Cinnia counted the forty-eighth tile on the ceiling of her hotel room as she lay flat on the bed while drumming her fingers against her pregnant belly. The moment she arrived at the hotel, she thought she would break down in hysterics. However, her feet moved with a mind of their own and in minutes, she was on the bed, unable to do anything but hyper-fixate on the ceiling. Cinnia glanced at the clock that ticked the seconds away. She squinted a bit to see but for the life of her, couldn't fathom how long it had been since the truth slapped her in the face. She blew out a breath, turned to the side, and closed her eyes to shut out everything. She neither wanted to think nor feel any of what she was sure she would if she made the mistake of opening up her mind and heart. Cinnia had one goal now. Only one. And that was to make sure that Jerome Montgomery was six feet beneath the ground by the next full moon which was to come in about two weeks. Her fingers formed into a fist which sh
Being kidnapped and locked in a dingy room is not exactly the best way to appreciate a town or a city. Hell, to properly have a good view of a place, one has to be unbound and free to move about from one attraction to the next. Now, Cinnia was free as a bird. Without the threat of an induced abortion and subsequent death in the event of disobedience, or the proclamation that she was more of a bargaining tool than a living, breathing, human being, Cinnia was able to breathe easier in the car with Sophie as they drove past a sign welcoming them to the picturesque town of Darah Haven. Before she focused on gazing at the beautiful and calming environment that they sped past, there was a question that had nagged at the back of her mind throughout their short flight from New Orleans to West Volken and she had to ask or risk it poking at her till madness set in. "They had a witch, didn't they? The blood demons?" The question broke Sophie out of her roaming thoughts. There was conf
"How many witches live here?" Cinnia asked as she and Sophie walked down the driveway and toward the enormous property with their luggage. "Not many. Here's more like a gathering location for our spells, rituals, and other stuff. This is our ancestral ground where our magic is the strongest. I'm sure you can feel it," Sophie said. Cinnia clenched her fist and took a deep breath. Her pulse thrummed beneath her skin. There was a roaring in her ears as blood pounded and rushed through her veins. The skin on her palms tingled and the hairs on her arms and the back of her neck rose to points. The power she felt was stronger and more potent than she had ever imagined it could be. It draped around her like a safety blanket filling her till she feared she would burst. "Hey, calm down. Don't take it all in at once," Sophie placed her hand on Cinnia's shoulder and let it remain there till Cinnia loosened her fists and relaxed. "Wow, that was..." Cinnia was at a loss for words. "Overw
"Where the fuck is Cinnia? Where is my mate?!" Denzel was on a rampage upon returning from New Orleans with no sign of Cinnia or Sophie. Neither of them had been seen around the pack house ever since they left for the mission. "Calm down, brother. Cinnia trusts the witch for whatever reason. I'm sure they must have gone somewhere and will return soon," Maverick said in a bid to calm Denzel. "I have left her a dozen messages and voice mails. They have been delivered but there is nothing from her. I swear upon the goddess if something has happened..." Denzel picked at his fingers in a rage. "She's fine. I am certain of that. There has to be a reasonable explanation for their combined absence, okay? In this state, you won't even be able to access her through your bond. Relax, Alpha," Mya pitched in. "The bond. Yes. Thank you, Mya." Denzel snapped his fingers and rushed off to the solarium on the south side of the pack house—one of the only places except for his room where Denzel c
Cinnia wasn't sure how long she was out of it until she felt a splash of water hit her face. When she was finally able to open her eyes, the sky was blanketed in the cover of evening and as she turned her head to the side, she saw Sophie's worried face staring at her. "Oh. Thank the ancestors. If you hadn't come to, I would have had to start using magic on you. What happened?" Sophie questioned as she helped Cinnia get back on her feet. "Huh?" Cinnia grabbed onto Sophie's shoulder to steady herself. She laid a hand on her belly, then frantically patted around. Sophie placed her hand over Cinna's, stopping her movements. "She's fine. First thing I checked." "Are you sure?" Cinnia bit her lip as she rested her head which felt like it weighed a ton, on Sophie. "One hundred percent. Trust me." Cinnia nodded. "Of course I do. It seems you're the only one I can trust these days." Sophie grimaced at her words and turned her face away so Cinnia wouldn't see. "Come on, let's go. You have
When Cinnia's eyes fluttered open for the third time in a row, she was met with the sight of beauty. The full moon shone down at her as if inviting her into its embrace. For a moment, she was at peace as she gazed up at it. She made to sit up, to admire it fully but to her consternation, she was unable to move. Her body was tied down by heavy chains which were a bit loose around her baby bump. Her breathing quickened as she turned her head from side to side, trying to get her bearings and figure out where exactly she was. Cinnia caught sight of the stack of wood beneath her. An altar of some sort. She was in an open space but there were walls all around her so that meant she wasn't outside. Suddenly, she remembered. The guilty look on Sophie's face. The proud smirk on Esther's lips. They were responsible for this. "Sophie..." Cinnia's voice cracked. A wave of sadness washed over her. She had trusted Sophie with her life. 'Why must everyone I trust betray me? First him...and
"Sophie, give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now?" Maverick asked, his face an emotionless mask as he tightened his hold around Sophie's slender neck. "I'm...s-sorry..." Sophie gurgled, her eyes bulging from their sockets as she clawed at his hand but his grip didn't loosen for a second. Mya held Esther against the altar after binding her hands with the special chains used to cut off a witch's flow of magic as she waited for Denzel to return once he had dropped off Cinnia in their car and sent her home with the trusted driver and two competent gammas. "Maverick, let her go. You can't kill her before Denzel gets here. He's the one to decide, remember? Him being the Alpha and all?" Mya reminded Maverick when she noticed how blue Sophie's face had become. Maverick scowled and with a grunt, he released Sophie who instantly doubled over and began coughing and fetching before slouching on the other side of the altar. "Don't count yourself lucky. If I don't get th
Cinnia regained consciousness two days later with a massive headache and an incessant ringing in her ears. The sunlight hurt her eyes and the constant hovering and murmurs of people going in and out of her room caused her to wince and hold her head in her hands. Eventually, she managed to push herself into a sitting position and that was the moment the memories her brain had fought to suppress to allow her to sleep and recover, rose to the surface. Denzel's lies and corresponding betrayal. Sophie's treachery. Esther's attempts to kill her and her child so she can curse the werewolves. The memories tore through her. Slicing and cutting deep till she thought it would leave her in a stringy mess of meat and blood. She pulled her knees up as far as they would go without her belly getting in the way and bowed her head. Cinnia didn't notice the tears rolling down her cheeks at first. After all, crying was out of the question for her. She had done so much of it in such a short time an