"There were two before you, and before them, there were two," Clarisse began. Her voice carried a solemn tone, casting an even more eerie atmosphere in the room where Arabella sat."This has been the way for centuries. Every hundred years, two are born," Clarisse explained."I'm not quite following," Arabella furrowed her brows."It's your history, Arabella. I believe you should have been told earlier, but circumstances arose," Clarisse continued. "It's important for future generations to know about this in case you end up carrying multiple children."Arabella's hand instinctively rested on her stomach as Clarisse acknowledged it. She supposed it was now painfully obvious that she was pregnant. There was no need to conceal it any longer."What do you know about me?" Arabella inquired. She had longed to uncover more about herself and her mother. Despite her father's evasiveness and silence on the matter, her curiosity still gnawed at her."You discovered you have a twin after meeting h

THE SIN OF THE FATHER(Part One)100 YEARS AGO(Before Allesandro and Arabella were born)MOONSTONE PACK, ASCOTANAllesandro Rocco De Luca, the first, strode into the large room. It was the biggest space in the entire pack house, often used for meetings. The room was now filled with the pack's elders, twenty in total, each wearing a solemn expression.Rocco wasn't unaware of the reason they had gathered; after all, he was the one who had called the meeting. However, he didn't think it was as dire as they were making it out to be."Alpha," the elders said in unison, rising to acknowledge his presence. Rocco nodded and motioned for them to sit."Alpha," one elder stood up. It was Lawrence, the oldest and arguably the wisest among them. He was also the leader of the elders and was the one who spoke most of the time on their behalf.Leaning on his cane, a smile graced his wrinkled face, and his eyes blinked rapidly as he spoke.Rocco couldn't help but marvel at how he still stood despite hi

Sandro winced, rubbing the back of his head after colliding with a tall tree. Standing up, he took a deep breath and surveyed the forest surroundings. He was certain he was in some kind of forest, thanks to Clarisse's questionable idea.Arabella was nowhere in sight, and Sandro wondered about her whereabouts. Dusting his hand on the leather jacket he wore, he approached the forest opening, muttering, "What the hell?" His eyes widened as he halted, observing a surreal scene before him – a gathering of a thousand phoenixes as if stumbling upon a slumber party.Their colorful wings concealed their features, giving an impression of deliberate hiding.A cool voice interrupted Sandro, explaining, "It's the Phoenix Rising Ceremony, happening once every 100 years."He turned to see Clarisse."What the hell?" Sandro growled. "Why bring me to a costume party, and where's Arabella?"Not finding Arabella behind Clarisse, he expressed his concern."She's where she should be," Clarisse replied. "A

Arabella, Sandro, and Clarisse reached the entrance of the Phoenix's sacred ground. Lady Arabella stood at the center of a pentagram, and close to her was an elevated platform with a golden cup and an open book next to it.Turning to address the gathering, Arabella gasped softly. "Is that me?" she murmured, looking from Sandro to Clarisse and back at the woman."You go about looking like everyone, Cara. Not that I blame you for that," Sandro grunted."You're one to talk," Arabella glared at him, recalling her confusion between Alessandro the first and Sandro earlier. Now, she was faced with her own lookalike."Like I mentioned, the sin began a century ago, stemming from your ancestors. The figures you see here are your forebears," Clarisse explained."What about Alessia, then?" Arabella inquired, considering their twin connection. "If there's a first doppelganger, it would make sense for her to be present too.""She was absorbed by the first, but that's a tale for another time," Clari

Blaze groaned as he woke up. The ringing in his ears persisted, showing no signs of stopping anytime soon. He remained confined in the dungeon, and it was no surprise. Sandro wouldn't release him easily, especially after what had transpired.Now, Sandro was aware of Arabella's location, and Blaze couldn't help but feel responsible.The truth had been extracted from him through torture, yet he believed it was his fault for not resisting.But then again, resisting would be tough when your weakness was exploited against you.He scowled at the several marks lining his skin and the unyielding chain that kept him restrained. Trying to break free only resulted in discomfort- burning sensations that sent a jolt of electricity through him as well as a brain freeze."Fucking bastard," Blaze snarled, kicking a pebble and wincing.The chain not only hindered his escape but also suppressed his abilities. Now that Sandro knew his identity, escaping would be an uphill battle.Glancing at the hay-cov