The next morning, Alijah rose me up from my sleep, gently tracing his fingers on my cheek. One would think that it was for more romance, but it was not. It was time to eat before having to meet my brothers in the stadium for training.

The only reason Alijah was so sweet to me the previous night was that he would be unforgiving. I did not think I would ever see both my brothers bitch and moan so much. They failed to land a single hit on my wolf. Even when he told them to both come at him, they still flopped to land anything. All while my wolf could have killed them every time that their knees hit the ground.

Though, of course, Alijah never actually hurt them too badly. Though their feelings of pride were utterly destroyed. It seemed the only ones who could give my beloved a fight were Shade and Ruzgard if he played fair.

Dad could go on evenly before being overwhelmed, too. It was not fair since Alijah had a god's power within. While I seemed to have Midnight's partial powers and Fenrir's love for Valdios. Other than being able to see ghosts better, I did not receive any other benefits from dying. At least that I could tell.

Vera was missing from the previous night, too. Mom came in to let us know Sophie had called her, saying they would return tomorrow. It seemed she was blowing some steam in Celnaer, the vampire continent. She was probably visiting Night City, the capital for vampires known for its eternal night.

How did they do that again? Oh, right, by using a special artifact from the old days. It covered the city in a veil that allowed it to appear as an eternal night. It also blocked the sun's effect on the vampires there. That made them exponentially stronger there because of it.

The vampire's manipulation of blood made them dangerous enough to be respected even by Lycans. Though the royal ones were the actual monsters. For some reason, Vera always liked it there. She always said the eternal night made it feel like time stopped.

An illusion… She also had a good friend she visited often there. Even though my brothers were getting their asses handed to them by Alijah, all I cared about were the treats Vera would bring from Celnaer. I did not notice when my tail wagged too.

My mouth was too watery thinking of all the delicious sweets. Alijah suddenly placed his hand on top of my head, annoyed by my lack of inspiration. I was supposed to practice my magic, but I never could control it. So, I found it useless.

"Eek!" I yelped, startled away from my train of thought.

There I noticed Caden and Aiden dead tired on the floor. Their souls appeared to leave their living bodies. Alijah had barely broken a sweat, too.

"Oi, you are slacking. How about this… it’s your turn now." Alijah suddenly announced.

I was not expecting to fight him out of everyone. After all, even though I was supposedly a god's reincarnation, I was nowhere near a Lycan's strength. Even if I could somehow shift, all I had was speed on my side. I was significantly smaller than a normal wolf.

Not to say that my brothers, who were purer than I, did nothing against him. Then again, they had already been battling from before I woke up from my dream world, and still seemed to be stuck in the same place. Though what was before was more playful than training.

Yet that did not stop me from feeling hopeless.

"Eh??? But I don’t have a chance if they had their asses handed to them!" I pointed towards my defeated brothers that laid on the floor.

Grumbles left both their mouths, leaving me to frown. I would die.

"So?" Alijah countered, crossing his arms.

I was without words to refute him. After all…

"How will you ever fight a god, if you can’t beat me?" He asked, tilting his head.

By the gods, he is adorable.

I knew the perfect answer, too.

"I’ll have you with me!" I smiled.

Alijah seemed utterly disappointed in me. If he could have a less impressed expression on his face, he would.

"And if we get separated?" He sighed, unable to believe that I had been that naïve.

Then again, it was me we were talking about. Queen of dumb shit.

"I-I..." I fumbled to find any words, fiddling with my hands.

Shit… I’m fucked.

Alijah shook his head.

"You have the power within you to fight a god. I saw a glimpse of it when you saved me back in that raider cave. It left me terrified of you. And I have a feeling that was nothing to do with that bird." Alijah informed me.

I could not believe it.

Him afraid of me?

The only reason must have been because the bond held him back.

"What?" Caden gasped from the floor, glancing towards us.

I was in disbelief, too. To my brother, Alijah, fearing anything was a surprising thing alone, but for it to be me. I...

"You were powerless then," I mumbled.

Alijah chuckled, remembering it.

"Was I? I think you would be terrifying either way. Even thinking about facing you in that form makes me shudder to think about it. After all, we are an equal pair, love." Alijah tried to encourage me.

I was nowhere as powerful in my humanoid form. Though I was tougher than the average human. Either way, I was not impressed by his assessment.

"Okay, fine, then come get your ass handed to you. Well, slightly differently than last night." Alijah teased with a smirk on his face.

I instinctively stood up to face him, releasing a loud growl from my lips. Sometimes he could irritate, though I knew he was trying to trigger me.

"Don't say that with them around!" I yelped, throwing a blind punch that met with his hand.

He pulled it towards his lips, brushing them on my palm lightly. Even the grip of his hand on mine was gentle. He had no intention of hurting me. It aggravated me, though.

"Oh? That was such a good punch. Now try to hit me. I won’t go easy on you." Alijah said, letting go of my hand.

I clenched my hands into fists. He was getting me all hot and bothered differently than what he wanted. And that irritated me even more. It felt like my mind was about to blow.

"That’s rather unfair," I complained, pointing at him.

He tilted his head again, with the same playful expression on his face. I knew he was enjoying my reactions. And that made me more flustered.

"Are you sure?" Alijah asked, acting unaware of his actions.

I shifted, pointing towards Caden and Aiden, who were slightly sitting up. They seemed like zombies, though.

"Yes! I mean, you let Aiden and Caden both come at you and look at them!" I tried to argue my case.

All it did was make Alijah roll his eyes, smirking at me.

"Oh, then you don’t care if I talk about everything I do to you. Especially how you..." Alijah chuckled.

I moved to stop him, only for him to step away from my reach. I knew exactly what he was going to say. If he did... I think I would end up killing everyone in this room.

"Don't you dare!" I yelled at him, angered by what he used to tease me.

It worked, though.

"Then come shut me up, my love. Come at me with everything you got." Alijah smirked playfully.

I did just that, though. I can’t count how many times my ass hit the floor. He was only using defensive moves while he caught each hit, sending me back onto the floor soon after. It was almost as if his stance was impenetrable.

Though the moment he went for me, I felt the killer intent behind his move. That was when my brothers each failed. The fear of death reaching for them when Alijah allowed some of that intent to flow through his move. And that froze them.

My wolf was terrifying. Yet... This was not my first rodeo with death. For that split moment, there was an opening in his defense, and I took it. I was always more flexible than my brothers in moving in a split second.

In nimbleness, I was superb. Though in raw power was where my brothers excelled at. I barely dodged Alijah's hand that was coming for me, fixing myself to throw a high kick aimed at his face. He barely caught it before it hit him. I could not see his expression, but I could see a light hue come from his body.

The moment my wolf released my leg, I fell onto the floor again, unable to find my footing to recover. Even though my body was nowhere near as tired as Caden's and Aiden's, I knew when I could not win. This was one of those occasions where I was right!

“You know what? I give up! I can’t hit you!" I howled.

It was too quiet, though. That was when I noticed my brothers gazing at me.

Do I have something sticking to me? Or are they trying to figure out how I fucked up so badly?

"You are amazing, just as I thought." Alijah began chuckling a bit.

The tone of his voice triggered me to gaze at him right away. He had the biggest grin on his face.

"Alijah..." I called out to him.

He kneeled to my level, patting me like I had done a good job.

"You are relentless for a luma. It’s amazing how you are not afraid of death too. Though at the same time it’s worrisome. Back off next time, you dummy." Alijah shook his head.

It left me in awe of him. Totally not what he was aiming for. Though I could barely keep my hands off him.

"Oi... You need to stop being so handsome all the time. This is unfair. How am I supposed to stay angry at you?!?" I growled.

He chuckled in response, fixing his hair. His crimson orbs gazed at me lovingly.

"Really? I don’t know how I can turn off my charms." Alijah smirked playfully.

To him, this was all a game. Though it had to be. If he was serious, we would not stand a chance. I grumbled a bit.

"I wanted to say it blinded me, but that would be a lie. Well, you are fucking handsome as fuck.” I began feeling a bit flustered.

Were my cheeks red?

“But I can’t land a single hit on you, even if I aim for that pretty face. No matter what I do..." I ranted, gazing away from him.

He seemed to be caught by surprise by my little tangent.

"You almost did though," Alijah assured.

I rolled my eyes, unable to believe him. After all, I was nowhere near if he caught me. Especially knowing his strength. Each time he caught me, in reality, it would mean my arm or leg being ripped off.

"Almost is as good as nothing! Plus, you were going easy on me! It’s stupid how good you are in combat. Yet somehow I’m supposed to be the reincarnation of the god of war. Yeah right. Please... I suck..." I pointed out, pouting about it.

I saw no reason to fall on my ass twenty times trying to catch Alijah, who was close to god levels of power.

Wait... fuck... that’s why he wanted to train us. So, we can face a god when the time came. Even so... it’s unfair! This whole thing is unreasonable!

"Hm... And who said Fenrir was good at combat?" Alijah asked, knowing full well it would rile me up again.

"Why wouldn't he?" I whined from where I sat.

Alijah chuckled.

"What if I was the one doing most of the fighting for him, too? What if all Fenrir was good for was picking fights?" Alijah pointed out, causing my eyes to twitch.

This wolf was going in circles around me!

"Oi... That was what I fucking said earlier! Give me a fucking break!" I huffed.

Alijah continued to snicker, enjoying my frustration.

How can any of this go? How will I ever fight a god? He should just do it all for me then! But... that isn’t fair either.

"No, because I know you can do it." My wolf assured, making me feel like I had heard that before.

"You got closer than your brothers that cower in fear every time I show them a little killing intent. Though they should know I won’t hurt them. Well, maybe." He noted.

Aiden did not take it lightly. Bitching and moaning were what we Silver Fang youngling seemed to be good at.

"So, beating our asses makes it so we have to get better at it?!?" Aiden growled at Alijah, who turned to them, disappointed by his question.

My wolf expected more from him than a childish complaint. Though he would tolerate them.

"The only reason I’m doing this is so you realize how in a proper battle, they won’t stop. It doesn’t matter if you are tired or if you mess up in your teamwork. Or if one of your loved ones dies. Your opponent won’t care." Alijah sighed, standing up from where I was, facing my brothers, who were not happy to be outdone by me.

Had they not gotten close?

"We know that," Caden assured Alijah.

He shook his head in response. I was missing something, but I would soon know.

"Oh, really? Then why did Aiden get distracted, ending up with a broken leg when your mother started bleeding last time?” My wolf questioned harshly.

Silence came to the two pups, leaving them feeling defeated. I did not know what my wolf was scolding them for, but the wound was still fresh.

“That was a mistake that can’t happen again. Even if someone gets caught, you must keep moving. That is what war is. And what is coming is a lot uglier than what you saw while fighting Midna. There is no time for grieving on a battlefield, no matter who dies." Alijah gazed at me, saying the last part.

It was bittersweet for him. There was no way he would allow me to get hurt again. In fact, I would the end of him if things kept up.

"Okay... again then." Caden declared, getting up from the floor all wobbly.

Alijah smirked, pleased with my brother. Aiden slowly stood up, too. Though they both seemed ready to crash, too. His words motivated them again, even though they were past their limit.

"Okay, that’s what I like to see. Perhaps there is hope for you, pups." Alijah seemed pleased with the results before turning to me.

"Rem, try to meditate without falling asleep doing so." He suddenly announced, leaving me dumbfounded.

How is that going to help me after tiring me out like that? I mean...

I was not too tired, but I still felt worn out a bit.

"What? why?" I asked, baffled.

There was no reason for me to do that. Especially with how unstable my magic was. That was something for elves or humans. Not me.

"Well, you need to figure out how to use your magic without imploding. Magic users use meditation and relaxation techniques to help with that. Vera was supposed to help you, but she isn't here." Alijah pointed out.

Luckily, I quickly got what he was trying to get across. Though it left me irritated a bit.

"But... why did you say I would fall asleep?" I asked out loud, not realizing I had voiced my thoughts.

He turned to me with little expectations.

"Oh, love, I know you will." Alijah shrugged, not expecting a single thing out of me.

I growled in return, eyes twitching.

I’ll show him I can do anything I place my mind to.

Mom had tried to get me to meditate when I was a kid, but I never really found a footing for it. Easily distracted, Mom called it. I always excelled better at fighting physically than in a mental battle. Though that would not stop me from trying.

Closing my eyes, I tried to concentrate on clearing my mind, but it was no use. Not only did the battle my brothers were enduring against Alijah distracted me, but random stuff just bombarded my mind.

Of course… this will only prove him right!

Getting frustrated, I scuffled my hair while Aiden was sent flying across the stadium. Caden had almost gotten a hit on Alijah, who got serious as he had with me. Aura radiated from him while he used Caden as a bat to hit Aiden, who had recovered and gone after him, before letting Caden go too.

The blow sent him crashing onto the floor with little recovery. Curses came from my brothers as Alijah incited them both, just like he had done with me. It really was unfair how strong my wolf was. He was untouchable when he was serious. And it was annoying how he toyed with us, yet he was right.

If Edna ever managed to control a mythic level shadow demon, it would probably mean death for all of us. Alijah had struggled against the one in Azear. And that one was close to a Sage because of the bond restraints. While Midnight was high ancient levels like Shade and Ruzgard.

My wolf was the one who stopped her then, too. The only way Dad ever beat Shade or Ruzgard was by cutting off the magic they channeled from their summoners. To be truthful, we were probably doomed if Edna ever got a mythical under her.

At the point we were in, only Alijah could fight them. Everyone else would be a weight, including myself. Though the book itself would probably be worse than any mythical god from the soul cairn if it were to awaken.

Edna did not know what she was dealing with. Or at least to our knowledge.

Come to think about it, the book needs its own ranking, as it’s more powerful than the original gods themselves. Maybe I can pitch a name to Mom later. Celestial... Legendary... No Ascended? Hm...

I went off in my train of thought, ignoring the world around me, which would cost me. It would not be long before Alijah suddenly grabbed me by my hair. Tugging it back, he crashed his lips onto mine. For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.

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It had all been so sudden that I froze when his tongue invaded my mouth. It was almost like I gave up on living since my body went limp. Though the way he caressed me with his kiss left me bothered differently from before.

Separating from me, my wolf smirked. Unlike last time, there were signs of sweat on him from sparing with my brothers. Though, they were laying on the floor again. I could almost see their souls wanting to come out from them after the beating they endured. Though there were no traces of blood on the floor or on them.

"You never stop surprising me. Instead of meditating, you are pondering?" Alijah growled, unimpressed.

I had to try to defend myself.

Oh... he is angry... can I even defend this?

"At least I’m not sleeping!" I argued for my best defense.

Alijah sat in front of me with his arms crossed.

Cute... Wait, is anything he does not cute for me?!? Oi... if a god takes his shape I’m doomed.

"It’s the same,” he pointed out, much to my distress.

Ah... I’m fucked. Will I have to fight him again? Eh... my hands still feel sluggish… my legs are worse because of what we…

"Well, I was thinking about something important!" I tried to convince Alijah to reconsider.

He raised one of his eyebrows, slightly amused by my randomness.

Improvement…

"Like?" he urged me to continue.

I quickly frowned soon after. He would not like it.

"That we are doomed," I answered honestly, nodding my head.

His expression shifted faster than I thought. He was utterly disappointed by me.

"Hah... Yeah, doomed. Okay, I won’t play nice anymore." Alijah suddenly declared.

Suddenly, I found myself surrounded by the souls. He usually made them barely visible and audible. I had not experienced them since my powers went haywire when I woke up.

"Alijah-tan, what are you doing?" I mumbled, not knowing what he was up to with this.

Though when I saw his eyes turn cold, shivers ran down my spine, noticing he was serious.

"If you want to block them out. Do it on your own." Alijah announced voice devoid of emotions.

I was not ready for this at all.

"I don’t have my headphones here!" I argued.

He shrugged, not caring. In fact, it was what he wanted. Me to be defenseless against them.

"On your own, love," Alijah repeated, arms crossed, watching me closely.

It only took a moment for the souls to notice I could see and hear them clearly. I could barely take my eyes off them. They were even clearer than the day I woke up.

'Are these two silver Lycans okay? I think that black wolf might have beaten them to oblivion.' One soul stood by my brothers' defeated bodies.

'Maybe, but oh wait look, she can see us, can't she?' A female soul pointed out to the other male one.

'Oh, she is getting scolded again.' The male soul snickered.

Others appeared beside them.

'Poor thing. It seems she can’t control her power.'

'Are you new here? Hah. Control her power? It might be better to ask her something possible.'

'Yeah, she never has controlled it in the past.' The ghosts gathered around me.

I was not ready for it. It was like listening to a normal conversation when all the others were like whispers. It turned to less than that when Alijah had been blocking them out for six months. The last time when I was on the roof once I woke up, Alijah was still jamming them out.

So, I could only see them from afar, but now suddenly we found ourselves surrounded. All while my wolf’s eyes never moved from me. Though mine roamed my surroundings, distressed. It caused more ghosts to gather around me.

Their voices were so clear too that it made me wonder if headphones would even help me now. Unlike all the times before, I could see the souls' exact faces. They were so detailed that it was terrifying. I liked it better when they were orbs and whispers.

They were so loud that I felt like I was about to be drowned in them.

"Shut up!" I yelled at them, only to aggravate them more.

Have I ever feared them? Ah... this is not the first time.

When I was a little girl, the orbs terrified me, but seeing their actual expressions was even worse. They did not seem like normal people. Their eyes sockets were devoid of anything. While the bodies seemed to represent how they died. It was a horror show that surrounded me.

Tears ran down my cheeks, triggering Caden to try to stop Alijah. I was in utter distress.

"She can’t handle it!" My brother warned Alijah.

Though he could not get off the floor without falling right back on it. Instead of listing to him, my wolf continued to stare at me. At that moment, I gave off a purple hue from my body. It made it worse, though.

How will I ever use them to find Edna?

I could not filter one voice. Alijah was right. I was not ready for her.

"Shut up! Shut up!" I continued to scream at them.

They continued to haunt me. Their voices were merging as they became indistinguishable.

"Alijah, enough!" Aiden yelled.

This time, my wolf sighed, grabbing my hand. It triggered a moment of relief from all the souls that were bombarding me. Even though Alijah was hearing and seeing them, too, he barely flinched at them. Again, this was probably nothing to what he experienced.

Though when I was being assaulted by them, it hurt to look at Alijah. He was holding back every emotion to comfort me. That was something my brothers could not see from where they were.

"Rem... they can’t hurt you. Try again." Alijah tried to convince me of the impossible.

It was true they could not harm me, but my sanity was another thing.

"No!" I threw myself at him, shivering.

He held me back like I was something precious to him.

"Alijah, she can’t handle it. Please don’t torture her like that." Caden tried to plead my case.

All it did was troubled my wolf. His hands were trembling like I was. Though he would not allow my brothers to get in the way.

"You two pups need to shut up. What happens if Rem gets separated from me during the fight? Headphones won’t keep her safe from attacks! In fact, they’ll make her a target. I’ll first be hated before I lose her for being incompetent." Alijah growled.

I separated myself from him, still clinging to him. Though our faces were close to each other. He was right. I was incompetent in battle, but even if he pointed to all my flaws. I would never...

"I would never hate you," I mumbled, shaking from what I had experienced.

My word caused Alijah to simper, wiping my tears away from my cheeks.

"If anything, I’ll make you fall for me again, but I can’t bring you back to life, love. So, I can’t go easy on you." He smiled bitterly, sweetly.

I felt the full weight of what he said, though. After all, if I died, he would die soon after, too.

"On any of you." He added, glancing at Caden and Aiden, who also got hit by those words.

Both clicked their tongues, disappointed at how they have been acting. We were children compared to Alijah. I had to try harder. Six months was too little time for me. I knew it took me an entire year to get used to the orbs flying around me. This would not be easy at all, yet I needed to get over it and everything else that came my way.

"I..." I tried to find my will to face this head-on.

Alijah grabbed something from his pocket, removing the hair from my face and tying it. The warmth that his hand gave me was enough for me to know he was suffering like me. He did not enjoy seeing me distressed, but I had to get stronger. When he pulled away from me, I grabbed onto his hands tightly.

"I’ll stop being a liability!" I reassured him.

He shook his head, smiling gently at me.

"You never were a liability, Rem, but you are my vulnerability. If they try to do anything to you, I’ll crumble right where I stand." Alijah simpered, leaving me with the knowledge I had to get stronger for him.

No… for us. So, he would not have to suffer from my mistakes and inexperience.

"I’ll get stronger!" I promised Alijah.

He twisted off his aura, beginning the bombardment of ghosts once again.

"Good girl, then again,” he breathed.

I hesitantly pulled away and sat back where I was. It was torturous how they were chattering about every little thing they had seen. Calling me a terrified little girl, while calling Alijah a heartless man.

His left eye shined blue when the ghost targeted him. At that moment, they noticed he could see them too.

'He is so serious.'

‘Wasn't he the killer the family was trying to stop years ago?'

'You mean a murderer.'

'I mean, now he is pounding the Silver Fang girl.'

'Poor Fenris, he must be so disappointed in his daughter.'

'Well, they never had high expectations for her.' Their chattering was so annoying that Alijah was somewhat bothered, too.

'Well, at least it was good to look at.'

'I mean, I wish someone would hold me as he does to her.'

'If I were alive, I would probably be a better match, wouldn't I?' The dead had no fears as they gossiped within themselves.

I thought witches were mouthy, but Lycans seemed to not stay far behind. Eventually, as the ghosts gathered around Alijah, he ended up snickering.

"You fucking little shits are an annoying bunch." Alijah cursed, narrowing his eyes.

I was struggling to even follow all the conversations that were being directed towards us.

"If it’s a show you want. I’ll gladly show you every night, making you resent I’ll never hold you that way." He teased the souls that were relentlessly commenting on us as a couple.

It left me in awe of him once again. Usually, all I could do was tell them to shut up, but speak back to them? Or argue... That was... The only time I ever spoke to them was when they were speaking about Lilith.

For a moment, there was utter silence. They did not expect my grumpy wolf to snap at them, but usually, after any type of acknowledgment, the comments would get worse. They were more demanding or demeaning. It was almost as if they were lonely and starved for attention to the point they would speak to anyone, even if it drove them insane.

Before they could utter a word, I grabbed Alijah by the collar of his shirt and crashed my lips into his. I did not want to hear them, or for him to do so either. Even though my brothers were dead tired in the same room as us, I did not stop.

No, nothing would halt me from claiming what was mine. My tongue entered Alijah's mouth, triggering a nervous chuckle to leave his lips. But he did not pull away. I wondered if this possessive nature came from Fenrir himself. Probably did because I did not want those ghosts to hackle my wolf.

Instead, he radiated a red glow, triggering my birthmark to respond to his energy. My desire to protect him outshined the will to defend my sanity. The thing about the powers of the blood moon was that yearning drove them. Alijah's was his wish to destroy the world, while my dad was to protect those he loved.

Mine... was also like my father’s and siblings. Though I could never control them at will as they did. Though Dad was more advanced than us in every way, and I had not tried to use them since my fall. It had been eight years since then. I never had enough in me to get anything done.

Fenrir had blessed my family with his power. It had to do with protection, so... Maybe the god was not the god of war alone. Or perhaps he was, but he only fought to protect what was his. Possibly he fought to be reunited with his brother all these years later.

I mean... Midnight called them twins. So... did that mean that they were each other's halves like Vera was to me? Fenrir... What did he bless me with? With his soul? His love? What exactly... did he give me?

"This is cheating." Alijah huffed, pulling away slightly from me.

I grinned, kissing him again.

Cheating... everything is fair in war, my loving wolf.

My essence of the moon was not strong enough to block out a single word from the souls that badgered us. But if I connected with Alijah's like in Azear. When his essence flowed into me. Like when my family shared theirs with me back when Midnight ordered them. If I could somehow control it from afar.

But…

Will the bond that Midnight made allow me to do that?

I mean, Alijah could see the souls because of it. That meant I should have been able to tap into his strength, too. Again, my wolf pulled away for air, only for me to pull him back suddenly. I was drowning him. And I did not care.

In response, he cupped my cheeks in his hands, unable to keep his hands off me. The energy from him was seeping into me, causing him to groan. Instinctively, it snapped me out as I pulled away from him.

"I’m sorry, did it hurt?" I worried, gazing at Alijah.

He chuckled a bit in disbelief and out of breath. I always surprised him, yet again I was spontaneous. Something he loved about me.

"No, it didn’t." Alijah panted for air, licking his lips.

That was when I noticed the ghosts were lower than before.

Did I do that?

My body was radiating red rather than the normal purple hue. My chest burned a bit because of it, too. Through my clothes, it was shining red too. Back in Azear, the reason my mark burned was because of Alijah, not the demon.

"I’m glad you are finally seeing what you are capable of. Though let us stop here for today. It seems your brothers are done too." He assessed.

I glanced towards them to see their motionless bodies on the floor. I had not realized when they lost consciousness. Though it made me wonder if I had dragged their essence too. I did not know what I was capable of anymore. It could have been that they were tired, too.

The moment my wolf went to stand up, he almost lost his balance. I grabbed onto his shirt, preventing him from falling. Somehow, I was fully rejuvenated, while they seemed to struggle.

"Are you okay?" I worried.

Alijah smiled gently.

"Yes, just have to get used to this feeling." He tried to downplay what he felt.

His reaction confused me.

"What feeling?" I mumbled, holding onto him.

It reminded me of the night of night he drank that aphrodisiac.

"Sharing my essence with you. I have only done that once before in Azear. It still feels weird and uncomfortable, but it doesn’t hurt, so don’t worry." Alijah answered.

I pouted a bit.

"I don’t want to do anything that makes you uneasy," I complained, reluctant to do that again.

But if I did not, I could never block them out on my own. It was probably why Alijah stayed next to me. It would not matter in an actual battle, though. If we got separated, he would not be there for me to touch. Though... he was not telling me something.

More like he wanted me to figure it out. Much like my brothers were in the radius this time. Perhaps the bond was like a lifeline. I still had a lot to understand from all of this.

"I can handle it, don't worry. Use me to your pleasing." Alijah smirked teasingly.

I growled at him in response. He had to stop being so sweet. It only took him a minute to recover from what I had done to him, though my brothers were out cold. It seemed what I had done used the last bit of energy they had.

Alijah had to take them back to their rooms before going with me for a late lunch. After the meal, we headed to the bathroom for a hot shower. Where he did nothing but kiss me as passionately as I had done back in the stadium.

Even though I wanted more, he gave me nothing else until we made it back to my room. There he let loose. He dropped me on the bed, leaving me flustered. It did not take long for him to join me, though. Pinning me down on the sheets, he smirked, peeling off my shirt to expose my breast.

There he suckled on my sensitive nobs until he left them tender. Once again, the sensation of saliva on them left me feeling hotter than before. Though what made me jump was any little touch, he gave my nips.

A chuckle left him, trailing kisses down my chest and onto my belly. When he got to my navel, he yanked my shorts off.

“I love you, Rem.” Alijah breathed, leaving me to shiver in anticipation.

However, before I could answer him, he spread my legs apart. A yelp was all that left me when I felt his hot breath on my intimate lips.

“Wait…” I mumbled, not knowing if I could handle it right now.

It felt like any touch would send me over, though he smirked, trailing his finger down my wet folds.

“All I did was suck your nipples a bit. Yet you are this wet. If only you were as eager in training.” He teased, licking his lips.

I could see he was sizing me up, and I could not help but shrink in his eyes.

“Stupid…” I huffed, grabbing hold of his hair.

A second later, I pushed him into my groin, triggering him to grasp onto my thighs.

“If you have that much energy then…” I trailed off with a smirk on my lips.

In response, he chuckled, pushing his fingers into me. A whine left my lips as he lapped my bell with his tongue. I allowed myself to fall back onto the bed, indulging the feeling he was giving me.

It felt like waves of pleasure were slowly rising within me, causing me to pull on his hair. The tug triggered him to gaze up at me; I had my eyes locked on the ceiling of the room, though. Even though he was slightly distracted, the movement of his fingers never stopped.

In fact, it felt like he was trying to reach my womb with every thrust of them. The way he caressed my walls made me mewl.

“Did you want something, my love?” He finally asked the reason I was pulling on his hair.

His voice triggered shivers to run down my body. Though the real reason for it was the feeling of the knot in my core tightening. It would not be long until I…

“I want to reach my bliss with you.” I huffed, feeling all tingly.

“Hmm… what was that?” He hummed, pretending he had not heard me.

I could almost feel myself snap.

“Please?” I mumbled, feeling flustered.

It seemed my punishment for my blunder earlier was still active. He gazed at me, pulling his fingers out.

“You want to stop?” He teased, licking them.

At that point, I felt like I could see doubles. I was about to lose my mind. Before I knew it, I launched myself at him. Allowing himself to fall onto the bed with me on top, he smirked at me. A second later, I seized his lips as I dipped my hands down his pants.

Playing with his tongue, I stoked his heat, freeing it from its confines. Nibbling on his bottom lip, I smirked.

“Do you want to stop?” I wagged my tail, pressing my thumb against his moist head.

His eyes glowed before I found myself back on the bed. A moment later, he slipped his way into me.

“Fuck no,” he huffed, thrusting himself into my core.

Pulling on his shirt, he was quick to remove it. I liked it best when we were skin to skin. Even if it was hotter, and more of a mess, I did not mind it. And neither did he. After all, he was mine, and I was his.

A night of passion, before more headaches arrived. Though, no matter how many times I felt about him, it would never be enough. I loved him. And I would show it to him every time I could. No matter who was gazing down at us.

Our love making did not stop, even when I found the release to my knot. No, many more came after it. And every single one was as intense as the first one. However, no matter how many times he poured himself into me, I would not bear a child. Something that bothered me at the back of my head.

Though it was not long before I found my rest in his arms. The next day, Vera joined us at the stadium. Though she was visibly upset. Alijah was difficult on her, either. In fact, he almost destroyed her as payback for something that had happened between them. He took no pity on anyone, though he left no lasting marks.

Though the boys, who could heal faster than I or Vera, took it into the roughest. I had never seen Vera so angry before. The frustration of not being able to do much to Alijah made her scream. Though it did not matter. Even if we cried, my wolf would not relent.

Time moved forward while we trained under Alijah, which left me with little progression. Everyone was getting better at teamwork, but that was about it. Alijah still was victorious each time. Our mornings and afternoons would comprise getting our asses handed to us.

At night, I tried to tune out the ghosts with the help of Alijah's power. He would allow physical interactions while I started, but I had to figure out how to manage it from a distance. Well, once I got a handle on it. Though Alijah enjoyed my physical affection.

A week into it, I barely made any advancements in controlling the bond. I was not even good at meditation, even though Vera tried to guide me better than Alijah. But it seemed like I was a lost cause. Not that it came as a surprise to me. After all, I was a luma, not a witch or an elf. Magic was not possible for me.

It was then when I was finally called up to the council. Once there, I was utterly intimidated by all the gazes they were giving me. It was like I was staring at people who expected nothing of me. It should have made me feel at ease, as I would disappoint no one. Though, it ended up kind of triggering me.

Though the moment, they targeted Alijah; I lost it. They called him a war criminal, and nothing more than a murderer that should be locked up. They named him a danger to all of us. And that was unacceptable to me. After all, he served his time for what he had done. And in this era, he had only killed one insignificant person who did not need any mentioning.

My wolf really did not care about what they said about him, but I could not allow them to continue. Although Dad and Mom were already defending us. They were trying to convince them we misjudged Alijah. I could not tolerate it anymore.

Yes, my wolf used to be a psychopathic person who murdered people in the past. And in the present too, but no one needed to know about Wyatt. I had also murdered many more innocents than Alijah had since he got here in this era. I could handle their eyes of scorn towards me for being lesser than a purebred, but Alijah was something they could never touch.

Well, while I was around, at least.

"Can you old shits just shut the fuck up!" I slammed my hands on the table in front of me.

Though Dad, who represented the Lycans, and Mom, who represented the witches and warlocks, stood next to me. Mom tried to tell me to calm down, but I did not listen. I was too angry. And no one could stop a hot-blooded wolf.

"All of your bitching makes me sick. You all go on and on about things like you know everything. I honestly can’t care less what you say about me, but don’t go after a victim of your own past." I declared as all of them stood shocked by my outburst.

I had enough. Alijah was something that would make me fearless against anything. Especially a bunch of old farts. They surely were no gods.

"How dare you talk to us like that?!? Know your place." Nyla, the representative for the Earth elves, chided me.

Darkness radiated from me as they were fully aware of what I was capable of. I doubt Dad could keep quiet about me anymore, but unlike Alijah, they needed me to stop the rampaging gods. Something that they may tolerate. Though I would soon change their minds.

"My place? Maybe you should know yours!" I snarled, not backing down.

My words caused the elves and human representatives to flinch. The weaker races… though it would have been a mistake to underestimate them. Though, at this moment, I could easily rip them apart if I wanted. That was the danger of a Lycan hybrid.

Alijah chuckled, watching behind me. Shade hopped onto the table, enjoying the mischief.

"You all love to blame others for what happened in the past but in reality, all of you purebreds stood by while the Lycans did as they pleased!" I snapped at them.

Dad grabbed Mom, who was about to stop me. He would allow me to express myself. Although I was being rather rude and explicit towards their fellows.

In response to my dad and mom chuckled, remembering their times while Alijah got closer to me to make sure I would not launch at anyone by mistake. After all, I was a loose cannon, and we needed them, and their cooperation for what was coming.

"What do you know of our past, child?" Jaxon, the representative for the moon elves, questioned me.

His tone caused me to growl at him. He was the least that should speak. His race had a hand on Alijah's suffering. They had been allies to Mom, but to me…

"Your race handed him to them." I snapped at Jaxon, who smirked in response to hearing that.

He knew and was testing me. Annoying elf, it would not stop me, though.

"So, I won’t allow you stupid fucks to judge based on what Alijah has done in the past!" I huffed, trying to find some air in between words.

I was ranting, but I did not care.

"We came here because we needed to come together to figure out what the hell that eternal bitch wants! Not point fingers at who is a danger or not. If anything, I’m the most dangerous thing here since I can let you all die!" I continued with my hostility towards them.

They narrowed their eyes at me. That was a threat they would not take lightly.

Hah... I’m the god of war reincarnated.

I did not care if I started a war against these fucks. If any of them tried to hurt Alijah, I... would...

"So, don't you fucking dare say another word to him! Because he and my family are the only reason, I want to save this fucking world that looks down at me just because of what I am!" I chastised them.

Alijah suddenly grabbed me from behind, noticing my desire to sink my fangs into them grew.

"Enough, love. You can’t hurt them." Alijah chuckled, enjoying my outburst.

I growled at him, too. I was going off on everything. That was what the curse did to me. It made me lose control no matter who I was facing. Though I was harmless in his arms.

Midnight had made sure of that. A guardian, she called him. He was much more than that, though.

"I want to!" I pouted.

My wolf did not let me go do as I pleased.

"But you can’t. We need them for now." Alijah assured me.

It turned my anger toward him. After all, he was more than capable of shutting them up. Alijah was destruction incarnate. I saw a glimpse of it when he deleted the witches and warlocks back in Lilith's hometown.

"How can you be so calm about this! They were speaking utter shit!" It left me silent when he pulled by my hand to meet with his lips.

In an instant, he seized my heart.

"That is because they are mere ants in the grand scheme of things. Their words mean nothing to me." Alijah licked my hand teasingly.

I became flustered because of it.

"Now if I could get you this hyped up for training, you would probably kick my ass for once." He chuckled, making me even more of a mess.

The darkness that radiated from me quickly dissipated, trying to get my heart under control. I quickly forgot about the council members. Though they would soon make their presence known since one spoke to my father, who was shaking his head, not knowing what to do with me.

"I can see your daughter takes after you, Fenris," Asher smirked, snapping me from Alijah's gaze.

All I could feel was the icy glare that came my way from every one of the council members. I had proven that I was something dangerous. No, I was something that should not exist, though that was where Alijah drew the line.

If they dared to raise a hand at me, he would erase them from existence. Even though my wolf’s present demeanor showed differently, they knew that much.

"Rem is sparky, but she isn’t wrong. If she wants, she can either save us or doom us. So, if I were you, I would restrain myself from angering my daughter." Dad warned, not liking how they were staring at me.

He spoke in a tone of voice I had never heard from him.

"It seems your spawns are just as much of a handful as you were in your youth." Charles, the representative of the sun elves, chuckled, remembering old times.

Dad smirked in response. He had always said the sun elves were the closest allies we had in this council. Thanks to Ryker, who was still running Cerberus under my father.

"Oh? Did I stop being a handful? So sorry." Dad chuckled, not feeling bad about it.

Mom sighed, only for Dad to pat her head.

"We never really give a good impression, do we?" she rolled her eyes at Dad, who shrugged in return.

"I guess we don’t. It’s in our blood, Lily." Dad smiled at Mom, who sighed.

Shade, on the other hand, smirked at me, happy with what I had done. Suddenly Asher stood up from his chair, clapping his hands to bring all the attention back to him.

"If we are all done. I would like to inform you that my son got here today. Like you requested, Fenris." Asher interrupted, leaving Dad with the bigger smirk I had seen him have.

"Tania convinced you. That is good." Dad started, turning to us.

"Looks your teacher arrived,” he suddenly added.

I tilted my head, a bit confused.

Teacher? They had found me a trainer, but for what, exactly?

Dad slowly made his way towards me. Though Asher did not seem happy about the news he had given.

"The best swordsman the vampires can offer. Do feel grateful, Rem." Asher sighed, using my name before sitting back down.

Dad probably would have stepped in otherwise. After that, he told us to leave. He and mom would handle the rest since I needed to meet this new character that was being introduced into my daily life. I remember from the meeting when we were discussing everything that they mentioned, getting me a swordsman.

This was to teach me how to handle the blade Midnight had made for me, but it was something I was not looking forward to. Little did I know how much turmoil this unknown man would bring to my family. Though he also brought…