Cassy had been biting her fingers off in her room, nervous and worried. Perhaps she should not have been so harsh. Perhaps she should have considered the fact that he had looked so tired while he had been talking to her. Maybe she had been mistaken about the princess. Maybe it had all been one huge coincidence. She shouldn't have yelled at him that way. She should go apologize to him. She was just wound up tight about everything and the thing with the princess kept popping up. She had every reason to be angry after what had happened, but she should have heard him out in the very least. She had twisted the doorknob and taken the path to Lino's room, only to find that he wasn't in. Then she had walked to the study, but upon turning towards it, she had heard a female's moan. Her ears had perked, and her heart had started to race at the sound of it. She didn't want to believe it. She knew it was coming from his study, but she didn't want to believe it unt
The sound of shuffling feet filled his room and Lino knew it was Kayden. He pulled back from the princess, breathing hard. His vision was stained red and when he peered down at her hand, he saw that he had twisted her wrist. She seemed to notice it too and the moment the pressure of his aura lifted off of her, she fell to the ground, unconscious. “The King will not be pleased—“ “Not right now, Beta!” Lino roared, and Kayden’s head bowed at the command. Lino dove his fingers into his hair as she tried to get his anger in control. He couldn’t. He couldn’t breathe while knowing the woman who tried to kill his mate was still alive. His body was tight with leashed violence. He had to react. He had to do something with himself or he might just kill the woman and bring war to his doors. “Get her out of here,” he said to Kayden. “Do not try to fix her arm until I give the order to. I want her to suffer for what she did to Cassy. No pain reliefs or knock out tonics. I wa
A knock on the door had Cassy looking up from the book she was reading. She didn't need to stand from her chair to know who it was. Her wolf sensed him and she stirred whining and complaining. Cassy ignored both the knock and Pax. Maybe wolves didn't mind their partners cheating on them, but she surely did, and she didn't want to see him. She had gone half way with packing her things when she realized she had nowhere else to go. Her parents would not turn her away, but she didn't want to pressure them into accepting her back into their home. Especially when it was so painfully obvious that they weren't comfortable with the change that had occured with her when she had died. Or maybe it was the fact that she had died at all that was uncomfortable for them to bear. She had considered the Goddess's shelter, but she knew the Goddess would not be pleased with her if she ran all the way over there again to hide from her lying and cheating mate. Their ancestors we
"Where is she now?" Cassy asked, inching towards the door. "With the physician. I...ah...lost control with her. I might have broken a finger...or her wrist." That had Cassy chuckling and she finally unlocked the door. Lino was sitting outside of it, knees folded. Her cheeks flamed when a few maids passed by her room, chuckling at the sight of the Alpha sitting on the floor, pleading with his mate. Perhaps, she could stay angry for longer to see how desperate he could get to have her forgive him. "Come in," she started, but paused at the sight of the tomes in his hands. "What are those?" He winked at her as he straightened. "I told you I had the books you needed." Excitedly, Cassy reached for the books in his hands, but Lino moved out of the way. Cassy frowned, and tried to reach for the book again, but Lino moved away again. "What are you doing?" "You owe me an apology, Cass. You've been so mean to me lately. You've had me stay outside your room, g
"I hate you," Eleanor yelled at the startled hybrid who kept staring down at her like he had never seen her before. No one had ever uttered such mean words to her before. It had struck deeper than any knife could and it hurt so much, she couldn't bear it. Perhaps, it hurt so much because it was the truth. Was that why no one loved her or cared for her like they did Cassy? Because she was nice and oddly gullible? Eleanor always believed that your best qualities are those things that make you stand out from the rest. She didn't want to be like Cassy. She wasn't made to be kind or subservient. She was smart, and a woman who would always go after what she wanted. She was not weak. She was strong. She didn't need to be loved by everyone. She only ever wanted to be loved by that one person. And he was Lino. No one else mattered to her as much as he did. The opinion of other people didn't matter to her as well. But why then, did it hurt so much? She couldn't stop
Cassy took a step back from the box, unsure of how long her feet would keep her standing. "They say the humans do these. They call it proposals," he said and she could tell he was way out of his comfortable zone by the blush that reddened his sturdy cheeks. "I am not a romantic man, and words are not my strong point. But... I want to do this the proper way," he said, plucking the ring from its holder with trembling fingers. Cassy's eyes stung with joyful tears, and she might have told him he was doing perfectly fine if she wasn't overwhelmed by too many emotions at once. He dropped the box, and took a step toward her, eyes brimming with intensity and...a single tear slid down Cassy's cheek when she realized what the other emotion in his eyes was. Love. She began sobbing in earnest. Lino loved her. He took her hand, smiling softly, but he frowned when he peered down at her smooth fingers. Cassy laughed amidst tears when she realized why. He didn't kn
"Do you have any idea why they are killing them?" Eleanor asked, wrapped in numerous sheets, lying on the ground. Yes. He had made sure to take the bed and leave her to lie on the ground where he felt she deserved to be. She had whined for the better half of the night, complaining about how the ground was hard and cold, and he had blissfully ignored her until she got tired and stayed put. She was exhausted, but she couldn't sleep. So she had taken to asking him questions, and funnily enough, he had been responsive. It would seem she wasn't alone in being unable to sleep. "No," he said after a moment's hesitation, and Eleanor blinked back at the darkness as she said, "You're lying." "And if I am? There is little you can do about it. Not that you even care for the state of the people in these lands," his voice returned to her in the dark and Eleanor flipped on her belly to look in the direction of the bed. "Why does it constantly feel like you are judging me?"
Lino's lips trailed the arch of Cassy's neck and she found that she was already writhing, ready for him. The ceremony had been beautiful, and never in her life had she felt something so deep, so meaningful. The celebration after had been a joyful affair, but Cassy and Lino had been unable to her hands and eyes off Lino. It had been mutual. They had excused themselves from the gathering with the excise of having some work to do, but she suspected everyone in the gathering had been able to smell what the real reason was. Her fingers slid into his hair and just when he began shrugging off her dress, someone knocked on their door. Lino snarled against her skin and the vibration caused her toes to curl. "Go away, Kayden." But the Beta didn't. He knocked again and his voice flowed into Lino's chambers. "This is urgent, Alpha. You have...visitors." "They can wait," Lino said, hands tightening about Cassy's hips. "Every damned visitor can wait. Not now, Kayden."
Eleanor dashed through the woods, panting and cursing under her breath. It wasn't supposed to go this way, she thought. She was sure she had not been followed. But now, the guards were after her, hot on her tail and she could not seem to outrun them. Her parents would be disgust if they saw her now. What had become of her. Cassy and Lino would probably laugh their heads off if they saw her. She was a thief. She had been living from and to mouth for years, taking shelter in empty barns or cottages, stealing food from moving carriages or from travellers. She had walked and moved and tried to make something of herself for the past few years, but all anyone wanted from her was to bed her or turn her into a whore, and while she knew she was a despicable person, there were things she could not allow. From the ears of one of the travellers, she had heard of a castle in the North, with plenty or riches that were untouched by the Alpha who seemed to have no intere
Two years later... "No. Not that one. Do not put that in your mouth, Fenris," Cassy said, lifting her son off the ground and throwing the sand stained pebble he had been about to put in his mouth. "Where is your brother?" She questioned, and he smiled at her, pulling her hair instead and giggling. "Asher?" She called out, looking around the playground Lino had built just for his twin sons. She heard Asher's answering giggle emerge from the other end, and a smile graced her lips when she saw Lino holding him and tickling him. He loved them. There was no surprise there. Over the last two years, she had gotten to see sides to Lino that she had never thought she would again, after she'd lost their first child. He was kind, loving and stern when he needed to be. Maybe scratch the last part out. When it came to the boys, there was not a single stern bone in Lino's body. All they had to do was smile at him and he would lift them up and tickle them. Cassy
Cassy and Lino sat on the edge of the bed, hands clasped tightly together, awaiting Gerald as he gathered he shrugged out of his gloves. She began to fidget and Lino rubbed her knee to soothe her, even if he was also fidgeting. Cassy felt her stomach twist and tighten with nerves as she thought about it. She pressed her free hand against her stomach, trying to feel for something, anything at all that said that it was there. She hadn't felt funny in the past few days. Other than the need to sleep. Her last pregnancy had been somewhat hectic and she had been a horrible mess before she even found out she was pregnant. She supposed it should be the same. The nausea. The morning sickness. The cranky mood. The obtuse emotions. It was the only reason why she didn't think she was. That too and the fact that she looked absolutely normal. She hadn't gained extra weight or anything. She'd lost some. She stole a glance at Lino. His expression was calm but she could tell from
Cassy peered around, in the familiar darkness and she immediately knew where she was. It had been a while since she had been summoned by Selene and she had quite a lot of words to say to the wolf when she graced her with her presence. "Selene?" Cassy called out, turning in a spin, searching for the familiar figure, but she couldn't find the wolf. "I see all is finally in order," a voice that sounded both ancient and young said, and Cassy turned to find the big wolf approaching her. "Yes. No thanks to you. You left me with nothing but scattered clues here and there. I didn't understand a single thing." "But you have come out victorious," the wolf said drily. Cassy scowled. "Again, with no thanks to you. Julian's the only reason why we won. You picked me up and then abandoned me--" "And who do you think sent the sorcerer your way?" Cassy's lips pursed and she kept quiet, listening to Selene and her 'explanation'. "The Goddess's interfere
Lino sat in his throne, head leaning against his fist. The day had only just begun and he was already exhausted. He always hated the aftermaths of squabbles and war. Deaths and meetings and hard decisions had to be taken. It didn't make it any better that Cassy was not with him today. His mate had slept the entire day away yesterday and she was today as well. He understood that she needed the rest, especially after the ordeals they had gone through. It was absolutely normal for females to fall into deep sleep after a weight like war had been lifted off their shoulders. He had been telling himself that the entire day, just so he could get his mind off the possibility of Cassy being pregnant. He was excited and extremely anxious as well. He had known the joy of expecting a child once before, but this was different. Perhaps, it was because she was his mate and he was in love now. He couldn't stop fidgeting and thinking about it. Truth be told, he wanted nothing m
Julian strode over to where Sasha laid on the ground, head severed from her body. He had not thought it would be so easy to end her life. He had not wanted it to be easy. He had wanted her to suffer for it. Every day. For everything she had done to him. For every atrocity she had committed. For all the wrong she had caused him. He had wanted her to suffer. But he had killed her too quickly. And...saved the day. His unusual eyes overlooked the battle field and what little of the sorcerers that were left and we're still being killed. His eyes wandered over to the Luna and Alpha seated off to the side, holding each other and crying. His eyes then wandered back to Sasha's unseeing eyes. He let it truly sink in that she was dead and gone. Slowly, it sank in, like a stone would in the middle of an ocean. It settled within him. Standing in the middle of a battle field with his armour coated in blood and his fingers wrapped around the sheath of his sword, J
Cassy panted, peering down at the blade and the minute distance it was away from her heart. No no. The woman was not bluffing. The back of her head hurt terribly, no thanks to Sasha's blow, and the tiniest movement had her wincing in pain. It was nothing though, compared to the obvious panic in Lino's eyes. A burden in her chest lightened a little. He was fine. He was covered in blood and gore, but he was fine. Taller, hairier and scary. He was in between this wolf form and the other. His red hair made him look all the more stunning. She gave him a sharp look that all but said, "You should not have left me inside." Lino ignored her, baring his teeth instead at Sasha. "Touch her, I'll end you." The woman had the audacity to chuckle and Cassy marvelled at her boldness and lack of fear. "Before you move, she'd already be dead. You're at my mercy, Alpha," Sasha said, piercing Cassy's skin with the dagger for effect. Not the other way around. I suggest you w
"Think we might make it back?" Lino asked asked Kayden as he jammed the rock into the sharp edge of the sword. Kayden shrugged, staring up at the sky. "I have no choice. Ayla will throttle me out of the afterlife if I do not." Lino smiled. He could think of a couple of things Cassy would also do to him for leaving without her. He had better make it back home. He had no other option. Night had fallen and they had chosen to make camp. It was more like...laying in wait and resting while the enemies rode toward them. Lino wasn't the type of Alpha to move things in a rush. He would wait for her. Sasha. And by the spies he had dispatched a few moments back, he knew that they weren't far off any more. And leading them his way was the hybrid, Julian. Whether or not he would fight on their side when it mattered, Lino couldn't tell, but he had seen the hybrid and looked in his eye. He had seen the hatred for Sasha and even if he trusted nothing else, he trusted in those
Cassy placed outside the yard, trailing the line of defense the guards had formed, laying in wait for their enemies. Just in case. She had no doubt that it was Lino's instruction too. The man always thought and prepared ahead for the worst case scenario. There were more than a hundred scattered about in various defense formations and Cassy marvelled on how they blocked every entrance into the castle. But... wasn't a hundred too many to guide the amount of women inside? Perhaps it was because of her or it could be the fact that they were the weaker and more vulnerable sex. A sudden shout came from the front, by the towering gates of the castle and Cassy believed it to be, "Close the gates!" The shouts increased and Cassy ran up to the gates where the guards were frantically trying to lock them. There were still people trying to get through. Late arrivals from the houses around the castle. If the gates were suddenly locked, they would have no where else to