Fated to a human

Liam POV  

I wasn't letting Melody get away with this. She had hurt Aunt Camelia right in front of me, and she had taken Haylie. 

 My wolf was raging inside me, clawing to be let loose, but I forced him back. I needed to find Haylie in my human form—I couldn't risk losing control now. 

I sprinted to Haylie's room, my heart pounding. As I entered, I found Melody standing in the center of the room, her hand raised as if readying some spell. 

I stopped in my tracks, watching her every move. 

"I never meant for this," she said, her voice trembling. 

Her words only fueled the fire inside me. My anger surged, and I could feel it rising with every beat of my heart. "Then end this," I shouted, my voice echoing in the room, "and tell me where Haylie is!" 

Melody's gaze wavered, but she stood her ground. "I did this to protect her," she said, her voice cracking. "Haylie was no match for my brothers, and they're after her." 

I took a step closer, my fists clenched at my sides. The floor creaked behind me as Aunt Camelia entered the room, her presence grounding me. 

Melody and I locked eyes. For a brief moment, I saw hesitation in her dark gaze, as if she were teetering on the edge of a decision. 

"Melody," I said firmly, my tone softening just enough to break through her defenses, "just give us Haylie. We can protect her. You don't have to do this alone." 

My wolf become restless in my head and was passing up and down that he wanted to come out but I was holding back with all force. 

"I can't bring her back," Melody said, tears streaming down her face. 

A deep anger twisted in my chest, my eyes narrowing into a furious glare. "Melody, this isn't your choice anymore," I growled, my voice thick with frustration and pain. Beside me, I felt Aunt Camelia step closer, her energy manifesting as a glowing ball of magic in her hands. 

"This is Haylie's home," Aunt Camelia said, her voice cracking with emotion. "And you took her from us without her permission." 

She was right—this was Haylie's home. I could feel it in every fiber of my being, and I knew Haylie would be terrified wherever she was. But as I stood there, something strange caught my wolf's attention. 

 A faint, rhythmic sound buzzed in my ears, like the distant beat of a drum. I looked around, trying to pinpoint the source, but then Melody's broken voice snapped my focus back to her. 

"I can't bring her back," she repeated, sobbing harder now. "Because she won't remember you anymore." 

Her words hit me like a knife to the gut. My breath caught, and a deep, sickening dread settled in my chest. "What did you do?" I asked, my voice trembling with shock and fury. 

"This woman is bluffing," Ace, my wolf, growled in my mind. But there was a hint of fear in his tone. If she's done something to our Haylie, I will kill her. 

 My hands balled into fists at my sides. Aunt Camelia's voice, sharp and trembling with anger, cut through the heavy silence. "Where is my precious Haylie, and what did you do to her?" 

Melody's tear-filled eyes darted between us, her face pale and stricken with guilt. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "It was the black magic... I used it to steal her memories. But every time I did, a part of her mind—her soul—died. It got so out of hand... I couldn't stop anymore." 

Her confession sent a wave of cold horror through me. My Haylie—the woman I had fallen in love with—was gone. 

 Not just taken, but erased. The life, the memories, the love we shared... all stolen by the woman standing in front of me. 

Tears burned in my eyes, and my heart shattered into a million pieces. Images of Haylie flooded my mind—the way she smiled, the sound of her laugh, the first time we met. My Haylie was gone. 

Before I could react, Aunt Camelia let out a scream of pure rage, her energy ball blazing brighter as she hurled it straight at Melody. 

Rage consumed Aunt Camelia as she snapped, her magic erupting with such force that the ceiling began to crack and splinter away from the walls. Energy surged from her, radiating like a storm, and the house trembled under its intensity. 

Melody fought back, her own magic flaring in defiance, but Camelia's attacks were relentless. Energy blasts struck Melody, sending her stumbling. 

My wolf clawed at the edges of my control, desperate to emerge, but I held him back. Not yet. Chaos reigned, the roof shattering into pieces above us as their magic clashed violently. I couldn't tell where to jump in—the battle was everywhere at once, a storm of raw power. 

Then it happened. Melody let out a powerful, guttural scream, her voice tearing through the chaos like a blade. A force field erupted from her, an immense wave of energy that struck both me and Aunt Camelia, throwing us off our feet. 

The impact slammed me into the ground, my head pounding as I tried to lift myself. 

 Pain radiated through my body, and my vision swam as I glanced toward Aunt Camelia. Blood trickled from her nose, but she was already struggling to rise, her determination unwavering. 

 My heart raced as I pushed myself up, forcing my body to move. I turned to face Melody, her figure silhouetted against the flickering remnants of magical light. "Melody," I growled, my voice rough. "This is over now." 

Her tear-streaked eyes met mine, and for a moment, I saw something unexpected—regret. "I'm sorry, Liam," she whispered, her voice trembling. And she meant it. 

I hesitated, her words catching me off guard. "Then let it stop," I said quietly, trying to steady my voice. "We can all move on." 

Melody's sobs escaped her in broken gasps as she wiped at her face. But even as I watched her, something shifted in the air—a faint sound, like the distant beat of a drum. My ears perked up, my wolf bristling at the sound. I reached inward. "Ace, do you hear that?" 

The beat grew stronger, an unrelenting rhythm I couldn't place, and my focus narrowed. "Liam," Melody's voice broke through, soft yet urgent. My eyes snapped back to hers. 

"I never meant to hurt you," she said, her tears glistening in the dim light. "Or to put our child in this position." 

Her words hit me like a lightning strike, confusion rippling through me. "What do you mean?" I demanded, but before I could piece it together, Aunt Camelia was back on her feet. 

"Don't let her bluff you, Liam!" Aunt Camelia growled through gritted teeth, her magic sparking around her like an impending storm. 

But Melody's expression darkened, and the temperature in the room plummeted. 

 An oppressive, icy air swept over us as sinister energy swirled around her, black and menacing. Shadowy tendrils of dark magic rose, snaking through the room, and I felt it in my bones—this was no longer just Melody. Something far darker had taken hold. 

 Melody POV  

I couldn't take the pain and regret anymore. It was consuming me, breaking me apart from the inside. Then I heard Liam's voice, laden with confusion and hurt. 

"What do you mean?" he asked, his eyes pleading for answers, desperate to make sense of my words. 

The weight of his gaze pierced me, but before I could respond, Aunt Camelia's sharp voice cut through. "Don't let her bluff you, Liam!" she snapped, her words like a whip. 

And that was it. The breaking point. 

I couldn't hold it in any longer. The black magic was already devouring me, rotting me from the inside out. Worse still, my unborn child had been touched by its darkness. There was no saving us now—not me, not the life growing within me. 

A deep, shuddering breath filled my lungs as I closed my eyes. My resolve solidified, and with it came the forbidden words—the words no witch was ever allowed to utter, the words my mother had spoken long ago, the same ones that had turned her to evil and stolen her soul. 

The ancient incantation slipped from my lips, each syllable reverberating with power. It was like releasing shards of myself with every word, each one tearing at what was left of my humanity. 

I'm sorry, my little one. My thoughts reached for the life within me, aching with love and sorrow. This is for the best. We're already lost. We're already dead. 

The air around me turned still, unnaturally silent, and as cold as death. The words carried weight far beyond me, binding my soul to their dark power. I felt myself slipping away, my essence unraveling, until there was nothing left—only the void. 

I stood outside myself, powerless, a silent spectator as the darkness consumed my body. The transformation was relentless. 

My skin turned stark white as if drained of blood and life. My hair grew impossibly long and black, a curtain of shadow against my hollow form. 

When my eyes opened, they were voids—pitch black, lifeless, and soulless. There was nothing human left in them. No love, no pain, no regret. Only emptiness. 

I stared at what I had become, the darkness fully claiming me. 

 This was the end of me. I was no longer in control of my body. 

The new me—if it could even be called that—lifted my head, my gaze locking onto Liam. His eyes were wide with shock, a storm of fury brewing behind them, while Aunt Camelia braced herself, ready to strike. 

"Why do you look so horrified? Don't you like my new self?" I said with a twisted humor, my voice laced with a cruel edge. 

The words spilled from my lips, but I wasn't the one speaking anymore. Something else was inside me, pulling the strings. With a mocking twirl, I displayed my new form: an elegant silk dress clinging to my transformed body, dark and seductive, exuding malice. I ran my hands down its smooth fabric, relishing the power coursing through me. 

"You're insane!" Aunt Camelia snapped, her voice trembling with anger. "No witch is allowed to use black magic!" 

Her words didn't cut me; they didn't even graze the surface. Instead, they seemed hilariously naïve to the thing I'd become. A laugh bubbled up from my throat, sharp and cold, before abruptly cutting off. 

"Oh, poor Melody didn't have much of a choice," I said with a cruel smile. "She and her unborn child were doomed from the start." 

Liam's expression faltered, and the sight of his shock thrilled me. My lips curved into a wicked smirk as I stepped closer, savoring the moment. 

"Don't look so surprised, Liam," I purred. "Tell me—does Haylie know what you did? Sleeping with someone else and creating a child with her?" 

A dark laugh tore from my lips, echoing in the room like thunder. Liam's face hardened, his jaw clenching as his blue eyes glowed with the fury of his wolf. 

The new me loved every second of his rage. It was intoxicating—like stealing candy from a child. 

"Oh, speaking of children," I said with mock delight, "why don't we bring Haylie here, shall we?" 

Before either of them could react, I snapped my fingers. In an instant, Haylie appeared before me, disoriented and terrified. Her wide, tear-filled eyes darted around the room, trying to make sense of where she was. 

 Without hesitation, I grabbed her by the throat and yanked her back against me. My arm locked around her neck, my other hand restraining her wrists behind her. She struggled, trembling in my grip. 

"Haylie!" Liam's voice broke with shock and desperation as he took a step forward. 

Haylie didn't respond, her tears streaming silently down her cheeks. She was petrified, her entire body trembling. 

"Haylie, sweetheart," Aunt Camelia said gently, her voice laced with a sweetness that made me sneer. "Everything is going to be fine." 

Her words were saccharine, pathetic, and utterly laughable. I leaned in close to Haylie's ear, my breath ghosting over her skin. 

"Did you hear that?" I whispered mockingly. "Your dear Aunt thinks she's going to save you." 

But Haylie's fear only deepened, her voice breaking as she pleaded, "Please… let me go. I don't know any of you. Just let me go." 

Her trembling, tearful words only fueled the darkness inside me. I tightened my grip on her, a cruel smile stretching across my lips. 

"Oh, but you're exactly where you need to be," I said softly, my tone laced with menace. 

Fear dripped from her like a broken faucet, each drop feeding the darkness inside me. Haylie struggled in my grip, but I tightened my hold, savoring the desperation in her cries. 

"Please, let her go!" Liam pleaded, his voice raw and trembling. "She doesn't have to be part of this!" 

His pathetic begging only made my smile widen, my delight blooming like poison. "Oh, Liam," I purred, my voice dripping with malice. "She's already a part of this. Why don't you tell Haylie the truth? Tell her what you did. Tell her how you made someone else pregnant." 

The accusation hit its mark. Liam's face twisted with fury, his eyes glowing a feral blue. A guttural roar escaped his lips, the sound reverberating through the room like a crack of thunder. 

Haylie flinched in my arms; her trembling intensifying as fresh tears streaked her cheeks. 

"Please, let me go!" she sobbed, her voice breaking with raw desperation. "Take me back to my home!" 

 Liam and Aunt Camelia exchanged stunned glances, the realization dawning on them—Haylie didn't know who they were. She was nothing more than a terrified stranger caught in my web. 

But I didn't have time to savor their shock for long. The clock was ticking, and I had far more important things to do than waste time on these pathetic fools. 

"Well, this has been fun," I said with a bright, wicked grin. 

Summoning the full force of the dark magic coursing through me, I extended my hand, the air crackling with malevolent energy. In an instant, a halo of black energy erupted from me, slicing through the air like a scythe. 

Aunt Camelia didn't even have time to scream. The force struck her neck, and her head toppled to the floor with a sickening thud. Blood pooled around her lifeless body, the sight eliciting a scream of pure terror from Haylie. 

Liam turned to shield himself, but he was too slow. The dark wave caught him mid-motion, severing his chest and bit of his arm before hurling him through the wall. 

 His body slammed into the far side of the room with a deafening crash, his head striking the floor with brutal force. He lay there, unmoving, unconscious. 

Haylie's shrieks echoed in my ears, sweet and satisfying. Her body trembled violently in my grip, her terror fueling my power. 

But I had no more time to linger. With a smirk, I whispered an incantation, my dark magic swirling around us. In a blink, the world shifted, and we vanished, reappearing deep in the heart of the woods. 

The shadows welcomed us, wrapping around us like a cold embrace. Haylie's sobs filled the silence, but I paid her no mind. The real fun was only just beginning. 

Haylie POV 

My heart pounded in my chest, each beat rising and falling like waves in a storm. I had no idea what was happening or how I had ended up here. Were, am I? The wicked woman shoved me to the ground, and my knees struck the cold, hard earth. 

It seems to look like that we were somewhere deep in the woods, surrounded by towering trees that swayed ominously. My mind reeled, replaying the terrifying events that had just unfolded. 

One moment, I was with JC on the porch of our house in Greenland; the next, I found myself in a shadowy room with complete strangers. That wicked woman had gripped my throat with an iron hand, dragging me into this nightmare. 

The man who stands before me had a looked stunned when he saw me, and he, along with another woman, kept reassuring me that everything would be fine. Who was they and how did they know me. They promised to save me, but their words brought no comfort—not when the blonde-haired woman's neck was suddenly slashed before my eyes. 

They must know me from somewhere? Somehow, they felt significant, yet my mind resisted remembering. Everything inside me was blank, paralyzed by fear and confusion. 

 Now, I was here, in the middle of nowhere, with a woman whose sanity had clearly abandoned her. 

"Let's get ourselves a castle," she said, her voice tinged with madness. I stared at her in disbelief. A castle? Here? Among the trees? It was absurd. 

Before I could respond, the ground beneath me began to tremble and hum. My breath hitched as my eyes widened, watching the birds in the trees take flight, their wings slicing through the air in a chaotic flurry. And then, right in front of me, the impossible happened. 

A castle—a massive, black structure—rose from the earth. 

 Dirt and roots crumbled away as its towering spires emerged, clawing at the sky. My mouth felt open. How could this be real? Yet there it was—a castle, impossibly rising from the forest floor. 

I felt her sharp tug on my arm as she barked, "Rise." Her voice cut through the air like a blade, carrying a strange authority that sent a shiver down my spine. Against my better judgment, I stood, still unable to fully process the sheer enormity of the black stone castle looming before us. 

"Let's see how beautiful our castle looks inside," she said, her words laced with a wicked laugh that chilled me to the bone. 

Trying to steady my breathing, I forced myself to remain calm as we moved toward the structure. 

 Massive wooden doors, ancient and heavy, creaked open before us. Her grip tightened on my wrist, her nails digging into my skin like claws, and I winced as pain shot through me. 

 She held me firmly, one hand twisted behind my back in a vice-like grip that made escape impossible. 

As we stepped inside, my gaze darted around, taking in the eerie grandeur of the castle's interior—dimly lit halls, shadows that stretched endlessly, and cold, lifeless stone walls. Then, my eyes landed on something—or someone—that made my heart lurch.