As Cassy followed Eleanor through the forest, she stole glances at the woman. Her posture was stiff and she didn't so much as spare Cassy a glance. "You don't like me much, do you?" Eleanor smiled. "I'm sure we can set aside our differences for the better of the pack. For the Alpha's child in your womb." Cassy's shoulders caved. "I'm really sorry, about all of this. I really didn't want any of it." Cassy meant it. She felt for Eleanor and she was going to give Lino a piece of her mind when they returned. "It's alright. I understand," Eleanor answered and flashed her another bright smile before inclining her head to a different path. "This way. People rarely come here. Only Lunas can walk here. " Cassy nodded, following her deeper into the forest. The walk was refreshing and the chirping of birds filled the air. She felt the slight change in the aura when they stepped foot into it. The serenity of it. The strength in the air. The way time seemed to sti
The rain poured down relentlessly, beating down on the wolves who tried and failed to pick up on Cassy's scent. "Cassy!" Alpha Lino bellowed and a roar of outrage followed. He'd never been so scared in his entire left. So helpless. He would've picked up on her trail, had the rain not washed it away by the time he noticed she was gone. He had searched everywhere he thought she would be, her hiding spots every time she didn't want to be found gobbling down more food. To keep the baby happy, she'd said. He'd searched the gardens, and her chambers, he'd torn apart the castle in search of her. He'd found nothing. All of her things were accounted for. He'd made sure to ask the maids, just to be sure she hadn't run-- though he'd seen no reason why she would. Yes. He should've spoken to her about naming her Luna before announcing it to the whole world. She had been furious and he would never forget the anger that shone in her eyes when he had made the announcement. But th
The moon goddess watched the woman on the floor, angling her head with the grace only an immortal could attain. The woman was already dead, and the baby in her belly dead long before she did. The goddess would have struck the woman who had dared to spill innocent blood on her sacred grounds without mercy dead but it the woman's life was not hers to claim anymore. Eleanor Badminton's life was Cassy Benson's to claim. The Moon Goddess frowned as she mulled over a thought. The dead woman's last moments surfaced. Blue eyes filled with pain had looked to the skies and to her and the woman had pleaded. For once chance. To live again. To make it right. To avenge the life of the child she had loved so much. The Moon Goddess wasn't prone to violence. She detested it. However, she could see the lines of the future falling into place. She had blessed Cassy with the child, therefore blessing her favored Alpha, Lino. What had occurred was a fluke that needed to be corrected and th
Cassy threaded the halls in her plain white robe. The sentries at the gate had taken one look at her face, her garments, and the ice in her eyes and they let her in, gaping at her in awe. The castle seemed the same. Smelled the same. The maids loitered about, gossiping about things that piqued their interest, the sentries and wolves trained on the grounds, and overly dressed females wandered the halls, hoping to catch the eyes of the unmated males of the pack. It was just like it had been a month before. Before she died. It was the same, but Cassy was not. And they noticed it. The moment they noticed Cassy, a hush fell over them. Then they started to whisper and point at her. She recognized her handmaidens amongst them. They stared at her with surprise but she didn't spare them a second glance as she walked past, that stoic expression glued to her face. "Lady Cassy?" Cassy paused and tilted her head slightly. She noted the maid, Jessica. Jessica
Cassy ignored the Alpha's roar of fury and crossed the hall, gown trailing the ground before her as she neared the council. Someone blocked her path, deeming her a threat to the Alpha and her eyes narrowed at the Beta as he fell into a defensive pose in front of her. His eyes widened with glaring intensity and his nostrils flared as he realized the same thing she'd noted for months. That she no longer bore the scent of a lowly Omega. She had the scent of a Luna. An Alpha in her own right. "Impossible," Beta Kayden breathed, tossing furtive glances toward Eleanor's standing form. "The power didn't shift to her. It chose you." Cassy didn't bother to rid him of his ridiculous theory. Her being alive, the change in her body and her soul, it was all the Moon Goddess's gift. One she planned to use to her advantage and take her revenge on those who brought her pain. She had a life to claim. And she would make Eleanor suffer before she made her claim. She would
Cassy was dreaming. She knew it was a dream but she couldn't escape the claws that slashed at her chest over and over again. She couldn't run from the woman clawing her child out of her womb. She begged, pleaded, for someone, anyone to wake her from the nightmare, but no one came. She was dying again, like she did every night. The vile woman was killing her again and no one came for her. Pain exploded in her chest as the claws dug further in, diving past her ribcage, and further until they circled around her beating heart. And when she looked up, she saw her own face, peering down at her. Cold and merciless. "Do not forget," Her cold counterpart seemed to say. Right before she yanked her heart out of her chest. ******** Cassy lurched out of her bed and ran for the bathroom, emptying the contents of her stomach into the chamberpot. Tears ran down her cheeks as she vomited over and over again until all she could do was gag. She'd
The next day, the castle was crowded and busy. Maidens from far and wide graced the castle walls as the news had spread like wildfire that unmated Alphas from all around would be in attendance to woo the Lady Cassy. The day had only begun and Alpha Lino hated it. Already wanted it to end. This was a bad idea. A very terrible idea. He didn't want any male breathing near Cassy. Or touching her. He'd waited all night for her to come to him, begging him to change his mind, pleading with him to not give her away to some random Alpha. He had thought doing this would break her enough to realize just who she was standing up against. She might be a match for him now, but she wasn't stronger than him. He had the power, the wits, and the influence. She couldn't live or breathe without him. Or at least, he had thought he would make her realize that she couldn't live without him. But Cassy hadn't come to him and he had spent the entire night destroying his study. She was arr
But Cassy didn't understand why he had done all of it. Why he had wanted a child so badly. Why he would have had to take their child from her the moment it was born. She did not understand that with the child dead, there was little hope left and time was running out. Perhaps, he should have told her the truth back then, on the night they had first met. She might have agreed to it. Trusted him. And none of this would have happened. But women went wild when it came to their children. They acted on pure instinct and they would go into a death rage if their child was taken from them. He felt she would never have agreed to it. Cassy might have been docile and kind but he had seen her love for their unborn child in her eyes. He had seen the fierceness with which she had protected the image of their child from abuse. She would've fought to the death to protect and raise her child. How could he tell her that he would take him from her before she even got to see his face?
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