Tempting Darkness
Chapter 1

Aleera

One month earlier

Their heavy footfalls on the ground behind me were getting closer. I had been running through this godforsaken city for nearly two hours, trying to lose the wolves chasing me. Fae blood is addictive to the werewolves, and the moment I stepped into this city, they welcomed me with this hunting party. There is nothing more welcoming than being given the opportunity to become werewolf food. Stupid mutts!

As I turned up a darkened street, I nearly lost my footing on the wet ground. I heard the howls in the distance as more joined the chase. Shifters could smell a fae easily; they could smell the power in my veins even as weak as mine was right now. I knew I should never have tried to get into the city at night, but I was desperate and hadn't eaten in four days, and the water sources outside the city were polluted.

What a mistake that turned out to be because now I was being hunted by werewolves and god knows what else through a city I was unfamiliar with. This was not part of the plan.

How was I supposed to know it was a shifter city? It wasn't like they had a huge-a's neon sign at the city limits saying "Shifters Only." However, it certainly explained the stench of wet dog!

The light coming from the full moon lit my way. That was the worst time to be in a werewolf city surrounded by savage beasts that loved nothing but the chase and killing for sport.

Running past some garbage bins, I twisted my wrist, letting my magic flow from my fingertips. It exploded, sending trash everywhere, hoping to slow them down. Puddles splashed my legs, and my clothes were drenched, making it harder to run. Technically, since we were all fae, you would think we would get along just fine. Nope, were-fae were savages, and my scrawny a*s was about to be dinner.

Ninety percent of the world was dark fae. A plague had killed off all the white fae, leaving only their dark brethren and variants like these were-fae that were hunting me. So, let's just call them werewolves. It's easier to remember and essentially what they are. Most of us would stick with our own kind, but mine no longer existed. I was the last of my species, a unique blend of fae that no longer existed. Magic is inherent in all fae, and some, like myself, have the potential to possess enormous power.

My mother was a white fae. She should have died, but my father was dark fae, and when the plague hit, her entire bloodline died out except for her. Dad said it was because she was pregnant with me, and I was the last harmony fae in existence. I was the Light and the Dark, the last of my kind. I was the ultimate weapon when fully powered.

However, when our magic runs out, we are essentially human. I could hear the snarling beasts as they chased me down, getting closer with each step while I was getting weaker. Plus, I had a stitch and rolled my damn ankle two streets over. I really needed to up my cardio. Funny considering how long I had been on the run. You would think I would be used to the running part by now.

Growls tore out behind me, and I heard one knock something over as it gave chase. I felt its aura as it tried to gain on me, yet adrenaline kept my feet moving despite wanting to pass out. I fought the urge to give in and accept my fate. My magic fizzled in my fingers as I searched for another way to lose them. Yet there was no escape.

Unfortunately, these monsters weren't the only thing I had been running from. I had spent the last six years running from my mates. I swore I would never be theirs and that I would get revenge on them one day. They burned my house with my parents trapped in it to the ground. Only now did I realize why they'd spared me. Now I was actually considering calling on them for help.

The snarl that left one as he pounced had me instantly ducking. The wolf missed jumping clear over me and slid across the ground. A shriek of fear left my lips at the motion as he smashed against the wall of a building. There was no way I could outrun these monsters chasing me, and I didn't have enough power to save myself from being torn to pieces or, worse, taken back to their Alpha and subjected to unimaginable horrors for crossing into the wrong city.

I knew there was only one way out of this. That was by setting off a flare of my magic to them. All I had to do was alert them to my location and pray they would come and not ignore it like I had ignored their calls. With my magic running this low, I had no other choice.

They would come. My mates needed me to reach their ultimate power. As long as we had magic and our mate-it turned out I had four, and not one of them was a good option. Unfortunately for me, to maintain power, I also needed them.

A faes' power is shared with their other mates. That was how we remained strongest, and I was the link to all of them. I was their keeper. Without me, they were powerless or supposed to be. Power keepers like me were the anchor, the only ones that could transfer their magic and mine, sharing it equally among mates.

My mates should have run out years ago, yet somehow they found another way because they remained strong. Strong enough to still rule over the fae, strong enough that everyone feared their names.

Just when I thought my luck couldn't get any worse, the street turned out to be a dead-end and made me spin around as I looked for another escape. There was no getaway. That was when I realized they had herded me here. F**k!

A growl shoved me into reality again, and I spun on my heel. Nine werewolves were closing in around me. Oops, make that ten. I didn't see the one on the roof that had drool running down its chest, wanting to munch on me like a damn chew toy. I was about to become chum dog food because I still couldn't bring myself to let off a flare of my magic to them. Neither option was appealing, and I had to decide. My life was doomed either way.

Cornered, the wolves circled me, tried to get behind me to jump me, and I kept turning while trying to watch them all at once. Their silver eyes sized me up, and teeth snapped in my direction. They were waiting for me to attack, yet I had barely any magic to use in my defense. Certainly not enough to save me.

The wolf on the roof jumped down and landed behind me. The wolf's big heavy paws landed on the dumpster with a thud. Please, fates, don't let me die! I want to live, not die a virgin and hungry. Aren't I supposed to get a last meal? If you're going to kill me, at least feed me first. Seriously, if fate wanted to f**k me, at least do it gently, ease it in, and would it kill them to add some damn lube?

My fingers twitched toward the mark with their fours names branded into my skin. I was going to call on them, which felt like a low-frequency buzz over every inch of my body, making me want to go to my mates. I had ignored that buzzing feeling for six years, and now it felt more like an itch. One I just couldn't reach to scratch.

A growl behind me made me jump, and I watched my entire life flash before my eyes in that split second as they closed in.

Lifting my hand, I placed it over the markings and sent a spark of my magic into it. Each of us had the same markings. Yet they only appeared when our powers manifested. My wrist burned painfully, making me scream and clench my teeth. The sheer agony in my voice made the wolves back off, wondering what had gotten into me.

The mate symbol glowed red and throbbed. I knew it only hurt like this because I waited so long to answer their call for me.

The world around me spun violently, and I fell to the ground. Both my hands and knees were driven into the road painfully. My power had become too low. A few more minutes, and it would fade out.

Teeth bared and snarling, a big black one rushed at me, and I closed my eyes and waited for my death. The surrounding air rippled, and the turbulent noise made me cover my ears. I recognized the whooshing sound of a portal opening up. Keeping my head down, I opened my eyes.

Four sets of feet hit the ground before the colored light of their magic was all I could see. It swallowed my vision. Their closeness made my reserves shudder, and I had to stamp down the urge to pull on it before they realized. Flames missed me by millimeters, the heat so hot, I cried out when it burned the flesh on my arms when it rushed past me.

When the howls and whimpers stopped, everything fell silent. My heart was pounding in my ears. Their domineering auras surrounded me threateningly as they took up each side of me and made me want to flinch away.

Can I take it back? I choose death. I choose f*****g death fates. Nothing good would come out of me calling on them. The angry ripple of energy surrounding me told me they were livid, and these men were not ones you wanted to anger.

Paralyzed by fear, I remained frozen until boots stopped next to me. I clenched my hands into fists to stop them from trembling. They stepped closer, caging me in with their legs, making me feel tiny where I sat at their feet.