“No!!” Derek and Charlotte cried out. Rebecca gasped for breath as she began to lose consciousness. The vampire sank his fangs into her neck and sucked all of her blood within a minute. Slowly, Rebecca’s eyes closed, and Charlotte and Derek watched as her life drained away. Immediately, the vampire guard dropped her dead body, wiped his mouth in satisfaction, and began to gasp for breath before suddenly collapsing on the floor as well. Jessica smiled. “Her blood is poisonous to us, but yours, Charly? I will personally suck all your blood dry and watch you die a slow, painful death, Charlotte.” She roughly pulled Charlotte’s arm, making Charlotte completely at her mercy. “Please, don’t do this!” Charlotte cried in desperation “Jessica!” Derek said with a heavy heart. Jessica laughed wickedly, her eyes gleaming with malice. “Derek! You caused all this! I gave you my love, my attention. I forgave you even after you threw me into prison, yet you still love her.” Jessica said.

A gentle breeze swept through the cemetery as Charlotte and Derek stood at Rebecca's grave. The simple white headstone marked Rebecca's final resting place, making the moment even more tearful for her."Rebecca," she softly called, trying to fight back her tears. "I am so sorry." Her voice was full of pain and regret.Derek held her hand and squeezed some warmth into it. His face was sad, but he tried to act strong for Charlotte."I should have been a better person to you. I love you dearly, sister." She wiped her face, tears streaming down."Becca, I will forever miss you, sister." He pulled Charlotte gently into his arms as she sobbed, placing her head on his shoulder. "I will protect us, our family. The family you died fighting for, and I will get justice," Derek proclaimed.They stood in silence, hand in hand, as they stared at the graveyard. After a while, when the clouds were threatening to pour, they walked away and drove off.Derek drove to the front of Nathan's apartment. He

“Go in and talk?” Charlotte asked.Her pleading eyes met Derek’s, and for a moment, the tension in the air seemed to hold its breath. Derek’s grip on her arm tightened slightly before he exhaled, his shoulders relaxing. He nodded reluctantly.“Alright,” Derek said, his voice softer now. “Let’s talk.”Nathan gestured toward the house. “Follow me. We’ll be more comfortable inside.”Nathan motioned for them to sit on the plush sofas circling the fireplace. Austin and James took their places by the door, protecting Nathan and showcasing his authority.Derek looked at Nathan expectantly. “Alright, Nathan. Explain yourself.”Nathan gently cleared his throat. “You see, this world is not only full of humans, as you well know with Jessica. There are enemies of nature, and there are friends of nature. I am Jessica’s nemesis; we are werewolves born into different packs. We look like humans, but we can transform. Our bites are poisonous to vampires.”“What...?” Derek’s voice was a mix of disbelie

Isaac had been in the cell for what he guessed was up to a week, though it could have been longer. Without any windows, he couldn’t be sure of the time. No one had visited him except the guards, who merely dropped a plate of food through a hole and walked away, ignoring his questions. The sound of keys clanking drew his attention to the door. A man with a bundle of keys unlocked it. “Follow me,” he said in a dry tone, opening the door and walking away without a backward glance. Left with no choice, Isaac rose from the bed and followed him. He was momentarily blinded by the bright lights when they finally left the dark tunnels leading to the cells. The guard was a few paces ahead. “Keep up,” he said without turning around. Isaac hurried to catch up. They stopped in front of a black mahogany door, and the guard knocked twice. “Come in,” answered a deep voice from the other side. “Let yourself in,” the guard said, his last words before walking back the way they had come, leaving I

Nathan’s POV I stepped into the pack’s meeting side by side with Derek Miller and Charlotte, knowing this would cause a stir as they were neither wolves nor members of the council. “King Nathan! What is the meaning of this?” Elder Lucas demanded, as we barely made our way in, his eyes at the sight of the two outsiders. The people began to murmur at this sight! I raised a hand to silence the room. “As you well know, Derek Miller isn’t just any man. Having him on our side will serve a greater purpose for our plan, and Charlotte here... deserves to be here!” Charlotte looked at me in disbelief. She had not wanted to come along because she wasn’t a member of the pack, but I believe she should be. I have my reasons, but they can’t be made known to anyone. Elder Scott rose from his seat, with his tone sharp. “And why exactly does she deserve to be here, Nathan? We have strict protocols for a reason.” I took a deep breath, trying to remain calm, “Charlotte has unique insights a