Page 43 of Taming Darkness

Who cares if I act like a child over this? All I can do is cry and let the happiness I so rarely get to feel wash over me completely. My mates are frozen in place, the news slowly sinking in. I must sound crazy. To me, it doesn’t matter. I just want to be happy about the news of our mate and our new baby! We are going to be parents!

A sudden realization dawns on me, and my elation is tempered with a hint of anxiety..

My mates are quiet, processing the news. Slowly, their faces transform from shock to a mixture of joy and determination. It’s clear that we will all do whatever it takes to protect Aleera and our unborn child.

Currently, I feel more connected to my mates than ever before. Our love for Aleera—and now our unborn child—will be the driving force behind our every action.

Time seems to slow as we sit together, our minds racing with thoughts of the future. I can’t help but envision the life we will create together, raising our child in a world filled with love and understanding, something I never had growing up.

The dream may have been a strange, ethereal experience, but it has given us the most precious gift of all: the knowledge that we are soon to become parents. And with that knowledge comes the fierce desire to protect the family we created.

Chapter31

~Aleera~

It must be just a dream, but it feels so incredibly real. I don’t know how it’s possible, but I can see them. My mates sit in silence with each other, and Kalen’s words reverberate through my mind as a surge of happiness ignites within me. A single tear trickles down my cheek, and I gently place my hand on my still-flat belly.

“Could it be? Am I pregnant?” The question escapes my lips as a mere whisper. I smile weakly at the thought before my grin widens, and I gaze at the spot where one day a bump will form. I know deep down that Kalen is right.

I permit myself a brief moment of joy before reality comes crashing down, and I regain my senses. Furthermore, I yank my hand away as if my stomach has scorched me. My mother can never know. Information like this would provide her with the leverage she needs to destroy me completely.

This revelation changes everything. My initial plans have slowly and steadily been ruined.

I need to put an end to this, an end to her. Lydia had better be prepared because soon she will face something far darker than herself—for when I come for her, she will meet darkness incarnate. And unlike my mates, the darkness within me will not be tamed.

As I contemplate the gravity of the situation, my heart races with a mixture of fear and anger. The shadows in the corners of the room seem to darken as if they sense the storm brewing and tormenting me.

My thoughts swirl with plans and strategies to bring Lydia down, to tear apart the empire she has built on the backs of those she has oppressed. I know I must tread carefully, for one misstep could spell disaster not only for me but for the lives of those I hold dear and for those trapped down here with me.

I can feel the power coursing through my veins growing stronger as I regain it. It’s a testament to the strength of what it means to be a Harmony-Fae. The darkness inside me is a double-edged sword; it could be my greatest asset or my most crippling weakness. Lucky for me, I’ve learned to harness it—to wield it with precision and control—so I know I will put an end to my mother.

My breaths come in measured, even intervals, as I steel myself for the fight that lies ahead. The night seems to whisper to me; a lullaby of shadows and secrets that only I can hear. It is a call to embrace the darkness, a call to tame it.

Chapter32

~Tobias~

I’m no expert on Aleera’s Phoenixes, but I can sense when something is off. They seem wild, uncontrollable, and utterly dismissive of everything around them. I’ve never seen them behave this way before.

I don’t want to test my theory, but it seems they now view everything and everyone as a potential threat. Without Aleera nearby, they obviously have no intention of even pretending to be under any semblance of control.

I’m not the only one who notices the change in their behavior. Until these creatures find their true place, their home, the fire within them will continue to rage uncontrollably. The only way to calm them is by finding her. Finding their Queen.

We decide to follow her untamable flock. The Phoenixes appear to have settled down, albeit slightly. They still act like crazed, wild birds that have just escaped a hunter’s trap, desperate to find their way to freedom. Just like my mates, they’re as beautiful as they are terrifying. They complement each other beautifully, an unstoppable force that could set fire to any obstacle in their path, so we make sure to remain out of it.

My thoughts are violently interrupted when the Phoenixes abruptly change course in the sky, veering off in a new direction, and a sudden realization hits me like a ton of bricks—these magnificent, awe-inspiring creatures are leading us to Aleera. I need to pay more attention. I’ll be damned if I’m going to lose sight of them.

However, there’s no way to know for certain whether they’re leading us in the right direction. This is a test of faith, and we blindly follow them, trusting they can find her. We have no other leads to go off, so we can only follow her flock and pray they lead us to Aleera in time.

None of us can predict what twisted plans Lydia has in store for our mate. She has proven time and time again that she cares nothing for her family and is utterly indifferent to her daughter’s well-being. The only reason Aleera has been taken is her power. I don’t even try to entertain the idea that it is out of motherly love.

Lydia won't hesitate to kill Aleera if it suits her purposes. She’s incapable of feeling anything for anyone apart from herself. Whatever emotions once resided in that woman’s withered frame have long since rotted away, leaving behind a monster driven solely by greed and an insatiable lust for power. It doesn’t matter who it belongs to or the consequences of her actions; all she knows is how to take, steal, and demand.

The witch is more than willing to employ any means necessary to bring others to their knees and obtain what she desires. She commands a legion of devoted followers who are blind to her true nature. With them, she wields immense control and influence, but for someone like her, I know it will never be enough.

As my thoughts plunge deeper into my hatred for Lydia, I grow angrier and angrier. Why does she have such power over my thoughts? It’s far too easy for her to worm her way into my psyche, yet it takes a tremendous effort to cast her out. I loathe how that woman dominates my mind, as she did for years as I hunted her.

For now, I must concentrate on Aleera and her restless Phoenixes, which lead us ever closer to the place where Lydia has taken her. I can only hope we’re not too late. We need her. I need her.

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