《THE SHE-DEVIL AND HER ALPHAS》


 Chapter 1 - One : In The Beginning

    "This is all your fault! " Lia yelled at the tomboy whose stamina was already failing her

    "Oh really? " The tomboy scoffed dodging a tree she would''ve rammed into if she wasn''t paying attention "This is my fault now? "

    " Whose idea was it going into the haunted house, all yours. You said this would be the greatest adventure of all time but I never thought this would be an adventure of me running for my dear life !" She yelled, her heart almost leaping out of her chest when she heard the feral growl getting closer by each passing second

    "Sorry for disrupting your blame time but we have to part ways here. There''s a much greater chance of us surviving if we go different ways than staying and dying together" The tomboy pointed out and disappeared before Lia could oppose.

    "You coward! " Lia cursed, adding more speed even though her chest felt like it was on fire. No!, she wasn''t going to die. There was no way she was going to die in this eerie-looking wood. It would be days or probably weeks before they find her body. If such a disaster happens, moreover becoming a wolf''s dinner is quite an embarrassing reason to be sent to the afterlife. No, she refuses to die this way

    Gathering courage, she stopped and grabbed a nearby branch trying to climb a tree. At least wolves can''t climb trees, she thought, when she felt something grab her leg.

    Lia shrieked and tried kicking its hold on her feet but instead, its claws dug into her skin as she let out a sharp cry.

    Distracted, she lost her balance and slipped from the tree landing on the ground with a loud thud. Ground? No, no, no.

    Lia sat up at once wincing at the pain in her leg but that was nothing compared to the fear that crept into her heart when her eyes met glowing brown eyes.

    Oh God

    I''m dead meat

    Forty - Eight hours Ago

    "Sleepy sleepy sleepy, wake up from the bed " Rex in a rhythmic, singsong voice, hopping up and down her bed ultimately woke her up.

    "Ugh, get out! " She snapped slamming him off her bed with a pillow which he dogged effortlessly.

    Damn, why are kids so flexible?

    "You missed " Rex mocked making faces at her as Lia chased after him, with him releasing a torrent of screams as he ran for his life.

    "I''ll skin you alive, you little obnoxious specimen called ..."

    "Language, young lady " Her mother warned with a displeased frown on her face " And why are you not dressed yet, you know we''re leaving in two hours " She complained carrying Rex off his feet as he giggled excitedly.

    "Leaving? " Lia asked confused

    " Don''t tell me you forgot already? Seriously lia? " Mom asked, with a brow raised

    A mocking laugh from behind made Lia roll her eyes " Yelp, told you she''s a birdbrain " Her brother Trevor taunted

    "Thanks d*ckhead " Lia goaded, fighting the urge to give him the middle finger. Her mom would kill her if she does that.

    "Fine, I''ll prepare " She sighed making her way back to her room. Once inside, she took a deep breath with her back resting on her door, she just couldn''t understand why her mom was adamant about returning to her dad''s hometown.

    The so-called father never contributed anything to her life aside from donating his sperm that led to her creation and finance but yet her mom loved him like crazy.

    Love? What a joke

    Even in death, he still couldn''t let go of them.

    Well, there was no harm in a change of environment. What''s the worst that can happen anyway?

 Chapter 2 - Two : A New Beginning

    Lia sat in the backseat of her mom''s sedan watching the rain drizzle down the windscreen, lost in her world. It''s been four hours since they left for Little Town and she was already restless.

    Though she was a bit claustrophobic, she could tell that wasn''t the whole reason, for some strange reasons she felt restless, as if something big was coming her way.

    "Let''s just hope it''s something good " She mumbled beneath her breath, resting her head against the windscreen, her eyes languidly resting on her siblings

    Her brother Rex was busy playing video games on his iPhone. For a nine-year-old, he was extremely fast and nimble with his fingers and she had to admit, he''s really talented in gaming.

    She turned to face Trevor who was sitting beside her in the backseat and was busy chatting with some girl he met on Facebook. She sighed once more looking out, the rain was seriously not helping her mood.

    "Does it always rain here? " Lia asked her mom who gave her a momentarily side glance before gluing her eyes back on the road.

    "Don''t know, I''m as clueless as you. Guess we have to live there to find out "

    Great! Lia groaned mentally, it was obvious her mom didn''t know a clue about her husband.

    They just met, fell in love, F*cked and then he left when she gave birth to her, and then the whole routine kept repeating until Rex came along. Maybe if he didn''t die, another would''ve come along

    The only reason Lia agreed to come over to Little Town was because of the school. Back in her old school, she was so bullied that one time she skipped school for a whole week until her mom caught wind of everything.

    But it just got worse after that, the kids weren''t merciful at all. They just hated her because she was just beautiful. So much proving the point that pretty "Hurts "

    Lia has brown hair she inherited from her mom that cascades down her shoulder in waves, and her eyes a rapturous shade of cerulean blue which she inherited from her dad along with her tall height. Her height deceives people so much that sometimes they mistake her for a twenty-year-old when in reality she''s actually seventeen.

    Rex has the same eyes as her but with blonde hair, he took from his father''s side but the little guy was insanely handsome, he was surely going to be a chick magnet in the future.

    While Trevor was the exact copy of her mother, with the same hazel colored eyes and brown wavy hair.

    Suddenly something caught her attention, She saw a signpost with the words "Welcome to Little Town " written in bold Italics. Lia let out a sigh she didn''t know she was holding in, they''re here at last.

    As if the weather knew her mood, the rain stopped abruptly. At Least that''s a good sign.

    "What''s that? " Rex''s tiny childish voice resonated, drawing her attention as she turned to sight what Rex was pointing at.

    It was a worn-out bungalow that was sitting in the wood that one could miss out if not looked at properly. But what was more eye-catching to the house was its appearance, the house was so eerie looking that it would be a perfect place to shoot a horror movie.

    " Probably an old house on the verge of collapse " Trevor whose attention was attracted by the scene also answered nonchalantly

    "We could go check it out," Rex said, a mischievous glint in his eyes

    "You ain''t checking anything out, young man...!" Their Mom had yet to finish her statement when she suddenly swerved to the left while they screamed.

    Thankfully their mom wasn''t speeding so she successfully took control of her brakes while the kids suffered from a minor whiplash.

    "Are you guys OK? " She asked concerned as she parked the car to the side to check on her kid''s injuries.

    "Aside from the fact I have a throbbing headache and a backache, I''m good " Lia moaned, rubbing her temple

    " What was that? " Trevor whined, rubbing his neck while my mom checked on Rex who looked fine.

    Curiously Lia''s eyes went to the road as she tried to figure out what came out of the woods that her mom had to dodge, risking their lives in the process.

    As if the figure knew what she was thinking, just before it disappeared into the wood it turned around and Lia gasped. It wasn''t a human but an animal.

    Suddenly, their eyes met and she felt her blood run cold. What the f*ck

    "Is that a wolf?!" Lia blurted out

 Chapter 3 - Three : Settling Down

    Lia had a feeling moving to Little Town was a bad idea, but she never thought it was this bad.

    Barely accepting the fact that she almost lost her life moments ago, she now had to come to terms that she''s about to live in a town where wolves are constant strollers on the road.

    Thankfully they happened to come across a drug store so their mom had to go get some pain relievers and food to go along.

    Feeling stuffed inside, she walked out of the car, the cold air hitting her skin making her shiver. The air was moist and cold but she liked it, it made her sober, she just had a lot going on in her head right now.

    "I know that look on your face " A voice said from behind but she didn''t need a prophet to tell her who it belonged to.

    "Thank God you know " She retorted , running her hands through her now slightly damp hair.

    "I know, but you know I have no choice. The bungalow is your father''s property "

    Lia scoffed at her mom''s comment "Atlest you had a choice of selling it which you clearly didn''t considering we''re on her way to go live in it "

    " How can you say that? " Her mom asked , disbelief clearly written on her face. " You know that''s the last thing your father left for us, it''s the last reminder of his existence here on earth. So sorry to disappoint you , but I can''t just go ahead and sell something he told us as a matter of fact in his will to occupy ! " She snapped, gritting her teeth.

    She was on the edge of losing control which she couldn''t afford at the moment. It was unfair transferring her aggression on her daughter. Her brown eyes met Lia''s and she saw the anger there.

    Lia sniffed, a blushy tone on her nose probably as a result of the cold but that didn''t stop her from rubbing it as she sassed back "Maybe if he had being a good father, I would''ve complied effortlessly with his will. "

    "Lia ? " Her mom warned, an edge to her voice

    Lia grimaced, "You know what mom, I''m not having this discussion with you. So can we leave for the grand palace already? "

    Her mom knew she was mocking her but she couldn''t do anything at all. Renard was a good lover but he was never a good father nor husband so she couldn''t exactly blame her. Lia had every right to be angry, she practically forced the whole packing out thing on the kids.

    "Get in the car " Mom said to Rex who apparently snuck his head out the car window hoping to get a piece of the juicy argument.

    "Oww" Rex whined, "Guess I''m late " He said, dissapointed he didn''t get any of the juicy gossip .

    Lia ignored him and got in . Thankfully, Trevor discovering the ugly scowl on his sister''s face didn''t bother her, he knew better than to push her button at the moment.

    After a lot of inquiries and directions from the locals, they finally arrived. Rex was the first to jump out excitedly, followed by their mom and Trevor. Lia , taking a deep breath reluctantly stepped out of the car looking around.

    "This should be it " Her mom muttered starring at some papers in her hand.

    Lia stared at the house, it was a two storey bungalow with it''s second storey built into a sloping roof and surrounded by wide verandas. It''s painted a deep brown and white on the windowsill while the driveway was surrounded with carpet level greenery.

    Lia couldn''t help but gape at the huge trees and shrubs surrounding the building, obviously lack of care had weed growing all over.

    Eventhough she was still angry at this whole relocating thing but she got to admit, this place was awesome.

    "I guess we''re gonna do, weeding? " Trevor

    asked , his voice etched with uncertainty as he glanced at the grasses.

    "Obviously " Their mom commented as they chuckled oblivious to the eyes watching them from the shadow.

 Chapter 4 - Four : Someones Watching

    It took them four hours to tidy the entire house and move their properties, they apparently cleaned till evening. Even though every one was stressed out but the end result was quite satisfying.

    The bungalow had five bedrooms, a living room, a basement and a kitchen. It was obvious the house was built before her dad married her mom or atlest her dad had plans of increasing the family had he not died.

    Five bedrooms?

    Lia choose to believe he intended increasing the family atlest that''s what he does best, plant a seed and then vanish.

    But the lack of family pictures downstairs proved the fact he built this house before he started a family or maybe he''s that ashamed of his family he never bothered putting up their pictures on the wall.

    Exhausted,Lia climbed up the stairs sluggishly. She choose the room upstairs cause it had the best view of outside moreover there was a large tree outside which thankfully was close enough to grab from her verandah. That would definitely come in handy whenever her mom grounds her.

    Her room painted a pale green was already coming off, she would need to redo the painting but everything else was OK. Atlest her dad had the sense to furnish the house.

    The only thing She loved about this new home was the fact that everyone had their bathrooms and toilets unlike their old home where they had to share one and Rex had a weird fetish of playing games whenever he''s in the toilet and could be stucked there for about an hour.

    So much misery.

    walking into her balcony, she inhaled the sweet smell of nature. Thankfully the house nearby was a duplex so she didn''t have to worry about a peeping Tom while undressing.

    But it was quite strange that no one had come in nor move out of the house since they packed in. Was the owner absent? It would be nice to have a neighbor, a nice goodlooking neighbor.

    Suddenly Lia felt the hairs on her arm stand on edge, she frowned. She knew this feeling a lot, Someone was watching her. She searched around but couldn''t find anyone but she couldn''t just ignore the feeling of being watched.

    It wasn''t a day yet but she had a stalker already on her tail. Great!

    Heart pounding, She cautiously returned to her room closing the French doors to the balcony.Her stalker was still out there, she could feel it

    "Lia" Her mom''s voice rang from downstairs startling her .

    "Yes, mom "

    "Go take out the waste, it''s an eyesore "

    "Alright " She answered with her heart pounding furiously. Outside? Maybe this wasn''t a bad idea, she could try finding out who was stalking her outside.

    Nervously, she rushed downstairs and grabbed the waste bag, leaving before her mom could suspect a thing.

    Thankfully the Recycle bin was just a few meters away from the house moreover she had a 110ml pepper spray in the pocket of her jacket and a taser for additional protection incase the first option fails.

    Sensing her stalker nearby, she clutched her pepper spray canister tightly. Perhaps because she was hyper-vigilant , she had a heightened awareness of her surroundings.

    Feigning ignorance of his presence, she approached the Recycling bin and started sorting through her waste. She just needed the stalker to come closer, clos..er, close... er and.... now.

    With a quick turn, she sprayed directly into the assailant''s face as he .. no scratch that... she screamed falling immediately to her knees rubbing her eyes.

    "I might not know Karate nor Taekwondo but I have a pepper spray and a taser and I''m not afraid to use it, So back off! " Lia warned with a feral growl positioning her body in an attacking stance.

    "What the f*ck was that for? " Her stalker cursed furiously rubbing her eyes.

    "Because you were obviously stalking me and I had to protect myself " She defended scrupulously.

    "I wasn''t stalking you, I was following you because I wanted to be friends with you " The stalker spat leaving Lia dumbfounded.

    Lia blinked dazzled, did she just jump to conclusion without being certain of the whole thing.

    "Why would you want to be friends with me?" She asked cautiously. "You don''t even know me"

    Lia refused to believe she was wrong. she''s certain that someone definitely was watching her in hiding but now...

    "You moron, this is little Town. In little Town everyone knows one other so it''s a custom to welcome a newcomer and I''m the one sent to do that " She explained staggering to her feet it was obvious she was having a hard time with her sight.

    Lia heaved feeling guilty already, no wonder they haven''t seen anyone since arriving their house. Everyone was in some sort of secret meeting preparing to welcome them. This was definitely a strange town, she wondered if her mom knows about this .

    "I''m sorry for spraying you "Lia apologized at last

    "Apology accepted " She replied flashing a toothy grin even though her appearance was scary. She was kinda sporting a snotty nose, reddish and swollen eyes with partially dishevelled hair.

    "I''m Lia "

    "Cassie "

    " Come-on, let me help you to my place, my mom should have something to relieve that"

    Lia told her, taking Cassie by the hand and bringing her to her place unknown of the curious eyes still staring at her from the shadow.

 Chapter 5 - Five : Male Lead, Is That You?

    Note : Readers discretion needed, + 18

    Dim light. Moving figures on the bed. Moans. Grunts.

    That''s the first thing to notice upon stumbling such an erotic scene

    "Ah .. yes...! " The blonde haired girl who was currently riding on his c*ck and basking in ecstasy screamed throwing her head back.

    She let out a gasp when she suddenly found herself below but chuckled afterwards grinding her hips against his.

    "Do it now, Asher " She smiled seductively.

    "My pleasure,milady " Asher replied with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes as he suddenly bent and kissed her. She met with his lips halfway as they both formed their own slow dance with their tongues.

    Giving her no hint at all, he thrust into her as she gasped, her hand digging into his shoulder but slowly released a moan.

    "Yes, that''s it "

    As if crazed, he started pounding into her furiously making her whimper but from pleasure. She clung to him tighter with her legs wrapped around him , she suddenly cried out about to reach orgasm.

    Asher knew she was about to reach and smiled wickedly, he had another plan in mind. Immediately , his canine extended into fangs as he bit down into her neck piercing her skin and drinking from her .

    She screamed from the pain but it disappeared as soon as it came cause intense pleasure plunged her. She screamed hysterically, her nails digging into his skin drawing blood as she met her release alongside him. Spent and satisfied, he sagged against her.

    "That was awesome " She said , her hands running over his sculpted and firm back enticingly.

    God! the guy was awesome , there was no way she was giving up on him notwithstanding what he is.

    "Let''s go again,we could try another position" She bit on his earlobe before whispering

    " I know of a certain position that could drive us crazy and I''m sure you''re gonna love it"

    She said blowing air into his ears enticingly but unknown to her, the man was completely immune to her tactics

    "Go to bed " He said firmly getting off the bed as she stood after him naked not minding decency at all.

    "But.... "

    "Now !" He yelled, his mesmerizing furious green eyes meeting her''s . As if under some spell, she climbed back to the bed quietly and tugged the duvet over her shoulder. Seconds later, she was sound asleep.

    Asher sighed, then picked up his clothes that was scattered here and there putting them on. Leaving the bedroom, he went into his study to meet his uninvited guests.

    " Wow" Gideon whistled "That was an intense banging !." He exclaimed as soon as Asher came in .

    Asher looked up and flashed him a deadly glare

    "I didn''t look " He raised his hand in surrender "Cross my heart "

    "As if you have a heart "The other uninvited guest sitting on the edge of Asher''s desk taunted.

    "Seriously, you suck bro .Do you have to remind me that everyday " Gideon sulked, a downcast expression on his face.

    There was a long silence, everyone immersed in their own world. If there was a human watching this scene at the moment, the person would definitely suffer from nose bleed.

    The men were so breathtakingly handsome that one could die fulfilled after viewing such a scene most especially Asher.

    The guy had a compelling yet repelling aura at the same time. The guy was like some exotic flower that could be watched only but not touched.

    He had a smooth flawless chalky skin alongside a headful of rich chocolate hair that felt like silk. His brows strongly arched and eyelashes so thick it could be illegal. His lips was pink and thin but what was more alluring about him was his eyes, very deep and hypnotizing green eyes that looked like it could see through one''s soul.

    Gideon and Dan had same chalky skin but their beauty fell in comparison to Asher''s but each had their own distinct Auras .

    Gideon had more of a gentle, ebullient, juvenile, and positive vibe while Dan has a calm, calculative , mysterious but kind aura but Asher could be described with just a term - bipolarish.

    Unstable as the waves of the sea, he was unpredictable. One couldn''t guess his intentions, his fluctuating moods made him so dangerous not to talk of his abilities.

    ".Why are you both here? " He asked gesturing at the both of them after the long silence.

    "I caught him snooping around someone''s house with his shadow " Dan explained giving Gideon a playful kick at the butt

    "Hey" Gideon retorted "That wasn''t snooping, I was just observing "

    " Yeah, observing with your creepy ability " Dan mocked and Asher whose mood was sour a while ago laughed vexing Gideon.

    Gideon had the shadow ability which was the ability to shape, use and manipulate darkness but so far his ability has done more harm than good to his reputation. He''s known as the ''pervert '' vampire due to an unfortunate accident eons ago.

    "It''s strange, why are you snooping around someone''s house? " Asher asked brow raised, evidence of the earlier smile erased without a trace.

    "They moved in today " He replied

    "So? "

    "I just wanted to..... "

    "Pervert " Asher called this time earning a chortle from Dan.

    Gideon went red, why won''t anyone believe he wasn''t a pervert .

    "The locals are organizing the ritual for them tomorrow " Gideon finally dropped the bomb.

    Upon hearing that, the corner of Asher''s mouth quirked while his brow furrowed. He clutched his fist, the witches were at it again

 Chapter 6 - Six : Male Lead, Is That You? -2

    There was a displeased expression on Asher''s face which the others noticed at once. The both knew what the ritual signified eventhough the ignorant humans viewed it as just a plausible excuse to organize a party. It was a whole lot more than that .

    Once the "acceptance " ritual was performed on a certain person, he or she was now immune to the vampires hypnosis. In one word, the vampires couldn''t just go around taking people''s blood else the council would find out unless the individual in question permits them, which the probability of that occurring is 1 out of 100.

    So how are they surviving?

    Animal blood and some other supplements known as human food. Unlike the forklores surrounding Vampires inability to consume human food which has being proven false. They could consume human food without any harm being done to the body but it was just like eating junk food. it contributed nothing to their body.Moreover it was a good cover so humans couldn''t question their diet amid their appearance.

    But there was a problem with Animal blood.

    No matter how much animal blood they consumed, there was still this insatiable ache in them - the taste for human blood. Comparing human blood to animal blood was like asking a girl to choose between a d*ck and a sex toy moreover there''s this sexual feeling that comes with drinking from a human compared to an animal''s

    Also the amount of energy acquired from drinking human blood was two times greater than the energy acquired from drinking animal''s which is why rogue vampire who feed on human blood till they''re sucked dry are much stronger than the normal vampires and are often killed off by the hunters.

    So in order to prevent the human race from going extinct, an "acceptable" ceremony is held for a newcomer in which an elder aka a witch in disguise places a protection hex on the individual which is often triggered when a vampire tries to take the individuals blood without permission and in turn the council gets notified and sends out their army called "Hunters " who in turn finishes the vampire at the spot .But if the vampire is lucky enough or of a very high status, a trial is held where he or she will be determined guilty or not.

    This law was put in place to ensure no race is threatened or extinct. And it has being working except the council are ignorant of one thing - Asher''s second ability,

    Hypnosis.

    Every Vampire is born with a natural hypnotic ability which is rendered useless when used on an "accepted " individual but that wasn''t the case with Asher. His ability was so much potent that he could hinder the hex from triggering until he''s done.

    Which is how they''ve being getting their monthly supply of secret human blood in moderation, he was smart enough not to get greedy and trigger the council''s suspicion.

    But what was more dangerous about Asher''s ability is the fact he could hypnotize not only human but other vampires as well. A fact only Gideon and Dan, his closest and trusted allies knows.

    All vampires have a distinct innate ability that comes to manifestation as something humans calls "super powers " And most vampires has their abilities attuned to a single element. For example, a vampire attuned to a water element can never possess nor manipulate fire even as a second ability , but that wasn''t the case with Asher.

    Asher was something out of this world, he alone possesses the ability to manipulate all four element which made him one of the most lethal and powerful vampire in the world and in little Town. Imagine if little Town made an enemy of Asher, they would still incur much damages and death even if they end up decapitating him.

    Perhaps in the future, there would come someone who would be able to challenge Asher but at the moment he was not to be trifled with.

    "Don''t even think about it " Asher warned seeing the gleeful anticipation on Gideon''s face. Without even being a seer, he could already guess what''s going on in his mind.

    "Can''t I just have one taste? " Gideon whined

    "No !" he bellowed

    Aside from his ability, there was another way of drinking human blood but it was much riskier. A vampire could drink a newcomers blood before he or she is "accepted " but it was risky cause there''s eyes everywhere in little Town so you could get killed , also a vampire could lose control and kill their prey by draining them dry and still end up being killed by the council''s hunter.

    The council exist for the purpose of balance not only in Little Town but in the entire world and is founded by specifically handpicked powerful humans and supernatural clan leaders. So in one word, it''s another strong secret organization of its own.

    "I''ll be careful " He pouted his lips smiling coaxingly

    Asher''s gaze darkened at once, all humour draining from his face , he turned to look at Gideon.

    "I will not have my clan perish because of your idiotic death wish " He warned decisively.

    Gideon''s heart sank, he knew that Asher''s decision was final but he couldn''t help it. He had this urgent burning need for human blood . Upon consuming tons of animal blood in the woods he wasn''t anything near the word ''satiated '' . The urge was driving him nuts so since Asher won''t help him, he''ll have to figure out another way.

    "Fine then" He murmured . Wrapping the shadow around him, he disappeared before Dan could protest.

    "Follow him, don''t allow him do anything stupid " Asher ordered as Dan nodded and left.

    Left alone, Asher sighed before heading back to his bedroom. He needed to bury himself in Caroline''s body, he needed a release right now.

 Chapter 7 - Seven : Male Lead, Is That You? - 3

    She tumbled into the pack house , eyes wearily searching for some figure until it locked unto her target. Swiftly, She approached him.

    "I lost Daniel " She said bowing her head in shame

    "What do you mean you lost him! " Ryan growled .

    "He suddenly leaped off and ended up tricking me off his tail as if he had a mind of his own " She explained but Ryan stared at her in disbelief.

    "That''s impossible. He''s in his cursed week and still in his primitive form " He muttered trying to think of a cogent reason that''ll explain all this.

    Daniel was the Alpha of the silver pack and Ryan was his Beta and also the leader of the silver guards. The only reason he had left Daniel to be taken care of by one of his promising disciple was so he could resolve some issues in the pack. But it seems he overestimated her abilities.

    "Judith " he called, his voice low and grim as she bowed her head further. she could feel his dominance aura oozing off him urging her to submit.

    Even though Ryan might not be an alpha but a Beta, he''s the second in command and second most dominant while she''s an ordinary Delta, third in command and in training for the Beta position, so she couldn''t fight off his Aura.

    She found herself kneeling before him, eyes lowered. It''s seen as a disrespect or a challenge looking straight in the eyes of a werewolf higher than you in rank most especially Alphas and Betas.

    "Assemble the elite fighters, you know how dangerous he is in his cursed week and the repercussion we would suffer if he harms any local in little Town, cause the council won''t be lenient with him when it involves the death of a human "

    Judith blinked, not sure what she was hearing. She had expected him to punish or scold her for failing her tasks, unexpectedly he showed her mercy.

    "Yes, Beta Ryan " She answered gratefully, bowed and left in a hurry with the urge to prove her worth .

    A smile tugged at his lips but he couldn''t afford one at the moment. He knew Judith would get Daniel this time, the girl had a persistent and tough personality which was why he had taken her in as his Delta, his second in command.

    Suddenly Ryan frowned, Daniel shook them off his tail?

    That was more confusing unless.... his eyes widened at once, had Daniel found his mate?

    The cursed week is a special curse placed by the moon goddess on all Alpha werewolf which happens once every three months. The curse causes all Alpha werewolf, both male and female to remain Stucked in their wolf form for four days unable to shift back to human.

    In that state, the alpha werewolf becomes nothing but bloodthirsty savages.They have no sense of pack or loyalty as they lose complete control of themselves and the only thing on their minds is blood and killing.

    That craze experienced in the cursed week was no different than the craze experienced by a newborn werewolf in transition but it was a bit different in the sense that the cursed week would involuntarily stop whenever an Alpha finds his mate.

    This curse was initiated by the moon goddess during the "rejection zone " period. The "rejection zone " period was a time when there was a huge influx of Alphas rejecting their mates seeing them as nothing but their weakness and downfall.

    It''s a known fact that most Alphas are extremely aggressive, territorial, antagonist and cruel to their enemies . Infact centuries ago, there was an Alpha famed as the "Blood Alpha " who had a fetish of killing his enemies mate until fate played a cruel card on him.

    Perhaps it was the moon goddess punishing him for his crimes but he never knew his own mate was beside him for a long time until he fell badly for her . Eventually left with no choice, he marked and bonded with her and that was when his enemies made their move.

    They took his mate away , ravished and killed her before he could come to her rescue. The death of his mate devastated him and for the first time ever, he felt the pain he inflicted on others and eventually ended his own life.

    To a werewolf, a mate is like the other half of their soul and with time becomes the most important person in their life. Once marked and bonded, they become linked to each other for life. When one mate dies , the other doesn''t actually die but the loneliness, emptiness and pain makes them wish for death . Sometimes the grief and agony drives them crazy in which they will need to be killed for other''s safety.

    So most Alphas preferred rejecting their True mates but instead relieve their loneliness and pleasures with a fill-in mate whom he or she has no strings attached to and can''t be used against them.

 Chapter 8 - Eight : Male Lead, Is That You - 4

    Rejecting a mate wasn''t a child''s play at all cause it causes excruciating pain for both parties and is a huge taboo. Rejecting a mate is akin to giving the moon goddess the middle finger cause she''s the one who gifts the other half of one''s soul in their mate.

    Dissapointed at the turn out, the moon goddess decided to teach all Alpha werewolves a lesson.She placed a curse on Alphas, they were to remain in their wolf form for four days in every three months until they found their true mates.

    This was a measure taken by the moon goddess to ensure no Alpha messes with their matebond again and so far, it''s being effective.

    Cases of Alphas rejecting their mates was so rare now that the "rejection zone " now seem like a forklore told to the younger generation.

    Ryan didn''t know how he got inside his office but he plopped down on the swivel chair resting his legs on the desk as soon as he arrived . He groaned rubbing his temple, hearing the news from Judith had him develop a migraine right away.

    He just hopes Daniel has found his mate else things are about to get messy.

    Unknown to them all, a figure lay on the grass naked from his head to his toe. A drop of dew meticulously flowed from a plant and dropped on his eyelid stirring him awake.

    He slowly unveiled his eyes and blinked, his long thick eyelashes fluttering like the wings of a butterfly but then his eyes, as blue as the sea was so calm and captivating. This scene was so breathtaking and out of this world that it was quite a shame there wasn''t a photographer to capture this surreal and exotic moment.

    But it seem this ethereal beauty wasn''t done with his sleep cause he closed his eyes once again but the plants as if in cahoots started dropping dews after dews on him forcing him awake.

    He sat up at once awake and dazzled by his surrounding. He promptly looked down at his hands before he searched the rest of his body, he was... was.... human again.

    But how was that possible? It was just the second day of his cursed week, he still had two more days to go.

    He looked up at the sky, he has imprinted ?!

    In just a few moment, countless emotions surged through him. He was confused, happy, worried , angry then anxious. What was going on?

    Suddenly a memory flashed through his mind, stucked in his wolf form he had dreamt of a goddess. In that dream, he was in a pit with no source of escape, his only form of entertainment was the open sky until someone casted a shadow and then he looked up and saw her.

    She crouched down trying to get a closer look at him before extending her hand to him. Daniel stared at those smooth long hands before meeting her eyes.

    Her alluring blue eyes spoke of assurance and longing for him and just like a moth drawn to a flame he gave her his hand.

    As soon as his hand met her''s, he found himself suddenly infront of her and peace like no other flooded him. Daniel felt at home as if an empty void in him has filled .

    He reached out his hand to touch her face, to run his hands through her rich chocolate hair, to hold her in his arms and protect her from this crazy world, but she disappeared.

    Great, Daniel groaned. He imprinted at last but can''t remember the face of his mate. His dream was hazy, the only thing he could remember was her vivid blue eyes and chocolate hair .

    Chocolate, he smiled. He loves chocolate.

    He stood groaning with the effort. He muscles ached terribly and he couldn''t complain cause he knew it was from running for two days now.

    Suddenly his body went rigid and his gaze darkened, somebody.. no not... somebody but some people were coming and they were armed . His body tensed while he clutched his fist preparing to go for battle but as soon as their scent hit his nostrils, he relaxed. A slight smile tugged at his lips, they were here for him.

    Judith hurried, she could sense where the Alpha''s scent was the strongest , he was nearby. She clutched her weapon by the side, the alpha was extremely dangerous at this state and they had to be very careful if they intend surviving.

    She raised a hand as a gesture deploying the warriors to their various positions. Judith took a deep breath before jumping out of her position with the intention of taking the target by surprise, but it seemed she was the one taken by shock instead. She stood mouth agape and weapon hanging loosely at the side transfixed at the scene .

    Her alpha was human and naked. She gulped or atlest she tried to - why was she feeling hot?

    "Keep looking and a fly could live in there soon " Alpha Daniel said flashing her a smile that made her almost trip on a root. She slapped her forehead mentally. God, she''s so stupid!

    Daniel chuckled, the girl was totally smitten

    "Alpha " She greeted before handling him a clothe one of her subordinate brought along.

    She looked away as the Alpha dressed up blushing furiously.Perspiration beaded her forehead. Why was this happening to her of all people ? She fought internally.

    Judith wasn''t stupid, she knew the fact that the alpha was able to be in his human state right now was probably because he found his mate. She knew the alpha wasn''t crazy enough to reject his mate and suffer the cursed week all over again probably till eternity if such a scenario happens.

    Daniel sensing her inner battle didn''t bother her much after he was done .It was just a crush, thousands of female werewolves were crushing on him everyday moreover the feeling will dissipate once she finds her mate.

    At the moment he has more pressing need which was to recover his strength and go find his mate. He could feel her presence even though it was faint so she had to be in little Town . The fact that he could sense her meant the moon goddess has already sent her to him eventhough his mate was ignorance.

    My love, we would be together soon

    He thought with a smile on his face before leaving the wood with his pack .

 Chapter 9 - Nine : The Invitation

    Lia avoided her mom''s threatening gaze for the nth time. Was it really her fault? it was just an act of self defense.

    " How do you feel? " Her mom asked looking over Cassie''s eyes.

    " like two red-hot pieces of steel being pushed into my eyes and a blow-torch applied to my face. How does that sound? " Cassie winced, tears welling in her eye.

    Mom frowned at the sight, her daughter really did a lot of damage to Cassie. She snapped at Lia, wagging a finger .

    " Do you know spraying an innocent victim in the face can be a crime?!. You could be charged with assault " She rebuked sternly. sweeping back with her hand some strands of hair that had fallen on her face blocking her left view.

    "You should be thankful Cassie is not sueing" She continued.

    Lia heaved an exasperated sigh looking away, arguing with her mom in this state was pointless and a total waste of energy. The woman was unwavering and stubborn as a bull.

    ugh, *Taureans!

    "Mrs Jenny, please don''t be angry with Lia. It was my fault sneaking up on her like that and scaring her " Cassie pleaded on Lia''s behalf with quivering lips and an irresistible puppy face.

    Dang it ! Jenny thought, this child was so irresistible. without even realizing it, her anger dissipated at once so she agreed readily. "Fine "

    "You should be grateful " She snarled at Lia before helping Cassie to her feet.

    " Let''s go rinse this stupid stuff off your face, thankfully a shampoo can cut the oil resin " She explained leading Cassie carefully to the direction of the bathroom.

    Once they left, a rhythmic mocking clap came from behind as Trevor who sat leisurely with his legs dangling from the outside of the couch flung a subtle jibe.

    "Nice. Keep up the good work and mom will age in a day or two "

    Lia rolled her eyes and hurled back " Thanks for the info, dumbass "

    Though Lia and Trevor were blood siblings with Lia older with two years but the both never met eye to eye. They often had altercations which always ends with Lia winning or their mom threatening them to knock it off.

    Amusement played on Trevor''s face, he would be fulfilled if it meant taunting Lia for the rest of her life.

    "You know for someone who claims to be smart, you''re pretty stupid spraying an innocent victim. " He continued " If I was Cassie, I would have your ass last in jail for atlest two days"

    "But thankfully you''re not Cassie so go drink river water " She retorted flashing him a wide fake smile until her muscles ached but beneath that calm facade, she was on the verge of exploding.

    Trevor''s expression darkened and just when he opened his mouth, his mom came in with Cassie so he backed out.

    "Coward " Lia jeered to his hearing while he balled his fist, silently swearing to get back at her in the future.

    Lia ignored her brother and focused on Cassie whom she had to admit was really good looking. She had a baby face, accentuated by her fine blond hair , baby blue eyes and a petite body. She was simply "adorable ".

    After moments of observing her, Lia found out Cassie had a one track mind and a bubbly personality. She was simply a breath of fresh air and Lia couldn''t help but want to be really friends with her.

    "You all are really coming to the acceptance ceremony, right? " she asked expectantly.

    Jenny scratched her head awkwardly "I don''t know " She breathed "I don''t want us to impose on.... "

    "You are absolutely not imposing " She chirped in with her high pitched voice that had Lia wincing.

    How could her throat survive that?

    "Moreover " Cassie continued "Its a must tradition in little Town unless you want to be outcasted by the locals " She warned with a deep frown.

    "Why are they so intense with such lame party? Is this some sort of occult or what ? " Trevor asked attracting everyone''s scowl so he slowly leaned back on the couch.

    Eventhough Lia felt like kicking Trevor for his poor choice of words but she had to admit his question was legit. This acceptance of a thing was indeed suspicious, what kind of Town organizes such ceremony.

    "Occult or no occult, the ceremony is done with good intentions. The main purpose of the ceremony is to ward off evil beings from taking control of your mind and body.Moreover they won''t draw blood from any of you so you shouldn''t worry for your safety " Cassie explained her best hoping Jenny would have a change of heart.

    Lia could sense her mom''s internal battle, she was contemplating, weighing the pros and cons of this whole thing.

    " Fine " Jenny said before adding "But on one condition "

    "Okie? "

    Jenny said straightforwardly " You tell me what really goes down in that ceremony and also become friends with my son, Trevor "

    Hearing that, trevor threw up the water he was drinking from with a shocked expression .

    "Eww" Lia murmured disgusted to the core. She wiped off the little droplets that had fallen on her with her hand.

    "No way , I don''t accept that " He objected firmly

    "My decisions are final, young man " Jenny concluded before he could even raise an argument.

    Stung and quivering with embarrassment, he ground his teeth in fury as he left for his room banging the door behind him so hard the house shook.

    Least affected by Trevor''s outburst, Jenny focused all attention on Cassie

    "So do we have a deal or not? "

    Cassie smiled widely " Deal " taking Jenny''s hand in a firm but warm handshake. Nor of them knew how relieved Cassie was for successfully accomplishing her mission.

    "Fine then, my family and I will be there for the acceptance ceremony " Jenny assured her confidently.

    ------

    *Taureans : are born between April 21 and May 21, and belong to the Earth element of the zodiac (along with Virgo and Capricorn). The Earth sign collective are practical, stoic, determined, ambitious and materialistic. Taurus are famous for their stubbornness, but there''s more to them then that�� they''re a bit of dark horse.

 Chapter 10 - Ten : Acceptance Ceremony

    "Wow" Was all Lia kept saying as she walked into the clearing. Why didn''t anyone inform her that the acceptance ceremony was nothing but a bonfire party ?

    "Clearly occultic " Trevor affirmed staring mouth agape at the scene.

    The large clearing was crowded with people mostly wearing animal print attires and busy socializing with one another.

    "You didn''t tell us there was a dress code? " Jenny cried out feeling they were overdressed in their simple party wear.

    Cassie chuckled at Jenny''s statement, at the moment she was acting as their tour guide "Don''t worry, you can request for one after you''ve being accepted "

    Eventhough Cassie explained , it still didn''t stop Jenny from having a nervous breakdown, thankfully her son Rex distracted her.

    "Mom, look" Rex called pointing to a certain figure.

    She followed his direction only to have her gaze rest on a woman wearing a lion head mask.

    "Wow " Lia murmured amazed "This is insane"

    Currently most people were watching them with curiosity. It seems not everyone knew them yet.

    " That''s our mayor , I think you should go see her " Cassie explained referring to the woman they saw wearing the lionhead mask earlier.

    "What! " Trevor roared! "Your mayor is also an occultic.... " Lia slapped Trevor''s mouth before he could finish his statement attracting numerous inquisitive stares.

    Lia smiled awkwardly waving them off as they went about their business.She beat her mom by leaning forward and grabbed Trevor by the ear while he yelped in pain.

    "Mention the word occult again and I''ll crush your balls before your very eyes" Lia threatened crudely making sure to lay more emphasis on ''occult '' and ''balls''

    Lia''s threat was so savage that her mom had to cover Rex''s ear while Cassie held back a laugh.

    Jenny couldn''t scold Lia for her language knowing Trevor wouldn''t stop until he was rebuked strongly.

    So Jenny came up with what she thought was the perfect plan to keep Trevor under hold

    " Lia, you''re in charge. Keep your brothers safe" She ordered before Lia could object.

    She then turned and faced Cassie "I trust they won''t misbehave under your watch "

    Jenny said putting Cassie in charge also, an additional fortification in case the first one fails before leaving to go see the mayor.

    The amount of trust Jenny had in Cassie stunned Lia so much. How could they have bonded so much in such a short while?

    But Jenny made a mistake, she forgot that Cassie was a teen too just as her kids.

    "I don''t think I need to say much, no time for long words. Adios " Trevor waved and vamoosed before Lia could even comprehend what was going on.

    "Traitor! " Lia yelled after him " Great! So much for babysitting" she sighed, her eyes falling on Rex, her only loyal family standing by her side.

    "I''m guessing it''s just you and I buddy " she reached over and gave Rex''s dirty blonde hair a tousle but the boy''s next comment had Lia vomit blood.

    "Nah " Rex nodded negatively " I''m only here cause Cassie hasn''t agreed to our date yet "

    cough cough

    What the f*ck ! What are children learning these days?

    That''s when Lia looked up and saw Rex staring at Cassie lovey - dovey while the lady in question was looking away scratching her neck awkwardly with a faint blush on her face. Lia blinked not sure what she was seeing.

    "You imp" Lia smacked him lightly on the forehead while he let out an aggrieved expression.

    She sighed worriedly , the little chick magnet wasn''t ten yet but he was already thinking of dating. Lia feared suddenly for the future of women.

    "Let''s go to the table over there " Cassie pointed at one of the many tables filled with mouth watering delicacies.

    "Wow " Lia moaned staring at the heavenly dishes, already salivating at the sight of the blueberry Orange muffins.

    With great expectation, she was about to dig in when a voice from behind halted her mission.

    "I''m guessing she''s the centre of attraction tonight "

    Lia turned to face a pretty blonde haired girl who had really big boobs with two other girls standing beside her respectively.

    "Yes, she is " the girl on her right hand side answered.

    Lia stared at them confused. Where they discussing about her or trying to start a conversation with her? well, it wouldn''t hurt to be nice. So she decided to take the first step

    "Hi, I''m Li -"

    "I don''t remember asking for your name loser " The pretty girl spat leaving Lia dumbfounded.

    Okie? Trust me, I don''t remember provoking you either.

    Lia breathed and slowly took back her extended hand she had tried offering for a handshake.

    Red alert - Number one bully spotted.

    "But just so you know cause my face is hardly forgettable, my name is Caroline and after tonight you can go back to wherever you came from while my dazzling fame continues to spread abroad " She haughtily announced with an mocking grin glued on her face.

    Ok, Lia noted. Bully one is named Caroline and is a huge narcissistic drama queen who may be high on a drug called ego.

    "So, mind your place loser. Ta ta !" She squealed causing lia to jerk out of her reverie . She gave Lia an I''ve - got - my - eyes - on-you gesture and stride away followed by her minions who didn''t even bother concealing their disgust towards her.

    "Oh don''t mind Caroline, though she looks that way on the outside but she''s really kind inside" Cassie who was silent all these while spoke up.

    Lia who was unbothered by the dumb barbie and her followers shrugged innocently " I don''t mind at all but I''d love if she had more brains than boobs"

    Cassie laughed and consciously found her eyes checking out Lia''s boobs.

    Lia suddenly aware of Cassie''s perverted gaze wrapped her hands protectively around her chest

    " What are you staring at? " She yelped.

    "Oh nothing, it just seems you have more brain than boobs " Cassie teased while Lia tried to lunge at her but Rex was quick to put himself in between, shielding Cassie with his short body.

    Lia found this scene amusing and also nerve-racking . They weren''t even an item yet and he was already taking the girlfriend''s side.

    Lia frowned, what was she saying? They would never be an item.

    "Cass, let''s go over there " Rex suggested beaming a smile at Cassie who couldn''t even resist his charm and agreed right away leaving Lia to feud for herself.

    Lia scoffed. He already had a nickname for her? Where was the love between siblings.

    Frustrated, she began to dish out her food. she would stress eat tonight since no one cared about her anymore.

    Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her and turned around only to feel all air leave her lungs.

    Wow

    He''s so handsome.

    That was the last thought she had before her world went blank.

 Chapter 11 - Eleven : Acceptance Ceremony -2

    "Ugh!" Lia groaned lifting her weak and heavy body. She frowned at the somewhat familiar surrounding and suddenly sprang up almost toppling over from dizziness.

    Ah yes, she remembered coming to the acceptance party, she recalled other events that occurred including the egoistic barbie encounter but she couldn''t remember going to sleep.

    The last thing she remembered.... "Damn" she cursed rubbing her temple. She had a splitting headache the moment she tried to recollect what she did last and how she fell asleep.

    It was suspicious .It was not like her to fall asleep in a unfamiliar place moreover in a party, the noise wouldn''t allow her to sleep a wink at all but she somehow felt she fell in a deep slumber in such a short time.

    Strange enough she felt weak and sour especially in her neck region . It felt like a large needle was pierced into her skin, retracted and then stitched up but no matter how much she searched, she couldn''t find evidence of such speculation on her body .

    Was she being paranoid?

    "Lia ! "

    Hearing her name being called snapped her back to reality and she found Cassie coming her way huffing and puffing.

    "Where the hell have you being?!" Cassie roared drawing people''s attention. She was so fluttered that even Lia noticed and bit down on her lower lip .

    Cassie was angry.

    "I''m really sorry, I got carried away " Lia apologized with her gaze lowered. she couldn''t just tell Cassie of her stupid speculation else she''ll think she''s crazy.

    Heartbeat slowly returning to normal, Cassie glared at Lia but her pitiful pout made her anger melt right away.

    "Come-on let''s go, the ceremony has already started " Cassie said reaching out a hand for Lia to grab on but her eyes suddenly narrowed when she saw a red stain on Lia''s neck.

    "Is that blood on your neck?" Cassie reached out but Lia subconsciously jumped from her touch .

    "Sorry " She smiled bashfully at Cassie''s shocked expression. Lia mentally facepalmed at her attitude , why was she behaving like this? The girl was just trying to help.

    Cassie in return smiled like nothing happened.

    "It''s OK " She waved it off

    Lia strained her neck trying to get a view of the so-called blood.

    "It''s almost at your back " Cassie from a distance directed her .

    Thankfully she had worn a black off shoulder little black dress so after stretching and straining her neck for a while, she located it. There was a small patch of red on her neck which had being smeared down her back.

    It wasn''t so much that Lia wondered at Cassie''s sharp sight. What would''ve taken others a closeup view, she saw it from afar clearly. wow, she envied such sight.

    "I don''t think it''s blood cause I''m clearly not injured moreover I saw some teens carrying cans of paint earlier . I think one of them with a red paint might have touched me with their smeared hands " Lia lied smoothly without blinking an eye though her heart thumbed badly that she thought it would leap out of her chest.

    "Ah, must be "

    Cassie bought her idea or so she thought.

    She brought out a handkerchief out of the pocket of her jean short, dabbed it in water from one of the water can on the table and started wiping away the stain.

    "You don''t have to " Lia said feeling awkwardly with someone rubbing her skin like that with body pressed closely to her''s. Lia was straight but this was the first time a girl was this close to her aside from her mother. The little girlfriends she had back in her old Town were too sophisticated and turned out to be scheming backstabbers she eventually abandoned in the end.

    Head bent shyly, she decided to look up and discovered with great shock that Cassie''s skin was really good. Her skin was so soft and smooth with no blemish.

    Did she have pores? Lia was curious. She stared at her inquisitively coming closer and closer.

    Suddenly a soft breeze blew and wafted Cassie''s scent into her nostrils. She smelled like vanilla with a hint of mint . Was that from her cologne or hairshampoo? she pondered.

    " What are you doing?" Cassie asked, brow arched suspiciously and that was when Lia realized she was unconsciously sniffing Cassie''s hair.

    She froze. Did she just smell her hair?

    Creepy .

    "Umm " She cleared her throat awkwardly dusting off invisible dirt from Cassie''s hair. " You got something on your hair "

    And as usual, Cassie believed her.

    "Done, you''re good as new " Cassie announced stepping away from her. "We should be going"

    Replying with a nod, Lia went along with her noticing with minimal details the newly set up bonfires, much larger than the previous ones . For how long were they planning to party? She wondered.

    A few minutes later they arrived the initiation ground but lia was dazzled at the large crowd that gathered around blocking the entrance.

    They were stucked but that was until a man in front noticed her and gave way for her to pass.This kind gesture caused a domino effect that lasted till a path was created for her to go through.

    Sucking in a cold breath, she started walking through the cleared path realizing for the first time how nerving it was to be the centre of attention. She suddenly wished she was wearing a tinted glass atlest, their gazes were scorching.

    Trying not to show she was breaking out in sweats, she doubled her steps reaching her destination in a flash.

    She saw her mom already going through her own "acceptance ". A middle aged woman wearing a long brown coloured fox fur dress that literally sweeps the ground whenever she walks stood before her mom. She murmured some inaudible words which Jenny said yes to before rubbing some slimy stuff on her forehead followed by a loud shout from the crowd.

    Lia flinched when she noticed how hysterical the crowd was. Was this the acception ? she thought. She suddenly wondered if Trevor went through the same initiation considering his negative stand on this acceptance of a thing.

    Maybe he wasn''t entirely wrong with his belief. This acceptance ceremony did look a tad occultic. She just hoped they weren''t getting themselves into trouble .

 Chapter 12 - Twelve : Acceptance Ceremony -3

    Lia was having second thoughts.She began retreating slowly until her body slammed into someone. She turned only to see Cassie blocking her only view of escape. She placed a hand on her shoulder and rubbed it gently as if seeing through her thoughts . Their eyes met as they communicated telepathically, though no words was said but Cassie''s assuring look comforted and strengthened her.

    She inhaled deeply and finally took a bold step forward. The initiator was already done with her mother whom was standing behind her urging Lia with her eyes to be bold.

    "Do you wish to be protected? " The initiator asked as soon as she stepped into a marked circle with a triangle in the middle enclosing the both of them.

    Protected from what? She sassed mentally

    "Make a choice or forever hold your peace." The initiator continued and it took every will in Lia not to laugh right now.

    oh, they were saying wedding vows now .

    As if the initiator noticed what was going on, she frowned while Lia assumed a straight face devoid of emotions.

    "Yes, I wish to be protected " She declared unamused staring straight at the imitator''s eyes and discovered her features.

    She had a few wrinkles on her face that was hardly recognizable at first, it had to take one a good second glance to notice that. Her shimmering ash hair had Lia question if she had dyed her grey hairs cause it was now apparent the woman was past middle age but how she was still able to stand strongly on her foot puzzled Lia. The woman even had more stamina than her.

    " Child of light " She called drawing Lia''s attention

    "Yes? " She answered confused on who she was referring to . But when she saw the woman''s yellow teeth probably from tobacco consumption moving again, she understood at once she was being summoned.

    "Do you wish to be protected from the darkness, from those who don''t sleep at night until the light is extinguished " She asked again collecting some sort of slimy mud she had taken out of a broken coconut shell which was smeared on her ring finger.

    Lia replied positively again . She eyed the substance cautiously feeling the urge to take out her pepper spray. Was it too late to flee out of here?

    She flinched when she felt something cold being rubbed on her forehead in the shape of some strange character. The sudden contact jerked her out of her daydreams, the slime was cool to the touch like some sort of menthol. She suddenly wondered how this crappy looking slime would taste like if she took some into her mouth?

    Focus! She scolded herself mentally . Taste that sh*t ? What are you? an animal?.

    Suddenly, the hand rubbing the character on her forehead stiffened alerting Lia immediately.

    "What''s wrong? " Lia looked up at her initiator''s eyes and regretted it immediately.

    The woman''s gaze bore Into her''s with blazing intensity as if she could see into the depth of her soul.

    Suddenly, her lips moved "Why is there corruption in you?" She whispered to Lia, an involuntary shudder running down her spine.

    She frowned trying to make sense of her comment but before she could ask her question, an earsplitting roar came from the crowd almost destroying her eardrums.

    Has she being accepted? Judging from the excited shout from the crowd, it seems like. Then why did she make such a statement? Eventhough Lia have no clue of this town''s crazy customs but she was clever enough to notice that this ceremony was done to ward off evil possessing a person.

    Then why did the priest or so called initiator perform the rite? She could have just rejected her and tell everyone she has an evil inside. Unless this ceremony was fake and she was just mumbling bullsh*t .

    Yes, that must be it.

    The momentarily distracted Lia turned to give the initiator a piece of her mind but to her horror discovered she was no where to be found but to her delight the party restarted in full swing. It was obviously full blazing party mode.

    Jugs of booze were brought in from wherever they''ve being hiding it all night , party music blasted from the speakers while strung round twinkling lights hung at strategic points gave off a colourful ambience.

    Lia gulped.They definitely knew how to organize a party.

    She looked around nervously searching for her mom . Lia knew there was no way her mom would let them stay especially when the booze is involved moreover they''ve completed their initiation, there was no more reason to stay.

    When Lia couldn''t find Jenny , she figured out she must have gone in search of Trevor who must have snuck out after his initiation. Of them three, Trevor was the most impulsive and reckless so it was no wonder her mom must have left her behind to go look for him probably with Rex''s hand secured safely in hers.

    Well since her mom wasn''t here yet, she could have a little fun before she arrives. So Lia joined the crowd who was jumping , screaming and dancing to the party beat .

    "Hey " Someone said to her from behind interrupting her when she was just getting started with this party.

    "Hi" She replied curtly hoping the stranger would take that hind and buzz off.

    "Happy acceptance " The girl congratulated obviously pretending to be oblivious to her cold reception.

    Fine, Lia sighed. She would be nice this once since this one was not the like the egoistic barbie from earlier.

    "Thanks " Lia flashed a smile warmer than her previous response

    "To your acceptance " She said toasting to a drink and offered another to Lia which she turned down politely.

    "No, thanks . My mom would skin me alive "

    The girl rolled her eyes, sipping her drink leisurely "Hello ? don''t be such a buzzkill, you could always apologize to momma later. What''s the worst that can happen anyway? " She snarked.

    Exhilarated with the urge to prove she wasn''t a party pooper, She snatched the drink from the girl and downed it in one gulp causing the crowd to cheer at her performance.

    The girl whistled at her action. "Wow, that was intense "

    Blushing from the alcoholic effect, she stared down at the girl. The girl wasn''t exactly good-looking , if anything she looked too boyish. She was toned and muscular, her blonde hair kept in a pixie cut and her eyes luminously large and dark. She was wearing a dark jean with an oversized polo shirt totally different from the people dressed in their animal print designs. Unfortunately her boyish figure belied her femininity.

    Her voice was incredulously deep but pleasant to the ears, not to talk of her boobs. Judging from her attitude, Lia knew at once she''s a tomboy.

    As if in cahoots, people started raising toasts to her, offering her drinks upon drinks until she couldn''t afford to drink anymore. Her mom was totally going to kill her. Where was she by the way?

    Feeling tipsy, Lia knew at once the alcohol had started to work its magic. She walked out of the dancing ground and plopped down on a nearby seat.

    "Hey " The tomboy called approaching her again.

    What now?

    "What''s z this time? " She slurred , her articulation currently sloppy.

    "Wanna have fun? " She inquired , a strange glint in her eyes.

    "Wat Fun? " Lia asked curiously

    The tomboy inched closer, a huge bunny smile on her face "Ever heard of the haunted house of Little Town, we could have a lot of fun and adventure in there "

    Hearing that name sent shivers down her spine but thanks to the alcohol she couldn''t make sense of anything. The only she understood was ''fun'' and ''adventure ''

    "So what do you say?" She pushed for an answer

    " Fun " Lia babbled

    "Then, I''m taking that as a yes " The tomboy concluded helping Lia to her foot.

    A huge malevolent smirk fell on the tomboy''s face which Lia didn''t fail to capture but she tried to tell herself it was the alcohol scattering her thoughts and not the growing feeling of fear or concern she felt toward her.

    So like a lamb to the slaughter, she followed sheepishly not knowing the outcome of tonight was going to change history forever.

 Chapter 13 - Thirteen : The Beginning Of The End

    Warning : Gory scene ahead

    Back to present :

    Gathering courage, she grabbed a nearby branch trying to climb a tree atlest wolves can''t climb trees , she thought, when she felt something grab her leg . She shrieked and tried kicking off its hold on her leg but instead it''s claws dug into her skin as she let out a sharp cry.

    Distracted, she lost her balance and slipped from the tree landing on the ground with a loud thud. Ground? No, no, no .

    Lia sat up at once wincing at the pain at her leg but that was nothing compared to the fear that crept her heart when her eyes met glowing brown eyes.

    Oh God. She cried. Is this how her life was going to end?

    She knew it was a bad idea coming here but she was just too intoxicated to care. There was a reason why haunted houses were avoided by sensible people but she had bluntly and stupidly arrived to her death.

    They were exploring the haunted house when they heard a deep guttural growl, the next they know they were being chased by a rabid wolf who was keen on hunting them now.

    Hyperventilating, Lia tried to run but tripped on a root and fell face flat on the floor .

    "Ouch" She winced but didn''t have time to check her wounds cause the low rumble from the wolf dragged her back to reality. She was in really deep sh*t.

    The wolf didn''t lunge at her , just circling and watching her quietly and intently. It was probably figuring out the slowest and pleasurable way to end her since they were bloodthirsty savages.

    Suddenly, their eyes met sending a shudder down her spine. She tried to avert her eyes having read somewhere that one shouldn''t look a wolf in the eye, cause it''s seen as a challenge and doesn''t end too well but it was too late.

    The wolf leaped towards her which she narrowly escaped but incured some injuries. She looked down on her stomach,to her horror, she discovered her clothes were soaking with blood.

    She sucked in a cold breath leaning on a nearby tree. Thankfully the moon was bright tonight , illuminating the whole woods that one could see without the aid of a torchlight.

    Sorrowfully, she sighed.

    She was really going to die on a such a beautiful night. She glanced at the wolf and swore she saw a bone chilling smile on its face.

    She''s definitely dead meat.

    The scent of her blood seem to excite the wolf with the need to ravage her and it acted upon it, launching its second attack.

    This time it pushed the escaping Lia down to the ground, it''s powerful jaw snap and slobber just inches from her face as she struggled to push it away.

    Successfully launching a kick that tossed it a few meters away from her, she cowered away squinching at every movement she made.

    She clasped her stomach tightly, she was bleading profusely. The wolf had slashed deeper at her stomach and arm during its second attack .

    She snorted, so this was where she would actually end up? It was quite funny . She suddenly realised she hasn''t done a lot of things in her lifetime. Heck! she hasn''t even had her first kiss yet.

    Lost in her trance, she slid her hands unconsciously into the pocket of her dress and took out the mini led pocket touch.

    Earlier before coming to the acceptance party , she had ransacked the basement and found this item along with other strange items that probably belonged to her dad.

    She had taken a fancy to the touchlight due to the intricate logo crafted on it''s side and kept it in the pocket of her dress hoping to study it when she returns. But atlast, she was studying it on the verge of death.

    The mini torch was in the form of a stylus pen with gold coating and a logo of a small humanoid creature carrying a quiver of arrows on its side.The logo was fascinating, definitely a masterpiece.

    The wolf stood on its hindlimb preparing to launch its final attack. The kick from Lia was infuriating, so it hoped to finish her this time with one clean sweep . It growled , propelled itself madly towards her.

    Concurrently, Lia choose that moment to spontaneously lit the torch, it''s beam landing straight on the wolf''s eye.

    Immediately, a long, loud , high-pitched cry rent the air. The scream, so inhumane and distressing that it caused her to close her ears with her hands. She recognized that sound right away, it was the scream of someone in pain.

    Did the torchlight hurt it? She pondered. She had never heard of a common torch having the ability to hurt a wolf unless this wasn''t an ordinary torchlight at all . There must be more to it than the eyes can tell , She thought realizing she has tumbled upon a rare gem.

    If there was anything she learned in Little Town in this few hours, is probably the fact that nothing in this town was normal. There seem to be a lot of secret paranormal activities going on and no one was complaining.

    Lia realized she might have a chance to stop this rabid animal from consuming her body, atlest she wants her body intact even if she dies eventually and not in the belly of some animal.

    With a killing intent, the wolf rose again but this time she stared it straight in the eyes hoping her feelings would be conveyed. This time she wasn''t scared, she was angry and would fight to death.

    As if it understood her message clearly , it roared in protest but when it saw Lia''s determined and attacking stance, the wolf slowly backed away and then ran off.

    Once it was no where to be found and never returning , she slumbed against a tree with her chest heaving , exhaustion taking over her body.

    She have fought a good fight.

    Suddenly she coughed sputtering large amount of blood , she wiped her lips with the back of her hand. Eventhough she emerged victoriously, she suffered a great loss, one that was irreversible .

    Even if help arrives at this time, she''ll probably die from bleeding before reaching the hospital. This was a pretty large wood, it''ll take some time before she''s located.

    She let out a hysterical laugh, it was pretty amazing what alcohol can do to the human brain . She was so intoxicated that she had covered such a large distance in a short time, infact she couldn''t remember most of the journey, she had only sobered up a bit after entering the haunted house.

    She thought of the tomboy, was she calling for help? or did she orchestrate this all along?

    Lia looked up at the bright moon as if searching for answers.

    Was she a victim of some crazy conspiracy?

    If true, what''s their goal? What''s the benefit of her death tonight? Why her? A lot of questions roamed her mind but no answers.

    She thought of her family and suddenly wished there was a way to warn her family to leave this crazy town.

    She had a lot to do and say to them. She wanted to tell Trevor she was going to miss his taunts, warn Rex not to jump on her bed in her absence and thank her mom for raising her but nay, no time.

    A tear slipped down her cheeks, this was really the end.

    "Cold and lonely " She murmured before her eyes closed in death.

 Chapter 14 - Fourteen : The Beginning Of The End -2

    "How are you feeling? " Ryan asked as soon as his eyelids fluttered open.

    Daniel looked around, he was currently in his room. He abruptly sat up ripping off the drip attached to his body.

    "Easy " Ryan cautioned softly "You might have super regenerative ability but you''re still half human "

    His lips tilted to the side, a mocking smirk present " I don''t need this crap, it''ll take more than a d*mn cursed week to take me down " He said tossing the IV stand to a side

    Ryan lit up, seeing this side of him only meant he was hale and hearty.

    " Welcome back , Alpha " He draped his arm casually around his neck.

    Daniel rolled his eyes and sighed

    "Before I was an alpha, you were my best friend so can you stop with the title. It gives me the creeps"

    Daniel rebuked Ryan who smiled mischeviously and before he could predict what he was up-to, Ryan threw himself at him, wrapping himself around his body like some d*mn octopus

    "Thanks my baby " Ryan cooed hugging him tightly almost crushing his sternum. Flabbergasted at his sudden clingy attitude, Daniel tried to peel off from him to no avail.

    "Fine " he sighed, throwing his hands up in surrender "I give up "

    Satiated with his effort, Ryan pulled away when he saw the sincere plea on Daniel''s face but he suddenly tilted to the side swiftly avoiding an unexpected blow that flew by .

    " Tsk Tsk " Ryan disapproved " You''re too predictable and crafty "

    Daniel sassed back " And you''re totally shameless "

    Ryan grinned.

    " I can''t help who I am "

    He reasoned shamelessly while Daniel was roused with the urge to slap that stupid grin off his face.

    Daniel suddenly frowned recollecting something, he asked " For how long was I out?"

    Taken aback by the sudden question, he scratched his head awkwardly. Ryan pursed his lips , stared at his wristwatch and started his calculations.

    "Twenty- six or Twenty seven hours ago,I think so. I''m not exactly sure . "

    Daniel''s frown deepened, it was a day or more away from his mate. He needed to find her so they could mark and bond before the next cursed week in three months time.

    Just finding a mate wasn''t enough to stop the cursed week rather it''ll diminish the cursed days and weeks but the bond will need to be completed before the next cursed week else the pain will be tripled.

    " Ah " Ryan said, an excited twinkle in his eyes " it''s true, You''ve found your mate . When do I get to meet her? " He asked rubbing his hands together in gleeful anticipation.

    Daniel raised a brow at his attitude, why did it seem he was more eager to meet his mate than he was?

    "So, I should expect some baby pups running around in a few months time, Do I need to add more rooms to the pack house? How many pups do you intend having. Oh God! , I''ll be an uncle soon "

    Ryan chattered completely unaware that his hastily spoken words came out as little more than a gabble to Daniel''s ear.

    Daniel sighed at the thought of Ryan , his sigh a mixture of pity and amusement. He hasn''t even found his mate yet and the guy was thinking of pups already.

    But it was refreshing though, atlest he didn''t have to worry about his mate being accepted by his pack. Ryan''s acceptance overrules their''s already.

    Suddenly he inhaled sharply when he felt a stabbing pain in his heart. He groaned and slumped down unto his bed.

    " Hey, what''s wrong ? " Ryan asked concerned over the sudden change in attitude.

    But Ryan was too muddle-headed to reply, the pain was very intense. It felt like someone pierced his heart with a sharp knife, twisted, and twisted it until his heart was a mushy mess.

    Sweat beaded his forehead as he clutched his heart, it was aching so painfully.

    "Hey, buddy. Talk to me " Ryan slapped his cheek trying to make him sober up.

    Daniel''s expression was dazed at the moment which Ryan knew wasn''t a good sign, something was definitely wrong. Immediately his eyes widened fearfully, was it his mate? The only time a werewolf suffers this kind of pain is during the loss of a mate....

    Ryan swallowed hard, God ! this wasn''t happening.

    A tear slipped down Daniel''s cheeks, he couldn''t understand why he was experiencing this agonizing pain unless.....

    Fear crept his heart as he suddenly tapped into the bond but felt nothing, it was empty and cold. He gasped, the only time a mate bond feels that way is during the loss of a mate...

    "No! " Daniel howled . He rose to his feet and ran out of the packhouse so fastly that Ryan couldn''t comprehend him.

    Sprinting towards the forest, he transformed into his wolf form already burning with rage. He needed to get away from the pack, from everyone before he destroys his own pack with his hands . The forest would be strong enough to vent his anger.

    Yes, it should .

    ---------

    " Where the hell is Lia? " Jenny asked rhetorically. It''s being an hour since she started searching for her. Maybe it was a bad idea leaving her to go look for the others. Jenny thought as the matured of them all, she would be able to feud for herself but it was totally clear she overestimated her.

    " My legs are aching mom " Rex complained drawing Jenny''s attention.

    She suddenly realized how tired the boy must be, she had being dragging him along during the search for Trevor and now for Lia, the boy must be totally exhausted.

    " Just a little bit more alright? " She coaxed patting him tenderly on the hair.

    She knew the kind of kids she has, there was no guarantee Rex won''t run off on his own the moment she drops him somewhere.

    " Little while? " Trevor who had being surprisingly quiet all this while scoffed in disbelief

    "How are we going to find Lia in this crowd of obviously wasted people? Moreover she''s an adult Mom, even if she doesn''t know the way home she could always ask for directions "

    "By this time of the night in a new Town ?" She asked raising her cellphone for Trevor to read the time.

    "Besides you don''t have the right to raise your voice since this is partly your fault, if you hadn''t snuck out after your initiation , we wouldn''t be looking for anyone right now! " She scolded furiously while Trevor gulped hard, clueless on how to defend himself.

    "So get your ass moving, we ain''t leaving without your sister " She commanded and stride off in a huff.

    Thanks to the momentarily distraction, Jenny didn''t watch where she was going and bumped into someone.

    "Hey, I''m sorry for..... "Jenny tried apologizing but the words died off her lips when she met the eyes of the victim. For some unknown reasons she couldn''t take her eyes off her and just kept staring at her as if under some spell.

    The victim started murmuring some words which she smiled and nodded positively to.

    "Mom? " Trevor called , creeped out by what was going on. He suddenly stared at the woman they bumped into, she was wearing a long red robe that hid her feet, her face covered with a large cloak and her eyes....

    Trevor gasped, then instinctively stepped back preparing to flee with Rex but she enthralled him too.

    Trevor couldn''t look away but kept responding positively to whatever command she was issuing.

    Rex too wasn''t spared out.

    Done with her mission, a smile formed on her lips and she stepped away just as cassie arrived.

    "Hey " Cassie called breathing heavily, it was obvious she has being running all this while.

    "Yes?" The trio answered simultaneously spooking Cassie .

    " Wow, that was intense and scary " She laughed awkwardly but it seemed as a dry joke cause nor of them were amused by it.

    Crestfallen, she cleared her throat before asking "Have you found Lia? "

    At the mention of Lia , a creepy smile which Cassie didn''t fail to notice appeared on Jenny''s face

    "Oh, don''t worry about my daughter. She just called moments ago to tell me she had arrived home ahead of us cause of a running stomach apparently as a result of something she had eaten at the party "

    "A blueberry orange muffin, I think " Rex added clearing whatever doubt was in Cassie''s mind.

    "Ahh, True! " Cassie exclaimed but something clicked in her head.

    "No offense but Lia''s new here,she just arrived like yesterday. How then did she know the way home? " She asked suspiciously. She couldn''t help but feel something weird was going on.

    " She made some good friends whom clearly drove her home " Trevor answered rigidly emphasizing on the ''good friends''

    "Then can I atlest call her to make..... "

    "No!! "Jenny roared stunning Cassie. Realizing she was a little hard on the poor girl, she apologized.

    "Sorry for my unreasonable outburst but I wouldn''t want anyone disturbing her beauty sleep considering what she''s gone through tonight "

    "OK? " Cassie answered unsure of what to make of this situation.

    "Then we''ll be taking our leave then. See you later Cassie " Jenny greeted and walked away followed by Trevor whom didn''t even spare her a look.

    "Goodnight Cassie " Rex said to her and then tagged along with his family.

    Cassie stared at them suspiciously, Rex who was obsessed with her all night didn''t call her by the nickname he gave her.

    Weird.

 Chapter 15 - Fifteen : Am I Dead?

    What is life?

    Life has different definition in the eyes of different people. There is no clear cut definition for it. For some, life is all about building a family and leading "life" as it is. For some, life is all about accumulating wealth.

    For others , life is all about engaging in academic circle. Still for others, life is all about art. For many life is all about love. For a few, life is all about religious practices. For philosopher like Aristotle life is about happiness: "Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence." Hence life has different definition for different people.

    But what was life to lia?

    life was a Godda*mn bully she had to woke up to everyday. But that''s no more . Now she''s dead!

    Eyes closed,she felt peace like no other. She was finally free from the trials, temptations and bullsh*ts of the world. Though , a bit aggrieve she didn''t get to spend her final moment with her family instead of some rabid wolf.

    But things are finally going to be perfect. No more disturbances, dramas, distraction, besides she heard people in the afterlife have no recollection of their pastlife cause their memories are taken away. Was she finally getting the freedom she desired?

    She forced her eyelid open.

    Paradise here I come!

    Eyes slowly opening, she blinked repeatedly trying to clear out her hazy sight which proved to be a bit effective cause she managed to make out a white.... was that the sky?

    She squirted her eyes, why did her afterlife sky look a lot like her bedroom ceiling?

    Wait. What? Bedroom!!

    "Ahh!!!" Lia screamed, instinctively rolling off her bed and landing on the ground with a loud thud.

    She continued screaming as she take in the familiar environment. What the hell? Was this an afterlife prank?

    She shrieked tumbling upon her reflection in her full length standing mirror. Oh my God! wasn''t she supposed to be dead?

    She was still clearly dressed in her tattered, and bloody off shoulder little black dress.The f*ck.

    She fearfully walked closer to the mirror, trembling with every step she made. She looked like something that was hurled out of a horror movie.

    She shivered involuntary, countless thoughts running through her mind?

    Why was she was alive? wasn''t she supposed to be in heaven or was it called paradise ? Why was she sleeping on her bed like nothing happened? Why wasn''t her mom banging down her door by now ?

    She could hear her heartbeat which was hammering furiously cause of her wild hormones. She reeked of adrenaline right now.

    Lia checked out her cheeks, shoulder, stomach and leg and was rendered mute at the sight . There was not a single claw mark ,

    bruise, nor injury infact her skin was as good as new aside from dried up blood serving as evidence that something crazy went down last night.

    So if she wasn''t dreaming nor hallucinating, then this was probably reality and not the afterlife . She stared at the muddy and dirty footprint starting from her door to the inside of her room abruptly stopping beside her bed before continuing on her bed sheet.

    If she wasn''t hallucinating then that''s a clear proof she walked into her room herself. But how was that possible?

    Deducing the amount of blood she lost during the attack that led to her death, she knew there was no way she would come home with such injuries, she wouldn''t be able to stand talk more walk such a distance , it was absolutely impossible.

    Moreover she didn''t know the way home. How did she find her way home? What the hell is wrong with this place?

    Also, didn''t her mom see her in this hideous and rugged state? who let her in the house? There was no one way anyone would see her in this condition and not scream in shock unless she sneaked in.

    Realizing that she must have snuck in without her mom''s notice, she peeled off her filty clothes and entered the bathroom for a wash.Lia felt so unclean she scrubbed her skin rosy for almost an hour.

    Done with her bath, she grabbed her filthy clothes and bed sheet and tossed them in the laundry basket making a mental note to wash those before her mom''s does.

    Compared to her mom, Lia wasn''t hyperventilating, she was oddly calm which was a good sigh she was handling this well. She couldn''t imagine what would happen if her mom finds out, it won''t probably end well.

    She grabbed a rag and wiped off the dirty footprints. She had to cover up her tracks until she figured out what was going on. Little Town was strange,so nobody was to be trusted including her family members, who knew what spell they casted on them last night during her disappearance.

    Done with her cleaning she was about to get rid of the clothes when her door snapped open and in came her mom. Lia felt her heart leap out of her chest , that was a close call .

    But surprisingly when her mom stepped in, the sudden panic turned into longing when her eyes stared into those familiar, caring, protective and assuring gaze. God! she missed her mom like crazy.

    Without giving her any clue, she threw herself at her mom and gave her a bone crushing embrace.

    "Mom, I missed you " She cried tightening her grip, afraid if she let go all this would be a dream.

    Jenny sighed wishfully, it would''ve have being good If this was ten years ago. Then she could stand these knock - the - wind - out - of- me hugs but now her stamina was failing.

    "Easy sugar pie, I''m not as strong as you " She complained but that gave Lia the initiative to tighten the hug more startling her.

    Jenny was dazed at her daughter''s sudden clingy attitude, it was so unlike Lia.

    "Well" She breathed in and returned the hug, relishing the feel of her daughter''s body pressed against her.It''s not every day her daughter gets to be this emotional and touchy-feely

    Lia tightened her grip afraid she would disappear if she let go. Eventhough death had given her the freedom she desired the most but it was too cold and lonely, an empty void.

    Why was she even freaking out at her sudden resurrection, maybe it was just God giving her a second chance to live her life, to do things she never finished before now. She just had to grasp this opportunity well , she thought.

    But beneath that calm facade, she knew this was all a lie, something was going on here and she seem to be stucked in the middle of it all.

 Chapter 16 - Sixteen : An Exciting Game

    He was mad. Furiously mad.

    Asher ran his hands through his dark hair and tousled it while glaring daggers at the idiot being held prisoner in his secret dungeon .

    "I warned you, didn''t I? why did you do it?" He asked, his voice dangerously low and cold.

    Gideon leaned against the prison wall, his gaze fixed on Asher''s and replied

    "I tried to stop but I couldn''t help myself . I felt like I would die if I didn''t do it "

    Asher''s eyes narrowed but the fire in there didn''t diminish at all " What did you mean you couldn''t help yourself, perhaps is she your truemate? "

    Gideon stared at him and snorted in disbelief "Seriously Ash? . You know how much of a romantic I am yet you think I''ll think do that to my true mate on our first meeting? "

    Asher tilted his head questioningly "Tell me something Gideon, cause you of all people should know how tempting the blood of a truemate is "

    Gideon stiffened immediately glaring daggers at Asher for evoking  nostalgic  memories of her.

    A sickening smirk appeared on Asher''s face "Yes, that''s it. Are you going to spill it or not? or should I continue pushing your button? "

    "Why don''t you compell me instead? "Gideon spat

    "No Gideon " tsk-tsked Asher " you know how boring and easy it sounds "

    Asher squat down meeting him straight in the eye and said casually "You know how much I love hearing it from the horse''s mouth or .... " he trailed off

    Suddenly as if a dam was broken, his eyes darkened and murmured in a monotone "I can simply break the horse and still hear it from the horse''s mouth " he threatened.

    Gideon felt the hairs on his skin rise.

    Whenever Asher was like this it always reminded him of the old king. Even though he was the youngest of the Nicoli clan and wasn''t born until the death of the old king, he heard tales of him, which weren''t exactly pleasing in the ears.

    He had often heard the other vampires gossip Asher was going to be worse than his father and Judging from his volatile mood, it couldn''t be far from the truth but Gideon knew better.

    Eventhough Asher was quite unkind sometimes when put lightly but he has a flicker of light in him. He cares deeply for his people unless when betrayed. Asher and betrayal doesn''t exactly go hand in hand.

    "Fine " Gideon sighed "I took her blood but not because I was attracted to it ...well I was a bit attracted by it " He mumbled under his breath

    "But the fact is, I wasn''t myself Asher ! I suddenly felt this great ache, a great need to feed and no matter how much animal blood I consumed, it just didn''t help. I was unsatisfied until I took hers " He finally confessed letting out a breath he didn''t know he was holding in.

    A suspicious look flashed across Asher''s face but he managed to look stoic.

    "You do know I''ll hand you over to the council if they come for you even if you''re one of my outstanding henchmen "

    Gideon didn''t reply but his expression managed to portray an answer but that was until he dropped the bomb

    "They won''t find out, I gave her my blood "

    Asher froze before he suddenly slammed Gideon against the wall with his ability. He didn''t even move his hand, all he did was just will it and it happened.

    Gideon let out a shaky breath from the impact before he was slammed into another section of the wall.

    "Do you know how dangerous what you did was?! You could have turned her !" He roared continuing his torture

    "Only if she dies with my blood in her system" He retorted amid the torment " Besides, it was to heal her not kill her "

    Asher laughed in disbelief "What a big idiot you are " He released his hold on Gideon as he slumped on the ground

    "Moreover, what''s wrong with turning a few humans,the other vampire clans do it !" Gideon protested

    "Other Clans might do it but my clan would not turn a human against their will!" He growled at Gideon who didn''t flinch at all. He knew he was safer when Asher was angry than when silent with a sadistic smile on his face.

    Asher took a deep breath in "You''ll stay in here until you upgrade your senses "

    Then he turned to leave but Gideon''s comment stopped him in his track

    "Times are changing Asher, don''t you wonder why we aren''t hurt by the sun anymore ? "

    Asher faced him "That''s not for anyone of us to answer and also, go and study your evolution, blockhead " He mocked and left leaving Gideon to make do of what''s left of his self esteem.

    "Time has changed and we have changed with it " Asher suddenly whispered to his hearing, grabbed the door knob and left.

    Once outside, Dan rushed him " What did he say? "

    Asher frowned but answered " That boy is a fool, doesn''t even know he was a pawn in their game "

    Dan stared at him shocked " Do you mean the council used Gideon? "

    Asher grimaced "Not you too ! Do I only have fools around me for crying out loud "

    Dan ignored Asher''s mocking jibes as he tried to figure out his earlier comment. What did he mean by in their game? unless....

    "Bingo! "Asher snapped his finger in front of Dan ''s face upon seeing the astonishment in there. "Thankfully, you''re a fast one "

    "Should I take that as a compliment ?" Dan asked walking side by side with him

    "If you want to but enough of the chitchat, would ya cause I have an important assignment for you " Asher said, stopping suddenly prompting Dan to stop as well.

    "Umm, that girl " He mentioned absentmindedly, probably thinking deeply about something

    "Just investigate her, period " he commanded while Dan bowed and left to go complete his mission.

    "This is quite an exciting game " He murmured continuing his stroll down the hallway.

 Chapter 17 - Seventeen : She Has Completely Lost It

    "OK! This is it !" Trevor slammed his hands on the table rising to his feet. "You''re weird and I''m leaving " He took his food off the table departing to his room but he took one last glance at his sister, shivered at the sight of her and left .

    Once inside, he slammed his door with a bang, dropped the food on his bed and stared at the hotdog sausage she had put in his plate suspiciously. What''s she up-to?

    Trevor rubbed his temple, ever since her sister returned from that acceptance ceremony, she has being weird. He suddenly wondered if they did something to her cause he was a never a fan of that ceremony in the first place even if he did participate eventually .

    Yes, but the point is her sister who always stole his food was the first and only one who gave up her own food to him when he requested for more . Which was absolutely one word ''strange''.

    Come-on, he and Lia were frenemy, and never see eye to eye with each other on a lot of matters. To others like their Mom and Rex, it was just a squabble between siblings but the both knew themselves better.

    It had all began when their dad was alive and started his once in a blue moon visit as their mom thought but the both knew otherwise.Their Dad did visit a lot of time in reality, he did visit Trevor in school behind everyone''s back until Lia found out.Apparently, Trevor was the favoured one, the apple of his eye.

    Unlike the others, Trevor spent two years in a boarding school before he was transferred to a day school. His father used that opportunity to pay a lot of visits and goodies to his dearest son until Lia found out the day she came to visit. She found out the boarding school was just a medium to show off his favouritism without anyone noticing.

    They had an argument, a fight to be precise in which Lia accused him of sabotaging his father''s attention and he had defended himself, saying he had done nothing like that . He tried to explain that it was their dad who took it upon himself to pay frequent visits but Lia was blinded by rage and resentment to believe him.

    He tried to make her understand and so grabbed her hand but in a fit of anger, she pushed him away. Unfortunately for him, the force sent him reeling backwards, the next he knew he was falling from the window.

    Lia realizing her mistake, reached out a hand to grab him but she was a seconds late cause he plunge to the ground.So she immediately rushed out to call for help.

    Thankfully Trevor survived the fall from the first storey but not unscathed, he suffered a broken arm and a few bruises. When interrogated for the cause of the fall, he covered up for his sister. He claimed it was his fault for sitting on the windowsill to study, he apparently fell asleep but his sister''s arrival startled him leading to his fall.

    His explanation was so explicit that the school authorities and police had no choice than to believe him, moreover there wasn''t an eye witness to dispute his claim.

    Unluckily, everyone believed his story save their father, he didn''t believe an inch of the bullshit he muttered. He claimed the Trevor he knew was a very careful person and wouldn''t carelessly sit on a windowsill.

    So after an intensive and gut - wrenching interrogation, the truth ultimately came to light . That night for the first time ever, his father hit Lia and locked her up in the storage room amid their mom''s protest.

    After that night, their relationship never became the same, his once lovely sister hated his guts. The only time they were at peace was whenever they had to agree to disagree for their mom''s sake.

    But now his sister suddenly became ultra nice to him this morning turning him into an emotional rollercoaster which truthfully was a bit uncomfortable, foreign and .. warm? . But he knew good things don''t last long, Lia had something up her sleeve but couldn''t quite put his finger on what she''s up-to yet.

    Is this some prank? or is she trying to make me lower my guards in order to get to me? Thoughts after thoughts ran through his mind but when his stomach rumbled, he was snapped back to reality.

    Well prank or no prank, she offered her food willingly , so her loss. He simply dabbed his fork into the hotdog and consumed it right away. She wouldn''t have the guts to put something in it, right?

    Unknown to him, his sister was in a sullen mood thinking on how to build bridges between them.

    "Do you think Trevor and I are ever going to friends? "

    Lia asked Rex who was busy with his cellphone. She has her chin resting on her hand as she questioned her ever loyal brother.

    Rex paused his game, looked up, staring at her with a quizzed expression.He murmured after a while. "Trevor''s right "

    "Right on what? "She asked confused

    He nodded his head pitifully "You''ve completely lost it"

    Then he stood and left leaving Lia who was still processing his comment.

    Realizing what he meant, she fisted her hands and bellowed after him

    "Damn you all, impossible to please specimens! . I am just trying to be nice here cause I realized I''ve being nothing but a jerk to my family but it''s clear to me now that my efforts are nay appreciated. So Game over! I''m just gonna be me from now on and I hope you love it ! "

 Chapter 18 - Eighteen : The Girl With The Darkness

    "Something is wrong with that girl "She murmured softly staring out the window, the cold wind stinging her face.

    "Who?" Cassie asked but the woman simply held out her hand, as if they shared a tactic understanding, she grabbed her hand and led her to a seat.

    The woman was no other than the woman who held the initiation ceremony yesterday, but one couldn''t help but notice some bold changes in her body.

    Her less pronounced wrinkles from yesterday seem now to be deep and sagging.

    Her skin was no longer fresh, but dull and sallow and her hair lacked the lustre from yesterday''s.

    Her once lively eyes that had scared the hell out of Lia were cloudy but definitely not dull. There was just something mysterious about her eyes.

    "The portion is wearing off. " She said staring at her worn hands ignoring Cassie''s question.

    "I think you should quit being the initiator, there are many young witches to take your place " Cassie sighed massaging her arthritic wrist tenderly.

    Her thin, pallid face broke into a smile "Those witches are young, impulsive and still have a long way to go, also, they''re not a seer.It''s our heritage "

    "Really? " Cassie gave her a questioning look "Then why can''t I see like you do? "She asked, a twinge of bitterness in her voice.

    "Of course, you will one day child " the woman laughed trying to ease the tense environment.

    "Yeah, I know .One day " She breathed

    "Moreover, I''m still healthy " She said but her sudden cough belied her claims of good health while Cassie gave her an I - told - you gaze.

    "Watch her " She said all of a out of nowhere startling Cassie.

    "Watch who, aunt Miranda? " Cassie asked wanting a specific detail. She drew closer knowing her aunt was about to spill important news.

    Miranda touched Cassie''s face lovingly and laughed

    "I can''t see much anymore, quite funny isn''t it. Even after living for a hundred years, the end is sadly still the end "

    "You''re scaring me aunt " Cassie confessed, a stray tears falling down her cheeks which Miranda wiped away with her hand.

    "I''m not dieing soon child but you have to listen to me " She said in a serious tone "You have to stay close to that girl you brought "

    "You mean Lia? "

    "Must be but you have to know this" She said drew near and whispered something in Cassie''s ear.

    Her eyes widened, she stared at her aunt dazzled "You can''t be serious! "

    "I saw a vision of her Cassie, she has a darkness in her "

    Cassie stood abruptly "Then we must inform the council "

    "You will do no such thing Cassie ! " Miranda scolded " The future isn''t fixed, it is bound to change moreover you know how extreme the council can be even when it comes to a small threat. "

    Fist clutched, she went down memory lane only for a split second. Yes, she knew exactly how extreme they can be.

    She took a deep breath and faced her aunt "What do you want me to do? "

    Miranda flashed her a grateful smile, her yellow teeth in full display " Stay with her cause if my prophecy is true, then they''ll come for her "

    "Who''s they? " Cassie asked but still no reply came out from her lips.

    Truthfully, Cassie was a bit frustrated, she just can''t understand why her aunt keeps withholding information from her. She was not a witch nor a seer just ordinary Cassie.

    The information she got from her aunt was the only thing that made her feel powerful, she knew things that most people didn''t know and would like to know.

    Miranda closed her eyes, took a long heavy breath and called "Cassie"

    "Yes? "

    "Look into my eyes " She demanded

    "OK.. wait ? what? "

    Cassie kept sputtering when suddenly Miranda took her face in a firm clasp bringing it closer to her''s.

    "I''m sorry " Miranda apologized but before Cassie could protest nor figure out what she was up-to, she stared straight into her eyes .

    Cassie let out a scream and fell into deap darkness.

 Chapter 19 - Nineteen : The Brokenhearted Mate

    "He''s refuses to eat " Judith said carrying the tray of food ordered to Daniel''s room hours ago.

    Ryan sighed and combed his hair with his hands, this past few days Daniel has being nothing but a pain in the ass.

    They found him two days ago in the woods all naked, bloody and battered , it seems the animals nearby suffered his fury judging from the carcasses of the dead animals littering the scene.

    The sight was just too gory and disgusting, Daniel had ripped each animal''s intestines inside out.

    Thankfully, he thought. No human was injured else it would be a different story altogether. If such a scenario happens, the council would do everything in their power to put Daniel down.

    Fortunately , it was quite difficult to find a human loitering in werewolf territory though they live in the same town. With or without the witches help, werewolves auras are naturally aggressive and tend to repel them unless mated to one of them.

    So no human naturally ignores the bugs crawling on skin or hair standing on edge warning and come inside a werewolf territory unless you''ve being bonded to one of them and your souls are calling out to each other, just as simple as that.

    They preferred to live in the woodsy part of the town due to their nature and for the safety of humans . Eventhough they weren''t moonchasers who only turns on a full moon but the effect of the moon invigorates them also which often results to a run in the woods.

    Moreover they have guards patrolling the boundaries so the success rate of sneaking in was ten out of hundred. Cases of humans accidentally coming inside werewolf territory wasn''t rare but not often since there are humans whom without being a mate to one of them are naturally immune to their auras.

    Which is why human mate is treasured like the salt of the earth, they are not given any intensive work most especially the females and often have the privilege of being assigned a guard, since a werewolves temperament was unstable as the waves of the sea. Though a werewolf wouldn''t exactly hurt his mate but when jealous and angry, a lot could go down.

    They brought Daniel home, gave him a good bath and shave but the guy was broken. He refused to eat nor drink and would stay in his room looking out the window.

    Thankfully, the bond between the mates wasn''t solid strong in the first place so Daniel was saved from going insane. At the moment he was just grieving and nothing else.

    "Give it to me " Ryan ordered taking the tray of food from Judith.

    "You think it''s going to work this time? " Judith asked unsure of what he was planning to do.

    "Trust me " Ryan offered her a smile "once he hears my offer, he won''t reject food "

    "Fine, you''re his beta anyway " Judith said and turned to leave but Ryan held her back by gripping her hand.

    "Thank you " Ryan said, having realized how efficient and hardworking the girl was.He had pushed the girl to the limit these few days.

    "Uh, ..no problem " She managed to say, her face was flushed red and she was finding it hard to breathe. Why were they doing this to her? She cried out. For God''s sake, was it a crime to have a fetish for hot, breathtaking handsome guys? Moreover how could someone be that handsome? that''s totally unfair . Well, welcome to life.

    Judith wouldn''t exactly describe herself as pretty or hot enough to turn heads or so she thought, she was just normal. She had ink black straight hair with gray eyes, slim with a pear shaped figure but what was special about her body was her ass and leg. She had really really round, firm ass that could crush a girl''s self esteem when compared, not to talk of her legs.

    But Unfortunately, the girl was a warrior and also the second in command after Ryan, so no matter how much the unmated male werewolves desired, fantasized or wanted a fling, they could only watch but touch not, well most times they were watching the ass and not the one bearing the ass.

    "OK, I''ll be going " She said looking into Ryan''s eyes and instantly regretted it. Thanks to her tall legs , she was reaching Ryan''s 6''7 " feet height at eye level. So when she stared, she directly looked into his caramel coloured eyes that was sending a lot of tingles in her body.

    She coughed , walked away, before she lose herself and do something unspeakable to her superior and boss .Once outside she leaned against the door clutching her poor heart , this wasn''t a mate bond but an attraction.

    "You fool, is there any handsome guy on earth you''re not attracted to " She scolded slapping her face.

    Ryan smiled inwardly, even though the girl acted all fierce and tough, her greatest flaw was a handsome face. Suddenly he worried for the safety of their pack, what if an attacking enemy pack have a handsome face?

    Waving the ridiculous thought aside, he left for Daniel''s room. He didn''t bother to knock and just stepped in knowing Daniel would not open in the first place.

    Stepping in, the room was dark, hot and stuffy with no trace of sunlight, he closed all the shutters.

    "Get lost! " Daniel growled

    Ryan snorted "As if that would scare me "

    He swiftly switched on the electric bulbs, a fluorescent glow lightening up the room while he realized the mess the room was in.

    There was broken chinawares on the floor with food spattered on the wall. His stuffs lay carelessly on the floor while his wardrobes and drawers were open and ravaged as if a burglar broke in.

    Ryan ignored the mess on the ground instead he studied the figure on the bed with his arm over his eyes. He dropped the tray of food on the bed "Get up, have something to eat "

    But Daniel didn''t even stir, he totally ignored him.

    Ryan clenched his jaw hard, he was trying to keep his anger in check.

    "Get up now !" he roared and this time successfully incited Daniel but not in the way he expected.

    Daniel sat up and with one clean swith move swept the tray off his bed, the whole content splashing and crashing to the ground.

    And that was it.

    "You bastard ! "

 Chapter 20 - Twenty : The Brokenhearted Mate -2

    A good blow to the face sent Daniel flying off the bed.

    " You think I''m here to babysit your ass! " Ryan roared, stung and quivering with anger. The punch he threw barely satiated the grievances in his heart.

    Daniel spat out blood, then ground his teeth in fury and threw himself on Ryan, and they both tumbled to the floor.

    Taking the advantage of being on top, Daniel launched a blow at Ryan but he was quick to dodge it and simply kicked Daniel off his body.

    Perhaps because he hasn''t being feeding recently, Daniels reflexs were slow and sluggish giving Ryan an upper hand. If it was a on a normal day, he wouldn''t even dream of laying a scratch on Daniel but today was different.

    "You think she would be happy seeing you this way if you had known each other?! "Ryan tried to reason with him.

    "Shut up!! " Daniel thundered landing a punch that successfully hit Ryan or maybe he just let him.

    "Satisfied now? " Ryan mocked, then laughed hysterically "Don''t fool yourself Daniel, you''re are more than this..."

    Another punch interrupted Ryan, he staggered backward but stood up infuriating Daniel more.

    "I didn''t know you were this much of a coward, maybe you don''t deserve to lead this pack..."

    Another punch.

    "Hehehe, keep on punching me since that''s what you''re good at all anyway " he mocked.

    As if a dam was broken, Daniel started punching him more harder and quicker until Ryan snapped.

    "You fool! you haven''t even paid your last respect to her yet!"

    Daniel''s fist hung in the air, he was shocked to the core, as if he just sobered up.

    "Judith made a list of people who died in little Town that day, a total of twelve. An aged women, two middle-aged men , five teenage boys and four girls ranging from the age of nineteen to thirty . One of the girls must surely be your mate " Ryan explained to the shell-shocked alpha.

    Daniel let go of Ryan, he moved away and rested against the wall. Suddenly, a loud wail pierced the air, he vent out his frustration as tears of pain rolled down his cheeks.

    "I didn''t even get the chance to know her, why!why ! why does it hurt so much?! " he cried out beating his chest frustratedly

    Tears touched Ryan''s eyes and he blinked them away, this was the first time seeing his friend and alpha in such a vulnerable state, it was breaking his heart.

    Wincing from the pain, he dragged himself towards Daniel and embraced him, patting his shoulder sympathetically.

    They stayed that way for a long time , nor talking but sharing a warm tacit understanding.

    An hour later, the both cleaned up leaving Judith dumbfounded. The injuries on their faces gave her a rough idea of what occured in there .The fight it seems, produced an effective result, Daniel eventually agreed to Ryan''s idea of going to pay condolences.

    So she mapped out an intensive location of the late victims and their profiles, concluding on who has the highest tendency of being the alpha''s late mate.

    The first victim was a nineteen year old blonde plumpy girl who died of a heart attack during an intensive workout.

    "Not her " Daniel flipped through the pages of the document. Eventhough he couldn''t exactly remember her face, he knew she wasn''t blonde.

    Eventually Daniel settled on two of the girls, one had died of an animal attack probably bitten by a rogue werewolf and couldn''t withstand the venom, so she died while the other died a natural death.

    What drew this two to him were their hair colour, they had the same colour as her''s but something unexpectedly happened. Even after visiting, nor of them appeared to be his mate.

    Even at death, it was impossible for a werewolf not to recognize his mate, though the bond wasn''t there but the wolfs instinct was still there.

    The wolf inside can still smell and recognize their other half even at death so when his wolf didn''t react at all, Daniel knew nor of them were his mate which was all the more strange.

    "Are you sure this is the list of everyone who died in little Town that day? " Daniel asked, his heart in a turmoil for unknown reasons.

    "Yes, this is all. I made sure of it " Judith answered.

    when Daniel didn''t hear a change in the pattern of her heartbeat, he knew at once she wasn''t telling a lie.

    "Daniel, are you sure your mate was in little Town?" Ryan asked confused.

    "Yes, I am sure of it Ryan. You of all people should know our instincts don''t lie " He replied without a doubt.

    Ryan rubbed his jaws thoughtfully " The only reason this could be happening is either your mate has died and her corpse is in the belly of an animal..... "

    Daniel raised a brow at him

    Ryan coughed and continued "Her corpse is probably not in little Town or a foul play is at work here or. .. "

    Daniel''s face lit up at once " She''s alive but in transition "

    Impossible.

 Chapter 21 - Twenty - One : The Perfect Vessel

    With a groan, Trevor reached for the lamp on his bedside table and put on the light . He winced and shield his eyes with his arm while his other hand instinctively felt for the glass of water on same table.

    The glass was empty, he realized. He must have gulped the whole content down his throat in the middle of the night. He sighed getting off the bed, this was one of the reasons he always kept a glass of water beside him, to avoid going to the kitchen in the middle of the night just for water.

    He walked to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator and grabbed a canned water, he removed the cap and poured the contents down his throat. Satiated, he covered the can back with its cap, put in back in the fridge and slammed the door shut. But the face that appeared out of nowhere scared the shit out of him.

    "What the hell Lia !" he cried, his hands on his chest as he tried to calm his speeding heart. He couldn''t even understand why his sister would resort to this sort of prank in the wee hours of the morning.

    Trevor kept on ranting until he realized his dearest sister hasn''t said a word since this whole prank thing , she just stood there staring at him like a predator would do to a prey.

    "What''s wrong? " he asked " what other evil plans are you concocting this time? "

    But all he got was a snarl as she slowly approached him.

    Horror recoiled through Trevor "Wait a minute, did you just snarl at me? the sister I knew would never stoop this low to the extent of snarling at.... "

    Trevor''s voice died off when he realized something was wrong.

    "Ummm, " he asked cautiously "What are you doing? "

    No answer came instead she growled at him approaching him menacingly

    Sensing an impeding danger, he took slow steps back. Thanks to the dim light, he hadn''t seen her appearance earlier but the more she stepped towards him, the light from the passageway illuminated her fully.

    Trevor gasped, he pointed at his sister while his lips seem to be moving but no words was formed.

    Lia was all pale with dishevelled hair but what shocked Trevor was her sharp pointy canines which were undoubtedly fangs, not to mention she was salivating like a dog, saliva drooling down her jaw in a heap.

    She had this crazed glint in her eyes and looked at him like he was some sort of a meal, which he probably was at the moment. He''s definitely toasted.

    "Lia ?" Trevor called carefully still stepping backward , but each step he took back she covered it with a forward stride.

    Trevor swallowed, but that didn''t help the dryness in his throat at all. He knew it was, act now or lose his life.

    Suddenly, he made a dash for the door but before he could grab the doorknob, he was slammed hard against the wall.

    Trevor felt all air leave his lungs, he was going to die. He always knew he was going to die at his sister''s hands but that was literally, he never imagined she would really kill him in reality.

    Lia with incredible strength drew him to his feet single-handedly, and bit down on his neck before he could protest.

    Trevor screamed, hearing his flesh tear upon contact. He struggled but she kept on feeding, feeding and feeding until his world spiraled out of control.

    "Noo!!! " Trevor screamed , woke up and looked round with a startled expression, beads of sweat resting on his forehead. What kind of dream was that? he pondered.

    Suddenly something or rather someone beside him stirred and he turned to find out whom, only to fall off his bed with a thud and a shriek.

    -------

    "How''s she doing? " A cloaked woman sitting on a intricate looking vintage throne asked.

    A girl stepped out of a crowd of hooded figures , who were on their knees probably paying reverence to the woman sitting on the throne.

    Paying a closer look, one couldn''t help but notice she was the same tomboy that had led Lia to her death on the acceptance day

    "Everything is going as planned, your ladyship. She''s in transition " she answered, eyes lowered and head bowed.

    Her ladyship smiled . Pushing away her cloak, the dim light casted a soft halo on her blazing red hair pouring down her shoulder in waves as she majestically stood from her throne.

    "Rise " she commanded, her voice smooth and enthralling.

    They all obeyed and stood to their foot simultaneously as if they rehearsed together. Each of them was wearing a red robe with a huge hood that almost swallowed their faces, an image of an eagle in a ring of fire sewed on their backs skillfully.

    " The perfect vessel has finally being found" Her majesty announced earning murmurings from the crowd but she continued nonetheless

    "Each and every one of us in here has contributed to this moment, some of us has sacrificed our lives,freedom , families and Powers. But I can assure you as your acting Queen, that soon our sufferings will be over and our labour rewarded " She said, staring them confidently in the eyes.

    "Our queen has slept for long and would be awaken ! Victory will be ours!! " She roared and motivated the crowd with a winning sign.

    A thunderous applause resonated afterwards accompanied by cheerful whistles and shouts. Everyone jubilated, Finally, they would take back what rightfully belongs to them.

 Chapter 22 - Twenty -Two : Shes In Transition

    "I swear to God If you as much as lay a step towards me, I won''t hesitate to spray you" Trevor threatened pointing to the pepper spray in the pocket of his jean while she raised a hand up in surrender.

    Seriously , spray her? That was her usual threat line, why was he using it against her? She''s supposed to be the one saying that, not the other way round.

    "Chill, I''m just here to drop the dishes for you to wash not to hug or sniff you? " She explained dumping the dishes in the sink with her free hand.

    "But seriously " Lia said exasperated and tried to take a step forward but Trevor already dived his hands in his pocket and brought out the pepper spray canister.

    He pointed it at her threateningly, "Not a step more "

    Lia froze, she seriously couldn''t believe him. He was really going to spray her "What''s so wrong with sleeping with you?! " She bellowed but he still didn''t lower his weapon.

    "I sleepwalked into your bed, yes , but *FYI, siblings share a bed at most homes , besides is not like I did anything to harm you . So why are you so guarded against me? "

    Trevor scoffed "You didn''t harm me? yes, but my guts is telling me is only a matter of time before you start to "

    Lia slightly took a step forward, she wanted to refute his claims so badly but when she saw Trevor retreat backward subconsciously, she frowned. His hand holding the spray was shaking, his forehead covered with perspiration while his eyes was fixed on her, intent on her movement.

    Suddenly, she realized her brother was really scared of her.She took two steps back easing her brother''s tensed shoulder, he was greatly relieved she was going away.

    Shocked, she left the kitchen and went back to the living room where her brother was still busy with his video game while her mom was going through some documents.

    With an ugly scowl on her face, she sat down on the sofa reorganizing her thoughts. She couldn''t or rather didn''t know what transpired between Trevor and her last night. All she remembered was that she was hungry, like really hungry until she smelt a really good satisfying scent, she decided to follow it and somehow ended up in his bed in the morning when he screamed his head off.

    But that was the strange thing, recently she always felt this pang of hunger that twisted her stomach from the inside out. At first she thought it was intestinal worms and had taken deworming drugs but nothing changed at all instead it just kept growing stronger.

    She was thirsty for something, she wanted to taste it badly but couldn''t tell what it was. She had an intuition that all this happening was connected to the acceptance ceremony. Yes! they must have done something to her.

    " Mom? " Lia called

    "Yes , sweetheart " Her mom replied, her eyes still glued to the documents.

    "Can I ask you something? "She asked but there was still no expression on her mom''s face. Whatever she was reading was definitely more important than her question.

    "Go ahead, I''m all ears "

    "Why weren''t you mad I disappeared after the acceptance ceremony? " Lia laughed, but mirthlessly "I mean you haven''t asked where I was that night ? what happened? How I came back on my own? you haven''t even asked that"

    Lia saw her mom''s expression freeze but not her only , Rex''s as well. As if practiced, they dropped whatever they were doing and looked at her at same time sending chills down her spine, what the hell?

    Suddenly, her mom gave a bright smile as if noticing her discomfort "Honey dear, I''m sorry if my nonchalant attitude has caused you to feel neglected. "

    She shrugged innocently "I just thought with all that is going on, your father''s death, your reluctance to move out that you needed a little bit of alone time and fun which is why I let you waste yourself that night "

    Lia was stunned, was her mom just confessing she knowingly let her get wasted. Her mom of all people?! It was too good to believe.

    "Mom, that''s unbelievable. What you''re saying right now is totally unlike you " Lia rebutted.

    "Chill sister, mom just wanted you to have fun. Besides you''re so cranky right now you need to get laid "

    Lia''s mouth was agape at the horrid words Rex just vomitted, she turned expecting her mom to rebuke Rex as she normally does but Jenny just pursed up her lips in agreement.

    "Oh my God " Lia gasped, the truth finally dawning on her. Trevor was right. This town or whatever ceremony they engaged in was occultic and they must have done something to her family, she included.

    How could she have died and resurrected again? How could her mom stay still and let Rex say those atrocious words, the mother she knew would warn him for his language but this time, she didn''t , if anything she literally applauded Rex.

    Hyperventilating, Lia ignored them and rushed back to her room. As much as she wanted to snap her family out from whatever spell casted on them, she had more pressing matters at hand.

    The hunger was back and this time it was stronger and painful. She crawled into her bed and lay down hoping she''ll feel better. But when the first wave of pain hit her, she screamed and dug her fingers into the bed . This was horrible, why was she feeling this way?

    She bit down on her lips until she bled in order to muffle her screams, her walls weren''t thin neither were they soundproof, she didn''t want any of her family members stumbling upon this scene especially now she''s on guard against them.

    But when the next wave of pain came, she lost all insanity and growled in fury. Thanks to the lack of mirror, she didn''t get to see the way her eyes changed nor her canines elongating into sharp, pointed fangs until something or rather someone hit her in the back of the head and she passed out.

    *FYI - For your Information

 Chapter 23 - Twenty - Three : A Pawn In Their Game

    " Name is Lia " Dan said dropping a pile of documents on Asher''s desk "She''s the daughter of Jenny Houston and Renard Darlington, though her parents union is quite a strange one in the sense that they never got married but got three kids " Dan complained, with brows knitted together in disapproval.

    "This is the twenty- first Century, not 2000 a.d , Dan and she is called a baby mama which you would''ve known if you had associated yourself with many many mundane , routine tasks and lifestyle. " Asher betoned going through the documents.

    Eventhough Dan was smart, reasonable , skillful and efficient in carrying out duties but he was simply old-fashioned .He''s so much rooted in his old customs that changing his mindset is like mission impossible.

    "This are times I miss Gideon " he murmured under his breath but he was sure Dan heard him.

    If Dan heard him, then he sure knew how to maintain a poker face cause there was no change in his expression at all.

    " Her dad is late and her mother is a nurse back in her old town, everything about the girl looks pretty normal until she arrived in little Town ."

    "Obviously " He concorded , glancing through her profile. No matter how much he searched, he couldn''t find anything on her that could point out why she''s so much wanted by them. Everything looks too good to be true, Did he omit something then?

    "How''s she by the way? Hope Gideon''s suicide plan hasn''t backfired " Asher chuckled but when Dan didn''t reply, his expression changed and he looked up.

    "What happened? " He asked, his eyes dark and face devoid of smiles .

    Dan scratched his head awkwardly " Well, She actually died that night "

    "Oh " he drawled.

    Dan stared at Asher flabbergasted , just oh? The guy was too damn unreadable. Even after being with him for four hundred years now, he still couldn''t read his mind.

    " Continue " Asher commanded, sinking further into his seat. A lot of things were going through his mind, he needed to connect the dots before he becomes a pawn himself. If there was anything he hated, it was being manipulated and this dark witches were slowly pushing his buttons.

    "According to my informat, everything she did in the party was normal and unsuspicious but that was until she disappeared suddenly, no one could find her till the next day" Dan explained and dropped a pile of pictures on his desk. Each of those pictures clearly illustrated her activities that night, whom she was with and what she was doing.

    "She''s cute " Asher commented throwing Dan off balance . He stared at Asher bewildered, he''s talking saving Gideon''s butt but here he was complimenting Gideon''s victim features.

    Asher was staring at a picture of Lia where she had a wide bunny smile on her face, she was obviously smiling to a joke someone was telling her by the time it was captured.

    "ummmm" Dan cleared his throat loudly trying to remind the smitten Asher the reason for all this investigation.

    "Continue " He gave the go ahead order, the picture still clasped tightly in his hand.

    "So I tried to track down her scent on where she went that night but it came up null , I couldn''t even trace a whiff of her scent "

    Asher snorted in amusement "Of course, they cleared up the crime scene."

    "Luckily, I happen to come across an eye witness, claimed he saw her in the wee hours of the morning covered in her own blood- "

    "Or maybe you hacked his memories and saw what you just told me " Asher butt in taking Dan by surprise.

    "Well, yes " Dan admitted with a straight face " He didn''t exactly comply with the investigation , so I had to take it out of him "

    Dan was telepathic but that was just one of his double abilities. Each of Asher''s henchmen were vampires with double abilities which was why his clan wasn''t easily trifled with.Though it wasn''t rare finding vampires with double abilities but it was rare thing finding a clan full of it . Unfortunately, everything that has a good side definitely has a bad side.

    The Nicoli clan might be one of the strongest in terms of abilities and strength but they definitely lacked miserablely in terms of True mates. If they were a hundred in population, then only twenty of them possess one. There''s a legend that their earlier ancestors made a deal with the moon goddess Selene, their mates in exchange for powers.

    Though no one could validate the authenticity of the legend not even Asher but it seems a plausible excuse for the gossips . But the true fact about the Nicoli clan is they never stay in a certain place for long ,they''re always moving, searching for their mates and won''t settle down until they find them.

    " If the girl really died and survived till now, then there''s a high chance she''s in transition" Asher said rubbing his throbbing temple. Things just got messier.

    " It seems so especially after I broke into her house last night "

    Asher raised a brow at his statement, he leaned towards his desk intrigued " What happened? "

    " She sniffed me out after I arrived in her place last night, so I hid in her brother''s room but she followed still until I had to leave, else my mission is compromised "

    Dan explained expecting a berating reply from Asher since he has failed two simple tasks given to him recently - stopping Gideon from doing anything stupid and investigating the girl''s background but when he didn''t get a reply, he looked up at Asher and was stunned.

    Asher''s face was a seesaw of emotions, progressing from comprehension, to amusement , fury , and finally, frustration.

    Suddenly, he slow claps " Bravo " he murmured " They won, I lost. It was premeditated from the very beginning. That was what I was missing, the core fact "

    Dan stared on confused on the whole happenings. It would''ve been a lot easier if he could read Asher''s mind, but his consciousness was solid steel, impenetrable "OK, I''m lost here " he finally admitted.

    "Clearly " Asher scoffed " But our clan won''t be only lost but annihilated if you don''t get your ass moving to her place before she turns her family into dinner "

    Dan''s expression lit up, as he got an idea of what was going on . He disappeared at once, leaving Asher to his thoughts.

    "Finally, I ended up as a pawn as well "

 Chapter 24 - Twenty- Four :She Needs To Feed

    "Cold, hungry "

    Was the two words she mumbled before she awoke with a jerk and in a cold perspiration. She looked around the large room brightly lit by a fluorescent light bulb and wondered where she was.

    She tried to move and winced, her head hurting where she''d been struck. She was feeling lethargic and famished until an abrupt move startled her.

    "Who''s there? " She croaked, her throat dry from lack of moisture. She ignored the splitting headache and stepped cautiously to the direction the figure had moved.

    As soon as she arrived, a pungent smell hit her so hard she cringed her nose in disgust.

    "Yolk,what is that smell!" she exclaimed, utter disgust written on her face.

    "Probably me " a voice muttered from a corner of the room.

    Lia noticed him at once, he was sitting against the wall clutching a side of his stomach while his face was swollen and bloody. He was definitely beaten black and blue.

    "I don''t remember associating with the likes of you, so I can''t understand why I am here , care to elaborate? " She asked looking around their prison.

    There was absolutely nothing in the room aside from a queen sized bed and a dressing-table, the walls painted a pale green was already fading and peeling.

    No need checking the door, she was absolutely sure it was locked since this idiot hasn''t escaped yet but she couldn''t help but notice the large one way glass window .

    Whoever put her in here definitely had more than kidnapping in mind, Lia thought. She approached the window, trying to squirt out an image but her efforts were useless, she couldn''t see from the inside.

    She shivered rubbing her hands on her arms, for some inexplicable reasons, she felt she was being watched. Definitely creepy.

    "ouch " She groaned clutching her stomach, feeling the insoluble hunger kicking up again. She walked back and sat down beside the idiot who still hasn''t answered her question.

    "You ok" the injured idiot asked , he turned to get a good look at her unknowingly exposing his bleeding side.

    The scent of his blood hit her so hard this time she gagged.

    "God, close that wound of yours! " She cried out "I can''t bear the smell of it "

    Unknown to them both, two figures on the outside were busy watching their interactions.

    Asher frowned at this strange girl and turned to look at Dan " Why is she chatting him up and not eating him up?"

    "Clueless as you are " Dan breathed " Either she has incredible self control or she doesn''t know what to do with her meal "

    But Asher didn''t agree with his idea "I don''t think so , new born converted vampires has an

    uncontrollable thirst for blood and she has being excibiting signs of the hunger. If she doesn''t feed soon, she would die and I''ll be in hot steamy soup "

    " Why would you be in trouble? " Dan asked, realizing for the first time, Asher seem to know a lot about this situation.

    "Well, your idiotic friend Gideon got me involved in the dark witches game. That girl there " said Asher pointing to Lia " Seems to be very important to the dark witches plan or whatever stew they''re brewing this time , but like gold she''s still unrefined at the moment which - "

    "Mundane language, please " Dan interjected crudely " Some of us here are too dumb to catch up with your mind "

    "Maybe I was a tad too fast " Asher realised not everyone could keep up with him "But what I''m trying to say is, if she dies, my gain and loss.The dark witches obviously wants her for something, so they indirectly need me to turn her into a vampire. "

    "Which you can obviously refuse " Dan suggested

    " Yes, I can obviously refuse but If I refuse, she dies which is my gain and what I absolutely want at the moment but they''ll be angry and definitely tattle- tell Gideon to the council, if not exaggerate and frame me as well. So checkmate, My clan is annihilated. Game over "

    Ofcourse, Dan understood at once what was going on. The witches used Gideon to force Asher''s hands, they knew there was no way he would agreed to whatever absurd, suicidal and out of whack plans they have this time.

    They probably wanted Asher to turn the girl but used Gideon instead, knowing he won''t sit still and watch his blood die for a crime he unknowingly committed. It was all premeditated.

    If there was one thing everyone knows about Asher, is the fact that blood is thicker than water. When faced with the council, Asher could hold his own but what about his clan?The council would definitely crush them .

    "So, what do you plan to do ? " he asked

    " What do you think if not satisfy them " Asher answered nonchalantly stroking his jaw making Dan question if he was really bothered by all these. Asher''s attitude at times can be questioning.

    " What in the world are those two talking about?! " Asher suddenly snapped staring at the window.

    "Well, we would''ve heard them with our super hearing if the room wasn''t soundproofed " Dan explained wondering why he was suddenly obsessed with this little human.

    "Soundproofing this room, whose stupid idea was that? " Asher spat, gaze still intent on the ignorant Lia.

    Dan coughed awkwardly "Well, yours .The room was initially designed as a torture room, you said the best way to break someone is silence. Extract someone from existence for a long time, then you have them under your control, I believe that was what you said "

    "Well then " Asher acknowledged " But I believe, miss Lia obviously doesn''t belong in there"

    "She doesn''t but she needs to feed which she clearly is fighting herself from doing "

    Dan was watching her, noticing the way she was balling her fist or biting on her lips. It was all signs of resistance.

    "Oh don''t worry, she will soon " Asher blurted.

    His head snapped to Asher''s direction " What are you up-to? "

    A smile tugged on Asher''s lips, the mischievous glint in his eyes clearly noticeable " If the mountain will not come to Mohammed, Mohammed must go to the mountain. "

    Asher said, open the door and went in.

 Chapter 25 - Twenty - Five : Hes An Incubus

    "So, why were you kidnapped? " Lia asked curiously, she just found out that talking helped in distracting the pain.

    "I wasn''t kidnapped, I was captured " He replied, an etch of tiredness in his voice.

    "Kidnapped and captured, what''s the difference? they both involve seizing someone by force " Lia defended her claim, throwing her hands up in the air.

    The idiotic boy chuckled, amused by her drama, his sparkling white teeth in display. Lia used that opportunity to admire his features, he had blonde hair with brown eyes. He didn''t look bad, if he took a shower and treat his wound.

    "I''m Liam " He said extending his free clean hand for a handshake.

    "Lia " She said, enveloping his hand in a tight handshake.

    His face suddenly lit up "Cool.We could be friends "

    "Yeah, if you don''t bleed to death " Lia answered and directed her gaze to his stomach, blood was gushing out from his wound.

    "Oh " he realized, pressing gently on the wound " Don''t worry babe, I bruise easily but I don''t die easily " he assured her, a stupid grin on his face.

    Lia knew he was lieing but the moment she wanted to refute his claims, the door snapped open and she turned at once.

    "Sorry to interrupt your date but I''ve got a girl to feed " The man said and her breath stopped in her throat.

    As if everything was playing in slow motion, she stared at the man.. no god that just walked in. Where did this Adonis come from?

    His skin was pale but flawless however his eyes was the problem.It was the greenest of eyes she had ever seen, she swore she could lose herself in there all day.

    As if that wasn''t enough, a tantalizing scent wafts into her nostrils, her heart lurched and went into a frenzy. Lia felt her herself warm-up, it was as if her blood was calling out to this person. But then, reality hit her. Hard.

    "I see you have made yourself comfortable with a new acquaintance" Asher welcomed with a smug smile tugging his lips but Lia couldn''t help but feel that beneath that smile, he was accusing her of something. Something she has no idea of.

    She frowned slightly, hands balled into fists, realized at once she''s been admiring her kidnapper which she couldn''t understand why. Ever since she came into this town, strange thing has been happening to her, unexplainable impossible phenomenons.

    "What do you want from me? Why did you bring me here? " She questioned, her heartbeat fast and unstable. She stood tall and looked him straight in the eye, trying to prove to herself, his presence wasn''t really affecting her at all or so she thought.

    "Oh darling " he said but his voice sounded like music in her ears kicking her senses into overdrive. What''s with this man ? why does his voice alone have the ability to melt her inside? He must be an Incubus, yes must be it!

    "Left for me alone you''ll be living in your Barbie world but I need something from you " Asher said coldly snapping her from whatever reverie she was in. Though his face was void of emotions but inwardly his senses were in turmoil.

    For a moment there, he thought they shared a moment but that was until he remembered that this little vixen was a huge ploy in the dark witches suicidal plan and she might as well be manipulating him with her charms consciously or unconsciously.

    The sudden coarseness of his voice awakened her " What do you want from me? "

    "For you to feed and disappear from my life" he replied savagely approaching her but she drew back, worried about his intentions.

    " Umm, hello. I''m still here " Liam waved breaking the tension and that was when she remembered he was here all this time. Just when she tried to speak up for him, she saw the impossible happen before her eyes.

    The strange man raised his hand, the door which has been locked all this time opened with a loud bang, an invisible force flung Liam out of the room and shut the door at once.

    " Privacy at last " The man breathed, relieved. "Let''s continue, shall we? "

    Her eyes registered shock while her mouth remained agape. What did she just witness? Did h-he just use his hands to do all that?

    "So " he murmured, his face very close for her liking.

    Trembling, she took a step back. What was he going to do? If he could do that to Liam without blinking, she wondered what he would to her.

    "W-what are yo-you doing? " she stammered retreating backward subconsciously which he found amusing and continued to press forward until she hit a dead end.

    Lia was panicking, so she continued to cower away until her leg hit the bed. With a quick cry, she stumbled, falling backward unto the bed.

    When she felt him get into bed with her, she tried to crawl out on the other side but he was quick to pin her hands , cornering her. If his presence earlier was disturbing, his face hovering over her''s now was super uncomfortable. She gulped. or tried to, his presence was upsetting her breathing.

    "Well, well" he drawled " What have we here?" Came his voice, tinged with excitement "An invitation to bed? "

    Quivering with embarrassment, she felt a strong urge to slap that mocking smile off his face.

    "Get off me " She struggled, squirming like a fish out of water.

    "Why? What''s the hurry? we haven''t even started yet " he laughed, his face coming close to her''s that with a tilt of her head , she could possibly claim his lips. If she wanted to.

    But that was not the point, focus Lia!

    Unfortunately she just couldn''t focus, even though there was something dangerous about this guy, she was enthralled by him so much that she felt the need to hold onto him. Which was absolutely crazy, perhaps, she was developing Stockholm syndrome.

    "So, will you feed or should I compel you to feed? " He offered, his bewitching green eyes boring straight into her''s. Her breath stopped in her throat and she totally lost it.

    With no hint whatsoever, her palms cradled the nape of his neck, leaned forward and captured his lips.

    Asher went rigid,it was his turn to be shocked. What was going on? Was this the plan? unfortunately, before he could resist, it was late. He was already bewitched.

    He couldn''t resist her, he breathed in her scent . It was heavenly and overwhelming, he wanted to bury himself in there forever. Their kiss was a long, slow fiery dance which was killing him softly. He never imagined that there would come a time he would so much want a kiss this badly.

    Lia was swimming in ecstasy , she was insanely surrounded by his scent, touch and his taste. Her eyes unconsciously went to the vein on his neck and she gulped, it was calling out to her to take a taste. Just a taste.

    Asher shuddered involuntarily when she dropped a kiss on his neck but he didn''t give it much thought, he instead was busy giving back the pleasure he was receiving.

    Instinctively, her fangs erected and she sank it into his neck and like a glutton she greedily suckled on the sweet red liquid. Instantly, she felt fulfilled, this was what she was looking for, it satisfied the hunger in her and God! it tasted heavenly.

    That was the last thought she had before something bashed her head and she passed out.

 Chapter 26 - Twenty - Six : Shes A Living Time Bomb

    Dan was startled at the whole happenings, firstly Asher had strode confidently into the room, next the girl''s meal was flung out of the room like same piece of trash, next he came out fuming like an angry bull with the girl resting on his shoulder lifelessly. She was knocked out. Again.

    "Get that little vixen out of my sight " Asher commanded practically tossing the girl to him.Dan wanted to protest but the words stucked in his throat when he met Asher''s glare.

    As if sensing his hesitation, Asher added "Now!"

    Dan gritted his teeth , scooped the girl into his arms properly and disappeared in a puff of wispy smoke.

    Asher snorted " Show off " and walked towards Gideon''s prison room. He had a lot of grievances in his heart, maybe Gideon would be the perfect candidate to vent his frustration on. Atlest he''s the reason all this started, he told himself.

    Dan arrived in the girl''s room and was relieved to see nobody noticed her disappearance. Though he had a backup plan, he penned down a written note earlier explaining she was out for a walk incase they did look for her, in order not to attract unnecessary attention.

    With their amazing memory, it was not difficult for him to copy her writing .Infact, it was just so-so compared to a lot of things he could do.

    Careful not to wake her from her sleep, he carefully laid her on the bed. He had to admit, even though she wasn''t a fully converted Vampire yet , she was really good-looking. No wonder Asher took a fancy to her even though he wouldn''t admit it.

    He turned, about to leave when he froze. Oh my God! He rushed and kneeled beside her bed, placing his head a few distance away from her heart, he listened to her heartbeat. Her heartbeat was strong and fast, completely opposite to what it''s supposed to be.

    He jerked away from her, horror clearly written on his face. How was he so blind ? How couldn''t he notice this? He just thought it was normal. Normally a vampire has a cold temperature, when their skin meets with another vampire''s , it doesn''t exactly feel chilly like most people thinks . Rather it feels warm and normal to them but her''s was scalding hot, which was absolutely impossible.

    But she clearly died with the venom and Gideon''s blood in her system, she wasn''t supposed to have this kind of heartbeat and body temperature.

    Unlike what humans think , when a person is infected with a vampire venom, their heart don''t stop immediately .It keeps beating but slowly as the venom saturates every bit of their cell until it finally reaches the heart and bam! heartbeat over.

    Though transition last for one to three days but it varies from human to human, depending on the kind of vampire whom injected the venom. When infected by a pure blood, transition is quick and less painful.

    But transition can never be completed without feeding which is why the hunger kicks in. The hunger is so wrenchingly painful that if an almost transited human doesn''t feed, he or she could die. The purpose of the feeding is to solidate the transformation and provide energy.

    But unlike other converted vampires, this girl here still has an active heart which was strangely beating faster than a normal human''s. She''s definitely not a vampire but something beyond.

    Dan smacked his forehead, Asher was indeed right, this girl was a living time bomb. It was worth noting that whatsoever the dark witches got their hands on, it tends to be prodigious and catastrophic. Nothing good ever comes out of it.

    Without even talking about the dark witches, if the council gets an idea of her, they''ll do everything in their power to eradicate her if they can''t figure out what she is. The council was best at erasing what they termed as future threat to man''s existence.

    Although the council claims their existence is to balance the humans and the supernaturals but Dan knows if the council can''t use you, they get rid of you. It was just a game of politics.

    He sighed , the girl definitely has bad fate. Perhaps, he would''ve gotten rid of her and remove this cruel kismet placed on her before it was too late but they were watching, he could not sabotage Asher''s plan to save their clan.

    The Nicoli clan might be one of the strongest but it was the smallest with their kins scattered about the continent. They were always on the move, searching for the one thing missing from their life - their mate. Infact it was surprising Asher had stayed in little Town for this long, it was the closest thing he could call a home.

    A groan from the girl jerked him out of his thoughts, using his ability, he disappeared right away. His thoughts were scattered, he couldn''t tell if Asher knew something was wrong with the girl.

    But Asher was smart, he should have figured out a thing or two, it was probably why he was angry earlier. He still couldn''t forget the look on his face, it was murderous. Of course, it had to be it!

    Asher knew what the girl was, Dan was relieved. Along the way he''s being trying to figure out how to break the news to Asher, to tell him the girl he was recently hitting on was something absolutely unimaginable. Judging from Asher''s unpredictable behavior, he would likely do something stupid probably to Gideon since the girl is off-limits.

    But the scene that greeted him when he returned was not what he expected, it was well.. surprising?

 Chapter 27 - Twenty - Seven : Congratulations, Youve Been Marked

    "Missed me? " Gideon teased as soon as his sight fell on Asher. The guy of course couldn''t do without him for long.

    Asher ignored him, he had bigger things on his mind at the moment such as how to punish that little vixen for manipulating him. At first he thought he should lay his frustration on Gideon but after a while, it changed. Why punish someone who didn''t commit the crime? Gideon definitely didn''t forcefully Kis- well, you get the point.

    He studied Gideon for a while before the door snapped open, using his mind, he tossed Gideon carelessly out of the room and slammed the door closed.

    "You''re welcome " He said when he saw the peeved expression on Gideon''s face.

    "Thanks, hehe " Gideon was forced to smile nervously, if there was anything he feared about that guy, it was his dark sense of humour.

    So he followed Asher without saying a word , he was great at interpreting Asher''s mood which is why he''s being able to stay by his side for this long, his mood now was screaming '' I want to murder someone '' . Along the way, Asher grabbed some human who was passed out and bleeding on the floor.

    Gideon was short of words when he saw that scene. Just how much did he miss during his imprisonment, he sensed things weren''t as simple as they looked.

    Asher dragged that stupid human along until they reached his study before dumping him at a corner of the room.

    " I thought we were about to have a soir��e ?" Gideon asked when he saw the sleeping human.

    " You wish " Asher retorted "It was your inability to control your thirst that led to my predicament today "

    Gideon raised a brow, interesting, he was definitely missing out on something here "What predicament? "

    " I have been bewitched " Asher confessed expecting some kind of positive response from his trusted henchman but he was in for a loss.

    Gideon didn''t know whether Asher was being serious or pulling his legs but judging from his countenance, he looked serious.He suddenly burst into laughter, clapping his hands along.

    "Whoah, wait a moment." Gideon laughed "You''re trying to say you''ve been bewitched and not you doing the bewitching? " He asked and burst into laughter again.

    And that was the scene that greeted Dan when he arrived. He was more than shocked, in the sense he''s being thinking of meeting a scenario where Asher was beating the hell out of Gideon, and had hurried thinking his life was hanging by a thread, but this scene? Totally unexpected.

    " She''s back and safe " Dan announced his presence but Asher didn''t flinch at all. If anything he didn''t seem bothered as if he''d been expecting him.

    "Oh, she should be "

    His voice was grim leaving Dan confused. Asher was supposed to be furious having discovered the girl was not what he expected her to be instead he looked disturbed. Could it be he didn''t know yet?

    "Brother " Dan called , his hand resting on his shoulder " Asher here was just telling me how he''s being bewitched? "

    Dan was momentarily stunned by his words before his head snapped at Asher''s direction , what the hell was Gideon talking about? How could someone bewitch Asher ? the master of compulsion. Wait..

    "Is he talking about the girl? " He directed the question at Asher.

    Asher looked up, relieved, atlest the intelligent one was back but before he could explain Gideon interrupted.

    " Wait. What girl? Are you both keeping something from me? " he accused, gripping Dan tightly.

    "We aren''t hiding anything from you, you were just absent to witness it all " Dan replied meaningfully glaring at Gideon, trying to untangle himself from his clasp.

    Gideon regarded him suspiciously "You sure?"

    " Of course, I''m sure cause I witnessed it all. Now get the hell away from my body, you pervert! " He roared pushing him away . When curious, Gideon tends to be demanding, touchy and clingy.

    " So what happened? " Dan asked seriously, crossing his arms over his chest.

    Asher rubbed his temple, he finally spilled the beans " She kissed and fed on me "

    "What?! "

    "oh"

    Dan looked away, now he understood why Asher was fuming mad. Earlier when Asher walked into that room, he couldn''t tell what happened afterwards cause Asher allegedly used his ability to obscure the one way glass window. But now everything made sense, he could relate.

    To a vampire, taking and drinking blood from a willing human or patron can be quite intimate which is why most times, it''s done discreetly.But blood sharing between vampires was a whole different level.

    Naturally , a vampire feeding from another vampire gives zero energy and nourishment rather it''s for pleasure most especially between mates. Blood sharing is kind of sexual, which is why most times doing it to another vampire who isn''t your mate is equivalent to adultery.

    Moreover, pure bloods are vampires born to two vampires . Unlike convert vampire , pure bloods are royalty cause they possess vampire blood in their DNA . So to say , because they have a pure and untainted bloodline, often they tend to look down upon hybrids and convert vampires.

    Unfortunately the girl, a converted vampire had taken and not only taken but fed on a pure blood without permission, which is to say , she just asked for a death sentence.

    And boy!, how much anger Asher was feeling inside. He probably wants to punish her for such derogatory action but he can''t, his hands are tied.

    "And why is this wound not healing?! " Asher snapped furiously rubbing the spot on his neck where she fed on.

    Hearing that statement, Dan and Gideon''s gaze met and held . uh-oh.

    Gideon rushed at Asher immediately, tilting his head to the side, he observed the wound. Unlike what Asher claims, the wound has healed but there was a scar. Unfortunately, vampires don''t scar unless marked by their...

    "She''s your mate " Gideon blurted out without even realizing it. What a blabber mouth!

    Asher gave him a stupid glance, what''s this fool talking now.

    "It''s true Asher, she seems to be your mate " Dan supported . No wonder, this explains why Asher was so attracted to her.

    "Congratulation, you''ve been marked ".

 Chapter 28 - Twenty - Eight : What Did You Do To My Brother?

    Lia had never felt more alive than now, she just felt like she could do anything in the world.

    She slowly awoke from her sleep with a confused expression, the last thing she remembered was making out with her tall, dark and handsome kidnapper. Which clearly wasn''t the case cause she was lieing in her own bed, clearly not the kidnapper''s den. What the hell was going on?

    She picked her phone from the bedside table, checked the time, it was mid-afternoon. Ah ! She remembered, everything started in the morning with Trevor.

    "Ouch!" Lia cried out from pain when she tried looking at the sky from her window. The sun hurt her eyes so badly she had to look away. What the hell!

    She was disturbed, a lot. Something weird was going on with this town and no matter how hard she tried to deny it, she seem to be involved too. There was no way she could remember a dream this vividly, it felt real.

    Her stomach did a bad flip while her heart hammered against her chest, she could still remember him, aye, his eye. Those eyes that looked as if they could see into the depth of her soul and his scent, it was like cinnamon with a hint of lavender, just smelt heavenly.

    She suddenly frowned, She wasn''t a nerd neither did she have an IQ of over 180 but she wasn''t stupid enough not to notice that there was something going on.Somebody wanted her to think she was crazy, if not that , how can she explain her sudden disappearance and kidnapping. It was real, she could feel it in her bones.

    There was no way she was feeling an attraction for someone from her dream. As much as a dream seems a plausible excuse to explain how she was there without her family noticing but she had seen things. That guy had done something with his hands, *telekinesis , she thought so.

    If he was her kidnapper and really did those things with his hands as she had seen, he probably had someone who could take her in and out of her room without anyone aka her family noticing. She wasn''t going crazy, it wasn''t a dream, he wasn''t a dream.

    Just as she was battling her inner demons, a knock sounded on her door.

    "Hey, open up. You can''t stay up in your room all day just because I said those words to you"

    Lia raised a brow " Trevor? " Why was he here? wasn''t he the one ranting on and on about her staying five meters away from him just because she spent a night with him, no scratch that, that sounds ambiguous, just because she slept in his room. Well, what did he want now?

    "Hey" Trevor said immediately she opened the door " Can I come in? "

    "Just because you''re asking nicely " Lia replied and let him in . She closed her door and walked inside, making sure to give him as much as five meters space.

    "Why are you standing there? " Trevor asked confusedly.

    Her brows shot up provocatively at his comment, what game was he playing this time? wasn''t he the one who suggested the five meters away idea?

    "I''m giving you the space you wanted " Came her reply.

    Trevor wanted to say something but the words got stuck in his throat when he saw her defensive body language. She was ready for a fight if he was. He sighed and threw his hands up in the air.

    "OK, I''m sorry "

    "Excuse me? "

    Lia blinked, not sure she was hearing right. Did her brother just apologize? not just that, did he just give up without a fight.

    "You sure you''re my brother? cause the brother I know would never say these words on his own accord " she asked in disbelief, poking Trevor in the chest .

    "I am your brother " he said and caught her hand " And I''ve realized I have been a jerk to you since that incident "

    Lia looked away, she didn''t like anyone bringing up that day. The very first day her so called father laid a finger on her. She tried explaining to him, she didn''t mean to push Trevor off that window but he didn''t want to listen. She touched his favorite child.

    She could still remember how much it hurt, the slaps , the kicks and the locking up. He locked her up in the storage room that night with no meal, no matter how much she cried for forgiveness and apologized. He didn''t listen. well, he never listened to her anyway.

    "So, what''s the whole point of bringing this up? " she asked, blinking away the tears that threatened to fall off her eyes.

    "Dad didn''t do it right, he shouldn''t have played favouritism and it was my fault for going head-on with you when you just wanted someone to vent your frustration on "

    She laughed "What in the world are you talking about?"

    Trevor took a deep breath and stared her straight in the eyes " Dad hurt you and it was my fault . I selfishly took our father''s love all to myself and failed in the duty of protecting my sister." He breathed and continued

    " So for that, I, Trevor, swear to protect my sister all the days of my life , to love and cherish her till death do us apart " Trevor said seriously giving her the three-finger salute, made with his right hand, palm face out, his thumb holding down the little finger, and with the fingertips on the brow of his head.

    Lia sighed, scratching her scalp, he was indeed serious. Well, it wasn''t too bad to amuse him. Who knows before the end of the night, they might go back to bickering with each other "Fine, treaty then " She agreed returning the salute sign.

    He smiled, before Lia could comprehend what was going on, he embraced her. Tightly.

    "okie, I can''t breathe " She complained when she started feeling lightheaded. He let go with a sheepish smile on his face, she stared at him flabbergasted.

    "Now, who are you and what did you do to my brother? "

    Trevor laughed " I''m your brother, just a new version of him . I''m heading down to prepare for school tomorrow. "

    "oh right " She remembered. They were finally starting school tomorrow since their transfer documents has been taken care of.

    "So, I''ll be downstairs " he said heading to the door " And by the way, nice contact but I''m sure mom won''t be a fan of it " He added, pointed to her eyes and left.

    Lia frowned, contacts? She doesn''t wear contact lens, She wanted to refute but Trevor had already left. So, she walked to the mirror to check out what Trevor was talking about and got the shock of her life.

    Her cerulean blue eyes was gone replaced by a striking magenta colour. She gulped nervously, this was no contact lens .

    ------------

    *Telekinesis : having an ability to move objects, or to make them change shape , using only the power of the mind.

 Chapter 29 - Twenty - Nine : I Might Have Figured Out Who The Alphas Mate Is

    "What have you got? " Ryan asked Judith who was immersed in some record book.

    "Nothing " She shrugged "According to the record, no one fitting the Alpha''s vague description of his mate left little Town that night "

    Ever since Alpha Daniel got an inkling that his mate might still be alive and in transition, he has left no stone unturned in the search of his mate. So they started searching for people who might have gone off the radar starting from that night.

    Eventhough Little Town was a town with a heterogeneous mixture of supernaturals and humans, unfortunately most human has no idea of their existence.

    So what would a human who had no idea of the supernatural do if she finds herself turning into something that only happens in a storybook ? of course , flee.

    So they started looking into people who might have been in little Town but disappeared that night upwards. Regrettably, nor of them fits the Alpha''s description of his mate.

    "OK, Let''s be practical here " Judith breathed, giving up on the records " We all know that the Alpha''s mate might be in transition as he said but we don''t know what she''s transiting into? "

    Ryan paused, dropping the file he was holding and turned to face her "Go on, I''m all ears "

    Sensing she got his attention, she smiled and began her narration. "Everyone is busy with the idea of her transition but we''ve not asked ourselves what she''s transiting into.Though the Alpha is busy with the speculation that a roguewolf might have bitten and killed her that night, which we all know that even in death, as far as the bite still exist, transformation is certain but ....." She trailed off

    "But what, Judith " Ryan asked, drawing close to her amused by her theories.

    " But we know werewolves aren''t the only creatures of the night "

    Ryan scowled " What''s your point? "

    "Vampires, Ryan and we have a whole lot of them in little Town. What if our future *Luna is halfway being a converted vampire?"

    Ryan stared at her rigidly, disbelief written all over his face before he burst into laughter. He laughed so hard his stomach hurt .

    Judith covered her face with her palm from embarrassment, why in the world did she even say such atrocious stuff.

    He resumed his calm expression " Yeah, you''re right but you forgot we have ghouls, banshees, wendigos, etc. So are you saying, our future Luna might be transiting into one of these?"

    She turned her face to the side, embarrassed to the core. Great, She just made a total fool of herself!

    Seeing her reaction, Ryan snorted with laughter. He approached her, with a hand lifted her face to meet his "The moon goddess matchmakes us with our kind or the closest to our kind, which is the humans. "

    "What if she makes a mistake this time? " Judith asked, her breath hitching as she met his burning caramel eyes.

    "Every living and non- living things belongs with its kind, Judith " he breathed, tugging a stray hair behind her ears " A vampire can never be with a werewolf, why? It''s an abomination and order must be restored. Moreover, the moon goddess has never made a mistake " He said, his lips dangerously close to her''s

    " We don''t belong together, the goddess didn''t matchmake us " Judith protested, still fighting off the urge to take those lips, to feel if it was as soft and firm as it looked.

    "Oh, I know " he breathed against her lips. "But we''re of the same kind " And that was all he needed to crush that lips.

    Judith was caught off-guard by the intensity of the kiss she almost staggered , but his arm was there to steady her. He grabbed onto her waist and pulled her close to his chest, suckling on her plump lips.

    This was wrong, she wasn''t his mate, though he didn''t have one now but he would later and so would she, but the ability to make a discerning judgement flew out the window the moment his lips came down on her''s.

    Their kiss wasn''t sweet and innocent rather hot and demanding, each were fighting for dominance and as the stronger sex, Ryan obviously won.

    " God " Judith moaned as pleasure screamed through her and found herself wrapping herself around him, grinding her hips against his hard-on, she demanded for more.

    Ryan carried her off her feet while she wrapped her legs around his waist, he pushed her against the wall. She gasped from the sudden impact but her lips was sealed with a fiery kiss once again.

    This is wrong.

    Suddenly her eyes snapped open, she pushed against Ryan and slid down his body, her movement torturously slow for the beta who was aroused beyond words.

    "Why are we stopping ?" he growled, going in for another kiss but she sidestepped him.

    "This is wrong " She cried out moving away from him.

    "So you mean, this connection we''re making is wrong?!" He hissed, trying hard to calm himself down.

    Judith swallowed "I mean no...yes... no... I mean... we''ve been looking at it the wrong way.... it''s not about whose leaving but who came in " She mumbled incoherently.

    "I don''t understand " He confessed, trying to endure the pain from his lower man.

    " I mean, I think , I might have figured out who the Alpha''s mate is " She said, obviously avoiding his gaze.

    "Oh " Ryan murmured, dumbfounded. He guessed this was what she was thinking about during their hot make out session.

    ---------------

    * Luna : This is the title of the mate of an Alpha male leader of a pack.Both Alpha and Luna have equal rights. The Luna usually takes the role of a ''mother'' of the pack, so if the Alpha didn''t find his mate yet, there will not be a Luna yet.

 Chapter 30 - Thirty : Better To Appear Richy Than Bitchy

    Take off the shades, you''re embarrassing me" Trevor said tugging on her leather jacket. He couldn''t believe his sister would wear an expensive and stylish sunglass to school, was she trying to garner attention by appearing sophisticated?

    Lia looked down at his action and frowned slightly. If only she could, but the sun was hurting her eyes so badly, she had no choice but to wear a polarized aviator black sunglasses on her first day of school.It was better to appear richy than bitchy.

    And to be truthful, she liked it. Recently she''s being having an awakening, it was as if all her emotions were heightened. She simply felt invigorated , like she could do anything.

    Unfortunately, her wardrobe was a setback to this new transformation. She was begining to question her fashion taste. She woke up, prepared to go to school only to discover she had absolutely nothing to wear.

    Her wardrobe was practically a fashion crime. Had she been this dull and lifeless all this time? She wondered but the sullenness didn''t last forever cause she ended up ransacking Trevor''s wardrobe until she got she wanted.

    So she ended up donning a white T-shirt and black pants with a leather jacket thrown carelessly over her slender shoulder. She looked totally badass.

    " Are you even listening to what I''m saying? " Trevor asked feeling frustrated by her nonchalant attitude today. But she ignored him, packed her Volkswagen polo at an available space in the school parking lot and stepped out.

    Their family didn''t come from old money neither were they nouveau riche but they were very well off, thanks to daddy.

    All eyes turned, their curious gazes resting intently on her. One had to admit, Lia was beautiful but today she just looked devilishly hot.

    Trevor couldn''t help but notice there was something wrong and weird about his sister today. Lia wasn''t a timid nor shy person but she never tried to be the centre of attraction. She always wanted a quiet and serene environment or so he thought , he never knew what she wanted anyway.

    He just concluded her taste and preferences based on what what she chooses regularly, he didn''t know what she desired.But today it seems she was letting out her inner demons, she just looked carefree , away from the shackles of the world.

    "Oh I heard you " She replied him " But I choose to muffle the voices that weren''t needed "

    A smirk plastered on her face, she sauntered away gracefully, her open leather jacket swinging loosely in the breeze. Damn, she looked like those famous sexy hollywood actresses.

    Suddenly Trevor gave the fuck off sign to one of the male students literally drooling over her sister.

    "What''s your schedule for today? " Trevor asked his sister as they walked through the hallway screaming with students.

    Little Town highschool was the only academically acclaimed public school in this town with a population of over five hundred students.

    " None of your business but if you''re that interested, I have Algebra 1 in exactly five minutes time " She replied him checking her wristwatch.

    "Okie, see you later. I bet you''ll be probably nicer then "

    "Oh, don''t count on it " She said after him but he simply waved and left. Lia whistled excitedly, this was the beginning of a new life for her.

    She just couldn''t understand why no one seem to understand her most especially her mom. She had a fight with her mom last night, Jenny didn''t accept the idea of her using contact lenses.

    But what could she do? The so called contact lens was in reality her actual eye lens, just a different colour.

    Moreover she couldn''t just tell her mom , her eyes mysteriously changed colour overnight after she encountered a hot stranger whom she wasn''t even sure was real or a result of her fanatical fantasies.

    If she does that, she''ll definitely end up in a mental hospital sooner than later. So it''s quite better being tagged a rebellious daughter than being a good daughter in a mental asylum.

    Besides, she was enjoying this new feeling. It was liberating knowing she didn''t have to care about what people thinks about her, it was refreshing. She liked this new her.

    "Seriously, watch it bimbo! " A loudmouth wasn''t watching and bumped into her but Lia had fleetly dodged at the last minute , regrettably, the girl wasn''t so lucky.

    " Caroline! " Two other girls called after the girl. The coffee she was carrying had abruptly spilled on her dress and they were wiping it off with their handkerchiefs.

    Caroline? Lia murmured, the name sounded familiar. Where had she heard those? She tried recollecting until her eyes fell on the girl''s boobs.

    "Ah, Caroline! you''re that barbie with more boobs than brain " Lia said out loud attracting a huge, shocked and dramatic gasp from the audience. Wait, did they all hear that?

    There was a simultaneous and spontaneous silence in the hallway that one could hear loudly if a pin was dropped. Everyone was frozen still until a certain barbie let out a shrill cry.

    "You b*tch! " Caroline roared and lunged at her but Lia instinctively tilted to the side, huge thanks to inertia, Caroline fell face first on the ground

    "No touching people, you see that. It''s a completely touchless self defense " Lia defended, raising her hands up for the whole crowd to see.

    Caroline''s minions rushed at her but her body moved on it''s own. She strangely found her body to be flexible and agile, It was as if they were too slow for her. She could predict their action before they could execute it.

    One of the minions tried to attack her from behind but she did an unbelievable flip that stunned the crowd, landing unharmed and gracefully on her feet.

    Suddenly the students broke into a loud applause, cheering shouts and whistles here and there.

    You''re welcome.

 Chapter 31 - Thirty-one : That Abomination Is My Mate

    "You''re avoiding your job " Dan said taking away his fifth drink. He was trying to come to terms on why this guy would drown himself in whisky than head to his place of work.

    "It''s not a job, just something I started out of boredom " He retorted snatching back his drink and downed it in one clean gulp.

    "That''s obviously a job... wait a minute " Dan trailed off, his face lit up with realization

    "It''s not the job you''re avoiding but the girl involved with the job, isnt it? She transferred to your school, didn''t she? " Dan pressed on eventually causing him to spill him the beans.

    "Yes, she did and this guy here , which is me had no idea as the principal of the school of such event , fat thanks to my assistant " He complained, nonchalantly swirling his drink.

    "Well, can''t blame the lady. She had a job to perform unlike you, moreover , it seems your relentment on the job hasn''t gone unnoticed " Dan chuckled until he noticed Asher''s glare and gave up

    "Fine, but avoiding her isn''t going to solve anything. For Christ sake, she''s your mate!"

    Asher rose in a fury " She''s not my goddamned mate just some manipulation from the witches!" he snapped, eyes flashing red with bulging veins on his neck.

    " Whether you believe me or not, we both know no one and by no one, I mean not even the witches can manipulate the attraction between soulmates."

    Asher laughed at himself mirthlessly " You think I don''t know that?. Hell! I f*cking know that but I''m scared of the disaster my acquaintance with her would bring to my clan and probably other vampire covens "

    Dan looked away with quilt, Asher was right. The girl was a living time bomb which when detonated, it''s shock wave would blow everyone away.

    "Honestly, I''m confused here " Asher confessed "She''s unlike anything I''ve seen since the history of time "

    Dan stared at him with a shocked expression "You knew?"

    "of course, I know. What am I, ten? stupid? " He grimaced "It was suspicious from the start, her death. When a human dies with vampire blood in their system, it takes a day or two for them to wake,for final transition to take place but she? it took her a few hours, a monstrous achievement . Not to talk of her heartbeat and temperature "

    "You sure, she''s not half-witch?"

    "She isn''t, I didn''t sense any magic in her blood moreover, unless you''re a hybrid which she isn''t, you can''t exist as a witch and vampire at same time. You must be one, either you''re a witch or a vampire, no two ways about it "

    Dan took a deep breath, the truth slowly dawning on him. The dark witches were preparing for war and the girl was their weapon, a huge one at that.

    "The witches are creating an abomination, something that shouldn''t exist but it''s quite funny " he snorted "That abomination is my mate "

    "Shouldn''t we inform the council before it''s too late? " Dan suggested but Asher gave him a ridiculous look "It''s just a suggestion " he said defensively.

    "Yeah, I know but an incredibly stupid and bad idea. Haven''t you asked yourself, how were they able to come this far without the council noticing? "

    Dan''s eyebrow rose suspiciously " Because their tracks are being covered, they are being backed by someone in a high position probably from the council "

    " Bingo " Asher commended, finishing another glass of whiskey.

    "You do know that alcohol has no effect on you , right ?"

    "Yes, I know. Tastes like water actually " Asher answered truthfully "But I want to enjoy the feeling humans relieve from drinking these"

    Dan waved his head sympathetically, the guy was a total wreck but he loved him nevertheless.

    " So, what''s your plan? Don''t tell me you intend clashing with the dark witches? " Dan inquired but when he saw Asher''s eye flash with something he called excitement, he recoiled in anger.

    "Tell me you don''t .... "

    "Oh don''t worry, I might be impulsive but not suicidal. Any mistake and I might end up being the scapegoat, instead . If the almighty council won''t get off their arse and clean this mess, so be it .who cares if the world ends, anyway" Asher plonked down on his swivel chair.

    A smile tugged at Dan''s face, as usual for Asher, the safety of his clan comes first.

    "What about the girl? " he suddenly remembered

    "Oh, her? I intend to play along until I figure out what they''re up-to " he smirked, a glint of mischievous in his eyes.

    "Play along? " Dan wet his lips nervously "Asher, feelings between soulmates aren''t playable, they''re very intense and can scald if not careful "

    Asher stood up " Don''t worry mom, I can take care of myself "

    Dan glared at him but the perpetrator in question wasn''t bothered instead he walked towards his walk-in closet

    "What are you doing? " Dan asked.

    " Preparing for work unlike a certain jobless person " Asher mocked checking out a few of his designer shirts.

    " I am not jobless " Dan dissented bitterly "keeping an eye on the clan is your job not mine which am helping you out with, happily. You''re welcome by the way "

    Asher chuckled mentally, he might seem a little intense but Dan was passionate about what he loves doing unlike a certain henchman, speaking of which

    "This discussion should remain between us, you know how much of a blabbermouth Gideon is. We can''t risk him knowing " Asher warned seriously buttoning up his shirt

    " What can''t you risk me knowing? "

    Speak of the devil.

    Gideon waltzed in, an earphone in his ears while nodding to a certain beat playing from his phone.

    "I - eh, I " Dan tried to come up with an excuse but with Gideon staring at him like that, it was a miserable attempt.

    "We can''t risk you knowing you''re about to become my secretary, the old one will be fired once I arrive. See, surprise ruined " Asher replied smoothly without even batting an eye and Gideon fell for it, quickly.

    Wow, Dan clapped mentally . His acting deserves an Oscar award.

    " Really? " Gideon asked excitedly " When do I start? "

    "Now "

 Chapter 32 - Thirty-Two : " Fine, Baby Boobs, Game Start "

    So could you narrate what happened, miss Lia? " The assistant principal interrogated.

    Well after the exciting acrobatic display in the hallway, it didn''t quite end well cause the assistant principal caught a whiff of the situation and rounded us up to her office.

    "Well, miss Lia " The Assistant principal urged Lia , her fingers interlocked and rested her hands on her desk, leaning in towards her.

    "She is responsible for all this! " Caroline lashed out from nowhere.

    "I don''t remember asking you, did I, miss Caroline?" The assistant principal answered her, brows audaciously raised in a challenge.

    Caroline was stunned, she wanted to protest but the look on the assistant principal''s face wasn''t exactly welcoming. She bit down on her lips, fist clutched tightly with an aggrieved expression, looking like a kid whose candy was snatched away by a big bully.

    Lia sank back into her chair, enjoying the drama going on. She slowly grinned , this was way exciting than those performed on TV.

    "So shall we continue. miss Lia?" She pressed forward

    Lia stared at this woman amused,she clearly knew everything yet she still wanted to hear it from her mouth. What would she benefit from that.

    " Well, Assistant principal Sheila, with all due respect but I''m sure you''ve gotten all your information from the IP security cameras installed in the hallways " Lia replied, her eyes on the brass nameplate on the woman''s desk. "What more do you want to hear from me? "

    Sheila stared her straight in the eyes which Lia reciprocated, she wasn''t about to be stared down, moreover it was exciting.

    "I know but I like to hear it from the horse''s mouth "

    Lia smiled when sheila looked away , she won. "Unfortunately, I''m afraid I can''t help you, my lips are sealed "

    Sheila snorted, picked up her pen and scribbled something on her note " As a new transfer student and one who didn''t start the fight as my investigation uncovered, you''re free to go " She started her judgement

    "Thanks your honour " Lia said with heavy sarcasm, rose to her feet and dusted off invisible dirt from her pant.

    "Caroline, Alexa and Linda, you have detention after school for bullying a new student " She finalized closing her note .

    Caroline sprang to her feet "You''re kidding, right? I have never being given detention since the beginning of my highschool"

    "Well, there''s a first-time for everything " Sheila calmly replied before she busied herself with other documents on her desk.

    Lia got to admit, eventhough the woman seem to be unreasonably persistent, she liked her unlike some barbie and her minions. Talking of minions.

    ALexa and Linda were huddled at a corner, their eyes darting around nervously . They reeked of fear and apprehension, it seems Caroline was the fearless one.

    They almost jumped out of their skin when Caroline banged her hands hard on the principal''s desk, well assistant principal''s desk .

    "Does Asher know you''re doing this?! " Caroline fumed, her chest heaving up and down.

    "Excuse me?" Sheila looked up, dropping the documents in disbelief.

    Lia sat far back, she wasn''t about to ruin this moment cause it seems an important revelation was about to be exposed. All she was missing was popcorn and soda.

    Caroline seem taken aback, probably realizing she had said something she wasn''t supposed to say " I mean " She tried to smile but it was hideous " Does Principal Asher know about this punishment you meted out on me? "

    Sheila''s gaze darkened, a scornful expression on her face " Well miss Caroline, I don''t know nor do I care about any private and unprofessional relationship you have with principal Asher but my orders are final. See you at detention "

    OK, now this was interesting. The information was gradually sinking in, appears the reason Caroline was fearless inspite of everything, was because she was screwing with the principal?

    Wow, that''s an intense scandal.Inappropriate relationship between educator and student , wasn''t it a criminal offense? Why wasn''t anybody doing anything? Why was everyone turning a blind eyes to this?

    Wow, strange town, strange rules ! So much for the academically acclaimed school.

    "You!" Caroline ragged wagging a finger at Sheila but Alexa and Linda were quick to come to the rescue.

    "We will see you during detention " Alexa the tallest of them all murmured , dragging her away.

    Caroline was screaming and kicking, vomiting all kinds of profanities known to man.

    "You! " She roared when she came face-to-face with Lia.

    "Yes? " Lia said, a devilish smirk on her face

    "I''m not yet done with you, you are going to regret messing with me! " She threatened, glaring with so much hatred that if eyes were bullet, Lia would be long dead already.

    Perhaps, if it was the old Lia she would have been bothered by her words, unfortunately, this new Lia didn''t care about her threat infact she welcomed it, she craved the thrill.She wanted fun.

    Lia''s eyebrows rose in delight but the dumb caroline was too ignorant to notice the sadistic smile that curved her face

    " Fine, baby boobs, Game start "

 Chapter 33 - Thirty-three : Im Sorry But Our Unholy Alliance Must Come To An End

    Since, all has been settled. I''ll be taking my leave, Mrs Sheila " Lia said turning around to leave when Sheila spoke up.

    "I didn''t say you could leave "

    Lia turned surprised " And I don''t remember having further business with you " She objected but came to a startling realization. "Unless you want to do business with me "

    Sheila smiled "I wasn''t wrong about you, you''re smart. Perhaps, we could commence if you take a seat " She motioned with her hand and Lia struted back to her seat confidently , crossing her leg over the other.

    "Alright, Talk turkey "

    Sheila took a deep breath, stared into Lia''s eyes and started "I''m sure you must have heard of the principal''s indecent relationship with Caroline Myles "

    "Didn''t hear it but figured it out this morning during the interesting soap opera " Lia confessed with a hint of humour

    "Right " Sheila murmured, nodding her head "Today''s your first day "

    "Well " She continued " I tried raising this issues alongside tons of reports during the school board meetings but each time, it''s rejected for lack of evidence when the truth is right under their noses! " Sheila snapped, losing control of her emotions.

    Lia raised a brow at her sudden outburst

    "I''m sorry " She apologized "I let my emotions get the better of me "

    But Lia wasn''t interested in talks, she wanted action " So what do you want me to do? " She drawled, bored.

    " I want evidence of their affair " Sheila hit the point . " Aged? consensual or not? I don''t care, I just want an evidence to get him out of the way..... "

    " So you could be the principal " Lia completed stunning Sheila.

    She studied Lia for a moment " Well, you''re proving more efficient than I thought but you''re wrong "

    Lia stared at her confused " I''m wrong? "

    Sheila stood from her swivel seat, looking out the huge panoramic windows with her arms folded across her chest

    "I''ve worked in this school for eight years and just the moment I was to be rewarded , he waltzed in and took away everything I''ve worked for, my eight years of sweat and hard work " She spat, her words dripping with venom.

    Lia gave a short laugh startling Sheila

    " What''s wrong? " Sheila asked, wondering what was funny about her expos��.

    "No, nothing . Go on, it''s just funny witnessing all this dramas in one morning. No offense by the way "

    Sheila''s eyes twitched, why did she feel disturbed by the girl''s mellow attitude. No normal person would respond to such a touching story indifferently. Was she making a mistake?

    " But I''m curious about something, why me? There''s must be a concrete reason why you choosed a new girl at school to do this unethical and unprofessional bid of yours? " She regarded her slowly.

    "Unlike a certain dumb barbie, you''re exactly his type " She replied " You''re beautiful, smart, unattached and calm. You know exactly what you want "

    Lia got to say, she was honoured " You think highly of me, what if I fail?"

    "Oh, don''t worry " She cooed " I''m a good judge of character moreover you love the thrill. I wonder what drug you''re using, your eyes must be dilated no wonder you''re wearing a sunglass"

    Lia stiffened, the smile on her face frozen. Her gaze darkened at once, the woman thinks She''s on drugs.

    "You think I''m high on drugs? " She asked, disbelief written clearly all over her face.

    Noticing the change in her countenance, Sheila laughed awkwardly " Are you not? "

    Lia inhaled deeply, shot to her feet with her hands in her pocket " I''m sorry but our unholy alliance must come to an end "

    "What?! " She snapped "Why?! "

    "Seems I thought I was making a connection with someone who seem to understand the new me but I was mistaken, I was just a tool for her revenge "

    She tried to explain "You don''t understand...."

    "Oh, I understand perfectly. But don''t worry " said Lia taking off her glasses, her magenta eyes staring straight at Sheila''s black ones. Sheila was taken aback for awhile until she relaxed, Lia knew she probably thought she was wearing lenses.

    It seems no one understands what''s going on with her.

    "I would help secure your evidence because it sounds fun and not because I''m helping you out " She said and stride away before Sheila could stop her.

    A fresh swell of rage rose in her, she thought she doesn''t care what people thought of her but apparently she still cared. Fury tore through her but she managed to keep it in check and entered the classroom.

    Immediately she opened the door , she felt the hairs on her arms stand and instinctively shifted to the side just as a bucket of water came pouring down.

    The whole class stared at her dumbfounded, how could she have dodged that? They knew she was coming and had intentionally set up that prank to shame her but it ended up an epic failure.

    Though she was saved from being soaked, the spilled content spattered at the hem of her black pants but she seem oblivious to it cause she walked into the classroom confidently .

    Lia mouthed hauntingly ,

    " Great prank but you missed moi ? "

 Chapter 34 - Thirty-Four :The Sire And The Sired

    "What about that girl I unintentionally fed my blood? " Gideon asked startling Asher who was going through the stock market with his tablet.

    "Why do you ask?" He asked, eyes still glued on his work

    "I just remembered a problem with converted vampires " Gideon said, finally reaching the school lot and parked the car in the staff''s parking lane.

    Asher stepped out, observing his surroundings. He looked dashing in his Marc navy striped suit with brown vest , his rich chocolate medium length hair was professionally textured with faded sides. His movements were dignified, he seem to possess this aristocratic elegance aura around him.

    " What problem? " he asked, while clipping his silver cufflinks neatly in place.

    " The awakening? Ring a bell? " Gideon tried to remind him.

    "oh " Asher said. He totally forgot about that, this was why converted vampires were highly frowned upon.

    "Don''t worry , the girl is unharmed. Why did you think I released you? " Asher lied through his teeth but his heart was in a turmoil. He was one step away from venting his frustration on any available subject.

    The reason why pure bloods view converted vampires as trouble and burden was because of the awakening. Once converted, all of their feelings and emotions are tremendously heightened.

    It''s like being high on drugs, you feel like you could do anything, all your emotions, love, anger, hatred etc is doubled if not tripled, just overwhelming.

    All your suppressed desires are intensified, things you were afraid of doing, you find yourself courageously executing it.

    Unfortunately, this is a huge problem cause most of the newly converted vampires are new to this feeling and tend to lean in to their dark side.

    Which is why they are called Newborn converts, they know nothing of what they are becoming unless guided by their coven or clan.

    Due to their inability to control their emotions, newborn converts are usually mentored by their sire until they reach a certain level of control and ability to make a discerning judgement , that is , if they want to stay in peace with the council.

    Unlike other creatures , the council and hunters are naturally biased against vampires and are often extreme in executing judgement when a vampire commits a crime knowingly or unknowingly.

    Which is why numerous pure blood clans forsakes the converts , especially the newly converted, they don''t need trouble knocking at their door unless those with natural control.

    Fortunately, the stronger a vampire clan is, the lower the Council''s influence which is why a stronger clan has more influx of converted vampires than their lesser counterparts.

    But Asher didn''t know what to do, he was in a dilemma. The girl clearly wasn''t a full converted vampire or whatever she was , he couldn''t tell if she was experiencing the awakening or not.

    Secondly, he couldn''t let Gideon know of her transition else he can''t tell what the dumb fool would do again. Gideon was too warmhearted, naive and easily manipulated, if he finds out about the girl, he would surely lay down his life for her out of guilt.

    He''ll be damned if the both meets and the girls happens to be in her awakening, then Gideon is totally lost. Asher was sure she would wrap Gideon around her little finger. Maybe, this was another of the witche''s ploy to get to him.

    "Let''s say she accidentally converted, what would you do? " Asher threw this unexpected question at Gideon.

    Gideon gave him a stupid look "Of course, take her in, she''s my sired "

    Asher smacked his forehead mentally , just as he thought. His goodhearted Gideon would take her in whether he permits it or not.

    Eventhough most pure bloods detest converts, but there were still some who honours the sire-bond.

    A Sire Bond is the link between the sire and their sired that exists within the  vampire and hybrid species. The Sired complies with the direct and indirect orders of the *Sire in order to show its loyalty.

    But in Gideon''s case, Asher was sure it would be the other way round. The girl would surely be the one giving the orders while the dumb fool will be the compiler.

    "What if the girl is dangerous? " Asher pressed forward, he still wants to believe there was some sort of redemption for this poor guy.

    "Dangerous? " Gideon snorted ridiculously "What could that pretty little human do? " Gideon laughed without knowing Asher''s temper had reached the boiling point.

    No, they definitely can''t meet. Asher determined, his hands balled into a fist.

    "You failed " he said those two words to the perplexed Gideon.

    "What?!"

    " You can''t be my secretary." Asher added "No, you''re too dumb to be my secretary "

    "what did I say wrong? " Gideon yelled in disbelief

    "Everything " Asher confessed " Now, get in the car and go get me Dan. You''ll be taking his place in looking over the clan from now on " Asher ordered hoping this was enough to keep Gideon busy and away from the girl till everything was settled.

    Gideon reluctantly got into the car, his lips pouted and a sulky expression on his face but Asher kept a straight face. He could not change his mind, it was for his safety and the entire clan.

    Gideon was as sullen as a three-year-old riding back home but Asher couldn''t blame him, the boy was just a hundred and twenty years old, a green horn. In human terms, he was a grandfather but in vampire terms, he was just a kid, fifteen at most.

    -------------

    *Sire : the term used to refer to a vampire who had transformed a human into another vampire. Also refers to the act of transforming a human into a vampire

 Chapter 35 - Thirty - Five : Dan Goes To School

    "No way " Dan refused right away " Don''t involve me in this outrageous plan of yours, go find Gideon "

    Asher replied calmly "You know it''s a no-no when it comes to Gideon, you''re the perfect vampire for the job "

    "Then what about the clan? who would protect it from external threat ? moreover I''ve being on the hot trail of a rogue vampire for a while now, just a little more and I''ll have him in my custody " Dan tried to buy his way out with excuses, sadly , Asher saw through his plan.

    " Gideon can handle it, he might not be intellectually smart but when it comes to combat prowess, he can make a firm stand . Also, zukai can track down your rogue vampire.So problem solved "

    Dan didn''t know whether to laugh or cry, sometimes it was a bad thing having a smart leader.

    "I hate highschool " Dan confessed drawing an amused smile from Asher''s lips

    "Well suck it up, you''re about to start one " Asher said, opened a drawer and brought out two pairs of packaged clothes. He swung them at Dan''s direction, which he caught swiftly with his hands.

    "I can''t believe I''m doing this " Dan murmured in disbelief. One moment he was tracking a rogue vampire, the next he was summoned to Asher''s office.

    He thought something bad had happened, cause this was the first time he was ever called to Asher''s workplace and hurried over, only to discover this atrocious plan of his - babysitting.

    For Christ sake, he was five hundred and thirty years old! What''s an old man like him going to do in highschool? Eventhough vampires do take up human occupation out of boredom , in order to blend in with the society and avoid suspicion, he had never considered schooling.

    He has lost track of his previous occupations but he was sure of once being a detective, trader, governor, doctor, lawyer, and even a priest.

    He had accomplished all this through reading and never once went to school. All his licenses were forged and had tied up loose ends with his natural compulsive ability.

    Then, there was nothing like the council to limit their powers and influence. The only problem was the hunters but they were less formidable than the council of today , making them easy to control and eliminate

    "You said you didn''t care about her" Dan complained tearing open the package.

    "She''s my mate " Asher blurted out without even realizing it.

    Dan raised an accusing brow " Really? But you weren''t exactly enthusiastic the first time I mentioned her "

    Asher wet his lips and stared him straight in the eyes " Witches ploy or not, she was made for me and so, belongs to me "

    "She''s not a property but your mate " Dan corrected taking off his shirt, baring his perfectly toned up six abdominal packs.

    Asher looked away grimly , an atrocious thought in his head. He was reconsidering sending Dan to his mate, what if that stupid girl sees his abs and starts falling for Dan instead?

    It can''t be, he thought. Well, when push comes to shove, he''ll have no choice than to showoff his own toned abs to her as well.

    "Fine, whatever you say " He grumbled, his mind still immersed with the six packs issue.

    Thankfully, Gideon didn''t know that the girl he fed and his mate were the same person, else he would''ve gotten a lot on his plate by now.

    " Earth to Asher!" Dan said, snapped his fingers and he awoke from his reverie.

    "Sorry " He apologized "I got carried away and you''re done " He said admiring Dan''s transformation.

    Dan was wearing an ash coloured V-neck sweatshirt with the words `Best Friends? Bitch Please She''s My Sister'' printed boldly on it and a slim denim jeans.The clothes felt so right against his pale yet flawless skin making he look so charming. Asher knew he would fit perfectly well with the humans save he doesn''t blow his cover.

    "Splendid but not yet done " Asher complimented while Dan rolled his eyes, what''s next?

    He opened another drawer and brought out a black designer backpack and handed it over to him saying "That''s the finishing touch. Now welcome to highschool "

    It took everything in Dan not to abandon these hideous mission and teleport away . He never believed at age five hundred and, he will be attending highschool for the first time.

    Almost immediately, the door snapped open and a stoic looking strawberry blonde woman came walking in.

    "Ah, good timing, mrs Sheila . I want you to meet my cousin, Dan Nicoli " Asher said to the woman who seem to have facial paralysis and pointed towards him.

    " Dan, meet my assistant Mrs Sheila " Asher said, gesturing with his eyes for him to pay her respect.

    Dan grumbled inwardly, he was twenty times or so older than this woman, yet he had to submit to her. Well, it was all for the mission, he comforted himself

    "Nice to meet you, Mrs Sheila " he said finally and bowed his head.

    "And you too, Dan " She replied finally with a smile but he couldn''t help but feel it was insincere. Did he by chance anger her somehow?

    "Dan transferred from his former school and will be schooling with us from now on. I''ve handled his papers so you don''t need to stress yourself over that but I''ll love it if you would give him a tour of the school " Asher added "please, he''s quite dear to me "

    Mrs Sheila wanted to protest but the earnest gaze, more like charming gaze from Asher changed her mind. Without even using his ability, Asher had this natural charm that compels women to do his bid.

    "Fine then "She agreed and turned to face Dan "Follow me "

    "Behave " Asher mouthed to him the moment they left.

    Perhaps if Dan knew, he should''ve asked Asher to compell the woman from asking questions cause her questions never stopped.

    Where are you from? who''s your parents? How are you related to Asher? and all.

    Unlike Gideon , Dan was smart and kept evading her questions until the tour came to an end , she had no choice than to let him be.

    It was lunch break by the time they were done, with his super intelligence, tried to come up with a map of possible places the girl could be . He figured out the girl would come to the cafeteria to refuel her lost energies and had gone there excitedly.

    What he never expected was this set of bizarre humans surrounding him and screaming his head off. They all kept trying to touch him, with this strong infatuated glint in their eyes, he cursed Asher at once. He would get back at him for putting him in this miniature hell !

 Chapter 36 - Thirty - Six : She Would Deliver Lia To The Council Herself

    "Earth we came and earth we shall return to " She said sprinkling a handful of sand on the coffin.

    "let the fire light your path " She said looking at the four standing bonfire torches surrounding the coffin . Suddenly the flame shortened, its color darkens, hisses and roars as If oxidized.

    "Let the wind direct you to the right path" She called and a fresh soft wind flew past her and tossed her hair but the woman remained unmoved.

    "Water to refill your thirst " She called forth and a drizzle fell on her momentarily, disappearing as if it never happened.

    The woman closed her eyes and muttered some incantations, her words an incoherent music to the ears. "Rest with the gods now " She finally said and stood from her kneeling position.

    Gesturing with her eyes, an able-bodied group of men, naked from the waist up, wearing only pants emerged from the small crowd. They grabbed shovels from a corner and began filling the grave with sands.

    This action drew sobs and grieving murmurs from the crowd. Some palmed their mouths to prevent them from sobbing uncontrollably, others shook their head pitifully while the brave ones remained neutral but their hearts were in pain.

    Cassie didn''t know how to feel - infact, what to feel. She couldn''t even remember the number of nights she cried herself to sleep. It was all her fault ! . If she wasn''t so obsessed with being a seer this wouldn''t have happened.

    After her aunt''s death, everything became clear, she now understood why she didn''t possess the gift. It wasn''t that she didn''t possess the gift of seeing rather it wasn''t handed down to her yet.

    Seers are rare humans that possess the ability to see events. They are descendants of witches who couldn''t wield magic, so were gifted with this ability to makeup for their loss.

    The seer ability is hereditary and never dies off unless the death of that particular linage. Though they could not be considered full witches but as individuals who could see things hidden from others and also predict the future , they are quite valued and respected.

    Born as the niece of a seer and losing her mother to the purge, she knew she was eventually going to be the next seer since her aunt never had children . Growing up, she always dreamt of having mind-blowing prophesies but when she didn''t even have a vision for once, she knew something was wrong.

    She became to doubt herself eventhough auntie told her it was just a matter of time but she was never satisfied, she wanted it quickly.

    Now she had it but at the cost of her aunt''s life, they hid the truth from her. It turned out , there can never be two seers from same linage. The death of a seer results the birth of another , there can never be a new seer unless the death of the former one .

    The gift of seeing was great but unfortunately all good things comes with a cost and that was the cost her aunt Miranda paid .

    Being a seer comes with long life but not immortality, because the visions itself sometimes takes a huge toll on the mind and the body.

    Her aunt had lived past her given age but abdicating her gift was the last straw that broke the camel''s back. Thanks to her impatience, her aunt miranda relinquished her ability and gave up the ghost.

    "How are you holding up? " Amala, one of the oldest and strongest witch asked. Amala was also the leader of the falcon coven and had a notable position within the council.

    "I feel like a murderer " Cassie answered, running her hands through her hair, ruffling it in the process. She was slowly losing it.

    "It''s not your fault, Cassie. She choose to transfer her powers to you " Amala consoled her, rubbing her shoulders affectionately.

    Cassie sniffed, wiping her nose with the back of her hand . She looked up "I pushed her into this, she would''ve lived longer if I wasn''t so obsessed with this goddamn gift "

    Amala frowned, tightened her grip on her shoulder and scolded her " Listen you naive child , I will not stand here and watch you riddle yourself with guilt " she warned

    " This is a price every seer has to pay . It is a choice she would''ve made later if she was alive but I''m sure she had an important reason for abdicating sooner"

    Cassie laughed, painfully. Of course, she knew why, it was all because of Lia ! If she hadn''t met Lia, all this wouldn''t have happened.

    Cassie clutched her fists tightly. Aunt miranda wasn''t seeing visions anymore, she was dieing until she dreamt about Lia. She knew there was something wrong with the girl and wanted to investigate her, she couldn''t tell if the girl was a blessing or a curse.

    Sadly, her ability was failing her, she didn''t have time on her side. So what other way to fulfill her last mission than to dump it on the soon to be seer - no scratch that, the new seer. Her.

    "No offense but did you notice anything that could have triggered Miranda to abdicate early?" Amala asked with a frown on her face.

    Eventhough she and Miranda weren''t besties but working together all these years, a bit of Miranda''s character had rubbed off on her. One thing she knew about Miranda is the fact she wasn''t impulsive but a thorough and careful person. So she doing this out of nowhere was definitely suspicious.

    It took every strength she had not to mention Lia , she just couldn''t, she promised her aunt.

    "No "She replied Amala calmly but beneath , her heart was bleeding.

    "Fine then " Amala said regarding her slowly "Call me if you need anything " She said, patted her on the shoulder and left.

    Cassie felt like throwing up, she just lied through her teeth. She just hoped her aunt was right , else she will deliver Lia to the council herself.

 Chapter 37 - Thirty - Seven : Creepy

    "OK, Why is that handsome yet creepy dude staring at me like I''m lunch ? " Lia asked Ben out of curiosity. It''s being a while now since they grabbed their lunch yet the dude didn''t take his eyes off them, well, she in particular.

    After the super commotion caused by his presence, the girls didn''t let him be. They surrounded his table like moths drawn to a flame and began chatting him up.

    Strange enough, the guy seem not to be interested in whatever they were gossiping about and intently focused his gaze on her.

    As much as lia appreciated being the centre of attention and all but his gaze was burning and unnerving.

    "Oh " Ben answered, discovering her complain to be true. " Well, he doesn''t exactly looks like he wants to eat you up , you know like physically? " He shrugged " I think he wants to eat you like ora -"

    " Fine, I get it " Lia interrupted Ben, raising her hands up in surrender " I should''ve known you''re the last person on earth to answer this like a normal human being would "

    Ben rolled his eyes towards heaven and dumped a handful of fries into his mouth " I''m trying to be useful here "

    " Yeah, I know " Lia sassed back " God knows if I listen to more of your incredible ideas, I''ll need holy water to cleanse my ears "

    "Fine, do whatever you want " he waved her off with his hand digging into his food.

    Lia sighed , so much for having a bestie. well having male friends tend to be a challenge judging from her relationship with her brothers, girl friends should be more exciting and efficient, minus the fact they can be backstabbing b*itches.

    Lia turned again, this time their eyes met and held. She felt like his eyes were telling her something but she couldn''t understand, the only thing she understood was his charming beauty.

    He had raven black hair with blazing hazel eyes, a very built body and plumb red lips which were too attractive and distracting. Infact, she was seriously considering Ben''s offer.

    Weirdly, his chalky pale skin stood out from the rest of the crowd . Though Lia wasn''t a huge fan of ''twilight '' but she believed she was seeing Stephine Meyer''s creation right now.

    The guy was so chalky pale he might as well be suffering from anemia, not that she was complaining, it totally fits him anyway.

    Strange enough, she didn''t fall head over heels for him, contrary to what she thought cause she''s always being a sucker for the handsome ones.

    " Watch out ! " Someone screamed jerking her out of her daydream.

    Almost immediately she felt something heading her way forcefully, she instinctively stretched out her hand and caught the ball before it hit her on the face.

    "Wow ! " Ben exclaimed " Cool reflex you got there baby girl " he kept on gushing praises but the person in question was busy staring at the ball with complex emotions.

    "Hand the ball over, Darlington " someone said.

    Snap! Lia turned rigidly to see the fool that called her by her last name . She hated that name.

    "The ball " He said, gesturing for her to hand it over.

    Lia frowned . So, this was the dock practicing his dribbling skills in the cafeteria.

    "What part of no playing balls in the cafeteria do you not understand? " Lia asked pointing to the rules and regulations posted on the cafeteria bulletin board.

    The dock shrugged "Meh, who cares? now hand the ball over, Darlington " he said with no remorse. He didn''t even apologise for almost hitting her on the face.

    Unknown to them all, Dan was at the side watching the drama with keen interest. His features softened and his lips curled into a smile, not knowing the ladies beside him were totally smitten. He didn''t intend intervening, that one''s on the guy, he caused it all.

    "fine then " Lia surrounded " The ball you shall have " She said, a malevolent smirk on her face " But first, catch "

    Lia threw the ball with every ounce of strength she could assemble while the dock stood watching her with a mocking smile. what can she do anyway?

    The boy tried to catch the ball but he missed, the ball hit him in the stomach, he stumbles, falling backward on the floor.

    There was a shocked silence before a thunderous applause and cheers reverberated through the hall, stunning her once again. This time, she didn''t stand shocked instead she basked in the glory

    "You''re welcome " she said, tossed her head and fluffed her hair, did a graceful bow and sat back on her seat.

    "You''re awe-"

    "Don''t say it " She warned pressing her finger against Ben''s lips silencing him at once. She knew he was about to gush over her with praise.

    The sudden contact made a warm blush crawl up his neck. His heart hammered against his chest as he awkwardly lifted her finger away.

    "OK then " he murmured, looking away. He couldn''t bear to look her in the eyes, it was doing strange things to his heart.

    Lia frowned, this guy was indeed strange. One moment he''s gushing over her enthusiastically, the next he can''t bear to look her in the eyes. what a weirdo.

    Shaking her head pathetically , she turned to resume her eating when her face met with someone''s. She shrieked almost falling off her seat if his hand hadn''t steadied her.

    What the hell! why was he sitting beside her? No, how did he even get here in the first place? She didn''t even hear a sound.

    Creepy.

 Chapter 38 - Thirty - Eight : I Almost Died

    "Hi, I''m Dan " he said to the shell-shocked Lia, who was still trying to wrap her head around all this.

    "How di ....."

    "How do you feel ?" Dan interrupted her, stunning her. Again.

    He drew himself closer to the extent their bodies were touching. His gaze dropped to her body, blazing hazel eyes examining her body thoroughly

    "What are you doing? " she asked dodging this very tactile guy, he had lifted a hand to touch her face.

    "Do you feel weird?" He asked trying to feel her temperature.

    Lia raised a confused brow " Am I supposed to feel weird? "

    Ben snickered by the side while Lia wished she was a witch so she could silence him with a spell.

    "Go on , just pretend I don''t exist " Ben threw his hands up in surrender when he saw the killing stare she was giving him.

    Ben knew how lucky he was sitting across from her else he couldn''t tell what evil prank she would pull on him.

    "OK, mister. Back off! " Lia warned when she saw Dan grab a few strands of her hair and sniffed it.

    Dan blinked, momentarily stunned by his action. He was just checking out if something was wrong with her body when this tempting scent wafts into his nostrils, so he unconsciously leaned forward, inhaling her scent.

    "I''m sorry " he apologized realizing his behavior wasn''t fitting of a gentle man.

    Lia shook her head in disbelief " I''m outta here " She said and stood.

    Dan tried to explain but she left before the words could roll out of his mouth. He plonked down on the bench dissapointed, he never knew babysitting was this hard. If he had known, he wouldn''t have taken up this offer in the first place.

    His mission was to stay close to the girl which he was trying to until the hair sniffing incident. Well, he couldn''t help himself, her scent was just too illecebrous and intoxicating. If she could smell this good, he wondered how good her blood would taste.

    Dan frowned, realization hitting him. If the girl could smell this good to him, what about the other creatures? He wasn''t a fool not to notice that vampires weren''t the only blood suckers in town.

    He stood abruptly " Where is she? "

    "Who? " Ben asked confused

    "The girl " He retorted , his eyes restlessly searching for her.

    Ben said in between a yawn " I have no clue moreover why are you so interested in my goddess "

    "None of your business human" He replied rudely, stood and left to search for her.

    Ben innocently shrugged, picked up his goddess unfinished foods and began consuming it.

    Meanwhile, Lia was in the school courtyard lieing on a concrete bench,earphones plugged in her ears, listening to some cool jam oblivious to what was going on.

    After a while, she sat up realizing she was the only one left in the courtyard or so she thought until her sight fell on a young girl staring at her with fiery intensity.

    The girl has light brown skin, double eyelid almond shaped eyes with ink black hair that flowed down her waist and a slim body. She looks asian, but Lia couldn''t tell what part she was from.

    The girl was beautiful but not to the extent of being referred to as ethereal. Strange enough, she just stood watching Lia who was creeped out.

    Why was everyone looking at her that way? First, the handsome yet creepy guy, now this beautiful yet creepy girl. what the hell is wrong with this school?

    Trying not to show she was affected by her intense gaze, she stood intending to move but her sunglass she took off earlier fell from her laps landing on the ground .

    Thankfully, it didn''t shatter so she bent to pick it up . Upon standing, she screamed discovering the strange girl was standing right in front of her.

    "That''s totally unfair! " She cried out " You guys got to stop sneaking up on me, I almost died " Lia clutched her heart, it was beating hard against her chest.

    The strange girl didn''t flinch instead she murmured "Come closer "

    "What? "

    "Come closer " she murmured again, this time a bit forcefully

    Lia ignored the warning bells sounding in her head, she inched closer trying to make out what she was saying.

    Perhaps she''s a glutton for punishment cause no matter how much her instincts warn her, she always seem to dive right into trouble. literally, trouble seems to be her middle name.

    As soon as lia was within her reach, she stretched her hand and made a grab for her. It all happened too quickly, Lia couldn''t even tell what was going on.

    All she knew was the strange girl engulfed her in a tight hug, no matter how much she struggled, she couldn''t set herself free.

    Her senses returned when she felt something cold and squishy on her neck, she turned and got the shock of her life.

    The beautiful girl wasn''t there anymore rather an ugly creature with wings was holding her still, it''s proboscis-like tongue reaching for her neck.

    Lia screamed . or tried to - she couldn''t mutter a sound. She was frozen on the spot.

    Out of nowhere, an indescribable force hit the girl or whatever creature she was , sending her flying a few metres away.

    Next Lia blinked, she was standing on top of a building''s rooftop. She couldn''t think nor move, her mouth was dry and her legs felt like jelly. Her legs finally gave out but a cold firm arm wrapped around her waist securely.

    What just happened?

 Chapter 39 - Thirty - Nine : Your Mate Is In Trouble

    "She was here " Daniel said, he was kneeling on one knee, and the other bent at a 90-degree angle in front of his body as though he was proposing.

    He blew away the soil in his hand and studied the almost non existent footprints.Thankfully he wasn''t a human so he had far more better sight.

    His forehead wrinkled in a frown as he discovered something " She wasn''t alone " He stood, staring straight at them "Another creature was here, two to be precise but the other scent is so little I can''t sniff it out "

    Ryan sniffed the air but suddenly wrinkled his nose in disgust " God! " he cried out " This smell is an abomination to my nose "

    Judith sniffed as well and frowned "You''re right but this smell is familiar. it''s a rare creature but I''m sure I''ve encountered it before "

    Ryan narrowed his eyes at her " It smells exactly like a..... "

    "Mandurugo" Daniel completed, his eyes darkened and his expression murderous. Ryan gulped feeling the murderous intent coming from their alpha.

    Daniel turned and faced Eden, the werewolf who let them inside the school. They could sneak in if they wanted to but they had to follow protocol especially with that nuisance vampire around. They didn''t want to cause unnecessary problems that the vampire could use against them.

    "You let a Mandurugo into this school?! " Daniel roared, grabbing the poor guy by the neck and lifted him off his feet.

    "I didn''t know besides I''m just a PE coach, I don''t handle registrations and transfers " Eden tried to explain choking with sobs

    "Daniel, the guy''s right. let him down, please" Ryan interceded on the guy''s behalf. He knew Daniel would easily kill this guy if he lost control.

    After a slight hesitation, he let go and the guy crumpled to the ground. Daniel took a deep breath, fighting to keep his anger in check, he knew how easy it was for a werewolf to lose control.

    Pale and trembling with fear, Eden rose and escaped before the Alpha''s mood changes again. He didn''t want to be the collateral damage in whatever was going on.

    "You scared the poor guy away " Ryan whined

    "Like I care " the alpha retorted grimly

    "It''s not Eden''s fault, you know how Mandurugos like to hide behind their pretty skins " Ryan tried to explain but of course this pig-headed Alpha refused to listen.

    "Aren''t we missing something here? " Judith asked drawing their attention " Mandurugos don''t transform during the day but the scene clearly depicts she did "

    They knew Judith was right. Mandurugos are vicious vampiric creatures that usually takes the form of young, beautiful women by day, but develop wings and long, sharp tongues by night, which they use to make cuts on the victim''s neck to obtain blood.

    "Maybe she was forced to " Ryan answered, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully.

    "Or had to " Daniel said.

    "I''m lost here" Judith complained.

    Daniel sat down on the concrete bench he was sure his mate sat moments ago and took a long, deep breath .

    "Her scent got stronger, it''s intoxicating almost like a drug "

    Her eyes widened, realization dawning on her " So did the scent of her blood "

    "The Mandurugo wanted a drink and exposed herself in the process " Ryan summarized.

    Judith gribbed her hair in horror "Your mate is in trouble "

    "Was " Daniel corrected pointing to the uneven earth around the scene " There are signs of a fight before she vanished "

    "She was rescued by a third party " Ryan said.

    "A third party who knows how to vanish without casting a spell " Judith murmured , there was no sign of magic at work.

    Whenever a spell is casted, it always leaves some sort of remnant behind which might be invisible to the human eyes but not to the supernaturals.

    Just as firearm discharge residue, is deposited on the hands and clothes of someone who discharges a firearm, witches in same way leaves behind a residue after performing a spell.

    "Vampires " Ryan answered while Judith nodded her head positively. That explains the second almost unnoticeable scent from the scene.

    "Vampires from the Nicoli Clan " Daniel said calmly but beneath that calm facade, he was boiling inside. As much as he appreciated them saving his mate, he didn''t want their filthy hands on her.

    Ryan knew his alpha was furious, well, he couldn''t blame him. He and Asher were always at loggerheads with eachother, they don''t see eye to eye on most issues .

    Daniel clutched his fist, it was obvious one of Asher''s men had the girl. As the principal of the school, it wasn''t surprising to find his men running around. Moreover the only vampire clan that could house such ability was no other than his Nicoli clan.

    " It''s about time I paid Asher a visit "

 Chapter 40 - Fourty : You Havent Done It, Have You?

    Note : steamy scene ahead.

    Trevor didn''t understand high school at all, why would anyone send their kid to this unguided wild world of its own.

    Author : Someone who wants their kids to become ultra-successful in life?

    "And this is where I''ll be wrapping up our lesson for today " The teacher said immediately the school bell rung signaling period over.

    The students picked their books and rushed out of the classroom. Trevor followed slowly, wondering why everyone was in a hurry.

    Though Mr Baron''s class might be boring but it definitely wouldn''t scald them if they had a tiny bit of patience.

    Walking in the hallway, Trevor located his locker and opened it but a sudden thud startled him.

    He turned only to discover a young couple passionately making out, the girl''s back pressed against a locker. They were vigorously eating face, not that he cared anyway but it was disturbing for people like him who haven''t had their first kiss yet.

    Moreover this was a hallway, students were strolling to and fro but they remained oblivious or rather didn''t care about that .

    That my dear, were the future of tomorrow.

    Looking away , Trevor focused his attention on his locker, he reached for a textbook when his locker banged shut narrowly missing his hand by inches.

    "What the .... "

    He wanted to curse but the words got stuck in his throat when he discovered the couple had carried their smooching to his side of the locker.

    He sighed, frustrated and decided to give them space. He''ll probably come back for the textbook when they''re done, hopefully.

    Thanks to the distraction, he didn''t watch where he was going and bumped into a girl, knocking her to the ground.

    "I''m so sorry " he apologized reaching out his hand for her to grab on. She willingly took his hand, he lifted her to her feet with a grunt.

    "Are you injured?" Trevor asked, checking her body for injuries.

    "No, I''m fine " she answered coyly, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear

    Trevor let out a relived sigh, thankfully the girl wasn''t injured. He let his eyes roam over her body, he gulped, she was breathtakingly beautiful.

    She has this tanned skin, almond shaped eyes, full pink lips, long black hair and slim waist so tempting he actually fought the urge to put his arm around it.

    Snap out of it!

    Trevor slapped his face mentally. Girls this hot weren''t meant for him, moreover he must have made a bad first impression already since he knocked her down.

    "You don''t need to apologize, afterall, it''s not every day I get knocked over by a pretty boy" She said seeing the guilty look on his face.

    Trevor frowned slightly, confused. As much as her words were comforting, it sounded a bit ambiguous, did she just flirt with him?

    "I saw you watching them " She said with a knowing smile.

    Trevor arched a brow " who? "

    She simply gestured with her eyes towards the kissing couples.

    "Oh " Trevor drawled. Wonderful! Great first impression!

    "You haven''t done it, have you? " She questioned, a teasing smile on her face.

    Trevor coughed, assuming a haughty tone

    "Of course, I have kissed and being kissed before. who said I haven''t done that " he lied through his teeth.

    She laughed as he tried to refute her claim, he looked cute. "I saw your face earlier, it was clueless and innocent, totally not the face of an expertise in that department "

    Trevor was short of words, he was utterly defeated. The girl read him perfectly.

    "But if you want " she said drawing close to him " I could give you one or two pointers.That is, if you want to " she wriggled her brows suggestively

    Trevor swallowed deeply, his breath quickened. He understood what the girl was offering perfectly and God knows he wanted it badly. But this voice of caution kept ringing in his head, what should he do?

    "What do you want, pretty boy? " She asked, stood on a tiptoe and blew hot air into his ears.

    "B-But classes? " he stammered, his face tomato red and breath uneven.

    " We still have five minutes extra before classes resumes " She explained checking her wrist watch . "So, what do you say? "

    Trevor''s eyes darted around nervously "There are many students around " he wasn''t that bold to openly make out in the hallway.

    She smiled seductively " Leave that to me "

    Trevor couldn''t tell how they got to the locker room but he could perfectly describe what went down in there.

    She gave him no chance for hesitation and slammed him hard against the locker, he gasped.

    Maybe a little rough, but he wasn''t complaining infact he liked where this was heading .

    He shivered, aware of her fingers, slipping under his shirt.

    "Do you like it? " She asked nibbling on his earlobe.

    "Love it " he answered huskily. He couldn''t believe he was having a hot,intense make out with a girl he barely knew. He didn''t even know her name.

    There was suddenly no room for thoughts cause her lips came down forcefully on his, sending a rush of blood to every part of his body.

    Her lips ground against his with fervent heat and he moaned, was this what he was missing out on?

    Instinctively, his hands wrapped around her waist and pressed her tightly against him. His hand found her hair, it was soft and silky.

    Trevor''s heart pounded in his chest when she deepened the kiss, her tongue slipped inside his mouth, expertly and demanding.

    Every of her touch tingled and aroused feelings he never knew existed. He felt sexily diabolical and would''ve continued exploring if he didn''t feel a sharp prick on his tongue.

    He gasped in pain " Did you bite me? "

    "No, I didn''t " She purred rubbing her hips against his erection. Trevor inhaled sharply. She drew near his ears and whispered wickedly "I just fed off you "

    That was the last word Trevor heard , he blacked out.

 Chapter 41 - Fourty - One : He Murdered Ashers Mate

    " Oh my God ! Oh my God! " Lia screamed for the umpteenth time. Everything was a mess, her mind was a mess, she was a mess.

    "Could you stop screaming, my ears are quite sensitive " Dan complained, stuck his index fingers into his ears

    "I''m a vampire? " She asked, struggling through a hiccup.

    "Actually, not a pure vampire but a converted one, so you''re a converted vampire" Dan explained but it all sounded like gobbledygook to her.

    "So you''re trying to say you''re a pure blood, vampires that are born to two vampires and descendants of the original vampires? " Lia asked gesturing with her hands and all.

    "Yep " Dan answered proudly " The one and only "

    There was a short silence before Lia burst into a wild uncontrollable laughter, she laughed so hard , tears slipped from her eyes.

    "No offense " Lia laughed "But there must be a logical reason explaining why we disappeared, you know, Quantum physics and all. Unfortunately, I''m not a science nerd " She explained rubbing her forehead , she could feel a headache on the way.

    " But vampirism ? that joke is so yesterday " She cried out in disbelief.

    If she believes vampires truly exists , not only that, but she was one of them too? then she''ll surely go gaga. She knew she couldn''t handle the shock, it''s just too much to take in. Becoming a bloodsucking demon? impossible.

    Dan tugged his hair frustratingly, he knew the girl wasn''t dumb, she just refused to believe him . She was kind of protecting herself with denial but there was no time for that.

    That Mandurugo was still alive and out there probably hunting for the girl, if the creature has marked her blood already ,then it won''t give up until she gets it.

    He knew he couldn''t protect her forever cause mandurugos are crafty creatures, it''ll soon find a way to break his formation.

    Luckily the mandurugo doesn''t know what the girl is, it just thought her as one of it''s blind, innocent victim and meal.

    But the girl was something more if only she wasn''t so blind, stubborn and unyielding , he had to show her what she''s capable of, he has to show her evidence.

    "Evidence? " Lia frowned slightly.

    "Yeah, evidence " he replied, a devilish smirk curved up his face.

    Before Lia could tell what evil plan he was up-to, he kicked her straight in the stomach sending her toppling and falling from the rooftop.

    Lia flapped her hands desperately and restlessly but there was nothing to hold onto , no one to grab her hand and save her from falling.

    She scoffed in disbelief, she was plunging probably twenty stories to her death, murdered by a psycho student .

    The landscape became dimmer and dimmer until she landed flat onto the hard ground. She gasped, spat a mouthful of blood from the impact.

    She couldn''t breath - infact it was painful breathing, she wasn''t a science nerd but she knew her ribs were crushed and had probably pierced her lungs explaining the difficulty with breathing. She was dieing. Again.

    She smiled pathetically , she couldn''t even do much with the second chance at life that was given to her. Now, here she was, leaving aggrieved, again.

    Her smile remained, death felt so peaceful.

    Dan frowned, why wasn''t she waking up? why did she look dead? Did he miscalculate something?

    He disappeared from the rooftop and reappeared by her side in a flash. He frowned and squat down, he touched her neck, didn''t find a pulse.

    He gulped nervously and placed a finger across her nose, no breath, and touched her hand, it was becoming stiff and cold.

    Dan fell back, shock written all over his face. Did he just murder Asher''s mate? He rake his hand through his hair and shouted, a frustrated scream.

    Asher was going to end him, he knew how important mates were to a vampire, especially to those from the Nicoli clan. You only get one soulmate for life.

    Dan was overwhelmed with guilt, he didn''t know how to face Asher. His damn life and royalty wasn''t enough to compensate for his loss.

    He didn''t mean it, he just wanted to prove to the girl she was something more, unfortunately he was wrong. The girl was nothing, the witches tricked them.

    Just when Dan thought all hope was lost, a loud gasp came from beside him. He froze , turned his head just a titch, he was afraid to discover what he just heard was a figment of his imagination. But he had to have hope , even if it''s a hope tinged with anxiety.

    So he turned to meet shocked blue eyes staring back at his, he smiled, relieved.

    Lia stared back at the smiling idiot and looked down at her blood stained clothes. She just survived a deadly fall? Lia knew clearly she died, the idiot was telling the truth, she was a vampire!

    "Ahhh!!!!!! " Lia let out a piercing scream that made the vampire crouch down low like a baseball catcher, he placed hands over his ears to minimize hearing loss from her *banshee like screams.

    "I told you my ears are quite sensitive " He complained when she couldn''t scream again, probably ran out of energy.

    Lia stood quickly but she felt light headed and found herself on the ground. Her stomach was rumbling angrily , she was hungry.

    She stiffened, feeling nostalgic all of a sudden. She had felt this type of hunger before, she reasoned , trying to recollect her memories.

    Her eyes widened at once, it wasn''t a dream. She had really fed on someone before.

    Holy mother of God.

    -------

    *Banshee : is a female spirit in Irish mythology who heralds the death of a family member, usually by wailing, shrieking, or keening.

 Chapter 42 - Fourty - Two : Teach Me How To Be A Vampire

    "You need to feed " Dan insisted but she shook her head stubbornly. Judging from the amount of blood she lost as a result of the fall, he wasn''t surprised when the hunger kicked in.

    "I''m not going to drink human blood like some animal " She insisted, her both arms folded together across the chest.

    "You''re not an animal, Lia " He said calmly "You''re worse than an animal "

    "You! " she gasped, eyes incredulously large as a result of shock. Was that supposed to comfort her or infuriate her?

    Dan groaned, palming his face. The girl was a monster. He had teleported her out of town during the mandurugo attack, far away from human habitation as a preminary measure, to make sure the mandurugo wouldn''t track them down.

    But he didn''t make preparation for an unexpected feeding, he wasn''t even carrying a blood bag.The only option left was to hunt.

    He looked back at the underconstructed twenty-five storey building laying waste in the forest, wondering why he decided to teleport here of all places.

    He knew nothing happens for a reason, there must be a reason why he was drawn here, sadly, that mystery would be solved another time.He had more pressing issues at hand.

    "You have to be in full shape before I can teleport you back to little Town " Dan explained

    He could teleport back and grab some blood bags but he didn''t trust her, he couldn''t tell what she would do or go in his absence. This forest was large, disappearing was easy but finding someone was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

    "Oh " Lia moaned when the first hunger pang hit her.

    Dan noticed she wasn''t going to last long before she goes ballistic. When vampires don''t feed for long they have the tendency to go cray-cray and bloodthirsty.

    "Come here " he ordered .

    Lia stared at him cautiously, slowly she approached him. She tried to read him, not clear on what he was up-to this time. She didn''t trust him at all, not after he sent her plunging to her death.

    To her surprise, he simply bit down on his wrist drawing blood "Feed " he commanded "

    "No " She shook her head fervently and took a step back. Eww, she wasn''t about to drink someone''s blood , moreover a vampire''s? no pun intended by the way.

    "Drinking a vampire''s blood might not be nutritious nor satisfying but it can hold off the hunger until I find you a suitable drink " he tried to explain but she still continued moving away.

    But that was until the smell of the blood assaulted her nostrils, she froze, her mouth watered.

    Dan saw the salivating look on her face and smiled, she has been hooked.

    "Want a taste? " he teased on purpose, stretching his bleeding wrist out towards her.

    Lia licked her lips, it was tempting but she didn''t want to, it was disgusting , however , when she saw the way the red liquid spilled down his arm, she lost her reasoning.

    She lunged at him and made a grab for his wrist, took it into her mouth, sucking the red liquid nimbly.

    "Easy " Dan breathed but she ignored him, instead immersed herself in the feeding.

    She moaned as a great rush of energy filled her, though the blood wasn''t as tasty as the one she drank previously but it was filling.

    Lia greedily took more enjoying the way it went down her throat, it was perfect. It was stupid she missing out on this, why was she even hesitating in the first place?

    Dan frowned when she didn''t stop feeding "its enough " he said, trying to pull his hand away.

    She snarled, baring her teeth at him warningly and latched her lips back on his wrist, continuing her feeding.

    Dan was beyond stunned, what just happened? Did she bare her fangs at him out of annoyance? Dan knew something was wrong with the girl but not to this extent.

    Normally a vampire feeds on other vampires for pleasure because the blood gives zero nutrient but she? She was feeding on his blood as if it was food, like it actually satisfies her.

    "God, I''m full ! " Lia purred licking a stray blood that trailed his arm.

    Dan stared at her, open-mouthed "You''re full?" He croaked.

    "Yeah " She smiled "Infact, I feel so great like I''m high on drugs"

    She faced him, grabbed his hand , studying his injured wrist that was closing up already "Is this what your blood does? Men, that''s cool!" She cooed

    "It''s like I''m on cloud nine "She demonstrated, twirling in circles

    "I feel stronger " Lia said, punched a tree , successfully creating a crack on it.

    "And super fle-xi-ble ! " She screamed doing an incredible backflip.

    "It''s shocking! " Her voice echoed in the forest sending the birds away.

    "Yeah, I''m more shocked than you" Dan said, of course mentally.

    Here he was, first time seeing a converted vampire that derives energy by feeding on other vampires. The worst part was her blue eyes from moments ago , was now a striking magenta colour.

    "Teach me how to be a vampire " She said out of nowhere .

    That was abrupt and surprising, he murmured to himself. Minutes ago she wanted nothing to do with vampires, now she wants to be taught how to be one.

    "Let''s go " Dan said , grabbed her by the collar and disappeared. There was a limit to his patience and right now, his armour was cracking.

    "Wait..." The words were still stucked in her throat when she finally found herself in a strange room .

    "Change, bath , do whatever you girls do to look good cause you can''t return to school looking like that " Dan commanded and banged the door shut before she could even say a word.

    She looked down at her clothes, it was bloodied and dirty, her hair messy with blood smeared on her cheek. She was a total mess.

    Lia was about to check out the bathroom when her phone rang. She picked it up thanking her God it wasn''t affected by the fall, Trevor sent a picture to her.

    "Strange" she murmured but opened the picture anyway.

    She gasped when she saw an image of Trevor, he was sprawled on the floor unconscious, his hands tied back to a pole.

    A text came in immediately, she opened it

    "Come alone "

 Chapter 43 - Fourty - Three : She Felt A Storm Was Brewing Beneath His Calm Front.

    Asher was disturbed, for some strange reasons he felt restless. Was it because of the girl? There was a myth that said , when the bond between mates strengthens, they could begin to feel each other''s emotions. But he wasn''t sure of that cause the only thing they ever did was kiss, a kiss she initiated and forced on him.

    He picked up his phone, about to call Dan when a knock sounded on his door.

    "Come in " he answered.

    The door snapped open and in came his would''ve-have-been-sacked secretary alongside Daniel? and his henchpeople.

    "Your visitors, sir " The secretary announced

    "Leave " He said.

    The secretary passed him a brief glance, bowed and left, closing the door behind her.

    Asher stood, hands in his pocket

    "Daniel" he breathed

    "Alpha of the silver pack, to what do I owe this pleasant visit of yours?" He said, half-teasing, half- welcoming smile on his face.

    "You have something that belongs to me " Daniel said straightforwardly, took a seat without being told, crossing his leg over the other in a business like manner.

    "Oh " Asher snorted and sat back on his plushy swivel seat. His gaze lingered on Daniel''s female guard , where did he get such hot damsel from? Her ass was one in a million.

    As if reading his pervy thought, Judith glared threateningly at him but his response was to wink at her. Judith balled her hands into fist, she would throttle this casanova given the chance.

    Ryan somehow noticed their silent communication and growled, a low rumble in his throat but everyone heard his warning, loud and clear.

    Eventhough Daniel was clueless on what was going on but he figured out the stupid vampire must have hit on Judith provoking Ryan .

    Daniel knew Ryan and Judith were a thing but he pretended to be clueless, atlest that way they wouldn''t flaunt their love in front of him, not to talk of filling his ears with sexual innuendos.

    Asher cleared his throat " You said I have something that belongs to you, what is it then? "

    "My mate " He answered grimly.

    The playful expression on Asher''s face wore off at once, he leaned towards his desk, hands clasped together

    "What are you talking about?"

    Daniel answered calmly " One of your men has my mate, apparently saved her from a Mandurugo attack but I want her back, now "

    As if the idea of one of his men having Daniel''s mate wasn''t disturbing, hearing the name ''Mandurugo '' sent a deep frown on his face.

    Mate issues was not something to be trifled with, not even between clan members talk more different species cause it could trigger a war, but having a mandurugo around was adding fuel to the already burning fire.

    Those creatures were vicious, crafty and troublesome like a bug. Eventhough they were easy to kill, they never die alone, always vengeful , unleashing collateral damage wherever they go.

    "Where did this happen? " Asher asked seriously.

    "On your school grounds " Daniel answered truthfully, a hint of mockery in his tone.

    Asher ignored Daniel, he understood what he was blaming him for, he let a mandurugo into his school. As if it was easy to detect them. Mandurugos were difficult to detect in human skin unless transformed or under strict surveillance.

    "Your mate is a student at my school ?" Asher asked surprised, it was difficult to find silver pack members studying in his school , that was just how deep his bad blood with Daniel ran.

    Not that he refused them admission, he didn''t care anyway, but Daniel would not hear of it. Working or studying here was like committing treason against him.

    " I didn''t know she was my mate until recently " Daniel explained reluctantly, wondering why he was saying all this to him.

    "Care to share her name? " Asher inquired, a curious glint in his eyes.

    Daniel frowned noticing his countenance

    "why should I? "

    Asher audaciously arched a brow and vented his frustration on him "Because you obviously need my help and she''s a student at my school moreover she was taken by one of my men as you claim "

    "I don''t need your help, I just you to return what belongs to me! " Daniel sassed back banging his hand on Asher''s desk sending a few items flying to the ground.

    " Oh really? " Asher stood, staring him straight in the eye challengingly

    "Really " Daniel challenged back

    "Her f*cking name is Lia Darlington " Judith interrupted their intense stare down. She couldn''t understand why this two loggerheads wouldn''t compromise for once.

    At the mention of that name, Asher stiffened, his face raw with emotion.

    "What did you just say? "

    Judith stared at him confused , why was he giving her that murderous look " Lia Darlington? "

    If Asher had a beating heart, he would''ve died from a heartattack by now. Lia was Daniel''s mate. How was that possible? Lia was clearly his mate unless..... those witches!

    He was boiling with anger , they dare to play with him? with his feelings?. Asher clutched his fist, he won''t take this lying down. He has it out for them now.

    "You know her? " Daniel asked seeing the diverse emotions on his face. For some unknown reasons, he felt threatened.But why?

    Asher shook his head "I thought I knew her but I guess am wrong " he denied.

    Judith couldn''t help but feel he was lieing, she saw the ever-changing look on his face earlier, ranging from disbelief to anger to humiliation and then fury. His gaze left her unsettled, she felt a storm was brewing beneath his calm front.

    "But I promise you, I''ll deliver her to you personally " He promised, an icy smile on his face.

 Chapter 44 - Fourty - Four : What Are You?

    Dan stood outside the door waiting for her to get done. He wasn''t stupid enough to leave her alone especially now they were back in little Town.

    There were two things that could happen : either she does something stupid or the Mandurugo tracks her down . Either way, non of it ends well.

    His ears perked up when he couldn''t catch any movement in the room. Thanks to his sensitive hearing he could pick up any sound but suddenly it stopped.

    He couldn''t hear her footsteps , the ruffling of clothes or the gentle splashing of shower water, it just stopped.

    Grabbing the door knob, he rushed in, his eyes darting around nervously, the girl was no where to be found.

    He barely walked into the room when he dodged, a baseball bat swung past his head. Almost immediately he tilted to the side, a destructive kick missing his abdomen.

    "It''s amazing how you can master your vampiric strength in such a short while " Dan complimented

    The bat came at him again but he faced it head-on, he raised his arm as some sort of shield. The bat hit his arm and bounced back powerfully , stunning Lia.

    "You might be strong but you''re still an amateur with no hint whatsoever how to manipulate your strength " he mocked.

    Lia was shaking, she had to defeat him else there was no saving her brother. The message was loud and clear, she had to come alone but this vampire was like an octopus, latching unto her side and refusing to let go.

    "I don''t want to fight you, just let me go " Lia pleaded still swinging the bat.

    "I''m afraid I can''t do that honey " he replied, swiftly dodging her blows "You see, I''m on a mission to protect you. If anything happens to you, its my head on a platter "

    Chest heaving, she snarled at him in disbelief "Liar! Why would anyone kill you for not protecting me"

    He breathed "Ask your mate "

    Lia paused " mate? "

    Her hesitation was a mistake cause a kick from Dan sent her flying, she smashed into the wall and tumbled to the ground with a loud thud.

    "ouch" She cried "I think I cracked my ribs "

    "Rule number one : never get distracted during a fight " Dan lectured hovering over her.

    Dan stretched out his hand which she took and effortlessly lifted her to her foot.

    Lia gasped loudly when she felt her broken ribs begin to heal by itself. She was not yet used to this super regenerative ability of a thing, but it was awesome. Does this means she''s immortal?

    "I leave you for a few minutes and you try to murder me?!" Dan roared, pointing to his chest

    Lia coughed, almost choking on her saliva. She glared at him, what kind of outrageous accusation was this?

    "Kill you? Are you even alive? How can I kill somebody that''s already dead? "

    Dan wanted to talk back but he realized it was childish of him, a five hundred and something years old vampire arguing with a seventeen or so years teenager. How ridiculous! So he changed the topic

    "What evil plan of yours are you concocting this time? " he asked, regarding her suspiciously.

    Lia took a step back, hiding her cellphone behind her back. It slipped out of the pocket of her newly worn shorts during the fight with Dan.

    Dan of course caught that abrupt movement, he strude towards her and snatched the phone from her grip notwithstanding her resistance.

    "What are you hi-" His expression changed when he saw the message. His body tensed , he took a deep breath, nostrils flaring and a brow raised " Explain "

    It was one simple question but she felt she was standing on the judgement throne, about to be judged for her trespasses.

    She trembled, his face was dark and scary. Her breath hitched, why was the air suddenly thin and hot.

    Lia lowered her head, she couldn''t bear to look him in the eye right now "She has my brother, she told me to come alone without you" She said feeling guilty.

    All this while he''s being trying to protect her but she was busy jeopardizing his plan.

    Dan nodded his head, he whispered "The Mandurugo, I should have known. Those creatures are restless and vengeful.Once they set their eyes on something,they hardly let go"

    She asked confused "Mandurugo? "

    " Yes, they''re vampiric creatures with wings and feeds on blood of unsuspecting victims at night "

    He scoffed quickly "What do you think I rescued you from? "

    She furrows her brows "An evil flying vampire? "

    Dan rolled his eyes, he laughed curtly "Sorry honey, but vampires aren''t the only supernaturals in town "

    "A-ha!, I knew it " She exclaimed "I knew this town was strange, turns out it just reeks of supernatural presence "

    "Bingo! You solved the mystery but we have much more problem at hand." He said staring at her with blazing intensity.

    Lia shivered, she scratched her scalp awkwardly. Why was he staring at her like that?

    "What''s wrong? " She summoned the courage to ask but he didn''t reply.

    Instead he approached her slowly, a curious glint in his eyes. Perhaps, the reason she stood rooted to the ground was because she did not sense any ill intent from him.

    Standing in front of her, he bent towards her neck and took a long, deep sniff. Her sweet intoxicating scent engulfed his senses, he eyed her pulsing vein, feeling the urge to slam his aching fang down that flawless neck.

    Lia shivered when she felt his fang graze her neck. Her breath quickened, she closed her eyes, balled her fist and waited for the impact. Sadly, it never came.

    He pulled away forcefully, maintaining a reasonable distance between them. He stared at her, eyes incredulously huge, he almost lost control .

    "Now I understand why the mandurugo is hooked on you " he exclaimed "My God, you are a temptation!"

    Lia blinked helplessly , he couldn''t understand what he was talking about. His gaze searched her face, his brows furrowed with confusion.

    "It''s strange, you''re strange " he murmured, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully "You feed on vampire''s blood while mandurugo whom feeds on human blood is addicted to yours"

    Their eyes met and held

    "What are you? " he asked, oddly calm.

    "A vampire? " Lia answered unsure .

    He snorted a laugh " Really? A vampire with a beating heart "

    Lia frowned deeply, wasn''t he the one that told her she''s a vampire?

    Noticing the tensed atmosphere, Dan broke into laughter easing the throbbing pressure he casted on the girl.

    Lia released a breath she never knew she was holding, what just happened?

    He suddenly smiled and clasped his hands excitedly,

    "Let''s go rescue your brother "

 Chapter 45 - Fourty- Five : "Rule Number One : Never Get Distracted During A Fight "

    Note : Gory scene ahead.

    Trevor groaned, his eyes snapped open. He looked around his unfamiliar surroundings, this wasn''t the school. He released a wince when he realized his hands were bound backward to some sort of pole.

    "What the fuck?!" He cursed pulling at his bound hands to no avail.The last thing he remembered was the intense make out with that beautiful girl from school.

    But how did he get here? infant, why was he here?

    He looked around, this was some abandoned furniture warehouse. The building was large with lots of doors and windows with a strong stalely ordour, it''s rundown condition was obvious.

    It had a lot of connecting rooms but some of its walls were broken and on the verge of collapse, windows dirty and not in a good state either.

    "You''re awake " She said, standing up from a chair which creaked heavily.

    It seems not all furnitures were taken away when the warehouse closed down , unfortunately, the few which were still available were knackered.

    "What''s going on here? what''s this? " Trevor asked gesturing towards his hand, a part of him wanting to believe she has no hand whatsoever in what''s going on, or simply has a fetish for chains and binds.

    " Don''t worry lover boy, I need you , yet I don''t need you " She laughed, making no sense at all.

    Trevor saw the sick smile on her face and gulped deeply, what did he get himself into this time? He just wanted to have fun, acquire experience not get bind to some pole unsure of his fate.

    "It''s your sister I need " She answered truthfully at last.

    His head whipped around, "You say? " his voice almost a whisper.

    "Haven''t you tasted your sister''s blood?" She asked , licked her lower lips with a crazy glint in her eyes

    She gasped dramatically "Oh right, you''re a human unlike me! "

    Trevor shivered, understanding what was going on, he was dealing with a psychopath. Besides, why would his sister come here unless.....

    "what did you do with my cellphone?!" he spat, the veins on his neck bulging and his eyes bloodshot.

    "Only summoned a little birdy , but don''t worry, I''ll give it back to you later if you really want it "

    "You approached me on purpose, didn''t you?" he realized the truth.

    No wonder she was so willing, passionate, and enthusiastic, it was all a plot to lure him here. Though it still puzzles him how she managed to take away from school grounds without anyone noticing.

    "Yes but I won''t approach you again once I''m done, you know my identity already.Its risky " She said, squat down slowly and cupped his chin.

    She moved her hands gently over his face, lost in her thoughts " You''re good " She murmured, dipping lower into the nook of his neck.

    Trevor''s breath hitched, her hot breath hit his neck, but he cried out when he felt a prick in his neck. Did she bite him again?

    She pulled away, grabs his chin with her finger and thumb, lifts his face up and made him look into her face " Too bad, you''re not the one I want "

    Their moment shattered when they heard a creak, they looked towards the door as the long awaited guest waltzed in.

    "You came finally " The mandurugo said excited "And alone " an anticipating smile curved up her face.

    "You said you will release my brother " Lia said with a straight face not bordering on hiding the hate in her voice.

    "Yes, i did and still do "

    "Then, release him "

    "Nay, after I''m done " She retorted "Just think of him as my insurance, until I''m done, you can''t have him "

    Lia replied grimly "Then let''s get the party started "

    " Same thing in mind here, darling " She chuckled and began approaching Lia.

    Lia stood rigidly, putting on a brave front. This is for her brother, she breathed. She had to do this for him.

    The Mandurugo took a good sniff , a delirious expression on her face. She drew close and moved Lia''s hair to the side exposing her smooth neck.

    "You don''t know how intoxicating your scent is"

    Lia frowned, this was the second time of hearing that statement in same day. Sadly, her thoughts were interrupted when she felt a sharp pain in her neck.

    Trevor nearly wet his pant when he saw the scene before him, the girl whom he thought was pure and human had a monstrous wings on her back and it''s barbed tongue inserted into his sister''s neck, draining her blood greedily.

    He thought the girl was sick in the head when she mentioned taking his sister''s blood, but judging from the scene before him, she was indeed not crazy but a monster.

    Suddenly a loud screech assaulted his ears, he groaned experiencing a temporary hearing loss.

    "You!" The mandurugo shrieked, pure horror and disbelief written on it''s face, there was a knife plunged neatly on its chest.

    Lia audaciously smirked, " Yes me " .

    She grabbed the mandurugo , slammed her elbow into its face and whirled the creature around, smashing it into the nearest room. Thanks to the huge impact, the wall collapsed burying the mandurugo under a pile of bricks.

    Chest heaving, emotions reeling and still buzzing with energy, she ran to her brother. Lia let out a sigh of relieve when she checked his pulse, he was just unconscious. Emotions whipped through lia, reminding her how close she came to losing her brother.

    But a sudden flapping of wings startled her, she turned around , only to see the mandurugo she thought dead reach for her, claws out and all.

    It was too late to retaliate so she squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the impact which strangely never came.

    Lia slowly let an eye open, followed by the other afterwards , open-mouthed at the scene playing out before her.

    Dan from no where appeared , grabbed the mandurugo by the neck and decapitated the head from the body amidst its scream, blood spattering on them.

    Soon enough, it''s decapitated body fell by his feet with a soft thud while Dan sent it''s disembodied head flying across the hall.

    "Rule number one : never get distracted during a fight " Dan reminded her again smugly but this time she flashed him a grateful smile.

 Chapter 46 - Fourty - Six : What The Hell Is Wrong With This Madman?

    She didn''t know what she could have done without Dan, probably would''ve lost her brother in that fight.

    Truthfully, she didn''t go to fight the mandurugo unprepared, she had a secret upper hand, fat thanks to Dan.

    The Mandurugo feeds on human blood but for unknown reasons was hooked on her''s, but she''s clearly not human as said by Dan.

    She wouldn''t boost of having a high IQ but she was smart and understood at once what he was implying.

    So she pulled a weak front, appearing scared and submissive tricking the mandurugo into thinking she was desperate to save the life of her brother, so therefore would do anything.

    And yes, she was desperate to save her brother but the real reason was for the creature to let down its guard. So when it finally did, boom! she striked and defeated it or so she thought.

    Thanks to the sneak attack, Lia realized at once why they were called vicious and vengeful creatures. They never give up unless dead , and even on the brink of death tries to drag their opponent down with them.

    "He''s good, I think so " Lia said when she saw Dan crouch down to check on her brother.

    "The mandurugo took blood from him but not much, he fainted from shock " Dan explained examining her brother''s face.

    Lia let out a frustrated sigh, this scene would haunt her brother for the rest of his life.

    "Grab my hand, I''ll teleport you both back to the house " Dan said, scooped Trevor up and threw him over his shoulder as if he weighed nothing

    She didn''t hesitate this time, grabbed his hand and looked into his eyes conveying her unspoken words.

    She trusts him

    Dan gave her a faint smile, tightened his clasp on her and did his mojo. They all disappeared, within seconds, appeared in the same room the both had fought hardly an hour ago.

    Dan placed Trevor on the bed , careful not to stir him awake, he had many things at hand to settle before coming to his.

    "My brother can''t remember this " Lia said , a troubled look on her face. She was pacing up and down, her mind all over the place.

    She whipped around, a hopeful glint in her in his eyes as she approached him. "You''re a vampire with an unbelievable ability, perhaps, you might know of others like you with a mind erasing ability "

    "You mean hypnosis " he corrected.

    "Yes, you are right. You must know of one, right " She acknowledged, a radiant smile on her face.

    Dan breathed "All vampires are naturally born with a compulsive ability thanks to our dripping and amplified sex appeal "

    Lia''s face lit up with excitement, what she thought difficult was now made easier for her.

    "Then compel, hypnotize or do whatever you guys do, to him, I need him to forget this unpleasant incident. He should, infact must never remember this incident, he''s too fragile to handle all this "

    Dan waved his head sympathetically "I can''t, he''s being accepted "

    "What?! "

    Lia''s ears buzzed, she probably didn''t hear right. "You''re kidding, right? "

    But when she saw the straight look on Dan''s face, she understood at once, he wasn''t joking. Eventhough she didn''t know Dan that much but from the little time they spent together, she understood he was a serious person. He never jokes with an important task.

    " I don''t understand, what has his acceptance got to do with the compulsion? moreover they told us the acceptance ceremony was to ward us from evil" She asked confused, her heart in turmoil.

    "Yeah, to ward you guys from us . We are the evil, the ceremony made you guys immune to our hypnosis "

    Lia felt nauseous, and weak at the knees but she clutched her fist, garnering the little strength she had left.

    She looked Dan straight in the eye, blinking hard at the tears threatening to leave her eyes

    "Isn''t there another way? "She whispered "The man whom calls himself my father, his death devastated Trevor. Eventhough I pretended not to care about him but I saw the way he was hurting.

    "Trevor sees this place as some sort of asylum, a place he could heal and make new memories, unfortunately, this place is the opposite of it. Little Town is a hive of monsters, quite hilarious that I''m one of them too... "

    "You are not a monster! We are not monsters, we''re just different " Dan growled at her

    She laughed mirthlessly "Easy for you to say but you don''t come from a human family. Humanity is kind and all but not when push comes to shoves. When that time comes, will they accept me as a daughter ? sister? friend? what''s the assurance I won''t end up hurting them myself?.... "

    "There''s a way " he interrupted, startling her. He saw the way she licked her lips nervously, watching him anticipatedly.

    "The witches can erase his memories and I happen to know one but I can assure you, she won''t be pleased to see me "

    "Oh " Lia said, nodding her head "I''m guessing there''s a story behind the dislike "

    Dan saw the twinkle in her eyes and groaned, he just landed himself in the soup

    "We dated , more like had a fling fifty years ago, but you should know vampires and witches are like fire and ice, we don''t exactly go along. I broke up with her when things became heated and complicated but she threw a tantrum, nearly severing my head."

    "OK , an angry ex-girlfriend " she breathed, maybe he using '' she won''t be pleased to see him '' was an understatement.The witch would definitely roast his ass.

    He released a wry smile "I''ll contact her and hopefully, I''ll survive today but until then, I have a mandurugo to dispose" he said and disappeared before she could say a word.

    Great ! now she has to stay behind and pray Trevor doesn''t wake before the witchy ex-girlfriend arrives.

    Lia was about to check out the room since she didn''t have the chance earlier but suddenly the door clicked and snapped open.

    "Dan, you got to have.... "

    Lia saw the guy who entered pause, then visibly froze upon discovering she wasn''t whom he needed .

    Wait, those eyes....

    "You " he roared, face distorted with rage and hands pointed accusingly at her.

    Before Lia could comprehend what was going on, he slammed into her, pressed her against the wall with his elbow on her neck choking her.

    She coughed, struggling to breath.

    What the hell is wrong with this madman.

 Chapter 47 - Fourty - Seven : Youre My Mate, Arent You?

    " Let me go !" Lia cried out , she smacked a hand onto his chest powerfully, successfully releasing his hold on her.

    Asher faltered back, pure disbelief on his face. Did she just use her vampiric strength on him?

    Lia bent over, clung to her neck , coughing and gagging, unable to get enough breath at a time to fill her lungs.

    A human sleeping on the bed at the far end of the room awoke but only for a few seconds, he fell asleep again.

    Lia breathed, relieved and clutched her chest, her pounding heart calming down slowly.

    Asher noticed her discomfort and body language. Jealousy tugged at his heart but he denied it, he was just curious, why was she concerned over the sleeping figure?

    So he ignored her and walked towards the bed but she was quick to cross and block his path.

    " Please, don''t " She pleaded, hands stretched out protectively.

    An ugly scowl made its presence known on Asher''s face, why was she desperate to keep this human from him.

    Thanks to his height, he easily peer over her shoulder, hooking his eyes on the sleeping figure.

    His improved eyesight gave him the ability to notice the distinct similarities between the sleeping boy and his ma- the girl.

    They were siblings.

    "What''s your brother doing he-"

    She suddenly cupped his mouth with her hand signalling him to shush.

    The sudden contact brought a blush on Asher''s face, his cheek a burning shade of tomato red.

    Realizing bashfully what she just did was a little over the top, she withdrew her hand quickly as if scalded . Her face grew hot under his scorching scrutiny , so she looked away nervously, her heart a little bit out of its usual rhythm

    He was conflicted, how could her touch still make him shiver? He could literally feel the spark between them but she''s wasn''t his mate but Daniel''s, it was impossible to have two mates. So how come ?

    "Follow me" he commanded, avoiding her gaze cause it did crazy things to him.

    Lia didn''t look up either, she just stared at her feet, gave a whisper like response and followed him out.

    Lost in a reverie, she followed him at a slow pace , a lot of things were going on in her mind.

    She remembered Dan telling her about their leader, Asher. She suddenly wondered, If he was the leader of the Nicoli vampires, does that mean he was her boss too? Was she having a fling with her boss

    Lia yelped in pain when she suddenly bumped into a wall, no scratch that, a body - her boss back to be precise.

    Asher had stopped suddenly only to feel something poke him at the back. He turned slowly, the girl was rubbing her head, a pained look on her face.

    "Where is your mind? " He asked with an irritated tone.

    Lia didn''t hear a word instead her eyes were focused on the way his pink lips moved. A blush stained her cheeks again when the memory of their previous encounter resurfaced in her mind, she remembered it all.

    Initially she thought it was a dream but seeing the dreamed character right in front of her banished such thoughts. It happened, it was real.

    Asher caught the way she gnawed on her lips and anxiously looking around as if she''s been caught doing anything reprehensible, gave him a clue on what she''s thinking about.

    Truth being told, his thoughts weren''t clean either. He had this urging wish to just pin her against the wall, dig his hand into her soft silky hair, claim and worship that tempting lips of hers forever, drown his senses with her moans and finally have his way with her. It was going to be explosive

    But then she wasn''t his mate, this was all a manipulation from the witches. Whatever he was feeling for her wasn''t real, it was just some pull, an attraction , probably a love spell casted on them unaware.

    So he snapped out of such ridiculous thoughts and opened the door to his office.

    "What is a mate? " Lia asked as soon as they went into some sort of office. Lia remembered Dan telling her, her mate ordered him to keep her safe.

    "I''m not your mate " Asher replied in a deep guttural voice, what''s the girl up-to this time.

    Lia scowled "I just asked a question .I don''t remember accusing you of being my mate "

    She had the urge to throttle this guy, did he have bipolar disorder or what? One moment he''s angry at her, the next, he''s staring at her like he wants to eat her, the next, he''s avoiding her, the next, he just wants nothing to do with her.

    "Fine!" he snapped "You want to know what a mate is ?! " he bellowed.

    Lia suddenly let out a quick cry of alarm when he suddenly scooped her up and walked a few meters forward, with his free hand, he swept clean his desk and placed her on it. She was tongue-tied, the words couldn''t exactly flow out of her mouth. She just stared at him open mouthed.

    "A mate " he started, his breath ragged "Is your other half, your soulmate, your companion for life, someone you''re willing to catch a grenade for, someone you want to woke up to for eternity, someone you don''t want to share with others! someone you love endlessly! and someone you do this to passionately! "

    Asher sealed her lips with his as soon as the words left his mouth. Lia was wide-eyed, she didn''t know how to respond, he took her by surprise.

    When he didn''t get a response from her, he growled and bit down on her lower lips. She winced from the pain but atlest it reminded her what they were in the middle of doing.

    Lia began to kiss him back with a passion she didn''t know she had in her. The kiss wasn''t slow nor sweet, it was hot and demanding, the both couldn''t get enough of each other.

    "You''re my mate, aren''t you?" Lia asked as soon as she came up for air.

    Asher replied with a growl "Just shut up and kiss "

    Lia made a low sound of pressure when he pressed her to his body, he was standing inbetween her legs since she was still sitting on his desk.

    She found herself wrapping her legs around him as their lips moved in sync once more.

    "Where in the world are.... oh "

    Dan said, he shivered when he saw the glare Asher passed him.

    "I''m sorry" he apologized "Go on with whatever you both were doing, I''ll just teleport back to wherever I''m came from " he gestured, persuading them to continue.

    Unfortunately, the passion was already ruined. Asher felt as if a bucket of ice water was poured on him, he almost did it with another person''s mate. He knew himself, if Dan hadn''t come in, he would have taken her now.

    The girl''s existence was a pure threat to his self control.

 Chapter 48 - Fourty - Eight : Sabrina

    You''re back " Lia pushed Asher away, got off the desk and rushed at Dan excitedly.

    Asher frowned, how funny, she was in a such a haste to get off him.

    " Is it time to hypnotize my brother? " She asked not knowing that a certain person was boiling beside her upon hearing her question.

    "Umm," Dan murmured nervously, he understood the look on Asher''s face. Asher thought he had exposed his secret to the girl.

    "The witch is on her way " Dan answered flawlessly clearing Asher''s misunderstanding.

    "Really? " Lia asked, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

    He checked his wristwatch " She should be here by.... "

    A sudden swishing sound had Dan duck to the side immediately , a dagger narrowly missing his heart.

    With a cloudy puff, an auburn haired lady appeared in the middle of the room and lunged at Dan.

    "You Bastard " She cursed and gave him a flying kick "You dare to use my summoning orb"

    The kick met Dan straight in the face and sent him crashing to Asher''s desk toppling over lot of items with him.

    Earlier, Lia had retreated quietly to safety when she saw the girl appear. Things between couples can get a little heated sometimes.

    "Why is she so mad at him? it''s just a break up, people do it all the time " Lia asked Asher who was standing beside her watching the drama unfolding with keen interest.

    "Don''t butt into matters that doesn''t concern you " Asher replied blandly.

    Lia was stunned, was he implying she''s a gossip? "You..! " She struggled to speak but she just couldn''t find the right words to use refute his claims.

    " Why are you so mad at me?! it was just a break up!" Dan yelled, tired of being dragged about.

    She said "You took me to Antarctica! "

    He defended "For a romantic gesture, I just never expected breaking up with you there!"

    "You left me on Antarctica "

    "Yes, I broke up with you and left you there cause an emergency came up "

    She spat bitterly "You left me stranded on Antarctica "

    "I ..." Dan paused, disbelief pasted on his face "That''s impossible, you''re a witch, you have magic to teleport yourself "

    She threw her head back, laughing mirthlessly "My magic was exhausted, I had used them earlier intercepting witches who were on your tail.I almost died being out there in the cold, with no magic, no source of warmth. Heck! I didn''t even dress warmly cause you just came and whisked me away to Antarctica !"

    There was anger in her eyes as she narrated her ordeal bitterly.

    "It was only by sheer will power and the good Samaritan that found me , is that I''m alive today, yet you ask me why I''m so mad at you? "

    Dan was shell-shocked, so this was why she hated him so much . He had left her there thinking she still had her magic with her, he knew leaving that place was just a piece of cake for her. Unfortunately, she had used up her magic protecting him.

    Although it''s being years after the great War and the purge but it was almost impossible to witness a solid relationship between vampires and many other supernatural creatures.

    Vampires were viewed as a curse, an abomination, so a sexual relationship with one of them was prone to discrimination.

    Immediately the treaty was signed, it was no longer a crime for a vampire to date other supernatural creatures mostly the witches and the werewolves but it was often frowned upon and some often took their dislike to the extreme.

    Dan did not break up with her because he wanted to but he was forced to, it was break up or lose her. But she didn''t have to know that, he was taking that secret to the grave.

    "Hello Sabrina " Someone said from behind.

    Sabrina turned around only to discover it was the infamous vampire leader.

    "You''re still as dashing as ever " Sabrina eyes the vampire who took her hand and placed a kiss on it.

    "You''re still as dramatic as ever and by the way, you''re paying for the damages " Asher replied.

    Sabrina rolled her eyes "Like I would " She scoffed until her eyes rested on a girl relaxing against the wall at a corner of the room.

    "Who''s she? " She asked curiously

    "Asher''s ma- mmh guest " Dan rephrased his reply when he saw the glare Asher was giving him.

    Lia''s ears perked up when she heard them discussing about her.She stood back because she didn''t want to appear as a gossip, Asher really knew how to zero a person''s morale

    "Lia! " Dan called gesturing with his finger for her to come over.

    She reluctantly came, throwing daggers at Asher who turned his head to the side claiming innocence.

    "Hi, I''m Lia " She stretched her hand for a handshake.

    "Sabrina " She replied enveloping her hand in a firm and warm handshake. Sabrina frowned slightly when her witch senses tingled, this girl was super dangerous , but she covered it up with a smile.

    "Why did you summon me? "

    "We need you to hypnotize her brother, kid saw something he shouldn''t have seen and she doesn''t think he can handle it " Dan explained.

    Sabrina turned to face Lia "Seriously, you want to wipe his memories? "

    Lia stared at her confused "Can''t you do that?"

    "Well hello, this is Little Town, a haven for supernaturals which you clearly are one of them though I can''t tell what exactly you are " She breathed

    "But the point is , as far as you''re a supernatural, he''ll keep getting involved with or without your knowledge and trust me, there are people and creatures out there who would try to involve him even if he doesn''t want to "

    Lia pressed her temple, this was more complicated than she thought. Sabrina was right, because of her, her dear brother was dragged into this mandurugo mess.

    "It''s better he knows the truth than keeping him in the dark " Sabrina concluded staring her straight in the eye.

    Lia frowned, would Trevor accept her the way she was? She couldn''t tell, they just reconciled recently.

    "No, take it away " Lia replied firmly.

    Sabrina sighs "Fine then but I have to warn you, if he ever gets an idea of the supernaturals, this memory I''m about to conceal will come rushing back at him and it will be amplified intensely "

    Lia gulped nervously, was she making the right decision?

    "Do it "

    "Alright " She claps "Get the boy "

    Dan nodded and disappeared , unfortunately, he returned seconds later without the boy, a huge scowl on his face.

    "He''s not there "

    "What do you mean he''s not there " Lia retorted.

    "He left "

 Chapter 49 - Fourty - Nine : I Need The He-zukai Right Now

    Lia was panicking, where could her brother have gone in such a state?

    "Have you checked the cameras? " She asked Dan who scratched his head awkwardly. Lia noticed the weird look on his face and felt a bad premonition at once.

    "Umm, we don''t have - I didn''t install cameras"

    Sabrina chortled by the side while Lia almost went ballistic.

    "You f*cking don''t have cameras! in this large mansion of yours? " She swore , gesturing wildly with her hands.

    "Actually, the mansion belongs to Asher, we just live in it "

    Lia shot daggers at the idiot whom clearly was still in the mood to joke around

    "We''re supernaturals, we got our ability to protect us , not some technological gadget " Dan defended.

    Lia took a deep breath, they depended on their abilities yet her brother disappeared right under their noses .

    "Get Zukai " Asher finally said after a long time of silence saving Lia from bouncing on Dan.

    "Zukai?! " Dan asked shocked.

    Though it would surely take time to track down the boy but he was positive he could find Trevor, but summoning Zukai, wasn''t it a little over the top?

    Dan tsk tsk tsk and shaked his head mentality, even though Asher pretends not to care about the girl but he was head over heels inlove with her.

    Zukai wasn''t just a common pure blood, but one of Asher''s strongest warriors and was always summoned when there''s a difficult or life-threatening mission.

    "Immediately " Asher pressed Dan when he saw the hesitation on his face.

    "Fine " Dan retorted and left.

    ''Who''s zukai? " Lia whirled on Asher who was leaving the office to go investigate the scene of the escape.

    "One of my men who would be able to track down your brother''s ass." Asher spat hardly passing her a glance.

    "You should pray your brother doesn''t cause trouble " Sabrina laughed following along, she seem to be enjoying this.

    "What do you mean?" Lia asked, brows furrowed with confusion

    Asher grunted by the side, obviously displeased but didn''t bother to reply.

    "We hope your brother doesn''t go telling tales to strangers, we don''t want an unnecessary vigilante.The hunters are enough for that "

    "Wait " Lia said, held Sabrina''s arm, halting her movement at once. "Are you saying my brother might unnecessarily create a human vigilante?"

    "You heard me right, baby girl " Sabrina says "This is why the council keeps the existence of the supernaturals away from humans, nobody wants a repetition of the *Salem witch trials "

    " Wait a minute, that prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft was caused by a human spilling his guts?! " Lia asked wide-eyed.

    "Yeah yeah, every witch knows that story " Sabrina responded in a singsong voice. "Witch heals human from deadly disease out of sympathy, human goes spilling the beans to others , then false accusations, religious extremist arises, bam! witch hunts begins! "

    Lia realized at once how serious the situation was, maybe if she had, had a chance to talk with her brother before he left, it would''ve be a lot better.

    "He left twenty minutes ago" Asher commented.

    He stood in the middle of the room, eyes closed and arms outstretched

    "What''s he doin - "

    "Shush, don''t distract him " Sabrina hushed lia, pressing her finger against her lips.

    Lia pressed her lips together in an effort to remind herself not to ask questions anymore.

    "He shouldn''t be far, but it''ll take time to find him" Asher explained, this time , he was done with his ah meditation?

    "What were you -"

    "You''re here " Asher said interrupting her

    Lia felt a gust of wind behind her and turned around only to see a voluptuous blue haired lady staring back at her, seconds later Dan appeared beside her.

    Lia was a bit confused "I thought zukai is a man "

    "And I thought I''ve had enough of mysteries already but men ! you reek of it " Zukai said circling her and sniffing her around like a sniffer dog.

    If there was one thing Lia noticed about pure bloods, it was the fact they all were pale and chalky white and had weird purplish bag under their eyes as if they haven''t slept for a century.

    Dan claimed she was a vampire but she looked absolutely nothing like them though she had to admit her skin was a bit fairer than before but not to the point of being ridiculously pale. If not for the eye colour thing , changes to her body and the feeding , she wouldn''t have believed a thing Dan said.

    "You smell so good that I could have you for dinner" Zukai swoon, all over Lia.

    "That''s enough!" Dan rebuked Zukai when he noticed Lia was becoming a little bit uncomfortable.

    He grabbed zukai by the arm and try to pull her away but she hissed at him, baring razor sharp fangs at him with flaring eyes.

    Dan narrowed his eyes, the girl''s scent was probably affecting him too. Without warning, he grabbed zukai and disappeared.

    Lia breathed heavily finally understanding what was going on, this was the third time in a day she was told she smelt good. Was her smell that good and addictive?

    Asher''s green eyes narrowed into slits as he looked at her, he rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. The girl''s scent was too strong, he''ll have to trouble Sabrina to create a charm that would hide her scent.

    If zukai, one of his strongest couldn''t control herself, what more Gideon?

    Moments later, Dan appeared with Zukai whom was drenched from head to toe, what in the world did Dan toss her into ?

    Her see-through dress clung to her body exposing her curves, even the straight Lia felt attracted to this sexy woman.

    Asher smacked his forehead, shamed to the core

    "I need the he-zukai right now !" He growled, a hint of irritation in his voice.

    "Fine!" Zukai whined

    Suddenly, Lia witnessed the unbelievable happen before her very eyes.

    Zukai began to transform, the changes began with her hair, arms, legs , face and so forth . Within seconds, a tall, burly, gorgeous, blue haired guy stood before them.

    Lia was so strucked by what happened, she stared at him open-mouthed. What the hell !

    "D-did.. sh-he.... " She struggled to speak.

    "I know darling, been there " Sabrina smiled down at her smugly.

 Chapter 50 - Fifty : A Sisters Love

    Zukai has genetic chimerism, they were supposed to come out as twins but unfortunately the male absorbed the female in the womb" Dan explained when he couldn''t take Sabrina''s teasing anymore.

    Lia couldn''t exactly explain how she felt, she was having a rollercoaster of emotions right now. She felt stunned, then awed , next sad and finally curious.

    Dan understood her curiosity and continued "Fortunately when his ability began to manifest, his supposed dead sister began to form her own consciousness inside him, soon enough she could manifest physically "

    Lia fully understood what chimerism was : a rare disorder in which a person has two sets of DNA but it was more prominent in animals than humans, she just didn''t know vampires experiences that too.

    "So which of them exactly has the name, zukai? I heard Asher calling him, he-zukai " She asked out of pure curiosity.

    "Both " Dan snorted a laugh "The two sturbborn ass refused to choose different names, so we just add the ''he'' and the ''she'' to differentiate one from the other "

    "Oh " She nodded her head in understanding but her attention was diverted when she saw

    Asher swiftly drag the duvet off the bed Trevor slept on earlier and tossed it at Zukai.

    He murmured "Trace it "

    Lia frowned " Trace it? " Her question directed at Dan.

    Sabrina who was standing with her arms folded across her chest took it upon herself to explain this time.

    "Zukai has the psychometric ability : The power to perceive the residual information of an object or person. He can trace someone through clairsentient contact"

    "So he can sense where Trevor is just by touching the object he used "

    Sabrina shrugged "Pretty much that or more?"

    "More?" Lia arched a brow

    Sabrina gave her a ridiculous look "This are vampires we are talking here, their powers keep growing. Today it might be tracing by touch, who knows? Tomorrow, he might be able to create telepathic link with anyone by holding an object that''s connected to them"

    As she continued to listen, her expression molded into unbelievable awe, if truly vampires could do such things, then shouldn''t it be the same with her? Aside from her improved reflexes and senses, she didn''t feel anything else. Did this have to do with the fact she was different from other converts?

    " He''s in an alley, he looks scared." Zukai said, his eyes was shut tight in concentration while his hand grabbed the duvet strongly.

    "His lips are shaking, he''s asking for something " Zukai continued but unknown to him, he invoked a certain emotion in someone.

    Lia gazed up at zukai wide-eyed , did he just....

    "He can''t tell what your brother is thinking or feeling but he can read his expression" Dan explained as if he knew what she was about to ask.

    "I need to get to my brother now " Lia said decively, she''s had enough of staying back and doing nothing.

    "Where are you going? " Asher asked, grabbed her arm and stopped her from making another move.

    "Let me go! " She growled and glared at him.

    "You think I''m doing nothing here? " he asked, a little hint of pain in his voice

    "Fine " he said and crossed his arms "Let''s say you go out, how are you going to find him? Sniff around ? "

    "I''ll find him my own way " She retorted firmly.

    "And you''re not going anywhere unprepared and unprotected, especially not with your scent driving every vampire crazy! " He commanded sharply.

    For the first time in her life, Lia realized the power the command of an alpha male carried , it was firm, indisputable and mighty, she couldn''t even move a muscle .

    Not to mention the fact that as tall as she was, this guy still towered over her.

    "Fine then " She gritted her teeth and gave up her solo mission.

    Almost immediately Zukai awoke with a loud gasp "I know where he is ! " he breathed.

    "Describe it and I''ll take you there " Dan said listening intently as zukai gave details of what he saw.

    "I''m coming along " Lia ordered not even giving them a chance to protest.

    "Fine, I''ll take you and zukai first, before coming back for the others " Dan said after getting a go ahead nod from Asher. He knew his powers hasn''t evolved to the extent of transporting such a large mass at once.

    "Let''s do this " Lia muttered and held unto Dan, zukai did the same and soon enough, they saw themselves in the middle of some street.

    Lia winced as soon as the sunlight hit her eyes , she looked down abruptly. She forgot how sensitive her eyes were to the sun.

    "What''s wrong? " Dan asked with concern noticing the change in her demeanor.

    "Nothing " She pulled up a fake smile

    "Wait for the others, they''ll be here in a twinkle of an eye " He said disappearing right away.

    "I''m outta here " She said as soon as Dan left. They were in some busy street with lots of buildings and stalls, she wondered which alley her brother was at the moment.

    "Alright ... Wait - what ?" Zukai said confused but the girl was already walking ahead so he grabbed her hand at once " What are you doing ?"

    "Going to find my brother " She spat , jerked her hand free and darted past the dumbfounded zukai.

    He rolled his eye towards heaven irritably, he felt his other half inside him stirring restlessly, she wants to come out. Fine then, he mused. Perhaps, she would be able to handle the girl perfectly.

    "You know " A voice nudged Lia scaring the sh*t out of her.

    Still walking briskly, she turned shocked to discover that zukai was now a she. Her dress was no longer wet and fluttered with the wind.

    "You''re lucky old fashioned Dan doesn''t use his psychic ability a lot " She-zukai said, her accent a mesmerizing tone to the ears. "Else he would''ve know you''re up-to no good "

    "Like I care " Lia snorted.

    "You seriously don''t know how temptingly delicious you are to me right now? " Zukai murmured licking her lips.

    Lia shivered but ignored her, she knew zukai would not try anything stupid especially not in this street swarming with people .

    lia looked up, the sun wasn''t hurting her eyes much cause it was going down. Was it evening already? She suddenly wondered what her mom was doing? She didn''t have to worry about her mom searching for them, she knew the vampires must have covered up for them else she wouldn''t be so relaxed.

    "Trevor! " She called looking around in the first alleyway she could find, she hasn''t mastered her sense of smell yet so she couldn''t just sniff him out.

    "This is going to be fun " Zukai sighed exaggeratedly. She immediately took Lia by the arm and began to drag her away.

    "What are you doing?! " She yelled fighting her hold, getting inquisitive glances from few passers-by.

    But zukai laughed it off making it seem like a rough play between friends.

    "This is not the alley my brother saw, besides I might have picked up your brother''s scent and know how to use it unlike you "

    Lia couldn''t say a word, she obediently got dragged along until they stopped in a dim alley that ran between two buildings but the end was closed and a perfect place for someone in hiding. The place reeked of waste matters , there were several recycle bins overflowing with dirts making the place a total mess.

    Lia frowned, her brother hid here? She quickly maneuvered her way in when her eyes caught a moving shadow.

    "Trevor " She called softly when she saw him crouched down beside a recycle bin, a banana peel resting on his shoulder.

    "No, don''t bite! " Trevor stared at her, wide eyed and shaking. "Leave my sister alone! "He cried out.

    "It''s me Trevor " She said and tried to touch him but he crawled further away in fear.

    "G-give me my sister , don''t hurt her "

    Guilt ate at her, it was her fault her brother turned out this way. If... If she had not .... suddenly she gripped Trevor''s shoulder hard, her fingers dug into his skin and yelled at him.

    "It''s me Lia! Your sister !"

    Trevor slightly froze, blinked repeatedly before recognition dawned on him.

    "I thought you were dead! " He squeezed her closer to him and began to sob

    Lia clung to him tightly as if her life depended on it, she swallowed down a sob and blinked away tears from her eyes.

    She felt someone beside her and turned to see Sabrina staring at them with an expression she couldn''t exactly describe.

    "Now " Lia mouthed and Sabrina nodded in understanding.

 Chapter 51 - Fifty-one : "What Do You Think If Not For Us To Have A Private Chat "

    "Hey" Jenny called as soon as she answered the door "You guys are home late "

    Until her inquiring hazel eyes rested on the young man behind them

    "Don''t tell me you made a new boyfriend already, Lia? " She blurted out before realizing it.

    Lia who was about to introduce the guest, stared at her mom open-mouthed while Trevor coughed awkwardly, looking away.

    "Mom! " She whined and met her mom''s gaze, an embarrassing blush on her cheeks.

    "He''s our principal "Lia choked down a sharp response.

    "Principal? " Jenny shot back wide-eyed

    Lia gestured a positive response with her head while cringing inwardly.

    Way to go mom.

    Jenny stood in stunned silence, too shocked by her earlier outburst to think of a response. Perhaps, if she had thought before speaking, it probably wouldn''t have come to this.

    But who would blame her, she never thought her kid''s principal would be this young, fit, sexy and God! those green eyes.

    Asher stared at this scene amused, he never thought coming to her place would be this entertaining.

    "Principal Asher " He said, stretched out his hand for a handshake hoping this would help ease the tension hovering around.

    Embarrassed, Jenny cleared her throat "Glad to make your acquaintance, Principal Asher. I''m Mrs Jenny " She said accepting his hand in a handshake , not giving much concentration to his cold hands.

    "Forgive my manners, you may come in " She said and let them in, assuming the role of a proper hostess.

    Damn you tongue, Jenny scolded inwardly and locked the door.

    Lia led ''principal Asher'' into the living room wondering what this guy was up-to.

    After putting Trevor in hypnosis , Sabrina erased every memory of the mandurugo attack and anything else related to the supernatural.

    The only thing he remembered was the fact he went to school, had a great time in class and got invited to the principal''s place alongside his sister.

    He even forgot the kiss with the hot girl.

    "You have a nice place " Asher activated his flattering skill, well, he didn''t even need to try hard, Jenny was bewitched already.

    "Thanks, Principal Asher " Jenny giggled, a bit exaggerated, if one might say and tugged at her hair shyly

    "What is wrong with our mom today ? " Trevor asked feeling goosebumps all over his arm.

    Lia shrugged, but inwardly she was boiling with anger, why was her mom smiling at Asher like that? Also, why was that stupid Asher encouraging her mom? As a principal, he should be strict, grim and formal.

    And she''s not saying all this because she''s jealous, she''s totally not jealous !

    Asher was having a good conversation with the girl''s mother when he felt a murderous intent coming from someone. He consciously turned around and their gaze met and held.

    Though her expression was calm but her eyes spoke of a storm, it was wavering and destructive. She''s angry.

    Why was she angry? and approaching them?

    "Mom, we''ve bothered the principal a lot today" She said with a smile that didn''t reach her eyes "So I think it''s high time he left already "

    If Asher didn''t know of her killing intent earlier, he would have thought the girl genuinely cared about him, cause the way she portrayed her feelings could even fool the best performer into believing her.

    "What nonsense! " Jenny laughed it off "I''m sure Mr Asher would not mind staying awhile "

    Lia''s brow raised while the corners of her mouth quirked, it went quickly from ''principal Asher '' to ''Mr Asher ''

    Asher would''ve settled down for more if he hadn''t seen the look on Lia''s face. Her expression was interestingly becoming akin to a grim reaper''s.

    "I''m sorry but I have an important meeting right now " He answered politely and to emphasize his words, he lifted his hand and checked his luxurious Vacheron Constantin wristwatch

    "Fine, then " Jenny reluctantly agreed. She was hoping to know more about this young principal.

    "And I''m sorry for keeping your children aw-"

    " No need to apologize, I got noticed earlier by the school authorities besides, it''s a privilege that my wonderful kids found grace in your sight " Jenny said, pressed Lia to her side and ran her hand through her hair, dishevelling the hair lia spent a lot of time tiding in Dan''s room .

    Lia cringed and glared at her mom, why was she treating her like her an eight year old right in front of him?

    "Let''s call it a day then. See you later, Mrs Jenny "

    "And you, Mr Asher " Jenny replied , She followed him out the door and watched as he hopped into his Lexus SUV and started the engine. Soon enough, he was out of sight.

    With a smile on her lips, Jenny slammed the door shut and headed inside only to be treated to a sour expression on her children''s faces.

    "What''s wrong? " She asked startled.

    "Nothing " The both said in unison

    as if they''ve been practicing that for a while now.

    Jenny''s eyes narrowed, they were keeping something from her but she knew her children well, whenever they seal their lips, it''s almost impossible to pry it open.

    Throughout dinner Lia was surprisingly silent, she just made curt responses and was all dismissive.

    Trevor knew something aside from their mom''s flirting case was weighing her down, something seem to be bothering her.

    "Thanks for the meal, I''m going to bed " Lia said, dumped her half eaten meal on the sink and left leaving everyone stunned.

    "What''s with your sister? " Their mom asked concerned, her daughter''s countenance lately has been nothing but stable

    "Don''t know " Trevor shrugged innocently, digging into his food.

    Lia walked into her room and shut the door, making sure to lock it firmly. She turned and swallowed a scream when she saw a familiar figure sitting on her bed, leg crossed over the other.

    "Asher? " She called, sheer disbelief on her face

    "What took you so long? " He asked nonchalantly and stood to his feet.

    "What are you doing in my room by this time of the night? " She asked back, cautious of his intentions this time.

    "What do you think if not for us to have a private chat "

 Chapter 52 - Fifty-Two : No Matter How Much He Desired, She Wasnt His.

    " What do you mean ? " She asked walking into her room less tensed than earlier.

    "You can think of it as a brief Q and A session"

    Her gaze flickered with surprise when they took their seats on opposite sides of her bed simultaneously.

    "So, did you have a great time with my mom?"

    His back went rigid upon hearing that, was this the beginning of the question and answer session.

    He looked up and saw two burning blue orbs staring at him intensively. Asher''s breath hitched, his throat dried and for the first time, he found swallowing to be a huge problem.

    Eventhough her question was simple and modest he couldn''t help but feel an enormous number of concealed knives heading his way. She wasn''t testing but tempting him.

    He studied her for a moment, then began, choosing his words carefully. " Your mother was a good company "

    Lia narrowed her eyes at him "Really? Just that? "

    Asher smirked, a glint of mischief in his eyes "I''m afraid that''s your second question and my turn to ask "

    She frowned, has the game began?

    "It began the moment you asked a question" Asher answered the moment he saw the confusion on her face.

    Lia frowned, did she ask a question already? Oh.

    "Alright, ask yours "

    Asher suddenly climbed in further into the bed, lounging on his foremans and startling the poor girl

    "What are you doing? " She asked all panicky

    Asher rolled his eyes " Relax , I''m not going to do anything to you, unless you want me to " He said, a warm tease in his voice.

    Lia felt the urge to slap that smug smile off his face.

    He drew close to her, his face mere inches away from her''s, he stared straight into her eyes and asked " Were you jealous?"

    Lia was literally thrown off balance, she never expected that question. She looked up and saw the tugging smile on his lips and knew he asked this on purpose.

    He was trying to riffle her emotions and she hated it. She took a deep breath and released it slowly " I wasn''t jealous "

    He accused , " Liar " and leaned forward while Lia leaned back uncomfortably, she was sitting on the edge of the bed and would probably fall off if not careful.

    She gritted her teeth and shot him a thousand watt glare " What makes you think so? "

    "Ahh, this is your question " He said, a teasing edge to his voice.

    Her chest was heaving with emotion , internally boiling with anger. This was a game and he was playing and controlling her to his rhythm , she was his puppet dancing to his tune.

    " What makes me think so? " He still pressed forward, but this time she held still since leaning backward would be falling off the bed.

    Amusement played in the debts of his eyes, she was like a cornered rat , with no more holes to run into and hide.

    "Your voice, it''s curious and sharp , your eyes, blazing and murderous, your heart, pounding and unstable. That''s how I know " He whispered into her ears sending shivers down her spine.

    His words reached deep inside her, momentarily stunning her but thanks to that distraction, she lost her balance.

    She threw her arms around his neck in a haste hoping it would break her fall but she miscalculated her weight and the momentum, Instead successfully brought the both of them to the ground.

    Asher lay on top of her, his weight fully crushing her. He immediately tried to stand but her arms held him tight, refusing to let go, leaving him confused.

    "My turn " She said boldly, giving him a hint of what was about to come.

    So he adjusted his body , making sure his weight rested on his arms and not on her. Since she likes this position, why not give in to her especially with the way her breath kept caressing his lips.

    " Are you my mate ? " She asked straightforwardly.

    Whatever burning passion he was experiencing shattered at once. He tried to get off her but her hold on him refused to budge at all. The girl was persistent.

    "Answer me " She insisted, tightening her grip on him.

    "No " He said blandly

    She scoffed "Liar "

    "I''m not your mate but your real mate is out there searching and missing you" He answered firmly, hands curled into fist and a tinge of burning fury in his heart.

    "I don''t believe you " Lia shook her head

    "Like I care ! "

    "Oh you do care " She retorted, looking him in the eyes "I see the way you look at me, the longing, the burning passion in your eyes... "

    He interrupted "Then you''ve being deceived by looks "

    "No " She persisted " Dan told me only mates stare at each other that way "

    He gave her a ridiculing smile "I''m sorry but you''re stupid for believing a fool "

    She winced at the coarseness of his voice but choose to believe he was being evasive on purpose.

    "And I believe it''s time for you to let go" He said decisively.

    Lia felt something was wrong and looked down, to her shock, she discovered they were levitating in the air. The guy was using his ability !

    Before she could say a word, she felt herself falling and landed on her bed with a thud.

    "You !" She gasped, wagging a finger at him and tried to sit up but he pressed her back on the bed before putting something around her neck.

    She was about to give full vent to her frustrations in an outburst when she felt something cold rest on her neck. She looked down only to discover it was a necklace.

    "Never leave for anyplace without that necklace unless you want to turn all blood thirsty creatures around you into a feeding frenzy "

    He warned with his hands tucked in his pocket and watched as she admired the necklace. It was a silver coloured necklace artistically crafted in the shape of a teardrop, it was beautiful.

    "I went into a lot of trouble to get that from Sabrina, so lose it and I''ll set you straight "

    Lia frowned at him, what kind of guy would gift a girl a necklace, rather than shower her with sweet nothings, threatens her with punishment instead.

    "Now sleep " He commanded and tucked her warmly under the covers as if she were a child.

    At first, Lia thought she was going to have problem sleeping tonight considering what she went through today but surprisingly, her eyelids began to droop, soon enough she was sound asleep.

    Watching her sleep, Asher''s jaw tightened and in his eyes were a flash of envy. No matter how much he desired, she wasn''t his.

 Chapter 53 - Fifty-three : We Should Spice Things Up A Bit

    "Do you think we can trust him? " He asked plonking down on the nearest seat he could find in Daniel''s office.

    "Why do you ask? " Daniel asked staring at the window, watching the pack members going about their business.

    "Judith doesn''t trust him " Came his reply, he reached out and grabbed a piece of cookie from the cookie jar resting on top of Daniel''s mahogany desk.

    "Nobody trusts Asher, he''s unstable as the sea." Daniel turned around only to catch Ryan stealing his cookies. Again.

    "What? " Ryan shrugged and grabbed a handful of cookies before it was snatched away from his grasp.

    "Asshole" Daniel swore, a displeased scowl printed on his face. He closed the cookie lid tightly, pulled out one of his desk drawers, tossed it inside and shoved the drawer shut.

    There was an aggrieved expression on Ryan''s face, he was as sullen as a nine-year old whose candy was snatched by a big bad bully.

    Well who could blame him, the Alpha''s specially made cookies were the most delicious cookie he had ever tasted , notwithstanding he has a sweettooth.

    "No" He growled "Let''s get back to business" Daniel ordered and Ryan resumed his get- down -to- business mode immediately.

    "Something is fishy " Ryan confessed munching on a cookie

    Daniel looked up interested " What is fishy? "

    Ryan''s expression was suspicious " The way he lit up at the mention of your mate''s name "

    Daniel''s eyes flashed with raw emotion and his jaw tightened as he retorted " What are you trying to say? "

    Ryan sighed "I''m not trying to be rude or insinuative here, but I think Asher might have a bit of history with your mate "

    Daniel''s eyes narrowed and this time , closed he clenched his jaw so hard the muscles ticked, a hint of denial in his eyes "It''s impossible, she just came into this town weeks ago "

    "Well, if you say so " Ryan said, pursing his lips

    Daniel saw the displeased look on his friend''s face and clenched his fist, maybe he was right. The Asher he knew was always on guard but in the spur of the moment, he lost control and his mask cracked.

    No matter how much he wants to deny it as nothing, the nagging feeling at the pit of his stomach told him it was something more.

    He saw the raw emotion on Asher''s face, he was shocked , aggrieved, as if something precious was taken from him and finally anger before he resumed his usual poker face.

    Daniel suddenly wondered if his mate was the precious thing taken from him.

    "Even if they did had history together " He grunted, finally acknowledging the possibility of that happening

    "She''s my mate and would feel the mate bond once we meet, so whatever history they had is nothing but the past " He said , grounding his teeth in fury while his eyes flashed with murderous intent.

    "Moreover Asher is smart, he wouldn''t jeopardize the safety of his clan for a girl who isn''t his mate " Daniel said, trying to comfort his heart .

    He couldn''t bear to think of what Asher could''ve done with his mate in private. Had his mate fallen for his bewitching charms?

    It was no foreign news there was a dangerous and heart stirring sensuality about vampires especially with one as devilishly handsome as Asher.

    Even him had to admit, the guy almost bewitched him once which gave him all the reason to hate his guts more , so he couldn''t exactly blame the poor girl.

    "Then, I guess you have to make your move at once " Ryan reminded him.

    Daniel nodded, yes, he would make his move.

    ******************

    In a dimly lit smokey hall that spoke of eeriness, a cloaked woman sitting on a intricate looking vintage throne asked.

    "How''s the plan going, Emily ? "

    "Your ladyship " The blonde tomboy stepped out of a line up of hooded figures whom had their heads bowed.

    "It''s going as planned, her vampire side has been activated and if luck is on our side, her wolf should be awake soon. "

    A creepy smile appeared on the ladyship''s face, she cooed " Oh don''t worry, luck is on our side "

    " Your ladyship, what if our body can''t accommodate.... "

    "Her body would accommodate all, she would accomplish what our mighty queen couldn''t " She raised a questioning brow "Besides, why do you think she is called the perfect vessel?"

    Emily nodded, she understood now. The girl was a powerhouse, she could house and accommodate all those powers, something their queen couldn''t do.

    "How''s her mates doing? " Her ladyship asked, a hint of mockery in her tone.

    "They are oblivious of the fact that they belong to her and not the other way around, though her vampire mate is quite smart and seems to be catching on to something.

    " Unfortunately, unlike the vampire , the dumb werewolf thinks she belongs to him alone, typical egoistic possessive werewolves " Emily said in sheer mockery , rolling her eyes towards heaven.

    Her ladyship smiled at Emily''s comical face, the girl could be cynical at times. She sighed and rubbed her jaw reflectively

    "I wonder if the plot is moving too slow, perhaps, we should spice things up a bit "

    "No, your ladyship ! " Emily was quick to refute earning a look from her, she realized at once she acted a bit out of line.

    "I''m sorry your ladyship but I think the plot is moving on a normal pace, I just don''t want us to be in a haste and make a wrong move " Emily tried to explain hoping her ladyship would see sincerity and sense in her words.

    "Fine then, my ever wise Emily " Her ladyship said and stood from the throne

    "But the werewolf? " She started " He''s too boring, make him palatable "

    Emily shivered when she heard the word ''palatable '' , the werewolf was surely going to have a bumpy week.

    Her ladyship licked her lips, a mischievous glint in her eyes "The vampire seems exciting enough. Perhaps, it''s time I paid him a visit "

    "Long live your ladyship! " They all bowed and chorused as she made her exit.

 Chapter 54 - Fifty-four : Im Sorry But Ladies First

    Lia stirred but her eyes were still clamped shut, she still wanted rest . But why did her bed feel so hard?

    She shivered involuntarily when a cold wind hit her and tried to cling to any source of warmth to no avail.

    Weird, did she leave her French doors open?

    Just go to sleep Lia.

    She sprang up at once when she felt something wet touch her eyes, what the f*ck.

    Lia groaned when the sun hit her eyes and lifted a hand to shield the poor thing, she quickly surveyed her environment, where the hell was she?

    All she could see was tall trees, vines and shrubs which looked exactly like - oh my God! She shrieked, she was in that God forsaken woods. Again !

    Oh my God! Oh my God! Lia began to hyperventilate, she was panicking. There were a lot of questions running amok in her head right now, enough to drive her crazy.

    How did she get here - no, how did she know here? After the attack, she swore she couldn''t retrace her step back here If asked to, cause she mysteriously found herself on her bed after that incident.

    Why didn''t she mysteriously appear on her bed this time? No ! Did she sleepwalk to this place? How was that possible? Why was this happening?

    Lia looked down and shrieked at the sight, she was a total mess. Her hair was stiff and sticking out in all direction, there was mud baked in her fingernails , barefooted with dirty muddy legs not to talk of her clothes.

    Lia wasn''t putting on any clothes, She was very shocked to find herself in nothing but her birthday suit while her clothes lay,a shredded pile a few metres away.

    She knew instinctively something weird went down last night, did she sleepwalk to this place on all fours ?

    Lia had to admit she was more scared of what must have happened last night than when she discovered she was a vampire.

    But she was relieved there wasn''t blood on her body nor bloodied and broken bodies lieing in askew positions before her else she would''ve gone bananas.

    She had watched enough horror movies to realize, that''s what happens when a supernatural like her mysteriously finds herself naked in the woods.They wolf out, like literally not metaphorically and it''s quite funny, she''s not a werewolf but a vampire -

    Just shut up Lia !

    OK, let''s calm down, Lia tells her speeding heart.The most important task at hand was not leaving the wood but finding a clothe to wear and leave the woods.

    She glared at her wasted clothes and wondered what had drove her gaga enough to shred all her clothings to pieces. No matter how much she tried, she couldn''t remember a thing.

    The relentless chirping of the birds told her it was daybreak, thankfully , the sun wasn''t up yet so it was probably a few minutes after six in the morning, enough time to go home and prepare for school.

    Lia wasn''t worried about leaving the woods infact she was confident she could use her exceptional senses and find her way out, but naked? Nay, she''ll pass.

    Suddenly, her ears perked up when she heard the rustling sound of nearing footsteps, somebody - scratch that, some people were here.

    Thanks to her improved hearing, she could make out two or three movements and they were coming her direction.

    Gracefully, she leaped and climbed a tall tree with wide canopy enough to camouflage her from the intruder''s penetrative eyes.

    Hiding from such a great height she zoomed in on the approaching figures and just as she thought they were three in number, two guys and a female.

    Each of them were armed to the teeth with cameras, binoculars, and guidebooks.They looked like tourist.

    So she relaxed knowing they pose no threat to her infact, she was the threat to them at the moment. She needed clothes and they were wearing clothes. Problem solved.

    A malevolent smile spread on her face, she just needed one person.

    The female was wearing a gray cargo pant with light blue long-sleeved jacket and a day pack strapped to her back. She was looking around and taking notes of something...

    Lia took a closer look, the woman was observing birds ? Wait a minute, Lia realized. The trio were bird watching!

    She saw one of the male who had a much sturdy build raise the binoculars to his eyes, scanning across the scene carefully. He was wearing a wide-brimmed hat, same gray cargo pants with the lady, a brown long sleeved shirt and a birding vest with lots of large pockets.

    They must be a couple, she thought.

    But Lia preferred the other guy, he was tall, dark and handsome and wearing a pale long-sleeved shirt, long pant, sun-blocking gloves, and a waist pack with a long strap that reaches bandolier-style across his chest and one shoulder.

    Just like a predator, she fixed her eyes on her prey, watching and waiting for the perfect time to strike.

    Suddenly the couple decided to take their birding to another part of the woods leaving the pretty guy who was immersed in his photographing all to himself.

    Perfect.

    Swiftly, she dropped to the ground with a soft thud.

    Startled, pretty guy whirled around and a single punch knocked the daylight out of him.

    Lia lit up with excitement, she didn''t put too much force into the punch yet this guy was out cold but breathing, thankfully. Just how strong was she?

    Lia checked his waist pack to see if she could find a spare clothe but what greeted her were insect repellent, snacks, and a small ground clothe.

    Lia shook her head sympathetically and muttered

    " I''m sorry pretty guy but ladies first"

    Then she stripped him of all his clothings save his boxer shorts and gloves while she used the ground clothe to cover what''s left of his modesty.

    "This is my apology " She said and kissed him on the forehead after resting his back against a tree trunk.

    Then she was speed running out of the woods trusting her instincts on which route to take until she was finally out.

    It was a few minutes after seven by the time she arrived home and her mom was already by the doorway waiting for her with arms folded across the chest and a huge dark expression on her face.

    "Where have you been? " Jenny attacked Lia immediately, not even giving her the chance to catch her breath.

    "I went for a run " She replied, enough sweat on her body to prove her claim.

    "Looking like that? " Her mom raised a questioning brow.

    Lia realized at once she was a still a mess even after she changed clothes, she forgot the muddy smears on her face and the rest of her body. No wonder people were staring at her awkwardly on her way home

    "Trust me mom, it''s a long story "

 Chapter 55 - Fifty - Five : Shes A Monster

    "Ugh ! " Lia groaned, palming her ears when the bell signalling lesson over rang.Her eardrums almost exploded! Why was her ears extra sensitive today?

    "Hi " a high pitched voice came from beside Lia causing her to groan again, she could feel a heavy migraine coming.

    She turned to see who wanted to destroy her eardrums .

    " Hi Lia, I''m Cheryl " The girl introduced herself enthusiastically.

    Lia wasn''t surprised the girl Cheryl knew her name, cause after yesterday''s beef with Caroline, she gained a bit of fame. Now she was what highschoolers would call ''popular ''.

    Yeah, she was now among the popular kids in school falling just below Caroline when it comes to the popularity rank.

    Not that she cared anyway

    "Lia, as you know " She replied blandly, her hands pressed on her temple. Right now, she wasn''t feeling too good to accept pleasantries.

    "I love your eyes, it''s so cool! " Cheryl squealed excitedly

    Lia winced, was this girl''s voice a mic? why was it so loud?

    "Thanks but if you don''t mind - " Lia tried to dismiss her but the girl apparently wasn''t done.

    "I''ve never seen this shade of magenta before, can you please refer me to where you purchased it? "

    Lia drew her brows " Purchase what? "

    Cheryl gestured with her hands "Your eye contacts?"

    Oh, Lia realized numbly , the girl thought it was contacts.

    "It''s not contacts but my eye colour actually" Lia tried to explain, it was up to the girl to believe it or not

    "Actually my eyes does this thing as I''ve researched, my blue eyes turn magenta whenever I feed on blood "

    Cheryl blinked repeatedly, what''s she talking about? "You mean -"

    "Hey " Someone called interrupting Cheryl while Lia pressed both hands onto her temple this time.

    The loudmouth was back.

    "What do you think you''re doing? Trying to snatch my position in my goddess heart? " Ben accused, literally shooting lasers from his eyes as he sandwiched himself in-between Lia and Cheryl.

    If there was a creature Lia couldn''t understand the reason for its existence, it was probably this specimen called ''Ben''.

    The guy was so unreasonably possessive of her even though they just met yesterday. Ben was the one who showed her around the school, ever since then, he latched himself to her side claiming BFF.

    "Excuse me? who are you? " Cheryl asked confused and stunned at the guy''s absurd character.

    "Her one and only best friend " Ben tossed his head back challengingly.

    And the argument began.

    Lia quietly left the two bickering idiots whom were unaware that the subject of their argument had left already.

    She approached her locker and lay against it, she felt sick which was quite strange. Wasn''t she a vampire? Do vampires get sick?

    "What have we here? " Someone taunted from behind and Lia almost went bananas. What''s with everyone today? Why couldn''t they just leave her alone?!

    "Caroline " Lia breathed without turning around, her nose was hyperactive today on picking up scents.

    "Oww, what''s wrong with you today? " Caroline mocked, in sing-song. Surprisingly , she didn''t come with her two minions.

    Lia ignored her, she was having this burning frenzy inside her to rip that pretty face of hers apart.

    "Get lost! " She growled at her hoping that dumb barbie will take that as a cue to leave, Lia couldn''t understand what was happening to her but she had a feeling it was going to get ugly soon.

    Unfortunately, Caroline was called dumb for a reason.

    "Why?" Caroline laughed " Cat got your tongue? "

    Lia could feel her control slipping, her breathing was laboured while her fingernails began to thicken and to her shock , it became hook and pointed.

    Her claws made a grinding sound as it scratched down her locker, the voices around her were amplified driving her crazy, most especially Caroline''s.

    Caroline''s voice was loud and taunting, it was audaciously challenging her. The little thing was challenging her? She would snap her into two.

    Caroline shivered when she heard a feral growl come from the girl but she waved it off, what could she do? She was just a small human moreover she had Asher as back up.

    But the words got stucked in her throat when Lia turned around.

    It was just for a split second but Caroline couldn''t mistake those eyes, glowing magenta eyes and claws. Oh my God! She realized at once, the girl was a supernatural.

    Like Asher.

    Lia had turned with one purpose : claw the girl''s eyes out but instead, someone intercepted her plan.

    Dan cane out of nowhere and hugged the girl , hiding her hideous appearance from the eyes of the curious onlookers.

    He couldn''t help but feel something was wrong with the girl. Her incredulous sharp claws dug into his arms drawing blood but he didn''t give it much thought and slowly moved her away from prying eyes.

    When Lia could comprehend what was going on, they were already inside Asher''s office. She looked around realizing Dan was the one she had clawed instead.

    She stared down hard at her black, talon like nails and began to panick .Though she didn''t spend much time with Dan but she was sure his pointed yet sharp vampiric nails weren''t monstrously looking as her''s.

    [A/N: Just give the poor girl a break already, she''s being doing a lot of panic these days ]

    "Help me" Lia cried out, she was afraid of what she was becoming. She didn''t nor could she understand what was going on with her, she just wants to be normal.

    "I ...." Lia''s voice trailed off when Dan suddenly dropped to the ground with a heavy thud.

    There was a shocked expression on Asher''s face, next , he left whatever he was doing, shoved her aside and ran to his aid.

    Lia knew whatever was happening to Dan was probably because of her. A tear slipped down her face, she''s a monster.

 Chapter 56 - Fifty - Six : She Poisoned Him

    Asher was restless, he kept pacing up and down in his office. Today was the D-day as agreed, he was going to hand the girl over to Daniel.

    But he was reluctant , in as much as he believes that the feelings he had for her were fake, he didn''t want to let her go.

    This was the first time in his seven hundred years of existence, he felt something akin to a mate bond. Eventhough he wouldn''t show it but he longs to have his mate too.

    Though he has had his own fair share of women over the years but nor of it, was strong as what he felt with the girl eventhough it was just for a fleeting moment.

    His hand unconsciously moved to his neck where the girl bit him, the mark was still there. It was the only scar on his body that refused to fade away.

    The girl clearly marked him proving he was her mate but then Daniel? It was impossible to have two mates, it has never being seen since the beginning of time.

    One of them had to be the fake one , there was no such thing as one having two mates but Daniel didn''t seem fake either. They had provided evidence, narrated what happened, the curse week and all.

    Moreover he had listened to their heartbeat, non of them were lieing, the evidence was solid so it had to be Daniel, the real mate.

    The witches must have toyed with him, Asher thought. Placed some sort of hex on him unawares, leading him to believe the girl was his other half.

    Though he couldn''t come up with a reasonable explanation for the mark but he was sure the witches had something to do with that, again.

    The sharp ringing of his phone snapped him out of his thoughts , he frowned realizing it was a private number but he picked up nevertheless.

    "Asher speaking " He said and waited patiently for the person on the other end of the line to speak up.

    There was a long pained silence but the faint laboured breathing told Asher who was on the line before the voice came in

    "It''s me Daniel "

    Asher gulped deeply, it was time. He shut his eyes and clutched his cellphone tight almost crushing the poor thing.

    "I''ll send her over to you after scho"

    "No " Daniel said.

    Huh? No?

    "No what? " He asked confused.

    "K-keep her with you for the moment " Daniel stammered, it took every strength he had to say those words to the vampire , especially after knowing he had taken a fancy to his mate.

    Asher removed the phone from his ears to check the number, he wanted to confirm he was still speaking with the same person.

    "Why? " was all Asher asked.

    It was strange Daniel of all creature asking him to keep his mate for a while? Something bad must have happened.

    It was worth knowing that werewolves were extremely possessive creatures and that trait is amplified when it comes to their mate.

    They would not even tolerate a male of their own kind staring at their mate talk more another specie? Something disastrous must have happened for Daniel to request such a thing.

    "There''s a strange disease ravaging my pack, I have eight deaths on my hands already and still counting, the humans in my pack hasn''t shown the symptoms yet so I can''t tell whether it affects humans or not but I can''t risk her getting infected " Daniel explained, concern and apprehension etched deeply in his voice.

    Asher was supposed to be happy, afterall he gets to have more uninterrupted time with the girl, who knows when the disease would be cured anyway ? But when he heard Daniel''s explanation, he felt this huge lump in his throat and a painful sensation in his still heart.

    Contrary to what he deluded himself into thinking, Daniel cared about the girl deeply to the extent he was willing to leave her to his enemy if it meant her safety was assured.

    Asher wasn''t a fool, he knew Daniel must have sensed his usual relationship with the girl on the day he visited his office. That day he had exposed himself by letting his emotions get the better of him.

    Yet the guy still wanted him to take care of his mate. Asher snorted, unlike Daniel he wasn''t that righteous.

    "Aren''t you afraid I might snatch her away? " Asher asked on purpose

    There was a short laugh before a response came "I might not know you much Asher but I know you love your clan more than anything else "

    Asher listened, jaw clenched.His clan was his greatest weakness but what nobody knew was that, the girl''s position in his heart was beginning to threaten that. It was beginning to scare him, that one day he might really choose the girl over his clan.

    "Moreover " Daniel continued " There''s no amount of attraction the mate bond can''t defeat so quit trying to trifle my emotions, you''ve lost already " Daniel spat mercilessly.

    Asher''s heart sank, the werewolf was right, he was fighting a losing battle but he would never admit that to that proud alpha.

    "We''ll see then " Asher said.

    "Fine by me " Daniel agreed and was about to cut the line when he remembered something "A-ha! just to remind you, the girl might be in transition "

    Asher eyes lit up , he was beyond stunned when he heard the Alpha''s words. He stuttered at once "Y-you know? "

    "Of course I know, how do you think I lost connection with her initially ? I think a rogue must have bitten her, so you probably know how dangerous she is to you at the moment "

    Asher''s head buzzed with confusion, what the hell was Daniel talking about?

    "What do you me-" He wanted to ask but the line went dead immediately. He tried recalling but it wasn''t connecting at all.

    Asher has never being more confused in his entire life as he was right now. The thoughts running amok in his head was enough to drive him insane.

    What did Daniel mean by the girl must have been bitten by a rogue? He thought Daniel was about to confess he knew about the girl being a converted vampire.

    Everything was just insane, if Daniel knew the girl was a vampire then it would create more problems.

    Never in history has a vampire being mated to a werewolf, it has never being told of. Though there was rumours, wishful and fetish fantasies of vampires getting together with werewolves but nor of it involves being mates.

    There was a huge difference between a werewolf getting attracted to a vampire and a werewolf having a vampire as a mate.

    He initially wanted the girl to keep the fact she was some sort of vampire away from Daniel when they finally meet, since she wasn''t exactly like other converts and watch how things unfold, but now?

    He didn''t know what to think anymore but he choose to believe Daniel must have made some sort of mistake.

    He was thinking about that when he suddenly felt a familiar presence. He looked up, it was Dan and the girl.

    Speak of the devil.

    But something was wrong, the girl was shivering fervently and staring at her hands with horror, that''s when he saw it.

    Claws?

    But her''s were much larger and hooked, talon- like and black in colour.

    Oh my God, Asher breathed. Daniel was right and couldn''t have been more right when Dan suddenly collapsed.

    His eyes widened and his stomach clenched, he shoved past the girl and rushed at Dan. His breath hitched when he saw Dan convulsing and vomiting black blood from his mouth.

    He immediately lifted Dan''s sleeves and was shocked to discover Dan''s veins were black, a very thick black in colour.

    Asher heard the girl gasp behind him but he ignored her and instead , began to trace the blackish veins and found it on his other arm too.

    She poisoned him.

 Chapter 57 - Fifty- Seven : His Voice Was A Distraction Already

    "What''s wrong with him " Lia asked Asher when she couldn''t take the silence anymore.

    "Venom" Asher answered curtly and turned Dan to his side. He had tore off the guy''s shirt and discovered the veins were all heading to his heart while Dan kept writhing in pain.

    "I did this, didn''t I? " Lia asked starring at the talons that refused to go away.

    Asher didn''t give her a reply, in as much as it was the girl''s fault, she didn''t do it knowingly.

    "If you don''t want to make yourself useful, get out " Asher replied "Or you can go to the left side of my desk, open the second drawer and get me a cutter knife .

    He saw a trace of confusion in the girl''s eyes, she didn''t expect that from him, probably thought he was heap a truckload of blame on her.

    Moisture touched Lia''s eyes but she blinked the tears away and headed to Asher''s desk. Guilt gnawing at her, she ripped the drawer open and found the utility knife as he described.

    She handed it to him and knelt beside him wondering what he was about to do.

    Asher took the folding utility knife and placed the tip of the extended blade under the skin on the thumb side of Dan''s wrist, and was about to cut in when the girl grabbed his hand.

    "What are you doing? " Lia asked grimly, eyes flashing with suspicion.

    "Saving his life " Asher replied and jerked her hand but her grip was strong. He frowned, since when did she become this protective of Dan? She was eyeing him seriously just like a mother hen watching over her chicks.

    "If I don''t let him bleed out, this werewolf venom will destroy him inside out " Asher explained and sighed when he saw the shocked expression on her face, he didn''t want to tell her yet but she forced his hands.

    As if to prove his point, Dan let out a pained scream stunning the girl. Gradually her grip loosened, but she made no attempt to move but the little space mercifully granted to him was enough to do what he wanted.

    "Hold him tight , keep him from moving " He commanded Lia when Dan started contorting and trashing around in pain .

    Asher understood how dangerous werewolf venom were to vampires, just as theirs were dangerous to werewolves too.

    The feeling was akin to one being thrown into a burning molten lava. One feels excruciating pain of fire, an agonizing burning sensation that covers and gnaw at every bit of cell in your body .

    The werewolf venom, will spread through the bloodstream painfully. After that the vampire will begin to cough up blood and hallucinate , eventually dieing rabid and paranoid.

    Locating his ulnar artery, the knife sliced into Dan''s skin making a long and deep gash while Lia tried her best to hold him down especially now he was getting physical.

    Asher expertly located major arteries in his body and began to slash at them, and in no time Dan has bled almost two liters of blood.

    Lia let him go when he became still, she lay flat on her back breathing heavily. She felt as if she just fought for a world heavy weight championship, the guy was insanely strong.

    It was a huge torture keeping her monstrous talons away from him and restricting him at same time.

    Asher stared down at his hands, it was soaked with blood, black blood, not to talk of his office floor . He''ll have to do an intensive cleaning later.

    Dan was eventually calm, he had bled out most of the venom and thus the tormenting episode was over. The little remaining will be flushed out when he feeds.

    Talk of feeding.

    Asher had to get him out of here and get him to feed soon. Dan had lost half of his blood and would be thirsty to the point of madness for blood.

    And being in a school full of humans wasn''t a wise choice either, so he had to get him out of here as soon as possible.

    "Lia, help me get..... " Asher trailed off when he realized the girl was no longer around.

    He looked around, she was nowhere to be found, but he caught a strong whiff of her scent meaning it hasn''t being a while she left.

    He was about to focus his attention on Dan when something clicked in his head and his eyes widened at once.

    God! he groaned and went after the stupid girl.

    Lia looked down, she knew she wouldn''t die if she jumped off the ledge, She had tried that with Dan already.

    Speaking of Dan.

    The guy was just trying to help her yet she repaid him with evil, he almost lost his life because of her.

    She snorted mirthlessly staring down at her talons that refused to disappear. What was she exactly ? If she wasn''t a human, vampire, ....w-werewolf ? What was she then? A monster?

    Lia tossed her head back, of course a monster. Maybe she did deserve to live, else she would keep hurting her loved ones just like she did to Dan. Maybe, death was better.

    If a fall from a great height wouldn''t kill her, perhaps a stake to the heart then? Classic vampire killing style but unfortunately , a wooden stake wasn''t available and it would a while for her to get one.

    Then her black talons got her attention. She stared at it curiously, if this only could poison Dan to the point of almost losing his life, what would happen if she used it to rip her heart out?

    Tempted and determined, she closed her eyes tightly and positioned her talons to her chest, she was about to carry out her plan when she felt something knock her to the ground.

    Not something but someone

    Asher traced the girl using her scent only to discover her on the school''s rooftop ledge about to commit suicide.

    He knocked her down , trapping her with his body and roared at her

    "What do you think you''re doing! "

    She struggled with him, clawing blinding with her talons "Let me go ! just let me end this pathetic life of mine !"

    " With whose permission?!" He spat in rage barely dodging his face from being clawed at.

    He continued.

    "Fine, let''s say I let you die? what about your family? Have you thought about the pain and agony your death would put them through? Have you thought about the loss the school would suffer when the news of a new student committing suicide surfaces? Have you thought about me who has been risking his life and clan trying to help you ? "

    Lia was stunned, the intensity of his words hitting her hard. She didn''t know how to answer his questions, it was touching and weird.

    She wonder whom thinks about the loss a schools encounters when committing suicide on school grounds?

    Slowly she showed him her talons, she choked "I can''t make them go away"

    Asher could''ve breathed in relieve if he still had a beating heart nevertheless, he smiled instead and got off her.

    "Easy, it''s retractable " he said when she got to her feet "Just imagine your nails being back to normal "

    Lia gave him a stupid look "Really? "

    "Just try it " He persuaded her as she reluctantly closed her eyes. He watched her breathing and frowned, she wasn''t trying hard enough.

    "This is stupid " Lia complained, throwing her hands up in disappointment when nothing happened after a while.

    " Concentrate Lia " he commanded " Here, Let my voice guide you " he said and placed both of his hands on her ears.

    Lia had to admit, she liked the way his cold hand felt on her skin and his voice, it was warm and sultry, vibrating just at the right pitch.

    "Get rid of every distraction " his voice continued.

    His voice was a distraction already, she mused inwardly but knew she had to concentrate before Asher becomes Mr grumpy pants again.

    Lia followed his direction and began to picture her fingers, she felt something stir inside when she imagined her talons shifting back to her nails.

    "Good " Asher complimented as she slowly opened her eyes.

    She looked down and gasped realizing her nails were back to normal.

    "With constant practice, you will be able to willfully...."

    The rest of his words were forever lost when she suddenly jumped and wrapped her arms around him out of excitement.

    "Oh my God! I did it! " She screamed, still jumping up and down enthusiastically, rubbing her body against Asher unknowingly in places that would cause one to blush red.

    Asher swallowed deeply, the girl was dangerously tugging at his self control and the funny part , was that she wasn''t even aware of it.

    He gripped her waist tightly trying to steady her but the girl apparently was a lost cause , until his nail dug into her skin as he fought for control.

    Lia froze when she realized how close their bodies were pressed together, what the hell had she being doing?! She screamed mentally.

    She swallowed nervously when she saw Asher''s green orbs had turned a darker shade, she knew that look.

    She wanted to push away from him but when he began to lean in, the ability to make a rational decision pulverized at once.

    She was sure he would have kissed her senseless if he hadn''t stiffened at once. Next she knew, he ran out and she followed suit.

    Lessons were going on so there was probably nobody in the hallways but Asher headed to his office speedily . There was a nagging feeling in his belly and it was confirmed the moment he stepped into his office.

    Dan was gone.

 Chapter 58 - Fifty-Eight : Committing Adultery

    Ben grumbled and stumbled as he walked down the hallway . He still couldn''t believe his goddess left him to deal with that scrounger called Cheryl all by himself.

    She tricked him, humph !

    But he missed her, where could she have gone? He had been searching for her since break period all to no avail.

    She was the only real friend he has eventhough they knew each other just a day ago but he felt drawn to her.

    She was unlike his other classmates who avoids and treats him like some sort of freak just because his ideologies differs from their''s.

    So he sneaked out of class just to search for her, what a royal friend he was!

    "Lia " He whispered, eyes darting around as he searched thoroughly. He had checked the gym, locker room, storage room, staff room but still couldn''t find her , it was as if she vanished into thin air .

    He had already decided to give up when he made out a silhouette leaning beside a locker. He squinted his eyes, trying to figure out who that could be?

    Dan?

    "Dan " He called and walked towards the pale pretty boy who looked like he was dragged out of a muddy swamp.

    There was this black gooey stuff that looked a lot like thick blood smeared all over his long-sleeved shirt.

    Oh right! The drama club had a colour mixing experiment with paint today, Ben remembered. The boy must have gotten involved with them, afterall every club leader wanted him in their group.

    "Hey " Ben said, looking the boy over. His eyes were sullen and his pale complexion was a lot more chalky than usual. He looked sick.

    "You alright? " He asked concerned over his appearance but Dan simply fell on him, resting all his weight on the poor boy''s shoulder.

    Ben was nearly buckling under the weight of Dan which wasn''t surprising, the boy was two times taller and muscular than him.

    "God, you''re crushing me " Ben complained trying to adjust and steady his sagging weight but Dan was oblivious to all this, instead his gaze was focused on the pulsing vein on Ben''s neck.

    Ben was about to drag him to the school''s nurse office when he felt a stabbing pain on his neck.

    He screamed and tried to push him away but Dan latched unto him so tight he couldn''t move a muscle.

    Almost immediately, he felt Dan''s weight was taken off me and touched a hand to his neck and was shocked to find blood.

    "What the fuck !" He cursed when he saw his goddess at same time trying to restrain Dan who had this rabid look on his face and fangs....Oh my God. That was his last word before he was knocked out cold.

    "That went well " Lia said with heavy sarcasm when she saw the way Asher delivered a blow to Ben''s head.

    Asher ignored her and took the struggling Dan from her grip.

    "Stop " He growled in a dangerous tone at Dan whom surprisingly, behaved.

    Lia was amazed "How did you do that? "

    "Perks of being a leader. Just like an Alpha , the order is undisruptable " He lied through his teeth, he had used his compulsion ability on Dan.

    Alpha''s order his butt!

    " And I''m guessing your undisruptable order can''t work on those " She said pointing to the surveillance cameras that was blinking red and had probably captured everything that went down moments ago.

    A smug smile captured his face "Don''t worry, my men are in charge of those "

    Lia was stunned " There are other vampires here? " she asked in a hush tone afraid somebody might be eavesdropping.

    "Of course, do you think purebloods and converts are the only vampire in this vicinity?" Asher asked, scooped Ben up and draped him over his shoulder as if he weighed nothing.

    "You should talk of hybrids : half human, half vampire, though they''re rare species but definitely around " He explained and motioned with his eyes for Dan to tag along as they headed to his office.

    "Which is why you shouldn''t trust anyone you meet in this school and most especially, people in little Town. Anyone who lives in this town has one or two secrets to protect, nobody is who they seem to be "

    Lia frowned, it seems a bit suspicious why their dad wanted them of all places to be here, a town that wasn''t even his birthplace.

    As if they knew anything about his birthplace, she scorned.

    The black pool of blood was still resting in the centre of his office when they arrived. Asher simply waved his hand and the black liquid disipitated into the atmosphere leaving only a black stain behind.

    Lia was awed by the scene , if all vampires had special abilities , she wondered what was her''s. Though she was skeptical of possessing an ability since no one could even tell what she was.

    But she was also thankful Asher''s secretary was off duty today else she would''ve been scared out of her wits if she had witnessed everything that happened. That is, if she wasn''t one of Asher''s people too.

    Asher seem to have lots of surprises stored for her.

    "I''m sorry " Dan said, a heartbreaking remorseful look on his face "I can''t do anything about the hunger. It''s just too much"

    Asher snorted a laugh eliciting a scowl from Lia. Why was he laughing at Dan''s predicament, shouldn''t he be sympathetic?

    "He''s lieing, he''s just luring you. All that matters to him at the moment is feeding " Asher explained.

    To prove that, Dan bared his sharp teeth dangerously at her when he discovered his plans were busted.

    "What are you going to do? " She asked concerned.

    "Thinking on how to get him blood, animal blood can''t do the magic at the moment. What he needs right now is pure human blood " He wiped his face with his hand sighing.

    "Unfortunately most humans in little Town is accepted and the tourist accounted for "

    Lia pursed her lips , thoughtfully " Can''t you get a blood bag from a hospital? "

    "I can, but my hold on him will relapse thanks to his intense willpower, and I trust you can stand your own but I don''t trust an experienced bloodthirsty pure blood vampire in a school full of humans "

    Asher made his point, eyes resting on the unconscious Ben sprawled on the ground carelessly, unaware he was sleeping in a den full of consuming lions.

    "Then let him take mine "

    Asher''s head jerked up "No "

    "Then do you have another option? " She questioned " I know I''m still some sort of human even though my blood might not be pure anymore. So just let him take mine and save us the trouble "

    Asher''s face contorted into an ugly scowl, If only she knew taking a vampire''s blood that wasn''t your mate was similar to committing adultery.

 Chapter 59 - Fifty- Nine: Asher Likes Ben

    " No, its too risky " Asher objected right away

    Lia threw her hands up in the air frustrated "The Mandurugo took my blood and nothing happened "

    "Yeah, that was until I discovered you have werewolf blood in you and -"

    Lia cut in "I also have vampire blood "

    Asher stared her straight in the eye challengingly "He needs human blood "

    Lia didn''t back down , she held his gaze "You haven''t tasted mine "

    "No one''s tasting yours " he said deceively and looked away "I''ll look for another way "

    But Lia grabbed his arm "What''s the problem here? it''s not like I would die if he takes my blood? " she asked noticing the way his eyes kept flashing diverse emotions.

    "Yeah Asher, answer the girl. What are you hiding from her? " Dan cajoled, a wily grin on his face.

    Jaw clenched tightly and hands fisted, Asher felt the urge to punch the daylight out of that stupid Dan. This was why vampires hated werewolf venoms, it made them say and do stupid things. Not to mention, it heightens their dark side.

    Unlike vampires, werewolf dies from vampire venom once it reaches the heart unless taken out or consuming an antidote prepared by a witch.

    Vampire''s death weren''t immediate due to the fact they were undead creatures, they didn''t possess a beating heart that would faster the movement of the venom .

    "Fine then " Asher spat coldly "Do whatever you want " He said and grabbed a seat, sat down in irritation with his arms folded across his chest.

    Dan approached the girl, a lewd smile on his face "I need your neck "

    "Like hell you would " Asher growled and stood at once. Glaring daggers at Dan, he kicked the poor boy at the back of his knee joint .

    Lia swore she heard the sound of his kneecap snap, forcing him into a kneeling position right in front of her.

    "That''s more like it " Asher said with a sinister smirk. He took the girl''s wrist and bit down on it producing blood.

    Dan salivated the moment he saw the warm red liquid trickle down her arm, he almost rushed her if Asher hadn''t given him a warning glare.

    "Gently and slowly " Asher warned with gritted teeth when Dan placed the girl''s bloodied wrist against his lips and began to feed.

    Once the warm liquid entered his throat, a frenzy began. Dan gasped with delight and began to suckle the liquid greedily, ruthlessly puncturing a hole with his fangs whenever her wrist healed up.

    Lia bit her lower lip to stifle the cry in her throat whenever he tore open her wrist with his sharp fangs.

    "That''s enough! " Asher ordered after a while, tearing him away from her.

    Feeling lightheaded, Lia used the wall as support as she tried to fight the dizziness off, it seems Dan drank more than he should .

    Dan looked around in apparent disbelief, memories of what transpired moments ago drowning his mind.

    Guilt and shame assaulted him making him look like one who was caught jerking off in a public washroom.

    "It''s not your fault " Asher tried to comfort him upon seeing the shadow of guilt in his eyes.

    But Dan would not hear of it, if there was anything he pride himself on, it was his extreme self control.

    Just like Asher, the both have mastered the skill of resisting the lust of human blood. It was more easier losing your rationality to feeding than controlling the urges , which is why vampires with extreme self control as a special ability were envied, they could easily blend into any human community .

    And he was almost perfect at mastering that skill until the girl came in, tempting every ounce of control he had, with her intoxicating scent until he finally gave in.

    He teleported away and for the first time in so many years switched to his telepathic ability, needing the numerous voices running through his head as some sort of distraction.

    "You think he hates me? " Lia choked a question. she saw the look on Dan''s face, it was filled with anger, shame and disappointment.

    "Nay, don''t mind him. He''s going to spend his time wallowing in self-pity but don''t worry much, he''ll come around" Asher answered nonchalantly, busy with tiding up his office.

    Lia frowned, why did he seem so unconcerned about Dan? He should be out there, searching and comforting the poor guy. "And you''re going to do nothing? This is Dan we''re talking here "

    Asher sighed and plonked down on his plushy swivel chair.

    He started as a matter of fact " Trust me Lia, what just happened is so yesterday. I''ve being with this guys for hundreds of years, long before your great grandfather were even born. This is not the first time this has happened, he''ve been there, done that. So not much to worry about darling"

    Lia didn''t know whether to laugh or cry, his speech was informative as well as sarcastic , not to mention the fact she forgot she was dealing with an ancestor.

    She was about to argue the point when Ben roused himself. Crap! she forgot he was here.

    " Vampire! " Ben said and awoke with a start. He sat up trying to take in his environment, he was in some sort of office that looked a lot like their principal''s office.

    Oh, it was their principal''s office, he realized.

    And there was the principal and - Holy crap! His goddess but wait a minute, why were they looking at him with looks he couldn''t even describe.

    "We do need to erase his memories, right? " Asked Lia gesturing a finger towards her head in a circular motion.

    "Of course, he saw Dan in his vampiric form " Asher answered but he knew Sabrina would be needed for that. The girl might be naive but she wasn''t dumb enough to fall for his undisruptable order of a thing again.

    " And your undisruptable order thing can''t work on someone who isn''t part of your clan , right? "

    Just as he thought.

    "Yes " He nodded a positive answer

    Ben watched the duo with a stunned expression, their conversation were more confusing than revealing but he was able to pick out some points.

    Dan? a vampire ?! erase one''s memories? Wait a minute, were they talking about erasing his memories!

    " Vampires are real?! " Ben asked enthusiastically if one might say.

    "Shush Ben, the adults are talking " Lia reprimanded him before refocusing all her attention on Asher.

    "No, this is awesome! vampires are real! You guys do exist! I knew it! "

    This time his zealous screams grabbed Asher''s attention

    "I like this guy " he commented.

    Lia gave him a long stare "Seriously? "

    Asher rubbed his jaw thoughtfully "He''s taking the news well, first time seeing such a scene in my entire years of existence "

    "The principal is a vampire too? " Ben gasped in astonishment , circling Asher. "I''m a huge fan of the supernatural, I''ve watched every supernatural movies ever produced, read tons of paranormal books and comics but to discover you guys are real ... "

    A blow from the back knocked the poor guy out, again.

    "What was that for?! " Asher snapped.

    " I should be asking you that !" She sassed back " We were talking about erasing his memories not watch him gush about his fanatic love for supernaturals"

    Asher frowned, pointing to his chest " This is the first time I''m getting a diehard human fan"

    A tide of rage surged through lia but she took deep, slow breaths. Calm Lia, calm down.

    Did he think this was some joke?

    But unfortunately, Asher continued, completely unaware of the volcano about to erupt.

    "Talking of which, I think he would make a good sidekick for you "

    And that was all it took for her to explode.

 Chapter 60 - Sixty : The Guy You Met In The Alleyway

    "This is no ordinary disease " Amala said examining one of the infected patients in the pack hospital.

    "What do you mean? " Daniel asked, his voice muffled by the face mask he was wearing.

    As a precaution to curb the disease from spreading, everyone was ordered to wear face masks and gloves to limit contact infections.

    Dan was bewildered, this was the first time in history seeing a disease that could break down a werewolf''s system as if it was nothing.The disease made them human , it was dangerous and severe to the extent The Elders had to take up the case.

    The Elders is a committee in the werewolf communities consisting of the oldest and wisest werewolves whose responsibilities were to check and balance the running of a pack, as well as settle disputes that are beyond an Alpha''s power or could trigger war among species.

    "This disease " She said pointing to the dark spots on the patient''s arm " Was caused by a high-tier black magic , I think a witch cast a spell on your pack. "

    There was a shocked expression on Daniel''s face, he was slowly taking in what Amala just said.

    She added " Not just any witch but a very powerful one "

    Daniel struggled to speak "W-why would they do that? "

    "I should be asking you that Daniel, who did you provoke ?" Amala retorted firmly.

    Daniel ran his hand through his hair, ruffling his already messy hair. The stress of trying to save his pack left him looking so haggard and unkempt.

    "I don''t know " He breathed, shaking his head "I have lots of enemies but I don''t remember offending a witch "

    Amala sighed deeply "In my own opinion, I think whoever did these just wanted to mess with you cause the way I see it, he or she had the ability to exterminate your pack " she confessed wistfully

    "If you said it''s black magic, does it mean a dark witch placed a hex on my pack? " Daniel asked bewildered

    Amala narrowed her eyes at once "What are you trying to say? "

    "The only witches that could do such a thing - "

    Amala cut in "The Burning Eaglet were exterminated during the Purge "

    "What if they''re back and have been hiding in the shadows all this while? " Daniel insisted , trying to make his point.

    "It''s impossible else the council would''ve noticed " She replied standing her ground.

    No supernatural creature could ever forget the Purge, it was the most controversial war of all times. A war between dark and light witches that forced many other creatures into choosing sides that left them almost annihilated or rewarded in the end.

    Daniel threw his hands up in frustration "Then if not them who could''ve -"

    She cut in "I''ll investigate that " She said and dropped the patient''s arm gently on the side of the bed.

    "I need one of the infected patient''s blood in order to come up with an antidote "

    A crease formed on the Alpha''s forehead as he took off his face mask "How long would it take to make an antidote? "

    There was this hopeful yet sympathetic glint in Daniel''s eyes that made Amala facepalm and groan mentally. Ugh ! Werewolves and their puppy face .

    "I-I don''t know " She stuttered unsure "It might take months? Cause I need to study the structure of the hex and... "

    Daniel''s eyes began to water

    "A month ? " She answered with a stressed expression.

    His lips began to quiver

    "Weeks? " Amala answered conflicted. Just take your damn eyes off the werewolf!

    But no, he was so irresistibly adorable with his wide eyes, raised eyebrows , bottom lip sticking out and entire head tilted a little downward while looking upward at me.

    " Fine, weeks !" She snapped and warned "No more bargaining. And please take that look off your face! "

    She pleaded looking away while an accomplished smile made itself known on Daniel''s face.

    Daniel knew she couldn''t resist his incredulous innocent facial expression , that was one of the perks of being a werewolf. If his puppy dog eyes would save his pack, then so be it. He wouldn''t mind doing it over and over again.

    **************

    Trevor sneered, what an adorable sister he has! He was taking the school bus home today because his sister has an important assignment with this new friend she made.

    He offered to stay back and help her out but she literally kicked his ass back home.

    So here he was sitting cramped beside two students that were making-out intensely, almost eating each other''s faces.

    Trevor wasn''t an introvert but he wasn''t a sucker for attention either, he just liked minding his own business.

    He couldn''t have been more grateful when the yellow school bus arrived at the bus stop closest to his house.

    He squeezed his way out interrupting the kissing couples who casted laser glares at him, but Trevor didn''t give them a glance cause he was experiencing d��j�� vu, as though he had seen this couples before but couldn''t exactly describe where or how.

    Trevor trekked back home, pondering endlessly but he frowned when he felt he was being followed.

    He turned around but couldn''t see anybody and to crown it all, the streets were eerily quiet today eventhough it was mid-afternoon.

    Still looking around cautiously, he was scared out of his wits when he bumped into someone.

    "It''s me " The intruder said narrowly avoiding a punch that was sent his way

    "Who are you? " Trevor asked with a guttural voice.

    The guy slapped his chest " It''s me, don''t you remember? The guy you met in the alleyway that day you were attacked "

    "I don''t know what you''re talking about " Trevor said trying to move away from this crazy individual but he blocked him.

    "Wait, you don''t remember me? " He asked shocked before his eyes slowly narrowed in realization "They erased your memories, didn''t they? "

    Agitated , Trevor pushed the guy away forcefully , he faltered for a while but still grabbed onto Trevor.

    "You and I were supposed to solve this mystery together cause we both know, what ignorant fools in little Town don''t know about"

    This time Trevor didn''t hold back, he gave him a sucker punch that sent him to the ground and made an exit hurriedly.

    The boy bit on his lower lips drawing blood and clutched his fist tightly. He was going to expose them all.

 Chapter 61 - Sixty - One : Cant I Sleep Over

    Hi mom " Lia chuckled as soon as her mom answered the door.

    Her mom frowned, displease written all over her face " Why are you home late -oh "

    Jenny said as soon as Ben pushed Lia aside to make a hasty introduction.

    "Mrs Jenny " Ben breathed and took hold of her mom''s hands " It is such an honour to finally meet you, the giver of life to this wonderful goddess by my side " Ben flattered pointing to Lia.

    Lia rolled her eyes while her mom gave her a please- help -me -out- here look . She sighed and came to her rescue

    "Mom, this is Ben , my newly made - "

    " Side kick! " Ben cut in excitedly.

    "Side kick? " Jenny asked confused.

    Lia facepalm mentality, having the urge to throttle that stupid guy

    "He means Friend " Lia tried to explain " You see, Ben here has a problem with communication. He can''t express himself perfectly and tends to mix-up the wrong words together "

    Ben whirled around, a shocked and pained expression on his face " You can''t be... "

    Whatever he was about to say was forever lost when he saw the killing stare his goddess gave him.

    "Come in, you''re just in time for dinner"Jenny said letting them in.

    "You''re home late again " Rex said as soon as she came inside the living room while Ben was busy examining her house in awe.

    Rex had fallen asleep before she arrived home last night and thanks to the ''sleepwalking'' incident the next morning, she didn''t have much time to make small talks with him.

    "How are you pretty little boy?" Lia asked ruffling the boy''s spiky blonde hair earning a frown in return.

    Rex tilted his head to the side trying to avoid her touch while Ben stared amused at the scene.

    "Who''s he? " Rex asked his sister when he saw a guy with curly black hair grinning sheepishly at him.

    "That''s my friend Ben " She introduced as the loudmouth waved at him vigorously.

    "I''m Ben, your sister''s one and only friend." And as usual he started "Just so you know, your sister is my goddess, her smile alone shames the sun while the moon pays tribute at her feet " He narrated theatrically .

    Lia facepalm wondering if there was an ejector seat nearby to shoot her out of here. Why was this guy always singing praises to her, she wasn''t a goddamn goddess.

    Rex was dumbfounded, he turned to give his sister a questioning look.Lia easily decipher that look, a where-the-hell-did-this-guy-come from look.

    "He''s weird " Was all Rex muttered and left while Lia was relieved to know she wasn''t the only one who thought that way.

    "Get your asses moving people, dinner is served " Jenny announced from the dinning room.

    Ben''s eyes lit up with anticipation, so he got to the dinning table before anyone else. Lia suddenly wondered if the guy was on drugs, his energy never depletes for once.

    " Wow " Ben exclaimed when his eyes witnessed the feast on the table. If his goddess ate this much everyday, why was she still as slim as a stick?

    "Make yourself comfortable " Jenny smiled down at Ben. She couldn''t help but like the boy, he looked inquisitive yet naive, not to mention the fact he was the first male friend her daughter has ever made. So there must be something special about him.

    "Thank you Mrs Jenny " Ben thanked and took a seat beside the flow Italian marble dinning table.

    "Just call me Jenny "

    "Thank you Jenny "

    Slowly, the rest of the family joined the duo at the table. Trevor''s eyes narrowed when he saw that fool at the table.

    "What''s he doing here? " Trevor asked his sister who was sitting beside him while the boy sat in front of them.

    "I have no idea " She breathed inaudibly.

    After the hot argument with Asher earlier , he still insisted on the boy being her sidekick claiming it wasn''t everywhere that Dan could go with her.

    Just like a witch''s home, an invisible barrier always kicks vampires out since most witches places a spell that wards off the undead.

    "What would a witch hurt me? " She had asked him with a heavy heart. Inwardly, she had this feeling that his answer would be a disappointing one but she just wanted to confirm it.

    Asher looked up, he approached her and ran his hands through her hair saying "You my dear is something that shouldn''t exist so be careful who you tell your secret, cause I''m sure the council won''t let you stay still after finding out what you are "

    So she reluctantly accepted the guy as her side - no , friend, after Asher fed him with his blood in order to heal up the fang wound on his neck thanks to Dan with a strict warning.

    "Die within twenty four hours of my blood being in your system and I''ll show you what hell is as a converted vampire " He warned severely .

    Lia was roused from her reverie by Trevor''s bellow

    "What was that for? " He questioned leaving her confused

    Brows drown together in a frown, Lia asked "What do you mean? "

    Trevor grabbed a roast beef sandwich and forced the buns open, complaining "what am I supposed to do with these? why eat the meat alone, are you a dog or what? "

    Lia blinked repeatedly not believing what she was hearing "I didn''t do such a thing " She retorted innocently.

    "Oh really, then what about those? " Trevor said pointing to the rest of the main dishes which were almost meatless.

    Surprise, then disbelief spread abroad her face to the extent she had to look twice to ensure her eyes weren''t playing tricks on her.

    She looked up to discover the rest of her family frozen in disbelief.

    They were just as shocked as she was, save Ben who was busy protecting his fried chicken with macaroni and cheese, collard greens, okra and cornbread from her.

    Lia didn''t know whether to laugh or cry in frustration, even in the direst of straits, Ben''s response was still anomalous and dubious as his outlandish character.

    "I''m sorry " was all Lia could say before everyone resumed their meal.

    For some strange reasons, Lia couldn''t find the rest of the foods appetizing, she only yearned for the remaining succulent, slightly pink and thinly sliced meat in almost every dish on the table.

    Eventhough the mood was slightly ruined a while ago thanks to the ''meat episode '', Ben was there to lit everywhere up and Lia had to admit, the guy knew how to lift someone''s spirits .

    Her mom couldn''t stop laughing cause he fed her one story after the other until she entered a laughing fit and almost choked on her food.

    Atlest there''s something he can do well.

    After she was through with her meal, Lia headed to her room and Ben followed suit.

    Once inside, she turned and scowled at him but he looked away, whistling and scratching his scalp awkwardly.

    " Isn''t it time for you to head home? " Lia asked with a fierce gaze and hands akinmbo .

    Ben swallowed deeply, he turned and pursed her lips in a pout

    " Can''t I sleep over? "

 Chapter 62 - Sixty- Two : They Wont Leave You

    Now, show me what you''ve got " Ben said and blew a whistle and Lia zoomed off using her extraordinary speed.

    How did things get to this stage? let''s go back a bit.

    * Flashback *

    "Can''t I sleep over? " Ben asked Lia with a pouted lips while she passed him a threatening glare.

    "Do you want to die? "

    "Please " Ben pleaded, rubbing his palms together while literally jumping up and down.

    Lia frowned "What about your parents? would they allow you to sleep in a complete stranger''s house? "

    Ben snorted a laugh but Lia couldn''t help but notice the flash of irritation that crossed his features.

    "They''re not around neither would they notice even if I was across antarctica by now " He explained without his usual zeal.

    Lia knew he had a story to tell but she wouldn''t push him into narrating anything if he didn''t want to.

    "Fine then" She sighed "I''ll tell my mom and if she agrees, expect a guestroom set up for you"

    "No!" He said in a flash

    She cocked a brow "What? "

    "Can''t I sleep with you? "

    "Nice try " She gave him a long stare

    "Fine" He said and waved a dismissing hand "I''ll take the floor "

    "Good by me " She smiled wickedly and left to inform her mom.

    Truthfully, Lia had expected her mom to put up an argument regarding Ben''s stay but dumbfoundingly, she readily agreed. Infact, her mom was even more excited to have him over than Ben himself.

    Sitting on the edge of his goddess bed, Ben was surprised when she came back bearing thick bedspreads and duvets and pillows with a strange look on her face.

    He wanted to ask what was bothering her but decided against it especially when the strange look turned into an irritated one. He couldn''t tell what was going on in her mind but he knew instinctively it wasn''t all sunshine and rainbows.

    Lia felt peeved all of a sudden, she looked down at her arms , at the pile of sheets and scoffed. This was hilarious, why was she even doing this in the first place? She looked like a mother hen indulging her chick .

    Exasperated, she moved towards Ben and dumped the whole content on him and climbed into her bed without looking back.

    As if that was not enough, she kicked him hard at his buttock and he fell off her bed. Lia stretched out herself, purring satisfactory like a cat with a contented smile on her face.

    Much better.

    Ben stood, lips pouted and wanted to complain but Asher''s warning suddenly chimed in his head.

    Before they had left, Asher had warned him secretly and sternly about her looming mood swings due to her wolf side.

    He told him to just look the other way if she ever did something childish, unexpected and infuriating out of nowhere.

    So Ben had no choice than to let go of all grievances, he obediently made the bed with the fresh sheets and pillows she had supplied him.

    " Are you asleep? " Ben asked curiously looking up towards Lia''s bed. He was currently lying down on the floor , relaxing on his makeshift bed.

    "Why? Do you want to do something to me in the middle of the night? " Lia replied sarcastically after a long silence.

    Ben chuckled. Do something to her? His goddess? He wouldn''t even dare.

    He didn''t ask another question until a very long time when he even suspected she was asleep.

    "How do you feel being this way? "

    "What way? " She asked back almost immediately.

    He glanced towards her and was surprised to see she was lieing at the edge of her bed starring at him intensely.

    "Being a supernatural? "

    Lia blinked and took a deep breath before replying " It feels great cause I''m always buzzing with this energy especially after I feed, like I''m on top of the world as crazy as that sounds "

    She then sighed heavily " But honestly, I''m scared. I''m scared of the fact that I might hurt my family one day if I lose control. I''m scared that I might have to leave them in order to protect them from myself "

    She swallowed, voice heavy with emotion " I''m scared of the fact that they might leave me one day if they find out what I am - "

    "They won''t " Ben cut in with confidence "I''ve seen your type of family, they''re the type that sticks with one through thick and thin. I''m sure they will accept you no matter what you are cause you''re still family and they love you, moreover blood is thicker than water "

    Lia stared at Ben astonished , this was the first time he said something reproductive.

    "Whatever " Lia rolled her eyes and waved her hand while adjusting her body on the bed "Nice pep talk " She said but Ben couldn''t tell if it was a compliment or sarcasm

    "Anyway, anytime you need my blood, I''m always available. Let me be your personal bloodbag "

    Taken aback by his comment, she scrunched up her nose in disgust " Eww ! no ! I don''t take human blood but vampire''s . Why do you think the vampires think I''m strange "

    Ben frowned, he thought of her as strange too. But no need to worry, he''ll run all his tests tomorrow.

    And true to his words, Ben woke her at five in the morning claiming he has to train her and run some tests.

    *End of flashback

    So here they were in the woods again testing out her abilities. Little Town was a very tree-friendly town so it wasn''t a burden to find greenery.

    Infact woods could even begin behind someone''s house but was mostly found in both sides of Little Town''s freeways and, normally characterised by overlapping and interlinking individual tree canopies, often forming a more continuous canopy with varying shade.

    "Slowpoke" Ben chided her harshly checking his stopwatch "Even a cheetah can do better than this so get your ass moving now! "

    Lia gritted her teeth , if she knew this sadistic exercise was his idea of a training, she wouldn''t have obliged him at first. She swore at once, she would have her revenge.

 Chapter 63 - Sixty - Three : The Girl Is Your Mate

    His eyes fluttered open, there was another strange presence in the room.Though he couldn''t sense any ill intent but he was sure this uninvited visitor was dangerous.

    Asher stood from the bed fluidly, he was wearing a spring faux silk satin sleeping robe which was opened at the front , revealing his lean waist and well toned stomach.

    "I don''t remember inviting you " He said, his voice tensed and grim as he watched the woman admiring the painting on the wall.

    A lazy smile played itself on her lips, she shot him a sideways glance " I like making an epic entrance " came her reply, then her attention switched back to the painting.

    It was a portrait of two figures from the old Testament, known as The Jewish bride . A masterpiece of the golden age : Rembrandt''s Jewish bride.

    "Do you know? " She started, eyes fixed on the picture "Painters reveal part of their soul in their - "

    "What do you want " Asher cut in harshly "Cause I''m sure you didn''t come here to admire a work of art "

    Her lips twisted into a wry smile " You''re smart Asher, I''m sure you know what I want already "

    Eyes narrowed, Jaw clenched tightly, he retorted " You''re wasting your time "

    "Am I? " She asked and turned to face him, her blazing red hair falling over her shoulder like a waterfall.

    She had green eyes like him but hers was of a darker shade but she was endowed with curves he couldn''t tell whether it was natural or magically enhanced.

    As if they were a couple, her hot, see - through red rose floral lace trim robe left little to the imagination.

    "Am not stupid enough to join in your suicidal plan " Asher retorted, dragging his eyes away from her body.

    "*Smart cookie " She purred, stopping right in front of him " He thinks my plan is suicidal " She whined, twirling her finger in a circular motion on his bare chest

    "My clan is much more important than whatever plan you''re cooking, so give up " He warned through gritted teeth ignoring her hand teasing his chest .

    "This is the more reason why I like you " The woman said, her hand caressing his jaw " You don''t give up on things close to your heart including your mate "

    Asher''s gaze hardened and he grabbed her wandering hands " I don''t have a mate " he said and flung her hand away.

    The woman laughed hysterically, her mocking smile infuriating Asher more and more.

    "I don''t have time for this " He warned and turned to leave.

    "Who told you she isn''t your mate? "

    Asher halted. He turned slowly to face her asking, " What do you mean? "

    She laughed "The girl is your mate Asher "

    There was a look of disbelief on Asher''s face, followed by an icy glare afterwards.

    "Leave "

    "You don''t believe me? " She scoffed.

    "Don''t you dare play me, you witch! " He growled at once, barely suppressing the urge to hurt her. "It''s impossible to have two mates so get lost! "

    "It is not impossible for her you moron! " The woman raised her voice on him for the first time. "Those rules don''t apply to her "

    "The universe has an order for everything! " He refuted furiously " There are rules for everything and you can''t change the course of nature "

    "Oh yes, we can " She sassed back looking him straight in the eyes "Those rules don''t imply to her "

    Asher''s gaze hardened, he asked suspiciously

    " What have you guys done? "

    The woman slowly smirked and walked to the edge of his bed and sat down.She gestured with her hand for him to sit beside her but his cold indifference told her otherwise.

    "I don''t have time to play games with you " he shot at her.

    Her brows narrowed "If you want to hear the truth, my terms and conditions " She said, tapping the space on the bed beside her.

    Asher squeezed his eyes shut before reopening them with a renewed determination to get to the bottom of this

    "Fine, talk turkey " He spat and took a seat as she smiled in victory. Asher hated that grin and had the greatest urge to slap that off her face but he knew this wasn''t the right time.

    Since she had the courage to break into his house, it means she had other plans made, incase things go south.

    The woman leaned forward resting all her weight on his body , her barely covered assets rubbing against his body seductively as she whispered " Guess"

    Asher smirked sardonically, he could see through this lousy plan of her''s. He wasn''t considered ancient and experienced for no reason.

    He pushed her down to the bed and straddled her while she giggled excitedly

    "I like where this is going " She breathed.

    A sinister glint flashed in his gaze as he murmured " Oh, you would "

    All of a sudden , the witch stared at him wide-eyed while grabbing her throat

    "W-what do.. you think you''re doing " She struggled to speak.

    "What do you think? " He asked back, a malevolent amusement playing in the depth of his orbs.

    "Do you think I came without a plan "She threatened still struggling with her breath.

    "Oh I know " he said nonchalantly "Which is why I figured out, if I ended you and killed myself afterwards , my clan would have a much better chance of surviving, won''t they? "

    The woman stiffened realizing his plans at once. This guy was crazy, she clearly underestimated him.

    The woman knew if she died in his hands, her coven wouldn''t let his clan alone but if he dies immediately, it was another problem altogether.

    The Nicoli clan is a very popular vampire clan due to their double special ability possessions. So if their leader dies, it will draw too many attention and they might get exposed in the process.

    Though she had her own support in the council but it wasn''t time for their existence to be exposed yet .

    Everyone thought the burning Eaglet were exterminated during the Purge and they wanted it to remain that way until the time was ripe.

    But now this guy was threatening to destroy everything they''ve built throughout the years? She won''t allow that.

    "Fine " She reluctantly agreed "What do you want to know? "

    Asher''s eyes narrowed as he asked in a dangerously low tone " Why is she my mate? "

    ----

    *Smart cookie : a clever person who makes good decisions.

 Chapter 64 - Sixty - Four : You Are Mandated To

    Lia was currently having a headache, having Ben and Trevor in the same car was proving to be a bad idea.

    "Don''t you have something better doing than clinging into my sister? " Trevor questioned with this huge scowl on his face.

    "It''s not called clinging but looking out for her " Ben ridiculously defended himself.

    "Looking out my butt " Trevor said with an angry snort. Their argument gained tempo as they continued bellowing back and forth.

    Their squabble was so hot and frustrating that Lia couldn''t have been more grateful when they reached school.

    Parking the car, she fled away before the duo could catch up with her and swore never to have a sleepover with Ben.

    Though Ben didn''t tell her but she had a feeling the boy was born with a silver spoon, cause he didn''t go home for a change of clothes but somehow ended up getting his hands on very expensive clothes from one of the departmental stores in town after their ''morning test '' .

    Though they were well-off but Lia wouldn''t risk spending that much on clothing , infact his actions somehow made her curious about his background.

    Why would someone of such a background cling to her side like an octopus , not that she was suspicious of Ben''s intentions for befriending her but she was just plain curious.

    Moreover, his behaviors were totally alien and unfit of a young master .

    " Well, none of my business." She thought and had barely opened her locker before Caroline approached her.

    Oh God, Lia groaned. She barely had strength left to deal with her after putting up with Ben and Trevor.

    "Hi " Caroline said with this sweet smile on her lips.

    Lia blinked unsure. Strange, why did it look like Caroline was smiling at her? wait... she was really smiling.

    " Hi? "

    There was a slight blush on Caroline''s cheeks and the fact her eyes were darting around nervously made Lia frown the more.

    "Do I owe you something ? " Lia asked wondering why she approached her

    Caroline scratched her scalp awkwardly

    "Urm, hey " She began "I know we didn''t start out great but let''s bury the hatchet and become friends alright ?"

    That''s a first

    "Fine " Lia agreed

    "Friends then" Caroline thrust forth her hand for a handshake

    "Friends " Lia took her hand, sealing the deal.

    Caroline gave a wide smile "A-ha , least I forget " She said tucking a stray hair behind her ears " I have a party this coming Friday at my place and you''re welcome alongside your er... friend? "

    The slight stressed look on Caroline''s face told Lia , Ben was standing beside her.

    "Alright, see ya " Lia gave her a wave before turning to look at Ben.

    "What? " Ben shrugged when he noticed the strange look she was giving him.

    " Nothing " She pursed her lips and shook her head sympathetically.

    If Lia was asked to describe Ben, she would simply call him Harry Potter lookalike especially with his messy curly hair and the gold rimmed glasses he was donning.

    "You should feed soon " he said.

    "What? " She asked taken aback momentarily.

    "Your eyes, they''re blue " Ben explained gesturing to her eyes.

    Lia blinked, the colour thingy was going to be hard to control. Imagine, if this had happened in front of a total stranger, it would''ve pose a problem.

    But the thought of feeding off Asher had her blushing tomato red. The last time she fed from him, a lot went down.

    "I can''t now, classes are about to begin "

    "Why worry when your boyfriend''s the principal? " Ben wondered.

    Lia glared at him as she refuted his claim "Asher is not my boyfriend "

    "Then who is he? "

    Lia tried to speak but she just couldn''t find the right words to express herself. "H-He''s just... just.. just Asher. Asher is just Asher and totally none of your business " She shunned him off with a strict warning.

    "Really? " A very deep sultry voice said from behind her and her heart dropped.

    Oh my God. Asher.

    She turned around rigidly while swallowing deeply, mumbling curses on Ben for choosing such a bad time to ask his question.

    "Principal Asher " She forced a smile that didn''t quite reach her eyes.

    "My favourite student " He smiled back, a mischievous glint in his eyes . The game was on and they both knew it.

    "To what do I owe this pleasant visit, principal Asher ?" She asked eyeing the curious gossips and onlookers.

    "I seem to remember we both have unfinished business, don''t we? " Asher played along.

    "Ahh, yes sir " She replied coquettishly, lowering her head.

    "Then I''ll be expecting you in my office " He ordered and stride away leaving the students full of questions. They wondered what the new girl had done this time?

    " Didn''t you receive a summoning order?" Ben teased, wriggling his brows suggestively.

    Lia slapped him on the back of his head "Get lost " and left to go answer Asher. For some strange reasons, her heart couldn''t help but feel giddy, what was she anticipating?

    Asher''s secretary signaled her to go in as soon as she arrived the reception lounge but she took a break, trying to assemble her scattered thoughts.

    She stood outside and took a deep breath before she knocked twice, turned the doorknob and walked in.

    Asher was relaxing against his office desk with his sleeves folded upwards , it looks as if he was patiently waiting for her and that alone made her feel butterflies in her stomach .

    She had to admit, eventhough the guy was an ancestor but he looked under twenty and like one of those hot models that appeared on cover papers, infact he looked better, without the makeup and all.

    "What are you thinking? " He asked breaking her reverie. His breathtaking green eyes staring at her curiously.

    Scratch that - he looked like one of those sexy dark Gods that was only found in fantasies. How could someone be this beautiful?

    "Why did you call me? " Lia avoided his question smartly. If she began to relay the nonsense in her head, he would surely laugh her to scorn.

    "What do you think?Especially with your eyecolor like that? " He asked back and began to unbutton his shirt causing her throat to dry up.

    She couldn''t tell what was on his mind especially with the way his eyelids veiled his eyes, hiding his intentions from her.

    Swallowing deeply, she asked "Do I need to drink from your neck, can''t your wrist do -"

    "Yes, you seriously need to " he cut in immediately " You are mandated to "

 Chapter 65 - Sixty - Five : Let The Games Begin

    Caroline was discussing some important stuffs with the school''s basketball captain when her girls approached her.

    On a normal day, she would''ve ignored them until she was done but the moment she recognized that look on their faces, she had to halt their discussion at once.

    "Tell me, you have something worth my attention " Caroline spat, obviously displeased they interrupted her.

    Alexa looked at Linda with a mischievous look while Caroline frowned

    "What''s going on? "

    "Guess who we just saw entering Asher''s office? " Alexa teased.

    Caroline''s gaze reached a frosty level, she didn''t need to guess much, it was quite obvious.

    "How''s the plan going? " Linda asked this time.

    Caroline smiled wickedly " She took the bait and hopefully, she appears on Friday "

    "But isn''t this risky? " Alexa peered cautiously, looking around in search of anyone who might be eavesdropping " I mean, we know what we''re dealing with here. What if things go wrong? "

    Arms wrapped across her chest , Caroline turned to face her "You worry too much Alexa. Just chill, I''ve got things under control "

    Alexa breathed nervously "I hope so "

    Caroline didn''t bother to reply the worrywart, nothing was going to change her mind. She doesn''t care whether the girl''s a supernatural or not, she would crush her. Nobody takes Asher away from her.

    Asher belongs to her.

    --------------------

    The door snapped open with a bang

    "You didn''t tell me Renard''s family is in town? " He walked into the room breathlessly, glaring daggers at the other figure resting his legs on the desk.

    Chris stood up from shock "What are you talking about? Renard has a family? "

    Shane drew back his hood while exposing the logo of a small humanoid carrying a quiver of arrow printed boldly on the chest area of his robe.

    He narrowed his eyes suspiciously " You didn''t know? "

    Chris shook his head " I''m just as shocked as you are .How did you find out? " He asked plonking down on his seat.

    "I did an investigation of my own, the new residents were just damn mysterious " Shane replied taking out a bottle of beer from the mini fridge and glugged down the whole contents in one gulp.

    "How many kids? "

    "Three kids : a girl and two boys, the girl being the eldest "

    Chris rubbed his chin thoughtfully " Why do you think he hid them from us? "

    Shane tossed back his head "What do you think? He probably didn''t want his kids in the Hunter''s league, not that we gave him a choice anyway "

    "You think? "

    "what else? "

    Chris took a deep , long breath, Renard was a very quiet yet secretive human being but never a narrow minded person. He must have had a bigger reason he didn''t want his family affiliated with the hunters. He just needed time to figure this out, he would get to the bottom of it all.

    ---------------

    "I need to summon the head " Amala said to the guards who wouldn''t let her inside the inner chamber

    "You don''t summon the head, the head summons you " One of the guards retorted.

    "But I come bearing important news " She insisted

    "Narrate your message, we''ll help relay it " the other guard assured her

    "There''s being reports of the burning Eaglet "

    "That''s impossible "The first guard rebuked "They were exterminated during the Purge "

    Amala''s gaze hardened " Apparently some survived they''ve rebound "

    "Do you have evidence to prove that? " The second guard inquired

    Amala nodded then began to narrate her story.

    "Hmm, we''ll convey your message " The first guard agreed , making gestures with his eyes to the other guard.

    "Thanks for hearing me out then " she bowed and left

    ---------------

    "How could he do this to you? " Emily gasped, letting her magic curl around her ladyship''s neck trying to heal her. There was a red strangle mark around her neck.

    "It''s seems I pushed him too hard " Her ladyship said examining her neck on the mirror attached to the dresser

    Emily sighed "Should we teach him a lesson? "

    "No" She said in a flash " The guy is a madman, I don''t know what he will do this time if we push his button "

    Suddenly she smiled " But that makes me like him more " She stared at Emily''s reflection in the mirror

    "I heard his father supported us during the Purge "

    " Yes, your ladyship but that cost him his life and almost his clan but his son, treasures his clan much more than he had "

    "Oh " She realized " Then we must get him to our side by all means then " she then turned to face Emily

    "How long before the vessel is perfect for transfer? "

    "As soon as her powers are stable "

    Her ladyship lit up " I can''t wait to meet her "

 Chapter 66 - Sixty - Six : What Is Wrong With Asher?

    There was something strange about Asher today, his gaze was more tender unlike his usual indifferent ones and there was this strange glint in his eyes. why was he looking at her as if she was the best thing in his eyes?

    "Are you going to keep staring at me or feed on me? " He said, snapping Lia out of her beautiful reverie

    Lia blinked, has she being staring at him all this while?

    "Umm" She cleared her throat awkwardly but when her eyes fell on his bare upper body, her throat dried up again. How could someone look this sexy?

    Beside her , Asher released a torrent of curses before he grabbed her waist and drew her close, murmuring huskily into her ears

    "If you keep on staring at me that way , we might end up doing a little more than feeding . So what do you say? "

    She released a shaky breath when his hands trailed down her arms and he smiled knowingly , he knew the effect he was having on her.

    "Fine " Lia said but she didn''t know where to start. Asher was a lot taller than her and she couldn''t tell him to just tilt to the side, it will be bad on his posture.

    As if Asher could read her mind, he grabbed her waist and lifted her off her feet before placing her softly on his desk.

    "Now you have a great view " he said standing in between her legs and Lia was grateful, she was donning pants.

    He tilted his neck a bit giving her full access to his neck but Lia just stared at it blankly, She was trying to understand what draws her to vampire''s blood.

    To be honest, it was a lot harder drinking from a vampire cause their skin were a lot tougher and harder plus the fact, their wounds heals quickly too.

    So while drinking , you had to tear open their skin repeatedly which was quite frustrating sometimes when starved . But she liked it that way especially when taking his, call it some sort of fetish, but it made her feel in control, as if he was at her mercy and she was merely taking what belongs to her.

    Lia bent and was about to pierce his neck with her aching fangs when he drew her back abruptly .

    "What? " She gave him a confused look

    "Can''t you be romantic? " Asher complained while she cocked a confused brow.

    "I don''t understand "

    Asher sighed, the girl still had a lot to learn

    "When feeding, you shouldn''t be so concentrated only on self gratification, you should think about your host too , is he receiving the same pleasure as I ? "

    Lia thought momentarily before asking "Does it always have to be a he? Can''t my host be a female? "

    Asher felt the need to smack her on the head, he was busy trying to come up with ways to make her feeding experience blissful and she was already thinking of feeding on another vampire , not only that but a female.

    Lia felt his mood darken and wondered what she did wrong this time?

    "As I was saying " Asher said, choosing to ignore her question " You have to lighten the mood, don''t just jump into the act immediately but give your host a good time, put him in a state of euphoria " Asher said suggestively, dropping small butterfly kisses on her neck.

    "Understood? "

    Lia could only nod her head, she felt like a huge task was suddenly passed onto her. She wasn''t dumb enough not to notice what Asher was trying to say, he wanted her to pleasure him.

    She suddenly scowled, why was he being so tight-arsed? The last time she fed on him, he was so generous with his blood. Why become penurious now?

    "Fine " She agreed reluctantly and slowly lowered her head towards his neck. She kissed the spot between his neck and shoulder sending shivers down his spine.

    "Like this? " She murmured running feathery touches all over his back. Hard as it was to admit, she was beginning to enjoy this.

    "Yes, like that " He said with his sultry voice that sent tingles all over her body.

    Lia thought she had him under control until his arm slipped around her neck pulling her head down. He seeked her lips hungrily while she pressed close to him until there was nothing but their clothes between them.

    "Why are we doing this? " She asked breathlessly when she came up for air.

    " Who cares? " He replied and took her lips again.

    Lia felt blood rush to her head, her heart was pounding so hard she thought she would die from a heart attack.

    Taking advantage of the opportunity, she quickly sank her fang into his neck and gasped from the pure zing of energy that fluttered through her.

    She could now clearly understand why Asher wanted her to pleasure him, the feeling she got from taking his blood this time was heightened, as if she reached orgasm.It was heavenly.

    Asher continued kissing and teasing her while she focused on feeding from him.By the time she was done, Lia was so full she couldn''t move a muscle.

    "You took too much " Asher childed her playfully, flicking her on the forehead with his thumb and forefinger joined together.

    Lia pouted, an aggrieved expression on her face. Why hit her? He didn''t exactly ration the amount she was to take.

    Noticing her peeved expression, Asher decided to placate her by placing a quick but gentle kiss on her lips.

    But the act left lia mystified the more, why was he being so nice to her all of a sudden ? It was weird but whatever it was, she hoped it never ends.

 Chapter 67 - Sixty - Seven : Mind Games With You

    Sabrina watched with eager anticipation as the ink traveled slowly down the map.

    Just a little more, just a little more, she chanted, hands clutched at her side and eyes concentrated intensely on the map.

    All of a sudden, a cool breeze whizzed by , chilling her skin and disrupting the flow of the ink.

    Sabrina gaped at the scene and froze, her one time use spell !

    An outburst, sharp with anger and frustration burst from her involuntarily , daunting Dan into silence.

    "You! " Sabrina roared, grabbed the nearest blade from the magnetic wall strip mounted on the wall above the counter and hurled it at him.

    Dan tilted his head to the side, the knife barely missing him and plunging deep in the wall.

    He had yet to recover from the first strike when she charged towards him, attacking him with brute force.

    " My spell " Dan used telepathy to read her mind but it left him confused. He wanted to read her mind further but her brutal attacks were becoming distracting, he couldn''t concentrate.

    "Do you have a fetish of hitting me? " He teased, blocking a blow laced with magic that would''ve crushed his sternum if she had succeeded.

    He had being so frustrated lately that the only thought he had was visiting her. Just like old-times, she would put on a pot of coffee and they would sit by the patio and make small talks but her outburst of profanity had aroused him from his unattainable reverie.

    "Were you born to ruin my life?! " She raved, her incessant attack gaining tempo.

    Sabrina thought she was gaining the upper hand until he disappeared and suddenly came up from behind, wrapping his arms around her neck in what could easily be considered a chokehold.

    "Let me go! " She struggled frantically but Dan was a lot stronger than her.

    "Fine " Dan breathed before he let go, spun her around with full gusto and pressed her body close to his .

    "What do you think you''re doing? " She questioned wide-eyed.

    "I miss you " Was all he said but she threw back her head in a mocking laughter.

    "Did you hit your head somewhere? we broke up like fifty years ago , now let go! " She bellowed, pushing her hands against his chest all to no avail.

    "I''m sorry " Dan said all of a sudden stunning her.

    Her frantic pushing ceased and she looked up towards him with a confused expression .

    He continued "I''m sorry for giving up on us, I am insanely sorry for leaving you stranded on Antarctica and I''m crazily sorry for doing this "

    Before she could comprehend what he was talking about, he lowered his head and kissed her.

    Sabrina stared on wide-eyed and stupefied , only closing her eyes when she felt his soft lips move against her''s.

    The kiss was full of longing and aggressively romantic that she had to wrap her arms around his neck for support.

    Dan kissed her with fervent heat and need, as if addicted to the taste of her lips and she responded to him actively of her own volition.

    Sabrina felt she was on fire, her vein throbbed and her heart hammered against her chest as if it would explode soon.

    She was so lost in this ecstasy that it took only his lips brushing her neck to pop her back to reality.

    " Oh my God " She gasped, pushing hard against his chest and this time he released her willingly.

    Sabrina gripped her hair frustrated, she glared at Dan "What do you want from me? "

    "Do I only need to meet you when I need something from you?" Dan retorted.

    She faced him, hands akimbo " What do you want me to think then? You come out of nowhere after fifty years and arouse feelings I long buried, huh? Tell me, what do you want from me? "

    Dan wanted to retort back but he was surprised to find himself tongue-tied, he didn''t know the right words to use.

    "Just as I thought " She said, with a low, pensive laugh.

    She ignored him and grabbed the crumpled up map on the kitchen countertops and tossed it onto the waste bin basket.

    "I''m sorry for ruining your spell " he apologized.

    Sabrina continued her silent treatment but suddenly froze, she never told him she was working on a spell. She slowly turned to face him

    "Have you being reading my mind? "

    "Turned out that way " He replied curtly

    "Turn it off " She insisted

    "Why? " He smirked " Do you feel exposed? Is there no way to hide those feelings you conceal the most? "

    Dan was taunting her on purpose.

    "What do you want from me! " She yelled, tired of his games

    "I want you ! " He bellowed back but Sabrina wasn''t one to fall for his lousy tricks.

    "Look here Dan " She stated " I''m not a human bolster you use for support when you''re weak and down. Fine, I forgive you but whatever happened between us is in the past and remains in the past. We are never going to work out and that''s the plain truth. So don''t try to use me for your silly mind game "

    Dan moistened his lips and ran his hands through his hair. How was he going to explain to her he wasn''t fooling around. Ever since, that day he summoned her for the first time in a long time, he''s being unable to have a peace of mind.

    Then when the blood drinking incident occurred, he realized how much he missed her , how much he wanted and valued her crazy thoughts running through his head right now.

    "How should I make it up to you? How should I show you that I really meant what I said " He said and tried to approach but she turned and snapped

    "Nothing! I need nothing! Just leave me the hell alone! "

    Dan gulped uneasily, she really meant it.

    He imitated taking a deep breath and said "Fine then, see you around "

    "I hope I don''t see you around " She spat giving him a sideway glance.

    Dan smiled at her "I''ll be back " and disappeared.

    She clutched her fists and shut her eyes tight chanting slowly as if her life depended on it ,

    Not now, not now.

 Chapter 68 - Sixty - Eight : What Is That Witch Brewing ?

    Today was Friday and the hallway actively buzzing with discussions and students . All everyone could talk about was Caroline''s house party.

    "Why is everyone so excited? It''s just a party" Lia wondered while Ben snacking on chips beside her snorted ridiculously

    "Are you for real? This is a grand party considering all the popular kids would be there, you included " Ben explained in awe.

    "Am I that popular? " asked Lia, brows drawn together in a frown.

    Ben gave her a long stare before shaking his head sympathetically.

    "What? " She asked, his strange stare making her uncomfortable.

    "You my dear, need to have your brain reset " Ben mocked crudely.

    Lia hissed at him but he remained unfazed by her momentary pique instead he continued his explanation.

    "Trust me if you''re not popular , I don''t think the students would be staring at you with love emoji in their eyes "

    Lia turned around and indeed, the students were staring at her in admiration .

    "Take me for example" Ben stated " I''m rich, intelligent, tall, caring, handsome - what don''t I have but still, they treat me like shit "

    Lia cringed and almost gagged at Ben''s definition of handsome.

    As if to prove his point, one bulky student probably a football player intentionally rammed into him and growled

    "Move out of the way, sucker " and hideously winked at Lia who rolled her eyes dramatically.

    Ben pursed his lips "See? "

    "I think you should add long-suffering to your attributes cause you my friend have a truckload of patience " Lia stated while Ben groaned inwardly, the girl was no helper at all.

    Back at her old school even though she was being bullied , she tends to retaliate once or twice earning herself a peaceful one or two weeks before the whole ordeal begins again unlike Ben here.

    She definitely can''t exercise the kind of patience he has.

    "So you finally admit you''re rich? " Lia teased him

    "What''s so great about being rich? It doesn''t make me more superior than a human being? " Ben shrugged nonchalantly but shivered when he saw the sleazy smile on Lia''s face.

    "I agree it doesn''t, but now I can easily freeload on you without feeling guilty "

    Ben almost spat blood, how could someone be so shameless? He was about to comment on her when Caroline and her minions suddenly intruded.

    "Hi Lia " Caroline and her girls said in a chorus while Ben squinted suspiciously at them.

    How long did it take them to practice that?

    " Hi Caroline " Lia replied their greeting, less enthusiastic as them but they didn''t seem to mind.

    "I can''t wait to have you at my party tonight " Caroline said with a dreamlike fascination while her minions giggled excitedly

    "Yeah, me too " came Lia''s less zealous reply.

    "I''ll introduce you to all of my friends, they''ll be so happy to finally meet you " Caroline rambled on " And uh - make yourself presentable alongside your servant " She said pointing at Ben with her manicured finger like some sort of disposable item.

    Lia''s countenance darkened " He''s not a servant but my friend " She corrected sternly.

    For a moment, Ben thought he saw fear flash through Caroline''s eyes but she covered it up with a cheeky smile

    "Sorry, my bad " She apologized and approached Ben who couldn''t help but take a step back instinctively.

    But he was startled when his back touched a body and he turned only to realize Alexa and Linda, her minions were behind him halting his movement.

    Ben was flabbergasted, when did those two crafty creatures get behind him?

    As if that was not enough, he flinched when he felt Caroline''s hand on his cheek as she brought his face towards her.

    With a sweet smile that sent shivers down his spine, she tucked a wayward strand of curly black hair behind his ear, bent and whispered

    "You don''t look bad but make yourself presentable cause we''ll have so much fun tonight "

    Though her words sounded innocuous yet ambiguous, Ben couldn''t help but feel an infinite number of hidden swords heading his direction.

    He could only swallow deeply and nod to her request rigidly.

    "Alright matters settled, see you guys tonight" Caroline chirped and left with her minions, purposely blowing a kiss to Ben eliciting cheers, ooh''s and wow''s from the onlooking students.

    Ben was speechless; he just stared mouth agape, what''s this witch brewing this time?

    Lia cleared her throat beside him, wearing an ambiguous smile as she said " I never saw that one coming "

    Ben rolled his eyes and threw his hands in disbelief " Not you too? And don''t tell me you''re planning on attending that party? "

    Lia stared questioningly at him, not really understanding his sudden change of mind.

    "Why not? There''s free booze and food" She added "Not to mention, my mom''s not there to supervise me "

    Ben literally smacked his face " I don''t trust Caroline "

    Lia gave him a funny look " You don''t trust anyone around me save yourself " She retorted blandly

    Ben didn''t know whether to cry or laugh, she has really formed an opinion of him.

    "You don''t understand " Ben tried to explain getting in her way " I have a feeling she has something up her sleeve. She might do something to you tonight "

    Lia stared at him blankly for a while before bursting into laughter. She laughed so hard tears slipped from her eyes and her stomach hurt while Ben stared at her with a peeved expression.

    "What''s funny? " He asked sternly, arms folded across chest.

    "You seem to have forgotten something " She laughed and moved closer to him before whispering into his ears

    "I''m a supernatural, what''s the worst she can do to me?"

    "Decapitate you? " Ben suggested

    "Funny but I don''t die " She proclaimed hauntingly and walked into her class.

    "I hope so " Ben breathed and followed on after her.

 Chapter 69 - Sixty - Nine : Take A Condom To A Party

    So " Jenny said "Tell me more about this party?" She asked curiously but Lia knew it took her mom everything not to interrogate her.

    "Meh" Lia shrugged "It''s just a party where the rich and popular kids come to fool around "

    "OK " She nodded but Lia knew she wasn''t assured at all, sometimes it was really tiring having an overprotective mom.

    "Mom, I''ll be fine " Lia sighed, dropping the makeup brush on top of her dresser.

    Jenny looked away " Who said I''m worried? why should I be worried? Aren''t you an adult?"

    Lia scoffed in disbelief, really mom?

    She turned to face her mom and gestured "It''s kinda written all over your face "

    Jenny snorted noisily "What are you? A face reader? "

    Lia shook her head and turned back to finish applying her makeup.

    "Don''t worry, Ben''s coming along" Lia said and her mom lit up at once.

    "Really? "

    "Yeah " She replied, pulling her wavy brown hair into a ponytail.

    Her body was clad in a short sleeve half-high neck crop top that showed a bit of her belly with a high-waisted purple camo pants and Converse.

    "Why isn''t Trevor coming along? " Jenny asked as her daughter picked her handbag.

    "Trevor''s lame, he''s socially inept " Lia explained as she opened the door to leave her room only to discover the Trevor in question was outside, leaning beside her door with arms crossed.

    "I heard ya " He said eyes locked on her''s

    "Like I care?" She blew a raspberry at Trevor who stared at her in shocked silence

    "I''m not socially inept! " Trevor refuted , keeping pace with her as she walked into the living room and slumped down onto a sofa.

    "Says someone who haven''t had his first kiss yet " Lia teased on purpose

    "Y-yo ..." Trevor sputtered, becoming red in the face.

    "Be good Lia " Her mom warned as soon as she came into the living room while Rex chuckled at the side.

    By the time Trevor could compose his flustered emotion, they heard a car honk and pull-up at their house.

    Lia sprang up "I''m guessing that''s my ride "

    She said excitedly and rushed to go see Ben, curious to see how much he spruced himself up.

    Immediately lia opened the door, she saw Ben with fisted hand about to knock on their door and froze.

    Oh my God.

    Ben was sporting a printed jacket with a black turtleneck, skinny pants and a cream white Adidas Pharrell Hu NMD.

    His curly black hair was straightened and slicked back. And for the first time ever, Lia noticed his high cheekbones and chiseled bone structures.

    The guy was breathtakingly handsome.

    "What''s taking you so long to answer the... Wow " Jenny breathed as soon as she stumbled upon them.

    Was this Ben? where the hell was he hiding this beauty all along? she wouldn''t have recognized him if not for his usual cheeky smile.

    "Hi Jenny " He said waving and giving her his signature sheepish smile.

    "Hi " She replied calmly

    "H-hi " Lia finally managed to say, eyes still glued on him with blazing intensity.

    The way she was staring at him was beginning to make even Jenny uncomfortable talk more him.

    "Umm, come in dear " Jenny said making a way and scuffling Lia who was still staring absentmindedly at him to the side in order to make way for him.

    Ben scratched his hair awkwardly and walked inside, wondering why his goddess was staring at him as if he was some sort of alien.

    With a hand rubbing her jaw thoughtfully, Lia scrutinized Ben intensely.There was something different about him, not just appearance-wise but aura - wise but she just couldn''t exactly pinpoint what was that.

    Thinking Lia was back , Trevor was about to retort when his eyes suddenly rested on a stranger - no scratch that, a familiar stranger.

    "B-ben " He stammered, wide-eyed.

    That was Ben?

    "Hi" Ben greeted "It seems I''ve overdressed this time, everyone seems shocked to see me "

    "You certainly did " Rex agreed

    "You certainly did not "Jenny contradicted hastily.

    Suddenly Lia walked in with this odd gleam in her eyes and approached him.

    "Let''s go, we''re already late for the party "

    "Sure my goddess" He said but noticed the way she flinched. Did he do anything wrong?

    But Jenny came to the rescue

    " Alright kids, have fun at the party " She said, guiding them to the door.

    "Remember to use protection, don''t get pregnant! " Trevor shouted from behind.

    "Jesus!" Lia passed him a sideways glare

    "Ignore the boy " Her mom mouthed and led them outside only to see a convertible in their lawn.

    "Is that your car?" Jenny pointed at the white convertible.

    "Yes but only used on occasions " He explained and she nodded in understanding while Lia remained unusually quiet .

    "Alright, have a good time " She said to them but drew Lia to the side and whispered into her ears " Seriously, use protection if push comes to shove "

    Lia rolled her eyes "That''s not going to happen "

    Jenny cocked an eyebrow "Yeah, that was what I said during my own time until I ended up giving a blowjob to the guy -"

    "God! mom! Too much information " Lia cried out in distress, she couldn''t even dare imagine the scenario her mom portrayed .

    "Lesson learnt? " Her mom bashed on

    "Take a condom to a party " Lia answered crudely.

    Her mom was a bit taken aback before covering it up with a smile " If you say it that way then "

    Lia waved her head sympathetically before heading to Ben''s convertible and sat beside the drivers seat.

    "Have fun!" Her mom screamed as they drove off.

    Lia smacked her face from shame, luckily there was no one around to see this save Ben.

    For the first time ever, the ride to Caroline''s place was awkwardly quiet until Lia muttered

    "Stop the car "

    " What ?"

    "I said stop the car!" Lia screamed and Ben had no choice than to pull to the side at once.

    Immediately the engine died, Ben was startled when Lia suddenly pressed an elbow against his neck, choking him

    "Who are you? " She asked furiously

    "What are you talking about? " He struggled to speak.

    "Do you think you can fool me, there''s something weird about you today "

    "Seriously, I''m Ben and I''ve always being weird!." He retorted furiously

    Suddenly her hold loosened.

    "You''re really Ben? " She asked, eyes narrowed.

    "Of course, who else? "

    "If you''re really Ben, what was the last thing you said to me yesterday at school? " she suddenly threw a question at him.

    "I asked you to describe your makeout session with Asher in one word but you fled " He summarized in one quick breath.

    Lia''s lips twitched.

    He''s weird, he''s really Ben

    "You''re Ben " She concluded and let go of him.

    "Yeah, duh " He mocked " I told ya and why in the world would you think I''m not me "

    "Well, you looked different "

    He frowned at her " That''s because I changed from the usual me to the handsome me "

    Lia nodded, she wasn''t mistaking, this narcissist was really Ben. But why did she feel that way in the first place?

    "Sorry " She finally apologized

    "Whatever " he said, obviously pissed

    "It was hot and steamy " Lia said out of nowhere.

    "What? "

    She blushed hard "The kiss "

    Ben''s face lit up with a lewd smile " Keep on talking sister "

    "Don''t push your luck, now drive! " She commanded sternly trying so hard to contain her red face.

    Ben obeyed, starting the engine but continued snickering at the side.

    "That''s not funny " She spat but he continued laughing anyway.

    This time their journey was warm and Jolly as they made small talks and jokes until they reached Caroline''s house - no , mansion.

    No wonder the kids at school were so excited to be at this party.

 Chapter 70 - Seventy : Carolines Games

    The vast lush modern mansion built on a hill, stood proudly behind huge intimidating Iron gates which was swung open as soon as our car arrived.

    At its courtyard, stood a monumental white marble fountain, expertly sculpted and graced with sea nymphs and regal lions adding impression of enchanted intrigue and classical beauty.

    Expensive cars lined the drive to the mansion, it was obvious everyone here came to impress or show off their wealth.

    Loud music were already blasting from speakers placed at strategic points while some students were already drinking from single use plastic cups by the time we arrived.

    Heading up the walk to the mansion, Lia couldn''t help but notice the way guys were drooling over her and some girls staring at her in awe and the others in pure green envy.

    It seems as soon as she became a supernatural, she had this aura that began to attract people towards her though she couldn''t tell if it was a good thing but sometimes it was quite exhausting when everyone wants to hang out with her.

    She stepped into the area serving as the living room which shockingly was larger than her house put together.

    The living room was used as the party ground, already decorated with balloons and coloured lights with students swaying their bodies to the music, some schmoozing and the others unsurprisingly making out on the couch, stairways and at secluded corners.

    " No offense but between Caroline and you, who''s richer?" Lia asked Ben as soon as she approached the large decorative buffet table.

    "Probably Caroline " Said he, slowly munching a Buffalo Chicken Crescent Roll he grabbed from the table "She''s a Garcia and they are one of the founding families of little Town " He explained and took another roll.

    Lia nodded before asking " And you''re not a member of the founding family? "

    "Nah " He waved " We moved to little Town five years ago "

    While Ben was busy chomping on the foods, Lia was more interested in the drinks and treated herself to a whole lot of it. She was eager to prove a theory tonight.

    Would she get drunk upon her regenerative ability?

    Ben frowned, watching how she gulped drinks upon drinks "Don''t tell me you''re testing a theory? "

    "How did you know?" She asked surprised.

    "You''re not difficult to read besides without you bringing up it , I had planned testing if alcohol had an effect on you tonight, you know, for your safety and future purposes "

    Lia sighed, sometimes she wondered if she should be wary of this guy. He could end up deceiving and trapping her in a secret lab for his fetish experiments one-day

    " I''m good, just feel slightly buzz but still standing firmly on my feet " She explained.

    "Fine, let''s go dance. It would help clear your head " said Ben who grabbed and tugged her towards the makeshift dance floor where everyone was rocking, shaking their hairs and jumping to the music.

    The curtain led and the nine colour led disco light added a lot of exciting and sexual ambience to the stage while the DJ slammed hits upon hits.

    "Dance ! don''t be a party popper !" Lia shouted since she couldn''t hear herself above the music.

    Ben who suggested going to the dance floor was suddenly stunned and shy when he discovered how intimate the dances had become.

    "I can''t do this " He shouted back and tried to leave but Lia was quick to grab him and keep him from escaping.

    Lia groaned " Seriously ease up.This is a highschool party and you''re here to have fun, so start swaying that body " She commanded and he obeyed reluctantly.

    At first Ben was awkward but when she whispered "Relax " into his ears and grabbed the small of his back and pulled him closer, he began to dance to the tune of the music.

    Truth be told, it was awkward for Lia as well but she covered it up perfectly. She never imagined her first ever invited highschool dance would be with a guy-friend and not her girlfriends but when she discovered the guy was cool with it, meh, she lost herself to the music.

    The pair grind on the dance floor attracting the attention of the other kids and drawing a small crowd in around them.

    By the time they were done, they were treated to a loud applause while Ben was heaving and red on the face.

    "Thank you " Lia did a bow and basked in the glory as Ben scampered off the dance floor in a haste, embarrassed to the core.

    "That was awesome, everyone absolutely love you " Someone chirped from behind when lia left the dance floor but she didn''t need a prophet to tell her whom that voice belongs to.

    "Caroline " She whirled around to face her, feigning surprise while Ben''s ear quirked up.

    "Why didn''t you tell me you''ve arrived? " She chided her playfully.

    "Sorry, I got carried away " Lia apologized halfheartedly, atlest that was half the truth.

    " Apology accepted but you and your friend should come over to our tab..." She trailed off as soon as her eyes fell on Ben.

    Yep, been there, done that.

    "Wow " Caroline whistled, eyeing Ben " You clean up real good "

    " Thank you? " came his answer which sounded more like a question.

    There was this suspicious and confused gleam in his eyes.

    Suddenly, Caroline hooked her arm around his and grabbed Lia''s hand before dragging them to a section of the living room where a small crowd were gathered around a table full of booze and plastic cups.

    "Hi guys " Alexa and Linda greeted in a chorus , waving their perfectly manicured fingers at them.

    "Sit " Caroline ordered the both of them and they had no choice than to grab a chair and sit in a circle like the others.

    "Welcome everybody to my house party and beginning now is what I call '' Survival of the fittest '' " Caroline stood making her speech evoking cheers and applause from the small crowd.

    "I think this is the part where we should be leaving " Ben seated beside lia, whispered into her ears.

    "Chill, nothing is going to happen " Lia tried to assure him but he wouldn''t listen.

    "My left eye is twitching which signifies danger "

    Lia sighed deeply and shook her head " I can never understand you and for the record, we''re staying " She said deceively.

    "And to open the curtain , we are going to play the '' Never Have I Ever'' game " Caroline said and there came another cheers from the crowd.

    " But " she continued "To make the game entertaining, we''re going to add a few alterations "

    "Oh boy, here we go " Ben breathed, sinking back into his seat.

    "How to play my game ? Simple : once a player asks a question, anyone who has done the activity mentioned in the '' Never have I ever.... " statement, loses a clothing while those who haven''t done it gulps down a cup of booze "

    Amid the cheers Lia stared at Ben with concern, would he be able to handle this? Maybe she should''ve listened to him in the first place.

 Chapter 71 - Seventy - One : Carolines Games - 2

    There were about ten players if everyone was counted but Lia wasn''t worried about herself but Ben who might not be able to survive in this often playful, prying yet harsh game.

    So while they were busy preparing to start the game, she gently raised her hand

    "What? " Caroline asked surprised.

    "I would like to with-"

    "No " Caroline interrupted her , probably guessed what she was about to say " Nobody is allowed to chicken out once you''re seated at this table"

    Lia passed Ben an apologetic look but he just smiled in understanding.

    This was all her fault.

    "Fine, we will start with you and continue clockwise " Caroline said pointing to a blonde guy who was five seats away from Lia.

    The guy cocked a lewd smile while Lia groaned inwardly, she could already guess where this was heading to.

    And he began " Never have I ever given a blowjob "

    Great, Lia smacked her forehead.Just as she thought.

    She and Ben simultaneously downed a drink and watched interestedly as everyone accepted their respective punishments.

    She couldn''t help but feel a pang of jealousy hit her when she saw Caroline lose a jacket. Lia knew she and Asher had a bit of umm... an intimate relationship and couldn''t help wondering if she indeed gave Asher a blowjob.

    " Next " Caroline ordered admist the laughter and chatterings

    "Never have I ever been caught cheating on a test." The next girl said and this time only a guy lost a clothing while the others grabbed a drink.

    "Never have I ever kissed my best friend " The next person who happened to be a guy said with a dark smirk on his face and this time, Alexa and Linda gave up a clothing while glaring intensely at him

    The others quickly downed a drink watching the drama unfolding.

    Everyone save Caroline stared at the girls suspiciously, beginning to question their sexuality.

    They all knew the only person the duo always hang out with was Caroline and since she didn''t pull off a clothe, there was something literally going on between the two girls.

    "Next! " Caroline snapped jerking everyone from their thoughts

    The guy beside Lia began " Never have I masturbated "

    This time everyone pulled off a clothing while regarding one another warily . Unfortunately three people were eliminated: Alexa, Linda and the guy they glared at earlier .

    According to the rules by Caroline, once you''ve been stripped of all your clothings save your undergarments , you are automatically eliminated and once you can''t handle your booze, you''re eliminated as well.

    So the game continued with seven participants but Lia knew Ben wouldn''t last long thanks to his foggy gaze and trembling hands.

    Thankfully, it was Lia''s turn.

    "Never have I ever had a paranormal experience " Lia said and this time Ben pulled off his shirt while the others drank.

    Though his thoughts were muddled but he flashed her a grateful smile knowing she asked such question on purpose to save him from drinking.

    Fortunately because he was sitting next to Lia , it was his turn to ask .

    "Never have I ever accidentally said ''I love you'' to someone" He said and Caroline and Lia grabbed a drink while two others were eliminated.

    This time it was Caroline''s turn and Lia couldn''t help but notice the sleazy smile on her face as she began.

    "Never have I ever fu*ked someone " She said boldly and this time, Lia felt a sharp pain pierce her heart.

    Eventhough she didn''t want to be bothered by it but she couldn''t stand the fact Caroline had slept with Asher.

    But why was she feeling this way? Asher had made it perfectly clear that he wasn''t her mate and whatever she was feeling towards him was just sheer lust.

    Then why? Why was she feeling this bothered and angry? Why did she feel jealous and stuffy inside?

    Thanks to Caroline''s question, two others were eliminated while Lia downed a drink but unfortunately for Ben, as soon as the drink touched his lips, he passed out at once leaving only Caroline and Lia left in the game.

    And it was Lia''s turn to ask.

    A sardonic smirk tugged at her lips as her eyes darkened , Caroline has been playing with her and she just realized it now. This time she was going all-out

    "Never have I ever slept with a principal? "

    There was a startled gasp from the little crowd gathered around them as the smile on Caroline''s face thinned at once.

    With an ugly scowl, Caroline tossed her last clothing at the side leaving her clad only in her undies.

    Lia smiled, she won.

    Satisfied and oddly happy, she tried to stand but staggered when she felt the room spun out of control.

    What the fuck.

    She buckled to her knees holding her head in her hand, what was going on?

    A headache accompanied by nausea assaulted her so hard, with dizzy and black dots floating around in her vision until she passed out.

    But before she blackout, she caught the sinister smile on Caroline''s face and realized at once,

    Ben was right.

 Chapter 72 - Seventy - Two : Carolines Games -3

    "Ugh... "

    Lia stirred and finally opened her eyes. She tried to move but was surprised to find out she couldn''t, she was restrained.

    She groaned once more, her head pounding so hard she felt she could die anytime soon, this was worse than a hangover.

    When her eyes finally adjusted to her environment, she was shocked to discover she was tied to an iron chair in some basement lit by a single led bulb.

    And there was Caroline resting against the tiled basement wall in all her glory

    "Finally, you''re awake " She said approaching her with this smug smile on her face.

    "What do you think you''re doing? let me go ! Don''t you know this is kidnapping?! " Lia growled and struggled against the bounds all to no avail.

    Her hands were chained securely to the armrest while her legs were chained to the furniture leg as well. There was no chance for retaliation.

    Caroline''s body shook vigorously with laughter "You? Kidnap? " She laughed again " I''m sure no one would complain if one more supernatural disappears from this earth "

    Lia''s eyes widened and her lips trembled "Y-You knew? "

    "Yeah, yeah, figured it out that day you almost attacked me in the hallway "

    Realization finally dawned on Lia, no wonder Caroline suddenly requested being friends. It was just a ploy for her to pull down her guards and Ben was absolutely right.

    She fell right into her trap.

    "What do you want from me? " She finally gathered the courage to ask

    Caroline pouted her lips and squat down in between Lia''s legs , holding her chair as support in order not to fall off her feet and Lia was grateful she was donning pants.

    "That''s the problem, I just want to teach you a lesson "

    "Or maybe, you just want me away from Asher" Lia inputted bitterly

    Caroline shook her head thoughtfully " That included, probably " She said and slowly leaned in towards Lia menacely .

    "But I''m curious about something " She said and grabbed Lia''s jaw roughly with this odd gleam in her eyes.

    "At first when I discovered you''re a supernatural, I was confused. Your glowing iris was a signatory attribute of werewolves but then, Asher hardly associates with werewolves not to talk of having an illicit relationship with one, so I thought you were a weird vampire . But to be on the safe side, I decided to spike your drinks with wolfbane incase you turn out to be a werewolf and also vervain altogether incase you turn out to be a vampire but that''s what baffles me the most -"

    Lia interrupted her " You did what? you are crazy! "

    Ever since she became a supernatural, Lia hasn''t given much thought to her safety cause she summarized she was invulnerable to most attacks .

    Moreover who would want to attack her save the council who doesn''t have an idea of her existence yet , but she never expected there was a substance out there that would leave her weak and vulnerable to attacks.

    She just never thought about that.

    " Oh darling, we''re just getting started " Caroline gave a crazed laugh " As I was saying before I was interrupted " She continued " I''ve being with Asher for two years and now, and I''ve watched him build a vervain tolerance but you! The amount you took in today was enough to knock him out for days but you woke up after a few hours, which is incredible and unbelievable , that is if you''re indeed a vampire "

    She let go of her jaw and focused her eyes on the chains " As an extra precaution, I added the silver chain when binding you incase you indeed turn out to be a werewolf . And do you know, silver is an element to which werewolves possess an extreme weakness and vulnerability, because the Were-creatures are a cursed bloodline �C cursed by a moon goddess but you, you''re not affected by it at all. So here comes my question: what are you?"

    " I don''t know " Came Lia''s reply without hesitation.

    Caroline smiled and stood to her feet "Fine, we will do it the hard way then "

    " Alexa " she called and the person in question made her way down the stairs that led into the basement with a bucket in her grip.

    Lia stared at them warily, what were they up-to this time?

    Suddenly, Caroline took the heavy bucket from Alexa and splashed the whole content all over Lia.

    She gasped from the coolness of the water cause it took her breath away. Looking like a drenched rat, Lia shook her head vigorously and pushed her wet hair away from her face.

    "What was that for?! " She yelled at them.

    An ice-cold smirk decorated Caroline''s face

    " That was just a warm-up , the real fun is about to begin "

    For some unknown reasons, fear begin to creep into her heart and she felt Caroline had a malevolent plan in mind .

    Caroline moved out of her sight only to return with a 6-gauge electrical wire which was life and shooting sparks from the end.

    "Do you know" Caroline started " Supernatural creatures are great and all, but if you can paralyze them, you can pretty much do away with them "

    Lia shuddered, despair creeping through her.

    She wasn''t a fool. She might have great regenerative ability but the pain was still there and the mad glint in Caroline''s eyes told her this was going to be a gruesome torture.

 Chapter 73 - Seventy - Three : The Consequences

    With deep breaths , Lia eyed the live wire in Caroline''s hand cautiously

    "What are you doing? "

    "What do you think? " Caroline questioned , holding the wire towards her face and then shocked her with it .

    Lia screamed as she was being electrocuted immediately the wire made contact with her body.

    "What are you?! " Caroline interrogated admist the torture.

    "I don''t know! " She screamed back.

    Lia couldn''t explain how greatly relieved she was when Caroline withdrew the wires but her body bore the consequences.

    She smelt like roasted barbecue and there was severe skin burns on her body.

    Yes, She could heal speedily but she still has blood running through her veins and electricity has never been known to get along with liquids, and also the pain she felt was acute and real.

    "Care to answer my question now? " Caroline asked with a brow raised.

    "I told you I don''t know anything! " Lia retorted through gritted teeth , how could she answer something she has no idea about?

    "Fine then, let''s continue "

    Without further ado, Caroline shocked her with the live wire again, this time the electrocution lasting much longer than before .

    Lia screamed her lungs out as electric current passed through her body, this was so torturous she felt like dieing.

    And she would have, if Alexa who obviously couldn''t stand it anymore, touched Caroline at the shoulder halting the torture.

    Lia experienced a muscle spasm so violent she dislocated her femur and snapped her neck in the process but still didn''t die.

    "What do you think you''re doing?! " Caroline bellowed at Alexa who jumped from fright

    "Y-Yo could have killed her " She timidly managed to say.

    Caroline threw back her head in pure disbelief before she glared at the idiot " She is a supernatural, she won''t die. Atlest, not in this way "

    "But -" Alexa wanted to say but the thousand watt glare from Caroline shut her up.

    Lia was in so much pain, she couldn''t even lift a finger. She was experiencing extremely physical pain that she couldn''t help but shiver when Caroline approached her again.

    "I don''t know anything " She cried out when Caroline lifted the wire towards her, again .

    Her complexion was pale, lips shrivelled and taken a bluish hue while her eyes were red and puffy.

    Lia looked like she had aged ten years in such a short amount of time.

    But as usual Caroline didn''t listen and struck her with the live wire. This time the torture duration lasted much longer than the first and second time while Alexa could only bite her fingers nervously and stare at Lia with a concerned look on her face.

    Suddenly , the extreme amount of electricity coursing through Lia made her release a bloodcurdling scream, so inhuman that it caused Caroline to shiver and take a step back instinctively.

    Lia was so much peeved, she wanted nothing than to avenge herself. Make Caroline feel the same pain she was experiencing.

    She just wanted to let everything out.

    So in such moment of pain and anger, Lia suddenly screech so loud it caused Caroline and Alexa to buckle at their knees, crying out in pain and shielding their bleeding ears with their hands.

    Lia''s scream was so lethal and violent that the bulb sparked, tiles start to crack and the basement began to collapse.

    At the party, everyone was having a good time when suddenly all bulbs and lighting effects began to explode with white showers as if overwhelmed by an enormous current.

    There was a mass hysteria when objects began to fly around, shatter and crumble.

    Everyone was in a panic, trying to find their way out as the building began to shake threatening to collapse.

    As if that was not enough, an eerie scream sent chills down their spine as they ran out of the mansion swearing never to come back.

    Lost in her angry fit, Lia didn''t realise that her haunting screams were causing physical vibrations that was sending the mansion on the verge of collapse.

    She would''ve really brought down the whole building and trap some alcohol-disoriented kids whom were still inside if someone hadn''t knocked her out from behind and she passed out.

 Chapter 74 - Seventy - Four : "Its Her "

    " So far the virus doesn''t seem to affect the humans, werewolves only " Ryan explained as he went through the daily report while Daniel sat staring at him with his recent poker face.

    " This is obviously a targeted massacre " Daniel muttered grimly.

    In just a few days, he has lost over a hundred plus of his people and still counting . The silver pack which previously could boost of having a huge population has been depleted to a shocking number .

    "How long till the antidote is ready?" Daniel asked him anxiously.

    Ryan replied "Amala has been giving test shots which has being showing positive results, so I think it should be ready in a day or two.

    "Alright " Daniel sighed, rubbing his face with his palms.

    "I think you should take a rest, you look like shit " Ryan glanced at his friend, noticing how haggard and worn he appeared.

    Daniel was pale, red-rimmed eyes , dark circles and sunken cheeks betrayed his lack of sleep.

    His rich blonde hair , although matted and unkempt, had grown to his neck while his features were shaded by two days or three of stubble.

    Ryan knew Daniel hadn''t had the chance to rest recently, he''s being running helter scatter settling internal and external disputes the virus has caused with other packs while restraining the spread of the virus in his own domain.

    The guy was stressed beyond words.

    Daniel raked his hand through his now longer hair " I can''t close my eyes peacefully without nightmares assaulting me " He confessed with a heavy heart

    Ryan sighed, he had watched Daniel stand helplessly and witness the deaths of so many people dear to him.

    "But don''t worry, I''ll try to take a nap and hope I don''t see bloody hands trying to reach for me in my sleep " He teased but it wasn''t funny to Ryan at all.

    "That is not funny " Ryan said and would''ve scold him further if he didn''t sense a sudden shift in his countenance.

    "What''s wrong? " Ryan asked worriedly.

    There was a pained expression on Daniel''s face while he was grabbing a certain section of his chest.

    "It''s her " Daniel answered curtly but Ryan knew who he was referring to. The only person that could make their alpha react this way was his one and only mate.

    He just hoped she wasn''t dieing, again.

    "What''s wrong with her? " Ryan asked with concern, he knew for the alpha to experience this, he must have tapped into their matebond.

    "She is in pain " Daniel answered anguishly, and before Ryan could question him further, he had zoomed off.

    "And here we go again " Ryan smacked his forehead as the door snapped shut leaving a gust of wind in its wake .

    Daniel ran like the devil was on his heels, though she was kilometres away from him but he persisted and drew strength from his shifter side.

    Thankfully it was late at night so there was wasn''t anyone available to witness him running speedily like the Flash.

    He could have transformed into his wolf side but he couldn''t arrive before her naked since his clothes would be ruined in the process.

    The thought of her being in danger pushed him into covering an hour distance in fifteen minutes.

    He knew it was definitely strange when the bond activated for the first time without his knowledge and so he tapped into it, only to feel her anger and distress.

    Thankfully, the link was strong so he was able to track her down until a screeching sound suddenly hit his auditory system so hard he had to shield his ears with his hands, which unfortunately didn''t help at all.

    It was no secret that werewolves possess enhanced hearing, so the scream was amplified in his case.

    Though overwhelmed by the deafening noise, he still pressed forward and entered the mansion where people were running out and scampering for safety.

    Aimdst the pandemonium, he still searched around for his mate but when he couldn''t find her after a long time, he decided to follow where he felt her the most.

    Trusting and following his instinct, he found himself in the basement where the scream was the loudest and shockingly - his mate was the one wailing like a banshee.

    Disoriented and almost rendered unconscious, he tried to approach her but was pushed back as if some sort of barrier was repelling him .

    But Daniel wasn''t stupid, he knew if he let her continue this mad fit, she would level down the whole building with her scream and injure - possibly kill innocent souls and herself in the process.

    There were already two unknown girls lieing unconscious on the basement floor with bleeding ears .

    Though confused at what''s going on, he scrupulously summarized it was a case of bullying, judging from the binds on his mate''s hands and legs.

    He figured out that the distress must have caused her powers to violently manifest.

    Eventhough he was puzzled on how she gained such destructive power, he waved the thoughts aside and instead, focused on how to bring down the force field.

    Determinedly, Daniel put his hands and pressed against the barrier once again, teeth gritting , muscles bulging, bleeding from the eyes, nose and ears until he push through the force field and it collapsed.

    Still engaged in her enraged fit, Daniel hit her at the back of the head with a tremendous concussive force that knocked her out cold.

    Wiping away the blood from his eye with the crook of his elbow, he squat down and started to free the girl when he frowned suddenly.

    He touched the chains as if trying to imprint its feel in his head. His expression shifted, this wasn''t an ordinary chain but a silver one designed to incapacitate werewolves.

    Unlike what was depicted in movies and novels, silver doesn''t burn them upon contact but weakens them when exposed to it for long

    Unfortunately, it was most lethal to them when inside their body, so a silver bullet through the heart definitely ends them.

    He turned to stare at the unconscious girls with a lot of questions running amok in his head.

    How did they? .... why did.... ?

    Infact there was no time for this, he had a feeling things weren''t as simple as he thought. So he quickly unchained her and scooped her into his arms.

    Looking around the ruins, he shook his head.

    This would definitely make the headlines.

 Chapter 75 - Seventy - Five : He Had To Protect His Mate

    " Seriously dude, cut it out! Your thought is all over the place and it''s driving me crazy " Dan complained irritated and raking his hand through his hair .

    For the first time in history, he was able to read Asher''s mind cause he let his guard down, and yes at first he was happy, but now it was becoming a nuisance.

    "I think I figured out everything " Asher said with an excited glint in his eyes.

    Dan sighed " Yes, I heard it in my head "

    "The witch was right! The girl is my mate. Though originally mated to Daniel but the incident which is as a result of the dark witches conspiracy, made her gain a vampiric and a were side. Personally, I think her vampiric side is stronger which in turn made her imprint on me and I also -"

    "Yeah, yeah, she''s your mate. I get that already" Dan interrupted him, rolling his eyes from boredom. This was the nth time he heard his theory tonight .

    Asher rubbed his chin thoughtfully " What do you think Daniel would do if he finds out everything? "

    "What do you think he would do? Everyone knows the were-creatures value their mates above everything else , especially Alphas " answered Dan truthfully .

    Asher licked his lips, pondering on his words. His gaze flickered up to Dan again and he said " At first I was happy when I discovered the truth but the thought of sharing her with Daniel unsettles me a lot. I mean how are we even going to make this work? "

    At first Dan was confused, but the moment he understood where Asher was coming from, he laughed his head off.

    Though as funny as it sounds, it was quite a pressing issue. Like seriously, how in the world were they going to have *snusnu? By chance, they wouldn''t think of doing it in turns, would they? or a threesome?

    Dan shook his head and shuddered, he wouldn''t even dare think about that.

    " What about Caroline ? " Dan asked, finally discovering a topic that would take his mind off his lewd thoughts.

    Asher frowned " Caroline? " He clarified " She became a thing of the past the moment I found out about Lia "

    "And she''s cool with that? "

    "Why shouldn''t she be? She knew from the start our relationship was just for pleasure and a temporary arrangement " he conceded as Dan made a ''mmmm'' sound.

    " Fine " Dan shrugged but suddenly noticed a change in Asher''s demeanor.

    "Why? What''s wrong? "

    Asher grimaced " I feel strange "

    "Strange as in? " He prodded when Asher didn''t give him a solid explanation.

    Asher explained with uncertainty "I feel distressed and uncomfortable as if..... " His voice trailed off

    Suddenly, his eyes narrowed suspiciously

    " Lia? "

    Dan asked confused " Lia ? What''s wrong with Lia? "

    Unfortunately, Asher didn''t answer him instead prompted him immediately " Quick ! take me to her place, I think she''s in danger "

    He hurriedly placed a hand on Dan''s shoulder and he teleported the both of them to her place at once.

    They found themselves in front of her house but Asher was quick to say

    "She''s not home "

    Dan turned to stare at him surprised " How did you know? " He asked.

    "I just felt it "

    Which Dan proved true when he couldn''t pick up the girl''s scent.

    "You''re right " Dan agreed and had already planned leaving when they picked up discussions coming from the living room.

    Asher clearly heard a voice which he guessed belongs to Jenny , asking

    "So tell me Trevor, how do you feel about this Caroline girl that invited Lia to her house party? "

    Asher froze, he didn''t need to hear further cause he had put two and two together quickly .

    His expression darkened and his gaze turned bloody, Caroline would be damned if she lays a finger on her.

    Dan shivered when he saw the rage in Asher''s eyes. He heard the conversation and though he wasn''t as smart as Asher, but he knew it was by no means a coincidence that Lia gets to be in danger in a party Caroline invited her to.

    Caroline knows everything about the supernaturals cause the Garcia''s are one of the founding families of little Town and it wasn''t a secret that Asher has been favouring Lia lately.

    Never underestimate the power of a jealous woman.

    Dan didn''t wait for Asher to order him this time, he silently teleported the both of them to Caroline''s place but something happened.

    As soon as they appeared, their knees buckled and they slumped to the ground, wracked by a haunting scream.

    Thankfully the ordeal didn''t last long cause soon the scream ended and they were eased from the paralyzing effect.

    But the scene that confronted them left them stunned.

    Young people were running helter-skelter trying to get away from the mansion, all characterized by bleeding ears .

    The once regal mansion that could turn heads was half ruined. The east wing of the house had collapsed completely while some walls buckled and were bent.

    Most bulbs were destroyed and the once still giving light were flickering on and off, giving the place an eerie feeling .

    Infact, everything was a mess.

    As he walked into the mansion, Asher was troubled. Though he was confused at what was going on but he had a bad premonition in his heart.

    He had a gut feeling that his mate was responsible for this magnitude of destruction.The girl''s existence so far has shocked him a lot, so he wouldn''t be surprised if this was her doing too.

    He traced her scent to the basement where he found Caroline on all fours, clutching her stomach and moaning in pain - still yet no sign of his mate.

    But that was until he caught a rancid yet familar scent in the air and sighed deeply.

    He was late, Daniel was here before him.

    Frustrated and angry, he grabbed Caroline by the collar and drew her up to her feet.

    "What did you do?! " he roared at her and though she stared at him wide-eye frightened yet her gaze was groggy.

    Peeved , Asher tried to scare her further but all he got in return was her pained grunts and incoherent mumbling.

    Exasperated, he pushed her away and she dropped to the ground with a loud thud.

    Asher has never being frustrated in his entire life until now and he knew his time was limited.

    There was was no way the council would leave such a huge scale disaster like this unattended to, so they must have sent out their agents to come and investigate what was going on.

    That is if they were not here already.

    Immediately, Asher squat down and grabbed Caroline''s chin, lifting her face to his gaze and began his compulsion.

    "You are not to remember Lia and any previous encounters you''ve ever had with her, understood?"

    Under his control, Caroline couldn''t resist but nod her head obediently and he let go of her satisfied.

    He could have erased all her memories but he know it would seem suspicious and completely risky if the council happens to interrogate her, since he knows the founding families have a tight relationship with the council.

    But he had to protect Lia, especially now he has confirmed she was his other half.

    So he looked around carefully, searching for any evidence that could implicate his mate and when he found nothing, he left.

    Asher still had one more thing to do and that was finding his favourite human, Ben. He knew wherever Lia was, he would surely be there and he alone could tell him what went down here.

    Unfortunately Asher made a mistake - He forget that just as Ben would always be around Lia, Alexa and Linda would always be around Caroline too.

    -------

    *snusnu : slang for sexual intercourse , often portrayed in a humorous manner.

 Chapter 76 - Seventy - Six : THE HUNTERS LEAGUE

    " Did you hear that? " Shane asked all of a sudden lifting his crossbow and looking around cautiously.

    "Definitely heard that " Chris acknowledged.

    Glancing around, he pulled out his gun from his black leather holster that hung around his waist.

    They were both wearing black leather suit that camouflage their figure in the late night while they had their back pressed to each other, looking around carefully with raised and loaded weapons.

    Today was Friday and they were out there in the woods hunting for creatures who liked to have their own twisted version of fun in the late hours when they heard a scream that sent chills down their spine.

    Little Town was a mountain town thus becoming a safe haven for many supernatural creatures thanks to the abundance of forest and wildlife.

    Hunters might not be as enhanced as some supernatural creatures but they were definitely above an average human thanks to intense and harsh trainings , near-death experiences and witches elixirs and magic.

    Possessing inhuman sight, hearing, agility and strength, they were made a weapon against creatures that proved to be a threat.

    "I think it''s coming from there? " Shane pointed to a faraway hill.

    "That leads to the Garcia''s home " Chris summarized, stretching his neck to get a better view " I think we should go check it out"

    "And the hunt? " Shane reminded

    Chris pondered for a while, observing his environment before replying " I don''t see any soul in distress " He added " But to be sure, you can call another person to take your place but we seriously need it to visit the Garcia''s cause I feel something is wrong "

    "Fine " Shane mumbled in agreement and reluctantly followed along.

    It took them a while to get there, but the scene that greeted them when they arrived, knocked them for six .There was only one word to qualify what was going on - chaos.

    There was a terrible hullabaloo in the air.

    Young people were on all fours, some squatting, others lieing on their front, back or side and moaning in pain with bleeding ears while the few paramedic available attended to them.

    Others were knocked out cold while the few still on their feet were helping the paramedic carry some students in severe conditions unto the stretcher and into the ambulance.

    The place was a beehive of activity.

    "Holy mother of God " Shane blurted out without even realizing it. His gaze moved to the mansion assessing the damage, a part of the roof had sunken while some parts of the walls had bent or collapsed.

    It was quite a sight.

    " Oh my God " Chris gasped "This is a disaster"

    Out of the corner of his eyes, he thought he saw someone oddly familiar which indeed turned out to be true when he discovered it was one of their people disguised as a paramedic.

    He subtly gestured for her to come over which she readily obeyed.

    "State " Chris ordered as soon as she approached him.

    "Skylar Thunder, Level three, Hunter''s league" She announced with a low tone, enough for the both men to pick up her words.

    Shane snorted by the side " The council sent an ordinary level three agent to come investigate this case? " He gibed.

    The girls expression faltered for a slight moment but she was quick to compose herself " I''m sorry senior for failing to meet your expectations but you have to make do with me" Skylar apologized with her head slightly bowed.

    Eventhough her words sounded sincere, Shane couldn''t help but feel she was mocking him. He wanted to retort back but Chris was quick to interfere.

    "What''s your findings so far? " Chris asked.

    Skylar turned towards the ruined mansion

    "According to the kids report, they claim its some sort of earthquake accompanied with a deafening scream that overwhelmes the auditory system " she scrupulously summarized her findings.

    "And you, what do you think? " Shane threw the unexpected question at her and though she was a bit taken aback, she was quick to reply.

    "After a long contemplation, I narrowed the suspects down to two people : Witches and Vampires"

    Chris crossed his arm and rubbed his jaw thoughtfully " Yes, it seems only both creatures are capable of such immensity of destruction but you''re missing something." Chris assessed and the girl''s eyes lit up with curiosity

    He continued " According to the students narration, you claim they heard a deafening wail?"

    " Yes senior " She answered.

    "Only a vampire with a sonic scream or a banshee would be able to pull this off effortlessly - Witches might try but a spell of this extent would tear the user apart " Shane explained this time surprising Skylar.

    "He decided to become useful tonight afterall, hallelujah! " She thought .

    "But the highest suspect is a vampire, banshees are known to wail but theirs aren''t lethal " Shane continued while the girl nodded in understanding

    "So we''re looking for a vampire with a sonic cry ability " Chris concluded, his eyes taking in the scene.

    "Which of the Garcia''s was available at the time of the incident? " Shane questioned while Chris eyes checked out the mansion.

    "Caroline Garcia, she was the one who organized the party "

    "The CCTVs" Said Chris as he pointed at one of the cameras mounted at the entrance of the mansion " Did you check them? "

    " Well " began Skylar " I did check but the cameras were damaged beyond repair and the few functioning ones, has all their footages erased. I couldn''t salvage anything "

    Chris pinched the space between his brows with a tired sigh " This is more complicated than I thought "

    " What about Caroline? " Shane asked.

    "Her case was serious so she was taken to the hospital - most of the students in critical condition were as a result of the stampede that occurred during the incident " Skylar added " But I did get something from her "

    The two men faced her simultaneously, interest piqued " What did she say? "

    The girl scratched her scalp awkwardly, their gaze was intense and unsettling " Well, she kept muttering two names "

    "What name? " Shane asked tartly.

    " Alexa and Linda "

    ************

    ''The plan failed, she needed to get away'' Was her only thought as she struggled to reach the door but the student''s shoving kept thwarting her plans.

    She had managed to escape from the basement and stumbled into the living room. Disoriented, she blinked to clear the haze from her gaze.

    This was all Caroline''s fault, she warned her !

    Her ears were hurting and her head was pounding like crazy, the migraine was terrible not to mention her legs, it was soft like jelly and she feared it would give out without warning.

    Just as she feared , her knees buckled and she was falling. But just before she reached the ground, a hand wrapped around her waist securely, steadying and pressing her to his body.

    "I... need to escape " She slurred, and too weak to fight her way out of the stranger''s arm.

    "Don''t worry, you''re in safe hands " He said when he sensed her resistance.

    Hearing his assurance, Alexa passed out at once unfortunately, failing to recognize the sinister smirk tugging at the stranger''s lips.

    There was an odd gleam in the boy''s eyes

    ''Soon Little Town will know what they''re harbouring '' He thought and carried her away.

 Chapter 77 - Seventy - Seven : Linda

    Linda might not be as outspoken as Caroline and Alexa but she was definitely smart. Her friends have failed which means they would come looking for her.

    It all happened in a flash, one moment they were all having fun and the next, all hell was let loose.

    She hadn''t gone into the basement with the others cause she was given a different assignment - keep Ben busy.

    Truthfully, it wasn''t a difficult task since the guy was already wasted but he would wake groggily from time to time, asking about his goddess or something? She couldn''t exactly tell.

    But she was a smart girl, so she kept him distracted and busy until the incident occurred.

    She had been the first to escape before anyone else could reach the door.

    Linda knew it wasn''t a coincidence the house began to quake the moment her friends went to have a bit of fun with the girl.

    Something must have gone wrong , something must have happened.

    So she ran to her packed car and brought the engine to life not minding the scream assaulting her ears.

    She had to survive.

    She had managed to successfully escape the Garcia''s manor and was currently driving over the speed limit, hoping to reach her place in time with the intention of packing a few of her stuffs and leave Little Town before anything happens.

    The night was so foggy and chilly that even with her headlights on, she still had limited visibility.

    Linda swallowed nervously , the moonlight gleamed mysteriously casting eerie shadows on the tree-lined avenue.

    The uncanny atmosphere spooked her so much that eventhough the night was cold she was perspiring to the extent her hands were clammy from fright.

    Because her thoughts were all over the place, she abruptly screeched her car to a halt when she discovered there was a figure standing in the middle of the road.

    Thanks to the backlash, Linda bumped her face on the steering wheel and moaned in pain. Pulling back her hair that covered her face like a waterfall, she gazed out on the road only to realize the figure she almost hit was still standing there, unfazed.

    Her blood suddenly ran cold. She was no fool.

    Just like Caroline, she had an idea of the supernatural though she wasn''t a founding family.

    And judging from the figure''s conspicuous and weird dressing, Linda bet she was here for her.

    Linda couldn''t make out the figure''s full face but definitely saw her lips moving.

    " My God " She gasped " A witch "

    But before she react, the car door was magically ripped open and she was forcefully flung out of the car only to land right in front of the mysterious figure.

    Linda''s eyes widened in shock and her chest moved up and down faster as her breath quickened. She crawled backward with her hands but the woman said something and an invisible force held her still.

    Her blood chilled, she was definitely doomed.

    The woman pulled her hood away revealing red blazing hair which shimmered under the moonlight and squat down, her eyes resting on her''s.

    "So it''s you guys " She said and grabbed Linda''s chin, turning her face from side to side Like a potential buyer examining the goods to purchase

    "I-it''s not me " She managed to say

    "Really? " The woman queried interestedly

    " Who then?"

    Linda lit up at once, maybe there was a chance for redemption

    "It''s all Caroline and Alexa''s fault !" She started " I warned them but they didn''t listen. I was only forced into it , please believe me " She confessed with a pitiful expression, not caring if the details were hyped. Her life was on the line here.

    "Hmmm " The lady said with an amused expression before she burst into a loud, ringing fit of laughter which Linda herself awkwardly joined.

    But after a while the laughter gurgled to a halt and the woman''s gaze turned ice-cold. All smiles dissipated from her face as she spat

    "Do you know what I hate the most? "

    Linda nodded sideways stiffly

    She continued "People who abandon their comrades in the face of persecution " She gritted.

    "Though you guys somehow ruined my plans tonight but I was willing to just erase your memories, try bring merciful for once but now I''ve changed my mind "

    The lady stood to her feet, a burning anger present in her eyes " You can rot in hell "

    Then she began to say words Linda couldn''t understand "Ut tenebris lux tua, guide ad mortem"

    But Linda knew instinctively she was casting a spell and tried to escape but it was too late - she couldn''t move a muscle .

    Suddenly Linda began to move but it wasn''t of her own accord, it was if her body movement were under another person''s control. Dread filled her, she felt like a puppet being played under one''s string .

    Before Linda knew it, she began to walk back to her car while the figure stood watching, pleased at the aftermath.

    Linda frantically screamed at her body to take back the control but all her efforts were futile.

    Soon, she started the engine and started driving - but the car was careering off course.

    Linda didn''t know how long she traveled but she started screaming her lungs out the moment her car ventured deeper into the coastal road.

    She was a native of little Town so she particularly recognized this curved highway, it led down to a cliff towering some 2,000 feet above the crystal-clear glacial lakes and stretching over three miles in length.

    A feeling of horror and dread of death seized her the moment her car slid off the  cliff  before she could react : not that she could do anything anyway since she was still under the strange hold.

    The car tumbled, bounced and hit against ragged rocks before her surroundings blurred into light and shadows, and she felt the sickening sensation of falling off the cliff .

    Her car plunged deep into the chilly water making her lungs ache while the mysterious hold on her dissipated.

    Terror drove her to ignore the pain on her head and stomach nor did It give her a great deal of relief to know she finally had control over her own body and will.

    Thankfully , she was grateful she was still conscious after impact since water was an incompressible fluid and hitting it at high speed was analogous to driving into a concrete wall.

    Linda immediately calm down, she had to plan her escape knowing fully her best chance of escape was the first 30-120 seconds.

    Gallons of water began filling her car, but she choose not to panick, aware it will be very difficult to open the door due to water pressure once underwater. So she slung her head back, filling her lungs with air.

    Because the engine was still running and had electrical power, she rolled down the window but was hit with a flood of water cause the waterline was past the window. Determinedly, she was able to swim out.

    Pushing off the car, she swarm to the surface and inhaled a lungsful of fresh cold breath. Linda was a good swimmer so she was sure of making it to the shore.

    Unknown to her, the mysterious figure stood above the cliff watching everything that transpired with interest.

    Fine, since the girl was like an annoying bedbug that refuses to die, she would let her live - after taking away her memories.

 Chapter 78 - Seventy - Eight : Babysitting The Nerd

    Ben groaned, his body was aching all over as if he was just dug out of a subterranean pit.

    "Water " He moaned and stretched forth his hands expectantly.

    He knew it was morning judging from the sunlight hitting his face and habitually at his place, the housekeeper always made sure to be present to serve him a glass of water whenever he rouses from sleep.

    As expected, he felt a solid weight on the inside of his palm and grabbed it. Lifting his head up a bit, he brought the cup to his lips.

    But he spat the liquid out the moment it touched his tongue and his sleepy eye snapped open at once.

    "What the fu... "

    His voice trailed off the moment he recognized the figure standing before him.

    Chalky skin, face more handsome than his, most girl''s heartthrob, Dan.

    But Ben moaned aloud holding his head as memories of the past night hit him hard .

    He hates hangovers.

    Ben''s eyes widened at once when he remembered everything.

    Linda, that Fox ! He cursed as he began evaluating yesterday''s events. Suddenly he stiffen, where was Lia? Where was his goddess?! my goddess, where are you?! He wailed internally.

    "Don''t worry, your goddess is fine " Dan assured him after hearing his piped chattering in his head.

    "Really? " Asked Ben excitedly while Dan simply nodded.

    But where is she? Ben mused

    "She''s in safe hands " He added " A different safe hands "

    "OK " Ben breathed but suddenly froze. All the guestions Dan answered, he had not asked any aloud.

    He turned to face Dan with horror printed clearly all over his face. Could he read my thoughts?

    "Oh yes, I''ve being reading your mind " Dan confirmed.

    Contrary to what Dan expected, Ben''s face lit up with excitement " No way, shut up ! " He expressed his shock.

    Then he suddenly sprang up startling Dan and almost stumbling off the bed in the process

    "This is impossible! Though Lia told me you were a vampire with teleportation ability but she never told me you were a telepath! How awesome! But how is that possible? How do you balance both powers?! " Ben effused all in one clean breath while Dan mentally facepalm, what was he expecting babysitting this nerd?

    "Tell me, how does it feel having such amazing abilities? How do you manage the both? Does it overwhelms you sometimes? " Ben peppered him with questions

    "Oh yes, your questions are overwhelming me right now " Dan responded with a straight face when the boy wouldn''t stop prodding him .

    Ben was almost jumping up and down while urging him to answer his question.

    " Get back before you become my meal " He warned when the boy got too close for his liking.

    The result was effective cause Ben stepped back. He could still vividly remember the pain of having a fang sunk into his neck.

    "Sit " Dan commanded and the guy plonked down on the edge of the bed while he grabbed a chair and sat down, making sure to observe a distance of five meters.

    " Now ask "

    As soon as Ben opened his mouth, about to gush over him , Dan added

    " One after the other "

    There was a sulky expression on Ben''s face but half bread was better than none so he complied with the rules

    "Why do you have two abilities? "

    As expected, Dan mused.

    "Every vampire from the Nicoli clan possesses double abilities. Next " He answered curtly

    Ben frowned, Dan''s answer barely satisfied him but he would have to make do with that.

    "I already know Asher controls the elements, what''s his second - ? "

    "None of your business. Next " Dan put in before he could even finish his question.

    Ben furrowed his brows , face set in a deep frown. This wasn''t doing him any good infact it made him more hungry for answers.

    "How do you balance both powers? "

    "Years of practice and experience. Next "

    "Which of your abilities do you prefer the most? "

    "My teleportation ability. You don''t know how annoying and disturbing it is reading people''s thoughts everyday " He answered with a bit of details this time surprising Ben.

    "Would Lia have double abilities too? " Ben questioned this time, his ears perked up reading for juicy gossip .

    This time Dan didn''t answer quickly as he did to the others instead he rubbed his chin thoughtfully

    "I don''t know what the girl is, so I can''t tell if she would possess a double ability.....but judging from the level of destruction she caused yesterday at Caroline''s par - "

    "What destruction? " Ben interrupted with a confused expression.

    Ahh right, Dan remembered.

    As funny as it sounds but Ben was so schnockered that he slept through the chaos yesterday.

    The guy was so damn lucky that upon the stampede that occurred and the flying debris, not even a strand of hair on his body was touched until he was rescued by Dan.

    As if his senses returned, Ben touched his pants, feeling for something.

    " My cellphone? "

    "Cellphone? "

    " Yes, I need it! " He said searching his body frantically

    "Is there any solid reason you need it desperately? "

    "Yes! " He snapped, still searching " I record and write down all my paranormal thesis , findings and experiences in there including Lia''s "

    Dan chilled before he spat " You did what?! "

    "Well, it was therapeutic and my own way of dealing with all this craziness " Ben said defensively.

    He shivered when he met Dan''s murderous gaze and the guy looked like he would throttle him anytime soon, so he quickly salvaged what''s left of the situation .

    "But let''s look on the bright side " He began

    "You said there was a stampede lastnight, the kids could have stomped it into bits "

    "Or it could be lieing at a corner of the house waiting to be picked by one of the Council''s people who are currently raiding the mansion in the name of ''investigation '' as we speak " Dan countered frustratedly

    "Or one of the docky or brawny kids at school could have picked it up during the pandemonium and currently has no clue how to unlock my multiple phone securities "

    Dan slowly closed in on Ben menacely while the poor guy leaned backward until his back touched the bed.

    "Let''s just pray you''re right else... "

    Ben gulped, he didn''t need to guess the words after the ''else'' , it was quite obvious - he just hoped his theory was right.

 Chapter 79 - Seventy - Nine : "Mark Her, Mate With Her, Make Her Ours "

    He knew it was dangerous to take her to his pack but he had no choice. Though the virus doesn''t affect human but judging from what he saw lastnight, he couldn''t tell what she was anymore.

    Daniel''s brows furrowed as he entered into a deep thought, what is the girl actually? He had somehow thought she was a werewolf .

    He believed she was mauled to death by a werewolf which was why he lost connection with her initially, thinking she had died without knowing she was alive and going through phasing.

    But he was totally wrong.

    What he saw her do was beyond the capability of a werewolf. Though one out of a thousand werewolf do possess such gift and were called gifted werewolves but theirs wasn''t as lethal as the powers the girl exhibited last night.

    The powers he knew few gifted werewolves possess were clairvoyance and this set of werewolves were famously called the were-seers followed by empathy, and animal communion.

    This three major powers was what the gifted werewolves possess and different gifted weres manifest slight variation of it.

    But no werewolf has ever been heard of or seen tearing down a building with a scream nor to talk of creating a force field that took tremendous energy to take down.

    Truth be told, he was terrified and still terrified right now. Daniel hated being kept in the dark and that scares him the most. He seriously thought his head was going to explode from thinking too much.

    He curiously stared down at the girl lieing beside him on his bed. Regarding her slowly, he began to study her features. Eventhough she wasn''t chalky white but she was much paler than he initially thought, was it her natural skin colour or as a result of the stress from lastnight ? He couldn''t tell.

    Though her eyes were shut close in sleep but he had imprinted the colour of her eyes earlier in his mind. While his eyes was a medium dark shade of cyan, her own was a shade of blue ranging between azure and a darker sky blue.

    He took in her breath and his inner wolf went into a joyful frenzy , growling ''mate!'' in his head. Daniel smiled , even his beast already took a liking to her. Well that was expected, she was their mate afterall.

    He loved her sweet and strong scent , chocolate - vanilla with a hint of peppermint and his senses became saturated quickly by her scent to the extent his wolf started a mad fit.

    "Mark her, mate with her, make her ours " it raved in his head but Daniel ignored him. Thankfully he had much control over his wolf, so it couldn''t force him to do anything against his will.

    He gathered her warm body in his arms and smoothed away the curls that clung to her face, instinctively placing his head on the nook of her neck only to realize the girl had a wolf smell.

    His eyes widened, she did carry her own distinct wolf smell ; the girl was indeed a werewolf.

    But what was going on? This discovery made him more confused.

    All werewolves have a scent of ''wolf '' and with each werewolf there is a different scent and a base pack scent, which is how the were''s recognize their pack members and intruders.

    But the joy didn''t last for long cause his nostrils picked up another scent on her that made his nose crinkle.

    The odd scent was entwined with her wolf scent and was much stronger, familiar yet nauseating and infuriating - vampire''s.

    Daniel sprang up from the bed as if struck by lightening, a look of shock and disbelief on his face.

    He didn''t know what to feel or think anything; everything was just confusing.

    As if on cue, he received a message through the pack''s mind link -- Asher was here

    Daniel swallowed hard, jaw clenched tightly, fists formed, eyes darkened and anger rippling through him.

    Asher knew all along.

    Daniel tore out of his room and strode towards the living room with burning fury in his eyes.

    Even some of the pack members who greeted him along the way couldn''t help but shrink back when they saw their alpha reeking of anger.

    Once he arrived, without warning, a punch that made him falter met Asher on the face.

    Asher''s face snapped to the side, a bruise forming there immediately but it healed it up as soon as it came.

    Unknowingly , the healing action infuriated Daniel more cause he held Asher by the collar and began to rain blows on him until he was beaten to a pulp.

    He poured out all his frustration and anger on the vampire who surprisingly took the blows without an ouce of resistance.

    Daniel''s fist was bleeding but Asher''s face was in a more sorry state but as usual, it began to heal effortlessly.

    Unsatiated and realizing his intentions of inflicting pain on Asher was playing the fool , he let go of the vampire''s collar and tossed him to the ground.

    "Judging from your welcome, I can guess you''ve figured out the truth " Asher said wiping away the blood on the corner of his almost healed up lips with his hand.

    "What did you do to her?!" Daniel growled at the unfazed vampire.

    "I didn''t do anything to her, you moron" He gibed at Daniel''s shortsightedness.He swiftly stood to the feet, wiping invisible dirts from his butt.

    " Like I believe you " Daniel stated with a sneer

    "Believe me or not, it''s non of my business " Asher shook his head sympathetically and said "I wonder how you''ve been able to rule this pack when you''re this narrow-minded "

    " I don''t have time to play games with you. Now, tell me why she''s like that? " Daniel asked straightforwardly.

    Asher looked him straight in the eye " It''s dangerous to tell you anything here cause I''m not sure how secured your pack is from the Council''s spices but all I can tell you is, the girl is something that shouldn''t exist "

    Daniel cast a deep frown, though he doesn''t trust Asher but judging from the severity of the situation, he could tell the vampire wasn''t pulling his legs.

    "Fine, we''ll set up a meeting place then " he reluctantly suggested.

    " Fine by me, but you have to return the girl home soon. I might have tied up all loose ends but it''ll draw suspicion if she doesn''t return soon"

    Asher pretended not to have caught the way Daniel''s face fell when he heard his statement. Why was he bothered his rival was sad because his mate - no their mate, was leaving him.

    " Take these " Asher said and tossed two blood bags he brought out from a nylon bag resting on one of the Alpha''s couch.

    Daniel caught the items fluidly but his face wrinkled in disgust the moment he realized what he was holding.

    "Trust me, she''s going to need that when she wakes up. It''s vampire blood " Asher assured him upon noticing the displeased expression on his face.

    Daniel mocked " Yeah of course, your disgusting food vampire bloo...? "

    Unfortunately his speech trailed off at the end when he just realized what Asher said.

    "V-vampire blood?!" He stuttered wide-eyed

    He turned to question the vampire but Asher was already at the door, about to leave so he swallowed his questions.

    Asher grabbed the doorknob and paused. He slowly turned and said to Daniel "I bought you some time, return the girl home tomorrow "

    Daniel wanted to say something but the guy zoomed off before he could mutter a word. He snorted,

    Showoff ! Who even wanted his help.

 Chapter 80 - Eighty : Im Your Mate

    Lia had a dream .

    In that dream, she wanted the world to burn, felt the need to wrap and envelope everyone and everything with pain. She wanted all to rot in hell but that was until a light appeared.

    She couldn''t remember his face but her inside screamed with excitement, it was as if he was the only cure to her madness.

    Still asleep, Lia moaned in delight when her hands caressed something soft and hairy. It felt warm and comfy to the touch.

    With a languish smile, she stirred and cuddled into it but it was ridiculously large that her hands couldn''t reach its other end, so she just lazily drop her hand on its hairy belly.

    Her hand stroked its belly realizing how long and thick the hairs were, infact it felt more like furs.

    Suddenly, it released a deep satisfied purr and Lia''s eyes snapped open at once only to meet face-to-face with a dog - no scratch that, a wolf.

    "Ahhh!! " Her screams reverberated throughout the room as she stood abruptly , faltered, stumbled and fell off the queen-sized bed, while the wolf obviously roused from his sleep by her scream took off.

    Lia continued her screams and internal raves, where am I? Why was I in bed with a wolf? What is going on?! what''s with situation? where''s everyone ? Where''s Ben? Ah the party! Wait, the party....

    Lia''s countenance changed at once. She immediately remembered everything, Caroline''s games and tricks, the pain and torture she went through in her hands.

    Anger surged through her and without realizing it, her fist began to curl up but someone interrupted her .

    "Hi " A guy stuck out his head through the doorway while the rest of his body was hidden outside.

    "Hi " Lia responded warily.

    "I''m sorry for scaring you earlier, my wolf can be naughty at times " He said scratching his head awkwardly and finally moving out of the shadows.

    " Don''t worry about...." Lia froze upon realizing what he just said.

    Did he just say wolf?

    Her eyes widened " You''re a werewolf! " She choked.

    Lia didn''t know how to feel at all. She was feeling a rollercoaster of emotions : shock, confusion, curiosity and excitement .

    It was her first time seeing a werewolf in reality and not just a made-up character in some fictional movie but a real breathing werewolf.

    Moreover it was also refreshing actually talking to a different creature judging from the fact she''s being surrounded by witches and vampires this past weeks.

    Also she felt a sort of kinship with him , judging from the fact she was half-vampire and half-werewolf.

    "So you''re trying to say you''re really a werewolf, a real werewolf?!" Lia queried earnestly as if trying to confirm he was not playing a prank on her.

    "Of course baby girl, you saw me on the bed moments ago, remember? " He tried to convince her.

    Ah yes, how could she forget that grey fur wolf with silver tips , but she blushed scarlet red upon hearing him call her '' Baby girl ''.

    Lia looked up and couldn''t help but check out the guy. Strange enough, he looked oddly familiar but she couldn''t exactly put her finger on where she had seen him.

    He had this sweet exotic smell , which made Lia''s heart stir and her throat to dry up. Why was she feeling this way?

    His long voluminous blonde hair provided her with just the right temptation. She felt the burning need to run her hands through that messy silky hair and tousle it to her satisfaction.

    The desire was so strong that she had to dig her nails into the inside of her palm to keep herself alert and sober.

    She eyed his muscular build.

    The guy was handsome, sea blue eyes and sharp, angular features with the right amount of stubbles, giving him a matured and sexy vibe .

    He was wearing a simple collared shirt, snug enough to pronounce his physique and left open at the neck revealing a bit of his chest and slacks that hung his lean hips.

    Lia''s cheek burned when her eyes unknowingly traveled to his crotch and lean thighs and facepalm internally.

    Why was she feeling this way? The only person she had ever felt this particular way for was Asher. But why ? Why was this guy''s presence overwhelming and tormenting her.

    As if fate was playing a crude joke on her, Lia looked up only to discover he was standing right in front of her.

    Her breath quickened and she had a hard time breathing. The attraction she felt for this guy was so strong that she fought the urge to place her hands on that firm chest and discover if he was affected the same way she was.

    "Daniel " He said stretching forth his hand for a handshake

    Lia eyed his hand warily. Should I? Or should I not? she pondered, she was having a bad feeling about this.

    " Lia " She finally said and reluctantly accepted the handshake but gasped when electricity course through her hand .

    Startled, she jerked her hand back and wondered if he felt that too.

    But his face was blank, she couldn''t pick up any emotion.

    " How did I get here? Why am I here? " Lia asked when an awkward silence began to reign.

    "I was the guy who knocked you out before you tore down the whole building " He explained without hesitation.

    Lia scowled, rubbing the back of her head as if reliving that moment. If not for her great regeneration ability, she would be nursing a concussion by now. He really struck her hard.

    No wonder he looked familiar earlier, he was the guy from her dream.

    "You should have let me destroy that mansion, atlest pay that b*tch in her own coin ! " She fumed without thinking.

    "And let you trap - possibly kill innocent souls, huh? " He argued.

    Lia realized how stupid she sounded. Would she accomplish revenge on the cost of innocent lives? No.

    "I''m sorry " She apologized " I spoke without thinking " She bowed her head, embarrassed.

    "It''s alright, the werewolf gene in you is partially causing you to think that way "

    Her head jerked up "How did you know that? " She asked astounded.

    " Because I''m your mate "

 Chapter 81 - Eighty-one : Mates Are Your Destined Soulmates

    She had always thought Asher was pushing her away by claiming he wasn''t her mate.

    But it seems he wasn''t lieing after all

    Unfortunately, how she felt for Asher was something totally out of this world, it was fiery, consuming and worth it, she wouldn''t even mind giving up her life for him.

    His existence alone occupied her thoughts. Yes, she had a boyfriend from same grade back at her old school but whatever they had back then was child''s play compared to this.

    She just felt like Asher was her other missing part, the bone of her bone, her soulmate and she felt it deep down but then.... fate was trying to play a crude joke on her.

    "M-my m-mate ? " She stuttered, eyes wide and incredulous.

    "Yes. " He nodded " I''m sorry for dropping this on you like this. I didn''t plan for us to meet this way"

    Lia was numb, she didn''t know what to feel anymore ; shock ? disbelief? anger?frustration?

    None.

    She wavered " Are you sure it''s me?.... Aren''t you mistaken? " Lia stressed.

    Daniel smiled, he could see the doubt in her eyes.

    "Wild wolves are naturally monogamous creatures who mate for life and because we''re half the animal, we adopted that same attribute. But we''re half-human too, so some werewolves become very selective, exclusive lovers and others are more polygamous which often depends on their human lifestyle.

    " Moreover I impri - my wolf and I, imprinted on you the first day you came into little Town" He explained as the girl squinted her eyes in thought

    "Wait a minute, you''re that wolf my mom almost hit? " Lia questioned with shock

    " Yes " He confirmed.

    Lia raked her hand through her silky wavy hair, her thoughts all over the place . She had never forgotten that particular wolf, the way it stared at her that very day as if it could see through her soul made her shudder and had left a mark on her mind. Lia was just too confused and overwhelmed that she had failed to recognize it earlier.

    "How does the mates know they''re the chosen ones for the shifter ? " Lia queried curiously , looking him straight in the eye.

    Daniel too didn''t take his eyes off her as he started " It''s quite simple, you know " He smiled " For beginners, you would like the way he smells "

    Lia chilled, she did find his scent intensively alluring.

    "You can''t take your eyes off them "

    Has she being staring at him all this while?

    "Because mates are your destined soulmates, they''re very possessive of each other "

    Lia came to a startling realization, she wouldn''t stand another woman laying hands on him

    "They feel tingles and sparks when they touch."

    Lia definitely felt that, and by the look on his face, she could now tell he felt that too.

    "Because this someone''s ingrained into your soul, you begin to have very strong often uncontrollable cravings, throughout your entire body " Daniel explained with a whisper-like voice and stepped closer.

    He continued " We call it the ''mating fever'' but it''s literally just an intense desire felt because of the strong attraction between the two. The were-creatures are naturally more in tune with their instincts than other creatures, which is why, the more you fight the fever, the stronger it gets until everything erupts "

    So in one word, he was trying to say , they literally wouldn''t be able to keep their hands off each other, Lia mused.

    Yes, she had to admit, she was insanely attracted to this hot werewolf that claims to be her mate notwithstanding all the evidence points to that too.

    But that didn''t change the way she felt for Asher.Though it might not sound exaggerated as the werewolves explains on his own part, but she feels sparks whenever she and Asher touches.

    She hates the way other female students and teachers stare at him at school - She can''t even stand what they''re probably thinking.

    Also, she can''t take her mind of him and wouldn''t mind being possessive of him.

    Finally, she doesn''t care but she''s definitely lusting after him.

    Lia was brought back to reality when she felt the tip of Daniel''s nose run just over her neck , not quite touching it but right up to the back of her ear.

    He took it in her scent, as if it was addictive , committing it to memory and fueling the desire already building inside him, but he flinched suddenly.

    Though Lia wanted to fight against this sudden invasion but her body was the one in control until she felt him stiffen.

    Though he made an attempt to hide it but she caught utter disgust written on his unshaven face.

    Her eyes widened and her hands instinctively dove down to her neck where she let out a long sigh of relief upon noticing the tear dropped necklace was till tucked safely inside her top

    Eventhough she didn''t know much about Daniel, but judging from the fictional movies and books she had watched and read, she knew werewolves and vampires were natural enemies.

    It was probably hard for him to cope with the fact his mate was half the creature they were destined to loathe.

    "How did you know I''m a hybrid? " Lia asked surprised .

    He looked up and though he looked tense he still managed to post a smile " Your scent "

    " But this necklace masks my scent, how did you -"

    "I''m your mate " He curtly replied but Lia felt he was hiding more details from her.

    Pulling it out, Lia ran her hands over the tear-drop necklace absentmindedly - She missed Asher.

    It was stupid, very stupid of her to think of another guy when she was with her real mate; even Asher acknowledged him. But she couldn''t help it.

    Suddenly an idea struck her, what if Asher was her mate too?

    Her eyes shone , oh my God!

    Maybe that was why she felt that way for him too?

    No this is stupid, she sighed. Dan even told her it was impossible to have two mates.

    Moreover if he was truly her mate , why was Daniel the one that rescued her and not him?

 Chapter 82 - Eighty - Two : Mission Impossible

    " You guys can glare as much as you want but I''m not letting my brother out until you guys tell me what you are up-to " She-zukai stood her ground with arms folded stubbornly while Ben facepalm and Dan groaned.

    Dan knew how difficult it was for him to track down this idiot and teleport him here, all because of Ben but unfortunately his sister took over.

    "We need him for something important " Ben said with a pleading expression.

    "I can help out only if you tell me what you''re dragging my brother into " She still insisted.

    Dan rubbed his hand on his face, he hated bickerings the most cause it heightened the intensity of voices in his head since everyone tend to be loud - now, would be the right time to switch off his telepathic ability.

    " He wants your brother to track down an object for him " Dan spilled pointing at Ben.

    Ben threw his hands up with an exasperated sigh.

    "What object? " She questioned, a curious gleam in her eyes.

    "A cellphone that contains vital information about us " Dan answered.

    "Ooh " She cooed " Wait, till Asher hears that" she said in a tone that clearly implied that Asher was going to skin the poor boy alive .

    Ben cringed " He''ll kill me "

    "Which won''t happen if we find the cellphone first " Dan countered.

    "Fine then " Zukai agreed "Where''s the cellphone?"

    "Ummm " Ben muttered and searched his pocket before pulling out a drawing sheet and placed it on the bed.

    Zukai raised a brow as she went through the drawing, the boy had etched a realife Samsung Galaxy S20. The drawing was so graphic and detailed that she couldn''t help but marvel at his skill.

    But what was she to do with this?

    She picked the sheet asking "What''s this for?"

    "I know " started Ben "Your brother has psychometry and I was wondering - "

    "You want my brother to track your cellphone through this drawing? " she interjected.

    "Yes " Ben nodded

    She gave him a funny look

    "What? "

    She shook her head "You''re so adorable and stupid " zukai gibed at his foolishness.

    Ben''s face twitched, he didn''t know whether to take her comment as a compliment or insult.

    " I''m sorry but my brother''s Power doesn''t work that way " She stated firmly "You see , my brother through touch gains knowledge of an object, sometimes including the makers, users, and even those who have on passing used the object, and what has been done with it.

    This is achieved because each object contains residual information of the object or person which he can now trace through clairsentient contact."

    She waved the sheet in her hand in a ridiculous manner and continued her explanation "But what you''re asking him to do is simply unachievable , moreover that drawing now contains your residue since you touched it and even if he does trace it , it would surely lead back to you "

    " Definitely told the idiot but he wouldn''t listen " Dan smirked.

    Ben protested "Atlest I tried! "

    "Yeah, you indeed did! " sassed Dan with a huge scowl on his face.

    Then before Ben''s eyes, zukai began to transform. The previous sexy blue haired voluptuous lady immediately disappeared and a tall, burly, blue haired gorgeous guy began to form - her brother.

    "Oh my God " Ben gasped, though Dan had told him that the both were chimeric twins but he didn''t give it much thoughts.

    But seeing their transformation up close and live, it was... awe-inspiring and totally unbelievable to the extent his eyes almost bulged out of it''s socket while his jaw dropped.

    But what shocked Ben the most was their ability to retain the clothing each was wearing upon manifestation. Did their clothes seep into their skin or something?

    But just as Ben was about to ask, Dan pressed his finger tightly against his lips with a warning gaze that says ''say a word and I''m done with you ''

    Ben sulked, he refused to believe he was that predictable but there was nothing he could do.He just hoped they find the cellphone on Time.

    " My sister filled me in on everything, who''s the guy that Asher is going to skin " He-zukai asked as soon as he took over his body.

    "He won''t die cause we''re already making plan on recovering the cellphone " Dan countered and then, gestured towards Ben.

    Prompted, Ben explained " I think a student must have picked up my cellphone before the stampede; I lost consciousness before the whole chaos began and must have dropped it then "

    "So you want me to trace all of them? " Zukai prodded.

    " Probably . We are going to begin with the hospital since most students were admitted and using that opportunity, investigate and figure out which students left before the stampede and those who''ve been discharged from the hospital already " Ben suggested handling the sheet to zukai who committed the drawing to his memory.

    "Let''s go then " Dan said and placed his hand on their shoulder and next they found themselves in the hospital''s restroom.

    Ben and zukai raised a brow when they discovered they were inside the men''s toilet .

    " Sorry " Dan smiled bashfully "This is what happens when I have a vague description of where we''re heading to " He scratched his head awkwardly.

    Ben was relieved, thankfully it wasn''t the ladies toilet. No one was using the urinary and the few men available were stucked in the toilet cubicle doing their business , so no one saw them come out of nowhere else the vampires would''ve knocked them out.

    Without wasting time, they all left for their diverse missions - Zukai went to go steal a doctor''s coat which would help camouflage his intentions since it''ll be weird going around and touching students.

    Since Ben and Dan were already students, they didn''t need to disguise themselves and went straight to the hospital ward.

    It wasn''t hard to locate the students thanks to their loud and endless chatterings, not to take of the female''s excited shrieks when Dan stepped into the 8 - bed ward.

    There was an indirect wall-mounted unit above each bed with 39W compact fluorescent lamps while the curtains separating each beds were pulled back.

    Ben remained invisible in their eyes while they rushed at Dan who had this dry look on his face as if he would teleport right in front of everybody anytime soon.

 Chapter 83 - Eighty - Three : Mission Impossible 2

    Dan felt like crying, why were this kids staring at him with twinkling eyes? No, he can''t take this ! He needs to leave.

    He turned around helplessly but the glare from Ben redirected his footsteps and the next he knew, his arms was open, welcoming the girls who rushed into it.

    '' Oh my God! it''s really Dan ''

    ''He''s so cute! I must make sure to hug him well, this might be my last opportunity to get close to him! ''

    ''It''s Dan! oh my God it''s Dan! I can''t breathe! somebody, tell me to breath! why is he so hot!''

    ''Look at those eyes, nose, face ! God is really unfair but who cares! I need to make him mine! ''

    ''Dan! Dan! geez, why are this pest hugging him before me?! I must somehow find a way to get close to him! ''

    ''It-its Dan! can I hug him ? should I hug him? what if he snobs me? I''m not as spoken and beautiful as the other girls! What should I do? ''

    Dan thought his head would explode from reading their high-pitched and endless chattering. He had thought reading their mind would give me him an edge , a clue on how to handle them but he was totally wrong, it made him all the more scared and nervous, though he hid it perfectly.

    All everyone could see on his face was a smoldering smile, only Ben knew the facade was on the verge of cracking.

    Dan felt like a human surrounded by sharks in the open blue sea and was about to be devoured.

    Well, their thoughts were all the same except for the last one.

    Dan stared at the girl, she was wearing huge framed glasses and seem to be fidgeting with her hands, internally conflicted.

    Why was she so nervous to hug him? He was the nervous one here.

    He''ll rather be out there settling clan disputes and hunting down rogue vampires than sitting here, entertaining girls he was hundred times their age.

    Dan sized her up, he does remember seeing her once or twice in class but each time their gazes meet accidentally , she would look away hastily and will let her hair fall over her face like a curtain.

    Oh, she is a shy type

    Dan tried to remember her name but couldn''t since all his attentions were always fixed on Lia in class, making the other students fade into the background.

    So he tried to see if he could pick her name from the other girls thoughts and sure enough, he succeeded.

    ''Why is Quinn staring at Dan that way? does she thinks Dan would spare her a look? oh please, go look in the mirror !''

    "Hi Quinn " Dan waved at the girl who was about to leave for her bed.

    Her eyes widened and her lips trembled, she stared at him dumbfounded ''He knows my name! Oh my God! He knows me ! *literally jumping up and down* God, He knows me ! "

    Dan heard the girl''s inner prattle and smiled.

    By the time he was able to calm and settle the girls, Zukai - no scratch that, Doctor Zukai had already arrived and funny enough, he was wearing a black wig making Dan wonder where he got that from.

    But it was perfect since it was rare seeing a Bluehaired doctor around and would arouse suspicion.

    Zukai carried a medical chart while checking a patient''s infusion stand and IV drip , touching the person all he wanted in the process while asking questions like; How do you feel? Does your head hurt? Ear? Where does it hurt exactly? Don''t worry the nurses would attend to you as soon as possible.

    "You weren''t at the party? " Asked one of the guys who was sitting on his hospital bed whom immediately bumped fists with Dan.

    " Nay, got a lot of stuff to take care of last night " Dan replied when he saw Ben gesturing at him to start up a conversation with the boy .

    Ben himself was making conversation with Quinn, guess she was the only person willing to talk to him without snubbing him .

    " You missed a lot " The boy said " The party was a blast even though it got ruined in the end by an earthquake "

    "Earthquake? " Dan frowned

    "Yeah " the boy sighed " The earth''s fu*king vibration ruined the party that night, that''s what the police say "

    Oh, Dan realized. That was the excuse the council was using to cover the incident.

    "They said it was a 5.0 magnitude earthquake" another boy whose own bed was beside them chimed in.

    "But I heard there was screaming, a high-pitched haunting wail that affected a lot of student''s olfactory systems " Dan knowingly asked wanting to know what excuse the council must have used to cover up this one.

    " Oh, about that " The first boy scratched his head awkwardly "The police was here earlier, they think a student must have messed around with the Garcia''s sound system as some sort of prank , which unfortunately was amplified by the unexpected earthquake " He explained while Dan listened with rapt attention "The police is now investigating everyone who attended the party "

    Dan inwardly applauded, the council was smart indeed, they covered everything up perfectly. But he hoped, Lia would be able to make it home in time before the police comes to her doorstep.

    It would be strange if she isn''t back by the time they chose to investigate her which was inevitable, everyone had seen her at the party.

    "Talking of which, did you hear about Caroline?"

    Dan''s ear perked up " What abut her? "

    "She has Sensorineural hearing loss" The boy disclosed and this time even Ben''s attention was attracted.

    "What is Sensorineural - "

    "A hearing loss caused by damage to the inner ear or the nerve from the ear to the brain , which in her case was caused by prolonged exposure to loud noise and can be treated but not cured " Zukai explained with overflowing confidence, walking towards them, his movement effortlessly suave and cool.

    Immediately, all of the girls turned to stare at him and they automatically released astonished gasp while he winked at them and his mouth slid into a lopsided smile.

    "Someone should hold me! " A girl exclaimed and dramatically fainted. Where was all this eye candy coming from?

    Ben facepalm while Dan shook his head, it seems She-zukai has been influencing her brother lately. Everyone knew Zukai was not the flirty type save his sister.

    " Adam, I need to check your vitals " Zukai announced with an twinkle in his eyes.

 Chapter 84 - Eighty - Four : Mission Impossible 3

    "But a doctor just checked on me hours ago" Adam complained and thanks to that, Dan got to know his name.

    "That was hours ago and I know what''s best for you, unless you''re questioning my capacity? " Zukai asserted with this straight face that Dan would''ve fallen for too if he didn''t know all this was a plan.

    "No, that''s not what I mean " Adam conceded at last. He immediately looked around nervously before asking in a whisper " Am I going to receive a shot? "

    Dan lifted an eyebrow, this guy was scared of injections?

    " No, you won''t " said Zukai adjusting the boy''s IV drip before ordering " Let me see your hand"

    Dan had to admit, Zukai was so into his role that it was hard to mistake him for a fake.

    Adam reluctantly stretched out his hand towards him and he took it.

    In the guise of checking Adam''s wrist , Zukai immediately used his ability and though it was hard to concentrate, he forced himself and surprisingly caught a glimpse of what they''re searching for.

    Once he withdrew his hands, Zukai''s eyes met with Dan and though he didn''t say anything, the message was already sent through that single contact.

    " So when am I to be discharged? " Adam asked expectantly.

    " We''ll take another CT and then we''ll confirm whether you''re free to go or not " Zukai explained since Adam was one of those injured on the head during the stampede

    "Another test?" Adam scrunched up his face "But the previous doctor told me I wouldn''t undergo any other test, all I just needed was a rest "

    Zukai froze and he stuttered "D-did he? "

    "Yes and.... " Adam trailed off staring at Zukai suspiciously before asking " Where''s your train of interns?"

    Oh crap! Dan whose attention was already grabbed, cursed internally. As a medical practitioner once, he remembered immediately this was a teaching hospital and it was very common that medical students, interns and residents would be an integral part of their treatment team.

    " Aren''t medical interns suppose to be in the room and actively participate in the patient''s treatment? " The boy pressed, a trace of suspicion in his eyes.

    "They''re supposed to , but I decided to have a quiet time with my patient this time, don''t you like that ? " Zukai asked throwing the boy off balance for a moment .

    It was obvious Adam was conflicted but it cleared the moment his eyes fell on the name embroidered with green on Zukai''s white lab coat

    " Ophthalmology . L. Fred " Adam said aloud and Dan stiffened.

    Dan''s eyes narrowed and knew at once Adam has discovered Zukai was a fake. Back at school, he hardly interacted with the students save Lia but it seems they have messed with a smart-arse this time.

    "Why''s an eye doctor treating a head injury? " Adam asked grimly.

    Dan mentally facepalm, Zukai was absolutely stupid. Doesn''t he know the difference between an ophthalmologist and orthopedist.

    Dan was still thinking on how to salvage the situation when a nurse abruptly rushed in .

    " Oh my God ! I''m so sorry Doctor eh.. " Her eyes went to his coat " Doctor Fred, I''m so sorry for leading you into the wrong ward " She apologised, half-dragging and half-pushing

    Zukai out of the room while repeatedly bowing to the patients.

    "What just happened? " Quinn asked stunned herself.

    "Definitely weird " The boy beside Adam said

    Almost immediately, the whole students fell into a simultaneous and synchronized laughter.

    Ben who thought his heart was going to burst from anxiety earlier laughed along, nervously.

    Dan was still shocked and tongue-tied to join in the fun. What was Sabrina doing here? And why was she disguised as a nurse? No, he has to find out.

    "I''ll be taking my leave " Dan said in one breath and zoomed off before Adam could protest.

    Ben mouthed a ''goodbye '' to Quinn and left right away. He didn''t bother about the others, no one would miss him anyway.

    He soon joined Dan in the hospital hallway and they finally tracked Zukai at the hospital''s exterior garden with a nurse.

    "Who''s she? " Ben asked Dan curiously.

    It was obvious to him that the lady had helped them out and judging from the way Dan was staring at her intensely, they seem to know each other.

    " My ex-girlfriend " Dan answered almost immediately without sparing him a look.

    Then within watchful eyes, Ben saw her mutter a few words and her nurse attire changed into a casual wear.

    Holy moly !

    "Your girlfriend is a witch! " Ben yelped from shock and excitement. This was the first-time he was seeing a witch, Oh God ! a real life witch !

    But Dan didn''t reply him and approached the girl standing beside a large tree with Zukai .

    "Why are you here? " Dan asked with an I''m- so -happy- to- see- you expression.

    "I should be asking you the same thing? I''m here to investigate the incident on Friday and my instinct is strongly telling me that''s related to Lia, isn''t it ? " She asked but Dan looked away without giving her an answer.

    " I thought so " She snorted " No wonder, your gangs are here and you should be thankful, I just saved your asses "

    "Yes, we''re thankful for saving our butts but We''re here to investigate something else " Ben disclosed while Dan scowled at him.

    Her brows lifted "I''m all ears "

    " I lost my phone on that day and it contains vital information about the supernatural and -"

    "Asher would kill you " She interjected

    "As I''ve been told " Ben added "Repeatedly " He continued " So we decided to track down -"

    "Students who would be in possession of it " She put in again " Lousy speculation , what if the students aren''t in possession of it? "

    "We''ve already made progress " Zukai countered this time " When I held Adam''s hand, I saw someone asking him if he there was a way to decrypt the phones without destroying the data "

    Ben grinned at Dan "I told you my phone is heavily guarded "

    Sabrina ignored the grinning idiot and asked Zukai "Did you get a name? "

    Zukai pursed his lips thoughtfully "I did hear Brin or something "

    " Brian " Ben corrected.

    " Think so "

    Sabrina faced Ben " You know him? "

    "Yeah " Ben breathed " He lives at 66 Alewood Avenue, LT 95590 and sadly, one of my bullies"

    Everyone stared at Ben with unreadable looks until Dan said, cracking his neck "What are we waiting for then? let''s go get the cellphone "

    "I''m coming along " Sabrina said as a matter of fact

    " Why should you? " He whirled around, facing her.

    "I might come in handy " came her excuse.

    " No " Dan blandly refused.

    "Yes " She insisted and their stare off began until Dan reluctantly gave in.

    " Fine then, let''s go " He sighed.

    Confirming nobody was in sight, Dan grabbed Sabrina who was standing by his right-hand side by the waist while Zukai held unto his shoulder and Ben held unto zukai in return, and he teleported.

    But something happened.

    Dan didn''t understand what happened at all but all he knew was that he ended up teleporting only Sabrina while the others got left behind.

 Chapter 85 - Eighty-Five : Mission Intercepted.

    Sabrina stood transfixed in shocked silence, she looked around and just as expected, she was in Brian''s corridor with Dan, but where were the others?

    "What happened? " Sabrina asked with concern while Dan kept staring at his hands inquisitively.

    " I think I might have exhausted my powers " Dan said trying to summon it but received nothing in return.

    "This happens? " She asked genuinely surprised

    "It happens when I try to conjure and teleport to areas I don''t know, sense or been to " He explained looking at everything but her gaze.

    "How long? "

    "Huh? "

    "For how long do you lose your Power?" She asked him again.

    Dan scratched his scalp thoughtfully "Sometimes a day or two, or some hours but it depends on how stressed out and the degree of energy I drained myself while teleporting "

    "Ok" She nodded and looked away and a momentarily awkward silence reigned.

    Thankfully the house seemed quiet, so they had the whole apartment to search to their heart content.

    "Nobody seems to be home " Sabrina tried to start a conversation when she couldn''t take the silence any longer.

    "Umm" He made a low sound of approval and hardly took two steps when he froze.

    "What?" Sabrina asked when she noticed his tensed countenance.But that was when she heard it, the creaking sound of the backdoor - Someone was coming in.

    " Shit! " She cursed and looked around trying to find a hiding place but nothing stood out aside from pictures hanging on the walls - the passage was just a passage!

    The voice - no voices were getting louder and closer.

    Suddenly, she felt a tug on her hand and Dan pulled her to the nearest room which was open and hidden by curtains.

    But it seems the universe was set to ruin them cause the voices were heading their direction.

    " Do something! " Sabrina whisper-yelled

    "I can''t do anything ! no powers remember? now you do something! " Dan whisper - shouted back

    "I can''t come up with anything, this situation has caused my brain to short-circuit and the only thing I can think of is turning both of us into birds, then we fly away, problem solved! " She quietly retorted with suppressed rage.

    Immediately, Dan grabbed her arm and they both squeezed themselves into the large shutter door wardrobe and bolted it from behind just as the laughing couples came inside the room.

    The wardrobe was cramped and dark but a few light filtered in through the space between the louvered shutters - which somehow gave them a view of what was going on outside.

    Sabrina had the perfect view while Dan had to crane his neck to the side in order to take a peak since he had his back against the wardrobe-door.

    Even without looking, Sabrina knew it was a couple thanks to their conversation but her eyes suddenly widened when she saw the boy - possibly Brian, throw the girl down on the bed which was followed by the loud smooches.

    Her eyes met Dan''s immediately.

    He might not be looking but she knew his hearing was great.

    "Don''t tell me those kids are doing what I think they''re doing " Dan whispered to her.

    Sabrina wanted to reply they were just making out when she heard the tearing of fabrics.

    Oh boy!

    "I think they''re about to do what you think they''re doing " Sabrina acknowledged and saw Dan gritting his teeth and rolled her eyes.

    "Seriously Dan, this is the 21st century and the kids these days do this kind of stuffs, so stop being so old-fashioned "

    Dan wanted to argue with her but she sent him a warning gaze, so he shut his lips at once.

    Sabrina curiously peered through the space when everything became quiet and then she saw it.

    The girl was lying on top of Brian on the bed- stripped of her clothing while her shirt was in the process of being pushed up to her shoulders and Brian already in his birthday suit.

    Then suddenly, as if a dam was broken, she sat up and began to bounce up and down on the guy''s lap and he was indeed looking enthusiastic.

    "Do you know you look like a pervert ?" Dan insinuated about her staring at the couples going at it.

    She turned to glare at him " It''s unavoidable, how was I to know I was going to be treated to free live porn " Came her pathetic excuse while Dan shook his head.

    "But don''t worry " Sabrina assured " They would get it over with soon, I bet ten minutes and they''re done "

    But thirty minutes later, she took back her words.

    "Are this kids high on drugs on something " She cried out, frustratedly. They were not only having sex but a torrid one.

    It has been quite some time now and they were not even close to the word ''stopping '' - truth be told , it was affecting her already.

    The wardrobe was so cramped that both their bodies were pressed together like canned sardines and the moan from outside growing in strength from low whimpers of joy to shouts of ecstasy weren''t helping matters at all.

    " Behave " She cautioned Dan when she felt his below stirred.

    "What do you want me to do? I can''t help it " He whispered helplessly and she sighed. Her own pulse, blood pressure, and breathing were all on the rise.

    Who said it was easy being in a closed space with your ex?

    "Maybe this is the time you should summon a portal and get us out of here" Dan suggested, trying his best to keep his hands to himself

    " I can''t, it would cause a spatial disturbance" She stated.

    " Or cause something to disrupt them, a rabbit... or snake or dragon -"

    "Geez, easy on them Dan, who knows but this might be their first time and I won''t want it to be traumatic but memorable for them" Sabrina pointed out

    But Dan frowned "Why do I feel like you''re enjoying this? "

    " Of course not " She denied " Moreover I''m trying to prove -"

    "That you can be in a confined space with me without trying anything stupid " Dan spat and she froze, eyes wide and mouth agape.

    "I-I eh " She tried to speak but couldn''t find the right words.

    Dan scoffed and craned his neck to the right, peering through the shutter.

    All of a sudden, the couple performing the rigorous act stopped abruptly and Sabrina was sure she heard the both of them say simultaneously and in a harmonized manner

    "Let''s take the fun to the Master bedroom "

    And immediately they left.

    ''Creepy'' was the only word that come to Sabrina''s mind. Why did they stop all of a sudden.... oh my God .

    " Dan! " Sabrina called but he didn''t give her a response. She called him again but this time, shook him vigorously.

    Thankfully, he responded by turning towards her but Sabrina gasped from shock.

    The whole of Dan''s eyes were pitch black.

 Chapter 86 - Eighty-six : Mission Intercepted 2

    Sabrina knew Dan surely did something, that pitch-black eyes were a signatory for vampires who were overwhelmed by their powers and possibly given in to their dark side.

    She gasped when a dark smile curled up his face, revealing sharpened teeth among the first neat row of white teeth while his eyes were so black that she couldn''t differentiate the sclera from the pupil and she understood she was endangering herself by being so close to Dan at the moment.

    With heavy breaths, she stepped back a bit but there was no way to run to while Dan kept staring at her interestedly, the way he was watching her sent tremors all over her body.

    Sabrina knew this was a game to him, cause he stood there, though unmoving but poised to act, as if he was the predator and she was the prey, watching and inspecting the best time to move in for the kill.

    "Ego vocare t - " Sabrina said with lightening speed, trying to summon a portal not caring what the event horizon would do to this place anymore, albeit she was too late.

    He grabbed her waist and slammed her against his chest with enough force that a startled gasp tore from her throat. She tried to say a spell again but his lips closed down on her''s silencing her words into incoherent whimpers.

    Sabrina understood at once she was fighting a losing battle against this skilled and experienced predator, she clearly understood what he was doing.

    He was silencing her from casting a spell and though she could cast one inwardly but her thinking was currently muddled - thanks to his kisses and he knows that.

    She somehow managed to summon a spell that blast the wardrobe door and because his back was pressed against it, he gave way and fell from the momentum but something happened.

    He had managed to grab Sabrina and the both fell to the ground, with her landing on top of his chest.But before she could react, Dan used his speed and reversed their position. His strong, cold body fully immobilizing her solid yet soft and warm ones, pinning her wrists to the ground.

    She didn''t know whether to cry or scream, vampires in this state have their personal desires amplified and she had a feeling she was the one who pushed him over the edge

    "Dan " She breathed "You''re stronger than this, snap out of this nonsense " She pleaded with shaky breath, his hovering face wasn''t doing her brain justice.

    Maybe, he was indeed right. She''d been living in denial all this time, she still had intense feelings for this guy and it was quite ironic, it took him being in his dark state for her to realize it.

    " What if I don''t want to? what would you do ?" Came his throaty challenge and she gulped nervously, it was going to be a huge work returning this guy to his senses.

    How can you save someone that doesn''t want to be saved?

    The girl knew she could use this opportunity to escape but leaving him in this state? He''ll cause one hell of a havoc before Asher arrives especially with those teenagers still inside, who knows what he would do to them ; So the responsibility of bringing him back to his senses was dumped on her shoulder.

    Sabrina was about to give him a pep talk when his lips came down on her''s again , this time more intense and hungrier than earlier. She tried to hold on to her normally rigid self-control but it was fading with each of his breathtaking kisses.

    "Oh my God " She moaned when a rush of excitement passed through her and Dan smirked knowingly.

    Sabrina was so influenced under his touch that she didn''t notice his fangs growing in length and gasped finally when he tore into the delicate skin of her neck and began to drink from her.

    At first, agony seared straight through her, which was followed up by an intense pleasure that almost drove her over the edge while his wandering hands explored her body . The feeling was like reaching orgasm but this was much more consuming and fulfilling.

    When he stopped feeding and there was a sudden silence, Sabrina craned her neck towards him and shivered at the sight, his black eyes was burning with more than hunger.

    She felt goosebumps all over her body when his burning gaze drifted down her body, the reality of the situation beginning to sink in, it was now or never.

    "Dolore iubes faciam super te omnia " She said out of no where and Dan was thrown off her body.

    She stood at once and used her magic to make the room soundproof and impenetrable - She wouldn''t want those two idiots in the other room rushing in upon hearing the noise.

    " Stop this ! " Dan who was on his knees and grabbing his head, growled at her.

    "Fine then " She said, a wicked smile decorating her lips as she directed her magic at him , intensifying the pain.

    " Ahh! " Dan screamed in pain grabbing his head. He was having this extremely severe headache as if his blood vessels were about to burst.

    "Stop! " He screamed "Please " he added, beginning to vomit blood as his vision got blurry, the pain was unbearable.

    But Sabrina was not to be fooled, she continued inflicting the pain until he lost consciousness - completely stunned.

    Without wasting time, she approached him and took out the wrinkled sheet he had taken from Zukai earlier and dropped it on the study table.

    She summoned a pocket knife and then sliced open her palm a bit, letting the blood drop on the drawing bit by bit before chanting a spell.

    As her chants grew louder, gaining momentum, a heavy wind out of nowhere began to swirl in the middle of the room, throwing, thrashing and rattling objects until something flew straight at her and she caught it swiftly - the cellphone.

    She smirked victoriously and turned around only to discover Dan has woken from his short nap and he was back to normal.

    Anger like no other flooded her and she laced her fist with magic and gave him a blow that drew blood from his mouth.

    "Are you crazy! Do you know how risky it was getting into their head? Are you a sucker for pain or what?! " She raged throwing one punch after the other.

    Dan could not say a word but helplessly dodge her punches that were aimed at his vital organs.

    He understood what she was angry about, he had telepathy and able to project his thoughts to others and make them obey his orders - unfortunately that extent of his powers was still evolving, he hadn''t mastered it fully.

    He had stressed his abilities to the limit and unfortunately lost himself for a while.

 Chapter 87 - Eighty-Seven: The Mating Fever

    "I''m truly sorry for keeping you indoors, I would''ve given you a good tour of the pack but unfortunately, we''re currently battling a virus" Daniel apologized for the umpteenth time to the genuinely surprised Lia at the dinning table.

    It was late already and yes, they had spent a considerable amount of time getting to know each other - well she got to know about the werewolf community.

    Thanks to that, Lia got to know that a werewolf has to be born or made, making her a made werewolf ; infected by a near-death mauling.

    Apparently she was strong enough and had survived and gotten infected with the virus, since lycanthropy was an extremely aggressive genetic mutation that jumps to the host with the spread of genetic material.

    After then she would heal and transform at the moon phase, or while experiencing a period of intense emotion and afterwards begin to shift at will.

    " I don''t understand, I thought you guys don''t get sick? " Lia asked completely confused.

    "We don''t get sick but this is not an ordinary virus, a dark witch cast a spell on my pack and it came about. The virus suppresses our wolf side and thus rendering us human and easily susceptible to the disease "

    "Oh " She said and dug her fork uninterestedly into the meaty dish before her.

    It seems werewolves were fond of meats cause all the dishes presented before her had more meat than actual solids in it. But unfortunately, her fangs were aching for something else.

    Daniel sighed when he saw her picking at her food, it seems the vampire was right. She was a made-hybrid.

    Made hybrid? How funny, such a thing has never being heard of in history. It''s impossible to be a vampire and werewolf at same time unless you were born one, but made? Impossible.

    It was against the law of nature, an abomination.

    He reluctantly threw a blood bag at her which she caught with fluid motion accompanied by a questioning brow.

    " The vampire came by, said it would help or something " Daniel said and she lit up at once.

    Asher came by ?! He really did?! Why didn''t he come visit her? oh right, she sighed. This was werewolf territory.

    Werewolves were extremely possessive and aggressive, encroaching on their territory could mean serious trouble.

    Though Daniel tried to keep a straight face when she unscrewed the cap but she could tell from his crinkled and puckered face like crumbled aluminum foil , that he was super uncomfortable with her feeding.

    Truthfully, Lia was hurt by his attitude but she forced herself to see from his own point of view too. She understood it wasn''t easy for him to accept the fact that his mate was half the creature they were destined to detest.

    So she consumed her blood drink with lightening speed but was surprised when he placed another blood bag in front of her.

    "Take your time" He said to her and she flashed him a grateful smile. Daniel stood from his seat and left without uttering a word while she savoured her meal - As expected, Asher''s blood was the best.

    By the time she was done and there was nobody in sight, Lia decided to take a tour of the house.

    It was obvious the house was a mansion thanks to it''s countless passageways and rooms that if not for her great sense of smell , she would have lost her way over and over again.

    Daniel had told her that this was the pack house and though some werewolves choose to live separately in their own homes, there were still quite a lot of them occupying the rooms in here.

    According to Daniel, the pack house once bustling with activity, have come to a near standstill. The atmosphere was quiet, tensed and gloom - everyone was scared for their life.

    A few pack members passed her by and though they acknowledged her presence by bowing their head but she could see the fear in their eyes. They were all on face masks and gloves and keeping a good distance from one another. There was no more trust since one couldn''t tell if one was infected unless tested, it wasn''t written on the face.

    Lia returned to her room when she got bored, Daniel wasn''t kidding when he told her she was barred from leaving the pack house at the moment, the pack entrance was under barrage of security - even a fly couldn''t sneak in without their notice.

    She walked into her room''s verandah and leaned against the glass balustrade as she stared up to the sky , enjoying the night view.

    "I''m sorry for leaving abruptly, something came up " Daniel apologized coming to stand beside her but unknown to him, she smelt him before she heard him.

    "You don''t need to apologize , I know you have a lot on your plate already " Lia countered, looking away as she felt his heated gaze upon her. She couldn''t look him in the eyes, it was doing funny things to her stomach.

    Suddenly she felt a warm hand on her chin and her face was suddenly turned towards him. As if nature was in cahoots with him, a soft breeze wheezed by and this sweet exotic smell which made her inside stir wafted into her nostrils.

    For the first time she noticed he smelt like fresh snow mingled with lavender and it made her mouth water.

    They kept staring into each other''s eyes as if spellbound, then Daniel began to lower his head slowly towards her.

    An internal battle began inside her, this was totally wrong and also totally right ; she was crazily conflicted.

    This was her mate, right? Someone destiny has arranged for her - her own perfect match made in heaven. Then why was she so sure and unsure at same time? what about Asher? Why does she feel so bothered and guilty?

    But Lia''s mind blanked out the moment Daniel''s lips covered her''s, the pure rush of pleasure that assaulted her made her knees buckle but his strong , solid arm were there to steady her.

    Their lips moved at a synchronized space, her body so in tune with his.The kiss was so sweet , savoury, but short-lived cause she tore away from his grasp.

    She let out a sharp gasp the moment she came up for air. Her face was flushed and her breath heavy, her pounding heart doing more harm than good at the moment.

    "How old are you? " Daniel asked out of nowhere surprising her.

    "Why? " She asked "I''ll be eighteen in a week time "

    "Good" He smiled " Cause that''s when the mating fever would officially start "

    Crap.

 Chapter 88 - Eighty-Eight : Love Rival

    He must be crazy, Asher thought. Why did he leave the girl with Daniel? He knew perfectly well that werewolves were naturally aggressive, vicious and unpredictable creatures. What if Daniel''s wolf takes control and he goes back on this word by marking and mating with the girl?

    God, he was going crazy.

    When Asher reached his place, he was surprised to see Ben, Dan, Sabrina and Zukai all in one place - What an odd combination.

    " What''s going on? " He questioned, walking into the living room and plonking down on the nearest sofa, he was mentally exhausted.

    "Nothing " They all answered in unison.

    Definitely strange.

    He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at them but didn''t say anything. Dan was the most responsible amongst the four, so if he says nothing is wrong - he must have settled the issues already.

    Ben thought his heart was going to leap out of his chest when Asher''s eyes suddenly locked on his.What now?Did he figure out everything? He has no idea about the cellphone, right?

    "Follow me " Asher suddenly ordered him and began to walk towards the direction of his study while Ben swallowed hard.

    Ben secretly threw a what''s - going - on - gaze at the others but they simply shrugged and gave him an I-have - no-clue expression in return.

    Unknown to them, Asher saw their eye communication and his lips curled into a smirk, something did happen during his absence but that was not his priority at the moment.

    Ben walked behind Asher at a slow pace, his head was lowered while his heart was engaged in an internal battle. Why did Asher call only him? Did he find out about the cellphone ? Was he about to be skinned alive? Oh no, he can''t die yet! He hasn''t even finished experimenting his theories on Lia yet, so he can''t die!

    " Sit !"

    Ben flinched on hearing his grim command, nevertheless he obeyed. Moving slowly, he eyed the cushion with caution incase of booby traps.

    Oh yes, you heard him right. He has to search for traps - Asher was the most dangerous whenever he has this blank expression on his face.

    So Ben sat down with a little of his weight at first to test his theory, but when nothing happened, he sat fully.

    What next.

    But ''what next '' remained a huge mystery cause for the next ten minutes Asher didn''t say a word to him.

    The silence was so heavy and nerve-wracking that Ben thought he was going to pee in his pant, the guy made all the hairs on his body stand.

    Asher just stood in the middle of the room, regarding him with this stern expression intently.

    Just when Ben thought he couldn''t endure his hot scrutinizing gaze anymore and decided to spill the beans, Asher asked a strange question.

    " You''re Lia''s friend, right? "

    " Huh? " Ben was startled for a  moment, and then composed himself. Was this some sort of mental torture? what does him being Lia''s friend have to do with this intense interrogation?

    " Yes" Ben choked a reply.

    " Who would she choose? " Asher asked with a very serious gaze on his face.

    " Eeh? "

    Asher turned to face him "The vampire or the werewolf, who would she choose? "

    Ben scratched his scalp nervously, what was going on here? why did he feel that this question was more dangerous than the secret he was keeping from Asher

    "Umm, I''ll need a bit of a background information in order to answer your question" Ben answered, his heart in his mouth when he saw Asher''s sour face darken the more.

    He knew Asher was the vampire, then who was the werewolf? Why would Lia choose between him and a werewolf? Unless he was referring to Lia''s vampiric and were-side .

    Bingo, he figured it out.

    "I think Lia likes her vampire side than her werewolf side, judging from her likeness for blood " Ben said and he swore, Asher''s face that was as sour as vinegar moments ago lit up like Christmas.

    "Really? " Asher asked with gleamy eyes.

    "Yes, according to my hypothesis : I think her vampiric side has more dominance than her were-side.Talk of her thirst for blood, eye changes and lately, she''s becoming nocturnal -not because her internal clocks out-of-whack and can not sleep but because she''s gradually turning out to be like you guys "

    "Just as I thought " Asher said, and his face crease into an huge smile of relief . It wasn''t just a myth but the truth - vampires don''t sleep. Though they might pretend to rest with their eyes closed, but let not your guard down; they''re as active as a griffin .

    "So you''re trying to say if she one-day has to choose between the werewolf and the vampire, she would take ''me'' the vampire? " he asked and simpered.

    "Yeah, probably " Ben said but frowned afterwards, wondering why Asher was anthropomorphising the whole thing.

    Wait a minute, Ben gasped internally as he stumbled upon a startling realization. Did Asher have a love rival? possibly a werewolf? O.M.G

    " You can leave then " Asher dismissed Ben before he could say anything else.

    Though he had a lot of questions on his mind, Ben could only swallow his curiosity and hope to figure them out on his own in a space of time. He couldn''t afford to trifle Asher, especially now he was suddenly magnanimous.

    So the chatterbox Ben went back to the living room without gushing a word.

    "What happened? " Everyone surrounded him like bees drawn to honey, with twinkling eyes, their full gossip mode activated.

    Ben shook his head, unsure "He was strange?"

    "Strange? " They all chorused.

    Ben walked to the sofa and sat down while they trailed along, each occupying any space they could find and encircling him.

    "So what happened? " She-zukai who had transformed in a twinkle of an eye proded , It was quite obvious she forced her way in - Zukai was never a gossip.

    "It was quite weird and cryptic " Ben murmured " By chance, does Asher have a love rival?"

    "Huh? "

    "Love rival?"

    "Why would he? Asher could easily crush him, afterall it runs in the famil....." She-zukai trailed off when she realized she has disclosed more than was needed.

    Everyone faced her. All eyes on her.

    Uh-oh

 Chapter 89 - Eighty-Nine : Invitation Of Friendship

    Lia has been having problems sleeping lately, it wasn''t that she was insomniac but she just didn''t feel like it and her body was definitely not complaining.

    And that was the same case tonight, after that hot kiss she shared with Daniel, she couldn''t seem to relax.

    When she successfully did fall asleep, she had an erotic dream, so vivid and raw that she could''ve swore it was real. Wait a minute - Did she just experience a sleep orgasm for the first time ever?

    So she stayed up the rest of the night like an owl, binge watching on television dramas that couldn''t seem to take her anxiety away. Lia didn''t know what was going on back home but she definitely knew Asher must have taken care of her family.

    Though she didn''t know how he does that, but it wasn''t the first time her family was unfazed about her sudden disappearance, when on a normal day her overprotective mom should be freaking out and contacting every law enforcement agency on earth known to her.

    Thankfully morning came and for the first time since her arrival, Lia devoured her meaty dishes with delight - she was craving meat like crazy today .

    "How''s your shifter side? " Daniel asked stunning her.

    "Huh?"

    "I mean, how often do you communicate with your inner-wolf, your wolf part? Do you sometimes hear her voice in your head? Or feel something about to rip out of your body, as if trying to take control of you? "

    Lia stared at him confusedly , a deep furrow plastered on her forehead " Since never? "

    Daniel frowned "That''s quite strange, is it because you''re the first of a made-hybrid?" He thought aloud.

    Daniel inquired further "Under what moon phase did you first transform: full moon, Gibbous moon, half moon, crescent moon?"

    Lia dropped her spoon , pushed her food aside and let out an exhausted breath before answering

    "I wouldn''t exactly describe it as ''transform '' since I haven''t shapeshifted into a large looking ferocious canine form or a wolf-like beast, but I''ve got this " She said and flicked out a razor-sharp black talons while her eyes glowed a bright yellow.

    Being shocked is totally an understatement, Daniel was awed beyond words. He took her hands and began to examine her talons .Truth be told, her''s was quite sharper than his - he had claws not talons.

    Lia continued " I was just really angry one time and nearly clawed out Caroline''s face with this "

    Daniel was beginning to get frightened, was this a good thing?

    His mate has attributes only a fully transformed werewolf would possess while she hasn''t even achieved her first Phase-forced transformation - Sure, that was a good thing?

    Daniel gulped, now he understood why Asher couldn''t tell him a thing : the council would want to exterminate this abomination, so he couldn''t risk her safety.

    " You seem to control this well " Daniel questioned judging from the way she was able to extract and retract her talons with ease.

    "Yeah " She laughed " Asher taught me how to do this while .... " She faltered when she realized Daniel''s expression had changed.

    Great ! Lia sighed.''You totally did a good work'' she berated herself internally. How could she forget werewolves were extremely jealous, protective and possessive of their mates.

    " Did you find the wolf that bit me? " she asked trying to divert his attention from this awkwardly,nerve-wracking moment.

    Thankfully, he complied.

    "Haven''t " He answered with a sigh " But I suspect you were turned by a rogue, meaning you don''t have a pack, which isn''t a problem; you get accepted in another pack, form yours , or become a lone wolf . "

    " OK " She nodded

    "I can easily accept you into my pack on grounds of being my mate, else you''ll have to "prove" yourself to the pack "

    Lia turned towards him suddenly intrigued "How do I prove myself? "

    Daniel smiled, she has been hooked

    "By fighting and defeating one of the strongest and most capable member of the pack. Defeat more than one, you earn the pack respect and a position within the pack hierarchy"

    "Hmmm " Lia purred like a satisfied cat, placed her elbow on the table, leaned towards him and asked " What if I want to challenge you? "

    Daniel gave her a devilish smile that made her heart skip a beat and leaned towards her too, asking "Why? Do you vie to become the Alpha?" he restated " Do you desire my position too ? "

    Though every wolf know its place, but a subordinate werewolf may challenge a leader for its position - most especially an Alpha for pack leadership.

    They fight to the death or to a winner - take - all brawl and whosoever wins, take overs ; the loser moves down the hierarchy, is exiled or leaves to start a new pack

    " If I say yes ? " Lia challenged, arching a haughty brow at him.

    "You sure you''ve not bit off more than you can chew? I''m quite a handful " He goaded, leaning closer towards her.

    They stared into each other''s eyes, starting a stare off, they both knew this was game but they were too intoxicated with the thrill to stop.

    "Trust me wolf boy, I can perfectly handle you" She teased back enjoying the twinkle in his eyes.

    None of them was willing to move their eyes, to Daniel - it wasn''t in an Alpha''s DNA to back down from a challenge while to Lia - she has never lost a single stare down challenge, so why should she now - moreover, her pride''s on the line .

    So she continued staring even though looking at his eyes was sending tingles all over her bodies until she released a yelp.

    Lia didn''t know what happened but suddenly she was yanked from her seat and placed on his lap - the dinning room pushed to the side.

    Lia released a slow, shaky breath when she discovered Daniel''s eyes were now a burning shade of amber, was this what he referred to as inner-wolf? Was his wolf in control?

    Contrary to her expectation, Daniel didn''t do anything, just kept staring into her eyes and when she tried to climb off his lap, he sent a warning growl that not only paralyze her, but made her stay put .

    Okie dokie, what has she gotten herself into? How do you placate a wolf that''s hell-bent on having a stare off with you?

    After a while of deep contemplation, lia moved her hand up and his amber orbs followed it cautiously, she carefully placed it on his hair while following his expression, - he didn''t look angry.

    She then begin to run her hands through his rich blonde strands, tousling and dishevelling his already messy hair.

    " Good boy " Lia couldn''t help but praise when he purred in delight while nuzzling and rubbing his head against her neck - which she''s trying hard to imagine as a muzzle right now.

    I mean, dogs does that as an invitation of friendship, right?

    But unfortunately, that was the sight that greeted Asher when he walked into the room.

 Chapter 90 - Ninety : You Just Need To Tell Me Everything About Them

    "The look on Asher''s face was priceless " Ben would have said if he was here to witness this shocking scene.

    Asher was dumbstruck, his eyes as wide as saucers before it narrowed. His penetrating gaze went from Lia to Daniel and back again.

    Lia shivered when she felt a gust of cold breeze wash over her and turned. Her heart almost jumped out of her chest when she saw Asher standing at the room''s entrance, his Stormy gaze trained on her with a very heated intensity that could even scare a Tiger.

    Before she knew it, an invisible force ripped her off Daniel, while Daniel gave a feral growl in response .

    The force pulled her towards Asher like a puppet, slamming her into his chest with a great momentum that knocked the breath from her.

    Asher simply reached out a hand and drew her close to him, his grip on her waist so tight and bone crushing that she bet a bruise must have formed there already.

    Then Asher turned to face the Alpha who was already poised to attack with a blizzard like gaze and said in a monotone

    "We had a deal and I hope you don''t back out of it "

    Immediately Asher''s words entered his ears, Daniel''s blazing amber orbs changed to his normal blue ones while his shoulders slumped in defeat.

    "I hope we have that discussion as soon as possible " Asher continued his monotone as if he was a robot.

    That said, he immediately turned rigidly and took Lia''s arm, dragging her out of the room before Daniel could protest.

    The werewolves guarding the pack house didn''t stop them; it seems Daniel sent them a message through the mindlink.

    Asher was fuming mad, he had arrived early and had to wait, since Daniel''s men wanted to inform him of his arrival through the mind link

    But when they got nothing for a while, they let Asher go since he had an appointment anyway, only to come inside and discover the source of the unanswered mind calls - he was messing around with Lia! With hi - their mate?!

    Lia knew better than to say a word. She understood from his dark gaze that he was fuming mad.

    But why was Asher this angry ? Wasn''t he the one always pushing her to go and find her mate.

    Once at the pack boundary, they met some werewolves stationed there, who stopped them at once while Asher tried to talk things out with them - giving Lia the chance to catch a final glimpse of the pack

    Starring at the distant pack house that stood out from the rest , she committed it to memory.

    Though werewolves could perfectly live and blend in with the humans but the Silver Pack decided otherwise, preferring to live separately but not too far from the humans .

    Lia''s gaze shifted back to Asher when she felt him grab her hand and led her through the thick forest that hid and protected the Silver pack from human invasion.

    Through out the journey, Asher didn''t say a word to her but the air surrounding them was so oppressive to the point she couldn''t breath.

    Abruptly, she pulled away, taking a few careful steps back as his blazing gaze followed her every move.

    " What are you doing? " he asked solemnly

    "We kissed " Lia confessed, finally letting the cat out of the bag. It was better for him to release his anger openly than giving her this silent torture.

    "I''m not going to lie,I enjoyed it" She disclosed "It just felt so right, like this is what a part of my soul was missing out on all these years but.... "

    She stared him straight in the eyes and asked "But as blissful as that sounds, why do I still feel quilty ?"

    His gaze remained unwaveringly on her''s while

    Her voice broke and tears began to slid down her face.

    "W-why do I feel bothered? Why do my heart feel guilty when infact I''m following it? why do everything seem so complicated with you? Why do I feel for you when I''ve already being destined for someone else? "

    Asher clutched his fist, trying so hard to contain his emotions that were threatening to surface but the girl''s words was tearing his heart out

    The tears continued to trickle down her cheeks "What is wrong with me ? " she asked exasperated, and began to wipe her face with her palm obsessively.

    At her sixth wipe, Asher stopped her and drew her towards him, staring at her with this odd gleam in his eyes.

    His cold, smooth hands cupped her cheek and rubbed away a hot tear with his thumb.

    "Nothing is wrong with you" He assured her, his thumb caressing her cheek while his eyes fixed on her''s intently.

    He was just conflicted, was it right to confess the truth to her now? All this time, he''s been careful, what would happen if he becomes careless for once?

    Maybe it''s time to become selfish after all.

    * * *

    Alexa struggled against the bound all to no avail : she was seated on the floor with her hands bind behind her back.

    She suddenly stopped when she heard the dry creaking of the door and then someone came in.

    A guy who seem to be in his late teens, sandy brown hair with stunning hazel eyes came in and she would''ve spent the whole day checking him out if he wasn''t her abductor aka Mr psycho.

    "So, how are you doing today?" He asked and squat down before her with his ever intelligent eyes.

    "Let me go you psycho!" She spat,her bloodshot eyes blazing with hatred.She thought she had fallen into safe hands when she passed out on that day without knowing she just went from flying pan to fire.

    The boy smirked " I''ll let you go once you tell me what I need to know " His hands moved to her face and gripped her jaw tightly saying "You just need to tell me everything about them "

 Chapter 91 - Ninety-one : Gotcha

    "You''re back " Jenny said, opening the door on the second knock.

    "Hi mom " Lia greeted, silently expecting her mom''s stern chiding which surprisingly never came. She narrowed her eyes, what excuse did Asher come up with this time?

    Speak of Asher.

    Lia felt her heartbeat double the moment she thought of him. Her hypothesis was right, Asher was her mate too: He decided to come clean at last.

    But this was absolutely crazy, how was it possible to have two mates? Even Asher testified it has never being heard of, so how was this possible?

    Lia had to admit, she was beginning to get scared of herself too. What if one-day she loses control of all these powers and ends up hurting the people that matter the most to her? This was definitely insane!

    Lia wasn''t stupid,she could smell a conspiracy. She might not have thought of that from the very beginning but judging from what''s going on with her, it was beginning to get obvious, someone orchestrated this from the very start.

    She had a strong feeling Asher knew what''s going on but she couldn''t get a single word out of him, his mouth was sealed real tight.

    Lia had to confess, she had never seen anyone as headstrong and strong-willed as Asher. He was slow to anger, instead patiently devises a way to kill you slowly and silently , but when he does erupt, his anger was akin to a tsunami.

    " It''s strange " Lia said drawing her mom''s attention.

    "What''s strange, dear? " Jenny asked throwing her a curious gaze.

    "I''ve being missing for a day or two now and you don''t even yell or scold me sternly for not being home these past days? " She moistened her lips and continued " Moreover, you heard about the incident at Caroline''s place, yet you didn''t even call for once asking how I was doing?"

    "I''m sorry if my nonchalant attitude has caused your feelings to be hurt somehow, but your principal Asher assured me you were fine and that you were at Ben''s place helping him recuperate " Answered her mom with a straight face.

    Lia scratched her head thoughtfully, was that the excuse Asher used?

    "Yes, I know the principal assured you but the mom I know would be freaking out by now!she would be screaming my head off for .... "

    " I''m sorry " Jenny interrupted her " OK? Can We just let this matter die off cause I have not managed to get a good rest since your unexpected disappearance " Jenny pleaded and Lia dropped the matter upon noticing how tired her mom looked.

    "Where are the others?" Lia asked as soon as she noticed the house was extremely quiet.

    " Oh " Her mom turned and gave her a smile that strangely didn''t reach her eyes "About that,Trevor took Rex out, said something about visiting his friends "

    "Trevor doesn''t have friends " Lia blurted .

    " He doesn''t? " marvelled Jenny.

    "Why are you behaving as if you don''t know your son is better at communicating with outsiders online than face-to-face ? " Lia asked suspiciously.

    At first she wave it off as nothing when her mom called Asher earlier as '' Her principal Asher'' when in reality she calls him by his name with lovey-dovey eyes,but now, behaving as if she doesn''t know her son was socially inept was another thing altogether.

    Something is definitely wrong.

    "Sorry about that" Jenny apologized with a smile "The few days without you here have been quite tough for me and I believe your brother went to visit the victims of the incident on Friday. His classmates which I must have presumed as his friends, took him "

    " Ahh " Lia nodded her head " That must be it" She affirmed and suddenly the doorbell rang.

    "Answer the door, would you? someone must be at the door " Jenny requested and left for upstairs as soon as Lia left.

    Jenny walked towards her daughter''s room and closed the door quietly as soon as she walked in.

    Immediately, her features began to distort and soon transformed into a toned young lady with sharp features. She had blonde pixie cut hair and luminously large and dark eyes - she looked too boyish to be a girl.

    At once, Emily began to search the girl''s room hastily.She never expected the girl to be back this soon , couldn''t that damn werewolf keep her busy!

    With the use of spells and potions, it was easy for her to transform and change her overall appearance perfectly into her target but she could never be able to imitate their personality traits and has to use her own senses and experiences to make up for the rest.

    Which was why she made the doorbell ring when the girl began to get suspicious, hoping it would give her enough time to find her hair.

    Bingo ! Emily exclaimed when she find the girl''s hairbrush. She immediately gathered and plucked out the tangled locks from the brush''s nylon brittles, sliding it into the pocket of her pants.

    But as soon as she dropped the comb on the dresser and turned, she came face-to-face with the girl.

    How did she.....

    " Gotcha " Lia said and then instinctively screamed.

    The scream sent forth a concussive blast that knocked Emily off, sending her crashing through the French window and finally onto the lawn.

    Lia cautiously peered through the shattered window, her eyes scanning through their lawn only to discover there was nobody in sight - the girl had disappeared.

    A huge scowl immediately appeared on her face, she had discovered this lady was an imposter the moment she mentioned her brother Trevor. Her mother was very careful and protective of her kids and wouldn''t just ''presume'' her kids whereabouts.

    Slightly shaken, she dug her hands into her pocket and brought out her phone, calling Asher at once. As expected, he picked the call up on the first ring.

    "You might need to come to my place "

    Was the only word she told him and ended the call. Asher was smart, he would figure out the rest cause she had a pressing issue at hand - Finding her family.

 Chapter 92 - Ninety-Two : It Was Time To Begin

    Trevor knew something was definitely wrong, something was wrong with his family. Why was their mom so unconcerned about her daughter, Lia?

    It was as if their mom had bipolar disorder, after she had heard of the news of the incident, she was so restless, angry and depressed that she couldn''t think straight; she just wanted to see her daughter.

    Until Principal Asher brought news himself that Lia was alright and infact helping Ben who was injured physically, psychologically and emotionally to recuperate and his mom believed him right now.

    Without even confirming the news? His mom believed the young, devilish principal that looks like a sheep in wolves clothing right away without objection - how crazy does that sound?

    Trevor couldn''t exactly wrap his head around what''s happening but he felt there was something weird going on in this town; as if he had witnessed it himself.

    It was just a feeling

    "What are we doing here exactly?" Rex asked with a serious face, staring at the students chattering away their time.

    Ah right, he looked down. He was here with Rex, no wonder he hasn''t had a moment of peace.

    It was strange , very very strange and unexpected when his classmates had knocked on his door and requested him to join them in visiting their injured students at the hospital, huge fat thanks to Caroline''s house party.

    He would''ve refused right away had his mom not interfered and added an extra baggage -Rex , to come along.

    Trevor was not shying away from socializing; he could hold his own in any discussion with his family members and online but face-to-face, nah , he definitely has no skill in that area.

    Sure he could start a conversation like a normal human being but reacting, interacting, reading body language and recognizing conversational cues with other people ? Definitely not his forte.

    "Let''s give them some time " answered Trevor checking his wristwatch "One or two minutes?"

    But as uninterested as Trevor was in their chattering, his ear couldn''t help but perk up when he heard this particular news.

    "Do you know? I heard Linda moved out of little Town "

    " No way " Another denied

    "Linda moving out is so yesterday, haven''t you heard that Alexa went AWOL " Another voice chimed in.

    "You''re really telling the truth? " The second voice questioned.

    "Of course, you do know my uncle is a deputy sheriff and according to him, her family filed for a missing person report. According to eye witnesses, no one saw her after the party and the lack of CCTV footages after the incident didn''t help matters at all "

    Trevor frowned , Alexa was missing? It definitely was strange that such a thing happened to the three besties at once ; Caroline was experiencing moderate hearing loss and has to use hearing aids from now on , Linda has moved out of town in a haste and no one knows where she went to - not even her parents and, the other girl Alexa was missing with no clue how to find her . Did they offend God or something?

    "There are rumours flying around that Caroline and her minions were playing a cruel prank on somebody when the incident happened? " The First voice disclosed this sudden information.

    Immediately Trevor saw the gossips huddle around the girl on her bed and thanks to that, he couldn''t understand whatever was said next.

    "I want to go home " Rex whined and pulled on his arm.

    " Fine " Trevor sighed " let''s go home then "

    * * *

    "What happened? " Her Ladyship asked in horror upon discovering Emily was in a bloody state.

    "The gi-" Emily who just staggered into the room while holding her stomach tried to say but instead vomits a mouthful of blood.

    She fell to the ground before her Ladyship could catch her and grunted from the impact. Emily slowly stretched forth her hand towards her Ladyship who squatted down beside her.

    "T-this " She said presenting the tangled lock of hair before her.

    With a complicated gaze, her ladyship took the hairy mess from her, sat on the bare floor and lifted Emily''s head off the ground, cradling it in the crook of her arm.

    "T...The... gggirl " Emily tried to speak but her Ladyship hushed her at once.

    "It''s OK, reserve your strength while I heal you" She said softly to the girl- more like assure herself : she knew through the girl''s wheezing that she wasn''t going to last long.

    Emily simply shook her head as hot tears escaped the brim of her eyes. She wrapped her hand around her ladyship''s , finally gathering strength and spoke in a strained but firm voice

    " M-Make sure to ful.....fill our p-pur...."

    But then her hoarse voice faltered and her hand holding unto her ladyship''s tightened as if she was fighting for survival. Her eyes widened and her body began to shake.

    Her ladyship frantically called upon her magic to heal her but there was little to nothing it could do when Emily become motionless, her hand holding her''s dropped to the ground at once as the cold hands of death snatched her away.

    Even in death, Emily''s eyes were still open starring straight at her and she let out an wild howl. She had seen many deaths since their great establishment but none hurt her like Emily''s.

    Emily had been like a younger sister to her and thanks to her hard work and devotion, she had taken a liking to her instantly.

    But now, she was gone.

    Slowly, she closed Emily''s eyes with her palm and stood, walking straight to the mirror.

    " Ostende mihi quid accidit" she casted a spell and soon the white reflective mirror began to change and like a television, showed the event that transpired and led to Emily''s death.

    She rubbed her throbbing temple and watched the scene. It was obvious the glass shards from the shattered window had pierced into her coupled with her falling back first from the first storey unto the lawn.Though she had summoned a portal to escape, but the damage had already being done.

    Her Ladyship shut her eyes tightly as pain rippled through her. If it was another person, she would have poured out her anger on her but this girl was their very valuable asset - nothing should happen to her.

    She picked up the lock of hair she had dropped on the floor and smirked, a cold glint in her eyes.

    It was time to begin.

 Chapter 93 - Ninety - Three : What If I Dont Want To

    Note : Try reading and imagining this chapter with "Surrender" by Natalie Taylor playing in your ears or background .Trust me, it helped convey the feelings in this particular chapter.

    ----------

    Asher picked one of the bloodied glass shard and examined it.

    "I don''t think she survived " Asher commented and threw away the shard before turning to face her.

    "How do you know? " Lia asked with a curious and disturbed expression.

    "Though they''re witches but mimicking someone? The spell takes a lot from them, moreover I think these shards stabbed her first before falling from such a height, though a first floor , but it must have added the finishing damage "

    Even though Asher tried to assure her, she wasn''t still satisfied with his explanation. After finding her mother sleeping in the basement, she realized how close she had come to losing her.

    "I don''t know if it''s a spell or something but my mom is still sound asleep, I seriously hope she didn''t do anything to her " Lia pointed out her worries to him.

    It seems the witch sneaked into her house, casted a sleeping spell or something on their mother, then lured out Trevor and Rex with his classmates in the name of visitation but her unexpected arrival ruined everything.

    Truthfully Lia had never liked witches even as a kid, but after spending a few time with Sabrina, she changed her view on them but now? It''s back to square one.

    "I''m sure it''s nothing but I''ll have Sabrina check her out just in case , and do something about the window to avoid suspicion " He suggested, pointing to the shattered window and thankfully didn''t notice her face scrunch up at the mention of Sabrina.

    "Fine then " She sighed heavily and rubbed her temple, this throbbing headache was slowly killing her.

    "Are you feeling unwell, you keep rubbing your head ? " He asked with concern and approached her.

    She sighed "After using my ability moments ago, I keep having this splitting headache "

    "You must have stretched your ability beyond its temporal limit which is not surprising, since you haven''t gotten any training yet " he said with brows drawn together in a frown.

    Asher placed his hand on both sides of her head and began to rub it in a gentle and soothing manner.

    Wow, that feels good.

    Lia closed her eyes and savoured the feelings, it felt incredibly good.But when his hand suddenly stopped, she slowly unveiled her eyes and their gaze met and held.

    Without saying anything, she could see the conflict in his eyes, he was holding something back from her and it was killing him inside.

    "D-do I have to choose between you and Daniel one-day ? " She asked out of nowhere.

    Asher''s eyes narrowed but softened when he discovered she was studying his expression "Probably " He answered blandly "Its impossible to have two mates. You only get one Truemate for life. "

    She shook her head "What if I don''t want to? "

    "You have to " came his rushed reply " Else you''re interfering with the course of nature moreover the council would never allow that once it comes to their knowledge. Just as two brothers can''t marry the same woman at same time, different species can''t have the same woman "

    "But I didn''t ask for all of this! " Lia yelled " This matebond or whatever you guys call it, you can''t just tell me to remove feelings your so called nature imposed on me! " She said in an outburst, a frustrated tears climbing down her cheeks.

    "I''m just.. just... "

    She didn''t have to finish whatever she was struggling to say cause Asher pulled her into a comforting hug.

    "It''s OK, no one''s asking you to choose now " Asher placated her with his arm around her waist while rubbing his other hand on her back in a circular motion.

    Lia clamped her arms around his neck, clinging to him as if her life depended on it "This is too much, I just want a normal life " She cried, clinging tighter to his neck with an intensity that would surely strangle him if he was a human.

    Her tears and snorts stained his shirt but he didn''t mind instead pressed her face further against his chest as she poured out her bottled up feelings.

    They stood that way for a long time until she eventually calmed down.

    "You should get a rest " Asher told her noticing her red and puffy eyes but she shook her head stubbornly.

    "I won''t be able to, I''ve been having problems sleeping lately " She confessed.

    "That''s your vampiric side causing a ruckus but your wolf side still requires sleep so manipulate that "

    "You just sound gobbledygook to me " She said pushing gently away from his chest.

    Asher chuckled and then grabbed her arm, pulling her towards the bed.

    "This is not going to work " She whined trying to resist his pull but he was much stronger than her.

    Asher successfully grabbed her and carried her over his shoulder in an ungentlemanly manner as she let out a sharp scream.

    "Let me down! " She shouted flailing her limps around.

    "Of course your highness " He responded with a wicked smile.

    Without warning, he dropped her on the bed and she screamed trying to hold onto him all to no avail.

    " You!.. " She tried to speak while trying to crawl out of the bed but he was there to shove her back immediately.

    And then it became an exciting game as the both used their vampiric speed to maneuver one another.

    But it seems Asher was more experienced than her cause he seem to counter each and every of her move.

    Before long, she was pushed back to the center of the bed, and trapped perfectly beneath Asher''s body.

    Though it was for a short time but she was sweating, huffing and puffing with the exertion.She knew how much energy she spent trying to evade the vampire who was staring at her unruffled.

    Lia tried to struggle only to find out her hands were pinned to the bed, she couldn''t even move her legs - she was trapped.

    She glanced up and her heart missed a beat. He was staring at her with that gaze again, that burning yet longing gaze and he was slowly leaning in.

    Lia slowly pressed her eyes shut and parted her lips a bit while clutching her fists tightly - ah! he was going to kiss her.

    But it seems her expectation failed her cause he whispered only three words into her ears

    " Go to bed "

 Chapter 94 - Ninety-Four : If You Wont Love Him , Please Unlove Him "

    "You''re hiding something from me " Sabrina prodded when he wouldn''t answer.

    "Are you done?" Asher asked irritatedly when she blocked his path with her body.

    "What is Lia? " She asked with a serious expression

    "None of your business " He monotoned and sped-walked past her.

    Suddenly she cast a spell and stuck his feet to the ground.

    "As crazy as it sounds, I thought she was adopted or something, which kinda makes sense for her vampiric and were-side since her family is human, unfortunately, not only is she not adopted but was literally a human few weeks ago until now . What happened? " Sabrina revealed while excluding the fact she uncovered the truth thanks to Ben''s cellphone.

    Of course how could she help them for free, before handing the cellphone over to Dan that day, she had secretly replicated it - But Asher doesn''t need to know that.

    "Do you think this is funny?! " She screamed at Asher when he kept mum " If the council gets a knowle -"

    "The council would not! " He countered firmly, eyes dark and murderous.

    "You can''t hide the truth forever, the council is bound to find out sooner or later, infact right now, they might even be closer than you think"

    "They won''t at the moment if you don''t go whining eagerly to them ! " He spat " Now, remove this spell! "

    Sabrina glared at him but still obeyed his order anyhow. She released the spell and Asher moved his leg, relieved to see it was still functioning.

    " You do know You''re playing with fire "

    "I do know " He answered and turned to face her " But if it means protecting her at the cost of my life, then so be it "

    Sabrina sighed and shook her head, she hated matebonds with passion, how could someone be so unreasonably in love with someone else?

    How could you just choose someone by sight or smell, wasn''t it ridiculous? Yeah , they were witches and sometimes draw power from the moon when it''s at the fullest, but the moon choosing a life partner for her? f*ck it .

    For once Sabrina was grateful she was a witch and didn''t come with the extra baggage of finding your missing half or rib and all it''s drama.

    Witches were unbonded creatures and have the privilege of enjoying normal human relationship behavior and didn''t have to wait a decade or century just to find their match made in heaven.

    Perhaps it was just nature way of balancing order : unlike vampires who were immortal and have a long lifespan, witches live slightly longer than humans thanks to their magic and potions but eventually dies one-day.

    Though in the search of immortality - Some witches go the extra mile by snatching human''s or their fellow witches life-force and adding it to theirs or simply do a soul transfer, but both methods were frowned upon by the council since their victims normally wouldn''t consent willingly.

    Who in the world would voluntarily give their life to someone else for their selfish reasons?

    "And you? " Asher questioned rousing her from her thoughts " When would you release Dan?"

    Sabrina was taken aback, she never expected such question from Asher.

    "What do you mean? I was never holding Dan captive ! " Sabrina retorted, eyes blazing and chest heaving.

    "Why are you getting so worked up, I only asked you a question " Asher replied calmly, a hint of sneer in his voice .

    Sabrina realized at once, she just got played. Asher obviously wanted to trifle with her emotions and he succeeded.

    "Dan and I are complicated,period " She concluded after keeping her emotions in check.

    "What''s so complicated about it? Is Dan bound to be killed by the council once they find out about you guys? " Asher insinuated, hinting about his own situation in disguise.

    "Dan and I are not you and Lia " She clarified strictly .

    "Or maybe you''re just ashamed of being with him " Asher gibed at her cowardice.

    It wasn''t a secret that witches were more prejudiced towards vampires than werewolves and a witch dating one was normally not applauded.

    "Y-you " Sabrina choked, already red in the face but Asher didn''t give her a chance to retaliate cause he continued.

    "After the death of his mate, you''re the only one he''s ever come close to loving after so many years of living in heartbreak and despair. So if you won''t love him , please unlove him"

    Sabrina was dumbfounded, she didn''t expect Asher was going to bring that up. All Nicoli knows Dan was one of the earliest to find his mate among his peers and also the earliest to loose his.

    After that he choosed to live a celibate life until he met her.

    She could remember their first meeting wasn''t a romantic one at all, she had been on a personal vendetta to destroy the rogue vampire who annihilated their coven. She had mistaken Dan for the rogue - almost killing him in the process.

    But it seems Dan was destined to live a long life cause he survived and helped her get justice. In the process they got warm and cozy with each other and one thing led to another, they become couples.

    Unfortunately, the surviving members of her coven objected strongly to their relationship which she didn''t heed until Dan decided to break things up himself.

    Truth be told, the breakup hurt her a lot - She had gone against her family, coven and species just to be with him but he decided to call their relationship off at his own leisure, moreover, even stranded her on Antarctica.

    Sabrina tried to find the right words to refute his claims but when she couldn''t come up with one, she dismissed him right away "You know what, I''m done with this discussion " She concluded and strode away without turning back.

    As if on cue , Asher''s cellphone rang and he picked it up with a grumpy tone.

    "What now? "

    "I think you need to come home now, you have some visitors " Dan''s voice came from the other end.

    Asher tightened his hold on the cellphone as his eyes narrowed suspiciously. Since Dan didn''t go into details, it was obvious he had an welcomed visitor.

    Without wasting time, he rushed home and just as his instincts warned, hot fresh trouble was waiting for him.

    "Behold at last, Asher of the Nicoli clan" Raphael announced with a dramatic bow while Asher cursed beneath his breath.

 Chapter 95 - Ninety-five : Order Must Be Restored.

    "

    Lia stretched her body, before shielding her eyes with the back of her hand against the hot bright afternoon sun shinning through her window.

    Her other hand unconsciously reached for the other side of the bed, it was empty. As she thought, Asher must have left.

    Lia let out a lazy groan before climbing off her bed - she just had the best sleep ever. Asher was right, she felt invigorated and ready to run a marathon.

    But the window suddenly caught her attention, it seems Sabrina has done her Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo cause the once shattered window was as good as new .

    Without wasting time, she checked on her mom who was still sleeping .Though still a bit doubtful , but she was relieved to discover Sabrina had dropped a note explaining her mom would be up in no time; just the symptom of a common sleeping spell.

    With nothing left to do, Lia decided to have a little walk before the imps called her brothers returns home.

    Thanks to the whole supernatural dramas , she has not had time to get a good tour of her neighbourhood.

    So she began to wander about her street aimlessly until something caught her attention.

    Lia saw a woman with grey hair, obviously stricken with age and pulling a wooden wagon loaded with hay .

    What the f*ck! she cursed out loud. Who in the world let this granny that couldn''t even take a step without shaking carry such a load?

    Angry and irritated , she rushed towards the woman and posted a friendly smile saying,

    " Let me help you grandma "

    "Oh " The woman gasped and let go of the wagon appreciatively and Lia took over her place.

    "What a nice child" She complimented, a smile tugging her wrinkled face.

    "Where do you live? " Lia asked beginning to push the wagon that surprisingly didn''t weigh as much as she thought.

    "Just across the street my child " The Old Woman replied and pointed Lia to her destination.

    "Forgive me for prying but don''t you have kids? sons? daughters? grandchildren or even neighbors who could help you with this?" queried Lia who still couldn''t come to terms on why she was doing this in the first place.

    " No one.They''re all gone " she answered with a solemn voice

    "Gone? As in, left for the city or what? "

    "They''re just gone ! " The Old Woman snapped at Lia, her eyes blazing with a weird colour which she failed to capture.

    Lia bit the inside of her lips, maybe she had gone a little too far this time.

    " I''m sorry for being too nosy " She apologized and continued her journey.

    This time she didn''t dare to raise a question carelessly but made small talks which the granny surprisingly didn''t object to and gladly obliged her until they reached their destination.

    "This is the place?" Lia asked slightly confused as she stared at the simple hut built with mud bricks and thatched roof.

    She had to wipe her eyes twice with the back of her hand to confirm she was really seeing right.

    It was quite obvious that such traditional mud house was a primitive technology found in rural areas.So how did one find its way in a bustling town like little Town?

    " You live alone here? " Lia asked concerned over the woman''s health. This hut was nothing like the modern houses, it just had two windows and a single door. Infact this was ridiculous.

    "Here, let me see this " The Old Woman said to her stretching forth her hand.

    Lia stared at her confused " What? "

    "Let me see your hand young one. I am a palm reader, so I can tell you a thing or two about your future " She explained but Lia simply laughed it off.

    "This is ridiculous " She laughed, tucking a stray lock of hair away from her face. "I don''t believe in such "

    "Try me " She urged the girl who reluctantly placed her hand on hers.

    "Very well then, let''s see " The Old Woman mumbled , eyes fixed on her hand as she studied the lines engraved in her palm.

    Suddenly, she felt the woman stiffen and glanced up at her in concern only to have their eyes connect and hold .

    " Why do you have two mates ? "

    Lia froze. Eyes wide and mouth agape

    "Don''t you know it''s a curse? " The old woman continued jerking Lia back to reality.

    Lia at once tried to withdraw her hands but she couldn''t, the once fragile old woman who looked like she would be blown away by the wind was now incredibly strong.

    "One has to die " She announced and this time, Lia was suddenly tongue-tied. How did she know about....

    " Let me go !" She screamed struggling to release her hand all to no avail. The woman was like an impregnable wall, there was nothing she could do to shake her off - even her strength combined.

    " One has to die ! Order must be restored " The old lady chanted and soon, her whole eyes turned pitch black scaring the wits out of Lia.

    Lia couldn''t look away no matter how much she tried, the woman''s eyes was like an endless pit and it was swallowing her whole .

    Suddenly the whole scene began to contort and change while she was gradually being sucked into that deep abyss and the words ''One must die ! order must be restored!'' playing in a loop in her mind.

    "

    Lia woke up with a start and a loud scream

    "No! ".

    She was breathing heavily and sweating profusely. What kind of dream was that ? It was so scary yet so vivid, she almost thought it was real.

    Sudden her line of sight fell on the window, it was as good as new just as it was in her dream.

    What the fuck.

    A sudden yet unknown fear suddenly grabbed her, wrapping its gruesome claws around her mind.

    Was this a sign?

    Was she going to lose one of her mates?

    Though she tried to ignore and deny it but the contents of the dream was too eerie to be ignored.

    Was the universe even against her?

 Chapter 96 - Ninety-six : A Mans Enemy

    His blood was boiling, what is Raphael doing here?

    But Asher concealed it well, it wouldn''t do him any good if Raphael knew he was bothered by his intrusion.

    "Raphael of the Raven clan, to what do I owe this visit? " Asher announced, more rigidly than he has ever being.

    Raphael stood from his seat in an eccentric manner, his eyes twinkling with excitement as he hit him playfully on the chest.

    "Why are you so stiff brother, or don''t you like my visit ? " He chuckled, wiping an invisible dust from Asher''s shoulder.

    "I don''t remember being related to you " Shot Asher, not a trace of humour on his face.

    "Perhaps if you don''t acknowledge the related by blood part " he said, a mocking smile on his face " You can admit we''re definitely kindred " Raphael made his point.

    "Why are you here? " Asher went straight to the point. No matter how he sees it, he was sure Raphael was here to mess with him.

    "Why? " He asked " You don''t want me here even if I missed you ? "

    Asher''s jaw tightened " I have no time for your games, Raphael " he said as a matter of fact "It would do me a lot of good if you leave me alone "

    The Raven clan was also one of the most popular vampire clan due to their infamous shrewd and cunning personality.

    Anytime they wandered into a place, trouble and chaos was sure to follow which is why they were the most avoided of all vampire clans.

    Even the council was meticulous in dealing with their mischief due to the fact they always have a lot of trick up their sleeve and somehow always plays the trump card at the end.

    But aside from that, the Raven Clan and the Nicolli Clan have a bit of a special and complex relationship.

    "Please believe me for once, I''m here for good brother " He whined and made his way back to the sofa, plopping down with a contended sigh.

    "I am not your brother! " Asher insisted, eyes blazing with anger.

    "Very well then if you say so, I guess I''ll keep my compliment to myself " Raphael pouted a mean moue trying to express his irritation and crossed his leg over the other.

    Dan who was standing at the side, raked his hand through his hair, mussing it up so horribly that one would think he was slowly going mental.

    How long has it being since they met like this? Decades? centuries? he couldn''t exactly remember but he knew this wasn''t going to end in a good way.

    The truth was that, Asher was technically half Nicolli and half Raven.

    Even as sacred as mates was, every vampire knows how Asher''s father audaciously stole Ezekiel''s mate.

    Ezekiel who is Raphael''s father had his mate stolen right under his nose which resulted to Asher being born.

    According to rumours, Ezekiel''s mate Helen and Asher''s father Antonio had been lovers and were planning to settle down together, matebond or not , when Helen finally found her truemate .

    Unable to resist the pull that comes with being mates, she finally gave in and got married to Ezekiel leaving Antonio with a broken heart.

    But it didn''t sit well with Antonio cause right after the birth of Raphael, he whisked her away and out of everyone''s reach .

    Few months later, he returned to his clan with toddler Asher held sweetly in his arms. And According to rumours, Antonio''s departing speech to Helen was "If I can''t have you, then I''ll surely have a part of you "

    Antonio never married again and as coldblooded as he was, he loved Asher to the core.

    Which is why the Nicolli clan till date are still on pins and needles : Antonio was bad so it''s expected for his son to turn out worse.

    Though Dan was not worried about Asher leading the clan to destruction since he loves it more than his own life, but he was worried Asher would follow his father''s step especially now he has found out he has a fierce love rival.

    Sometimes blood just never lies.

    "Why are you here?" Asher asked for the umpteenth time, it was obvious Raphael was fooling around with him.

    " Fine then, I''ll tell you " A michevious smile played on his lips.

    "Quickly, I have no time for your stupid delay"

    "Easy brother " Raphael coaxed " I wonder then how you''ll react if I told you a little bird told me something interesting"

    Asher''s expression shifted to a slight frown, what''s Raphael pulling off this time?

    "Dear brother" Raphael said and stood to his feet again, approaching Asher this time at a leisure pace until he was standing right in front of him.

    He dropped his hand on Asher''s left shoulder and said to him, starring him straight in the eyes "Why didn''t you tell me you''ve found your mate? I mean, I know how hard it is for Vampires from the Nicolli clan to find theirs. Like come-on, even your own father didn''t find his until he died "

    Asher stiffened while his eyes twitch, he felt like he was hearing wrong.

    "W-what did you just say?" Asher stammered, his mask cracking at once.

    "Seriously ?! " Raphael pushed him at the chest " Why are you behaving like someone given a death sentence?! You finally found your mate, you should be happy! "

    Raphael spun around and guffawed dramatically " Asher of the Nicolli clan finally found his mate! The heavens has finally blessed you! "

    He screamed at the top of his lungs like a lunatic with an obvious mocking smirk on his face.

    Suddenly Asher grabbed him by the collar, yanking him forward as he growled " Who told you that! "

    Raphael snickered and signalled to his men who had stood up at once to defend him, to stand back.

    "Well, well, well " He mocked " How comforting to see your feathers has finally being ruffled "

    "Shut the fuck up and tell me who told you such a thing!" Asher threatened and slammed him against the concrete wall causing Raphael''s men to try to interfere again but Raphael himself gestured them back.

    It seems he was really craving a beating.

    Raphael lifted a mocking glare and said

    " Matthew 10 : 36 "

    Asher''s brows were drawn together in a frown as he let go of Raphael, " Matthew 10:36 " Playing in a loop in his mind.

    He didn''t doubt Raphael afterall he was from the Raven clan known for their cryptic nature.

    Asher immediately picked up his phone and downloaded the Bible from online and his eyes narrowed down as he went through the contents.

    " A MAN''S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD "

    GIDEON

 Chapter 97 - Ninety- Seven : Like Father Like Son

    They were avoided for a reason, such cunning creatures !

    Asher wasn''t stupid, it was obvious that Raphael was trying to drive a wedge between him and his men.

    His gaze suddenly dropped on one of Raphael''s men, the one with a sharp penetrative gaze that seem as if they could look into the depth of one''s soul - he knows him.

    Name is lark and has the truth inducement ability . He literally can force anybody to tell the truth by looking them in the eye.

    Their gaze met and they both began a stare down , a challenge that non of the two willing parties wanted to lose .

    Asher felt him probing his mind, trying to gain access and get him to speak but he blocked him at once - only those with a strong mental strength or a natural counter to this ability could ward his attack off .

    When used against Dan''s telepathic ability, lark can not exactly assert his influence over him cause Dan was sure to keep him distracted by putting a disturbing, nauseating or useless thought in his head.

    From this , Asher could already surmise what happened. Raphael must have captured Gideon and drew the truth out of his mouth thanks to lark, after all Gideon was the weakest amongst them when it comes to mental strength in addition to his loose mouth.

    Thankfully, Gideon hasn''t realized the girl he turned and his mate were the same person , it was a good thing he sent him away on time.

    When lark wouldn''t look away as a form of submission, Asher decided to teach him a lesson.

    Asher increased the intensity of his gaze and suddenly blood started oozing from lark''s eye and though he refused to show he was feeling the pain, his hands clenched at the sides gave him away .

    "Aren''t you being childish, brother? " Raphael asked, looking more amused than bothered.

    "No, I''m not " Asher told him straightforwardly "I''m just getting started " at once he moved his hands and a strange force grabbed lark and slammed him against the wall.

    Standing in midair and pinned to the wall, the creaking and cracking sound of bones filled the air as Asher began to break every single bone in Lark''s body stating ,

    "The next time you intrude into my house " He said and crushed another bone earning a horrid scream from the guy.

    He continued " Seek permission from me first after all even a dog respects and bows to his master "

    Though Asher was speaking to lark but Raphael knew he was referring to him indirectly.

    "Did I make myself clear?! " Asher boomed at him as the guy nodded then he violently snapped his neck to the side causing him to faint right away.

    Asher released his hold on him and the boy dropped to the ground like a ragdoll while he cleared his hands with a clean white handkerchief he took out from the pocket of his pants.

    He knew the guy wouldn''t die but heal slowly unless decapitated and burned to prevent merging back to his body.

    " Satisfied now? " Raphael queried

    "Would be once you leave " Asher answered coldly.

    "Don''t worry " Raphael laughed " I would as soon as I meet my future sister-in-law "

    Asher''s countenance changed.

    "Wait, don''t you want me to see the woman that would make you a better man? "

    Even though Raphael''s voice was tender and caring, it was making him sick in the stomach. Asher knew he was just putting on a facade, moreover this was an exciting game to him and all Raven clan feed on excitement - it''s like a drug to them.

    Though all vampires love the game of cat and mouse especially when it comes to feeding on humans. As predatory creatures, they loved the thrill of the chase but it was more severe in vampire from the Raven clan.

    They are the cat and their victim the mouse. They loved chasing, cornering and pushing their prey to the limit.The victim distress cry are like music to their ears and arouses them further - in one word, they were one cunning, selfish, and sadistic clan.

    " Piss off ! "

    " Why? why are you so tensed? I just want to take a good look at her? or Is she not a pure blood? What clan is she from? or a converted vampire?.. " His eyes widened " Or a human?"

    Raphael''s suspicion was further confirmed when he saw the fire burning in Asher''s eyes.

    "She''s a human? " He pointed at him and burst into a wild laughter

    " Oh my God, my emotionless brother has a human mate " He mocked, clutching his stomach from the laughter. "How pathetic "

    Asher understood where he was coming from, most vampires viewed human mates as weak and pathetic since they were always in need of saving and the trouble escalate when they''re turned. Then the trouble of teaching self-control to the then converted vampire begins.

    He continued " But don''t worry, I''m sure she''s a feisty one cause a weak bimbo wouldn''t suit you at all " Raphael irked him further.

    But Asher ignored him and turned to leave when he dropped the next comment

    " Or did you steal another person''s mate? " Raphael gasped theatrically " You really didn''t, did you? Oh my God, like father like son "

    Asher turned and rushed at him, grabbing him by the collar "If I see you even a meter near her, I''ll rip your heart out of your chest and feed it to the dogs " Asher threatened, hot white anger blinding him.

    "Oh ,I''m scared " He replied in a mocking tone before the smile disappeared, replaced by a challenging icy look as he shoved Asher''s hand away " Why? Are you scared I might do to you the same thing your father did to my father?"

    Asher''s head jerked up and his jaw clenched at the question. Raphael was wrong, Asher was scared he would do a whole lot more than his father did.

    "I guess you''ll find out the more we coexist together." Raphael said and begin to walk towards the direction of the stairs leading to upstairs.

    But Asher appeared before him in a flash

    "What are you doing? " he asked grabbing him by the arm.

    "What do you think? " Raphael sneered " Obviously going to find a room that fits my taste "

    " You wouldn''t dare! " Asher roared

    Raphael snorted contemptuously "Oh, watch me " He said and flung Asher''s arm away and began to climb up the stairs while humming a tone.

    Asher wanted to interrupt Raphael again but decided against it eventually . Afterall it was better having him within his walls and be able to predict his movement than not having him at all and being on tenterhooks.

 Chapter 98 - Ninety -Eight : Her Father

    Though her family let her off the hook , they kept drilling her with questions as she expected, most especially Trevor - Lia wondered if his concealed memories had returned by chance cause his questions were somewhat disturbing and suspicious.

    But at last she surmised that the recent events happening in little Town might have have spooked and made him feel that way, after all Trevor has always had negative view of the town from the very start.

    "How are you feeling , mom? " Lia asked , still concerned over her health .

    She wondered if there was any side effects from the spell they casted on her. From the movies she watched, most spells always carries repercussions, she couldn''t tell if it was the same with them after all that one was a work of fiction while these is reality.

    But it was quite funny, few weeks ago if someone told her that supernatural creatures indeed exists, she would have thought that person as crazy but now, not only has she beheld it with her own eyes, she was one of them too.

    It sometimes just feel surreal and unbelievable.

    "Seriously, you have asked that question for the umpteenth time now " Jenny complained " I''m totally fine, dear. I just mistakenly fell asleep in the basement while going through your father''s stuff packed down there, nothing else "

    "Yeah, you fell asleep and someone else took your identity and place because you were too careless , you kunklehead ! " Lia sassed, of course in her head.

    "Dad has stuffs packed in the basement?" Trevor asked, a flash of surprise and excitement on his face.

    "You haven''t seen it? " Lia queried interestedly "I once picked up a mini torch that..... "

    ''saved me from being a wolf''s meal ''

    Lia almost blurted out had she not stopped in time. She wiped invisible beads of sweat from her forehead with the back of the head. Phew! that was close.

    "That what? " Trevor prodded when she stopped. He had been listening with keen interest, wondering what treasure his sister might have stumbled upon in the basement.

    But why did she stop and why was her face so flushed ? Did she do something bad in the basement?

    No matter what, he couldn''t come up with a reasonable excuse why she was red in the face . Perhaps if his dear sister had a boyfriend, there would have been a lot of possibilities.

    " That looked really cool " Lia lied through her teeth - Well, not exactly lie through her teeth - she had loved the led pocket torch due to the intricate logo crafted on its side.

    But thinking about it now, her eyes narrowed down suspiciously. Perhaps in the past she wouldn''t have given it much thought but now, anything that stood out or was too inconspicuous in little Town was absolutely worth investigating .

    She had always wondered why she was dragged into this mess in the first place and had a feeling her late dad might know one or two things about what''s happening : why everyone is targeting her?

    And after getting her hands on that led torch , her suspicion was solidified. Though most people in little Town claim not to know much about her dad, she had a feeling her dad must have been working with the council or so? she couldn''t exactly tell.

    Perhaps, the reason he had sent them here was for her to uncover these mysteries and fulfill her destiny - What nonsense.

    Though the memory was quite blurry but she could still remember it was a humanoid creature or so carrying a quiver of arrows. Maybe she could make a sketchy design and send it to Asher and perhaps he might know one or two things about it. Hopefully.

    " So where is it? " Rex chimed in looking as much interested as Trevor is.

    "Where is what ? " Lia asked confused on what Rex''s requesting for.

    " The mini led torch , ring a bell? " Trevor inputted this time.

    " Oh that " She scratched her head awkwardly "I lost it "

    "Ugh !" Trevor and Rex both sighed a disapproval while shaking their head.

    "Don''t kill yourself kids, there''s nothing of worth in there just some junks and stupid diaries "

    Diaries ! Lia''s eyes widened at once.

    She had seen those when she had first ransacked the place but didn''t give it much thought but now, any little inconspicuous thing can help.

    Her eyes met with Trevor''s

    " Are you thinking what I''m thinking? " Trevor asked, their eyes locked.

    " Of course " '' and more than '' she mused.

    Suddenly, as if on cue, they both jumped out of their seat and raced each other to the basement with Rex trailing behind.

    "Wait for me ! " Rex shouted trying his best to keep up with his siblings who were obsessed on getting there first.

    As expected, Lia arrived before anybody else and made a reach for the extra large moving box where her father''s stuffs were all packed.

    It was almost as if the universal was on her side on her side cause the two thick covered diaries were right on top and she grabbed it just as Trevor and Rex arrived and the real scuffle began.

    " That''s mine "

    " No that''s mine "

    " I saw it first "

    " I grabbed it first "

    Trevor and Rex''s argument reverberated through the almost empty basement but Lia was busy flipping through the pages of the diary.

    She scrunched up her face in concentration while going through the contents of the book.

    It was written in a strange language that used English characters , thankfully , and not some scribbles. But she was sure the writing was her father''s. Though Deciphering and translating it would be difficult but not entirely impossible thanks to Google translate

    She could''ve asked Asher for help since she was sure he would know a gazillion of languages having lived for so long but she had to do this on her own, it was personal.

    "Whoah ! " Trevor exclaimed " Take a good look at this " and brought out a crossbow that weighed a ton, requiring two hands just to hold it while grunting with the effort .

    "Mom was absolutely right when she called it junks " Lia said, but inwardly her heart was in a turmoil.

    Why did her father own a crossbow and what did he do with it?

    " God " Trevor moaned and dropped the crossbow on the floor, heaving in the process.

    "And this" Trevor said carefully untangling a pendent that had wrapped itself with the other junks in the box.

    She gasped when she saw that the pendent was exquisitely designed in the form of a human carrying a quiver of arrows at its side.

    No way.

 Chapter 99 - Ninety-Nine : The Feeling Of Being Watched.

    "You should take that off " Lia told her brother who shook his head stubbornly and had already worn the pendant .

    "You''re just jealous, I''m sure you want it for yourself " He accused and made a face at her.

    Truthfully lia couldn''t blame him for thinking that way.

    The skillful and beautifully crafted piece of jewelry attached to the gold chain which surprisingly has not rusted with the years had an antique feel.

    Lia knew that was not an ordinary pendant, just a bare look at it was enough to tell anyone that it probably cost a fortune.

    " You don''t know what that jewelry symbolizes? It might be associated with some cult or something and you''re just implicating yourself by wearing it " Lia tried to reason with her brother eyeing the pendant dangling at the center of his chest.

    A gesture which Trevor caught her red-handed and swiftly tucked the necklace into his shirt as if securing it from her claws.

    He sneered " Are you trying to say dad was in a cult or something? "

    "I never said dad was in a cult or something" Lia restated firmly

    "But that''s what you''re trying to say since I''m wearing Dad''s pendant " Trevor argued.

    "And how sure are you that the pendant belongs to Dad? He could have taken it from someone for safekeeping or someone might have left it at his place, after all, all his stuffs were cleaned and stored away " Lia countered and there came a short silence as Trevor reflected on her words.

    "Fine, you''re right " He breathed, nodding his head in acknowledgement and Lia smiled.

    Thankfully, her brother''s brain was still functioning.

    Besides, why was she the one being paranoid? it''s as if she switched roles with Trevor? wasn''t he the one always concerned with this kind of stuffs?

    "We have to keep that away " She concluded and held out her hand for the pendant .

    Trevor gazed down at the chain around his neck and stood up as his hand went inside his shirt as if to bring it out, but what he did next stunned everyone.

    "Yeah you''re right, but that doesn''t I''m giving this up " He declared firmly out of nowhere, stunning Lia and zoomed off like the flash before she could get her hands on him.

    "Get back here you moron ! " She shouted after him, but all that was heard was his fleeing footsteps and the shutting of the door as he escaped into the safety and comfort of his room.

    "Well, that was epic " Rex snorted, shook his head and left right away.There was nothing to find in the box suitable for his age anyway , he thought.

    But that little swiss knife he found at the bottom of the box would remain a secret from his family. Rex grinned mischievously and walked into his own room, slamming the door shut.

    "Ugh! " Lia screamed, stomping her feet furiously and tugging her hair "Those imps! "

    Fine, she won''t bother herself until he lands himself in hot trouble after all, ** Ears that doesn''t listen, accompanies the head when it''s chopped off and **he who laughs last laughs longest. Fine, she''ll fold her arms and watch how everything unfolds.

    With such determination in mind, Lia grabbed the diaries and walked into her room. Climbing into bed, she took one of the diaries and flipped to a page but when she saw the unfamiliar words she felt dizzy.

    She closed the book at once, it seems studying was not meant for her tonight - maybe she should just give this to Asher and let him handle the whole work ?

    " No!" She screamed internally, trying to caution that lazy voice speaking in her head; but staring at the two thick diaries, she couldn''t help but want to give in.

    After all, Asher wouldn''t mind translating these for her and if he doesn''t disagree ? Well then plan B : she could flutter her eyelids like a butterfly, bit on her lower lips or pout it and then give him the most irresistible puppy face, and if that still doesn''t work? Just bribe him with two or three smooches on the lips.

    Holy mother of God Lia ! What in the world are you thinking ?!

    But then, " Give it to Asher! Give it to Asher! " Kept chanting in her head over and over and over and over until she boomed

    " STOP! "

    She quickly picked the diary and tossed it on the nightstand carelessly before dragging the hem of the bedspread and covered herself whole with it - as if sleep would come that easily.

    As expected she kept turning and tossing , until she finally fell asleep around midnight or so.

    Lia stirred in the middle of the night from a slight discomfort - something was weighing her down.

    Someone wrapped his strong arms tightly around her waist and tucked his face in the crook of her neck.

    Normally, Lia would have panicked and beaten a nosebleed out of him but when his scent wafted into her nose, she relaxed and smiled.

    She inhaled deeply - he smells like fresh snow with a dewdrop of lavender and it was comforting and alluring.

    She snuggled deeper into his arms, feeling the warm goodness of his chest - he was bare as usual, she closed her eyes and sighed contentedly.

    Lia woke up to bright light shinning through her window and an empty bed. She sprang up at once, had she imagined everything that happened last night ?.

    She touched the side of the bed she was sure he slept in last night,it was cold and unruffled as if no-one had settled there at all but was relieved when she caught a whiff of his natural scent and smiled - he must have left a few hours ago.

    Thankfully, since the incident at Caroline''s place she has not been sleepwalking into the woods again. So she joyfully put on some trainers and leans and went for her routine morning jog.

    Today was a school day so she had to refresh her body, mind and soul, having known Ben was going to badger her today to no end coupled with the gossips of Friday''s incident - it was still a hot fresh news in little Town.

    Perhaps because she was distracted with thoughts, she didn''t give it much consideration but now, she felt she was being followed.

    She looked around but there was no one she could tag as a suspect, just people going about their morning exercises and business.

    Lia just sighed and continued her exercise, hoping and praying, she was worrying over nothing

    -----

    ** Ears that don''t listen, accompany the head when it''s chopped off : A person that doesn''t give heed to advice will bear the consequences afterwards

    **He who laughs last laughs longest: don''t rejoice too soon, in case your delight at your own good fortune is premature.

 Chapter 100 - One Hundred : The Green-eyed Monster

    "Holy moly !" Ben gasped dramatically as soon as his sight fell on Lia " My goddess! " He exclaimed and without warning, slammed her into his chest, engulfing her in a bone crushing hug.

    " You''re here at last " He cried and tightened the hug, swaying her from side to side " I missed you "

    Lia rolled her eyes and tried to pull away from him when the hug of a thing passed a few seconds. "Ben " She called but no reply

    "Ben " She called again but still no reply and the students were beginning to give her strange looks.

    It was not everyday you get to see a guy and a girl hugging in the hallway and swaying side to side to an unknown tune.

    "Ben!" she called this time but with a firmer tone and thankfully it elicited a response from this guy friend of her''s.

    Sometimes Ben''s weird behavior makes her question if he''s her boy friend or girl friend - cause he fulfils both roles.

    "You have a lot of explaining to do " Ben said and grabbed her arms leading her to God knows where.

    If it wasn''t for the fact that Lia was now a lot stronger than the average human, she would have had her pepper spray at her side, you just might never know what this guy has up his sleeve.

    Thankfully, he led her to a secluded corner of the school that served as a makeshift hideout for troublesome students and those who want to cut class. There was no body in sight so it gave them the opportunity to speak freely.

    "Now, tell me everything " Ben demanded leaning against the wall with arms folded and his gossipy ears perked up.

    "Class - "

    "Would approximately start in fifteen minutes time " Ben interrupted her with a knowing look, he knew she was trying to avoid his questions.

    "And what a surprise " He gasped theatrically, hands on his chest " Enough time for us to catch up on things. Now start ! "

    Ugh, sometimes it''s quite burdensome to have a friend who knows every little details about her and read her perfectly. Her every lie and deception can''t even escape his eyes.

    "Fine, tell me yours first " She asked him instead "What do you remember about that Friday? "

    Ben scratched his head awkwardly " Truth is I don''t remember much, all I know is that I passed out after that final drink and found myself the next day at Asher''s place and heard what happened afterwards from your vampire friends "

    Sounds reasonable, Lia thought. After all Caroline had orchestrated everything that night perfectly only it didn''t go according as planned.

    So Lia spent the next five minutes recounting everything that happened, excluding the fact that the guy who saved her was also her mate.

    Ben wouldn''t betray her but he has a loose mouth and might spill the news unknowingly, cause this mate issue wasn''t something that should be taken for granted at lest until resolved - by rejecting one.

    Just the thought of it made her heart heavy but she shifted it to the back of her mind, this wasn''t the time and place to ponder about it.

    "Ugh" Ben gritted his teeth " That blonde witch Caroline !" He cursed out loud and Lia couldn''t help but chuckle.

    Honestly, this idea of a sidekick wasn''t so bad, at lest she has someone to share her day without worrying about her secret being exposed, though Ben can be very annoying, like now.

    " So " He cooed, approaching her with this lopsided smile that told her his gossip mode has been activated.

    He wriggled his brows suggestively " Tell me about this guy "

    uh-oh , we''re so not going there

    "Come-on " He whined and blocked Lia''s path when she tried to escape.

    Lia made an X shape with her arms with a serous expression saying "No way " but Ben was one annoying fly.

    "Is he handsome? " Ben probed and though she tried to keep a straight face, a blush betrayed her.

    " Wow, She''s blushing " Ben teased her and Lia wished the ground would open up and swallow her.

    She hated this matebond of a thing, just mere thinking about him made her cheeks burn and heart to quicken.

    "But wait a minute " Ben stopped his teasing and pursed his lips thoughtfully " Is this why Asher was jealous? "

    Her jerked up "Asher was jealous?! "

    Ben faced her with that ridiculous smile on his lips again " You should''ve seen the look on your mate''s face, he was struggling to keep the green-eyed monster at bay " He snickered.

    Lia frowned, this is bad. What if the two of them tear each other apart from jealousy before they even reach a consensus? No, this is incredibly bad, She has to do something.

    Ben''s face suddenly lit up " Talking about it, Why were you with another guy? isn''t this considered cheating? Why is Asher doing nothing about this! " He peppered me with questions that wasn''t supposed to be answered.

    Ben might be stupid at times but he''s incredibly smart when on a quest to uncover a mystery.If this goes on at this rate, it''s only a matter of time before he finds out the truth.

    She has to do something right now.

    "Have you seen my powers? " Lia blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

    "I haven''t but would love to ! I only heard of your exploits last week friday which is awesome by the way " Ben jabbered eagerly much to Lia''s relief.

    At lest , the distraction is working .

    "Umm, I can''t show you the first one yet " Lia disclosed when she met Ben''s eyes gleaming with anticipation. " Asher says it''s dangerous especially since I have no control over it "

    She tried to explain to him but Ben booed at her and accompanied it with a thumbs-down.

    Lia rolled her eyes before she offered "But I can show you the second one "

    And as expected, his face lit up like Christmas. Sometimes it wasn''t that hard to bribe Ben.

    " Alright " Lia breathed and cracked her neck and knuckles " Let me get the hang of it " She said stretching her waist.

    Ben stared at her confused, was calling forth her powers that difficult? Why was she stretching and warming up like someone about to run a marathon.

    "Alright come at me " Lia ordered and gestured him to throw a punch at her which he happily obliged but it wasn''t what she expected .

    Lia facepalm " Ben, we are not shooting some action movie, I didn''t ask you to slow-motion your blow " She chided, burning with the need to strangle that guy right now.

    "And when throwing a punch, try not to make it that obvious and pre- ouch! " Lia cried out in pain when he punched her unexpectedly.

    "What was that for? !" Lia yelled, holding her painful reddened nose

    "You said not to my make my punch obvious!" He countered.

    "Yeah but I was still in the middle... " But she was still halfway speaking when Ben raised his fist to throw another punch but she instinctively held up her both arms and Ben''s punch met an obstacle.

    Ben tried to force himself but there was an invisible force like pushing against him. Totally awesome!.

    But suddenly, Lia brought down the force and sprang towards the direction where they heard something drop.

    ------

    **The Green-eyed Monster : Jealousy personified.

 Chapter 101 - One Hundred And One : Like It Was Meant To Be

    Lia picked up the stranger''s heartbeat before he had actually mistakenly hit his feet on the boxes parked at the corner.

    Judging from his panic, she could tell he had seen everything and there was no way in hell she was letting him escape.

    The boy ran with all his might - that girl is a freak . He had actually seen what she had done with her hands and there was no way that could''ve been a dream.

    He just needed to run a little further then he will be out in the open where he will be protected and then tell everyone what he has seen.

    But he never expected to bump into someone - ah principal Asher, a saviour.

    "Principal Asher , there''s - " He had yet to finish his statement when principal Asher looked into his eyes and said just a word.

    " Sleep "

    He was shocked to discover he couldn''t control his motor skills any longer and all of a sudden, his eyelids began to feel heavy. The next he knew, he slumped to the ground. Asleep.

    Lia knew she was getting close to the boy but was shocked to discover Asher had beaten her to it. The boy was lying unconscious on the ground, and yes very much alive, just taking a nap.

    Ben trailed after her, heaving and gasping for breath - right, Ben sucks in sports, he had little endurance.

    "What do you two not understand about being discreet?" Asher scolded emphasizing on the word ''discreet '' but Lia was not listening at all.

    She was busy staring at him, scrutinizing his face with meticulous attention to detail. Lia wondered how he looks when jealous? No matter how much she fit Ben''s description into reality, it just wasn''t imaginable .

    "Is there something on my face? " Asher frowned but she shook her head.

    "Then why are you staring at me that way? " He asked curiously this time.

    "Nothing" She shrugged "Just appreciating God''s handwork " Lia flirted right away with a coy smile.

    Asher was flattered by her words, he wasn''t anticipating this at all.So he smiled back in return and simply reached out an arm, drawing her towards him and wrapped her in his arms.

    While Ben was busy oohing and aahing at the scene from behind so he had to literally use his ability to toss him out of there.

    Then he bent and kissed Lia , tasted her as if he had all the time in the world. It was crazy how he could miss, yearn and desire someone as if his entire life depends on it.

    He would''ve come to her last night but Raphael had kept him preoccupied with his petty shenanigans . Though it hurts his heart whenever he thinks of the fact that she would have to choose between him and Daniel very soon.

    Asher knew there was a high probability he wouldn''t be chosen, after all Daniel originally was meant to be her mate before everything got messed up.

    So he was going to cherish and savour every moment he had left with her. Though the rejection would hurt - if not destroy him, but he would hang unto this memories.

    "Asher " She moaned when her back hit the wall and he pinned her hands as well. The once sweet, gentle and playful kiss had turned passionate and demanding.

    " We''re making out in front of a student " Lia managed to rasp a sentence when he left her lips and moved to her neck.

    "Don''t worry, he won''t be getting up anytime soon " Came his reply as his two fangs emerged and grazed her neck lightly making her shiver.

    She gasped "Classes has begun "

    "I''m your principal, everyone else falls under my authority " he smirked and suckled on the sensitive spot between Lia''s neck and shoulder making her release a sound of pleasure.

    Lia discovered there was something different about Asher recently. After confessing he was her mate, he seems unrestrained and eager to express his feelings for her as if the chain holding him back has been broken.

    It was quite funny, she had initially disliked this particular guy because of his inappropriate relationship with a student - She even sighed up on a secret mission to catch him red-handed in the act but now she''s the one wrapped tight in the act . And now he was her mate - she could relate

    Lia perfectly now had an idea of what Daniel meant by the ''mating fever'' .

    It was a battle . An intense battle.

    You feel this unexplainable fervent urge to just be with that special someone and no matter what , your thoughts would constantly drift off to that person and you feel the pull, the need to just touch, lick, kiss, skin to skin - It was excruciating cause the more you fight it , the more attracting and stronger the pull gets.

    "Feed "

    Just these two words from him but it sends her body pulsing with excitement. Asher knows how much feeding while under pleasure feels -Its quite heavenly.

    Like you''re high on cloud nine and there''s no stopping until you reach that climax where everything settles.

    Lia felt her fang ache, struggling to be released and she obliged them happily.

    Running her hands through his hair, she grabbed it and tugged it backward before tracing his collar bone with her fangs feeling him shiver under her touch.

    She continued her hot feathery trail until her

    eyes rested on that vein that seem to be calling out to her.

    Lia sank her fangs into that narrow tube while Asher groaned from the intense pleasure that rippled through him.

    She gradually took the liquid feeling like she was flying on angels wings and kept soaring and soaring until the pleasure from the feeding exploded and washed over her.

    She sank against Asher exhausted and satiated while he smoothed her hair. He smiled when he discovered her once fading purplish-red,

    orbs were now a full blazing magenta - she was full.

    Lia leaned her head on Asher''s shoulder - She sincerely hopes he wasn''t jealous anymore. Truthfully, she had thought she would be guilt-ridden considering the fact she had snuggled with the wolf last night and made out with the vampire this morning , but surprisingly, it felt right. Like it was supposed to be.

 Chapter 102 - One Hundred And Two : It Was Better They Thought That Way

    "And that marks the end of the lesson for today " The biology teacher summarized just as the bell rang. It was break time.

    Students rushed out of the class filling the already buzzing hallway; the hubbub of excited voices and conversation from hundreds of students filled the arena.

    Caroline''s party as it appears was still the hottest news right now and each student had their own version of the story to offer and it was quite entertaining.

    "Have you heard? " Lia heard someone say "There''s rumours circling about that Alexa''s been kidnapped? "

    " Really? " The other asked " I thought she was just missing? "

    "That''s what they thought at first but now it seems a lot more than that and now the police are going about questioning students that were at the party that night "

    Lia knitted her brows tight in concentration, Ben had updated her with the recent happenings . Though Alexa''s case seem more serious but Linda''s abrupt departure was suspicious as well.

    She had a feeling things weren''t as simple as they looked, why would Linda leave little Town and Alexa get kidnapped - Someone was definitely pulling the strings from behind.

    And it wasn''t Asher. It wasn''t Asher''s style - What does she know? What''s even Asher''s style?

    At the thought of Asher, the warmth of a blush crept up her neck at once. Lia always marvels at the amount of self-control he exhibits. She understood the sexual feeling that comes with drinking from a human - well vampire in her own case since her body doesn''t accept human blood.

    Lia could relate since she now has a firsthand experience.Feeding from Asher was so sexual that she was quite startled he hasn''t taken her to bed yet.

    At first she had thought something was wrong with him or maybe, he was just holding back but the explanation he gave her during their morning canoodle cleared every doubt.

    Since she has two mates, it was going to complicate matters If they mark each other and go into full-time mating before she chooses between the both of them.

    Because it is possible to feel a sense of attachment after having sex which would deepen, increase and strengthen the already existing bond to a greater degree with the said partner while leaving the other person at a loss, she needs to avoid it.

    So Asher thinks she has to be clear-headed and able to think lucidly when the time comes to choose a mate and not be influenced by intimacy of the experience

    "Ugh!" Lia screamed, tugging her hair and attracting questioning looks from the students.

    God Why?! Why! Why! Why me?! , She cried internally. Who bestowed this cruel fate on her? She couldn''t reject Asher but she couldn''t reject Daniel either .

    Though she came to know Daniel recently but inwardly she feels she''s known him forever; like they were old separated souls who just found each other and didn''t want to let go. It was confusing.

    "At this rate, you''ll go crazy before I go crazy from the voices in my head " A voice she could proudly recognize as Dan''s said from behind.

    She whirled around to face him, quite startled actually, judging from the fact she haven''t seen him around since that poisoning incident.

    "Cafeteria? "

    "Huh? " Then her eyes followed the direction of his eyes " Ahh yes " She answered him and they pushed through the crowd of students heading the same place.

    Thanks to Dan''s overwhelming popularity, charm and sex appeal, he now has a reserved table - the power of fans.

    The four seat cafeteria table was always cleaned and maintained by dedicated female fans prior to his arrival.

    No one was permitted to sit on it unless invited by Dan himself - There was always hair gripping and tongue-lashing for anyone who breaks such rule.

    Lia shuddered, sometimes the power of fans was scary. Left alone, they would probably coat his seat with gold.

    Immediately they arrived in the cafeteria, excited screams and shrieks filled their ears. Lia stared at Dan with concern, telepathy was definitely a curse. How was he faring with all those voices in his head? Wasn''t there a way to muffle the voices or just tune it out entirely?

    "I''m fine " He answered as if he knew what was on her mind.

    "You read my mind? " She asked

    "No " He said right away

    "Then...? "

    He gestured to his face " It''s written all over "

    "Why won''t you read my mind then? " Lia asked curiously. What if there is a chance he can''t read her''s? She hoped.

    Lia understood the ability was inmate but the idea of someone reading her every thought didn''t settle well with her, she felt like it was an invasion of her privacy.

    "I can but I can''t " Came Dan''s reply that made her rejoice internally but dying from curiosity .

    " Why can''t you read my mind? "

    Dan breathed " Whenever I try gaining entrance into Asher''s mind, he just pushes me out ; the wall a ball bounces off when thrown against a wall and this is something only people with strong mental strength can do , but you.... " He falters and turns to face her with eyes that weren''t half Asher''s mesmerizing ones.

    "I can access your mind but I can''t get any information from it cause your''s is like a long passageway with uncountable rooms going off it and I can''t seem to find the right one without losing myself in the process "

    She didn''t know whether to be flattered or scared of herself but all in all, she was thankful no one was reading those embarrassing thoughts of hers.

    They grabbed a tray and thankfully didn''t have to stand in line cause the students made a path for them to pass through and get their food -ah, the power of a celebrity.

    Once done, the both headed to the specially preserved table and sat down while the female students were literally drooling and staring at Dan with love emoji in their eyes.

    "I won''t be surprised anymore if they''ve created a fanclub for you already " Lia teased "All that''s left is to dye your hair blue and strap a guitar on your shoulder "

    Dan grinned at her before digging into his food. Yes, the food wouldn''t satisfy him nor contribute anything to his body but it was a perfect facade to fool the ignorant humans.

    " Are the both of them dating? " As expected, Lia picked up a discussion from behind.

    She ignored them and continued eating her food.

    It was better if they thought that way than rumours of her with Asher. Though it was pretty acceptable to the supernaturals but half the population of people in little Town were humans and wouldn''t accept the news of her dating her principal - not even her own family.

 Chapter 103 - One Hundred And Three : A Walk Through The Garden

    At this rate, his second and secret ability would get exposed. Asher sighed and ran his hands through his hair, ever since the girl came into his life he has been doing things he wouldn''t dare on a normal day and careless also, has he been lately.

    A knock sounded on his door rousing him from his thought.

    "Come in " He responded and the door creaked open as his secretary came in.

    "What? " He asked when he saw the anxious look on her face and understood at once the moment she bit her lips .

    Daniel must be here.

    "Let him in " Asher ordered and picked up a report from the table, pretending to look through it.

    The girl was surprised, how did...? Was her expression that readable?

    Even as a human, the secretary clearly understood that Asher and Daniel had never being close and their relationship was like fire and ice, non could stand the sight of each other .

    So seeing him in the reception area asking for the principal with surprisingly an appointment, shocked and scared her so hard she had to confirm it from the horse''s mouth.

    And now she did, she was not near the word being ''OK''. Since when did the both start getting along with each other? She was among the few humans who knew about the existence of vampires and other creatures and definitely on Asher''s side.

    She wouldn''t dare betray Asher, he would skin her alive .Besides, he had saved her life when she thought she was going to die in the hands of those rogue vampires who had already drained her family to death. So now, her life belongs to him.

    She would repay him for everything.

    " You''re free to go sir " She said and directed Daniel to the direction of Asher''s office even though he knows it. But it was just common office etiquette.

    The secretary was surprised Daniel didn''t come with any of his people who never seem to leave his side. Just what in the world was going on?

    Asher knew his office was the best place to discuss whatever they wanted to without fear of being followed or eavesdropped on.

    Unlike Daniel, Asher has a firm hold on his people and non would dare betray him thanks to his father''s infamous reputation which unsurprisingly precedes him .

    Though werewolves were naturally loyal creatures and treachery seen as one of the most despicable crimes to their kind but the influx of human in their pack makes it difficult to distinguish who might be a spy from the council.

    Though all supernatural creatures could sense if anyone is lying from one''s facial expression, body language, and change in heart rhythm but

    Werewolves can sense lies better than anyone else by smelling it off them thanks to the spike in the human''s stress level when lieing.

    But spies from the council are professionally

    trained and oftentimes supported by the witches, making it more difficult to detect their lies.

    All in all, his office was the best place to hold a discussion than late at night without being followed or his place which has been invaded by Raphael.

    "Welcome, have a seat " Asher gestured as soon as Alpha Daniel stepped into his office.

    Though he didn''t reply but Daniel sat on the seat right in front of Asher and crossed his legs.

    "Let''s get this over with as soon as possible, shall we? " Daniel said with a tone that suggested he wanted nothing but to be here at the moment.

    A knowing smile curled up Asher''s lips and he leaned forward on his desk saying " Trust me " He started " By the time we''re done, you''ll wish nothing than to be here at the moment "

    Daniel''s eyes narrowed down on Asher, why was he having this disturbing feeling from the pit of his stomach ? During his journey, he kept feeling uneasy, as if his world was about to be rocked upside down.

    "In order not to beat around the bush, let me answer the question that I bet has been bothering you the most " Asher said straightaway , staring him in the eyes " Why you feel she''s attracted to me? "

    Daniel''s brow quirked " What are you trying to say? " He asked but Asher could sense there was an edge to his voice.

    "I bet you''re curious too, the fact she''s both our mate? "

    No sooner had that word come out of his mouth had Daniel banged his hands hard on the table sending a lot of items flying to the ground.

    "Say that once more and I''ll rip out your tongue! " Daniel growled, eyes glowing yellow and body shaking with visible anger.

    "You heard me right, she belongs to the both of - " Asher didn''t get to finish his sentence cause he was grabbed from his seat and slammed against the wall.

    That was the scene that greeted Nancy, Asher''s secretary when she rushed into his office upon hearing the reverberating thud.

    "Principal Asher " She called with concern when she was fed the scene of Daniel lifting Asher up above his head with one hand by the throat and Asher let him be.

    She tried to interfere but Asher shot her a warning gaze and told her amid the choking to step back.

    Though reluctant but she froze at the spot watching the unfolding scene with her heart in her mouth.

    "Leave! " Asher barked an order and she found her feet leading her out of the room totally not of her own will.

    Perhaps Daniel would''ve let his wolf out earlier but the presence of Nancy had restrained him a bit.

    "Why ? You''re being violent because you don''t want to acknowledge what I''m saying? " Asher mocked.

    Daniel growled " Say a word more and I''ll snap your neck "

    Asher chuckled mirthlessly " A pity that alone won''t kill me which you know and indeed shows you''re curious; why she likes me even though the matebond exists already between you too? "

    His hand tightens but Asher didn''t care, he has been through worse.

    " I know you came to her last night, I felt it through the bond " Asher uttered much to his surprised "And I know you felt it too this morning... " he hesitated on purpose.

    Daniel''s control was slowly slipping

    Asher lowered his voice to a whisper " The pleasure that screamed through her as I kissed her! As she moaned my na...."

    Asher was thrown to the far end of the room and fell to the ground but Daniel didn''t give him a chance to recover cause he threw him a punch that sent him flying and crashing through his desk.

    Asher moaned and then began to laugh, a boisterous, hysterical laughter " You wanted evidence and I''ve just show you. Why are you still sulky , kiddo !? "

    Anger was boiling through Daniel, he hated Asher calling him that. Just because he was a lot older than him didn''t give him the right to berate him.

    He released a feral growl and lifted Asher off the ground once more and flicked out his claws.

    Asher grunted and winced internally at the sight of the claws. His head turned towards the direction of his bookshelf and he said out loud.

    " Are you really going to make your epic appearance when I''m dead "

    Daniel followed the direction of Asher''s gaze and was confused. What''s he talking about?who''s he talking to?

    Then he saw it.

    A woman suddenly appeared out of the bookshelf as if she had merged with it but he knew it was an illusion. Witches.

    The woman had red blazing hair and dark green eyes with curves so hot it could be illegal.

    Daniel''s hand unknowingly let go of Asher and he slumped to the ground. His eyes were focused on the woman who was strolling towards them as if she was having a leisure walk through the garden.

    Her lips lifted " Why did you stop? It was beginning to get interesting? "

 Chapter 104 - One Hundred And Four : The Night The Deities Were Asleep.

    Asher winced, the room was a mess.The whole place was a mess and Daniel has to cover this expenses. Aside from his bookshelf, no other furniture was spared in the room.

    But his body wasn''t spared either : he could feel a lot of wood splinters stuck deeply in his skin.

    Non of it mattered anyway , his body will naturally expel the splinters from his skin during its regeneration, moreover he was an undead creature so he was not at risk for an infection or inflammation. He had simply suffered his body a while for the greater good.

    "Who are you? " Daniel asked this time , eyes narrowed suspiciously.

    Werewolves have a great and advanced sense of smell to the extent they could pick up diverse chemical substance called pheromones released by humans and quite other creatures except vampires.

    But right now his instincts were telling him this woman is dangerous.

    "Meet the woman who turned your mate that way " Asher made an introduction laced with scorn while dusting off the dust on his body.

    "You!" Daniel''s eyes glowed with anger and took a step but groaned when he felt pain assault his senses.

    "I don''t like people yelling at me " She stated while causing Daniel a great pain until he was sent to his knees.

    Supernaturals were strong and the only way to defeat them was to attack them first, gain the upper hand before they got close.

    Nonchalantly and without blinking, she casted a spell that returned the room to normal as if nothing ever happened.

    "You''re welcome by the way " She told Asher, lips curled up in a cold mirthless laugh.

    Asher didn''t say a word, he never asked for her help anyway. Why did she destroy his avenue to make more money? If she hadn''t magically repaired the place, he had already though of a plan to shamelessly milk every cent out of Daniel.

    "And you were saying? " Her ladyship lifted a commanding brow and grabbed one of the reassembled chair and sat on it quite haughtily - as if she owns the place.

    Daniel who just recovered from the first warning attack growled at her, seething with uncontrollable anger.

    " Rule number two " She stated " I don''t like people staring at me that way, it gives me the chills " Her ladyship made an effort to shudder dramatically "So unless we don''t want a repeat of what happened earlier, you could be a cute little boy and sit on that chair while we have this pleasant conversation " She ordered and magically moved a chair towards him.

    Daniel stared at her, there was this sweet smile on her face which made him sick in the stomach cause he knew this witch would be true to her words once disobeyed. Grudgingly and reluctantly, he took a seat. Fine, he''ll listen to whatever she has to say.

    Surprise flashed across her face, he gave in that easily? A smirk decorated her face, it seems this one would be much easier to use though Asher still remains her favourite.

    Just as the thought crossed her mind, Asher''s eyes met with hers and they seem to be declaring " Don''t even think about it"

    Her ladyship smiled internally, this was why she liked him. He knew exactly what was on her mind.

    Asher gave her a knowing and warning look, he could already tell what she''s thinking. Daniel wasn''t a madman like him and would be the easiest to manipulate out of the both of them. Perhaps he indeed has the Raven clan blood running through his vein.

    He simply moved his usual plushy swivel seat and plopped down on it. He and Daniel sat across from each other while her ladyship sat opposite them .

    "Now we''re complete, let''s begin our twenty questions game " She laughed and relaxed further into her seat.

    Daniel clenched his fist, he hated the fact that she was acting all high and mighty when he could easily rip her throat out with just a movement of his hand. He loathed the fact she was messing around with his mate''s life.

    Suppressing his anger he asked , "What did you do to Lia? "

    "That''s the problem here " She shook her head " We didn''t do anything, just helped set in motion a prophesy that was given years ago " She answered with proud admiration in her eyes as if that was the highest achievement of her life.

    Daniel frowned and even though Asher tried to hide, he shifted uneasily in his seat.

    "What prophesy? " Daniel pressed on " And don''t give me gibberish cause I''ve never heard of any prophesy neither has my ancestors since the great Purge "

    "Would I seriously waste my time in coming here just to give you gibberish?" She challenged.

    But Daniel shot back "Who knows? You already have a twisted sense of humor "

    "Y-you - "

    "Get back to the prophesy and maybe when done, you both can go at it " Asher interjected sternly.

    Suddenly Asher asks instead " I''m curious about this, why is she a made hybrid? I have never come across anything like her throughout history? "

    This time, her Ladyship crossed her legs. Just as expected, Asher had hit the point " It all still comes down to the prophesy " She looks them straight in the eyes and announced

    "The girl is the only child born on the night the Deities were asleep "

    For a while no one reacted, the silence was so intense that a pin dropped could be heard loud and clear until Asher drew a sharp breath while Daniel shot to his feet, bewildered.

    "Oh my God "Asher gasped, no wonder. A lot of thoughts were running through his mind right now.

    If the girl was really the child born on the night the deities were asleep, then the law of the universe doesn''t apply to her. It was no longer surprising she got a wolf and vampiric side without hassle.

    "This is impossible! " Daniel cried out, he was pacing restlessly around the office , his thoughts all over the place.

    It was absolutely impossible, Daniel thought. All supernatural creatures were bound to one gods or goddess .

    Take for example, Werewolves were bound strictly to the moon, they were watched over by Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, and the Moon.

    Though vampires cursed initially by Apollo, the god of the sun and twin of Artemis : never to step out into the sun.But years and technology had not only changed but reversed the curse, now they were free. But as children of the night, they still belongs to Artemis.

    And yes witches belong to diverse gods and goddess, but they still increase their powers and draw strength from the moon on several occasions.

    " Oh God " Daniel moaned, at this rate he would go crazy.

    Unlike them, after causing such a great commotion , her ladyship was simply busy examining and blowing off invisible dusts from her perfectly manicured fingers unconcernedly.

    Until a dark smile crept up her face, the worst was yet to come.

    ------------

    * Artemis : was the Greek goddess of hunting, wild nature, and chastity.The daughter of Zeus and Leto, and sister of Apollo.

    * Apollo : is a god in Greek mythology, and one of the Twelve Olympians. He is the son of Zeus and Leto and the twin brother of Artemis. He is the god of healing, medicine, archery, music, poetry and the sun. He is the leader of the Muses and also a god of prophecy.

 Chapter 105 - One Hundred And Five : The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea

    Trevor was proudly wearing the pendant on his neck, he had to admit this was a masterpiece. He had caught some students staring at it secretly and even a girl had summoned the courage to ask where he had gotten it from ; today was perfect.

    So lost was he in his fantasy that he was quite startled when a guy suddenly grabbed and dragged him towards a secluded corner of the hallway.

    To others passing by, they looked like a pair of boys discussing secret business but Trevor knew how much he was struggling to be set free. Why was this guy so strong, he wasn''t even that much taller than him?

    "What the hell did I tell you newbies about revealing the pendant?!" The guy roared at him pushing him further into the wall.

    "I don''t know what you''re talking about ! " Trevor denied his accusation, where did this nutcase come from?

    "Don''t you know that secrecy comes before anything else? " He still insisted and Trevor felt like banging his head against the wall.

    How many times must he tell this nutcase that he had no clue what so ever he''s talking about.

    " What in the world - "

    "This " The guy said and reached for the pendant on his neck, holding it out for him to see

    "Why is this outside? Are you compromising your identity or.... " the boy suddenly trails off, eyes widening in surprise.

    Trevor watched confused as he outlined the pendant with his hands, running his fingers all over it as if committing it to memory.

    His eyes flickered over to Trevor and then to the pendant and to Trevor again, scrutinizing him intently. Curiosity gleaming in his eyes, he asked " You''re a legacy? "

    "L-legacy? "

    " Ahh right , You don''t know what that is yet " The boy realized he had rushed things. So he immediately put his hands in the pocket of his jeans and gave Trevor a black card of some sort.

    Trevor reluctantly took it from him, staring at the black card cautiously. There was nothing written nor designed on it, just sheer piece of paper.

    "What the heck is this? What do I do with this?" Trevor asked, hoping to God this guy wasn''t playing a stupid prank on him.

    "Once the clock strikes twelve at midnight, go to wherever this card leads you " The boy explained, eyes darting around warily.

    He reached for the pendant and tucked it securely into Trevor''s shirt while warning severely " Don''t ever let anyone see that unless you want to jeopardize your life and the life of your family , understood? "

    Trevor couldn''t understand why or how but he found himself nodding his head. Though it sounds unreasonable but he somehow believed this guy wasn''t joking around.

    Having fulfilled his intention , the guy turned to leave but Trevor grabbed him on his sleeve.

    "What? " He raised a brow at the sudden gesture

    " Your name ? I don''t know your name " Trevor asked, a bit breathless.

    "Williams but they call me will " He introduced himself " Call me Will Cutter " Will added.

    "Will Cutter " Trevor murmured absentmindedly.

    He stared at Will, the boy had sandy blonde hair and was well-toned - an evidence of working out. No matter how much Trevor thought hard, he knew Williams definitely wasn''t in his class, nobody there goes by that name.

    "But you don''t know mine " Trevor pointed out when he tried to leave hastily.

    "Don''t worry, I already know yours, Renard "

    Will said with confidence and then walks away with much gusto while Trevor watched on, wondering what just happened?.

    ------------------------------------------

    " Don''t you have anything better to do? " Lia asked Ben who had joined them for lunch. Unknown to him, he was receiving glares from Dan''s fans.

    "What else do I have to do than to cleave to your side like an adhesive glue " came his reply as he stole some french fries from Dan''s plate.

    Dan gave him the evil eye

    "What? " Ben snorted " You''re not even getting any nourishment from it, why are you so stingy? " He complained.

    Lia shook her head and carefully kept her meatloaf far away from Ben''s reach , cause unlike Dan, she wasn''t courteous enough with her food.

    "You should be very careful from now on " Dan announced and her head jerked up. Was he speaking to Ben or her?

    Lia touched her chest " Are you referring to me or him? " She gestures towards Ben.

    "I mean the both of you but you, Lia in particular " Dan explained, pointing at her with his middle finger " Cause I''m super sure Raphael would come for you "

    Lia''s brow drew together " Who''s Raphael?"

    Dan dropped the bombshell " Asher''s half brother "

    Ben choked on his drink while her spoon clattered to the ground drawing attention from students.

    "Asher has a brother? " Ben and Lia asked at same time albeit realizing too late they were a bit loud.

    So they waited for a while, for the student''s curious gazes to look away. After the students had turned away from them,Lia leaned towards Dan.

    "Asher has a brother? " Lia asked, bringing her voice down to a whisper "He never told me anything about that "

    "Yep, he''s harbouring a mischievous and dangerous half brother " Dan disclosed the information .

    " Harbouring as in.... ? " Dan probed

    "Like housing him , so you shouldn''t come over during this period unless you want to end up as his meal " Dan warned Ben who was prone to visit the mansion out of nowhere.

    Lia wrapped her arms across her chest and leaned into her seat asking " I don''t understand? how did a half brother pop out of nowhere and why do I need to be wary of him?"

    Suddenly Ben''s eyes lit up " Oh I know about that, Asher''s -"

    " Shut up " Dan interrupted.

    Ben pouted his lips " But I said it - "

    "Don''t make me get into your head, it can get quite messy " Dan threatened Ben which was quite effective cause his mouth helplessly shut at once.

    "Raphael and Asher share a mother " Dan concluded subtly.

    Lia''s eyes flickered between Ben and Dan, why did she feel they were hiding something from her.

    "Umm, that''s all? " She asked, a hint of skepticism in her eyes " Cause if I can remember correctly, Ben here was about to tell me something interesting "

    But Dan remained mum

    "Fine then " Lia concluded and then turned to face Ben who obviously was not looking her in the eye, he was avoiding her gaze.

    Which proved the fact Ben was keeping something from her, though they''ve being with each other for a few weeks now but she knows him like the back of her hand.

    "Ben " She called and felt him shiver but still didn''t respond nor give her an answer. So she went on " Whose sidekick are you? "

    Ben was struggling internally, he was between the Devil and the deep blue sea.

    On his side, sat the unruffled Dan who had already made his threat known and though the vampire seems quiet and gentle, he knew it was just a facade - he would torture him afterwards.

    Yet on his other side, sat the little devil who was staring at him with her magenta coloured evil eyes and lips that spoke of punishments to come.

    What did he do to deserve this?

 Chapter 106 - One Hundred And Six : The Prophesy

    "This is crazy, I don''t believe you " Daniel stood his ground. No way ! That can never happen, how can the deities sleep?

    "Or maybe you don''t want to believe her " Asher corrected with a subtle frown on his face.

    At this point Daniel would''ve sassed back but he was too confused at the moment to care.

    He threw his hands up "Fine then , let''s say all this abomination you just muttered is true..." Daniel hesitated, caught his breath and asked

    " Who now gave the prophesy? "

    Her ladyship pouted " Simple, the one and only Aurelia "

    Asher groaned "It''s alright, this just keeps getting better "

    Who doesn''t know Aurelia? The one and only most controversial seer on planet earth. She could be termed ''Confusion Personified ''. Aurelia was so abstruse in all her ways that you can never tell whether she was on the good or the bad side.

    Though Aurelia might not have been the mastermind of the Great Purge but she sure pulled the strings behind the scene; adding more fuel to the already burning flames and played both sides perfectly.

    Thanks to her, seers were then began to be held in high esteem. Everyone knows seers are the eyes of the gods and Aurelia took that advantage and made both sides play into her hands.

    Aurelia''s gain and objective in this? No one understood till date.

    "That''s impossible " Asher refuted this time

    "Aurelia has not been seen for centuries "

    " True " Daniel supported Asher for the first time ever since his existence. A gesture which Asher didn''t notice cause he was engrossed with this mystery.

    Seers were specially gifted humans and though they do have an incredible longevity

    but their average lifespan without an accident is between a hundred to a hundred and twenty years. Nor of them makes it past that time save Aurelia who is said to have lived for more than two centuries now.

    According to rumours, they claim Aurelia is a goddess of chaos who came to earth in human form , but of course that''s just a baseless hearsay.

    " When was this prophecy given ? " Asher queried, his face expressionless.

    Her ladyship''s brows drew together in concentration as she thought hard " To be precise, that should be fifty years ago."

    Daniel facepalm " This is stupid, I wasn''t even born yet then " He swore under his breath but Asher with his super hearing heard it all.

    Even though Daniel was in reality twenty six years old but he actually looks sixteen when you turn a blind eye to his muscular build.

    It was no secret that werewolves have decelerated aging : their ageing would slow down drastically once they reach twenty.

    To the extent that an older werewolf looks anywhere from a few years to a few decades younger than they are.

    But the downside of this was once a werewolf quits phasing or shape-shifting for quite a long time, he or she could go back to ageing as a normal human being would.

    So compared to Asher, Daniel was still a kiddo .

    "kiddo?" Asher mused, remembering the first encounter he had with Daniel during the general council meeting.

    The meeting had all coven, clan and pack leaders assembled together and during the process of Daniel expressing his own opinion on a particular issue the council was deliberating on, Asher had shut him down and called him a '' kiddo '' meaning he was a greenhorn and still inexperienced for this kind of situations.

    But as werewolves would always be hot-tempered, Daniel didn''t take the insult sitting down and had equally retorted with a

    denigratory term, hinting that Asher was the son of a madman, a traitor who had joined forces with the Dark witches during the Purge.

    And that was where their bad blood with each other officially began, but it seems destiny had much more than an argument in-store for them both.

    Daniel gulped " What was the prophecy?" his

    hands were clenched tightly at the side hoping she wasn''t about to tell him that his mate was destined to destroy the world.

    On the other hand, Asher''s stomach was clenched in a knot . Without foretelling, he could already tell where this all was heading, " The usual '' She''s destined to destroy or save the world '' clich�� tales."

    Her ladyship answered smugly " She''s destined to be the hope "

    Asher winced internally, waiting for more to come but after a few seconds of hearing nothing, he asked surprised "Is that all? "

    "Yes, she''s destined to be the hope for us.What more were you expecting? " She asked them with her usual smile that doesn''t quite reach her eyes.

    She was still seated comfortably in her seat unlike them both who had bolted to their feet earlier from shock.

    "I was definitely expecting more " Opined Daniel " Unless that is not all " he accused, hinting that she was hiding more facts from them.

    "I second that " Concurred Asher with a smirk on his face " You only told us she is a hope to you guys but you didn''t emphasize '' how she is going to be the hope '' or did I hear wrong ? "

    The satisfied smile on her lips dissipated slowly and was replaced with a scowl, sensing the subtle change in her environment " I think I''ve overstayed my welcome, it''s high time I left already " She decided and rose to her feet, preparing to leave when Daniel blocked her path.

    "I don''t think we''ve come to a conclusion yet " He replied her and tried to grab her but she made pain ripple through him causing Daniel to fall on his kneel.

    Unfortunately, it was two against one.

    Asher from behind, used the air part of his ability and slammed her against the wall giving Daniel a chance to recover as he scrambled to his feet.

    Her ladyship immediately summoned numerous tongues of fire towards them but Asher was quick to react.

    He swiftly manipulated the humidity available causing a large stream of water drops to rise in the air dousing the flame completely.

    A look of surprise crossed her face but Asher mocked " I guess someone forgot I''ve got the elements in my hands "

    Seething with anger she began to chant and rave spells like a madwoman but Asher choose that moment to order,

    "Sabrina now! "

    On cue, Sabrina stormed into the room with a confident and charming gait.

 Chapter 107 - One Hundred And Seven : Till We Meet Again Wolf Boy

    The moment she stepped in, Sabrina began to chant numerous spells trying to counter her Ladyship''s summons. Their spells clashed and caused an inward spiraling wind to begin rotating in the middle of the room throwing and knocking stuffs around.

    It was obvious her Ladyship was stronger cause Sabrina was slowly being pushed back but Daniel immediately interfered by knocking the villain to the ground with his strong shoulders, distracting her in the process and giving Sabrina the upper hand.

    " Et Sabrina filia vinctum lucem! " Sabrina intoned, shaking and heaving with the effort.

    Immediately, a circle of light appeared beneath the ground and trapped her Ladyship. Chest heaving with anger, she rose to her feet and tried to stride out of the circle but was knocked back.

    She pushed against the barrier again but got the same result. So she punched the barrier but it was like hitting a tempered glass, there was no effect at all.

    "You all ! " She boomed " What do you think you''re doing? " asked her ladyship, wagging a finger at them furiously while her eyes were red and wide with incredulity.

    "Sending you to a place where you won''t be able to hurt anybody " Asher answered without an ounce of emotion.

    She laughed in response. A long , cold, hysterical laughter " And you think my people are going to let you be ? "

    "Sure, they won''t " Asher replied but a dark smile graced his face afterwards as he said " But I''m sure they won''t be able to take my clan and Daniel''s pack altogether "

    "You! " She screamed and gripped her hair before banging her hand frantically against the barrier.

    Of course no matter how powerful she was, she wouldn''t be able to take on the both clan and pack without attracting the attention of the council.

    Her plan was suicidal and they got her cornered this time. Fine, they won the first round but the second time? Victory must surely belong to her.

    Asher couldn''t risk her escaping, his mate''s Future was at stake here. So he would do everything in his power to send this woman to a place she wouldn''t be able to hurt anyone forever ; though Hades would be perfect.

    "Even if you take me out of the picture " She cocked a brow challengingly " That is if you can. But there would be another after me and they would keep coming for her " She told them frankly.

    "Fine, let them come " Daniel decided " I''ll just keep ripping out their throat "

    "Aw , I''m so scared " She shivered theatrically with a mocking smile " But seriously wolf boy, you begin to show some guts just because I''m Stuck in here?"

    "How dare you ! " Daniel growled and tried to lunge at her but Asher was there to hold him back.

    "Try to contain that temper of yours or I''ll gladly help you do it " Asher yanked him by the collar before pushing him away.

    Her ladyship laughed at the drama. Contrary to what she expected, she wasn''t going to die of boredom.

    Anger unfurled in his chest and he found himself clenching and unclenching his fist. His eyes moved to the barrier and their eyes met, Daniel watched her wink and blow a kiss at him.

    ''She''s just messing with you " He ground his teeth and repeated over and over again in an effort to calm the whirling storm inside of him.

    "Can you think of a suitable place she won''t be able to leave? " Asher asked Sabrina as they worked through the plan.

    "For a dark witch this powerful? It''s second to null " Sabrina confessed " Finding a place is not a problem else I would''ve stranded her on Antarctica but a place capable of holding her? that''s the problem. She''s too powerful and truth be told I barely contained her "

    Asher gritted his teeth, it took him all a lot of thoughts and risks to outsmart this lady for once but now, sending her away was the problem?

    " Why don''t we just hand her over to the council? The council has these dampening device that can mitigate their powers once used on them " Sabrina suggested but the look on Asher''s face was a definite no-no.

    "I don''t think that''s a good idea " Asher grumbled " They would surely launch an investigation and discover Lia in the process "

    " Ah! " Her ladyship sighed " Thankfully, one of you have their senses intact "

    Asher turned to face her, pure irritation on his face " I would really appreciate it If you keep your comments to yourself "

    Her ladyship sat cross-legged on the floor, with her hands clasped in front of her and an amused smile on her face.

    " Why? Are you afraid you would begin to see things from my own point of view? Why are you all so blind ! " She raised her voice at once "For how long would you all remain under their rule like some f*cking damn puppets?! "

    "The council exists for order and though their ways can be overbearing at times but they''re the very reason little Town is still habitable for humans right now ! " Asher retorted with blazing intensity.

    The Burning Eaglets were anarchist and though their idea of freedom were appealing, but Asher knew the consequences of their actions would do the world more harm than good.

    His gaze flickered back to Sabrina and asked

    "If the council can create such a device, can''t you make yours as well? "

    Sabrina scratched her hair " I sure can try but it would take time and resources, moreover I don''t think that barrier can hold her for long "

    "Yes, You''re right. It surely can''t hold me for long " Her ladyship acknowledged and got to her feet, gazing at them intensely with a creepy smile that sent shivers down their spine.

    "Is it just me or do you feel like the room temperature just dropped drastically? " Daniel noticed, rubbing both arms with his hands.

    "You''re definitely not the only one " Sabrina agreed, her teeth was already gritting from the cold.

    "I think I must have indulged myself too much this time " Her ladyship said, dusted herself off and walked towards the barrier and placed her hands on it, eyes closed and muttering some spells even Sabrina could not understand.

    Then suddenly, the invincible barrier began to crystallize, adopting a solid like shape while frost began to form on it.

    "Oh my God " Sabrina gasped and instinctively took a step back while the others watched, wide-eyed.

    "I thought of several ways today would end but I never thought this way " Her gaze turned to Asher " You never fail to surprise me and for that you''ve earned yourself a ''worthy'' opponent "

    Then her gaze turned to Daniel "Till we meet again wolf boy " and winked at him. Again .

    Suddenly, there was a loud reverberating bang as the barrier suddenly fractured into uncountable large, sharp, flying crystallized shards that rained down on them.

    By the time the pandemonium was over, her ladyship was gone without a trace and millions of shattered shards on the floor.

    "Sabrina! " Asher yelled when he saw her sprawled on the ground, bleeding from the side just as Lia and Dan rushed inside.

 Chapter 108 - One Hundred And Eight : The Make Out Feeding.

    Ben was in a hot seat. Of all days , why today?

    He tried to look forward but met face-to-face with Dan''s scrutinizing gaze and quickly averted his eyes to the side but met Lia''s threatening orbs instead, he quickly tore away his gaze to the other side only to discover some students were glaring at him.

    Why?! What did he do wrong? Why was everyone after his life? He was just a normal human being willing to live a normal life, but it seems the universe was jealous of him. Why did they want to take that normality from him?!.

    He then turned and faced Dan, saying with a straight face,

    "I''m sorry Dan ; honourable knight of the prince of Darkness but my goddess lia is my life and I''m her destined sidekick , so I can''t betray her.

    There''s this friendship bond between us just like the matebond , we can''t keep secrets from each other and the more you try to break us apart, it hurts here! "

    Ben bootlicked , hitting his chest repeatedly with this pitiful expression that was close enough to move people to tears save the both of them.

    Lia''s eyes twitched, what melodrama was this guy acting this time? She facepalm, mentally ashamed of her sidekick called Ben. She shook her head sympathetically, Ben''s shamelessness has moved from level one to level five.

    Though Dan tried to ignore him but Ben''s aggrieved expression was beginning to disturb him. Not to mention lately, Ben''s being putting a lot of effort into his dressing unlike his usual dress-as-I-like-style . So it was awkward seeing such cute looking guy staring at him with watery eyes, quivering lips and a pleading expression.

    Dan sighed , why was he so kind towards this boy anyway ? He pinched the space between his brows, perhaps it was time to instill fear into him.

    " Fine" Dan gave in and saw the joyous triumph on his face. Why was he so happy? Who said he was done yet? So he added " But only on one condition "

    Ben was genuinely surprised, Dan gave in that easily ? Perhaps God had finally touched his heart - wait a minute, does he even have a heart ?

    Not the point here Ben. Focus!

    Fine, continue - he wasn''t planning to look at his heart anyway...Perhaps a little, if it was possible to tear open his chest and check whether his unbeating heart was frozen like ice or just plain ''not functioning anymore'' type of dead.

    Ben rambled on in his head.

    Unfortunately, that was until he heard the legendary all-too-common showstopper locution from Dan " But only on one condition"

    His eyes narrowed down suspiciously on the vampire, what''s this devilishly looking undead creature planning to do now?

    "Sure, go ahead. Let''s hear your condition " Ben leaned in , giving him a go-ahead gesture with his hand while Lia stared at the unfolding drama helplessly.

    A mischievous gleam appeared in Dan''s eyes as he said " That you let me drink from you.Not the innocent blood-in-cup type of feeding but the full fang-in-neck mode"

    Bang ! The earth-shattering announcement was dropped.

    There was a breathtaking silence,well on their own part since students were still going up and down , to and fro the cafeteria , making one hell of a noise.

    "No, no way! I won''t allow that " Lia denied the request after recovering from the initial shock, emphasizing her stand by forming an "X" with her two arms.

    "You''re not the one making the decision here, Lia " Dan reminded and ran his tongue over his fang, a predatory gesture which she didn''t fail to notice.

    If there was anything Lia discovered about Dan recently is the fact that after that poisoning incident , he became quite open with his desires unlike his initial demeanor.

    She couldn''t tell whether that was a good thing or a sign to be wary of him. But since Asher kept him by her side, she should trust him right?

    Just as Dan thought, the boy was scared to the marrow. He was staring ahead with a shocked expression - the wide-eyed and mouth agape signatory shock .

    Ben was positively tongue-tied.

    Dan chuckled to himself, what was he expecting anyway when fooling around with a kid?

    That was what he thought until the supposed ''Tongue-tied '' Ben asked an atrocious question.

    " We won''t make out during the supposed feeding, right? "

    Lia who was in the middle of chugging down a drink in a bid to ease the anger burning in her heart at Dan''s attitude suddenly choked on it while Dan went red in the face.

    What the f*ck....

    "W-who told you s-such nonsense? " Dan spluttered uncontrollably. He unconsciously rubbed his chest ; if he had a functioning heart, it would probably be hammering against his chest right now. What lewd thoughts is this boy conjuring?

    Ben pouted his lips and answered innocently

    "That''s what Lia tells me happens whenever she feeds from Asher "

    "Hey! " Lia glared at him.

    Dan took a deep breath while eyeing Lia, what has this girl being feeding this boy?

    Lia stared wide-eyed at the happening, why was everyone staring at her like the bad one here? It was Ben who kept poking his nose in matters that didn''t concern him.

    "Listen here Ben " Dan took it upon himself to make it clear to him " Vampires feed for two reasons, to satisfy their hunger or for pleasure. But this weird and extinct creature here " quipped Dan pointing at her " Feeds for both purposes "

    " You! " Lia choked " Stop exposing my dirty laundry in public ! " She quibbled with him .

    But Dan snorted derisively at her and focused back his attention on Ben, "But seriously what made you seriously think I''ll feed from you, talkmore make out with you? " He asked with pure disgust written all over his face.

    Ben rolled his eyes " I was just swayed by Lia''s words, besides why are you so flustered like a virgin going at it for the very first time?"

    This time Dan was done with being nice, though he might be a tad bit clueless about nowadays slangs but he perfectly understood this one well.

    But just as he was about to lunge at Ben and skin the little life out of him, he heard Lia release a sharp breath and his eyes narrowed into slits at once.

    "What''s wrong? " He came to stand beside her, watching her clutch her chest while breathing heavily with beads of sweat on her forehead.

    "My heart feels strange " She wheezed.

    As if on cue,his ears picked up a reverberating bang coming from the direction of Asher''s office.

    " Asher " She whispered his name as their eyes met. She heard it too.

    Without wasting time, the both of them rushed out of the cafeteria.

 Chapter 109 - One Hundred And Nine : The Universe Were In Support.

    " Sabrina ! " Dan yelled from the entrance and rushed to her side like lightening bolt while Lia followed suit.

    There was a large shard embedded deeply in the side of her stomach causing blood to gush out uncontrollably.

    " I-I... " Sabrina tried to speak but it all came out in short, sharp gasps.

    "Shhh" hushed Asher who squatted down beside her saying, " Don''t say a thing, save your breath "

    Dan sat on the bare floor irrespective of the tiny shards that dug into his uncovered skin. He lifted Sabrina from the ground carefully and gently , cradling her head in his arms.

    Daniel offered "I can take away her pain- "

    " Take your hands off her ! " Dan barked at the werewolf who withdrew his hands at once.

    " Get a grip Dan ! He''s just trying to help " Asher scolded him while defending the wrongly accused Daniel. He clearly understood that Dan must have thought Daniel caused whatever happened to Sabrina.

    "Take out the shard first , carefully " Asher directed the fuming Dan who had calmed down a tad bit.

    Lia winced and looked away when Dan thrust his hand into the exposed flesh and pulled out the shard while Sabrina screamed bloody murder.

    Her fingers dug painfully into Dan''s arms while kicking, flailing and thrashing round as Asher struggled to hold her down.

    Then Daniel moved to the other side and held her hand, beginning to siphon off the pain. He groaned with the effort , knowing he was experiencing partly the distress she was feeling right now.

    Werewolves were among the few creatures that had the ability to absorb half the pain of any creature or humans cause overdoing it would cause death in most cases.

    Once Daniel was done, he let go of her arm and lay on the ground exhausted, his breath was deep and heavy.

    "Hey , you OK ? " Lia who Daniel could not recall when she came over to his side asked with concern , wiping away the sweat on his face with her handkerchief - a gesture which Asher noticed but turned a blind eye to it.

    "Yeah , I''m good " He answered by nodding his head - I''m definitely good now that you''re here .

    Sabrina''s breathing had returned back to normal but she was still not out of danger.

    Dan made-up his mind " I have to heal her "

    But Asher shot him a glare "Are you crazy? What if something happens and she dies with your blood in her and the cycle begins all over again "

    "I wasn''t asking for your opinion, I was just informing you " He shot at Asher " Besides , I''ll stay with her and keep her out of harm''s way till the blood expires "

    "Do whatever you want but whatever happens, just know it''s on you " Asher told him straightforwardly and rose to his feet, leaving Sabrina all to Dan.

    Dan was relieved he didn''t have to put up a fight to get his request granted. Yes, there was several ways he could''ve gotten Sabrina treated but non was conducive at the moment.

    He could teleport her to the hospital but questions were sure to be asked and his skin colour was a straight giveaway to Hunters who would likely launch a probe into the cause of the accident .

    There was no other creatures in the entire world with chalky skin, purplish bags under eyes - which can be easily hidden with makeup, and devilishly unconcealable beauty than vampires.

    But Hunters were good at concealing their identities too unless you were a telepath like him who could easily fish them out by hearing their thoughts.

    Unless that and some other special ways, you can never guess who they are cause they could be your father, sister, neighbors, crush, people quite close to you. They''re simply persons you never expected them to be and their betrayal stings like a bee

    Immediately, he carried Sabrina in his arms and teleported to her place. They appeared accurately in the middle of her room and Dan lay her gently on her bed.

    Her eyes were shut, lips pale and she was sweating profusely while moaning softly. Daniel had not taken all of the pain else it would kill him, so she was still feeling the remaining part of it.

    Using the sharp nails of his right-hand, he sliced his wrist , creating a long gash and letting the thick dark drops of blood to drip into her mouth agape.

    Once the metallic taste touched her tongue, her face scrunched up in disgust and she tried to close her mouth as if having an idea of what Dan was doing.

    But Dan didn''t give her room to accomplish her plan cause he practically placed his bloodied wrist against her lips.

    Sabrina whimpered and weakly struggled but Dan was straddling her, giving her no chance to retaliate.

    "Just a little more my love " He willed her to continue to drink and she obeyed this time. After taking a few gulp, he removed his wrist and let go of her.

    Sabrina sat up abruptly, trying to cough out the blood but everything had gone down her throat.

    Within seconds, colour returned to her lips and her cheeks assumed a rosy hue while she regained strength at once.

    She jumped off the bed and pushed Dan at his chest " Are you crazy? ! " She yelled at him before pushing him again.

    " Yes, yes, I''m crazy " He acquiesced mentally.

    "You could''ve have turned me into one of you if something had gone wrong " She hit him on the chest but Dan didn''t react and let her have her full.

    She hit him again and again until Dan captured them in one move " Even if the blood has done its wonders, you should be resting not yelling my head off "

    Sabrina pulled her hands away and shot "Thanks for sacrificing some drops of your sacred blood but I''m healed now and you should be on your way home "

    Having said that, she turned to leave but Dan grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to him until their sides were pressed together.

    Her breath hitched and she shivered when he whispered into her ears " Why do you always fight this attraction between us ? "

    With a forceful shove, she got away from him

    "You want to know the truth? " She sneered and moistened her lips.

    Sabrina started "Everytime I close my eyes, I keep getting dragged into that nightmare.That ugly day your kind slaughtered my people like we were nothing but animals! " She vent in a furious outburst.

    A tears slid down her face " But then I fell in love with that same creature that ruined my family and yes I know you guys are different...." She tucked a stray lock away from her eyes "But I can''t help it sometimes, I feel like I''ve betrayed myself, my family, my people "

    Dan gulped, then he stepped towards her and wiped away the tears with his thumb " Fine " He said " You can use me, hate me and exact revenge on my kind but it would never satisfy you nor change back everything to how it was but you should remember this ...."

    He looked her straight in the eyes and said

    "That is all in the past and you''re the present, so give your future some happiness. Moreover you got the vampire that destroyed your coven, I''m sure your parents are super proud of you wherever they are right now "

    She croaked " You think so? "

    Dan smiled " I''m super sure of it "

    Sabrina then hugged him, allowing his arm to wrap around her waist while his other hand rubbed her back in a comforting manner.

    Then she pulled away and looked up, their eyes met and held.

    Without warning , his lips crashed down on her''s with a momentum that knocked the breath out of her. Her lower belly burned and the feelings of excitement that flustered through her made her delirious with hunger.

    Her hot soft body pressed against his cold ones was ideal for Dan and he pressed her against the wall, intensifying the scalding kiss as she met him with the same fierce velocity.

    It seems the universe were in support, cause they both tripped on something and stumbled to the bed.

 Chapter 110 - One Hundred And Ten : Setting Boundaries

    Eyes narrowed and lips compressed into a frown , Asher stared at the interactive couple. What''s this girl doing? Why was her eyes trained only on Daniel? Didn''t she see he was injured as well ?

    " Where did you get hurt again ? " Lia asked and clasped Daniel''s face, there was some cuts on his wonderful features. She meticulously examined other parts of his bodies for signs of any injury.

    Daniel was leaning against Asher''s desk while Lia was standing right in front of him, their bodies almost pressing together as she attended to his injuries unaware of a certain figure, a few meters away from her turning green with jealousy.

    Daniel was basking in the attention he was receiving from her and purposely exaggerated his injuries. His wolf loved it when she showers him all her attention instead of attending to that ugly vampire.

    Out of the corner of his eyes, Asher saw a mocking smirk curl up Daniel''s lips. He froze then seethed inwardly, the idiot was purposely distracting and keeping their mate''s attention all to himself.

    Anger boiled inside of Asher and he clenched his fist . He closed his eyes and muttered to himself "Calm down , Asher . You''re definitely more than this , You can''t stoop to this kiddo''s level " perhaps , should he ?

    He shook the useless thought out of his head and squat down while picking up one of the shards. A lot of thoughts ran through his head, it seems they have encountered a force to be reckoned with.

    Till date he hasn''t even gotten her name aside from the fact she''s normally addressed as "Her Ladyship ".

    Though little Town was quite populated but finding people for him wasn''t a problem since he has Zukai.

    So he had sent Zukai to do an investigation after describing her features in details which he suspected was altered.

    As he expected, Zukai didn''t come up with anything useful and he understood at once - She was meaningfully telling them '' I won''t be found unless I want to be found ''

    Asher examined one of the scattered shards on the floor wondering how in the world, she was able to crystallize a barrier.

    The barrier was a kind of magical circle that can be casted by a witch and functions as some sort of temporary holding cell that traps any creature for up-to twenty-four hours.

    Asher shook his head, this shows the council has clearly underestimated the Burning Eaglet this time.

    Suddenly a light bulb went off in his head, unless the Burning Eaglet has infiltrated the council already without their knowledge.

    His brows furrowed, it seems this impending war would be the greatest of them all. The land would soon be dyed red with blood.

    The Great War had been a war involving all supernatural creatures as they fought for dominion, with no side coming out victorious until the witches came up with the idea of a Treaty - a plan for all supernatural creatures to coexist and live in harmony.

    At first it was met with a lot of opposition and dissatisfaction as some terms and conditions didn''t fit well with some creatures , still requiring several amendments.

    Fifty years later, the treaty was finally signed and the coexistence began or so they claim - It was obvious that prejudice against certain species were still ongoing.

    Not less than thirty years later, a war arose between the dark witches and the normal witches.

    The dark witches are witches who are known to practice forbidden ancient spells which with time links them to a demonic bloodline.

    While the overrated normal witches were witches who walk on the path of righteousness and are termed the ''protectors of the universe.''

    Initially after the treaty , all the witches lived in peace , each invested in their own kind until everything went down the hill.

    The dark witches began to show discontent and outright scorn to the rule. They openly described their administration as "Dictatorial, outrageous , truculent and intransigent "

    Soon enough , things turned violent and escalated into a full-scale war called the ''Purge'' as both sides went quickly into the business of gathering allies.

    His own father, Antonio had sided with the Dark witches which resulted to a full-fledged altercation between the both of them.

    Perhaps his father had an inkling he wasn''t going to make it cause he readily agreed to Asher parting from him with half of the clan while the rest stayed back. In the end, Antonio had perished along with the rest of his people.

    Asher flinched when he realized he had mistakenly cut himself with the shard. He was so distracted, he hadn''t even realized he was still stroking the shard.

    "How can you hurt yourself like this? Are you a kid? " Lia chided and even hit him on the shoulder as if he were a kid.

    Asher looked up surprised. At lest , it was comforting to know she still remembers he exists.

    Why did she come anyway? wasn''t she preoccupied with her darling Daniel?

    But Lia did something he never expected.

    She took his injured finger into her mouth and began to suck on it.

    Being startled was an understatement cause Asher was utterly flabbergasted, what was she doing?

    Such an innocent gesture aroused Asher to the extent his throbbing member strained against the zipper of his pants, wanting to be unleashed.

    Though werewolves were not able to sense an undead creature''s pheromones but the look on Asher''s face was a straight giveaway to Daniel and he released a feral growl in response.

    Even Lia somehow noticed it cause she let go of his hand at once " I-Im.. s-sor..ry " She spluttered uncontrollably.

    " But it would be a terrible shame to see the blood go to waste " She apologized with a tinge of regret on her face.

    "Fine, just return to your class " Asher groaned, trying his best to subdue a certain monster down there.

    " But - "

    "No but, go now ! " Asher snapped at her and she rushed out of his office incited by the edge to his voice.

    Behind him, Daniel growled " We need to set boundaries "

    Asher breathed " Sure we do "

 Chapter 111 - One Hundred And Eleven : Making The Rules

    "Quite funny but I don''t remember seeing you setting boundaries moments ago when you were with her " quipped Asher while staring him straight in the eyes .

    "No matter how you put it , but my wolf doesn''t like it when other people touch my mate "came Daniel''s reply.

    Asher raised a brow "You mean to say, our mate?" He corrected.

    Daniel''s jaw tightened while he clenched his fist but he knew inwardly there was nothing he could do. No matter what , he had to acknowledge he''ll be sharing his mate with some g*ddamned bloodsucker till God knows when.

    But he wouldn''t go down without a fight. Werewolves were not known to be headstrong for no reason.

    Daniel folded his muscled arms across his chest and moistened his lips , saying " Let''s be frank here Asher, logically the girl is mine. Lia was originally meant to be mine while you''re just an intruder who popped out of nowhere into the picture "

    Asher stared at him for a good five minutes without saying anything before bursting into a sharp laughter. Laughter that rocked his body before gurgling to a halt.

    "Oh I see what you''re doing. You werewolves are so dramatic " Asher snickered " If you feel she''s meant to be yours then, I''ll gladly have you know that she choose me first "

    He declared and yanked down his collar, giving Daniel a full view of the bite mark on his pale neck .

    The bitemark was the only flaw on Asher''s pale skin and Daniel clearly understood what that signified.

    He was dumbfounded, she had marked him already? No wonder he was able to smell him off her the initial time they met.

    Green with jealousy, Daniel could feel his wolf threatening to surface - his wolf was not pleased with this development at all so he growled a warning but Asher stood, unfazed.

    A smile played with the corners of his mouth and he shook his head - werewolves and their temper sometimes.

    Amidst his threatening glare , Asher stood tall without wavering and looked him straight in the eyes saying " We could quibble for the rest of the day and truth be told, I''m ready for it or you could calm down and we can reason together "

    Asher suggested with a smug grin on his face and though Daniel wanted to refuse stubbornly, he had no choice than to give in - the vampire was right anyway, they shouldn''t be fighting like animals.

    " Fine " He agreed, lifted himself up and sat on Asher''s desk and toppled some items over the edge.

    Asher scrunched up his face as if in pain when he saw his nameplate,'' Best principal of the year '' award and some documents fall to the ground.

    He scowled at Daniel , he should thank his lucky stars that non of those were made of glass.

    "Let''s make the rules then " Daniel announced, rubbing his palms together in gleeful anticipation.

    Asher picked up his plush swivel seat that was tossed to the side during the fight and sat down on it.

    "Rule number one " Asher raised his hand, offering to start " We both are going to court her like responsible adults "

    "It would''ve sounded fine to me if I didn''t just realize you have the upper hand in this particular clause " Daniel complained.

    Eyebrows forced together into a pronounced frown, Asher asked " What do you mean? "

    "You''re her principal , you both see each other everyday nor do you have to cross a thick wood just to see her " Daniel pointed out with a sullen expression.

    "Hmm, maybe you''re right " Asher mumbled beneath his breath while stroking his jaw thoughtfully .

    "Fine then, I''ll see that provisions are made so you can become a staff of the school and get to see her as much as I see her. Fair, isn''t it? " Asher offered with a straight face.

    Daniel''s head jerked up and his lips twitched, this fox ! . He knew what Asher was doing and it was working.

    During their feud, Daniel had ordered his people strictly never to have an interaction of any kind with any vampire from the Nicoli clan - which is why no werewolf from the silver pack attends little Town Highschool because Asher runs it.

    Like a dog returning to its vomit, Asher tactically wants him to eat his words . He had been the one to place the ban at the first place and now he was going to be the one who broke the same rule he placed? It was really a complete slap in the face.

    But it was either his mate or his pride. Moreover, he was the Alpha and the words of his mouth were the law. Nobody could castrate him just because he decided to bring down the same rule he made and enforced.

    Amusement twinkled in Asher''s eyes, it was quite entertaining putting Daniel in a tight spot. Well, who would blame him, Daniel had been the one who fixed the rule in the first place.

    " Fine then " Daniel released a deep breath " I agree with your rule and now it''s my turn " Daniel said and Asher couldn''t help but frown - bad intentions were clearly written over his face.

    Well, what was he expecting dealing with this kiddo? Asher sighed . The universe really f*cked him up by pairing him with Daniel.

    " Rule number two : No making out during feeding "

    Asher grunted " Like hell I would "

    Daniel cocked a brow " Are you openly disregarding the rule? "

    Asher snorted contemptuously before his gaze turned serious " If I stand by that ridiculous rule of yours then you should expect a ''no touching while kissing '' as the third rule " He spat decisively while Daniel jumped from the desk, exasperated.

    Asher knew ''touching'' had become second nature to werewolves thanks to their heightened sense organs and their attunement to their wolf-side.

    Hands running through hair, sending feathery trails , caresses, hands roaming around the body ; infact they crave skintoskin contact more than a newborn , so telling Daniel '' no touching '' was the worst torture to his wolf.

    Now two can play at that game

 Chapter 112 - One Hundred And Twelve : Making The Rules - 2

    The two of them were gauging each other''s reaction. They were both Alphas, kings of their domain and non of them was willing to back down, no room for submissiveness . The only left option was for them to compromise.

    "Fine then, you can do whatever you both do while feeding, while I do whatever we both do while kissing " Daniel declared at last when he couldn''t stand Asher''s devious ways.

    Kissing without touching was like giving him ice-cream and being asked to chew it instead of licking and sucking it , savouring the feeling slowly and letting the rich flavour explode in his taste bud.

    It was the worst form of torture - what could he do without the touching? - place a chaste kiss on her cheek ? impossible.

    "Fine by me " Asher gave him a cheeky grin making Daniel question how his wolf has being able to take this till now without exploding.

    " You''ve made the fourth rule already , so it''s my turn again " Daniel reminded the vampire and this time he didn''t gloat at him , having known Asher always has a way of making the feeling mutual.

    "Please block the bond while making out with my mate, I don''t need to feel emotions that aren''t elicited by me " Daniel articulated sternly.

    Asher pursed his lips thoughtfully. Though the trio of them had the right to access the bond exclusively and can bring up some sort of wall in their mind so that their emotions can''t be felt .

    But the Alpha male as the more dominant and supposedly stronger partner has the power to block both his and his mate''s access to the bond. And since there are two Alphas, they both have the power to block the bond at will.

    Asher cringed "Trust me, I don''t want to feel or know about your lustful rendezvous either way " he said earning a meaningful glare from Daniel.

    "So we both agree that the bond can only be manipulated for that purpose only " Asher concluded and added another rule to his paper.

    Though most supernatural creatures aside from coyotes, kitsunes and goblins often stay true to their words but you can never be too sure especially when it involves vampires from the Raven clan, which is why a legal agreement is drafted as well.

    "My rule then : Please refrain from using ''my mate '' until she finally chooses one of us . But at the moment, refer to her as '' our mate '' " Asher stated.

    It kept getting on his nerves whenever Daniel uses that singular possessive pronoun " my " instead of " our " - it made him feel neglected, not part of the picture. Yes, she was originally meant for Daniel but that was the past and this was the presence.

    Asher has no assurance he would be chosen , but at the moment he has a right to her as well. Moreover, he has waited for her for hundreds of years, so he won''t give up on her that easily.

    Daniel''s eyebrows furrowed deeply , the use of "mine" was already ingrained in his mind the moment he set his eyes on his mate.

    But now he has to reorient his mind, force his wolf to accept something that wasn''t second nature to them, something that has never happened throughout history - It would be one hell of a fight convincing his wolf.

    Daniel breathed " I can''t promise you that but I''ll try "

    Asher gritted his teeth " This is a contract Daniel, I don''t need your trying but your word " He insisted.

    Daniel closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to control the anger that was close to surfacing " You think I''m not trying my best?"

    "And you think I''m fooling around? " Asher shot back.

    Daniel wanted to sass back but sighs instead

    "Fine, I give you my word then " he agreed at last with deep lines appearing on his forehead .

    Suddenly he added " You can go ahead and make the rules while I''ll opine on it and make necessary adjustments where needs to be. I''m mentally exhausted " Daniel confessed massaging his eyebrows.

    Asher''s eyes widened and shone , genuinely surprised. Was the kiddo asking him to make the rules? Well who could blame him , he was mentally exhausted too. He never imagined finding his mate would bring this much hassle.

    " Fine then " He accepted and started " Next rule : No marking during this trial period "

    Daniel shot him a dirty look " That''s unfair, she has already marked you.... "

    "Which she did with no knowledge of all this dramas and besides I haven''t marked her back which you of all people should know how torturous it is for me right now "

    Of course he of all people knows that, how could he not know that, Daniel mused. Marking someone without sealing it with the full-on mating was like giving someone an everlasting sexual arousal.

    Marking though a culture observed strictly by werewolves than any other supernatural creatures is achieved by biting one''s mate in the place between the shoulder and neck which leaves a mark forever, serving as a reminder to the others that the mate is taken.

    Werewolves once done with the mark and mating has open access to the mate''s thoughts and can even respond to them.

    Although vampires mark their mate too and seal it with the full mind-blowing sex but it doesn''t grant them the power to begin to read their mates thoughts as granted instantly in a werewolf''s case.

    And yes for both species, sealing the bond between mates makes them become drawn to each other, increasingly harder to resist each other while literally impossible for them to live apart .

    Which is why Asher suggested no marking - marking could easily lead to mating - which could mess up and confuse her thoughts and emotions. Lia needs to have a clear head when making her choice.

    " Fine then " Daniel grudgingly agreed.

    " So can I come in now? " A voice said from outside and the both looked up only to see Ben stick his head out from the entrance.

    "Ben " Asher breathed " He should''ve known "

 Chapter 113 - One Hundred And Thirteen : Dont Associate With The Principal

    Lia discovered her brother was abnormally quiet as she drove home. Did something happen at school? She wondered. Girl''s problem? - Perhaps it was time she found him a girlfriend.

    Then something caught her attention and she saw him stroking a sort of plain black card with no print whatsoever.

    "What''s that? " She asked curiously, eyes still glued on the road.

    "Nothing " He breathed "Just nothing significant " He mumbled and slipped it in his pocket ignoring his sister''s side look.

    "What caused the incident ? " He asked trying to divert his sister''s attention from him.

    "Umm, what accident ? " Lia asked squeezing the steering wheel and using the other hand to remove a lock of hair away from her eyes.

    "The one at school, I was in class when everyone heard the loud bang so I couldn''t get much accurate details " Trevor said and his sister gave him the side-eye look.

    "What? " He raised a brow when he couldn''t take his sister gaze anymore.

    "You need to come out of your shell , Trevor, associate with friends. Have fun you know and stop being such a loner " Lia chide him.

    " I''m not a loner " He retorted sternly " I do have my own fun - "

    "Burying yourselves in your books and cellphone ? Is that your definition of fun? "

    Trevor''s brows drew together in a frown " Yes, it is that fun for me " He replied with a firm voice.

    She shook her head sympathetically " There''s seriously no hope for you. But if you''re that interested in what caused the incident , then you should know the principal engaged himself in some experiment that had a negative aftermath " Lia fed her brother the same lie Asher had fed the school.

    Everyone had heard the percussive sound and since humans were curious creatures, an explanation was needed. So Asher came up with some mumbo-jumbo and they totally bought it.

    Asher really deserves a thumbs-up

    "Not surprising , there''s something off about that man " Trevor opined drawing Lia''s full attention.

    " How so? " She asked interestedly.

    Trevor rubbed his jaw " I can''t really tell but I feel like there''s something strange about him - Like he''s a different entity from us. Have you seen his eyes? Although it might sound crazy but I feel like they''re calling out to me whenever he looks at me, so hypnotizing it gives me the chills. Talk about his skin ? They''re so pale to the extent one would think he''s a vampire or something- "

    At the mention of ''vampire'' Lia choked on her saliva releasing a cough that lasted for a while .

    " Go on " She cleared her throat.

    Trevor went on " Besides he''s too young to handle such a huge school. I heard the students say he''s twenty four years old "

    ''Twenty four indeed '' Lia sneered mentally. Her brother would probably die from shock if she tells him Asher''s actual age - simple, the guy is an ancestor.

    "Moreover, I can''t understand why the girls in school are head over heels in love with him - "

    Lia interjected " Well, for a start, he''s handsome "

    Trevor rolled his eyes "Girls and their obsession with beauty "

    His comment brought a smile to her lips "Of course " she concurred " The eyes has to feed first before any other part of the body so forgive us if our obsession irks you "

    Trevor turned his head towards her "Does that mean you''re one of those numerous girls dying for him too ? " he startled Lia with this unexpected question.

    Lia was at a loss for words , what should she say?

    "Of course not " She chuckled nervously " I''m not like those girls dying for his attention " She lied through her teeth but said instead in her mind, '' I''m just the only girl receiving his attention '' .

    " Thank God " Trevor sighed in relief.

    But Lia''s brows knitted together in a frown "Why the ''Thank God '' ? Is something wrong? " She asked wondering why her brother was so relieved she was not crushing on Asher as she claims.

    Trevor shrugged " Sometimes I can''t help but feel he''s a threat. Like he''s a very dangerous person , so don''t ever associate with him - principal or not, promise me " He demanded and Lia found herself committing to a promise she knew wouldn''t stand a chance being fulfilled. It seems her relationship with Asher would suffer severe persecution in the future.

    "Pinky promise ? " Trevor insisted and brought out his pinky finger.

    " Fine, pinky promise " She breathed and after making sure the road was clear, thrust out her pinky finger as they both entwined their pinkies together.

    "Seal? "

    "Seal " Lia reluctantly agreed and kiss his palm just as Trevor did to her''s.

    Trevor sank into his seat with a fulfilled smile but that was not the case for Lia. Her heart was in a turmoil. She hated the fact that she would break this promise sooner or later and probably would continue lying to her family about a lot of things, but there was nothing she could do.

    Asher was her mate - her other half and she couldn''t leave or abandon him like that - which is why she still dreaded the rejection. She just wished there was a way to work this out without breaking anybody''s heart.

    "So it''s you and Dan ? " Trevor interrupted her thought.

    "What do you mean? " She asked with a straight face.

    "Oh please, don''t give me that look cause you know perfectly what I''m talking about " Trevor teased, wriggling his brows suggestively.

    "There''s nothing going on between Dan and I, we''re purely friends " Lia denied his claims. Though she initially wanted to let him think whatever he wanted, but she discovered she was keeping a lot from her family -atlest they deserve to know this one.

    But still Trevor didn''t believe her cause he gave her his signatory I - don''t - believe -a-thing -you-said look

    "I''m serious Trevor " She still clarified as she pulled up at the house.

    "Fine then, I''ll believe you just because I haven''t caught you both touching lips " Daniel said and stepped out of the car.

    "Eww " Lia cringed and made a gesture of gagging just to convince her dear brother there was nothing going on between her and Dan.

    Once they reached the door, Lia knocked twice expecting it to be opened by her mom but was dumbfounded when it was answered by an unfamiliar yet handsome stranger .

    She eyed him curiously yet cautiously, brows raised " Who...?"

    Standing at the entrance, he boomed a smile at her and thrust out a hand " You must be Lia and Trevor. Hi , you can call me Raphael "

 Chapter 114 - One Hundred And Fourteen : You Just Killed Your Brother

    " Ouch... aww, come-on man, that hurts " Ben complained as Asher dragged him out of the car, pulling him on the ear.

    "Why are you complaining, I thought this ear of yours isn''t meant for listening but for decoration instead? " Asher chided , a mirthless smirk plastered on his face.

    "Prince of Darkness " Ben said and got on his knees, rubbing his palm together in a pleading gesture " Don''t kill me yet, I swear I didn''t mean to eavesdrop on your discussion. I was just following my goddess footsteps " Dan pleaded for his life with a straight face.

    Asher''s mouth twitched, sometimes this boy could be as annoying as hell. He seem to have a long life cause no matter what dire situation he finds himself in, he seem to know how to talk his way out of it.

    "I swear by the brotherhood " Ben promised Asher and raised his right hand while his left one rested on his chest "To always protect my goddess Lia and never expose any secret or truth that would harm her in anyway whatsoever "

    Asher stared at the idiot exasperated " What brotherhood are you even talking about? "

    Ben stood to his feet, giving Asher at lest a five meters space.The guy was unpredictable , who knows what he has in-store for him this time, since he decided to take him to his place.

    He replied cautiously " The brotherhood that was established between you and I , the moment I decided to be your mate''s sidekick "

    Asher shot him a dirty look while debating between running him over with his car and disguising it as an accident or just handing the idiot over to Dan as lunch.

    Ben swallowed " By the way, why are we here? You''re not probably about to drain me dry and bury me here just because I heard something I wasn''t supposed to hear, right? "

    Asher chuckled , this boy was funny. Giving him several ideas on how to dispose of him.

    "What do you think? " Asher asked , purposely flashing his sharp canines at the idiot who took another step back.

    "Idiot " Asher mumbled and shook his head before deciding to tell the truth to the boy already scared out of his wits.

    "I''m not here to have you as lunch Ben, but since you''ve dedicated your life to protecting your goddess life, I''ll have to show you then who you have to protect her from? " He explained walking to the entrance while Ben trailed behind.

    "Are you talking about Raphael? "

    Asher turned to face him surprised " How did you - "

    " Yelp, Dan briefed us over lunch " Ben proudly filled him in.

    " Good , then you already know why you should keep her away from him at all cost " He inquired, staring the kid in the eyes.

    "Yeah, So he doesn''t steal Lia from -"

    Asher''s expression darkened

    "I mean, so he doesn''t harm Lia" Ben rephrased his words in a twinkle of an eye but Asher''s blazing gaze still didn''t leave him, so he added " That was a slip of tongue "

    After a long hard stare, Asher ignored him, turned his back and walked into the house but Ben didn''t linger behind as before but followed after Asher briskly.

    At lest, he has faith Asher wouldn''t kill him judging from the fact he''s Lia''s sidekick but the same couldn''t be said for Raphael.

    Who knows whether the guy is behind him and planning to kidnap him when Asher isn''t looking. So Ben literally glued himself to Asher''s side .

    But just as they stepped into the living room, Ben got the greatest shock of his life - he couldn''t tell if Asher felt the same way , after all this wasn''t the first time he must have seen such a scene.

    Facing the entrance, a woman was lying on the centre table while Raphael bent over her, fangs in her neck and feeding from her. He looked up immediately they arrived and flashed them a lopsided smile.

    "You''re home brother, just in time for dinner"

    Ben wasn''t a supernatural creature but he could feel the anger surging through Asher''s vein. His face was livid while the veins on his neck stood out clearly. So he quietly shifted to the side - World War Three was about to begin.

    With a feral snarl, Raphael was slammed to the wall with a tremendous force causing him to cough up blood but before he could recover from the attack , an invisible force grabbed his hand and twisted it making it sure to crush the bone completely as he gave out a pained scream.

    Ben was amazed watching the scene, he heard Asher had the ability to control the elements but he had never seen him in action till now. He was manipulating the fluid inside Raphael''s body to his desire, though as much as it was amazing, it was scary as hell.

    Raphael''s limbs were twisted inside out and then his head began to contort slowly, slowly, and this time, Ben couldn''t watch it but shut his eyes tight.

    By the time the bone popping and bloodcurdling screams were over, he slowly opened his eyes, an eye after the other.

    " H*ly sh*t !" Ben cursed out loud " You killed your own brother! " He shrieked while gesturing to Raphael''s severed head tossed to the corner of the room while bit and pieces of flesh and blood splattered all over the rug.

    "That is not Raphael " Asher answered , his voice firm and etched with irritation but Ben didn''t believe him.

    " How can you say that this is not your brother!" Ben cried out with gestures and all "When I just saw you with my own two clear eyes decapitate your.... wait a minute " He faltered at once.

    His head jerked up "This is his ability,isn''t it? "

    Asher gave his head a tilt " Thankfully you''re a smart one "

    "Oh my God " Ben gasped and covered his mouth with his hand.

    "Raphael has the ability to replicate himself numerous times and if my guess is correct, then the original Raphael is at Lia''s place at the moment. This is just a distraction "

 Chapter 115 - One Hundred And Fifteen : La Mia Bellezza

    Raphael? Why does that name sound oddly familiar? A light frown wrinkled Lia''s forehead. She was sure she had heard someone call that name today but she couldn''t quite put her finger on where she had heard it, a lot had happened today.

    Just as she was about to go through today''s event in her head, her mom appeared beside the strange guest and exclaimed happily,

    "I see you have met Raphael , Asher''s half-brother ! "

    Bang ! She stiffened as an explosion went off in her head. Lia looked up and saw the faint sly smirk on Raphael''s face and she knew at once, he knows she has figured him out.

    She tried to withdraw her hands but he tugged on it and instead placed a kiss that sent goosebumps down her spine on the top of her palm saying " Nice to make your acquaintance, Lia . I hope we turn out to be very good, good , friends in the future "

    "N-nice to meet you too, Raphael " Lia choked a reply and manage to force a fake yet stiff smile on her face. She couldn''t afford to make her family suspicious of anything until she figures out what Raphael has in mind by coming here.

    "I''m Trevor " Her brother said and Raphael had no choice than to let go of her hand and accept Trevor''s and God knows how relieved she was.

    "Come-on in, kids " Her mom welcomed them as Raphael shifted to the side but let his hand brush across Lia''s arm, intentionally making her aware of him.

    Though she was nervous but Lia kept a straight face and pretended nothing happened, her family''s life was as stake here. If what Dan said was true, then Raphael was a madman who would go to any length to achieve what he wants.

    "Mom, how did you two get to know each other cause I don''t know you as someone who would intentionally let a stranger into the house? " Lia asked curiously but was tactically implying Raphael was not welcomed and how careless how mom was in accepting him.

    Lia couldn''t tell if her mom read between the lines, or was pretending she didn''t , cause she said to Raphael humorously " My daughter has a good sense of humour doesn''t she? "

    "Yes, she has " Raphael smiled back with two prominent dimples appearing on his cheeks but his eyes was focused on Lia in such a way that a predator would stare at its prey and she didn''t like it one bit.

    "Raphael here saved me from a robbery attack on my way back from a grocery store and got harmed in my stead " Jenny finally explained and gestured to the cartoon adhesive bandage plastered under his jaw.

    Lia rolled her eyes, she bet the wound must have healed eons ago after all it was just a cut . But what surprised her the most was how much he was able to hold back the wound from healing.

    That cartoon sticking plaster was the same as the one in their first-aid kit which meant her mom must have taken him home and dressed the wound .

    Asher had once told her that supernatural creatures who understood regeneration well could manipulate and use their healing process to their advantage.

    She surmised that Raphael must have slowed down his healing process in order for her mom not to suspect a thing - the guy was really capable, she had to be wary of him.

    "Thanks for saving my mom''s life " Trevor thanked him properly like a gentleman would. Ever since their dad died, he has been trying to man up and fill in the role of a father in the family and so far it''s being going well - except the times he feels he''s now actually Lia''s father and has the right to question her movements.

    After accepting Trevor''s gratitude, Raphael''s gaze returned to her and Lia wondered if he was expecting the same thing from her but of course, she would never fail to meet his expectation - note the sarcasm.

    "Thanks very much for staging such a great perform... " Lia faltered and then gasped, her hands flying to her mouth dramatically, pretending that she had mistakenly said something she wasn''t supposed to say " I''m so sorry " She apologized with the meekest gaze ever .

    "It''s alright " Raphael laughed it off

    "What I mean to say is that , I''m very thankful that you were there for my mom when we weren''t . You are the perfect knight in shinning armor " She praised him with a smile that didn''t reach her eyes.

    "Now Lia, that''s enough flattery for today.You don''t want to overwhelm Raphael with your flatteries " Jenny laughed while hitting Raphael playfully on the chest .

    A gesture which Trevor and Lia noticed cause their eyes met and held - What''s so funny in what she just said? Was their mom outrightly flirting with Raphael? They both wondered.

    "Wow " Their mom gasped checking out Raphael''s arm muscle causing the kids to roll their eyes to the point of hurting. They knew their mom''s fatal weakness was a handsome face.

    Lia mentally retched , first it was Asher? now Raphael ? Who was going to be the next? Dan ? Zukai ?

    Truthfully speaking, though Asher and Raphael were brothers but the only similarities between the both of them was the colour of their hair and shape of the eyes, nothing else.

    Appearance-wise, Asher was more handsome but Raphael was more muscular and had a matured face thanks to the stubble outlining his jaw that truthfully heightened his features.

    But Lia was now immune to all vampire''s charm , their beauty was just a facade, a glamour that fades once the unsuspecting victim falls into their trap.

    " Mom, I''ll be going upstairs to change " Lia announced to the woman called her mom who was still flirting with her dangerous guest.

    "Alright darling, just come down quickly cause the food is ready " She replied her and turned to face Raphael, asking " I hope you wouldn''t mind having a meal with us?

    " Well...? "

    " Please, I insist " Her mom persuaded him

    He broke into a smile " Sure, why not "

    Lia shook her head and climbed the stairs to her room, thinking of ways to break those couples up. There was no way Raphael wanted something good with her mom, he was probably planning on getting to her through her mom

    Lia opened the door but the moment she stepped into her room, the hairs on her body stood on edge. So she spun around but was startled by the sight before her.

    The man standing right in front of her was of the same make and mold as Raphael who was currently entertaining her mom downstairs. What the f*ck is going on?

    His lips twisted into a sardonic smile " We meet again, la mia bellezza "

 Chapter 116 - One Hundred And Sixteen : It Might End Up Becoming Your Stepfather "

    Lia felt all the air leave her lungs and instinctively took a step back, her hand coming up from behind towards the door handle

    "Turn that doorknob and you''ll be surprised how easy it is to snap your mother''s neck " came the Grim Reaper-like voice that almost made her spirit escape her body.

    Lia shook her head fervently " T-this is impossible... I just saw you -"

    He chuckled , deeply. " Anything is possible la mia bellezza if you truly believe " and began to approach her.

    A light bulb suddenly went off in her head " Oh my God " Lia gasped " You can replicate yourself, that''s your ability "

    His lips twisted upwards " You''re a smart one, I''ll give you credit for that " He said and closed in on her.

    Her back was firmly pressed against the door with no source of escape but Lia was not worried about herself ; If push comes to shove, she could hold her own in a fight , but she was more worried about her family.

    Sure Trevor was a guy and could throw one or two punches but against a vampire with more experience and a fearsome ability, what could he do?.

    Her mom would probably wield a flying pan but what damage can such a metal do to a vampire with an unimaginable regenerative ability.

    Talk of Rex , he could pull off one or two of his combat pranks but he was just a kid who would be tossed to the side and stomped with just a feet.

    In one word , her family is finished.

    "And do you know the amazing fact about my ability? " He asked, his blood-red eyes staring straight into hers.

    He must have been wearing contacts earlier since his cloned self had brown eyes which means he must have taken off his own contact lens before she arrived.

    Vampires who feed on human blood have the signatory red eyes and would only return to their natural colour once the human blood in their system is exhausted or switch diet - that is feeding on animal blood. But to avoid questioning looks from the public or the Council''s suspicion, they usually don contacts .

    "Do you know, though my clones are under my control but they would develop minds and personalities of their own if they don''t recombine with me or stay away from me for quite a long time " He whispered into her ears while she gulped nervously.

    "So imagine if I kept a piece of me around your mom who looks quite smitten with me by the way, for a very very long time, what do you think would happen? it might even end up becoming your stepfather "

    " You ! " Lia roared and raised her hand to hit him but he caught her hand in the air and though she struggled with him, he was a lot stronger and brought her hand down effortlessly. She might be a hybrid but this guy here has been a vampire for years, not to talk of his accumulated experiences.

    Moreover , how could she not understand what he''s trying to say. She has no clue why he approached her but if his replicate goes cross-purpose to his intentions, who knows what would happen? It might even become dangerous than him .

    "What do you want from me? " Lia finally gathered the courage to ask . If Raphael wanted to end her family, he would''ve started with her mother and killed her long before she and her brother returned from school.

    But since he hasn''t done that and was clearly standing in front of her, it meant he needed something from her.

    "That''s the problem la mia bellezza " He muttered into her hair, rifling it with his mouth and making Lia super uncomfortable. He lifted her chin forcefully when he sensed her resistance and said to her "I need a lot from you but first, let''s have a seat "

    Lia didn''t know what to feel anymore, the only thing she knew was that this guy must be crazy.

    "Are you coming or should I make you? " came his calm yet threatening voice as he patted a side of the bed for her to sit on.

    Sending him a look that could vaporize anyone on spot, she strode towards the bed and sat opposite from him.

    "Good girl " He smiled and climbed further into the bed until their arms were touching.

    " What do you want from me? " Lia repeated her question again, she was seriously tired of his shenanigans.

    "Have you heard about stealing a mate? " He asked suddenly, stunning Lia who unconsciously shifted away from him but Raphael''s arm wrapped around her waist and brought her back to her previous position.

    "Chill, it''s not yet time to steal you away from Asher" He said and released his grip on her waist.

    Lia became wide-eyed with shock, what was going on? stealing mate? whose mate was he stealing? Asher''s? wait a minute, that means her?!

    "At first, I was insanely curious when I discovered Asher got a human mate " He began to confess and Lia calmed down a bit.

    At lest he thinks she''s a human which gives her an upper hand in this situation. It was no secret that most vampires detest humans, thinking of them as nothing but weak , fragile and their source of nutrition, so he wouldn''t dare to think that she could do much bodily harm to him.

    But it was not time to act yet, so she continued to listen to his gibberish "And then I became delirious with revenge but now.... " He looked into her eyes with blazing intensity "I want to know you, unravel you layers by layers cause there''s something off about you "

    Lia''s breath hitched and her hands instinctively reached for her necklace tucked inside her shirt , wondering if the charm was still active cause Raphael''s comment were beginning to strike uncomfortably close to home.

    But unknown to her, Raphael''s gaze followed every of her movement and his eyes twinkled as if he has stumbled upon a pile of gold.

    "What do you mean there''s something off about me ? " Lia asked curiously yet cautiously

    "Your eyes " He said causing her to blink " I''m an adept user of contact lenses and so can tell when one''s using it or not but you..... " He hesitated and leaned towards her " No supernatural creature has your eye colour talk more a human, what are you? "

    "Trust me, you''re not the first person to ask that , so get in line " She replied him and without warning, flicked out her talons intending to slash his throat , if not rip out his heart with it.

    But it seems Raphael himself has been anticipating this move cause the moment her hand came dangerously close to his chest, he gripped her hand in a tight hold.

    " Bingo ! Gotcha "

 Chapter 117 - One Hundred And Seventeen: I Defeated You At Your Own Game

    Asher wasn''t wrong about him , Lia realized, albeit too late - It had been a trick from the very beginning.

    Raphael must have had an inkling she wasn''t a human and finally tricked her into exposing herself. But now, she was going to give him as much trouble as he gave her , at lest a little werewolf venom should do the trick - but it was easier said than done.

    It was evident from her flushed face and heavy breath that she was fighting an intense battle. Just metres away from meeting his chest, as if premeditated, Raphael had grabbed her hand midway and intercepted her attack - making sure to beware of her talons.

    No matter how much strength she put in or struggled, she couldn''t dislodge the vampire that had a smug smile on his face that did nothing but exasperate her further.

    Raphael shook his head "You might be strong but you''re just a baby cub with no skills and battle experience. Tsk tsk, what a pity. Asher didn''t even give you one or two useful pointers " He goaded intentionally with a moue of disapproval.

    Incited, Lia wrestled against him frantically and with a swap of her hand, missed gouging out his eyes had he not tilted his head in time but at lest she managed to land a scratch on his cheek.

    With a hand holding her down, Raphael raised the other hand and touched his cheeks; there was three long claw marks and he realized the girl had got down to business.

    Though she had succeeded in harming him but Lia knew she had just gotten a rise out of him, so she tried to take advantage of this distraction and gain the upper hand.

    Raphael guessed what she would do next so the moment she tried to sit-up, he pushed her down and pinned her to the bed, straddling her in such a hold she couldn''t easily break while steering clear of that talons - he had a feeling things weren''t as simple as he thought.

    "I''m guessing you''re not a vampire " He asked while holding her down.

    "Why don''t you release me and we can find out joyfully " She sneered.

    Raphael chuckled, he was liking this girl more and more. It seems he has to adjust his plan. He leaned towards her and asked " Aren''t you curious how I found out you were strange? "

    Lia glared at him " Why don''t we grab a seat and talk over it like responsible adults? " She suggested but Raphael wasn''t one to be fooled easily.

    "And I''m guessing that''s a yes " Raphael answered for her " I''ll tell you then " he said and adjusted his position. He inclined his head towards her hair and took a quick whiff before whispering into her ears,

    " Do you know every human have a natural bodily scent ? " He said looking into her eyes

    "But you? You don''t . It''s as if you''re hiding it or something, cause no matter how hard I try to catch a sniff but all I could get from you was the scent of your hair shampoo which smells good by the way "

    Lia''s eyes widened in apparent shock, was that why he was playing with her hair earlier? She just thought he had a thing for her hair or something.

    He went on " So I thought , maybe Asher stumbled upon gold this time and so I set a trap and you fell right into it while I get to see this amazing discovery. " Raphael told her and began to stroke her talons but was careful enough not to cut himself with it.

    His gaze shifted back to her face " Which leaves me with one question '' what are you? '' and don''t tell me you''re a vampire cause they don''t have magenta eyes and ink black talons...perhaps, it''ll sound a bit convincing if you''re a werewolf but then -"

    "You''re right " Lia interjected

    "Huh? "

    "I''m a werewolf. Actually, part werewolf and the venom should have started its reaction by now " She flashed him a wicked smile.

    This had been her plan along. lia knew he knows she wasn''t an ordinary creature but couldn''t exactly tell which, so she continued to lead him on, buying enough time for the werewolf venom to settle in his system.

    Raphael''s smile remained stuck on his face as she briefed him " You of all people should know the effect of werewolf venom on vampires, right? "

    "Y-You " Raphael choked, disbelief written boldly across his face.

    Lia cocked a brow and a devilish smirk " What? Are you that surprised and overwhelmed that I defeated you at your game "

    Then she moved her lower limb and kneeled him in the place where the sun never shines. Raphael moaned in pain and rolled off her to the other side of the bed.

    Lia sprang up from the bed and straightened her rumpled clothes while pouting her lips in annoyance. She has had enough of this nonsense .

    It seems vampire or not, a man would always be a man cause Raphael was lying on his stomach, hand grabbing the sheet tightly while the other was probably massaging down there - Who knows? She couldn''t exactly tell since she didn''t have one of those thing but she bet from his reaction it was hurting like a bitch.

    Almost immediately, Asher and Dan appeared in her room. Asher had this murderous look on his face as he raged " Where is he?! Where is... oh "

    Dan was dumbfounded for a while before he broke into a smile " Told you she could handle herself "

    But Asher wasn''t interested in whatever he was saying cause he pulled Lia into a tight hug and she hugged him back ; realizing how comforting a hug could be.

    " Thank God you''re ok, I thought he had done something to you or worse taken you away from me " He breathed, guilt and anger crossing his face as he stroked her hair.

    Lia pulled away and looked up at him " Do something like what ? " She queried sternly. She could tell Asher - infact everyone, was keeping something from her.

    Asher swallowed but he tugged her back into his embrace " I''ll tell you later but at the moment, let''s deal with this idiot "

    Lia nodded and stepped back just as Dan asked " Werewolf venom? " while examining Raphael who lay like a distorted corpse.

    Lia nodded " Yeah , any problem with that "

    Dan shivered and shook his head, the girl was really scary. He then pulled Raphael to his feet and teleported away with him.

    Lia was greatly relieved the moment Dan left with that guy, hopefully Asher would take care of his copy downstairs. But suddenly she stiffened, her hand reaching for her neck.

    " What''s wrong? " Asher asked sensing something was not right with her.

    Lia gulped " My necklace, it''s gone "

 Chapter 118 - One Hundred And Eighteen : The Brewing Storm

    "And that''s the last of it " Amala said to Daniel who watched as she injected a substance into the intravenous drip hanging on a stand beside a patient''s bed.

    Daniel sighed in relief while running his hands through his hair. He had just returned from the secret meeting with Asher only to be told of a notably improvement with the patients after the antidote was administered directly into their bloodstream.

    "Does that mean this hellish ordeal is over? " He asked, his eyes roaming over the patients on the hospital beds, who now had a healthy glow on their skin.

    "Yes probably , but we still have to watch their progress " Amala explained " But there''s a ninety percent chance of recovery since the antidote suppresses the virus while giving the patient the chance to heal and as a supernatural , it shouldn''t take that long to recover "

    She went ahead to place a comforting hand on his shoulder "You''ve worked hard Daniel, so it''s time to take a rest " Amala told him and began to pack her equipments in order to leave.

    "How am I ever going to thank you? "

    "You don''t need to bother yourself Daniel, we''re friends and true friends help each other in a time of need " She told him and began to walk towards the entrance when she suddenly added " But if you are really adamant on paying me back, I''ll have you notified when I need your help "

    Daniel agreed "Alright, no big deal but I''m curious about something "

    She looked up curiously "About what? "

    "The last time we discussed about this attack, you said the annihilated Burning Eaglet might have something to do with this , what if you''re right? "

    Amala looked up intrigued "You''ve had an encounter with them ?"

    "Sort of " Daniel nodded

    Amala sighed deeply " I''ve laid a complain in the council but they''re becoming big-headed : their influence and success are getting into their head, stopping them from having a clearer picture of what''s happening "

    A deep furrow appeared on Daniel''s forehead " So what are you trying to say? "

    " What I''m trying to say is " She fixed Daniel on the spot with an intense gaze " If things go the way I''m thinking right now, then we could have another Purge on our hands and this time there''s a huge chance the council might lose "

    Daniel shuddered involuntarily, he hated hearing that word ''Purge '' cause his parents had emphasized a lot on that war. They had warned him never to let it happen ever again if he has the power to do so, cause the war takes but never gives.

    Moreover if the council loses, then there was a huge problem - chaos and disorder would descend upon the world.

    The Burning Eaglet are anarchists who believe in the notion "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth " and would definitely melt out their revenge on supernatural creatures who didn''t stand by their side during the Purge.

    "Hmm, I see " He breathed before throwing another question " Then, what about Aurelia? Do you believe she''s still alive? "

    This time , Amala stopped in her tracks, turned and gave him a questioning look " Why are you suddenly interested in all these? Don''t tell you really encountered Aurelia? "

    Daniel swallowed, was he that obvious? No, he has to be careful else he''ll put Lia in danger sooner than he thought.

    "Nothing actually " He released a fake laugh " I was just curious about that "

    Amala''s eyes narrowed down suspiciously on him "Really? Nothing else "

    Daniel met her gaze, he knew that look on her face : she didn''t believe him. He had to do something, it was now or never

    He blurted out "The cubs needs it "

    "What? " Amala asked confused

    "I''ve been spending time with the cubs at the pack''s childcare recently, I''m trying to ingrain our history into their mind from an early age. But those little creatures are one curious monsters , they ended up asking questions that was way over my head " he lied through his teeth and she bought it.

    "That''s actually a good thing you''re doing here, at lest the kids should have an idea of what happened years ago so when the chips are down , they should be able to make a wise decision using the past history as reference " Amala acknowledged his good works while Daniel was relieved his lie was successful.

    She went on "About Aurelia, I can''t really tell if she still exists or not, cause her existence has been nothing but a mystery. But if the Burning Eaglet are back, then she must have contributed one or two things to this unwelcome development."

    Daniel was more confused " That still doesn''t answer my question "

    Amala smiled " Don''t worry Daniel, your questions will soon be answered by the new Seer "

    His brows lifted " New seer? "

    "Miranda the old seer has died and transferred the gift to her niece Cassie and though she''s still young and inexperienced; the council has been giving her trainings and soon enough she''ll be able to see, understand and interpret her visions " She announced and stared straight into Daniel''s eyes

    "Not long from now, we would be able to know everything about this brewing storm "

 Chapter 119 - One Hundred And Nineteen : I Heard Voices

    "So what do you do for a living? " Jenny asked Raphael who seem to be a bit distracted cause she didn''t get any reply.

    "Raphael? "

    "Sorry, excuse my manners " He said, roused from his thoughts.

    Trevor regarded the guy slowly, no matter how much he sees it but he can''t help but feel anyone associated with Asher has this dangerous aura surrounding them . And no matter how hard he tries to avoid them , his family keeps getting involved with the Nicoli one way or the other.

    " I was asking what you do for a living? " Jenny repeated her question

    "Oh about that, I''m a graphic designer. I create and design logos for businesses, websites and in my spare time , also a freelance animator, creating animation and visual effects for movies, videos games and others " came Raphael''s reply that made Trevor cringe inwardly.

    He didn''t believe a thing Raphael just said, he was sure he must have exaggerated some parts ; how could someone be so good at everything?

    " Wow " Jenny squealed in excitement " That must explain the tattoos on your arm " She said running her hands down Raphael''s exposed arms and tracing the tattoo of a dragon drawn there.

    Raphael smiled " I''m actually quite an artistic and creative human being " He winked at her "I like to follow my passion "

    Trevor rolled his eyes and was thankful his younger brother Rex wasn''t here to see this - he wouldn''t want him following their mom''s footsteps.

    "Am I the only one or have you noticed that it''s being quite a while since Lia went upstairs? " Trevor chimed in and thankfully garnered his mom''s attention.

    " You''re right " Jenny concurred and stretched her neck to catch a glimpse of the stairs "What''s keeping her? "

    " Maybe I should go check up on her " Trevor stood up before even finishing his statement and covered the fleets of stairs in large strides.

    Standing at the entrance of her room, he had raised his hand to knock when he suddenly picked up voices, and they sounded masculine.

    His brows knitted together into a deep frown, how could someone be in her room? Though he had gone to his room to change earlier but their mom would''ve told him if she had a visitor, so how could someone have gotten into her room?

    Suddenly his eyes widened, could it be some guy had climbed the tree outside their house and entered her room through the balcony?! was his sister in trouble?

    Without knocking, Trevor pushed open the door and stepped in expecting to stumble upon a particular scene playing in his mind but the reverse was the case.

    Trevor was surprised when he saw his sister lounging on the bed and operating her laptop. she glanced up at him, quite startled to see him in her room without warning.

    "Don''t you remember that''s a word called ''knock '' before entering? " Lia queried, brows drawn together in a displeased frown.

    " Where is he ?" Trevor asked, his eyes darting around the room as though a police officer looking for an evidence in a crime scene.

    "Where is who? " She asked with a confused expression on her face.

    "I heard voices - male voices " Trevor said, emphasizing on the ''male''

    "I don''t know what you''re talking about Trevor "

    But Trevor was adamant on his claims "I''m sure of it, I absolutely heard voices - two distinct voices to be exact "

    Lia massaged her brows " I really don''t know what''s going on with you Trevor but I can assure you, I''ve been alone all this while . Perhaps the voices you heard must have come from my laptop , I''m currently watching a movie " She said gesturing to her device on the bed that was currently playing a movie as she claims.

    Trevor wanted to say something but decided against it - perhaps she was right,he must have been imagining things. But why was she upstairs when they have a guest downstairs?

    "Why are you not down? " Trevor decided to ask.

    Lia gave her brother a dirty look " Are you really asking as if you don''t know ?"

    Trevor took a deep breath, how could he not know ? But Jenny was his mom - For good and for bad, and there was nothing he could do to change it.

    "Even if you don''t like it, he''s still mom''s guest. So show a little respect and come downstairs " Trevor commanded and turned to leave when he suddenly stopped and said to her sternly

    "Always remember to keep your balcony doors locked, you don''t know who might sneak it " Then he left.

    As soon as he left, Lia released a breath she didn''t realize she was holding - that was so close. They were so engrossed in their discussion that they didn''t notice realize Trevor was outside the door but thanks to a Vampire''s incredible speed - it saved the day.

    Without hesitation, Lia decided to find her way downstairs before her dear brother bangs in again as if he owns the place.

    Cloned Raphael felt like something wasn''t right, it''s connection with its master was suddenly disconnected and his suspicion was further confirmed when he saw the girl climb down the stairs with a smug smile on her face - the plan has failed.

    "I think it''s high time I left already " He said and stood up from his chair earning a surprised expression from Jenny.

    "Why do you want to leave suddenly " she asked, pouting her lips.

    "I just remembered I have something very important to settle at home " He lied, wishing nothing but to be here at the moment. If their creator have been caught, then he was surely Asher''s next target.

    "But the - "

    "I''ll see you later Jenny " He interjected, bent and placed a peck on her cheeks before sending the kids a hurried goodbye.

    Thankfully none of them assumed the role of an escort making it extremely easy for him to escape.

    But as soon as he went outside, a hand was placed on his shoulder and the next thing he knew, he found himself in an unfamiliar place but before he could say Jack Robinson , his heart was ripped out of his chest and body set ablaze as he crumbled to the ground.

 Chapter 120 - One Hundred And Twenty : A Strenuous Operation

    "Where is he?! " Asher roared approaching Dan who simply directed him towards the torture room that had no torture equipments whatsoever- just a bed and a dressing table.

    This secret prison cells were hidden underground and a stranger finding it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack ; Asher specifically designed it that way.

    Earlier, he had been so distracted with all this crazy events that he almost got caught by Trevor but thankfully, he had put his agility and reflexes into good use.

    Asher knew if his heart was still beating, he would''ve suffered a heart attack the moment he saw Raphael in his mate''s room.

    He thought Raphael had relived history by doing to Lia the same thing his own father Antonio had done to Raphael''s mother , which has been haunting him for ages now.

    Thanks to that incident, Asher had never experienced a mother''s love - a punishment for what his father had done. Aside from pictures and oral descriptions , he had never seen his mother - not even from afar - he was banned from doing so.

    Asher knew his father had gotten off easily

    for such a capital offence - huge thanks to his influence and reputation - which was why no matter how much he loathed Raphael, he still couldn''t do anything to him, after all his father Antonio had been the cause of all this.

    So he had given Raphael the benefit of the doubt, hoping he didn''t have same agenda in mind by approaching him even though his instincts told him not to trust him and yes, he was proven wrong once again - Raphael hated him to the bones and would do everything just to hurt him the same way Antonio had hurt them.

    But his blood boiled when he saw that particular scene - if that was possible considering he''s an undead creature - but he definitely saw red.

    The only thought in his mind was destroying Raphael if he had tried anything stupid but surprisingly, his mate was full of surprises; she had perfectly handled herself without his help.

    Asher never thought that one-day he would be so grateful his mate was different from the others. He bet Raphael must have had no idea that she was half-werewolf and half - vampire else he would''ve be a lot more careful with her. Moreover, what hybrid has magenta eyes and talons - only her - he was totally deceived.

    Asher walked into the room and saw Raphael sitting on the floor with his back against the wall and his expression didn''t look too good. He had black veins all over his body, a pale lips with a sickly complexion - the venom was doing a number on him

    Raphael glanced up at him and asked "Is that you or am I hallucinating again?"

    "Since you''re considering me a hallucination, then the venom is doing a good job " He gibbed and slide both hands into his pockets, standing in front of him.

    "Ahh, I''m not hallucinating " Raphael realized " Your sharp tongue is indeed a good wake-up call"

    "I don''t have time for your games, Raphael. Hand the necklace over" Asher demanded eliciting a deep laughter from Raphael.

    He slipped his hands into the pocket of his shirt and brought out the necklace, letting it dangle in front of him carelessly " Just as I thought, you''re hiding something else. " He surmised, gaze burning into Asher''s who looked lost in thought.

    His mouth lifted " A penny for your thought "

    Asher stared back at him with a blazing intensity " Of course, just thinking of the best way to dispose of you "

    "I know you can''t do that else you''ll disappoint mummy " Raphael said to him with a smug smile.

    Asher''s expression darkened " I don''t care about that woman and would never, So I want you to give me your word that once I rid these venom out of your system, that you would leave Little Town and never come back "

    A sardonic smile lifted Raphael''s lips " Why should I? " He challenged " Sure, go ahead and do whatever you want but I''m sure the council would be delighted to listen to this wonderful discovery of mine "

    Asher growled, grabbed him by the collar and yanked him to his feet " Don''t you dare think that you can threaten me just because of that woman ! If anything dare happens to my mate, I''ll make sure to rip out your heart - your real heart this time "

    But Raphael was unfazed, if anything he was entertained by how everything was playing out "Even without meeting her, you''re already a mommy''s boy " he taunted Asher who snarled at him instead.

    "Why don''t you remove the werewolf venom first and we can start negotiations afterwards " Raphael suggested with a cocky smile.

    Hands clenched at the side, Asher gritted his teeth but there was nothing he could do : his hands were tied.

    He let go of Raphael and turned to order Dan with a wicked smile " Get me a knife, the sharpest of them all in the kitchen cabinet, cause we''re about to perform a strenuous operation "

 Chapter 121 - One Hundred And Twenty-one : Stalking Trevor

    Trevor lay on his bed waiting patiently for the clock to strike twelve while stroking the card in his hand, at the moment it was fifty-five minutes to twelve - he still needed five more minutes.

    Truth be told, he didn''t know what he was expecting anyway but he just had a feeling - call it a sixth sense or something - but he feels, that his world would be thrown upside down, pretty soon .

    From the start, he had always felt this town was strange. Unexplainable events keep happening yet it''s swept under the carpet and people go about their business as if it''s nothing - like they''re used to it

    But he wasn''t used to it.

    He had initially thought the town was root deep in occultism but it was way more than that, yet he couldn''t exactly explain it.

    Yes, strange things happened in the city where he lived before, but there you don''t get to see people with chalky pale skins and sometimes blood-red eyes or some people tell you to stay away from certain people cause they''re witches.

    He has being hearing things - rumours - and they claim whatever happened to the Garcia''s home was supernatural and not an earthquake as the authorities claim -

    The flow of his thoughts was suddenly interrupted when the alarm he had set with his phone went off - It was twelve.

    Trevor lifted the card and glanced at it, expecting what he couldn''t describe with words to happen - perhaps some abracadabra - but when nothing happened, he sighed and let his hand fall back on the bed.

    He must have been stupid enough to expect something out of this world , he got fooled - he would surely give that Will guy a piece of his mind when he gets a hold of him .

    Absentmindedly Trevor reached for the card, wanting to take a second glance but gasped sharply and threw away the card from shock when out of the corner of his eyes, he saw something blink .

    Heart hammering against chest , Trevor watched the card resting on the ground in horror. What just happened? He swore he just saw something blink on that card and there was no way that could''ve been a dream.

    He swallowed and then hardened his heart against the fear that clutched him as he bent and reached for the card slowly yet cautiously, but something happened.

    The moment he touched the card, the blinking arrow cursor came alive and he let go with a gasp. What the hell is going on?

    Just to be sure, he touched the blank card and the blinking cursor appeared again and this time Trevor wasn''t scared but fascinated.

    He swiftly picked up the card and stood to his feet but was dumbfounded when the cursor changed direction and a red spot appeared on the card too as Will''s words hit him.

    "Once the clock strikes twelve at midnight, go to wherever this card leads you "

    His eyes moved to the clock ; it was five minutes past the hour of twelve, could it be.....

    Trevor''s eyes widened, this was definitely some kind of GPS but then fear clutched his heart again, this just proved the fact that there were things happening in this town that were beyond human apprehension.

    He had a feeling his world was about to be rocked.

    Trevor searched through his wardrobe and ended up donning a dark hoodie and blank pants ; it was already dark and he needed something to camouflage with his surroundings

    So he quietly opened his door and peeped around,making sure the coast was clear before he snuck out of his room and made his way to the living room.

    Meanwhile, Rex has been gaming all night and just when he decided to go steal a snack from the fridge, he caught his brother sneaking out of the house.

    A sheepish smile tugged his mouth, he bet his brother was up-to no good, so he decided to stalk him.

    He had watched a lot of movies and played a lot of games and thanks to that, he had learned how to follow someone without getting noticed and though his brother might be on toes but he''s naturally not vigilant.

    But Rex was confused, did his brother not know where he was going? Sometimes he would just walk in circles , other times he would stop at a place and retrieve his steps before heading to another direction, making it incredibly difficult to follow him without getting caught.

    But Rex prevailed, he was a strong kid and would see this to the end. So from a good distance, he watched Trevor glance at something in his hand and then enter an unfamiliar building.

    Without warning, he followed too and sprint down a long hallway but there was no sign of his brother. Where did he....?

    Rex let out an ''oof '' sound when he was forcefully pushed to the wall.

    "Why are you following... Rex? " Trevor pulled down his hood and stared at his brother wide-eyed with confusion and then shock.

    " Hi " Rex waved and flashed him a sheepish smile

    " What are you doing here? " Trevor asked surprised.

    " What do you think, duh, I was following you " Rex said to his brother derisively.

    Trevor massaged his brow "You need to go back home " he ordered.

    Rex objected " Of course not! How can a little kid like me walk such a kilometer back home by this time of the night? "

    Trevor raised a brow " You should have thought of that before stalking me "

    A mischievous smile appeared on Rex''s face " Fine then, I''ll go home all by myself and perhaps mom might be interested in hearing - "

    " You wouldn''t dare ! " Trevor interjected

    "Oh you know I would and what''s this you''re holding " He said and before Trevor could react, he had took the card from his grasp.

    "Hey you, give it back ! " Trevor ordered but Rex gave a deaf ear to him and was instead fascinated with the way the card lit up upon touch.

    "My oh my, this is awesome ! What is this?! where did you get... " Rex ducked to the side just as Trevor tried to reach for him.

    "Nana nana boo boo, stick your head in doo doo, you can''t catch me !" Rex said and then blows raspberries at Trevor.

    Infuriated Trevor tried to grasp onto him determinedly , but in the process of dodging him Rex lost a footing and fell.

    But instead of banging his head hard on the impregnable wall, Rex moved through the concrete wall ; the way a knife would slice through a jelly, as if there had been no wall at all to start with.

    What the hell.

 Chapter 122 - One Hundred And Twenty-two : Level One Agents

    What just happened? Trevor was flabbergasted. One moment he was trying to catch his imp of a brother, the next moment his brother moved through a wall, a fr*aking solid wall!

    Rex''s tiny legs were outside the wall while his upper limbs were on the other side which was currently awaiting his entrance too.

    " Rex ! " He called just to be sure some hidden trap that might have been stationed there to ward off enemies has not cut off his brother''s head .

    "Trevor! " Came Rex''s excited scream " You''ve got to see this! " he said and pulled in himself completely.

    Tempted yet guarded, Trevor put his hand into the wall and was surprised to discover the wall rippled upon contact and other than a cool air, nothing else had bitten or swallowed his hand.

    Taking a deep breath, he stretched forth his leg and walked through the wall and next he found himself in a frozen forest.

    " Hey " Someone called him and he turned around only for a snowball to hit him square on the face.

    What the hell was going on?

    " Hehe " Rex laughed and picked up a handful of snow , molding it in his palm while a naughty smile played across his features , making it incredibly hard for Trevor to concentrate on his thoughts.

    This was totally unbelievable, he just walked through a wall leading to a frozen thick forest in the middle of nowhere ?! If this was an illusion, then it was definitely a high-class one.

    He could hear the howling of winds and creaking of trees frozen solid ; even the cold air bit his skin and made him shiver .

    "That''s enough ! " Trevor yelled when two of Rex''s snowballs kissed him right in the face again.

    Brushing off the snow, Trevor looked around and discovered there was nothing but tall trees and land filled with ankle-deep snow that stretched as far as the eyes could see.

    " Rex " He called and gestured him to come to his side and thankfully Rex obeyed without complain.

    " Where are we? " Rex asked blowing warm air into his frozen palms, he was regretting playing snowball; at this rate, he would suffer a frostbite.

    "I have no clue " Trevor replied, his breath forming a mist in the air. He took Rex''s hands in his and drew him towards his body for warmth, sharing body heat.

    Suddenly, the trees rustled behind them and Trevor turned at once.

    " Did you hear that? " Rex asked gripping his hand tightly, the reality of the situation finally dawning on him.

    "Definitely did " Trevor confirmed, his eyes darting over the place the noise had come from but still couldn''t find anything.

    Suddenly from quite a distance, someone appeared out of the trees - If that thing could be referred to as someone - it had blazing red eyes, long black hair smeared with blood and sticking in all direction, sunken cheeks with purple bags under eyes, it''s clothes were torn and exposed rotten flesh while it''s teeth were razor sharp.

    It''s left leg was bent at a weird angle while it''s neck was crooked, as if it had actually being snapped in two, but that didn''t slow his speed down. He was approaching them the way a cat would chase after a rat.

    Trevor gulped and instinctively took a step back prompting his brother to do the same . He felt his heart jump into his throat and tightened his brother grasp. With excruciating slowness, he tilted his head towards Rex whispering

    "At the count of three, run as if you had the devil at your heels and don''t look back. I repeat, don''t look back! "

    "What about you? " Rex asked and for the first time since they arrived, showed some concern for his brother.

    "I''ll be right behind you " Trevor assured him with a smile while stroking his hair. His features then hardened as he said "It''s time "

    He looked towards the eerie figure approaching them at a mad speed and started " One.... two.... three now! "

    Without being told, Rex broke into a sprint as Trevor did the same, the both ran as if the devil were after them . They didn''t know what that thing was but it definitely did not look friendly - infact it looked like something taken out of a zombie apocalypse.

    But no matter how hard they ran , the zombie kept gaining on them but what surprised the duo the most, was that they kept finding themselves at their starting point - as if they''ve been running in circles.

    "Wait a minute " Trevor said and stopped in his tracks , halting his brother as well. He immediately went into thinking and came up with one answer ; this was an illusion.

    The illusion had started the moment they stepped into that building and though he was still finding this whole thing hard to believe, but since he had heard of witches existing in little Town , then this was probably their doing.

    "Rex stay still, don''t move a muscle "

    "What?! " Rex gave him a crazy look

    "Trust me alright, just this once? " He pleaded with his brother.

    All Rex wanted to do at the moment was to bolt out of that place, but since his brother was adamant on this crazy plan of his , he''ll give him the benefit of the doubt.

    Rex bit his lower lip " Fine, but don''t say I didn''t warn you "

    Trevor smiled down at him but grabbed his hand tightly incase, just to ensure he wouldn''t be able to break his promises .

    So they stood standing and watching as the zombie approached them with lightening speed.

    Sweat began to trickle down Trevor''s forehead, what if he was wrong?Then he wouldn''t only be endangering his life, but his brother''s as well.

    He clenched his fist determinedly, if push comes to shove, he would buy time enough for his brother to escape and find an exist - if there was one.

    The zombie charged at them and just when it tried to reach for them, the environment changed and they were surprised to find themselves in a hall - with actual people - many actual people.

    "This is my first time seeing someone break the illusion this quickly " Someone said from behind and they whirled around to the direction of the sound.

    To their surprise, a woman thrust her hand and said " Welcome to the Hunters league level one agents "

 Chapter 123 - One Hundred And Twenty-three: The Stalkers

    "I met Shawn today and we seem to have a lot to discuss. There has been much influx of vampires into Little Town lately unlike werewolves who liked to remain in their pack.

    Though they haven''t committed any crimes yet but I simply don''t like them ; disgusting blood sucking creatures .

    Unfortunately, Shawn is persuading me to stay back in little Town and went to the extent of purchasing a house for me .

    But I don''t want to, I didn''t like being tied down , moreover there were lots of supernatural presence in little Town than other towns and wouldn''t be suitable for the safety of my family ; I don''t ever want my family here.

    Thankfully, Shawn doesn''t know I have a family yet else he would''ve tried to involve and perhaps used that opportunity to get them down here as well.

    I don''t want this kind of life for my kids and yes, I''m a thrill seeker but my life''s constantly on the line here and I can''t predict the outcome whenever I go on this missions, which is why I''m going to keep them far away from this place, they must never know what I do for a living.

    Thankfully Shawn had a one track mind so he was easily distracted when I brought up another topic .

    Since I was back for a short while, I had to join them in the mission tonight and we had already received a tip-off that some dark witches were having a gathering tonight .

    We didn''t need to guess their venue, it was probably the Haunted House of Little Town. Though onlookers and locals might see the place as just some eerie ground but we knew otherwise.

    That Haunted House has been there for generations and contains incredible demonic energy that supplies and intensifies a dark witch powers after a blood ritual is performed and thanks to that, is considered a sacred ground.

    After the purge, all dark witches have gone into hiding cause we hunted them like animals and swore to exterminate till the very last of them.

    All forbidden spells were confiscated and destroyed - "

    Lia''s head jerked to the side while she closed the diary just as a soft breeze wheezed by ; Someone had come into her room without her permission as usual.

    "If you keep sneaking in like this, I''ll really think you''re a pervert " Lia said to Asher who was standing in the middle of her room.

    "It''s not like I can stand on the front porch and await your welcome at this time of the night " He joked, lifted the duvet and climbed into the bed with her.

    Lia scooted a bit to the middle of the bed in order to create space for him, her senses reeling with the awareness of his body pressed beside her''s.

    " Why aren''t you asleep yet? I was hoping to slip in unnoticed - "

    "So you can leave unnoticed too ? " She interjected with an accusing gaze.

    Asher gave her a questioning look "Leave unnoticed too? "

    Lia bit the inside of her mouth " Daniel too he....." She faltered on purpose, it was obvious he had understood what she was trying to say.

    Asher said under his breath " It seems we might have missed a rule "

    She looked up at him confused " Huh? "

    "Nothing " he murmured and gathered her warm body into his arms and Lia had to admit, his cool skin felt ridiculously right against her''s.

    She suddenly wondered if he has ever realised his skin was a straight giveaway to people who would want to prove he''s a vampire .

    But she was jerked out of her thought when Asher dropped a lingering kiss on her neck saying " You''re distracted "

    She sighed " Yeah, I have a lot of thoughts running through my head right now and the worst part is that I can''t seem to focus on one "

    Asher glanced up at her " What''s troubling you Lia ? "

    " I''m scared "

    He was taken aback by her sudden confession, his mate was one of the strongest person he has ever seen; someone able to take on Raphael? Definitely one of a kind.

    "Why are you scared my love? " He asked and smoothed away the curls that clung to her face in a careful manner, as if a careless swipe his finger would hurt her.

    Lia breathed " I''m scared that - "

    Suddenly, she felt a shift in Asher''s countenance, he wasn''t giving her his attention and was about to speak up when he asked,

    " Why is your brother sneaking out of the house? "

    Lia was dumbfounded, then she closed her eyes and focused and finally picked up a sound, someone was sneaking out of the house. What the heck

    She turned to face Asher wide-eyed "How did you know it''s my brother Trevor? "

    Asher was amused and his lips easily curled into a smile " Easy as pie " he said and went on " His footsteps are nimble , light and guarded; he''s making sure not to get noticed and unlike your mother who wouldn''t be as agile as you guys cause of -"

    "There''s a second one " Lia put in , drawing an impressed smile from Asher''s mouth.

    Her brows furrowed together as she gave all her attention to the information her sharp ears were feeding her " The second footstep is more lighter , though experienced but alert and I''m guessing that belongs to my brother Rex, he must have caught Trevor escaping and decided to follow after him "

    "Where do you think they''re going to? " He asked and then vamp sped to her balcony before she could blink her eyes.

    Impressed, she copied his action too and found herself standing beside him and staring out from her verandah .

    "There they are " He pointed towards their direction and her eyes followed his gesture.

    Lia scrunched up her nose " I wonder what they both are up-to ? " She wondered, watching her brother turn his head left and right cautiously before going to God knows where while the little one was busy tailing him.

    She looked up and caught a glint in Asher''s eyes as he offered " We could stalk them you know, what do you say ? "

 Chapter 124 - One Hundred And Twenty - Four : An Eye For An Eye

    The offer was tempting but Lia knew vampires were predatory creatures who loved the cat and mouse game because of the thrill of the hunt; she would rather spend time with him than chase down some dumb kids because of the adrenaline boost.

    Moreover since Rex was following that knucklehead Trevor, then he was sure to keep him from doing anything stupid.

    "I don''t think so and you know quite well, you and I have a lot to talk about " She told him and then saw him swallow just for a brief moment, why was he nervous?

    Without warning, Asher firmly pulled her body against his and bowed his head, his cold breath sending shiver down her spine as his lips kissed his way down her neck in a caress.

    Lia threw her head back and her toes curled up but as much as she enjoying this, she knew it was only a distraction

    "Don''t think you can use this avenue to get away from my question, it''s not working " She told him straightforwardly albeit her heartbeat was a musical mess.

    He stopped and stared into her eyes, surprised yet intrigued "Really? " he asked with a now excited glint in his eyes.

    This is bad, Lia thought . She had awoken the sleeping lion.

    Lia let out a gasp when she was pushed and pressed against the balcony railing and he crushed his lips to hers, kissing her senselessly while he ran his hand down the side of her face and slowly moved to caress the curve of her throat.

    She shivered and hardly stifled a moan when she felt her environment swirl and next she found herself on her bed.

    Her heart stopped dead and her face flushed when she saw him hovering over her, his dark gaze searching her face questioningly.

    What''s wrong? she wondered but he didn''t give her time to think cause he captured her lips once more and kissed her passionately.

    Lia knew she was swimming in a pool of ecstasy and her body was slowly craving him but there was much more important things to do than this at the moment.

    Hands on his chest, she forcefully created some distance between them but when he stubbornly tried to dip his head towards her neck, she bared razor sharp teeth at him warningly.

    Without her necklace on , she knew his desire to have her was intensified even though the kiss was initially a plan to distract her from asking questions.

    She flipped him over and straddled his hips instead and ordered " Speak now "

    But he drew a deep breath saying," You can''t go to school without the necklace, your scent is a special invitation to any supernatural creature ten meters within you "

    He was moving away from the topic again but as much as she wanted to punch him, this issue was relevant as well.

    "I figured that out , though I''ll have to come up with a pretty reasonable excuse to convince my mom to let me stay home "

    Asher smiled, a mischievous smile that told her he was up-to no good.

    "What? " She asked, her eyes narrowed but he simply wrapped his arms around her waist and sat up with her still attached to his hips.

    His lips curled up " I have this concortion "

    Her brows raised interestedly.

    "It makes vampires sick "

    She frowned " But vampires don''t get sick "

    " Yeah but we used it to cover our tracks over the years when humans became too suspicious of our uncanny appearance and temperature "

    "Oh , no wonder " She murmured " So what does it do? "

    "Usually taken in a small quantity cause it induces a fever, but it''s extremely torturous to vampires because it alters our body temperature. It makes your inside feel like burning mountain lava but I think you''ll take a higher dose since you''re half vampire " Asher explained but she couldn''t help but gulp nervously.

    Hybrid or not, what if it worked either ways and she was about to swallow a molten lava down her throat.

    "What happens if one takes a larger quantity? " Lia asked curiously.

    Asher shook his head " No vampire is sane enough to try that unless you want to burst into flames and as a matter of fact, the drug is called '' Sunshine '' for that reason "

    " What about my necklace? Did you get it from Raphael? " She asked unexpectedly and as expected, Asher''s countenance changed.

    "I recovered it from him but it suffered some damages, Dan would have it repaired at Sabrina''s tomorrow " he answered but she sensed an edge to his voice.

    She leaned closer towards him and whispered into his ears " Care to tell me about your relationship with Raphael now? This cat and mouse game is getting tiring "

    Lia then pulled back a little but didn''t look away, she had her gaze trained on him, scrutinizing his every expression.

    She felt him withdrawing, trying to put up his shield and was quick to say " You know you can''t hide it from me forever Asher. I''ll find out sooner or later and thankfully Ben is a blabbermouth " She reminded him tactically before adding " Please "

    His eyes bore into her''s and his tongue flicked out to touch his lower lips, a gesture she would have found extremely sexy If she wasn''t hell bent on ripping the truth out of his mouth.

    " Fine " He breathed but asked " Are you sure you want to keep sitting on me as the story goes on ?"

    Contrary to his expectation, she wrapped her arms around his neck and shrugged "I''m cool "

    Asher readjusted his position and started " My father stole a mate "

    Lia stiffened before she took a deep breath and urged him to continue.

    "My father Antonio and Raphael''s mother Helen were lovers and planned settling down for eternity but it turns out fate suddenly gifted her a mate ; my father''s friend, Ezekiel aka Raphael''s father.

    Resisting the matebond is literally impossible and so she succumbed to Ezekiel and all went well until - "

    " Your Father took her away " Lia completed with horror on her face " And that''s the same thing Raphael wants to do, an eye for an eye "

 Chapter 125 - One Hundred And Twenty-five : I Trust You

    Just as he thought, she began to freak out .

    Lia got off him in a flash and started to space to and fro her room, gasping heavily and chanting " Oh my God, this is bad "

    "Lia , listen to me " Asher told her but she wouldn''t listen until he backed her up against the wall, eyes staring into her''s with blazing intensity.

    " Raphael would not do anything to you " he stated.

    Her brows lifted " Says who?" and her face twisted into a bitter grimace "You know I never asked for any of this, I never wished for this kind of life at all ! " She barked at him but Asher let her, transferring her aggression on him would make her feel better.

    "I have enough on my plate already, I have to make a decision between you and Daniel, have to look out for the council and now this... "

    Lia couldn''t finish what she was saying cause she began to breathe fast and deep causing Asher''s eyes to widen - she was hyperventilating under stress.

    Without wasting time, Asher carried her and placed her on the edge of her bed. He drops to a squat and with his hands cupping her cheeks, said to her " Lia control your breathing "

    But she continued to inhale much deeper and much faster breaths than normal " I can''t ! " She screamed " I don''t know how "

    His hands on her cheeks tightened " Don''t breath with your mouth, just inhale and exhale slowly through your nose " He tried to coach her when she just kept gasping for breath but Lia was far from listening.

    Asher then leaned forward and pressed his lips against her''s and though she struggled, her strength was no match for his and was easily overpowered in no time.

    His lips didn''t move, just stayed firm against her''s and after a while, she was left with no choice than to breath through her nose.

    They stayed that way until he felt her get her breathing under control and pulled away. But it seems Lia wasn''t pleased nor satisfied with the unfulfilling kiss cause she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him into her, capturing his lips in a slow, hard kiss.

    She felt her heart hammering against her chest as she wound her hands into his hair, enjoying it''s silky goodness .

    Lia let out a startled gasp and felt electricity travel through her when Asher took advantage of her open lips to run his tongue around her fangs that had protracted on its own.

    " Asher " She gasped and pull away when she realized she took things further than intended.

    Hands capturing her cheeks, Asher closed his eyes, leaned forward and pressed his forehead against her forehead gently and confessed "Raphael is not the only one " he went on " I think I might do much more than my father if you choose Daniel "

    Lia gulped and instead of feeling butterflies in her stomach , she felt nauseous, why were things getting more and more complicated? She couldn''t reply him, what would she say anyway ?

    His eyes snapped open and she felt her throat dry up. There was always something so special and so hypnotizing about this green eyes of his but right now, there was something more.

    Lia could see his pain and struggles in there and she couldn''t help but gasp sharply when her heart suddenly tightened in pain . Was this as a result of the bond?

    Asher realizing he had mistakenly let her in on his emotions through the bond , withdrew at once

    "I''m sorry " He apologized with an earnest gaze as he saw her clutching her heart.

    "That was your emotion, wasn''t it? " She asked and he slowly nodded and sat beside her on the bed.

    "I''m sorry " She said after a short awkward silence, taking him by surprise.

    Asher turned towards her " Why are you sorry? "

    She gave him a wry smile " I think I might have been too selfish, concerned over myself without realizing how hard it is on the both of you "

    "It is not your fault Lia, you didn''t ask for any of this " He told her straightforwardly but she objected,

    "Neither did you nor Daniel "

    " Fine " he breathed and put his arms around her neck drawing her close to him while she rested her head on his shoulder "But I promise you, I''ll never let Raphael harm you in any way "

    Her head turned up "Isn''t there a way to get rid of Raphael without you know.. " She pursed her lips " Killing him? "

    Asher sighed " Raphael is like a weed, the more you uproot him, the more he grows back and at the moment he has an advantage over ....." he trails off as soon as their eyes meet

    Lia bit the inside of her mouth with a knowing smile "Is me, isn''t it? He knows about me and he''s using that against you, right? "

    He nodded and she took a deep breath before rising to her feet asking " When do I get to have my sunshine? "

    "Sunshine is not Sushi Lia, that could really hurt you bad " He reminded her with a serious look.

    He could''ve compelled her mother to let her stay at home, but he''s been using his powers a lot more than usual lately and if such spree continues, someone was bound to discover his secret sooner than later.

    But Lia rolled her eyes "Fine mr grumpy pants, lets get this party started "

    Unlike Trevor and Rex, they didn''t need to sneak out through the entrance door, the balcony worked well for them neither did the height bother them ; they just had to look out for prying eyes.

    Asher had packed his car down the street, so all it took them was a simple jog to reach it and next they were driving to his place.

    " Why your place? " Lia asked as soon as he started the car.

    "It''s the most quiet, safest and secured place to carry out such a deed " he explained, eyes fixed on the road.

    When they finally arrived at his mansion, Lia was surprised when he led her through another door instead of the usual entrance, of which required his iris to be scanned before they were granted access.

    "Urm, why are here? " Lia asked staring at the room with a 3D wall panel and unrecognisable equipments here and there and a surgical table; it looked more like a lab - a secret lab.

    But he didn''t reply instead commanded her " Lie down on the table "

    She wanted to protest but decided otherwise and quietly lay down on the operating table that had a metal built-in strap.

    "Do we really need to do this? " She asked Asher who was busy strapping her legs and hands in place.

    "This is a safety measure, to keep you from hurting me or yourself " he answered and

    made his way to the cabinet, rummaging through it until he located a small gin bottle with a shimmery gold liquid inside it.

    He returned to her and commanded "Open up"

    Lia stared at the drink in his hand cautiously before she took a deep breath and said to him "I trust you " and gave him access to her mouth.

    Her words took him by surprise but he simply cleared his throat, unscrewed the cap , tilted her chin upwards and then poured the entire content down her throat.

    " How do you feel? " Asher asked after a few minutes while taking a step back.

    With her forehead wrinkled , Lia answered " I don''t feel weird, if anything it is a lot cooler than I expect-"

    She had yet to finish her statement when a hot scorching heat surrounded her body and she screamed Bloody Mary.

 Chapter 126 - One Hundred And Twenty-six : Master

    Trevor winced and immediately brought the back of his hand to shield his face when his angry mom snapped the curtains open , giving the morning sun the permission to hit him square in the face.

    He groaned and instinctively turned to the other side of his bed only to discover another body was occupying that position ; a head full of blonde silky strands and a petite body - definitely Rex.

    How had he sneaked into his bed ? did Rex sleep together with him last night? was he that tired to notice his younger brother had crept into his bed?

    "At the count of three the both of you should stand to your feet without delay ! " Their mother boomed but no one stirred, it was as if none of them heard her command at all.

    "One..... One and a half..... two.....two and a half.... "

    At the mention of a two and a half, Trevor groaned and rose to his feet while bringing Rex who was staggering on his feet alongside him. Though their mom doesn''t punish them always but whenever she does, it''s quite unpredictable and harsh.

    If not for the fact that he found Rex on his bed, Trevor would''ve thought everything that happened yesterday was a dream. It was hard to believe that supernatural creatures do exist!

    " Don''t tell me you both stayed up late at night when you two knew clearly today was a school day ?" their mom began her scolding and he grimaced , how was he supposed to know that their secret rendezvous would continue deep into the night.

    "You know what? brush up, wash up and meet me downstairs for breakfast and then you can tell me what the hell you both did last night. You have just thirty minutes ! " Jenny ordered and left them to attend to her duties.

    Rex was one agile and alert kid but whenever his eyelids dare shut , he could even sleep through an earthquake.

    No amount of vigorous shaking nor dragging woke Rex and Trevor ended up brushing and washing him while asleep.

    He dumped Rex on the dinning chair and went ahead to stretch his aching body before taking a seat amidst his mom scorching glare.

    As if he predicted what would happen, Trevor shifted Rex''s food to the side just as his head came down hard on the table, and barely missed squashing his face into his meal.

    The drama caused his mom to lift a questioning brow " So tell me, what happened last night ? "

    Trevor swallowed, one wrong move and he''s toasted " We had a brotherly bond last night "

    Jenny''s eyes narrowed down on him suspiciously " I care for the details " she emphasized.

    " We played video games late into the night " Trevor came up with what he thought would convince her without exposing any loopholes. Rex was a gaming addict so that part of his lie didn''t need an investigation.

    " And? " She still prodded

    "I gave him some brotherly advice "

    " And? "

    " We talked about girls "

    " Figures " was all his mom said and thankfully, did not press further on the Issue.

    What a relief.

    It was no secret to his family that he has not ever had a girlfriend talk more a first kiss; he could hardly approach a girl.

    It was not that he isn''t interested , moreover he could chat and have a good time with the opposite sex online but when it comes to a face-to-face encounter, he just stutters, panic and make a fool of himself.

    So he resigned himself to fate while taking love advice from his uncertified siblings. Talking of siblings, where was Lia?

    Trevor looked around just to be sure and asked " Where is my sister Lia? She''s always an early bird "

    Jenny sighed and massaged her temple " She came up with a fever. I''ll have to call the school and let them know she wouldn''t be able to make it today " said his mother.

    Trevor''s mouth twitched, he would be taking the bus to school today : his sister would not be able to drive and he wasn''t aged enough to own a driving license.

    "I''ll take Rex to school, you should go already " Jenny checked the watch on her wrist " You''re running late already "

    Trevor stood and grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and then in the guise of dropping a kiss on Rex''s head, whispered into his ear

    "Remember the code "

    Then he pulled away, kissed his mom goodbye, grabbed his backpack and walked out of the house.

    But the moment he closed the door and turned around, he was shocked to discover his sister''s clingy friend standing right in front of him.

    " You scared me " Trevor told him with a hand on his chest.

    But surprisingly, the chatterbox Ben didn''t reply instead kept staring at him in a way that made the hairs on his skin stand on edge.

    But Trevor decided not to read meaning into it after all, Ben was a human and would do nothing to him; he wasn''t a vampire like the principal.

    He guessed his mother must have informed him about Lia''s illness since the two of them were inseparable like conjoined twins ; you can''t find one without the other .

    He pointed towards the door " Are you here to see Lia , she''s.... " Trevor trailed off as soon as he saw Ben''s eyes glow an eerie green.

    But before he could scream for help, he found himself falling on his knees as he said out loud

    " Master, your servant is here to serve you "

 Chapter 127 - One Hundred And Twenty-seven : Cross My Heart

    "Today is gonna be a good day " Ben sang aloud in the bathroom while the hot shower caused steam to form on the glass tiled wall.

    Once he was done, he dried his body with his tower and walked into his room naked.The cold morning air flew through the opened window and hit him on the skin and on certain areas of the body that were deprived free air regularly.

    "Fresh air, how refreshing " Ben moaned and closed his eyes, savouring the feeling. It was not everyday he gets the chance to observe this rite of airing his Membrum virile , so he had to take advantage of this moment.

    Suddenly, he heard a soft thud and felt a sudden wind as something dropped into his room - no scratch that - not something but someone.

    "Ahhh! " Ben screamed as soon as he opened his eyes and saw Dan standing right in front of him.

    His hands immediately flew downwards and covered his below while screaming his lungs out.

    Dan gazed at him wide-eyed. The reality of the situation slowly dawning on him as he swallowed and turned around abruptly.

    "What the hell is wrong with you vampires?! what do you think a door was designed for?! " Ben screamed after wrapping a towel around his waist to hide his immodesty.

    "I''m sorry for barging in unannounced and for any other distress I must have caused you " Dan the ever righteous vampire apologised with his back still turned to Ben.

    Ben laughed, mirthlessly " Of course distress, psychological distress! I''ll forever remember this "

    Dan having sensed he have must covered his indecency, turned around to face him " Why would you remember it forever, you''re just a human who would die in a few years to come "

    Ben made a face at him "Why? are you showing off that you would live forever? "

    "If you''re that jealous, you''re free to become one of us " Dan replied him straightforwardly.

    Suddenly, Ben''s eyes lit up like Christmas and he rushed Dan almost hugging him in the process " Wait, are you offering to turn me into one of you " he asked with a trace of excitement

    "Oh go ahead, take me, take my blood, do whatever you guys do so that I can become immortal, have unimaginable powers, be a badass and.... " He gasped dramatically

    "I can now perfectly protect my goddess Lia and have a spar with her " effused Ben and suddenly took Dan''s hands while an aggrieved expression appeared on his face and he began,

    "Do you know how shameful it is for a guy to be defeated by a girl. I can''t beat my goddess in anything , speed, strength, powers, you name it! But once you''re done, I can now stand on equal footing with her "

    Dan rake a hand down his face and told him " Can you please make yourself decent, I don''t have the time to play with you "

    Ben glowered at him having realizing he was just fooled. He tore his gaze away just as Dan turned around again to give him some privacy.

    " You can look now, I''m decent " He informed Dan the moment he was fully dressed.

    Dan turned around with a straight face and said right away " I need your help "

    Ben''s mouth quirked, the almighty Dan needed his help? What a huge turn of event . He folded his arms across his chest " What do you want from me "

    "I need you to run a little errand at Sabrina''s before heading to school " Dan briefed Ben.

    He then slipped his hand into his pocket and took out something and threw it at Ben who caught it with fluid motion.

    His eyes widened " Isn''t this my goddess necklace? " asked Ben who was examining the necklace that was currently disfigured with great care.

    Ben looked up, care and concern written all over his face " What happened? Why do you have this and why is it in this state? "

    "Raphael happened "

    Ben gasped " What about - "

    "Lia is fine, we got to her in time but the same can''t be said for the necklace and she can''t leave the house without it .

    "Asher wants it repaired at Sabrina''s but he''s wondering if it can be given another outlook , wielded into something that can''t be easily slipped without notice "

    Ben pursed his lips " Perhaps a earring ? " he suggested.

    "Yeah, a earring should do the magic. It''s easy to wear about and can''t be removed like the necklace without notice " He concurred with Ben''s idea.

    " Fine then " Ben agreed but asked " Why can''t you do it ? "

    Dan grimaced like someone reliving an embarrassing memory " I have an idiot to rescue but I''ll drop you off before leaving "

    "Cool " Ben said and rushed to fetch his pack back. His parents weren''t around anyway so no one would notice he didn''t leave through the entrance save the housekeepers - but who cares? it''s not the first time - they would probably think he snuck out to God knows where as usual.

    Though he has experienced it multiple times but it still awes him whenever Dan uses his ability. Close your eyes; you''re here, open your eyes ; you''re there - how amazing.

    They arrived right in the middle of her sitting room just as Sabrina walked in

    "Whenever you two are together, I''m guessing something has happened and you need me to clean up the mess " She said with hands akimbo and a slight frown.

    To Ben''s surprise, a smile curled up Dan''s face.He approached Sabrina , pressed her against his body and kissed her sweetly while Ben went red in the face, when did these two become mushy with each other?

    Finally after a few minutes of an intense kiss, they pulled away and Ben couldn''t have been happier. Thankfully, Dan saved his breath by explaining everything to Sabrina before leaving.

    "Follow me " Sabrina said to him and led him into a room he had never seen before since coming to Sabrina''s place. The room was illuminated by red lights giving the place a romantic yet dangerous ambience.

    There was a lot of thick covered books resting on shelves , wooden dolls, some animals parts floating or suspended in flask beakers and glass containers, carved masks, necklaces and a lot more others he couldn''t describe.

    "I heard about your idea - " Sabrina paused as her phone rang but she ended the call and continued " The earring should - "

    The phone rang again.

    She took a deep breath " I''m sorry but I have to take this call " Sabrina turned to leave but stopped as if something came to mind.

    "And please, do not touch anything. I repeat , do not touch anything ! " She warned sternly.

    "Fine, fine, I won''t touch anything - cross my heart " He assured her when she gave him a doubting gaze

    " Why don''t any of you have a little faith in me" he murmured beneath his breath as sabrina left to answer her call .

    No sooner had she left did Ben began a tour of the place " Wow, the place was like a personal museum. "

    Suddenly his eyes rested on a porcelain Venetian mask " What a masterpiece ! " he exclaimed as he took in the beauty of the ornament.

    Looking left and right cautiously, he went on tiptoes and unhooked the mask from where it was hung - it wouldn''t hurt to take a closer look.

    But no matter how much he admired this beauty, the urge to try it on overpowered him and without wasting time, he wore it.

    Ben took a selfie " Oh, the mask looks so good on me " he moaned in pleasure and took another and another till he was satisfied.

    Surmising Sabrina would be back soon, he tried to take off the mask and return it before she notice it, but he was surprised when the mask didn''t budge one bit as if it was stuck on his face.

    He tried again and again to no avail. He was about contemplating another approach when he felt a burning sensation on his face and began to scream. He put all his strength into taking it off but he couldn''t, as the mask slowly meld into his face .

 Chapter 128 - One Hundred And Twenty-eight : An Idiot Called Ben

    "No, I''ve got everything under control here... yeah, I would hand it over to the council tonight... of course, there won''t be err any disturbance. I casted an invisibility spell on it, no body would be able to see it save me..... yeah, alright. See you guys tonight " Sabrina ended the call with a sigh.

    Ever since the mask came under her protection, her fellow sister witches wouldn''t let her rest - they were all concerned about the safety of the mask and she couldn''t exactly blame them.

    That venetian mask wasn''t an ordinary mask but the soul of one of the most powerful necromancers was bind, sealed and tethered to it.

    Though people claim there were some good necromancers but Sabrina knew that was a complete fallacy. Even if they claim to be good but just like the dark witches, Necromancers practice dark sorcery and whether they liked it or not would be consumed by that innate darkness sooner or later.

    Their close association of death makes it incredibly harder to deal with them which is why even when bound, it still caused some problems at the town it was being held and had to be conveyed to little Town - a place of immerse magical energy - strong enough to ward off its powers and would soon be handed over to the council who would finally take care of it in their own way - no questions asked.

    Sabrina hardly ended the call when she felt in her spirit something was wrong ; someone had touched something he wasn''t supposed to touch. Ben.

    She ran to her sacred room and just as she feared, Ben was gone and so was the mask.

    Impossible, how had Ben breached the invisibility spell?

    She was sure the spell was on and working before she left, then how had Ben seen it? The mask was supposed to be invisible to the eyes, then how? But that was not the problem at the moment - finding Ben was the problem.

    If what she thought was right, then Ben was already possessed which meant little Town was in deep shit - and so was she, the council would not let her off easily - she had failed to fulfill her task.

    Sabrina ran her hands through her hair in frustration and then picked up her phone and called Lia.

    Lia was Ben''s best friend and would know of his usual hideout. She would have tried a locater spell but the necromancer was smart and had blocked his location already, after all necromancers are witches too - just with the ability of reanimating the dead

    Sabrina eventually gave up when she didn''t answer after a while and instead summoned a portal to her place.

    Once she arrived, Sabrina was shocked when she saw Lia on the bed, shivering and moaning in pains. What the hell.

    " Hey " She called and placed a hand on her forehead but withdrew at once when the scorching hotness burned her.

    "I don''t understand this kind of fever, I think I have to take her to the hospita..... " Jenny trailed off as soon as she opened the door to her daughter''s room and saw a complete stranger standing in the middle of the room.

    She looked around her environment in shock and questioned sternly " Who the hell are you and how did you - ! "

    "Sleep" Sabrina commanded and snapped her fingers as Jenny crumbled to the floor at once.

    She then casted a spell that moved Jenny out of Lia''s room and dropped her on the bed in her own room instead.

    "Lia" Sabrina walked to her bed, sat down and cradled Lia''s head in her arms "Hey wake-up, I need your help right now " she slapped her on the cheek but Lia kept slipping in and out of consciousness.

    "Seriously, You can''t do this to me now! I need your goddamn help! " Her slaps gained momentum when Lia would not snap out of her delirious fever. For Christ sake, she was a supernatural, she wasn''t supposed to be sick!

    Just as she raised her hand to hit her again, a cold voice resonated from behind causing her head to whip around to him

    "What do you think you''re doing? "

    "Oh thank God you''re here " Sabrina breathed in relief and her hand fell down as soon as her sight fell on Asher who had a grim look on his face.

    Asher rose a brow when he saw she was indeed relieved to see him after he just caught her hitting his mate .

    " What were you doing? " Asher monotoned with a cold glint in his eyes.

    That tone would''ve stopped Sabrina in her tracks on other days but right now there was more important tasks at hand.

    " I need her on the move cause there''s a *fire on the mountain " Sabrina confessed leaving Asher confused.

    Asher asked " What are you talking about? "

    "That boy called Ben has done something that would have my head served on a golden platter "

    A frown wrinkled his forehead " What has Ben done this time? "

    "I think he wore the mask and now he has been possessed by the necromancer who would use him to find his body and once he does so, I''m doomed " she corrected " We''re doomed "

    Asher put up a hand " Wait a minute, I don''t understand a thing you just said here and foremost, I never sent Ben to your place " He clarified , then added " The only person I sent to your place to get Lia''s necklace restored is Dan... "

    Suddenly his eyes slowly widened as he realized something and he massaged his brows asking " He sent Ben in his stead, didn''t he? "

    Sabrina nodded.

    Asher threw his head back and began to laugh, a long, hard, joyless laughter that came to a sudden halt as he roared " What idiot sends Ben on such an important task?! "

    ------------

    Fire on the mountain : Expression : A West African, particularly Nigerian expression of surprise, usually from shock in a negative way or in response to someone exposing something  scandalous.

 Chapter 129 - One Hundred And Twenty-nine : Pandemonium

    Sabrina narrated the whole event to Asher and though he was furiously mad at Dan, he had no choice than to see things from his perspective.

    Raphael had not given them any peaceful day since his epic appearance, so it wasn''t surprising Dan had opt to rescue Gideon and choose to send instead the over enthusiastic Ben on the other task - the guy had a handful of things to do.

    Perhaps If Zukai was not out of town hunting down a rogue vampire, he would have been the one to attend to that assignment and the end result would have been a pleasant one.

    "But what were you thinking keeping something so dangerous within reaching distance? You practically caused this incidence " Asher scolded her sternly, a furious expression on his face.

    But Sabrina''s expression was no better, her eyes were blazing with anger " For your information, I kept that mask in my sacred chamber where I could have my eyes on it twenty-four hours a day moreover, I casted an invisibility spell on it which still puzzles me how Ben was able to break through that spell! " She roared back with her fist clenched at the sides.

    Asher doubted her claim "Contrary to what you''re thinking, perhaps the spell was not strong enough "

    Sabrina wanted to retort back but she threw her hands up instead " You know what? I don''t have time to quibble and distribute blame with you while that necromancer is out there, probably trying to regain his powers. So you can either help me out here or suck it up "

    " Fine then, what do you what me to do " Asher gave in at last with a sigh and raked his hand through his hair .

    Sabrina turned towards Lia " First you can start by telling me what is wrong with your mate? "

    "I gave her sunshine " He confessed.

    "What?! " Sabrina yelled " Have you gone nuts? perhaps you''ve forgotten she''s a hybrid and not a full-fledged vampire "

    "I had no choice than to do it besides I thought as a hybrid, her symptom was not going to be as severe as a vampire''s but it seems I was totally wrong and this proves she''s more in tune with her vampiric side to her wolf side "

    Sabrina rolled her eyes exasperated " So in one word, you''re trying to say she''s of no help to me today "

    "As you can see " came his answer "But I would need a bit of a background story before heading out with you so I can know what I''m about to face and probably prepare myself for the worst-case scenario " Asher told her and she acknowledged his request.

    "Name is Micheal Lawrence and as you know he''s a necromancer who wrecked havoc on several towns until the council sent their finest mage after him.

    "But it wasn''t that easy to kill such a necromancer because of the very element he manipulates , so they had no choice than to rip his soul out of his body , bind and tethered it to the mask and his body destroyed .

    "Thankfully, at the moment he''s weakened and would try his best to recuperate in Ben''s body before - "

    "Going to find his body " Asher interjected.

    "Bingo " she grinned at him " But I sure hope tonight is not a full moon "

    Asher expression changed " What happens if it''s a full moon?"

    Sabrina took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eyes saying " His body was destroyed on a full moon so he would need a full moon to reanimate his body but if he doesn''t find it on time, he can chose to take over his host''s body completely - If it''s to his liking - which means Ben is a goner; we need to find him as soon as possible before it gets too late "

    "And I''m guessing we have to finish Ben off if such a thing happens " Asher surmised with a disturbed sigh.

    Even if he liked that kid, he was just a human whose life was destined to be short unlike his and wouldn''t put himself in such danger just to rescue him, but since he is his mate''s sidekick and bestie, he has no choice than to dive deep into the fire.

    "Once that Necromancer takes over his body, the Ben we know - that idiotic Ben you know - would be gone forever. There''s no two ways about it " She stated firmly, hoping he got that information into his head.

    "Fine, let''s find Ben then " Asher said but asked afterwards " How the hell do we find that boy, I''ve just realised I know literally nothing about Ben aside from the fact he''s abnormal " He told her and she shook her head sympathetically.

    "I would have suggested going to Ben''s place but Micheal is smart and wouldn''t dare cross there ; he knows we are after him.The school would be my next choice but then this place suddenly came to mind.... " she hesitated and Asher''s brow rose interestedly.

    "A place where Necromancers are gods "

    Asher''s lips curled up " The cemetery. He''s building an army " but the words hardly left his mouth when he felt his phone buzz: the assistant principal Sheila was calling him .

    "Hello " he picked up.

    "I think you might have to come down to school, there''s a lot going down here right now " She responded causing a frown to appear on his face.

    "Why? What''s going on? "

    "Pandemonium "

 Chapter 130 - One Hundred And Thirty : Pandemonium - 2

    "What do you think is going on? " Sabrina asked Asher as they drove to the school .

    "I don''t know but judging from the noise in the background, I can tell it''s not a good thing" Asher answered, clutching the steering wheel tight.

    This was moments he wished Dan was available to teleport him quickly to the school and though Sabrina could summon portals but it consumes lots of energy and was limited.

    But he drove over the speed limit and pulled up at the school in no time. He literally flew out of the car the moment he saw students running helter scatter .

    He grabbed one of the fleeing students whose expression was ashen by the arm, halting him.

    " What''s going on? " Asher asked him and though the boy tried to speak but no words came out of his agape mouth - it was obvious the poor boy was shocked beyond words. Instead his hands kept moving expressively through the air but Asher couldn''t make sense out of it.

    Asher had no choice than to let go of the boy when he felt his phone ring, he slid his hand into his pocket and brought out the phone, watching the name flash across the screen.

    "Who''s that? " Sabrina asked, trying to peek at his screen.

    "Amala, leader of the falcon coven " Asher told her and she trembled.

    "If Amala knows, that means the council has an idea of what is going on "

    Asher ignored the call, letting it ring on as he faced Sabrina " There was no way we were going to hide this forever, all we have to do now is damage control "

    Just then a familiar voice said from behind "Oh thank God you''re here "

    Asher turned around and wasn''t surprised to find his assistance with a relieved expression on her features and a heaving chest.

    ''What''s going on here? " He passed the question to her.

    Sheila adjusted her glasses " Some students were caught exhibiting some disturbing behaviours during class " She explained as she led them inside the hallways bustling with activities; students were running here and there.

    "What behaviour? " Sabrina queried interestedly.

    "It all started when a student picked a pair of scissors and stabbed the other in the stomach and several other students later carried on with the same routine "

    Sabrina and Asher stopped in their tracks as soon as the information passed through their ears.

    "It''s a distraction " Sabrina told him " He''s trying to keep us busy, he doesn''t want us to catch up with him " and he nodded .

    Sheila''s brow rose up " Distraction? who''s causing a distraction? "

    But Asher didn''t reply but ordered her instead "Call an ambulance and get the rest of the students out of here, the school should be closed down for today " He then said under his breath " Thankfully today is a Friday "

    At lest it would give him time to come up with an excuse to cover this incident and minimize losses.

    Though Sheila wanted to inquire further on what''s going on but she knew she wouldn''t get a word out of him once he sets his mind.

    She then asked " What about those err disturbing students? They''re being restricted in the gymnasium cause the kids are behaving like a dog gone rabid ? "

    "How many are they in number?" Asher inquired while striding to the gym alongside Sabrina.

    " They were six previously but now five "

    Asher stopped and turned to face his assistant " What about the other missing student, what happened? "

    "According to eye witnesses, they claim he left with another student amid the confusion "

    Sabrina grabbed her suddenly on the arm scaring the poor woman " Did you get the name? "

    "Ouch , you''re hurting me and who are the hell are you anyway ? " Sheila complained and Sabrina released her having realized she didn''t control her strength.

    "Answer the question Sheila " Asher insisted and though she wanted to protest but the look on his face caused shivers to run down her spine.

    "T-the students called him Tre-vo... Trevor or something "

    "Oh my God " Sabrina gasped " He must have gone to Lia''s place since he''s now in full control of Ben''s memory " She surmised.

    Sheila stared at them confused " Who is in - ?"

    "Who did he leave with? " Asher interrupted her question

    "I can''t really tell, the students didn''t give me a name - "

    "But I''m sure they gave a description " he pressed on.

    Sheila stared at him mouth agape, how did he know that? "Y-yes " She choked " Mentioned black curly hair - "

    "Can''t be a coincidence that Ben has curly black hair too " Sabrina interrupted her.

    "Lia''s next " Asher figured out at once " He''s going for Lia "

    "Go, I''ll handle the school " Sabrina assured him, patted him on the shoulder and started towards the gymnasium much to Sheila''s bewilderment.

 Chapter 131 - One Hundred And Thirty-one : My King

    Her body was on fire, she couldn''t concentrate, she couldn''t think straight. What was going on ? Lia felt like she was stuck inside a mountain volcano and kept writhing on the bed oblivious to the pairs of eyes staring at her .

    " Why are we here master? " Trevor asked Ben now Lawrence , staring at the girl with an intense concentration.

    "I don''t know either " Lawrence answered Trevor but he knew inwardly that was completely a lie.

    Initially after his soul gained awareness, all he had in mind was finding his body and dumping this host whenever he was done with it , but he was alarmingly shocked to discover this second body fitted his needs perfectly.

    His powers were returning speedily , not to mention this was a young and strong body plus the icing on the cake - a handsome face at that .

    After removing the seal and regaining his full powers tonight , he would escape this town and go on an eccentric voyage, living his life to the fullest while leaving a trail of troubles in his wake - he bet it would keep his pursuers busy.

    He would live forever in this body but then there was a little problem, the boy''s consciousness was active and constantly fighting against him for control ; Ben was struggling to take back his body.

    Lawrence knew the boy''s emotions had influenced him into returning here a second time as if he was longing to see someone and he bet it was this girl.

    But it was interesting though, why did these girl have such a level of darkness inside her? Others might not see it but as a manipulator of darkness and death, he could see through everyone.

    Initially he had been angry for returning here, it was not part of his plan but it seems he must have stumbled upon a gem. His lips curled into a sinister smirk, it wouldn''t hurt to have her by his side.

    "What''s happening to her? " Trevor asked curiously again, watching her squirm uneasily on her bed .

    For some strange reasons, he couldn''t help but feel pity for the poor girl who looked oddly familiar. But the more he tried to remember, the more the memories faded into the distance and he was left with a splitting headache.

    " Don''t try hard, the more you try to reach it the more it goes away " Lawrence told him having sensed what he was trying to do.

    "But to answer your question " he said and dropped to his knees beside the bed , stroking the girl''s tender cheek " It''s just a mere trick vampires use to fool the humans . "

    '' My Goddess Lia '' Lawrence sensed the boy say inwardly as he fought to reclaim his body but he was the stronger one here and suppressed him in no time.

    " My Goddess? " Lawrence''s brow raised and his smile broadened , perhaps she was worth being his goddess.

    Suddenly he leaned towards her and pressed his lips against his, infusing her with some of his regained energy. They were the same make anyway so his energy wouldn''t affect her adversely.

    The energy coursing through lia caused her eyes to snap open at once , but her eyes throughout were pitch black for a moment before it switched to its usual magenta.

    Now awake, Lia was dumbfounded, what was going on? why was Ben kissing her? was he wishing for a death sentence?

    She stared at the face pressed against hers, still lavishing her lips causing her cheeks to flush.

    But this was totally wrong!

    She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him to the ground finally creating some distance between them.

    Lia sprang to her feet and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand " What the hell is wrong with you Ben?! " She yelled as he rose to his feet.

    But he smiled instead.

    A thunderclap went off in her head, did he just smile? Did he think she was kidding? She would kill this idiot today.

    Lia grabbed the front of his chest "I''ll ask Sabrina to heal up your face later "

    With a hand holding his shirt, she curled up her fist and moved her hand back to throw him a punch when he said,

    "I was right to choose you "

    Her hand froze midway while her firm grip on his shirt slackened. Then she let go and took a step back saying " You''re not Ben "

    "Of course I''m not Ben, I just have his body but you can call me Lawrence " he answered quite enthusiastically causing her brows to narrow down on him suspiciously.

    "H-how is that possib....?" her eyes suddenly moved to the corner and rested on her brother wide-eyed.

    "T-Trevor " She choked, then turned to face Lawrence with a furious expression " What did you do to my brother?! "

    He pursed his lips " Nothing much, just have him under his control. But don''t worry, I won''t do anything to him since he''s your brother "

    Lia spat at him determinedly " I don''t know what you are but you''re returning to wherever you came from this instant! "

    Then she opened her mouth to scream but what came out of her mouth were just ordinary sounds the moment Lawrence held up his hand.

    Shocked but still refusing to believe what just happened , Lia screamed again until she got herself in a coughing fit but still got the same result.

    "What did you do to me? " Lia rasped, holding her throat and was a little out of breath.

    "Just stopped your powers from working on me, you seem to have forgotten I''m in possession of Ben''s body, including his memories "

    He began to walk towards her as she cautiously took a step back until her back hit the wall and he placed his hands on either side of the wall, trapping her.

    "I know everything he knows about you " he bent his head and murmured into her ears and dragged his gaze to her face saying,

    " Look into my eyes "

    But Lia didn''t , instead bite down hard on her lips.

    Infuriated, Laurence gripped her chin tightly enough to leave a bruise and lifted her face towards his.

    "I said, look into my eyes " he commanded, his voice dangerously low and firm as his eyes flashed an eerie green.

    " What do you see? " he asked, his intense spooky greenish eyes boring into her''s.

    Lia''s eyes sparkled with pride " My King "

    Then he bent and claimed her lips.

 Chapter 132 - One Hundred And Thirty-two : Kinney Village

    "Who did you say is here? " Daniel asked , tearing his gaze away from the pile of documents on his desk.

    "Your aunt, she is here " Ryan told him and drew his attention to the door with a tilt of his head.

    " Oh boy " Daniel groaned and wiped his face with his palms, he was about to be treated to an endless chattering .

    He began a countdown in his heart and soon enough, the door snapped open and her melodious voice echoed into his room.

    " Daniel dear " she sang and marched towards him, engulfing him in a hug that knocked the breath out of him.

    "Aunt phoebe " he returned the hug even though his bones were being crushed slowly.

    Phoebe moved back a bit and took a good look at him , she then questioned him with her face all scrunched up " It''s quite hard catching you around these days, what''s going on? "

    Daniel''s eyes connected with Ryan''s and they communicated through the mind link ,

    Daniel : " Has she being keeping tabs on me? "

    Ryan : " I think so "

    Daniel : " Why didn''t you mention it? "

    Ryan : " I''m just as taken aback as you are."

    " Daniel? " Phoebe asked waving her hand in front of his face.

    "Ah, sorry about that " he apologized, ending the mind link conversation with Ryan " Just have a lot on my mind right now "

    It was no secret that werewolves have the power to link minds with fellow werewolves and could range from mind link between individuals, mates and packs as they share thoughts, memories, emotions or feelings.

    It was like their own mental facebook, just that it was more reliable and efficient even though it was limited by distance.

    " Poor child " She cooed and cupped his cheeks with a sympathetic gaze while Ryan coughed purposely by the side.

    This woman was still treating their alpha as if he were a ten year old kid, but he looked away when he saw the glare phoebe was giving him.

    After the death of Daniel''s parents, Aunt phoebe was the only relative on talking terms with their Alpha.

    Ryan bet the others didn''t give a shit about Daniel and were secretly hoping he would end up the same way his parents did so they could have a chance to take over the pack - in their dreams hopefully, cause he would protect Alpha Daniel with his own life.

    Phoebe plopped down on a seat facing Daniel''s desk and ordered Ryan " Get me a drink boy "

    His mouth quirked but Ryan didn''t say anything and mind linked the helpers to get phoebe her favourite fizzy drink.

    Just because phoebe changed his diapers when he was still a pup, but she still treated them as if they were kids and though he knew she meant no harm , but it was a huge dent on his pride and reputation.

    " So " She began while Daniel and his beta closed their eyes - it was about to begin.

    "There are rumours circling around that you''ve found your mate "

    " Eh? " Daniel''s eyes flew open without hesitation , that was not what he was expecting at all.

    " What did you just say? " he asked , shifting uneasily in his seat while he had his eyes communicated secretly with Ryan''s.

    Phoebe shook her head " You haven''t heard it? Have you been cooped up in your office all day long? "

    Then she noticed the grimace on his face and added "Did I say something wrong by chance?"

    "You didn''t say anything wrong " he assured her and took her hand, enveloping it with his big hand " But I''m curious who would spread such a rumour ? " he thought aloud.

    If he could remember clearly, the two people who knew he had a mate was Judith and Ryan but these two were his most trusted henchmen and wouldn''t run their mouth carelessly.

    Unless they were not that discreet in their dealings as they thought or the dark witches were at it again.

    But it was unlike their usual mode of operation, the dark witches wouldn''t blow his mate''s cover especially now he has discovered they need her for whatever catastrophic plan they have in the future.

    Or maybe it was just the universe trying to restore its messed up order.

    "But tell me, have you found your mate? if you''ve found her, why are you hiding her? Is she a human by chance ? Is she unaware of your feelings for her? " His aunt bombarded him with questions while he took a deep breath and massaged his temple.

    Daniel could not wave her off cause he understood her concerns. Unlike them who were more in tune with their nature and could recognize their mate by scent, humans were more slower in comprehending and accepting such feelings.

    "But wait a minute, why is your expression like that? " She queried all of a sudden and sprang to her feet " She knows? "

    Shit, Daniel cursed mentally. He was never a good liar when it comes to his aunt phoebe.

    As usual phoebe went on without giving him a chance to say a word " Or is she looking down on you because you live in the village? doesn''t she know that we werewolves choose such a simple life for a good reason? and I bet she must be one of those city girls or those spoilt brats from little Town !"

    She raged on and Ryan snickered quietly at the side, wondering how his alpha was going to get out of this one

    Daniel scratched the back of his head. Where was he even going to start explaining? His aunt has misunderstood a lot of things and the last thing he wanted was his aunt forming an opinion about Lia wrongly.

    It would pose a problem if Lia have a fall-out with his aunt whenever she decides to come to come to Kinney.

    The village was named Kinney after the family of the earliest settlers years back . It was their current settlement and was contained within the boundaries of Little Town.

    Due to the fact it was a rural area, humans from little Towns with no clue about their secret identity tend to look down on them due to their simple way of life .

    They have no knowledge it was just an act to hide their true existence from prying eyes and greedy humans who would need their capabilities for their selfish interests.

    Werewolves enjoyed freedom and locking them up while using them as lab rat was derogatory to their dignity.

    "Aunt Phoebe could you please trust me ..... "

    Daniel faltered midway when he felt Asher tap into the matebond and why was he sending a distress call? Unless...

 Chapter 133 - One Hundred And Thirty-three : Welcome To The Party

    Asher gripped the steering wheel so hard he was surprised he hadn''t destroyed it already. He looked out through the window and cursed, it was still afternoon and inconvenient for him to use his abilities. Vamp speeding was a whole lot comfortable and natural than driving and doesn''t have a speed limit.

    But the broad daylight made it highly impossible to vamp speed to his mate''s place , not when humans were going walking up and down this highway and this time of the year was usually the rush-hour in little Town aka Traffic jam.

    Asher was regretting giving her that drug, it was as if fate was purposely messing with him. Of all days, why does all this have to happen today? He knew Sunshine makes vampires vulnerable, which is why they take it only in the extremest of situation.

    Asher broke his reverie when he felt his cellphone vibrate and ring and picked up at once through his earpiece.

    "Asher speaking "

    "It''s me Daniel " he heard the person from the other end speak up " What is going on? why are you messing with the mate bond? "

    "We have a necromancer going after our mate" he told Daniel and heard him release torrents of curses.

    "I''m coming over " Daniel said to him with a voice filled with determination and anger.

    "Don''t come through the main roads, Little Town festival is already on full mode so the roads are congested, go through the woods route " Asher informed him and Daniel made a low sound of approval before ending the call.

    But no sooner had the call ended , did another come in from Sabrina, he picked up again.

    "What''s going on ?" he asked.

    "I can''t break his control on them, he''s quite strong. " Came her reply.

    "What are you talking about ?"

    Sabrina cleared her throat " I''m trying to say that this is a badass magic and only the necromancer or his death would be able to break whatever compulsion he placed on them. No one else can do that " she explained to him and his mouth quirked. He sure hoped his mate was strong enough to withstand whatever may come her way.

    "They only settled when I knocked them out "

    "Fine then, come to Lia''s. "

    Asher ended the call and killed the engine, he was done with this traffic moreover, his car would be towed away for illegal parking, so he''ll just pay the fine and get it back later anyway.

    So Asher stepped out of his car and off the road and started sprinting. He was a vampire and had an incredible endurance, he wouldn''t get tired until he reached his destination. Though not as fast as when vamp speeding but it was better than being stuck in traffic .

    He went through the streets and several shortcuts and in no time arrived at Lia''s place. The moment Asher stepped feet on the front lawn, his nose scrunched up and his fury rose when he smelt that boy - no the necromancer - he was here.

    Knowing the necromancer must have sensed his arrival too and might be planning his departure already, Asher didn''t go through the front door as planned but instead stood at the direction of his mate''s balcony and jumped.

    He used the air part of his ability to propel himself upward and forward, crashing through the door as the glass shattered and fell in showers.

    Asher stopped right in the middle of the room and raised his hand to strike that necromancer now he had the chance, but froze instead at the scene that welcomed him.

    His mate was kissing Ben - no, the necromancer called Lawrence - and she seemed like she was enjoying every bit of it.

    Searing hot anger rippled through Asher and he furiously separated the duo apart but he had his heart in his stomach when Lia turned and screamed at him.

    The sheer force of her ability blasted him through the walls and sent him plunging one-storey to the ground, falling right in front of Daniel''s foot who was taken aback by the scene.

    "Hi dude " Asher coughed up blood while laying flat on the ground and made a mocking smile curl his bloodied lips as he announced to Daniel " Welcome to the party "

 Chapter 134 - One Hundred And Thirty-four : The Scapegoat

    Daniel didn''t have time to think, he had left his office in the middle of the discussion with his aunt, grabbed an extra clothe and left his pack.

    Thankfully Ryan was a very capable Beta so just an eye contact with him explained everything. Unfortunately, he would have to handle his aunt later by himself but at the moment , his mate needs him the most.

    His shift in the woods was swift and quick simply because his wolf was very anxious and eager to rescue their mate, so he wasn''t surprised when he arrived in littleTown in no time.

    Since his clothes were shredded, he quickly changed into the new one his wolf had held in its mouth throughout the journey.

    Once done, he quickly raced to his Mate''s place but when he arrived , what he never expected was seeing Asher fall from his mate''s balcony and landing right in front of him.

    "Hi dude " He saw Asher cough up blood while on the ground and gave him a stupid smile saying " Welcome to the party "

    Daniel shook his head, gave Asher a hand and pulled him to his feet and asked " What''s going on? "

    "I just caught our mate - ouch ! " Asher was interrupted and winced in pain the moment Daniel pulled out a large shard of glass he hadn''t noticed, embedded and sticking out from his neck.

    "You were saying? " Daniel quirked an eyebrow.

    Asher''s jaw ticked, he knew Daniel pulled it out painfully on purpose and he wasn''t going to let him go scot-free for that.

    "Our mate is cheating on us " He disclosed and Daniels eyes flashed yellow at once while he released a warning growl.

    "Fine, you don''t believe me? Then enjoy the ride "

    Asher told him but before Daniel could understand what he meant, he raised his hands and a strong wind from no where lifted him off his feet and tossed him towards the direction of his mate''s balcony, landing right inside the room face first .

    Still lying on the floor, Daniel looked around and discovered there were two - no three figures standing in the room.

    He sprang to his feet at once , flicked out his claws and bared his teeth at Lawrence who was watching the scene with an amused expression on his face.

    Daniel lunged at the necromancer but his mate Lia suddenly moved from Lawrence''s side and put herself in front of him protectively before screaming straight at Daniel.

    The sheer force of her power rocked him and made him dizzy , Daniel could not understand what happened next but all knew was that he felt weightless for a while before he landed with a thud on the ground.

    Releasing a pained moan , Daniel opened his eyes and saw Asher looming over him but he shook his head and cleared his black dotted vision.

    "What happened? " He asked and sat up, groaning with the effort. His ears were still ringing and one of his hands traveled there only to touch something sticky and wet.

    Daniel stared at his hand which was red; he was bleeding from the ears . Damn it !

    " 1:1 " Asher celebrated " It''s a tie , you finally tasted the same fate as I did " he said in a tone that showed he was pleased with the result.

    Daniel stood to his feet while giving him a dirty look " Our mate was defending him "

    "She is under his control " Asher informed.

    Daniel retorted "Tell that to my wolf who is disappointed and angry at her "

    Asher cocked a brow "Then your wolf is an asshole, tell him I said he''s a dick since he can''t put his money where his mouth is in this situation " he insulted eliciting a feral growl from Daniel.

    But he remained unfazed and added " And we can continue fighting or think of a way to solve this disturbing problem. Your choice" Asher offered and when he saw Daniel calm down, he knew at once he had won.

    "So what''s the plan? "

    "There''s no plan, we''re going in blind " Asher announced and his jaw dropped.

    Daniel pointed to the balcony "I just fell how many meters from that place and you''re asking me to go back there again without a backup plan? I might be a werewolf and heal quickly but the pain is real and I''m not a sucker for pain " He told Asher straightforwardly.

    Asher chuckled "Who said there''s no backup plan? Hello, I''m your backup " he waved his hand to make his presence known.

    "That is so not happening " Daniel disagreed having figured out his plan.

    "Why not? It''s the fastest and most effective I can come up with at the moment. We go in together , you take the hit while I take advantage of the distraction and launch an attack " Asher explained but Daniel strongly objected.

    "Why don''t you take the hit while I launch an attack instead ?" He suggested.

    "I''m sorry kiddo but I''m the one with the powers here " He reminded Daniel and summoned a ball of flame from his hand, intentionally showing off his abilities.

    Brows drawn together and jaw clenched in irritation, Daniel finally took a deep breath and gave in " Fine then, I''ll be the scapegoat "

    "You ready? " Asher asked and positioned his body , ready for their flight " At the count of one..two.. three! " His powers came to work again and Asher hoisted the two of them up rapidly in the air and soon enough found themselves in her room - an empty room.

    Shit, they were gone.

 Chapter 135 - One Hundred And Thirty- Five : The Full Moon

    "This is your fault !" Daniel blamed, pointing at him.

    "Oh, this is my fault now? " Asher questioned back in disbelief.

    "You had an idea all along and you kept it to yourself! " Daniel roared at

    him.

    "Really?" Asher scoffed and rolled his eyes " Who was like ''That is so not happening '' moments ago? " He mimicked sarcastically .

    Furious, Daniel took a step forward ready to throw a punch at him when a voice from behind stopped him.

    "A-asher? " Someone said from behind and he froze. Great, things just a lot messier.

    With excruciating slowness,Asher turned around to face Jenny.

    "Yes it''s me, the one and only " he replied with a joyless expression

    "But why are you here? How did you get in " She asked confused

    "What''s going on? " Jenny further inquired, hand pressing her temple as a throbbing headache rippled through her while the other rubbed her sleepy eyes .

    "I don''t understand, a minute I was standing and the next��.." Jenny suddenly faltered and froze, her eyes bulging wide with shock as she took in her daughter''s room.

    Her hands flew to her mouth as she released a startled gasp while staring at the mess .

    The glass balcony doors and windows were shattered; there were broken shards all over the place.

    The stainless steel balcony railing was dented and crooked as if something strong had made a great impact with it , while there was a gaping hole in the wall; it was a wonder that part of the house was still standing.

    "Oh my God, w-what..? H-how..? " Jenny struggled with words while the two men stared at her, probably flustered as she was, but that was until her eyes rested on the empty and dusty bed.

    Her expression shifted, it was mixed with panic, anxiety and anger.

    "Where is Lia? what have you done to my daughter?! " She fumed and began to flip pillows and sheets off the bed as if her daughter was being hid beneath it.

    "Mrs Jenny, please calm down " Asher tried to coax her but she whipped around and passed him a death glare.

    "Calm down?! "She roared, chest heaving " Where the hell did you keep my daughter?! " She screamed straight at him that he winced internally - Daniel included.

    "She''s safe " Daniel butt in " Your daughter Lia is safe " He tried to assure her as she faced him.

    But she didn''t say anything, just kept staring at him with an intensity that made him uncomfortable.

    Abruptly she asked, "Who are you? "

    Daniel tensed up, crap! He forgot she doesn''t have an idea of him yet.

    "I''m.. I''m��"

    "I''m calling the police " Jenny concluded right away when she couldn''t take the unsettling knot in the pit of her stomach anymore.

    She dug her hand into the pocket of her denim and brought out her phone intending to call the cops. But the phone was snatched away from her hand and her head jerked up

    "What do you think you''re doing?"

    "No one''s calling the police " He told her and crushed the phone beyond redemption with his bare hand while Jenny stared wide-eyed.

    Her lips trembled as she stared at the disfigured phone in his grip and then at his face and back at the phone again, then roared at him

    "Are you crazy?!"

    "I''m not crazy and I know this is hard to believe , but you have to calm down Jenny " he tried to explain but she didn''t listen at all.

    "I should calm down?! where is my daughter?! My daughter is missing and this strange things keep happening and you''re telling me- "

    Suddenly, a whooshing sound was heard drawing everyone''s attention.

    The air in the middle of the room began to ripple and Jenny reflexively took a step back. A glowing portal opened and a form emerged from it, stepping into the room.

    "Sorry, I''m late " She apologised, looking around.

    "Sabrina " Asher breathed in relief.

    Jenny''s probing gaze rested on Sabrina and her brows drew together, expression perplexed.

    It was confusing, she felt like she had seen her but she still looked oddly unfamiliar.

    At that very moment, their eyes connected and the two women froze.

    "Y-you " They both choked, pointing at each other.

    "Weren''t you in her room earlier?"

    " Why are you awake ? "

    They both queried at the same time with shocked expressions.

    No wonder she looked familiar, Jenny thought. Though it was hard to believe since she thought it was all a dream but it was strange.

    Her strong institution told her she had intended checking up on her daughter, but what happened next was somehow creepy, nerving and frustrating.

    Jenny faced him "Asher, why is - "

    "Sabrina, wai-"

    "Fugit: cumque fugisset vir et in memorias " Sabrina casted a spell before Asher was through with his words.

    Jenny''s eyes rolled back and she fell, almost kissing the ground had Daniel not caught her.

    "Mrs Jenny " Daniel shook her before he glanced at Sabrina with anger "What did you do to her? "

    Sabrina raised her chin defiantly "Erased her memories, something you two cannot do "

    "We were handling it well before your arrival " Daniel spat,adjusting Jenny''s weight in his arms properly.

    Sabrina wrapped her arms across her chest and cocked a brow "Of course, you both were handling it perfectly "

    Her words dripped with sarcasm while her eyes focused on the crushed cellphone tossed to a corner of the room.

    Daniel scowled at her before leaving to tuck Jenny in bed.

    "He does have a point, Jenny is Lia''s mother and we can''t keep hiding this from her forever " Asher told her with a deep set of frown on his face.

    "You think I don''t know that? But now is absolutely not the right time " came her reply as she stared at the messy room.

    She threw her hands up in the air and shot at Asher " And seriously , don''t you two understand the word '' play it low-key'' ? "

    Letting out a tired sigh, Sabrina  casted a spell "Redi similis tui non erraverunt "

    Immediately all broken shards began to float in the air and soon flew back to the door and window frames, repairing itself with lightning speed and soon was as good as new; as if it was never broken at all.

    The crooked balcony railing straightened at once while the gaping hole closed up, everything returned back to how it was.

    "By the way where is your mate, did you take her away? " She questioned as soon as it came to mind.

    A solemn expression appeared on his face and sighed deeply.

    She read his facial expression " I''m guessing that''s bad news "

    "She has been compromised, " Daniel announced to her, striding into the room.

    "I thought the evil eye had effect on humans only , I didn''t know it had effect on supernaturals too " She murmured beneath her breath but the two supernatural creatures in front of her heard it clearly.

    "Evil eye? " the both chorused.

    "You heard-oh " She had forgotten they had incredible hearing

    "There are rumours that Lawrence comes from a demonic bloodline which granted him another power aside from his necromancy " Sabrina explained .

    "His eyes " Asher muttered " Before I was miserably tossed out of the room, I saw them flash an eerie green "

    "That must be how he charmed my mate " Daniel figured out, then his gaze purposely rested on Asher "He''s the same like all disgusting vampires who compel unsuspecting victims to their trap "

    Asher''s jaw ticked and he sassed back " It''s quite funny but I think we''re quite better than you dogs who dismember and tear humans to pieces out of your miserable rage "

    Daniel growled, his iris flashed yellow and bared razor sharp teeth but Asher snarled back exposing protruding fangs and lowered his body into a fighting stance.

    They tried to lunge at each other but Sabrina came in between them, using her magic to barricade them.

    "What the hell is wrong with the both of you?! Can''t you coexist for once without threatening to tear each other apart? " She yelled at both of them before turning to face Daniel in particular,

    "And you, can''t you shut your trap for a while, why are you being such a pain in the ass ?!"

    "It''s the full moon tonight " Asher realized shockingly, he couldn''t believe he let that wolf get to him

    "His wolf is slowing rising to the surface hence his irritably attitude "

    "How comforting " Sabrina groaned out loud "So you''re trying to say he''s not going to be of much help tonight "

    Daniel protested "I can control my wolf !"

    "When the moon is at its peak? " Asher challenged and he tried to refute the claim but couldn''t.

    Though they could shift at will but werewolves were highly tethered to the moon and would normally wolf out on such days.

    "If Daniel is out, then we need more help since I won''t be there " Sabrina told them .

    Asher glanced up and asked sternly "Why won''t you be there? You know we can''t do this without you "

    "The council has ordered me to back out of this case, the falcon coven would be taking over it and I''m afraid  if things continues this way, Lia would be discovered "

    "It''s not yet time for the council to learn of Lia, at lest until she chooses a mate. If the council hears she has a double mate, it would pose more problems than we already have in our hands  "

    "Perhap if Sabrina can update us on their whereabouts, I can distract them while you get our mate to safety " Daniel suggested.

    Asher was genuinely surprised at his selfless offer but he shook his head in refusal " No, you''re her mate too and she might choose you in the future moreover, I can''t tell what the council would do to you if they find out you intentionally obstructed them"

    "Then what do you suggest, cause I won''t sit and watch my mate get captured? " He declared firmly.

    " We need someone who the council cannot afford to trifle, someone who can toy with them without even lifting a finger " Asher''s lips curled up

    "And I think I know the perfect  person for the job "

 Chapter 136 - One Hundred And Thirty-six : The Helper

    "  "A mate " he started, his breath ragged "Is your other half, your soulmate, your companion for life, someone you''re willing to catch a grenade for, someone you want to wake up to for eternity, someone you don''t want to share with others! someone you love endlessly! and someone you do this to passionately! "

    He sealed her lips with his as soon as the words left his mouth. Lia was wide-eyed, she didn''t know how to respond, he took her by surprise.

    When he didn''t get a response from her, he growled and  bit down on her lower lips. She winced from the pain but at least it reminded her what they were in the middle of doing.

    Lia began to kiss him back with a passion she didn''t know she had in her. The kiss wasn''t slow nor sweet, it was hot and demanding, the both couldn''t get enough of each other.

    "You''re my mate, aren''t you?" Lia asked as soon as she came up for air.

    He replied with a growl "Just shut up and kiss "

    Lia made a low sound of pressure when he pressed her to his body, he was standing in between her legs since she was still sitting on his desk.

    She found herself wrapping her legs around him as their lips moved in sync once more."

    "What are you thinking? " Lawrence asked her and she blinked, the unexpected memory trailing away.

    Lia shook her head with a fake smile "Nothing, just a useless imagination "

    But of course how could Lawrence believe her, everyone under his compulsion was connected to him so he could feel when any of them were drifting away.

    He had felt when a foreign presence accessed her mind, thankfully his distraction broke the link.

    Out of all the people he put under his control, Lia and her brother weared him out the most, they were always struggling to remember something.

    Lia was confused, that memory felt so real yet , she couldn''t remember doing any of it.

    Besides who was that guy, though  his face was blurry but she strangely felt connected, more like drawn to him.

    Her insides were in a turmoil, as if something was warning of danger but each time she tried to move, something kept pulling her back.

    "Stop thinking" Lawrence told her and clasped her face towards him when he felt that strange intrusion probing her mind again.

    "Is not real, he''s just trying to mess with your mind " he told her, looking her straight in the eyes just as his eyes flashed green.

    Lawrence sneered inwardly, no matter how much he persisted, he would not let her give him the access he wanted.

    "He''s not real, he''s just trying to mess with my mind " Lia chanted robotically before she forcefully shut that foreign presence out of her mind.

    "That''s my girl " Lawrence smiled, he then lowered his head and kissed her and she responded with the same passion as him.

    But suddenly she groaned and drew away as if repulsed, causing his brows furrowed.

    Lia clutched her stomach as a sudden, sharp pain made her double over while her fangs ached.

    "Why are your eyes blue? " Lawrence questioned, confusion crossing his features. Throughout her stay with him, her eyes remained magenta but why did her eyes suddenly switch colour ?

    Lawrence began to search the boy''s memories, it seems he had dared to keep something from him. He felt Ben fight his intrusion but as usual he overpowered his consciousness and in mere seconds, got what he wanted.

    "No matter how much you struggle, you can''t defeat me cause I am now you " he told Ben smugly and jerked back to reality.

    He looked towards the sky, soon the sun would go down and the moon would come up and he would break free of all the shackles; he would be free and so would the rest of his powers!

    "Come " he commanded, gesturing to her to come to him and she obeyed without resistance.

    As soon as lia was in his arms, he lifted her chin and said to him " Just like a coin, you have two sides and the reason you''ve been so powerless is because you depended on one side so much it''s destroying you. "

    He bent and whispered into her ear

    "It''s time to become stronger cause the battle is beginning soon " his gaze then moved to the setting sun.

    Meanwhile :

    " What are you doing? " Sabrina asked Asher who sat on the bare floor , leg crossed and eyes closed.

    "Shhh" Daniel hushed her the moment she tried to speak again.

    Sabrina looked on confused "What is he doing? "

    "He tapped into the matebond. Something I tried earlier but didn''t succeed since I couldn''t sense her, but it seems he has caught onto something " Daniel explained, watching Asher with rapt attention.

    Unlike vampires and werewolves, witches fall in the normal range of human relationships and do not have to wait a century or decade just to meet that chosen one.

    If it wasn''t for the fact that Dan''s mate was late, Sabrina wouldn''t have bothered to glance twice at him, talk more of dating him?

    Getting involved with a bonded  creature when clearly not the mate often gets complicated, messy and heated when the mate finally arrives.

    But just because Sabrina didn''t get to experience the matebond or whatever doesn''t mean she wasn''t interested in whatever was going on.

    She watched Asher interestedly until blood suddenly began to drip from his nose and ears leaving her flabbergasted.

    A hint of panic in her voice,she asked "What''s going on? "

    "I think something is blocking him "

    "Or maybe someone " She altered.

    Asher gasped and his eyes snapped open, he rose to his feet and looked around before he pressed a hand on his forehead.

    "What happened? " Daniel inquired curiously.

    "I sent a memory to her mind through the matebond and I really felt things were going well until she abruptly kicked me out of the bond and no matter how much I try to get in,my attempts proved abortive - I can''t even feel her " Asher complained.

    " I''ve come up with a theory " Sabrina began, drawing their attention

    "I think Lawrence''s  evil eye works like some sort of virus - no parasite - it takes over the body and bends it to his will without the host gaining anything. But the main precaution should be never looking him in the eye "

    Raphael who had been strangely quiet all this time released a mocking laugh, " How in the world are we supposed to defeat something we can''t see? "

    "Stab out your eye, you will heal anyway " Daniel replied sarcastically, he had officially met someone he hated more than Asher - the fact the both were half-brothers irked him anyway

    Flashback :

    Stomping her feet , Sabrina exasperated "Why Raphael?"

    "Who is Raphael? " Daniel asked and the both of them gave him a deadpan look before realizing their mistake.

    They forgot werewolves tend to live reclusively - no wonder he had no clue about Raphael''s brotherhood with Asher - they couldn''t blame him exactly, such news was not something to be proud of.

    "He''s my half-brother " he disclosed.

    "H-half-brother? " his eyes widened "You have a half-brother ? why didn''t you tell me?  Does our mate know? "

    " Yes " Asher answered and opened the door to his private prison, letting them in.

    Daniel''s mouth quirked up, he was the only one left in the dark? Well, who cares - it hurts though.

    "By the way what are we doing here? " came Daniel''s question as he took in the strange hallway.

    " Going to see my brother? " Asher replied and moved to lead the way.

    His brows lifted " You had your brother locked up? "

    "Why? Cruel? I heard you murdered that relative of yours that poisoned you by feeding him to the wild wolves " Asher insinuated he was no better than him.

    Daniel tried to keep a neutral expression but his mask somehow cracked, an arrogant smirk tugging Asher''s lips.

    "And my dear little brother still has his ever sharp tongue " a voice came from one of the prison room which they approached swiftly.

    "I wasn''t expecting your visit this early or did you miss me so much you came with friends just to entertain your elder brother ? " Rapheal jibed.

    Asher''s jaw ticked and his fist clenched at his sides but he slowly contained his anger ; Raphael was born to ruffle his feathers.

    "We - I need your help " he gritted.

    Raphael laughed, mockingly " You need my help? " he asked pointing at his chest " Me? "

    "Yes you "

    "Let me guess " his eyes twinkled

    "Your strange girlfriend is in trouble? "

    Asher''s head jerked up while Daniel glanced up surprised " He knows about Lia too? How could you tell him that when you know the more people knows, the easier for the council to discover her identity? "

    Raphael''s eyes narrowed as he picked up something strange " Why does this werewolf sound so concerned over your girlfriend?"

    Asher tensed up, he remembered his brother still doesn''t have an idea Lia possesses two mates.

    " He''s her friend "

    "That would be my fee for helping you in whatever suicidal mission I''m about to take on "

    Their eyes met and held, Asher told him straightforwardly " I can''t tell you that "

    Raphael pursed his lips in a nonchalant manner " Then go find help another vampire, I can''t help you "came his conclusion

    "I''m her ex-boyfriend " Daniel announced out of nowhere and all attention focused on him.

    Raphael released a hearty laugh " How interesting " but the laughter came to a sudden halt while his expression changed to a serious one " Unfortunately I wasn''t born this morning, so the truth or no help "

 Chapter 137 - One Hundred And Thirty- Seven : Its Time

    "We can''t tell him that, " Sabrina protested.

    "But we need his help, it''ll take time to gather my forces and I don''t know what that Lawrence would do to Lia now she''s unprotected " Asher reasoned much to Sabrina''s annoyance even though she knew he was right.

    "He has a point here Sabrina " Daniel supported him " We don''t have much time left especially now the council is on the move " he reminded her.

    "Fine, do whatever you want but don''t say I didn''t warn you, because I won''t be there to clean up your mess afterwards " her nostrils flared as she warned them.

    Daniel and Asher passed her a grateful smile and mumbled something under their breath while making sure they were out of earshot.

    "So have you finally decided? " Raphael questioned as soon as the duo started towards his prison gate " What would it be? The truth or no help "

    "Lia is our mate " Asher divulged to Raphael.

    The confident smile on Raphael''s face froze, replaced by an uneasy one "O-our? What do you mean ''our?'' Do you know ''our'' is a plural form - "

    Asher interrupted him "You heard me right, Raphael. Lia has two mate"

    An awkward silence wrapped everyone for a while until Raphael began to laugh hysterically.

    "You guys are in deep shit, you know that? What in the world is Lia? ."

    But Asher bypassed his question

    "No more dilly-dally, you''ve had your questions answered already, this is the time to honour your word " Asher said to him and moved to release  him out of the prison just as Raphael rose to his feet.

    " So when do we start? "

    End of flashback. Back to present :

    "So what''s the plan? What suicidal intentions  have you guys paved for me? " Raphael asked jokingly.

    "Alright, here we go " Sabrina magically made a map appear out of the air and spread it out on the large table in Asher''s living room.

    "According to plans,this is LittleTown''s cemetery and the council should have stationed the falcon coven there " She explained pointing to a place marked ''X '' on the map.

    " Lawrence is dangerous, so they wouldn''t close in on him at once but stay and observe him a few metres away " She said and pointed to another point.

    Then she gestured to Raphael " Whatever you do, your duty should be to distract Amala and her backup, don''t allow them to cross over there else it''s game over " She circled an area with a pen.

    "Then here" She readjusted and zoomed in on the map with her magic as Asher and Daniel drew closer

    "This should be the entrance and would be heavily guarded by Lawrence''s recently reanimated corpses "  She glanced up at Daniel with a strict expression.

    "Now that would be your job Danny boy, you have to break through the fortress but there''s a problem "

    Daniel asked "What? "

    Sabrina rubbed her chin thoughtfully "This is just a hypothesis but I think Lawrence might bring some humans into the mix "

    " What do you mean? "

    "If he can compel students at the school, there''s also a high chance he might compel some locals - "

    " To distract us and buy time for himself, " Asher completed.

    Raphael smirked " He knows we''re coming, he''s fully prepared "

    "The council''s responsibility is to keep balance between the humans and the supernaturals, so they wouldn''t  like casualties especially when it involves the loss of a human life " She enlightened and clued Daniel.

    "You want me to be able to differentiate between the reanimated corpses and the compelled beings? " Daniel rubbed his head, this was going to be insanely difficult to achieve.

    " You do know tonight is a full moon and it would be much harder to be in control of myself talkmore taking others into consideration " he reminded her.

    "That would be your cross to bear but on the good side, you just need to knock them out. Just remind your wolf not to rip nor claw anyone''s heart out and you''re good to go. Moreover Asher would be there to support you "

    " I would? " He was surprised, he was expecting something different.

    "The two of you would break through Laurence''s formation and create a path, then Daniel takes over and does his part, which leaves you...? "

    Sabrina moved a hand to another position on the map " Here. Thanks to Lia''s incredible power and link to you, I''m sure Lawrence would have her and Trevor at his side. "

    Asher nodded " She''s his insurance since he knows how much she means to me  and would use that against me "

    Daniel looked up the moment he heard Asher''s heart stirring words but didn''t say anything and went back to reviewing his plans.

    "Trevor would be easy to handle but the problem is your mate.Since she''s under Lawrence''s control, there''s no doubt you''ll be up against her, would you be okay though ? " Sabrina asked him concernedly.

    Asher wrapped his arms around himself and replied determinedly " She can''t die so if hurting her means getting her back, I''ll  have no choice than to do it "

    " Well " Sabrina shrugged " Anything you say, but your main purpose should be getting Lia out of there before the falcon coven arrives else her identity is discovered "

    " What about the boy ? " Daniel asked out of nowhere.

    "What boy? " Raphael asked, sitting on a couch and swung his leg over the other.

    "The boy possessed by the necromancer? "

    Sabrina frowned " You mean Ben?"

    "Yes, the boy Ben. Who would take care of him? What if he ruins the plan? " came Daniel''s question.

    "As far as you don''t charge at him first, he''ll be too busy unsealing his powers to fight you - at least until he recovers all his powers "

    "So you mean we would let that filthy demon take over Ben''s body without a fight ? " Asher asked, unable to keep the shock, disbelief, then sorrow out of his voice.

    Sabrina sighed " There is not enough time to go through this plan and right now, it''s either we rescue Lia or lose her to the council , as much as I hate to say this, but Ben brought this upon himself "

    Asher''s eyes narrowed " But we still can''t give up on him, though he indeed caused it but he doesn''t deserve this and you of all people knows how much he means to Lia " he tried to convince her.

    Sabrina ran her hands through her hair, everything was just too overwhelming and they had a limited time " Fine, just rescue your mate quicker and Ben might have a chance of being rescued "

    Though there was no assurance, Asher was relieved to know he could still try and rescue him.

    "I like you, you''re bold, feisty and confident " Raphael complimented her but she gave a deathglare and retorted instead,

    "Why don''t you shut your trap and indeed give us a preview of your plans "

    Rapheal whistled " Commando " causing Sabrina to flush red from anger and embarrassment.

    " Rapheal " Asher said his name but there was a warning edge to it "Behave "

    Rapheal pouted his lips and put on a sullen look  " Alright mom " he taunted on purpose.

    At once he gestured to both of his men - recently released from Asher''s prison- who had been sitting at the bottom of the flight of stairs leading into the living room and they approached him.

    "As you know this is Iark and he has the ability to induce the truth out of someone " he explained and placed his hand on Iark''s shoulder .

    Raphael then turned towards the other figure on his left hand side " And this is his brother Ozark and he has the *mimicry ability, he can copy anyone he desires "

    As soon as Rapheal introduced him, Ozark transformed in a blur and Ben stood right in front of them albeit with Ozark''s clothes.

    The three of them stared mouth agape, the scene was oddly familiar to zukai''s transformation, aside the fact Zukai could only morph between his sister and himself.

    Asher was the first to recover " As awesome as this look but this can''t work "

    "What do you mean? " Daniel asked.

    "He only looks appearance wise like Be-Lawre- whatever - but powerwise?  Nothing " he argued.

    "Don''t be faster than your shadow dear brother " Rapheal said to him languidly before placing a hand on Ozark''s chest, shutting his eyes in concentration.

    If they were fascinated earlier, then now they were insanely blown out of their minds.

    The moment Raphael touched Ozark''s shoulder and concentrated, he replicated Ozark until there were four identical versions of Ozark standing right in front of them.

    "Holy shit " Sabrina exclaimed in surprise " Your powers evolved? " she stared in wonder.

    "What happens when they''re uncountable Bens ? Enough chaos to keep the falcon busy " Raphael summarized with a self-accomplished smile on his face.

    Unlike the enthusiastic Sabrina and Daniel, Asher was now deep in thought. It seems his brother has been getting stronger and stronger and he was completely oblivious to that.

    Asher was not fooled by his brother''s kind and cruel front - the Raven clan were known for their slyness so it wasn''t really surprising .

    He just had to keep his guard on and be prepared for whenever he latches a surprise attack on him.

    "How much more can you replicate with this evolved ability of yours ? " Sabrina asked, impressed.

    " I believe ten at the moment "

    "Liar " Asher thought inwardly " It was much more than that "

    "The sun has gone " Daniel suddenly informed them and their eyes moved to the window.

    " It''s time "

    *Mimicry : the ability to imitate others, either by sound or appearance, or to

    merge with their environment

 Chapter 138 - One Hundred And Thirty-eight : In The Cemetery

    Sabrina was confused yet she couldn''t wave off the bad vibe she was getting. Why would the falcon coven require her presence just a few minutes to the battle?

    Why the sudden summon? Had they found something out? Did they somehow figure out she plotted something? But how? She had been meticulous in the plans unless�� had Rapheal stabbed them in the back?

    Sabrina looked over her shoulder just to be sure she was safe, it was late already and fog had filled the path while the full moon rose high into the sky, casting it''s light upon the night - they were running out of time.

    Little Town cemetery was covered with tall, overgrown bushes and trees obviously from lack of care, people hardly visited here - yeah people not supernaturals.

    Left for the council alone they would''ve captured Lawrence during the day but it was risky, they still don''t know the extent of his powers and cruelty moreover, humans would have stumbled on the scene and made things more complicated;but the night camouflaged and provided the perfect cover for them.

    Sabrina stood at the front porch and was about to knock on the door of the rustic house when it opened on its own with a loud creak.

    Taking a deep breath, she looked around her surroundings once more - Asher and the others should have arrived already - and stepped into the cabin.

    Nobody was in sight but she could feel their presence, their magic was all over the place.

    "I thought I was told to back out of this mission " Sabrina said to no one in particular .

    Suddenly, several robed people appeared out of nowhere, and her lips tugged to the side, she had been right : they were using the invisibility spell.

    "Sorry for our lack of manners, fellow sister Sabrina, but we''ve been quite cautious of everything and everyone judging from the battle we''re about to face " One of them said and pulled down the hood of her purple robe.

    Sabrina was calm and stared at the brunette beauty who looked twenty but was in reality older than everyone in that room.

    The rest of the falcon coven surrounded the room in a circle but Sabrina couldn''t help but notice she was circled alongside Amala not to mention, her stomach was still giving her that weird feeling.

    Amala smiled at her, flashing her maintained white canines which didn''t move Sabrina at all.

    For some unknown reasons, she has never liked this witch - they weren''t friends neither were they enemies, just so-so.

    "You chose quite a strategic point " Sabrina said instead when she didn''t get her questions answered.

    " Excuse me? "

    "You didn''t dare to get so close in order not to alert him but neither stayed too far, just to keep watch on him " Sabrina referred to the cabin.

    She was no fool, until now there was no cabin near Little Town cemetery, who would dare live near such an eerie looking place.

    Witches had always used the ground for certain rituals since most supernatural creatures had been buried here after the Great Purge.

    Unlike humans, all supernatural creatures leave a trace of magic behind when dead, so most witches prefer to draw and strengthen their magic from those instead of the Haunted House.

    "This is something we wouldn''t have done in the first place if you had performed your duty well " came Amala''s scolding.

    "I did everything I could, it was just a mistake! " Sabrina retorted.

    "The council doesn''t pardon such mistakes! For every err, there''s a consequence !" Amala raised her voice.

    Eyes narrowed, Sabrina instinctively took a step back but she bumped into a body.

    Her eyes widened as she saw the coven members closing in on her and forcing her to the middle of the little space they provided her.

    "What do you think you''re doing?!" Sabrina hissed at Amala who was nonchalantly pouring a suspicious looking liquid on her hands.

    "The council has given me the power and authority to mete out your punishment " Amala said at last to her, causing her blood to chill.

    At once Sabrina tried to summon a portal but one of Amala''s people blasted her with magic causing her to scream out in pain.

    " Umm " She moaned but still didn''t give up "You can''t do this to me, I want to receive my punishment from the council directly! "

    Amala scoffed " You should be grateful to me, compared to what the council would have done to you, I''m more lenient " she justified her action but the smile on Sabrina''s lips mocked her.

    "Oh please " Sabrina rolled her eyes in utter contempt, she didn''t believe a thing that bitchy witch just said.

    "Believe it or not, I don''t care " Then she gestured her lackeys " Hold her down "

    Sabrina sprang up " Iubes me fluviosque innare fluctuat omnis aere ventus et tonitrua, guide est filia eius ex .... "

    She began to say a spell but Amala was quick to counter it,

    "Quae penes me scribere haec potentia convertero secundarum casted "

    The impact of the two spells clashing caused Sabrina to forcefully eject a mouthful of blood, it was obvious Amala was the stronger witch.

    " Now! " She commanded her people and two figures grabbed Sabrina''s arms while the other placed her hand on her shoulder, forcing the helpless witch to her knees.

    " Let me go!  I said let me go! " She screamed on top of her lungs, struggling to be set free all to no avail.

    Amala stood in front of her and placed a hand on her forehead, she began to chant a spell "Quod datum vobis, ut, progeniem: pythonissam vires auferat tua tolle de Coven vulturem"

    Sabrina released an earth shattering scream as an intense pain rippled through her while Amala gasped as a new rush of power filled her.

    It seemed to last forever but after a while Amala pulled away while Sabrina''s eyes rolled back and she slumped to the ground.

    " Take her away "Amala commanded with a blank face.

    But just as they bent to pick her up, the door snapped open and one of her coven members rushed in breathlessly

    " We are under attack, the boy is - Ahhh! "  she had yet to finish her announcement when something or rather someone snatched her from behind and flung her to God knows from.

    "Who missed me? " Lawrence stepped into the light.

    " Attack! "

    ****************

    "Raphael and his people have made their move " Asher murmured to Daniel as they stared at the fight going on at the cabin " It''s left for the both of us to make our ��.."

    Asher turned around surprised, Daniel was no longer beside him but he could hear the snapping and popping of bones behind him, which all happened in a millisecond.

    A snarl ensued, next a huge grey coloured wolf came to sight .

    " Wow that transformation must have hurt " Asher teased and the grey wolf growled warningly at him.

    But Asher wasn''t done. " Why is your fur grey? I thought most Alpha werewolves have black fur? "

    A threatening growl came this time from his carefully set razor sharp teeth causing Asher to raise his hands in surrender.

    "Fine, I give up " then his eyes moved to the cemetery entrance " It''s time "

    He pushed the old rusty gate and it swung open with a loud creak and the vampire and werewolf stepped into the gothic looking cemetery .

    "It looks empty, " Asher said and earned a yip from Daniel.

    "Dude, I don''t understand wolf language, " he complained.

    Another bark.

    "If you''re that desperate to talk to me, just change back to human form "

    And Daniel did just that, except Asher forgot the naked part.

    "Christ !" Asher yelped and looked away " Don''t you wolves know about the word  called '' decency '' " he whined.

    Daniel rolled his eyes with annoyance " You asked me to change, didn''t you? "

    "Yeah, but you �� " His voice faltered when his eyes unconsciously yet curiously rested on Daniel''s

    Ding-a-ling.

    Asher cleared his throat " Is that real ? "

    "What is real ?" Daniel was confused until his eyes followed Asher''s gaze.

    "Seriously?! " Daniel gave him a dirty look and his hands flew with lightning speed to his below, covering his Ding-a-ling.

    "Forget I said anything, let''s focus on our mission " Asher tried to salvage what''s left of his reputation.

    "Do you see anything?" he asked Daniel, It was no secret that a wolf''s vision was far much better than a vampire''s at night.

    Though both were nocturnal creatures but werewolves were far more advanced.

    Daniel nodded and blinked, his eyes illuminating a very bright yellow as he began to scan their environment.

    The night was foggy and the trees casted long and scary shadows in the moonlight while the silent graveyard did justice to the eeriness.

    " I hear heartbeats but I don''t see anything "  Daniel told him as they walked further into the cemetery.

    " This doesn''t make sense " Asher remarked.

    "It really doesn''t "

    He turned to face Daniel " How many cemeteries do we have in little Town? "

    "One, as far as I know and - "

    " Don''t move " He suddenly commanded Daniel.

    "Why? "

    " We can''t see them because they''re actually beneath us "

    Almost immediately, the soil beneath Daniel moved and a hand grabbed unto his leg.

 Chapter 139 - One Hundred And Thirty-nine : Fight Like A Man

    Warning : This particular scene contains gory scenes, read at your own risk.

    "I hate sneak attacks " Daniel said, obviously displeased and stomped the hand holding onto his leg heavily over and over again until it was a mushy mess on the floor.

    "Eww, you werewolves are so disgusting! You could have killed it in one clean move, why make it so hardcore? " Asher cringed the moment Daniel raised his bare feet with fleshy bits and blood sticking to it.

    "I''m sorry I forgot you can''t handle this kind of violence after all vampires are womanly " Daniel incited him to anger and Asher snarled at him but something else drew their attention.

    Graves began to open and people walked out of it while some others climbed out of the ground and before long, a little more than hundred reanimated corpses all stood before them.

    "Please tell me those aren''t witches? " Daniel asked no one in particular.

    As if to answer his question, one of the corpses raised her hand and summoned a lightning spell towards them which they dodged effortlessly - it seems years of being dead has rusted their skills.

    "You really had to jinx your luck? " Asher stared at him like he was stupid. He continued " But on the bright side there are not only witches but wendigoes, vampires, and your own kind, werewolves to face-off "

    Asher referred to the reanimated corpses positioning their bodies into an attacking stances across from them.

    "I take the ones on the left and you on the right " Daniel shared the duties but Asher laughed, a tone of mockery in his voice.

    "I think you''re forgetting something here? I''m here as a support not a sidekick, your job is to create a path for me to go through and find our mate before it''s too late " Asher reminded him and he growled in annoyance.

    "Fine, whatever "

    Daniel glanced at the corpses who, as if they guessed their intention, started blocking any further entrance into the cemetery.

    Asher figured out "He''s in their minds, he''s controlling them "

    "Sure he is, that bastard " Daniel cursed out loud, clenching his fist " Alright, this is it. I''ll create a path at the count of one�� two�� three now "

    As if a gun went off in the air, they  began to run towards the direction of the corpses with crazy speed.

    Contrary to what the corpses expected, a few metres from clashing with them, Asher and Daniel jumped.

    In midair, Daniel quickly shifted into his wolf form while Asher made visible his fangs and sharp fingers as they landed right in the middle of the lion''s den.

    Once they touched the ground, they brought some of their enemies down with them and quickly ended them.

    Daniel grabbed the witch that almost blasted him earlier with his sharp teeth and tore her head right out of her body - she had been his target from the very start and finally got her.

    A fellow vampire tried to grab Asher from the back but he sidestepped him, quickly ripped out his heart and he crumpled to the ground.

    But for him to turn around, a werewolf knocked him to the ground, it''s powerful jaws and teeth slobbering a few metres away from his face.

    He quickly launched a powerful punch on its skull and another one that sent the werewolf flying through the air albeit with broken bones.

    Asher quickly stood to his feet and saw a wendigo try to attack Daniel from behind while he was busy finishing off another witch .

    He grabbed a fistful of the scanty wendigo''s hair from behind and snapped his neck with a crack causing Daniel to look back.

    "You owe me one " He told the surprised wolf.

    But Daniel without warning leaped over his head causing him to duck instinctively as he tackled another creature to the ground and ripped its throat and stomach.

    "Oh " Asher realized he just saved him from being attacked.

    Daniel barked at him but he gladly interrupted it as " We''re even now "

    Suddenly another creature tried to lunge at him again and Daniel prepared to tackle that one too.

    "No wait, that''s a human " Asher  tried to stop him but in the process suffered a scratch from Daniel''s claws.

    With the fury boiling in him, Asher backhanded the compelled human with a momentum that knocked all his teeth out of his mouth causing him to pass out while Daniel shifted back to his human form.

    " I''m sorry " Daniel apologised and examined the arm where he clawed Asher

    "You have to leave now, rescue our mate and get yourself treated before the effects of the venom kicks in "

    " I have a high tolerance !" Asher gritted his teeth

    "Rescue our mate first and we can argue about that later " Daniel told him and patted him on the shoulder.

    He quickly added " I''m very sorry for hurting you but go now!" and shifted back to his wolf form.

    But the moment Asher tried to make a step, the surviving corpses assembled themselves and blocked his path.

    His jaw clenched " Move! " Came his strict command but the creatures hissed, growled and snarled at him defiantly.

    A wicked smile tugged the corners of his mouth " Trust me, you don''t want to make me angry "

    Asher closed his eyes and the creatures watched him interestedly as if waiting to see what he would do.

    For a few minutes nothing happened until an abrupt strong wind began to blow.

    As if the wind was manipulated, it quickly swept through the reanimated corpses, tossing and pushing them to the sides as an aisle was created.

    The temperature started to drop and as thick as Daniel''s fur was he couldn''t help but shiver, what was Asher doing?

    Asher opened his eyes and commenced his journey through the cleared path as if he was taking a walk through his backyard garden.

    The daring corpses who tried to stand in his way froze into ice upon contact leaving Daniel dumbfounded.

    The vampire was making his work easier for him! Invigorated, Daniel charged at them, planning to finish them all this time.

    Asher was angry, very angry and he made sure those creatures who tried to stop him paid for it.

    He walked further into the cemetery and didn''t search for long before he spotted Ben - no - Lawrence .

    It seems the boy was really gone, he could already see a lot of changes in him.

    His once curly hair was now straightened and tousled while his colourful and simple style of clothing had turned darker yet tastier - perhaps he would have appreciated Lawrence''s taste of fashion if they weren''t on bad terms.

    Lawrence was standing on a ruined elevated platform, beside a gothic altar table filled with items Asher couldn''t exactly describe and watching him with a curious yet impressed gaze.

    "You''re strong. Infact powerful, Asher of the Nicolli Clan " Lawrence said to him as soon as their eyes met.

    But he ignored him and went straight to the point " Where is my mate?"

    "I heard about you and your exploits even before I was captured " he sidestepped Asher''s question.

    "Your father Antonio and his shenanigans.You know, I always admired his works and wanted to meet him " he tsk tsked "What a shame he didn''t make it "

    "Where is my mate?! " Asher repeated his question, voice firmer.

    "But his son didn''t follow his footsteps at all " Lawrence continued to ignore his question "And here I was thinking the apple doesn''t fall far from the tree "

    Infuriated, Asher tried to strode up the stairs but was knocked back by a force; Lawrence put up a barrier, he realized.

    "Oh right, you were asking a question " the irritating necromancer brought up his question with a mocking gleam in his eyes.

    "Lia is fine but your mate is forever gone, who I have here is my queen " he said, stretching out his hand and from nowhere Lia strutted towards him with a dazzling smile on her face.

    Asher didn''t take his eyes off her, his intense gaze followed her every movement as if captivated.

    Lia was wearing a long embroidered flowy white gown with revealing shoulders and cleavages while her hair cascaded down her shoulder in waves ; she looked like a goddess with her enthralling beauty.

    But that enthralling goddess was under the influence of a devil right now.

    "My King " She said, bowed and put her hands in Lawrence''s .

    " See?" He directed the question at Asher " She''s completely mine "

    Lawrence then kissed her right in front of Asher who released a frustrated scream.

    He then began to punch the barrier frantically, each blow lighting it up but it didn''t crack nor did it relieve the anger that was coursing through his veins.

    "Are you that aggrieved? " Lawrence

    had a self- satisfied smirk on his face.

    "Why don''t you come out and find out?! " he spat back with venom " Stop hiding like a chicken and come out, fight like a man if you are one ! " Asher goaded him to fight.

    Lawrence''s eyes flashed with anger and he replied " Sure I would "

    He climbed down the stage.

 Chapter 140 - One Hundred And Forty : Im Sorry

    Lawrence walked through the barrier like it was nothing, well he was the one who put it up anyway.

    "I respected and admired your father but not his son " he remarked .

    Asher gritted his teeth " See who cares " and started towards him but just as he was about to grab Lawrence, he disappeared and reappeared behind him.

    " Peekaboo "  He poked fun at Asher''s failure to catch him.

    Asher whipped around and slashed at Lawrence with his sharp nails that wouldn''t exactly be referred to as a claw; unfortunately it slashed through empty air.

    But just as Lawrence was about to reappear on the other side, a spiked shaped ice flew past him, narrowly missed him but grazed him on the cheek.

    Lawrence stopped, touched a hand on his cheek and saw blood. His lips curled up, snorted in disbelief and  he turned around, facing Asher who was staring at him with a murderous glare.

    "It seems I have underestimated you " he said in a whisper, as if finding it hard to believe.

    "Oh trust me, we''re just getting started"

    Asher then raised his hand forming numerous spiked ice in the air that encompassed him.

    During this short moment of hide-and-seek as Lawrence thought, he had studied his teleportation spell. It was limited and could only cover a five meters distance; neither could he stay hidden for more than two seconds.

    "What are you doing? " Asher caught the panic in his voice when he directed the sharp edges towards him.

    "Unless you''re as fast as a vampire or have another trump card, I''m definitely sure you can''t avoid this "

    "Contrary to what I thought, you''ve been studying my movements " Lawrence figured out soberly.

    He knew once he made a move, Asher would release those spikes and no matter how long he hid - which wouldn''t last anyway - the spike would still find him.

    "Quite a disaster you would hurt others too " the necromancer pointed out.

    Asher understood his point, once he released those spikes it would fly in all directions but Lawrence forgot one thing.

    " Lia can''t die, at least not by these " he reminded him gleefully.

    Lawrence shook his head " I don''t mean her you overconfident fool, but him "

    That was when Asher turned around and spotted Trevor standing beside his sister, the both of them looking at him in a way that made goosebumps appear on his arms.

    If one of these spikes pierced Trevor''s heart by accident, there was no way he would survive it; he was a human.

    Asher sighed heavily but steadied his heart on his decision, perhaps he could somehow redirect the spikes from reaching Trevor - if the necromancer wouldn''t try a foul play, it was still risky.

    Flustered and in a dilemma, Asher''s powers spiked and the suspended spikes moved a bit forward.

    "Ah-ah, you had better be careful" Lawrence said, shaking his finger at him " Just a stab and '' oh my poor child '' Trevor drops dead " Lawrence clutched his heart and demonstrated dramatically.

    The veins on Asher''s body protruded, it was obvious he was fighting an intense internal battle.

    "So what would it be, me or dear Trevor? Make your decision quickly, it''s almost time for me to unseal my full potential "

    With a defeated sigh, Asher let down his hand as the spiked ice melted into liquid, he lowered his head while the necromancer smirked.

    Without notice, Asher abruptly raised his hands and a targeted number of iced spikes flew towards Lawrence with frightening speed.

    "Rigescunt indutae"  Lawrence who saw the deadly weapons flying towards him out of the corner of his eyes, reacted reflexively and they all suspended in the air just inches from piercing into his body.

    Asher knew those spikes would not have killed Lawrence but immobilized him instead.

    Though it was hard to believe but he had a feeling Ben was still in there moreover, the necromancer had not unsealed the rest of his powers yet so there was still hope of Ben being rescued.

    So he was careful not to hurt Ben''s  body in vital areas that could take away his life - but this Lawrence was really tough to handle!

    " I guess the Raven blood clearly runs in your vein "  Lawrence said sternly, he made the ice spikes melt into water with his magic " You almost got me there "

    Asher cocked a brow "Having seen what I can do, perhaps you can let go of my mate now "

    "Yes, you''re indeed a tough and worthy opponent " He acknowledged.

    But then a smile that made Asher slightly uncomfortable suddenly brightened his features " I thought ending you would be the best until I realized I was going at it the wrong way��."

    He faltered and began to step towards Asher boldly " If I can''t beat such a strong opponent,why don''t I bring him to my side? "

    At once Asher tried to look away but Lawrence''s eyes glowed an eerie green colour and as much as he wanted, he couldn''t take his eyes away from him.

    "Kneel " Lawrence commanded and Asher found his body obeying the strange command

    "Yes master " He went on his knees and bowed to Lawrence.

    "Yes this is It! " The necromancer rejoiced "At Least you''ll be a huge help in fighting off those witches when the time comes "

    Suddenly Asher lips kinked to the side in a knowing smile and he slowly rose to his feet much to Lawrence''s  horror " There won''t be such time " he declared.

    "Y-you..! " It was Lawrence''s turn to gaze up at Asher, wide-eyed and in shock.

    " H-how did you escape my compulsion? "

    Asher smiled wickedly and said in anguish " Guess you''re not the only one with the evil eye?  Only that mine works in a different way "

    He then grabbed him by the neck and lifted him a few metres off the ground, looking straight into his eyes saying,

    "You would leave the boy''s body and��. "

    Lawrence realizing what he was about to do, began to panic, flailing his limbs about and trying all forms of escape.

    But when all his plans proved abortive, he turned his head to the side and shouted in a loud voice,

    " My queen, help me! "

    Then something happened.

    Asher knew he definitely heard the shredding of clothes and a threatening feral growl and the next he was tackled to the ground.

    A white majestic yet ferocious looking huge framed wolf pinned him to the ground, it''s long claws digging into his skin painfully and drawing blood while it''s fear inspiring razor sharp teeth snapped and hovered over his face.

    Shock struck Asher still for a while and until his stomach was ripped open did he wake-up. He raised his leg and landed a powerful kick at the werewolf side, tossing her to the side.

    He jerked to his feet " What did you do to her ?!" Asher screamed at Lawrence who had made his way back to the altar, he was mystified at the scene.

    An evil cackle left Lawrence''s mouth "What do you think? " his brows raised over twinkling eyes "Of course, I helped her unlock her full potential !"

    Asher''s face darkened " I swear I''ll  have you killed - " he took a threatening step but was pushed to the ground again by Lia in her wolf form while Lawrence began the ritual.

    He winced as her teeth grabbed onto his hand but a blow made her let go. But his heart ached when he heard her whimper in pain, he was hurting his mate.

    So he knelt beside the injured wolf

    "Lia, I''m sorry " he placed his hand on the wolf''s side but what he never expected was a vicious kick that sent him flying and crashing into one of the graves .

    Well damn love, See who cares now!

    He sprang to his feet in anger just as lia leaped towards him but he grabbed a skull from the overturned grave and hit her with it.

    Lia fell to the ground unmoving, as if passed out but Asher''s eyes were focused on Lawrence.

    He couldn''t tell if that was supposed to happen or as a result of Lawrence''s magic but the moonlight casted a spotlight on him and the altar.

    He was unsealing his powers, Asher realized shockingly. He was about to take a step forward but what he never expected was someone plunging a knife into his chest.

    Trevor.

    Asher easily backhanded him and he fell to the ground but that didn''t mean he was okay.

    He was weak, the venom was beginning to kick in but it was made worse when Lia whom he thought was down, jumped on him again.

    This time she went all out in attacking him, it was obvious her intent to end him.

    Contrary to what he expected, Asher was not aggrieved at all. If he should die for her to live, then so be it! His only regret was that he didn''t get the chance to love her the way he wanted.

    Amid the attack he tapped into the matebond, reached out and stroked her white fur, she looked so beautiful tonight.

    But the moment he touched her, the wolf froze and the attack stopped. The next, Asher heard her whine and she began to lick his face tenderly as if it would heal his wounds.

    A smile touched his lips, his mate was back - but he was too weak to move. He felt a liquid touch his cheek and he realized with shock, she was crying.

    " I''m sorry " He whispered and his eyes shut close slowly followed by an anguish howl from the wolf beside him.

 Chapter 141 - One Hundred And Forty-one : Everything You Know About Him

    Daniel growled as he ripped the head off the body of a creature with his bare teeth.

    These reanimated corpses were so annoying, the more he killed, the more they appeared ; how many had Lawrence actually created.

    Suddenly his ears perked up as he picked up incoming footsteps, Amala and the rest of her people were coming.

    Daniel wondered if Asher had rescued their mate,but he decided to go check things out and lend support just in case.

    He at once with his weight and momentum tossed creatures blocking his path to the sides and ran deeper into the cemetery, Amala and her crew should take care of the rest.

    Daniel didn''t run for long before he heard a howl that rippled through him and made him grasp his heart  in pain.

    It was a great and emotional howl, one filled with raw distress and anger yet sounded oddly familiar.

    Suddenly Daniel felt it, like the way a cold shower cools the body after a long day at work, he knew the matebond was opened and he could feel his mate at last but there was something else.

    Lia was not okay, she was being overwhelmed with guilt and it was  tearing her apart.

    He ran faster and faster and in time arrived near the stone altar. That place had once been used as some sort of temple - the witches should know more about that - before it was demolished and used as a graveyard but the stage and altar still remained.

    But he was shocked when he saw Lawrence doubled over and covering his face while screaming.

    He then jerked his head back giving Daniel an ample view of what''s happening. Then, Lawrence surprisingly dug his hand into the skin of his face and began to stretch.

    What happened next, Daniel could not understand it but it definitely made the hairs on his body stand.

    All he saw was that the boy stretched the skin of his face to an unbelievable elastic length and  suddenly pulled out a porcelain mask from his face.

    The mask clattered to the ground and he passed out. What just happened?

    Daniel was puzzled but he had a feeling since evil Lawrence was passed out on the ground, things just took a good turn.

    But wait a minute, where was his mate?

    Though the fire lit around the stony altar table illuminated some parts of the cemetery but it was already late hence the poor visibility.

    Thankfully he was a werewolf so the darkness was not a problem for him since he could see well in the dark.

    He scanned his environment and found Trevor on the floor but still couldn''t find his mate aside a white wolf sprawled on the floor beside Asher''s body - wait, what?!

    Daniel was dumbfounded, there was no way that wolf was lia, right? Impossible!  she could only partially shift how did she�� .Lawrence!

    He curled his fist, anger burning through his system; he must have forced her to shift.

    Just like the hormones prepare the body for pregnancy in females, the body has to be ready both mentally and physically before the first moon phase transformation comes.

    Transformation for the first time is highly painful and sometimes brutal but being compelled to shift? That''s brutality on a higher level.

    It''s like forcing a five-year old to begin puberty.

    Daniel winced while conjuring images of the tortures and pains she must have gone  through. If she wasn''t an odd hybrid, he bet she would have died just from the pain alone.

    He shifted back into his human form and put on the clothes he stole during the intense battle with those creatures.

    Suddenly Asher awoke with a gasp and coughed, his wounds were gone but not the venom.

    Daniel glanced over his shoulder when he heard approaching footsteps, the falcon coven were  catching up to them.

    Asher released a pained moan, his nails digging into the soil while his fangs extended out; the venom had finally kicked in.

    " Take her out of here! " he boomed at Daniel.

    "What about you? You''ve been poisoned for Christ sake! "

    "Take her out first, the falcon coven is slowly gaining on us and I can''t�� have all my efforts go to waste " He spoke through his agony.

    "Alright " Daniel reluctantly agreed and picked the white wolf up in his arms, cradling her gently.

    Asher informed him "I-I don''t know how much�� but she suffered some damages in my hands

    "I''ll keep that in mind " Daniel assured him just as a voice asked from behind,

    " How is my dear brother doing? "

    Raphael.

    Daniel was torn between anger and relief. He still disliked him notwithstanding his outstanding performance this past hours but he was relieved Asher would get help.

    Asher might be his love rival but it was cowardly for him to die this way, they still had to win her love fair and square.

    Asher gritted through his teeth "If you''ve come to ridicule me then knock yourself out "

    Raphael approached him and squatted down beside him while Asher lay on the bare ground with fist clenched.

    He was biting his lips until it drew blood - a clear sign he was stopping himself from screaming out the pains.

    "You can leave him to me, I''ll take care of my little brother  " Raphael glanced up and told Daniel who gave him a doubtful look.

    "Why? You don''t trust me? You think I''ll hurt him?" He snorted, then fixed his derisory gaze back on Asher

    "You didn''t tell you had such a loyal Dog ? "

    Daniel snarled at him, " Dog" was a derogatory term used on werewolves.

    If his mate wasn''t in his arms right now, Daniel was sure to have ripped out his tongue or die trying.

    Werewolves don''t take it kindly when referred to as "dogs" especially with an insultive tone

    "I can hear Amala''s heartbeat, she should be here soon- tick tock-your time is running out " Raphael mounted pressure on the werewolf who only compiled when Asher told him

    "Go, I''ll be fine "

    Left with no choice Daniel sighed and left with his mate, albeit giving Raphael the "I''ve got my eyes on you " sign before leaving.

    "And finally it''s just the two of us " Raphael breathed, giving his brother a look over before he reached out, grabbed a fistful of Asher''s hair and forced him into a sitting position.

    "Life is quite funny, isn''t it? Just a few days ago, I was the one in this situation " he tightened his grip and Asher stifled a pained moan.

    "But now you''re the one " he cackled maniacally "Isn''t this funny? I guess the world is really round since what comes around, goes around " Raphael then let go and he collapsed to the ground.

    "Trust me brother, we have a long night ahead of us and we are going to have so much fun together " He promised Asher with a smile that spoke volumes.

    Raphael then grabbed his brother,  tossed him over his shoulder like a bag of rice and vamp-sped out of sight, just as Amala and her coven arrived.

    Amala was furious, though she didn''t lose any of her coven members but most of them were seriously injured. It was not in her plan, she had never expected the attack at all.

    Once the mission was handed over to her coven, she had drafted a battle plan and it looked perfect until now.

    She had studied the plan over and over and could almost guarantee a hundred percent success but everything went downhill in a twinkle of an eye.

    Someone had dared to sabotage her plans? Who dared it? Was it Sabrina?

    But it couldn''t be Sabrina, she had taken away her powers. Unless she had planned it before coming to meet her but there was no evidence.

    Moreover Sabrina wouldn''t dare sabotage the plans of cleaning up the mess she created at the very beginning��.unless she was trying to hide something

    But what could she be hiding? Well it doesn''t matter anymore, Sabrina was now powerless ; a witch who can''t practice magic.

    "There were so many versions of the boy " One of her people said to her the moment they reached the stone altar " We couldn''t tell which was who and he was so fast, almost like a vampire "

    "I know, it was a distraction by  whosoever planned these, " Amala replied to her, eyes focused on the boy sprawled on the stage floor  .

    A smile tugged the corners of her lips "But this is definitely our target " she stared at the sleeping boy and picked up the porcelain Venetian mask lying beside him.

    There was a puzzled expression on her face, they cleared the place and didn''t take the mask as she thought they would.

    Maybe the mask was not their target afterall?

    "Lady Amala, You''ve got to see this " one of her clan members called her over.

    "Who is he? " She asked as soon as she spotted another figure on the ground.

    " I don''t know "

    "He must be one of the compelled humans " Amala said but then her brows furrowed together when she thought of something.

    Why did Lawrence keep this one for the last? There must be a concrete  reason..

    "Find out everything you know about this boy, his siblings, parents , everything ! after returning him to his family "

    "Yes lady Amala "

 Chapter 142 - One Hundred And Forty-two : Who Turned Her?

    "How is she? " Daniel asked the pack doctor, with apprehension written all over his face.

    He had caused quite a stir when he appeared at their boundary with the white wolf in his arms.

    None of the werewolves in his pack has white fur. Moreover, it was quite difficult to see a wolf with pure snow fur.

    The common fur colours were black, brown, grey, reddish-brown, silver, golden, reddish or orange and white fur with a few dark patches that extend on the back, and can vary from grey to black.

    To find a white wolf without patches or  colour combination was almost impossible, so his pack members were actually thrilled with the thought of having a Canis lupus arctos in their pack.

    Only if they knew she''s his mate.

    "When I examined her, it turns she has broken ribs, leg and hand with some minor dislocations and healed scratches"

    Daniel ran his hands through his hair, by experience he knew those injuries were going to hurt a lot.

    He experiences broken bones a lot fighting off rogue wolves from trespassing into his pack, as well as chasing off Alphas veering for his position and was already used to the pain . But his mate was new to these, it would be a hellish torment for her.

    "And? " he questioned, the fact the doctor was still standing there instead of attending to his mate told him there was more to be said.

    "We can''t treat her because she wouldn''t shift "

    " Oh shit " Daniel cursed out loud.

    They wouldn''t and can''t treat her in her wolf form to avoid complications ; she would have to shift back to human form .

    "We wanted to know if you knew the wolf who turned her so he could force her to shift " The doctor went on and Daniel couldn''t help but wince internally.

    "I don''t know but I think she was bitten by a rogue " Daniel told the doctor and saw her eyes widen in both shock and wonder.

    Rogue wolves were usually brutal since they were equivalent to mad wolves and wouldn''t just bite, they would rip and shred their victims into pieces until they were a bloody mess on the floor - there was no chance of survival.

    Also it was a wonder his mate didn''t turn out to be a rogue, since the few number of humans turned by a rogue''s bite or mauling turns out to be rogues themselves.

    Rogues were always known with their red eyes and insatiable thirst for violence and blood.

    They were often mistaken and referred to as "lone wolves " since they have no pack, often because they were exiled from their pack for a crime or left on their own for various reasons.

    Totally unlike lone wolves who have complete sanity but choosed a solitary life.

    "Then this is bad, if we can''t correct those bones before she heals up, then she would suffer some deformities in her human form "

    Daniel sighed, rubbed his temple and said to her " Take me to her "

    "What? " The doctor was startled, they knew how much they had to convince their alpha before he had left her side earlier and now he wanted to go back again.

    "I would force her into submission " Daniel told her determinedly and began to walk towards the direction of the operation room.

    The doctor hurried after him and finally blocked his path but Daniel growled at her and she unblocked his path but not without trying to see reasons with him.

    "But you can''t do it," She tried to convince him " She''s not even a member of our pack nor your mate.."

    Suddenly she froze and her head jerked up when she figured things out

    "She''s your mate, isn''t she? " she pointed at him but brought down her hands when she realized she was disrespecting her alpha.

    There was an unreadable expression on his face as he told her "I hope you keep that to yourself since you might never know what may happen "

    The doctor shivered, though the alpha didn''t go into details but his warning was apparent, she had to keep this juicy news to herself else��

    But it was strange, why was the Alpha keeping news of him finally finding his mate a secret?

    Perhaps, his mate''s life was in danger which is why she couldn''t be revealed, else the murderer finds her? No wonder their alpha brought her in.

    "Cynthia! " She heard her voice and snapped out of her reverie.

    "Yes Alpha Daniel ! " She answered and ran to him.

    Thanks to her useless imagination, she didn''t realize she was trailing behind the alpha until there was quite a distance between them causing Daniel to snap at her.

    She led the way into the operating room where his mate in her wolf form was lying on a large surgical table.

    But Daniel''s face scrunched up when he witnessed the scene of Lia being held down forcefully by two nurses.

    "She has been agitated ever since she woke up, so we have to restrain her from injuring herself further " Cynthia explained when she saw the displeased look on Daniel''s face.

    "Hey" Daniel said and walked towards the wolf with white furs and blue eyes.

    Even when held down, she still struggled and growled threateningly at them.

    "It''s okay " he told her and tried to touch her head but her powerful teeth snapped at his hand .

    "Alpha Daniel! " Cynthia cried out in concern and tried to come over but he raised his hand and signalled her to stay put.

    "It''s me Daniel, remember? "

    Though Lia was there but due to her inexperience, she let her wolf take over which meant she wasn''t in control of what she was doing.

    Since all her attention was finally gathered on him, Daniel slowly raised his hand up-to her nose while she watched him cautiously.

    She growled at him as if trying to scare him away but when he didn''t budge nor move an inch, she sat up, lowered her head and sniffed his hand.

    For a while nothing happened as she continued sniffing but suddenly she thrust out her tongue and began to lick his hand.

    Daniel breathed in relief when he felt her lower her guard. He immediately gathered her into his arm, careful not to touch her injured parts and ran his hands through her thick coat of fur while she moved her licking to his face.

    He drew away and heard her whines "Yeah I know, I''m sorry for the way they treated you. They won''t hurt you again as far as I''m here "

    But her whines continued a pitch higher while the onlookers stared in wonder.

    "I know this is confusing but listen to me Lia, you suffered some injuries and you need to shift back to your human form for them to correct your bones else you might suffer bone deformity " he told her and heard her whines

    " You can do it , alright? "

    But she shook her head and barked at him, withdrawing into her old shell but Daniel wouldn''t have that - not in his watch.

    He strictly commanded " Shift "

    But she openly resisted him with a snarl.

    This time Daniel''s jaw clenched and his gaze darkened as he stared straight into her''s and boomed,

    "I said SHIFT! "

    Everyone jumped out of their skin  upon his outroar, they knew he just forced her into submission.

    Lia whimpered and lowered her head, then everything began to change right in front of Daniel.

    The transformation was slow but began with her limbs before reaching the rest of her body .

    Before long, Lia in her human form was on all fours on top of the surgery table and stark naked before him.

    Daniel swallowed, averted his eyes and ordered for a sheet. Since they were shapeshifters, clothing was a major necessity and he made sure his pack never lacked it.

    Quickly Cynthia handed him the sheet which he wrapped around her body.

    Lia was shaking and sweating profusely, it was obvious she was traumatized.

    "Daniel " She whispered his name, glancing up at his face as if she was finding it hard to believe that this was reality.

    "Yes, It''s me " he wiped away the sweat on her forehead.

    She gripped his clothe firmly and said " I''m scared "

    Daniel hugged and threaded his hand through her hair soothingly.

    "You have no reason to be scared, I''ll be here with you, alright? "

    She nodded and he signaled Cynthia to take over.

    "Listen, it''s going to hurt a bit but just remember I''m with you and take heart .Be strong for the both of us��."

    He added reluctantly "And for Asher "

    Then he pulled away and left for Cynthia to perform her duty. Daniel hardly made it outside when he heard her agonizing scream and clutched his chest.

    He could feel her pain and it was suffocating him ; it felt like someone just grabbed his heart and was twisting it inside out.

    Daniel felt the bond between the both of them had strengthened ever since she shifted, he suddenly wondered if it was the same on Asher''s side.

    Speaking of Asher, how was he faring? .

 Chapter 143 - One Hundred And Forty-three : Trusting Raphael

    A bloodcurdling scream echoed through the basement as the hot knife slashed through Asher''s skin.

    "Don''t blame me little brother, the hotness is to stop any infection " Raphael told Asher who was glaring at him with anger.

    "You''re definitely sick in the head " Asher spat, throwing his head back from the effect of the pain.

    Why should vampires worry about infections? They were undead creatures who couldn''t be killed by such mundane diseases any longer - you can''t kill what is already dead.

    His half-brother Raphael has taken advantage of "bleeding him out " to torture him.

    "Then, forgive me for being inexperienced " he shamelessly replied to him and removed the knife from his skin, returning it to the stove where it was being reheated.

    " I wonder why I like you so much, little brother " Raphael remarked, causing Asher to glance up at him with an undiluted look of disdain.

    But remained silent.

    "Here''s a very big opportunity for me to take you out but here I am " He sighed, as if forced to take-up a huge responsibility " Taking good care of you "

    "Yeah, you sure take good care of me " Asher retorted with heavy sarcasm.

    But Raphael pretended not to notice his tone and told him " ThankGod you know "

    "When are you going to leave? Your clan sure seems comfortable without you" Asher subtly hinted he was not such a great leader.

    Raphael waved it away " Oh don''t worry, you seem to have forgotten Old Ezekiel is still around "

    Oh right, how could he have forgotten, Raphael''s father was still alive while his was gone.

    Though he never supported his ways but Antonio sure was a great father who loved him endlessly.

    Asher snorted " No wonder you have the time to frolic about and plot other people''s downfall "

    "Isn''t that what makes life entertaining? The drama? The excitement " Came Raphael''s reply that made him shake his head sympathetically.

    Immediately, he threw close to him on the bare floor and began to regard Asher with an intensity that made him uncomfortable

    "Why are you staring at me that way? "

    "I''m curious, Why don''t you ever ask about her "

    Asher tensed up and met his gaze slowly, expression unsmiling and taut.

    Raphael continued " Just because you were forbidden to ever communicate with her doesn''t mean you can''t ask about her" he shrugged his shoulder "Who knows, I might be magnanimous enough to answer if you ask nicely "

    Asher knew he was talking about their mother, he was damned by the council from birth never to meet her till immortality fails him.

    Thanks to his father''s crime of stealing Ezekiel''s mate, his sins were visited upon the children - thankfully not to the third generation.

    Vampires live for ages, so imagine how long it would take for that punishment to end if it was meted out till to the third generation - it might even be forgotten in the process.

    Asher told him sternly " I don''t have a mother  and if this is all you - "

    "She misses you every day of her life " Raphael interjected.

    Asher froze.

    Though his mind told him that Raphael was messing with him as usual but he couldn''t help but ache terribly inside.

    Yes, he never shows it but it hurts bearing the punishment of a sin he has no clue was committed, had he not been informed.

    "And now our discussion has bought enough time, the knife is good to go " Raphael announced with an evil lopsided smile and took away the knife from the stove.

    Asher gulped when he saw the edge of the knife glowing a bright red and eyed Raphael.

    "You seriously can''t be thinking of using -ahhh! " Asher screamed as the knife sliced down his arm drawing out a trail of black blood.

    The purpose of bleeding out a vampire was to draw out most of the  werewolf venom that was infusing with the blood and done at targeted arteries.

    But Rapheal was just cutting him wherever he wanted - Yes, he did the same to him days again but not to this extent - Raphael was a total nutjob.

    The sizzling sound of escaping steam as the knife dived deeper into his flesh didn''t escape his ears and Asher swore he would murder Raphael once he recovers from this.

    "Finally done" Raphael dusted his palms together and rose to his feet with a satisfied smile on his face .

    " You must be crazily thirsty "

    Asher gulped, his throat and insides were burning and craving for the taste of blood. He knew this crazy hunger was a result of the bleed out, he had to feed, else he went crazy.

    "I''m fine " Asher grumbled, he couldn''t afford to have Raphael scour Little Town in search of human blood. Who knows the extent he would go?

    He still had one or two blood bags - scratch that - one blood bag, he hasn''t had time to go get blood ever since  Raphael and Ben''s matter arose.

    But drinking just a bloodbag? That would arouse his hunger more, it was better he didn''t take any at all.

    Suddenly he heard footsteps and looked up only to see a young girl about twenty or so, strut into his basement like she was walking the runway.

    Asher''s brows drew together, expression mystified. Who was she? How did she get in here? Does she know what she''s getting herself into?

    His brows shot up towards Raphael and he asked sternly "What have you done? "

    "Dinner is served " Raphael''s lips stretched to the side and he entreated the girl to come towards him.

    Asher glowered "Where did you get her? "

    He replied nonchalantly " She was heading to the city when her car broke down in little Town this late at night and lark ended up being her helper, how convenient "

    Asher could already surmise the rest of the story, Iark probably hypnotized  and brought her back here.

    "Sorry to disrupt your plans but I''m not feeding on her ! " he refused

    Rapheal rolled his eye towards heaven "Sure, sure, keep on walking the righteous path and let''s see how much you last ," His smile disappeared as he informed him, "You of all people should know what happens when our thirst takes over "

    Asher''s heart sank, even if he tried to deny it as much as he wanted,the truth  would eventually be exposed and he could already feel it in his bones.

    His hands were beginning to shake, as his mouth watered just staring at the girl in Raphael''s arm.

    With dilated eyes, his throat burned, fangs ached and the hunger pang hit his stomach severely - he wasn''t sure how long he could take this torment without losing his mind.

    "I could drain her dry in this state " Asher complained but looked away when Rapheal purposely flipped her hair, sending her scent straight to his nose.

    "You don''t need to worry, I''m here to ensure you don''t make a mistake " Raphael assured her and grazed the girl''s neck with his elongated fang and she shivered, giggling in delight.

    A huge frown appeared on his face, trust Rapheal? What was the probability he would keep to his word?

    Raven clan were not exactly known for honesty but Raphael has been showing a bit of brotherly love, perhaps he meant it.

    Asher wanted to debate further but a strong wave of hunger hit him and he groaned out in pain.

    Raphael raised a brow " No? " He gave his brother a condescending look "Perhaps, a little push would do"

    He then went ahead to pull the girls hair to the side, nudge her back and slammed his fang into her neck.

    Asher heard the girl gasp as his brother''s fangs sank into her neck and drew blood .

    The action caused Asher''s eyes to darken and his fangs began their descent painfully amid his will to keep them at bay.

    Rapheal pulled away and wiped away the blood at the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.

    " She''s all yours now " He murmured and pushed the girl towards him.

    Like a cat, Asher sprang up to his feet just on-time to catch the girl from falling.

    His eyes were a deep, dark frightening shade of green but the girl was not repelled at all but kept laughing like a battery-operated doll.

    But he was no longer sane enough to notice her odd behaviour, his hunger had reached its limit.

    He pushed her up against the wall and pierced her neck with his fang. His body craved for blood and he took her''s rapaciously .

    His fangs ruthlessly tore into her skin and muscles but Asher was too immersed in the feeding to notice the way her fingers dug into his skin, struggling to pull away.

    For a while he took the pleasure he wanted until he felt her grip slacken did he step back.

    Asher was stunned when he could no longer find her purse as the girl slumped against his arms lifeless.

    He whirled towards Rapheal who was standing against the wall with his arms folded and a knowing smirk on his face.

    "You said you were going to guide me?! " Asher roared at him.

    Rapheal cocked a brow " Did I? " he feighed an ignorant look " Oh right, I said ''guide''  not ''stop'' you " Raphael clarified.

    Asher stood rooted to the ground, What has he done?

 Chapter 144 - One Hundred And Forty-four : The Accidents

    Lawrence couldn''t tell what happened, one moment he had unsealed his powers and was about to celebrate his victory but the next he knew, the boy took over and forced him out of his body which was impossible.

    How did he do it? He had a firm grip on his consciousness unless...��...

    " "What do you see? " he asked, his intense spooky greenish eyes boring into hers.

    Lia''s eyes sparkled with pride " My King "

    Then he bent and claimed her lips. "

    Ben awoke with a startle,his breath was heavy as he looked around. He just had the weirdest dream ever - no, disgusting dream ever.

    What could he be thinking, kissing his goddess Lia? She would skin him alive if he pulls such a shenanigan not to talk of Asher.

    Asher would rip his head out from his body, put it on a pike and hung it around the town gate for the people to watch and learn a lesson.

    Ben shivered and wrapped his arm around himself, if he could remember Lia had two mates. But he didn''t dare to think what Daniel would do, Asher was frightening enough.

    Just then, a lady in white who looked a lot like a nurse approached him.

    She smiled at him "You''re awake? "

    "Where am I? " Ben asked and groaned when a headache hit him out of nowhere.

    "You''re in a hospital " she answered him while checking his drip

    "Why am I here? "

    "You are in a hospital because you''re clearly in need of medical care " the nurse answered subtly and faced his bed "How do you feel? "

    Ben palmed his head " Mentality disoriented " and groaned out as he felt a wave of nausea hit him so hard he thought he would throw up on the bed.

    Confusion narrowed the nurse''s brows " We''ve pumped the hallucinogen out of your system, so you shouldn''t be feeling that way "

    " Hallucinogen? " Ben moaned out in pain, startling the nurse who hurried out to go get help.

    He sat up and tucked his head in between his laps, memories upon memories were assaulting his head so hard he wished he was dead.

    The last thing he remembered was going to Sabrina''s place to get Lia''s necklace altered, then he tried on that venetian mask when she left to settle some issues.

    He remembered not being able to take it off until everything became blank.

    Then where did these hallucinogen issues come from?

    Unfortunately, these strange new memories filling his head were frightening, he didn''t remember doing any of those.

    Maybe the nurse was right, he must have really consumed some hallucinogen. But how, he didn''t remember getting his hand on any drug?

    He knew such drugs cause profound distortion in a person''s perception of reality.

    But Ben wanted to believe that, else how could he have seen things, hear sounds and feel sensations that seem to be real yet weren''t.

    Maybe a ghost possessed him or something or those vampires must have done something to him, especially Raphael, he didn''t trust that guy one bit.

    Anyway, everything sounded crazy so he had to leave this hospital first and figure out the rest later. He decided and ripped the drip out of his body.

    But as Ben stood to leave,he spotted a figure lying on the bed beside him and shouted in surprise, "Trevor?! "

    "Master, your servant is here to serve you "

    The sudden memory made him dizzy and Ben staggered to the side, holding the iron headboard for support.

    The feeling of dread settled in the base of his stomach as the memories became more explicit and overwhelming.

    There was no way he could have done those, impossible ! But everything was confusing. He needed a valid explanation.

    He had pulled the rest of the curtain demarcating the beds to the side when the door opened and someone walked in with a cry.

    "Oh my God, Trevor  " Jenny cried as she approached the bed and engulfed her son in a hug.

    "I''m so sorry " her sobs wracked her body "Forgive me for being such a careless mother " she cried and buried her face in Trevor''s body.

    "Mrs Jenny " Ben said and she glanced up at him with tears stained eyes.

    " Ben? " She sniffed and wiped away the tears from her eyes with her hands "You''re here too? " she asked and stood up.

    "Yeah, looks that way, " he answered but kept his eyes on Trevor "What happened?. "

    Her brow arched and she shook her head " You don''t remember what happened? "

    "I don''t exactly remember. My memory is a mess " Ben came up with a believable excuse.

    He couldn''t exactly tell her he had no control over what happened yesterday nor the fact he transformed into a totally different person that did a lot of abominable acts, plus the fact he kissed her daughter - not once by the way.

    Ben went red in the face just recalling the events that occurred yesterday between him and Lia.

    He wondered if Lia would ever forgive him; Sabrina would murder him first before the forgiveness comes.

    He could now vividly remember how he was possessed by that Lawrence guy.

    When Lawrence took over his body, it felt like he was thrown into a dark prison with no form nor shape but he couldn''t get out no matter how much he tried, he was locked out of his own body.

    He helplessly watched everything Lawrence did and there were a few times he even interacted with him, mocking him for his weakness and failure to protect the people he loved.

    But the last straw that broke the camel''s back was when Lawrence tried to take over his body forever, he knew inwardly once he unsealed his powers he was a goner.

    Lawrence was smart, greedy and took everything from him - his body, memories, thoughts - but forgot one thing, Ben was a smart-ass too.

    Ben knew that moment of power was also the most vulnerable time to strike, so he did his best to conceal that particular plan.

    And then, at that moment when Lawrence was delirious with power and blinded by his achievements, Ben struck and forcefully took back his consciousness; kicking him out without a second thought.

    Minus the damages done, Ben was proud of his achievement albeit he would have to face the consequences of his action sooner than later.

    "Could you tell me what happened, please Mrs Jenny " he pleaded with her when he sensed her hesitance.

    Jenny sniffed, wiping the snot with her handkerchief " A student fooled around with a hallucinogen and lured others into his sick game which somehow produced some disturbing behaviors "

    Ben frowned, that was the same story the nurse fed him earlier, but he could tell that was not the entire truth. Asher must have made that up to cover the incident - the guy was definitely good at making up stories and closing up loose ends.

    If he could remember clearly, Lawrence had purposely hypnotized those kids as some sort of distraction to buy more time for his powers to increase.

    Lawrence had utilised his memory and intelligence to the fullest, using it to somehow drop off the radar while keeping them busy till the sun went down.

    "Thanks to their psychedelic effect " Ben realized he had been absent minded and thus refocused his attention back on her

    "They stabbed their fellow classmates but thankfully, none of the students died nor were they in condition critical - my son was not among the perpetrators "

    Ben understood the relief in her voice, there was no way the students would avoid punishment - they could avoid jail but community service was inevitable.

    Guilt gnawed at his heart, this was all his fault. Those students wouldn''t be in trouble ; they probably were confused and had no clue about how it came to be. If only he had obeyed Sabrina''s command not to touch anything.

    "What happened afterwards? " Ben asked when Jenny became silent.

    "According to the report, others were forced to the hospital amid their hysteria, while they found you and my son in the cemetery. The both of you were unconscious on the floor, what in the world happened Ben? "

    He swallowed and scratched the back of his head " I don''t really know miss Jenny and I''m really sorry for everything. You must have gone crazy, searching for your son "

    "That''s the problem" She blinked away a tear. "I was on my bed sleeping with no care in the world while all this was happening.

    " What''s more frustrating is the fact that my sick daughter Lia was the one who went to search for her brother in my stead and got involved in an accident "

    Ben''s frown deepened " Lia was involved in an accident? "

    She nodded and pressed the handkerchief against her face, weeping bitterly.

    A trace of panic appeared on Ben''s face " Where''s she? "

    "In the next ward " She pointed to the door without even looking, attention focused on Trevor.

    Ben felt his blood run cold as memories of Lawrence forcing Lia to shift flooded his memory.

    He remembered her agonizing screams, the popping and snapping sounds of her bone .

    He winced, the memory was too vivid and too overwhelming.

    "Hey, are you okay " Jenny asked out of concern when she saw the way his face scrunched up in pain.

    "No- yes, I just need to seee�� ." his speech slurred and he dropped to the ground, unconscious.

 Chapter 145 - One Hundred And Forty-five : Set Your Eyes On Her

    Asher was bewildered and stunned, what had he done? His so called brother had deceived him. He fell into one of Raphael''s trap, how could he have been so stupid?

    "So how does it feel now you''ve taken a life after so many years? " Raphael asked him with a mocking tone.

    Asher was too shocked and numb to respond, he couldn''t exactly remember when last he had drained a human''s blood to the point of death.

    He could boast of an unshakable self-control which was achieved through intense training but now, it was all for nothing.

    During his beginning years, Asher knew he had an intense and insatiable hunger, which wouldn''t be satisfied unless he fully drained his victim.

    It went on and his father loved him too much to reprimand him so it just went on and soon enough, he formed a team with his father.

    It became a game, a fun that wouldn''t be exciting if he didn''t play "hide and seek " with his victims - Asher guessed he let his Raven blood trait to take over

    He and his father would lay in wait for unsuspecting victims in highways and dangerous alleyways at night and pretend to be helpers aka knights in shining armor and then strike after giving the humans a false hope of escaping them.

    He knew their feeding was most times heightened with the intense emotion coursing through their victim''s veins.

    And usually, it was often adrenaline mixed with fear as their prey fought for a chance at life but also watched it flash before them.

    But it got to a time when he couldn''t live that way anymore and with the witches proposing a treaty, an opportunity for all species to coexist harmoniously and equally - he knew he couldn''t live that way again.

    So Asher began to learn the moral worth of self-control and tried to inculcate it to his clan members the best he could.

    Though his sudden change in attitude was not appreciated by his father who insistently pointed out,

    "You can''t cheat nature, son. It was in the nature of vampires - pureblood or not - to hunt and feed, it had always been their design.

    " You can''t turn vampires into something they aren''t nor can they depend on animal blood forever, there would come a time when that bound shall be broken "

    But he remained indifferent to his father''s ideology and thankfully, they separated soon enough. Peacefully.

    Asher and his people moved from place to place, villages to town, from town to city while teaching his clan the value of self-control until they finally settled in Little Town.

    But he couldn''t imagine nor believe he let the hunger conquer his normally rigid self-control and now he has crossed a line which would be hard to return to.

    Unfortunately, deep down Asher knew his father was right. You can''t cheat your nature - but maybe, they could control that urge.

    Which was why he had been sneaking out blood bags from diverse hospitals in and out of Little Town and drank from willing donors.

    Thankfully at the previous general council meeting, he had proposed a bill - A monthly supply of blood to vampires.

    Aside from other minor blood sucking creatures, vampires suffered more neglect and abuse and were denied several other rights because of their dark history.

    But an opportunity to change that appeared , although his bid suffered some opposition but it appears his good-natured personality and popularity, won him a lot of support and soon enough the law would be enacted.

    Not long from now,he wouldn''t need to steal blood bags, although he would still keep his personal donors - Catherine excluded .

    But Asher this move of his means all eyes would be intensely focused on vampires and any who took blood without permission probably would be killed instantly when caught .

    Asher hardened his gaze and looked up "What do you hope to achieve through this, tell me ?!"

    Raphael chuckled, his outburst was amusing " What do you think? " He then walked towards Asher until he was standing right in front of him.

    "This is just to show you that you''re no different than us, so stop acting all innocent and righteous. You''re still half - Raven, so behave like one! " he roared at him.

    Eyes darkened, Asher loosened his grip and the dead girl fell to the ground.

    He then grabbed the front of Raphael''s shirt and yanked him closer, he said through gritted teeth

    "I promise you brother, I''m nothing like you and would be nothing like the Raven Clan "

    A mirthless smirk dragged Raphael''s mouth to the side "I sincerely hope you remember that after you fight the addiction "

    Asher gulped but he didn''t let the apprehension appear on his face. Once a vampire was bled out, it was easy to form an addiction especially after draining a victim dry, which was why he had stopped Dan during his own episode from taking too much.

    But now he had to fight the addiction all over again because of a certain self claimed big brother.

    Unintimated, Asher stood with his head held high - he  towered over Raphael with three inches or so.

    He spat acidly " Oh trust me, I would. I just hope you stop comparing yourself to me and live your life happily. I''m in no competition with anybody "

    Raphael''s eyes flashed "Who do you think you are? You''re nothing but a mistake my own mother made if it wasn''t for your cheat of a father "

    This time Asher''s anger boiled and he drew his hand back, about to hit Raphael when Iark suddenly interrupted him.

    "Amala is here " he announced and Asher''s anger dissipated at once.

    His hands fell to the side and he pushed Raphael away before focusing his attention on Iark,

    "Make her comfortable and tell her I''ll be there soon " He told Iark who left right away to deliver his message.

    If Amala was here, then it was definitely connected to the incident tonight, did she find out something?

    Asher flashed a displeased look at Raphael before leaving for his room. He had to shower, he looked like a mess and if he appeared in front of Amala like that, it was a straight giveaway.

    Amala was smart and would put two and two together, figuring out their involvement with today''s event.

    After taking a fresh shower and changing into new clothes, Asher stepped into the living room where he spotted Amala sitting on his couch with her legs crossed over the other.

    The approaching footsteps from behind alerted Amala of his presence.

    She glanced over her and her brows narrowed together when she saw his wet hair, why did he wash up at this time of the night?

    "Why did you bath? " Amala blurted out before she realized her question sounded stupid - atlest to others

    Asher, who had just walked towards her, froze at once. She saw the stunned expression on his face after hearing her comment gradually change into a playful grin,

    "Why? You wanted to join me in the shower? " he purposely teased her after hiding the sharp glint in his eyes, so she had already started to suspect him?

    Amala went red in the face, she had intended interrogating him not flirting with him.

    She took her gaze off Asher as she cleared her throat " I didn''t mean that? " She tried to clarify but Asher continued to razz her.

    He sat on the same couch as her and drew closer before lowering his head " What do you mean then? "

    His mesmerizing green eyes probed deeply into her''s . Even without utilizing his second ability, Asher always knew he had one hell of an attractive eye that left people breathless. So he often took advantage of that.

    Amala tried to speak but her throat went dry instantly while she unconsciously held her breath.

    What was happening to her? She had lived long enough to know Vampires were trouble moreover, she had an innate dislike for them. But then, why was her heart pounding against her chest for this one?

    "Amala?"

    "Huh? " Amala glanced up at him startled .

    Asher raised a brow "You were asking ? "

    "Oh right, what was I even asking?" She mumbled under her breath and began to recompose herself.

    "Yeah, why didn''t you pick up my call earlier? " She asked after breaking out of his charm.

    "I was busy settling the chaos in my school to pick your call but I''m sorry, if you''re offended " Asher apologized and even bowed his head.

    "Then you must have heard the news already, after all the trouble was caused by one of your students "

    "Yes I have " He answered without giving further details.

    Amala couldn''t help but feel that he was withholding vital information from her but she couldn''t force her and she didn''t have any evidence to support her claim.

    "Everyone''s eyes are on this case, how are you handling it? " She inquired.

    "I thought hard about an excuse that would cover all loopholes and could only come up with one, hallucinogens; there''s an abundance of untested magic mushrooms in little Town "

    Amala nodded "That depends on how you draft your story and I''m going to help you with the hallucinogen part, a little magic in their system should do the trick "

    Asher was surprised but that didn''t mean he lowered his guard "Why are you helping me? "

    There was no change in her expression as she replied to him "The council is doing everything in its power to maintain balance.So I didn''t do it for you ." came her reminder.

    "Fine "

    Then she stood to leave when she remembered something "Oh and by the way, there''s a girl called Lia in your school right? "

    Asher who was relieved she was leaving, suddenly stiffened but his expression remained neutral " Yes why? "

    "Unlike Lawrence''s other victims, he kept her brother with him till the end so I was plain curious why he did that.

    I ordered an investigation to be done on him and discovered her but surprisingly, she likes to lie low. "

    Asher wrapped his arms across his chest "So? "

    "Anybody who likes to stay under the radar in little Town has a valid reason to do so "

    "She''s a kiddo Amala. What could she probably do? " Asher argued.

    "That''s the problem Asher, she''s a kiddo but you already set your sights on her, isn''t that strange? "

    Damn those kids, Asher cursed inwardly. He didn''t need to investigate, it was obvious one of the students must have spilled the beans to them.

    His jaw ticked, obviously annoyed but his unwavering gaze remained fixed on Amala.

    "So what''s your point? "

    Amala drew closer to him till she was standing right in front of him and said "The point is, I''m catching up to you."

 Chapter 146 - One Hundred And Forty-six : The Pain Was Real

    It was like the hell never ended, Lia thought she would die. She couldn''t understand what was going on but she could clearly understand the pain and it was real.

    "Just a little more " She heard someone say, probably the doctor . Then she felt someone grab her hand and next a popping sound was heard while she screamed as the bone shifted back to its rightful position.

    Thanks to her loud screams for the past minutes, her voice became hoarse and low - it was a wonder she did not scream off the roof.

    "Wrap the bandages and help her get dressed, then she''s free to go " She heard the doctor ordering her assistants but she was too tired to look up.

    Lia was sweating profusely and her body felt like it was dug out of a subterranean pit ; even a slight movement caused her pain.

    What in the world happened? What accident resulted in her almost getting all the bones in her body broken? why couldn''t she recall anything of it?

    Clearly, Lia knew she took sunshine but anything after that was just blank and no matter how much she tried to remember, she still couldn''t come up with anything.

    What the f*ck was happening?

    The only thing she remembered was seeing Asher on the cemetery ground and he looked injured.

    She was puzzled as to who would do such a thing but after witnessing the blood on her own paws and furs , she instinctively knew she had been the one who hurt her mate.

    That moment was stuck in her head, everything was so confusing and overwhelming.

    Why did she have paws instead of limbs? Why was she on fours? Where did all these furs come from? She couldn''t have transformed into a wolf?

    But if she truly had injured Asher, there was a high chance she infected him with the werewolf venom, right.

    At that moment Lia just screamed, cried out her sorrow, confusion, pain,  - she let everything out.

    It seems she must have passed out afterwards because she found herself in a strange place moreover.

    So she began to struggle but was quickly held down by two females who were surprisingly strong.

    Now recollecting the events that went down, she remembered she had been very angry when she found herself on the surgical table.

    Could it be that somehow she had been captured by some humans who probably took her to a wildlife center thinking she was an animal? She had thought.

    A mistake on their part but Lia couldn''t exactly blame them since it was difficult to differentiate a werewolf from a normal wolf ; that didn''t mean she would allow herself to be subjected to such lowly treatment - she was a human for crying out loud.

    Lia struggled frantically until she finally sensed another presence which was domineering but somehow familiar.

    Yes, she had been cautious at first but eventually calmed down after she confirmed he was really Daniel.

    She laid down all her complaints and grievances to him and surprisingly, even in her wolf form Daniel understood her.

    But that joy was until he commanded her to shift into her human form. Goosebumps climbed up her arms and for some unknown reason, shifting back and forth scared her .

    Lia tried to flee but she was all surrounded, so she thought of giving him a deaf ear but Daniel suddenly roared at her.

    Strangely she felt this overbearing pressure and the need to submit, it overtook her and before she knew it, she began to change back to her human form.

    Though she was stark naked before everyone but she hardly recognized that, her body was trembling and every nerve, bone, tissues, organ were used to their limit.

    Lia was beyond exhausted and had thought of just giving up when Daniel held her hand and motivated her,

    "Listen, it''s going to hurt a bit but just remember I''m with you and take heart .Be strong for the both of us��."

    He added reluctantly "And for Asher " Then she watched Daniel pull away and leave her side.

    Determinedly, she had hardened her heart against the pain and went through all those torturous treatment.

    Lia might not remember what happened but she swore her revenge on whosoever caused this all.

    After she was bandaged and dressed up, she was wheeled out of the operating room and led into an expensive looking private ward.

    " Hey " Someone said and she looked up, not entirely surprised to see him.

    "Hey " she replied back and watched as his eyes scanned her all over.

    " Do you still hurt anywhere? "

    She croaked "Yes, everywhere. I wonder why I''m still alive. "

    The nurse tucking Lia into bed quickly left the two lovebirds alone to have a moment together.

    Daniel approached her and sat at the edge of the soft bed "Give me your hand "

    Perhaps if it was before, she would have given him a dubious look but right now, she was too tired to care.

    She willingly gave him her hand and closed her eyes in exhaustion. But almost immediately, her eyes snapped open and she tried to tug back her hand but Daniel''s grip was iron.

    Lia had suddenly remembered another ability werewolves possessed aside from their usual extraordinary features - Taking away pains.

    All werewolves have the ability of taking away the pains of people - although half of the pain since all of it would kill them if care was not taken.

    And that was what Daniel was doing at the moment, he was absorbing her pains.

    She felt  her body become lighter and the pain more bearable until Daniel groaned and pulled away.

    "How do you feel now? " Daniel flashed her a sheepish smile but she knew he was intentionally masking the pain.

    "Are you insane?! " She yelled at him and began to hit on the chest from frustration.

    "What if something happened to you too because of me? "

    Tears pooled in Lia''s eyes as she tried to hold them back , she still couldn''t forget the sight of Asher lying in his pool of blood.

    She continued to hit Daniel, each punch gaining momentum as she transferred her aggression on him but he suddenly held her still.

    "It was not your fault " Daniel told her the moment he sensed his mate was beating herself up over that incident.

    "You had no choice and he had no choice either "

    "I''m so sorry "  the tears spilled down this time but he wrapped his arms around her and gently laid her head against him.

    Lia sobbed against his chest while he threaded his hand through her hair in a soothing manner. She cried for a long time and until she could hardly speak did she stop and pull away.

    "Please don''t cry anymore, it ruins your pretty eyes " Daniel who took her face in a clasp told her and she couldn''t help but smile.

    Lia looked up and stared into his eyes " You have pretty eyes too "

    And just like that as if a spell was casted, they kept staring into each other''s orbs before Daniel slowly leaned closer and lowered his head.

    Heart pounding against chest, Lia closed her eyes and met with his lips halfway through the journey. Daniel''s lips captured hers and he kissed her slowly, gently yet sweetly.

    Lia found herself wrapping her arms around his neck just as his hand went to her waist and pressed her flush against him.

    His other hand was brushing the hair away from her face and she moaned as he explored her lips.

    Lia gasped, then purred softly like a contented cat when she felt Daniel caress her spine through the opening in her hospital gown .

    The gentle kiss suddenly became demanding, fiercer and hotter and she arched her back, pressing her body against his.

    Lia swore she felt electricity course through her veins making her wonder if Daniel felt the same. But she pushed the matter to the back of her head and instead cupped his face, probing his mouth with her tongue and savouring his taste.

    Hearing Daniel groan from the pleasure delighted her wolf and the urge to dominate took over her.

    Her fingers ran through his blonde silky hair that was really soft to the touch. Then she pulled his head back forcefully, giving her a clear view of his neck.

    Though his wolf was a domineering one but he surprisingly loved it when their mate took over and Daniel appreciated her efforts through his wandering hands.

    Lia''s fang grew at the sight of his pulsating vein at his neck and though she felt the urge to bite into him, she knew it was risky ; she hasn''t learnt to manipulate the flow of the venom yet.

    So she nipped his skin and felt him shudder, his strong arms wrapping tighter around her waist.

    She let the tip of her fang graze his throat softly and Daniel moaned out her name.

    Lia trailed her fang down his throat, licking and nipping as she offered the combination of both pain and pleasure.

    Heart racing and about to lose his mind, Daniel pushed her back to the bed and took back the permission he gave her.

    He kissed her senselessly until she was gasping and writhing from the pleasure raging through her .

    But the sudden ringing of the phone interrupted their hot makeout session.

    At first Daniel ignored it but when it rang incessantly, he cursed, pulled away from Lia and answered the damn phone.

    Lia watched Daniel''s annoyed expression as he picked up the call and muttered a silent "thank-you " to the caller.

    She couldn''t tell how far she would have gone with him if the distraction hadn''t come.

    But inwardly, she loved it. If only things weren''t so complicated; she still had to consider Asher.

    The call ended and Daniel turned to face her with a grim expression,

    "It''s Asher, he wants you back in little Town "

 Chapter 147 - One Hundred And Forty-seven : Im Glad I Did

    Lia guessed she must have fallen asleep from exhaustion when she was moved, cause she awoke to a different hospital room.

    Eyes squirting against the room''s  lightening, she felt her bed but frowned when she touched a soft mass of hair.

    "God you scared me! " Lia exclaimed from surprise when she turned around, only for her eyes to meet with Asher''s, who suddenly lifted his head off from her bed.

    His mesmerising green eyes roved over her face and pounced on her eyes with an intensity that scared the hell out of her.

    An IV was inserted in the back of her hand, so she used her other free hand to cup his face while he was sitting beside her bed.

    "Asher " She murmured softly and that seemed to have captured his attention as he roused from his reverie.

    Lia could tell he was disturbed, so she sat up intending to probe into what was bothering him, when he suddenly bent and kissed her with a ferocity that stunned her.

    She stood still like a statue while his lips moved against her''s. Lia was too dazed to react, what was going on?

    His arm went to her waist while his other palm cradled the nape of her neck, pressing her further against his chest .

    Lia could tell Asher poured out all his emotions into this kiss; he was tasting her like he was going to lose her.

    With no choice left than to respond back, Lia nibbled on his lower lips for a while before deepening the kiss, plundering his mouth until she came up for air.

    Heart pounding against chest, Lia was still reeling from the effect of the kiss when Asher asked a question that made her jaw drop.

    "Why did you choose me? What do you see in me that you had to mark me as a mate? "

    She watched him with a startled expression, what the hell was wrong with him.

    "That is one odd question to ask me after the moment we just shared" Lia replied to him breathlessly.

    He blinked twice as if recovering from whatever spell was cast on him "I''m sorry for asking that, I was not thinking right "

    Asher apologized and tried to move away but Lia caught his arm. He stared at her hand, then glanced up at her face with a surprised and inquisitive look.

    Looking him straight in the eyes, she told him "I don''t know why I chose you, but I''m glad I did "

    This time Lia kissed him, slowly yet sweetly but also to assure him, there must be a good reason why he turned out to be one of her mates.

    "I feel like I''m missing out on something major, what in the world happened? " She asked as soon as she pulled away from the short kiss that left Asher hungry for more.

    God, he had to control himself around her.

    But his eyebrows furrowed together when he heard her question which prompted him to ask "You don''t remember? "

    Lia watched him intently, as if she were trying to find in his face the answer to his strange question

    "Remember what exactly? Is there something I''m supposed to remember I''m not remembering ? "

    "Sort of " He answered curtly

    "I don''t remember anything that happened for the past hours aside from that time I took sunshine and the time I found you in the cemetery�� ."

    Hesitating as soon as she reached that part, she lowered her head while apologizing "I''m sorry I hurt you "

    Asher slowly lifted her chin " You don''t need to apologize besides I hurt you too, else you wouldn''t be on a hospital bed right now. Moreover, it''s a good thing you don''t remember what happened "

    Her brows shot up "It''s a good thing? "

    "Yeah, trust me " he assured her.

    It was absolutely better that way, he still hasn''t dare to think of what Lawrence might have done with her in their lone time but he sure hoped it didn''t go above the smooching - he still hadn''t come to terms that Ben-no - Lawrence kissed his mate right in front of him.

    "But you should know that everything happened because Ben let himself get possessed by a necromancer - unknowingly probably "

    Though he wouldn''t want her to know about that but it was obvious that particular fact would come to light soon.

    Lia''s jaw dropped open, "Ben?! " she squealed.

    Well, the news was shocking but not entirely surprising since she knew Ben like the back of her hand.

    Her sidekick was accident-prone and quite touchy so it really wasn''t foreign to her.

    "So how''s he? "

    "He''s fine, just in the same ward with Trevo��" Asher trailed off as soon as he realized he had exposed more information than he intended.

    He gulped as soon as he met Lia''s firm and threatening gaze,

    "Now Asher Nicoli " She said sternly "You are going to tell me what happened, else��." Lia faltered on purpose after making her point known.

    Asher wasn''t scared of Lia since he knew he was more powerful than her stengthwise, but women were one cunning creatures, it was better to stay in their good grace than anger them.

    So he spent the next minutes narrating what happened although, excluding the kissing part of course.

    "But you don''t need to worry about your brother, he''s totally fine. Just a few scratches and bruises " Asher tried to comfort her when he noticed her shell-shocked expression.

    Unfortunately she shook her head "No, is not that "

    Disturbed and confused, he asked "Then what? "

    Her eyes twinkled with excitement "Did Ben have - no the necromancer - no the Lawrence in Ben''s body, did he have cool powers? Ben has always dreamt of having badass ability "

    Asher''s mouth quirked and he felt the urge to facepalm, so this was what she was all excited for?

    "Well " He pursed his lips "He''s a necromancer and though his ability of reanimating the dead aren''t always appreciated in the supernatural community but it''s totally badass. Moreover Necromancers are also witches so I guess he has magic too. "Asher shrugged his shoulders uncertainly, but Lia had already digested the information she needed.

    She smiled mischievously, who knows how Ben''s expression would look like when she recalls what happened to him in case he happens to forget everything, just like her.

    "So when exactly do I get to remove this? " She held up her bandaged hand for him to see "I feel totally fine "

    Asher''s face scrunched up " You have an amazing regenerative ability, I think two times faster than mine "

    Lia''s face lit up though she didn''t let the smile get noticed "Is that a good thing? "

    "Not exactly a good thing nor a bad thing either. " Asher told her.

    "Good in the sense that you don''t have to worry about scars and the rest of them but bad in the sense, it''s quite difficult to hide healed up injuries from your family members " Asher explained.

    Especially a family like her''s with an overprotective mom, a brother who''s taking up the role of a father and tries to act like one ; a family with no clue about the supernatural.

    Well save her late dad who hid more secrets from them than they could ever imagine.

    "But don''t worry, the nurse in charge here is my acquaintance so she would manipulate your test result and assure your mom that your injury is a minor one, notwithstanding the bandages "

    Lia smiled at him in appreciation "Thank you " she wondered what she could have done without him.

    Asher sighed, stood suddenly and began to straighten the rumbled sides of his clothes.

    "What''s wrong? " She had her brows knitted together in both surprise and confusion.

    He winked at her "You will know soon "

    Then Lia picked up approaching footsteps and the frown deepened, who?

    Without wasting time,the door snapped open revealing her mom, oh. Lia groaned inwardly, here comes the crying queen.

    Immediately Jenny burst into tears as she premeditated and rushed towards Lia, engulfing her in a hug that knocked the breath out of her lungs.

    "Am so sorry, did I hurt you? " Jenny drew back and examined her daughter meticulously . She had mistaken Lia''s sharp intake of breath as a muffled cry of pain.

    "No, I''m good, infact great " She tried to assure her mom but Jenny didn''t believe her one bit.

    "How can you be fine?! " She chided her "Look at your hand " and started another crying fit.

    The role was reversed, Instead of her mom relieving her of the so called ''pains'', Lia found herself trying to comfort and calm her down. She pinched the space between her eyebrows and sighed.

    Her mom was really tearful, it''s as if there''s this additional and special tear duct gland in her eyes that produces her never-ending tears.

    It took about five minutes for her mom to finally calm down and when she did, Asher came up with his stories which she bought without hesitation.

    "Thanks for rescuing her Asher, you''re quite a lifesaver. What could I have done without you? You''re a very good person " She gushed out praises on him.

    Yeah good person, if only she knows he''s a vampire, Lia thought. No she shouldn''t  go there, it was obvious her mom''s reaction would be epic.

    "Ah right " Jenny remembered out of nowhere "Happy birthday sweetie "

    Yeah, today was her birth...It was her BIRTHDAY!

    Crap.

 Chapter 148 - One Hundred And Forty-eight: Deep Dark Secret

    Warning: Steamy scene ahead.

    "So you''re a rich man, huh? " Lia asked Asher who busied himself, removing the skins of the apples for her

    After her mom''s dramatic crying scene, she had left to go visit Trevor in his own ward.

    Trevor was first moved to the hospital before her, so they had separate wards.

    But huge thanks to her lateness, she got to stay in a VIP room funded by Asher - she didn''t have to share the room with other patients, how thrilling.

    Her room was spacious and had a large and comfortable bed - almost as if it was made of feathers - with fluffy pillows.

    The room was painted and designed in soothing color palettes. It had a breathtaking gilded ceiling, LED lighting, and large flat-screens, not to talk of the internet connection - it was superb.

    Lia swore she didn''t know such a hospital room existed in this town. In Fact, it looked as if she checked into a five-star luxury hotel.

    He glanced up " Why? You don''t like rich men? "

    Her eyes became wide " Of Course not! " She shook her hand to express her denial " Which girl in this world doesn''t like a rich man? "

    Asher paused and contemplated in her statement "So you''re trying to say you wouldn''t like me if I wasn''t rich? "

    "Of Course not " She choked, then hit him on the chest when she realized he was confusing her on purpose " Stop twisting my words "

    Asher chuckled, dropped the knife in the tray and picked up a fork, dug it into the flesh of one of the sliced apple, and brought it to her mouth " Say ahh "

    Lia blushed and said "I''m not a baby Asher, I can feed myself capably "

    His face scrunched up and he replied to her "I''m seven hundred years plus older than you, so in my eyes, you''re not even a baby but a fetus - still being formed in the womb "

    My brows furrowed together in confusion, what was that? a compliment or a snark?

    "Now ahh " he still insisted and brought it further closer to her mouth and Lia had no choice than to open up.

    She took the fruit into her mouth and chewed on it - what a sweet apple.  [A/N: Of course, why wouldn''t it be sweet? Afterall Eve had us chased out of paradise because of an apple.]

    "So how did you accumulate all of your wealth?" She asked, just in time to capture another piece of apple into her mouth.

    "I''ve lived for centuries Lia, what more can I do if not accumulate wealth? "

    "Wow " Lia stared at him in admiration and couldn''t resist giving him a thumbs-up.

    Asher smiled at her gesture and continued feeding her.

    "But it''s strange"

    "What is strange?" He asked her curiously.

    "Since you''re so rich, why did you decide to become the principal of a Public school instead of a businessman? "

    Asher pursed his lips thoughtfully before answering "I needed a stress free mundane job that would help me blend in with the society and pass my time undetected, besides I have proxies who takes care of my businesses "

    "Wow " She drew closer and asked, her hands moving animatedly "How rich exactly are we talking here? Millionaire? Billionaire? Trillionaire?

    Gazillionaire?"

    Asher shook his head at her silliness "Why do you want to know? Do you want me to give you some? "

    "No, I''m just curious "

    "I don''t know how rich I am Lia, but I''m definitely sure I have enough cash to buy a country if I want to "

    Lia choked on her apple and entered a coughing fit.

    "Hey easy " He passed her a glass of water from the water dispenser beside him and rubbed her back gently with his hand.

    Lia finally recovered and Asher chided her playfully,

    "How can you be so gullible? It is not possible to buy a country since countries are not owned by anyone, but I can own a part of its economy or islands "

    Lia was stunned, she realized how stupid she had been and closed her eyes in shame.

    Asher laughed at her action " Don''t worry, I''ll transfer some funds into your account since you love money so much " he teased.

    "Oh, I''m so thankful I could die from happiness " She replied to him theatrically with a bit of irony in between her words.

    "The banks in charge of your funds must be so full of happiness " She continued.

    "I own the banks that are in charge of my funds "

    Asher''s comment this time left her speechless while her mouth remained agape.

    "You know what? " She decided with a hint of irritation in her face " Forget I ever asked about your financial state.

    A smile stretched Asher''s lips to the side, was she intimidated by his wealth.

    He fed her another apple and she looked up annoyed, "Why are you even feeding me this? "

    He said to her with a straight look "Don''t you know the saying ''an apple a day keeps the doctor away''  is in fact true?"

    "I''m not a human for Christ sake "

    Lia rolled her eyes and spoke with a filled mouth causing a little of the crushed apple juice to trail down her lower lips.

    "Close your mouth while eating " He scolded her while his gaze drifted down to her lips.

    He drew closer and used his thumb to wipe across her pink succulent lips which caused her body to tingle.

    Lia swore her heart missed a beat at that unexpected gesture and got butterflies in her belly.

    A blush stained her cheeks and she glanced up - which clearly was a mistake because their gaze connected.

    Lia couldn''t move, just kept staring into that spellbinding green eyes of his.

    "How is the apple? " he suddenly asked, taking her by surprise.

    "I-I don''t understand" her heartbeat was in chaos. Why was the room suddenly hot, wasn''t the AC on?

    " How does it taste? " he rephrased his question.

    "Urm...sweet probably? " She breathed when his face came so increasingly close that their breath would''ve been mingling together if he were human - right now, it was her breath hitting his face.

    "You''re not sure? " his brow raised "I guess I have to take a taste to find out " And that said, his mouth came down on hers, hard.

    His tongue didn''t waste time in gaining entry and Asher sucked her sweet nectar as if he wanted to engrave her taste into his memory.

    "Asher" Lia spoke breathlessly after she pulled away " My mom could walk in on us any moment " She expressed her concern.

    But Asher assured her "No she wouldn''t "

    Then Lia saw him move his hand, watching as the large sofa from across the room was invisibly pushed against the door effortlessly.

    She stared at his action in disbelief, even if her mom did open the door, there was no way on earth she could push against that sofa alone.

    "Problem solved, " Asher told her but before she could say a word, he captured her lips once again.

    Lia could hardly comprehend what was going on, he was already on top of her and had pinned both of her hands against the bed.

    He bent his head and whispered into my ears seductively "Since today is your birthday, what''s the sexiest favor you want me to grant you right now "

    Her eyes widened at his statement, sexy? Lia''s throat dried up automatically, she just turned eighteen today and her mate was already ready to turn her into a bad girl.

    Asher trailed kisses down her neck causing her to gasp out a reply "I don''t know "

    His eyes narrowed disbelievingly, so he used his teeth to graze that soft spot between her shoulder and her neck.

    "What''s that deep dark sexy scene you''ve always imagined secretly " he murmured against her skin causing her to shudder.

    Lia arched her back, helpless against the sensations raging through her body.

    "I don''t know " she breathed, her brains couldn''t think of one at the moment no matter how hard she tried.

    Asher knew what he was doing and it was further confirmed by the wicked smile that appeared on his face

    "I guess your brain needs a little reminder "

    Then he boldly slipped his hand into her gown through the back opening,  ran his hand down the curves of her body sending tingles down her spine.

    "My God " Lia moaned and dug her hands into the sheet, reeling from the pleasure her body was receiving.

    She tried to rise but Asher pushed her back down on the bed.

    " Going somewhere ?"

    She shook her head negatively, her breaths were coming in-breath and her body was becoming ultra-sensitive to each touch.

    "So do you know what you want now? "

    "Yeah " Lia whimpered.

    "Tell me what is it? " he asked, nibbling at her earlobe.

    "Touch me "

    Just those two ordinary words but it turned Asher on like crazy.

    His smile broadened "Your wish is my command "

    Then his hands already beneath her hospital gown unclasped her bra and pulled it off one shoulder, giving him access to one of the mounds on her chest.

    Lia began to writhe on the bed just as Asher began to knead her bosom, teasing and stroking it just the way she wanted until she thought she would go crazy.

    But at that moment when Lia thought of losing herself to her body sensation, a heavy pounding came on the door.

    "My goddess Lia, open up!"

    It was as if cold water was poured on Asher and he released a torrent of curses

 Chapter 149 - One Hundred And Forty-nine : Beat The Fear Of God Into Him

    Ben was startled when he awoke and saw the IV reattached to his hand, what happened? Did he pass out since he has no recollection of it?

    He looked around the room, no one was around - not even Jenny - and Trevor was still fast asleep.

    Irritated, Ben yanked the IV off his hand the second time and climbed out of the bed. Casting one last look at Trevor, he walked out of the room cautiously.

    Jenny said her daughter was here but sadly he didn''t get the chance to

    ask about her room number before he passed out.

    So he intended asking the receptionist, but it appears luck was on his side because he spotted Jenny in the hallway talking to a nurse.

    According to what he heard, Jenny had to leave because of an emergency and told the nurse to please take care of her kids.

    But it seems Jenny mistook the nurse for the one in charge of Trevor cause she kindly told her she was the wrong person.

    Looks like the nurse was a good person since she eventually agreed to convey the messages to the right nurse and Ben got to learn about Lia''s room number through the conversation.

    Thankfully there was no security to stop him on the VIP floor, so he located his goddess room with ease.

    Standing in front of the room, he was about to knock on the door when he suddenly froze.

    What if Lia doesn''t like him anymore because of what he - no Lawrence did - he would never hurt his goddess on purpose.

    Ben remembered everything now, so he knew the horrors Lia went through in his hands and the kisses - God, this was so embarrassing!

    Perhaps if he were a good person, he should just leave lia alone because of what he did to her, but he wasn''t; Lia was the only person he had by his side, and wouldn''t let her go easily.

    She was the only person that stood by him when others didn''t and she even knows things about him his birth parents have no knowledge about.

    Talking of his birth parents, when was the last time he even saw them face-to-face, a month ago? Two months ago?

    Sometimes it was a relief that he had grown up and was able to take care of himself, his parents'' constant disappearance doesn''t even bother him anymore.

    The only notable thing they did for him was making sure he never lacked resources.

    Fine, he would test the waters first and if Lia doesn''t want him anymore, then so be it. He would not bother her again.

    So Ben knocked on the door softly but when he got no response after the third time, his knocks gained momentum.

    "My goddess Lia, open up! " He yelled, banging on the door.

    "Can we talk please, it''s me Ben " he pleaded but still got no response.

    A minute later, the door was pulled open by the vampire who is also his principal and also the mate to his goddess and who also warned him never to hurt his goddess Lia.

    Yeah, the one and only Asher. Oh, Ben, you are dead meat.

    Ben gulped, his heart was pounding so hard he feared it would jump out of his chest pretty soon.

    Asher was shooting green fire from his orbs, he had never felt the need to tear this guy to pieces till now. How could he interrupt them in such an important moment?

    Ben swore if Asher kept staring at him that way for the next five minutes, he would really pee in his pants.

    Asher was probably still angry at him for the kiss.

    But it wasn''t him! It was Lawrence in him then! why would he kiss his goddess, was he insane? Why had one ever asked him the reason why he kept calling Lia '' his goddess ''.

    It was because no matter how much a human desired, goddesses were meant to be admired and seen from far away and they are married to gods.

    So even if his feelings for lia was as tall as Mount Everest, he had no choice but to hide and curtail it.

    He wasn''t delusional nor stupid, there was no way on earth Lia would ever like him as more than a friend, so he had better value their friendship.

    Lia was way over his league even with all his riches. There was just this ethereal aura around her.

    When had he even begun to fall for her?

    Her first day as a new student when he had glued himself to her side and instead of giving him that disgusting look the other gives him, she gave him a curious one instead?

    Or when she stood up to Caroline for calling him "her servant"? He couldn''t exactly tell but at least if he can''t have her as a lover, he would love her as a friend.

    "Asher, can you please let Ben in? " A voice came from inside but he instinctively knew it belonged to his goddess.

    His heart gladdened and his lips broadened into a smile, she still wanted him

    Ben was about to charge straight into the room happily but Asher used his hand to block the entrance, giving him a death glare.

    He then told Ben in a voice that roused more goosebumps than fear "I''ve got my eyes on you " pointing two fingers into his eyes, Asher made way for him to pass through.

    Lia''s brows knitted together in suspicion when she saw Ben''s unenthusiastic steps into her room. She rolled her eyes exasperatedly, Asher must have said something to dampen his mood.

    She knew Ben like the back of her hand, he was one of the most eccentric humans she has ever known.

    Though others disliked his attitude and avoided him like poison, she loved everything about him - God tailor-made Ben for her.

    He was her friend and would always be, even though he has the tendency to drive her crazy sometimes and a knack for bad timing - Just like now.

    But Lia thanked him secretly for that, what if things had escalated and she took it further with Asher. What would she do then about Daniel?

    Though she was not told, it was already obvious she was not supposed to have sex with any of them, at least until she makes a choice.

    " Hey " Ben waved, not to mention - keeping a good distance from her.

    Lia turned to scowl at Asher who looked away, what exactly had this old vampire who sometimes behaves like a kid, told him?.

    She stood from the bed and strode towards Ben, swallowing him in a bear hug.

    Ben stood rigidly for a while before Lia drew back and told him straight in the eyes "I forgive you for everything "

    Lia was indeed surprised when she saw Ben''s wide shocked eyes and he stammered, "Y-you forgive me for everything? "

    "Of course, silly " She drew him back into a hug but it seems Ben was finding it absolutely hard to believe because he hastily pulled away.

    "You really forgive me? Even for the times when I kissed you? " he asked again, just to be sure.

    Lia rolled her eyes, bored of hearing his same question " Of Course I forgive you - wait, what?!  "

    She stepped back in shock when she finally realized what he just said.

    " Excuse me? Did I kiss you? "  Lia pointed at her and then at him.

    Ben bites the outside of his mouth "It''s more like an'' I kissed you and you responded back because you were charmed '' kind of scenario. Wait, you don''t remember? "

    Lia''s face scrunched up, deep in thoughts while Asher stepped in, hoping to salvage what''s left of the situation

    "This is the part where I say ''Chit Chat is over ''. Lia? " Asher called her but she was immersed in her own thoughts, he wondered what was going on in her head.

    Seconds later Lia glanced up at Ben and asked out loud, "I kissed you? "

    Ben nodded "Yeah, you kinda kissed Lawrence but technically, it was my lips who received the smooching "

    An evil smirk plastered on her face as she told him "And technically, you are going to be the one to receive the beating "

    Before Asher could even react, she had bounced on Ben and gripped his hair tight.

    " You had the nerve to kiss me! " she scolded him and tugged on his hair tighter.

    "Ouch, not my hair! " Ben cried out while struggling to free her grip " It wasn''t me who kissed you but that evil Lawrence, why are you taking it out on me ?! "

    A mocking laugh was heard from her mouth " Of course it was that evil Lawrence. Who let him in the first  place?!"

    "Have mercy already, my poor hair! Do you know how much it takes me to maintain these strands you''re pulling off? Moreover, how can you be so pretty? you already said you''ve forgiven me! " He whined still struggling to be set free.

    There was a mad glint in her eyes as she continued "Of Course I have forgiven you but you still have to pay for your sins "

    Luckily for Ben, Asher managed to ''untangle'' Lia off from him as he breathed a sigh of relief.

    "Asher ! Let me go! I need to beat the fear of God into that boy !" Lia screamed her lungs out while kicking vigorously as Asher carried her off her feet and tossed her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

 Chapter 150 - One Hundred And Fifty : Set In Motion

    The door was abruptly opened and Williams walked into his father''s study.

    "What the hell happened? "He asked his father who looked up from the documents he was going through.

    " What do you mean? " Shane removed his reading glass

    "Trev-no, I mean the newbies. I heard one of them got hurt? "

    Williams caught his father''s probing stare.

    "You seem to have gotten attached to Renard''s son? " Shane interrogated, staring at his son intensely.

    Williams laughed it off, awkwardly.

    "O-of course not, I''m just concerned about him. We were supposed to meet yesterday for the training, against the newcomers'' initiation ceremony before I got the news, that''s all "

    A knowing smile which his son failed to capture crossed his lips " Williams Cutter " Shane called him by his full name "This is the first time I''m seeing this level of concernment from you "

    Williams rolled his eyes exasperatedly " Seriously Dad, come on "

    " Fine " Shane let the document drop from his hand " Your honey pie is fine"

    Williams scowled at him "I''m a straight guy dad "

    "I haven''t seen you bring a girl home since you clocked puberty " He pointed out.

    Williams threw his hand up "I don''t need such feelings at the moment father, they''re distractions. I want to train up and become a better Hunter, live up to your reputation "

    Shane crossed his arms while his brows furrowed together, his gaze fixed on this devoted son of his.

    "Willy you might be my son but that doesn''t mean we share the same destiny. Follow your own path, live your life and trust me when I say ''The path of a Hunter is the loneliest'' "

    And Shane wasn''t talking for talking''s sake, he was speaking out of the experience. Take a look at him, his wife had left him and Willy because of the nature of his job.

    His own friend Renard had to hide his family from the Council''s sight. Shane bet Renard''s family wouldn''t have known what he did for a living, had they not moved to Little Town.

    As a hunter it was a rule: The Hunter''s blood must be carried on - that is if you have a family.

    For those who had more than one kid, one must surely join the Hunters league to continue the legacy. Although there was always room for exception, albeit paid at a price.

    But it was hard seeing a Hunter''s child not follow the Hunter''s footsteps, the bloodline would always lead them the same path.

    "What caused the incident by the way? " Shane asked curiously, he had only seen the pandemonium the incident caused at school but he couldn''t find out the source of the disturbance.

    "A witch''s mistake but she has been punished, and the incident covered up, with all loopholes settled. So I don''t want you prying into the case. Moreover, it was handed over to the falcon coven, I bet you find nothing ." He told his son in advance having known what he was capable of.

    Williams'' face scrunched up and he complained "You don''t trust me? I never thought of prying into the case"

    "I trust you son, but you don''t hit me as someone who would stay away from it "

    Williams shook his head "Fine, think whatever you want " he turned to leave.

    "Where are you going? "

    "To visit Trevor "

    A smile tugged Shane''s lips to the side "You mean your honey pie? "

    Casting his dad one long last stare "Think whatever you want dad " turned the doorknob and left.

    --------------------

    "Why are you lying low, if I may ask, your ladyship? " She asked while combing her ladyship''s red lustrous hair pouring down her shoulder in waves.

    Her Ladyship glanced at Sofia through the mirror attached to the dressing table.

    After Emily''s death, the young blond girl took over all of her roles and so far, she''s been pretty good.

    "What do you mean? " She asked inquisitively, tapping her long manicured nail against her nose repeatedly.

    "No offense my lady, but you could have taken advantage of this chaos and pushed through with the plans " Sophia explained slowly and cautiously, she didn''t want to say anything that would have her head rolling to the ground.

    Her ladyship laughed and her hand flew to her mouth " You''re amusing.  Who said I''ve been doing nothing? "

    A trace of confusion crossed Sophia''s face " But you haven''t -"

    "Trust me, Sophia, everything has been set in motion " she interjected.

    Sophia gnawed on her lower lips, she could never understand Her  Ladyship at all, her ways were too mysterious.

    Suddenly Sophia glanced up but was startled when their gazes met through the mirror, her heart almost jumped out of her chest.

    Her ladyship didn''t look away but stared at Sophia with a blazing intensity causing her to reflexively take a step back. The way she was staring at her made goosebumps crawl up her arms.

    Her ladyship tilted her head to the side languidly " I''m curious about one thing though, how you managed to infiltrate my coven "

    Sophia froze, her cover had been blown. She blinked, the once shy, inhibited look in her eyes vanished and was replaced by a sharp glint.

    Well, since she has been discovered, there was no need to cover it up anymore.

    "Revela ante Deum quis sub " She said and the once blonde Sophia transformed into a lady with dark hair and eyes.

    "Mimicry spell? The council seems to be smarter than I thought " Her ladyship said with a hint of scorn in her tone.

    She continued, "And I know you, you''re one of those scums from the falcon''s coven. How has Amala been doing recently? "

    "How did you know I was not the real Sophia? " the fake Sophia asked back, her gaze cautious and her body settling into a fighting stance.

    A mocking smirk curled up Her ladyship''s mouth " Simple, here we don''t ask about the plan�� ." She faltered on purpose and peered over her shoulder " Because we all know the plan "

    "Mitto ad te abyssum -  " the fake Sophia was yet to finish her spell when her ladyship simply snapped her fingers and a pair of swords placed on the wall as decoration, moved and pierced through her body.

    One of the swords went through her stomach, the other through her heart and both swords came from behind her.

    She gasped acutely, followed by blood instantly gushing from her mouth and then dropped to the floor lifeless.

    Her ladyship wasn''t bothered by the scene but instead reached a hand towards the back of her hair and gripped a green caterpillar.

    The tiny life caterpillar wriggled in her grip and she sneered " Lousy trick " and squashed the insect to paste.

    Under the guise of combing her hair, that fool must have put it there. If the bug had successfully entered her body, it would kill her slowly and silently.

    The insect lived up-to its name

    "Cater-kill ". It was one of the ways witches get rid of their opponents without notice or suspicion.

    She hadn''t died and resurrected in vain, it seems it was time to pay Amala a visit - that b*itch has been upsetting her lately.

    ----------------------------

    Her lungs felt like it was on fire, though the shrubs and roots dug into her bloodied foot, she still persisted.

    Alexa ran through the forest barefoot, she knew that psycho was coming after her but she had to hurry.

    She dialed Caroline''s number but there was no service bar on the cellphone.

    "No! Not now! " She cried out in despair and tried the number over and over again.

    Suddenly she heard the rustling of trees from behind her, shit! He was gaining on her.

    That guy was crazy, in fact, there was no redemption for him, she wished she could kill him- yes, she would.

    During the past weeks, he had used her both physically and mentally. It felt like hell.

    Alexa could not understand his obsession with the supernaturals. He interrogated and tortured her until he milked out every detail about them from her mouth.

    The first few days, she had thought of help coming - dreamt about her rescue too - but after the first week passed, she was still stuck with him.

    But she couldn''t take it anymore, which was why after weeks of careful planning, she had managed to cut through her bonds, knocked him out unconscious, stole his phone, and escaped from there.

    But things were worse than she thought, she didn''t know where she was; he held her hostage in a shed in the middle of nowhere.

    Since it was obvious she would be caught, why not stop running and fight, she might have a winning chance.

    So Alexa hid behind a large tree and grabbed a stick from the ground. It had a pointed tip and hopefully would do the harm she intended.

    Almost immediately, two bars of service came into the phone and she began to type a message.

    " To Caroline: Thank you for being my friend. "

    Send��.

    " To Caroline: Lia ��.."

    Alexa had yet to send the second message when a hand grabbed her from behind.

    Eyes wide, she managed to press the send button before the phone was snatched from her grip.

    Alexa saw stars when she was backhanded and sent sprawling to the rough ground.

    Her eyes shone with hatred and she grabbed a handful of soil, sprayed it into his eyes, and took off running.

    She wants to live.

 Chapter 151 - One Hundred And Fifty-one : Psychopathic Ex-girlfriend

    Ben couldn''t look Lia in the eyes, she was glaring at him to the extent it wouldn''t surprise him if she bore a hole in his head.

    "Sabrina specifically warned you, what were you thinking touching that mask ?" Lia scolded him loudly.

    Ben lowered his head and pouted his lips with pitiful eyes before glancing up at her "I''m sorry "

    "That look won''t work on me so don''t bother stressing your face, " Lia blew off his plans of coercing her with his puppy face

    This was so annoying, his goddess no longer falls for his trick, it seems he has to come up with something new.

    "Are you still going to remain angry? "He whined as If he were a seven-year-old nagging his mommy for candy.

    No response.

    "Pleaseee? " He continuously badgered her and even touched her leg but she kicked his hand away, facing the other side.

    Asher, who was sitting beside her on the bed, didn''t even bother them but was busy going through something on his phone.

    The couples were leaning against the headboard while he was now occupying the seat Asher previously sat on.

    "If it pleases you, then you should know that you''re not even a good kisser. I didn''t even enjoy it at - "

    "You said what? " Asher''s cold tone interrupted him.

    Ben swallowed "I didn''t even dare to enjoy the kiss "

    Asher flashed him a warning look before something else came into his mind and he asked,

    "Sabrina said she cast an invisibility spell on the mask, how did you see past it? "

    Ben blinked, "Excuse me? " his brows drew together in confusion "What are you talking about? "

    "The spell Sabrina cast on the mask? Ring a bell?" asked Asher who was beginning to have a doubting look on his face.

    "There wasn''t any concealing or invisibility spell as she says, I saw the mask with my two naked eyes," Ben told him, pointing two fingers to his eyes and gesturing what he meant.

    "How do you think I was able to wear it in the first place? "

    That moment, Asher and Lia''s eyes met as if they were communicating telepathically, they both knew something was wrong.

    Sabrina was one careful and serious witch so they couldn''t doubt if she had cast the spell as she claims moreover, why would she joke around with such a dangerous artifact.

    So it was either Sabrina was lying or something else was going on and it involved Ben.

    "After Lawrence left your body, have you been doing or getting strange reactions? " Lia, who remained mum all this time, finally spoke to him.

    Ben''s raised a brow confusedly " Strange reactions? As in? "

    Lia lowered her voice "As in beginners level, raise dead rats from the dead. Feel the urge to compel people to stab their friends? Do you feel the urge to force your friend to kis-"

    " Lia " Asher cautioned.

    Ben frowned, everything Lia just said sounded similar to�� his eyes widened, that girl tricked him.

    But his attention was drawn to the couple who were currently having an argument.

    "I know what you''re going to say Asher, but I refuse to hear it " Lia objected and held up her hand firmly in the form of refusal.

    "Sounds impossible but there might be a chance " He tried to make his mate see reasons with him.

    Ben''s eyes moved between Lia and Asher, what the hell were the two lovers arguing about?

    " I''m not going to believe Ben might be a supernatural "

    Ben froze, he remained unmoving for a while before he suddenly sprang up from the seat and screamed,

    "I''m a supernatural?! "

    "You might " Lia corrected sternly while rubbing her ears, the boy almost screamed his ear off.

    The feelings of excitement crossed his features and Lia rolled her eyes, there was no way on earth this idiot was a supernatural creature.

    "B-but how? " he asked with amazement "I don''t feel any different than I''ve always been "

    "See? " Lia pointed out with a mocking tone " He doesn''t feel any different? "

    "The fact you were able to see through the invisibility spell and got possessed by the spirit of a necromancer proves one thing; you''re not just an ordinary human "

    Ben''s eyes gleamed with more excitement "Then what am I? I don''t think I''m a vampire, haven''t even grown a fang yet " he went ahead to check his tooth for a growing fang while Lia facepalmed.

    How did she get involved with this fool?

    "I don''t see any claws, don''t think I''m a werewolf either " Ben muttered and went ahead to imitate Lia flicking out her talons.

    Lia''s lips twitched, that wasn''t how she drew out her talons. You know what? She''s officially done with this fool.

    "He''s all yours," She said to Asher with a ''knock - yourself - out '' look as she lay back on her bed.

    Asher gave her a '' Like seriously? '' Look in return, he knew she was the only one who could endure Ben''s endless energetic chattering without bursting with anger.

    But Lia ignored him and even turned her back to him, unfortunately for Asher that was when Ben''s prattle began.

    "So if I''m not a werewolf nor a vampire, do you think I''m a witch? Wizard? Warlord " he gasped dramatically.

    "Even better, a Demigod ?! Like seriously it happens in movies... " he gasped again.

    "Maybe that''s why my parents hardly come home because they are gods and goddesses who in the guise of going on a business trip, take that opportunity to return to their heavenly kingdom�� " His eyes grew wide as another idea rushed into his head.

    "Or maybe I''m not their real child but a demigod who they picked up on the streets. No wonder they think I''m more than capable of taking care of myself " Yakked Ben who had not even realized that Asher stopped listening a long time ago and was busy watching him with a blank expression

    "But if mom and dad turn out to be gods and goddesses, what is their identity?  Perhaps Dad might be Zeus and mom Hera? uh no, mom might not really be Hera after all Zeus was famous for his many love affairs with both mortal and immortal women " He thought out loud.

    "Asher do you think I might be �� .." Ben turned around but was startled when he found Asher was nowhere to be seen while Lia was fast asleep.

    What the hell happened?

    Asher breathed a sigh of relief once he was out of that room, that boy was a disturbance. He just hoped that whatever creature Ben was, he wasn''t a strong one.

    Asher couldn''t handle him when he was a human talk more when he becomes something much stronger.

    Sabrina should be able to find out what he is, ah right, she has lost her powers.

    But she was knowledgeable about all those stuff, she should be able to find it out from one of those witchy books in her place.

    Although that would be after she had made a full recovery, she had lost so much strength battling Amala. Who knew the council would punish her without due notice?

    Asher walked down the hospital''s hallway, contemplating on how to make Lia''s birthday special when his phone rang.

    Dan. He was back.

    "Hello " He picked up the call.

    "I''m back with Gideon "

    Asher sighed " Keep an eye on him "

    "Alright " Dan answered followed by a short silence " How''s Sabrina "

    Asher worked his jaw, he had a feeling that was the reason for the silence.

    "She''s fine "

    "Thanks for keeping her safe "

    " I''ll be back " Asher ended the call.

    He pinched the bridge of his nose, Dan would surely not let Ben rest. After the accidental death of Dan''s mate, Sabrina was the only one he had dared to love after so many years.

    Asher was still engrossed in his thoughts when a figure walked past him.

    All of a sudden, he froze.

    He turned on his heel and raced after the figure who disappeared into thin air.

    No matter how much he searched for her, he couldn''t find Katya. How was that possible, she was supposed to be dead, then how��

    If she somehow survived, could that be her? If she was here, what could she possibly want? Why did she reappear now after so many years. What was she doing here?

    Asher ran his hands through his hair, tugging it tight. Were his eyes deceiving him? Though her memories of her had diminished with the years but that feeling, it couldn''t be wrong.

    He hurriedly dug his hand into the pocket of his pants and called Dan right away.

    "Hello? "

    "I saw Katya "

    Jumping from the noise in the background, Asher could tell that his unexpected news made Dan lose his concentration and knock into things.

    "That''s impossible, Katya is dead "

    "Though I couldn''t find her, I don''t think what I saw was a trick of the eyes. I''m sure of what I saw " he told Dan with a serious tone.

    "If she''s here, then your mate is in danger Asher. " He reminded him.

    "I know "

    How could he forget his psychopathic ex-girlfriend.

    But what Asher didn''t know was that he was being watched, closely.

 Chapter 152 - One Hundred And Fifty-Two : Keep My Family Safe

    As the shadow moved closer to his face, Trevor sat up abruptly, grabbed him by the collar, and pushed him up against the wall causing the IV attached to the back of his hand to yank off forcefully.

    "Who are - "

    "It''s me " Williams raised his arms in surrender.

    Trevor''s eyes were wide open from  shock and confusion "Wait, what are you doing he..? "

    He looked down "Why am I in a hospital��. ?"

    Trevor groaned and staggered as he gripped his head, his world beginning to spin. He felt a hand on his shoulder as someone led him back to the bed.

    "You stood up without warning, that''s why you''re dizzy, " Williams told him while he shut his eyes tightly.

    Lying face up, Trevor tucked his face in the crook of his arm and rested for a short while before the dizziness vanished .

    With a deep groan, he sat up and glanced up at the figure who was sitting by his bedside.

    "What happened? Why am I here?" he asked, taking in the hospital room.

    "There was an incident�� " Williams stared at him surprised "You don''t remember anything? "

    Trevor shook his head "The only thing I remember is leaving my house for school, everything else is blank " he explained to Williams who listened to him with rapt attention.

    "It''s not surprising, the necromancer had firm control on your mind "

    "Necromancer? "

    "Yeah, your sister''s friend Ben got possessed by a necromancer "

    Trevor''s brow knitted together, how did such a thing happen? He always knew that Ben was trouble yet his sister would not listen. If only she knew supernatural creatures existed?.

    "Was there any loss? " He asked, having known the rest would be covered up by the council.

    After that night he had come to know that the council was responsible for the balance between supernaturals and humans in Little Town and in some parts of the world.

    Unlike other places, the Council''s influence in Little Town was maximal creating more balance than other places where supernatural oppression was secretly at its limit.

    Though when it comes to giving out missions, hunters were their usual messengers and choice, but due to the alliance with other creatures, the labor was sometimes divided.

    Thanks to that, you could find several supernatural creatures in the council but witches had more of a population and support.

    "No life was lost but there were some injuries and by the way, you might be doing some community service once you''re fully recovered, " Williams informed him while handing a tissue paper to him in order to wipe the blood on the top of his palm.

    "Okay. Wait - what?! " asked the stunned Trevor " What did I do wrong? Why should I do community service? "

    "Hey relax " Williams calmed him " We used some convincing excuse to cover-up the incident, so just follow the script alright? "

    Trevor wanted to protest but decided against it, he was now in training to be a hunter and the first rule was never to disobey an order.

    He stood to his feet, his eyes darting across the room " Am I the only one here? What about my family? Mother? Does she know about this? "

    "I asked around, said she was here moments ago and had to leave because of an emergency at home and your sister is in one of the VIP rooms - "

    "Wait, my sister is here?! "

    "Apparently your sister was involved in an accident "He broke the news to him.

    "I need to see her "

    "Wa-"

    But Trevor was already out of the door.

    "He doesn''t even know the room number " Williams mumbled under his breath and followed after him.

    Williams caught up with Trevor who was wandering in the wrong direction and led him to the right room.

    Thankfully the door wasn''t locked, it seems someone had forgotten to shut the door when walking in.

    So Trevor pushed the door open and went inside without much thought but what he never expected was his sister laughing at a joke a hot looking stranger was telling her.

    She must have sensed his presence cause she looked up and was surprised.  " Trevor? "

    "Lia " her name slipped out of his mouth forcefully than intended

    "Oh my God " She gasped "When did you wake-up? " He watched his sister try to stand up but the stranger urged her to sit back causing Trevor to narrow his brow at him.

    Trevor scanned the stranger from head to toe, the guy had silky blonde hair that was brushed backward and touching the nape of his neck. He was quite tall, with blue eyes and a muscular frame.

    "Who is he? " Trevor asked without hiding the displeasure on his face.

    " Oh " She looked up towards the stranger and gestured "Trevor, this is my friend Daniel. Daniel, this is my brother, Trevor "

    "Nice to meet you Trevor " Daniel covered the space between them and thrust out his hand for a handshake.

    "Nice to meet you too Daniel " Trevor enveloped his hand in a firm grip as they both regarded each other slowly before letting go.

    "I thought Ben was your only friend, when did you make another one? " Trevor pointed out and watched her sister lick her lower lips - a gesture she does when she''s caught in a dilemma.

    " I-I ah - "

    "We just became friends not long ago " Daniel answered in her stead.

    "You must really love giving your friends flowers, "Trevor said, his eyes resting on the blue lily in Daniel''s grip.

    "Oh this " Daniel raised the bouquet of flowers "Today is her birthday, and when I heard she was involved in an accident, I decided to visit but I couldn''t come empty-handed, so I got her a ''get-well-soon'' flowers " He finished with a laugh that sounded too awkward.

    Lia watched the scene speechless, her brother''s overprotectiveness was becoming a bother.

    "Aren''t you going to wish me a happy birthday brother ? " She successfully diverted his attention.

    "Sorry about that " Trevor scratched his head awkwardly "Happy birthday sister "

    "Thank-you " She flashed him a warm smile before straining her neck to the side, trying to catch a view of the figure standing behind her brother.

    "Who''s he? "

    Trevor turned, "Well, this is my friend Williams. Williams, this is my sister, Lia "

    "Nice to meet you, Lia "

    "Nice to meet you too Williams" she welcomed him with a smile tugging at the corner of her lips

    "You must be so special judging from the fact you''re the first person Trevor has ever introduced as a friend, " Lia said insinuatingly.

    Her comment brought a blush to Trevor''s cheeks and he glared at her " What rubbish are you talking about? Who said I didn''t have friends "

    "Where are they then? " She taunted her brother on purpose, it was time to put him in a tight position.

    "You know what? Have fun with your friend " Trevor dismissed the topic and turned to leave.

    "Why are you leaving? " She teased him knowingly but Trevor ignored her and left right away.

    Once outside, Williams asked him "Are you sure your sister has no idea about the supernatural? "

    He nodded and answered confidently

    "Of course not. why would she? "

    But he glanced up at Williams with a concerned and curious expression

    "Why do you ask "

    "Because that friend of her''s is  a werewolf "

    " What?! " Trevor froze.

    Then he turned, about to storm back into the room had Willy not stopped him.

    " What do you think you''re doing?! " He whisper-shouted at him.

    "I need to get that beast away from my sister! "

    "Are you stupid or what?! " he chided Trevor furiously " So you''re going to barge in there and do what exactly?  punch him in the face and say '' stay away from my sister you beast ?! '' is that it? "

    Williams''s words made him calm down but that didn''t mean he would stay still and do nothing.

    "So what do you think I should do? "

    " Be diplomatic and smart! "

    " Seriously? "

    Willy jabbed him on the shoulder as if to knock sense into him

    "There are only three reasons why the Alpha of the Silvermoon pack would be here: either your sister is his mate or he has some business with her, which means your sister is not as clueless as you thought or they''re truly friends - though I highly doubt option three "

    Trevor took a deep breath but he couldn''t seem to calm down " An alpha of a werewolf pack is with my sister, alone in that room " he said pointing at the room down the hallway.

    "Werewolves might be aggressive creatures but they''re half human too. Besides, why would he hurt her who for all we know, might even be his mate "

    "That is impossible " Trevor refused to believe him.

    "We now live in a world where the impossible is possible Trevor, and we are privileged to be among the few who know about that. Now is our responsibility to protect the others in the dark but doesn''t mean we shouldn''t give the benefit of the doubt to those creatures we protect them from "

    "I lost my dad who I just discovered few days ago was a hunter - a fact he hid from us. " Trevor  swallowed down his saliva and went on

    "At first I was angry, he hid it from everyone - including his own wife - but I now understand. He did it to keep us safe and I would do everything possible to keep my family safe too "

 Chapter 153 - One Hundred And Fifty-three : Happy Birthday Mate

    "Trevor must really be a monitoring spirit," thought Lia as she caught her brother Trevor spying on them for the umpteenth time.

    "Your brother sure has a lot of time on his hand," Daniel told her as he too sensed him hiding behind a tree and staring at them from there.

    She had gratefully fallen asleep earlier in the middle of Ben''s endless chatter - Asher brought it upon himself.

    Lia still refused to believe that Ben has supernatural powers. There was nothing extraordinary about him aside from the fact he is a

    paranormalist and her friend.

    But she was still curious, if indeed Ben was a supernatural creature as Asher claims, what could he possibly be?

    It seems Asher must have been fed-up with Ben''s ravings because when she awoke he was nowhere to be found, while Ben had moved his latest obsession to Wikipedia - at last, hallelujah!

    Said he was studying Greek mythology or something like that? Lia couldn''t exactly remember but she was thankful his research moved his ass out of her room.

    Asher didn''t return as she expected, he called to say an emergency came up and had to leave.

    Yeah, she was bored for a while until Daniel arrived. Apparently, Asher called to tell him that today was her birthday.

    Truth be told, Lia loved their new interaction; both were working together unlike before.

    Inwardly, she knew she has no other option than to make her choice soon, but she was happy they weren''t killing each other over her - it made things less problematic.

    Daniel hardly arrived when Trevor came in and began his "Brother- protects- sister - from - bad guys " display.

    Unlike Trevor, their mother was more welcoming and though she had given her the " Who-is- this - hot - dude ? " look, nothing else went wrong aside from her probing questions :

    "What''s your name? "

    "Daniel "

    "Daniel who? "

    "Daniel Lucian "

    "How old are you? "

    "Twenty four "

    " Your parents? "

    "Late "

    "Sorry. So what do you do for a living? "

    "Mom!" Lia had butt in when the questioning became too prying.

    "What? " Jenny cast her an exasperated gaze.

    "Aren''t you going too - "

    "I need to know everything about the guy hanging around my daughter " she interjected.

    Daniel scratched his head "I''m not hanging around her, I''m - "

    "You''re her boyfriend then " Jenny filled in while Lia went red in the face.

    "Mom! "

    "Don''t mom me young lady! " Jenny scolded her sternly " Are you trying to say I''m seeing wrong? You two can''t take your eyes off each other and he''s been keeping you company for God knows how many hours now. If you both aren''t dating, what are you doing then? "

    Lia scratched her scalp, she had not expected that things would escalate to this level. Why were moms so quick on catching on things like this?

    "Mom, it''s a little bit complicated - "

    "Yes, I''m her boyfriend, " Daniel admitted.

    Lia turned to face him surprised," You are? "

    "Yes, I''m her boyfriend," he said more confidently and determined this time.

    Her mom was staring at both of them with arms folded and a self-satisfied smirk on her face.

    "Since you decided to come clean, I''ll continue with my questions "

    Lia groaned out loud and facepalmed, her mom was impossible.

    "What do you do for a living? " she still pressed forward with that question.

    " I''m the village chief of Kinney village "

    She watched her mom''s brow raise questioningly "Kinney village?"

    "Yeah " Daniel confirmed.

    "More like the Alpha of the silver moon pack, " Lia said in her head of course.

    "Little Town shares a boundary with the village, right?" Jenny asked no-one in particular but Daniel took it upon himself to answer.

    "Yeah, we do, just a few miles away. Perhaps, you should come to visit sometimes "

    Her mom''s expression light up "Really? "

    "Yes, I''ll fund all necessary expenses "

    Suddenly Jenny scrunched up her face "Aren''t you a little bit too young for that position? "

    Daniel explained, " Kinney ways are different, plus the position is hereditary so after the death of my parents, I had no choice than to take over "

    Lia shook her head, Daniel was such a smooth liar but she couldn''t blame him.

    They couldn''t just tell her mother he was leading a pack of hormone raging half-human, half-wolf shapeshifters, and ironically, she was one of them too  - not from the same pack though.

    Come to think of it, Lia slowly realized she was no different from her father. She was now keeping deadly secrets from her family - even more than her father ever did - but it was to protect them, it was better they remained in the dark.

    "Miss Jenny, I know I might not look much, but I''m more than capable to take care of your daughter and cherish her for eternity," Daniel said, causing Lia''s head to jerk up.

    Her brows furrowed together, why does he sound as if he was asking for her hand in marriage.

    Jenny sighed " Fine but I still got my eyes on the both of you though " her mom even emphasized by giving them the "I''ve -got -my - eyes - on - you " gesture.

    Because Lia was "admitted " in the hospital, she was given a simple birthday celebration and Daniel accompanied her to the end of it.

    The birthday candles were blown off and wishes were made. Her Mom gifted her with these new dresses while Daniel gave her an exotic perfume that smelled so good that even her inner wolf moaned in satisfaction.

    Though she and Daniel didn''t do anything suggestive, she saw her mom giving her knowing looks, not to speak of Trevor.

    Trevor''s gaze followed their every movement, he always found opportunities to interrupt both of them.

    Lia couldn''t understand why he was behaving that way, why did he dislike Daniel that much. This wasn''t even the first time she dated.

    She had once dated this guy from her old school and Trevor never bothered with him, so why wasn''t he in support of this one?

    If Trevor was this protective, what now happens if he accidentally finds out she doesn''t have one, but two legitimate boyfriends? She didn''t even dare to imagine the scenario.

    "Mom, I need to get some fresh air, " Lia told Jenny before walking out with Daniel.

    "Fine, but don''t stay outside for too long so you don''t catch a cold " She reminded Lia while secretly giving her the "please -use - protection " look.

    Lia rolled her eyes, what was her mother seriously thinking.

    And that was how they found themselves sitting on a wooden bench beside the walkway in the hospital''s garden with Trevor spying on them.

    "Don''t mind him " Lia laughed after spotting Trevor out of the corner of her eyes trying to conceal himself from sight.

    "Why don''t we fool around with him a bit? " Daniel suggested with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

    She drew closer till their faces were nearly touching and whispered "What are you suggesting? "

    He drew closer too, this time till their noses were touching with his breath hitting her face making her wolf quiver with excitement.

    His brow moved " The rooftop? "

    "Call me game "

    They stood up simultaneously and Trevor straightened up as well, ready to trail after them as usual. At first, they walked slowly and in circles, before disappearing from the garden entirely.

    "I can''t believe I''m saying this, but I''m enjoying the misery on his face," Lia said, watching Trevor who was hellbent on searching for them in the garden.

    Though it was late at night, the electricity and her great eyesight made everything as clear as day.

    She was standing beside the rooftop ledge and enjoying the sight below, the hospital was a five-story.

    Lia felt butterflies in her stomach when Daniel suddenly encircled her waist from behind.

    He had been right when he told her the bond would be stronger when she clocks eighteen, cause she has been so aware of him ever since he walked into her room.

    "Your scent is becoming stronger " He murmured as his breath hit her neck making her gasp.

    Lia turned in his arms and found herself face-to-face while her throat dried up at the sight of him.

    "Is late already, wouldn''t you go back to your pack? "

    "Why? Are you chasing me off already? " his hands ran down the curve of her body and she gulped, but her wolf loved it.

    "Kiss him " It chanted in her head but Lia closed her eyes and shut it out. It was becoming a hassle handling this creature inside of her.

    When she opened her eyes, Daniel''s gaze had darkened and drifted down to her lips.

    "Dan - " He sealed her words with a kiss that left her mind swirling. His arms around her waist tightened, pressing her firmly to his body.

    Lia kissed him back with passion, her hand running through his silky strands and pushing him closer.

    Her heart pounded against her chest while her inner wolf she thought she had shut out, squealed with excitement when his tongue parted her lips.

    But Lia pulled away as soon as her lungs began to burn, she needed oxygen. Daniel smiled and leaned his forehead against hers saying,

    "Happy birthday mate "

 Chapter 154 - One Hundred And Fifty-four : Theyre Gone

    "All he ever asked you to do was to take care of the clan " Dan reprimanded Gideon who remained indifferent to his words.

    Gideon sneered in response " As if the so-called clan members ever stay at a place "

    Dan couldn''t help but sympathize with Gideon, of course, everyone knew the Nicoli clan were one of the strongest clans but lacked true mates the most.

    Due to the curse, Nicoli vampires in need of a mate were always moving and searching, with the hope of finding them and made it a lot harder to keep track of their whereabouts.

    Moreover, vampires from the Nicoli clan seem to have an ability to attract troubles, because each time they''re most in need of help and Dan was always there to tender one; only this time Gideon was sent in his stead.

    "You always knew Raphael was trouble yet you chose to hang out with them and even told him things he shouldn''t have �� !" Dan faltered upon discovering he was all riled up.

    "I wasn''t exactly given a choice, " Gideon said to him.

    He sighed and rubbed his temple "You should be thankful Asher has changed lately ".

    If it was the previous Asher, Gideon would be given a punishment he would never forget throughout his immortality. But thanks to Lia, the once stonehearted Asher was becoming one big softie.

    "Spare that excuse to Asher " Dan brushed him off

    Dan couldn''t tell what Raphael did with him but Gideon''s eyes were dark red, a sign he had been feeding on human blood for a while now. Asher obviously wouldn''t be pleased to see this.

    But what bothered Dan currently was Asher''s weird call, claiming he had seen Katya. If not for the fact vampires couldn''t get drunk, he would have surmised Asher was definitely intoxicated while making that call.

    Due to the fact true mates were hard to find and take up a long time searching for unless one was lucky, vampires as creatures with quite a long lifespan have no choice than to satisfy their sexual desires with other people.

    Asher would not exactly be called a player but he has had his own fair share of women over the years and one of them was called Katya.

    Katya had been one of Asher''s girlfriends and also a pureblood vampire who was madly in love with him. Everyone even though they were mates thanks to the way they were lovey-dovey with each other.

    Everything was going perfectly well for both of them until Asher suddenly called off the relationship. Katya wanted them to get married since they hadn''t found their mates yet but Asher being the hedgehog he was, refused; he wouldn''t settle for anybody than his true mate.

    He wanted to wait.

    So they broke up peacefully or so Asher thought, Katya took his rejection quite differently.

    For two hundred years plus, Katya tracked, hunted, and killed off women Asher ever dated and was dating - supernatural or not.

    Katya kept her ears to the ground, hoping to get news about Asher''s mate so she could finish her off like she did to the others but luck was on Asher''s side, his mate never came.

    At first, she had been subtle about her killings, but things like that couldn''t be hidden under the sun forever. Asher eventually found out and didn''t take things lightly.

    He tracked down her whereabouts which wasn''t exactly hard considering the fact she was tracking him too.

    That blissful evening, they had a big fight.

    Asher wanted her to stop her madness but Katya had gone too far to stop now. She claimed if it wasn''t her, no-one else would occupy that position.

    And the fight began.

    Unfortunately in the heat of the moment, Asher killed her or so he thought, considering the fact he called, saying he saw her.

    But Dan highly doubted she was alive, though they did not burn her body, he was clearly sure she died that day, then how..?

    One thing was sure though, if Katya was truly alive, Lia was in danger. Asher better keeps his eyes on his mate else he loses her just as he lost his.

    Thankfully, Lia was strong. But were her powers strong enough to fight against a sly, powerful, and experienced vampiress?

    A mechanical whirring was heard and the door snapped open as Asher walked into his secret lab with a deep scowl on his face.

    "You''re here " Dan announced his presence.

    "Where is he? " Asher went straight to the point.

    He was pointed to a vampire who was kept in a large - insulated glass tube with several wires attached to his hands.

    "He''s addicted to human blood again? " Asher turned to face Dan, disappointment boldly plastered across his face.

    "Yes, Raphael made him that way " Dan answered on purpose hunting that Gideon didn''t take it knowingly.

    Since Gideon was the youngest of them all, he doesn''t have much self-control when it comes to human blood which made him an easier target to be used by the Burning Eaglet initially.

    "I can''t believe I''m about to rehabilitate a pureblood, you''re not  even a converted vampire! Why should I go through all  this trouble?" Asher took out his frustration on Gideon who didn''t dare to look him in the eyes.

    Dan quickly and quietly sneaked out of the lab, that one was on Gideon - he had warned him on time besides, he had missed Sabrina and she wasn''t picking up his call.

    He doubted something happened to her, else Asher would have informed him when he asked about her, but Dan still couldn''t help but get worried, was she getting cold feet about their relationship again?.

    He teleported to her place and couldn''t find her in her room which looked deserted as if she had moved out.

    Fear gripped his heart so he hurried out of there and searched the rest of the house, yet couldn''t find her. In a panic, he was about to teleport back to the mansion and inquire about her whereabouts from Asher when he found her in the kitchen.

    He found her standing in front of the sink and looking out through the window, lost in thought.

    Dan shook his head, Sabrina would definitely be the death of him. How could she scare him like that?

    Relieved, he walked towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, startling and jerking her back to reality.

    He kissed her neck " I missed you. Didn''t you miss me? "

    Sabrina turned towards him  "When did you arr-? "

    He silenced her with a kiss, swallowing the rest of her question. Sabrina blinked and stood like a tree as his lips moved against her passionately, she didn''t see that one coming.

    He moved back a bit and took her face in his hand, " I wanted a straight answer, I didn''t say you should answer my question with a question "

    His hands moved to her back, molding her to him as he repeated his question " Did you miss me ? "

    Sabrina looked him straight in the eyes before she reached up and lowered his face to her level, taking the initiative this time.

    "You have no idea,"  She said to him and captured his lips with hers, kissing him long and hard.

    Dan groaned into her mouth while she wrapped herself around himself as the other hand thread through his hair.

    He missed her like crazy and didn''t hesitate to show it. He hoisted her up in his arms and carried her away from the kitchen sink, pinning her against the wall before trailing hot kisses down her neck.

    Sabrina moaned in pleasure and threw back her head, giving him clear access to her neck.

    "You don''t how much you drive me crazy "He murmured against her skin and let his descended fang graze it softly as he felt her shiver beneath him.

    " Dan " Sabrina gasped, her nails digging into his skin.

    "Do you feel that? Only I can make you feel that way " He grazed his way up to her throat as he began suckling on the skin there.

    His hand traced the curve of her waist before slipping into her shirt and touching the muscles of her stomach.

    With her heart threatening to leap out of her chest, she grinds against his arousal, suggesting she was as turned on as he was.

    He tugged off her shirt, tossing it to the floor while his eyes brimmed with excitement, his gaze sweeping over her body.

    Sabrina shivered when she saw the way his gaze darkened, it was already obvious how this was going to end; there''s no way that is not going down.

    She was so beautiful, Dan thought and was about to take her to bed when he remembered her room was empty.

    " There is no bed, " He told as his hand climbed up her thigh.

    Sabrina spoke between moans " W-we could.. try the couch...I''ll order one later "

    Her breath caught in her throat when his hand moved inside her panties "Just summon one, I have a lot of fun to catch up with you "

    Sabrina froze.

    Dan stopped whatever he was doing when he sensed the sudden change in her demeanor.

    "Why? What''s wrong? "

    Sabrina got off him and Dan let her. She wrapped her arms around her exposed torso while putting a distance between them.

    "What is wrong Sabrina? " He urged her to open up to him.

    Sabrina bite the inside of her mouth

    "My powers, they''re gone "

 Chapter 155 - One Hundred And Fifty-five : Even If I Dont Choose You

    "I''m making some arrangements, " Daniel said and Lia turned around to look at his face. They were still on the rooftop but this time sitting on the bare ground.

    Lia was seated in between his legs while Daniel tousled and played around with her hair from behind.

    "What arrangement? " she asked, her eyes burning with curiosity.

    "So you could spend some time with me in Kinney village," he told her and saw the stunned expression on her face.

    "That''s err.. nice? "

    "But? " Daniel asked when he saw the hesitant look on her face.

    "I can''t tell if my mom would permit me. You see, to her we''re moving  too quickly and you''re apparently the second boyfriend I''ve ever had - "

    "You had a boyfriend? " he asked in surprise

    Lia gulped, " Yeah? "

    "Like before Asher and I? "

    Lia nodded. She never told them because she didn''t consider it necessary and that was in the past.

    Though Daniel tried to hide it but she could tell he was jealous,werewolves were extremely possessive creatures - it''s a miracle he and Asher have not ripped each other apart.

    She bites the inside of her mouth, "I was young then besides, there was this peer pressure to date. You look around and everyone almost has a partner making you feel left out.

    It seemed as if everyone was having so much fun and that you''re missing out on something big. So I got one. But I was young then, now I''m all grown up.

    Moreover, we didn''t do anything much, just kiss, once or twice? " Lia said unsure but felt the hairs on her back stand on edge when he whispered into her ears.

    "Just kissed? "

    Uh-oh

    She shivered, " The kiss wasn''t that great, we were just kids dating for the first time " Lia tried to do damage control.

    "So you still remember the kiss?" He prodded further and she felt like crying.

    "Daniel is not like that - " She tried to turn around and clarify the issue but he wouldn''t let her, so she couldn''t tell what his expression looked like.

    " Is like what? "

    Lia felt his hot breath hit her neck but not seeing his face made it a lot harder to figure out what was going on in that mind of his.

    "Daniel, I - " her breath stopped in her throat when he captured her earlobe with his teeth.

    Unlike the shameless Asher, Daniel was too touchy-feely and couldn''t rest without placing his hands on the parts of her body hidden by clothes.

    If she was an ordinary human, she''d probably be freaked out by his tactility but she was a werewolf now - half werewolf - and understood why they do it.

    Physical contact strengthens the bond and exchanges positive feelings and affection. Moreover, their wolves derive joy from it, so why rest?

    But there was a downside to it, once immersed in the act, one could accidentally mark and go into mating which wouldn''t have been a huge problem for her if she had only one mate. There was Asher to consider and it was a huge responsibility.

    Daniel nibbled at her ear and made her shivery with excitement. Lia turned around in his arms and sat on his laps, facing him this time.

    "How are you going to convince my mom to let me come to Kinney village? " Lia successfully changed the conversation.

    He trailed kisses down her neck before lowering his head beside her ear " Have you forgotten I''m the chief of Kinney village, I have my ways "

    Lia would have laughed at his white lie if Daniel hadn''t gripped her butt and pressed her flush against his erection bulging against his trouser.

    Her heart skipped a beat while her cheeks flushed red," You must have dated a ton of girls, how are you so skilled in this? " she teased him on purpose.

    Daniel''s hands traveled inside her hospital gown and traced her belly button "You''re the first and would be the last "

    "Even if I don''t choose you in the end? " The question slipped out of her mouth and Daniel froze.

    For a moment, both of them didn''t move and just sat, locked in their ambiguous position.

    " It will be hard ".

    Lia gulped.

    "But I would understand "  he added, then run his hand through her hair tenderly with loving admiration in his eyes "I just hope to cherish every little moment with you "

    Lia blinked, she wanted to speak but emotions clogged her throat and she pushed him to the ground taking him by surprise.

    "What are ��."

    She straddled his hips and silenced him with a slow yet sweet and light kiss. Lia conveyed all her unspoken words, feelings, and gratitude to him through the act.

    She felt him smile beneath the kiss with his arms wrapping around her waist, molding her to him while she tasted him for a very, very long time.

    " That was very awesome " Daniel complimented her breathlessly and made her blush

    Daniel''s hands cupped her cheeks "Don''t think too much about the rejection, it''s not your fault�� "

    "Neither is it your fault nor Asher''s fault " Lia commented.

    His fingers moved against her cheeks softly," Sometimes we have to be selfless ." He brought her face closer while she was now completely lying on his body.

    "When that time comes " He went on "Do what your heart tells you to do "

    "Even if it hurts any of you? " Tears slipped down her cheek. Though she hadn''t rejected one of them, she already felt her heart wrench in her chest just at the thought of it.

    Asher and Daniel had become two people in her life she couldn''t live without. Even her wolf was restless, it couldn''t bear the thought of separating from its mate.

    But so was her vampiric side, she had been depending on the wolf side lately she hadn''t realized she was starved of blood.

    Daniel wiped her tears away "Yeah, even if it even hurts any of us "

    Nothing more was said.

    Lia lay her head on his chest while his hand kept smoothing her hair nonstop, each of them alone with their thoughts.

    " Lia? " Daniel called her and she glanced up at him, her jaw resting on his chest.

    "Yes? "

    He grunted as in pain," Lia, I think it''s high time you got off my body already, there is only so much my little brother can do "

    "Huh? " and that was when she felt it. Something poked her from below.

    " Oh "

    Lia was planning on getting off him quietly when an evil thought entered her head and she purposely grind against him causing him to grunt a moan helplessly.

    "And I''m up !" She exclaimed after teasing him almost to the point of insanity.

    Daniel was so hard, he could not even sit up, so he just lay back on the ground. He suddenly wished he was in a shower, but the universe was set to ruin him right now.

    "Do you need help? " Lia asked and squatted down beside him, a gloaty smile on her face.

    "Yeah, you can help by looking away. Looking into my eyes isn''t helping my predicament at all "

    Her hands flew to her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter." I''m so sorry " Lia laughed again, covering her face with her palm.

    "Does it hurt that much? " She inquired out of sheer curiosity.

    "Yeah, it hurts "

    "How do I help you? "

    " By bedding you which I cannot do. So sorry, you can''t help me "

    Lia shook her head, " No I don''t mean that one but the other��. " she trailed off, biting on the inside of her lips.

    "I haven''t done it but I''ve read, heard, and watched movies where they use their hands to�� ."

    .

    " No! " Daniel rejected her offer before she was even through.

    She raised a brow, surprised." Why?"

    Daniel heaved, "Because I''m an Alpha, my wolf is two times stronger and harder to control once excited. So unless we''re going for the full-on mating, don''t dare it "

    Then he stood up minutes later much to her surprise.

    "You can now move? "

    Daniel smiled at her " I just needed him to calm down, that''s all. Now let me get you back to your room before your mother thinks I''m monopolizing her daughter "

    Lia laughed at his joke and together they walked back to her room.

    "Trevor must be so exhausted " She commented upon remembering the prank they pulled on him.

    " I bet "

    The moment they arrived in her room, there stood her mom with her gossipy mode on. Lia sighed, tonight was going to be a long one.

    "Miss Jenny, thanks for allowing me to spend time with your lovely daughter " he appreciated the woman whose cheeks stained red upon seeing his humble gesture.

    "No, it''s nothing "She waved it away.

    "I''ll be taking my leave, " He told Jenny, then his sight fell on Lia who was scratching the back of her head awkwardly and looking everywhere but at him.

    "Come on, kiss him goodbye " Jenny nudged her daughter forward.

    "We already kis��" Lia swallowed the rest of her words when she realized what she almost exposed to her mother.

    This time Daniel simply waved at her and left.

    "Alright, young lady. You seem to have a lot to tell me "

    Her mom told her and Lia groaned inwardly, this is so not happening.

 Chapter 156 - One Hundred And Fifty-Six : You Know What I Want Sabrina

    "Yeah, I''ll be back in school next week. Of course, they can occupy my position and enjoy it as long as it lasts cause I''ll be back to take my place. Alright, see ya "Caroline ended the call and sighed afterward.

    She dropped the phone on her nightstand and stared at her reflection on the mirror, specifically focusing on the red hearing aid resting behind her right ear - the only flaw on her perfect body.

    It had been hard to live with the fact she wouldn''t be able to hear for the rest of her life without those devices, she had been disheartened.

    But she had to survive, Linda had left her but Alexa was still out there, she had to be strong for her.

    Suddenly the door to her room was opened causing her to glance up at her��

    " Mom? "

    Another figure walked in.

    "Dad? "

    "How are you doing today my baby " Her mom came to sit on the edge of her bed while her dad stood beside his wife.

    "I''m good, I feel pretty good. I can''t wait to start actually " She told them excitedly.

    Then she slowly regarded her dad, he hasn''t spoken a word since he walked in, which was totally unlike him.

    In fact, her sixth sense was telling her something was wrong, why would mom and dad just walk into her room at the same time to say

    ''Hi ''.

    Caroline licked her lips and asked carefully. " What are you both doing here? Mom, I thought you had a meeting with the founding families and Dad, didn''t you say something about going to visit Charlie ? "

    She slowly watched her parent''s interactions, they weren''t looking at her straight in the eyes, what''s going on with them?

    A nervous smile appeared on her face, " Mom? Dad? What''s wrong? Did something happen? Is there something you both are not telling me? "

    Caroline could feel it deep down in her bones, something has happened and from their gloomy features, it sometimes seems to be related to her.

    Suddenly, her mom took her hand in hers, stroking the top of her palm gently. "Before any other thing, I want you to know that we did our best Caroline "

    "Mom you''re scaring me," She said to her mom while having a foreboding that someone had died.

    Out of nowhere, she felt nauseous, when she suddenly had this absurd thought that her friend Alexa had died.

    "We found her body Caroline, Alexa is dead "

    Her heart sank and she quickly retracted her hands from her mother''s grip.

    "Alexa is dead " kept on echoing in her head.

    " W-what ? "  she choked.

    Tears fell from her mom''s eyes, " I''m sorry but we''ve just lost Alexa "

    Caroline shook her head in disbelief, "You can''t be serious, it''s a lie! Alexa can''t be dead!  You''re all pulling my legs! "

    She knew she sounded stupid, why would her parents pull her leg over such an important issue but ...she still didn''t want to believe it. Alexa was not dead!.

    "M-mom " A sob threatened to choke off her voice. " Tell me that''s not true��.Alexa is not gone yet, right? "

    "My poor daughter " She wailed and gathered Caroline into her arms.

    "Mom, tell me she''s not dead " She cried this time aloud and bitterly.

    "It''s going to be okay my child " Her mom comforted her, smoothing her hair and rubbing her back as Caroline cried on her shoulder.

    "Stop crying, sweetie. " Her father offered his own words " I know it''s pretty hard for you and it''s never going to be easy losing someone you love, but it gets easier the more you keep on holding onto life and cherishing the memories "

    It took a lot of time and effort but Caroline eventually calmed down, but that sharp glint in her eyes was gone. It would really take time for her to stop grieving.

    "We''re heading to Alexa''s place right now to see her parents and if you don''t want to come, I totally understand, " Mom said but she nodded her head.

    "No, I''ll come. I need to come " She wiped away the tears that flowed down freely from her eyes.

    Her mom took a deep breath, "Alright, we would give you a few minutes to wash away those tears and meet us downstairs "

    Caroline felt lethargic as if she had lost all the will to live. The memories she spent with Alexa began to play like a movie in her mind and she realized horribly, she was never a good friend - She realized late.

    She didn''t do a lot of things for Alexa nor Linda; instead, she treated them like her personalized servants.

    Caroline washed her face in the sink and dolled up a bit to liven her dull expression.

    Amid the makeup, her red-rimmed eyes and puffy eyes as a result of crying still stood out - A total waste if she would say, but she didn''t want to go there looking like a zombie.

    Suddenly Caroline heard a message come into her phone, she dropped her makeup brush and picked up her phone.

    She opened the message but frowned, it was from a strange number but that was until she read the contents.

    Unknown number: Thank you for being my friend.

    Caroline paled, then froze. She released a startled gasp before her hands flew to her mouth. Alexa must have sent this to her before whatever happened to her.

    A wretched sob tore from her throat again and this time she cried more heavily than earlier.

    She was such a horrible friend yet Alexa still loved her and now the guilt was hurting her so much. She should have done a lot of things for her, show her every day she was grateful she got her as a friend but it was too late, there''s no turning back the clock.

    Caroline''s brows narrowed together when she discovered a second message.

    Unknown number: Lia...

    She scratched the back of her head in confusion, Lia? Who was Lia?

    Suddenly her eyes widened, could it be Alexa knew the identity of whoever murdered her and died trying to send this? Was this the name of the murderer?

    Oh my God, her parents need to see this.

    "Mom!  Dad! "

    --------------------

    "Dan, please calm down " Sabrina tried to calm her boyfriend who was as furious as a bull.

    "I should calm down?! Sabrina, he almost got you killed! " he pointed out angrily.

    "But I didn''t die, did I? "

    "You could have, you know how cruel the council can be ! "

    "I know Dan, but it was a mistake, Ben didn''t mean to harm me for Christ sake " She tried to reason with him.

    " But you - "

    "Christ! Dan, I''m not Monique! " She said in a burst of anger.

    Dan froze.

    Sabrina froze too. Finally, she has done it!

    " I-I didn''t mean it that ... "

    But Dan didn''t stay to listen to the rest of her words cause he vanished right away.

    "Great " Sabrina sighed and rubbed her temple, her head was throbbing. Monique was Dan''s mate who mistakenly died while rescuing someone else.

    Since then, he hasn''t opened up his heart to someone else and now he finally has, Dan has this phobia that something bad is going to happen to her without him by her side.

    "Fieri posset Catus " Sabrina said a spell and the half-finished dishes from earlier began to wash by itself while a broom resting against the door began to sweep the floor without assistance.

    All of a sudden, someone slow claps from behind, and everything stopped moving. Sabrina rolled her eyes and turned to face Raphael who just stole an apple from the fruit basket on top of the kitchen counter.

    "Your love story is such a dramatic one," He said and took a huge bite out of the fruit.

    "I don''t remember inviting you here Raphael, what do you want? " Sabrina asked with a scowl on her face.

    Raphael pouted his lips, " Is that how you treat someone who helped secure your powers? "

    "I''m in no mood to play games with you "

    "When are you going to tell the others you still have your powers? " He still pressed on with his questions.

    Contrary to what the others thought, she had not lost her powers that night.

    After she discovered Ozark and Raphael''s powers work hand in hand, she secretly got them to replicate her when she received Amala''s summon.

    Sabrina had always been smart, so she had been suspicious when Amala summoned her at such a critical moment. Amala had taken her copy''s powers, not her''s.

    So she struck a deal with Raphael, replicating her in exchange for a favor.

    "It''s better they don''t know now, when the time is right I''ll tell them. Besides, the council thinks I''m powerless and it''s best it remains that way" She told Raphael who gave her an indifferent look.

    " Then what about our deal? " He reminded her.

    " What do you want Raphael? "

    He smiled, "You know what I want Sabrina "

    Sabrina''s expression darkened, "You have got to be kidding me "

 Chapter 157 - One Hundred And Fifty-seven : He Has To Get Stronger

    "Zeus begot Aeacus, Agdistis, Angelos Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Dionysus, Eileithyia, Enyo, Epaphus Eris, Ersa��.. " Ben rubbed his neck, his father must have quite an insatiable libido.

    He read through the rest " Hebe, Helen of Troy, Hephaestus,Heracles, Hermes, Lacedaemon, Minos, Pandia,  Persephone, Perseus, Rhadamanthus, the Graces, the Horae, the Litae, the Muses, the Moirai "

    What the f*ck was this? Was his father trying to imitate Solomon of the Bible? But if he was truly a demigod, then he has too much competition. How would he get his father''s attention to talk more win his love?

    Ben shook his head, no wonder he was abandoned here on earth. Hera was definitely not his mother, else he would be a son of a god, not a demigod. Moreover, Hera hated all of Zeus'' illegitimate children.

    Maybe he should call his parents and tell them. Ask them what?

    "Hi, mom and dad, the principal of my school who is actually a vampire in disguise think I might not really be a human? "

    Sure that should suffice and the next day, he would probably be locked up in a mental hospital.

    Besides, even if his parents or one of his parents was the God or goddess in disguise, what were the chances they would confess?

    Sigh, this was so hard to figure out. But he has to uncover the truth soon, he can''t wait to manifest his superpowers. His goddess Lia would be so awestruck when she sees his abilities.

    But what would his powers be?  lightening? Telekinesis? Superspeed? Invisibility? Laser vision? Flight? Teleportation?

    With Dan''s ability, he could barf from one place to another, how cool would that be!

    Ben was demonstrating and imitating Dan in action when the said Dan appeared right in front of him startling him.

    "Christ! " His hand flew to his chest "How many times do I have to tell you about knocking before�� .?!"

    He was yet to finish his words when Dan grabbed him and both disappeared only to appear on top of a bridge.

    He was in midair, hanging outside the bridge railing and the only thing stopping him from falling was Dan holding onto his collar.

    "What the fuck man! " Ben cried out in terror, which was heightened when he looked below and saw the dark waters with the waves crashing against each other.

    "I warned you! " Dan roared and he shivered.

    Gosh! He wants to pee!

    "Warned me for what?!"

    "Sabrina! You dare put her in danger! "

    Hot uncontrollable tears began to spring from his eyes and he rubbed his palms together, pleading with Dan.

    "I swear, I didn''t mean to hurt her. Please spare me " He begged, watery snot running down his nose.

    But Dan said in a voice that sounded more robotic than human, "Too late "

    And he let go.

    "Aaaah!" Ben screamed as gravity began to take place. He was guaranteed to die tonight, there was no way he would survive this fall. Even if he does survive, the stormy wave would hit and snuff the life out of him.

    But there was one question on his mind just a few seconds before he plunged into this dark water.

    Do Demigods die?

    Maybe he had to die for his powers to manifest? After all, there''s this hypothesis that one has to die or on the brink of death or distress for their inner powers to be liberated.

    Take Catwoman for example, she had to die for cute looking cats to revive her and bless her with such ability.

    Or Ballen Allen, lightning struck him on the chest and wham! He awoke six months later to become the flash!

    Don''t even go near Deadpool, he had to really die to achieve that awesome regenerative ability of his!

    So what if it was the same case with him? Lia died also and woke up to be a hybrid? What if such fate awaits him too?

    A satisfied smile curved his mouth,  maybe this death was a blessing in disguise.

    Ben closed his eyes and felt the cold air sting his face. He spread out his arms wide and savored the feelings, he was flying without wings.

    "One..two.." He started a countdown to the moment when he finally drops into the�� wait a minute!

    Where was he?

    Ben felt something was wrong when his fall was delayed and so opened his eyes, only to realize they were currently standing on top of a speeding train.

    He felt bile rise to his throat at once.

    He glanced up at Dan who said to him coldly, "I thought about it and came to the conclusion that letting you die by drowning, is too merciful a death "

    Ben felt like dying but he doesn''t want to die yet. He had always reverenced and feared Asher more than his henchmen but now, Dan looked like *king Yama to him.

    Even if he was a demigod, there was a zero percent chance he would survive being crushed into a bloody and messy pulp by the train. Just looking down on the spinning train wheels made him have double vision.

    "I''m sorry! " He shouted because of the speed of the air rushing by.

    "Tell that to Hades " Dan retorted and teleported away just as the train rattled and Ben shrieked his lungs out.

    Because he was partially standing, he was swept away and would have fallen over if he hadn''t somehow reached out his hand and grabbed onto the ladder track attached to the body of the train.

    Beads of sweat broke out on Ben''s forehead, Dan really wants him to die. He wondered if anyone would even notice he was gone, talk more dead.

    Dan was proficient at covering up his tracks and no one would probably figure out he died from falling off a train.

    Where was his so thought ability when he needed it?

    With a loud grunt and effort, he climbed up the train while it was moving and hoisted himself back up on the roof again.

    This time he didn''t dare stand straight in fear of falling over but just knelt and cling on to the roof but that was when he saw it.

    The train was about to enter a tunnel and the clearance between the train and the tunnel wall was so small that it wouldn''t accommodate him even if he lay on top of the roof.

    And it was too late to jump off.

    Ben closed his eyes.

    But the painful impact never came.

    Ben slowly opened one eye after the other slowly, only to discover that Dan was standing beside him and they were in a different location.

    Lips pursed together, he wanted to protest against Dan''s mental torture but his feet slipped and he would have fallen had Dan not grabbed his hand and steadied him.

    Shocked and breathless while the wind hit his face, he took a look around and it finally dawned on him, they were on a mountain top. The air was cold, though the view down was breathtaking yet misty and cloudy.

    Abruptly, Ben began to realize something was wrong with his body, he was having a hard time breathing

    "Where are we? " He wheezed.

    Dan replied calmly " Everest "

    Ben scrunched his eyes in deep concentration before confusion, then panic set in.

    "Wait a minute, like... Mountain Everest?! "

    A smile that made goosebumps appear on his arms curled up Dan''s mouth and he replied, "What do you think? "

    It was like a bomb went off in Ben''s head. Mount Everest! Like the highest point on the planet at 29,035 feet!

    No wonder he felt like he was

    running on a treadmill and breathing through a straw; the oxygen was that little.

    It was official, he''s dead.

    "Dan, I know you are angry at me but let''s look at this issue diplomatically " he tried to knock some sense into him but Dan wasn''t in the mood for that.

    "You should have thought of that before you endangered her life! "

    "No��! " Ben raised his hand and tried to complain but a kick to the stomach sent him flying 8,850 meters to the ground.

    Ben was sure he saw Hades sitting on his throne in the underworld and willing him to come or so he imagined cause the next moment, he found himself back on the hospital rooftop.

    He at once went on all fours and spent the next minutes puking his guts out.

    Ben threw up everything he ate, both the food he stole from Lia''s room in the afternoon while she was sleeping.

    What the fuck was that. This punishment was totally not acceptable!

    "How do you feel? " Dan who squatted down beside him asked with a straight face.

    Ben looked up and gave him a death glare but a wave of nausea overwhelmed him and he went back to vomiting.

    "I guess you enjoyed the ride," Dan taunted him, then gripped Ben''s hair and brought his face up.

    "Sabrina is the only woman I have left, so thank your lucky stars she''s hale and hearty and I won''t remind you to behave the next time " he warned through his teeth and let go of him before teleporting away.

    Ben lay on his back before a smile stretched his lips, he can''t wait to get stronger.

    *King Yama: In East Asian and Buddhist mythology, Yama (sometimes known as the King of Hell, King Yan or Yanluo) is a Dharmapala (wrathful god) said to judge the dead and preside over the Narakas ("Hells", "Hell Realm" or "Purgatories") and the cycle of afterlife sa?s��ra.

 Chapter 158 - One Hundred And Fifty-Eight : A Visit From Her Wolf-side

    With a sluggish moan, she turned to the other side of the bed only for her hand to feel something cold yet fleshy.

    Her eyes snapped open and connected with piercing green orbs that scared the shit out of her.

    "Christ, Asher! " She exclaimed and sat up.

    "You scared the hell out of me " She complained, tugging a stray lock of her dark hair behind her ear.

    "I''m sorry " Asher apologized, reached out his hand, and pulled her towards him. She didn''t resist, instead snuggled against his chest.

    "You missed a lot today, "Lia told him and he glanced down at her with curious eyes.

    "Tell me, what did I miss? " he asked interestedly.

    " Daniel came "

    There wasn''t much surprise in his eyes, "I know, I called him "

    "Yeah, he told me."

    "We played a prank on Trevor who wouldn''t let us have a private time together. We apparently sped away and he spent the next hour marathoning the hospital in the guise of searching for us " She narrated to him and saw a smile grace his lips

    "You''re bad " he pinched her cheeks.

    Lia laughed heartily, "What do you expect me to do, he kept tailing us? I just thought of keeping him busy for a while "

    After a while of vigorous laughing, she was calm enough to relay the bad news.

    "We have a problem though "

    He lifted his head, "What is it? "

    She licked, then bite on her lower lips nervously," My mom kind of believes Daniel is my boyfriend"

    For a while, Asher didn''t say anything which scared her. His expression was blank and his eyes were boring straight into hers, making her uncomfortable.

    Lia began to stammer  "T-there was ...n-nothing I co - "

    " It''s better "

    "Huh?" Confusion crossed her face, what is he talking about?

    "At least one of us would be readily available to protect you and your family without restriction "

    Lia blinked, she totally wasn''t expecting this; he did a total three sixty degrees surprise on her.

    She shook her head with a doubting expression,"You''re not angry? Mad? Furious? disappointed? betrayed - "

    Asher silenced her with a sudden, short yet hot kiss that left her breathless and stunned.

    "I''m looking at the bigger picture here, Lia. I know I can be selfish sometimes but your safety matters above any other thing, and if it means losing you so you could survive, then so be it " He said decisively

    Truthfully, Lia was moved by his words; she was touched by the level of concern her mates have for her, but her brows couldn''t help but furrow together at his comment.

    "It''s still unfair to you, you''re one of my mates too " She insisted.

    Then his lips curled up "Fine, he''s your boyfriend but you''ve forgotten I''m still your principal at school " His sexy mouth reminded her suggestively, just as his hands moved to her ribs and he started to tickle her.

    "No Asher! Stop! " Lia screamed with laughter as he tickled her.

    "You say? "

    "I-it st�� tickles " She struggled to speak as a result of the sensation brought on by the trickling.

    But he still didn''t listen and continued to tease her without noticing the subtle changes in Lia''s demeanor until she out of nowhere flipped him over with a momentum that made the bed squeak and snap - a part of the bed was broken.

    Asher was stunned, how did his mate get this strong? He knew the amount of force that was applied on him, an ordinary human would have something broken in his body by now.

    Then he looked up and frowned, Lia''s eyes had dilated and darkened.

    "Hey, what''s wrong with you? ".He tried to touch her face but she grabbed his hand in a tight grip and pinned it to the bed.

    " Lia " He whispered warningly when she suddenly lowered her head and bit him hard on the neck.

    Asher tried to withdraw his hands but she bared razor-sharp teeth at him which left him more confused.

    Razor-sharp teeth were signatory features of werewolves while fangs were signatory attributes of vampires, so why was she baring those teeth at him? Why was her aggressive werewolf side trying to seduce him?

    "Lia, It''s true I like my woman being proactive in bed but right now, you''re scaring the shit out of me " Asher confessed but the person in question growled at him.

    " Call me Mate! "

    "Ma-wait-what?! "

    " Call me mate?! "  She demanded furiously as her eyes flashed a glowing yellow then switched to a glowing blue.

    "Fine! Mate! You''re my mate! You''re my mate, Lia! " he surrendered while eyeing the talons that were slowly caressing his face.

    "Good boy, our mate is good, a good boy," She said in a singsong while Asher was praying internally, "please get that talon away from my face "

    Raphael just drained him of werewolf venom yesterday and in the process of feeding, he hungrily killed an innocent human. He wasn''t sure he would be able to take that venom being  in his system again.

    But he was snapped out of his thoughts when Lia lowered her head and began to nibble his ear affectionately causing Asher to grasp at the sheets beneath him, was she even aware she was turning him on?

    She moved to lick his ears, then face, and finally settled on his neck - Asher knew he was now officially a dead man.

    " Lia don''t "

    " Mate! "

    He realized his mistake and corrected himself with immediate effect " Mate, please don''t "

    But it seems his pleading made her all the more excited because she kissed him there, on the nape of his neck causing him to moan loudly - that place wasn''t considered one of the erogenous zones for nothing.

    His self-control was slowly slipping, God please help me.

    While he was distracted, her hands slowly unbuttoned the first top buttons and delved inside his shirt.

    Asher''s throat dried up, the girl was slowly killing him and the worst was that he couldn''t escape, she held him hostage with her talons; just being in a close perimeter with it worried him.

    "Li-mate, have mercy on me. I don''t know how much longer I can hold myself back" he pleaded but she smirked at him wickedly.

    She ripped off the rest of the button, sending them popping off in diverse directions, then sucked on his nipples.

    Asher grunted and writhed but the she-devil went ahead to even touch him down there.

    He moaned in pleasure and swarmed in the sea of sensation she continuously gave him but when he was close to coming, she stopped.

    Asher screamed profanities.

    His eyes darkened, and he somehow overpowered her and rolled her over on her back finally.

    "What do you think you''re doing?!" he yelled at her.

    "Mate! No good boy! " Lia growled at him and tried to roll him over but Asher stood his ground and they began to struggle till they rolled off the bed and fell on the ground.

    Asher suffered much of the impact since she used him as a cushion during the fall and was yet to recover when he heard the ripping of clothes, followed afterward by the snapping of bones.

    His eyes flew open, it better be not��

    Yes, it was.

    He was more than shocked to see a majestic yet gigantic framed wolf standing right in front of him with a threatening snarl.

    " Climb up mate! "

    He heard this voice in his head and was dumbfounded. This must be a product of his hallucination.

    The wolf barked at him just as the thought came into his head again, this time more sternly.

    " Climb up the bed! "

    Was she talking to him? In his head? What the

    Asher put his hand up and cautiously crawled back into the bed. The white wolf watched his movement with narrowed eyes before hopping onto the bed after him.

    He knew he was in a tight spot and didn''t try anything stupid, like trying to escape or overpowering her. Since her wolf recognized him as one of the other mates, he was probably in safe hands, right? Probably?

    The voice was heard again, " Lie down and put your arms around me "

    Asher''s lips quirked up, that wouldn''t have been a strange request if she was in her human form.

    " You don''t want to? "

    "Of Course not "

    Asher gulped, then carefully placed his hand on where he would gladly like to think was its stomach and not its butt.

    He heard her purr, " Good boy "

    Then shut its eyes.

    Asher lay like a statue, he didn''t even dare to remove his hand even after he was sure the wolf had fallen asleep.

    What the hell just happened?

    One moment he was playing around with his mate, the next moment his mate''s wolf paid him a visit - a scary one - he would never forget this one easily throughout his immortality.

    Asher''s attention was grabbed when he touched a warm body, she was back - thankfully - but naked.

    He felt his below stir and quickly looked away, temptation seems to be his friend today.

    Asher stood up from the bed and wrapped Lia warmly with the duvet, making sure to cover her whole body.

    Then, he picked up his phone and called Daniel, there has to be a reasonable explanation for this.

 Chapter 159 - One Hundred And Fifty-Nine : Im Straight

    A rough kick at the back of the leg forced them to their knees, Judith stared at them with a hardened expression.

    "It''s the both of them, I caught them trespassing on our territory! " Judith explained to Daniel whose face was tense from thinking.

    Daniel rubbed his chin before gesturing to Ryan who stepped forward and grabbed a fistful of their hair, tugging their head backward, and took a sniff.

    His nose wrinkled, " Confirmed, they''re really from the Ranger Park " he then took a step back.

    Judith and her team had been on patrol when they caught the two werewolves encroaching on their border.

    She brought them to the dungeon and mind-linked the alpha and his beta at once.

    Daniel took a seat in front of the two prisoners, he scratched the space between his eyebrows, then asked

    "Why are you both here? " He readjusted himself on his seat and crossed his leg over the other in a business-like manner.

    No answer.

    "I don''t remember sending you guys an invitation, so why did you come into my territory without my permission? " He repeated his question, this time firmer and sterner.

    One of them lifted his face and Daniel couldn''t help but wince internally, Judith really beat him black and blue.

    His face was a mass of purple bruise and his eyes were bloodshot and almost hidden under puffy skin with swollen lips.

    Also, his partner was not left out, he too featured a bruised face and busted lips.

    Judith was really savage. Well, both of them were werewolves and would heal in no time, no hard damage done - but the pain was real.

    " Why? Are you that scared? " He scorned outright at Daniel.

    Ryan hissed and took a step forward, with the aim of beating the fear of God into him but Daniel raised his hand and he halted his plan.

    Daniel leaned towards the prisoners who were on their knees with their hands tied strongly behind their back.

    "Why should I be scared? " He asked them amusedly.

    "Just admit that you''re scared we might take over your pack " He spat, making Daniel literally shoot fire from his eyes.

    It''s a known fact that werewolves are territorial creatures and encroaching on it means serious trouble that could even lead to war.

    Alphas greedy for expansion and vying for the territory that belongs to other packs wasn''t a new thing and often leads to war or fighting to the death in which the winner takes over.

    In a situation like a war, both sides would continue to destroy each other until their alphas compromise and form a treaty.

    But lives and properties would have been lost in the process which was why some considerate Alphas prefer fighting to the death and saving their pack from experiencing the misery of war.

    That was how Daniel had lost his own father. Though his father won the battle, he suffered many injuries and couldn''t survive. His mother who couldn''t bear the pain of losing her other half - her destined soulmate- ended her own life and Daniel became the youngest Alpha to lead a pack - He ruled starting from the age of ten.

    It wasn''t easy to keep the pack of power-hungry and hierarchical werewolves together; his relatives being the number one oppressors.

    Werewolves were naturally loyal creatures but not when greed sets in. His relatives wanted to rule the pack, reap where they didn''t sow but thankfully, Daniel had been born an Alpha.

    Yes, he was stronger but he was younger, so he had to train more than the average Alphas did and studied more than others just to keep his position.

    Luckily, Aunt Phoebe and some of his father''s faithful followers who had not been soiled by his relatives'' , helped him out.

    Daniel couldn''t just sit and watch all his father''s efforts to go to waste. His father had fought and sacrificed himself for the pack and for him - no one would take what rightfully belongs to him.

    Eventually, his perverseness paid off cause he finally grew stronger than they could ever imagine. Since they wanted the throne, they must go through him first.

    A fight to the death duel was organized again and this time, Daniel used that opportunity to wipe away his oppressors.

    But as cruel as he looked to the public, he still had a heart.He gave their remnants an option: live quietly in the pack or be exiled.

    Many agreed while the rest were banished, never to return. But it seems his relative''s ignorant and dumb descendants really want a death wish.

    Daniel wasn''t stupid, Alpha Tristan wouldn''t dare provoke him unless he had an insider - a spy in his pack.

    "Does your alpha know he''s asking for a war he can''t win? " Daniel asked coldly.

    The prisoner snorted demeaningly,

    "What? We can''t win? Your pack is nothing compared to - "

    Ryan, who couldn''t take his degrading comments anymore, punched him right on the face and shut his mouth up.

    "You would not talk to our alpha that way " He warned, baring his teeth threateningly at him.

    The prisoner gave Ryan a hateful look but couldn''t do anything, he wasn''t in his territory and was bound, he couldn''t find back.

    " Back to our discussion," Daniel told him and dismissed Ryan with a wave of his hand

    "What do you want from my pack? You both must be here for something "Daniel asked his other partner this time.

    "As if I would tell you " He sneered.

    A cruel smile crossed his face, Daniel took a deep breath and stood to his feet.

    " Make yourself comfortable then," he told them as Judith approached him.

    "Inject a reasonable amount of wolfsbane into their bloodstream, let''s see if it would help loosen their mouth a bit " he instructed her, and saw the panic on their faces.

    Everyone knew how lethal Wolfsbane was to a werewolf. Even being in close vicinity would make them sick, talk more inside of them?  It was torture or  instant death if not monitored and controlled.

    "Yes Alpha " She bowed and got moving.

    Daniel strutted out of the dungeon amid the prisoner''s rageful curses, his beta following along as usual.

    "Tristan is declaring war " Ryan opined immediately.

    "Let''s not jump to a conclusion, " Daniel objected.

    "But it''s obvious, what other sign do we need? It''s obvious "

    Daniel stopped in his tracks and stared at him, "Choose a dispensable werewolf and send him to the Ranger pack as a delegate, let him inquire of Alpha Tristan, the intention of his men encroaching on my territory "

    Ryan''s eyes narrowed, he perfectly understood what he meant by

    "dispensable ".

    If Alpha Tristan really plans on waging a war against the Silvermoon pack, whosoever they sent as a messenger wouldn''t return alive.

    "As you wish " Daniel acknowledged his orders just as one of the guards called his attention.

    "Alpha Daniel, you have a visitor "

    Daniel frowned, a visitor at this time of the night?

    " Who is it? "

    "It''s the vampire, Asher "

    Daniel''s frown deepened, had something happened to Lia? Why would Asher come to see him this late at night?

    " Where is he? "

    "In the visitor''s room "

    " Thank-you "

    The guard turned and left to his position.

    " Why do you think he is here? " Ryan questioned.

    "Something must have happened to Lia " Daniel replied but inwardly, instinctively knew it wasn''t the case.

    If their mate was in danger, he would have felt it through the bond but nothing came to him.

    Daniel started towards the direction of the receiving room and flung the door open.

    Ryan eyed the guards at the door and dismissed them at once, taking their place behind the closed door.

    Whatever discussion there was top-secret and should not be heard, anyone could be a spy.

    "Why are you here ? " the words hardly left his mouth when Asher began to unbutton his shirt right in front of him causing his eyes to widen in shock.

    "Whoah, seriously Asher, I''m not interested in men. Just because we share the same mate doesn''t mean we should share each other - "

    "What rubbish are you talking about? " Asher interrupted the stupid werewolf who shielded his face with his palm.

    Daniel lifted his hand away from his face but his throat dried up at the sight of Asher''s pale and perfectly sculpted body - Why was his heart beating so fast? Seriously, he''s straight!

    " What are you doing then? " He asked

    Daniel took a step back when Asher stepped towards him causing him to frown slightly.

    "What is wrong with you? "

    "Y-you.. what are you doing then?" Daniel''s hands flew to his chest protectively, " I''m not going to let you take advantage of me even if you''re our mate''s other mate "

    "Idiot " Asher rolled his eyes in disbelief and reached out his hand, grabbed Daniel''s head and brought his face closer to his neck.

    " See that? "

    Daniel''s eyes widened from shock to disgust, " Eww,  you''re here to show off your hickey? Didn''t we discuss this in our rules - "

    "It is not a hickey " Asher interrupted him, " I think Maya''s werewolf side marked me? "

    " What? "

    No no, this can''t be happening,  Daniel refused to accept that.

 Chapter 160 - One Hundred And Sixty : LT Police Department

    Lia purred loudly like a kitten as she stretched herself fully on the bed. She sat up, looked around her room with sleepy eyes, then lay back on her bed, and tugged the bed sheet over her naked body, going straight back to sleep - the morning was still young.

    Suddenly, one of her eyes snapped open - naked body?!

    "Ahh!! " Lia screamed and scrambled off the bed in a haste, but when she saw herself in her birthday suit, she quickly grabbed the duvet and covered herself with it.

    What happened? Why was she naked? The last thing she remembered was Asher tickling her.

    "Oh my God " She gasped while her hands flew to her mouth. Had Asher taken advantage of her?.

    But that seems impossible, Asher would not do that! He knows her circumstance moreover, her mate was a gentleman. He wouldn''t have his way with her without her permission.

    Lia swallowed, her hands moving downward just to check.

    "Nothing happened, silly " Lia was startled when her wolf suddenly spoke to her.

    Hands clasped over her chest, she asked her wolf, " It''s strange, I can''t remember anything "

    She heard it chuckle, "That''s because I took over "

    "You did what?! " Lia paled at once.

    She hasn''t tamed her wolf yet which was why they were still battling for dominance.

    "You heard me right "

    Lia closed her eyes and rein in her anger, this beast inside of her was now an essential part of her, sure, but that doesn''t give it the right to infiltrate and disrupt her daily life.

    "You know I can hear anything going on in that head of yours " It pointed out making Lia''s anger skyrocket.

    "You had no right! "

    "Oh please "

    "Asher is my mate - "

    "Our mate " It corrected.

    Lia felt her head throb, communicating with her telepathically was always quite a hassle. She rubbed her temple and tried her best to calm down.

    "I just woke up on my bed naked with no recollection of what transpired between Asher and me. I have no idea what you did with my body? "

    "And I''ve told you, nothing happened ��" It paused, then Lia heard her laughter in her head, " Unless you secretly wanted something to happen "

    Lia''s eyes widened, her cheeks flushed at once, " Of course not !" she denied it''s claim.

    "Uh-huh, says someone whose heart is pounding like the thundering hooves of a thousand wild stallions " it continuously teased Lia whose blush deepened. Sometimes her wolf was so naughty, she had no idea what to do with it.

    But Lia still refused to accept that truth, " I did not - " She was abruptly interrupted by the memory her wolf sent into her mind.

    A memory of Asher lying on the bed while she was sucking on his nipples and touching him down there.

    Her soul flew out of her body.

    Lia stood rooted to the ground, mouth agape from shock and unable to form a speech.

    What did she just see? She of all people, touched Asher down there shamelessly? Lia collapsed against the wall, her legs suddenly felt weak.

    How was she going to face Asher later?

    Her wolf rolled its eyes," What''s this? Why are you behaving like a timid virgin? "

    "I''m a virgin "

    "Oh right! " It remembered, but its eyes suddenly shone with excitement, " Gives us more reason to break it! Like seriously? Come-on, how long are you going to resist our mate, I can''t take it any longer "

    "W-wait a minute, break what? " Lia was flabbergasted, why was this stubborn wolf taking such a sensitive issue so casual

    "I get that you''re a horny creature who is ridiculously open with showing off her affection but can you please be a bit reserved, I''m not an animal! " Lia complained.

    "You''re technically an animal "

    Lia countered," Because you''re inside of me "

    "I am now you Lia, we''re one and it''s high time you choose a mate. I''m tired of yearning for my other half when he''s obviously within reach "

    Lia''s mood turned sullen," It''s complicated, I can''t seem to make a choice. I don''t want to hurt any of them "

    "Humans and their stupid emotions "

    Lia scowled," What do you know? You''re just interested in mating "

    "As simple as that. If you don''t make a decision soon, I''ll just make the decision myself "

    Lia''s expression shifted and her eyes narrowed, " Is that a threat? "

    "No, a wake-up warning. I can just have my way with the pale one " it made her choice.

    "You''re not touching Asher! " Lia stood her ground. It seems she had to get help from Daniel, her wolf was getting out of hand.

    "I like our wolf-mate but I''m an adventurous wolf, the vampire wouldn''t be so bad, have you seen his - "

    "I am so not having this discussion with it and also, I won''t let you use my body the way you intend," Lia rebuked her firmly.She''s the host and her master, so her wolf must obey her!

    "You are not having sex with - !"

    "Who did you have sex with? " The door snapped open and Jenny walked in with a bewildered expression.

    Lia was stunned, did she say that one out loud?

    "Uh-huh, mama''s here. You''ve been a naughty girl lately! " Her wolf goaded her, withdrawing right away and left her to face the consequences all alone.

    Anger surged through her veins, she had been so distracted she didn''t notice when her mom walked in - she bet her wolf provoked her right at that moment on purpose.

    "Mom?! " Lia laughed nervously, wrapping the duvet tightly around her chest.

    "Who did you have sex with? " Her mom repeated her question and began to step towards her.

    "It''s not what you think mom " She tried to explain to her mother who had already conjured the scenes in her head.

    "Did Daniel come back to the hospital room after we left and you both did it there? " Jenny queried.

    Lia went red in the face.

    Jenny gasped in disbelief, " You both had bed breaking sex? " She questioned, this time pointing to one of the crooked footboards.

    Bedbreaking sex? Lia was mortified, what dirty thoughts was her mom making up?  Even she had no idea what happened to the footboard, her wolf wouldn''t let her in on the details.

    "Mom, stop it for Christ freaking sake!!" Lia snapped at her and that worked.

    "Daniel didn''t come back here after you left, I didn''t have sex with anybody, you just misunderstood everything! "

    "You can''t exactly blame me for misunderstanding. I heard you talking about sex, the footboard was broken, you''re wrapped in your duvet - for God knows why - and I just discovered that my daughter who just turned eighteen yesterday has a boyfriend. So tell me what exactly do you expect me to think? "

    There was a short silence before Lia raised her head and rendered an apology to her mom.

    "I''m sorry " She added at once, "And I''m not just sorry for creating a misunderstanding or yelling at you, but for a lot of other things, I''m truly sorry "

    Jenny gave the look, "What''s she talking about? "

    Lia opened her mouth to say something when a knock sounded on the door.

    "Dress up," She told Lia who hurried into the bathroom.

    Jenny opened the door with a smile on her face, expecting to see her daughter''s friends or her kids but was surprised when she saw two grown men standing at the door - the both of them weren''t familiar at all. .

    She frowned, " Good morning, how may I help you gentleman? "

    "Good morning, are you Jenny Houston? " One of them inquired, causing her to strengthen up . Jenny suddenly had a feeling these people weren''t ordinary.

    "Yes, I am. Why do you ask? "

    He flashed his badge at Jenny "Detective Julie Howard, LT police department. Can we have a minute with your daughter, Lia Darlington? "

    Confusion and panic swept over Jenny, "What do you want from my daughter?" Her voice was tensed and guarded.

    "We just want to talk to your daughter, " The other detective told her, showing her his badge.

    "Ask her some questions "

    Jenny used her body to block the entrance," About what? "

    "About the disappearance of Alexa Sean "

    "What has that got to do with my daughter? " Jenny attacked.

    "We''ve questioned other students at the party that night, your daughter Lia is the only one left " he explained calmly.

    "Mom, who is on the door? " She heard her daughter''s voice from behind, then reluctantly let them in.

    Lia was surprised when two strange men walked into her room. One was taller than the other and had this long straight hair with a goatee and her nose picked up a cigarette smell from him.

    "Detective Julie. Relax, we just need to ask you some questions "

    But Lia couldn''t relax, there was something strange about that second detective. He had dark hair and eyes, but those eyes were secretly regarding her slowly.

    How could she not know, she was a supernatural creature after all.

    "Chris merde " The second detective introduced himself, her gaze resting on her more than usual.

    "So, what do you want to know? " Lia asked as soon as she broke the handshake.

    "Where were you on the night of the attack at Garcia''s home during the party ? "

 Chapter 161 - One Hundred And Sixty-one : An Alibi

    "Where were you on the night of the attack at Garcia''s home during the party? "

    Lia was a little taken aback at the directness of the question. Of all questions, they had to start with that one?

    She was sitting on her bed with her mom positioned on the edge and staring at the two detectives who were seated on the couch opposite her bed with pens in their grip and a short note resting on their laps.

    "Of course I was at the party, where would I have been? " She asked back.

    "According to our investigation and testimonies from students, it was revealed that Alexa and Caroline left with you and wasn''t seen again until the end of the quake "

    "Detective, I was at a high school party, you do know what happens in such an event, right? I was wasted for the rest of the night, my brain isn''t that good " Lia told him in a straightforward manner, her tone firm and unwavering.

    She made sure no trace of nervousness was found on her face since detectives were good at reading facial expressions and body language.

    "None of the students saw you leave the party, " Chris said this time which elicited a response from Jenny.

    "You said you were going to ask her just a few perfunctory questions, but right now it feels like you''re interrogating my daughter " Jenny complained right away.

    Shawn disclosed, "Alexa was found dead yesterday "

    A flicker of shock crossed Lia''s features which Chris didn''t fail to capture.

    Jenny gasped, "Poor child" hands resting on her chest.

    "How did she die? "

    "According to the medical examiner, she died from a blunt trauma to the head and a stab to the stomach " Chris replied.

    Jenny''s hands flew to her mouth, unconsciously she reached for her daughter''s hand, clasping it so tightly.

    She couldn''t help but feel the urge to hold on to her child right now. What if it had been her own daughter in this situation? She wouldn''t be able to take It at all, might as well go crazy; it seems this town wasn''t as safe as she assumed.

    "Who would be so heartless to do such a thing?" Lia''s mom queried the detectives but they had no answer for her, opting to lower their head instead.

    "The case is still under investigation "

    "Then you both should be out there finding the culprit! "  fumed Jenny.

    "That''s the problem," Julie said, turned his attention on Lia, " Your daughter is currently an accused person in this case "

    "What?" Lia was stunned, she totally didn''t expect that.

    "Excuse me? "

    Jenny''s brows narrowed together, her gaze was dark and icy. From her body language, it was obvious she would fight anybody who dared touch her daughter.

    "What are you talking about? "

    "According to our investigation, prior to her death, turns out Alexa had sent a message to her friend Caroline Garcia and your name was mentioned - "

    Jenny sprang up to her, admonishing them severely, " When I let you into this room, you clearly told me you wanted to speak to my daughter, not accuse her of a crime she undoubtedly didn''t commit "

    Julie stood to his feet and argued," We are not accusing her of anything, just confirming the information - "

    "You won''t be confirming anything anymore! " Jenny interjected with anger.

    "Mom, I - "

    "Don''t say a word! " Jenny growled at her daughter who had no option than to close her mouth.

    "I do not know much about the law but I know I have the right to remain silent and not answer your questions "

    Julie persisted, "Mrs. Jenny, this is - "

    "I''m calling my lawyer " She informed them and without wasting time, took her cell phone out of the pocket of her blazer.

    "If your daughter didn''t do anything wrong, why would you need an attorney ? " huffed Chris who had been silent all this time.

    Phone pressed against her ear, she glared at him while Lia watched the unfolding drama helplessly.

    Jenny cursed out loud when the call wouldn''t connect. She then tossed the phone to the bed and grabbed her purse instead. She rummaged through her stuff until she found a card.

    "My daughter Lia would not make any statement nor answer any of your questions without speaking with her attorney " She stood firm.

    "You''re making a huge deal out of - "

    "My lawyer will take it from here" She held out her attorney''s card to Julie who obviously still had a lot to say.

    He accepted the card reluctantly.

    "Thank-you " She released a fake smile, " Now I would appreciate it if you find your way out. As you can see, my daughter has to recover " Jenny dismissed them politely.

    Lia could feel Chris scrutinizing her as he dropped one final glance on her before leaving with her partner.

    "We will meet again," Julie remarked.

    Unfortunately, mother and daughter couldn''t exactly pinpoint who he was referring to - but there was a huge probability it was Lia.

    "Did you discover anything? " Julie asked Chris as soon as they walked out of the room.

    Chris released a rugged breath and answered " She''s not the one, but she seems to know something besides, she has an alibi "

    Julie looked up surprised yet with a doubtful look on his face, "How would you know that easily? Can you read thoughts or something? Moreover, Is not like the crimes are written clearly on their faces"

    "Her eyes were clear and brilliant, she''s too calm. Even if one is innocent, people tend to panic when they''re informed of their involvement with a crime" He explained to Julie who had a confused look on his face yet pondering on his words.

    "The girl knows something we don''t know or might have seen something related to this case which was why she was that relaxed. "

    "You make quite a point " Julie nodded in agreement, "But we can''t question her directly anymore, what should we do? "

    Chris smiled and rubbed his chin, an excited glint in his eyes.

    "Sometimes you don''t need to do anything, people who are destined to meet would surely meet "

    Lost in his trance, a smile moved Chris''s mouth to the sound, the girl took her father''s eyes.

    Julie gave Chris a puzzled look, what was he talking about? The partner assigned to him today was definitely weird.

    He glanced down at the badge on the inside of his jacket and stared at Chris "What division did you say you''re from again?"

    Something flashed in Chris''s eyes but he didn''t show it," Are we going for an examination? Why are you so curious about my division? Do I have to repeat myself again? "

    Julie worked his jaw but didn''t say anything but he had a nagging feeling, this assigned partner of his wasn''t who he seemed to be.

    Well since this case was a joint investigation and the higher up had added him to his team, he had no other say in the matter.

    Meanwhile��.

    Jenny was spacing up and down the room, hand on her waist while the other was rubbing her head with an anxious look on her face.

    "Mom, you''re making me dizzy " Lia complained but her mom ignored her.

    She sat up, irritated. "Just calm down mom, I''m sure it''s all a misunderstanding! "

    "Misunderstanding?!" Her Mom snapped, " Lia, they are talking murder here! "

    "Let''s think it over alright. Alexa was killed yesterday but mom, I''ve been in the hospital all this while so I''ve got a concrete alibi already " Lia reasoned.

    With a heavy sigh, Jenny plonked down on the bed and rubbed her face with her palm. Just a few minutes but she had already aged ten years from thinking.

    Lia crawled towards her mother and wrapped her arms around her waist, resting her head on Jenny''s shoulder.

    "Thanks for defending me mom " She inhaled her scent and hugged her tighter.

    With a weak smile, she turned around and embraced her daughter more comfortably, running her hands through her dark hair.

    "As far as I''m alive, I won''t let anyone bully you nor your siblings. You guys are everything to me right now "

    A tear fell off Lia''s cheek, she wondered if her mom would still treat her the way she does now once she finds out the truth about her.

    Her father had hidden a lot from her mother, but she was hiding a lot more. Once everything comes to the limelight, would she still accept her as a daughter or a monster?

    Or maybe she could leave before then?

    No, she couldn''t do that, she couldn''t abandon her mother! But what if she staying, puts them in danger?

    Lia was disturbed, would staying with her family be a blessing or a curse? Yes, she was strong enough to protect them but she wasn''t superwoman, she couldn''t be everywhere at once.

    Moreover, her power was destructive, what if she ends up injuring them instead of protecting them?

    "Sorry " Her mom apologized but Lia didn''t understand why she was rendering an apology until Jenny asked.

    "Doesn''t your arm ache? Aren''t you supposed to cry in pain? "

    That was when it dawned on her that her mom had hit her bandaged arm by mistake and she hadn''t reacted the way a normal human would.

    "Ouch? "

 Chapter 162 - One Hundred And Sixty-two : Winning Their Heart

    "That should be the last of your stuff��.Lia?... Lia? "

    "Huh? " Lia tore her gaze from the door when Daniel nudged her on the shoulder.

    "Sorry " She apologized and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

    "What are you staring at? " Daniel asked.

    "Nothing " She was quick to reply.

    Daniel''s brows knitted together, he then dropped her bag on her bed and sat beside her.

    "You know I''m your mate Lia, I can tell when something is going on with you "

    She turned to meet his inquisitive gaze but bit down on her lips instead of replying to him.

    "You can tell me anything " Daniel cupped her chin and urged her to open up.

    She was hesitant but finally said, " It''s about Asher "

    He was surprised, Lia could tell from Daniel''s expression but he didn''t expose any further emotions.

    " What about him? "

    "I feel like he''s avoiding me "

    Something flashed in Daniel''s eyes but Lia was not looking, so didn''t notice it.

    "And why would he do that? " He asked.

    She glanced up, " It''s been a whole day, Asher hasn''t visited nor called me on the phone, and when I did call, he didn''t answer ."

    She was finally discharged from the hospital and would be leaving with her family. Expecting to see Asher who would come in the guise of saying goodnight to his favorite student, she had been utterly disappointed.

    "Maybe he is busy with something? "

    "Asher is always busy with something - school or clan - but he somehow makes out time to spend with me, " Lia explained to him.

    "Or maybe - "

    "There is no ''maybe'' in this " Lia interrupted him with a mean pout, " He''s probably scared of my wolf "

    "Your wolf? "

    She saw the confused expression on his face and replied immediately,

    "It''s nothing "

    Lia scolded herself mentally, was she seriously about to tell Daniel that her wolf side who''s supposed to be madly in love with him, took over and fooled around with her other mate.

    "I can''t wait to go home " She awkwardly changed the topic and tried to rise from the bed but Daniel grabbed her hand and halted her.

    He persisted " You were saying something,?"

    Lia gulped, had he somehow noticed she was keeping something from him? Daniel was sharp but she was smarter.

    "Have you noticed how blue your eyes are? " Lia purposely leaned closer making sure her scent enveloped him.

    Without her necklace, She knew it was nearly impossible for Daniel to resist her scent. Daniel stiffened, she smiled wickedly - in her head.

    He had forgotten all about the question.

    Holding his gaze, Lia continued to lean closer and closer until their breaths were mingling together.

    His eyes had darkened and his nails were digging into the bed, Lia noticed all these yet continued to tempt him by lightly brushing her lips with his.

    Just as Daniel tried to capture her lips, she drew back intentionally and giggled.

    His eyes further darkened, she was teasing him.

    Daniel leaned in again but she repeated the same action which soon evolved into a cat-and-mouse game.

    Agitated and left with no patience, he growled, tackled her to the bed, and trapped her with his body.

    Unfortunately, the door was opened at that very moment.

    "I hope you are done parking�� "  Jenny trailed off as soon as she saw the scene that welcomed her.

    Everyone froze.

    "Mom, what''s going - "  Rex who was behind his mother tried to peep into the room but his eyes were covered at once while Jenny shut the door.

    Trevor and Ben''s eyes connected but they both didn''t say a word, they had seen enough.

    With a scream, Lia pushed Daniel off her body. Gosh, that was so embarrassing. How could her mom of all people see her in that situation��.ahh! She felt like banging her head against the wall.

    By her side, Daniel was grinning like an idiot. At least Jenny has finally witnessed that he''s stupidly in love with her daughter - it would probably give him an advantage over Asher when the time comes, right?

    Just because he and Asher decided to get along for the sake of their mate doesn''t mean he still isn''t competing with him - Asher is still his love rival and nemesis.

    Yes, he would do his best to respect his mate''s wishes and decisions but the competition was still a competition, period! He had to gain more points by getting on his future mother- in - law''s good side.

    If only Lia knew what he was thinking, she would have puked blood or beaten him black and blue.

    After a few minutes, Jenny tried the door again, hoping to God she would get a decent view this time.

    Though Daniel looks like a good boy but this boyfriend of her daughter seems to have a big appetite, Jenny thought.

    She would have to talk to her daughter about him later. But wait a minute..hope they use protection?!

    "I''m done mom, " Lia told her mother with a crooked smile, there was a faint blush on her face.

    God, this is so stupid! She scratched the back of her head awkwardly.

    But she jumped out of her skin when someone''s hand found its way around her waist.

    "Mom, we''re done " Daniel flashed his sparkly white teeth at her leaving poor Jenny stunned.

    With a hint of bewilderment, she croaked "Mom? " her eyes resting on his hand on her daughter''s waist.

    Lia glared at Daniel, she had warned him to keep his hands to himself whenever her mom''s around. Sadly, the stubborn Alpha didn''t release her at all. Damn him!

    "Aren''t you too clingy for a man your age? " Trevor asked this time, attracting everyone''s attention.

    These past days Trevor had not failed to show his sheer dislike of Daniel and it was continually pissing Lia off. Why was her brother becoming such a douche?

    But she defended her boyfriend before he could say a word.

    "He''s not being clingy, this is how couples in love with each other behave! And he''s not that old, asshole " Lia sassed back, before rubbing her affection all over his face.

    "Of course, how would you know? You''ve never been in love " she told Trevor pointedly.

    "Y-you! "

    "Alright, this is it! Knock it out the both of you " Jenny stepped in this time.

    "Any more insulting remarks, you would have me to face !" She boomed.

    She then faced Trevor, " Daniel is your sister''s boyfriend and your elder. So you would respect him at all times, understood? "

    "But mom - "

    "Understood?! "

    "Understood. " Trevor finally concurred with her decision.

    " Now apologize "

    Trevor whipped his head up, fire burning in his eyes, and tried to complain but his mom''s warning shut him up. His furious swept over Daniel as he apologized insincerely, " I''m sorry "

    "Apology accepted " answered Daniel nonchalantly, he didn''t bother with the apology having known it was insincere.

    If not for the fact that the little pain in the ass was his mate''s brother, he would have taught him a lesson already.

    "I''m sorry for his behavior. He''s usually a good kid  but I don''t understand why he is suddenly like that " Jenny rendered her own apology, she too felt her son''s hypocritical apology.

    "No mom, I''m good "

    The corners of Lia''s mouth quirked when she heard Daniel still refer to Jenny with that title.

    When their eyes connected, Lia gave her mom a grateful smile. It was obvious Jenny would have scolded her for using that kind of tone and language on her brother, but she intentionally gave her face because of the presence of her boyfriend.

    "Are we leaving or what!? " Rex who was irritated by their delay flipped out.

    "Alright, let''s move " Jenny urged everyone out of the room.

    Because the car wouldn''t be enough for all, Lia had to leave with Daniel in his car but Jenny insisted Rex had to go with them - the reason was obvious.

    Thanks to the appearance of her little brother, Lia couldn''t sit with Daniel in the front seat because she had to keep Rex company in the back seat.

    The journey was incredibly quiet and odd. Daniel could not relax with the little buddy scrutinizing him intently.

    He couldn''t tell if Rex liked him or not -  Trevor didn''t like him for God knows why, so he wouldn''t bet on this one.

    "How did you two meet? " Rex who had been quiet all this time asked.

    Daniel''s eyes met with Lia''s through the rearview mirror.

    Daniel smiled warmly at him, "It was love at first sight "

    "Soapy" Rex complained, causing Daniel''s heart to sink. Had he just failed his brother- in- law''s test?

    "But I like it, " Rex added, causing Daniel''s eyes to lit up with joy.

    "I like you" The young boy confessed. "My sister smiles because of you "

    Lia frowned at him, "*T.M.I Rex! "

    Daniel thought he would die from the excessive joy in his heart, he has won the young brother-in-law''s favor - one more to go.

    Trevor would be hard to win over but he would try his best. Since it seems flattery and goodies won''t change his mind about him, he might as well be himself! So now he has won two hearts, remaining one.

    Can Asher beat that?

    -------

    *T. M.I: Too much information

 Chapter 163 - One Hundred And Sixty-three : He Held Her With A Leash

    For reasons known to him, Daniel was enthusiastic throughout the ride, not to mention, he and Rex had become best buddies.

    "So what about Alvin and the chipmunks? " Rex asked, leaving his own side of the seat to occupy his sister''s lap and wrapping his hand around the headrest of Daniel''s seat from behind.

    Eyes still on the road, Daniel tipped his head to the side as if in deep contemplation. "Nah, I don''t think so, but I definitely watched Teletubbies "

    "What is Teletubbies?" Rex curiously asked, lifting himself up and itching more closer towards Daniel''s seat.

    "Rex, Daniel is driving, don''t distract him. We don''t want an accident, do we?" Lia cautioned her brother,  dragging his butt back on her laps.

    Daniel laughed, there was no way on earth he would be distracted enough to get involved with an accident. He was a werewolf and could even drive with his peripheral vision - as far as his mate wasn''t the one doing the distraction.

    Rex was one curious child, so Daniel had no choice but to answer him,

    "Teletubbies is a children''s television series featuring multi-colored creatures known as "Teletubbies", having fun in their  idyllic Teletubbyland "

    Daniel looked back when he heard his mate''s laughter," What''s funny? "

    "I think I watched those or my mom made me watch those " She replied captivating his attention.

    " Really?

    "Dipsy, Laa-Laa, Po, and Tinky Winky? yeah, I did "

    Daniel laughed, " We have a lot in common than" he slapped the steering wheel from excitement.

    "I think cartoons and kids shows helped in shaping us into who we are today," Lia remarked, feeling nostalgic.

    "What cartoon did you watch Daniel? " Rex asked as usual.

    "Pokemon"

    "No way! "  Lia exclaimed in surprise.

    "Tom and Jerry "

    Her brows furrowed together from thinking, Lia then asked "At what age did you stop watching those? "

    There was a slight hesitation which she didn''t fail to capture but he answered anyway, " I stopped at age ten after my parent''s death. I had numerous responsibilities to shoulder, I could not dilly dally anymore "

    So that was the reason for the reluctance, Lia noted.

    "Don''t worry Daniel, you can come over to our place anytime and we would catch up on a lot of cartoons " Rex beat his chest, " I, Rex, master of animation and games, promise you that "

    Lia gave him a disapproving look, "Rex, Daniel is a busy person. Besides, what''s he going to do with cartoons, he''s way past it "

    "Cartoons have no age limitation, " Rex argued with her.

    "Don''t worry Rex, I''ll make out time to watch cartoons and play video games with you - though you might have to teach me the video game part " Daniel butt in before the argument could escalate.

    "Sure! " Rex agreed and made the "promise " sign while Lia rolled her eyes towards heaven.

    It was obvious Daniel purposely gave in to his younger brother, seems her brother is now trying to squeeze a little out of her time with her mate - well she doesn''t actually mind, her family accepting Daniel would make things easier when she finally confesses everything.

    Soon enough they reached home, but what Lia didn''t expect was that her mom threw a small surprise party for her and even invited her friends - her mom had friends? How surprising.

    Though the party was organized for her and Trevor, in celebration of their speedy recovery but all attention was focused on her and Daniel instead.

    "Happy recovery " Someone wished her, Lia accepted her goodwill with smiles though she had no idea who the person was.

    At first, when they moved in, Lia was sullen they had no neighbors but now she was grateful for it; the bungalow beside theirs has been empty for months.

    Perhaps because of the nature of his job, her father had purposely got this house, away from prying eyes.

    After the empty bungalow beside theirs, everything else was tall thick bushes and it would take a few kilometers to sight other buildings - which was why no one had complained of any weird occurrence.

    Lia was making conversation with the unfamiliar guests when she felt the hair on her body stood on edge. The only person that could elicit such a response from her was��.

    "Raphael, what are you doing here?"

    Lia asked with a tone that showed she wasn''t pleased with his coming.

    He smiled, " Am here to wish you a speedy recovery, aren''t I welcomed?"

    Lia took a step forward and warned him threateningly beneath her breath," I don''t know what game you''re playing but don''t you push my button. If anything dares happens to my family - "

    "Raphael! " Her mom''s excited voice came from behind making her take a step back as she composed herself.

    "Jenny " He hugged her as soon as she walked into his open arms, then lowered his head and placed two pecks on both cheeks.

    Lia clenched her fists at her side. Where was the toilet? She needs to throw up

    Jenny smiled up at him," You made it "

    "Of course why wouldn''t I? Anything for your daughter "

    Lia felt goosebumps climb her arms when she heard his statement. Their gaze met and she gave him a hateful look.

    "I even brought flowers for her, " Raphael told Jenny and brought out a bouquet of red lilies Lia had failed to notice earlier.

    Jenny complimented him with delighted eyes."God, how thoughtful of you. Lia, don''t you think so too? "

    Lia was taken aback by her mother''s question and quickly put on a fake smile.

    "Of course, he is very thoughtful," Lia concurred, secretly laying more emphasis on "very thoughtful " but Raphael for sure sensed the scorn in her voice.

    Sadly, Raphael wasn''t bothered by her indifference towards him, instead he stepped towards her and began.

    "The modest Rose puts forth a thorn,

    The humble sheet a threat''ning horn:

    While the Lily white shall in love delight,

    Nor a thorn nor a thread stain her beauty bright. " Raphael intoned, causing Lia  to scrunch up her features. What is this creepy vampire up-to-now?

    "William Blake did a good thing by writing that poem because it really reveres your sweet and innocent beauty. Happy recovery Lia " he held out the flowers towards her.

    Unlike her mom who was swooning over his romantic lines, her daughter eyed the bouquet of flowers cautiously.

    Did he put something harmful in there?

    "Thank you Raphael " She pasted a sweet smile on her face and accepted the flowers but her guard was still on.

    Raphael was powerful and full of tricks, being in the same place with him was putting her on edge. She wondered how Asher got to swim in the same gene pool with him - well, half of the gene pool.

    But what irritated her the most was him hanging around her mom - her mother was definitely not complaining.

    Lia wasn''t stupid, Raphael intentionally approached her mom and there was no way on earth he had real romantic feelings for her - perhaps lust.

    Raphael was using her mother to get to her and her poor mom, who was stupidly behaving like a woman in love for the first time wasn''t even aware of it.

    Like a dog, Lia knew Raphael held her with a leash, thanks to her family.

    Taking advantage of her love for her family, he sure has a real hold on her.

    "Raphael " Daniel breathed, his eyes taking in the scene. He could see his mate''s eyes expressing distress and the ever-present smug smile on the villain''s mouth.

    "You know him too? " Jenny''s eyes widened in surprise. She turned to face Raphael, " You must be widely known "

    "Yeah, he''s widely known for a lot of things" Daniel sassed, in his head.

    " We kind of know each other " he gave a suitable answer to Jenny.

    "Alright, you two lovebirds  have fun. I have things to discuss with your buddy here " Jenny referred to Raphael, patting him on the chest and dragging him away.

    Daniel''s lips twitched due to Jenny''s misunderstanding, when did he and Raphael become pals.

    "Hey, calm down " He squeezed Lia''s hand, her lips and brows were quivering angrily. The flowers in her other grip were in a sorry state.

    "I can''t stand him, I want to kill him! " She said in one breath, showing her white teeth fiercely which worried him.

    Newly changed werewolves were vicious and unpredictable due to their inability to control their temper. They''re easily susceptible to anger and lose all manner of reasoning once in that state and everyone knew it was bad luck to incite a werewolf to anger - Raphael was doing this on purpose.

    "Lia, listen to me�� "

    But she walked past him and stomped away, probably in search of her mom and Raphael.

    He had no choice but to follow suit.

    Lia searched for her mom but couldn''t find them until she stepped into the kitchen and got the shock of her life.

    Raphael backed her mom into the wall and they were making out passionately; her mom even moaned.

    Lia''s blood boiled, the rage blinded her causing a low feral growl to be drawn from her throat. Her razor-sharp teeth slowly descended, her iris glowed yellow while her talons flicked out.

    Just as she was about to lunge towards them, someone abruptly pulled her from behind and out of the kitchen, backing her forcefully against the wall of the passage.

    Lia bared her teeth at Daniel.

    "You have to calm down, " Daniel said to her.

    "I can''t! " She shouted.

    "What''s going on here? "

    Shit, Trevor.

 Chapter 164 - One Hundred And Sixty-four : Roses And Williams

    "What''s going on here? "

    Daniel felt his heart jump in his chest when he heard Trevor''s voice resonate from behind. He cursed mentally, his mate''s brother was like an annoying fly that refused to go away despite the swatting.

    "Lia, you have to change back now," He said to her, his voice low enough just for the both of them to hear.

    "What the hell is going on?" Trevor repeated his question, this time taking slow and calculated steps towards them.

    Daniel at once lifted her up, carrying her in his arms just as Trevor approached them.

    "What are you doing to my sister? " Trevor still questioned him persistently with anger in his eyes.

    Daniel turned around as lia buried her face into his chest and he answered, "Your sister encountered a dizzy spell, I''m taking her up to her room "

    There was a suspicious look on the boy''s face but he had no evidence to charge him of doing anything wrong to his sister, so he had no choice than to let go of them.

    Daniel probably adjusted his mate in his arms and was preparing to leave when his dear brother in law stopped him again.

    "Wait! " he commanded.

    Daniel turned around to stare at him with an exasperated expression,

    "What now? "

    "I need to check something, " Trevor said, his eyes focused on the girl in his arms, and began to walk towards them.

    Daniel unconsciously took a step back while Lia buried her face further into his chest with her hands digging into his skin painfully, he wouldn''t be surprised if she drew blood.

    Just as Trevor was about to touch his sister, Jenny''s voice came from the side, " What''s going on here? "

    Trevor withdrew his hand abruptly.

    "Your daughter feels dizzy, I was just taking her upstairs when Trevor stopped me " Daniel heaped all the blame on the boy who looked up at him in disbelief, then scowled at him.

    There was a guilty look on Jenny''s face even though her son was the one at fault, she wasn''t left out either. If she hadn''t been exchanging saliva with Raphael, she would have been focused enough to notice something was wrong with her daughter.

    "How''s she? " Jenny asked with concern.

    "Mom, I''m fine. I just need a rest, let''s go Daniel " came Lia''s slightly muffled words. She tugged on Daniel''s polo shirt, urging him to take her away.

    "You can take care of the guest, I''ll take good care of your daughter " Daniel assured Jenny who was reluctant to part with her daughter - she''s now concerned about her daughter? Seems Raphael''s charm has expired.

    Then he tried to leave for her room but Trevor moved with them.

    "You too Trevor, I need some space," Lia told him, this time she didn''t hide her face on Daniel''s body.

    " But - "

    "No, but! " She decided firmly, "Let''s go Daniel" and her mate obeyed by taking her away.

    Trevor''s brows knitted together in confusion, what he just saw, was it a trick of the eyes? He swore he had seen his sister''s normally short nails become a long blackish talon!

    But when he blinked his eyes, it wasn''t there any longer. Yes, that must be it, a product of his imagination. There was no way on earth his human sister could have those weird creepy talons he thought he saw.

    Lia jumped down from Daniel''s arms the moment they stepped into her room. She began to take deep, slow breaths, trying to calm her racing heartbeat which was as loud as a beating drum in her ears.

    "You''re hiding something from - " Lia at once hushed Daniel from speaking further.

    "My brother is at the door " She revealed to him in a whisper, gesturing to the door.

    Daniel made use of his enhanced hearing and indeed made out a beating heart aside from his mate''s. It seems he has to be ultra-careful around this Trevor, the boy seems smart and was always overly suspicious of his motive.

    An idea came into his mind, Daniel quickly slipped his phone out of his pocket "How do we get rid of him? " He typed, then held it up to his Lia''s face.

    He watched his mate purse her lips thoughtfully until a mischievous grin stretched her mouth to the side.

    Daniel''s gaze was intent on her the whole time she orchestrated her silly plan.

    Lia walked towards the door and placed her phone beside it just as a woman''s lustful moan and a man''s suggestive groan began to play from her phone.

    A burst of laughter escaped Daniel''s mouth unintentionally and he cupped it. It was just so funny, who knew his mate would come up with such a trick.

    Meanwhile outside Lia''s room��.

    Trevor inched his ear closer to the door trying to get more of their discussion, sadly he came up with nothing. He contemplated leaving but decided against it, especially now that werewolf was alone with his only sister.

    His mom and sister were ignorant of the devil in sheep''s clothing they invited into their home. Daniel wasn''t human, a freaking werewolf - half-human, half-wolf - a creature bound to hurt his sister sooner or later.

    But he wouldn''t let that happen, not when his father had left so many responsibilities for him; he had to make Renard proud.

    Truth be told, all these years he resented his father, always wondering why he hardly had time for them, why he abandoned them? But the truth finally has dawned on him, why Renard never settled with them.

    His father was busy protecting his family and the world at large in secret, trying to make the world a better place to live.He was busy making the place safer against creatures who wandered at night, lying in wait for unsuspecting victims to devour.

    But Trevor still hated him. He had set his work above his family and even took this dark secret to the grave.

    He couldn''t help but envy Williams: his father was one of the top hunters and made sure to support his son with everything he had, but his own father did everything to keep his family away from this life.

    There was a saying in the Hunter''s League, "Once a hunter, always a hunter"; no matter how much his father tried to hide it, he still found his way there.

    Trevor was startled when he began to hear loud ecstatic moans, his eyes grew wide as he went red in the face. Though he hasn''t done it yet, that doesn''t mean he was ignorant of the activities between a man and woman behind closed doors.

    Was that stinky werewolf doing it with his sister?

    "Bastard" Trevor spoke through gritted teeth and clenched his fist. If anything happens to Lia, he would skin that dog alive. But he couldn''t stay around any longer, any more of those erotic noises and he would throw up.

    He fled away and in the process almost collided with Rex who was probably searching for his dear sister.

    "Whoah, there you are " Rex stopped right in time from bumping into him, "Where have you been? "

    He was surprised.

    "Just here and there " Trevor answered nonchalantly, hands on his chest as he did his best to calm his beating heart.

    "Is anything the matter? "

    "Williams is here "

    "He''s here -? " The excitement on his face died off, eagerly replaced by a frown. Why was he excited that Williams was here?.

    Trevor wrapped his arms around his chest, adopting a relaxed and uninterested demeanor, he asked his brother, "So? Why are you telling me? "

    Rex gave him a dirty look, "Fine, I''ll tell him you don''t want to see him "

    "Oi! " He grabbed the little imp on the collar right on time before he left,

    "Did you hear me say anything? " he chided him playfully.

    "Of course, I''m going " He flashed his little brother a smile, then descended the stairs quickly.

    Rex rolled his eyes and shook his head exasperatedly, "Moron "

    Trevor strutted into the living room which was used to organize the party and couldn''t help but frown when he saw that vampire called Raphael whisper something into his mother''s ear that made her throw her head back in laughter.

    "Don''t mess with that one " Trevour nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a familiar voice whisper into his ears.

    Trevor slowly turned around and was breathless, his throat instantly dried up. When did Williams become this breathtakingly handsome?

    His sandy brown hair was sleek and coiffed to the side while his grey eyes looked clearer, holding him spellbound.

    "T-Trevor? "

    "Huh? "

    He awoke from his reverie and cleared his throat, "You were saying?"

    "You can pester your sister''s boyfriend but not Raphael, even the council deals with him delicately " Williams warned him.

    Trevor fixed his gaze on Raphael but coincidentally, the vampire chose that moment to glance up making their eyes meet .He shivered when the vampire smiled and lifted a glass to him.

    "My mother and sister are making me age faster from stress. It irritates me further that they don''t know what I''m protecting them from, instead, making me the bad guy here when all I''m trying to do is keep them - "

    "Happy recovery " Williams presented to him a bouquet of roses shutting him up immediately.

    "Oh, roses?" he took it from him with an odd expression on his face.

    Williams scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "I didn''t know what type of flowers you preferred so I just decided on roses. Do you like it? "

    " I�� "

    The rest of Trevor''s words were cut off by a scream.

 Chapter 165 - One Hundred And Sixty-five : She Imprint On A Third One

    "Why aren''t you with your mate, I heard she''s been discharged today," Sabrina asked him as she served him tea.

    Placing the teacup on the short wooden stool beside his side of the sofa, she took a seat on the alternate sofa.

    Eyes peeling open lazily, Asher sat with his leg crossed over the other and his head propped up on an elbow. He gazed down at the tea laying by his side, picked it up, and took a sip.

    "I''m currently on the run " he confessed.

    Sabrina who was stirring her tea chuckled, " Let me guess, one of her sides overlapped the other and you happened to be the scapegoat "

    His eyelids snapped open, head-turning towards her, "How did you know? "

    "I''ve always had a hypothesis" She answered concisely and took a sip,

    "Your mate is not a natural hybrid, she was made and everything about her goes against the law of the universe "

    "Natural or not, I don''t give a damn"

    "Want to hear another of my theories?"

    " Why not, humor me "

    There was a short silence as Sabrina finished consuming her tea while Asher watched her patiently.

    "You and Daniel are not her only mate " Sabrina dropped the stunning news once she was done with her tea.

    Asher froze, this time he dropped his cup of tea on its saucer, readjusted in his seat, and faced Sabrina with full attention.

    "What are you talking about? "

    She told him in a straightforward manner, "If she had two mates, what''s the possibility she wouldn''t imprint on a third one? "

    "As if I would allow it? " he scoffed blatantly.

    "Haven''t you ever wondered why her scent is so damn irresistible to you bloodthirsty and night creatures? "

    This time he didn''t answer and let her continue spinning her thesis.

    "Just as animals use scents to disclose their readiness to mate and to attract prey, among their many functions. I personally think Lia''s scent is acting as some sort of sex pheromones to attract potential males from as far away as possible and when I say potential males- I mean Alphas..."

    Asher stood to his feet, "That''s impossible!" he roared in denial.

    "Think about it, why is her scent so irresistible to the others when that''s supposed to occur between the both of you alone, or she and Daniel since she has two? " Sabrina questioned him calmly.

    Asher understood her point, Lia''s scent was supposed to be alluring to him alone since he''s her mate, not only him but also she and Daniel, since he''s her mate too. To others, she should smell normally but that was not the case here.

    It took a reasonable amount of self-control for vampires not to take her blood not to talk of werewolves; thankfully werewolves lived in packs and only a few lone wolves occupied Little Town else there would have been a mating frenzy with Lia around.

    Suddenly his discussion with Daniel the night her wolf took overcame into his mind.

    Daniel seems to have an inkling that their mate is an Alpha judging from the dominance and aggressiveness of her wolf plus the fact she''s the first of their kind.

    Could Sabrina''s hypothesis be right? was that the reason she has two Alphas as a mate - at the moment? It''s a known fact that most Alpha females tend to get mated to fellow Alpha males, the stronger sex who could match up to their strength and force their submission.

    Asher licked his bottom lips while pacing up and down the room, his thoughts all over the place.

    "Aah, there''s another thing " Sabrina added.

    Asher stopped in his tracks and glanced up at her with an irritated yet inquisitive gaze, "What now? "

    "Right before I lost my powers, I did a secret test on your mate "

    His brows lifted up, "And what did you find? "

    "Her scent is like a drug, it''s addictive"

    Asher stood tongue-tied. The words were right at the tip of his tongue but he couldn''t say it, his thoughts, mind, and will, were shattered into a million fragments.

    "If you keep on taking in her scent, you might get hooked on it to the point that - "

    "Daniel and I would refuse to let go, fighting each other to the death just to have her as a mate " He filled in the rest of her words correctly.

    " Bingo! "

    Asher was flabbergasted, mortified, angry, and petrified, a rollercoaster of intense emotion assaulted him at once. He ran his hand through his hair before flinging himself down in his seat, hands rubbing his jaw thoughtfully.

    What did the Burning Eaglet hope to achieve from this? How does he and Daniel killing each other off contribute to their great plan? Something was missing here. Who knows, Sabrina might be wrong in some parts.

    "Did you make the earrings before the incident? " he asked her, praying inwardly for a positive answer.

    The only thing Asher could do now to stop him and Daniel from tearing each other apart in due time was to conceal her smell.

    "Yeah, I did, " Sabrina answered but failed to capture the suspicious glint in Aster''s eyes.

    "Give me a sec, " She told him and walked into her room.

    Asher''s eyes narrowed together in deep contemplation, how did she make the necklace? During the questioning, Ben had told him she left to make a call which gave him the initiative to try on that mask.

    She couldn''t possibly alter that necklace in such a short time, right? Why did it feel like Sabrina was hiding something from him?

    "Here "

    His attention was grabbed when she tossed a small box towards him which he deftly caught with a hand.

    Asher examined the box which looked no different than an engagement ring box. He opened it, exposing a white gold vintage style drop earrings made with diamonds.

    " Nice work " He complimented her.

    "Thank you " She responded back unfazed.

    "Another thing," Asher said, drawing her attention back to him

    " What is it? "

    "When are you going to tell me about the boy? You must have figured out what he is already " came his blunt accusation.

    "I truly admire your foresightedness. No wonder, the Nicoli pack is still standing tall despite the challenges it has seen. True, I know what Ben is already." She acquiesced.

    " What creature is he? "

    Sabrina laughed, " Not what creature he is " She corrected, " But what he is "

    "What he is? "

    She stood to her feet and strutted towards Asher with a smirk, " He''s nothing but a human child born with a supernatural ability "

    " What is he? "

    "Et medium ultimum.The last medium "

    Asher was taken aback when was a medium last heard of? Years? Centuries? Mediums were not exactly psychics, they were more like a bridge.

    "At first, mediums were seen as an intermediary between the living and the dead. They had the ability to commune with the spirits of the dead and lost souls.

    "But because they weren''t full psychics and their ability was oftentimes connected to necromancy, we looked down on them.

    "Everyone was ignorant to understand the full scope of their abilities until a witch discovered one powerful feature they themselves didn''t know they had��" Sabrina faltered on purpose, confirming if Asher was still following her narration.

    Their eyes met, "They could channel energies aka conduits. So the stealing of powers began and Mediums were hunted down like animals. No wonder Ben was able to see that mask notwithstanding the ward I placed on it; Necromancers and mediums are practically kissing cousins "

    "Who else knows about this? " Asher, who wasn''t amused by her dry humor, asked.

    "The only visible being in this room at the moment "

    "Keep it that way. Though hunting down mediums have been stopped but that can''t guarantee his life would be safe " Asher informed her.

    "You shouldn''t worry about me but Ben himself, his ability is not exactly concealable "

    "Oh, shit " Asher cursed out loud, shot up to his feet as if stung by a scorpion, and planned to leave when Sabrina called his name.

    "Asher! " she flung something to him.

    He turned around just in time to catch a shiny glass bottle with bubbling purple potion inside which made his brows raise questioningly.

    "That would help expel any external force out of his body " She explained upon seeing his confused state.

    With a grateful nod, Asher hurried out of her house. Of course, he knew what Sabrina was implying, mediums manifesting their abilities for the first time wasn''t exactly a sight to behold.

    Since a new medium normally has no idea of their ability nor their vulnerability, vengeful ghosts or souls could take advantage of their ignorance and control their bodies to achieve their purpose.

    Since mediums were a bridge between the living and the dead, their duty was to listen and relay messages from spirits; the experienced medium knew how to ward off a spirit from possessing their body forcefully - only if they still existed, Ben was going to have it tough.

    Asher didn''t need to track down where the boy was since his mate was having a party, he would surely be there. He just hoped he was not too late.

    Well, he would have to face his mate too. Today was truly his unlucky day.

 Chapter 166 - One Hundred And Sixty-six : The Adventurer

    "Something obviously is wrong with you today " Daniel pressed his mate to open up.

    They were still in her room after Trevor''s failed attempt at eavesdropping. Lia bit down hard on her lips, took a deep breath, and finally said to him.

    "My wolf is persistently trying to take over "

    Daniel blinked but aside from that, he showed no other emotion. His expression was neutral. Strange, Lia thought. She had imagined that her confession would rock his world.

    Her eyes narrowed together with her nose wrinkled, asking," You don''t seem all that surprised? "

    Daniel shrugged, " I kind of expected that, newly transformed werewolves normally have problems with control; werewolves are naturally aggressive creatures "

    Having realized she would gain nothing from hiding her secret, she further opened up to him. "I can feel her every minute struggling for dominance, I''m afraid that I might lose to my wolf "

    Daniel knelt by the side of her bed and took her face in his palms, "You would have it harder because you''re an Alpha but you''re the owner of this body, show your wolf who is the master here - well, in your case, mistress " he chuckled but his laughter was infectious cause Lia had no choice than to join too.

    Abruptly, the smile gurgled to a stop when the intensity of his words dawned on her, "Wait - what?! Am an Alpha?! "

    ''Yes, you''re an Alpha. The first of your kind and supposedly, the strongest " he confirmed it for her

    "No wonder " She nodded her head while mumbling under her breath but Daniel heard it yet said nothing.

    Lia glanced up, apprehension plastered on her face as she told him "I think my wolf did something to scare Asher, and no matter how much I ask, she gives me nothing but glimpses of what happened. I''ve tried so hard to remember, but I end up bleeding from the nose as a result of pushing myself too far. It''s as if the memory is suppressed but I''m thankful, Asher walked away unscathed ."

    "Maybe, she just wanted to say hello to her other mate? " Daniel suggested.

    But Lia shook her head while smoothing the tension between her brows, "Fine, let''s say you''re right. What about the next time? What if she hurts him? Daniel, I don''t want to take risky chances here "

    He took a seat beside her on the bed, "Lia before you can dominate your wolf, you both have to reach some sort of compromise "

    "No way! " Lia rejected his idea outrightly, "The only thing that animal thinks about is sex and I''m not about to commit myself to some creature who thinks of you guys as nothing but an object for self-gratification."

    Lia was stunned when she looked at Daniel only to discover he was gazing up at her with an odd yet funny expression on his face.

    "Why are you staring at me that way? Is there something on my face? " She queried him, just to be sure.

    But when no answer was heard from him, Lia decided to go look at the mirror herself.

    She stood to her feet but a grip tugged her to her previous position and without warning, pushed her back on her bed, as he settled the length of his body on her''s.

    "W-what are you doing? " His mate mumbled nervously, not because she was scared of him but because his nearness was probably doing funny things to her body.

    "Force your wolf out "

    Lia''s eyes grew wide from shock, she was astounded. " No way " She refused right away, " I had a hard time forcing her in but now you''re telling me to let her out? Impossible, I''m not - "

    "Come out now! " His darkened eyes glowed, at once Lia felt an invisible and unexplainable force take over her body.

    Her mouth hung open in shock, did he just force her�� her understanding became muddy just as her wolf excitedly made its way out. Lia''s iris glowed yellow as soon as it hollered " Mine! " in his head.

    "You have been causing trouble lately," Daniel told her wolf as soon their eyes made contact.

    If Lia was conscious of their chat, she would be so shocked to discover they were speaking telepathically and in a language completely foreign to her yet her wolf understood it.

    "Is that what she told you? " Her wolf asked back with a silly grin."She doesn''t know how to have fun, I''m just helping her out "

    "Your definition of fun is causing her problems "

    "Then she is not worthy of being my host " It sneered.

    "Is that why you marked Asher? "

    "That one? I just wanted to have a little bit of fun with him " It said but Daniel could feel Lia''s hand roaming around his body and it took everything in him not to respond to her seducing touches.

    "Just didn''t know it would escalate to that level, " It told him just as her hand slipped down to his crotch but he was quick to grab her hand and pin it over her head to the bed.

    "Y-You " He was red in the face and his breath extremely heavy, " You''re an adventurer "  Daniel realized.

    It giggled," You''re a slow one. Took you so much time to figure it out "

    Sweat broke out on Daniel''s face, he was yet to see the rest of his mate''s naughtiness, it dawned on him dreadfully with a hint of excitement.

    Because of a werewolf''s extreme hormonal changes, they were grouped according to their inclination.

    Adventurer werewolves were thrill-seekers and would love to see how far they could go with their mate. Though it was never boring being with one but their definition of fun could get out of hand sometimes if not closely monitored.

    "Fine, I''ve gotten what I need. You can leave now "

    Her lips pouted sadly, " So quickly, can''t we have a little bit of fun?" it told him in his head, her other free hand drawing circles on his muscular chest outlined by his snug polo shirt.

    Unfortunately for her wolf, Daniel saw through her tactics, " Nice try " he caught her wandering hands with a smile that disappeared quickly as if it never came.

    "Go now! " he forced her into submission with his authority.

    With a displeased frown, her wolf left right away just as Lia awoke with a startle.

    "Hey, it''s me " Daniel calmed her down.

    Lia took a long, deep breath and hit the bed as exhaustion from the ordeal she has no idea about invaded her body, yet she stayed awake

    Daniel followed her action, he laid on his side and propped his head up on one elbow.

    He admired her dark hair sprawled over the bed like silky willows, he wanted to just bury his face in her neck and inhale her scent forever while treading his hand through her hair, but his expression grew taut when he got an erection. Gosh, his mate didn''t even have to try hard in seducing him.

    "Did you find out anything? " She asked, taking him by surprise.

    "Huh? " Daniel cleared his throat and pushed the dirty thoughts away from his head.

    " Yeah, you have one hell of a - "

    He was extremely surprised when she pressed a finger against his lips, his cheeks flushed.

    " Did you hear that? "

    "Hear what? " he could definitely hear his own heart slamming against his chest.

    " The scream "

    " What sc-"

    That was when he heard it too. A scream followed by loud confused noises.

    "That''s coming from the living room, something must have happened "  His mate pointed out, already working the doorknob and sped out of the room before he could grasp what was happening.

    "He''s having a seizure " was what Lia heard the moment she came downstairs.

    Someone must have fainted cause there was a small crowd of people huddled around the victim.

    But what she never expected was Asher arriving at that very moment and clearing a path nor the victim turning out to be her friend Ben.

    "Move back! Give him space! Let him get some damn air! " Asher boomed, shoving people away from his path until he arrived at the center.

    As if he weighed nothing, he picked Ben up in his arms and carried him towards the direction of the stairs.

    "My room at once " Lia murmured to his hearing and led the way. She might not know what was happening but since it brought Asher here, then it must be pretty serious.

    Daniel was still contemplating going down to check out the situation when his mate walked in with Asher trailing after her and a boy in his arms - wait a minute, Ben?

    Asher lay Ben who was convulsing on the bed just as Jenny and her son walked into the room.

    "What''s happening to him? " Jenny asked with a worried tone.

    "With all due respect Mrs. Jenny, I know this is your house but you might have to give me a little privacy on this one "

    "Huh? What? " She was still in a daze when Asher pulled her and Trevor out of the room, shutting the door close right in front of their faces.

    He would apologize for that one later but right now, he had a more urgent task.

    "Hold him down " Asher commanded his pretty confused mate and love rival.

 Chapter 167 - One Hundred And Sixty-seven : The Pretence Game

    "Hold him down "

    "Huh?" Daniel and Lia were confused, especially Lia who was wondering why she needed to hold her friend Ben down.

    Lia held him on the shoulder but not with all her might , what would happen anyway? She prided on the fact she  was three or four times stronger than her human friend, so why should she be scared?

    The same haughty expression was seen on Daniel''s face, why should he put up his guard around Ben? He was an Alpha and five times stronger than the average human, talk more a convulsing boy?

    But both of them were still worried over Ben who was lying on her bed and experiencing jerky bodily movements.

    His eyes were glassed over, his pupils disappearing to the back of his eye exposing only the white while fuming at the mouth.

    "Hold him tighter! " Asher barked orders  at them when the already agitated Ben began to struggle harder.

    Sweat formed on Lia''s forehead when she noticed that even with the both of them pressing the poor boy down, it was quite an intense fight - how did he become this strong?

    Suddenly, an eerie cackle was heard from Ben''s mouth causing the hairs on her back to stand on edge.

    Somehow, with a powerful primal groan, Ben struggled and pushed them away; the sheer force of his impromptu move throwing them to the ground.

    Lia yelped in pain upon discovering she had dislocated her shoulder thanks to her askew landing.

    Thankfully Daniel was in better shape than her and helped Asher who pinned Ben back to the ground with his aerial ability.

    Counting the numbers from one to ten in descending order in her head, Lia popped her bone back into place as she howled out in pain.

    "You can''t force me away!" Ben shouted out hysterically.

    Just staring at the white of his eyes alone gave Daniel the chills. But he was an Alpha, the leader of hundreds of werewolves, so he couldn''t cower in the face of fear but stand tall  no matter the situation.

    "Don''t get distracted " Asher warned just as Lia returned to her previous position.

    He continued  "I don''t need to remind you to hold him down this time, right? "

    Daniel and Lia''s eyes met, they could sense the ridicule in Asher''s words . Previously they had underestimated the boy because they had no idea what they were dealing with but not any longer.

    Right now, they were oblivious of what was going on with Ben but it was obvious Asher got everything covered, they just had to follow through his instructions.

    "Pretty lady, would you convey my message to her? " The strange Ben said to Lia causing her brow to furrow together in confusion.

    Send what message to who? What''s he talking about here?

    At first, Lia thought Lawrence had mysteriously returned to Ben''s body but this wasn''t the necromancer''s normal modus operandi.

    She surmised that the necromancer as depicted by Asher during her time at the hospital, could have used his magic to get away from them since a while ago.

    This was obviously a possession, which left her more confused. What in the world was Ben? Why was he easily susceptible to external manipulation?

    "She would not be sending any message to anybody and be prepared to leave this body, " Asher told him deceively  with a hint of annoyance in his tone.

    "No!! " Ben roared in a voice deeper, scarier, and a hundred times different from his.

    This time Lia and Daniel weren''t fooled by his weak front and pressed Ben down so tight she heard a bone in his body crack.

    Ben thrashed around, unfortunately, Asher ignored him and climbed over his body, making sure to straddle him.

    Lia watched him curiously as he brought out a shiny glass bottle filled with some weird purplish liquid that continuously bubbled.

    He tipped Ben''s chin up and tried to feed him the liquid but the boy in question clamped his teeth so tight together, there wasn''t any entrance.

    It came as a huge shock to Daniel and Lia when Asher gave Ben a punch that drew blood out of his mouth, then he used that opportunity to shove the whole contents down his throat.

    "Let him go!" He yelled afterward and got off Ben''s body in a haste leaving Lia and Daniel with no choice than to obey his order.

    Almost immediately, Ben began to convulse so violently and quickly that it was a blur. But since they were supernatural, their enhanced eyes captured every action till he stilled at some point.

    Although they couldn''t see it, the whooshing sound and the chilly goosebumps climbing up their arms told them something paranormal just escaped Ben''s body.

    "Is he dead? " Lia peered at him with concern and curiosity.

    "No " Asher answered while checking his nose for breath "He just passed out"

    " What was that? "

    "I''m afraid that Ben - " Asher wasn''t through with his words when his mate''s hand closed his lips as she made the shushing gesture by pressing a finger against his lips.

    She quickly pulled out her phone from the pocket of her pants and typed.

    "Be natural, Raphael is here "

    Lia brought up the phone to his face and saw the diverse emotions play on his face.

    In a haste to save the boy from exposing himself, Asher had not properly scanned his surroundings when he arrived nor did the thought of his contentious brother cross his mind.

    He cleared his throat and continued, "I''m afraid your friend Ben might be epileptic " He paraphrased his words albeit a lie.

    Vampires had enhanced hearing just like the werewolves, so it wasn''t a huge surprise if Raphael was eavesdropping on their discussion.

    Unfortunately, this controversial brother of his was too smart and suspicious, if they don''t continue with their discussion, he would surely figure out that his cover has been blown.

    "You said ''might'' which is not definite, it could  be an ordinary seizure moreover, he just left the hospital today" Lia carried on with the pretense.

    "Ben is a medium, " Asher wrote on his phone and showed both of them.

    "Have you contacted his parents? "

    Daniel joined in the fooling game but in reality, there was a shocked look on his face.

    Daniel: Aren''t mediums extinct?

    " I haven''t called his parents yet, " Asher answered.

    Asher: Apparently. He seems to be the last of his kind.

    Lia: I''m totally lost here.

    Asher: I will explain more to him later.

    "Why did you chase my family off in the first place when it''s just a seizure, she could have helped? " She continued with their game .

    "He needed some air and I needed some air. I can''t function properly in a room filled with people "

    Lia knew his answer was honest, Asher was not claustrophobic but he hated working in tight places.

    Suddenly there was a bang on the door, her mom''s voice came alive.

    "Can someone tell me what''s going on in there? "

    "Tidy him up," Asher said to Lia and she hurriedly wiped away the traces of blood on Ben''s face as a result of the punch from her mate.

    Daniel took away the pain while Asher healed the bruise on Ben''s face which disappeared without a trace after he fed him his blood - he just hopes Ben doesn''t die

    Everyone worked hard to ensure nothing was out of place before the door was opened.

    "Mrs. Jenny, I am highly sorry for my inappropriate behavior earlier. It was so rude of me " Asher apologized as soon as her mom stepped into the room with a furious look on her face.

    "Y-you " Jenny choked, her anger dissipating as soon as she stared into those hypnotic green orbs. She totally forgot why she was even angry in the first place.

    "I can never be angry at you "Jenny smiled up at him warmly before her gaze settled on the sleeping  Ben.

    By the side, Lia was in deep contemplation, this absolutely wasn''t the first time. Something was not right, she had a prickling feeling that something was amiss here. She knew her mom, Jenny, should have been yelling out her lungs by now but she went surprisingly easy on her mate, how strange could things get?

    "Brother " Raphael called out , causing the three of them to  look up simultaneously.

    "Raphael " Asher said, his lips pressed together.

    "You gave everyone quite a scare earlier " He commented, their eyes regarding each other slowly.

    Asher had a feeling his brother had not bought their act completely, but he was definitely confused and that gave him enough time to sort everything out.

    Ben was one of the rarest human right now and an extinct one, he trusted Lia and Daniel wouldn''t betray him.

    Afterall Ben was precious to their mate, so Daniel wouldn''t do anything to distress nor upset her - that was how devoted they were to her.

    The same couldn''t be said For Sabrina but he bet she would make the right choice, everyone knows he doesn''t take betrayal well.

    "I apologize sincerely for the scare," He said and bowed but his eyes couldn''t help but rest on his mate''s brother.

    What was his name again? Trevor. Why was the look in his eyes different?

    There were disgust, anger, and apprehension in there, those were the looks found on someone who discovers about the supernatural newly. Had the boy by chance learned about them?

 Chapter 168 - One Hundred And Sixty-eight : Hes A Dangerous Person

    Ben''s unexpected seizure caused the party to come to an abrupt end which Lia was grateful for. She hardly knew most of the people who attended the party moreover, the sight of Raphael being close to her mom was increasingly getting on her nerves - not only her but her wolf too.

    For her wolf to support her, Lia guessed at the end of everything, family still mattered.

    Her blood was boiling each time her mom smiled at Raphael or she touched his body. Lia couldn''t help but sigh, why hadn''t her mom wondered about his cold temperature?

    Well, it wasn''t really easy for ordinary people to believe in the existence of supernatural creatures. Even with evidence, it would take time for the information to sink in.

    "If you keep on staring at him that way, you would bore a hole in his head." Lia was almost startled when her brother Trevor sneaked up on her from behind.

    "I don''t like him, " She told him bluntly while watching her mom and Raphael schmoozing with a guest, probably wishing her a safe journey home.

    "Well congratulations, I hate him more than your boyfriend " Trevor confessed straightforwardly.

    Lia whipped around to face," Why do you hate Daniel, he''s a nice guy "

    "He is not good for you "

    "Nobody is perfect in this world Trevor besides, I get to be the one who decides who is good for me or not " She argued with him.

    Trevor scanned the area carefully before lowering his voice, saying "Daniel is a very dangerous person, you have to stay far away from him as possible "

    Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, why was her brother speaking this way? Had he discovered anything about them? It couldn''t be, else he would have confronted her already.

    Perhaps he knows about others but not her specifically, which explains why he dislikes Daniel. Since her mate was a were-creature known for their hot temper, he must be thinking he might hurt her one day - no wonder, Trevor wants to separate them so badly.

    But how did he get to know about them? How did he find out? Lia was so curious she decided to play along with him and find out the truth.

    She squeezed her brow together in confusion purposely, "Daniel is a dangerous person? What are you talking about? "

    "Just trust me alright? "

    "Trust you? You can''t just tell me that my boyfriend is a dangerous person and expect me to believe you without evidence " she spat.

    " I have a feeling, alright ?" he retorted. Lia folded her  arms around her chest, " You''re hiding something from me, aren''t you? "

    The Adam''s apple on her brother''s throat bobbed restlessly, " It''s nothing to worry yourself with, when the time comes you will know "

    But Lia grabbed the seam of his shirt and tugged him closer but not aggressively, "What have you been up to recently, Trevor? "

    Trevor wet his lips, he knew he couldn''t escape his sister especially with that fierce gaze in her eyes.

    "There are these people"  he started " That I hang around with recently, but they know everything most people in this town have no knowledge about "

    "You joined a freaking cult, Trevor! " Lia whisper-shouted at him, forming a fist with his shirt.

    "No, it''s not a cult. We just protect humanity against evil "

    "Seriously Trevor? " she gave him a dirty look, "Where did you keep your brain? Fight against evil? You were the one always sensible about stuff like this - "

    "Dad was in it too! " He said in an outburst attracting the attention of the few guests still around.

    Lia figured everything out at once, her brother had joined Hunter''s league! How did he even join? Does he even understand the severity of the organization he entered?

    Though she hadn''t finished translating her father''s ledger but the few translated version she had read, it was obvious their father at a point wanted out of the organization. She just hoped he doesn''t regret this decision in the future.

    "Is anything the matter? " Daniel approached them with a worried look on his face.

    His mate smiled up at him quickly,

    "No, it''s nothing. We''re fine, just normal squabble between siblings " She covered up immediately.

    "Whatever " Trevor sneered, a look of pure disgust on his face as he left.

    "Don''t worry about him " Lia cupped his cheeks and dropped a smooch on his lips.

    "I''m turning a blind eye to him but it''s beginning to irk my wolf. I am an Alpha, I don''t plead for respect but command it " he pointed out while suppressing his wolf trying to rise to the surface.

    Trevor had disrespected him blatantly, not once neither twice. It was a huge insult to his status; if not the fact the stupid boy was his mate''s brother, he would have ripped out his throat already.

    "I''ll apologize to your wolf on his behalf, " Lia told him, then lowered her head and bribed him with one deep long kiss.

    "Is he still angry? " She teased him as soon as she drew away from him.

    Daniel opened his eyes which flashed yellow before returning to its normal blue color.

    " I think he''s satiated at the moment " he made sure to emphasize on "at the moment "

    Lia was smiling at his silly attempt to make her smile when she peered through his shoulder and her eyes fixed with Asher''s, who looked away at once.

    "What''s wrong?" Daniel asked out of concern when he saw the smile on her face freeze for a moment.

    She blinked, "Nothing" then put a distance between them eliciting a frown from Daniel which she didn''t notice because she was glancing elsewhere.

    Daniel turned around and saw nothing that could have caused her mood to turn soar in an instant, how strange.

    Lia felt slightly uncomfortable when her gaze connected with Asher earlier, why was she feeling guilty?  Why did her heart hurt when she saw that longing look in his eyes? He had been the one who decided to stay away from her, so why was her heart making her look like the bad one here?

    "I''ll be leaving with Ben" Her mate who was currently unsettling her heart, appeared right in front of them.

    Ever since Asher appeared out of nowhere to rescue Ben, they hadn''t gotten the opportunity to speak alone, just the two of them.

    But right now he was standing in front of her, staring her straight in the eyes, she could feel the electricity coursing through her veins.

    He really was heartless, Lia thought. Though she was still angry at him for abandoning her - weren''t mates supposed to stay with each other through the thin and thick -but the urge to pull him into her arms was stronger. How could he even resist this pull for that long?

    Fine, since he wanted to play this game, she would happily oblige him.

    "Alright," Daniel concurred.

    "Wait! " Lia called after Asher when he turned to leave," I''m coming with you "

    " You are? " Daniel was surprised.

    " Yes, I''m coming along. Ben needs me "

    "You don''t have to, I''ll take care of him "

    Her eyes flashed, " You''re not my father, so you don''t get to decide what I''ll do and what I won''t do! " She spat at him with a ferocity that stunned both of them.

    Then she went to her mom and informed her of her decision, but as expected Jenny declined her permission.

    Her mom claimed she wasn''t fit enough to walk about which irritated Lia further, having known her injury healed up ages ago.

    So after an intense argument and Raphael''s helpful sugar-coated words, her mom permitted her to leave much to Asher''s dismay.

    " Let''s go " She had ordered him after he lay Ben down on the passenger side of the car.

    She climbed into the front seat as Asher started the car and they began their silent journey.

    With her lips pressed together, Lia looked straight ahead with an unsmiling face until it got to a point where her scalp began to hurt, so she loosened her hair out of the ponytail she tied it earlier.

    She fluffed her hair with her hands, letting it fall on her shoulder naturally but that was until she heard a guttural curse, and the next she knew, the car came to a sudden halt by the side of the road. She looked up to question Asher''s sudden pull-up when she was pressed against her seat and kissed senselessly.

    Asher could feel the tension between them the moment she stepped into his car. He had to fight the urge to touch her with every fiber of his being, he didn''t want to trigger her wolf-side again.

    But the girl wasn''t making it easy for him.

    Asher was instantly hooked by her scent the moment she released her hair from its bind, her intoxicating smell wafting into his nose without care and he totally lost it.

    He jerked the car to a stop at the side of the road and pressed her further into the seat, capturing her lips and kissing her to his heart content - but he still wasn''t satisfied, he wanted more.

    He had stayed away from her too much and now, it was taking its toll on him.

    The more mates strengthen their bond, the harder and torturous it will be for them to stay away from each other.

    He pulled away from Lia in order for her to get more air into her lungs. But he was stunned when she hissed at him threateningly with her elongated canines and glowing eyes.

    "Drive!"

 Chapter 169 - One Hundred And Sixty-nine : Imprison Her Scent

    Asher bared his own teeth at Lia as a form of dominance but his stubborn mate refused to submit.

    "Why don''t you take me home first before starting your couple fight?" Ben''s tired voice came from behind startling them.

    "Ben " Lia called out and pushed her mate away, creating space between them.

    Eyes still burning with hunger, Asher had no choice than to let her be by giving her enough air and somehow, was grateful to Ben for the distraction.

    He must have been a fool to think that staying away from her was the best option, the fire between them was ignited further.

    Even Ben who was sitting alone on the back seat could feel the sexual tension between them but he decided against commenting.

    Sometimes, it was better not to butt into matters concerning couples, especially one involving two supernaturals - it might come back to bite him later.

    Asher had a hard time keeping his fangs at bay during that short steamy moment, had Ben not stopped him on time, he would have marked his mate and have Daniel to contend with afterward.

    Everyone knew marking between mates was usually finalized and sealed with sex.

    Failure to do so would force the female into heat in which she literally becomes a horndog and would lay with any male of her choice - mate or not - just to satisfy that hunger.

    So neither he nor Daniel had crossed that boundary yet, but right now, he almost did.

    His fangs fought against him, for the taste of their mate but he painfully forced them to recede.

    There was a twinkle in his mate''s eyes when she saw Ben and he couldn''t help but feel jealous.

    "How do you feel? " Lia turned towards Ben and asked him. She was grateful to see color had returned to his cheeks, unlike his earlier sickly pallor.

    His lips were still dry and chapped but the bluish hue was gone, thankfully his iris and pupil had returned - his eyes earlier had scared the hell out of her.

    "Never being better " he flashed her a grateful smile which she returned back .

    But Lia glared at Asher as soon as she turned around, " Are you driving, or should I? "

    Asher opened his mouth, about to speak out on her preferential treatment but shut it - he brought it upon himself.

    Besides, the way she was staring at him defensively told him she was prepared to fight him; his mate was protecting Ben the way a lioness would keep her cubs from danger.

    Helplessly, he roared the car to life and drove at an alarming speed but Lia wasn''t disturbed neither was Ben since he was a thrill seeker.

    Also, he got his goddess Lia by his side who wouldn''t die, so if anything does happen because of Asher''s reckless driving, he was sure she would protect him.

    Thanks to Asher driving over the limit, they arrived at his place in no time.

    "Wow, if I hadn''t seen Caroline''s place, I would so much be in awe of yours right now, " Lia told him as soon as her sight rested on the modern styled Mediterranean house.

    Unlike Caroline''s which was traditional and covered more acres of land, Ben''s mansion was more in tune with today''s trend and lavishly decorated.

    " I really envy you, " She cooed.

    "It''s nothing. Once you get used to luxury, you realize you''re no different from those living out there in the streets " He answered nonchalantly and pressed the doorbell which was answered at once by the housekeeper.

    Lia was indeed impressed by his comment, it was hard to see rich people who didn''t let their wealth get into their head.

    "Her sidekick was indeed worthy of staying by her side," She thought inwardly with a smile unaware of her mate whose expression was darkening by each passing second.

    Asher gritted his teeth in anger, he was doing everything to grasp her attention yet his mate was staring at another man with admiring eyes.

    "Young master! " The housekeeper cried upon seeing Ben "Must you keep on scaring us like this? "

    Seems the news of him having a unexpected seizure had reached her ear already, Lia thought.

    "As you can see I''m fine now" Ben assured her and even twirled around to prove his point.

    "Alright, " She finally agreed before glancing up at the two figures behind him, "These are?" she asked with confusion.

    "That''s my principal Asher, and my goddess Lia " Ben introduced them quite enthusiastically which didn''t surprise the housekeeper, the boy right from childhood always had a bubbly personality - shame, his parents have no time for him.

    Asher and Lia were received quite warmly and in the end, found themselves having a meal at his place.

    "Here, eat this. It has a higher level of protein which is good for building and repairing cells " Lia explained and scooped a mountain of peas with her spoon and put it in Ben''s plate - an action the green-eyed Asher didn''t fail to capture.

    Ben was grateful for her affection towards him but it was beginning to creep him out. Cold and tough-looking on the outside but soft inside, that was the goddess Lia he knew -  this tender loving version of her was beginning to scare him.

    Not to mention, Asher''s murderous gaze was beginning to unsettle him, to be honest.

    Asher swallowed his food without stopping in between to catch his breath - right, he was a vampire - with his fiery orbs trained on the poor Ben.

    The moment the uncomfortable boy lifted his glass of water to drink, Asher moved his hand and manipulated the water secretly.

    Ben lifted the glass up to his mouth but was stunned when the water suddenly sprang up on its own accord and splashed him on his face.

    To others, it looked like he jerked his glass by mistake but he knew the truth - Asher had a hand in what happened to him.

    He began to sneeze because some of the water got into his nose causing him a burning sensation.

    "Seriously? Are you a kid? How could you do this to yourself?" Lia who had not seen the whole action scolded him.

    His eyes connected with Asher''s who was eating his food with a calm and unbothered expression. Ben felt like crying, he knew Asher did that to him on purpose.

    But what could he do? Complain? Lament to who? The perpetrator''s mate? This was why he didn''t want to get involved with these fighting couples since he would always be the casualty.

    "I need to change out of my clothe" Ben was at least grateful he found an excuse to leave the fighting couples to themselves.

    As soon as Ben left, an awkward silence fell on Asher and his mate. They were sitting opposite each other on the table with Lia eating with her head lowered, refusing to meet his gaze.

    "Will you keep on ignoring me? " he asked her, already fed up with the silent treatment.

    Sadly, he got no reply.

    "Alright, I''m sorry " he apologized but Lia still didn''t bat an eyelid - his mate really does bear grudges.

    "Fine then"

    Immediately, Lia picked up a gush of wind heading her direction and built a barrier around herself, dispersing it away.

    Asher ceased the returned wind, preventing it from overturning the table filled with dishes in order not to attract attention.

    Judging from the distant heartbeats he could make out, they were currently safe from prying eyes.

    "Not bad" Asher''s lips curled up to the side but a dark glint appeared in his eyes and he vamp sped towards his mate.

    Lia saw him coming and with her forcefield manipulation ability, put up a wall that blocked him from touching her.

    Unknown to her, just at the dying minute Asher frost the ground she was standing so when she tried to make a move, the ground slipped under her feet.

    Lia got the breath knocked out of her lungs when she collapsed on the floor with Asher climbing on top of her.

    His green eyes bore into hers sending delicious shivers down her spine, Lia found it hard to calm her pounding heart.

    "What are you doing? Don''t you know anyone could walk in on us?" She panicked, eyes darting around nervously as she pushed against his chest.

    "You finally decided to notice me? " he said, moving a curl of hair away from her face.

    "I''m serious here Ash, someone might see - "

    "Ash? " he cut in " That''s a new one and I like it "

    Lia''s breath hitched when his hand cupped her face, stroking her cheek tenderly making butterflies flutter in her belly.

    "Don''t worry, no one is coming in anytime soon " He assured her and began to lower his head.

    Lia instinctively shut her eyes and waited for the soft feel of his lips against hers which didn''t come, instead felt a cold object being slide into the piercing in her lobe.

    "Suits you" He grinned at her sheepishly, having known what she thought he would do.

    Lia''s hand moved to her ears and felt the earrings. She glanced up at him in surprise, " What''s this? "

    "What do you think? Of course, I''m imprisoning your scent "

 Chapter 170 - One Hundred And Seventy : Ben Atticus Alc谩ntara Junior

    It has been a week since Lia''s fight and reconciliation with Asher. Surprisingly, it''s the first time both of them ever fought after they became a couple, regardless it proved the fact they were no different than other couples out there; relationships weren''t all rainbows and sunshine all the time.

    Ben and Lia were in the hallway preparing for their next class but the ever-enthusiastic boy was in a sullen mood for the first time in history.

    Apparently, after Asher and Lia told him during his stay in the hospital that there were chances he might be a supernatural creature, he had high expectations for the outcome.

    Unfortunately, he turned out to be a conduit for spirits and power-hungry creatures to exploit, as Ben crudely put.

    "Like seriously, come-on " Lia tried to brighten his expression, " Being a medium isn''t that bad, moreover you get to see ghosts as you always imagined "

    Ben was an avid paranormalist, everyone knew that. So being a medium, he won''t have any difficulty performing his kinky theories - on himself.

    Lia knew she was being a bad friend by saying this but she was grateful she won''t have to worry about his unexpected tests anymore.

    "Says someone who can bring down a building with her scream " He snarked.

    Her cheeks flushed at once, she wasn''t trying to be proud but her power does sound kind of cool coming from his mouth, but it does have it''s cons.

    "Yeah, my power kind of looks cool but there''s a high probability of hurting the innocent while using it " She pointed out the disadvantage to him but Ben just rolled his eyes and lounged against her locker.

    "You can perfect that with constant practice but I''m literally a slave to these spirits or whatever they''re called " he argued with an irritated frown on his face.

    "Asher says you can ward them off from manipulating your body with constant practice. You''re supposed to be their messenger, not their slave"

    "You have the vampire and werewolf to teach you, but who do I have? Mediums who died years ago? "

    "Perhaps, you should summon one of them?"

    There was a trace of confusion on Ben''s face, "Summon who? "

    "Your predecessors? The past mediums? " Lia suggested.

    Ben sighed and rubbed his temple, "Tell me you''re kidding me "

    "I don''t think I''m joking "

    "You''re telling me to summon my ancestor from many, many, many years ago. This is like telling an eighth-grader to solve twelfth-grade mathematics. I don''t even get the hang of this gift as you guys call it " he complained while gesturing and all.

    Lia placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it tenderly, "Hey, I''ve got you. We are going to work this out somehow and together, alright? " She assured him, prompting a grateful smile.

    "Yeah, that''s how it should be " Lia patted him on the back upon seeing his grin, "I hate the gloomy Ben"

    Suddenly, someone slow claps from behind, "What a sight to behold, the murderer and the weirdo "

    Lia snorted inwardly, she already knew who was whining that drainage called her mouth by this time of the day.

    "Caroline" She flashed a smile that didn''t reach her cheeks," What a pleasant surprise to see you and�� your new maidservants? "

    "Y-you " One of the new minions by her side took a step forward, intending to react to Lia''s provocation but Caroline gestured to her to shut it.

    "Linda left you, Alexa has not been laid to rest, yet you''ve gotten their replacements already, where is your loyalty? " Ben who usually doesn''t try to get involved with their daily quibbles said sarcastically this time.

    Caroline''s eyes flashed, "Birds of the same feather flock together. You seem to have gained morale after joining her squad "

    There was a mocking glint in Ben''s eyes, "Of course " he retorted proudly, "At least compared to some other fool, I don''t need to worry about her auditioning for new friends "

    "I''m going to rip out your disgusting face " Caroline lunged at Ben who immediately hid behind Lia, using her as a shield.

    Like a mother hen protecting her chick, Lia stepped forward with a heated glare as she puffed out her chest challengingly

    Caroline took a step back with a look of disbelief," Fine " She chuckled, then tucked her hair behind her ear.

    "You can gloat all you want, but I promise you, you will never go scot-free for what you did to Alexa " She swore through gritted teeth and clenched fist shaking with anger.

    Lia sighed inwardly, why wouldn''t Caroline let her be. The bimbo has this delusion that she has a hand in Alexa''s death.

    Strangely, it turns out Caroline couldn''t recall anything pertaining to that incident that night. So no matter how much the authorities investigated, they couldn''t get much from her mouth. But what made Lia surprised was the fact Caroline couldn''t remember her.

    According to the investigation, Caroline claimed not to know Lia, so couldn''t understand why Alexa would mention her in the message in the first place which convinced her that the said Lia must be the murderer.

    But the testimony from students and Lia of course contradicted her statements which led to the discovery that Caroline had selective amnesia as a result of shock from that day''s horrific events.

    Having selective amnesia at such a crucial time? It seemed pretty sketchy and convenient for a cover-up to Lia, who had a strong inkling someone secretly protected her from being discovered.

    Anyway, she was grateful for the memory loss; Caroline no longer remembers she''s a hybrid. Sadly, it seems memory loss or not, Caroline''s hatred for her runs deep.

    "I have told you numerous times, I didn''t do anything to your friend, even the law has proved that! " Lia defended herself.

    After the unexpected visit from the police last week, her mother had sent a lawyer who cleared her name. Though Lia''s alibi on the day of the incident wasn''t solid, a lot of logical facts suggested she wasn''t the culprit and was cleared of all allegations.

    Due to their heated argument, a crowd of students had already gathered around them and watched their drama keenly.

    Aside from the attack at school last week, Alexa''s violent death was currently the trending news. A curfew had already been implemented in Little Town while students were warned against going through forest routes all alone at night till the investigation was over and the routes concluded safely to use.

    It seems Alexa''s death opened up a whole lot of other issues because cases of people who disappeared abruptly with their buried bodies found days or weeks later in the woods were slowly being unveiled.

    Right now, Little Town was cautious

    of their security, so strengthened surveillance.

    "Goddess Lia, why are you even bothering yourself with her, it''s already obvious she is brain dead" Ben taunted her without mercy.

    Caroline''s cheeks were flushed with anger, she turned towards the crowd and announced, "Like you, all can see, this murderer is set on bullying me. I hope you can bring this issue up in case something does happen to me tomorrow "

    There was a great murmuring amongst the crowd, the students were well aware of the power struggle between Caroline Garcia and Lia Darlington.

    Though their quibble looked serious, at the end of the day none of them actually thought Lia was capable of murdering Alexa after all, such an altercation between popular students was normal in high school.

    "Oi! " Ben, Lia''s unshakeable fan and sidekick yapped at Caroline, " What do you mean, bullying? " he turned towards the crowd.

    "Are you guys blind or what? Don''t you see it''s three against two!  Aren''t we the one being bullied here "

    In an instant, the tide was turned against Caroline when the crowd began to mumble in hushed words as they began to consider Ben''s words.

    "Beside! " They looked up at Ben with rapt attention, he went on, "My goddess Lia was chilling out with me beside her locker, yet these brainless troublemakers don''t want us to know peace " He purposely knocked on the blue-painted steel locker to indicate it belongs to Lia and to prove his words.

    Caroline looked around only to discover everyone was against her and some pointing accusing fingers. She yelled at the minions by her sides.

    "What are you still waiting for, get your ass moving out of here! "

    Both of them scampered away amid the boos while Caroline held lia with her glare.

    "Don''t think this is over " She spat acerbically and stomped away, roughly shoving students who blocked her way to the side.

    With Caroline gone, the students slowly dispersed giving Lia the space she wanted.

    "Ben Atticus Alc��ntara Junior " Lia gently intoned his full name, "You''re indeed full of surprises when you''re not hiding behind my back "

    Ben grinned at her sheepishly, "Hehe, I''m not strong enough to take the physical hit but my heart is large enough to contain any emotional ridicules "

    Her brow quirked up interestedly, she saw through his trick "So you''re trying to say that I''m suitable to be the punching bag?"

    "I didn''t say it that way " He refuted her accusation with a funny look that drew a peal of laughter from Lia.

    But the merry laughter gurgled to a stop in her throat when a girl passed her by and Lia found herself staring into eyes that looked no different than Asher''s green ones.

 Chapter 171 - One Hundred And Seventy-one : The Amnesiac Ghost

    "Eww, I hate this" One of the students complained and tossed a dirty glass bottle to the side but it stumbled and reached Trevor''s side causing him to look up.

    He glared at the stupid student but said nothing nevertheless, instead carefully sorted out his own portion of the garbage.

    Thanks to the incident of last week where the principal claimed they messed around with some psychedelic drugs which resulted in stabbing some students. Though he didn''t harm anyone he had to join in the punishment too.

    They had to perform community services for two weeks and right now they were sorting out the school''s garbage which was part of their punishment.

    Truth be told, Trevor found that day''s incident highly suspicious. He clearly remembered he had dressed up for school and had planned to grab a bus at the station since his sister was sick, but that was all.

    He couldn''t remember anything after that! He couldn''t remember going to school? Taking a hallucinogen? That was totally not like him, he felt like someone messed with his memory.

    Williams suggested having a memory recovery spell performed on him but Trevor was against it. He hardly trusted those supernatural creatures, speak more witches?

    If he could remember clearly, witches throughout history had always been controversial creatures, they were neither good nor bad since you can never tell when they would turn their back on you.

    Moreover magic wasn''t child''s play, from what he knows, those kinds of magic don''t come for free, there have to be repercussions - now or later, it must surely happen.

    "If you''re that tired, you can leave your portion to me. I''ll cover up mine  and yours as well "

    Ben''s statement caused Trevor to glance up at him with a look of disbelief and surprise. Was that fool stupid? How could he add another waste to his already pileup workload?

    "Really? " The student asked excitedly, just to confirm Ben was not pulling his legs.

    "Yes, I''m serious. You can leave it for me, I''ll take care of everything " He acknowledged, causing a wide grin to break out on the student''s face.

    "Dude, you''re the best " He bumped fist with Ben and sauntered out of the dump yard. The school was over already, so they were free to go home once they were done.

    Seeing them work this hard made Ben''s heartache, he was the reason everyone was in this mess in the first place. If he hadn''t messed around with the mask, no one would have done community service or picking off the dirt from school grounds.

    But the human heart would always be selfish and greedy. Not long after Ben favored the first person, the rest of the lazy students took advantage of his kindness and pressured him into doing their own share too.

    The students thought they fooled Ben but what they didn''t know was that he intentionally accepted all those works from them out of guilt.

    Once they left, it was just he and Trevor left to sort out the rest of the garbage.

    "Are you plain stupid or are you just a pure good Samaritan? How could you allow them to use you like that? " Trevor who couldn''t take it any longer, burst out in anger.

    " You won''t understand, " Ben said with a big sigh, vexing him further.

    "I''m not going to understand? Alright tell me, how are you going to sort out all of those tremendous paper, plastic and glass bottles, food, aluminum, and drink cans and the others? Are you a robot? "

    "Don''t worry I would, alright?" he assured Trevor with a determined look.

    " And if you don''t? "

    "If I don''t finish it on time, I''ll have to come to school earlier than usual to complete it before the lesson starts "

    Tsk tsk, Trevor shook his head sympathetically, "Fine, whatever. That''s your business, not mine. I''m just concerned over the fact that my sister never make friends with normal people "

    "No one is normal in Little Town " Ben blurted out but realized his mistake afterward.

    A sharp glint was found in Trevor''s eyes but he hid it and asked him jovially," What do you mean? "

    "It''s just a joke, nothing else. But if you really need an explanation, take me for example, do I look normal? " Ben laughed it away before going back to his work. His blabbermouth would lead him into trouble one-day.

    "You definitely aren''t normal " Trevor laughed along with him, but the suspicious gleam in his eyes still lingered.

    For a moment there, Ben''s comment really came close to home. He almost thought Ben knew one or two things about Little Town''s secret.

    Having learned a lesson, Ben didn''t talk carelessly anymore but made small yet careful talks from time to time until they were through.

    Perhaps, because he was determined, Ben finished sorting out every garbage with Trevor helping him out when he was through with his own portion.

    Done with his work, Ben decided to visit the restroom. Ripping off the gloves from his hand, he tossed it into the bin and turned on the faucet, washing his hand in the washbasin.

    He tore sheets of toilet paper from its dispenser and wiped his hand but the instant he glanced up at the large mirror, he got the shock of his life.

    Standing behind him was Alexa or what remained of her.

    She was very pale, even paler than the vampires. There was a messy bloody gush on her head and a stab wound on her stomach. Dark purple bags surrounded her sullen eyes and she had blue lips.

    Suddenly, those eyes rested on his through the mirror and Ben felt a violent shiver run down his spine. He gulped, then peeled his eyes away, pretending not to have seen anything.

    But the moment he turned around, Lo and behind, Alexa was standing right in front of him; their faces almost touching. Ben screamed and fell to the ground, crawling backward on all fours.

    "Stay away, Stay away from me! " He cried out until his back touched the wall.

    "You can see me? " There was a trace of confusion on Alexa''s face.

    Alexa had been wandering around for a while now and had no idea what was going on. Each time, she tried to gather attention or make contact with anybody, she found out that her body always went through them; she was invisible to everyone until she met him.

    "No, I can''t " Ben denied and shut his eyes tight, hoping she would take that as a cue to leave him alone.

    Her frown deepened, If he can''t see her, how was he able to talk to her? He was the first human that could speak to her.

    "But you can see me, how are you able to see me? Others aren''t able to see me " Alexa asked him excitedly but the human was not looking at her.

    When Ben felt the hairs on his arm stand on edge, he instinctively knew she was drawing near to him.

    "Don''t come any closer " He put out his hand in a defensive manner.

    " Why shouldn''t I come closer "

    "Because you''re dead and I''m alive. Although I love paranormal activities but seeing you right is spiking my blood level, I''m afraid I would die too if you dare possess my body. Don''t assault my precious body too, please Alexa? " He pleaded frantically, rubbing his palms together with his eyes still closed.

    Ben continued, "Although we weren''t the best of friends when you were still alive, yet you didn''t hurt me so why hurt me now? "

    The information was too much for Alexa to process, the only words she could make out  was "dead" and "Alexa "

    "You know me? "

    The strange question made Ben furrow his brows in confusion. Why was she sounding like an amnesiac ghost?

    "Open your eyes please " Alexa requested of him politely.

    Ben was at a crossroads, should he or should he not open his eyes? Well, since she asked nicely.

    One eye first, followed by the other, Ben slowly and cautiously unlidded

    his eyes, he almost got a heart attack upon finding out her face was too close for his liking.

    "Could you give me a little space, Alexa?" he asked Alexa who was kneeling in front of him. Her skin was so cold it made him shiver.

    "Alexa? Is that my name "

    Ben searched the girl''s face, trying to discover any form of pretense but came up with nothing.

    "You don''t remember anything? " He asked.

    Alexa touched the side of her head that was bleeding and shook her head.

    "Strange " Ben mumbled under his breath. He once heard that once a person dies, they forget their time on earth.

    Was it that or was her own case different because she was hit on the head before she died? Maybe, his theory was right, she was indeed suffering amnesia.

    "Why am I like these? I see other people like me  but they don''t talk to me? Then I see people like you too but they don''t talk to me either. So far, you''re the only one that has ever spoken to me "

    Ben groaned inwardly, of course, she could talk to him because he''s a medium.

    "What are you doing? " Trevor''s voice sounded from behind startling him.

    Ben shot up to his feet, " Nothing "

    "I heard you talking to someone "

    "I was just rehearsing my line, I have a role in the drama organized by the drama club next week " He lied flawlessly.

    "Come on, let''s go home. The curfew would begin soon "

    "Alright," Ben agreed and picked up his backpack from the floor where he had dropped it earlier while passing one last glance at Alexa who was watching him intently.

 Chapter 172 - One Hundred And Seventy-two : We Are One

    "Hey mom " Lia pecked her mom on both cheeks as soon as she let her into the house.

    "School is over? Where is your brother? "Jenny asked, still holding the door and peering outside curiously.

    " He''s sorting out garbages in the Schoolyard as punishment for - "

    "Yeah, right? " She remembered her son''s punishment had already begun.

    Jenny was thankful they did not send him to a juvenile detention center for a crime she herself doesn''t understand how it happened.

    Her son was a good boy, so why would he joke around with such drugs not to talk of hanging around with those students.

    "Where is Rex? " Lia asked, searching around for her most loyal family member.

    "He went out moments ago, said he had training or something like that?"

    Training? Lia scrunched up her face in confusion. But how could her mom let the little boy leave the house in such a critical time?

    "Seriously mom? In a period like this, how could you let him go out all by himself! "

    "I didn''t let him! He sneaked out when I didn''t grant his request of leaving. Do you think I''m that stupid?  "

    "I didn''t say you''re stupid or something, but be a little security conscious. Don''t let your kids disappear anyhow, don''t just date strangers��.  " Lia blurted out unknowingly.

    "Wait a minute, are we still talking about your brother here or is it now about Raphael and me? " Jenny asked for clarification.

    "I was not planning on saying this but since it has come to this, I''m going to say it out loud" Lia took a deep breath before getting on her knees.

    Jenny was mystified, why was her daughter kneeling for her? " What are you doing Lia? "

    "Mom, I know this is very rude and selfish of me to ask but please, break up with Raphael "

    Jenny was stunned, she almost didn''t hear her daughter right.

    "Y-you say? "

    "Please, break up with Raphael for the sake of your children "

    "Get up "

    "Mom, please "

    "Get the f*ck off the ground, Lia! "

    She scrambled to her foot upon seeing the livid expression on her mom''s features.

    "What do you mean I should not date Raphael? " She asked calmly but Lia had a feeling she was a thread away from snapping.

    "He is not the right one for you," Lia told her mom but cringed inwardly when she remembered her brother had said the same thing about Daniel weeks ago.

    "Who are you to tell me who is right for me or not?" Her mom''s voice wasn''t high but one could sense the iciness coming off and it cut through Lia.

    Lia was conflicted, she hated hurting her mom but there was nothing she could do. She couldn''t just tell Jenny that Raphael, the one she''s been locking lips with for the past few weeks, was a vampire and for his own selfish reasons, was after her daughter.

    She knew unlike her, her mom didn''t have a strong heart. The preferential treatment meted out on Lia during her childhood had made her tougher, so there was nothing coming her way she couldn''t handle with time.

    As much as she hated bringing up her late dad, Lia understood within herself that she had no other alternative than to comply with this method.

    "Dad''s departure had not even reached a year yet, you''re already getting cozy with another man! "

    Jenny was taken aback, yes she was guilty as charged but she deserves some damn happiness.

    " So what? "

    " Mom ..."

    "Don''t mom me! " Jenny yelled at her daughter furiously, "What did that father of yours do for me when he was alive?!"

    He did nothing because he was busy protecting the world from supernatural attacks, Lia answered inwardly.

    "Nothing! All he used me for was a baby producing machine! "

    Lia admitted that fact but she knew their father loved their mother, he had just too many secrets to cover hence didn''t get the chance to show it - if only their mom knew.

    "Mom! But still - "

    "However, I''ve discovered what I''ve been searching for long "

    " Raphael is dangerous! " Lia confessed.

    Her mom laughed, sarcastically " Dangerous? I didn''t know you would go to the extent of making up such stuff just to separate the both of us " Sneered her mom.

    Great, she didn''t believe her

    " I am not making this - "

    "Did I come in between you and Daniel? "

    Lia scratched the back of her head, "Mom, Daniel and I are totally different - "

    She interjected "Even though your brother was clearly against your relationship, I supported you. So why can''t you support me?  Why am I not permitted to find my own happiness? "

    "Mom, I''m not saying you shouldn''t date, but not Raphael okay? Just not him! "

    Jenny shook her head in sheer disbelief, "You''re just like your father, as selfish as him, you don''t care about others happiness, just yours "

    "I do care about your happiness a lot, but not Raphael. That bastard doesn''t care a shit about you, he''s after something else! " Lia tried to knock some sense into her Cockle-headed mom.

    Jenny snorted, "After what? Your father''s insurance money? Oh please, Raphael is a responsible young man with his own wealth, far more than your father ever accumulated "

    Wealthy? That one was obvious, Lia had not seen a pureblood vampire who wasn''t filthy rich. Their immortality helped them access and gather a lot of resources over the years.

    He''s after me! Lia wanted to say, but she couldn''t. It was obvious she wouldn''t be able to hide her secret from her family forever, but it wasn''t the time yet.

    Until she settled her mate issues, the council, and whatever business the Burning Eaglet wanted with her. Yes, until then.

    But with Trevor now joining Hunter''s league, she had a disturbing feeling her secret was going to be exposed sooner than later.

    "Also! " her mom added, rousing her from her thoughts  "I would not have you disrespect my lover in front of me "

    Lia sighed in disappointment, her mom was really a birdbrain to the end. She was too slow to comprehend things, how could she not notice something was weird and different about Raphael.

    What charm or manipulation did that psychoactive vampire use on her mom to be so oblivious to what''s going on around her?

    "And you know what? I''m so disappointed in you! "

    "Yeah, the feeling is mutual " Lia sassed back, heading towards the door.

    "Where are you going? " Jenny demanded.

    "Getting out of your hair and don''t be so glad, the door won''t hit me on my way out "Lia retorted without looking back as she took huge strides.

    "Get back here! " She heard her mom order despite that, ignored her and went her way.

    Lia was angry, her wolf was angry too. Werewolves were territorial creatures who lived in packs and her wolf had considered her mom as a member of her pack and so would do everything possible to protect her from danger.

    Yet, the very person she was shielding from danger, was happily mingling with danger itself. It made her blood boil, she wanted a release.

    She called Asher at once, he was the only mate who would be close enough to get her before she explodes in anger- Kinney village was too far for Daniel to arrive in seconds.

    "Where are you? " she asked as soon as he picked up.

    "On my way home, is anything the matter? "

    "Come and pick me up, please "

    "Alright, be there in a jiffy," He said to her and ended the call.

    Lia took deep long breaths to keep herself calm as well as her wolf. Holding their temper was quite a huge job for werewolves, especially new ones, thanks to their aggressive genetics.

    It must have been a while but she was lost in her thought and was startled when a car honked beside her.

    "Get in " She heard Asher say.

    Lia got off the walkway and entered the front seat after her mate stretched his hand and opened the door from the inside and they drove off.

    "What''s wrong? " Her vampire mate asked her but she ignored him, afraid she might transfer her aggression on him if things go wrong.

    Asher sensed his mate was having a bad time, so didn''t press forward when he didn''t get a reply from her.

    "And you know what? I''m so disappointed in you!" Her mom''s heated words rang continuously in her head making it throb painfully.

    "Stop the car " Lia barely spoke above a whisper.

    "What? " Asher asked, he had been distracted so he hadn''t caught what she said.

    "Stop the damn car! " Her voice closed in with her wolf''s, coming out as one deep, ferocious roar.

    The car skidded to a halt but before Asher could say a word, his mate climbed onto his lap and straddled him, then kissed him hard and forcefully.

    Lia''s mood swings were getting confusing, one moment she''s in a bad mood, the next she''s barking at him and the next she''s kissing him like never before.

    Asher had to jerk out of his thoughts when he felt her hands slide into the inside of his long-sleeved cardigan, running her hands down his chest.

    " Lia " He pushed her away; however, he was shocked when he saw her yellow eyes.

    "Y-your eyes�� the wolf�� ."

    "Don''t worry, we''re one now, " Lia told him with a smile that worried him rather than assuring him as she delved down for a second kiss.

 Chapter 173 - One Hundred And Seventy-three : The Beast Inside Of Her

    Asher wanted to indulge in this lustful pleasure but he knew it wasn''t fair on his love rival. He was a gentleman and once he had given his word, he would keep to it. He and Daniel had an agreement, which means he would keep his own end of the deal.

    "Lia" He pulled her away again and just as he thought, her eyes were still yellow.

    "I told you we are one already," She said, stroking his cheeks and her lips brushing against his lightly.

    "You don''t have to worry Asher, I won''t hurt you " She whispered trailing that dark talon down his cheek.

    Asher put on a brave front, he had been a coward by running off the last time and paid dearly for it. But now he had come to an understanding, no matter how aggressive and dominant her wolf-side was, she would not hurt him.

    "We are one" That sentence worried him a lot. Lia couldn''t just be one with her wolf-side, she was a hybrid; she had to be balanced with all.

    Her wolf-side and vampiric side had to become one, to make her a full made hybrid, else they would continue to be in opposition with each other; each side always battling for dominance.

    This was why he and Daniel hadn''t pushed her to make a choice yet. It was quite obvious the more domineering side would likely choose her mate from the same species.

    That is to say, if her vampire side was more powerful; Lia would most likely select Asher, but if her werewolf side was more dominant; she would definitely choose Daniel.

    "What are you thinking about? " Her yellows eyes bored into his while holding up his jaw. It was a surprise she was not communicating telepathically with him.

    Lia puckered his lips with her grip and let out a chuckle upon seeing the result, "You''re sexy, do you know that? "

    Asher gulped, feeling his erection harden to the point of being painful. His mate didn''t even need to touch him, just her words were enough to drive him to the edge.

    Lia must have noticed the sudden change cause she chose that exact moment to grind against him.

    Asher swore out loud, hurling profanities in every language possible with his eyes closed.

    There was a limit a vampire could take, his self-control was gradually thinning. Nature was quite funny, they were called undead creatures for a reason yet that particular place in his body was still alive and kicking - if anything, its feeling was heightened.

    "Why are you holding back? " She grazed the side of his neck with her talons while whispering, " Don''t fight it, embrace it, give in "

    The last of Asher''s self-control waned, his green eyes turned darker and dilated with his fangs elongated.

    Lia smiled when she saw him transform, she had finally found who she was waiting for.

    "Mi-a fost dor de tine dragostea mea"

    "Suntem ?mpreun? acum "  Asher replied back ?n the same language, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

    His arms snaked around her waist, holding her tightly and keeping her in place while she gasped in delight.

    Asher took her lips with as much passion as she gave him, both of them fighting for dominance. Her hands moved to his cardigan and pulled it over his head, baring his sculpted chest for her to drink of its sight.

    "Am a?teptat prea mult" She murmured against his lips, running  her hands down his toned stomach as she watched it flex under her touch.

    Asher''s hands moved to her shirt and ripped the buttons off revealing her silky skin and her red bra. The color ignited the flame in his loins, a wicked smirk curled his lips to the side.

    "Da, ia-o.V? apar?ine " Lia urged him, bringing those full bosoms up to his face.

    "Pl?cerea mea, dragostea mea " He assured her and moved to work.

    He gently unhooked her bra while keeping unwavering eye contact with her.

    Once he was done, he tossed the lingerie to the back seat, his eyes feasting on the twin peaches standing erect for him.

    Lia let out a sharp intake of breath when he began to knead them, quite gently at first before increasing the pressure.

    Her head lulled back from the pleasure but that was just the beginning cause he took one of them into his mouth.

    Licking, stroking, and teasing her till Lia thought she would go crazy. Moaning loudly, her hands gripped his hair so tight as the pleasure rocked her.

    Lia bit into her lips with her eyes closed, savoring the feeling of Asher biting her nipples with his fangs and his hand rubbing her other tit.

    She pulled away and whispered into his ears sexily, " My turn ", purposely nibbling on his ear briefly, hinting a lot of fun to come, then pushed him further back against the seat.

    Lia lowered her head and started with his small breast, stroking, licking, and grazing with the edge of her teeth, giving him enough pleasure with a bit of pain.

    "Iubirea mea" Asher groaned aloud as she moved against his bulge, which was restrained by his pants and throbbed almost to bursting.

    His mate moved to his shoulder, trailing hot and hungry kisses down his neck while moving her hips against his length slowly.

    Her pace was torturing him so he slid up her shirt, tracing the curve of her bum. Asher pressed her flush against him, then moved her against his crotch, to the rhythm he wanted.

    Pleasure coursed through her vein as Asher kissed her passionately while working her hips.

    Reeling from the sensation, Lia was stunned when he suddenly stopped moving. Was he teasing her?

    Not satiated, Lia was about to protest when Asher''s hand slipped into her panties, causing her eyes to widen in surprise.

    Lia trembled but he swallowed her moan as his hand picked up speed while his other arm held her steady.

    Her hips began to buck as the pleasure continuously built up until she came to that euphoric moment and exploded in his arms with a delighted scream.

    Asher was grateful his window was tinted, else they would have attracted attention with their performance inside his car.

    For some minutes, Lia lay on his body breathless and spent. Her convulsive movements ending or so he thought, cause she began to move against him again.

    He glanced up at her yellow eyes with shock, was her stamina that good, or was it because of the beast inside of her.

    "This time " Asher heard her say in his head, "I want you inside of me "

    "Shocked" couldn''t describe how Asher felt, he was stunned beyond words.

    "No way " He refused right away. There was no way on earth he was going to do that to Daniel, he wouldn''t dare cross that line unless he wanted a war on his hands.

    "What about Daniel? "

    "I don''t care " Answered Lia without an ounce of concern in her voice.

    "The Lia I know would care, Daniel is your mate too " Asher realized numbly that his mate wasn''t there at all. He had been fooling around with a wolf who only desires her own self-gratification.

    Perhaps, she was still there but controlled by her wolf who wanted nothing but pleasure. This was going to be a long day.

    "You would satisfy me! " She demanded, her yellow eyes blazing.

    "No, I won''t " He responded back with a higher intensity that startled her.

    "Now, look into my eyes " Asher ordered her and she obeyed him. He wouldn''t hesitate to compel her to obedience if that would bring her back to her senses.

    "You would not demand�� " He was still saying when she in the process of positioning herself to listen to him, moved against his stiff rod and distracted him.

    The compulsion was broken causing her to blink, her eyes narrowing in suspicion - her wolf was definitely smarter.

    "What did you do to me?! " She growled at him.

    Just as Asher was planning on knocking her out, his mate captured his lips in a ferocious kiss and gave him no space to think nor retaliate.

    Asher could barely go through the plans he had laid out in his head as desire raged through him.

    "Since my mates are the problem, I''m going to choose one then " Lia murmured against his lips and pulled away.

    " I, Lia Darlington choose Ash�� " She was halfway through her oath when Asher sliced his neck with his sharp nails causing her to falter as the tantalizing smell of his blood wafted into her nose.

    If Asher had a beating heart, he would have had a heart attack. He didn''t expect that his mate was crazy enough to try to choose him in this inconvenient situation.

    "I know you want it, just a taste " He incited her to drink from him. It was obvious all this was happening because she had repressed her vampiric side for long - he couldn''t even recall the last time she fed on him.

    He watched her eyes, switch between yellow and blue, and knew she was battling inwardly.

    That made him push his neck even closer " Want a taste? "

    At last, she took the bait.

    Her fangs waged war on his neck as she drank from him gluttonously. It was expected, having abstained for long - he would bear the pain.

    After a while, Lia pulled away from his neck with a contented sigh. A trail of blood dripped down her jaw and she burped.

    But what she never expected was for Asher to suddenly snap her neck with a sounding crack and she passed out.

 Chapter 174 - One Hundred And Seventy-four : The Alpha Was Sharing A Mate

    Dan was surprised when Asher walked into the living room with his mate thrown over his shoulder like a sack of rice.

    He lowered his newspaper, "That''s new, what happened? "

    "I wish I could tell you " Asher sighed and laid her gently on the sofa, careful not to stir her and making sure her body was properly balanced on it.

    A wry smile twisted Dan''s mouth, he envied Asher. Since he once had a mate, he knew how precious she was once to him.

    Yes, he and Sabrina were doing great but sometimes he could still feel that void, that ache.

    The demise of a mate always leaves a wound that scars - the emptiness never goes away. It''s almost suffocating and tormenting initially but with time, the pain becomes numb - that is if you''re patient enough and strong enough to endure that heart-wrenching pain.

    It was never easy but it got easier; now he was happy with Sabrina. He just hoped their relationship would last for a long time.

    Asher slumped on the sofa with an exasperated sigh and his eyes closed - things were getting more confusing.

    He could speak a lot of languages, thanks to his many years spent on earth. Asher has seen people envy and wish for immortality but they don''t know that it gets tiring.

    He has watched people he grew up with, hang around and even those he had an affair with over the years, - during those times, it was seen as a taboo for an unmarried lady to be seen in tight corners with a man, talk more a bed - all grow old and die eventually while he remained the same - young and undying.

    Life became boring because humanity became too predictable to him; greedy, selfish, evil; humans never had good thoughts in their hearts.

    So to pass time, Asher picked up an interest in languages, and thankfully the Nicolli clan never stayed at a place for a long time in fear of being discovered by the humans and hunters.

    So he and his clan moved around a lot. Truth be told, he could boost of traveling around the world already. Little Town was the only place he had settled longer than intended.

    Asher couldn''t describe it but a force drew him here in the first place and now he has come to love it because he finally found his mate here.

    But right now, what bothered him the most was the fact that his mate spoke Romanian. He hadn''t forgotten that during their passionate makeout session.

    Asher didn''t think about it a lot then because she had ensnared him with her touches and kisses but now, his head was clear.

    Romanian was just one of the many, many, languages he knew and was fluent at it. How had Lia known the language and was so good at it?

    Though he never asked her but he was sure his mate could not speak it. Moreover, Lia took up only Spanish at school, neither did he remember Romanian being taught in his school.

    So how come? He didn''t teach her either? The only person he taught that language was his ex-girlfriend Katya who was late.

    It couldn''t be that the spirit of his late ex-girlfriend who died years ago possessed his mate? Was that why she was so eager to choose him as her mate?

    Asher shook his head, erasing the useless thoughts out of his head. If it was Ben, that would have been a tad bit believable since he was a medium.

    "What in the world are you rambling about? " Dan asked with a lost look on his face.

    "Shit!"  Came his loud curse.

    Lost in his thoughts, the vampire didn''t realize he had made himself vulnerable to Dan''s telepathy. Having known that Dan couldn''t filter whatever he heard, Asher blocked him out of his mind without hesitation.

    "Why are you so obsessed with Kayta lately? " Inquired Dan with a fixed gaze on the vampire who was uncomfortable with his question.

    "It''s nothing " Asher answered curtly with annoyance.

    "It''s nothing?" Dan gave a short laugh of disbelief, "No offense but you''ve been slipping, I even read your mind " He pointed out and that was something to be proud of, considering the fact he hardly got access into the private vampire''s mind.

    "I''ll tell you everything later " Asher coaxed his right-hand man, "I need to figure everything out first "

    "Fine, whatever you say" Dan dropped the paper on his side of the sofa and stood to his feet.

    "Good luck figuring it out all by yourself, "He said to him before leaving but Asher was able to sense the gibe that lay beneath his voice.

    "Who said I was going to figure it out on my own?" Asher scoffed in his mind and slipped out his phone from his pocket with the intention of ordering that werewolf called his love rival over to his place.

    Meanwhile.....

    "I still don''t trust Tristan " Ryan spoke out his mind while Daniel busied himself with his barbecued beef.

    One couldn''t help but notice that the dishes on the table were all meaty and featured only a few salads - not to mention the fact that this was the second serving.

    Beef ribs, Meatballs, Barbecue chicken, Barbecue sandwich,

    Beef ribs and Beefsteak surrounded his table and the Alpha didn''t look like he was halfway stopping.

    "He sent the delegate back alive,  doesn''t that mean peace?" He questioned his beta in between chomping on a beef rib.

    "Yes, he did send the messenger back alive but I keep having this disturbing feeling that he''s planning something else "

    "Fine then," Daniel gulped down a glass of wine and wiped his mouth with the tablecloth, " Tighten the security around the borders if that would ease you "

    A smile stretched Ryan''s lips, "Would do so with immediate effect " He said to Daniel and began to inform all the pack guards of the latest development through the mind link.

    "Care for anything? " Daniel gestured to the feast on the table. After he ran in the woods in his wolf form, he felt so famished he would have swallowed a cow if he had encountered one on his way home.

    Though werewolves still consumed cooked meat, the raw ones were still the most delicious and fulfilling; the metallic taste of blood mingled with the flesh was heavenly-such appetite  wasn''t surprising since wolves were carnivorous creatures

    Daniel was busy replenishing his lost energies and his beta was giving out orders mentally while his chewing disturbed the otherwise peaceful air.

    Suddenly, his phone rang. It was the vampire.

    The first thought that came into Daniel''s mind," Did something happen to their mate?" But it wasn''t possible else, he would have felt it through the bond.

    He picked up and listened attentively to the vampire''s short message that went straight to the point: Asher wanted to see him.

    That could only mean one thing, his mate''s wolf must have tried something stupid again.

    "Where are you going?" Ryan, who had noticed his call, asked when he saw him rise to his feet.

    "I have to see an annoying vampire," he disclosed without further information.

    Ryan guessed something must have happened to their Alpha''s mate. Again.

    He sighed, Daniel had suffered so much since childhood; why couldn''t the moon goddess give him a normal mate?

    Why couldn''t the moon goddess stop his suffering for once? He deserved to be happy after all these years of hard labor.

    Ryan had been Daniel''s beta from childhood, so both were as close as brothers or even more than.

    When Daniel had told him that he had found his mate, he was so happy for him. Who knew, he didn''t find a mate instead, the Alpha was sharing a mate.

    And sharing with a vampire of all species?

    Truth be told, he was tempted to report this weird occurrence to the council of Elders but when he saw the look on Daniel''s face, he couldn''t.

    For the first time in fourteen years, the Alpha was smiling again and it was all because of his mate. Maybe the trouble packed hybrid mate wasn''t as bad as he thought.

    He just hoped the girl was smart enough to choose the Alpha as a mate in the end and not that dumb vampire.

    "Asher, sure calls at the right time " Daniel sassed in his head while dressing up, then left the pack. He was reluctant to part with his food but his mate was first.

    Daniel followed the forest route since it was the fastest to Little Town than the main roads.

    The forest was quieter than usual due to the curfew but it was not a problem for him; with his hearing and fast reflexes, he would be able to evade the patrol team.

    Soon enough, he arrived at Asher''s place without difficulty and located his mate through his sense of smell.

    "What did you do to her?" Daniel accused him with fire in his eyes.

    Asher snorted, " I think your question should be, ''what did she do to you? '' "he helped the werewolf rephrase his question.

    "What do you mean? " Daniel asked in confusion which made Asher narrate to him what happened while excluding the language part.

    "Damn! " Daniel let out an exasperated curse, "Why is our mate so obsessed with you?" Daniel queried Asher while making sure to be careful with the use of his pronouns.

    He continued, "What do you have that I don''t have? "

    "A dead heart? "

 Chapter 175 - One Hundred And Seventy-five : Who Won Now?

    "What do you have that I don''t have?"

    "A dead heart? " Asher answered him.

    Daniel gave him a dirty look, "That''s not funny"

    "What were you expecting? "

    Daniel sighed and ran his hands through his hair, purposely ruffling it. "What are we going to do? This time you stopped her, but then who knows what she would do next? "

    "You need to train her, she needs to learn control," Asher said to him with a thoughtful look.

    "Well, I did think of that but the problem is that little Town is not conducive for a werewolf who wants to stay under the radar; it''s easier for you vampires since you wouldn''t need to transform into a giant furry form and walk down the streets " he explained

    "So you need her in Kinney village" Asher understood what he was trying to say.

    Unlike the locals in Little Town, the Kinney villagers had more knowledge about supernatural creatures, especially werewolves since it was their territory - The were- creatures hardly accept other species into their pack unless one earns their loyalty.

    Most of the residents were werewolves while a quarter of the human population were mated to the creatures and the rest of the unmated humans lived harmoniously with them albeit with rules.

    Although Little Town could have been like that, the settling of different species made that harmony a lot more difficult to achieve.

    Ignorance is bliss, it was better for the humans to remain that way. Humans were weak and selfish beings, who when acting under fear would go to any length to exterminate anything they judged as a threat to their existence.

    "Lia would be freer to be whoever she wants there in my pack and it would be rehabilitating for her wolf. Letting her wolf out by going for a run might just be the therapy she needs. " Daniel explained.

    "Just like a human would get cranky after being cooped up in the house all day, our wolves react that way too - they need space. Also, her wolf is an adventurer; those types of wolf desire freedom and fun."

    Lia could always go out for a run in the forest in Little Town but there were eyes everywhere, coupled with the fact she had to hide the fact she was a hybrid made things so complicated - not to talk of her family that always has their eyes on her.

    "And with the school on, it would be impossible to convince my mother-in-law to let her come with me, " Daniel pointed out.

    Asher''s face scrunched up, "Mother-in-law? "

    Daniel grinned cheekily at him, "Your loss dude, but I''ve been gaining points lately "

    Asher snorted at him ridiculously, what was this fool rambling about. Gaining points? How absurd!

    The vampire knew he didn''t even need to stress himself on that part; he''ll just be himself and if his mate''s family still doesn''t like him? He would just compel them into loving him - problem solved!.

    Asher knew he wasn''t a good person contrary to what people think. The council and his father''s dark history was the only thing keeping him from becoming a villain.

    Which was why he could relate with his half-brother Raphael sometimes. If he had been in the same shoe, he would surely try to exert his revenge, no doubt.

    But that doesn''t mean he wouldn''t hesitate to rip that crafty brother of his apart if he dares to touch a hair on his mate.

    Asher only cared about the people precious to him to the extent he would lay down his life for them - for a good cause - the others can go to hell as long as he cares.

    "For sure it would be hard for your mother-in-law to let our mate go which is why I''ve come up with an idea, " Asher said but the werewolf could make out the mocking tone in his voice.

    "What idea? " He ignored Asher''s taunts and focused on his suggestion.

    "I''m thinking of organizing a field trip to Kinney village for educational purposes. Thankfully, your pack has enough wildlife for the students to gain firsthand knowledge away from the classroom and should make a good excuse, what do you think? "

    Daniel tipped his head to the side while rubbing his jaw in deep contemplation, "Hmm, that should convince the ignorant humans. But the time - "

    "Three days, that''s the limit I can go without arousing suspicion," Asher straightforwardly told him.

    "Three days is better than nothing"

    Asher slapped his hand conclusively, "Mrs. Jenny wouldn''t be able to deny her this one and she would be more relaxed knowing that you''re the chief and all, whatever.But the point is, you have three days to teach our mate how to control her wolf. "

    He stared Daniel in the eyes challengingly," Are you up-to-the task? "

    "Of course, can''t wait to get started" There was a glint of excitement in Daniel''s eyes until Asher added.

    "And by the way, you''re the one sponsoring the trip "

    "What? " He sprang up to his feet with a bewildered look on his face,

    "You can''t be serious "

    Asher monotoned," Have you ever seen me pull someone''s leg?"

    "You can not just heap all of the expenses on me. Do you think it''s easy to fund a trip for rebellious teenagers in a village full of hormonal werewolves? "

    Asher lifted his chin proudly, "I came up with the idea Daniel, so suck it up. Moreover, I would be providing extra security by sending two of my best men: Dan and Zukai. What else do you want from me? "

    The tricked Alpha werewolf shook his head in disbelief with a sigh. He clicked his tongue," Tsk tsk, you''re  richer than me yet so stringent with your resources " He complained.

    Asher glanced up at him and said pointedly, "I''m not stingy, I''m just managing my resources adequately"

    Daniel sneered at him, "What a great saver "

    "Could you guys keep your voice down " Someone whined from the side and as if magnated, both of their gazes rested on their mate instantly?

    Lia groaned and sat up, her hand on her neck with a displeased frown on her face.

    "You''re awake?" Daniel rushed to her side, happiness screaming all over his face like a loyal puppy welcoming his master home ; all he was missing was a wagging tail.

    Asher just gazed at her tenderly and asked softly, " How''s your neck? "

    "I feel terrible, what happened? " Inquired Lia while massaging that painful spot.

    She felt like someone ripped her head out of her body- but then her head was still instant, so that couldn''t have happened, right?

    Asher and Daniel''s eyes met and locked, they began to literally communicate through their orbs :

    Daniel: "Should I tell her or would you do the favor? "

    Asher: " Try it and I promise to set your doodle on fire " he emphasized his threat by staring at Daniel''s crotch with evil intent in his eyes.

    Daniel''s hands flew to his below protectively, he couldn''t tell if that savage vampire was joking or not.

    But he wouldn''t dare to risk his little brother moreover, the fact that Asher could also manipulate fire added to his fear; he didn''t dare to test him.

    If he lost his little brother, there was no need battling for his mate''s love, it was game over for him. Without that, how would he pleasure his mate if she eventually chose him, his wolf might even abandon him.

    But Asher would not do that, right?

    "What''s the occasion? The family is complete today, strange " Chimed in Raphael, who walked into the living room with his usual smug smile on his face.

    Before Asher and Daniel could even see what was going on, Lia had already lunged at the vampire with full force.

    "You maniac! " She raged at the vampire who wasn''t fazed by her outburst. If anything, he looked too relaxed.

    Lia swung a blow at him but he dodged it effortlessly with that smirk that irked the fuming hybrid further.

    "What did you do to my mother?!" She tried to trip him by putting her leg out while launching another blow but Raphael had quick reflexes and also quick on his feet.

    "Lia, stop it! You can not defeat him, at least not yet " Asher pointed out but she was too immersed in the fight to stop.

    Lia was attacking him yet Raphael was still winning. The fight was obviously like a child''s play; a professional fighter versus a rookie, it was obvious who would win.

    Yes, Lia was stronger, Raphael was more experienced and had more battle experience and wiles.

    Lia was exasperated when she couldn''t defeat Raphael with the use of combat and decided to use her powers instead.

    She tried to scream at him but Raphael vamp sped towards her, gripped her hair, and tugged her head upward as she blew a hole through Asher''s roof with her scream.

    Debris came falling but she was surprised when Raphael reached out and jerked her into his arms, hurling her out of harm''s way.

    "Who won now? " He taunted her, lips pressed on the back of her ear and arms wrapped strongly around her waist.

 Chapter 176 - One Hundred And Seventy-six : Rapheal Was In Hot Trouble

    Everything happened in a flash, one moment Lia was ripped roughly out of Raphael''s embrace, and the next her both mates had descended on him while she stood dazed and clueless on what to do.

    Lia had been the one to start the fight and she swore, she had wanted to hurt Raphael so bad till he cried fresh and hot tears but after the roof gaping incident where he saved her from the falling debris, her anger dwindled immensely.

    She was too surprised to get angry, it was as if someone doused the fire burning in her heart with an extinguisher. Lia didn''t know where or how to start again.

    But it seems her mates took up the case and this time, their outburst was ten times worse than her fit.

    Their fight was intense and so fast it was a blur and even as a supernatural, she had a hard time keeping up with their movements.

    Lia stood rooted to the ground while scratching the back of her scalp helplessly, how does she stop this fight?

    Raphael kept replicating himself to escape while Daniel and Asher were hot on his heels, bombarding him with lethal attacks.

    "Hey! You guys should stop - " Lia was yet to finish her statement when Asher''s favorite painting that had been hanging on the walls seconds ago, came flying towards her direction and left her with no option than to duck for her safety.

    "What the �� " She cursed out in apparent disbelief. So this was what being caught in the middle of a fight looked like?

    Gosh, this was such a big hassle,  she didn''t want to be the casualty damage. Yes, she would not die but that painting would have given her much pain if it had landed on her head.

    Seriously, why were her mates making a huge deal out of this? Raphael had only touched her waist.. well, he did nib on the back of her ear - Damn, this was why she disliked Alpha males, they are so possessive and to make it worse, she had two.

    Lia, why is your life so dramatic? How weird, she would kill any woman she found hanging around her mates.

    But that was not the point! The point is that they should be solving this matter diplomatically and not like animals.

    Well, one of her mates was an animal, figures - scratch that - half - animal. Wasn''t she half-animal too? Well, a quarter of an animal... Again Lia, focus on the problem at hand.

    "Stop!" She commanded but her voice was drowned out by the noises of properties being destroyed - Asher''s properties, he''s going to shed real tears when he finally calms down.

    "Guys, this is not funny any longer" Lia sidestepped the glass table thrown her way - unintentionally - or what remained of the table which shattered upon impact with the ground.

    Unfortunately, Lia was so distracted she didn''t get to see the oscillating ceiling blade heading her direction on-time until it pierced into her skull.

    The force knocked her to the ground and she released a sharp breath as the painful spasm went through her body.

    Her mates must have felt the pain through the mate bond cause the fight ended instantly.

    "Lia!! " Both of them yelled out her name and ran to her aid with immediate effect.

    Daniel helped her off her feet while Asher cleared out the rubbles and dust from the barely redeemable sofa; the leather was ripped open exposing the messy foam beneath, which looked like something a goat chewed on, thanks to their fight.

    Lia was hyperventilating, a blade pierced into her skull? A f*cking blade was hanging out from her head and she could even see it if she moved her eyes sideways!

    "Hey, calm down baby girl, " Said Daniel who was encouraging her to take a deep, long breath.

    "Calm down? " Lia threw her head back and laughed hysterically for a while until she halted and yelled at him with boiling anger,

    "WHAT DO YOU MEAN CALM DOWN! I SHOULD CALM DOWN?! WHO SHOULD CALM DOWN?!"

    Daniel scrunched up his face with his eyes closed as his mate showered his face with her angry saliva.

    Asher ignored her ranting, tipped her head to the side to get a closer look, and announced,"I need to take it out"

    "It would hurt her like hell " Daniel pointed out.

    "Exactly" Lia supported her werewolf mate while glaring at Asher for suggesting such a gory idea with blood from the affected injury oozing down her forehead.

    "What do you suggest then? "

    "I can take half of her pain away," Daniel said but his mate refused right away.

    "As much as I would love to see the both of you suffer for this " She pointed to her head and continued "But this incident happened all because of me. If I hadn''t attacked Raphael in the first place which led to him touching me, both of you wouldn''t have engaged him in a fight "

    "But this is going to hurt you badly, why not take the easy route?" Daniel tried to convince her to change her mind.

    She frowned at him, "Just because I''m a girl and your mate doesn''t mean I''m weak. You said it yourself Daniel, ''I''m an Alpha''. So it''s time to man up "

    Daniel hated that assuring smile on her face, "Do you have any anesthesia?" He questioned Asher hopefully, "Lidocaine should do the magic by blocking the nerve signals in her body "

    Asher gave him a dirty look, " I''m a freaking vampire, why would I have Anastasia? Moreover, our mate says she''s okay, why don''t you have a little faith in her? "

    "Fine, do it then " Daniel gave in reluctantly with a deep sigh and readjusted his position so Asher could replace him since that spot was the closest to the injury.

    "I''m going to be quick and clean, so it wouldn''t hurt much, alright? " Asher informed her while she nodded in understanding.

    Lia was just about to console her overprotective werewolf mate who had this cute frown on his face when he kissed her without warning.

    Her eyes were wide and she sat still, she hadn''t seen that one coming at all. Eventually, she leaned into the warm kiss and began to match his pace.

    But winced when Asher snatched the blade from her head swiftly with only a little pain in its wake and a gasp which was swallowed in the kiss. Lia now understood why Daniel kissed her; it was to distract her from the pain.

    Unlike what she had imagined, the whole ordeal went smoothly and Daniel drew away before he lost his self-control.

    There was a hint of jealousy on his face but Asher didn''t say anything, instead handed her a towel which she used to add pressure to the bloody gash on the side of her head; it would heal soon anyway.

    Because they had finally settled down, Lia had a clear view of the destruction in Asher''s living room.

    With the gaping hole in his roof, it was a huge surprise they hadn''t brought the rest of the house down. Dust was in the air while debris lay waste on the ground and surfaces.

    Lia saw Asher suddenly sink to his knee in front of the damaged painting; oh, she said it. He cradled the picture to his chest with a sour expression on his face like a mother who had lost her only son to the cold hands of death in a war.

    She nudged Daniel on his side, urging him to question the mourning vampire as she was stopping the bleeding on her head.

    However, her werewolf mate was unwilling to go, seeing as the vampire was in a bad mood.

    Who knew whether Asher would make true of his threat by burning his doodle especially now he was in a peeved state.

    "Hey" Daniel called out slowly but cautiously and proceeded further when he didn''t receive any hateful glare, "What''s so special about that painting? "

    Asher held the charred artwork tighter to his chest, it was obvious he was the one who burned it while using his fire ability on Raphael.

    "I kidnaped this item two hundred years ago from a pirate ship and was planning to get a lot of money by selling it in the next auction held outside the town but now�� " Asher confessed, outlining the painting nostalgically and getting charcoal on his fingers, "But now, the glory, the money, It''s all gone"

    "Your painting is not the only thing gone, where is your brother? " Lia whose bleeding stopped, tossed the towel to the side as she asked. It seems the real Raphael escaped while her mates were tending to her.

    "We are going to need a big, big, grave," Daniel pointed out while staring at the corpses of Raphael''s duplicates laying in mass on the ground.

    "You sure you guys didn''t kill him?" She asked doubtfully after seeing the sheer number of Raphael''s dead copies.

    Her mates did have a murderous intent this time, it seems she has to be careful the way she communicates with the opposite sex.

    Lia couldn''t help but wonder what her mates would do if they came to learn that she and Ben had once rocked on the dance floor during Caroline''s party?

    "Trust me, he is still alive and kicking," Asher told her with a wave of blazing anger in his eyes.

    It seems this was not the end of the fight; Raphael was in hot trouble this time.

 Chapter 177 - One Hundred And Seventy-seven : The Break Up

    "You should make a loose fist but don''t clench it with your knees slightly bent " William''s altered his posture

    "Always stay focused, never take your eyes off your opponent " He tipped Rex''s head a bit upwards till their eyes met.

    Both of them were having training in his gymnasium. As Hunters, his father Shane had made sure to equip the gym with necessary and up-to-date materials  for his daily training

    Right now, Williams was working on Rex''s punching posture with a three ft punching bag which weighed about thirty kilograms.

    Rex hit the bag which barely moved, but he continued nevertheless while Williams observed him.

    He adjusted the little boy''s position "Don''t punch too far or too close, maintain an appropriate distance else you deplete your power "

    Rex complained, "Why is this so damn hard? "

    "That''s why it is called training, it''s not meant not to be sweet nor easy " He answered firmly, " Now continue "

    Rex launched another punch and as expected, got another complaint.

    "Don''t lift your foot - "

    Rex''s tired and frustrated glance cut him. Williams scratched the back of his head, he had forgotten he was training a kid; more patience and a lot of talking.

    "Alright then, apply all I have taught you and come at me " He decided.

    "You want me to punch you?"

    "Yes, and I won''t fight back " He assured the skeptical boy by placing both hands behind him.

    "Alright, " Rex was satisfied with the result and cracked his fingers with an excited twinkle in his eyes.

    "Here I come! " He screamed and launched towards Williams who stood calm and focused.

    Rex aimed for his stomach but he simply sidestepped the little boy who went awry and threw himself to the ground.

    "Your footings, remember?!" Williams reminded him of his mistake.

    But Rex had a strong resolve and launched towards him again but it was a failure, he could not even touch William''s clothes.

    "Don''t punch your enemy just from an angle, change directions !" he corrected Rex again.

    Rex aimed again.

    Result: epic failure.

    "The best form of attack is to attack your enemies before they attack you. Try the element of surprise or trickery when at a disadvantage cause all is fair in love and war. "

    At the tenth try, Rex managed to secure a blow by distracting him but Williams didn''t feel much of the impact since his punch was weak; the persistent guy was still a growing boy.

    "Nice try and that''s a wrap-up for today " Williams dismissed him giving the poor boy the liberty to collapse on the floor. Rex''s clothes were drenched with sweat, his whole chest heaving.

    "You can have a shower in the bathroom. Trevor texted me, says he would be here to pick you up once done with his punishment at school" Williams informed him, receiving a nod as acknowledgment.

    Truth be told, he was impressed with this little boy. Yes, he too started as a hunter from a young age -which was expected since his father was one of the high-ranking hunters - but Rex was persistent and passionate about it.

    "Why do you want to become a hunter? " Williams was curious.

    "Huh? "

    "Why do you choose this road? You do know once you perform the initiation ceremony there is no going back, right? "

    "I know "

    "Then why? You''re so young and have a bright future ahead of you, so why this dark and perilous road? "

    Rex pursed his lips thoughtfully and shrugged.

    "I don''t know. At first, I was just awed when my brother and I passed the first test. Then I was drawn to it, and now? I just love it! The thought of being a hunter makes my heart beat so fast and I''m so excited " Rex told him with a blissful look on his face and hands pressed over his chest.

    "Moreover, '''' he continued, "I get to learn more about my dad and get stronger and protect my loved ones from those wicked night creatures " Rex flashed him a smile that made Williams begin to question himself.

    Why did he even want to become a hunter anyway? To please his father? Unlike Trevor and Rex who had grown up without knowing what their father did in secret, he had grown up in the Hunters league.

    People looked up to him as the son of Shane Cutter; he was a legacy. Eyes were on him, he had to live up to his father''s reputation and that was what he did, make his father proud. But was he happy? Satisfied with this kind of life?

    "What about you? " Rex asked this time, taking him by surprise.

    "What? "

    "Why did you become a hunter? "

    "I was born a hunter " He replied curtly that even Rex sensed his dismissive tone.

    "Where is your bathroom? " The boy stood to his feet, it seems the warm discussion was over.

    "Follow me " He ordered.

    Rex followed him while looking around the spacious yet simple house. It had two bedrooms with a study connecting to one of the rooms which belonged to his father.

    A moderately sized sitting room, a guest room, and a gymnasium with other essential rooms in a house.

    "Here, wash up " Williams opened the door to the spare bathroom in the guestroom "

    The boy went in to do his thing as he left. Williams walked into the living room and plopped down on the sofa, exhausted.

    Soon, the initiation ceremony would be conducted and both of Renard''s kids would become full-fledged hunters.

    His head was throbbing. So he just shut his eyes intending to have a short nap - who said teaching a nine-year-old boy was easy? His questions were never-ending and he answered all to his level of understanding; thankfully, Rex was smart.

    But that moment, the doorbell rang. Williams cursed out loud, who had such a bad timing?

    Vexed, he didn''t bother checking through the peephole and opened the door right away, prepared to give the person a piece of his mind.

    Oh shit, Trevor.

    "Hi," Trevor waved, catching the annoyed look on his face.

    "Hi," He quickly put a smile on his face.

    "Did I come at a bad time? " He asked, unsure.

    "Of course not! I''m not angry, not at all " Williams laughed it away, "I was just practicing my angry facial expression, you know, just for practicing sake - you never know when it might come in handy " he miserably told a lie.

    Trevor raised a brow inquisitively,

    "Can I come in?"

    "Sure, sure, come in " He moved to the side and let Trevor into the house.

    "Make yourself comfortable," Williams said after him, then slapped his forehead in annoyance when Trevor wasn''t looking.

    Good going, Willy.

    "What would you like to drink? Beer or whisky? " He asked his guest and was puzzled to see the surprise on his face.

    "What? "

    "I don''t drink "

    "Oh " Williams scratched his head awkwardly, he hardly had friends coming over to his place since he was either at school or headquarters.

    Moreover, he and his dad were men and he was trained up with scotch, wine, beer, and the rest of them which was never lacking from their refrigerator.

    But here was Trevor: shy, innocent, and exactly his polar opposite. What was he going to get him, milk?

    "You don''t need to bother yourself, I just came to get my brother before the curfew starts. Where is he? "

    " He''s�� "

    The person being spoken about walked in with his backpack carried over a shoulder.

    "You''re here " Rex recognized his brother''s presence.

    "Uhh "

    "We should get going then "

    "So soon? " Williams cleared his throat, "I mean you should get going" he rephrased his words quickly. What in the world was wrong with him today?

    Trevor blinked, had he heard wrong? Did Williams want his company? He was contemplating spending more time when his brother came up with his problem.

    "Trevour " Rex pressed him, "I need to go home, I''m really hungry " His brother rubbed his flat stomach to express his point.

    He wanted to plead for more time from his brother when his stomach protested with an angry rumble.

    "I didn''t eat before coming, " Rex whined.

    Williams knew he could cook for Rex and get to spend time with the brothers, but it would be late for them to return home, so he didn''t say anything.

    "We would be going then, thanks for giving him some guidance " Trevor appreciated his efforts in teaching his brother some moves.

    "No need to thank me, it''s my responsibility as a hunter " He replied honestly.

    "Thanks," Trevor said once again before walking out of the door as Williams waved at them.

    "What''s going on between you and Willy? " Asked Rex once they were out of his place.

    "Nothing" Answered Trevor abruptly eliciting a look of suspicion from his nosy little brother who didn''t bother him with questions again.

    They entered a bus at the station and dropped off at the junction while they walked to their place.

    The door was open, that was the first thing Trevor noticed upon walking into the house.

    "Mom?"

    No reply.

    "Mom?! " He called this time, apprehension set in as he rushed into her room just to check up on her.

    Thankfully, he found her.

    Trevor took a deep sigh of relief. God, he had been scared out of his pants thinking something bad had happened to her.

    "Mom, how could you - "

    To his horror, his mom was weeping.

    Trevor stood rooted to the ground with no clue what to do. Left with no choice, he walked to the bed and engulfed her in a comforting hug.

    "What is it this time? " He rubbed her back while she cried on his shoulder.

    "It''s Raphael "

    His countenance changed, but he forced himself to remain calm and hear her out.

    " What did he do this time? "

    " He broke up with me "

    ThankGod.

 Chapter 178 - One Hundred And Seventy-eight:Those Green Eyes

    "I feel kind of guilty," Lia confessed.

    She glanced over her shoulders, trying to make out Asher''s place in the distance. But as advanced as her eyes were, Lia couldn''t see that far.

    "The deed has been done, you can not change that unless you can manipulate time " Said Daniel who was accompanying her home.

    Asher could have taken her in his car but right now he was mourning his damaged house.

    Daniel had contemplated borrowing one out of his many cars but decided against it; Asher was touchy while in the grieving period.

    After digging up-to a considerable number of graves in Asher''s barren acres of land, they had spent the rest of the evening burying Raphael''s dummy corpses.

    The curfew was active so they were violating the law by being outside by that time but the couples didn''t care. Those rules were designed for the weak and ignorant humans anyway, what could possibly happen to them?

    It was dark already and there was hardly anyone in sight. Shops, restaurants, and so many places were closed, with only the chirping sounds of birds, insects, and the couple''s discussion disturbing the otherwise tranquil environment.

    Lia didn''t worry about the police patrolling the area, with her great sight and hearing, she and Daniel always evaded them effortlessly.

    Her phone rang abruptly which startled her, causing her to curse out loud. Thankfully, there was no patrol team close to them else their position would have been discovered.

    "Who is it?" Daniel asked curiously as she silenced the call.

    "My fill-in father " answered Maya causing puzzlement to cross her mate''s features.

    "It''s my brother Trevor, don''t mind me. It''s just a nickname I gave him after he became this controlling douche "

    "You can''t blame him, he''s just looking out for you," Daniel told her to which she rolled her eyes.

    "Protect me my ass, I think he just wants to stroke his ego by exerting his authority as the man of the house "

    "I don''t know if you would believe me or not, but I think your brother knows about me which is why he dislikes me " he disclosed it to her and watched her stop in her tracks.

    "You found out too?" Lia was surprised.

    He nodded, "I had my suspicion at first, it was pretty common to dislike someone but the look of disgust on his face? It was way more than just a simple dislike.

    "I have enough contacts, so I had your brother investigated and the truth came to light; your brothers are members of Hunter''s league "

    "What? Brothers?!" Lia screamed in shock. Her head was reeling from the information her mate revealed to her.

    "How can it be brothers? Wasn''t it supposed to be a brother? How could Trevor let my little Rex into that shady organization! "

    "Wait, you know about the Hunter''s League? " Daniel asked.

    "My father was once a hunter "

    Surprise flickered in Daniel''s eyes, "That makes sense then, offsprings of hunters normally take after their parent''s footsteps "

    "Rex is too young besides, my father never wanted them back there which is why he kept us hidden from the council - "

    "How do you know all this? "

    "I have his diaries, although  I''m still translating it since he wrote it in a not so common language but - "

    "Your father left a diary? "

    "Yes, and why do you sound so interested in it? " Lia sensed the excitement in his voice.

    "This makes things much easier, " Daniel told her and grabbed her hand, "Keep those diaries safe, I think there is some information in there that would tell us much about you "

    "I highly doubt that, my father and I were not that close. Moreover, I became supernatural not too long ago, why would he write about me? About a child he had no idea would turn out to  - "

    "No, listen to me Lia " He clasped her face with his palms," There is something Asher and I have not told you "

    This time Lia knew Daniel wasn''t joking and gave him her whole attention, "I don''t think your birth was ordinary. "

    "What are you talking about?"

    "At school the day the explosion occurred, Asher and I didn''t tell you everything" Daniel confessed and began to narrate the discussion that transpired between them and Her Ladyship.

    "Wait a minute " Lia put up her hand with her eyes squeezed shut while battling to digest the new information her brain was fed.

    "Whoah, this is quite difficult to understand but you''re trying to say I was born on an inauspicious day and that there''s this prophecy that claims I''m the hope for the bad guys? How lame can this get? "

    "As lame as me lying to your mom about my age " Daniel tried to lessen the tension hanging around his mate; she was under pressure.

    Lia wanted to laugh, sadly her heart was too heavy. But there was no denying the fact that her mate had lied to her mom.

    Jenny thought her daughter''s boyfriend was twenty-four years when he was actually twenty-six.

    Lia made Daniel tell the lie since she knew there was no way on earth her mom was going to let her date a guy, who was eight years older than her.

    It was better that way. But Lia couldn''t help but wonder how her mom would react about Asher when she eventually learns about his true age; Asher was seven hundred years older than her.

    "Trevor: Where are you? " Her phone buzzed with a message.

    "Lia: On my way home " She typed back hurriedly before glancing up at her mate who said to her.

    "I now understand the exact reason why Trevor hates me? "

    " Why? "

    "Werewolves have a reputation of being aggressive and hot-tempered; Your brother thinks I''m going to hurt you one day" He explained.

    Lia shook her head in disbelief, then grabbed Daniel by the front of his shirt, drawing him close to her.

    "You are going to hurt me?" She poked him playfully on the chest, digging her finger into that firm chest.

    Daniel chuckled, it was easy for others to think that way but he knew otherwise.

    Perhaps he might unintentionally hurt his mate emotionally but being physical on her, it was impossible. Any werewolf that violates his mate was nothing but a psychopath.

    "I''m afraid I would hurt you before you hurt me, mister " Lia bragged.

    Daniel''s eyes twinkled, there was no way he was going to turn down a good challenge, "Are you trying to say you''re stronger than me? "

    His hand went to her bottom as he cupped it and hoisted her up against the wall of the dark alleyway they were currently in.

    Lia let out a sharp breath the moment her back hit the wall, her mate buried his nose in her neck and his breath was tickling her.

    She tugged his face away and met his vibrant amber eyes, "You might be stronger than me but I''m more flexible and got more wiles "

    His eyes slightly widened but before he could counter her moves, she had slithered out of his hold, climbed around his body, and cut him at the knee, forcing him to plonk down on the ground.

    Kneeling and facing the wall, Daniel felt the pain on his scalp as she grabbed a fistful of his hair while she whispered sexily into his ear, "Who''s stronger now? "

    Daniel smirked, "You are "

    Lia was still basking in her victory that she never saw his move coming. Daniel without warning, swept her feet from beneath her as she landed on the ground with her back.

    Her mate was atop her before she could recover from this unforeseen attack.

    "Unfortunately, it is never over until it''s truly over and I still won " Daniel rubbed his victory all over her face.

    Lia rolled her eyes and pushed him off her. Daniel got up and lifted his mate to her feet, he used that opportunity to get a good feel of her body.

    Butterflies rustled in her stomach and Lia swore she could hear her heartbeat in her ears when her eyes moved to his lips.

    Every nerve in her body was screaming for her to just lean over and kiss the hell out of him but it was late already and she didn''t trust her wolf - that damned animal had a high libido.

    "Let''s go," She said and went ahead.

    Daniel swore his mate wanted to kiss him especially with the way she was greedily staring at his lips - what a great disappointment.

    They made small talks until she finally reached her place and stood on the front porch.

    "So this is it " Lia blew air from her mouth noisily.

    "Yeah, it is, " He said.

    Lia took a step forward and gave him a short deep kiss, he barely had time to savor it.

    "Good night mate " She patted him on the chest and rang the doorbell.

    "Night mate " He whispered and ran off before the door was opened.

    "Are you crazy? Where in the world have you been?!" Trevor attacked her as soon as the door was opened.

    "Don''t talk to me that way, I''m your elder sister! " She scolded him sternly.

    " Then act like one! "

    Lia was about to retort back when the doorbell rang. With anger coursing through her vein, she stormed towards the door.

    "Who in the world  - "

    Lia was yet to finish her words when she gasped in pain, a sharp metal was plunged into her stomach and she slumped to the ground.

    "Those green ones." Was her last thought as her eyes closed in death.

 Chapter 179 - One Hundred And Seventy-nine : Youre One Of Them

    "How''s mom? " His little brother asked him as soon as he stepped out of their mother''s room.

    "I managed to calm her down," Trevor replied.

    Rex''s face brightened, "I want to see her," he requested and tried to walk forward but Trevor halted him.

    "Mom took sleeping pills, she needs rest "

    The excitement disappeared from his face," Alright, I would see her tomorrow then "

    The disappointment on his face was apparent but Trevor could not allow him to hassle their mom at the moment, she was going through an emotional mess right now

    Although Trevor was sad but he was somewhat relieved, he wouldn''t need to worry about that damned vampire hanging around his mom anymore.

    One down, one still to go.

    This leaves him with that werewolf who his sister was head over heels in love with; it was only a matter of time till that one leaves her too.

    Talking of that dumb sister of his...

    "Damn it, she''s not picking up my calls! " Trevor cursed out loud from frustration as he descended the stairs.

    "Who? Sister? "

    "She must be with that werewolf! "

    "Daniel? That''s a good thing then, he wouldn''t let anything happen ��" His brother''s glare shut him up.

    Trevor called over and over again but she wouldn''t answer, he bet Lia must have silenced his calls else with this level of pestering, she would have picked up already.

    "You should stop worrying, if she''s with Daniel, she''s safe" Rex tried to comfort his brother who was pacing up and down the living room with deep wrinkles on his forehead.

    "Say one more word and I promise to gag you " Trevor issued him a warning, phone pressed against his right ear.

    Rex made a face at him and threw himself on the couch with his arms folded together annoyingly.

    "Curfew is on already but she''s out there with the same creatures we protect her from " Trevor soliloquized as a result of his internal unrest.

    Rex wanted to comment but he bit back on his lips to keep him from speaking; Trevor was touchy right now.

    "Where are you? " Trevor typed.

    He chewed on his nails nervously while waiting for her reply. Ever since he found out about supernaturals, he became more concerned about the safety of his family.

    His father was a Hunter and did everything possible to protect them, but he was no more and now the responsibility of guarding his family against external threats was on him.

    If only his sister was not courting danger.

    "On my way home" came her message moments later and though he was relieved, he still couldn''t calm down.

    "At this rate, you would have a mental breakdown before sister comes home, " Rex said.

    Trevor took Rex''s words seriously and managed to have a seat. But he  trained his eyes on the door as he began an internal countdown while Rex shook his head and clicked his tongue, tsk tsk.

    At the ninety-ninth count, the doorbell rang and Trevor shot to his feet, opening the door before the second ring.

    "Are you crazy?! Where in the world have you been?! " Trevor was all over Lia before she hardly stepped into the house.

    "Don''t talk to me that way, I''m your elder sister! " She rebuked him strongly

    "Then act like one! " He yelled at her.

    Trevor was tired of worrying over her to the point of craziness. She can''t just come home late during the implementation of a curfew and expect to be welcomed with open arms.

    The chiming of the doorbell interrupted the tense atmosphere as Lia went to answer it since she was the closest to the door.

    Trevor swore everything happened in a flash, he didn''t even see the face of the perpetrator since her sister let the door ajar.

    The next he saw, his sister fell to the ground: her face pale with a stake plunged deeply into her heart causing it to bleed profusely.

    He felt his heart stop and willed his feet to move but it was rooted to the ground while his lips trembled wordlessly.

    Rex''s scream of horror woke him from the shock and he rushed to Lia''s side, cradling her head in his arms while Rex kneeled beside her.

    "Hey" He slapped her cheeks, trying to wake her up but her skin was cold and becoming stiff; no, it couldn''t be.

    "Sister, wake up " Tears welled up in Rex''s eyes, he pulled her arms, "I''m scared, open your eyes please "

    "No, that can''t be right! His sister can''t be dead! " Trevor screamed in denial.

    What was going on? Everything was happening too quickly.

    His hand quivered as he reached for his phone "Ambulance.. yes, he had to call an ambulance�� they would save his sister "

    Trevor was about to type the digits when his phone was snatched from his grip. "What�� ?"

    He looked up, it was the werewolf.

    "What do you think you''re doing? Give it back to me, I need to call for help " Trevor tried to make a grab for the phone in his hand, but the werewolf crushed the device right in front of him.

    His eyes spat fire, "Are you crazy?! Do you know what you have done! "

    "You are a bad person! " Rex spat at Daniel with hatred in his orbs, still kneeling beside his sister''s body.

    "You have finally killed her! " Trevour started to pound his hand on Daniel''s chest in anger but the werewolf suddenly hoisted him by the shirt.

    "Listen to me right now, you better behave if you want your sister back "

    "W-what are you - "

    Daniel pushed him away, bent and lifted his mate from the ground,he turned to Trevor saying,

    "Shut the door, no one is to know whatever happens in here, not even your mother, understand? "

    This is crazy, Trevour thought. His sister was dying - he refused to believe she was dead - he was supposed to be calling for help, why was he even listening to this werewolf?

    "Do you have a way to heal her? " He asked hopefully. He had heard some supernatural creatures had a way with healing.

    "I don''t have to heal her "

    "What?! "

    "Both of you should prepare yourself for what you''re about to see? "

    Rex had stopped crying when he heard Daniel had a way of healing his sister but there were some things  he couldn''t understand.

    Trevor knitted his brows together in confusion, what was he talking about? what should he prepare himself for?.

    "How would you save her "

    "Just do as I told you, " Daniel said to Trevor and began to climb the stairs with his mate in his arms, heading towards her room while her siblings trailed after him.

    Earlier, after he escorted her to the place, Daniel barely walked a mile when he felt this splitting pain in his heart that forced him to his kneel.

    It was as if someone had actually stabbed him in the heart but when he checked himself, there was no wound on his body.

    At that moment his eyes flew open, there was only one person who could elicit this kind of feeling, his mate; something must have happened to her.

    So he hurried back to her place like a mad man, apprehension written over her face.

    Thankfully, he was in time to stop her brother from making a rash move. If the ambulance had taken her away, Lia would have been declared dead and that would have complicated everything.

    "Shut the doors and windows! " He barked orders while placing her gently on the bed.

    Trevor and Rex couldn''t tell what Daniel was about to do but they obeyed nevertheless, saving their sister was more important.

    " What now? "

    "I take the weapon out "

    Trevor grabbed his hand "No way, that would aggravate - " The rest of his words were lost forever as Daniel backhanded him, pulling his hand free.

    Daniel grabbed the stake and pulled it out just as Lia jerked upright with a sharp gasp, slamming her hand into his chest which sent him flying a few meters to the ground.

    With her chest heaving, Lia rose to her feet but her environment was swirling so she found herself back on the bed.

    "What is going on? " She asked as soon as her vision cleared but her sight rested on her brothers staring at her with shell-shocked eyes.

    That was when she looked down and through the tear in the cloth, watched the wound on her chest close up.

    Uh-oh.

    "I can explain " She stood abruptly but her brothers took a step back.

    A groan brought her attention to the side where she saw Daniel on fours, clutching his chest - God, she hit him.

    When Lia had awoken earlier, the one thought in her head was catching the perpetrator; time for her, had stopped when she was stabbed.

    So when the weapon was pulled out of her chest, she had thought whosoever beside her was the attacker and instinctively reacted.

    Who knew it was her mate rescuing her?

    "What are you? " Trevor asked, a mixture of shock and disbelief was written all over his face - their faces.

    Lia was tongue-tied, she always dreaded this day cause she knew it would come, and now, her fears had finally caught up with her.

    "You''re one of them, aren''t you? "

 Chapter 180 - One Hundred And Eighty : Wanted Her Dead

    Asher''s gaze took in the damages, this would cost him a lot of his resources to repair. He rubbed the bridge between his nose, everything happened because he let his emotions get the best of him.

    There was fire in his orbs when he thought of Raphael, he would skin the life out of that tricky bastard - he tricked him into destroying his property.

    His sly half-brother knew how possessive Alpha''s were of their mate and provoked him on purpose. Asher was not parsimonious but he hated wasting the hard-earned money he''s accumulated over the years.

    He enjoyed luxury and that was evident in his lifestyle: his wardrobe, house, everything he possessed was of the finest quality.

    If he was that stingy as the others claim, he wouldn''t have been funding all of his clan''s expenses; but they didn''t have to know, let them think that way.

    He was engrossed with the damages done when a sudden pain pierced through his heart driving him to his knees.

    Asher felt like a sword just went through his heart but when he touched his chest, there was no sign of an injury, how was that possible?

    His eyes snapped open, his mate; Lia was in trouble! Something must have happened to her to have elicited this kind of intense pain, he felt everything.

    Asher would have vamp sped to her place but Little Town was in lockdown, he didn''t want to complicate matters by drawing unnecessary attention.

    If an ordinary human saw something this extraordinary by this time of the night, it would cause the council into thinking he had compromised his identity on purpose.

    Asher sprang to his feet and rushed to the driveway. He climbed into one of his cars and drove off at a mad speed.

    Hardly had he driven for two miles did a patrol car parked across the road spot his high speed and commanded him to pull over.

    He ignored them, instead built up more speed with no care till he couldn''t go any further while the police siren blared on.

    Asher noticed they called for reinforcement when they couldn''t catch up to him because another patrol car had already blocked the middle of the road where he would have to pass through.

    A smirk pulled his mouth to the side, do they think that such a ploy would be able to stop him?

    Eyes narrowed and resolute, Asher pressed forward while the police continuously warned him to pull over.

    Sadly, the policemen in the car parked ahead had no clue they were dealing with a mad man- no vampire.

    It was only when they realized the driver of that sports car was intent on ramming into them, did they jump out of the car.

    Surprisingly a miracle occurred, just when both men were sure a crash would occur, their car was moved to the side by an invisible force while the sports car zoomed off effortlessly.

    What just happened? Was their brain deceiving them or was it a trick of the eye? They questioned themselves.

    But the other car was still hot on Asher''s trail and there was no sign of giving up. Eyes focused on the road, he summoned a heavy wind that began to blow and throw dirt particles in their way.

    The patrol car began to drive awry, it was already hard chasing a car driving over the limit in such foggy night, not to talk of when an ominous wind began to throw dirt in their way.

    The driver had no choice but to slam his foot on the brake pedal, bringing the car to a sudden halt. But Asher was too petty to let them go that easily.

    Both of them hardly stepped out of the car when a cracking side was heard causing them to look up with wide eyes.

    They scampered to safety just as two of the tall trees lining the road fell on top of the car reverberating a loud thud as the windows shattered coupled with the roof caving in.

    "That car is haunted! " One of them screamed hysterically and ran off with his partner trailing after him.

    Perhaps Asher would have gloated over their cowardice on other days but right now he was anxious to get to his mate''s place.

    He tried to assure himself that Lia was fine, that Daniel had gotten to her first plus the fact she couldn''t and wouldn''t die, but nervousness still ate at him.

    No weapon at the moment was capable of ending his mate, but what if those witches were able to come up with something?

    Asher didn''t relax until he was finally at her front door as his ears picked up discussions.

    "Trevor listen to me, let me explain"

    The voice was anxious and full of despair but Asher was relieved to know she was okay.

    "Listen to my mate you rude boy or I''ll rip your throat out "

    Yep, that authoritative tone no doubt belongs to the werewolf. It was not surprising Daniel was here before him, he had accompanied their mate home.

    But what in the world happened?

    "No, don''t touch me! "

    That voice surely belongs to that son of a b* tch called Trevor; he would have taught that little kid a lesson if he wasn''t his mate''s brother - he should thank his lucky stars.

    The door opened, taking Asher who was distracted by surprise but Trevor it seems was more startled than he was, clearly, he was about to escape his sister and met him in the process.

    Dressed thoroughly in black, Trevor was scared out of his pants when he saw the vampire in their doorway. He instinctively took a step back as he saw the coldness in his piercing green eyes.

    "I believe my mate was talking to you," He said in a drawl, a strong wind began to blow while the light bulb in the living room flickered as Asher''s eyes glowed.

    He continued to step towards the boy who was beginning to shake like winter came early.

    "You can either sit down or we can do this the hard way, what do you say? " Asked Asher who towered over the trembling Trevor he had backed to a wall.

    He stammered a reply, "I-l s-ssit "

    "Wise choice," Asher said to him just as he made the door slam close while Trevor jumped out of his skin.

    Rex held onto his sister''s waist, her principal was so scary. But why was that evil man staring at his sister with cupids in his eyes? That was creepy.

    He jumped to the side when that evil man covered the distance between them and engulfed his sister in a tight hug?

    Trevor was scared, Rex knew that, but why was their sister not resisting that vampire? Why wasn''t his sister''s boyfriend doing anything to stop him from molesting his sister?

    Another man...that evil vampire that wants to hurt his brother was hugging his girlfriend, yet Daniel was not doing anything? What was going on? Everything was confusing, his head would blow up from thinking too much! He was just a little kid.

    Trevor''s eyes widened in shock, what was going on here? Why were that vampire and his sister hugging like lovers estranged from each other for a long time? Why wasn''t Daniel doing anything?

    "What happened to you? I felt it through the bond, you actually died" Asher asked her as soon as he broke the hug but his eyes full of concern rested on the bloodied tear in her clothe.

    "Someone attacked me " Answered Lia who still couldn''t stop Asher''s hands roaming her body in search of other injuries.

    "Attacked you...?! "

    "Shhh, you would wake my mom " Lia hurriedly hushed him by pressing her finger against his lips.

    She could see the fire burning in his eyes, but her siblings were enough of a problem now. She wouldn''t want to witness her mom''s drama tonight.

    "I found her staked in the heart " Daniel handed the wooden stake to Asher who examined it with a solemn expression.

    "Whoever did this wanted our mate dead" he explained, "A stake to the heart kills vampires and this wouldn''t have had an effect on her in the first place if she was a real hybrid.

    "But in her case, any injury to the heart neutralizes her and unless removed if plunged deeply, she would appear dead "

    "What is going on? " There was confusion in Trevor''s expression, " Mate? Hybrid? What in the world are you guys talking about?" he then settled his disappointed gaze on Daniel

    "And you, how could you allow him to hug - "

    "Sit down kiddo, we would get back to you later " Asher ordered him and when Trevor wanted to protest, remembered how capable that vampire was.

    "Did you see who attacked you? "

    Lia shook her head to Asher''s question, "I couldn''t see her face, she was wearing a hood and a mask"

    "She?" Both of her mates looked at each other surprised, they had been expecting a male.

    " How did you know it''s a she?" Daniel asked his time.

    "I caught a blurry glimpse of her at school once this week because something was striking about her "

    Asher leaned closer, " What is it? What was so interesting about her? "

    "Your eyes, she had the same eyes as you "

 Chapter 181 - One Hundred And Eighty-one : One Down, Whos Next?

    Amala dressed up in a hurry, she was running late for the meeting. Thanks to the death of the young girl named Alexa, it woke the council from its slumber.

    Though it was evident the homicide was done by a human - a very smart, careful human since there was no sign of supernatural tampering - but the ongoing investigation has led to the discovery of buried cases having connections with the Burning Eaglets.

    It seems they haven''t eradicated all of them as initially thought, but it was just a matter of time till they swept that devil spawns out of the surface of the earth.

    Amala''s mind switched to the reason for the meeting tonight :Lia. The girl was more mysterious than she thought, but they weren''t called witches for no reason; magic made the work easier for them.

    The council would be so mystified to find the first time made-hybrid.

    The girl is a mutation, an abnormal creature; a deviation from nature and because they haven''t heard from the horse''s mouth, they still had no idea how she came to be.

    Amala chose her most trusted clan members for this dangerous task and though they would have reported to the council already, they had to be sure of their findings.

    She wasn''t sure if the girl was just unlucky to have such a fate or if she was a threat to the council. So far she hasn''t uncovered any connection with the girl and the Burning Eaglet.

    If anything was wrong, it was the strange relationship she had with the vampire leader of the Nicoli clan and Daniel.

    As far as she knew, Daniel and Asher had never been friends; he hated that vampire''s gut, so why were they both now coexisting?

    Strange, Amala thought, something was definitely fishy. Perhaps, after the secret meeting with her members tonight, she would seek out Daniel tomorrow.

    Now she remembered, the werewolf owed her a favour for healing his pack and she would call in on that; hopefully, Daniel tells her the truth.

    It would be easier getting information from the werewolf considering their closeness, than that scary, smart secretive, creepy yet one hell of an attractive vampire named Asher.

    The door to her room was opened abruptly causing her to whirl around but her eyes widened at what she saw.

    "Zhuri! " Amala screamed in shock as she took in the sight of her clan member bloodied from her head to her feet.

    Zhuri staggered towards her but Amala covered the distance between her with fast strides, just as the girl collapsed to the floor from exhaustion.

    "Zhuri, what''s going on !" She shook the girl whose eyelids were drooping.

    "W- we...were attacked " The girl spoke with a heaving chest, her words coming out in gasps.

    "Attacked? "

    "T-the...b-burning..eaglet attacked ...e-every..body..dead�� me�� " Zhuri couldn''t speak any further as the pain choked her.

    It was true she called a meeting and if everyone had arrived as expected, that means she just lost ten of her best witches save Zhuri . A cold glint appeared in her eyes, the Burning Eaglet dared touch her clan?

    "I-I�� sor..rry�� "

    "Save your breath,I need to heal you" She told the young lady and placed her hand on her chest, beginning to chant a healing spell.

    Amala groaned in pain because the magic took a toll on her too, Zhuri obtained not just surface injuries; some of her organs were destroyed, it was a miracle she was still breathing.

    Once she was done, Amala lay back on the ground exhausted and devastated; she had failed her clan.

    She had failed to protect her people, the very witches she had taken an oath to take care of the day she was appointed leader.

    Yes, investigating and infiltrating Burning Eaglet was dangerous but she had laid down a plan that would minimal damages and loss of life;she was sure of winning! But who knew it would end up this way?

    Amala wasn''t the oldest witch but she was older than the average human was supposed to and she had seen enough of life and battles between the humans and supernaturals.

    She had battle knowledge and experience and powers but it seems she encountered a stronger opponent this time.

    "Your wound must have healed but you''re still weak" She told Zhuri while struggling to her feet, "Stay here and rest, I need to go to the scene and confirm the death of our members with my own - "

    Amala was yet to finish her statement when a knife was plunged deep into her chest swiftly; she spat out a mouthful of blood at once.

    Her eyes grew wild with shock and disbelief, she turned around stiffly with slowness to meet her stabber, Zhuri.

    "W-why?" She asked, hot tears streaked down her cheeks.No matter how much she thought about it, why would Zhuri stab her unless��

    The loud clicking of heels against the marble floor in the passageway brought her attention to the door which opened on its own with a creak as someone strutted into her room confidently.

    Amala took a step back when her eyes settled on the intruder who now welcomed herself by taking a seat.

    " My ladyship " Zhuri acknowledged her presence by bowing.

    "You betrayed me and the council for them! " Amala spat in anger, sending that ignorant fool a hateful look.

    Zhuri smirked at her outburst, her once pale and fearful expression was now full of life; Amala was fooled, she fell right into their trap.

    "Betrayed?" Zhuri scoffed and regarded her with contempt, "I just saw the light, that''s all "

    " You fool! "

    "Even with that injury, you still have quite an energy? I can''t help but applaud you; you''re a worthy opponent "

    Amanda who applied pressure to her bleeding chest retorted," If you had considered me a worthy opponent, you should have faced me head-on!"

    Her ladyship laughed, "Quite true, but you were the first who used undermined method else we would have fought honorably"

    Amala knew she was talking about the spy she had planted, that had been the riskiest and careless move she ever made and now, it cost her a lot.

    The spy they sent was discovered and killed before they could gain any useful information and now, it finally attracted the enemy.

    If she was fit, she could proudly stand her own with this woman. But now, Zhuri had fooled her into exhausting her power in the guise of healing her ; she hadn''t not died yet because she was sustaining herself with her magic.

    The only thing she could do now was buying time till reinforcement arrived, there was no way the rest of her clan members would not have noticed what was happening.

    Amala wasn''t hoping to survive this, but she would do everything to ensure this demoness was captured tonight.

    Suddenly she drew out her drawer with lightning speed, opened a small bottle, removed the cork and poured the whole content down her throat.

    "You''ve really given up on your life tonight " Her ladyship pointed out.

    She was unfazed by the scene, just sat watching and observing her every movement with amusement.

    Her ladyship wasn''t stupid, she had noticed Amala taking backward steps towards her vanity table and had a feeling something valuable was held there, turns out it was just a Reverse potion.

    Just as the name suggests, the potion returns you to your prime form but there was a backlash: accelerated

    aging.

    Depending on the quantity one takes, but once the portion wears off  the victim ages two times their normal age.

    In Amala''s case, it was instant death: she took everything in the bottle, not to talk of the fact she was older than most witches.

    A painful scream was drawn from her lips as the portion began its effect. The pain made her double over, then kneel to ground before crawling on fours.

    Zhuri bit on her lips nervously while watching the scene unsure, why was her ladyship not doing anything?

    Moments later, the ear-piercing scream stopped as Amala stood to her feet but something was different about her.

    Her hair was soft and longer - almost touching her waist - there was not a trace of wrinkle on her face cause her skin was smooth as satin with a youthful and healthy glow.

    Lips pressed together, Amala pulled the knife out of her chest with both hands, determination mixed with vengeance in her eyes.

    She gasped sharply when she retracted the blade successfully. A self-satisfied smile graced her lips which disappeared as soon as she settled her gaze on Zhuri.

    Goosebumps covered Zhuri''s arms as soon as she saw the murderous intent in Amala''s eyes. She panicked and looked towards Her Ladyship for help, but the person in question shut her eyes with her leg crossed over the other, unconcerned.

    Zhuri knew it was game over unless she escaped.

    Gripping the knife the little fool had stabbed her with tightly, Amala hurled it towards her with a spell when she tried escaping, "Occidere!"

    The knife flew towards Zhuri and just before reaching her, duplicated; one stabbing right into her chest while the other pierced into her head and she slumped to the ground,dead.

    "Your turn now !" Amala wasted no time in charging at her ladyship who didn''t move an inch. But just as she tried to take a step, her body began to tremble.

    "No. No. No! " Amala screamed as her hair began to turn white, falling off one after the other; her skin saggy with creases while losing strength in her entire body.

    "What did you do to me?! " She yelled at the calm witch who finally opened her eye.

    "Just made the portion wear off faster, nothing much "

    Amala''s teeth discolored and fell, she was a complete shadow of herself moments ago. Soon, she crumbled to the floor, breathing her last.

    Her ladyship stood to her feet with a sigh while dusting her hands.

    One down, who''s next?.

 Chapter 182 - One Hundred And Eighty-two : Youre Dangerous To Us

    Asher leaned closer, " What is it? What was so interesting about her? "

    "Your eyes, she had the same eyes as you "

    He blinked, taken aback, " What are you talking about? "

    "I''m as sure as x is x, the eyes were the same; I could have taken her for you if not for her scent and body structure"

    Lia told him while struggling to pull her disheveled hair into a ponytail but Daniel took the rubber band from her, offering to help her out.

    "As far as I know, my father has only me, no sister or twin. Even if there exists one, why now? Why attack my - our mate " Asher corrected himself before Daniel would notice.

    But a frown crossed the vampire''s features, he couldn''t help but get bothered by the public display of affection going on; Daniel was taking more liberty than he should.

    "Thank you " Lia barely complimented him for his help when Asher appeared beside her and loosened the already tied hair.

    "What are you doing? " Both Lia and Daniel asked at the same time, surprised.

    "Do you want our mate to go bald at this age?"

    "Huh? "

    He went on " How could you tie-up this unkempt hair without straightening them? " Asher emphasized by pointing at her messy hair which came to such a state as a result of the attack earlier.

    "Do you want her hair to knot? You expect her to lose strands of hair while combing? " Asher fired at Daniel.

    The werewolf opened and closed his mouth, he was overwhelmed by Asher''s questions - he didn''t even know where to begin.

    Lia tugged Asher''s clothes in an attempt to get his attention, "Why are you attacking Daniel, I was the one who asked him to tie my hair? "

    "So? Doesn''t he know it is our responsibility to take care of you? "

    Lia was tongue-tied, her mouth quirked. Do all female mates get this kind of privilege, why didn''t anyone tell her?

    She washed her hands off this case; her mates should settle - this one was over her.

    "Fine, I acknowledge my carelessness towards our mate, so can you show me the right way to do it? " Daniel''s words appeared innocent but the vampire sensed the sarcasm beneath.

    Asher gave him a smug smile, "Fine, watch and learn "

    Trevor and Rex watched the scene with bewildered looks, they had been freaked out by what was going on.

    Lia was unsure what Asher was up-to when he forced her to sit down then went behind her to do God knows what.

    Warning bells went off in her head but she forced herself to calm down, Asher was her mate and would do nothing to hurt her.

    That was what Lia forced herself to believe until she got scalded on the scalp.

    "Ouch " She yelped and tried to stand but he pulled her back to the seat.

    "Sorry, I''ll reduce the temperature," Asher told her but that comment forced her to panic.

    Reduce the temperature? What the hell was Asher doing to her hair? Her gaze rested on her siblings who were watching whatever her mate was doing with their mouth agape; they were shocked.

    "Seriously, stay at a place! " Asher warned her, " If you don''t want me to scald you again "

    Sweat ran down her face, Lia surmised whatever Asher was doing to her involved the use of his fire ability cause she could feel the heat on her scalp and back.

    Suddenly, she felt him begin to comb his fingers through her hair and each time she would try to peak by turning her head to the side, Asher would face it forward.

    "Are you done?" Lia asked unsure when the movements stopped.

    "If you''re done, can I take a glance at your - " She was hardly done with her statement when her hair was over her shoulder, falling right where her eyes could capture his handwork.

    Lia was struck dumb at the sight.

    By chance, did Asher secretly stretch her hair with a hair straightener? Her once scraggly hair was now straight, soft, and fluffy - totally refreshing from her naturally wavy hair.

    " How did - "

    Lia saw it: Asher''s hands were glowing red while heat radiated from it.

    He smiled at her, "You just need to manipulate the temperature "

    Asher could see the admiration in his mate''s eyes and this made him burst with joy inwardly, who knew having a multipurpose ability was beneficial in winning his mate over.

    Lia envied her mate, he could manipulate his abilities unlike her, he was so cool!

    There was an ugly look on Daniel''s face, he was being ignored - it was obvious the vampire was sabotaging their mate''s heart.

    "That''s obviously cheating" Asher heard the werewolf snort by the side contemptuously," If I had the same ability as you, I would have done better "

    "Perhaps, you should have thought of using your claws to loosen those knots in the first place" Asher pointed out and this time Daniel couldn''t defend himself - the vampire won.

    A victorious smirk decorated Asher''s face.

    "Enough! " Trevor who couldn''t take it anymore shot up to his feet angrily, "All of you owe me an explanation not keep me in suspense and waste your attention on unnecessary things "

    "Did you just say taking care of our mate is unnecessary?" Asher was quick to pick on his comment.

    "Our mate is an unnecessary thing?" Daniel followed, anger in his orbs.

    Trevor trembled when he saw the dark, scary looks on the faces of the vampire and werewolf.

    He instinctively took a step back fearfully, he didn''t mean it that way. Trevor was just trying to say they shouldn''t waste their saliva on unnecessary arguments but it came out the wrong way.

    Even Rex shivered, he felt like there was a dark cloud above them and the room temperature just dropped to a minus zero degrees.

    "Oh crap" Lia knew her brother had a shitty mouth but it was clear he didn''t mean it the way her mates were

    taking it.

    Asher and Daniel could take anything - that includes insults, but not one hurled at their mate; to crown it all, her brother Trevor has been pushing their button lately.

    She immediately put herself between her mates and her brother and said. "Daniel, Asher, you both need to leave, now "

    Both looked at her surprised.

    "I need to speak to my family alone without interference from the both of you "

    Lia quickly added, "I''m not trying to say you both are not family - you two mean the world to me - but this? It''s between my siblings and me, and I should have told them the truth a long time ago "

    For a moment there, she thought they would insist on staying behind in case her brother does something stupid, but both of them looked at each other and came to an agreement silently.

    "Fine, he''s your family anyway," Daniel told her and she engulfed him in a warm hug.

    "Thank you " She placed a chaste kiss on his cheeks before facing Asher who had a grim look on his face.

    Lia sighed inwardly, what''s he sulky about now?

    "I''m supposed to have the first hug, you do know I''m a lot older than - "

    She yanked him forward by the clothes and enveloped him fully.

    "Stop being so grumpy, it doesn''t suit you," Lia chided him playfully and tried to peck him the same way she did to Daniel.

    But this greedy vampire knowingly moved his head and her lips ended on his lips.

    Trevour felt his heart stop.

    Rex closed his eyes.

    Daniel growled at him.

    Lia glared at him.

    Asher gloated shamelessly.

    "Y-you " His mate choked and pulled away from him with fire in her orbs and a flush in her cheeks.

    "Let''s leave now, " Daniel ordered through gritted teeth and grabbed him on the collar, beginning to drag him out.

    Look at this kiddo, was he wishing for a death sentence? He ranted inwardly.

    Asher let himself get dragged along but he didn''t forget to give Trevor the "I-ve-got -my-eyes-on-you" gesture before leaving.

    "What the hell is going on? " Trevor questioned his sister sternly as soon as the door was shut.

    Lia took a step forward but he shunned her, " Stay a considerable distance away from me and Rex for the moment "

    Though she was hurt by his attitude, she obeyed and even took two steps back just to establish peace.

    "What are you? "

    She shook her head, " I don''t know what I am, but they say I''m a hybrid - a made hybrid "

    "They?" He looked towards the door, fear still apparent in his eyes, "You mean the vampire and the werewolf?"

    " Yes, precisely "

    "Is that why you''ve been hanging around with the werewolf in the guise of being your boyfriend? Is that why you''re whoring around with the vampire? "

    Trevor''s harsh words cut through her, and this time she couldn''t control her anger and growled at him, exposing her sharp canines defensively.

    "There is no disguise neither am I whoring around, they both are mine!"

    Her sudden outburst made Rex jump out of his skin, he ran towards Trevor who pushed him behind his body protectively.

    Lia who realized what she has done calmed down at once; retracting her canines as she apologized,

    "I''m sorry "

    There was a trace of pain on Trevor''s face as he said, "I know you''re my sister and I swore to protect you, but you''re dangerous to us at the moment "

    "I would never harm you! " She declared firmly.

    "At the moment! " His gaze was fierce," You''re a bloodsucker and that thing called a werewolf..and I have no clue how that is possible; who''s to say that you won''t lose control in the future and harm us unintentionally? "

    "What about you? You talk about me hurting our family, but what about the harm you bring upon Rex by initiating him into Hunters league? "

    Trevor and Rex were taken by surprise, " How did - "

    "Well, unlike you who chose that wrecked weapon, I went for dad''s diaries, ring a bell? "

 Chapter 183 - One Hundred And Eighty-three : Find My Murderer

    Ben turned to the side when he felt uncomfortable, why was he feeling cold? Eyes still shut in deep sleep, he tugged the sheet further closer to his body, but the shivering didn''t stop.

    Suddenly, he felt cold slithery hands roam around his body forcing his eyes to snap open. Ben gulped nervously, there was no need guessing; a ghost was taking advantage of him.

    The creepy hand wandered further into the inside of his shirt, Ben bit down on his lips to stop himself from screaming.

    He cried inwardly, this was so unfair!  What did he do to deserve this cruel fate? Why was life so unfair to him? Why couldn''t he be a vampire? or werewolf? or even a necromancer? That would have been far better than this!

    He didn''t even possess any badass power like his goddess Lia, instead, he got the disturbing ability to commune with the dead - the dead that was harassing him right now.

    Was there a court in the afterlife where he could file for assault?

    The hairs on his body stood on edge when the ghost which turned out to be a female cackled, her spooky laughter rippling through his quiet room.

    He was sure he was the only one who could hear it, else his housekeeper would have been up already, inquiring what was going on.

    Ben Atticus Alc��ntara Junior, you can do this, just tell the ghost to f*ck off like the bold, strong man you are; he resolved inwardly.

    Easier said than done. Bold he was, but strong he wasn''t. Where was his goddess when he needed her?

    "Are you awake pretty boy?" The pervy female ghost suddenly dropped her head upside down into his line of sight from behind him.

    Ben screamed, tossed his cover aside, and climbed out of the bed with lightning speed.

    "Don''t come near me else�� else.. "

    "Else what? " The ghost dared him, letting out a gurgle of delighted laughter. She obviously enjoyed putting him in a tight spot.

    "Else.. else " Come-on Ben you''re smarter than this! Do something, he hit himself at the back of his head to think of an idea.

    Immediately, a light bulb went off in his head and he threatened her though his voice quivered slightly, "Don''t come any closer else, I''ll send you straight to Hades "

    He was right, Ben thought when he saw fear flash across her features.

    Since he was a medium- the bridge between the living and the dead - wouldn''t that mean he has the authority to banish a lingering ghost over to the other side?

    It was strange, why some ghosts remained while some passed over. Ben figured out the lingering ghost probably still had something tethering them to earth and wouldn''t leave until they were fulfilled.

    "Please don''t send me away yet, that bastard still hasn''t gotten his retribution! " The lewd ghost pleaded with him which confirmed Ben''s suspicion of having the power to banish them away.

    But how? Well, he would take his time figuring that one out, at least there was a quirk to this ability of his.

    The fear of being sent away made the ghost stay away from him as far as possible, but that brought up a conversation.

    "How did you die?" Ben asked curiously, so far he hadn''t seen any wound on her body.

    "Like this," She replied and turned around while he saw it: two stab wounds on her back.

    "What happened? "

    "My fianc��, he stabbed me twice on the back, on the night of our engagement party after I caught him exchanging saliva with my sister "

    Eww, that was disgusting yet dramatic and interesting, he could already guess what happened afterward.

    The ghost continued her story and this time, her tone was shaky with emotions as if it all happened yesterday.

    "In a fit of anger, I threatened to expose their abominable deed to everyone, and just when I turned to storm out of the room, he stabbed me with the same knife we used to cut our three-tier cake while my sister watched in shocked silence "

    "Hmm" Ben breathed, this was too soapy to be true but he guessed problems differed according to the individual.

    "So what happened? "

    "I died, that was what happened " She replied sarcastically this time, there was anger in her voice.

    "I mean, your boyfriend and sister? What happened to both of them, were they caught? "

    "Caught my ass " She snorted and rolled her sunken eyes which seemed to dip further into her socket with such a gesture.

    She readjusted her position on the bed, crossing her leg over the other; her leg wasn''t visible, covered by her long flowy white gown.

    "Both of them covered up my death which wasn''t difficult considering the fact he was from a prominent family. The bastard paid someone who admitted his crime, so was able to evade prison "

    There were too many injustices in this world but such was life; one could only take whatever is hurled their way.

    "And your sister? "

    "Happily yet miserably married to him. Jethro is smart, he knows she''s a witness and accomplice to my murder- he would never let her go so she doesn''t turn on him "

    Ben rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Umm, so how many years have you been waiting for err..retribution for your murder? "

    "Fifty years "

    "Alright - wait, what? Fifty years?!" Ben must have heard wrong, she seriously didn''t mean she has been lingering on earth for requital for a whole fifty years?

    Wouldn''t her fiance'' and sister be aged by now, karma should have paid them back already.

    But wait, something was not right.

    "Wait a minute, let me be clear here on something. When you talk about retribution, do you mean the divine retribution or the seeking of retribution by yourself? " Ben just wanted to be sure, thanks to the sickening feeling rising in his belly.

    "I''ve waited all these years for this particular moment " She avoided his question and stood to her feet, floating towards him slowly " The day when I finally find the opportunity to exact my revenge on those two backstabbers "

    Okay, this was a sign that things were about to get down real soon, Ben observed as he continuously stepped back instinctively.

    "Truthfully, I thought of giving up until your news came about " there was a crazed twinkle in her eyes.

    Ben''s lips twisted, nobody warned him about crazy ghosts.

    "And now, through you, I can finally achieve my heart desires"

    "Don''t come near me else I''ll send you to - "

    "Oh please, spare me the excuse" She interrupted him, the fear that once inhabited her eyes gone without a trace.

    "We both know that you don''t get the heck of your powers yet which favors me! "

    The revenge crazy ghost rushed at him with a blurry speed to take over his body while Ben squeezed his eyes shut with his hands shielding his face.

    But something happened��

    Just as she was about to possess his body, another ghost appeared out of nowhere and blocked her path.

    Alexa? He was surprised.

    Both ghosts began fighting each other with loud screeches that made Ben palm his ears with both hands. Thankfully, no properties were destroyed cause they went through it like air.

    Alexa had gained the upper hand earlier during the fight by appearing without warning but now, it was obvious the other ghost was winning.

    Alexa was pushed to the ground where the female ghost began to strangle her causing Ben''s brows to furrow together when he saw the scene, do ghost die a second time?

    She defeated Alexa.

    "At this rate, I don''t need your resistance else it would be a gruesome experience for the both of us" The desperate ghost warned Ben who swallowed nervously, backing into the wall.

    The ghost lunged at him but Ben shut his eyes, waiting for the possession with only one thought in mind "Go home!"

    Almost immediately, there appeared something which looked like a whirling blackish pool in the air which began to draw her towards it, the way a vacuum cleaner would suck in the dirt.

    "No! " The female ghost screamed just as she was swallowed whole into the pool which disappeared with a snapping sound.

    Ben was dumbfounded - scratch that - awed, what just happened? Did he do that? Did he really banish that annoying ghost?!

    "Alexa! " He rushed to help the ghost who was already on her feet. He almost thought she was dead - technically, she was dead anyway.

    "Why are you here? How do you even know my place?  "

    "I followed you after school, remember? Moreover, you are the only one who can see and communicate with me; I wouldn''t let go of such an opportunity"

    Ben didn''t know whether to take that as a compliment; firstly, he almost got possessed; now, a former classmate turned ghost was stalking him?

    "What do you want from me? " The boy asked tiredly. This was the middle of the night and yet, ghosts were tormenting his life.

    "I want you to help me recover my memories, find my murderer "

 Chapter 184 - One Hundred And Eighty-four: Unfilial Children

    "What? Our father wrote about Hunters league? " Trevor was stunned.

    "How is that possible? Mom was the one who first picked up those diaries, wouldn''t she have known? "

    "She probably didn''t understand a thing cause dad wrote it in Latin; I had to translate everything from scrape "

    "And through that diary, you think I''m endangering Rex''s life by letting him into the league? " Trevor asked, mockery in his tone.

    "Stop being such an arse, Trevor! Rex is barely ten years old and you''re letting him enter an organization you barely know a thing about?!" Lia yelled at him.

    "And you know everything about them? "

    "Dad never wanted us to have anything to do with Hunters league which was why we never grew up in Little Town in the first place " She explained.

    Trevor didn''t say anything, just pursed his lips together with his brows narrowed in contemplation.

    "If dad never wanted us in the first place as you claimed, why would he state in his will for us to inherit this house? "

    Lia felt like punching sense into her brother''s head, she couldn''t blame him though; Trevor had no idea that they coming to Little Town had to do with the dark witches manipulations.

    It was strange, why would their father do everything to stop them from coming to this town yet state in his will for them to head down to the same place he despised.

    Something was fishy and Lia had a feeling the Burning Eaglet had something to do with it; she just hoped to God they had nothing to do with their father''s death.

    But she couldn''t tell Trevor about the Burning Eaglet and their interest in her. Lia didn''t trust Trevor anymore, especially now he was hanging around with hunters.

    Her brother loved her and wouldn''t hurt her intentionally but she has no idea who he would spill her secret to and their intention.

    Talking about the Dark witches or the Burning eaglet would bring suspicious stares, not to talk of having a connection to them.

    Until Trevor proved he was worthy of her trust, he wouldn''t know more than she''d told him.

    "Stop feeding me with lies sister! The Hunters League and Council is the reason for stability in Little Town and its environs else the world would have descended into chaos a long time again!" Trevor pointed out, he was so resolute in his belief like someone who had been brainwashed.

    "Why would dad, who contributed hugely to the development of the Hunters league, be against it? "

    "Fine " Lia breathed, " You can carry on with your suicide quest but I would not let you risk my brother''s life "

    She said decisively and was in front of Trevor before he could blink, took hold of Rex, and tugged him towards her.

    "Stay away from him! "

    Trevor gripped her on the shoulder but Lia slipped out of his grasp by twisting her body to the side with astonishing speed.

    Trevor followed after her with determination in his gaze. He swung a blow in her direction to which she responded by meeting his punch straight on with her open palm.

    Her brother cried out in pain when punching her palm backfired on him because an incredible pain shot through his fist; it was like he had punched an iron door.

    "Awesome " Rex exclaimed in astonishment when he witnessed the sheer power released when fist met palm.

    "Are you alright? " Lia went to Trevor''s aid but he pushed her away and instead dragged Rex to his side.

    "Stay away from us at the moment! " Trevor glared up at her, he was still moaning from the pain in his hand.

    "But sister didn''t do anything but defend herself, you were the one who threw a  punch - " Rex shut up when he received his brother''s look of warning.

    " What''s going on here? "

    Their mom''s voice resonated from behind causing their gazes to lock with one another''s before their head  whipped up.

    "Trevor hurt his hands " Lia lied before any of them could speak up.

    "Is that so?" Jenny asked in concern, approaching them.

    Lia and Trevor''s eyes met and locked for a long time as if communicating telepathically.

    "Yes, it appears so " Trevour concurred but that didn''t faze his sister.

    Though he would love telling their mom that her daughter has been messing about with a vampire and werewolf, she wouldn''t believe him unless there was evidence.

    Besides, he stood a risk of exposing himself too- it was not yet time for their mother to know about him.

    Yes, he had been quite scared out of his mind when he got to know that supernatural creatures existed and dwelt amongst them.

    knowing rules were restraining those devil spawns from causing mayhem and the fact there was a capable organization designed to keep those creatures in check, somehow calmed him down.

    But their mom knowing about supernaturals and her children''s entangled association with them would be a nightmare personified; their mother would freak out and next minute, find their way out of this town.

    So he couldn''t just open his mouth and spurt out rubbish no matter how much he wanted to expose his sister.

    "Where did you hit your hand?" His mother asked examining his hand and he winced when she touched his fingers.

    "I''m going to bed " Lia announced, intending to leave when her mom halted her .

    "Why is your clothes torn�� is that blood on your chest ? "

    "No, tomato ketchup " Lia bothered to answer one question and hurried into her room before she could bombard her with questions.

    Jenny might not be smart but she was sensitive and quick to pick up on things especially when it concerns her children.

    Lia kept turning and tossing around in bed the entire night, counting sheep till two thousand yet sleep still didn''t come until the day broke.

    Breakfast that morning was so awkward that one could cut through the tension in the air with a knife.

    Her fight with her mom over Raphael was still unresolved not to talk of the one with her siblings; everyone minded their business.

    "Raphael broke up with me" Her mom was the one to break the silence that was becoming nerving.

    Lia blinked twice, Raphael broke up with her mom? Was that what the annoying vampire had gone to do after her mates beat him black and blue yesterday? The news was so sudden and startling that she didn''t know what to say.

    "That''s err... misfortunate?"

    Liar.

    Lia was relieved that she wouldn''t get to see Raphael and her mother sucking faces anymore, but her mom''s downcast expression made her feel uncomfortable. Was she a bad daughter by feeling happy over her mom''s misery?

    "I''m sorry for yelling at you yesterday?" She summoned the courage and  apologized

    Yes, she had yelled at her mom for a good reason-Raphael was using her - but at the end of the day, she had disrespected her mother.

    "It''s alright as long as you don''t repeat it," Jenny told her before facing her son and asked,

    "Do you care to tell me what''s the problem between the both of you now? "

    Trevor looked up, his hard gaze connecting with Lia''s before he dropped his spoon and stood to his feet.

    "I''m late for school, have a nice day "

    Jenny was flabbergasted, "Late? You still have thirty minutes left beside, won''t you wait for your sister to finish up and drive - "

    "I''ll take the bus " Trevor interrupted her.

    Then Lia, who was busy with her meal, said to her mom briskly.

    "Why are you so worried over a grown man like that? Apparently, he''s old enough to make tough decisions for the family already " She said nonchalantly but her siblings understood the hidden meaning to her words.

    Trevor fired back "Sorry but I have to work harder after all I''m not the principal''s favorite"

    Their gazes clashed and if eyes were bullets, they would have killed each other.

    Jenny was confused, she could sense hostility in the air especially between Trevor and Lia- Rex was on neutral ground- they were hiding something from her.

    Trevor left with a huff.

    "Care to tell me what is going on, Lia? "Jenny decided to try the older one.

    The chair squeaked loudly as her daughter stood to her feet, came around her side, and pecked on the cheeks.

    "See you when I return, have a nice day "

    "Huh? Hey! "  Jenny was stunned how quickly she left. Those kids!

    Suddenly her expression brightened when she realized she still had one of them to interrogate.

    Jenny faced Rex who stopped eating and looked up once her gaze rested on him. She flashed him a warm smile and asked coyly, "Any luck I''ll get something from your side?"

    "When are you taking me to school or should I walk myself?" Rex asked back with a straight face.

    Aish, these annoying kids! How could they dare to hide something from their mom? Didn''t they know about being filial?

    Trevor stomped out of the house, until that sister of his became reasonable and saw reasons with him, he wouldn''t talk to her.

    Lia entered her car grumpily, until that fool learned how to weigh the pros and cons before making an absurd decision, there would be no talking to him.

 Chapter 185 - One Hundred And Eighty-five : The New Boy At School

    Lia banged her locker close but she wasn''t startled to see Ben, she had sensed him moments ago.

    "Well, look who had a great night too," She said ironically.

    One look at his face and one need not be told, Ben hadn''t slept a wink. There were prominent dark circles under his eyes not to mention his red blurry eyes.

    "You don''t look too good either " He pointed out, adjusting the weight of his backpack over his shoulder.

    "Yeah, I was staked in the heart "

    Ben whistled in astonishment.

    "Well, I was assaulted by a ghost last night "

    It was Lia''s turn to whistle in surprise.

    "And then my siblings found out about me "

    "Awesome " Ben commented, "I can imagine the look on Trevor''s face "

    "My brother is a pain in the ass " Lia sighed, running her hands through her hair.

    "Well on my side, Alexa wants me to find her murderer "

    "Alright - Wait, what?! " Lia was shocked, "Which of the Alexa are you talking about? "

    "How many Alexa''s follow Caroline like a swarm of flies? "

    "No way " Lia turned around and checked her side carefully, "Is she behind me at the moment? I heard I hurt everyone within a ten-meter radius around me on that day my powers manifested- I don''t need a vengeful ghost trailing me  "

    "She is, " Ben told her

    Lia jumped out of her position with a scared look.

    "Just kidding" Ben smiled at her, "She''s not here at the moment"

    "Thank God " Lia sighed in relief as they began to find their way to class alongside the hubbub of students.

    "You''ve got badass powers yet you''re afraid of ghosts that wouldn''t even be able to do anything to you unless they possessed my body? "

    "Fighting against something I can''t see? That''s a losing battle " Lia told him.

    "Well " He shrugged, "You don''t need to worry about her, even if she appears around you she wouldn''t be able to remember you anyway "

    Lia stopped walking causing Ben to do the same, "What do you mean? " She asked, confused.

    "Alexa can''t remember anything?"

    "Is that normal for ghosts; the ''die and forget everything you ever loved and cared about'' phenomenon? "

    "Nope," Ben replied, " From what I''ve seen so far, they lose memories of their life after they''ve successfully crossed over. But then the lingering ghosts - "

    Her brows were raised, "The lingering ghost?

    "That''s what I call them, the ghosts that refused to move on "

    Lia laughed, shaking her head, " You have bad naming "

    "Who cares " Ben''s rolled his eyes, " As I was saying before I was interrupted by you, the lingering ghosts - "

    "Lingers " Lia suggested.

    "Fine, the lingers are aggrieved ghosts; normally people who died without warning, murdered or suffered an injustice that led to their painful death"

    "So they are unwilling to move on unless they found justice?"

    "Yep, pretty much that but Alexa in her case is an amnesiac ghost "

    "She didn''t move on yet and forgot her memories, what could be the cause of it? "

    Ben pursed his lips while rubbing his jaw, "It''s quite funny but I think the injuries she suffered before death are the reason for the memory loss or a psychological problem "

    Lia gave him a dirty look.

    "If people can erase their memories because of a traumatic experience, what more ghosts? "

    "I wish you could look at yourself in the mirror while saying that, " Lia told him and began her walk.

    "I look at myself every day and all I see is a handsome intelligent young man named Ben," he said to her smugly

    "I still wonder how you became my friend, I must have been under a spell then "

    Ben blocked her path, "Come-on, let''s think about it logically. The ghost might be dead creatures but they still carry on activities in their brain though not physically but - "

    "Fine, fine " Lia gave in, "Alexa is an amnesiac ghost because she unintentionally erased her memories as a result of shock, satisfied now? "

    Lia walked past around him and continued her journey, no one could thwart Ben when he''s extremely passionate about a case.

    "Also, I discovered something amazing about being a medium "

    Lia snorted," I thought you hated being a medium? "

    He smiled at her, "Yeah, I hated it until I discovered I could banish a ghost to God knows where, so no more possessing my body - happy me " Ben rejoiced.

    "I''m a hundred percent sure that wherever you banished her is probably not the afterlife? " She gave him an intense look.

    He looked away with guilt, "Don''t look at me that way. Banishing and the afterlife, what''s the difference between the both anyway? After all, they are just ghost "

    Ben tried to escape her but Lia was quick to drag him back by the collar,

    "You weren''t chosen to be a medium for no reason. Banishing? Afterlife?  What''s the difference? For all we know, you might have sent that soul to a hundredth level of hell"

    Lia loosened her grip on him when her words sank into his heart, "Those ghosts were once human and are expecting to find peace after living in this unfair world. It''s common to make mistakes but be conscious of the responsibility on your shoulder in case of a next time " She patted him on the shoulder and left for class.

    Ben was troubled, that ghost from last night, had he sent her to a terrible place? He hadn''t thought about it or rather he was afraid of thinking about it.

    Guilt began to eat at him slowly, ever since he banished her yesterday; he hasn''t had peace of mind. Ben felt like he had done something wrong though he saved his body from being possessed.

    With that heavy heart, he went to class, and thankfully it was the same with his goddess.

    "Won''t you come sit over here? " Lia whispered at Ben who was sitting in the next row beside hers leaving the seat  next to her vacant since she was seated beside the window.

    The seating arrangements were styled in such a way that all chairs were aligned in consecutive straight rows with aisles each between two seating areas and all chairs facing towards the front of the class.

    Ben shook his head stubbornly, fixing his gaze on the whiteboard where the teacher had already stopped speaking and went to answer an errand.

    Lia clicked her tongue, deciding to mind her business. If her sidekick doesn''t want to stay beside her, so be it - but It was annoying.

    Her attention was grabbed when the teacher walked into the classroom with an unfamiliar guy.

    "Hi everyone, we have a new student joining us today"

    Lia regarded him slowly: sandy brown hair styled in a quiff and stunning hazel eyes.

    That was all she noticed before dragging her eyes away, her mates spellbinding beauty made everyone else fall in comparison.

    Though she distracted herself by staring out the window, she captured his name, Eric knight.

    "You can choose a seat anywhere " The teacher directed him.

    Lia had expected him to choose the empty seats at the front rows but when their eyes collided and he smiled up at her, she knew he was heading her way.

    She scrunched up her face and looked away, hoping to God it wasn''t another helpless guy captured by her charm again.

    This week Lia had lost count of the love letters smuggled into her locker or the chocolates sent to her desk - she was not complaining about the chocolate though, she and Ben had munched on every single one of them; it was a crime to throw away food.

    Lia was not looking but her senses were sharp, she could sense him moving closer and closer and closer - wait, what?

    "My bad " Ben smiled sheepishly at the boy, gesturing to him to take the seat he just left.

    Eric smiled back and without complaining, sat down on the next row that freakish boy had hurriedly stood up from.

    He knew Ben had occupied that seat on purpose; he had studied about him - the girl''s unwavering friend who was glued to her side, twenty-four hours, seven days.

    Well, he would have to find a way to separate them if he wanted this plan of his to succeed. For now, he would not stand out else he rouses their suspicion.

    Lia laughed at Ben, "I thought you weren''t seating? "

    Ben ignored her, focusing his attention on the teacher while she was amused to her heart content.

    The lesson went smoothly until it ended, Lia was just about to leave when she bumped into someone - the new boy.

    "I''m sorry" He apologized, helping her arrange her books that had fallen to the ground in the process.

    "It''s alright," She told him and took her textbooks which he handed over to her.

    "I''m Eric " He thrust out his hand for a handshake which Lia eyed before taking.

    "Lia''s my name " She enveloped his hand.

    "So I heard, you''re pretty famous around here and I would love to know you " His eyes twinkled as he said that.

    Lia sighed, just as she thought.

    "Look, I get that you''re new here but I like to stay on my own alright? " She told him, walked past him, and left the classroom.

    Eric smirked, acted like the guy who fell in love with the popular girl at school, no one would notice a thing.

 Chapter 186 - One Hundred And Eighty-six: Going Back On My Promise

    "Hey, did you hear about the field trip organized for our class?" Ben took a seat beside his goddess in the cafeteria.

    "Yep" Lia answered.

    How wouldn''t she know, it was the most discussed news right now.

    "My sixth sense is telling me something is fishy" Ben made his observations "Doesn''t the trip seem abrupt, moreover three days in Kinney village?"

    "Why? What''s suspicious about it?" The hybrid asked uninterestedly, her attention focused on the burger she was munching on.

    "Shouldn''t I be asking you that after all, the principal is your boyfriend".

    Lia rolled her eyes, "Boyfriend or not, unless Asher wants to tell me something, I can never get a secret out of his mouth".

    "So you''re trying to say that even during��" He wriggled his brows suggestively and continued, "You can''t get anything from him?"

    Lia froze, her face distorted into an ugly one.

    "Get out of here". She began to throw food at him which he did his best to avoid.

    "Fine, fine,I''m sorry" Ben raised his hand in surrender, laughter still playing at the corner of his mouth.

    Her face was burning with embarrassment, this guy was getting on her nerves. Just how in the world did he become her one and only friend? How many times has she even asked that?

    "I''m not trying to pry but for how long would you give your mates blue balls?"

    "Mates"She glared yet corrected him.

    "Exactly"

    "I''m not about to narrate my sex life to you for your research purposes". She told him firmly.

    "It''s not about my research purposes - though I would love to add that - but the point is, just have a threesome if it''s that hard making a choice"

    Ben saw that coming and lucky him, dodged it on time.

    But it was not so lucky for the boy-no scratch that -man who got hit after Lia hurled her water bottle at him.

    "Lia Darlington, meet me in my office in two minutes" Commanded Asher who had walked into the cafeteria to observe the environment and got hit in the process.

    Lia hid her face in embarrassment, all eyes were on her, not to talk of the fact her mate was going to torture her today.

    Ben who couldn''t hold it anymore burst into laughter earning an intense glare from her.

    "Ben, your days are numbered". She threatened him.

    "Sure, I''m so scared" He teased her but what he never expected was for his goddess to snarl at him with scary canines and all when no one was looking.

    He almost fell off his seat from fear.

    Ben was still calming his beating heart when his most feared vampire at the moment occupied the seat beside him, Dan.

    Their eyes met, his throat dried up.

    "Why do you reek of fear, did you do something wrong again?" The vampire asked in a calm voice but to Ben, it felt like hidden knives were coming his way if he answered positively.

    He shook his head.

    "Good".

    Dan''s gaze rested on the half-eaten food on the cafeteria table, guessing it belonged to Lia who he met in the hallway with a downcast look on her face.

    "What did you order?"

    "Nothing yet" Ben answered briskly, "I don''t have an appetite"

    "But I have an appetite"

    "Then I''ll get food for you"

    "Get food for both of us"

    "Huh?" Ben was confused, why was he suddenly nice. The last time they both had an encounter, he threw him off a train and Everest where he almost died.

    What''s the vampire up to now?

    Lia had the urge to bang her head against the wall, of all people why did that bottle hit Asher?.

    Unknown to her, Asher was in his office waiting for his mate to arrive with a sly smirk. That bottle wouldn''t have hit him if he hadn''t manipulated it his way; best him than a human being hit, right?

    Outside his door, Lia took a deep breath before grabbing the doorknob and walked into her mates office.

    "You''re late," He told her as soon as she stepped foot into his office.

    "I''m sorry, principal Asher," She said without thinking.

    "Plus three"

    Her face scrunched up, confusion was written all over, "I don''t understand"

    "Your punishment increased, that''s what it means" he informed her.

    Lia was flabbergasted," What did I do wrong to accumulate such punishments? "

    "Number one: you hit me in the face with a water bottle " he pointed to his left eye which had healed already.

    "That was a mistake, " she defended herself.

    "You should have thought of that before throwing it, what if you had hurt a human?"

    Lia wanted to speak more but she couldn''t, why does this vampire always have the upper hand in every one of their arguments.

    "Secondly: You came late"

    "I -"

    "Shhh". He gestured to her to speak no more. " I said two minutes, you came five minutes later"

    "How sure are you that I arrived five minutes later"

    His brow quirked, "Are you trying to say I''m a liar?"

    "No, that''s not -"

    "Plus four"

    Lia was flabbergasted, this was so ridiculous; this was bullying. Why was he increasing her punishments just because she complained?

    "I''m not going to take this"

    "Are you rebelling against your mate?"

    "Rebelling? No -"

    "Plus five"

    "Ugh!" She groaned in frustration, "Do whatever you want!"

    She turned around to leave with anger but the moment she opened it, the door slammed close of its own volition - Asher.

    "You know that won''t stop me if I really want to��." The rest of her words trailed off when a strong force pulled her towards him.

    "You were saying?"

    Gosh, Lia wanted to punch that smugness off his face but she couldn''t afford to damage his pretty face- her heart wouldn''t take it.

    "Let me go" She demanded but he grasped her waist tighter.

    "I heard you''ve been receiving chocolates from men that aren''t your mates? "

    Lia gulped, his eyes didn''t leave her as he asked that question. Why was her heart beating so fast?

    It was just chocolate, why was he making it seem like she committed adultery?.

    "They indeed gave them to me, but Ben was the one who gathered and ate them" She clarified with her head raised high and her heartbeat steady.

    If her heart missed a beat or sweat break out on her face, Asher would know she was lying.

    "Really?"

    "Really."

    "Alright then, have a seat " Asher let go of her leaving her surprised.

    "Aren''t you going to punish me?"

    "I would but I have important stuff to discuss with you; don''t you know, business before pleasure"

    Her mate was definitely bipolar , his mood swings were unexpected and dramatic.

    She proceeded to take a seat as he commanded when he gave her a dirty look.

    "What now?" Lia felt crying, what did he want from her now?

    "Come here" He beckoned her near.

    With a skeptical expression, she came to him slowly and cautiously, wondering what he had in mind.

    Asher lifted her off her feet and placed her on his laps, she astride his hips facing him.

    She wriggled out of the weird position but his warning gaze stopped her.

    It was a total fallacy, this wasn''t business before pleasure but pleasure during the business.

    "I''m sure you must have heard about the field trip?" Asher asked her with an expressionless face, he was not bothered by their disturbing position.

    "Yes, I did and Ben thinks you''re up to something"

    "That boy is too smart for his good, and yes, he''s right. The whole field trip was orchestrated so you could go to Kinney village; you need to tame your wolf "

    "That''s... wow". Lia was touched.

    She wasn''t dumb enough not to know her mother wouldn''t let her out of her sight unless with a reasonable excuse such as this one.

    "Thank you" she greeted him, "To the both of you, thanks a lot" Lia smiled gratefully at Asher, but would he be satisfied with just a smile?

    "You know you''re leaving tomorrow". He reminded her just as his hand moved to her thigh causing her to shiver.

    "Yes, I am" She gasped.

    "All alone with the werewolf"

    "I''ve been alone with you all these while" Lia pointed out.

    Asher''s eyes darkened, he placed his hand on the small of her back and pressed her flush against his chest.

    "I can''t be with you all the time," His mate told him, trying to create more space between them all to no avail.

    "I''m getting increasingly greedy for you, thinking of going back on my promise"

    Lia was bewildered, this can''t happen else her mates might fight each other to death just to have her.

    "No, you can''t do that"

    "Why can''t I ? We can leave here and go where the werewolf can''t even find us" Asher argued.

    "I would love to do that but I can''t, my family still needs just as you need and just as Daniel does"

    She clasped his face, "I know it''s not easy for the both of you but it''s not easy for me either, my heart hurts just at the thought of leaving one of you"

    Asher blinked, "God, I''m sorry. I got carried away by my emotion"

    Lia silenced him with a deep, passionate kiss that lasted a very long time, pulling away because she needed air.

    Asher''s mouth tugged to the side while his eyes twinkled.

    Lia shivered, she didn''t like that look.

    "Come to my place tonight for your punishment "

    Her heart missed a beat, she knew it.

    "What if I don''t come?"

    He grabbed her bottom, moved her against his erection, and nibbled her earlobe

    "You would"

 Chapter 187 - One Hundred And Eighty-seven: Awakened

    Inside an empty room filled with fluorescent light, was a girl screaming her lungs out as visions upon visions flooded her head.

    "How long is she going to remain like this?" Roman asked the overlord whose gaze rested on the dark-haired girl who had her hands to her ear and screaming continuously.

    "As long as she masters and understands her vision," said Gazia, the council''s overload for Little Town since they had their branches all over the world.

    "Wouldn''t it kill her" Roman inquired with a hint of panic, "She''s been like that for months now"

    "What doesn''t kill her makes her stronger. If Cassie dies, then she isn''t worthy to be the next seer"

    Roman couldn''t help but stare at the young girl once again with concern in his eyes. The space she was confined in was made with see-through glass, so they could monitor her activities closely.

    So far, the only progress the girl has made was speaking in languages no one could understand - complete gibberish known to her alone as Gazia had called it.

    Her spirit was still in control and until body and soul connected and became one, she would remain this way and eventually die - her body wouldn''t be able to bear the stress.

    "I''m curious though Roman, have you caught feelings for the girl in your care?"

    "Of course not '' He lowered his head in fear,". I''m just concerned over her life " He answered her.

    "Then let it remain that way, cause when the young seer awakens, she wouldn''t need any form of distraction "Gazia informed him sternly.

    Roman understood her hint, he shouldn''t fall in love with the yet to be awakened seer so as not to distract her from her duties.

    Who was he anyway? The overlord''s errand boy and though some witches envied his position, he wished for his freedom.

    "Keep me updated on her progress " The overlord instructed him, "I have a meeting to attend to " she sighed and left.

    "Hey," Roman said to her though he knew she couldn''t hear him, he loved keeping her company.

    Leaning against the tempered glass walls, he watched her fight against her internal torments.

    "It''s another day today - a bright new day to be exact; the sun is hot today and the birds of course chipping as always "

    His gaze softened, "How long till you see them? It''s been two months already "

    Her incomprehensible raving answered him.

    Disappointed, his head dropped and he brought his knees up to his chest, what was he expecting?

    "My heart! " He exclaimed from shock when he turned around, only to see the girl hitting the glass repeatedly but what stunned him was not her white eyes but the words coming from her mouth.

    "When she rises, death and blood follow her trail," Cassie said six times in a row and slumped to the ground.

    Roman froze, he could hear her words. Has she, by chance, awakened? The overlord has to hear this!

    The young man hurried out of the room to inform his mistress of the good news.

    ---------------------

    "Earth we came and the earth we shall return to " Her dreary voice pierced through the graveyard

    Sabrina watched as eleven open graves were sprinkled with a handful of sand.

    It was still unbelievable; the death of Amala. Everything happened too quickly, it was still surreal to everyone who had come to witness the burial of the legendary witch and ten of her capable members.

    No doubt, this was the doing of the Burning Eaglet, this catastrophic event opened everyone''s eyes: The dark witches were back and stronger.

    She and Amala had never been friends coupled with the fact she took away her powers - as everyone thought - but she had never wished her evil.

    Once death was involved, there was nothing like bearing grudges; she was here to show her last respect.

    "Let the fire light your path " The four standing bonfires surrounding each grave hissed and burned brighter.

    The mass burial was being held by the surviving members of the falcon coven. Since both the leader and her assistant had been killed, one of them was elected by their members to conduct the burial.

    "Let the wind direct you to the right path" she called as a gust of wind flew about, tossing everybody''s hair for a while.

    "Water to refill your thirst " The woman summoned a momentary drizzle with her magic.

    This procedure was customary for witches once dead, for their soul to find peace and successfully cross over to the afterlife while their magic returns back to earth to be renewed- they came with nothing and shall leave with nothing.

    The woman closed her eyes and muttered some incantations, her words a piece of incoherent music to the ears.

    "Rest with the gods now " She finally said and stood from her kneeling position.

    This scene was very familiar to Sabrina; the death of her family, coven members? In fact, she was now comfortable with death, everyone must surely die - even the immortal vampires would surely meet their end one day.

    Able-bodied men, naked from the waist up and wearing pants began to fill the graves with sand drawing sobs

    and devastated grieving from the crowd.

    "No, this can''t be true yet! My mother is not dead, give me back my mother!?"

    One of Amala''s daughters cried, almost throwing herself into the grave had the crowd not caught her on time.

    Because they were murdered, they were all buried quickly to calm the grievance in their heart else they linger on earth in search of vengeance instead of finding peace.

    Well, she had done her part.

    Sabrina left the graveyard, away from the uncontrollable sobs and gloomy auras, she needed some positivity right now.

    "Aren''t you tired of tailing me already?" She asked after waking a safe distance away from the graveyard.

    "You''re too sharp for a witch, I wonder if you secretly have enhanced sensory organs? " Raphael emerged from his hiding place.

    She scowled at home," Unlike you night creatures, our sixth sense works just fine "

    "And I hope my request works just fine? "

    "Is still under preparation, cut me some slack "

    Raphael smiled, approached her, and gripped her jaw, tilting her face forward, "Don''t play games with me Sabrina"

    His gaze darkened just as his grip tightened," Trust me, you can''t win "

    She pulled away, "Why don''t you come and have a look then "

    --------------

    Lia returned to her table and was surprised to see Ben and Dan together, what a weird combination. Ever since Sabrina lost her powers, Dan took out his anger on the poor boy.

    "If you''re here to torture him, then you should know that''s not going to happen - not in my watch, " Lia told the vampire straightforwardly

    "Who said anything about torturing him?" Dan asked her, his gaze moved to the usual tight-lipped Ben," Did I torture you? "

    Ben shook his head but Lia knew he was lying, she had been with him for months now and could sense his mood, and right now, he reeked of anxiety.

    But her attention was grabbed when Caroline entered the cafeteria with that new boy, what was his name again��. Eric, yes Eric.

    Enemies were bound to meet on a narrow road, that fact was true cause the trouble maker approached their table.

    "Here we go again" Lia mumbled under her breath exasperatedly. Some people were just born to annoy others.

    "The murderer; freak; and the mysterious celebrity" She categorized them in one breath.

    They ignored her.

    "Hi, Lia" Eric smiled up at her.

    "Hi, Eric " Lia replied for pleasantry''s sake.

    Caroline intertwined her hand with Eric''s much to their surprise, but what shocked them more was when Dan spoke up.

    "I''ll be careful with that hand if I were you, someone used the toilet without washing "

    Ben choked on his glass of water while Lia''s mouth quirked helplessly. An uneasy look could be seen on Caroline''s face while Eric''s face widened in shock.

    How did he know what he was thinking? Eric was a smart kid and with the information, he had gained lately, figured out he was dealing with a telepathic vampire. Alexa had not listed him, seems the both of them didn''t communicate that much.

    "Excuse me, but do you bear a grudge against me? Why would you lay such an accusation against me without proof?"

    "Do I need a grudge to hate you? Besides, I know I''m right, you''re just not man to admit it " Dan retorted without saving his face.

    "Let''s go " Caroline pulled him away but everyone could see she was cautious with that hand.

    "That was�� eww! " Lia commented, thanking her lucky God she had not shaken those hands.

    "Stay away from that boy, " Dan said to her abruptly.

    "Alright - wait, why? "

    "Thankfully, I''m not the only one who gets paranoid with boys around you, " Remarked Ben who had been quiet all these times.

    "I don''t shiver, but goosebumps filled my arms when I tried to get into his mind. Don''t just stay but flee away from him "

    Lia frowned," Is he a supernatural? "

    "I don''t think so but take my advice; sometimes humans are more dangerous than the feared supernatural "

 Chapter 188 - One Hundred And Eighty-eight : The Last Night

    "What are you doing?" Judith whispered to Ryan who hugged her waist before turning her around to face him.

    "Shh, I missed you" He replied and took her lips in his.

    "This is not the place for - " Judith who had pulled away from the kiss had her words swallowed again.

    They both were so immersed in their passion that Ryan didn''t hear the Alpha coming until he was dragged away by the collar.

    Judith was surprised but burst into laughter when he saw her mate being manhandled by Daniel.

    Yeah, the news was shocking. But it was astonishing, how they had found each other before discovering they were mates.

    "How''s the arrangement going?" Daniel asked his beta who had a sullen look on his face.

    Yeah, he could relate. Staying away from their mate was like stopping an addiction, it was hard to live with.

    Right now, he wished to just have Lia in his arms and show her how much she meant to him but he had to be patient - It was tomorrow, a whole three days with her.

    His biggest torment would be stopping his wolf from taking control and taking their mate - he has to put on the whole armor of control.

    Yes, it was true Lia belongs to both of them - he and his wolf - but he was the master while his wolf was in

    Submission to him and that was what he had to teach his mate - how to put her wolf into submission.

    "Their living quarters has been taken care of "

    "Good" Daniel complimented him, taking a seat in the swivel chair in his office.

    "What about the girl, would she - ?"

    "She would stay with me "

    "Wouldn''t that raise envy and suspicion amongst her classmates?" Ryan expressed his fears.

    "Don''t worry about that, I have everything prepared for tomorrow. The only thing you should worry about is security"

    "There hasn''t been any movement from Tristan''s pack "

    "Trust me, he wouldn''t move now. The best time to strike would be after the students arrive in the village "

    "Harming humans? Isn''t he afraid of offending the council?"

    Daniel took a deep breath, "That''s the problem, I don''t know what''s going on in that head of his "

    "He wouldn''t dare "

    "Still, strengthen the security at the border " Daniel reminded him, "Also, Asher would be sending his men too for extra security, they would come alongside the students "

    Ryan''s nose scrunched up in disgust.

    "Welcome them warmly" Daniel added, "Please" but it sounded more like an order than a request.

    Unlike him who was now buddies with Asher, his pack was not yet receiving towards vampires due to their bad blood.

    Moreover, during history, vampires and werewolves were natural enemies; they were each other''s nemesis.

    If it wasn''t for the fact Mates was quite a delicate and sensitive issue between species, he would have gotten rid of Asher long ago and kept Lia for himself- the winner takes it all.

    "I just hope they behave "

    "They would behave if you don''t provoke them" Daniel pinned his beta with his knowing look.

    Ryan looked away with a guilty expression - the alpha already knew what he was thinking.

    Werewolves were prideful, hormonal, and temperamental aasholes who would try to show their dominance.

    Daniel was sure, two or three fights would break out before the field trip was over - he was prepared for it.

    "Fine, let them come"Ryan gave in, yet the anticipatory gleam in his eyes couldn''t be hidden.

    Meanwhile...

    "Mom, are you going to sign the slip or not?" Lia asked for the umpteenth time.

    "I''m still thinking" Her mom responded.

    "You can''t seriously be thinking when the event is tomorrow" Lia was bewildered.

    All students were expected to submit that slip as evidence of their parent''s or guidance''s consent before entering the bus that would take them to Kinney village.

    Though Lia could forge her signature or get Asher to help her out, she doesn''t want her mom tracking her down to Kinney because she didn''t grant her permission to leave - that would be so embarrassing.

    "Isn''t Kinney village where your boyfriend lives?"

    "Ugh" Lia rolled her eyes vexed, "Mom, I''m going for a field trip not honeymoon"

    "Your boyfriend is the chief of the village you''re about to go for a field trip, he could use his influence to -"

    "Mom, nothing is going to happen between Daniel and me! And even if something does happen, I''m an adult and old enough to take responsibilities for my actions "

    "Tell her sister!" Rex who was working on his homework cheered her on.

    "You don''t understand, I don''t want you to end up like me " She spoke out her concerns.

    Jenny finished high school, but the same couldn''t be said for her university education because she was heavy with a baby - her daughter, Lia.

    "Mom, if you''re that worried about me, just give me a pack of protection"

    "A Pack?!" Jenny was bewildered while

    Lia''s mouth twitched, her mom was hyping her words - She requested a pack, just for extra protection so Jenny could be at ease.

    Who knew she would misunderstand her?

    Jenny''s eyes were wide, "How active are you two?"

    "Why use protection? I''m in urgent need of a cousin" Rex chimed in, eliciting a glare from both mother and daughter.

    Was this loyal idiot dousing out the fire or adding more fuel to the flames?

    Lia understood her mother''s concern, as the first and only daughter, her mother had high expectations for her. Getting pregnant in high school? that

    was not her plan for her daughter!

    "Mommm" Lia whined, throwing a childish tantrum.

    "Fine," Jenny gave in at last," You''re very hard to resist, " She told her daughter who was jolly with excitement, watching her mother sign the slip.

    "Here "

    Lia took the paper from her mother, kissed her on the cheeks, "I love you mom, thanks a lot" and ran into her room, throwing herself on the bed.

    Problem solved, her next objective: Visit Asher for her punishment.

    Trevor was still not talking to her and though she pretended not to give a damn about his opinion, it still hurt her.

    Well, after the field trip, she would have a heart to heart discussion with him.

    Lia stayed awake till everyone was asleep before sneaking out of the house. She just hoped to God that the dummy she constructed on her bed was enough to fool her mom if she did check up on her during her absence.

    Asher it seems was prepared for her tonight, the moment she was about to ring the doorbell, the door was opened on the inside.

    "Wow! " Was all she muttered at his readiness.

    "Come in " He opened the door for her the way a true gentleman would.

    Lia looked around and was startled to discover that the damages from yesterday had all been repaired. It didn''t look like there was any damage at all - the power of money.

    "A beautiful flower for a beautiful lady," He said with this sultry tone and brought a beautiful yellow flower to her view.

    But just when she thought he would give it to her, Asher lifted the flower and put it in her hair, just over her ear.

    "Beautiful" He exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with pride while she blushed furiously, why was he being so cheesy tonight?

    "You''re weird tonight "she observed

    "How so?"

    "Am I not  here for my punishment?"

    His lips lifted, "What type of punishment were you expecting, then ?"

    Her cheeks became red," I-I.. I-I..d don''t understand" she stammered miserably.

    His hands snaked around her waist and pressed her against the length of his body, her heart skipped a beat.

    "Liar" He accused her, his hand trailing down the small of her back, "You''re just too shy to say it " he whispered into her ears, grazing his canines briefly against the top of her ears.

    Lia''s heart was slamming against her chest, this was a slow seduction and he was enjoying every bit of it.

    "Asher" She called him breathlessly.

    "Hmm?" He made a deep sound from his throat while dropping butterfly kisses on her neck.

    She said in sharp gasps, "My legs are weak, I don''t think I can stand much longer "

    He chuckled, the sound a music to her ears, "Who said anything about standing? "

    Eyes closed, eyes closed; she was in his room. How did he ��.oh, he sped.

    He sat upright on the bed, relaxing against the headboard with her on his laps. The room was dimly light with colored light giving a romantic ambiance to the room.

    Her body was on fire, her mother was worried about Daniel - if only she knew there was another person she had to look out for.

    Lia met his eyes full of desire and shivered, he was undressing her with his dark orbs.

    " Lia "

    Even the way he called her name sent tingles down her spine.

    "I want to love you tonight "

    " But you - "

    "Shhhh" He silenced her with his finger, letting it stay there as he finished the rest of his speech.

    "There are several other ways  I could satisfy you without the full-on mating "

    Her eyes widened, of course, she wasn''t a novice.

    He let go of her lips slowly.

    "Do you trust me ?"

    "Yes," She answered without a doubt.

    " Then let''s begin "

 Chapter 189 - One Hundred And Eighty-nine : Do You Love Me

    It had been a very err.. productive night? Lia lay against Asher spent, she couldn''t move a muscle, he had made sure of it.

    How many times did they go at it? Forty? Forty-nine times? She couldn''t exactly tell.Sadly, no matter how strong and capable she was, Lia still couldn''t match Asher''s stamina; the vampire''s a monster.

    They were both naked under the sheet and she had never been happier than now - while pushing the thought of her mom finding out about them to the back of her mind.

    "Why are you not asleep?" Asher asked her, putting his hand into work by continuously stroking her hair without tiring.

    After her boobs, Asher''s favorite place on her body was her hair; he just liked feeling his hand through it.

    "What about you?" Lia asked back," Why are you not asleep"

    "Dumb head, I''m a vampire I don''t sleep unless you''re willing to incapacitate me" He chided her playfully.

    "I''m curious about something though," She inquired, looking up at him with her chin resting on his chest

    "What is it? "

    Her hand moved beneath the sheet, traveling and searching down until it enclosed around his erection which throbbed to a remarkable length.

    Asher released a sharp breath," Don''t bite more than you can chew, Lia "

    She pulled her hand away but unknown to her, put her mate in a dilemma, Asher now wanted her hand back on him; it seems the latter was better.

    "I thought you''re an undead creature, why is that thing still pulsating with life?"

    He frowned, "I find the use of "thing " offensive, call it another name "

    "No way " Lia blushed, trying to get away from him but he didn''t let her move an inch.

    "That''s your punishment,"

    Lia cried mentally, this was bullying. How did she get a mate like this? He was so strict.

    Knowing he won''t let her go until she did as he commanded, Lia started

    "Manhood?" She cringed calling that one.

    "Old-fashioned, try again " he refused.

    "Member?"

    Asher gave her the look, "Member of what? Member of Little Town? Member of my clan? I don''t understand"

    Her vampire mate pretended not to know what she meant.She had a feeling he was doing this on purpose, making things difficult for her.

    " Prick?"

    Asher chuckled," Funny " his tone and expression changed into a serious one, "But no "

    There was one word left in her mind but it was so embarrassing, there was no way on earth she was going to call that out.

    "Fine, let me drop some hints to jumpstart your brain" He pulled her closer against his chest and bent his head, whispering into her ears, "Think of something naughtier yet sexy, your time starts now "

    Her heart began it''s drumming, she was nervous and Asher knew that, he had a smug look.

    "Before the count of three; one��..two ..."

    " C-co-cc "

    She found it hard to pronounce but Asher didn''t care.

    "Two ��.thre- "

    "Cock! " She said it more forcefully than intended.

    He smiled and smoothed her hair, "That''s my girl "

    Lia bit down on her lips aggrieved, if only he wasn''t her mate, she would have beaten the hell out of him; but she couldn''t afford to damage that handsome face.

    "Next"

    "Next?!" Lia yelled from shock, "There is another one, isn''t my punishment over? "

    Asher reminded her in a mocking tone," Plus five, ring a bell ?"

    Lia swallowed, her mate was indeed prepared for her tonight, what had she gotten herself into?

    "Fine, what do you want me to do?"

    "Rephrase your question with the cock this time "

    A blush stained her cheeks.

    "Why are you suddenly shy? When you touched me there earlier, you were bold" He goaded her.

    "Ithoughtyou''reanundeadcreaturewhy isyourcockstillpulsatingwithlife?" The agitated mate rushed the sentence in one breath.

    Asher laughed at her, she was so cute with her angry and flushed look.

    "What''s so funny?" She hit him on the chest but it didn''t affect him at all.

    "Fine, the answer to your question"

    Lia calmed down for the long-awaited answer.

    "I have no clue "

    "What?"

    "You heard me right. If you''re that curious, go and seek the moon goddess"

    Lia felt like she was drenched with cold water, she had done all those things for a question that had no answer and Asher knew that; he made a fool of her.

    "You old fox!" She charged at him but her mate had foreseen her attack.

    Asher grabbed both of her hands and forced her to her back, lying on top of her - she couldn''t move beneath him.

    He cocked a brow at her, "Should we continue where we stopped?"

    "Wait"

    He stopped, confused.

    "Do vampires get pregnant?"

    Asher was dumbfounded, was that important to her this moment?

    "How do you think I came about?" He deadpanned but continued nevertheless, "Pureblood vampiress give birth but converted don''t "

    He saw the horror on her face, was she worried about a child? They haven''t even mated yet. Asher was amused, his mate was behaving like someone who purchased a bed without a house yet.

    "So you''re trying to say I won''t have a child?" She questioned, just as he expected.

    "You''re a hybrid Lia, I can''t really tell. But all I can assure you is that if you end up choosing me- child or not - I''ll love you for eternity "

    Lia was stunned, she blinked to confirm she wasn''t dreaming- It was so touching.

    "Really?"

    "Without a doubt "

    She pulled his head down and kissed him, "Thank you" But Asher was more interested in the kissing than the compliment.

    Lia rolled him over but he didn''t budge which made her pull away from him with a questioning look.

    "You''ve been in control recently, I want you in submission tonight," Asher told her in a straightforward manner leaving her with no choice but to give in as he dove down for the prize.

    Lia gasped when he took her breast in his mouth, licking and grazing those buds till it was erect.

    "My God" she moaned as her mate stimulated her breast with his mouth while his hand fondled the other.

    Lia didn''t know what to think - no, she couldn''t think, the pleasure was clouding her brain.

    Her hand gripped his hair tight, she didn''t know whether to push him away or just pull him closer.

    Asher swallowed her whimpers as soon as he left that part while his hand trailed downward causing her to shiver.

    "Look at me " He commanded her.

    His gaze burned into hers while Lia tried her best not to close her eyes from passion.

    "Don''t take your eyes from me"

    She stared at his beautiful face, his penetrating orbs holding her spellbound just as he caressed the skin of her inner thigh.

    Her pulse raced, Lia wanted to just close her eyes and savor this feeling but for some reason, she couldn''t.

    "Just follow my voice" His deep sultry voice guided her.

    His mate moaned, arching her back when his finger found her.

    "Asher " She cried out when his fingertip traced up and down her labia, her nails scraping along his back.

    "Do you love me?" He asked while working her.

    Her head swam and all she just wanted to do was throw her head back as the pleasure course through her but she couldn''t, her eyes were fixed on her mate.

    "I-I don''t know - "

    Asher stroked her faster, he was unsatisfied with her answer.

    "Yes...yes, I do ��.I love you, Asher" Lia had no choice but to agree, her hips bucking as the sensation from her body overwhelmed her.

    He didn''t give her time to catch her breath and used his fingers to stroke, twirl, tease, torture her until the pleasure built and she came with a loud cry.

    Asher broke his spell on her and kissed her deeper and much longer till she almost passed out from suffocation.

    Lia couldn''t believe it, what just happened? It was so crazy - deliciously crazy.

    "And I love you too" She heard him say, his teeth skimming along her neck while her heart hammered against her chest.

    They both confessed to each other? God, this was crazy.

    "Go to bed, you have a field trip tomorrow-you have barely three hours for sleep," He said to her, gathering her naked body into his arms, spooning her.

    "Whose fault is that?" Lia pouted, though Asher couldn''t see it since she had her back to him.

    "One more word and I''ll continue from where we stopped" Came his warning which she didn''t take for granted, her mate hardly joke with his words.

    And so, Lia slept without complaining, forgetting she had left a dummy in her place.

    Her alarm woke her up.

    With drowsy eyes she lifted her phone to her face only to discover it was six in the morning.

    Lia''s scream tore through the room.

    "Why didn''t you wake me up?!" She flung her mate''s arm which was around her waist away and hurried to her feet.

    "I love seeing the panic on your face, you look cute " He commented, receiving a heated glare in return.

    Shit, Lia cursed. Her mom could be in her room any minute - If she wasn''t already.

    "Nice ass by the way, " remarked Asher who was lounging on the bed- chin in his palm- watching her in all her naked glory as she searched for her scattered clothes.

    Lia ignored him, there was no time to quibble with that naughty vampire; her future was at stake here.

    "Where''s Dan?!" She asked after dressing up.

    "He''s down-"

    She didn''t wait for the rest of his words and zoomed downstairs, coincidentally bumping into the said person.

    "Quick, send me home else I''ll be grounded for life - "

    Lia was still talking when she felt her environment blur and changed. She blinked twice, what the f*ck.

    She was home - specifically, in her room.

    How did that happen even happen, Dan didn''t even touch her?

    The door snapped open.

    "What are you standing there for?! Hurry up!"

    "Yes, mom! "

    Whoah, that was close.

 Chapter 190 - One Hundred And Ninety: Journey To Kinney

    With his face scrunched up, Dan walked into the room that spoke of Asher''s joyful hanky-panky with his mate last night.

    Those two were beast, their amorous grunts and moans had filled his ear last night even though the room was soundproofed.

    "Have you sent her home?" Asher asked without turning his back, having sensed him.

    "Yes I have, but she would hassle me later for an explanation as to how I teleported her away without contact " Dan informed him.

    "If my mate asks? Explain without murmur, she''s your future mistress if things go as planned" Asher ordered his right-hand man while dressing up.

    For a moment there was silence save the ruffling sounds of his clothes as he went through his wardrobe until Dan asked him

    "When are you going to tell  her?"

    "Tell her what ?" He tossed a shirt away from the shelf of his walk-in closet.

    "About your second ability"

    His movements stopped, eyes fixing on Dan through the mirror and answered.

    "She would know when the time comes "

    "And if she thinks you somehow compelled her into liking you?"

    "She wouldn''t. Aside from a few unavoidable circumstances so far, I''ve never forced her into having feelings for me"

    "Hope she sees it that way," Dan told him.

    Asher stepped out of the wardrobe with an expressionless face, buttoning up the rest of his shirt.

    "Zukai is here "

    Immediately the door to his room burst open and a pretty blue-haired lady with curves that could even make a blind man drool, stepped in.

    Asher and Dan cast each other confused looks, they weren''t expecting her.

    "Who missed me?" She asked excitedly, dropping an unexpected kiss on Dan''s cheeks before approaching Asher who propelled her away from him with his ability.

    "It''s just a welcome gesture" She pouted.

    "Welcome or not, these cheeks are preserved for my mate alone," Asher told her straightforwardly.

    Zukai''s twin sister huffed irritably before scrunching her nose, picking up a strange smell in the air.

    Her eyes brightened, "You finally did it with her?"

    "Where''s your brother?" Asher diverted her question.

    "You haven''t answered my question" She insisted.

    "We need your brother," Dan said.

    "You always need my brother" She complained, "Well, he wants me to be in charge this time; he can''t handle  those rude obnoxious hormonal teenagers"

    "Then tell him not to worry, he won''t be leaving with the bus since he needs to be in Kinney village ahead of the students, can you let him in now?"

    "Fine, whatever" she rolled her eyes before her body features began to distort and alter. Soon enough, a blue-haired man with a larger body proportion stood before them.

    "Teenagers frighten you" Asher mocked him before he could even glance up.

    A wry smile curved Zukai''s face, he changed the topic," Why do I need to head over there before them?"

    "You have to help Daniel with something before the kids arrive " The vampire leader informed him.

    "You would know once you arrive"

    "And what about you? " Dan suddenly asked.

    "What do you mean?"

    "If zukai and I leave, who would protect you?"

    Asher gave him the look," Protect me from what? "

    "You never know what might happen in our absence and with both of us gone, it would be harder summoning the others " Dan explained.

    "Don''t worry, I can protect myself," Asher declared with a chuckle, "Besides I have Gideon with me, he might not be at his best at the moment but he''s a strong warrior "

    No matter his assurance, there was still a worried look on Dan''s face. For years, he had never left their leader''s side and now, he simply felt uncomfortable doing so. Also, who was to say Raphael would not pull any lousy trick behind his back.

    Asher was strong and capable but he had a deep affection for family ties. Though he appeared to have a strong dislike of Raphael, Dan knew deep down the vampire didn''t have the heart to kill that troublesome brother of his.

    The Raven clan will come for vengeance- that was guaranteed-but with suitable and concrete evidence, they can''t lay a hand on him and his homicide will be declared by the council as punishment for Raphael''s many crimes if he would be bold enough to take that decision of ending his brother.

    "And if something does happen to you?" Dan pressed.

    "In that situation, protect my mate before coming for me even though I doubt that would happen" Asher instructed his men, already prepared to head to school.

    With a deep sigh, Dan had no choice but to obey his every instruction. He went ahead to prepare since he had to spend three days with those dramatic and noisy kids.

    His life was pathetic, if he had known Asher would give him the role of protecting his mate amid noisy and dramatic teenagers, he would have wandered halfway across the world by now where he won''t be readily accessible.

    Left alone, Dan would not have packed the sheer number of clothes he had with him since vampires don''t sweat. But he had to keep up with the facade of a normal human who washed up at least three times a day.

    Just as expected, Lia was waiting for him to arrive with inquisitive eyes once he arrived at the school.

    "You did something to me in the morning?" She said, walking side-by-side with Dan who didn''t halt even for a second.

    "Did something to you? Your words are quite misleading" he told her, a hint of humor in his eyes.

    "You know what I''m talking about "

    "My powers evolved, that''s all "

    "Your powers did?" Lia asked in surprise.

    Her voice was lowered in order not to draw attention but she crossed Dan, prompting him to stop.

    "From now on, I don''t need to make tactile contact to teleport anyone. I just need to think of the person and their destination and wham, arrival." Dan explained to the best of his ability.

    "That''s so awesome! " Lia exclaimed.

    "For example, watch this" He gestured to Lia, directing her attention to a group of boys huddled together around a locker and watching something from a cell phone.

    "Wait for it " He mumbled under his breath, "And now "

    Lia saw it, there was a sudden commotion in their midst.

    "What happened, where is it?" One of the confused teenagers asked with a look of disbelief.

    "What did you do?"

    "Nothing "

    "What do you mean nothing when the phone I had in my grip disappeared suddenly?"

    "Dude, I have nothing to do with this"

    "Let''s leave, it''s about to get messy" Dan was still speaking when a punch was thrown, drawing startled screams from bystanders.

    The vampire dragged her away just as more blows were thrown, creating a huge fuss in the hallway.

    "Where did you send��.." Her words faltered, her gaze resting in the cellphone in his grasp.

    "Wow, so cool "

    Dan sending her away in the morning was evidence enough to prove his claim but she needed to confirm it with her own eyes.

    "Let''s see what those kids were up to?" He said to her and clicked on the video.

    At first, it was just two adults discussing what they had no idea about until the kissing began and clothes being peeled off - it was a pornographic video.

    Dan cleared his throat awkwardly, he should have known this was the only video capable of drawing a large crowd - no wonder, there was lewd anticipation on their faces.

    Lia went red in the face, the video brought flashbacks of her activities with Asher last night. Her pulse quickened while she fanned her face with her hand, why was she suddenly hot.

    Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the cellphone in Dan''s hand disappear and couldn''t help asking.

    "Where did you send it? Back to them?"

    "Back to them, my ass! Children their age should be studying; I send it to the school principal"

    Lia was bewildered," You sent it to Asher! "

    She looked around, then brought her voice down and spoke through gritted teeth, "What did you do that for?"

    "I think you both need that more " Dan teased her before leaving.

    Another blush appeared on her face, Dan heard them last night? Had she been that loud? She clasped her cheeks, why was it burning? This was so embarrassing.

    "What are you doing?" Ben snapped his fingers at her face, rousing her from her fantasy.

    "Nothing" She answered quickly.

    Ben''s brows furrowed together, "Nothing? Why are your cheeks flushed then?"

    "It''s nothing" She fled away to avoid his pestering - Ben could nag like a pregnant woman.

    Thanks to Ben''s incessant questions, they arrived at the bus late. Lia submitted her slip and entered the bus only to discover that the backseat she had targeted was occupied by Caroline and Eric.

    Her eyes connected with Eric immediately sending good bumps down her arm. Why was this boy so interested in her, weird.

    Caroline who sensed Eric''s attention was taken from her, glanced up, and saw the source of the disturbance - that murderer! She glared at Lia, moving Eric''s face away.

    Lia sighed, even when she didn''t do anything, all the blames were heaped on her - this was going to be such a long ride.

 Chapter 191 - One Hundred And Ninety-one: Little Town Would Rise Against Them

    "There are no ghosts in the bus, thankfully '''' Ben breathed a sigh of relief.

    The school bus was still on the way to Kinney village and everywhere was active with noisy chattering from students so he didn''t have to worry about anyone eavesdropping on his discussion save Dan who was pretending to have a nap.

    The seating arrangement was two students to a seat and earlier he had rushed to Lia''s side after she sat near the window before anybody else occupied it.

    Dan had not arrived with them but he was sitting behind them while his female seating partner kept staring at his sleeping figure without blinking.

    Lia couldn''t blame the poor girl admiring Dan''s face engrossingly, most vampires were drop-dead gorgeous and looked unreal from normal humans. It was no hidden fact that humanity was always drawn to the unknown.

    Perhaps, she would have set them both on a date if Dan had not gotten Sabrina already - even as Asher''s mate, there were still some boundaries she dared not cross.

    "Tsk tsk, lucky him" Ben sighed when he discovered his goddess wasn''t listening to anything he was saying.

    "He doesn''t even need to do anything yet the girls are falling head over heels for him," Ben said with a tinge of envy.

    "You''re special in your own way" Lia simply told him.

    Ben snorted," I''ve heard that pep talk over and over again yet nothing''s happened. What''s so different about me? I''m rich, handsome, and intelligent, what more could girls ask for?"

    "A bit more muscles?" Lia teased him.

    Ben was not lanky but he was not muscular either, his tallness needed more muscles to even out his body proportion.

    "Come on, I''m not joking here. I''m almost nineteen and I can''t even boast of ever having a girlfriend talk more first kiss-wait, I kissed you then, didn''t  ��"

    Lia slapped him on the back of his head when his lewd gaze dropped down to her lips.

    "I''m sorry, I swear to God that was Lawrence''s doing. I wouldn''t dare taste your -"

    Her glare intensified and he shut it.

    Moments later, Lia''s face scrunched up in thought and was the first to break the silence she had induced.

    "What if you, not being able to find a girl, has to do with the fact you''re being a medium?"

    Ben''s interest was piqued, "What do you mean?"

    "You''re a medium aka psychopomp personified, what if there is still aura or energy around you that repels normal people away and can only attract people or creatures of the same energy?"

    "Creature like you?"

    "Perhaps, think about it. I''m the only one who stuck around long enough to be called your friend "

    There was a shocked look on his face and just when Lia thought he was calculating his losses, a broad smile appeared on his face.

    "Does this mean I can only marry vampires?"

    Lia facepalmed mentally, she should''ve known discussing this kind of topic with this fool would result in this.

    "What does it require to marry a vampire? Any special tradition? I have the right to demand to be turned by my wife, right?"

    Dan who was feigning asleep blew his cover by snorting laughter. It was not surprising, only this idiot would request such a thing and here he was asking why girls don''t like him.

    "You know what? Forget I ever said anything" Lia dismissed Ben, she had no strength to listen to his gushings.

    Silence reigned between them until Ben disrupted it with his whisper this time,

    "Alexa visited me last night"

    "You and your ghostly girlfriend had a date?" She decided to irk him.

    "She''s not my girlfriend " Ben protested as expected," She just visited me in my bedroom yesterday"

    "Oh, it developed into a bedroom romance already?" she teased Ben who was looking like a cooked shrimp.

    His cheeks were flushed with both anger and embarrassment. He never dated Alexa while she was alive, why would he, now she was dead - medium or not!

    His gaze turned serious," Are you willing to listen to whatever I have to say or not ?"

    "Fine, go on. I''m all ears "

    Ben leaned towards the hybrid and whispered, "Caroline is planning on holding a candle night vigil for Alexa and she thinks if it holds, her killer might come and she would be able to identify her murderer that day"

    Lia was in deep contemplation," She lost her memories, what makes her think she would find that person?"

    "That''s why we both are here. The plan is, if anyone drawns her interest, we would be the one to investigate that person"

    "I never signed up to be a detective nor help find justice for someone who was an accomplice to my bullying. Moreover, the police are doing their job by investigating the case, so what could we possibly do that they haven''t done?"

    "We have the victim on our side for a start "

    "A victim who can''t remember whether her murderer is a he or she, what''s her use then?"

    "Alexa strongly thinks her murderer is a male besides, she needs more time for her memory to recover completely"

    " How much time? A month? Year?"

    "I''ve seen a notable improvement in her memory these past few days when I recalled some events to her, just give her weeks "

    "And what if in the process of investigating her murderer, I mistakenly tip off the enemy who then goes after my family? I might be immortal but my family''s human. I''m sorry but I can''t help you on this one Ben, my family''s safety comes first" She straightforwardly said to him.

    Ben was disappointed but he couldn''t force his goddess into doing what she didn''t want.

    "Fine, I''ll do it all alone "

    "Good luck" Lia sincerely wished him, hoping he doesn''t get himself killed.

    They both went back to not talking to each other, alone with their thoughts when Lia''s phone vibrated with a message.

    "Once you get to my pack, you''d automatically gain an aunt but act normally ~ love, Daniel"

    Her brows knitted together in confusion, what was her mate rambling about? Well, until she got to his pack then.

    "You''re easily distracted," Caroline turned Eric''s face for the umpteenth time already.

    Eric flashed the blonde girl a smile but inwardly he was fuming. He had chosen to hang around Caroline so he didn''t seem odd but the bimbo was taking liberties with him.

    Lia was not stupid, she would figure out something was off about him if he hangs around her directly.

    But staying with Caroline and showing his interest in Lia, the supernatural probably thought of him as nothing but one of those teenage playboys veering for her attention.

    Thanks to this approach, he could observe the girl and so far, it would be quite a tough challenge abducting her; she was under tight scrutiny.

    That annoying human called Ben was always beside her, he couldn''t help but wonder if they were conjoined twins- you couldn''t see one without the other.

    Yet Ben didn''t bother him as much as that vampire called Dan bothered him, he could easily remove that pestering human out of the picture with a little distraction.

    The fact that Dan was a telepath and could access his mind made him increase his guard. Even without studying about them, he instinctively knew telepaths couldn''t access the mind of people with strong mental power.

    But what he couldn''t understand was Dan''s relationship with the girl, were they a couple? Rumors were flying about them but he hadn''t seen them being intimate with each other; in fact, their relationship was strange, he could almost say the vampire was her bodyguard - he would have believed  if Ben was the girl''s boyfriend instead judging from their closeness.

    It seems the information Alexa fed him was limited or maybe she had stubbornly withheld information from him.

    Perhaps, he should have taken Caroline on that day instead. Alexa had mentioned something about her being one of the founding families and had more information about the supernaturals.

    Which was one of the reasons he was intentionally hanging around her.

    Sadly, he couldn''t just ask her about the supernaturals straight away, it would arouse suspicion about him - Caroline might be dumb at times but she was still smart.

    He could have kidnapped her and done the same thing he did to Alexa but security was currently tight in Little Town and also, Caroline came from a prominent family; they would comb the whole of the town to find him.

    So he had to play his cards well, gain her trust or get love - but getting into her pants was much easier and thankfully he had the looks.

    When he wrapped her around his finger enough, he would get the information he needed - he just hoped that time wouldn''t be against him.

    As for the vampire, he just had to be vigilant and think of a plan to get him as far away from Lia. Once he achieved all of this, his plans no doubt would be successful.

    And soon, Little Town would know of the creatures they were housing and rise to fight against them.

 Chapter 192 - One Hundred And Ninety-two : The Possessive Mate

    Wows were drawn from the mouth of students the moment they landed in Kinney village.

    A welcome banner hung at the entrance of the village greeted them while the driver drove further into the community until they got to their destination - the village chief''s mansion.

    The students had been truly amazed when they heard the chief offered to sponsor their stay in his place and those who had looked down on Kinney had no choice than to get infected with the others enthusiastic anticipation.

    "Do you know that the chief here is incredibly handsome"

    "How is that possible? Aren''t most chiefs old?"

    "Yeah but I heard the tradition here is quite different. The position is monarchical which means the son of the late chief inherited the position"

    "And the most interesting part, he''s single" The girls squealed in excitement.

    Lia rolled her eyes, even though she shouldn''t bother with them, she couldn''t help but get irritated, those girls were fawning over her mate - who knew what lewd thoughts were going through their head at the moment.

    "Hey, would we stay in the same house as he?"

    "Probably, since he''s sponsoring us in his place, he must be residing there - where else would he go? "

    "Ahh! I can''t wait to find his room!"

    "I just need to see his face, that''s enough for me "

    "More like his chest - you should see the muscles on him"

    "Urm...Lia ?" Ben called her name unsure of the strange sudden change with her.

    She was looking out in outer space but her face was distorted in anger while her talon was digging into the cover of the headrest on the next seat with her lips pressed together.

    When she didn''t respond to him, Ben looked towards Dan for help.

    The vampire of course heard the discussion going on but he never imagined it would affect her to this extent - Asher wasn''t joking when he said werewolves were extremely possessive of their mates.

    But it was too risky, this was a bus full of humans and wasn''t the right place to wolf out; he had to find a way to calm her down.

    In the guise of placing his hand on her shoulder, Dan dug his sharp nails into her skin to the extent of drawing blood with the hope of rousing her from her reverie all to no avail -It seems he had to get into her head then.

    Lia was feeling so angry, her gaze rested on that bitch who was the most interested in meeting her mate; she had straight black hair and a pretty face but she was prettier - and the thought satisfied her.

    A sadistic smirk crossed her face and she began to think of ways to ruin that beautiful face.

    If her talon slashed that cheeks diagonally, it could scar her big time and make her ugly, Lia realized. Perhaps, she should gouge out those eyes so she wouldn''t see her mate at all, seems like that would be better.

    Lia felt someone trying to access her mind but she pushed him out and focused on her plan - no one would stop her.

    "Hey, you''re bleeding from the nose" Dan''s seat neighbor noticed.

    "It''s nothing" He dismissed her concerns with a gruff tone, drew out his handkerchief from the pockets of his pants, and wiped his nose.

    Seems like he would have to try another approach, her mind was too strong to break into.

    "Goddess Lia " Ben grabbed her arm when she stood, successfully drawing her attention but he gulped when he saw her eyes; it was completely yellow.

    Dan was alarmed when he saw her rise to her feet, what was she thinking of doing?

    To crown it all, those chatterboxes were adding more fuel to the fire with their discussion:

    "How do you know all of this about him?"

    "I have a friend in Kinney, she tells me all about this "

    "It would be a dream come true if  he bares his chest "

    Lia flung Ben''s arm away and began to make her journey towards those ignorant girls.

    "What do we do?" The worried Ben asked Dan who was deep in thought until his eyes fell on the birds soaring through the sky.

    "What''s his personality like? A great body without a good  manner is - ahh!"

    The screams reverberated throughout the bus as a flock of birds which came out of nowhere - and was scared and confused as they were - flew blindly around them causing a huge commotion.

    The driver had just reached his destination when the strange bird attack came suddenly, causing him to land an emergency brake.

    The force of the bus juddering to an abrupt halt jostled everyone forward and unluckily for Lia who was standing, threw her to the ground - face on the floor.

    The pain released Lia from her wolf''s hold, "Ouch" She cried while the rest of the birds flew out the window after wreaking their havoc.

    "Are you okay?" They asked her.

    "I''m good " Lia rose to her feet, hands on her nose that was broken - but would heal in a matter of minutes.

    She hid it away from them and returned to her seat, quite irked by Caroline''s snicker from the back.

    "Alright guys, we''re here" Announced the driver.

    There were excited screams and hollers as they began to climb out of the bus save Lia who rested back against the headrest, her hand preventing people from taking a glance at her broken nose.

    "It was a sight to behold" Lia heard Caroline mock her.

    "Be nice Caroline, she''s injured," Eric said sternly.

    "Whatever" She scoffed, flipped her hair dramatically, and strutted out of the bus.

    "Hey, do you need my help, " Eric offered.

    "No, I''m good, thanks for asking by the way " She rejected his help without a second thought.

    Eric was hardly gone when Ben and Dan were all over her.

    "Easy on my heart Lia, you almost gave me a heart attack today "

    "What the hell is wrong is you, you almost exposed us?"

    Lia winced internally, what was wrong with her? Her wolf was the problem here - it was behaving like a hormonal teenager in love for the first time.

    "I can''t wait to be rid of you," Dan sighed.

    "Why don''t you leave me alone then?!" She snapped at him.

    "Trust me, I would love to but I have orders to follow from your mate" Dan retorted, "Find your way when you''re done healing" He stormed out of the bus.

    " Hey "

    "If you''re about to give me a piece of your mind, I''ll advice you to come back later; I''m pised off right now"

    "I was about to say there''s dirt on your face" Ben pointed to the spot on her face.

    "Thank you "

    "Hey, don''t worry about anything, since your other mate is here, he would help you out, I''m sure " Ben comforted her.

    "Thank you. Now take your hands off my shoulder" She eyed his hand.

    "Fine" He put up his hands in the air.

    By the time her nose was healed and Lia made her way to the mansion, the welcome speech and guidance had already been read and they were being brought to their sleeping quarters.

    As depicted by their teacher who was also acting as a tour guide, both sexes were residing on the same floor but in different rooms.

    Built dorm-style, each room was spacious and had six double bunk beds, each with a private locker and reading lights alongside private bathroom facilities.

    Lia was listening attentively and like the other students following after the teacher when she heard her name being called.

    "My lovely niece, Lia !"

    Her face scrunched up in confusion, lovely niece? All her relatives were living halfway across the world, who could be in Kinney village?

    Curiously got the best of her, she turned to the source of the sudden noise only for her eyes to almost fall out of her socket.

    Wasn''t that She-Zukai? What was she doing here and how did she turn out to be her aunt?

    Suddenly, the message from Daniel earlier replayed in her head. What was he up to? Nevertheless, she went ahead with the script.

    "Auntie" She ran into her embrace, fooling everyone with her great acting.

    The teacher who stopped to catch a glimpse of what was going on, continued ahead with the tour when she realized it was nothing but a  family reunion.

    "What the hell is going on here?" Lia asked curiously.

    "Just dilly-dally till everyone''s settled down and you would know " Female Zukai replied to her.

    And so she and Zukai spent twenty minutes chattering about girls and other irrelevant stuff. Lia found out that the vampire was fun to be with.

    "This should be enough, go to the dorm already"

    " Why ?"

    "Just do as I say "

    Lia shrugged, grabbed her bag, and left for the dorm but when she arrived, she discovered all of the beds were occupied - there was no space for her.

    "Karma sure knows how to fuck some people" Caroline commented with a hint of ridicule.

    It seems they had made an insufficient arrangement, the teacher was still pondering on what to do when a deep voice sounded from behind,

    "What is going on here ?"

    Lia felt her heart did a double flip when she heard his voice, it was her mate Daniel.

 Chapter 193 - One Hundred And Ninety-three: Yours To Touch

    Her stomach did a double flip, her wolf was in a frenzy, Lia couldn''t understand why she was being this way - like a sex-starved maniac.

    Suddenly, there was an excited scream from the females in that room as they took in the look of the long-awaited chief - he was much more handsome than they thought.

    While their principal Asher looked like he was carved by the heavenly entities, Daniel''s beauty was relatable but on a higher level, unlike Asher who looked surreal.

    Lia realized he had put a lot of effort into dressing up today. His once long blonde hair had been cut and styled; there were even fades on the sides while the rest formed a heap of hair on the top of his head.

    She would miss threading her hand down his nape but this new hairstyle was god-damned sexy, it took her everything not to slam him against the wall and kiss the life out of him in front of everybody.

    God, Lia held her hair in a tight grasp mentally, she was slowly going bananas - if only her mom knew her once innocent eighteen-year-old daughter was constantly becoming as horny as a red deer.

    This was crazy.

    Their deaf inducing shrieks attracted the rest of the students from the other rooms who joined them in the fun save the male who just stared on with curiosity and envy.

    "He''s more handsome than I thought!"

    "Where has he been all my life "

    Dan was not interested in their lustful admiration, he just had to confirm that Asher''s sugar plum was okay before leaving with a sigh - Daniel could now handle his hormonal mate.

    Both were crazy, he thought. He wondered how Asher could live with this rotational sharing of his mate cause he wouldn''t be able to; his woman was his and for him alone.

    Eric observed the expression on Dan''s face, it seems he wasn''t on good terms with this Chief. What was their relationship? Was this unfamiliar man a supernatural too?

    "Alright kids, give the chief a breathing space" The teacher ushered them back to their room with a promise, "You''d still get to see him during dinner shortly "

    Thanks to that, they dispersed but not without hanging onto the doors and peeping out.

    "Hi "

    Daniel''s brow shot up when he saw the unfamiliar blonde fix him with a bold look with her hands outstretched for a handshake which he accepted.

    "Do I know you?" He pointed to his chest.

    She laughed coyly and tucked her hair behind her ears, "I''m Caroline Garcia, you visited my home once for an appointment with my father"

    "Oh, Garcia''s " Daniel mumbled, no wonder she approached him casually but he had to be cautious the way he associated with her, his mate was about to explode.

    Caroline, Caroline, Caroline! The girl was getting on her nerves, Lia fumed inwardly.

    It seems she has to take care of this girl too, but from where should she begin? Her eyes or her cheeks? Both places seem to be a good start.

    Lia had just taken a step towards her when an arm wrapped around her shoulder, holding her back.

    She would have fought back but this grip strangely made her weak; electricity coursed through her veins and butterflies in her stomach - she liked it.

    Daniel knew werewolves were hormonal creatures and jealousy was just one of their everyday normal traits.

    Male Alphas were extremely possessive but when a female gets jealous, things get messy especially with a werewolf with no control over her wolf.

    His mate had just made a move when he flung his arm around her shoulder and pulled her to his side.

    "I know your aunt" He continued with the script from earlier in order not to draw suspicion, "Why is she not settled with the others?"

    Their teacher who the question was directed at spoke up briskly "There seems to be a mistake with the arrangements, we need an extra bed"

    "We don''t have such beds anymore but there''s a spare room, she could have that one "

    "Huh?" Everyone was dumbfounded.

    "Fine, come along love" Daniel began to lead her away much to everyone''s surprise and confusion.

    "But wait !" Caroline protested and was about to go after them when Daniel''s men blocked her path.

    "You''re not authorized to leave your room yet, Alp- " The other guard cleared his throat interrupting and reminding him of the mistake he almost committed.

    "Chief''s order " He corrected himself and stood firm with his head held high and a fierce gaze.

    Caroline rolled her eyes internally, of course, who were they fooling? She knew Daniel was a werewolf but it''s been months since she last saw him and right now, he looked so hot and irresistible.

    But that witch called Lia acted faster than she thought - that girl was her nemesis. She was always there to snatch whatever she wanted, in fact ever since that girl appeared in her life, things hadn''t been going her way.

    Asher called off his arrangements with her; Alexa''s dead and evidence points to Lia as the suspect but nobody is doing anything; she showed some interest in the new boy Eric but he seems obsessed with that Lia instead; caroline finally decided to set her sight on Daniel yet that witch still snatched him away before she could even hook her claws on him.What more would she take from her? Her life? Money?

    Fine, she would not give up this time - no retreat, no surrender - she would see this war to the end.

    Lia gave Daniel the silent treatment as he led her to God knows where. But as soon as they were behind closed doors, she pushed him up against the wall - just as she imagined earlier.

    "I hate you! " She spat at him with anger yet gripped his hair and ground her lips against his harshly.

    Daniel was stunned by the urgency and intensity in her kisses, was she that angry? It was only a handshake.

    "I''m sorry, I shouldn''t have accepted that handshake " He resorted to an apology to calm her down.

    "Save that for later," She told him and recaptured his lips, wrapping her arms around his waist just as he hoisted her up.

    "I missed you " He murmured against her ears.

    "Is that why you hung around other girls just to preoccupy your thoughts?! " She accused him with fire in her eyes.

    The corners of his mouth quirked,

    "No, I didn''t do such a thing "

    "Liar! I heard everything on the bus. Apparently, you''ve been baring your chest a lot here "

    "Lia, this is a werewolf community, going bare is one of the many, many things we do here" He tried to make her understand.

    Daniel knew his mate was jealous but he didn''t find it irritating at all instead he loved it. You could only feel jealous for someone you have strong feelings for, right?

    "The females look at you, don''t they?" She continued.

    "Yes they do " he answered her truthfully and added, "But they don''t - can''t touch me. I''m yours to touch and look at as much as you like; do you want to touch me, Lia? " Daniel asked her, placing her hand on his chest.

    He watched her gulp, her eyes alternating between magenta and yellow - she was having an internal fight with her wolf.

    Her grip on his clothes tightened as she fought for control, it seems her condition was more serious than he thought.

    "Where''s my room?"

    Her eyes assumed her normal magenta, she won.

    "What room?" Daniel asked her smugly, "You''re sharing a room with me"

    He carried her off her feet without warning, drawing a startled squeak from her mouth. Walking across his room, to the direction of his bed, he  placed her gently on it.

    Daniel took his position behind her as he wrapped his arms around her waist with his nose buried in the crook of her neck, inhaling her limited scent.

    "I don''t understand, you did all these just so I could share a room with you? " she asked surprised.

    Daniel sighed and turned her towards him, "Normally I wouldn''t go through the trouble, but for those teenage humans not to misunderstood and cause trouble for you, I have to try this approach "

    "They can''t do anything to me "

    "Yeah, but our mentality differs from the humans and just because you''re strong physically, doesn''t mean you can''t land yourself in other troubles."

    "Fine, whatever" Lia snuggled further against his chest contentedly

    "You''re free to take a short nap, dinner will be served an hour later "

    "Wake me up when it''s time" She yawned with her eyes closed.

    "Alright " He assured her just as she slept off.

    Daniel ran his hands tenderly through her hair, his gaze fixed entirely on her. He couldn''t help but wonder if this was what his father felt for his mother; the strong urge to protect and keep her by his side forever.

    But he was scared, he had promised the girl that he would respect her decision if she doesn''t choose him as her mate. But lately, he has been finding that decision hard to fulfill.

    How was he going to live without her? It was impossible.

 Chapter 194 - One Hundred And Ninety-Four: Father

    "How do you feel being out in the open after a long time in rehabilitation?" Asher asked Gideon who was finally let out of the tube after he had mastered his control.

    "Alive and ready to kick some asses"

    "Sadly, there''s no ass to be kicked at the moment " Asher informed him, picked up his car keys from the table in the living room which had been replaced after the old one was broken during the attack on Raphael.

    "Make yourself comfortable for the time being, don''t go out in the open since temptation might just be around the corner " Gideon was advised.

    "Fine " He agreed reluctantly.

    Asher walked over to the garage, picked a simple car, and drove to school. Since his mate left, he had been feeling lethargic and cranky and though he wanted to stay home, he had troublesome students to look after.

    "Morning principal" Students greeted with a bow as soon as he stepped out of his car.

    "Can we talk? "

    Asher was surprised, his mate''s brother was the first human to desire his company this morning? What a strange day.

    "To my office," He said curtly and made his way into the school with Trevor trailing after him.

    They walked through the hallway screaming with students chattering and preparing for the morning lessons.

    Asher didn''t give a second glance to any of them until he stopped abruptly beside a group of boys hanging around a locker and looking away when they felt the principal''s heated gaze on them.

    "The video was really interesting, I enjoyed every bit of it, " He told them.

    "Huh?"

    Confusion flashed across their faces before it widened to the size of saucers as realization dawned on them.

    A crude smile that sent goosebumps down their arm played across Asher''s face as he asked, "Do I need to remind you all what awaits you?"

    They gulped and chorused," No!"

    "Good then, see you in detention " Asher strode away.

    The kids breathed a sigh of relief as soon as the principal left - that man was so scary. No matter how much they wanted him out, he remained unmoving in that position.

    But they were in the wrong this time, underaged and watching porn on the school grounds with the school network, that was a serious offense.

    Yet, how did they get caught? All they knew was that the cell phone disappeared without warning and no matter how much they searched, they could not find it. How did it get into the principal''s possession?

    The kids looked where the principal passed through and shivered, there was something spooky about that man!.

    "Have a seat " He gestured to Trevor when they got to his office.

    Trevor took a deep breath and sat down. Inwardly, he was frightened and his hands were clammy with sweat- something was repelling about this vampire, he couldn''t just put his finger around it.

    But he was the man of the house, the safety of his family was on his shoulder, he had to be brave in times like this.

    Asher urged him, " You wanted us to talk, talk turkey "

    "What do you want from my sister?"

    The vampire''s eyes twinkled with amusement, "Is that all?"

    "What''s my sister and your connection with her and Daniel"

    "Is that all?" He asked again.

    Trevor pursed his lips.

    "Final chance"

    "Did you do it with her? I know she sneaked out last night. There was no way she could have gone to Kinney when it was obvious she''d left for there tomorrow, so I narrowed the list down to you "

    Asher smiled, then sank further into his seat that made Trevor want to slap that smugness off his face.

    "Do you love your sister? "

    "Of course I do, why would be here when it''s so obvious I hate the sight of you creatures?"

    "Then I believe you''re qualified to hear this" Asher added, "Be warned, whatever you hear today will bring the misery, if not the death of your sister"

    Trevor frowned, what could be so dangerous about this piece of information that his sister would die once it was exposed.

    "Fine, I''m ready to hear it "

    "For your first question, I want nothing but the opportunity to love and shower Lia with all my attention"

    Trevor snorted, "She has a boyfriend already, get in line "

    Asher''s eyes flashed, "Do I need to gag you while you listen?"

    Trevor shut his mouth at once, this vampire was a crazy one.

    "For your second question, your sister is a hybrid"

    Trevor stood up from the shock, "That''s impossible, my parents are clearly humans"

    "You''re right, that''s impossible. Her creation is clearly against nature and the council would do everything in its power to get rid of her once they have an idea of what she is "

    Trevor gripped his hair, the information was too complicated to digest.

    Yes, he was a new hunter but he had been fed the basic information of all supernatural creatures, their strong points and weaknesses and so far, this was his first time hearing about a made-hybrid.

    "H-how is that possible?"

    And then Asher began his story from the genesis; telling him about the dark witches, Burning Eaglets, the Great Purge, the prophecy, and of course his sister''s mates "

    "So you''re trying to tell me that you and Daniel are like her two destined husbands?"

    "Soulmates" Asher clarified.

    "And you both slept with her!"

    Veins bulged from Trevor''s face, he was boiling with anger. His precious innocent sister had a threesome? She had been tainted by these dark creatures?! How would their mom react when he hears of this? It wasn''t one but two?!

    "Can you please wipe away those dirty thoughts from your head, it''s kind of disgusting " Asher told him.

    "You can read my thoughts too?" Trevor was astonished, wasn''t Dan the telepath? And yes, he had been researching the Nicoli clan lately and their capabilities.

    "With that look on your face I don''t need to be a telepath and please sit back down" came the vampire''s instructions.

    Trevor obeyed but he was no longer comfortable, he needed to let this feeling of frustration out before he exploded. He has failed his father; he let his sister get exploited by two men.

    "You can feel rest assured, we haven''t slept with your sister"

    "Like I would believe you," Trevor spat.

    Asher rested his arms on the desk and leaned forward, "It''s up to you to believe me or not, but Daniel and I made a pact not to copulate with your sister until she makes her choice"

    "Why? Because both of you are her mates?" Trevor laughed, " Oh please, stop deceiving my sister with that." Trevor dropped the bomb.

    "Once my sister returns to this town, I''ll do everything within my power to convince my mother to take us out of here, if it means separating you two from her"

    "You do that and she dies"

    "What do you mean "

    "Of course, why was I expecting you messily humans to understand us?" Asher shook his head.

    "What do you mean my sister would die?"

    "Your sister is bound to us in ways you''d never understand since you''re a human unmated to a supernatural. Once mated, it''s like having half a  heart and we have to join with the other mate to make it complete. Which is why we could live for centuries yet still feel unfulfilled until we find them - our mates "

    Trevor was at a crossroad, he didn''t know what to believe anymore. His mind told him all this was illogical but this month, he had seen things he would never in this lifetime believe existed. But Trevor''s heart wants to believe that his sister was making the right choice here.

    "Also, even as powerful as the Council is, they tread carefully when it comes to issues concerning mates. "

    Asher stood to his feet and concluded," Fine, you can take her away if you want but I can assure you Trevor; you don''t ever want to find out how rabid a werewolf can get or how crazy an Alpha can go because of his mate. You can leave now "

    Trevor stood with a heavy heart, it was like the world''s problem was dumped on his shoulder and it was weighing him down.

    "Unless you truly want your sister dead, I wouldn''t need to advise you that whatever we discussed stays in this room"The vampire warned him.

    Trevor threw a glance over his shoulder, "You don''t need to remind me, I''ll do everything in my power to keep her safe"

    "Let''s hope so "

    Trevor left while Asher plonked down on his seat, he had taken a risk here but it was worth it.

    Her brother was headstrong but loyal, once he was passionate about something or someone, he would protect it to the end - he had to plant his seed before the hunters brainwashed him completely.

    Asher was still going through the next plan in his head when he felt a sudden ripple in his office, someone was here with him.

    He ducked to the right, a stake flew past him but he couldn''t see the welder but snatched the weapon away.

    It wasn''t a witch, he could sense it - this was a fellow vampire who seemed to have the soul projection ability. If he was right, then his attacker''s body was nearby.

    The person had stopped attacking which means he or she was returning to their body.

    Asher sped to the rooftop, which was the only place in the school building they could hide their body comfortably without fear of being manipulated by this time of the day.

    He was right, there was a figure lying on the rooftop and dressed in denim and hoods. Just as he reached the body, the soul returned and her eyes opened causing Asher to freeze as he stared into eyes identical to his.

    "I believe you have been fine, father"

 Chapter 195 - One Hundred And Ninety-five: The Switch

    "I believe you have been fine, father"

    Asher froze, what the hell? Those eyes? How was it possible? If he had a twin he would have known but neither his father nor mother were blonde, so she couldn''t be one.

    But she had called him father, what does that mean?

    Asher lifted her by her jacket and drew her closer till their faces were almost meeting as he growled, "What are you talking about?

    She smirked, " The surprise was worth it "

    "I asked you a question, answer it!"

    "Katya, the one you killed! Was my mother!"

    Asher blinked, that was impossible.

    His grip tightened," Your father? Who''s your father "

    "Has the shock rendered you stupid?! Don''t you see I have your eyes?!" She yelled at him.

    His hands left her rumbled clothes, he was struck still with disbelief. No wonder, he had thought she was Katya.

    The girl had her mother''s features but took his eyes. That face, a reminder of the terrible mistake he had made.

    His vulnerable state made him weak and his daughter took advantage of that opportunity to stake him in the heart.

    Asher grunted, slowly falling to his knees while she twisted the stake inside of him causing his face to distort greatly in pain.

    "This is for the many, many, years you separated her from me," She told him, anger and hatred dripping from her tone as Asher slid to his knees.

    "As for her death, your mate would pay dearly for it " She promised him.

    Her mouth curled into a sadistic smirk as she pulled the wooden stake forcefully out of his heart earning a groan from her father.

    Asher slumped to the ground, her face the last thing he saw as his world went blank.

    He woke with a startle only to discover he was back at his place - to be specific, his room. Who brought him home?

    His hand went to his chest, the wound had healed and it seems his body had ejected the rest of the splinters since he couldn''t feel any stabbing pain.

    The girl had staked him, not to kill him but to cause him pain and probably stop him from tracing her. She had missed his heart by an inch, if she had gone any further then he would have been a dead man - no, a dead vampire.

    Katya had a child for him? Why didn''t she tell him? And why hide it for so long?

    Asher tousled his hair out of frustration, he just complicated everything- what a mess! He wondered how his mate would react when she finds out he has a child? Not just a child but one who wants her dead?

    Would Lia be courteous enough to forgive him for his past mistakes? He wondered if this would push her into choosing the werewolf? After all, who would want to settle down with a vampire whose daughter would hurt her with any chance given?

    "Great job" Raphael would have complimented him sarcastically if he were here.

    If only he could speak one on one with her, he could explain he never killed her mom intentionally. It was a mistake which was committed in the heat of the moment, sure she would understand.

    Who was he kidding? God knows how many years or centuries she had grown with the mentality that he was her mom''s killer - like it would be easy to change her mind

    "You''re awake?" Gideon''s voice roused him from his thoughts, he was standing by the door side.

    "Were you the one that brought me home? "

    "Yes," He answered, stepping into the room.

    "Didn''t I ask you to stay back and recover fully, what if something had happened and you drained another human?"

    "I wouldn''t have done it anyway, so stop with the quibbling "

    "Wrong answer" Asher was suddenly before him and snapped his neck.

    Gideon or so fell to the ground. But his features began to alter and in a few seconds, lay Ozark on the floor.

    Asher smirked, who were they trying to fool? If it was the real Gideon earlier, he would have answered, "Why bother myself when you''re here to guide me "

    Gideon was like a little kid and depended on him for a lot of things, which was why he couldn''t trust him with his secrets - he was bound to spill it.

    Since Ozark was here, that means his dear brother has finally made a move and the real Gideon has been taken out.

    Though Asher had a gut feeling this would happen but he refused to believe that Raphael would shamelessly attack him when he was short of his men.

    He made his way downstairs carefully and wasn''t surprised to see Raphael standing in the middle of the living room.

    "We always knew this day would come, didn''t we brother?"

    "I thought you''ve changed but I was wrong, attacking me when shorthanded? How lowly could you get?" Asher remarked, walking over to him till they were staring at each other in the eyes.

    "All is fair in love and war "

    "That''s cowardice "

    "Sure it was underhanded of me to fight you this way but in my language, I call it a skill"

    "Deceptious skill" Asher corrected him sternly, "Once a Raven, Always a Raven, I was mistaken; you can never change"

    "You''re a Raven too dear brother, sadly you''re just a fool who refuses to embrace who he is "

    "I don''t have time for childish talks, let''s get down to it !" Asger ordered, putting his body in a fighting stance while glowing fire from his eyes - he was determined to end this once and for all.

    But the moment he charged at Raphael, a searing pain began in his head forcing him to his knees. Asher clutched his head while screaming his lungs out, it felt like his head was on fire; he couldn''t think, he couldn''t concentrate. This torture continued until he dropped to the ground, unconscious.

    "Bravo," His lips curled to the side while he applauded the witch who came into view.

    "I wasn''t wrong about you, you''re so impressive" Raphael complimented Sabrina who had a passive expression.

    "Don''t get cocky, our deal is just a week and everything returns to normal" she told him straightforwardly.

    "Well, let''s get on with it then, " Raphael said, a glint of expectation in his eyes. Today, he was going to achieve something notable.

    Ozark, who had recovered from his little slumber, carried Asher off from the ground and sat him upright on the couch.

    Raphael sat beside his brother with a sinister smirk, soon this face staring back at him would be his.

    "Hold his hand" Sabrina ordered  Raphael which he did without hesitation.

    She rubbed a strange sign on his forehead and another on the asleep Asher, then began her incantation.

    "Sit fatis switched sit switched spiritu, anima fit posterius priori switched" She began to chant her spell causing the air around the room to change, evidence of a supernatural disturbance.

    Suddenly, a light left both bodies and switched themselves in their counterpart''s body.

    Asher awoke with a gasp.

    His hands first moved to his face and slowly to his hair, then a wide grin stretched his face.

    "It was successful" He announced to both of his men - the two brothers Iark and Ozark.

    Raphael''s soul now officially occupied Asher''s body, the soul exchange worked.

    There was no smile on Sabrina''s face as she watched Asher- no, Raphael celebrate his new temporal face, he kept staring at it on the hand mirror that was provided to him.

    Soul exchange was forbidden magic and if the council heard she had done such a thing, she was as good as dead. Not to mention the fact, they believed she had no magic at the moment.

    But this was the price she had to pay for preserving her powers, she would make it up to Asher - by making sure his brother lived up to his deal.

    "Sign the document, Raphael"

    She would never acknowledge him as Asher at least until this madness was over - the real Asher was now in Raphael''s body.

    She magically moved the scroll to him which he signed by placing his bloody thumb on the sign-in area.

    "Deal" Raphael smirked.

    Sabrina shivered, it was creepy seeing that weird look on Asher''s face. She just prayed Lia was smart enough to spot the differences in him before he tried anything stupid with her.

    They would never forgive her once they learned her part in this - Dan, would never - but her mind was prepared, she would restitute afterward.

    "I''ll be back a week later to switch you both back so don''t try anything stupid" She warned and turned to leave when something crossed her mind.

    "Where are you going to keep him- I mean your body?" She inquired.

    "I''m sending him back "

    "I don''t understand" she shook her head.

    "I''m sending him back to the Raven clan, " He announced.

    "What?!" Her eyes widened, "You can''t do that, it wasn''t in our deal!"

    "Hasn''t Asher warned you never to trust a Raven "

    " I would not let you do that "

    But the moment she took a step forward aggressively, a painful impact knocked her out.

    "Not if you''re dead" A sinister smirk tugged his mouth to the side.

 Chapter 196 - One Hundred And Ninety-six: Impersonators.

    It was night, but a figure could be seen carrying a corpse on his shoulder as he sped further into the woods.

    Reaching the desired spot, he dumped the dead auburn-haired woman roughly and sped away only to return moments later with a shovel in hand.

    The moon shone brightly and fully on the earth, it''s light causing the trees to form eerie shadows but a certain vampire who was immersed in digging up a grave wasn''t bothered by it.

    The task of digging a six feet grave which would have taken at least two men about five or four hours to complete was taken on by Iark.

    According to orders given by Raphael, he had to ensure the witch was buried tonight before her fellow sisters sensed her disappearance. Once she was buried without the proper witchy ritual, she wouldn''t return to earth as renewable magic and her soul untraceable.

    So here he was standing inside the grave and heaving dirt out of it when he felt something scratch his feet.

    He scrunched his face and reached for that spot with his hand only to discover the blood.

    What the ��.

    He was still examining his ankle when he felt something scratch his other feet.

    What the hell was happening?

    Suddenly, he began to receive multiple scratches and lashes all over his body.

    Sabrina awoke with a startle, her hands moving to the necklace hung around her chest with deep relief. A huge sigh left her mouth.

    She had a weird premonition that Raphael was going to go back on his word since Ravens weren''t exactly the most respectable when deals are involved.

    But she never expected that that greedy vampire would plan to take her out too. Thankfully she too came prepared and wore a protective charm, so when they killed her thinking she was dead, the charm preserved and kept her alive.

    Staring down at the vampire who had no idea she had awoken instead, was busy with the grave he wanted to dump her in, made anger course through Sabrina''s body.

    There was fire in her eyes as she began to summon a spell without chanting it, sometimes the pressure of a situation could either kill or make one stronger.

    Iark knew this wasn''t ordinary when tree twigs began to climb out of the grave and wrap around his wrists, legs, and stomach. He destroyed as many as he could but the more he cut off, the more they crawled out.

    That moment he looked up, his eyes connected with the witch''s fierce orbs. He should have known, this was her manipulation. A cruel smile played across his face, she didn''t die but he would grant her a painful death then.

    Iark was about to jump out of the grave when a twig with thorns wrapped around his neck, choking and stabbing into him.

    He tried to rip it off but his hands were hindered by other twigs leaving him incapacitated. The twig continuously tightened around his neck, slicing his skin while he released a pained scream.

    With her thoughts, Sabrina controlled everything going on. More twigs grew out of the ground and wrapped around him, constricting and digging into his skin until his head rolled off his body.

    Sabrina released a sharp gasp, falling back to the ground exhausted but not without setting the vampire on fire - she didn''t trust those creatures one bit; today''s lesson had made sure of it.

    She messed up big time, where was she going to start to correct her mistakes? Yes, she had to guarantee Asher''s life first of all.

    The witch stood to her feet while brushing the dirt off her body and willed the grave to bury Iark.

    The dugout sand flowed back into the hole of its volition till the vampire was buried six feet deep - forever.

    Knowing Raphael was waiting for his return, Sabrina called forth her magic and transformed into the dead Iark.

    Until she could right every wrong, she would stay by the enemy''s side and right every wrong.

    With that determination in mind, Sabrina found her back to Asher''s place while fury and remorse hardened her heart for the journey ahead.

    "What took you so long?" Raphael - now in Asher''s body questioned her with irritation in his voice.

    "I''m sorry, I had to confirm the witch was really dead" Sabrina bowed her head in apology but inwardly, her heart was sizzling with anger.

    It took her everything not to reach out and rip that heart out! But she couldn''t at the moment, that''s Asher''s body. Lia would hunt her down for eternity if she found as much as a scratch on his body when she returns.

    Lucky for her, she had performed this spell with a strand of Iark''s hair giving her the ability to possess all of his memories. So unless she was stupid, there wasn''t supposed to be any slipping up leading to her cover being blown.

    But it was taking a toll on her, the vampire possessed centuries-old memories that were flooding her head at the moment.

    "Where is your body?" Sabrina asked, fighting the urge to succumb to darkness.

    "Sent back to father as planned" Raphael replied, still admiring his new look in the mirror, everything must seem surreal to him.

    Just then she winced as a memory popped up in her head, an action the sharp Raphael didn''t fail to capture.

    A memory of Raphael and his father Ezekiel planning this unexpected attack played out in her head.

    "Oh my God " Sabrina panicked internally, the target was Lia.

    Asher was foolish to have accommodated his brother Raphael. This was a plan set in motion the moment they heard rumors of him having a mate - after the supposed Iark she was impersonating induced the truth out of Gideon.

    Raphael was getting revenge for his father! Antonio had stolen his father''s mate resulting in Asher''s birth, so it was an eye for an eye.

    But this time, it wasn''t just his mate Raphael wanted, but Asher''s life; body, clan, everything.

    Everyone knew ability-wise, Asher was five times stronger since his power was suitable for combat unlike Raphael''s which was most favorable for evading attacks.

    If she hadn''t stepped in, it was obvious Asher would still defeat him and his men without help. No wonder the vampire was cocky to stay all by himself with his men gone - because he had faith in his capability; he just never premeditated her betrayal.

    Sabrina was dumbfounded, she thought she would go crazy from the memory surging her head and the realization she helped a villain achieve his life dream - she was indeed stupid.

    The memory continued playing in her head: Once Raphael''s body arrived at the Raven Clan, Ezekiel would in the guise of punishing his son for a crime committed imprison Asher until his son accomplished whatever he wanted in Little Town.

    By the time he would be released, Asher has nothing to return home to; no mate, no friends, no clan, and no identity because Raphael would take away all of it.

    Then he would have no choice but to remain in the Raven Clan and live the rest of his immortality as Raphael, no one would know the truth at all.

    Well, their plan was about to be busted, she knew and would never allow that to happen, Sabrina resolved.

    "What is wrong with you?" Raphael who noticed the sudden change asked.

    "I forgot to tell you but the witch didn''t die immediately" Sabrina who was impersonating Iark confessed.

    Raphael smirked with an unsurprised face, "Not surprising, Sabrina is a tough witch "

    "Though I ended her but it was a tough battle, she did this to me" Sabrina lifted her shirt and exposed a gaping hole in her stomach - an illusion she cast with her magic.

    Sabrina didn''t have Iark''s truth inducement ability since this was not his body -only mimicked him - her magic would make up for it - just hoped her powers were sufficient for this battle.

    "No wonder you look like something a dog threw up" Raphael wrinkled his nose to show his disgust," That''s messy and would take time to heal, go get some rest cause we have a big dream ahead of us "

    "Raphael''s right brother, you should have a break " His brother Ozark placed a hand on her shoulder and she found that gesture suspicious and it was further confirmed when he asked

    "Brother, can you guess what I am thinking at the moment ?"

    Sabrina snorted, "As if I can access that dumpy brain of yours "

    Ozark pushed Sabrina into his arms and embraced her while patting his shoulder," Thanks for surviving, brother"

    Sabrina didn''t feel an ounce of sympathy when she thought about the fact the fool was embracing his brother''s murderer. They started this, she would see it to the end.

    How did she know the answer? Simple, from the memory in her head. Ozark was a mimicker, thus it was hard to access his mind enough to draw the truth from him without getting confused.

    She pulled away, "What about you? Why aren''t you coming with me?"

    "I still have a job to finish. That witch Sabrina, I have to imitate her else Dan finds her disappearance suspicious"

    Oh my God, Raphael was a monster. He had everything perfectly planned out.

    Ozark couldn''t practice magic but Dan wouldn''t suspect a thing cause apparently, Sabrina lost her magic.

    Wonderful, just wonderful.

    Her secret has come to bite at her, she never told anyone she regained her powers.

    "For how long? "

    "What ?"

    "How long are you going to keep up with that pretense?"

    "Long enough to break up with him "

 Chapter 197 - One Hundred And Ninety-seven: The Alphas Girlfriend

    Lia''s face was getting increasingly darker by the growing minutes that even Ben who was known to tease her till she was red in the face stayed away.

    Both the medium and vampire knew the reason for her blizzard-like gaze and couldn''t help but shiver, jealous women were dangerous.

    Lia clenched her fist, her eyes settling on the faces of each of the girls that laughed, smiled coyly, flipped hair, wink, bite down on lips, or stare at her mate with lustful eyes.

    Can''t a lady get a man here?

    She also glared at her mate who was indulging those lusters in a discussion. He was enjoying his time with them, wasn''t he? There was a smile on his face and responded to all of their eager questions.

    The large receiving hall was currently and temporarily adjusted into the dining room to receive everyone.

    Two large rectangular dining tables accommodated the whole students and when everyone thought the chief would take the head table, Daniel simply took out a seat and sat directly across his mate to everyone''s surprise.

    But his attention was monopolized by those girls who even applied makeup to come for dinner - won''t the heat ruin it? Taking your lipstick smeared food into your body, wasn''t it unhealthy?

    Some girls were just plain stupid but that realization still didn''t stop Lia from getting jealous. Fine, since her mate won''t give her the attention she wanted, she would take it.

    Ben saw the evil grin on Lia''s face and choked on his food, his goddess was becoming scary recently. What mischievous plan does she have up her sleeve this time?

    Since no one was paying attention to her, Lia noiselessly dragged her seat further closer to the table before lifting her leg and began her blind search.

    Unfortunately, her leg hit Dan''s by mistake, and their eyes collided,(>>). Both of them began an intense stare-off, their gazes communicating secretly:

    Dan: You sly wolf, what are you planning now?

    Lia: pretend you didn''t feel anything, it''s none of your business

    Dan: Just know I''ve got my eyes on you.

    Lia: Look who''s scared of you, blah.

    Dan took his eyes off, he didn''t know what she was cooking but as far as he wasn''t her target, he''d happily turn a blind eye.

    " Daniel sir, " one of the girls began.

    "Just call me Daniel," he told her with a smile.

    The girl felt like fainting, he just smiled at her? Did anyone see those white attractive canines? God, she needed air.

    "So Daniel " Caroline took over from the stupid girl swooning over the werewolf after she passed her a disapproving look.

    "Tell me, just out of curiosity though" she clarified, but who was she deceiving "You live here all alone?"

    "Yes, but not really. I have my relatives here with me, some pack - " he was brisk in correcting himself ''I mean cabinet members and the staffs who keep this place in order"

    Gosh, it was so difficult dealing with humans; he had to watch his words carefully to avoid exposing their kind.

    Daniel took a glass of water and was gulping it down his throat when the next question came.

    "So no girlfriend?" Caroline asked.

    But it was not the intensity of the question that made him sputter and choke on his drink rather it was the sensation that coursed through his body when a certain someone''s foot titillated his crotch.

    "Oh my God? Are you alright?" Caroline helped him with a tablecloth which he used to wipe himself.

    "I''m so sorry, the water went down the wrong pipe" He apologized to everyone.

    "No problem" they were willing to forgive.

    Daniel''s gaze connected with Lia who had a straight face on, as if she had no clue what just happened.

    "So, I''m still asking" Caroline pressed, "Do you have a girlfriend?"

    Just when he was about to answer, her feet began her second attack, his breath became quicker.

    Daniel cleared his throat and readjusted in his seat but that distance didn''t stop his mate.

    "Y-yes, I do have a girlfriend " He managed to say that out, his mate would be the death of him.

    The expectant look on Caroline''s face froze, how was that possible? She heard he wasn''t dating anyone, where did this mysterious girlfriend come out from? But she cracked a smile, perhaps the werewolf was lying?

    Daniel gripped the table hard, his face was flushed. The girl was setting him on fire, does she have an idea of how aroused he was?

    Lia ignored him and ate her meal while moving her feet up and down his erection, he didn''t want to give her attention? No problem, she was good.

    "Your girlfriend must be so cool to have a boyfriend like you," Caroline said, with envy noticeable in her voice.

    Lia flipped her hair, of course, she was cool; she basked in the glory.

    The hybrid was enjoying this moment when she felt her mate''s palm close around her feet, halting her movement.

    Their eyes met again.

    "So where is this girlfriend of yours? You didn''t bring her along, I''m sure every one of us would have been so excited to see her " Lia was the one who queried him this time, eliciting a raised brow from him.

    Daniel was confused, what game was his mate playing? Fine, he''d play along.

    "I would have, but she gets too shy around people thinking she''s not worth the attention when in reality she''s the most beautiful girl I''ve seen"

    Lia knew he was lying but her heart couldn''t help but race, coupled with the fact he was drawing circles in the middle of her feet.

    "She has this amazing hair that feels like silk; her eyes an ocean blue that I am willing to get lost staring at forever. I want to kiss those sexy red lips of her and those unholiest places. In one word, I love her " He confessed without taking his eyes off her.

    The noise from the kids cooing and cheering the Chief for his bold, hot, and romantic confession echoed through the hall.

    Lia went red in the face, what was her mate thinking saying those inappropriate words - well, everyone here was eighteen plus.

    She tried to withdraw her feet out of embarrassment but Daniel refused to let her go. He held onto it tighter with a sassy grin while increasing the speed of his circles causing her feet to twitch reflexively.

    Caroline frowned, she was displeased. If she had doubted him before, now there was no more room for denial - he truly had a girlfriend.

    She saw the look in his eyes, only those in love would have that adoring glint. But she disliked the way he fixed his gaze on Lia, he couldn''t exactly be in love with her, right?

    A chill washed over Caroline, she replayed Daniel''s confession in her head.

    Though he didn''t give much bodily emphasis on his girlfriend, that ocean blue eyes he mentioned couldn''t be a mistake - Lia had blue eyes too.

    But Lia and Dan were together, right? Yet she hadn''t seen them get intimate with each other.

    Suddenly the pieces of the puzzle began to come together, the reason why Lia wasn''t able to stay with them in the same room? It was so she could spend them with Daniel because she''s his girlfriend!

    Caroline gasped in disbelief, they were fooled - she was fooled by their great act.

    While all this was going on, Eric who had sat in the furthest seat where he wouldn''t be noticed sneaked out of the table and returned to their room.

    Without hesitation, he went to Dan''s locker which still had the keys in its door, opened it, and pulled out his bag.

    Eric had kept a good eye on him earlier before they left for dinner and was smart enough to discover that the vampire had forgotten to take his keys after he closed his locker due to a distraction.

    After discovering Dan''s ability, he was very cautious especially now they were sharing the same room. But this moment was an opportunity, so he began to search the vampire''s bag hoping to see a blood bag or something.

    But his frustration increased when he discovered nothing to incriminate  Dan as a vampire. He tossed the bag back into the locker, closed the locker, and turned around only to bump into the vampire in question.

    "What are you doing?" Dan asked with eyes narrowed into slits suspiciously.

    "I came to relieve myself only to discover your locker was locked with the key in it - I was just about to give it to you" He lied smoothly.

    Dan stared at him intensely, for some reason he didn''t like this boy. It was obvious he was lying yet his heart pattern remained the same, it didn''t miss a beat out of nervousness. Someone this calm��..

    The vampire thrust out his hand, "The key? "

    Eric placed in on his palm

    "Thanks for your attention " He clasped the key and praised the good samaritan.

    "You''re welcome, " Eric said and left.

    Dan opened his locker and smirked, his things were tampered with. Thank God, he didn''t keep his blood bags in here.

    Dan looked to the door where the boy just left, what was his objective? He has to look into him.

    Meanwhile��.

    The dining hall had been cleared and the chief organized a small party for the students to unwind and relax. Their exploration would begin tomorrow since it was late.

    "Aren''t you going to join in the fun?" Daniel sneaked around his mate who sat at a corner of the room unconcerned.

    "Not interested " Lia drawled.

    "Come on, just one dance " He urged his mate to her feet though she was reluctant.

    But the moment Lia stood, her world swirled and blanked.

 Chapter 198 - One Hundred And Ninety-eight: The Mini Devils

    "Where are you going?"

    Lia asked her mate who kept walking on without sparing a look at her.

    "Asher! "

    She screamed and tried to catch up with him but the more she ran, the slower she went, it was as if she was trudging through quicksand.

    "Where are you going?!" Lia yelled after him but the vampire continued with his journey.

    He moved sluggishly to the extent one would think he had lost the will to live.

    Every lift of her foot weighed, almost like lead was tied around her ankle and dragging her back.

    Fog arose and began to spread across the field, narrowing her visibility.

    "Asher! " Her voice broke this time as she watched the fog slowly swallow him up.

    Lia was scared all alone but no matter how much she cried, he didn''t return. She felt a pain in her heart, it made her gasp for air.

    ---

    "Asher!"  Lia woke with a startle.

    She sat upright, her action waking the werewolf who was sitting beside her bed - err, hospital bed.

    "You''re up" Daniel breathed in relief, before pulling her into a hug but his face scrunched up when he felt something cold drop on his shoulder.

    He pulled away, "Why are you crying?" and wiped away the ones trailing down her cheeks.

    Lia squeezed her eyes shut to express her confusion, "I have no idea. I woke and tears are springing from my eyes"

    "It''s alright, must be a nightmare" Her werewolf mate kissed her on the forehead tenderly as a form of assurance.

    Daniel could now have peace of mind. After she had fainted last night during the party, he thought he had lost his mind.

    Though the pack doctor had assured him she was okay, he still paced up and down her bedside. What could have caused her to pass out, she was a supernatural for crying out loud.

    "What is it?" She wasn''t at ease, he could sense it through the bond.

    Daniel watched his mate bite on the inside of her lips and instinctively knew whatever favor she was about to ask was related to Asher.

    "Hey, I know I''m supposed to focus my attention on you these few three days but can I speak to Asher, please? I feel slightly uncomfortable like something''s happened to him "

    Lia watched his blank expression, unsure if he''d grant her request. She wasn''t going to lie, she would find it hard granting him that if she were in his shoes.

    Though Daniel had initially been her only mate, circumstances forced him to the bottom. Lia knew it was not easy for a man of his position to accept the second position that easily.

    "Sure" Daniel agreed.

    Lia let out a breath she never knew she was holding.

    "I can''t find yours at the moment but here, you can use mine" He offered his cellphone.

    Lia took his hand with the cellphone in it, "Thank you"

    She gave him a warm smile and embrace, briefly - Lia was grateful for having two understanding mates else she wondered what she''d done.

    "I''ll be out there until you''re done " He gave her some privacy.

    Lia called Asher at once, she couldn''t get that dream out of her head. The thought of losing her mate scared her out of her mind and until she confirmed Asher was alright, she would not relax.

    "Hello, Daniel?" His voice came alive from the other side causing the tension hanging around Lia to reduce by eighty percent.

    "Is me? " She said.

    "Lia?"

    "How have you been?"

    "How do you think I''m doing?"

    She rubbed her head," I''m serious Asher. Did something happen? Is there something you''re not telling me? "

    There was a short pause as if he was filtering what to say to her.

    "Asher? Talk to me, Asher! You can''t seriously hide this one from me because I felt it from the bond"

    " My brother attacked me " He finally opened up.

    "Raphael? He attacked you? Why would he do that? " Lia peppered him with questions.

    "You know what, I''m video calling you" she decided.

    "No!" He was quick to refuse her.

    "What do you mean, no? I have to check up on you, make sure you''re okay " she explained.

    " I''m okay, mate"

    "No, I still need to check on you else - "

    " Do you trust me "

    "Yes, I trust you Asher but - "

    "Then, trust me now "

    Lia couldn''t protest any longer, she was still worried but had to believe him.

    Thankfully, he didn''t sound like someone in pain cause if he did, video call or not? She would race back to Little Town just to examine him.

    She took a deep breath," Fine"

    "That''s my girl "

    Lia visioned a broad smile on his face as he said that.

    "I miss you, Lia"

    "Me too "

    "Alright, have fun with Daniel. I can''t wait for you to return to me"

    "Yeah, see you "

    The call ended.

    Well, her nightmare didn''t come to accomplishment, that was all that mattered.

    Once she returned to Little Town, she would have the opportunity to scan Asher''s body for incurred injuries he might be hiding from her - that vampire keeps too many secrets from her.

    Daniel returned, "You seem better"

    "Asher was attacked"

    The news was too sudden for Daniel that he froze, "Excuse me?"

    "Raphael attacked him"

    "Well, I never liked that brother of his. I knew it was only a matter of time before his mask cracked" Daniel sat on the space on her bed.

    "By the way, where am I ? "

    "The pack hospital"

    "What a waste of space and resources, you could have just taken me to our room " She complained.

    Daniel blinked, the use of "our room" made his heart pound against his chest, erotic imagination infesting his mind.

    "Daniel? Daniel?!" Lia snapped her fingers at his face.

    The werewolf jerked out of his imagination, his cheeks heating up in embarrassment.

    "Sorry," His flush deepened.

    Lia cleared her throat awkwardly, the look on his face told her everything she needed to know, and was thankful he didn''t push that thought into her head.

    "You fainted right in front of everyone, so the hospital was the next believable place you had to be sent. It would be awkward if they had to pay you a visit in our room"

    Lia blushed, the way he emphasized "Our room " made x-rated thoughts spring up in her head.

    "Secret dating is so tiring " She sighed tiredly.

    "Oh don''t worry, it''s just the both of us for the next three hours. Thanks to your beauty sleep for about ��.." He checked his wristwatch, " Twelve hours, everyone had left for the trip"

    "I was never interested in the trip by the way" she leaned towards him, "Seems I have to pass out again so we could spend more time together tomorrow, just the both of us "

    He copied her action by leaning closer till their face was touching. But instead of whispering sweet nothings, he said to her instead

    "Go wash up, you smell "

    Lia glared at him but his lips were curled to the side smugly, indifferent to her anger. Nevertheless, she obeyed.

    She washed up - after making sure Daniel was out of their room and couldn''t stare at her naked body through the see-through bathroom.

    "You''re done "

    Her hand went to her heart, she was startled. Daniel was waiting for her right outside the door.

    "Yes, I''m done "

    He bent and sniffed her causing Lia to lean back awkwardly, sometimes she couldn''t help but think of dogs when he did that.

    "Let''s go" He smiled and took her hand, intertwining them together.

    "What was that for?"

    "What ?"

    "The ..." She comically made a sniffing gesture.

    "Oh that, I marked your scent. That way, I can track you down wherever you go "

    Wonderful, her boyfriend was a tracker.

    They made small talks until they came to a stop in an unknown bungalow.

    Daniel led her into a spacious room painted in bright and charming colors with children''s toys scattered all over but that was not what held her spellbound.

    It was the litter of puppies running around the house, driving the caretaker crazy that made her eyes go wide with shock.

    "Oh my God!," She screamed in excitement, "Are they wolf pups?! "

    Daniel nodded, "Yes, this is the pack''s nursery "

    Lia tried to lift one into her arms but Daniel stopped her, she threw him a questioning look.

    "Trust me, you don''t want to get involved with them yet until you heard my instructions "

    "Whoa" Lia chuckled, "Instructions? What have you got up your sleeve now?"

    "Lia, you''re my mate but that doesn''t mean my pack has accepted you yet. You have to prove your worth"

    "Okay?" She pursed her lips, "How do I do that ?"

    "One of them involves commanding these little devils into submission in an hour" he explained.

    "Cool, look at those cute - "

    "Lia, those are teething pups just born two days ago. Trust me, you don''t want to mess with them "

    She waved him away, "Come-on, trust me. If I can handle Trevor and Rex, there''s no other kid in this world I can''t handle"

    "Lia -"

    "When can I start ?"

    Daniel gulped, " Anytime "

    "Then I start now, " She declared.

    She turned to look at those harmless little creatures, how could they be devils. They were so small and cute, they could easily pass off as Chihuahuas.

    He signaled the caretaker who was so relieved to have the responsibility of caring for those mini devils taken off her shoulder.

    "Good luck, Lia " Daniel sighed and closed the door with a heavy heart. Well, she wouldn''t die anyway.

    No sooner had Daniel closed the door did Lia''s terror-filled scream reverberate throughout the whole house.

 Chapter 199 - One Hundred And Ninety-nine : Was It Too Late To Marry Asher

    Lia stood in awe just as the door was closed by her mate. There were about fifteen pups in that room who were running helter-skelter, chasing, and bumping into each other from excitement.

    They were about two feet tall and their eye color varied; golden yellow, amber, brown and some even had traces of blue.

    The pups had diverse fur colors and though most had gray or brown, there was still black, white, and red mixed with some colors.

    "Hello," Lia said and they all stopped in her directions as if controlled. Their snout moved, picking up her scent.

    "Such an adorable creature" She squatted down and began to run her hands through the furs of one of her furry friends that walked towards her.

    "You''re so cute" Lia was still saying when the little pup opened its mouth and bit her finger so hard that tears squirted from her eyes.

    But a full shriek was drawn from her lips when another chomped on her butt.

    "Ahhh!" Lia screamed and shot to her feet, hands rubbing the spot on her butt where she was bitten.

    As if a cue was given, all of them rushed at her and she was forced to the ground.

    "Get off me, you little devils !"  Lia yelled, tossing one after the other away from her body.

    But the more she moved them away, the more they climbed and overpowered her. They bit her hair, clothes, and skin - Daniel wasn''t kidding when he said they were teething.

    But his idea of teething was misinforming. Unlike human children who had two or three teeth during their teething period, these pups had a complete dentition - though not as large as a normal werewolf''s but full - her mate should have explained better.

    Lia felt like crying, they were all over her and she was sure she''d be unrecognizable once she escaped this hellhole. Their entire mouthful of razor-sharp teeth wreaked havoc on her body.

    "Ouch, that hurts " Lia chided a pup who pulled out her hair with its paw. The wolf had white fur with black streaks on the back, stomach, and legs with golden yellow color eyes.

    "No, you not there" she scolded another one with red furs and tan hairs on her shoulder who bit her toenails.

    "I swear to God if you - " She was still talking when one mischievous pup climbed over the others, using their bodies as a stairway to his destination, stood on its hindleg, and licked her face lavishly.

    As if that was not enough, another climbing her back and using her hair as a rope to pull himself up, peed on her.

    Lia stilled for a while, not minding the tingling places being tugged and bitten, or the coldness seeping into her body as a result of the urine, she wiped the massive drool from her face - lips included.

    Now, she was angry.

    Lia shook them off her body and released an angry growl. The others who were still hanging unto her body sped off while others coming for a second-round reversed at once.

    She finally breathed at last, chest heaving but her eyes never left those devil puppies who were huddled together watching her curiously.

    Fuck, she thought she had scared them!

    She watched them, they watched her, peering inquisitively at the two fangs resting in-between her row of canines.

    All of a sudden one of them shifted into her human form easily, that action made Lia jealous.

    Was shapeshifting that easy for the newborns? She knew how painful it was for her the first time she transformed.

    Lia was on all fours defensively, watching questioningly as this little stark naked werewolf child crawled towards her.

    Once close enough, the baby stood on shaky legs, reached out, and clasped Lia''s face.

    Though alarmed, Lia stood still and wondered what that little bun was up to. Surprisingly, her partners watched her actions with pure curiosity too.

    The baby put her hand in Lia''s mouth, tracing her teeth until she found her fangs; the source of her fascination.

    Lia snorted inwardly, so that was why. They were curious about her fangs? As newborns, it was obvious this was their first time seeing fangs, so it interested them.

    Lia let the kid explore to her heart''s content, she was so drawn to it like a newfound toy - at least that gave her time to recover from their attacks.

    But Lia was careful not to nib her, though the hybrid could now control the flow of her venom, she didn''t want any angry female werewolf pulling her hair because she bit her kid by mistake.

    The kid stopped. Lia''s brow raised, what now?

    The baby werewolf turned towards the others and made a howl, Lia could have sworn it sounded like a whistle - no, a signal.

    Signal for what?

    They all charged towards her.

    Lia''s eyes widened in shock, she was being fooled all this time. She had thought the pup had been satisfying her curiosity when all this time, like the police, she had been scouring a crime scene.

    They sent that little devil as a scout, her responsibility was to assess if Lia''s fang was a threat to them or not. And now she had confirmed they wouldn''t be harmed, they were ready to attack.

    "Stop! " Lia screamed with a hand gesture and was surprised when they obeyed.

    She tilted her head to the side confusingly, did they heed her command? Why?

    "Sit " she tested her luck.

    They all flopped down on their stomach and looked at her in admiration - wow, that''s new.

    "Roll " She twirled her finger

    They all began to roll around on the floor like dogs do, which was quite amusing to Lia since some bumped into each other but continued with it anywhere - quite enthusiastically.

    They stopped and watched her, eagerly waiting for more commandments unknowing that Lia was at a crossroad, she was out of ideas. What would she do next?

    Her line of sight fell on the television and carefully reached for the remote, turned it, a cartoon show came up.

    "Alright, one after the other, you have to show one affectionate gesture and that''s all," Lia told them strictly, gaining confidence after a few tests.

    For a moment she had thought they didn''t understand her until one leaped at her, which she caught in her arms and licked her face.

    "Well, that''s comforting; a gesture of love " Lia mumbled to herself before placing the pup in front of the television.

    "Be a good boy " she rubbed his head.

    "Next! "

    And so the affectionate gesture began with most of them biting her - affectionately, aka love bites as she sees it - than licking her face or peeing on her.

    The scene of Lia and the pups lounging on the rugged floor and watching SpongeBob was the scene that greeted Daniel and the others when her time was up.

    "Unreal " The caretaker who had been taking care of them previously gasped, "They don''t even watch that show cause they hate it "

    She was amazed, "How did you do it?"

    But Lia ignored her and ran into the arms of her mate with an aggrieved pout.

    Daniel laughed, patting her back before he wrinkled his nose, picking up something, "They peed on you?"

    Lia lifted her face away from his face and nodded pitifully.

    "That''s a good sign, it''s their way of marking their territory which means I''d have to contend with them for your attention"

    The once quiet puppies stood to their feet and charged towards Daniel who was monopolizing the woman they liked.

    "Just as I said, " Daniel pointed out.

    But when they were within touching range, Daniel dropped to his feet and growl-barked, baring sharp serrated canines at them threateningly.

    They all whimpered, did a u-turn; fleeing with tails tucked firmly between their legs- Daniel bullied them.

    The alpha werewolf asked her in-between in a laugh, " Is that how you forced them into submission? Growl viciously cause fear is the only emotion that''d force them to give up "

    Huh, Lia was confused.

    She laughed nervously, "Of course that was how I did it"

    Right, pups?

    "So did I pass?" Lia asked nervously, she wouldn''t go through all this torture for anything.

    "Of course, you excelled, " Daniel told her before smooching her on the lips.

    "I stink of urine, " Lia pulled away.

    "I don''t care, you''re gonna smell like that a lot if we have our puppies in the future"

    "What?! "

    Daniel was stunned, "What is wrong?"

    " Not one but litters?!" She yelled.

    "Werewolves normally birth three or four at least, though my birth is a different case "

    Lia gripped her hair in horror, " You''re trying to say that I would still go through this same scene in the future - but this time with my kids? "

    Daniel pursed his lips, "Probably, but you don''t need to worry cause I''ll be there to support and deal with them, alright?"

    Lia felt all the air leave her lungs, so she was still going to deal with her imps in the future?

    Was it too late to marry Asher?

    .

 Chapter 200 - Two Hundred: He Was In Raphaels Body

    The car stumped on a pothole and Asher crashed heavily to the side of the truck but the pain woke him up.

    What the ��.

    He shot up to his feet, frowned upon his body''s sluggish response. Why was he as weak as a human? He then looked down and discovered his hands and legs were cuffed.

    The confusion deepened.

    What was going on? The last thing he remembered was the fight. His brother finally decided to attack him- when he was with no help.

    But his arrogance failed him, if he wasn''t so cocky about his ability, he wouldn''t have fallen into Raphael''s plan. He was sure of winning if not that interruption - Sabrina!

    She betrayed him for her powers, he should have known.

    Raphael must have secretly helped her keep her powers on the night of that attack while everyone else thought she''d lost it - the woman was such a great actress.

    But Asher knew his brother like the back of his hand, Sabrina was stupid to have struck a deal with him - one should never trust a Raven.

    Raphael would be magnanimous at first but Asher bet he must have told her afterward - when she couldn''t do anything -that betraying him was the payment for helping her keep her powers.

    Asher snorted inwardly, there was no need punishing her for her betrayal, Raphael must have killed her already.

    His only concern was Dan, he doesn''t know how he would be able to take it. If Sabrina dies as he surmised, then that would be the death of the second woman he loved.

    Dan would take it hard - that was for sure - and even think he''s jinxed or something. Asher hopes he would be there for him but that would be after figuring out where he was and why he was here.

    Where the hell was Raphael sending him?

    Asher pulled at the bind again but got no result instead he cried out in pain - this was a silver handcuff.

    To end a vampire you had to use stakes, behead or decapitate them, rip out the heart and of course, remember to burn them -just to be sure they don''t survive since vampires had regeneration ability.

    But there''s another weapon which though cannot kill but can paralyze and do damage and that was silver.

    Silver hurt night creatures but its effect was more severe in werewolves than them.

    Silver bullets were commonly used by hunters but once it penetrates the body of a werewolf, dissolves and enters the bloodstream and spreads throughout the body, causing sheer agony till the creature dies.

    But unlike the wolves, the metal weakens vampires and depending on the pureness and quantity, even injures or paralyzes them until it''s removed or fades away.

    To date, no one understood why it had such an effect on them but it''s believed that silver is a pure metal and since vampires were unpure creatures, they cannot stand it.

    Also, the first vampire was cursed by Artemis to be burnt by the touch of silver since he stole her bow then.

    It didn''t burn Asher upon touch as people claimed, just caused him pain and the continuous exposure to it weakened him tremendously.

    The inside of the track was dark and he couldn''t see a thing even with his ability - his powers were greatly hindered by these binds.

    He couldn''t even punch a dent in the trailer conveying him to God knows where and could only sit on the floor helplessly.

    Asher''s thought went to his mate, who knew what Raphael had in-store for her? The thought of his brother laying a hand on Lia made him boil with anger.

    He just hoped Daniel and the rest of his men would be able to protect her until he found his way out of this mess.

    Suddenly the truck stopped, they must have reached their destination, Asher thought.

    He pretended to be asleep and when the unsuspecting men dragged him out roughly, he launched an expected attack.

    He kneeled the other before bashing his head against the body of the truck. The other grabbed his neck from behind but he pulled him over his body and flung him to the ground.

    Sadly Asher was weak, that last move took the juice out of him and before he could retaliate, he was tackled to the ground with great speed.

    More vampires sped out of the villa and subdued him in no time but that was not his concern at the moment.

    He felt there were some strange changes to his body when in the truck he hadn''t had time to check it due to the limited visibility but now? It was weird.

    He looked muscular and taller which wasn''t his normal body statue, did he grow overnight?

    This unwelcome discovery unsettled him and yes, some theories were running amok in his head, he was scared to acknowledge them - Asher was afraid he would find something horrifying.

    A punch met his face, the force alone whipped his face to the side while blood was drawn from his lips.

    Another met his stomach.

    "What are you doing to him? Don''t you know he''s the Alpha''s son?"

    "Huh, Alpha''s son?" Asher thought it was confusing him further.

    Sure he was an Alpha''s son but why were they speaking as if his father was still alive?

    "The order was given by the Alpha, we should beat the hell out of him if he resists us," another said.

    Given by the Alpha? His father was already dead, why would he give another order? Unless��..

    Blood drained from Asher''s face, it couldn''t be what he was thinking, right?

    "I need a mirror, "he said, but he was panicking so it came out as a whisper.

    "What''s he saying?!"

    "Give me a mirror!" Asher yelled this time but the vampire''s face distorted into anger.

    "How dare you yell at me!" The vampire fumed and kicked him straight at the chest and Asher fell right back to the ground.

    "Who the - "

    "Cinch!" Another vampire stopped the angry vampire from landing another kick at Asher.

    "Ezekiel might have given you the right to torture his son but Raphael is still the Alpha''s son - nothing standing his crime, do show some respect "

    Asher felt like he was hearing wrong, Ezekiel? He was in the Raven clan? But what made him more puzzled was them referring to him as Raphael.

    He was Asher, not Raphael, couldn''t they see the differences? Why were they blind? Why would he be Raphael?

    And the uneasiness in his heart increased, every action so far has confirmed his suspicion but he needed to see for himself.

    "I need a mirror" He pleaded with the guy who stopped that furious vampire from hurting him further.

    The vampire frowned, "I don''t understand your sudden obsession with mirrors but you''d get one once you''re settled inside"

    Asher wanted to demand it brought to him now, but since this one was the kindest among them so far, he decided not to bring him to anger too.

    "Thank you," He said to the vampire whose brows furrowed together in confusion, since when did Raphael gain some manners?

    The vampire had always been an arrogant one because his daddy was in power. Well, vampires do change especially now he committed that crime.

    Their idea of settling down was tossing him into a prison cell. His hands were chained to the prison wall and could only stretch to the length the chain allowed him to.

    Though the chain wasn''t made of silver but after he was shoved into this cell, they restrained and forced a sizable amount of vervain down his throat. Right now, he was so weak he could not even swat a fly, talk more, lift his arm.

    Asher was found on the floor, leaning against the wall when the vampire came in with the promised mirror.

    "Here, it is " He stretched it towards Asher.

    "Lift it to my face, " Asher told him weakly.

    The vampire did as told and witnessed the numerous emotions play out on Raphael''s face - as he thinks.

    Shock, disbelief, anger, disappointment, sorrow, all flashed across his features in a short time.

    "What is wrong?" The vampire called

    Marc asked out of concern. He had never been close with Raphael on a personal level but he felt something was amiss here.

    "This is not me"

    "Huh? I don''t understand "

    Asher turned towards him, "Would you believe me if I told you I''m Asher and I''m currently stuck in his body"

    So far this vampire was the only one who had given him a listening ear and so thought he''d been curious when he exposed this piece of information but the way he shook his head and sighed in disappointment confused him.

    "You don''t believe me?" Asher''s face fell

    "Trying to steal Asher''s mate wasn''t enough, now you''re claiming to be him too?"

    Asher was confused.

    "What are you talking about?"

    "Why do you think you''re held captive?"

    "I think that''s enough for today, Marc," someone said and walked into the prison.

    Asher glanced up and their eyes met, Ezekiel.

 Chapter 201 - Two Hundred And One : Mother

    Ezekiel, no doubt that was him.

    A glance and one could see where Raphael got his brawny stature. Ezekiel was quite tall and huge framed, his bodily features more common in werewolves than in vampires.

    "Welcome home, son," He said just as Marc walked out of the cell but Asher was not to be deceived.

    "The both of you planned it all, didn''t you?" He went straight to the point.

    Ezekiel wrapped his muscly arms across his chest with a relaxed stance, "You grew up to look exactly like him aside from the eyes"

    His suspicion was correct, Raphael planned this with his father. As sly as his stepbrother was, he couldn''t have come up with such a brilliant plan alone - he sure received a helping hand.

    "Is that why you did it? Because you hated that face, my face!"

    "What do you think?" He threw at him with no clarification.

    "Well, sorry to burst your bubbles but your son is currently in my body and he''s using that face you loathe, what a big hypocrite you are!"

    Asher was still speaking when he felt a force, twist his arm to the side till a cracking sound of a bone being snapped was heard.

    Ezekiel''s ability was telekinesis and he sure knew how to use it and who knew other variations it might have evolved over the years.

    Asher screamed as the torment lasted until Ezekiel gave him a breathing space yet he didn''t give up with his questions.

    "I heard them saying I stole a mate, what does that mean?" Asher demanded an explanation

    Ezekiel picked an iron chair laying at the edge of the prison, turned it upright, and sat on it.

    "To bring you here without creating suspicion" He began, "My son had to be accused of almost converting your mate as revenge against what your father did to me. It''s quite unfortunate that you''re the one stuck in his body and about to receive the punishment"

    They really deserve applause for a well thought out plan. Asher knew if they hadn''t heaped these blames on Raphael''s head, their plans would be ruined.

    It would seem suspicious to everyone and the members of his clan if Raphael aka him, had returned to the clan bind with silver cuffs when no crime was committed.

    They knew how much the Alpha loved his son to the core, so what could bring on this new hatred? Vampires would begin to talk and the smart ones would begin to solve the mystery and before one knows it, they might be able to figure it out.

    But the good news was they could transport Asher without the binds, unfortunately, the vampire was smart and would be in his prime form and stand a huge chance of escaping which poses a huge risk to their plans.

    "So I''m going to be prosecuted by the council and possibly get killed while your son forever remains in my body, is that it?"Asher surmised their schemes.

    Ezekiel snorted, "Who said anything about getting you killed? Asher has forgiven you the crime of almost stealing his mate since I did the same for his father and that''s why you''re being sent to me - to be punished by your father"

    What the ��.

    The vampire began to laugh,  his laughter so hysterical that Ezekiel thought he must have lost it.

    Father and son were crazy, Asher thought. They denied him his chance of exerting his revenge once he returned.

    Raphael now in his body purposely forgave the so accused crime of him stealing his mate so he wouldn''t be able to bring up the case to the council in the future if he does escape.

    Stealing a mate was punishable by death unless forgiven and that was what they did, the father and son duo were swinging him back and forth like a yoyo.

    But this all confused him more, it would be hard for Ezekiel to kill Raphael because of his wife and clan but they could have used the council to end him.

    Why keep him alive especially now he was the one occupying the body? Clearly, Ezekiel hates him, so why didn''t they kill him on the way coming and blame it on some unfortunate incident? This mystery muddled Asher more than ever.

    Asher lifted his head, his orbs filled with anger and hatred, if only he could get a chance of escaping, he would rain his wrath on this clan.

    "You said you forgave him, you claimed to have buried all hatches! " Asher reminded him of his agreement with Antonio, his father.

    Ezekiel''s lips pulled upward," The sins of the father shall be visited upon the son, Antonio was foolish to have believed a Raven " he mocked.

    "I have suffered for those sins for years, because of what he did I had never set eyes on my mother!"

    "Oh don''t worry, since you''re here, I''m sure she would come to pay her dear son a visit - you can take that as compensation for not seeing her over the years," he told him nonchalantly.

    "You!" The chains rattled as Asher rose and charged at Ezekiel but he only reached a certain distance before he was held back.

    Ezekiel wasn''t dazed, instead, he  laughed at his unfruitful effort, "You have so much energy, breaking you would be so much fun, trust me."

    Asher shook with rage, he was boiling with anger and wanted to rip that man apart but his frail body couldn''t assist him.

    "Just hope to the heavens, I never leave here else I''ll make sure to annihilate every Raven blood till none remains! " He swore.

    "That''s if you''re able to. Because I promise you, we''ll spend eternity together - you and I "

    Chills ran down his arms, Asher wasn''t worried about himself but for his mate. Sure, Daniel could protect her from danger but he was no match for his smart and sly older brother.

    Asher prayed Raphael never discovers the use of his second ability, else who knows what disaster he would wreck with it.

    Though they switched bodies, they couldn''t access each other''s memories, their soul had everything. They could only use either''s ability once they grasped how it worked.

    Asher didn''t believe in any heavenly entity but right now, he made a little prayer in his heart: asking God to keep his mate safe from the enemies until he got out of this hellhole.

    They could beat, break, or kill him, he didn''t care but let his mate be okay; that was all he asked for.

    "Since we''re done playing questions and answers, why don''t we get to the main business of the day? "

    The moment those words left his mouth, Asher''s hand automatically bent at a weird angle followed by the other one and his legs as Ezekiel controlled his movements like a puppet.

    He lay in an askew position while agonizing screams left his mouth which slowed down when the torture stopped.

    Someone interrupted them.

    "You animal!" A slap met Ezekiel''s face

    "This is our son you''re treating like that! "

    Asher''s ear peaked up, our son? That could only mean one thing...mother? If he could breathe, it would have caught in his chest at this moment.

    Asher wanted to look, he had been anticipating this scene for centuries and at last, here it was but he couldn''t move enough to peak at her - his neck was broken.

    "He did a horrible thing, Helen, he needs to be punished so the others would learn from this " Ezekiel told her.

    "I don''t care what he did but touch my son one more time and I would reject you with no hesitation" She threatened.

    Asher laughed inwardly, he wished he could see the horrid look on Ezekiel''s face. Every supernatural feared being rejected by their mate.

    Rejecting a mate was akin to divorce in human terms but theirs was much serious with consequences. The loneliness, pains, depression - no one would want to through it.

    No wonder some unmated vampires preferred to reject each other at the earliest stage than when the connection between them deepened.

    Asher could feel the helplessness oozing from Ezekiel and the retreating steps afterward told him the aged shameless bully had left.

    "Raphael son" he heard her say, followed by the tearing of flesh before her wrist was shoved into his mouth - she wanted him to feed on her.

    "I know this wouldn''t do much but you need it, at least to heal from the injuries"

    Asher shook his head, he refused to feed on his mother but the woman was stubborn and forced the liquid down his throat.

    She was bent over him and pressed her wrist forcefully against the mouth of Asher whose face was facing sideways on the ground.

    A few minutes later, his body began to heal slowly and it took him about ten minutes to resume all bodily function- an action that caused less than a minute in his best days.

    "Mom" He finally got the chance to lift his head and took in her appearance.

    Ezekiel was right, he took her eyes.

 Chapter 202 - Two Hundred And Two : Spend Time With My Son

    "Mother" Asher breathed, there was a huge lump in his throat, it felt clogged.

    He was hardly the emotional type aside when it comes to his mate and now, his mother.

    So this was what she looked like; dark brown hair which he and Raphael had inherited from her.

    Though it was easy to say he got the dark hair from his father Antonio but now he took a closer look, it was from his mother''s side.

    Her features were delicate but he could not take his eyes off her green orbs - it was the most interesting part to him.

    As a kid, he had always wondered where he got the eye color from, his father nor relatives didn''t have it.

    But here she was, at last, the source, the person who birthed him, his mother he had longed to see for seven hundred years.

    It was easy to have gotten a portrait or photo of her if he wanted to but he left it that way. It was better not to know what she looked like and intensify the urge to see her which might lead him into doing something stupid.

    "Mother" he called again.

    "Yes, son"

    It felt surreal to him.

    "I missed you so much it hurt" His voice broke at the end, just as tears streamed down his face.

    Asher could count the number of times he had ever cried upon living for centuries - he didn''t even cry when his father died.

    He had anticipated Antonio''s death, foreseen everything. Supporting the dark witches and fighting the council was a suicidal mission and his father paid with his life.

    Asher had prepared his heart already so when the news came, it didn''t move him much.

    The only time he had cried was for Katya; tears of pain and regret. He hadn''t meant for them to end up that way but the deed was already done, he had to live with the guilt forever.

    And now he cried for his mother; aggrieved tears.

    From a young age, he had been burdened with a sin he had no clue about.

    Yet he bore it with good faith, it was his father''s mistake but he loved him, and that made him grow up with the notion that one had to restitute for their sins.

    But it was quite funny, his suffering for years was for nothing because the so-called forgiven sin was demanded to be compensated and he was used once again.

    If he had known, he would have broken that decree of never seeing his mother centuries ago, let the worst happen.

    But this was a blessing in disguise, he got the chance to see his mammy and once he got out of here, he''d hold the father and son duo accountable for their mischief.

    "I missed you too ever since you left- day and night. Hardly a day passed without me praying for your safety" she said, emotion in her voice.

    Asher wiped the tears that spilled down her cheeks, she had delicate features though she wasn''t as soft as she looked.

    He used that opportunity to trace the shape of her eyes and trailed down to her straight nose before moving upward to her curved brows and finally her oval face, she was really real and not a figment of his imagination.

    "Why did you do it? I''ve always told you that you and Asher are brothers and I love you just as I love him too"

    Asher froze, he felt he heard wrong.

    "Y-you love me? " He asked, just to confirm he was not imagining what he heard earlier.

    "Of course I love you" She answered with no hesitation.

    Asher shook his head, "No, I mean, you love Asher too?"

    He noticed her despondent look, what was going on? Why did she look like this, did she not mean what she said earlier?

    She sighed but clasped his cheeks," I don''t know how many times we''re going to go through this, but Asher is my son too " his mother said firmly, " What mother would hate his son?"

    Asher got a rough idea of what was going on now. It seems Raphael didn''t like the idea of sharing her mother''s heart with a half brother and often led to quarrels between mother and son.

    His heart began to bubble with joy, his mother truly loved him?

    "So you really, really, love your son Asher ?" He rephrased.

    "Raphael, both of you sons are precious to - "

    The rest of her words died off as Asher pulled her into a tight hug, tears welling up in his eyes - he wasn''t abandoned.

    Antonio caused his mother pains and so Asher thought his mother despised and hated him hence why she never searched him secretly.

    But now he thought about it, Raphael probably had something to do with it.

    His half-brother was sly from birth and must have guilt-tripped their mother into assuming that visiting him was a crime against him- her legitimate son.

    That she owed him all of her time and attention; sounds like the Raphael he knew - the great manipulator.

    Asher would have suspected Antonio too but Helen was his mate and the man wouldn''t like to do anything to hurt or depress her.

    "Thank you," He told her, "Thank you for loving me"

    Helen knitted her brow together in confusion, her son Raphael was behaving weirdly today. If it was other times, he would have been nagging and yelling at her for still having affection for her other son.

    She couldn''t blame Raphael since she understood his frustration. Though vampires grew at a faster rate but in human terms, Raphael was still a baby when she was taken captive by Antonio.

    Raphael was cheated of motherly affection during his short-lived childhood - childhood passed quickly due to their fast metabolism - making her feel indebted to him.

    So to pay up, she never sought her other son even though she could, he was just the one who should never find her.

    Helen focused on Raphael who had already grown into a teenager by the time her ex-lover Antonio released her, to cover up for the time lost.

    Her hand rubbed his back comfortingly while Asher cried his heart out on her shoulder.

    Helen knew her son Raphael could be extreme sometimes but she never guessed he would go to the extent of stealing his brother''s mate.

    Was he exacting revenge for her or his father? She had no idea and didn''t want that. What''s done is done, there''s no need crying over spilled milk.

    She had already forgotten what Antonio did to her centuries ago. Moreover, he was dead. She just wished both sons would bury the hatchet and become friends or the brothers they were.

    "Come, let me take you out of here," She said, grabbed the long chain, and dragged it out of the wall before doing the same to the other one.

    Helen groaned with the effort as she pulled on the metal until she successfully broke the shackles holding his wrist.

    "Let''s get you out of here" She helped me up to his feet but when they reached the prison gate, they were denied access.

    "I''m afraid my Lady but you can''t leave with him, the alpha''s order " The guard stationed at the gate refused.

    "I''m his wife!" She shouted furiously.

    "No, my lady "

    "This is his son for f*ck sake!" She still stood her ground.

    "I''m sorry but the Alpha''s order is final "

    Helen''s fists were clenched by the side, her tiny lips pressed together in a fit of anger.

    "It''s okay Mom, you can leave without me " He placated her.

    Asher knew from the very start that her efforts to bust him out were futile, she had no clue what was going on. Ezekiel would never let him leave this place at least until he has gotten what he wanted.

    "Fine, since he won''t let his son out, I''ll spend quality time with him in here. Tell your alpha not to expect me back"  She decided with a huff and strutted back to the inside of the cell room.

    "What are you doing, Mom?" Asher asked with his face scrunched at the sight of his mother sitting on the bare floor, her gown sprawled out and relaxing against the wall.

    She lifted her brow, "Why? You detest my company now you''ve felt better after crying "

    Asher scratched the back of his head awkwardly. The first impression his mom had of him was to see him cry, he was embarrassed.

    Well, this wasn''t his body. Thanks to Raphael for donating his body as a test subject. Asher plans to create a better and deeper impression on his mother once he returns to his body.

    "Come," She said, patting the space  beside her, " Sit with me "

    He didn''t hesitate to do so, during this time - hopefully short - he would shamelessly spend time with his mother until whatever happens next.

    Hopefully, Dan would find out before it was too late.

    No, he had to, his hope was on him right now.

 Chapter 203 - Two Hundred And Three : Our Training Starts Now

    "I swear to God, if you stare at me that way again, I''ll punch you in the face" Lia swore.

    After the episode with the pups, she was ushered to the bathroom and provided clothes that she changed into.

    Right now, both couples were sitting on a renaissance carved stone table with benches which had seen better years - It was out of shape due to some minor collapses with some of its designs broken off.

    Lia was famished, after dealing with those devil pups - yeah, she finally agreed they were worth the name - she was so hungry that even a cow wouldn''t be able to satisfy her this time.

    But the bites and claws wounds those pups gifted her, had disfigured her face which was healing slowly - how irritating.

    So the sight of her wolfing down her food with that face, amused her mate for God knows why.

    "Fine" he wiped the tears from his eyes, "Easy on the food and maybe I can stop laughing," he told her.

    Lia considered his words and ate slowly and though he didn''t laugh, she heard his snickers.

    She shook her head and ignored him, focusing on her meal until she was done.

    "Who is she?" Lia couldn''t help but ask Daniel about the girl who cleared out the table.

    She had seen her before, it was the same girl who provided her with some clothes when she washed up earlier.

    They were still in the bungalow, to be precise, in the garden. There was a little vegetable garden just behind the house and away from those active devils.

    "That''s Chinny, she''s an Omega," Daniel said to her.

    "Omega?" Lia was confused.

    "The lowest ranking member of the pack aka the pack''s plaything " he explained.

    Fury tore through Lia," You can''t be serious, you''re trying to say she''s your pack''s scapegoat?"

    Daniel was calm," Compared to other pack''s where they''re mistreated and abused sexually, my pack treats them better which is why there''s an influx of them in here "

    "But still - "

    "Lia, you''ve been a human half of your life so I get there are some practices which might seem foreign and shocking to you but this is our lifestyle and has been that way generations after generations.

    We are part wolf and part human and wolves have always been a social animal, why do you think we live in packs? It might seem unfair but the hierarchy is what maintains order; everyone knows their place.

    The Alpha dictates and everyone respects his decision having known he''s the most important member of the hierarchy. " He explained thoroughly to her.

    Lia was stunned, she didn''t know what to say. This just proved she had no idea of werewolves at all, no wonder she couldn''t control her wolf.

    "Hey" Daniel clasped her cheeks with his palm, "I''m trying my best to give everyone a better life here, alright?"

    "What if we do end up together and I birth an omega, would my child be treated that way?" She asked solemnly.

    Daniel squeezed his eyes shut, reopening them with a deep sigh, twenty-first-century humans and their right.

    This was why some werewolves disliked being mated to a human, there were just so many cultural hurdles to jump over.

    "It doesn''t work that way, Lia. Alphas birth alphas. Unless mated to an omega, then there might be chances of that happening?" He told her.

    "I''m just trying to wrap my head around all this order of a thing" she gestured to her head indicating it was spinning with thoughts.

    "You don''t need to be confused, I''ll explain everything to you" Daniel assured her and drew closer.

    "

    He pointed to his chest, "I''m the alpha of this pack," then pointed to her, "And you''re the alpha of your pack if your kind is somewhere out there. Though you might have to prove your position and capability with a fight since you weren''t born into that position, so you  must earn through respect and power."

    "You''re trying if my kind exists out there that I''m going to be their leader?"

    "Probably - If you win the first place " Daniel observed her features, "Why don''t you look happy after such a discovery?''

    She breathed exasperatedly," Why are you giving me false hope when it''s obvious I''m the only one of my kind?"

    "Sorry, just thought you wanted to know in case of -"

    "I don''t want to know" she interrupted him with a moue.

    Daniel smiled, he went over to her side of the bench, nudging her shoulder, "You can marry me and become the Luna, wife of the Alpha. Isn''t that tempting?" He promoted himself shamelessly.

    "No, thank you" His mate rejected his sweet offer without hesitation.

    "Do you know how many she-wolves are veering for this position? They''re as numerous as the sand of the earth, your mate is truly every woman''s dream" he boasted, using that opportunity to come closer and closer.

    She snorted in return, "Tell them to knock themselves out, I''m cool where I am "

    Daniel bent his head, whispering into her ears," Or you can take my position on top, I don''t mind being below"

    Lia went red in the face, he turned an innocent conversation into a sinful one.

    She gulped as Daniel nibbed on her ears sending shivers down her spine.

    "You know we''re going to train your wolf tonight" He reminded her in the middle of trailing kisses down her neck.

    "Yes," she replied breathlessly.

    Daniel grabbed her waist and pulled her to his laps, she sat astride him. His eyes darkened and his breath labored, he could feel his wolf threatening to be let out.

    Lia tilted her head, giving him clearer access to her neck where he suckled on her sensitive spot.

    She trembled, her talons emerging as she ran it down his shoulder.

    "Everyone''s going to pick your scent off from me," She told him.

    "They already did the first time I brought you here" he disclosed to her surprise.

    "Do they know we''re mates already?" She managed to ask amid the distraction of his hands sliding into her shirt and feeling her stomach which quivered under his touch.

    "Only Ryan and Judith knows. My aunt Phoebe suspects me though but the rest of the packs think you''re my girlfriend.. they''ll only find out the truth once I marked you "

    "Good then" She murmured and smashed her lips onto his, the attraction between them unable to be withheld.

    Her breath shallow as his hands glide up to her boobs, kneading the twin peaches through her bra just as she moaned deeply into his mouth.

    His hands around her back pulled her closer while Lia instinctively moved her hips against his erection through his pants.

    Daniel growled, his eyes flashing between black and blue, an undeniable battle between him and his wolf.

    "We have to stop"  Daniel pulled her away and wasn''t surprised to see her yellow eyes.

    He battled with his, hers wouldn''t be any different.

    "I don''t want to," She told him straightforwardly and smashed her lips on his, probing his mouth open with her hot tongue.

    She kissed him with no holding back, lavishing the taste of his tongue and sending tingles to his body.

    Daniel pulled away again, "Anyone could see us" he was slowly losing control, this was his last attempt to save his sanity.

    "Liar" She purred and bit him on his neck, leaving a love bite there, "We both know no one''s here and we''re in the garden, so what are you waiting for?"

    "Still anyone could come in any moment - "

    Lia stunned Daniel by pulling her shirt over her head in one deft move.

    He gulped, moisture leaving his throat as his eyes came face to face with her fair breasts.

    "Pleasure me," She demanded.

    "It was a mistake, I shouldn''t have nibbled you earlier at least until you''ve learned control  - "

    But the girl wouldn''t hear any of that. Swallowing the rest of his excuses with a kiss, Lia slowly guided his hands to her chest; her hands placed over his as he worked her boobs.

    She moaned, eyes shut with her back arched as she savored the sensations coursing through her body.

    Daniel teased her nipples through her bra till she was delirious with desire.

    His eyes darkened further when he picked up the scent of her arousal, she was all ready for him - but the time wasn''t now.

    Daniel kissed her while his hands traveled down until he found her thigh. He searched further deeper until he located her silky panties, tugged it to the side, and worked her moist nub.

    Lia gasped, wrapping herself against his body as he gave her the pleasure she wanted.

    "Daniel" She called his name and threw her head back, reeling from the sensation. Her climax began to build, her hips buckling until she finally came.

    Sagging against his chest, Daniel picked up her shirt for her to put on but she refused.

    "I want more," she confirmed by moving against him.

    "No, would do "

    She growled at him, he growled back fiercer.

    "Lia, be in control now!"

    Her eyes flashed back to magenta.

    "Oh my God, I''m so sorry" she apologized.

    "Our training starts now !"

 Chapter 204 - Two Hundred And Four : Two Mates

    "F*ck" Trevor cried out when the punch met his face, to be precise, his nose.

    "Where''s your mind, you''re preoccupied today?" Williams asked, his body still in battle stance.

    They were having their usual training and so far, his luck has not been well - he''s been getting his ass whipped.

    Well, he couldn''t be blamed. Even when he had his head back into gear, he still couldn''t defeat Williams unless he used tricks; the boy was a fighting machine.

    Probably due to the fact he was a legacy and had his father to train him since his childhood, he was perfect at everything.

    "Just thinking about a few things " He responded, getting his body in a fighting stance.

    It was just him, Rex, and their mom since his sister left for Kinney and so far, the house has been pretty boring.

    Though he hated to admit it, Trevor realized that his daily squabble with his sister was what made his day exciting.

    Sure, Rex was there to keep him company but he didn''t have Lia''s feel coupled with the fact that Little Town had been kinda quiet lately.

    The curfew has been lifted but there were still precautionary measures put in place like where to go and where not to go at such a perilous period.

    At home, his mom had been quiet too. There had not been any argument nor fight which was almost a daily occurrence with Lia around. If they were not arguing about her magenta lenses- which he came to realize was her real eye color- or her boyfriend or her dressing - girls were so hard to train!

    But it was surprising to him too, at the amount of freedom their mom gave him lately when in reality this was a time their mom was supposed to keep her eyes on them like a hawk  - seems he earned her trust at last.

    The school wasn''t left out either, bruh, everything uninteresting. It was as if all the troublemakers in Little Town decided to go to sleep or maybe they all left for vocations in Kinney village.

    "Your sister, isn''t it?" Williams asked, his breath labored after doing a flip kick that Trevor avoided by dropping a bridge pose.

    "Yeah," He replied, his breath in the same state as Williams.

    "She''s a grown-up, certainly can take care of herself " he assured the protective brother.

    "Let''s hope so" Trevor dodged a sharp jap his way which forced him to retreat backward but he quickly threw a hook that was avoided as expected but with quick reflexes swept William''s feet, his legs taken out from beneath him.

    His back landed on the ground and he straddled Williams, urging him to surrender but the boy cocked an arrogant brow before rolling him over.

    He quickly pressed Trevor to the ground and grappled his arm as he initiated an arms lock.

    Trevor groaned as Williams hyper flexed his arm which prevented him from escaping the lock.

    The pain was so intense that he tapped his hand on the ground numerous times to signal submission.

    Williams let go of him at once, he had won and knew his limit.

    He had manipulated Trevor''s shoulder joint in such a way that it reached its maximal degree of motion and generated enough pain in his joints to make him give up.

    Any further, especially forcefully and he would have caused him injury - tendon, muscle, and ligament damage; dislocations and bone fractures weren''t left out.

    "You need help?" He stretched his hand towards him.

    Trevor took his hand but instead of lifting himself, pulled Williams down instead, and rammed his knee into his stomach.

    "Ouch," The boy cried out in pain yet fell beside Trevor with a pleased smile.

    "That''s a tie," Trevor said, flexing his throbbing shoulder in a check for injuries.

    They both lay on the ground, staring at the roof and regulating their shallow breathing.

    "Rex won''t be a hunter" Trevor dropped.

    "Okay- wait, what?!" Williams turned his head towards him surprised, "Why? What happened?"

    "My sister found out about us"

    "Shit"

    "Apparently, my dad recorded all of his adventures in his diaries with some language which my sister deciphered and discovered the truth"

    Williams propped his head on his arms," Did she cause any trouble? Is she giving you a hard time? Don''t worry, the witches can remove her memory if you want"  he informed.

    Trevor frowned, erasing his sister''s memory? "Is that possible?" He inquired curiously.

    "Of course, memory extraction spell is baby magic to them- they don''t even break a sweat doing it "

    Trevor contemplated it, if he could somehow remove her sister''s memory of that vampire and werewolf, would things go back to normal? To the way, they were before all this?

    No, he finally decided after thinking that through. If what Asher told him was true, then she would need those memories more than ever.

    Besides, all these supernatural creatures he hardly trusted any of them. What if they did something wrong in the process? He refused to believe magic was free - there had to be consequences.

    Moreover, what if those people found something wrong with their sister and did something to her - kill her as Asher claimed.

    Trevor knew he wouldn''t be able to take the guilt and rather die. So it was better things were this way, they''d figure out a way slowly.

    "No, she didn''t hassle me as much as you think. We just had a big fight and haven''t reconciled till now"

    " Oh " was all he muttered

    "I was mad at her at first but I''ve thought over her words lately and discovered there was some sense in it. Rex is young and this job is too dangerous. My mom can''t lose two sons in case of an incident which is why he''d be opting out "

    "Have you told the boy, what did he say?"

    "I haven''t told him yet but whether he agrees or not, Rex would not be a hunter at least until he''s of age"

    Williams sighed, "Well that''s your decision, but you''d have to inform the organization and go through lots of procedures to get him out. Phew! You''re going to have a long day "

    " No problem" he answered, it was easier than he thought "But I''m curious about something tough"

    "What is it? You''re always curious" he complained.

    " What is a mate?"

    For a while, Williams gave him a hard stare before bursting into laughter.

    "What is funny about what I asked?" Trevor was perplexed.

    "Did one of those creatures imprint on you?" He asked seriously, but the mock in his tone was obvious.

    There was an irritated look on Trevor''s face, "I''m serious here, Willy"

    "Fine," the boy stopped the laughter that rocked his body after a few calming tries.

    "I can''t really say about mates because I don''t have one, neither do I pray for one imprinting on me but it seems that word is often used amongst the night creatures.

    According to what I''ve read and seen so far, Mates to them are their other half- their soulmate. It''s almost like finding your wife or husband but the difference is that the connection between them is so tight that only death or rejection can sever it.

    Sometimes when they have this deep connection, it would be hard for them to live stably if one of them ends up dead.

    Even the council is quite careful with these matters since it has the highest liability of triggering a war between two species. "

    Trevor was stunned, so what Asher said was true? If he had done something stupid, would he have caused so much irreversible damage to his sister?

    "Where do you get all this knowledge?"

    Williams snorted, "Unlike you, the lazy hunter, this brain of mine needs enough information to help me be the best out there. Also, my father has tons of books like that in his library, just pick out one and knock yourself out "

    No wonder, he was so skilled.

    "Then is it possible to have two mates ?"

    It was risky for him to ask that but who knows, Willy might know something or clues to help his sister''s condition.

    He watched William''s face which was scrunched up in confusion, "I don''t understand?"

    "Like, is it possible to have two soulmates and not one?" He paraphrased

    " Hmmm, " The boy took a deep breath and stroked his jaw thoughtfully, "I''m not proficient in this area but I''ve never heard of those supernatural possessing two mates "

    Trevor''s face fell, he truly hoped there was something he could find.

    "Having two mates? That would be an abnormality and the council would have no option than to correct that" He commented but couldn''t help but frown when he studied Trevor.

    "Why are you suddenly interested in these kinds of stuff?"

    The question took Trevor by surprise, he forgot that the boy beside him was smart.

    He shrugged, "It just crossed my mind while researching about mates, making me wonder if such a thing was possible " he lied through his teeth, his sister''s safety was the most important at the moment.

    He''d tell willy the truth later -when all this mess was cleared.

 Chapter 205 - One Two Hundred And Five : Death Of His Father

    Williams didn''t pursue the case further which made Trevor breathe a sigh of relief. He knew he wasn''t a good liar, if Willy had pressed any further he would have buckled under pressure.

    Suddenly, Williams got on top of his body and pressed himself closer, his other hand cutting any form of escape as he asked with a smile tugging his lips, "Are we going to remain like this on the floor?"

    Initially, he was sure Williams was messing around with him but now with their face so close, he couldn''t tell anymore.

    In this position and proximity, he could see the pores on his face, his straight brows, and his dilated grey eyes. His breath fans his face and just staring down at his red lips made him gulp.

    Williams too stared back at Trevor, his eyes roving over his face. The boy was handsome but he just didn''t carry it with confidence, perhaps if he just dressed up a bit more and socialized, girls would be all over him.

    But wait a minute, why did the thought of girls being all over Trevor unsettle him. Williams had never dated, not because of his sexual orientation or something but because he didn''t have time for that.

    And heck! He was straight but the thought of kissing Trevor made him question that or perhaps he swings both ways - male and female? There was only a way to figure that out then.

    Seeing him lower his head, Trevor''s eyes widened and his heart pounded against his chest. God, he was straight! He put a hand between him and Williams.

    "I think we should- "

    "Don''t think "

    Williams pulled his hand away, grappled his wrist before intertwining their fingers together.

    Trevor blinked, staring at his face that got nearer progressively until his lips brushed against his. He shut his eyes close, waiting for the soft press of lips against lips when his phone rang, startling both of them.

    They broke apart just as Trevor sat up, "Hey mom" he said into the phone breathlessly.

    "Oh," he glanced up at Williams, "I''m at Willy''s place "

    "Of course, I''ll be home in a jiffy" he convinced his worried mother," See you"

    He ended the call and turned towards Williams who was seated beside him, the nearness affecting him much more than he thought.

    "That''s my mom"

    "I know," Williams answered, his sight fixed on Trevor''s face unwaveringly.

    "She wants me to come back -"

    Trevor was still saying when Williams pressed his warm, soft lips to his that made him stiffen.The kiss was gentle and inquisitive, he was testing him.

    Williams was experimenting with his luck here and when Trevor didn''t move away nor reject him, he deepened it. His hand went behind his neck while the other wrapped behind his waist and pressed him against him.

    Trevor''s pulse raced but his hands moved on its own and cradled his face, parted his lips, and accepted his kiss. He felt butterflies in his belly especially when Williams began to nibble at his lower lips. He was fluttered and had just given his warm tongue access when the door was snapped open to reveal ��.

    "Williams, are you still - "

    They broke apart with a startle.

    "Dad" Williams said, his chest heaving as he got to his feet at once alongside Trevor who was straightening his rumpled clothes.

    "Oh," Shane remarked, "I''m sorry for the interruption. I didn''t know the both of you were busy" he grinned.

    Trevour went red in the face, he was so embarrassed. He never expected this to happen nor did he premeditate that Williams''s father would walk in on them. He swats himself on the head mentally, God! Trevor, you''re so stupid.

    Williams scowled at his father, he was making Trevor uncomfortable with his knowing comment.

    "I-I n-need to leave" Trevor jumbled with his words.

    "No, don''t leave yet" Shane beseeched him, "Dinner has just been served which was why I made my way here in search of you guys, don''t say no, please?"

    Trevor was conflicted. His mother was not a big problem, since she had an idea of where he was, she wouldn''t worry much about him. But staying with the Cutter family after what just happened, it was super awkward.

    "My mom, she wants me  - "

    "I''ll contact your mother and tell her your safety is ensured since I''ll be the one driving you home myself, how''s that?" Shane proposed.

    Trevor''s mouth twitched, the man had seen through his maneuver. He couldn''t excuse his way out of here.

    "Alright" He agreed, there was no escaping this one.

    Shane was the first to leave the gymnasium leaving Trevor and Williams together once again.

    "About earlier-" Willy raised the topic but Trevor was quick to cut in.

    "Don''t worry, I get it. We were just fluttered by our hormones which is  normal as hot-blooded teenagers and nothing to get all hung up about"

    Williams was speechless, that was not what he intended to say, it seems this feeling was one-sided - he made a mistake.

    "Sure" he covered his disappointment with a sheepish grin, "Of course, that explains it. Let''s go for dinner," he said and left.

    Trevor felt guilty, he has studied Williams for a while and can proudly boast of knowing his moods, and right now, he hurt his feelings.

    At dinner, the mood was very lively since Shane kept him talking with his jokes.

    "I heard your sister is away or something" Shane brought up the topic of a sudden which made Trevor stiffen.

    Why was William''s father suddenly interested in her, did they find anything about her by chance?

    "Yes, she went on a school trip " He answered without going into much detail.

    He was calm in answering him so as not to create suspicion. Hunters were highly trained in observing facial expressions and Shane as an older hunter was undoubtedly experienced.

    Trevor questioned him curiously,

    "Why do you ask by the way? Don''t get me wrong, but this is your first time asking about her"

    "You''re right, which is why I asked. So far, I''ve only seen you and Rex and would love to know about her.

    You see, your father and I were very good friends. If I had known he had a family, I would have reached out to you guys long ago " He explained.

    "His death hit me hard" he went on "But I''m relieved that he has a family to carry on his legacy and that is why you shouldn''t hesitate to come to me in case of any difficulty" he offered his help.

    "Sure"

    "If you have anything you''re curious about, don''t hesitate to ask me too"

    "Then can I ask this?"

    Shane was surprised, the boy didn''t think twice about making use of this opportunity.

    "Sure, ask "

    "I can''t find any of my father''s relatives in Little Town no matter how much I search, why is that? "

    Shane sighed, "I''m afraid that''s one of the secrets your father took to the grave"

    "He didn''t tell you, this best friend?" Trevor was surprised.

    "Renard was the strongest amongst us three"

    " You three?"

    "Me, Chris, and your father, we were a team. You''ve met Chris already during the meetings, remember?"

    "Yes," How could he not know Chris, that one always had a stoic look. His features were unsmiling every day as if he fought with his wife though he didn''t have one.

    "Your father was just like you, he wasn''t shy but he liked to keep to himself and hung out only with us both and he was very secretive.

    "He wasn''t a native of Little Town, he just lived amongst us before becoming a hunter.No matter how we pestered him to open up about his origin, he wouldn''t. So with time, we just assumed he was an orphan"

    "Oh, so that''s it" Trevor mumbled under his breath while digging into his food uninterestedly.

    "Any other question?" Shane asked.

    "My father''s death"

    "Oh" Shane breathed, he saw that one coming-the kid was an inquisitive one.

    "I find the circumstances surrounding his death suspicious, what happened?" Trevor asked firmly, he had never been this serious in his entire life.

    Shane dropped his spoon but just as he was about to say, his phone rang. "I need to take this one" he stood from his seat and left.

    "You''re very quiet, is anything the matter?" Trevor observed.

    "Don''t mind me, continue with your conversation" Williams answered without glancing up at him.

    Knowing this had to do with the kiss earlier, he backed off the case and ate his meal quietly.

    Shane took a lot of time and when he returned, he said, "Your mother needs you back now"

    Trevor couldn''t blame his mother this time, it was ten in the night and he had school tomorrow.

    "Sure"

    The drive home was quick and quiet. Trevor hadn''t forgotten about his question but the mood wasn''t right for it anymore.

    "Thank you, Mr. Cutter. " He appreciated him for driving him to his place as soon as he stepped out of his car.

    "No worries, just be a good boy," Shane told him.

    Trevor glanced at Williams through the window in the backseat, he was typing away on his phone and pretended not to have noticed his departure.

    "Goodnight, Williams"

    "Goodnight, Trevor" he reciprocated with a tone that was not warm at all.

    Trevor didn''t like his cold attitude one bit, it hurt him. He had been cool with the kiss when they discussed it earlier, so why was he behaving this way then?

    His eyes connected with Shane who shook his head before waving at him with a promise to talk to his son and left.

    Trevor didn''t need to knock since the door was opened by his mom who heard the car pull up outside.

    Her disapproving look told him she was displeased with his late arrival but due to Shane''s notice earlier, she didn''t give him an earful and he retreated to bed immediately.

    Trevor had just fallen asleep when his ears picked up a strange sound-someone was in here with him.

    Thanks to his training, he was now quite observant of his surroundings even with his eyes shut.

    And just as he sprang from his bed, a dagger was plunged into the spot he had been lying on moments ago.

    What the hell.

 Chapter 206 - Two Hundred And Six: Electra

    And just as he sprang from his bed, a dagger was plunged into the spot he had been lying on moments ago.

    Trevor was shocked, what just happened? He was almost killed?!

    Why would anyone want him dead, he didn''t remember offending anybody other than his sister.

    "Who are you and what do you want from me?" He asked, scanning his opponent''s fighting stance.

    "Your life"

    The voice was feminine and she was dressed in black entirely but he didn''t have time to study her further because she was suddenly in front of him.

    His eyes widened, a supernatural.

    He scarcely had time to avoid her punch but she successfully kicked him in the guts which made him stagger back and topple over some contents on his table to the floor.

    Trevor was quick on his feet and swerved the dagger that was projected his way which stuck into the table, she pulled it out quickly.

    "What did I do to you?" Trevor asked through labored breath, defending himself against the swipes from her weapon.

    "Blame your sister"

    She swept the dagger towards him but he sidestepped it, grabbed and twisted the weapon out of her clutch, and threw the dagger halfway across the room.

    Aggravated, she smashed a blow to his face that threw him back on the bed.

    Trevor crawled back on his bed, she was obviously stronger than him and had strong murderous intent.

    But the girl didn''t let him go, she grabbed his leg, tugged him down, and was stopped from cowering away. She straddled him and began to throttle him.

    Trevor went red in the face as soon his air supply was caught off. He fought against her; clawed and gouged his fingers into her arms but her strength was not deterred.

    He then looked into her eyes while struggling to retain the little breath he had left. For some reason, her eyes felt strangely familiar, where had he seen it?

    His eyes almost popped out of his socket, not because of the asphyxiation but because of the name that came into his head - Asher!

    How was that possible? Asher didn''t have a sibling, did he? He never asked. But why would Asher''s sister want to murder him? Oh right, she mentioned his sister, what did his Lia do wrong?

    Trevor didn''t know what Lia caused this time but if his death would settle the quarrel, then so be it?

    He knew his mother and Rex would cry for him, but they shouldn''t worry since he''s going to a better place - how comforting, he would see his dad soon.

    Perhaps, if he had known, he should have told Williams he kind of liked him too, he just needed a little time. This was just so new and confusing to him considering the fact he was sure he was a straight guy.

    To Lia, he never hated her guts, just mad at her yet he loved her so much. He was sorry he wouldn''t be able to apologize and settle their differences before she returned but he would look after her in heaven.

    Trevor gasped for air, he was beginning to grow weak but it would be such a shame not to have a glimpse of his murderer''s face.

    So he reached out and pulled away the mask covering half of her face and was stunned at the sight.

    "She was beautiful" That was the thought he had in mind when his eyes closed in death.

    Electra froze, her hands on his neck slackened at once as soon as she saw his eyes plus his scent hitting her nose.

    God, he was her true mate.

    F*ck the universe, what has she done? She killed her mate?! How was she any different from her father?

    Asher had killed her mother, the love of his life and now she had killed her mate? Wasn''t she then a hypocrite by fighting against her father?

    No, this can''t happen! What was she going to do?

    Great, she began to recall what she knew about humans over the years she had lived amongst them.

    It was a known fact humans don''t die immediately, their heart could survive for a limited time.

    Electra considered resuscitation but there was no way she could administer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, she was a vampire for God''s sake - a dead creature, she had no breath.

    Might as well just pocket the oxygen in the room, she thought but that was stupid. What if she gave him the wrong air, what was it called again? Carbon Dioxide?

    "Just do something! " She scolded herself before placing her hand on the breastbone at the center of his chest.

    "That should be it?" She wondered, yet placed her other hand on top of that first hand and interlocked her fingers.

    "Alright, come on" Electra positioned her shoulder and began to press down on his chest.

    Though she didn''t use all of her strength, she hoped she hadn''t crushed his sternum; vampires were a lot stronger than humans.

    "Come-on" She willed him to wake up, "You can''t do this to me!"Electra slapped his cheeks.

    "Wake up, you bastard" She punched him while her other hand pressed harder on his chest.

    "Don''t prove me the same as that man!" Angry tears burst out from her eyes.

    This was the second time in her entire life she cried; the first during her mother''s death and the second; now, during her mate''s death.

    Electra wouldn''t have killed him if she had known he was her mate. Though mate didn''t hold much meaning to her- she planned to reject him later - but killing him? That makes her no different than her murderer father.

    She just wanted to hurt the brother of her father''s mate. His death would have been the message sent across: Electra would destroy every last of her family members, then save her for last.

    Who knew the supposed brother was her true mate, the heavens were messing with her!

    "Wake up...wake up! "

    Trevor jerked up with a gasp, causing the female on top of him to tear up with relief.

    "I thought you died" She hit him on the chest repeatedly.

    Trevor''s head swarm with confusion, what was going on here? Why was the assassin crying over his death - wait, he was still alive?!

    But Trevor was an opportunist, he quickly scoured under his pillow while she was distracted and grabbed the stake which he used to impale her right in the stomach.

    As a hunter in training, he had to be security conscious and kept his weapons hidden at strategic places.

    He had targeted her heart but she had somehow obstructed his move at the last moment.

    Truthfully, Trevor had been mystified why she revived him, nevertheless since he had a second chance at life, he''d do everything to live.

    Electra looked down at the stake sticking out from her belly from shock and her anger grew. That little shit of a human had taken advantage of the distraction and tried to end her?!

    Trevor was backhanded so hard he passed out.

    Electra stared down at her sleeping mate and decided the next time they met, she''d sever the blossoming connection between them.

    She had to cut off all ties with him before the bond got deeper and difficult to break. No one would stop from revenging for her mother- not even her mate.

    The universe disrupted her plans tonight but not the next time - she''d come fully prepared.

    With that, she disappeared into the night.

    Meanwhile��.

    "So it''s him, huh? " Shane started a conversation with his son whose moodiness increased with the absence of a certain friend.

    But his son didn''t say a word.

    Shane went on, amid his son''s unwillingness to join the conversation "I always thought it weird, you hardly ever come home with girls. It just never crossed my mind that you''re interested in boys"

    Williams grimaced, "I''ll rather think of myself as liking both chocolate and vanilla"

    "Oh, you swing both ways" he understood the meaning beneath his son''s words - Williams was bisexual.

    "Either way you swing or dance, I want a grandson" poor Shane attempted a joke which failed miserably.

    "Ahem" he cleared his throat awkwardly afterward, "Just give him some time"

    "Trevor doesn''t want time, he''s made his choice already" He replied to his father.

    "Williams, you dropped a huge bomb on him tonight and not everyone is as strong or brave as you, people react to shock differently. His brain probably needs space to process everything"

    "Fine," he grunted, readjusting himself on the car seat.

    "Good" he focused on his driving.

    "So what''s with you and your lies today?"

    He gave him a side glance," What are you talking about?"

    "Trevor''s sister Lia, why are you suddenly interested in her?"

    " I''m curious, nothing else"

    "You can fool others but not me dad. I''m your son and I have known you my entire life, so stop with the act " Williams demanded the truth

    He sighed, "Chris discovered something weird about the girl"

    Williams frowned, "What is it?"

    "Not only does she knows about the  supernaturals but she''s been associating with Asher of the Nicoli clan and Daniel of the Moonlight pack, but that''s the weird part"

    " What''s weird about it?"

    "Nicoli Clan and Moonlight pack has never been allies but lately there seems to be some harmonic relationship between both and Chris suspects it has something to do with the girl"

    "You think she''s a mate to either one of them? I''ve seen her hang out a lot with Daniel and they''re dating as we speak" Williams informed him.

    "That''s confusing, she''s a mate to one of them, how does that explain the symbiosis between the trio?" Shane pondered.

    "Oh my God" Williams gasped when a certain question Trevor asked him today came into mind.

    "What is it ?" Shane asked, surprised.

    "Nothing " he replied abruptly and his father returned his gaze to the wheel.

    That can''t be true, two mates? Impossible, Trevor must have been bluffing.

 Chapter 207 - Two Hundred And Seven: Lolli And Iyke

    "No way" Lia shook her head stubbornly, "I''m not doing it "

    "You have to call out your wolf, " Daniel told her.

    "I can''t do that, who knows once she takes over if she''d let me in again"

    " That is why you need to talk to her"

    "Talking to her is ridiculous, she wants nothing but her mates. All she thinks about is sex and makes me look like a sex manic" She complained.

    "No matter what, you still need to know about her," Daniel told her firmly.

    "I know everything there''s to know about her," she concluded.

    "Fine" Daniel wrapped his arms across his shoulder, "What''s your wolf''s name?" He asked.

    "Huh? I don''t get you "

    "Every wolf has a name, my wolf''s name is Iyke. So what''s yours?"

    Lia gulped and looked away, scratching the back of her head awkwardly, "I have no idea"

    "See? This is why you need to talk to her"

    "But still she''s -"

    "You''re a hybrid, Lia. Before your vampiric and wolf side can be in harmony, you have to be in peace with your wolf else both sides would keep on fighting for dominance and one day, you might just lose control, hurting the people you claim to love"

    There was silence after Daniel spoke, his words sinking into her head.

    She sighed, "How do I do it? Tell me there''s a magic word to just summon and make  her obedient "

    "The last time you spoke, who summoned each other?"

    "She did and that was after she almost raped Asher the previous night" she pointed out.

    "It''s not rape, Asher enjoyed it although he was scared out of his pants. You''re just jealous she didn''t let you in "

    Lia scowled at him, "I''m her host, I''m supposed to have an idea of what she does with my body"

    "Yeah, you''re her master but mind you," his tone turned serious, "We both belong to you and your wolf - you both are one - and don''t ever allow her to give you the silent treatment. Wolves are aggressive and vindictive creatures.

    "If your wolf gives you a silent treatment, it could last on for years - twenty, fifty, hundred - and that means no phasing; you''re stuck in your human form "

    Lia was troubled, being a werewolf wasn''t an easy job.

    "Don''t worry, it might look like a huge work but being a werewolf is so much fun" he assured his mate

    Lia threw her hands in the air, "So what now?"

    "Try getting her name for a start," he suggested.

    "Fine" Lia breathed and closed her eyes, " Alright, you can come out now "

    But she got no response.

    "She''s not talking to me" Lia informed Daniel with her eyes still closed.

    "Try again"

    "I need to talk to you," She told her wolf mentally and added, "Please" but she still ignored her.

    "I''m beginning to think she must have given me the silent treatment" she notified Daniel once again.

    " Try harder," Daniel pressed her.

    "Alright I''m done being nice," Lia told her wolf determinedly, "If you don''t get your ass out from wherever you''re hiding it, I promise you that I would never let you in whenever I''m with my mates. I''ll do everything within my power to keep you - "

    "What is it now?" Her wolf''s lazy accent sounded in her head.

    "Finally, you appeared, your majesty" Lia said sarcastically.

    "Why do we always bicker when we meet each other? "

    Lia couldn''t help but feel her wolf was downcast, what happened?

    "What is wrong with you today?" She asked out of concern.

    "Why do you care? Even if I told you, you''d probably mark me off like a horny wolf, so let me be "

    Lia would have ignored her but Daniel''s words played in her head causing her to sigh.

    "Fine, what is it? I''m not going to judge"

    "I want to mate "

    Lia''s lips twitched, as expected. She would have just shut her off and left but she had promised not to judge. So here she goes.

    "I''m sorry but I can''t grant that now, I still haven''t chosen any"

    "Fine, keep on killing me"

    "You''re not a human, so you''re probably don''t understand what I''m passing through "

    "I''m in you, Lia, we''re one. I know what you''re going through, you just don''t care about mine"

    Lia frowned, had she been that ignorant of her wolf''s feelings? These complicated feelings made her ask, "Why do you have to mate with them?"

    "To complete the bond. Right now, I''m like a bright yet lonely star in the sky, I need company, I need to become one with my mate- we need to become one. "

    " And right now?"

    "I keep yearning for him, for only when we join together can our soul be truly complete else I''m lost"

    Lia felt guilty, her wolf seems to be in so much misery. Lia couldn''t deny that she doesn''t feel it too, this burning need to be one in soul and body with her mates.

    But the problem? It has to be a mate, not mates.

    "What''s your name?"

    "Lolli "

    Lia was amused, "As in lollipop?"

    She felt her wolf roll her eyes.

    "How can I elevate the torment?"

    "Huh?"

    "The loneliness? How can I make it easier on you until I make my choice?" Lia asked much to Lolli''s amazement.

    "Closeness. Spend quality time with each of them, the closer the better: nuzzle your face to their necks, kiss each of them-play with their tongues the most, run your hands through their hair, tantalize their arousal till they''re nothing but pudding in your hand - "

    "Alright, too much information!" Lia was quick to cut off their connection, "Thanks for your time"

    By the time she opened her eyes, she was shocked to find out she was already wet between her legs, her wolf was just too ��

    "Are you okay?" Daniel roused her from her thoughts, "You look fluttered? Did she say something wrong to you?"

    "No, she didn''t. Lolli just gave me tips on how to seduce you and Asher" Lia said in her head.

    "No, I''m just surprised actually"

    "Why? What is it ?"

    "I got her name and we kind of bonded a bit " she looked at him," To  be honest, I feel kind of great, light - like some weight was taken off my shoulder"

    Daniel boomed a smile at her," That''s how it feels to be one with your wolf, Lia. Tonight, we''d go for a run to strengthen that connection between you both"

    "Alright" she acknowledged him with a nod, she added, "Also this"

    Daniel never anticipated that moment that his mate would pull him closer, place her hand on his neck and kiss him

    It took him by surprise that he responded seconds later when the shock wore off. She wasn''t gentle but kissed him passionately and he sensed her emotions played a huge part in it.

    Her tongue accessed the inside of his mouth without asking for permission yet he liked it, she being dominant with him.

    By the time they pulled away, both were heaving as if they had run a marathon.

    "What was that for?" Daniel asked, still trying his best to regulate his pulsing heart.

    "That was for you Iyke" Lia clasped Daniel''s cheeks and said that, "That''s to thank him for having patience with me "

    Daniel was stunned, this was the first time she was doing such a thing. He could feel Iyke from within, he was gladdened by her action and wanted to reciprocate her gift.

    After Lia had that brief talk with Lolli, she discovered it was their wolves who bore the brunt of their withdrawal - most especially for Daniel.

    Alpha werewolves take what they want even if it doesn''t belong to them, talk more when they own it.

    So far, Daniel hasn''t forced himself on her even when he has a lot of reason to do so.

    For a start, Daniel could have been unreasonable and taken Lia away from Asher since she was originally mated to him and no one would have quibbled about it unless Lia decided otherwise.

    But here he was, participating in a ridiculous competition with a vampire he despised so much for her heart.

    "And this is his reply," Daniel said.

    Lia was anxious to hear his response but what she did not premediate was to be carried off her feet as he walked deeper into the garden and was laid on the soft grass.

    "Daniel" She was still questioning his motive when he ground his lips against hers.

    She moaned against him, he gave her all his attention by showering her face and necks with kisses.

    His hands traveled beneath her shirt, he began to knead her breasts, her moans filled his ears and giving him the incentive to pleasure her further.

    "My God " Her head lulled back, arching her back and needing his touch to quench that fire burning inside of her. Lia had let Lolli in and this time, they experienced the pleasure together.

    Her legs wrapped around his waist, pressing him into her through the clothes that separated them, hoping it would give her relief.

    Daniel moved her legs away, lowered, and positioned himself between her legs. Lia gulped but her body tingled in anticipation of what he was about to do.

    He licked her and her mind went blank, reeling from the sensation. Daniel didn''t hold back at all, he flicked against her nub with his tongue while his finger rubbed her clit.

    He sucked her essence, nibbed, and stimulated Lia until her body couldn''t take it anymore as ecstasy crashed over her.

    "I love you, mate "

 Chapter 208 - Two Hundred And Eight: Smashed Each Others Faces

    They laid that way for a while: both spooning each other on the soft grass with Daniel rubbing circles on her bareback - she wasn''t putting on any shirt.

    Daniel tried not to think much about her breast pressed against his chest which was doing funny things to his body.

    Looking down at Lia, he smiled. She was fast asleep, her chest slowly rising and falling while he brushed away a few tendrils from her face.

    "If forever is a thing, I want to live it with you" he murmured and kissed the top of her head.

    Daniel could sense It was getting closer.

    Once she balances her wolf and harmonizes with her vampiric side, she''d choose a mate - Lia might not even need to wait that long as far as she got her wolf under control.

    But the thought frightened him - he was scared of getting rejected.

    He had watched his parents live together in love and peace. At a young age, he was also a witness to the suffering her mother went through after his father''s death, he doesn''t want to go through that agony too.

    Daniel knew the pain that comes with getting rejected, he might as well just go crazy. It was torturous as if living in a sea of flame that continuously engulfs the heart.

    How he wished he could freeze time so he could remain in this moment for eternity.

    Lia''s eyes suddenly snapped open and she sat up hurriedly much to his surprise.

    "What is it?" He asked, stunned at the speed at which she wore her bra.

    "They''re here?" She said.

    "Who''s here"

    "The kids"

    That was when he heard it too, the roar of the bus as it passed through their area.

    "Help me with that" She lifted her hair to the side, pointing to her bra''s hook-and-eye closure.

    Daniel''s eyes darkened as soon as his eyes fell on her smooth fair back but he forced Iyke into submission and fastened the garments together.

    But not without his hand trailing down the rest of her back eliciting an aroused gasp from her lips, leaving tingles as the aftermath of his touch.

    The mate bond made it incredibly impossible to resist each other but she had to leave.

    So Lia quickly tugged down her shirt over her head, straightened the greases on her skirt, and thread her fingers through her ruffled hair.

    Making sure evidence of their sexual activity wasn''t noticeable - at least to the humans, supernaturals would smell everything off her.

    "How do I look?" She asked Daniel to confirm if anything was off.

    His eyes roved over her face as he took in details of her features meticulously, " Save your swollen lips and hickey surrounded neck, you''re good to go"

    Lia sighed, "Whose fault is that?" She blamed him.

    "Iyke doesn''t like owing favors" came his shameless justification.

    "Well, let''s hope it heals before we get back"

    They didn''t take off immediately.

    Accompanied by Daniel, Lia had to say goodbye to some werewolf elders who already took a liking to her and those devil pups who howled her ears out to express their sadness - they didn''t want her to leave them.

    "I''m curious about something," Lia asked Daniel while they strolled back to the packhouse.

    "How could those pups shift so easily? Though I''ve practiced, my bones still hurt a bit while shifting into my wolf "

    Daniel chuckled, "Don''t put that into mind. Give those pups a few days  more and they wouldn''t be able to shift anymore till they''ve come of age"

    "Oh," she said, she was jealous over nothing.

    "Them being like that is just evidence to confirm they were born with a wolf. Once they''re a week old, their wolf becomes recessive and don''t come out until they clock sixteen at least"

    "So that''s it" Lia uttered under her breath but was quick to notice the sudden change in Daniel''s demeanor.

    "What is it?" Lia questioned him but he didn''t answer, instead stared out in space and she figured out he was being mindlinked by his pack members.

    "We need to go" Daniel clasped her hand and tripled his steps.

    "What is going on ?" She glanced at his worried face while keeping up his strides.

    "There''s a fight going on, your vampire and my beta are it"

    Dan? Lia frowned. Why would he be fighting Daniel''s beta, Ryan? As far as she knew the vampire was not troublesome and he wouldn''t try that especially now they were in werewolf territory- unless they did piss him off real bad.

    Thanks to her mate''s gigantic gait, they arrived at the packhouse in no time.

    Though the two fighting parties had been separated, Daniel was so furious that he punched Ryan in the face as soon as he arrived, barking

    "I thought I told you no trouble"

    Lia rushed to Dan whose face was in the same sorry state as Ryan''s, it was obvious both men fought with all of their might.

    "In my office, now!" Daniel boomed at his beta and walked into the house.

    Lia caught the way Ryan scowled at Dan as he followed after Daniel, he obviously disliked the vampire.

    "What in the world happened here?" Lia interrogated him.

    "Nothing happened," Dan grimaced.

    "Nothing f*cking happened and you''re nursing a swollen and bloody face, seriously? Are you taking me as a fool here?"

    "It''s just an altercation, nothing to worry yourself about, so stop bothering me," he told her but she didn''t move an inch.

    "I''m not giving you a moment of rest until you tell me why you''d cause trouble in a werewolf territory? What did you do or rather what did they do to you?" She queried him sternly.

    "Suit yourself then" He spat at her and teleported away.

    Great, breaking another of the rules.

    The Moonlight pack wasn''t that welcoming to vampires. So they had ruled that no vampire should use their ability during their stay in the park to ensure no hurt came near their people and make it easier to monitor their move incase of ulterior motive.

    Fine, Dan only did it because he was pissed off and since he didn''t want to tell her what happened, she''d get the news from the loudmouth aka her sidekick.

    Lia walked into the games room Daniel had set up for their leisure.

    There was nothing special about it save the fact it was just one large spacious hall equipped with five flat-screen TVs, two standard size snooker pool tables, three dartboards on the wall, and two indoor table tennis boards set in different sizes - did she forget to add that there was free wifi.

    There was no need checking the dorms, it was obvious everybody was going to be here after all, who doesn''t like luxury?

    Everyone was engrossed in one form of entertainment or the other that her entrance was not even noticed. Everywhere was so noisy and music boomed from the speakers adding to the vibrant atmosphere.

    She looked around, searching for that boy called Ben and was surprised seeing him throw darts with a couple of kids and his throw was a perfect aim.

    "Bullseye again?!"

    They jubilated as soon as Ben hit another bullseye in the inner circle scoring fifty points with ease.

    Lia shook her head while watching him, at least there''s something he''s good at but sadly, he''s needed.

    Ben was just about to throw another dart when someone pulled him away by the collar.

    "Who the fuck is��.oh my goddess, hehe" his expression flashed from an angry one to a happy one.

    "Sit" Lia commanded him, let go of his collar and watched him sit down obediently - sometimes she couldn''t help but imagine Ben as a loyal dog

    "How can I be of help to you my goddess?" Ben asked, pleased to be of service to her.

    "What happened between Dan and Ryan" she went straight to the point.

    "Oh, that?" He laughed," Don''t mind them. It is just a show of strength between two stupid supernaturals of different species"

    Her brows furrowed," I don''t get what you just said"

    "In simple words, Ryan made a disparaging comment about vampires and our sharp-tongued Dan countered with a denigratory comment that totally ko'' ed the poor werewolf. The defeated wolf couldn''t take it lying down and both decided the best way to deal with their difference was to smash their faces "

    Of course, Ben was the best storyteller as she thought, he didn''t fail her expectations at all.

    Truth be told, their quarrel was anticipated. Just because their alphas had learned to get along doesn''t mean that both members would follow in their footsteps.

    Both kinds had always disliked each other right from the beginning of time, so it wasn''t believed of them to just magically get along like best friends.

    And now, since everyone had an idea of Dan''s fight and injuries, the vampire would have no choice than to slow down his healing so the human students don''t get suspicious. Damn, It''d be a torturous experience for Dan - fighting against his body''s impulse to recover.

    "By the way, who won?"

 Chapter 209 - Two Hundred And Nine: He Needs That Prophecy

    "I think you were too lenient on Raphael," Gideon told Asher as he prepared for school.

    Raphael laughed inwardly, of course, he had to be lenient else it would seem suspicious, his dear brother was too merciful - weak and pathetic.

    "How so?" He assumed Asher''s calm posture.

    " I haven''t even met sister-in-law, yet that fox schemed to steal your mate, shouldn''t you have been harsher on his punishment? " Gideon asked him.

    Raphael focused his green orbs on Gideon with blazing intensity, the way his brother would in this situation - Gosh! It was so easy mimicking Asher and did he forget to add it was fun.

    "My father stole Ezekiel''s mate yet he pardoned him and I wouldn''t condemn Raphael for coming for revenge- I would do the same in his shoes"

    Yolk, his little brother was such a goody-two-shoes.

    "Yes, Ezekiel forgave your father, Asher, but you still bore the outcomes for a sin you had no idea about - you''ve never set your eyes on your mother"

    Oh right, mother, Raphael sighed. He was going to miss that woman but the good thing is that she got to meet her beloved son at last.

    The son she spent seven hundred years of her life yearning for, would be standing right in front of her yet she wouldn''t be able to recognize him - so heartbreaking.

    His expression suddenly shifted as something clicked into his mind.

    His mother was such an emotional vampiress- Asher probably inherited that kind-heartedness from her- what if she does something stupid that ruins his plan? Well, his father was there, he would take care of everything.

    Raphael hopes his father doesn''t allow that smart brother of his to spend time with mother else he manages to fill her in on what''s going on.

    "Asher? Asher?" Gideon awakened him from his thoughts

    "Sorry for that, I was thinking about something "

    "I''m still saying, sending Raphael back to his clan is not a wise move. What if he returns and this time fiercer?"

    "So what are you suggesting I do? Go back on my word when I''ve clearly promised not to persecute him?"

    " I know but - "

    "This scandal is a huge shame to the  already smeared Raven clan''s name, Ezekiel would punish his son appropriately, and if you think Raphael would come back for revenge? Then train yourself to be stronger to protect me"

    Gideon knew Asher always had a sharp tongue but this time, his words poked him at a raw spot.

    If he had been as strong as Dan or Zukai, he would have helped protect Asher that night Raphael attacked him.

    Unfortunately, he was the first person they immobilized before going up against Asher. If he was in his prime form, he would have put up quite a fight but his full powers had not been unleashed because of the draining.

    Yet, without his or anyone''s help, Asher was still able to protect himself effortlessly. It was evident he would always be the weaker and lesser one amongst them.

    "Fine, from now on, I''m determined to become stronger"

    "Let''s hope so" Asher waved him off as usual.

    "Don''t you think we should tell Dan about the attack so he could send messages to the rest of the clan members to be security conscious of any attack from the Raven clan?"

    "No way!" Raphael growled at once which made him realize he had slipped out of character.

    Gideon was surprised at Aster''s unexpected outburst, why was he so furious about Dan knowing about the incident?

    Raphael cleared his throat, "You know how impulsive Dan can be when he''s blinded by rage. Besides, he''s keeping watch over my mate in Kinney village, furthermore, this is not a war.

    "Raphael committed the crime of almost converting my mate, it does not call for war between clans. You know what war does - it takes and does not give and also, the council would be against the idea of the clash at the moment"

    "Raphael indeed, you deserve an Oscar award" he praised himself mentally for portraying Asher''s character flawlessly.

    Raphael was not worried about Gideon, he had studied the vampire and so far he was slow-witted and dense - though he was capable in combat.

    The vampire he had to look out for was that creepy one called Zukai and of course the almighty Dan.

    Raphael disliked Dan for being the most capable amongst Asher''s men. He had a lethal ability and was very intelligent

    He was grateful the vampire was absent and now he had just a day left to wrap up all loose ends before he returned. Once Dan was back, Raphael would have to put up his guard constantly in order not to get discovered.

    Zukai was capable too but he was all brawn and no brains, he would have to be careful around his sister instead, she was too perceptive.

    His plan would not be ruined.

    Both heard a car pull up at their place and Gideon went to answer the door revealing... Trevor.

    Raphael frowned, why was Lia''s brother here? Was there possibly a deal with Asher he was missing out on?

    Damn it, he cursed. Raphael wished there was a way he could access Asher''s memories but soul transfer doesn''t work that way.

    Fine, he''d tread carefully here. Let''s see what Asher and the boy are up to.

    "Why are you here? Aren''t you supposed to be in school by now?" Raphael asked Trevor.

    Trevor licked his lips, "I need to talk to you about something" his eyes flickered to Gideon, " Alone"

    Raphael gave a sign to Gideon to leave.

    Gideon didn''t have any objection, Asher has not changed at all, he still hasn''t trusted him fully.

    "You can speak now" He ordered Trevor once he sensed Gideon leave the building.

    Trevor looked around nervously, confirming he was safe before disclosing, "I was attacked last night"

    Raphael blinked, this wasn''t what he was expecting. Was the kiddo here to complain? If he could remember properly, Asher and this kid had never been pals so there was no way Trevor was here to seek comfort from Asher.

    "By who?"

    "That''s what I''m here to ask you too"

    Raphael''s brow furrowed together, " Alright kiddo, I have no time for your dramas" he shot up to his feet.

    "She had your eyes "

    Raphael froze, he turned to face Trevor, "What are you talking about?"

    "There''s no mistaking it, she looked like you save her blonde hair which brings up this question, do you have a sister?"

    Trevor caught Asher''s laugh, he was mocking him.

    "I have no sister, only my half brother, Raphael. So I can assure you beyond unreasonable doubt that you saw wrong"  he summarized.

    Trevor sprang up to his feet angrily, "She almost killed me last night, and to top it all, she was a vampire and  said I should blame Lia for my death"

    Raphael groaned, "But you didn''t die. Trevor, I''m in no mood for whatever games you think this is "

    "Yeah, I lived - no she killed me, strangled me to death to be precise. I almost died -no, did die but she brought me back and I don''t know why she did that but I''m sure of what I saw! " By the time Trevor was done, he was puffing and huffing yet was disappointed by the look Asher gave him.

    "You don''t believe me?"

    "It''s hard to believe such a thing without evidence, Trevor "

    "She had green ones"

    "Green eyes are a rare eye color but that doesn''t mean I''m the only one with it "

    "Yeah, green eyes aren''t that rare but that shade? These same eyes staring back at me right now?" He pointed at Asher''s face, " It''s the same with hers"

    Trevor thought he would go crazy with explanation, why couldn''t this asshole believe him?

    He threw his hands up, "You know what? f*ck you" Trevor cursed at him blatantly, "When you told me about my sister, about the prophecy, I believed you. Why wouldn''t you do the same now?"

    Raphael was almost tempted to ask, "What prophecy?" but he knew he''d expose himself if he did that.

    Trevor was a mere human but he had access to Lia and Dan and could raise this topic if he senses something wrong with him.

    Yet Raphael would do everything to hear about this mysterious prophecy. Something told him it has to do with Lia who would be his completely, soon.

    He already has plans of getting rid of that werewolf. He wouldn''t sacrifice his body and everything just to lose to that dog called Daniel.

    His brother Asher was a complete fool to share his mate with a werewolf - their greatest enemy.

    His brother Asher was a huge disgrace to the Raven clan - a weakling. He should have just taken her, whether she truly belonged to him or not!

    If not for the fact he desired Lia, he''d have exposed this secret long ago to the council- of her having two mates.

    Trevor shook his head, "It was truly a mistake coming here"

    "I''m sorry but I can''t help you on this one" Raphael said to him just as he strode out of his house angrily.

    "But you''d help me with that prophecy," he muttered to himself.

    Iark would be needed on that one, he needs to use his ability and draw the truth out from that boy.

    He needs that prophecy!

 Chapter 210 - Two Hundred And Ten: Her Sire

    Daniel was right, running in her wolf form was luxuriating and quite a thrill for Lolli who enjoyed every bit of the freedom.

    The wolf had been cooped up most of the time in Little Town which resulted in her being furious and hormonal. leaving her with no choice than to have her version of fun with her mates - Asher to be precise.

    After the fight between Dan and Ryan, the pack was unusually quiet tonight. Dan didn''t come for dinner and no one knew where in the world he was but none bothered to search for him - he was a capable vampire so he could take care of himself.

    Daniel didn''t join the students for dinner either and it was clear everyone had hoped for his appearance.

    But what Lia couldn''t understand was the constant glare Caroline threw her way during dinner.

    It wasn''t surprising that Caroline glared- she always does it whenever they meet - but tonight''s glower was intense and excessive as if she had caught Lia stealing from her.

    She even went ahead to put both fingers into her eye, gesturing she has her eye on her.

    Lia couldn''t help but wonder if Caroline had found anything on her that made her cocky. Anyways, that little pest was the least of her problems.

    "He''s behind us" She heard Lollis'' voice in her head which made her pound her paws into the dirt as she ran faster.

    But the thudding of footsteps from behind told her he was catching up to her; she wasn''t going to lose to him this time.

    She and Daniel were having a run in the woods and so far she had been gaining the upper hand until now.

    Her mate had ceremoniously given her a five minutes headstart in the race but as the experienced wolf he was, Daniel was catching up to her.

    "Faster!" She urged Lolli who pounded along quickly. The wolf was now the one in control since both were in her form.

    "I can''t hear him, think we lost him?" Lia asked her wolf.

    "Probab - don''t think so" Lolli was the first to notice him but it was late, Daniel tackled them.

    She snapped her jaw at Daniel in the process but Iyke was the one in control and enjoyed every bit of it as he subdued her.

    Lolli had always been a dominant wolf and took it as an insult, but there was no way she could move out of his hold so she had no choice but to submit.

    Lia bet Daniel was cocking a silly grin at his victory but Lolli was pissed off. As soon as Iyke released her, she made a sound that looked like an annoyed snort and walked away.

    Lolli swished her tail at his face then moved away to lower her belly on the ground while Iyke stood confused, what has he done this time?

    He approached her and lowered himself down by her side but she didn''t pay him any attention. Iyke stood up and walked the other way around for her attention however she turned the other way.

    In the end, Iyke ended up going around her in circles to grab her interest but Lolli simply exhaled noisily through her nose and shut her eyes.

    Iyke discovered he couldn''t work out this one and let in Daniel who then took control and lay down beside her. She didn''t acknowledge him and kept up with her sleep pretense.

    Lia tried her best to cajole Lolli to forgive him but the wolf didn''t listen neither did she give her control, which made her contemplate taking it by force but decided against it when she remembered their relationship just bloomed.

    Daniel simply rubbed his body against her affectionately and his tactics seemed to work cause she peeled her eyes open. Then he went ahead to lick her furs and scratch her belly eliciting a purr from her.

    Lollis'' heart was melted instantly causing Lia to take over with that opportunity.

    It was quite stupid yet fun as she and Daniel chased and played with one another until she picked up a strange smell in the air.

    "Lia, wait " Daniel who stiffened when he caught the unfamiliar scent encroaching on his territory was yet to warn his mate to stay back when she zoomed past him.

    His ears perked up and his nose sniffed the air while going after his mate while trying to ascertain the location of the intruder.

    Daniel stopped short when he saw Lia taking on a wolf larger than her. They snapped and growled at each other while avoiding lethal attacks from both sides.

    Daniel hurriedly stepped in, defending his mate and attacking the strange wolf head-on.

    Lia watched carefully as both wolves fought - grey against black - and both were almost of the size. She waited for her opportunity to launch a deadly move when they unexpectedly stopped fighting.

    They circled each other, gauging their moves and intentions until the intruder stopped and shifted into his human form.

    Daniel, who guessed his intentions, moved and blocked his mate''s view- her eyes were too holy to behold that scene.

    He too quickly shifted but he carried a small bag which was draped over his body during the run and changed into his clothes at once.

    Lia turned away, blushing furiously- she had taken in the sight of her mate''s well-endowed packages.

    "Alpha Tristan," Daniel said, obviously displeased, "What''s the meaning of this disturbance?"

    "I apologize for any inconvenience," Tristan apologized, his eyes fixed on the wolf being covered by Daniel.

    Meanwhile, Lia who had turned back around was getting increasingly annoyed by Daniel''s protective measure.

    Curiosity finally got the best of her because she moved forward and peeked out from behind her mate''s body.

    "Holy motherfucker! " Lia cursed out loud however, she was in her wolf form so it came out as a bark.

    Unfortunately for her, both males perfectly understood what she said- wolf form or not.

    Lia wasn''t expecting that, she expected Tristan to have dressed up already, who knew the werewolf was as naked as the day he first came to earth.

    And his ding-a-ling was extra- large! That was what made her curse out loud- she had seen the unseeable, holy water wouldn''t be able to cleanse out this one!

    Even Lolli blushed and was stunned.

    Daniel frowned, he didn''t like the attention this alpha was gaining from his mate.

    He growled at Tristan warningly,

    "Why are you here?"

    "I came to get my pack member?"

    Daniel''s brows furrowed in confusion, "Pack member? I''m sorry but none of your people are here. I sent them back "

    Tristan shook his head," I''m not talking about those two fools, I''m referring to her" he pointed to Lia.

    The shock alone had his mate shifting into her human form, exposing her naked glory to both of them which made Daniel bare his teeth at Tristan who had his eyes glued on her.

    Daniel quickly took her into his arms, doing his best to shield her body from his lewd gaze.

    He glared at the alpha over his shoulder saying, "I swear to God if you''re talking rubbish, I''ll snap your neck into - "

    "I was the wolf who turned her. I''m her sire "

    -----------------------

    This was incredibly fun, Ozark realized. Pretending to be a witch while going at it with a fellow witch, awesome! It was not bad mimicking Sabrina unlike his brother Mark who had been in a grim mood since today.

    He would have delved into what was bothering him but he had an important role in keeping up with Sabrina''s identity.

    And that was what he had been doing when this witch came to his doorstep. Turns out the blonde came from a sister coven and had felt an urge to check up on her.

    Luckily for him, she swings both ways. So here they were on Sabrina''s bed - to be specific - taking care of each other.

    Dan had teleported back to little town, he would have gone to check on Asher but he knew how stubborn that vampire was.

    The vampire would be mad at him for leaving his mate''s side unprotected and right now, Dan was in no mood to take anyone''s bullshit.

    So his alternative was his girlfriend''s, Sabrina. He missed her and she was the only one capable of calming him down right now.

    Without her powers to guide her, Sabrina now disliked sneak surprises but he had no choice.

    Dan arrived in her short and narrow passage, ready to open the door to her bedroom when he heard amorous moans.

    His expression twisted into an ugly one, he didn''t want to acknowledge what he was hearing- no, he had to confirm with his eyes.

    He opened the door, lo and behold, it was as he thought, his girlfriend was cheating on him with a fellow girl.

    Ozark was so distracted he didn''t notice someone''s presence until the door was opened.

    He was startled, not because he was caught cheating, no scratch that, Sabrina was caught cheating, but because it was Dan standing right in front of him - wasn''t he supposed to be in Kinney village.

    Dan was speechless, his eyes staring into Sabrina''s who was equally stunned as well.

    His hand let go of the doorknob, he left.

    Ozark''s lips tilted to the side, it was better if they got rid of him this way.

 Chapter 211 - Two Hundred And Eleven: Tell Me About My Father

    A day and some hours have passed since he was held captive and thankfully, he was slowly gaining back his strength.

    Though they still refused to feed him with human blood - animal blood would even go a long way in restoring him to his prime - but his mother Helen insistently fed him her blood.

    Human food did nothing to sustain him yet they brought it over but Asher didn''t dare to eat it, they laced it with vervain - he wasn''t born this morning.

    Ezekiel could have shoved it down his throat but he was being careful not to upset his mate.

    Right now, it was late and they finally brought him outside to look around -  in restraints. There was no thought of escaping since men encompassed him about but he still didn''t lose hope

    -there was no harm in knowing the interior and exterior of the mansion for escape''s sake.

    Asher looked up at the sky, it was a full moon tonight and it made him think of his mate. Right now, she should be having her training with Daniel.

    He blinked away the tears that touched his eyes, he missed her like crazy. But Asher was most sorry he wouldn''t be able to protect her.

    His mind wandered, he wondered if Lia felt something wrong through the bond? They should be leaving tomorrow and while the other students would go home to their loved ones unharmed, she would be in danger from him - from the man using his body.

    Sabrina, this was all her fault. Asher hoped to God he never sets his eyes on her else he''d tear her limb to limb. She betrayed him for power, what''re the chances she wouldn''t betray Lia too when push comes to shove?

    Dan would be upset but the girl had to be punished.

    Asher sighed, if Monique was still alive she wouldn''t have done such a thing, unlike Sabrina who wasn''t his true mate.

    A true mate wouldn''t do anything that would distress his mate. Since Dan was under him, Monique would know that hurting Asher was equal to hurting Dan and wouldn''t think of betrayal.

    "Who are you yearning for?"

    A voice came from behind, startling Asher who turned around at once to meet his new favorite person.

    "Mother" he smiled at her.

    Helen walked over to him, "How are you doing?" she asked with her gentle tone, noticing the shackles on him.

    "I''m doing better," He answered.

    "Do you need me to break those?"

    Asher glanced down at the binds,

    "No, I''m good. Besides, it would just make things difficult for you"

    He knew her mother taking sides with him was causing a toll on her relationship with Ezekiel. Even without hearing their conversation, the worried look on his mother''s face told him she fought with her husband.

    Helen sat down on the bench beside him leaving Asher with no choice but to sit down too.

    "I don''t think your father is forgiving you anytime soon, son" she disclosed to him.

    Asher snorted inwardly, anytime soon? What a joke, probably till eternity!

    He would have told his mother about the truth but this was not the right time - at least, not today.

    Helen has still not come to terms with the fact he almost took his brother''s mate and Raphael''s reputation had not helped either.

    His mother knew he hated Asher''s guts, so if he went ahead to confess to her he was Asher who was forced into his half-brother''s body, she wouldn''t believe a thing - she would only believe he has totally lost it.

    So he had to reveal the truth little by little, through subtle differences in character and mannerism. Since Raphael wanted to play this game, he should be ready to finish it.

    "No problem, I expected it. I did wrong so it''s right I took responsibility for my actions" came Asher''s answer which made her surprised.

    Raphael disliked Asher so in a situation like this, Helen was anticipating he would have protested against the unfair judgment - as he would call it -  placed on him.

    But Asher did the opposite, he accepted his punishment in good faith - a huge contrast to Raphael''s stubborn and unyielding character.

    "You''re not angry?" She asked, just to be sure.

    "Why should I?"

    "I don''t know, the usual ''you'' wouldn''t be contented with that kind of verdict especially involving Asher?"

    He laughed, "Maybe, another soul is possessing my body" Asher dropped hints but his mother laughed it off.

    "You can''t be serious," she slapped him playfully on the shoulder

    See, Asher thought. What would have happened if he told her, "I''m Asher in Raphael''s body" how funny that would look.

    "Tell me about my father"

    "Huh?"

    Asher corrected himself, "I mean, tell me about you and Antonio. How did both of you meet?"

    The smile on Helen''s face froze, that question came out of nowhere neither did she expect that.

    For some reason, Raphael was getting increasingly strange. There was just something off about him - not in a creepy way but in a warm, different way.

    Had this traumatic experience changed the obnoxious Raphael overnight? It was hard to believe but it was happening right in front of her.

    Helen blinked in surprise, then frowned "Why do you want to know about that? So you could have a reason to seek further revenge against your brother Asher?"

    "No, that''s not it " he was quick to clarify the situation, it seems his mom gave misunderstood his intention, "I just want to understand"

    "Understand what?"

    "Understand what was so special between the both of you?"

    Helen was speechless, she was supposed to feel revolted that her son was asking about her past relationship with her late ex-lover turned Asher''s father but the reverse was the case.

    She wanted to open up, tell him everything which was strange on its part. What the hell was going on tonight?

    "Please, mother " Asher persuaded her upon discovering her reluctance to open up which he couldn''t blame her for.

    If he was with his real appearance, she wouldn''t hesitate to tell him everything since it was about his father but Raphael? Super awkward.

    "Your father and Antonio had not always been enemies" she started which surprised him.

    He had expected her to hightail it out of here exasperatedly. Seems his power of persuasion was innate - ability or no ability.

    Helen went on, "We were best friends, all trio of us - me, your father Ezekiel and Asher''s father Antonio - were inseparable.

    "As you know, your father and I were of the same clan save Antonio who was from the Nicoli clan. Our relationship was a surprising one since most vampire clans chose to avoid us thanks to our dishonest reputation.

    "Antonio was a known troublemaker, perhaps that was why he fitted along with us - the cunning vampires.

    "But that day, he got into a fight he couldn''t win and I happened to be the one who saved him from meeting death that night.

    "He was severely injured and poisoned which left me with no choice than to bring him into our clan and had him treated.

    "Your father and I had been friends from childhood so it was expected he found out about it. It was a tough battle but he helped secure his life, so Antonio survived.

    "Ezekiel and Antonio clicked instantly it was so surprising to me, perhaps due to the fact Antonio always had this darkness inside of him but your father was not far behind either.

    "Antonio didn''t leave the instant he was back to his best form since Ezekiel wanted him to spend more time with him. It was during that period that things changed between us and we started seeing each other.

    "Both of us knew we weren''t each other''s mate but the attraction between us was so intense we had no doubt we would turn out as mates indeed." She let out a wry smile, "who knew the moon had much more than we thought in-store for us"

    "It just came suddenly; a sweet whiff one can''t ignore, the electrifying touch that send electricity coursing through veins, coupled with a stare that seemed to last forever, Ezekiel and I knew instantly we were true mates.

    "Antonio had gone back to his clan during that period and so didn''t have an idea. Even as friends, your father and I didn''t feel anything for each other but that changed that day.

    "I did everything to fight the attraction between us but it''s not exactly easy to get rid of the bond save through rejection. But I couldn''t make that decision yet, I had to seek Antonio''s opinion as well since I had finally summoned courage to tell him the truth.

    "Unfortunately that night, the attraction between us couldn''t be denied anymore. The feelings spiked leaving me no alternative but to give in. One thing led to the other, we mated and he marked me.

    "Antonio found out and of course he was so furious, the sight of me disgusted him so greatly he left without turning back. Your father and I got married and we gave birth to you.

    "But few days after your birth, Antonio returned claiming he has forgiven Ezekiel and me. Both of us were so joyous without knowing he had an ulterior motive till he took me away. And that was how everything played out " his mom finished her narration.

    Asher was stunned, this was so much information to digest. So in one word, his father had been the one who was wronged?

    But then he couldn''t blame his mother nor Ezekiel either, he knew how hard it was to resist the mate pull and he had his mate to prove that.

    There were so many times he had the urge to toss that deal with the werewolf to the back of his mind and have his way with his mate but he had to suppress himself to the point of causing his body pain to clear his mind - he didn''t want a war on his hand.

    Asher refused to turn out like his father and he would live by that standard.

    "That time you spent with Antonio when he took you away, do you regret it ?"

 Chapter 212 - Two Hundred And Twelve: She Knows Its Him

    "That time you spent with Antonio when he took you away, do you regret it?"

    The bafflement on Helen''s face was apparent, she was tongue-tied. His mother looked around, scrutinizing their environment meticulously before asking, "Did they feed you anything strange before I arrived here?"

    "Not that I remember, is anything the matter? Why do you ask?" Asher was now the one perplexed.

    "Why do I ask?" Helen gave him a look of skepticism, " You''re asking me about my experience with a man you despised throughout your life; a man that made me abandon you in your childhood?"

    "Being in prison is tiring and boring mom, indulge me with some gossips"

    came his pathetic excuse"You don''t have to worry, I''ll keep it from father" Asher promised her.

    Helen could not argue on that one, being at a place was boring but Raphael giving her his word? That was a first and yes, it was hard to believe but she took him at his words.

    "You''re going to hate my answer" she informed him in advance.

    "It''s better than nothing" he acquiesced.

    "Fine then"

    Asher waited with anticipation, this was the moment he had been waiting for all of his life.

    His father never narrated to him what transpired between him and Helen during her abduction, but now, he was about to hear the whole details from the horse''s mouth.

    Asher was eager to know if his mother hated Antonio for taking her away from her mate or if she despised herself for giving him a child.

    "I don''t regret it one bit "

    "Huh?"

    The vampire was dumbfounded, his mother''s answer was playing in a loop in his head.

    She didn''t regret it? How was that possible? His father had separated her from her mate for months and he knew how torturous that was!

    He had been away from Lia for days now, he felt restless and unable to stand being away from her this long - it was killing him.

    How much more his mother?

    "I find that hard to believe" Asher glanced up at her for more details.

    "Even after Antonio took me away, he loathed the sight of me for betraying his trust. He wouldn''t look at me but he wouldn''t let me go either and the mate bond made me detest him at first.

    "I couldn''t understand the bond as well as I do now. I just went ahead with my fluctuating emotions which means venting my frustrations on him for taking me away from Ezekiel and my child.

    "Our first month together was characterized by uncountable fights and arguments, we couldn''t stand the sight of each other.

    "But I felt guilty, I made him that way and he deserves every right to be angry but then, two wrongs don''t make a right. Keeping me away from Ezekiel wasn''t going to change the fact I was his mate.

    "There was a search party conducted for me but they couldn''t find me no matter what. Unknown to them all, Antonio had acquired a charm from a powerful witch that disguised our appearances and made us invisible to vampiric perception.

    "The second month consisted of me making timeless escapes, but Asher''s father always has his way of finding me each time I disappeared and tried to call for help as if he kept tabs on me- a feat I surmised he achieved through the help of the mysterious witch.

    "Though he was angry with me, Antonio never treated me badly nor assaulted me physically aside from sealing away my powers and ability with magic, his constant silent treatment, and keeping me away from the outside world.

    "Away from Ezekiel for long, the matebond waned greatly. Moreover, I grew tired of escaping only to be recaptured, it was disappointing.

    "The mate bond lost its potency making me as good as an unmated vampire. During that period, Antonio''s cold attitude towards me became a bit warmer and our hostility to each other lessened.

    "As usual, staying in close quarters between both sexes wasn''t going to be innocent, something did happen between us, and your brother came along.

    "Being pregnant with Asher was a tough one, he was always kicking and hungry to the extent that my blood preference changed to the rarest and purest blood type��..." Helen faltered on purpose as she gauged Raphael''s reaction, trying to see if he was repulsed by her story.

    She was shocked, there was not an ounce of displeasure on his features rather he looked... fascinated?.

    "Is that the end? Why did you stop?" Asher frowned at her pausing the narration when he was so absorbed in the story.

    Helen frowned, something was amiss here. Something weird was going on and it centered on her son who was getting weirder.

    The Raphael she knew would have been vexed with that part of the story where she slept with Antonio - she cheated on his father, kidnapped or not.

    Nevertheless, she cleared her throat and continued with her story," Asher was quite a tough baby but I survived and successfully gave birth to him.

    "The birth of Asher made Antonio realize he couldn''t stay in hiding forever, especially if he wanted to give his son the best in life.

    "So he finally let go of me after taking away my son Asher and though I was furious with him, it was the best decision for our child.

    "Ezekiel was fuming with anger over my abduction then. If I had returned with Asher, he would have killed him on sight without thinking twice. So It was a wise move for Antonio to take Asher away and as his father, he would take care of him." she finished her reminiscence.

    "I don''t regret it one bit, " Helen told her son who wasn''t disturbed by her blunt confession.

    "Ever since that time Antonio found out about Ezekiel and me, there has been this guilt in my heart that refused to go away.

    "Yes, I found my mate but I hurt the other vampire in the process. I should not have kept the fact Ezekiel was my mate from Antonio for that long. I should have been upfront, tell him the truth, and see what his decision would be "

    "So you see the time you spent with him as retribution for your sin?"

    "Yeah, I was paying for my sins" she agreed, "I hurt him and now he hurt me too but most of all, I don''t ever regret having Asher"

    His heart was gladdened, his mother was glad to have him, unlike the ugly rumors his birth brought on.

    "The only heartache I feel now is never seeing my son, he must hate me right?"

    Asher watched his mother become emotional, she asked that question with great difficulty. He guessed he wasn''t the only one going through the guilt trip of his birth.

    He quickly took his mother into his arms, rubbing her back soothingly "Trust me when I tell you he doesn''t hate but loves you and misses you every day of his life"

    Suddenly he stiffened because he felt his mother''s fingers dig into his chest, any deeper and she would rip his heart out.

    His brows furrowed, "What are you doing mom?"

    Her voice turned cold as she asked him, "Who are you?"

    Asher was astounded, having realized he completely exposed himself - that last question.

    If the real Raphael had been asked that, he''d either flip out or answered honestly but with lots of blame on his mother in-between.

    He did the opposite of that, the words that flowed out of his mouth were from his heart and she felt it - this time differently.

    Her nails deepened threateningly,

    "Answer me because I know you''re not my son, Raphael"

    Asher looked around, though they weren''t looking at them he knew vampires had improvised hearing, they could be listening in on their conversation so he had to be careful.

    "Mom, why are you behaving like this?" He said aloud, but purposely lowered his head and whispered into her ears at once.

    "I can''t tell you the truth now, there are eyes everywhere"

    His mom''s eyes widened to the size of saucers, she was bewildered by his answer.

    What was happening? Why wasn''t this the best place and why was she trusting a stranger - definitely not a stranger, he had her son''s face but how was that possible? The only shapeshifter in their clan was Ozark and his form wouldn''t even last this long, he was bound to slip sooner or later.

    "Mom, you''re hurting me"  Asher continued with his act.

    That comment snapped her back to reality and she withdrew her hands, focusing her inquisitive gaze on him.

    Asher didn''t pull away from the hug, instead, he mumbled, "Feel the sensation " into her ears and began to draw his name onto her back with his hands and after three trials, his mother got it.

    Helen choked "H-how is that ..?"

    But before she could continue her questioning, the guards separated them.

    "I''m sorry my lady but he has to return to prison, it''s the alpha''s order"

    His mother was tearing up but she hardened her heart and wiped the tears away, "Alright, take him away"

    Asher felt her eyes on him as they left, she had too many questions but it was sad she couldn''t get the answer she wanted.

    But one thing was sure, his mother now knows it''s him.

 Chapter 213 - Two Hundred And Thirteen: The Backlash

    "You were right, there''s a prophecy" Iark aka Sabrina in acting, told Asher aka Raphael in disguise.

    The scene was quite funny, Sabrina mused mentally. Raphael the master planner was getting played by her.

    Sabrina realized she had the most pieces in this game of chess and she could checkmate by ratting out the enemy or side with the enemy.

    There was a glint in Raphael''s eyes, he readjusted in his seat, eager to hear his finding.

    Though the school was the last place he desired to be, Raphael had to keep up with Asher''s identity - that included his job.

    It would sound odd if Dan returned and heard he missed a few days of school for God knows why.

    Yes, Dan has no right to question his movements but he wouldn''t want to create room for suspicion.

    "What is it, tell me"

    "Truthfully, I couldn''t grasp much from the boy but the most important fact is that Lia plays a big role in whatever the dark witches are planning; they need her for something big," Sabrina reported to him.

    She could have lied to him but Raphael wasn''t stupid, he was incredibly tricky and could deceive her into spilling the truth and blowing her cover altogether. Better she came clean than suffering the aftermath out of stupidity.

    Suddenly Raphael started to laugh, a loud crackle that made the hair on her arm stand on edge. Sabrina couldn''t help but feel that this vampire was more dangerous than a dark witch.

    "It''s war. Little Town would soon see bloodshed like no other "Raphael said," But the girl''s part is what I can''t figure out" he mulled over.

    "I can''t figure that one out too,"  Sabrina said in her mind.

    Raphael would get suspicious of her if she said that out loud. Iark''s duty was to receive orders and do his biddings not to solve his mysteries.

    "If they want the girl to lead them in the war against the council, that''s impossible. My goody-two-shoes brother wouldn''t allow that neither would the werewolf nor the girl even" Raphael mumbled aloud, rubbing his chin thoughtfully

    "They can''t force her either since the girl is strong enough to resist them with her mates protecting her family but they can threaten to kill her mates, forcing her to join them  "

    Yet Raphael wasn''t satisfied with his hypothesis

    "That still doesn''t sound right, the Burning Eaglet has failed previously, so this time they''d be thorough in their plan.

    "But binding Lia to fight their battle doesn''t seem like an ideal battle plan. She could always stab them in the back by aligning with the council secretly.

    "To win this battle, they would need to get the girl''s unquestionable devotion to their cause, but how would they achieve that ?"

    Sabrina had her face lowered but her ears were wide open. If Raphael could figure this out, it''d be killing two birds with one stone.

    She would save Asher, then disclose the witches'' plan to him and hopefully acquire his forgiveness while getting rid of Raphael at the same time.

    Or she could take this piece of news to the council and tell the whole truth about Lia, her mates, and the prophecy.

    Just thinking about the rewards she could get made her salivate. Sabrina was sure they would forgive her for hiding her powers and performing forbidden magic plus get a high position in the council.

    The guilt would be there but she was human and humans so far were bound to change, no one could stay righteous forever.

    The thought was incredibly tempting but she couldn''t do it.

    Firstly, those councils were douche bags, they did completely nothing when most of her coven members and family were murdered by vampires.

    Secondly, she had worked faithfully for them for years but just a mistake, they took away her powers? What''s the guarantee they wouldn''t dispose of her after she overstays her usefulness.

    Thirdly, the council had stayed in power for a long time and their arrogance was getting into their heads. So if the Burning Eaglets could rattle them a bit, she''d love it.

    Fourthly, She could not betray Dan. Yes, she''d done that with Raphael unintentionally- who knew that sly fox wouldn''t keep up to his promise, it shouldn''t have escalated to this level- but colliding with the council? He would never forgive her.

    Fifthly, Raphael tried murdering her. She would like to see that smug smile slipped off his face as he watches the plan he has spent a lot of time orchestrating plus the risk he took, crumble right in front of him- how satisfying would that be!

    Lastly, she still had a conscience: Lia was just an innocent victim dragged into this mess, so it was unfair to tell on her.

    "So what do you plan to do?" She asked Raphael, "Do you need me to stick around that boy Trevor?"

    "It is needless" he waved it away,

    "Asher is not a fool, he wouldn''t tell that boy anything more than that for the safety of his mate?"

    Suddenly, Raphael''s nose wrinkled as he sniffed the air before his eyes narrowed into slits, resting on Sabrina intently.

    "Why is that rotten smell coming from you?" He asked suspiciously.

    Sabrina rolled up her sleeve, "I think the witch did something to me" she said exposing her hand that had begun to rot starting from her ulnar nerve and continuously spreading.

    "What do you think it is?" She asked Raphael who had stood from his desk to take a closer view.

    Raphael frowned, taking Ozark''s arm into his hand and scrutinized it.

    "I''d say Sabrina placed a hex on you and since I have no clue if that is contagious, you should take the days off and find a witch to clean that up" he ordered Iark who seemed displeased by his decision.

    Raphael understood the boy''s firm loyalty, he must feel he was being disposed of because of his current disability.

    "Unless you can grow back a limb, I''ll advise you to begin as quickly as possible to get rid of that " Raphael patted and pressed his shoulder.

    He knew vampires can recover from most attacks but decapitation? That was a tough one to recover from as far as the body wasn''t burned, with age and type of blood - animal or human - playing a huge role in their healing factors.

    "Fine" Ozark, scratch that, Sabrina was pleased by the turn of events as she left.

    She had been wondering how to get this treated without arousing suspicion if she disappeared suddenly.

    But now, a golden opportunity has been laid for her by the one and only Raphael she had been cautious of.

    The corruption on her arm was real and that was the backlash from using her ability excessively.

    That night, she had done the forbidden soul transfer spell that drained ninety-nine percent of her powers.

    After that, she had fought against Iark and drove herself to the limit by simulating him; that move took a lot from her.

    Now she was suffering the consequences and she had to find a fellow witch to help her out else she dies.

    Her magic could not heal her, it was as if her body had become resistant to her spell and now she had to find a reliable witch to do this for her.

    Walking down the road, Sabrina looked around her surroundings to ensure she was not being followed- she wasn''t sure she had bought Raphael''s trust completely.

    Confirming she was safe, she cornered into an alley and invoked a portal that took her to her desired location at once.

    "Always without an invitation" Jennifer murmured as soon as Sabrina dropped into her living room.

    "I need your help" she went straight to the point "

    "Must be pretty serious since you traveled halfway across the world just to see me" her friend Jennifer said grumpily, stood up from her couch, and placed her white fluffy cat on the floor.

    "I''m sorry for not visiting over the years but I need your help and you''re the only one I can trust at the moment"

    They stared at each other for a while without saying anything before the blonde witch sighed.

    "What is it?"

    Sabrina who had changed back to her real form rolled up the shirt which now looked baggy on her, revealing her deteriorating arm.

    Jennifer gasped, "What did you do to receive this degree of whiplash?"

    "You shouldn''t know and my time is limited. I need to get back to little Town as possibly as I could and correct the mess I created"

    "But you know that''s impossible" she took a good look at her arms," Getting your body attuned to my magic would take two days at least"

    "You''re a miracle worker, why do you think I came to you?"

    Jennifer was speechless, this friend of hers was trying to incite her. She pinched the bridge of her nose.

    "I''m making no promises here, Sabrina. You can''t cause problems and expect me to clean up your mess at my own risk"

    "Are you helping me or not"

    "Fine" Jennifer rolled her eyes, "Follow me"

 Chapter 214 - One Hundred And Fourteen: The Sire Bond

    Lia had no clue what was going on, why was her mate''s face looking so serious? Why was Daniel affected by what that big, scratch that, that werewolf said?

    This dirty mind of hers was still replaying that scene from earlier and Lolli was enjoying every bit of it - Lia quickly said an apology to her mates in her mind.

    But what the hell was a sire?

    Daniel wouldn''t let her inside the room but she could hear snippets of their heated discussion. Sire? Sired? Curse week?

    Meanwhile, Daniel was having an intense discussion with Alpha Tristan of the Ranger park. The tension in the air was so prominent that one could cut through it with a knife.

    "What do you mean you''re her sire?"

    Tristan''s mouth was tugged to the side," Alpha Daniel, why do you speak as if you don''t know what a sire is? Of course, I''m the one who turned her"

    It felt like a bomb went off in his head. Daniel knew what a sire was, but he needed to confirm it from the horse''s mouth and now he did, he kind of wished he didn''t.

    "How is that possible, the girl was turned by a rogue" Daniel argued.

    "It was a rogue well semi-rogue since I was in my curse week" he explained.

    Daniel was an alpha who once went through his curse week so he understood that alphas turn feral during that period and could be mistaken for rogues.

    "How do I know you''re not lying?"

    "Why would I lie?"

    Daniel shrugged, "Don''t know but considering you coming after all this while to lay claim on her, I''m pretty sure you have a motive behind it"

    Their eyes met and held, each orb exhibiting power but they broke apart.

    "Why are you so concerned about her? Is she your mate?"

    Daniel could have blunted," Yes" without hesitation but then, he remembered how risky it was announcing such news at the moment.

    "She''s not my mate"

    Daniel felt a painful prick in his heart: yeah, he just denied his mate so it was expected.

    He added briskly, "But she belongs to me and that is none of your business by the way "

    There was an inquisitive look in Tristan''s eyes, he was scrutinizing Daniel intensely.

    While most alphas had the full right to satisfy their sexual lust with their omegas or any other woman who threw themselves on them until their mate came around, Daniel had refused such a luxury.

    He had dedicated all his time to training himself and keeping his pack from the claws of his greedy relatives, having no interest in girls.

    So his unhealthy obsession with this one made him doubt his words, Tristan thought.

    Throughout the past weeks, he had sent spies into the pack who updated him on Daniel''s moves even though the information was limited since Daniel had good security who caught most of his men.

    Thankfully, Tristan still had one of his spies in his packs, who happens to be one of his relatives. Werewolves were loyal creatures but it was quite amusing what greed could turn one into.

    But then, why would Daniel hide the fact he has a mate? Unless he finally gave in and got a girlfriend which means he was telling the truth or he has something to hide which must be connected to the girl.

    Yet Tristan chose to believe the latter. After he found out he had bitten a human, he hadn''t put much thought into it and sent out his men to investigate the case for curiosity''s sake but now he''s seen the girl? He wasn''t going to let go of her.

    He had seen her wolf form, it was beautiful and majestic - she looked so ethereal. It was quite rare to sight a pure white wolf with no spot or blemish. So seeing such for the first time took his breath away and now he must own her.

    It was quite a shame she wasn''t his mate else he would not hesitate to show off her exquisite beauty to other rival and neighboring packs.

    Their awe-inspired gasps and praises would be a huge stroke to his ego. Their eyes would shine with jealousy and envy but they would only be able to see but not touch her since she would be his.

    But the girl wasn''t his yet, but he could still have her once she comes with him to his pack. He''d caught her staring at his little brother earlier and knew she liked what she saw.

    Gosh, the thought of having her below him as he pumped his seed into her womb made him get an erection.

    Their pups would be a great sight to behold. Thinking about it, once the girl agrees to be his, Tristan wouldn''t waver in rejecting his mate for her- the curse week could go to hell.

    But then, Daniel laid claim to her first and that was a problem. Tristan had just been contemplating, but it seems he has to accept that offer from his relatives - help get rid of this stubborn werewolf called Daniel.

    As far as Daniel doesn''t turn out to be a stumbling block in getting her, he could reject the offer but if the werewolf stubbornly clings to her then, the mission accepted.

    "We can always confirm it through the sire bond" Tristan suggested and saw the ugly look on his face. As he thought, Daniel wishes to see him fail.

    Daniel frowned, he felt uneasy. He didn''t like where this was heading to.

    One could be a werewolf by birth; that is if your parents are one, or by getting bitten by a werewolf; the injury has to be deep and the victim maimed to near-death, or by injecting werewolf DNA into your system; if you don''t want the traumatic bloody mauling - not always advisable since this method carries adverse effects.

    But the sire bond was more common in vampires than werewolves since the bloodsuckers had more tendency to convert a human than a werewolf due to their feeding nature.

    Yet those humans infected by a near-death mauling experience what''s referred to as the sire bond - an unexplainable devotion to one''s creator or sire.

    If Lia was indeed turned by Tristan, she would feel the link between both. Which means his mate would have to concede to direct and indirect orders of Tristan to show her devotion and loyalty.

    This made Daniel extremely anxious, why? Moonlight pack would not boast of being righteous since as werewolves they had their downside but they were a good one compared to other packs out there.

    But the same couldn''t be said for the Ranger pack. They hardly knew the difference between right and wrong plus the fact they give in to the primal instinct of their wolves  - typical violence and sex.

    Daniel couldn''t allow her to be part of such a pack - If it turns out to be true. Who knew what Tristan would order her to do having known she would be unable to disobey him. Thankfully, the sire bond affects her free will aka actions and not her feelings.

    "Fine then" Daniel ordered his beta who was in there with him, "Get Lia here" It was time to get this absurd claim done with.

    Lia literally attached her ears to the door amid the funny looks the guards watching over the arena were giving her.

    Once she heard approaching footsteps, she moved away from the door and pretended to stroll up and down the hallway aimlessly.

    The door snapped open," You can come in "

    She cleared her throat, "Sure" and followed Ryan''s lead.

    This meeting room was much smaller compared to the other one being used by the students for a dining room.

    "Have a seat" Ryan directed her to sit beside Daniel on the same couch but the werewolf in question pulled her onto his lap.

    Lia couldn''t understand his sudden possessiveness yet didn''t complain- his laps were much more comfortable than the couch and Lolli loved the feel of his warm skin.

    She couldn''t help but stare at the intruder werewolf from earlier and she got to admit, his looks were not bad if he stopped looking at her in a way that made her skin crawl.

    His black hair was a huge contrast to Daniel''s blonde one and was so long she could plait a braid that touched his shoulder with it - she missed Daniel''s long locks.

    His brown eyes studied her and she didn''t back down, Lolli was a bold wolf and didn''t hesitate to check him out.

    Just like every most werewolf out there, he was quite built and looked larger than Daniel. He was dressed this time but her eyes still couldn''t help but rest on his crotch causing her to blush tomato red - a gesture both alphas noticed.

    "A-hem " Daniel purposely cleared his throat and she felt like banging her head against the wall - Lolli was going to turn her into a pervert one day.

    "Babe, this is Alpha Tristan, Tristan this is Lia, my girlfriend " he emphasized on "girlfriend"

    "Nice to meet you, Alpha Tristan" Lia used a formal tone after finding out her incessant blushing must have caused her mate to be jealous, so no more misunderstanding.

    "Nice, to meet you too, Lia" he replied.

    They couldn''t shake hands since Daniel refused to release her from his lap.

    She turned to her partner, "So why am I here?"

 Chapter 215 - Two Hundred And Fifteen: Call Me Daddy

    Lia turned to her mate," So why am I here?"

    She observed Daniel, he had a calm front and was stroking her hair gently but she could feel through the bond that he was worried.

    Lia couldn''t help but feel something unfavorable to her mate was about to happen.

    Though she had eavesdropped on their conversation, that room was soundproofed so she hardly got anything.

    "You do know I love you, right?"

    Lia blinked, why was Daniel speaking like someone sending her away or even saying goodbye.

    She didn''t answer, just kissed him slowly and deeply in front of the beta who looked away out of embarrassment, and the other alpha, who was burning with envy.

    "Alright" Lia pulled away, "Energy boosted, you can tell me what''s happening now"

    A smile made its appearance across his face, he interlaced their fingers together before asking her.

    "Do you trust me?"

    "Yes"

    "Then, we''re going to pass through this together. That werewolf over there" Daniel gestured to her by lifting his eyebrow

    "Is claiming he''s your maker and we''re going to prove that. He gives a command and you obey, then he''s telling the truth but he fails? I''ll kick his ass per your wish"

    Lia took a deep breath and faced the alpha, "Let''s get this shit done with"

    Tristan smirked, "You should let her go, Daniel. "

    Daniel was not happy but he had no choice but to let her move away from him.

    Lia stood up all alone, facing the so-called Alpha who was sitting on the couch smugly with his legs crossed. She couldn''t believe that moments ago she was checking out this asshole.

    Lolli was pissed off too, she couldn''t accept the fact that another werewolf who wasn''t her mate was trying to tag claim on her even if he had a big- seriously Lolli, not now! Focus!

    "Kneel" The command was given but to Lia it sounded like a resounding boom went off in her head, a strange force taking over her body.

    Daniel growled threateningly at Tristan who smirked at him mockingly but Ryan was there to hold the angry alpha back. Of all commands he could have given, he asked her to kneel?

    Lia wanted to fight back but she was being willed to kneel. Lolli struggled against this invisible bondage but like a strap tying her to his wishes, she couldn''t set herself free. She wanted nothing but to concede to his command.

    Her left knee was the first to touch the ground. But looking at the ugly grimace on her face, Daniel could see she was fighting back but her strength wasn''t enough because her other knee plonked down too.

    There was dead silence in the room.

    Daniel froze, his gaze settled on his mate on the ground obeying another man''s will, it made his wolf boil with anger.

    The broad smirk on Tristan''s face deepened, he relaxed against the seat and watched the girl grit her teeth, glaring at him.

    Her defiance made him all the more excited, it would be fun and satisfying bending her to his will.

    "Using your knees, come to me"

    This time, Daniel couldn''t take it anymore and lurch at Tristan but Ryan held him back.

    As far as the girl belonged to the Ranger pack, they had no right to interfere in whatever ensued between the girl and Tristan unless Daniel was her mate - which he was, but the fact must not be exposed yet.

    But Daniel was so strong that Ryan alone could not hold him back that he had to mindlink the rest of the guards to come help in holding him down.

    Daniel was so furious it blinded his rational thinking, he could feel each of her pain, anger, and frustration through the bond, which heightened his outrage. His mate hated doing that yet she couldn''t help it.

    There was a fire burning in Lia''s eyes as she made her way over to that egoistic werewolf. Her fists were clenched together, her talons digging into her palm and drawing blood.

    Every move she took forward was slow and difficult, it was obvious the effort she was putting into defying the bond.

    "Good girl" Tristan smiled, running his hand through her hair before her scent hit him causing him to take a long smell.

    "Even your scent''s magnificent" He breathed in with a moan of satisfaction.

    A look of displease decorated Ryan''s face, Alpha Tristan was now taking liberties.

    Even if he was her sire, Lia was still Daniel''s girlfriend and he was in their pack, he should at least show respect to his host.

    Even with four werewolves, they were having a hard time restraining Daniel who looked like he had gone mad with anger. He just hopes this ends soon before they have a war on their hand.

    Lia released an animalistic growl yet didn''t hurt him when that lewd Alpha took a strand of her hair and inhaled deeply like someone sniffing cocaine - she just doesn''t realize she was cocaine to them.

    Lifting her chin with a hand and assessing her look, Tristan''s eyes flickered to yellow, he commanded,

    "Call me Daddy"

    That is so not happening, Lia thought in her head. This bond or whatsoever it was, influenced her actions but not how she felt, and right now, she felt the need to rip him apart, yet she couldn''t.

    "I said, call me Daddy!" He intensified his command when she hesitated in obeying.

    The words were almost out of her mouth when something clicked in Lia''s head. She instantly kicked Lolli out without warning and switched to her vampiric side.

    Just as she thought, the bond disconnected with immediate effect. A deadly smirk that sent chills down the spine of anyone who saw her face tugged her mouth to the side.

    No one saw it coming.

    Tristan had just felt the bond sever so didn''t have time to defend himself against the impending attack.

    Lolli who had felt the connection between her and that aashole wane drastically forced her way back in and together with Lia, both mauled the bejesus out of Tristan.

    Before Daniel could be released to stop his mate, she had clawed Tristan in such a terrible manner that his intestines were hanging out on the surface with long slashes on several parts of his body and face.

    No matter how great his healing ability was, it was obvious Tristan was going to scar big time from this attack.

    Blood spattered everywhere, on the floor, the couch, and Lia''s clothes and face. She had been going for the killer move when Daniel hugged her from behind, halting her plan.

    As furious as Lolli was, she instantly calmed and relaxed into her wolf''s arms when she inhaled his scent.

    "It''s okay," Daniel murmured into her ears, "I''m here now, you''re safe"  he assured her, threading his hands through her hair.

    With his eyes, he gestured to Ryan to take Tristan away from his sight.

    Luckily, the asshole was still breathing and as a werewolf, would heal albeit slowly judging from the extent of the injuries she inflicted on him.

    Lia wrapped her arms around him tightly, afraid he would disappear if she let go. Though she knew Daniel would not have allowed that lewd son of a biscuit to take her away, she had been truly scared.

    Daniel bet Tristan had no idea she was a hybrid, so had two sides to her. He could control her wolf side, what about her vampiric side? He finally figured out how his mate was able to break out of the bond.

    It was no wonder Lolli was so furious and almost tore Tristan apart. The wolf was an alpha and deserved respect even if she had no members of her kind that could form a pack with her.

    But the idiot had asked her to kneel - werewolves were prideful creatures and to an Alpha, the worst disgrace ever.

    Tristan mistook Lia as one of his many women he could dominate and force to submit - that was his greatest mistake.

    Not only did he ask her to get down on her knees but to walk with her knees and call him, " daddy".

    Just the thought of "daddy" made Daniel''s blood sizzle, he should have been the one who beat the soul out of his body.

    "Lia, you''re crushing me" He complained when her embrace became too tight for his lungs.

    His mate let go but she wrapped her arms around his neck, lowered it, and kissed him.

    Daniel was taken by surprise but that didn''t mean he wouldn''t enjoy the privilege.

    He kissed her back, lips to lips, passionately as she wanted and gave her tongue the entrance it needed.

    Lia poured all her emotions into the kiss that when both pulled away, they were heaving like hippos.

    That night as they slept, Lia wrapped her body around Daniel''s like an octopus. It sounded stupid but she was scared to wake up in the morning, only to find herself in Ranger pack.

    Daniel didn''t complain either and savored the attention -  he might have taken a tinny bit advantage of their closeness before the morning came.

    A secret only Lolli knows by the way.

 Chapter 216 - Two Hundred And Sixteen: Take Her Away

    Lia thought she would have a heart attack when she awoke and found her mate''s side of the bed empty.

    "Daniel?" She sprang up from the large bed and began to search around for him.

    "Daniel?!" Lia went into the walk-in closet yet there was still no sign of him.

    "Daniel? Daniel?!"

    "Hey, I''m here" the so thought missing person walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and his hair dripping water.

    "God" Lia sighed and hugged him, wrapping her arms around his toned abdomen tightly.

    Just now, she had a nightmare where she was taken away from him, and this time not by Tristan but Raphael - what a strange dream.

    "It''s okay, I''m not going anywhere" he ensured her, giving his mate a good scratch on the head till she relaxed and let go of him.

    "Don''t give me such a heart attack, again! " Lia scolded him sternly.

    "What did I do wrong?"

    "Not sticking to me like an octopus" she pointed out his mistake.

    "Does this count?" Daniel said and without warning, lifted her off her feet as if she was paper.

    Lia screamed as a result of the unexpected levitation, wrapping her legs around his waist to steady herself in fear of falling.

    "Daniel!" She squealed, hitting him on the chest.

    "Wasn''t that what you wanted? '''' He laughed at the scaredy-cat who could take on a wolf hugger than her but couldn''t survive a simple lift.

    Lia giggled, hiding her face on his muscled chest. His fresh scent wafted into her nose; the smell of his shampoo, aftershave, and natural body scent made her stomach do a backflip

    She was not a cannibal but his flushed pink skin from the hot bath he must have taken looked so tantalizing, she just wanted to take a bite.

    Daniel shivered when he felt a soft tingle course through his body. He quickly pulled his mate''s face from his chest, watching her pout her lips innocently as if she didn''t commit any crime.

    He shook his head, "Judging from your mischief, it''s such a shocker you''re not a fox"

    "Can a werewolf marry a fox?"

    "If it''s you, why not" he answered.

    With her legs wrapped around him, Daniel led both of them into the closet.

    "Choose a cloth for your mate" He ordered her.

    Lia blew air through her nose, "Such a shame you look good in anything else I would have suggested a baggy attire"

    Daniel laughed, he understood why she was vexed. Soon, they would join the other students for breakfast and all eyes would be on him.

    "I haven''t seen you in ripped jeans" She observed while going through his collections on the rack.

    "I''m entertaining kids who see me as some sort of monarchical ruler, I need to dress decently," he told her, returning the rugged pants to the stand.

    "Fine," She said with a disappointed look before selecting a long-sleeved silky purple shirt with black pants.

    "What type of shoes - ?" Lia was asking about his preference when her mate stripped, removing the towel hiding his indecency.

    "Daniel!" She screamed and looked away, her face flushed tomato red.

    He chuckled, "What''s there to be ashamed of when we''ve both seen each other naked the numerous times we shifted"

    "There''s a difference between shifting from wolf form to our human form than seeing you in your birthday suit"

    "Hmm, how so?" He purposely kept her talking as he dressed up

    "It has a different feeling to it "

    "Explain in-depth"

    "How am I supposed to ��." She faltered when her direction of sight fell on the three-paneled mirrors which displayed Daniel''s naked glory.

    "Holy moly" she gulped, her eyes greedily taking in the marvelous view just as Lolli went into a joyful frenzy.

    "Why did you stop��." Daniel trailed off as he looked over his shoulder, catching her red-handed checking him out.

    Lia wished the ground would open and swallow her up when their eyes collided through the mirror- he even winked at her.

    A hot blush stained her cheeks, causing her to tear her gaze away while clearing her throat awkwardly.

    "I need to wash up" she excused herself but her mate kept grinning at her with his knowing look.

    Gosh, this was so embarrassing.

    Lia quickly ushered herself into the bathroom, calming her heart which was at the point of leaping out of her chest while sending a mental warning to Lolli who kept posting indecent images of her mate to her mind.

    By the time she was done in the bathroom, Daniel shamelessly demanded he watches her dress up since she had watched him too.

    They fought playfully and in the end, Lia was given no choice but to block him out of the room with her forcefield.

    "How do I look?" Lia twirled around in her sunny dress yet he ignored her and looked the other way.

    Lia facepalmed, why did the moon goddess give her petty mates? He took offense just because she kicked him out of the closet, sigh.

    Daniel was sitting at the edge of the bed with a mean pout, his chin resting on his jaw when his mate invaded his space.

    She parted his legs and got in-between them before pushing him back to the bed.

    Hovering over him with her hair swept to a side of her shoulder, she cocked a sassy brow and repeated, "How do I look, Daniel?"

    Daniel flipped Lia to her back, hovering over her this time, "Do I have to answer?"

    Lia took charge, rolling him over and growled, " Yes, you must!"

    Daniel pushed her onto her back,  lifting a challenging brow, "And if I don''t?"

    She answered, "We''ll see"

    So the two idiots began a power struggle, flipping and rolling each other till they both reached the edge and fell off the bed.

    Lia felt all the air get knocked out of her lungs when Daniel landed on her with his entire weight- who said this was romantic?

    She coughed " Alright, you win. Now get off me, you big tough bully"

    Daniel grinned at her victoriously. Though he didn''t get off her, he supported himself on his arms and took most of his weight from her.

    "You look fabulous," Daniel told her, drawing a smile from her lips - well, the position does look romantic now.

    Just when Lia thought he was closing in to kiss her, he suddenly stopped. She watched him become absentminded and knew he was communicating through the mind link.

    Daniel''s once amused features twisted into a serious one causing him to frown, something bad must have happened.

    Suddenly, she remembered the incident with Tristan, making her wonder if it got to do with it.

    Daniel got up from her in a haste, she followed after him and grabbed his arm when he tried to move.

    "What''s going on?"

    He flashed her a big fake smile, "It''s nothing"

    But she didn''t accept his pathetic excuse, "You can''t lie to me, Daniel. I know something is going on" Lia insisted.

    Daniel clasped her face in his palms," Do you trust me?"

    "I trust you as I''ve said numerous times, but you''re not going to lie your way out of this one"

    Daniel sighed, "It''s Tristan''s people but it''s nothing I can''t handle"

    "It''s because of me, isn''t it? Because of what I did? They''re here for war, aren''t they?" She panicked.

    "Hey" Daniel turned her face to him,

    "Tristan has been in the hospital receiving treatment since last night, so I''m sure they''re here to take him to their pack " he assured his worried mate.

    "What if they''re here for war? Or to take me away?"

    "They''re not here for war and wouldn''t until their alpha recovers and instructs them to do so" Daniel explained, "Moreover, I won''t let anybody take you - not on my watch"

    He hugged her tight, "I''ll need you to be a good mate and join your friends wherever they are, I''ll send a guard to lead you there"

    "Nothing would happen to you right?" She asked, resting her forehead against his.

    "Sure, have you forgotten I''m one big bad wolf to take down? " he joked with her.

    Daniel led her outside the room where the bodyguard was waiting already.

    "Keep your eyes on her. No matter what, don''t let her out " He mind linked the guard without Lia''s knowledge.

    "Of course alpha" the guard replied mentally, then signaled Lia to follow his lead.

    "Daniel!" Lia called after him and ran to hug him one more time before she tilted her head and kissed him passionately. She tasted him as if it was going to be the last time they would be seeing each other.

    "They are getting impatient" Daniel heard his beta''s voice through the link which made him pull away from the kiss.

    "Lia, I have to go"

    "You''re going to come back hale and hearty, right?" she asked again, just to be sure.

    "Of course, nothing would happen to me"

    Lia wished there was a way she could help him. She suddenly wished she was a witch so she could give him some good luck charm or something.

    "Alright " she reluctantly let Daniel go, he left right away.

    "We should go, Miss, " The guard told him when she kept staring at Daniel''s figure until it disappeared finally.

    "Sure, let''s go"

 Chapter 217 - Two Hundred And Seventeen: The War Was Inevitable

    As soon as his mate was out of view, the smile on Daniel''s features disappeared. Through the link, Ryan tracked down and joined him in the hallway.

    "Where are they?" He asked walking ahead briskly.

    "In front of the pack entrance, Tristan''s beta is here with their best warriors" Ryan answered.

    "The students?"

    "Safely guarded in the leisure room by some of the warriors where your mate should have joined them already"

    He nodded, "Contact Dan, he should send a message to Asher, the kids would be returning today"

    Initially, it had been planned that they would spend the entire day and return tomorrow morning which should be Saturday but the plans have been adjusted.

    Since Tristan was still wounded, Daniel hoped that the Ranger pack would not attack them but there was no harm in being prepared.

    At least his mate and the kids should be out of Kinney village before the Rangers reinforce and come back for an attack - if they would.

    "Where is the delta?" Daniel asked as he neared the pack entrance yet didn''t catch the scent of his best female fighter.

    "Judith is scouting the pack''s boundary for any sign of ambush and has sent some warriors to lead the humans and pregnant she-wolves to the cellars for their safety"

    "Good"

    The Alpha and his beta strode to the entrance where about forty warriors from the Ranger pack as Ryan had described, stood before their own warriors who had settled in a defensive stance.

    The tension was so heavy with both sides growling and snarling at each other threateningly, proving that balance was just hanging on a thin strand.

    His warriors opened a path and he walked to the frontline staring down at the frenemy werewolves.

    "Who''s the beta?!" Daniel asked with a tone of dominance that made some of the warriors who couldn''t stand an Alpha''s command, cower away.

    Once an Alpha boomed a command to a werewolf of lower status, he or she would have no choice but to show submission by lowering their head once in wolf form or bow in human form.

    But since this wasn''t his pack, his power was limited however, it still affected some warriors.

    "I am " A dark-haired brawny man stepped out of the pack standing at seven feet plus inches tall. Though he towered over Daniel and stared down at him intimidatingly, an alpha was still an alpha - he was not scared of him at all.

    He tore his gaze away when he could not stare down Daniel, the man was too strong.

    "What''s your name?" Daniel went ahead to ask.

    "Zach"

    "Come on along" He ordered Zach to follow him.

    Both sides were alert and watched as Zach followed after the alpha who led him to the direction of the pack hospital.

    Thanks to the tension hanging in the air, the hospital which was normally filled with werewolves who may have wrongly popped a bone during their first shift, or during a rough play and labor, was empty today save the alpha lying on a bed in a separate ward.

    "There he is" Daniel gestured to the huge man whose features softened upon beholding alpha Tristan on the bed, who had several wires attached to his body.

    It was no secret that betas were normally close to their Alphas which meant Zach was sympathetic to Tristan''s condition.

    "Alpha" He murmured when Tristan opened and closed his eyes slowly.

    If Tristan was a human, there was no way on earth he would have survived Lia''s attack. The girl had been brutal on him last night but he was lucky to be an alpha, so his healing was faster than the average werewolf.

    The sorrowful look on Zach''s face abruptly twisted into anger, "The girl did that to him?!" He roared.

    Tristan must have relaid the event to him through their pack'' mindlink, Daniel thought.

    "Where is she? She needs to pay for her crime!" Zach growled, taking a step towards the entrance but Daniel blocked his path, putting on an attacking stance as he said.

    "You''re not touching the girl, Tristan brought it on himself!"

    "You''re going to let that girl go after insulting our alpha even if it means war?" Zach asked, displeased.

    "I value our brotherhood but I''ve made myself clear, no one would touch the girl " Daniel declared.

    "Then I guess, we have no choice either"

    At that point, Daniel knew the war was inevitable. Zach''s silence meant he was mindlinking the rest of his pack on the next course of action - fight.

    So Daniel did the same, laying out the formation and battle tactics to his pack members mentally. The priority should be the human students and his mate; nothing should happen to them.

    No matter how Daniel saw it, they had the upper hand in this war the Rangers were brewing. They had Tristan in their hands which meant game over.

    Just like a herd of sheep, once something happens to the shepherd, the sheep disperses to God knows where. It was the same for packs, if an alpha dies and has no heir to take over, the members scatter to the face of the earth.

    However, the beta or any other brave wolf could take over, but it would take a lot of time and fights to prove himself worthy enough to lead the pack.

    The Ranger pack beginning a war with their alpha vulnerable and laying in the enemy''s camp was complete foolishness unless they had a hidden trump card.

    Just as Daniel anticipated, Tristan called back Zach just as he prepared to attack.

    "Stop!"

    Tristan ripped out the wires from his body causing the heart monitor to beep incessantly.

    "I''ve told you times without number to think with your brains and not your fists" he slapped the giant at the back of the head.

    "But Tristan - " Zach shut his mouth when he saw the murderous look on the alpha''s features.

    Tristan''s gaze connected with Daniel''s who smirked mockingly at him -Tristan would have lost the war if it had started.

    "I apologize for my beta''s short-sightedness" Tristan bowed, but there was a fire in his eyes when he looked up, "But that doesn''t mean I have given up on the girl especially now, I''ve proven I''m her sire"

    "I highly doubt that, else how would she have broken out of the bond between you both?" Daniel asked, pretending to be ignorant of the reason behind that.

    "I don''t know but I believe once she abodes in her real pack, we''d find out the reason behind that" Tristan hinted that Daniel was keeping the girl from returning to her original pack.

    Daniel took a step forward, "Trust me when I tell you Lia belongs to no one"

    "We''ll see about that," Tristan said and gestured to Zach to lead the way out.

    " I''ll be back " he leaped away, using his beta''s body as support.

    Daniel stood arms akimbo, watching that suspicious Alpha leave the ward, and finally took a deep breath when he left.

    He hated wars with passion, he had lost his parents because of it, hence disliked it yet war seemed to be the culture of an everyday werewolf.

    Meanwhile...

    Lia was led into the entertainment room where the other students were being guarded. No one had the mood to play games after sensing the tense environment.

    They were ordinary humans, yes, but humans had a sixth sense and it was telling them something bad was about to go down real quick.

    Ben was the first to rush her as soon as she walked into the room.

    "Hey, what''s going on?" He lowered his voice, "For some reasons, I can sense the auras around here and it stinks of death as if a war is about to occur with lots of death"

    Lia glanced up surprised, "You sense war and death?"

    "I don''t really know but I feel it, a strong intuition of death as if a ghost is going to pop into my view any moment from now" he explained, feeling uneasy.

    "I think I might have caused problems for daniel which might lead to a war"

    "What?!" Ben screamed, drawing the attention of the distressed students.

    "Seriously, lower it" she scolded Ben while dragging him to a more private spot, away from the student''s prying eyes.

    "I seriously hate you" Ben whispered in a panic, "You know I hate ghosts yet you brought a future truckload of them to me"

    He continued, "That is if we don''t end up as ghosts ourselves after we become casualties in this war."

    "Oh right, you''re not going to die. How wonderful to be immortal" Ben said sarcastically and slapped his forehead.

    "Trust me, if anything happens to me, Ben Atticus Alc��ntara Junior - the only hope of the Alc��ntara family. I''ll hunt you down as a ghost for the rest of your eternity - I''m not going to be gentle with you, goddess or not " he rambled.

    Lia facepalmed, so this was what Ben''s panic mode looked like. She assured him, "Daniel is confident that they would not start a war "

    "Well," he breathed, "Let''s pray your boyfriend is right, else the humans are all gonna die. " Ben stomped his feet irritably and went back to the couch, yet his feet would not stop shaking.

    Lia put on a brave front but inwardly, she was panicking just like Ben. If push comes to shove, she''d do her best to protect the students but she was worried about Daniel.

    What if something happens to - no, she would not think negatively.

    So Lia paced around the corner of the room - left to right and back- chewing on her nails obsessively when a certain idiot came to bother her as usual.

    "Well, well, well, what have we here? Your royal highness finally decided to grace us with her presence" Caroline taunted her, "How has your honeymoon with Daniel been?"

 Chapter 218 - Two Hundred And Eighteen: Murder Caroline

    "Well, well, well, what have we here? Your royal highness finally decided to grace us with her presence" Caroline taunted her.

    Lia didn''t bother to glance up, some people were not worth her time but Caroline''s next comment made her head whip around to her.

    "How has your honeymoon with Daniel been?"

    She scowled, then it dawned on her that this was the reason behind Caroline''s intense glowers since yesterday.

    The girl must have somehow found out about her and Daniel and now was expressing her disappointment at failing to capture her mate.

    But Lia was not troubled, Caroline found out about them, so what? She was not afraid of anyone bullying her contrary to Daniel''s thoughts.

    At the moment, she was more concerned about her mate who was standing at the frontline of an impending battle.

    "It must have been fun, wasn''t it? Fooling the rest of your classmates and laughing at them in the back for their ignorance" Caroline jabbed her on the chest.

    "Piss off" Lia hissed at her, getting irritated by her bothering - the girl was starting to get on her nerves.

    Their fierce interaction attracted the attention of other students who gathered around them hungering for good gossip - and hopefully, fighting.

    "I bet you missing a bed in the dormitory was staged on purpose so you could spend more time with your boyfriend, who happens to be the chief"

    "That is enough!" Ben yelled and got in-between the two parties, he would not stay still and watch that blonde witch bully his goddess.

    "Even if Daniel turned out to be her boyfriend, how is that any of your business? This trip was organized by the school principal, not him" he pointed out, defending his goddess.

    Caroline''s expression darkened,

    "Why didn''t she say anything- ?"

    "Why should she say anything, it''s her boyfriend, not yours, for christ sake!" Ben raised his voice on her for the first time in history.

    Caroline''s jaw ticked, she drew nearer to Ben and pushed him on the chest, "Since it''s not our business, who invited you into this conversation that clearly isn''t your business?"

    "Lia is my friend, so I have every right to butt into her business"

    Lia was surprised at Ben''s courage that she was almost moved to tears, that cute weirdo was finally growing up. She didn''t interfere, this was Ben''s stage and his time to shine - she''d applaud from the sideline.

    Ben went on, "Just because you''re rich and got the looks - which isn''t greater than Lia''s - you think everyone''s going to be into you? Well, sorry to disappoint but it''s only animals who have multiple partners!"

    The crowd hooted and cheered the heaving Ben who felt like a weight was finally taken off his shoulder. He had wanted to tell Caroline that for a long time and for the time ever, he stood up for a friend without fear of getting bullied.

    There was a short silence as Caroline looked between him and Lia with a stupefied expression before roaring, "How dare you talk to me that way you nerdy turd!"

    The moment Caroline lifted her hand to slap Ben, Lia reflexively marched forward and held her arm, stopping her intention.

    But it seems Caroline anticipated her interference because what she never expected was for that witch to punch her right in the face.

    Lia''s face whipped to the side from the heavy impact, her hand moving to wipe away the blood from the corner of her lips.

    "Oh now I''m angry"

    Before anyone could stop her, Lia had lunged forward with great speed, tackling Caroline to the ground as they pulled at each other''s hair.

    "Fight! Fight! Fight!" The cheery onlookers boosted their fighting morale.

    "I''ve taken your shit for too long" Lia who was sitting astride Caroline, ripped her hands away from her hair and slapped her cheeks repeatedly.

    The hybrid purposely controlled her strength having known if she goes full attack mode, she''d murder Caroline in cold blood.

    "I will kill you" threatened Caroline who was lying beneath Lia and receiving the agony of her continual slaps.

    The scene was quite hilarious to the kids who had their cameras on and recording the fight. Two of Caroline''s minions tried to help her out by taking Lia unaware but the girl was quick with her dodging.

    She flung one who bumped into the wall and fell, spearing the other one in the stomach before returning to Caroline.

    "Lia, stop!" Ben tried to stop the fight but Eric held him back.

    "What are you doing?" He frowned down at Eric''s grip on his arm.

    "Don''t be such a pooper, allow the girls to release those pent-up anger. You''re not going to lie that you haven''t noticed the tension between both?"

    It sounded fun the way Eric said it but Ben knew how easily Lia could lose control and hurt- if not murder Caroline.

    Eric smirked secretly, he had noticed that Lia had a problem with control, and anger seemed to be the best approach for her to lose it.

    Wouldn''t it be fun if Lia goes all ballistic and kills Caroline? It''d be more fun exposing the girl to the whole world then.

    Ben brushed Eric''s grip away saying,

    "You''re sick"

    He proceeded to the center of the fight and tried to pull away Lia who was bashing Caroline''s head against the ground obsessively - she was slowly losing it - yet failed.

    His goddess was too strong for him and he couldn''t have been more grateful when Dan who he hadn''t seen for a while now, burst into the room, shoved the idiots cheering the fight on from his path and pulled Lia away from Caroline who was in a sorry state.

    There were numerous slap imprints on her face, bleeding from the nose, and some missing strands from her hair.

    "See what she did to me" Caroline cried out but Dan ignored her, throwing the furious Lia over his shoulder and walked out of the door with her. The gossipy students tried to go after him but the guards who had arrived with Dan blocked the door.

    "You''re a complete asshole," Ben told Eric right in the face before leaving to another side of the room, he couldn''t stand that psycho.

    "You''re welcome" Eric threw his hands up in the air.

    He moved to Caroline who sat on the floor bawling her eyes out and offered her hands to her.

    Caroline looked up at the hands stretched towards her, "You fool!" She hollered, "Where were you when she did all these to me?" She gestured to her body.

    Eric sighed, "You shouldn''t have started a fight, you wouldn''t finish," he said in a bored tone.

    "You''re such an incompetent bastard" she cursed at him without noticing the way Eric''s eyes darkened.

    "Get away from me, I don''t need help from losers like you!"

    "With pleasure" Eric drawled, disappearing out of her sight much to Caroline''s shock.

    She had expected Eric to plead for her forgiveness since he was head over heels in love with her and would do everything to make her happy? Yet that didn''t happen, but why? He had been following her around like a cute little puppy since the first day they met. Why was he now behaving differently?

    Caroline clutched her fist with hatred in her orbs, this was all Lia''s fault. Her life has been going normally until that girl came along. The popularity, attention, love? She had everything until Lia came along and jeopardized everything.

    Fine, since the girl was physically stronger than her, she would find her weakest point and the darkest secret to bring her down - that was a promise.

    Eric shook his head, this Caroline girl was not granting him what he wanted, it seems he has to go for plan B.

    However��..

    Lia fought against Dan''s iron-clad hold, she could use her other ability on him but she was in werewolf territory and couldn''t ascertain the level of the damage if indeed she screams.

    Dan entered an empty room and dumped her unceremoniously on the ground.

    "What the hell is wrong with you?!" He didn''t give her breathing space.

    Lia shot up to her feet," What is wrong with me is that I''m defending a friend who was almost bullied right in front of me! "

    "You could have killed her!"

    "Then that would be one less scum occupying earth''s oxygen"

    Lia regretted saying that out loud, she really didn''t mean that and it had come from Lolli.

    "Fine, go ahead and kill her! Let''s see who would wrap up that mess for you cause trust me, I have enough responsibility on my head which doesn''t involve dealing with your little drama!" Dan said in an outburst.

    Lia was stunned but she had a feeling her fight wasn''t the only thing that elicited this kind of reaction from Dan.

    "What is going on with you?"

    "None of your business" Dan said, as usual, the stupid vampire likes to deal with his problems alone.

    He tried to grab the doorknob and leave but Lia was faster than Dan, blocking him from leaving the room.

    "It is my business if you''re going to transfer your aggression on me!" She told him firmly.

    Dan licked his lips, "I teleported back to Little Town just to check up on my precious girlfriend, only to discover she was cheating on me "

    "Wow" Lia was stunned.

    Dan added, "With a girl"

    "F*ck " She said this time.

    No wonder she had not seen him for a while now, he must be so heartbroken. Wait a minute, do vampires get heartbroken since they have no heart?

 Chapter 219 - Two Hundred And Nineteen: Eliminate Dan

    Trevor was down the hallway when someone reached out and tugged him into the narrow passage leading to the boy''s restroom.

    He was pushed up roughly against the wall, " Tell me it''s not true" Williams breathed into his ears.

    In a normal situation, Trevor could have shivered with the way their bodies were touching, but  Williams'' livid expression pushed away all romantic imagination.

    "What are you talking about?" He was confused.

    "Don''t make a fool of me, Trevor! Your sister, how many mates does she have?" He asked furiously, eyes staring straight into Trevor''s like a flaming sword.

    Trevor was so shocked his mouth dropped, had Williams figured it out already? But how? Had he somehow put two and two together after his odd question last night?

    But Trevor was snapped back to reality when he recalled it was his sister they were talking here.

    Williams was loyal to his father and once Shane heard this strange report, there was no doubt he would reveal it to the council straight away.

    So he quickly pushed Williams off him, straightening his clothes.

    "What the f*ck are you talking about? Having two mates?" Trevor scoffed,

    "You told me yourself that it was impossible yet here you are, about to rip my head off because of a crazy accusation?"

    Trevour knew it was shameless of him to do this but if he didn''t bring his personal matter into this case, the Williams he knew would never believe him.

    "You''re not possibly doing this because I rejected you last night, right?" Trevour asked, causing Williams'' clenched jaw to tick.

    His eyes darkened, "Is that how abjectly you think of me?" Williams growled,  pressing Trevor against the wall.

    Trevor laughed sarcastically, "You tell me, man, cause I don''t know what to think anymore"

    They both became speechless, chest heaving and staring at each other eyeball to eyeball, trying to gauge each other.

    It was obvious Williams was having a hard time believing Trevor but it was more ridiculous thinking about the idea of his sister having two mates.

    "Gentlemen, do we have a problem here?" A voice interrupted them but both knew whom that belonged to.

    Asher stood at the entrance of the hallway that cut into this smaller passage, with his arms wrapped across his chest and his piercing green eyes scrutinizing them lazily.

    "There is no problem" Williams pushed away from Trevor, "Sir" he added slowly with a hint of mockery.

    Raphael''s attention shifted to Trevor''s, "What do you say, kiddo?"

    He had just been heading to Asher''s office when he heard the commotion and decided to check it out only to discover it was Lia''s brother being intimidated.

    Normally, he wouldn''t have interfered in their matters but the Asher he knew was a peacemaker aka busybody, and wouldn''t leave those kids alone until he sorted their problems as the principal he was.

    Also, that boy was his mate''s brother. Raphael had to create a favorable impression on Trevor before his mate returned. But from the way both kids were having a staring contest, it dawned on him that he interrupted a lover''s squabble.

    Raphael knew their argument was connected to his mate since he caught snippets of their conversation.

    "There is nothing to worry about" Trevor assured him with a smile - a fake one.

    "Fine then, if you say so," Raphael said, pivoted, and left for his office.

    Since Trevor didn''t want his help, there was no need to hang around those two lovebirds who were having a crack in their relationship. Also, the boy loved his sister and wasn''t stupid enough to expose her secret, so he had nothing to worry about.

    As soon as Raphael stepped into his office, he sensed another presence that felt oddly familiar.

    "You''re late to work" Dan pointed out as soon as Asher walked into his office. He was sitting at the edge of his desk and had been waiting for a while now.

    He watched Asher frown at him, he was probably going to ask about his mate.

    "Why are you here?" Raphael asked, disturbed by his presence. If he could remember, Asher strictly warned him not to leave his mate''s side.

    That was strange, he didn''t ask about Lia, Dan was quick to observe. Perhaps, Asher was just surprised by his unexpected appearance.

    "It''s Daniel"

    "Did anything happen to Lia?"

    "Oh, he noticed at last " Dan sassed mentally. He shook his head pathetically, Lia was the only person in Asher''s eyes right now- he didn''t even ask about his wellbeing.

    "Nothing has happened to her yet," he told Asher.

    "What do you mean ''yet'' ?"

    "Well, it''s quite a long story but in summary, your troublesome mate has got another alpha hot on her tail"

    "What?!" Raphael was bewildered, " You''re kidding, right?"

    "You should know by now I don''t joke about something serious" Dan replied with a straight face.

    Raphael scratched the side of his temple, he has another idiot on his list to eliminate. Seems he would first have to get rid of this dog before moving over to Daniel. He had everything planned but the emergence of this fool would lead to some adjustments.

    He knew Lia was going to choose between Asher and Daniel but that pathetic brother of his no longer occupied this body, it was his to rule the way he wanted. Raphael was no gentleman like Asher and he would not sit and wait to be chosen like some damn goods; he would take what he wants.

    "Tell me what happened," he told Dan who spent the next minutes narrating the event as Ryan described.

    "Since it''s not confirmed that there would be a war, keep your eyes on my mate and make sure nothing happens to her" He commanded Dan.

    Dan in question narrowed his eyes into slits but for a second, he didn''t want to expose his emotion to Asher. He had noticed the way he used "My mate" instead of "our mate"

    Due to the fact Asher had made a pact with Daniel, Dan had watched him subject himself to getting used to "Our " instead of "My mate"

    Perhaps, Asher forgot, Dan thought. Even vampires do have a slip of memories sometimes, right?

    "Sure, I''ll protect your precious mate" Dan assured him with a hint of sarcasm

    "But war or not, Daniel says to inform you that the students would be leaving today."

    Raphael didn''t like this sudden development, he had hoped on them returning tomorrow to tie up all loose ends but he has to shift his plans now.

    "Fine, they can return" he had no choice but to acquiesce.

    Raphael suddenly realized it was hard being Asher. Left for him alone, once he rescued his mate the others can go to hell.

    But the person he was impersonating was too kind. Dan would figure out something was wrong the instant he said something contrary to Asher''s attitude.

    Unknown to Raphael, Dan could not help but feel something was amiss here, he just could not point it out.

    "Are you keeping something from me?" He couldn''t help but ask any more.

    There was a shift in Raphael''s countenance which Dan failed to capture. If that vampire notices he was not the real Asher, he would have no choice but to kill Dan to stop his secret from being leaked and suffer the consequences afterward. He has hardly put his plan into action, it was not time to get exposed.

    "Why do you ask?" Raphael asked.

    "Did something happen while I was gone? I feel like a major event occurred and you''re keeping it away from me. What are you hiding from me, Asher?" Dan asked Asher without breaking eye contact.

    "You''re right"

    "What?"

    "Raphael attacked me while you were gone"

    Dan was furious, "Why didn''t you tell me?"

    "Because I knew you''d be like this and leave Kinney village with the intention of protecting me from further attack hence keeping my mate unprotected" Raphael tried his best to answer the way his kind and compassionate brother would.

    Asher was right, if he had gotten hold of this news on time, he would have abandoned his role in Kinney village and returned to him.

    But this made Dan all the more furious, was he so obsessed with his mate that he would disregard his own life? This was a mistake, he shouldn''t have left Asher''s side.

    "Were you injured?" Dan asked out of concern, his eyes softened. Asher was his best friend and the closest thing to a family - which he was since they were from the clan.

    "Is nothing I can''t heal from" Raphael answered.

    "Fine, I''ll relay your message to Daniel and try to return as soon as possible" Dan promised his leader before teleporting back to Kinney village.

    "I wish you wouldn''t return at all" Raphael mumbled under his breath as soon as the vampire vanished.

    Dan was Asher''s second in command hence his unwavering loyalty and the greatest thorn in his plan.

    If that parasite called Dan was easy to eliminate, Raphael would have done it way before he even exchanged soul with Asher.

    But unlike his brother, Dan wasn''t cocky and extremely vigilant. Seems like he would have to master more of Asher''s "normal" behavior.

 Chapter 220 - Two Hundred And Twenty: Erase His Memories

    Asher looked up with anticipation when the door to the prison was opened. Ever since that conversation with his mother where she found out his identity, he couldn''t wait to see her again.

    This time there would be no pretense between them - no disguising his personality, manner of speaking just to mimic Raphael.

    It would be the both of them, mother and her abandoned son Asher - with Raphael''s face.

    "Mom, you - " Asher trailed off when he discovered it was not who he was expecting at all - Ezekiel.

    Did he somehow figure something out? Did he know Helen now knows about him?

    Asher had a nagging feeling since last night that a vampire must have eavesdropped on their discussion and reported back to him.

    "Why are you here? Where''s my mother?" He asked the heartless vampire who wasn''t bothered with the bitterness in his tone.

    "I clearly underestimated you"

    Asher''s eyes narrowed, that sentence? He must know the truth already else he wouldn''t be speaking like that.

    "Upon my surveillance, you still found a way to disclose the truth to her"

    "I need to see my mother," Asher said through gritted teeth. If he was free, older vampire or not, he was sure to inflict multiple damages on Ezekiel.

    Ezekiel''s mouth leaned to the side, amused. He raised a brow "Your mother? That sure sounds funny."

    "I need to see her !"

    "To do what? Manipulate her into releasing you so you could escape or bond with her?"

    "It''s none of your business what I do with my mother"

    "I''m sorry but she''s my mate before being your mother so don''t expect to see her anytime soon - at least until I''m done with you"

    "My God" Asher blanched from terror "What did you do to her?"

    "Helen is my mate and that''s my current weakness - no matter what, I can''t harm her - so I put her into a peaceful sleep" he answered truthfully.

    "What are you talking about? Vampires can''t ��.." Asher trailed off, his eyes slowly widening when realization dawned on him.

    "You put her in hibernation, you sorted out help with a witch" he figured it out.

    "You''re right, there''s so much wonder a tamed witch could do" Ezekiel acquiesced, "That way, my mate wouldn''t be a hindrance to my plans neither would I need to hurt her to stop her from exposing this"

    Asher was stunned, he stood unmoving as if his whole world just crashed.

    Why was the universe so cruel to him? For years, he couldn''t see the mother that birthed him, and when he did see, he had to pretend to be someone he wasn''t. Now he could act like himself, she was taken away from him once again.

    Asher had never had an interest in the Raven clan so didn''t care to know about Ezekiel keeping a witch prisoner. He was a peaceful vampire who liked to stay by himself, his mother had been the only reason he had even listened to the little gossips at all.

    If Ezekiel truly put his mate in hibernation, then his mother was in a state of inactivity. She was probably in a sleeping posture and torpid to everything going on around her.

    "You''re a monster, how could you do that to your mate?!" Asher roared, boiling anger was coursing through his veins.

    He felt the urge to shred something, no, somebody apart; he needed to vent this feeling of helplessness mixed with rage.

    "If we should talk about the monster here, you should refer to your father, Antonio. All of this wouldn''t have happened if not because of what he did!"

    "Stop pushing the blame on my father, he was not the one who forced you into hibernating your mate; that one''s on you!"Asher retorted.

    Both men were furious and staring daggers at each other. There was hatred in their orbs, keeping them in the same room was not a good idea but both seem to have a lot to say.

    "Do you think my mother would forgive you for what you did to her? Helen would hate you for eternity if she doesn''t reject you" Asher spat.

    "No, she wouldn''t reject me because of her son Raphael. As for forgiveness, I''ll spend the rest of eternity with her to earn it so you should worry about yourself"

    Asher shook his head, "My mother  was blind, you loved her before you both became mates, right?"

    A smile was etched on his face as he answered, "Yes, you''re right. She has always been gullible in that aspect."

    "You were always jealous of my father"

    The more Asher studied his face, the further the truth came to life.

    "I treated your father as a friend, he was like a brother to me. Unlike my quiet personality, he was the boldest and loudest amongst us; always the first to jump headfirst into danger"

    Yep, that sounded like his father. Courageous and brash, though Antonio was smart, he was too prideful and pride comes before a fall.

    "My mate Helen was the first to find your father injured and in need of help- "

    "Mom told me so" Asher interrupted him, hinting he was already familiar with the tale.

    Ezekiel ignored Asher, he went on.

    "Then, I helped out in nursing him to good health. Our Raven clan had always had a tainted reputation because of our mischief so it was not every day we got to see new faces. You could imagine how happy I was getting to know a new friend from a different vampire clan.

    "When your father recovered from that injury, we bonded easily since he had lots of interests that were similar to mine. Moreover, I had never had a sibling since I lost both parents to hunters who were quite widespread during that period, so it was refreshing having someone I could call my brother.

    "Perhaps, because Helen had been the one who rescued him first, your father always had a soft spot for her. I took their closeness as nothing until the weird interaction between the both of them began.

    "Helen and I had been friends from childhood so it was natural to catch on feelings for each other yet she didn''t feel the same way I did. I kept mum in order not to ruin our great friendship, who knew that would be my greatest mistake.

    "Before they told me they were a couple, I already had a knowledge of it. There was this strange twinkle in Helen''s eyes whenever she looked at your father - an odd yet soft gaze she had never given me.

    "My mate smiled more than usual at your father and began to spend more time with him than she would with me. They were so sweet together it annoyed me but I pretended to be fine - I had to be alright. This continued for a while until luck finally shined my way.

    "Everyone in the Raven and Nicoli clan knew about their relationship and had put their bet on them being mates. But it came as a huge shocker when I turned out to be the one destined for her.

    "It was a surprise to me too. I mean, your father and Helen were so lovey-dovey with each other that it was hard to believe that they weren''t soulmates. That day, I laughed and danced the song of triumph, the universe finally was on my side.

    "Only those in the Raven clan knew about the unexpected news and your father had returned to his pack to solve a problem.

    "There was no technology then as of now to spread the news but we made use of carrier birds and of course, our *Legedis Benz; we vampires could walk quite a distance without tiring.

    "But of course, who would spread the news to your father or his clan? Nobody dared, because we all knew how sensitive mate issues were.

    "Your mother was in a dilemma, I wasn''t left out either. Ruling on the way they loved each other, it was apparent once they met and sorted out the matter, I would be rejected- that was how much they loved each other. So I - "

    "You intentionally seduced and slept with her to stake your claim," Asher concluded.

    "It wasn''t hard, the mate bond made everything easier. Just a perfectly planned kiss and she succumbed to me"

    "Does Helen know about this?" Asher asked, finding it difficult to accept that his mother would continue with him after learning of this.

    "Even if she knows, would that bring back Antonio? Don''t delude yourself, Asher, your father is dead"

    "But she could reject you, your days are numbered, Ezekiel"

    He snorted, "Like I would let you walk free after hearing this"

    Asher laughed at him, "What are you going to do to me? Kill me? Both of us know you can''t end me as of the moment because you still need a way to reclaim your son''s body"

    Ezekiel was taken aback, how could he see through him? No matter what his son Raphael was planning, he would never let him live in Asher''s body forever - that was a big shame to him.

    "Torture me?" Asher continued his speech, "That still would not remove the memory from here" he gestured to his brain.

    "So you would have to think of a better plan" he mocked Ezekiel.

    "Who said I was thinking of those" Ezekiel snickered and for some reason, it made the hairs on Asher''s fake body stand on edge.

    "Come in" Ezekiel ordered.

    A girl who looked the same age as his mate Lia walked into the room with frightened eyes and a submissive stance.

    With one glance, Asher could tell what she was - a witch. Ezekiel did keep a witch captive - that was just many of his horrible crimes he would use against him once he was out of here.

    "Erase his memory" he commanded her.

    "But - " the girl tried to protest but the full scowl from the vampire made her bite back her words.

    "You seriously can''t be thinking of taking away -! " Asher was still yelling at Ezekiel when the girl chanted her spell that made him lose consciousness.

    __________________

    __________________

    Legedis Benz: Derived from Mercedes Benz. This denotes someone without a car and who walks everywhere

 Chapter 221 - Two Hundred And Twenty-one: Inlove With This Woman

    "It''s weird" Lia pointed out, " Why would Sabrina suddenly cheat on you during your absence, don''t you find it strange?"

    Dan''s brows furrowed," What''s strange about it?"

    "I don''t know about Sabrina''s sexual orientation but I''m sure she''s straight. Moreover, you both are the best vampire-witch couple out there. Your relationship withstood numerous trials, why would she suddenly cheat on you? Haven''t you thought about that"

    "I thought about it and came up with one answer," Dan looked her straight in the eyes, "This was her plan all along. She was never truly in love with me"

    Lia scratched the bridge of her nose before throwing her hands up in disbelief.

    "That doesn''t make actual sense, why would Sabrina date you just to cheat on you in the end"

    "I hurt Sabrina real bad" Dan started,

    "That time I broke up with her and left her stranded in Antarctica, I was the only one she could depend on but I abandoned her.

    "You saw the first time we met after so many years, she hated my guts. My departure devastated her, but she used the pain to make herself stronger which is why when push comes to shove, Sabrina might choose to save herself before anyone else. You might call it selfishness, but that''s her adaptational way of surviving. "

    Lia facepalmed," If you know her this well, why don''t you just walk up to her and ask her why she cheated on you instead of coming up with an unusual hypothesis and wallowing in self-pity" came her suggestion.

    "Don''t you get it? I''m scared! " Dan snapped at Lia but she wasn''t fazed.

    She understood that Dan was going through heartbreak. As vampires, their emotions were heightened and so was experiencing two times, a normal human being''s heartbreak.

    He continued," I''m scared that if I confront her that she would admit to it. Sabrina''s is a blunt person, she would not hide any fact and would bring them all to light and I don''t think I can handle that "

    "Because you love her"

    "Yeah, because I love her" Dan let out a wry smile," She''s the first woman I have ever given my heart to after the death of my mate"

    Lia shivered upon hearing Dan''s statement which made a feeling of dreadfulness wash over her. She glanced up at Dan and couldn''t help but ask, "How does it feel to lose a mate?"

    Dan blinked, startled by her question. "Why do you ask?"

    Lia bites on her lower lips, "I just want to know" she lied through her teeth.

    The hybrid had a feeling the journey ahead was dark and stormy, so she couldn''t help but want to get prepared for the worst scenario.

    "If you''re worried about Asher dying, then I''ll assure you that it won''t happen. I''ll protect him with my life " Dan vowed to her.

    "I still want to know," Lia maintained.

    "Fine" Dan sighed. He hated going over that painful memory but there was nothing he could do, Asher had bidden him to do whatever she asked of him.

    "Losing a mate is one of the most awful feelings in the world." He began, "I don''t know how your story would turn out to be but I hope you don''t lose any of your mates cause trust me, it would break you.

    "If any of your mates die, he would take a piece of your soul with him. The emptiness" he placed a hand on his chest, " Would be there forever."

    "At first, you would feel numb and helpless as you watch his life force seep away slowly but that moment his eyes closed forever? The memory would assault you; flood your head in such a way that you''re better off dead. There would be an acute pain in your heart that would make breathing so difficult -  if you''re a human.

    "Your interest in the things of this world would dwindle instantaneously because your beloved has taken your heart with him. You would howl in pain, your scream so feral and animalistic that you would scare off people around you. They would feel your pain but not as intense as you do"

    Lia stared at Dan''s face, he looked so lost narrating those words to her. It must be so painful for him to recall memories he must have tucked away over the years.

    "That would be the beginning of your agony. His memory would interfere with your daily life and your dreams haunted by the constant reminder of your grave loss for eternity. That duration, it''s easy to lose yourself.

    "We the vampires might indulge in gluttonous consumption of blood to diminish the pain; the feeling of emptiness. But once you start, it''s difficult to stop and unless you have a strong will to survive, you might have to be put down.

    "Only the sands of time would be able to take away the pains. Yet your soul will still be incomplete until you find someone who brings back life in you or wither for eternity"

    Perhaps Lia was really scared by  Dan''s words that when the door to the room was opened, revealing her mate Daniel, she ran to him and engulfed him in a tight embrace.

    Her heart was pounding against her chest, what would she have done if she lost Daniel. There were no scratches on him nor signs of any fight which meant the crisis was averted - for now.

    Lia had a nagging feeling Tristan would be back. That egotistical bastard has proved his strong will to bring her under his possession last night; she was sure he wouldn''t rest until he had her.

    But this time, she would be prepared for him and wouldn''t hesitate to rip out his heart. No one messes with her nor her boyfriends and goes scot-free.

    This wasn''t the first time his mate welcomed him quite enthusiastically yet this time, Daniel could smell fear off of her.

    He couldn''t speak to her about it since she silenced him with a fiery kiss. This had to be the best way of being welcomed back but since last night, his wolf had been screaming "mark her, mate with her" in his head so he had to be careful here.

    He had no choice but to pull away and surprisingly, Lia who didn''t take no for an answer in cases like this complied with him.

    Daniel rested his forehead on hers murmuring, "Don''t be afraid mate, you''re never going to lose me" he finally figured out why her pheromone was giving off fear.

    The thought of losing Asher or Daniel to the hands of death scared Lia to the bones. What Dan experienced was so scary that she would rather die than go through it.

    Lia shut her eyes, took a deep breath before reopening them with an air of positivity."How was everything?"

    "Fine"

    "Liar" she accused him.

    Daniel didn''t know whether to laugh or cry, his mate knew him too well.

    "He''s coming back, isn''t he?"

    "Kind of"

    "War then?"

    "Not sure but I pray he comes for peace talks"

    "I hope so too " Else, she would squash his brains with her hands and feed it to the zombies - wait a minute, where were the zombies? If there were vampires, there should be zombies too, right? Well, Asher would answer that when she gets back.

    "I heard you fought" Daniel brought up the topic.

    Lia pursed her lips and looked towards the direction of Dan who was nowhere to be found - shit, that old man had left her at her mate''s mercy.

    "You do know you''re a bully" Daniel flicked her on the forehead earning an "ouch" from her.

    "What do you want me to do then?" Lia scowled at him, "Besides, this is partly your fault"

    "My fault" Daniel was baffled by his mate''s accusation.

    "If you have not been flashing them the cute smile and teeth, they would not have been infatuated with you"

    Oh, so that was the problem, Daniel thought. She was still angry at him for smiling at them but what could he do? He was the host and supposed to be warm and welcoming, not cold and unapproachable.

    "Fine, let''s go and remedy the situation," Daniel told her.

    " Huh?"

    Lia was still not clear on his intentions when he grabbed her hand, leading her towards the direction of the leisure room.

    The once hubbub of activities quieted down as soon as the alpha stepped into the room with Lia by his side. Everyone''s gaze rested on their intertwined hands questioningly but none said a word.

    Lia felt numerous heated gazes on her including Caroline''s yet wasn''t fazed- her minions fixed her face already.

    Daniel cleared his throat, "I''m here this moment for various reasons but first of all, I would like to apologize for the disturbances you all experienced this morning.

    Due to the severity of the situation, I''m sorry to announce that the school trip has been cut short for your safety purpose. Which means the whole of  you would be returning right after the impending breakfast"

    Great murmuring arose from the crowd, even Lia whipped her head towards him from surprise - she didn''t see that one coming.

    Lia had a feeling they would be sent back to Little Town, but since the Ranger pack had retreated, she had thought they could now get to spend the night. Who knew her mates had other mates.

    She was not a fool not to know that Asher and Daniel must have decided on this. Her werewolf mate would not just make the decision himself, Dan must have been the errand boy.

    "Daniel?" a student raised her hand from the back.

    "Yes?" He answered.

    "If I may ask, what''s the reason for this unexpected evacuation?"

    Daniel explained with his head held high, "We had an altercation with a neighboring village over a property-  which belongs to me to be clear "

    Lia choked on her saliva upon hearing Daniel''s shameless lie. Well, he did a good job with the excuse - her mate deserved the praise.

    "Oh," the questioner nodded her head in understanding.

    "Secondly" Daniel pressed Lia to his side and disclosed proudly," I''m in love with this woman"

 Chapter 222 - Two Hundred And Twenty-two: Exploit A Loophole

    "I''m in love with this woman " Daniel''s announcement kept playing in a loop in her mind even though it has been an hour since he proudly made that declaration.

    The hybrid was giddy each time she brought it up in her mind. The special warmth spread to her belly and she felt that moment, she could fly. Everything was possible with her beloved by her side.

    Slap!

    Lia hit herself on the cheeks and winced in pain. What the hell was wrong with her? All this time, while packing up the rest of her stuff, she had been giggling and talking to herself.

    Why? Why? Why was she behaving like an inexperienced girl who fell in love for the first time!

    Ever since Daniel made that statement, she would blush scarlet red each time their gazes met with butterflies in her stomach.

    All this was because of Lolli!

    The wolf was incredibly happy that her other half was proud to announce her to the world - Daniel actually introduced Lia not the wolf yet Lolli doesn''t care; they are one, she argues.

    But then, her wolf''s happiness keeps on rubbing off on Lia who in turn expresses it in a shy, silly way.

    Ugh, this was embarrassing.

    Suddenly, there came a knock on the door.

    Lia''s eyes widened, that was Daniel - she caught his scent which made her stomach do a double flip.

    She was hesitant to open the door but Lolli as usual pushed her into sprinting to the door.

    "Hi Daniel, I''m done packing up. Is that why you''re here?" Lia fluttered her eyebrows seductively.

    Damn you, Lolli!

    She cursed inwardly.

    Daniel was stunned, unable to form words - this was a new personality from his mate. The lia he knew was not the type who dropped subtle hints but the rough I- know- what -I -want -and -I would -get- it -type.

    He cleared his throat, "Actually, I was hoping to say a few things to you before you join the others"

    Unknown to Daniel, she was fighting with her wolf.

    No, no, no, Lolli, don''t you dare...!

    Lia was still warning but the deed had already been done.

    "Alright "

    Daniel watched her say, blushing tomato red while tugging a strand behind her ear and smiling at him coyly.

    "Urm..." Daniel finally figured out what was going with his mate - it was her wolf. Adventurer wolves tend not to stick to one personality since they get bored easily.

    "You''re scaring our mate," Lia told her wolf in her mind.

    "Shouldn''t he be happy that I''m suddenly being soft and modest instead of my domineering attitude?"

    "The zebra can never change the stripes on its body so you better resume your previous character- it''s embarrassing," Lia told her straightforwardly before pushing her out of her mind.

    "Excuse me, you were saying?"

    Thanks to her discussion with Lolli, she had not been able to capture anything her mate had said.

    "Communicate with me always when you get to Little Town - texting, call, video call- I want all of it "

    Lia could sense a hint of jealousy in there, Asher had been like that when it was time for her to move to Kinney village.

    "Sure, I''ll do so"

    "Do not fall into Asher''s snarls, that vampire is an old fox" he warned, which made Lia choke on her saliva.

    How did he know that?

    A wry smile twisted Lia''s lips. How was she going to handle both of her mates, their rules were becoming too demanding.

    "I''ll try" But don''t blame me if I still get trapped, Asher is too smart.

    "Also, don''t worry much about me" He stated the third request which made Lia frown.

    "You know that''s impossible especially now I''ve known Tristan''s intentions"

    "I know, but promise me that you would not jump into the middle of a fight between alphas" Daniel pressed.

    Lia sighed, she was conflicted- give in or not? " Fine, I promise not to butt into your fight with Tristan"

    "But not when you''re on the verge of death" Lia already attached a condition to his request mentally.

    Tristan and Daniel, she wasn''t sure who was stronger since both were alphas of their packs. But she would not stay still and watch her mate get murdered - especially now she knew how terrible losing a mate is.

    Werewolves were violent creatures, Lia had a nagging feeling that the so thought peaceful talks might not go smoothly.

    Fine, since Daniel was good at keeping her from unfavorable situations, she''d be observant of the bond between them and find out when something''s wrong.

    "Is that all?" She asked just to be sure.

    "No, there''s one more"

    Lia had guessed all he had to say and so was eager to hear this last one.

    "Don''t accept chocolate from other men"

    Her jaw dropped.

    Seriously, Asher, that tattletale!

    These mates of hers were in cahoots to make her life miserable.

    Lia was anticipating a truckload of chocolates on Monday the moment she gets to school, but the way it looks, Ben might be the one to finish it all by himself- lucky him.

    Lia pouted her lips, "Can''t you be lenient on that one? I accept them because I hate food going to waste and not because I truly want to eat them..."

    She just dug her grave, Lia realized lately. If she could remember, she had lied to Asher that Ben had been the one eating the chocolates; however, she just admitted the whole truth to Daniel.

    Judging from her mates closeness these days, Daniel was going to relay this one to Asher, who in turn would hold onto this mistake for sure- her punishment was impending.

    Ugh, this was so irritating, Lia wished Daniel and Asher could go back to the days they didn''t see eye to eye on a lot of issues.

    At least then, they were not so overprotective of her. Now, she could almost swear both had become her dad - do this, don''t do this.

    "You were saying?" Daniel cocked a brow.

    "Nothing"

    It was better she shut her mouth than ruin the whole situation.

    "Let''s go" Daniel helped her strap her bag over a shoulder before opening the door.

    They held hands since they didn''t have to hide their relationship anymore; everyone had found out.

    Both of them walked outside where the other students were waiting already.

    "So I guess this is goodbye for the moment," Lia said to him.

    He bent and whispered into her ears, "Don''t worry, I''ll still get into your bed at night"

    Though they did nothing in bed aside to cuddle and make out sometimes, the way Daniel said it made it seem like they do so much more.

    Also, that gesture drew coos - oohs and ahhs -  from most of the students who were exhilarated by their public display of affection.

    Lia blushed, what was her mate doing? Does he think he''s acting in a romantic drama?

    She tried to pull away but he wouldn''t let her go.

    "You haven''t given me your request, Lia. It''s unfair to burden you with mine without receiving yours"

    Oh, that was not a problem at all. There was an evil glint in Lia''s eyes when he said those words.

    "Fine" Lia agreed, "Firstly, no smiling or grinning at other girls but me "

    The smile on Daniel''s face froze. He facepalmed mentally, woman- he should have known.

    "Can''t we reconsider- "

    "No reconsideration" she dismissed his objection which made him think, wasn''t this a request?

    "Secondly:  you would not go around bare-chested"

    His voice was hoarse," Lia, I''m a werewolf"

    "Fine, you can''t let the females see your chest or even your nakedness in the name of your shifting" Lia altered that one and added, "And that''s coming from Lolli, not me and you do know she''s not accommodating when jealous"

    "Fine" Daniel agreed, "Is that all?"

    "Yes, that is all - at the moment"

    "Come here" Daniel drew her into a tight embrace. He would have kissed her but he had to consider his reputation as a chief in the eyes of these young ones.

    Meanwhile, Zukai felt goosebumps climb his arms as he stared at the interaction between the girl and the werewolf.

    This was awkward and mentally disturbing to him. How was their leader Alpha able to share his mate with a werewolf of all creatures?

    "Is this how she is with Asher?" He couldn''t help but ask Dan who was also beside him, they were both leaning against the white bus.

    "Trust me, you''d get sexual constipation watching the both of them"

    "Then this is bad," Zukai murmured.

    "What do you mean?"

    "If she has Asher tamed, what would happen if he doesn''t get chosen in the end?"

    Dan''s expression shifted into a serious one, "Trust me, I don''t want to find out. But if push comes to shove, I might have to convince Asher into compelling her to choose him"

    "Asher would never agree to such lowly method, you know how proud he is " Zukai pointed out, "Besides, it would be unfair on the werewolf"

    "Werewolf has a shorter lifespan than vampires- "

    "But they suffer the backlash of the rejection harder"

    "So what do you suggest? Unless you''re ready to war against the council when they find out"

    "Not if we can exploit a loophole" Zukai proposed

    Dan was captivated, " What do you have in mind ?"

 Chapter 223 - Two Hundred And Twenty-three: Reach Out To Tristan

    "Did you find out anything?" Asked Raphael, who had his leg crossed over the other against Asher''s desk.

    "It was difficult to infiltrate Daniel''s pack but I did find something interesting"

    Raphael took his leg off the desk, pushed the seat closer, and asked Ozark curiously, "What did you find out?"

    "There''s a spy in Daniel''s pack whose working closely with Tristan"

    " Interesting"

    "I captured him and got to hear what transpired from his mouth" Ozark narrated.

    Raphael was giddy, he was finally going to learn the truth. It had taken everything in him not to grab Dan earlier and force him to narrate what happened to Lia.

    Dan had only told him that Asher''s mate, no, his mate, caused some trouble. But what did she do? He couldn''t tell and the curiosity had been eating at him ever since till now.

    "It turned out that Tristan is Lia''s sire," his faithful subordinate disclosed.

    "Oh," Raphael said before he burst into maniacal laughter. So that was it, that fool was the one who created the girl''s wolf side.

    His brother Asher thought he would never find out the fact that his mate was a made-hybrid. A human who had mysteriously gained a wolf side and a vampire side all at once.

    A hybrid could only be born to parents from two different species, not a human.

    Others might claim that her creation went against nature but he called it achieving impossible feet. They had no idea how much power that girl held.

    Thinking about it made him wonder if another supernatural creature turned her, would she gain another side? Possible or not, it was definitely interesting to try out.

    If Lia would stay by his side, together they would do so many things - even conquer this world; his imagination was his limitation.

    Raphael has been thinking of a way to seek out the dark witches or Burning Eaglets- whatever they called themselves- he wanted in on this plan of theirs. He had no idea what they wanted Lia for, but it was obvious they needed her help in ridding the council, that would be fun to watch.

    "He demanded that Lia returned to his pack with him where she belonged - "

    "Which didn''t sit well with the werewolf Daniel " Raphael filled in.

    Of course, why would Daniel let him take his mate away, that has never been heard of. Those dogs were overprotective of whatever they owned.

    But then, why was it now? Raphael debated. Tristan turned Lia months ago, why would he come to claim his price now?

    He snorted, it seems that the fool found out something special about his mate and wanted to convert what doesn''t belong to him - his death would be announced soon.

    "Daniel refused to believe him without evidence until Tristan suggested they test the sire bond but that was where everything went downhill"

    "The bond didn''t work on her?"

    "It worked at first but she broke out of it"

    "That was expected. What was he thinking trying to tame a hybrid"

    At least that assured Raphael that whatever Tristan knew about Lia, he was still ignorant of the girl being a hybrid else he wouldn''t have suggested such a ludicrous idea.

    Since that was not it, then there was one obvious reason left: The egoistic fool wanted a fair lady who would warm his bed.

    Lia was beautiful to the extent she could make head turn, but not to the point of being called a goddess yet she had this intoxicating scent that drew supernaturals to her like a bee to honey.

    Though his stupid brother did something that toned down her scent but it was noticeable upon a closer whiff.

    Werewolves aka dogs were horny creatures but the Ranger pack were known for their extreme lustful indulgence; Tristan has fallen for a fair lady that would bring his doom.

    "From what I heard, Tristan ordered the girl to call him '' Daddy'' "

    "That bastard!" Raphael sprang up to his feet and rammed his hand into the wooden desk which broke and collapsed under the powerful impact.

    Great, he did not control his strength. But the vampire was still pissed off, he wanted to rip that animal apart.

    "Raphael, your hand" Ozark let out a sharp gasp.

    Raphael looked down and saw his flaming fists which left him shocked. Lately, he had been trying to work out Asher''s ability but it was little to no progress.

    Just because they exchanged souls doesn''t mean they were left with an instructional handbook that taught them their counterpart''s powers; he had to learn from scratch.

    Just as everyone was not the same, their powers were distinct too and each had their special way of manifesting for the first time.

    But all was closely linked to their emotions and it looks like anger was the emotion that summons the fire part of Asher''s ability- at least for beginners.

    Once they had mastery over it, they would not necessarily need their emotions to call forth their powers.

    Raphael lifted the burning fist to his face, staring at it with a captivated fascination. His hands were on fire yet he wasn''t being burned, fantastic! Though his shirt which didn''t reach the burning area still smells of smoke.

    Raphael had the duplication ability but it wasn''t exactly suitable for combat. He used his ability most times to escape danger or evade an attack instead of facing it head-on.

    He knew he could never defeat Asher which was why he resorted to trickery; played Asher''s ego and struck him when he least expected it. His wits were compensation for his not-so-cool powers.

    Raphael kept staring at his fist like a kid who was obsessed with a new gadget. How marvelous was this scene, he would look so cool throwing flames at his enemies?

    "Ozark, can you see this?"

    " Yes, I can"

    "I feel powerful," said Raphael as he stooped and touched a pile of paper that began to burn.

    Raphael suddenly thrust out his burning hand to Ozark, "Perhaps, you would like a handshake"

    Ozark gulped, it looked like he was given an option but he alone knew there was nothing like that in Raphael''s dictionary, it was an order.

    "Of course" He had no choice but to envelope Raphael''s flaming hand. At first, when it scalded him, he assumed an indifferent face but when the temperature kept heating up and only when he was close to bursting into smithereens did he pull his hand away.

    Raphael cackled upon seeing Ozark''s reflexive reaction, this was the kind of ability he needed. Vampires hated fire because it was one of the weapons that ended them permanently. Yet here he was, welding that great weapon like it was nothing.

    Ozark watched his hand heal but not thoroughly, there were still burn scars that would remind him of the day Raphael achieved his lifelong dream for eternity.

    Raphael willed the fire to go away, and it was doused at once as if with an extinguisher. He now had an idea of how that one worked.

    "So, continue from where you stopped" Raphael sat back down, crossing his leg in a businesslike fashion while propping up his chin with his palm resting against the armrest.

    "Tristan told her to call- "

    "Yeah, I''ve heard about the bastard''s shenanigans, what happened next ?" Raphael interrupted.

    "She attacked him, almost to the point of death if Daniel and his men had not rescued Tristan from her hands"

    "Atta girl" Raphael praised his mate, "Though I would have wanted if she killed him" he opined.

    "That was pretty much what happened, "Ozark summarized.

    "So, my mate attacked an alpha. That is a huge transgression against the Ranger pack and would have resorted to her death if Daniel wasn''t defensive of her" Raphael reasoned out loud.

    Ozark''s head whipped up when he heard Raphael refer to Asher''s mate''s as his. Does he want the girl too? Wasn''t he here to occupy  Asher''s position for a while as a form of revenge for what Antonio did to his father? Would he really claim the girl ?

    "The atmosphere in Moonlight pack must be tense, they''re expecting a war" Raphael mumbled to himself. No wonder, the first thing Daniel did was to send the students back.

    "Reach out to Tristan"

    "Huh?"

    "Contact Tristan"

    "You want to help him out "

    "Tristan might have a large population but Daniel has the best warriors"

    "But if you support Tristan, that means you''re against Daniel and he''s her other mate too"

    "Ever since I occupied this body, I have never thought of sharing Lia with another male - soul mate or not " He declared.

    "But Tristan desires the girl too"

    "Compared to Daniel, Tristan is a lesser enemy. If he finishes Daniel off during their feud - with my support- I won''t be implicated and I can end him eventually in the name of avenging Daniel for Lia "

    "You''re killing two birds with a stone"

    "Bingo"

    "Alright"

    Raphael added, "Also, be careful how you hang around me from now on, the vampire would be back in a few hours"

    Of course, they all knew who that vampire was - Dan.

 Chapter 224 - Two Hundred And Twenty-four: Someone Was Impersonating That Man Called Asher

    Trevour knew Williams was avoiding him or perhaps he was the one doing so cause each time their eyes met in class, he''d look away.

    But during soccer practice, Trevour had watched him laugh and spend time with some friends he wasn''t exactly familiar with since he liked to keep to himself.

    They looked so happy together and for some reason, it bothered him. His heart felt weird as if someone was stabbing at it repeatedly with a knife.

    This was the first time he was feeling such strange sentiments and it made him quite uneasy. He was straight and couldn''t possibly have feelings for a boy, but then why was his heart beating so fast?

    "Hi" a chirpy voice woke him from his thoughts.

    "Hi," Trevor was startled, yet was able to make a comprehensible statement to the girl at least.

    He was settling on one of the bleacher seats and working on this project that was due to be submitted.

    "I noticed that you don''t play," The girl brought up.

    Trevor smiled awkwardly and threw his hand up  "I''m not cut out for that and just to be clear, I''m not a nerd nor introvert, I''m just in-between both"

    He breathed, "I just stay on my own and by the way, my name''s Trevor," said the boy, thrusting out his hand for a handshake.

    "Excuse my manners" she laughed, placing a hand on her chest," My name is Tricia" She enveloped his hand, stroking the top of his hand before letting go.

    Trevor was not ignorant of her body language, she was attracted to him - which he wasn''t a hundred percent sure of. He means, what girl as pretty as Tricia would be interested in him.

    He was handsome- that was for sure - but he was not as social as most guys out there so most girls saw that as a turn-off.

    "That is cute," Trixie said.

    "Huh? What is cute?"

    "You being this way, I like it"

    "I''m sure ninety percent of the girl''s population would strongly disagree with you" Trevor debated.

    "No, I''m serious. You''re better than most douchebags out there who only need a girl to satisfy their prick and stroke their ego��" she gasped out loud upon realizing what she just said.

    "I''m so sorry" She apologized, "I''m quite a blunt person"

    "It''s not a problem, I actually prefer people who are sincere with me," Trevor informed her.

    He knew the girl had spoken out of the experience with the "douches". After all, It was difficult to see pretty girls without a boyfriend.

    "So, do you have a girlfriend?" She asked the same question his siblings distressed him with every day.

    "No, I don''t have a girlfriend" Trevor replied, his line of sight falling on Williams who had taken off his sweaty shirt at that moment.

    Unknown to him, Tricia caught him glancing at Williams which made her ask, "And a boyfriend?"

    That question broke his daze, "No, I don''t have a boyfriend. I''m straight"

    "Okay" a broad smile brightened her face, "So you wouldn''t mind if I kissed you right now"

    "Yes- no - I mean ��." Trevor gave up when he realized the nonsense he was sputtering.

    He took a deep calming breath, prepared to reject the girl''s tempting benevolence invitation when an idea struck him.

    Perhaps, through this avenue, he could confirm if he was straight or not and also obliterate any lustful feelings Williams has left for him.

    "I''m not a good kisser, I''m inexperienced "he warned her.

    (A/N: Inexperienced? Really, Trevor? Seems I have to bring the mandurugo back)

    "I''m honored to educate you then,"  Tricia smiled at him before her hand snaked around his neck, lowered his head, and pressed her lips to his.

    Their lips remained that way until the girl began to move gently against his before he responded, moving with the flow.

    The kiss was a slow but sweet one as Tricia deepened it, playing chase with his tongue. Trevor was so engrossed with this newfound act that he was astounded when loud cheers entered his ears, he pulled away for air.

    He was stunned to discover that the students had stopped their practice and was watching the show he had unintentionally put on for them.

    His eyes centralized on Williams who strode angrily out of the field amidst his friends questioning gazes and calls.

    "See, that was not hard"

    "Yeah, that was not hard" He admitted, eyes still trained on the spot Williams had been standing moments ago.

    He was not going to lie, he enjoyed that, but that was his body''s natural response to a woman touching him, he was missing a certain emotion.

    Yet the fact that he was turned on by a girl comforted him, thank God he wasn''t gay - no pun intended.

    He definitely doesn''t swing both ways either. His body must have reacted to Williams because of his long celibacy at an age where his blood was boiling, which was why he was willing to give this one a try.

    "You''re a good kisser," Tricia praised him which made him go red in the face.

    She leaned closer, playing with the button on his shirt, " So, would you be my boyfriend? "

    "I told you," She quickly added having sensed a bit of hesitation from him," I''m a straight forward person and I go for what I like, and right now, I want you to be mine"

    Trevor had made up his mind to accept her but he still had a hard time saying it out because he felt guilty somehow.

    "I''m not pushing you into making an unfavorable decision. If you''re not into me, I''ll - "

    "I will be your boyfriend"

    "Really?"

    "Yes," he forced the words out of his mouth.

    "Thank you"

    Out of happiness, Tricia threw herself at him but Trevor caught her on time and was taken aback by the short unexpected kiss again.

    "Alright, this is my number.." The girl effused with no knowledge that her new boyfriend''s mind was miles away.

    Trevor was feeling guilty but he credited the fact that he hurt Williams in the process of proving to him that he wasn''t interested in him.

    He wasn''t in love with Williams and that''s final. Now he had a beautiful girlfriend by his side and can now prove to his sister that he was normal.

    Talking of his sister, he had heard the news that they would be returning today instead of tomorrow morning due to some unfortunate circumstances; she should be home already.

    Fine, it was time to make amends with her. He can''t stay mad at his sister forever. Moreover, he still had to ask her if Asher had a sister or not.

    The vampire might have been lying to him, probably because he didn''t entirely trust him yet but his sister would tell him- hopefully.

    "Let''s go back to class," Tricia told him.

    "Sure" He agreed, heaping his numerous books on one arm while stuffing the rest in his backpack which he slung over his shoulder.

    "Let''s go" Trevour was surprised when she slid her finger into his, intertwining their hands together.

    He grinned at her and began their journey, both waking past the spirit form of Electra.

    Electra watched her mate pass through her like air while laughing at something that redhead told him. There was a huge scowl on her face and her fists were clenched together.

    She had decided to reject her mate today, so was stalking Trevor in her spirit form since the early hours of the morning and so far, has made two shocking discoveries.

    Not only was that son of a biscuit unfaithful to her, but he was also swinging both ways - a chronic womanizer, how outrageous!

    How could the moon goddess give her somebody like that? The boy had given off an Innocent vibe the first they had met but he seems to be a good actor as well!

    Wait a minute, why was she even angry? She just had to renounce that son of a biscuit as her mate and get along with her life. But why should she suffer the backlash of rejecting an asshole like him, this treatment was unfair!

    Because the moon goodness has less intervention with humans- since she had no contribution to their creation- the human mate feels just a little attraction from the bond. It''s all left for the supernatural mate to work out that relationship with the human.

    So even if she rejected Trevor, he would feel unfulfilled and an unexplained emptiness till the day he dies unlike her who would suffer tremendous pain.

    Hence, it was unfair to suffer for some douche who doesn''t deserve it.

    Fine, she would continue to follow him and any day that ugly redhead breaks up with him, she would reject him too so he could feel the pain of both.

    Thankfully she was not bothered by their childish kisses. Also, she was a vampire with two hundred years of experience, she could kiss better than that mate stealer.

    Electra flipped her hair out of annoyance and went to find that man called Asher.

    She wanted to strike a deal with him: she would stop hunting down his mate if he rejected her. Asher killed her mother and has to compensate for it; a life for a life.

    Electra passed through his walls like nothing and waited for him to speak up.

    But thirty minutes passed without him calling her out.

    Did he by chance not notice her?

    That was impossible! Asher was one of the few talented vampires who could see her without revealing herself.

    Electra was about to make her presence known when he answered a call but the contents of the conversation made her do a double-take.

    "Father, I''m not leaving this body yet"

    Wait a minute, what does he mean by that?

    So she eavesdropped further and though much information wasn''t given out, she finally grasped the situation.

    Someone was impersonating that man called Asher?

    She smirked, this just got interesting.

 Chapter 225 - Two Hundred And Twenty-five: She Had Experience With Asher And Daniel

    The mood was obvious, everyone was reluctant to leave Kinney village. If not for the unforeseen incident, Daniel had promised them a bonfire party to bid them farewell.

    Now, neither did they get to have the bonfire party nor spend one last time with their newfound celebrity, chief Daniel.

    But on the bright side, they finally got to know the identity of his mysterious girlfriend and it turned out to be one of their people: Lia, the Queenbee.

    Now, they have been given the chance to hassle her and get more details on how both met; it must be so romantic.

    Unlike them all, Lia was torn between two emotions- Excitement and Disappointment with a tinge of anxiety.

    Lia was excited she would finally meet Asher after the past days they had spent apart.

    But she was disappointed that she would not get to see Daniel as usual as it had been the routine these past days- she was going to miss him.

    Yet was troubled over leaving him behind, what if Tristan tricks and attacks him in her absence without her noticing through the bond?

    Those thoughts hogged her mind.

    "You''ve become a celebrity" Ben poked her on the side of her stomach.

    He was settled beside her as usual, but this time they were lucky enough to occupy the backseat which was designed for three instead of two people.

    Their neighbor, of course, was no other than the vampire Dan who was feigning to be asleep as he typically does.

    Lia glanced up, shuddering upon noticing the inquisitive glint in the student''s eyes. Why were they staring at her that way?

    "Remember me in paradise" Ben remarked, causing her to scowl at him.

    "What are you talking about? Did a ghost possess you, is that you''re sputtering nonsense?"

    "Nope, I''m not possessed" He clarified and added, "At least, until I get to little Town"

    There were hardly any ghosts in Kinney village because most of its inhabitants were creatures who live for hundreds of years.

    Goosebumps climbed Lia''s arms, Ben''s ability was as creepy as his personality.

    "What I''m trying to say is that it is  apparent that you have defeated Caroline in this fight for the crown, hence now the queen bee of Little Town High school"

    Ben went on after a deep breath,

    "So you should expect preferential treatment from now on - not that you haven''t always been treated well but��"

    Since he was sandwiched between his goddess and Dan, Ben easily leaned closer and whispered into her ears.

    "There might be a significantly high increase in our chocolate collection"

    Ben''s clean estimation made her eyes brighten yet hooded when she remembered the promise she made to a certain mate.

    Lia took sneak peeks at Dan who had earbuds right inside his ears and it gladdened her because this was his signatory "Do not disturb my peace" gesture.

    She then beckoned Ben to come closer with her fingers which he obeyed, though curious as to why she was speaking in whispers.

    "I need your help"

    "Speak on my queen, your trusted royal advisor is here to listen," He whispered back dramatically.

    Lia was taken aback by his self acclaimed " Royal Advisor" but said nothing, she has learned to accept Ben as he comes- his weirdness never ends.

    She began "I''m afraid that I''ve been deprived of my right to accept the freewill offerings by my beloved."

    "Oh," Ben said, a bit surprised. They weren''t even married yet her hubby had already begun to set down the rules - no one would bankrupt his chocolate business!

    "Which is why I would need you" Lia grasped his hand tight, "To take on the duty of telling apart the male-given chocolates and the female- given chocolates" The hybrid successfully exploited a loophole in that rule.

    Meanwhile, Dan who they thought was distracted almost blew his cover when he heard that mischievous wolf comment. Asher has finally met his match.

    "They want me not to take chocolate from men but you would help me out by differentiating them according to the gender of who delivered it "

    Lia sent a secret code by winking at Ben secretly which when deciphered means "Separate all unless the extra-expensive ones"

    Ben winked back to show that he recognized her secret signal.

    Some chocolates tasted like...well chocolate, but there were special chocolates which tasted like heaven, earning themself a secret code of communication used by the hybrid and the medium in desperate times like this.

    Thankfully, Caroline and the students didn''t bother her until they reached Little Town and their respective homes.

    "Who is - "

    Jenny''s eyes dilated from excitement when she saw who was standing at the door.

    "Mom, I''m back! " Lia screamed, stretching out her hand for a bear hug.

    Her mom didn''t fail her expectation, she nearly engulfed her daughter''s slim frame if not for her height - Lia was a few inches taller than her- yet momma tightened her hold on her.

    "I missed you so much!" Jenny exclaimed in the middle of dropping careless kisses on her daughter''s forehead.

    "I missed you too" Lia returned the gesture, resting her head on her mom''s bosom and inhaling her lovely scent which spoke of safety; home sweet home.

    Lia noticed her sense of smell heightened. Seems her cohabitation with Lolli was beneficial to her body. She could sense she was getting stronger.

    "Do you know how uncomfortable I was with you not being within a close radius? Also, I kept having this dream where you were taken away from me" Jenny sobbed, smoothing the hybrid''s hair tenderly.

    Lia didn''t think much about the dream, it was probably her mom''s imagination. The woman must have been so worried over her safety that she slept with the thought of her in mind and so it manifested in her subconscious negatively.

    "Well, my presence has proven your dream wrong and that''s all that matters" She convinced her poor mother.

    No one would take her away from her mother, unless her husband - future husband.

    "Come in, Rex''s back from school already" Jenny helped her daughter with her things.

    Lia hardly stepped into the house when a little climber hopped on her, almost bringing both of them to the ground.

    "You''re back!"

    "Yes, I''m back. Hope, you''ve been a good kid" she ruffled the hair of her number one loyal family member.

    "Of course, I am Rex, world''s most handsome and obedient kid" he bragged.

    "Alright world most handsome, let your sister have some rest. She just came back from a long journey and must be famished"

    Lia at once was led to the dining where a feast was prepared for her. All parents had been informed of their kid''s abrupt return hence Jenny''s preparedness.

    The girl had eaten before she departed but still couldn''t resist the smell of the special delectable home-cooked meal made by her mother.

    "How was the journey?" Her mom queried amid her mouthful of food.

    "It was fine," Lia managed to answer.

    "So, how is the food? Does the meatloaf taste bitter? Does the smell of spaghetti make you want to puke? Do you feel dizzy? Lethargic?" Jenny peppered her with questions.

    Lia was about to answer when she realized the hidden meaning beneath those questions.

    She facepalmed," Mom, I''m not pregnant "

    "You might never know until it''s too late, it''s better being proactive"

    "Mom, Daniel, and I didn''t have sex. Besides, even if we did, the pregnancy symptoms would not just manifest in two days!" She spat at Jenny.

    Lia reined in the irritation, sometimes she just felt like tearing this overprotective mother of hers limb to limb.

    There was a prominent frown on her mom''s face while stroking her jaw thoughtfully," That''s strange, how can a guy like that resist my beautiful daughter for two days? Is he by chance infertile or something?"

    "Of course not, he''s not infertile" Lia was quick to defend him, "We did do something and we shared the same room��."

    Oh, Lia slapped her cheeks mentally.

    She just fell into her mother''s trap.

    Lia turned to meet her mom''s knowing look and her head tilted in a -you-were-saying questioning gesture.

    "So not only did you do something with him, you shared a room with him? How''s that even possible? It said in that slip that you guys would have separate- "

    "Mom, Daniel''s the chief, he has his ways"

    "Just as I said before you went on that trip " Jenny reminded her.

    She leaned closer to her daughter asking, "Care to share what you both did? "

    Her mom wriggled her brows suggestively, reminding her of Ben in some ways.

    "No, no, no way" Lia dropped her spoon and formed an X with both hands, " I''m not about to divulge my sexual life with my boyfriend to you"

    "You don''t have to be explicit, just drop some hints and who knows I''ll able to give you some advice"

    Her mom tempted Lia but trust her, she had enough experience with Asher and Daniel. Her mom might even be the one in need of tips.

    "Thank you mom, but no"

    With that said, the hybrid ran off to her room before her mom could corner and force her to spill the beans.

    Lia took a quick bath and was contemplating going to bed since it was almost evening when her brother knocked on her door.

    "Hi"

    "Hi"

    "I heard you were back and I just wanted to say drop by"

    "Sure, thanks"

    "Alright, see you around"

    Trevor was down the stairs before she even responded. Well, that was an improvement; they were now on talking terms.

    With a sigh, Lia shut her door and went to bed. She was going to sleep through the rest of the evening or so she thought because when she awoke, total darkness surrounded her.

    Wait, not darkness, she was blindfolded.

    Lia tried to move the material from her face but she couldn''t, her hands were cuffed to something.

    What is the name of God was going on?

 Chapter 226 - Two Hundred And Twenty-six: Something Dark And Wild About Him

    Warning: This chapter might be uncomfortable for some readers but some revelations we''re made. Just a heads up for Raphael''s murderous anti-fans.

    ---------

    What the hell?

    Lia wanted to panic but forced her mind to calm down while trying to learn where she was. For starters, the soft covers beneath her told she was on a bed but not exactly her bed- it wasn''t this soft.

    The girl pulled against the constraints only to find out she couldn''t tug free because she hurt her wrists instead. There was not much space between the cuff and bedposts, she would need a lot of pushing - and groaning.

    The cold air that swept across her body told her she was dressed in nothing but her underwear which puzzled her further. How had someone abducted her without her noticing?

    Since she was blindfolded, Lia''s senses were intensified to notice even the slightest change in her environment, so when she picked up slow but deft movements coming in her direction, she tensed up.

    "Who are you? What do you want from me?"

    Raphael''s lips were pulled to the side seeing her helpless before him, it gave him some sort of power over her.

    He stroked her face with the back of his hand, feeling her shiver. Just as he expected, the attraction was still there. She was the only woman who had drawn his attention this long.

    Lia had elicited the dominance spirit in him the first day she had tricked and defeated him; no one has ever done that. And for a month now, he had fought against the craving to conquer her but she had fixed her gaze only on his younger brother and cast him aside.

    As if that wasn''t enough, she was also a powerful entity which made his dislike for Asher know no bound. Why was he the one always getting the good stuff in life?

    Yet even when when he had it, that dumb brother of his didn''t know how to treasure her. How could he share this glorious queen with another? And to crown it all, a werewolf? How disgusting!

    He disliked those creatures and they disliked his kind as well, the war between both never-ending. Even the thought of Daniel touching talk more kissing her made his cold blood boil.

    Since he couldn''t have her because Asher was around, Raphael had learned to watch her from afar, using that opportunity to note her little smiles, frowns, and several facial expressions.

    But that made him greedier for her attention, so he chose to go out with her mother, allowing him to stay close to her without drawing suspicion.

    Still, that didn''t satisfy him until he began to cook this plan. Asher had always known he was dangerous however, the kind-hearted little brother hoped he would change for the better without knowing there was no brother in the jungle; everyone was on their own.

    And now, he had finally gotten what he wanted after such a long time and no one would take it from him - he was now Asher.

    Lia felt goosebumps climb down her spine when the stranger caress down her face with the back of his hand.

    Coincidentally, that hand felt familiar but it couldn''t be him else Lolli would have leaped for joy or tried to jump him, at least.

    "I don''t know who you are but trust me when I tell you I''ll rip your head off once I get out of this"She resorted to threatening her abductor, hoping he would reveal himself and for sure, it worked.

    Raphael chuckled, then lowered his head towards her ear saying,

    "Really?"

    Lia went still, her eyes would have widened from shock by now if it wasn''t for this blindfold."Asher?"

    "Your one and only" came his answer which left her more confused.

    How was that possible? She didn''t feel him nor was the usually excited Lolli thrilled to see him.

    Perhaps, he was blocking the bond intentionally. Moreover, Lolli sometimes had these terrible mood swings, that was probably what was going on here. Lia could never understand the wolf''s menopausal behaviors.

    Binding her to the bedpost? Lia had no idea that Asher was into these kinky ideas but then, the vampire had always been open to several sexual ideas so it wasn''t really surprising, neither was she complaining - Maybe, a little heads up next time.

    But what mystified her so much was how he got her here without her noticing? She surmised he must have had Dan teleport her here but Asher undressing her without her waking up? That was a pretty top skill he got there she would love to learn.

    "Your face, I would like to see your face, take off the blindfold," She told him to confirm he was really Asher and not some vampire who could mimic his voice.

    The past months with vampires who had diverse powers had taught her that anything was possible. She could only trust what she sees.

    Raphael didn''t put much thought into her request, she just wanted to see Asher, now his face.

    Maybe if the vampire had a mate, he would have understood the power of the bond and the silly flaw in his plan.

    Raphael pulled down the blindfold, his eyes connecting with her blue ones that never failed to stun him each time he looked into it.

    Lia''s breath was taken away. It was him, that face she had missed for days now.

    Though he had a few stubbles on his face, it made him look more matured and hot. His green eyes were still as bright and brilliant as ever. Unexpectedly, something was missing but the hybrid couldn''t exactly pinpoint what was amiss.

    "I missed you," he said, kissing down her neck.

    "I missed you too" she breathed with her eyes closed, savoring the feeling. Asher always knew that that spot was one of the erogenous zones that turned her on.

    "How?" Lia managed to say, he was getting increasingly close to her sweet spot; that indentation where her neck connects with the collarbone he could easily bite and mark her as his.

    "How what?" He asked, against her neck.

    "How did you undress me without me waking up? I know Dan was the one who brought me here"

    "Undressing you was the best part," Raphael said mentally. He had watched greedily while taking off her clothes one after the other.

    Lia followed his gaze towards the vanity table where an incense stick was burning.

    "You drugged me?!" Lia was bewildered. She had not noticed that because it was odorless neither did her line of sight fall on it.

    "Calm down Lia," He told her, " It''s not those drugs you think it is."

    "What do I think it is?" She shot back.

    "The incense is medicinal, it only relaxes your tensed body and mind," He told her, "You know I would never harm you"

    Lia took a deep breath, maybe, she was all worked up over nothing. She had been with Asher for months plus the fact he''s her mate, he would never harm her as he said.

    Raphael smiled upon seeing the trust in her eyes, he had forgotten to add that the incense would make her susceptible to his touches and continual usage would make her addicted.

    Meaning that with time, she would dislike other men aka Daniel touching her, even the simplest of kisses would unsettle her.

    Also, that incense would make her lower her guard around him and numb her wolf during this period with him.

    Though it was almost zero to impossible thinking of a soul exchange, Raphael had a feeling that her wolf who shared a soul with her might sense something odd.

    Moreover, Raphael didn''t trust that animal around him. The last time she bit him, he almost went crazy from the venom if not for the timely help from his brother- ever the good Samaritan.

    Seems he would have to trick her into using her vampiric side more often now she was back, that''d be much safer and a better choice for him.

    "I want to touch you now"

    "Oh" Lia was stunned by his bluntness.

    Well, what was she expecting when she was all tied up and half-naked on his new bed - she had an inkling he purchased it for this purpose.

    "Alright" she gave him consent having known he missed her during the two days of her absence.

    Lia gulped out of nervousness when Asher returned the blindfold to her eyes, it was about to go down.

    Asher began with slow, sweet kisses as if he wanted to savor the time lost between them before it migrated to a hot and needy kiss. He kissed her so hard it was like he was trying to imprint his mark on her.

    She knew he couldn''t help but get jealous of the time spent with Daniel; that overgrown vampire sometimes behaved like a baby.

    By the time he moved his cold trail of kisses to her stomach, Lia was already wet in-between her legs. Her nerves tingle with pleasure with moans of delight being drawn from her mouth.

    The main pleasure coursed through her body when he slid down and tossed her panties to God knows where, positioned himself between her legs, and began to use his tongue to swirl around her nub.

    "Asher" she cried out his name, wanting to touch him but she couldn''t, her hands were restrained.

    There was something dark and wild about him today but she loved every side of him, every part of him - good or bad.

    Lia squirmed and buckled into his touch, moaning and screaming out his name as he tortured and teased her until the waves of pleasure crashed and she found her release.

    Raphael licked her dry, none of her juice would bypass him. An evil smirk crossed his features, he wanted everything that belonged to her.

 Chapter 227 - Two Hundred And Twenty-seven: The Council Head

    "When she rises, death and blood follows her trail," Gazia pointed to Cassie, "I believe that was the prophecy our young seer here foretold"

    Cassie lowered her head, she felt shy and intimidated sitting amid these great and powerful personalities. They were the seven main council leaders and it was their sole responsibility to watch over the seven continents of the world.

    She had always held the view that these people were supreme beings that deserved to be revered for their achievement so far thus, being in the same conference room with them and stumbling upon the realization that they were mortal like her just with higher sovereignty and capability and not spirits, made her heady.

    Ian, the fine young man sitting directly beside her and winking at her from time to time was the head in charge of Asia.

    Though he looked like a young lad around the age of twenty with his almond-shaped eyes, sparkling white teeth enhanced with magic, ink-black hair, and brown eyes, Cassie knew that every head was up to four hundred years at the minimum.

    They used high-level spells that might take a beginner witch a hundred years to master and extend their life.

    Apart from that, they also swapped lifespan or steal a life -as she calls it - just like they had done to her mother.

    Sometimes, criminals or traitors weren''t killed physically by the council. They would search for a Council head whose lifespan was nearing his or her end and interchange it with the traitor.

    Meaning they got to live as young and longer as they wanted while the victim who now bears their time-worn lifespan dies in their place when the appointed time is up.

    Cassie didn''t exactly like the council due to the hard feelings she had towards them but having been trained up by Aunt Miranda who was an avid follower of the council, the feeling of loyalty was inculcated in her too with time.

    Moreover, this particular male council head had a very, very, huge reputation with women. Apparently, with his good looks and charms, he had captured and dated thousands of women than he could remember - as the rumors say.

    There was Vashti, the dark-skinned woman with a professedly indifferent look and in charge of Africa. She had red box-braid, wide black eyes that scanned everyone around the table with red lipstick on her thick lips.

    Vashti was tough to deal with.

    And of course, Selena, the council head overseeing North America and was quite a beauty.

    She was a brunette with enticing amber orbs, bow-shaped mouth; that she had caught Ian staring at from time to time, an attractive thigh; that peeked out from the slit in her dress with long, smooth, straight legs; that she too was in awe of and full round breast that was barely hidden by the red dress she was wearing.

    From their interaction so far, it seems Vashti had bad blood with Selena cause she had seen the cold murderous look the dark-skinned women had passed Selena when their eyes met.

    There shows up Pharrell, the council head controlling South America, the middle-aged man with a blonde buzz cut and bronze-colored skin that looks bored out of his mind. He would tap his feet rhythmically from time to time as if the last place he wanted to be was here.

    Another was Kun, the pale-skinned man who was the council head looking over Antarctica. The man was as white as snow could be, with long blonde hair that was pulled into a ponytail and lips as blue as someone without a drop of blood in his system that made Cassie wonder if he lived underwater or something - all that was missing was a merman tail and a trident.

    Next was Dixie, the blonde woman with blue eyes and tiny lips that was tilted to the side with her legs crossed over the other, taking in the scene with an amused glint in her eyes and she governing the European continent.

    Last but not the least was Eleanor, the redhead who had been silent from the beginning of this meeting to now. She had a serene demeanor and was the council head in charge of the Australian continent.

    But as powerful as these heads were, they could not run a continent by themselves else they would be overridden with responsibility.

    So, therefore, they had personal overlords and numerous subordinates, and Gazia turned out to be Selena''s overlord; she was the council head in charge of Little Town and Its corresponding cities and towns.

    "She''s quite young," Dixie finally spoke, pointing out that the girl was too young to give an accurate prophecy.

    "Seconded" Pharrell supported.

    "There are many seers out there, why is she the only one who has seen the prophecy? Perhaps, this is Selena''s ploy to draw attention to herself" was Vashti''s opinion on the problem at hand.

    Selena sprang to her feet with her face distorted in anger, "Why would I do such a thing? Bitch, you must be pissed off at me because of that incident"

    Vashti leaped to her feet with a low growl, "I''ll rip that pretty face of yours" she was still saying and with a tilt of her head, magically threw Selena across the room, had her sliding across the floor till she bashed herself against the door

    Cassie was so frightened that a startled scream was brought out from her lips. Were they always this violent with each other?

    Selena couldn''t take this insult lying down and though still on the floor, cast a spell that set Vashti''s hair on fire and lifted her off the ground as she hovered in the air unstably.

    "Alright, you both knock it out!" Kun and Dixie spoke simultaneously.

    "Ladies, Ladies, calm down. I''m enough for the both of you" Ian said, pointing to his chest with a lewd grin, earning a glare from Eleanor- the man-hater. The witch had enough heartbreaks than he could recollect.

    Kun and Dixie successfully separated the both, extinguishing the fire from Vashti''s hair which produced a sulfurous smell that clung to their noses.

    "You both have dropped so low that you fight in front of our guest?!" Dixie scolded them harshly, hinting that Cassie was a newcomer, unlike Gazia who had an idea of their cat and dog fights already.

    Cassie had to say, her image of the council heads has crumbled instantly for eternity - Selena was her favorite.

    "If I hear any denigratory comment or involve your private beef here again, head or not, the majority of us would penalize you" Kun, the strict, cold man threatened the women who were still glaring daggers at each other yet had to unite in fear of losing their position.

    "But I think Vashti made a point," Dixie remarked, " Why?" She pointed at the young seer, "Is she the only seer who has received the prophecy?"

    "You''re right? We should have received about five or more reports by now from different seers across the world" Pharrell supported once more.

    "Are you trying to say she made this up?" Gazia asked, "I was there when she said those, and I''m knowledgeable enough to distinguish between a fake and real prophecy"

    "The girl''s inexperienced and might have interpreted the message wrongly, we all know first-timers make a lot of mistakes" Eleanor made her point known.

    "Still, we shouldn''t be careless about it" Kun warned," There must be the reason why the girl is the only seer who received that vision, moreover, the recent increase in death is a cause for alarm."

    "You''ve said it all, thank you," Selena appreciated Kun for indirectly defending her crushed pride since no one believed her.

    She added, "Rumors are going about of the emergence of the dark witches and Burning Eaglets"

    "The Burning Eaglets were exterminated, those must be copycats," Dixie asserted.

    "This town has always been an interesting one," Ian mused.

    "We wiped away the Burning Eaglet during the great purge and even killed her,"

    The moment Vashti said "Her" everyone''s gaze connected, they didn''t say a word yet their gazes said it all.

    "Who is her?" Cassie blurted out,receiving scotches in return.

    "You''re not to say a word unless told to, understood?" Selena who she had thought to be the nice one told her with a stern voice.

    Cassie gulped, "Yes, head leader Selena" she took her gaze away, biting down on her lips. She just asked a question, why was everyone so tensed up?

    "Are you trying to say that her prophecy and this new emergence of the fallen dark witches are connected?" Ian asked a reasonable question for once

    "I think we''re missing the point here." Dixie started," The young seer gave the prophecy, why don''t we inquire of the girl what she had seen in the vision?" She suggested.

    "You''re right" Pharrell, the yes-man agreed once more.

    Cassie fidgeted about in her seat, she was sweating and her breath became heavy.

    "Fine" Selena turned around to Cassie, "Tell them, young seer, what you had seen in the revelation"

    "I-I " Cassie stammered, unsettled by the number of curious heated orbs staring at her with expectation.

    "Hey, it''s okay" Ian, the casanova squeezed her hand assuredly, "We are not going to eat you unless you want me to eat you"

    "Seriously Ian, have some dicknity and let the poor girl speak!" Eleanor insulted him.

    "I actually can''t remember much but I saw corpses, a pile of them; bodies on top of bodies with blood flowing out of them like a stream "

    "So in one word, you''re trying to say you don''t know the perpetrator''s identity?" Vashti questioned her.

    "I told you I don''t remember much, the memory''s hazy"

    Vashti sighed, turned to her brethren, "Brothers and sisters, we are responsible for billions of lives across the globe, I don''t see why we should dilly-dally on this anymore. The seer obviously doesn''t know what she saw"

    Anger like no anger coursed through Cassie''s vein and she shot up to her feet, banging her hand hard on the long rectangular table.

    She screamed, "If you don''t trust me then you shouldn''t have killed my mother, she would have made a better seer than me"

    By the time the adrenaline rush expired, Cassie realized she was doomed.

    "You''re dismissed" Was the only word Selena said to her.

 Chapter 228 - Two Hundred And Twenty-eight: Spike The Drinks With Wolfsbane

    No one dared to breathe nor say a word, that was how dire the situation in the Ranger pack was. The Alpha had recovered from his injury enough to go for a run, his black wolf cut across the forest with disgruntled gait and agility.

    He howled out to the moon in outrage with a twinge of frustration. A howl the whole pack heard from afar and resounded with discordant pitches. That was how tight the bond between the alpha and the pack existed; the Alpha''s pain was shared by everyone.

    Where had he gone wrong? Tristan continuously thought over it while his powerful paws dug into the loose earth.

    It was obvious he had the girl under control but then, she broke out of the bond, how was it possible? It wasn''t supposed to be possible unless Daniel did pull some kind of trick? Yeah, that must be it!

    Daniel claimed she was his girlfriend and judging from their closeness, must have done something to keep her from leaving with him.

    Anger like no other burned through Tristan and made him see red, he would get his revenge on that son of a bitch.

    This was his terrible state of mind when he suddenly caught a sickening smell in the air - a vampire was in his territory.

    He took to chasing while tracking down the scent but frowned when he discovered this particular vampire was going in circles - he was taunting him!

    Tristan''s line of sight finally fell on the vampire and pursued him, heavy thudding resonating through the empty forest. He finally caught up with him, knocking the disgusting creature to the ground.

    His powerful jaw looming over the vampire''s face accompanied by his massive drool. The chase had made his blood and heart pound in his ears so he decided to take out his fury on this unfortunate vampire.

    But just when he had lowered his head to chomp off a piece of his flesh with those beast-like teeth, the sneaky creature found a loose spot in his tackle and slipped out of his hold and sped-climb a tree, finding a good perch on a high branch.

    "I didn''t come to fight you nor invade your territory but with a message"

    He growled at the vampire in protest, he didn''t believe a word he said.

    "We know about your confrontation with Daniel and Asher wishes to help you out,"

    The growling stopped but the cautious look as he shifted back into his human form was still there.

    Though he had healed, there was now a long sword-like scar on his face. It cut diagonally on the spot between the end of his eyebrow and the side of his left eye, shifting outwardly to his cheekbones; any closer and the girl would have lacerated his eye.

    Now, that scar was a reminder of his piteous defeat by that girl which made the urge to acquire her grow. He would make her his one way or the other and by then, would enjoy breaking her till she submitted to him in the most deviant manner ever - retribution for what she did to his face.

    Just the thought of it exhilarated him, a slow creepy smile tugging his lips to the side, this would be a fulfilling game.

    "Why does he want to help me? What would he gain from this?"

    Tristan was not born this morning, he knew the vampire would help him for nothing, this wasn''t fucking Christmas, it was business.

    "You of all people know the both of them have never been on good terms and Daniel did something to infuriate Asher lately, he wants revenge.

    "But killing Daniel, when found out might start a war between both races -"

    "So needs me to end Daniel so it  seems like the usual power struggle between werewolves, how brilliant" Tristan praised him, "I''ve always known that vampire has a dark side to him"

    "So what do you say?" Ozark asked Tristan after throwing the bait.

    "Does he have a plan already?" Tristan asked.

    "I came prepared"

    Tristan was impressed, the vampire really was serious about this deal.

    "We know that at this rate you can''t defeat Daniel,"

    "Says who?" He was pissed to be berated like that, a huge kick to his ego.

    "Let''s be real here, you have an advantage in numbers but Daniel has quality. Even if you send in thousands of werewolves, his well-trained warriors would strategically crush them beyond redemption"

    "Enough!" He shunned the vampire, "Go straight to the damn plan already"

    "Call for a treaty, tell Daniel that you''re sorry and giving up on the girl "

    His nostril flared," Excuse me vamp, do you even get the whole point of this conflict? The girl is what I want and would fight for her till my last breath!"

    "The girl you would get if you let me finish up with what I was saying"

    "Fine, let''s hear this marvelous plan of yours" he heckled.

    "Be the first to raise the white flag" Ozark instructed the werewolf, "Daniel hates war and would have no alternative other than to allow for peace talks. During that event, that is where you would strike"

    "That sounds interesting" Tristan rubbed his jaw contemplatively, " continue"

    "You would make use of the spies you planted in his place to spike all the drinks with wolfsbane"

    Tristan''s eyes widened, "I didn''t plant those spies, those are his greedy relatives and wolfsbane is too dangerous.

    "It might be able to weaken Daniel and his men but everyone would notice it the moment they take a sip.

    "Moreover, Daniel is not a fool. He''d expect me to have a drink with him. So what am I going to do? Drink and get myself weakened too? What''s the point  of gaining an advantage over him then?"

    "What if we have a way to make the wolfsbane unnoticeable, taking its effect at a later time while you and men gain immunity?"

    Tristan was dumbfounded, "That''s impossible unless��.you have a witch helping you out ?"

    "I told you we came ready," Ozark smiled.

    Tristan still felt uncomfortable, if they had planned it this perfectly without flaws, why couldn''t they scheme a way to kill Daniel without a trace.

    Fine, as far as he got the girl, every other issue was none of his business.

    "Alright, I''m in. When do we start?"

 Chapter 229 - Two Hundred And Twenty-nine: Reject Your Mate

    "Something was taken from him", that was the first thought that crossed Asher''s mind when he awoke. As someone who had a compulsion ability, he knew the sensation of brainwashing and being brainwashed.

    Right now, he was brainwashed but differently, it was done in a unique way distinct from his method. Asher tried to think of the memory that could be taken from him but what he received was a splitting headache that elicited a groan of pain from his mouth.

    Gosh, that particular memory was being suppressed and the more he tried to recall the more he hurt himself.

    Of course, he wasn''t a fool to believe he was the only one with the ability to compel people but there lived a specific group of beings who didn''t need an ability to perform one - witches.

    Asher was smart, how couldn''t he figure that one out. But why would Ezekiel take away his memory? So far he had an idea of all his evil plans, so why erase this particular one? Unless it was something that could potentially harm him?

    The two things that Ezekiel could be scared of were the council and his mate. Asher would rather choose the latter - this had something to do with his wife. He must have stumbled upon a secret that would destroy Ezekiel''s marriage.

    Asher sighed, his eyes closed. He just prayed his mother was fine wherever she was. Ezekiel must have done something to keep her from visiting her. He wasn''t afraid of Ezekiel hurting Helen because she was his mate but people could do crazy things in the name of love, hurting their partner unknowingly.

    Once his eyes fluttered open, his eyes settled on the cuffs binding his wrist, it now made perfect sense to him: why he couldn''t use Raphael''s ability.

    He had heard Sabrina mentioning something called dampening cuffs used by the council to restrain the powers of some ability welding creatures.

    That must be what was hindering his plans of using Raphael''s ability after figuring how he''s functioned.

    Most abilities awaken for the first time after experiencing a certain strong emotion. So Asher had applied knowledge of his powers into figuring out what ticked Raphael''s and bingo! Anxiety.

    Raphael had always been an insecure son of a biscuit, fond of putting on airs and using his trickeries as a font to cover up his low self-esteem.

    He had always been the type to run away from a dangerous situation instead of fighting it head-on. So the despondent feeling of helplessness must be the emotion that made him create copies of himself for the first time.

    The bastard must have been so anxious he made duplicates of himself that would take the brunt of the attack while he escaped - typical Raphael, even abusing himself.

    Once Asher had grasped that emotion, he put it into work. He thought of Raphael being with his mate Lia, that was the only scene that would make him desperate enough to want to leave here.

    And yes it did work, he could feel the anger rippling through his body, his eyes turned red and furious with the veins on his neck protruding yet Raphael''s ability didn''t manifest.

    Asher had first assumed he didn''t get the emotion right and thought of different scenes over and over till he was depleted.

    But now everything was clear to him; he was doomed. He had not taken any of Ezekiel''s threats to heart because he had initially planned on escaping after figuring how Raphael''s power worked but now that plan was dashed.

    Ezekiel thought everything through.

    Asher couldn''t help but wonder what was keeping Dan from coming to his rescue. Had he not figured out what happened yet? Was Raphael that good at impersonating him? If that was the case then this was bad.

    If Raphael had everyone fooled, it means his love rival Daniel was in trouble. His foxy brother would not go through all the troubles of expelling him out of this body only to share his prize, Lia, with Daniel.

    Moreover, Raphael hated werewolves as much as they hated vampires amid the peaceful cohabitation. If he was right, his mate Lia should have left Kinney village exposing Daniel to danger - Raphael wouldn''t strike with her around.

    Even lost in thought, Asher was quick to notice the emergence of a strange aura.

    "Who are you?" He asked, eyes darting around the prison room cautiously.

    "Wow," Electra clapped thrice in a row, impressed "You''re really awesome. Even in another''s body, you could still discern me."

    Asher''s eyes widened, "You know I''m me? But how?"

    She strolled across the room, explaining nonchalantly, "Went to your office to torture you as usual but the you in your office couldn''t point me out which felt strange. So I just looked around and happened to eavesdrop on a certain conversation on the phone, bingo! You can connect the rest,"

    "You could have called for help!" Asher felt the urge to grab the girl and spank her bottom till she got some sense into that head of hers.

    "Excuse me?" She laughed mockingly, "I''m sorry but you''ve got the wrong idea of my presence here"

    Electra stepped closer, "I''m here to verify if you''re doing fine and so far, I''m satisfied with the result"

    She lifted Asher''s chin with the slightest touch of her finger, taking in the fading bruises on his pale face that was paler than usual; they haven''t been feeding him.

    His lips were blue and chaffed, his nose resting at a weird angle; they must have broken it and it healed at an improper angle, and there deep purples bag under his eye.

    He looked like death and she loved it. Everything he was going through was retribution for what he did to her mother! He deserved it!

    Asher looked around when she let go of his face, his brows furrowed, "This is the Raven Clan, where have you dropped your body this time?"

    She grinned, "Oh don''t worry, it''s in bed with a sexy brute right now"

    That comment aroused fury in Asher''s heart without him understanding why.

    "How could you allow - "

    "Is too late to act daddy so keep the lecture for yourself" she shunned him down.

    But inwardly, Electra was somewhat flattered by his protectiveness and she had lied to him. Her body was safeguarded on the treetop closest to this place - just hoped it wouldn''t fall.

    The girl just liked seeing Asher all stressed up and angry, even though it didn''t cleanse the guilt in her heart.

    "You need to help me out of here," Asher told her.

    "In your dreams" was her reply, "I''m just here to joy in your predicament"

    "My mate is in danger!"  Anger yelled. This wasn''t a game, he could really lose his mate.

    Electra was already prepared to sass back but she didn''t see that one coming. She was lost for words until she got her head back in gear, a smile stretching her face instead.

    "Fine"

    "Thank God" Asher threw his head back in relief, he had not expected her to agree to this readily.

    "I mean I''ll try to strike you a deal" she corrected the impression of her agreeing to help him out.

    Asher didn''t like this one bit but he had to try out," Fine, what''s the deal"

    "Reject your mate and I''ll release you "

 Chapter 230 - Two Hundred And Thirty: We Need The Queen

    Meanwhile in a certain hotel...

    Selena was dressed in her red robe, sitting on the edge of the bed with her leg thrown over the other. She swirled the wine in the glass before taking a sip while listening to the voice from the other end, she was on a call.

    "Keep the girl, monitor her progress, and teach her what she has to know about her powers. I have an inkling there''s more to that prophecy, she just needs a bit of time to discern it fully" she added," I want her ready the next time I visit little Town"

    Selena didn''t base in Little Town in fact, she didn''t even have a specific place to call home - none of the council heads did- due to the fact she had to watch over a continent and was always on the move; no time to get attached to a place.

    "Yes, council head Selena " Gazia answered humbily.

    "Also, deploy more hunters. Let them investigate the strange increase in death rate and report any strange finding especially involving the dark witches and the Burning Eaglet"

    "Yes, ma''am"

    " Also -"

    Selena was interrupted when she saw a ripple in the air and a glowing portal opened as Ian stepped into her hotel suite.

    Oh, him.

    "I''ll call you back for further instructions"

    "Yes, council head Selena"

    She ended the call.

    "What are you doing here? I didn''t invite you as far as I remember" Selena twisted and stretched her body backward, placing the glass on the vanity table beside her bed.

    "Are you still angry that I didn''t support you during the gathering? Come-on, you know that wasn''t a private business" Ian told her.

    Selena rolled her eyes," You should go and support your dearest Vashti, the both of you work out fine these days" Selena pointed out, walking past him but  Ian used his magic to pull her back.

    "What are you doing?" She asked.

    His hand went around her waist, pressing her against the bulge in his trousers.

    "I could support her but at the end of the day, it''s you that I want," said the sweet talker

    Selena shook her head at his honeyed words yet didn''t push him away.

    "Really" her hand felt his muscled chest through his shirt.

    She glued her lips to his, giving him a long kiss which fired up and turned into a tango of lips and tongues.

    This was why Vashti hated her, Ian gave more attention to her than she. Everyone knew Ian was a player but who cares, the man was a mastery at how to bring a woman to ecstasy.

    Moreover, this wasn''t the first time she and Vashti had fought and they would soon reconcile in ten years or so time. They had already gone through this sort of scene over and over to the point it was becoming tiring and predictable.

    "You''re one beautiful lady" Ian murmured against her lips, his hand gliding down and cupped her ass, rubbing her against his arousal while Selena moaned in approval.

    With hurried hands, she took off Ian''s shirt and slid down his jeans with her magic leaving him clad in his brief that barely concealed his throbbing prick.

    He pouted, "That''s unfair, you get to see me and I get nothing in return"

    "That''s your punishment for disobeying your mistress" She smirked and slapped his buttcheek earning a playful "oh" from him.

    "I like where this is going," Ian said cheekily and craned his neck watching the cord that Selena had summoned, binding his hands to the headboard after being pushed back on the bed.

    "You always like everything going in this direction" Selena whispered into his ears, nipping his earlobe and pulled away.

    Ian''s eyes darkened with lust gaping at her taking off her robe with a slow sensual dance while astride him.

    Holding his gaze, she carefully lay her body on top of his saying "Now, satisfy your mistress" guiding one of her full round breasts into his willing open mouth.

    Due to his tied hands, Ian was unable to keep her stable, so he sloppily sucked and bit her nipples to the best he could with her undiluted moans making him heady.

    When she obtained enough attention on her twin peaks, Selena got rid of the last of the flimsy material hiding his decency and took the whole of his manhood into her mouth.

    Ian released a series of curses as she handled him with expertise, touching him up and down from shaft to base accompanied by her ravenous lick.

    She continued with the act of pleasuring him and each time he was close to coming, she would magically bring him back to level one, torturing and teasing him till he almost cried tears.

    Finally, Selena let go of that instrument of pleasure and mounted him, using her hand to guide it into her entrance before sinking down on it, burying the whole of its body inside of her while marveling for the umpteenth time at how far she was stretched.

    She began to move up and down, a movement Ian found slow which provoked him to release the restraint magically and grabbed her waist, introducing her to a more vigorous thrust.

    The laborious heaving of a woman and the groaning of a man with flesh slapping against flesh resonated throughout the room.

    The couple was so engrossed in their action that they were scared out of their wits when a redhead appeared in their room in the middle of nowhere.

    The passion died at once.

    Selena screamed, bringing the sheet up to her chest. Thinking it was one of her fellow council head, she began to scold the witch harshly

    "What the fuck is wrong with ��"  She flattered, having realized this wasn''t a sister witch but why did she look oddly familiar?

    "Hello Selena, how have you been?"

    Wait a minute, that voice.

    Selena''s eyes widened, her mouth agape. How was that possible? She was supposed to be dead!

    "And you Ian, you never get tired of [email protected], do you?"

    Ian was in no better state than Selena.

    "S-sis...Sis��"

    At that moment, Selena tried to attack but the redhead was quick to freeze them both with a spell. Both of them could watch everything with their eyes however, couldn''t move a muscle.

    "You can come in now" The redhead announced.

    The door clicked and a male and a female strode into the room.

    "Your ladyship" Both bowed, she barely acknowledged it.

    Her ladyship smirked at Selena whose eyes were filled with terror.

    "Watch and see as I take away everything which you guys took from me, slowly and one after the other"

    At once, she cast a spell at Ian, "Omne quod dici non ad te pertinet, corpus, animam, alii perficiendum"

    Ian screamed as his body began to desiccate starting from his legs to his hands and head until all that remained was a clothed skeleton that slid to the floor.

    A bright light escaped his body which Her ladyship captured with her hand, walked to the male beside her, tilted his hand backward, and dropped the light down his throat.

    Almost immediately, the male groaned, screamed, his legs gave out and he buckled to the floor until the pain died out. The next he stood up, Ian stood before them.

    Selena whimpered, there was no doubt she was the next victim. She tried to speak, plead for mercy and beg her to forgive them for what they did to her but she couldn''t say a word.

    "Goodbye, Selena"

    "No!" Selena screamed internally but it was too late.

    "Omne quod dici non ad te pertinet, corpus, animam, alii perficiendum "

    Just like Ian, she too underwent the same process, her skeleton the only evidence of the life she once lived.

    Her ladyship captured the light that left Selena''s body too and fed it to the other girl who went through the same pain before a brand new Selena stood erect.

    "You both now have their body, soul, intellect, power, everything! Live the life they once were living and wait patiently for the war cry "

    "Yes, your ladyship" Both bowed.

    Her ladyship turned to the skeleton with no ounce of emotion, whispering" Adios"

    Abruptly, both skeletons disintegrated into a pool of dust on the floor respectively. A small vortex formed out of her hand was sent out to lift and move the pile from the floor, cocooning them into a container her ladyship held out, closing the lid at once.

    She had destroyed the evidence of what had transpired in here, there was no room for mistakes. The other Head wouldn''t sense anything that occurred because their light was still blinking- in the body of her people now.

    "We''re done��." She was still saying when a cough attacked her. Her ladyship cupped her mouth with her palm and withdrew it eventually only to catch the blood in her hand.

    "My body''s dying" she disclosed.

    "We need the queen"

 Chapter 231 - Two Hundred And Thirty-one: Why Are You Forgetful?

    "I love you, Lia. You''re the best thing that has ever happened to me" Asher confessed, the emotions in his eyes made her unable to form words to say.

    "I love you too. I don''t regret the first day I set my eyes on you" she finally replied, her heart was giddy just as he moved fully inside of her.

    Lia gasped, the sheer length of him stretching her to the core. Her nails dug into his back due to the unfamiliar intrusion but she was so wet that she didn''t even feel the pain that comes with the first time.

    After she adjusted to his size, he began to move, pumping inside of her while she moved along with him.

    "Oh my God," Lia moaned as he increased his pace. Her legs were wrapped tightly across his waist, anchoring him to her and her nails scratched his back with tender touches.

    Lia couldn''t help but bite down on his shoulder hard when the reeling sensation became too hard to handle, she could feel herself reaching her peak. He thrust into her vigorously until they both came with a loud scream and grunt.

    Asher collapsed on top of her body, burying his face in her neck while she smiled, feeling fulfilled.

    "Hey handsome, I want to ride you this time till you forget your name" Lia decided to be naughty by talking dirty to him.

    As expected, Asher lifted his face to meet her challenge but she screamed from terror because the face staring back at her was not Asher''s but Raphael''s.

    Lia awoke with a shrill scream that was capable of even waking up the dead. However, her world swirled immediately when she sat up; her room was spinning or maybe, she was on a rollercoaster ride. Gosh, it felt like she was suffering from the worst hangover in history.

    But she hasn''t drunk, not even a sip, so why was she feeling this way?

    Her mind at once flashed back to that incense Asher had lit last night, perhaps this was the side effect of inhaling those smoke. She made a mental note to remind Asher of the adverse effect of that medicinal incense or whatever he called it.

    After resting for a while, the dizzy spell eventually went away but her stomach roared terribly with hunger. Rising to her feet, Lia took in her environment and discovered she was back in her room.

    Lia couldn''t help but smile, her mate Asher was too considerate. Having known she would oversleep, he had Dan send her home before her mom found out about her disappearance.

    The hybrid took off her clothes and headed to the bathroom to carry out her usual morning ritual. She couldn''t help but trace those spots on her shoulder where Asher had dropped hickies that had healed already- perks of being a hybrid.

    If her mom saw those, she would definitely give her an earful if she doesn''t have her do a pregnancy test.

    The memories of last night brought a smile to her lips, there was just something different about Asher yesterday - something wilder, dangerous yet sexy.

    But the memory of the dream extinguished all signs of bliss from her face. That was one hell of a spooky dream! Thinking about it alone sent goosebumps to her spine.

    Thankfully, it was just a dream and not a reality.

    "Oh my God," Lia, dressed in her white bathrobe with deep pockets had just stepped into her room only to sight the man in her thoughts on her bed oozing sex appeal effortlessly.

    "Gosh, why do you always like to sneak up on me?" she complained, removing her hand from her chest.

    Asher chuckled, the sound of his sexy voice sending delicious shivers down her spine. Why did she seem super horny today? Maybe it was Lolli''s manipulation but the wolf in question had not made her appearance since yesterday, it was almost as if she was sleeping.

    Perhaps, she had stressed the poor wolf during her stay in Kinney village? It wouldn''t be bad to give her some rest. So Lia switched to her vampiric side only to discover she was craving blood like crazy.

    Well, hello, dinner just walked in.

    "What are you doing here, Asher?" She asked while using her toes to tactically pick her discarded clothes from earlier, pushing the heap to the side of her wardrobe.

    "Why? You don''t want me here?" He asked.

    "Are you kidding me?" Lia laughed, "Left for me alone, I''ll have you by my side for eternity"

    "Left for me alone, I''ll love to be the air you breathe, the air that caresses your skin, the air that you can''t do without"

    For a moment, silence reigned between them, Lia was struck dumb.

    "As much as your words sound sweetly romantic, mate, I can''t kiss nor fuck air so I''ll rather be with you the way you are" Lia spoke in-between laughter, she just found his words hilarious.

    "Also, how much of these honeyed words did you learn during my absence? Trust me, as much as I love those cheesy lines, I''ll rather have my amorous sharp-tongued Asher back" she informed him, climbed onto the bed, and walked towards him on all fours.

    Unknown to Lia, Raphael had a displeased disposition. He realized he had made a mistake but he was lucky that the girl wasn''t suspecting, he would be more careful from now on.

    His eyes darkened when he saw her crawl to him like a panther, feasting her eyes on her prey, deciding on the best way to pounce on him.

    Raphael couldn''t help but chuckle mirthlessly, his brother was blessed. So this was what he has been missing out on all this while.

    He fought against his elongating fangs, wanting to mark her as his before fucking her brain out; bonding with her finally as one in body and soul.

    But no matter how much he wanted her, he had to get rid of that Daniel first. He would give himself out the instant he tried to force himself on her. Asher the perfect gentleman would never force her to do anything against her wish.

    Or he could wait patiently until the incense did its work and he wouldn''t even need to worry about her desiring him.

    "About that incense," Lia raised the topic, resting her chin on his chest since she was lying beside him on the bed.

    Raphael almost thought she had somehow read his mind until she added.

    "I don''t think I would like to use that ever again, it made me feel horrible this morning. I had these throbbing headaches, dizzy spells, and no, relaxing or not, do not use that on me?"

    His face squinched sincerely, "That''s surprising, it did nothing to me at all"

    Lia breathed, "That must be because my body works differently, I''m a hybrid- a made one" she pointed out.

    Yeah, that must be it. The witch should put more into consideration when making the new and improved version of the incense.

    Maybe, he should consider changing it into a perfume- something fancier and in a bottle plus a gift from Asher. The girl wouldn''t hesitate to accept and use the gift from her beloved.

    "No problem, I wouldn''t use it on you any longer- without your consent"

    Lia''s heart warmed, Asher was really good to her, "I don''t deserve you nor Daniel," she shook her head.

    "You both are so understanding and good to me. Who am I to receive all this?"

    "You''re my mate, you deserve the best. If anything, I''m the one who doesn''t deserve anything" he told her.

    Unfortunately, the trusting Lia didn''t notice the use of his singular possessive pronoun. The original Asher would always try to remind her that she was his as much as she was to Daniel.

    She bit down on her lips," Also, I''m thirsty"

    "You want to feed on me?"

    She nodded and watched her mate smile- if only she knew the reason behind that smile.

    The universe was helping him out today, how lucky he was. All his motives for coming over to her place were being achieved one after the other.

    Lia was enthralled viewing his long, lean, and nimble fingers work on his buttons, it was so sexy she bit down on her lips, her blood throbbing with anticipation.

    This made her notice how different she was with both mates- Daniel and Asher.

    Daniel was like the perfect romantic boyfriend; he was warm, caring, gentle, and catering to all her needs. He was everything those romantic authors would describe in their books, so cheesy yet Lia loved it.

    Unlike Asher who was like a burning flame with that smoldering look, it was enough to bring her down to her knees. Asher was not the type to bring her flowers like Daniel but one thing was for sure, he was passionate about what or who he likes.

    So while Daniel was like the warm sun caressing one''s skin, Asher was the flame that burned to the ground.

    "What are you doing?" Raphael asked when she tried to kiss him, "Aren''t you going to feed first before we move to other things"

    Lia who was sitting astride him threw her hands up, "Weren''t you the one who always told me to arouse you before feeding on you? Why are you suddenly forgetful?

 Chapter 232 - Two Hundred And Thirty-two: His Soul Was Ripped Out Of His Body

    "Why are you suddenly forgetful?"

    Raphael gulped, why was it so damn hard to please her? Must he behave the same way Asher does? Sure, he was pretending to be Asher but he had the right to improvise sometimes so could someone cut him some slack.

    "I''m sorry" He apologized.

    Lia watched her mate tuck a lock of her hair to the back of her ear, "I''ve been distracted lately. I was thinking of what I would have been missing out on if Raphael had won. If he had taken me away from you"

    "No one would take you from me" she caught his hand leaving her face, "Even your brother Raphael, I wouldn''t hesitate to end him!"

    The fierceness in her eyes almost jump-started his dead heart, she meant what he said. So he would do his best to remain hidden - as her mate.

    Lia smiled against his lips, this minute with him was what she wished for. Their kiss was a slow dance, their mouth moving in symphony just as she moved down to his neck while her hands thread through his neck.

    Lia left a wet trail there, her heart beating in anticipation at the sight of that vein. She licked her lower lips, her fangs lengthening, unable to keep off the hunger any longer.

    The hybrid lowered her head, caressing his skin with the tip of her fang as if teasing him. The result of which made him grab her waist and move against her.

    Lia gasped, pleasure screaming through her body but it wasn''t time for this yet, she would return to him after feeding.

    Unfortunately, the instant she was about to sink her fang into his neck, a piercing headache reeled her.

    "What is it?"Raphael''s lust-filled eyes cleared when he heard her painful moan. Her eyes were closed and she was rubbing her temple with her hand.

    "Heck, it is that God awful headache again" Lia complained.

    But the moment she opened her eyes, she stiffened. It wasn''t Asher''s face staring back at her but Raphael''s.

    Lia screamed and got off him as if she was scalded by fire. What the hell was going on?

    Raphael''s eyes narrowed, what brought on this unusual behavior? Has she by chance discovered anything?

    "Are you okay?" Raphael stood to his feet and went to her side.

    Lia observed the face was now Asher''s but she had to be careful, she was having a bad feeling about this. It couldn''t be a coincidence that she had a dream where her mate''s face switched to  Raphael''s and now, had a vision about it.

    "I''m okay" she smiled at him," I just keep having this horrible headache and it''s quite disturbing. Also, my mom hasn''t checked on me the entire night so there''s a hundred percent she might come in any moment from now"

    "So you want me to leave?" He asked in disbelief.

    Lia sensed a hint of anger in his tone and quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, "Is not that I''m chasing you off but it can''t be good if my mom catches you. She thinks Daniel is my - "

    "Of course, it''s because of Daniel," he said bitterly.

    "Hey, I love you" Lia clasped his face, "And nothing is going to take me away from you"

    She saw a smile pull his lips and had to smile back too.

    Raphael kissed her, hard and demanding, the way he loved it but just when his hand went around to cup her ass, she pulled away abruptly.

    Lia giggled," I''m sorry about that but you do know that I can''t stop when you do that," was her seductive whisper into his ears.

    "So you''re not going to feed on me," he asked, kissing down her neck which she gave him free access to.

    "No, I''ll take a raincheck" she dropped a kiss on his neck this time, "But make yourself presentable the next time cause I''ll have my full with you"

    "I''ll be expecting then" Raphael kissed her one more time before leaving through the window.

    After confirming her mate wasn''t around her neighborhood, she let Lolli in. She had to come up with that convincing act earlier to keep whoever that was - Asher or Raphael - from suspecting a thing.

    "Tell me what the hell is going on?" Lia demanded.

    "How could you be such a fool!" Lolli scolded her, "Oh right, I forget I was the wolf to an eighteen-year-old high school kid, what was I expecting?"

    "Maybe, if you had gone to the point and stopped overwhelming my head, I would have been able to sense something was going on and not fight a crazy headache!"

    A knock on her door interrupted her conversation with Lolli.

    "Hey, mom" she opened the door halfway, leaning against the doorbell and barricading her mom''s entrance with her body.

    "What is today?" Her mom questioned sternly with her arms folded across her chest.

    "Today is umm..." Lia tried to remember. Her head was a tumult of activities right now," Today is Saturd..."

    Crap.

    "So?" Her mom raised a brow.

    Today was per every other Saturday, a day to keep the surrounding clean.

    "Mom-"

    "I gave you all the rest you needed yesterday, so you could help out today"

    Lia groaned, running her hand through her hair. All these supernatural activities had kept her so preoccupied that she had forgotten about her mundane duties as well.

    "I know mom, just give me a few minutes. I''ll promise I''ll be down in a jiffy"

    Jenny hesitated but the desperate look on her daughter''s face melted her heart, "Better hurry up, then"

    " Thank you so much, love you mom" Lia blew her a kiss, shutting the door at once.

    "Alright, what''s your problem? Why are you being harsh to me?!" She questoned Lolli.

    Thankfully, both of them could communicate telepathically without someone eavesdropping on their discussion.

    "You put me to sleep!" Lolli accused her.

    "What? That is outrageous! Why would I put you to sleep? I only shifted to my  ��."

    At once her mind drifted over to that Incense from last night. She gasped, could it be that Asher tried to put Lolli in jeopardy? But why would he do that? He had told her that incense was medicinal.

    "Alright, unless you don''t want me to go crazy, you have to tell me what''s going on with Asher? Why does his face keep switching to Raphael''s?"

    "We share a soul with our mates hence the bond, through which we sense one another''s pain, desperation, happiness, our feelings. But when I tapped into Asher''s, it was empty, void."

    Fear crippled Lia''s heart, she wished whatever she was thinking right now was not true.

    "So, what are you trying to say"

    "You already know the answer, Lia. Our mate''s soul is not in there, his soul has been ripped out of his body"

    That moment, everything began to make sense to her. That night she fainted in the moonlight pack, that must be when his soul was removed. Lia felt it, just couldn''t understand.

    How was she going to understand something she never thought was possible until now? No one in her shoe would have even imagined that.

    "Oh my God," Tears dropped from her eyes. If that was the case, that means Ralphael had been the one occupying his body all along. That son of a bastard has been playing and using her all times.

    Guilt gnawed at her heart, it pained her to the point it made her unable to breathe. All this while, she thought she was having fun with him without knowing it was that bastard Raphael.

    Who knows what that psychopath has done with Asher''s soul? The thought of it terrified her to the bone.

    She needed to call Dan. He needs to know about this. Followed by Sabrina, she was the person who had the best shot at figuring this out.

    Lia knew Ralphael had not done this alone, he must have had a witch help. No matter how powerful vampires were, there was no way one would possess the ability to rip out souls. That had to be magic - Lia hoped she was right.

    Witchcraft was Sabrina''s expertise. Even without powers, she must know a way to figure out everything and give her back the real Asher.

    "Come on, pick up" Lia tapped her feet impatiently, he was not picking her calls and she had no time for this.

    Raphael was a tricky vampire, if he had even the faintest inkling that she had figured out everything, he would surely come for her and who knows what he would do to her?

    "Seriously, pick up!" Lia yelled into the phone. She knew she was panicking but couldn''t help it - this was a matter of life and death for her.

    Finally, she decided to leave a voice message, " Hi, Dan, it''s me. There''s a lot of weird things going on right now but the most important thing you need to know is that Asher is - "

    Lia felt a sudden pain in her neck and fell to the ground. The image of Raphael crouching down beside her was the last thing she saw before her eyes closed.

 Chapter 233 - Two Hundred And Thirty-three: Join Me, Lia

    Lia had a bad dream as she slept. She dreamt that Asher wasn''t who she thought he was, that someone had taken over his body.  Even in that dream, she was so terrified that she woke up with a startle.

    "Ugh," she groaned, shaking her head to clear the dizziness. Her neck hurt like crazy as if it had been broken. Did someone snap her neck or something? The fogginess clouding her brain finally cleared as the memories returned one after the other.

    Lia rose with anger but was restricted by the chains at both wrists, he cuffed her to the wall. Anger like no other coursed through her vein.

    Her eyes went red, "Raphael, you animal! Come out wherever you are!"

    Lia didn''t know where she was, it was just a spacious compartment with a single bed and sofa,nothing else.

    "Raphael! Come out!" Lia screamed at the top of the lungs which produced an effective result because the single door in the room swung open and in came the bastard.

    Her chest heaved yet her mouth dropped in disbelief as she stared at that face. Tears welled up in her eyes as she kept staring at him, that face that was so familiar yet distant now.

    "Do vampires get pregnant?"

    "You''re a hybrid lia, I can''t really tell. But I can assure you that is that if you end up choosing me - child or not- I''ll love you for eternity"

    That was the memory of the last night she spent with Asher- the real Asher. All this time, this disgusting being has been the one with her- he even touched her.

    Lia felt like throwing up, it disgusted her to the core. Her heart hurt, she had betrayed, cheated on Asher with this scumbag.

    The hybrid laughed mirthlessly; her laughter so hysterical one would have thought she had lost it.

    Lia had to give it to Raphael, he was incredibly smart to choose and use the body of her most trusted person, he had fooled and played her like a yo-yo.

    He knew there was no way she would doubt Asher - the vampire had never given her a reason not to trust him - so used his body.

    If not for the signs and Lolli''s intervention, she would have never believed he wasn''t Asher.

    "Where is ..." Her voice broke, the emotions were too intense for her to handle. Her heart was hurting so much.

    "If you''re worrying about Asher, you can be rest assured that he''s very safe- at the moment"

    Lia swallowed, her mate''s safety was not guaranteed.

    "What did you do to his soul? Where did you keep it?"

    He chuckled, "Don''t worry, your beloved''s soul is keeping my body company"

    "I don''t understand"Lia frowned," Why is Asher''s soul keeping��..oh my God" she realized, "You didn''t rip out his soul, you exchanged the souls?"

    "Bingo"

    "You took Asher''s body and Asher took your body" Lia sighed, her head throbbing with a headache. This was too much for her to handle at once.

    "I''m curious about something though," Raphael came to crouch down in front of her and grabbed her chin, lifting her face to his level.

    "What gave me out? How did you know it was me?" He asked out of plain curiosity.

    Lia laughed, "Everything!" Her tone turned harsher, "You taught you had been smart but you were not. There were a lot of mistakes, errors, behaviors the real Asher would never exhibit. You were so immersed in making no mistakes that you didn''t realize when you started failing.

    "Also, you forgot one thing, I''m a hybrid and I have two mates. She figured it out through the mate bond!"

    "The mate bond?" He stroked his bottom lips reflectively, "Just as I thought, that wolf has always been a troublemaker"

    "And guess what?"Lia told him,

    "I''ll never let you go scot-free for this!"

    Raphael cocked a brow, "Sure, come at me with all you''ve caught"

    Certain, it was Asher''s face but Lia was determined to end this today. The hybrid screamed but to her utmost surprise, nothing happened save her dwindling vocal chord.

    She screamed again yet the same result, nothing happened. What the hell was going on? Lia tried to summon a force field since her sonic ability was taking a break but to her utmost shock, nothing happened.

    Her head whipped around to Raphael, "What did you do to me?" She glared at him with hatred. It just sickening to see Asher''s face staring back at her as he spoke.

    "It''s nothing much, just neutralized your powers" he answered nonchalantly.

    Witches, that was the first thought that came to her mind. They were the only ones capable of creating such impossible weapons.

    "How did you know I found out about your secret?" Lia questioned him.

    Though there had been a few slips like that time she had screamed when she saw his face change, Lia was so sure Raphael bought her acting in the end.

    He pursed his lips," I had to admit it, you almost fooled me but then I''ve always been a sharp vampire.."

    Of course, he just taught her that. Lia swore to never get fooled again.

    Raphael cupped her face, stroking it but instead of the fantastic shivers running down her spine, Lia felt goosebumps all over.

    It was so surprising how feelings could change so quickly. Just this morning, she had been playing with him in bed but right now, she detected his touch- it repulsed her.

    "It was quite simple" He began, "The fire in your eyes died"

    "What?"

    "That morning, we had been passionate about each other- "

    "The very thought of it grosses me out right now" she interrupted him

    "Exactly," he said, "How could someone who was lovey-dovey with me change in an instant. Yes, you did try to cover it up with your kisses but when I tried to touch you, you jumped��"

    The vampire looked her straight in the eyes, his other hand coming to cup her other cheek "The night you spent with me, my Lia never jumped even when she was clearly uncomfortable with my pleasuring method "

    Raphael''s lips brushed against hers and just when he moved to kiss her, she tried to chomp on him with her serrated werewolf teeth but the vampire stepped back, she ait air instead.

    The bastard began to laugh as he rose to his feet while gesturing a no-no sign with his finger.

    "This is why I like you!" Raphael declared, "You''re like a siren, beautiful and innocent at first with your sweet lovely voice as you lure unsuspecting mariners to their death, cheers to you"

    Shit, Lia cursed over her failed plan.

    "What do you intend to achieve with this?"

    "Nothing much, just want to have you back"

    "In your dreams Raphael." She spat at him, "Once I''m out of this, you''re head will be the first thing I would come for"

    "Have you forgotten, this is Asher''s body" He reminded her," If you destroy it, he would have nothing to return to"

    Lia snorted mockingly, "Nice try, Raphael. But you seem to have  forgotten, if you could invade his body, I''ll just find a much better body, he could occupy" She added," I bet Sabrina would do a good job on that "

    "Really?" Raphael was amused,

    "Then I''ll have you know that Sabrina was the one who did the soul exchange, she betrayed Asher"

    Lia paled, "You''re lying, you''re just trying to pit me against her. And how would she do such a thing when she has no powers?"

    "Love, trust me when I tell you she''s been lying to you guys all along. She never lost her powers, I helped her keep it that night" Raphael finally disclosed.

    "No way, you''re lying. Sabrina would never-"

    "Oh yes, she wouldn''t but I didn''t give her a choice. The witch owed me a favor which she paid that night by exchanging our souls,"

    Lia''s lips quivered, she was devasted.

    No wonder Raphael was able to defeat Asher that easily, it was because her mate was unable to predict that one of his people would betray him.

    "But you don''t have to be angry, I''ve finished her off already?"

    " What? You killed her?!"

    "What are you so shocked, she betrayed you guys and I couldn''t leave such a liability alive, so away she goes"

    "You''re a psychopath" Lia spat.

    "No, I''m not " he denied, " I just have big dreams that need no distraction" he came near her but not as close as earlier.

    "You can join me too. You don''t know how much power you wield, Lia. You just need to unlock your potential and drop some certain dead weights and together, even the council would be no match for us?"

    He took calculated steps towards her, "What do you say, Lia? Will you take my hand or not? "

    Lia stared at his hand with a conflicted expression for a minute before saying,

    "I''m sorry but I''m too human to fit into your inhuman plans"

    Raphael lowered his head as if disappointed, "Then I''m sorry too for doing this"

    "You can come in, now"

    Lia was confused when she heard that order until the door opened and a woman walked in.

    Oh crap, a witch. She recognized her by the numerous unique markings on her body.

    "Take away her memories from that moment she knew it was me"

    "I''m sorry but I''m not going to let you do that," Lia told him and before Raphael knew it, her eyes shifted to yellow.

    Her voice was deep and ominous, becoming one with Lolli''s as she said, "You might have locked my powers but I''m a hybrid, you never took my strength"

    At once one of the chains was yanked out of the wall with remarkable strength.

    "Do it now!" Raphael yelled at the witch as she released the second bind.

    The witch began to chant her spell while Raphael tried to attack her but he wasn''t Lia''s target, the witch was.

    She hit him with the chains still fastened to her wrists with a tremendous force and dived at the witch.

    Just a few meters from reaching her, the stubborn Raphael vamp sped and blocked her. He hugged her, taking the brunt of her talons digging into him instead of the witch just as she finished casting her spell.

    Lia''s world went blank and she slumped against Raphael who hoisted her up in his arms and carried her to the bed, placing her gently on it.

    "You said you would release my daughter already" The Witch grumbled.

    "Your daughter is with my father and will return to you once I''m done here," Raphael said and threw a blood bag to her which she caught.

    " What?"

    "I need Odin in that, enough to put her wolf to sleep" He ordered.

    The witch was shocked," Odin of that quantity would have a tremendously negative effect on her" she protested.

    "Do as I say or you would never see your daughter again!"

 Chapter 234 - Two Hundred And Thirty-four : The Proposal

    For some unknown reasons, Daniel was unsettled throughout the day. He has been trying his mate''s number but she hasn''t been picking up. The only reason he hadn''t run down to Little Town was that Asher had somehow called him, assuring him that Lia was with him and fine.

    He didn''t need to guess what was going on, they were probably doing stuff together and she must have been preoccupied.

    He tried not to get jealous hence both of them had come to a difficult partnership that they had access to her body except to mate with her.

    "Seriously Daniel, I won''t let you cross that door, "Ryan told him decisively "The pack is in a dire situation and we need you now more than ever" he stood protectively in front of the door.

    "I just need to see her, Iyke wants to see her, even if it''s just for a minute" Daniel pleaded.

    "That minutes you leave could be the period when the Ranger pack strikes.No matter how strong we are, you know a pack is useless without its Alpha" His beta reminded him.

    "Moreover" He went on, "Asher has called to say that she''s okay. We all know how much that vampire treasures her, he wouldn''t let anything happen to her"

    Well, maybe, he was worrying over nothing, Daniel thought. Though Vampires and werewolves disliked each other, Asher has protected the girl on several occasions, so there was no need to hate him. Also, they both shared a mate- until she chose one- there was no need to hate each other''s guts.

    Suddenly the phone in his grasp rang, his eyes widening with excitement when he saw it was the long-awaited mate.

    "Hey," He said.

    "Hey" she breathed.

    Daniel''s face twisted into a frown as he noticed her heaving breath, the wolf was not ignorant of what was going on.

    "Why are you calling on Asher''s phone?"

    "Oh, I forgot mine at home"

    Yeah, you were so distracted you forgot yours, Daniel sassed in his head. Seriously, where was that coming from? He has always turned a blind eye to whatever went on between Lia and Asher behind closed doors since he got his share of her too but right now, he didn''t want his mate with the vampire; Daniel wanted her with him alone.

    "So, why were you calling?" She asked but Daniel sensed a bit of indifference in her tone, as if the last thing she wanted to do was speak to him.

    "No, it''s nothing. I just thought to check up on you," Daniel lied.

    "As you see, I''m alright. Nothing to worry about, I''ll call you back later"

    "No, wait - " But his mate had ended the call before he could say whatever was on his mind.

    "That was the fastest call you''ve ever made since the history of your relationship" Ryan observed.

    Daniel raked his hand through his hair, tugging it " I guess she''s busy"

    Ryan raised a brow, "Yeah, busy with the vampire for sure" He taunted.

    "She''s our mate, we can''t deny each other the right to her "

    "Exactly!" Ryan exclaimed," That is what I can''t understand?! How can you share your soulmate with a vampire of all creatures?"

    "Sharing her with a vampire is better than sharing her with Tristan" He declared.

    "Fine, she would choose between you and the vampire, what if she doesn''t choose you? What are you going to do then, cause the way things are going, it''s pretty obvious that she''s inclined to select Asher"

    Daniel was speechless, he just stood like a pole unable to come up with an answer.

    "What are you going to do Daniel? You''re an alpha, this pack needs you and you need a mate! Can you take the backlash of being rejected? What if you go feral?!"

    "That''s enough!" He roared, shutting Ryan up. Though his words made sense, that was not the way to speak to an alpha.

    His beta was overly concerned about him, he would be okay no matter what comes his way. He has gone through many trials since young, this one wouldn''t break him either.

    "You don''t need to worry about me, I won''t go feral and I would find a way to win her heart"

    "I hope you do because the fate of the entire pack is on your shoulders and no matter what, I''m on your side" Ryan patted him on the shoulder with a smile.

    At once, both of them stiffened upon receiving a message through the pack''s mind-link. An emissary from the Ranger pack was here.

    "Keep them entertained in the receiving room, I''ll be there in a jiffy" Daniel sent back through the link.

    "Why do you think they''re here?" Ryan questioned him.

    "They sent an emissary, it must be for peace which is strange" Daniel answered.

    "This must be a trap, the way Tristan had spoken that day, he was as determined as hell to get the girl, " Ryan thought out loud.

    "Same thing here. I saw the fire in his eyes, he wasn''t close to giving up" Daniel rubbed his chin reflectively, "We have to see them first and know what they''re up to" Daniel advised.

    "Fine, you''re the boss. Your call is the order" Ryan acquiesced, earning a lopsided grin from his alpha.

    They left his office with Ryan escorting Daniel along the way until they got to the large receiving room which had been converted into the dining area for the students days ago.

    Daniel watched the three emissaries from the Ranger pack and noticed that Tristan''s beta Zach was amongst them. Did Tristan trust him that much not to end his beta or was he daring him to end him?

    He would rather choose the latter, Tristan was an egoistic alpha. He was probably taunting and ridiculing him a weak alpha. And while he would like to change that attitude, show Tristan he was more ruthless than he thought, Daniel didn''t kill for sports.

    Moreover, they were in the middle of stopping an impending war, not igniting one.

    Zach stood to his feet, "I, Zachary, Beta to Alpha Tristan of Ranger pack greets Alpha Daniel of the Moonlight pack" he bowed his head slightly.

    Of course, in formal settings like this, it was customary for lower wolves to show respect to a higher wolf, after all, wolves were hierarchical creatures.

    The two other wolves from the Ranger pack followed the same procedures as Zachary.

    "Your greetings are accepted" Daniel acknowledged them all and began, "To what do I owe this pleasant visit? "

    Everyone sensed the sarcasm beneath Daniel''s words but didn''t say anything.

    "We''re here about the tension existing between both packs for the past days. Our Alpha Tristan is proposing a peace talk in your pack to repair the recent rift. What do you say to that, Alpha Daniel?"

    Daniel thought hard over it, since it would be held in his pack it would be much better. He couldn''t tell Tristan''s intention or what was going on in his head when he thought about this suggestion but it would give his people an advantage since it was being hosted in his pack.

    "Tell your alpha that I, Daniel, Alpha of the Moonlight pack accepts his proposal" he gave his order.

    "Thank you, Alpha Daniel"Zachery stood to his feet, bowing once more as the Alpha left with his beta, a hidden evil smile flashing across his face.

    "Do you think we did the right thing by accepting?" Ryan asked.

    "Don''t know but the proposal seems favorable to us and it''s too late for me to change my mind, I have already given my word," Daniel went on," We invited the enemy into our pack, it''s left for us to get prepared for the worst"

    "I''ll inform Judith to strengthen the security along the borders and sent out more scouts. It would be impossible to spy on Tristan since time is against us but we should be able to know of any suspicious activity" Ryan contributed.

    "Good " The Alpha instructed further with his hand behind his back, "And did I forget to add, get the decorators, the catering crew, this is a peace talk. It could go on for days and we are receiving guests, the packhouse needs to be clean, redecorated, lively and ready to accommodate sleepovers "

    "Sure, sure" Ryan made sure to remember all of them before Aunt Phoebe gives him an earful.

    Daniel''s mate aka the Luna was suposed to be the one organizing this event since this aspect of the preparation falls upon the women but then, the Alpha was still single - as thought by most pack members.

    So his Aunt Phoebe who had much influence over the other she-wolves would be in charge of it. There was no room for mistakes else that bullying aunt would pull his ear.

    Unknown to them all, Zachary who had returned to his pack was called in by his alpha, Tristan.

    "How did it go?" He inquired.

    "Just as you predicted, the foolish Alpha accepted the proposal"

    Tristan smiled, tapping his finger on the surface of the armrest rhythmically with a contemplative look.

    "How''s the girl ?"

    " It was quite hard to track her down but she''s at home with her human family"

    Tristan exhaled deeply, " Keep an eye on her, there is something about her that I''m curious about "

    " Yes alpha"

 Chapter 235 - Two Hundred And Thirty-five: The Escape

    "Is he dead?" The vampire inquired, looking Asher all over before poking him slightly on the chest. His head lay limp and his blues lips chapped, his chalky skin was whiter and dry.

    "What a fool you are, do vampires die from starvation?!" His brute partner shoved him roughly to the side before punching Asher on the face which stirred him.

    They all knew vampires who haven''t been fed for a long time would desiccate, staying unmoving and until they were fed would their healthy complexion return.

    "Shouldn''t you be gentle? Don''t you remember, is Alpha''s son we''re treating this way?" The much smaller framed vampire reminded him with caution.

    The brute grinned mockingly at him, he was amongst the few who knew the imprisoned fool with Raphael''s face wasn''t the real one. He was the son of Antonio, their alpha''s enemy.

    They had to keep the secret from most vampires so they don''t spread and warrant unnecessary attention.

    "Don''t you remember what he did? The alpha permitted us to treat him this way" The brute said, grabbed Asher''s neck, and lifted him off the ground.

    Asher wasn''t human so there was no fear of suffocation yet the vampire was crushing his neck.

    "He doesn''t deserve to have mercy"

    The brute vampire who was still using Asher as an object of caricature never anticipated that the weak vampire would suddenly hook his legs around his neck, snapping it.

    The smaller framed vampire went still with shock, he never expected that the vampire they had intentionally exsiccated was this vigorous.

    Asher had deliberately waited, having the patience of a tortoise and when they least expected it, attacked like a cobra.

    Before the small framed vampire could finally put his legs into action, the vampire had yanked out one of the chains from the wall and curled it around his neck, dragging him back.

    "I-I it''s me, Raphael" he struggled, trying to be set free, "I didn''t want to h-hurt you but the Alpha ordered us to"

    A cold smile that was capable of sending chills down one spine appears on Asher''s expression, "Sorry, I''m not Raphael but don''t worry, he''d be joining you soon"

    With that being said, Asher pulled at the chains until the vampire''s head was ripped out of his body.

    Done, Asher stepped away from the dead vampire as he shook the dizziness out of his head, he had not taken enough blood so what he just did was taking its tolls on his body.

    He pulled the second chain out of the wall and his arm came free.  He''d have to find a way to get rid of the cuffs around his wrists if he wanted to use Raphael''s abilities - which meant he had to find the witch.

    Thanks to his daughter pushing his button, he had figured out a secret hack to get out of those restraints.

    A day ago.

    "Reject your mate and I''ll release you," Electra told him with her head held high.

    Asher was stunned for a while, her words sinking into his head which made his eyes turn red.

    "Get out! I said get the hell out of here!" he snarled, baring his fangs at her.

    Electra laughed, "The thought of it makes your blood boil, right?" She purposely incited him, "So how does it feel to lose someone precious to you?"

    "I''ll set you straight once I''m out of here," Asher promised her.

    "That''s the problem!"Electra taunted him, "When are you going to get out of here? While you''re here lying like a pathetic bastard you are, your smart-ass brother is out there, making advances at your woman��" she faltered.

    Electra looked him in the eyes with a wicked smile," Who knows, your mate might be lying beneath him right now while he drives his massive cock inside of her as she screams his name - your name!"

    It was that instant that he moved forward with all the accumulated anger in his heart and heard a cracking sound from the wall.

    Asher realized a loophole at once, the dampening cuff had taken away his power but not his strength. Ezekiel knew that too which was why he purposely starved him. Without feeding, there would be no strength to pull.

    Asher pulled again but couldn''t create much impact since he was weak already moreover, the emotion that drew out that response in him had died down.

    His head whipped around to her," I need a favor"

    Electra made a snorting chuckle, "I just gave you a proposal and you rejected it. Now you''re asking for a request"

    "Hey, listen up here you little snob of a vampire from my lineage," he said to her sternly, "When I was your age I had already started making major decisions in my clan not tracking down people who made my life miserable.

    "You claimed I killed your mother? Fine, I did, I admit it. But before you ask me to pay up for the life you lost, why don''t you first pay up for the numerous lives your mother took during her jealous fit. Trust me, my past lovers she killed off were mothers or sisters or daughters to other people too! "

    It was obvious that whatever Asher said stunned Electra so much that she could not speak for a while until she heard.

    "Now are you granting me the favor or not?!" Asher barked!

    "Fine, what do you want?" She added quickly, "Don''t think I''m helping you out of here. My proposal still stands - pep talk or not" The young vampire told Asher yet was unsettled by this strange feeling gnawing at her heart.

    "I''m so hungry that I would drain a human dry at this rate. Neither can you smuggle a human in here without getting discovered and you don''t want to help me escape either, so I''ll work everything out myself. I just need you to get me a blood bag"

    "A Blood bag? Just that?" Electra scoffed at him, "I was expecting a favor much difficultlt and challenging"

    "I would have needed numerous bags but they believe I''m starved, so if I would take many - "

    "The changes in your body would be apparent. You just need one that wouldn''t satisfy you yet make a huge contribution" she filled in.

    "You''re indeed my blood. There''s that glint in your green eyes whenever one''s involved in an exciting mission. The feeling is akin to a human''s blood throbbing with anticipation" Asher explained.

    Electra rolled her eyes, "I''m not here to catch up on my ancestry which I don''t give a damn about" she told him pointedly, "Now, what do I get in return for this? I''m not here to do voluntary services"

    "Wish," he said.

    " What?"

    "I''ll grant whatever wish you want as far as it doesn''t involve my mate being hurt or snatching my position as Nicoli''s clan

    head," he stated, having known he had an extremely smart daughter.

    "What can I wish for aside from those two?" She argued.

    "Take it or leave it, "Asher insisted.

    "Fine" she agreed reluctantly.

    "Also" Asher added, "In case you want to know, your maternal grandmother is here"

    "What?"

    "She''s being kept somewhere in this building, you can check her out later"

    "I don''t care," Electra told him, yet her voice wavered at the end.

    "I just wanted to let you know"

    End of flashback.

    "Shit" Asher cursed at the way the chains rattled with his every movement. He had to get rid of this soon else, his presence would be announced to his enemies before he could even make a move.

    With calculated nimble steps, he broke out of the underground prison and found himself in the large house with no clue where to go. There were numerous rooms and passageways and he had no idea which one was occupied by the witch or his mother at least.

    He wasn''t a fool to think he would escape this house without getting caught. This was Raven Clan and Raphael was a very famous face, he would get caught once he stepped out - if he wouldn''t get caught inside.

    So far he had managed to evade two distracted vampires and kept searching through empty rooms until he caught a whiff of a delicious scent that made his stomach flip - a human.

    Asher was far too hungry to think about his resolve not to feed on humans. He traced the human down to the kitchen where he found her leaning over the counter and chopping some vegetables.

    She must have sensed his presence cause she turned around that very moment.

    "I''m sorry," Asher said before he grabbed her, pushed her back against the counter, and sank his fang into her neck.

    That terrified look on her face would be forever imprinted in his mind as he fed on her till her resisting hands fell by her side, lifeless.

    Asher was still savoring the feeling of being full-which haven''t occurred for a while now - when he felt another presence and a dangerous growl.

    "Oh boy" Asher cracked his neck, it was about to go down.

    And so, the fight began.

    At first, it was just the both of them punching their faces until another came and another and before he knew what was going on, he was facing off against six vampires and more incoming.

    In no time, Asher was overwhelmed and tossed to the ground where he landed beside the dead human but something happened.

    The cuff on his wrists somehow touched the pool of blood on the floor and it clicked open.

    Things just got better.

 Chapter 236 - Two Hundred And Thirty-six: I Give You My Word

    "Where is she?" Jenny asked with a face lined with scowls combined with worries.

    Trevor lifted her phone and read out the message "Sorry mom, but I have got a place to go but don''t worry, I would be back soon"

    "I bet she went to visit Daniel, he''s the only person that comes into her mind these days," Jenny said angrily.

    "I highly doubt that," Trevor mumbled but his mom heard him, "If she didn''t go there, then where?"

    Since she already heard him, Trevor had no choice but to give her his point of view "She just returned from Kinney village a day ago, why would she go back to a place miles away from here?"

    "Well, I don''t know but I need her back home right now!" His mother stomped her feet angrily.

    Trevor didn''t need to guess, she was probably at Asher''s place - not that he would tell that to their mom.

    Having two mates? It was pretty shocking to others with the knowledge of the supernatural not to talk of their mom.

    What was he going to tell her? That her daughter Lia was destined to be with two men for life?

    Nope, their mom would go gaga and might take extreme measures to separate her from her mates- highly doubtful she could do that with her daughter''s scary mates around.

    "Maybe, you should calm down and await her return" Trevor suggested.

    "Fine, I''ll do just that. She''s dead meat," Jenny announced and walked back into her room.

    Once his mother was out of sight, all smiles disappeared from Trevor''s face, he knew something was amiss here.

    Normally, he would have thought her sister''s weird disappearance normal but after discovering Supernaturals existed, he understood at once: nothing was a coincidence.

    Why would Lia type a message on her phone instead of penning down a note on a paper for them? His sister was strict with her phone and would never let anyone- not even their mother - go through it.

    It was obvious she was hiding the millions of dirty chats with her mates from their sight. It was no secret that their mom was a very nosy person and could pry into the smallest of secrets.

    So would why Lia, his sister leave her phone lying around carelessly, the password had even been removed which is why he was able to go through the message without encountering any trouble.

    It could only mean one thing: someone abducted his sister and didn''t want to raise an alarm. Unable to copy her writing, the culprit must have thought her phone was a better option.

    But whoever was able to disable her password must be someone close to her, who knew about her family and her secrets too.

    Her mates! That was the only two people he could think of.

    Ben, of course, made the list but the boy was an ordinary human who doesn''t have the strength to carry off her sister through a window. He would break his leg if not die, jumping from that height with his sister in his arms; only someone as strong as a  supernatural could do that.

    Now, which of her mates abducted her cause from the looks of things, she left unwilling.

    Trevor disliked Daniel very much - he had heard and read tales of these beasts losing control and hurting people - even their mates sometimes.

    Though he had no idea how both creatures spent time with his sister - which was pretty revolting after imagining them having a threesome- but it was pretty obvious that they took turns.

    So Daniel would not come for her after having her to himself in Kinney village unless jealousy set in and he took her - but that was exaggerated.

    If Trevor had a dislike for the wolf, then he had a stronger dislike for the vampire. Not because he intimidates him but mainly for the fact that he has this strong impression that Asher was taking advantage of their relationship and feeding on his sister - If only he knew that was the other way around.

    Moreover, after that incident of almost dying in the hands of that girl who he swore bore fifty percent resemblance to Asher, his trust for the vampire dwindled greatly.

    He was probably the one who seized his sister but why? He didn''t know. So at once, he called him.

    "What is it?" The vampire picked at the first ring but his harsh tone hinted he was annoyed by his call.

    "My sister, she''s there, isn''t she?" Trevor questioned boldly.

    "She is here. Any specific reason for asking?"

    "Why did you take her?" The anger Trevor reined in began to surface, it was obvious in his taut voice.

    "I needed my mate, is there any other reason for that? " His tone was smug.

    The arrogance of that vampire

    "That mate of yours has a life here and you took her against her will, that is against the law and her human right!"

    Trevor retorted furiously.

    "Raise that in vampire court" the vampire mocked him.

    "Return my sister" he demanded.

    "Sure," he added, "After we''re done having fun and unless you want to join us, do not call my phone again"

    "You said you were going to protect her," Trevor reminded her briskly before he hung up.

    "Trust me, I''m keeping her safe"

    And the call ended.

    Trevor howled in an angry outburst which got Rex saying, "Men, don''t wolf out on me"

    Call it his instincts as a hunter or the bond between siblings but he knew his sister wasn''t safe.

    He pondered calling Ben who was the closest to his sister yet decided against it, what could that weirdo possibly do?

    An idea hit him, Trevor began to scroll through the contacts in her sister''s phone and stumbled upon a number, Dan.

    The vampire was the second in command to Asher and would help get her sister out of whatever danger Asher was putting her in.

    "What is it now, Lia? Haven''t you had a handful with your mate last night? " Dan grumbled.

    "It''s not Lia but her brother, Trevor. We need to talk "

    ____________________

    What was this? Asher was utterly disappointed, he replicated only one. Then it struck him, everything was at the beginner''s level.

    He could only duplicate one at a time and it took him great energy and concentration. He had just fed after a long time but at this rate, he was going to be famished pretty soon.

    Raphael was a stupid bastard, this ability of his which he clearly underestimated was so powerful that even Asher found it hard to manipulate. One had to have a high level of concentration and endurance to control the duplicates.

    Per his command, his copy made another replica who in turn made another copy, bringing them to a total of four against six vampires.

    "Go now!" Asher commanded the third generation duplicate to leave while his predecessor provided cover for him to escape and the other fought alongside him.

    Raphael had stayed with the Raven clan for years and they knew all the flaws in his ability. He might not have the opportunity to leave this place easily but his clone had a better chance of surviving.

    Since Asher had drawn much attention to this room, everyone would be focused on capturing him, giving his duplicate enough time to escape and call for help from his people.

    Just as predicted, the kitchen was gradually filled with vampires who attacked him from both sides. In no time his copies were killed leaving him all to himself.

    Asher was too exhausted to create more and was immobilized in no time. They forced him to his knees while another had his arm around his neck- a vulnerable spot for vampires since one could easily get their neck ripped off from their body.

    Two others held him at the arms respectively - used to dismember a vampire but he wouldn''t die. In summary, he was disabled and as good as dead.

    Ezekiel came in with a hardened look, it was obvious he had received the unpleasant news.

    A punch which he had anticipated, to be honest, met his face; the man was good at throwing one.

    "How did this happen?!" Ezekiel raged which made some vampires step back reflexively.

    "We have no idea, sir," The brute who he had beaten in the dungeon answered with his head lowered and a fearful look.

    A malevolent smile found its way across Ezekiel''s features, "So you''re trying to say that you failed woefully at the job I gave you?"

    The vampire gulped, "No, Alpha ��"

    The rest of his words were forever lost as Ezekiel ripped out his heart cruelly and tossed it across the room.

    A chill fell upon the area, everyone was on tenterhooks, no one knew who would be the next to incur Ezekiel''s wrath.

    "Did any of the duplicates escape?!" Ezekiel questioned.

    "Yes, one did " A vampire answered.

    Anger flashed in his eyes," You let him escape?" He faced the vampire who answered.

    "No, alpha Ezekiel, I was - "

    A snapping sound was heard and the vampire slumped with his head twisted to a weird angle.

    Right, Ezekiel had telekinesis ability.

    He faced Asher who had a smug smile, "You just sealed your death" he told him.

    " You orchestrated this plan perfectly. At this rate, your copy would reach your clan before sundown and that is a mistake I can''t afford"

    "So what are you going to do? Kill me? This is your son''s body" Asher looked calm but he was beginning to get anxious inwardly.

    He had believed that Ezekiel would not destroy his son''s body which was why he was relaxed all this while. If he dies, his duplicate would die as well, hence Ezekiel''s urgent need to end him.

    "I dislike the sight of you, but if it means that my son would flourish in that body, then so be it" Ezekiel declared.

    " No, you can''t do - "

    Asher began to grunt his pain, holding the area of his chest: Ezekiel was trying to pull out his heart using his ability.

    Blood began to seep out of his chest and just when Asher was convinced that he would die, a shrill wail filled the room causing all the vampires - Ezekiel included- to cry out in horror with their hands against their ears.

    "Give me your word that you would help me find my mother or I would leave you to your damnation " Demanded the young witch who appeared by his side.

    " I give you my word"

 Chapter 237 - Two Hundred And Thirty-seven: Meet With Sabrina

    Dan was on tenterhooks throughout the night. He contemplated Lia''s idea of going to Sabrina and speak one on one with her. But he couldn''t, he was afraid.

    What more could she say, he had caught her red-handedly cheating on him. If he had truly meant something to her, she would have tried calling him, pleading for forgiveness.

    But then, she did nothing. It was enough to prove to him that this was a game to her. Sabrina was the second woman he had ever loved and to crown it all, she was a witch.

    He knew the many sacrifices he had made on her behalf and the risk he had taken to protect her. Just like it was hard to find a werewolf and vampire couple, it was the same with witches too.

    Vampires unlike other creatures were thoroughly disliked because of their feeding nature. Though mandurugas made the top of the hate list but those creatures were few hence vampires taking the top spot.

    Unknown to Sabrina, Dan had taken care of every witch who was a threat to them because of their relationship. So why would she do this to him now?

    Thankfully, Dan had no time to wallow in heartbreak since Asher kept him busy with his petty errands last night. Their clan leader was very determined to chase everyone off the clan house with his libidinous activity with his mate.

    Asher''s room was soundproofed but not as much as the underground prison moreover, they were vampires with enhanced sensory organs so every one of their moans and dirty talks infiltrated his ears.

    Fine, once the vampire leaves for work the next week, he would skip that pathetic school and create a quiet, more tranquil environment by increasing the soundproofing of Asher''s existing walls.

    However, Dan couldn''t help but feel like something was unusual about Asher since he returned. Apart from giving him orders, their leader seems to be distancing himself from him.

    Normally, when Dan returns from such a journey, both vampires would catch on to events that happened during his leave while he fills Asher on the latest information he got from his journey but this time, none of that happened; Asher dismissed him as soon as possible.

    Moreover, Dan was a telepath who could never assess the mind of Asher unless he let him or get distracted yet yesterday, he glimpsed snippets that revolved around Lia.

    It was obvious that his leader had finally lost it, he was obsessed with his mate and that would bring a problem between him and Daniel pretty soon.

    Still yet, something was missing. When he had gotten that little information, he tried to pry into Asher''s mind for more when he resisted him, albeit with struggle.

    "Don''t you dare read my mind, ever again!" Asher had warned him furiously.

    "What did Raphael do to you during the attack?" He recollected having said while blocking Asher''s path, "You''re not told me what happened to you during Raphael''s attack when it''s obvious that you''re weakened!" He had yelled at him.

    "It''s none of your business. Dan, I''m fine. All you should worry about is keeping the girl safe"

    "This was the same thing you said that almost got you killed during my absence" Dan retorted," For how long would you neglect -"

    "You''re dismissed" Asher had ignored the matter.

    "Dan, we''ve run out of blood bags" She-Zukai who came into the living room roused him from his thoughts.

    "How is that possible?" Dan was bewildered.

    The council had begun the long-debated monthly supply of blood to every vampire to support their vegetarian lifestyle- living on animal blood- and to curb the attack on humans for food.

    Even if vampires fed on animal blood for eternity, the thirst for human blood was innate and one-day, that unnatural trend would be broken and all hell would let loose.

    A vampire who has forgotten the taste of human blood would likely binge drink or binge feed on a human once he or she has a taste. So the council was tactically using that approach to avoid such a deadly situation.

    All the blood bags were missing? He was sure that the fridge had been stocked, how had it gone down so soon?

    Dan didn''t believe it until he confirmed it with his own eyes, just three bags were remaining.

    "Who was the last to feed today aside from you?" He questioned the female vampire.

    "Don''t know?" She shrugged," But Gideon has been with me throughout last night so you should ask Asher" She-Zukai referred.

    "Why would Asher need up to thirty blood bags to feed as if he was starved or infected with werewolf venom��." Dan trailed off when it clicked in his head.

    Lia must have injured Asher.

    Dan''s blood boiled, he would kill that little hybrid - mate or not- if anything happens to their leader, Asher.

    Dan marched upstairs, walking into Asher''s room but there was no sign of Asher nor his mate Lia.

    He knew the vampire well, Asher must be hiding, so he doesn''t find out and hassle his mate.

    That irritated him the more, that stupid clan leader. He was too kind-hearted for his own good.

    Dan was about to leave when he caught something out of the corners of his eyes. There was an incense ashtray on Asher''s vanity table. He frowned, when did Asher start lighting incenses?

    He lifted the tray to his nose and took a whiff, confirming that it had no smell. He took a pinch into his mouth, it was tasteless just like powder.

    Dan wouldn''t have bothered himself with this but he couldn''t help but feel that something was off with Asher''s character recently.

    Also, judging from the ashes, it was obvious that this incense was used last night. Why would Asher light this incense with his mate around? Was his motive? What''s the purpose of this incense?

    So he quickly tore off a sheet of paper from the magazine on the table and poured the ashes in it, folded it, and put it in the pocket of his pants; Sabrina should know something about that.

    Once out of the room, he proceeded to search the underground cells and labs since there was a high chance Asher was draining the venom out of him down there.

    But Dan was disappointed, no one had come in there at all. He was just pondering on where to search next when his phone rang.

    Dan''s eyes darkened, the girl had the guts to call him after injuring Asher? Fine, he would pretend to be ignorant of what was going on.

    "What is it now, Lia? Haven''t you had a handful with your mate last night?"

    But he never premeditated the voice that answered.

    "It is not Lia but her brother, Trevor. We need to talk" said the male voice.

    Dan stared at the number to confirm it was really the girl''s. Of course, he knew Trevor but both were not from the same class neither was he protecting him, hence had little to talk about.

    "What do you want?" Dan asked, irked.

    "We need to meet face to face" Trevor requested.

    "I don''t have time. So say what you have to say and get it over with " Dan insisted. He still had to visit Sabrina and figure out what the hell that incense was used for.

    "It''s about Asher"

    Dan stilled," What about Asher?"

    "He has my sister"

    "Look here you dumbhead, Asher and your sister are mates and he would always - "

    "You don''t understand, he has against her will. I think my sister is in danger"

    Dan snorted, "That''s quite funny because I think Asher is the one in danger from your sister"

    "Listen here you douche, I have all the evidence here. So you could either come over to my place or keep on arguing, your choice"

    "Fine" Dan gave in. He took one last look around and teleported to the girl''s house.

    "Christ Jesus!" Shrieked the girl''s brother who had not expected his abrupt arrival.

    "You said you had evidence" Dan went straight to the point, he still had to check on Sabrina.

    "My sister''s room.." Trevor looked around cautiously, checking out for his mother.

    "Christ, God, Jesus! Dude, give me a warning before you do things like this!" Trevor freaked out, hand on his chest.

    He was about to tiptoe into his sister''s room with the vampire by his side when he teleported both automatically in a twinkle of an eye.

    "Tell me what happened," Dan ignored him, taking in the appearance of the room and a whiff of Asher''s scent, he had indeed come here.

    Trevor began to narrate everything to the very end till he was out of breath.

    "He said he''s not going to hurt her but I can''t help but get worried for her," Trevor said.

    "Your sister is Asher''s mate, no matter what she does, he would never hurt her" Dan assured him of that.

    But to Dan, he had just proven that something was going on and it had to do with Raphael. That foxy vampire must have done something bad to Asher''s body, hence his weird behavior.

    He must meet with Sabrina at once and figure out what was wrong with their leader and this substance.

 Chapter 238 - Two Hundred And Thirty-two: The Wind Of Change

    Things were falling apart under his watchful eyes, this was not how everything was supposed to turn out. Where had everything gone wrong? When the girl found out about him? Gosh, this was so irritating.

    Raphael''s eyes roved over the girl''s sleeping figure while she received the transfusion. Once she becomes conscious, he would complete the rest of his plan which was mating with her; he would make her his for eternity.

    "I need an orbiting orb" he demanded from the witch who was sitting beside the girl''s bedside.

    "How long would your plan last��?" Her voice quivered," I miss my daughter "

    Raphael growled at her," As soon as you work harder. Now the orb," he demanded with an outstretched arm.

    The blonde-haired witch who had dark circles all around her eyes, said a spell, and six circular little dark blue globes appeared in her hands which she handed over to Raphael grumpily.

    "And remember, try anything stupid in my absence and you can kiss bye-bye to your daughter" Raphael threatened her.

    The vampire turned away from her, threw one of the orbs to the floor and a portal materialized, he stepped into it and vanished.

    The witch wept just as Raphael left. She could summon a location spell and get her daughter but she wouldn''t dare.

    Her daughter Devon was a hybrid- half-vampire, half-witch- which was a rare occurrence in the witch community. It was no secret that witches disliked vampires and thanks to that, Devon was bullied a lot.

    Devon was different from her peers and stronger, thanks to her mixed heritage but it also made her a target. A target to the stereotypical witches who labeled her a freak and a shame to their coven.

    The witch wasn''t sure her daughter was the first of her kind since the world was vast and there might be a case similar to theirs somewhere.

    Unable to take the maltreatment anymore, she had resorted to returning her daughter to the father- a vampire from the Raven clan. She would be more protected there, she had thought.

    As believed, she was treated well at first by her father who had found his mate already. The witch knew her romance with the vampire had been out of sheer curiosity but looked where it landed her.

    So she didn''t care for the lack of attention from him since her daughter was treated fairly, plus the fact she knew how important soulmates were to these night creatures - To him, she was just a daring witch who he had a good fuck with.

    Perhaps, if she had learned she would get pregnant, she would have reserved her curiosity and not bestow such a cruel fate on her daughter.

    Because of their kindness towards her, she had not hesitated to help the Raven clan with her magic until they became too demanding and their request disturbing.

    So when Raphael came up with his plan, her daughter''s father who was loyal to Ezekiel had not hesitated to toss her to the wolves. They used Devon as leverage, forcing her to comply with every one of their wishes, and here she was at last.

    Meanwhile��.

    Raphael appeared in the dining as he wished. That was how the orbs worked, it teleported him wherever he wished.

    He was grateful that no one was in sight and staggered to the refrigerator. Opening it, he was gladdened to see that there were enough blood bags to support him during the draining ordeal.

    Raphael still needed the witch which was why he had taken the brunt of the attack from Lia and now he was infected with werewolf venom.

    Carefully walking into the kitchen, he grabbed a cellophane bag and found his way back where he grabbed as many blood bags as he could before teleporting back to his hideout.

    The witch was there as expected, unlike Lia, she was an obedient hostage.

    Raphael ignored her, slid down to the floor at a corner of the room, and proceeded to tear open his skin with his sharp nails. He was halfway through with the draining when Asher''s phone, scratch that, his phone started ringing.

    Releasing a torrent of curses, Raphael was contemplating ignoring Trevor''s call when it hit that the boy must have picked something.

    "What is it?" His harsh tone hinting he was in no mood to joke around.

    "My sister, she''s there, isn''t she?" The boy asked him firmly.

    Just as he thought, the boy found out. It looks like he wasn''t efficient at covering up the girl''s disappearance.

    Raphael had no choice but to agree to his claim. It would not do him any good if that stupid boy involved other people in searching for his sister.

    "She is here. Any specific reason for asking?"

    "Why did you take her?" The little bug dared to question him.

    Raphael was close to losing his temper till he recalled he was impersonating his brother. How would his brother react in this situation?

    "I needed my mate, is there any other reason for that?" He gloated.

    "That mate of yours has a life here and you took her against her will, that is against the law and her human right!" He fumed.

    Well, the boy was right. Sadly, he needed that sister of his too and  Lia couldn''t replicate herself - so sad for Trevor.

    "Raise that in vampire court" He intentionally mocked him.

    "Return my sister" the boy demanded.

    "Sure," Raphael smirked, "After we''re done having fun and unless you want to join us, do not call my phone again"

    "You said you were going to protect her, "

    Raphael reflected on his words, who said he was putting the girl in danger?

    "Trust me, I''m keeping her safe," he told the ignorant brother and hung up on him.

    They might not see the result now but sooner or later, they would thank him for this. He had bigger dreams; dreams of grasping this world in the palms of his hand; he just had to get rid of his opposition.

    Raphael grunted as he sliced open a larger part of his arm where the main artery was located, eliciting a faster bleeding.

    By the time he was through with the draining, the blood lust had kicked in, causing him to feed ravenously from the blood bag.

    Blood dripped from Raphael''s jaw while his eyes glowed red, he burped in satisfaction while the witch watched him with pure disgust.

    Raphael rose to his feet with a grunt, walking over to the edge of the bed, on which he sat down

    A smile lit up the vampire''s features while stroking Lia''s face, saying particularly to the witch.

    "Hate me as much as you want but a new wind of change is coming over this town, no, this world as a whole.

    "Soon, your kind would be stripped of their powers, their authority and all they have oppressed would rise to be their oppressor"

    The witch nodded in understanding," That''s why you need the girl. You know she is the only one who can give you the kind of power you desire"

    Raphael faced her, leaning closer,

    "Whoever has power, has all"

    "Power has a cost - "

    "Which I''m willing to pay" Raphael interjected, "I''d rather die a revolutioner than wander this earth for eternity without contributing anything notable," he told her in a whisper.

    "You''re not qualified to be any contributor" she hissed.

    "Watch me," Raphael said determinedly.

    He yanked off the needle from Lia''s wrist, carried her limp form off the bed, and teleported back to  Asher''s room.

    Laying her gently on the bed, he pranced to the bathroom where he took off his bloody clothes and had a fresh bath; all the veins in his body anticipated his next course of action.

    Done, he returned to the room where he found her still asleep. She would be up soon, he observed from his watch and so took off his shirt and got into bed with her.

    As premeditated, she stirred and woke up, surprise all over her face at seeing him.

    "Hey," she said.

    "Hey" he replied, sitting up with her.

    "What happened? My memory is jumbled and I feel like I was dug out of a subterranean pit"

    "What happened is that we had a lot of fun last night," Raphael said, already kissing her neck and feeling her shiver under his touch - the Odin was working perfectly.

    "That means my family hasn''t seen me, they would be worried after me, Asher" she tried to get off him but he pushed her onto her back. Why was she always worried about irrelevant things.

    "You don''t have to worry about a thing, I''ve taken care of everything" he murmured into her ears as he lay on top of her.

    "Asher, I feel weird" she complained yet reacted to his expertise touches.

    Her body was a throbbing mess and no matter what her logical brain said, the pleasure he was giving her would overrule that.

    "Lia, I need you," he told her, and as usual, she tried to protest but he grabbed her hands and kissed her till she was crying with need.

    "Take me, Asher" she conceded.

    Raphael grinned, that was the only word he needed all this while.

    "If course, my lady"

    Raphael''s hand went to undressed her but was yanked off her by the hair before he could respond to the external threat.

 Chapter 239 - Two Hundred And Thirty-three: Who Is The Real Sabrina?

    The sound of sexual music blasting through the speakers was the first thing Dan noticed upon getting to her doorstep; the door wasn''t even locked.

    Dan''s face scrunched upon walking into the house, it was an embodiment of lust- Sabrina organized an all girl''s sex party.

    The smell of alcohol and cigarettes wafted into his nose not to mention the wantonness moans coming from the guest room, living room, and hidden corners.

    Dan''s expression shifted, if this kind of sight welcomed him, there was no need guessing what was going on in Sabrina''s bedroom.

    Normally, these witches would have noticed the arrival of a vampire in a beehive of witches, not to mention that he was the only male among these women of various shapes and sizes but, they were too busy to care or stop him.

    His hands were clenched by his side as he walked into Sabrina''s bedroom and just as expected, five women were lying with her; she was lying in-between two while the rest laid across. They were naked-so was she- evident of the fun from the last night which was carried over to this day.

    Dan knew witches were unbonded creatures who fall in the normal range of human relationship behavior and had open policies concerning sex and relationships but he never knew she enjoyed such a lascivious lifestyle until now.

    Dan stood in the middle of the room with anger coursing through his veins, even if this was a game to her and she broke up with him, couldn''t she be a bit reserved? Must she rub this all over his face?

    The vampire was just pondering what to do to Sabrina when her eyes snapped open and she sat up abruptly, wide-eyed and shocked to see him before collecting herself.

    Ozark was stunned, he was slightly distracted and didn''t get to notice the vampire appear. The first thing the cunning vampire did was to tactically confirm he was still bearing Sabrina''s form. Since he was just imitating the original bearer of this body, he could sometimes slip unconsciously.

    He wondered what Dan was doing here? Hasn''t he learned to move on? Seriously, the Nicolli clan and emotional attachments- that was their weakness- was so sickening.

    Vampires were cold-blooded creatures who were supposed to be insensitive to human emotions yet these vampires from Asher''s clan let it influence them.

    Humans were just food to them and the non- vampirical creatures, their enemies not allies. That was how it was supposed to be.

    Moreover, how could he fall for a witch? Haven''t those creatures oppressed his kind for long? How could he sympathize with them? Fine, this would be fun, Ozark was amused. He would watch how this works out?

    "Why are you here? Don''t tell me you''re here to join in the fun too? There''s still room for more" He purposely teased Dan by stretching Sabrina''s sexy body in full view.

    His movement stirred up the other witches who woke up too, purring sexily with their morning voice with their languid erotic stretches.

    Ozark smirked, Dan was a vampire yet he was a man too.No matter how great his self-control was, there was no way he would resist this sexy sight; women sprawled out on the bed lazily with their hairs branching out on the mattress like a waterfall; their young, toned and healthy skin irresistible not to touch.

    Dan swallowed, he was not going to lie, he questioned his self-control today. Why was he holding back on joining this fun? What could possibly happen if he indulged for once?

    His throat dried up when his eyes settled on Sabrina''s sexy body and felt a bulge in his trousers, he was still attracted to her like hell.

    Yet, when Dan remembered the purpose of his visit and the fact that this woman standing right in front of him had dumped him in the crudest way possible and was probably plotting a second one, the fire in his below was doused instantly while the fires burning through his veins ignited.

    Ozark let out a sharp gasp when the women in his bed vanished instantly. Wait a minute, he didn''t even touch them? His powers had evolved? Well, as worthy as Asher''s second in command.

    "What do you want, Dan?"Ozark asked him, climbing out of the bed, and strutted over to him," Don''t tell me you''re here to just chase off my lovers?"

    The sound of "lovers" made Dan wince internally but he controlled his facial expression, showing no sign of any discomfort.

    He seized Sabrina''s hands when she tried to touch his face, flinging it away,

    "We would discuss after you''re done dressing up, "

    "Why?" Sabrina purred, rubbing her breast against his chest, "You can''t concentrate with me undressed?"

    Dan gave her a fierce look, "You have just five minutes to freshen up and get dressed- your scent is disgusting" he spat and left for the living room.

    "Party''s over, witches. Leave at once" Dan announced.

    "Who invited a vampire over?" One inquired with sheer disgust written all over her face.

    "Vampire''s meat is not on the menu, maybe we should make one"Another joked.

    "With such pale skin, would he make palatable meat? We might just see more blood" another scorned.

    Dan, who had been pissed off by Sabrina smirked evilly, "Trust me, I know just the best place to enjoy vampire meat"

    Dan at once teleported the whole of them that had insulted him to Antarctica; they would have the best barbecue party over there. Yes, he had made an enemy of them but he came prepared.

    The vampire had always been a clean freak and so spent the rest of his time cleaning aka teleporting the visible dirt away until Sabrina was done.

    "So what''s so important that the almighty Dan came all the way to my humble home and vanished all my guests. It couldn''t be jealousy or are you here to beg me to take you back?"

    "Keep on deluding yourself," Dan told her before tossing the folded paper to her which she caught.

    "I need you to figure that out" He ordered.

    Ozark was curious, "What is this?"

    "That''s what I came to ask you, "

    He carefully opened the paper, a frown appearing on his face when he saw the ashes. The vampire glanced up at Dan asking," Where did you get this?"

    Dan answered, "I got it from Asher''s room. What is that thing?"

    "I don''t know yet but it looks familiar, I''ll need to do more research" Sabrina answered him.

    "I''ll wait then," Dan took a seat.

    Ozark was dumbfounded, he had said that to make the vampire leave.

    "It''s going to take time," the vampire notified him. Having Dan around him was not a wise choice, what if he makes a mistake?

    "Time is all I have" Dan insisted and sat down," I need the result as quickly as possible. There are some bizarre incidents this might help explain" he said.

    There was a hidden scowl on Ozark''s features, this vampire was catching onto their secret, he had to do something about it.

    "Fine," He smiled at Dan with Sabrina''s face," I''ll consult my grimoire, I''ll be back soon" Ozark informed him and left for Sabrina''s inner chamber.

    Being in this witch''s place for days now, he has discovered a lot of things- it was so sad he couldn''t understand the use of most of the portions on the racks.

    Ozark at once grabbed his cellphone and called Raphael, he had to inform him of Dan''s discoveries and movement.

    Surprisingly, the vampire didn''t answer the phone. So he called over and over again and still yet no reply.

    Maybe Raphael was in a situation he couldn''t answer or was busy with his plans? He thought and proceeded to text him.

    [It''s abrupt but I''m ending Dan, he''s too close to finding everything]

    Once the message was successfully sent, a malevolent smirk tugged his mouth to the side. Ozark picked up the large grimoire on the large stone altar in the middle of the room and left.

    Dan felt something was not right, Sabrina agreed that easily without a fight? He understood that they''ve broken up, so therefore owed each other nothing and yet she had agreed to help him without demanding payment for her services.

    Quite strange but who knows, this night be another of her games. Lately, he doesn''t understand who she is any longer.

    "I''ve got the book" Her arrival roused him from his thoughts.

    Dan watched as she dumped this large book on the table.

    "What is this?"

    "The book containing the answer you

    seek"

    "Seriously, you''re not helping me out?" He threw his hand up in frustration.

    "We''ve broken up, I owe you nothing, do the work yesterday. Moreover, Vampires are faster"

    Dan sighed then took the book and stood to his feet, flipping through the thousand-plus pages as quick as he could.

    Ozark smirked, Dan was more vulnerable now he was distracted. He silently protracted his nails, ready to rip out his heart.

    But just as he was about to lunge at Dan, a portal suddenly appeared out of nowhere and a figure emerged out of it, blasting him with energy that threw him across the room.

    Dan sprang to his feet, startled by the commotion. But when he looked, behold, there was Sabrina, no, another Sabrina with much shorter hair standing before him.

    "Dan, she wants to kill me, help please"

 Chapter 240 - Two Hundred And Thirty-four: Asher Would Never Forgive You

    "Dan, she wants to kill me, help me please" The long-haired Sabrina he had just been with seconds ago lay on the floor, pleading with a weak voice that tugged at his heart.

    Dan stood transfixed, what was going on? Why were there two Sabrina? His mouth was agape and he pointed at the both of them.

    "Who is the real Sabrina?" The question slipped out of his mouth. Sabrina never told him she had a twin.

    "Me!!" Both chorused at once with the same voice and body language before proceeding to glare at each other.

    "Dan, it''s a lie, don''t listen to that imposter" The short-haired Sabrina started," That is Ozark, Raphael''s acolyte with the mimicry ability. He''s just imitating me,"

    "No!" Cried the long-haired Sabrina, "She''s the one lying to you and accusing me falsely. She must be a witch hired by Raphael to confuse and bring animosity between us.

    Moreover, she possesses magical powers, you know I lost mine, Dan" Long-haired Sabrina defended herself.

    A lot of thoughts went through Dan''s head, both had valid points but one was lying. Moreover, Sabrina couldn''t have gained her powers, right?

    "Dan, tell me you''re not going to believe what she says?" Long haired Sabrina pressed him.

    "Fine, you don''t have to believe me, I''ll make you believe me"Short-haired Sabrina charged at him, lacing her fist with magic, and swung a punch at him.

    Dan vanished at that moment, reappearing at her back but she somehow premeditated his move and hit him with her elbow.

    He staggered back and vanished again but just when everyone thought he was going to go back at attacking her, Dan reappeared behind the long-haired Sabrina and broke her neck.

    Long-haired Sabrina fell to the ground and before everyone''s eyes, her form shifted to Ozark drawing a gasp of disbelief from Dan''s lips.

    "You believed me" Sabrina was giddy with delight hence threw herself at Dan who caught her as she hugged him tightly.

    "How did you know it was me?" She glanced up, curious to know.

    Dan smiled, "Nobody has that fiery temper nor swing a punch like you," he told her, then kissed her till she was breathless out of excitement.

    "Oh my God," Sabrina said with dread when she glanced at the empty spot Ozark had been lying seconds ago.

    "He''s gone!" She freaked out.

    "Who is ..?" Dan was stunned too when he discovered Ozark missing. The son of a biscuit must have taken advantage of the distraction and left.

    Sabrina stomped her feet in anger, "We have to find him"

    Dan gripped her arm assuredly,

    "Don''t worry, we''d find him soon"

    "No, you don''t understand!" Sabrina took his grip off her," He''s going to inform Raphael that I''m alive and we''ve found out and there would be an emergency alteration to their plans"

    Dan''s brows furrowed together, "What do you mean that you''re alive? Were you dead before? What are you not telling me, Sabrina?" He peppered her with questions.

    Sabrina licked her lower lips and gulped," I lied to you all, Dan"

    "What are you talking about?" His expression turned serious," Talk to me, Sabrina!"

    "I never lost my powers"

    "What?"

    "That night you all thought I lost it, that was just my copy. I somehow had a premonition that such a thing was going to happen and sought out Raphael for help which he did but on one condition, I owed him a favor"

    Dan unconsciously took a step back, "You betrayed Asher" his face displayed diverse emotions all at once as the truth dawned on him.

    Sabrina shook her head, " I didn''t mean to, Raphael gave me no choice and it never crossed my mind that he would ask for such an absurd demand "

    Dan''s face darkened as if a storm was brewing "What did you do, Sabrina?"

    Her gaze held his, "I exchanged their souls"

    "You did what?"

    "It was supposed to be just for two days but Raphael betrayed me and went ahead with his plan, thinking I was dead"

    "I''m so disappointed in you, Sabrina!" He reproved her angrily, "Asher would never forgive you for this"

    "I know and I''m going to make repercussions for my sins. I''m truly sorry, Dan"

    -------------

    "Take me, Asher"

    Raphael grinned, that was the only word he needed all this while.

    "Of course, my lady"

    There was a predatory glint in Raphael''s eyes. Just like a lion who had searched for his meal for long and had finally cornered his prey, he was going to savor this moment for eternity.

    Just as his hand moved to undress her, he was suddenly yanked off the bed by the hair.

    "You son of a biscuit!" Electra flung the bastard off her father''s mate. She had resolved to remain neutral in this fight but she couldn''t stand the sight of that bastard taking what doesn''t belong to him.

    Yes, she hated that man called her father yet this was his mate and no one but her has the right to lay a finger on that freak. She would be the one to call the shots here.

    "You! I know you!" Lia pointed at her angrily. She was furious over being interrupted and seeing Asher assaulted as well.

    "Yes, it''s me, you brainwashed fool," Electra spat at her, feeling the urge to throttle her. How could she be rolling in bed with her father''s enemy, no scratch that, that man''s enemy?

    "You were the one who tried to kill me" Lia recognized her.

    "Yes, I know, you''re one damn lucky bitch to have escaped from my hands and an even greater idiot to be sleeping with that conman," Electra told her crudely.

    The vampire was exasperated, why was she even bothering to go to this length for that man who had contributed nothing to her life? It was frustrating.

    Lia released a feral growl," You can treat me the way you want but I won''t have you speak to Asher that way!"

    "That man right there is not -" Electra was interrupted when Raphael gripped her by the neck, lifting her off the ground.

    Raphael would not sit and watch her destroy his plans. But something was striking about the girl, especially her eyes-Raphael swore It looked exactly like his brother''s.

    Suddenly, he remembered Trevor''s question days ago which made his eyes widen. At first, that question seemed absurd considering the fact Antonio never found his mate and his mother was the only woman he loved, so there was no way Asher could have gotten a secret sister.

    Moreover, the time frame didn''t match, Antonio died centuries ago but this vampire here was young, he surmised she shouldn''t be above a hundred or two hundred.

    Yet the more Raphael stared at this arrogant youth struggling in his grip, the more he saw similarities between her and Asher.

    Immediately, his eyes brightened with the realization, could it be that she wasn''t a sister? But a daughter instead?

    Asher has a daughter? How amazing! Things were just getting better, Raphael thought. If there was one thing he knew about Asher, it was the fact that the pretentious vampire had his own taste of women before his mate came around - like which vampire wouldn''t, they live for a very, very, long time.

    "Asher" Lia called out.

    Asher had an odd look on his face that was giving her the creeps. She gets that the girl almost killed her and insulted him but killing her would not solve everything; violence was never the right answer.

    "Asher, don''t kill her" Lia pleaded on her behalf.

    "Go back!" Raphael yelled at her, he needed no distraction in this plan of his.

    Lia didn''t know what happened but she felt this force overtake her body and the next she knew, she found herself walking back to the bed, sitting down obediently. What the hell?

    Raphael was stunned, at the most he had expected Lia to back away but he never thought she would obey him like someone compelled to do so. Could it be that ��.

    Raphael didn''t have time to think further because someone dropped into the room through the large window sending glasses flying about.

    That momentary distraction caused his grasp on the girl to loosen and Electra set herself free, crawling back on all fours with terror evident in her eyes.

    Raphael was bewildered when the real Asher in his body landed in the room. How was that possible? How had he escaped from his father?

    His question was answered with a powerful kick to the face sending him sprawling across the room. Asher was quick on his feet and pounced on Raphael who was yet to recover.

    Lia was flabbergasted, what was going on here? Why was Raphael here and why was he attacking Asher. She wanted to attack Raphael but for some strange reasons, she felt some kind of pull to him which made her hesitate.

    At first, Asher was gaining the upper hand until Raphael trapped him with the earth part of his ability. His evil brother overpowered and had him on the ground with his hand moving to his chest.

    Lia was at a crossroad of turmoil,  Asher was about to end Raphael but she didn''t want him to. But she had heard of what Raphael did to Asher during her absence, so she should be furious, not sympathetic.

    Out of the corner of her eyes, Lia saw that female assassin try to take out Asher from behind. Lia panicked, she wouldn''t let anything happen to her mate.

    Everything happened too far.

    Just as Raphael lifted his hand to rip out Asher''s heart, the girl also did the same and Lia screamed.

    Electra was thrown off her target by an incredible force but Raphael successfully ripped out Asher''s heart half a seconds before he was blasted away too.

 Chapter 241 - Two Hundred And Forty-one: The Treaty

    The atmosphere in the Moonlight pack was lively, everybody knew what was going on today; the treaty.

    The large mansion referred to as the packhouse stood proud and magnificent in Kenney village. The inside furnished and cleaned to the extent no speck of dust was found in hidden corners.

    The rooms were lavishly decorated while the smell of tantalizing foods wafted from the kitchen. The women headed by Aunt Phoebe were cooking a feast with fresh ingredients supplied to them from the best sources.

    Judith was in the training room with the warriors giving them a preview of how the day was going to look like and the security measures they had to take in diverse situations.

    She shared duties amongst them and sent the others to their duty posts while the older and experienced warriors all gathered in a secret room where they made their backup plan.

    "We just got intel, Tristan and his pack members would be here in thirty minutes," Ryan told Daniel who was working on his cufflinks.

    Daniel''s movements halted, he looked at Ryan with a curious expression, "Is everything ready to welcome our guest?"

    "Yes of course" Ryan replied,  helping to adjust the collar of Daniel''s crisp shirt tucked beneath the suit.

    The door to his office clicked open and in came his aunt phoebe with a warm smile.

    "Look at my nephew all handsome in that suit, lucky the woman who gets to be your mate," she flattered him.

    At the mention of mate, Daniel and Ryan''s gaze held briefly before pulling away. The past few days, Aunt Phoebe had tried every trick possible to get his mate''s name from his lips.

    No matter her suspicion, Daniel wouldn''t admit that Lia was his mate nor would he allow his aunt to look into her background either. This made the woman sulk ever since when she wasn''t coming up with other tactics.

    "Sure, lucky her," Was all Daniel said before grabbing his cellphone. He had been calling his mate Lia but no answer. Perhaps, she was busy.

    Phoebe frowned, this boy was so tight-lipped, how frustrating. Had it been when he was still ten, she would have spanked him on the butt and drawn the truth from his lips but now, her head would be separated from her body if she does that- Aunt or not.

    "What is it, Aunt?" Daniel asked, he was not up for any chitchat. Today was a very important day, he had to remain focused.

    ''Nothing" she shrugged," Just wanted to confirm everything is fine over here, "

    "Everything is fine, thanks for your concern. You can leave now, Aunt" He dismissed her.

    "Of course," She clapped her hands awkwardly and left.

    "One of these days, run a scan for bugs in my room" Daniel instructed Ryan who snickered yet composed himself when he sensed the Alpha''s glare.

    Aunt Miranda had no bad intentions towards him but her inquisitiveness can reach a disturbing level.

    Daniel''s countenance shifted when he received a message through the pack-link, Tristan and his people were here.

    "Let''s go," He ordered Ryan who trailed after him.

    There was a commotion of activities as his people ran helter scatter adding late minutes adjustments to the decorations.

    As expected, Tristan was all dressed up too; he was wearing the same suit a few shades lighter than his, with a few locks of his hair braided in a way that it held his other stands from getting tousled by the wind.

    "You''re finally here and I do hope you had a pleasant journey," Daniel welcomed.

    "I wouldn''t skip such an important day for anything and yes, my journey was smooth" Tristan replied.

    Both said their formalities to each other before Daniel led him into the packhouse. A red carpet spread out from the entrance of the house to the inside of the large receiving hall.

    As customary, only a few important members of the pack were let inside the room while the rest led to other rooms where entertainment would be provided.

    A large table filled with numerous delicacies had been set already and so Daniel invited them to dinner.

    At the table, discussions were made but It was more formal and centered around an everyday werewolf''s life and the running of a pack.

    "Alpha Daniel," Tristan began," I was thinking after our differences get resolved, we could organize an inter-friendly competition between both packs which would help strengthen  the bond between us, what do you say?"

    Daniel featured a smile that didn''t touch his eyes, "That seems nice, quite an opportunity to trade knowledge, tactics and battle experience"

    "You couldn''t have said it better," Tristan acquiesced, "Moonlight pack is not the largest when it comes to numbers and when compared to numerous packs out there but it  is one of the most formidable because of a great leader like you, "

    "You overpraise me, Tristan" Daniel said humbly even though he was cringing inside. He knew that Tristan was a sweet talker and none of those words were sincere.

    In fact, Daniel began to question why he had agreed to this peace talk in the first place. Oh yes, to avoid war. Fine, he''d sit here and be a doll for how long or days this was going to last.

    The dinner lasted for an hour which involved both packs getting to know each other until it was time for both Alphas to discuss behind closed doors.

    "Why isn''t the girl here?" Tristan asked, his eyes roving around Daniel''s office as if the werewolf was hiding her somewhere in there.

    His men he had sent to keep watch on the girl had failed miserably; the girl was nowhere to be found. This made Tristan think that Daniel must have a hand in her disappearance- he was keeping the girl away from him.

    Why was Daniel so obsessed with the girl even when she wasn''t his mate? Did the once innocent alpha have the same plan as his?

    "That girl has a human family and was once human if you haven''t turned her, so she has a life there" Daniel pointed out.

    "Her family can move-in to my pack if she''s so worried about leaving them behind," Tristan suggested.

    Daniel''s face scrunched up, he did not like where this discussion was heading to.

    "There''s never a rule that states she has to live in your pack if you really want her to be a pack member. Many werewolves are living in diaspora yet still belong to a pack,"  Daniel told him pointedly.

    Tristan''s jaw ticked, why was Daniel speaking in geek? He was right to have known this scumbag would try to keep the girl to himself. Fine, he would play along till the time was right.

    "What are you trying to say?" Tristan crossed his leg over the other.

    Daniel sat directly across from him with a table separating both from each other. There were two copies of documents and a pen beside each while their beta''s stood at their sides respectively.

    "The girl has the right to make her choice, that''s what I have to say," Daniel informed him.

    They stared at each other, eyeball to eyeball with a fierce look until Tristan pulled away with a burst of laughter.

    "Fine," He agreed readily to Daniel''s utmost surprise.

    "You''re saying yes to that?" Daniel''s brow furrowed together skeptically. He was expecting Tristan to put up a huge fight, who knew he would achieve peace this easily?

    But that was the problem, Tristan never gives up. What could have brought about this change or perhaps, it was a trap or something?

    "Of course, it''s a yes, after all, this is a peace treaty. What''s the point of this all if we don''t come to an agreement? Moreover, you said the

    the girl doesn''t want it, I won''t force her into doing anything she dislikes - I''m not a heartless bastard"  Tristan told him with all manner of seriousness.

    Maybe the asshole has changed after all?

    "You do know what you''re about to sign, right? No war, no more quibbling on the matter once you signed those?" Daniel reminded him.

    "I do and please, let''s get this done as soon as possible, it has been a lot of hassle putting my people on their best behavior?" Tristan urged him.

    At once, both Alphas grabbed the pen on their side, signing their signatures in the required pages and spaces before exchanging papers and carried out the same procedure till both held concrete evidence of their treaty in their grasp.

    The door to the office opened and a werewolf walked in with a tray of wine.

    "A toast to this successful treaty" Daniel suggested, grabbing a glass of wine from the tray as Tristan did the same.

    "A toast for averting a great war that would have torn both packs apart," Daniel toasted and both clicked glasses and brought the drink to their lips.

    "And this is why you should never trust a love rival," Tristan said just after Daniel had swallowed the whole thing.

    "What?" He frowned.

    Immediately, Daniel picked up the anguish and agonizing screams of people in pain- his people.

    "What do you do!"  Daniel tried to lunge at Tristan but a searing pain went through him.

 Chapter 242 - Two Hundred And Forty-two: Asher And Devon

    "Give me your word that you would help me find my mother or I would leave you to your damnation " Demanded the young witch who appeared by his side.

    "I give you my word" Asher pledged, hoping this was enough to convince the girl.

    "Fine, let''s go," she urged him to his feet and they ran out of the room of wailing vampires.

    "What was that? How did you do it?" Asher was curious at the extent of her abilities as she led him into the room after making some incantation on the door.

    The girl just like other witches was human and young, probably at the age of sixteen or seventeen, he couldn''t exactly tell.

    She had blonde hair with these exceptional blue-brown eyes that glinted with intelligence. If there was anything Asher noticed about her, it was the fact she was more knowledgeable than her age.

    But then, humans have been known to adapt to several circumstances. From the look of things, she had been kept prisoner against her will and that has made her mature.

    "It''s just a little magic spell I honed in my spare time when they weren''t keeping a tab on me," she replied, searching her body for something.

    "That is not just small. A spell powerful enough to bring a room full of vampires to their knees should be given an award," Asher told her sincerely.

    "I don''t want to be powerful, I want my mother!" she said in an outburst, unwanted tears flowed down her face which she wiped away furiously.

    "Fine, what are we doing here?" Asher changed the topic having sensed she was uncomfortable with it, "Aren''t we supposed to leave already? Isn''t that the whole point of the '' give me your word or I leave you to your damnation'' stunt ?" Asher inquired, sounding more sarcastic than intended.

    The girl gave him a hard look, "Well, sorry to burst your bubbles but I''m a young, inexperienced witch who doesn''t know how to portal her way out of this f*cking hellhole and needs her mother''s orbiting orbs to teleport, which I''m still trying to ��.ah found it!" She exclaimed, pulling out a small circular blue-green globe out of one of the numerous pockets on her leather blazer.

    "What is that and why do I feel like we''re still a long way from leaving?" Asher was unsettled by the happening.

    "This is an orbiting orb and my mother secretly sent it to me but it''s past its use date. If I can only study it a bit, understand the structure and magic, I can make one like it," Devon said just as the globe began to float in the air from her manipulation.

    "In one word you''re trying to say, I  have to wait till you understand the formula behind this pebble before I can make my escape," Asher mocked and mumbled under his breath," I can''t believe my life is resting in the hands of an inexperienced kid" and which she heard.

    "Perhaps, you should be a lot more grateful considering the fact I saved your heart from being yanked out of your body and stepped on like a mashed potato," Devon said through gritted teeth, obviously pissed off by Asher''s rude attitude.

    Asher ran his hand through his hair," I''m sorry, I''m not an asshole- usually- but I can''t die yet, little one. I have someone I promised to protect for eternity," he apologized.

    "My name''s Devon," She told him offended by him referring to her as "Little one"

    She glanced up, "Your mate?"

    Asher was surprised," How do you know that?"

    She answered Asher by baring her pointy teeth at him.

    "You''re- "

    "A hybrid- Half-vampire, half-witch" she took the words right out of his mouth.

    "Your fangs kind of short, " he observed.

    "Touche," Devon said, "That feature is quite a sensitive spot for me. It sucks not to truly belong on either side; too witchy to be a vampire and too vampiric to be a witch, "

    "It sucks but you should be proud of your heritage. You''re the foundation, a predecessor of a race that would soon spread across the earth if you play your cards well and don''t get knocked down by some assholes," he motivated her.

    "Thanks for the pep talk," she smiled at him.

    "You''re welcome and what exactly is the plan here?" Asher stepped closer, amazed to see two globes instead of one currently floating in the air.

    "I have enhanced understanding- that''s my ability- so if I can work out how this came about and the mechanism aka magic behind it, I can - "

    "Model it," Asher filled in.

    "Bingo," she remarked.

    "How much time exactly do you need for this?" Asher asked, worried by the sound of incoming footsteps he picked up.

    "I can''t exactly tell but I''m estimating thirty minutes to an hour?"

    "Which I don''t think we have" Asher stated.

    "Don''t worry, I fortified the door with magic. It''s going to take them time before they can bring it down"

    The words hardly left her mouth when a gaping hole appeared on the so-called fortified door.

    "Or maybe not," Devon realized, "It appears my magic is still rustic but I need you to buy me some time," she instructed Asher, stepping further into the room.

    "Even without my old body, I would be able to fight them off but these are vampires with powers," Asher pointed out.

    He suggested," Perhaps, you should do whatever you did earlier, that should bring them down for a while"

    "Hello?" Devon frowned at him," That spell required intense concentration and I can''t multitask while remodeling this orb. The only reason I have not panicked nor made a mistake here yet is because of my ability so you should think of a way out or we''re doomed," she informed him.

    Asher began to think hard, Raphael''s duplication was cool and more powerful when used against humans or other weaker creatures, not vampires with aggressive abilities. He could aid his life in battle by constantly replicating away from danger while his copies take the attack. Unlike his power, Raphael''s ability has no real offensive use but if he can supplement with a good weapon and replicates, he might have a fighting chance.

    "I need a weapon!" Asher shouted to be heard, whatever they were blasting at the door was making one hell of a noise.

    Within his watchful eyes, Asher watched Devon conjure a sword out of midair which she tossed to him, focusing her attention on whatever she was casting.

    "Seriously?" He gave her a stupid look.

    "Sorry, but my brain is beyond stressed which means my imagination is limited, so I can''t design some badass weapon for you!" She complained.

    "Fine, I need a dagger too," Asher demanded.

    Without hesitation, Asher received the dagger as requested and began to make copies of himself. This time, Asher was able to make three of himself who in turn duplicated respectively till the room was filled to the brim.

    The moment the door was destroyed, all hell broke loose. Asher and Devon were at the back and protected by the massive copies of Asher who were at the frontline of the battle.

    Massive grunts, tearing of flesh, booms, and clanking of metals reverberated throughout the room as the battle got hotter.

    Asher was getting paler by each growing minute, duplicating a piece of him was consuming and he was hungry for blood.

    His copies carried his DNA and so fought courageously against the vampires with the experiences he had gathered over the years. At that rate, Asher would have won if he hadn''t stopped duplicating out of exhaustion and the emergence of a certain vampire.

    It was so obvious that Ezekiel was fuming with anger which prompted everyone to get out of his way.

    He lifted his hand and all of Asher''s copies were lifted in the air before their necks were snapped uniformly, they dropped to the ground in a heap.

    "Alright, now would really be a good time to make our escape!" Asher urged her to work faster.

    "I''m trying if you don''t stop distracting me!"  She retorted.

    Suddenly, Devon''s hand went around her neck as she began to gasp for breath.

    "Shit!" Asher cursed.

    Ezekiel was suffocating her with his ability and the girl was half-witch, which means she was still part human.

    Asher attempted to interrupt but that evil vampire began to oppress him with his power. He found himself beginning to kneel against his will.

    "You are one annoying vampire," His words dripped with anger asAsher finally plonk down to his knee.

    "Take the witch, I need her alive," he ordered his men," Asher dies today, "

    Just as his men approached them, Devon out of nowhere summoned fire which formed a straight line, separating the opposite and releasing Ezekiel''s hold on them.

    "Let''s go," Devon reached for Asher, both disappearing before Ezekiel could lay his hands on them.

    "Where are we?" Devon asked when they reappeared in a forest.

    "Gosh, dammit!" She screamed out of anger "My magic must have malfunctioned again!"

    "We''re not in Little Town," Asher detected.

    "Of course, we''re not," she sassed, beating herself for such a silly mistake.

    "No, please don''t" He implored her not to beat herself up, "This is Kinney village" Asher discovered.

 Chapter 243 - Two Hundred And Forty-three: Asher And Devon -2

    "What is Kinney village?" Devon asked, observing the forest.

    "The closest you can get to Little Town," Asher answered, finding the cleared trail that led to the village.

    "So if this means the closest, does it mean the orb failed because I have no sense of direction or the fact I have never been here in my entire life - well, where exactly have I gone having been stuck in Raven clan for years?" Yakked Devon, coming up with theories Asher wasn''t even interested in.

    "You know," she went on, "When we rescue my mother, I would spend the rest of my life voyaging across the globe-"

    But something happened.

    It happened so quickly that the girl had a hard time comprehending what just occurred.

    Asher had been walking down the trail when he picked up slow, calculated movements from amongst the trees beside him and just as the large werewolf was about to charge at him, the vampire sped away.

    The wolf missed it''s target yet came face-to-face with Devon.

    "Distringam!" The girl briskly said a spell that caused vines from the tree behind the werewolf to come alive and yanked the animal upward, curling around its neck till the creature was suffocated to death.

    "Not bad," Asher praised her.

    "Thanks" she gave him a cheeky smile, "Whoah!" Devon exclaimed when the dead creature shifted to his naked human form, hanging limp from the tree.

    "Is that a werewolf?" Devon asked

    "Something is not right," Asher sniffed the air oblivious to Devon''s excitement.

    "Is quite rare to see a werewolf back at my mom''s coven nor Raven clan - they''re intolerant of one transpassing on their border - and here I am - oh, I killed one! It''s that a good thing or a bad one?" effused Devon.

    Asher closed his eyes and focused, trying to pick up any abnormality but all he heard was Devon''s chatterings.

    "I''m trying to concentrate here!" He barked at her.

    "Sorry" Devon grinned at him wryly.

    Asher shut his eyes when she began. Again.

    "If you need me to tinker- "

    "Shut -!"

    He heard it suddenly, intensified grieving wails and screams of frightened women.

    "What did you do?" Asher returned to the present with a sharp gasp. The way he picked up those screams, it was almost as if he was present there.

    Devon bit on her lips nervously, "I-I heightened your already enhanced senses a bit. It''s a spell I thought of right now, so I''m sorry for experimenting on you without your permission," she lowered her head, refusing to meet his fierce gaze.

    Asher was confused, he didn''t know whether he should be angry or grateful. The girl was too powerful thanks to her superior understanding gifted from her vampire side but her impulsiveness could be a liability to her.

    "Let''s go," Was all Asher said to her after a long stare.

    They arrived at the village in no time aided by their super speed but Devon was a heaving mess, it was apparent her human side still limited her.

    "A war?" Are you freaking kidding me? This is fantastic!" Devon rejoiced.

    After Ben, this was the weirdest person he has ever met, Asher had to admit.

    "Do you know the number of spells I can showoff here now that I''m unrestrained?" Devon chattered while setting a wolf on fire thanks to Asher''s direction.

    "Get your head in gear, Devon. This is a war, not a video game" Asher scolded her and got between two fighting wolves.

    "Seriously, how do I tell apart the good and bad guys?" Devon threw her hand up, looking odd amid these massive fighting creatures.

    "Kill anyone that smells like this asshole," Asher said with effort as he used his fist to crack open the skull of a brown wolf who had tackled another to the ground with murderous intention.

    The wolf he had saved sprang to his four limbs and growled at Asher, it''s fierce yellow orbs scrutinizing him skeptically.

    "I''m here to help," said Asher, with his hands lifted in surrender. He was sure the werewolves from Daniel''s pack didn''t know about Raphael but the Raven clan were quite famous for their mischief, it wouldn''t be a surprise if one of them recognized him.

    Sadly, he was bearing Raphael''s face and wouldn''t take his chances here. He promised to protect Lia so he must do everything to live and fulfill that.

    The wolf made some kind of noise which sounded more to Asher like a snort. Hence he couldn''t understand wolf language Asher didn''t quibble on it especially now the wolf walked away.

    "I asked a question," Devon''s query roused him from his thought," How do I know the bad guy?"

    "The good guy owns this pack and each pack has a distinctive scent that differentiates them from another pack, so sniff this and you get the bad ones" Asher tossed the body of the werewolf he had killed to her.

    "Splendid," Devon''s veins throbbed with anticipation.

    "Stay safe, I need to find someone, "

    "Wait!" She tried to stop him but he had barged into the house on fire.

    There was chaos everywhere, animals tearing each other apart and screams of agony.

    "There are some humans stuck inside the packhouse!" Devon heard someone shout while pointing at a section of the once magnificent mansion on fire.

    "Alright, dev, this is the moment we''ve all been waiting for" Devon motivated herself amid long, deep breaths and started her spell.

    "Quod pluvia cadit super bonos et malos, et ego opus mult? pluvi? est!"

    Suddenly, a bright flash of lightning rippled across the darkening sky- it was almost sundown- while thunder boomed like the hooves of wild horses. Under Devon''s command, the sky opened and there came a heavy downpour of rain.

    For a moment, everyone stopped fighting, wondering at the sudden phenomenon until they remembered this fight was a do or die affair hence resuming their battle.

    Judith had just been making arrangements on putting out that fire set by those bastards when heaven blessed them with rain or so she thought until her eyes rested on a young girl standing in the middle of the battlefield muttering some words she couldn''t understand.

    It was a witch, she realized. But how come, they never invited one nor asked for reinforcement yet? By her actions, Judith surmised she was on their side and was quite grateful - the rain she provided has saved lives.

    All of a sudden, Judith saw an enemy wolf try to take her out from behind and pulled out the throwing dagger hidden in her boot, hurling it at the wolf.

    Though it did little to nothing harm to the werewolf but it alerted Devon who made a slicing motion with her arm alongside a spell and the wolf was cut in two by an invisible blade.

    Devon was heaving by the time she turned to nod gratefully at Judith who in turn nodded back.

    "Take the humans, pregnant women and pups, go now to the cellar!" Judith fired orders at her warriors who had now gained morale after Devon''s brave display.

    No one knew how their alpha was faring and that had affected their performance in the fight greatly. It was no hidden fact that a great warrior follows his people to battle. Though they were prepared, no one had anticipated this attack; Tristan and his people came more prepared than they anticipated.

    Having noticed their retreating plans, wolves from the Raven clan tried to destroy their formation but Judith and her people held on.

    Devon watched as all the werewolves rushed at the warrior''s trying to get the women to safety and that made her blood spoil.

    The scene reminded Devon of her mother who was probably trying her best to rescue her from the claws of the Raven claw.

    A new wave of anger came over Devon, her eyes blazed and she lifted her hands causing a strong wind to blow amid the bleeding from her nose.

    Manipulating the excessive nature around, vines began to pick out the enemy wolves one after the ones till the last of them was vanquished and Devon collapsed to the ground with a thud.

    Meanwhile, Asher stumbled into the packhouse, the smell of human blood infiltrating his nostrils so hard that he almost lost control.

    He fought against the urge to succumb to the hunger. Sure, he was bloodthirsty but that would be after finding Daniel.

    Though the death of Daniel would make him the only eligible mate for Lia but he has never wished his love rival this kind of fate.

    Moreover, this would greatly affect Lia. The love of a mate was nothing to be joked about, he had watched it almost destroy Dan.

    Asher had almost given up on finding the werewolf when he caught them in the garden with Daniel being lifted high in the air while this stranger''s hold tightened around his neck.

    Asher was tired but he had the element of surprise here. So he sped towards the enemy without warning and sliced his throat with his long nails before he could react.

    Tristan let go of Daniel, his hand moving to clasp around his throat while sputtering out blood from his mouth.

    Daniel gave him no time to heal as he lunges at the Alpha with the anger in him, tearing him apart with his long claws.

    Asher having seen that the fight was now in his favor, left right away to find Devon.

    A huge crowd of werewolves had gathered around her but the vampire created a path and took off with her in his arms before anyone could stop him.

 Chapter 244 - Two Hundred And Forty-four : What Would Be Your Choice

    Gideon and She-Zukai were in the living room having a conversation unaware of what was going on in Asher''s room.

    "Am I the only one who''s sensed that something has been weird with Asher lately," Gideon asked.

    "You mean the fact he''s tactically keeping his distance from all of us?" She referred.

    "Yes, that fact," he answered.

    "Well, not surprising, he has always been keeping his distance from me," The vampiress pointed out.

    Gideon snorted," That''s only because you can''t keep your hands to yourself. Who goes  around flirting with their clan leader?"

    "We have a long life to live as Vampires, what''s the fun if we aren''t spontaneous?" She argued.

    "Then I hope you use that long life to figure out how to detach from your brother''s body," Gideon said carelessly.

    Words he came to regret once he saw her mood dampen. Gosh, his wide mouth again. He knew that topic was a touchy spot for her yet he blabbered that out loud.

    "I''m sorry," Gideon apologized as soon as she shot to her feet angrily.

    Everyone knew how much the girl desired a body of her own but so far no one has found a way of separating them nor find a vampire with the ability to do so.

    So she had to share everything with her brother; time, space, and relationship. Rumors were circulating that she was the reason why Zukai hadn''t found his mate yet since both were sharing a body and only once Zukai was free from her, would he find the other half of his soul.

    "I really mean it," He grabbed her hand but she let in her brother instead- that was how both of them worked. The moment one encounters a tough situation- mental or physical - he or she lets in the respective sibling who is in a better position to handle the problem well; they are protective of each other.

    "You''re really an asshole," Zukai cursed him for hurting his sister.

    "I didn''t mean to hurt - "

    The noise of a glass chattering from upstairs interrupted him.

    "Did you hear that?" Zukai questioned.

    "I definitely heard. That came from Asher''s bedroom, what do you think it''s going on in there?" Gideon responded.

    "Either Asher broke his window in a fit of anger for God knows why or he''s being attacked and we''re sitting here idly" Zukai''s words incited him to action.

    They arrived just after Lia screamed, the foreshock of the blast made them stagger back a bit.

    "What the hell is going on here?" Zukai was the one to ask, mystified.

    Raphael was lying on the floor with his heart ripped out of his body while Asher stood, a triumphant glint in his eyes while his bloody hands gripped the organ taken from Raphael''s body.

    "You murderer, you killed him!" Gideon watched as an unfamiliar girl sprang on Asher who backhanded her with a force that knocked her to the ground.

    Who was she and what was she doing here? How did she even get here in the first place?

    "Asher, don''t hurt her," pleaded Lia who had been bewildered with the whole happenings.

    "She hurt you, remember?" Fired Raphael who they all thought to be Asher.

    "Who is she?" Zukai asked amid the commotion.

    "Someone who won''t bother my mate anymore," Raphael tossed the squashed heart to the side, approaching the girl threateningly.

    Fear flashed in Electra''s eyes and  she began to crawl back on all fours while raving, "This is not the real Asher, this is just Raphael mimicking him!"

    "What?" Gideon and Zukai shouted.

    "Don''t listen to her," Raphael told them," She''s with Raphael, the bastard I had just killed and this is her ploy to escape, "

    "Even so, shouldn''t we hear her out first?" Lia questioned him, putting herself between Raphael and Electra.

    "Move away, Lia. I don''t want to hurt you," Raphael warned her with a darkened gaze. He wouldn''t let her ruin his great plan.

    "I know you won''t hurt me because I''m your mate," Lia declared," So just listen to me for once, "

    Gideon and Zukai stood perplexed, what were they going to do? It seemed as if this was a couple''s fight and they knew better than to interrupt. Yet, the girl''s accusation unsettled them, what if she was right? The last few days, Asher has been kind of out of it.

    On the ground, Electra threw her head back and laughed mockingly, "You dumb woman, this imposter is going to hurt you because he''s not your real  -"

    "I''m sorry for doing this," Raphael said to Lia, and with the sweeping motion of his hand, she was pushed to the side by a strong gust of wind which gave him access to the now frightened Electra.

    Zukai and Gideon charged at him at once, his current actions had now proved the girl''s claim. No matter what, Asher would never lay a finger on his mate.

    Additionally, the Asher they knew would always give people the chance to defend themselves. If he was truly innocent as he claimed, why was he trying so hard to silence the girl? He was obviously trying to hide the truth from being exposed.

    Unluckily, Raphael having guessed their intentions froze them with ice- Asher''s ability does come in handy.

    Both of them wouldn''t die since they were undead creatures but that would incapacitate them till the ice melted off their body. To Raphael, that meant time enough to do whatever he wanted.

    It was as if a scale fell off Lia''s eyes immediately that scene played out in front of her; her eyes were opened.

    A wave of anger washed over her and she opened her mouth to scream when Raphael grabbed Electra from the ground and put her in front of him, using her as a shield and hostage.

    "Trust me, you wouldn''t want to do that," Raphael told her.

    "And why wouldn''t I do so? If you think that I would back down because of the girl, then you''re in for a huge loss," She spoke through gritted teeth," She has done nothing but harm me, why would I spare her life alongside yours?"

    "Well, first of all, I''m possessing Asher''s body. So harm me and you can kiss goodbye to your beloved''s body," he winked at her with an irritating smirk.

    Lia clenched her fist, she wanted to squeeze the life out of Raphael but what he said made sense too- She couldn''t afford to harm Asher''s body.

    "Secondly, this girl here..." He caressed Electra''s cheeks," Is Asher''s daughter," Raphael dropped the news.

    "What?" Lia was baffled.

    "You heard me, right Lia. Your perfect mate has a daughter behind your back " He disclosed comically.

    "You''re lying!" Lia refuted.

    She refused to believe a thing that animal spoke, he was probably ruffling her feathers.

    "Why would I lie to you, honey? I mean look at her eyes, it''s the same as Asher''s, oh I mean mine, I''m possessing his body now - lucky me," he laughed eccentrically

    "Come-on honey, be a doll and tell her the truth, would you?" He urged the struggling Electra to confirm his words.

    "Is it true?" Lia faced her anxiously.

    Electra glared at her, "You already heard the douche speak, what more do you want to hear bimbo?"

    Lia stilled, her mouth agape from shock. Asher had a child?

    "Tsk tsk," Raphael clicked his tongue, "Such a pity that he isn''t alive to tell the tale," his gaze moved to the figure on the ground.

    "Oh my God," a wretched sob tore from Lia''s lips. It now made sense to her, Raphael switched their bodies or whatever he did.

    The real Asher was the one in Raphael''s body? And she had assisted Raphael in killing him? She killed her mate!

    Her legs wobbled and she sank to the ground, despair tearing through her. What had she done?

    "I can offer you a deal, Lia" Raphael started," Come with me and I''ll leave the girl alive," he proposed.

    Lia lifted her tears filled face and glared at him murderously," I''m going to end you in the cruelest way possible," she promised him.

    "Think clearly, she''s the only surviving descendant of Asher, and the future leader of the Nicolli Clan, you wouldn''t want  Asher''s lineage to end, would you?"

    Raphael emphasized his threat by cutting through the skin of Electra''s neck with his sharp nail while the other hovered dangerously close to her heart legion.

    Lia was overridden with guilt yet her head was still in gear. It was her fault that Asher had died and the Nicolli clan would surely blame her for that afterward.

    No matter what Electra did to her, she had to forgive and save her life. She was the only child of Asher and as his mate, Electra was technically her child- what the fuck.

    "Join me, Lia and you would never regret it," Raphael stretched his hand out to her.

    Lia had just taken the first step when Dan and Sabrina appeared in the room.

    "Lia, he''s not Asher, stay away from him!" Sabrina yelled and cast a spell.

    Unfortunately, Raphael took hold of Electra and vanished with her after throwing some weird object in the air.

    "Oh no," Dan slumped to the ground beside the supposed Asher''s corpse,

    "We are too late,"

 Chapter 245 - Two Hundred And Forty-five: The New Clan Leader

    "Descendit," Sabrina released the frozen vampires- Zukai and Gideon.

    "Oh no," Dan slumped to the ground beside the supposed Asher''s corpse, "We are too late," he confessed with a deep grievous roar.

    Electra who they thought had been captured by Raphael reappeared. Phew, sometimes her ability does come in handy. Raphael had used her as a hostage once, shame on her if he used her again. Also, she refused to be the damsel in distress who required saving from these losers.

    Zukai and Gideon got down to their knees with their head lowered, paying their last tribute to their late clan leader.

    Lia took a step back, unwilling to believe what was going on, she just lost her mate?

    "T-this is all my fault," she rubbed her face with her palm before sliding her hands down her hair.

    "I should have been more careful, more attentive to my feelings, I failed Asher!" She wailed, her lips trembling while tears streamed down her cheeks.

    "No, this is not your fault," Sabrina told her, "This is my fault, "

    Lia''s expression shifted, "What are you talking about?"

    Sabrina bite on her lips nervously, "I was the one who did it"

    "Did what? I don''t understand"

    "I''m the one who switched their souls, I betrayed Asher, Lia. I betrayed your mate," Sabrina confessed, her voice full of emotions.

    Lia didn''t react for a good five minutes. She felt like she had heard wrong but Sabrina''s words kept playing in her head non-stop till she reacted.

    Anger like no other made its way through her veins and before anyone could predict her move, Lia had grabbed Sabrina by the neck and lifted her off the ground.

    "Lia, no!" Dan stood to his feet and rushed to separate the angry hybrid from killing his mate but was knocked back by a force.

    Shit! She had put on her forcefield.

    Dan punched her shield but it rippled yet didn''t let him in.

    "Lia, stop!" Dan issued an order which made the hybrid tighten her grip around the witch''s neck

    Sabrina choked while hot tears escaped the brim of her eyes and her hands went around to wrap around Lia''s, trying to loosen the hybrid''s grasp all to no avail.

    Her lungs were on fire as she gasped for air, Sabrina kicked her legs helplessly in the air.

    "You dare to betray him, you took Asher from me?! " Her eyes blazed with anger.

    "I- I''m so sorry, I didn''t mean to do so��It was Raphael who forced.." she couldn''t the rest of her words due to the suffocation.

    "Lia, don''t kill her, please!" Dan implored, banging his hand against the shield.

    "Don''t you dare set her free, she caused my father''s death and you would do justice to that," Demanded Electra who had seen lia''s resolve to end the witch dissolve.

    "Lia, you know Asher wouldn''t want you to soil your hands like this," Dan tried to persuade her, "We would find a suitable punishment for her not this,"

    "Do not listen to him, Lia. I know you know my father would seek revenge for you, why aren''t you doing the same?" Electra countered Dan''s efforts to change her mind.

    "Shut up you little devil !" Dan faced Electra this time," What do you know about Asher? All you''ve ever done for him so far is cause trouble and try to murder his mate" He rebuked her.

    "Yes, I admit that but he''s supposed to die in my hand, no one else" Electra declared.

    "You''re not fit to be our leader," Dan spat right in her face.

    "And you are?" Electra raised her brow, "Why don''t you just admit that you''ve been interested in this position all this time you served by his side? Who knows, you might have been in cahoots with Raphael all along?"

    "How dare you!" He charged at the girl.

    Surprisingly, Lia who had been hell-bent on ending Sabrina had to let go of her and put a shield between the two idiots who were forced back when they sprang at each other.

    "Can''t you two solve your problem diplomatically?!" Said Lia who had resorted to violence earlier.

    "I''m sorry," Dan lowered his head in shame. He had been caught trying to engage a child in a fight, how worse could he get?

    "And you" She whipped her head around to her sharply, "I appreciate your efforts in warning me about Asher -"

    "Which you didn''t heed and look where it got you," Electra pointed out with a mocking tone.

    "I admit it''s my fault that your father and mate is dead but you committed a huge crime by trying to end my life," Lia stated.

    "You don''t call the shots here," The irritating ass snorted derisively,

    "According to Nicolli laws, I''m the current leader. So I should be the one telling you what to do, not the other way around, "

    The two ladies began a staredown, their aura alone creating a great tension in the room. Lia was taller than Electra but the vampire wore heeled combat boots that put their height at the same level.

    An embittered smile made its way across Lia''s features, "You dare speak Nicolli laws with me? I bet you''ve forgotten that I''m Asher''s mate and you''re not up to age yet which means I would rule in place of you until you imp reach the desired age as appointed by the clan elders, "

    Yeah, all this while, she had not just been rolling in bed with Asher but learning Nicolli laws and culture and it sure came in handy now.

    Lia took a step closer," In case you don''t understand, it means in one word that I''m currently your mother and you''re under my guidance. Dare to touch me again and Asher''s blood or not, you''d regret ever knowing me" was her threat.

    Electra didn''t say a word, she pulled her eyes away instead as a form of submission. She had tried killing her before but for some reason, this freak didn''t die. Now, Lia had all the authority, who knows what she would do to her?

    "We would appoint you the new clan leader once we bury Asher and call together our brethren scattered across the globe," Dan said to her.

    "Who said anything about burying Asher?" Lia retorted.

    "Huh?" Everyone was confused.

    "Asher''s soul might have dwelt in this body but I refuse to bury Raphael''s carcass, we''re reclaiming Asher''s real body," Lia declared with her head held high.

    Asher had died because of her, reclaiming his body and leading his clan to victory was her responsibility now. She would grieve for him later, but right now she had to get her head in gear which meant keeping her emotions in check.

    "You mean -"

    "We''re going to war," Was her declaration.

    "You have the psychometry ability, track down Raphael wherever he is," she commanded Zukai who was still stunned at her coordination.

    "I can only trace the asshole by touching whatever he came in contact with recently," Zukai explained.

    Lia''s eyes flickered to Electra who stiffened at once, she was scary.

    "Raphael grappled her earlier" she pointed to her adopted daughter, " I don''t how your ability works but if you don''t get enough result, you''re free to touch her anywhere"

    "Y-you-"

    Lia''s glare silenced Electra.

    Dan, Gideon, and Zukai''s eyes met, why was the girl suddenly indomitable?

    "Alright, ma''am" Zukai had no choice but to acquiesce.

    "You" Lia faced Dan, "Maximize the use of your teleportation ability, gather every Nicolli members- I don''t care to know where or what they''re doing at the moment."

    "Yes, Ma''m" he obeyed, taking one last good look at Sabrina before vanishing.

    "And you," Lia turned to Gideon, "I don''t know what your ability I but if this witch or that imp escapes your watch, I''ll feed your balls to the dog" Lia instructed him.

    Gideon gulped, the future of his baby producer was at stake here. Boohoo wished Asher was still here; he liked him better. His mate was too Op. Not to mention, he was her sire.

    Having everything planned, Lia proceeded to leave for her place.

    Raphael needed her, which meant that he would try everything to keep her by his side - even if it means, sabotaging the safety of her family.

    Meanwhile��.

    Trevor and Rex were in the living room awaiting the news of her sister. Trevor''s feet repeatedly tapped against the floor impatiently.

    "I''m done waiting, I''m calling Williams," he decided but just when he put the phone to his ears, his mom came down to the living room.

    "Where is your sister?" She inquired.

    "Still not home," he answered yet made secret signals at his brother Rex.

    "That girl would make me age faster than my time," she rubbed her head,

    "You know what? I''m going back to rest,"

    "Mom," Trevor shot to his feet, walked over to his mother and took hold of her hand, "You don''t have to worry, I promise to find our sister, "

    Trevor promised her while stroking the top of her palm tenderly before pulling her in for a hug.

    Almost immediately, a sharp gaze was drawn from her lips as Trevor stabbed a stake into her heart out of nowhere.

    "Y- you, how did you... " She slumped to the ground only to shift back into Ozark.

    "Stay dead," Rex stabbed his own stake into Ozark''s heart.

    It clicked in his head.

    "Shit!" Trevor rushed upstairs to their mother''s room but there was no sign of her.

    Fuck it!

 Chapter 246 - Two Hundred And Forty-six: A War Is Coming

    Lia ran like never before. She didn''t even bother about using the bus having known she had no time for the constant stops - picking and receiving passengers. Neither did she take any of Asher''s car, there was a huge probability of encountering traffic.

    She had forgotten to ask Dan to send her back home and he had left to carry out his errand as directed by her. So this was her cross to bear.

    Lia sped through the air like a bullet that even the world''s best track runner would die from envy after viewing such a scene. She didn''t tire rather ran straight ahead since her stamina could keep up with it.

    By the time she arrived home, she was sweating so much that she smelled to high heaven. However, the hybrid didn''t care and barged into the house and was highly relieved to see her brothers were safe.

    "Oh, thank God," She engulfed Rex in a tight hug amid his struggle to be set free.

    "Eww, you are rubbing your sweat on me," Rex squirmed.

    "Consider that a blessing," She kissed him on the forehead and finally let go of him to his comfort.

    "Where the hell have you been?" stormed Trevor who came out of her mother''s room.

    "Long story but in summary, I''m glad you both are okay. I thought something had happened to��" Lia''s trailed off when her eyes rested on Ozark''s dead body.

    Her eyes rounded," Where is Mom?" She asked, a bad premonition forming in her heart.

    Trevor shook his head.

    Without needing to be told, Lia hurried up to her mother''s room only to find it empty.

    "No, no, no, no!" Lia screamed and tossed aside the sheet that did nothing to her out of anger.

    "That bastard!" She seethed, yanking her hair.

    "You could have helped stop it from happening if you haven''t been frolicking in bed with Asher!" Trevor took out his anger on her.

    Lia glared at him, "I wasn''t frolicking in bed with Asher, well maybe I did at the beginning but I was tricked -"

    "A pleasant excuse to evade bearing responsibility for your action," Trevor spat.

    Lia growled at the back of her throat, exposing her fangs as a sign of warning to him.

    "I don''t remember whatever happened this morning and that Asher you''re accusing me of frolicking with isn''t the real Asher but Raphael," she exposed.

    "What?" Trevor was flabbergasted, " What do you mean?"  His interest was piqued.

    Lia explained, "Raphael switched his soul with Asher''s and has been imitating Asher all this while,"

    "No wonder," Trevor gasped in disbelief, " I thought something was off with him lately. I need to inform Williams about this,"

    "What? Isn''t Williams your hunter buddy?" Lia inquired

    "Yes, he''s helping me find mom," he replied.

    "How could you do that? You know the hunters are subordinate to the councils and you reported this to him?"

    "Well, what was I supposed to do? You weren''t here and our mom was taken by God knows who-"

    "Raphael took our mother, he''s going to use her to force me to come to him," she saw through the bastard''s plan.

    "That bastard! But why?"

    "He needs me for something only he knows - which probably isn''t good," Lia answered.

    "How did you see through Ozark''s manipulation? That vampire is a tough one to kill"

    "Easy as pie, he never saw it coming," Trevor replied and lifted the sleeve of his shirt to reveal a small marking underneath his elbow.

    "What is that?" His sister was captivated, coming closer to inspect it. It was a squabble of gobbledegook, she couldn''t read whatever it was.

    "It''s some kind of indicator that alerts us by heating up when a supernatural creature is within proximity," he explained.

    "Oh," she nodded her head.

    "I was pretty confused when he mimicked mom until I remembered some vampires could create such an illusion," he went on," Mom has no idea we''ve turned the house into an armory. Every object in the house is a potential weapon to kill a supernatural creature. We hid weapon in spots she would never think of,"

    Lia watched as the mark shone red.

    "Ouch!" Trevor cried out when she touched it, "You shouldn''t touch it because you''re not..."

    "Human?" Lia added wryly.

    "It burns me if you do so," Trevor complained yet looked away in guilt. No matter what she did, the fact she was no longer human would always put a strain on their relationship.

    "There is going to be a war, Trevor. You should call back Williams before he risks his lives and others by involving other people," she added.

    "You mean hunters?" He corrected, displeased by her choice of words.

    "I''m not trying to be disrespectful here but this is going to be real and there would be loss of lives- supernatural lives " Lia hinted the humans were weak and were not suitable for this war.

    "I get that your kind have the enhanced senses, powers and all and we''re just pathetic humans but we are Hunters and have specifically trained for situations like this," he took offense.

    "I''m not looking down on you guys, Trevor" Lia clarified, "But I''m just trying to keep you all from danger,"

    "Danger is the reason we''re Hunters"

    Lia shook her head," Even your dear council steers clear of the Raven clan talk more the both of you teenagers acting without the authorization,"

    "We''re not acting alone, Williams would inform his father -"

    "And risk getting my secret exposed?" Lia was disappointed.

    "Nobody is getting your secret exposed," he defended.

    "They think I''m human, what do you think would come into their mind when they see me transform into a hideous creature?"

    "You''re not a hideous creature!"He blurted out to his astonishment.

    Lia was surprised too but she continued," Raphael might look simple but beneath that gentle demeanor, he''s a cruel vampire who wouldn''t hesitate to bring others down with him when the battle is against him. I don''t know what he would do, so please call your people back, I don''t need another innocent blood on my head," she pleaded.

    Trevor stared at her hard for a while, "You promise to bring mother home safe and sound?" He asked, just to be sure.

    "I promise with my life," she swore.

    "Fine," Trevor breathed.

    He took out his phone and called Williams right away.

    "Hey," he said.

    "Hey, you too. Guess what, I''m just about to speak with my father-"

    "About that, forget about that," Trevor gulped, here comes the next question.

    "What do you mean forget about that? Your mother just went missing -"

    " I found her"

    "You did?"

    "We found her tied up in the basement but she''s okay. Turns out she wasn''t the vampire''s only target, he must have hidden her there to come to get us unknowing that he would meet his demise," Trevor told a lie.

    "Ahh, that''s a huge relief,"

    From the side glance, he saw his sister giving him a thumbs up.

    "We are just planning on bagging the vamp''s body and bury him in our backyard,"

    "That''s going to be a lot of digging. Do you need help with that, I could come over if you want?" Williams offered.

    There was no doubt that Williams would request to see his mom if he came over and he had just lied to him through his teeth.

    Trevor was just about to turn down his offer politely and in a way that won''t draw suspicion since Williams was a sensitive person when he heard him say,

    "I''m sorry, Trevor but I don''t think, I''ll be able to make it,"

    Huh, that was strange. Just what he was praying for. But it coming easily was strange itself - Williams was a persuasive person- something must have happened.

    "You won''t..." He heard Shane''s voice from the background ordering him to prepare to leave.

    "Hey, what''s happening?" Trevor asked.

    "There is a war going on in Kinney village, my father wants me to join them and check the situation out," Williams informed him.

    Trevor glanced up to notice his sister''s anxious look. Of course, she had excellent hearing, how could she not pick-up the conversation that wasn''t even on speak out.

    "Can I join?" Trevor blurted.

    "Um, I don''t know ... according to reports, it''s pretty hot down there and there are lots of casualties"

    "Please?" Trevor requested having seen his sister''s panic-stricken face. Left for him alone, he wouldn''t give a damn about the werewolf but he knew how much he meant to Lia, or rather she had shown him how much her mates meant to her.

    "This is supposed to be a secret and I don''t know if my father would let you in," Williams said of his worries.

    "Daniel is my sister''s boyfriend and I need to confirm if he''s okay to know how to break the news to my sister if push comes to shove," he made up an excuse.

    He heard Williams take a deep breath," You know what? Fuck my father. Come over, quickly. I''ll stall for time."

    "Thank you, Williams"

    "You''re welcome,"

    The call ended.

    "I need to go to Kinney village. I need to know how Daniel''s doing, who knows what''s going on there right now?" Lia panicked as he thought.

    "Hey, you go find our mother, I''ll keep an eye on your boyfriend - the werewolf boyfriend" Trevor split the job.

    "What about me?" Rex, who had been ignored all this time, spoke out.

    "That''s right, I can''t take him to Asher''s place, it''s too dangerous for him to be in a room full of vampires but I can''t leave him home alone either, who knows who Raphael might send this time?"  Lia observed the situation.

    "Neither can I take him with him either, Williams barely added me" Trevor pointed out.

    Lia''s face brightened with an idea, "I think I know the perfect babysitter "

    "Who?"

    "Ben"

 Chapter 247 - Two Hundred And Forty-seven: The Couple Reunion

    "No, no way," Ben stubbornly shook his head with his arms folded across his chest," How could you keep me away from all these dramas and I get to babysit your brother instead," he argued.

    "Ben, this is a war, not a child''s play. Moreover, you can''t -"

    "Contribute anything to it," he filled in.

    "I was going to say ''protect'' yourself," Lia corrected.

    "Who said I can''t protect yourself?"

    "Unless you have a way to manipulate ghosts to fight your battles, I don''t see any other way of protecting yourself," Lia pointed out that fact.

    "I''m not a Necromancer," he gave her a dirty look, "But if I ��." His eyes brightened with an idea.

    "Oh boy, I don''t like this," She mumbled under her breath. Each time Ben came up with his unverified hypothesis turned reality, it never turned out well - on lots of occasions.

    "What if I made a pact with a ghost who uses my body and I become overpowered," Ben imitated some signature action movie moves.

    "Or maybe you''d get tricked and the ghosts get to possess your body for eternity. Behold, what a great plan!" she deadpanned instead.

    Lia placed both hands on his shoulder," I love your willingness to help out Ben but I need your help with keeping my brother safe,"

    "Is still unfair" He sulked," Even Trevor gets to help out, why me"

    Yeah, Ben had forced the truth from her mouth before she even got to plead for Rex to stay over.

    "Rex might be young but he''s an aspiring Hunter, he''s got some juicy information you might need," Lia tried to bribe him.

    "Tempting but no," Ben turned her offer down," Although there''s something you could help me out with,"

    "What''s it?" Lia asked but prayed he wasn''t about to make one of his outrageous requests.

    "You''d help me investigate Alicia''s death," he proposed.

    "Oh, you''re still intent on finding the murderer of your ghost girlfriend?" She taunted him.

    "She''s not my girlfriend," Ben went red in the face, "Are you helping me out or not?"

    "Fine," Lia readily agreed to the deal. If that would guarantee the safety of her brother, so be it.

    "Be a good boy," she warned Rex who gave her a lopsided grin," I mean it,"

    Somehow, the girl wondered if leaving Rex with the untamed Ben was a good idea. Well, what''s the worst that can happen, anyhow? What has she not seen?

    "Thank you so much," Lia hugged Ben briefly and pulled away.

    "Kick some asses but remember to stay safe," Ben surprisingly advised her. Was that truly Ben or the possessed one?

    The moment she left Ben''s, she took off to Asher''s home. The sun was already going down and soon it would be time for a massacre.

    "How''s everything going?" She asked as soon as she arrived at Asher''s bedroom.

    Gideon, her sire, had guarded Electra and Sabrina well, both were still at the place she had left them. But compared to Tristan, she felt little to no bond with him - perhaps, he doesn''t know how to use that.

    "Have you found out Raphael''s location?" The newly nominated clan leader inquired.

    "There''s a problem," Zukai said.

    "What is it?"

    "I can''t trace Raphael," he disclosed.

    "What?" Lia was dissatisfied," Do you need more materials to work with? Because if that''s the case, then you should know that Raphael was with me before he touched Electra, you can try me," she offered herself.

    "That''s not the problem," he said, " I feel something but each time I try to read further, it''s muddled. I''m thinking it has to do with the fact that the two souls were switched," Zukai surmised.

    "Or the fact that Raphael knows you are going to track him down and has a witch to cloak his activity," Sabrina chimed in.

    "What do you mean?" Lia turned towards her.

    "Raphael has a witch by his side" she disclosed.

    "How do you know that? Don''t tell me you were you the one who introduced the witch to him too?" Lia suspected her.

    Now Asher was dead, she hated the sight of Sabrina because the witch was a constant reminder of what she had lost as a result of her mistake.

    "Of course not," Sabrina went wide-eyed with shock, "I don''t know anything about the witch, I just figured out everything from the orb Raphael utilized,"

    "What orb?" Lia was intrigued.

    "Teleportation orbs, orbiting orbs or globes, call it any but they serve the purpose of teleportation by creating portals. Else, how did you think Raphael escaped us?" She replied.

    "So you''re trying to say - "

    "Those are made by witches and if he has one, he has a witch as a backup," Sabrina completed.

    "What witch is willingly to work with that crazy son of a biscuit?" Electra mumbled under her breath but this was a room full of vampires who heard it with ease.

    "A witch as crazy as him?" Gideon speculated.

    "Or a foolish one tricked by him," Lia contributed, eyes glued on Sabrina.

    "Or one held against her will?" Zukai added.

    "Pfft, that''s impossible," Electra doubted mockingly," Why can''t she escape with her magic?"

    "Not when she has something to lose if she does that," Sabrina responded solemnly.

    Lia was touched by her word but pretended otherwise, whatever bad experience the witch had was her business. The only reason she had not killed Sabrina yet was because of Dan; he was her saving grace.

    The hybrid was about to brief them on the next course of action when her heart suddenly throbbed for no reason or so she thought until she picked up light footsteps coming in their direction.

    "Do you hear that?" She asked no one in particular.

    Lia saw a little twitch on Zukai''s face and knew he had heard it too. Everyone became alert and adopted a fighting stance, awaiting whatever comes in through that door.

    She gulped to confirm her cords were ready to blast any enemy that barges in to attack them.

    But no one expected to see Raphael walk in through that door with an unfamiliar girl in his arms.

    What the fuck! How was that possible? Lia had watched the real Raphael rip out his own heart and end Asher who had been occupying that body.

    They kept on staring at each other while the other vampires awaited Lia''s orders hence she was now their leader.

    Asher stared at his mate like a moron, he couldn''t believe he finally made it home. He tried to take a step towards her but she roared threateningly

    "Who are you?!"

    Lia asked that stranger with her fists formed, ready for a fight. She felt some inexplicable attraction to this freak with Raphael''s face, but how was that possible? She had just watched Aster die right in front of her and she had been fooled so many times this week she wouldn''t allow herself to be used again.

    It couldn''t be Ozark, her siblings had killed him already. Maybe, this was another vampire with that same ability, right? This couldn''t be Asher who just died in Raphael''s body, right?

    Asher didn''t answer, instead, he laid the Devon who had fainted from exhaustion on the ground, resting her back against the wall- she had pushed herself to the limit.

    He began to take slow steps towards his startled mate. What the hell had happened for her to be this way.

    "You haven''t answered me. Don''t take another step or I''ll have no choice than to hurt you," she said empty threats.

    Sharp gasps came from the shocked supernatural audience who finally comprehended what was going on. Asher had not died, rather it was his copy - he must have mastered Raphael''s duplication ability. How did they not think about that?

    Lia swallowed, she refused to believe what her heart was telling her. She had killed Asher, that was all she knew.

    Asher found it amusing the way she avoided him, he could smell the pheromones off of her and she reeked of nervousness. What was she guilty about? He followed after her with a predatory glint in his eyes until she was corned against the wall.

    "Does this answer you?" Asher murmured before he lowered his head and kissed her the way he normally does when he still had his face back.

    Lia''s pulse raced, aside from when she was with Daniel, she hadn''t felt this kind of excitement before - like she had finally found a piece of her missing soul.

    "God," Lia breathed in when he pulled away, "It''s really you?" Her eyes were finally opened and the doubt gave way.

    This time, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, not giving a damn to the fact her beloved was bearing Raphael''s face. All that matters is that he was here and safe.

    Tears slid down her eyes as their lips met in a rush with her hands digging into his scalp, pressing him further against him as if wanting to swallow him whole.

    She pulled up for air, clasping his cheeks with her hands, "Thank God you''re okay. Do you know how guilt-ridden I felt when I thought I killed you?"

    "If my copy is dead, then you technically did kill me," Asher joked.

    Lia punched him on the chest," Does this look funny to you?" she scowled at him.

    Asher clasped her cheeks this time, saying seriously, "I''m sorry for failing my promise of keeping you safe but I swear with my life, no one would ever lay a finger on you this time,"

    He kissed her and Gideon cheered with applause. His prayer has been answered, their leader is back.

    Just when Asher thought things were finally settled between him and his mate, he received a hard slap on the face.

    His head whipped to the side from the impact," What was that for?"

    "How could you hide the fact you had a child behind my back?!" She spat.

    Uh-oh, he forget about that

    " I was -" He was about to explain when another slap met his other cheek.

    "I''m still in high school, how could you make me a step-mom? What am I going to tell my mother?!"

 Chapter 248 - Two Hundred And Forty-eight: Keep You Safe

    "I''m still in high school, how could you make me a step-mom? What am I going to tell my mother?!" She pulled on his collar and shook him.

    Asher was astounded and still had a hand to his cheek. That slap had stunned him.

    "Huh, you''re not talking? Are you that proud of what you did? Were you planning on keeping it away from me forever?"

    Asher''s mouth twitched, how was he going to speak when she kept peppering him with questions; his mate hadn''t given him a chance to say a word.

    "Lia, listen to me," he said, eyeing her animated hands. Who knows when she will launch another slap on his cheek?

    "Oh, I should listen to you?" His angry mate gave him no chance to explain himself and he rubbed his forehead, this was going to be a long time.

    "Who is her mother? A vampire? Human? Is she demanding your attention and welfare for her child? Does she want you to settle down with her?" Lia gasped, "Is she your first love? Is she prettier than me? Is that why you had a child with her? Are you planning on rejecting me? Wait a minute, you''re going to dump me for -"

    Lia was silenced with a kiss.

    Asher was relieved when the rest of her words were swallowed forever. His mate was too insecure, does she not have faith in him?

    The audience in the room looked away with a blush. Seriously, these lovey-dovey couples were at it again. Perhaps, it was better when both were separated? At least then, they had no chance of running into the couple eating each other''s faces.

    "A-hem," Zukai purposely cleared his throat to remind them that they still had company.

    "I just didn''t have the opportunity to tell you. You were preparing to leave for Kinney" Asher began," I love you and nothing is going to change that, child or nor mother of my child," he promised.

    "I love you Asher, but I can''t stand kissing you with Raphael''s body, we need to get your own body as soon as possible," Lia said to him.

    She turned around to the guilty witch, "And how do you suggest we do that, Sabrina?"

    At the mention of Sabrina, Asher''s demeanor changed as his eyes flashed and he was before Sabrina before she could think of escaping.

    Before he could lay his hand on the witch, Lia had put herself between both of them.

    "This is not the time, Asher," she placed both hands on his chest, knowing she was the only one that could calm him down.

    "We still need her, Asher. We need to reclaim your body and Raphael has my mother. We need all the help we can get. We can think about appropriate punishment for her once" his mate explained.

    Asher''s anger came down but not thoroughly, he was one step away from wriggling her neck or tearing out those vocal cords that aid her spell making.

    "I''m sorry for what I did," Sabrina apologized but Asher didn''t give her face.

    "Save it for who needs it,"  he waved it away.

    "I can change you both but only if I have both of your DNA and a connection between you two because of the distance," she said.

    "I don''t think that''s possible because I don''t have"

    "Can this serve?" Electra lifted a strand in the air.

    "Asher''s hair?" Maya inquired.

    "Yes, when he grabbed me earlier, I pulled against his hair and this fell off," she explained.

    "That should do," Sabrina carefully took the strand of hair from her and examined it, " I need a connection, next,"

    "What''s a connection?"

    "A link between Raphael and your mate Asher," she gave more details.

    "I can be one, right?" Lia was unsure," I am Asher''s mate and Raphael had this unhealthy obsession for me," she pinpointed.

    "The connection of love, that might work," commented Sabrina, ready to begin with this trail.

    "What a minute," Zukai captivated everyone''s attention," If we return their souls, doesn''t it mean that the one standing right here would be Raphael instead while Asher soul goes back to wherever Raphael is?"

    "Oh boy, you''re right," Lia realized,

    "We can''t do this," she refused.

    "What do you mean we can''t do it," Asher didn''t like the sudden change of plan," Don''t you want to see me back in my body?"

    "I really want to see you back in your real body, Asher but not at the cost of your life. I know who Raphael is- the past days have taught me how deceptive and cruel that animal is - and he''s always one step ahead of us. It wouldn''t be surprising if he knows we''re about to change you back now you''ve escaped," she told him.

    "She has a point Asher," Said Dan who appeared into the room, " If Raphael knows this, he must have placed your body in a tight spot where you might be destroyed instead," He made his point known before hugging him, "Thanks for staying alive,"

    "Thanks for keeping my mate safe," Asher patted his back.

    "He did nothing," Lia snorted, folding her arm across her chest.

    Asher broke the hug saying, "But I''ll still going ahead with the plan,"

    "No way," Lia refused," I just got you, I''m not losing you again,"

    "I''m not going to die on you, I promise," His mate tried to look away but Asher clasped her face," Please"

    Lia didn''t want to do this but it was his will and his body, he had the right to recover it.

    "Fine," she gave in after a short internal struggle, but not without kissing him once more even though she hated that face, "Let''s do this"

    "You should sit on the sofa with Asher beside you," Sabrina instructed her, "And carefully hold that strand in your other hand,"

    They carried out her instruction with Asher sitting on her left while the hair was held in her right palm.

    "What next," Lia breathed.

    "You relax," hushed Sabrina as she stood before both and started her spell.

    "Fatis swititched sit switched spiritu, anima fit posterius priori switched"

    chanted the witch vehemently.

    When she stopped, everyone was stunned, nothing spectacular happened.

    "I don''t feel any different," Asher informed them, "Is still me in there,"

    "Wait, let me try again," Sabrina told him "Fatis swititched sit switched spiritu, anima fit posterius priori switched"

    Sabrina said the spell over and over again but nothing happened and was instead left with a raspy voice.

    "Something''s not right," she heaved.

    "Maybe you said the wrong spell?" Lia shrugged," Am I holding the hair in the wrong hand?"

    "No, is not that," she shook her hand, breath still heavy," Is the -"

    "Connection," Asher filled in.

    "Exactly," Sabrina acquiesced," The connection is not strong enough. Which means -"

    "You need my mother. Raphael and I came from the same womb; Helen is the stronger connection," He figured out.

    Asher turned around to Dan," You know what this means,"

    "We''re bringing the war to Raven Clan," Dan understood.

    Lia stepped in " But Helen isn''t necessary if Raphael is physically present here, right?"

    "Yes," Sabrina answered," We only need her as the connector because of the distance between Asher and Raphael,"

    "Then what if we set a trap for Raphael using me as bait. He needs me, he would surely call," she suggested.

    Asher was outraged "No, that plan is risky, I won''t gamble with your life,"

    "Asher, I''m indestructible," she argued," I can''t die -"

    "Yet " Asher interrupted, "Just because there hasn''t been discovered a weapon that can end your life doesn''t mean you can''t be incapacitated. A stake to your heart knocks you out cold and makes you appear dead, remember?"

    " But still -"

    "Even without needing my mother, the battle between Nicolli and Raven clan is inevitable," he made it clear to her.

    "And Your people are here already," Dan notified him.

    Asher was surprised," How did you make arrangements so easily?"

    Dan motioned his hand to Lia, " Your mate did. She became your substitute after we all thought you died,"

    "Alright, I''ll be down to address them all. For the moment, give me some space with my mate," he ordered.

    No one argued rather filed out of the room.

    "I can''t wait to beat the life, no wait, he''s a vampire so he''s dead already," she rephrased briskly," I can''t wait to rip that goddamn heart out of his body,"

    "Yeah, I know," Asher agreed, his eyes following her every enthusiastic gesture.

    "If you''re going to be at the war front, I want to be with you...!"

    Lia yelped when she was suddenly lifted from the ground and found herself on the bed before she could even blink.

    She gulped when she saw Asher''s, scratch that, Raphael''s face, hovering over her.

    Lia laughed nervously," Asher, can''t you wait at least until you get your body back,"

    "No, I missed you so much"

    Lia closed her eyes as he lowered his head, unconsciously parting her lips but when she thought he would kiss her, she heard a clicking sound and something metallic clasp around her wrist.

    Her eyes popped open.

    "What are you doing?" She questioned suspiciously.

    "I can''t let you go to war with me. I promised to keep you safe and I''ll keep to that," he said firmly.

    Shit, power dampening cuffs, Lia realized.

    "This isn''t going to stop me," Lia snarled at her mate.

    "I know, which is why Sabrina would be warding this place off"

    " Asher, don''t do this" she pleaded

    "I''m sorry but I have to protect you from my brother,"

 Chapter 249 - Two Hundred And Forty-Nine: War

    "What the hell is taking so long?" Chris hissed, irritated. It was high time they left already yet they kept being delayed for God knows why.

    "It''s Williams, he''s taking a dump," Shane said, checking his wristwatch.

    Aside from the higher-ranked Hunters - Shane and Chris- there were about three others with them - one a beginner and the two middle-ranked.

    "We don''t have to wait for that little bug, each time we waste here is precious," he complained.

    "That little bug is my son and you seriously need to get laid," said Shane.

    "What?" Chris was mortified.

    "You''re always so tense and strict, you need a woman to pressure and loosen those knotted back muscles and straighten the furrows on your forehead," Shane teased him.

    "Fuck you," Chris spat

    "Sorry, but I''m straight," Shane released a burst of suggestive laughter.

    "I''m sorry I''m late," Williams came in, adjusting the zipper on his trousers.

    Chris shot him a strong look of disapproval yet didn''t say anything other than an incomprehensible murmur. The man wouldn''t punish him with his father around.

    Williams couldn''t understand why his father was friends with this man that always looked like there was a dark sky hovering over his head.

    Well, it was obvious.

    The council always grouped its recruits in teams and would remain that way as they climbed together in ranks.

    A member''s failure was the failure of the whole team. In order to soar higher, members in each team would have to work together and form strong bonds with one another.

    They would have each other''s back, share their joy and sorrow hence creating and building a relationship that was akin yet stronger than siblingship; more like family.

    There had been five members in his father''s team but two had died in battle, leaving Chris, Renard, and his father as the surviving members until Renard died too. Now, Chris and Shane had each other to look out for.

    Ding Dong

    "Seems like someone is on the door,'''' Williams feigned surprise, walked around them, and answered the door before anyone could stop him.

    "You''re here," Williams added,

    "And fast,"

    Trevor was heaving, evidence of the fact that he had run to William''s place, "I couldn''t miss it and the stamina serum did its magic," he remarked.

    The fact that Hunters were stronger and more advanced than the regular human was as a result of those serums and potions supplied to them by the witches and their intensive training.

    It enhanced them and though, their enhanced senses couldn''t compare to that of supernatural creatures, it wasn''t useless. They were stronger, could hear better, and see clearer but all this came at the expense of their life. They were warriors and warriors dies on the battlefield heroically.

    "You should brace yourself," Williams told her as both walked through the short passageway that led to the living room.

    "I''m not scared of your father," Trevor said bravely.

    "I''m not talking about my father but him," Williams tilted his head towards Chris who also looked in their direction.

    His eyes slightly rounded before it narrowed and his eyes shot out their usual fire.

    "What is he doing here?" hissed Chris who walked over to them.

    "I asked him to come," Williams used his larger body to shield Trevor from Chris.

    "You disclosed our mission to him?" His brows knitted.

    "He needs it, the experience" He stood his ground.

    "He''s just a level one agent, he hasn''t even completed the initiation yet," The stoic looking hunter pointed out.

    "However, he has been showing outstanding performance in his training and it''s obvious that he would be a valuable member to his team once the initiation is complete,"

    "Chris," Shane squeezed his shoulder, "Let him be. Like you said, each time we waste is precious,"

    Chris''s hardened gaze relaxed, "Fine, let''s get our asses moving,"

    Everyone slung their weapon bag over their shoulder and headed out. Though the sun had gone down they had made use of a concealing portion that hid them from the public''s eye. Their clothing and countenance were too conspicuous and would draw questions hence their disguise.

    "Why does Chris hate me?" Trevor couldn''t help but ask as they moved out of the house while the two older hunters went over a map or something, he didn''t give a damn.

    Williams chuckled," He''s like that to everyone,"

    "No, I feel like I inherited a special share of his hatred," he insisted.

    " Have you ever seen that girl smile?" Hr asked him.

    Trevor pursed his lips, pondering over it, "Nah, I can''t even imagine associating him with a smile," he shivered.

    "How''s your girlfriend?"

    Trevor was startled by William''s sudden question.

    "A-hem," he cleared his throat awkwardly, "She''s fine,"

    Ever since that rejection, his relationship with Williams had been one hell of a rollercoaster ride. One minute, they were good and the next, they were yelling each other''s head off.

    "You''re good and happy with her, right?" He inquired with a side glance.

    "Of course," Trevor answered, a blush creeping up his neck as he recalled a memory of him sneaking into Trisha''s place last night.

    "That''s good to know," He said, focusing his attention on the road ahead.

    Trevor sighed, then got in his way, "Look, thank you for liking me,"

    Williams''s brow raised interestedly, "Really?"

    "Yeah. I''m sorry that I''m not into you the way you''re into me and thank you for respecting my decision" Trevor appreciated him yet was unsettled by the odd smile that crept up his face.

    Williams stepped towards him which made Trevor slightly uncomfortable. He lowered his head which made him lean back awkwardly.

    "Don''t delude yourself," Williams said," I''ve not given up on you. I''m just waiting for the right opportunity to snatch you like an eagle to his prey,"

    Trevor forgot how to breathe. That confession left him short of words. He gulped, feeling the boy''s breath hit his face and doing weird things to his body.

    How was this possible? Trevor was sure he wasn''t gay. Then did he by chance swing both ways?  But then, he was attracted to Trisha, how could he like Williams too?.

    "Are you two love birds coming along or should we reserve a private room for you both?" Shane taunted with a knowing grin which made Trevor blush scarlet red.

    They had opened the portal which probably led straight to Kinney village and everyone else had left save them and his father.

    Feeling smug, Williams was the first to leave with the others following after him respectively.

    When they appeared at Kinney, the thick smoke was the first to assault their lungs. Most houses were burnt down and the magnificent packhouse had not been left out however, the house wasn''t ruined entirely.

    The battle was over by the time they had arrived and they went ahead to treat the humans who were caught in-between the crossfire between both packs.

    "You''re from the council," A lady who stood out from the other werewolves confronted them. She was tall, firm, and had a warrior''s aura with orbs narrowed at them skeptically.

    "You''re the Delta," Chris announced.

    "We didn''t ask for your help nor do we need your involvement. We handled all this on our own," she said to them.

    "The fact that humans were injured has given us all the reason to get involved. You should have known that " he argued.

    "We did our best to secure the lives of the humans,"

    "The casualty?" Shane asked this time.

    "Only one human lost his life, some are injured- not life threatening- but the other''s are safe, although emotionally and mentally drained instead," she informed them.

    "What brought about this war?" Chris interrogated.

    "Being a werewolf is a battle of its own, do you need to be told that?" Judith threw at that irritating looking human.

    "I need details not your philosophy, woman,"  Chris asked him with a bored look.

    "Then, I''ll suggest you come another time when our alpha''s stable," Judith couldn''t stand that arrogant  human that she could easily snap into two with her hands.

    "Stable?" Trevor blurted earning dissaproving looks from the older hunters. He was not permitted to chime in.

    He was first to pick on those words since Daniel was the only reason he had come here at the very beginning.

    Judith crinkled her nose and sniffed the air, eyes widening in slight surprise.

    "You''re Lia''s brother, how could you join the council?" She recognized him through scent.

    Trevor opened his mouth to say a word but Chris beat him to it," We are here for a better business not chitchat your private problems," his displeased look swept over Trevor and back to Judith.

    "And as I say, you would be hearing a word from me or any of us until our Alpha is back on his feet.," She added,"You can spend your time looking out for your precious humans but ask my kind a word and I''ll rip out your heart- Hunter or not,"

    She now focused her attention on Trevor, "Where is your sister?"

 Chapter 250 - One Hundred And Fifty: War-2

    "Ugh!" Lia threw herself at the door yet she was bounced back instead.

    "Damn you, Asher!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, anger flowing through her veins.

    She had broken the restraint, rendering the chains in two but the cheek plates were still around her wrists and thus rendering her powers useless.

    Not to talk of the ward the unfaithful Sabrina placed around this place. Weren''t girls supposed to be faithful to their fellow girls? Wasn''t it a girl''s rule or something?

    But how dare he lock her up in the name of protection? She wasn''t a porcelain doll nor was she fragile and could fight her way through a war! This wasn''t the early Nineties where women''s rights were restricted.

    "Don''t look at me that way, mom" Electra taunted her, "He''s your faithful husband, go and deal with him," she laughed scornfully.

    Oh yes, the company Asher had left for her was no other than his assassin daughter and her irritating step-daughter. No, she won''t stand for this.

    "Don''t you have a way of getting us both out of here instead of getting yourself comfortable on that bed?" She glared at the nonchalant daughter - who said parenthood was easy, come out here?!

    "Oh, I thought you were the new clan leader?" Electra emphasized on "Clan leader" with a hand gesture, "Shouldn''t you have found a way of getting the both of us out of here already, mom?"

    Lia''s glare deepened, "I am not your mother, "

    "Ooh, evading your duties at the early stage, are we?"

    Lia shook her head, this girl was a pain in the ass.

    "And by the way, you should lie down, the mattress is really soft, was it made of feathers or something?" She yakked," Oh God, tell me you both haven''t made love on this?"

    Electra received a dirty look from Lia as a reply.

    "Eww- worthy or not, I still like the bed," she laid back with a sigh.

    Lia rubbed her forehead, this was a nightmare.

    "You''re dead meat, Asher! Just you wait!" She declared unknown that her screams were drowned out by the clamoring outside the house.

    Asher stood on the balcony of the second floor addressing a hundred plus of his people that were standing in his yard.

    When compared to other vampire Clans, Nicoli Clan were the smallest yet the most dangerous because of their dual ability. Moreover, their numbers greatly depleted during the great purge thanks to his father''s foolishness.

    There was great murmuring when Asher stood before them. Dan had told them that something huge had happened and the need to return home but they never thought it was to this extent.

    "I''m sure you all are mystified and mortified by my appearance. But no need to fear, it''s still I, Asher, your great leader and son of Antonio Nicoli. Due to some unfortunate incidents, I was overpowered and my soul was forced out of my body by no other trickster than my half-brother Raphael.."

    Another murmuring arose from the crowd.

    "Silence!" He quieted them.

    "We, the Nicoli Clan, are so far the most magnanimous vampire Clan ever seen but some people- Vampires, witches, and humans likewise- take our kindness for weakness which is not so!"

    "Yes! You''re right!" They hollered.

    "And for that, we are going to show them who''s the boss here!"

    "Yes! We are the boss!" They concurred.

    "Tonight we are going to march to the Raven clan for two reasons. One: Recover my body and pay back my oppressors in their own coins. Two: Imprint fear in their mind. Let us revive the glory of the Nicoli clan!"

    "Yes!" Their satisfied outcry increased.

    "Do not be mistaken, this war has been brewing for years and finally, the line has been drawn. We war today to rejoice tomorrow. Are you ready?!"

    "Yes!" They chorused.

    "Nicoli clan, are you ready?! "

    "Yes, lord Asher!" They responded enthusiastically.

    "The witch would open a portal that would lead us straight to Raven territory. This is to ensure that we have enough time to exact our vengeance before the council arrives or receive questionable looks from the humans and thankfully the night has given us enough cover already," he informed.

    It was no news that Vampires performed better at night than daytime as nocturnal creatures they were. Though they somehow gained immunity over the sun, heat and Vampires had never been kissing cousins. Some vampires were still uncomfortable with the feeling of warmth on their cold skin.

    "We''ve always abided by the rules and this time, there would be no difference. There would be no killing of humans nor unpermitted taking of their blood - we don''t need the councils and their problems. Vampiric Women and children should be spared, but kill any before you get killed if the situation calls for it; It''s your life first before theirs��" Asher paused, taking in the expression on their faces.

    "But the most important of all, leave Raphael to me. You can try fighting Ezekiel at the expense of your life but our main target today is Raphael," he advised them.

    "We leave now! "

    "Yeah!!" Whistles and cheers reverberated throughout the mansion, disturbing the quiet night.

    "Do your thing," Asher turned to Sabrina standing beside him expectantly.

    Sabrina was taken aback, "You really expect me to move this many people to Raven clan?"

    Asher''s eyes flashed," Exactly," he affirmed, "What I mean is that you should cast a stable portal, strong enough to move all of my people safely to Raven clan,"

    "A spell of that capacity would drain me," she complained.

    "You should have thought of that before betraying me," he growled," All of this wouldn''t have happened if you hadn''t been greedy for power,"

    "And you''re not?" She challenged him, "No tell me, Asher, that you won''t be tempted to do the same thing I did. How would you feel if you were stripped of your powers and superhuman abilities? How would you feel knowing that you can''t protect Maya anymore and that you''re just a powerless vampire for ornamentation -?!"

    "Just do your damn mojo!" He snarled at her, fangs out and all.

    "For your information, I have never been to the Raven clan so I have no idea where to drop your people," she said with sarcasm.

    "Dan," Asher gestured to his second in command who had been watching their drama expressionlessly to come over.

    "What are you going to do?" Slight fear washed over Sabrina. Asher has been quite unpredictable ever since he returned, who knew what he had ordered Dan to do.

    "Dan, don''t listen to ��." she was pleading with him Dan clasped her face, tilted his head, and kissed him.

    "Oh," she was stunned. Whatever punishment this was, Sabrina liked it and hoped it came often.

    But this was Asher they were talking here, surely he didn''t just order Dan to kiss her? How was that going to help her know��.

    Sabrina was stunned when she began to receive memories. She wasn''t seeing it like an image sent to her head or something. It was as if she was Dan who experienced it; she was seeing it through his mind like they were one.

    Even after Sabrina had gotten the information she needed, she didn''t pull away from the kiss, and neither did he. Their lips moved as one while she busied her hands in his hair.

    "My vampires don''t have all the patience in the world," Asher''s comment broke them apart.

    Sabrina was truly comforted by that kiss. she had been so scared that Dan would break up for what she did to Asher. But it was apparent that he was still interested in her as much as she was in him.

    "Do you have the destination now?" Asher cocked a smug smirk that vexed her. He interrupted their kiss on purpose.

    "Yes, I have it" Sabrina murmured beneath her breath.

    She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and began to say strange words Asher didn''t give a damn about.

    In the yard, a ripple began to form in the air followed by a large crackling of thunder. Not long after, a large portal fit enough for five to go through at once materialized.

    "Wow," gasped Devon who had been having a good nap earlier,

    "She is so cool," the girl said in admiration.

    "How do you feel?" Asher asked her.

    "Rejuvenated; a good nap does wonders to the body," was her response while stretching her body.

    "We are going back to the Raven clan and it''s going to get bloody. Are you sure you can stand the sight, else you should stay back? I have given you my word that I would bring your mother back to you safely." He reminded her.

    Devon clenched her fist, "I''ll go. Those people including my father pretended to care about me when all they did was exploit me," she turned to Asher," I would love to see the look on his face as I take his life," she declared fiercely.

    Asher''s brow furrowed," He''s your father" he pointed.

    "He was no lesser than an animal," Devon claimed.

    " You scare me, Devon, because I see myself in you," The vampire confessed stunning the young Devon, "And if you''re not careful, you might miss the right track like I almost did," he informed her.

    "You should inform your people that the portal''s safe now, " Sabrina notified him.

    Asher lifted his hand which his Vampires took as a clue to step into the portal. The first five vampires walked into the portal successfully before the others gathered the courage to follow after them - they still didn''t trust witches fully.

    "It''s taking a toll on her," Devon was the first to notice Sabrina''s ill condition.

    Sweats were rolling down her forehead and her lips were trembling as she kept up her hands in the air, keeping the portal.

    "I have got to help," Devon

    "Devon, don''t -"

    Devon placed both hands on Sabrina''s back who gasped in relief upon receiving a rush of energy.

    " What are you doing?" Asher didn''t interrupt both yet asked out of curiosity.

    "Transferring my strength to her,"

 Chapter 251 - Two Hundred And Fifty-one: The Young Impulsive Witch

    What kind of witch was she? Asher wondered. To others, it seems like she desired to help people out but to Asher, it was almost as if danger thrilled her.

    That was an admirable trait yet a dangerous one if she goes off the track. Imagine making an enemy of a vampire hybrid whose knowledge grew with each battle she engaged in.

    Devon doesn''t have to be taught, she just needs to be shown and she has an idea of it at once. Her ability was amazing with prospects of it evolving into something huge yet dangerous in the future; never estimate the power of the brain.

    "Thank you," Sabrina whispered to her gratefully. If not for her help, her knees would have given out by now as a result of lack of strength.

    Two they say is better than one because, in no time, Sabrina and Devon had finished teleporting the vampires.

    They both crumpled to the ground out of exhaustion.

    "That was awesome!" Jubilated Devon which elicited an odd look from Sabrina.

    What was this girl made of? Steel? She was so weird. Here she was, so exhausted yet this young witch was exhilarated. Perhaps, she was growing old or something?

    "It''s time to leave," Asher announced, putting on black gloves. He was dressed in black denim, leather jacket, and boots; he was ready to kiss some asses.

    "Wait!" Devon stopped him.

    "What?"

    "There''s something you need to know before you leave," Devon said to him.

    Asher''s interest was piqued, what was she about to disclose? The girl had proved her capability so far, so he did not doubt that whatever she had to say was important.

    "Alright, spill the beans, "

    She breathed, "When you were in the Raven clan, there was a memory Ezekiel forced me to take away from you," she confessed.

    His eyes widened," You erased my memory? What memory did you take from me?"

    "Umm," Devon pursed her lips," Well, kind of an insignificant memory but then nothing little is too little. You better see for yourself, "

    She walked over to him but Dan put himself in her way, he still didn''t trust that girl.

    "It''s okay," he gestured to Dan to give the girl space which he reluctantly obeyed.

    Devon was all smiles as she placed both hands on Asher''s temple saying,

    "Revelare omnia quae amissa, "

    Asher gasped in pain which made Dan try to butt in but Sabrina held him back.

    "It''s normal. A memory recovery spell comes with pain but he''d survive since he''s a vampire," she explained.

    Asher grunted in agony, his eyes rolling back as the memories surged his head:

    "Helen is my mate and that''s my current weakness - no matter what, I can''t harm her - so I put her into a peaceful sleep"

    "You put her in hibernation, you sorted out help from a witch?"

    "Do you think my mother would forgive you for what you did to her? Helen would hate you for eternity if she doesn''t reject you"

    "You were always jealous of my father"

    "It wasn''t hard, the mate bond made everything easier. Just a perfectly planned kiss and she succumbed to me"

    But she could reject you, your days are numbered, Ezekiel"

    "Like I would let you walk free after hearing this"

    At first, Asher just remembered snippets of that stolen memory but with time, it all merged and made sense.

    Devon pulled away while Asher staggered back from the spiraling experience. He was still reeling from the effects.

    "If this is true," Asher thought aloud, "That means we are bringing my mother back whether she''s needed for the spell or not," he announced.

    "What did you see?" Dan inquired

    "There''s no time to chit chat. Chop chop, we have to leave now. The more time we spend here, the more dangerous it is for my people left leaderless in Raven territory.

    "Sabrina should not cast spells anymore since she''s exhausted and has to preserve her strength to return me to my original body when the time comes. So Dan would take her out of here," Asher assigned roles.

    "Devon, you still have the orbiting orbs, so the both of -"

    "There is no need for everyone to bother themselves. I''ve seen how Sabrina summoned the portal and I think I can do it," she informed him happily

    "That portal is too strong for -"

    "No, Devon, don''t -!"

    Sabrina and Asher were still saying when the girl conjured up the said portal.

    But to their greatest surprise, a large portal opened up in the sky and the next they knew, they experienced the sensation of slightly flying in the air before they heard a loud thud and the house quaked greatly.

    They all fell and slid to the side with the slanted movement of the house just before it settled. Even when the house stopped reverberating and the dust had cleared, the house was never quite level.

    Sabrina had a prominent bump on her forehead; she had hit the wall hard when gravity took place.

    Devon was not left out either, even as the spellcaster, she had a bloody trailing down the side of her head and a cut on the bridge of her nose.

    If Dan and Asher were injured, no one could tell since they were up on their feet and looked healed already.

    "What the hell just happened?" The vexed Dan was the one to speak out first, helping Sabrina to her feet and checking for other injuries on her body.

    "Well, in summary," Sabrina eyed Devon who was puking her gut out. The girl should have known that a spell of that enormity had its toll on the body. Does she think it was child''s play when she had summoned one earlier?

    "The young impulsive inexperienced witch not only summoned a portal that sucked the sum of us to Raven territory," she gestured outside, "But she brought the house with us in it which means that ��"

    "I might as well have never caged Lia," Asher filled in numbly.

    "Yep, your house just traveled through a portal," Sabrina summarized," It''s time to face the music, Asher"

    Meanwhile��.

    Lia paced up and down the room idly, this was so frustrating. There was nothing she could do in here while the clamors of battle from downstairs filled her ears. She wanted to fight and as gory as that might sound, her anger could only be quenched after tearing those Raven freaks apart.

    She would come for Raphael but that would be after rescuing her mother from his evil claws. Lia trusted Asher would find her mother but she was scared of a casualty loss.

    Her mother was a human but Asher and Raphael were vampires and would not die from minor Injuries. But her mom was fragile, a small strike to the chest from Raphael would crush her sternum and the broken bones would pierce into her heart, killing her instantly, and undoubtedly, that sick psycho would try to use her mom to sabotage Asher.

    Which was why Lia had to be there; at that battle. She had to ensure her mother doesn''t become a victim of circumstances moreover, Lia had promised her brother that she would return their mother home safe and she would do just that.

    "You know," Electra started again to her annoyance," Instead of wasting your energy being furious, you could sit down and we could have a mother and daughter bonding time," she suggested.

    Lia was annoyed by her statement, she glanced over her shoulder, "Does everything seem like a joke to you?"

    "No, not everything, clearly, the unnecessary ones," was Electra''s answer.

    Her gaze darkened," The unnecessary ones?" A wry smile was seen on her face briefly before it distorted into a furious one," My mother is being held against her wish and there''s a possibility that she might not make it out alive and you think it''s an unnecessary thing worrying over her?!"

    "Hey, that''s not what I''m trying to - " she tried to explain but the fuming Lia did not let her speak.

    "I''m being hunted by a psychopathic vampire who is the half-brother to my mate and is currently possessing my mate''s body and you think it''s not a reason to be concerned - "

    "That is not what I meant by that, I just wanted you to chill out a ��. you know what ?" Electra pressed her temple with both hands," Forget I ever said anything, forget I ever wanted to help out a dumbass like you!"

    The friction in the room heightened as Lia roared," That''s no way to talk to me, I''m your -"

    Electra took the words out of her mouth," You are not my mother and would never be my mother! So get that fact into that impaired brain of yours"

    "This is it!" Lia stomped her feet, forgetting all about control.

    Both women were prepared to lurch at each other, to claw, kick, punch and pull hairs when an earthquake took place, they thought.

    Due to the fact they were standing, the two of them had nothing to hang onto and were thrown about violently.

    By the time the building settled, Lia and Electra were moaning in pain. What the hell just happened?

 Chapter 252 - Two Hundred And Fifty-two: Frozen With Joy

    Jenny blinked, adjusting to the light as the blindfold was pulled off her eyes. The last thing she remembered was a stranger entering her room but before she could question his intention or call for help, her vision had darkened.

    Was she kidnapped? But who would want to kidnap her? She didn''t even have much money other than the support her late husband had kept for the children.

    But what kind of kidnapper leaves her unrestrained and lays her on a safe comfy bed. Totally weird, unless the kidnapper was a psychopathic pervert who wanted to have his way with her.

    Jenny stood up, goosebumps covered her arms while fear gripped her heart "Oh my God," she gasped, rubbing her face with her palms. Where were her kids? Were they kidnapped alongside her? If they were, where were they? What if that son of a biscuit did something to them?

    "You''re up," a voice sounded from behind her.

    Jenny screamed out of fright, hands flying to her chest, and turned around. The sudden emergence of Asher had scared the shit out of her.

    "How are you doing?" Raphael asked, drinking in the sight of her.

    "Asher," her gaze rested on the door. Jenny wondered how he had made it through that door without her noticing. Doors do make creaking sounds, right? Or maybe she was too distracted to notice him? This was getting creepy.

    "Asher? Were you the one that brought me here?" She took deep breaths to keep herself from panicking. Oblivious that the vampire could smell the anxiety off of her.

    "Technically, I did. Just sent my men to get you, have any problem with that?" He fixed his intense gaze on her.

    Jenny gulped and tactically avoided his question, asking instead," Why am I here?"

    "Sure, I''ll tell you your role in all of this but before that��" he began to step towards her slowly while Jenny took cautious steps back, "We have to make some things clear here, "

    Jenny was so stricken with fear that she literally melded herself with the wall when Raphael invaded her space. She hated being trapped but something told her that this seemingly innocent principal was highly dangerous- call it human survival instincts or something.

    "What do you want from me? Who are you truly?"

    His smirk grew as he said," I''ll  rather answer the second question at this rate"

    "You''re not a principal, are you? Am I the only one you kidnapped? Did you take my children as well?" Jenny peppered Raphael with questions out of anxiety. She would rather die than let harm come to her kids.

    "Don''t worry, I''m not a principal, but the real principal is my loser of a brother. Are you satisfied?" He was amused.

    Jenny''s brows knitted together, "What are you talking about?"

    He rolled his eyes in boredom, as if this was an everyday confession, "It means that I''m Raphael, not Asher; borrowed his body though, "

    "W-what," Jenny was speechless

    "I know it sounds unbelievable but it''s the truth," he shrugged.

    "Oh my God," Jenny gasped, "Does the education board know you''re mentally unstable before allocating you the role of a principal?"

    "And of course, she does not believe me," Raphael said more to himself than to her, "You humans and your negligence," he clicked his tongue, shaking his head.

    He continued, "Your unwillingness to comprehend things beyond your scope of understanding, would be your downfall sometimes, "

    Jenny''s heart slammed against her chest, her hands were clammy and she was nervous at what she was about to do, "I know what would be your downfall, "

    Raphael''s eyes twinkled with interest, "Really? Amuse me, "

    Abruptly, Jenny grabbed the flower vase on the table beside her and brought it down hard on his head, giving her the avenue to escape.

    "And this is the mistake they always make," Raphael cracked his neck.

    "Just a little more," Jenny desperately chanted in her head, her breath coming in heaves. But just a few inches from touching the door, Raphael materialized in front of her out of nowhere.

    "Going somewhere?" His brows arched.

    Jenny screamed, stepping back with fright. How was that possible? " H-how did you..."

    The rest of her words died off when her eyes focused on the large gush she had made on his head with the flower vase close up. Holy shit!

    "Ahh, sorry about that," Raphael wiped away the dried blood with a handkerchief," We are still at the beginning stage of this introduction, so I forgot to add the fact that I''m vampire, "

    If Jenny thought he was joking earlier, now, he wasn''t. She had seen enough evidence to confirm that this wasn''t child''s play anymore.

    Her heart rate increased, "Y-yo mean to say you''re really v-vam ...V-vampires��" she stuttered out of fear.

    "Yeah, creatures of the night who depend on human blood? Yes, you''re welcome, "

    "What do you want from me? I never did anything wrong to you," she was on the verge of crying, "I''m just a lowly widow trying her best to train her kids, "

    "Oh, don''t worry," Raphael placed both hands on her shoulder but she jumped away," Don''t worry, Mi Amor, I don''t intend to kill you- if things go well- I just need to use you and  keep someone in check, "

    Jenny''s eyes widened to the size of saucers and her palms went to her mouth," Raphael?"

    "The one and only," he winked at her.

    Jenny''s mind was reeling from the excessive information she had just been fed in a short while. He hadn''t been lying to her earlier about his identity. But how was all this possible?

    Her mind couldn''t help but shift back to her kids. Had Lia somehow known about this, was that why she warned her to stay away from Raphael that time?

    "Oh, and you don''t have to worry about your kids. Your daughter Lia is one of us- a vampire- well, technically, she''s a vampire-werewolf hybrid," he added, " And she''s destined to have two husbands - Asher and Daniel- don''t ask me if they had a threesome already?"

    Raphael continued his ramble which he found quite entertaining thanks to the countless emotions playing out on her face.

    "And your other kids are Hunters. They are mortal instruments used to exterminate us in the past. Right now, they''re just puppets used by the council to carry out their dirty .. Jenny?"

    Raphael waved his hand at the face of the woman who had gone completely still and got no response; she didn''t even blink her eye.

    "Wow, she''s frozen with Joy!" Raphael exclaimed, "I would have loved unfreezing you but duty calls," Raphael placed a kiss on the cheeks of the unresponsive Jenny and left.

    "Your father wants to see you," announced the vampire who had interrupted his moment with Jenny.

    Raphael didn''t say anything as he headed to the office of the only person who had been in support of his plan from the very beginning- his father.

    He knew better than to tell his mother his intention, the woman would begin her usual pep talk when in reality, she just cared about her bastard son more than she did for him.

    When he heard of his father Ezekiel, putting his mother and mate in hibernation, he didn''t quibble much on it. The woman should have a sound sleep till their plan was finally executed without her being a hindrance.

    Raphael met his father''s scrunched up face when he arrived, the man had still not gotten used to the fact that he had Asher''s body, hence his face too.

    "Hundreds of vampires from the Nicolli clan had been spotted on our soil," Ezekiel delivered the news.

    "That quickly?" His brows furrowed contemplatively. How could they have moved everyone in just a short time? Oh Sabrina, they still had that tough witch on their side?

    Raphael had surmised that his lovely brother would end the witch in a fit of rage over her betrayal but it seems his brother was weak-hearted to do so- as usual.

    "That''s great then," he simply said.

    "That''s great?" Ezekiel snorted," They brought the battle to our doorstep, you know who''s going to accumulate the greatest damage?!"  He hissed.

    "Other than the loss of lives and property, I don''t see anything we can''t reclaim from them after we win" Raphael pointed out.

    "If anything goes wrong, it''s all on you. I told you to follow my part of the plan but you insisted on getting the body and the girl" He blamed his son.

    "Assigning blame here, are we, father?" His eyes flashed, "All I ever asked you to do was to keep him away for a while, and yet he escaped right under your nose and not only that but with an inexperienced powerful young witch. So who messed up?"

    Ezekiel''s gaze hardened, as father and son began a staredown.

    "Tell me you have a plan," Ezekiel was the first to pull his eyes away. His son was the epitome of smart and cunning and must have something up his sleeve to be this calm.

    "As usual father," Raphael''s lips tugged to the side in a smile.

    Suddenly, they heard a loud thud from a distance.

    "What was that?" His father asked, brows furrowed.

    "I have no idea but whatever it is, it''s wartime,"

 Chapter 253 - Two Hundred And Fifty-three: Oh Boy, Im Finished

    "This is not going to work," Ben complained after fifteen minutes of babysitting.

    Sure, Rex talked about whatever shit they had going on in that Hunters league of theirs but Ben was far more hooked on the war to be interested.

    "Are you even listening to what I''m saying or should I keep my traps closed- I''ll prefer the latter by the way." Rex implored of him.

    "Sorry but I''m just not into that bribe at the moment," Ben apologized.

    "You really want to go there?" The child tilted his head in his direction.

    "Yes of course," Ben admitted shamelessly, "But then, I have to keep you company," he said wryly.

    "Yeah," Rex acquiesced but he wasn''t through," Which by the way, your company sucks. I wonder who''s been keeping each other company so far?"

    "Seriously?" Ben kept his head over his shoulder, feigning hurt, "For your information, I babysat last summer, and the family was reluctant to let me go my services though I was dismissed quite earlier than agreed, " he boasted.

    "I''m not trying to hurt your feelings but your place is boring notwithstanding your effort," Rex gestured to the cartoon playing on the television.

    He went on " But I''m ten and experienced things normal children my age wouldn''t in the last month so cartoons don''t buy me over anymore. You have to think fast buddy if you want me to stick to your side in the next five minutes," Rex conditioned.

    "So in one word, you''re trying to say that you need something interesting like -"

    "Exploring Asher''s place?" Rex filled in with a grin.

    Ben was struck dumb, "Hell, no"

    "Come-on, I have never been there and I''m curious to know what a vampire''s place looks like" he pleaded.

    "That place is dangerous which is why your sister left you with the boring me," Ben pointed to his chest, purposely reminding him of his words.

    "But Lia said a war would be going on which means there would be nobody at home and we -"

    "would have the whole place to ourselves," Ben completed.

    He stroked his chin contemplatively," We don''t know how long the war would last but it would go on to the morning probably, "

    Rex shrugged, "So you''re thinking what I''m thinking?"

    "Get prepared, we are crashing at Asher''s place," Ben announced.

    "Woohoo!" Rex cheered.

    Ben led the excited Rex into his room where he packed some important stuff they would need into his backpack.

    "Night vision goggles?"

    Rex lifted the device with distaste which made Ben frown, was this little rat looking down on him or something?

    "If we''re going to spend the night in a vampire''s place, we need to be prepared. After all, who knows what might be in store for us?"

    "This?" He shook the device with no respect- said Ben mentally- "Is so yesterday. I have something better"

    "Really?" Ben folded his arms across his chest, ready to see the great device- note the sarcasm.

    Little Rex shuffled around in his pocket before pulling out a small box. He opened it and brought out a contact lens which he fixed with expertise into his eyes.

    "So, that''s going to give you laser sight like superman?" Ben joked mockingly. But an observant person would be able to notice the jealousy in his tone.

    "No, this gives me far more sight than the average human. Which means I could see through physical objects at my discretion, " he briefed him.

    Ben laughed, "You''re bluffing, "

    "I can see objects at a great distance, see through your clothing and a lot of other things but no, I cannot see through walls. Though there are far more advanced ones available with each level I upgrade to in the Hunter league, "

    "Prove it," Ben demanded.

    "Trust me, you really don''t want me to," Rex told him.

    "You know what?" Ben threw his hands in the air," I don''t have time to indulge -"

    "You''re wearing Pokemon printed pants," Rex revealed.

    "Ahh!" Ben screamed, his hands going to shield his below from Rex''s perverted eyes.

    Rex tilted his head as if trying to get a better view of whatever he was seeing right now," Yours is different from Trevor''s"

    "Huh?" The medium was confused.

    "Why don''t you have hairs at your -"

    Ben covered Rex''s mouth with his hand, mortified, "Say no more you corrupted child, "

    "I warned you on time," Rex grumbled with a pout. The boy removed the contacts with a disgruntled sigh, unlike Ben who breathed a sigh of relief.

    "How many of those do you have with you?" Ben eyed the contacts. The boy was right, his gadget was definitely cooler.

    Perhaps, he should consider joining the council since Lia refused to turn him into a vampire. Imagine what he could do with all these magically powered gadgets, it would be so awesome. Moreover, as a medium, it would give him a headstart over the others.

    "I just have one with me, Trevor has more," he answered.

    Ben was dejected but he didn''t show it, he wanted to try those in badly.

    "Of course, I''m joking. I have extra with me, a hunter always goes prepared- that''s our slogan"

    Rex handed another box to him which made him want to scream and jump for joy but he had to behave himself in front of the boy.

    "Is there any other prowess you''re keeping from me?" Ben couldn''t help but inquire. If there was one, there had to be two and he couldn''t wait to find out - and try it on. How splendid!

    "Well aside from the fact I can detect when a vampire is around us, there''s nothing more - the real weapons are at home," Rex said to Ben while revealing the markings beneath his elbow - an act his leaders would have frowned upon. They weren''t obliged to reveal that kind of secret to non- hunters.

    "And no, you can''t copy it. Even if you do, it won''t work for you because you''re not a hunter," The little boy informed Ben after seeing the sparkle in his eyes.

    "Who said  I was going to copy anything?" He snorted and looked away.

    Truthfully, Ben was having the urge to go and rob Lia''s house to discover all these wonderful goodies - as revealed by Rex - but Trevor would kill him if Lia doesn''t murder him first.

    "Fine, let''s go," Ben announced, swinging the bag over his shoulder.

    They took his car and left for Asher''s place since they weren''t hybrid Lia who could run far distances without getting tired.

    Having a suspicion there might still be some vampires around, Ben didn''t pack exactly at Asher''s courtyard.

    Asher was a vampire who lived discreetly hence had no neighbor and before one could get to his place, you have to go through a somewhat long trail of bushes.

    Afraid not to attract attention, Ben and Rex didn''t say a word as they followed through the cleared track till his mansion was in sight.

    "Do you sense any vampire?" Ben inquired. His heart was beating against his chest at the thought of getting caught.

    The sun had already fallen, hence the darkness gave them a good cover. Yes, Vampires could see clearly in the dark but it was better than being in bright daylight.

    "I can''t feel anything, we have to get closer," Rex observed.

    They were currently hiding behind one of Asher''s cars before tiptoeing cautiously to the backyard - it was bad luck going through the front door, says Ben.

    They entered the house through the doors that led to the patio and snuck into one of the many rooms.

    "Is this close enough?" Ben inquired, heaving and leaning against the wall. It felt like he was acting in a spy movie but unfortunately, this was a horror movie.

    Rex looked down on his elbow which was heating up," They''re still some vampires around,"

    Ben groaned, leaning his head against the wall as he muttered," I shouldn''t have come here, this was a bad idea; your sister would skin me alive," he confessed.

    "Well, while you keep on professing negative words, I''ll wait patiently till they leave��?!"

    A scream was torn from Rex''s lips when there came a loud creaking and the house quaked.

    "Rex, come here!" Ben screamed and reached out his hands for him to grab onto.

    For a moment, it felt like they were outside space where the force of gravity did not affect them because before Rex''s hands could grab onto his, both suddenly floated in the air.

    "I''m flying," Ben observed and even flapped his wings, um, sorry, arms, imitating a bird.

    But that flying sensation was for a brief moment reason been they crashed to the ground hard.

    Ben was the first to land on the ground, then followed by Rex who fell on him, using his body as a bolster.

    "Ouch," Ben cried out in pain," I think I just destroyed my sternum,"

    "Then you wouldn''t be alive by now dummy," Rex got off him, heaving with the effort.

    "What just happened?" Ben groaned as he sat up.

    "Clueless as you are,"

    Ben limped to his feet, dragging himself to the window they had closed earlier upon entering the room.

    The instant Ben opened the window, his jaw dropped, "Oh boy, I''m finished"

 Chapter 254 - Two Hundred And Fifty-four: Find Them All

    To be honest, Lia had expected Asher to walk through that door. She had been prepared to beat the hell out of him and maybe crush his balls too- he can regrow those, right? Oh, she hadn''t time to ask him that, well��.

    Seriously, Lia get your head back in gear. Stop caring about Asher''s umm...Ahem ...where was she?

    Oh yeah, she never expected the witch Sabrina, the one who aided Asher in locking her up - one of her best people previously-  to come into the room while supporting another girl who was resting on her and had a hard time walking.

    Lia''s eyes narrowed on Devon, she had seen Asher come in with her earlier but was too distracted to ask him about her earlier.

    "Who is she?" Lia questioned skeptically, a sense of foreboding growing in her heart, "Don''t tell me she''s also one of Asher''s hidden daughters again?"

    Everyone was struck speechless by her wrong speculation that they remained unresponsive for a minute - a gesture Lia misunderstood.

    "I said it," Lia ran her hand through her hair while pacing up and down the room. She came to stop before Devon.

    "Listen here, I love your father, Asher, but there''s only so much a girl can take. I''m sorry but I can''t deal with all of this shit. Once this war is over, I don''t think I can be together with him any longer," Lia confessed.

    "It will be so nice if he were my father," Devon finally regained her speech.

    "What?"  Said the confused Lia.

    "Asher is not her father," clarified Sabrina while readjusting Devon who was slipping off her body, "She''s the daughter of the witch on Raphael''s side. She''s here to get her mother,"

    "Oh," Lia was stupefied, she had made a wrong assumption. Good going so far, Lia.

    "Y-you should be lucky you have a mate like him. From where I''m from, humans are treated like shit" Devon pointed to her, her speech slurred.

    Lia scrutinized her, "What''s wrong with her?"

    "Well, the tremor earlier was her doing" Sabrina heaved, dragging her to the direction of the bed.

    "No, not the bed-" Lia was still saying when Sabrina dumped Devon on the bed to Electra''s disapproval - she now had to share it.

    Lia scratched her brows, she would have to order another bed. She felt like this one had been violated especially after Raphael''s shenanigans with her.

    "She sent the whole house through a portal. Right now, we are on Raven soil," narrated Sabrina.

    "She did that?" Lia''s jaw dropped before it broke into a smile," Hell yeah, Asher must be so pissed!" Jubiliated Lia and was at the door before Sabrina could stop her.

    "Lia!" Sabrina called after her.

    "You can''t stop me this time," She declared.

    "I''m not trying to stop you but release you,"

    The cuffs on Lia''s wrist clicked and fell to the ground with a clatter.

    "Don''t expect a thank you from me, you locked me," Lia reminded her and was out of the room before she could receive a response.

    Right now, her blood was throbbing for the battle ahead and the chance to smash her fist to Raphael''s face.

    Lia was down the stairs when she picked up two rapidly beating human hearts. Her eyes narrowed, humans? How was that possible? She was sure none of the vampires came with a human nor was a human residing in Asher''s place?

    She was already prepared to sniff them out when the painful cries of vampires being obliterated got her attention.

    Unknown to her, Rex and Trevor who peered out the door after she left sighed in relief. Phew, that was close, thought both.

    Lia had seen war in movies but this was totally different from what she envisioned. This was more like what happened in fantasy video games or even better.

    There was no use of guns or weapons, it was just sheer hand to hand combat and abilities. Lia understood at once why Asher had brought no human into this war, it was a total massacre.

    The battle alone was hard to follow with the human eye; it was a blur, not to talk of the fact that it was late but supernatural creatures had no problem with that; they could see perfectly well in the dark, notwithstanding that the moon shone brightly tonight.

    Lia ran headfirst into the fight, she knew the people on her side by smell plus the fact that whoever wasn''t helping them was an enemy.

    Though she hadn''t felt Lolli since that incident in the morning with Raphael however, that didn''t limit her from tapping into her werewolf abilities.

    The benefit from Lolli''s company was that the wolf looked out for her, came up with possible solutions and her chatter made her less lonely.

    Lia didn''t think much of her sudden disappearance, maybe she just wanted a break. Even she wanted this nuisance to end and things to go back the way they were.

    Asher was her target. Lia knew that the jerk had gone to fight Raphael and so far it seems the tricky fox wasn''t in the war either. She had to track him down but it wasn''t easy when enemy vampires kept coming at her each time she tried to progress further into their territory.

    The Raphael clan indeed had more vampires but Asher''s vampires were tougher because they had been mastering dual powers since birth or transformation - converted vampires were in the mix too.

    A sudden cry of pain attracted Lia just as she finished off a vampire. She glanced up and a few meters away from her was a vampire from the Raven clan who could turn his body into flames and fulminate as well, harming vampires around him.

    It was no secret that vampires disliked fire since it hurts them aside from those who could manipulate the very element.

    "Asshole," Lia muttered and ran in his direction. She took that opportunity to study his ability and found out he exploded in an interval of two minutes.

    When she got to his side, it was time for the asshole to erupt as usual. Things were about to get ugly.

    What was evolution? Lia had no idea but that moment, she shut her eyes and imagined how she wanted her power to work for her.

    Her hairs stood on edge and Lia felt the spontaneous release of pressure from the vampire which made her open her eyes and with her hands, formed a circular shield around him.

    "What the ..." The shield contained the vampire''s detonation to his surprise.

    With a firm determination, the vampire added more heat which made Lia wince. The intense wave was trying to breach through her shield.

    Lia groaned, her feet slipping back from the tremendous force. Due to the evolving, her force field had changed from a transparent color to an ocean blue and visible to the eyes. With a groan, Lia pushed forward and her shield intensified.

    All vampires could see was a mass of blue wisp enveloping the reddish-brown flame.

    "One...two..." Lia began an internal countdown when the flame would die off.

    As soon as the explosion faded away, Lia moved so fast that even the vampire couldn''t catch her movement till there was a gaping hole in his chest and his heart dripping blood from her clasp.

    "Oh," was the only word the vampire said and crumbled to the floor.

    Lia released a shaky breath and shivered. Gosh, that took so much from her, and right now, she was so hungry that her hands were beginning to shake terribly like someone suffering from drug withdrawal.

    Her fangs ached and retracted out of her gums on their own accord, the hunger was intense. Without thinking twice, she grabbed an enemy vampire that came her way, tore its throat ruthlessly amid its scream, and fed gluttonously.

    The cold blood that rushed down her throat sent a tingling sensation to her stomach. Though the blood wasn''t as tasty as Asher''s, it alleviated the hunger. Call it punishment or something but Lia fed on the vampire till there wasn''t a drop left in his body.

    The vampire was pale but when Lia was done, he was paler than chalk as a result of excessive blood loss and Lia tossed him aside like a rag doll.

    Blood dripped down her lips and there was some smeared heavily on her shirt however the hybrid didn''t give a care and burped instead; she felt a little heady as if on drugs.

    "So full," Lia moaned clutching her stomach.

    She suddenly felt a cramp in her gut. The pain made her double over and then on all fours as she threw up the excessive blood she ingested.

    "That was exciting, wish Ben was here to see this," Lia said while dragging herself to her feet

    "Time to find my damned mate," she muttered and began to fight her way through the crowd of vampires blocking her path.

    If neither Raphael nor his father was here, that means they were still at the clan house and Asher must have known that hence going after them.

    Now, she was going after them all.

 Chapter 255 - Two Hundred And Fifty-five: Your Confidence.

    "Get her out of there, there''s no use keeping her in the house which is not safe anymore," Asher ordered Sabrina.

    "Oh, now you want me to release her after locking her up," Sabrina laughed.

    "It''s your spell,"  he pinpointed

    "It was your idea" she too pointed out.

    "You know Lia would kill me if I go back there and besides, the war has started. Any moment spent here is time given to Raphael to devise whatever devious plans he has for me," said Asher.

    "Fine, I''ll do it but the dampening cuffs, how did you get your ones on it?" She inquired out of curiosity.

    "You''d be so much surprised what Devon has on her, I stole the cuff from her," Asher boomed with a smile.

    "Whatever," Sabrina waved it away, and did she forget to mention that she wasn''t jealous of the little attention Devon was getting.

    "Let''s go ��..ahh," Asher remembered," I need a weapon," he demanded from Sabrina.

    "Seriously, Asher?" She scowled at him,

    "Now?"

    "Yeah, or I can -"

    "Ask Devon who is still reeling from the effects of the spell?" Interrupted Sabrina with an arrogant smirk.

    She was almost saying, "Oh sorry, but your new favorite witch is out of shape to carry out your demands, your royal majesty"

    "Why do you even need a weapon when you have Raphael''s powers?" She raised the question.

    "In case you don''t know, Raphael''s duplication is not exactly battle wise against Ezekiel''s telekinesis," he replied,

    "I will need something to aid me in battle,"

    "Do you have anything precise in mind?" She inquired, already making a mental sketch.

    Asher stroked his chin contemplatively "This is a war and I don''t need long, heavy weapons to drag me down. But I can make do with fast, light, and accurate weapons," his eyes brightened with an idea.

    He gestured to Sabrina to come closer which she did cautiously, who knows if he''s about to punish her for her betrayal.

    As soon as she drew nigh, Asher whispered something into her ears and pulled away.

    "Can you conjure it as fast as possible?"

    "Easy as pie," she said and set to work immediately.

    The few minutes Sabrina worked on it, Asher took that opportunity to work on the battle plan once more with Dan.

    "According to the news from Gideon, Ezekiel nor Raphael seem to be at the battlefield which means one thing��"

    "They''re still at the Clan house and the way it looks, both intentionally want you to come to them," Dan summarized, "This is a trap,"

    "I know," Asher replied.

    "And you''re intentionally walking into it?" Dan was flabbergasted.

    "What do you suggest I do then?" Asher asked him.

    "Draw them out," Dan suggested.

    "How?" Asher folded his arm across his shoulder and watched him expressionlessly.

    "I don''t know but we can think of something," he argued

    "We have no time to think of anything," Asher said to him while accepting both guns from Sabrina and putting them in his back pockets.

    "Keep Devon safe before coming," He ordered Sabrina.

    "N-no, I need to save��" Devon protested, trying to stand to her feet. But her feet gave out, instead, she fell on Sabrina and almost bought both down with her height.

    "You can come find me after you''re recovered but at the moment, Sayonara, friend, "Asher waved at her smugly before facing Dan who teleported the both of them to Raven''s clan house.

    As Dan said, they were expected. Hardly had they stepped in and were attacked.

    "Before anything, I need to find my mother," Asher grunted while facing off a vampire who had the ability to manipulate his body mass.

    "Why the sudden change," Dan asked, facing his own share of vampires.

    With a single swap, Asher was smashed into the nearby wall before he could answer; falling bricks and plasters became the aftermath.

    "That hurts," He groaned while pulling himself out of the dent in the wall and stretched his waist.

    "Ouch," yelped Asher when his broken hip bone cracked, repairing itself correctly.

    But his little therapeutic session was interrupted when the vampire grabbed him on the neck with his bulky arm.

    "Hey there, maybe we could have a little chit -" The grip on his neck tightened. Sigh, this was the period Asher wished he still had his body so he could roast his hands.

    Suddenly, Dan came over to Asher and looked the enemy vampire in the eyes as if communicating with him telepathically.

    He released his grip on Asher, turning around to attack his partners instead.

    Asher knew Dan took control of his mind, ordering him to do that.

    "I had everything under control," he complained.

    "Obviously," Dan sassed,

    "I would have done better than you if I had my ability," Asher bragged.

    "Yeah, sure," Dan waved him away, the way a mother waved away an annoying kid which irked Asher.

    "Remind me to have a duel with you once I reclaim my body," he demanded.

    "Sure, of course. Now are you going to find your mother or not?" Dan asked him.

    "Alright then, hope you don''t die," Asher said to him and took off without giving him a chance to respond.

    "I should be the one hoping you don''t die instead," Dan murmured with a melancholic expression before turning to continue the battle else a vampire sneaks upon him.

    Asher searched all available rooms amid exterminating some vampires in his way until he got to a particular one.

    "Mom?!" He found his mom motionless on the bed.

    Just as he tried walking over to the bed, he felt a powerful force yank him backward and he fell out of the window, falling two floors to the ground.

    "At last," Asher moaned, pulling out a glass shard sticking out of his thigh. Good thing he fed before coming.

    Ezekiel jumped from that floor, landing right in front of him," Nice to know that you would be facing your demise today,"

    "Ahh, you must be so full of joy," Asher taunted, rising to his feet.

    "Do you know what''s so irritating about you?" Ezekiel scowled, circling him.

    "Who knows? Humor me," Asher purposely smirked.

    "Your confidence," he gave Asher an acidic look," It''s so damn irritating,"

    Asher guessed, "I bet my father had it too,"

    "Oh, his was worse. He was so full of himself, optimistic in getting what he wants which works for him to my dissatisfaction. Most people work hard to get what they want but it came so natural to him!" he fumed!

    "Excuse me? Do you mean most people like you who work hard to get what they want, still don''t succeed amid their scheming?" Asher tactically mocked him.

    "You would regret the day you were born!" Ezekiel roared, charging at him.

    Asher at once duplicated, both focusing their gun at Ezekiel and fired.

    Ezekiel put up his hand and the bullets suspended in the air, albeit he missed one which pierced into his shoulder and made him screech like an owl.

    "Silver?!" He looked down at the injured spot, watching his sizzling flesh with great anger.

    "I came prepared this time," Asher was smug.

    With a feral growl, Ezekiel released the bullets and sent them back in Asher''s direction.

    Asher and his copy were quick and adept on their feet. They jumped and performed a set of acrobatics in the air, carefully avoiding every bullet till they flew past them.

    But Ezekiel intentionally held back a bullet which he set free when Asher wasn''t looking.

    His copy at once rushed forward and took the bullet which pierced through his heart and he fell to the ground, dead. Yeah, werewolves and Vampires weren''t friends with silver.

    "Is that all you can do?" Asher challenged and the real fight began.

    The environment alone was Ezekiel''s weapon, he used everything he could get exploit on Asher, who in return kept duplicating and made use of his silver bullet.

    "I heard my son slept with your mate," Ezekiel said all of a sudden.

    "Ouch," Asher cried in pain when the foxy vampire sent back bullets that raided him on the abdomen. Shit, that old geez distracted him.

    But as lowly and sick as that move was, this was war and in war, you do everything to survive. All is fair in love and fair.

    "Shut up," Asher winced, trying to get to his feet all to no avail.

    Ezekiel could have used that moment of weakness to finish him off quickly but he didn''t. He was watching him with a glint that spread goosebumps on his arms; he was planning to kill him slowly and painfully.

    Asher winced when his arm cracked and curled at a askew ankle - Ezekiel''s doing. He wanted to cry out in pain but he was not going to give that bastard the pleasure of knowing he was in intense pain.

    "Where should I break next? Your neck?" He mused.

    But just as he wanted to snap Asher''s neck to the side with his mind, a shrill cry was heard and Ezekiel was seen flying into the house, bringing the wall down, eventually buried under a pile of rubbles.

    "Hello mate," Asher gave the furious Lia a lopsided smile.

 Chapter 256 - Two Hundred And Fifty-six: The Better Actor

    Lia was getting frustrated each growing minute of trying to pave her way forward. It was as if the universe was against her getting to Asher.

    Does that asshole think he doesn''t need her? Oh, she''s going to prove him wrong after she saves his damn ass. She would not be the damsel in distress rather, he would be the knight in need of rescue.

    The thought rejuvenated her and Lia began to kill with reckless abandon.

    In fact, the way she slaughtered the vampires around her mercilessly made the rest of them shy away from her. No matter their ability, she seemed to find a way of defeating them so they steered clear of her; nobody wanted to die next.

    The hybrid was like a goddess of death, raining her wrath on the earth and with each move she made, a vampire dropped dead. Nope, no one wished to die.

    Lia was so engrossed with the fight that she was startled when no vampire came her way any longer. It was apparent the battle was still going on but every vampire avoided her as if she was a plague.

    Well, it looks like she has overdone it this time. But this new development was welcomed. So she made her way to the Clan house.

    And of course, the vampires who had not seen the terror she spread on the battlefield, ambushed her.

    Lia of course didn''t show mercy either and killed them off without leaving one alive. She was so soaked with blood that it looked like she actually bathed in it.

    Anyone who couldn''t smell her wouldn''t be able to recognize that she was Lia judging from her gruesome appearance.

    "Where are you, Asher!" She huffed, scanning the house and contemplating where to start with her search when she picked up the sounds of bullets being fired from the backyard.

    That was a strange occurrence, she observed. No vampire here made use of weapons and had no use for it except Asher probably, who needed something extra in his fight since Raphael''s powers couldn''t do much damage unless his copies were in mass - which Asher hasn''t mastered yet.

    Lia ran over there in time to see Raphael''s damned father about to hurt her mate. Well, not in her watch.

    The girl didn''t need to be told. She screamed and the blast sent him smashing into the house, covered up under a heap of the ruins.

    Her attention shifted to her mate who grinned at her," Hello mate,"

    The nerve. Lia bent and punched him in the guts which drew a rough cry of pain from him than expected.

    "No, not there," Asher moaned but the deed had already been done.

    Lia''s eyes slit and she kneeled, regarding her vampire mate  suspiciously, "What is wrong with you?" She inquired.

    "I got silver bullets stuck in my stomach," He winced, lifting his shirt and showed her the five bullet holes in his well-toned abdomen.

    Alright, lady, focus on the task ahead and not his belly; you''ve seen enough already.

    "Silver is dangerous for us vampires likewise werewolves. I can''t eject it, which means my body would heal with it and then, kill me slowly," he explained.

    He inched closer to her," I''m not sure if you can stand the silver since you''re a hybrid but I need you to ��.. aah!"

    Asher screamed his lungs out when she forcibly pulled one bullet out of his belly without warning.

    "One out, four to go," she told him with a wicked smile.

    "Seriously?" Asher complained,

    "Aren''t women supposed to be gentle...aah! Again! "

    Lia cocked a brow, "Stop being a baby, "

    What baby? Asher whined in his head. Come and be in my condition.

    She brought the bullet to his gaze, "Two out, three to go,"

    "I got that you''re mad at me but shouldn''t you ��. aah! Damn it, women!" Asher cursed out.

    "Who said I''m mad at you?" She asked, without looking at him.

    Asher was confused, was this a test or a game? She was obviously pissed at him hence her rough manhandling yet she denied his claim. What was he going to do?

    He cleared his throat," A-hem, is not that I''m saying...aah! Have mercy woman!" Asher was pissed out of his mind yet helpless.

    He couldn''t do anything to her moreover, she was helping him get rid of the bullets he couldn''t take out.

    "Four out, one to go," Lia counted down. But before she could touch him, he had grabbed her hands.

    "I''m sorry for locking you up, I shouldn''t have done that notwithstanding my promise to keep you safe. You''re a strong, brave woman who is ruthlessly saving my life right now," he attempted a joke amid the pain.

    "Oh, so you finally admit your wrongdoing," laughter pulled at the corner of her mouth.

    "Yes, I''m sorry. So can you please kiss me before you dig out the last bullet?"

    Lia''s brows furrowed," Kiss you?"

    "Isn''t a kiss in my condition an effective method of numbing the pain?" He asked shamelessly.

    With a smirk, Lia inched forward and looked like she was about to kiss him when she slanted her neck, whispering in his ear instead, "Nice try,"

    With fast reflexes, Lia dug her hands into his flesh and firmly yanked out the bullet before he could even blink.

    Asher was about to swear as usual when she covered his lips with hers, swallowing his painful grunts.

    Women were the scariest creature on earth, Asher finally acquiesced with that saying.

    However, this kiss made up for the pain all along. They would have continued with this loving gesture if both had not heard the rustle from behind- Ezekiel was up.

    Lia got to get feet way before Asher did and tried to scream this time but was unlucky.

    Ezekiel had seen through her plan because she responded late. He made a slashing gesture and her throat was slit quicker than she could scream.

    "Lia!" Shouted Asher who was too late to help her, catching her before she fell.

    "A-asher ..."  Lia gurgled, drowning in her own blood.

    She reached up her hand to feel around the bloody mess. Her throat had been slit at the jugular, a trail of blood over her chest down to the ground.

    Her hand gripped hard onto Asher''s arms trying to speak yet came up with more blood and this made Asher see red.

    With a furious pained growl, He duplicated two of himself at once who lunged at Ezekiel, shooting sporadically at him.

    However, Ezekiel suspended all of their bullets effortlessly but that gave both copies enough time to get close enough to attack him after they ran out of bullets.

    Sadly for Asher, Ezekiel was an aged deceptous vampire with a history of battle experience and expert knowledge of his ability and got rid of his duplicates in no time.

    It was obvious he was no match against the older vampire. Just when he needed his own body the most!

    To make matters worse, Lia was ripped out of his arms with the help of his telekinesis.

    "How does It feel to be helpless?" Ezekiel asked him with Lia in his arms, "Do you still feel confident?"

    Asher released a primal cry, charging at the vampire who simply knocked him back with a wave of his hand.

    "So this is the girl?" His red orbs scrutinized Lia who was still choking.

    "The one who drove my son mad with ambition," he trailed his hand from Lia''s cheeks to her throat where he dipped his finger into her blood and brought it to his mouth.

    Ezekiel shut his eyes, savoring the blood. Just a taste and he was blown away, "Splendid," his eyes glinted with excitement, "Her blood does taste as good as it smells,"

    Further evidence of that was the four or five vampires that had gathered into the yard after smelling her blood from a distance.

    "Get away from her!" Asher charged once again yet was blown away as if he was nothing but a doll.

    "It''s quite unfortunate that aside from the intoxicating effect of your blood, you have no usefulness for me since I have a mate," said Ezekiel who now grasped her by the neck, trying to strangle her.

    "I can''t let you live for two reasons: You are a big weakness to Raphael and you are a mate to the one I hate," he pointed out.

    "Say goodbye to life, brave human," He had already tightened his grasp when he thought of something," Perhaps, I should send you away peacefully by draining you instead,"

    With that being said, Ezekiel sank his teeth into her throat.

    "No!"

    Asher tried to interfere and was manhandled by him once more.

    Ezekiel kept on enjoying this rare diet when his face suddenly distorted in pain.

    "What the ��?"

    The words were still stuck in his mouth when he fell to the ground lifeless while his bloody heart was squashed into pieces by Lia ruthlessly.

    Ezekiel died wide-eyed and shocked.

    Lia smirked coldly while the opening in her neck completely vanished.

    "How was my acting?" She strutted towards Asher who was also coming to her.

    "I should ask the same," Replied Asher, hoisting her up while she wrapped her legs around his waist.

    "I was the better actress," she claimed, her lips brushing against his lips intentionally.

    "We both were, " Asher said diplomatically and continued the kiss from where they stopped earlier.

    There was no way he would have defeated Ezekiel in this body, so when the asshole let down his guard around Lia thinking she was a weak human with a special ability, Asher pretended to be apprehensive about her life when he knew such a small injury wouldn''t be able to end her. So boom! Lia struck when he least expected it.

    "Raphael lied to his father, he never told him that I was a hybrid," Lia pulled away just to say that.

    "Well, who cares? It worked for our favor," Replied Asher who was in a hurry to have her lips back on his. Father and son were foxes, but the son managed to outfox the Father.

    Offended by their penetrative gaze, Lia who was still kissing Asher raised a barrier against the vampires who had been attracted by the smell of her blood.

    "View your head,"

 Chapter 257 - Two Hundred And Fifty-seven: Hurting Her Mother

    "Can you both stop it already, we''re in the middle of a war" whined Dan who finally tracked him down.

    Asher was reluctant to let go of his mate- he had missed her so much- but had no choice.

    "Geez, you look great," Dan ironically pointed out Lia''s startling appearance.

    "Thank you," Lia appreciated him nevertheless.

    "I''ve found my mother," Asher announced to their surprise.

    "You have?" Lia and Dan asked in unison.

    Asher tilted his head in the direction of the floor the late Ezekiel had him thrown - late Ezekiel? It sounded unreal.

    Though the evidence was right in front of him, Asher still had a hard time believing Ezekiel had not only been defeated but exterminated.

    The vampire had been so full of himself and was sure that he would put an end to him, who knew he would be the one gone.

    Dan teleported both of them to the room where they saw the sleeping beauty.

    "Wow, she''s beautiful!" Lia exclaimed when she saw her mother-in-law.

    "Of course," Asher grinned at her. He hugged her from behind, whispering into her ears.

    "Anybody who gave birth to a handsome face like me - I mean, my real face- has to at least reach that degree of beauty,"

    "Tsk tsk," Lia clicked her tongue in disapproval, " Such a narcissist," she shook her head.

    Dan observed "She looks dead yet not dead as if she''s ��."

    "Peacefully asleep? Her damned mate put her in hibernation," Asher filled in.

    "She''s going to be pissed,"

    "Yes, she would, until she realizes that Ezekiel is dead. Evil or not, Ezekiel was her mate and the loss would devastate her," Asher sighed.

    "You think your mother is going to blame you for his death?" Lia asked with concern, squeezing his arms.

    "Send her back to the house while I search for Raphael, he should be around the corner," Asher tactically avoided the question and she didn''t quibble on it, thankfully.

    "You mean the house that moved over with us?" Dan reminded him.

    "Ah right," He scratched his head, remembering the disastrous spell Devon had performed.

    Devon was strong and quick to adapt to situations but she was too damn Impulsive and Asher was grateful she was unable to make it. Who knows what she would destroy this time?

    Asher sniffed the air," Sabrina''s around here. Take her with my mom, let her create a ward -"

    "Like you did to me?" Lia reminded him.

    Asher''s mouth quirked," I''ve paid for my sins, remember?"

    "Fine," Dan acquiesced and carried the older generation off the bed with care. The fact she was Asher''s mother alone entitled her to be treated well by all Nicoli clan members.

    As Asher predicted, Dan found Sabrina downstairs and together they left for the clan house which had been invaded by a few enemy vampires.

    "Do your thing, I''ll get rid of them" He told Sabrina after teleporting both to one of the guest rooms.

    Dan vanished and appeared in the hallway, intent on finishing off those vampires when he saw two figures that made his eyes almost bulge out of their socket.

    "What in the name of God!"

    Those two rats, how did they get in here without him noticing? Oh, Lia would be so pissed.

    But Dan got to admit, he was impressed with their fighting skills, most especially that little one who was the brother to Asher''s troublesome mate. The boy would be a formidable hunter in the future.

    However, what was wrong with Ben? He was strangely strong?

    A vampire grasped Ben''s neck from behind in an attempt to rip it off, but that weird boy reached out his hand and pulled the vampire over his shoulder as if he weighed nothing.

    The vampire was hurled to the ground and before he could stand, Ben had obliterated the vampire''s head with one stomp of his feet.

    "Eww," Dan commented, watching as Ben nonchalantly pulled away his feet, notwithstanding the sticky grey matter mixed with blood.

    The Ben he knew was not brave enough to pummel a vampire''s brain into mush, the boy must have done something to himself; he was too experimental.

    "Watch out !" Dan shouted and teleported himself to the back of Rex. He quickly finished off the vampire who was about to launch a sneak attack on the little boy.

    "Now, what did Lia tell you about - " He turned around only to be flung away by Ben.

    Damn, that hurt.

    "You stupid ghost, he''s on our side," Rex mistakenly kicked Ben on the groin. He was aiming for Ben''s leg when he miscalculated and the kick went awry.

    At once, the ghost angrily departed Ben''s body, leaving him to face the music.

    "My poor child producer," Ben groaned, holding his groin and plonked down to the ground in pain.

    When the ghost was in his body, he hardly felt any pain but now, he felt everything.

    "Oops, sorry," Rex apologized. He squatted down beside Ben whose face was distorted from the pain and asked," Where does it hurt exactly? Do you need me to blow air or smooth there?"

    "What are you staring at? Smooth your head? Get out of my view!" Ben glared at the little boy who pursed his lips and stood back to his feet. Well, he did offer his help, that''s all that matters.

    "What are you two doing here?" Asked Dan already recovered from the unpremeditated attack," Didn''t Lia ask you to take care of the kid?"

    "Well, she did, but the kid doesn''t need a babysitter," Ben replied with effort.

    "Just because you both fought a bunch of weak vampires and won - well, not completely won since I still saved his ass," he pointed at Rex who blinked innocently with his hand behind him.

    One look and an unsuspecting person would think, "Oh what a pure kid, incapable of inflicting harm - only if they knew.

    "Still yet, we survived" Ben threw his hands up.

    "Fine, you can play with your own life not his," the words were hardly out of his mouth when Rex vanished from sight.

    "What did you do?" Ben was upset.

    "Sent him back to your place. You are free now to toy with your own life, not his," declared Dan.

    He added, "And be careful the way you mess with ghosts, there''s always repercussions for that"

    "I can control them," Ben insisted.

    "I bet you controlled it when you tossed me halfway across the floor," Dan mocked.

    "This is my own gift. If you can teleport and do whatever mojo you do with your mind, why can''t I ?"  Ben poked himself on the chest.

    Dan snorted laughter, "You don''t understand, do you?"

    "Understand what?" Ben was confused.

    "Being a medium is not a gift but a curse. It just depends on how you use it," Dan told him and vanished away.

    Meanwhile��.

    Asher and his mate searched around the house for any sign of Raphael all to no avail.

    "He''s not here neither my mother- at least she was- I picked her scent in one of the rooms," Lia informed him, coming out of a secret room she discovered by chance.

    "This place is vast and has long stretches of land. We should search outside," Asher suggested.

    Hence, they began to search the wood behind the clan house and stumbled upon a clearing.

    Lo and behold, Raphael was awaiting them, looking smug.

    "What took you both so long, I''m honestly not impressed," He pouted.

    Asher stared at the face that once belonged to him and it made him furious. The face that asshole was flaunting was his.

    "Asher wait !" Lia was about to warn him to be careful when her fuming mate sped over and punched him right in the face.

    But the cry of pain from the side wasn''t what Asher expected.

    "Easy before you do that," Raphael smirked, tilting his head in the direction of Jenny who was moaning in pain. She was pressing the swollen side of her cheeks which was strange.

    Asher''s brow knitted in confusion, he had seen that bruise suddenly appear on Jenny''s feature and that was exactly the spot he had punched Raphael. What has his freak of a brother done this time?

    "Mom!" Lia screamed in terror and ran to her but she was pushed away instead.

    "P-please, don''t hurt me" Jenny cowered away.

    Lia was stunned, what the hell was going on with her mother? Did her mother not recognize her because she was covered with blood or what? Or maybe Raphael hurt her mother and it affected her negatively?

    The hybrid saw red and she rushed at Raphael before Asher could stop her this time.

    "You bastard, what did you do to my mother?!" Lia, blind with rage, tried to whack him but Raphael intercepted her and held her captive instead.

    Raphael was suddenly behind her and had his arm around her neck while the other hooked around her waist tightly.

    Asher was incited by that gesture; his eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared like an angry bull. He attempted to rescue his mate when Raphael separated them with a line of fire that made him reflexively take a step back. Vampires weren''t friends with fire.

    "Why would I hurt her? She''s my future mother-in-law," Raphael whispered into her ears while she strived to break out of his handle.

    "I simply told her of our existence and the rest is history," he finally disclosed.

    "You bastard!" Lia head-butted Raphael, escaping his grip.

    However, she was so angry that she was oblivious to the cry of pain from her mother and continued to hit Raphael until she heard Asher shout.

    "Stop it, Lia, you''re hurting your mother!"

 Chapter 258 - Two Hundred And Fifty-eight: Her Human Mate

    "Stop it, Lia, you''re hurting your mother!"

    Lia was struck still by that announcement. She turned around to see her mom bawling her eyes out like a little kid as blood flowed from her nose with swollen eyes and busted lips.

    "Oh my God!" Lia gasped, shaking her head in disbelief "What have I done?"  Had she done that to her mother? How was that possible?

    Her hands shook uncontrollably, she had hurt her mother? God damnit! She had hurt her mother!

    Lia turned in the direction of her mother, "Mom, I''m so sorry," the girl tried to touch her but her mother shrieked in horror once again.

    "No, don''t touch me! Monster! Monster!" Jenny screamed, crawling away on all fours which broke Lia''s heart.

    The anger refueled her veins once again. Lia sprang on Raphael, grabbed him by the collar, pulled back her hand,  prepared to punch the daylight out of him when he reminded her with a self-satisfied smirk.

    "Ah, ah, anything you do to me, affects your mother too, we''re connected."

    He drew closer to her, "You of all people should know that Vampires heal rapidly but humans don''t," Raphael purposely looked in the direction of her mother.

    Lia''s chest lifted with anger, she wanted so much to just ��" Aah!!" She screamed in an emotional outburst, stomping the ground and punching the air, imagining it was his god damned face.

    The problem?

    Lia didn''t know which imaginary face to puncture. The real Asher was bearing his face while this son of a biscuit was wearing Asher''s face, which was she going to smack?!

    "What did you do to my mother, I won''t ask you a second time?" Lia demanded.

    It was obvious that Raphael had exposed their existence to her mother. The woman probably didn''t believe him until he showed her evidence that scared the life out of her.

    But what Lia couldn''t understand was Raphael''s weird connection to her mother? They weren''t mates because she has never seen one that took on the assault of the other.

    Even when either of her mates was in danger, she just felt it, not experience the pain itself as to what she was seeing with Raphael and her mom.

    Even if both turn out to be mates - which is impossible - Lia swore she would sever that bond herself.

    "Raphael answer me!"  She growled at him, exposing her werewolf canines threateningly.

    "Nothing much," he shrugged " I just had the witch link my life with your mother''s which means that any pain I feel, she does too and if I die, she dies too. How does it sound, fantastic, right?!"  He exclaimed.

    "You have finally lost it!" Lia spat, her eyes capturing the witch who had been staying away from the drama all this while.

    "It''s her, isn''t it?"

    "Who?"

    "The witch," she tilted her head to his back.

    "Yes, of course��."

    Before Raphael could finish his word nor guess her intention, Lia had sped over to the witch who stood still without moving an inch, as if daring her to come at her.

    The instant the hybrid tried to lacerate the witch''s chest, a crippling pain sent Lia to her knees. Shit, damn witches and their spells.

    "Lia!" Asher heard her agonizing screams and crossed over that wall of fire notwithstanding his scalding skin.

    "Let her go!" He demanded with eyes burning fiercely which made the witch stop her attack, his mate finally breathed.

    "Hi brother, come to rescue your mate- always the knight in shining armor," he taunted.

    Raphael appeared right in front of him with his speed, reaching for Asher''s throat but the vampire dodged him and grabbed his hand instead, intending to twist it when his good brother jolted his memory.

    "You would hurt your mother-in-law remember?"

    "Fuck this," Asher cursed, this was an unfair fight-which was Raphael''s style.

    Upon the fact his insecure brother gained his "great" ability already, he still cheated. No matter what, one can never change their nature; a trickster would always be a trickster.

    Asher let go of his arm and received a powerful whack that knocked him against a tree.

    "That hurts," Asher groaned, pulling away from the tree and stretching his waist.

    However, Raphael was upon him in the twinkle of an eye, raining blows on him till his face was a bloody pulp.

    "It feels good to see you being the one on the receiving end," Raphael was smug.

    "Coward," Asher expelled his bloody saliva on his face.

    Angered, Raphael tried to drive another blow that would have smashed Asher''s head into the tree bark but the smart vampire slipped away on time.

    With all his strength, Asher vamp sped around Raphael in circles while duplicating. Each copy carried on with his action till there were ten versions of him surrendering his brother.

    At the moment, Asher had to be on the defensive instead of offensive. He couldn''t hurt his brother since he was still connected to Jenny.

    Raphael could heal easily but her mate''s mother wouldn''t and what might seem like a small wound to his brother might carelessly lead to Jenny''s death.

    Asher knew Lia would not blame him if such a thing were to happen - she understood the risk involved - but he would not push his luck here. His mate still needed his mother.

    "Nice trick," Raphael smirked.

    However, Asher''s mouth dropped open when his brother easily told him apart from his copies.

    "Surprised?" Raphael''s eyes twinkled as he lifted Asher off the ground, "Have you forgotten that was once my ability, I could detect the real you with just a glance," his grip tightened.

    "Sorry mom," someone said and the next Raphael felt a pain in his stomach.

    "Lia," he guessed correctly.

    "Don''t you dare touch him," She came to stand protectively in front of Asher," I would not let you," her voice was firm

    "Watch me," He smirked, taking a step forward but Lia raised a forcefield around her and Asher.

    She knew this wouldn''t do much but she was stalling, buying enough time for Sabrina to arrive. If that link was created by a witch, it must be undone by a witch too. Lia bet Sabrina could handle that - if she doesn''t betray them again.

    "Are you okay?" She looked down at her mate in concern.

    "I''m good now," Asher rose to his feet.

    "This is boring," Raphael scratched the side of his head before ordering her,

    "Bring down the barrier, Lia"

    "You''re crazy," Lia told him. She wondered how Asher was able to live with this psychopath all this while. Not to talk of the fact he had touched in the guise of being Asher.

    Thinking about it made her feel bugs crawling on her skin. After all this was over, she would ask Sabrina to erase that part of her memory for eternity.

    "Fine," He sighed in boredom, "I promise not to touch your loverboy, "

    She snorted," Who are you trying to fool? Do you think I was born this morning?"

    "Lia," He purred seductively which made all the hairs on her back stand on edge. Raphael was disgusting.

    "All I want is you," He placed his hand against the barrier but he wasn''t let in, "I''ll spare Asher once you agree to be with me"

    They were so close to each other that with a reach of his hand Raphael could easily pull her out. Sadly for him, it didn''t work that way. Unless he could phase, there was no one he would penetrate through that shield.

    "If I agree to be with you, would you return Asher''s body?" She tested him.

    "No," was his reply, "You love this face so I''ll keep it for you to admire all through your life. Once you agree to be mine, Lia, I''ll just have the witch tinker your memory a bit and this face would remain as Raphael to you instead of Asher. What do you say?" Raphael offered.

    "You''re a psycho," she declared.

    Raphael shook his head, laughing, "If you know what you are, Lia, you''d understand that Asher is not even worthy to glance your way, not to talk of possessing you!" He roared.

    Lia lifted her head, "Quite funny, you talk as if you know what I am," she was amused.

    "Oh yes, Lia. I know what you are and more. Do you know the fun fact? You could have more mates if you want to," he smiled at her.

    Lia felt Asher''s arm tighten around her waist but that didn''t stop her from thinking about what Raphael said. She could have more mates? How was that possible? Wasn''t Asher and Daniel the only two destined for her? Her head swarmed with questions yet there was limited answer.

    "You''re bluffing! You''re saying all these to lower my guard so I could bring down my force field and then you could kill Asher. But you got the wrong person, that''s not going to happen-not in my watch"

    Raphael clapped his hands thrice in a row, "Really? Then how about I reveal another fun fact"

    He rubbed his jaw "How do you feel knowing that Ben is your human mate?"

    "I am?"

 Chapter 259 - Two Hundred And Fifty-nine: The Sacrifice

    He rubbed his jaw "How do you feel, knowing that Ben is your human mate?"

    "I am?"

    The person in question appeared in the clearing, pointing at his chest and staring at them like aliens.

    "Ben?!" Lia was bewildered,

    "Aren''t you supposed to be taking care of Rex, what are you doing here?" She couldn''t believe her eyes.

    Ben threw his hand, "Well, shit happened and here I am. Though you don''t need to worry about your brother Rex, Dan sent him back to my place,"

    Lia''s eyes widened,"Wait a minute, my brother''s here too? Ben, how could you risk his life like that, I trusted you to keep him safe"

    "Your brother was here," Ben was brisk to clarify, "And I did keep him safe. Beside you should give the boy some credit, he''s actually capable than you think,"

    "Quite interesting to have the subject of our conversation here," Raphael''s eyes twinkled with mischief.

    "Ben, run!" Lia guessed Raphael''s cruel motive before the vampire moved an inch.

    But the idiotic fool neglected her instruction and stood still as if his feet were glued to the ground. Well, he wouldn''t have run far since Raphael could outspeed him any time, any day.

    In a moment of desperation, before Raphael could lay his hands on him, Lia reached her hand and a forcefield engulfed Ben knocking back Raphael.

    "Awesome," Ben awed, taking in the encompassing wispy bubble-like structure shielding him from the predator gritting his teeth outside from failure. He even went ahead to make a face at the furious vampire.

    "Impressive, as expected of you, Lia. But let''s see how long you can keep up with both," A dry grin stretched Raphael''s mouth to the side.

    Almost immediately, Lia staggered back feeling faint but her mate caught her by the midsection.

    "You''re running out of juice, Lia. You can''t keep up with both barriers at once, it''s draining you" Asher cautioned.

    "No, I can. Just hold me tight," His stubborn mate insisted, "Give me your body to lean against, then I''ll last long enough for Sabrina to arrive " Lia requested.

    Asher hated being unable to provide for the welfare of his mate, it made him feel powerless- just like that time he was captured.

    He could not hurt Raphael for his mother-in-law''s sake but he could hurt the witch, yet Raphael wouldn''t let him, it made him feel frustrated. Yes, that was Raphael''s plan, he found out.

    His older bastard of a brother wanted him to feel hopelessness before ending him. No, that won''t happen! He''d find a way out of this!

    Eyes burning with determination, Asher became his mate''s backbone; supporting and holding her up each time her legs would want to give out.

    He knew she was exhausted, having been fighting all night was not an easy task at all.

    "I''ve got you, baby girl," he would whisper into her ears and this somehow renewed Lia with strength and she kept up with her forcefield.

    "Alright everyone, why don''t we go back to that point of the discussion where Raphael mentioned that I''m your human mate or something," Ben pinpointed.

    "He''s lying Ben, there''s no such thing as you being my human mate," Lia refuted Raphael''s claim.

    Raphael was amused, "You have a vampire mate, werewolf mate, why shouldn''t you have a human mate? How and why do you think you and Ben fit together like two imperfect puzzle pieces?" was his question.

    "I do support his theory," Ben acquiesced, earning a glare from Lia and Asher.

    "Ben and I are the closest of friends and you''re just jealous because you''re not going to be my mate. Neither would you have a friendship as precious as ours. Why? Because you''re just a backstabbing manipulator of a vampire," Lia finally let out those words she longed to say at last.

    "Closest of friends, huh? Quite amusing," Raphael snorted mockingly, "I have never seen a human relationship where the friend follows the other like a loyal puppy,"

    No name was called but Ben knew who Raphael was referring to and took offense, "Hey, that''s mean, I''m not a loyal puppy," he protested.

    Yet, Raphael ignored him and went on, "When he was possessed by the necromancer, why do you think you were chosen as his queen?"

    "Because Lawrence possessed my body?" Ben gave him a stupid look.

    "Yes, Lawrence or whatever he calls himself did possess your body but all of his actions such as kidnapping Lia was influenced by your deepest, darkest desire"

    "That''s quite stupid, Raphael," Lia stated, "Are you saying that because Ben likes me, that makes him my mate?"

    "I don''t like you!" Ben blurted yet blushed.

    "One word Ben and I''ll burst that bubble," Lia referred to the shield she placed on him.

    "Fine, I''m obviously the less privileged mate," Ben mumbled sadly under his breath but everyone heard it.

    Lia shook her head, this was all Raphael''s fault. Who knows what Ben was thinking about?

    "Listen here Ben, you''re not my mate. There''s no bond between us," she added quickly, "Except our friendship bond,"

    "You don''t feel that bond with Ben because he''s human, it''s more intense with your supernatural mates," Raphael explained.

    "That''s enough Raphael," Asher spoke up this time, "No matter what you say, Lia''s not going to bring down this shield" he declared.

    An evil smirk appeared on Raphael''s face, "Fine then, I don''t need to plead with her, I''ll make her,"

    "What are you going to do, Raphael?" Lia had a bad premonition about this.

    "Watch me," His threat was apparent.

    Lia watched Raphael pull a knife out of his boot and began to cut his arm while a scream of pain was heard from her mother''s lips.

    "Raphael, stop it! You''re hurting my mother!" She cried out.

    "You''re a sick bastard," Ben was fired up too.

    "Bring down the barrier and I''ll consider," Raphael proposed.

    "Lia, don''t ��" Asher was still saying when she stepped out of the barrier leaving him behind.

    He was short of words, how was that possible? He didn''t know his mate could manipulate the forcefield to this extent. Her powers evolved?

    "Let me out of here," Asher was unsettled by her stupid plan, banging his hand against it.

    "I''m sorry but I have to do this," Lia apologized and walked over to Raphael who had kept his own part of the deal of not hurting her mother anymore.

    "What do you want from me, Raphael?" She stood right in front of him, fists and jaw clenched tightly.

    "I told you," Raphael lifted his hand, stroking her face," I want you to be mine. You don''t know how much potential you possess but I''m going to help you develop that. You don''t need Asher, he''s going to keep holding you back from being who you need to be,"

    "And what do you benefit from this?" Lia asked him, knowing Raphael would not be doing this without gain.

    "I''ll rule by your side when the time comes," he said, lowering his head to kiss her.

    Lia didn''t move a muscle, standing still as his face kept getting closer and closer till their lips were almost touching.

    Raphael smirked, this was the opening he has been waiting for for a long time. To possess Lia with her being in her right frame of mind. The feeling was heavenly.

    But just as he was about to claim her lips, she pulled back slightly which made his brow raise.

    "I''m sorry Raphael but I''ll never be yours," She smirked at him and before he could react, engulfed both of them in her shield while Asher and Ben were released.

    Lia looked at the side of the woods," Sabrina, now!"

    Dan and witch emerged out of the bush," Naturae, vocationis exaudi me,"

    Per Sabrina''s spell, Raphael''s witch was snatched to a tree, the vines wrapping around her body,  disabling her.

    Sabrina would have killed the witch but she was Devon''s mother- Devon was a good kid- and it was obvious to her that she was doing this against her wishes. Mother and daughter needed to be reunited.

    "Unlink my mother now!" Lia boomed at Sabrina.

    Raphael''s eyes flashed red, "Get me out of here!" he knew his plan was about to be ruined.

    "I''m sorry but you know I can''t do that," Lia declared.

    Angered, Raphael grabbed her on the throat.

    "Lia!" Asher called out of concern. His mate wouldn''t die but every pain she felt was real.

    "S-Sabrina do it," Lia urged the witch to proceed with the plan.

    All this while, the hybrid deliberately distracted Raphael so he doesn''t pick up Sabrina''s presence as they - Sabrina and Dan- wait for a good opportunity to make their epic appearance.

    Sabrina''s gaze moved from Lia to Raphael to Asher and back again until she received a go-ahead signal from Dan.

    "Et Sabrina inrita cuiquam facta fuisset factum est solvere corrigiam calciamentorum quo fuit, vita vitae reditus esset in viam,"

    An eerie wind began to blow, picking and throwing things around until it suddenly settled.

    Everyone - including Raphael- was enthralled by what''s going on that they stopped whatever they were doing and watched.

    "Is it done?" Ben asked no one in particular but all eyes turned to Sabrina''s expectantly for the result.

    "I think..."

    Sabrina gasped suddenly, her hands going around her neck while her eyes grew wide.

    "What''s going on?" Dan was alarmed when he caught her from falling to the ground. However, her expression was pale and she was gasping for breath.

    "What did you do?" asked the horrified Lia to Raphael.

    His witch now free from the tree was the one who answered instead, "Whoever unlinks them would have to sacrifice her life, that''s the consequences"

 Chapter 260 - Two Hundred And Sixty: This Doesnt Look Like Heaven

    "Whoever unlinks them would have to sacrifice her life, that''s the consequences"

    Lia pinched her thigh, she must have heard wrong," What? How''s that possible" she was in shock.

    "Some spell might come as easy pie but some comes with consequences to be effective,"

    "Guys, I''m losing her" Dan panicked, "Sabrina, don''t do this to me, please" he began to compress her chest.

    Due to the stress and distraction, the forcefield Lia had on dissipated at once.

    She threads her hand through her hair, what had she done? Yes, she disliked Sabrina ever since she betrayed them but she had never wished the witch would die this way.

    "Quite a beautiful scene, isn''t it?" Raphael taunted.

    Lia had thought she had been the one deceiving him but all this time, Raphael was the one playing them. He had known Sabrina was around the corner and pretended to have been scared so she could unlink them.

    "Stay with me, Sabrina" Dan tapped her cheeks to keep her awake, "Whatever you''re doing, hurry up. I''m losing her pulse," Dan yelled, worried lines drawn all over his face.

    "There has to be a way, " Lia faced the witch Nadia, " I need to save her,"

    "You''re a vampire, Lia, weakness is for humans. Why are you so damn concerned over her? Sabrina betrayed you, she should be dead, remember?" Raphael chimed in.

    Lia growled a warning to him, refocusing her attention on Nadia, the witch, "Tell me if there''s a way to save her," she inquired.

    "This is going to be interesting," Raphael leaned against a tree captivated by what''s going on. He already knew how everything would turn out, he should give them a little time to grieve the loss of a long friend - and lover to Dan.

    "Unless you''re a witch, you can take on her burden," Nadia disclosed.

    "But I''m not a witch," Lia felt all hope was lost. She was helpless to save Sabrina this time.

    "Then, you should just say goodbye to your friend," Nadia dismissed.

    "But I am," Someone said from behind and everyone''s attention turned to the figure who came into the clearing.

    "Devon!" Nadia''s eyes grew wide, her daughter was here?

    Raphael''s face distorted, he never thought of this bug and he hated changes like this. A slight glitch like this could ruin his great plan.

    He just took a step forward when Lia contained him again in her forcefield.

    "Let me out of here," he growled at her, banging his hand hard against the shield.

    "Let''s see who gets played this time," Lia gloated.

    "I love you mom," Devon said to Nadia before her eyes narrowed with firm determination.

    "Ego Devoniae inrita cuiquam facta fuisset factum est solvere corrigiam quo ligatum est, vita vitae reditus esset in viam,"

    For a while nothing happened until Sabrina sat up with a revived gasp accompanied by the eerily wind blowing around while Devon collapsed to the ground having taken Sabrina''s place; she offered to be the sacrifice.

    "Devon!" Nadia screamed, running over to her daughter and caught her on time with her magic before she hit the ground.

    "My God, Devon, why didn''t you tell me you escaped ?" Tears streamed down her cheeks.

    "I wanted ...to...s-surprise ..you," Devon had a hard time speaking, her breath was being sucked.

    "Oh my dear," her mom cried harder.

    "I-I sor..ry ��.mom and..lo..love.. you," was Devon''s confession, hot tears slipping from the corner of her eyes.

    "No, I''m the one who''s sorry," Nadia shook her head, then grabbed her hand which was getting cold by each passing minute.

    Nadia rubbed it against her cheeks as if trying to keep it warm, then kissed it, "You''ve lived such a hard life all because of me. If I hadn''t lived such careless life, I wouldn''t have put you in this dilemma you''re in today and I''m going to correct that,"

    Though life was slowly slipping away from her, Devon understood what her mother was about to do. Her hand tightened around hers, trying to tell her not to proceed with her suicidal plan.

    "I have done a lot of bad things, Devon," she tightened her grip around her daughter''s fist," which is why I have to do because I love you," she kissed Devon on the top of her head.

    "Nadia inrita cuiquam facta fuisset factum est solvere corrigiam quo ligatum est, vita vitae reditus esset in viam,"

    "Mom!" Devon breathed back to life, hugging and cutting the fall of her mother who had chosen to take her place.

    "Devon," the woman''s breath was faint, all colors slipping from her face, "Live well, don''t avenge me,"

    "No mom, please don''t leave me," cried Devon while trying a healing spell all to no avail.

    "I love you," was the woman''s last words, her hand clasping Devon''s face slipped to the ground.

    "No!!!"

    "That betrayer!" Raphael''s eyes flashed with fury, forming his hands into fists, and then summoned a fire which began to drain the barrier.

    "Did the spell work cause I don''t know how long I can hold him" groaned Lia, her clothes soaked with sweat as a result of the firestorm Raphael was conjuring in there.

    "It''s supposed to but we need to inflict pain on him to find out," Sabrina said.

    But Raphael increased the heat, burning away the force field before she could bring it down.

    "R-Raphael?" Lia gulped, standing face to face with him. His darkened gaze was so intimidating and frightening that she unconsciously took a step back.

    "Lia!" Asher attempted to rescue her but with a wave of his hand, Raphael sent a blaze of fire his way.

    "Asher, no!" Lia watched with horror as his body caught on fire and her mate ran without direction, trying to put out the engulfing flames.

    Dan left the recovering Sabrina and stepped forward to attack Raphael but he was picked like he weighed nothing and hurled into the woods.

    To her surprise, Ben stood bravely and whacked Raphael on the face.

    "That one is for playing with my feelings," he said and tried to hit him a second time but the vampire simply caught his fist, then gave Ben a blow that rendered him unconscious.

    Lia slapped Raphael on the face, breaking his concentration "Put it out, you sick bastard!" She pushed him furiously on the chest.

    "I wish I knew how but even if I do, I would never save him," Raphael spat.

    "Prohibere!" Sabrina gathered enough strength to extinguish the fire before her magic was exhausted; she had reached her limit today.

    The flames were finally put out and Asher collapsed. Lia didn''t know whether he was dead or alive when she went to him.

    "Hey, wake up," she pushed him but her mate didn''t stir.

    Asher''s eyes were closed and his entire skin was scalded with several burn marks, not to talk of his burnt hair that was nauseating her with its sulfurous odor. Some areas of his clothes even burnt into his skin.

    "Listen to me asshole, I won''t let you die on me!" Lia slapped him.

    But when no response came, she increased the momentum and interval between each slap, gushing her anger and hopelessness on him.

    "I''m not going to give up on you!" Fresh tears welled her eyes," You promised not to leave me, you said you were going to protect me forever. So wake the hell up now, Asher! "

    "You shouldn''t waste your energy, he''s gone," said Raphael standing behind her with a self accomplished smile.

    She glared at Raphael hoping he would shut the hell up but unfortunately, things didn''t go her way since he continued.

    "He doesn''t deserve your tears, Lia. Just come with me, I''ll treat you better than he has ever spoiled you," Raphael stretched his hand for her to take.

    Lia glanced at him and then at Asher contemplatively.

    "You''re a monster, Raphael," her words dribbled with hatred, "You led your own father to his death and killed your brother. I''ll rather take my own life than take your hand,"

    Raphael chuckled," My father wouldn''t have let you live as far as you''re Asher''s mate hence why I never informed him you''re a hybrid to give you a fighting chance when the time reaches. All that mattered to him was his own revenge and I didn''t need such drawback,"

    He squatted down beside her, wiping away the tears that slipped down her beautiful face," I had to get rid of him that way because you''re too precious to be expendable. And don''t you get it, I''m the only one you have left. This is all over. "

    "No, is not" Devon declared openly.

    Raphael stood up with murderous intent, he was going to end this little witch once and for all.

    "Fatis swititched sit switched spiritu, anima fit posterius priori switched" chanted Devon vehemently.

    "No!" Raphael roared, having realized what she had done. He tried to vamp speed over to her but it was too late; he slumped to the ground.

    Did she ...oh my God.

    Hope rose in Lia''s heart when she saw lights leave Asher''s and Raphael''s bodies, switching into both bodies respectively.

    Lia waited and waited but nothing happened for five minutes and when she thought of giving up...

    Asher coughed, "This doesn''t look like heaven,"

 Chapter 261 - Two Hundred And Sixty-one- Meet Your Mother

    "This doesn''t look like heaven," Asher coughed, sitting up.

    "Oh my God, thank God," Lia breathed in relief. She ran and threw herself on the real Asher who caught her, both of them falling to the ground.

    "You''re alive," She checked his face amid showering him with kisses.

    "It would take more than roasting my ass to take my life away," he joked.

    Lia chortled, lowered her head, and met his lips halfway to the kiss. God, she never thought one-day she would love his silky short hair - Raphael''s was medium, reaching the nape of his neck.

    The hybrid enjoyed the privilege, wrapping her hand around his neck while the other gripped his scalp. Both kissed slowly, savoring this opportunity they hadn''t gotten in a while.

    "Lia, watch out !" Devon screamed a warning.

    They had forgotten that if Asher survived that live burning, Raphael was still alive then and he held a gun - the same gun Asher had used to fight against Ezekiel earlier.

    Raphael''s eyes were burning with hatred, he aimed the gun at Asher saying, "Good-bye, brother,"

    Lia had raised her hand, preparing to build a shield around Asher when a ripping sound was heard.

    Both were startled when a hand suddenly went through Raphael''s chest from behind. All they saw was an appendage in the front of Raphael''s chest grabbing a bloody heart.

    The mysterious killer withdrew his limb through the hole in Raphael''s chest- where his heart used to be- creating quite unpleasant squishing sounds. Lia hoped her fragile mom had not seen this gruesome scene else she would be traumatized forever.

    Raphael plonked down to his knees with an aghast expression- he never saw that one coming- revealing Dan standing with his bloody organ in his grasp.

    "Goodbye Raphael," Dan kicked his body to the ground.

    "And I hope you remain dead," Devon clicked her fingers, setting Raphael''s remains on fire.

    Lia sank on Asher, releasing a breath she didn''t even realize she was holding in all this time. She couldn''t believe this hell was finally over.

    Asher hugged Lia tight as if he let go, she was going to disappear from his clasp forever.

    "It''s over now," he kissed her on the cheek while she buried her face in his chest, taking in his familiar scent.

    "My mother," Lia remembered.

    She moved away from Asher, running to meet her mother sprawled out on the floor meters away from them.

    Fear gripped Lia''s heart upon seeing the way her mother lay on the bare ground negligently. It made her wonder if Raphael had done anything evil to her mom, yet breathed in relief when she found out her breathing was stable. It looks like she must have passed out during this nightmarish event.

    "Are you okay?" Dan wiped his bloody hand on his clothing, taking Sabrina who didn''t mind his messy state into his arms.

    "I''m okay," Sabrina hugged him back, "Look, I''m sorry for what I did, I didn''t -"

    "There''s no need to apologize for that, you''ve made up for your crimes already," he informed her and was about to place a kiss on her lips when Lia interrupted them.

    "Sabrina, I need your help,"

    "See you," she smooched him briefly.

    "What is it?" She walked over to her.

    "I need you to erase her memory," said Lia.

    Sabrina sighed," You can''t keep taking away her memories, Lia. It''s high time you told your mother the truth already,"

    She wiped her face with her palm,

    "I would but that would be after she recovers from this trauma which is why I need you to take away all that happened, she can''t remember this. You too saw how broken and scared she was, I can''t let her stay that way," Lia confessed.

    "Fine, it''s up to you anyway" She agreed," But I can''t help you,"

    "What?"

    "I''m out of juice. The only witch still standing at the moment is Devon- that girl never tires. You''d have to ask her for that favor,"

    Lia''s gaze searched around for the girl, "Where is ...oh,"

    There was Devon, sitting beside her mother''s corpse while Asher stood beside her.

    "I''m sorry for failing my promise of reuniting you with your mother, " Asher had a solemn look on his face.

    "No, it''s not your fault," She sniffed," You agreed to help me find my mother and you did. It''s my fault for not saving her on time," Devon blamed herself.

    "You couldn''t have changed that, it was her decision to sacrifice her life, kiddo" Asher squeezed her shoulder softly.

    "Yeah, I know. But I can''t accept that, she should have let me die and I''m so angry that all my efforts were for nothing. I just wish that there was some way I could say goodbye to her properly," was her desire.

    "Oh Ben, thank God," Lia hugged her friend who finally woke up from his deep sleep; she was beginning to worry.

    "How do you feel...oh," Lia''s mouth quirked when she saw Ben''s eyes glazed over, showing only the whites of his eyes. A possession, she realized.

    "Devon," Ben rasped; his voice a blend of the witch with his own, producing a somewhat deep yet masculine tone.

    "Oh, a possession by the witch," Lia figured.

    Devon was still mourning the loss of her mother when the hairs on her back stood on edge as she heard a somewhat familiar yet unreal voice, how was that possible?

    She whipped her head in the direction of that voice, brows raised in confusion as she saw that boy staring at her intently.

    Devon didn''t know who he was but she had heard Lia call him, "Ben" and so far, she didn''t see anything special about him.

    However, why was his eyes that way- this was the first time she was seeing such - and why was he giving her that warm gaze?

    Tears slipped from the boy''s eyes as he watched her, which was quite creepy until she heard him say," Filia mea, Devoniae,"

    Devon''s eyes widened while her lips trembled, "Mom?" How was that possible? She looked at her mom''s body and then back at Ben in confusion.

    "He''s a medium," Asher noticed her dilemma and remembered this was the first time of her seeing Ben that way.

    "A medium?"

    "Sort of a vessel for the dead," he explained," You should go meet your mother, Devon before she passes to the other side,"

 Chapter 262 - Two Hundred And Sixty-two: Making Amend

    "Sort of a vessel for the dead," Asher explained, "You should go meet your mother, Devon before she passes to the other side," he urged her forward.

    Devon was reluctant at first but when she looked into those eyes, she found herself running to him, engulfing Ben in a bear hug.

    "I should record this, right?" Lia was yearning to show Ben he was embraced by a girl when he returned to himself.

    "Keep your itchy hands to your side, Lia" Asher told her to which she frowned yet he rubbed her hair affectionately. Women and their mood changes at times, sigh.

    "Mother?"

    "Devon"

    As if a signal was given off, both began a crying marathon.

    Honestly, that scene was super awkward and mentally distressing for the others to watch. It was weird seeing Ben weeping like a young widow while rubbing Devon''s back and kissing her forehead.

    "Why is everything about this boy so out of this world?" Sabrina couldn''t hold back her curtisury anymore.

    "That is still under research," Lia answered.

    "I''m so sorry, Devon for leaving you like that," Ghost Nadia in Ben''s body said to her daughter.

    "Why did you do that, mom?" Devon cried harder, producing snort and all.

    "I had no choice, it''s either you or me, " she reminded her.

    "You should have just let me die," Devon contended.

    Nadia explained her reasons, "No, Devon.You''re still young and have a bright future ahead of you unlike me. I have made a lot of mistakes and spent a lot of time on this earth, it''s me that should go"

    Devon clasped Ben''s face, a gesture that drew an "Ooh" from Lia''s lips.

    "I miss you, mama,"

    "I know, dear. I miss you too," Ben went ahead to clasp her face with his hand also.

    Double "Ooh"  from Lia.

    "Mom, I''m confused. I don''t know what to do? Where do I go from henceforth? You were my only family," Devon sobbed.

    "I know but you''re not alone anymore," Ben turned towards Sabrina.

    Sabrina in question was spooked by that sudden attention, she looked doubtingly at Lia.

    "I don''t like that look, why is he staring at me that way?"

    Lia shrugged, "Because he likes you? I don''t know "

    "What do you mean you don''t know?" Sabrina was baffled.

    "How am I supposed to know? I''m not in his head," she protested.

    Sabrina raised her brow, "Because you''re the only human friend he has? Haven''t you studied him long enough?"

    "Well, thanks for clarifying that. As you said, I''m his human friend, not the ghostly one,"

    "Sabrina," the ghost called.

    "Damn it!" The witch was startled by Ben standing in front of her without notice.

    "You are certainly Ben," she referred to his creepiness.

    "I heard about what Raphael did to you," Ben influenced by the ghost said to her.

    "So?" She was eager to know the point of the story.

    "The council would certainly investigate this matter and they would surely find out about the forbidden spell you did," he notified her.

    "I know "

    "Take care of Devon for me and I''ll take on all the blame," she proposed.

    "What?" Sabrina was taken aback by this strange offer.

    "Be the mother that I''m sadly unable to be to Devon anymore; be the sister that defends her vigorously; be the aunt that adores her; be everything that I can''t be for her," Nadia broke down Sabrina''s expected role, "I want you to be the family my daughter Devon needs and I''ll gladly take the heap of the blame,"

    Sabrina was dumbfounded, all this time she had been contemplating packing up her things and leaving Little Town before the council found out what she did.

    However, here, was a golden offer to make her life better and she was hesitating to take it, what the hell was wrong with her?

    "No, this is wrong. I can''t falsely accuse an innocent witch of the crime that I committed - dead or alive," She shook her head stubbornly.

    "Mom," Devon wept upon suspecting her intention. She wanted to become a traitor for her sake.

    "Besides," Sabrina added," Even without you asking, I would have taken care of the girl. She did us all a favor, we wouldn''t have won this battle without her,"

    "I know, but I don''t want to owe you which is why I''m doing this." Nadia said," Moreover, if the council sentenced you to death, who would take care of Devon? She''s presently your responsibility, Sabrina"

    "But -"Sabrina wanted to disagree

    "During the investigation, put the blame on me and my soul would be at rest," Ben put up his hand, dismissing any of her arguments.

    "Fine," Sabrina threw her hands up, she had no choice anyway.

    "Thank you," Ben hugged her before she could decline.

    "Good going, Ben," the witch thought mentally before pulling away from him.

    Ben walked on, coming to stop before Asher, "I''m sorry for what I did,"

    "You had no option," Asher told her," If I was in your shoe, I would have done the same for my mate," he squeezed Lia''s hand assuredly.

    "Thanks for helping Devon escape,"

    "It''s the other way around. If she hadn''t teleported the both of us out of there, we would have been dead by now - you have an amazing daughter,"

    "I know," Ben sniffed," Which is why I''m so unhappy leaving her behind,"

    "Mom," Devon whimpered, touched by her heartfelt words.

    "I''m sorry to you too," She moved her attention to Lia, "I''m so ashamed for what I did to you,"

    "As Asher said, you have no choice," Lia told her

    "I should have stood against Raphael sooner but I was so scared for my daughter. I knew what mate meant to you guys still, I tried to put you both asunder, would you two ever forgive me for that?"

    Asher and Lia stared at each other in a timely fashion and with just their eyes meeting, the couple came to a conclusion.

    "Of course, you''re forgiven, Nadia. It might seem absurd but this trying period strengthened the bond between us and now, I understand how much my mates mean to me, "Lia intertwined their fingers with a smile.

    "Thank you so much," Nadia burst into tears which was so weird coming from Ben''s throat.

    "I told you we should have recorded this," Lia whispered to Asher which elicited a chuckle from him.

    He brought her close, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind while resting his jaw on her hair.

    "Also, there''s something else you need to know," Nadia''s sudden somber expression wiped all smiles away from their faces.

    "What is it?"

 Chapter 263 - Two Hundred And Sixty-three: Feelings Of Desire

    "What is it?" Lia was unsettled by the sudden dreary look on Ben''s countenance.

    "While you were under Raphael''s control, he kept feeding you Odin in small amounts which gradually increased to larger quantities," Nadia revealed.

    Asher''s brow furrowed, his eyes narrowed into slits," What is Odin?" Whatever Raphael did to his mate must have no happy ending.

    Sabrina chimed in "How did Raphael get his hands ...oh right, you were a witch," she recalled.

    Lia laughed nervously," You both are freaking me out, what does this Odin or whatever it''s called do?"

    Sabrina licked her lips, "It is a sort of sedative love portion,"

    "It was quite famous in the past, thanks to desperate humans yearning to keep their partners in check. It''s mostly used by wives to chase away their husband''s mistress,"

    "Um, come again?" Lia was dumbfounded. What has that got to do with her? Why would that late asshole use it on her?

    "How does it work?" Asher was the one who inquired.

    "Once used regularly, it douses the husband''s desire for the mistress and if I could remember, Raphael had used quite a lot on your mate amid my warning," Nadia answered.

    All eyes focused on Lia which made her uneasy. She waved them away, "Guys, I don''t know what you''re thinking but I''m totally fine"

    "Drowsiness, hallucination, paranoia, insomnia, and most of all, loss of libido, these are the side effects," Sabrina told Lia pointedly, "Though, I don''t know what it would be for you since you''re a hybrid,"

    "Alright, this is getting out of hand. I''m...umm"

    Lia was stunned when Asher kissed her passionately without warning. Sadly for her, it was but for a brief moment.

    Asher pulled away, clasped her cheeks, and stared her intensely in the eyes, "How is it?"

    "Huh?" Lia was still dazed from the abrupt kiss.

    "Do you feel any desire for me?" He probed.

    "Intensely," Lia blurted, eyes fixed on his tempting moist red lips.

    "Oh," Asher was stunned by her blunt admission and tried hard to control his reactive little brother down there. At least she still has feelings of eros for him, that''s strangely comforting.

    "A-hem," Sabrina purposely cleared her throat. They both had drifted from the topic at hand.

    "I told you I feel alright," Lia stood her ground.

    Nadia regarded her slowly," Don''t underestimate the power of Odin, Lia"

    "I''m a hybrid. I have a faster metabolism than humans and most supernatural creatures perhaps, my body must have detoxicated the effects already?" She surmised.

    "Lia, that''s just an assumption," Asher was slightly worried.

    She turned to her mate," Asher, I''m fine, trust me" the girl even twirled around for him to take a look.

    "Let her be if she says so, you just have to keep an eye on her," Nadia instructed the vampire.

    She looked up at the sky with a sorrowful sigh," It''s time for me to go, my duration is up. Thank the owner of this body for me, would you?"

    "I''m sure he would be delighted out of his mind to know that he had been of great service to you," Lia beamed.

    "Mom," Devon threw herself at Ben,shaking her head vehemently, "You can''t go already, I haven''t learned a lot from you,"

    "Everything else you need to know Sabrina would let you know hence she''s now your mother," was her reply.

    "No, mom, it''s you I need,"

    "Which is impossible,"

    "No, you being in this body is what''s impossible yet possible. Maybe, you could occupy this body for the meantime while I''ll find a way to reverse the sacrifice or bring you back to life," Devon raved.

    "That ungrateful ass," Lia was offended by her sick plan. If Nadia does successfully take over Ben''s body, what would happen to Ben?

    The furious hybrid was about to step in when Asher drew her back, asking her not to intervene with the motioning of his head.

    "No!" Nadia roared at her daughter and for a fraction of a moment, her features contorted with outrage; her eyes glowing red while Ben became paler than a vampire, his clothes fluttering with the sudden eerie wind.

    "M-mom?" Devon croaked, goosebumps climbing her arms.

    "This body doesn''t belong to me, there''s no relationship whatsoever between the living and the death!" Her voice was deep and distorted, "You can''t undo what has been done neither can you draw back the hands of the time; it has been written down"

    "I''m sorry, baby girl," Nadia features returned to normal," But you have to let go and move on, just like I''m going to move on,"

    "Mom," Devon hugged her tightly, crying on her shoulder and refusing to let go. Sadly for her, mass has never posed a difficulty for a ghost.

    "And I''m guessing this hug is not for me," Ben remarked as soon as he was let back into his body," It feels warm though,"

    Devon felt something was gone- she felt her mom''s soul leave that body - but she refused to believe it until she heard that stupid comment.

    She pulled back to see black eyes staring back at her with his lips pulled to the side, was he mocking her?

    Ben gave the girl one of his friendly smiles and was about to say, "Hello?" when he received a smack on his face.

    "I hate you," Devon spat and strode away

    Ben clasped the area where he was slapped and turned to the others questioningly.

    "Oh Ben," Lia patted him on the shoulder with a blank face, "Never hit on a grieving girl,"

    Ben scowled at her," I wasn''t flirting with her, I was welcoming her with a smile," he gestured by stretching his lips.

    "Well, your smile was not convincing enough," Lia deliberately teased him.

    "Don''t be sad," She squeezed his shoulder," At least, look on the bright side, unlike her, her mother liked you,"

    "Her mother?" His confusion grew.

    "You don''t remember?" Lia was surprised.

    "No, that one entered me so quickly I feel molested," Ben lamented.

    "Well I believe she said and I quote,'' Thank the owner of this body for me, would you?'' "

    Ben grinned as if he just saved the entire planet, " She did?"

    "Yeah,"

    "O.M.G!" He squealed excitedly," I just made my first fan! If I continue at this rate, I might become famous in the underworld,"

    "Yeah, sure, what a great ambition," Lia deadpanned. Her friend was odd of the oddest. Her mind couldn''t help but flashback to what Raphael said, what was the possibility that this "Ben" was her mate?

    The answer, non-existent.

 Chapter 264 - Two Hundred And Sixty-four: I Would Reject You

    Amid her apparent dislike of Ben, Devon took away Jenny''s memories while glaring daggers at the boy beside her.

    Ben felt guilty yet didn''t know how to clear himself that the smile was not meant to mock but greet her. It was easier for him getting along with female ghosts than female humans, it seems.

    Dan went home with Lia, her mother, and Ben. He had to ensure they were home safe while confirming Raphael had not kept any surprise package aka bobby trap, prior his death - some villains had the mentality of going to hell with their opponent. Also, to bring back Rex from wherever he sent the boy.

    Asher couldn''t come with her, he needed to wrap up the battle and close all loose edges before the council arrived to carry out their investigation.

    Ezekiel and Raphael were already dead, so it wasn''t a hard job for Asher to defeat the rest of the Raven vampires and ensure victory for his own vampires.

    Even the so-called council knew the battle between the Nicolli and the Raven Clan had been impending for a while now.

    The friction between both sides was apparent. Their relationship was a ticking time bomb and just a little disagreement would have broken the fragile peace. Regardless, both had surprisingly minded their business until Raphael stepped where he shouldn''t have.

    This dissension began with the older generation- Antonio and Ezekiel- and ended with the younger generation- Asher and Raphael.

    "Thank you for everything," Lia said to Dan after she had settled her mother.

    "No, thank you for protecting Asher and for keeping the clan together when he wasn''t available," Dan returned the honor to her.

    "Well, if you say so," Lia accepted his praise. She gulped, "Also, about Sabrina"

    Dan glanced up at her.

    "Tell her I forgive her as far as she doesn''t put my mate''s life in jeopardy again, no matter her situation," Lia conditioned.

    "No, she wouldn''t," Dan assured her with a delighted expression," Sabrina''s very sorry for what she did"

    "Then, we''re good to go then,"

    "Thank you," Dan hugged her for the first time yet it was brief. Asher would skin him alive if he hears of this.

    "Call me if you ever need my help," he smiled at her and vanished.

    For some reason, Lia felt that the tension between both of them finally dissipated. Yes, it was true that Dan always took care of her but it was based on Asher''s orders.

    To him, she was just Asher''s mate, nothing else; she was never welcomed into their inner circle. Both of them never seem to come to a conclusion which was evidenced by their constant argy-bargy.

    But right now, it was like she earned his respect and favor- It appears. Lia was no longer an obligation but a friend he had to look out for.

    Ben and Rex were downstairs having a conversation about the war- she would have a talk with him later concerning his recklessness- but right now, she needed a shower.

    Lia had cleaned and changed her mother out of her filthy clothes already. Just remembering how Raphael involved her innocent mum in this crazy war made her fist clench and unclench reflexively.

    It was hard to believe that Raphael and Asher came from the same womb, how could someone be so pure evil?

    Vampires claim Antonio, Asher''s father, had been cruel by stealing another''s mate and joining the dark witches but Raphael''s acts were just diabolical. Thank God, this was over.

    Lia sat on the floor, leaning her head against the shower stall while the warm water from the showerhead washed away the excess blood from her body - most of it was from the vampires she had violently killed than hers when Ezekiel slit her throat- flushing it down the drain as she let her thoughts wander.

    To be honest, Lia didn''t know if she had the heart to select one mate out of the two any more - why couldn''t she have them both? What was so bad about it?

    Well, aside from the fact her mother would go hysterical and give her a long talk about polygamy - to be precise, polyandry - plus the society''s dirty judgemental gapes.

    It would surely bother her which was why Lia was contemplating going far away to a place where no one knows her. But that would be after she finishes high school- at least. Her mom would be so disappointed in her.

    Well, not her mom only, would Daniel be willing to abandon his pack to run away with her - if the council poses a threat to their relationship.

    Lia was sure Asher would not hesitate to leave with her once she said the words. Nicoli clan were known travelers - they never reside at a place for long but that wasn''t the case for Daniel.

    Unlike vampires, werewolves share a deeper connection with their pack members. Daniel had grown up with most of his people, unlike Asher who met most of them during his wandering years.

    To Daniel, they weren''t just the people he ruled and protected from danger. They were family to him; brothers, sisters. Some of them were his childhood friends, just like his beta Ryan.

    Lia knew Daniel loved her but making such a request would put him in a tight spot that might generate a huge scar in his heart forever.

    However, today, fear had crippled Lia so hard she thought she would die after hearing Daniel was in danger, plus when Ezekiel wanted to end Asher. She seriously can''t lose any of them, it would drive her crazy.

    Spending two hours under the shower, Lia finally stepped out when she couldn''t smell the coppery scent of blood on her anymore.

    Lia simply wore black shorts paired with a polo shirt and went down to see Ben eating up the leftover from the fridge.

    "You''re still awake," Lia remarked, her eyes finding Rex asleep on the couch. It was four in the morning. Ben was crashing at her place, promising to leave at daylight.

    "No, I''m recharging my lost energy. My stomach feels empty after all those ghostly habitations," Ben complained, chomping on the tacos.

    "Good luck with that,"

    As for her, she had no appetite to take anything into her stomach, not after the gory scenes she faced today.

    "I''m still not cleared," Ben said out of nowhere.

    "About what?" groaned Lia, plonking down on the sofa.

    "About the mate issue raised by Raphael, am I your mate or not?" He inquired.

    "Maybe? Maybe not? But I''m a hundred percent sure you''re not my mate," Lia answered frankly

    "How could you be so sure?"

    "I''m just sure of it," Lia yawned.

    "And if it turns out at last that I''m your mate, what would you do?" Ben asked.

    Lia gave him a dirty scowl," What do you think? I''ll reject you right away" was her blunt reply.

    "Ouch!" His hand went to his chest," Why would you do such a thing?" Ben was hurt.

    "Trust me, Ben, I have a handful with Asher and Daniel already. I''m not about to add you to the collection," Lia responded sincerely but her ears quirked up when she heard forthcoming movement

    "Someone is coming, it should be Trevor"

    "How do you even discern ��"

    Lia was at the door before Ben could finish his words. But the face she met was not expected.

 Chapter 265 - Two Hundred And Sixty-Five: Gone Feral

    Today, Lia realized that having peace and rest was a rare privilege to some people. It was like jumping from the frying pan to fire, she had just dwelt with Asher''s case only to be informed of Daniel''s predicament.

    Her werewolf mate, it appears, was in agony and she was needed to alleviate his condition, as said by Ryan.

    "My brother, Trevor, where is he? Didn''t he come? I sent him over to check on Daniel, he hasn''t gotten back to me yet," Lia complained as they trudged down the trail leading to Kinney village in the forest.

    "He was there," Ryan informed her.

    "He was there? Why then haven''t I seen him back home?" She was worried.

    "He came with their hunter buddies to investigate the incident but the information they received was restricted and they left. The whole pack is a mess, we can''t let them put their noses where they aren''t supposed to," he said.

    "Won''t the council be offended by that?"

    "The council''s responsibility is to oversee we don''t oppress the humans and maintain the balance between both races, not own us," Ryan growled, pissed when he recalled their overbearing attitude earlier.

    "The way I see things, the council has you all captive. You claim they don''t own you yet your kind is still restrained under their leadership. You answer to them, remember?" Lia pointed out.

    "I can''t really blame them, this captivity was brought on by the egotism of our ancestors," he grumbled.

    "I don''t know much about supernatural history aside from the ones I was told," Lia, who was captivated by the story urged him to continue.

    "During the great war, all races were at conflict with each other and of course, the weak humans bore the brunt of the disaster until the witches proposed a treaty.

    "All supernatural clan leaders and Alphas refused to bear the responsibility of uniting everyone -they claimed it was an enormous responsibility. Rather, they pledged allegiance to the witches'' cause, giving them the support they needed - albeit with one or two disputes along the way.

    "It took a lot of years and trials for the witches to achieve their intention of unity but at last, it was accomplished and too late for other supernaturals to realize they had given the witches enough power than they should wield,"

    "Wow," Lia was blown away by his narration. So that was how it all happened? Everyone was too invested in their own people that they weren''t able to see the big picture ahead.

    "Can''t anyone contend for that position? Must it only be the witches in charge?" She queried him.

    "There are some other creatures in there but none make it to the inner circle, they make sure of it."

    "The council is ensuring that the power never leaves the witches now or in the future," she shook her head, "Isn''t this some sort of democracy?"

    "It''s survival of the fittest and we''re here," Ryan announced.

    "Oh my God," Lia drank in the sight of the devastated pack; it was a shadow of itself.

    Most houses were burnt while the rest were in ravages, even the prominent packhouse wasn''t recognizable any longer.

    The corpses had been cleared out of the way but the metallic smell of blood was so strong that she even held her breath.

    The mood was melancholic and there were still families trying to identify their loved ones wherever they were.

    The cries of uncomfortable babies and children rang through her ear and made her head throb.

    Lia''s heart sank, tears stinging her eyes. She turned towards Ryan with burning fury, "Who did you say did these?"

    "Save your anger,  Tristan''s dead already. Let''s go," He began to lead her to the direction of the pack''s hospital, which thankfully, had not been affected by the attack.

    The wails of werecreatures in agony assaulted Lia''s auditory canal so hard that she wanted to just curl up at a corner and shield her ears.

    The hospitals were overwhelmed and more injured patients were being brought in, making it look like they were in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.

    "Come," he steered her.

    Lia was expecting to be led to a private room but was mystified when they walked into a basement.

    "What are ��?"

    A wild growl made her jump out of her skin and her eyes settled on a familiar creature, no, human chained to the wall.

    "Oh boy," Lia breathed, her eyes widened in disbelief. Daniel''s beta definitely underestimated the words, "Alleviate his pain,".

    Right now, Lia could only explain that Daniel looked like a dog gone rabid.

    Daniel''s eyes were red and swollen with veins protruding out of his neck. He partially shifted; having razor-sharp teeth, furs on his skin, and a low dangerous rumble in his throat; he looked like a man-eater each time he lunged forward, struggling against the binds which rattled with his movements.

    Lia looked at the other two in the room with her, recognizing one as Judith and the other as a doctor judging from the tray of medicine she carried.

    "Why is he that way? Why haven''t you guys done anything?" She queried them.

    "We would have, but we were waiting for your arrival, "Judith answered.

    "You were waiting for me?" Lia pointed to her chest, stunned by their blunt confession.

    "It''s a miracle that our Alpha survived that wolfbane ingestion but right now we need to treat him, get the rest of the poison out of his body.

    "We can''t get into proximity with Daniel, without him reaping our head off. The effects of wolfsbane on a werewolf aside from the intense pain include hallucination. Right now, he doesn''t recognize any of us but might -"

    "Recognize me because I''m his mate, that''s why you need me," Lia filled in.

    "Exactly," Judith acquiesced," We need to put him to sleep so the doctor could work on him,"

    "Alright," Lia took a deep breath and rubbed her palms together, preparing herself for the task ahead.

    She had just taken a step toward him when Daniel snapped at her ferociously which made her jump back.

    "Careful," Ryan cautioned her.

    "Alright, Lia, you got this," She cracked her neck.

    This time, she got on her knees and slowly crawled her way to him while holding his gaze. The rumble rose gradually in his throat but Lia didn''t break the gaze until she was right in front of him.

    "Daniel, it''s me," Lia breathed, raising her hand slowly yet carefully to touch his face.

    The werewolf''s scorching gaze followed her action without reacting and just when Lia was confident she had successfully tamed him, Daniel chomped on her hand.

    "Ahhh!"

 Chapter 266 - Two Hundred And Sixty-six: Luna

    "Ahh!" Lia''s agonizing scream resonated through the room, while the watchers winced at the scene; their alpha didn''t even spare his mate.

    Lia cried out in pain, she had overestimated herself on this one.

    "God damn you, Daniel," she punched him on the face but the feral man refused to let go of her hand - wrist to be precise.

    Using his dangerous sharp teeth, Daniel continued to chomp down on her wrist as if it were a bone.

    "Give me the damn injection!" Lia hissed, stretching out her other hand to receive the shot while struggling to retrieve her other hand from Daniel''s serrated canines.

    Seeing the situation, the doctor hurried up and handed the medicine to Lia which she slammed into Daniel''s neck eliciting a wild growl from him.

    The doctor hastily took a step back upon noticing the agitated Alpha. Thankfully, the distraction made Lia successfully withdraw her hand.

    Eyes burning with rage, Daniel pulled out the injection from his neck and turned to Lia.

    Daniel roared at her while lifting his hand to strike her to which Lia grabbed the hand and growled back at him with outrage.

    "It''s Lia, asshole!" She yelled at him in animal language.

    For a second, nothing happened until a spasm went through Daniel and he returned to normal.

    "Hey," Lia clasped his face when she saw his yellow teeth reverse to their normal blue ones.

    Daniel didn''t reply, he looked rather disoriented with his body covered in sweat.

    "L-lia?" He finally returned to the present world. Daniel was shivering but she couldn''t tell whether it was from cold or the trauma.

    "W-where are ��?"

    "It''s okay now, you''re safe," She kissed him on the lips to assure him the nightmare was over. Who knew what he had been hallucinating about?

    "I feel faint," he complained, pulling away from the kiss.

    "Don''t worry, it''s the drug. They''re going to treat you so you could feel better, don''t fight it, alright?" She informed and hugged him, resting her head on his shoulder while her non-injured arm wrapped around his neck.

    They remained that way until she felt his muscles relax and faint snoring, he was asleep.

    "It''s safe now," she gestured to them to come and take him.

    Lia watched as Ryan went ahead to throw the heavy Daniel over his shoulder as if he weighed nothing.

    "You should get that treated," Judith grimaced, staring at her exposed bone through the lacerated flesh. Daniel had almost turned into a cannibal.

    Lia glanced down at the messy sight; some flesh was dangling off with blood gushing out, it was quite uncomfortable to look at.

    "Come, let me get you treated," The doctor informed her.

    Lia frowned, "Aren''t you supposed to be treating Daniel?"

    "There are doctors around for that, now come with me unless you want flies buzzing after you thanks to that open wound," She said to her.

    Lia followed after her without complaining. She trusted they would keep Daniel safe, he was their alpha.

    A pack without an alpha - a strong, capable Alpha to be exact - would become the prey and laughing stock to larger werewolf packs. Hence Moonlight pack would do everything possible to ensure her mate survives.

    "You know this is the second time of me treating you" Cynthia, one of the pack doctors commented while disinfecting her injury.

    Lia wanted to respond but winced in pain instead causing the doctor to glance up in concern.

    "If it''s unbearable, tell me and I''ll take half of the pain," she volunteered.

    "I''ve been through the worst, this is nothing new. Thanks for your offer by the way," Lia politely turned her down.

    The hybrid moistened her lower lip, "Taking away pains, is that something all werewolves can do?"

    "No, only alphas and gifted werewolves like me." She answered, beginning to stitch the flesh that was stitchable.

    Cynthia went on, "Our powers are not lethal nor broadly versatile like vampires, we just get slight variations of the same ability," she explained.

    "Oh," Lia nodded, grimacing a bit as Cynthia bandaged the wound. Her wrist would heal up in a few hours more but they had to prevent it from getting infected.

    "So," Cynthia stared at her inquisitive," Why doesn''t the alpha want to introduce you to the rest of the pack as his mate?"

    Lia stared up at her and their eyes connected.

    Cynthia cleared her throat, "I''m not trying to sound like a gossip but I''m just trying to say, in a time like this the pack needs its Luna in the absence of the Alpha,"

    "Is that so?" Lia gave her a knowing look.

    "Yeah, sort of " Cynthia answered, feeling unsettled by her scrutinizing gaze.

    "Daniel and I have our reasons and regarding the state of the pack, I''ll take care of it," Lia dismissed the doctor, knowing she just wanted the juicy story.

    "You''re done, right?" Lia raised her bandaged hand.

    "Huh, ah, right?" Cynthia was stunned by Luna''s strict tone.

    "Thank you," Lia flashed her a warm smile just to show Cynthia that she wasn''t an authoritative person. But a cool, laid-back girl who was fierce in protecting what matters to her - that is to say, her secrets, family, and mates were not to be toyed with.

    "Where is Judith?" Lia looked around the less crowded ward in the hospital Cynthia had taken her.

    "She has a lot on her plate right now but if you want to see her, I can take you," she offered.

    "Sure," this one was a favor she couldn''t reject.

    Lia found Judith giving instructions to some teenage wolves outside of the ruined packhouse.

    "Judith," Lia called.

    The werewolf in question glanced over her shoulder and spotted her, "Give me some minutes," she told them and went over to the hybrid.

    "If it''s about Daniel, then I''ll assure you that he''s undergoing treatment and in safe hands to dismiss your fears," she informed her.

    "No, that''s not it. It''s about the pack, what''s the situation? How''s everyone faring "

    Judith blinked, surprised at her question, "We are more concerned about the children and mothers. We need supplies; food, water, blankets, tents, etc before going into reconstruction. Then the digging of the grave to get rid of the bodies finally,"

    "That''s a lot of work to do before the sun goes down," Lia looked at the sky. The sun was already high up in the sky, "How''re the supplies going?"

    "We''ve ordered for that and on their way coming but I don''t know how long that''s going to take, plus the feeling those are not going to be sufficient for the masses and the alpha''s not yet on his feet" Judith sighed, threading her hand through her hair. The tired look on her face told Lia she was overwhelmed and stressed up.

    "You don''t have to worry, I''ve got you covered," Lia patted her on the shoulder to her amazement.

    Lia took out her phone and called Ben at once. The boy surprisingly picked instantly as if he had been awaiting her call.

    "Hello, Ben?"

    "Hey, Lia, how are you doing?"

    "I''m good and my family over there?"

    "Everyone''s still asleep, guess yesterday was very stressful"

    "And Trevor?"

    "Still not yet back," Ben answered, "Perhaps, they got the news and went to investigate the war at the Raven clan,"

    "Quite likely but hey, that''s not why I called,"

    "Why did you call my goddess?"

    " I need a favor from you,"

    "You have been asking a lot of favor from me lately and truthfully, it makes me feel special and useful as if I''m one of -"

    "You''re not my mate, Ben!" Lia screamed into the phone, feeling the urge to strangle that boy. When was he ever serious?

    "Now concentrate!" She ordered.

    Lia looked around her environment to ensure people were not giving her odd looks, thinking she had lost it.

    "Fine, whatever. Go ahead," was his less enthusiastic reply

    "How''s the state of your storehouse?" She asked him.

    Lia had gone to his house once where she stumbled upon a room where they stored their food- perishable and imperishable- plus their large vegetable garden.

    Ben owned one portion which he uses to run his crazy experiment, breeding and crossbreeding different species of whatever he plants in there.

    "One hundred percent full. What''s the situation?" He asked, mentally reviewing the stocks at hand.

    "Daniel down. Numerous injured werewolves. Hungry, hormonal were-mothers with the ability to swallow a cow - as of now- and their crying pups," She summarized.

    "Alright, would be there. Oh, and I''m so excited to see -"

    "See you when you arrive, Ben," Lia ended the call at once. She was not in the mood for one of his endless yakking.

    Lia walked over to Judith," One of my friends is coming over, he''s trustworthy," she informed Judith since she was in charge of the security at the pack boundaries.

    Werewolves were not exactly welcoming to human trespassing on their territory.

    "Alright," She said, sending the info through the mind link to the few warriors still standing.

    "Thank you," Judith said to her.

    "No, don''t. That''s the least I can do for Daniel and my responsibility as the Luna,"

    Judith was taken aback by her statement," By chance, are you going to announce yourself as his mate?"

 Chapter 267 - Two Hundred And Sixty-seven: Hes Mine

    "By chance, are you going to announce yourself as his mate?"

    "No," was Lia''s instant response.

    Judith''s hope was crushed and her face fell. She had been hoping that somehow the girl might just, you know, tell the whole truth and give the people a bit of hope.

    The good news would uplift the spirit of the pack right now, the mood was just so damn melancholic. They needed someone who would inspire them.

    "No, I''m not," Lia made it clear the second time, "But if I''m going to lie to them that I''m Daniel''s girlfriend, I might as well work harder than a Luna,"

    And that being said, Lia turned around and whistled to the crowd before Judith could stop her.

    "Everyone listen up," Lia clapped her hands once everyone turned to the source of the voice.

    "I know some of you here might know me and most might not, but I''m going to introduce myself for the sake of the others," she said.

    There arose murmuring from the crowd as they discussed her. Hands were being pointed in her direction and Lia could sense disdain from some of them, especially the males.

    "I''m Lia Darlington, girlfriend to your Alpha, Daniel" she announced and the murmuring heightened.

    This time Lia could see a display of contempt on the faces of most females she thought were on her side.

    "Why are the girls staring like they want to rip out my throat right now?" Lia couldn''t help but lean back, asking Judith.

    "Alpha Daniel is the most eligible bachelor out here but then, here comes the girlfriend- not even the mate- commanding their ass? How would you feel if you were in their shoes?" Was the answer Judith gave her.

    She added, "Also, you should also know that werewolves are arrogant egomaniac animals. So unless you give a display of power, you''re about to be treated to a disobedient audience; only the strongest can command us,"

    "You''re seriously not suggesting that I hurt them," Lia asked in disbelief," Wouldn''t they hate me?"

    "Teach one a lesson and the others learn. Hate you or not, werewolves are hierarchy creatures and unless you show them a reason to fear and respect you, then better give up on this," Judith warned her on time.

    Lia''s mouth almost dropped after hearing her words and turned to the ground when the murmuring became greater.

    "Silence!" She yelled, however, no one listened to her.

    "Stop it now!" Lia roared which caused them to give their attention- but not full of it.

    "All of you just went through a devastating war and the truth is that yes, you won but the war was brought to your home, hence suffering the most damages"

    They listened but Lia could still feel their resistance, it was going to be a hard task bringing them into submission without violence.

    "Thankfully, your Alpha survived"

    At the mention of Alpha, there was a great sigh of relief from the crowd. They must love Daniel so much.

    "But he''s in no state to handle the pack affairs right now. So I -"

    "What about the Beta, this is Ryan''s responsibility," someone shouted from their midst.

    "Overwhelmed with duties as we speak, our enemies must be extinguished to the last," said Lia but they understood her point.

    Moonlight pack might have won the battle, but Tristan''s beta, Zach had escaped and must be preparing to come for a second attack.

    After a war like this, the now leaderless conquered pack must merge as one with the newly dominant pack or roam to find another which makes them loner wolves and with time might become rogues.

    There was no guarantee that the conquered wolves would be treated- depending on the type of alpha - but once they swore allegiance to the new pack, they would be accepted as one of them.

    This was why both Alphas fought to the death with all manner of seriousness. Each was vying for properties, manpower, and the comfort of their own people. Hence, only one could emerge a victor.

    However, there was a possibility Zach might take over as Alpha and return to finish what was started by Tristan. So Ryan after confirming Daniel was okay, took the rest of the warriors still on their feet, to give pursuit. They had to stop them before they asked for reinforcement from allies.

    "So?" Another werewolf said from the mass.

    "Excuse me? I don''t quite get you," Lia plastered a fake smile on her face for polite sake.

    "Who made you our leader? What can you even do?" Sneered another.

    "Yes!" The onlookers supported

    "Even if the Beta isn''t here, we can organize ourselves and don''t need a cheap slut like you for a Leader,"

    And that did.

    Judith gnarled disapprovingly at the she-wolf who made that dubious and insulting remark. Even if Lia was not Daniel''s mate - as they believe- she deserves to be respected for merely being associated with him.

    Sadly, Lia reacted before Judith could step in, springing into the center of the crowd where that bitch stood.

    It happened that Lia had shifted halfway in the air, so when she landed on the ground, all the people saw was a white wolf pinning exactly that rude girl to the ground. The crowd when they saw Lia jump at them earlier, dispersed automatically leaving only the offender in the center.

    Tackling the girl who looked older than her to the ground, Lia bared her teeth at her viciously.

    The girl who had not expected such a response, turned her face away from the animal''s hot breath while squeezing her eyes shut. She did not expect the girl to be this strong nor did she think she was a werewolf and a rare one at that!

    Everyone gasped at the sight of the white wolf. Canis lupus arctos, as they were called, are a rare species of wolf if not extinct and one could only find variations from cross-breeding done by their earlier ancestors.

    "If I hear another derisive remark from you, I''ll rip out your throat and watch you bleed to death. And stay away from Daniel bitch, he''s mine!" Lia growled a warning.

    When the hybrid lets go of the girl, she had expected to see respect and fear on their faces as said by Judith, but the awe they displayed, surprised her.

    Lia glanced down, oh, she was in her wolf form, she had changed in a moment of anger. Even if Daniel didn''t tell her, she had looked around and found out the rarity of spotless white wolves.

    By the time the hybrid shifted, Judith was already there in a twinkle of an eye with a towel which she used to cover the girl''s nakedness while hissing at the teenage males ogling her. Daniel would wring their immature neck if he hears of this.

    "Do I still need to prove myself or are we good to go ?!" Lia asked the crowd who shook their heads.

    "Good to go!" Was their response in unison.

    "Good," her eyes roved over them, meeting each and everyone in the eyes which made them lower their heads. It was said, looking straight in the eyes of a higher wolf was a sign of disrespect.

    "The first batch of supply would be coming in and the priority would be the nursing mothers, pups, and kids from the age of ten downwards. The rest would be tended accordingly later" Lia disclosed the plan.

    Werewolves had a fast metabolism, hence kids from eleven upwards were regarded as teenagers due to their fast growth and mentality.

    "That would be all for now, Judith here would give further instructions," Lia summarized and was led back to the hospital where she changed into manageable pants and shirt they were able to salvage from the ruins.

    "Your friend is here," Lia was informed while she was making cooking arrangements with some older she-wolf about the cooking arrangements.

    "Alright," She followed after the wolf and as expected, saw the grinning idiot leaning against a pick-up truck.

    "That''s a new one," Lia observed the car.

    "You should see my garage, perks of being rich," he boasted yet his smile thinned when his eyes took in the environment.

    "Damn it, this is horrible," Ben sighed, then went around to pull off the tarpaulin used to cover the supplies on the truck bed

    "Whoah, Ben!" Lia blanched, seeing the enormous stuff he brought over, "Did you empty your house or something?"

    "Hmm, kind of," He intentionally rubbed his chin contemplatively, "But I did extra shopping," Ben broke into a smile.

    "I don''t know how I''m going to thank you for this," She pulled him into a hug, dropping a peck on his cheeks.

    Ben somehow wished that the peck accidentally landed on his lips. Thankfully, Asher can''t read thoughts - he would have to avoid Dan though.

    Lia began to unload the goods from the truck and the werewolves joined without being told.

    "She''s going to make a good Luna, isn''t she?"

    "Of course," Judith answered without much thoughts while glancing at Lia coordinate the werewolves. But her expression distorted when she realized what she just blurted and to who.

    "A-ha, I knew it!" Aunt Phoebe punched the air victoriously. She finally got the truth.

    Judith gritted her teeth, that sly old woman.

 Chapter 268 - Two Hundred And Sixty-eight: That Girl

    "I thought I told you not to say a word when we get there!" Chris was upon Trevor the moment they were out of the Moonlight territory.

    "Chris, chill!" Shane cautioned him but the man was far from being calm and Trevor was not helping matters.

    "Sorry, but that guy is my sister''s boyfriend, I needed to know how he was faring. Moreover��" he arched his brow," How Is my fault that they preferred to talk to me rather than you?!"

    Trevor expected it, but not that much pain, he was backhanded so hard his cheeks stung and blood was drawn from his mouth.

    "You arrogant twerp!" Chris grabbed him by the collar.

    "Now, Chris! Stop it! You''re seriously not harassing a little boy!" Shane reprimanded him, loosening his grasp on Trevor.

    "No, leave him alone. Come on, hit me! Hit me again, since that''s what you derive joy from anyway, you sadist!" Yelled Trevor who was now riled up.

    "Shut it, Trevor!" Williams was the one holding him down but the boy seemed eager for a beating.

    "What are you waiting for? Come and hit me, I bet that would give you joy!"

    Chris wanted to spring on the boy and punch shut that mouth of his but Shane pulled him back which made him lurch, "You''re just as arrogant as your father, I hope you both in hell!"

    "Oh, why don''t we go to hell together," Trevor sassed.

    "Seriously," Williams who couldn''t tolerate this stubborn loudmouth called Trevor anymore, carried him off his feet, and dumped him over his shoulder as if he were a sack of rice.

    "Williams, let me down this instant!" He punched Williams on the shoulder but the boy heeded him not and took him away from hearing shot before dumping his ass on the rough ground.

    Trevor shot up to his feet, glaring at him," I didn''t ask for your intervention,"

    "Well, you needed one," He said to him.

    "Don''t stop me, Williams" he warned and tried to take a step forward but Williams blocked him.

    "You''re not seriously thinking of going back there to fight him," he asked in disbelief.

    "Exactly,"

    Williams scoffed," That man is two times stronger than you with years and years of training and experience. He has been doing this all his life and would snap you in two!" He tried to talk sense into him, the boy was headstrong and stubborn.

    "Yes, I might not be able to do much to him..."

    Williams gave him a look.

    "Maybe, nothing at all," Trevor rephrased his words, "But it''s time someone stood up to him already. I can''t let him keep oppressing me,"

    "And you''re the one to stop him?" Williams snorted mockingly,

    "Trevor, his aura alone oppresses everyone- I included. It''s Chris we''re talking here and you of all people should know that you''d be sanctioned for this," Williams reminded him.

    "I don''t care," he growled," If this is what being a hunter means then I''d rather quit,"

    "Coward," Williams said to his surprise.

    "Excuse me?"

    "You''re a coward,"

    Trevor flexed his jaw," Are you now the next person to anger me, huh? Is that it?" He asked with a not so pleased expression.

    "You''re a coward, Trevor. Just because of this little persecution and you''re already thinking of giving up?!" Williams hissed.

    "What Chris did is called bullying in human vocabulary and so many people have died because of it!" He defended himself fiercely.

    They stared at each other intensely; eyes shooting fire with jaw clenched tight, until both realized how beautiful each other''s eyes were. Something else stirred up during that staring contest and both took their eyes away instantaneously.

    "A-hem,"  Trevor cleared his throat awkwardly, leaving right away and this time, Williams didn''t stop him.

    The anger had died off but the fire burning between them had increased, hence both stopped before it escalated into something else.

    Meanwhile, Shane also pulled Chris to the side when the kids left, with a pissed facial appearance.

    "What the hell is wrong with you? Are you now a sadist as he claims?"

    "Get your hands off me!" Chris pushed Shane away from him yet the man was not bothered and continued nevertheless.

    "I get that you had problems with Renard, but this is his kid who had no idea whatsoever transpired between the both of you nor did he contribute to it... " He said, a little out of breath and staring his partner in the eyes.

    "I''ve turned a blind eye to your attitude," Shane continued, " but not anymore. Stop transferring your aggression on the poor boy or I would be forced to report your abuse of power to the higher up, partner or not," he warned.

    Chris gritted his teeth, "You''re taking his side now, huh?"

    "There''s nothing like taking sides here, I''m just doing what''s right  and you should get over the fact that Renard never chose you,"

    Yep, Renard and Chris were a thing in the past and though most hunters didn''t know about it, everyone in their group knew.

    They had been so sweet with each other until Renard suddenly broke up with him for reasons best known to him alone. No amount of probing could get the truth from Renard''s mouth - the man was so damn persistent.

    Then years later, Chris finally got to know that Renard had a family behind his back all this while.

    Shane could understand how betrayed his partner currently feels. Still, that doesn''t give him the right to torture the poor boy just because of the sins of his father.

    However, Shane was now concerned about his son Williams, history somehow seems to be repeating itself.

    He knew his boy, Williams, likes Renard''s son, Trevor but the boy was hesitant in accepting Williams''s feelings.

    The way things were going, he had better stop both of them from falling deeper in love before they hurt each other further. He wouldn''t want his only son to turn out like Chris at all; he must end their puppy love now.

    Both of their cellphones rang at once causing them to look at each other with knowing looks, something must have happened.

    They picked up, listening to their subordinate''s instructions and reporting their findings.

    "Two wars in one night, how strange could it get?" Chris commented as soon as he ended the call.

    "I don''t like this growing incident, I''ve gotten used to the peace. Besides, this old man needs a break," he complained, stretching his stiff muscles.

    Chris shook his head, retracing his way back to where the others were waiting for them.

    His eyes connected with Trevor who looked away scornfully. He closed his eyes, reining in his anger.

    Chris felt a squeeze on his shoulder and looked up to see Shane addressing the kids.

    "There has been a change of plans. In one word, that means we''re heading to the Raven clan and  Trevor��"

    Trevor looked up.

    "You''d be receiving your punishment for disobeying your superior there "

    Trevor wanted to complain but Williams cut him off with a look.

    "Trevor Darlington accepts your judgment, Sir" he had no choice but to accept.

    The other hunters who came with them began to murmur amongst themselves, everyone had seen that one coming - they just wondered what kind of punishment was reserved for him.

    "Set up a portal for Raven clan, the others get ready to leave," Chris gave out orders.

    "You shouldn''t worry, Trevor, hence the punishment is not set back at headquarters, it should be a light one," assured Williams.

    "I''m not scared, I can take anything they throw my way," Trevor said with determination.

    If his father had gone through all this and turned out to be one of the best hunters, he would survive his turn too.

    Or so Trevor thought until they appeared in the Raven clan where he threw his guts up. The sight was downright gory.

    It was almost daybreak, they had spent most of the night at Kinney village. So he could make-out the piles of bodies without their vision gadgets.

    Since they weren''t given consent to investigate by the werewolf at Kinney village, the hunters focused their time and resources on the humans. Making sure they were accounted for and given the best treatment to survive whatever injury they sustained in the attack- the were-creatures could care of themselves.

    Bodies lay in a skewed position with intestines spilled out without reserve as if it was a normal thing. Trevor swore he would never eat hot dogs after this.

    Diverse body parts mostly the brains were squashed like the toothpaste he uses every day with most bodies missing a heart - to kill vampires quickly, go for the head or heart.

    "Clear the bodies, Trevor, that''s your punishment," Shane said to everyone''s shock.

    Trevor threw up the second time, this has got to be the worst day in his life.

    "I''ll share his punishment," Williams stepped in.

    "Suit yourself," Shane said which made Chris grimace.

    Punishments were not meant to be shared and he knew Shane had assigned the boy here on purpose.

    Clearing this many bodies in the first place was ridiculous and there was no way his love-starved son would let his love interest cover all of that by himself.

    Both-Chris and Shane- moved ahead to scan the extent of the damages and weren''t surprised to see another batch of hunters before them which was pretty normal in situations like this.

    "The war at Kinney has got nothing on this one. If that one was brutal, this is cruel," observed Chris scrunched over a corpse.

    "And by the look of things, the Nicoli clan won," Shane contributed.

    "At least we know who to question," he added, "If they let us," Chris said wryly.

    Shane rolled his eyes, his partner was still not over the way Moonlight pack treated him. The man was so used to having his way that being refused looked like a big deal to him.

    "Chris look," he somehow caught a body move while glancing around bored.

    They hurried over to the vampire who by the looks of things wasn''t going to last seconds more - it was a miracle he survived this long.

    "Hey, can you hear us?" Shane questioned, refusing to shake him in order not to make his condition worse.

    Within his watchful eyes, he saw Chris open a small bottle and poured the whole contents down his throat.

    Shane''s eyes widened," What the hell Chris, how did you get your hands on -"

    But Chris shoved him aside and moved to place his hands on the Vampire''s temple which caused memories upon memories of the fight from last night to rush into his head.

    It was just as Chris imagined, a battle between the Raven and Nicolli clan, until he saw a striking face, and the memory faded away as the vampire gave up the ghost.

    Chris awoke with a gasp, only to find himself back at his place. How did he return?

    "At last, you''re back from the land of the dead," Shane said with a grim press of his lips, obviously displeased at his actions earlier.

    Oh, that must have knocked him out cold.

    "I''m sorry," he apologized.

    "I''m sorry, huh? What if you had died? What were you thinking of taking that banned serum?"

    "At least, I discovered something interesting," was his reply.

    Shane''s interest was piqued, "What did you see, Chris?"

    "I''ll tell you once I''m done with my investigation," He replied, a smile tugging his lips.

    His instincts were right, that girl ��

 Chapter 269 - Two Hundred And Sixty-nine: Shes Asleep

    Daniel woke up with a startle only to feel a mass of hair by the side of his bed. His movement woke Lia who had been sleeping all this while.

    She was exhausted after helping out in providing food for the pack, giving out inspirational speeches, and doing pretty much everything a Luna does for the pack; helping out with the pups, setting up tents, and a lot of others.

    "ThankGod you''re awake," Lia hugged him tightly. She was beginning to get scared when he slept almost throughout the whole day.

    Daniel was disoriented for a while, his eyes taking in the sight of his environment. Everything seemed to be a dream to him but eventually, his memories settled and the dream turned into reality became clear to him.

    He pulled away from his mate in a haste and gripped her shoulders saying, "You have to listen to me Lia, Asher planned to kill me, "

    "Huh?" Lia blinked.

    "Asher was working in cahoots with Tristan all this while. The whole point of the treaty was not to keep the peace between both packs but to make me lower my defenses so they could strike me when I wasn''t expecting it. I found out the truth from Tristan when he was taking his dying breath. Asher played dirty, he wanted to kick me out of the picture and have you all to -"

    "Daniel, take a deep breath," Lia interrupted him. It was obvious to her that he was overwhelmed by the whole happening, he had to take a breather.

    "No, you don''t get me, Lia" Daniel pressed, readjusting in his bed and pulling her closer as if that would make her understand.

    "No, you''re the one who isn''t giving me a listening ear right now" she argued.

    "Lia, listen to me for once, Asher is pure evil. He just wants -"

    The rest of his words were forgotten when his mate leaned in and kissed him; his brain fried instantly.

    She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss, accessing the depth of his mouth that earned her a delightful moan.

    Lia knew Daniel just like most other werewolves were irritatingly stubborn and won''t listen unless one gave them a reason to do so.

    The hybrid pulled away and said as much as she could in one breath, "Asher is not Asher, the Asher you think you saw is just Raphael in disguise who took hold of his body through magical means and almost deceived all of us if we haven''t found out on time, but don''t worry, the son of a bastard has been taken care of, "

    Lia was heaving like an elephant who did a sprint after clearing Daniel of his misunderstanding.

    "Wow," Daniel was dumbfounded, so that was what happened? But his attention was captivated by something else at the moment.

    "Give me the detailed story later, I have something important to do right now," he told her.

    "Alright," Lia unintentionally nodded," I''ll do...." She was saying when it dawned on her," Wait a minute, what''s the important thing you have to ��.?"

    Without warning, Daniel grabbed her waist and pulled her on top of his laps as if she weighed nothing.

    Lia was happy to know that she didn''t shriek like a little girl this period, just a short gasp of surprise.

    She gulped, her face flushed, and limited his vision to his chest. However, looking at his chest didn''t help either because he was wearing nothing - wondered if they had done this on purpose- and got to see his rippling muscles and his chiseled biceps.

    At that moment, Lia saw a drop of sweat trail down from his neck to his chest, tempting her to just reach out her hand and smear that salty liquid on his chest.

    She was acutely aware of who she was sitting on and what exactly- to be precise- she sat astride. Her throat dried up when her center made contact with his arousal through his pants- thank God, he was wearing pants.

    "Lia, "

    Gosh, even her name had never sounded so sexy in his mouth than now.

    "Daniel," she whispered, more like, breathed his name as his hand came upon her back to press her closer to him.

    Lia wanted to fan her cheeks and hot body, but not when her hands were resting on his shoulder, unconsciously stroking the skin there.

    This was a slow seduction, his intense gaze filled with emotion stared pointedly into her soul while his hand at her back slipped into the inside of her shirt, caressing her bare skin.

    Lia couldn''t catch her breath, her heart was reverberating so fast in her chest that she could hear the sound of it loud and clear in her head. Her blood was throbbing and her mate was making her skin burn with his touches, it was just too much to handle.

    "Daniel," she purred, lowered her head in a bit to kiss him but he turned his face away. An action that vexed her - she needed to touch him right now.

    "No, don''t touch me, Lia," he told her, "I just want to see you aroused for me," he breathed upon the skin of her neck sending tingles all over her body.

    If this was a new trend, it wasn''t going to last long in their relationship- she wasn''t going to let him have all the fun

    .

    "I said, no," Daniel said firmly, taking her hand off his chest and placing them back around his neck.

    "I can''t stand this," Lia moaned, throwing her head from pleasure when his hands traced the curve of her flat stomach, continuously moving upward until it rested on her chest and began to knead those breasts.

    "You would," was his command when he pulled off her shirt, tossing it to the side carelessly.

    His eyes darkened as he was treated to a view of those two mounds on her chest in a red push-up bra.

    "That''s new," He pointed out the bra. His mate was as fully developed as any girl her age but it was nothing compared to those girls out there with an ample amount of that palpable flesh. Yet, she carried hers with pride and disliked the idea of pushing it up, so it was highly surprising seeing her in one.

    "Long story," Lia managed to say, her breath out of the rhythm. She just wanted this fire burning in her veins to be satiated.

    Daniel''s tongue flicked out to tease her nipples through her bra, overwhelming her with sensations that made her begin to move against him. He growled at her, reminding her of his warning earlier.

    "Gosh, Daniel, you''re killing me," She cried out, a tear of bliss falling down her cheek. But Daniel ignored her, focusing his attention on giving her the pleasure her body needed.

    He unhooked her bra, letting it fall to the side with his sight focused on her nipples that had been brought to a stabbing point.

    "Your breasts are perkier," Daniel intentionally talked dirty knowing that aroused her further. Her body features were further accentuated because she was a hybrid- most, if not all vampires seem to possess a perfect body physique.

    "Please," she begged him to gratify her.

    "My pleasure," he stooped to take one of her breasts into his mouth earning a cry of ecstasy in return.

    Lia arched her back, pressing her body against him while her arm came around his neck, gripping his scalp so tight it hurt while pleasure screamed through her.

    Daniel didn''t mind the pain, instead, guided his wet, hungry mouth to the other breast and gave it the same fair handling its twin received.

    She shivered, gripping his shoulder tight while her nails dug into his back as he gave her an amorous lick.

    "God, I can''t do this anymore," Lia gave up, her hips beginning to rock against his unconcealable bulge and Daniel let her this time, knowing she had reached her limit.

    Her legs wrapped around his waist while Daniel cupped her backside, rotating her hips and loving the way his nerves tingled. Her body trembled; Daniel pressing her flush against him and moving her faster, and faster until he hit the right spot that led her to the brink.

    She sagged against him, her body reeling from the ecstasy that crashed over her.

    Lia had not been sexually active during her first relationship back in her old place and never thought of herself as someone who would relish dry humping till now.

    "Something is wrong with you?" Was the first comment Daniel said to her instead of the usual lovey-dovey words, which was quite odd.

    "What do you mean?" She lifted her head to glance up at him with a questioning look.

    "My wolf cannot feel your wolf which is quite strange, almost as if she''s asleep or something, making it quite weird?" He frowned, scrutinizing her intensely.

    "What do you mean?" Lia was perplexed.

    "To werewolves, the pleasure between mates is not just to deepen the bond, it''s a spiritual act which binds our soul together." He explained to her, gaze holding hers.

    "Well, as you said, she might be tired and decided a break was all she needed, after all, we had quite a fierce fight last night, "

    "Lia, our wolves can sleep but not when we, the vessels are active, " And of course, she understood what he meant by active.

    "Maybe, it''s because I''m a hybrid; a strange one at that, remember?"

    Daniel sighed, " Lia, I don''t think -"

    She palmed his cheeks, " Daniel, I know my wolf and I can assure you that she''s totally fine. Lolli would wake up sooner or later. Trust me  "

 Chapter 270 - Two Hundred And Seventy: Kidnap A Pup

    Daniel tried to believe in his mate but there was still that disturbing gnaw deep in his heart - coming from Iyke. Both of their wolves had bonded in a way that made it hard to be separated from one another. He just hoped this connection was enough to make Lia stay by his side- as selfish as that sounds.

    "Well, fine, if you say. But if Lolli doesn''t return from her ''break'' by this time tomorrow, I''m doing something about it," he said to her.

    "Deal," Lia kissed him once more, almost losing herself in the process if she hadn''t pulled away on time.

    Daniel followed her quick movement with a slight frown, "What are you doing?"

    "I need to go," Lia told him, finding and picking up her bra from where he had tossed it.

    "Go where?"

    "Home," she sat beside him, sweeping her hair to the side, "Help me with my hook, please"

    "Spend more time with me, please" he pleaded while fastening the hook and eye of the bra.

    "We would have a great time together," Daniel said, nibbling her neck while the other caressed her bare stomach, hinting her of the fun to come if she agrees to stay.

    Lia released a sharp breath, her body tingling from the sensation,

    "I wish I could," she said, yet her head lulled back and gave him further access to her neck.

    Daniel gulped, his eyes focused on the spot between her neck and shoulder, where he could easily lean down and bite down; taking her blood as she takes his, and then they mate, marking her as his forever.

    His breath thickened, eyes switching endlessly between yellow and blue color as the temptation began to overpower him.

    "But I need to go back to my mother," Lia continued to speak with her back turned to him, oblivious of the internal war Daniel was battling.

    Daniel breathed down on her neck, taking in her addictive scent, his unsure orbs finally settling on yellow.

    "Daniel, that tickles," she laughed.

    Lia tried to stand to put on her shirt and leave but she was drawn back to her sitting position.

    "Daniel, I need to go," She threw her head back on his chest, relaxing against him with a sigh. Not knowing that she was prey right now.

    He kissed her fair neck as if approving of that spot as his target.

    Lia felt shivers run through her whole body. Alright, that spot was a tad bit more sensitive than the other places and he had to stop before she lost control of herself.

    So she turned around to stop him only to meet his yellow eyes and elongated dentition.

    "Daniel?"

    No response, just his intense orbs holding her gaze.

    "Iyke?"

    There was a low rumble from his throat.

    That was definitely him.

    Lia gulped, Iyke wouldn''t hurt her but it wasn''t a good thing letting the wolf take control - their understanding wasn''t just on the same scale with humans.

    She tried to lean back but his hands clasped around her shoulder, keeping her from moving while he kept lowering his head in the crook of her neck. She didn''t like this one bit.

    Lia had heard that was the spot they did the marking and stuff and wasn''t ready for that. She was not going to encourage a war between both mates.

    "Daniel, get a grip of yourself, now!" She spoke telepathically to him through the bond.

    To her relief, it worked.

    "My God," Daniel gasped, recovering himself.

    "I need to go," Lia got off him in a haste, picking up her shirt from where she had dropped it and put it on.

    "Hey, I''m sorry" Daniel grabbed her wrist, an apologetic look on his face.

    "No, it''s not your fault, it''s mine" she smiled wryly.

    "What do you mean by that?" He asked.

    "I''m supposed to have chosen a mate already but I keep delaying it and the bond keeps growing and now, you can''t control yourself around me. The most painful thing about it is that I know you both are hurting inside but I keep on delaying it, I''m so selfish and -"

    "Hey, it''s okay." He touched his chest, "I am not complaining about it"

    "Yeah, I know," she nodded, "Which makes me feel all the worse," was her confession.

    "Hey, go home and get a good rest. Trust me, you''d feel better when you awake" he said to her, placing a peck on her forehead.

    "Alright, thank you," she hugged him carefully and briefly - wouldn''t

    want to relive that incident from minutes ago, again.

    "See you later," Lia waved at him, opening the door to see Judith and her entourage outside, they must have been waiting for her to leave. She went red in the face, wondering how long they had been there and how much they had heard.

    "A-hem," she cleared her throat awkwardly, "Have a nice day,"  Lia heard this one added on a low-key, "Luna,"

    This made her glance back at Judith who went in with a pleased smirk.

    "Well," Lia accepted it with good faith, leaving the hospital and made it outside only to hear someone scream her name.

    "Lia, help me!"

    Surprised, she turned around only to see Ben being chased by a herd of werewolf pups. What in the name of God.

    Ben reached her and took cover at her back while Lia crouched and roared at the pups who scampered away at once - thank you, Daniel.

    "You can get off me now " She shook off Ben who was almost clinging to her body like a monkey.

    "What the hell were those monsters?" He cried out.

    "Those monsters are pups aka kids in human language,"

    "Really?" His eyes brightened.

    "Not again" Lia groaned internally, she was about to get an earful of his unorthodox theories.

    "That is amazing! Perhaps, is there any way you could help me convince them to let me borrow one of them home - they trust you anyway," was his impossible request.

    Lia released a smile that didn''t reach her cheeks, "Oh, so you mean I should convince them to let you kidnap one of their kids for your experiment?"

    Ben laughed it away," That''s so ridiculous, of course not!" He met her unsmiling face, "Maybe?"

    "Get in the car, we''re leaving!" She grabbed his ear and dragged him to the truck.

    Any second more and Ben might really kidnap a pup and have his mother track him down to his place and end him in a fit of anger.

    "Drive!" She commanded him with no idea that a resilient pup had somehow climbed onto the truck and hid under the tarpaulin as they drove off.

    "What did you even do to those young pups?" Asked Lia.

    Well, that was a stupid question. Pups didn''t need a reason to make someone''s life a living hell; all they understood was fun and food.

    "Well, while you were having a good time with Daniel-"

    " What?!" How did he find out?

    "Don''t ask me how? Even a blind man can tell from your swollen lips and messy hair" he taunted her.

    "I need to stop at your place before heading to mine, my mom can''t see me in this disorder,"

    "Sure, be my humble guest," he replied to her.

    "As I was saying," Ben went on, "I saw a beautiful brown pup- as you said - and I was like ''oh, what a nice dog, want some? And then I placed some pieces of dried meat in my hand which he ate rapidly- by the way, them eating off your hands tickles- and as he ate, so did the second pup join as well and the third and fourth and so on till they were so numerous they almost ate my hand - it''s a miracle I''m not missing bits of my hand, they did bite though"

    Lia shook her head, this boy was an idiot! How could he think of attracting a werewolf with meat? Hasn''t he seen her times without number consume that stuff with a ravenous appetite?

    "So when the meat was finished, I dusted my both hands-free to indicate I had nothing left since I couldn''t speak wolf language. But then, they began to produce this deep powerful rumble from their throat. The next I knew, I was running and they were chasing. The story ends."

    "Never do that again," she warned him sternly, " If I hadn''t arrived on time, you would have turned from the giver of the meat to being the meat itself,"

    "Oh really? Quick question then" He wasn''t even scared of her warning, "If I turn to their food, you know with the bites and all, would those little things be able to turn me into a werewolf?" he even had high expectations asking that. You need salvation Ben, Lia facepalmed.

    "Probably" she smiled.

    "Really?" His eyes widened.

    "Yeah," she nodded, "Probably after we pick up bits and bits of your ripped organs and stick them together with glue," Lia deadpanned

    "Oh," Ben''s face fell. Why does his luck fail every time? What was so wrong about him, universe?

 Chapter 271 - Two Hundred And Seventy-one: Revelation To Be Told

    As soon as they reached their destination, Lia was the first to go up to his place to wash up, while Ben stayed back to check on his car for damages that might have occurred on their way home when he saw a form move beneath the tarpaulin.

    At first, he thought it was a rat moving about - a very big rat, it wouldn''t hurt to make a stew with it - and had already picked up a large stone when he heard a low growl and common sense told him that wasn''t a rat.

    "Holy God in heaven!" Ben exclaimed when he pulled off the material only to see a pup sitting in a defensive stance. Looks like someone couldn''t get enough of him.

    Lo and behold, it was the same brown pup he had initially fed that meat piece. He just gained a new buddy! Oh, tears of joy.

    Ben was filled with happiness even though his buddy might be a week or so old baby- who knows? He wasn''t exactly listening when Lia stated basic facts about them.

    "Alright buddy, hop on before that mean commanding general takes you away from me," he referred to Lia with her authoritative firm intonation when mad.

    Surprisingly, the wolf ran into his arms without picking up a fight, making their transition into the house a smooth one.

    "By the love of God, you''re finally back," the housekeeper, who had been in his life longer than his mother had ever been was in a state of shock mixed with his belief at his appearance. She had been the one in charge of him since he was "exiled" here, becoming almost a mother figure to him in the process.

    "Yes, I''m back, does anything seem to be the matter?" He asked, surprised at her apprehensive state.

    "Master Ben, I was awaiting your presence before I called the police," she cried.

    "Alright," he answered briskly, his attention was focused on the flurry bundle of joy in his arms when he realized what she meant.

    "Wait, what? Call the police" His mind returned, "Why would you call the police?"

    "We''ve been robbed!" She announced.

    Ben''s eyes twitched. Odd, but why did he feel he was the thief being discussed.

    The hysterical shopkeeper went on," This strange thief picked all the foodstuffs in the storehouse and even stole some from your experimental garden- you must feel so sad right now," she placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. Everyone knew how much he valued those plants.

    Ben shifted uncomfortably on his feet. Contrary to her belief, he was feeling so guilty right now.

    "I need to tell you something -" he wanted to confess but was interrupted.

    "That creepy thief didn''t even spare the blankets. All the spares in your room, the maid quarters, the master quarter are all missing. I need to-"

    "I''m the creepy thief,"

    "Huh?" The woman blanched from shock, "You''re the thief? How is it possible to become a thief in your own house?"

    "Because I took them?"

    "Why didn''t you tell me?" She was quite flustered.

    "Because you would try to stop me?" She wasn''t around when he took everything away. The maids available at that time weren''t daring enough to stop him nor did they stop him, their young master had always been a strange one. Hence, no one intervened.

    "Of course not, why would I ��." She came to a startling realization, "Maybe?"

    Ben tipped his head slightly as if trying to say "Told ya,"

    "But what happened for you to clear the whole storehouse?" She sternly placed both hands on her hips.

    "There was an accident outside the town involving numerous dogs being transported to an animal fair?"

    "Dogs drink alcohol?" She listed one of the items he carted away with a skeptical expression.

    Ben gulped yet answered, "There were different breeds of dogs- I even saw one eating pepper," he lied through his teeth. If you can''t beat them, confuse them.

    The housekeeper raised her brow, "And the blankets?"

    "Those poor souls were shivering from the stench of the disaster and harsh weather- you know how much I love animals." Was another of his convenient excuses.

    "And I''m guessing he''s a victim of the incident," she tilted her head in the direction of the pup in his arms.

    "Oh," Ben said, "The poor thing lost his parents and was so unstable until he met me. I offered to take care of him for a few days and they let me readily because of my immense contribution,"

    "Alright, I''ll just go shopping and the whole expenses would be taken from your allowances," she punished him.

    "Fine," Ben accepted. That would hardly deplete his pocket anyway.

    "Just keep his paws from my kitchen,"

    The housekeeper warned him just as Lia walked down into the living room and Ben hid the little wolf, who had been surprisingly quiet, inside his polo shirt from behind - Thank God, he was wearing an oversized one today. Just don''t bite, buddy, or else...no meat.

    "Whose paws is she keeping off the kitchen?" Lia asked, walking down the stairs that led straight into the wide living room. Ben''s house was just sophisticated.

    "My paws," Ben answered briskly, keeping his hands behind him to anchor the wolf from falling.

    Lia suddenly stopped and sniffed the air, having sensed an odd yet familiar scent.

    Ben swallowed a huge lump," Is anything the matter?"

    "Did anyone come in here while I was upstairs?" She asked, her nose wrinkling while tracing the scent.

    "No, I''m the only odd one here," Answered Ben, uncomfortable with her approaching figure.

    She traced the scent to him, smelling him with her brows furrowed," Why is your heart pounding so fast?"

    Ben stiffened, "Because you''re standing close to me and look so irresistibly sexy wearing my favorite shirt,"

    That sentence shocked Lia to the core that she jumped away from him the way someone stung by a bee would.

    Lia''s mouth hung open with disbelief written all over her face, this was the first time he was boldly flirting with her without being typical Ben.

    "I- I''ll be leaving," she stumbled with her words, leaving the house in a haze.

    "And that worked?" Ben sighed, brought out the pup from beneath his shirt, plonking down on the sofa with him in his arms.

    He applied the only method he was sure would stop Lia from searching his body. Only now, she would begin to avoid him thinking he meant what he said��.well, maybe, he did mean what he said- a little?  Yeah, good work, Ben.

    "Where is Lia?" His housekeeper came out with a glass of juice on a tray - that one survived Ben''s smuggling.

    "As you see, Lia has returned to where she belongs," Ben ruffled his hair out of annoyance.

    "You like that girl, don''t you? What''s keeping you from chasing her?" She inquired, " Is not like you Ben, you''re quite passionate about the things you like,"

    "Please don''t encourage me or you might find my lifeless body tomorrow" he groaned, remembering Asher''s warnings clearly.

    "I seriously can''t understand you,

    You are one strange kid," She shook her head and left with the juice.

    Ben turned his attention to the pup, "Hey buddy, you''ve been a good boy," He brought him to his face, then petted the were-child by giving him a good scratch on the back of his head.

    "And for that, you deserve to be rewarded," He dropped the pup on the sofa saying, "Stay right there, I''ll be back,"

    Ben ordered and went up the stairs leading to his room, he had left some of that dried meat on his study desk. So he picked two, no, four packets and headed downstairs.

    However, when Ben reached downstairs, what he saw wasn''t what he bargained for.

    "Papa" clapped a child who was seated exactly in that spot the pup had been earlier.

    Oh boy, what has he done?

    Meanwhile��..

    Lia was disoriented as she went home, millions of questions swarmed her head. Does Ben really have feelings for her? Was Raphael right about Ben being her human mate or whatever he called it? If he were, what was she going to do? She was having a hard time handling Asher and Daniel already, how would she juggle Ben along too?

    "Seriously!" She stomped her feet out of frustration. At this rate, she would go crazy with thoughts.

    Lia was still in this flustered state when her mom opened the door. Jenny had sighted her through the window, opening the door on cue.

    "Now, young lady," her mom wrapped her arms around her chest intimidatingly, "Care to tell me where you''ve been since yesterday?"

    Lia wondered how much of the memory Devon had erased because, by the look of things, she was in deep shit.

    "Can I come in first before I start my narration?" She requested, "It''s quite a long better,"

    "Better. Why? You''re not escaping this one!" Her mother was furious.

    But as angry as she was, Lia hoped her mother was mentally strong to receive these revelations.

    It was time to spill the beans.

 Chapter 272 - Two Hundred And Seventy-two: Leaving Town

    Lia went into the living room, her mom following after her with eyes watching her every movement like a hawk.

    She was relieved to see that her brother Trevor was back already and safe. Though he looked stressed up which made her wonder what he had been subjected to.

    "It seems I had given you kids enough freedom but you abused the privilege. Now tell me what you kids have been up to, beginning with you Lia!" Her mom''s stern voice reverberated throughout the whole house.

    "I don''t know how or where to begin," Lia blurted out.

    "What did you say?" Her mom''s brow rose, "Are you trying to defy my orders in this house?"

    "Of course not," she was brisk to answer, " I''m just saying the truth,"

    "Then you better begin from somewhere before you''re damned!" She thundered.

    This was the first time Lia was seeing her mother this emotional and being super harsh on them. Her patience must have thinned this time. Well, Lia couldn''t blame her, she''d have been the same if unexplainable things kept happening around her and her kids seem to be in the middle of it all.

    "Alright, here it goes," Lia stood in the middle of the room and took a deep breath while her mom stood with arms crossed against her chest and tapping her foot impatiently. Her siblings sat on the sofa adjacent to her, awaiting their turns to begin their confession.

    "Your instinct is right mom, I, no, we, your children have been lying to you but I''m here to speak for myself, the others can disclose theirs later if you''re still up for It by the time I''m done," I said to her.

    "Go on, " Jenny prompted her.

    "I''m not who you think I am mom,"

    Jenny''s face distorted, " Lia, If you think I''m up for your stupid joke, then you should know -"

    " This is not a stupid joke, mom" she cut her off, "I''m not a human as you are but a hybrid- half vampire, half werewolf - a made hybrid to be precise,"

    "You must have really lost your mind"Jenny shook her head in disbelief.

    "I can give you proof!"

    "What proof? That you''re claiming to be a fictional creature and that my daughter is a liar and might be a little crazy in the head? Is that it?"

    "Mom, as much as I hate to say this but she''s telling the truth" Trevor supported her claim.

    Jenny''s head whipped in his direction with a sharp glower, "Even you too?"

    "Mom is true" Rex joined in the motion.

    "And you too?" Jenny threw her hand up," What has come over all of you?"

    "I have the evidence, mom. You just have to promise not to be scared of me, I would never hurt you nor any of you," Lia assured her with a persuasive tone.

    A feeling of dread washed over Jenny, her heart was pounding in her chest and she had these ominous feelings.

    Ever Since she came into this town, strange things keep happening to her. Sometimes, she swore she had stumbled upon something fear-inspiring, and the next, boom! She can''t recall a thing no matter how hard she tried to remember. It was almost as if a spell was cast on her, weird.

    But the most irritating of all was the fact her children were slowly slipping out of her hand; she no longer had control over them. They now did whatever they wanted - with her permission or not.

    Also, there were personality changes in her children''s behaviors. Lia seemed more carefree yet reckless while Trevor was sociable than before and might finally work out his sexual orientation and last but not least, Rex, who has become more experienced than his age.

    Yes. Rex has always been an inquisitive youngster but lately, there was this mature vibe around him - as if he had seen enough of the world- which did not suit his age at all.

    "Fine, I promise not to be scared" Jenny decided, "Let''s see this evidence you speak of," she said with a mocking tone.

    Jenny stubbornly persisted in her heart that this was going to be another of her daughter''s tricks to escape punishment, hence didn''t brace herself.

    She saw her daughter, Lia close her eyes as if concentrating on something and watched anticipatedly. But when nothing happened for a minute, Jenny had already prepared her rebuking speech when before her very eyes, she saw her daughter''s canines elongate into fangs.

    "May the Lord forbid!" Jenny jumped, she was scared out of her mind.

    "It''s me, Mom, don''t be scared," Lia gestured to her.

    "How is this possible?" Jenny was dumbfounded, "Who did this to you?"

    "I was turned by a vampire which is why my eye color is abnormal but you always thought I wear contact lenses and it''s quite funny because we''ve fought a lot over that," explained Lia.

    "Oh my God," Jenny gasped, her hands cupping her mouth.

    Lia continued," It returns to my normal blue orbs when I''m thirsty for blood,"

    Jenny''s eyes widened in horror,

    "Wait a minute, don''t tell me you drink -"

    "Vampire blood," Lia filled in briskly, "I drink vampire blood instead of human ones because I''m kind of a werewolf too��" she purposely faltered to let the information sink in her mother''s head.

    "You''re trying to say vampires and werewolves are real?" She had a hard time comprehending that.

    "Yeah, but they''re not the only creatures in Little Town. There are witches - a lot of them out there actually- then mandurugo- trust me, you don''t want to be friends with those- and then there are your kids, Trevor and Rex - the Vampire hunters,"

    "What?!" Jenny was bewildered.

    Trevor cast Lia a glare, "Great way to go blabbermouth, I was supposed to be the one disclosing that!" He simmered.

    "Whether you tell her or do not tell by yourself, it''s still the same damn truth that mom has found out already. So you two should stop quibbling like idiots and focus on the task ahead!" Rex scolded them.

    "Oww, my head," Jenny moaned and staggered back as if about to faint. Her hand went to the back of her head, what the hell was going on here?

    "Mom!" The kids were concerned and tried to help her but Jenny raised her hand, stopping them in their tracks.

    "This is your fault!" Trevor blamed his sister, "She wouldn''t be in this state if you hadn''t revealed my secret,"

    "She would have found out eventually, it''s better she found out the truth once and for all!" She countered.

    "Really?" Trevor mocked, "Then why haven''t you told her that you''re dating two men - Daniel and Asher to be exact," he divulged earning a shocked gasp from their mother.

    "What?" Their mother went pale, "Is that true?"

    Lia panicked," Mom, there''s a reasonable explanation for -"

    "Is that true?!" She roared, veins bulging from her neck with her fists clenched.

    "Yes, it is. I''m dating both men," she admitted with her head lowered.

    Her mom was taken aback by her confession that she unconsciously took a step back. she shook her head with tears stinging her eyes, "You knew I had high hopes for you and yet you succumbed to this level?" her voice cracked.

    Lia was desperate," Mom, you don''t understand, just let me exp-"

    "I''m so disappointed in you, Lia" was all she said and stormed back upstairs.

    Lia turned around to Trevor with rage, "Look what you have done! If you had only let me explain!" she pushed him hard on the chest.

    "Who went ahead spilling people''s secrets?!" He sneered, " I just helped out with yours, so stop being a twerp!"

    Their eyes met, both spitting fire as they started a staredown until Rex interrupted both by stepping in-between them.

    "Alright, both of you knock it out! Seriously, who are the kids here?!" He yelled, putting some god-damned sense into their brain.

    The siblings separated but the tension was high with an occasional scowl from both parties.

    They stayed in silence for a long time, both contemplating how to go about this issue. As much as they were strong and powerful, they still lived under their mother''s roof - technically Dad''s - unless they plan to run off from home, her word was the law.

    "What''s she doing?" Lia was the first to pick up the sounds of bags being pulled down the stairs before her mother came into view.

    "Mom, what are you doing?" Her eyes took in the two suitcases in her right hand and a duffel bag in the other.

    "We''re leaving this town this instant," she announced.

    "What?!" All shouted.

    Trevor and Rex sprang up to their feet while Lia walked over to her, the bag on the floor was the barrier between them.

    "You can''t be serious" Lia was in a state of disbelief.

    "This madness started when we came into this town and it would end once we leave," she spat.

    "Mom, you don''t understand this. I can''t leave without Asher and Daniel!"

    "Don''t you ever say that again!" She barked at her with outrage, "I loved your father with all my heart and yet when he died, I survived without him! So don''t you ever say you can''t live without a man !"

    "This one is different!" Lisa said in an outburst of emotion causing the house to shake and the bulbs to explode with white showers.

    Everyone took cover, afraid that the house might collapse but Lia regained control of her emotions on time.

    "Oh my God," Lia cried, her hands flying to cup her mouth when she saw blood trail down her mother''s ears.

    "I''m so sorry," she said and fled.

 Chapter 273 - Two Hundred And Seventy-three: Getting Messy

    Asher sat in the living room, his head full of thoughts. His mother Helen was still in hibernation, a problem Sabrina would take care of tomorrow - Devon had stressed herself too much.

    Truth be told, Asher knew his mother would hate him for this. No matter how evil Ezekiel had been or what he did to her, he was her mate and husband. Sadly, not only did he put an end to Ezekiel but killed his brother too.

    Even if Helen managed to forgive him for killing Ezekiel because of what he did to her- putting her in a state of inactivity - she would probably never forgive him for Raphael.

    Raphael was her son just as he was too and judging from the time he spent with his mother during his imprisonment, she wanted the best for them. Helen wanted both sons to coexist and communicate as brothers, not tear each other apart.

    Unfortunately, her fears came true, and now one of them is dead. Honestly speaking, Asher had never intended killing Raphael no matter how toxic he was to him. That was why when he gained back his body, he ignored his evil brother, checking up on his mate instead.

    Asher had planned to capture him and after judging him fairly, have Ben take away his powers - yep, that idiot was stronger than he thinks he is. Else, why would his kind be hunted like chickens in the past?

    But now, his overambitious brother did not only die but caused their mother an irreversible pain and to him, a pang of guilt that would last for eternity till someone decided to end his pathetic life.

    Asher wouldn''t blame his mother if she hated him after all, he would have done the same if the circumstances were reversed and she happened to end Lia - which wasn''t possible, the girl wouldn''t die through such means.

    He hadn''t told Lia any of this because he didn''t want her to worry, his mate had enough problems at hand and he refused to add to that.

    Asher''s head jerked up towards the entrance, he smelt her before she went through that door and met him halfway.

    But he was bewildered when he saw tears running down her face, what the hell happened? Anger made its way to his vein, who dared make her cry?

    Suddenly, his mind drifted to that conversation she had with Sabrina where she disclosed her plans of revealing the truth to her mother. From the look on her face, he surmised it did not go well.

    As much as he wanted to give Jenny a piece of his mind for bringing Lia to tears, the urge to comfort his mate was greater and he brought her into his arms.

    "I-I told her everything about me and things went fine until she found out about us," she sobbed, mumbling the words into his chest.

    "She wanted to take me away from you both��" Lia pulled away, lifting her tears stained face to explain better.

    At the mention of "take away", Asher clenched his fist, and a muscle in his jaw pulsed with anger. Nobody was taking Lia away from him. Even if Daniel does nothing, he would not stay still.

    Lia was the drug he was addicted to and if the need arises, he would track her down to the end of the earth.

    "I tried to explain but she wouldn''t let me. She doesn''t understand how these things work��.."

    "I know" Asher brought her into his arms once more, rubbing her back as she cried further.

    Lia pushed away from his chest, shaking her head, "No, you don''t know what happened. I hurt her,"

    The corners of Asher''s mouth twitched, exactly what degree of "hurt" was she talking about here? He glanced down at her legs and saw no blood prints nor was there any on her hands.

    Phew, thank the heavens! For a moment there, Asher thought she had ripped her mother to pieces out of anger. Werewolves were not the best creature to hang around when furious.

    "She wouldn''t give me a chance to speak and I was just so irritated. I wanted to make things clear and then I was so angry��" her hands went around her throat, " And I just yelled out of anger and hurt them. I lost my temper and nearly killed them, Asher�� What kind of monster am I? "

    "You''re not a monster," He hugged her once again and this time, Lia didn''t resist him, "You just made a mistake, just like everyone else,"

    Close to an hour, Lia wept her heart out on his body till she exhausted herself to sleep. The vampire carried her bridal style to his bedroom where he placed her on his bed, lying alongside her.

    Lounging on the bed, Asher took in her features, noticing how her chest rose and fell with each breath she took. This made him wonder what breathing felt like, he was born a vampire and unlike converted ones, wasn''t opportune to experience the sensation of taking air into their body.

    He somehow envied her, she got to be a vampire and werewolf, as well as retaining some of her human properties. Asher just wondered how that was possible? Because he still couldn''t come to terms with how those dark witches made her the way she was.

    The vampire knew he was missing a vital puzzle piece and once he found that, everything would be brought to expos��: how Lia came to be this way and what the dark witches wanted her for.

    But at the moment, the council was a greater concern for him. The battle had not only cost him his men but exposed his mate as well; it wouldn''t surprise him if any of the council dogs - Hunters - had found out the truth already.

    Well, Asher guessed he would find out about that once they summon him or interrogate him in his home- that''s up to them.

    "I won''t let anything happen to you," Asher lowered his head and kissed her on the top of her head.

    But then, his countenance changed when he sensed another presence downstairs. Well, he had been expecting him, anyway.

    Asher left the room and went downstairs to meet Daniel, the fuming werewolf. Dan was also there, watching the werewolf with eyes narrowed. He had not made his presence earlier when Lia arrived because he knew the girl wouldn''t harm Asher but the same couldn''t be said for Daniel. If Asher''s brother, Raphael could hurt and betray him, what more a love loyal?

    "You arrogant bastard!" Daniel punched him right in the face which he saw coming yet didn''t block.

    "If you had not been too cocky, all this wouldn''t have happened!" he moved to hit Asher once again when Dan teleported him back to his village.

    "Why did you send him away?" Asher asked Dan, wiping the blood at the corner of his lips just as it healed up.

    "Was I supposed to let him keep on hurting me?" he threw at him.

    "Bring him back," Was his order.

    Dan''s jaw almost dropped, "Seriously?" he threw his hands up in the air, "Are you a sucker for pain or what?"

    "Do what I said,"

    "But-"

    "Now," He said sternly.

    Dan murmured some incomprehensible words that were likely sworn words and vanished, returning almost immediately with the still angry werewolf beside him.

    "Here''s your werewolf," Dan announced with a mocking tone and left to give them so privacy.

    Daniel took a step forward when he said, "You can keep fuming about the past or we move forward,"

    Daniel snorted, "That''s what you have to say after I almost lost my life? After my men were slaughtered like animals all because your brother took your body and conspired against me," he spat with emotions.

    Asher hissed at him, "You''re not the only one who suffered damages here, Daniel. I too did. You''re not the one who gets to be cheated out of your bodies and forced to live as someone else; suppressed so your voice couldn''t be heard. You talk about death, what about me then? Do you know how many times I nearly escaped death duty during my imprisonment?!" He added,

    "And I lost men too! "

    Daniel countered, " All this wouldn''t have happened in the first place if you had listened?! But no, you were too or proud to keep men with you, why? You''re Asher the GREAT?" He criticized him harshly.

    "Fine, I made a mistake. I let my pride get in my way," Asher admitted, "So now you heard it, what next? Would you continue to rub it on my face or think of a way to make our mate comfortable,"

    Daniel''s expression shifted, "What happened?"

    Asher snorted, "Aren''t you Daniel the KnowAll?"

    Daniel rolled his eyes.

    "Take the girl and leave," Asher suddenly announced.

    "Huh?"

    "Are you now dumb as well?"

    "isn''t she here to stay with you, why would you give it up?" Daniel was surprised at his strange generosity.

    "Things might get messy starting from tomorrow and she being here might complicate things. Just take our mate and go, Dan would offer you both an exclusive flight,"

 Chapter 274 - Two Hundred And Seventy-four: The Dreams.

    The girl stared at Daniel with a sinister glint in her eyes and tiptoed out of the room. She went through the hospital wards which still had a lot of activities going on. Due to the amount of work and stress, no one noticed her steal a scalpel from the medical cart a nurse had kept carelessly in the passageway.

    Slipping it into the pocket of her shorts, she retraced her steps and returned to the room.

    The werewolf was still asleep which irritated yet pleased her. At the least, with his defenses down, she wouldn''t have a hard time ending him.

    "How nice," Holding the scalpel tight, she climbed onto the bed, careful not to wake him up. Positioning herself beside him, she lifted the sharp weapon and brought it down on his��

    "Ahh!!" Lia woke up with a startle, her face, and neck covered with sweat. Her loud scream also woke Daniel with her.

    "Hey, what is it?" Her mate was quick to grab her on the shoulder, keeping her from running off in fright.

    "I had this dream where I stabbed you to death with a scalpel," she raved about the nightmare.

    "Hey," Daniel bought her into his arms, "It''s nothing, just a nightmare," He said, smoothing her head.

    "As you can see, I''m hale and hearty. Calm down Lia, you just had a bad dream," He murmured, resting his chin on top of her head comfortingly.

    Lia relaxed in his arms, calming her racing heart until the effects of the dream wore off.

    She pulled away from him, her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized her environment, "Why am I back here? I was supposed to be with -"

    "Asher had something to do but he didn''t want to leave you alone so-called me over," Daniel notified her albeit withholding some information - as directed by Asher.

    "He had something to do?" Lia''s frown deepened. She didn''t like the sound of that especially with what''s happened lately. Moreover, Asher has always been a secretive vampire, what''s he hiding this time?

    Lia had opened her mouth to press for more news when she felt the urge to answer nature''s call.

    "Where''s the bathroom?" She stood from the bed hastily.

    "It''s just over -" He was still saying when she found the bathroom by herself.

    Daniel shook his head, amused by her actions, and got to his feet when he felt something metallic.

    Curiously, he bent and picked it up to discover it was�� Daniel''s eyes widened as he recalled, "I had this dream where I stabbed you to death with a scalpel"

    How was this possible? How could there be such a scalpel lying on the ground by his side of the bed? Was it a coincidence that Lia got such a ��

    No, that was impossible, Daniel believed. This has to be a mistake! Perhaps, one of the healers mistakenly dropped it in his room - which wasn''t impossible considering this was a hospital.

    But why would a scalpel be dropped here in the first place, he hadn''t undergone any surgery?

    The bathroom door opening roused him from his thought, covering the skepticism on his face with a smile.

    "You''re done?" He asked her.

    Lia nodded, climbing back into bed on the space he tapped, snuggling close to his chest with a contented smile.

    "We''d talk about Asher once I''m awake," She reminded him, intending to catch more sleep, oblivious to the battle Daniel was facing in his mind.

    "Should he tell her about the scalpel or not?" he pondered.

    Daniel made up his mind to share the news with her when his mate suddenly faced the other direction, his front facing her back, fitting together like spoons in a drawer.

    "Oh great, the torturous position" Daniel sighed, running his hand through his hair while batting to regulate his pulsing heartbeat.

    He hated spooning with her knowing he couldn''t touch her. To girls, the position was just cute, warm and a straight gateway to sleep unlike them. He had to deal with her mass of hair, his arms that would go numb from holding her, and the awkward boner he was having as he speaks.

    Daniel didn''t say a word, deciding to endure or so he thought until she moved against him minutes later while asleep.

    "I''m done," Daniel gave up, carefully leaving the bed for her - Lia was sensitive and a little movement could wake her up but he needed to think.

    He left the hospital entirely and went outside to see the shadows of his pack. The magnificent packhouse was being reconstructed since the afternoon and would need at least a month to be returned to its past glory.

    Tents had been set up by different families to spend the night - thanks to his mate''s fast thinking. The expecting mothers were tended to first before the rest of the supplies arrived and everyone else was settled.

    The structures still standing after the attack, was the hospital - they had defended that place fiercely considering it had cellars where some of the fortunate mothers and children had been hidden - and the untouched east wing of the packhouse that the fire had not ravaged.

    Daniel knew he had a lot of responsibility on his head currently with the influx of werewolves.

    During his short rest, Ryan had overtaken Zach and slew him alongside the men with him. As per werewolf custom, everything that was once Tristan''s belonged to him now - including his people.

    According to the law, members of the Ranger had two options: to leave the pack and wander for another pack or merge with the new pack that conquered them.

    To be frank, Daniel had expected half of the population to leave, after all, they knew there was no guarantee they would be treated fine. But to his surprise, eighty percent of the pack stayed behind and pledged loyalty to him.

    Turns out that they heard Daniel was a magnanimous alpha and was way better than their previous Alpha. Tristan had not exactly cared for his people, he was only after his own gratification and once he was satisfied, tossed the rest of what remained to his people who fought over it.

    The only people who benefitted from his regime were his numerous girlfriends, family members, friends, and bootlickers who stroked his ego with their flattering tongues. Practically, it was the survival of the fittest in that pack.

    The twenty percent who had left the pack were the sycophants who knew their future was dim with their absurd privilege taken - they wouldn''t be able to deceive this new alpha.

    Tristan had a very large pack, hence a population of two hundred plus werewolves - excluding the ones that had died in the battle-came into his pack.

    It had been a lot of trouble addressing the conquered werewolves. Though they had sworn to serve him, these people had come from different backgrounds with their personal experience of their previous pack. So after Daniel had his men put two or three of the stubborn men in their place, they understood at once that Daniels'' meekness was not his weakness.

    Daniel received a message from his beta, Ryan; they had caught the betrayer.

    Apart from the fact that Raphael had posed as Asher,  he still wouldn''t have gotten easier access to his pack unless one of their own betrayed him.

    The spiking of the drink? The way Tristan defeated their defense so easily? It wasn''t just a coincidence, someone must have leaked some information!

    Following the direction Ryan had given him in his head, Daniel arrived at one of the damaged buildings to see Ryan and Judith at a corner with a hardened expression while the alleged perpetrator had his face covered with a bag while kneeling on the charred floor.

    A familiar scent hit him but Daniel refused to believe it until he removed the bag and was treated to the face of his nephew Jasper.

    "Jasper?" He paled from the shock.

    The "Jasper" in question sneered at him, shooting envious fires from his eyes that had once looked up to him.

    Of all his relatives, Jasper had been one of his favorites because the boy''s father was his uncle and had followed his father to the then battle, perishing alongside him.

    "Jasper? How could you do such a thing?" Daniel asked, still having a hard time believing this was true.

    "Why I did it?" he said mockingly, then spat out blood - The power couple, Judith and Ryan, had decorated his face to their satisfaction before his arrival.

    "Both our fathers died in that war! My father contributed immensely to that battle and ensured victory and yet what happened? You get to be the alpha just because you''re the alpha''s son?!" He raged.

    I squeezed my eyes shut, knowing that Jasper was way past redemption - he was blinded by jealousy -  and no matter what I said, he wouldn''t be convinced.

    "Do what you have to do but give him an easy death?" Daniel said to Ryan and turned his back on Jasper who began to rant, using all curse words on him.

    Daniel had no choice, werewolves were one big family and betrayal was the worse kind of atrocity committed. Moreover, if he let Jasper live, the boy would still return for revenge. And at that time, he might not be as lucky as yesterday.

 Chapter 275 - Two Hundred And Seventy-five: The Challenge

    "Are you sure you want to do this?" Dan asked Asher with concern.

    It was time to restore his mother Helen from the hibernation her mate forcibly put her into. Looking at the woman lying on the bed, a normal human would think she was a new corpse; Helen lay motionless with her eyes closed, lips dried and complexion pale.

    "What''s the use of prolonging it?" Asher asked him, "I can''t continue to keep her in this state just because I want to avoid reality. Moreover, if I do that, what makes me different from Ezekiel?"

    Dan ruffled his hair, he hated this kind of complicated situation.

    "I''m ready to take whatever punishment she gives me," Asher was determined.

    "Does she know about this?" Dan asked and he looked.

    Yes, he knew who Dan was referring to.

    "You do know she has the right to know about this in case something happens to you," Dan pressed.

    "Nothing would happen to me and I did not tell her because I want to keep her safe," Asher claimed.

    "Contrary to your belief, you keeping secrets from her would put her in more danger. What if things go south and your mother goes after Lia after finding out she specifically killed Ezekiel, her mate. Then tell me, how would you handle that?".

    "Lia can''t die - at the least, no known weapon can end her life permanently at the moment," Asher defended.

    "Then what about your mother? A known weapon can kill her," Dan reminded him, "If she gets blinded by rage and doesn''t back down on the quest to murder your mate, what would you do, almighty Asher? Kill her?"

    Asher gestured with his hands, "That scenario would never happen, I''ll make sure of it,"

    "Tsk Tsk," Dan made a sound of disapproval, "Clearly, you need a manual book on how to build a healthy relationship with your mate,"

    Asher gave him a low snarl as a warning, he knew where this discussion was heading to. Just because his father had no mate doesn''t mean he wouldn''t have a successful relationship with his own mate. Because Antonio had not set the groundwork for him with his own mate - sadly, he didn''t have one- his clan believed his own wouldn''t work either.

    What unreasonable belief! It was not like he was going to repeat the same mistake and whisk Lia away from Daniel- well, no conclusions yet, he still had such thoughts in his head.

    "Are we going ahead with this, yes or no!" Sabrina was tired of seeing them argue back and front.

    Devon had come along too but she was instructed not to do anything-the little one she did yesterday teleported the whole house. However, Sabrina couldn''t bear to leave the girl behind especially now she was going through grief.

    The girl needed to take her mind off the negative thoughts, plus associating with more people who understood her would make it easier to cope with the loss.

    "Proceed," Asher gave her the go-ahead order.

    Sabrina stood at the foot of the bed, beginning her incantation, "Redit anima corpori dicam de somno mortise,"

    At once, the air changed, notifying all in the room that a strange force was at work before Helen woke up with a startle.

    "Asher!"

    "Mother!"

    Both ran into each other''s arms. Asher wrapped his arms around her tightly, savoring that moment knowing he was going to lose her very soon.

    "Thank God, you''re okay, child" She placed a kiss on his forehead, a relieved grin on her face while clasping his cheeks.

    "My mate, he tricked and put -"

    "I know which is why I was able to wake you up," answered Asher. His heart would be pounding against his chest by now if he had one. The time was nigh.

    "Right, but how would Ezekiel let you go that ��" She trailed off, her expression changing as she stared off into space.

    Oh, Asher knew that look because it was familiar to him too; she was tapping into the mate bond.

    It felt like forever when it was mere minutes after his mother awoken from her reverie.

    "What did you do?" She asked, with a broken voice.

    Asher gulped, "I had no choice"

    "No!" His mother wailed like a banshee, capturing her chest with her hand. Of course, that was where it hurt the most.

    "No, he can''t be dead," she sobbed louder, beating Asher on the chest this time.

    "Why did you kill him?"

    "I did my best but Ezekiel made his choice. It was either him or me, just like Raphael did,"

    "What?" Her eyes grew wide and she pushed Asher away, "How could you do that? He was your brother!"

    Asher didn''t mind that her fingers just dug into his arms, drawing blood- he deserved that little pain.

    "You and I knew there was never a time a relationship between Raphael and I would work after he ended up stealing my body and almost my mate. Don''t deny it, mother"

    "Get out," Helen demanded.

    "I tried my best," Asher pressed forward, despairing for her to hear him out at the least, " I never intended killing my brother but he left me with no -"

    Helen had just lost a husband and a son in the hands of her other son so she didn''t want to hear his excuses.

    "Get out! " She yelled, losing control of her emotions and her power. Electricity shot out her fingertips, striking Asher to the wall.

    "Asher!" Dan rushed to him.

    "No, don''t touch him yet!" Sabrina was quick to stop him on time, "There''s still current flowing through him and you have blood running your veins, idiot" she deadpanned.

    "I''m so sorry," Helen was in a state of disbelief at what she just did to her son. She didn''t mean to, her powers just acted out during her outburst of emotions. She didn''t hate Asher but she couldn''t applaud him either.

    "This is interesting," murmured Devon, leaning against the doorway, watching the scene unconcerned. She disliked family soap opera, they were boring, predictable yet comical - although, a bigger event would be much appreciated.

    Dan helped the tired Asher to his feet when the current wore off. Thankfully it wasn''t a hefty electrical discharge else Asher would be toasted barbecue by now - right, he smelt like barbecue by the way.

    "Asher, I''m so -" Helen tried to touch him but Sabrina got in between them.

    "I think that would be all for today. Rest assured, your son is in safe hands," Sabrina assured her that her son would be okay and left with Dan.

    "You?" Helen recognized Devon, she had seen her a couple of times in the clan house. In fact, she had found it suspicious that her son Raphael had taken a sudden liking to her or so she thought - not that he told her any of his plans.

    "You''re that witch that put me to sleep," She finally remembered.

    Devon snorted, "And you''re that vampiress who got fooled by her mate big time," she didn''t exactly like nor dislike this woman. Devon hated the fact she was so easy to manipulate; her mother wouldn''t be dead if she were proactive.

    "You''re too young to be thrust into that kind of life, " Helen observed the bloodlust in her eyes.

    Devon rolled her eyes, pep talkers, "Perhaps, if you had been strong enough to stop your evil mate, I wouldn''t be this way," she straightforwardly told her.

    She stepped forward, "You are lucky enough that I like Asher, else you''d be nothing but ashes as I speak," Devon made her threat known and strutted to the entrance of the room.

    "Happy grieving," She slammed the door close with her magic, turning around to bump into Electra.

    "That''s my grandmother you talked to that way," the girl declared, thrusting her chin up.

    "Sorry to burst your bubbles, but your step-grandfather and step-uncle is the reason why my mother is dead. Give me one reason why I should be respectful to her? ," Devon asked boldly.

    "I don''t like you," Electra revealed.

    "Me neither," was Devon''s response

    "You''re too fickle, who knows who you''d pledge your allegiance to when we stop being your source of amusement "

    "And you''re too indecisive, you have no clear plan for your future "

    "What?"

    "It''s a good thing we''re out with our feelings, I hate fake people,"

    "My father would never like you, he has a capable mate,"

    "Oh, Asher''s your father now, I thought you hated him?" Electra was tongue-tied and hated the fact this little girl could get under her skin.

    "Mind your business," she steps forward, glaring at Devon who didn''t back down either.

    "I was minding my business before you came along. Moreover, I just have a crush on your father which Isn''t that surprising since he''s the only male figure that had given me attention without an ulterior motive. I know mates can never be separated"

    Electra felt a twig of guilt, had she judged the girl based on her assumption. She had seen the way Devon''s eyes twinkled anytime her father made his presence known or her purposeful act to impress him.

    Was it just a pure relationship? Well, she''d keep an eye on this tricky one.

    Electra crossed her arm around her chest, "Well, better. Thankfully, my father doesn''t date children no matter how smart and strong they are," she said pointedly

 Chapter 276 - Two Hundred And Seventy-six: The Murderer

    Ben was in a dilemma, what had he done? He was just trying to find out how a pup''s metabolism worked and not become a father to one! How was it even possible to become a father to a pup? Perhaps if he was sexually active, there could be chances of him fathering a pup unknowingly - in his imagination.

    What nonsense! He hadn''t even had his first kiss - Ahh, right with Lia. No, that didn''t count. Lawrence had made use of his body and he wasn''t a willing participant in that kiss, maybe a little? Ugh, forget that.

    It was exactly an hour after he had taken the pup to his room so his housekeeper didn''t find out. That woman would die from the scare, thinking he had kidnapped a kid. And for once, Ben wasn''t guilty of the crime - he had not done the kidnapping, rather the victim came to him willingly.

    "Papa," the baby reached out his hands for a hug.

    "Shhh," Ben hushed him, panicking. What if someone passes and hears him? Oh right, his room was soundproofed but still, there was the need to be careful.

    "Papa," the baby''s face fell before he burst into tears without warning.

    "Shhh," Ben was alarmed and tried to shut the pup up. He felt like tearing his hairs out, he did not sign up for any of this - Maybe he did, but it wasn''t supposed to be difficult.

    "Alright, come to daddy," Ben had no choice but to carry the boy if he didn''t want to risk being exposed.

    Sadly for Ben, the wolf was a sly one who knew how to get what he wanted. The moment he came into Ben''s arms, he shut up at once; Papa hugged him.

    Fine, Ben decided to come clean. He would call Lia and tell her the truth- surely, she would kill him afterward but his conscience would be purged from the guilt.

    However, Ben called and called, still there was no answer from Lia''s side which made his brows furrowed. His goddess was always attentive to his calls.

    Fine, Ben dropped a voicemail for her and decided to go to the pack by himself. Daniel would have mercy on his soul, he hoped so.

    "Any success you''d turn back to your animal form, that would make carrying you about much easier," Ben said pleadingly to the wolf.

    "This is stupid," He realized. What was the possibility this young pup understood what he was saying��

    "Oh," Ben was stunned when the wolf shifted back to his wolf form. The boy understood him? This was incredible, he had just proven a theory: Werewolves'' intellectual capacities were much better than humans. The children in his neighborhood couldn''t even understand basic commands until they were a year plus old.

    "Alright," Ben murmured, picking up his backpack from the table he had dropped it.

    "We have to hide from humans who would take you away from me, understood?" He gestured the pup to go into the bag he had unzipped and spread wide open. One thing about these creatures was that they diminished in size once in their animal form.

    It was late already and if he had been caught by the police leaving with an unidentified child at night, moreover to a woodsy place such as Kinney village, they would think he abducted the child - even if the pup called him daddy or not.

    Ben frowned when the pup barked at him, in protest?

    "This is the best way to leave undetected unless you want Papa to be gunned down by the police when we try to escape them," Ben made a gesture of a bullet piercing his heart and him dying comically.

    Almost immediately, the pup ran into the backpack without objection.

    "Good boy," He patted the pup on the head and went ahead to zip the backpack up - albeit leaving a bit of space so he could breathe in air.

    "Don''t worry, it will be over soon. Just endure a bit," Ben said to him as he wore his backpack on his shoulder

    But the moment he turned around, he jolted into Alexa.

    "Christ! Jesus! Have mercy on me!" She gave him quite a scare.

    "You are one strange medium," Alexa chuckled, "You see ghosts every time, shouldn''t you have gotten used to them already? "

    "Not one who sneaks up on me times without number," Ben said through gritted teeth, "If you''re here because of the investigation, then I''ll have you know that tomorrow is the vigil and every student would be there and we would use that chance to -"

    "I remembered something," Alexa notified him.

    "You do," Ben was impressed.

    "Yeah, the torture experience to be exact. For some reason, I can''t fully make out his face- they''re blurry to me - but he had sandy blonde hair".

    Ben frowned when he couldn''t hear more information and scratched his eyebrow, he had no idea how to relay this news to the ignorant ghost.

    "Alexa, there are uncountable numbers of people in little town with sandy blonde hair plus the fact there are different shades of it, so a little more detail would be greatly appreciated," He stressed.

    Alexa scratched her head awkwardly with a sheepish smile," I can''t tell much about his physical appearance but there''s something I could remember clearly, "

    Ben drew closer, his ears itching to hear this great expos��.

    "He was asking about supernatural creatures?"

    "Supernatural creatures?" Ben didn''t like the sound of that. That guy was a psychopath and with that kind of information, who knows what he intended to do with it?

    "So what did you say to him?"

    "I don''t know"

    "You told him you don''t know?"

    "No, I don''t know because I can''t remember what I told him," She replied.

    "Alright, you did a good job, Alexa," he patted her hair but his hand went through the air instead.

    "I can feel we''re closer to solving this. With this insufficient information, we can search out anybody who asks about the supernatural tomorrow at the night vigil. Moreover, You''d be coming along."

    "Really?" Her eyes brightened.

    "Yeah, I''ll give you the privilege of possessing my body so you could find whoever murdered you faster-"

    "And I can communicate with Caroline?" she was delirious with Joy.

    Ah right, the girl remembered her best friend.

    "Probably, not" If anyone was going to go close to that witch, it wasn''t with his body, "But on the bright side, you get to see your candle night vigil, that''s an opportunity of a deathtime - many ghosts move on before such event is organized," Ben comforted her.

    "What about a ''hi''?" She still pressed.

    "Fine, just a ''hi'' " Ben gave in.

    "Alright, we''ll talk about this once I''m back," he adjusted the weight of the pack back on his shoulder. Geez, for something that small, it sure weighed a ton.

    "Can I come along?" She blinked her eyes and pouted her lips. Alexa was getting smarter - and naughtier.

    "No, don''t worry. I''m good," Ben assured her and left. He wasn''t prepared to worry about a pup in his backpack and a ghost trailing him.

    Without effort, Ben sneaked out of the house as usual and had successfully made it out of the large entrance gate when he bumped into someone with a startle.

    "Jesus!" Ben screamed like a girl, although cupping his mouth at the last minute after realizing he might have woken the household up.

    "Eric?" he was surprised to see who he ran into," What are you doing here by this time of the night?" Ben glanced down at his watch, it was eleven already.

    "I-I was having a walk around the neighborhood to clear my head," Eric explained, pulling down his hood.

    Ben might not be supernatural but being surrounded by one has taught him how to identify when a petty human was lying.

    He took a glance at the boy, he was dressed up in dark clothes; black pants and a black sweatshirt with a hood. Under the cover of the night, one might think him a thief.

    "Alright, spare me the lies, why are you truly here, Eric?" Ben stood with his jaw thrust up and arms on his waist in a stern manner and did not get to see the sharp glint in the boy''s eyes.

    "Excuse me?"

    "I know the reason why you''re here"

    Eric was taken aback by his confession but showed no reaction aside from his jaw muscle ticking. Had the boy found out his motive? No, it can''t be.

    "Stay away from Lia or I''ll make sure you regret the day you popped out from your mother''s [email protected]," Ben swore, " I know people like you and your motive, so stay off if you don''t want to be exposed" He jabbed him on the chest and turned around to leave.

    Gosh, he looked so cool doing that, Ben thought.

    Ben had just taken a few steps when something clicked in his head, " Sandy blonde hair" and " Ask about the supernatural," He just realized that Eric had sandy brown hair and liked to ask about Lia, who was a supernatural. This couldn''t be a coincidence

    He gasped, Eric was the murderer?!

    Sadly, Ben was about to pick out his phone from his pocket when he was knocked out from behind.

 Chapter 277 - Two Hundred And Sevevty-seven: His Motive

    Daniel hated bloodshed but there was nothing he could do, this was life and life was a jungle; only the fittest survived, it was kill or get killed.

    He was just on his way back to the hospital when there came another complaint, a pup was missing - to be an alpha wasn''t an easy job.

    "Kaji " was an unruly pup who was recognized for his wild and mischievous plays. He was known to give the caregivers a hard time by hiding in places they couldn''t find him- that was his idea of fun.

    At first, they used to panic - thinking he had been kidnapped by a rival pack or ignorant humans who thought him as a wolf - and would turn the whole pack upside down just to search for him. However, the incident kept repeating itself which made everyone get used to it - they gave up on him. Moreover, he disappears and appears at the right time and place.

    But tonight, something was different, he had not appeared his usual time and there was no sight of him in the pack; they could not catch his scent.

    "His scent is faint and seems to point to the direction of the pack''s exit," observed Daniel. He was thankful that his mate was asleep and didn''t have to be burdened with this job- she was an excellent tracker.

    Behind him, the boy''s mother wailed.

    "Kaji! My Kaji! Where did he go this time? I need to find my boy �� I need to find my Kanji!"

    Daniel cleaned the inside of his ear with his finger, "Take her away," he ordered one of his men.

    He couldn''t concentrate nor plot his next course of action with her distracting him with her screams.

    "Get me Sam" Daniel ordered Ryan who gestured to one of his men to get the young werewolf. The twelve-year-old kid was the best tracker in the pack - aside from his mate, Lia.

    In no time, the boy with tousled brown hair appeared with an excited twinkle in his eyes. As per children his age, he was giddy to help the Alpha out with his problem since it was a huge honor.

    Ryan tossed a short to him that belonged to Kaji which Sam caught and took a whiff. After that, he tossed the short away and began to sniff the air, going in the direction he caught the smell of the boy.

    "let''s go," Ryan ordered his men when Daniel halted him by lifting his hand.

    Ryan''s brow furrowed together in both surprise and confusion, "What is it?"

    "You are not coming with me" Daniel decided.

    "What?"

    "I''ll go search for the boy with Sam, the rest of you should take care of the pack in my absence." was his command.

    "But still-"

    "No ''but'' here, Ryan. Two leaders shouldn''t be missing in action," Daniel added when he tried to protest, "It''s an order from your alpha,"

    "Fine, alright," He was given no choice but to give up. Any further protest would be misunderstood as blatantly challenging the alpha''s command hence attracting punishment

    So, Daniel left in his car with the boy who had his face out the window, tracing the scent till they got to Little Town and Ben''s place to be exact.

    "Why did you stop?" asked Daniel who was examining the best spot to sneak into the house unnoticed without setting off any security system. However, he noticed Sam''s nose was twitching and wrinkling more busily than earlier.

    "What is it?" he asked.

    " He''s not here,"

    "What?"

    "The boy who took Kaji is not home, well, he was once home but was out here moments ago - both of their scent''s strong " the boy explained while taking a long inhalation of breath.

    "And?"

    He frowned," There''s a third scent plus the scent of -"

    "Blood," Daniel had already crouched down, observing the dried red spots on the cemented ground.

    "I don''t know what''s going on but it appears whoever kidnapped Kaji has been kidnapped too" the boy surmised.

    "Yeah, that seems to be the case," Daniel murmured, looking out into the distance. Who could have kidnapped Ben? The boy was the only person on earth Daniel could swear, had no enemy. Was he in danger because he was associated with them?

    "Can you track them down?"

    "Of course, What''s my nose used for then?" he grinned.

    "Then, let''s get going,"

    ************************

    The constant barking and snarling woke him from his short nap.

    "Ugh," Ben stirred, opening his eyes. Where was he? His sight was blurry and the back of his head hurt like a bitch. What the hell happened?

    Then it came rushing back to him, the memory of the whole incident; the pup and Eric turning out to be Alexa''s murderer. Gosh, shame on him, why didn''t he discover this earlier, and now he was in deep shit.

    Ben looked around the shack to discover that the pup had been found out and chained to the leg of a table that had boxes of indistinguishable loads on top. It was obvious that the pup was against that inhuman treatment hence tried to get out of the restraint all to no avail.

    That scene unsettled Ben so much that he fought against his bounds too, yet failed; he was tied to the chair.

    "You''re awake," He heard a voice and turned around to see Eric coming in with a camera stand in his grasp.

    "You asshole!" Ben had never been so angry in his entire life than now, he wished he could be given a chance to rip that idiot apart.

    "Let the little child go!" he yelled so loud that veins bulged from his neck.

    "Oh, he''s really a werewolf," Eric smirked, squatting down in the direction of the pup who was making a low warning rumble in his throat.

    "I thought so, thanks for confirming that," He winked at Ben, getting back up to his feet and turned the camera to the wolf, recording the scene.

    "It''s quite disappointing that this is nighttime and there''s no network over here else we would go live - I just never planned on capturing you today."

    "You''re an animal," Ben hissed at him, still struggling against the bind.

    "No," Eric turned to him, placing both hands on either side of the armrest saying, " You''re the animal for communicating with animals like them. Humans like you are supposed to stand and defend our kind against these evil creatures.

    "But you, what did you do? Just because you liked the girl, you turned a blind eye to all their atrocities because she''s one of them and you couldn''t hurt her."

    Ben''s eyes widened," How did you know about us, umm, I mean them? " he corrected himself instantly. Eric had no idea he wasn''t exactly human and he would rather keep it that way.

    "I got all the truth I wanted from Alexa but the bitch didn''t tell me everything - thanks to her though, I found out about Lia,"

    "That''s why you always hang around Lia, you needed her for whatever evil agenda you had in mind," Ben figured.

    "Yes, I wanted her for my plans but then, you and that other stupid vampire - you to be precise- wouldn''t leave the girl alone!"

    Well, Ben wasn''t going to deny that one. He just never thought that his closeness to Lia all this while was a disturbance to another.

    "And Caroline? You glued yourself to her side because you needed information too, right " Ben figured out the rest.

    "Bingo, I need knowledge about those creatures if I''m to handle them in the future. But then, that blonde bimbo didn''t exactly give me what I wished for, instead thought I was one of her toys. But then, I used truth serum on her and got almost all I wanted, "

    Oh great, sodium pentothal, how did that psychopath even get his hands on that psychoactive drug? It was banned from Little Town.

    "Just a sip and she vomited all there is to know without keeping any from me. It''s quite appalling to know that supernatural creatures make up half the population of Little Town and yet nobody is doing anything about it, why do you think that is so?"

    "Because everyone is too lazy to handle that?" Ben joked but the deadly glare sent his way shut him up.

    "The council did a good job of hiding them but don''t worry, it''s coming to the limelight soon," Eric smiled at him which made goosebumps climb his arms.

    Oh crap, the psycho found out about the council too? What''s next? He hated this kind of setting, he''d rather choose ghosts over this. Oh right, he''d be a ghost pretty soon - after the boy ends him. Eric killed Alexa, what''s the possibility he''d let him go after seeing his face and knowing all this stuff.

    "What''s the point of all this?" Ben asked Eric who was taking a closer video of the pup, "Why are you doing this?"

    "Because they killed her!" Eric roared at Ben with great anger that made him squeeze his eyes shut from fright.

    Was it time for him to die? Shit.

 Chapter 278 - Two Hundred And Seventy-eight: Tracked The Tracker

    "Oh shit!" Was the first word Lia muttered when she listened to the voice message Ben dropped.

    She had awoken in the night to discover that Daniel''s side of the bed was empty. At first, Lia thought Daniel intentionally avoided her because she was going to probe the reason behind Asher dumping her here and was about to go search for him when she saw numerous unanswered calls on her phone.

    How did she not hear her phone ring? Lia was quite sensitive and with a ringing tone that loud, there was no way she couldn''t hear it. Kind of weird because she''s been feeling a wave of tiredness and these strange dreams. Well, she''d figure that out later, finding Daniel and knowing if that stupid Ben had arrived at the pack was her priority.

    Ben would be the death of her, who knew he did kidnap a pup! No wonder, she had indeed smelt something weird back at his place until he said those words - oh, her eyes widened, that stupid boy purposely distracted her. She better go find Ben before the pup''s mother tears him limb to limb. Afterward, she''d deal with him herself.

    Coming out of the pack hospital, Lia bumped into Ryan as if he knew she was searching for him.

    "Where is Daniel?"

    "He had something to deal with,"

    "Details," she pressed.

    Ryan wanted to deny her the information but when she thrust her jaw

    defiantly, he knew there was no room for argument.

    "Fine, there''s a missing pup-"

    "Oh, that," Lia laughed him to scorn,

    "He shouldn''t have bothered himself,"

    Ryan felt stupefied by her laughter, which made him ask, "What is it?"

    "Ben''s the one with the pup and he''s on his way here," she showed him the message.

    Ryan tried calling the alpha back through the mind link but he had gone beyond the communication limit.

    "Let''s wait a bit. Ben''s on his way here, they might meet on the way or Daniel might realize he''s not home and return afterward - the idiot should be here by then," Lia suggested.

    So both waited and waited yet there was no sign of Ben nor Daniel and the boy called Sam he left with - she learned.

    "Am I the only one with the feeling that something''s wrong?" Lia mumbled while trying Ben''s number which didn''t go through.

    She knew Ben like the back of her fingers, he wouldn''t just call and switch off his phone afterward when he knew she would call back unless something was wrong.

    "You''re right, I have a foreboding sensation," Ryan acquiesced.

    "I''m leaving," She decided, tired of waiting. Something was wrong and she couldn''t just fold her arms and watch it happen.

    "I''ll drive," Ryan offered

    "I''ll trace them "

    And so they began to track down the duo- Daniel and Sam - who had been tracking Ben.

    ************************************

    "This is sick," Daniel commented on the shack in the middle of the woods.

    The primitive hut was an abandoned simplistic structure located in the middle of nowhere. The area was sparsely populated and there was nobody in sight. The fact alone that an ordinary human carried Ben all the way here was a surprising achievement - his vendetta was a strong one.

    "It''s a human, it should be an easy task taking him out," Sam was so full of himself which wasn''t surprising to Daniel. Younger werewolves were hot-headed and impulsive, hence their lack of foresightedness; they were quick to act.

    "Don''t be cocky, this human is not an easy one," Daniel told the boy as he approached the hut cautiously while Sam walked with a devil may care attitude.

    "You should be careful where you place your feet, there might be traps hanging around " Daniel warned him.

    Sam rolled his eyes, "Alpha, no offense, but you''re too uptight - "

    "Watch out," Daniel saw that ignorant boy step on a rope - they could see clearly in the night- and the next, darts flew at them from a three-sixty direction.

    Daniel managed to ward off almost all but one got him at the neck, neither was Sam spared.

    "Great, youths and their arrogance," Daniel moaned and dropped to the ground.

    ***********************************

    "They killed her!" Eric roared at his face," They killed my mother and I did nothing but watch- oh, he wanted me to watch. He wanted to show me how weak and pathetic humans were and how much power you could get as a vampire,"

    Oh, it all made sense to Ben now. The boy went through a traumatic experience and it shaped him into being the person he was today.

    "I''m sorry about the loss of your mother, you shouldn''t have gone through that as a child and I pray that vampire be brought to justice,"

    "Be brought to justice?" he burst into mocking laughter, "How would he even be brought to justice?"

    "There''s a council available for that and their responsibility is to see that humans like you and I are not oppressed" Ben hoped to get to him. He doesn''t want to die yet!

    "Council? The human system has failed me, not to talk of a supernatural system I have no understanding about? Oh please, spare me that nonsense. I would have my vengeance my own way!"

    "And you think your mother would be proud of that? Proud of the fact that you''re a murderer?"

    "Oh, she is, because she was the one who told me with her dying breath to avenge her," He revealed the truth.

    Ben was dumbfounded. His mother''s words were the problem here. How could a mother ask such a traumatized young child to avenge her? The last words from his own parents who he hasn''t even seen for years were " Live well," What mother in her right senses would encourage a young orphan to avenge her?

    And now, his revenge was no longer limited to that particular vampire but all supernatural as a whole - everyone has to pay for the sins of one person.

    But Ben didn''t give up.

    "So since your revenge began, what''s your achievement so far? How many vampires have you killed? All you ended up doing is killing your own kind!" hissed Ben, hoping that his words somehow put some sense into his head.

    Eric stated, "For a great achievement to be made, there have to be some sacrifices. Moreover��. " He curved a smirk that made Ben sick to the stomach," I have a list already"

    Ben gulped, he didn''t like the sound of that.

    "There''s so many news you could get from Caroline and children of the founding families,"

    Someone has been busy.

    "With this list and more to come, I would hunt down the last of them till there''s no -" He was cut off by a loud noise.

    Both of their eyes met.

    Ben had no idea who that was, but a nagging feeling told him that the person was here for him. Had Lia received his voice message?

    "Someone just set off my trap" Eric''s disturbing smirk grew, "The more the merrier,"

    Eric kicked the snapping pup out of his way, took a pistol from on top of the table, strapped it to his back, and left to go find the uninvited guests.

    ********************************

    Daniel unlidded his eyes to see himself chained to a chair, "Damn it,"

    "Don''t bother mister, you can''t break out of those, it''s silver," Eric informed Daniel who was prepared to free himself or so he thought.

    Daniel''s eyes widened, "How did you-"

    "Don''t worry, I''ve been doing my assignments. I know a lot about you guys�� " He neared the werewolf, "The secrets you disgusting creatures have been trying to hide from us, the public? I know them all and soon the whole world would too," He pointed to the blinking camera.

    "Yep, he''s recording us, " Ben confirmed.

    Daniel finally noticed Ben seated beside him.

    "You know I could have you killed right now," he said to him.

    "Yep - right after you free yourself," Ben reminded him that he was just as helpless as he was.

    "Where is Sam?" he looked around.

    "Right here?" said the boy seated on the bare floor, restrained.

    "Sorry about that, there weren''t enough seats to accommodate you all - wasn''t expecting any more captives" Mocked Eric.

    "Now, gentlemen, let''s begin, shall we?" Eric adjusted the camera in such a way that it captured them all as he took a seat.

    "So, tell me more about you guys, " Eric questioned Daniel to be exact. The man was the one who had most of the information he needed anyway.

    "Yeah, you can get it answered it in hell," sassed Daniel.

    Eric''s expression changed, a muscle ticked in his jaw and the next everyone saw, was him loading the gun in his grasp.

    "It''s quite funny that even the alleged superior race needs some motivation to open up," He focused the gun at the little pup who had exhausted himself struggling to escape.

    "You can''t be serious! "

    "Seriously dude, chill! "

    At that minute, Daniel and Ben knew the boy wasn''t joking at all. There was this crazy glint in his eyes and his grasp on the pistol was firm.

    "Fine, I''ll tell you everything you need to know," Daniel gave in.

 Chapter 279 - Two Hundred And Seventy-nine: The Rescuers

    "I can''t believe I have to be the one always rescuing their butt," Lia grumbled the moment they stepped into the woods. There was no moon up in the sky to light their way and had to adapt to their nocturnal sight.

    "This is bad luck," she breathed.

    "What do you mean?" Ryan asked, zooming in on the hut from afar.

    "Haven''t you watched enough movies to know that an odd hut in the woods by this time of the night usually depicts a crime scene," she stated, walking over to the place.

    "I don''t know and I don''t watch movies," Ryan commented, sniffing the air.

    "Tsk, what a boring life," Lia tsk-tsked, eyes roaming the forest carefully as they trudged through the woods.

    "Daniel''s scent is getting stronger," Ryan observed, his stride more confident as they got closer to their destination and was about to take a step when Lia halted him.

    "Stop"

    His leg hung awkwardly in the air.

    "Don''t you dare take a step further," she warned him.

    "What is it," Ryans eyes formed into a slit, he didn''t dare move.

    "Look at those trails��" She pointed to a messily swept path, "It''s almost as if someone, not one, but two were dragged into the hut - look at the drag marks - Since Daniel''s scent is strong here, then I''m on the right track. That means -"

    "There''s a trap around here," Ryan figured out.

    "Bingo. Now would you take a step back," Lia was smug as Ryan obeyed.

    She scanned the area with her sharp eyes and somehow saw a slipknot hidden tactically beneath a pile of leaves mess.

    "Amateur," Lia smirked, pulled off the boot she had stolen from the pack - the owner would understand - and threw it in the middle of that trash.

    At once, darts from trees encompassing that particular spot descended on the space - that would have been them if they hadn''t been careful.

    "He''s no amateur," Ryan disagreed with her.

    "I think we''ve just stumbled upon something big," Lia muttered, wide-eyed shocked.

    *******************************

    "A-hem," the alpha cleared his throat, "As you all know, my name is Daniel and I''m the chief of Kinney Village, or so you guys think cause, in reality, I''m a werewolf. Yeah, a real-life werewolf and not one out of a fantasy book�� " He glanced up towards the boy waiting for further instruction, "What next? I''ve introduced myself already, "

    "This is the part where you show them proof. Everyone would think this a joke unless you show them the facts," Eric insisted.

    "Sorry but I can''t," Daniel shrugged,

    "Not with silver tied around me like this," He was overjoyed, it seemed like the universe was on his side.

    A sly smirk formed around the corners of Eric''s mouth, "Nice try," His gaze darkened, having seen through his trick, "I think I have a better volunteer,"

    Within their watchful eyes, Eric grabbed the pup from the feet and let him dangle in the air carelessly.

    "How does he shift back to human? It should be enough for the camera"

    Ben and Daniel''s gaze connected, both shifting uneasily in their seats.

    "Or maybe you need motivation.Again."

    Eric brought out the gun and settled it on the pup.

    "And here we go again," Ben groaned. Throughout the past hour, his soul had repeatedly left his body times without number.

    "I don''t know what happened to you boy, but you don''t want to do this," Daniel tried to get to him.

    Emotionlessly, Eric cocked the gun.

    Ben leaned towards Daniel, " He does want to do this,"

    "Alright," He gave in once again, " Kaji shift -"

    "Bam!"

    A sound came from outside.

    Eric threw his hands up, "Just how many of your kind did you come with?!"

    No answer.

    "Fine," He said grudgingly, hiding the gun in the back of his waistband," I''ll deal with them myself," with that being said, Eric left - but not without disabling Kaji once again.

    "What''s the chance that was Lia?" Daniel threw a rhetorical question.

    "Hundred and one percent," was Ben''s reply.

    "Just pray she doesn''t fall into that trap, she''s our last hope," Daniel was worried.

    Ben retorted ironically, "Don''t worry, she''s not as shortsighted as you,"

    **********************

    Eric walked over to his trap carefully, brows furrowing when he found empty darts yet there was no fallen target unless someone��.

    He turned around with fast reflexes, whipping out his gun and had it pointed at the Lia who flew down from a tree and kicked it out of his grip.

    "Nice to meet you asshole," she gave him a powerful flying kick that sent him to the floor and rendering him unconscious.

    Ryan came down from the opposite tree saying, "The alpha,"

    They both rushed into the house.

    "Welcome," Daniel smiled at her but Lia ignored him and went to release Kaji instead, " Poor thing," she broke through the chain effortlessly unlike Ryan who was still having problems with one.

    Once free, Kaji climbed onto Ben''s laps as Lia broke him free too before proceeding to Sam.

    She turned to help Daniel but he was in front of her - seems Ryan has done the work already.

    "You''re giving me the silent treatment," He said but Lia ignored him and tried to move the other way but he blocked her path.

    "Fine, I''m sorry. I should have told you but I thought there was no need for that- it''s just a job little the werewolf coaxed her into talking to him.

    "Yet, I saved your ass. Again," she pointed out.

    "I know, I''m sorry"

    "Thank your God you have an irresistible face," She pulled him down by the collar and kissed him full on the lips.

    A pang of jealousy hit Ben when he saw that scene that he looked away, focusing his attention on the pup in his arms.

    "We need to leave," Ryan Informed the alpha who was still sucking faces with his mate.

    "No, we can''t leave, not without Eric" Ben demanded.

    "Why?"

    "Because he''s a murderer, he''s responsible for Alexa''s death. Where is he?"

    "Here I am," Eric appeared in the doorway and fired two shots.

    It happened too quickly.

    The gun was fired at Ryan, but it happened that Ben had gotten in his way at that time.

    However, Lia also sped over and put herself in the line of the fire. Instead of the gun hitting Ben, two of them penetrated her body.

    "Lia!"

    Daniel saw red and he lost control, shifting into his wolf and leaped at Eric who kept firing while retreating.

    With his claws, he fought against the rain of bullets with fluid dodgings and movements until the fool ran out of shots.

    "Uh-oh" Eric''s eyes widened, watching the massive grey wolf stand on his hind legs and tower over him.

    Before he could say, Jack Robinson, the wolf swallowed his head, ripping it entirely from his body.

    Eric''s headless body fell to the ground with a soft thud while the head was tossed carelessly to the side. Even in death, Eric''s saliva-covered face had a horrid expression - he never foresaw that he would die in the hands of one of the creatures he loathed and desired to eradicate.

    "Hey Lia, don''t sleep," Ben slapped her cheeks the umpteenth time she tried to close her eyes.

    He glanced up towards Ryan, "Why is her body not ejecting the bullet?" Ben asked, worried about her increasing temperature.

    "The bullet is silver coated, hence poisonous to most supernatural creatures - if not all. It got into her bloodstream hence her body can''t eject, rather heal up with it, resulting to death afterward unless it''s taken out manually," Ryan added, "And on time,"

    "Lia can''t die, right?" Ben was unsure, this was the first time they were encountering such a situation.

    "I don''t know but we can''t just sit and find out," Ryan said and had already positioned himself before her when Daniel showed up.

    "Leave her to me," He ordered Ryan, taking his place beside her. Daniel was wearing Eric''s shorts since his own had been ripped in the process of shifting- he had no choice.

    "Love, it''s me," He cradled her head in his arms.

    Lia opened her eyes. Her body was on fire and she was sweating all over; the feeling was akin to that time she had taken sunshine - her body was burning inside out.

    "It hurts," she cried.

    "I know," Daniel comforted her, "But don''t worry, it would be over soon,"

    However, she didn''t have that much patience.

    "Ahhh!" Lia screamed, blasting a hole through the thatched roof that rained straws on them, they took cover.

    "I have to take her outside before she brings down this shack on us,". Daniel said, discovering her powers were manifesting each time a spasm went through her.

    "Alright" they all agreed without hesitation, the girl could scream like a banshee.

    Daniel carried her out before she released another earth-shattering scream that made his ear bleed.

    "Alright, this is it " He placed her head on his shoulder and went ahead to flick out his claws which he used to dig into her back, tearing open her flesh and searching blindingly for the bullets.

    Even with the light coming from the hut, Ben stood outside, still couldn''t see clearly in the dark. However, he winced and looked away from the scene.

    Lia screamed in pain, her claws drawing out and digging into his arms alongside her fangs she sank it into his neck.

 Chapter 280 - Two Hundred And Eighty: Found Out About Her Powers

    Daniel''s eyes glowed yellow.

    It was almost like electricity was coursing through his veins, a sweet pain. The more she fed on him, the more pleasure screamed through him and he was having a hard time concentrating on finding the bullets.

    Lia''s eyes flashed yellow briefly, switching to its usual magenta as she fed on him. The more the pain came, the more she drank from him and though the blood wasn''t as satisfying as Asher''s, it had its distinct taste that left her craving for more.

    Daniel managed to take hold of the few lingering self-control and took out one of the bullets. She screamed into his neck, choking on his blood yet she refused to take a breather, greedily devouring the red liquid.

    For a moment there, Daniel thought he connected with her wolf, Lolli, but the feeling was gone before he could grasp it.

    He managed to remove the last bullet, ending her suffering as her body finally healed up properly. A normal wolf who survived this ordeal would need a shift to detoxify the rest of the poison - the vessel and the wolf were one and stronger in that form. However,

    Daniel couldn''t understand how her body worked, he surmised that his blood she took from him flushed out the rest of the toxic or so he thought because she ended up throwing up half of it.

    "What''s wrong with her?" Ryan asked when she wouldn''t stop throwing up.

    "She took too much," Ben said, " It''s bad for her digestive tract; it takes the one she needs and expels the rest,"

    "How do you know all that?" Daniel felt a twinge of jealousy, why did that boy know so much than him?

    "Try being her best friend, and I, the mate, then you''d know the things you want to," Ben suggested. Hopefully?.

    Daniel didn''t give him as much as a look, focusing his attention on his mate done with throwing her guts up.

    "How do you feel?" He carried her in his arms.

    "Like I want to murder Eric," She slurred.

    "Don''t worry, I did you the favor already, mate"

    "No, I want to squeeze his tiny life with my own hands," she insisted, attempting to get off his body.

    "Seriously," Daniel''s tone was firm, "He''s dead. So unless you need his flesh for skins and hide, I''ll advise you to have a short sleep,"

    Lia laid against him, she didn''t argue with him and shut her eyes to catch a short sleep.

    "What about Eric? I would have suggested tossing and burying his body In a shallow grave somewhere in the woods. However, this case is beyond us all. Eric killed humans and people need to know he has been brought to justice," Ben added, "But then, how are we going to do that with his head dismembered from his body; the public would think he was murdered instead,"

    "Don''t worry, the council would take care of that" Daniel assigned the duty to Ryan.

    "Get rid of that video camera," the alpha ordered, finally leaving with the girl while the tired Kanji nestled in Sam''s cradle, trailed after them.

    "And I''m always the one cleaning up the mess," Ryan complained, watching them as they departed till they weren''t in sight anymore.

    "Make that two," Ben reminded him that he wasn''t alone- his precious pup had not even wished him goodbye.

    "Very well, then. I''ll get that cursed camera first," Ryan said and went into the ruined hut - thanks to Lia''s scream.

    Ben sighed, turning around that exact moment to see Eric''s ghost. Normally, he would have screamed, creeped out by that scene but Ben was still angry to care this time. An evil grin curved his lips, gotcha.

    "How does it feel to be a ghost?" He walked over to the shocked late Eric.

    "How can you s-see me?" His eyes were wide. Eric had a hard time believing that he was dead, not to talk of Ben being able to see him.

    "I guess not everybody has to be a night creature to have superpowers," Ben was smug.

    "How does it feel to know that you failed in your so-called ''Vengeance'' ?" he carried on with his mockery.

    Unlike what Ben thought, Eric was not as frightening as anticipated: His head was not separated from his body, rather the laceration marks were prominent, dripping endless blood.

    "It''s disappointing," Eric was grieved, "But don''t think that just because you ended me means it''s over,"

    Ben cocked a brow, "What do you mean?"

    "As far as I existed, there have to be other people who would carry on with this great undertaking I never finished. Tell those taboos to rejoice now because a time is coming when they wouldn''t be able to hide in the shadows anymore," cackled Eric.

    "Yeah, sure," Ben nodded, " I''ll be sure to tell them but before then, I want to send you on an errand too"

    It was time for Eric to be confused, "What?"

    "Say hi to the devil for me,"

    At once a blackish portal materialized behind Eric and began to suck him into it.

    "No!" Eric screamed and tried to grasp onto Ben but he was whisked into oblivion.

    "I''ve just found-" Ryan, who emerged out of the hut stopped, sensing something beyond mundane comprehension just happened," Did -"

    "Nothing," Ben smiled innocently.

    Unknown to Ben, he started another commotion in the underworld. The grim reapers were throwing a tantrum; flipping tables in annoyance - that boy had just given them another assignment in Tartarus. No one wanted to go down there.

    *************************

    Asher felt it.

    The bond shifted.

    It heightened on the other side.

    Daniel''s.

    "You''re up," Dan went over to his bedside.

    Asher sat up, wiping his lips with the back of his hand to spot blood, his brows furrowed," What is this?"

    "You were almost dried up, we revived you with blood," his right-hand man explained.

    "Is that why you all gathered in my room as if I was taking my last breath," Asher gestured to Gideon, Zukai, and Electra - surprisingly - occupying various sitting places in his room.

    Ever since that war with the Raven Clan, his daughter barged into his house and occupied one of the rooms here, living with him ever since.

    "I''m Nicolli and your daughter, I have to learn your ways if I''m to take your place when you die - which you would eventually," She had emphasized when he confronted her about moving in.

    Asher hadn''t said much, as far as she didn''t cause trouble, no one was chasing her out. Moreover, Electra was his daughter, even if they started on the wrong foot - though she was simply here to take over his position.

    "We were worried when you didn''t wake last night," Gideon said.

    "They''re the worried ones, not me," Electra clarified, "I''m just here to confirm your death," she gave her own reason.

    At least, she''s a sincere one.

    But Asher was not bothered about that, he had far more important things on his mind, "How''s my mother?"

    "She''s okay, though hasn''t stepped out of the room since yesterday," Dan answered.

    Asher was curious about something else, Dan could see that and knew it was about his mate. Has something happened? However, it was none of his business. Moreover, there were more pressing issues at hand.

    "Sabrina was summoned by the council today," He notified him.

    Asher''s head jerked up, " Why?"

    "Apparently, they found out about her powers. Remember it had been taken away by Amala, or so they thought. Currently, she''s been questioned,"

    "And Devon? "

    "She went ahead to validate her claims. Sabrina''s pushing ahead with the excuse that Devon''s mother gave those powers to her," Dan explained.

    "That was expected. We always knew sooner or later, it would all come down to this - it wouldn''t surprise me if I''m the next" Asher spoke out.

    "Oh, you''re the next,"

    "What?"

    Asher jinxed his luck.

    "There''s a hunter currently waiting for you downstairs," he was informed.

    "The rest of you should leave my room save Dan," Was his imperial command.

    "Of course, your favorite son stays back as usual," Electra said sarcastically and left alongside the others.

    "You need to spend time with your daughter," Dan observed. There was no mistake the murderous glare Electra gave him. He was not occupying her position, just doing his work, Dan thought.

    "There''s no time for that at the moment, I have a lot on my hand with limited time. Electra would understand that," Asher said, dressing up.

    Let''s hope she does, Dan hoped. He does not need anyone murdering him in his sleep out of jealousy.

    "How many hunters are out there?" he inquired.

    "Just one and you should know him - you have quite a history," Dan was amused.

    Asher''s face was distorted as he went through centuries-old memory, " Chris Merde?"

    "Bingo,"

    Asher grimaced, if that hunter was here, that means he had something on him. After all, both of them weren''t exactly friends. They had a lot of altercations in the past because of Gideon - that vampire had once been a handful. His control over blood wasn''t much, leading to unfortunate messes he had to clean up, hence had run into Chris on three or four occasions and both didn''t exactly see eye to eye.

 Chapter 281 - Two Hundred And Eighty-one: Electras Mate

    Electra carefully slipped into the room with subtle steps and cat-like leaps. Her eyes scanned her environment, catching sight of the human checking her outfit in front of the standing mirror.

    Her lips tilted to the side, what was so special about this ugly redhead? Fine, she would just get rid of her.

    Tricia was dressing up to go see Trevor, her boyfriend had been down the past days and it was her responsibility to cheer him up as his girlfriend.

    She brought a crop top to her chest contemplatively, " Would my bust look bigger�� Umm?"

    Tricia tossed it to the bed, picking up the bum short to check it out. Was this one too inappropriate? Trevor was a shy one and this was the first time she would be coming to his place- there was a possibility she might bump into his mother.

    "Don''t think it''s any better, my butt cheeks would be exposed," she said aloud

    "Yeah, you''re right. I don''t want him to see those flabby butts,"

    Tricia whipped around, startled to see the stranger in her room. Her heart leaped out of her chest, where did she come from?

    "What the hell!" Tricia exclaimed, hands on her chest, "Who are you and how the hell did you get into my room?" Her eyes scrutinized the blonde girl with the greenest of eyes she had ever seen. Wait a minute, those eyes looked familiar, where had she seen it?

    "You have quite a collection," Tricia ignored her question, strolling to her bed and picked up one of the g-string; stretching the expensive piece.

    "I asked you a question," Tricia appeared to be brave but inwardly, she feared this strange fellow.

    "You''re prepared," Electra said, dropping the panty and scanning the rest of the seductive attires on her bed.

    "What?"

    Their eyes met, Tricia took a step back. Though the girl was smiling, she had a bloodthirsty aura which made the girl take a step back.

    "You''re prepared to sleep with him, today, aren''t you?" Electra''s calm yet burning gaze fixed her to the spot.

    She took a step forward, " You see, I don''t like the sound of that; you trying to take something that doesn''t belong to me,"

    At once, Tricia made a shot for the door but lo and behold, that strange girl was in front of the door without moving. How did she do that?

    Her instincts told her there was danger and Tricia tried to scream but the girl had pressed her against the wall, palming her mouth with a sly smirk on her lips.

    "Too late for that,"

    With that being said, Electra tipped the girl''s chin upward, made her look straight into her eyes saying, "You would call Trevor right this moment and break up with him without asking questions,"

    The girl''s eyes dilated and as though under hypnosis, picked the phone from on top of her vanity''s table and called Trevor.

    The phone rang, the receiver picking up at the first ring.

    "Hello, Tricia. You must be -"

    "Let''s break up, Trevor "

    "Huh?" the voice at the other end was shocked, "What are you talking -"

    "Don''t look for me, goodbye,"

    She ended the call.

    "Good girl," Electra played with the end of her hair, stopping to sniff her scent.

    "Not bad," Her fangs emerged. she tilted her head, prepared to drink from this available blood source when she found out��

    "Damn it, she''s an accepted one" Electra groaned her disappointment. The council would be on her heels once she drinks on this one.

    Giving up, the girl retracted her fang while Tricia remained receptive to every one of her actions.

    Electra clasped her face, "You would not remember whatever happened here nor me, neither would you go back on your words of leaving Trevor," She added, just to be safe.

    Satisfied, she glanced at her handiwork one last time before leaving the room as Tricia returned to her former self. Her face distorted in disgust when she remembered she had been dressing up to meet that moron, Trevor.

    Thank God she had broken up with him.

    *********************************

    Trevor was exasperated, her mother''s attitude since yesterday was getting on his nerves. Though he knew Lia would either be at Asher''s or Daniel''s yet he was worried, what if she did something stupid.

    Fine, he was sorry for blurting her secret out. But she wasn''t picking his calls to hear his apology. Trevor was just angry that day nor did he expect that it would escalate to this level.

    Yes, he knew their mother would be angry, but to this extent? It was unbelievable.

    Trevor has felt guilty ever since. His mood dampened until Tricia said she was coming over. He had wanted to meet her somewhere else, but since everyone was coming clean with their secrets, he might as well announce his girlfriend to his mother.

    So Trevor waited anxiously that when he received her call, he had rushed to the entrance thinking she was at his door already.

    "Hello Tricia, you must be here -" his hand grabbing the doorknob loosened when he heard;

    "Let''s break up, Trevor"

    A bomb went off in his head, what did he just hear?

    "Huh?" his voice cracked, "What are you talking -"

    "Don''t look for me, goodbye"

    What just happened? Trevor was dumbfounded.

    To make matters worse, his mother came at that moment with a notice board in hand.

    "Seriously mom?" Trevor fumed upon reading what was written on it, "You''re hell-bent on selling this house?!"

    "Get out of my way, Trevor," she hissed.

    "Can''t you just rethink this? You''re making a mistake here, mother,"

    "There''s no such thing as a mistake!" Jenny bellowed, "Your sister was once an obedient daughter but take a look at her now? She''s rebelling and dating two men! Two men!"

    "That''s how things are around here, mother! Get used to it!" Trevor lost his temper, "We might be your kids but all trio of us have undergone experiences that you would never imagine in this lifetime! We are not just your kids anymore, mom, we''re a family to a whole other world out there,"

    Jenny was struck dumb; her mouth was open yet she couldn''t make a sound.

    "Also," Trevor added, "If you''re to be mad at someone, it should be at your husband who led us into this lifestyle in the first place,"

    The woman burst into tears and ran into her room, shutting the door with a bang.

    "This is getting depressing," Commented Rex who had been watching the drama all this time.

    Trevor ran his hand through his hair, he was an emotional wreck: his girlfriend of a few weeks just broke up with him plus an argument with his stubborn mother who wouldn''t accept the change in her children.

    Disappointed and heartbroken, Trevor headed back to his room and threw himself on the bed where he decided to drown himself with love songs. Reminiscing the good times with the songs playing from his earplugs, he unintentionally fell asleep.

    During that sleep, Trevor had a dream where someone slipped into his room and got into bed with him - only that it wasn''t a dream.

    At once, with fast reflexes, Trevor picked his weapon from beneath his pillow and pinned the girl beneath him. His hand holding the weapon was raised in the air, ready to strike while his other arm was wedged against her neck. His eyes slightly widened when he saw it was that odd vampire who tried to murder yet resuscitated him.

    Strangely, he should be plunging that stake into her dark heart but he couldn''t moreover, he didn''t sense any murderous intent from her- which was strange. Why was she hovering around him when she made it clear, it was his life she needed.

    " That''s not the way to treat your mate"

    Trevor blinked, what the hell was she talking about?

    " If this is a game, then it must end tonight," He said yet couldn''t bring himself to stab her and end this nonsense.

    " Bring down the stake, Trevor," she ordered.

    Odd, he really wanted to obey. What the hell was going on with him?

    "Bring down the stake," She repeated yet he didn''t obey, rather was enthralled by her musical voice and her mesmerizing eyes.

    But his senses returned when he found himself being pinned down instead.

    "Who the hell are you and what do you want from me?" he questioned amid his heart slamming against his chest.

    " I am Electra and I have come to claim you, my mate"

    "Mate? " Trevor must have heard wrong, and of course he knew what a mate was. However, there was no way on earth, that he was a mate to the very creature he hunted and disgusted.

    "However, you my mate have been very naughty lately," her eyes darkened.

    At first, she had never intended to claim him, but after seeing him with that Tricia and Williams? She wondered why she should even give up on him and suffer the backlash of rejecting a mate. Now, she wasn''t letting him go, neither would another take him from her else she would rain down her wrath.

    Trevor gulped, " You''re crazy. There is no way on earth that I''m mate with -"

    The rest of his words were swallowed by the kiss initiated by Electra. Trevor thought he would be repulsed by the kiss but to his greatest surprise, he was the one kissing her back and craving for more.

    Soon enough, the fire ignited between both couldn''t be contained anymore and soon, clothes began to fly from diverse directions to the ground.

    Finally, Trevor lost his long preserved innocence to his tsundere mate, Electra.

 Chapter 282 - Two Hundred And Eighty-two: On Your Way, Hunter

    Daniel continuously ran his hand on that spot where Lia had bitten him, it refused to heal which could only mean one thing- she had marked him. No wonder, he felt the bond between them had heightened, so he was on the same par with Asher?

    As selfish as that sounds, he was glad. He had always been slightly jealous of the vampire having an upper hand in the relationship, but now he had a mark to show off too.

    But then, this made resisting her all the more torturous. Now, he would have a much harder time resisting her when it was everything his wolf desired, to finally be one with her.

    As if she knew what was on his mind, Lia awoke that moment and placed her head on his chest, her hair tickling yet sending her tantalizing sight straight into his nose. Gosh, this was plain torture.

    "How do you feel?" He asked, feeling her temperature. She had had a fever when he first brought her in.

    "Never been better," She bit down on her lips sexily, he gulped. Every one of her moves - innocent or not- was deemed irresistible in his eyes.

    She lifted her head, her eyes holding her gaze, and slowly pushed herself to be on the same level as him.

    A low grunt was torn from Daniel''s throat, he lifted his hands and grabbed her waist to pull her away from him - he probably would not be able to handle himself around her until he got used to this new feeling.

    But the girl refused to be moved, pinned his hand to the bed instead and she hovered over him, moving sensuously against him as a low growl resonated from his throat. That was a warning and the limit he could go.

    "Lia, I won''t be able to-"

    "Shhh," She pressed her finger against his lips, leaning her head to whisper into his ears saying, "Don''t say a word,"

    Her hot breath hitting his neck made his body tingled. Did she even know what she was saying? Don''t say a word when he was slowly losing it? Was she giving him a signal to go on with the wicked plans he had in store for her? Or was this one of her teasing again? Gosh, he was so confused.

    Daniel lifted his head, "Lia, you don''t understand what you''re getting into. Something''s changed -"

    "I said shut up! I mean��" her raised voice lowered, "Lie down and don''t say a word,"

    That was odd yet sexily mean.

    "Fine," Daniel gave up and laid back. Lia was his mate and probably knew what she was doing. If she wanted to have fun with him, why deny her? He''d rather be starved than let her go look for Aster to satisfy her after getting the same offer on a golden platter.

    She slowly took his shirt off without taking her eyes off him, Daniel grew bigger beneath - who said being a man was easy. His muscles flexed as she caressed his abdominal muscles.

    Daniel watched her cover the space between them, her soft, warm lips finally moving against his- all he could ever wish. She didn''t waste time to pry his tongue open, inserting her tongue and sucking him.

    The werewolf was so much lost in this pleasure that it came as a huge shocker to him when something sharp was plunged into his stomach.

    His scream of pain was swallowed by her as she kissed him further while his eyes widened till they couldn''t stretch anymore.

    The pain was unbearable that he tried pushing her away but her grip was surprisingly ironclad, she had him real tight.

    "Lia!" Daniel finally managed to pull away from the kiss but all he received was a cold smirk and her magenta eyes screaming mockery at him. What the hell was wrong with her?

    "What are you doing?" Sweat beaded his forehead, she was stabbing him with a knife.

    "Ending your miserable life," she released a smile that made the hairs on his arms stand on edge.

    To prove her point, she twisted the knife causing him to grunt in pain. At that moment, Daniel realized she was intent on ending him. He could now smell the blood lust on her which she had hidden earlier with her sexual act.

    Daniel didn''t understand what was going on at all but it was obvious to him that it was to defend himself or get killed. So he head-butted her, causing her clasp to loosen, and drove his kneel to her side which threw her off the bed.

    He pulled off the knife wedged into his stomach with a scream of agony, tossing it to the side just as his mate threw herself on him, attacking him once more.

    "Lia, get a grip on yourself," He managed to speak through her choking him.

    "I''m in my right senses," She claimed. However, the mad glint in her eyes told Daniel he was far from okay, something was not alright.

    He tried to take her hands off his neck yet the girl was unbelievably strong. How did it get to this?

    "Die!" Lia hissed, tightening her grip.

    Suddenly, Daniel left her hands and snapped her neck causing her to collapse on top of him.

    His breath was uneven and fast, still not believing what just happened. One moment, she was loving him and the next, killing him.

    He pushed Lia who had lost consciousness to the side, struggling to get to his feet. He winced upon moving, the knife wound was deep and wouldn''t heal anytime soon.

    "Ryan," He called for his beta through the mind link, without telling him what happened.

    When Ryan made it into his room, his eyes widened to the size of saucers when he took in the scene.

    "Alpha!" he was at his side immediately, "What the hell happened? Gosh, you''re bleeding, you need help!" he attempted to call for one but Daniel held him back.

    "No, don''t. It would spell scandal if the pack gets to hear that their impending Luna stabbed the alpha - they might cast stones at her for this," Daniel was worried.

    "She did this?!" Ryan fumed, "At Least, let me deal with -"

    "No, she wasn''t in her right senses," Daniel stopped him once more, "I think that something is wrong with her. I need you to do something for me,"

    "You need to be treated first," Ryan demanded. Why was their Alpha so damn stubborn?! This girl would be the death of him!

    "No, I''ll heal in a few hours -"

    "Painfully and slowly. Look how deep that wound is, she really wanted you dead, Daniel. Can''t you see that?" Ryan pointed out with a stubborn thrust of his chin.

    "Am your alpha and you would do as I say," Daniel ordered.

    Ryan sighed, this was the time he wished his aunt Phoebe was here, she would restore Daniel''s senses.

    "Fine, what do you want, Alpha," He goaded him.

    Daniel sensed the scorn in his voice, however, didn''t say a thing. Ryan was only looking out for him.

    "Tie the girl up, make sure she doesn''t escape. Then call Asher while I go to take care of my miserable self,"

    ***********************************

    Asher found himself downstairs where he met the hunter on his feet, taking in the look of the living room.

    "The chairs are not for fancy, " Asher implied he should have a seat.

    "Don''t worry, I''m not here to dilly dally. I want this settled as soon as possible since it''s obvious that I can''t stand the sight of you vampires," Chris didn''t hide the disgust in his voice.

    "Your loss then," Asher plopped down on his expensive modernized sofa with a devil may care attitude. There was a flute in his grasp containing a red, thick liquid which Chris didn''t need to guess what it was- blood.

    Asher knew the sight of him sipping that blood made the man uncomfortable yet didn''t give a care. He had done it on purpose to irk the bastard - Chris knew.

    "What''s the reason behind your visit, Chris?" Asher drawled as if speaking was a huge job.

    "You should know that?" The hunter retorted.

    "Oh," Asher smirked, "Are you giving me permission to hypnotize your mind and find out the truth?"

    Chris scowled at him yet assumed a blank expression, " What''s your relationship with the girl?"

    "What girl?" Asher asked without blinking.

    "Don''t play games with me, Asher Nicolli. I know what it''s going on around here" Chris claimed.

    "Really? Do tell then, humor me," His irritating smirk grew.

    Chris formed a fist with his hand yet went ahead to say, "You turned Daniel''s mate into a vampire which explains your usual relationship with both. We all know the strong bond between the sire and the sired"

    "So?"

    "That''s what I thought but the more I think about that, it seems I''m missing something major,"

    "So?" Asher continued.

    "I need to have the girl investigated,"

    This time, something flashed across Asher''s eyes. He dropped the flute on the ground, "And here I was thinking you were here to investigate the war between the Nicolli and Raven clan,"

    "You''d still be investigated for that," Chris informed him.

    "Just as you said, you understand the bond between the sire and the sired. So if you want to lay your miserable finger on my sired, go through the formal procedure and get the license from the council,",

    Chris'' jaw ticked, as far as the girl had not committed any notable crime, he had no right to interrogate her without the permission of her sire.

    " I would not give up, " He swore.

    "Sure, determination Is a pretty good motivator. Now be on your way, hunter"

 Chapter 283 - Two Hundred And Eighty-three: Mate The Alpha

    "You lied," Dan was beside him immediately the hunter left.

    "What was I supposed to tell him? That one of my subordinates did it? You know he hates Gideon the most - well me now. But Chris would chew him alive, the only reason that hunter is holding back is because he thinks I''m the one responsible for Lia and it would remain that way" Asher added, "No matter what happens," He was determined.

    "Well, if you''re done with that, then you should know that we have a problem," Dan announced.

    Asher''s face rose, "A problem? What now?"

    "Your mate attacked Daniel,"

    He stood abruptly, astounded by the unimaginable news "What are you talking about?"

    "Gideon received the news, your love rival is requesting your presence,"

    "Daniel? Take me there,"

    "My pleasure,"

    Asher didn''t even need to blink, he was there already.

    "Seriously, you need to tie a bell around your waist to proclaim your presence," Ryan was startled to see them in the room without alerting.

    "You''re here," Daniel grimaced slightly when the doctor tightened the plaster gauze around him. The bleeding had been stopped, his stomach wrapped with the white clothing.

    "You should be healed in two hours," The doctor patted his shoulder, packed her equipment, and left the room before Asher said a word.

    "Where is Lia?"

    Dan wasn''t even surprised by that question, the only thing that mattered to Asher was his mate.

    "Over there," Daniel gestured his head to the corner of the bed where the girl was leaning against, chained and asleep.

    Asher''s eyes flashed, "What did you do to her?! " He growled and took a step towards Daniel but Ryan obstructed his path.

    "I think that question should be, what did she do to Daniel?" Ryan challenged," She almost killed him,"

    Asher would have argued that, if the evidence wasn''t solid and present. Now he reasoned, there was no way Daniel would lay a hand against Lia. Why would he even do that? Doing that would only favor him - Asher - more - which Daniel disliked.

    "Release her," Asher ordered.

    "No way," Ryan stood his ground, "Who knows what she would do to him once freed,"

    "Do as he says Ryan. Besides, she''s still asleep," Daniel observed.

    "Fine," Ryan grumbled, reluctantly unlocking the cuff he used on her. But to his astonishment, hardly had the chains fallen off, did she push him to the side, sprang up like a lioness stalking her prey for long, headed for Daniel with bloodthirsty intent.

    However, before she achieved her purpose, Asher got in her way, grabbed her face to look into his eyes, and said,

    "Sleep,"

    At once, a strong feeling of lethargy washed over Lia, her eyelids drooped and she slumped against him, asleep.

    Asher caught her from falling, carried her in his arms, and handed her over to Dan.

    His right-hand man didn''t need to be told what to do, he took the girl from Asher and vanished. Reappearing seconds later.

    Daniel and Ryan''s questioning looks fell on Asher yet none of them dared to question how he was able to do that. Well, every vampire had the power to mesmerize their victims, they all assumed. However, deep inside they knew it was more than that - Daniel especially.

    "Tell me what happened?" Asher''s question worked as a pretty good distraction from their keen curiosity.

    "It is as it is. She attacked me out of nowhere," Daniel didn''t go into much detail, however, Asher ascertained what they were doing when the attack came.

    "Did you do anything to provoke such a negative response," detective Asher questioned through slitted eyes. He had a niggling suspicion in mind but he had to be sure.

    "We were having a good time together and then suddenly, she went attacking mode on me," Explained Daniel - the hidden details subtly coming to light.

    Jealousy hit Asher but he didn''t say a word, he had been the one who sent her to Daniel hence had no right to quibble on that.

    "But there''s something strange about Lia, "

    Asher''s interest was piqued, he switched off his busy mind, tuning the whole of his attention to what Daniel had to say.

    Daniel started, "The previous night, Lia said she had a dream where she stabbed me with a scalpel,"

    "So?" Asher pressed him to continue.

    "I told her it was just a dream. But when she went to answer nature''s call, I stumbled upon the scalpel - right at the foot of my bed,"

    "You didn''t tell me about that," Ryan complained, " This was a warning and I could have done something about that,"

    "Even with that, no one saw that coming. What could you have done about that anyway? Kill her? You dumbhead, she''s his - their mate," Dan argued with him, yet rubbed his temple- these couples seem to magnate trouble effortlessly.

    "I would send her back to you guys and save our alpha, what if she had succeeded in murdering Daniel?" Ryan countered.

    "Listen here both of you, we''re not here to fight amongst each other nor assign blames and regrets rather solve this issue. Now if you would please, allow Daniel to finish up," Asher interrupted both of who was currently bent on arguing away their time.

    "Thank you, your honor," Daniel cleared his throat, "Now as I was saying before I was interrupted, I found out later that Lia has not been interacting with Lolli?"

    "Who''s Llli?" Asher was now confused.

    "Her wolf; the beast inside of us, what makes us the half-wolf in werewolf. We, humans, are the vessel and though we have sixty percent control over them - in prime condition- they still affect our actions. A good relationship with one''s beast boost our everyday performance but never rely on them entirely - they''re called beast for a reason; cruel, unpredictable and malicious, especially when angry, "

    "So what happens when one loses their beast?" Asher was now beginning to join the dots together.

    "One doesn''t lose their beast. Once dead, both of you die but��" He trailed off, eyes slowly widening in realization.

    "But what?" asked Asher, hooked by the revelation.

    "You could lock them away by cutting their connection to us or the beast simply ignores you. So tell me, Asher ��" Daniel''s gaze darkened, "What did you do to Lia?"

    "I think that question should be directed to Raphael, he forced something into Lia''s body," Dan was the one who answered.

    "Nadia was right, it does have a side effect," Asher mumbled.

    "What are they talking about?" Daniel was now left in confusion.

    "After Raphael was exterminated, we got a disturbing report that he fed Lia Odin: a sedative love portion created by witches that are used to chase a third party in a relationship away,"

    Daniel was flabbergasted, he pointed to his chest asking in disbelief, "You''re saying I''m the third party?"

    "I''m saying that my selfish late brother wanted Lia all to himself that he intentionally locked away her wolf, knowing that was the only connection between the both of you," Asher figured out.

    "Drowsiness, hallucinations, paranoia - I remembered Nadia mentioning something about that," Dan added.

    "If that''s the case of her losing interest in me, then why does she want to kill me?" Daniel stepped towards him, " I saw the look in her eyes while we battled, there was no affection there, just plain�� disgust,"

    "I don''t know about �� oh my God," Asher came to a startling realization, his eyes dilated " I finally figured out the problem,"

    Everyone looked up at him for answers with positive expectations.

    "Unlike humans, our own feelings are heightened, magnified, which makes us feel double the emotions humans experience. So if all feelings of love were taken from her, the emotion that replaces it is -"

    "Hate," Daniel interrupted, "She hates me to the core hence the need to destroy me,"

    "Sadly, yes," Asher acquiesced. Lucky him.

    "I need to bring Lolli back,"

    "Yeah, exactly, how?" Asher asked.

    Daniel and Ryan exchanged a look, an action that Asher didn''t fail to capture.

    "I''m old enough to know that secret glances like that aren''t good news," The sensitive vampire noticed, "What''s up, Daniel?"

    The werewolf licked his lips, his head scratching the back of his head awkwardly, how was he going to announce this?

    "There''s a way we werewolves do that but it''s bad news for you," Daniel beat around the bush.

    Asher''s eyes narrowed, it was obvious that he wasn''t going to like the sound of "that", "Go straight to -"

    "They need to mate,"

    "What?" Asher was taken aback by that sudden revelation.

    "The alpha needs to sleep with his mate, only his wolf can bring her wolf back around," Ryan who had broken the news, further explained.

    Asher''s face distorted, "If you tell me that fucking between your kinds is a spiritual activity, then I''ll blow your head off," He threatened through gritted teeth.

    "I don''t need to say a thing, you know it''s the truth already," Daniel said.

    Asher gulped, anger mixed with helplessness coursing through his veins. It was the truth, but he wouldn''t admit that. Both had a deal concerning Lia and would keep to that - Lolli lost or not.

    "I''m leaving and until you come up with a plausible solution, Lia would be with me till then," He informed Daniel, gesturing to Dan to send him home.

    "Asher, you know inwardly that no matter what that this would be the outcome. The more you keep delaying, the harder it is to rescue her wolf from that abyss,"

    "I don''t care," Asher hissed without a trace of emotion.

    Tension filled silence reigned.

    Dan took hold of him as they disappeared, leaving Daniel to deal with his problem.

 Chapter 284 - Two Hundred And Eighty-four: Goodbye Alexa

    There was joy in Little Town.

    Alexa''s killer had been found at last - thanks to Ben.

    "I don''t know, but it must have been the fact that I''ve always been snooping around since Alexa''s death, somehow triggered the killer into kidnapping me," answered Ben.

    If there was anything Ben learned today, it was the fact that the council had much more power than he thought. They had covered every source of supernatural tampering, repairing the thatched roof that was destroyed by Lia - though they were still giving them questioning looks about that- reattached Eric''s severed head to his body before the local police could arrive.

    According to the new speech they gave him," Eric was killed in the hands of his own trap he had unintentionally set off while giving chase to him after he-Ben- escaped,"

    Clearly, the boy - Eric- had no shortage of traps either which covered up the loops in the story.

    "So you''re trying to say Eric thought you were catching on to him and decided on eliminating you before he gets busted?" The police interrogated him.

    "Apparently,"

    "Why were you snooping around in the first place? Why did you choose to investigate this case when the police were doing their job?" Questioned another police officer, sitting beside his partner.

    Yeah, obviously doing your job, Ben sassed in his head. If it wasn''t for the timely intervention of his supernatural allies, his body would be dumped in some location where it would be termed a crime scene, by now.

    "Because I wanted to clear my goddess name?" was his answer.

    "Huh?"

    "Goddess?"

    Both men were confused.

    "She''s Lia, a special someone to me. Caroline had always accused her of murdering Alexa since both had never been friends plus the fact her disappearance that day Alexa was kidnapped, was doubtable. So I vied to clear her name because I knew who she was, what she could do and couldn''t" narrated Ben.

    "Did Eric ever tell you the reason he killed Alexa? We investigated both and can''t establish any relationship connecting both, to have brought on such a deadly outcome? It''s a dead end.

    "They never dated nor did both attend the same school and until this very semester did Eric enroll in the school. His reasons? unknown. Though we found out from Eric''s phone that he searched up Alexa on her various social media platform and came to a conclusion that he might have stalked her on several occasions without her noticing hence his expertise in taking her away without leaving a trace that day, "

    "I don''t know," Ben scratched the side of his face. He wasn''t going to tell them that Eric was keen on hunting down supernatural, hence using his unlucky victim as a private Wikipedia - but he could come up with a convincing lie.

    "But there was something," Ben added, attracting their eager attention.

    "What is it?" they inched forward, anxious to know what Ben had to confess.

    "During my miserable stay with Eric, he mentioned his strong disgust for cliques, stating how they claim to be more superior than every other nobody. I suspected that Caroline was his next target considering how he hung around her - everyone could attest to that. He probably was conjuring a smart plan where he could murder Caroline without getting implicated, " Ben lied through his teeth.

    If anyone had a problem with that, suck it up.

    Both policemen stared at each other before whispering something Ben could not catch, nodding and said,

    "Alright, that''s enough. You''re free to go now," they all stood to their feet.

    One of the policeman came over to him, placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing slightly, and said, "Son, you did us proud today"

    Ben gave out a wry smile, he was not used to this kind of friendly attention. The looks people normally gave him were odd, sometimes disgusted ones - he was the eerie kid.

    But right now, they were looking at him as if he were their hero. Well, he''d better get used to this- as long as it lasts. Who knows when they would start giving him the odd looks, again.

    As soon as Ben made it out of the interrogation room, someone threw herself on him - turns out to be Alexa''s mother. Well, this was an overload of praises, he hadn''t even done much - aside from getting himself kidnapped.

    "Thank you�� thank you so much," the woman showered his face with kisses when she withdrew from the hug, overwhelming the poor Ben.

    "Thank you for giving my daughter the justice she deserves," the woman broke down in tears on his body.

    "It''s nothing," Ben placed his hand on the woman''s back, rubbing it soothingly. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Alexa materialize in the station, weeping also.

    "Thank you so much," She finally withdrew, wiping away the tears with the back of her hand.

    "Thank you, son," Her father also shook his arm firmly with a smile of gratitude, followed by the younger sister who hugged him as their mother did.

    Well, Ben turned into a local hero and celebrity - why couldn''t that damn Council take all the glory than leaving all for him - unless they weren''t bothered with that. Hmm, it wouldn''t hurt to be a council member.

    Ben gulped when Caroline stepped forward, with her head lowered while biting on her lips.

    "I''m sorry," she finally apologized, "For the false accusations I laid on you and Lia plus every bad thing I ever did to the both of you,"

    Ben was so stunned by the sudden turn of events that his mouth hung open out of shock. The evil witch was apologizing? Has the world come to an end?

    "And thank you for finding justice for Alexa. I still can''t believe it''s Eric all this time and I''ve been rolling in bed with��." Tears couldn''t let her continue, Caroline shielded her face with her palms, her shoulder shaking with the sobs.

    She hugged Ben who reciprocated the gesture - the possessed Ben. Alexa had taken charge of his body that moment. But this time, Ben felt something was different. Though Alexa was controlling his body, he was clearly aware of what was going on. How was that possible? Has this new change got to do with the kind of ghost possessing him or their intent while doing so? He couldn''t tell.

    Well, this scene was going to be a memorable one.

    So after the hugging episode that lasted for nearly two hours - Alexa''s family weren''t the only people in need of his body. His body was now selling like hotcakes. Being a celebrity was exhilarating at first, but not when some perverted minds took the opportunity to touch some other discreet places.

    First, ghosts assault his body, now humans too. Come and take back your glory, you damn councils - Ben flips the table mentally. He would rather remain the weird, wacky Ben who gets to spend time with his goddess than running from his new touch freely fans.

    "Thank you," Alexa said to him after she emerged from his body and he found a hidden place away from those crazy fans.

    "So you''re leaving now, huh?" Ben couldn''t help but feel teary-eyed. Alexa had been the only ghost keeping him company all this while and might have gotten used to her presence a little - well, a lot?

    "Yes, I need to leave. The only motive binding me to this earth has been fulfilled," She answered.

    "Okay," Ben looked down, unnecessarily keeping himself busy by kicking the little stones in his path away.

    "Why do you ask? Are you going to miss me?" she pouted.

    Ben snorted, "Miss my butt!" yet he went red in the face, "I wouldn''t miss a thing... " He trailed off when the girl took an abrupt step towards him.

    "What are you doing?" Ben gulped, taking a step back.

    "What do you think I''m doing?" She continuously forced him into moving backward as she neared him.

    "In case you''ve forgotten young lady, you''re a ghost. So whatever dirty plan you have in mind would never work," Ben reminded her boldly, halting his movement.

    He said it, ever since she regained her memories, the bad thoughts came along too. Now, he had to protect himself from whatever evil agenda she had in mind. What the hell was he talking about? This was a ghost who couldn''t even touch him, what could she possibly do?

    "Really?" her eyes twinkled.

    " Yes, and as a matter of fact, you -"

    Holy mother fucker.

    Ben stood still as a statue when cold lips pressed against his, what the hell. He could feel the texture of her rigor lips - she was dead.

    It was a brief, almost chaste kiss, but it greatly impacted Ben. How was this possible?

    "I''ll forget about everything once I move over to the other side, so keep on to this memory," she told him after breaking the kiss.

    "Wait, how did you manage to -"

    However, Alexa had already disintegrated into nothing before he could get his question answered.

    And he had a feeling, she did it on purpose.

 Chapter 285 - Two Hundred And Eighty Five : Gave You The Power

    "Who bestowed upon you the powers you use?" interrogated Selena, the council Head overseeing North America.

    "It was bestowed upon me by a sister witch named Nadia whose life was claimed during the battle between the Nicolli and Raven clan after I saved her daughter''s life," lied Sabrina without blinking. She was standing on shaky ground, just a mistake, and these people would vaporize her on the spot.

    As expected the war between those two vampire clans had been so great that Selena took up the case herself. Other times, her overlord Gazia would have taken care of this situation. However, it seems they had woken up from their slumber and tightening their defense.

    The place was sort of a gathering room with a throne in which Selena sat, while Gazia was seated beside her on a lower step and a chair less magnificent than hers and bluish fluorescent bulbs lighting the arena.

    Other chairs were occupied by witches of various levels and importance with a small attendance of high tier Hunters. On the floor where Sabrina stood was an intricate design of triangles with several triangles of different shapes and patterns overlapping each other.

    "You, a witch with no power saved Devon during the war? What could you have done so well without powers?" Mocked Gazia.

    "I might have been powerless at that time but I had enough experience with knowledge of poisons and potions. With that, I wiped every enemy in my way, unless you''re implying that the method can''t be trusted?" was Sabrina''s controversial question at them.

    If they said no, that means all their doctrines and teachings were wrong and if they said yes, most witches might have to rely on their knowledge of those things instead of practicing and improving their magic. Unlike what others thought, practicing magic was cumbersome and risky with consequences -depending on the magnitude and type of spell- why not seek a close road that''s *op?

    "You''re sure of what you''re saying?" Selena asked her, lips pulled to the side in a smile.

    "I''m��" before Sabrina could say a word, the ground she was standing on suddenly lit up with a golden light that made her scream in agony.

    Of course, she was torturing her to elicit the truth from her mouth. However, Sabrina has decided, as far as Nadia had given her a second chance and Devon had successfully withstood her own torture, there was nothing she couldn''t take.

    "Are you lying to me?" Sabrina asked her.

    "No" Sabrina replied amid the fact that her body felt it was on fire, the light was cooking her alive.

    "I don''t think so, you''re lying to me," Selena increased the intensity of her punishment.

    Sabrina wailed, doubling over to the floor yet, that seemed to be worse. Her skin was now red and scalded with blisters forming on her legs pressed directly against the source of the light.

    "No, I''m not lying!"

    "Liar!"

    "No, I''m not lying!"

    Sabrina gripped her hair, clothes, she didn''t know where to keep her hands on or remove to slow down the distress she was going through.

    The intense question and answer session lasted until Sabrina collapsed to the ground and the light went off.

    Her breath was fast and labored, her head throbbing so painfully that the only thing Sabrina wished that moment was to shut her eyes and go to sleep.

    However, she was shocked to look down and discover that there wasn''t any scald nor blister on her body, nor sign of any burn mark. What the hell?

    Sabrina glanced up at Selena and knew at once it was an illusion. No doubt, she deserved to be called one of the Council Head, for that illusion was so powerful that she swore it was reality. She had to be this powerful one day.

    "You have quite a strong determination, which is unseen in a lot of people. I know you''re lying, the time frame you got your power doesn''t exactly match and I seem to be missing vital information. But then, I''ll find out myself," Selena clapped her hands and the door opened to reveal some people who brought in a naked Nadia on a surgical table.

    "Mom" Devon who had been quiet all this while reacted and tried to get in their way but she was grabbed and held back by the witches by her side.

    "Mother! what are you doing with her body. That is so disrespectful! " she summoned her magic but they quickly sealed it away momentarily.

    "Necromancers," That was the first thought that came into Sabrina''s mind.

    They were going to summon back her soul. Nadia was pale- dead pale- and it looked like her body had been cleaned since there wasn''t a trace of dirt on her.

    A group of women in black cloaks surrounded the table, looking up for a go-ahead order from the head which Selena granted to them without hesitation. At once, one of them who seemed to be the leader came up with a sharp scythe which she used to halve Nadia''s stomach.

    They continued their operation until they successfully opened her heart, capturing a butterfly that flew out of it.

    "Anima nostra voco, rediret ad corpus humilitatis," they all chanted before the butterfly was let to fly out of the room through an opened window.

    They all stood for a while with nothing happening, waiting expectantly until a trail of smoke began to emanate from the dissected heart which they placed back into the body, cast a spell that erased any sign of them dissecting the body just as Nadia awoke.

    She sat up, looking around with white glassy eyes at everyone before speaking with a deep tone, "Who summoned me?"

    "I did," Selena finally stepped down from her throne, walking towards her confidently.

    "Why do you disturb a soul that has found rest?" she asked Selena with an expression that could be depicted as a scowl.

    "Sorry for that, dead one. But we have some questions for you to answer and then, you can return to your land of the dead," the women gave way for Selena to directly stand in front of her.

    "Fine, let''s get on with this quickly. There''s a boundary between the living and the dead, and once found by the keepers of the dead violating that, there''s a punishment," Nadia urged her to begin.

    "Do you know that woman?" Selena tilted her head in Sabrina''s direction.

    Nadia turned, took a good glance at Sabrina who stared back before hissing," If that''s the reason you summoned me, then you should know that you''ve made an enemy of me and are never to call me ever again. And yes, I know her,"

    However, Selena was unfazed by her threat - as if she''d be needing her services after this. She went ahead to ask," Did you or did you not give your powers to her,"

    Nadia asked her, "Did she say yes?"

    "Apparently, she did,"

    "Then it is as she says. Never summon me again." Nadia was about to leave when she heard...

    "Mother!"

    "Devon!"

    Their gazes met and normally she wouldn''t have felt such longing hence she had crossed over but these witches returned her emotions.

    "Mother, please come��. " Devon was still saying when Nadia left the body. There was no need to linger here anymore.

    "I guess that answers it all," Selena breathed, "You''re free to go,"

    Sabrina was greatly relieved by the sudden announcement. She had been on tenterhooks when Nadia was conjured, thinking the woman would go back on her words and all her efforts would be for nothing.

    Sabrina and Devon were set free. They sent them back to their house through a portal.

    "You did well today by hanging on," Sabrina praised Devon who didn''t say a word nor even bestow a smile on her face.

    "Where are you going?" Sabrina was surprised when she walked in the direction of the door.

    "Going to get some air. This place is God damn suffocating," was her reply.

    "Devon.." Sabrina called her but she left without looking back.

    She sighed greatly, training up a teenager was such a hard job not to talk of one that wasn''t even her daughter.

    Sabrina turned around to bump into Dan, this vampire was going to give her a heart attack one day.

    "Can you please make a sound the next time you appear before mmmm��" He covered her lips in a kiss that surprised her, she didn''t expect that.

    "I was so worried about you," Dan breathed upon her lips, his hands going to capture her waist, and kissed her once again.

    Sabrina was ruffled, everything was happening so fast especially now they appeared on her bed. He pinned her down, trailing kisses and nipping her neck with the tip of his fang that had her arching her back and moaning in pleasure. For Dan to be this needy, he must have been so scared for her safety.

    Sabrina threaded her hand through his hair, molding him further against her and feeling his throbbing manhood press against her core. Today was going to be a busy one.

 Chapter 286 - Two Hundred And Eighty-six: Bend Him To Her Will

    Devon felt lost and frustrated. Her life had been one rollercoaster ride after the other. First, she was bullied in her mother''s coven and then, they left to her father''s clan, hoping that things would change for the better, but it was worse.

    They were all pretenders who used them without them noticing until it was too late. But it was satisfying to know that they got what they deserved- Raphael dying in her hand was the most gratifying.

    However, she was the one who lost in the end- her mother was nowhere to be found. Honestly, Sabrina was a good person who had done all her best to make her feel welcome but that was not enough.

    Lost in her reverie, Devon was not surprised when she stumbled upon that idiot''s house - Ben. And why were flowers and gifts lying outside his gate? What had that idiot done this time? Wait a minute, he was a medium, what if he somehow summons her mother? She could speak with her once more

    Devon didn''t exactly like Ben but he was a valuable asset to her right now so it wouldn''t hurt to communicate with the asshole for once.

    Looking left and right, Devon went to a hiding place beside the house and conjured a portal that took her straight to the boy''s room.

    Ben was hiding out in his room, he couldn''t go out without one or two people wanting to touch him or take a photograph, which in turn becomes a crowd. Did he forget to add the press, they wanted to interview him and learn his experience during that period he spent with Eric.

    So when he felt a presence in his room, his face turned into a scowl, had they climbed his walls?

    "Look if you''re here for a hug, then I''ll let you know that you''re��" Ben trailed off when he turned and saw who he was speaking to.

    His brows furrowed together, that vampire witch hybrid? What was she doing here? Didn''t she hate him?

    Devon looked at his spacious bedroom and thought "He must be some rich young master". How envious, she didn''t know what luxury feels like.

    "What are you doing here? To slap me again?" Ben said straight to her face, he wasn''t going to hold back his tongue.

    "I''m not going to apologize for that," Devon informed him, "You deserved it,"

    "What did I do wrong to deserve that?"

    "You were laughing at me,"

    "I wasn''t laughing at you rather trying to be friendly," Ben felt like opening her brain and dumping that information in there.

    "Really?" Devon arched a brow skeptically

    "Yes," He said firmly," You were new and I thought, why not be friendly to her, but all I received instead was a slap on my face. How pleasing," He grumbled.

    "I''m sorry," Devon apologized to Ben''s surprise. He had thought of her as a stubborn - I - don''t - take - nonsense - from - anybody - kind of person. Well, she knew how to be logical.

    "Fine," Ben accepted her apology but asked, "But why are you here? Something tells me you''re not just here to clear our misunderstanding,"

    "Yeah, you''re right," Devon admitted, "I need your help,"

    Oh, she was a frank one, Ben thought

    "My help? What could I possibly do?"

    "It''s about my mother," She disclosed.

    "Oh no," Ben breathed, he should have known.

    "What''s the ''oh no'' for? You don''t even know what I want from you?" Devon complained.

    "Listen, I already know what you''re here for and the truth is that your mom has moved on- which you should do too, clearly," he advised her.

    "Yeah, I know that but I need you to summon her back. I just want to speak with her for five minutes, no, even a minute is enough," Devon was desperate.

    "Look witchy hybrid-"

    "Devon," she hissed.

    "Fine. Devon, look here, it''s understandable that you''re going through grief and in that condition can do some pretty crazy things but your mom has left and there''s nothing I can do about it. So please leave me alone, would ya?" he implored.

    "No, you can summon her. I saw Necromancers call her back, you can do too," she insisted.

    "Sorry honey but I''m not a necromancer," Ben told her and turned to leave the room for her but she grabbed his arm.

    "You''re a fucking medium; a bridge between the living and dead. This is your area of expertise, you should know about that,"

    Ben said to her, "I''m sorry but I''m not a genius like you," and turned to leave but she pushed him to the wall.

    "You''re going to summon my mother!" She said forcibly.

    Ben wasn''t affected by my outburst, "Force me then," he spat, "I''m sure your mother would be so pleased,"

    For a moment there, Devon was tempted to bend him to her will but she couldn''t. Ben was right, her mother wouldn''t applaud her for that.

    Devon drew back, "I''m so sorry,"

    "It''s okay," Ben assured her. He understood what she was going on.

    "Fine, I''ll help you," He agreed at last.

    "You would?" her eyes widened from surprise.

    "But there''s no assurance it would work. This is the first time I''m summoning a ghost who has crossed over - heck, I don''t know how I''m going to do that" He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

    "Fine, I''ll help you. Understanding is my superpower," She smiled and Ben couldn''t help but notice how beautiful she was when smiling. Her blue brown eyes seemed to sparkle like the stars in the sky.

    "A-hem," Ben cleared his throat when he found out he had been staring for a while now, " Let''s begin, shall we?"

    Ben went ahead to sit on his bed crossed leg with his eyes shut while conjuring an image of Nadia.

    "It''s not working, I can''t feel anything," he groaned after five minutes of calling on her spirit.

    "Maybe, you need some sort of connection - a possession that was once precious to her," Devon said while removing a pendant from her neck as Ben watched.

    "Take that," she placed the object in his palm," It once belonged to her which she handed to me,"

    Ben took it, breathing out, " So what am I supposed to do with this? Chant her name like you witches do or just conjure up -"

    "Just shut up and concentrate!" Devon snapped at him.

    "I''m concentrating which isn''t exactly helping me -" With a sudden sharp gasp, Ben''s eyes glazed over, exposing the white of his eyes.

    "Mother," Devon was delighted.

    "What don''t you understand by do not summon me again?" there was a displeased look on her face - Ben''s face.

    "Mom, I -"

    "Devon, unless it''s something important - a life and death situation - that you need my help, do not summon me. There''s no room for reminiscing," she added, " And warn the young medium, if he summons me again, I''ll trap him over here,"

    "Seriously, mom-"

    But the woman had already left after giving her strict warning.

    "I feel unpleasant," Ben complained, clutching his chest. This felt like the worst possession ever.

    "I''m sorry it''s my fault," Devon lowered her head, "She says never to summon her again unless it''s for an important stuff - she''d punish you if you don''t adhere to her warning,"

    "Oh," Ben pursed his lips while caressing his heart. At least the burning sensation had subsided.

    "You should move on, Devon," He told her, " You can''t keep lingering in the past. Live your life - while you still gave it "

    Devon stared at the boy, he was kind of cute if he pushed back those hairs and maybe added a manly charm.

    " It''s never easy -"

    Ben''s eyes widened when she leaned in and kissed him full on the lips. What was wrong with everybody today? Hugging and kissing him without warning?

    "Have you ever had sex before?" Devon asked upon pulling away from the kiss.

    Ben gulped, speechless. Why was this girl discussing such a sensitive topic so carelessly? He turned beet red.

    "Urm�� I-I," He stammered miserably,

    "I-it''s time you left," Ben tried to stand up but she pushed him back to the bed, taking advantage of the opportunity to straddle him.

    "You do know this is rape," Ben protested, weakly. His Adam''s apple bobbed up and down after feeling her soft feminine body press against his hard, masculine ones.

    "Not if both participants were willing," Devon lowered her head, her hair tickling him, as she nipped him on the neck, "I know you want it, Ben,"

    Ben gripped the bed sheet hard, this was the first time he was finding himself in such a dilemma. No girl had bothered to seduce him - not even his goddess Lia.

    "I know this is your first time," Devon teased him by moving against him, Ben''s blush deepened. She could smell innocence off the boy and wanted so much to taint him.

    "Even if this is not your first time, I bet you''ve never had sex with a vampire. Aren''t you curious, medium?" She smirked.

    This time, Ben was hooked. Though he never admitted it, this wish had always been on his bucket list. What was he going to do? This was so tempting!

    To make matters worse, Devon took off her shirt, exposing her fair breasts cladded by her red bra- the color of sin - with her aroused nipples poking out. Of course, Ben was a man and felt his member throb to the point of pain - he was fighting a losing battle.

    So when Devon kissed him once more, Ben lost himself to temptation.

 Chapter 287 - Two Hundred And Eighty-seven: M茅nage 脿 Trois

    Everybody avoided Asher as if he was the God of death, everyone knew he was in a bad mood today. They had all heard the news - courtesy of Dan. Not that he announced it willingly- they forced it out of his mouth anyway.

    Asher stared at his mate sleeping on the bed with no worry and felt more frustrated. He was suddenly having this urge to claim her and leave Daniel to his problems. It wasn''t his business that he�� fine, this was his selfish side speaking.

    Yet when Lia awakened, he let that selfishness take over.

    Lia came around and was stunned to see herself in a different room - a familiar room. This was Asher''s - oh. She gulped, Asher was seated on the edge of the bed, his green eyes boring into hers that made her heart skip a beat.

    "Asher," She called yet got no response. Her heart was slamming against her chest and why was he staring at her that way? Did she do something wrong?

    "Asher," Lia laughed nervously, " Why are you staring at me that - Ahh! "

    She screamed when he suddenly sprang on her forcing her back to the bed.

    Lia''s throat dried up watching Asher hover over her, there was this fire burning in the orbs of his eyes that made her shiver and her pulse raced.

    He lowered his head slowly like a calculating Predator stalking his prey and captured her lips. There was nothing gentle about this kiss, it was hot, hard, and demanding. Asher pinned her hand against the bed, deepening the kiss as his tongue infiltrated her mouth.

    Lia was having a fever, a wild delirium that engulfed her as she responded to him with the same raw hunger. She wanted to delve her hands into her silky hair and massage his scalp but he wouldn''t let her, his grasp was firm.

    Asher held her tight, kissing her roughly until he drew blood from her lips which he licked, eliciting a throaty moan from her. He heard her growl low at him asking for permission to take over but he didn''t - he wanted to punish her for God knows why.

    When he finally dragged his lips from her, Lia was panting heavily, her eyes glazed with passion. He groped her backside just as she pulled his head down with one hand, kissing him hard on the mouth.

    The temperature in the room was inflammable, Lia kissing him hard and long after catching on that hunger that had flared beyond suppression while he molded her body to his.

    His cold lips brushed across her throat sending shivers down her body as he continued his journey down her neck and went ahead to pull her shirt off.

    Asher''s eyes darkened and dilated resting on her womanly details, to hell with control. His hands began their wonderful work, stroking and teasing her breasts, her belly, as she moaned and moved against him.

    The vampire was fully aroused, he didn''t hesitate to rip her bra and tossed it to the furthest part of the room, he kissed the swell of her breast. Then his hand moved, kneading and groping her breast so hard that she whimpered in pain - a sweat pain.

    Lia continuously sobbed his name, arching her back to his touch to alleviate the tight knot inside her. There was a fire inside her; in her veins, all over.

    There was no tenderness this time. His squeeze, stroke was made to draw a blissful pain. Lia was out of breath or so she thought because when he took one of her nipples into his mouth while cupping the other, she realized she''d been enjoying adequate air all this while.

    Her breath came in gasps, shuddering with the pleasure of Asher sucking her breasts. Lia cursed, clutching her hair and writhing beneath him. He intentionally bit on her nipple, sending sharp tingles to her body.

    Pulling away, he did the same to the other breast till Lia was pleading for him to take her. That comment sounded sexy yet wrong in his ears. This was wrong, however, he didn''t want to stop.

    Asher wanted to pull down her shorts yet there was a greater call somewhere. He kissed her neck and felt her shiver, her body was a throbbing mess. His eyes settled on the way the pulse throbbed in her neck, his fang arched; they wanted to be let out.

    Asher salivated, it was there; the marking spot. All he needed was to sink his fang into that space between her neck and shoulder, take her blood, and mate with her, claiming her as his forever.

    However, why was he holding back? If he doesn''t do that now, Daniel would. The right circumstance has permitted the werewolf to do so - but he wouldn''t allow him.

    Asher''s fangs emerged, he nipped her shoulder, building the anticipation. But just when he was to drink from her, he hesitated.

    "Sleep," He sent Lia back to dreamland.

    Asher didn''t bother to dress her up, just covered her with the sheet - he didn''t trust himself around her anymore.

    After an ice-cold shower, Asher made his way downstairs to find Dan and Sabrina in his living room.

    "How did it go?" He grumbled, rather than question her.

    "It was a tough one but the story worked, Nadia kept up to her part of the deal," Sabrina answered him.

    "Good for you then," Asher said and went to the bar to get a drink. He couldn''t get drunk but the feeling of hot whisky going down his throat was fulfilling.

    "I heard what happened to Lia. I was right, Odin was not to be underrated," Sabrina explained.

    "Mmm," Was all Asher said.

    "I heard about the werewolf''s suggestion too, did you agree to that?" she inquired but should have known better.

    A glare from Asher was his reaction.

    "I''m not trying to make decisions for you or something, but why don''t you two just have a threesome, matter solved,"

    Yeah, she shouldn''t have said that.

    Asher''s glare intensified.

    "Bad idea," Dan whispered into her ears, "Both are alphas; resilience, desire to be in control. Two dominant Alphas in such an act is the equivalent of a cigarette lighter in a windowless cement compound filled with gasoline. Moreover, only Daniel''s d*ick is needed to bring back the wolf or something? "

    Asher ignored them, focusing on wasting himself with whiskey - a wishful dream.

    "So the problem is they don''t get the hang of *m��nage �� trois amid bringing back the wolf drama?"

    "Hundred percent," Dan answered.

    "Then, what if I have some sort of solution for that?"

    ----------------------------

    m��nage �� trois: a sexual encounter involving three people

 Chapter 288 - Two Hundred And Eighty-eight: Need Your Seed

    "You shouldn''t have let Asher take Lia away," Ryan complained.

    He couldn''t understand their alpha, why did he trust that vampire so much? Vampires were sly creatures, making a deal with them was bound to backfire.

    "Asher wouldn''t do anything to her," Daniel told him. However, his heart was beginning to waver. Truth be told, if he were in Asher''s shoe, he wouldn''t agree to this ridiculous suggestion of his.

    "How sure are you?" Ryan continued with his query.

    "Look," The skepticism was now working him too, "Asher wouldn''t do anything to her and if he does touch her, I''ll feel it through the bond,"

    "Whatever suits you," Ryan shrugged just as Judith made her way into the office announcing the good news.

    "The pack house has been restored, you don''t need to sleep at the hospital anymore,"

    "Good news to you Daniel then" Ryan''s lips curved in a smile, "At Least when the vampire agrees, you''d have a comfortable bed to carry out your activity," He chuckled knowingly.

    Daniel gave him a dirty look.

    "Why do I feel like I''m missing something here?" Judith felt left out. She has been so busy lately, putting the pack in order that she hasn''t taken time to observe what''s on with their alpha.

    "Our alpha needs to mate at last," Ryan declared the good news?

    "You can''t be serious," Judith was surprised, " And here I was all day thinking of what to answer your aunt Phoebe,"

    Daniel did a double back, eyes widened, "She knows?"

    "Yeah, she finally knows. Days ago, she tricked the truth out of my mouth. So be sure to scan for cameras while mating," she emphasized on Mating.

    "That is not going to happen," Daniel said.

    "Which of it? The peeping or the mating?" Ryan asked for clarification.

    "Both of them- the mating to be exact," He clarified.

    "You''re kidding, right?" all smiles disappeared from Ryan''s face, " If you don''t mate with her, how are you going to bring back her wolf - you know that''s the only enticement she''d take and that has worked effectively since the days of our ancestors,"

    Daniel grumbled," I''ll find another way,"

    "There''s no other way, Alpha Daniel. You have to talk to Asher," Judith informed him.

    "I know Asher, he''s not going to change his mind," he defended.

    "Are you for real?" Judith was shocked,

    "We are werewolves. We don''t ask for permission - we take what we want. Moreover, you all of people know how empty Lia would feel if she loses her wolf, neither would Iyke like that. Find your beast his mate,"

    Daniel couldn''t argue with that, he had to do something. But what was he going to do? Circumstance or not, both of them -he and Asher - had agreed on a deal.

    Just when Daniel was thinking of a solution, Dan appeared in the middle of the room without warning, grabbed his hand, and said to the others, "We''ll be back," vanishing instantly.

    "Why am I here?" Daniel looked around his surrounding, he had not expected to be summoned here anytime soon.

    "Just in time for this wonderful meeting, please have a seat," Asher slurred, lifting a glass of whisky to him.

    "Are you drunk?" Daniel was occupied by the scene.

    "No, I''m not, dumbhead," Asher insulted him, "Vampires don''t get drunk but I''m pretending to be one - the feeling is gratifying,"

    With his arms wrapped around his muscled chest, Daniel shook his head sympathetically. Talk about weird.

    "Why am I here?" He asked, seating on the leather sofa.

    "Our witch here seems to have a solution for our current problem - so she says," Asher informed while drinking straight from the bottle.

    Dan and the witch were seated on the sofa while Daniel across from them with Asher leaning against Daniel''s sofa from behind, engaged by his drink.

    "Fine, we are all here. What''s the solution?" Daniel asked, unsettled by Asher standing behind him, even though there was some space between them.

    "So I heard about the problem Lia has, which requires one of you sleeping with -"

    "We all know about that, go straight to the point Sabrina," Asher interrupted her, harshly. He wasn''t patient anymore.

    "Alright," She took a long, deep breath hoping someone doesn''t take her head off after saying this.

    " I can connect you both,"

    "What?" Asher and Daniel chorused.

    "In one word, it''s identical to the spell Raphael had cast on Lia''s mother. I would link you both together. But this time, the bond is much heightened. In the sense that you, Asher....." she pointed to the vampire "Would be able to control Daniel''s locomotive movement since he''d be the object and be able to feel whatever he feels. In summary, you both would be one; you would see with Daniel''s eyes; hear with his ears; taste with his tongue; smell with his nose; feel with his skin. How''s that? "

    No one said a word

    Sabrina bit on her lips, "Say, something guys, your silence is unsettling," she implored.

    "Yolk,"

    "Eww,"

    Asher and Daniel commented respectively.

    "There''s no way I''m letting him use my body that way," Daniel''s hands went to his chest protectively.

    "Hoho," Asher gave a mocking laugh,

    "How great your body is! like I want to be inside it," He sneered.

    And that did it! Both began to quibble back and forth like pregnant women.

    "Seriously, both of you knock it off!" Sabrina screamed. God, she was going to have a headache later.

    "You''re not going to technically be in his body but get all the sensation," Sabrina cleared the misunderstanding.

    "So in one word," It finally dawned on Asher, " You''re trying to say that I''d taste the appetizer while Daniel enjoys the main course?".

    Sabrina facepalmed, maybe she shouldn''t have suggested this.

    "Half bread is better than none," Dan reminded him.

    "I refuse," said Asher the stubborn hedgehog

    "You shouldn''t have bothered yourself," Daniel refereed to Sabrina coming up with the idea.

    "What the hell is wrong with you males? What''s the big deal with sinking your eggplants in a hole?" Sabrina was tired of their arguments.

    But she never expected the odd looks the trio of them - Daniel, Asher, and Dan - sent her. She just said something stupid, didn''t she?

    "Fine," she paraphrased, "I get it''s a big deal to you, males..." she rolled her head towards heaven, "But it''s Lia we''re talking here - your mate - so figure it out yourself," Sabrina gave up. She shouldn''t have butted into another couple''s case.

    Daniel and Asher''s gaze connected, both starting a stare-off that lasted for five minutes till Asher asked, "You won''t refuse me my right?"

    "I guess I''ll give you forty percent permission to my body," Daniel suggested.

    "Sixty percent, you''re going to be the one having most of the fun, anyway," Asher argued while Sabrina and Dan sat, watching the drama.

    Daniel scoffed, he threw his head back laughing, " Nice try but Sabrina made it clear that you''d feel everything as if it happened. I say forty-five percent permission since I''ll be the one doing the labor while you''re more on the receiving end," He bargained.

    Asher smirked, " I''ll be guiding you on where to place your hand, amateur, fifty- five percent, "

    Daniel snorted," Don''t worry teacher Asher, I know where the hole is, "

    Sabrina stood mouth agape while going red in the face. It was clear that she and Dan were no longer comfortable with where this discussion was heading.

    " Fifty-four " Asher said

    "Forty-seven," Daniel Countered

    "Fifty-two"

    "Fifty" Daniel decided

    "Fine, fifty," Asher agreed.

    "We have a fifty percent permission, that means you should respect any move I make," Daniel proclaimed.

    "Are you guys done, finally?" Sabrina was glad to have this torturous ordeal over.

    "Yes,"

    "When do they start the spell?" Dan asked.

    "As soon as possible, the more we linger, the faster her wolf descends into oblivion," Daniel told them.

    "Or maybe you''re just impatient," Asher blurted out.

    " And you''re not?" Daniel threw back the question at him. Both of their gazes met, communicating their replies secretly.

    "Then, here comes the more awkward part; the requirement" Sabrina gulped, they would surely rip out her throat for this.

    "What is it you need for the spell?" Asher questioned.

    Sabrina licked her lips and said in one breath, " I need your seed,"

    "What do you mean you need our -" Daniel froze when he realized what she meant by that.

    There was dead silence.

    Even Dan could feel the chill in the air.

    "No way,"

    "You gotta be kidding me,"

    Yet, an hour later, they submitted the item to Sabrina timidly - as if she wanted anything to do with it- and began her spell with other things she acquired easily.

    Seeing Sabrina was busy with her incantation, they quickly gave her space in order not to distract her.

    "I promise you that if her wolf doesn''t return after all this, I''ll rip out your heart myself," was Asher''s warning.

    "It''s going to work," Daniel assured him, scratching a spot on his neck.

    "What is that?" Aster captured the bite scar on his neck. It was strange, surface wounds like that should have healed and it looked increasingly similar to the one on his neck too. It couldn''t be that��

    "Yes, she marked me," Daniel announced, "The distraction made it easier for me to lower my guard, resulting in her taking advantage and stabbing me,"

    Then it clicked in Asher''s head, " How are you going to mate with Lia if you can''t get in close perimeter without her hurting you?"

 Chapter 289 - Two Hundred And Eighty-nine: Who Are You ?

    When Ben awoke, Devon''s side of the bed was empty. Where had she gone? Well, what was he expecting? That should wake him up with a kiss? They just had casual sex and God! It felt so good - though, he just lost his vanity.

    Ben chuckled to himself, still caught up in the euphoria. So this is what it feels like? Oh God, he would like to feel that - for scientific purposes Of course.

    He needs to know why his heart didn''t beat so fast the first time he met Devon yet reverberated so loudly when they kissed and got into the act - forget the science bullshit. But why must he feel that way? Well, he wasn''t so sure that Devon would be up for that experiment once again.

    Suddenly, his doorknob twitched interrupting his wayward thoughts - someone was at the door, probably the housekeeper.

    "Good morning," He said upon opening the door, " I bet you had a pleasant night,"

    "Of course," She replied joyfully - someone seems extra happy today.

    "The look on your face tells me you enjoyed it too,"

    Oh, he did.

    "Absolutely,"

    "Alright Ben, you might have to come down for something," she boomed a smile at him.

    Something was fishy, he sensed.

    "Why? What is it? " He asked.

    "Come down and find out yourself," She flashed that suspicious smile once more, departing.

    Well, guess a surprise was waiting for him and he loves surprises - Good surprises.

    With great anticipation, Ben went into the bathroom and showered quicker than he had ever done in his lifetime.

    "What''s the surprise?" he sang as he dressed up, finally running down the length of the stairs and got to the living room.

    The first thing he noticed was a woman''s back; a woman with dark bone-straight hair, unlike the curly ones he inherited from his father.

    He went further into the living room, his eyes widening upon recognizing the figure on the couch, cross-legged and going through a magazine.

    "Mom?"

    His jaw dropped.

    Ben couldn''t tell if this was good news or a bad one

    "Benny," The woman took her eyes away from the magazine and got to her feet, walking towards him with excitement.

    "Oh my beautiful wonderful son," She began to shower kisses on his face; eyes, top it his nose, cheeks, and forehead. Gosh, this was embarrassing - Thankfully, no one was here to watch.

    "Mom, what are you doing here," Ben finally breathed when she pulled away.

    "Is that the way you welcome your mother?" she asked with hands on her hips.

    With a sigh, Ben wrapped his arms around her, giving her a bear hug.

    "Mmm, that''s more like that," She felt him, " You''ve grown so tall in just a short time!" She exclaimed.

    Ben grimaced, " Three years isn''t exactly a short time,"

    "Oh dear, sorry about that," she said examining his face, " It''s just that-"

    "Yeah, the company. I understand," He nodded. The company was more important than him.

    "But on the bright side, we chatted regularly, right?"

    "Yes, the uncountable missed video calls," He reminded her sarcastically.

    "Ben," She gave him her signature pity look.

    "I understand mom, you don''t need to feel bad. On the bright side, you leaving me turned me into a man. Over the years, I have made decisions for myself and taken responsibilities for them...." except having unprotected sex with a witch hybrid. Oh boy.

    "Ben, is anything the matter?" She sensed the sudden change in her son''s countenance.

    "Of course not," Ben gave out a fake smile. What was the possibility that her mother would accept a witchy, vampiric, medium grandchild? She hardly remembered he existed, not to talk of throwing in extra burden.

    "Where''s the housekeeper?" She looked around, searching for her, " I need to have breakfast with my son, it''s such a rare occasion," continued her mumble, going down the direction of the kitchen.

    The moment she was out of sight, Ben whipped out his phone, planning to call Devon when he realized he didn''t have her cellphone.

    Good going Ben, you had sex with a girl you don''t even have get number. Damn it, why was the universe against him today?

    Ben called Lia but her phone rang on without an answer. Seriously, When he needed her the most!

    He contemplated calling Dan but that vampire would interrogate him for sure - he didn''t want a soul to know about this, yet.

    He should have thought of protection before he started that but when Devon kissed him, his brain went down the drain. No wonder women were the downfall of men. Just touch and he succumbed to desire.

    "Ben?"

    "Huh! Mom?" he immediately stuffed the phone into the pocket of his pants.

    "Come to the dining," She issued a command.

    "Sure," He followed after her to the dining where mouth-watering dishes were awaiting them already. She must have informed the housekeeper of her return on time.

    "Sit, dig in," She gestured to him.

    Ben stared at her suspiciously, why was his mother extra caring today and why did she even come here in the first place? He was already used to her, no, their absence.

    "Where''s dad? I don''t see him around or is he occupied with his business as usual?" he said pointedly.

    If his mother was preoccupied with the business, then his father''s preoccupation would be named an obsession.

    "Your father is on your way here...." she dropped her spoon, checking her ridiculously expensive wristwatch - there were only three of those in the entire world. " Soon. He should be here, soon," she complimented.

    "Alright," Ben pursed his lips, continuing his meal and occasionally stealing glances at his mother.

    She hardly aged, no wrinkle on her face- had regular spa treatments, probably. His beautiful determined mother was still the same; her elegancy, while she is, couldn''t be matched.

    "Why don''t you stop staring and ask what''s on your mind?" she caught him.

    " Why are you, mom?"

    " To see my wonderful son and did I forget to add that I heard the goodwill you did to the society,"

    Ben glanced up.

    "Heard you were some sort of hero, " she chuckled.

    He scratched the back of his head, she heard that too?

    "Yep, sort of happened?"

    " Yeah, quite a heroic deed standing up to that psychopathic killer, which means this town isn''t safe anymore," she pointed out.

    Ben''s expression changed, the hand holding the knife he used in cutting the chicken paused as once. The temperature in the room dropped, he already had an idea where this discussion was heading to.

    "So?" his brow arched questioningly.

    His mother took a sip from her champagne flute, settling it down on the table soundlessly

    "You need to move out, Ben,"

    For ten minutes, there was absolute silence until Ben burst into laughter.

    "Was that a joke? You''re so good at it"

    "That wasn''t a joke Benny. I was damn serious. This town clearly isn''t safe anymore and as the future heir, we need to keep you safe," she said.

    Oh, right, the future heir

    At once, Ben pushed back his seat with a screech, shooting up to his feet.

    "When you''re done joking, you can leave," He spat.

    "Ben Alcantara, is this how you speak to your mom, now?" She stood up too with a shocked expression.

    " Oh, sorry," He said mockingly, " You didn''t notice the change in my character because you were what? Busy with the company?"

    She pointed to her chest, " Your father and I work off our asses every day to give you a better life!"

    "Well, sorry, but I need my parents, not the money. Moreover, the resources you''ve garnered already, even my third-generation wouldn''t be able to exhaust it!" He cried out.

    " You''re leaving Ben and that''s final!" She ordered.

    "No way, you can''t just burst into my life out of nowhere and make drastic changes for me. I have friends - he was tempted to add lover - and people that I have connected with the years and been there for me than you ever were. You can''t just expect me to unroot them - they''re family, "He argued with a valid point.

    " Ben, I heard about the bullying, " she brought up.

    " That was months ago not now. You''ve seen it yourself, right now, everyone adores me, " He defended.

    " Ben, those are not your family neither is their life worth yours - you''re everything we have and your father and I can''t afford to lose you,"

    " I can protect myself, "Ben declared.

    " Yeah, show me, " She mocked.

    Ben curled his fist, his mother would think he was crazy if he told her he could see and interact with ghosts. Moreover, there wasn''t any ghost here to possess him neither was he keen on summoning one- the last one didn''t leave kindly

    "I''m not leaving!" He simply insisted.

    "Ben, you have until the end of this semester to wrap everything up. Say goodbye to those little friends," she said, refusing to put his opinion into consideration. If only she knew those little friends could snuff out her life effortlessly.

    "Suit yourself! " He hissed and began to make his way to the entrance door.

    "What are you doing?! "

    "Getting out of your hair!" He screamed back.

    But just as he opened the door, lo and there was his Fath��.

    Ben took a step back.

    "Ben, boy, how are you doing?" There was a glint in the so-called father''s orbs.

    "Who are you?" Ben asked that odd question. Why was the same aura surrounding ghosts also encompassing his father?

    "

 Chapter 290 - Two Hundred And Ninety: Get Saved Or Served

    "Who are you?" continued Ben''s odd question.

    "What''s with that question, Ben," His mother made his way over to him, "That''s your father you''re talking to that way,"

    Ben thought his mother must be joking until she went over and hugged that man.

    "Hi, honey," She pecked him on the lips.

    No way, what the hell.

    "What the hell is wrong with you, Benny? Come and say hi to your father you haven''t seen in a long time.,"

    "No, impossible! That is not my father....!" he pointed at him, "And you stay away from him," Ben snatched his mother from that person''s grasp.

    "Seriously, Ben!" His mother was exasperated, " What is wrong with -"

    The man lifted his hand, stopping his mother Bianca from finishing her words. His gaze connected with Ben''s, asking,

    "You can see me?"

    Ben was taken aback, "I can see what?"

    "The real me, the one occupying this body," He answered.

    "Wait, what? He can see you?" his mother Bianca was surprised.

    Ben registered her words. He reflexively let go of her arm and took a step back.

    "So the legend is true," The man mumbled, " Bianca, I think it''s high time we told our son the truth,"

    Goosebumps washed over Ben, what the hell was he talking about?

    "You think so?" Bianca was teary-eyed.

    "The day we dreaded the most has come and we have no other option than to tell the boy the truth,"

    "What truth! " Ben was furious.

    He didn''t say a word, but before Ben''s watchful eyes, that person split into two - a ghost and a human form.

    "You can really see me," The ghost grey eye''s scrutinized him.

    Ben was shell-shocked, continuously taking steps back as the ghost approached him.

    "I''m Eugene," The human said, drawing his attention.

    " I''m Kingery," The ghost said, drawing his attention once more.

    "What the fuck," Ben panicked, "Is my mom seeing this?"

    "She can''t see yet can feel him," Eugene answered as if this was a normal daily occurrence.

    "Don''t worry son, he''s not going to hurt you," Bianca encouraged him.

    "Which of them? Eugene or Kingery? You have a lot of explaining to do," Ben let out through gritted teeth.

    "I''m going to tell you everything,"

    "Well, do that while keeping a considerable distance from me," Ben cautioned the ghost.

    "My full name is Kingery Acadia and I died in 1979 out of starvation. My family was very poor and couldn''t afford to feed a family of six - the war and famine were a huge contributor to that.

    "I watched my parents die in the scuffle for food and as the eldest, the responsibility got transferred on my shoulder. But what could I have done in a situation my parents failed to change? The war lingered, the poor masses bore the brunt until we were all dead. Even at death, I refused to accept my fate, I was cheated on and fate had to pay for giving me such a horrible life.

    "I lingered on earth for a long time, waiting patiently for the right body to possess - after l learned we could do so. They never lasted; death and living must have no connection whatsoever, there''s a huge line separating both or so everyone believed.

    "I prevailed by discovering a loophole: getting tethered to something or better much, somebody. But then, my time was gone and there wasn''t any relative to hold on to until I met Eugene. He was on the point of death, considering to take his own life when I suggested to him we pact�� "He chuckled, which made the hairs on Ben''s body stand on edge.

    "It was a ridiculous move yet I never thought he would hear me and the rest was history. I possessed him and we lived as one personality until we met your mother, Bianca. It was love at first sight. After uncountable rejections - partly because of Eugene''s low self-esteem - your mother agreed and we got married, "

    Ben''s mouth hung open, he looked around, pointing to his mother, "So you''re trying to tell me that my mother�� " He gulped," Knew you were a ghost yet she married you? "

    "No, she didn''t at first, but found out afterward," Eugene explained this time just as Kingery, or whatever he called himself, went back into his body.

    "And she was cool with that?" Ben was dumbfounded. Now, he knew where he got his creepiness from because he was creeped out by all this discovery.

    "I love your father, he never hurt me all those times of ignorance, so why now? It''s not like I''m going around announcing that my husband is sort of a ghost,"

    "Exactly. He could hurt you in fear of getting his secret known- as ridiculous as it sounds" Ben kept that thought to himself.

    His mother continued," Besides, I''m helping your father fulfill his dream of getting rich,"

    "Yeah, the dream of conquering the whole world with no care to the love their son needs," Ben sassed.

    "Ben, I know this is difficult to comprehend now -" She tried to touch him but Ben jumped away from her.

    "Wait a minute��" it dawned on him, "Who''s your husband here, and who''s my father?"

    Silence reigned.

    "Oh," Ben nodded, "So I''m the freak crossbreed between a human and a ghost,"

    "I heard about mediums but I never thought it was possible. However, son, you''re -"

    "I am not your son!"

    "Benny, you have to listen to him"

    "No, you all listen to me," He warned them, "By the time I''m back, I want you out of this house or I leave here for you," He added, "For eternity," and ran out of there.

    "Ben!" Bianca tried to go after the boy but her husband held her back.

    "No, give him space. He needs some time to think," He grabbed her on the shoulder, rubbing her arms.

    Ben ran without looking back, his emotions were on high and he needed to blow off some steam. All this time, he had wondered how he came to be this freak, tried all kinds of theories; a witch must have cursed him or something. Who knew the problem came from his parents and Mediums were just offsprings of a ghost and human.

    He received this dark gift from Kingery, which made him all the angrier. He had lived, knowing Eugene as his father, during the short time they spent together. Ben had always thought about why his father was after money so much, who knew it wasn''t his true motive but the dream of a ghost whose family died one hundred and forty-something years ago because of starvation.

    That ghost was set on fulfilling his goal at the expense of his happiness. If it was just him and Eugene, things would have been normal and he would probably have time for him. No to talk of the fact he didn''t know which to address as the father anymore, Eugene? Kingery? Or both in one body?

    Ben was tempted to go back and expel the ghost out of Eugene''s body but he couldn''t, his mom would hate him for that. Fine, they can keep up with their wonderful life, he was not leaving here.

    Of all creatures his mother would say "Yes'''' to, she didn''t see a vampire, werewolf, witch? That would have been much cooler than being a vessel for the dead - seeing gruesomely killed ghosts and the rest for the rest of his life. So great!

    Ben ran to Lia''s place, he couldn''t tell if she was home but this was the only place he could think of going to. He didn''t know where Devon lived - not that he would have gone there in the first place- they made a mistake yesterday and he wouldn''t want it to repeat.

    Daniel''s pack? That was quite a distance - he was too lazy at the moment. Moreover, he stole, no, technically, the cub came to him - not that he has explained himself yet - but he wasn''t sure he was welcomed there at the moment. Even if they do welcome him, what was the probability something much more precious than a cub would follow him home? He has learned his lessons.

    Asher''s place? That mansion was a den for vampires. Though he was sure Asher''s vampires had firm control over their thirst for blood, one can never be too sure. He wouldn''t go there to be saved but end up being served. Also, he saw the murderous gaze Asher gave him that day Raphael made the controversial statement, claiming he was another of Lia''s mates. He would never want to experience that again.

    Sabrina''s place? Oh please, the last time he went in there, he ended up getting possessed by a necromancer and did crazy things. Even if Sabrina accepts him into her place once more - with the strict warning- he would never keep his hands to himself. Seriously, come on, that place was like an antique shop and needed exploring. In conclusion, he wasn''t going, period.

    Lia''s was the best place to be, he could sleep and wake up comfortably without fear of being murdered in his sleep.

    However, when he knocked on Lia''s door, it was answered by her mother who said to him, "Thank God you''re here, we need to talk,"

    Maybe it was a bad idea coming here after all.

 Chapter 291 - Two Hundred And Ninety One : Mating

    "You''re kidding, right?" Daniel heard Asher''s question in his head, which felt kind of weird and creepy.

    After Sabrina performed the spell, it was as if something, or more likely someone was adjusted into his body, his soul. But it''s quite funny because Asher''s body was miles away back in his home.

    It was almost like having a second Iyke in his body, except that this version of Iyke was too damn commanding - which wasn''t sitting well with him.

    "Do we have any other choice?" he asked Asher back.

    And yes, they were talking about their mate who was on his bed with her wrist tied to the bed. That was a special bondage made by Sabrina so she couldn''t get out of it nor reach close enough to cut them with her talons.

    "If we''re going to make love to Lia, it would be with her consent," Asher demanded.

    "Take a good look at her Asher, does she look like she understands the word, ''do not kill me'' at the moment?"

    Truth be told, she was glaring and snarling at him. Her two dangerous pointy teeth were on coupled with her relentless struggle against the bond.

    "I''m going to kill you, today!" She growled with violent magenta eyes.

    "Heard that?" He asked mockingly.

    "Fine, do whatever you want," Asher grumbled. I hope she forgives us eventually, he surprisingly heard the vampire''s thoughts.

    Sensing Asher''s approval, Daniel climbed the bed and got on top of her, leaning to kiss her neck which drew a sharp intake of breath from her. For someone who wants to kill him, her body sure betrays her.

    Daniel went for her lips this time, kissing the top, the bottom, and grazing his tongue against her teeth she clamped shut, refusing him entrance. Stubborn ass of a mate!

    He felt Asher guide his hand to her hair, making him run his fingers through Lia''s scalp which made her purr and in turn, gave him access to her mouth. Daniel didn''t waste time in kissing her deeply, chasing her tongue, and drinking from her nectar until she was gasping for breath.

    When he pulled away, Daniel managed to catch her orbs flash a faint amber before disappearing.

    "I think it''s working," He said to Asher who gave a grunt as approval.

    He would have continued with the kissing if Lia had not suddenly dug her claws into his body ruthlessly, tearing his flesh open. He grabbed her hand away before she could do further damage.

    Asher felt the pain too, Daniel realized it. Sabrina was not kidding when she said both of them would experience the same sensation.

    "I need to mark her before she impales me to death," He informed Asher of his next move.

    "No" Asher refused," We''re going to give her so much pressure till she forgets why she wants to kill you in the first place,"

    "What are you suggesting?"

    Asher didn''t answer him but he moved between her legs, taking a sharp intake of breath as he, no, they smelt her arousal. She was turned on amid her crazy fit.

    His hand moved, touching her nub through her panties - Judith had undressed her earlier, leaving her clad only in her underwear - and felt her shiver. That reaction prompted him to touch her once again and again till her struggling turned to writhing. Her labored breaths and moans were a big turn up for Daniel that left alone for him, he would have taken her by now. But Asher seems to be a big teaser.

    Slowly and enticingly, he took off the rest of the fabric that stood in their way baring her to him. Daniel''s eyes changed to yellow, feeling Iyke rise to the surface, he was hungry to take what was his. However, Asher brutally kicked him back in - they would discuss that later.

    She was swollen and glittering with her juice which made them gulp, eyes fiery and throat dried with anticipation. And then, he caresses her thigh, purposely working his slowly until he traced a fingertip up and down her labia. Lia gasped, her hands digging into the bedsheet, forgetting who she was clawing blindly at earlier.

    His fingers continued to move up and down, her moans getting louder and wilder as the tension began to inside of her.

    "Faster," Asher urged him in his head.

    His fingers skim over her tingling nub with rapid speed, her back arched, he pushed her back down. Bringing her closer to his face, replacing his fingers with his tongue.

    Her hips bucked into his face while he laps at her, tasting her delicious cunt oiled with her juice. Daniel, influenced by Asher, continued the act of flicking her up and down slowly just when she needed it fast until she was at the point of climax.

    "Mark her now," Asher ordered him just as she began to clench, preparing to orgasm. He kissed his way up to her neck while his finger continued the function of pleasuring.

    He felt her come, just as he bit into her neck at the same time. Pleasure and pain, both in fiery intensity throb through Lia that she gasped so sharply, her eyelids instantly adopting a yellow shade.

    Daniel took her blood, drinking little of it that was required in this ritual -that wasn''t his diet but of the freak inside of him - while she healed up, the mark remains. He pulled away, staring into the yellow ones staring back at him with blazing intensity.

    "Lolli?" His brow raised questioningly.

    "Mate!" She growled, he shivered.

    Daniel felt Asher manipulate his hand, and with a flick of his claws, cut through that bond that set her free.

    No sooner was she free, she was all over him before the bondage even fell to the ground.

    "That''s what we''re talking about," Asher rejoiced.

    Her hands were all over him.

    She grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head, tossing it to God knows where,

    aching for skin-to-skin contact. Lia kissed him, her hands caressing his abdomen, he shuddered.

    Daniel was panting heavily when she pulled away, pressing his face against her chest, her hands feeling the curve of his back and his butt.

    "Lia?" Daniel was out of breath, everything was happening too fast, "Are you there?"

    "Doesn''t matter anymore," She answered with a voice that was a mix of animalistic growl and human one.

    She nibbled on his ears, his breath becoming ragged just as Asher made use of his hand to drag her on top of him.

    "Told you kiddo, you would need my help," Daniel heard his mocking laughter.

    But Daniel didn''t have time to make a comeback comment because his hand unhooked her bra, letting her breasts fall before his eyes, his arousal throbbing badly.

    One couldn''t blame him, this was his first time. While other alphas were being pleasured by their omegas, he was training, fighting to become stronger. Yes, he had been intimate with Lia several times but then, he knew they would never do anything serious.

    But now, the moment has come and he found himself being nervous and slipping terribly.

    Daniel fixed his attention on the boobs set before him, his member shooting up while his throat thirsted to take a drink. Just a drink.

    His heart pounded erratically as he tentatively cupped them, watching her eyes glaze over. He took one nipple into his mouth, sucking on it and her eyes glazed over.

    Her breath was ragged while she moaned his name, her hand digging into his back while the other ran through his hair. Pleasure screaming through her body. His arms encircled around her waist, rubbing her against his crotch through his pants, sending the same bliss to his body.

    She was ready for him, ready for them.

    Daniel eased her to the bed taking that opportunity to get rid of his pants. He was fully aroused and so was she, their biological hormone calling on them to propagate sexually.

    Her eyes took him in, Daniel watched with great interest the way her tongue moved against her upper lips, like someone awaiting to enjoy the meal set before her.

    Lia crawled towards him and took him with her hands. Daniel, no, they gasped. Crap, he forgot Asher could feel it too.

    She moved her hands along his length, teasing the sensitive head which caused the heat to flare in his eyes, the pleasure shot through him. Daniel pushed her back to the bed, losing his control finally.

    He covered her with his body, her legs coming to wrap around his waist naturally.

    "This is going to hurt for a bit," He informed her, knowing this was her first time.

    "Bring it on, I''m a sucker for pain," Lia breathed against his ear, grazing his ear lobe. The heat heightened.

    Her body shivered with anticipation as his arousal rubbed her entrance. Daniel kissed her before easing into her slowly. Goddammit, she was so tight.

    A sharp pain shot through Lia, her body clenched yet it was gone as soon as it came - blame it on her ability to heal faster. Her inside stretched, accepting the size of Daniel till he was buried to the hilt.

    Lia gasped as he began to move, the feeling was incredible. She grabbed a fistful of his hair, the pleasure seemed to be coming from everywhere.

    "Faster!" She commanded him.

    "As you wish my lady,"

    Wait, that sounded familiar��.

    "Christ!" Lia moaned when he rammed his hips into her. That was breathtaking. A deep throb began inside of her, that only he could fill.

    "Yes, that way," She was out of breath with him continuously thrusting into her with that vigor.

    "Do you like it?" He asked, his blue eyes darkening with so much... desire.

    "Yes, I do," Lia whimpered as he continuously picked up speed.

    "Better," his eyes dilated further.

    He were bumping into her with careless abandon.

    Lia knew she had bitten more than she had chewed. She was having a hard time keeping up with his thrusts but God, it felt so damn good. Her legs wrapped around him tighter while he pounded harder, he liked her cries of pleasure.

    Her insides clenched, milking him dry as her climax fell upon them intensely. He spurted his hot seed inside of her just as they came with a hoarse cry.

 Chapter 292 - Two Hundred And Ninety-two: It Wasnt Over

    Whoever thought it was over, thought wrong. It wasn''t over yet, they ran another course.

    Daniel was still reeling from the effects of their lovemaking when she flipped him over.

    "I want more," She whispered into his ears, purposely grinding against him with her pelvis to show how serious she was. Daniel whose member was milked dry during their licentious act was restored to its fullest vigor and stiffness instantly. The fact he was a supernatural with great regenerative ability made his sexual appetite flare. His blood was boiling as hot as mountain lava.

    A smirk curved Lia''s lips discovering Daniel was up to the challenge - If only she knew it wasn''t just Daniel that was in there. Asher smirked inwardly, he complied with her every need, knowing soon he would have her the way he wanted.

    Daniel was lying on his back and she was on top of him, lowering herself to kiss him deeply. Lia laughed into the kiss as they played chase with their tongues, each wanting to conquer until she pulled back.

    Mounting him properly, she grabbed his eager, hot arousal from behind, enjoying the shiver that runs through him upon contact, and guided him into her lubricious cunt, sinking down upon it and engulfed him.

    A sigh escaped her lips, feeling him stretch the walls of her folds. Her whole system was in a most excited and well-moistened state than earlier, giving him smooth access.

    Daniel pulled out a ragged breath, she housed him so tightly that he feared he would come with a slight movement. But he shouldn''t have feared, because that didn''t happen.

    Unlike their fast and furious movement earlier, Lia wasn''t in the mood to end this one so easily. Her up and down movements were less hurried - intentionally lengthening out the exquisite sensation just to hear his musical groan - and deeper and voluptuous.

    But then, even with her lazy delay, the movement became too libidinous for her that her moan rang out in the room turning on Daniel who was hot to trot.

    "No, don''t touch me," She slapped his hand away.

    He growled in protest, his eyes amber with desire.

    Lolli growled back at him, there was no room for argument.

    He gave in.

    Daniel had grabbed her waist, trying to get her to a more rapid movement to which she objected. His eyes were thick with hunger - she could see that- but this was her time to dominate.

    Her head fell back, feeling her insides clench, and moaned his name. Daniel knew he couldn''t just be on the receiving edge - even though she was the one having most of the fun here- brought his hands on her chest, cupping and stroking those upper mounds, heightening the passion.

    "Yes," Lia cried out, eyes shut, continuing with her up and down heavings. Her hands threaded through her hair; the pleasure swirling through her was spinning out of control.

    Unable to keep her body upright any longer, she sank on his belly, wriggling her backside in a lascivious manner which drew a groan from his mouth, his hand grinning a fistful of her hair as if to anchor himself from falling off the edge.

    Their lips joined once more, toying with their tongues while Daniel used that opportunity to sit up with her still joined to him, leaning against the headboard and holding her tight around the waist.

    Daniel moved his mouth to her throat,

    nipping and licking as she moaned against him. He kissed that spot he marked her, she purred like a kitten. Yeah, that place was as sensitive as hell.

    Lia wrapped her arms around his neck, helpless against the desire raging through her while keeping up with his thrust- the heat had spurred onto more vigorous action, Daniel seconded her up and down actions.

    To increase the excitement, he introduced a finger to her clitoris, stroking, teasing, and working over her with proficient accuracy. Lia couldn''t catch her breath, her nails dug into his back while the pleasure tore through her, she could feel her climax around the corner.

    "Daniel," She screamed his name.

    Her body sensed the moment coming, Daniel became fuller and harder, trembling as he rammed into her with more rapid and vigorous movement, white-hot escasty crashed over her.

    Daniel grunted, her inner folds thoroughly engulfing him with so much pressure that brought on his release, shooting into her his warm sperm.

    She lay on him, exhausted and surprisingly satiated, enjoying the convulsive throb on his member. Daniel slid out of her, a suppressed gasp escaping her lips. He would let her be for a while. However, contrary to his thought, someone had a better idea.

    Lia lay languidly on Daniel unaware of the impending snare. A smile curved her lips, this was the most wonderful sensation she had ever experienced. Was this what she was missing out on this whole time?

    But then, her breathing began to come in a gasp when she felt him began to fondle her breast.

    "Daniel, aren''t you contented already?" she asked with labored breath. To her surprise, her exhausted body was rejuvenated with his touches.

    "You''ve had your fun, now''s my turn and we''re going to have it my way," He breathed into her ears.

    For some reason, those words sent shivers down her spine, she knew she was in for trouble. Strangely, that tone and attitude felt surprisingly akin to Asher''s, or maybe she was just thinking too much.

    No, he didn''t give her time to think.

    He slipped his hand inside her, touching her once again, this time salaciously, till she was a heaving mess.

    "Daniel, please," she begged, unable to take his teasing anymore.

    "As you wish my lady,"

    That again? Something was wrong here. Yet Lia wasn''t given time to speculate as she was forced to her stomach in front of him. Her waist was raised high, presenting her bonerific bottom to him while her face was pressed into the bed.

    His hand kept her steady as he rammed into her with a force that cut short her breath.

    Lia screamed, her hand grasping the bed sheet tight. He was into her so deep she swore she could feel him in her womb. The sensation was so great that she couldn''t differentiate between her left and right at the moment.

    Daniel, Lia thought, slammed into her again and again. A woman''s lustful moan coupled with the man''s grunt, the slapping of flesh against flesh, the slight creaking of the bed were the only sounds made in the room.

    His thrusts were hard, almost to the point of being brutal yet Lia couldn''t believe she, no, her wolf too, lecherously enjoyed it - the amorous sounds and words coming from her mouth being evidence of it.

    If her mom was here to see this, she would probably die from heartbreak and attack. Her little girl was no longer that angel she knew. She has grown and now, tainted.

    Lia was almost mad with the agonizing sensations of rapturous pleasure his vigorous thrusting produced upon her erotic nerves. Her scream lengthened out, her gasping short as he ran this course with more lasciviousness than before. He growled, pumping his hips into her, penetrating and pounding her harder till she came with a delirious cry, he too found his release at the same time.

    He lay on her, enjoying the pleasure her tightness gave him, and until she was settled did he pull out.

    Daniel was given back control over his body and though he held resentment against Asher for using him, still wore a smile for his mate.

    "That was awesome," she smooched him on the lips, both enjoying a brief kiss.

    Yeah, that was awesome, he sassed mentally. Daniel couldn''t wait for this connection between them - he and Asher - to wear off.

    "What happened?" Lia asked after logical sense returned to her. All those while, she had been engulfed in the flames of passion, so couldn''t comprehend what was going on until now. It dawned on her, she just had sex with Daniel!

    "How did it come to this? Does Asher know of this? Did he give consent? What the hell is going on?" she bombarded him with questions.

    "Hey, everything is okay" He kissed her, "I''ll explain to you after you have a good sleep," He promised her.

    "Alright, she agreed," They lay on their sides, closely embraced.

    "Sleep," Daniel told her after five minutes of pretending to be asleep.

    "I can''t,"

    "Force yourself. You need it," He breathed upon her neck.

    "No, I can''t, not when you''re poking me," She grumbled.

    "Poking you?" his brows furrowed in confusion, " I''m not poking��" He looked��

    "Oh, sorry" Daniel apologized, climbing off the bed, "I should probably get a short on,"

    "Probably," She cleared her throat, blushing upon taking in his nude form. Those firm muscles of the back and buttocks�� alright, she should stop here.

    They tucked back into bed again, Daniel embracing her tighter and mentally stopping his hands from traveling to any impermissible area.

    "Sweet dream, mate," Daniel said to her.

    "Sweet dream, Daniel," she murmured back, sleep coming upon her surprisingly.

    "Sweet dream, love," She forgot to hear that one from Asher as the temptation of slumber lulled her in.

 Chapter 293 - Two Hundred And Ninety-three: The Messiah

    "Am I the only one concerned about the recent killing of witches?" Kun, the head in charge of Antarctica raised the issue. All of the Council Head had gathered for an emergency meeting.

    "The Dark witches no longer hide in the shadows," Observed Dixie, the head of the European continent "Eversince the Burning Eaglet proudly claimed responsibility for the destruction of ten of my branches, they now come out boldly,"

    "The destruction amped their morale," Eleanor inputted. She''s the head in charge of the Australian continent.

    "Agreed," Supported Pharrell, the head in charge of South America.

    The head in charge of Africa, Vashti, gave Pharrell a dirty look, asking, "Do you always have to be a yes-man? I suddenly wish there comes a situation that calls for a sacrifice, you smell ''expendable'' right now"

    "Is that an insult?" Pharrell''s face distorted.

    "What do you think? Am I blessing you?" She scoffed at him.

    "You little ingrate is this how you talk to your -! " He rose to his feet angrily intending to strike her with a spell.

    "Alright, knock it out," Ian, the head in charge of Asia stopped them, drawing a look of surprise from them. He never separated fights at meetings, rather watched, if not recorded them.

    "He''s right," said Selene, the head in charge of North America, "This fight isn''t funny and amateurish,"

    "Not surprising to know that you''d support your boyfriend who''s surprisingly turned over a new leaf," Gibed Vashti. They still haven''t settled their score yet.

    "He''s not my boyfriend but I''m done with him so you can have the used toy, I won''t bite," backtalked Selene.

    "You do know, I''m here," Ian gestured to himself yet both women didn''t pass him a glance.

    "Thank you, next," Vashti countered, with a sarcastic smirk.

    "My stance that women shouldn''t have belonged in this council still stands," Pharrell argued.

    "Oh please, Pharrell" Dixie rolled her eyes, "You''re nothing but a dickhead and misogynist. Perhaps, I should make you a time travel spell to the middle ages, the women there would suit your taste,"

    A snicker came from Eleanor, clearly applauding Dixie for a job well done. Suppressed laughter followed which made the middle-aged man with a blonde buzz cut go red in the face.

    "Y-You!" He roared.

    "Enough!" Kun banged his hand hard on the table, the bulbs on the wall bursting out in white flames momentarily.

    "What''s this?!" He bellowed like an injured bull, "Do we always have to quibble like children each time we have a gathering?! We claim to be in charge of billions of lives across the globe, yet, what effective result can we boast of producing since this meeting began, huh? Tell me?! "

    A deafening silence enveloped them all, no one dared to make a sound, having seen the fury on Kun''s face.

    "I thought we captured one of them, why don''t we bring her over and produce an effective result, "Vashti said, however, one could sense the faint sarcasm beneath her words.

    "Right, I agree, " Pharrell seconded.

    "Ugh," Dixie released an exaggerated sigh at Pharrell, which he noticed but didn''t say a word.

    At once, an order was given.

    A few minutes later, the door opened to reveal a woman bound in heavy chains being dragged into the room by two witches.

    The woman struggled against their restraints but it was of no use, she couldn''t get out of it. She was forced to kneel in front of the Council Heads who were staring back at her. She was overshadowed, making her look like a chick in the midst of eagles.

    "I bet your evil coven didn''t teach you how to bow as a sign of respect to your elders," Vashti pointed out the fact she showed them no ounce of regard.

    Kun raised his hand, she was hushed.

    "Wondered who made him the leader," Vashti mumbled to herself, not caring if the others nor Kun heard.

    Selene stood from her side of the table to meet the witch who stared into her eyes without fear. Her fellow head watched her with interest, wondering what was on her mind.

    She slapped her.

    The woman gasped, her face wiping to the side from the impact yet bared her teeth at her, showing a face filled with anger.

    "You rude, insolent bitch," She stooped to grab the witch''s chin, tightly.

    "Perhaps, I should do the interrogation since it''s my people that caught her," Dixie offered.

    "She''s all yours," Selene gave her up gladly.

    Dixie sauntered over to her, " Let''s make this session a peaceful one that doesn''t involve spilling blood, shall we?" she said to the fuming dark witch.

    "Go to hell," She spat at Dixie.

    "I''m sorry but hell has no space for us, unfortunately. Now tell me, where are the rest of your coven members?"

    The dark witch have Dixie a dirty look, "Like I would tell you shit about�� ahh!" She screamed in pain.

    "Vashti, paws off my target, she''s mine," Dixie warned the witch who was torturing the woman from across the table with a spell.

    "I know she''s yours, Dixie, but shouldn''t we be extorting important questions like, ''who''s the current leader of the Burning Eaglet?'' and stuffs like that, instead of a small coven? Come on, go for the big fish," Vashti proposed.

    "She''s right," Pharrell supported.

    Everyone rolled their eyes unconsciously.

    "I support Vashti''s idea," Ian agreed, "The enemy has been successful all this while because we''ve been in the blind. I believe if we can get her identity, the hunt begins,"

    "He makes a solid point," Selene backed him

    "Vashti better do the questioning then, I''m sure she likes the pleasure that comes with this part, obsessively," Dixie remarked pointedly, striding back to her seat.

    "Sure, my greatest pleasure," Vashti strutted to the platform where the victim knelt, conjuring a whip in her grasp along the way, "We are going to have so much fun together," there was a dark glint in her eyes.

    "I would tell you her name, gladly" The woman spoke out at once.

    "Her?"Eleanor asked, "I was hoping for a ''he'' this time," the last leader had also been a female too. They must have a thing for female rulers.

    "You all know her well, in fact too well," the dark witch gave out a creepy smile as if she had some sort of leverage over them or something.

    "I''ll smack her on the face If she''s pulling my leg," Dixie didn''t like that smug look on the witch''s face.

    "Go on," Kun, the ever responsible one permitted her to resume.

    "Hi sororem tuam dicit Islinda," The witch enunciated.

    They all froze

    The hall went cold.

    No one talked.

    Just plain silence.

    Even Vashti prepared to strike her, didn''t move a muscle.

    "You are lying," Ian was the first to resume speech.

    "Why would I lie? When the truth is right inside my head,"

    "What?" Everyone said in unison.

    "Islinda has a message for all of you, who wants to look into my head? " the witch''s gaze roved over them.

    No one responded.

    "Scared are we?" the witch mocked them. Just one moment, they were all loud and arrogant, but now? As scared as rats.

    "Even you?" She incited the dark-skinned witch, Vashti who hissed at her.

    Kun stood from his seat before Vashti could take a step. That witch was volatile and erratic. If care was not taken, she might even end the witch before they have the opportunity of receiving the message.

    He walked over to the witch, hunched to her level, and said, "Give me the message,"

    "Fine," she readily accepted.

    She shut her eyes while Kun placed both hands on her temple, shutting his eyes too and connecting to the magic.

    Kun gasped when he saw himself in some celestial space. He knew his body was still outside, his consciousness was just transported here.

    "I see you received my message,"

    He turned in the direction of the voice, his eyes widening from shock. How was that possible?

    "Y-yo -"

    "Alive? Yes, but it''s a pity I wouldn''t last for long," Islinda aka Her ladyship said to him calmly, "But then, we have the messiah on our side already who would fight for those aggrieved. If I were you, I would run while I still have the chance,"

    "How is -" But Kun didn''t have the opportunity to ask his question because he was pushed back to his body.

    "She spoke the truth," Kun awoke with a gasp, "Islinda is still alive but not for long though it seems she has made problematic arrangements for us,"

    "How is she even alive?" Vashti was shocked, " I''m sure that we took care of her,"

    "Yeah, you took care of one of our own," Selene ridiculed her.

    "Islinda was compromised and we all took that decision to get rid of her, else you bitch wouldn''t be seating in this position you so much enjoy now!" She retorted.

    "This isn''t the time to fight amongst ourselves but think of a solution before it is too late. Islinda would not let us go scot-free for what we did to her, that''s for sure," Eleanor was chewing on her nails nervously.

    "We have to find the messiah,"

 Chapter 294 - Two Hundred And Ninety-four: Beginning Of A War

    "What do you mean by the messiah?" Eleanor asked, confused by the whole happenings.

    "Islinda mentioned it; that should be the object for her revenge,"

    "You have the idea what is coming," The Dark witch suddenly said, drawing their attention, "A war is coming and she would lead us to victory,"

    "I''m guessing she''s talking about the messiah... " Dixie said, breath sharp.

    "Who is a she," Kun completed, "She''s given us slightly helpful information, we have a specific gender to track down,"

    "Your efforts are useless," the witch cackled, " It''s too late, you''re too late!" her evil laugh reverberated across the room.

    Selene complained, "Can someone shut her up she''s beginning to irritate me,"

    "Gladly," Vashti muttered with a dark smirk, gesturing some odd signs that made the dark witch instantly explode; spurting blood and flesh everywhere.

    "Seriously," Selene was vexed, "I said shut her up, not tear her apart," She grumbled, wiping off the disgusting mess from her body with a spell.

    "I wanted no blood on me," Dixie complained, wiping herself.

    "I did your job, you''re welcome by the way," Vashti retorted emotionlessly.

    "You just killed the source of finding more about this messiah," Ian pointed out.

    "I respect your seriousness in the wellbeing of this council lately but you heard the witch, dumbhead, it is too late. The only thing we can do now is being reactive," She defended her action.

    "I have a feeling this has some connection with what that young seer saw," Kun brought up the case.

    "Oh, now, she''s telling the truth?" Selene ridiculed them. None has believed her when one of her seers brought that up and now, they do.

    "I need that seer, there must be a reason why she was the only one who received that prophesy,"

    "None of my business, do whatever you want, you can''t say I didn''t warn you," Selene was unconcerned.

    "This is all of our business, Selene. Islinda is coming for all of us and who knows what she has prepared - the extinction of us all, might I say?" Eleanor reminded her.

    "Maybe we shouldn''t have killed her in the first place," Ian told them.

    A guilty look appeared on all of their faces, recalling what they did to one of their own.

    Islinda has been the previous Head of North America, the position Selene now occupied.Before the purge, altercations between the dark witches and the normal witches were so severe that it was obvious that both ends would go to war.

    All witches get their powers from the same source of magic but different techniques and patterns. The Dark witches made use of forbidden spells, sometimes demonic hence their affiliation with demonic creatures which was against the rules of the witches'' community.

    Islinda offered herself up as a mediator for both sides. But then, in the process of relating and learning about them to come up with a solution before it escalates into a full wages war, she began to sympathize with them and in time, began their practices and tried convincing the others to see reasons with those abominators.

    Islinda lured half of the organization, tainting those innocent souls which left the rest of the Heads with no choice but for them to end her with the rest of those dark witches. The Purge had been a huge war but not as fierce as the Great War, though calamities befall those who aided the dark side.

    But then, it seems they were wrong in her death: the few surviving devoted members must have somehow gathered her bones, used one of those ancient practices, and raised her back to life.

    "There''s no benefit in crying over spilled milk. Let''s get our asses moving," Vashti pep said to them in her own way.

    "Send instructions to your overlords; let them make use of the hunters, it''s time to use an aggressive approach against the dark witches and Burning Eaglet." Kun ordered.

    "I would have the girl summoned over," Selene said to him, "It''s a date,"

    "Alright," Kun appreciated.

    "The rest of us would make ourselves useful by finding more clues on this messiah instead of going about exploding bodies," Dixie said pointedly, eyes glued on Vashti. Everyone knew she was a clean freak yet she went ahead to cause blood to spray on her.

    Vashti rolled her eyes, taking her leave. One by one, they all left till it was just Selene and Ian.

    They both sat across from each other, a creepy smile stretching both of their lips.

    "Think they bought our acts," Selene leaned forward on the long table separating both of them.

    "Why wouldn''t they?" Ian replied, "They''re so conceited that it wouldn''t even cross their mind that two of their Heads had been eliminated already," He laughed.

    True to their words, this present Selene and Ian were not the original possessors of the body; the real Selene and Ian had already been killed.

    "But don''t you think Her Ladyship made a hasty move this time? We may have bound the girl to our cause but we don''t know whether it worked"

    Months ago, they had acquired the girl''s hair - a mission acolyte Emily died for - and bounded it with Her Ladyship''s. Their cause would be her cause.

    "Our Ladyship doesn''t have much time, besides the girl has started having the dreams,"

    ********************

    Lia walked into the room with a fluorescent source of light and mist covering the ground like some stage effect. She had a sexy confident gait as everyone bowed their face to the earth.

    The sight was mesmerizing, people in red robes with hoods that had an eagle in a ring of fire sewed on their back, lined from the entrance to the point where the platform ended on both sides of the place.

    The only person who wasn''t bowing was Islinda aka Her Ladyship who stood beside the intricate vintage throne, watching the girl strutt over with approval and a joyful glint in her eyes.

    "Come, my child," She stretched her hand for Lia to take, helping her climb the last of the stairs," This is the time for you to take your throne, we have been waiting long for you, my queen" she bowed this time.

    Lia didn''t say a word, took the hand Islinda gave, and was led to the throne where she took a seat, crossing her leg over the other with a devil may care attitude.

    A look at her and one could notice how black her eyes were that one couldn''t differentiate the iris from the sclera. One might say, she looked like a demon.

    Islinda smiled at the scene playing out, that was just the girl''s spirit summoned to take her rightful spot as the Queen. It was not a necessity for her to be physically present - the spiritual world has always been stronger than the physical world. But when the time comes, the cause for which she had been called, would be fulfilled.

    "It is done," her Ladyship mumbled to herself. The liberation of her people has been set in motion and now she can die peacefully.

    *************************

    Daniel woke up with a smile on his face, remembering the events of yesterday - Lia was finally his. He could smell his scent on her, he had marked her already so she was off the market for all males - he couldn''t say the same for Asher.

    It was obvious that they needed to talk about this. He has marked Lia but she has not rejected Asher yet which still made him her mate - he couldn''t tell how he felt about that. However, Daniel was most happy that the link between him and Asher had severed.

    Lia was naked under the sheet and asleep, a lewd smile curved his lips as his hands went to her breast, cupping it.

    He heard her breath change yet didn''t give up, his hand boldly traveled below and began to touch her there. Her body reacted, sleep leaving her eye.

    "Daniel," She moaned his name, receiving the pleasure he was giving her.

    Unlike last night, Daniel loved her slowly and passionately this time. There was no interference from Asher, which made him take his time in pleasuring her till she was screaming cries of agony.

    "I love you, Lia," Daniel confessed to her after their moment of passion.

    "I love you too, Daniel," She accepted his feelings.

    Their lips met, clinging to each other and it was in this moment of Daniel kissing down her throat that his eyes fell on something.

    "Oh my God," He pulled back at once, shocked.

    "What is it?" Lia was surprised by the sudden change in his attitude.

    "You have something on your back," He muttered as Lia stretched her neck to get a glimpse of what he''s talking about.

    "I don''t see-"

    "Here," Daniel quickly took his phone from the nightstand, put on the camera, and flash, taking a picture of her back.

    Lia''s brow furrowed together in confusion, taking in the picture. There were some strange markings on her back that reached from her waist to a part of her neck. It would have been a really cool tattoo if she knew how that came about and what it signified.

    "What do you think this is?" she asked Daniel, worried.

    "I don''t know but Asher might,"

 Chapter 295 - Two Hundred And Ninety-five: Last Shred Of Humanity

    "You knew about Lia all this time, didn''t you?"

    Ben gulped, he never saw this interrogation coming. Where was that ejector seat?

    "Didn''t you?" She repeated.

    "I did," He answered.

    Ben didn''t know what was going on but the mood in the house told him Lia was busted. She was not at home nor was Trevour, only Rex was around, playing on his cellphone and pretending to be oblivious to their discussion.

    "This is stupid," Jenny threw her hand up, "My daughter is some sort of vampire, and Trevor -"

    "And a werewolf put together," Ben said.

    "What?" Jenny was confused.

    "Your daughter is a made vampire and werewolf hybrid," Ben grinned uneasily, "You forgot to add that one,"

    Jenny sighed, then glanced up at him, "Which one are you? My daughter is a hybrid or whatever you call it, Trevor and Rex are hunters, you must surely be something," She insisted.

    Ben scratched the back of his head, "The way you say it, you make it sound like I''m something great," He sheepishly grinned.

    "I''m right," She nodded, "You''re something, aren''t you? Which one are you?" Jenny was sure.

    "I''m not really something much unless you die and want me to convey some message to your kids..." Ben trailed off realizing how stupid he sounded right now.

    Jenny''s face was full of confusion, what was this boy talking about, "Are you cursing me to die?" She pointed to her chest.

    "Of course not, Mrs Jenny," The boy defended quickly.

    Rex burst into laughter, he couldn''t hold in anymore. It was so funny.

    Ben went on, "In one word, I''m trying to say that I''m a medium; a sort of vessel for the dead, ghosts possess and make use of me,"

    Jenny was struck dumb, she had always wondered why this boy was odd - turns out, there was a reason for that.

    "I need to speak with my daughter. We can''t keep fighting,"

    "Oh don''t worry, she''s probably with Daniel or Asher..." Ben''s hands flew to his mouth, what did he just blurt out? Lia would kill him - after her mom kills him. Why was he their punching bag?

    "Don''t worry, I know about that too - part of the reason for the big fight. I mean how can she be dating two guys? She''s an eighteen years highschooler and Daniel''s twenty-four -"

    "Twenty-six,"

    "What?"

    "Daniel''s Twenty-six," He corrected.

    "No way, Lia said��. oh," It dawned on her, "She lied to me," Jenny was hurt yet went on, "And then Asher''s Twenty seven -"

    "Seven hundred and something years old - I can''t exactly remember the rest," Ben revealed.

    Jenny fainted.

    Maybe he shouldn''t have said that, Ben contemplated. But then, the truth was revealed. What''s the use of keeping such a secret? Moreover, age was nothing but a number. Yeah, tell that to Mrs. Jenny on the floor.

    "Mom?"

    "Mrs. Jenny?"

    They both tried to resuscitate her.

    "Let''s keep her on the couch," Ben instructed Rex to help him out.

    They tried to revive the woman who regained consciousness a few minutes later.

    "Ben?"

    "Mrs. Jenny, you need to have some rest," Ben gently pushed back the woman who tried to sit up.

    "No, I had this weird dream where I found out my daughter is dating a seven hundred years plus vampire��" her eyes grew wide, holding her head, "It wasn''t a dream, was it, "

    Ben swallowed, his gaze moved to Rex who stared back, how were they going to explain that one.

    "I need to get my daughter this instant!" Jenny roared and stood up, but Ben placed both hands on her shoulder, sitting her back down on the sofa.

    Her brow raised.

    "Miss Jenny," Ben began, "You loved your husband didn''t you?"

    "So?" She wondered what the boy was trying to prove.

    "You loved him, didn''t you?"

    "Of course, I did and what kind of question and answer session is this?" the woman was perplexed and annoyed.

    "The same way you loved him, the same way your daughter loves them," Ben tried to make her see reasons with him.

    "She''s just a kid who thinks she knows what love is, now get out of my way!" She shoved Ben.

    "That''s the problem, this is no longer the human perception of love! Whatever bond there is between them is far much greater than you could ever understand because you don''t believe nor experienced it. You should not separate them, miss Jenny," Ben pleaded.

    For a moment there, Jenny didn''t say a word, just stood with a stunned expression which made Ben think he had finally gotten to her until she said,

    "Watch me," and went upstairs.

    "I see where Lia inherited her stubbornness," He noted.

    Rex shrugged, there was nothing he could do. Trevor, who was initially against their relationship - Lia and her mates - even tried to talk some sense into her but Jenny wouldn''t listen - she was as immovable as a mountain - which made him leave the house to go get some air.

    Jenny came down later, changed, and set to war.

    "Mrs, Jenny, I can assure you that you''re making a huge mistake here. Asher and Daniel are her destiny, you can''t change that," Ben said to her.

    "No, it is not destiny. I''m trying to save my daughter from her death. I''m trying to save my naive eighteen-year-old daughter from the hands of a crafty centuries-old vampire and a tendency to be a violent liar werewolf " She spoke through gritted teeth coupled with a fiery resolution.

    "She lied to protect you,"

    "Then, it''s my turn to protect her," she declared firmly.

    "Please, listen to me Mrs -"

    "Take care of Rex while I''m gone,"

    She was out of the door already.

    He wasn''t a babysitter.

    "Where''s she going?" Rex dropped his phone and sat up, peering out the driveway as his mother drove off.

    "To Asher''s place,"

    "Does the word, ''vampires '' not scare her?"

    "Adrenaline can do a lot of wonders," Ben yawned.

    "Do we need to follow her? As much as she''s being a bitch right now, I still do not want to be an orphan," Rex was worried.

    Ben gave Rex an odd look, "I would have said that''s an offensive word to use on your mother but my own mother was exactly the same today so I empathize," He turned in the direction of the stairs.

    "Where are you going?" Rex was surprised.

    "To Lia''s bedroom. By the way, is her bed still intact or did your mother throw it out because she suspects they might have done something in there?" Ben couldn''t help but ask. Who knows? He might be right.

    Rex rolled his eyes, Ben was so dramatic, "Yeah, her bed is still there and why are you asking that?"

    "See you later, buddy," Ben yawned once more.

    "I thought we were going to follow her? What if Asher does something like eat her?" Rex spoke out his fears.

    "Vampires don''t eat flesh but blood," He corrected.

    "Exactly, what if he harms my mother? My mum can''t protect herself; she''s just an angry, helpless, stubborn human,"

    "Don''t worry, Asher wouldn''t harm her,"

    Rex sighed in relief.

    Ben added, " As far as she doesn''t provoke him,"

    "Seriously?" The little boy threw his hand up, "That''s an assuring word you got there," his words dripped with irony.

    "Chill little dude, your mom would be safe," Ben promised.

    "Alright," Rex relaxed, picked up his phone, and resumed his games, and didn''t hear Ben question his promise as he climbed up the stairs.

    "He wouldn''t harm her, hopefully?"

    Ben came into Lia''s room, everything was just the way it was. He threw himself on the bed, stretching out his tired body fully.

    Her bed wasn''t as soft as his bed at his place but it was comfortable and smelled like home and all he was missing was a girl in his arms to cuddle��.

    "Get behind me Satan!" Ben was repelled. When did he start to think like that?

    While battling with his thoughts, Ben somehow fell asleep and woke up later to discover he slept for barely thirty minutes.

    Seriously, what the fuck. He thought it was over two hours already. Sigh, Ben was bored out of his mind. It was in his process of tossing and turning on the bed that his sight fell on the three thick journals on her nightstand.

    Speaking of which, the last time Ben came here, he saw those journals but was too preoccupied to ask Lia about them.

    "Well, let''s see," He picked one of them and opened the first page. Holy shit! It was a diary and written in Latin - a language he could read.

    Well, Ben had previously wanted to be a priest since they don''t get married - he did not want to produce a child that would be left alone for most of his life when the company would be finally handed to him.

    So Ben learned it, thinking Latin would give him an upper hand in becoming a print until his mother crushed that dream. But it seems the knowledge came in handy now.

    It was Lia''s father''s journal, Ben noticed that. And she had tried to translate it - he could see from the folded papers he found in some pages and underlined texts.

    It was pretty interesting for Ben because the man was speaking about his experience as a hunter until he stumbled upon a mystifying paragraph.

    "I''m a hundred percent sure Chris would hate me when he eventually learns about my family. He can be quite cold-hearted which is why I hope the dislike doesn''t get transferred to my family. I didn''t mean to deceive him but it''s in our nature, we never have one, neither do I have enough time to make up for that. My last shred of humanity is diminishing, time is running out and I have to leave. "

    "Huh? Nothing?" Ben was flustered when he found a blank page. Was it the end? No, that couldn''t be, that''s not happening, not when he''s hungry for more.

    He at once picked the other two journeys hoping that this revelation continued from there or at least explained this mystery. However, Ben wasn''t in luck, it seems the earlier one was the summarizing volume.

 Chapter 296 - Two Hundred And Ninety-six: Frenzy

    Asher woke up with a smile on his face, recollecting the events of yesterday. Sabrina was right, everything was as real as shit to him. The sensation, everything! Like he was one with Daniel. Though he did take liberty with Daniel. Well, it was the wolf''s bad for thinking they had a fifty percent right deal.

    Daniel was the first to break the deal - even though it wasn''t literally his intent - but everything worked in his favor and he didn''t dare to imagine what those things were doing now the link between them had severed.

    However, amid the happiness of last night, Asher was anxious. Now Daniel had marked her, it was obvious that whatever Lia felt for the werewolf would be heightened and he might be dumped.

    "Why is he drinking early this morning?" Zukai nudged Gideon when they came into the living room to see Asher sitting on the barstool, pouring himself a drink.

    "Didn''t he have a great time yesternight," He questioned further.

    And yeah, there was nothing that goes on around this house they didn''t know unless Asher doesn''t want them to - that vampire was good at keeping secrets. But then, this one wasn''t concealable especially because the witch did some "interesting" ritual.

    "He''s thinking, morons," chimed in Dan.

    "He had sex last night, he should be booming in the afterglow," Gideon complained.

    The others gave him an odd look.

    "Well, it wasn''t full sex but it was something. I would pay anything to be in his shoes right now," Wished Gideon.

    He was banned from doing those kinds of stuff with humans since he couldn''t control his bloodthirst perfectly. For vampires, feeding while having sex was one of the most euphoric feelings in the world and they could easily lose themselves in the frenzy, draining their victim to death.

    Then out of the corner of their eyes, they saw Helen emerge into the living room.

    "Where is Asher?" She seemed a little nervous, they could smell that off her. Something big was about to happen - and they were here to watch.

    They simply tilted their head in his direction and she headed over to the bar.

    Asher was having one of his super thinking yet lost moments when he felt someone by his side.

    "Morning mother, hope you had a pleasant sleep? " he asked without turning to her.

    "We don''t sleep," She pointed out his mistake. They were undead creatures, why would they sleep?

    "But we rest, don''t we?" He didn''t back down on the argument.

    "I couldn''t, there was no room for that," she said, taking a tumbler from the rest and poured herself a drink," I was thinking,"

    Asher chuckled mirthlessly, "And let me guess the result of the whole thinking, you''re leaving me, aren''t you? "

    Her head whipped towards him, shock apparent on her face, "How did you��?"

    "Not exactly hard to figure out when your mother wouldn''t look you in the face," He said with no care.

    "Asher, it''s not -"

    "I get it, mom," He interrupted her, "It''s not easy to stare at the face of the vampire who killed your mate and son, neither can you avenge your loved ones by killing him because he''s the son you desired to be with but couldn''t,"

    "I''m sorry," She teared up, "I never wanted all this to end this way; I planned for a harmonious family when I finally get the chance to be with you,"

    "I understand, mother. I would do the same if I were in your shoe. But in case it consoles you, then you should know that I would be mateless soon," He smiled wryly.

    "What? Why? What happened?"

    Asher sighed, "Let''s just say that my love rival won," He threw his head back, clogging everything down his throat. The drink hurt like liquor should but its effects were useless, he needed to get drunk now - maybe, Sabrina might make him a special concoction to help with that.

    "I''m sorry, Son. Dan told me about your situation and if you ever need my help, don''t hesitate to reach out. Vampires might not have much influence in the council but I have some people who owe me a favor. They might be able to help when trouble comes knocking,"

    "Sure," He answered.

    They both drank in silence until Asher asked.

    "When are you leaving?"

    "Tomorrow morning,"

    "To where,"

    "I don''t know. Anywhere? Maybe I''ll travel around the world. That had always been my dream that Ezekiel never indulged me," She winked at him, "Also one of the reasons I fell for your father, he''s a traveler,"

    Asher grinned, this moment was perfect.

    "I''ll be back," Helen promised him, "I just need to clear my head for a few years,"

    "Alright,"

    Silence reigned again. But this time, there was something different. The tensed atmosphere was replaced by a jolly one.

    Asher was on his third bottle when he picked up a familiar scent in the air, his eyes widened and he turned at once to spot Daniel coming in with Lia.

    "Asher," Lia ran to him.

    He was stunned, yet welcomed her into his arms. This wasn''t the scene he envisioned; he had thought Lia would abandon him.

    Lia''s heart pounded in her chest, she had thought Asher wouldn''t look at her after what happened between her and Daniel last night.

    Asher kissed her at once, not minding that Daniel was standing behind her, partly glaring at him. He poured his insecurities into the kiss, exploring her mouth and drawing a moan from her which made Daniel growl - not that he cared. The werewolf had his way already, it was his turn.

    The only reason Asher pulled away was because of the fact his control was slowly slipping and not the continuous rumble from Daniel''s throat.

    Lia was speechless, the attraction between her and Asher had not diminished at all amid Daniel claiming her - somehow it was a great relief. The pull was so strong that she swore he would have taken her right there and then if they didn''t have company.

    Daniel was quick to pull Lia to his side, he couldn''t help it. Yes, guilt gnawed at his heart, having broken that deal first but Iyke didn''t exactly like the vampire touching what was his.

    "What are you doing here?" Asher asked, eyeing the way Daniel held her possessively - It had gone down to that already, "I thought you both would be having your honeymoon already," One could sense the jealousy in his voice.

    "We could," Daniel said, "But we have a problem,"

    "What problem? " Asher inquired yet saw the way Daniel''s gaze moved to his mother and the other three vampires eavesdropping on them, understanding what it meant.

    "I''ll leave you guys alone," Helen said. She wasn''t dumb not to notice she wasn''t welcomed in this very discussion.

    Yet when she passed him by, Helen stopped to whisper into his ears, "You and your father have a knack for the sexy ones,"

    "Mom," Asher groaned as she winked and left. He knew Lia heard her judging by the way she was red in the face.

    "They''re all gone, you can talk now," He informed Daniel.

    Asher observed the way Daniel signaled Lia and she began to pull her shirt off. He swallowed, were they planning on�� it couldn''t be what he was thinking. The vampire fought with his dirty thoughts until he saw the markings on her back.

    "Holy shit!" Asher exclaimed, disbelief written on his face. He was stunned for a few minutes before moving to trace his hand on the markings.

    Lia shivered when he touched the marks, she couldn''t tell if the marks were sensitive or because it was Asher touching her.

    "Do you know what that is?" Daniel asked, unsettled by him touching Lia in his presence.

    "Looks familiar but I can''t exactly remember where I had seen it; there are centuries-old memories in my head," Asher complained yet was enthralled by the mysterious art on her smooth, silky skin.

    Lia gave out a suppressed moan when the touching became an erotic dance and that signaled Asher to withdraw his hands.

    "I need time to remember and a photo to send to Sabrina. The witch might not know about the mark but she''s the best person I can rely on for secret research. Nobody else should know about this," was Asher''s strict warning.

    "I have pics with me already," Daniel notified Asher, bringing out his phone to send it to him when they heard a groan.

    "Ugh," Lia grunted sharply, doubling over.

    "What is it?" Both asked.

    She glanced up, panting with sweat on her face.

    "She needs blood," Asher noticed her blue eyes, "How can that be? I fed her before sending her to you," He was perplexed.

    "I''m really hungry," Lia complained and as a matter of fact, her fangs had descended.

    "I don''t know how that''s possible but she can''t wait any longer. Give us some privacy, Daniel," Asher said, his hands on his shirt, already unbuttoning it.

    "No, I''m not leaving," Daniel insisted.

    "Daniel, you should. It can get quite intense in here, I don''t want you to get uncomfortable," she was concerned amid being in pain.

    Daniel did not know how to rate her definition of "intense" but one thing was for sure, he wasn''t leaving Lia in the hands of that vampire. Asher already took liberty with him last night by controlling his body and having sex with her - not that she knew - who knew what he might do that this time?

    "Don''t get a boner?" Asher smirked at him and went to take a seat on the couch, tapping on his laps for Lia to sit on him.

    Lia glanced at Daniel unsurely but when he didn''t react, walked over to Asher and sat astride him.

    "There''s something you two are not telling me. I still don''t understand how I come to have sex with Daniel nor why you''re cool with it" Lia told Asher even though she had this crazy strong urge to just take his blood, "Daniel broke the deal, you''re supposed to be throwing a fit - ugh!" another pang of pain hit her.

    Asher''s eyes narrowed, why was she so hungry? More like starved, as if she hasn''t eaten for days.

    "Just shut up and feed," He swallowed her words when he saw her about to start another interrogation after the first wave of pain subsided.

    Lia kissed him hard, clinging to his lips before withdrawing to kiss his neck. For some strange reasons, Asher smelled incredulously good right now.

    Her fangs arched, she grazed his neck with it, causing him to shiver and the hand he used to anchor her to him tightened. Lia sank her fangs into his neck, sucking his blood, and felt the explosion of richness in her mouth; his blood was so sweet.

    Asher hissed through his mouth while his hands roamed her body, there was something so alluring about her today. His hands traveled into the inside of her shirt and began to touch her boobs.

    Lia moaned, her other hand treading through his scalp while her hip began to unconsciously move against him as she drank from him.

    Daniel was stunned, he had thought he would be so furious by now, to the point that he''d tear them apart. However, contrary to his thoughts, he was enthralled by the scene.

    He couldn''t take his eyes off them and to crown it all, had the ridiculous thought of joining. Something must be wrong with him. Daniel tore his gaze away, yet her dulcet moan and Asher''s soft groan excited him.

    "It''s enough," Asher tried to pull her away from his neck, "You''re going to get yourself sick,"

    Yet, she stubbornly latched onto him and drank until he was almost sucked dry. She pulled away.

    "I feel better," Lia wiped away the blood trailing down the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand.

    Asher expected her to throw up the excessive blood but nothing happened, she burped instead.

    This got him all the more mystified and was about to scan what brought on this sudden change when someone barged into the living room.

    "Leave my daughter alone, you animals,"

 Chapter 297 - Two Hundred And Ninety-seven: At The Expense Of Their Relationship

    "Leave my daughter alone, you animals!"

    "Mom?" Lia was startled out of her mind. She jumped off from Asher''s Laps. She looked as guilty as a child caught stealing meat from a pot of soup by her mother. How did her... no, why was her mom here and with a gun?

    "I would not let you two ruin my daughter''s bright future," She declared, pointing the gun at Asher, then at Daniel, and then back again at Asher. Making sure to point at both in between intervals.

    "Mom, what are you doing with that gun," Lia eyed her.

    "Don''t bother yourself, mother-in-law, that won''t work on me," Asher told her blandly.

    Jenny wanted to faint from extreme anger, mother what? She then focused the gun on Asher, "I''ll rather die than accept you filthy thing as a son in law. Who knew how many lives have been wasted by your hands,"

    Asher snorted, "Oh, you know that, and yet you point a useless weapon at me?" He was amused.

    "No," she said.

    "No, what?"

    "I found this in my son''s room - still shocking by the way- who happens to be a hunter and if he truly hunts creatures like you, then this should be lethal," she gave him a mocking look.

    The environment changed, Asher''s jaw ticked and Lia didn''t like it one bit.

    "Mrs, Jenny. Please calm down," Daniel attempted to mediate.

    "Shut up!" She snapped at him, pointing the gun at him now, and saying, "I trusted you, yet you not only lied to me but even indulged my daughter in this madness!"

    "Exactly," Daniel said, "I had no choice but to keep it a secret because of a moment like this,"

    "Excuses, lies!" Jenny fumed, "You all deceived and used me," She was determined, "Lia would not be used that way too. This has to end now,"

    "Mother, put down the gun," Lia was cautious while taking small steps towards her. She didn''t know what that gun was loaded with but her best guess was silver laced bullets which were dangerous to her mates.

    Everything happened too quickly.

    Asher came after her mother with the intent of snatching the gun from her. However, Jenny was startled by his great speed and fired unknowingly at him while Lia screamed, putting up a shield at the last minute.

    Though no one was hurt, the event shook Jenny greatly; her hands and lips began to tremble.

    "Oh my God, I almost killed somebody," Jenny burst into tears. Her legs became soft as jelly and gave out, she fell to the ground.

    "Mother!" Lia rushed at her and encompassed her in a hug as they commenced a crying marathon.

    The gunshot commotion attracted the others who came into the living room to investigate what was going on.

    "I''m so sorry, I didn''t mean to, I just wanted to scare them so they could leave you alone," Jenny cried harder.

    Lia was confused about what to do. She didn''t know whether to console or just beat sense into her mother. Why would her mates stay away from her because of a simple gun threat? It sounded stupid! Those two would turn the world upside down just to find and be with her.

    However, no matter how vexed Lia was with Jenny, she was still her mother, and seeing her break down in front of her, broke her heart.

    "I''m so sorry, forgive me, Lia. I''m not a bad mother, I just want what''s best for you," she sobbed on.

    "I know, why is why I''m sorry too," Tears

    fell from Lia''s eyes and she clasped her mom''s face, "I''m sorry mom that it had to come to this," she apologized.

    No one dared to make a sound. Everyone watched as mother and daughter worked out their differences.

    "You''re just too young, Lia," She caressed her cheeks with affection.

    "Yeah, I know," Lia acknowledged that, "But mom, I''m no longer that sweet, naive, obedient daughter you want me to be. You might not understand but there''s this strong bond between me, Daniel, and Asher; it''s out of this world. I feel something for them - something you might have never shared with Dad if I''m to say. I simply can''t live without them, mom,"

    "So you''re not going to leave them?" there was a twig of hope in Jenny''s voice when she asked that.

    Lia turned to look at Asher and Daniel, she shook her head, "No, mom, I would not leave them,"

    "Even at the expense of our mother-daughter relationship?"

    Lia''s mouth hung open, she couldn''t believe her mother was asking her to choose.

    "I love you mom," Lia started, "But you lived your life, now''s my turn to live mine. So yes, even at the expense of our relationship, I won''t leave them," her words were firm and decisive.

    Asher and Daniel were touched by her statement. They knew where Jenny was heading and as much as they wanted Lia to reconsider her decision, they couldn''t. They would never let her go, she was their life.

    "Fine, you made your decision," Jenny declared.

    Lia''s heart hurt, so this was how her ties with her family were severed? She was determined not to regret it, rather would prove to her mom that this wasn''t a mistake. But she didn''t even get to say goodbye to Trevour and Rex.

    She was about to ask for permission to see her siblings once more when her mother added,

    "And I''m going to respect your decision because you''ve proven to me that you''re old enough to bear the consequences,"

    "What?" Lia must have heard wrong.

    "You can date them, Lia," Jenny told her.

    Whoa, Lia was shocked. Did she just hear date them, not him? Not one but two? Did her mom just accept both of them? Was this truly her mother and not an alien occupying her body?

    Jenny continued, "Just don''t come running to me for solace when people begin to criticize you for -"

    Lia didn''t care to hear the rest of her statement, throwing herself at her mother out of happiness and almost brought both of them to the ground.

    "Thank you so much," Lia hugged her tight. She felt light as if a heavyweight was removed from her chest.

    "However, you are going to tell me everything and there would be no secret between us," Jenny conditioned.

    "Fine, no problem," Lia was giddy with Joy, almost lifting her mother off the ground from excitement. This was a dream come true; she had always wanted to converse with her mom about her crazy experiences.

    "Miss Jenny, I don''t know how to thank you," Daniel was happy too. His mate''s happiness was his happiness too.

    "Don''t thank me," Jenny told him, "I''m not yet done with you two,"

 Chapter 298 - Two Hundred And Ninety-eight: Size Of A Volleyball

    "Huh?" Daniel was confused.

    Jenny stood up and moved towards him menacingly, "I carried Lia in my womb for nine months, so anything that makes her sad makes me sad. Hence, if you, and you��" She pointed at Daniel and Asher, "Make her shed a drop of tears, I''ll not hesitate to take her away forever," she warned them.

    "Of course, Mrs. Jenny." Daniel promised her, "I''ll treasure your daughter and protect her from danger,"

    Her gaze rested on Asher, waiting expectantly for his reply.

    "Yes, mother-," Asher said.

    Jenny hissed, cutting him off before he could finish the rest of his words. Honestly, this was weird. This man had gone from being her daughter''s principal at school to be her soul mate? Boyfriend? Whatever Lia called it. She just prayed her daughter knew what she was doing and this doesn''t backfire on her.

    Asher was giddy inside, he didn''t need to hypnotize Lia''s mother anymore. He knew Lia was hurt by her mother''s disapproval of their relationship and had planned to go see the woman and try to talk some sense into her. If the woman still doesn''t see things with him, he''d be forced to take action.

    "So now, we''re good.. " Jenny slapped her palms together, "Let''s draw some boundaries here, shall we?"

    Lia groaned, just when she was thinking the storm was over.

    Jenny took a seat, crossing her leg over the other, giving them the eyeball to eyeball regard.

    "As you can see," She started, "My daughter is quite young and I wouldn''t want her to be involved in some activities that��"

    At the mention of "some activities", all trio - Lia, Daniel, Asher - eyes connected in this sequence: Daniel and Asher''s eyes met first but the werewolf somehow made it in time to meet Lia''s before all of them stared at each other.

    "You have done it, haven''t you? " Jenny''s voice was taut. How did she find out? she had watched the way they looked at each other and put two and two together. Moreover, she was a mother with experience, so that gesture shouldn''t have been hard to decipher.

    Lia slowly nodded, chewing on her lips nervously. This was time for her mother to explode.

    Jenny took a long, deep calming breath, "It''s okay," She kept chanting inwardly. Well, it''s normal, Jenny told herself. An estimated fifty percent of male and female teens have had sexual intercourse by age eighteen, so it wasn''t surprising for her daughter to follow the trend - she herself wasn''t any different. Just put on a happy face, all would be well - while hoping she used protection.

    However, amid the reassurances, Jenny still went ahead to ask, "Who did you do it with? Daniel? Asher? Both of them?!" It surely couldn''t be all three of them!

    Lia went red in the face, she scratched the back of her ear, gaze moving to rest on Daniel.

    "Him?" Jenny asked.

    Lia nodded.

    "Phew, thank God it''s not a threesome," Jenny was relieved. She didn''t want her lovely daughter tainted to that degree, nor did she see the way Daniel and Asher spoke with their eyes.

    That was a close one.

    "You know what?" Jenny had a throbbing headache, " We should head home," she said to Lia.

    Her blood pressure kept increasing the more she stayed here, discovering her daughter wasn''t the angel she thought.

    In fact, none of her kids were -including that damned late husband of hers. After discovering a gun in Trevor''s room, Jenny opened her mind for more shocking revelations. Seriously, how could everyone be so normal with this craziness?

    "I''m so sorry Mrs. Jenny but we need Lia -"

    "I''m sure Lia has missed you already and would love to return home with you," Asher interrupted Daniel. Their eyes met and he shook his head tactically, gesturing to him not to press the woman.

    "Of course," Daniel picked up at once, covering up with a sheepish smile,

    "You should spend more time with your daughter since you both have been apart for days,"

    And that was how Lia found herself being driven home by her mother. Contrary to her thoughts, the ride home wasn''t tense; she and her mom cracked jokes and sang along to some songs on the radio. By the time they got home, Trevor had returned plus receiving a warm reception from Ben.

    "What are you still doing here? Don''t you have a home to return, it''d be evening soon," Jenny checked her wristwatch as she spoke

    "I''m spending the night here," Ben announced joyfully.

    Jenny''s brow shot up at that announcement, she looked between her daughter and Ben.

    "Make yourself comfortable at Trevor''s room, don''t make me drag your ass out of Lia''s," was her threat.

    "What?" Ben''s face fell, why the sudden change? He had a lot to discuss with his goddess at night regarding that journal.

    "Why Mrs. Jenny?" he complained, "You''ve always been cool about me staying in her room, why are you suddenly breaking my heart?" Ben clasped his chest dramatically, pouting his lips and fluttering his eyebrows.

    "She," Jenny pointed at her daughter, "Currently has two loves of her life, I''m not comfortable with another," she grumbled.

    Lia facepalmed, "It doesn''t work that way, mom"

    "I don''t care, Lia. I''m just taking precautions and being proactive here. Also, Ben, that puppy face doesn''t work on me" she crushed his hope and went ahead to her room to change out of the clothes.

    And yes, the moment her mother left, Ben bugged her for gossip until she spat out everything - including the markings. Yeah, she blatantly disobeyed Asher''s warning but Ben has a master''s degree in drawing the truth out of someone''s lips. Moreover, she trusted he would keep her secret.

    Jenny returned and to celebrate her daughter''s return and the family''s reconciliation - she apologized to them all for her irresponsible behavior the past days - cooked quite a feast.

    It was at that table that Lia feared everyone by eating ten times more than them all. But what could she do? She was crazily hungry - yet threw up almost half of it later in the toilet.

    Soon it was late and everyone went to bed, with Ben sleeping in her brother''s room - as strictly instructed by her mother. However, Lia found out she couldn''t sleep, one moment she was hot to the point she pulled off her clothes and took a freezing shower.

    However, the next minute, Lia was so cold that she ransacked her wardrobe for thick sheets, burying herself in piles of it on the bed. Added to the fact she kept craving for God knows what and she went downstairs to grab two pints of Icecream Jenny had kept in the fridge, finishing them and searching for more. It was quite a crazy and stressful night that she was surprised to find out she slept off eventually.

    In the morning, Lia woke up shockingly heavy and tired. She yawned and tried to stretch but found out she couldn''t - Gosh, her back ached badly.

    Out of curiosity, Lia took off the numerous sheets covering her and looked down. To her shocking discovery, her stomach was the size of a volleyball.

    "Ahh!!"

 Chapter 299 - Two Hundred And Ninety-nine: Demon

    "Alright, you can tell me the truth now, she''s gone," Daniel told Asher half an hour later after they had dealt with Jenny''s drama.

    They were currently in the vampire''s study for privacy sake

    "What are you talking about?" Asher pretended to busy himself by arranging the books on his desk.

    "You can''t remember because there are centuries-old memories in your head?" Daniel scoffed, "Who are you deceiving? You are the sliest and brilliant vampire I''ve ever known"

    "Should I take that as an insult or compliment?"

    "Your choice - which I honestly don''t care - but I know that I''m not leaving here without you telling me what I want to know," Daniel was firm with his words. If he hadn''t been observant, he would have fooled like Lia. Asher would only do this if the truth was not a pleasant one.

    Asher sighed, "Fine," then he went to his shelf and pulled out a book which caused the frame to slide to the side, revealing a secret room.

    "Holy mother of God," Daniel was speechless, he pointed to the shelf, "I have been here times without a number and I never knew you had a secret compartment in here?!"

    "You''d be surprised at the number of skeletons in my wardrobe which isn''t surprising considering the number of years I''ve walked this earth," He mumbled while walking into the room, stopping in front of a portrait on the wall.

    Daniel took a good look around the place, it was like some sort of collection room, just like a room where footballers keep their trophies.

    There were so many unidentifiable artifacts, rare animal bones - was that the skeleton of a dinosaur? If it wasn''t the fact that he and Asher had built some level of trust, he''d be fleeing with his heels touching his head by now.

    Daniel then saw the picture that Asher had been so attracted to for a while now, he came over there.

    "Enchanting, isn''t she?" Asher murmured, turning to look at him.

    "Yeah, she is," Daniel admired the woman in the picture, " She''s quite an exotic beauty,"

    She had copper brown hair cascading down to her belly covering her bare breast. She has this striking grey eyes and lips that even the strongest of men were tempted to feel.

    The more Daniel stared into those eyes, the more he was tempted to trace that portrait and he drew closer and closer until his hand was reaching out.

    But to his greatest surprise, her eyes suddenly turned pitch black, including the whites of her eyes. The sight jolted him, he took a step back.

    "What the hell was that?" Daniel was heaving.

    "I see you met the succubus and by the way, that''s an illusionist photo created by a witch so don''t pee in your pants yet," Asher laughed at him.

    A low rumble in Daniel''s throat was a warning to Asher not to push his luck.

    "So how does that explain my question regarding our mates?" Daniel questioned through gritted teeth.

    "Take a look at the photo again," Asher told him.

    Daniel gave him a warning look, "I swear to God Asher, if this is some sort of prank, I''m going to -"

    "Just look at the damn photo, Daniel. This time, focus on her thoracic region," He instructed the werewolf.

    Daniel let Asher''s voice guide him and somehow saw a faint outline of the same markings that were on Lia. Oh my God, does that mean��.

    "Lia''s a succubus? Our mate is a demon?" Daniel couldn''t believe it.

    "Hybrid; half-demon, half-human, when you exclude the vampire, werewolf trait she possesses. So yes, she has demon blood in her," Asher answered calmly.

    "But how''s that possible? Jenny is clearly human" Daniel was confused.

    "Either Jenny is a good pretender or her father had more secrets than he let out. One of her parents must be a demon and the other human for her to be a hybrid," he went on, "Those marks you saw on her back are demonic markings and only appears when a demon sleeps with their mate."

    Daniel wiped his face with his palm, "I just don''t understand, if Lia''s a succubus, why are we still alive. She should have devoured our soul already, isn''t that what they feed on; Sexual energy and lifeforce?" he was full of questions.

    "Just because she''s a demon doesn''t mean she''s a succubus, they''re different types of demons, and just like you werewolves, they also practice the law of hierarchy- higher and lower demons - and you should know that demons are polygamous in nature -"

    "Which explains me and you, the double mate thingy," Daniel interjected.

    "And also why Lia can''t die through normal means because Demons can only be killed on holy ground or relics," Asher finally figured out.

    "The signs have been here all this time, we were just missing the main highlight," Daniel sighed in disbelief.

    "The council is not going to like this. They already have a hard time condoning the dark witch because they have affiliations with demons, talk more a demonic vampire-werewolf made hybrid - this alone is quite hard to believe," said Asher.

    "But Lia hasn''t done anything to raise a cause for an alarm" Daniel was vexed, "Why won''t they just leave her alone?"

    "Because they''re scared of what she can do, Daniel. Which is why the Burning Eaglet is after her and I have a feeling that whatever they want from her, involves tapping into her dark side," Asher surmised.

    "I''m going to protect her," Daniel swore.

    "We are going to protect her," Asher corrected the impression, "She''s mine as much as she''s yours."

    Daniel growled.

    Asher snarled.

    They stared at each other hard until they gave in, "Fine, we''d protect her together,"

    "Don''t get cocky just because you got to mate with her, Daniel. Soon I''ll have her too," there was a glint of promise in Asher''s eyes.

    "Yeah, if she doesn''t reject you by then," Daniel purposely irked him. He continued, "I just hope Sabrina would be around on that day to bound me to you so you could know how it feels to have your woman pleasured by another person as you watch helplessly," Daniel spat. He obviously had not forgotten that violation.

    "But then," Asher took a step closer, "I''m not just anybody; I''m your love rival who''s been with you through thick and thin. Moreover��" The vampire was now so close to Daniel that their bodies were touching. Heat seeped into Daniel, he gulped.

    "If you want to avenge on me that badly, you could join us on that day," Asher lowered his face so he was whispering into his ears, seductively,

    "You could watch or join - it''s up to you. But the three of us together, we would create an explosion. Also��"

    Asher''s hand went around the stunned Daniel''s waist, blowing hot air into his ear saying, "I would really want to know if you''re as tough as you look on the bed. As I peel off your clothes one after the other, touch you��" his hand trailed down the werewolf''s exposed arm, " Till you''re screaming my -"

    "You''re crazy!" Daniel screamed, released himself from Asher''s grasp, and ran out of the room like the devil was chasing him. No, Asher was the devil now and he was running from him. But then, why did he get a boner from that?

    After Daniel "fled" from him, Asher didn''t move a muscle, he just stood in that same spot like a statue. Suddenly, as if a dam was broken, he burst into a peal of hysterical laughter, that was so fun. It was quite entertaining teasing that kid.

    "He does have smooth skin," he mumbled, staring at his hand he had rubbed on Daniels'' arm.

    Asher was not going to lie, he had been with a man before- it was common for unmated vampires. When you''ve lived as long as him, you find out that even sex with the opposite sex becomes predictable, boring. And then, you begin to explore your choice.

    However, Asher knew not to cross that line. But it wouldn''t hurt to tease Daniel more. His reaction was adorable - quite a pity he couldn''t get it on camera.

    If only Asher and Daniel knew fate had more craziness in store for them the next day.

    *************************

    Lia''s scream which literally could raise the dead from the grave woke everyone from the Darlington family.

    "What now?" Trevor groaned, turning to the other side of the bed.

    "Did Lia just scream?" the awoken Ben asked, unsure. He and Trevour had shared a bed last night.

    "Yeah, she probably had a nightmare," Was Trevor''s muffled reply. His face was pressed into the pillow.

    "No, I don''t think so. Lia''s doesn''t scream from nightmares, she''s nightmare herself," Ben was on his feet, "We have to check on her,"

    "No, you do it yourself, I''m having my beauty sleep,"

    The next thing Trevour knew, he was rolled to the ground.

    "Fine, let''s go" he agreed.

    They were the first to arrive in her room and the first to get shocked.

    "What in the ��!"

    "Jenny''s gonna kill someone!"

    "What''s going on here, I heard a horrid scream," a voice sounded from behind.

    Speak of the devil.

    "Why was Lia screaming�� Ben out of my way," Jenny was perplexed at his odd behavior. Not that he hasn''t always been odd.

    "Mrs. Jenny, trust me, you don''t want to see this. Just go back to your room and forget you ever had a daughter called Lia"

    Jenny''s brow raised, what was this fool sputtering this time

    " Get out of my way, Ben,"

    "No, Mrs. Jenny. If you want to get inside here, you have to go through me," Ben declared.

    The woman became serious, "Really? Very well then,"

    Jenny simply kicked Ben on his leg and shoved him out of her way, stepping into the room. But the woman stopped short when she saw her daughter, Lia, sitting on the edge of her bed, staring at her ballooned stomach and hyperventilating.

    Her world darkened.

 Chapter 300 - Three Hundred: They Want To Be Let Out

    "No, mom, you can''t kill him, he''s the father of my child!" Lia pleaded for the nth time already. Does this woman want to make her a half-widow -Since she technically still has Asher.

    Jenny''s eyes were red with anger, veins were protruding from her neck. That bastard had dared to impregnate her daughter amid her warning, today would be the day he dies.

    Daniel thought she had given up when he felt a punch on his face and a kick in his groin.

    "Sweet Jesus," Daniel gave out a stifled cry. Gosh, it was so damn painful!

    "I might not be able to kill you but I can do that at least," Jenny heaved, then turned to Asher.

    "I''m innocent, I have not touched her at all," Asher was quick to raise his hand in surrender.

    Daniel frowned at him yet didn''t say anything. It was already crazy enough that Lia had gotten pregnant in one day, not to talk of when Jenny hears they did some sort of body linking and blah blah.

    Jenny paced up and down the room, threading her hand into her hair out of frustration, she stopped to face Daniel who was still recovering from the pain, asking, "How is this possible? My daughter''s stomach wasn''t this size yesterday, tell me what you did to my daughter!" She yelled at him.

    "I don''t know! I''m as confused as you are. We only had sex!"

    "Yeah, explain that sex that put my daughter in this outrageous situation. How can someone be pregnant in one day? That is hilarious..." She threw her hair back and laughed hysterically which made Trevour wonder if his mom had finally lost it.

    He quietly sneaked to the side unnoticed and snatched the gun that she had left on her seat when Daniel and Asher honored their death invitation.

    "Calm down, Mrs. Jenny. We are going to sort this out," Asher assured her.

    "We? Sort this out? How?!" She shrieked, stunning even Rex who had made himself invisible by the side.

    "Lia says she''s hungry," Ben announced.

    While others were there, suffering the consequences of their actions and trying to calm the furious Jenny down, Ben was here taking care of Lia.

    "Don''t worry kids, uncle here would protect you," Ben affectionately rubbed her stomach which had increased from its former side.

    "I''m having one child, not two," Lia told him.

    Ben scoffed, "Werewolves give birth to litters, not one," He reminded her.

    Lia''s eyes widened, "Well, I can''t have more than one child. I''m too young to be a mother, talk more two!" She barked at him.

    "Seriously, chill! Why are you yelling at me, I''m not the one who impregnated you, there''s the father over there! Go yell his head off!" Ben was vexed.

    To Ben''s greatest surprise, Lia began to cry. What the hell.

    "Not you two, Ben. Tell me you don''t hate me too,"

    He was confused, "Why would I hate you? Lia, you''re my best friend," Ben added, "And why are you even crying?"

    "I don''t know, you tell me, why am I crying?" she questioned him with all seriousness.

    "Well, I-I��" he stuttered.

    "Where''s my goddamned food?!" yelled Lia who had been crying moments ago.

    Ben''s mouth hung open, what the hell? Pregnant women were scary. Was this the doing of pregnancy hormones? If that was the case, he would rather become a bachelor forever.

    "While you keep on arguing back and forth, your daughter needs me," Asher said, trying to dismiss himself from the nagging Jenny.

    "Don''t tell me you''re about to feed my daughter blood?" Jenny was disgusted, yet there was a trace of fear in her eyes.

    "That''s her diet and you don''t have to worry, it''s not human''s," the vampire tore away from her grasp, walking over to his mate.

    "Hey," Asher sat beside her, the spot Ben had given up, joyfully.

    "Asher, I''m so sorry," Lia began to weep once again.

    "No, it''s not your fault," He hugged her.

    Truth be told, Asher had been jealous when he received the call from Trevor informing him that Lia was pregnant - no matter how bizarre it sounded. Asher wasn''t sure if he would have a child with Lia but they hadn''t tried to know. Still yet, he was envious of Daniel; he had everything now.

    However, just because the child wasn''t his doesn''t mean he wouldn''t be with her in her time of distress. He loved her and would do anything for her.

    "Why do you smell so good?" Lia sniffed his neck.

    "Because you''re hungry," Asher answered, stretching out his wrist for her to take.

    There was a questioning look on Lia''s face but when she saw the assurance in his eyes, took his wrist into her mouth, and began to suck the delicious blood.

    Jenny didn''t know how to feel at that scene; her daughter was drinking vampire blood, not even human. Was it a relief that her daughter didn''t have to kill a human for blood or a creepier phenomenon that she wasn''t like the average vampire?

    Asher winced from her rough gluttonous feeding, she drank like a vampire starved for centuries. Though he had replenished himself after her feeding yesterday, he might desiccate if she continues at this rate.

    It finally made sense to Asher why she was starved yesterday, the child needed food to replenish and so far, seems to be a hybrid hence the need for blood, or maybe the child just liked the mother''s diet - Pregnant women were weird anyway.

    "I''m full," Asher was highly relieved when she released him.

    Immediately, a portal opened in the room, Sabrina and Dan emerged from it.

    "Holy mother of God," Sabrina was astounded at the scene, "You weren''t kidding at all. Well, I''m surprised anymore with Lia''s involved," she mumbled.

    "You brought that witch into my house?" Jenny pointed at Sabrina.

    "She''s going to check if something''s wrong with the baby," Daniel told her.

    "No way she''s going near my daughter," she shook her head stubbornly, "What Lia needs is a hospital,"

    "We can''t take her to a hospital," Sabrina refused, "Most of the town folks knows Lia, they would question how she got pregnant all of a sudden,"

    "We would work something out, come up with a believable lie or something," Said Jenny.

    "Come up with a lie for this?" Sabrina pointed to Lia''s large stomach, "She''s in her third trimester already, how are you going to explain that?"

    "Oww," Lia moaned in pain, ending the argument by drawing everyone''s attention to her. Daniel ran to her side.

    "Hey, what''s wrong?" Daniel pushed her hair away from her face.

    "The baby''s kicking me.. Oww " Lia moaned, "Why does it feel like he''s having a war or something down there?"

    "War?" Confusion filled Daniel''s face. He had no idea what to do, anxiety-filled him.

    Meanwhile, Asher who was rubbing his chin thoughtfully ordered his henchman, "Dan, try reading the baby''s thought,"

    "Do you think that''s possible?" Daniel asked Asher.

    "We won''t know until we try,"

    "Alright," Dan agreed, going over to the bed as Daniel made space for him to sit, he placed his hand on Lia''s belly.

    For a while, the look on Dan''s face was impassive until a smile curved his lips. He said to Lia in particular," This ain''t a joke, they''re having a war down there,"

    "They?" Daniel noted.

    Dan smirked at him, "You''ve got a handful, Daniel. Congratulations, you''re having triplets,"

    "What?!" Everyone was dumbfounded - Lia included.

    "Wonderful," Jenny lost consciousness.

    "Mom," Trevor caught her.

    "This is the best day ever," Ben was delighted at the scene and news.

    Daniel didn''t know how to feel, he was going to be the father of three pups. Lia was giving birth to a litter of three pups? That was going to be a first in their pack and a cause for celebration.

    "Do you know what they''re talking about?" Daniel was curious to know about his kid.

    "They''re arguing about who''s more handsome? Beautiful? It seems their gender is mixed," Dan muttered with his brows drawn, focused on the childish chattering in his head.

    "I don''t know how you''re able to comprehend baby language, but while they argue, can you please tell them to please calm down. They''re killing me!" Lia groaned out her frustration. Sweat covered her forehead and she was so damn uncomfortable that she fidgeted about on the bed, searching for a suitable posture to relax.

    "Alright, I would try but there''s no guarantee that they''re�� Ouch! " Dan withdrew his hand from her stomach abruptly.

    "What is it?"

    Everyone was alarmed.

    Dan simply lifted his hand, showing them the contour of a little palm imprinted on his own palm, "I think one of them just said hello,"

    "She''s carrying hybrids with powers? " Sabrina was blown out of her mind.

    "It''s not surprising, she''s a Nicolli. Lia was turned by Gideon, hence belongs to our clan," Asher stated.

    "This confirms we can''t go to a hospital. We don''t know what powers they possess - destructive or not- or if it would manifest during their birth and the damage it would cause. There are just too many things we don''t know and we can''t risk that," Sabrina pointed out.

    "This is a huge situation, we can''t risk her being discovered by the council either, " Asher added.

    "If we can -"

    "I think I just peed on myself," Lia looked down at the mess she was sitting with a grimace.

    "I don''t think she just peed," Sabrina was filled with dread, "I think her water just broke. The children want to be let out,"

 Chapter 301 - Three Hundred And One: PUSH!

    "Tell me you have experience with childbearing, Sabrina" Daniel was having a mild panic attack.

    "I''m a witch, not a midwife," She complained.

    "Then why are you here?" Asher was the one asking.

    Sabrina was stunned, why was everyone staring at her like she was some sort of miracle worker, "Dan told me Lia was pregnant, I''m only here to confirm she''s not carrying an alien or some evil reincarnated witch,"

    Asher facepalmed, just when you needed them the most. He gestured to her, "Can''t you do some sort of abracadabra and get the kids out of the hole?"

    Sabrina was offended, " It''s not a hole but a [email protected] and I can''t just drag the kids out there," She emphasized on ''drag'' "What Lia needs is a midwife or someone experienced with deliveries,"

    "Then let''s take her to my pack, I have experienced doctors who won''t question us," Daniel suggested.

    "This hurts!" Lia screamed, experiencing her first intense contraction. It seems the pain brought on the manifestation of her powers causing her to blow a hole through the roof.

    "And I''m guessing this just closed the matter of taking her to your pack," Sabrina tactically mocked him after everyone rose from their crouching position. They had all taken cover when debris fell from above.

    "You can''t take Lia to your pack hospital nor can she stay here either, she''d tear the whole place," Asher told him, "She needs a clear area,"

    Daniel ruffled his hair, he was confused as ever. He loved Lia but the stress of this bizarre situation was overwhelming him.

    "Lia''s in her second part of active labor which means we need to find a trustworthy deliverer or take her away from here before her contractions become stronger, longer, and more frequent," Sabrina informed everyone.

    "Well, I could -"

    "My mother," Asher''s eyes lit up upon remembering, "Dan, get my mother as quickly as possible before she leaves, "He ordered Dan who didn''t waste a second to vanish.

    "Gosh, it hurts like hell," Lia was panting as if she ran a marathon.

    "Don''t worry, it''s going to be okay," Daniel held her hand tight.

    "Daniel, step back��!" Sabrina was still warning him when Lia screamed unintentionally.

    The force tossed Daniel away like he was some rag doll while Sabrina was quick to conjure a spell that limited the wave hence reducing damage.

    "Who needs my help?" Helen said immediately she appeared in the room with Dan.

    "Mom," Asher hugged her briefly, pulling away to guide Helen to the bed where Lia lay, writhing in pain.

    Helen''s mouth fell open from shock, she turned to Asher, her eyes full of questions. The girl had not been this way the last time she saw her yesterday.

    "I''ll explain later, mother. But right now, we need you to save three lives," Asher directed, "Tell us what you need for this to work while Dan thinks of an open space, far from human habitation,"

    "Get me clean towels, blankets, washcloths, and buckets of water - wherever we''ll go," She listed hurriedly.

    Asher said, "That''s easy, Ben would get those,"

    With anticipation, Ben left to make the necessary items available.

    "Where are you taking my daughter?" Interrogated Jenny who has woken up from her sleep.

    "A place where she won''t be a danger to anyone," said Daniel, helping himself to his feet, "We don''t need a human getting injured, creating more problems for us,"

    "I''m not just any human, I''m her mother and would witness the birth of my grandchildren," she heaved.

    "She does have a point," Helen supported.

    "Fine, but don''t blame us if anything happens," Asher warned her and turned to Trevour, "Be sure to tell that to your council friends," He hinted that the boy should be there to defend them when the situation calls for that.

    "Dan, now!" Asher cued him without asking about their destination and they appeared in a hay farm in the middle of nowhere.

    "Seriously?" Daniel raised a brow, looking around the environment.

    "Well, on the bright side, there''s no human - at the moment - just cattle - for the hungry vampires and werewolves- and the bed even crossed over" Dan tried to be optimistic.

    "Everyone duck! " Sabrina issued a warning just as Lia sent another wave of her destructive scream and though, Sabrina protected everyone, it did travel far.

    "I don''t know how far that shock wave went but I don''t want us traced down here," Dan pointed out.

    "Get Gideon, his shadows should be able to contain the hypersonic sounds to this area while Sabrina works on not getting our head blasted off our body," Asher issued him another mission.

    "Ugh, I hate powers," Sabrina whined, already becoming to work on the spell to protect everyone.

    "I can''t do this alone, I need an assistant," Helen notified after getting the girl''s pants off.

    Asher and Daniel''s eyes connected at once, who would be fast enough to get there first?

    Helen noticed the competition between both men and added, "Preferably a female,"

    "Show me what to do," Jenny volunteered.

    "Her cervix has dilated to seven centimeters and her contraction has become increasingly regular, you just have to help her breathe and rest as much as possible between them. Trust me, she needs that strength because there would be lots of pushing later; triplets are no joke," Helen added," And don''t even try to argue or disagree with her, or even try to overcome her at this point else she screams obscenities at you - you''re a mother you should know about that, "

    "Alright," Jenny nodded and took her place beside her daughter on her bed.

    "M-mom," Lia called out, she was pale and her eyes red.

    "Yes, baby girl," Jenny wiped away the sweat on her face.

    "I''m so sorry, I should have listened to you," Lia breathed.

    "Yeah, I know,"

    "It hurts, you know,"

    "Don''t worry, it would be over soon,"

    Helen came over to Asher and Daniel, "No matter how bad and hectic it gets later, I don''t need any of you running over and disrupting me unless I called, understood?" She warned.

    "Understood,"

    "Duly noted,"

    Both responded.

    "Now, where are the goddamn towels I requested," Helen demanded just as Dan appeared with Gideon and Ben by his side.

    "I think the baby''s coming!" Jenny shouted just as Lia screamed again but Sabrina got them all covered.

    "Gideon!" Dan reminded him what he was here for.

    At once the vampire stood, black swirling smokes coming out of his body to encompass the arena protectively.

    "Cool," Ben was astounded. He wished he could get all this on camera.

    "Her cervix has expanded fully, she''s ready to start pushing," Helen observed. Lia sat with her legs spread wide open, giving the women a clear view of what was going on down there.

    "Alright Lia, take a deep breath and PUSH!"

    What followed after was the girl''s groan.

    "Alright, you''re doing well Lia, I can see its head," Helen guided her.

    "No," Lia shook her head, sweating heavily, "I need Daniel�� Where is Daniel?"

    "Daniel!" Helen bellowed, guess Lia wasn''t the only one under stress "Get your ass over here this instant!"

    There was no wasting of time, Daniel got to her immediately, "Hey, it''s me, baby,"

    Lia turned to him, breathing shakily, "This is your fault, you did this to me!" She grabbed onto his hair, Daniel yelped in pain.

    "This is epic," Asher felt for Daniel.

    "No don''t," Helen stopped Jenny when she tried to separate the couples.

    "You animal!" Lia lashed out at him,

    " Why am I in pain and you''re not?!"

    "Because I''m not a woman�� Oww!"

    "Lia, listen to me, he''s an animal" Helen supported.

    "Seriously?" Daniel was dumbfounded, "You''re not helping here�� ouch!"

    Even Jenny was concerned for Daniel''s root cause Lia held it in a death grip.

    "He did this to you and you''re suffering the consequences all alone," Helen fueled her rage, " Now use that anger, that pain, that frustration, and PUSH!"

    "Ahhh!!!" Lia pushed with all might, screaming out her lungs in the process.

    Jenny couldn''t even differentiate between Daniel''s scream and her daughter''s.

    "Alright, you''re doing good," Helen incited just as the baby''s head came out of the vagina, supporting it "More!"

    Lia screamed so hard that even Ben felt for her but that produced fruit because the rest of the baby''s body came out with quite a speed that even Helen almost missed catching it.

    "It''s a girl!" Helen announced just as the baby released its first cry.

    A smile curved Daniel''s lips as an unfamiliar emotion burst forth in his heart that he even forgot why he was screaming moments ago. He was officially a father?

    Helen handed the baby to Jenny who wiped the baby''s face with a cloth while she cut the baby''s cord and tied the other end coming out of Lia. She then took the child, wrapped her in a towel on top of Lia for skin to skin contact.

    Lia couldn''t believe that it was this little girl that has been causing her trouble all this while. She would have bonded with the child if another contraction didn''t hit her.

    "Give the child to her father, the other twin has no patience at all," Helen instructed Jenny who obeyed.

    Daniel carried the child cautiously as if she was so fragile she would break in his arms. She had golden curls just like him and just when she peered at him with half-lidded eyes, could see the blue in them - she was indeed his.

    Meanwhile, they went through the same procedure, this time, Lia grasped the bed sheet tight instead of Daniel''s hair.

    "It''s a girl!" Was the second announcement. They were identical, everyone could tell with just a glance.

    Dan was handed the second child to take care of after she had bonded with her mother.

    Everyone was in anticipation for the last one because it marked the end of Lia''s painful ordeal and the debut of a different gender - Dan said it.

    "Lia, push,"

    "I can''t anymore," The girl was exhausted.

    "You would else the baby dies,"

    "I can''t," Tears spring forth from her eyes.

    At once, Asher made his way over to him.

    "Lia, look at me," He clasped her face, "You''re a strong woman who can do anything she puts her mind into; that child deserves the right to live. Now, Lia, push!" He pep talked.

    Asher''s words motivated Lia that she used the last of her strength and pushed, letting everything out. Sadly, she wailed so loud that even though Sabrina managed to secure their lives, the shock wave from the energy released into the atmosphere threw everyone off their feet.

    Daniel and Dan even while falling, didn''t forget to shield the kids with their bodies.

    Because the first defense - Sabrina - has been breached, Gideon couldn''t curtail the energy which tossed him aside, spreading across the environment, destroying structures.

    Everyone was stunned by what happened.

    "Dan, how far away are we from human habitation?" Ben was the one who asked after seeing the magnitude of that outburst.

    "Hopefully, one thousand kilometers?" Dan was unsure.

    However, all of their attention was grasped when a child''s shriek cut across the environment.

    Lia''s eyes were closed in exhaustion while the child lay at her foot with their umbilical cord still connected.

    Helen walked over and picked the child up, a gasp coming from her mouth and eyes flickering over to Asher pointedly.

    Asher was unsettled by that expression, deciding to come over by himself and know what might have warranted such a judging stare but received the greatest shock of his life.

    Brown curls, green eyes, why did the boy look like him?

 Chapter 302 - Three Hundred And Two: The Earthquake

    Cassie was uneasy, she wondered why she was summoned to the council today. Inwardly, she has a faint premonition it had to do with that prophecy. Ever since she gave out that revelation, she became quite famous. She means sitting amongst the council head was a dream come true for every seer, but to Cassie, it was her worst nightmare.

    She knew what they wanted, Lia.

    Truth be told, she would have told on her a long time ago but she held back because of the promise she made to aunt Miranda. But the way things were going, she didn''t know how long she can keep that secret.

    Moreover, the visions were beginning to scare her, to be honest. She knew what she saw and it had not been funny at all.

    "Go in," the escort ushered her into a room that was lit with white blinding light - almost as if she was in heaven.

    Everything was in white and in the middle of the room was a desk with a man sitting beside it.

    She knew him, it was Kun, the head in charge of the Antarctic. Every time she saw him, all she kept imagining was that he was some merman that lived under the sea; straight blonde hair falling over his shoulder, piercing blue eyes, and blue lips. The way his eyes looked into hers, made her nervous - It was almost as if he could see through her.

    "Thanks for honoring my invitation," He said, his voice deep yet pleasing to the ears.

    Cassie looked down on her seat to ensure there wasn''t any weird object nor inscription on her chair, she didn''t trust these witches one bit.

    They sat directly across from each other, Cassie had to look around to avoid looking into those eyes.

    "You know me, right? " Was his question.

    Her face slightly creased, what kind of question was this? Was this some sort of game? She didn''t like it at all.

    "Yes, I know you, sir," Cassie answered.

    "Then you must know why you are here?" he asked, with a face so indifferent she wondered if he was capable of sentiments at all.

    "I don''t understand -"

    "The prophecy," He interrupted her, "Tell me about it once more,"

    Cassie cracked her neck slightly, gulping down saliva. Was this it? Her horoscope this morning wasn''t encouraging, was this the big event?

    "I can''t remember much, but all I know is that there was death. A girl, she stood upon piles and piles of bodies. I could hear the wailing of souls in agony and the strong stench of death," she finished her narration.

    "You remember this much, yet you can''t remember the face of the girl," His eyes held suspicion.

    Cassie''s toe curled, she grasped her clothing underneath the desk tight while lowering her eyes. She wasn''t a good liar, it was a miracle she had come this far with this tale.

    "Is there something you''re not telling me? " he asked, placing his hand on the desk and leaned closer.

    "No, sir," Cassie shook her head

    "If you''re under pressure or someone''s threatened you not to say something to me. Just trust and rely on me, I''ll help and solve everything," his face showed concern - the first emotion he''s displayed since they began.

    He stood from his seat, Cassie became alert yet didn''t make a move. She knew she couldn''t defeat him, he was a witch - not just a simple one, but the head- that could kill her without moving a muscle. If she were to escape, she would need a distraction plus timed speed.

    Kun sat on the desk, beside her and lifted her face by the chin, turning her to look at him. Cassie shivered, staring into those boring eyes.

    "I''m not going to kill you, you just need to trust me," He caressed her face with the thumb of his hand.

    Cassie was almost tempted to open her mouth, his eyes were persuading. But then, she remembered her mother and what they did to her because of a single mistake.

    The girl was no fool, she saw what Lia had done in that vision. The council doesn''t believe in redemption or a second chance, they would exterminate her the moment they find out. Cassie had no feelings of pity for Lia, their friendship was so yesterday. She was just doing this for her aunt - honoring her wishes.

    "No, there''s nothing I''m hiding from you," Was her final reply.

    "Alright," Kun nodded, withdrawing his hand.

    Cassie sighed inwardly, that was close.

    Kun breathed, "I''m sorry,"

    "Huh?" Cassie''s brow drew together in confusion.

    "This is going to hurt," He said.

    Before Cassie could figure out what he was up to, he had already clasped her head, chanting with his eyes closed, "Indica mihi, est quod scire,"

    As soon as he was done, Cassie screamed. Her head swelled with pressure, it was almost as if he was inside her mind, glancing through memories upon memories.

    There he saw it, a girl standing on a pile of bodies with her fangs sunk in the neck of a woman, draining her of all blood till she was pale and dead. She tossed the body aside negligently, the corpse falling on top of the others in a diverse askew position, with an aghast expression on their faces - they must have died a horrendous death.

    The girl had long brown hair, blood trailing down the corner of her mouth, her cherry lips curved to the side in a wicked smile. She had an outwardly beauty however, her eyes... they were so dark; dark to the extent one couldn''t differentiate the whites, she almost looked like a demon.

    Both pulled away with a gasp the instant it was over.

    Cassie fell to the ground, vomiting her gut out. Kun held onto the table for support till vertigo went away; he reeled from what he just saw.

    When she recovered, Cassie shot up to her feet angrily, " You violated me!",

    "I gave you chances but you didn''t take it!" He retorted.

    "Still, that doesn''t give you the right to use me the way you did!" Cassie had the urge to tear him apart - if she could.

    "You lied to me and the council, that''s a big offense which you would pay for," He said and moved his fingers, the door opened and two guards rushed in, grabbing her.

    "No, let me go!" She struggled against their hold but they were too strong.

    "I''ll give you one more chance," He offered, "Who is that girl in the prophecy?"

    She scoffed at him, "Go to hell,"

    "Don''t say anything then, I already have everything I wanted," Kun muttered and conjured some sketchbook from nowhere.

    "Manum meam, sicut mihi," He placed his hand on the book and the image of Lia - as has been in that vision - appeared. Cassie was dumbfounded, this was major witchcraft.

    "You can take her away," He ordered the men, "Make sure you lock her up, she might still have some usefulness later," He said with no care.

    "Yes, Head Kun," Both bowed and began to lead her out.

    "I hate you! You all are animals! I hope she kills you all!" Cassie rained obscenities on him.

    Kun simply willed the door to snap close as soon as they left, she was so loud. He stared at the painting, deep in thought.

    Was this the Messiah, the weapon Islinda spoke about? He traced the painting of the girl; so young, beautiful, innocent yet deadly. They can''t keep her alive. With this painting, they could be able to track her down.

    Kun was already contemplating his next course of action when the building suddenly shook, he held onto the table, was this an earthquake?

    However, it lasted a few seconds. What just happened? This was no ordinary earthquake - nothing happens in LiitleTown for no purpose. He had to check it out.

    He made it out of the room just to bump into Selena as soon as he turned around.

    "Tell me you felt that too?" He asked her.

    "Definitely," She answered, "Little town never experiences earthquakes, that must have been some supernatural disturbance,"

    "We should track it down,"

    "I already did," She placed some spell on the watch in her wrist which displayed how many kilometers away they were from the scene of the incident.

    "That''s a thousand plus kilometers away from here. Whatever happened must be something big," Kun added.

    "Let''s go," Selena grabbed his hand and they walked into a portal she had summoned.

    They appeared in a hayfield.

    "We are in the right place and something big did happen," Kun observed the ruined barns, the dead cattle, and damaged wind vanes

    "What do you think happened? You think the dark witches had something to do with this, maybe they did some dangerous spell or something?"She questioned curiously...

    "I don''t think so," Kun squatted down, rubbing something from the ground.

    "What is that?" Selena squatted beside him too.

    "Blood," He smeared the thick liquid between his fingers, "And it''s fresh. Whoever did this was here a while ago and it''s no witches from what I see. There''s no circle drawn nor do I see ashes�� wait a minute," something clicked in his head, he looked towards her with suspicion, " How did you find here so easily?"

    Selena''s expression distorted, "Always the smart one, Kun"

    Realizing something was amiss, Kun sprang up to his feet to retaliate but met Islinda instead.

    His eyes widened, "Y-you..."

    She smiled at him, "Nice to meet you, Kun," her smile ceased and she blew at his face, "somnum,"

    He lost consciousness.

    "Nice job," Islinda praised Selena by her side, "The other heads naturally follows Kun''s decision. So now we have him, you know what to do,"

 Chapter 303 - Three Hundred And Three: Kidnapped

    Trevor and Rex were on tenterhooks, they were the only ones left behind- even the creepy Ben was found useful. He had to stay behind and take care of his brother, Rex - as well as guide the house from whoever might snoop around.

    "Can you tell me what''s going on with them?" Even Rex was now uncomfortable with the silence.

    "They''re in the middle of childbirth, Rex. I can''t interrupt them by calling neither do I have powers like the others that could enable me to see what''s going on" Trevor explained to his anxious brother. Oh, he was anxious too.

    Suddenly, there was an earthquake.

    "Rex! Get under the bed!" Trevor ordered his brother. If it was truly an earthquake, he had to be protected from falling objects.

    But to his surprise, the earth''s tremor stopped. What the hell was that? He had been sure it was an earthquake but Little Town has never experienced one since the beginning of its history nor do they stop this quickly.

    "What was that?" Even Rex was curious.

    "I have a feeling that has to do with her sister. It can''t be a coincidence that she''s in labor alongside the manifestation of destructive power and this happens? " he reasoned.

    Trevor was worried. That tremor had been so noticeable that hunters would be flooding that scene in no time like bees attracted to honey.

    Seriously, they couldn''t even deliver the kids low key. It was already hard as of the moment keeping this secret and being a part of the hunter league.

    He has passed all tests for level one agents and soon his initiation ceremony would be held. Trevour knew once he was in, there was no going back. In fact, he began to question why he had even joined the league in the first place because his view of them was beginning to crumble.

    Trevour had thought those nasty creatures were to be exterminated from the surface of the earth. But now, having a hybrid sister who had two mates, his view on them changed-they weren''t as heartless as he thought. However, they were predatory creatures - he still had to protect himself and his family.

    Moreover, Trevor had a nasty senior breathing down on his neck. Chris had made it clear he disliked him and he''d showed it in more than one way. What did he even do so wrong? He hardly even knew the man.

    Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Trevor and Rex''s eyes connected, who could that be.

    Picking up the gun, Trevor slowly and carefully made his way to the door. With his family gone and that strange earthquake, his nerves were in chaos and his stomach was doing some salsa dance in there.

    "Hey,"

    Trevor released a breath he was holding in, it was Williams.

    "Hey," He waved back at him, tactically hiding the gun in the back of his waistband.

    "You look tensed," Williams observed.

    "No, I''m not tensed. It''s just that... that earthquake seems ominous and then, my nerves you know..." Trevor blabbered whatever came into his mind. Just hoped that Williams bought that.

    "Alright," He pursed his lips, "Are you going to keep me standing here forever," Williams pointed to the fact he was still standing outside.

    "Oh, sorry about that, come in," Trevor welcomed him in and closed the door.

    But for Trevour to turn around, he bumped into Williams. His heart skipped a beat at their closeness. No, this had to stop, Trevor decided. He had a mate - as funny as it sounds - and wanted to give that relationship a shot. This game with Williams had to stop now. But just as he opened his mouth to confess the truth, Williams muttered,

    "I''m sorry,"

    "What?"

    Trevor suddenly felt a prick in his neck, what the hell? He glanced up, his eyes widened, "You... What did you do to...."

    "I''m truly sorry," Williams whispered into his ear just as Trevor lost consciousness. This had to be done.

    Effortlessly, Williams lifted Trevor off his feet and threw him over his shoulder as if he weighed nothing, and left.

    Rex came out of his holding place, dumbfounded at what just happened. He looked down and picked up Trevor''s phone that must have fallen to the ground, who was he going to call for help.

    "I have him," Williams notified Chris after dumping Trevor in the backseat.

    He climbed into the front seat with the hunter who nodded and threw out the cigarette he had in his mouth outside.

    With a pleased smirk, Chris started his car and drive off from the Darlington residence.

    "Trevor is innocent," Williams spoke out when he couldn''t hold in anymore, guilt was gnawing at him. He didn''t need to guess, Trevor would hate him for this.

    With their history, Williams didn''t trust Chris with Trevour alone, so he took up the mission of getting him out instead.

    "I know Trevor, Chris. He loves his life as a hunter hence would never hide a member of the Dark witch - he knows that and would never go against our rules,"

    "I guess, we just have to confirm that, right?" Chris sneered, his eyes fixed on the road.

    "But still, giving him the truth serum is a violation of his right as a human and hunter," Williams protested, "We have to think of another way. Perhaps, the power of persuasion could help." He offered, "If you let me talk to him, I could get the truth from him instead of forcing the truth out of him,"

    "Williams, the council gave their orders and we''ve been specifically permitted to use extreme means if that ensures the success of our mission," Chris scowled at him, "Look around you, Williams. The Dark witches are becoming darker and bolder. So if there''s anything Trevor knows about them, it should be out in the open,"

    "Fine, remember not to hurt him or report anything to the council," Williams struck a deal with him.

    "Deal," he agreed.

    However, Williams didn''t get to hear him mumble under his breath, " Let''s hope so,"

    Meanwhile, back at the house, Rex didn''t know what to do. He chewed on his fingers nervously, who would he call? Trevor has been kidnapped by his friends, Lia was giving birth and mother was helping out. It was almost as if everyone deserted him.

    "Where is Trevor?"

    "Ahh!" Rex screamed, jumping out of his skin when that voice sounded from behind him.

    He looked around and saw Electra, "I''m serious here, you shouldn''t sneak up on someone like that," his hand was on his heart: It was beating so fast, he imagined it jumping out his chest.

    "Where''s Trevor and why''s his scent all over the place?" Electra scanned the surrounding.

    She heard about his father''s mate being in labor and would have joined them, if she wasn''t more interested in seeing her mate, Trevor. Lia had all the help she could get - her father would make sure of it. Moreover, it was not like there was something she could do there specifically.

    "Trevor has been kidnapped," Rex told her.

    "Kidnapped?" Electra''s eyes flashed, "Who dares to��." she sniffed the air deeply, "That asshole!"

    "Whoah, what are you going to do?" Rex grabbed her hand, stopping her,

    "You''re not planning on killing anyone, right?"

    "I wish so," A chilly smile curved her lips and she stormed out with Rex calling after her.

    ******************

    "Trevor," His name sounded distant but he shook the dizziness out of his eyes, "Where am I?" he looked around the cabin with confusion.

    "You don''t need to worry about that Trevor, just answer a few questions and you''re free to go," Chris told him.

    "You''re not getting a word out of my mouth and once I''m out of here, I''ll have you reported for illegal kidnapping and interrogation," Trevor informed him.

    "Don''t keep your hopes high, kid. You''re a suspect in this case, so I have every right to interrogate you and I don''t have to worry about you opening up, I have many ways to get what I want," He said, injecting some substance into his body.

    Trevour winced, this man was crazy,

    "I would not say a word," He was determined.

    "Not for long," Chris told him.

    "W-where is Williams? You forced him into this, didn''t you?" he looked around for any sign of that betrayer.

    "You should thank your lover boy, he was the one who suggested this mild questioning. Else, I had so many plans for you. Now, let''s begin," He took a seat and sat down facing Trevor who was bound to the chair.

    "Tell me everything about your sister, Lia," He began.

    Trevor wanted to shut his mouth up but he found himself spilling his guts out without hesitation.

    Williams stood outside Chris''s cabin, he couldn''t bear to look Trevor in the eye when he awakes. If Trevor really hid the secret about the dark witches as Chris claims, then he''d be in serious trouble. However, he could work out something with Chris before it escalates - if it turns out to be true.

    This was the thought Williams had in mind when he sensed a foreign presence, dodging to the side as the vampire missed him.

 Chapter 304 - Three Hundred And Four: Spied On

    Where am I? That was the first question in Lia''s mind until the memories came flooding in. Apparently, she just gave birth to triplets. That third one had taken a lot of juice from Lia that she fainted from exhaustion; she didn''t even know whatever happened next.

    Lia''s eyes widened, she couldn''t believe that she was a mother. Not only that, the mother of three kids. To top it all, how was she going to explain to the people around her that she got pregnant in one day and gave birth the next day?

    None, no one but her family would believe her- even with evidence present. Some situations were just so bizarre it was thought impossible like giving birth in one day? The most ridiculous lie ever told? The public would think. Not only would she be termed a prevaricator, but the public would be angry if she professed that continually. Well, they would figure how to solve that one out together.

    Lia looked around, she was alone and recognized the place as one of the rooms at Asher''s house. Someone must have changed her. She stood from the bed, let herself out of the room, intending to search for everyone.

    Where could they be? To be honest, she was more anxious to meet her kids. Lia wanted to take a look at them and hug them in her arms - even if they turn out to be monsters, she was still their mother neither was anyone taking them from her.

    The girl traced the faint scent in the air and found herself going to the living room. She began to hear raised voices, they were having intense arguments and the loudest voice seemed to belong to her mother. There was also Asher apologizing for God knows what. What happened?

    Lia had a bad premonition, had anything happened to her kids? With that thought in mind, she stormed into the living room but stopped short when she discovered that almost the whole gang was here - including her babies.

    Asher and her mother hushed their argument instantly as all eyes focused on her. Lia felt slightly uncomfortable with the number of gazes on her. It was almost as if she was on stage with a spotlight cast on her, attracting everyone''s eyes'' attention like some damn magnet.

    "Baby, you''re up," Her mother was the first to take her into her arms.

    "I''m so sorry, mom. I failed you," Lia sniffed, chin resting on her shoulder.

    "It''s alright, Lia. It''s not a crime to be a grandma at a young age. Moreover, to triple cool grandkids," Jenny hugged her tight, weeping as usual. The woman sure wears her heart on a sleeve.

    When Lia was through with the teary moment with her mother, Daniel was the next to approach her and with one of the twins in her arms.

    "Thank you," Was all he told her, placing the kid carefully in her arms.

    Lia stares down at the kid sucking her thumb and staring back at her curiously. She didn''t look like a child born hours ago, more like a week. Honestly, after giving birth to them in one day, nothing about their growth stunned her anymore. If they grew up the next hour, she''d just take it that way. She pitied Rex who became an uncle automatically yet his supposed nieces might develop faster than him.

    The other twin was also placed in her other arm which made her gasp in surprise. They were identical! Sure they had their father''s blue eyes and blonde hair but Lia could still sense a resemblance to her. A smile tilted her lips to the side as she drank in their features; the shape of their mouth, eyes, nose; those were hers and she certainly contributed to their prettiness - Daniel shouldn''t take all the credit here.

    "Hi baby girls, it''s mommy," her smile deepened.

    They were bubbly, both of their hands moving at once to capture strands of her hair and tugged at them. Crinkles lined their faces as they smiled, playing and pulling at her hair as if fascinated with it.

    It was confirmed, they were going to be one mischievous bunch. Lia let them play with her hair - as painful as it was - laughing and replying to their energetic incoherent noises until it dawned on her that she gave birth to triplets, not twins.

    Her eyes darted across the room, searching for the third one until her eyes fell on the child in Asher''s arms. Strange, he had brown hair? Well, she was a brunette, the child must have taken after her.

    So Lia returned the girls to their father, walking over to Asher to take her child from him only to freeze; her hand hanging midair. Lia blinked, she couldn''t believe her eyes, how was this possible?

    Those green eyes? She didn''t have such eye color nor did Daniel�� only Asher. But how was that possible, she had not sexed with Asher yet?

    "I can explain," Asher said, sensing the turmoil on the girl''s face.

    So, the tale of how Sabrina linked him and Daniel together began plus the events preceding it. It seems that Sabrina didn''t fully comprehend what linking their body meant - she had gotten an idea of that spell from Nadia linking Raphael and Jenny then. The witch didn''t understand that linking them meant connection of both flesh and fluid; whatever flowed through Asher, went through Daniel. So in one word, they had a magically altered threesome.

    Lia was speechless after that confession, her ears couldn''t believe it. No wonder, that night had felt super strange, she has sworn that it came to a time Daniel felt like another person... he felt like Asher- it now came together.

    "You can hate me all you want, I understand," Asher said, looking her straight in the eyes, "However, you should know that I don''t regret that night one bit because you gave me the greatest gift ever," his sight lowered to the child in his arms.

    "Can I have him?" Lie stretched out her hand expectantly for her baby. Asher released the baby to her which she carried in the crook of her arms, rocking him gently.

    Lia felt something ache in her heart and the fierce need to protect him. Was that the mother-child bond?

    "He took after you completely, it''s quite offending," Lia complained he looked nothing like her. With those green eyes and his father''s handsome face, one wouldn''t believe she was his mother.

    "Hi, Asher junior," Lia boomed a smile at him. He was her son.

    The baby grabbed her hand, his little hand encircling her thumb but something happened. The boy''s eyes turned pitch black with Lia''s eyes doing the same, both occurring concurrently.

    Everyone held their breath, watching what was happening with horror on their faces. All except Daniel and Asher - they had expected something of this nature.

    Asher at once separated their hands and Lia regained herself, looking around in confusion.

    "What the hell just happened? For a moment there, I felt connected to something I have no idea of," she muttered, unsettled by the aghast looks on their faces.

    "He inherited your demonic bloodline and you both just activated it," Asher took the boy from her before she could protest.

    "Demonic bloodline?!" they shouted. This just keeps getting better and better.

    "I''m a Demon?" Lia was shell-shocked.

    "Mrs. Jenny, what do you know about your husband Renard?" Daniel questioned her.

    Jenny rubbed her temple, "What do you mean by that?" she was mortified, "Are you trying to say that I married a demon? No way��" She refused, gesturing with her hands "I know Renard completely and I know I married a human, not this demon you accuse him of,"

    "You knew practically nothing about him, mom," Lia said mentally.

    "Then, are you the demon?" Asher was blunt.

    "What?!" Jenny exclaimed.

    "Your daughter is half-human, half-demon, which means one of you must be a demon for her to be this way," Asher argued.

    "No, it''s her father," Ben said to everyone''s surprise.

    He shot up to his feet and emerged to the center of the room where they stood, pulling his phone out of the pocket of his pants.

    "Forgive me Lia but while you were away, I stumbled upon your father''s diaries and went through it without your permission. Turns out my knowledge of Latin came in handy, so I translated one of it and discovered this striking paragraph," He showed her the picture of the page he had captured with his phone.

    "I''m a hundred percent sure Chris would hate me when he eventually learns about my family. He can be quite cold-hearted which is why I hope the dislike doesn''t get transferred to my family. I didn''t mean to deceive him but it''s in our nature, we never have one, neither do I have enough time to make up for that. My last shred of humanity is diminishing, time is running out and I have to leave." Lia read out loud.

    Confusion flickered across everyone''s faces, revelations were being made and it was startling.

    "While I''m more concerned about the ''its in our nature, we never have one,'' part, this just confirms that Renard was indeed a demon," Asher pointed out.

    "Descendit!" there was a slight commotion when Sabrina cast a spell in the direction of the window and something fell into the living room.

    "What was that?"

    Everyone was alarmed.

    "It''s a crow," Sabrina magically bind it so it doesn''t escape, "We''re being spied on," She sent it to sleep.

 Chapter 305 - Two Hundred And Five : Theyre Coming.

    Islinda hissed in rage when her connection to the crow was destroyed. Apparently, she had been spying on them when that irritating witch found out.

    She sat on the throne, her previously closed eyes opened because of the disruption. The spying wasn''t burdensome, It was like watching television; seeing things through the crow''s eyes.

    "What is it?" asked the acolyte by her side, taking care of her nails.

    "They''ve found out I''m onto them," Islinda shared the irritating news.

    "Even if they know, what can they do? It''s not like they could stop the plan, anyway," the devoted follower shrugged, painting the Islinda''s toenail red.

    "Yes, they can''t stop the plan but I hate being kept in the dark. I need to always have my eyes on them, know their agendas to prevent unnecessary deterrent to our plan," she complained.

    "We can add more precautionary measures if you''re that worried, my Ladyship?" The girl suggested to her.

    "Yes, do that. This plan is too important to fail," the woman was rubbing her chin contemplatively, "I did discover something interesting though,"

    "What is it?"

    "One of her children not only inherited the girl''s demon side but activated it as well. It''s quite interesting,"

    "Do you need us to get him?"

    "No, don''t. It''s a suicidal plan. You won''t even get to an inch of the child, that place is crawling and fortified with their presence," Islinda pointed out,

    "Moreover, he''s not useful to us since he''s still a lad and can''t manipulate his abilities to the extent,"

    They were not prepared for the child - no one knew the girl would get pregnant - hence didn''t have any spot in their plan for him - but they might need him in the future.

    "Oww!" Islinda winced when she felt a sudden pain in her feet.

    "I''m so sorry," the girl apologized instantly, withdrawing from her with her head lowered.

    The searing pain made Islinda look down only to discover that one of her toenails had completely fallen off. Her eyes narrowed, she was rotting, degenerating more faster than she thought. No, this can''t go on.

    "Move up the plan," Islinda commanded, "I don''t have much time to waste," She stood to her feet, "I need to make sure my people get their freedom before my time''s up,"

    "As you command my lady,"

    *********************

    "Crows are a witch''s watchman," Sabrina explained, transporting the crow back to her place magically.

    "You''re trying to say someone has been spying on us?" Lia asked, holding her child protectively.

    "I''m not trying to say, I just said it," Sabrina bettered, "Someone has been watching us all this while, that''s what I definitely said,"

    "Who could that be? The council?" Daniel asked.

    "Probably not," Asher answered, thinking hard, "If it were the council, their army would be stationed here already. But then, crows are too dark a creature to be used as couriers by the council, which means that -"

    "It''s the Burning Eaglet," Daniel said.

    "Burning Eaglet?" Jenny was confused.

    "It''s a coven or movement of dark witches who are hell-bent on some revolution which I would have supported if it didn''t involve the massive shedding of blood," Sabrina explained.

    "So these evil witches are after my grandchild? " she gestured to the triplets.

    "Wrong guess," Asher said to her, "It''s your daughter they want - at the moment,"

    "Oh, you God fucking creatures are not��!."

    "Sabrina," Asher cued.

    "Mitescere, " Sabrina cast a spell on Jenny.

    The woman who had been boiling with anger, suddenly calmed down as if a bucket of ice water was poured on her.

    "I would sit at a corner and take care of my wonderful grandchildren," Jenny boomed a smile, taking one of the girls from Daniel and sitting at one of the couches, undisturbed.

    "What did you do to her," Lia was stunned, seeing her mother blowing raspberries on the baby''s stomach amid concurring to the baby''s speeches.

    "I lowered her inhibitions," replied Sabrina.

    Lia''s brow raised questioningly.

    "Just think of it as making her less cray-cray," she finalized.

    Well, Lia could not argue with that. Her mom''s outburst could be quite problematic - at least she looks happy over there.

    "I have a bad feeling about this, everything''s happening so fast and bad," Asher observed, his eyes trained Lia, "First, you give birth to triplets in one day - not that I''m complaining, you''re the most wonderful thing in my eye right -"

    "Can we please go back to the main topic you deviated from, Asher? Some people are single and can''t bear to stand the cheesiness," Ben complained.

    Lia scratched the back of her head, a blush creeping up her face. Her eyes connected with Daniel''s mistakenly or maybe he was the one who stared her way intentionally, but she saw a trace of jealousy on his feature. They''d need to work on that - she now had kids to care of not deal with a grown man''s insecurity.

    "Wait a minute here," Helen, Asher''s mother butt in, "I just had a grandchild born to me today and the least you can all do is to push all this negativity aside and come up with a name for these wonderful children,"

    "She does make sense," Jenny supported before going back to take care of her grandchild.

    "I''m in and already have a name already," Ben was excited, "Hazel and Hailey? Don''t say no,"

    Lia and Daniel exchanged looks, communicating with their eyes while Ben waited anxiously.

    "I guess while we name them that, you wouldn''t mind being their godparent?" Lia requested.

    "Holy offer of the century, slap me!" He was delirious with Joy, "Why not! I''m so honored and can''t wait to teach them all I know -"

    "Ben, I need you to inculcate into the girls'' good morals and swear you would never use them to experiment your theories," Lia gave him a condition.

    The boy scratched his head awkwardly, "Urm�� about that��"

    "Ben, is it a yes or not?"

    "Fine, no experiments on them," He added, "Unless they want me to,"

    Lia raised his brow.

    "Like seriously, Lia come on," Ben began, "We just found out that you''re a tribrid who gave birth to triplets in a day- freaking awesome if you ask me- but we don''t know if the children inherited the same properties. It''s established that Arthur there��" He pointed to the boy in her arms.

    "My child''s name is not Arthur," Asher refused.

    "Noble, courageous. I just named your kid after the legendary heroic King Arthur, what more could you ask for?" Ben asked him.

    "My boy''s name is Ashton; derived from my name ''Asher'' and my father''s, ''Antonio'' you hear me?" said Asher.

    Ben didn''t give up, "That name has been existing before you thought of it and come to think of it, means, ''ash tree town''. How can you compare that to the noble ''Arthur''?"

    "The name holds sentimental value for him, Ben," Helen understood her son.

    "Easy for you to say because you won''t be the little boy growing up and being called ''ash tree'' by those meddling bullies," Ben remarked.

    Asher was vexed by Ben''s comment, "My son would be strong and would not be bullied by any measly human nor supernatural -"

    "Hence the name, Arthur," Ben insisted.

    Lia rubbed her temples, this wasn''t how she wanted this naming ceremony to go. Ben was a stubborn argumentative human and Asher was a dominant alpha male vampire who would not give up until the lesser creature bows. Which made her yell, "Fine! We''d just call him Arthur Ashton Nicolli. Case settled?"

    "Yes, the case settled," Ben agreed yet simpered, "Still Arthur came first,"

    Asher snarled at him to frighten him but Ben was not terrified. It seems associating with supernatural creatures all this period made him immune to all of their threats. If she could remember, the old Ben would pee in his pants by now.

    "Since we''re done with the naming, we should move on to figuring out which kid is a hybrid or tribrid or has inactivated demon blood," Ben said so enticingly like a male presenter on stage.

    Lia swore he was enjoying every bit of this. But that very moment, Electra burst into the house supported by Trevor and bloodied.

    "Oh my God," Lia gasped.

    "Trevor!" Jenny, who had been initially calm, was provoked.

    "She needs more attention than me," Trevor pointed to the injured Electra, gently laying her down on the couch.

    "What happened?" Asher was concerned over his daughter, " Dan, get me blood bags!"

    "On it!"

    "What the hell happened?!" Asher growled at Trevor.

    "Don''t dare to touch him!" Electra came to his defense before falling back to the couch, writhing and screaming in pain.

    "God, she''s your mate," Lia smelled it off her brother.

    Asher examined his daughter''s state, "And Electra''s delusional which could only mean one thing,"

    "Werewolf venom," Daniel uncovered the sleeve of her shirt showing her black veins.

    All of their gazes turned to Trevor who was still shaken up by whatever happened to them.

    "Tell me what you did to my daughter" there was a dark glint in the vampire''s eyes.

    "Asher," Lia touched his arm, calming him down.

    She faced her brother, " Trevor tell us what happened,"

    Trevor gulped, "They know now,"

    "What?"

    "And they''re coming,"

 Chapter 306 - Three Hundred And Six : Dont Thank Your God Yet

    "Rex and I were at home just as you instructed," Trevor began to narrate what happened to them after Sabrina calmed him down with a spell.

    "Then Williams came over, it seemed suspicious when he questioned me, and the next I knew, I was in some sort of cabin with Chris who induced everything out of my mouth with the help of some sort of truth serum.

    "Then Electra stormed in to bust me out. However, she was no match for Chris - he had a load of unimaginable weapons used against supernaturals. He would have really killed her if Wiliams hadn''t helped us escape," Trevor finalized.

    "Wait a minute here, you mean Chris?" Lia recalled, "That creepy ass hunter who once disguised himself as a detective to interrogate me after that necromancer incident?"

    "Yeah," Trevor nodded, "I think he found something on you and has been investigating that ever since,"

    "He once wanted you sent to the council for interrogation after he thought you were a vampire, but I prevented that," Asher added.

    "And you didn''t care to tell me?" Daniel picked that up.

    Asher folded his arms and faced him, "What would you have done if I had told you, huh? Kill him? That guy is a grade-A hunter that is fortified from his head to the sole of his feet. The moment you touch him, I''m sure you''d trigger something that would get your head served on a platter. I outwitted him, period, "

    "Clearly, you didn''t outwit him enough and now, our mate is in danger because of you!" Daniel raised his voice on him, Asher took offense.

    "Then what about you, what have you done for Lia?! I have been the one trying to save her ass all these time while you do literally nothing.

    "Alright, stop it, both of you," Lia got in between them, neither one wasn''t listening to her.

    Daniel pushed Asher on the chest and the vampire retaliated by punching him in the face. That action infuriated Daniel whose iris shone yellow, nostrils flaring, prepared to lunge at the vampire when Lia put up a barrier that knocked the both of them back.

    "Seriously, the both of you should knock it out right now!" Lia said in an outburst, "If there''s anybody here who should be angry, it should be me!" She pointed at her chest furiously.

    Lia had bottled up her feelings all this while, pretending that she was okay. But now, she felt like exploding.

    "I''m the one who had sex like every hormonal teenager would but got pregnant on the first try. Not only did I get pregnant but delivered in one day which is freaking creepy if you ask me, But no one has bothered to ask me how I feel about all these happenings! I just delivered three triplets only to discover that my father I thought was human turned out to be a demon and I''m one too and my child�� my child�� " Lia began to hyperventilate.

    "She''s overwhelmed. The girl needs some air," Sabrina observed Lia.

    Daniel and Asher stepped forward to take her away.

    "Away from both of you right now," Helen stopped them from taking another step," Cut the girl some slacks, boys. She''s a teenager who''s been dealing with all this craziness with the both of you added, the least you can do for her is to give her some space,"

    Daniel and Asher looked at each other, communicated with their eyes, and walked away in unison.

    "Iter!" Sabrina said and both vanished.

    "Lia, breathe," Sabrina placed her hand on the girl''s shoulder, guiding her on how to control her breathing.

    "Yeah, long, deep, breath- just like that,"

    "Where am I?" Lia looked around when she came around.

    "We are in a public pack but this right now is an illusion, meaning you''re in a fantasy world I created for the both of us," Sabrina explained, touching one of the colorful flowers that wrapped its petals around her finger the way a cat would with its tail.

    "Hmm," Lia chuckled, "Quite funny since I''m a fantasy creature,"

    "Yeah, you''re kind of," Sabrina concurred.

    "Thank you for this Alice in a wonderland-like universe," Lia gestured to the aurora australis - southern light - in the sky and the flowers magically smiling at her, their pollen as bright as the morning sun.

    "Oh, don''t worry. I totally understand. I can''t even dare to imagine myself in your shoes - having to deal with two overly jealous demanding mates. This is your prime and you''re supposed to be having the best time of your life as a teenager; partying hard, dating boys, and being sexually active - "

    Lia interrupted, "Can we jump over that section, I''m kind of sensitive to any world on ''sex'' right now,"

    "Fine. But what I''m trying to say is that you deserve a holiday after all this madness is over. You''re a teenager, live like one,"

    "Alright," Lia nodded her head, then went ahead to lay down on the grass that was as soft as her bed.

    Sabrina did the same too. She turned to Lia asking, "Should we go back?"

    "How much longer is this illusion going to last?" she inquired, staring up at the breathtaking southern lights.

    "Fifteen minutes more," Sabrina answered, conjuring a timer in the air for her to see.

    That was so cool, Lia suddenly wished she was a witch.

    "Better. I want to live like a teenager till then. My mates can take care of themselves and the kids," Lia said.

    ************************

    They couldn''t take care of them at all.

    "Hazel and Hailey are not stopping," complained Daniel who couldn''t soothe his fussing twins.

    "Neither is Arthur," Asher had the same complaint with his child in his arms.

    The kids were crying so loud their ears were hurting. Helen and Jenny had given them up to their fathers when they wouldn''t calm down, hoping the fathers would do the magic. But it seems mothers win.

    "I think they just miss their mother," Ben told them, "Haven''t you heard of the mother-child bond shared at birth? Can''t you stop to think that since your kids are supernatural, that it might be heightened in their case," He theorized?

    "Holy smokers! We need Lia. As much as I love my kids, they''re driving me crazy with their screams," Daniel disheveled his hair while he held Hailey with his other arm.

    "We were dicks," Asher finally realized how indifferent they were to Lia''s feelings.

    "Yeah," Daniel admitted, "I wish she was here right now,"

    At once, Sabrina and Lia appeared.

    "Bless my genie in a bottle," Daniel took Lia in his arms, hugging her tight and careful enough not to squeeze the child in his arms.

    "I''m so sorry. It never crossed my mind how you''ve been affected by all this - not to add the postnatal stress," He caressed her back lovingly.

    "Urm, okay," Lia pulled back to see Asher here to render his apology too.

    "I''m sorry for everything, including linking myself with Daniel and taking you without your permission - "

    "I forgive you, Asher. I felt underwater that moment I just wanted to �� breath,"

    "I understand Lia but can you please make him stop," he presented their fussing kid to her.

    "I guess I can''t escape motherhood," Lia mumbled under her breath as she took her son Arthur from his father while hoping he doesn''t do that creepy demon thing.

    "And they too," The girls were presented to her.

    "I think he''s hungry but I can only feed one at a time - even though I have no idea how to do so," Lia turned to her mother, " I think I need your expertise here, mom,"

    "Sure, alright," Jenny was surprised when her daughter asked for her help. This was the first time of reaching out to her since their fallout.

    "I''ll come along too, just to help out," Helen volunteered. She was obviously happier to be a grandma.

    The moment they left, the main discussion.

    "You can''t let them take my sister, they''re going to hurt her," Trevor told them.

    "We are not going to let anyone take her, not in our watch," Daniel promised him.

    "But you can''t fight the council, Daniel. They''re stronger than us," Sabrina reasoned.

    "How''s Electra?" Asher asked Dan who returned to the room after dealing with her.

    "She''s treated and settled," Dan

    "You''d have to take the kids away," Asher suddenly said to him.

    "What?! "

    "He''s right," Daniel saw sense in his plan, "The council doesn''t know about the kids and we have to keep it that way. Who knows what they would do when they hear one activated his bloodline,"

    "How''s Lia going to react to that?" Sabrina inquired. The girl was a young mother who wouldn''t want to be separated from her kid so quickly.

    "Lia would understand. She knows there''s no other option - we barely know how to keep her from the council," said Asher.

    "Talking of kids, I have no idea where my brother Rex is," It suddenly crossed Trevor''s mind. Everyone was so burdened with the happenings they forgot the little boy.

    "We have to find him before Jenny freaks out," Daniel shuddered, remembering one of the woman''s fit.

    "How do we begin to find -" Ben was still saying when he heard.

    "Anyone call for a babysitter,"

    Everyone turned.

    "Devon?"

    Rex came out from behind her.

    "Thank God," Trevor breathed, going to hug his brother.

    "Don''t thank your God yet, there''s an army of the counsel''s finest heading here,"

 Chapter 307 - Three Hundred And Seven: Suicidal

    "He''s so pretty, " Helen gushed over her grandson who had been breastfed by her daughter in law, "Looks exactly like his father,"

    "I pray he gets a single mate in the future," Lia said to her while feeding one of the twins.

    Breastfeeding wasn''t as easy as she expected however, both mothers were there to guide her and now she has gotten the hang of it.

    "What?"

    "Demons are polygamous and it has been confirmed Arthur has demon blood running in his veins. I don''t know about the girls but I don''t pray for such fate on them. They live in a modern, human world where people judge and live fakely, I''m afraid they might find it hard fitting it," Lia expressed her fears.

    "You''re right," Jenny acquiesced, rocking Hailey, the elderly twin and oldest of them all, "It would be hard for them to fit in, but then, they have you," She added, "And the others who would be there to guide them and provide help when they need it the most. So fear not, my daughter,".

    Jenny came to sit beside her, "You know, staying here made me realize how selfish I had been lately. I''m your mother and you''re my daughter, my responsibility should have been trusting and supporting your decision instead of trying to thwart them. But the truth was..." Jenny caressed her face affectionately," I was afraid to let you go. I thought you were still my sweet little girl who always listens to me. But no. You''re a full-grown supernatural I - still - have - no - idea- what - you''re - called - creature, "

    Lia laughed, her mother laughed with her too.

    "But now, I realized it''s time to let go of my baby girl so she could spread out her wings and soar across the sky," Jenny sniffed.

    "Thanks so much, mom," Lia hugged her, trying not to cry. When her mom starts her legendary tears, it gets infectious.

    They hardly broke apart when Asher came inside the room with a worried filled face. Lia knew at once, trouble was knocking at their door.

    "They''re here, aren''t they?" She asked him.

    He nodded.

    Lia followed him out of the room, back to their meeting place with the others trailing after them. There she saw Sabrina projecting some sort of screen that showed them the battalion outside.

    "They''re well prepared, we can''t defeat them. Even if we can, our armies are not prepared at the moment," Dan assessed the situation.

    "We have to get the children to safety first," Daniel said.

    "Mom!"

    "Rex!"

    The little boy ran to his mother, hugging her by the waist since she had a child in her arms hence couldn''t lift him.

    "ThankGod, you''re safe," Jenny was highly relieved.

    "Dan, send my mother and Jenny to a safe place with the kids - including Trevor and Rex,"

    "I''m staying behind to fight," Trevor declared.

    "You''re a traitor to the council, they wouldn''t hesitate to kill you once you''re spotted," Asher told him, then faced Dan, "Take my daughter along too,"

    "And Ben," He turned to him now, "You should go to your place and pretend this never happened. The council has no idea of your involvement, you should be fine," Asher assured him.

    "Are you kidding me?" Ben felt like he was slapped on the face, "I just become the godfather of the kids and you''re asking me to abandon them and go live my life? I''ll rather die knowing I protected them," He stood his ground.

    "Yeah, me too," Trevor concurred, "I''ll rather die protecting my sister and her children,"

    "You two are too young and would not die because you''re leaving and that''s final," Asher closed the case.

    "No, you can''t do that..."

    "We still have the right to...."

    Trevour and Ben were still protesting when Asher signaled Dan who vanished with them all leaving only Devon, Lia, Sabrina, Daniel, and him in the room.

    "I''ve cast a barrier so they won''t get inside but that wouldn''t hold them back for long, they have witches too - stronger witches," Sabrina pointed out.

    "What''s the plan?" Devon asked, cracking her fist, "I''m in if it involves kicking some asses"

    "You can''t beat all of their asses," Sabrina argued.

    "Then I''ll die beating all of their asses," Devon was obstinate.

    "Nobody is beating anyone''s asses nor die. I''ll strike a deal with them; it''s me they want, the rest of you can go scot-free" Lia exposed her plan.

    "Then what?" Daniel scoffed.

    "T-then I''ll buy you all enough t-time to find a way to... to stop them," Lia stuttered, unsure.

    "There''s no stopping them. Once you''re in the hands of the Council, they would destroy you without hesitation,"

    "Then what are we here for? I thought we''re here to fight?" Devon had her hands on her waists, disappointed at the turnout of the situation.

    "They''re breaking in, we don''t have enough time," Sabrina sensed them trying to bring down her magic.

    "None of you would fight," Asher announced.

    "Yes, your lives are too precious to be wasted here," Daniel supported him.

    "Not even Daniel," Asher added

    "Sure - wait, what?" Daniel was dumbfounded.

    "I''ll challenge them and try to buy some time. Gideon and Zukai have left to gather my men and allies that are willing to fight alongside me. You should do the same too," He said to Daniel.

    "I''m not going to let you be the martyr here," He drew close to Asher, " I would not let you sacrifice your life,"

    "You know we have no other option at this point if we want to keep her safe," Asher spoke sense into him.

    Daniel wanted to refute his words but inwardly, he knew the vampire was right. The council took them unaware, they are not in the right position to fight back.

    "I''m not going to let you go ahead with this suicidal mission!" Lia informed Asher and was about to leave the room when Devon cast a spell on her,

    "Quis sustinebit?"

    Lia found out she couldn''t move a muscle, Devon froze her to the ground.

    "As much as I hate this but Asher''s right, we need to protect your pretty ass,"

    "Release me this instant Devon!" Lia bellowed at her, straining to be set free but all to no avail.

    It was at that moment that Dan appeared.

    "No, don''t you dare send me away...." The threat continued in Lia''s mouth when she vanished from the room.

    "We are coming back for you," Sabrina promised and hugged him.

    "Remember the faces that laid their hands on you, I''ll hunt them down after I rescue you," Devon told him and hugged him.

    "Don''t you dare die on me because I''ll hunt your soul from the pit of hell and restore you to your body," Daniel swore and hugged him, patting Asher on the shoulder before letting go.

    "Thank you," Was the only word Asher said to them before Dan made them vanish, without leaving with them this time.

    "Are you sure you''re making the right decision?" Dan asked him.

    "What? Do you have any other suggestions?" Asher asked nonchalantly, testing out his powers.

    "I''m just saying that Daniel could have taken your place, he seemed willing while you look suicidal," Dan touched the truth.

    "Lia can''t handle the both of us dying plus Daniel is her true mate - demonic polygamy or not - she''d survive without me, "Asher replied.

    "You asked her and she said that? "

    "I made the decision for her, Dan. She wouldn''t be able to do that, it''d break her heart,"

    "Oh right, I forgot you''re her mind; you know everything her heart desires," There was sarcasm in Dan''s tone.

    "Dan, I don''t have time to quibble with you, I have the battle to face," He said dismissively.

    "Fine, just explain yourself to her. Tell her something men! You can''t just leave her like that!"

    There was a loud bang! The entrance door has been breached.

    "Asher!"

    "Fine!" Asher hissed, "Go to my study; the third drawer; you''d find an envelope; take it and leave here immediately," He commanded.

    "Seriously?" Dan rolled his eyes towards heaven, "You had it all penned down and still couldn''t bother to give it to her? Were you hoping we''d find it after your death? Talk of being dramatic!" he lashed out at him and disappeared only to reappear seconds later.

    The sounds of incoming footsteps were getting louder.

    "Better you hang there, we''re coming to rescue you," Trevor warned, gave him a brotherly hug, and left just as their enemies barged into the room.

    "To whom do I own this honor?" Asher was prepared for them.

    A man emerged from the crowd who hushed down instantly. He had blonde hair with pale skin.

    "Quite a surprise to see you, Asher Nicolli. I''ve heard a lot about you," Kun smiled at him.

    "Hopefully the good ones," Asher smiled back at him. That smile was just to mask their intentions and both knew that.

    "Your father was quite a famous vampire, quite a pity it seems you''re about to follow in same footsteps when everyone thought you''d turn out differently,"

    Asher shrugged, "I guess the saying, '' the apple doesn''t fall far from the tree'' applies in my case then. But it''s satisfying to know I''m fighting for a rather good course this time,"

    "Where''s the girl?" His mask was brought down, replaced by a cold-blooded look.

    "Don''t waste your energy, you''d never find her, "Asher retorted, smiles disappearing from his face as well.

    "Perhaps, I should broaden your horizon a bit," Kun decided.

    The next Asher knew, he was outside his house, encompassed by troops from the council.

    "Once you hand the girl over, we''re willing to forgive you of all of your sins committed out of ignorance," He proposed gracefully.

    "Lia has never done anything wrong to you guys, why can''t you let her be,"

    "She isn''t supposed to be in the first place, order must be restored,"

    "No, you all are just scared of what she''s capable of doing," Asher sneered, "You''d never get her, I promise you,"

    "Fine. Don''t blame me for this because I gave you a chance to redeem yourself," He added, "And trust me, it''s going to hurt," there was a dark glint in Kun''s eyes as he said that.

    Asher looked around, all the witches beside him began to say a spell - a spell meant to decapitate him.

    He smiled and turned to Kun saying, "You know one funny part about vampires?"

    Kun snorted, "What trickery are you up to this time, half Raven vampire?" he mocked him.

    "Wrong answer," Asher smirked devilishly, "We don''t need air to breathe,"

    Kun''s expression shifted, the vampire could control the element.

    Suddenly, all the witches who had been chanting the spell, fell on their knees struggling with their breath as Asher seized all the air in the environment - Kun was affected too.

    Asher was determined to wipe them out from the surface of the earth hence withheld the oxygen for an extended period. He was determined to see how long they''d survive.

    The witches and hunters were already on the verge of death when a lightning bolt appeared from the sky striking Asher on the chest, knocking him out.

    Shit, they brought vampires.

 Chapter 308 - Three Hundred And Eight: Cross The Threshold

    "No, no, no, no," Lia cried out when she discovered she was in another room different from Asher''s.

    "This can''t be happening!" the girl yelled, clutching her head. She should have known Asher would try to play a martyr like he always does. He was an unpredictable, secretive vampire and now he was going to die in her place.

    "Where Is Dan? Sabrina? I have to go back," Lia searched around but there were only Helen and her family members. None had the magic nor ability to give her what she wanted.

    "Lia, calm down," Trevour told her, drawing her into his arms for a hug as she broke down in tears.

    "He''s going to die in my stead, I should have known that was what that trickster had in mind...." she choked on her tears, "He never tells me anything... I hate him! "

    Lia cried on Trevor''s shoulder who smoothed her hair, trying to comfort her. It was at that moment that the rest of the gang appeared, save Dan.

    Lia forcefully pulled out of her brother''s grasp, running over to Sabrina, saying, "You have to send me back to him, it''s me they want, not him," Lia grabbed her hands pleadingly.

    Sabrina gave her an apologetic look, shaking her head, "I''m sorry but I can''t do that. This is Asher''s decision and he wants me to keep it,"

    "No!" Lia flung her hands away, "He made that decision without me, I don''t accept that,"

    "Lia, I know it''s hard on you but your safety is my priority," Daniel told her.

    "No!" Lia flinched from him, laughing mirthlessly, "You don''t know what it is like to lose a mate," She turned to command Sabrina, "Now, take me to him"

    "No would do," Sabrina was adamant.

    "You would do what I said," Lia growled, grabbed Sabrina''s arms roughly as her eyes turned pitch black.

    Thick black threads began to appear from her skin and tried to latch onto Sabrina''s who was baffled.

    "What''s happening to her?" Jenny was horrified, pressing Hailey''s face to her chest as if trying to stop her from watching what was going on.

    "That''s probably her demon side," Ben speculated, mystified.

    "Lia, calm down," Daniel tried to intervene but the tribrid gestured a finger, causing a barrier that knocked Daniel back.

    "Sabrina, do something!" Ben bellowed, confused at what''s going on.

    "I can''t, it''s as if she nullified my magic or something!" Sabrina shouted, straining against the black threads that were getting creepily closer to her face, "Someone should help me!"

    "Adolebitque!" Devon appeared.

    Whatever spell she did cause Lia to release Sabrina with a shrill cry that made everyone shield their ears with their palms.

    "Somnum!" Sabrina who barely recovered from the attack said a spell that knocked her out instantly.

    "I can''t believe you all had a party without me," Devon made sure Lia was sleeping and not dead.

    "You wouldn''t call that a party if you were in my shoes a while ago," heaved Sabrina, hands on her hips," I think I''m starting to regret this,"

    "What do you mean by that?" asked Daniel, carrying Lia off the ground and into his arms.

    "I didn''t sign up to protect someone who would kill me. We might as well had handed her over to the council and let her demonic side eat them up - if that''s what she was about to do to me," complained Sabrina, "It would be like killing one bird with one stone; we get Asher and the council''s gone for good,"

    "Then what happens next?" Daniel asked with a scowl, "What if this version of her is what remains after the bloodshed,"

    Ben nodded, "He does have a point,"

    "And speaking of which, what if this scary version of her is what those dark witches want?" Devon theorized.

    Everyone fell silent.

    "Keep on going," Sabrina beckoned her.

    "I mean dark witches and demons practice the same method of magic, right? What if that''s the reason they need her,"

    "It''s a solid point but Lia cannot defeat the council alone- they are numerous and powerful-she''d be killed before she attempts such an act," Daniel observed, undisturbed by her weight in his arms.

    "Oh my God," Sabrina gasped, coming to a sudden realization, " What if that''s what the dark witches want? They want her dead and only when she does so, can their mission be accomplished,"

    "But that doesn''t make any sense, what would the enemies want their weapon destroyed? What would they benefit from that?" Trevor was puzzled as everyone else.

    "You only say that because you know nothing about demons," Sabrina summoned a book to appear before her, her magic flipped through the pages with insane speed till it stopped at a chapter.

    Sabrina began, "Demons have been existing for ages and just like werewolves, operates with hierarchies. That is to say, the lower level demons follow the orders of the upper-level demons.

    "But then, what Devon said reminded me of a story my mother once told me when she was alive...." She captivated everyone''s attention.

    "Demons have the ability to borrow human skin when descending into a mundane realm or simply possess one. So many years ago - when I was not even born - there was once a demon who borrowed human flesh and roamed the earth.

    "As usual Demons are barbaric creatures without conscience however, the more he communicated with them, the more humanity rubbed off on him. This was further heightened when he fell in love with a human maiden.

    "Their love was an epic one until the man was discovered to be a demon. As humans would always be fearful creatures, they rounded him up, ready to send him back to hell where he belonged.

    "The woman he loved pleaded on his behalf but then, the people claimed he must have taken control of her mind too. So they killed both of them without regret.

    "As a demon, he shredded his human skin and returned to his realm. Sadly, it turns out he was a high tier demon. Bloodthirsty for revenge, he took an army of demons and returned to rain down his wrath. That night, the whole village was massacred, not a soul was spared,"

    Daniel who was sitting in a chair with Lia in his arms mumbled, "This makes it more confusing. Are you trying to say that Lia would come back for revenge against the council if they kill her?"

    "Probably,"

    "Wait a minute here, my sister''s not even a full demon," Trevour pointed out.

    "So she might be a lower demon, case closed?" Ben was unsure.

    "Don''t be so sure, what if her father is a higher level Demon? She might solicit favor from him and boom! we have a war in our hands!" Devon added her view.

    "Sorry but demons aren''t as caring as human parents to their children," Sabrina enlightened her.

    Yet, Devon refused to believe that, "Don''t be so sure, this one might be. He lasted enough in the human realm to have a hybrid kid and two other mundane kids,"

    "So the problem at hand is finding whether Lia''s father is a high-level demon or not?" Ben inquired, his brows raised conclusively.

    "Why are you all staring at me that way?" Jenny was unsettled by their glances.

    Ahe pointed to her chest, "I had an on and off marriage to a demon for years - I didn''t even know he wasn''t human until you guys told me. If you have any questions regarding him, direct that to Trevour - they were the closest," she shifted the scrutiny to her son.

    Trevor lifted his hand defensively, "I have no idea what you''re about to ask. Yes, we were close but we never had any demon related discussion nor was I given demon powers, "

    "I think I can do it," Ben announced to everyone''s surprise.

    "What?"

    "I once summoned Nadia when Devon wanted to see...." Ben trailed off when he realized what he just blurted out.

    "Way to go blabbermouth" Devon scowled at him.

    Ben gave her a sorry gaze - not that she cared anyway. Ever since they had sex, they had not spoken to each other and he had an inkling she was avoiding him.

    "You summoned your mother after she blatantly warned you not to?!" Sabrina whirled around to scold her.

    "I just wanted to see her once more!" Devon explained.

    "Sabrina, that''s all in the past.." Ben tried to chime but she gave no ear to him.

    "You risked Ben''s life by summoning a ghost that has crossed over!" Sabrina was furious, "When would you learn to be responsible?!"

    "Sabrina, that''s enough. We''d talk about that later. We have a more pressing issue at hand," Daniel stopped her.

    They stopped arguing but Sabrina''s heated warning gaze remained on Devon whose jaw was clenched tightly.

    Ben went on, "I believe if I can find a property that was precious to the owner, I can -"

    "You''re not doing such a thing, I would not let you risk your life," Sabrina dismissed that idea.

    "This is what I was called to do," He argued.

    "You''re a medium, Ben, the bridge between the living and dead. But Unfortunately, though connected, what you''re about to do is crossing that threshold. You''re venturing into another realm, hell!"

 Chapter 309 - Two Hundred And Nine: No Other Option

    "You''re a medium, Ben, the bridge between the living and dead. But Unfortunately, though connected, what you''re about to do is crossing that threshold. You''re venturing into another realm, hell,"

    There was a brief silence as Ben let Sabrina''s words sink in. She was right, but then, being right doesn''t always work all the time. If they want things to work, they have to take risks.

    "I know but we have no other option, " He said.

    "I''m sorry but I''m not letting you risk your life before Lia attempts whatever she tried to do earlier, thinking I was the one who sent you to an early grave," Sabrina insisted.

    But Ben had never been one to give up on an argument, "Sabrina," He came close, placing both hands on her shoulder, "All of my life I''ve often wondered the purpose of my birth. I mean, my birth parents didn''t give much care to me, juggling me from place to place till I was mature enough to be left alone till now. I spent all those years, reading, experimenting, searching for my purpose until I met Lia and found it. I believe this is my cross to bear, Sabrina, this is the part of the story - my turn to do what I was called for,"

    Sabrina pursed her lips contemplatively, it was really hard for her to agree to that request," Fine, but the outcomes on you, "

    "Of course," Ben smiled, taking his hand off her shoulder. Dan was currently glaring at him - couples and jealousy, tsk tsk.

    "You said you needed something precious to my dad," Trevor said, taking off his necklace and handing it to Ben saying, "This is some kind of medallion awarded by the council to its elite hunters and this one belonged to my dad,"

    Ben stared at it unsure, "I''m not sure this is going to work. When I went through your father''s journal, he loathed most of the decisions he made in the coun...."

    Ben trailed off, a light bulb clinking in his head.

    "Your father''s journal! "

    "His journal!"

    He and Trevor said at the same time.

    "It was quite special to him else he wouldn''t go through the trouble of writing those in Latin and leaving it for you guys to translate, painfully," Ben figured out.

    "But the journal is back at my house which means we have to return -"

    "Your place," Ben completed.

    "We have to return to my place," Trevor announced.

    "That is not exactly a good plan," Jenny complained for the first time since they arrived here, "If those people took Asher, for all we know, they must have besieged our place too, awaiting whoever steps in, to capture them,"

    "Your mother is right, Trevor," Dan was in support of Jenny, "The council needs Lia desperately from the looks of things,"

    "So you''re trying to say we won''t do anything just because the council is allegedly surrounding our place right now?" There was a hint of mockery in his tone.

    "Lia is on the verge of losing it because they took Asher, she might lose it if they take you too. Also, unlike us, you are a human who would easily go down if push comes to shove," Dan pointed out.

    "Are you trying to say I''m weak?" Trevor was offended.

    "I''m just stating the obvious fact," Dan didn''t back down the eye challenge the boy started.

    Trevor looked away knowing this wasn''t the right time to start a fight. He looked around, making sure to make eye contact with everyone as he began, "Yes, us returning to my place is indeed falling straight into a trap. However, we still have the element of surprise here - the council is anticipating the pleasure of our coming but under probability,"

    He went on, "Not to talk that we have the best witch so far in here," He pointed to Sabrina.

    "I''m nothing," Sabrina didn''t take the glory.

    "If you''re not accepting that compliment, I''m taking it," Devon told her proudly.

    "And the best vampire," Trevor gestured to Dan, "With me, who has a graphic detail of our house in my head and a vampire with teleportation abilities plus a hybrid witch by my side, what can the council do against us?"

    "I love challenges," Devon said, obviously supporting Trevor''s idea.

    There was a short silence, everyone debating on that proposal internally.

    "Fine, as far as they got your back," Sabrina gestured to Dan and Devon.

    "Be careful out there, son," Jenny hugged him. On a normal day, she would have tried to stop him from attempting this madness, but these few hours had taught her a lot - they needed to keep moving forward.

    "Make sure you return safely to me," Sabrina said goodbye to Dan, kissing him on the lips.

    "Of course," He pulled away, hugging her tight.

    "And you," Sabrina turned to Devon, " I know how much you enjoy the thrill of the fun, but this time, you have two lives counting on you so please for once, be responsible,"

    "Yeah, whatever you say, mom," Devon sassed, and left to go see Ben.

    "Hey,"

    Ben was startled when Devon appeared in his line of sight, wasn''t she giving him the silent treatment?

    "Hey,"

    "About that -"

    "You don''t have to say anything if you''re uncomfortable, nor should you feel awkward," Ben stopped her.

    Not that she heeded anyway.

    "I don''t feel awkward and I might as well say this since there''s a probability the council might toast our asses in this mission," she said to him, "Just because we slept together doesn''t mean we''re a thing, it was just our hormones doing what it does best. I''m a hybrid vampire, I would find my beloved soon enough and I''m sure that it isn''t you,"

    Wow, Ben blinked. He just got dumped before the relationship even started.

    "Yes, of course," he nodded his head with a fake smile that hid the sorrow in his eyes, "Duly noted,"

    Well, he just hopes there''s Ice Cream around here to binge eat and love songs to cry over.

    "But then if it comforts you," Devon leaned closer, whispering into his ears, "You were so great in bed, I wouldn''t mind having you a second time," she kissed him on the cheek, lingering there for a while before leaving.

    Ben froze instantly, that did comfort him. It seems his years of deep research into diverse topics - clears throat - finally paid off.

    He went beet red in the face when he heard a snicker from Daniel. Gosh, he forgot he was in a room of supernaturals with incredible hearing. Just wonderful.

    "Well, while you lovebirds catch up, I''ll find her a bed," Daniel referred to Lia in his arms.

    "If I were you, I''ll keep her chained - you don''t know what she''d wake up as," Devon hinted her demonic side might still manifest.

    "Well, thanks for your advice but no. I won''t mind dying in her hands," Daniel replied Devon and was about to leave to get a room when Dan stopped him.

    "When she awakes, give her this. It might help with her hysteria, " Dan handed an envelope to him.

    "What''s this?" Daniel''s brow rose questioningly.

    "It''s a letter from Asher,"

    "Oh," Daniel took the letter from him.

    "Stay safe," Daniel patted him on the shoulder and left.

    "Okay, when Electra wakes up, tell her that..." Trevor was still instructing Ben on what to do for him when he heard a voice from behind.

    "Why don''t you tell that to my face,"

    "Electra, you''ve awoken," there was a huge surprise on his face.

    "You were saying?"

    "Yes... Urm... I - eh" Trevor was breathless, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

    Electra shook her head, "Boys," she sighed, "Come here,"

    She grabbed on his shirt and drew him close, kissing him slow and sweet.

    "Good luck," she pecked him once more on the lips, letting him go.

    "It''s time," Dan announced.

    "I don''t care whether you get the journal or not, but once you''re losing, get back here at once," Sabrina ordered them.

    "Sure boss lady," Dan teased her.

    Before Sabrina could retort, they all vanished.

    The trio was expecting to walk into a room filled with the council''s finest, never did they anticipate meeting an empty house.

    "This is strange," Devon commented as soon as she landed. Planning to use the element of surprise, she already had a spell at the tip of her mouth, ready to strike. But then, there was nothing to strike.

    "Super strange," Trevor seconded, looking around.

    Dan scrutinized the house with his vampiric sight yet couldn''t see anything nor pick up a heartbeat.

    "Let''s not be fooled, for all we know, they could be secretly watching us right now," He told them.

    "Well, while we''re being careful, I''m going to find my weapons," Trevour notified.

    "While I find the diary? Journal? Whatever?" Dan was already walking up the stairs.

    "While I stand guard, as usual," Devon rolled her eyes, unsatisfied with her function.

    Remembering Sabrina''s strict words, Devon observed their surroundings. So far, there was nothing to raise an alarm for.

    But then, when no one appeared after a while, Devon knew something was up, especially now the hairs on her arm were on edge.

    However, the moment she tried to turn, Devon felt a concussive force whack her on the head and she was left unconscious.

 Chapter 310 - Three Hundred And Ten : No Mercy

    Lia woke up with a startle.

    She had a dream where she was engulfed in darkness so deep and lonely. Everywhere was deadly silent, her shouts echoing off without finding anyone to help her out; it felt like she was lost forever. The dream scared her so much that she awoke, trembling.

    "Hey, it''s okay. It''s just a nightmare," She felt a warm body draw her into a hug, it was solacing.

    "You''re okay, sweetheart. You''re with me," Daniel smoothed her back with his hand.

    "D-daniel?" Lia glanced up at him in the hug.

    "Yeah, it''s me,"

    "What happened��? " Lia was still asking when the memories came flooding in.

    The girl became pale at once, "Oh my God," she pulled away and palmed her face, horrified.

    "Lia?"

    "I nearly hurt Sabrina��." it dawned on her as she glanced down at herself with disgust, "Gosh, I''m dangerous to everyone. This is why Asher should have let them take me," the guilt hit her.

    "I''m not going to let you ridden yourself with grief," Daniel told her, pissed off, "It was not your fault, and look around, you didn''t hurt her," He tried to appease her, however, it elicited the opposite result.

    Lia burst into tears, "You should all just let me die,"

    Daniel didn''t stop Lia, rather he let her cry to her heart''s content. It was better she let it all out rather than bottle up this emotion considering how frail her mental state was at the moment. Who knows? The next, she might split her personality and let that demon in her take over. Worst nightmare ever.

    "You should take this," Daniel handed the letter to her.

    She sniffed, giving it a questionable look, "What is this?"

    "It''s from Asher,"

    At the mention of Asher, her heart raced and she snatched the letter from him.

    "I''ll give you some privacy," said Daniel, dusting off invisible dirt from his pants.

    "Thank you," Lia wiped the tears from her eyes, giving him a thankful smile.

    He smiled back at her, leaving her alone.

    The moment Daniel left, Lia stared at the letter before taking a long, deep breath as if preparing herself mentally for what Asher wrote down.

    She tore the envelope open and unfolded the paper. The first thing Lia noticed was his writing. He had written it in a haste.

    "Dear Lia,

    I know this is the point where you hate me for eternity but listen up first. You are not responsible for whatever happens to me, it was my choice and my cross to bear. This is the decision I had to make for my sake, your sake, and for the sake of our child.

    You would make a better parent to Ashton - Damn Ben for calling him Arthur - than I would to him. I''m not as righteous as you think I am. I have lived long on this earth and done so many things, wronged so many people than I can remember. So our child would make a better man with you than me.

    I''m not going to ask you not to cry but do not cry too much, it would hurt my heart. Live well with Daniel, he was your first mate and would always be. But then, never forget me nor how much I love you.

    Yours sincerely,

    Asher. "

    Lia broke down in tears as soon as she finished the letter. Her heart was hurting so much, how could someone be so selflessly in love with her.

    She wept till she could no longer produce tears from her tears duct. After a while, she made up her mind, she would not let Asher''s labor be in vain.

    Lia found her way to the bathroom, washed up, and changed out of her old clothes. When she opened the door to leave, Daniel was already standing outside waiting for her.

    "How do you feel?" He asked.

    "Never been better. Now, what''s the plan?"

    ********************************************

    "Where is she?"

    A vampire''s tortured groan was heard once the witch placed her hand on his chest, causing his flesh to sizzle with a hiss.

    "Where is she?!" Selena yelled furiously, removing her hands from his chest afraid that he would burst into flames and die if she goes any further.

    "You do know that I have elemental powers and fire''s one of them so I''ve grown inured to the heat. Hence, you better find another method of torturing me," Asher said mockingly to her, exposing blood-stained teeth.

    The vampire was quite a sight. He was tied to a chair with his hands bound from behind. His clothes were torn at diverse places and there was a fading charred scar on his chest from the lightning hurled at him earlier. Still, yet, Asher had a smirk on his face.

    Selena was frustrated, she had never seen a vampire this obstinate and vexing - his smug smirk was getting on her nerves.

    "I already told you I don''t know where the girl is, I sent her to a destination even I don''t know about," Asher confessed playfully, "Even if I knew, I''d rather die than tell you,"

    Selena run her hands through her hair, then turned to Asher, placing her hands on the chair arm saying, "You have no idea what you''re disrupting, we''re trying to free this world from its oppressors and this girl is the only one who can do it,"

    Asher scoffed, "If you think I''ll stand still and watch you kill my mate, then you''re the worst joke of the century,"

    "You''re such an idiot, don''t you know your mate is immortal," Selena sneered.

    "What?" Asher was dumbfounded.

    "Order must be restored," Selena laughed, "That is her curse for disrupting the flow of nature. While you die from a stake to the heart and the werewolf eventually, she''d live on and on and on - might even take another mate in the future when you''re gone- till nature eventually balances, would she finally find peace, "

    Asher was mystified by this revelation. "Till nature balances" probably means until there''s more of her kind populating the earth, only then would nature find a way to rid of them. Just like vampires, they seemed immortal at first until nature came up with its own solution of stabilizing everything; their weaknesses emerged.

    "This doesn''t make any sense" Asher shook his head, "If she can''t die, why do you still want her dead?"

    "We don''t want her fully dead but rather her demon side, only then would she fulfill the prophecy," She whispered into Asher''s ears. She went ahead to tell him of their plans and Lia''s history and connection to the prophecy.

    "You''re not the real Selena, are you?" Asher''s eyes were wide. There was no way a fellow head would want the downfall of the council.

    "It''s a good thing you''re smarter than the council," She simpered.

    "No matter what you plan, I know Lia, she would never return for vengeance especially after knowing what it would cause," Asher told her.

    "Of course we thought about that possibility hence prepared for that,"

    "What did you do?" Asher had a bad premonition.

    "We bound her to our purpose. The moment she dies, the only thought in her head as she returns would be finding justice for the dark witches, for the Burning Eaglet. The council and other witches who have thrived at the expense of our sacrifice, our blood! Would suffer her wrath! "

    "So not only the council, you''d be destroying all witches?"

    "Exactly," She said blandly as if it was a normal thing to do, "Now, tell me, where is the girl?"

    "Like I would give it to you psychopaths," Asher sneered.

    "You would regret this!" there was a dark glint in her eyes and was about to strike Asher when her phone rang.

    "Hello," She picked up.

    Troubled, Asher tuned his hearing to the call.

    Oh crap, they caught them.

    ****************************************

    Devon stirred. The back of her head hurt like crazy, she had a splitting headache. Though her eyes were blurry, she managed to make out a pair of boots, then lifted her sight to see a woman on a call with her back turned to her.

    "Yes, I have them. They''re out��"

    She heard her conversation. It was obvious the woman was a witch and worked for the council else she wouldn''t have captured them easily.

    Devon looked to her side, Dan and Trevor were leaning against the wall and unconscious. Well, to the rescue then.

    She said a spell mentally so as not to attract attention. The binds used to tie her hands fell to the ground.

    The woman must have sensed her movements because she turned at that exact moment but Devon was faster.

    "Vitae!" Devon yelled before she could retaliate.

    The woman was lifted off her feet and slammed to the wall, hovering there. She tried to say a spell but Devon made a gesture, her mouth was sealed.

    "It''s my turn now,"

    Devon declared, then caused a tree branch from outside the window to grow and slip into the room, curling around the lady''s throat and leg as it dragged her outside.

    The lady released muffled screams, tears slipping down her face but Devon was unmoved- she didn''t believe in giving second chances to her enemies. The first time she tried being merciful, she was used as a puppet by the Raven clan. Hence, no sympathy.

    The woman was dragged outside where other branches stretched out towards her as if calling out to her to become one. The lady was pressed against the hard barks of the large tree, the branches covering her till she was sucked into the tree.

    Done, the tree stilled instantly and became normal like nothing ever happened.

 Chapter 311 - Three Hundred And Eleven: Spirit Walk

    "What''s the plan?"

    Everyone was surprised when Lia walked into the room with an unsmiling face that had a trace of determination in them.

    Thanks to muscle memory, Sabrina flinched a bit upon recalling what almost happened.

    "I''m sorry for what I did to you," Lia apologized to Sabrina who stared at her stretched-out hand skeptically, "Are we good to go?"

    "Yeah, I''m good," She took the hand in a firm handshake - with a bit of fear.

    "Why do I feel like I missed something epic?" Electra had her arms wrapped around her chest.

    "You did miss a lot," Ben told her.

    "Where''s my mom and Helen and the kids?" Lia inquired, looking around for them.

    "They went to bed. It''s been a long day with the kids," Daniel told her.

    "Alright, tell me what''s cooking," she asked.

    Sabrina went ahead to narrate what happened when she was knocked out and the plan they come up with.

    Lia whirled around to Ben, "You are so not doing that?"

    "This is my decision, not yours Lia," Ben told her.

    "Yeah," Lia scoffed, "Everybody is following after Asher''s footstep, the martyr. You want to summon the spirit or whatever that claims to be my father from hell after Sabrina blatantly told you that demons give no damn about their offsprings, not to talk of a stranger?! " she admonished him

    "No matter what you say, I''m not changing my mind," Ben insisted.

    "Oh really?" Her brow rose, Lia was challenged.

    "Yes, and there''s nothing you can do about that!" Ben was flustered.

    "Alright then," Lia smirked mischievously.

    No one saw that coming.

    Before Ben could even escape or anyone helping him, Lia had raised a rectangular-shaped barrier that trapped him in.

    "Lia, this is not funny," Ben banged his hands on the forcefield but it didn''t wear down nor break.

    "You wanted to see what I can do, now I''ve done it, so do have a nice time in there," She had a tone of mockery in her voice.

    Ben closed his eyes and tried to summon a ghost that would possess him and give him the strength to break out of these but he got nothing.

    "Good luck Ben," Lia simpered and turned to face the others authoritatively, "Asher is still alive, how do we find him with witch technology?"

    The question was directed to Sabrina since she was the only witch available.

    "How did you know he''s -"

    "The bond," Daniel answered her.

    "I think I have a much better idea," Electra said, attracting everyone''s attention.

    "What is it?" Everyone was curious.

    "I can project my spirit to someone as far as the distance isn''t that much. But then, since the distance''s much, Sabrina can find a way -"

    "To shorten that distance," the witch completed.

    "Exactly,"

    "I can do that, but I''ll need a body fluid or hair from Asher," She announced.

    In unison, they turned to the tribrid..

    Lia was flustered when everyone''s gaze rested on her.

    "I''m not a creep that has Asher''s bodily excrement stored somewhere for God knows why," Lia reproved them.

    At the mention of that, Daniel turned to Sabrina saying, "You did require our urm.. fluid for that linking spell, remember?"

    Lia gave Daniel and Sabrina a weird look, "I seriously did not want to know what that ''urm fluid'' really means," she was repelled.

    "Well, thanks for reminding me of the ''urm fluid'' since I can find whatever it''s left of it," Sabrina said, finding it in her secret skin bag.

    Seriously, Lia wonders how she just pops things out of the air. It was so cool.

    "Electra, tell me how your powers work," Sabrina kept her talking while she prepared the ingredients for the spell.

    "Yeah, I can spirit walk, meaning I walk through walls, barriers, and stuff like that when I''m in that form. People can''t see me, only those with strong mental powers like my father," she narrated.

    "So you''re trying to say that even though you''re not supposed to be seen, people can still see you - some special people? " Lia asked her.

    "Yeah kind of,"

    " No, no, no, this is too risky - I should be the one risking my life, "The tribrid pointed to her chest.

    "And here we go again," Ben groaned, he knocked his head against the barrier.

    "Listen here, Lia," Electra demanded her attention, "As much as this is your burden, this is our fight too. We don''t know the kind of mass destruction you''re capable of causing, hence it''s our responsibility to stop it,"

    "Preach to her, sister," Ben supported Electra.

    "No matter how you much you try to defend us, this is a war and a war requires sacrifice,"

    There was a short silence as Lia thought over her words.

    "Fine, but promise me you''d pull out as soon as you encounter danger," Lia asked of her.

    "Deal,"

    "Step into the circle, Electra," Sabrina asked her to enter the drawn circle.

    Electra obeyed and sat down.

    Sabrina opened a jar and begun to overlap the circle with salt, saying, "This is to prevent any other creature from waking in or drawing any from over there,"

    She proceeded to draw a weird sign on the girl''s head with a slimy substance - Lia prayed that it wasn''t a monster''s saliva or fluid.

    Done with that, Sabrina sat down on the floor with her legs crossed, the jar containing Asher''s fluid in front of her, and began her incantation.

    "Noctem verterunt in diem et noctem diei porrigitur autem temporis spatium minuatur inter"

    At once, Electra''s eyelid became heavy and she drifted off to dreamland. However, when she awoke, she found herself in some prison room but she wasn''t alone.

    "Asher?" She gasped and rose to her feet.

    There he was, tied to a seat with silver shackles. No wonder he couldn''t get out of those, it weakens them - and he wasn''t alone.

    There was an enticing brunette torturing him and she looked like a witch. But what captured Electra''s attention was their ongoing discussion.

    "You''re such an idiot, don''t you know your mate is immortal," the woman sneered.

    Wow, Lia would be joyous to hear that.

    "What?"

    And of course, her father had no clue.

    "Order must be restored," the witch laughed, more like crackle, "That is her curse for disrupting the flow of nature. While you die from a stake to the heart and the werewolf eventually, she''d live on and on and on - might even take another mate in the future when you''re gone- till nature eventually balances, would she finally find peace, "

    Okay, hopefully, Daniel never hears of the take on more wolf part in the future. That werewolf was so damn jealous.

    This went on and on, with Electra inputting her own suggestion while they were unaware of her presence. It was quite fun until she heard,

    "We bound her to our purpose. The moment she dies, the only thought in her head as she returns would be finding justice for the dark witches, for the Burning Eaglet. The council and other witches who have thrived at the expense of our sacrifice, our blood! Would suffer her wrath! "

    Oh boy, this wasn''t going to end well for the witches and possibly them too. Sabrina had to hear this.

    Electra wanted to leave but greed got the best of her. Since the witch was talking, why not hear the rest of the news? The witch could still be hiding more facts that could be useful to them.

    Then the news came, they had captured Devon and her gang. Oh no, this was bad. If the council had both Asher and the rest, it would be difficult for them to proceed with their plans, she had to inform the others.

    "Electra," She heard her father whisper her name out of nowhere. He saw her finally.

    "Father," she whispered, tears streaming down her face at the sight of him; it was heart wrenching.

    Electra wasn''t an emotional person, added to the fact she disliked this man from the start, but seeing him like this; helpless and in agony; hurt her heart.

    "Don''t worry, we''d get you out of here soon," she promised him.

    "What was that?" The witch took the phone off from her ear, looking around.

    Suddenly, their eyes met and Electra''s blood ran cold. She could see her? Danger alert.

    Electra was about to slip away when the witch said a quick spell and she felt froze at a spot, feeling the urge to throw up. She bent over and began to vomit blood non-stop.

    "Stop it, you''re killing her!" Asher shouted at Selena. The girl was retching to the point of almost throwing up her intestines.

    "That''s exactly the point," Selena had a devilish smirk at the corner of her mouth. She was determined to end the girl.

    Meanwhile, on Lia''s side, they had been waiting for Electra to wake up soon, hence became concerned when blood began to come out of her mouth, nose, and ears.

    "That is not a good sign," Lia panicked, "Bring her back now!"

    "Male gesta, sicut hodie praecipio vobis ut reditus!" Sabrina said but nothing happened.

    "Why is it not working?" Daniel was concerned.

    "I don''t know! This has to be the work of a witch!"

    "Lia, release me now!" Ben ordered.

    Without argument, Lia brought down the barrier as Ben rushed over to Electra, placing his hand on her shoulder as his eyes rolled over while saying to Sabrina, "Do it now!"

    "Male gesta, sicut hodie praecipio vobis ut reditus!"

    Instantly, Electra returned to the living, coughing uncontrollably while Ben just laid on the bare floor just as Dan and the others returned from their mission.

    That was close.

 Chapter 312 - Two Hundred And Twelve : Stop Them First

    "What happened?" Sabrina helped Electra sit up.

    "Lia was right. I was getting lots of information when the witch suddenly saw me. I tried to escape but she was faster, she did some sort of spell that made me want to throw up the whole of my insides - the experience was awful. I really thought that was the end until Ben appeared out of nowhere and grabbed my hand, disappearing through a portal. I swear, I''ve never been grateful to be home than now," Electra described her hellish experience.

    "Well, I''m glad you''re home," Lia patted her on the shoulder, her sight resting on the others who made their appearances too.

    "Thank God, you''re okay," Sabrina hugged Dan with the rest hugging their loved ones respectively - except Devon.

    "We were kind of attacked in there," Trevor revealed, "Devon kind of saved our asses,"

    "And it''s more heartbreaking to know that your efforts were for nothing. I got information that we all needed and more," Electra notified.

    "It wasn''t all that useless, I got my weapons," Trevor gestured at the quiver sling on his shoulder and the crossbow he dropped at a corner of the room with a briefcase containing some high-tech council weapon.

    "Okay, maybe not that all fruitless but we have a problem," Electra captured all of their attention.

    "Tell us what you saw," Daniel added,

    "And heard,"

    "Lia here..." she pointed to her, " Is a ticking time bomb, and no matter what we do, she''s going to bring back an army of demons once they kill her demon side because the dark witches bound her to their will and she''s immortal,"

    There was complete silence for five minutes as everyone digested the information.

    "I''m immortal?" That was Lia''s interest.

    "Yes. Your birth upset the balance in the universe and thanks to that, you''re cursed to never die. To balance that, your kind has to fill the earth just like we have an abundance of other supernatural creatures, only then would nature provide your weakness - trust me, immortality sucks,"

    And yes, Electra was right. Imagine having to walk the earth for over a thousand years, boredom would inevitably set in - she would have seen everything there is to earth.

    "Am I the only one who heard Lia''s bound to their will? " Devon raised the issue, "That does not sound good,"

    "No, it doesn''t. They must have done that spell without Lia even knowing," Sabrina turned to her, " Was there a time you lost something personal?"

    "No, I don''t - oh," Lia remembered, "I think a witch once penetrated my house, we had an intense fight,"

    "And you didn''t care to tell any of us?" Devon had a blaming tone.

    "That was months ago before all this craziness began, Miss perfectionist," her temper flared.

    "You said what?" Devon stepped forward, a murderous aura oozing off her with blazing tongues of flames hovering in her hands

    Lia was not intimidated either, her aura overlapped with her forcefield, causing bluish-white light to surround her.

    "Ok," Daniel got in between them, careful not to get burned.

    "Alright, we need to cool off. Everyone here has had a tough day - I included. There''s no need to blame anyone when the deeds are done already. We should all have some rest before we plan our next step," Sabrina advised.

    "Perfect," Devon scoffed and left.

    Lia ignored her.

    "Electra," she called the girl who was about to leave.

    "Yes?"

    "You saw Asher, didn''t you? How is he?"

    Electra licked her lips and sighed, "I am not going to lie to you, Lia. He didn''t look all that good but I know we are going to get him out, soon" She placed a hand on her shoulder affectionately,

    "You should rest, Lia. After giving birth to my brother and his stepsisters..." she laughed, " You need it the most, "

    "Alright," Lia nodded with a wry smile.

    "Mom said she would care for the kids, says you need rest - supernatural or not," Trevor informed her.

    "Alright, thank her for me," Lia pecked him on the cheeks and turned to the direction of her room.

    This house was one of Asher''s properties in another village, far far away from Little town or Kinney village. It was quite lonely with no other houses in sight - typical vampire building style.

    "Hey," She walked in to see Daniel already lying on the bed. And yes, she had to share the room with him - not because there wasn''t anymore but because she didn''t want to be lonely tonight.

    "You can still get another room if you want to?" Daniel sensed her hesitancy.

    "No, It''s either you or the kids tonight. But my mom took on the kids, so I''m kind of stuck with you,"

    "Alright, come then," he patted the empty side of the bed.

    Lia climbed into bed, resting her head on his chest with her hand lazily draped across his waist. Daniel turned to face her, playing with her hair.

    "I know you don''t like remembering this but how did it feel for your mother when your father, her mate died?"

    Lia sensed the tautness in Daniel''s body when she asked that question but he relaxed afterward and answered, " I can''t describe that because I''m not my mother but there was one thing I can never forget, "

    She glanced up at him, curious, " What was it?"

    "The spark in her eyes died. She became withdrawn day after day until she was nothing but an empty vessel. Inevitably, she died too but I think she was more happier leaving - death was a huge privilege to her. And Lia..."

    Daniel adjusted himself so he could look into her eyes while speaking," I know you might think I don''t know how you feel but I feel your pain. Just as you''re afraid of losing Asher, I''m afraid of losing you too, "

    "Well, I''m immortal, so you don''t have to be afraid of losing me to death," she told him but Daniel wasn''t satisfied.

    "One doesn''t have to die physically to be dead. Though my mom had been alive, I knew she had died already inwardly. Lia.." he cupped her face, stroking her cheeks, "You might think I''ll be the happiest with Asher gone? Then you should know, yes I''m happy. But then, I''ve grown attached to Asher, so that happiness is incomplete without him. I''ll help you rescue him,"

    Tears stung Lia''s eyes, "What did I ever do in my past life to deserve you? " She was filled with happiness.

    "I don''t know, you tell me," He began to trickle her.

    "No, stop it," Tears gush out from her eyes while laughing.

    Their fun tarried long into the night but with a conscious reminder not to do anything steamy that would result in the birth of more pups.

    ****************************

    Ben had a smile on his face as he lay on the bed; he had done something brave today. He kept playing that moment he grabbed Electra''s hand in a loop in his mind. He suddenly wished he had powers like Sabrina so he could replicate that scene in his head and someway produce that into a video clip he could watch anytime.

    He was so lost in his thought that he didn''t hear the doorknob turn or Devon dressed in nothing but a transparent nightgown getting into his room. Hence almost screamed bloody murder when she appeared in his sight of view, thinking she was a ghost.

    "Devon, what are you doing in my room?" Ben was stunned.

    But his mouth fell open afterward when he discovered she was almost naked.

    "What do you think I''m doing?" she climbed into bed, getting on top of him.

    Ben gulped, "Didn''t you say-"

    "Shhh," she pressed her finger against his lips, "Forgot what I said. We are about to go to battle and can''t even predict if we''d live or not. So why don''t we make the use of tonight?" her brows rose suggestively.

    "Make your decision but don''t keep me waiting for long, Ben," She whispered, blowing hot air into his eyes.

    Ben responded by flipping her over, covering her with the length of his body, " Let''s get to work,"

    **********************************

    Lia woke in the middle of the night for no reason. But she had the urge to patrol around in case something was off and damn it! She was right.

    The building was built with glass thoroughly - Asher went all out with his resources - so she clearly saw four women standing a few distances from the house. Lia zoomed in with her nocturnal sight to discover their lips were moving- they were witches.

    "Sabrina! Everyone get up now!!" Lia shouted with all her strength.

    It was effective since everyone scampered out of their rooms.

    "Oh my God, we''ve been discovered!" Ben almost went bananas.

    "How''s that possible?" Sabrina was aghast, " I personally clocked this place so we can be tracked with a locator spell unless -"

    She strode over and grabbed Devon''s hand, "Revelare," she cast a spell and saw it, "That woman put a tracker in you when you were attacked,"

    "This is a war which we would fight," Lia declared then commanded Dan, "Take my mom and kids away from here,"

    "I want to stay and fight," Helen told her.

    "I''m sorry but my mom needs the help she needs in dealing with supernatural children,"

    "Alright," she agreed.

    "Goodbye Rex," Lia hugged him.

    "Stay safe, Lia," Jenny hugged her tight, hesitant to let go.

    "You too, mom," she pulled away,

    "Now go!"

    "What are they doing?" Daniel asked.

    "Probably creating a chain spell," Sabrina answered.

    "Then we have to stop them first," Lia said.

 Chapter 313 - Two Hundred And Thirteen: Taken

    "Shouldn''t they be attacking us?" Daniel was concerned when the witches just kept staring at them, chanting nonstop.

    They had all come out of the safety of their house to fight them head-on.

    "The best defense is to attack before they attack," Lia said and moved to the front.

    She took in a deep breath, positioned herself, and screamed, pouring out all the negative emotions in her on them.

    Everyone behind her crouched down, shielding their ears with their palm until she was through, panting heavily.

    They all stood up, hoping to see the destroyed witches but to their greatest shock, the witches were up on their feet. The grass beneath their feet was cleared and the land scorched but the witches were unharmed.

    "How is that possible?" Lia was stricken with fear.

    "Maybe your powers have lost their effectiveness," Devon was smug, stepping out from amongst them to land her strike.

    Lia clenched her fist, recently this girl was getting under her skin. Why was Devon even competing with her? The girl was not even worth her attention! She had a mate to save, children to nurse, council to stop, so the little bedbug was the least of her problems notwithstanding she was almost her same age.

    Even Electra who was a hundred years plus older than her doesn''t rub shoulders with her, talk more her?

    "What is wrong with Devon, she''s been giving my sister the attitude?" Trevor whispered-asked Electra, eyes still trained on the battlefield

    Electra answered and said,

    "Devon''s an impulsive, domineering, and proud hybrid who loves attention. But then, She sees Lia as a big competition and this mission is all about her - not to mention she once had a crush on my father. I think she blames your sister for what happened to Asher, "

    "Well, she would have to deal with that since Asher made that decision himself - joyfully," Trevour breathed.

    "Hey, weakling, can I get some quietness in here!" Devon snapped at Trevor after hearing their conversation amid their effort to keep it down.

    "Hey, don''t talk to my brother like that!" Lia took offense.

    "I don''t remember talking to you, demon!" Devon spat at her.

    And that did it!

    A low growl was enunciated from Lia''s throat.

    "No, Lia, don''t!" Daniel tried to stop the girl but the beast in her had been awoken.

    Lia tackled Devon to the ground, her serrated werewolf teeth snapping closely at her face.

    Devon magically tossed her away like a rag doll but Lia vamped back, head butting her in the bridge of the nose.

    Blood flowed from Devon''s nose, she wiped it with the back of her hand, smearing it in the process across her cheeks. Her eyes darkened, she was out for blood.

    "Devon, don''t!" Ben hugged her from behind but she flung him away by a mere gesture.

    Daniel who was holding back the furious Lia from lunging at her was tossed aside too.

    Free, Lia leaped at her but Devon froze her in midair, then threw her to a tree, the branch puncturing right into her chest. She hung from the branch, lifelessly.

    Everyone froze when Lia didn''t stir.

    "This is going according to as planned, even better. They already had a rift, making it easier," Daniel heard the four witches cackled.

    "Sabrina, something''s strange," He said to Sabrina who busied herself firing destructive spells at the witches, but each of her spells kept getting sucked in without achieving its motive.

    "What is stranger than the fact they keep absorbing my magic and whatever power we throw at them, " She grimaced, striving to land a successful blow.

    "Or stranger than the fact Lia and Devon who are the most reasonable in this group started their fight in this crucial time," Daniel pointed out.

    "Oh crap," It dawned on Sabrina, "Those disgusting witches did the spell of discord amongst us,"

    "If they cast such, why is everyone not fighting each other?" He couldn''t understand.

    "Because those two were already at loggerheads with each other in the first place, hence it got them first. Ours might come sooner - gosh! They''re trying to make us destroy each other,"

    "Hey, what did I miss?" Dan returned from the little errand only to see Lia suspended on a tree through the heart.

    It was at that moment that Lia awoke, used her hand to break off that branch from behind, landing on the ground with a great thud. She pulled the rest of the branch out of her heart revealing a massive hole in her chest.

    However, she began to heal so quickly that Trevor''s human eye couldn''t catch up with the whole regeneration. Soon her chest closed up, a sinister smirk curved her lips and she screamed directly at Devon, who at the same time summoned her own destructive spell.

    Both of their powers clashed strongly, inadvertently triggering an enormous sonic wave that knocked everyone off their feet - Devon and Lia included.

    The four witches as expected, absorbed the wave with their spell hence were left unharmed.

    "Mission accomplished," One of them smiled at the other. With most of the works done, they strutted over to the defeated team.

    Dan and Daniel were the only ones awake, others were unconscious. But the vampire was disoriented, whatever those two did left him in severe pain while Daniel threw up, he was experiencing nausea and great discomfort.

    The witches came into their midst, walking directly to where Lia lay askew and carried her. With a grunt, Daniel grabbed the boot of one of them, refusing to let go. He would rather die than let them take her.

    The witch grabbed at the leg was infuriated and raised her hand intending to strike him dead with a spell, but her partner stopped her.

    "No don''t. The mate bond exists between them, she''d know if something bad happened to him and she''s smart enough to connect it back to us. We don''t want any kind of disruption to our plan, do we? "

    "Fine," She hissed, kicking his grip away instead. Daniel was too tired to even move anyway, he gave in to the exhaustion.

    "Let''s go," One commanded while the other summoned a portal that would take them back to the council.

    Unknowing to the trio of them, the other witch warned against killing Daniel and secretly cast a spell just as they went through the portal.

    The ground on which Dan and his gang laid became quicksand. They began to sink gradually till none was seen.

 Chapter 314 - Two Hundred And Fourteen: How To Raise A Tribrid

    Someone was humming a familiar tune. That was the first thought in Lia''s head as she regained consciousness. Wait a minute, someone was stroking her hair too.

    Like a lioness stretched out to pounce upon her prey, Lia sat up at once with lightning speed. But when her eyes connected with green ones, she froze.

    "Asher?"

    "Welcome back to the land of the living," He grinned at her.

    How was that possible? She must be dreaming, yes, that must be it!

    Lia slapped him.

    "Ouch!" Asher cried out in pain.

    "You''re real?"

    "Yes, duh?"

    A smile broke out on her face.

    "So much for trying to keep you safe -"

    Lia didn''t wait to hear the rest of his grumbles cause she drew him closer by pulling on his bloodied shirt and kissed him.

    Her hand went to snake around his neck, drawing him closer as she tasted him. Lia thought she had lost him forever so she wanted to take advantage of this moment with him.

    Asher pulled her away.

    Lia stared at him questioningly, "What?"

    "Those creeps are watching us" He gestured at the camera blinking red at the far edge of the room.

    "Yolk," The excitement in Lia died instantly. She moved her hands as if to destroy the camera but nothing happened.

    "Bad news is that our powers don''t work here," Asher informed her.

    "Ahh, should have known,"

    "Well the good things news is that they transferred us to a better room with a bed, you should have seen the former place they kept me, "

    Lia looked down to discover she was lying on a bed all this while; a soft bed - maybe she would forgive them a little.

    The room was spacious, the bed being the only property in there. The walls are white, like insanely white with no stains on them. But then, the lights were blinding as if they were in a photoshoot or something.

    "The light''s hurting my eyes, how have you been enduring this? " Lia complained, relaxing against Asher''s chest, shielding her eyes with the back of her hand.

    Almost immediately, as if her request was heard, the intensity of the light was lowered. Lia was stunned.

    "Did they just fulfill my wish? "

    "Seems so,"

    "Feels like I''m treated like a VIP in here," Lia was smug.

    "Yeah," Asher drawled, "Just like a calf, they''re fattening you to be sacrificed later,"

    Lia glared at Asher, he didn''t just say that? Way to destroy a woman''s pride! Sometimes, she wonders what she even sees in this sharp-mouthed vampire.

    Asher sensing her changed mood appeased her at once. He hugged her close, burying his nose in the crook of her neck saying, "On the bright side, we''re being fattened together,"

    And that did the magic. Just like that, Lia''s anger vanished and she began to converse with him heartily. If she was going to die, she better much prefer to spend her last moment with him.

    And just like Asher predicted she was being prepared for the great sacrifice; Kun was in the control room watching them.

    "I seriously fail to understand your thinking lately, Kun," Vashti strode into the room, furious.

    "What do you not understand?" he glanced in her direction, over his shoulder.

    "We''ve gotten the freak already, why wait till midnight to end her when it''s obvious we don''t have much time left before Islinda and her people strike us?" Vashti inquired.

    If not for his previous contribution and undying loyalty to the council, Vashti could have sworn he was purposely dragging out time so the Burning Eaglet could attack them.

    "The girl did nothing to receive this cruel fate, we should at least give her time to spend with her lover. Moreover, we have enough people to fight the dark witches, just add the hunters if you''re still anxious," He said flatly, eyes fixed on watching Lia and Asher''s interaction.

    "Kun, you are making a very huge mistake - "

    "Kun it''s right, we should give the girl time to say goodbye. Moreover, it''s just an hour till the clock strikes twelve. I''m sure, you can exercise a bit of patience," Selena told her, a smile at the corner of her lips.

    Vashti was infuriated, when did Selena and Kun become this close? If there was any man she could have sworn Selena could never get her claws on, it was Kun. The man was as cold as ice and the most intelligent, reasonable, and oldest amongst them.

    Unlike Ian and Pharrell, Kun has no room for pleasure; he was all business. But watching their interaction, Vashti wasn''t so sure any longer. And when did they - the council- even start to show compassion on threats? Something was not right.

    "Kun," Vashti called him.

    "What now?" he was vexed at being interrupted.

    "Should I have some fun with her before the time''s up then?" she had a mischievous smirk on. The Kun she knew would let her do whatever she wanted with a traitor on the promise of keeping her alive.

    That comment enraged Kun who shot up to his feet, "Don''t you dare touch...!" it dawned on him, it was a test.

    "You''re not Kun!" Vashti huffed.

    Selena, knowing this discovery was dangerous to their plan, tried to take her out from behind but Vashti was smart and faster. She vanished.

    "We have to find her! " Kun was in a state of agitation, "Islinda would not like any disruption to her plans,"

    "Of course,"

    ******************************

    A loud coughing sound was heard.

    "What the hell?" Ben spat out sand from his mouth. What the hell was going on? He had a dream where he was swimming, there was no way he swarmed in mud, right?

    But he was not alone, others around him were throwing up the same stuff too.

    "What the hell happened?" Trevor was the first to ask openly.

    "Well, I teleported all of your ass out of quicksand. You''re welcome by the way," Dan answered, leaning against the wall. No wonder there was mud all over the passageway.

    "Quicksand?" Sabrina asked this time.

    "Yeah, a quicksand started after one of the ugly witches took my mate away, huge thanks to you Devon," Daniel said sarcastically.

    "Lia has been taken! " the ignorant ones were shocked.

    "This is all your fault, only if you had been one less selfish," Trevor yelled at Devon''s face.

    "Really?" Devon scoffed, "I''m selfish?" She couldn''t believe her ears.

    "Yes, you are selfish, Devon!" Ben surprisingly joined in standing up to her.

    Devon was dumbfounded, even Ben too.

    "Just because you got badass witchy power and great knowledge doesn''t mean the world should revolve around you! "

    Silence reigned. No one dared to say a word.

    "Just because your mother died doesn''t mean you''re the only one in pain hence becoming insensitive to others'' feelings. Everyone here has lost someone, might not specifically be a family member but a loved one. We are in pain too, Devon! I am in pain! " Ben pointed to his chest.

    He went on, "Thanks to you, because you could not control your jealousy we''re about to experience the witch apocalypse and you should be worried too since you''re half-witch," He informed her and for the first time saw a trace of fear flicker across her gaze.

    But Ben was too angry to care about that, he has failed in protecting his goddess. He was about to leave when he remembered, "And I''m done being used to satisfy your sexual urges whenever you feel like. Go find your mate!"

    Done with his speech, Ben had only taken a step only to realize he had no idea where he was.

    "And where the hell are we, Dan?"

    A scream answered him.

    Whatever that was, it certainly needed attention. Everyone rushed to the source of the shout, only to stumble upon...

    "Oh my God," Sabrina murmured, bewildered at the scene. It was funny, and not funny.

    Though supernatural kids grow at a much faster pace but not this fast because the kids who were clearly newborns when they last saw them, were now toddlers. And that was not all.

    One of them suspected to be Hailey the eldest since she still had that red string tied around her wrist from birth, was floating around in the air happily while Jenny was trying her hardest to bring her down.

    Her sister, Hazel, was in her wolf form- pure white furs like her mother''s- biting her incomplete canine werewolf teeth on anything furniture she could find. One could swear she was teething. But then, she was so agitated she kept running around, bumping into things as Helen chased after her.

    Now come to Arthur, this was a different case altogether. He and Rex were sitting on the sofa, having a staring contest, however, there was a rain cloud hovering over the boy''s head. Suddenly, he stretched his hand, hurling a lightning bolt at Rex who bent and it missed him, coming in the direction of��.

    "Dock!" Dan issued a warning as everyone, bent down, the lightning striking the wall instead.

    Surprisingly, they had thought Rex would run away after that frightening experience, but both started laughing. Wait a minute, they were having fun?

    "Who never told this boy about the ''Do not try this at home'' disclaimer?" Ben cried out. The boy almost cooked him!

    From outside, lightning flashed, it lit up the room with a bright flash while thunder boomed, rattling the windowpane.

    "And I''m guessing my little brother can manipulate the weather, father would be so proud," Electra groaned, rubbing her temple. This was just extra trouble.

    Sabrina facepalmed, "Raising Lia''s kids should have come with an instructional manual,"

 Chapter 315 - Two Hundred And Fifteen: Hope To Meet Again

    "Alright Sabrina, handle the flying wolverine, I''ll take Hazel while Dan stops the thunderbolt from flying," Daniel organized the task

    "What about me?" Ben wanted to help out.

    "Do whatever you do best, just don''t get in my way," Daniel instructed without much thought and all went about their mission.

    "Alright, baby, it''s me and you," Sabrina cracked her knuckles. Then she pointed at Hailey happily floating in the air,

    "Laeto descendent!"

    Unfortunately, the spell didn''t hit the child; she escaped. Hailey chuckled, sticking out her tongue at Sabrina mockingly.

    "You did not just make a face at me?" Sabrina could not believe her eyes,

    "You''re going down right now!" She was determined and hit another spell.

    Hailey bypassed it once again. In fact, it seemed like fun to her because she purposely flew close to Sabrina, tempting to see if the witch would reach out her hand and catch her.

    "I got her!" Ben triumphed, holding onto her chubby leg. However, that joy turned to panic when he looked down to discover his feet were missing the ground.

    "Ahh!" Ben screamed as he found out he was floating alongside her. His scream was a source of amusement to Hailey who bubbled with a giggle.

    "Give me your hand, Ben," Trevor tried to touch the screaming boy that was floating away.

    "No, don''t!" Devon pushed down his hand, "From the look of things the little girl can manipulate mass which means -"

    "She can negate, shape, and manipulate mass, making it dense or lightened while also retaining the associated properties, " Trevor got her point.

    "And hers seems to spread from one person to another hence if you''d touch Ben, you''re likely to fly away too, birdy," Devon added, "And Sabrina, you''re a terrible archer,"

    "I am trying not to hurt her!" Sabrina hissed through gritted teeth, mad with a resolution to bring that little annoying birdy down.

    "Help me!" his terror-filled voice changed, "Oh this is fun," Ben found out he could navigate with this newfound borrowed power. So he began to play chase with the little girl - bumping against the gilded ceiling and walls more than twice.

    Devon, Trevour, and Sabrina''s eyes connected, an odd look on their faces.

    "I''ll bring Ben down first," Devon offered.

    "Gladly," Trevor acquiesced. Watching this scene was a great eyesore.

    "No, don''t!" Ben shrieked, having discovered their plan.

    But Devon wasn''t listening, out of nowhere she summoned paper cranes to float in the air in mass. That distracted them, hence giving Sabrina the chance to hit Hailey successfully with the spell. The child lost concentration and fell, her powers losing their cogency.

    "Gotcha," Trevour caught his mischievous little niece from falling to the ground.

    "Help me!" Ben screamed as he made his descent.

    Unlike Hailey who was grabbed safely, everyone made way as Ben landed on the floor. However, Sabrina had mercy on him by breaking his fall inches away from crashing to the ground hard.

    "Oh, thank you,"

    "Sleep," Sabrina cast a spell on the child before she could think of another trick.

    They all knew the girl was a hybrid who might have inherited double powers thanks to her mother''s Nicolli side. However, there was a possibility Daniel''s gene might have diluted that double powers from manifesting. Nonetheless, there was a need to be careful; no one wanted to learn the hard way.

    Meanwhile, Daniel grabbed Hazel who was making pretty good designs on the leather couch. If they all survive this apocalypse, Asher would surely cry tears at his amount of property wrecked in this commotion.

    "Hey, it''s okay, little one," He picked her up amid her attempt to be set free," I''m sorry but I can''t let you destroy anything further,"

    Just like developing teeth for the first time, it was pretty intense for were-toddlers too. To some kids, the ordeal passes painlessly and quickly, but to some, it was suffering, and Hazel seems to be among the latter.

    "Is there a bone around here?" he asked no one in particular.

    "Here, take this," Devon conjured one.

    Daniel gave it a skeptical look.

    "It''s clean and harmless," she explained upon noticing the suspicious look in his eyes," And I''m sorry for my crappy attitude towards your mate,"

    "Let bygones be bygones," Daniel smiled, receiving the bone from her. He put the bone in the kid''s mouth who latched on it with her still-developing powerful jaw.

    "This should do," Daniel had a look of admiration in his eyes as he stroked his daughter''s furs. He was going to give them the best of his love no matter what.

    On the other hand, Dan was currently thinking of a way to stop Arthur without getting roasted. The option of touching him was out of the list, he wasn''t ready to get charred while experimenting if the kid was a conductor of electricity in that state.

    Seriously, of all powers he had to possess, it was an offensive one; like father like son.

    Like a hawk, Dan watched, calculating the best thing to strike and just when Rex bent his head as usual for the lightning bolt to hurl past him, Dan teleported him away and appeared in his position instead.

    Hence before Arthur could realize his playing mate has been swapped, Dan had already pushed the thought into his head, "You should sleep,"

    At once, the boy''s eyelids drooped, he fell sideways as sleep overtook him, almost falling off the chair had Dan not caught him.

    "Everyone good here?" Daniel looked around for more "disturbances"

    "Oh, thank you," Jenny panted, "I am not getting any younger! "

    "Sabrina, we need to lock the kids'' powers till we''re done with the war and all. We can''t let them go unchecked - who knows what they''d do next?" Dan suggested.

    "I actually thought of that too," Daniel was in support.

    "I could cook up something," the witch shrugged.

    "Why curtail their powers? Just let them express their inner person," Ben claimed.

    "Why don''t you just tell us you want to float again," Electra saw through his trick.

    "Of course I am," Ben was not ashamed to admit it, "Man has always been intrigued by the idea of flight. Humans over the years tried to fly just like the birds - the results were often disastrous. Look at Icarus, he tried to fly, but he flew too near to the sun; the wings of wax melted and he fell to his death in the ocean��"

    Everyone had weird looks on their faces listening to Ben ramble on. What was his point? Let him fly?

    He went on, "King Kaj Kaoos of Persia attached eagles to his throne and flew around his kingdom. Alexander the Great harnessed four mythical wings animals, called Griffins, to a basket and flew around his realm. And do you know the history of aviation extends for more than two thousand years, from the earliest forms of aviation such as��."

    "Silentium," Devon said a spell that sealed Ben''s mouth, all that was heard were his muffled speeches.

    The person in question pointed at his mouth, wondering why he couldn''t speak out.

    "Desine," Sabrina ceased even his muffled speeches from being heard. She turned to face the others relieved,

    "Now, where were we?"

    "How to burst Lia out?" Trevor reminded.

    Everyone ignored Ben since they couldn''t hear his whining anymore.

    "I just got news from my side," Daniel notified them, "Ryan has prepared my pack and we got allies too - turns out most wolves dislikes the council,"

    Suddenly, Dan vanished and reappeared in a twinkle of an eye,

    "Gideon and Zukai employed more forces too; Nicolli Clan is good to go," He added, "I also got an interesting information, "

    Surprise flashed across their gazes and their ears peek up to receive the unexpected news.

    "I received Intel that there seems to be some kind of disparity in the council; they are fighting amongst each other," He disclosed.

    Everyone was stunned by the revelation.

    "Wow, that''s kind of a good thing. We would put that distraction to good use. If they are fighting amongst each other, that gives us easier access to the council, our focus being on getting Asher and Lia out," Sabrina laid out the plan.

    "If that''s going on, we have no time left so we have to move out now," Daniel told them.

    "Yeah, you''re right. Let''s go - "

    "Wait a minute," Devon stopped them,

    "Electra clearly said Lia''s bound to their will. Doesn''t that mean that even if we get Lia out, as far as one of them kills her on holy ground or item, the apocalypse still activates? Don''t we have to do something about that? "

    "Devon''s right. If Lia''s bound to their cause, there has to be a physical item acting as some sort of representative in -"

    "Like her hair that was stolen from her home?" suggested Devon.

    "Exactly,"

    "But we don''t know their location,"

    "Not if I run a locator spell with that crow sent to spy on us. I could get something from that," Sabrina surmised.

    "Alright, while you work on stopping the witch apocalypse, we are set to battle the council," Daniel''s gaze suddenly turned solemnly as he added, "In case we don''t all return from this journey, just know that it was a pleasure knowing you all - Ben included,"

    "There''s no need for such demoralizing speech. We are all going to return safely because we have each other''s back like a family," Sabrina contradicted his negative comment.

    "Yeah, like a family," Everyone smiled, laying aside their differences, race, and personality to accomplish the mission at hand.

    "Let''s meet again!" they all agreed with enthusiasm, then dispersed.

    "And you," Sabrina dragged Ben along,

    "You''re coming with me," she didn''t trust him not to aggravate the situation.

 Chapter 316 - Two Hundred And Sixteen : Bring Hell Here

    "I have a feeling, Arthur -"

    "Ashton," Asher corrected, seriously.

    "Fine, Ashton it is," Lia could not help but found out that Asher was really cute when vexed.

    "And you were saying?" he reminded her.

    "What are we going to do if Arthur grows up to possess two mates too,?" she was concerned about this polygamous rite.

    "What would we do other than give him our blessing?" was Asher''s reply.

    "Seriously?" she sat up, unsatisfied with his answer," Don''t you think that this tradition needs to be broken. We''re in a modern world and some of the countries don''t support polygamy,"

    "Then we''d let him live with his girlfriends forever, case closed"

    Both of them began to argue back and front without knowledge of the war going on outside that wall.

    Vashti had sounded the emergency buzzer; the council has been infiltrated. Everyone in there knew what that red alert signified plus the information she passed through the speakers magically.

    "My fellow witches and esteemed hunters, with deep sorrow, I''m here to announce that the council Heads Kun and Selena have been compromised and you are given the full authorization to take them out - there''s a prize for that. Whoever gets their heads, would ascend their position, "

    That instantly caused a commotion because it was at that instant that it was discovered that some of the witches and hunters weren''t on their side; the dark witches had infiltrated the council thoroughly. A war broke out as both sides fought each other.

    "What nonsense is Vashti vomiting?!" Pharrell banged his head on the table hard

    The other Council Heads were in another room preparing for the girl''s execution when they received the news.

    Eleanor lifted her hand and a screen appeared, showing them what was going on, "There''s pandemonium everywhere. Our people are fighting against each other, Vashti is right, we''re under siege, "

    "Why would Kun compromise? He''s the strongest of us all and the most dedicated to our cause?" Dixie could not understand.

    "He wouldn''t," Ian said suddenly.

    "What?" Everyone glanced up.

    "He was firm and unshaken which is why we had to end him," Ian smirked, creepily.

    "What are you talking about, you -" Pharrell paused, realizing something,

    "You''re not Ian,"

    "No, I''m not. Took you that long to figure it out,"

    "Adolebitque!" Dixie summoned a spell but Ian waved it off like it was nothing.

    He went on, "You council Heads were just too conceited about your previous victories that you were blind to see that the enemies you thought vanquished has risen again. Sure, I should thank you all for that, gave us all the time to prepare our plans undetected,"

    "Aperiatur Terra!" Eleanor tried her luck too but just like Dixie, she failed. The spell could not affect him.

    "Oh please, do not waste your energy. The fun is yet to begin because when the chosen one would plead our cause to the underworld, your time of pain shall begin,"

    "What the hell are you planning?" Pharrell asked, fear was seen in his eyes.

    "Don''t fear yet," Ian smirked maliciously, "Because we would relish in that pain as you cry and gnash your teeth in terror. And as much as I would like to kill you guys, I wouldn''t want you to miss the special occasion," he gestured his hand and the three were hurled against the wall, they passed out.

    With them down, Ian said a spell, and a secret doorway appeared out of the wall. He stepped into an empty church.

    He climbed up the stairs, getting to the shrine where a glass showcase was laid, "Invenire gladium Michaelis,"

    At once the glass broke into smithereens, a knife flying into his hand, " The sword of Micheal," He felt the blunt edge.

    Instantly the showcase was destroyed, an alarm went off and a priest came rushing into the cathedral.

    "W-who?! " He questioned with suspicion, unknowing of the knife in his grasp.

    "The last person you would see,"

    At once, the priest started to cough up blood profusely, he bent over as he clutched his stomach unable to stand any longer while Ian left with the holy relic.

    Ian returned to the room, only to discover Kun was in there.

    " Did you get it? " he asked

    "Of course," He bowed and handed the blade over to him.

    "The girl''s annoying friends have arrived, go over and help make sure they don''t disrupt our plans,"

    "As you wish," Ian vanished.

    "Time to finish this up,"

    Meanwhile, Lia and Asher were busy having the time of their life when the door suddenly opened and a dark-skinned woman strode in.

    Lia felt an invisible force yank her forward, the lady held her by the throat.

    "Lia!" Asher tried to interfere but Vashti stuck him to the wall, he was unable to move a muscle.

    "What do they want with you?! " Vashti roared in her face

    "I don''t know what you''re talking about," Lia said with difficulty, the woman was suffocating her.

    "Don''t play games with me, little girl. I would snap your neck without hesitation and end this petty life of yours," she threatened.

    "You''re just wasting your energy, she''d resurrect back. She''s a hybrid, remember?" Asher had a self-satisfied smirk on his lips.

    Vashti was vexed but she did not show it, " Fine, she''d be able to resurrect but you wouldn''t, right?"

    Lia''s eyes widened the moment she saw Vashti summon a stake, it hovered in the air, prepared to pierce into Asher''s heart.

    "No, don''t! I''ll tell you!" she gave in.

    Vashti scoffed, "Oh, you would now. Go on then,"

    "I''m a tribrid; half-vampire, werewolf, and demon,"

    "Impossible," Vashti shook her head in disbelief,

    "That cannot be,"

    "Yet, I am," Lia pulled down her shirt to show her the markings on her shoulder.

    "What do they want from you?!" She turned fiercer.

    "They want me to bring hell here. Apparently, once I die, I''ll bring an army of demons back here," Lia confessed, seriously wishing that this witch was a bit civilized- her throat was hurting.

    "The witches'' apocalypse," it dawned on Vashti, "The Dark witches want to destroy us," her hold on Lia and Asher loosened.

    "I can''t let that happen," she mumbled to herself.

    "Yes, which is why we have to escape from here. If they can''t find me, there would be no ending for witches; I mean you guys no harm," Lia told her the truth.

    "Follow me," Vashti instructed them.

    Lia and Asher followed after the witch. But the moment they came out, lo and behold, Kun and Selena were waiting for them.

    "Oh boy," Lia groaned. Why couldn''t they just leave her alone?! Why?! Why?! She just wanted a normal life with her family, not this.

    "Go," Vashti said to both of them.

    "What?" Lia felt she didn''t hear right.

    "Run, now!"

    "What about you?" Lia was concerned about her. It was obvious that they would hurt her, if not kill her.

    "Get your stupid ass out of here now!" Vashti ordered.

    "Let''s go," Asher took her hand and they fled.

 Chapter 317 - Three Hundred And Seventeen: Come To The Dark Side

    "Sabrina, I''m telling you that me being here is a waste of my talent. I should be out there on the battlefield, fighting for glory, fighting for the freedom of our people; vampires, werewolves, witches, mediums, we all deserve a seat in the council and that is what we are fighting for!"

    "Get out of my way, "Sabrina was the least affected by his motivational speech, nudging him out of her path.

    She never intended releasing his mouth but the magic wore off since it was timed.

    Ben didn''t give up, "You said it yourself, Sabrina, I''m a medium, and what better place can I be other than a battlefield - an abundance of dead bodies. You might say I would not be able to protect myself but I worked on my powers and each time I possess a ghost, I''m stronger and faster, it''s like I''m a vampire but through an interdimensional manipulation - "

    "Hand me the crow would ya?" Sabrina interrupted him.

    Ben frowned, picking up the tied-up bird from the table and handed it over to her.

    "Are you even listening to what I''m saying?" Ben wasn''t sure anymore, especially with her slicing open the crow with a knife.

    She let the crow''s blood drop on the map placed on the table, chanting,

    "Indica mihi, ubi est mendacium cupio,"

    "And yeah, she wasn''t listening," Ben sighed. When would everyone get to see that he had an important role to play in this war as much as everyone else out there notwithstanding he was human.

    "I''ve got it," Sabrina announced, folding the map.

    "So we are going there?" Ben was joyful that he would join in this one then.

    "Not we but me," Sabrina corrected.

    "Wait, you''re not taking me?" Ben was bewildered, "This is unbelievable! What am I supposed to do here?"

    "I''m going to the dark witch''s lair. I''m sorry but I can''t endanger your life there," she added, "You can stay here and take care of the kids. I''d unlock Hazel''s powers so the both of you can continue your flying lessons if you want to - as far as you don''t fly off to another dimension,"

    Ben was not happy, "Unfortunately, that offer was so minutes ago,"

    Does she think he was a little kid that could be bribed so easily? That war going on was the real deal, he can always fly with Hailey anytime he wants. She''s not going anywhere - unless she floats away to the demon world.

    "Goodbye Ben," Sabrina summoned a portal and left without looking back. She was afraid that looking at his puppy face would change her mind.

    Ben leaned against the wall, then slid down to the floor like someone whose world just crashed. However, a smirk suddenly found itself on his face as he pulled out an orb from his pocket.

    "I love you, Devon," He energetically got to his feet, and drew the orb to the air as a portal opened up. Devon had linked this orb with Sabrina, so wherever she went, he went too.

    "Time to leave my mark on this earth," Ben said to himself as he stepped into the portal.

    Meanwhile, Sabrina stepped into a wide hall. She could tell this was the Dark witches'' secret meeting place thanks to the engravings on the wall and some other mystical writings. The place was oddly quiet which could only mean one thing: There was nobody in sight because the witches have been deployed into battle.

    However, Sabrina didn''t lower her defenses. Just because there was nobody available didn''t mean there wouldn''t be a trap lying about. Also, their leader had to be in this place else the spell wouldn''t have taken her here.

    Sabrina saw a gigantic vintage-styled throne but what caught her attention more was the rock that grew out from the ground beside it. On top of the rock was a red and brown lock of hair swirling around each other and emitting a throbbing hum.

    This must be it, Sabrina''s eyes widened; she found it. The dark hair must belong to Lia, stolen from her place while the red one must be from the master planner, the villain. The hum should be some sort of indication that their intentions - Lia and the villain- were aligned. Yes, that was it! The spell she had to break.

    "Alright," Sabrina breathed deeply, then chanted, "Vinculum abrumperes; ut impleatur sermo tuus quem liberi eritis,"

    She hurled the spell at it but nothing happened. Gosh, not another strong spell.

    "Nice try," Someone laughed from behind, Sabrina turned around, "But you seriously don''t think I''d leave that thing unprotected,"

    Walking into the room was a woman with a very beautiful-looking look. She had this lustrous red hair that flowed down to her hips with enticing green eyes - a shade darker than Asher''s. She was well endowed with the right amount of curves yet dressed like a woman from the medieval ages.

    "Who are you?" Sabrina asked even though she had a faint idea of her identity.

    "You might call me the leader of the dark witches but originally, I was one of the Council Heads,"

    "Impossible," Sabrina did not believe her.

    "I am Islinda, former Council Head overseeing North America,"

    "If that''s really true, how come I''ve never heard of you?" She wanted evidence.

    "Because your precious council Heads killed and erased me from history for trying to help out some misunderstood witches. Those witches were the only ones who strived to remember me after my extinction at the expense of their own life when they perform that dangerous spell,"

    "If that''s the case, then why are you doing this? Your problem obviously is with the Heads, why drag innocent witches into this?"

    "Innocent?" She scoffed, "For years, the dark witches have been humiliated, persecuted, because of their different practice technique while you basic witches prospered," there was anger in her tone as she said that.

    "So you''re going to let the whole of us die?"

    "No, you can live... " her smile widened, "If you come over to the dark side,"

    "I''m sorry but I''d have to pass. Being a villain is not really my thing," Sabrina raised her hand, " Descendere," she cast a spell on her but the woman waved her hand, it failed.

    "You young people of nowadays, so impulsive and disrespectful to elders!" She spat, taking slow steps towards Sabrina menacingly.

    The witch was powerful, Sabrina noticed and was sad to say that she wouldn''t be able to defeat her.

    Sabrina knew it would be the end of her once Islinda got close to her, so she didn''t give up and kept sending spell after spell. But it was a futile attempt, it didn''t affect the woman at all.

    "You should be honored that I would be the last person you would see," Islinda grabbed Sabrina by the neck and she began to desiccate.

    Sabrina could not move her feet, it was stuck to the ground, the woman was drying her out.

    "You should be happy that you''re getting an easier death compared to what I prepared for your kind," There was a cruel smile on Islinda''s face, she delighted in her misery.

    "Your kind would howl with agony as the demons feast on their -" Suddenly, her expression shifted, "H-how,"

    Islinda released her hand from Sabrina''s throat, turning around with a horrified expression.

    "The medium," she gasped.

    Ben had his hand on her shoulder with only the white of his eyes visible as he siphoned the magic from her.

    Islinda''s skin began to wrinkle while her hair turned grey, falling off one after the other. She knew she wasn''t supposed to be alive if not for the resurrection spell, which was why her body began to fail with time. But then, the magic was the only thing keeping her alive and now it was gone, she would be too.

    In no time, only a skeletal frame of Islinda remained which dropped to the ground as soon as Ben fell.

    "Ben!" Sabrina rushed at him.

    He was convulsing and she knew why. The boy had played the role of the conduit he was designed to be. However, he wasn''t a witch so that magic had to go somewhere.

    At once, Sabrina took all of the magic from him, gasping at the sheer amount of power that coursed into her. It was a euphoric rush, she could feel herself getting powerful. But then, this was dark magic.

    "Hey, wakeup," she jabbed him after the whole ordeal.

    Ben stirred, then jerked up to his feet, asking, "Is she dead?"

    Sabrina tilted her head in the direction of the skeleton on the ground.

    "Christ Jesus, your eyes!" Ben shouted

    "What about it!"

    "Your eyes look like Lia''s when she''s in demon mode," Ben compared.

    "It''s the dark magic, I can feel it clawing at my bones but there''s no time to get it out of me. I have to sever the connection before Lia and Islinda before it''s too late," Sabrina said, hurrying over to the stone.

    "Actually, I think it''s too late,"

    "What?"

    Then she saw it, the crack beginning to form from the ground. Hell has been brought down to earth.

 Chapter 318 - Three Hundred And Eighteen: Take My Army

    "Where to?" Lia was confused, "Left or Right?" she asked Asher who was as uncertain as she was.

    They had been running for a while now and all they''ve encountered so far were long stretches of the passageway that seem to go on forever.

    "I''ll say left," Asher took her hand and they made a run for it but Lia suddenly stopped.

    "What is it? "

    "This is not right, " She shook her head.

    "We don''t have time for delays," Asher urged her to hurry up before the witch caught up to them.

    "We''ve been running in circles," Lia realized, pointing at the paint on the wall she had seen at their starting point.

    "Oh, boy" Dread washed over Asher,

    "He cast a spell on us,"

    "Yes, I did,"

    They turned to the source of the voice to realize it was Kun. He found them, no, he has been playing with them all this while.

    "Took you that long to figure it out. Though I must say, it was quite funny watching the both of you tire yourselves out," there was mocking laughter in his eyes

    Asher at once tried to use his ability on him but Kun was faster and blasted him. Their environment shifted and they found themselves in a large auditorium where the main battle was going on. Kun did some sort of boundary spell that prevented anyone from interrupting them.

    "Asher," Lia went over to him, he was alright but beaten badly.

    With fire burning in her eyes, Lia stood to her feet and screamed at the man, avenging Asher.

    But to her disbelief, none of her screams affected him. She then fashioned a barrier around him but the man shattered it like it was glass.

    "You seriously didn''t think we weren''t prepared for you?" Kun scoffed, " You''re our only chance at salvation, Lia Darlington. We know everything about you and your weakness,"

    "Then you should know that the only way you can get me to do your suicidal will is by killing me on holy ground which you don''t have here. And I''m sure my people would get me out before you can go far,"

    "Smart girl," He laughed, "But we don''t need to go through that trouble, not if I have a holy relic - I bet you forget that part," a knife materialized in his hand.

    "What is that?" Lia tried hard to hide her fear.

    "The sword of Micheal. Centuries ago, rumors had it that this knife had fallen from heaven under strange phenomenon and had been secured by the church ever since,"

    "And that''s supposed to kill me?" she snorted, trying to trick him of its effectiveness.

    "Specifically, your demon side so you could go plead your course to daddy,"

    "In your dreams. Asher now!" Lia ducked just as ice blades were emitted from Asher''s hand and flew past her, targeting the witch. The vampire followed up with wind blades and other elemental weapons he could conjure.

    For five minutes, Asher and Lia bombarded Kun with attacks until the man could not defend himself anymore, he fell to the ground lifeless.

    "You think he''s dead?" Lia asked Asher unsure.

    The barrier Kun put on, collapsed.

    "I think he''s dead," Asher was assured now.

    Asher fought off an enemy that came to attack them now the protection was down while Lia walked over to Kun''s corpse, saying, " I need to secure the knife so it doesn''t end up in another crazy witch''s grasp," she scooted down and tried to reach for the knife.

    Asher didn''t trust any of those ancient witches and had the word " Be careful " at the tip of his tongue when all of a sudden, the witch they had thought dead, picked the knife and stabbed Lia straight in the chest before she could even react.

    "It''s finished," Kun smiled, then died finally.

    "Lia!" Asher screamed so loud that those battling stopped to watch the scene; the deed was done; the dark witches won.

    Lia gasped, she couldn''t believe what just happened. She was just about to fall to the side when Asher vamped and caught her.

    "Easy," He whispered, cuddling her head in his arm, "It''s going to be alright," he pulled the knife out and she threw up a mouthful of blood.

    "A-sher,"

    "Shhh, don''t talk, reserve your energy," He pressed his finger against her lips. She was turning pale, paler than she looked nor was she healing up.

    "N-no," Lia struggled to speak. It felt like there was no oxygen in the air and there was this uncomfortable flame burning through her veins. She could sense her life fading away with each passing second.

    She couldn''t even express herself well, her tongue felt heavy, "L-love Da-nn-e.... k-ke... Yo... Fa-fami....." the words ceased from her mouth, her eyes lost their spark, and remained still.

    With shaking hands, Asher closed her open eyes, he buried his face into her body and sobbed. The witch said Lia would resurrect but Asher felt the bond between them broke - was she gone forever?

    He threw his head back and released a guttural growl, the pain was tearing him apart; his heart shattered to pieces.

    **********************

    Lia awoke in an unfamiliar land but what was more strange was the weird-looking creatures poking at her with a spear and speaking in a weird language she could understand - that was strange.

    They were asking what she was doing here and she spoke to them in the same language.

    "I''m here to see my father" she replied.

    Weird, she didn''t even know why she said that. That was not what she had in mind.

    "Who is your father?" another asked.

    "Beeli''akinidiani,"

    How in the world did she know about that name? She swore she had never heard that name nor how to pronounce that. Then it dawned on Lia, she was not in control of her body anymore; her demon side was in charge and it was determined.

    The demons seemed surprised when she mentioned that and one took close steps to sniff her. Gross! The massive saliva drooping from what she would like to describe as his mouth was repulsive.

    Even without a translator, Lia could tell what he said next was, "Let''s go!" thanks to his gesture. They began their journey.

    Lia took a good look around and couldn''t help but notice that some of the demons had animalistic features. Some had multiple horns on their foreheads while others had a clutter of it around their body. Their skin looked so thick that she was afraid a knife wouldn''t be able to pierce through it. But the most common feature was their black iris - she bet her eyes were also like that currently.

    If Lia could describe this place, she''d say it looked like they were inside an active volcanic mountain but the extreme heat was oddly not a problem to her - she was a demon, huh? The shrieks of tortured souls reverberated around the place but none of the demons seem to mind that, if anything, they enjoyed it.

    Lia didn''t know where they were talking to her but they walked into some sort of cavelike hall that had a stony throne with a demon sitting on it.

    That didn''t exactly like the father she knew.

    Like a magnet, the man had turned to her the moment they got in and now was walking over to her.

    "Father," said that demon within her with that strange language.

    "What are you doing here?" The man didn''t seem exactly glad to see her. These creatures, don''t they know that family welcomes each other with a hug where she''s from.

    "They rejected me, I want them to pay,"

    Wait a minute, that was not what she wanted to say. What the hell!

    "They dare look down on us?!" The man raged

    Uh-oh, that does not sound good.

    "We need to make them pay"

    Can''t someone hear her out, here?

    "They will," her demon father concluded.

    Why can''t this foolish man ask for the whole story? Lia was not a fool to think that this man was the Renard she knew; his humanity was gone.

    "Take my army,"

    Great.

    The beginning of the apocalypse.

 Chapter 319 - Three Hundred And Nineteen: A Witch To Fish

    They had snuck into the council under the cover of Gideon''s darkness while Dan teleported some of them in, other vampires with similar abilities helped the rest of them, and the already commenced battle began to reach its peak.

    Their enemy was clear to them - the council and the dark witches. They were not taking any sides here. The Dark witches wanted the witches'' apocalypse while the council wanted Lia dead - unknowingly benefiting the dark witches with their plan.

    That was the secret Vashti discovered, the Burning Eaglet had played them. They unknowingly helped the enemies with their agenda.

    It was a tough battle, Daniel''s pack with a whole lot of others had joined forces with the vampires on this one. The council had treated them as a minority race, choosing to concentrate power amongst their fellow member witches, leaving them with nothing. It wasn''t surprising it resulted in this rebellion.

    Since they were under one rulership, power was supposed to be spread out, but the witches monopolized it all. Though no governorship was perfect, the council had suppressed them long enough, it was time for a change.

    Daniel was more concerned with finding his mate which is why he fought his way over to Zukai.

    "I need to know where Lia is" He shouted so his voice wouldn''t be drowned out by the clamorings. The vampire could trace her.

    "Of course, follow me!"

    And then, they fought till they successfully made it into the council. Everywhere was a battleground, it was either to kill or be killed.

    "There she is?" Zukai pointed to the girl hunched over a corpse, stretching out her hand to collect something on the other side while Asher was fighting off their enemies.

    "Thank God!" Daniel breathed and was on his way to her when he felt a piercing pain in his chest. He froze, unable to make a move.

    The werewolf had thought someone had stabbed him from behind until he looked up and realized the pain was his but coming from his mate. He only felt it.

    "No!!!" Daniel roared.

    With great strength, he shoved everyone out of his way and ran to her.

    Upon getting there, Daniel plonked to his knees dejectedly. Her eyes were closed nor was she moving. Lia was dead - gone just like that.

    Daniel threw his head back and released an inhuman howl - the animal in him mourning for the loss of his mate.

    As if a spell was cast, everyone stopped fighting, enthralled by the scene of the girl grieved by the vampire and the werewolf.

    All of Daniel''s pack members felt the pain of their alpha through the link and all lifted their snout and howled in unison. They were languishing over the loss of their Luna, the alpha''s mate.

    They were all immersed in their grief when something strange began to happen.

    From where Lia''s bleed blood stopped, the ground began to crack open. Everyone froze and those who could breathe stopped.

    "Asher, step back," Daniel warned the vampire, doing the same too as the cracks in the ground increased in length and width.

    There was a gasp from the crowd when Lia''s corpse rose from the ground and began to float in the air.

    "What is going on with her?" Daniel asked, unsettled.

    "What we feared so much," Asher answered.

    At the same time, Sabrina appeared by their side, saying,

    "I failed. We were too late,"

    "What''s with your eye?" Asher inquired.

    "Long story,"

    "Is there not a way to stop this?" Daniel asked Sabrina, she was always the one with the answer they needed.

    "I''m afraid this time only Lia can stop this. She has to send the army back, they''re in her command," Sabrina informed him.

    "If that''s the case, then I don''t think she''s going to agree with that," Asher said, eyes fixed above.

    Daniel refused to give up, "Let''s not say that, we can persuade... oh," He got the point too, looking up.

    "From what the dark witches did, I''m not really sure this version of her is open to persuasion," Sabrina gaped at the new Lia scrutinizing them.

    The entirety of her eyes was black, her fangs curved and blacker while she hovered in the air.

    "Nefi adi nedu��!" She spoke in a strange tongue.

    "Erm..." Asher was confused about what to do, " I don''t think we have a demon translator around,"

    "When did she even learn that?"

    "I can understand it," Sabrina said. She then stepped forward and began to converse with her.

    Everyone knew their fate laid in whatever the both of them discussed, hence none dared to make any noise nor move.

    Though none could understand demon language, all knew things were not looking fine when Sabrina started raising her voice at her. Both began to argue back and front till Sabrina was blasted to the ground.

    "What happened?" Daniel and Asher came to her side.

    "She didn''t come for us but the witches but wouldn''t hesitate to clear us all if we got in our way,"

    "I guess that''s a no," Daniel sighed, hands on his hips.

    "And it''s begun," Asher dreaded.

    Suddenly, there was a great earthquake as the ground began to open up in diverse directions with demons crawling out of it.

    There was a tortured scream as a witch was suddenly stabbed by a demon from behind, he began to eat her alive.

    Pandemonium broke out. Shrieks and screams filled the hall as witches tried to escape outside but it was the same case; demons were everywhere.

    The courageous ones used their powers on the demons but to their horror, discovered it was not working the hard one.

    "Devon.." Sabrina remembered the little girl was half-witch and went in search of her. She couldn''t let anything happen to the girl, she had promised Nadia.

    "Devon!" She searched around frantically and finally found her.

    The girl was a brave fool.

    Devon had struck a demon who was about to finish off a witch, now drawing his attention to her.

    The demon towering over her with at least ten inches stride over to her while she hit him with her magical powers, none of them worked. She didn''t use her vampiric powers since it wasn''t offensive but used her knowledge to conjure a sword that pierced into his heart - but then, she missed the heart.

    The demon pulled the sword out of his chest like it was nothing and swung it at her. She bent, he missed her but she tripped and fell.

    Frightened, Devon crawled back on all fours while the demon smirked, coming after her.

    "Adolebitque!" Sabrina said a spell just before the demon would strike her with the sword. He crumbled to ashes.

    Wait a minute, her power worked? Only dark magic could kill off the Demons? She now understood why Islinda told her she could be saved once she moved over to the dark side, only their dark magic could kill the demons.

    Sabrina looked around, there were about fifteen dark witches she could find and they were delighted to watch their suffering.

    "Asher!" She called, he vamped over.

    "Hypnotize the dark witches to help us out, only their magic can end the demons," she instructed.

    "Alright - wait a minute, how did you -".

    "I knew about your secret power all along, now get moving!"

    Asher didn''t need to be told twice as he went about hypnotizing any dark witch he could set his eyes on. He was almost on his thirty-ninth witch when he was tackled to the ground.

    "I warned you not to get in my way," Lia growled at his face.

    Asher flipped her over, "You can speak normally?" he was shocked, " I can''t believe you were intentionally making things harder for us,"

    He was pushed off, Lia got up and slammed him into the wall, choking him," I would kill you!"

    "Fine, do it if you can," He dared her.

    She trailed her claws down his face, tearing open his skin, and lowered her head to lick it off.

    What the.....

    Asher was freaked out by that act but remained still, a new plan forming in his head. It seems even as a demon, his blood was still alluring to her.

    He hissed out in pain when she sank her large fangs into his neck, it was extremely painful. As a demon, all of her features were augmented.

    Asher let her feed on him gluttonously and roughly; the flesh on his shoulder was a mess. Just when he was sure she had let down her guard, he slammed the cuff on her wrist.

    "Surprise?" he laughed as she frowned down on the restraints, "Those are neutralizing cuffs hence would take away your powers till we know what to do with you," He was smug.

    "Fool," she growled, " These are made by the witches hence do not affect me," the handcuffs dropped to the ground as she spoke.

    Oh boy, Asher''s jaw dropped.

    "Thanks for the rich supplement but I have a witch to fish," Demonic Lia announced and zoomed off before he could catch up to her.

    Asher stomped his feet in frustration but something clicked in his head, she didn''t kill him. Could it be.....

 Chapter 320 - Three Hundred And Twenty: I Want Daniel

    They found out dark creatures were a match against the demons, thus, the vampires and werewolves the council so despised became their helpers.

    "You here, protect me!" Pharrell, one of the surviving council heads, dragged Williams to his front, using him as a shield against incoming demons.

    The boy was brave but not when a demon two times taller than him was involved. As a hunter trained to the bones, he heeded the order of the Council head notwithstanding his foul attitude.

    But when they were surrounded, Pharrell did a vanishing spell and left the boy to his fate. Williams knew his death was around the corner, but he still put on a brave front.

    He expertly dodged the sword the gigantic demon swung at him multiple times. But then as a human, his strength failed him, and just when he was about to be finished, someone came in between them and pierced a sword right into his heart, the demon disintegrated into dust.

    "Next time, try their sword against them," Trevor stretched out his hand for him to take.

    "Thank you," Williams took his hand and stood up to his feet but what he never expected was for Trevour to punch him straight in the face.

    "Ouch! What was that for?" he moaned in pain.

    "I still haven''t forgiven you for betraying me," Trevour told him.

    "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to hurt you - watch out!"

    Trevor barely avoided the arrow that was directed to his path. With horror on his face, he turned around to discover where the weapon had come from, only to see...

    "Chris, what are you doing?! " Williams tried to get in the way of the approaching man, the angry hunter hit him to the ground with his crossbow.

    "All this wouldn''t have happened if you had let us take out your sister on time. You failed and betrayed the Hunter''s league and your punishment should be death," He fired an arrow straight at Trevor this time.

    Trevour saw his life flash before his life, he was going to die for sure. Out of reflex, he squeezed his eyes shut waiting for the impact - which never came. Huh?

    The boy opened his eyes, only to see his sister standing before him or rather, what was left of his sister - this monster standing here definitely wasn''t his sister.

    Demonic Lia caught the arrow swiftly, she examined it closely before lifting her head to see who fired it, "You," she said, "I know you,"

    "Yeah," Chris sneered, "But you won''t know me for long," He fired an arrow at her which she suspended in the air. However, Chris was relentless in his quest to exterminate her and kept firing and firing till he didn''t even know when he ran out of arrows to shoot.

    "Are you done?" She asked, amused at the turnout.

    Chris gave her a fierce look, he wouldn''t go down that easily. He wasn''t a higher rank Hunter for nothing. So he dipped his hand in his pocket for a weapon to destroy her.

    "My turn then," she gestured her hand, the suspended arrows moved.

    Chris had just brought out a canister containing holy water to spray on her when she released all those arrows he had fired at her on him.

    The sheer force alone dragged Chris back as he screamed, the arrows pinning him to the wall with a reverberating thud. His head hung low, dead.

    Trevor couldn''t believe his eyes, did she just save his life. Was his sister somehow still in there?

    "Lia," Trevor took her hand, standing up to his feet as she tried to leave, "Sister," he whispered.

    Demonic Lia turned around, gaze resting on his hand which prompted her to hiss at him, exposing really vicious jagged teeth.

    Trevor flinched, taking his hands off at once.

    She left.

    "Where is she?" Daniel appeared less than a minute later.

    Trevor pointed at the girl who grabbed a witch and tossed her to a demon beast that opened its extremely wide jaw, swallowing the individual whole.

    "Good luck with that," Trevor wished him the best of luck, he was going to need it.

    All Demonic Lia wanted was to see the witches pay for their crimes, and that was going fine until someone slammed his weight into her, they both fell.

    "Wake up, Lia!" Daniel shook her, vigorously.

    "You too?" She was vexed, " Why can''t you people leave me alone?!" she roared, raised her hand to strike him but Daniel seized it, pining it back to the ground.

    "You need to snap out of this!" He told her.

    She laughed, "My work here is to see that every witch out here pays for their crime and I wouldn''t hesitate to kill anyone that gets in my way," she swore.

    "Oh please, just shut it" he was already tired of her apocalyptic speeches. If she wouldn''t return to normal, he''d force her to return.

    Daniel bent his head and kissed her forcefully. She was quite strong for a demon; struggling to be unrestricted but he wouldn''t let her go nor give her the upper hand to the point of his veins bulging from the effort - evidence of the strive. His lips clung to hers like it was sugar. She stopped struggling yet her claws dug into his side, intentionally hurting him.

    However, the pain made Daniel invade further, parting her tightly clenched lips and kissing her passionately and deeper with intensity till she was kissing him back. Daniel was determined to see this to the end, only pulling away when he sensed her stop resisting.

    "Lia?" He was overjoyed when he saw her eyes return to normal.

    But then, a malicious smirk appeared on her face, "Wrong choice,"

    Oh no, he was tricked.

    Before he could correct his mistake, Daniel was tossed in the air. While in mid-air, he saw the hideous beast open his mouth to swallow him - so this was how he was going to die.

    But to his greatest surprise, the beast caught him with his teeth and tossed him to the ground like he was a bag of dirt. He heard something that sounded like a snort come from the beast as he walked away to continue his feast on the witches flesh.

    Daniel was bewildered, he was not a fool to think that the beast had mercy on him, that had to be Lia''s doing. If she was hell-bent on destroying him, why did she spare him? It was confusing except...

    Quickly, he searched deep, and there it was, the bond between them, it was faint but it was something. She couldn''t hurt them because they were mates; demons take their tradition seriously.

    But then, he had to stop this. Even if Lia spared them, he had no idea how long that kindness would last if they keep getting in her way of destroying the witches. Something had to be done, there had to be a way of breaking that bond established by the dark witches. But how?

    "Lia Darlington!"

    Daniel turned at the sound of someone calling that name and so did everyone - Demonic Lia included.

    Daniel''s brows furrowed together when he saw that Asher was standing uncomfortably close to the crack in the ground which was currently a portal to hell. It glowed darkly, the heat enormous. He wondered what that foxy vampire was up to.

    "I demand your audience!" he went ahead to declare openly.

    "And my presence you shall have," she said, emerging from the crowd of people watching the ongoing drama - even the demons stopped fighting.

    "What do you want from me, vampire?"

    "I want to propose a treaty," Asher said.

    "Tell me of it then,"

    "My life in exchange for the witches," Asher proposed.

    "You''re crazy," Daniel tried to intervene but a demon held him back. Sabrina and the others were against it as well.

    Demonic Lia laughed him to scorn, "What is your life worth against my revenge? Nothing,"

    He smiled, "We''d see then,"

    Immediately, Asher lurched backward, looking as if he wanted to fall into the crater when she reached out and caught him by the wrist, pulling him away.

    "I might not be worth your revenge but I''m worth a lot to you," He had a victorious grin on his face.

    "You dare to stop my revenge?" her countenance darkened and some markings appeared on her face.

    Asher was shocked when a blackish goo wrapped around him, covering him from the sole of his feet to his shoulder. He struggled and applied his power but none of it worked.

    "Let''s see how you''d stop me now," she smirked and licked his face once more.

    "You forgot about me!" Someone announced.

    "Huh?" The crowd was astonished.

    Demonic Lia whirled around to see the other one too.

    "Goodbye, Lia," Daniel said, spread out his arms, and fell into the fiery crater he found at his side.

    "No!" Lia screamed and tried to rush at him but Sabrina cast a spell that got in her way; she couldn''t save him.

    She was too late, Daniel was gone. A great silence enveloped the hall.

    "No!!" Lia shouted with despair.

    Immediately, all the demons and their beasts were pulled by an invisible force back into the crack which closed up instantly as if it had never been there.

    Everyone watched as Lia dropped to her knees, tears filling her blues eyes, her lips trembled- the demon in her was gone.

    Asher was relieved as soon as he was released from her demonic goo, rushed to her side, and enveloped her in a tight hug.

    "Daniel!" She cried out.

    "It''s alright, Lia," he comforted him

    "No, it''s not okay. I want Daniel," she insisted, the sobs wracking her body.

    "We''d find Daniel,"

    "I want Daniel now!!!" Lia screamed with so much sorrow that the great council building collapsed instantly with the people in it.

 Chapter 321 - Three Hundred And Twenty-one: Are You With Us?

    The stones were blasted away by a heavy spell cast by Sabrina, revealing the people hidden beneath the collapsed structure as they all got out one after the other.

    Having an inkling Lia was going to lose it, Sabrina had released a protection spell that cocooned everyone from being crushed to paste. They were all supernatural who had a faster regeneration ability, yes, but not all would survive being crushed by a massive building such as the council''s especially the witches - vampires and werewolves had a higher rate of survivor

    Asher emerged from a pile of stones with Lia in his arms; she was unconscious.

    "How is she?" She asked him, concerned.

    "Unable to cause a mass destruction at the moment," Asher replied grimly.

    "We''ll take care of everything here, you should go with her," Dan told him.

    Asher nodded and left with her just as Dan turned to Sabrina saying,

    "Contrary to our thoughts, the attacks were not limited here. All over the world, demons visited witches, and humans of course saw everything. Right now, there''s mass hysteria in some countries, they had just learned something they shouldn''t," Dan showed her a video captured on the internet about demons feasting on some humans - witches in secret.

    "This is something that has never happened before," they watched the recorder say, "From afar it looks like a cosplay but from a closer view, men, I swear those thorns are real, I touched that at the risk of my life...." the video shook violently, evidence of the man on the run, "There is no doubt, this is demons, like real demons feasting on human flesh... Is this the end time? I would no doubt believe that, I need to contact my mom but I don''t think she''d be around... People are running around, I don''t understand why they''re targeting a certain number of - " Sabrina ended the video abruptly with a worried look.

    "Islinda wanted world domination of the witches and she half succeeded," she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

    "This would bring a revolution if the world figures everything and I can''t be sure the change would be a good one judging from the fact our exposure started on the wrong foot - this is the reason the council kept us a secret,"

    "Yes but we''ve been uncovered unless...."

    "A wiping spell!" Devon suggested what was on her mind as she made her arrival.

    "Exactly but we can''t erase the whole world''s memory and it would take a lot of time doing it one after the other and there''s a possibility we might miss some people, making our effort as good as nothing," Sabrina listed the ins and outs of the plan.

    "Air," Someone said.

    "What?" Both of them turned around to see Vashti, the Council Head in charge of Africa and the only surviving Council member.

    "Every human needs air, so if we can link the wiping spell with air and with the help of an acceleration spell, we''ll circulate the air and humans breathe in the spell as well, they''d have no idea what -,"

    "Whoah, whoah, whoah," Devon interrupted her, " You''re one of

    the bad guys and the main reason why all this shit went down in the first place, what makes you think we are going to believe a shit you say,"

    Vashti took a deep breath, " I know you all hate me and no doubt still hate me - I, no, the Council deserves this - we failed you all but you don''t know what would happen if the human military grasped firmly what is going on. If they know the existence of the supernatural, there would be no negotiation; either we''re their weapons or their slaves. Humans have always been fearful, weak creatures, they would find a way to try to subdue us and we all know that we wouldn''t let that happen which would lead to an unending world., "

    "Then do the needed," Sabrina told her," Start the spell if you''re so sorry,"

    "I''m sorry but we''re talking about a spell that has to go around the whole world, I can''t do that alone. I''ll need the help of all witches - sadly, including the dark witches," Vashti said.

    "What makes you think we would trust you?" A dark witch stepped forward, challengingly.

    "You can choose to trust me or not, that''s your call but you should know that the human government would blame us for this assumed ''terrorist'' attack and we would be hunted down like animals. So unless you want a reincarnation of the great war, this time ''supernaturals VS humans'' theme, I suggest you join in my already thought plan,"

    "Your plan is good but have you forgotten that some of the scenes were recorded on phones, surveillance cameras, and to add, many telecommunication satellites orbiting at 36000km above the equator," Dan pointed out.

    "That''s going to be a problem," Sabrina dreaded.

    "Not if we try an EMP," Devon came up with another idea, as expected of her ability.

    "What''s an EMP?" Sabrina had no clue about that.

    "An electromagnetic pulse

    also called a transient electromagnetic disturbance, is a short burst of electromagnetic energy," Dan explained.

    Devon took over, "EMP interference is generally disruptive or damaging to electronic equipment. A powerful EMP directly affect magnetic materials and corrupt the data stored on media such as magnetic tape and computer hard drive,"

    Dan shook his head, unsure "But then cell phones and handheld radios have relatively small antennas, and if they are not connected to electrical power supplies during the electromagnetic pulse they may not be affected, but they do rely on an intact infrastructure for communications, "

    "Then we create some sort of virus that erases the rest of the information the EMP failed to wipe clean. I''m certain that everyone''s gonna upload the video to the internet and then it gets infected - evidence destroyed. It''s a solid backup plan,"

    "Hello, we''re lost here. Some of us aren''t science geeks," Sabrina brought their attention back around.

    "To erase the information, you would have to deliver the damaging effects of a high-energy Emp which can occur as a radiated, or magnetic field or a conducted electric current, depending on the source - I''m sure you witches would work something out," Dan shrugged, this one wasn''t his forte.

    Vashti gave him a skeptical look, "Isn''t that going to affect the humans?"

    "EMP has no known effect on living organisms, can only temporarily or permanently disable electrical and electronic equipment," Devon rubbed her palms together, anticipatedly, " I''d work on the virus, the rest of you should attempt the wiping and EMP procedure magic, "

    Vashti took offense," Who are you to order - "

    Sabrina took a step, the other witches hissed disapprovingly and put her in her place. It dawned on Vashti immediately that her power has been withdrawn, she was no more than a mere witch.

    Sabrina looked Vashti straight in the eyes, "Look here witch, If you want to make this work, you''d either take our orders or fit-out. We don''t need the likes of you ruining our plans of cleaning up the mess you guys created in the first place,"

    "You-!" she choked, eyes furious.

    Sabrina''s eyes changed to black entirely, she growled, " Are you with us or against us?"

 Chapter 322 - Three Hundred And Twenty-two: A Legacy

    Two weeks later,

    "Daniel and I were never friends; he hated me more than I disliked him. To me, he was nothing more than those disgusting dogs out there. But then, the universe does have its ways of strengthening things out...." Asher stood at the pulpit giving a eulogy.

    After a week of intense arguments and arrangements, it was finally decided Daniel would be buried today - more like an empty coffin. Lia had been insistent that there would not be any burial - she didn''t believe that Daniel was dead or maybe she didn''t want to believe it. Because she was so insistent on bringing Daniel back, she was given a week''s space to carry out whatever she had in mind.

    Asher let her do what she wanted so it wouldn''t seem like he was happy with Daniel was gone. Moreover, Lia has been so snappy recently that a little conversation between them advances into a full-blown argument. Lia was so consumed with grief and rage that she didn''t realize how destructive she''s becoming.

    The last time they had an unnecessary argument, Lia almost screamed his head off - he was sure no human would have survived that. Her erratic behavior made him go research deep about "wolves in mourning" and he came to a discovery that the bond between them - he and Lia - was the only reason she hadn''t lost it completely.

    When a mate dies, a part of the other wolf dies. Life becomes insignificant and some wolves never recover fully from it, living meaninglessly till they die or take their own life while the intense ones go rabid and would have to be put down by the pack.

    With the limited time given to her, Lia tried everything possible but she couldn''t summon the portal to hell to open up again. She killed herself over and over and over till Asher couldn''t take it anymore. He had no choice but to stop her.

    The moonlight pack needed to mourn their alpha the proper way as their custom demands - with or without his body - within a specified time.

    "Unlike my expectation," Asher went on with his speech, staring straight at everyone in this outdoor venue comprising of werewolf - the host, vampires from both Nicolli clan and other vampire clans, witches - dark ones included, and a medium - Ben, "He turned out to be a good companion and won against the stereotype ''vampire hate werewolf'' and vice versa. He was more than a brother and had my back even when I never had his. His sacrifice is the reason why we''re gathered here today. He sacrificed his life to stop a war that would have wiped off if not all races."

    He stopped to look at the crowd he was speaking to, "And for that, he deserves all our respect and appreciation. He''s a legacy that would forever remain in our hearts as long as we live.."

    The crowd couldn''t even let Asher finish as Daniel was honored with a round of deafening applause with the wolves howls mingled in a single sustained roar.

    It was at that rowdy moment that Asher felt a sharp pain in his chest. He would have ignored it but recently, with Lia unstable, he couldn''t exactly wave off any reaction his body shows off - no matter how tiny.

    Without wasting time, he climbed down the makeshift stage and vamp over to the Packhouse with great speed. He didn''t even knock and barge in on time to see Lia returning back to the living with a knife sticking out from her chest.

    "The sword of Micheal," His eyes widened when he recognized that. How had she gotten her hands on that?

    "Seriously, I''m done with this shit!" Asher pulled it out from her chest mercilessly.

    "Give it back!" Lia roared, coming to snatch it from his grasp.

    "Since you''re so desperate to end your life, why don''t I die instead so you can carry out your plan peacefully," He hissed and was about to stab the knife into his chest when she knocked it out of his grip.

    Asher glanced down, he received a hard slap on the face which made his head swipe to the side. Before Asher could even question why she slapped him, Lia began to throw punches on his chest.

    "Why are you doing this to me?" she began to cry while hitting him continuously.

    "It''s okay," Asher took her into his arm.

    It was obvious that she was going through a lot right now; he could feel her pain. Losing a mate wasn''t an easy experience but what he couldn''t condone was she inflicting harm on herself.

    "I can''t do this, anymore," she fisted her hand in his shirt, tears filling her eyes.

    "You have to be strong, Lia," He told her, rubbing his hand on her back.

    "I can''t, it hurts too much,"

    "I know but I''m sure Daniel wouldn''t want you to be like this, neither would I if I had been the one who jumped in," Asher told her.

    "I failed him! I was the one who led him into this mess... I deserve to die!" She claimed.

    "You die, then what? What about the kids? Hailey and Hazel? What happens to them? You haven''t even laid your eyes on them for the past two weeks?!" He reminded her.

    As if the universe was supporting him, the door opened and the startled kids fell into the room - they were eavesdropping. Discovering they were caught, the triplets all stood to their feet hurriedly with an innocent look on their faces.

    The kids thought they were in trouble with the way their mother was staring at them intensely without knowing she was stunned at the level of their growth.

    "Oh my God, I''m such a bad mother," Lia came to the realization. She had been so engaged in her grief that she didn''t realize she had abandoned the kids she had made with Daniel - he surely wouldn''t be happy if he saw that wherever he was.

    "I''m so sorry," She walked over and took all three of them into her arms, crying profusely and kissing their cheeks one after the other, "Mommy is so sorry,"

 Chapter 323 - Three Hundred And Twenty-three: Bens Departure

    "Come back here, you imp!" Ben yelled at the kids who took to their heels as soon as they heard his outroar.

    "No!" The two cockroaches made it outside the pack house with his backpack containing his bag and travel documents.

    Yes, Ben was finally leaving, that old witch called his mother had withdrawn him from school, informing the management of his departure.

    It wasn''t his desire to leave Little town but Ben wasn''t powerful enough to challenge the woman''s order coupled with their strained relationship. Ever since he found out about the secret they''ve been keeping from him, the rift in their parent''s son relationship increased, and wouldn''t reconnect anytime soon.

    His mother wouldn''t give up until she had him where she wanted. Sure, he could ask for a loan from the multi-rich Asher and continue his education and everything here - he''d just move into the packhouse if the need for accommodation arises - he would just have to shamelessly impose on them until he was capable enough to pay them back.

    However, Ben knew his mother, In fact, he had also inherited the same tenacity from her. She would never give up and might even put his friends in harm''s way just to get him - don''t be fooled by her gentle facade.

    Unfortunately, the twins - Hailey and Hazel - had heard of his departure during his conversation with their mother Lia, hence stole his backpack, thinking it would stop him from leaving.

    Over the weeks, he has grown super attached to the kids since he hardly returned home - Ben was scared his mother would send people to abduct and send him away forcefully.

    He had watched the triplets grow to the age of six in the course of a few weeks and since then, halted their growth spurt. Now, they grew at a natural pace even though their mental growth was advanced than kids their age.

    Ben was closer to Hailey and Hazel than he was to Arthur which wasn''t his fault since the boy wasn''t with them all the time. Asher took him back occasionally to Little town to get accustomed to life as a vampire since Kinney village was more of werewolves.

    As expected, Arthur leaned more to his vampiric side than his werewolf aspect. No one brought up the issue of his demon side since everyone was currently sensitive to the word, "Demon" and "Hell portal" considering what they went through the past weeks.

    His half-sisters -Hailey and Hazel- naturally took to their wolf side and there was Ryan to teach them how to handle the changes. Though Asher gave the kids tips concerning their vampiric part, Lia felt the kids were being rushed and it was better they started with the side they felt more attuned to.

    "The bag now!" Ben stomped his feet, heading over to Hazel who threw the bag over to Hailey.

    "Hailey?" he raised his brow warningly. Reaching out his hand for her to hand it over, but his favorite twin disappointed him.

    The girl smirked mischievously and flew off her feet to hang his bag on the top of a tree. This was a time Ben wished his powers were useful and not just of service to ghosts.

    Hailey, as discovered, could manipulate weight and gravity and though Hazel hadn''t manifested her powers yet, she''d been complaining of having weird dreams lately which made Asher surmise she might possess a precognitive ability, she needs more observation - that was Asher''s forte by the way.

    And talk about Arthur, he was so OP - overpowered. Aside from the fact he could control the weather evidenced by the bizarre weather changes they''ve been experiencing lately, he could also manipulate velocity - he could slow or accelerate speed - which was his second ability. His sisters had not gotten a second ability probably because they were half Nicolli - Ben was so jealous.

    You know what, being a medium was not so bad either. Ben had enhanced physical ability and spirituality when fully in control of a ghost - that was a new discovery. Acting as a conduit that day might have honed his skills and now he could trace any ghost of his choice when in that trace.

    Sabrina couldn''t understand how he acquired that skill but she guessed each medium possessed a unique ability or one of the perks of being the last medium - she couldn''t exactly say.

    Somehow, Ben wished there was a medium out there even if one, that could help him learn more about himself. Being the last of his kind was somehow enigmatic but he was lonely; Ben wanted to live in packs like the werewolves; in clans like the vampires; in covens like the witches. He wanted to belong and not just be the odd one out. Why can''t some ghost just create a pact with a sick in the head human and procreate more of his kind, which automatically makes him the alpha - he could only imagine.

    But it would be much cooler if he could get his bag off that tree right now, his flight would depart in an hour

    "Hailey?" He pleaded.

    "No," she wrapped her arms around her chest stubbornly. He knew that look and its significance - no negotiation.

    "Hey," He finally managed to carry her in his arm. She had been avoiding his touch earlier, "I''m not going to leave forever,"

    Suddenly, Ben felt someone tug on his pants and looked down to see Hazel wanting to be given the same treatment too.

    "Of course, you also," He picked her up amid her weight. They both had gained weight as expected of kids their age - Ben wished a ghost could possess him now, he needed to borrow strength.

    "I love you both but uncle Ben has to leave. However, I promise to video chat you every day and tell you of my tales in the new city, I promise," He swore with his hand raised.

    Hailey and Hazel stared between each other, communicating through their wolf link with odd facial expression - looked like they were quibbling over the issue or something.

    But Ben was thankful Arthur had not learned of his leaving yet else the boy would have delayed his flight with his erratic weather change - his mood swings affect the weather.

    In no time, Ben felt his feet leave the ground and found himself floating in the air with the kids in his arms to the tree where the bag hung. Hazel stretched out and retrieved it while her sister got them down safely.

    "Here, Uncle Ben," The girl gave him his property.

    "Thank you," Ben boomed a smile at them before looking around, he was going to miss this place.

 Chapter 324 - Three Hundred And Twenty-four: I Saw Daddy

    "You should accept this role," Sabrina tried to persuade Lia who was pacing up and down her room.

    With the old council gone, members of the supernatural community have gathered together to build up another council - one better than the previous administration.

    No matter what, Supernatural beings were dark creatures - their desires were heightened than the average human. With no rules to guide and restrict them, they would just give in to whatever pleased them and that doesn''t end.

    Vampire, mandurugo, Impundulu, Jiangshi, Sasabonsam, Asema, Soucouyant, and the rest of them were creatures driven by blood; Werewolves are driven by anger; wendigos are driven by greed; witches and fairies drove by envy; if there wasn''t any law to curtail their individual dark sides - a war was sure to break out sooner or later. Again.

    To create a fair system this time, there had to be five major inner council cabinets with a general overseer. Each inner board would be representing a major species; vampires - would be representing the whole bloodsucking community; Werewolves-representing the whole shapeshifters; witches would for all magic welding creatures - doesn''t matter whether light or dark witch; and of course a human leader - to oversee the wellbeing of the human race; and the last but not the least, Vashti, the former council Head - though the past government failed the supernatural world, their proficiency was still required.

    But here was the final problem, they needed Lia as their leader.

    "This is crazy!" Lia swore, " I have no interest in the council nor do I plan to run one. I don''t even know what it''s about, "

    "You''d have capable advisers around to educate you on that. You don''t need to do much, just keep your pompous subordinate from different species in place and throw your weight around," Sabrina said blandly.

    "You are one of the said pompous subordinates," Lia reminded her.

    Because the rift between the witches and dark witches had not been fully resolved, they chose Sabrina as the suitable candidate for the witches position since she''s a light witch who now had dark energy in her - she would be able to empathize with both sides- as long as she doesn''t abolish the dark magic.

    "Yes, so? That doesn''t change the fact that your service is wished for,"

    "Sabrina, I''m just eighteen years old and would be graduating out of high school this month, preparing for my higher education, I just can''t handle all those supernatural dramas," was her excuse.

    "You''re a supernatural that learns fast, education shouldn''t be an issue for you. And these days, you can just take online courses while doing whatever it is that you''re doing here," Sabrina found a loophole in her excuse.

    "I''m a mother of three kids and currently trying to hold this pack together with Daniel gone.." there was a trace of sorrow in her eyes as she said that.

    "I''m sorry for Daniel and understand what you''re going through but we''ve assessed the situation and discovered you''re the only one suitable for the job. No matter what, there''s always going to be favoring one kind over the other but then, here you come in.

    "You''re a tribrid; half vampire, half werewolf, and half-demon and yet you still retain your human side. This favors the human representative, vampires, and werewolves,"

    "But not the witches and the old council head, Vashti," Lia pointed out.

    "I''m your partner, Lia, you would undoubtedly grant me once I ask for a favor hence win-win for the witches,"

    "But not Vashti?"

    "Vashti is just there for her knowledge and to fulfill all righteousness - even she knows that - think if it as retribution for the sins of the council"

    "So that is it," Lia mumbled under her breath, nodding her head in understanding.

    "Moreover, you''re indestructible, so no faction can think of manipulating or challenging your authority plus the demon attack is still fresh in their memories. In conclusion, You, Lia Darlington would make us a great leader, what do you say?"

    "I eh - I.."

    "If you''re still unsure then you should know that your husband Asher would be running for the Vampire position and the odds are in favor of him winning," Sabrina enticed her with the news

    "Asher is not my husband - yet" Lia felt like sewing up Sabrina''s mouth with a needle and thread.

    "You don''t have to wait for him to do the job, just propose to him and you can have your wedding on your inauguration day - it would be such a big event,"

    Lia''s jaw dropped, she couldn''t believe that suggestion just came from Sabrina, "I''m wanting to believe that it''s your dark side that''s making you say those words, "

    "I''m afraid this is from me. Though this dark magic in me lowers my inhibitions at times I can assure you that is I''m the one truly speaking,"

    "And your advice is telling an eighteen-year-old high schooler to propose to her mate - which in the human term, kind of denotes a boyfriend or a soulmate, whatever - after she just lost the other mate?"

    "Asher would help you deal with your grief faster and your kids need him as a father figure. Neither can you keep mourning forever," Sabrina said.

    A knock came on the door

    Lisa picked up the scents and heartbeats - and the dead heartbeat.

    Speak of the devil.

    "Mommy!" The door burst open to reveal Hailey running towards her excitedly.

    "Baby!" Lia crouched down with her arms outstretched to receive her baby girl when something happened.

    Out of nowhere, Arthur appeared and touched Hailey who then began to walk in slow motion as he took her place.

    Nevertheless, just before the boy could jump into her mother''s arms, Lia cast a barrier that enclosed Arthur thus relapsing his magic on Hailey who in turn, took her rightful place in her arms.

    No cheating, Ashton!

    "My baby!" Lia hugged her, releasing her hold on Arthur.

    But even when free, the boy refused to come to her and began to sulk at a corner. Outside a great thunder rumbled, shaking the packhouse.

    Lia released a sigh, Arthur and his mood swings. The boy inherited his father''s possessive trait. This left her with no choice but to go over and coax Asher junior. She finally managed to bribe him with his favorite human food and the dark cloud outside cleared up.

    "Mommy!" Hazel shouted.

    Lia glanced up to see her daughter sitting on Asher''s shoulder. That gesture brought a smile to her face; he was doing a great job with the kids.

    "Here, go to mommy," He playfully brought the girl down.

    "My baby girl," Lia carried Hazel while Asher picked up the other two now tugging on her clothes for them to be petted too. That was the problem with the triplets, you must treat all equally unless you''re asking for trouble.

    "How was your day, Hazel. Did you get along with your pals today?" Lia had a reason for asking that.

    Weeks ago, while playing with the other pups, the children had got into a squabble about who had the best sandcastle.

    It turned out Hazel had the best structure but as kids would always be kids, one of the jealous pups intentionally destroyed her - hard built - castle, and let''s just say the result wasn''t pleasant. Arthur and Hailey had joined the fight with their sister against the other kids who supported the bully. Lia was not proud of what her kids did, but they won - effortlessly.

    Thankfully, no life was lost and her kids were sensible enough not to use their powers - which was kind of unfair since the pups didn''t have the same advantage. The fight had been all claws and canines. But that ruined their chances of getting a playmate since everyone avoided them until recently after Lia launched an emergency playing pack for all.

    "I did but I miss uncle Ben, he plays with us more," she pouted her lips, "When is he going to be back, mommy?"

    "I honestly don''t know sugarpie, but you can video call him if you miss him that much," Lia suggested.

    It''s been a month after Ben left and the kids missed him like crazy - she missed him too. There was nobody here to bother her as he did, although Ashton was slowly beginning to fill in that role - the boy gives her so much headache than her other kids.

    "Also, mommy," Hazel monopolized her attention, Lia could sense her other kids wanted to speak with her too.

    "What is it, sugarpie?" she was patient. Lia couldn''t believe this was what mothers went through. There was no way she bothered Jenny this much, right?

    "I had a dream today,"

    At the mention of a dream, Lia tensed while her eyes connected with Asher''s who was alert as well. They''ve been observing Hazel and it seems she has the clairvoyant ability - the power to see the future.

    "What did you see, honey," she urged her to speak up. The tribrid was anxious to know her daughter''s discovery.

    "I saw daddy,"

 Chapter 325 - Three Hundred And Twenty-five: Mate Stealer

    *Twelve years later*

    "So we could work on the assignment at my place?" Liam suggested to Sophia.

    "Of course," Sophia smiled, blushing furiously when he winked at her. Liam was so cute and the funny part was that he wasn''t a douche like the other boys out there - like a certain person, to be specific.

    "We have refreshment and you don''t have to be uncomfortable, my mom''s around - though she doesn''t poke her nose into uninvited business - but you''re safe with me, that''s all I''m trying to say," He said in detail.

    "I never said I''m uncomfortable," Sophia chuckled, nervously.

    "I''m just saying you could relax around me, I''m not going to hurt you," Liam told her, looking deep into her eyes.

    Sophia forgot how to breathe for a while, she was not going to lie about the fact she''s been crushing on Liam for a while now.

    "Sure, I believe you," she simpered, tucking her hair behind her ear. A blush crept up to her neck, making her wonder if he could see how flustered she was.

    "Alright, see you after school," Liam said breathlessly, pushed away from her locker, and left after a long stare. Even a blind man could sense the attraction between both.

    Sophia leaned against her locker, a dreamy look in her eyes with her hand pressed on her chest. Her heart was beating wild, was this the sign of being in love?

    It has been a month since Sophia and her family moved into Little Town, so she started Little Town Highschool since it was the closest and only academically acclaimed public school around. Unlike the fear she wouldn''t be accepted, Sophia was surprised at the amount of popularity she garnered in such a short while - seems lady luck was on her side.

    With a smile on her lips, Sophia turned around only to bump into someone leaning against the locker beside her. A frown appeared on her face when she found out that it was no other than her one and only nemesis - Arthur Ashton Nicolli aka Asher junior, the principal''s son.

    "Hi beautiful," Arthur smiled, revealing the dimples in his cheeks and his pearly white teeth.

    "Oh please," She scoffed, turning her back to him as she opened her locker to get her textbooks.

    "How was your night? Did you sleep well?" he asked, expecting an answer.

    Sophia shut her locker and faced him with her books secured in her arms, irritation apparent in her brows, "Did you hit your head somewhere?"

    "Who knows? Perhaps, on your bed''s headboard last night?" He flirted with her.

    Sophia''s chest heaved, why won''t this asshole leave her alone? She disliked Ashton, he was a bully and a total douche - opposite of Liam and not just because they started on the wrong foot - he was just not her type of guy.

    It was more irritating that he was handsome, like god-level handsome. He was the complete definition of Adonis - Sophia was positively sure Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty had a hand in his creature. He obviously worked out a lot, thanks to his firm muscled body frame, moreover, he was on the football team and captain at that. Ashton possessed a rare exotic beauty - which seems to be a common trait with people of this town - but the most striking feature was his eyes - they were so greenish and memorizing. If it wasn''t the fact that he wasn''t so bad for her, Sophia wouldn''t mind dating him. What was she even talking about? She must be crazy! Ashton was a no-no for her - end of discussion.

    "Look Mr. Bully, I''m in no mood for your games this -"

    "Ashton,"

    "What?" she blinked

    "Say my name,"

    Sophia gulped, staring at him like he was an alien, " You must have gone crazy... "

    She was still saying when Asher pushed her back against the locker, the book in her arm was the only thing keeping their body from being pressed together.

    "Say my name,"

    Sophia glanced up into his eyes, she regretted it.

    His green eyes were darker than usual with specks of gold which made her heart beat fast for some strange reason. Her eyes trailed down to rest on his lips, she swallowed - an action he captured.

    Ashton stared at the girl she held captive, he had not meant to be rough but the wolf in him was getting impatient. He could no longer sit around and watch her flirt with other men while he''s ignored - cast away.

    He had known Sophia was his mate the moment she stepped into the school ground. The bond was created instantly and his wolf side he had suppressed over the years roused from its slumber. It was more irritating that she was a human and humans don''t feel the bond as much as the supernatural do. But the attraction was there and she was strongly fighting against it.

    It was not his fault that she had a bad first impression of him. The first day Sophie had gotten to school before Ashton could even get to meet her, a disgusting vampire beat him to it.

    The creature had used the excuse of showing her around the school to try to get cozy with Sophia but Ashton knew his true intention. Vampires were predatory creatures and though they were given more freedom than the old council did, the idea of a new blood who hasn''t been accepted fascinated them - the vampire wanted a taste of her untainted blood.

    The thought of that disgusting creature sinking his dirty fangs into her neck had boiled Ashton''s blood to the extent his wolf took control and before he knew it, he was slamming his fist into the creature''s face.

    Thanks to that, ever since that day, Sophia had seen him as nothing but a bully, gangster, and nuisance. And the fact his father Asher was the principal didn''t help matter; Sophia claimed he was abusing his father''s power. Ashton had tried to make it up to her but it seems his actions just deepen the misunderstanding and make things worse.

    Sophia tried to wriggle out of the cage he trapped her with his arms, but all she did was cause the books to fall, bringing them closer, her body tingled from the contact.

    The students in the hallway looked straight ahead, none dated to interrupt nor stare. Everyone feared Ashton, he wasn''t a bully but a terror. His mood swings were erratic and anyone could be on the receiving end of it.

    "Say my name," He growled softly, his hand coming to wrap around her waist.

    Sophia was supposed to feel disgusted at being touched by him. She detested Ashton and she couldn''t understand why he usually picks on her - for Christ''s sake, she hated him! But not now....now kind of felt alright.

    "A-Ashton," she said, shakily. Not out of fear but due to the fact she was strangely turned on.

    "Again," Ashton whispered into her ears, nipping at her earlobe, she went beet red

    "Ashton," she said this time, firmer.

    His eyes darkened further which left her confused, this wasn''t the first time she had noticed the weird color changes - not only him too. Sophia could swear the students here were experimenting with some techy contact lens - that was the only reasonable explanation she could come up for that.

    Ashton saw the way she looked at him, she tried hard to hide her attraction for him. The girl would definitely freak out if he told her that he could smell her arousal. The only thing keeping him from taking her right there and then was the fact he would not let those peeps watch them as they go at it plus the strong control he had over his wolf.

    Davi, his wolf was clawing at him, trying to be out - evidenced by the golden speck in his eyes - but he wouldn''t give him the pleasure. His wolf was more aggressive than the others - fueled by his demon side.

    Ashton lowered his head and pecked her on the cheek to her utmost surprise, watching with interest how her eyes widened to the size of a full moon. He was highly tempted to kiss her lips, to taste her nectar, and explore if she was as sweet as he imagined.

    However, Ashton knew his limit, he would never stop once he started and he didn''t trust his strength with her - he could crush her when lost in the passion, humans were so fragile.

    Ashton bent and picked her textbooks from the floor, handing them to the frozen girl, rousing her in the process. He smirked and said to her, " Make sure to think about me. I got my eyes on you,"

    He moved aside and watched with amusement as she scurried away from him as quick as her legs could carry her. It pleased him to know that he could affect her this much, which means there was room for their relationship to be amended.

    And speaking of amendment.

    There was a dark glint in Ashton''s eyes as he went in search of that relationship wrecker - he dared to try to convert his mate. Someone''s death was near.

    Looking like the king of Hell, Ashton went in search of that boy called Liam, tracking him with the help of his scent he had picked on earlier and bumped into him at the alcove of the bay window.

    "Liam," He placed a hand in his shoulder with a smile that didn''t quite reach her eyes.

    "Hey man," Liam answered, oblivious to the danger lurking. He looked a bit nervous since he and Arthur were not talking pals even though they were on the same football team.

    Suddenly, Ashton pushed him roughly against the wall, "Listen to me..." he began to compel him, " You would go to Sophia and cancel your assignment date and never speak to her again, understood?"

    He nodded.

    "Good," Aston added, "You should know that I would kill you if I ever see you talk to her ever again,"

    He nodded under the compulsion.

    "Now go," He commanded.

    Liam left.

    Ashton would have given him one or two blows but the asshole wasn''t supernatural and didn''t have the ability to heal. He was in no mood to get into trouble with his currently absent father, Asher, or for his currently present mother Lia, to chew his ear off for hurting a human.

    "You do know that move is low, even for someone like you, Ashton," Someone said from behind.

 Chapter 326 - Three Hundred And Twenty-six: Same Old Story

    "You do know that move is low, even for someone like you, Ashton,"

    Ashton turned around to meet his sister''s smug look. Hailey, the more audacious twin and eldest of them all was looking casual and chic in her white crop top that showed off her midriff and grey cameo cargo pant with a high boot.

    Ashton rolled his eyes, big sister was about to lecture him- if not blackmail him.

    "You do know Asher nor mum would be pleased to know that you''re going around compelling people," she smirked.

    He knew that evil smirk, he was not going to come out of this one easily.

    "It was just him, no one else,"

    "Doesn''t matter. Who knows, the next time you might try the compulsion on a larger scale,"

    "He was hitting on my mate," he hissed out his excuse.

    "That still doesn''t justify your action. If you were so scared of losing your human to a petty human, you should have fought against him man to man than using underhanded gimmicks," Hailey hinted he was a coward.

    Ashton was offended by that comment and showed his displeasure by growling at his sister, asking for respect as he released his alpha aura.

    However, Hailey was an alpha too and retaliated by baring her razor-sharp teeth too. Green eyes staring into blue ones with deep hot ferocity, none was willing to compromise and which would have turned into a quick fight had a human not passed them by.

    It was a known fact that there wasn''t a moment of rest in the packhouse ever since Lia gave birth to two alpha children - Hazel was the only one without the alpha aura from birth.

    As expected, it was right for an alpha to birth an alpha but even without that aura, the kid would still be referred to as the alpha''s child. There was a possibility the titled alpha kid might grow strong enough to live up to his position. But it was apparent that Hailey would lead the Moonlight pack as soon as her mother steps down or she defeats Lia to take on the role of Alpha.

    Werewolves were terrestrial creatures hence it wasn''t ideal to have two alphas in the same pack, talk more in the same room. But that tension was curbed due to the fact both were siblings and had their vampire side to even out their innate blood rage.

    Knowing they had to keep their identity a secret, both broke off but not without receiving a strange stare from the boy who sensed something weird going on.

    The human students didn''t know Ashton and the twins were siblings which left them puzzled at their strange relationship - the trio was highly defensive of each other. They didn''t always fight all the time but had fun as siblings do.

    "Fine, what do you want?" Ashton gave in.

    "Party at your father''s house this Friday,"

    Ashton froze, " No way," his father would skin him alive if he hears of that.

    "No party, no silencing of my lips," Hailey gave her condition.

    A glint appeared in Ashton''s eyes, "Fine, go ahead and tell mother. I would just announce to her how you''ve been rolling in the sheets with Zukai,"

    "You wouldn''t dare," Hailey growled, coming closer to him threateningly.

    "Not if you keep your mouth sealed," He stood his ground, unfazed by the ferocious grumble deep in her throat.

    Ashton knew their mother was going to go bananas once she hears of her daughter getting involved with the androgynous vampire. One wrong move and she could kill him with her venom since they weren''t mates and Zukai was obviously a vampire. Hailey was a thrill-seeker which didn''t surprise Ashton she was having a forbidden relationship.

    They both released feral growls again. In a fair fight using only their wolf side, Hailey was sure to win since she had mastery over her beast than Ashton who still fought with his - the both haven''t reached a compromise. Ashton was pushing his beast away fearing it would overwhelm him nor could Davi, his beast function without him. But with time, practice and patience, Ashton was going to be a forbidden force - the sight of his monstrously huge beast alone planted fear in the heart of those who saw it.

    "Do you think I would be the only person profiting from this alone?" Hailey said

    "What?" Ashton''s brows drew together in confusion.

    "If the party goes ahead as planned, I would get your human mate to come along too and the rest is up to you to strike the iron while it''s still hot," Hailey came up with a tantalizing offer.

    But even with that, Ashton could sense the disdain in her tone. With many years gone, supernaturals still dreaded having human mates due to the difference in their lifespan. Well, that would be an issue he would discuss with Sofia after he makes her his - there was a lot of time for that.

    "Fine, the party''s on," Ashton agreed. His father Asher was going to be pissed for sure especially if one of his stuff gets broken, he would take on the punishment - Asher would probably starve him of vampire blood for a while.

    "However," Ashton added, "Be careful who you bring to the party - I don''t want any vampire on the loose with humans around,"

    "Of course," Hailey agreed with a smile, "You don''t have to worry about a thing. Just think about the fun you''d have with your mate," she patted him on the shoulder and left smugly.

    Ashton took a deep breath, reeling in his wolf. Thanks to Sophia, Davi has been restless and interfering with his everyday activities and mood; he was restless and agitated.

    Discovering he had the same class with his mate, a smile curved his mouth and Ashton found himself hurrying to calculus class - his most hated subject even though he aces it thanks to his great memory.

    But that excitement must have been for nothing because Sophia didn''t even glance his way plus the seat beside her was occupied by another male who kept stealing glances at her.

    It took everything in Ashton not to wolf out and tear the dude from limb to limb. If he could stomach human blood like other vampires - he inherited his mother''s kinky feeding on vampire blood - Ashton was sure he would sink his fang deep into that throat and rip it open, toying with the asshole until he bleeds out.

    The primal urge to draw blood was so great that his sharp black talons flicked out and he hid it under the desk, clawing at the wood in a bid to restrain himself.

    It didn''t work, and he was fighting not to let his fangs descend, it would cause a great commotion if the humans saw him this way. Ashton couldn''t tell the state of his eyes which was why he lowered his head, burying his face in the book on his desk.

    Outside, the sky darkened gradually, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled in the distance putting a pause to the teacher''s lesson.

    "What''s with the strange weather?" He heard a student complain while looking out the window, "It wasn''t supposed to rain today,"

    "The weather fluctuations in this town are so strange," Another complained, the other followed suit.

    "I didn''t come with an umbrella and my blazer is so expensive; I can''t have this rain damage it,"

    Their complaints soon turned into a hubbub of noise swallowing the deep growl emanating from Ashton''s throat.

    Amid the disturbance, a student had her eyes focused on Ashton. Sophia knew she wasn''t supposed to care but the sight of Ashton with his face on his desk unfazed by the happening around him left her curious - it was unlike him. The Ashton she knew was always teasing and poking fun at her.

    With the teacher trying to calm the class down, Sophia left her seat and came over to him.

    "Ashton," Sophia whispered, crouched beside him as she shook him gently, "What is wrong?"

    No reply.

    She shook him harder and was prepared to peer underneath his desk any second to see what he was doing when Ashton suddenly drew her up to her feet, smashing his lips against her without warning.

    Sophia froze, her eyes rounded. That asshole took advantage of her kind gesture and fooled her again. But why was her heart beating so fast? Why did she strangely like the feel of his lips? No, he got to be playing her for Christ''s sake.

    Before Sophia could lift her head and strike him or the teacher giving him detention for such an indecent act during class, Ashton had zoomed off. The sky cleared up at once while the students were left dumbfounded by what just happened.

    By the time Ashton returned, the whole pack had heard of his episode today. Lia was in the living room going through research with her daughter Hazel when she heard the door to her son''s room close with a reverberating bang.

    "What''s with your brother today?" She asked.

    "Same old story,"

 Chapter 327 - Three Hundred And Twenty-Seven: Pain

    Dinner that night was awkward. Lia watched her kids eat with no ongoing discussion which was unusual - the dining table was always their conversation hub - it was strange to not hear them bicker.

    Today, Ashton was picking at his food, Hailey seemed bored while Hazel was the only one swallowing the food as quickly as possible - she probably wanted to escape from here.

    "Is something wrong with the food?" Lia dropped her spoon, leaning back into her seat, "Is the meat too tender for you?" She asked out of concern.

    Unlike her, Lia had trained her children''s vampire and werewolf side from birth so one side couldn''t overwhelm the other and cause troubles for them as it did to her. The same case was applied in their diet too - vampire blood and human food.

    It seems no matter what, her progeny would be vampire blood drinkers which was evidenced in her children. Ashton was the avid drinker since he was more attuned to his vampiric side than his sisters who were disgusted by the sight of sinking their fangs in a vampire''s neck thanks to their stronger werewolf side.

    Hence meat becomes the normal diet since wolves were carnivorous creatures. Left alone for them alone they would hunt and eat their meat by themselves - it was more thrilling and appetizing that way - but if they were going to live in human society, they had to adapt to their ways.

    "Nothing," Hailey and Ashton replied in unison.

    "Are you going to tell me willingly or should I rip it out of your mouth," Lia gave them a condition.

    Ashton and Hailey looked at each other, "You go first," the older triplet mouthed and though the youngest Ashton wanted to protest, he received a warning gaze from her.

    "Fine," He growled and then turned to his mother exposing the gold embers hiding in the depths of green eyes, "Davi is restless,"

    "And why is that?" Lia was confused, "Did you do anything to upset him lately? That shouldn''t unless...." it dawned on her, " You found your mate, didn''t you?"

    His silence answered her.

    "What is she like?" she inquired.

    "Eatable," Hailey chimed in, with an insinuating smirk.

    Ashton growled at her.

    Lia gave her a warning stare, her daughter''s sexual orientation was questionable. She didn''t know which side she stood yet.

    Hailey chuckled, "You found your mate and you''re this possessive? I can''t wait to see the drama that ensues when you find the second one," she teased him. Everyone knew her brother had inherited their mother''s demon side.

    "That''s one last warning for tonight young lady," was Lia''s reminder. She sighed internally, the kids behaved with Asher around - she wondered what magic he used on them.

    Amongst the three of them, Hailey has the most taxing. She was adventurous, feisty, blunt, crass - she was a copy of Daniel in his bad behavior - and a total opposite of her sister Hazel who was calm, understanding, refined but not delicate - none of her kids were weaklings. Hazel might look gentle on the surface, but do not be fooled, she''s a sleeping Lioness.

    "Fine," She rolled her eyes while Lia refocused her attention on her son.

    "Have you guys worked out yet? What creature is she?"

    "She''s a human, why do you think brother is so cranky," Hazel answered with a giggle.

    "She doesn''t feel the bond yet. That''s normal for humans, they don''t understand it. For sure it would take time but as far as she''s your mate, she ain''t going anywhere," Lia attempted to coax him but Ashton didn''t accept that.

    "She''s fighting the bond, I can feel it!" he grew agitated again which left Lia thinking, he wasn''t supposed to be this unsettled yet unless...

    Her eyes widened," How long have you known she''s your mate?"

    "Uh oh! " Hazel exclaimed then lowered her head, choosing to busy herself with the food. Things were about to get heated soon.

    "Answer me!" Lia commanded when he kept mum, again. Her eyes darkened and one could feel her power reeking off her, it was suffocating.

    "For over a month now," Ashton answered without meeting her eye, feeling guilty.

    Lia''s eyes blazed, "You''ve known your mate for this long now and you couldn''t even tell me? Moreover, a human and you kept silent? How have you been reeling in your wolf? What if you did a stupid mistake out of jealousy?! "

    "I have Davi under control!" he yelled, his eyes a fiery amber.

    "Yeah," Lia scoffed, "You''re obviously doing a good job after the weather stunt you pulled today," she then declared, "There would be no school for you until you learn to collaborate with your wolf. You''re a walking time bomb and I can''t have you around a school full of humans,"

    "This is exactly why I never told you, you''re so controlling!" He shouted at his mother, standing up to his feet.

    "I would have found out anyway even without you telling me and you would do what I said," she shot up to her foot.

    Hazel and Hailey looked at each other yet didn''t say anything before the aggression got transferred to them.

    "No way in hell!" Ashton growled, a rebelling grumble coming from the depth of his throat.

    But Lia snapped at him before he could even move a muscle, her sharp canines inches away from his face as she pinned him against the table, her hot breath skimming across his face," I am your mother and alpha and you would obey me,"

    Ashton snarled, fangs descending in a show of power but his mother''s low powerful growl overpowered his and he lowered his head in submission; he was not strong enough to defeat her.

    Lia released him but she could see the hurt in his eyes," Ashton, I -" the boy walked away before she could even talk of apologizing.

    "Well, that went well," Hailey said, reminding her mother of her grave mistake. Ashton might look big, strong, and powerful on the surface but on the inside, he was just like every normal teenager out there who wanted freedom from the vise of their parents - the teenage rebellion phase.

    Lia shut her eyes, took a deep breath, and said to the others, "Go to bed once you''re done with dinner," and went into her room.

    Closing the door, Lia leaned against it with a sigh then went to her fridge to bring out a bottle of whisky and grabbed the glass cup from on top of her desk, disposed of the water in it, and poured herself a drink.

    She plopped down on the couch, sipping her drink while lost in thought. It has been twelve years already and still no sign of Daniel. Lia had tried everything possible to bring him back: She killed herself with every holy relic she could get her hands on but nothing happened. All she did was suffer the excruciating pain and resurrect afterward.

    With so much research done over the years, they''ve concluded that the hell portal was a one-time thing. Demons in the human realm when killed, lose their human skin and return to their realm never to return except for vengeance. They''ve concluded that since she couldn''t die yet, she''d lost the chance of going back in there.

    They''ve considered using Ashton, her son since his one-time-use free ticket to hell was still intact. But what mother would have the heart to sacrifice her kid? Moreover, they didn''t know if he''d return as the same old Ashton. She had brought catastrophe when she went to hell years ago.

    Tears slipped down Lia''s face, she missed Daniel badly. Not a day had gone by without her thinking about him and she knew the kids missed him too even though they couldn''t remember what he looked like.

    The girls knew he loved them too, supernatural kids were highly sensitive to touches and aura at birth and they felt the undying love he had for them then. Lia remembered how excited and happy he was when the kids came into this world. If only he could see them now... If only he could see they''ve turned into strong, beautiful women.

    Lia was startled when she felt a pair of warm hands wrap around her from behind. She had been so immersed in her thoughts she didn''t notice Hazel come in.

    "It''s okay, mom." She pecked her on the forehead and rested her head against hers affectionately, "Don''t cry anymore. Asher has gone to find a solution, we''d bring back papa home soon,"

    But it seems the more Hazel comforted her, the more her mother cried.

    "Crying doesn''t suit you," Hazel was startled upon hearing her sister''s voice.

    Hailey walked over to their mother, took the drink from her grasp, and kept it aside, sitting on the free space on the couch, she pulled her into a hug.

    "It''s okay," Hailey smoothed her back, "We are going to find father soon," she comforted Lia who cried on her shoulder, unable to contain the pain anymore. She was not alright and she knew that deep down.

    "Mom," Hazel''s heart broke and she came to hug both mother and sister together.

    Lia clamped a hand over her mouth to stop the tears from falling but it was a futile effort. She cried until she was too tired to cry more and drifted into a vision, reliving the moments she spent with Daniel.

    That night, the mood in the pack was melancholy; everyone had felt the Luna''s pain through the pack link - including Ashton who stood behind her door but couldn''t come in.

 Chapter 328 - Three Hundred And Twenty-eight: How Dangerous Could He Be

    Sophia cast her gaze on Ashton''s empty desk for the umpteenth time. Why was she even bothered with his absence? She should be happy that Ashton missed school for two days hence there was nobody to bother her. But no! The thought didn''t calm her at all.

    How could he steal a kiss from her and then disappear for two complete days? Was he playing her? She seriously wanted to give him a piece of her mind even though she couldn''t get the memory of that kiss out of her senses.

    The past two days have been crazy for her, the kiss kept playing in a loop in her mind and she had no doubt she would go crazy soon.

    One couldn''t imagine how relieved Sophia was when the bell signaling lesson over echoed in the room. She was the first to leave before anyone even had the thoughts of packing their books. In haste to leave, Sophia didn''t look where she was going and bumped into someone the instant she was out; the books in her grasp fell to the ground.

    "I''m so sorry," She apologized without even glancing up at the victim who nonetheless helped her pick up her books.

    "Thank you so..." the rest of the words trailed off when she met his eyes - it did that weird color change she was always talking about.

    "Hi, I''m Isaac," The boy thrust out his hand for a handshake which roused her from her thought.

    "Hi, I''m Sophia," she accepted his handshake and speak of a cold temperature. She wondered why people haven''t accused these pale students of being vampires - well, she hadn''t seen any with red eyes and fangs. Yet.

    "You''re a new student, aren''t you? Haven''t seen you around here pretty much," He flashed pearly white teeth at her - no fangs, noted.

    "Yeah, I''m kind of still finding my way around here," she flashed him a smile.

    "Then I hope we meet around a lot," Isaac said, lowered his head, and took a heady sniff of her neck before leaving.

    Alright, that was not creepy at all.

    No, she was creeped out! Weird, baffling things were happening around here and it was starting to freak her out. She hadn''t put many thoughts into it but after that kissing incident with Ashton, she was starting to see things in a different light.

    Still reeling from that creepy encounter, Sophia barely made it to her locker when someone startled her from behind.

    "Hi, Sophia," Hailey waved, a goofy grin on her face.

    "Jesus Christ! Can you guys stop sneaking up on me like that," She had a hand to her heart - she hasn''t heard the girl''s footsteps. It wouldn''t surprise her if she died at this rate.

    "I''m so sorry but you were so distracted,"

    "Oh," Sophia mumbled, feeling guilty for accusing her when she was partially responsible for the scare," So why are you here? "

    Sophia eyed the breathtakingly beautiful blonde girl. Though she and Hailey were not enemies, they didn''t exactly interact with each other a lot - just brief pleasantries - in fact, it came as a shock to her that the girl was even speaking to her right now.

    Sophia couldn''t explain it but she felt like the twins were on a whole different level than her - and she was not just saying that because their beauty was out of this world - there was just something unique about them - it was no wonder they were the most popular students at school.

    "I''m inviting you to the party I''m hosting at Ashton''s place this Friday," Hailey said, handing an invitation card to her - even the card was luxurious. They must be so rich.

    However, her brows furrowed together in confusion, " You''re hosting a party at Asher''s place? Why can''t you host the party at your place?... " she trailed off when she realized how stupid she sounded right now. How was it her business if she organized a party at Asher''s place?

    Hailey smiled inwardly, her brother didn''t even need to bother about his mate - she was finally feeling the bond.

    "Well, Principal Asher is away on a trip and his place is big enough for my party," Hailey answered, " Do you need another reason?"

    "No," Sophia bit on her lips as she accepted the invitation, " Urm... I''m not trying to pry or something, but are you and Ashton dating? You and your sister Hazel just seem extremely close to him, you know?" She shrugged.

    Hailey smiled, it made Sophia feel stupid. She must sound like a jealous girlfriend right now - not that she was even his girlfriend. Great, she made a fool of herself in front of Ashton''s girlfriend.

    "What are you talking about silly," Hailey tapped her on the forehead playfully.

    Sophia blinked, was that a warm gesture from the famous twin?

    "The truth is that Ashton and I are siblings,"

    "Huh?" Confusion lined her face which slowly shifted to anger. Hailey was making a great fool out of her.

    Ashton was a replica of his father, the principal, Asher so how could he be siblings with them - they looked nothing like each other.

    Hailey lowered her head, whispering into her ears, "Our both parents are so in love with each other and would get married pretty soon. Even without that, I would never date that dickhead - he''s so irritating,"

    Sophia''s eyes widened, so that was the case? She had often wondered about their relationship because of their odd closeness. She was strangely relieved.

    But still, their parents were just in love with each other and could break up in the future, why were they acting like one family already? To the point of sharing a house? Sophia had a feeling Hailey was not telling her everything and why was she even so damn curious? She was the kind of girl who liked to mind her business.

    "So are you coming to the party this Friday or not?" Hailey asked just to be sure. Ashton would be freaking mad if she fails to keep up with her own part of the deal.

    "Of course," She answered too quickly. Gosh, Sophia, you have lost it.

    "Alright, I''ll be going then," Hailey turned to leave.

    "Wait!" Sophia spoke out.

    There was a hidden smirk across Hailey''s features, she had a faint feeling of what the girl was about to ask. But she innocently faced her with a blank expression, "Is anything the problem?"

    Sophia gulped, refusing to meet Hailey''s eyes, "I haven''t seen Ashton for days, I was kind of wondering if he''s sick or something? Is that why he hasn''t come to classes?" there was concern in her voice even though she tried to hide it.

    "Yeah," Hailey said

    "What?"

    "He''s sick,"

    For unknown reasons, she panicked,

    "Is it that bad? What is he sick of? Pneumonia? Flu? Malaria?"

    Hailey was amused, it was funny seeing Ashton and Sophia unsure of each other''s feelings when in reality, they''ve fallen deeply for each other. So she decided to play around a bit, "Yeah, it''s quite serious. My brother says he''s having some problems with his heart ever since he kissed this certain girl in class - something weird has been going on with him ever since,"

    "Eh?" Sophia frowned, why was that scene oddly familiar. Then it clicked in her head, that was she and Ashton.....

    Seriously? The girl went beet red, Hailey was poking fun at her.

    "Don''t worry about my brother, he''s simply going through a minor problem but if you are that concerned, you can visit -"

    "No, I was just asking," She replied quickly.

    "Fine then," Hailey took a step to leave but she couldn''t stand it anymore. She took careful steps towards Sophia causing her to lean against her locker.

    Hailey placed her hands on either side of her, caging her in, and lowered her head to speak into her ears, "Make sure you stay away from Isaac - I can perceive his scent on you - he''s not someone you''d want to hang out with. You belong to my brother Ashton and him alone,"

    Sophia was so bewildered by her statement that her mouth hung open yet no word escaped. Before she could ask her what she meant by that, the girl had already zoomed off.

    This left Sophia more confused than ever, what does Hailey mean by that? And why should she stay away from Isaac? He didn''t come off as someone dangerous even though he behaved a bit oddly. But the greatest question was how Hailey knew she met Isacc? They bumped into each other right in front of her class, not here and Hailey hadn''t even been there - Sophia was sure of it.

    "I can perceive his scent on you," Sophia remembered the girl''s comment. No way, that was impossible.

    Just to be sure, Sophia lifted her arm and took a whiff but she couldn''t get anything other than her natural scent. She smelled her hair too - it smelled of strawberry shampoo - there was nothing.

    This was one odd place and the people were getting stranger with each passing minute. Sophia dismissed the matter to the back of her mind, this had to be some sort of joke or something. Yes, Hailey must be messing with her or something.

    And she was nobody''s property - Ashton included.

 Chapter 329 - Three Hundred And Twenty-nine: A Strange Scent

    Zukai''s eyes flew open when he felt a presence in his room yet his body slowly relaxed when he recognized the familiar scent. However, a frown mixed with worry still framed his face, had she flown such a distance this night to come to see him?

    "Hi babe," Hailey climbed into his bed. Hovering over him, she placed a kiss on his lips which soon deepened into a passionate one.

    Zukaui pulled her away for the sake of his sanity, he would surely lose it if their lips felt any longer, "What are you doing here?"

    Hailey rolled her eyes, "You''re not delighted to see me? Have you gotten someone new? Did you already plan on tossing me away? "

    Zukai sat up at once, placing his hand on her shoulder as he rubbed her arm, "Of course, I haven''t gotten anybody but you Hailey. However, we''ve discussed this - we should stop seeing each other,"

    And yes, he has been seeing Asher''s daughter - do not add the sleeping part, please. It had just happened suddenly and the next they had come to this point.

    Zukai felt the attraction between them, it had been so strong that he even thought they were mates but then, he had not felt the bond between them. Sure, there was a sexual pull between them but the mate bond wasn''t there, or was it - He was still working on a theory.

    But at the moment, Zukai was more concerned about preserving his life than confirming if there was a bond between them. Though Hailey was not Asher''s biological daughter, the vampire loved her as fiercely as he loved his son Ashton, and wouldn''t exactly be pleased to know that he had been doing the business with his daughter - Lia wouldn''t shake him in the hand and pat him for a job well done either.

    "And I said no," The girl retorted, eyes blazing with anger, " You''re mine to keep,"

    "I''m not your mate and you know how complicated it would get if your real mate comes around," He pointed out.

    This was why young werewolves were expected not to go into intimate relationships till they found their mates - it could only result in heartbreaks. Once he or she found their mate, there were no two ways about it, they had to leave their current partner because there was no way on earth they could fight the bond.

    "No, you''re wrong. There''s something special about us," Hailey refused to accept that.

    "Hailey..." he pleaded.

    "I can feel it deep down in my bones, I''m just confused why you can''t connect to this bond between us," she spoke with conviction.

    "It''s just an attraction," Zukai corrected the impression.

    "A hot searing attraction - I''ve never heard of one like ours," she kept hinting at them being mates.

    "You''re not going to give up on this are you?" he asked even though the answer was right in her resolute gaze.

    "No, I won''t and you know that already," Hailey hissed out, pushed him back to the bed, and straddled him.

    She swooped down and captured his lips; they met halfway. Zukai couldn''t understand what was so special about her that made his head swarm. He was a vampire that has lived for hundreds of years, hence slept with uncountable women but there was something different about Hailey - his boss'' daughter. He wanted her with an uncontrollable passion, which is why he still found himself coming back to her even after he resolved to stay away.

    Her touch made his senses spiral out of control, it wasn''t his alone, his sister also - she could feel it too. Zukai was aware his sister had taken Hailey once but he felt no guilt nor anger - what belonged to him belonged to her too.

    It might seem weird to the others but his sister has been part of him ever since he discovered her existence and he loved the fact Hailey accepted them both - him especially, every part of him.

    It wasn''t long before they lost themselves to the throes of passion. She moaned into his mouth as he dominated the kiss, his hand slipping into her shirt and tracing his hand up to her breast.

    Something happened as Zukai suddenly morphed into his sister. Hailey was stunned at the deft replacement - this was the first time such a thing happened - but didn''t have time to comment on that because she was caught up with the moment.

    Hailey felt her hands cup her breasts while she kissed her neck and shoulder, her heart pounded in her ears. She lifted her hand as she got rid of her shirt but before the girl could accomplish the sexual plan she had in mind, she morphed back to her brother.

    It was quite funny to Hailey, it was like the both of them were struggling with each other and haven''t found a balance yet - It reminded her of the relationship between a shape-shifter and its wolf.

    Just like that, their drama continued long but not without giving Hailey an orgasm that stole the breath out of her. They laid satiated after Zukai had gotten rid of the used protection.

    After Lia gave birth to triplets in one day, her kids learned from her experience - never have sex without protection. Though it hasn''t been confirmed whether Lia''s progeny would experience that same weird pregnancy cycle or if it was as a result of her demon side, no one wanted to find out the hard way.

    Due to the fact, their mother had given birth in high school and the children had experienced an incredible growth spurt, the locals acknowledged them as her stepkids, thinking Lia had gotten engaged to their father Daniel, who had the twins from another woman - they knew the truth so they don''t care what those petty humans gossiped.

    However, the locals didn''t discuss them much since the kids were from Kinney village - a village known for their strange customs, the humans believed. Even up to date, the village wasn''t still open to humans except those mated to werewolves.

    The major transformation Kinney got over the years was the fact it was more welcoming to vampires than in the past when they were sworn enemies - all thanks to their alpha getting mated to a tribrid that gave birth to hybrid kids. The moonlight pack was the only werewolf pack least aggressive to vampires - others were currently catching up to the trend, but not all.

    "Oh my God!" Hailey woke up the next day with a scream. It was almost four in the morning and she had to return to Kinney village - she had flown over two villages to get here.

    "What is wrong?" Zukai was startled when she jumped out of the sheet and began to dress up hurriedly.

    "I need the cover of the night to fly back home plus mom dearest would be up by now," She grunted out while forcing herself into her denim.

    "Oh right," Zukai stood from his bed, intending to help her dress up but then forget he was naked until the bedsheet fell aside.

    Hailey growled when he saw his manly glory. The girl''s eyes darkened and the next she knew, had gotten rid of her pants and pushed the surprised Zukai against the wall.

    "You''re mine alone," she declared and rode on the wave of passion once again.

    This time her legs wrapped around his waist as he backed her up against the wall, entering her in one thrust. Hailey gasped, she felt him fully deep inside of her. Her nails dug into his back as he began to move, first with a slow controlled thrust which heightened into fast, vigorous pumps. He rammed into her with a ferocity the girl loved till she reached her orgasm with an ecstatic cry.

    Kissing Zukai goodbye, Hailey didn''t dwindle any further knowing she had wasted an extra thirty minutes upon the fact she was already late. She didn''t fly home as she wanted because the sun was beginning to come up.

    It would be a huge sensation if a human saw or captured a flying human. Neither could she fly up in the sky because of the heat plus she can''t fly that far yet - her powers would evolve with more training and experience and time.

    So she took the forest route, still, she didn''t shift to her wolf form since she might stumble upon a human hunting or something - they had a license for that - and the rest, history. Rather she took advantage of her vampiric speed.

    The girl didn''t go straight home, Hailey stopped by her favorite river and washed herself up. Werewolves had extremely sensitive noses, and her mother might smell Zukai''s sight on her.

    She soaked in the refreshing stream until the scent was gone. It was obvious to Hailey that everyone was up before she would get home. Damn it! If only Zukai wasn''t out of town for a mission, she wouldn''t have returned late - she could have sneaked back in without anyone noticing like she always does

    "And where are you coming from, young lady?" Lia, her mother caught her before she could successfully sneak into the packhouse unnoticed.

    Hailey squeezed her eyes shut before turning to meet her mother with a smile, "Morning mom,"

    "I didn''t find you in your bed this morning, where have you been?" Lia interrogated, arms wrapped against her chest - she wasn''t in the mood for greetings.

    "About that? I felt kind of restless so I went for a run, is anything wrong with that?" Hailey didn''t show any nervousness - wolves were good at detecting pheromones.

    "No, no problem. I was just curious, that''s all," Lia dismissed her without a trace of skepticism on her face.

    "Alright, I need to prepare for school," Hailey said heading inside while Lia waved with a warm smile.

    But the moment Hailey''s form vanished into the house, the smile on Lia''s face disappeared as well - Hailey was lying to her.

    She intentionally didn''t mention to her daughter that she had been searching for her all through the night after she came to check on her and found an empty bed by one in the morning. To add to that, Lia''s face scrunched up as she caught a faint, strangely familiar scent. Where had she smelled that before?

 Chapter 330 - Three Hundred And Thirty: Claim His Mate-1

    This night has been nothing short of wonder for Sophia and it wasn''t close to ending. How could one live in the middle of the woods, in a classical-style villa at that?

    Thanks to its creepy location, Sophia had expected the mansion to be built Gothic-styled with the status of gargoyles standing guard and frightening off strangers. But the reverse was the case, this was one of the largest and sophisticated houses she has come across in Little Town - Just how rich was Ashton''s father, wasn''t he just a principal? Do principals make that much now?

    The interior didn''t disappoint her either, it was lavishly decorated with modern amenities, and the large central hallway was the main entrance area to the adjacent rooms. The hallways flowed into a large, wide, spiral staircase leading straight to the private rooms on the second floor and other floors which she didn''t wander into since the party was being held in the foyer.

    As eye-catching as this house was, it still mystifies Sophia that she couldn''t find the location on Google maps. Sometimes, she wonders if she''s the only one who notices the abnormalities in this town? Everyone else was just unconcerned. Something weird was going down here and she sincerely hoped it wasn''t some crazy Occult shit or something.

    "Hi Sophia, I''m so glad you made it" Sophia was surprised to see Hailey. There was a crowd of students here so she honestly didn''t expect the girl to find her that easily and early - she just arrived not less than five minutes ago.

    Someone moved behind Hailey and she found out it was Hazel, her twin. The girls were so hot and Sophia somehow wished she was a twin or something [A/N: Don''t worry Sophia, sleep with Ashton and you''d have a chance of giving birth to hybrid triplets.]

    Though both were identical twins, it wasn''t hard to differentiate one from the other since Hailey always dyed some a part of her blond locks, and currently, she was donning a pastel green dye, unlike Hazel who left her enviously blonde hair the natural way.

    Moreover, Hailey was more vocal than her sister Hazel who was keen to observe before speaking and seemed to be more mature than her older twin. But then, she wasn''t someone to mess with. While Hailey was a roaring lion, Hazel was a sly fox, ensnaring its victim unaware.

    "Yeah, I did," Sophia faked her enthusiasm. To be honest, her stomach was fluttering with butterflies making her feel sick. Sophia was nervous and she didn''t even know why; it was almost as if she was anticipating something great to happen tonight.

    To her surprise, Hazel walked over to her and dropped her arm casually on her shoulder as if they were old-time friends, saying, "If there''s one thing I can tell you about my sister, is the fact she throws great parties,"

    And it was as she said.

    The girls were a bad influence on Sophia because she found herself doing what she never saw herself doing. She drank and was currently jumping up and down in the name of dancing.

    The dance floor was huge so there was no cramming of bodies or sweaty bodies rubbing against each other due to lack of space hence making the dancing more enjoyable - nothing as disgusting as getting someone''s smelly sweat on you.

    Sophia expected the twins to go and entertain their more important friends, that it came as a huge shocker to her when they chose to dance with her instead or so she thought because at a point she couldn''t find them - not even their shadows.

    Nevertheless, the girl decided to have a good time since she had already begun. Sophia danced and danced until she felt being observed and turned around only to get the shock of her life.

    There was Ashton, standing just a few distances from her and watching her in rapt attention; eyes that made her heart miss a beat.

    A blush crept up to her face and Sophia panicked, she wanted to get out of here as fast as possible but her feet were rooted to the ground. No matter how hard she willed her body to move, her legs stayed put with her eyes trained on Ashton.

    It was as if he was walking in slow motion and she couldn''t take her eyes off him - he was just so enthralling. His dark hair was messy tonight, her finger inched to run her hands through it - what the hell was wrong with her?

    "Hi," Sophia said, breathlessly. Her heart was slamming wild against her chest and she was finding it hard to breathe with the sight of him. How did things suddenly change between the two of them? She always hated him - or did she?

    Ashton didn''t say a word to her, just kept staring at her immersed which made her all the more nervous. She had no option but to continue, "Your soon would-be sister, Hailey told me you''ve not been feeling fine," she tactically was probing into their weird relationship.

    "So?" Ashton curtly responded.

    That answer didn''t satisfy her at all nor did it take away the nervousness heightened by his intense gaze. Ashton was staring at her like a sumptuous delicacy set before him to consume.

    "So I just want to know how you''re doing," She breathed out with the effort. Why was the air suddenly thin?

    There was something different about Ashton today, he looked unrestrained and sexy - not that he hasn''t always been sexy but today''s seem to have gone up a notch.

    "I''m fine," Was all his said before coming closer, their body pressing together which made her gasp softly as electricity coursed through her.

    Sophia tried to step back but Ashton was quick to reach out and grasp her waist with an iron hold, gathering her flush against his chest.

    Sophia forgot how to breathe, this moment felt out of this world. She was spell bounded by his charm that she didn''t even know when the song changed to a slow sensual number.

    The girl was greatly startled as Ashton suddenly twirled her around and dipped her. Though it all happened too quickly Sophia was a good dancer so her intuition kicked in when he lowered her. She clasped unto his arm, sharing her weight with him before he brought her back up.

    Sophia had to admit, Ashton did have good moves but she wasn''t relaxed one bit especially when his slight touch scalded her nor did their grinding on their dance floor help the situation.

    "Come with me," Ashton growled into her ears.

    Sophia shuddered when his lips brushed against the shell of her ears and she found herself agreeing to his ridiculous request with a nod of her head.

    For the first time, a smile finally appeared on that stiff face which further heightened her resolve to go with him. Ashton took her hand and began to lead her through the crowd of drunk, dancing teenagers.

    Her blush deepened when she spotted couples making out on the couch and the others in secluded corners. A dirty image of her and Ashton in such a compromising scene surfaced in her mind however she shook the memory away repulsively or so she thought.

    Taking the lead, Ashton didn''t glance back at her as he brought her to the second floor and into one of the rooms which made her eyes go wide - she was expecting him to show her around the house.

    Sophia''s stomach flipped, she was not ignorant enough to believe he brought her here with good intentions, not that she didn''t somehow anticipate that - Sophia wondered how Ashton''s lips would feel like. However, her sense of reasoning still flourished over her desire.

    "Ashton, what are we doing here?" She asked him as soon as he turned to close the door. She was now anxious.

    "Don''t tell me you don''t feel it," and that being said, Ashton, pushed her against the door causing a slight pain at the back of her head.

    Her eyes rounded, "Asher, what are you -" The rest of her words were swallowed forever when he smashed his lips against hers with great ferocity.

    Sophia''s mind swarm, this was what she imagined the kiss to be and more - he was setting her on fire. She was highly surprised by his strength when he hoisted her up with just a hand, their lips still attached. The girl out of instinct wrapped her legs around his waist, anchoring herself to him and rubbing her heat against the bulge in his trousers.

    Ashton groaned into her mouth as a result of the movement, his blood was boiling and he feels the uncontrollable urge to claim her - worsened by the fact Davi was trying to take control.

    Sophia had never felt this way not even with her previous boyfriend, was this what she was missing out on all these years?

    Asher deepened the kiss causing her to moan. Unknown to her, the heavenly sound she released made the blood pound in his ears. Sophia slip her hand through Ashton''s silky brunette hair and she knew instantly, she wasn''t close to stopping.

 Chapter 331 - Three Hundred And Thirty-one: Run Sophia, Run!

    The air was hot and thin yet the two figures touched by passion were not close to stopping.

    "Ashton," Sophia moaned when he kissed her neck. Grazing his teeth across her skin made her shiver and her hold on his shoulder tightened; her mind was reeling from the sensation.

    She gasped and hardly had time to inhale air when he found her lips again, kissing her with a fervor that left her no choice but to kiss him with the same ardor. His hand went to cup the curve of her ass, molding her further against his arousal through his pants.

    Sophia could only hold onto his neck while the other gripped his scalp tight, relishing the feeling as she forgot all about the control she was mustering earlier. But her eyes popped open when Ashton ripped open the buttons to her long letter print collar button mini dress she was wearing.

    As if whatever charm used on her went off her eye, Sophia wanted to protest- this was moving way too fast - but his mouth captured hers in a kiss that fried her brain once again - she was so weak to put up her defenses.

    His mouth ventured into her depth and both tangled and twisted while Ashton''s hand slid inside and cupped her breast, he caressed it.

    Sophia moaned into his mouth, his other hand on her behind tightened, his mate was driving him to the edge.

    Ashton pulled away, "I can smell your arousal, you''re mine,"

    Her passion glazed eyes featured a flicker of confusion. Just when she was about to ask what he meant by that comment, he lowered his head and captured her nipple with his teeth, grazing it softly with his fangs.

    She was in heaven, Sophia thought. The amount of pleasure that coursed through her was so unbearable that she shouted out in bliss, her nails digging into his shoulder tight- Ashton would be the death of her.

    Sophia felt a deep ache within her and she had no doubt her panties were thoroughly soaked. No one has ever turned her on this much.

    Notwithstanding her cries, Ashton ran his tongue around her nipple before taking it into his mouth, giving it a wanton suck.

    Sophia threw her head back, tears of ecstasy escaping her eyes with the number of sensations assaulting her senses. Her body tightened yet melted around his touch, she curled her toes.

    While she was being feasted by his mouth, his hand went to the hem of her dress and began to shove it up her thigh, caressing her inner thigh in the process, eliciting a sharp gasp.

    His hand slipped under her panty and stroked her heat. The wave of pleasure washed over Scarlett as he teased her clit; his fingers moved in and out of her.

    Sophia came under his touch and collapsed on his body, this was the hottest intimacy she has ever had with a guy. The girl went red in the face knowing she let her enemy touch her carelessly. What in the world has gotten over her?

    Having hit her orgasm, Sophia had thought the moment was over hence was prepared to climb down his body, but Ashton shocked her by carrying her further into the room.

    "No, no, no" Sophia panicked when she discovered they were heading in the direction of the bed, she wasn''t ready to have sex yet.

    Heck! Ashton was hot and all but sex was on a whole different scale and she didn''t want to commit herself to an activity that would cause her heartbreak.

    "Ashton, let me go," She tried to squirm out of his hold but the boy was like an impenetrable fortress; she couldn''t shake him off.

    He instead growled at Sophia when she struggled fiercer which made her tense up. That growl sounded so animalistic making her aware of the danger she was currently in.

    "A-Ashton," she choked, fear set in when he lay against her on the bed.

    "You''re mine," He growled again and that was when Sophia saw it, the ring of his eyes becoming a flaming amber.

    Her eyes widened however she didn''t have time to scream in terror, Ashton had begun to kiss down her neck, she whimpered instead.

    Sophia hated herself, she wanted to run away from this monstrosity but her body responded differently. The tingles in her stomach were still there but now coated with a layer of nausea - she was being intimate with an alien.

    "Ashton stop," she panted from the pleasure amid the anxious tears escaping the brim of her eyes. She didn''t want to be taken on like this.

    "I''m sorry��" His voice was husky and heavy, he seems to be struggling with something deepening her confusion, "But I can''t stop��" the growl returned, "You''re mine,"

    And he smashed down his lips on her, kissing her roughly and deeper which Sophia loved and detested at the same time - she was at war with her emotions.

    He moved his mouth to her breast once again, licking the nipple to a taut peak while his free hand fondled the other one.

    Sophia arched her back as the pleasure traveled throughout her entire system. But suddenly, a yelp tore from her lips when she felt a sharp pain on her neck, he broke her fragile skin with his teeth?

    "Somebody help me," She screamed, thrashing around and praying to be set free from this monster.

    As if her prayer were answered, the door was kicked open and two familiar girls barged in. Thank God.

    "Save me," She whispered, eyes trained on them with Ashton still immersed in the act.

    "Shit!" Hailey cursed and also cringed upon seeing the sight of her brother on top of his mate, pleasuring her rapaciously against her wish.

    "Told you my vision was right," Hazel seemed to mock her sister.

    Sophia swore Hailey didn''t move, she just blinked and the next she knew, the girl was standing beside her, ripped Ashton off her, and smashed him hard against the door.

    A scream escaped Sophia''s mouth when she saw Ashton drop to the ground dead or so she thought. Before Sophia could take her next breath, the boy had gotten back on his feet with a deft move and lunged at her once again with great speed.

    However, Hailey stood between them and held him back, a great struggle ensued.

    Hailey turned to her sister, "Hazel, give me a hand here, his wolf is too strong and you��" she turned her fierce gaze on her, "Get the hell out of here, your scent is egging him onward��"

    Ashton snapped on Hailey''s hand with his razor-sharp teeth while she was distracted and would have slipped past her with the sudden advantage had Hazel not joined in holding him back.

    Hazel turned to her, teeth gritted, "Leave now! Go as far as possible from here. Run Sophia, run!"

    Sophia''s breath came in gasps, what did she just witness? However, the girl''s warning roused her from her stupor and she rose and ran without even buttoning her top undid buttons nor clean off the bleeding from her neck where Ashton had bitten her.

    She ran like the Flash past drunk and disoriented students downstairs who didn''t care about her disheveled state nor look twice at her - everyone had a purpose for coming to a party.

    Sophia''s thoughts were disorganized thanks to her panicking, she found herself wandering deeper into the woods - she just wanted to get as far as possible from them all. Her legs were giving up, her entire body arched, numerous thoughts filled her head but she kept pushing forward until she bumped into someone because she wasn''t looking.

 Chapter 332 - Three Hundred And Thirty-two: Welcome Back, Asher

    "How many casualties?" Lia asked, her hand resting on her forehead. With great power came greater responsibilities and this was one of those times.

    Though it''s been twelve years since the witch''s apocalypse and both distinct witches got along fine, conflicts still arise now and then. Currently, it turned out a light and dark witch crushed on the same fellow and the dark witch cast a spell on him and the rest is history. The two covens rose against one another, both sides in support of their own.

    "None dead..." came the answer from the other line, Lia was relieved. If one had died- whether a dark or light witch - it would be another issue altogether and might break into a civil war if such altercations escalate.

    "What about humans?" Lia asked, that was her main concern.

    Right now, she was trying to build a mutual relationship with the present country''s head of state and if things go well, might go globally in the future. With each new day emerging, it was getting increasingly harder for supernatural beings to live under the radar. This was an attempt at cohabiting with humans, unfortunately, a piece of news like this wouldn''t look good on their portfolio.

    "None were injured, thankfully and their memories of the incident erased."

    "Alright, drag Sabrina''s ass over there no matter where she is - she''s the best shot at resolving this conflict before it gets complicated,"

    Ever since Dan and Sabrina got married, it''s been hard to get a grasp on her. The couple gave birth to a hybrid witch daughter named Cynthia. Sadly, the girl was so smart and mischievous that at the age of twelve, she cast a spell that accelerated her growth rate ten years faster.

    According to Cynthia, she wanted to explore the world but her parents did nothing but tie her down. So making herself twenty-two was the best option at getting away from their controlling claws.

    Hence Dan was on a quest to bring her back home for over three months now - She could only wish him good luck on that. Lia perfectly knew Cynthia was extremely sneaky and crafty thanks to her predatory vampire side and her witchy powers have done nothing but heighten those quirks - not to mention that Sabrina had trained her quite well from a young age.

    In one word, unless Cynthia wanted to be found, they might as well have searched for nothing. The girl had a firm grasp of her magical powers and abilities - it was a relief to know she wasn''t the only one with freaky children.

    As promised to the supernatural community, Sabrina had not gotten rid of the massive dark magic in her to maintain a balance between the dark and light witches - the so claimed righteous witches. Over the years, she has perfected the ability to wield the power without getting controlled by it. The witch was the perfect mediator for the ongoing conflict since she''s a dark witch and once a light one - she could empathize on both sides.

    "I''ll see it''s done right away," said her assistant in the council.

    "Alright, keep me updated," she ended the call.

    With a deep sigh, Lia plopped down on her swivel chair, wiping her face with her palm. Whoever said being the general Council Head was an easy job was welcome to come and take over from her. It was so damn frustrating and stressful that sometimes she just wanted to yell someone''s head off. Either it was settling a fight between clans; for vampires, or mediating between packs; for werewolves, or stopping a second witch''s apocalypse.

    Lia had her eyes shut and was rubbing her temple when she felt a sudden breeze blow past her. The hairs on her body stood on edge, this wasn''t ordinary air, someone just walked into her office, and judging from his skills of breaking into her place unnoticed, he wasn''t someone to be underestimated.

    To be honest, Lia wasn''t surprised by this unwelcome visit. The first few months she went into power, some dissatisfied powerful supernatural clans had come after her, they couldn''t accept the fact that such a young hybrid was to lead them - some of them having lived hundreds of years. They argued the role was too much for someone of her age who had no leading experience.

    It would have been much honorable if they had faced her head on, rather those cowards sent assassins who came and sometimes were caught and the others successfully killed her. But then, after they had exhausted their resources and strength yet couldn''t kill Lia, they gave up and submitted to her reign - exactly why Sabrina had chosen her for this position.

    Though she would resurrect, Lia was not prepared to go through the pain of dying - yeah, it hurt like a bitch - and had prepared to strike first when a familiar scent wafted into her nose.

    Her eyes popped open, a look of shock crossing her gaze when Lia saw those familiar green eyes staring back at her. Her breath hung in her throat, Asher?

    "Asher," She breathed, getting out of her seat and ran over to him, snuggling into his arms. How long has it been? A month? That was the longest they have been away from each other.

    Since Daniel disappeared, the tribrid was extremely possessive of him - Lia was afraid of losing Asher too. If only that damn vampire had agreed to marry her when she proposed to him, but Asher had turned down the offer, claiming it would be a huge disrespect to Daniel. To him, Daniel was the first to find her hence deserves the honor of being her first husband.

    "It''s really you," She reached out to feel his face. Wherever he went must have had a lot of sun because he looked a bit tanned and rugged. However, there wasn''t any look the vampire wasn''t able to pull off flawlessly.

    "Yes, it''s me," Asher confirmed, and then his lips came down hard on her, her senses swarmed.

    His hand wrapped around her waist, pressing, no, more like squashing her tightly against his chest, almost crushing the girl''s bones however supernaturals could endure that amount of pressure. He relished the feel of her soft breast and beating heartbeat against his silent own - Asher liked the sound of her uneven heartbeat since he never had one unless he used sunshine -which was more torture than pleasure- hence his fascination.

    Lia kissed him back with the same fervor, grabbing his scalp tight as pleasure swirled through her, she had missed him greatly. Their desire for each other saturated the room that werewolves nearby picked off their pheromones and steered clear of the room, unwilling to disrupt the couples.

    Asher deepened the kiss, playing with her tongue as his hand climbed down to feel the curve of her ass, as well as make her aware of his throbbing arousal. Lia gasped from pleasure when he moved to caress her neck with his lips all the while rubbing her behind.

    He suddenly lifted her so her leg could wrap around his waist giving him easier access to her neck. When a vampire wasn''t draining one, those fangs of theirs worked like an aphrodisiac so one could imagine how Lia felt when he grazed that instrument of pleasure against her neck - on the very spot where he had marked her.

    Lia felt her entire being shake from that contact and she held onto his neck tighter as if he was the source of life. Her environment suddenly blurred and the next she knew, she found herself straddling him on the bed - her favorite position. Asher knew Lia liked being in control and gave her that or rather the illusion of it because he takes away the power soon.

    Their eyes were aflame as they looked at each other, both hungry with desire. Asher instantly kissed her once again, slipping his tongue inside her mouth and tasting her sweetness deeply. While his mouth worked, his hand removed her top as she worked on the buttons of his shirt.

    Asher''s eyes darkened at the sight of the wondrous two pink globes that he released an animalistic growl. The devouring look in his eyes made Lia shiver, biting down her lips in anticipation.

    And then, he took one of them into his mouth and a moan left her throat. He ran his cold breath around her warm nipple while his hand fondled the other one causing her to whimper in pleasure with her back arched and half-opened eyes. The pleasure was drowning her senses.

    He continued to draw lazy circles with his tongue as she begged for more. He took the taut rosebud fully into his mouth eliciting an ecstatic moan, moving against his length. Asher knew she was going to come if he let her continue that path of dry-humping hence pushed her back down on the bed.

    "Asher��" She breathed with effort, wanting to be filled. Her breath was fast and heavy while her heart slammed against her chest.

    "Of course," his lips kinked to the side in a smile that held dark promises of what was to come. With no hesitation, he got rid of the rest of her clothing while she helped undress him.

    In no time, he had her below him but the smell of her wet heat made his fang descend painfully. Asher was tempted to lower his head and taste her down there but then, he had her all to himself tonight; there was enough time for that. First, he had to fill this hungry ache in him.

    Asher took it as a sign when Lia kissed him deeply, to spread her thigh apart and pushed his length inside of her. He went all the way till he was buried to the hilt. He groaned as her walls clenched around him, she gasped out at the sensation.

    He thrust, she moaned, reeling from the unadulterated pleasure. That sound was enough to drive Asher to the edge as he began to ram into her fast and hard. Hands digging into his shoulder blade, Lia writhe in passion beneath him, her leg moving to wrap against his waist, pushing him further in.

    "Ahh��" She could barely think as the sensation seemed to come from everywhere while Asher continuously pumped in and out of her.

    It didn''t last for long, her contracting muscle drew a cry of delight from his lips just as her own organism rippled through her. Asher collapsed on her, both returning from cloud nine.

    "Welcome back, Asher," Lia panted, trying to catch her breath with a satisfied smile. She was still reeling from what they just shared.

    Asher smiled back at her, "Shall we continue then, my love" He already flipped her over on all fours.

 Chapter 333 - Three Hundred And Thirty-three: He Was Forgetting

    "It''s okay now, you''re safe," She kissed him on the lips.

    "I feel faint," Daniel complained, pulling away from the kiss.

    "Don''t worry, it''s the drug. They''re going to treat you so you would feel better, don''t fight it, alright?" She informed and hugged him, resting her head on his shoulder while her non-injured arm wrapped around his neck.

    "Don''t worry, it''s the drug,"

    "Don''t worry, it''s the drug..."

    Daniel woke up with a startle, he looked around to discover he was back at that hell hole. The memory resurfaced in his head, it was faint yet it felt real.

    He looked down on the area of his skin where he had etched the name on his skin, "LIA," Was that the girl''s name? Was she somebody important to him?

    Daniel looked down at the other names he had carved into his body with his claws.

    "Asher", "Hailey", "Hazel", "Ryan",

    "Judith", "Phoebe", he traced the names with his fingers. Even without being told, he instinctively knew that these people mattered to him else he wouldn''t go through the pain of engraving them on his body - he was forgetting.

    Daniel couldn''t tell how long he has been here but it was like being trapped in an endless void of darkness and reliving his worst memories over and over again. He has lost track of time and memory, all he knew was that each time, he woke to a new name he had subconsciously added to his body.

    He was never at rest here, there were times he would hear shrieks - screams that would make one''s hair stand on edge and even the bravest of men scurry off from fear. But he was already used to it yet the fear was raw.

    Each time his torture began, he could remember everything clearly and Daniel guessed that was when he used the opportunity to carve those names on himself - as a way to remember. His body was full of scars - the ones he imprinted on himself and the whips from the demons.

    He felt the need to remember. But then, Why did this place want him to forget? Was he not supposed to be here in the first place? All Daniel knew that people who came here did really bad things which were why they were being punished. He couldn''t help but wonder what crime he had committed?

    There was an incident he remembered clearly, a girl had called out to him once - she was real or seemed to be. The girl had blonde hair and blue eyes; she shared some similarities with him and had called him "dad". That must have been an illusion.

    Illusions were a pretty common trick around here since one of the tortures included trapping that individual in a never-ending nightmare. It was about time it began all over again - if only he could understand everything at the end of this session. Was there an end to this nothingness? He was afraid this darkness was beginning to break him.

    ***

    His side of his bed was empty, Lia discovered when she reached out for him. She was still reeling from the effects of their lovemaking but the wild thoughts disappeared from her head when she saw Asher by the window side, lost in thought.

    Quickly, she dressed up and went to meet Asher, hugging him from behind as she rested her head on his back affectionately.

    "You''re here but your mind''s slipping away," she said, rubbing circles on his firm back absentmindedly.

    "There''re so many things to think about," Asher said to her without turning around.

    Understanding the vampire''s hint, Lia let go of him with a deep sigh and squeezed herself to his front, "What did you find out?"

    Asher didn''t reply nor did he meet her gaze.

    "Asher," Lia turned his face back around to meet her own, "Tell me the result of your mission," she insisted, keeping his face in place with her palms.

    "We still have to sacrifice Ashton," Asher dropped the news.

    Lia blanched with shock, her hands leaving Asher''s face to fall by her side in resignation. She exhaled roughly, then threw her head back, staring at the roof questioningly.

    They had to sacrifice Ashton''s demon side just as the council did to hers. This was the reason they hadn''t taken any further step and had been waiting for the vampire''s return from his quest.

    Lia had almost brought on an apocalypse thanks to the manipulation of the dark witches and though Ashton wouldn''t be unfairly killed - with a purpose this time- they still weren''t sure what would happen afterward. The plan was too risky and full of blank spots.

    "That is to say our efforts were all for nothing," Tears of frustration began to run down her face which she wiped off furiously.

    "It wasn''t all that fruitless, I discovered something else," Asher disclosed.

    A glimmer of hope flickered across her gaze, "What is it?"

    "We can''t just take Daniel from hell; he needs a replacement so the balance in there doesn''t topple over. Just like nature needs balance, the same needs to be restored in hell too,"

    "There''s a werewolf sentenced to death down there in the pack prison, we could use him," Lia came up with a solution.

    That werewolf has committed a huge crime and after an investigation panel was established to look into the matter, it turned out to be true. The werewolf was using others'' life to elongate his.

    It was no secret that vampires had a much longer lifespan than werewolves who age faster as soon as they stop shifting. Most werewolves lived within the limit of two hundred years before death followed. The werewolf who ever lived was five hundred years and the stupid werewolf had been trying to follow that footstep, albeit in a dark way.

    "We would need Sabrina too. She needs to cast a spell to steer Ashton in the right direction so he doesn''t just grab the wrong person and our effort comes to nothing," he informed her.

    "Sure," Lia merely nodded.

    Asher upon sighting the anxious look on her face came closer and rubbed the length of her arm with his smooth palm, assuringly.

    "You don''t have to worry about Ashton. Unlike your past negative experience, we''d give him the right orientation so he doesn''t go awry down there, alright?" he added, "We''ll bring Daniel home this time,"

    Lia gave him a wry smile and Asher brought her close to him, resting her head on his chest. But the moment Lia was about to relish this feeling, her eyes popped open and she pulled away instantly.

    "What is it?" he was surprised by the side change of demeanor.

    "It''s the kids. I can feel it, something''s wrong," Though Lia didn''t tap into the pack''s mind link, she shared a mother-child relationship with them and sensed it through that bond. Werewolves worked a lot with their intuition and she learned to trust them over the years.

    "Where are they?" Asher had already entered battle mode. Though Trevor and his childhood sweetheart, Williams, were trying to change the traditional mindset of the hunters, there has been recent news of some rogue hunters shooting down some supernaturals. If that was the case, he''d tear them from limb to limb once he lays his hand on them till nothing remains on their miserable corpse.

    "At a party," Lia gulped, this stingy vampire would go pretty mad when he hears their location - and yes, Hazel told her.

    "Where?" Asher asked, ready to punch some faces. His body was throbbing with the need to hunt as the predatory creature he was.

    "At your place,"

 Chapter 334 - Three Hundred And Thirty-four: He Was Not A Bad Monster

    "Hey, slow down," a deep chuckle sounded close to her ears causing her to stiffen up.

    Sophia glanced up at the figure she had bumped into, still shivering from the impact of what she just experienced in that room. Ashton was a monster! She knew it, she had sensed it but she had not enough evidence to confirm it until now.

    She was highly relieved when she ran into Isaac. The girl was so scared she needed someone to hold her and assure her that all she just saw was a dream or a fiction of her imagination.

    "Sophia," Isaac let go of his grasp he had used to steady her from knocking into him.

    "I-I need to go, where is the way?" The tears were threatening to fall down her face and she didn''t want Isaac to see her in this vulnerable state.

    "Is there something wrong?" Isaac asked, his sight suddenly falling on that bleeding spot on her neck.

    Sophia might not be psychic but the sudden long deep inhale from Isaac with his euphoric-filled face told her something was not right - he looked like someone high on drugs. It was at that moment that Hailey''s warning came into her mind, "Stay away from Isaac,"

    Her eyes suddenly widened, could it be that Issac was among them too? Oh my God! She panicked inwardly yet put on an outward brave front.

    "I..eh think I need to go, Isaac," she said hastily and began to stride away, forgetting she was asking Isaac about the direction a while ago.

    She was lost - Sophia was sure of it. She didn''t know anywhere in this vast wood yet she kept pressing forward, she had to leave this godforsaken place!

    The moon was high in the sky illuminating her path hence she didn''t need the torchlight from her phone which only had one bar of network - wonderful! She can''t even place a call!

    The piercing howl of wolves rippled the quiet night, reminding Sophia she had stupidly made herself a prey. The chirping sound of insects and the croaking of frogs heightened the creepiness surrounding this wood, fear seeped into her skin and she shivered, rubbing her hand up and down her arm.

    With her heart in her mouth, Sophia was just about to take a step when a chilly wind wheezed past her and the instant she glanced up, behold, Issac was standing before her with a sadistic smirk that made shivers run down her spine.

    Sophia swallowed down a large gulp, there was no speculation this time - Isaac was one of them. He took a forward leisure step, she stepped back.

    "You do know the chase is fun but it''s pretty boring with your scent all over the wood and your little heartbeat reverberating like music in my head," He chuckled "It must be nice being human,"

    Sophia was not deceived by that dramatic speech, she was in danger and had no idea how to escape.

    "But then," Isaac continued, a slightly intoxicated glint in his eyes, " I would never give up all this power for a taste of your pathetic short-lived mortality,"

    With that being said, Issac lunged at her but Sophia was quick to take to her heels. An annoyed snarl left Isaac''s lips yet his body throbbed with the thrill of the chase.

    "You can run, Sophia!" Isaac shouted with a peal of mocking laughter, "But let''s see how long that fragile body is going to hold up,"

    Sophia ignored his maniacal cackle and kept running back to where she came from - she had to return to the house. She had a feeling someone there was stronger than Isacc and could save her. Or maybe she was running into bigger trouble? She didn''t care - she had to try at least.

    Prior to Isaac''s word, She didn''t run for long before her lungs began to burn, not to mention her legs were currently too weak to carry her. With the amount of distance she''s covered in the last thirty minutes, Sophia deserved a medal.

    She leaned against a tree, trying to catch her breath. The girl felt like she would have a heart attack if she dared make another step. It was at that moment of rest that she looked up to see the devil himself grinning at her with an "I told you" smug expression.

    "Oh no," Sophia breathed, heart hammering against her chest. This was a game and he has the upper hand, but she still couldn''t give up - she had to fight for her life. She turned the other side, staggering away and using the trees she could find for support. Every muscle in her body was screaming for rest.

    "It has been fun but it''s not good to let the meal run cold," Isaac said and before Sophia could take another step, reached out and grabbed her against his chest.

    "Do you know what is like to taste untainted blood?" he hissed out, holding her so tight he was almost crushing her, " I''ve been craving your blood for a while now but that annoying freak Ashton and his siblings kept getting in my way. Just because they don''t feed on human blood, they don''t understand the feeding frenzy fresh blood causes,"

    Sophia didn''t know whether to be shocked that Isaac was a vampire or that Ashton and his siblings were not normal bloodsuckers. However, she was still relieved by that revelation - he was not a bad monster after all.

    "But now.... " a creepy smile tilted his lips, " I have you where I want you and nobody can stop me this time,"

    Then she saw it, the way his face distorted as two large fangs descended from his gum with his iris adapting a red ring. Veins sprouted from his neck and face and he tilted her neck to the side, baring her pale blemish-free skin to him.

    Sophia struggled but her meager strength was nothing compared to a vampire''s. Immediately, he slammed his fangs into the delicate skin of her neck.

    She gasped as the fangs penetrated her throat, the pain made her whimper. The girl held onto him, her nails digging into his shoulder painfully but the vampire wasn''t even affected by it - he was saturated in the sweet taste of her blood.

    All Sophia heard was the sound of her punctured flesh as Isaac rapaciously fed on her. Her legs felt weak and gave out but he held onto her, still feeding with no care for her wellbeing.

    Issac couldn''t stop feeding. Also, if she died, this was the wood and her death would be covered up by the council as an animal attack. No matter what, supernaturals were still the greater and better creature - the only problem was that humans were numerous and reproduced quickly.

    Black dots clouded her vision, her body slowly giving up. So this was how she died? In the hands of a savage vampire all because she attended a high school party? Quite funny. Goodbye, mom and dad.

    Sophia closed her eyes just as Isaac was about to suck the last of her lifeblood. Unfortunately, he was crudely ripped from her making her collapse to the dirt with no support. The last thing she caught in her line of vision as she lay down on the ground like a rag doll, was the sight of a huge ferocious-looking wolf tackling Isaac and tearing him from limb to limb brutally.

    Her eyes closed.

    "I got the girl!" Hazel notified her sister, coming to crouch beside Sophia.

    "Is she still alive," Hailey asked, ignoring the tortured scream of Isaac as Ashton took the rest of his miserable life.

    Even if she wanted to help him, Hailey was afraid that with that fire-blooded rage coursing through Ashton''s vein right now, he wouldn''t hesitate to end her too. And she wasn''t confident to beat him with that amount of fury fueling him - Issac was the unfortunate one to have touched his mate.

    "I can sense a faint pulse but she''s lost so much blood. I''m afraid we might lose her if she doesn''t get a transfusion right now" Hazel shuddered upon thinking of Sophia dying.

    No doubt, Ashton would surely go feral and they might have to put him down so he doesn''t hurt others - which was her greatest fear. They might share different fathers but Ashton was her twin as much as Hailey was her twin too. She couldn''t lose him.

    "I don''t think she can wait that long, she needs a transfusion now!"

    "Well, don''t look at me that way. There are no humans around nor do I know her blood type. Moreover, though our blood has healing property, there''s no guarantee there wouldn''t be a side effect of feeding her such," Hailey pointed out

    "Well, side effect or not, I''m not letting her die on my watch," Hazel began to pull down her sleeve, intending to bite down on her wrist when a vicious growl came from behind. She understood that warning loud and clear, Ashton was notifying her to get lost.

    They watched as his bones began to crack and pop, reforming Ashton to his human feature, stark naked as the day he was born. But the siblings weren''t bothered, immodesty was not a sensitive topic in a werewolf community.

    Covered with the vampire''s blood and dirtied with earth, Ashton looked hideous yet he still clawed open his palm and squeezed out the flowing blood into her mouth.

    "What is it?" Hazel asked, upon seeing her sister''s nose twitch as she sniffed the air.

    "Mom is here," She added, specifically at Ashton, "And your father too,"

 Chapter 335 - Three Hundred And Thirty-five: The Vision

    "What the hell happened?" Lia asked her son with a furious expression, just as Asher came into the room she had ordered to be made clean earlier with the girl in his arms.

    Sophia was a mess; her cloth was torn at some spots, scratch marks at her face and leg when she had tripped and fell; double fang marks on her neck where Asher and Issac had taken her blood; clothes soiled with earth and blood. She looked horrible.

    "I''m sorry," Ashton was apologetic yet his eyes never left the sight of his father settling his mate on the bed. Though Ashton knew his father had no ill sentiments towards his mate, he still felt jealous causing a low rumble to leave his throat.

    Lia growled back at him demanding his attention back on her which he obeyed, reluctantly.

    "I asked you a damn question, Asher junior, and I deserve an answer,"

    "Fine, I lost control, alright!" he snapped, losing his calm, "I wanted her but she didn''t like the pace I was taking things. I tried to stop but Davi took over and things went downhill from there. My sisters rescued her on time but she went deeper into the woods and Isaac got her. The rest is history," he spilled the beans.

    Lia was enraged. No matter how grown nor strong Davi was, the tribrid easily dragged him over by the shirt and pushed him up against the wall.

    "This is specifically the reason I had you grounded the past days yet you attended the party behind my back "she spat at his face.

    "Lia," Asher tried to interfere but the woman pinned at that spot with a single glance and he lifted his hand in surrender. He knew that Lia was better left at her own devices right now unless he was ready to have a taste of her wrath.

    She continued, "Not to add to the fact you fed her your blood, do I need to remind you the kind of risk you took? Do you know the kind of change you brought on? You might as well have turned her!" the woman gave her son an earful while his father stood on the edge of the bed, with his arm folded across his chest and legs crossed over the other.

    At first, he had been the one angry considering the lot of damage that was done to his property in the name of partying - he didn''t even want to think about the puke he had found on the carpet - but his angry mate had taken over so his anger depleted by sixty percent. The remaining forty percent would be dealt with when the morning comes.

    "I had no choice, I wasn''t going to let her die!" Ashton retorted yet made no attempt to move from his mother''s tight grasp. He knew the woman was furious as hell and confronting her authority would only aggravate the issue.

    "If you had willingly obeyed the choice I made for you, you wouldn''t have been in the position of having no choice at all," Lia took a deep breath, trying to reel in her anger. Lolli was beyond mad but she knew the wolf was only protective of him.

    "Since you all think my position in the council and responsibility is a joke, then you should know that the girl is your burden - mate or not. Clean up the mess you created for once so you could understand the stress I go through every day," She let go of his shirt rumbled under her rough grasp.

    "What about Issac? Raven Clan is not going to stand still once they hear of this," Asher reminded her.

    Lia sighed, "Isaac is the one at fault here. He broke the rule of feeding on an unwilling human, they can''t rule out that solid evidence no matter how they twist the truth," she pointed out, still glaring at her son.

    Even though the Nicolli clan had cleared the Raven Clan that day years back, some survived the calamity while the others had been unavailable at the time of the attack. Besides, children were spared since vampires had a hard time reproducing, unlike humans.

    No matter the grudges between two vampire clans, they had to leave some seeds behind so the clam could have a chance of re-establishing itself in the future. Although this move might backfire in the future when the defeated comes for vengeance, this was done to preserve the vampire race.

    Since the pillars of Raven Clan had been uprooted, it would yeas for the clan to resume its former glory even with a capable leader, giving the Nicolli clan more than enough time to become impenetrable - so far an attack from an enemy or disaster doesn''t befall them.

    Thanks to that war, there has been great animosity between the Nicolli and Raven Clan. Even though both clans have always been at loggerheads with each other, this time, the tension was multiplied by two times.

    As the mate of the former leader, Ezekiel, Helen was supposed to take over the position of authority, but the woman wanted nothing to do with that power. She didn''t want to be cumbered with such responsibility, opting for a peaceful and quiet life instead. Thanks to that, another leader had to be chosen for the survival of the Raven Clan while Helen took over the position of elder and advisor.

    But then, all her advice has fallen on the deaf ear of the current leader. The man refused her suggestion of peace and according to him, the Raven and Nicolli Clan would never be allies.

    Not that Lia cared anyway, as far as the fool didn''t cross his boundary, she had nothing against him. Besides, it was obvious that power was concentrated in the Nicolli Clan with her being the leader of the council and Asher being one of the council heads - overseeing all vampires - hence the fool couldn''t react harshly.

    "Alright, if you say so," Asher acquiesced. His wife knew what she was doing and even if it backfires, he''d be standing right behind for support.

    "How''s she?" Hailey, who had been hiding behind the door, finally summoned the courage to come in, followed closely by her sister Hazel.

    "Narrowly escaped the danger the both of you recklessly drove her into," Lia''s tone showed disappointment and the girls hung their heads in shame.

    "We''re sorry mom, we didn''t mean to cause any trouble. Ashton looked really lonely, we just wanted to help him out," Hazel said her reasons for the party in the first place.

    "Well, before you play good Samaritan the next time, think about the consequences,"

    Hazel nodded, yet didn''t meet Lia''s eyes. Unlike the others, Hazel was mommy''s girl hence was ashamed she brought trouble to her favorite person in the world today.

    "You''re back," Hailey shifted her attention to Asher, "Do you have good news?"

    Everyone knew what Hailey meant by that since Asher had specifically left for that purpose and the children''s gaze turned to him while Lia stiffened.

    "No more questions for tonight, you all should go settle down in your rooms," Lia was quick to dismiss them.

    "It''s the same story, isn''t it?" Ashton was quick to catch on to the subtle changes in his mother''s expression, " You still have to sacrifice me, right?"

    Lia ignored him and went to tuck the sheet up to Sophia''s chin. She''d call in someone to clean the girl up later when Ashton isn''t around to growl and disturb her ears with his unnecessary possessive tantrums.

    "Mom, stop ignoring me," Ashton was relentless that he followed her.

    "I said, the matter is closed for tonight. See you kids in the morning,"

    "I''m getting my answers right now," he demanded.

    "Ashton, Let''s just obey mother," Hazel came and grabbed his arm, trying to pull him away.

    "No, she should stop treating me like a kid!" Ashton was enraged and placed his hand on his mother''s shoulder, trying to get her attention with Hazel holding onto him too when something spectacular happened.

    All three gasped as visions of Daniel flushed through their head. Daniel was writhing in pain as some horrendous-looking creatures tortured him. Another vision was of him carving some names into his body and another of him just in a dark space with a hopeless glint in his eyes, like someone who gave up on life.

    Suddenly all three of them returned to the present with a sharp gasp the moment Hailey and Asher separated all three of them from each other.

    "What the heck was that?" Asher was freaked out. One moment they were arguing and the next, all three of them had frozen up with a trace-like look in their eyes.

    But what creeped them out the most was Hailey had her usual glaze over eyes when in vision mode while Ashton and Lia adapted their signature demonic eyes - which hadn''t happened in years.

    "What the hell happened?" Hailey asked no one in particular. All of them were inhaling deep air into their lungs as if they were just rescued from drowning.

    "We saw Daniel," Hazel and Ashton answered at the same time.

    "He doesn''t have time, we have to save him immediately," Lia was shaken up by the revelation.

 Chapter 336 - Three Hundred And Thirty-six: Willing Sacrifice -1

    The atmosphere in the packhouse was tense; everyone could feel it, they could breathe it in; the pheromones were too high. Today was the day they finally would send Ashton to the depth of hell to go rescue Daniel.

    The werewolves anticipated yet dreaded it. Yes, if things go well, they''d have their alpha, Daniel back, but if things go downhill, they''d trigger another apocalypse. And this time, it wouldn''t be the witches that would suffer the wrath of the demon but them instead.

    The ceremony would have been carried out last night as quickly as possible but none could get a grasp of Sabrina until this morning.

    So at the moment, all were waiting for the arrival of Sabrina while making sure everything else was prepared and in order - including Ashton.

    "How are you feeling?" Lia asked him.

    The boy rolled his eyes, "I respect you mother but I swear to God, ask me that again and I''m out of here," He seemed irritated, "Told you for the umpteenth time already that I''m fine,"

    "She''s just worried for you like any loving mother would," defended Hazel seated on the couch opposite his.

    "Well, her excessive worry is beginning to get on my nerves," Ashton complained.

    "Arthur, be a dickhead and accept the damn care, it only comes this once anyway," Hailey drawled without minding her language.

    The girl chuckled inside when she received her brother''s glare. At the moment, they were waiting for the arrival of Sabrina, so they could sacrifice him - a willing sacrifice, hehe.

    Lia didn''t even bother to interrupt them, she had far more important things to worry about than her unbehaved kids cussing each other. Gosh! She was a bad mother - she wasn''t even this badly behaved when she was their age.

    "ThankGod," Lia breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted Asher come in. She hugged him, "Where''s Sabrina?" Lia asked, looking around for her.

    "She''s on her way, Lia. You don''t have to worry, we''d carry out the ceremony without doubt," Asher assured his mate, walking into the room with her.

    Suddenly, Lia picked up approaching steps, "Who?" she looked up questioningly.

    "Oh right, I had Zukai and Gideon come over in case there''s a need for extra hands,"

    Asher was still speaking when the vampires made their appearance with Gideon being the first to come in. However, the moment Zukai stepped in, his scent overwhelmed Lia and her eyes widened, a feral growl leaving her throat as she recognized that smell.

    "Mom, no!" Hailey was the first to notice the subtle changes that happened so quickly.

    Ever since that day she stumbled upon her mother at the pack entrance, she had a nagging feeling the woman suspected something and that was confirmed when she saw her mother''s nose twitch at that moment, breathing in Zukai''s scent like someone sniffing cocaine.

    It didn''t happen in slow motion at all, In fact, if those present didn''t have improved sight, it would have been nothing but a blur to them.

    One moment, Lia was in Asher''s arm, and the next, a wild growl left her throat and she leaped at Zukai, her clothes shredding as she shifted halfway in the air.

    But at the same time, Hailey also leaped too, shifted, and tackled her mother to the ground before she could lay a hand on Zukai.

    What was more surprising was that mother and daughter were too furious to notice this was the fastest shift they had ever pulled off - they morphed in less than half a seconds.

    However, Lia was an older and skilled wolf. So that tackling was seen as a little divergence from her plan and was back on her hind limbs.

    Hailey turned in the direction of her sister and barked. One could guess she communicated something to her sister Hazel, who stood and went in the direction of Zukai, trying to draw him to safety while Asher stood stupefied and clueless as to what''s going on.

    Lia, upon sighting her target was getting away, howled then rushed at Hailey who stood in her way and barraged into her, trying to throw her off but the girl stood her ground like the alpha she was. Even where she knew her mother was much stronger and with battle experience, she refused to give up on protecting him. Her mother was furious and unreasonable at the moment, she didn''t dare to think of what she would do to Zukai in that state.

    It was a battle of claws, sharp teeth, and strength. Lia had successfully struck her daughter with her leg and laid some deep yet healable claw marks on Hailey''s body to teach her a lesson yet the girl refused to submit.

    "Why?" Lia growled, getting irritated by her determination. How could Zukai do this to her? Fooling around with her daughter? She counted on him! Trusted him with the lives of her little girls, yet all he did was to get into the pants of her daughter?! That was betrayal!

    "He''s my mate!" Hailey growled back since they were still in wolf form.

    "Liar!" Lia accused her. If Zukai was her mate, she would have smelled it off her already. Once a wolf found its mate, it was noticeable - the bond between them would be felt. And then when the wolf is marked, it''s a loud proclamation to the others that they should stay away; the wolf was owned.

    "Tell me what''s going on?" Asher urged Hazel who hid Zukai protectively behind her.

    "I fucked your daughter and your wife found out," Zukai disclosed instead. He always had a feeling a day like this would come and it finally did.

    Surprise mixed with shock flickered across Asher''s gaze, his own anger rose to the surface. Hailey might not be his biological daughter but he assumed the role of her guidance and father over the years. Moreover, he had been active *cough! cough* the day she was created.

    Asher was angry but unlike Lia, he didn''t let that emotion overrule his sense of reasoning, instead, he began to watch the interaction between mother and daughter. Why was Hailey hellbent on fighting her mother when it was obvious that she would lose? Then it clicked in his mind, they were mates?!

    It was no secret that no matter what, in good or in bad times that mates stood by each other. They would even go the extra mile of sacrificing themselves so the other lives. That finally makes sense else Hailey wouldn''t defy Lia''s authority this fiercely.

    Having been enlightened, Asher was about to step in and stop the fight when Zukai reacted before him. The man left Hazel''s protection and intentionally fixed himself between the fighting parties.

    Lia was stunned when Zukai appeared out of nowhere and got down on his knees saying, "Do whatever you want to me, just leave Hailey out. I''m the one who seduced her," He had his head lowered, showing submission.

    Hailey growled at him which everyone sensed as disagreement, the girl didn''t want him to take the blame alone.

    Thanks to that sudden move, Lia''s anger vanished without a trace, the duo left her confused and tired. Who would she punish? Her daughter had fought her because of a man that wasn''t even her mate and now, Zukai claims he was the mastermind of the whole thing. So damn, tiring.

    "They''re mates," announced Asher, coming to stand before her.

    Lia had a sudden headache, why was everyone so adamant on the mate issue. She was Hailey''s mother for God''s sake and would have been the first to recognize if she got the mate.

    Lia shifted to her human form, using Asher''s body as a shield to hide her nakedness while Ashton, who had been quiet all this while, handed a towel to his father, who in turn used it to wrap around his mate''s body.

    "They''re not mates. I would have sensed it already. Your subordinate intentionally approached our daughter when he knew very well what a mate means to Werewolves! " Lia lashed out at Zukai.

    She was doing all this to prevent a conflict in the future. What if Hailey falls deeply for Zukai to the point of rejecting her destined mate when he comes around? That would be an abomination! She couldn''t even bear to think about the whiplash Hailey would suffer for that abominable move against the moon goddess.

    "You seem to be forgetting something here, Lia," Asher didn''t give up on convincing her, "Have you forgotten about Zukai being a chimera? He has two different sets of DNA, remember?

    Understanding flashed in her eyes and Lia was taken aback as realization dawned on her, "She''s mated to the both of them?!"

    "Seems so"

    "But she doesn''t have demonic powers -"

    "Yet carries the bloodline; your blood flows through her," Asher reminded her.

    "Guess I''m not the only polygamous creature around," Ashton snickered intentionally. His siblings had always teased him about his nature, it was time for payback. He was not alone any longer.

    Lia wiped her face with her palm, " I seriously can''t handle this. There''s too much to do right now and I - "

    "Calm down, we''d deal with this one after the other," Asher promised her, pulling her into his arms for a hug. His mate had too much responsibility on her shoulder but he''d take them all one after the other - even at the expense of his life. There was nothing he wouldn''t do for her.

    "And the moment I arrive, I get treated to this dog food," Sabrina made an epic entrance.

 Chapter 337 - Three Hundred And Thirty-seven: Ruler Of Hell

    "Fiat lux, docebit Vos," Sabrina mumbled, inscribing something on Ashton''s forehead while everyone else watched.

    "This would guide you so you don''t lose your motive. Hell can be pretty distracting and keep your focus. You know we''re sacrificing you for a valid reason and for that, it would bind your demon side from making an unnecessary decision," She described.

    Since there was no other choice but to sacrifice her son, Lia had gone over what had happened to her twelve years with Sabrina. They can''t help Ashton over there but they could prepare him and keep him updated on what to expect for a smooth trip.

    "Also, the mark would lead you directly to Daniel and there you can solicit for his release. We''d have the replacement ready on our side," Ashton was briefed by the witch.

    For this event, they have moved very far away from Little Town and Kinney village; from human habitations to be precise. They weren''t sure how far the portal to hell would stretch to this time and they didn''t want to take any chances with human life.

    "Are you ready?" Sabrina asked him.

    "I am," Ashton said without a trace of fear in his gaze. This was something he had to do. Even with his father, Ashton around, he had seen how much his mother suffered and mourned - she blamed herself for everything - and now he was going to change it.

    "It''s time too, Lia," Sabrina reminded her of her role, handing the holy relics over to her.

    Lia took a deep breath and received the blade from her - the same sword that had brought up all these problems.

    "You should let me do it if you can''t," Asher offered to be the one to stab Ashton. After all, what mother would have the heart to murder their own child?

    "No," Sabrina refused, " She has to be the one. There''s a sexual bond that exists between mother and son, it would help keep him in check down there instead of bringing back an army of demons to avenge his death,"

    "It''s alright, I can do this," Lia assured him.

    There weren''t many people who had come to witness this significant moment. Though Lia wanted the twins to be as far away from here as possible in case things went wrong but the girls had been incessant and here they are. They wanted to be here for their brother and welcome their father home.

    "You do know I love you," Lia grasped his face in her palm, caressing his cheeks, "And would never harm you unnecessarily?"

    Ashton answered and said,

    "I know that mother,"

    "Close your eyes, Ashton," Lia told him and when he had obeyed, quickly drove the knife into his chest.

    Immediately, all breath left Ashton''s lungs, but it didn''t hurt like it was supposed to. Was it because he was leaving with love? At once, he fell but his mother was there to catch him and she lowered him gently to the ground.

    "Be safe, my child," Lia wished him well, a tear falling off her face to drop on his face as he gave up the ghost.

    Hazel couldn''t watch and hid her face in her sister, Hailey''s chest, who threaded her hand through her hair comfortingly.

    Asher had his fist clenched by his side, he of all people knew the risk they just took but he had promised her nor could he live with his mate mourning her loss every day.

    Immediately, the ground began to shake as if an earthquake was occurring.

    "Step back everyone!" Asher warned as the ground beside Ashton where his blood had flowed began to crack open.

    "It has begun," Hazel''s eyes rolled back to the back of her head exposing the white only. Knowing her sister was the most vulnerable when having a vision, Hailey had to pull her away. They already had problems bringing back their father, added burden wasn''t needed.

    "What do you see?" Lia walked over to her daughter.

    "He''s searching,"

    "I need more details," Lia pressed

    "He''s searching,"

    "Come on, give me something! I need to know! Has he found Daniel?! Is he safe?!"

    "Lia!" Asher pulled his mate away, "Cut the girl some slack,"

    "I need to know, I''m so scared. What if I like both Daniel and Ashton?" Lia panicked.

    "We are not going to lose anyone, we come a long way and we will achieve what we came here to do," Asher told him, then hugged her. Her mate and son were on the line here, Lia needed all the support she could get.

    "He''s found him," Hazel revealed, "But where to go?"

    Everyone held their breath and was smart enough not to disturb the girl so she didn''t come out of her trance.

    "They''ve found him,"

    Their breath hung, this was the point where everyone was waiting for and that was exactly the point where Hazel returned to herself.

    No one blamed her to be honest, because they had a faint idea of what was happening thanks to her.

    The next minutes were nerve-wracking for everyone. It could be said that Hazel had left them at the climax of everything. But suddenly, a hand appeared out of the crack that glowed darkly.

    Heart pounding in their throat, everyone took a deep breath and a step back. Could it be a demon? That had been the exact way they had crawled out twelve years ago.

    "Hailey takes flight and leaves with your sister," Asher was about to issue the order when another hand crept out of the crack.

    However, to everyone''s shock, Lia took a bold step by walking over to the hole and gave a hand to the creature that was obviously trying to crawl out.

    With a grunt, Lia pulled out a man who collapsed on her with his entire weight. Daniel? Everyone was curious as hell.

    Then he lifted his face and they all gasped, it was as they thought. A smile broke across Ryan''s face, the alpha was back.

    Daniel''s return dazed everyone that they forgot the next step until the ground quaked.

    "The replacement!" Asher reminded them.

    At once, Ryan and Gideon tossed the captive werewolf into the crack, and immediately, it closed up. Everything had an order in life and they had disturbed that balance by removing Daniel and had to be restored. That werewolf they had tossed in there was a criminal who wouldn''t be missed. In fact, hell would be glad to have him.

    Lia stared bewitched at the figure on top of her and tears collected in her eyes. Not minding that his weight was crushing her, she wrapped her hands around him and wept.

    No one dared to interrupt them, not even Asher, this was her moment; twelve years wasn''t as little as it seems.

    "Why are you crying, Beauty?" Asked Daniel, who now braced himself on the ground, holding his weight from crushing him. He couldn''t understand why this beautiful woman was crying when he should be the one thanking her for saving his life.

    "Thank you, thank you for surviving," Lia refused to let go of him and would have cried further if she hadn''t remembered something.

    "Ashton!" She pulled away from Daniel and hurried over to where her son lay, Asher already beside him.

    "Why is he not waking up? Daniel is back already, he should have resurrected already," Lia was worried.

    Asher looked over to Sabrina for an answer, "I cannot really tell but there might be chances he might not want to return,"

    "That''s impossible, I came back," Lia reminded her

    "Because you were on a mission to bring about the end of the witches," Sabrina told her, "Unlike you, Ashton didn''t go down to hell for revenge but redemption and now he''s done, why can''t he have some rest? Back here, he''s not allowed to flaunt his demonic powers since people are biased against it but there, he''s free, and not to mention his grandfather is a high-tier demon. You can simply say he''s found his habitat, "

    Lia was outraged," You knew this and yet you didn''t tell me?! "

    "I didn''t exactly know, call it a hunch or something. Though Demons don''t possess human affection, there''s still that primitive need to increase. Your father let you leave, what''re the chances he would let his grandson slip past him too?"

    Lia shook her head stubbornly, "No, he can''t stay there. I refuse to let him stay there - damn that old demon!"

    Then she faced her son''s corpse, "Hey baby, I know you''re in there, come on, mama needs you," she shook him, "Don''t listen to your damn demonic grandfather! You''re more loved here. I know the idea of ruling hell might appeal to you - I know you''ve always loved your dark side - but I don''t think having a horn on your head would look good on you,"

    Yet she got no response.

    "Come on," She began to slap him in the face, "Don''t do this to me! I''m your mother for God''s sake!"

    Still, no response

    "Remember your mate, Sophia for fucking sake!"

    Instantly, the boy arose with a gasp.

 Chapter 338 - Three Hundred And Thirty-eight: Welcome Home, Daniel

    "How''s Daniel?" Asher asked Lia who leaned on the balustrade in the balcony. She had come outside to receive fresh air and organize her thoughts.

    "He''s back," Lia answered.

    Daniel had fainted after Ashton came back, he must have been exhausted and she couldn''t blame him. Being in hell for that long? It was a miracle he hadn''t lost his sanity.

    She stood beside Asher, their sides touching, "But the same can''t be said for his memory," She revealed to him.

    "Can''t Sabrina''s spells do something about that?"

    "She can, but there might be some side effects. Daniel just returned from that hellhole and I''m not about to add to his problems - I won''t be surprised if he has posttraumatic stress disorder - he went to hell for Christ''s sake. I might not have lasted in there for that long but the things I saw? The tormented souls and voices asking for help? It''s not something you would want to experience,"

    Asher sighed, he reached out and brought her closer to his body. Lia leaned in, enjoying the coolness he provided.

    "Well, on the bright side," Lia said, "Sabrina thinks he would remember everything with time. To us, he was in hell for twelve years, but to Daniel, that might have been an eternity lived over and over again,"

    "Memory fades with time," Asher mumbled. He could empathize since he had lived that long. It was easy to forget a lot of things.

    "Exactly," She acquiesced, "But with him back to the pack, this place? Us? He would remember the more he familiarizes around. I can already see it in his eyes and feel it in the bond - he''s not scared of me,"

    "That''s a good sign," Asher smiled down at her.

    "Thank you," she suddenly said to him.

    "For what?" He was surprised at the sudden gratitude.

    "For giving up your son, not many parents can do that,"

    Asher chuckled, "You talk as if he''s not your son too,"

    Lia laughed yet shook her head, " You know what I mean, Asher. Daniel is your rival, you could have refused Ashton from embarking on such a dangerous journey yet you didn''t. That''s not something anyone could do easily," she took a deep breath, "You saw what happened, our son could have remained down there,"

    Asher told her, "I am selfish, "

    " What? " her face featured puzzlement

    "Daniel could have had you for himself all alone but he choose to share, that''s more than enough reason to help him out. Moreover, he''s no longer just a friend, but family and if there''s anything a Nicoli knows best, is the fact that family protect each other,"

    Lia was stunned by that speech, she turned and clasped his face in her palm saying," What did I do in this life to deserve you? "

    "You don''t need a reason to deserve someone like me. I''m the one who should be grateful for someone as good as you," Asher pecked her on the tip of her nose, "You should go check up on Daniel,"

    "Would you be okay here though?" Lia was concerned.

    "I''ve been with you for the past twelve years, Daniel needs that attention more now," he let go of her, "Take care of him and goodnight," It was late already.

    "Alright, goodnight," She placed a kiss on his cheeks and left.

    Since Daniel was still not comfortable with them already, she had him moved to his former room instead of hers - at the least, that should help return some of his childhood memories. Hopefully.

    She went into his room.

    "Oh my God! I''m so sorry," Lia apologized, hiding her face.

    Thinking he was still asleep, she had walked in without knocking, who knew he would be changing - ThankGod it was his chest and not his lower region. She didn''t want to seem like a pervert.

    However, as much as she drew her eyes away, her gaze still caught the scars on his back and a gasp left her throat.

    "What the hell! " Lia''s blood ran cold and she found herself marching over to him and pulled his clothes up, revealing the numerous scars on his body. Some had healed while the others overlapped the others.

    Tears slipped down her cheeks, Lia didn''t need to ask what happened. It seems down there in hell, his regenerative ability as a werewolf was blocked - she doubted he was even a werewolf there hence the excess scar tissue.

    Suddenly, her eyes caught something, it was her name carved into his skin and not only hers but his kids too, and there were even Asher and some of his pack members.

    "Why would you do this?" She couldn''t understand. Did he become a masochist or something?

    "I can''t remember why but if my instinct is right, I think I was trying not to forget," He laughed sheepishly, "It''s quite funny, I forgot though,"

    But it wasn''t funny to Lia. All these years she had let him suffer down there. If only she had worked harder, she would have rescued him; everything happened because of her.

    Daniel was surprised when the beautiful woman in front of him began to cry.

    "Oh no," He stiffened up. He had made her cry. Bad Daniel!

    "Miss Lia, please don''t cry. I''m so sorry. Please forgive me if I have mistakenly said something out of line," He had a panicked look on his face.

    Lia shook her head, she wanted to tell him that it wasn''t his fault and that she was crying because she failed him, but when she heard him call her by her name with an added," Miss" and not the usual, "Love," the tears fell harder. She has broken him.

    Daniel was confused, the young lady wasn''t close to stopping. What should he do? This was so frustrating, he didn''t want her to hurt anymore.

    Call it instinct or something, but Daniel let his hand guide him and the next he knew, he had pulled her into a hug. He encompassed the woman tightly in his arms. For some strange reasons, she being like this hurt him greatly.

    His hand ran through her hair, murmuring coaxing words that calmed her eventually. He liked the feel of her body on his plus the fact a certain area in his body heated up. Why was he feeling this way?

    The man was mortified when he suddenly had thirty thoughts in his mind. Though Daniel was amnesiac, he still retained substantial intellectual, linguistic, and social skills despite profound impairments in his ability to recall specific information encountered in prior learning.

    He knew he was a werewolf but feeling this amount of attraction for this woman was uncomfortable yet tempting. The woman had told him she was his, but he wasn''t that trusting yet.

    Lia didn''t mean to cry on his shoulder or for that long, but once she started, she couldn''t stop. She was embarrassed, and lifted her head to apologize but froze instead. Those darkened eyes! She knew what that meant and her wolf shivered in anticipation.

    They stared into each other''s eyes. As hungry as he was, Lia could still sense some reluctance in him. Daniel was doubting himself and so she made the job easier for him.

    Her hands hooked around his neck and she brought his head down, claiming his lips. The man went still but as she continuously ground her lips against his, he opened up and let her in.

    It all felt familiar, Daniel followed that sensation. Moreover, his muscle memory was there to guide him and he found himself hoisting her up, she wrapped her legs around his waist.

    Lia moaned into his mouth when his hand went to mold the curve of her ass. She was right, he could remember the feeling.

    Daniel''s shirt was the first to touch the ground, baring his chest to her. At first, she hesitated and almost ruined the passion when she saw the scars, but Lia began to trail them and watched as his breath hitched. He was as affected as she was. She then bent and licked one of his flat nipples while her hand continuously traveled his wide and smooth chest.

    Unable to let her have all the fun, Daniel took off her shirt too and tossed her bra obstructing his view of her breast. His eyes glittered darkly watching her chest rise up and down with her hard little nipple. He was overwhelmed with the need to taste her, so his head lowered to draw one nipple deep into his mouth.

    Lia moaned in pleasure, her hand almost leaving his neck but his other hand snake around her waist tightly. He was so intent on branding her as his that he teased her till Lia was crying to be filled.

    He didn''t need a guide, Daniel lowered her to the bed, took off the rest of his clothing, then proceeded to remove hers. By the time he finished undressing her, he was so hard he couldn''t wait to enter her - he bet she felt marvelous.

    But Daniel went on with his foreplay, making sure he had poured out his attention on every part of her body till she was gratified, before sliding into her moist heat till he couldn''t go any further.

    Lia whimpered, gasping at the familiar sensation of the muscle deep inside of her. And when he began to thrust, her mind swirled. She couldn''t think instead enjoyed the pleasurable feeling he was eliciting.

    Thrust upon thrust, their body moved in rhythm as her walls clenched, the inevitable contraction came and the euphoric feeling washed over them.

    The feeling felt surreal to Lia, Daniel was finally home? She looked up at the face staring back at her and she said, "Welcome home Daniel,"

 Chapter 339 - Three Hundred And Thirty-nine: She Changed

    Breakfast the next day was awkward, no one spoke a word as they ate. Yet, they kept stealing glances at each other especially the twins to their father.

    They had always imagined how their reunion with their father would be, no one thought that the father they were so excited to meet had forgotten about them. They knew he didn''t forget them purposely, but it still peeved them.

    Ashton stared at his sister''s father, Daniel, and then at his mother, Lia, and back at his father, Asher. He shook his head contemplatively, no matter how he thought about this, it was so awkward. How could his father stand another man, not even a human, but a werewolf, around his mate? Remembering he would have to go through the same process weakened his soul - one woman was enough for him.

    He watched as his father Asher, picked a piece of meat from the meat bowl and put it for Lia to eat, but Daniel growled, took the meat, and eat, replacing the meat on Lia''s plate himself.

    Asher junior shook his head. Fuck this, he was good with just a single woman. May his other mate never find him, he wasn''t sure he could deal with this kind of hassle. Take a look at his poor father, just because the anticipated chosen bridegroom, Daniel, returned, his father, Asher, had assumed the role of a concubine. Sigh, this was so unfair.

    "I kind of have an announcement to make," Lia announced, drawing everyone''s attention.

    They all fixed their eyes on her, anxious to hear what news she had this time. The last time had been rescuing Daniel, who knew what the next would be?

    "I''ll be getting married,"

    Hailey who had chosen that moment to gulp her juice spat it out from shock. What the hell.

    "What? Getting married?!" Ashton and Hailey shouted in unison. Even Asher was taken aback by the announcement, he seems to be taking it well than the others. Even better than Daniel, that was looking at Lia as if she was an alien.

    "Yes, I can''t wait anymore," Lia told them.

    "But you just got father back, he hadn''t even recovered his memories," Hazel pointed out with reason.

    "That makes it the more reason to get married, the faster he settled down, the faster his memories would return," she turned to Daniel, " Or don''t you want to marry me?"

    "I-I... I" Daniel began to stutter unsure, but when she took his hand in hers, everything became clear to him, "Of course, I would marry you milady," He brought the top of her palm to his lips and kissed it.

    Hazel and Hailey swoon.

    Ashton cringed.

    The boy couldn''t take it anymore and turn around to his father. He just couldn''t understand this man, he was quietly seeping his drink as if what was being discussed didn''t concern him. His rival mate was stealing his mate right in front of him yet he sat unbothered.

    He turned to his mother, "When you talk about getting married, do you mean to Daniel alone?"

    Lia gave him a stupid look, "How many mates do I have?"

    "Wait," Hazel pointed to the both of them, " You''re getting married to both father and Ash..." she trailed off upon seeing the livid look on Daniel''s face.

    "We don''t need him!" Daniel growled, wrapping his hands possessively around her waist as his inner beast came to life.

    Asher who had been quiet all these while sassed, "Sure, you don''t need me else I would have gladly taught you how to block off the bond last night when you both were going at it. Do you know hard it is to concentrate when you literally have porn playing in your head,"

    "I''ll kill you," Daniel swore, " You can''t take what''s mine,"

    "Sure, if you''re that proud, let''s fight it out as real men do,"

    Panic flashed across Hazel''s face, "Mom, do something! " she yelled when she saw both men leave the table yet her mom was unaffected - including her siblings.

    "You''re worrying over nothing," Hailey said to her nonchalantly, blowing invisible specks of dust off her finger.

    "What do you mean I''m worrying for nothing, father and Asher are about to kill each other yet you all behave as if it''s frivolity," the girl couldn''t understand.

    "Chill, sis, you worry too much" Ashton laughed at her, "Both share the same mate, they won''t be able to kill each other knowing doing so would break mom''s heart. They''d just smash their faces until they''re exhausted, nothing to be disturbed about,"

    No wonder, their mom wasn''t troubled.

    "You don''t have to worry about them, Hazel. Fighting would only settle the tension between them and I need both mates to get along, not bite each other''s head off," Lia finally explained to her daughter who nodded in understanding, "Just get a bowl of water and clean towels - I''ve got blood to wipe off,"

    "Ooh," Hailey was excited, " I want to watch this fight. Wonder who would win amongst our fathers," she zoomed off with Hazel after her.

    Ashton who couldn''t resist such sight was about to join them when he felt something. No way.

    Instead of heading to the entrance, he retraced his steps and went further into the packhouse, walked up the step that led up the second stairs, and stopped at the door where he felt the pull the most.

    He took a deep breath and went in. She was up, that was the first sight that greeted him. Sophia had her back turned to him nor did she seem to have noticed his presence.

    "Sophia!" he called out softly, closing the door behind him.

    The girl whipped around to him, a look of horror on her face.

    "Calm down, I can explain," He gestured to her.

    "How is this possible?" she was panicking, " I saw myself die... I saw things... Monsters.. that aren''t supposed to exist... h-how?"

    "I''ll explain, just calm down, okay? I''m not going to hurt you," He pleaded, taking cautious steps towards her.

    Sophia gave him a skeptical look, yet did not attempt to move. She wanted to run as far away as possible from here, but there was this indescribable pull that rooted her foot. And why was she trusting Ashton? She remembered clearly what he did to her. She was supposed to be running from him, not waiting for him to catch up to her.

    When Ashton got within five feet of her, he told her, "You don''t have to worry, you''re going to be okay,"

    Call it instinct or something, but Sophia threw herself at him, hugging him tightly as if she was hanging onto life.

    "I''m so sorry for putting you through this," Ashton patted her on the back while his other hand ran through her hair. He was so engrossed with comforting her that he didn''t notice the sudden change in Sophia.

    At first, Sophia just liked the feel of his body; his scent washed over her and made her relax. But then, it got stronger and she felt this great pang in her stomach and an ache in her teeth.

    Her sight rested on his silky throat, when did his neck become this attractive? She felt an overwhelming urge to reach out her lips and taste him - God, she must be crazy!

    Yet, notwithstanding the repel, she still tilted her head and brushed her lips across his throat and it felt good.

    Ashton stiffened up, what was she doing? Does Sophia even know she was treading on dangerous ground here? He felt his body heat up instantly, the fact it was his mate doing this to him made it ten times stronger to resist yet he strived.

    "Listen, Sophia, I don''t think this is -"

    He tried to pull the girl away but she now hooked her hand around his neck, pressing her flush against him. The last of his control dissipated, he gave himself to her.

    Sophia continued to shower her attention on his neck, suckling on that sensitive spot that earned her a moan from him. It made her feel good neither did she get to see how darkened her eyes were.

    All of a sudden, a ridiculous thought surfaced in her head and she began by grazing her teeth across his neck. Ashton''s hands slide down and grabbed her ass, rubbing her against his arousal, he was so damn turned on.

    She bit his neck again, he moaned, the slight sting fading into pleasure. Then her primitive instinct kicked in as her fangs slowly descended and she slammed it into his neck.

    The lust vanished from Ashton''s eyes instantly and he was filled with shock. How did she��.? Could it be the transfusion really changed her?

    Sophia felt fulfillment like no other, his blood tasted like heaven, wait a minute, his blood?! She was disgusted and waited to pull her, yet she simply couldn''t. Sophia wanted more.

    So she continued to drink from Ashton who now had an ecstatic look on his face when someone crudely ripped her from him.

    The girl snarled and wanted to attack who had disrupted her, but the woman with a fierce look simply lifted her hand and some kind of barrier held her in place.

 Chapter 340 - Three Hundred And Forty: Transformation

    "Oh no, I''m a monster," Sophia cried for the umpteenth time already.

    "Transformation 101, been there," Hailey yawned loudly which irritated her sister greatly.

    "Could you please at least be a little civil to a newborn," Hazel implored of her.

    Hailey rolled her eyes, of all duty their mother had to assign them, it was to guard this little crybaby vampire. Well, was she even a vampire? Who knew whether Ashton''s creepy blood turned her into a hybrid or tribrid all together?

    "Sophy listen, -"

    "It''s Sophia," she corrected, still heaving from her sobs.

    "Hurrah, she cares about her name, that''s a good sign she''s not going feral and still has her human characteristics"

    "Hailey," Hazel warned, a low growl escaping her throat.

    "What?"Hailey shrugged," I''m trying to be positive here - I''m sure uncle Ben would applaud me for that, "

    "Why do I have this? " Sophia opened her mouth, exposing the two long canines.

    "That''s your fangs you use it -"

    "To drain Ashton dry," Hailey interrupted her sister once more.

    Hazel glared at her.

    "Stop staring at me that way, it''s not like they''re not going to do it pretty soon. Just take a look at Ashton, she only tasted his blood and he almost went over the moon, what now happens if she does that during - mmmm," Hazel cupped her sister''s mouth to prevent those dirty words from coming through. Sophia was a newborn vampire and didn''t need to know about that yet.

    "Seriously!" Hailey pushed her hand away, "She''s not even a child, why hide the inevitable from her?"

    "Because she needs time to absorb these all. She got pushed into our world so quickly she couldn''t even brace herself. For Christ''s sake, she has been a human all through her life," Hazel, the responsible one amongst the triplets spoke sensibly.

    "Then, are you trying to tell me that I shouldn''t tell her that her mate might in the future have another....." she trailed off upon seeing her sister''s murderous look, rephrasing her words instead, "Might have the urge to marry her soon,"

    "Marry who?" Sophia panicked,

    "I''m still a high schooler, I haven''t even graduated - I have to graduate! I''m too young to be a wife and a mother!"

    This time the twins watched the girl interestedly as she freaked out.

    "Was this what our mother went through?" Hailey asked

    "Probably. The emotions can be empathized with." Hazel perceived.

    "We should treat mom well in the future," Hailey suggested.

    Hazel acquiesced, "Yeah," she added, "Starting from you,"

    Hailey gave her sister the look yet shrugged it off afterward, after all, she was the one who gave their mother the biggest problem, with Ashton closely-ranked second. Well, changes can be made...

    Meanwhile, in the other room, Lia was in an intense discussion with her son.

    "Why didn''t you tell me she was awake?"

    Amongst her three children, Ashton was the one with the highest tendency for violence, followed by his sister, Hailey. Hazel hated unnecessary bloodshed which was usual in a supernatural community and would rather be cooped up the whole day in her room reading.

    However, that doesn''t mean a good fight doesn''t appeal to her. Hence when Hazel and Hailey had left to watch the fight, she had thought Ashton had left to get the basin of water and towel - the errand Hazel abandoned just to watch her father''s fight - who knew he had felt the pull of the bond and went to answer it.

    "I was going to but she looked so scared and I tried to handle it on my own but then things went down so quickly it slipped my mind. I''m sorry," He apologized.

    Lia knew that one was sincere, so she didn''t quibble much on the issue.

    "I told you from the start that the girl is your responsibility, so you''d be the one to carry out the test," Lia told him.

    The test was no other than checking if the newly turned supernatural would be able to live in their former habitat.

    Lia had learned her lesson from her own experience with her mother hence made the rule. All human turned supernaturals would be exposed to their parents and guardians and unless they''re not okay with the transformation of their loved ones, their memories would be erased. It wasn''t right to hide something as big as a human''s change from their parents or guardian - they were allowed to make a choice. Since supernaturals were able to tell lies apart, it wasn''t easy to fool them. The test was 80% efficient.

    "I know," Ashton was ready to carry on the responsibility.

    "Though it''s rare, it''s not entirely impossible to be transformed through blood transfusion. Hence this means I have a limited idea of your mate''s ability and most especially, her eating pattern - human or vampire blood -"

    "Vampire blood," Ashton said with confidence.

    "Don''t be so sure. Becoming a vampire through transfusion is an unnatural process and I wouldn''t be so surprised if her diet deviates from the expected hence it''s your responsibility to keep an eye on her. I hope that won''t be a hard job for you,"

    "Of course," he stood straight with his head held high. This was what he signed up for when she became his mate and got involved with him.

    "Now, I''ll advise you to get your ass moving, I have your childish fathers to tend to," Lia dismissed him and left with the bowel and towels.

    "Goodluck with that," He was amused before leaving to find his mate who had thankfully stopped crying - his sisters were surely the best for this job.

    "Now the beast is here, we should leave the beauty alone so he could devour her in peace," Hailey smirked.

    Ashton hissed at her, getting the hidden message beneath her words. He would keep Sophia away from Hailey, so she doesn''t corrupt her innocent soul.

    "We should go, the spell used on your parents would lose effect soon,"

    "Spell?!" She was shocked.

    "You''ve been away for almost three days now, haven''t you wondered why a search party hasn''t been organized yet?"

    "Oh," It finally dawned on her yet her eyes widened, " When you say spell, do you mean those cast by witches?",

    Ashton was amused by the look in her eyes, "What do you think?"

    "No freaking way! You mean witches are real?!"

    "Of course, did you think vampires were the only creatures around? In fact, the very ground you stand on is a werewolf pack," He informed her.

    "No way," her mouth hung open from shock," You can''t be serious. But then if this is a werewolf pack and you''re a vampire, how is that possible? I have never heard of vampires living in wolf packs, that is not even practical,"

    "That''s because I''m not just a vampire," He decided to reveal the truth to her. There was no point in hiding it since she was his mate anyway.

    "Eh?",

    "I''m a tribrid,"

    "Huh?"

    "Half-vampire, half-werewolf, half-demon," he revealed and expected some sort of reaction from her, but all he got was her blank expression.

    Suddenly, she broke into a peal of long hysterical laughter, "Oh my God, you''re so funny. You''d make a good comedian - wait a minute, is today''s April fool day?" she continued her laughter.

    Ashton sighed, they never believe him until he shows the evidence. So while she was entertaining herself with her daughter, Ashton lowered his head neither was the girl observant enough to notice the low rumble coming from his throat.

    However, a scream tore from her lips when he suddenly looked up at her and his eyes were completely black.

    "Ahh!" Sophia shrieked and at once ran back to the bed, cowering away from him till she had nowhere else to run to.

    Ashton always had a hard time with his demon side so he couldn''t change back his demon eyes immediately. He followed after the girl, she shouldn''t be afraid of him, she was his mate and he would never hurt her.

    "No, don''t come any closer!" Sophia screamed when the demon-like man climbed onto the bed and began to crawl towards her on all four. She was so scared, how could Hailey and Hazel leave her alone with him?

    Having her trapped, Asher opened his mouth and licked her face. That was a way the demons acknowledge their chosen one.

    Eww, Sophia was disgusted even though it sent tingles down her spine. It would have been better if it was her dog licking her face instead of a full-grown demonic man doing that. She got to leave here, this place was so creepy

    Ashton liked licking her face and dipped his head, about to taste her again when the girl in front of him suddenly vanished.

    "What the fuck," He cursed, his eyes returning to normal as he pulled back from shock.

    "Sophia? Sophia, where are you?"

    Then he felt a dip in the bed even though he couldn''t see who was doing so and realization dawned on him. It was her power manifesting! Invisibility!

    "Sophia, I know you''re scared but you just made a breakthrough and you would need me to - aww!" a punch landed on his face and another in the spot where the sun never shines.

    Ashton slid to the ground in pain as the invisible hand turned the doorknob and the door opened. Someone obviously left.

    Good going, Ashton. So much for scaring your mate. God, this was so damn painful!

 Chapter 341 - Three Hundred And Forty-one: Oh Shit!

    Lia forgot how stressful it was to deal with her two mates. One was annoyingly possessive while the other was slyly selfish. But it felt good to have them back - it was nice to have Daniel home. For the past twelve years, she had felt incomplete, but now, everything was just alright.

    So after both men had punched their faces to a pulp, Lia was there to attend to their wounds. Though both of them had the regenerative ability, the wounds wouldn''t just fade away like that. It would take time. And cleaning.

    "Ouch!" Daniel winced when Lia dabbed his cheeks with the towel hard.

    "What did you just say?" Lia glared at him.

    "Ouch?" He tested his luck with those puppy eyes.

    "If a word leaves your mouth once again, I''ll roast your ass," she added, "You should have thought of that before starting a fight," she dabbed the towel on his face with more force.

    "At least try to kiss it bet...."

    Daniel was still saying when Lia''s glare intensified.

    He lowered his head, distracting Lia, and put on a mean moue, looking like a child who was beaten by momma as he mumbled beneath his breath, "How can you be so mean to me when you owe me kisses for twelve years,"

    Though it was more of a whisper Lia was a supernatural, so she had heard it loud and clear, even Asher shifted in his seat uncomfortably - his competitor was back with a bang.

    Lia almost spat blood, she had forgotten how shameless Daniel was. No matter what, a person''s personality could never change. Thanks to the, urm, * cough* cough* activity they carried out last night, Daniel had recalled half of his childhood memories. If he continues at this rate, there was no doubt he would recover all of it before the month was up. But then, even without his memory intact, Daniel was still Daniel.

    Fine, the man was right by the way. She indeed owed him two years'' worth of kisses and had to make it up to him. Moreover, Daniel needed lots of love and attention to be comfortable and recall the rest of his memories at a healthy rate.

    "Fine," Lia dropped the towel on the armrest and pulled him closer, dropping two chaste kisses on his bruised cheeks, "Satisfied?" she hoped he was.

    Of Course, he shook his head.

    "Where now?" Lia was honestly tired of their tantrums, can''t they cohabitate for once?

    "Here," Daniel brazenly gestured to his busted lips where Asher had punched him. He had been angry earlier but now Daniel was thankful for the vampire giving him this opportunity to be petted by their, no, his mate.

    Lia had intended to just brush her lips against his since the lips were a sensitive area plus she didn''t want the whole thing to be misunderstood by the brooding vampire on the other couch.

    However, the shameless Daniel had other plans for Lia. The moment she lowered her head to peck him on the lips, Daniel reached out and pulled her onto his lap, snake his arm around her waist and smash his lips passionately against hers before she could say, "Jack Robinson," plundering her lips to his heart''s content.

    Asher''s face was as dark as shit as he watched that damn werewolf monopolize his mate. He had forgotten Daniel had the divine ability to get on his nerves. Because Daniel had been away for twelve, he had intentionally sent Lia to him last night. But then, that little wolf was taking liberties with him. The vampire had sworn not to be affected by Daniel''s petty tricks but not when their mate was being snatched right in front of him.

    Lia''s eyes were as wide as saucers, what the hell was going on? What brought on this sudden competition?

    "Y-you!" She was flustered as she pointed at Daniel, " I''ll deal with you later," She told him and turned to appease Asher only to discover the man was gone. Wonderful, another quest to settle later, that man was finickier than his son, Ashton.

    Flustered yet irritated, Lia picked the bowl of water which had turned red from wiping away the blood on their faces with the intent of getting rid of it, only to bump into something right in the middle of the hallway.

    Normally Lia would have thought of this as an accident but the bowl had fallen from her hand, the water splashing to the ground. She looked around just to be sure she had bumped into something, yet came up with nothing. Unless...

    Realization dawned on her and Lia Instantly hurried to the room where Sophia was kept but met her limping son, halfway.

    "What the hell is going on?!"She asked him with a look of uneasiness.

    "It''s Sophia, she has the invisibility ability and might be on her way home unsupervised," Ashton spoke with effort. Though supernaturals had quick regenerative ability but not that area - it seems.

    Lia was pissed off, "She''s just a newborn and yet you couldn''t even control her! I told you that she''s your responsibility,"

    "She''s still in our territory, I can sense it," Asher promised his mother, "You don''t have to worry, I''ll get her back by all means," There was a dark glint in Ashton''s eyes. Since Sophia began the game of chase, she should run to the end because he''s about to hunt down his prey.

    --------

    "Huh? What was going on?" Was the thought in Sophia''s head. One moment Ashton was intimidating her and the next he was searching for her.

    Earlier, she had wished in her heart for Ashton to go away or an ejector could somehow appear and take her away - who knew prayers were still being answered. She didn''t understand what was going on, but it allowed her to run for her life. She had to return home at all costs.

    As surprising as it was, Sophia didn''t know how or why Ashton wasn''t chasing her, but she made it safely to the door and made her escape. She went down the passage carefully, hiding away from anyone in sight.

    But when it got to a point that there wasn''t any more room to hide in, not to mention the fact that Hailey and Hazel were heading her way. Sophia tensed up, what was she going to do? Well, she''d act natural and who knows luck might shine on her path.

    Sophia lifted her hand, about to say hi to them when the twins passed her by without even giving her a look. What the hell? But she was standing right at the side, how could they not have seen her? Could it be that they couldn''t see her? She flashed back to that time when Ashton began to search around for her, and now the twins?

    Could it be that she was invisible? That was impossible yet not entirely. Over the few hours, she has been exposed to things she has never thought possible. Heck! She even drank blood.

    Take, for instance, Ashton''s scary mother, she saw her do impossible things with her hands and though Ashton hadn''t shown her anything, he was a demon for Christ''s sake. What if by chance, she had gained some insane powers?

    Though not fully convinced, Sophia decided to take a huge leap of faith. She walked confidently, refusing to hide anymore. By the time the first person bypassed her without noticing her too, a smile of joy and satisfaction lit up her face. She was INVISIBLE!

    Eager and delighted, the girl sprinted down the hallway with no care; the entrance was not far now. Excited, Sophia forgot that though she might be invisible, humans still had mass and occupied space. She bumped into someone.

    Sophia''s eyes were wide with shock. Of all the people she had to run into, it was Ashton''s scary mother? And she even caused the content in her hand to pour to the ground?

    She couldn''t explain it but something was disturbing about that woman as if she could see through her. Sophia bet the woman was starting to suspect something with that deep look of concentration on her face as she stared at the spilled water. Oh no, this was bad! She had to get out of here!

    With that being said, She padded down the rest of the hallway and stairs and soon made it out of the house - thankfully the man with the bruised face had not noticed her.

    She was confused the minute she made it to the front yard. This was one large village and she didn''t know where to go neither had she visited Kinney for once. But then, she had heard the thick woods connected the village to Little town hence decided to go through there.

    If she had powers and Asher''s mom had powers too, then there were others like them out there too. No doubt, there was a possibility someone might have the ability to snuff her out if she dares mix in the crowd of villagers. Moreover, she didn''t know how long this invisibility skill of hers might last.

    So Sophia went for the better option. However, she hadn''t gone deep into the wood when the sky suddenly darkened. Lightning flashed brilliantly, followed by a clap of rumbling thunder that made her shudder; it was going to rain. Heavily.

    This couldn''t be a coincidence, She thought. Sophia had always wondered about the strange weather in Little Town and had finally gotten the answer. Someone was manipulating the weather and a gnawing feeling in her chest told her exactly who. God, she had to move!

    But then the sky opened up and there came a mighty downpour. The rain beat at her skin and blinded her vision but Sophia refused to be thwarted; she would get to her destination no matter what. The girl continued running until something came into her mind and she came to a sudden halt. Sophia looked back and there it was, her footprints in the mud. Oh shit.

 Chapter 342 - Three Hundred And Forty-two: Dont Leave Me

    "I need your help," The girls were astounded when their little brother barged into their room requesting for a favor. Something great must have happened.

    "Help for what? Did you lose your mate?" Hailey joked, but then when she saw the passive look on her face, it slowly dawned on her, " You really did lose your mate,"

    Hazel figured out, "So we''re going hunting,"

    "Yeah," Ashton concurred. He knew his mother wouldn''t let him use her men nor his father - that was his punishment - so what other choice did he have other than to mobilize his sisters.

    "What happened?" Hailey asked. For the girl to have escaped the almighty Ashton''s grasp, she must have hit him real hard.

    So Ashton spent the next minutes narrating the event as they headed to the entrance.

    "So in one word, you scared off your mate?" Hailey intentionally pointed that out, "How dumb could you get?"

    Ashton grimaced, his sister knew how to hit the nail on the head.

    "Forgot that part, have you forgotten the fact she''s invincible," Hazel reminded her sister. Already standing at the entrance, she took a long deep breath since she was the best tracker amongst her siblings.

    "She also hid her scent, I''m impressed yet scared," she turned to her siblings, "I haven''t seen invincibility ability like this. With this kind of power, she could go off the radar for as long as she intends,"

    "That makes the hunt all the more exciting, don''t you think?. Ashton, what have you got?" Hailey asked him, knowing their brother would never summon them without having a proper plan in mind.

    "I can feel the bond, she''s close by," was his reply

    "But we can''t," Hazel shrugged, asking, "How are we supposed to hunt something we can''t see?"

    "By making it rain," Ashton announced, heading outside with his eyes focused on the sky.

    "Ooh, I''m going to love this," Hailey was giddy with enthusiasm. Events like this excited her, it was a good thing she wasn''t the one with the demon side - Hazel couldn''t even imagine the scene. Even thinking about it made her shiver.

    "Asher Junior!" They turned to see their mother stomping towards them, "I just need one clear day, why can''t I ever get that? Do you know that our town has become an area of interest for climatologists a huge thanks to you and your erratic weather?!"

    "Sorry mom, but I''ve got a mate to catch," He said to her just as thunder rumbled in the distance and lightning started to dance in the sky. It has begun. Almost immediately, the rain poured down.

    "Let''s go," He ordered his siblings and they stepped out, "I''ll lead you to her location, we''d capture her with enough cooperation," He added, "Don''t hurt her even if she hurts you,"

    "That is so not acceptable," Hailey refused, "What do we get from this?"

    "What do you want?"

    "What I want?" Hailey brushed her finger across her lips, thinking hard, " Be my servant for a month,"

    "In your imagination," He said yet bargained, "One week,"

    Hailey gave him a dirty look, "Are you trying to rip me off? Three weeks,"

    "One and a half week,"

    "Two weeks,"

    "Two weeks it is," and it was agreed. He turned to Hazel, "What about you?"

    "As far as you don''t bother my life, I''m good to go. Though I''ll like to spend more time with your mate without you growling my head off,"

    "Deal," Of course, Hazel was the best. Ashton was relieved that she didn''t make any ridiculous requests like his greedy sister, Hailey. If only he knew what Hazel had seen to request such a trivial request.

    "Let''s go!" Ashton led them through the woods notwithstanding the rain beating down hard on them.

    The three of them were a blur in human eyes as they sped through the wood. They used their vampiric strength since it was more convenient at this time than padding through the wet ground in their wolf form. In no time, they came across her first footprint.

    "She''s close by," Ashton announced.

    A few sprints more and they saw the continuous appearance of a footprint on the wet soil yet the creator was not visible.

    "There she is!" Hailey announced, adding more speed, and broke away from their group.

    "Hailey wait!" Ashton tried to stop her but the girl had already gone ahead without them.

    Sophia was panting heavily as she ran from her target. How did they catch up with her so easily? So the girl added more speed. But the moment she looked back, Hailey was almost behind her that if the girl dared reach out her hands, she''d be caught.

    Terror filled Sophia but an idea came into her mind and she kept running straight ahead but at the last minute took a sudden turn, Hailey rammed hard into a tree.

    "Hailey!" Hazel screamed when she saw what happened and went to her sister''s aid.

    "Hey, are you okay," She examined the huge bump on Hailey''s forehead and her burst lips with a bleeding nose. This only happened to her because she had been too overconfident of her skills.

    "Yeah, it''s nothing I can''t handle and would heal in a while," she smiled wryly.

    Hazel turned to Ashton, "You are on your own from now, I need to take care of sister,"

    "Leave, I''m not a chicken," She tried to chase the girl off but Hazel ground stood her chance.

    "Alright," Ashton nodded his head in understanding and zoomed off.

    Sophia was happy with her progress, she had managed to shake them off her trail or so she thought, because the next she knew, someone knocked into her so hard they fell onto the wet ground.

    "Sophia, listen to me," Ashton pushed her back, trying to overpower her.

    "No, you get off me!" Sophia shouted, focusing all her strength on her fist, and punched him straight in the face.

    She was shocked at the intensity of her strength because it tossed Ashton away from her at quite a distance.

    Ashton was shocked at the extent of her strength. Who was he fooling? She would beat his ass if he doesn''t step up his game. No more mercy.

    Sophia took to her heels again, but she hadn''t made it far when she was tackled to the ground once again.

    She tried to hurl a blow at him, but Ashton captured her hand and pinned it to the ground. She did the same with her other hand but he pinned it too. She then attempted to kneel him, Ashton was quick to block her aim.

    "What are you going to do now?" he smirked at her victoriously. However, Sophia suddenly leaned forward and headbutted him. Ashton saw stars.

    With that distraction, Sophia took advantage of it and ramed her fist in his face, he fell to the side. She ran off again for a very long time which made her worried - Had he given up on her?

    But no!

    The breath was knocked out of Sophia''s lungs when he threw himself on her out of nowhere. Sophia lost her balance and they began to roll off the steep hill.

    While they rolled off, Ashton made sure he protected her by taking much of the impact. They both fell into the river and she gasped from the coldness while Ashton groaned from the jagged rocks along the way that pierced into his body - mostly his back.

    "Ashton!" Sophia panicked when she heard the groan of pain leave his lips. She swarmed over to the side where she had seen him fall into and pulled him up from the water.

    "Are you crazy!" Sophia yelled at him,

    "You could have gotten yourself killed!" The girl couldn''t even understand why she was angry and concerned for him. She intended to run as far away from this devil, not come for him.

    "Since you''re a sucker for pain, go die! I don''t care about the world you live in hence don''t dare to drag me into it. Don''t even think about following me either else I''ll - mmm," her words were caught short when Ashton smashed his lips on hers.

    Her hands went to his chest trying to push him away but his wet shirt clung to his body revealing the tautness of his muscles and how good it felt touching them.

    Her resistance shattered and her hands traveled to the nape of his neck, threading through his wet hair and kissing him back with the same ferocity.

    Ashton felt every curve of her body through her wet clothes and he loved it. His arms went around her waist, pressing her flush against him.

    She was supposed to be fighting him, not loving him, the remaining sense in her head argued but Sophia was far gone. Was this the bond Hailey was talking about? The girl wanted to hate him for the things he had done to her but she couldn''t; a love-hate relationship. She felt drawn to him.

    "Sophia," Ashton pulled away from the kiss, calling her name softly as he begged, "Don''t leave me, please," there was desperation in his voice.

    No, would be the right answer, Sophia decided in her heart. He turned her into a monster without her permission. All he had done since he came into her life, was to flip everything upside down.

    "Alright, I won''t leave," Her heart still ended up betraying her. Sophia had a feeling that she would come to regret this if she doesn''t grasp the chance now. Why was she having this insecure feeling?

 Chapter 343 - Three Hundred And Forty-three: The Wedding-1

    "Do you, Lia Darlington, take these men, Daniel Vanidestine and Asher Nicolli, as your lawfully wedded husbands?" The wedding official asked the tribrid who was the spotlight of this special occasion

    There was anticipation from the crowd as they waited for Lia to reply, after all, she was marrying two men. This was the first time Little town was witnessing a polyandrous wedding, hence everyone was eager to see how it would turn out to be.

    "I do," Lia answered, honestly. She had never been this sure in her entire life than now neither was there a need to think twice about her decision. If both weren''t her mates for life, there would be no one else. She would spend the rest of her immortality with Daniel and Asher.

    "Now, repeat after me bride," The officiant began to enunciate the traditional wedding vow which she recited, facing Daniel.

    "I, Lia Darlington take you, Daniel Vanidestine, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death we do part; thereto I pledge thee my faith, "

    According to the officiant''s direction, she turned to Asher repeating the same vow. She had made the first vow to Daniel as a sign of respect since he was officially her first mate.

    "I, Lia Darlington, take you, Asher Nicolli, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part; thereto I pledge thee my faith, "

    A round of applause reverberated across the garden; they had done an outdoor wedding. However, Lia was obviously not through with her vow as Hazel, the ring bearer who had the rings tied to a small luxurious pillow came forward with the rings once again - the grooms had been the first to say their vows.

    She picked a ring and turned to Daniel, her first husband, "I give you this ring as a sign of my love for you and commitment to each other. I promise to support and give you an unwavering dedication. I will cherish you forevermore." she said and slid the ring into his finger.

    Having done that, Lia wanted to pull away but Daniel intertwined their fingers saying, "Together, forever,"

    Lia smiled warmly at him even though she knew werewolves had a shorter life span and weren''t exactly immortal as vampires. But she wouldn''t think of that on this special day - she''d do everything to keep him by her side.

    There was applause from the crowd which died off when she picked the remaining ring and turned to Asher, he had a giddy expression on and looked happier than he has ever been.

    "Let this beautifully crafted ring always be a reminder of my promises to you and the unwavering bond between us," she promised and slipped the ring on his finger.

    "You may now kiss your grooms," the officiant announced.

    Asher and Daniel lowered their head and pecked her on the cheeks. They each would have gone for the passionate kiss but some people were still not comfortable with this kind of marriage hence toned it down a bit - they''d take their public display of affection somewhere better and private.

    This time a thunderous clap reverberated across the aisle as they had been proclaimed "Husbands and wife". The guests could not hold back their happiness anymore. The sight was so sweet and heart-stirring amid its awkward tension. Everyone stood to their feet, greeting the new married couples with deafening rapturous applause.

    "This is being uploaded online right?" Hailey asked while fulfilling the rectitude of clapping alongside the others.

    "Yep," answered Hazel who returned to her seat after fulfilling her ring bearer role.

    "My reputation is ruined," there was a resigned look on her face.

    "Why care about those measly humans'' opinions?" Hazel couldn''t understand her sister''s obsession with popularity and power, "You should be happy our parents got together successfully,"

    They had gotten mixed reactions From some humans - a few percent were open to the idea - about their mother getting married to both men. Not that their mother cared about their attitude - she went ahead with the wedding anyway.

    Since only the supernaturals understood the need to get married to both men, most invitations were given out to them. But to their greatest surprise, many humans turned up than expected - guess human nature would never change. They would try to discourage you from an idea yet be the first to look forward to it.

    Still, the population of supernaturals to humans was larger since Lia was the Council Head, every clan and pack has attended to pay respects and forge alliances.

    It was not surprising the girls had gotten a list of dancing requests before the dance even began officially. But the priority was making sure the human guests returned safely without any unfortunate incident.

    Though all guests had been warned; vampires were to rein in their bloodlust; witches, their jealousy; werewolves; their anger. There was still a chance of an incident happening, not to talk of some daredevils, so Lia had put every necessary protocol in place to prevent that from happening.

    Hailey groaned and turned to her brother, "Could you stop tapping your feet, my ears are quite sensitive and it''s getting on my nerves," she glared at him.

    "Sophia is not here yet," Ashton was nervous. For some strange reasons, he was abnormally restless today nor could he tell whether it was because of his mate''s absence.

    "Well, have some patience, she''d -"

    "Sorry I''m late," the girl hurried over to their row.

    "Just as I was saying," Hailey added, "You''re welcome,"

    "Wow, you look stunning," Ashton breathed, feeling butterflies in his stomach amid that restless feeling.

    "Thank you," Sophia blushed, tugging her curled tendril behind her ear. She took the seat Ashton had intentionally reserved for her.

    "How are your parents?" Ashton asked out of concern.

    After their fight in the woods that day, they had gone to see her parents as expected. Let''s just say her parents were more welcoming than the others so far.

    "They are slowly adjusting to the new me - it''s kind of crazy for them too. I guess it''s hard trying to take in the fact that their baby girl would live for centuries while they die eventually, plus feeding on vampire blood - thankfully not theirs," she chuckled nervously," It''s hard for me too, " she gulped.

    "Don''t worry," Ashton cupped her face, "We''re going to go through this together," He bent and kissed her.

    "Ugh," Hailey was disgusted seeing her younger brother swapping saliva with his mates five minutes after her arrival. The troublemaker turned to Hazel who wasn''t bothered by the scene, "Sucks for those who don''t have a mate yet," she intentionally prodded her.

    "Oh, don''t worry he''s going to find me today," Hazel waved her provocation off.

    "How did you know?"

    Hazel turned to smirk at Hailey, "I saw it in my vision," she tapped her temple, "Sucks for those who can''t see the future," she returned the treatment.

    "Whatever," Hailey rolled her eyes and stood to her feet, "Thankfully, the dance has begun," she winked at her, "Going to find my mate while yours finds you. Goodluck"

 Chapter 344 - Three Hundred And Forty-four: The Wedding-2

    "Ben!" Lia was delighted out of her mind when the boy, no scratch that, the man stepped into view with a toddler in his arms.

    "Lia!" Ben smiled down at her, lowering his head to place a kiss on her cheeks since he was currently taller than her.

    "Gosh! How long has it been? You''ve grown so handsomely!" she scrutinized him, "And is that Cheryl?"

    "Hi aunty Lia," the two-year-old kid waved at her cutely.

    "Oh my gosh she''s so adorable," Lia gushed with pride, taking the little kid from his grip. She snuffed the girl,

    "Human?"

    "Hopefully," Ben wished. He wasn''t sure his daughter would love to go through the ordeal he experiences every day, "We would know about that when she reaches puberty"

    "What about your wife?" she asked while teasing the kid.

    "She couldn''t make it,"

    "Well, your presence is all I could ask for anyway," she handed Cheryl back to him, "Have a nice time at the reception and we''d speak after this is over,"

    "Alright," Ben agreed, "Now, where are my triplets?" he went in search of them. It was time to ask for forgiveness after breaking his promises of visits.

    "So," Someone came up from behind Lia and she didn''t need to turn to know it was Asher, "Care to dance my milady," He bowed which was kind of romantic.

    "Of course," Lia did her bow, ready to place her hand in his when someone snatched her.

    "I''m sorry but I''m dancing with her first," Daniel insisted.

    Asher pinched the space between his brows, this annoying werewolf was beginning to get on his nerve.

    "Our mate said the vow to you first, aren''t you satisfied with that?"

    "Satisfied my butt!" Daniel refused,

    "It''s my right as the first husband to have the first dance - that''s custom!" he claimed while Lia could feel a headache coming.

    Was it a bad idea to marry both of them? In the weeks leading to this wedding, all they''ve done is to quibble with each other - with a few punches in between - and reconcile afterward after reaching a compromise, only to begin the cycle all over again.

    "Custom, my butt! Who wrote the custom? You?" Asher didn''t back down. To be honest, he had a few schemes in place.

    He has made plans with Dan, the instant the reception was over, he would sneak out with Lia and Dan would teleport them to the country he has planned for their honeymoon - Daniel can search for them as long as he wants - and return after he''s spent enough time with Lia, hehe.

    Daniel scoffed at Asher, the vampire doesn''t know the plans he has set in motion. The moment the reception is over, Asher would be distracted and he would leave with their mate for the honeymoon he has organized for the both of them. Asher wouldn''t even see it coming, hehe.

    Lia felt guilty, but it had to be done. Once this reception was over, she''d escape for her life having known the kind of mates she has. She would return after they learn to behave and share. Sure, they''d be angry at first but she has her ways of coaxing them.

    "Rex!" Lia caught sight of him and waved. She said to her mates, "Have a good time dancing with each other," and escaped to her brother.

    Asher and Daniel stared at each other and scoffed, crossing their arms.

    "Fifteen minutes of dancing and you can be the first while I''ll be the second and dance with her throughout the night" Asher bargained.

    "No way!" Daniel harrumphed

    "You can''t have your cake and eat it again,"

    "Fine, you''d be the first," Daniel gave in. The thought of dancing with their mates for the rest of the night exhilarated him.

    "Alright," Asher had a smirk on his face, he couldn''t believe this werewolf was still as dumb as ever - he fell into his perfectly crafted trap.

    Their mate Lia was the Council Head, hence a very important figure, why would she dance with only Daniel throughout the night when she had like a hundred other guests to dance with and make acquaintances. Well, he better go claim his chance before Daniel realizes he''s been fooled.

    "Guys, we have a problem," Hailey approached Hazel who was standing awkwardly on the dance floor with no partner and staring at God knows what.

    "Not now, Hailey," Hazel told her, a bit of irritation on her face, "I have to stay here,"

    "Why?" She couldn''t understand, "You''re not even dancing with anybody,"

    Hazel glared at her, "I''m not dancing with anybody because this is exactly the moment where my mate wanders in and finds me as I saw in my vision - though I made a few modifications," she had a lovey-dovey look on her face," I want this to be romantic and perfect as ever. I look so fabulous and innocent right now and when he stumbles in, our eyes would connect right away - "

    Hailey pulled her arm, "I left my mate standing on the dance floor for this, so get your ass moving," she added, "You can make more modifications later" and began to lead her out of the dance floor.

    "No!" Hazel shouted dramatically, she just missed the chance of meeting her mate today.

    "You look beautiful tonight," Ashton was on the dance floor with his mate, waltzing to the music.

    "You''re such a sweet talker," Sophia blushed, hiding her face in his chest.

    "Sophia, there''s something I need to tell you," Ashton''s expression was suddenly somber.

    "What is it?" Sophia had an inkling she wasn''t going to like what he was about to reveal.

    "It''s about my demon heritage," He took a deep breath, "You do know my mother married two husbands,"

    Sophia chuckled, "Yeah, we''re at their wedding, duh" she poked him on the forehead playfully.

    "Well," He breathed, "There''s a reason for that and it''s related to -"

    "Ashton!"

    He was distracted.

    Hailey stepped forward, "Sorry, Sophia, but we really need him right now," already pulling him away from his astounded mate.

    "Seriously, Hailey!" he shoved her grasp away, smoothing the rumble edges of the suit when they reached a secluded corner of the garden. He glared at her and asked through gritted teeth, "What is so important that you had to drag me out of -"

    "Cynthia is here,"

    "Oh boy," there was a trace of shock in his gaze.

    "Exactly," Hazel empathized with him.

    "How did you know? You can''t be too sure, Dan''s been searching for her for months now,"

    "Sabrina somehow found out she attended this wedding. She thinks there''s something Cynthia needs here," Hailey briefed him.

    "Or who?" Hazel surmised, "She might be looking for someone, not something. God knows what she''s up to this time,"

    Well, Sabrina''s daughter, Cynthia, who is a vampire-witch hybrid is a pain in the ass. Everyone avoided her for that specific reason.

    "So Sabrina wants us to find her," Ashton saw where this all was going.

    "More like capture her, which is mission impossible, unless Cynthia wants to be found - which is more confusing- why?" Hailey groaned. Vampire witch hybrid was too much trouble, especially one who could wield powers from both sides perfectly.

    "Uncle Trevor is here, he''s the perfect person and hunter for this job, why don''t Sabrina ask him," Ashton pointed to the man in the crowd with Electra, his mate by his side.

    "Or even Devon, she''s a fellow witch hybrid,"

    "Sabrina thinks we''d be able to communicate better with Cynthia since we''re in the same age group,"

    Hazel scoffed, "You mean the kid who accelerated her growth,"

    "And if you''re not careful that kid would roast your asses," someone said from behind causing them all to turn.

    "Oh great," Hailey snorted upon seeing the dark-haired beautiful witch hybrid in front of her.

    "And she found us first," Hazel breathed.

    But the same couldn''t be said for Ashton whose heartbeat picked up speed the moment Cynthia stared into his eyes. Uh no, this couldn''t be the reason he was restless all day. Cynthia was his��.

    "Mate!" Davi, his wolf growled.

    The End.