly declared, catching her attention.

She was trying to be brave, but the tears that streamed down her face were the first sign that all of this was slowly taking a toll on her.

“Is there anywhere near here Mom would go to? The forest or something? She’s not in the garden,” I noted after peering into the garden and only seeing the dead guy. “She’s still on the property.”

“Dad…” She swallowed and whispered, “Mom buried Dad further back. He got a state funeral, but she wanted him to be close to us. He’s all the way at the edge of the forest in the back.”

“Let’s go! Hurry,” I urged, and then I was running down the stairs in a flash.

I couldn’t wait for Nina to catch up, not sensing anyone close by that could harm either of us. The priority now was to save Mom, before it was far too late.

Running as fast as I could when I reached the back door, anger began to settle into me.

Why? Why is this happening? Why did Mom decide to look into my past? These men deserve to be found out. They know what they did! Why are they now fighting back when they’re guilty?!

A growl escaped me, the urge to shift as strong as ever. I couldn’t think any longer as Vix rushed to the wall that kept her within and surpassed it.

Cracking bones echoed around the surface as I shifted midair and landed on all fours. Without skipping a stride, I was running even faster than before, the trees now a blur of greens and browns as I approached the exit as the sun’s glow from the sunset seemed to grow brighter.

When I pushed through the last set of trees, a field of grass before a little lake came into my heightened view. Mom’s scent hit me strongly - that and the scent of blood.

“Vix?”

The sudden acknowledgment of us had our wolf head turning to our left. There was Mom, on her knees in front of what looked like a grave. Her body was trembling, obvious scratches on her arms and legs and blood already pooling beneath her feet.

She fought to rise up, but I began to run to her, relieved that she was still alive. Her eyes then widened, and she shook her head.

“No, Vix!” she screamed. I skidded to a stop, but suddenly I was wrapped in some odd thread, the tight strings suddenly shocking me with so much power, we cried out in howling agony.

It went on and on, Mom’s screams for it to stop becoming further away as I fought to move and get out of this painful trap.

My body went limp, and the world went black for a few minutes. I couldn’t hear, see, or do anything. I was in a room of darkness, but when I came back to the light, a whimper left me at the lashing whip that slapped my back.

My skin stung hard, my body shaking out of control. Vix was fighting to remain in control, but the second intense lash of a whip made her retreat. My bones cracked back into place until I was breathing hard and quivering in agony.

“Enough, Malachite!” Mom pleaded. “She’s but a kid!”

“That should have remained dead like the rest of her family.”

“How could you?! You were my husband’s friend! You were supposed to lead the packs to peace. Even after the fall of MoonRise. You told your very people that all you wanted was peace. Now that the truth is about to come out, you want to be rid of everything?! You’re the reason why my husband is dead!”

“He was just as blind as MoonRise pack! Peace this. Peace that! No one wants fucking peace. If the world wanted peace and tranquility, why would they invest billions of dollars into weapon-funding and research? Why would there still be crime going around, or better yet, why would we be allowed to carry a gun? Tell me, Amber! You’re just as foolish and deserve to die just like him!”

Die? No. Mom can’t die. What would happen to Nina? She doesn’t deserve to be in the system!

Vix was back with full force, my eyes shooting open and immediately noticing Malachite was standing next to me, whip in hand.

Mom was still on the ground of the grave, her hands up, pleading for all of this to stop. My eyes searched for Nina, and when they locked onto her brown eyes, I realized she was watching this all unfold in the bushes.

“Time to meet your husband, Amber. Your services were good until you decided to get nosy. Don’t worry about the little wolf heir. She’ll be joining her family after your swift exit to the afterlife!”

He raised the whip and my eyes widened at the sudden five bullets that materialized and hovered in the air. With a lash of the whip, the shots darted forward.

With a blink, I was in front of Mother, and a loud howl escaped me. Walls of magic darted upward from the ground, the mix blue and purple turning into a solid foundation, enough to deflect the bullets.

I ran forward; my body began to shift once again until I was on all fours and I pushed off the ground. Crashing through the wall left a shattering impact of tiny pieces while I aimed directly for Malachite.

His eyes widened from the sudden move, and our bodies crashed and rolled in the grass. My teeth clenched against his flesh, over and over again as he screamed in pain. He tried to tug me off of him, but it was no use. I bit until something ripped entirely. The ear-clenching scream that followed told me I’d done a good job at damaging something.

Something hot shot into my side, following by slashes of pain. It was enough to have me retreat back with a push off of him, jumping back but collapsing to the ground when the pain hit me hard.

My fur burned, and I whimpered and rolled to try and extinguish whatever flames were still lit. The sound of a click made me freeze, my eyes opening in time to see the gun pointed in my direction.

“HOOT!”

Ryo crashed into his head, sending the gun flying into the bushes, as he swiftly flew to my aid. He spun around my body once, sprinkles of blue and gold raining down upon me before his whole body lit in flames.

I should have screamed in fear, but his wings outstretched, doubling in size as they burned a brilliant orange and blue.

“BREE!” Bursting flames of fire shot out at Malachite, making him curse and dodge to the floor to avoid being burnt to a crisp. The shots of fire continued, aimed at Malachite as he ran for his life. He cursed, getting further away from us, while I felt arms scoop me up.

“Vix. Shift back to Ivy!” Mom’s voice commanded. We did exactly what she ordered, my body shifting back to my human form. I fought to move, but it felt impossible, the sudden wave of spinning force made me want to vomit rather than move.

“You damn phoenix!”

I worked hard to open my eyes, trying to find Ryo. I watched as his flaming body was sent flying back, crashing and gliding through the grass.

No!

The sight ignited a wave of energy as I wiggled out of Mom’s hold and raced to Ryo’s aid. The flames around him extinguished, his body glowing until he was back in his white and blue owl appearance. He shook his head, a few of his feathers on the floor around us, but he didn’t seem seriously hurt.

I hugged him to my chest, holding him tightly while I waited for the final hit that would kill both of us. We’d reached our limit, and if us dying meant Nina and Mom would live, I’d allow myself to be sacrificed.

I was going to push Ryo away, but he clung to me with his talons.

“If we die, we die together.”

The sudden deep voice from my dreams pulsed through my head, and for the first time ever, I wasn’t afraid to die. It would be okay. Mother Moon would take care of us, and we’d land in the heart of eternal peacefulness.

I’d ask for Ryo to come with me, to continue looking after me even in the next life. I trusted Mother Moon, and I knew she’d be able to make it possible for us to stay together.

Hugging Ryo tightly, I waited for the final blow.

“Time to die!” Malachite screamed.

“No!” Mother’s loud, defiant scream had my head shooting up. I realized she was skidding to a stop in front of me, her back facing Malachite while her eyes lowered to my helpless ones.

The single look showed a magnitude of emotions; regret, sadness, and, surprisingly, love for me. Her eyes were filled with tears, but she fought to smile through her fear as she mouthed a single sentence.

“Live. For. Me.”

As if time seemed to be our ally, I was able to slowly nod, but my eyes drifted behind her, and only widened as I watched Nina begin to run out of the bushes. The gun that Malachite once had was now in her grasp.

“MOM!” Nina screamed, drawing all of our attention as she pulled the trigger. The sound was practically mute in comparison to my scream.

“NO, NINA!”

The one thing she hadn’t factored in was a supernatural’s speed. Malachite could easily avoid the single bullet, and he did exactly that.

We all watched as he turned in slow motion, enough for the bullet to graze past him and head straight towards Mom. I couldn’t move fast enough, my body merely going up in a standing position as I clung to Ryo.

The bullet went right through the left side of Mom’s chest. Her painful gasp echoed around us as her outstretched arms fell and her knees buckled.

I moved out of the way as she crashed to her knees and fell forward.

When she crashed to the ground there was a loud thump. Blood already began to leave her body, pooling around her in seconds. Her eyes opened slightly, enough to see my frightened ones as I fought to think.

“Live.” She mouthed the single word, air not leaving her throat as that spark of life seeped out of her eyes.

The sound of sirens could be heard in the background, but all I could listen to was the last beats of her shot heart.

Until it stopped completely.

I looked back to Nina, watching as the gun in her hand fell to the ground and she stood there in complete shock.

My body began to glow then, Malachite’s eyes landing on mine as his shocked expression morphed into anger.

“Don’t you-” he began, but Ryo’s body grew hot, while a bright light engulfed my line of vision. I was forced to close my eyes, the heat wrapping around and lifting me up.

In a flash, I fell to the floor, and my eyes snapped open in time to see we were now in the middle of a small clearing. I stood before a massive tree, and as if our entrance had summoned the loud roar from the sky, raindrops began to fall upon us.

I looked down to see that Ryo wasn’t in my arms, but I couldn’t move as I dropped to the floor, and the rush of everything that had just happened hit me hard.

“No. Ms. Jones…Mom. My second mom. She’s gone. No. No…no!” My tears left my eyes as a scream vibrated against my throat and out into the world.

I sobbed hard as I gripped the soil beneath me. My body quivered, for the first time in forever, I felt every bit of the sudden cold. The rain beat down on me, harder and harder, but I didn’t care.

How could I care when I’d been the cause for yet another parent’s death?

All the past foster homes, this was the one I finally fit into. This was the one where I knew I belonged, even though I was different. They accepted me as their own, and I finally had a family to come home to.

Until now.

I hugged my body as I fell to the ground. The pain thrumming through me from my wounds was nothing to the pain in my beating heart. It made no sense why my heart continued to beat while those I loved perished.

It wasn’t fair. Life wasn’t fair. And now Nina would live with seeing her mother die. She’d put the blame on me for the rest of her life. If Malachite kept her alive.

I cried even harder, shivering uncontrollably and wishing I could just die.

Something warm pressed against my cheek, and it was the only thing that pushed me to open my teary eyes.

My lip trembled as I struggled to remain awake. The sudden sight of a man with long blonde hair made me wonder if this was the person who’d take me to the Moon.

It wasn’t until my eyes looked deep into his that I recalled those wise orbs. The set of eyes that would watch over me every day and night.

The eyes of the owl that has been there for me for many years.

“R-R…” I struggled to say the name, more tears overflowing my flushed cheeks as I shook. “Ryo.”

The sadness that flooded his expression was followed with a slow nod. He brushed my cheek once more and then rose up to stand.

He was tall, like those teenagers on the basketball team. He crouched down and scooped me up, pressing my body against his chest.

All I could do was look up at him, and the thought of staying with him only frightened me.

What if they take him away from me, too?

My shaky fingers clung to his shirt, and I fought to push away.

“N-No,” I stuttered. “I-I can’t…no…no.”

I sobbed hard again, repeating the same word of denial in an attempt for him to understand that he can’t be with me anymore. I couldn’t afford to lose him, too.

No more loss.

“You will never lose me, Ivy.” The words were filled with confidence, his voice just like in the many dreams of the voice that comforted me, keeping the nightmares at bay.

“I-I…love…you. No. Can’t…lose…anyone else. Please.” I was struggling to breathe with my heavy sobs, but I couldn’t lose him. He was all I had now.

“I’m eternal, Ivy.”

His declaration had me looking up with my pleading eyes. He stared right back into them, the validation in his look enough for me to know he was speaking the truth.

“Phoenixes are eternal, Ivy.”

“Y-You’re an owl.”

The slight grin on his lips was followed with a nod.

“You’re right.” He leaned down until his forehead pressed against mine, something he’d do when he’d land on my arm and greet me.

“I am an Owl. I am also a Phoenix. Two within one. A destiny I was born into until I was cursed. One day I will tell you, but tonight is not the night. There is one thing I will tell you.”

He moved back to stare down into my eyes once more.

“I will never abandon you. I’ll stay by your side forever. Nothing will drive us apart. Absolutely nothing.”

He smiled then, even as his tears pooled in his eyes.

“It’s just you and me now, Ivy. Until…we can find our own home. Just you and me.” His words were heavy, but I knew they were true.

All I could do was nod as I closed my eyes and rested against his warm body.

“Lyroshina,” he whispered. “That’s my full name. Now rest, Ivy Vixen. For our homeless life is about to begin.”

His words only confirmed the reality I’d fought to not accept.

There was no such thing as happy endings.

SNOWY STREETS OF HOMELESSNESS

~FOUR YEARS LATER~

“C’MON, Ivy babe. Just stay the night?”

“No thanks, Josh.”

Slipping on my grey beanie, I zipped up my jacket. “I’m not feeling well. Best I go home and rest. I can’t miss work.”

“Didn’t you say your boss doesn’t want you coming in tomorrow if you wake up sick?”

Josh walked over to lean against the wall, his seductive grin curled up as he did his best to distract me with his half-naked body.

“You should just quit and remain here. I told you the pack’s got your back.”

“I know.” I tried to sound grateful, but it came out a little flat. Homelessness was still homelessness, regardless of this temporary on and off staying with Josh and the rest of the WestWind Pack.

“I just need to sleep out tonight,” I concluded.

“It’s snowing tonight. Pretty chilly if you ask me. Might as well cozy up with me,” he offered.

“Thanks for the invitation,” I began and headed to the door. “You know this weather is child’s play to us. I’ll be fine. See ya tomorrow night?”

Josh pouted his lips, and I already knew what was coming.

“Going out?” I suggested before he could deny me.

“We are going to some pack party in the north. You’ve got a spare key though. You can crash here if you like?”

“Does that include a favor like it did last time?” I inquired. “You know? When you told me I had to give you a blow job to stay the night of that hectic rainstorm?”

“I was drunk, Ivy. You’ve gotta stop using that against me,” Josh whined. “Plus, you didn’t even give me the blow job.”

“Of course I didn’t,” I huffed. “The rain was a rather nice wakeup call. Besides, it’s not like you would have remembered if I did give you one.”

Reaching the doorknob, I noticed Josh’s approach. He stopped to my left, leaning in to brush his nose against my shoulder, taking a deep inhale of my scent.

“I would have remembered,” he whispered, sending shivers through me. “Your scent is the only one that I’d fight through drunk hallucinations to be around.”

“Says the man who then kicked me out when I said no to giving you a blow job.”

“Did I?” He needed a moment to think about it. “I swear I said you could stay?”

“You said I could come and stay two nights later because you didn’t need a virgin bitch in the same vicinity as you,” I reminded.

“That…” He couldn’t defend himself against that one. “You really should just give in and fuck me. I’m the perfect guy to lose your virginity to,” he offered.

“Thanks for the special offer,” I noted, opening the door and stepping outside. Turning to face him, I continued, “However, I want to be the one to make the final choice on that. Not because I need a roof over my head for the night.”

He frowned and rolled his eyes.

“We won’t be here till Thursday,” he muttered.

A week from now. It must be nice to change your mind whenever you feel like screwing your stowaway over after they deny you sex.

“Cool. Let me know if you guys are back earlier than that,” I suggested and turned away. “See ya around.”

My feet moved before he could answer or argue, the slam of his wooden door making me shake my head.

Won’t be back until two weeks now. Seems I love to push people’s buttons.

“You push the buttons of those who treat you like shit,” Vixen reminded. “He’s certainly one of them. Can we kill him?”

No.

“Hmph.” She took a moment of silence. “See that? That silence is dedicated to all the fucks I give about saving your ass from this psycho wolf you’re dicking around with.”

You know, you’re the one who encouraged me to use him for a place to stay.

“Use him. Not submit to his stupidity. You keep testing his bits of patience and you’ll be against the wall and stripped of what you actually state is precious.”

He wouldn’t rape me.

“You and I both know he would.”

I didn’t answer back, my mind focused on what was ahead of me as I walked through the chilly snowstorm.

Today was one of those days where wearing a jacket was a must. The snow was racing down from the sky, beating upon everything with its furry of snowflakes. The roads were empty, the sidewalk filled with heaps of snow.

It was a pain to walk through it, and I’d have to thank Ryo again for somehow managing to get us both a set of branded boots to get through the dread this winter has brought upon all of NYC.

Due to the intense weather, I had two choices. I could stay outdoors and risk getting sick or stay tonight in a hotel. Seeing as I couldn’t afford to get sick with my intense work schedule as a waitress, the option was to use some of the savings and book a single hotel room for the night.

Thankfully, the manager of the hotel was a regular at the place I worked at. Seeing as he so happened to be at the desk when I came to book a room, he knocked half off, praising me for my good service and respect for dragon shifters.

My kindness and respectful way of serving had got me the lovely first class, bachelor room for the night, and I was very grateful. I didn’t need lots of room for a single night, but I was happy with the rather luxurious small space since it came with a kitchen and heated floors.

We live in a time when the floors can now warm up. Unbelievable.

I continued the long way over to the hotel , feeling a little stupid for even thinking coming all the way over to see Josh about a temporary stay for the remainder of the winter would be possible.

He always boasted that if I needed anything, I could rely on their pack, but each time I’d attempted to get a bit of assistance, he’d failed me miserably.

The fact that I kept coming back to test my chances continued to prove how stupid I was, but I just had to blame purity and a desire to be among a pack of wolves.

To belong to a pack once more.

Puberty was being a little bitch to me. Not in the body department, though. I was taller, slimmer, but had what some would call thunder thighs with a nice set of boobs. Even with my homeless status, I kept in shape, giving me a flat stomach with my soft-lined abs.

It wasn’t like I couldn’t afford to rent out a home, but with the prices inflating every day, I couldn’t take the risk of using our savings. We could still afford to eat twice a day, and during the meat cravings, we’d order something with loads of steak or meat.

I obviously needed it more than Ryo, which meant he’d offer me his meat while I gave him whatever side dish came with our combo meals.

The only non-negotiable was my daily dose of milk, which was only two dollars at the local store. I could at least afford that.

Lifting my gaze from the constant sheet of white, I noticed a tall man standing in a black coat a few steps ahead. My shoulders sank in relief as a smile took over my lips, even with the wind and snow thrashing furiously around me.

The chill of the weather couldn’t stop the happiness that fluttered within my heart at Ryo’s presence, and I shuffled faster through the snow to get to him.

He opened his arms right when I was seconds away from crashing into him, and he hugged me tightly when I speed-shuffled into his arms.

“Hey, Ivy Bug,” he greeted.

“That’s a horrible nickname,” I noted but hugged him back. “Hey, Ryo Ass.”

“Now that’s definitely a horrible name,” he argued, pulling back to look down at my flushed face. “You’re gonna get sick.”

“I’ll be fine.” I grinned. “Let’s take our time before we head back?”

“If you wish.” His smile was beyond calming as we pulled apart, only for him to reach out to hold my hand. “Can’t have you getting lost in the snow.”

“Sure.” I emphasized the single word but squeezed his hand back.

We began our walk once more, the two of us lost in our own thoughts.

Four years had gone by since I left my twenty-ninth family. It wasn’t my choice - or theirs - but after weeks of recovering from the incident, it was best to remain as distant as I could.

Ryo revealed his name was Lyroshina. He was five years older than me and was a phoenix-owl hybrid. How the combination became that way was beyond me, and at the time, I wasn’t the least bit curious when we’d just watched the death of our new Mom.

Ryo had taken me to a secret place, one that was hidden within a massive oak tree. It was so big, but the hidden magic was inside it. Within its bark was a portal that led to a little home cloaked with magic where an elderly woman resided.

It was a place for homeless supernaturals to take refuge, and had been offered to Ryo long ago. However, he decided to reserve the offer for when he desperately needed help, and that was before he started guiding me.

Due to my new circumstances, the woman listened to Ryo’s plea and took both of us in. It was, again, a temporary stay of assistance, but it would help give us enough time to figure everything out.

Since that day, I never asked any questions. Not about Ryo’s past or how he knew this elder woman. It was a period in time when I wasn’t intrigued with talking or saying anything at all, and it only took me getting this waitress job at sixteen for me to finally break out from my shell.

It was a pity really, months of lost conversation with someone who’s been there for me through a lot of hell. Now that I knew what Ryo was, he could remain in his human form without any worry.

He did explain that he remained in his owl form since it was easier to conceal himself. Phoenix shifters were a rare breed in themselves, let alone a hybrid like him.

I did promise not to tell a soul, and he assured me if someone knew of his hybrid existence, it was because he actually trusted them.

The years had gone by so quickly, and I never saw Nina again. No news about the killings. Nothing public. Not even an ounce of outrage about the killing of a woman who was doing so well in the police force.

It was as if her existence had disappeared, and that was one of the many reasons why I’d remained silent until recently.

How dare I speak when the woman who took me in couldn’t? It was like an act of sin, one of many piled upon my tense shoulders and fighting fiercely to make me crumble.

It almost had…but someone caught me as I fell.

My eyes glanced over to Ryo, staring at his calm expression even through the intense drizzle of snow that smacked our faces.

Every day I was reminded of how grateful I was to have this man in my life. It also reminded me of the risks and how hard I fought to not fall for him.

He would have been the perfect boyfriend to be with. Someone who understood me in every single way, and yet, I couldn’t acknowledge the love developing within my heart.

The admiration of his vast knowledge of this world.

The courageous actions he took to ensure I remained within the shadows and under the radar from those who wanted me dead.

The compassion he showed when it was just us.

The love he shared when I was left trembling as cold sweats dripped down my bare body.

He’d seen me through it all. Through the ups and downs homelessness had to offer. And even though I’m sure he could have left and abandoned me, he never did.

“I will never abandon you. I’ll stay by your side forever. Nothing will drive us apart. Absolutely nothing.”

Those words resonated within me every single day, reminding me of the promise he made and how he’d kept to his word ever since.

This man deserved my love. He deserved to be loved.

But at what risk? Could I risk losing him?

Admiring his 6′3″ height, I was praying for one more height boost. As of now, my 5′6″ height wasn’t doing me any justice here.

His usual long blonde hair was currently tied and hidden beneath the hat he wore to protect those beautiful strands from the cold.

His pale skin was always one to catch people’s attention, flawless and so smooth, like he put millions of products on to keep it looking vibrant. His blue eyes were always gorgeous to look at, especially when they danced with orange and gold.

He had smooth pink lips, a pointy nose, and a harsh jawline with his oval-shaped face. He never grew out his beard, keeping it completely clean, which helped maintain a soft appearance.

The mysterious aura of wisdom he carried as an owl didn’t change with his human appearance, and it seemed to always attract people who suddenly wanted answers to the oddest questions.

That was also their way of trying to get to the conversation regarding a supernatural modeling contract.

When we had those quiet moments to talk about the future, it seemed as though Ryo wanted to enter some sort of career involving justice. He didn’t know exactly what it would be, but he always said that he would worry about it later.

I kept stressing that if he wanted a better future, he’d have to start looking into school. He was twenty-one, after all, and deserved to pursue the career he desired, but each time I brought it up, he pushed it away like it was some type of sickness.

Until you’re secure. Until we’re better off.

Each time he had an excuse, but we both knew he was holding things off for me. Deep down, it pained my heart. He didn’t deserve to be held back by me, and yet, I knew I’d fall to shambles without him.

He was some sort of addiction, giving me the support I needed to deal with the day. Better than any antidepressant or fake lover.

His love was true, and I struggled with the idea of returning it.

As if sensing my gaze, he turned his head slightly to meet my eyes.

“What?” He didn’t need to speak loud for me to hear, my wolf senses catching the single word with ease.

“Nothing.” I looked away, but he squeezed my hand slightly, his way of showing his support when I was too much of a chicken to say what I wanted to say.

Every action he did was another reminder as to why I deserved the best. It reminded me that Josh was nothing in comparison to Ryo.

It made no sense to me that I kept going back to Josh for silly reasons, and instead of arguing or telling me what a fool I was for getting insulted through his ignorant, dismissive ways, Ryo would keep silent but support me in his own civil way.

He didn’t have to come here in the midst of a bloody snowstorm to walk me back to the hotel.

But he did…and I know he’d do it again and again, no matter how many stupid mistakes I made.

When we reached the hotel, we changed and came back down to eat. The place wasn’t super packed due to the storm, and the food was courtesy of the hotel, thanks to my connection with the CEO.

Once we were full, we headed back upstairs.

“I already showered, so you can have the bathroom. Better go now since the front desk was saying it’s getting colder and the weather could start affecting the pumps.”

“Okay.” I was reluctant to let go of his hand. He always suggested we walked hand in hand in public places because of his ability to teleport. At least if we were in trouble, he could take us to where it was safe.

“Is something bothering you?” He turned to face me, his right hand still in my left one as he peered down at me. “You’ve been quieter than normal.”

“Nothing.” I shrugged, hiding my worries behind the mask of a casual shrug. “Just cold,” I bluntly lied.

“Take a bath,” he suggested. “It’s really cold out. Next time you wanna go to Josh’s, I’ll stick around. At least we could teleport.”

“Why didn’t we do that today?” I quietly asked.

“I don’t like teleporting during foul weather. Messes up the magic connection.”

“That’s new,” I replied, but took a step forward and hugged him. He didn’t say anything as his hand slipped from mine, only to wrap around my waist and return the hug with his own.

We didn’t need to exchange words, for him to understand that I just needed a moment of validation. His hugs always made me feel alive, and kept me from falling into a wasteland of desolation within my chaotic mind.

“Go take a comforting bath. I’ll be right here,” he encouraged.

“Okay.”

With one last squeeze, I headed to the bathroom. After stripping out of my clothes, I took a moment to look into the large mirror that was opposite the sink.

My eyes glanced down my naked body, acknowledging each scar that laid upon my ribs and back.

The daily reminder of what I’d endured and lost.

Each time I stared at myself, I was left wondering if a man would even love someone like me. Personality definitely mattered, but in a world where appearances outweighed the soul within, I feared even Ryo wouldn’t want anything more than the friendship we had.

I couldn’t even rank our connection as a simple friendship. It was far stronger. Deeper in the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects, but what other word would describe all of that in one?

Aside from boyfriend, lover, significant other, husband, or mate.

Pushing all the thoughts to the side, I stopped the hot water that filled the bath and stepped into the white marble tub. Lowering into the steaming warmth, I sighed in relief as my tense body finally relaxed.

Today should have been a calm day of reading, eating, and maybe even snuggling. Instead, I wasted a chunk of it going to a man who couldn’t care less about my wellbeing, dancing around the confirmation that he’d take me into the WestWind pack.

After two years of not seeing each other, we’d randomly met. The union was filled with him begging for me to return to the pack and chill more often. He promised within time, he could make me a part of the pack, but I knew deep within that it was all bullshit.

One thing I wouldn’t ignore was my Alpha traits. Josh and I both knew who was the stronger Alpha, and he would never give up that rank, especially to a woman.

That was one of the many things holding him back, yet I desperately clung to that slight bit of hope that he’d change his mind and invite me in.

I kept coming back for the wish of security.

Closing my eyes and letting myself soak deeply into the bath, I let my mind drift as I wondered what would happen from here on.

After the incident, Ryo had managed to get my name officially changed to Ivy Vixen. On record, I was known as Ivy Moon, and the facility merely said I used the name Ivy Vixen as a nickname.

With the change of my name, I withdrew all my savings and created a new bank account.

Though I had stayed with the Jones family for seven months, I’d kept my most valuable items in the storage unit. It was super cheap and fire, water, and destruction proof.

It was specifically for wolf shifters, a place where you didn’t need to say the details of why you were storing things. The younger you were, the cheaper it was, and in my case, I could afford the tiny closet-sized unit for thirty bucks a month.

My dearest valuables and memories were stored there, and the only valuable Ryo worked hard to retrieve was my grey beanie. That was the one thing I’d fight my hardest to retrieve, but with my weak state at the time, it was close to impossible.

Ryo was able to retrieve it before the mansion was locked down and eventually sold to some company that brought the place down and replaced it with another condo project.

It was a shame and only reminded me of the past I wished to forget.

Getting lost in my thoughts, the knock at the door was followed with a slight creak as Ryo poked his head through the space.

“You okay?”

“Still alive, yes,” I quietly answered as I opened my eyes.

“It’s toasty out here with the fireplace on,” he noted.

“Oh.” Kinda made sense to leave the bath, especially now that the water was lukewarm. I didn’t want to become a prune.

“Coming out,” I replied. “Thanks for checking.”

He nodded in reply as he pulled back and closed the door once more.

“Man loves you like a fat kid loves cake and here we are, sitting in cold ass water and not getting laid.”

I actually groaned at Vix’s response.

Are you just horny? Is that why you keep demanding I jump the poor man who’s my friend?

“You and I both know he is NOT a friend. You want me to explain what friends mean from the dictionary? If you’re going to put him in the friend zone, you’d better tell him before he falls hard for you and you just shatter his damn heart,” she complained. “Did you know phoenixes can die from a broken heart?”

Shut up! That’s a lie.

“Is not.”

Is too!

“Nah. I researched that shit.”

Seriously?!

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you when his heart stops-”

I was out of the tub and stomping right into the living room before I could think. Ryo paused in reading whatever was in his hand to look up at me.

His eyebrow arched up as he slowly looked down my drenched body, but I pointed at him and decided to ask the question only he could answer.

“Is it true phoenixes die from a broken heart?”

He blinked a few times before his eyes lifted back to meet mine.

“Yes,” he finally answered. “Why?”

“Does that mean that if I don’t tell you that I like you as more than just a friend because I’m scared shitless because I don’t want to lose you like the rest of the people I’ve loved, would your heart be broken?!” I rambled in one breath.

It took him a few seconds before he replied, “No.”

“So you wouldn’t die and abandon me?”

“No.”

“You’d still stay with me?”

“Yes.”

“Am I just overreacting for nothing?”

“Mhm.”

“Oh.”

I stood there in silence while he kept his gaze on me. When I didn’t have anything else to say, he spoke. “Do you need a new set of clothes, or was the robe not in the washroom?”

His question left me confused for five seconds before my stupidity kick in.

“Oh fucking hell,” I groaned. “Sorry for the horrendous display of imperfection. You can return to your reading.”

I turned right around and took one step before a hand caught mine, stopping me from moving another step.

Glancing back, I noticed Ryo’s unreadable expression. It was hard to tell if he was upset or just conflicted.

“What?”

“What do you mean what?”

“Repeat what you just said.”

“The whole thing?”

“No. The last part.”

“Sorry for the horrendous display of imperfection. You can return-EEP!” I couldn’t finish as he tugged me back with enough force for me to lose my balance completely, which I followed with a shriek.

I fell right into his lap, the book he was reading already flying to the floor.

“Ryo! Did you just throw a fucking book to the floor? Do you know how precious literature-”

He cut me off by gripping my chin and turning my head until our faces were inches apart.

“Who fucking cares about the book!” His suddenly angry voice silenced me. It was the first time I’d actually seen him so angry.

Don’t get me wrong, he got angry when things were disorganized, or people were tardy, but never so angry that he’d raised his voice.

“Why would you say something like that?!”

“Say…something like what?” I couldn’t understand why he was so upset with what I said.

“Who told you that your body was imperfect?!” he questioned. “If it’s that piece of shit Josh, I’ll go back there and kick his ass.”

I couldn’t speak, completely shocked by his statement as I slowly registered the problem he was acknowledging.

I eventually answered, “Josh didn’t do anything. He’s never seen me naked. Actually…guess you’re the only one who’s seen me naked multiple times.”

The problem with being a wolf shifter was the clothes part. The moment we shifted and destroyed our set of clothes, it was kind of over. I’m sure there were special clothes that helped with that, but I didn’t have that privilege - then or now. I was far too shy and insecure to shift in front of the WestWind pack.

And I knew without a doubt that Vix would tear Josh apart if they were in wolf form.

“Why do you think you’re imperfect? When did you even start thinking like that?” His question made me avoid his gaze in shame.

It felt like I’d just been questioned if I’d been self-harming or something. It was obviously not to that extent, and yet it felt so…shameful?

“I…don’t know?” I tried to think of an explanation, but now that I was in the spotlight, nothing seemed valid enough. “I just…don’t like my appearance? I mean…look at the scars.”

“Ivy Moonrise.”

The way he used my real name had me lift my head and look directly into his eyes. Out of the many years together, he’d never used my birth name.

Never. Until now.

“From this day forward, you’re going to change that mindset of yours.”

“But-”

“Your battle scars are something you should be proud of. They prove that you went through something traumatic and survived. If someone can’t admire their beautiful significance, then they can go fuck themselves, because no way do they deserve to even glance at your mesmerizing body, let alone touch it.”

His words left me speechless, my mouth hanging open in pure shock. Meanwhile, my heart was racing, and my eyes were filling with tears.

Never had I been valued in such a way. Josh’s belittling words on a daily basis with his constant reminders that he wanted an exchange of sex before I’d be close to worthiness had only been a constant poke at an open wound.

I wasn’t as insecure about my appearance until the scars never healed. That only made me cover up, even during the times I was burning hot and wished to wear a sports bra and shorts.

I’d felt ashamed of my body for so long that it was normal for me. It was second nature for me to stare in the mirror and feel sorry for the man who’d have to endure looking at me.

Never had I thought a man would think of me as beautiful. Not with these scars. Never would I believe Ryo - my Ryo - would think I was worth looking at in this naked form.

“Promise me you’ll never say that about yourself again.”

“But…no one would like this,” I whispered, my tears running down my cheeks.

“Says who?”

“I’m damaged.” I was trying to reason it all out. “I wasn’t born like this. The scars can’t be fixed. Who…who would want me?” My voice trembled, more tears escaping my eyes as I tried to make him understand. “Why would someone want me? Josh and his pack only see me as worthy of sex. I don’t get why I bother going there when I know he’ll never accept me in his pack. I’m so desperate to belong to something…to someone. It’s so stupid, but all my insecurity is pushing all the joy in admiring my body away. I feel hideous with these scars, and there’s no way of ridding myself of them. No magic eraser. No type of surgery. Magic can’t even hide them. I’m trapped now with these marks that only remind me of what I couldn’t do. Who I couldn’t save and protect. I live with that reminder every day…and I’m frightened to let myself love another.”

Staring straight into his eyes, I whispered, “Every day I grow a tiny bit more feelings for you, and every day I remind myself that you deserve far better. You don’t need a child like me. Someone who can’t even support herself. Everyone I’ve loved has died before me. I can’t afford to lose the last person I care about…but…what if I can’t keep ignoring this anymore? I can’t push aside the way my heart beats fast when I see you from afar. Or how upset I get with the mere thought of someone coming along and being your mate. I want you by my side for as long as you’ll allow me…but at what cost? Is it worth loving you if it also means losing you?”

A smile formed on my trembling lips as I sobbed.

“I love you so much, Ryo. You’ve protected me for years, long before I even knew what you were, and yet…I’m scared shitless. I’m so afraid that if I allow myself to love you, I’ll lose you in a few days, months, or years. I know we’re different supernatural races. I know one day, my mate may come along, but…I’d rather push him away than lose you. I’d do anything just to keep you by my side forever, but you deserve to be loved. Every ounce of it. That means I can’t hold you-”

Crushing lips met mine, cutting me off completely while he hooked an arm around my waist and pushed me right against him.

My shock registered in my wide eyes, watching as his serious ones remained open while his lips worked their magic.

I wasn’t sure how to react, to make the daring move to kiss him back, but a foreign calm seemed to run through me, and all my previous worries fell away - allowing me to close my eyes and do what I’d wished to do for a long while.

I kissed him right back.

A raw kiss of desperation, one that grew with each movement of our lips and only made me want more.

Before I knew it, his mouth was possessing mine, the previous simple press of our lips morphing into a mix of licking, biting, and complete submission as his tongue glided along my bottom lip, requesting permission to upscale this kiss into something more.

I opened my mouth slightly, enough for his tongue to dart inside. A soft sound escaped me, something I’d only heard from naughty shows hidden on certain websites, never from my own lips.

My hands clung to his shirt, gripping it hard in an attempt of mental reassurance that all of this was real. It was hard to not think otherwise, as I finally experienced something as good as kissing Ryo.

The passion within his kisses was indescribable, and it left my body tingling all over while my heart pounded against my chest.

We didn’t break apart until we were breathless, but he didn’t delay as he scooped me into his arms and headed for the bed.

He laid me down on the soft white sheets, his hands gripping the bottom hem of his shirt and tugging it upward until he was shirtless. He untied his sweat pants, letting the loose material fall before he slipped off his boxers.

He stepped out of the material, kicking it to the side as he stood there, naked and bare. He turned around then, and for the first time ever, I noticed the massive scar on his back.

I’d never seen it previously, leaving me stunned as he slowly turned back to face me. It was more shocking to then acknowledge the long rod between his legs, my minor thought process being a little questionable.

Maybe a scar was more shocking then dick? Yup, I’m weird.

“When I was young, I did something unforgivable. I went against my family’s orders and instead of bearing the consequences, my sibling bore the consequence. Due to the significance of the situation, the leaders of our kind decided I deserved a punishment that was just as long-lasting as the curse placed on my sibling. That led to the mark on my back. I’ve kept it hidden with magic, but only to avoid questioning. I’m not ashamed of it. This is my battle scar that endured for being stupid and changing my sibling’s destiny forever. It’s a reminder I have to carry for the rest of my life, but I’ll never be ashamed of it. And I would never be with anyone who felt otherwise.”

I sat up slowly and hesitantly whispered, “Can…I see it closer?”

He nodded slightly and walked to the end of the bed as I maneuvered to my knees. Turning around, he let me see his exposed back. I stared at the large red scar that ran from the top of his back all the way to his lower lumbar. It looked like he’d been struck by lighting and it left a zig-zag mark with bits of mini thunderbolts around the area.

Maybe to others, it would have been odd or disgusting to look at, but I bit my lip hard as my tears fell down my cheeks.

Tears of appreciation.

“What a mesmerizing scar,” I whispered out of elation. My voice was barely audible, not hiding how emotional this revelation was. It felt as though we were peeling our hidden selves and revealing the truth beneath it all.

My finger skimmed the area lightly, a habit I’d done plenty of times on my own scars. Only this time, there was not a bit of hate towards them. It was as if seeing the similar reds of scar tissue now registered as a work of an art instead of a hindrance to beauty.

He let me run my finger down his back, and when I pulled my hand away, he turned around to meet my appreciative gaze.

“Thank you,” I whispered, fighting the overwhelming emotion to cry. “For making me feel worthy…to feel valid even with all the mistakes and failures I’ve made.”

“We’re born to make mistakes, Ivy,” he whispered and reached out to cup my face in his hands. “However, they’ll either make you stronger or destroy you.”

He kissed me again, slower and deeper than before. We were on the bed, his body hovering over mine before I knew it.

We were a breathless mess, his lips letting go of my swollen ones to give us a moment to stare into each other’s eyes.

“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. From the day I first saw you look out the window of that facility, there was always something that tugged at my interest,” he revealed. “It wasn’t just your physical beauty, or the strength you portrayed in a single look. When I stared at you, I knew within my soul that you’d had to overcome a lot of hardships, and even with what you could have gone through, each morning, you’d stand at that mirror and tell the universe how grateful you were.”

He revealed my little ritual, something no one else knew about.

“Every day, no matter how shitty the day was. No matter all the crazy foster homes you’d been sent to, you made it your mission to state your gratefulness, and that sparked at me again and again, until I didn’t want to leave your side.”

He slowly looked down my body, and to my surprise, he lowered and kissed the left side of my neck.

“Every part of you is a work of art. One I’ve been fighting to claim as my own for years. I wanted you to make a choice. To allow you to roam free and find a wolf shifter who’d complete you. Yet, the thought always left me in a mood of agitation, and I fought hard to not show it. Josh doesn’t deserve someone like you. No one in his pack deserves someone as brilliant, talented, beautiful, and kind-hearted as you. If I could give you the connection you sought, I would have done so already, because my Ivy deserves the world, and I’d do anything to give you exactly that and more.”

“Does…that mean you like me?”

He smirked, and his head lowered until our lips brushed slightly.

“I don’t like you, Ivy Moonrise,” he whispered. “I love you. More than anyone.”

“I love you, too, Lyroshina.” I used his full name, giving him a small smile as my eyes glimmered with happiness. He smiled in return, his lips claiming mine in a tender kiss.

When he released me, I watched the flicker of lust in his eyes, watched them dance with gold and orange, while the blue only grew more intense.

“Do you want this?”

I knew what he was asking, and I already had the answer embedded in my mind.

“Yes.”

He slowly nodded, and I braced myself for what I’d always wished for.

To give my virginity to someone who deserved it. Someone I’d never regret giving it to. Mother Moon was finally answering my heartfelt wish.

We didn’t need to worry about a condom, and he knew about the implant I’d gotten years ago.

I braced myself but kept my body relaxed, knowing it was easier that way. When the head of his cock teased my folds, I realized that this was finally it.

We shared a look then, and he whispered, “I’ll never abandon you.”

It was as if he had to seal that precious deal once more, and it was exactly what I needed to let go of those last strands of fear.

He slid into me slowly, allowing me to adjust until the resistance was strong. I gave him a nod to continue, and with a bit of push, his cock slid right in.

It wasn’t the worst pain I’d experienced, a throbbing pinch of needles versus the emotional trauma and physical pain I’d dealt with in my life.

This pain was a good one, and my tears that rolled down my cheeks were out of joy instead of heartache. He waited for my verbal consent, and I gave it to him.

“I’m okay,” I assured him, adding a smile to my words. “Please keep going.”

That was all he needed to begin the rollercoaster of emotions that started to form with his slow movements. It started off with painful thrusts, but I fought hard to not show it through my expression.

I’m sure he could see through my attempt, and he distracted me with his lips while using one of his free hands to play with my right breast.

When I started to moan for him to move faster, he began to do my bidding, increasing the pace as his cock stretched me out. It was so thick and yet it seemed to fit perfectly, the in-and-out motions beginning to bring shots of pleasure as my body grew hot.

The whole room was actually hot, while Ryo’s body seemed scorching as I clung to his shoulders. He began to moan, his eyes fluttering closed as he got lost in the mere motion of fucking me harder and faster.

I couldn’t blame him as I started to be consumed with heightened pleasure, the anticipation of what was to come only making my body tingle and my pussy clench around his cock.

“So tight, Ivy,” he groaned through clenched teeth, followed by a moan as he moved even faster.

“Ah,” I whimpered as my fingers dug deeper into his flesh, the pleasure coursing through me beginning to pool in the pit of my core and rising up with speed. “More, Ryo. Please, harder,” I begged.

He delivered far too well, leaving me in a breathing mess as he pumped into me. My pussy was quivering, and I knew I would experience my first orgasm from a man I actually loved.

“Ryo,” I moaned loudly. “Yes, more. Harder.” I was getting closer and closer, as was he as he really picked up the pace and his grunts were more frequent.

“Ivy,” he gritted out. “So fucking amazing. So hot, tight, and that expression. Let me see every bit of you, baby. Let me hear you cum for me.”

I kept my eyes on him. My expression of lust as I inched closer to my release was matched with my rough panting and begging as he fucked me hard.

“Ryo. Ryo. So close. So, so close!” I could feel the rush on the verge of exploding, and I could see from the way Ryo’s eyes began to shift in color completely that he was on the verge of climaxing.

“Cum, Ivy!” he ordered, sinking right into me with one final thrust.

That led me to scream, my climax rushing through me in waves and my body growing tense as consuming pleasure rocked my entire body and mind.

His scream of pleasure came right after, and I could feel every shot of cum that pooled within me.

I’d never felt something so overwhelming before, and suddenly a stream of power like I’d never experienced rushed through me and then right out.

I couldn’t figure it out, my mind still trying to comprehend what had happened while my body shuddered from the sexual high. It wasn’t until Ryo quietly cursed that I opened my eyes and noticed the sudden pink mark that shifted from the magenta pink color to purple and then neon blue.

My eyes narrowed on it as if I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was a similar mark to the Wolf Express brand, but this was an actual wolf branding that glowed against his pale skin.

“What…did I do?” I inquired, feeling a tad freaked out by the mark, but my body wasn’t on the same ‘let’s panic’ wavelength.

Ryo smirked and instead asked, “Did you always have a circle with a wolf symbol on the left side of your neck?”

“No.” My answer was as direct as it could be, but before I could officially freak out, Ryo began to chuckle, looking so happy, I wondered what had made him this carefree.

“Ryo. Did I do something bad?”

He shook his head and then kissed me hard. This kiss was far different from before, emotions swirling through me. Joyous feelings of acceptance, happiness, and burning love, all directed to me.

“Can you hear my voice?”

His voice vibrated through me, and my eyes widened like plates.

“Why am I hearing you in my head?!”

“I don’t know, my Alpha dear. What do you think?”

It clicked in waves, and I was left in a state of pure confusion. “That’s impossible.”

“Nothing’s impossible in the world of supernaturals, but I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard of an Alpha wolf bonding with an owl-phoenix shifter and forming a pack bond.”

“I formed a pack bond?!” I shrieked.

“Looks like it. That’s the thrumming string you felt that left you and shot out.”

“Wait…does that mean…I have a pack? Like…you’re a part of my pack?”

“Essentially.” He smirked. “As to how big you want that pack to be is up to you, but we’re apparently mates.”

“What if your mate comes along?”

“Oh.” His grin didn’t falter at my presumption. “Phoenix and owl shifters are rather different when it comes to mates. Neither need to specifically mate with their own kind. In animal form, yes, but as shifters, those rules don’t apply. My sibling has been mated to a dragon shifter for some time. We’re not strapped down to the common laws.”

“We’re mates.” I couldn’t even process it, my cheeks already wet with tears. “This…is like a dream come true.”

“You know what I think?” he whispered. “Because of your deep desire to be with someone who respected you for the real you, your Alpha power that can initiate a mate or pack bond decided to combine and fulfill your heart’s desire. That only happens when an Alpha gives complete submission to someone they trust and love, something that’s extremely hard for your kind,” he explained. “I only know that from an ancient book, but now that I’ve seen it myself, it makes sense.”

“Are you mad?” I randomly questioned.

“Why would I be?”

“You’re mated to a wolf.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” he whispered and kissed me. “Now are we going to have celebration sex?”

“T-That’s so random!” I suddenly felt flustered. “A-Aren’t we supposed to take a break? Where’s the time out?”

He grinned and snuggled his head between my shoulder and neck, his tongue lightly brushing along the apparent new mark.

That made me moan in response, and I felt his cock twitch deep within me. “Fuck, Ryo! So sensitive.”

“I want you again.” His hot breath tickled my flesh, and he leaned back to show me his amber eyes. “Please, Ivy?”

His urge made me want to please him, and I blushed as I glanced away shyly. “F-Fine…but you have to promise we shower after.”

“If you can walk after.”

“Y-You just have to carry me!”

“Easy,” he whispered, and his hands slid down my body until they stopped at my lower hips. “You ready, Alpha Queen?”

The new nickname made me feel proud, and with a wide grin of confidence, I slowly nodded at my new lover.

“I’m ready, Ryo.”

Who knew the snowy streets of homelessness could end with immense gratification?

BETRAYTRAL TO CAPTIVITY

~FOUR YEARS LATER~

“UGH. Ryo. I need to get ready,” I whined, but it didn’t do shit in moving Ryo out of the way. I’d been standing in front of the edge of the bed, trying to figure out an outfit to wear for our outing.

Ryo decided to delay me, one of his ways of acknowledging that my choice in clothes wasn’t ones that he liked at all. Not like I usually followed his obvious signs of displeasure, but since we were going somewhere that meant Josh was around with the rest of the WestWind pack, he was making life even more complicated by sandwiching me in between the bed and his tall, built body.

Thankfully, my height had gone up to 5′9″, my waist a little slimmer from all the cardio I’d been doing while my weight training helped my thighs from now losing muscle.

My hair was still short, the colors even more vibrant than before, and my mate mark was now a black tattoo that had bits of blue, purple, and pink. It replicated Ryo’s, but we’d agreed to him keeping it hidden unless in the company of those we trusted.

I was wearing a beige bra and matching laced panties, attempting to get into one of the chosen outfits, which were mostly dresses.

We were invited to an event, one that consisted of dancing and stuff. I weren’t one to dress up and to be fair, I wasn’t in the best mood to fancy it up. After screwing over my chances at the recent interview I’d scored after a straight six months of struggling, I’d been desperate all day.

It was why Ryo decided we’d go to this event so I enjoyed some fresh air instead of moping in this Airbnb.

I’d lost my job at around eighteen, the waitress job going south when I refused to give a loyal customer head. My boss knew I wasn’t that type of gal, but it was the punch to his face and the broken jaw that screwed me over.

It was Vix’s fault, but did that matter when you were attempting to avoid charges? Nope.

I got off lucky and unemployed, but I wanted to retrieve another job, maybe something that aided my self-worth. Waitressing was busy and paid well through tips, but when you had to deal with men staring you down in provocative ways all day and night long, it got boring quickly.

The last four years with Ryo as my boyfriend - or mate - had helped boost my self-confidence in waves. It started out with little things, soft whispers of love and admiration of my body when we had passionate sex.

He grew as he complimented me daily and encouraged me to look in the mirror and say a positive affirmation together with him every morning while we brushed our teeth.

Even in the loungewear that made me feel like a boy at times, he never stopped acknowledging his attraction to me, and he’d shower me with physical love through kisses and touch, while his words continued to boost my emotional and mental health.

He was a protective - sometimes possessive - boyfriend, but I loved every moment of it. He gave me a sense of purpose in my life now, one that filled me with happiness while I worked on my personal growth.

We were staying at a friend’s hotel for free, another connection I’d made during my waitress days that led me to one of the only female humans to own a massive hotel as of late. Due to her status and obvious wealth, she always had a room secure for us and told us never to hesitate to rest there.

We could literally live there with all the services, but Ryo and I weren’t the types to be so reliant, so we tried to alternate for the sake of not appearing as homeless beggars.

“I don’t want to go,” he whispered against my flesh. “Let’s stay, instead.”

My smirk was evident while I shook my head. “No. We’ve gotta go, even if it seems like a waste,” I admitted. “We were invited. Everything is free,” I emphasized.

“Hmm.” He laid his hands on my hips, bringing me close as our bodies pressed together like we were magnets.

“Ryo,” I warned, knowing exactly where this was going. “You’re delaying us.”

“Sure.” He didn’t even try to hide it. “I want you for myself.”

His quiet need made me grin as I hooked my arms around his neck and pulled him close.

“You already have me to yourself. Has something changed?”

“It will if you go to that party and everyone wants to touch you,” he muttered, pressing his lower half against mine. “No one else gets to touch this.” He was referring to me, his groin grinding against my lower half.

He was stimulating me on purpose, something he did to get my attention when he wanted sex real soon. I hadn’t realized how life-changing sex could be, and now I couldn’t stop this little addiction.

I simply enjoyed Ryo’s sweet remarks, the way he kissed me with love, his compassion, and the way he respected my decisions - even if it’s somewhere horrible and totally expected to fail.

“Let’s go together,” I assured him, watching as his eyes stared at my bottom lip hungrily. “I’ll stick by you the whole time.”

“Good,” he whispered but didn’t move away as we only drifted closer.

He was purposely waiting for me to make the first move, and I couldn’t dare ignore him, my lips pressing lightly against his.

That triggered the animal in him, our lips on a mission to please one another, all while I tightened my hold around him, my body plastered against his.

One of my hands went through his long locks. The silky feel of his lower-back-length hair made me want to grip it hard and expose his neck for a long session of nibbles and hickey making.

I ended up gathering a bunch of his hair and tugging it gently back. It broke the intense kiss we were sharing, but his intrigued eyes made me lick my bottom lip seductively, while I moved forward until my tongue was gliding down the side of his neck.

He took a sharp breath when I bit his flesh gently, sucking the sensitive area and kissing it with passion. He moaned while his hand moved down my back, moving slightly back up to unclip my bra.

There was no point in stopping now that my bra was off, the material flying off somewhere and giving Ryo’s hands all the space he needed to rub his hands up and down my bare back.

By the time I’d left a few hickeys along his neck, his patience was nonexistent. He turned me around quickly, pressing my top half down onto the bed while he peeled my panties down my hips.

The thin fabric fell to the floor, and he slapped my ass once before rubbing the tender spot.

“Impatient,” I breathed, followed by a moan when he slapped my other ass cheek.

“You’re the one that makes it hard to fucking think.” His breathy voice was thick with arousal, and I felt his hard rod begin to rub along my ass. “You’re lucky I hate being tardy.”

His words were followed with his cock moving to my pussy and sliding right in. I bit my lip hard, muffling my moan as my back arched.

“Fuck,” I cursed and let my eyes closed. “Move, Ryo,” I ordered.

His soft chuckle was followed with his thrusting movement, his fingers clinging tightly to my hips as he began to pound into me hard and fast.

Shivers of pleasure traveled down my spine, my moans growing louder as the flowing sensations of his pleasure began to sink through me.

I loved the intensity of the emotional connection sex brought us now. Our bond had grown stronger each day, and sometimes we were so in sync with how we felt that it was hard to tell our emotions apart.

When we were able to get lost in fast sex like this, it was far different from when we took things nice and slow. There was no build-up.

What we experienced was a rush of feelings that reached every part of our bodies and spun around like an uncontrollable tornado ready to destroy and leave pleasurable destruction in its departure.

“So fucking good. My Alpha Queen. Sweet beloved.” He kept calling me various names, his pumps growing faster. “C’mon, Ivy Bug. Tighten that pussy around me.”

“That…nickname is such a turn- Oh fucking hell, ah!” My words went completely south as he lifted one of my legs and shifted his alignment so he was hitting the deepest part of me.

I swear he was right at the wall of my womb, and when he did that, I knew any words of defiance would be shut down.

“Yes! Right there, Ryo. Fuck, Fuck, FUCK!” I gripped the sheets tightly, my breasts brushing up and down the silky sheets while the rush of ecstasy hit me before I could think.

“RYO!” I came just like that, coming undone in his hold, but he wasn’t done. His thick cock was still thrusting into me, working up to an even faster pace while his groans grew in volume.

I braced myself for his orgasm, knowing damn well that I’d feel every bit of the emotional release as I felt the physical shots of his hot cream in the depths of my quivering pussy.

“Yes, baby. Prepare for me,” he encouraged as he lowered my leg and pinned me down with his body. He didn’t lose a single beat in his swift pumping action, his cock hammering into me short but deep.

He pulled my head back, his lips crushing against the left side of my neck and sinking those teeth of his against my flesh.

“Ah!” I knew I’d cum again from his display of dominance, my whole body wild with thrumming pleasure as heat poured out from him to wrap around me.

“Ryo, Ryo, RYO!” My brain couldn’t take it. No other words could make sense when my world spun with just Ryo on my mind. The scent of his flaming cinders with bits of forest and nature combined only added to the pleasure oasis I was experiencing.

The steaming hot heat of his body felt comforting even though I was sure he was now sizzling. Waves of love, admiration, and protectiveness were spin around with his lust, hunger, and desire to leave me completely satisfied, all in a swirled concoction that was ready to overwhelm every bit of my senses.

“Ivy. Ivy! Yes, baby. I’m gonna fill you up. You’ll take every fucking drop!” he rasped and that was when he grunted loudly and screamed my name, “IVY!”

His cock sunk right in, our bodies freezing in place while my arched back pressed against his sweaty chest. My silent scream was followed with another orgasm, one that shook me down to my core, the tingles of pleasure making my toes curl.

Every shot that escaped his cock pooled into me while my body shuddered with aftershocks. I finally fell onto the sheets, fighting to catch my breath while my mind swirled with euphoria.

Ryo pulled out and slowly turned me over. He hovered over me, his pinned hands next to my face while he gently claimed my lips. This was when he’d show his appreciation to me. When he’d admire my body and thank me through passionate kisses while I fought to calm down from the intense sexual high.

When I caught my breath, I opened my eyes to see that silly smile of his. That was the pleased owl side of him, that possessive heat of his phoenix now gone seeing as he was completely satisfied.

“You know how possessive you are during sex?”

“Me or when my phoenix power starts riding up my ass?” he countered with a smirk.

“Your phoenix is an asshole.”

“He loves to bring pain to the front lines of pleasure,” Ryo innocently defended. “Besides, you love it. Admit it.”

I rolled my eyes but didn’t fight him back on this one. We fucking loved it. I wasn’t the submissive type, but with Ryo, I knew being submissive didn’t deem me weak to him.

“We’re going to be late,” I noted.

“Why? We still have plenty of time,” Ryo acknowledged.

“I have to shower,” I reminded as I watched him pull away. His eyes were far more focused on my naked body plastered to the bed, the mention of us being late slipping from his level of importance scale.

“Ryo.” I waved my hands to grab his attention.

“What?” he inquired, finally lifting his gaze to meet mine.

“I need to shower!”

“Oh.” He stared back at me as if I’d spoken in a different language. “Need help?”

I groaned, which only made him smirk as he walked back over and scooped me right off the bed.

“If you want me to carry you princess-style, Ivy, just say the word.” He nuzzled his head into my shoulder, kissing the bond mark that was glowing vividly on both of us.

It always happened after sex, especially when we got in tune to one another’s connected wavelengths.

“Shut up! This is your damn fault,” I huffed.

“Ivy Bug, don’t get all frustrated. Turns me on.” He winked when I glared at him, and he laughed and kissed me gently.

“Shower, coming right up. Then party with you in my arms, and then home for more sex.”

“Addict.” My words didn’t stop the smile that took over my entire expression. “I love you.”

“I love you more, Ivy.”

Tonight was going to be a thrilling night.

“HEY, JOSH. HAVE YOU SEEN, RYO?” I walked onto the patio, its wooden steps leading towards the edge of a wonderful forest.

The sight with the full moon out was making it hard for me to stay indoors; my craving desire to run through the wild and enjoy the gift of shifting into my wolf form was becoming unbearable to ignore.

Josh moved the cigarette from his lips, blowing out the fume of smoke that would clearly damage his lungs with his new mission of finishing two packs a day.

Josh was honestly going fast forward in the aging department. Ever since Ryo and I became official, I decided to limit my time with the pack to an all-time low.

The last time we’d seen each other was a year ago, and even the twelve months had changed both of us.

I was still 5′9″ in height, my growth in height stopped far too soon, but my breasts were a little bigger, the perkiness being something I was genuinely proud of. My skin was still tanned, but it worked well since that was a sort of trend going on.

Now that I was twenty, I was beginning to get into makeup; my brows perfectly groomed, shadowed eyeshadow, and fine mascara was my usual go-to look.

Maturing in my appearance didn’t change my usual attire, and today’s outfit was no different. A casual, extremely thin beige shirt, the chest part low enough to show the trims of my beige lace bra.

I wore a plaid long sleeve shirt that I left open and rolled up the sleeves just a tad. With leather tights and buckled leather boots that were far more comfortable than they appeared to be, I was still living my best life with my tomboy outlook with a splash of classy fashion.

My favorite beanie sat on my head, my shoulder-length locks resting in their messy glory. Sex had really done some damage when I’d taken so much time to comb it out before the pleasurable chaos. In the end, I said fuck it and slapped the beanie on my head.

If this was any other event, I would have dressed up, something Ryo and I were working on doing more often whenever we had a chance, but this party wasn’t close to as hyped.

We’d only been here for less than two hours, and I was in the mood to leave. There was a weird aura in the air, one that left Vix on high alert which was reflecting in my own behavior.

Ryo and I had been together the majority of the time, but I had to pee while he had to take a phone call. Ryo normally ignored calls, especially when we were out at events, but he was waiting for a call back from one of his dream jobs: The Secret Ops Department.

He’d scored the opportunity by chance. One of the HR associates somehow recognized his last name and immediately called him in for an interview.

I still debated how Ryo’s last name, Black, was recognizable when there weren’t any supernatural celebs that had that last name. It could have been just luck, but he’d nailed the interview and was waiting on the call that confirmed he was hired.

Obviously, I was excited for him, but I also worried about how I’d adjust to not seeing him every day. We were so attuned to one another that the thought of being apart suddenly frightened me.

Stupid really, but I’d prepare myself for when we had to cross that bridge. Ryo’s happiness was my happiness, and there was no way I’d stop him from obtaining a golden opportunity like this.

I’d left the washroom but was struggling to find where Ryo had gone. He was definitely on the property, I could sense that much, but it was difficult to track him when the booming music was disrupting my hearing, the intense smell of alcohol was blocking any chance of catching his scent, and everyone was bumping and grinding at the song’s pace.

It got a little too overwhelming, so I came out here to try and calm down from the oversensitive mayhem inside the huge log cabin.

Josh took another shot at his cigarette, his grown-out beard looking more distressed than his oddly cut hair. He’d gotten all these piercings on his ears and even his nose, and his outfit was completely different than what I remembered.

Either he went through a horrible breakup, or he was going through the gigs. How he was getting so many boxes of cigarettes still had me curious as to what he’d been doing as of late, but I was in no position to ask.

I was still not a part of his pack, but it didn’t matter anymore.

The last time we’d met, I’d looked completely different. Sure, my hair was the same, as was my slim yet curvy figure, but I’d dressed up in the perfect skin-tight dress, black heels, and simple jewelry that Ryo had bought me for my birthday that past summer, and I was the definition of banging hot.

I hadn’t intentionally dressed up, but since we didn’t get to do it often, I begged Ryo to try a brand-new look together, and he was down for it. Suit, tie, and dress shoes. Plus, his gorgeous hair that he left down to give off his extra, radiant, model appearance.

We hadn’t thought WestWind pack would be where we were going, but it really hit Josh in the face. That led to his emphasized desire for me to join the pack and come chill with them more often.

The usual games.

If he hadn’t asked so many times during the three-hour evening event, I’m sure things would have gone down the same route it usually did: I’d bring up the question of when I’d join the pack, Josh would change the subject, I’d voice my exit, he’d get upset and tell me he hoped not to see for a good while.

This time, he never got the chance since Ryo - tipsy Ryo - took it upon himself to be a possessive boyfriend and hook me into his arms while boasting about how sexy I was in the short, black dress.

He went on and on, kissing my neck and purposely displaying his affection for me. I could have pushed him away, but let’s be real. Who would push away tipsy Ryo when he was showering you with praise from the attractive gods? No one.

That made Josh into a jealous asshole, but he didn’t get to dismiss me like the other times.

Ryo kissed me right there, silencing all of them before tugging me away. At least the sex in the car was fucking golden. Fine memories.

“Haven’t seen him,” he coldly declared.

I shrugged and walked past him, taking a few steps into the soft grass and closing my eyes. Mother Moon was so bright tonight, and feeling her resonating glow upon my skin was helping rid me of the claustrophobic chaos from earlier.

I can’t wait to go home.

“You and me both,” Vix noted. She was really close to the wall that separated her calm place from taking control of my human body. She was sitting though, her long furry tail moving lazily from side to side.

She was just as bored as I, and her anticipation for our swift exit made me want to shift right here and leave.

“Ivy.”

Opening my eyes, I glanced back at Josh. He was now leaning against the wide, wooden bars of the stairs.

He’d finished his cigarette already, which could have proved I’d been closing my eyes for more than just a few short seconds.

“Yes?”

“Why haven’t you joined WestWind?” he inquired.

Here we go again.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you?” I looked away and slipped my hands into my pockets. “You’re the one who keeps dancing around the big, obvious bush.”

My feet moved on their own, and I began to walk through the forest. I knew I wasn’t alone, as I heard Josh’s footsteps right behind mine.

We walked in silence for some time, until I stopped and turned around to face him.

“What do you want, Josh?”

“I want you to join my pack.”

“As what?” I questioned sternly, my eyes boring into his, desperately trying to read what his hidden motive was. “We’re both Alphas. You damn well know I’m no submissive bitch like all the girls you hook up with.”

He said nothing, but I knew my words hurt from the hiked tension between us. “You’re not stronger than me,” he muttered.

That ticked me off, and I didn’t hesitate to get right up in his personal space while Vix’s nose was an inch away from that protective wall.

It didn’t stop her oozing power from overflowing through me, and I could see in the reflection of his wide eyes that mine were now shimmering a shocking gold.

“Kneel, Josh.” My command was heavy with electric force. I expected his body to fight against my order, or even the possibility of me asking a second or third time, but instead, he dropped to the ground so fast, his own expression betrayed him as shock flooded his face.

“T-That…” He struggled to speak, fighting to get up, but there he remained, knelt down before me.

I reached out to lift his chin, and I stared into his eyes.

“You want the truth?” My voice was but a whisper. The next set of words were ones I’d never shared with anyone else but Ryo. “For so long I wished to be a part of your pack. Craved to belong to a group of wolf shifters after being left with nothing. In the beginning, I viewed your pack as idols, people I’d wish to please. I would pray to the Moon every night to belong within your cool group of wolves. Yet, to you, I was nothing but a tool. Someone you wanted to fuck like the other girls, who threw themselves at you. My wish was to belong, but your wish was to use, abuse, and ditch me whenever you felt like it. One minute I would become a precious jewel, someone you’d wish to have at your side to talk with and admire. The moment I spoke against your tiny demands, you were reminded of my Alpha power and the obvious conclusion that we could never be together. That’s when your mood would shift like a snap of one’s fingers, and you’d dismiss me, sometimes days at a time. Soon those days became weeks, and then we barely saw each other. When I reached my lowest days, you weren’t there for me. Stupid, childish me would text you and wouldn’t get a reply for months. It made me realize that I’d never want an Alpha like that to look up to. My concerns were nothing to you. What difference would that make if I’m a part of your pack?”

With a sigh, I shook my head and took three steps back.

“At one point, I actually had a tiny little crush on you. It could have been the bad boy attitude that all the girls were obsessed with or your good looks back then. I’d ask Mother Moon why I wasn’t up to your standards. Why couldn’t I belong within your circle of “cool” boys? Sure, I wasn’t into the drugs, alcohol, and party life, but we both know if you allowed me in, I would have been there for you. Even if it meant you wouldn’t be there for me. Mother Moon knows better, and little did I know the man who’d accept me for who I was had been with me the entire time.”

My lips curled up in a compliant smile as I peered directly into his eyes.

“So let me give you a definite answer once and for all. No. I do not want to join the WestWind pack. When the time is right, I’ll have a pack of my own, and enjoy the life of an Alpha, who accepts those that need a place to call home.”

Letting go of my hold on him, I sighed and began to walk back towards the house.

“You think this community will accept a woman as Alpha?” Josh barked. “It’ll never happen.”

“Maybe you’re right, but we won’t know till I try,” I called back. “Also, be grateful that I did what I did here and not in front of your pack-”

The sudden boom that cut me off shook the ground enough for me to lose my balance and fall back. Arms caught me, but my slight relief was short lived; a sharp stabbing pain was coming from the right side of my neck.

I whimpered, feeling the rush of a stinging liquid enter my body, but Vix dashed forward, the sudden switch from control to behind the wheel leaving me stunned for a hot second.

Josh was beneath us as Vix tightened our hands across his neck. His hands were splattered to the side. The syringe held only a tiny bit of sickly green liquid that remained in the chamber, while the long needle twinkled under the moonlight.

“What did you fucking do?!” I snarled, my eyes stinging from the power hoarding within my irises as I fought the urge to shift completely.

“I’m fucking saving you,” he growled back, his Alpha power attempting to override my command.

“Saving me?! What did you inject into me?!”

“Something that’s gonna hit you pretty fast,” he snarled. “Best be running, Ivy. For your time is running out.”

“You betrayed me?” As much as I’d fought to not care about them, the realization that all of this could have been a setup had my heart racing and my head pumping in denial.

“I know who you are, Ivy Moonrise.” His hushed voice was far louder in my ringing ears. My angry eyes only narrowed at him as the stinging grew strong enough to ignite tears.

“You know fucking nothing!” I tried to pull away, but he gripped me and pulled me close. “Captivity is the best way to stay hidden. By the time you get out, there won’t be a WestWind pack to return to,” he said through gritted teeth.

His words made no sense, and I pushed him down to the ground and swiftly got up. I looked back at the cabin, only to see the trigger of another explosion, one that made logs of wood fly into the sky like rockets, all while screams of agony and pleas for help echoed through the night.

Josh’s scream made me flinch, and my gaze darted over to him. He was gripping his head and struggling to stay still, pain flooding his face as he bit his lip so hard it began to bleed.

I know that look.

It was one that an Alpha would wear while enduring the loss of one of their pack mates. I had a strong feeling it was more than one, and dread ran through me at the thought.

I shuffled back, deciding I needed to get far away from here. Ryo immediately came to my mind, and fear shot through me like a firework.

Ryo?! Ryo!

My thoughts pushed through our connection, but as I began to try and communicate to him, my senses began to drop.

My sense of smell began to deteriorate first, followed by my line of vision. No matter how many times I blinked, the dark spots began to flood my eyesight, all while my sense of touch was depleted to a tingling sensation.

That made me shift completely, my four paws landing on the ground before I ran as fast as I could.

Another explosion sounded off, and Josh’s excruciating scream made me look back. He was standing on shaky feet, his hands still clenching his head, but his eyes were bloodshot red, and blood was beginning to come down his nose and out his mouth.

His figure got further away, and even as my vision continued to flood with darkness, our eyes locked for what felt like the last time. He didn’t look angry then. He didn’t even seem sad.

In that last second, he grinned with pride, like I’d done something right and I deserved that moment of visual praise.

“Farewell, Ivy,” he mouthed.

Then his body was blown to bits, his head flying up into the sky while his limbs, bones, and blood spattered everywhere.

The howl that left me was loud and crippling. I ran even faster as I looked forward. Everything was a blur, the adrenaline rushing through my veins while everything continued to decline.

Soon it felt like I was running on air. The trees were now clouds, and the moon was as big as ever up in the sky.

My body finally stopped, a hint of pain coursing through me, but even that sensation numbed away as I closed my eyes.

I tried to open them again, fighting my heavy eyelids that weren’t in the mood to listen to me. It took me far too long, but I was able to open them just slightly.

The dark night sky was clear, and the massive moon looked to be mere inches from me. It was almost as if I was peering at its vast beauty in zoom mode, and what a divine picture it was.

If these were my last moments to live, Mother Moon was helping me be at peace with myself.

I’d been naive.

I’d lost many people I loved.

I’d lived a life of wishing and believing.

Now here I was, lying upon a field of grass, watching the moon one last time.

Even as my breathing began to slow, I had enough strength to smile. Life wasn’t fair. Mother Moon knew that all too well. However, I’d gotten the chance to love. To meet a man that adored me and experience the level of love I deserved.

That was good enough. I’m forever grateful.

Two shadows appeared above me, and my eyes began to grow heavy once more.

The last thing I caught sight of within the sky was a bird. At least, it looked like a bird, and my heavy eyelids fought hard to remain open - long enough for my eyes to lock onto the creature.

White feathers with shades of blue. Dazzling, wisdom-filled eyes. Heartache, sadness, fear…and anger, all swirled together in a set of jewels that danced from blue to gold and then remained a dangerous orange.

An owl…my…owl.

My eyes finally gave up as the last bit of restraint I had left gave in. All my senses were gone, leaving me in a drifting state of unconsciousness, but there was one thing I knew for sure.

Whether I lived or died, that owl with burning orange eyes would get revenge for me.

THE TEST FOR YOUR CHOSEN FIVE

~VIX~

COLD WATER SPLASHED across my face, the chill enough to make my eyes dart open. I shot up into a sitting position, only regretting it from the strike of aching pain that went through my arms and legs.

Fuck! Bloody shitty hell!

I had a brief moment of internal cursing, only to realize I was in control.

Ivy? Ivy?!

Panic took over, and my pitch-black environment didn’t matter to me. Crossing my legs that were still throbbing in pain, I sought Ivy’s energy deep within our subconscious, until I located her sleeping form.

There were only two times when I’d completely take control of Ivy’s body; when we trained for that rare occasion I’d have to take over due to Ivy being sick and in danger, or when she was completely exhausted but needed to get from place A to place B safely.

Both reasons had only happened a few times since my awakening at our prime age of six, but this felt far different than both those cases and it left me feeling anxious.

Assessing her figure closely, it felt as though I was still in my common wolf form, prowling around her slowly while listening to her beating heart.

Her chest rose and fell, even in this illusion of our subconscious, and her usual bright aura of purple, blue, and pink gave me the reassurance that she was all right but completely drained.

We’d researched this state of unconsciousness, but I’d never experienced this sort of variation of it. Now that I had, it lightened up the trickling fear that had threatened to expose my raging anger.

I watched her peaceful expression for a few more seconds then pulled back to reality, my eyes opening once more to greet the pitch-black room.

Someone or something had thrown water to wake me up, and that acknowledgment made me growl accidentally.

The sound bounced off the hollow walls, and I rose up only to notice the odd silver shackles around my wrists. The glint of the metal only made me growl in disapproval, and I immediately knew I was in some sort of captivity.

Suddenly the lights turned on, bright enough to make me hiss and shut my eyes.

Another hiss came from opposite me, but I couldn’t catch onto their scent. In fact, all of my senses weren’t even close to their usual heightened capacity, and that bugged the fuck out of me.

Opening my eyes at a cautious pace, my blurred vision shifted to a clear view of the small white room I was in.

The individual before me wore a dress, looking as though she’d gone to a club, got completely wasted, and woke up on the wrong side of the grass.

Cuts were all over her legs and arms, the same metal shackles around her wrists. The chains that connected to them had a sort of transparent glow to them, and when you focused on the intriguing material, it felt like an electric current was flowing through the hooks of the chains.

She was barefoot, but I still had my comfortable leather-strapped boots. That was surely some sort of advantage, but my hands quickly touched my head, realizing that my favorite beanie was absent from my head.

The buzz of an intercom went off, followed by a computerized voice.

“Three challenges. Whoever loses will be sent to imprisonment. Winner will be given the chance of freedom. No other rules. Killing is allowed. Begin.”

A bell rang through the room, initiating the first round. I couldn’t care less when I continued to pat my hair, the realization that my beanie from my childhood was gone.

No. My favorite beanie…

I wasn’t as attached to the sentimental item as Ivy was, but with the acknowledgment of it being gone forever, my heart sank in sadness. It was the first one my family had bought for me, the last pinch of their heartfelt memory in physical form.

“Hey! How did I get here? What do you mean about challenges and loss? I was at a party before some explosion hit! What’s going on?!”

The woman’s screams tugged me out of my grief.

I looked at her with a blank expression, watching as she frantically moved to bang the white walls and the reflective glass.

There was no doubt in my mind that there were people behind that glass. The tug of something reached out to me until I was heading towards it.

The frantic woman continued rushing to the other side of the room, desperate to find an exit out of this white place, but my attention was solely on the glass.

I examined it carefully, the vibration of heat still streaming into me. It was familiar, far too familiar, and yet, I couldn’t put a finger on what was causing it.

Who was causing it?

That’s when I realized I was missing parts of my memory, unsure as to how I even got to this place. It could have been the shock of whatever had occurred, or the fact Ivy was in deep sleep.

The thought of not having my memories didn’t bother me as much as the uncertainty of where this connecting stream of energy was coming from.

I reached out and placed my hand over the glass, and for a split second, it felt like another hand was pressing against mine.

My body could feel the soft tenderness of the palm of their hand, just as their flaming heat danced around me in comfort.

The heat embraced me, soothing the spikes of anxiety and worry and replacing it with hope.

“All. Is. Well.”

The three words hit a chord within me, one that was deep in Ivy’s heart. The voice that wasn’t triggering a face to match still gave me the motivation to move forward.

Someone I knew - and trusted - was behind the glass, and I just had to pray that my decision to go through with this wouldn’t lead to our early grave.

My hand dropped from the warm glass, the heat beginning to drift away, and the stream of warmth cut off entirely. It didn’t matter now. My new objective was to focus on whatever this challenge was.

Freedom was my new objective, and all I had to do was survive the three rounds of fights.

Spinning around to peer at the white room, I caught onto the woman, noticing how she was still banging the white walls. She had long, curly orange hair that looked more like a bird’s nest while her skin was extremely pale, accentuating her multiple wounds.

Though my body ached and painful pricks still irritated me, I didn’t have as many scratches on my arms. Now that I was actually awake, they were beginning their transition in healing, but the process was clearly delayed.

“Are we going to fight or what?” My voice was emotionless as I looked at the poor girl. It was obvious that she was a mess of emotions, and she looked back at me.

“Fight?! Oh, hell to the fuck no. I don’t fight. Do you see these…O.M. G! MY NAILS! I broke not one, not two…all of them?! These nails took hours! HOURS!”

I stared at her with a baffled expression, completely taken aback by the reaction.

She just woke up in a white room with these people wanting us to fight and she’s worried about broken nails?

“Um-” I tried to interject, but she went on screaming.

Actually screaming.

She was losing her mind over her broken nails, and she ran right past me until she was in front of the glass and began to pound on it.

“You guys broke my fucking nails! Do you know how much time and money it took to get these done?! Months of saving to get these for the party of my lifetime! Yet you guys kidnapped me! Let me fucking out! I’m not fighting anyone!” She banged the glass again and again, growling with uncontrollable rage.

I hadn’t realized I moved completely back from her, deciding it was safer to keep some distance from her.

The width between us was soon beneficial. My eyes caught onto the digital clock that was so well hidden, the electric numbers almost matched the white scale of the walls.

The ten seconds left suddenly made my body surge into survival mode, and I braced myself while the woman kept banging the glass.

“I’m Maria fucking Arrow! I worked twelve hours a day, seven fucking days a week to get these nails done for once in my life! Do you know what’s like to be poor as fuck and finally get the chance to enjoy being pampered?! DO YOU?!”

The loud sound of a beep banged through the room, and suddenly it was filling with water at a rapid pace.

Not rapid like a hose filling the small space. No, half of the walls on my left and right sides poured out streams of water, resembling a rushing stream of ocean water.

The woman screamed while I began to move my arms and legs to keep me afloat. We began to rise to the top, but then I felt the tug against my wrists.

My eyes widened, glancing down to those electric-current chains. The panic didn’t settle in just yet, as I allowed myself a moment of tranquility before I inhaled deeply and allowed myself to be submerged within the lukewarm waters.

My vision cleared quickly, and I noticed I’d made the proper choice in following the current because my chain was at the height I’d reached while the woman was chained right to the bottom of the floor in front of the glass.

Now she was hammering the glass with urgency, fighting to get out of the chains one second and banging the glass the next second.

I peered upward, noticing that the water already sealed the room.

Ivy could hold her breath for about ten minutes before things got difficult, but when I was in control, I had more leeway.

That requires complete equilibrium.

My eyes scanned the walls, catching onto the almost invisible digital clock that was counting down from five minutes.

I gave up on moving my body. Lifting my legs to cross them once more, my body sank slowly, but the chains that kept me at the height I’d reached stopped me from drifting further down.

Tugging on them, my body moved back until my back pressed against the wall, and I pulled my hands together, pressing them in a sign of prayer while I maintained my crossed position.

My eyes began to drift to a close, watching the woman begin to struggle as bubbles left her nose.

That was what I was trying to avoid - depleting my energy through movement and sending my body into panic mode.

Things that only a few shifters knew about were the limits us supernaturals could pass through if we studied our body properly.

One was the act of equilibrium.

If you’re in an environment that brought you complete peace, you wouldn’t need to move from that spot, place, or sanctuary. You could remain there for minutes, hours, or even days if you truly wished to, all while the supernatural body adapted to its new circumstances.

It was something Ryo had taught us, specifically the side of his phoenix that loved to be possessive. The owl part of him carried all the knowledge behind it, while the phoenix side, in turn, taught us how to implement it.

The rules to it were to remain calm in any situation. It didn’t matter whether you were walking through fire or being flown into a tornado.

All were survivable natural occurrences if you allowed yourself to be at peace with your ability to face any natural challenges.

This only worked for elemental causes that were born of nature. Fire, Ice, Water, etc. All those could be avoidable deaths if you used this technique.

I was testing it out for my first time, and as my mind drifted to that calm space next to Ivy, the time went by until there was a loud beep sound.

The rush of water draining at a rapid speed had my eyes shoot open. The chains that held me were suddenly gone, leaving the metal shackles around my wrists.

I fell to the floor, my body drenched completely, but I got up and searched for my opponent.

Who was dead.

I frowned at her splattered body that lay on the wet floor, her lips a dark blue while her face had patches of purple. I couldn’t hear her heart rate, confirming the obvious.

The intercom buzzed on, and a voice declared, “Challenge One is complete. Challenge Two shall commence.”

The water vanished from the floor in seconds, only leaving me a dripping mess. The woman’s body remained where it was as a door came to life and began to open up.

I couldn’t see what was beyond it, the darkness was as thick as the night. Only a few seconds passed before a girl was thrown into the white room, the door shutting as she tried to scramble up and run back through the entrance.

She ran into the wall, her small hands jamming against the white tile.

“I don’t want to die! You can lock me up! I did nothing wrong! You guys killed my family! You destroyed my world! Why am I here?!”

She kept pounding on the wall, ignoring the buzzer that went off.

I immediately looked at the digital clock, realizing we only had five minutes before some other death-inducing occurrence would be triggered.

My eyes focused on the girl, noticing her white cat ears that twitched frantically while her tail was moving side to side so quickly it looked like a metronome they used to keep the tempo of classical music.

She was 5′1″ with white hair. From a glimpse at her arms, she, too, had a pale complexion, and she wore some sort of traditional outfit.

When she decided that banging on the wall wasn’t doing much at all, she whirled around, her blue eyes locking onto mine.

She took a long look at me before fear flooded her eyes. She immediately began to tremble, moving back until she was pressed against the wall.

Her gaze moved slowly to the dead girl on the floor, and that only made her shake harder. She looked around eighteen, but because of her short height, she could appear younger.

There was no way I could let this girl die, and I bit my lip in conflict. The slight nudge in my mind caught my attention, and I soon realized Ivy was awake.

“Why are we completely drenched? No. Why is there a cat girl in front of us? Did we go to Japan or somethi- Oh fuck no. Why the hell is there a dead girl there? Where are we? Shit! Are we in a padded white room like in those horror stories? Actually, these walls aren’t padded, but there’s a glass wall! Is someone watching us?”

You’re asking too many questions unless you want to swap, and I’ll explain while you deal with this dilemma.

“What’s the dilemma?”

Either we have to kill the girl, or we lose and get sent into captivity, or she kills us.

“That’s…intriguing,” Ivy acknowledged. “Can I go back to sleep and think about it?”

No. We only have four minutes.

“Well fuck. Switch.”

Are you okay?

“No, but not letting you go through this alone. I’ll figure something out once I’m in control.”

Cool.

“Vixen?”

Yes, Ivy?

“Thanks for keeping me alive until now.”

The soft touch of gratefulness in her resonating response made me grin as I closed my eyes and began to pull back.

You’re very welcome, Ivy. Now let’s try and survive this.

~IVY~

WHEN I TOOK the front seat of control, I was immediately whipped with a rush of memories.

The party. Explosion. Josh’s death. The massive moon. The orange-eyed owl.

“Fuck.” My fingers immediately pressed my temples, the rush of what had occurred until now almost making me want to throw up. “Ow.”

“Sorry. I’d forgotten about the whiplash of memories that occurs when we switch back after a long state of unconsciousness.”

Now we know.

Opening my eyes once more, I returned my gaze to the girl and realized she was on the verge of crying.

Aww shit.

“Hey.” I put my hands up. “I won’t hurt you, but if we don’t think of something soon, that timer is going to run out and flood this place like it did earlier.”

My head moved back to the dead woman on the floor, having my share of remorse for her death. She was just as clueless about the situation as we were, but it led to her death.

“When the timer runs out and neither of us has won the challenge, the room gets flooded, or whatever else is supposed to happen.”

Finding the digital countdown, I cursed when I saw we had two minutes.

“We have two minutes.”

“One of us has to die,” the girl squeaked. “I’m not at my full strength. I already lost a life at the nail salon. They came in and killed everyone and knocked me right out. I woke up here, seconds before they threw me into this place,” she rambled in one breath.

I made my way towards her, and she tried to make herself as small as possible as she crouched down and hugged her knees.

“If you’re going to kill me, please do so. At least I’ll be with my mom and other friends. They were my family. My everything. Now they’re all gone. Why couldn’t they kill me? I don’t deserve an ounce of air versus all the sacrifice and hard work my mom did to raise me. I was supposed to spoil her. To give her the world in return as we traveled around once we had enough money from the sales we got at the salon. Why did it end up like this?”

She was sobbing uncontrollably, and her words pierced my heart.

One of the many questions I asked myself when my pack was slain, and I was the last one to survive it all.

I didn’t deserve to be here. I hadn’t contributed even a quarter to the pack that raised me and my parents and sister, who did all they could to give me the best life possible.

My life should have been the first to be exchanged, but alas, here I was, fourteen years later and now fighting against the hidden mystery behind the deaths of all those at the party and inevitably, the WestWind pack.

Crouching down, I reached out to stroke her head, the soft gesture enough to make her open her teary eyes and meet my calm gaze.

“If I knock you out, that counts as a loss. You understand that?”

I was offering her a chance at captivity, one where I wasn’t sure if she’d be able to survive or not. That wasn’t my problem once she was sent off, but at least that gave her another shot at life.

As much as I wished to not fight, freedom was my new priority and she was in the way. How we landed here was all too familiar, but my gut told me she wouldn’t last if I opted out of the fight.

“So…I’ll be in prison,” she confirmed.

“Yes.” I nodded. “What lies there is a mystery to me, and I’m not sure if I’ll land there or head out to freedom, but there’s more to your purpose than dying here. That’s what my gut tells me.”

She studied me carefully, and I quickly glanced at the clock.

“Thirty seconds.”

“Okay.” She gave me a firm nod. “I trust you…and thank you. My name is Kitty.”

I smiled in return and lifted my hand to do the proper technique to merely knock her out instead of killing her.

“Ivy Vixen.”

I karate chopped at her neck, watching her body fall to the side and remain in a slumped position.

The buzz of the timer followed with the door opening before me. Chains reappeared to hold me in place, while the chains that now connected to Kitty’s shackles dragged her right out of the room.

The door closed shut, disappearing into the white slate of the wall and leaving me alone once more.

Rising up, I waited for the final challenger.

One more to go.

“We can do it,” Vixen encouraged.

Moving away from where the door had opened, I returned to the spot of the wall that was opposite of the glass. The digital clock reset itself, and I impatiently continued to stand there in anticipation.

When a door to my far left opened, I looked over and completely froze.

My heart stopped, my ability to breathe paused, and all I could do was stare at the person as they took two steps forward into the room and slowly crossed their arms over their chest.

“Long time, Ivy.”

I fought to speak, the charge of defeat already proclaiming its spot within me. Vix had to force me to take a deep breath, as my heart was now pounding ruthlessly against my chest.

My eyes were already tearing up. The regret of the many years that passed came tumbling back and fought to suffocate me before the challenge began.

“N…Nina.”

Eight years had passed.

Eight years of nightmares, cold tremors, and wishes that I could have done something more to change the clock of time and reverse what had transpired that day.

What hurt most was the fact that I couldn’t go back to see if she was okay. I was incapable of physically getting there, let alone emotionally facing my failures.

Now those emotions I’d buried within myself had resurfaced, and I already accepted that this would be my end.

“Interesting how life works,” she whispered, glancing around the white room. “To think this is where I’m supposed to die.”

“I’m not killing you, Nina,” I declared as I clenched my fists. “Y-You shouldn’t be here! The others weren’t human.”

Nina smirked, looking nothing like she’d used to. Her previous light complexion was far darker, like she’d been left in the sun for days upon days.

Her long curly hair was extremely short, the side cut completely, while a small bit of hair remained on one side. She was 5′7″ in height and wore black tights and sports bra.

Compared to the others and my own appearance, she didn’t look as though she’d endured a traumatic event, but it all could have been masked by her expression.

What caught my attention were her eyes.

Golden eyes.

I took a single sniff, and there was no denying it.

“Wolf shifter.” Vix confirmed it.

“Figured it out?” She uncrossed her arms. “Who knew watching your mother die would be enough to trigger the wolf within me. Learn something new every day.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat, and I held my tongue.

Why is she acting as if it was my doing?

“Do you think the trauma made her believe something else?” Vix suggested.

I’m not sure.

Nervously looking at the clock, I realized we didn’t have a lot of time.

“Nina. This isn’t the time and place to talk about the past. We only have a minute before this place will fill up and try to kill us both.”

“I’m aware.” She casually shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. “Don’t you think you owe it to Mom for failing her?”

“Failing her?” I struggled to speak those very words. “So where does that leave you?”

“I’m the victim!” She pointed to her chest, stabbing the middle of it while a sinister expression morphed onto her face. “Why didn’t you save her?! You have magic! You could have healed her! Instead, you ran away!”

“Heal her? Magic?” I looked at her in horror. “I can only use elemental magic! I have no ability to heal wounds!”

“Yet your arms are almost healed.” She pointed to my arms. “Guess that’s just your genetic makeup, right?”

“Wolf shifters all have accelerated healing rates. You included! That’s common knowledge and you know it!”

“YOU KILLED MY MOM AND RAN AWAY!”

“YOU’RE THE ONE WHO SHOT HER!” I screamed so loud the very walls began to shake. “How dare you try to put this on me?! I FUCKING TRIED! I did all I could, and I was ready to lay down my life for her. YOU!” I pointed directly at her. “You pulled the trigger and yet I’m the killer?!”

The buzz of the timer went off, and the room immediately began to fill with water. Nina’s eyes were flooded with disgust, shifting to a peaked level of absolute fury.

She let out a scream and charged at me, but the chains that once stopped me before emerged on her set of shackles and pulled her back.

She let out a grunt as she fell right into the water while I pushed off the ground in time for the chains to appear at the highest peak of my jump.

The fall back was a few inches before I crashed into the water. Emerging up to take a huge swallow of air, I plunged back into the waters and searched for Nina.

She was fighting against the chains, her manic eyes targeting me. They emitted a strong gold, her wolf desperate to tear me to shreds.

It hurt to see her like this. To be wrapped around the denial over what occurred eight years ago. None of this was fair, but that was life, and this was another one of those perfect examples.

I didn’t know her story and why I’d suddenly become the culprit of her pain and not the man who’d sought her out from the beginning.

Malachite.

He had to have done something to her. Brainwashed her or tampered with what she’d witnessed. The hate in her eyes was nothing like I’d seen in my entire life, and I couldn’t accept it until I had all the facts.

My heart skipped a beat, realizing that Nina was already beginning to lose oxygen. The thought made me push forward, but the chains kept me from getting remotely close to her.

She watched me try, again and again, each attempt another failure to add to my list of defeat. Panic began to settle in, my own lungs beginning to burn.

Think, Ivy, think! I…can’t lose Nina. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I watched her perish. To see yet another loved one die due to my connection with them.

Outstretching my hands, I began to focus upon the ball of magical energy within the core of my chest. That was the easiest way to unlock my magic, and the sizzling energy came rushing to my fingertips in a few seconds.

What happened next was pure instinct; my fingers began to vibrate, shaking slightly while my fingertips grew burning hot. I imagined myself like a vacuum, one that absorbed water with sucking power that was triple the normal strength.

Closing my eyes shut and concentrating with as much mental capability as I could, I began to feel the water rushing my way, a bubble of pressured water.

The heaviness around me grew with every bit of water I recalled, and I opened my eyes slightly to see it was working. The room that was once filled with water was caving inward towards me, inching closer into a globe of pressurized water with my body and the wall beneath my back as the base of it.

Even within the secluded space, I heard the loud gasp for oxygen. Darting to the source, relief shot through me as I saw Nina on the white floor, coughing out whatever amounts of water she’d engulfed.

I wasn’t out of the woods yet, my eyes darting to the timer to realize we had two minutes left. The countdown began in my head, and all I could do was remain on the objective at hand.

Staring at the glass, I zoned everything out - the sounds, the internal burning of my lungs, the heartache within my heart about the consequences all of this would bring, my burning wish to be back in my life of homelessness.

A soft stream of energy suddenly turned on within me, relieving the intense gravity of the water that pressed against me. The stream of charging energy felt like it poured out of me and straight into the middle of the glass, leaving me to stare directly into the space.

The countdown remained in my head, the minute turning into the last thirty seconds. I was struggling, but there was a wave of calm and reassurance that overtook me.

A voice drifted into my mind.

“You aren’t alone. I’m right here, Ivy Bug.”

There was no need to hide my sadness, as joy and relief sparked through me. It triggered the other memories, the temporary loss of the most wondrous being to come into my life.

My Lyroshina.

The thought that he was watching told me there had to be some sort of game plan to all of this but was I winning or losing?

Once I let go of the hold of this supernatural suction cup, I’d be completely drained and unable to fight.

I’d be trapped in captivity.

Would he still be able to save me? There’s no way he’d get through prison walls to remain by my side.

If I was left in the life of imprisonment, I’d fight through it to get out and return to his side, but would I even get that opportunity of freedom, or would my sentence be for life?

No answer came to me about what was the best decision to make, but the calming, reassuring feeling never faded, and I decided to do what I’d always done.

Mother Moon. I leave it to you. If I have a purpose in this life, let me fulfill it. Just please, let my mate, my only member of my dear pack, get a chance at freedom.

The timer went off, the walls opening up as I let go of the hold. I fell flat on the floor, and it was my turn to gasp and try to get as much air as I could into me.

Fighting to go onto my hands and knees, I was rewarded with a sudden convulsion of thunderous pain. I cursed and braced myself for the mini contractions, reminding me that I hadn’t taken my medication today.

Or whatever amount of days it had been since my last dose.

I bit my lip hard, trying my best to endure the painful spasms that I hadn’t experienced for a good while.

Splashing footsteps headed towards me, and all I could do was lift my head helplessly as Nina stood there, looking down on me.

I thought she’d smile or show an ounce of gratefulness, but all there was in her gold eyes was hate. Enough to kill me if it could be converted to reloadable bullets.

She’d kill me.

“You should have let me die,” she whispered. “Then you could carry the death of both of us.”

She lifted her leg up and a wide smile spread across her lips.

“Just seize and die.”

Those were last words I heard as she kicked me so hard I went flying back, my body slamming into the wall behind me. It was followed with another kick, and another, all while she screamed degrading words to me and proclaimed how she wished they never adopted me.

“Die and never come back!” she screamed, and the final blow was enough to knock me into a convulsive attack that ended in complete darkness.

I lost the battle.

FOLLOW YOU TO THE END OF THE EARTH

Cold…

Very, very cold.

Who knew where I was. In fact, who was I? All those thoughts seemed to be left in a blur, but I was desperate to claim them.

I deserve to have those memories returned to me.

My eyes were closed but I felt a soft warmth against my eyelids. I wished to open them, to see where the heat was coming from and walk towards it.

To bathe in it and leave this withering cold behind.

This warmth had cradled me before. It had shielded me from the coldest parts of my life and sparked a level of joy that I could never regret experiencing.

It was odd to know that when I couldn’t recall my identity, but did it matter?

This place seemed to be my new home, but I wished to be held by the heat above me. Their embrace, touch, and words of loving praise.

How long had I lain there? How much would I have to endure of this crippling cold?

I want to go home. I miss home.

Something brushed my body, soft fur that wrapped around me. The quiet hum of a growl didn’t frighten me. It began to give me peace of mind, like this animal that cuddled my cold body was an ally.

A dear friend.

When I returned to slumber, a soft voice called down to me. One of power, respect, and motherly love.

“You belong, my child. You have purpose, strength, and prosperity. Your destined path awaits you. There, you will find the pack you desire. There you will prosper to your highest self. Be strong, Ivy. For you will help start a revolution.”

As if I’d opened my eyes for a splitting moment, there was a gigantic moon. Every detail of its surface was a miraculous sight, leaving me in an abundance of harmony within myself.

The sight left as fast as it came, but when the darkness came for me, I was happy.

Farewell, Mother Moon.

“FASCINATING. Alpha Wolf with elemental magic. What other hidden secrets could lie within her? She’s the perfect subject to add to my team.”

My consciousness was going in and out, awakening for what felt like the fifteenth time to an odd voice.

It was a male, one of those voices that made you picture a nerd or lab scientist as they worked on finding the cure to some deadly disease. He’d been mumbling about how intriguing a prisoner I was, the word ‘prisoner’ still foreign to me.

I wasn’t sure how I’d been imprisoned; my memory was a blur and the pounding of my head was the reason I’d been struggling to stay awake for longer periods of time.

“I don’t give a shit about that.”

The deep, harsh voice was new to me. I knew nothing about who this fella could have been, but from his comments, he certainly had an attitude, or at least anger management problems.

“Why are you here again?” the nerdy man inquired innocently.

There was a low growl, followed with a huff.

“You know damn well why I’m here. We won her at the bidding and I gotta make sure I didn’t waste billions of dollars on a weak bitch!”

Well, that was intriguing.

Since when did we start bidding on humans like an auction for property? Actually, now that I tried to think about it, human auctions were common in history, and I had to remember I wasn’t human at all.

Does that mean supernaturals bid to claim other supernaturals? Is that a thing? My head hurts. I wanna go to sleep again.

“Well, Zane. You didn’t. She’d cost billions if the wise shifter hadn’t figured a way to put a glamor on her. Everyone assumed she was a regular, average wolf. The price only scaled up because you decided to take an immense interest in her with your other pack mates.”

“Don’t go putting the blame on me, Doc! People were hyping the price over her hair. It’s probably all fucking dye, and yet I spent millions. I better get that money back and this girl better listen to my every command.”

That ignited a wave of laugher. The eerie sound initiated another low growl.

“Nothing is fucking funny, Doc!”

“What do you mean? What you said is fucking hilarious. You, an Omega wolf, are going to tell an Alpha what to do? Let’s go back to the history of wolf shifters. I may be your average scientist, but I ain’t stupid.” He continued to chuckle. “You saw how she fought. She’s an Alpha and a very powerful one. Which reminds me: you’re lucky that anger management bitch didn’t cause brain damage. If the guards didn’t rush to take her, she would have kicked right into her brain. The swelling has definitely gone down. I may have to pull some strings though.”

“Pull some strings?”

“Reviewing her past file determined that this wolf shifter experiences pain spasms that can trigger seizures. She’s been taking pain medication for it, but she clearly missed multiple doses after being kidnapped before the fight with the crazy lady.”

“Get to the point!”

“I’m gonna need an angel’s assistance with ensuring the aneurysms in her brain don’t burst.”

Aneurysms?

I had no clue what that was. Maybe a medical disease or temporary condition, but the thought of killing me didn’t sit very well in my mind.

“How long do we have?”

“My honesty will merely tick you off.”

“I’m already fucking ticked. Now spill or I’ll puncture a kidney!”

“That’s not how you play nice, Zane,” Doc muttered but carried on, “I’ll need to take her to Level Four.”

“Why?”

“Were you not listening to what I’d just said?”

“I’m not deaf. Why does that stupid, deadly god level have anything to do with this mutt?”

“Shouldn’t call an Alpha like th-”

“Stop lecturing me!” There was a crash of something, followed with a sigh.

“Didn’t your Daddy, Malachite, teach you manners?”

The sentence struck a chord. The single name of the man who’d caused me far too much trouble in my short existence suddenly triggered bits of memories.

Daddy Malachite? Is this guy connected to him? Is he here to kill me?!

“That bastard didn’t fucking raise me, and don’t mention his name again. He can go fuck himself. He’s not getting what’s mine.”

“Selfish, selfish,” Doc hummed. “Guess it benefits this pretty, keeping her from death’s clutches. Anyway, you want me to save her from bleeding to death or what?”

“You’re going to charge me, aren’t you?”

“She’s not an official prisoner yet so I’m breaching the rules for your sake.”

“Fucker.”

“I can either connect her with someone who can make her better, or I can give you a defective wolf shifter with a ticking death bomb in her brain. Mind you, if you let her go and she loses her shit magically, the pressure will be enough to burst those aneurysms and bam. Instant death. If that’s what you want, my work here is don-”

“Fine! I’ll pay, but I swear if she dies, I’ll kill you.”

“You do realize that only applies if it’s an aneurysm. If she dies from starting shit, that’s not on me. I have two other supernaturals to deal with in my assessments, with a potential third.”

“Whatever. Just make sure she lives, or you’re fucked.”

“Manners,” Doc huffed. “You supernaturals have no respect. Be lucky that I care more about my research then pleasing you overpowered bastards. Now, go bother someone else. You’re interrupting my analysis.”

“How long is she going to be asleep?”

“Can’t predict that when all you do is glare, growl, and ask stupid questions.”

“Better watch your boundaries, Doc.”

“Boundaries? I clearly don’t have any, or you’d be dead,” Doc replied. “Now shoo away so I can focus!”

“Hmph. I’ll send the owl in here later.”

“That’s fine with me. At least he’s fucking quiet.”

The sound of the door closing was what signaled my body to calm enough for sleep to invite me back into the darkness, but I caught onto Doc’s words.

“The Mother of Packs. One who can unite them all within the supernatural world. Never would I have believed those legends, but all is well. The Moon knows all and will align those destined to rise in due time. All I have to do is continue my research and tie them all together. Excellent, indeed.”

Mother of Packs.

“AWAKEN.”

The prompt word made my eyes slowly open, my body under the control of another force. I stood in complete darkness, my eyes staring forward.

“Orphan. Misfit. Loner.”

The words were heavy, but the truth to the single definitions of what I was were absolutely correct.

“A family taken away too soon. Pack eliminated out of jealousy and hate. Tossed between powerful supernaturals that seek nothing but personal benefit, and one true soul eliminated by her own child.”

A being appeared from the shadows, her appearance as beautiful as an angel. Long, silky orange hair with golden highlights that protruded with a soft light. Lavender purple eyes, carrying immense wisdom, electrifying energy, and pride.

Flawless, pale skin, a golden symbol of magic above her cleavage, and a magnificent black dress that fell to the ground.

What would have taken my breath away if I could even gasp was the set of massive black wings that outstretched from her back. Their radiant power drifted off of her in waves, the sudden burst of flames on the lower half of those black feathers igniting fear through me.

I couldn’t move, my body frozen by the possessive power around me, and my mind was hazy but could grasp everything that was happening.

The air was heavy, the flames helping light the hollow room. I seemed to be in a cave. The woman walked towards me until she stood right there in front of me.

The magnitude of heaviness that swirled around me was intense, stealing the air around me and making it almost impossible to breathe.

She reached out to brush her hand against my cheek, moving her hand down to my chin and helped open my sealed lips just slightly for air to move inward.

A soft gasp left me, desperate to help aid my nostrils in attaining some more oxygen within this thickness of energetic pollution.

The lack of air wasn’t due to my surroundings.

It was her. The magic she carried was what made the world around her suffocate to a stop.

“Massive potential,” she said while her piercing eyes pierced into mine. “Enough to make the world quiver if she only believed it.”

Her third-person reference made me curious as to whether I was actually awake or left in this trance state of dreaming wonder.

“Mother of Packs. One who can take in not just wolves, but any misfit shifters into a pack to call home. She can unite all those who have lost their paths. She can save them from their own suicidal endings. What a blessing she carries within, but doesn’t see how valuable she is.”

The woman lifted her other hand, snapping her fingers once, and ignited a circle of flames that hovered in the middle of our space. They spun in a circle around us, growing bigger and bigger while the heat within the circle grew.

“That manipulated woman knows your destiny, yet she can’t see your pain is far greater than the one she’s experiencing. Pain is pain, but how one carries it and acts is what will determine if they will rise against all odds or fall into the shackles of revenge. At least they stopped her from ruining a gem, but will that only lead to her dramatic ending or blessed salvation?”

She removed her hand from my lip, walking around me at a slow pace.

“That leaves the most important question. Should I work along the good side…or bad side? Hmm.”

She was before me once more, tapping her finger against her lips.

“If this was your last moment in life, wolf child, what would be the last thing you’d do or say?”

Her question prompted an image in my mind, and there was the sight of the man I wished to speak to one last time.

His shocking blue eyes with bits of swirling gold and orange. His long blond hair that softened his male features. His warm, loving hands that would caress me in comfort, and the melodic laugh that would escape his lips when we’d reminisce on good memories.

Ryo.

My lovely Ryo.

I love you.

Thank you for making this misfit life easier.

Thank you for loving someone like me - the girl who didn’t believe in herself.

When the tears have stopped falling, and your heart stops aching…

Live.

Live for me.

Those words were internal, but they suddenly echoed around the spinning circle, and the woman before me smiled as she closed her eyes.

“How powerful love can be. To think her desire for love will grow by the number. If I let her live, it will ignite a new set of lovers destined to cross her path. If I allow her a second chance, it will unfold a new root of life and intercross those she’s destined to meet.”

She stared at me again, her eyes opening, but now completely black. Her grin was frightening, but then her eyes began to glow completely white, and her wings began to glow vividly until those black wings were creamy white and my surroundings were engulfed with the pure color of hope.

“My name is Celeste. I’m one of the Four Faery Absolutes. I’ve judged your soul, and I’ve decided to spare you from the fate those of greed desire for you. This is by chance and doesn’t deliver a life of certainty. Remember how you felt today and allow your heart to love when destiny comes knocking on your door. You are loved by many, Ivy Moonrise. It’s only a matter of time until that love will prosper into reality and then, you shall awaken your true purpose in this realm. Until then, discover who you’re meant to be and those you are destined to meet.”

My body began to fade, and I felt like I was as light as a feather. I began to drift upward, weightless in this spiritual transcendence to an unknown surface.

“We will most definitely meet again, Ivy. Then, we’ll ensure your escape towards a fortuitous destiny.”

My world was engulfed by light and filled with formidable peace.

I STIRRED AWAKE, the slight chill running through my body making me wish to grab a blanket and cover up. Patting for the fluffy sheet, I frowned sleepily, my sluggish mind failing at figuring out why the bed was so hard and lacked the silky sheet from the hotel.

Did they come to take our blankets?

“Ryo,” I mumbled, patting the bed to find his warm body. I tried a few times, then patted the stern mattress, making me yearn for him more.

Another unsuccessful attempt and I gave into reluctantly opening my eyes. They displayed a blurry view of a dark grey ceiling, my surroundings lowly lit with orange light.

Blinking a few times, my vision began to clear. It revealed a moldy ceiling, one that made me want to cringe.

Raising my hand up, I noticed the gold shackles around my wrist, just realizing their existence and the cling sound they exhibited that I’d been ignoring due to my struggled hearing.

My wakefulness seemed to trigger my senses; my heightened smell began to return to me, while my vision and sense of touch continued to return to their ordinary function. My hearing seemed to be last in the process, but it’s not like there was any sound for me to test their strength.

The chains could do some justice in sound-making, but was I going to risk that when I was in unknown territory? I fought to remain calm, my eyes scanning my body and noticing I wore an orange jumpsuit.

It was a bright orange shade, with a grey tank top. I noticed the absence of my bra, leaving me to wonder who the hell got me into these clothes to begin with.

Did it matter? This is prison attire.

I immediately sat up, looking to my sides to see the hidden bars that were in their lowered position. But I still had the other side of my chains locked to the rusting silver bars.

My teeth sank into my bottom lip, frightening thoughts zooming into my head as my body tingled with a bubbling feeling of anxiety. Now that I’d acknowledged these chains, I could only ponder how long I’d last wearing them before I lost my shit.

I never did well being restricted. Even being trapped in the closet door with the key in someone else’s hands was enough to send me into a howling fit.

The only reason I knew that was due to one of my foster family’s attempted to lock me in a closet for a few hours. When they got home, there was no such thing as the closet. Oops?

Crossing my legs, I tried to remain calm, but then I got whip lash with everything that occurred and landed me into this rotten place.

Including the hate in Nina’s eyes. Despicable disgust for my existence and her eagerness to kill me.

Closing my eyes for a sheer moment, I allowed my now rapid breathing to slow, taking deep inhales and letting the air out at a snail’s pace.

This wasn’t the time for me to panic, nor was it time to dread about the past.

When I’m in a safe place, then I’ll worry about all of that.

That’s when the not-so-vivid memories drifted into my mind, and the woman with glamorous orange hair and gold and lavender eyes flickered through my mind.

She ended up saving me. Celeste...

A loud sound made me flinch and my eyes shot open. Darting my gaze to the steel gate, I braced myself for what was to come.

Quickly, I looked through my mind, picking up on Vix’s sleeping figure. She was curled up in a little fluff ball, and I knew it would be a little while before she woke up.

She aimed to sleep when I did, which told me she was still drained as hell from what we’d experienced.

Lifting my confidence and validating my sudden urge to defend myself, I clenched my fists, ready to defend myself if necessary.

A tall man emerged from the shadows of the hall, his gold eyes meeting my narrowed ones.

He was 6′6″ and his muscled body was intimidating at first glance. Red spiked hair with gold streaks and his dark chocolate skin made me curious as to what his cultural background was.

It could have also been the hint of Asian heritage in some of his features, leaving me confused as to whether he was African, Asian with an extreme tan, or both.

His chest was bulky with muscle, making the uniform he wore on the verge of popping off. If all the guards were like this in this prison, there would be no way out for me.

“Finally awake, huh.” He took a long look at me, waiting for some sort of answer, but I remained silent, my childhood days beginning to kick in.

If I had to play the mute game, that would be easy for me. This man was definitely a supernatural and I didn’t need Vix’s company to determine how radiant his magic was.

He has to be a being of immense power. A god? Gods still exist in this world, right? Why am I getting those vibes? Scary.

When I didn’t answer, he reached for his keys and began to unlock the gates. The loud unlocking of the metal bars was followed by him sliding it wide enough for his frame to fit easily.

He walked up to my bed, immediately searching for the key to unlock my shackles. I watched in silence as he unlocked my right wrist.

We shared a look, his pause an attempt to see if I’d try and attack him. When I remained as is, he leaned over to unlock my other wrist. Pulling away and taking two steps back, he crossed his arms and observed me as I remained on the bed with my legs crossed - my eyes still staring into his.

“Are Alpha wolves so patient or are you plotting my death within your mind?”

“Both.” My single word answer made him smirk.

He turned around, which was a silly move, but then he muttered, “Follow me and if you kick my ass, I’m locking you up for a week.”

My grimace deepended, but I decided to follow his orders for the hell of it. Wherever we were going would maybe give me some insight on where exactly I was, or the name of this prison place.

Following his lead, he went through the narrowed corridor. My eyes scanned the passing cells, noticing the various prisoners that sat in the musky, mold-inflicted place.

The cement floors were just as grim as the ceilings, stained with dirt, mud, and bits of dry blood. My nose was picking up on all the nasty stenches in this place, leaving me in a state of wishing my nose would revert back to its struggling state from earlier.

We walked and walked, turning corners and heading down various halls of dimmed darkness. The lights that illuminated the hall were ones you’d see in those horror movies that flickered on and off at random times.

I’d come to realize that I’d yet to see a window within this place. Not a tiny one, or an air pocket for all I knew.

Why wasn’t anyone dying from the lack of air circulation?

We finally came to a stop at a black door, and he swiftly turned to face me.

“Walk in and sit on the bed. Five masters are going to be coming over here to introduce themselves.”

Five?!

My eyes widened at the thought, and he grunted and quickly responded with, “This isn’t some orgy meeting.”

Now I was gawking, and he slapped his hand to his face.

“How old are you?”

“Twenty.”

“Stop acting surprised over shit. You’re old enough to know what that is.”

“Age doesn’t define whether you’re allowed to be shocked over the possibility of group sex.”

“Now you’re being talkative.” He shook his head. “Get in. Your masters will be here shortly. Once you’ve discussed shit, you’ll head over to receive your intro about this place and be assigned a cell. Your masters may change the location, but you’ll stay in a temporary one for now. You’ll learn what level you’re assigned to shortly.”

“Level? Actually, what prison is this?”

“Psychic Prison for Supernaturals. One of the top two prisons in the world. This one is second.”

“Out of all the prisons, I had to get this one,” I muttered, attempting to ignore the dread of this new revelation.

Now that I knew for sure that I was locked away in a prison for supernaturals, my spikes of fear about what would happen here came soaring back.

I knew I was tougher than this, but to be alone within these grim walls made me feel like I wouldn’t last.

The swift change from a homeless life of possibilities to the chained chambers of captivity.

A soft pat to my head caught my attention, and I peeked up to see his calm expression while his eyes flickered with understanding.

“Relax. You’re protected. Trust me.”

“I don’t know you,” I whispered as though someone else was near.

“You’re correct, but I know those that are connected to you and they’re the reason why you’re not dead.”

I shut my mouth at his words, and he slowly nodded.

“My name is Omarion Davis. Don’t cause trouble until you get situated.”

“You make it seem like I’m a troublemaker.” I pouted my lips in annoyance.

He actually smirked and reached over to open the door.

“Those with a higher purpose in this world are usually the ones that get into the shittiest situations. Alpha wolves included.”

“I’m a female Alpha wolf.”

“That only rests my case.” He gestured for me to enter. “Rarity only makes you a lovely trophy that everyone wants to win and admire.”

“Then…what does that make you?” I dared to ask.

His grin was so wide that his white teeth were on display.

“A piece of gold that I’m sure only one person in this universe can claim.”

“Which is?”

“My mate.” He shrugged. “Haven’t met her and to be fair, a wolf wouldn’t be able to handle a dragon.”

“You’re a drago- oh wait a fucking minute. You better not be insulting me cause this Alpha Wolf would love to kick your damn-”

“Into the white room you go,” he encouraged, tugging me into the room so fast that when I turned back to face him, the door was already closing.

My disappointed pout was back as I glared back at the tiny glass window that displayed Omarion’s gold eyes.

He lifted his hand up high enough to give me a thumbs-up, and then he was gone.

“Should we devise a plan to murder him?”

Vix’s appearance startled me, and I suddenly enjoyed the relief her entrance into the conversation made.

Vixen! You’re okay.

“Obviously. I was merely sleeping. The god of muscle woke me up.”

Is he actually a god?

My eyes quickly scanned the white room, noticing that there weren’t any physical cameras and only a soft mini sofa bed that was opposite the door.

Walking over to it, I lowered onto the surface, surprised by its softness.

“Dragon god. I’m impressed that we’ve actually met a god in our lifetime.”

How do you even know that?

“Some knowledge of other supernaturals are embedded within our minds when we’re sent down to creation. It’s why some supernaturals have an abundance of wisdom while others are sheer powerhouses. Rare occasions, they’re both.”

Is there a specific term for that?

“Monarch,” Vix replied. “Varies on whether they are of one supernatural trait or a hybrid, but nevertheless, some are born with two souls in one, carrying both wisdom and magical strength. They’re extremely rare. I mean, rarer than gods.”

Wow. We won’t be meeting any down here.

“Doubt it. To keep a monarch captive has to be by choice. Unless they don’t know who they are. It’s a similar case with gods. Looks like this guy wants to be here. Must have a role of some sort.”

Did you wake up from his energy?

“Somewhat, but I wanted to make sure I was around if he was a threat. Didn’t feel it, but better to be safe than sorry.”

You do know I love you, right?

“Don’t get teary-eyed just because we almost died and you’re seeing me after being unconscious for who knows how long,” she complained coldly. “Other than that, I love you, too.”

That made me smirk as I studied my hands. I noticed they were shaking slightly, and I wondered when I’d be able to tell them that I take medication.

My mind immediately went back to the fight with Nina.

“You Killed My Mom And Ran Away!”

“You’re The One Who Shot Her!”

I kept going back in time, one second seeing that last moment of chaos as the bullet darted from the safety of the barrel and headed straight to the woman I’d been ready to call Mother for as long as she lived.

To hear the gasp of air leave her, the crashing of her knees against the grassy grounds, and to witness the blood that poured out of her like flowing water, just as her heart took its final beat of life.

The devastation, shock, horror of what had come to pass, and to see the realization in Nina’s eyes.

Her innocence and joyful jewels were gone. Destroyed by the past and now filled with hatred.

It hurt to know that she was not only alive but now painted me as a villain. A culprit of her mother’s death when I was merely a piece in the cascading piles of the falling tower that led to her mother’s death.

I wasn’t the one that pulled the trigger. I hadn’t started the domino effect. I was just the middle piece in it all, and though I played a part in this sad symphony, no way was I the conductor or destructor, ruining the show of her life.

A clicking sound of something unlocking rushed through the room, but I remained in place, staring at my hands and noticing the teardrop that fell onto my left palm.

Something closing shut followed, but I didn’t dare look up.

I couldn’t determine if what I’d just experienced was something traumatic or if I was merely overreacting. How should one react when their stepsister from years ago arrives alive and almost kills you?

She was now free from whatever crimes landed her here, while I was now a prisoner - someone who did nothing wrong - all because of her.

She believes I’m the murderer who took her mother. Not the man who killed my family, pack, and many more.

More tears escaped my eyes, the heavy sadness in my heart now bubbling to the surface with no way to stop it. The droplets hit my palms, one after another, until my shoulders moved up and down and the first set of sobs escaped my trembling lips.

I had to face this alone. Just me and Vix. We hadn’t endured this emotion in many years, and now that it was creeping back, all I wanted to do was curl into a ball and cry.

Something soft slid onto my head, and I finally lifted my eyes.

“Now, Ivy Bug. Why are you crying when I’m right here?”

I had to be dreaming, my eyes growing big and my shock as clear as day at the familiar man before me.

“R-R-Ryo?”

There was no way he was here in this white room with me, and yet, here he was. I slowly looked at his attire, noticing that it was similar to what that Omarion man was wearing. It had to be the guard uniform, but I wasn’t one-hundred percent sure about that either.

I suddenly noticed what was on my head, and I slowly lifted one of my hands to feel the soft texture of my favorite brand.

My fingers immediately gripped onto it, peeling it from my head to reveal my favorite, precious beanie.

The first beanie I ever got. My grey beanie.

“Couldn’t let that get left behind, now could I?”

I looked back up at him, trying to speak or say anything that could comprehend the tremendous amount of feelings that all fought for exposure.

Ryo gave me a sad smile, noticing how my tears continued to fall down my cheeks like running waterfalls.

“Ivy, baby. Don’t cry,” he whispered and pressed those soothing hands against my cheeks. “I’ll never abandon you. I’ll follow you to the end of the earth. No matter what distance is created between us. I’ll always find you. Always.”

His words were so truthful, and it was all he needed to say to break my last bit of resistance. My body rushed to be against his, my arms hooking around his neck as I hugged him tightly.

“Ryo!” I sobbed into his shoulder as he lifted me up with ease. He turned and lowered to sit on the bench, rubbing my back as I sobbed uncontrollably.

“Cry as much as you want, Ivy Bug. I’m right here,” he reassured me, and for the first time since all of this madness began, I felt completely safe.

He’ll follow me to the end of the earth…and I’d do exactly the same.

FIVE SUPERNATURALS OF PROTECTION

“Don’t we have to leave soon?” I whispered against Ryo’s shirt, that section drenched with my tears. I’d forgotten how good it felt after a nice cry, getting out all of your pent-up sorrows.

I’d ugly cried my eyes out the last thirty minutes, until there probably wasn’t a shed of tear left in me. I’d explained bits and pieces of what had happened and explained how devastated I was about my interaction with Nina.

I still couldn’t wrap my mind around it, and it honestly hurt to even replay the entire fight within my head. I’d saved her, and it felt as though it was all in vain.

My interference was what saved her, and all that did was leave me in a hopeless situation where she kicked me right into a seizure that almost left me dead.

It could have been the psychological side effects after a traumatic event that made me question who I was and if I fit into that evil category, but Ryo immediately shut that mentality down when I tried to deem Nina’s actions as okay.

“No. We’re waiting on the others to fill in their paperwork.”

“Others?”

“I’ll explain later, I promise.”

“Before they arrive?”

“Yes,” he whispered against my head, laying a kiss on the same spot. I was still hugging the beanie to my chest, grateful to have it in my possession again.

“I’m sorry, Ivy,” he immediately apologized.

“Why are you apologizing like this is your fault.”

He didn’t deserve to carry the burden of this when someone higher up had purposely targeted us. From the first girl and Kitty’s perspectives, this had to be a unified attack in various places.

“Because you never should have experienced that. If I hadn’t gone and taken that call-”

“Did you get the job?” I interjected.

“Yes.”

“Then no harm was done,” I concluded. “Congrats.”

“Ivy.”

“What?” I pulled back slightly to look up at his disapproving eyes. “I’m trying to be optimistic.”

“Don’t go dismissing what you endured.” His voice was stern. “No one deserves to go through what you just experienced, and no circumstances justify what occurred.”

He was right, but my head lowered slightly as I tried to mentally repeat his words.

No circumstance justified what happened to me. I don’t deserve what I just endured.

His hand lifted my chin up, in time for him to kiss me very gently. It was a little surprising, the softness of his lips and the longing to have mine pressed against his. My eyes closed as I let myself go.

How easy it is to take advantage of the little things.

A simple kiss between us suddenly meant the whole world to me, his emotions drifting through me while his growing warmth did its diligence to wrap around and soothe my body.

When he pulled back, he noticed my new set of tears and I did my best to give a small smile.

“I think…I died at some point,” I began, swallowing the tight knot in my throat before I carried on. “Maybe it was multiple times. I’m not sure. There was one part where I was in complete darkness. It felt like I was in a sort of cave, and I was standing right there in the middle. I had no control over my body. Like a heavy trance had taken over me. The woman appeared from the shadows, so beautiful and her magnitude of magic felt like another world of power. She had black wings. Flaming feathers that ignited tiny flames that floated around us in a circle, spinning faster while the flames grew stronger. She’d talked as though I wasn’t there…but one thing she said hit me hard.”

I paused and ended up pressing my head against his chest again, the conversation beginning to hurt my head, but the words had to be said.

To be shared so I wouldn’t forget them.

“If this was your last moment in life, wolf child, what would be the last thing you’d do or say?” I repeated her exact words. “The question of a lifetime, and all I could think of was you.”

I forced myself to lift my head, just so I could look into his saddened eyes. Lifting my hands just slightly, I pressed them against his cheeks, so he’d only be able to look directly at me.

“Ryo. My lovely Ryo. I love you. Thank you for making this misfit life easier. Thank you for loving someone like me - the girl who didn’t believe in herself. When the tears have stopped falling, and your heart stops aching… Live. Live for me.”

His eyes blurred with tears, a set of their pure droplets rolling down the sides of my hands.

“That’s what I told her…and it made me realize how much I love you. That you’ve been such a positive impact in my life that even in death…you were the last thought to grace my mind. I wanted to tell you…so that if I ever forgot about it, you could remind me.” I gave another tiny grin, leaning in to kiss him tenderly.

He held me firmly, wrapping his arms even tighter around my waist so I wouldn’t get away. This was our precious moment. A time I’d only share with him before things got chaotic in this new reality of mine.

I just wanted him to know that he was my first love. The first man I’d been willing to let touch me. The first man to make me laugh many laughs and shed tears of happiness. He deserved to know how valuable he was, and that I wouldn’t change a single thing about our meeting and time together.

“Ivy, my queen,” he whispered against my lips. “I love you so fucking much. Always remember that.”

We pressed our foreheads together, and I could feel the burn of the mate mark on my neck. Its heat against my flesh only validated what we both knew was true.

We’re meant for one another. He’s a part of my destiny. Even if it seems like that same destiny lands me in a world of imprisonment.

“She said something else,” I whispered when we both calmed down. “Remember how you felt today and allow your heart to love when destiny comes knocking on your door. You are loved by many, Ivy Moonrise. It’s only a matter of time until that love will prosper into reality and then, you shall awaken your true purpose in this realm. Until then, discover who you’re meant to be and those you are destined to meet.”

“The way she’s worded it makes me feel like you’re meant to love more than one.” Ryo acknowledged.

“That’s how it felt. It didn’t really make any sense to me, to be fair. She emphasized that and something else. I’m supposedly a Mother of Packs?”

Ryo’s eyes widened at the name, and I noticed that his eyes shifted to orange almost immediately.

“She told you that?” His voice was lower in depth and volume, something that told me his phoenix was riding up his mental walls of control.

I slowly nodded. “I can take not just wolves, but also misfits? I can unite those who have lost their path in life. I can save them from acts of suicide. I’m a blessing, who knows nothing of how valuable I am. I’m…not sure what she meant. I couldn’t figure it out at that moment, and even now, I’m struggling a little. I’m smart…I should be able to figure it out, but my head is already pounding, and it makes it hard to throw sense into things.”

He nodded and immediately hugged me. Stroking my head slowly, he whispered, “It’s all right. I know what that term is and will explain it to you once you’ve gotten some rest. Don’t stress about it. The role is good. Far too good. It just makes you a target, though, if others find out about it, so please keep it between us for now.”

“Okay.” I had a strong feeling I’d be a target in this place anyways. I never fit in with my hair color alone, so I couldn’t imagine my prison life being any easier.

“Do you remember this woman’s name? Did she tell you it?”

“She did,” I began. “But…I’m struggling to remember.”

“It’s okay,” he assured me and patted my back. “It’ll come back when necessary.”

“Ryo.” My voice was at an all-time low. “If…I’m meant to love another person, would you be mad?”

Ryo didn’t get mad often, but if I was potentially destined to love more than one, would that tick him off? Would he dump me over it?

He held me a little tighter. “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “If that’s your destiny, I won’t be able to stop it. As to whether I’d be mad or not…depends on the person. If they treat you with the respect you deserve, then I’ll back off.”

“If they don’t?”

“Then they’ll get to suffer the entire time.” The way he said it made me imagine his ongoing torment towards this person until they either had enough or started to submit to his demands.

Scary.

“We’ll worry about that later,” he concluded.

“Ryo. What are we going to do about Nina?”

“What about that bitch?” Now he sounded pissed as fuck, to the point I had to lift my head and stare at his anger-filled expression.

“Oh, he’s mad mad,” Vix acknowledged. “Did he see what she did?”

“Were…you behind the glass during the fight?”

He slowly nodded. “After grabbing your beanie, I followed to where they took you. To my surprise, one of the agents from the organization that hired me was present on the case. He told me the party was a setup to lure powerful supernaturals to one place. Apparently, Josh found out last minute.”

“He injected me…before…” I couldn’t finish, looking away as the memory flashed through my mind. Ryo cupped my cheek and moved my head back so I could peer into his eyes that began to calm to their usual ocean blue.

“I saw his end. From what I was informed, he was supposed to take you into his pack.”

“He tried…but I declined.”

“By force, if necessary,” he added.

“Oh.”

“Well then…” Vix muttered.

“Why?” I asked.

“If he took you into his pack…well, you would have died pretty instantly. Your senses are strong and close to Alpha level. They targeted the building first and killed all his pack members. Only you two were outside during the first explosion. It was a direct hit and killed his members instantly. He felt every bit of that. If by chance anyone else had fought to survive, the second blow must have finished it. Due to your sensitivity in joining the pack, it would have been enough to stop your heart, and if it didn’t, Josh being killed would have been enough to send you into shock.”

“What did the injection do?”

“It put you in a temporary coma. Its triggering isn’t as fast in wolf shifters as it is in the standard human. He must have known if you declined, you’d be at risk. Also, if there was going to be an attack, chances are, you’d go and help rather than run away. He wanted you to run away. Injecting you would make your senses hyperactive, enough for you to have the urge to further your distance so you’d be given an opportunity to figure out what was happening. He needed you to be further away from him since he was the next target.”

“So…he saved me,” I concluded.

“Yes.”

“Why?” I couldn’t understand why he’d do that.

“As much as I hated Josh,” Ryo whispered, “he was a smart Alpha. He knew your potential and didn’t want to accept you into his pack because you’d be miserable, Ivy. Two strong Alphas are unlikely to stay in one pack unless they’re close friends or respect one another. Opposite gender Alphas are dangerous. If their unity isn’t out of a love interest, it’s only the start of a ticking time bomb that will go off when one of you is tired of taking orders from the other. He could have been honest with you about it, but I don’t think that’s Josh’s style of communication.”

“That means the WestWind pack…”

“Is gone,” Ryo confirmed. “No survivors. When I knew one of the agents was watching you like a hawk, I went back to try and scout out survivors. Nothing. They blamed the incident on a gas leak.”

“Seriously?”

“Shit is happening all over NYC, Ivy. Supernaturals are being kidnapped, odd disasters are occurring in multiple areas. Someone is pushing a lot of buttons, and any survivors seem to be kidnapped and sent to prison for crimes none of them committed.”

“Which is my case,” I concluded.

“Somewhat.” His reply made me arch an eyebrow in question.

“What do you mean?”

“Nina shouldn’t have been there.” There was his angered expression again. “The swift plan was for you to win all three rounds and be granted freedom. Then, we’d take you to somewhere safe while we figured shit out. However, someone had knocked out the last contender and became the replacement.”

“Nina,” I sighed. “How? How did she know I was here?”

“You’ve been unconscious for two weeks, Ivy. The coma really took a toll on you.”

“Two…weeks?!” I almost shrieked.

“Ya. We were so close to breaking our original plan, busting in and taking you ourselves, but then Vix woke up temporarily, and kicked one of the scientists in the balls before passing out again.”

Silence.

Uhhhh.

I had to look deep within my mind to see Vix’s wolf form. Her innocent, blinking eyes almost made me giggle when she paused in her rolling moment to look my way.

“I don’t recall that,” she defended.

“The lab guy was a douche. He kept complaining about why you weren’t awake and taking up space and that they should just kill you. Vix must had been tired of hearing it and quickly woke up, destroyed the room, and then kicked his balls and told him to shut up. Then she walked back to the medical bed and completely crashed.”

“Well…” I thought about it. “I applaud her.”

“YEAH! I’m not in trouble!” Vix’s response had me grinning.

“You’re not even going to scold her.”

“Not at all,” I concluded. “She was doing all of us a favor.”

“Hehehe.” Vix went right back to rolling, something she did while absorbing information for reference later.

“Do you think someone sent Nina to fight me?”

“No doubt about that one.” Ryo’s voice became stern once more. “Looks like they would have set you up either way.”

“Elaborate, please.” I wasn’t following.

“Whoever sent Nina knew that things could go in one of two directions. One path would be that you wouldn’t be able to kill her, resulting in you losing, which would have led to your death. The other option would have been you killing Nina and obtaining freedom. However, it seems that if you would have done that, a warrant would have been sent with your lovely face on it, spreading the lie that you killed a supernatural.”

“Okay…” I needed a moment. “So…I can’t be claimed a killer since Nina lived and tried to kill me.”

“Technically, you’re dead.”

“And you lost me again.” I frowned and gave him an odd look. “I’m right here.”

“You’re not actually dead, Ivy Bug,” he assured me and kissed me quickly to emphasize it. “You technically stopped breathing when Nina kicked you into a seizure. All of that was caught on tape, including Omarion and another guard dragging your body out of the room, which I didn’t approve of. I’ve already kicked their asses for even handling you that way.”

“You kicked Omarion’s ass?” I looked at him in disbelief.

“He’s soft around the edges, but ya. I kicked him in the ass and warned him if he handles you like that again, I’d fight him.”

“Must be nice to be eternal.” I shook my head. “You put yourself in the most dangerous situations.”

“He should be handling my mate with care.”

“How romantic,” I teased with a slight grin. “Okay, so I died on camera, so what?”

“Well, we’d thankfully backed the files up since someone infiltrated and deleted the file, but we think the person who planned for your death saw the footage.”

“Why do I have a feeling I know who this person is?”

“It’s because you do,” Ryo revealed. “Malachite is one of the individuals who ordered the attack at the party.”

“Ugh,” I groaned. “Please tell me he’s gone.”

“For now,” Ryo noted.

“What about Nina? If she was sent by Malachite or someone else to kill me, isn’t she going to report that I’m alive?”

“Nope. She obtained freedom from ‘winning’ the match and was escorted out. The fight wasn’t conducted within Psychic Prison’s property. This place may be easier to get into, but it’s a bit of a pain to get out of. She has no access to enter here. Therefore, if she’s working under Malachite, they won’t be on our radar for a while.”

“She’ll be enjoying the praise for killing me,” I muttered and looked away. “Fuck, Ryo. She believes I killed her mom.”

“She’s clearly delusional. That, or Malachite did something to her. Who knows her story? But as of now, you’re deemed dead. There’s a certificate and everything.”

“Does that mean I can’t go by the name of Ivy?”

“You still can. Ivy Vixen is different from Ivy Moonrise.”

“I thought they changed my birth certificate?”

“For the facility, apparently, they went with what you said, but your actual birth certificate on file was Moonrise, and you were deemed missing. Anyone who knew you as Ivy Vixen is either dead or has no association with this place. Omarion did warn me that there is the slight chance that some prisoners are spies for other organizations, but we can deal with that when the time comes.”

“So…being in prison is like a blessing in disguise?” I tried to perceive everything as a whole. “If I’d obtained freedom, I would have been sentenced to Nina’s murder, which probably could have connected me to killing her mother, and maybe even right down to killing my family and pack. That would lead me to either a death sentence or life imprisonment. Right now, I’m still in prison but getting the better end of the stick?”

“A lot better,” he whispered and brushed my hair with his fingers. “However, there’s more.”

“Oh?”

“See, Psychic Prison for Supernaturals works in levels. The first level is the common floor for humans and anyone else they deem as ‘weak’. Next up is Level Two. That’s where they have many shifters and those that have some power. Level Three is for extremely powerful, dangerous, lethal types of supernaturals. From what Omarion told me, there’s only a few, maybe ten to twelve, and they usually have masters that own them.”

He paused when I arched an eyebrow in clear disapproval.

“I’m not finished.”

“That Omarion guy said my masters would be here. Does that mean I’m a Level Three?”

“Not necessarily.” He lifted his hand to lightly chop my forehead.

“Hey.”

“Let me finish.” I knew he hated when I interrupted him while he’s on an explanation splurge. “Finally, there’s Level Four. Don’t go there.”

“That’s it?” I questioned. “Nothing more about the ‘don’t go there’ floor?”

“I have a feeling if I explain, you’re going to figure out a way to try and go there.”

“You’re not wrong.” I was a curious wolf that loved to explore where I wasn’t allowed to go. He knew from the facility where I’d occasionally go into offices and places just to be a little rebellious in my own way.

“Those who go to Level Four are the supernaturals that want to commit suicide,” he revealed.

“Huh? You mean they go down there just to kill themselves? Can’t they do that on, like, any floor?”

“No, you’re not getting what I mean.” He shook his head. “Level Four is destined for dangerous gods, extremely rare supernaturals, and probably the devil himself. They stay on that floor on purpose, Ivy Bug.”

“On purpose? Meaning they voluntarily live down there?”

“Exactly,” he confirmed. “Meaning, they’re doing the world a favor. They’re paid or given whatever they desire to remain down on that level. It doesn’t mean they don’t go out on occasion, but do you notice when there are random natural disasters that come out of nowhere?”

“Ya?”

“Those individuals are sometimes the cause of it.”

“No fucking way!”

“Yup.” He nodded. “I didn’t believe it either, but Omarion showed me a few prime examples that shut me up real quick. Those prisoners who go down there have three main reasons. The first one is to try and escape the prison. Since these beings are allowed to leave whenever they wish, there are a few exits for them. However, there’s normally always one of them that is down there, and they have a large appetite.”

I swallowed hard, imagining a shifter that ate other supernaturals for the hell of it.

“The second reason is when they’re thrown there by other prisoners. It’s happened a few times, and none of them have come out alive. Therefore, be careful. The final reason is that they’re tired of living in this hellhole and they walk in there voluntarily. There’s access to the floor via the elevators, so if you want to take the challenge of surviving that floor or are basically done with life, you enter at your own risk. None of the guards stop anyone from going there.”

“Lovely,” I muttered. “Alright. No searching Level Four. Got it…wait. What am I then?”

“You were originally Level Three, but Doc says it may be a little too dangerous for you.”

“I feel a little insulted,” I admitted.

“Don’t be. Level Three needs a lot of connection for people to survive there, and I don’t have enough power to help you stay there as little as possible. You’d be able to handle yourself just fine in Level Two.”

“Does Level Two get masters?”

“Not necessarily,” he replied. “You were originally marked as Level Three, so when that happened you went straight to the bidding chart.”

“Stop.” I lifted my hand and gawked at him. “Bidding chart? What’s that?”

“You’re not going to like the explanation,”

“I don’t like any of this, but now you have my utmost attention,” I defended.

“There’s this underground bidding place for supernaturals that land themselves in priso-”

“I didn’t do-”

One look from him made me huff and cross my arms over my chest. “Continue.”

“Supernaturals that land themselves in prison, whether guilty or not. Anyone deemed a Category Three or below are automatically placed on the bidding board. The video of our fight with Nina had to be seen by someone among their higher management because you went up almost immediately after you were stabilized. Omarion was the one to inform me of what was going on and by the time I reached there and got through the initial clearing process, the bids were through the roof.”

“Clearing process?”

“They have to make it so you swear not to leak whatever you see within those walls.”

“But…”

“The exception are those we bid on. I’m allowed to tell you, but if I’m trying to share it with a complete stranger or a police force, it would be impossible. The spell would activate and it’s a living hell to deal with if it doesn’t kill you first,” he explained. “They have to also ensure you’re not trying to remove the prisoner from the prison.”

“Guess that isn’t your intention if I’m apparently dead,” I noted.

“That and it seems you’re safer within here,” he emphasized.

“Then if the bids were through the roof, how could you afford it? I mean, we have a few thousand in our joined account from years of savings…” I tried to reason it out.

“Ivy, sweetheart.” He actually looked amused. “The bids weren’t near the thousands.”

“Oh.” I pouted my lips. “Hundreds? I’m probably not that valuable.”

“Millions.”

There went my jaw, breath, and ability to gasp for air.

MILLIONS?!!!!

“He can’t be serious.” Vix was up and closing into the wall of my mind. “Who has that kind of money? We’ve never seen that type of money in our lives. We celebrated with cake when we saved a thousand bucks. How does someone bid millions on a wolf shifter?”

Neither of us could fathom anyone spending that amount of money on us. No way in hell could it be possible.

“Millions were the beginning bets, Ivy. You reached well into the billions near the end of it.”

I couldn’t even respond, my brain malfunctioning completely. Ivy was staring wide-mouthed in her upside-down position, even her paws remaining in their upright position, the two of us completely stunned by the news.

Ryo frowned before waving his hand over my face.

“Ivy? Vix? Anyone? Oh shit. Did I break you two? Hello?”

I swear he was doing that for a solid minute before I snapped out of it.

“W-Who has that money?” I questioned. “How did you afford that?! W-We don’t have that type of money, Lyroshina! Did you borrow money from the bank? No…the bank wouldn’t loan that much. Please don’t tell me you sold your phoenix feathers or something. Oh no! Please don’t say you sold your soul?! No one can have your soul but me! Who is it?! Who do I need to kill so you’re free?”

“Are you actually willing to commit a murder on my behalf?” He was genuinely intrigued.

“I would! Vix! Let’s go to Level Four and-”

“Alright, alright.” He held me tight, stalling my attempt to wiggle off his lap. “You’re not going anywhere. Jeez. I tell you not to go to that damn floor and it’s the first place you want to go.”

“You’re my man!”

“You’re more possessive than me!”

“Fuck being possessive! You’re my mate so anyone buying you is like a damn sin! Let them perish.”

“No one bought me,” he groaned.

“How did you get billions of dollars to win me?! Oh no! Did you lose? Don’t tell me you’re here to say goodbye and those master people are gonna whisk me away!”

“For fuck’s sake, Ivy! Let me finish!” He flicked my forehead.

“Ow!”

“Hush!” he silenced me in annoyance. “Yes, we won the bid, and it’s thanks to those four others that you weren’t sold to some sick, rich psycho! They’ll be here shortly.”

“Does that mean you’re one of my masters?”

“Yes.” He bobbed his head and sighed. “However, there’s just one tiny problem.”

“Oh no,” I whined. “Don’t tell me we have to kiss their feet and follow their every command?”

“I don’t have to do anything,” he sighed. “As to you, no. You’re not kissing anyone’s feet.”

“And following every command?”

“That’s…to a certain extent.”

“Great.” Now I wanted to curl up and hide. “What were the prerequisites? Let me guess. I’m a sex slave now.”

“Why is that the first thing that pops in your mind?”

“Because it’s like the general thing that happens when a man has complete power over a woman,” I answered truthfully. “Why do you think sex trafficking is at an all-time high, and foster females get birth control the moment they get their period? At least if we’re raped, we’re not going to get pregnant and deal with raising a child that is immediately forced into the same practices when they’re but a kid.”

He was left speechless, and I shrugged. “Did we ever have this type of conversation before?”

“No.”

“Well, that’s my philosophy on that,” I concluded. “From your reaction, I’m not a sex slave.”

“No,” he growled. “I’d never approve of that.”

“Then what did you approve of?”

“They…want to form a pack with you,” he revealed.

Now that’s off.

“Why would they, my new apparent masters, want to form a pack with me, and are you referring to pack like where they would be under me? Or a romantic pack bond?”

He blinked with a clueless expression and I cringed.

“You agreed for me to be the Alpha of a pack of men, but didn’t specify if it would be romantic or not?!”

“I…didn’t think there was a romantic part to it…” He trailed off and cursed. Lifting me up, he lowered me to the bench and headed straight to the door. “I’ll be bac-”

He stopped and moved two steps back, in time for the door to unlock and swing open.

Vix rolled off her back and almost took control if I hadn’t held her with a bit of restraint, our eyes landing on a tall, built man in black.

He didn’t wait for any approval as he walked in, revealing three others.

The next man in view paused in the doorway, giving me enough time to get a better look at his appearance.

He was 6′6″, the tallest in the group, with lilac hair that was layered with grey highlights. It was hard to even tell when it was mixed with the pastel purple, but due to its long and slightly curly body, you could have easily mistaken him for a woman from behind.

He was Caucasian, his skin extremely smooth, and almost had an ashy grey tone. There were no obvious signs that he was unhealthy in any way, so that could have been his skin tone, reminding me of a pale vampire, almost.

His eyes were a darker purple, polar opposite to his hair color, and he wore a white shirt with a bunch of random logos on it and blue jeans. His hands were in his pockets, but I could see the multiple beads on both of his wrists, each bead having a symbol on it.

His shoes were white like his shirt, with a similar logo design, and he definitely had a wealthy glow about him. He finally moved out of the way, and I needed to take a few blinks because the hit of color was blinding my eyes.

Two individuals stood there, both of them almost identical to one another. They both stood at 6′2″ in height with piercing gold eyes. They had short black hair and were clearly of Asian heritage, looking to be Chinese if I had to guess.

The differences were in their hair and clothing.

The twin to the left had white strands in his hair, and his whole outfit was red, orange, and yellow. His t-shirt was a mixture of all three, while his black jeans had paint splashes in a designer fashion with the same color combination.

Black boots and a black leather jacket finished the look.

His twin to the right was wearing a green, purple, blue t-shirt with white jeans, white shoes, and a white leather jacket. His hair had purple strands, another significant difference versus his twin’s white highlights.

They basically looked polar opposite in fashion, from light to dark with a splash of the damn color wheel. Their clothing looked high-end, but also foreign. Even with my lack of exposure to the expensive fashion market, it was clear their clothes were high-branded but with the Chinese characters in some of the splashed paint spots, I could only assume it was a Chinese brand.

They entered the room, the door closing on its own.

“We’re here,” the twins announced. “Yo, Ryo.”

Ryo grimaced, which only made the twins tilt their heads in confusion.

“What did we do?” they asked.

“Not what you did,” Ryo sighed. “I think I fucked up with our agreement.”

“Did you?” Lilac responded. His voice was so soothing, and I had to wonder what type of supernatural would have a melodic voice like his.

“Does the contract mean you guys want Ivy romantically?” he questioned.

The twins and lilac dude exchanged a look.

“Doesn’t have to be,” the twins replied with a shrug, slipping their hands into their pockets.

“If she doesn’t like that, who cares?” Lilac hair answered, his calm expression remaining.

I almost felt relieved until the first guy took a few steps forward until he was facing Ryo. That gave me a chance to quickly observe him at his 6′3″ height.

His red hair surpassed his shoulders and I could see a hint of his red eyes and the slight hint of purple. It was hard to tell, especially when it also looked black.

He was literally wearing all black from his shirt down to his shoes. It was pretty obvious that he was pissed off, just like when he’d entered, and his anger only seemed to grow from Ryo’s statement.

“A deal is a deal. Yes, we meant romantically,” he declared.

The ‘light’ twin leaned over to his brother and whispered, “Is Zane moody because he lost his hair tie?”

Hold up. Did he say Zane? Wasn’t that the guy that was talking to the Doc dude?

“He didn’t lose it,” Dark Twin replied. “One of the guards tried to take it.”

“Is he still alive?” Light Twin wondered.

“Don’t think so.” Dark Twin shrugged. “He got sucked into that dark cloud of hell or whatever. You know that usually means they’re dead.”

“He’s dead,” Lilac confirmed.

“Oh,” the twins commented and looked at the tall man. “Well, if Glynn confirmed it, let his soul rest in peace.”

I wasn’t sure if I was more blown away by their synchronicity, or still reeling from the fact that this guy was the Zane dude.

“Your pack mates seem perfectly fine about not having a romantic relationship with Ivy.”

“Well, I’m not!” He crossed his arms and glared back at Ryo. “I’m the Alpha of our pack so what I say goes.”

“She’s my mate.”

“You’re not a wolf.”

“Don’t have to be.”

“Bullshit. You can’t mate with a wolf, especially an Alpha one. Why don’t you stop this delusional crap? I only tolerated it since you have close relations with Theo, Leo, and the rest of the Hudson family. Now that the bidding is over, we don’t need to get along.”

“Well…it is a little easier,” Light Twin noted. “Right, Theo?”

“Definitely easier,” Theo replied, “Don’t you agree with Leo, Glynn?”

“I don’t care,” Glynn replied casually. “Are we done here? I’m hungry.”

“You’re always hungry,” Leo and Theo noted.

“We just got back from Alberta,” Glynn mumbled. “You didn’t let us eat when we visited the Blessed Lake pack.”

“We arrived there late, and they were busy solving matters. Why waste their time?” Leo commented.

“Plus, didn’t they just have a kid? It’s rude to request food when they’re embracing the parent life,” Theo added. “They helped us get the answers we needed about the recent killings. They’re handling the Canadian stuff, so we gotta start doing our part over here.”

“At least they’re not dealing with supernatural kidnappings and shit. I swear it feels like they’re from another planet,” Leo tsked and sighed. “I’m hungry, though.”

“Shut up guys!” Zane snapped. “We’ll discuss those matters later.”

“She can’t have a romantic relationship unless she wants it.”

“Says who? That wasn’t in the terms and conditions,” Zane huffed.

“You’re right, but neither is the statement that she has to be romantically involved with you guys. We agreed that she’d be willing to help make a pack with you guys. Nothing stated you’d be kissing, hugging, or even fucking. No one is touching her without her solemn permission.”

“She’s our property. We bought her.”

“We bid for her safety. Not to fucking own her. She’s not an object.”

“Stop fucking arguing with me. You’re not an Alpha, wolf, or anyone significant. Why don’t you stand at the back of the line seeing as you’re in debt to us? You think you would have won with the chump change you had?”

“Chump change or not, she’s alive because of me. Otherwise, you would have had nothing to bid on. And don’t fuckin start with me. I don’t need to be an Alpha or a wolf to tear your asshole open.”

The temperature in the room began to escalate rapidly, enough for it to feel like we were now sitting in a sauna.

“And we’re gonna die,” Theo announced. “I hate the heat.”

“This is absolutely lovely. Hey, Ryo, before you go all phoenix shit on everyone, can you turn it up a little more?” Leo questioned.

“I’m hungry,” Glynn announced again, looking a little irritated. “Can we fight later?”

“She’s ours now! Go fuck off!”

“Say she’s yours one more time…” Ryo’s voice was deadly, and even his hair was beginning to levitate as its usually blond texture began to ignite into orange tinsel strands.

“Shouldn’t we like…interfere?”

Hmm? Oh. Should we?

“Why do you sound pleased?”

Well, they are about to fight to the death for us. That’s kinda hot.

“You’re not serious.”

Totally am, but think about it. Isn’t it even a little bit hot to see a total stranger and Ryo fighting to the death for you? Kinda romantic.

“Why do I feel like you’d be one of those people who fall in love with a serial killer?”

Neither of them are serial killers.

“Do you not remember what Doc said? He’s Malachite’s son!”

That minor detail clicked in.

Oh fuck!

I was up and between them in a second, and I pointed my finger against Zane’s chest.

“Enough!” I growled, feeling Vix’s power overflow me as a backup. “First of all, I’m right fucking here, and I can defend my damn self! Second, I am NOT property. I don’t care how much fucking money you spent on me. You’ll treat me with respect. Third, Ryo is my damn mate, and it doesn’t matter if he’s not a wolf shifter because you don’t know jack shit! Finally, don’t come waltzing in here, saying you own shit when you can’t even introduce your damn self!”

Our eyes locked onto one another’s in fierce glares, and I noticed that his red eyes had a purple magic circle that had hints of black. It was one of those types of magic circles that would ward off a demon of some kind.

The purple began to fade, being replaced by solid black as his glare intensified. It didn’t faze me at all, my eyes narrowing further as a growl escaped me.

Then something crazy happened.

We both hissed, and I quickly lifted my left hand while he lifted his right. My eyes widened, noticing the back of his hand had a similar ward symbol to his eyes.

It was a red circle with a black outlined star, each point hitting the line of the circle, and within the triangles was a floating flame while the outside parts of the star held a single tiny black orb in the middle.

The intense light only grew, and we all watched as a circle began to outline along my flesh, the red tinge of light the same as his as it completed the circle and then shifted to a dim black glow as the lines began to cross until an outline of a star formed.

No fucking way.

The red light was back as it created the flame symbols, and last were the black dots of light, filling the middle of the outer spaces of the star.

When it finished, both hands dimmed in power, revealing his tattoo that looked like it had been upon his flesh for some time while mine looked freshly created.

No one spoke, and we slowly looked up to meet each other’s eyes once more.

We didn’t need to say anything. Our wolves answered for us.

“Mate,” Vix announced with a possessive power.

The room was pin-drop silence as we remained in our very spots, the realization of what this new symbol meant finally hitting me like a ton of bricks.

Holy fucking shit of all heavens. I just met my mate…in jail?

PRISON AT THE GOLDEN AGE OF TWENTY

We were all frozen in place, no one wanting to make the first move after the newest shocking discovery.

Vix. Tell me this is a fucking joke. Please? Pretty please.

“It’s…not. Also, he can hear you.”

What?! What do you mean he can hear me? I’m not talking out loud.

“You don’t have to, idiot.”

My jaw dropped open at the intrusion of his voice in my mind, and then I swore something clicked the wrong way in my head.

“Uh oh,” Glynn declared.

“Ivy?” Ryo whispered.

“Fuck, before you throw a damn tan-”

“OUT!” My voice boomed through the room, enough to make the damn floor shake, before the door whisked open and the four them were literally tossed out with the storming gust of wind.

Before any of them could scramble up, I was right in Zane’s face, my possessive eyes darting into his.

“Don’t. You. Dare. Enter. My. Mind. Without. My. Permission.” I accentuated every single word, feeling the mass of rage for the sudden breach of privacy pulsating through me. “Confirm.”

“I will not dare enter your mind without your permission,” he quietly muttered back, not looking pleased with the forced obedience.

That’s all I needed to hear as I got up from my crouch, walked back into the room, and slammed the door with another rush of wind – hard enough for the room to quiver.

Everything was silent as I began to pace from one end of the room to another, muttering complete gibberish while my mind tried to get rid of his damn mental presence.

It was like in that split second, I could feel every bit of him. The rile of his emotions, the shock of the sudden connection, and a deep-rooted emotional combination of anger, hatred, and utter disgust.

The distance between the walls of this white barricade still wasn’t enough to completely shut out those coursing feelings, and my act of defiance suddenly made all of this worse.

I swiftly turned to what seemed to be the one-hundredth stride to one end of the room when I reached something hard, hands gripping my arms to stop me from the automatic response of throwing another fit.

“Ivy.”

That possessive tone already ticked me off, and I was glaring up at him, ready to give him a taste of his own share of ‘do not fuck with me right now’.

I’d never felt so angry, and I had no clue where it was stemming from.

His eyes suddenly shifted from their golden orange back to a crisp blue, and he wrapped his arms around me tightly.

I tried to push him away, but he kept hugging me, and then his lips pressed against the left side of my neck. The tender touch was extremely cold, like my skin was on fire, but the longer those soft lips remained in place, the more the strong, cooling flow of clarity rushed through me like a waterfall.

It felt as though I now stood under rushing waters, the cold streams cooling off the extensive burn of rage that almost made me lose it.

My body paused in its desire to push away, and then I was hugging him back tightly, my mind becoming more like myself as the last bits of clouded rage dispersed.

I thought to open my eyes, but I suddenly couldn’t and now I was falling into darkness, feeling torn between two bursting powers of burning calm and raging desire.

Why is this the start of my prison life, especially at the golden age of twenty?

~LYROSHINA~

“FUCK! IVY? IVY? VIX?”

I scooped her up, just as the door swung open and the four males in question came rushing in.

Before I could even speak, Theo came forward. “Lay her down on the bench.”

The phoenix side of me wanted to disobey but the owl part of me knew that would be childish and risky in Ivy’s fragile state. She was already looking paler than before, and her hands were visibly shaking.

I followed his command, laying her down slowly and moving aside to give him a good view. Glynn moved to stand next to Theo while myself, Leo, and the anger management asshole shuffled over to the far right of the room to give them space.

Theo knelt down to the ground, his gold eyes scanning her from head to toe, while Glynn crossed his arms over his chest and looked over to me.

“What pre-existing condition does she have?”

“Pain spasms that she controls with daily medication. They can trigger seizures, and she still has PTSD, but she hasn’t dealt with panic attacks as of late. No allergies, but be careful what you say around her. She sometimes awakes mid-sleep due to certain words and attacks people,” I explained like I would to any medical professional.

I expected him to seem surprised, but he nodded and looked back at Ivy.

“Manageable,” he concluded. “Theo?”

“When was the last time she took her meds?”

“She didn’t take any today and she’s been out for two weeks,” I reminded.

“Can one of you guys get me her meds? I can keep her stable but she’s literally on the verge of a seizure.”

We all froze at the news before I was ready to dart out of the room to get her meds. Or fucking teleport.

“I’ll go.”

We all looked to see the grumpy king of all assholes.

“I can go,” I announced.

“You’re right, you could go, but the pharmacist won’t give you shit because you didn’t pick up your master’s badge yet. So stay here so she doesn’t freak the fuck out from your lack of existence and I’ll get it.”

He didn’t even wait for my arguments as he turned around, slipping his hands in his pocket, and headed to the door. “Glynn. Make sure no one comes around here. When this is sorted, we’ll extend the temporary room until she can find a suitable cellmate.”

“Got it,” Glynn replied.

He left after that, the door closing before Leo whistled.

“Well praise the heavens and all things holy. Did we just witness our grumpy leader go off to get the wolf princess her meds?”

“If I wasn’t so concentrated on this, I would need to replay what occurred with my magic to see if there were any illusionists around,” Theo emphasized.

“This is all his fault,” I muttered, grabbing their attention as I clenched my fists in anger. My flames were just as mad as the phoenix burning within, on the verge of bursting through its chains and seeking revenge on all those who hurt our Ivy.

“True, but you gotta have some lenience here,” Leo reasoned. “He walked into a room to meet the woman he’s apparently supposed to watch over and finds out she’s his mate. You do realize how strong mate awakenings are. I’m surprised he isn’t as shaken up as he should be.”

“He is and just isn’t showing it,” Theo revealed, grabbing our attention as he rose up and clapped his hands.

“Sweet Moon of all creation, keep safe what is precious to our salvation. Revoke the trembles that fight to convulse in frenzy and deliver waves of healing and calmness as our queen recovers from her destined awakening and the imprisonment of injustice laid upon her.”

Her frame began to be engulfed in a golden red, the colors shifting to a soft blue-purple and ending with lime green. The light began to dim, only remaining around her head as a few of her strands lifted slightly from the passing energies.

When it completely dimmed, she was sleeping peacefully. That innocent expression she always had in deep sleep had returned and her skin was back to its usual tanned complexion.

I walked around and knelt down to the floor, my hand brushing her soft skin and moving to run through her short locks.

“You’re going to be okay, Ivy Bug,” I quietly whispered to her.

“She should be okay. When she wakes up, give her her meds and make sure she takes them regularly again. I can figure out something better once she adjusts to this place. Doing anything now may be tricky when I’m not sure about her response to the air quality in here, not to mention any potential risks or fights,” Theo explained.

“Wish we could just get her out of here,” Leo muttered. “I obviously know why we can’t but still.”

“What are we going to do about what just happened?” Glynn got to the point. “I’m sure Zane isn’t showing shit, but that had to have affected him big time.”

“What do you mean?” I decided to ask.

Glynn moved to lean against the wall, crossing his arms while his calm eyes locked onto us. “Wolf mates aren’t as common as people think. There are two types. One is when two wolves grow an intense bond, enough for it to trigger a mating bond. The other is what’s known as a royal bond. Meaning, two shifters of royal backgrounds that are intertwined by Mother Moon herself. It means that they are destined to be with one another, and from the few royal mates I’ve seen in our vast wolf community, they’re usually Alphas. Why it’s especially rare is because Female Wolf Alphas are extremely rare. It’s like one in ten thousand, and they usually get hunted.”

“Hunted?” That didn’t make sense to me. “Why would they hunt a rare type of breed? If they know an Alpha female is extremely powerful and can benefit the pack, wouldn’t they protect them?”

“That’s the problem with male wolf mentality.” Leo sighed as his eyes grew grim. “The wolf shifter population is dominated by males. Powerful, old school men who basically thrive on dominance and complete submission. They expect female wolves to be nothing but submissive, which is usually the case. Even if they are a little rebellious, the Alpha normally shuts down that behavior and punishes them until they realize they are like their peers and must follow every command of their Alpha.”

Glynn nodded, closing his eyes for a brief moment.

“Unless an Alpha is the father of the female wolf. Then they may get away with being a future Alpha, but again, that’s rare and frowned upon. Packs have been wiped out due to the discovery of a growing Alpha female, and some have had to send their children far away or completely disconnect them from the wolf community to give them a chance to grow into their own person without the negative and punishable influence of the wolf pack or community.”

I slowly nodded, returning my eyes to Ivy.

“Her whole pack was slain. No reasoning, no arrests, nothing.”

“She’s definitely an Alpha. No doubt about it. Her father must have been Alpha, and her pack maybe was encouraging rapid growth. You don’t need to be full of magic to feel her commanding energy, and for her to make Zane comply is a shocker.”

“Is Zane actually the Alpha of your pack? Why would you need Ivy then?”

“Zane…well…” Theo looked conflicted while Leo reached up to ruffle his hair. “Zane’s Alpha power is half blocked.”

“Blocked?” I questioned. “That’s not possible.”

“It is when your dad’s a fucking douche and wants you to fall to your own demise,” Glynn grumbled.

“His dad…blocked his Alpha ability?”

“Yes,” all three of them said, followed with Glynn whispering, “We can’t say more than that. Zane will kill us. So we’re technically not a pack, but the bond is enough to keep us together.”

“What are we going to do now?” Leo questioned. “There’s no way Zane and Ivy are gonna get along, and to be fair, Ivy has a lot on her plate. We only got to remain her “masters” because of her original Level Three status. We won’t have much privacy when she’s thrown into a temporary living space.”

“She also has to adapt to the crazies in here. Don’t think she can do that when she’s worried about Zane dropping in on her emotions.”

“How deeply rooted is this connection?” I asked, as I’d never really looked into the details of the mating bond.

“Aren’t you two bonded?” Theo asked.

I slowly nodded, tugging down my shirt and closing my eyes as I felt the sensitive spot of my bonded mark begin to burn against my flesh.

“Oh shit,” Theo and Leo declared.

“You’re actually bonded with her,” Glynn said in astonishment. “Then aren’t you able to communicate through your minds?”

“We can on occasion, but we don’t normally use it unless it’s an emergency.”

“What about emotions? Can you feel if she’s upset, sad, happy, angry? Not like if you’re in the same room as her, but from a distance.”

“No,” I bluntly replied.

“Hmm. When royal wolves bond, they feel and hear everything. All your thoughts, and they can feel any emotions you try to hide. You basically become a single unit. It’s frustrating, but it brings the two individuals closer together and it always benefits them and the pack in the long run.”

“Just the initial setup is a pain in the ass if the two bonded wolves aren’t familiar with one another.” Theo shook his head.

“We recently met a female Alpha like that. She’s royal bonded and they’re like super compatible. They work well in combat and everything. It’s almost like watching art unfold when they fight. We were lucky to get a glimpse of it, but they’ve known each other since they were little kids.”

I merely bobbed my head at the revelation, feeling icky about my sudden lack of connection with Ivy. I’d have to look into it more, but I couldn’t worry about it now or I’d get upset and start burning shit.

“Never would have thought an Alpha wolf could bond with a completely different shifter. Aren’t you a hybrid?” Glynn changed the subject.

“Owl Phoenix,” I declared. “And I’m only telling you since I’m friends with Theo and Leo. Don’t go spreading that around. My hybrid breed is pretty much extinct.”

“Wait…you’re the last one now?” Theo looked concerned.

“What happened to your parents and brother?” Leo questioned.

“Parents…no longer alive. Brother, I’m not sure,” I promptly responded.

“You two…don’t keep in touch anymore?” Theo hesitantly asked.

“It was my decision.” I shut the topic down with my response and rose up from the floor.

Picking Ivy up with ease, her head rested against my chest while her legs dangled over my right arm.

“We should take her back to her main cell before someone else finds out we’re here. Thankfully no one came to investigate the shaking from earlier.”

“Zane must have distracted them when going to get the meds.” Glynn pushed off the wall. “What’s the plan?”

I thought about it, my eyes scanning Ivy’s sleeping figure once more. I knew Ivy’s strengths and weaknesses, but if she had to deal with too much at once, it left her in a frozen state of panic.

“She needs to get comfortable in this place first,” I announced. “Ivy has panic tendencies, especially when she tries to juggle far too much at once. I don’t know if you guys distancing yourselves a bit is going to hurt her, especially with the asshole.”

“Zane?” Theo and Leo clarified.

“Ya,” I muttered, watching them grin in unison.

“He’s not that bad,” they encouraged.

“Rough around the edges with poking spikes coming out like a porcupine,” Glynn whispered.

“Exactly!” Theo and Leo beamed at the example. “See? Not too bad.”

“That sounds horrible,” I groaned. “Anyways, the priority is that we have to figure out the rules of this place and when we can be here. I’m sure we’ll have to negotiate with the commander, seeing as they’ve already got our money so they can’t back down from our demands. Ivy will remain in Level Two, even on the off chance she’s a Level Three. The prison may put her in a temporary cell with others until we can choose something more suitable and hopefully give us a little more privacy.”

I took another moment to think.

“Ivy and Vixen are tough. They won’t have too much trouble adapting, but she’s someone who gets protective real fast if someone tries to cross boundaries with her. We can’t do anything about what happens with other prisoners, but I don’t want all of us leaving this place and having her here alone.”

“Omarion may be on watch, but he’s assigned to multiple prisoners. I also believe he’s about to be assigned a new case and partner, so we may not be able to rely on him to keep watch,” Leo explained.

“Our boss says we can stay here as long as we need and have access in and out,” Theo declared. “One of us can keep low each week, but I think we should give Ivy loads of space until we figure out what’s going on.”

“We don’t need to be romantic with her if that’s not to her liking,” Glynn emphasized. “Zane just likes pushing unnecessary buttons to tick people off. Not sure if he’s even attracted to her, but with that royal bond in place, it may be hard for them to stay apart.”

“So he has to stay close,” I said with a sigh.

“He can stay close in the hidden shadows?” Theo and Leo suggested.

“How is he going to do that?” I asked.

“Zane’s a hybrid,” Glynn announced. “Half wolf, half demon.”

“Huh?” I frowned. “Wait, that’s possible?”

Theo and Leo laughed. “We’re half wolf, half fae and you were perfectly fine with that,” they declared.

“Well…ya, cause that’s believable. How the hell do a wolf and demon mate?”

“Simple.” Glynn shrugged. “The demon forces itself upon the wolf.”

I shut right up, and Glynn merely gave another shrug. “We’re all hybrids. I’m half wolf, half gargoyle, though my parents actually respected one another and mated that way. Wolf hybrids are more common nowadays, with the world growing into a supernatural nest of various shifters and species. It’s obviously more common down here in the US, but Canada is pretty strict with their mating laws amongst wolves. When you go over there, it’s almost like going back in time. Intriguing when you think about it, and even more so when you witness it yourself.”

“Isn’t Zane supposed to be back now?” Theo questioned.

“Knowing him, he probably got lost.” Leo sighed. “He’s so fucking stubborn. He always volunteers for shit and then gets lost. Never knew a wolf could be so directionally challenged.”

“Is he always angry?”

“Yes,” all three of them declared.

“Is that due to his demon side?”

“We believe so,” Theo and Leo replied.

“It could have been why Ivy went from protective to raging in a few seconds.”

“That…was so unexpected,” Theo admitted.

“Hold up.” Leo crossed his arms over his chest and looked my way. “The file said she was an average wolf shifter. How the hell was she able to throw us out with wind?”

The three of them looked at me, leaving no choice but to spill the beans.

“She’s a Mageri Wolf Alpha.”

The three of their eyes went wide, and they all cursed.

“Well fuck,” Theo and Leo replied.

“What?” I wasn’t understanding their reactions.

“We got a triple threat here,” Glynn announced.

“Still not understanding,” I noted.

“Do you know anything about her family background?”

“Not…really? She said she couldn’t find anything and she was only six when her entire pack was murdered.”

“Well, we have something to do while she gets used to prison,” Glynn declared, his voice suddenly stern like a rock. “Because I think we have a potential Monarch.”

“What?” I shook my head. “She can’t be a Monarch. She’s not of royal background. Nor does she have twin souls. That’s what most Monarchs have, right?”

“You’re not wrong,” Glynn began, “but wolf shifter Monarchs don’t need twin souls. Wolf shifters bring wisdom with them but hold a good amount of power. Alphas are blessed with extreme power. That’s why they have the ability to bring random wolves together and can lead them. The combination topped with royal blood would make them a potential Monarch. Now you just revealed she’s a Mageri. That’s a person who can use all elemental magic as a base, by the way. If she learns the common basics, she can start conducting other spells that are usually deemed for witches.”

“Which means,” Leo began, following up Theo, “your mate is a royal triple threat of power, wisdom, and badassery.”

“I can say this now. She’s a Wolf Monarch. However, Zane said something about her not being awakened yet,” Leo noted.

“Ya…we’ve talked about that. When she’s awakened, her hair will start growing longer, right? It’s always stayed this short,” I admitted.

Glynn nodded. “She’s only not demonstrating Monarch vibes because she’s not awakened yet. The moment that happens, her true potential will light up like multiple fireworks, and everyone will be able to sense it.”

“We’re gonna have to tell Zane about this,” Theo emphasized.

“Why?” I asked.

The three of them exchanged a nervous look and glanced back at me.

“He thinks his dad is the one who sent that mixed girl to come and kill Ivy,” Leo and Theo announced.

I gawked at them as I tried to wrap my head about this discovery.

“You’re not saying Zane’s dad is-”

“Malachite.”

We all turned to the door, seeing Zane tossing a medical bottle up and down.

“Malachite is my demon father, who raped my wolf Alpha mother and had little old me. Are we done with the introductions? Cause I’m not in the fucking mood.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked down at Ivy.

This news is going to kill her.

~ZANE~

MY CLENCHED FIST pounded against the concrete walls for what seemed like the tenth time, helping me not focus on the vomit that left my mouth with whatever was left of yesterday’s breakfast.

I dry heaved and pressed my forehead against the wall for support, closing my eyes shut and hoping the dizziness would pass.

Never in a million years would I have envisioned myself in the discreet corner of a prison, vomiting my ass off and struggling to gather the pieces of myself after experiencing the impossible.

Did I find my mate? Impossible. No fucking way.

Shaking my head like a mad man, I pounded the wall again, enough to bruise the side of my right hand. The stinging pain was nothing to me, the whirlwind of all that had happened and the lingering emotions tussling through me merely numbed anything physical.

Moving away from the pile of stomach concoction, I rested against the opposite wall, fighting for breath as sweat dripped down the side of my face.

Closing my eyes, I immediately saw that woman’s wide eyes - those grey orbs that shifted into gold, and then to a mixture of pink-purple-blue.

That’s when her emotions crashed into me, the flashes of her past experiences and the agony she’d endured all alone.

I’d fought to keep it together, but then I realized what that initiation had done. My riled-up anger coursed through her, triggering a reaction that had her in my face and declaring I never enter her mental space without permission.

Never had a woman handled me like that, and it pissed me the fuck off. The shock of it all made her pass right out after, and I decided to be the fucking hero of the day and get her pills.

The perfect chance for me to be here, vomiting my guts out and not humiliating myself in front of the men I considered my brothers.

I knew without a doubt that Glynn would see right through me, a common trait of his gargoyle sight. He always knew when I was trying to hide shit, and he’d probably bring it up later.

Theo and Leo weren’t as perceptive, which was helpful in cases like this. Either way, when I lost my cool, they gave me space, and that was what I currently needed.

My body’s negative reaction wasn’t because of the new discovery that this woman - Ivy Moonrise - was my mate, but from the tornado of memories that still fought to remain in my head.

It had to be due to my Alpha qualities that I was experiencing this, but then I worried when this woman awakened, she’d know of my past.

My struggles, heartaches, torturous childhood, and daddy issues.

“Fuck,” I cursed and hit my head back against the wall.

“Stop worrying.”

The heaviness of the voice made me frown.

How long have you’ve been awake?

“Since you started puking our food from a day ago. Got a problem?”

Fuck off.

“Now, now. Keep your temper shit to yourself. I’m not the one you should be directing that short fuse at or I’ll make your life a living hell and let your little princess wolf get a dose of all your insecurities. What do you say?”

Sorry.

“See? Was that so hard? Show a little respect to your demon and your life will be less of a fucking hole of hell. Now hurry and get those meds. Not going to be perceived as a fucking baby.”

You’re an ass.

“Nothing new. Move it. Also, wash your damn mouth. Don’t need to taste vomit for the rest of the day.”

I held my tongue against the onslaught of comments I’d love to say, not like my own body didn’t give myself away to the damn demon within in.

My wolf, on the other hand, couldn’t give a flying shit about either of us. He was running around in celebration, feeling pumped to learn more about the bloody girl.

Stop running, you mutt!”

My wolf paused and just looked at me. He’d always been the quiet type, the far opposite from that demon son of an ass.

All he did was blink his eyes at me, and I mentally groaned.

Fine! Run all you want. I don’t give a fucking damn.

My wolf howled in response and went right back to running happily.

“At least he’ll sleep tonight and leave me the fuck alone. Always rolling to get my attention and shit. Doesn’t he know demons of hell deserve sleep? Fucker.”

Just admit you like how quiet he is and not a loud mother fucker like you.

“I can admit that. Or I’d kill all of us if I had to deal with more rubbish. You talk a lot as is.”

Leave me alone.

“Letting go of all your insecurities in three…two-”

Fuck! Sorry! Jeez. Stop threatening me, dammit. I already feel like shit!

“Fair.”

Pushing off the wall, I headed for the staff bathroom. No one was in it, thank the fucking moon, because I wasn’t going to deal with any more stupid interactions today.

If I can even state that meeting my mate was a stupid interaction.

Rinsing my mouth, I closed the tap and looked up into the mirror. Red eyes reflected back at me, those that matched the demon ass of a father, while the purple magic circles were from my beautiful mother.

I immediately looked away, shutting down those memories before they even tried to resurface.

She was gone now. Mother Moon took her to a better place than this rubbish hell full of hateful supernaturals.

Reaching for some paper towels, I patted my face and took a few inhales and exhales. I’d had my moment and now it was time to get back to business.

Heading out of the washroom, it didn’t take long to get to the pharmacy. One look at me, and the woman at the desk was up and attending to my request like I’d threatened her.

Not surprised. Everyone reacts that way.

When you had a dangerous demon within you, apparently everyone seemed to want to please you.

My hands ran through my hair, the annoying strands ticking me off. Why hadn’t I cut it all away? Two reasons, really; A, my demon would throw a hissy fit because he liked long hair or whatever bullshit he was trying to pull off with the reference of Lucifer maintaining waist-length hair, and B?

Short hair only makes me look like that bastard. My blood is enough of an association to that killer freak.

The woman rushed over with the bottle of pills and I glanced at it closely to ensure it was the right medication and dose. After checking the expiration date, I nodded.

“One more request,” I announced and pointed to her ponytail. “Hair tie.”

“R-Right!” She scrambled to find one on the desk, and when she didn’t, she immediately took the one from her head and offered to me.

“That’s the only one I have.”

It will do.

“Thanks.” I took the offered hair tie and began to make my way back to the white room. My body was trying to fight it, but there was a leap of excitement over heading back to that place, enough that it was increasing my steps.

I mentally cursed and slowed myself down, the action pure entertainment to my demon, who began to laugh.

“You’re fucked.”

Excuse me?

“It’s like love at first sight. Your heart is racing, and don’t go trying to ignore the tightness against your jeans. You’re going to fall so hard for this woman, it’ll piss you off. This should be one of those damn weekly shifter dramas. The Young and Royally Mated: Prison Edition. Fucking grand!”

This mother fucker!

“Don’t talk to me,” I growled out loud, reaching the door before I paused, needing a moment to zone out that bloody demon’s laughter.

I won’t fall for her. She’s probably some slut or whatever.

“Bullshit.” His voice then dropped as he whispered, “She’s everything you’ve secretly wanted in a woman and more, and it’ll drive you straight into madness. She’ll defy you and you’ll have no choice but to obey her every demand. I hope you enjoyed freedom, for it’s now wrapped around this woman’s finger, and once she’s awakened… Well, you’ll see for yourself.”

I said nothing in return, knowing damn well in my gut that when my demon said shit like that, he meant every single word.

Go to sleep!

“Gladly. Have fun stroking your hard cock.”

I bit my lip and tightened my hand around the bottle.

“Your mate is a royal triple threat of power, wisdom, and badassery.”

My ears twitched at the conversation, my Alpha senses helping me out in hearing the sentence that was spoken by Theo.

The room was soundproof, which was the reason we’d requested it. It was the usual place for solitary confinement of mentally ill prisoners who need a breakdown moment.

“I can say this now. She’s a Wolf Monarch. However, Zane said something about her not being awakened yet,” Leo acknowledged.

I personally didn’t like that they were talking about private information, but now that we were “masters” with this dude, we’d need to be more transparent if we planned to keep this woman alive.

“Ya…we’ve talked about that. When she’s awakened, her hair will start growing longer, right? It’s always stayed this short,” Ryo admitted.

“She’s only not demonstrating Monarch vibes because she’s not awakened yet. The moment that happens, her true potential will light up like multiple fireworks, and everyone will be able to sense it,” Glynn explained.

“We’re gonna have to tell Zane about this,” Theo emphasized.

“Why?” Ryo asked.

There was a short silence, followed by the twins revealing the truth. “He thinks his dad is the one who sent that mixed girl to come and kill Ivy.”

“You’re not saying Zane’s dad is-” Ryo began, but I opened the door to make a dramatic entrance.

If they were going to talk about shit, I might as well be the primary person to reveal what was evidently my life predicament.

“Malachite.” My announcement had them all looking my way, and I tossed the bottle in my hand. “Malachite is my demon father who raped my wolf Alpha mother and had little old me. Are we done with the introductions? Cause I’m not in the fucking mood.”

That shut him up as the twins exchange a nervous look. Glynn was as calm as ever, walking over to me and retrieving the bottle that was falling back to my palm.

He turned and tossed the bottle to Theo, who caught it with ease.

“Take Ryo and go back to Ivy’s cell and stay around. I think it may be better to wait for her to wake up to discuss about the distancing thing, so she doesn’t suddenly think otherwise.”

The way he spoke didn’t leave room for questioning. He was commanding them to ignore his obvious attempt to talk to me alone and protect Ms. Sleeping Wolfie.

Fuck. I’m giving her nicknames now?

Theo and Leo nodded, and Ryo and Glynn shared a look before he also nodded. They moved past us, Ryo stopping next to me for a second.

“Thanks for getting her meds.”

My eyes were more focused on side-glancing at the woman he carried protectively in his arms. The burning tension between us was merely a quiet declaration that we weren’t going to get along.

Not like I gave a shit.

“Whatever,” I dismissed, tugging my eyes away and fighting the urge to have her in my arms instead.

They left the room, and Glynn closed the door.

“What took so long?”

“Stop acting like you don’t know shit,” I grumbled and walked over to the bench. Sitting down, I only regretted it. That woman’s scent was all over the soft fabric, wrapping around me like a lethal plague.

“Fuck.”

“The bond is that strong, huh?” He leaned against the door, crossing his arms and keeping his eyes closed. “I’m hungry.”

“I don’t care.”

“Your irritation scale is higher today than normal. Hmm. Do you want a hug? I know you love hugs.”

“Shut up!”

“Aww, don’t want your unconscious royal mate finding out?”

“This never should have happened.”

“Well that’s how fate works, my friend.” Glynn shrugged, his eyes still closed. “When she’s ready to fuck shit up, she does that and more. Obviously, it’s a blessing for you, but you hate female company so I’m not sure how this is going to go down.”

I gave up arguing with him, and he opened his eyes.

“We’re going to have to stick around closely.” He was getting to the obvious point. “No one said Moonrise was of royal blood.”

None of us knew about that very hidden detail. My eyes lowered to the mark on the back of my hand. The royal mark of my mother’s legacy was all I had left of her.

“You’re making it seem as though I have a choice now.”

“At least it won’t be completely horrible,” Glynn tried to brighten up the situation. “For you, that is.”

“You’re fucking enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“Living my best life internally. I would be happier externally, but I’m very tempted to go kill a guard and call it a day.”

“Ugh,” I groaned. “Go buy a burger or something.”

“Gotta make sure you ain’t going to lose your shit or throw people into the galactic orbit.”

“That guard didn’t reach that far.”

“You’re right, but he did die. Poor dude.”

“Good riddance,” I huffed. “Greedy hands who steal hair ties from people’s heads don’t deserve to live.”

“Says the guy who took someone else’s.”

“I asked.”

“I’d get rid of it, if I were you.”

“Why the fuck should I?” He of all people knew my annoyance with my hair getting in my face.

“Nothing,” he sang. “I’m gonna go get all of us food. Twins aren’t complaining but they’re just as famished as I. That journey here took a little toll on all of us. Want me to get ya something?”

“Fine.”

“You’re welcome.” He grinned and turned around. “One piece of advice, Zane.”

“What?” I huffed.

He looked over his shoulder, his purple eyes now a lethal silver. I froze, realizing his gargoyle had something to say.

“Tread carefully. Whatever is brewing may be over our heads, and if we fuck this up, you’ll be the loser at the end of the stick. Destiny will fulfill itself, no matter how hard you fight against it.”

That’s all he had to share with me - those silver eyes returning to their purple spheres.

“I’ll be back. I’ll get you some Gravol as well.”

With that, he was gone, and my frown only deepend.

“Knowledgeable mother fucker,” I whispered in an attempt to make myself feel less shitty.

You said I should wash my mouth! Why the hell did he know I vomited?

“I told you to wash your mouth so I wouldn’t have to deal with your nasty taste. Did I say anything about Mr. Genius Gargoyle being his usual detective self and knowing that you vomited up yesterday’s food? No. So go fuck yourself and mope to someone else. I’m ‘sleeping’.

I hate you.

“Good. That means I’m doing my job.”

He left me like that. My wolf was in his corner, sleeping away.

My mind was finally at peace, and all it could do was fantasize about that woman with mystical eyes and hair, and a body that only made me hard.

“I’m fucking doomed,” I whispered in defeat and closed my eyes.

What happens now is only going to be a rollercoaster of annoying shit.

MASTER INTRODUCTIONS AND DISTANT HOPING

ONE WEEK LATER…

~IVY~

“NO.”

I could barely keep my eyes open, feeling drained as hell and not in the mood for introductions, let alone fucking art class.

Prison life was spent hiding out in my cell so I could pray to Mother Moon that all of this shit would go away and I’d be back in the soft sheets of the hotel and returned to our homeless life in the heart of NYC.

My prayers had yet to be answered.

My first week here consisted of sleep, drugs, drowsiness, and hiding under my sheets whenever I could. They weren’t as sanitary as hotel sheets, but I didn’t care anymore.

This was my apparent life now for who knew how long, and the first things I had to get used to were these sheets and firm mattresses that hurt your body more than they relieved it.

I was chilling in my “temporary” cell after the whole “more than one cellmate” option went down hill. It’s not like I’d caused the fight or anything, but let’s just say there were a few scratches and growls, and I sent my cellmates against the bars, threatening to murder all of them. It should have landed me in the confined chambers.

Or Level Four. I’m sure that commander dude tried, but failed miserably thanks to Omarion and Doc.

Doc was one of the specialized lab scientists in the prison, assigned to a very few number of prisoners. As of today, I was his third assigned prisoner and now he had a fourth or something.

I didn’t know who it was, but there were rumors buzzing all over the prison about a human girl coming here. It made no sense to me when this was a ‘supernatural’ prison, but gossip was just that - entertainment with little fact checks.

Then there was the Monarch. A woman who experienced amnesia of some sort and was now residing in Level Three. I was totally intrigued, and a little frightened at the idea.

From all the talk, she wasn’t someone you wanted to cross paths with, and after my little defensive fiasco, I had to ‘stop being a problem maker’. The great words of the douche asshole.

Who was apparently my fucking mate!

I hadn’t bothered thinking about that. When I’d first woken up from it all, Ryo didn’t even talk about it. This whole time we’d been ignoring it, like having an elephant in the room, but I wasn’t in the mood to discuss it.

We’d both be lying if we said we didn’t feel a bit of tension in our relationship, but it also could have been the fact that Ryo couldn’t stick around. He came to visit when he could, some days once, others not at all.

This wasn’t like the facility where he could sit in a tree in his owl form and watch over me. Being stuck in an underground prison was the worst since we had no windows.

As for my other “masters”, I hadn’t seen them since our first encounter. All I’d grasped were their names during our heated confrontation, and their Alpha leader was Zane of the Land of Douchery.

I can’t say I hadn’t “not” seen him, catching a few glimpses from far away. Why he was sticking around when it was clear he hated my existence would be one of the world’s mysteries, and I wasn’t going to investigate the reasons for his lurking.

Vix said something about us being unable to be too far apart from one another, but I felt like that was a lie. Ryo could go to far away distances just fine without me, and I didn’t die, feel a hole in my heart, or have a tantrum.

Not going to shed a tear about this guy. Nope.

I’d gotten more of a tour of the Psychic Prison for Supernaturals. I’d endured the “brief” rundown from one of the commanders who honestly didn’t seem to give a fuck about us, then we’d been shown around.

Art class was a mandatory extra-curriculum we’d have to do, along with eating in this underground cafeteria. It was essentially the big-ass room for prisoners to go eat the same bland food.

Their lack of steak or basic meat led me to wonder if the new form of torture was to force us into the vegan lifestyle. Surely some wouldn’t have cared, but wolf shifters needed their share of protein.

Another factor that was allowed for our level was the use of some of the outdoor utilities. Normally it was reserved for Level Threes, but since it was pretty much collecting dust, they allowed us to start using it.

Wolf shifters were the only few privileged to go to the forest. It happened only twice a month; one day for the full moon and the other for the new moon. On occasion, there would be a third, but that was one of those rare occasions.

Due to my “master status”, as one of the guards liked to call it, as long as I was with my masters, I’d be allowed entry into the place.

From how it was explained, the moment we entered the door, we were magically teleported to a segregated forest. The entire thing was warded, so there was no way of escaping.

Apparently, if you were extra good, they did little candle festivals in the forest for the fae fairies that came down once a year. They also had magic mushrooms, the perfect thing to get high on.

I didn’t do weed and stuff, but maybe prison life would give me a shot at it.

The most entertainment I’d get would be listening to all the gossip around. It had to be one of the few things that could be beneficial on my behalf, but would it make this prison life any easier?

Today was going to be a reunion with my masters followed by art class - art class in jail! I was a little surprised that they allowed newcomers these privileges, but maybe a bit of coloring with the friendly inmates would help me feel less trapped in my head.

It could also give me a chance to draw out my dreams.

My sleep had been nothing but misery from the moment I closed my eyes. I’d dream about random things, a past that felt like it wasn’t mine. Bits and pieces, some that made me smile and others that left me clawing my sheets and begging to wake up.

The shitty part of the nightmares was waking up alone.

Ryo wouldn’t be here to soothe me when I was drenched in a cold sweat, and we were only given certain privileges through the day to shower in groups.

Now I was in an even crankier mood because of it.

A part of me didn’t want to complain. Many others probably enduring similar struggles within these grim walls. But it was hard to adapt.

It was even harder to be trapped in a place you never were supposed to belong in.

“Ivy.” Ryo crossed his arms, looking conflicted and a little tired. “They’re going to come here whether you like it or not.”

“Then they can go away and leave me,” I hissed and returned under the sheets. After a quiet moment, I poked my head from the sheets to stare at him properly. “Did you sleep last night?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Was busy,” he replied and yawned. “I’ll sleep after this. While you’re in art class.”

“Don’t wanna go to that either.”

“You’re being complicated today, Ivy Bug,”

“I feel like shit, I’ve barely slept in a week, and I miss you,” I complained. “I’m allowed to be a complicated bitch.”

He sighed helplessly but made his way over to the bed.

“Sit up.”

I gave him a reluctant pout but did what he requested, my body moving up to give him enough space in the tiny bed for him to sit. He wrapped his arm around my neck, gently pushing me back down so my head now rested on his lap.

“There. Sleep.”

“I’m not sleepy.”

“Liar.” He looked down at me, his rich blue eyes filled with a magnitude of emotions that were too hard to read.

I missed this. Our closeness and the quiet moments we’d share with one another before falling asleep. The soothing beat of his heart and the calm winds that rattled against the windows, only made it easier to rest after a rough day.

We’d share what was bothering us that day, and we’d console one another the best we could. Some days were with words, other days were filled with passion and heated sex.

I missed all of it, and I wondered if he did as well.

Closing my eyes, I decided to see if it would be possible to sleep, my mind drifting faster than I realized.

A SOFT STROKE along my forehead made me beam with a smile, and I opened my eyes to see the starry night sky with an array of floating lanterns.

Candles burned within the circular objects. The various symbols on each one were astonishing to see. They were all written in various colored paint, carrying tiny sparks of stars that rained down in the same color as the ink.

The dark blue to black sky twinkled with so many stars, only making the show of lanterns even more mesmerizing. They drifted upward, becoming smaller and smaller in the sky.

One particular one made my smile widen even further, my cheeks beginning to ache, but my overflowing joy was too much for me to contain.

I lifted my left hand, noticing how small it was as well as the magic circle symbol with an outline star, tiny flames, and black dots.

“Mommy, look!” My voice wasn’t mine; the cheerful sound replicated a male child. The woman who let me lie upon her lap lowered her head to peer down at me, and for a moment, I was left breathless.

Her beauty was immeasurable, from the long curly red locks with beautiful white strands to the dazzling purple eyes that reflected black magic circles that soon shifted to a lovely white.

Her lips were cloaked with red, just like her cheeks with a light brush of blush. Her skin wasn’t super pale and seemed to glow under the full moon that shone brightly in the sky.

The love in her eyes made me want to give her the world, one where she’d never shed a tear and would always keep that smile on her immaculate face.

“That’s ours!”

“Ah.” Her voice was soft as she looked up and followed where my finger pointed to. “Indeed, it is.”

“That means our wish is going to come true, right?!”

She lowered her gaze back to mine and slowly nodded. “It does. That means Mother Moon will receive all these wishes and grant them.”

“Including ours?” I asked for confirmation.

“Including ours,” she repeated my words.

“Yes!” I cheered. “Daddy will get better and we’ll live happily ever after.”

She didn’t say anything more, but I caught the glimpse of sadness.

“Mommy?”

“Yes, Zaneoru,”

“Mommy loves me, right?” I whispered. “Even if I have a demon within me like Daddy?”

I blinked my innocent eyes, and Mother fought to smile while the white in her magic circle shifted to gold.

“Mommy loves you no matter what, Zaneoru. You always have to remember that,” she said sternly, hiding her emotions the best she could. “You only have half of Daddy. The other half is from Mommy. A wolf just like me. A strong, powerful one that will be able to protect the people you love.”

“I’ll protect Mommy!” I vowed.

She grinned and nodded. “Yes, you will, Zaneoru. Mommy believes you will.”

MY EYES SNAPPED OPEN, my heart beating fast against my chest. Glancing up, I noticed Ryo was fast asleep, his head resting to one side while his chest rose up and down slowly.

I stared at him for a long time, feeling a little at ease to see him asleep. At a snail’s pace, I moved from his lap and got up. Tugging the sheet, I moved the rest on his lap, and began to stretch.

My mind continued to replay the dream - if I could even call it that - the image of the glamorous woman still embedded in my head.

The motherly vibes she gave and how she worked so hard to not breakdown and cry. All to please her child that she wished the best for. I reached over for my meds, taking two out of the bottle and grabbing the bottle of water that was brought to me once a day.

I popped the pills into my mouth, taking a few gulps of the room temperature liquid. Lowering it to my lap, I sat there, lost in my thoughts.

The sudden touch to my cheek startled me, my saucer eyes locking onto purple ones.

The Glynn dude.

“Why are you crying?”

I blinked a few times, having not even realized I’d been shedding tears. I figured it would only be right to answer honestly.

“I have no idea.”

He slowly nodded and used his fingers to wipe my tears.

“Well, there’s no need to cry. There’s always light through the peak of darkness.”

I slowly nodded in response. He gave a tender smirk and moved away to give me some space.

“When did you get here?” I whispered, my eyes moving to check on Ryo, who was still asleep.

“A while ago,” he replied. “Twins were here as well, but they went to get you some food. You’ve lost weight, haven’t you?”

“Oh.” I hadn’t even though much about food. “They don’t have steak here.”

“That can be arranged,” he commented. “You were supposed to be getting a meal delivered to your cell every day this week.”

“That…never happened,” I admitted, surprised by the news.

“We know.” He didn’t look pleased. “Zane’s dealing with them.”

“Meaning?”

“They’re dead.”

“Seriously?”

“If he let them off the hook, he’d have to be in a really good mood.” Glynn shrugged. “You don’t agree to the terms and conditions of a demon and then disobey. They knew what was coming to them if they ignored him.”

“Demon?” I inquired, the dream I’d experienced flickering through my mind once more.

“Mommy loves me, right?” I whispered. “Even if I have a demon within me like Daddy?”

“Ah.” Glynn looked conflicted.

“Might as well tell her.”

We peered over to the bars, noticing Zane come out from the shadowed corner. He was holding a plate in his hand, steam still rising into the air from the white glass that held a balanced meal of mashed potatoes, steak, and vegetables.

Fuck…there’s even gravy!

Vix, who’d been quietly sitting near the wall of my mind, was up and salivating over the mere sight of food, and I fought not to do the same.

Zane looked annoyed, his red eyes glancing over to Ryo’s sleeping figure. I felt like he had something to say but kept it to himself as he slid the gate a little gentler than I expected and slid himself into my cell.

Leaving it open, he walked over and presented me the plate of food.

“Hurry and eat. You’ve got class soon.”

“Hi. How are you on this lovely day? Not like I know whether it’s day or night.”

He gave me a look, and I swear I suddenly feared he’d drop the plate. I could feel the debate running through his head, the resolve enough to make me growl.

Or Vix. I couldn’t tell who was in control now that our food was at risk.

“Zane. Just give her the food and stop threatening to let it go,” Glynn groaned, looking exhausted from the mere sight of our silent declaration of war.

If he dared allow precious food to go to waste, the world would end today, starting with his death.

“Hmph.” He laid the plate onto my lap and walked to the gate. I glared at his back but didn’t waste another second before I was stuffing my face.

“Hmm. Now I’m hungry,” Glynn noted.

“Jeez,” Zane sighed and pulled something from his pocket and tossed it over to Glynn.

He caught it with ease, and actually smiled at the sight of what looked like a sweet-tart treat.

“I’m leaving.”

“Aren’t you suppose…” Glynn began but Zane was already heading out of the cell and down the hall.

“Answer whatever. I have bodies to bury.”

We exchanged a look, and Glynn shook his head.

“Told you.”

“He actually killed them.” I still couldn’t believe that, but then he suddenly returned. “I need a hair tie.”

“You didn’t buy any?”

“No,” he huffed. “I gave you the one I’d gotten from the pharmacy.”

“Right.” Glynn took it out and tossed it to him. “You don’t want blood getting into your hair?”

“Duh,” Zane coldly replied. “No one likes getting crusty dry stuff in their hair, let alone someone else’s blood.”

I was on my final piece of steak, pausing to watch him begin to gather his hair and put it in a ponytail. He may be one of those people who hated when their hair was down.

Ryo was rather opposite, leaving his hair down the majority of the time unless he was doing something that may risk it getting in the way.

His reasoning was definitely valid, but the longer I stared at the band, the more it annoyed me.

He finished tying it into a ponytail and turned around.

“Than-ow!”

He swiftly turned around, his neatly tied hair now let loose once more as those silk red strands fell to his shoulders.

Those questioning eyes narrowed in my direction, gravitating over to my right hand that began to spread the band so far out that is snapped and shot to the ground.

The three of us were silent, our gazes moving down to acknowledge the destroyed orange band.

“Oops,” I suddenly said, only now realizing what I’d done without even thinking. “Did I do that?”

“Give me one good reason why you just destroyed that hair tie?” Zane was about ready to blow a blood vessel - or two - as the purple lines of the magic circle began to dip to a black.

I spoke before I could make sense of it, “Who told you that you’re allowed to use a female’s hair tie?”

Neither of them spoke and I immediately crossed my arms over my chest and growled.

“Go buy new fucking hair ties instead of taking them from others. Does that bitch belong to you? No. What makes you think you can go on walking around with her hair tie holding your hair up and all that fuckery when she doesn’t even know your damn name. Are you dating her?”

“N-”

“That’s what I fucking thought,” I declared a little louder and took a step forward, our faces now inches apart as I went on my tiptoes to make my next words loud and clear.

“Either buy your own bands to hold your hair up, or don’t use them at all. I never said I like sharing anything that’s mine, so don’t think that’s changing because you have some right over me within these walls.”

He didn’t say a word as I leaned back, crouched down to snatch the broken piece in annoyance, and just like that, it was up in flames.

Glynn was gawking now, and I then noticed Theo and Leo, the two of them further left and holding a box of donuts.

I felt a presence behind me, and I slowly looked up to see judgemental, sleepy Ryo with his usual arched eyebrow look.

“Ivy.”

I blinked a few times, suddenly confused as to why he was giving me that tone.

“What?” I questioned and then looked at the other stunned faces, Zane’s absolutely annoyed one, and then looked at my hand with the flame still cradled in my palm.

“Oh fucking hot! Fire!” I began waving my hand. “I’m gonna die!”

“You’re not gonna die,” Ryo groaned. Before he could grab my hand, Zane did - and my heart practically stopped when his lips suddenly pressed against my palm of my hand.

Now everyone was gawking, including me, as we all stood there speechless.

The flames went out at the mere touch, and the intense heat was now gone. He pulled back to inspect my hand, and then let it go like I was a poisonous insect.

Without a single word, he turned around and exited the cell, leaving us in silence.

Raising my hand to eye level, I inspected the area to ensure it wasn’t burned; an attempt to try and ignore the rushing beats of pumping blood that rang through my ears and my thrumming heart rate.

It’d been a while since I’d used my elements like that, but fire was one of the hardest to summon as you got older.

When no one spoke, Vix mumbled, “Just to be clear, that was all you.”

Me?! I can barely recall what I just did.

My brain was now playing the replay of everything that transpired in the last minute, leaving me even more stunned than before.

Did he kiss my hand? Why did he kiss my hand?!

“Um. That isn’t the priority here,” Vix noted. “Or are we ignoring the bipolar, girlfriend ownership tendencies you’ve been having?”

We’re not dating!

“Not yet.” She didn’t even sound mad at the idea.

“That…was unexpected,” Theo and Leo announced.

Ryo reached for my hand and lifted it up higher, so he could inspect it himself.

“Is there a secret to kissing her palm?” Leo whispered to Theo.

“Could be like the princess and the frog,” Theo suggested.

“Zane’s already a wolf prince though,” Leo revealed.

“What?” I arched an eyebrow at them, while Ryo lowered my hand.

“Are you okay?” he questioned, distracting me as I lifted my head up to look at him.

“I’m fine, though I don’t know what I just did and I’m not on my period so you can’t blame my hormones this time.”

He actually smirked and looked at the twins. “Wanna come in?”

“Right!” They shuffled inside before opening the box of donuts. “We snuck food in. Eat before it melts from the desolation in this place,” Leo encouraged.

We paused on the seriousness of what just happened to each take a donut. Theo even gave us squirts of hand sanitizer, which suddenly was utterly amusing when we were eating within a cell with a moldy ceiling.

“Since you guys are here, you can introduce yourselves,” I encouraged as I continued to enjoy the sprinkle donut. I’d rarely eaten donuts, the once-a-year treat more reserved for when we got free breakfast at my acquaintance’s hotel.

“Leo,” he introduced. “I’m the bad twin!”

I frowned at his cheerful response. “You don’t give off a hint of evil.”

He grinned mischievously and stuffed a chunk of the sugar twist donut he was eating. Theo sighed and replied, “He is actually the evil twin. Theo Hudson is my name, and I’m of light.”

“Light and dark?” I thought about it. “Does that mean you use dark and light magic or something? Also, that feels a little contradicting seeing as Leo wears white while you wear black.”

“You noticed?” they questioned, both looking suddenly intrigued with my acknowledgment.

“When you first arrived in the white room, ya,” I admitted. “You,” I looked over to Theo, “were wearing red, orange, and yellow. I figured you dealt with fire or something,”

Returning my gaze to Leo, I carried on, “And I thought you were of ice or something along those lines seeing as your colors were blue, green, and purple.”

“My favorite colors are white, green, blue, purple and on occasion, dark pink. Like the magenta pink. Not that nasty shit,” Leo explained.

“While I like red, orange, yellow, and black. If I had to be specific on a shade of pink, I’d go with a hot, neon pink,”

Leo nodded. “Anyways, Theo is a light fae, while I’m a shadow fae. Another word for darkness, basically. We’re both twenty-four and we’re Chinese. Theo’s normally shy so if he suddenly goes quiet on you, you totally know why. Unless he’s drunk. Then you’re in for a talking monster. Oh, and he hates when it’s too hot.”

“Thanks for the life introduction.” Theo sighed, but carried on, “What he said, and he’s the polar opposite as me. Talkative, but quiet as fuck when drunk, and he hates cold weather.”

“Light and shadow fae,” I confirmed. “But I thought you two were werewolves?”

“We are,” they replied. “Hybrid wolves.”

“All of you?” I inquired, looking to Glynn. “Even you?”

“Glynn Feather. Wolf gargoyle hybrid,” he introduced and revealed, “I’m twenty-five, born in the UK and came here when I was young. Yes, we’re all hybrids, and to answer your prior question, Zane is half wolf, half demon.”

“Interesting.” I was trying to wrap my mind around it.

“Don’t you have to get going, Ivy?” Leo reminded. “You don’t want to get in trouble for skipping that art class or whatever.”

“Supposed to be therapeutic,” Theo commented, finishing his donut.

“Staying and meditating seems more therapeutic,” Glynn reasoned.

“Ugh. I don’t want to go.” I sighed. “Fine. I’ll head over. But why haven’t I been seeing you all? I know you guys have your own lives and all, but I was just curious if you’re avoiding me.”

The three of them stared at me before Glynn replied. “It’s safer for now,” he admitted. “We’re still trying to figure out your options as of now.”

“Which means you gotta try and stay on your best behavior,” Leo emphasized. “No fights in the group cell.”

“They started it,” I pouted. “Can’t I choose my own cellmate? That has to be an option.”

“It is,” Theo answered. “Now who you going to find?”

“I don’t know.” I looked to Ryo as he finished off his donut. He shook his head.

“That look you’re giving me is secretly encouraging me to go commit a crime so you won’t be lonely,” he noted.

“But you’re right.” I admitted.

“It would be counterproductive,” Glynn reminded. “Men are on a different section than the females, remember?”

“Right,” I groaned. “Fine. I’ll figure something out, but what about training and running and stuff? I’ll be honest, I’m not comfortable running with the other wolf shifters in the prison.”

“Why?” Theo and Leo asked. “Being naked is a common thing.”

“Not that.” I rolled my eyes.

“Her fur is unusual.” Ryo revealed the problem for me. “They’ll know how powerful she is if she shifts among wolves. Other supernaturals aren’t a big deal. They’ll assume some random excuse. Wolf shifters know better.”

“True.” Glynn nodded. “I’ll get Zane on it. We could aim to get you alone in that forest to train and run. You won’t be able to escape, obviously, but at least some real fresh air would help you feel a little saner.”

“Is that okay?” I confirmed, looking around them. “I have been a little bit of trouble.”

“It’s fine,” Leo and Theo replied. “Shouldn’t be hard with Zane.”

“What about the kissing my hand fire thing?” I inquired. “Fire element is harder to use when you’re older. I was panicking since it’s also hard to extinguish, but he did it with a kiss.”

Ryo was the one who actually answered, “When a supernatural ignites flames that are out of control, an action that induces calm and relief is encouraged for the flames to dim and extinguish themselves, regardless of if they’re big or small scale.”

We all looked at him, and I was surprised by his calmness.

“Aren’t you jealous?” Theo and Leo inquired.

“Not sure yet,” he earnestly replied. “Though, I don’t like the way he disrespects Ivy. That grinds my gears.”

I felt like he wasn’t being fully honest but didn’t want to show any weakness with the question.

“Sadly, that’s how he is with everyone,” Glynn concluded.

“Feel sorry for his wolf. Apparently, his demon is worse.” Theo sighed and Leo trembled at the mention. “His demon is fucking crazy. Pretty lethal if he loses his shit.”

“You get used to it,” Theo and Leo declared. “You’ve gotta go, Ivy.”

“Right, right.” I got up and quickly fixed my orange jumpsuit. “I guess that means I’ll see you guys around?” I concluded, realizing that we really wouldn’t see each other for a good bit.

To be fair, I didn’t mind the three of their company. Zane was the one that made things complicated and annoying

“We’ll be working hard on the surface to figure things out. The sooner we can work and find an opportunity to get you out, the better. We have to do it at a time that doesn’t risk you looking like a convict or have you falling into another trap,” Glynn explained.

“A totally under the radar plan,” Leo noted.

“Either way, we’ll randomly pop in here and there. We may not see each other, but we’ve got your back, Ivy. Just blend in and if you can, try to gather information with your ears. There’s a lot of spies that work down here for people above on the surface. You never know when gossip will give us the perfect getaway,” Theo explained.

“Okay.” I nodded and looked over to Ryo. He looked disappointed at the fact I was leaving, enough for me to walk back over to where he sat and lean over to kiss him tenderly.

Did he know how much I missed our constant little kisses or the intense ones we shared on a normal basis to uplift one another?

“I’m going,” I whispered against his lips. He didn’t let me move away, his hand slipping along my cheek to the back of my neck and gripping me softly to pull me down for another kiss.

My body thrummed with calm and happiness, relieved that we still had a bit of connection running through us, no matter the tense atmosphere around our relationship.

“I love you,” he whispered. “Stay safe. We’ll figure something out soon.”

“Okay.” I gave him a smile, fighting to not cry at the heightened longing in his eyes. Pulling away, I waved to the others and left the cell to make my way to art class.

With Zane’s arrival, I’d only assumed he got rid of the guard that should have stayed on guard today. I had no complaints as I stared at the door that led down a mine path that was a little shortcut to the art room.

“They’re not bad masters,” I whispered to myself. “Now can I trust them?”

It was a question that would take time to answer. Cheers to distant hoping.

TROUBLE IN ART CLASS AND ROYAL SAVIOR

Opening the door of the art room, I expected to see a class full of other prisoners, only to see it was empty.

With an immediate frown, I slowly scanned the room and even peeked out to make sure the room number was correct.

“Well…” I began. “Guess people don’t come early to class.”

Not bothering to worry about it, I headed inside and decided to sit in the front row. Leaning into the seat, I stared at the blank canvas aligned along the wall.

I recalled taking a few art recreation classes that were funded by the facility, and even with how shitty life felt at times, it always felt good to let some of that emotion out through art.

It was hard to determine if that was a hobby I’d enjoy now that I’d grown older. When time passes you by and you grow wiser, it’s hard to enjoy the innocent activities that previously gave us joy as kids.

Staring up at the ceiling, I worried about what this imprisonment would do to me.

To my relationship with Ryo.

To my hopeful future with him and our dream of having our own place to call home.

What would occur with the new individuals in my life?

To say I wasn’t intrigued by each of them would be a definite lie, but would they get me out of here and then demand something I couldn’t afford to give back?

This was our second major gathering, but now that I had a moment of peacefulness, I felt a bit lonely. It was different than when I craved for Ryo’s company. This sensation was almost like a missing link.

There was so much I needed to discover about each of them, before even considering their motives and what the final outcome to all of this would be - not like any of us could really answer that.

Closing my eyes for a sheer moment, there were those haunting red eyes, the magic circles that spun with charging force shifting from purple to black while his smooth, seductive lips curled up.

My eyes snapped back open, my face already flushed at the mere close-up image of Zane. I let out a loud groan, slapping my face with my hands and attempting to claw my skin right off.

“Ugh! This fucker better get out of my life!”

“Me?”

I immediately recognized the female voice. Dropping my hands, I looked over my shoulder to see Kitty. She was halfway through the door, blinking innocently at me as she pondered whether she should leave or not.

“Kitty?!” I exclaimed, noticing that she wore the same orange jumpsuit as me. “You’re okay. Why am I just seeing you now?”

She beamed at my welcoming reaction, quickly closing the door and practically running over to me. I rose up and turned to face her, right when she crashed into me with a tight hug.

“Ivy! Thank you so much for keeping to your word!” She was on the verge of tears already. She pulled back to give me the biggest smile, the gratefulness in her eyes vibrant.

“Has your stay here been okay?” I questioned.

She looked a little relieved as she slowly nodded and looked around.

“It’s been an eye-opener, especially when I did nothing wrong to be here. I’m having some issues with my cellmate, though,” she explained, confliction and a hint of anger flooding her expression.

“How many are in your cell? The one I was temporarily in had five, but it didn’t go too well,” I admitted. “They were bitches.”

“You’re lucky.” She sighed. “I had fifteen.”

“Fifteen?!” I gasped. “Please tell me the cell is a little bigger than the average ones.”

“Nope,” Kitty said dryly. “Small like a rabbit hole. In fact, I’m sure a rabbit hole would be far better than being squished like packed sardines. They found out that I scored a job in the prison that’s hard to come by.”

“There are jobs here?” That was intriguing.

She bobbed her head. “Yup. Various ones. It can help lower your sentence, though I’m not confident in that part. We were kidnapped against our will to be here. Don’t see them giving us the better end of the stick by keeping their promises.”

“That’s for sure.” I sighed, reminded of my desire to obtain freedom.

As an orphan left to wander the world on your own, you’re provided with the freedom to live or perish.

Odd how being behind closed bars made you want to return to the streets that are far more dangerous than this place.

Unless we get attacked or ganged up on. Hadn’t experienced the intensity of that yet.

“Do you like your new job?” I inquired, interested in what she was doing now. We hadn’t really done a major introduction with one another, so this was the perfect way to pass time while we waited for everyone else to show up.

“It’s fantastic!” She beamed at the question, looking like she’d hit the mother of jackpots. “I’m working in the nail salon!”

“Come again?” I thought my ears were hearing things. “Did you just say nail salon? Where?”

Kitty smirked and nodded her head. “Only a few prisoners are allowed to use the nail salon. I was lucky to find out about it when I was doing an errand, but I’m now the personal nail tech for Alisha Butterfly.”

The name immediately rang a bell as I remembered the term Butterfly being spoken about in the midst of gossip on the daily.

“Wait. Isn’t that the name for the new Monarch that arrived or something?”

“Yes. Alisha Butterfly. She’s on Level Three and definitely a Monarch. The rumors say she’s diabolical, a woman no one wants to be caught in an empty room with.” Kitty’s eyes were practically sparkling with admiration as she spoke about this woman.

“She’s tall, pretty, and has this cold exterior to herself that gives off those cool vibes you’d watch in high school drama, but even better! She’s just the definition of badass!”

“So…you are like a fan now?” I inquired.

She blushed and nervously laughed. “I sound like a stalker, don’t I?”

“A little.” I shrugged. “Not a bad thing, though.”

“She’s actually the reason why I got moved from my cell.”

“Huh? Why?”

“I’m not sure if she overheard about the treatment I was experiencing or merely requested it, but after my issues with my cellmates escalated to a tense high, a tall dragon shifter guard came and informed me that I was being transferred to a different cell.”

“Omarion?” Vix questioned.

Must be. I haven’t seen any other dragon guards.

“Those bitches were all cheering and wishing me good luck with the next set of inmates I’d be cooped up with, but when we arrived, it was the cleanest cell I’ve ever seen in this place. It’s far bigger, almost like being in a mini apartment minus the bar door. It’s sectioned off, so cell mates can’t get in unless they have the specific card key, and that spot has specific guards, but they aren’t as strict. Ms. Butterfly is the reason I got that cell, and it’s been like a dream come true. I slept properly for the first time since arriving here. Her act of kindness has somehow given me more hope in this place.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t get you out of here,” I whispered quietly. Her eyes widened as she took in my apology, and suddenly she shook her head and raised her hands up in a frantic manner.

“N-No! I don’t want you feeling bad! If it wasn’t for you, I’m sure I would have been dead to begin with.”

“What do you mean?” I inquired.

Her ears twitched as she moved a little closer and kept her voice at an all-time low.

“Remember how they said there were two options? If you win, you obtain freedom and if you lose, you head to prison?”

“Yes.” I nodded, recalling the rules. “What’s wrong with that?”

“They lied about the freedom part.”

“What?” I arched an eyebrow in question. “Then what happens?”

“You get filtered out into a room. All the winners.” Her eyes narrowed as a grim expression formed on her face. “Then they torture you. Not just your average weapons like whips or tasers. They use all kinds of techniques, magic, and other inhuman ways. All of this is done in front of an audience, and those in the crowd will determine if they want you as their own property or if you should be sent to prison.”

I swallowed hard, the thought of Nina going from feeling successful to suddenly being tortured.

She wouldn’t endure that if she was just sent to kill me, right?

“That happens to all winners?”

“All winners.” She nodded once. “The cell prisoner who shared all of this is a hybrid. She’s a panther and something else, so her endurance was really good during it all. She won and endured the torture for a solid week. The winner of your match also endured the same. I was worried it was you.” She sighed. “Thank goodness it wasn’t.”

“This woman who shared about this. Why is she here?”

“Well, after all the torture…” She paused to cross her arms as her ears continued to twitch, almost in irritation. “You get the same option again. To be sent to prison or obtain your freedom. Only she and five others survived out of a total of fifty supernaturals.”

Fifty…

Vix was listening carefully, her full attention on the story at hand.

“She chose prison,” I said it like it was a fact. She wouldn’t have been within these walls, sharing this important information with them otherwise.

“That she did, however, the others said they would choose freedom.”

“What happened?”

“Before she was dragged out, they put her in the corner to see what freedom got the others. They gave a chance for the audience to bid or claim the remaining prisoners. Only one was claimed. Some mixed girl or something.”

“Malachite claimed Nina.” Vix sounded completely confident in her declaration. I could only hope it was true, even though she’d only been sent to kill me.

“When no one claimed the others, three men came up to face the remaining prisoners, and said ‘Congrats on obtaining freedom’.” She lifted her hand up, her fingers in the form of a gun as she reached up to press her finger against my chest. “Boom.”

“They…killed them.”

“Yup.” She gave a solid nod. “After all the torture, the heightened burst of victory to the weeks worth of the unthinkable consequences. Some were apparently raped in the masses, others were electrocuted and then completely healed to endure it again and again. When the prisoner was done explaining that, none of us said a word that night. It’s sad to say it, but that was when I was truly grateful that you’d kept with your promise.”

Sadness pooled in her eyes and she lowered her hand to look up at me.

“My family is dead. All those that I deemed as important to me vanished before my eyes. I was dragged out of the crime scene, to never see their beaming smiles or hear their wonderful voices again. If I’d survived the final challenge, I wouldn’t have survived the torture they had in store for me. I acknowledge that I’m not the strongest cookie out there. I’m not special like others born to be great. However, regardless of how my life has been, I’m still grateful for the chance at life, since that’s the strongest power you can carry. Life isn’t a right. It’s a privilege that many don’t get the chance to experience. Some take it like a grain of salt, but I know better. I wish everyone knew better.”

She took a step back and bowed her head to me.

“So thank you for saving me that day. I don’t know what you endured in your final fight to land in these walls, but my gratefulness for your split act of kindness will always be cherished within my heart.”

Rising up, she gave me a relieved smile. “Now that I’m a nail technician and Ms. Butterfly’s personal assistant, I don’t need to worry about being ganged up on in the cells. I’m sure they found out about it and are upset that someone as new as me got the privilege to serve a Monarch, but destiny has an odd way in helping us out, and those odds are what’s making this prison life a lot easier than it should have been.”

As she paused to stretch her hands, her white tail emerged, lengthening out to mimic her stretching movement.

“All I really need is maybe one cellmate. It’s nice to have the place on my own…but I’m not used to being alone. Cats stick together in desperate times, and only venture alone in safe territories or places where they’re confident in exploring. I’m nowhere near confident in being in a place like this. I’m too frail-looking, and it makes me an easy target.”

“Cellmate?” I looked at her like a lightbulb was switched on in my head.

“Ya. I don’t have to, but if I did it now, it would look less fishy than waiting and having them deny my request.”

“Would you by chance want me as your cellmate?” I inquired. “I can’t say I’ll be there all the time depending on what my masters want from me. I’d have to tell them about it and confirm if it’s good with them, but I’ve been staying in the temporary single cell while they figure out which cell to put me in where I won’t attempt murder.”

Kitty looked stunned as she gawked back at me. “Seriously?!”

I nodded. “Ya, seriously. I mean, I know we don’t really know-”

“I’d love to have you as a cellmate!” She didn’t even let me finish. “As long as you don’t mind cat snuggles. I’m not super affectionate in cat form but there are always those odd moments where I like to snuggle against something while I sleep. Think of it like you’ve been chosen!”

“That sounds fine with me.” I actually giggled. “Fate must be on our side today.”

“Right! I’m so happy I got to meet you and Ms. Butterfly. You two are so powerful and inspiring to look at from afar. Maybe I can be as powerful as you guys one day!”

“How old are you, Kitty?” I asked.

“Eighteen!” she declared. “I act a little childish though. I have a bit of a disability that slows my growth mentally. So though I’m eighteen, at times I still feel like I’m twelve. It’s odd, but it helps when I’m a nail technician since I have lots of energy and overflow with excitement to create. Like shooting motivation on a daily basis. It’s beneficial, but a tad annoying in closed spaces like this. Due to it, I get granted thirty minutes of outdoor activity to get out all the energy. I think they assume I have ADHD or something, but who knows.” She shrugged.

“Ah. That’s pretty awesome though,” I admitted. “Maybe when we do a run sometime, you can join! Wolves don’t attack friendly supernaturals, especially if they’re familiar to us.”

“Sounds fun!” She beamed. “So happy to have a cel-”

The door slammed open, catching both our attention as a group of inmates rushed in and locked the door behind them.

With a few blinks, we were surrounded, and I immediately cursed and dodged the sudden attack that was tumbling at me.

Jumping back to give myself space, Vix pushed forward, still giving me control, but everything was heightened intensely. A sudden commanding force pulsed through me, enough to give me a fierce attitude as my eyes scanned the room.

The sudden crash made our heads turn, and I noticed Kitty getting up from the attack she’d just withstood. Blood already began its descent down her face and dripped to the floor.

As if the sight of blood suddenly ignited something within her, I watched in pure interest as she remained on all fours and her white tail began to shift; the bottom half was white, while the top half was now teal blue with gold and blue electric shocks pulsing from it.

She hissed loudly, her hair beginning to levitate while her blue eyes bled to a white.

I looked over to our apparent opponents, noticing the two bulky women with red hair. Their eyes were just as red, and their cocky expressions were already pissing me off.

I knew nothing of who they were, and the ring of prisoners around us was just as odd as they. No connection whatsoever, which only made me think of two possibilities as to why this was even happening: we were being jumped for the fun of it, or they were here for Kitty.

So much for maintaining the peace. I hope I don’t get in trouble for this.

“That means we get to have a little fun, though,” Vix reasoned. “Time to put your badass face on.”

And you’re excited.

“Throwing a little steam to a few bitches is a perfect way to vent the frustrations this prison life brings on the daily. Now, let’s have fun!”

Her booming excitement made me grin wildly as I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Now, now, ladies. Weren’t we supposed to be doing art class? Didn’t think we’d get physical when we haven’t done a single ice breaker yet.”

“Shut it, bitch!” someone from behind me declared. I could feel her approaching attack, and all it did was make me quietly chuckle as my body twirled around and my feet lifted up in time to make direct contact with her stomach.

She didn’t just go flying - her body was sent into a wave of electric shocks, the purple, blue, and golden force of electric currents buzzing through her shaking frame as she screamed in uncontrollable agony.

Then she went flying into the wall, knocking many of the blank canvases.

Jumping back, I was next to Kitty the next second, the circling crowd moving their gazes from their comrade back to me.

Vix?! What the hell was that badassery of moves? Have we always been able to do that? You know how hard it is to hide my complete shock! Can we do that again but against Zane and send him to another dimension?”

“He’s your mate, remember?”

Minor, unimportant details.

“And yes, we’ve been able to do that, but we haven’t had a real session of wolf training, you know? We should start training if we want to survive random attacks like this. Now back to the current program of kicking ass.”

Vix, you’re so cool. Going to convert me to a fangirl!

“Stop praising me!”

Are you embarrassed?

“No.”

Liar.

My grin resonated on my face as I widened my stance. Feeling the sudden level of empowerment that coursed through my veins was almost addicting to me.

It reminded me of those moments in superhero movies when the person suddenly unlocks a form of themselves that they never knew and now thrum with magic that can destroy nations.

The magic within me was desperate to get some air, suddenly feeling like it’d been forever since I’d last used an ounce of magic. My short locks were beginning to levitate like Kitty’s and my eyes seemed to sting with power while the intensity of color in my surroundings grew stronger.

I’m sure if it wasn’t for my beanie that I grabbed last minute before leaving my cell, my hair would be floating to the ceiling like I was in some classic Super Saiyan form.

All I need is a cool move name that I can take a solid minute to command while everyone waits in anxious anticipation.

The two redheads moved to face us, the circle of prisoners beginning to cheer for us to start fighting and stop wasting time.

“GET THE FIGHTING STARTED!”

“Ya! We don’t got time to waste!”

“Show some power shit, you weaklings!”

“Put on a damn show of skill instead of wasting your time standing there.”

The intensity in the room seemed to double with their impatient chants, and it was only a matter of time before this fight finally began. Just thinking of the idea of fighting for my life after the challenge we endured to end up here only made me want to prove to the world that I was stronger than that.

I can defend myself. I’m worthy and deserve to live. No one will take that desire from me. Not until I finish my purpose in this world and seek vengeance on the man who’s been constantly trying to ruin my life.

A side-glance to Kitty confirmed that she’d be a force to be messed with. Her once innocent, childlike appearance was gone and replaced with a cynical seriousness while her body was oozing magic in waves.

Whoever killed her family had to be strong to wipe them out. Never knew cat shifters were this dangerous.

“There’s more to her than meets the eye. She’s not solely a cat shifter.”

What’s the other half?

“A mystery waiting to be solved. Won’t be today.” Vix began to inch closer to the front seat of my mind, and that told me the fierce battle was about to begin.

The sound of the battle cry started it all. The taller woman of the redhead duo began to charge towards us. I didn’t hesitate to step up to the plate, and I let Vix have full control.

Our body then moved in a blur, leaving me in a little shock when our hand was now tightly wrapped around the woman’s neck as we shifted our body weight and slammed her to the ground.

I fought to keep my eyes on my opponent, hoping Kitty could defend herself while I dealt with this woman. To see her struggle under my tight grasp gave me a sense of accomplishment, and I thrived to see her eyes grow wider, realizing what a pinch she was now in due to her stupidity in belittling my strength.

My lips curled into a malicious smile, a wide one that made me want to giggle and make this woman pay for even messing with us.

“You all love foul play until it hits you in the face.” My words were but a growl and then I ended up giggling, the sound a wild, joyous tune that would send anyone into a quivering frenzy of fear.

“If I wanted to lengthen my sentence, I would have stopped you from enjoying another gasp of air.”

It was the truth, and I may already get into shit for defending myself, but I’d just have to put it on the back burner and think of something to mentally do when I got the longest lecture ever from Ryo and the others.

Deciding that this no movement fight was beginning to bore me, I let go of the woman and watched her gasp for air as she coughed and squirmed on the floor.

Rising up, I expected her to get up and do some showy move or some secret up-the-sleeve attack, but she remained there on the floor. I glanced over to Kitty’s opponent, relieved to see she’d handled herself well and left a good set of wounds on the woman, who clenched the massive slashing along her back.

Is it bad to say I’m disappointed? Aren’t fights supposed to be longer, grander, and have flashing magic battles? This was…

“Absolutely pathetic.” Vix actually sounded insulted. “What a waste of time. Let’s go back to our cell. Rather fight with your wolf mate than be here, hmph!”

We’re not together!

“Ya, ya.”

My senses suddenly surged, and my head darted to Kitty before I could register what was happening with my mind.

A hidden presence had come out of nowhere, and the floating blade in their hands was directed to my comrade. Kitty’s body sensed the approaching attack as she jerked and spun to face the approaching being head-on.

It was easy to tell that this was about to get ugly; the space between the invisible force and Kitty were far too close and there was no way Kitty would get out of this without the charging static blade stabbing into her face.

“FINISH HER!”

“WOOT! FINALLY!”

“STAB THAT BITCH!”

“YES!”

All the hollering around us was muted, in my perspective. My mind, body, and soul were the first to be hit with the intense flood of heaviness that cut all the sounds off into a pit of pure silence.

As if the silence was the trigger, the attacker’s body began to appear in batches, the scales on her skin now reminding me of a chameleon returning back to its original appearance.

She had white skin, red hair like the other two, and her hands still grasped the hilt of the blade tightly, her eyes full of enriched pride as she readied to complete her final blow, but that all changed in a matter of what felt like a slow second.

Her body began to float, gravity suddenly turning off for her alone as it wrapped her with a purple blanket of energy with specks of orange.

Her shock began to flood her face like the rest of us, the other prisoner’s gleeful anticipation now bursting with shock and gawking mouths.

The sound of a single step hit the floor with a weighted thump, and all our eyes gravitated towards the culprit of the sound.

When my eyes landed on the culprit, my whole body tingled, enough to trigger Vix to retreat as I took in the woman’s compelling appearance.

The woman was 5′9″ like me. Her long, slightly waved hair had black roots that shifted to an intriguing purple. She had a few blue strands in the front of her face, giving a rebellious look in comparison to the rest of her appearance that emphasized the color black.

My eyes looked to her right arm, noticing the Koi fish tattoo in black ink. She was wearing a black top and leather pants, but what was hard to ignore were her radiating magenta eyes that were bouncing to various colors.

What left everyone practically trembling had to be the fearlessness she projected to the world, one that screamed in volumes that she knew how powerful she was and if anyone tried to prove otherwise, they would be dead.

Not wounded or scratched. Simply dead.

In my entire life, I’d never experienced this type of sensation being triggered by one’s appearance. Not from Malachite, or the demons that chased me in my nightmares. Not even the woman I’d met during my near-death experience.

Nothing has been able to make me want to cower and obey their every command.

“The power of a Monarch,” Vix quietly announced, fighting hard to not lower herself to the ground and whimper.

I could feel her struggle, and it was difficult to keep a straight face, my eyes blinking in an effort to distract myself. Catching Kitty’s shuffle backward, she immediately dropped to her knees and bowed her head to the floor.

“Your Majesty!”

All our eyes returned to the woman in question, and I knew without a doubt now that this was Alisha Butterfly, the Monarch on Level Three.

She grinned devilishly. The acknowledgment of her royal status must have been the icing on the cake for her pride.

“I wondered why class was empty,” she announced, her voice as calm as ever. It vibrated with a force that made me feel like this truly was the calm before the storm.

“I wish these prison organizers would know how much we value our time.” With a heavy sigh, she snapped her fingers and we watched the third attacker drop to the floor.

It felt like gravity had snapped back into place because her fall was more of a slam against the floor, enough to make the blade go dashing across the room while she groaned in agony.

Then the royal woman in command had her eyes back on me, and I fought against the urge to obey. Vix approached the wall of my mind, her nose just touching the invisible force as she embedded every bit of courage within me.

The intensity of our gaze was a challenge - one of silence as this being judged me accordingly with her eyes. Amnesia or not, this woman knew what she was capable of, but my worry centered on why she was intrigued by me.

“You.”

She didn’t need to point in my direction, everyone knew who she was talking to as we continued to stare at one another.

“Your name.”

All eyes were on me now, and I stood a little taller and decided it was time to make my proud statement.

“Ivy Vixen. Level Two prisoner.”

It’s not like being a prisoner was something to boast about, but if this woman desired to know who I was, I might as well acknowledge my position in this captive misery.

No matter how or why I was behind these bars, if this was my shining moment, I wanted to ensure I projected a level of authority and strength when attached to my name.

Suddenly, our fierce staring constant was interrupted by the jet of bullets shot towards her. She moved like a blur, stepping out of the way as the bullets headed towards me.

I moved out of the way with ease, the bullets ending up hitting some of the prisoners that were against the left wall. Their wails were drowned by footsteps that raced for the door, but I wasn’t here to run away.

My eyes were fighting to find this culprit that was targeting Ms. Butterfly, but she was one step ahead as she lifted her hand and stopped the next array of bullets.

They literally hovered in the air for a split second, retracting backward until a loud shriek of pain pulsed through the air; the invisible redhead now appearing from her invisible state and falling to the floor.

Now that I was staring at the two, the three redheads had to be sisters or something. Their similar facial features plus the red hair and eyes made it safe to assume they were related in some way.

I thought everything would be well, but my body suddenly reacted out of fear - my eyes darting to Ms. Butterfly to see her react in the same way.

She swirled around, the fast yet graceful move igniting waves of purple flames, but it wouldn’t stop the woman carrying her long sword, the metal oozing a dark red aura that reminded me of pooling blood.

It could have been the dark red color that triggered the flashing image of all those I once loved and lost, scattered on the ground with pools of blood beneath them.

There was no time to allow those feelings to consume me when I had the power to stop another senseless loss of life.

Vix didn’t just walk in and take control, she dove forward and launched herself through the barrier that kept our entities separate. My body moved in front of Ms. Butterfly protectively before it glowed with thrumming energy as bones cracked into place.

I was already moving before my shifting transformation was complete, just in time for a roar to escape my throat - a second before my teeth chomped down on the enemy.

The scream that left her was erratic, and it pierced my sensitive hearing. In this state of mind, where I was the predator that attacks its prey, the sound was like music to my ears as I followed my instinct to keep chomping down.

The sound of her breaking bones must have sounded horrible to others, but it sent waves of pleasure and pokes of elation through me at the idea of eating this woman. She’d be a fine first to have, but the idea of eating something as vile as this only disgusted me.

That’s when I began to shake her from side to side, until I got tired and sent her flying into the wall.

Taking a quick stretch, I waltzed over to Ms. Butterfly. Standing there protectively, my tail brushed her wrist while I prepared for a counter-attack.

Kitty scrambled up and moved to join me, the two of us prepared to protect this royal queen.

If you thought about it logically, it would be difficult to grasp the lengths we were going to make sure she remained safe and unscratched, but common sense in the eye of battle usually led to someone’s death.

It’s all about your instincts, and you never ignore those in the heart of a battle.

The door slammed open, and we all looked to see multiple guards race into the room with armed weapons.

“Everyone, freeze!”

The statement seemed mediocre to me, and I really wanted to sit and roll around instead of attempting to take their late arrival seriously.

“If you’re now trying to stop what could have been a mass murder, you’re beyond late,” Ms. Butterfly declared out of sheer boredom.

“Silence, you bitch! All of you are going to get punished for this!”

If I could roll my eyes, I would have, but Kitty reacted with a hiss as she spun around to point at the man accusingly.

“Hey! Why are we getting in trouble when we were ambushed? We were here for art class and were told this was the room it was occurring in. This lot of prisoners and the ones that escaped threatened to kill us and started all of this! It’s thanks to Ms. Butterfly that we weren’t killed!”

“Shut up!”

My eyes darted to one of the guards that tried to shut Kitty up with the spear taser in his hand, but it didn’t even reach her hip as it froze in place. The man began fighting to finish the deed, only for him to grunt as his body remained in place.

He looked confused in the next moment and looked at Ms. Butterfly, the clear culprit of the delay.

“Y-You bi-”

“Silence, you peasant.”

I shook my fur out a little, an attempt to get rid of the shivering tingles that tried to take over. The queen was now angry, and I was a little happy that I wasn’t in this guard’s shoes right now.

“You know nothing but lies and yet you dare try to taser my servant?”

The man quivered and looked to his commander.

“S-Sir! You said she was the culprit in all of this.”

This so-called commander was trembling like we now were in the middle of a damn blizzard. It didn’t stop him from trying to put on a show, his arm rising up to point to Ms. Butterfly.

“Prisoner 2222! Multiple prisoners told us that you started this fight.”

“Are all the men who work here blind, or do you merely listen to the lies of the same prisoners who clearly set us up and then ran back to their cells in joyous jubilee, thinking you stupid illiterates would believe every single word that came from their mouths?”

I was actually frightened she’d lose her cool and summon the damn apocalypse. My fears were enough for me to howl through the room, silencing everyone.

Widening my stance even more as I lowered closer to the ground in preparation to strike, the threatening growl that rumbled through my chest and out into the room made the commander shake uncontrollably while he stepped back defensively.

I was tired of this waste of time and the urge to now eat him was getting hard to resist.

“Nice…doggy…wolfy…whatever you are! Y-You can’t kill me! I’m the commander of this shift. You-”

“WOOF!” My stomach was clenching for food, and this man was going to be my appetizer before I went to take a long nap. I didn’t care about committing murder if it meant this man would disappear and fill my quench for food.

This is what it must feel like when an animal was desperate for food after exerting themselves all day long.

“She certainly can kill you, Commander,” Ms. Butterfly acknowledged. “However, it would be a waste of energy, especially on someone as weak as yourself.”

“How dar-”

“Why don’t I make my presence clear?” The way her voice suddenly dropped was merely a brush of the sudden heat that oozed off her body as she took a step forward.

Before any of us knew it, she was in front of the trembling man, the other guards helplessly dropping to their knees as they begged to be free from approaching death.

“Do you know who I am? What I can do?” If a voice could portray approaching death, that was exactly what she was doing with her monotone voice. “You dare stand before me and place accusations without fact? You must be testing my patience today, Co-mand-er, for I’m not here to play games.”

The poor man was going to die today. I wondered if she’d be courteous enough by this point to spare him out of pity or boredom.

She inched closer, and the smile on her lips was as sinister as ever.

“I can bring down this entire prison with a simple command. Killing you and your fellow comrades would be a piece of cake, and you know it. Do you believe your rank is higher than mine? A Monarch. Or is it due to my lack of memory that you now believe you overpower me?”

I didn’t need to see the beads of sweat running down that man’s face to smell them from my spot.

That and his intense fear. Any predator can smell the fear of their prey from miles away.

“You’ve wasted enough of my time,” she dismissed. The man dropped down to the floor at her statement, and Ms. Butterfly flicked a few strands of her hair.

“I suggest you review your evidence wisely, Commander, or I’ll have to inform my masters about my attempt to be among prison civilization, only for my servants and myself to be jumped and attacked. This may be a regular occurrence within these walls that do a poor job at holding back our magic and shifter abilities, but if you believe I’ll be a part of your injustice bullshit, be warned now. I. Will. Not.”

He nodded extremely fast, while his fellow guards were all against the wall, wishing to be as far away from Ms. Butterfly as possible. They wanted nothing to do with her wrath.

With a huff, she dismissed them by walking around the commander and exiting the room. I followed with Kitty, deciding it was better we left this apparent crime scene and let them do their own stuff.

Thanks to Ms. Butterfly, we may have just gotten off the trouble list. That would mean no long lectures for me.

We followed her down to another room two doors down, and Ms. Butterfly walked to a specific desk before turning around to face us.

Deciding the defense moment was over, Vix pulled back entirely and our bones began to crack back into place as I stood on two feet.

It took me a moment to realize I was naked, a common thing I forgot about, but seeing as there were no men around, I didn’t feel the slightest bit of embarrassment.

I’d grown far more confident in my naked skin, another of many reasons I had to be grateful for Ryo in my life.

“Thank you, Your Majesty!” Kitty bowed her head and then turned to me and bowed again. “Thank You, Ivy!”

A sigh escaped me, the sudden hurdles of exhaustion clenching my mind and body. Even so, I bobbed my head.

“No worries. Though, I’m not walking out of here like this.”

In a nanosecond, soft fabric cloaked my body, and I looked down to see the simple but elegant black dress.

I had to blink a few times to confirm it was legit, and I looked up to Ms. Butterfly to see her look away, avoiding my arched eyebrow expression.

Wow.

“She’s nice,” Vix commented. “I’m happy she came to our aid.”

Vix’s approval made me grin. When Ms. Butterfly returned her gaze, I immediately bowed my head.

“I’d heard your name when I first arrived, but to be pardoned from death and protected by being acknowledged as your servant…I’m thankful for your interference.”

Every word that left my mouth was true, and I felt honored to have been able to defend her when it was clear she didn’t need anyone’s aid.

Leaning back, I carried on with words I didn’t expect to say, “You’ve earned my respect and friendship. You can deem me as a servant if you wish, but know that within these walls, you have me as an ally if you ever need a partner to rely on.”

She looked at me closely as my words sank in. I figured she’d rather have me as a servant like Kitty, but I didn’t expect her response.

“Alisha Butterfly,” she introduced. The slight smirk that took over her lips made my heart leap in joy. “Friendship doesn’t sound too bad. However, be warned that I’m not one to play the safe card.”

“Safe?” That made me laugh. “In a place where you can barely sleep without the start of a fight. Do not worry about my safety. Only a matter of time before the word spreads of our little fun in the art room and maybe the weak and cowardly will leave us alone.”

Kitty was staring between us, looking as shy as ever in the chill conversation.

“Kitty.” Alisha was glancing away from the cat shifter, but Kitty stood at attention.

“Yes, Your Majesty?!”

“The same applies to you.”

“M-Me?” Kitty looked astonished, the stutter in her voice a mere fraction of the shock she displayed in her wide eyes and open mouth. “You mean…I can be Ms. Butterfly’s friend?”

“You are my servant. I do not see the problem of having friendly ties when we’re not around sketchy prisoners. You’ve already sworn your confidentiality when amongst myself and my masters at the nail salon. Your allegiance would be much appreciated,” Alisha declared and looked back to see Kitty’s eyes pool with tears. “I’d love that.” Her voice shook with thankfulness as she bowed her head. “Thank you, Ms. But-”

“Alisha is fine,” she declared. “No need for such formalities when we’re amongst friends.”

“Thank you, Alisha,” Kitty corrected herself, her tears streaming down her cheeks while she kept smiling proudly.

The scene seemed like a step forward into a new direction, our once-separate paths suddenly intertwining at the right moment. It was odd to reminiscence over the sheer moment, and yet, the wave of relief it ignited left me in a state of confidence that I’d find my life path when I needed to.

Mother Moon will guide me, even in imprisonment.

“Goodness, I’m going to bed.” I yawned, noticing Vix was walking in a circle in her usual corner - a sign she was about to doze off for who knows how long.

“Vix drained me out. Why does she have to show off like that?”

“I can hear you,” she commented, but finally stopped to get settled in the position she wanted.

“Vix?” Alisha inquired.

“Ah.” I gave a sheepish grin, forgetting my random thoughts and lack of introduction. “Vix is my wolf.” I pointed to my ears that were surprisingly out, and they twitched upon my finger’s acknowledgment.

“When my eyes are this shade, I’m in full control,” I began, and Vix took control for a mere second, “And then there’s me in control. Vixen, or Vix for short. An honor to make your acquaintance, Monarch.”

“The pleasure is mutual,” Alisha responded. “I share my words of gratitude for your interference. It’s well appreciated.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed breaking a few bones. Well worth it.”

Vix pulled back then, and I yawned again.

“Goodness, if Ryo makes me do shit today, I’m suing,” I commented, wondering if he’d bother me when I got back to my cell to crash.

If I’d even make it back to my cell. Fuck…I’m tired.

Vix was already asleep, curled up in a ball of fur.

“You don’t look too good, Ivy. Would you like me to accompany you?” Kitty offered.

“No, I’m…okay.” l yawned again. “If I fall asleep in the hall I dare someone to jump me.”

“Kitty. You should go with Ivy and make sure she makes it to her cell. You’re both on Level Two, correct?” Alisha’s sudden request made me feel important.

“Yes. Our cells are really close!” Kitty emphasized. I was a little excited at the idea we’d be cellmates soon.

“THEN PLEASE DO THAT FOR ME,” Alisha encouraged. “Make sure you rest as well. I’ll ask if my masters are willing to tell the guards to bring a meal of your choosing once you’ve both rested.”

“Really?!” Kitty squealed and clapped her hands. “Thank you, Alisha! Ivy, I’ll escort you!”

“A cat shifter escorting an Alpha wolf? My pride is hurt.” I sighed teasingly but yawned again. “And steak would be a wonderful gift from the gods after a nap.”

“Then steak will be on your plate when you wake up,” Alisha assured me, and the gesture made me want to cry. It wasn’t every day you were offered something without a favor in return.

The reward made me grin sleepily.

“Thank you, Alisha. Never thought I’d meet people I actually click with, but maybe my pitiful life is brightening up for the better.”

Alisha nodded in response, and after an exchange of goodbyes and thankfulness, we were off to my cell.

By the time we got there, it was empty, but it didn’t seem to matter much when I could barely keep my eyes open.

Kitty helped me to bed and gently patted my head.

“I’ll get the cellmate request form sorted! Just get lots of rest, Ivy.”

“Thank…you,” I whispered, my eyes remaining closed as I tried to stay awake long enough for her to leave. The sound of the gate locking back into place was my cue to finally relax, and I drifted off at some point.

Something soft brushed my forehead; a damp, cool wetness that seemed to aid in the bits of heat humming through me. I felt like I was in a daze, my eyes opening just slightly at the light touch.

Peering up for a long moment, there was my mom with a tender smile. Her kind eyes twinkled, even in the dimly lit cell, but her motherly expression made my heart swell in love.

“Go back to sleep, sweet darling.” Her voice was the same as always, giving me so much joy and calm that I always wanted to fulfill every task she requested of me.

“Mom…” I whispered and closed my eyes. The soft brush against my cheek made me peek an eye open once more, but my vision was blurrier than before.

All I could catch were red orbs of light, bits of purple leaking into the blurry frame, before my heavy eyelids lost their battle to remain open.

Whoever it was, I silently thanked them. I finally let my body be consumed by the delightful darkness of slumber.

What a troubling day in art class. At least we were saved by a royal savior.

WOLF FRENZY OF MISCOMMUNICATION

~AFEW WEEKS LATER~

“I HAVE a feeling you’re not here due to breaking the law. Just like many in here, especially the females. I overhear things and many of us were taken when we least expected it. To think massive kidnappings are happening left and right in our cities, and nothing is being done unless people of importance are taken.”

I honestly couldn’t believe I was saying as much as I was to our new acquaintance, but it felt right at this moment. Looking away to ensure the surrounding prisoners around us didn’t get too caught up in trying to listen to what was being said, I lowered my voice to a minimum.

“I’m a misfit with no family. My disappearance didn’t trigger news podcasts and posters. Alisha’s amnesia is a hindrance, but her power is so close to absolute that many probably assume she went into hiding. Only you, Cassandra Thorn, are getting the attention to get yourself right out, but I suggest you pinpoint what is within you because it is powerful. If trained, you may be able to save all of us in the future.”

Letting out an exhale, I looked over my shoulder and grinned.

“See ya next week. Don’t worry, I’ll wave next time, so I look less emo. It’s honestly the beanie. Bye, and don’t worry about the trays. Alisha’s servant will get them once you leave the table.”

Oh no. What if I just fucked that up?

“What do you mean? You were nice. In a warning, ‘better get your shit together’ kind of way,” Vix reasoned. “You were good! Don’t worry about it.”

FINISHING UP MY FOOD, I let the flashback run through my mind. I’d decided to have dinner earlier today, so I could have some quiet time to myself.

Allowing another sigh to leave my lips, I got up and made my way out of the cafeteria as I tried my best to not be so cranky this evening.

I deserved a pat on the back in comparison to how I was this morning. The irritation of being stuck within these damn walls for weeks was about to leave me in a ball of furry madness.

I’d honestly lost count of the days I’d spent cooped up in this prison. The apparent rule about getting to go out twice a month had yet to be granted due to a number of foreseeable problems that were thankfully not caused by me.

The first excuse was due to the fight in the cafeteria that left some gorilla woman dead. Apparently, the woman had it coming, having instigated the fight, and she was left as the sore loser.

A dead sore loser.

From the booming gossip and the details Kitty had retrieved from her nail salon shift that day, a human girl named Cassandra Thorn was the original target of the heated dispute.

In the midst of the argument, Alisha somehow got involved, and everyone got to witness her commanding power until Cassandra had jumped in to protect Alisha from an attack.

The end result? A massive hole through the walls of the cafeteria and beyond. The culprit was the ‘human’ prisoner with a turquoise tattoo on her arm.

I wasn’t going to believe that a mere human was being locked down here until I saw it with my own two eyes, and today was the day when I’d finally gotten to meet her.

She was the same height as us, with brunette strands and blue eyes. She was definitely Caucasian. At first glance, I could see why everyone thought she was human.

There was a naive innocence to her, but it didn’t take away from her beauty or unique energy that exuded from her body.

It could have been my senses or my self-growth in learning how to identify auras of other supernaturals that Ryo was slowly teaching me, but when you stared at her long enough, there was a mysterious flow of superiority around her.

Vix had commented that it had a muted sensitivity, explaining that her power could be compared to a television displaying something important, but with the sound off.

Observing her while I ate only emphasized it. She was like one of those mystery boxes that had to be unlocked for the trapped butterfly to spread its wings and fly.

To me, it wasn’t outside forces that were stopping her, or she would have never been able to defend Alisha or even herself.

The one stopping her from finding those supernatural wings so she could fly was her.

It was funny now that I thought about it because I was giving advice that could have easily been applied to myself.

These passing weeks had proved to me that I’d need a number of outlets if I was going to last here for more than three months. It also was slowly making me insane to be alone while the others worked hard to find a way out of all of this.

I’d barely had any interactions with my masters; Ryo, Zane, and Glynn were assigned to find out any loopholes in the prison system while Leo and Theo scouted internally with some assistance from Omarion.

My “role” was to not start shit, do what I was told, eat the meals I was provided, and play along with the prisoner position until I was told otherwise.

Essentially everything I didn’t want to do.

Honestly, if I’d been given the chance to have a moment outdoors, this closed-box feeling may have gone away by now. But every day that I woke up only accentuated the growing anxiety of being in a boxed cube, and it was only getting worse.

My plan to stay with Kitty had been deferred due to the cafeteria fight, and then when I was finally going to be switched, there was an explosion-earthquake thing in the mines.

We still didn’t know what had occurred, but the riled-up situation had all the guards on high alert and thus, we were practically on lockdown until things calmed down.

Another reason to delay my apparent “move”.

At least I’d gotten used to the disgusting smell, and I still got better privileges than other prisoners carrying the same rank.

Now if only I could get my ass outside for a fucking minute.

Vix had been just as cranky if not anti-social. Last week when Ryo was able to pass by for a few short minutes, he’d tried to ask if she was okay and that basically ended up in a heated argument.

“VIX? C’mon. Stop sulking already. You’re making things harder for Ivy,” Ryo emphasized.

“I’m making shit harder for you? Fucking bullshit.” Vix buzzed into my mind and rushed to the wall to take control of me briefly. “Shut up! Can’t say shit when you get to go be one with the skies and fly around! I don’t fucking belonging in this shithole of a place, and I’ve been denied fresh fucking air for weeks! WEEKS! What are you doing about that?! HUH!”

Ryo groaned and pinched his nose. “Vix. I’m trying.”

“I don’t care!” She pulled back and I groaned. “This conversation isn’t going anywhere. Let’s just drop it.”

“Dropping it won’t solve it, Ivy,” Ryo acknowledged.

“Then tell me, oh wise one! How the fuck are we going to solve this?!” I snapped out of irritation. “They promised two times a month and it’s been, what? TWO FUCKING MONTHS! I’m struggling to keep my sanity, Ryo!”

He bit his lips, fighting not to fight back as I growled and turned away to calm down. “I haven’t seen you in days, and I don’t get to see the others either! The apparent transfer to stay with Kitty is all on hold, and I have dinner with Cassandra and Alisha only once a week. I can’t even be direct with how fucking annoying this lifestyle is! Sure, we’re acquaintances trying our best to adapt to this shitty-ass living space and maybe all secretly hoping to be friends, but we’re not going to reach that comfortable status in a few weeks of captivity!”

I twirled back to face him, fighting off the tears that threatened to leave my eyes

“We haven’t hugged in ages. We barely talk when you come and visit for a few short minutes. We don’t even share a meal with one another and fuck! We haven’t even fucked in like years!”

“You’re being dramatic,” he grumbled. “It’s been a few weeks.”

“It’s been close to three months, you dick!”

“Ivy, I get it,” he said through clenched teeth.

“No, you don’t!” I argued. “If you did, you wouldn’t be clenching your damn fist and trying to hold back your damn frustration due to my frustration!”

“I’m holding back because I’m just as angry as you!” he snapped. “I’m fucking trying, Ivy. I can’t fucking sleep, let alone eat, when I know you’re suffering down here having to deal with silly shit from people that don’t give a fucking damn!”

The heat rose to a scorching level as he continued, “We’re searching day and night to figure something out! I’m fighting damn hard to work with a guy I fucking hate just so we can bend the rules and get you out of here safely but there’s more to it, Ivy!”

“More to what?!” I put my hands in the sky. “We know who wants me in here! Why can’t we fucking do a damn police report or some shit to finally put the real culprit behind fucking bars? Again and again, this psycho of a killer has gotten away with ruining my whole damn life and yet I’m the one suffocating down here without a glimpse of sunlight, let alone moonlight, and he gets to walk fucking free? He gets to manipulate the person who I once called a sister and turn her against me! When am I going to get the proper justice I deserve? When is he going to get the hammer of capital punishment and pay for all the sins committed while getting to whatever goals he’s striving towards? Why is he working so damn hard to try and get rid of little old me?! All I want is a good life with the man I love and my freedom back! I want to get back to normal, but no! I’m the one stuck on pause while the rest of the world goes on like nothing is happening behind these walls!”

I clenched my fists and fought to control my riled emotions. “Plus, you’ve managed annoying assholes before! I’m sure you and Zane can get along eventually.”

“We’re not going to get along ever,” he huffed and glared at me. “I hate his guts like he hates mine and the rest of the world.”

“You don’t know what’s he’s been through. Just suck it up for now and focus on the priorities,” I complained, feeling even more defensive than usual.

“Why are you even defending him?!”

“Who’s defending who?”

“YOU!” Ryo pointed both hands my way. “You’re clearly defending his ass! You haven’t seen him in, what, weeks, and yet you’re telling me to suck it up and focus on damn priorities like I’m not doing just that!”

“Ugh, I’m not defending anyone’s ass!” I snapped and paced to the other side of the cell. Thank goodness the soundproof barriers were up or the whole damn prison would be hearing the grand uproar of anger raging between us.

“And I’m fucking aware of my lack of interaction with my wolf masters.”

“I’m one of your masters as well, Ivy.”

“Like I’d suddenly forgotten,” I dramatically stated. “I apologize for my struggle to acknowledge your prison role. At least I’ve seen you a fraction more than them.”

“Are you even trying to understand the problem here?!”

“What is there to understand when all I want to do is go home? Even if that home was the fucking streets, it was ten times better than this shitty place of isolated torture. I’m going insane, Ryo, but of course you wouldn’t fucking understand!”

“Why? Because I’m not a wolf hybrid like the others?”

“I don’t want to talk about this.” I pushed the discussion away.

I knew this immature argument between us would just go downhill from here. It was already crashing and burning, and his comment was about to ignite another eruption of hateful words and unnecessary bullshit.

I knew I should have been nicer, and maybe I was suddenly defending someone I shouldn’t be protecting, but my buzzing mind was fighting against the irritation of the situation and logic wasn’t processing quick enough.

“Now you don’t want to face the elephant in the fucking cell!”

“There’s no fucking elephant!” I snapped back. “I’m trying to explain how frustrated I am and you’re not listening to me!”

“And have you decided to take a fucking moment to listen to my damn concerns?!” he snapped right back. “You think you’re the only one struggling with all of this?! We’re doing our damn best while we have to deal with our own shit that’s piling up on the damn back burner, so we can get you out of here, and yet you can’t be grateful?!”

“Who said I wasn’t grateful?!” I barked back. “Did I say I wasn’t grateful to have you guys trying your best to help me out? No! That wasn’t brought up once in this damn conversation. The same goes for you having piled up shit on the back burner. How am I supposed to know when you don’t fucking tell me? What’s happening outside of these walls that’s impacting your life but is being neglected by the unforeseen circumstances that landed me in this place?!”

“Oh, I don’t know?” he exaggerated as he threw his hands up in the air. “Let’s see. One is the fact I have yet to pay back your apparent wolf pack and it’s only a matter of time before I have to pay all of that shit back with interest, which I doubt will be after we get you out of this place. Or how about the fact that I’ve spent days and nights working my new job to try and get any leads on Malachite with the evidence I’ve been spending WEEKS gathering!”

He moved closer, walking right up to me and glaring down at my opposite gaze.

“Why don’t we add the fact that every damn day when I’m working my ass off, I am reminded about the obvious future awaiting me as some side dude while each of your wolf hybrid masters gets closer to you because of the law of attraction in supernatural psychology. I’ll be left alone like a rejected toy on Christmas day!”

He was actually fighting tears as he looked angrily into my eyes.

“You know what the icing on that bloody cake is in all of this heated madness? While trying to put you as the priority like you’ve always been for the last eight years, I’ve had to ignore the fact that my fucking sister that I haven’t seen in ten years is in the same facility and I can’t gather the fucking balls to talk to her and apologize for my idiotic mistakes as a child! I can’t take even one day off to find where she is in this place and apologize for abandoning her because I was such a coward and ended up devoting my life to a woman who deserved to have one person to rely on in this cruel, sick world. At this rate, I’ll never get that golden chance and if she leaves this place for good, I’ll most likely never get to see her again!”

Tears slid down his angered face. My thrumming desire to fight back had now dissolved at his revelation.

Sister? He…didn’t he say he had a brother? When did he have a sister?

“I’ve devoted a good chunk of my life to making you happy, Ivy! To fill that gaping hole in your life. I’ve done it because I love you. I’d do it all over again if I had to, and yet, there are just some times when I feel so fucking unappreciated!” He wiped his tears, sniffing back more tears as he shook his head. “If you think I’m happy that you’re stuck behind bars for a crime you never committed, let me remind you again of my opinion. I’m NOT happy that you’re here. It kills me every fucking day when I sit down to sleep on the couch in the office and realize you’re not in my arms. It drives me insane with worry whenever I’m away from this place, frightened to hear you’ve suddenly been in a gang fight or trapped in collapsing mines. I have nightmares that plague me whenever I try to sleep, always replaying the inevitable moment when you slip from my grasp and I’m left with nobody. I’m sacrificing everything I can for you, Ivy. Everything so we can finally be free from these shackles of our pasts and move forward and enjoy the future together like I promised you! I’m fucking trying, Ivy. I’m trying so hard that I’m losing the battle to keep trying. Instead of yelling at me in your frustration, just take one damn moment to be in my shoes and carry the burden of all this on your shoulders. Then will you give me some words of encouragement?”

“Ryo…I…um…” I fought for words, feeling overwhelmed by his words as well as by the waves of nervous emotions running from him to me. I tried to reach out to him, my hand trembling as I tried to brush against his.

He turned away, a sign that he was done with the conversation, but it felt as if it had a greater meaning.

“I’m leaving.”

He reached for the gate and slid himself out.

“Ryo, wait-” He closed it shut, his eyes locking on mine for an intense ten seconds. My heart dropped at his pained blue eyes, and I feared the worst as he left without another word.

I HADN’T SEEN him since, and now it was becoming hard to not think of the worst.

What if he wants to break up with me?

Pushing the idea away from my mind, I headed back to my cell, only to see a guard standing at the hall entrance.

“Um?”

“We’re investigating something down here. Gotta wait,” he declared, returning to his staring dynamics and ignoring my confused look.

“Where do I go in the meantime?” I questioned.

“You can head to the recreational hall and wait. We’ll be done in a bit.”

“Is there a way for me to be privileged to go out for some moonlight?” I inquired.

“No.”

“I’m a wolf and have been denied access for two months.”

“Not my problem.”

“Then whose problem is it?! Who do I speak to that can help me with this situation?”

“Leave a message at the recreational desk,” he said, brushing me away. “Go over there now while we continue our investigation.”

I knew arguing would just get me into stupid trouble. With a grumble under my breath, I turned around and headed to the stupid recreational hall. I debated whether to go down to Kitty’s cell at this point, but I didn’t want to burden her right now.

There was no way I was in a good enough mood to be around someone else, especially after I’d blown a fuse with Ryo and we had yet to reconcile our differences and fix it.

The idea of us not talking for days was really making me worry that it would be the last I saw of him and that we’d truly be done.

Was I being unfair for not acknowledging his work enough? Was this a habit I’d been doing simply because I’d gotten used to him aiding me in so many ways that I’d stopped giving him words of encouragement?

Why hadn’t I seen it before? Why didn’t he tell me that I was doing something wrong? Why did it end up like this? Why can’t I gather enough courage to reach out to him and apologize? Why am I struggling with this? Why? Why? Why?

I stopped in the hall, only to move into a narrow one and notice the janitors’ closet. I took my chances with whether it was open or not, and to my luck, it was.

Sliding into the cluttered space, I closed the door and kept my hand on the handle. Vix was in a moping mood, enough to be deep asleep in the darker parts of my subconscious.

I couldn’t even see her furry, curled body, which was just one of the many factors that was making this even harder to deal with.

Deep down, I felt a little abandoned, all my security nets being sliced to oblivion. The thought triggered more bits of anxiety and fear, and I slid my hand off the knob to walk back to the wall and slowly lower to the floor.

I knew what was happening, but I didn’t want to acknowledge it as I secretly cursed myself for entering a confined, dark space in this moment. Staring at my hands shaking violently, tears began to form in my eyes as my breathing escalated to an uncontrollable round of quiet gasps.

“I’m okay.” I mentally coached myself, even though in reality I knew it was a bunch of bullshit. I wasn’t close to being okay, but if I didn’t tell myself otherwise the elemental magic within my Mageri veins would fight for freedom and all havoc would come caving in.

Running my hands through my short hair, I wished for my beanie, so I could hug it and envision my loving family. The absence of the soft fabric was just making things even worse.

“Ryo.”

I tried to close my eyes and concentrate, wishing to connect with my mate. I tried and tried to find that connection. To feel the thrumming rope of energy and seek the comfort he always brought with just his voice.

I searched desperately while things got harder on the outer shell. My breaths got quicker, and my body began to rock back and forth while I clenched my short locks to try and stimulate enough pain to fight the loss of reality - the slipping sensation growing harder to ignore.

Tears were streaming down my face like a tap of running water, and everything was spinning.

By the time I’d tried to connect with Ryo, I was experiencing a full-blown panic attack and it only escalated in severity when the receiving end of the connection felt cold as hell.

I fought my hardest not to scream, the silent yells happening in my mind while the ground shook a little. Now I felt fucking alone, and as pathetic as it must have sounded, I was frightened like no other.

For years, I’d fought to not acknowledge my PTSD or the fact that being alone for extended periods of time merely triggered all the bad memories in my life. I never thought I’d be so reliant on another, especially after years of living alone as a homeless child before my daily visits with Ryo.

I’d become so accustomed to life with another, to the heartbeat of another living person, that now in the peak of panic, I couldn’t calm down unless I was calmed by another.

“What’s going on?” someone screamed in the hall. “Why are the lights going on and off?!”

“The floor is trembling! Oh fuck, this better not be another mine collapse!”

“Let’s go to the first floor! Hurry!”

Rushing footsteps could be heard from outside, but I couldn’t breathe.

Fuck, I can’t breathe.

Everything felt like too much, and that’s when the flashbacks of those fateful days surrounded by death, blood, and manic laughter from the man who ruined my life assaulted my consciousness.

It replayed in a fast-forward wheel of scenes, again and again, while I rocked and muffled my screams into my folded knees. My body began to spasm in pain, reminding me of how I hadn’t taken my meds today or yesterday.

All that did was add to the fuel of panic, and my rising fear of having a seizure that I knew was imminent with how my brain was negatively responding to all of this.

I thought by now Ryo would somehow magically be here, but all I could feel was the hollow emptiness I was so desperate to run away from.

Can’t. Can’t. Can’t do this. No, no, no. Why am I alone? Why? Am I about to die? He’s going to come and kill me. That damn man. He’s here to ruin me like he’s done the majority of my life. Why, why, why? Where’s Ryo? Why isn’t he responding to me? I need him! I…I’m sorry. Ryo? Please don’t ignore me anymore. How do I fix this? Why did it take me more than a week to fix this gap between us? Will I die? Am I about to die? Why am I scared to die? Don’t I deserve to? Why do I keep living when all those who sacrificed to make me happy never got to enjoy this life to the fullest? It’s my fault that their lives were shortened. Why couldn’t I be killed instead? I can’t breathe. Why is it so hard to breathe? So…hard.

I knew for sure that I was at the peak of this panic attack, but I feared that I wouldn’t even survive it as I struggled for air. It was like my lungs were now underwater.

Fear overcame me stronger than anything, and the realization that I was cut off from Ryo suddenly seemed to make me want to give up fighting entirely.

Why is loneliness so hard? Why does blending in to the darkness hurt more than being among the light? Why can’t I do what people want me to do? Can’t I change to suit their mold…that way, I won’t lose them? Is it worth losing who I am? Is it all even worth it?

I pressed my forehead against my knees, tears beginning to stain the orange jumpsuit that I despised. Everything about this imprisonment was wrong. No way was this my original destiny. A wolf who had gone through so much, only destined to be imprisoned.

To face a sentence at a magnitude far greater than those who actually committed crimes that took lives. There was no justice in this system. We’re all exposed to moldy walls, disgusting treatment from guards, and if you see anything that doesn’t roll with your morals, all you can do is keep silent.

Was this what I deserved? Did I earn this reality for trying to seek refuge in a dream that I could live in peace and harmony with a shifter who was different from me? Is this all done by self-sabotage? More importantly, would I survive it all?

I wished to shut the world off. To flick a switch and allow silence to wrap around and let my mind process all of these emotions at once.

What I thought was coping quietly within the safety of my cell merely seemed selfish to another. Maybe I could have worded my thoughts better. I could have given him the chance to say more and held back on my needs and wishes.

I thought he’d understand how hard all of this was and that I was trying to hide it from the rest of the world. My expectation was that he’d comfort me and explain that things would work out with time and patience like he normally did.

I didn’t know about his apparent sister. How could I know when he never mentioned that? He didn’t explain his frustration with working with Zane or any of his insecurities.

I’d vent to him my frustrations whenever he came by. Why hadn’t he thought to do the same? Instead, he pent them up like a glass bottle, and the cork had finally popped and vomited it all out.

Now…we’re over? The connection isn’t there anymore… Has he dumped me forever? Will I never see him again? Why does that make me hurt even more?

“Ah…the culprit of this whole flickering mess.”

The muttered voice came from above me, but I didn’t tug away from my curled position. I wanted to sink deeper into the despair and hide forever in the darkness.

“Jeez, what did that ass do?” the annoyed muttering followed with a sigh.

The sound of the door closing shut made me wonder if I was alone once more, but then I felt a warmth on my neck, a glowing heat that began to pave a connection through the intense anguish.

My eyes opened slightly, and I lifted my teary eyes to see Zane kneeling before me. His right hand rested on his knee, the mark against the back of his hand glowing softly while his left hand was stroking my head at a soothing pace.

He still had the usual annoyed expression that he carried, but it was softer and even flickered with a bit of remorse. The connection that was growing between us began to unlock the wall of his emotions, and it was far different than the ones he portrayed on the surface.

He was worried about me. Concerned about what had triggered this sudden breakdown of emotions. Then there was that boiling anger like an ocean of boiling lava.

It was like it had levels, and the first of many was unlocked and fighting the small bit of resistance not to rise to the surface and explode onto anyone that got in the way of its dangerous path.

Finally, there was what felt like uncertainty. It was mixed with hesitation as to what the best course of action was in this chaotic mess of frustration.

I wasn’t sure which emotion he’d act on first, but his stroking hand moved from my head to my cheek. He brushed away a tear that fell at that moment and took a long look at my crumbled figure.

He sighed and pulled out his phone, and soon it was on speaker while it began to dial.

“I’m not in the mood to fucking tal-”

“Your mate is having a panic breakdown and causing the damn prison to go into a frenzy,” he bluntly cut him off. “I don’t give a shit about you right now. I just need to know why the hell she’s hurting.”

He was quiet on the other end and Zane got impatient.

“Fine. Whatever I do now is out of your control, but let me remind you of something that I expect you of all people to understand,” he declared. “Without communication, even the strongest bonds can crumble. No matter how big or small the issue is, using your words is better than assuming someone will know what you’re going through. Next time take pointers before you put your frustration on someone else. Especially when you’ve taken the lead role in comforting her, rather than relying on her to comfort you.”

He hung up and rose up to stare down at me. I couldn’t even gather words, feeling completely out of them when he somehow was able to gather the main problem of my argument between Ryo and me into a fraction of a statement.

Miscommunication happened in relationships. I expected that in our relationship, and I didn’t want to act like a victim in this fight, but I didn’t know some of the things bothering him, and that left me feeling like the weaker link within the partnership.

I’d gotten used to sharing my insecurities and worries with Ryo. I’d been doing that for years. He was the one who always listened to me, and no matter what hardships I went through, I could guarantee that he’d lend me an ear and listen to what buzzed in my mind when it got too quiet.

The fact that he didn’t want to do the same and rely on me in his stressful times bothered me. It made me feel insignificant and like a horrible person for ignoring his needs.

On the outside, it made me look even worse, like a conceded shifter who only cared about her needs and not the ones of her lovers. I did care. I wished to know more and be the one who would listen to him, but I hadn’t gotten the chance, especially within these moldy walls.

It makes me look like a horrible person, friend, girlfriend, mate. All of this makes it look like I’m solely at fault.

“We’re going somewhere.”

I just stared at him, unsure how I’d be able to move in my trembling state. He merely nodded at my silent reply, maybe reading into my fearful eyes and the burning uncertainty within my heart.

“Close your eyes.”

I did what he asked, and it was odd to explain the sensation that took over, but it felt like a tender flow of heat.

Then there was a sudden chill, a swirling force that made the tiny hairs along my arms rise up in fear. I remained calm, keeping my eyes closed the entire time while there was a flicker of crackles and pops.

Suddenly, the atmosphere changed completely. My eyes were still closed, but my first inhale of clear air made my eyes flicker open.

They widened while absorbing the marvelous sight of the sky, the small grey clouds that moved slowly through the dark, starry sky. The massive full moon took my breath away.

I’d lost track of the time. I didn’t even know today was a full moon. The longer I stared at the sky I’d once taken for granted, the more I was left with immense gratitude.

This was what I’d been wishing for weeks. Just a glimpse of Mother Moon and the inhale of fresh air to fill my nostrils and lungs.

My eyes lowered to the sight of various trees and paths. It seemed massive from where I sat, still in my ball position. Turning my gaze to Zane, I noticed that his hands were casually slipped into his pockets while his eyes stared up to the moon.

He noticed my lingering eyes, moving his head so those red orbs locked onto mine. For the first time since our meeting, I didn’t feel upset about seeing him.

“Thank you.”

He deserved those words. It felt good to share my gratitude with him. His head bobbed once, his eyes looking down at me before he outstretched his hand to me.

“Wanna learn the first thing all wolves have to learn when they enter a pack?”

I stared down at his opened hand, the invitation like a golden ticket to a new world.

“Yes,” I replied and tried to hold back my tears as I reached out to place my hand in his. He squeezed it gently, a way for him to comfort me even though his expression was stern.

“Good,” he declared. “The first thing to learn is trust.”

TRUST IS FIRST FOR ANY PACK

“Where’d you get these clothes?” I inquired, staring at my temporary attire of black tights and a red fitted V-neck shirt.

“You ask too many questions,” he muttered from where he’d been facing away so I could change. “Hurry up before I get bored with this.”

I walked over to where he stood. He turned around and took a good look at me. He then began to walk around me, inspecting me like a sergeant making sure a solider was in proper uniform.

Facing me once more, his eyes lingered on the top of my head.

“Close your eyes.”

“Why?”

“What did I just say earlier?”

“You talked about the definition of trust,” I answered gloomily, giving up trying to be defiant as I closed my eyes.

“Which is?”

“A belief in someone, something, or an entity,” I replied.

“It’s the foundation of what an Alpha needs to instill into each member of their pack. Without trust, there is nothing to stop them from pulling away and facing the life of an Omega,” he explained.

Before I could respond, something slid onto my head. He patted my head once, and commanded, “Open your eyes.”

Following his direction, I tried to look up to see what was on my head, but the familiarity suddenly made me smile and I lifted my hand up to pat the soft fabric.

“My…beanie.” I looked at him with blissful hope, and his cheeks began to turn red before he turned around to hide his expression.

“See what happens when you trust?” he muttered and began to walk forward.

“Yes,” I answered him and kept close to his lead as we made our way through the forest. This was literally the first time we’d been alone with one another, and now it felt odd in some ways and sacred in others.

A part of me felt amazing to be alone with him while the other yearned to fix things with Ryo. Whatever Zane wanted to show me, it had to be important, and it was a good enough distraction to bare, rather than facing the tension I now had with Ryo.

We walked for a while, but the silence wasn’t heavy in any way. I was impressed that he didn’t criticize me for earlier. He could have made all the jokes or made me feel like shit for breaking down like that, but he didn’t.

We reached a path that was lined with rocks, and he came to a stop near a massive tree.

“Have you ever run with another wolf before?”

“As in jog?” I inquired.

He shook his head. “Run in your wolf form with another wolf?”

My response was delayed as I looked to the soil, remembering those dear moments when I’d run around as a kid while my parents and a few pack members remained in their wolf forms and played around with me.

“No,” I answered. “My pack all died before I obtained my wolf. I’d never been in touch with another wolf shifter until you and the others so. Sorry if I don’t meet up to your standards.”

“No one said you needed to apologize.” He sounded irritated again, and I hesitantly looked at him, only to realize he was in front of me.

His finger lifted my chin up higher, and his red eyes bored into mine.

“Lift your head up,” he commanded.

I swallowed and slightly nodded while he kept our intense gaze.

“Mistakes happen. Arguments happen. You do not suddenly become a submissive wolf because of others.” My eyes watered at his words, but I couldn’t even look away as I whispered, “Why aren’t you ashamed of me?”

“What makes you believe I should suddenly be ashamed? Do you think I or even the others blame this imprisonment on you?”

“Why haven’t you?” I countered. “Aren’t I just wasting your time? I was supposed to help you guys be a pack, right? We haven’t even gotten to talk since the last time we saw each other and that was weeks ago. I’m not doing my part while you guys waste billions on me? Shouldn’t I just be what the world wants me to be?”

He gripped my face and I was up against the tree in a blur. It surprised me at first, enough for Vix to open her eyes and lift up slightly in attention, but she remained in place while I kept my stare with Zane.

His eyes narrowed in questioning, his magic circles that were purple began to ooze to black.

“If you allow the world to conform you into what they desire, you’ll never be happy or satisfied with anything you accomplish in this fucked-up world,” he whispered and held my face even tighter as he leaned in closer.

“Do you think hybrids fit into the world’s equation? That we’re among the accepted standards of our supernatural society? It’s only been a few decades since the supernatural world came to be, and even before, our kind was hidden in the shadows due to the judgment of humans.”

He let go but kept his distance and for a single moment, he allowed his expression to show his vivid emotions.

“You know why we’re all not in a pack? Because our own family packs discarded us. The moment they know the baby is a hybrid, they kick the mother out of the pack, or in other cases, kill her for venturing out to another supernatural race for pleasure. Where does that leave the children? Either they’re born into families that are willing to stick together and travel with their mate, or the rejection causes the couple to tear apart, leaving the kid as the in-between-er and reminder of their lustful mistake.”

His anger grew, and it boiled within me.

“When you have to endure a fucked-up past, guess what? You endure every bit of that struggle alone. The world doesn’t come swooping down to save you. Those people who talk shit and look down upon you would never intervene if you’re getting kicked, shoved, or taken advantage of in an alleyway. The people in this world, whether human or supernatural, only care about themselves, so why should you mold yourself into one of their million copies and blend in?”

Everything he said made sense, and it almost sounded silly to me that I’d even thought of changing who I’d always been.

“All the people that created a change in this world, were they perfect?”

“No,” I quietly replied.

“Exactly. They dealt with shit. Some went to therapy after being raped and tortured. Others were threatened, beaten, enslaved, and treated like shit by their own people who were desperate to mold them into one of them. When they didn’t comply, they were punished for it, but did that stop those very people from rising above it all and achieving their heart’s desire?”

“No. They kept going,” I whispered.

“Malachite is my father,” he announced, and I remained calm as he carried on, “That man is a demon who learned how to perfectly shift into a wolf. He fooled everyone, including my mother, and when she discovered the truth, it was too late. Instead of our Alpha admitting that he’d fucked up and pretended Malachite was within the pack bond, he ordered my mom to be an outcast, and she was forced into the life of an Omega. That led to a life of homelessness while Malachite just took off and began his journey of killings.”

He leaned away and took two steps back.

“He killed and killed, particularly any Alpha woman, and a rumor began to thrum through the wolf community. He was looking for the child that would be blessed by Mother Moon. A child born within the heart of wolves but who could bond with hybrid shifters of any supernatural race.”

My eyes widened at the news, immediately recalling when I’d first bonded with Ryo. “You’re not trying to say-”

“A child born from an Alpha father and mother will be blessed with the duty of uniting those who are discarded for their difference,” he emphasized. “One should not be penalized for being half of one kind. Mother Moon loves all her children, even those who share half the qualities of another supernatural entity. Life is valuable and must be protected. She will be the key to creating a pack of unity among hybrids and ignite unity as they strive for universal peace.”

“Where did you get that information from?”

“It was a prophetic dream given by an elder who’d told the same exact words to my father. It was a warning, in a sense.”

“A warning?”

“The woman destined to ignite this change will be the woman that will be your son’s mate.”

Now it clicked, and I stared back at him with wide eyes.

“Are you trying to say that Malachite went to see an Elder about you and ended up discovering about a destined Alpha female who’d unite hybrids? One that you’d be mated to?” I summarized.

“Yes. That was when he decided to abandon us and start his mission of killing any Alpha woman and child he could. Destroying packs if he had to. Demons are sleek and can hide their motives well, and he had enough connections back then to play his part. Our pack had kept quiet about my mother’s exile out of the pack, which was why he was still able to roam around. At the end of the day, we lived in a world where men still ruled and were considered saints while women were banished for the littlest things. I grew up with the utmost respect for my mom…and had to see her end when my shitty-ass father decided to finish her off.”

I felt the ripples of pain that trickled through that tunneled connection, and he looked away to compose himself, his eyes returning to viewing the massive moon.

“I hid in fear because I was nowhere near as strong as him, and I regret it every day. Everyone around me had told me to merely let my wolf side show. To cast my demon away and never unlock the fucking key. Demons live off anger. It’s what helps us thrive and harnesses the deadly power within us. So the world that had done nothing for me when my mom was murdered in cold blood was suddenly telling me to choose one part of me over the other. To be a wolf shifter and pretend to not have a demon side that craves revenge at every beating moment. To hide when I’m drowning in sorrow and to lock myself in the washroom when I’m dealing with an anger tantrum.”

He looked back at me, the magic circles in his eyes now spinning at a rapid pace and almost hiding the red in those orbs completely as they reflected a chilling black.

“The world wanted me to remain silent and ignore the man who screwed up my entire life as he killed innocent women and packs across America. It was only a matter of time until he found that very mate of mine, and killed her, too. He almost succeeded.”

Turning away once more, he tugged the hair tie out of his red locks, letting them fall while he reached for the bottom material of his t-shirt and tugged it up and over his head.

My eyes grew massive at the large scar on his back. The three large marks that went across his back reminded me of a monster slashing through his flesh.

He tossed his shirt to the side and began to strip down his black joggers. My heart skipped a few beats, and I had to work hard not to suddenly get excited at the idea of him being naked.

I knew he was shedding away his clothes in preparation to shift, and I wondered if I should do the same.

“When I was twelve, I went to visit a man named Louis.”

I froze at the mention of that man’s name, the reminder of that year in recovery igniting tingles across my arms.

“He was the only acquaintance my mother trusted, and I was desperate to try and find a way to stop my father legally through the supernatural system. Obviously, I was far too young to finish high school, university, and get a job as a detective to try and track down my dad, but in the world of supernaturals, age is nothing but a number. I arrived at his place extremely late, not wanting to catch anyone’s attention in comparison to the busy streets of the day. He invited me in, and we decided to take the conversation upstairs to his personal office that was magically protected.”

I noticed how his eyes suddenly softened, and I finally witnessed the hints of a smile grace his lips as he whispered, “When we reached the second floor and were about to pass by a slightly opened door, I felt the strongest urge to stop and look to my left. There was not an ounce of restraint to stop me from doing just that, and I caught the glimpse of a girl sleeping in bed. My whole world seemed to stop then…and I actually forgot to breathe. Louis ended up having to shake me out of it. I had to see the girl who’d made my world stop in a single glance.”

His eyes closed and opened again, those black jewels now a mesmerizing purple that twinkled with red.

“The door opened wider and I got to see the full view of her peaceful tranquility. Never in my life had I been so captivated by female, especially a little girl, but she suddenly was my world and I struggled so hard to not reach out and allow her to share that same connection. As desperate as I was to do just that, Louis was against it.”

“Why?”

“Because it was too early.” He actually chuckled and shook his head. “I couldn’t understand what he meant, but I’d already screwed something up.” He shrugged. “I’d connected my bond with the girl, but she couldn’t connect with mine unless we woke her up. If I did that, it would be too much of a risk because I’d be an easy target for my father to track, and he’d kill my mate.”

“Wait…” As if it was finally clicking into my mind, I gasped. “Y-You’re not saying the little girl was me?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” His purple eyes began to drift back to red as the spinning circle slowed until the magic circle of lavender was visible. “The girl with neon blue and purple hair, who took a year to recover from her injuries after her entire pack was gruesomely killed by my demon father, who then shifted back to his wolf image and raced down to gather the other packs and inform them of the madness they had endured due to their initiative for peace. All a fucking hoax to hide his true intentions of killing you.”

He shook his head and sighed. “I had to make a choice there and then. To let you go and live your life that Louis was setting up for you or try to run away. I knew the second option would only lead to premature death. I wasn’t strong, nor did I have control over my demon, let alone have an identity of my own. To steal you from multiple chances at finding a new place to call home for my own selfishness would lead to you hating me, and it still didn’t get rid of the other risks life brought when you lived on the streets. I had no choice but to let go, but that was also a hard gamble to play.”

“Is it because one half of the connection was activated?” I inquired.

“Yup.” He actually smirked. “Louis had to end up pulling some strings due to it, and that’s one of the reasons why you had a milk addiction for most of your life and deal with pain spasms.”

“Huh?”

“Your pain spasms were due to your body trying to urge you to return to your mate. It’s almost a bone response if you think about it, and milk eases those signals from reacting. Drinking milk more often practically mutes them, but the medication you were taking also helped. Haven’t you noticed since our not so humble reunion that you haven’t had the strong urge to drink milk?”

He’s right.

“It was something I didn’t want you to endure, but it was the safest route to keep you alive. There was only one problem left, which was distance. I couldn’t stay too far from you or it would drive me insane. Therefore, the only place that would benefit both of us was getting you into the top foster facility in NYC. It was next to the supernatural institute where Louis would enlisted me into their secret ops program. Doing so would make sure you had the opportunity to find a family while I worked on getting stronger and wiser.”

“What happened when I got adopted? Or at least temporarily, for the twenty-nine times,” I questioned.

“When I got older, it was easier to distance myself, but I’d still have to keep track of where you were from time to time.”

“Meaning you’re a stalker.”

“No.” He sounded mad, but he merely brushed the comment off and continued. “Didn’t you notice that every family you went to would act up in a negative away and end up returning you?”

I gave him a questionable stare. “Please don’t tell me you were the culprit of that.”

“Not necessarily.” He didn’t have a single hint of remorse in his comment. “Being around a demon invokes an individual’s deepest desires. Those families would have acted like holy immaculates until you were officially stuck with them, and then they would show their true colors. All my mini visits did was let the demon side of their desires come out for a little fun, and that usually meant losing the opportunity to take advantage of you and the system. You realize if the parents are to blame for the return of a foster child, they lose their privilege to adopt, right?”

He had to be pleased with my surprised expression since he grinned yet again in pride and shrugged casually.

“After the first few incidences, I decided to keep watch until you found the right family. That family was Ms. Jones, and I was the one who convinced Mrs. Andrews to give them a shot.”

“Wait…what? You…did?” I was astonished by the news as he nodded. “Sad part of the political system right now is that it’s harder for multicultural individuals and humans to adopt a supernatural. Unless you have a really good word put in from higher management. I was probably around seventeen then, but I’d made more than enough connections to pull little strings. When I saw how happy you were, I couldn’t interfere anymore.”

“Does that mean you knew about Ryo? Did you also know about Ms. Jones’s murder by Malachite?”

He didn’t answer immediately, his eyes looking back at the sky. I almost thought he wouldn’t answer me. The bouts of conflicting emotions bubbling through me portrayed his internal hesitation.

“I decided to pull away because I was envious,” he finally admitted.

“Of?”

“The owl.”

“Ryo?”

“Sure.”

“Why?”

“I had to endure coming back to you and feeling your spiraling emotions every day and night, but had to see you from afar while he got to remain by your side protectively?”

“Hold on.” I put my hands up in a stopping motion. “Did you just say that you could feel my spiraling emotions?”

“When one connection is unlocked, everything comes with it, Ivy,” he quietly declared. “Emotions and all. Meaning, all the times you had nightmares, I could feel your quivering fear. The spikes of uncertainty and anger when your situation changed overnight, and you’d be sent back to the facility to await another foster family. The disappointment and wishful thinking when you started to enjoy the owl’s company every time he visited. When you got taken in by the Jones family and I noticed he was acting as your familiar, it annoyed my demon the most.”

He looked to floor and I’m sure it was to hide his expression, even though I could feel his rushing emotions of jealousy.

“I never had craved for emotional connection before, but to see another take my prime spot bothered the heck out of me. Demons are possessive, and I’m sure if it wasn’t for my wolf half, I would have snatched you away for myself.”

After a pause, he carried on, “I knew that if I continued with this, I wouldn’t be able to keep my distance from you, and that would put you at risk once again. When I reached eighteen, Louis connected me to a fae who would be able to put a block on the connection…but there was one consequence.”

“Which was?”

“Forgetting I’d seen you that day.”

“Did…it work?”

“It did,” he admitted. “So to answer your question, no. I didn’t know about Ms. Jones’s death or Nina until I began investigating it upon your arrival. When we decided to help Ryo out, I felt the familiarity, but nothing was triggered until we confronted one another in the white room. Even then, it hadn’t fully registered, and all that did was leave me even angrier. The bad part of that memory block was how agitated I always felt. I knew I had a purpose in this world, but now it felt like I’d lost it completely.” He lifted his hands to stare at them.

“I was walking on the perfect plan and I knew what I wanted in life, but all of sudden it was gone, and I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to carry on with being in the Ops. But Louis insisted I remain in it. I’m sure if he’d told me otherwise, I would have pursued something else.”

“So…it’s thanks to you that I never got stuck in those crazy families,” I concluded. “You should have revealed yourself.”

“And risk you?” He turned around fully, and I really had to control my body’s response to his rock-hard body, chiseled chest, and thick cock that was actually hard.

My eyes eventually lingered on it, and I had to clench my fists to force myself to remain in place. It took a few mental tugs for me to pull my eyes upward, which felt like a mistake because he had the biggest smug smile.

“Fucker.”

“Next time I need your attention, I’ll make sure to lower my pants,” he commented and began to walk up to me. I remained in place, and there he was before me, his glimmering naked perfection only looking magical under the moon’s serene glow.

“I knew this back then and it still remains even after the bullshit I went through. I’d never risk you getting killed.”

My eyes blinked a few times to stop the stinging in them, and I slowly lifted my hand to brush it along his cheek - removing the single tear that left his eyes.

I’m not sure if he even knew he’d shed one, the movement of my hand pushing bits of fear and worry within our connection. Maybe he assumed I’d judge him, but from the way his eyes searched mine, I knew that flicker of worry was obliterated just as fast.

“A portion of my life I kinda felt alone. No matter the buzz around me or being in a facility full of people, I couldn’t get rid of that hollowness inside me. When I bonded with Ryo, it filled momentarily, but when he wasn’t there…I could feel that same sensation. I wished to be independent and not lose my mind over being by myself, but I never stopped to explore myself. Even during these last few weeks, it’s irritated me to be alone in the cell. I could have self-reflected, meditated, done something that would give me a better sense of empowerment, but I didn’t feel like there was anything wrong with me. As in, there was no need to focus on myself, my strengths or weaknesses, because I was perfectly fine… But when Ryo and I argued, and he told me about everything he’d been enduring behind the scenes, I suddenly felt like a burden.”

I had to fight the urge to lower my head in shame, and I tried to cover up the pain, but it surely fell short when my attempt to stop my tears gave it away.

“I’ve been thinking about that fight all week, and all it really did was make all the doubt, regrets, and fears I’ve always had pile up, the tower of self-destruction growing to a point I hadn’t realized until I was heading down the hall and recalling our fight once again. It just triggered a final blow that made that tall tower begin to tumble down and I was left in a panicking mess. I fought to find the connection between Ryo and I…and I struggled to find it. Trying again and again, I couldn’t feel him or mentally communicate with him. We tried not to communicate like that unless it was an emergency, but even as I fought hard to get through to him, there was a void of silence, and it frightened me to the core.”

I took a deep breath and sighed. “My whole life…I’ve always reflected on my struggles and concerns with a situation, conversation, or problem. Right now, I explained an insecurity of mine and what led to me having that panic attack when you just explained to me how you’ve practically guided me through my life and the sacrifices you made to get here.”

I gave him a sad look as I admitted my flaws. “Many don’t understand that I have to get that portion of myself out first before I can tackle what has been said. It’s something I must have picked up when seeing constant therapists and stuff in the facility. To me and even them, it helps me vent out what needs to be said so that perception isn’t manipulated later by conversation. It helps get my honest feelings out, but when it comes down to an argument, it makes me look like a selfish bitch.”

With a deep breath, I mustered up a smile and did something I wouldn’t have expected to do.

I went on my tippy toes and kissed him gently on the lips. The soft touch made my whole body shiver in arousal, and I forced myself to cut the kiss short or things would have gone south real quick, moving away from the point of the conversation.

“Before we get distracted…I just want to thank you and apologize,” I confessed. “I judged you immediately and had some sort of vendetta against you when you were secretly doing so much for me behind the scenes, especially with the past interventions that I knew nothing about. I can see why you would be frustrated, and all you’ve said makes sense. I don’t want to conform to the world’s standards or follow the path they want me to walk upon. Those were just excuses for what I wholeheartedly desire.”

With a determined stare, I whispered, “I want to create my own path. To move away from this current destiny of imprisonment and escape into a world of freedom and discover who I’m meant to be. I know nothing about MoonRise’s past or what we’re capable of, but I wish to find out more. To discover what was lost that day and to make my family proud as I step into this game of captivity with a new set of opportunities. I can’t do this on my own…and it scares me sometimes to rely on others, but I know I have the potential to be something magnificent. I’m an Alpha wolf, after all. I just have awakened the power I was destined to carry. The only problem is, I’m locked away in prison with no way out.”

The boyish grin that took over his expression made me blush while my heart skipped a few beats.

“What if I told you there was a way out?”

“I wouldn’t be sure if I believed you,” I honestly admitted. His smile remained as he took two steps back and offered his hand out to me.

“What’s the first thing all wolves have to learn when they enter a pack?”

I placed my hand into his before I answered.

“Trust.” This time I squeezed his hand and gave him a small grin in return.

He nodded and slipped his hand out of my grasp.

“Strip and shift. Then grab your clothes and follow me very quickly.”

That’s all he said before his body already began the process of shifting. I quickly began to strip out of my clothes, thankful that we’d burned the orange jumpsuit from before.

By the time I’d slipped out of my panties, I paused in admiration as my eyes took in the massive 5′4″ wolf. I’d never seen a red wolf before, but now that vision was clear, the shiny coat of red with hints of black and lavender somehow blending perfectly together.

It honestly shifted back and forth, the black parts going to lavender for a few seconds and then shifting back to black.

Only his eyes were a vivid gold, filled with striking power and might. He was now in his core element, and the confidence was like nothing I’d seen before.

Vix was up and running right through the barrier, triggering the shift that landed us on four legs and shaking out our fur as we stretched.

Then my whole world seemed to connect; our eyes locked together once more but a playful joy suddenly made it impossible to stay still.

I was the one to cave, my body racing until I crashed right into him. The two of us tumbled through the grass, not minding the bits of stone we happened to roll over. The overflowing joy and happiness were unimaginable and hard to describe, and it wasn’t just one-sided.

The rejoiced union was being celebrated on both ends of the connection.

We nudged our foreheads together, closing our eyes for a moment under the moonlight as we let the joy continue to shimmer through our warm bodies.

This felt so right, and what made this all so emotional was the amount of respect Zane secretly had for me. The hate he projected wasn’t directed fully at me. It was a reflection of the anger he had for himself and his inability to get me out of these circumstances.

However, he was confident about something, and he was dying to give me the choice to decide on what our next step would be.

We… Together as mates.

We pulled back to stare into one another’s eyes, and he gave me a firm nod as his voice boomed through my head.

“Ready for a run?”

“Yes!” I exclaimed. “Let’s go!’

My first wolf run under the moonlight as we aimed for the fork in the road of destiny.

ESCAPED BY DESTINY

The crack of bones returning to their original place only left me with more adrenaline, enough for me to run and slam into Zane’s naked body.

“That was phenomenal!”

“Fuck! You’re going to make us fall off a cliff, dammit,” he groaned, having to lift and swing us around so when we fell we hit the solid ground and we wouldn’t go right off the cliff we were standing on.

“Oops.” The single word only made me suddenly giggle. The high from the intense run was still racing through my veins. “Sorry.”

“You don’t even mean that,” he huffed, his hands on my waist as he relaxed against the grass. “You’ve never been this happy, have you?”

“Huh?” His comment was random, but now that he brought it up, I had to actually think about it. “I…hmm.”

Truth be told, I’d never felt this sense of freedom. We were still in the prison forest so I couldn’t say we were actually “free” but I felt so alive. It was like I’d been lost all this time and suddenly snapped out of it.

“Never,” I finally concluded. “I’ve been happy, like when there would be that spike of emotion that lingers for a bit and fades away, but this level of happiness…I never thought it would be possible for me. It just felt like when we were running that the world made sense. I could appreciate how exquisite the world was, but it was only really triggered by running with you versus when I’d just roam the forest on my own with Vix.”

He nodded and actually ran his hands through my hair. We stayed there for a few more seconds and then he pushed me right off.

“Oomph!” I grunted. “Hey! This is precious cargo!”

“You’re bothering my precious cargo,” he countered and quickly got up. It didn’t stop me from getting a glimpse of his hard cock, and I actually grinned.

“Someone is turned on by me, hahaha,” I teased.

“Be lucky I actually want to help you, or I’d say fuck off and die.”

“You say that with your words, but I can feel it,” I patted my chest, “right here.”

He was more focused on my breasts before he rolled his eyes and turned away once again. “Put your clothes back on. You’re distracting me.”

“Whatever,” I replied, but quickly worked on putting my clothes back on. Slipping my beanie onto my head once more, I secured it with little pins I’d hidden in the folded layer so if I got too adventurous, I wouldn’t lose it again.

Walking over to where he stood, I peered over the massive cliff, immediately afraid and reaching out for his arm.

“Um. Please don’t tell me we have to jump because we just reignited this connection and I truthfully don’t want to commit a double suicide,” I rambled. “Didn’t sign up for that one.”

An annoyed grumble left his lips, but he answered, “We’re not committing double suicide, but we are jumping off this cliff.”

“So are we going to prove that wolves suddenly know how to fly?”

He gave me a look of pure irritation; his usual self was back in full force. “There are wolves that can fly. You just have to research properly.”

My stunned expression made him shake his head.

“You’ll learn in time, when you get to discover more about wolves. For now, we gotta focus on the present, which is right now.”

He moved to face me, our eyes locking before he reached out to hold my hand.

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes.”

“Even with what we’re about to do?”

“Yes,” I replied but followed up with, “only because you’re coming down there with me so if we’re both going to die and meet Mother Moon I can at least give her an essay about how I trusted you and got my ass killed in the process.”

He actually stared at me with a stunned expression before he let out a heavy sigh. “Please, Mother Moon. Help me not lose my sanity with this woman.”

“Hey!”

“Anyways,” he brushed away the unnecessary commentary. “I’m giving you a choice to escape your planned destiny, Ivy Moonrise.”

His seriousness made me gulp as I stood a little taller and squeezed his hands.

“There are two things that can happen here. I will fall back off this cliff, and either you follow or remain,” he announced. “If you follow, I’ll bring you somewhere and you’ll be able to get some answers to many questions about your heritage, but our double suicide will be captured on tape and you’ll be either marked as dead or wanted with the speculation that you somehow survived the fall.”

“And if I let you fall alone?”

“It’s captured on tape, you’re defined a killer and brought to Level Four. It’s rare but possible that you may endure a live execution for my killing, seeing as I know a lot of people.”

“Both options are kind of horrible,” I admitted.

“True, but at least you’ll be alive in one of them,” he acknowledged.

“If I chose the first option and I’m either announced dead or wanted, what happens to the others? What about Ryo?”

“I can’t answer that unless you make your choice, Ivy.” His voice was tender now, and he suddenly claimed my lips. I hadn’t realized how anxious I was with all of this, but his kiss made the peaked level of anxiety dim rapidly and I let my eyes close as I kissed him back soothingly.

He broke the kiss and whispered, “Make your choice now, Ivy. To escape by destiny or to die from the fear of claiming your destiny.”

We both knew what decision I’d make, but I couldn’t help but smile as my eyes locked on his.

“Don’t hate me, okay?”

He arched an eyebrow at me, only for his red eyes to widen as I pushed him hard enough to send him flying back, and he cursed loudly, followed by my name.

“IVY!”

I took two steps forward to see him falling before I lifted my head up to find the single blinking camera on display, the red dot centered on me.

My grin was priceless, one that projected my sinister glee in my previous action. Turning around and pressing my hand to my lips, I blew a kiss to the camera before I leaned back and said a quiet prayer.

I trust in you, Mother Moon. Don’t let me down. Ryo…I’m sorry.

The last sentence seemed to run through the connection I thought was lost, but it was too late now as it cut off completely and my mind plunged into darkness.

“DRENCHED! I hate being drenched! My underwear is riding up my ass! Dammit, Zane! I’ll fucking kill you! Kill-mhmmm! Stop kissing me!”

“You actually trusted me. I was actually afraid you wouldn’t.” He smothered me with another kiss, and I growled against his lips.

“Easy, anger management, I’ll explain why we’re drenched in a second,” he reasoned and held me close.

“You’re being too friendly, like a different person,” I huffed, still upset with the drop that had me internally screaming until I crashed through some warping portal, spun into madness, almost thought I was going to die, and made a crash landing into a pool of water with fucking mermaids.

MERMAIDS!

I’d never swum so fast and been so grateful for land in all my life, and a short walk led me to where Zane was waiting in a whole different set of clothes, with his hair up in a ponytail.

“You better have a good damn reason for making me into a dead criminal! I swear, if this is your way of making me yours due to your possessive demon, I swear to Mother Moon I’m so going to punis-”

Melodic laughter entered the air, and my entire body froze as I slowly turned my head to my left.

There stood a woman who was the same height as me, with short strands that were as neon blue as mine. Her complexion just like mine. Her gold eyes filled with tears.

She wore a dazzling outfit, one with armor and fabric entwined to make a garment that could have been created for royalty, but what caught my attention was the gold crown resting on her head, embedded with neon purple, blue, and pink jewels.

“Looks like Mother Moon knew all along that Prince Shadow would be a good match for my daughter.”

No way…this can’t be real.

“M-Mother?”

“Welcome home, Princess Ivy Moonrise. Future Queen of the Hidden Kingdom of MoonRise, the home to supernatural hybrid wolves,” she greeted. “There is a lot to discuss, my child…and we don’t have a lot of time,” she warned, her tears rolling down her cheeks. “But first…I’m so sorry.”

Nothing could describe this moment in time, as my eyes gazed upon the woman who birthed me and whom I’d lost fourteen years ago.

I’d been arrested by magic out of my control, but it somehow led me to escape and reveal my true destiny.

All of that starts with facing the false past.

TO BE CONTINUED.

COMING SOON - AUG 7th, 2020:

https://books2read.com/ESCAPEDBYDESTINY

COMING SOON - JAN 8TH, 2021:

https://books2read.com/FREEDBYPOWER

SNEAK PEEK - PSYCHIC PRISON

TURN THE NEXT PAGE TO READ THE FIRST CHAPTER OF PSYCHIC PRISON.

PSYCHIC PRISON BLURB

When a Monarch is Marked, they go from master to prisoner. Their fate? Determined by the one who Marked them.

Alisha Butterfly is my name, and on Friday the 13th, I was found guilty of the massacre of a bunch of criminals — people I have no memory of killing. Amnesia wasn’t a good enough excuse to get me into the mental ward and so I was tossed into the depths of the Psychic Prison for Supernaturals.

Now I’m a Marked puppet with bad luck on my side and a master waiting for me at my cell. But questions — and problems — arise when that one master turns out to be four and I learn I’m more than just a trapped butterfly.

To them, a Marked Monarch is a slave to their every command. But I’m more than that. I’m powerful and I will rise from the depths of this prison and exact my revenge on whomever sentenced me here.

I’ll cocoon myself within these grim walls and do what my masters tell me. Let them abuse, strengthen, and train me for what’s to come, for time will be my ally until I transform and regain what is rightfully mine.

I will reclaim my supernatural monarchy.

PROLOGUE: FAREWELL MEMORY OF PRIDE

My body plunged into the icy waters.

After descending through the skies like a malfunctioning airplane, the freezing temperatures felt like a saving grace against my burning hot body.

My weak eyes barely opened, but it was enough to see the red water all around me.

The bodies rising upward to the surface to float and emphasize the inevitable.

Death worked in mysterious ways, and as I sunk deeper into the depths of this bloody water, I knew my life was on a short rope, destined to end like all those who shared this same water.

One would think they’d feel fear or think of their last happy moments in life.

I felt numb. No sadness and sorrow radiated from my slowing heart, as my body began to freeze and lose sensation.

I’d done something bad. Something I should have regretted like any normal individual.

I regret nothing…

Whatever sins my hand committed, they so rightful did with my blessings. I’d approved of this fiasco, but the deeper I sank, the further away my memories became.

They were fading…leaving me to be nothing but an empty shell, yet pain struck me at that moment - not internally, but outside my hollow shell.

The first strike wrapped around my waist, pausing my descent to death.

The second strike wrapped around my neck, like a chained creature.

Finally, two strikes hit at once, each one wrapping around my wrists and keeping them together like handcuffs.

Confusion shimmered through me, but as the lack of oxygen began to creep through my weak senses, I couldn’t care what was happening.

I knew what was going on.

The burning sensation along my arm was sealing what I knew was inevitable: I was being Marked.

My memories were fading faster than I expected, and still, I felt no fear. The pain was somewhat inviting, a part of me believing that this pain was nothing compared to what I should have felt with the ultimate crime I just committed.

I was a Monarch, after all, a leader of my kind. I defended the weak. I kept my kind strong. This act of treason meant the future generations of my kind had a chance to live on.

I still regret nothing, as the chains tugged me upward, my body beginning to rise upward. Whether I lived or died didn’t matter to me.

My duty had been completed and I’d face the consequences. If only my memories wouldn’t leave me.

Then I’d pay the price with honor and not fear.

The closer I came to the surface, the emptier my mind was, until all I could grasp was my name.

Alisha Butterfly. Alisha Butterfly. Alisha Butterfly.

Over and over, I repeated my name, the one thing I’d cling onto with desperation. It didn’t matter if I forgot what kind of shifter I was. No matter my supernatural background or hierarchy.

As long as I recalled my name, I could find my home.

I’d find out where I laid my mark and who perished from my claws.

My eyes finally came to a close, the darkness inviting me into a deep slumber. I did not fight it, knowing my time as Monarch was over - these chains a symbol of my imprisonment.

I allowed my consciousness to fade away, the last bit of memories of people cheering my name in pride and joy made their final debut.

One final push to remind me that what I’d done had saved a land of many - had saved an entire nation of my kind.

I’d face the shackles that now claimed me with pride, for I wasn’t in the wrong and my captivity wasn’t my downfall.

I was now a trapped butterfly, and my rein of monarchy was no more.

LEVEL ONE: SUPERNATURAL INMATE

OUT NOW

https://books2read.com/SUPERNATURALINMATE

LEVEL THREE: PSYCHIC PRISON

(PREORDER)

https://books2read.com/PSYCHICPRISON

LEVEL FOUR: CELESTIAL PRISON

(PREORDER)

https://books2read.com/CELESTIALPRISON

SHATTERED PRINCESS

(PREORDER)

https://books2read.com/SHATTEREDPRINCESS

ABOUT AVERY SONG

Avery Song is a reverse harem author who specializes in paranormal, fantasy, and urban romance.

She especially loves writing strong main characters and is excited for all the books that are approaching.

~Books by Avery Song~

THE SUPERNATURAL SPY ACADEMY SERIES:

S.S.S YEAR ONE

S.S.S YEAR TWO

S.S.S YEAR THREE

S.S.S YEAR FOUR

S.S.S FIVE (May.29.2020)

SPELL TRAVELER CHRONICLES

Witchling Academy- Semester One

Witchling Academy- Semester Two

Witchling Academy- Semester Three

Witchling Academy- Semester Four

Witchling Academy- Semester Five

Witchling Academy- Semester Six

Witchling Academy- Semester Seven (Jun.12.2020)

Witchling Academy- Semester Eight (Oct. 23.2020)

JADE STORM TRACKER SERIES

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester One

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Two

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Three

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Four (June 5th 2020)

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Five (Nov.27.2020)

BLAZING ACADEMY

Semester One

Semester Two (Jul.17.2020)

Semester Three (Oct.16.2020)

COWRITTEN WORKS:

SUPERNATURAL CAPTIVITY SERIES

Supernatural Inmate

Supernatural Outlaw (May.22.2020)

Supernatural Villain (Oct.9.2020)

SUPERNATURAL MARKED MONARCHY

Psychic Prison - Book One

Psychic Royalty - Book Two (Jul.24.2020)

Psychic Monarchy- Book Three (Nov.13.2020)

DESTINED IMRISONEN TRILOGY

Arrested By Magic

Escaped By Destiny (Aug.7.2020)

Freed By Power (Jan.8.2021)

FOR THE FAEIRY ABSOLUTES

Celestial Prison (May.8.2020)

FOR THE PURELY DIVINE SERIES

Fae Rose Academy - Year One

Fae Rose Academy - Year Two (Jul.31.2020)

WILLA SILVER ACADEMY INVESTIGATOR

Daggers and Smoke - Year One (May.3.2020)

THE SUPERNATURAL VAMPIRE FAE CHRONICLES

Bloody Rosary Academy (May.1.2020)