Supernatural Fiction posted April 30, 2018 | Chapters: | Prologue -1- 2... |
Sins of Chaos/A Novel of the Breedline series
A chapter in the book Sins of Chaos
A New Awakening
by scongrove
The author has placed a warning on this post for violence.
Imagine all the myths, legends, and folktales that both captivated and terrified you as a child—the monsters under your bed, the boogieman in the closet, werewolves, vampires, witches, demons, ghosts, and so on—really existed.
The story I’m about to tell you goes beyond unbelievable.
This is the legend of the Breedline.
Story goes that a secret species of humans born with an identical twin had the power to shift into wolves.
Some say it to be an old tall tale... an ancient lore derived from Native American legends, known mainly as stories of shape-shifting creatures.
For the Navajo and other tribes of the southwest each have their own version of supernatural creatures called Skinwalkers, but each boils down to the same thing—a malevolent being capable of transforming itself into a wolf, coyote, bear, bird, or any other animal. When the transformation is complete, the human inherits the speed, strength, or cunning of the animal whose shape it has taken.
So the question remains...
Do supernatural beings really exist amongst our mundane, humdrum existence?
The thing about myths, legends, and folktales are...
...sometimes they’re true.
How do I know you ask? Because... I’m their Queen, and this is our story.
Berkeley, California, present time...
Even after time had passed, his mother’s death still haunted Steven. Giving her life over to save Sebastian’s had taken away a part of Steven’s soul. Unable to heal her fatal wound, he felt cheated. From the moment he’d been born, his life had become derailed. The story of his life was “what might have been.” No relationship with a family, just a life caged in a cell, enduring endless torture. The happy memories expected of a normal childhood switched out at birth for years of lab tests. He’d felt like years of his life was taken away.
All this time, the woman Steven had crossed paths with years ago—who called herself Lilith—was his mother. Indeed, their indifferent paths did not change how he felt. It layered his emotions with a cloak of bittersweet longing to have a family. But sometimes your destiny led you down a winding road of endless pain.
The loss of his mother was a horrible reminder of the disappearance of his beloved Abbey. Steven hadn’t seen her in ten years, though he maintained that he could sense she was still alive. Maybe in some future era Abbey would come back to him. He’d rely on hope, no matter how long it took because love in its many forms always endured.
Steven had ambition for a future after he’d found his twin sister Tessa and his father Kenneth, especially since Sebastian had lost his mind and was institutionalized. Living the remainder of his life in a white padded cell was enough gratification for all the evil Sebastian had done in this world. Death would be too easy.
After Steven’s father had revealed he’d gotten the genetics of his Adalwolf from his grandfather, his fraternal twin Tessa still remained a mystery. There had been no documented knowledge of any Breedline born without an identical twin to have the ability to shift into their wolf... until now.
****
Now that peace finally settled into the Breedline Covenant, Jace and Tessa were married barefoot just before sunset as a golden glow from the west settled on the beach and the cliffs behind it. The soothing sounds of the waves rolling onto the beach and fading away created a peaceful ambiance for the occasion.
It was a simple, romantic ceremony. Tessa was breathtaking, her age frozen in time. After Dr. Helen Carrington had approved the cure she’d discovered—which stopped the natural aging process for the Breedline—Tessa was eager to take it. Already ten years older than Jace and the fact that he would stop aging when he reached thirty, she wanted to stay as young and youthful along with her beloved.
Tessa’s hair was elegantly pulled up into a bun with a single lavender rose tucked in. The soft cream strapless gown she wore accentuated her slim, petite figure, and flowed slightly above her knees.
Jace wore beige slacks and a white linen long-sleeve dress shirt, rolled up just below his elbows. His blond hair was pulled back, the long strands stirring in the light breeze.
As the happy couple stood facing one another, fingers entwined, their family and close friends assembled in a half-circle anxiously waiting to witness two bonded mates promising each other a lifetime of love and devotion. Jem was standing next to Jace representing as his best man, and Mia was alongside Tessa as her bridesmaid.
With only the soft sounds of the ocean breeze, Reverend Mike’s voice broke the silence. “Family and friends, we are gathered here in this beautiful place, in the presence of God, to celebrate the very special love between Tessa and Jace. They have each prepared their vows to share with one another.”
At that moment, after the Reverend said his part, Jace dropped to one knee and looked up into Tessa’s emerald-green eyes. “My beloved, you have already given me the three greatest gifts of my life: Your love, and our two precious sons. Today I pledge to you what has already been yours all this time—my eternal love. As we have always done, I promise to walk hand-in-hand with you through life’s journeys. No matter what lies in our path, it will be our path, together. In the joys and troubles that lie ahead of us, I will be faithful and loving to you. I vow to love and cherish you for all the days of my life.”
When Jace got to his feet, he gently slid the beautiful ruby ring that belonged to his great-grandmother, onto Tessa’s finger. As tears fell from the corners of her eyes, he wiped them away and whispered, “I love you, Tessa.”
She smiled as more tears slipped freely down her cheeks. “Jace, I love you. You are my best friend and the love of my life. Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle. I promise to cherish you and always to hold you close to my heart. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life.”
After Tessa had placed a white-gold band on Jace’s finger, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. In their passionate embrace, Reverend Mike spoke out, “I present to you ... Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlain.”
All at once, the sound of clapping erupted as Jace and Tessa turned to face their guests. Jem smiled, his eyes glistening as he turned to Jace with his hand held out. “Congratulations, brother. It does me good to see you both so happy.”
When Jace took his hand, he pulled him into a tight embrace. “Thanks, bro. Thanks for always having my back.”
As Jem pulled away, he patted Jace on the shoulder. “I’ll always have your back,” he paused briefly, “I love you, brother.”
“I love you too, bro.”
Mia was the first to congratulate Tessa with a hug. “You look gorgeous, Tessa. I’m so happy for you and Jace.”
“Thank you, Mia,” Tessa said in a tear-laced voice.
As Tessa pulled from Mia’s embrace, she looked up to see Jem with his arms held out. “How about a hug for your new brother-in-law?” he asked smiling ear to ear.
“How could I possibly refuse,” Tessa giggled, wrapping her arms around him. “Thank you for everything, Jem.”
“You’re welcome, Tessa,” Jem whispered. “I’m the one that should be thanking you.”
Tessa lifted her chin, looking up at him with a puzzled expression and said, “For what?”
“For saving my brother,” he stated. “Just when I thought there was no hope for Jace, you came into his life and turned everything around.”
She smiled. “Jace saved me, too.”
“Okay, brother,” Jace interrupted in a joking manner, placing his hand on Jem’s shoulder. “No hogging the bride.”
Jem stepped back and said, “She’s all yours.”
With his arm around Tessa’s waist, Jace led her toward the guests. As her eyes roamed through family and friends, Tessa’s attention shifted to her twin boys, who were tucked securely in loving arms. Her father Kenneth held little Jem, and Alexander had Jax anchored to his hip. Both boys were identical and were already starting to crawl. They had Jace’s blond hair and his gorgeous blue eyes. Everyone she loved was here except for her mother. Deep down in her heart, she knew her mother was here in spirit, a beautiful angel finally set free.
“You look stunning, Tessa,” Steven murmured, his eyes glowing of approval. He wrapped his arms around her. “Congratulations. I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you, Steven.”
Embraced with hugs by all their family and friends, the wedding party was in full swing. John and Sarah Chamberlain arranged a large tent, beautifully decorated in lavender and ivory with an opening facing the breathtaking view of the ocean. Now that peace had finally settled with the Breedline, John and Sarah moved back home but visited the Covenant frequently to see their grandbabies.
Everyone enjoyed the food, champagne, and dancing. As the end of the night drew near, Jace put his mouth close to Tessa’s ear and whispered, “Let’s get out of here.”
She shivered as his breath tingled her skin. “Where are we going?”
He winked at her. “It’s a secret.”
“A secret?” she asked, arching a brow. “You mean like a secret honeymoon?”
He shrugged and muttered, “Maybe.”
“What about the boys?”
“Everything’s already been arranged.” Jace grasped her hand and pulled her closer. “Mom and Dad are taking care of them.”
“Don’t we need to pack?”
“Already taken care of,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Mia and Cassie prepared everything you’ll need. The car is packed and ready to go.”
“Well... it sounds like you’ve been busy,” she said with a coy smile. “How long have you been planning this... secret?”
“Ummm... a few weeks,” he chuckled. “Ready?”
“Yes.”
****
With his arms bound inside a straitjacket, Sebastian lay in the darkness, ears tensed for the slightest noise. He couldn’t hear anything but the sound of the buzz of electricity coming from the fluorescent lights outside his cell and the rhythm of his heart beating in his chest. Sebastian lost his ability to use a portal, and this was the first time in his life he felt utterly helpless. When he’d told the Breedline of hearing Thomas’s voice—his dead twin brother—they thought him insane, including Eve, and committed him to a Breedline psychiatric institution... a lunatic asylum. It was like a punch to the gut. Even though he was guilty of many things, death would be more merciful than eternal insanity.
He hadn’t heard Thomas’s voice for hours. Forcing himself to think of something else, he wondered how Arius and Tidus were faring and thought of what Eve had said in the note she left him. Maybe she was right. Perhaps they were better off without him.
The sedative he took earlier had made him doze off a couple of times, and he concentrated on staying awake. But as much as he fought to keep his eyes open, he lost the battle and sleep finally overtook him.
Sensing an eerie presence looming over him, Sebastian kept his lids closed, pretending to be asleep. He exhaled steam from his parted lips and shivered when the temperature in the room suddenly dropped.
Something prodded his leg with sharp fingers and whispered, “Wake up, Sebastian.”
The presence leaned closer to him, rank breath creeping into his nostrils. Grabbing a fistful of Sebastian’s long hair, strong hands wrenched his head back and said, “I know you’re awake, you worthless piece of crap.”
As Sebastian’s eyes popped open, he could hear the anger in his brother’s voice. But it wasn’t really his brother. It was impossible. Thomas was dead. The monster taunting his sanity was something entirely different. But who was it? And what did they want?
Sebastian felt rage fill him, but he remained calm. He was in no condition to fight this ‘thing’ when he was bound up like this. He was so going to kill this son of a bitch if he could only manage to free himself of this damn straitjacket.
“Who are you?” Sebastian demanded. “Show yourself, damn it! What do you want from me?”
Sebastian flinched at the screeching sounds of a chair coming from behind. When it slid in his field of vision, someone eased into it staring face-to-face with him. Sebastian looked up into the identical likeness of his own, except the man before him had a haunted look on his face, and his deep-set eyes were black... soulless.
The evil presence reached inside his jacket and pulled out a dagger. As he reached forward, Sebastian clenched his eyes tight and stiffened, preparing for the burn of the blade. In his amazement, Sebastian cracked his lids when he felt the exquisite relief of his arms freed from the binding confinement.
Sebastian’s eyes widened further. “Why did you free me?”
“So many questions,” his doppelganger said in a smug tone. “The answer to your first question... who am I?” He arrogantly smiled. “I was once God's favorite angel, and now...” he said, his lips drawn tight, “I am your father’s creator... the darkness of night.”
“Lucifer,” Sebastian muttered, narrowing his stare.
“Yes,” he answered with the S lingering. “I have been called by that name for centuries now, along with many others. The devil... Satan. But if you prefer Lucifer, it’s your choice.”
“Why,” Sebastian said, swallowing the knot in his throat, “why are you taking Thomas’s form?”
“Why not?” Lucifer asked, leaning closer. “Does this body make you uncomfortable? Or is it guilt?”
Sebastian gripped the bare mattress and pulled himself upright. “Why would I feel guilty? Thomas caused his own demise.”
Lucifer chuckled, the sound sending shivers up Sebastian’s spine. “You hated him. You wanted him to die.”
“No!” Sebastian fired back. “That’s not true!”
Crossing his arms over his chest, Lucifer cocked a brow. “Isn’t it?”
“What the hell do you want with me?” Sebastian barked. “And why can’t I use my powers?”
Lucifer rose to his feet, straightened his black tailored suit and walked across the room. As he leaned his back against the padded wall, he crossed his arms again. “I want something that belongs to you, but I cannot take it freely. You must convince your beloved Eve to give it to me of her free will. Give me what I want... and I will release you from this misery. I will then restore your power to create a portal.”
Sebastian went quiet for a minute, momentarily confused. He wondered what Lucifer wanted that was so precious. Then he realized it was his son Arius. Lucifer wanted Arius for his powers.
Another surge of rage swept over Sebastian, his eyes full of hate. “No!” he shouted and stood up on shaking legs. Before he could lunge toward Lucifer, Sebastian became mysteriously confined back in his straitjacket again, struggling underneath it. “Stay away from my son, or I swear I’ll—”
“You’ll what?” Lucifer smirked. “Kill me?”
“You bastard,” Sebastian spat angrily, flaring his nostrils.
“You know... we’re not that different,” Lucifer said.
“I’m nothing like you,” Sebastian grumbled.
“Aren’t we? I have to say, what you did to Tessa is an all-time low,” Lucifer said, pursing his mouth in a self-satisfied grin. “Raping your half-brother’s mate is a detestable sin.”
“I didn’t rape her!”
“Same difference,” Lucifer replied smugly. “You put those images in her head, leading her to believe you did... just to piss off Jace. By my book, that’s shady as hell.”
Sebastian glared at Lucifer. “Shut the hell up.”
Lucifer moved closer, the heels of his boots scraping across the floor. Sebastian stood his ground, glaring at him with hatred. With supernatural speed and reflexes, he struck Sebastian across the face, sending him tumbling backward. Disoriented, he swayed on his feet and tasted blood. His lip was split and bleeding where Lucifer had hit him.
Using one hand, Lucifer gripped him around the throat and lifted him off the floor. Glaring at Sebastian, he gritted his teeth. “Give me what I want, or suffer your fate.”
“Never,” Sebastian choked, thrashing against Lucifer’s hold.
“No!” Eve screamed as she peered through the tiny glass window of Sebastian’s cell. He was dangling in mid-air, gasping for breath as if something had a hold of his throat. But there was no one in the room, only Sebastian.
“Guards!” Eve yelled.
Lucifer snarled at Sebastian, all his teeth growing sharp and his dark eyes gleaming in the dim light. “You will suffer my wrath with eternal sleep, reliving the horrors of your past.”
Panic seized Sebastian. “No,” he gasped, struggling to speak. “Please... no.”
Sebastian braced himself as Lucifer bit into his throat and drank his blood. After getting his fill, he tossed Sebastian, sending him crashing painfully against the far wall like a rag doll.
He slid down and slumped onto the floor as the guard fumbled with the key outside the room. Sebastian watched Lucifer disappear into nothingness, feeling his body drifting into darkness.
As the door sprang open, Eve and the guard rushed inside. Eve caught her breath when she saw Sebastian lying on the floor motionless. Blood flowed freely down his throat, dripping onto the floor in a pool of dark red.
She rushed over to Sebastian and knelt beside him, tears burning a trail down her cheeks. Eve peeled off her jacket and placed it against Sebastian’s neck to stop the flow of blood. “Get this damn thing off of him,” she said frantically, glancing toward the guard. “He needs medical attention now.”
After the guard had called for backup, he knelt down and quickly removed Sebastian’s straitjacket.
When Bruce Carmichael—Eve’s guard who escorted her each time she visited the mental institution—stepped into the room, he froze in his tracks, taken aback by the bizarre spectacle before him.
“Sebastian! Sebastian, talk to me, please,” Eve pleaded. “Can you hear me?”
With his lids slightly cracked, he mustered all his strength and focused them on her. “Eve...” His eyes watered and his color drained. “You can’t... Don’t give up Arius.”
“You’re going to be fine, Sebastian,” Eve said, her voice laced with tears. “You just need my blood.”
He shook his head as she held her wrist close to his lips. “No, Eve,” he said hoarsely.
“Sebastian, please. I can fix this. Take my blood.”
“Save... Arius... from Lucifer...” He started to weep while struggling to keep his focus. “I love... you.” And then he closed his eyes and went limp, falling deeper into a state of unconsciousness. The fault of his son’s destiny was his. To keep Arius from the hands of evil, Sebastian was willing to suffer a thousand-fold. And now his fate had come. The thing he had dreaded and feared long ago. His punishment was now a reality. Sebastian would be forever alive but lost in the horrors of his past, reliving each day he’d fought so hard to forget.
“No!” Eve shouted. “Don’t leave me. Please... I believe you, Sebastian. Did you hear me?” She gently shook his shoulders, desperate for him to open his eyes. “You’re not crazy. I saw it! I believe you!”
The succubus side in her confirmed what her brain had been denying: Sebastian wasn’t crazy. Something or someone was speaking to him. And she saw it with her own eyes. Eve had no idea how she was going to do it, but she had to fight to bring Sebastian back and protect her son from... Lucifer.
To be continued...
Imagine all the myths, legends, and folktales that both captivated and terrified you as a child—the monsters under your bed, the boogieman in the closet, werewolves, vampires, witches, demons, ghosts, and so on—really existed.
The story I’m about to tell you goes beyond unbelievable.
This is the legend of the Breedline.
Story goes that a secret species of humans born with an identical twin had the power to shift into wolves.
Some say it to be an old tall tale... an ancient lore derived from Native American legends, known mainly as stories of shape-shifting creatures.
For the Navajo and other tribes of the southwest each have their own version of supernatural creatures called Skinwalkers, but each boils down to the same thing—a malevolent being capable of transforming itself into a wolf, coyote, bear, bird, or any other animal. When the transformation is complete, the human inherits the speed, strength, or cunning of the animal whose shape it has taken.
So the question remains...
Do supernatural beings really exist amongst our mundane, humdrum existence?
The thing about myths, legends, and folktales are...
...sometimes they’re true.
How do I know you ask? Because... I’m their Queen, and this is our story.
Berkeley, California, present time...
Even after time had passed, his mother’s death still haunted Steven. Giving her life over to save Sebastian’s had taken away a part of Steven’s soul. Unable to heal her fatal wound, he felt cheated. From the moment he’d been born, his life had become derailed. The story of his life was “what might have been.” No relationship with a family, just a life caged in a cell, enduring endless torture. The happy memories expected of a normal childhood switched out at birth for years of lab tests. He’d felt like years of his life was taken away.
All this time, the woman Steven had crossed paths with years ago—who called herself Lilith—was his mother. Indeed, their indifferent paths did not change how he felt. It layered his emotions with a cloak of bittersweet longing to have a family. But sometimes your destiny led you down a winding road of endless pain.
The loss of his mother was a horrible reminder of the disappearance of his beloved Abbey. Steven hadn’t seen her in ten years, though he maintained that he could sense she was still alive. Maybe in some future era Abbey would come back to him. He’d rely on hope, no matter how long it took because love in its many forms always endured.
Steven had ambition for a future after he’d found his twin sister Tessa and his father Kenneth, especially since Sebastian had lost his mind and was institutionalized. Living the remainder of his life in a white padded cell was enough gratification for all the evil Sebastian had done in this world. Death would be too easy.
After Steven’s father had revealed he’d gotten the genetics of his Adalwolf from his grandfather, his fraternal twin Tessa still remained a mystery. There had been no documented knowledge of any Breedline born without an identical twin to have the ability to shift into their wolf... until now.
****
Now that peace finally settled into the Breedline Covenant, Jace and Tessa were married barefoot just before sunset as a golden glow from the west settled on the beach and the cliffs behind it. The soothing sounds of the waves rolling onto the beach and fading away created a peaceful ambiance for the occasion.
It was a simple, romantic ceremony. Tessa was breathtaking, her age frozen in time. After Dr. Helen Carrington had approved the cure she’d discovered—which stopped the natural aging process for the Breedline—Tessa was eager to take it. Already ten years older than Jace and the fact that he would stop aging when he reached thirty, she wanted to stay as young and youthful along with her beloved.
Tessa’s hair was elegantly pulled up into a bun with a single lavender rose tucked in. The soft cream strapless gown she wore accentuated her slim, petite figure, and flowed slightly above her knees.
Jace wore beige slacks and a white linen long-sleeve dress shirt, rolled up just below his elbows. His blond hair was pulled back, the long strands stirring in the light breeze.
As the happy couple stood facing one another, fingers entwined, their family and close friends assembled in a half-circle anxiously waiting to witness two bonded mates promising each other a lifetime of love and devotion. Jem was standing next to Jace representing as his best man, and Mia was alongside Tessa as her bridesmaid.
With only the soft sounds of the ocean breeze, Reverend Mike’s voice broke the silence. “Family and friends, we are gathered here in this beautiful place, in the presence of God, to celebrate the very special love between Tessa and Jace. They have each prepared their vows to share with one another.”
At that moment, after the Reverend said his part, Jace dropped to one knee and looked up into Tessa’s emerald-green eyes. “My beloved, you have already given me the three greatest gifts of my life: Your love, and our two precious sons. Today I pledge to you what has already been yours all this time—my eternal love. As we have always done, I promise to walk hand-in-hand with you through life’s journeys. No matter what lies in our path, it will be our path, together. In the joys and troubles that lie ahead of us, I will be faithful and loving to you. I vow to love and cherish you for all the days of my life.”
When Jace got to his feet, he gently slid the beautiful ruby ring that belonged to his great-grandmother, onto Tessa’s finger. As tears fell from the corners of her eyes, he wiped them away and whispered, “I love you, Tessa.”
She smiled as more tears slipped freely down her cheeks. “Jace, I love you. You are my best friend and the love of my life. Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle. I promise to cherish you and always to hold you close to my heart. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life.”
After Tessa had placed a white-gold band on Jace’s finger, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. In their passionate embrace, Reverend Mike spoke out, “I present to you ... Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlain.”
All at once, the sound of clapping erupted as Jace and Tessa turned to face their guests. Jem smiled, his eyes glistening as he turned to Jace with his hand held out. “Congratulations, brother. It does me good to see you both so happy.”
When Jace took his hand, he pulled him into a tight embrace. “Thanks, bro. Thanks for always having my back.”
As Jem pulled away, he patted Jace on the shoulder. “I’ll always have your back,” he paused briefly, “I love you, brother.”
“I love you too, bro.”
Mia was the first to congratulate Tessa with a hug. “You look gorgeous, Tessa. I’m so happy for you and Jace.”
“Thank you, Mia,” Tessa said in a tear-laced voice.
As Tessa pulled from Mia’s embrace, she looked up to see Jem with his arms held out. “How about a hug for your new brother-in-law?” he asked smiling ear to ear.
“How could I possibly refuse,” Tessa giggled, wrapping her arms around him. “Thank you for everything, Jem.”
“You’re welcome, Tessa,” Jem whispered. “I’m the one that should be thanking you.”
Tessa lifted her chin, looking up at him with a puzzled expression and said, “For what?”
“For saving my brother,” he stated. “Just when I thought there was no hope for Jace, you came into his life and turned everything around.”
She smiled. “Jace saved me, too.”
“Okay, brother,” Jace interrupted in a joking manner, placing his hand on Jem’s shoulder. “No hogging the bride.”
Jem stepped back and said, “She’s all yours.”
With his arm around Tessa’s waist, Jace led her toward the guests. As her eyes roamed through family and friends, Tessa’s attention shifted to her twin boys, who were tucked securely in loving arms. Her father Kenneth held little Jem, and Alexander had Jax anchored to his hip. Both boys were identical and were already starting to crawl. They had Jace’s blond hair and his gorgeous blue eyes. Everyone she loved was here except for her mother. Deep down in her heart, she knew her mother was here in spirit, a beautiful angel finally set free.
“You look stunning, Tessa,” Steven murmured, his eyes glowing of approval. He wrapped his arms around her. “Congratulations. I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you, Steven.”
Embraced with hugs by all their family and friends, the wedding party was in full swing. John and Sarah Chamberlain arranged a large tent, beautifully decorated in lavender and ivory with an opening facing the breathtaking view of the ocean. Now that peace had finally settled with the Breedline, John and Sarah moved back home but visited the Covenant frequently to see their grandbabies.
Everyone enjoyed the food, champagne, and dancing. As the end of the night drew near, Jace put his mouth close to Tessa’s ear and whispered, “Let’s get out of here.”
She shivered as his breath tingled her skin. “Where are we going?”
He winked at her. “It’s a secret.”
“A secret?” she asked, arching a brow. “You mean like a secret honeymoon?”
He shrugged and muttered, “Maybe.”
“What about the boys?”
“Everything’s already been arranged.” Jace grasped her hand and pulled her closer. “Mom and Dad are taking care of them.”
“Don’t we need to pack?”
“Already taken care of,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Mia and Cassie prepared everything you’ll need. The car is packed and ready to go.”
“Well... it sounds like you’ve been busy,” she said with a coy smile. “How long have you been planning this... secret?”
“Ummm... a few weeks,” he chuckled. “Ready?”
“Yes.”
****
With his arms bound inside a straitjacket, Sebastian lay in the darkness, ears tensed for the slightest noise. He couldn’t hear anything but the sound of the buzz of electricity coming from the fluorescent lights outside his cell and the rhythm of his heart beating in his chest. Sebastian lost his ability to use a portal, and this was the first time in his life he felt utterly helpless. When he’d told the Breedline of hearing Thomas’s voice—his dead twin brother—they thought him insane, including Eve, and committed him to a Breedline psychiatric institution... a lunatic asylum. It was like a punch to the gut. Even though he was guilty of many things, death would be more merciful than eternal insanity.
He hadn’t heard Thomas’s voice for hours. Forcing himself to think of something else, he wondered how Arius and Tidus were faring and thought of what Eve had said in the note she left him. Maybe she was right. Perhaps they were better off without him.
The sedative he took earlier had made him doze off a couple of times, and he concentrated on staying awake. But as much as he fought to keep his eyes open, he lost the battle and sleep finally overtook him.
Sensing an eerie presence looming over him, Sebastian kept his lids closed, pretending to be asleep. He exhaled steam from his parted lips and shivered when the temperature in the room suddenly dropped.
Something prodded his leg with sharp fingers and whispered, “Wake up, Sebastian.”
The presence leaned closer to him, rank breath creeping into his nostrils. Grabbing a fistful of Sebastian’s long hair, strong hands wrenched his head back and said, “I know you’re awake, you worthless piece of crap.”
As Sebastian’s eyes popped open, he could hear the anger in his brother’s voice. But it wasn’t really his brother. It was impossible. Thomas was dead. The monster taunting his sanity was something entirely different. But who was it? And what did they want?
Sebastian felt rage fill him, but he remained calm. He was in no condition to fight this ‘thing’ when he was bound up like this. He was so going to kill this son of a bitch if he could only manage to free himself of this damn straitjacket.
“Who are you?” Sebastian demanded. “Show yourself, damn it! What do you want from me?”
Sebastian flinched at the screeching sounds of a chair coming from behind. When it slid in his field of vision, someone eased into it staring face-to-face with him. Sebastian looked up into the identical likeness of his own, except the man before him had a haunted look on his face, and his deep-set eyes were black... soulless.
The evil presence reached inside his jacket and pulled out a dagger. As he reached forward, Sebastian clenched his eyes tight and stiffened, preparing for the burn of the blade. In his amazement, Sebastian cracked his lids when he felt the exquisite relief of his arms freed from the binding confinement.
Sebastian’s eyes widened further. “Why did you free me?”
“So many questions,” his doppelganger said in a smug tone. “The answer to your first question... who am I?” He arrogantly smiled. “I was once God's favorite angel, and now...” he said, his lips drawn tight, “I am your father’s creator... the darkness of night.”
“Lucifer,” Sebastian muttered, narrowing his stare.
“Yes,” he answered with the S lingering. “I have been called by that name for centuries now, along with many others. The devil... Satan. But if you prefer Lucifer, it’s your choice.”
“Why,” Sebastian said, swallowing the knot in his throat, “why are you taking Thomas’s form?”
“Why not?” Lucifer asked, leaning closer. “Does this body make you uncomfortable? Or is it guilt?”
Sebastian gripped the bare mattress and pulled himself upright. “Why would I feel guilty? Thomas caused his own demise.”
Lucifer chuckled, the sound sending shivers up Sebastian’s spine. “You hated him. You wanted him to die.”
“No!” Sebastian fired back. “That’s not true!”
Crossing his arms over his chest, Lucifer cocked a brow. “Isn’t it?”
“What the hell do you want with me?” Sebastian barked. “And why can’t I use my powers?”
Lucifer rose to his feet, straightened his black tailored suit and walked across the room. As he leaned his back against the padded wall, he crossed his arms again. “I want something that belongs to you, but I cannot take it freely. You must convince your beloved Eve to give it to me of her free will. Give me what I want... and I will release you from this misery. I will then restore your power to create a portal.”
Sebastian went quiet for a minute, momentarily confused. He wondered what Lucifer wanted that was so precious. Then he realized it was his son Arius. Lucifer wanted Arius for his powers.
Another surge of rage swept over Sebastian, his eyes full of hate. “No!” he shouted and stood up on shaking legs. Before he could lunge toward Lucifer, Sebastian became mysteriously confined back in his straitjacket again, struggling underneath it. “Stay away from my son, or I swear I’ll—”
“You’ll what?” Lucifer smirked. “Kill me?”
“You bastard,” Sebastian spat angrily, flaring his nostrils.
“You know... we’re not that different,” Lucifer said.
“I’m nothing like you,” Sebastian grumbled.
“Aren’t we? I have to say, what you did to Tessa is an all-time low,” Lucifer said, pursing his mouth in a self-satisfied grin. “Raping your half-brother’s mate is a detestable sin.”
“I didn’t rape her!”
“Same difference,” Lucifer replied smugly. “You put those images in her head, leading her to believe you did... just to piss off Jace. By my book, that’s shady as hell.”
Sebastian glared at Lucifer. “Shut the hell up.”
Lucifer moved closer, the heels of his boots scraping across the floor. Sebastian stood his ground, glaring at him with hatred. With supernatural speed and reflexes, he struck Sebastian across the face, sending him tumbling backward. Disoriented, he swayed on his feet and tasted blood. His lip was split and bleeding where Lucifer had hit him.
Using one hand, Lucifer gripped him around the throat and lifted him off the floor. Glaring at Sebastian, he gritted his teeth. “Give me what I want, or suffer your fate.”
“Never,” Sebastian choked, thrashing against Lucifer’s hold.
“No!” Eve screamed as she peered through the tiny glass window of Sebastian’s cell. He was dangling in mid-air, gasping for breath as if something had a hold of his throat. But there was no one in the room, only Sebastian.
“Guards!” Eve yelled.
Lucifer snarled at Sebastian, all his teeth growing sharp and his dark eyes gleaming in the dim light. “You will suffer my wrath with eternal sleep, reliving the horrors of your past.”
Panic seized Sebastian. “No,” he gasped, struggling to speak. “Please... no.”
Sebastian braced himself as Lucifer bit into his throat and drank his blood. After getting his fill, he tossed Sebastian, sending him crashing painfully against the far wall like a rag doll.
He slid down and slumped onto the floor as the guard fumbled with the key outside the room. Sebastian watched Lucifer disappear into nothingness, feeling his body drifting into darkness.
As the door sprang open, Eve and the guard rushed inside. Eve caught her breath when she saw Sebastian lying on the floor motionless. Blood flowed freely down his throat, dripping onto the floor in a pool of dark red.
She rushed over to Sebastian and knelt beside him, tears burning a trail down her cheeks. Eve peeled off her jacket and placed it against Sebastian’s neck to stop the flow of blood. “Get this damn thing off of him,” she said frantically, glancing toward the guard. “He needs medical attention now.”
After the guard had called for backup, he knelt down and quickly removed Sebastian’s straitjacket.
When Bruce Carmichael—Eve’s guard who escorted her each time she visited the mental institution—stepped into the room, he froze in his tracks, taken aback by the bizarre spectacle before him.
“Sebastian! Sebastian, talk to me, please,” Eve pleaded. “Can you hear me?”
With his lids slightly cracked, he mustered all his strength and focused them on her. “Eve...” His eyes watered and his color drained. “You can’t... Don’t give up Arius.”
“You’re going to be fine, Sebastian,” Eve said, her voice laced with tears. “You just need my blood.”
He shook his head as she held her wrist close to his lips. “No, Eve,” he said hoarsely.
“Sebastian, please. I can fix this. Take my blood.”
“Save... Arius... from Lucifer...” He started to weep while struggling to keep his focus. “I love... you.” And then he closed his eyes and went limp, falling deeper into a state of unconsciousness. The fault of his son’s destiny was his. To keep Arius from the hands of evil, Sebastian was willing to suffer a thousand-fold. And now his fate had come. The thing he had dreaded and feared long ago. His punishment was now a reality. Sebastian would be forever alive but lost in the horrors of his past, reliving each day he’d fought so hard to forget.
“No!” Eve shouted. “Don’t leave me. Please... I believe you, Sebastian. Did you hear me?” She gently shook his shoulders, desperate for him to open his eyes. “You’re not crazy. I saw it! I believe you!”
The succubus side in her confirmed what her brain had been denying: Sebastian wasn’t crazy. Something or someone was speaking to him. And she saw it with her own eyes. Eve had no idea how she was going to do it, but she had to fight to bring Sebastian back and protect her son from... Lucifer.
To be continued...
The story I’m about to tell you goes beyond unbelievable.
This is the legend of the Breedline.
Story goes that a secret species of humans born with an identical twin had the power to shift into wolves.
Some say it to be an old tall tale... an ancient lore derived from Native American legends, known mainly as stories of shape-shifting creatures.
For the Navajo and other tribes of the southwest each have their own version of supernatural creatures called Skinwalkers, but each boils down to the same thing—a malevolent being capable of transforming itself into a wolf, coyote, bear, bird, or any other animal. When the transformation is complete, the human inherits the speed, strength, or cunning of the animal whose shape it has taken.
So the question remains...
Do supernatural beings really exist amongst our mundane, humdrum existence?
The thing about myths, legends, and folktales are...
...sometimes they’re true.
How do I know you ask? Because... I’m their Queen, and this is our story.
Berkeley, California, present time...
Even after time had passed, his mother’s death still haunted Steven. Giving her life over to save Sebastian’s had taken away a part of Steven’s soul. Unable to heal her fatal wound, he felt cheated. From the moment he’d been born, his life had become derailed. The story of his life was “what might have been.” No relationship with a family, just a life caged in a cell, enduring endless torture. The happy memories expected of a normal childhood switched out at birth for years of lab tests. He’d felt like years of his life was taken away.
All this time, the woman Steven had crossed paths with years ago—who called herself Lilith—was his mother. Indeed, their indifferent paths did not change how he felt. It layered his emotions with a cloak of bittersweet longing to have a family. But sometimes your destiny led you down a winding road of endless pain.
The loss of his mother was a horrible reminder of the disappearance of his beloved Abbey. Steven hadn’t seen her in ten years, though he maintained that he could sense she was still alive. Maybe in some future era Abbey would come back to him. He’d rely on hope, no matter how long it took because love in its many forms always endured.
Steven had ambition for a future after he’d found his twin sister Tessa and his father Kenneth, especially since Sebastian had lost his mind and was institutionalized. Living the remainder of his life in a white padded cell was enough gratification for all the evil Sebastian had done in this world. Death would be too easy.
After Steven’s father had revealed he’d gotten the genetics of his Adalwolf from his grandfather, his fraternal twin Tessa still remained a mystery. There had been no documented knowledge of any Breedline born without an identical twin to have the ability to shift into their wolf... until now.
****
Now that peace finally settled into the Breedline Covenant, Jace and Tessa were married barefoot just before sunset as a golden glow from the west settled on the beach and the cliffs behind it. The soothing sounds of the waves rolling onto the beach and fading away created a peaceful ambiance for the occasion.
It was a simple, romantic ceremony. Tessa was breathtaking, her age frozen in time. After Dr. Helen Carrington had approved the cure she’d discovered—which stopped the natural aging process for the Breedline—Tessa was eager to take it. Already ten years older than Jace and the fact that he would stop aging when he reached thirty, she wanted to stay as young and youthful along with her beloved.
Tessa’s hair was elegantly pulled up into a bun with a single lavender rose tucked in. The soft cream strapless gown she wore accentuated her slim, petite figure, and flowed slightly above her knees.
Jace wore beige slacks and a white linen long-sleeve dress shirt, rolled up just below his elbows. His blond hair was pulled back, the long strands stirring in the light breeze.
As the happy couple stood facing one another, fingers entwined, their family and close friends assembled in a half-circle anxiously waiting to witness two bonded mates promising each other a lifetime of love and devotion. Jem was standing next to Jace representing as his best man, and Mia was alongside Tessa as her bridesmaid.
With only the soft sounds of the ocean breeze, Reverend Mike’s voice broke the silence. “Family and friends, we are gathered here in this beautiful place, in the presence of God, to celebrate the very special love between Tessa and Jace. They have each prepared their vows to share with one another.”
At that moment, after the Reverend said his part, Jace dropped to one knee and looked up into Tessa’s emerald-green eyes. “My beloved, you have already given me the three greatest gifts of my life: Your love, and our two precious sons. Today I pledge to you what has already been yours all this time—my eternal love. As we have always done, I promise to walk hand-in-hand with you through life’s journeys. No matter what lies in our path, it will be our path, together. In the joys and troubles that lie ahead of us, I will be faithful and loving to you. I vow to love and cherish you for all the days of my life.”
When Jace got to his feet, he gently slid the beautiful ruby ring that belonged to his great-grandmother, onto Tessa’s finger. As tears fell from the corners of her eyes, he wiped them away and whispered, “I love you, Tessa.”
She smiled as more tears slipped freely down her cheeks. “Jace, I love you. You are my best friend and the love of my life. Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle. I promise to cherish you and always to hold you close to my heart. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life.”
After Tessa had placed a white-gold band on Jace’s finger, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. In their passionate embrace, Reverend Mike spoke out, “I present to you ... Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlain.”
All at once, the sound of clapping erupted as Jace and Tessa turned to face their guests. Jem smiled, his eyes glistening as he turned to Jace with his hand held out. “Congratulations, brother. It does me good to see you both so happy.”
When Jace took his hand, he pulled him into a tight embrace. “Thanks, bro. Thanks for always having my back.”
As Jem pulled away, he patted Jace on the shoulder. “I’ll always have your back,” he paused briefly, “I love you, brother.”
“I love you too, bro.”
Mia was the first to congratulate Tessa with a hug. “You look gorgeous, Tessa. I’m so happy for you and Jace.”
“Thank you, Mia,” Tessa said in a tear-laced voice.
As Tessa pulled from Mia’s embrace, she looked up to see Jem with his arms held out. “How about a hug for your new brother-in-law?” he asked smiling ear to ear.
“How could I possibly refuse,” Tessa giggled, wrapping her arms around him. “Thank you for everything, Jem.”
“You’re welcome, Tessa,” Jem whispered. “I’m the one that should be thanking you.”
Tessa lifted her chin, looking up at him with a puzzled expression and said, “For what?”
“For saving my brother,” he stated. “Just when I thought there was no hope for Jace, you came into his life and turned everything around.”
She smiled. “Jace saved me, too.”
“Okay, brother,” Jace interrupted in a joking manner, placing his hand on Jem’s shoulder. “No hogging the bride.”
Jem stepped back and said, “She’s all yours.”
With his arm around Tessa’s waist, Jace led her toward the guests. As her eyes roamed through family and friends, Tessa’s attention shifted to her twin boys, who were tucked securely in loving arms. Her father Kenneth held little Jem, and Alexander had Jax anchored to his hip. Both boys were identical and were already starting to crawl. They had Jace’s blond hair and his gorgeous blue eyes. Everyone she loved was here except for her mother. Deep down in her heart, she knew her mother was here in spirit, a beautiful angel finally set free.
“You look stunning, Tessa,” Steven murmured, his eyes glowing of approval. He wrapped his arms around her. “Congratulations. I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you, Steven.”
Embraced with hugs by all their family and friends, the wedding party was in full swing. John and Sarah Chamberlain arranged a large tent, beautifully decorated in lavender and ivory with an opening facing the breathtaking view of the ocean. Now that peace had finally settled with the Breedline, John and Sarah moved back home but visited the Covenant frequently to see their grandbabies.
Everyone enjoyed the food, champagne, and dancing. As the end of the night drew near, Jace put his mouth close to Tessa’s ear and whispered, “Let’s get out of here.”
She shivered as his breath tingled her skin. “Where are we going?”
He winked at her. “It’s a secret.”
“A secret?” she asked, arching a brow. “You mean like a secret honeymoon?”
He shrugged and muttered, “Maybe.”
“What about the boys?”
“Everything’s already been arranged.” Jace grasped her hand and pulled her closer. “Mom and Dad are taking care of them.”
“Don’t we need to pack?”
“Already taken care of,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Mia and Cassie prepared everything you’ll need. The car is packed and ready to go.”
“Well... it sounds like you’ve been busy,” she said with a coy smile. “How long have you been planning this... secret?”
“Ummm... a few weeks,” he chuckled. “Ready?”
“Yes.”
****
With his arms bound inside a straitjacket, Sebastian lay in the darkness, ears tensed for the slightest noise. He couldn’t hear anything but the sound of the buzz of electricity coming from the fluorescent lights outside his cell and the rhythm of his heart beating in his chest. Sebastian lost his ability to use a portal, and this was the first time in his life he felt utterly helpless. When he’d told the Breedline of hearing Thomas’s voice—his dead twin brother—they thought him insane, including Eve, and committed him to a Breedline psychiatric institution... a lunatic asylum. It was like a punch to the gut. Even though he was guilty of many things, death would be more merciful than eternal insanity.
He hadn’t heard Thomas’s voice for hours. Forcing himself to think of something else, he wondered how Arius and Tidus were faring and thought of what Eve had said in the note she left him. Maybe she was right. Perhaps they were better off without him.
The sedative he took earlier had made him doze off a couple of times, and he concentrated on staying awake. But as much as he fought to keep his eyes open, he lost the battle and sleep finally overtook him.
Sensing an eerie presence looming over him, Sebastian kept his lids closed, pretending to be asleep. He exhaled steam from his parted lips and shivered when the temperature in the room suddenly dropped.
Something prodded his leg with sharp fingers and whispered, “Wake up, Sebastian.”
The presence leaned closer to him, rank breath creeping into his nostrils. Grabbing a fistful of Sebastian’s long hair, strong hands wrenched his head back and said, “I know you’re awake, you worthless piece of crap.”
As Sebastian’s eyes popped open, he could hear the anger in his brother’s voice. But it wasn’t really his brother. It was impossible. Thomas was dead. The monster taunting his sanity was something entirely different. But who was it? And what did they want?
Sebastian felt rage fill him, but he remained calm. He was in no condition to fight this ‘thing’ when he was bound up like this. He was so going to kill this son of a bitch if he could only manage to free himself of this damn straitjacket.
“Who are you?” Sebastian demanded. “Show yourself, damn it! What do you want from me?”
Sebastian flinched at the screeching sounds of a chair coming from behind. When it slid in his field of vision, someone eased into it staring face-to-face with him. Sebastian looked up into the identical likeness of his own, except the man before him had a haunted look on his face, and his deep-set eyes were black... soulless.
The evil presence reached inside his jacket and pulled out a dagger. As he reached forward, Sebastian clenched his eyes tight and stiffened, preparing for the burn of the blade. In his amazement, Sebastian cracked his lids when he felt the exquisite relief of his arms freed from the binding confinement.
Sebastian’s eyes widened further. “Why did you free me?”
“So many questions,” his doppelganger said in a smug tone. “The answer to your first question... who am I?” He arrogantly smiled. “I was once God's favorite angel, and now...” he said, his lips drawn tight, “I am your father’s creator... the darkness of night.”
“Lucifer,” Sebastian muttered, narrowing his stare.
“Yes,” he answered with the S lingering. “I have been called by that name for centuries now, along with many others. The devil... Satan. But if you prefer Lucifer, it’s your choice.”
“Why,” Sebastian said, swallowing the knot in his throat, “why are you taking Thomas’s form?”
“Why not?” Lucifer asked, leaning closer. “Does this body make you uncomfortable? Or is it guilt?”
Sebastian gripped the bare mattress and pulled himself upright. “Why would I feel guilty? Thomas caused his own demise.”
Lucifer chuckled, the sound sending shivers up Sebastian’s spine. “You hated him. You wanted him to die.”
“No!” Sebastian fired back. “That’s not true!”
Crossing his arms over his chest, Lucifer cocked a brow. “Isn’t it?”
“What the hell do you want with me?” Sebastian barked. “And why can’t I use my powers?”
Lucifer rose to his feet, straightened his black tailored suit and walked across the room. As he leaned his back against the padded wall, he crossed his arms again. “I want something that belongs to you, but I cannot take it freely. You must convince your beloved Eve to give it to me of her free will. Give me what I want... and I will release you from this misery. I will then restore your power to create a portal.”
Sebastian went quiet for a minute, momentarily confused. He wondered what Lucifer wanted that was so precious. Then he realized it was his son Arius. Lucifer wanted Arius for his powers.
Another surge of rage swept over Sebastian, his eyes full of hate. “No!” he shouted and stood up on shaking legs. Before he could lunge toward Lucifer, Sebastian became mysteriously confined back in his straitjacket again, struggling underneath it. “Stay away from my son, or I swear I’ll—”
“You’ll what?” Lucifer smirked. “Kill me?”
“You bastard,” Sebastian spat angrily, flaring his nostrils.
“You know... we’re not that different,” Lucifer said.
“I’m nothing like you,” Sebastian grumbled.
“Aren’t we? I have to say, what you did to Tessa is an all-time low,” Lucifer said, pursing his mouth in a self-satisfied grin. “Raping your half-brother’s mate is a detestable sin.”
“I didn’t rape her!”
“Same difference,” Lucifer replied smugly. “You put those images in her head, leading her to believe you did... just to piss off Jace. By my book, that’s shady as hell.”
Sebastian glared at Lucifer. “Shut the hell up.”
Lucifer moved closer, the heels of his boots scraping across the floor. Sebastian stood his ground, glaring at him with hatred. With supernatural speed and reflexes, he struck Sebastian across the face, sending him tumbling backward. Disoriented, he swayed on his feet and tasted blood. His lip was split and bleeding where Lucifer had hit him.
Using one hand, Lucifer gripped him around the throat and lifted him off the floor. Glaring at Sebastian, he gritted his teeth. “Give me what I want, or suffer your fate.”
“Never,” Sebastian choked, thrashing against Lucifer’s hold.
“No!” Eve screamed as she peered through the tiny glass window of Sebastian’s cell. He was dangling in mid-air, gasping for breath as if something had a hold of his throat. But there was no one in the room, only Sebastian.
“Guards!” Eve yelled.
Lucifer snarled at Sebastian, all his teeth growing sharp and his dark eyes gleaming in the dim light. “You will suffer my wrath with eternal sleep, reliving the horrors of your past.”
Panic seized Sebastian. “No,” he gasped, struggling to speak. “Please... no.”
Sebastian braced himself as Lucifer bit into his throat and drank his blood. After getting his fill, he tossed Sebastian, sending him crashing painfully against the far wall like a rag doll.
He slid down and slumped onto the floor as the guard fumbled with the key outside the room. Sebastian watched Lucifer disappear into nothingness, feeling his body drifting into darkness.
As the door sprang open, Eve and the guard rushed inside. Eve caught her breath when she saw Sebastian lying on the floor motionless. Blood flowed freely down his throat, dripping onto the floor in a pool of dark red.
She rushed over to Sebastian and knelt beside him, tears burning a trail down her cheeks. Eve peeled off her jacket and placed it against Sebastian’s neck to stop the flow of blood. “Get this damn thing off of him,” she said frantically, glancing toward the guard. “He needs medical attention now.”
After the guard had called for backup, he knelt down and quickly removed Sebastian’s straitjacket.
When Bruce Carmichael—Eve’s guard who escorted her each time she visited the mental institution—stepped into the room, he froze in his tracks, taken aback by the bizarre spectacle before him.
“Sebastian! Sebastian, talk to me, please,” Eve pleaded. “Can you hear me?”
With his lids slightly cracked, he mustered all his strength and focused them on her. “Eve...” His eyes watered and his color drained. “You can’t... Don’t give up Arius.”
“You’re going to be fine, Sebastian,” Eve said, her voice laced with tears. “You just need my blood.”
He shook his head as she held her wrist close to his lips. “No, Eve,” he said hoarsely.
“Sebastian, please. I can fix this. Take my blood.”
“Save... Arius... from Lucifer...” He started to weep while struggling to keep his focus. “I love... you.” And then he closed his eyes and went limp, falling deeper into a state of unconsciousness. The fault of his son’s destiny was his. To keep Arius from the hands of evil, Sebastian was willing to suffer a thousand-fold. And now his fate had come. The thing he had dreaded and feared long ago. His punishment was now a reality. Sebastian would be forever alive but lost in the horrors of his past, reliving each day he’d fought so hard to forget.
“No!” Eve shouted. “Don’t leave me. Please... I believe you, Sebastian. Did you hear me?” She gently shook his shoulders, desperate for him to open his eyes. “You’re not crazy. I saw it! I believe you!”
The succubus side in her confirmed what her brain had been denying: Sebastian wasn’t crazy. Something or someone was speaking to him. And she saw it with her own eyes. Eve had no idea how she was going to do it, but she had to fight to bring Sebastian back and protect her son from... Lucifer.
To be continued...
NOTE: This is not part of the chapter. A reference for terms and cast of characters, especially for new readers:
BREEDLINE - A species of humans that have the ability to change from human form into a wolf. They are not like the old legend of the Lycanthropy myth. Breedline species can shift into their wolf at will. The moon has no power over them. They do not pass their ability to other humans with a bite or scratch like the Lycanthropy myth.
The Breedline gene is passed down to offspring that are born identical twins. Although they live amongst humans, their species must be kept secret.
In wolf form, they have super strength, speed, and heightened senses. Compared to humans, Breedlines have tremendous advantages when it comes to health. Their bodies heal fast and are not subject to illnesses or diseases. The only thing that slows their healing process is silver. It is their kryptonite. Besides old age, a silver bullet to the brain is the only thing deadly to the species.
All males change into their wolf at the age of eighteen. Females do not go through the change until they make love to their Breedline bonded mate.
BREEDLINE TWINS - Identical twins that are born from either one or both parents of the Breedline species. They have a strong, unbreakable bond from birth, are born with telepathic abilities, and have the power to sense the other's emotions or injuries. In some cases, the bond between twins are so strong, that if one dies, the other twin may pass on, especially if they don't have a mate.
BREEDLINE BONDING - The male Breedline spends their life in search of their bonded mate. When the male comes in contact with her, he instantly feels a simultaneous, desirable attraction and she becomes the most important thing in his life. He is there to love, protect, and cherish her until death. Once they are mated, they bond for life. It is possible for them to have more than one mate in their lifespan.
BELOVED - A word used by a Breedline to express the bond to their mate.
DOUBLE BONDED - In some cases, male Breedline twins bond with the same female but one will carry a stronger bond. Usually one of them must sacrifice for the other twin.
BREEDLINE COVENANT - The Breedline species must live within the boundaries of a Covenant, which is only formed with their species. The Covenant is governed and ruled by a head council. The council keeps their laws in order and oversees the species population.
THE BREEDLINE QUEEN - Over centuries the Breedline Covenant is ruled by a true queen. If there is no queen living, the Covenants are governed by an appointed head council until another one is born. A Breedline queen is born once every one hundred years. Her massive stature, black fur, and red eyes are the queen's trademarks. Her alpha wolf has twice the strength, speed, and size of any Breedline. The queen is expected to rule over all the Breedline Covenants where she will be respected and obeyed by all Breedline. This is their absolute True Law.
THE QUEENS RING - This ring has been passed down to all Breedline queens for generations. When the new queen places the ring on, it instantly shifts in size to fit her finger.
TRUE LAW - All Breedline Covenants have an ancient book of laws. If either sex disobeys the Breedline laws, they can be shunned, or no longer protected by their Covenant. If a Breedline takes another life out of revenge, or evil - other than protecting their life, and the life of another - they will never have the ability to shift back human and cast out as a rogue wolf.
ROGUE WOLF - A Breedline shunned by their Covenant for taking another life out of revenge or evil and forced to live as a wolf until death without the ability to change human again. Some rogue wolves form into packs, which can be dangerous for other Breedline species.
RED (BLOOD) MOON - When the full moon passes through the amber shadow of the earth, producing a midnight eclipse visible across North America. So begins a lunar eclipse tetrad, a series of four consecutive total eclipses occurring at approximately six-month intervals. This incredible light beams into the heart of earth's shadow, filling it with a coppery glow and transforming the moon into a great red orb. During this time, all Breedline species that are mated have a strong desire to create an offspring. This is also a time when Breedline females are more fertile for the conception of twins.
CHIANG-SHIH DEMON (Kiang shi, a.k.a Ramael Arminius) - An ancient demon that inhabits the body of a Breedline fetus before it's born, or during a Breedline's death. It continues to take the soul over the natural lifespan of the child, or the deceased Breedline. When the demon possesses a fetus, it breaks the bonding and telepathic abilities of their twin when they are born. If the demon possesses a deceased Breedline's body, it must do so before the soul passes on. If the soul is not intact, the body will soon die.
In most cases, the Chiang-shih demon will take the life of the other twin, even before their birth. The twin that is born with the demon will bring only evil to whomever they encounter. Their sole purpose is to gain full control of another soul and seek world domination.
There are two ways the demon is cast from the soul it possesses: by its first-born son, and the Angel of Mercy, Zadkiel. The Beast is the only one who can kill a Chiang-shih demon.
THE BEAST - He is the second born son of the Chiang-shih demon. When provoked into a rage, he will shift into his Beast instead of his Breedline wolf. The Beast is an enormous, dangerous two-footed creature that has wolf-like features. One bite has enough venom to kill the Chiang-shih demon and leave the soul of the person the demon possessed unharmed.
SHADOW WALKER (a.k.a Shadow Figure, or Black Mass) - The perception of a patch of shadow as a living, humanoid figure, particularly interpreted by the Breedline as the presence of a malevolent entity. When a Breedline species dies and does not pass on to the other side, they are left to roam the earth as a shadow of themselves - a ghost. They will not pass on until they have settled unfinished business before their death.
ZADKIEL (Tzadqiel, a.k.a "Righteousness of God") - The Archangel of freedom, benevolence, and mercy, and the Patron Angel of all who forgives. Breedline species tradition considers him to be the Angel of Mercy.
SUCCUBUS (a.k.a CREEPERS) - Creatures that search for, and feeds off the blood of the Breedline species. Creepers are skilled at extreme sexual pleasure, and the ecstasy they create is exceedingly intense and highly addictive. They cast off a scent that hypnotizes Breedlines into overwhelming sexual urges. They use their human-like bodies and beautiful features to control and influence their thoughts.
They have the ability to reach into the Breedline's mind during sleep, casting a spell of dreams about sexual contact, or intercourse. And one much less obvious manifestation of Creepers is nightmares - realistic, graphic, terrifying nightmares that rob the Breedline of sleep. Over a period, it can lead to severe fatigue and depression, leaving them emotionally and spiritually drained. Death can occur if they completely take over the Breedline's body.
HALF-BREED - This species is born with the genes from both Breedline and succubus. They can bond with either a full-blood Breedline or another half-breed. They do not have the ability to change into the Breedline wolf, but they do need blood from them to survive. With the power to hypnotize, most Breedlines have minimal respect and credence toward the half-breed species.
WICCA (or Wise One) - According to the Breedline species, a Wicca is the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts, and necromancy. A Wicca is also considered to be a demonic spirit. It is unclear to the Breedline if they act under the orders of the devil, or they are simply not understood and treated as outcasts. They have the ability to do white magic (good) or dark (evil).
GUARDIANS (a.k.a Spirits of the Forest) - They originated during the Middle Ages with the purpose of protecting all creatures, especially the Breedline, from the destruction of any creation made by a dark Wicca. They have the ability to stay invisible with the power to move through any barrier and over any distance instantly.
THERIOMORPH - This species is born with the genes of a Breedline, but do not have the ability to change into a Breedline wolf. They shape shift into an enormous black panther. They possess powers of mind manipulation and random visions of the future. They must use the drug dopamine to suppress their urges. Their eye color shifts into a glowing lavender when their Theriomorph nature takes over. The Breedline see them as a threat to their species.
ADALWOLF - A species that has the power to shift from their human form into a beautiful creature, three times the size, resembling half man and half wolf. Born with super-strength, they can move from one place to another in supernatural speed. Their eyes take on the appearance of two-shimmering diamonds. With the power to regenerate their own cells, an Adalwolf will stop aging at thirty. The moon has no power over them. And an Adalwolf is immune to silver. They can bond with any species.
Jace Chamberlain (a.k.a The Beast) - He is a Breedline species which later discovers his birth father - ?who is possessed by the Chiang-shih demon -murdered his mother when he and his twin brother were four years old. Raised by their new foster family and their Uncle Jacks, he later discovers he was born with a curse of the Beast. With the help of his twin brother Jem, and his bonded mate Tessa, they help him cope with his rage to keep the Beast at bay. He's an IT engineer and is the lead singer and plays acoustic guitar in the band Chaos.
Jem Chamberlain (a.k.a The Chosen Son) - He is a Breedline species and Jace's twin brother. He carries the gene of the Chiang-shih demon that gives him the power to create a portal, and a force of electric energy used as a weapon and other powers he discovers later. His bonded mate is Mia Blackwood, and he's an IT engineer and the drummer in the band Chaos.
Tessa Fairchild - She was born into the human world and later discovers she's a Breedline. Abandoned by her parents, she was raised by her aunt and uncle without the knowledge of being born a twin. After she meets Jace, they become bonded mates. During her first change into her Breedline wolf, she is the new Breedline queen. She is an inspiring artist.
Jax and Jem Chamberlain - Jace and Tessa's twin boys. Both have inherited the Breedline gene and their father's Beast.
Dr. John and Sarah Chamberlain - They are Jace, Jem and Cassie's adoptive human parents. They are physicians in a children's unit, and also donates their time to the emergency center.
Chester and Amelia Ewan - They are called Guardians - a species originated during the Middle Ages with the purpose of protecting all creatures, especially the Breedline from the destruction of any creation made by a dark Wiccan.
Jackson Gray - He is Jace and Jem's biological uncle - Katlyn Gray's older brother. Although he carries the gene of the Breedline, he does not shift into a wolf. Only Breedline's born with an identical twin have the ability to change into their wolf. He's a medical supply pilot.
Mia Blackwood - She is a half-breed and Jem's bonded mate. Abandoned at birth and raised in human foster care, she later finds her twin sister, Eve.
EVE - She is a half-breed and Sebastian's bonded mate. Growing up in human foster care, she spent her entire childhood abused until Sebastian saves her. Scorned from her past, she lashes out in anger, living a life of crime later to discover her twin sister, Mia Blackwood. After realizing the Chiang-shih demon possesses Sebastian, Eve clings to the past in hopes of reuniting with her beloved. Now that Sebastian is finally free of the demon, she has trust issues, worried he has an alternative plan for their sons.
Sebastian Crow - He is a half-breed, and Eve's bonded mate. After he had been killed by Jace in self- defense, he was possessed by the Chiang-shih demon after the Angel of Mercy cast him out of Alexander's body. As he tried to portray Sebastian's life, Eve finally figured out his secret. Keeping her captive only to survive on her blood, he later develops feelings for her. The demon creates a death army, determined to dominate the world and unleash his wrath among humans and the Breedline. Now free from the demon, he is determined to reunite with his beloved Eve who is kept prisoner by the Breedline Covenant awaiting trial for her past crimes against them.
Arius and Tidus - Sebastian and Eve's twin boys. Both have inherited their parent's genetics of a half-breed. But Arius carries the mark of the Chiang-shih demon with the power to create a portal and the ability to heal others.
Alexander Crest - He is a Breedline who was possessed by the Chiang-shih demon before birth. Murdering his family, Alexander kidnapped his twin's bonded mate, Katlyn Gray. Keeping her prisoner against her will, she becomes pregnant with his twins. As she managed to escape before she gave birth, Alexander eventually kills her in a fit of rage. Returning for his chosen son twenty-two years later, he is determined to convince him to join his army. After the battle between the Breedline, the demon is finally cast out of Alexander setting his soul free. For the demon's past crimes, Alexander is pardoned and must reside in the Breedline Covenant. Praying for forgiveness, he reunites with his twin sons, Jace and Jem. As he fights to keep his new family safe, romance blossoms with Dr. Helen Carrington.
Tim Ross - He is a Breedline species and head council of the California Covenant. Angel, his bonded mate - who is a half-breed - has Tim's daughter they named Natalie, after her sister.
Angel - She is a half-breed and Tim's bonded mate.
Natalie - She is a half-breed and Tim and Angel's daughter.
Kyle Jones - He is a Breedline species that resides in the California Covenant. Having lost his family to a house fire at childhood, his Uncle Tim Ross has raised him since. Celina Baldolf is his bonded mate. He's a mechanic and also Jace and Jem's close friend, and plays bass in the rock band Chaos.
Casey Barton - He was born of the Breedline species, and lives in the California Covenant. He was adopted by Tim Ross's brother and carries a deep dark secret, afraid to reveal to the Breedline he was born a Theriomorph. He is a clothing model and plays backup bass and keyboards in the band Chaos.
Dr. Helen Carrington - She is a Breedline species and a physician at the California Bates hospital for both Breedlines and humans. Later, she discovers Jace and Jem carry a gene, possibly used for a cure to stop the aging process in her species. After Alexander's demon is banished, he is pardoned for all past crimes and welcomed into the Breedline Covenant. When he meets Helen, they become bonded mates.
Drakon Hexus - He is a Breedline species. At a young age, his first bonded mate was killed by her father. In a rage, he hunts and kills her murderer, breaking the Breedline's True Law. Shunned by his Covenant and forced to live as a rogue wolf, he's promised his humanity back if he joins the Chiang-shih demon's army. After Drakon discovers the demon's plans to destroy all humans and half-breeds, he betrays him and joins forces with the Breedline. As time passes, he bonds with another mate, Cassie Chamberlain.
Cassie Chamberlain - Adopted at age two by Jace and Jem's adoptive parents after her mother abandons her. Later, she discovers she is a Breedline species and bonds with the handsome Drakon Hexus. She is a nurse practitioner, specializing in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Celina Baldolf - She is a Breedline species with the power of a Wiccan, but only practices white witchcraft. Her twin sister Taliah - a dark Wicca - murdered their parents when they were twelve years old. Dr. Helen Carrington is their aunt, and Kyle Jones is Celina's Breedline bonded mate. She is an editor for a local publishing company.
Steven Pasquale (a.k.a Steven Craven) - He inherited the genes of a Breedline and an Adalwolf. He was taken from his mother and forced to endure a life of endless, painful experiments by two German physicians; Dr. Hans Autenburg and Dr. Hubert Crane. Without the knowledge of his real family, Steven finally manages to escape his captors, locating his biological parents and fraternal twin, Tessa Fairchild.
Lisa Wellington (a.k.a Lilith) - She is a Breedline with the gift to heal. After she becomes pregnant with twins, she mysteriously disappears. Taken against her will by Dr. Hans Autenburg, she is forced to endure a life of torture. After years of experiments, her human form is altered into a creature that goes against the laws of nature. With her memory completely erased, Lisa is transformed into Lilith. Her bonded mate, Kenneth Craven desperately searches for Lisa for years. But when their telepathic connection is severed he losses all hope of locating her and his unborn twins.
Dr. Kenneth Craven - He is a Breedline and an orthopedic surgeon at the San Francisco General Hospital. He's also Tessa Fairchild and Steven's biological father.
Lila Demont - She is a Breedline, born into a wealthy, prestigious family. She is a lab technician and assists Dr. Helen Carrington with the cure to the Breedline aging process. She later bonds with Casey Barton.
Victor Demont - He is a Breedline, and Lila's father. He is a retired council member of the Pennsylvania Breedline Covenant. After he discovers his daughter has bonded with Casey Barton, he disapproves of their relationship. But when Casey discovers Victor's dark secret of an affair with his adoptive mother, Casey confronts him. Now that Victor's secret is revealed, he promises to accept Casey and Lila's relationship in return for his silence.
Raphael (a.k.a Buddy) - He is the angel of healing who secretly disguises himself as a black cat that resides in the Breedline Covenant as their pet.
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and 2 member cents. BREEDLINE - A species of humans that have the ability to change from human form into a wolf. They are not like the old legend of the Lycanthropy myth. Breedline species can shift into their wolf at will. The moon has no power over them. They do not pass their ability to other humans with a bite or scratch like the Lycanthropy myth.
The Breedline gene is passed down to offspring that are born identical twins. Although they live amongst humans, their species must be kept secret.
In wolf form, they have super strength, speed, and heightened senses. Compared to humans, Breedlines have tremendous advantages when it comes to health. Their bodies heal fast and are not subject to illnesses or diseases. The only thing that slows their healing process is silver. It is their kryptonite. Besides old age, a silver bullet to the brain is the only thing deadly to the species.
All males change into their wolf at the age of eighteen. Females do not go through the change until they make love to their Breedline bonded mate.
BREEDLINE TWINS - Identical twins that are born from either one or both parents of the Breedline species. They have a strong, unbreakable bond from birth, are born with telepathic abilities, and have the power to sense the other's emotions or injuries. In some cases, the bond between twins are so strong, that if one dies, the other twin may pass on, especially if they don't have a mate.
BREEDLINE BONDING - The male Breedline spends their life in search of their bonded mate. When the male comes in contact with her, he instantly feels a simultaneous, desirable attraction and she becomes the most important thing in his life. He is there to love, protect, and cherish her until death. Once they are mated, they bond for life. It is possible for them to have more than one mate in their lifespan.
BELOVED - A word used by a Breedline to express the bond to their mate.
DOUBLE BONDED - In some cases, male Breedline twins bond with the same female but one will carry a stronger bond. Usually one of them must sacrifice for the other twin.
BREEDLINE COVENANT - The Breedline species must live within the boundaries of a Covenant, which is only formed with their species. The Covenant is governed and ruled by a head council. The council keeps their laws in order and oversees the species population.
THE BREEDLINE QUEEN - Over centuries the Breedline Covenant is ruled by a true queen. If there is no queen living, the Covenants are governed by an appointed head council until another one is born. A Breedline queen is born once every one hundred years. Her massive stature, black fur, and red eyes are the queen's trademarks. Her alpha wolf has twice the strength, speed, and size of any Breedline. The queen is expected to rule over all the Breedline Covenants where she will be respected and obeyed by all Breedline. This is their absolute True Law.
THE QUEENS RING - This ring has been passed down to all Breedline queens for generations. When the new queen places the ring on, it instantly shifts in size to fit her finger.
TRUE LAW - All Breedline Covenants have an ancient book of laws. If either sex disobeys the Breedline laws, they can be shunned, or no longer protected by their Covenant. If a Breedline takes another life out of revenge, or evil - other than protecting their life, and the life of another - they will never have the ability to shift back human and cast out as a rogue wolf.
ROGUE WOLF - A Breedline shunned by their Covenant for taking another life out of revenge or evil and forced to live as a wolf until death without the ability to change human again. Some rogue wolves form into packs, which can be dangerous for other Breedline species.
RED (BLOOD) MOON - When the full moon passes through the amber shadow of the earth, producing a midnight eclipse visible across North America. So begins a lunar eclipse tetrad, a series of four consecutive total eclipses occurring at approximately six-month intervals. This incredible light beams into the heart of earth's shadow, filling it with a coppery glow and transforming the moon into a great red orb. During this time, all Breedline species that are mated have a strong desire to create an offspring. This is also a time when Breedline females are more fertile for the conception of twins.
CHIANG-SHIH DEMON (Kiang shi, a.k.a Ramael Arminius) - An ancient demon that inhabits the body of a Breedline fetus before it's born, or during a Breedline's death. It continues to take the soul over the natural lifespan of the child, or the deceased Breedline. When the demon possesses a fetus, it breaks the bonding and telepathic abilities of their twin when they are born. If the demon possesses a deceased Breedline's body, it must do so before the soul passes on. If the soul is not intact, the body will soon die.
In most cases, the Chiang-shih demon will take the life of the other twin, even before their birth. The twin that is born with the demon will bring only evil to whomever they encounter. Their sole purpose is to gain full control of another soul and seek world domination.
There are two ways the demon is cast from the soul it possesses: by its first-born son, and the Angel of Mercy, Zadkiel. The Beast is the only one who can kill a Chiang-shih demon.
THE BEAST - He is the second born son of the Chiang-shih demon. When provoked into a rage, he will shift into his Beast instead of his Breedline wolf. The Beast is an enormous, dangerous two-footed creature that has wolf-like features. One bite has enough venom to kill the Chiang-shih demon and leave the soul of the person the demon possessed unharmed.
SHADOW WALKER (a.k.a Shadow Figure, or Black Mass) - The perception of a patch of shadow as a living, humanoid figure, particularly interpreted by the Breedline as the presence of a malevolent entity. When a Breedline species dies and does not pass on to the other side, they are left to roam the earth as a shadow of themselves - a ghost. They will not pass on until they have settled unfinished business before their death.
ZADKIEL (Tzadqiel, a.k.a "Righteousness of God") - The Archangel of freedom, benevolence, and mercy, and the Patron Angel of all who forgives. Breedline species tradition considers him to be the Angel of Mercy.
SUCCUBUS (a.k.a CREEPERS) - Creatures that search for, and feeds off the blood of the Breedline species. Creepers are skilled at extreme sexual pleasure, and the ecstasy they create is exceedingly intense and highly addictive. They cast off a scent that hypnotizes Breedlines into overwhelming sexual urges. They use their human-like bodies and beautiful features to control and influence their thoughts.
They have the ability to reach into the Breedline's mind during sleep, casting a spell of dreams about sexual contact, or intercourse. And one much less obvious manifestation of Creepers is nightmares - realistic, graphic, terrifying nightmares that rob the Breedline of sleep. Over a period, it can lead to severe fatigue and depression, leaving them emotionally and spiritually drained. Death can occur if they completely take over the Breedline's body.
HALF-BREED - This species is born with the genes from both Breedline and succubus. They can bond with either a full-blood Breedline or another half-breed. They do not have the ability to change into the Breedline wolf, but they do need blood from them to survive. With the power to hypnotize, most Breedlines have minimal respect and credence toward the half-breed species.
WICCA (or Wise One) - According to the Breedline species, a Wicca is the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts, and necromancy. A Wicca is also considered to be a demonic spirit. It is unclear to the Breedline if they act under the orders of the devil, or they are simply not understood and treated as outcasts. They have the ability to do white magic (good) or dark (evil).
GUARDIANS (a.k.a Spirits of the Forest) - They originated during the Middle Ages with the purpose of protecting all creatures, especially the Breedline, from the destruction of any creation made by a dark Wicca. They have the ability to stay invisible with the power to move through any barrier and over any distance instantly.
THERIOMORPH - This species is born with the genes of a Breedline, but do not have the ability to change into a Breedline wolf. They shape shift into an enormous black panther. They possess powers of mind manipulation and random visions of the future. They must use the drug dopamine to suppress their urges. Their eye color shifts into a glowing lavender when their Theriomorph nature takes over. The Breedline see them as a threat to their species.
ADALWOLF - A species that has the power to shift from their human form into a beautiful creature, three times the size, resembling half man and half wolf. Born with super-strength, they can move from one place to another in supernatural speed. Their eyes take on the appearance of two-shimmering diamonds. With the power to regenerate their own cells, an Adalwolf will stop aging at thirty. The moon has no power over them. And an Adalwolf is immune to silver. They can bond with any species.
Jace Chamberlain (a.k.a The Beast) - He is a Breedline species which later discovers his birth father - ?who is possessed by the Chiang-shih demon -murdered his mother when he and his twin brother were four years old. Raised by their new foster family and their Uncle Jacks, he later discovers he was born with a curse of the Beast. With the help of his twin brother Jem, and his bonded mate Tessa, they help him cope with his rage to keep the Beast at bay. He's an IT engineer and is the lead singer and plays acoustic guitar in the band Chaos.
Jem Chamberlain (a.k.a The Chosen Son) - He is a Breedline species and Jace's twin brother. He carries the gene of the Chiang-shih demon that gives him the power to create a portal, and a force of electric energy used as a weapon and other powers he discovers later. His bonded mate is Mia Blackwood, and he's an IT engineer and the drummer in the band Chaos.
Tessa Fairchild - She was born into the human world and later discovers she's a Breedline. Abandoned by her parents, she was raised by her aunt and uncle without the knowledge of being born a twin. After she meets Jace, they become bonded mates. During her first change into her Breedline wolf, she is the new Breedline queen. She is an inspiring artist.
Jax and Jem Chamberlain - Jace and Tessa's twin boys. Both have inherited the Breedline gene and their father's Beast.
Dr. John and Sarah Chamberlain - They are Jace, Jem and Cassie's adoptive human parents. They are physicians in a children's unit, and also donates their time to the emergency center.
Chester and Amelia Ewan - They are called Guardians - a species originated during the Middle Ages with the purpose of protecting all creatures, especially the Breedline from the destruction of any creation made by a dark Wiccan.
Jackson Gray - He is Jace and Jem's biological uncle - Katlyn Gray's older brother. Although he carries the gene of the Breedline, he does not shift into a wolf. Only Breedline's born with an identical twin have the ability to change into their wolf. He's a medical supply pilot.
Mia Blackwood - She is a half-breed and Jem's bonded mate. Abandoned at birth and raised in human foster care, she later finds her twin sister, Eve.
EVE - She is a half-breed and Sebastian's bonded mate. Growing up in human foster care, she spent her entire childhood abused until Sebastian saves her. Scorned from her past, she lashes out in anger, living a life of crime later to discover her twin sister, Mia Blackwood. After realizing the Chiang-shih demon possesses Sebastian, Eve clings to the past in hopes of reuniting with her beloved. Now that Sebastian is finally free of the demon, she has trust issues, worried he has an alternative plan for their sons.
Sebastian Crow - He is a half-breed, and Eve's bonded mate. After he had been killed by Jace in self- defense, he was possessed by the Chiang-shih demon after the Angel of Mercy cast him out of Alexander's body. As he tried to portray Sebastian's life, Eve finally figured out his secret. Keeping her captive only to survive on her blood, he later develops feelings for her. The demon creates a death army, determined to dominate the world and unleash his wrath among humans and the Breedline. Now free from the demon, he is determined to reunite with his beloved Eve who is kept prisoner by the Breedline Covenant awaiting trial for her past crimes against them.
Arius and Tidus - Sebastian and Eve's twin boys. Both have inherited their parent's genetics of a half-breed. But Arius carries the mark of the Chiang-shih demon with the power to create a portal and the ability to heal others.
Alexander Crest - He is a Breedline who was possessed by the Chiang-shih demon before birth. Murdering his family, Alexander kidnapped his twin's bonded mate, Katlyn Gray. Keeping her prisoner against her will, she becomes pregnant with his twins. As she managed to escape before she gave birth, Alexander eventually kills her in a fit of rage. Returning for his chosen son twenty-two years later, he is determined to convince him to join his army. After the battle between the Breedline, the demon is finally cast out of Alexander setting his soul free. For the demon's past crimes, Alexander is pardoned and must reside in the Breedline Covenant. Praying for forgiveness, he reunites with his twin sons, Jace and Jem. As he fights to keep his new family safe, romance blossoms with Dr. Helen Carrington.
Tim Ross - He is a Breedline species and head council of the California Covenant. Angel, his bonded mate - who is a half-breed - has Tim's daughter they named Natalie, after her sister.
Angel - She is a half-breed and Tim's bonded mate.
Natalie - She is a half-breed and Tim and Angel's daughter.
Kyle Jones - He is a Breedline species that resides in the California Covenant. Having lost his family to a house fire at childhood, his Uncle Tim Ross has raised him since. Celina Baldolf is his bonded mate. He's a mechanic and also Jace and Jem's close friend, and plays bass in the rock band Chaos.
Casey Barton - He was born of the Breedline species, and lives in the California Covenant. He was adopted by Tim Ross's brother and carries a deep dark secret, afraid to reveal to the Breedline he was born a Theriomorph. He is a clothing model and plays backup bass and keyboards in the band Chaos.
Dr. Helen Carrington - She is a Breedline species and a physician at the California Bates hospital for both Breedlines and humans. Later, she discovers Jace and Jem carry a gene, possibly used for a cure to stop the aging process in her species. After Alexander's demon is banished, he is pardoned for all past crimes and welcomed into the Breedline Covenant. When he meets Helen, they become bonded mates.
Drakon Hexus - He is a Breedline species. At a young age, his first bonded mate was killed by her father. In a rage, he hunts and kills her murderer, breaking the Breedline's True Law. Shunned by his Covenant and forced to live as a rogue wolf, he's promised his humanity back if he joins the Chiang-shih demon's army. After Drakon discovers the demon's plans to destroy all humans and half-breeds, he betrays him and joins forces with the Breedline. As time passes, he bonds with another mate, Cassie Chamberlain.
Cassie Chamberlain - Adopted at age two by Jace and Jem's adoptive parents after her mother abandons her. Later, she discovers she is a Breedline species and bonds with the handsome Drakon Hexus. She is a nurse practitioner, specializing in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Celina Baldolf - She is a Breedline species with the power of a Wiccan, but only practices white witchcraft. Her twin sister Taliah - a dark Wicca - murdered their parents when they were twelve years old. Dr. Helen Carrington is their aunt, and Kyle Jones is Celina's Breedline bonded mate. She is an editor for a local publishing company.
Steven Pasquale (a.k.a Steven Craven) - He inherited the genes of a Breedline and an Adalwolf. He was taken from his mother and forced to endure a life of endless, painful experiments by two German physicians; Dr. Hans Autenburg and Dr. Hubert Crane. Without the knowledge of his real family, Steven finally manages to escape his captors, locating his biological parents and fraternal twin, Tessa Fairchild.
Lisa Wellington (a.k.a Lilith) - She is a Breedline with the gift to heal. After she becomes pregnant with twins, she mysteriously disappears. Taken against her will by Dr. Hans Autenburg, she is forced to endure a life of torture. After years of experiments, her human form is altered into a creature that goes against the laws of nature. With her memory completely erased, Lisa is transformed into Lilith. Her bonded mate, Kenneth Craven desperately searches for Lisa for years. But when their telepathic connection is severed he losses all hope of locating her and his unborn twins.
Dr. Kenneth Craven - He is a Breedline and an orthopedic surgeon at the San Francisco General Hospital. He's also Tessa Fairchild and Steven's biological father.
Lila Demont - She is a Breedline, born into a wealthy, prestigious family. She is a lab technician and assists Dr. Helen Carrington with the cure to the Breedline aging process. She later bonds with Casey Barton.
Victor Demont - He is a Breedline, and Lila's father. He is a retired council member of the Pennsylvania Breedline Covenant. After he discovers his daughter has bonded with Casey Barton, he disapproves of their relationship. But when Casey discovers Victor's dark secret of an affair with his adoptive mother, Casey confronts him. Now that Victor's secret is revealed, he promises to accept Casey and Lila's relationship in return for his silence.
Raphael (a.k.a Buddy) - He is the angel of healing who secretly disguises himself as a black cat that resides in the Breedline Covenant as their pet.
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