Covet

Covet Plot Summary

Introduction

# Bonds of Stone and Blood: A Gargoyle Queen's Ascension Grace Foster never imagined that breaking up with her boyfriend would literally shatter his soul. Standing in the ruins of Katmere Academy, she watches Jaxon Vega—vampire prince, first love, broken boy—explain how their severed mate bond didn't just end their relationship. It destroyed the very essence of who he was, piece by piece, until only a monster would remain. The artificial nature of their connection, crafted by ancient magic before Grace was even born, had finally been exposed. But the truth came with a price steeper than anyone anticipated. While Grace found herself bound to Hudson Vega, Jaxon's dangerous brother who had lived in her mind during months she couldn't remember, Jaxon faced a fate worse than death. Without a mate's soul to anchor him, he was becoming the very creature everyone had always feared he might be. In a world where vampires walked alongside dragons and gargoyles ruled from shadows, Grace would discover that some bonds could only be broken by blood, and some crowns could only be claimed through sacrifice.

Chapter 1: Shattered Bonds: The Unraveling of Artificial Love

The Bloodletter's cave reeked of death and ancient magic. Grace pressed herself against the stone wall as the creature hung two fresh corpses upside down, their blood draining into buckets with methodical precision. This was the vampire who had orchestrated her entire love life before she was born, weaving spells that would ensure the last gargoyle found her destined mate. Hudson stood beside her, his usual sarcasm replaced by cold fury as the Bloodletter explained her handiwork. The mate bond between Grace and Jaxon had never been real—just magical manipulation designed to bring balance to a world spinning toward chaos. Grace's parents had been part of the coven that requested the spell, trading their unborn daughter's romantic freedom for the promise of a gargoyle's return. Every kiss, every whispered promise, every moment of love between Grace and Jaxon had been built on lies. The truth tasted like copper and ash in her mouth as she realized the depth of the deception. Even Flint's unrequited love for Jaxon had been orchestrated, ensuring no other bonds could form until the artificial one was complete. When Hudson challenged the ancient creature, she froze him with a gesture, turning him to living statue while Grace watched in horror. Only when Grace touched him did the spell break, their genuine mate bond somehow stronger than the Bloodletter's magic. The old vampire's eyes narrowed with something approaching concern as she witnessed power she couldn't control. The revelation shattered more than just illusions. As they left the cave, Grace felt the weight of destiny settling on her shoulders like a shroud. The girl who once worried about fitting in at a new school now held the fate of two worlds in her hands, and the path forward led through giants and forges, through ancient magic and older betrayals.

Chapter 2: Courts of Deception: Dragon Politics and Vampire Machinations

The Dragon Court's Manhattan penthouse gleamed with wealth and menace as Grace stepped from the portal into Queen Nuri's domain. The invitation to their Gruzzolo di Viverna celebration had seemed like salvation—a chance to escape Katmere's suffocating atmosphere and gather intelligence about the brewing war. Queen Nuri's smile revealed teeth sharp as razors when the elevator doors opened. Her son Damien had died by Hudson's hand, and now the debt would be collected. Guards swarmed toward Hudson with supernatural speed, but he pushed Grace aside with vampire strength that brooked no argument. "I knew what would happen if I came here," Hudson said, his voice arctic calm as magical restraints snapped around his wrists. The sound of shackles echoed through marble halls as they dragged him away, but Grace glimpsed something more than maternal vengeance in the queen's calculating gaze. This was politics, pure and deadly. The Dragon Court needed leverage against Cyrus Vega, the vampire king whose war machine was already grinding toward apocalypse. Hudson was the perfect pawn in a game whose rules Grace was only beginning to understand. In Nuri's private office, surrounded by Egyptian artifacts and Manhattan's glittering lights, the queen revealed the true stakes. Cyrus was orchestrating attacks across all supernatural factions, systematically eliminating anyone capable of stopping him. The recent violence at Katmere wasn't random—it was strategic preparation for something far worse. "We need each other," Nuri said, sliding a prison key across her mahogany desk. "Your Hudson is powerful enough to destroy Cyrus, but only if he survives long enough to do it."

Chapter 3: Prison of Souls: Surviving the Ethereal's Psychological Torment

The Ethereal Prison materialized around them like a fever dream constructed from metal and malice. Grace felt her gargoyle powers stripped away as the intake process catalogued and contained her essence, leaving her hollow and aching. The bracelet around her wrist pulsed with red light, a technological leash that bound her magic beneath layers of suppression. Their cell defied physics—beds that folded into walls, a rotating mechanism that determined their daily fate, and ominous lights that counted down to something Grace didn't want to understand. Remy, their cellmate who had been raised in this hellish place since childhood, greeted them with a sardonic smile that didn't reach his eyes. When night fell, the cell began its slow rotation. Grace watched the lights shift from white to an ominous red as the Camera claimed its victims. Hudson, Flint, and Calder collapsed to the floor, their consciousness abandoning them to psychological torture that would last until dawn. Through her connection to Hudson, Grace witnessed his deepest shame—the moment he had used his powers to control other students, forcing them to kill while their minds screamed in protest. The vision played on endless repeat, each loop growing more vivid and devastating. Hudson begged her to run, but in the Camera's twisted reality, there was nowhere to hide. For ninety agonizing minutes, Grace could only watch as Hudson relived his worst moment. When the others finally woke, they were broken shells of themselves. Hudson trembled uncontrollably, unable to bear even her gentle touch. The Camera fed on their suffering, growing stronger with each repetition, and Grace realized this was just the beginning of their torment.

Chapter 4: The Forger's Key: Liberating the Beast and Claiming Ancient Power

The Bolgia revealed itself as a twisted marketplace where hope and despair were commodities to be traded. Vendors hawked their wares from colorful stalls while prisoners spent hard-earned coins on temporary relief from suffering. Grace marveled at the surreal normalcy—tacos and pizza alongside magical artifacts, as if hell itself had embraced capitalism. Their search for the Forger led through narrow alleys to a massive forge where Vander worked. The giant's face bore horrific scars from centuries of Cyrus's torture, each mark a testament to the vampire king's cruelty. When Grace mentioned Falia, his beloved wife waiting in the redwood forests, Vander's composure crumbled. Tears the size of Grace's fist rolled down his cheeks as he remembered the promise made a thousand years ago. "She remembers still," Grace told him, and those three words shattered his resistance. The giant agreed to forge the key that would free the Invincible Beast, but his price was steep—he wanted to escape with them, to return to the family he'd been separated from for a millennium. The arena erupted in chaos as Grace and Hudson faced two massive giants in gladiatorial combat. Caronte, the prison's child-owner, watched from his golden throne with sadistic glee as the crowd bayed for blood. Grace became the bait, drawing both giants to the center while Hudson used his remaining power to bring down the elaborate bone chandeliers overhead. Victory tasted like copper and ash as narwhal tusks pierced giant skulls. The crowd went wild, but Grace felt only revulsion at the spectacle they'd provided. They had survived, but at what cost to their souls? The key was theirs, but the real test lay ahead—in the depths of a cave where an ancient gargoyle waited in chains, holding secrets that could save or damn them all.

Chapter 5: Blood and Sacrifice: The Price of Resurrection on the Battlefield

The battle erupted without warning as Cyrus's forces emerged from concealment spells, turning the peaceful island into a war zone. Dragons clashed with vampires in the sky while witches rained deadly magic from hidden positions. Grace found herself torn between fighting and healing as her friends fell around her like broken dolls. Flint's leg was nearly severed, arterial blood painting the sand crimson as his life ebbed away. Grace channeled power through her tattoo, drawing energy from Hudson and Jaxon to fuel her desperate healing attempts. Each pulse of magic cost her more, but she refused to let another friend die. The process was agonizing—she could feel Flint's pain as if it were her own. Luca died protecting them, his body crumpling as a witch's spell burned through his chest. The smell of charred flesh filled the air, and Grace's healing work became a race against time and grief. She poured everything into saving Flint, knowing that his survival might be the only thing that gave meaning to Luca's sacrifice. When Cyrus delivered the killing bite to Jaxon, Grace faced an impossible choice. The vampire prince lay dying from his father's venom, but his remaining life force could save Flint. With tears streaming down her face, Grace channeled Jaxon's essence into her friend, watching the light fade from the eyes of her first love. But death had not finished with them yet. Nuri's sacrifice transformed tragedy into miracle as the Dragon Queen tore her own heart from her chest—a crystalline organ pulsing with centuries of accumulated power—and placed it within Jaxon's still form. The magic worked with violent intensity, dragging him back from death's threshold but at the cost of Nuri's dragon forever.

Chapter 6: Crown of Ashes: Discovering the Truth About Ultimate Power

The cave entrance yawned before them like a mouth full of broken teeth. Grace clutched the key they had fought so hard to obtain, its metal warm against her palm as they approached the Beast's prison. The creature stirred as they entered, massive shoulders shifting as stone fell away like discarded skin. "Please, no," the Beast pleaded as she approached with the key. "You must go. You don't understand what you're freeing." But Grace had made a promise, and she intended to keep it. One by one, the ancient shackles fell away—wrists, then ankles, each lock opening with a sound like breaking bones. The Beast's roar of freedom shook dust from the cavern ceiling, a sound of joy and terror combined. The transformation was not what any of them expected. The massive creature folded in on itself, revealing a man in royal blue and gold, his eyes the color of storm clouds. He had been human once, before Cyrus had twisted him into something else, before a thousand years of imprisonment had nearly broken his mind. When Grace asked about the Crown, his response chilled her blood. "No crown," he said, shaking his head frantically. "She has crown. Must protect her. Must give crown to her." The others exchanged worried glances. If this mysterious woman already possessed the Crown, then their mission had been for nothing. Worse, it meant Cyrus might reach it first. But then the Beast grabbed Grace's hand with desperate strength, making her promise to protect his mate, to give the crown to its rightful bearer. Grace felt the magic burn across her palm as she made her vow, the seven circles of the Crown searing into her flesh like a brand. Somewhere in the world, another gargoyle waited, carrying the power they needed to stop Cyrus. The weight of destiny settled on her shoulders as she realized their real war was just beginning.

Chapter 7: Queen's Gambit: Choosing Love, Duty, and the Weight of Leadership

The portal spat them out into a world transformed. Where Katmere Academy had once stood proud against the Alaskan wilderness, now smoke rose from burning forests and broken windows stared like dead eyes. Grace's heart hammered as they ran toward the school, the rescued gargoyle stumbling behind them on legs still weak from centuries of captivity. Inside, devastation greeted them at every turn. Furniture lay in splinters, claw marks scored the walls, and the scent of violence hung heavy in the air. Of the hundreds of students and faculty who should have been there, they found only silence. They found their answer in the infirmary, where Marise lay broken but alive among the wreckage. "Cyrus," she gasped. "His army came at dawn. They took everyone—students, teachers, anyone with value as a hostage." The pieces fell into place with sickening clarity. While they had battled on the island, while Grace had sacrificed her dragon heart to save Jaxon, Cyrus had struck at the heart of their world. The attack had been a diversion, drawing away their strongest defenders while he claimed his real prize. Jaxon's confession shattered what remained of their hope. The severing of their mate bond hadn't just broken their connection—it had broken their souls. Grace's soul was protected by her bond with Hudson, but Jaxon's was dying piece by piece. When it was gone completely, he would become the monster everyone had always expected him to be. The weight of impossible choices crushed down on Grace's shoulders. She could maintain her bond with Hudson, could pour her love into the cracks of his shattered psyche until he healed. But doing so would condemn Jaxon to a fate worse than death. Or she could break the bond that had become her lifeline, sacrifice her own happiness to restore Jaxon's soul. As night fell over the ruins of their sanctuary, Grace felt the Crown burning in her palm and wondered if they were already too late. Eleven survivors stood against an army that had just declared war on everything they held dear, and the mysterious gargoyle who held their salvation remained a riddle wrapped in prophecy.

Summary

In the depths of supernatural hell, Grace Foster discovered that true strength isn't measured in magical power but in the willingness to sacrifice for others. Her journey from grieving teenager to gargoyle queen stripped away illusions about love and destiny, revealing that some bonds transcend magical manipulation while others crumble under the weight of truth. The Crown she now bears isn't just a symbol of power—it's a reminder that leadership means carrying the weight of impossible choices. The bonds forged in suffering prove stronger than those born in comfort. Hudson's love, tested in the fires of psychological torture, emerges purified and unbreakable. Jaxon's resurrection through Nuri's sacrifice creates new possibilities for redemption, even as his fractured soul threatens to destroy everything they've fought to protect. In choosing duty over desire, sacrifice over safety, Grace learns that sometimes the most profound act of love is knowing when to let go. The war against Cyrus has only begun, but she now understands that victory won't come from the Crown's power alone—it will come from the unshakeable bonds between souls who've walked through hell together and emerged transformed by fire and stone.

About Author

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Tracy Wolff

Wolff delves into the realms of the fantastical and the romantic, crafting stories that blend paranormal romance with young adult fantasy. Her dedication to these genres is evident in her commitment to writing about tortured heroes and empowered heroines within richly constructed worlds. While her early career as an English professor laid the groundwork for her literary expertise, her passion for storytelling was ignited at a young age, influenced by reading Judy Blume and romance novels. This fusion of academic foundation and personal passion informs her narrative style, which has resonated with audiences across multiple genres, from young adult to women's fiction.\n\nOne of Wolff's most celebrated works, the Crave series, illustrates her ability to intertwine complex characters with enthralling plots set against a backdrop of supernatural intrigue. The series has captivated readers by exploring the journey of Grace, a teenager navigating a mysterious Alaskan boarding school filled with vampires and other mystical creatures. Beyond the Crave series, Wolff has ventured into diverse literary territories with books like the Ethan Frost series and Sweet Nightmare. By creating vivid and immersive worlds, her books invite readers to escape into narratives where romance and fantasy collide, offering a blend of excitement and emotional depth.\n\nReaders seeking narratives that challenge and entertain will find Wolff’s work to be a captivating escape into the realms of "romantasy." Her ability to craft stories that appeal to both young adult and new adult audiences demonstrates her understanding of what resonates with readers. Her status as a #1 New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA TODAY bestselling author underscores her impact on the literary world. This brief bio captures the essence of an author who has not only enriched the genre but has also connected deeply with a diverse readership.

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