The Half Blood

NALA

I was on the brink of being caught. I couldn’t recall how long I’d been on the run, but my chest was ablaze. My breaths were shallow and labored.

The forest was a blur as I desperately sought an escape route.

The lycan must have been hot on my heels, because suddenly an intoxicating scent filled my nostrils, prompting Nealie, my wolf, to howl. His distant howl echoed in response.

“Mate,” she growled.

“Pull yourself together,” I retorted, finally breaking free into a clearing.

But just beyond the trees was a sheer drop-off.

I peered into the dark, churning depths below. Waves crashed violently against the cliffside, their foam slowly dissipating.

Then, as if materializing from thin air, he was there. He transformed right before my eyes, his dark fur morphing into raven black hair.

His muscles shimmered in the sunlight.

The scent was overwhelming. My thoughts were scattered.

He took a deep breath, his dark eyes boring into mine. He was waiting for me to speak.

I didn’t utter a word. Instead, I turned and leapt.

1 WEEK AGO

My legs swung freely over the edge of the cliff. I watched as the waves below crashed into the rocks. The idea of plunging into the dark depths was oddly exhilarating.

Of course, I wouldn’t actually do it. But the thought lingered in the back of my mind.

A cool breeze caressed my face, carrying the salty scent of the ocean.

My wolf, Neale, was itching for a run in the wild. Nothing like a family trip to the Royal Kingdom to make her restless. That’s how I found myself here.

The Royal Kingdom—or Denmark, as the mortals called it—was worlds apart from my secluded village. We didn’t have oceans like this back home. My home was in the Crossbreed Land, the only place where half-breeds from all realms coexisted peacefully. The realms were parallel worlds to the human world, accessible only to nonhumans.

My father, Darius, and mother, Elenor, were of different species. Mum was a she-wolf, while Dad was a warlock. Two beings from different worlds. Yet destiny brought them together. Despite the animosity between their kingdoms, nothing stopped them from embracing each other.

A war erupted between the Realm of the Witches and the Realm of the Lycans many years ago. The reason for the bloody conflict is now lost to time. The only one who might know is the Lycan King himself. His advisors were so terrified of his temper that not a whisper of a rumor has circulated in the two hundred years since the war began.

But the bitterness and resentment between the two realms still run deep. Especially among the Lycans.

When our parents met, their immediate bond changed everything. They couldn’t stand to be apart and chose to leave their families behind.

Neither kingdom would allow my parents to live as mates within their borders. They didn’t want the half-blood offspring they would produce among their people.

It wasn’t just the Witches and Lycans who rejected half-breeds.

The Vampires, the Fae, and the Dragon Shifters strictly prohibited it. Half-bloods were seen as inferior beings.

Our parents have been shuttling back and forth from the Lycan Realm for years.

Mother has always been a teacher of the History of the Seven Kingdoms. Although the Alpha King initially disapproved of her living in the Realm with her mate, he invited her back a few years ago to teach at one of the pack schools.

He extended some form of apology by inviting her and my father to the Lycan Royal Ball this week. My sister, Maeve, and I tagged along to visit the Kingdom, though we weren’t invited to the festivities ourselves.

I didn’t even want to attend the ball.

Lycans were arrogant, and I imagined the royal court was even worse. They believed they were superior to us half-bloods.

A shiver ran down my spine, jolting me from my thoughts. Suddenly, I felt as if I was being watched. As if someone’s gaze was burning into the back of my neck.

I squinted, scanning the treeline when I spotted a shadow just beyond where the light touched the forest.

“Nala,” a voice called from the darkness. “I have something to show you.”

The voice belonged to a woman. It was enchanting and alluring, like a spell.

“W-who’s there?” I stammered, rising to my feet.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t reveal myself to you. Not yet.”

“What do you need to show me?”

“Him…” she voiced, her tone laced with a hint of foreboding. “Come with me.”

Like a specter, the figure dissolved into the blackness, silently urging me to follow.

She guided me through the forest, her form shimmering ahead, ethereal as a wisp of smoke. I could just discern the silhouette of a woman. She was cloaked in a long, dark garment. The shadowy figure led me to a clearing, but vanished the moment it came into contact with the light.

Even though it was midday, the sky abruptly darkened as if night had fallen.

In the heart of the meadow, a flame flickered into existence. It was pale, like a phantom. If this wasn’t reality, was I glimpsing into what was yet to come?

The distant sound of drumming reached my ears. The rhythm grew more insistent, a pulsating urgency that set my heart pounding. I knew I was anticipating something, but what?

I scanned my surroundings, but the woman had disappeared.

Suddenly, two figures materialized from the shadows, a man and a woman. They moved towards each other, their eyes locked in a shared gaze. With each step they took, their forms became more distinct, the orange glow of the flame reflecting off their scantily clad bodies. From my vantage point, only their faces remained obscured.

The moment they made contact, a jolt of electricity coursed through me. As the man’s hands encircled the woman’s waist, drawing her closer, I felt his fingers pressing into my own flesh.

As he planted kisses along her neck, I felt the sensation of his lips on my skin, trailing from my collarbone to my earlobe.

His face was hidden in the crook of her neck, but her face was now visible. I sucked in a breath when I recognized her. The same blue eyes I’d seen reflected back at me in the mirror my entire life.

The woman was me…