"Surgit."
With a start, Cinnia woke up and coughed at the weird smell of a powder that lingered in her nostrils.
Squinting at the bright sunlight coming from a gap in a boarded window, she shook her head trying to get rid of the cloudiness.It hurt to keep her eyes open, her throat felt itchy and her body felt like it had been slammed by a speed train.She could hear voices talking in low tones. Voices she didn't recognize.As her eyes adjusted to the light, she noticed she was seated in some kind of small room.There was a small, iron bed beside her, right next to the window where the sunlight came from; hung around the walls were various artifacts and idols of which she only recognized a few because she had seen them in the Fae forests where she grew up.What the hell is this place?There was nothing but darkness in front of her. The sunlight from the single window wasn't enough to illuminate it.When she tried to move to see what was behind her, she realized she had been tied down to a tall pole behind her."Don't worry, the ropes are just a precaution," said the same voice belonging to the person she remembered holding a knife to back at the clothing store.The blonde woman stepped out from the shadows and it was then Cinnia had the chance to look at her closely.The woman seemed to be a bit older than she was—maybe by a year or two, but there was a certain darkness behind her youthful face and lithe figure."You."Recognition flooded Cinnia's face as she recalled the face she had seen when the woman at the store took off her hood."Where have you brought me? If you're going to kill me, just get it over with. No point in dragging out the inevitable.""I'm not going to kill you, Cinnia. Why would I get rid of someone so useful?""What do you mean?" Cinnia asked, raising an eyebrow in question."I am not the one to explain this to you."Without another word, the woman walked away to the door and opened it.Just before she closed it, Cinnia could faintly hear her say something to whoever was on the other side."She's awake."Then she shut the door and Cinnia was left with more questions than answers.A while later, the door was opened and two elderly women both dressed in flowing hand-embroidered gowns, one with wrinkled paper-white skin, having her long, fire-red hair peppered with grey tied up neatly in a bun, and the other ebony-skinned with her dark brown hair cascading down her shoulders in twists strutted into the room and came to stand in front of Cinnia."Oh good. More people," she drawled, rolling her eyes in annoyance."Would either of you be so kind as to tell me why I'm here if you don't want to kill me?"The two women glanced at each other and with a small nod, the ebony-skinned elder moved forward."Cinnia, daughter of Manara and Nathan Ramilek. You look just like your mother did when she was your age.""Of course, you knew my mother. Let me guess, I'm not in Lunar Crest anymore?" she asked, cocking her head to the side."No, you're not. This is Darah Haven. You're in the central coven compound, Cinnia. You may call me Esther and I am the leader of all witches here," she said, introducing herself with a benevolent smile stretched across her face."Well, Esther, enough with the small talk. What do you want from me?""Untie her, Nanette," Esther instructed the pale-skinned woman she came with.When she was freed, Cinnia rubbed her sore wrists and ankles then stretched out her body.Relaxing into the chair, she crossed her legs and waited for an answer."You are an anomaly that should not have been born. A disruption to the balance of nature. You know this. You know that is why you have been hunted for the better part of your life."We would have killed you by now if you didn't have the leverage we need against the wolves.""Leverage? What leverage? In case you've forgotten, I have been running away from you guys for five whole years and have lived in fear for most of my life. I have nothing. I have no leverage against anybody!" Cinnia's voice rose as her eyes flashed with anger."You left me with nothing! I even had to live under a fake name! And now you're telling me this? What the fuck do you people want?!" She yelled, rising from her seat.She squared up to Esther, towering over her short, round frame as fury coursed through her veins."You are pregnant, Cinnia."Those simple words hit her like a sledgehammer, knocking the wind from her chest.Pregnant?"W-what?" Cinnia's voice wavered as she stumbled back a step.It suddenly made sense.Three weeks after her enthralling experience with the man from the bar—the one she felt the mate bond with and subsequently left without a word, she began to feel sick but shrugged it off to be a result of stress.She was too busy preparing to face the truth to even think that she could be pregnant."You're lying. What proof do you have? I'm not pregnant.""I can't be."Nanette smiled softly, almost motherly as she reached forward to stroke Cinnia's face gently."Oh, child. If you were so sure about that, there wouldn't be a flicker of doubt in your eyes right now," Nanette said, drawing her hand back to her side."No, no, no. You're trying to use me for something. Tell me what it is instead of using this petty lie! There's no way that I'm pregnant!""You can deny the truth all you want, Cinnia but the truth remains the truth.""I am not denying anything," Cinnia argued, crossing her arms stubbornly.Deep down, she was afraid. She didn't know the first thing about being a mother or bringing a child into a world that would not accept it. Just as she wasn't accepted."Sophie!" Nanette called.A moment later, the door opened and the blonde woman from earlier strode in."Give her the pregnancy test," Nanette ordered.Sophie handed Cinnia the box containing the tests and reluctantly, she took it."We'll give you some privacy and you'll find out if we're lying or not. You can use the toilet, it's behind you on your right," Esther said.They all left.Her lips wobbled as tears stung her eyes. She didn't want to believe it."This cannot be happening to me," she muttered.As she stepped into the tiny toilet, the first place her eyes flickered to was the window right above the W.C. but that was also boarded and even if it wasn't, it was too small for her to slither through.She couldn't escape the reality that was being forced down her throat."Please be negative. Please be negative,"She prayed, biting her lips so hard that she almost drew blood. Her prayers were not answered.The two sticks both indicated that she was pregnant.The sound of the main door opening and closing stopped Cinnia from entering a mini-breakdown.Squaring her shoulders, she walked out of the bathroom to be met by the knowing gazes of Nanette and Esther."So what? This baby is the leverage you need against the wolves? I don't even know who the father is, so your plan, whatever it may be, already seems pretty stupid to me."Esther chuckled dryly. "You know nothing, child, and yet you talk as if you know everything.""Well, it got me this far, didn't it?" Cinnia sassed back."Enough," Nanette instructed, rolling her eyes in exasperation."The same way we know that you were pregnant is the same way we know who the father is and we have already made arrangements to request his presence so that we can make negotiations," she explained.'They know who he is? Do they also know about the bond we shared?'She wondered just how much they knew and how much they were willing to share."He's going to come here? Today?"Her heart fluttered at the thought of seeing him again.His green eyes remained engraved in her mind since the moment she turned her back on him.Having to put herself first crushed her more than she expected. Sometimes, she could feel his gentle caress on her skin, and in her dreams, she could still hear him calling her princess."Yes," Esther answered."Not sure how well your negotiations would go but good luck with that. I mean, I'd appreciate it if you told me what the terms and conditions are but judging from the look both of you are giving me right now, I don't think you're going to tell me."Instead, I am much more interested in knowing exactly who this Alpha King is and who my baby daddy is," Cinnia said, staring at them expectantly after she sat down once more.Her father never spoke about his life as the Alpha of the Nightfall pack and his tenure as the Alpha King but only told her what he felt she needed to know about the wolves.Nanette and Esther exchanged a brief look before Esther sighed in acceptance."The Alpha King is Jerome Montgomery and his eldest son, the father of your child, is the Lycan prince, Denzel Montgomery."Hi! If you're still here, that should mean you're liking the book so far. Jsyk, comments and reviews (gems as well) encourage me a lot. Thank you!
"The gammas caught him wandering at the edge of the woods. I believe he was trying to spy on our activities. He has no mark," Maverick, Denzel's only brother and his Beta, reported. "A rogue?" Denzel asked, his jaw ticking as darkness settled over his expression. "Not just any rogue. He is a member of the Blood Demons. We couldn't get him to say any more than that." The Blood Demons consisted of rogue werewolves, who came together two years ago to form a pack separate from the twelve established packs of West Volken. Abiding by their different laws, they were ruled by a nameless Alpha and under his leadership, did whatever they wanted without fear of consequences. Over the last year, they threatened the diplomatic relationship between the wolves and humans through their insouciant killings and maiming of the human population of West Volken. Through the council which consisted of Denzel, his father, the mayor of West Volken, and the catholic priest, they managed to cover up the mu
A child. Cinnia lay on the hard, iron bed with a hand gently placed on her flat belly. Even with all the proof she needed, she still couldn't believe it. She was going to be a mother. Tracing her belly with her index finger, she wondered what the child would look like. Would it look more like her or like the stranger? Denzel. Lycan. She had never heard of such a supernatural creature before and the old witches refused to tell her anything. When she had asked Sophie, the young witch promptly ignored her questions and instead made her tell her something important that Denzel would remember from their encounter. That one night of pure sensuality. Her heart beat rapidly against her ribs as she began wringing her fingers together. Unsatisfied, she got up from the bed and began pacing back and forth. Despite the cool air in the room, a trickle of sweat ran down her right temple. She was afraid but also impatient. Afraid of what his reaction would be when he saw her after she had
It was all a blur to Cinnia. In merely two months and two days, she had mind-blowing sex with a devilishly handsome rake, found her way back home, got kidnapped, found out she was pregnant with a hybrid baby, and is currently being used as a pawn in a witch game. How exciting. "So, you're telling me that you're putting my life in danger because you want protection from blood devils or whatever you call them? Are you fucking kidding me right now? You witches, are crazy." Cinnia scoffed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Says the girl who was born part-witch," Sophie retorted. "Maybe that's why I'm not as crazy as you and your coven!" "Cinnia." It was the first time he mentioned her name and as she turned to face him, she found herself yearning to hear her name from his mouth every single day. "I'll handle this, Princess," he murmured, stroking her cheek softly. Scratch that previous thought, she wanted him to continue calling her princess every day of her life. Without even rea
The walls seemed to close in on her. The air became suffocating, making it difficult for her to draw a breath amidst the torrent of tears flowing down her cheeks. Much-needed oxygen was stuck in her throat, unable to make its way down to her lungs. She clawed at her neck, gasping in pain from the strenuous effort. Her shoulders began to shake forcefully as memories slammed into her. Memories that she had fought so hard to push into a locked folder of her mind. "Manara! Take Cinnia inside, now!" She remembered her dad yelling. Her father had turned into his spotted brown wolf before her very eyes for the first time since she was born and attacked the snarling wolves advancing on him. Amongst the wolves was one man, his face twisted in a sick grin. Peeking from the window after her mother ran out to help her dad, she saw him for a split second before he transformed into a hulking coal-black wolf and shattered her father's ribs. That split second was enough for her to capture his fa
Cinnia had just stepped out of the stuffy room she acquired for the night, for some fresh air when she noticed the deep blue Ford Fiesta parked across the road. She had seen the small vehicle when she arrived at the motel but paid no attention to it. However, when she saw it was still there three hours after her entry into the motel's surprisingly spacious parking lot, partly hidden in the darkness of the star-studded night sky, she became increasingly suspicious. She still couldn't see who was in the car after many attempts at squinting but her instincts told her that it wasn't empty. Years of running had made her doubtful of cars lingering around wherever she was for too long. 'Denzel couldn't have followed me, could he?' She wondered. Pulling out a pack of cigarettes from the pocket of her dress, Cinnia placed one in her mouth and was about to light it when she remembered that she was pregnant. Despite the nagging temptation to get rid of the child and render the witches' pla
"You had one job, Kai. One! And you did it drunk!" Denzel fumed.On second thought, he reached out and delivered a solid wallop to the back of Kai's head."Ow! Easy! I'm simply tipsy and besides, when I do things drunk, they usually turn out better than when I do them sober. You know this."Denzel recalled the many times Kai had gotten things done immensely well even after downing several bottles of whiskey, brandy, and bourbon."You—" At a loss for words, Denzel grabbed Kai's offending neck and shook him, causing his head to bob back and forth."Agh!" Running his hand through his hair, Denzel let go of Kai who began rubbing his reddened skin."Sometimes, dear Alpha, I wonder if this is a toxic relationship we have going on," Kai teased."I'm not in the mood for your jokes, Malakai.""Oof, you used my full name. My, my, this must be serious. Look, Denzel, it's not my fault that your lady is sleek as well. By the way, why the hell would you give her the Bugatti? I'll forget that you pro
"You're going to kill him, Denzel. As your beta," Maverick paused, grabbed Denzel's elbow, and forced him to meet his gaze. "As your brother," he emphasized and with a sigh, placed both palms on Denzel's shoulders. "I am telling you that Cinnia Ramilek is only going to be a weakness to us. She has already been used by the witches to get you to do their bidding simply because she's carrying your child. What happens when 'they' get wind of it?" Maverick hissed. Denzel shrugged off his hands and walked over to his seat behind his desk. "What did I tell you yesterday? Kai understands me so why can't you do the same, brother?" Denzel busied himself with the papers before him. "Kai is not your blood. No matter how much you love him and have accepted him into our family, Kai is only a member of the pack and he'll speak to you as one. I, on the other hand, am your brother, damn it! The man whom you want to fight is also my father!" Denzel shook his head while rubbing his temples. There we
Cinnia could feel her pulse thundering beneath the skin of her neck. Her eyes flicked from side to side, trying to use her peripheral vision to see who had her but it was useless.She could taste the rough leather of her captor's glove as it pressed down on her lips."If you try to scream and alert anyone, I will bury my blade so deep into your spinal cord that you won't even be able to utter a whimper. Do you understand, Cinnia Ramilek?"Cinnia nodded her head rapidly. The gloved hand left her mouth but the cold blade remained at her back. The hand caressed the smooth curve of her neck, a thumb tracing the outline of her throat.Cinnia stood still, all too aware of the danger she was in. "What do you want now? Haven't you done enough?" she hissed, her voice a harsh whisper.Her captor spun her. She came face to face with his masked features. He had the same blue eyes as her daily tormentor but she couldn't be sure it was him. His voice was hoarse, different from the clear baritone of