Book 1 - The Lycan's Curse

Stepping into the barrier

As Giuseppe dropped Aliyah off at the manor, a heavy feeling settled in her chest-something was wrong. She stepped inside the territory of the house, and when Giuseppe attempted to follow, he slammed into an invisible barrier that knocked him back, causing a sharp pain to pulse in his head. Aliyah's eyes widened in horror as she saw him stumble away, frustration etched on his face.

" The protega totalum spell forbids you from entering the house," Aliyah said, her voice trembling slightly as she looked at him. Giuseppe sighed, his expression shifting from confusion to resignation.

" What can I do, or what did I do? Your friends hate me so much," he replied, his tone laced with defeat, but he managed a weak smile, trying to lighten the moment.

" I will talk to them," Aliyah asserted, determination shining in her eyes. But Giuseppe shook his head, his expression softening.

" No need. I'll see you tomorrow," he said, waving goodbye before quickly disappearing from her sight.

" Vampire speed is quite overrated, isn't it?" Blaze chirped, leaning against the wall with a playful smirk. Aliyah smiled at Blaze's attempt to ease the tension.

" They put a barrier around the entire manor," she explained, and Blaze raised an eyebrow in intrigue.

" I knew it! That's why I felt something strange and sensed a surge of overwhelming energy all over the place," Blaze replied, grinning with excitement.

" Can I ask you a favor, uncle Blaze?" Aliyah pleaded, her eyes earnest. Blaze tilted his head, as he mused.

" Yes and no. You can ask anything, but I can't allow your boyfriend to enter the house again. " Blaze responded, his tone firm yet gentle. Aliyah sighed, frustration creeping in.

" They did this without me," she muttered, annoyance rising in her voice. Blaze chuckled softly and walked toward her.

" Yes, because they knew you would break their conditions... The only way for Giuseppe to enter the house freely again is not through my permission or theirs, but through Giuseppe himself," Blaze said softly, and Aliyah's eyes widened in disbelief.

" What could it be?" she mumbled under her breath, the weight of uncertainty settling over her.

" You will figure it out," Blaze replied, walking toward the door. " Use your vision," he added for the last time before entering the house. But the troubling thought lingered in Aliyah's mind: she couldn't access her vision at that moment, perhaps due to spending so much time with Giuseppe.

Night fell deeply, casting a serene darkness over the landscape. Rio turned to Alastair, his voice gentle but firm. "I'm going home for a while to witness my older brother's coronation. He's becoming the new Alpha of our pack on his 18th birthday."

"I'll be back tomorrow," Rio added, but Alastair narrowed his eyes, his expression thoughtful.

"I'll go with you. We can leave this place freely now, without getting worried." Alastair insisted. Rio smiled.

"Really?" Rio blurted out, his excitement barely contained. Alastair gave him a reassuring look and nodded playfully. Rio glanced at Anthony and Kai. Alastair shot them a teasing glare, and the two nodded in agreement.

"Let's go," Alastair prompted. In an instant, they vanished from sight, slipping away into the night.

As they neared Rio's home, they quickly dressed, using a spell to change their clothes in a blink. Upon entering Rio's territory, the border guards greeted them with respectful nods.

"I think we should set up a barrier for our territory too. Aliyah's tried it many times before but always failed," Rio mused, turning to the others. "What do you think?"

"Can the four of us really manage it? I mean, this territory is huge," Alastair responded mentally, his doubt evident.

"Don't be silly-we're tribrids," Kai replied, his voice filled with confidence.

"Let's do it now!" Alastair exclaimed. Without hesitation, they spread out, moving to the far corners of the territory.

Once the barrier was successfully cast, they all sighed in exhaustion, their breath hanging in the cool air. They returned to the pack's heart, unaware of the ferocious creatures lurking in the distance. Their eyes glinted with fury as they watched from the shadows, too far to reveal their presence. The leader of the creatures growled softly before they turned and melted back into the darkness.

The ceremony began soon after, cheers and applause filling the air as a young man with a well-groomed beard stood before the crowd. The Alpha of the pack stepped forward, his voice strong and clear.

"I have stepped down," he announced, "and I now hand over my authority to my eldest son."

The young man looked over the crowd, his gaze filled with pride and determination. His eyes scanned the sea of faces as though searching for something-or someone-hidden within the dazzled expressions. The air was thick with anticipation when sudden shrieks of excitement broke out from the girls in the crowd, causing Rio to chuckle.

"He's looking for his possible mate or imprint," Rio muttered under his breath.

"Mate? Imprint?" Alastair asked, bewildered, his voice slipping into Rio's mind.

Rio's mood shifted quickly, becoming more serious. "I'll explain later," he responded mentally. Rio exchanged a knowing look with Kai, a silent understanding passing between them.

The young man stepped down from the stage, his eyes locked onto a shy girl wearing oversized glasses. Chaos erupted among the onlookers, whispers and gasps filling the air. The man gently guided the girl to the front, raising his hand to silence the crowd.

"I've found my mate tonight," he declared, his voice strong, "and she will officially be my wife and our one and only Luna." The crowd burst into applause, cheering their new Alpha and his chosen mate. As the celebration continued, Anthony made his way to a table laden with food, already digging in, while Rio led Alastair to his room.

"Do you want anything to eat or drink?" Rio offered, but Alastair shook his head. Rio nodded before launching into his explanation. "Okay, so this whole 'mate or imprint' thing is exclusive to werewolves like us. Once we reach maturity-usually around 18-we can detect our mate or imprint through the bond, or what's called the imprint pull. A werewolf only gets one mate for life. When you find them, it's like a magnetic force, pulling you toward that person without even needing to see them. It's mutual, they'll feel it too. Your heart races, you feel this overwhelming attraction, and here's the funny part: even if they were the foulest-smelling creature on earth, to you, they'd smell sweet as honey." Rio grinned, his words lingering in the air as Alastair processed the explanation.

As Rio's voice echoed in Alastair's mind, something stirred within him. His eyes flickered, briefly turning light brown. He'd felt something similar once-during their battle with the Lycans near Meteoria City. His heart had beat strangely that day, but it had passed quickly, leaving him confused. Maybe he had chalked it up to anxiety or fear, seeing the Lycans up close for the first time in person.

"You okay?" Rio asked, tapping Alastair's shoulder, pulling him from his thoughts.

Alastair nodded, snapping back to the present.