Book 1 – The Lycan’s Curse Into the Lycan’s den

Aliyah’s glass of water shattered in her hand, the sharp sound echoing in her ears. A surge of negative emotions washed over her, and her heart raced as if it might leap from her chest. In that moment, she finally accessed her vision and saw Giuseppe—unconscious and being abducted by a group of lycans. Her hands trembled uncontrollably, fear gripping her.

There was no time to waste. With determination fueling her, she vanished into thin air using her full speed.

Giuseppe stood in the middle of the woods, scanning his surroundings. He could sense several lycans lurking nearby. In a surge of adrenaline, he jumped to the top of the tallest tree. Suddenly, a gigantic werewolf leaped at his back, and his eyes widened in shock. He managed to evade the attack and ran as fast as he could, but the lycans were right on his heels.

” Shit, they can run like that too?” he muttered under his breath, anxiety clawing at him. He could only drain one Lycan’s energy at a time, and he was still learning to harness his ability. There was little he could do; these creatures relied solely on their physical strength, immune to many magical and psychic abilities.

Giuseppe’s heart raced as two lycans charged at him from the front. He narrowly evaded the first, but the second caught his legs, slamming him to the ground. Dazed and struggling to hold on to consciousness, he felt darkness creeping in, the weight of his situation overwhelming him.

She followed them until they reached a glamorous mansion, its opulence stark against the darkening sky. As the lycans shifted back into their human forms, they were greeted by guards at the gate, and they brought Giuseppe inside the house.

“ We encountered several hybrid creatures over the past few days. They are strong but inexperienced,” one lycan said, his tone laced with authority.

Aliyah’s eyes widened in horror when she recognized the handsome man from her vision. Panic surged within her as she sensed seven lycans inside the mansion, and she knew she couldn’t face them alone; she was still inexperienced. A memory sparked in her mind. With urgency, she cast an invisibility spell that concealed not only her physical form but also her presence. Quietly, she snuck into the mansion, straining to overhear their conversations.

“ We need to find all of them, we can use them,” the stoic handsome man added, his voice confident. “Especially that girl who uses dark magic.”

“ What are we going to do with this vampire guy?” another man asked, uncertainty creeping into his voice.

“ Put him in a cage and erase his memory so we can send him to my father quickly,” the handsome man replied, and the others nodded in agreement.

Aliyah felt a wave of resolve wash over her. She had to act. “This will be my first time using this spell,” she thought to herself, steeling her nerves. She began to chant the incantation, focusing all her energy on Giuseppe. In an instant, he vanished before her eyes and was teleported near Blaze’s manor.

Chaos erupted among the lycans as they realized Giuseppe had disappeared.

“ He’s gone!” the bearded man shouted, his eyes wide with disbelief.

“ He escaped! You fools, why did you let him get away?” the handsome man yelled in frustration, his anger palpable.

In the midst of their confusion, another man stumbled over something invisible. Aliyah winced in pain as his foot collided with her chest. He reached for the ground but found nothing. Taking advantage of the chaos, Aliyah sprinted away from the mansion, leaping over the tall wall that surrounded it. She ran as fast as she could toward Blaze’s manor, her heart pounding with adrenaline and fear for Giuseppe’s safety.

Aliyah found Giuseppe sitting on the ground, looking disoriented and weary. Without hesitation, she rushed over and hugged him tightly, relief flooding through her. Just then, Blaze and Marco appeared, concern etched on their faces.

“What happened?” Blaze asked, worry lacing his voice. He studied Giuseppe closely, scanning his body for injuries. Aside from his torn leather jacket and battered jeans, he seemed physically unharmed.

Aliyah slowly brought her wrist to Giuseppe’s mouth, and he bit her, drawing her blood. She felt a rush of warmth as he drank, and almost immediately, Giuseppe regained his strength, pushing her wrist away with newfound vigor.

“He got abducted by lycans,” Aliyah said, glancing down at the bite mark on her wrist, which was already beginning to heal.

“Lycans,” Blaze murmured, a frown crossing his features. He exchanged a glance with Marco. “Those abominable creatures have killed and abducted many supernatural beings around here.”

“Have you ever encountered one?” Aliyah asked, her curiosity piqued.

Blaze shook his head. “They migrated here about twenty years ago. We’ve kept our distance, hiding our presence because we were powerless against them. But now, we’re ready to confront them. They live far away, but some have set up homes near Lunarville—it’s the closest town to the City of Meteora. They love to party, too” Just then, Esme appeared, wrapping her arms around Blaze and kissing him affectionately.

“Aliyah, I need to talk to you,” Giuseppe said, his voice low. He glanced at Blaze and Marco, who immediately took the cue and stepped away, retreating into the house. After they left, Giuseppe took a deep breath and stood up, his expression heavy.

“What is it?” Aliyah asked, reaching for his hand, but he hesitated, refusing to take hers. Her heart sank at the unexpected distance.

“Aliyah,” he whispered, his gaze fixed on the cloudy sky above. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and lightning flickered in erratic bursts. “I can’t… love you.” The words hung in the air, and Aliyah gasped, the sharp pain of rejection stabbing at her heart.

Giuseppe faced her, a bittersweet smile on his lips. “I don’t have those feelings for you. I don’t want to fool you or hurt you any longer.” His eyes shimmered with a whirlwind of emotions. “Forgive me, but I can’t love you. I tried, Aliyah, but I can’t reciprocate what you feel.”

He gently caressed her face and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. Tears streamed down Aliyah’s cheeks as she nodded, heartbroken.

“I understand,” she said, wiping away her tears. Turning slowly, she walked toward the house, the weight of Giuseppe’s words heavy on her shoulders.

“Step back,” she warned, instinctively putting distance between them. Giuseppe watched her enter the door, his own tears spilling over as he struggled to contain his emotions. In an instant, he vanished into the shadows, leaving her alone in the silence.