EVANGELINE
After what I had just witnessed, I stumbled down the staircase, my breathing uneven and frantic. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The man from my nightmares was now here, in front of me. How could this be happening? I never believed he could be real and thought it was part of my imagination. As I rushed down the stairs, I tripped on one of the steps but managed to catch myself before falling. My heart was pounding wildly in my chest, and I could feel the energy and excitement radiating from Crystal. She was trying to say something to me, but I was too overwhelmed to listen. I could feel her strong emotions coursing through me, like an electric current. I had never felt this way. But why? When I finally reached the first floor, I was shocked to see that all the guests were still engaged in conversation, seemingly unaffected by the strange turn of events. But my parents, as well as Sean and Mia, were nowhere to be found. I felt a sense of unease settling in the pit of my stomach. I sprinted past the doors of the hall leading to the grand foyer and my heart skipped a beat as I caught sight of Dad, gazing intently at the main doors. In an instant, the large mahogany doors flung open and the mysterious man from my nightmares strode confidently on the polished marble floor, the sound of his heels echoing on the lit walls. As he approached my parents with a group of bulky men behind him, I felt a rush of conflicting emotions as Crystal’s wolf instincts roared within me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something wicked and alluring about him, and despite the danger that radiated from him, I found myself strangely drawn to this intriguing dark figure. My heart raced, mirroring Crystal’s intense emotions in response to this man’s presence. Why? As he stood right in front of dad, the tension between them charged the air like a storm about to break. The man’s unwavering gaze met dad’s eyes, and the lack of fear in his stare was a surprise, as very few, like my mom and Uncle Sky, could meet dad’s gaze without a hint of trepidation. Who was this mysterious man that commanded such confidence? His silver mask, perfectly matching his stark silver hair, concealed half of his features from view, yet I could make out the sharp jawline of his profile, lit by the blue light of the hall that cast beams of icy radiance over his face, adding to his enigma. “Lucien,” my father addressed curtly, his displeasure palpable in the air as he cast a stern gaze at the mysterious stranger. “I don’t recall inviting you to this ball. Why are you here?” So that was his name, Lucien. My nerves felt jittery as I tried to make sense of the situation. “Alpha Dark,” Lucien replied smoothly, his deep voice tinged with a velvet edge that sent shivers down my spine. “I’ve been missing all of you so terribly that I couldn’t resist paying a visit, even if I wasn’t invited.” Crystal stirred restlessly within me as if trying to voice her opinion. “M-m…” ‘Crystal calm down. Why are you behaving like this?’ She couldn’t speak and now she was trying to form words? My Dad’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “I didn’t think mating balls were your thing.” “Recently, they have been,” Lucien responded coolly, his piercing gaze falling upon my mother. “And you must be Mrs. Dark.” “You were there…the day…” my mother trailed off. What was she talking about? Who was Lucien, exactly? How did my parents know him? “Yes, I was present the day your child died and was reborn,” Lucien said, his voice slicing through the air like a silk-wrapped blade. He was referring to me, and the knowledge of my unusual birth made me squirm in my place. I knew many people whispered and gossiped about it behind my back. “Seriously Lucien, why are you here?” Dad’s voice sounded impatient. “Is that the way you speak to your new Lycan King?” “I don’t care whose king you are. You know I don’t follow anyone.” Dad retorted. “Oh yes, yes. But may I remind you…we had a deal. Remember?” he gesticulated with his hand and raised his perfectly arched brows. “Yes, I do. What’s your point?” Dad asked, a scowl on his hard face. The man’s eyes suddenly sparkled with mischief, sending shivers down my spine. He declared with a calm voice, “I am here to collect the debt you owe me as part of the agreement.” My parents didn’t even flinch at his statement. Agreement? What agreement was he talking about? I was filled with confusion, not understanding what was happening. This man, who had haunted my nightmares, now stood in front of me, revealing that he had made a deal with my parents. I was shocked. I thought I knew the story of my parent’s love, but it seemed as though there were parts that had been left out. Dad looked a little concerned, “What is it that you want?” “It’s not an ‘it’ but rather a person I want.” “Who?” Silence. Despite the mask framing his face, I could make out the deadly smile he gave, “I want your daughter to be my slave. As part of the deal.” Dad’s face turned red with anger, “You can’t be fucking serious. My daughter is not a possession to be traded. How dare you even suggest such a thing!” My knees felt weak as I registered what the Lycan King demanded. Me? As a slave? What the actual fuck?! The enforcers of my pack tensed up as they heard the Lycan King’s disrespectful comment about me. Their growls filled the grand foyer, showing their discontent and protective nature toward me. The Lycan king’s face turned even more sinister, “Careful about how you respond, Alpha Dark. It’s a deal we made and I granted you the freedom from a deadly poison and stopped you from turning into a monster. Now it’s your turn to pay back the favor.” “Ask for anything else,” Mom said, “Not our daughter.” I held the wall near for support as my head spun with a myriad of feelings, none of them near to pleasant. My body felt like a ticking time bomb and Crystal’s constant howling and scratching at my insides made the matter worse. It was like every inch of my body was aware of his compelling presence like a wave of heat surging its way through my skin. In a sudden burst of clarity, Crystal’s voice emerged, and her words echoed throughout my head, “M-mine.” She howled and all the color from my face faded. My body convulsed to the floor, no one barely registered the impact as everyone’s attention in the foyer was focused on the Lycan King and his pack. Sweat covered my forehead as I rested my head against the wall, and the strange sensations I had experienced finally made sense. I was horrified to acknowledge the truth. How could it be possible? Lucien shook his head, “I know what I want and I have stated it. It is Evangelin—” “Don’t take her name!” Dad growled, his eyes glowing red. His wolf Asphalt was trying to take over him. His eyes darkened, “Or what? You want to start a fight, Alpha Dark?” “Why Evangeline? We have other powerful warriors and witches who are willing to work for the Lycan King. Our daughter is the future of this pack.” Mom argued. He clicked his tongue, “I don’t answer anyone, Mrs. Dark. I want what I want and this time I want Evangeline.” Crystal ran in circles inside me, excited by Lucien’s words. ‘Girl, he is asking us as a slave. Understand the difference!’ I shouted at her inwardly to knock some sense and respect into her head. But, as I soon realized, wolves were known to be unruly and lacked a sense of decorum, especially when they encountered their mate. “You are not getting her.” Dad’s voice boomed through the room, filled with a mixture of determination and anger. His eyes had turned red, the tell-tale sign of his wolf taking over, and the black veins on his neck were prominent, further emphasizing Asphalt’s dominance. Lucien’s gaze narrowed, and I could sense the rising tide of disappointment and anger within him. This elicited a soft whimper from both Crystal and me, as we felt the full weight of his disapproval. “Looks like living on earth has blurred your memory, Asphalt. You must know…I take what I want. One way or the other.” Asphalt snarled, baring his sharp canines. But Lucien’s eyes glowed back at him with equal ferocity. The air was thick with tension as the two powerful figures faced off. “You shouldn’t have challenged me, Asphalt,” Lucien declared, and with a snap, Mom collapsed on the floor. “Mom!” I shouted, shaking off the feelings that had been overwhelming me, and ran towards her. “Avery!” Dad sat on his heels, cradling Mom in his lap. Her body was vibrating as if her life force was being drained. The lights in the foyer flickered. “It’s a little trailer of what I am capable of doing if my orders are unheard. Give Evangeline to me peacefully or you can kiss your mate goodbye.” Lucien warned while he stood tall and exerted his Alpha dominance over us. The sound of cracking bones filled the air as the warriors of our pack shifted into their wolves. Their fur bristled and teeth bared, surrounded us, forming a barrier of protection for their Alpha and his family. Sean growled, “How dare you step into our pack and threaten us!” He took his stance and shifted into his wolf with ginger-colored fur. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with.” The Blood Moon wolves never backed down from battles to protect our pack, no matter who we had to face. Lucien’s eyes glinted with mirth as he cracked his knuckles and bared his canines, “On the contrary, I think you should be concerned about whom you have challenged. This fight is not going to end well for your pack.” Sean’s wolf didn’t hesitate and lunged forward, jaws open and ready to attack. The rest of the pack followed suit, launching themselves into the fray with ferocity.***********************EVANGELINEThe warriors of our pack shifted into their wolves, their powerful forms bristling with fury as they growled and snarled at Lucien. Lucien stood calmly, his hands shoved inside his trouser pockets, and despite him wearing a mask, I could make out the smirk playing on his lips.Sean’s wolf, with its ginger-colored fur, charged forward, leading the attack against the Lycan King. But Lucien was not intimidated. His emerald eyes glowed with a sinister light as he lifted his hand lazily, summoning his powers. With a flick of his wrist, a wave of force slammed into Sean’s wolf, sending it flying across the grand foyer of the modern mansion. The other wolves hesitated, momentarily stunned by the display of power.However, the Blood Moon Pack was not one to back down easily. They attacked as a pack, launching themselves at Lucien with all their might. But Lucien stood his ground, using his invisible powers to deflect their strikes and send them flying. His powers were a blur, slammi
LUCIENI knew Dominic wouldn’t just wave the white flag and hand over his daughter to me. So when his pack challenged me, I wasn’t surprised. I felt an adrenaline rush spike through my arms to my fingertips as the wolves of his pack lunged at us. I summoned my power and focused it on my palms.The first wolf lunged forward, teeth bared, but I was ready. I sent a blast of telekinetic force toward the animal, throwing it back with ease. The look of hesitation on the other wolves caused a sly grin to form on my lips. I didn’t need to shift and use my pack men to fight against the Blood Moon Pack because they were nothing compared to what my pack was capable of. It was lucky for them that they didn’t enrage me to the point where I would shift.I raised my arm and summoned another burst of energy, sending a wave of force that knocked back several wolves at once. They yelped and growled, but I was relentless. I attacked again and again, using my powers to toss wolves left and right, never
EVANGELINETo my surprise, Lucien released Mom, but when he announced his intentions to come after me, I realized I was trapped in this deal. While I couldn’t fault my Dad for making the agreement, especially given the dire circumstances he faced at the time, I didn’t want my pack to suffer because of me.Just as Lucien was turning to walk away, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and my heart skipped a beat when I realized it was my father. He was launching an attack on Lucien from behind, but he never made it as he froze in mid-lunge.“Dad!” I shouted, holding my mother in my arms. Her eyes were closed and her skin felt cold to the touch. I motioned to one of the warriors nearby, asking them to take her to one of the nearest rooms in the mansion to rest.Dad was trying to move, growling with bared teeth, and I realized that it was Asphalt who was trying to fight Lucien. However, no matter how hard he struggled, he seemed unable to move. Lucien simply stood there, his lack of
EVANGELINE Mia’s gaze shifted between her parents, her brow furrowing in confusion as she waited for their response. Getting nothing except a contemplating silence, she cleared her throat and finally spoke up, her voice laced with uncertainty. “So?” she asked, her eyes darting back and forth between her Uncle and Aunt. “I don’t like the proposal, but Marshmallow has a point. Potato can’t shift and the wolves can try bullying her. Though she’s capable of protecting herself, we can’t be too sure. It's better if she has someone with her.” Uncle Sky said, using the names he used to call us when we were kids. I was Potato and Mia was Marshmallow. It was an odd combination but Uncle Sky wasn’t Uncle Sky if he didn’t come up with odd names. “Then let me go with her,” Sean’s voice came from the back and we turned to look at him. He was also with us when we entered back home and probably heard the conversation. He looked at me, “The Alpha and Beta considered me worthy of the title of the
EVANGELINE The sound of growls, claws clashing, and the burning bitter smell of smoke rising from the flames around me consumed the forest in its fierce embrace. I watched as my dad’s wolf Asphalt fought ten wolves simultaneously. I could feel the heat of the fire blazing through the forest as a thick blanket of smoke crept between the trees, the smell of burning wood and ash stinging my nostrils. The burning flames that engulfed the area shone off of the wolf's fur, illuminating their movements as one of them bit onto Asphalt’s shoulder, sinking its canines deep into his flesh as blood bathed Dad’s black fur. I wanted to kill that wolf for hurting him, but my legs felt boneless against the ground I fell on a few seconds ago. My stomach churned in agony as the strength of my mother's spell slowly began to take its toll on both me and my wolf. I felt a wave of nausea crashing against the walls of my throat, sharp and intense like a venomous poison. It burned its way up relentlessly,
LUCIEN As I towered before my pack warriors, I lowered my index finger to the map laid on the table in front of us. My finger traced a circular shape around the area that the rogues had vanished from, my finger coming to tap three times on the spot. “These rogues have a portal, a transportation device that allows them to travel anywhere at will,” I explained, my voice stern and commanding. “Think of it as a larger version of Anywhere door.” One of my warriors furrowed their brow, “What’s an anywhere door?” they asked. I scowled in response, “You don’t watch anime? How can you not know what’s an Anywhere door?” my shock was quite visible on my otherwise stoic face. My men exchanged confused glances, “Well, we’re not sure what you’re talking about, Alpha..” they said hesitantly. With a bored sigh, I looked at them sternly. “I can’t believe I have fucking pack members who don’t watch anime,” I spat. “Here’s your assignment: before we meet again to discuss our plan, watch twenty e
LUCIENMy eyes were fixed on the three unexpected guests who had somehow infiltrated the passage of our transport and were now seated on the cool dark marble floor of the foyer of my pack house. “How the fuck did you three come here?” it was impossible for anyone to enter our pack house without the required knowledge to access the hidden passage leading to the Hollow Hills.They couldn’t have done it unless—-my gaze shifted to Caleb whose eyes widened and he shook his head. His words came out in a stutter as he lifted a shaky finger to point at his footwear, “I-I… she was holding onto my leg just before we teleported.” “It was a piece of cake,” the brunette spoke with confidence. “I just acted as if I had given up on the fight, and then grabbed onto his leg as he teleported. I happen to know how you demonic wolves can transport, so I utilized some of my own powers to shield Sean, David, and myself before we made the leap.” She looked over at Caleb, a smug smile playing on her lips.
LUCIEN Evangeline’s lips curled as she snarled at me, “You think we are scared of your lousy pack?” I noticed the tiny black dot on her moving chin; a beauty mark. It wasn’t visible until one was close enough. I chuckled, “Yes, you should be,” I declared, my voice crisp and dauntingly deep, “Once you step foot in the lion’s den, there is only one expected outcome.” My strides were purposeful as I moved closer until I was hovering just beside her. In a voice just above a whisper, I uttered, “The lion will consume you.” She narrowed her eyes as she glared back at me, her body tense beneath mine. Her pulse raced under the veil of her milky skin and my proximity to her body caused a foreign electric sensation to charge every breath I took. It had taken everything in me to not grab her by her waist and taste those inviting lips. “If you are so bold in your words, then prove your bravery and fight us hand-to-hand like a true wolf. " Sean, the blonde-haired warrior, challenged. I met h