A Stepmother's Marchen - Chapter 20

In the world of Norse mythology, a human boy falls in love with Waltraute, the fourth Valkyrie sister. He wishes to marry her, but Waltraute gives him an impossible challenge to deter him.

Nevertheless, the boy is determined to carry out the dangerous task and to marry Waltraute afterwards.

I scoffed. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”Cade squeezed his face into displeasure as he stepped closer to me, “What doesn’t matter anymore?” His blue eyes turned a shade darker than they should.“You are our mate, Isn’t that what you wanted all along?” Kael spoke and I snapped my gaze at him.It was too late! Nothing could ever make me want them. I loathed them so much that it hurt. Perhaps that’s what happens to a broken soul who was given a second chance.“Iris…” Zane called. He was the calmest of the three, his eyes were soft, trying to reach out to me and I stepped back avoiding him like a plague.They were monsters. All three of them.I find it hard to breathe but this was my decision to make. Gone was the fragile old me.“I, Iris Orlene…” I stared at the triplets dead in the eyes, inhaling sharply. Not a single drop of emotion was left in me.“Reject you all three Alphas; Cade, Kael, and Zane Verek to be my mate.”***Iris Oren, once the cherished daughter of Alpha Oren Roland and Luna Selene of the Blackbane Pack, I faced a dire accusation of treason for allegedly poisoning the former beta who’s now the current alpha, Alpha Darius Verek, the current ruthless leader who betrayed and murdered my parents when I was just a kid, accused me of their murder and took over the alpha throne. Now, I am a despised maid in my own pack. I am publicly condemned in the council room, surrounded by hostile pack members, including Alpha Darius, his sons who are triplets, Cade, Kael, and Zane, my childhood sweet hearts, and my former best friend Liora. Despite my weak protests of innocence, no one believed me, and Darius sentenced me to death by being buried alive but the council pleaded as he shifted the punishment to 200 strokes of whips with sulfur powder but unknown to me, it was changed to a silver powder, very dangerous to werewolves.During this brutal public punishment, I couldn’t make it, I died.Waking up again, I realised I'd been brought back to my past life, on my 18th birthday, days before my death.In my past life, I am a weak and wolfless omega who can’t even defend herself and has loved the triplets so dearly that I could do anything for them without considering my dignity. Now I am reborn, I am determined to change my fate.

Long time ago, the world was ruled by the Primordials — an ancient and powerful race who mastered magic and shaped the land with runes and magic. They built bastions that stood as monuments to their greatness, cities protected by powerful enchantments. But their thirst for even greater power led to disaster. They opened gates to another realm… and unleashed demons.What followed was swift and brutal. The Primordials fought back, but they lost. Their civilization crumbled, their names were erased, and only the magical bastions remained — sealed places protected by forgotten runes that even demons could not cross.Now, demons rule the night. Humanity lives in fear, hiding behind rune-marked walls, unaware of their true origins or how close the world stands to its final collapse.Into this broken world falls Alex — a stranger from another reality. Upon his arrival, he awakens a forbidden power within himself: nature magic and the ability to shapeshift. A gift… and a curse.Magic is forbidden. Hunted. Destroyed. If anyone discovers what he is, he could be executed on the spot. But only through his power does Alex stand a chance of surviving… and fighting back. As he journeys across this dark and ruined land, he begins to unravel secrets long buried, truths about the demons’ origin, and the real reason the world fell.This is a dark fantasy tale of blood, survival, ancient knowledge, and inner transformation. Alex must choose what he will become: a monster, a savior… or something in between.Hello and welcome to everyone who decided to read my first writing attempts!The story you are reading is created in my free time, so new chapters will be released approximately 3-4 times a week. I run my own business, which sometimes makes it difficult to find a moment to sit down and fully focus on writing.I'm a fan of brutal, bloody scenes – the kind that stay in your mind long after you've finished reading. I have a vivid imagination, and when I write, I see each of these fights clearly, as if they were happening right in front of me: torn bodies, blood spraying, guts... none of that sugar-coated fighting.I try to transfer these images from my head to the page with as much intensity as possible, so you can feel the same tension and thrill that I do while writing.I also want to build a sense of horror – especially when it comes to monsters. I'm not interested in easy enemies. These are meant to be creatures you feel before you see them. The kind that stir fear and force the characters into desperate decisions.I hope you'll enjoy these scenes too – brutal, emotional, and full of darkness.As for the plot, I already have a general outline in my head, so there’s a lot of writing ahead of me. In the future, the story may include R18 scenes, but before that, I want to build a solid world and well-developed characters.If you have any ideas or suggestions, feel free to reach out—I’d love to discuss them, and maybe we can add something interesting to the story!Enjoy the read!