POV Diana
"Mother," I said as she was braiding my hair.
My mother looked down at me gently, her fingers moving slowly through the strands.
"What is it, child?" she asked softly.
I hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"Do you think he loves me?"
My mother laughed warmly.
"Diana, you two have only known each other for a week."
"I know," I said in an annoyed tone. "I know that, Mother. Everyone keeps saying that. But it's not like that. I've been seeing him in my dreams for years. Since I triggered my curse .I've always felt connected to him… like we were meant to meet."
My mother paused her braiding for a moment.
" Well", she said.
"Your dreams, child, are always something special."
I insisted. "Sometimes I would see him fighting. Sometimes walking alone. Sometimes just standing there looking lost. I could feel his loneliness… like it was mine too."
She resumed braiding my hair.
"Well," my mother said slowly, "you must remember something, Diana. He is still part vampire. That means he has lived a long time. Longer than you can imagine. He has probably had his fair share of women."
"Well of course, Mother. I know that," I said quickly. "I'm not naïve. I know he has lived centuries. I know I'm not the first woman he's ever met, or been with."
"But?" she asked knowingly.
"But… I want to know if he could ever love me the way I already love him."
"You want to know if he'll ever love you." she said.
I nodded.
My mother smiled softly.
"Well, my child, I will tell you this. You are a strong woman. Ever since the day I gave birth to you, I knew that whatever you set your mind to, you would have it. No matter the cost."
She leaned closer and finished the braid.
"So if you want him… make him yours."
"Though I would imagine it would be how capturing an Apex predator"
I smiled slightly.
"Is that how you did things with Father?"
She burst into laughter.
"Oh dear, no. Your father chased after me for months. He was stubborn too. Wouldn't give up no matter how many times I ignored him."
"Really?" I asked with a grin.
"Oh yes," she said. "He would bring me flowers. Meat from the hunt. Once he even tried to fight another man who complimented my hair."
I laughed.
"Father was truly ridiculous."
"He was," she said fondly. "But he loved me."
We both laughed as she continued braiding my hair.
Eventually she finished.
Then the maids came and began applying my tribal paint.
After the painting, my mother walked toward a chest in the corner and opened it slowly.
Inside was something I had admired since I was a child.
Her wedding dress.
It was blood red with our native writing stitched into the fabric.
I gasped softly.
"Mother… you're giving this to me?"
She nodded.
"It belongs to you now."
"I know how much you tried it on as a kid."
"Seeing you walk around with that big dress always made your father laugh."
I smiled.
I put it on carefully.
And when I looked up at my mother, she began to cry.
"Oh Mother," I said, walking over to her.
Don't cry, please don't cry.
She cried softly.
"my daughter… you are all I have left."
"My baby girl."
I wrapped my arms around her.
She had lost her husband.
Her son had gone mad.
And now we were at war with him.
And our only hope was a supernatural being who broke the laws of nature.
After a minute she wiped her tears.
"Okay," she said with a shaky laugh. "That is enough crying for today."
I smiled.
"Good. Because I do not want to ruin the paint."
She chuckled.
"Come now, my child. Let's go have ourselves a wedding."
After making sure everything was ready me and my mother stepped toward the doors
The doors opened.
Me and my mother stepped out of the clan head house, my blood-red dress flowing behind me.
My mother walked beside me, our arms interlocked.
Everyone cleared a path to the platform.
I could hear whispers all around.
"Oh God… she is a goddess."
"She is so beautiful."
"The spirits truly favor her."
But eventually I reached the platform.
And there he stood.
Nero.
He wore a jaguar pelt and our tribal colors.
I also saw the clan head tattoo on his right chest.
The All powerful one.
Fitting, I thought.
When he saw me, he smiled.
I smiled back.
My mother walked with me up the platform.
As I stopped right in front of him.
Nero.
The man I had dreamed about for so long.
The man I loved.
My mother stood between us.
Jamine stood behind Nero. He gave me a small smile.
I returned it.
Nero leaned closer.
"You ready for this, pretty wolf?"
I raised an eyebrow.
"Pretty lady or pretty wolf. Choose one please."
He shrugged.
"I like both."
He grinned.
"But pretty wolf is better."
I smiled.
"I think so too."
My mother cleared her throat.
"I suppose we should begin before you two start flirting in front of the entire clan."
The crowd chuckled.
My mother began to speak.
"I, Lalo of the Poldark clan, stand before you all to bring forth the union of two souls."
She took out a knife and grabbed my hand.
"My daughter, Diana of the clan Poldark—"
She cut my hand gently.
"—will now belong to…"
She turned toward Nero.
"Nero Tone."
Jamine stepped forward with a golden goblet.
My blood fell into it.
My mother then grabbed Nero's hand.
"And Nero Tone. An outsider… but one with the blood of both wolf and vampire… shall now belong to my daughter, Diana of the Poldark clan."
She cut his hand.
His blood joined mine in the goblet.
A maid came forward carrying two rings.
We both grabbed one.
Nero took my hand and slowly slid the ring onto my finger.
His eyes never left mine.
I did the same for him.
My mother began chanting.
The fire behind us roared louder.
Her voice grew stronger with every word.
Eventually she stopped.
"With this blood," she said, lifting the goblet, "your unity shall be forever. And so shall your pack."
She handed the goblet to me.
I looked at the blood for a moment.
Then I drank it.
I handed it to Nero.
He finished the rest.
My mother smiled proudly.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife."
Nero looked at her.
"May I kiss your daughter, Lalo?"
She laughed.
"You may kiss the bride."
Nero leaned in.
We shared a passionate kiss that lasted several seconds.
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Everyone's eyes flashed gold.
So did mine.
I felt the change instantly.
I felt Stronger.
Faster.
Every sense heightened.
They all howled to the sky in joy.
It had worked.
Nero held me close as we watched our pack celebrate their new power.
But then suddenly—
A whining sound cut through the air.
An arrow shot through someone's throat.
The man dropped to the floor in a thud
"They're here!" someone screamed.
"Daniel and the other warriors are here!"
Nero jumped down from the platform.
"Everyone!"
All eyes turned to him.
"Get ready," he said coldly.
"Form up"
Everyone formed up behind my love.
"Let's kill us some traitors, shall we?"
–
POV Nero
The wedding ceremony was not what I expected. It was a bit different from how it happened in the show, but in the end it worked. And now my clan—my pack—had the abilities of their wolf form even while in their human form.
I stood at the head of the small army with my pack behind me.
Thirty werewolves stood ready at my back.
And from what I had been told, Daniel had twice that.
I stepped forward slightly.
"Daniel!" I called out loudly. "Why don't you come out and face me like a man?"
The field remained quiet.
I smirked.
"You know," I continued, raising my voice so the forest could hear me, "this little sneak attack of yours just makes it seem like somebody lost their cock."
A few of my warriors chuckled behind me.
Still nothing.
Then finally, footsteps approached from the treeline.
Out stepped a man with long brown hair and cold blue eyes.
Daniel.
"Well," I said, tilting my head slightly. "Not as much of a coward as I thought you were."
He smiled calmly.
"You know," he said slowly, "for someone who is about to die, you are incredibly calm."
I smiled back at him.
"You took the words right out of my mouth."
For a moment we simply stared at each other.
Then I moved.
I rushed toward him with supernatural speed.
But three werewolves burst from the woods before I could reach him.
They wore moonlight rings.
Of course they did.
They intercepted me instantly.
Behind us, the battlefield exploded into chaos as my pack and Daniel's warriors clashed.
The three wolves in front of me did not have pretty deaths.
The first one rushed me with a roar.
I dodged easily.
In a blink I was behind him.
He didn't even realize it until my hand wrapped around his neck.
Snap.
I tore his head clean off.
Without even pausing, I used the head as a blunt weapon to block the kick from the second warrior.
Thud.
The impact made him stumble.
Then I smashed the head across his skull.
The third one tried to attack from behind.
But I noticed him instantly.
With his friend's head still in my hand, I turned and slammed it into his face.
His skull exploded into gore.
Before the body even hit the ground, I reached forward and ripped the spine from the corpse.
I twirled it once in my hand.
"Im sorry"
I said to the headless and now spineless body
"Old habits, you know"
I turned around and swung the spine like a whip
It wrapped around another warriors neck
With a yank—
Rip.
His head tore clean off.
I threw the head at another attacker.
It smashed into his face and crushed his skull.
I glanced across the battlefield.
To my far right, I saw Diana.
And honestly, all I could think was—
Damn.
She moved quickly.
A warrior rushed her with a blade.
She slid under his attack smoothly.
Blocked his kick.
Then twisted and sliced his head clean off.
Before his body even hit the ground she jumped off it, driving her sword into another attacker.
One warrior grabbed her by the hair.
That was a mistake.
A very bad mistake.
She turned instantly, wrapped her legs around his body, and tore into his neck with her teeth.
Even in the middle of a battlefield I couldn't help but grin.
"That's actually my wife."
Suddenly another werewolf tried to catch me off guard.
I dodged a slash from his sword.
Then a leg sweep.
Another attacker rushed from my other side.
They were trying to jump me.
I smiled.
"Good," I muttered. "This was getting boring."
The one on my right attacked first.
I dodged and grabbed his arm.
Crack.
I broke it instantly, forcing him to drop his sword.
With the spine still in my hand, I threw it at another warrior running toward me.
It wrapped around his neck completely.
I picked up the dropped sword and stabbed the first attacker through the chest.
Then I hurled the blade straight into the other warrior's chest.
Suddenly another sword flew toward me.
I caught it mid-air.
But the moment my hand touched the blade—
Pain shot through my palm.
"Ah."
Vervain.
My hand burned and I dropped the sword instantly.
The warrior saw the opening and rushed me, biting down hard on my arm with his fangs.
I barely reacted.
I grabbed him and tore him off like he weighed nothing.
Then I hurled him across the field.
I rushed forward and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him easily.
"You're a bold one, huh?" I said calmly.
He struggled desperately.
I smiled coldly.
"Let me reward you for your bravery."
My eyes turned gold.
Dark veins spread beneath them.
I sank my teeth into his neck and drained him in seconds.
When I dropped his body, I looked up.
Daniel stood there with 15 of his warriors.
And in his hand—
The white oak stake.
My expression darkened.
"Well," I said slowly, my voice suddenly serious, "I would advise you to put that stake down before I tear your heart out and give it to your sister as a wedding present."
Daniel smirked and lifted the stake slightly.
"Oh? Serious our we now.," he said. "All because you see this?"
He waved it lightly.
"Must be nice walking around without worrying about death."
He pointed the stake at me.
"But now… I am the one who is going to end your life, Nero Tone."
I tilted my head.
"Are we now?"
I was about to speed over there when suddenly—
"Daniel!"
A voice screamed across the battlefield.
My wife.
And boy was she angry.
She rushed him with incredible speed and tackled him to the ground.
Daniel shoved her off.
And they both rose slowly and began circling each other.
POV Daniel
"So," I said with a smile, "little sister finally found the man of her dreams."
Diana glared at me, her eyes glowing gold.
"And you have finally decided to meet your maker, brother."
I laughed lightly.
"I see you completed the unification ritual."
I spat onto the ground.
"You are a disgrace to this clan."
She pointed her sword at me.
"A complete disgrace. Father would be crawling in his grave if he saw what you were doing."
I chuckled.
"Attacking our own village," she said angrily. "Killing our people… and for what?"
Her voice trembled with rage.
"For power."
"Father was weak!" I snapped.
"He was a weak man who didn't have the guts to do what was necessary!"
"I guess it's good that the sickness took him."
I said with a smile
Diana stared at me.
Then slowly her eyes widened.
"No…" she whispered.
She shook her head.
"Tell me you didn't, Daniel."
Her voice cracked.
"Tell me you didn't."
I smiled.
"Oh I did."
Her breathing stopped.
"I killed him."
Her face turned pale.
"Our weak and pitiful father had to go."
I shrugged.
"But don't worry."
I smiled coldly.
"I put him in the same grave I plan to put you in."
I leaned slightly closer.
"You were always his favorite anyway."
Diana roared in rage.
"You monster!"
She rushed me.
Our swords clashed instantly.
Steel rang across the battlefield.
"You could never beat me, little sister," I said while pushing her back.
"What makes you think anything will be different this time?"
She didn't answer.
She attacked harder.
Our blades clashed again and again.
I swung down.
She dodged and tried to flank me.
I flipped backward, landing lightly.
I attacked high.
Then low.
She parried both.
I frowned slightly.
She was faster than I remembered.
And with that little shock, she got a cut in.
"Ahh, fuck"
This cut it burned more than usual
I looked down at my left calf
Wolfsbane.
I saw Diana looked at me with eyes of hatred.
"You always were a cheater, little sister."
We clashed again.
And again.
And every time, I could feel my leg give out more and more.
Then suddenly—
"Stop!"
The voice echoed across the battlefield.
Both of us froze.
I turned.
Mother stood there.
"Mother?" I said in shock.
"What are you doing on the battlefield?"
She sighed softly.
"Oh please, my son. The battlefield is nothing new to me."
She looked between us.
"And I am certainly not new to the two of you fighting."
"Mother!" Diana cried.
Tears streamed down her face.
"This monster."
"He."
"He killed father"
My mother looked at me.
I expected anger.
Rage.
Hatred.
Instead—
She smiled gently.
"I know, Diana."
Both of us froze.
"What?" Diana whispered.
"You knew?" she cried. "You knew and never told me?"
Her voice broke.
"Mother… how could you?"
"He killed papa."
My mother sighed.
"Diana, I knew how you would react."
She looked down briefly.
"And truthfully… I was furious too."
Then she looked at me.
"But he is still your brother."
She looked between us.
"And still my son."
I stared at her in disbelief.
After everything I had done…
She still loved me.
"This is not you, Daniel," she said softly.
"This is not the sweet boy I raised."
"And I will not harm him."
"Because I know he is still in there somewhere."
I looked down.
For a moment…
I remembered who she was talking about.
The boy who used to laugh with his mother
The boy who would protect his little sister with all he had.
The boy who was proud to be his father's heir.
What happened to that boy.
Then I remember
I killed him.
And it made me stronger.
Then I looked back up.
"That boy is dead."
My voice was cold.
"He is dead, Mother."
Before anyone could react—
My sword flew.
It drove straight into my mother's chest.
Her eyes widen, but as she fell I still saw it.
That same smile.
My mother's smile .
"Mother!" Diana screamed.
She rushed toward her.
But as she was in a haze.
I grabbed her arm and twisted the blade from her hand.
Then I threw her to the ground.
"I'm sorry, little sister," I said quietly.
"But this is goodbye."
I drove the sword into her chest.
And I felt nothing.
I didn't feel the power I thought I would gain.
But why?
I had killed my weaknesses.
The only thing I felt was the pain shooting through my leg.
Then suddenly—
"NOOO!"
A thunderous voice roared across the battlefield.
I turned.
Nero stood there.
Fifteen of my warriors lay dead around him.
His entire body was covered in blood.
His eyes glowed gold.
He looked like a demon from hell.
And it was at that moment that I realized.
I couldn't kill this man.
This being.
This… monster.
"Retreat!" I shouted.
Only about 15 of my warriors remained.
Some had given up.
Most were dead.
We fled into the woods.
But we didn't get far.
While running.
A body dropped from a tree.
Then another warrior was dragged screaming into the darkness.
Then another.
And another.
My men were being picked off one by one.
I ran.
But my leg.
It was giving out.
Branches whipped past my face.
Then suddenly—
I tripped.
When I looked up—
It was there.
A massive black werewolf.
A white patch over its right eye.
Its mouth was dripping with blood.
My warriors' blood.
It slammed me into a tree.
My back snapped instantly.
I screamed out in pain.
Ahhhh.
I couldn't move.
The wolf walked toward me slowly.
I knew who it was.
It could only be him.
"Nero…"
I begged.
"Please… she told me to do it. The witch… she wanted you dead."
"She gave me the white oak.
"Please it was her."
My voice trembled.
"You can have the clan. You can have it all. Just spare me."
I closed my eyes.
And suddenly.
The growling stopped.
When I opened them—
He was gone.
I sighed in relief.
That idiot I would hunt him down and-
But from the shadows—
The wolf burst forward.
And tore into my body.
POV Nero
I was walking back to where the battle had taken place. In my hands I held two things: the white oak stake… and the heart of Daniel.
I made sure the bastard died screaming.
Killing his own family had made him think he was powerful or something. Like he was untouchable. Like he was the strongest thing walking this earth.
I showed him what true power looked like.
Eventually I reached the clearing where it had all happened.
The beautiful grass field outside the village was now covered in blood and gore. Bodies were scattered everywhere, warriors from both sides lying where they had fallen.
My eyes scanned the field until I spotted two bodies lying close together.
Both with white hair.
I began walking toward them slowly.
Suddenly I heard footsteps behind me.
Without thinking, I spun around and grabbed the person by the throat, lifting them slightly off the ground.
It was Jamine.
"Shit," I muttered quickly, dropping him. "I'm sorry, Jamine."
He landed on the ground coughing, grabbing his neck.
"It's fine… uncle," he said between breaths. "That one was on me. I should've announced myself."
He stood up, dusting himself off.
Only then did I really look at him.
The kid looked like he had gone through a war… which, technically, he had. Blood covered most of his clothes, and there were cuts across his arms and face.
"Damn," I said, shaking my head. "Your mother is going to kill me for this."
Jamine chuckled weakly.
"Yeah," he said. "She probably will."
His eyes shifted past me toward the two bodies I had been walking toward.
His expression grew serious.
"Is that…?" he asked quietly.
I sighed.
"Yeah. Daniel…"
I paused.
"…he, uh…"
I shook my head.
"Just never mind."
Jamine nodded slowly. He didn't push it.
Instead he looked back toward the battlefield.
"What do you want me to do?"
"Go round up the survivors," I said. "Anyone still alive from our side, and from Dianel's that surrender ."
He nodded.
"And tell them to go collect the three werewolves that were part of Daniel's army in the woods."
His eyebrows raised slightly.
"For the venom?" he asked.
"Yeah," I replied calmly. "I left them without their legs, so getting them shouldn't be too hard."
Jamine blinked.
"Right… that's… comforting."
He shook his head and looked at the two bodies again before turning away.
"I'll get it done."
Then he walked off.
I took a deep breath and turned back around.
Slowly, I walked toward the bodies.
It was Lalo… and Diana.
Both still had swords sticking out of their chests.
Diana had somehow managed to crawl all the way to her mother before she died.
They were lying side by side.
I knelt down beside them.
Carefully, I pulled the swords from their bodies.
The metal slid free with a wet sound.
I looked down at both of them.
But mostly… at Diana.
Not even twenty-four hours.
That was how long my marriage had lasted.
I punched the ground beside me, uprooting a chunk of earth.
"I'm sorry," I muttered quietly.
"I couldn't keep either of you alive."
My voice was barely more than a whisper.
"But I promise you something."
I looked out toward the village.
"I will keep your clan going. I'll protect them. I'll make sure they thrive."
I looked back down at her.
"For what it's worth… it's the least I can do."
A sad smile crossed my face.
I leaned down and kissed Diana gently on the lips.
When I pulled back, a tear slid down my cheek.
It fell… landing on her face.
I froze.
Slowly I touched my cheek.
A tear.
I stared at my hand in surprise.
"I… cried?"
I realized something then.
I hadn't cried since I entered this world.
Not once.
Not in centuries.
I wiped my face and slowly started to stand up.
Then the impossible happened.
Diana suddenly gasped.
Her chest rose sharply as she sucked in air.
Her eyes snapped open.
"Diana!" I dropped back to my knees instantly, cupping her cheek in my hand.
"You're alive… but how?"
My mind raced.
"Your brother… he stabbed you. I saw it…"
Then suddenly it hit me.
"The wedding ceremony…"
She had drunk my blood.
But that didn't make sense.
"Wait… but that shouldn't work."
I frowned, thinking quickly.
"Shouldn't you need doppelganger blood to become a hybrid?"
Then another thought struck me.
Esther.
"Esther put the curse on Klaus," I muttered slowly. "The curse that forced him to need doppelganger blood to create hybrids…"
My eyes widened.
"But I don't have Esther's curse."
I made my own vampire line
That meant something very important.
Something exciting.
I looked down at Diana again.
"That means…"
I exhaled slowly.
"I can make my own hybrids."
Diana blinked weakly, looking confused.
"Nero…?" she whispered.
Her voice was faint.
"What happened ?"
I gently brushed some hair from her face.
"Shhh," I said softly.
"Don't worry."
I held her hand tightly.
"Everything's going to be fine, Diana."
I smiled faintly at her.
"Everything is going to be fine."