“I made it very clear that she was no longer welcome here!” Lino said, voice rising in frustration. “You told that to our sentries, not to her father. You never told him you didn’t want his daughter here,” Kayden said dropping back in his chair. “I’d think finding his daughter tied to a horse with a message ‘DO NOT RETURN’, was clear enough. For the Goddess’ sake, what am I to do with her? And I will not be sending my men to war on a woman’s word. Or her father. Lives will be lost. Too many. If what Cassy said about Sasha is true, then they must be gathering somewhere. It would be rash to play right into their hands. Surely they must be expecting us to fight them. They are provoking us.” It didn’t make it any better that while he had been tracking Eleanor in the wilds that day, he could have sworn he smelled more of them headed in this direction. What if they had not been trying to confuse Eleanor’s scent? Why try hide Eleanor’s scent if they had planned to betray her
Cassy was going to have his head, she thought to herself. She had no idea why she was so mad, but she just was. It didn’t make it any better that he had not dropped in on her the entire day since the princess came around—and it was all she could hear from the maids. The princess wants this, oh she wants that as well. She decided that if she heard another person call the name ‘Adrienne’, she would throttle them. Even now, she needed help getting into her dress for her dinner with Lino and the Elders, and there was not a single maid available to attend to her. It would seem someone had made a plan behind her back to make her life so many shades of miserable today, but she would not let it happen. She could wear her dress herself, and get herself ready. She’d done it before without their help, she could do it now. And so Cassy shoved herself inside her dress angrily, bending awkwardly to adjust the laces of the corset. The harder it was, the more she fumed. Goddess helped Lino, if sh
“I don’t know what you mean,” Cassy said, turning away quickly and rushing over to the table that held her book, eager to place enough distance between herself and him. She could not think much when he was around her. Itching to change the subject, she picked up the thick grey book and turned, raising it high for him to see. He frowned, shoving his hands into the pocket of his pants. “What is that?” She bit on her lower lip nervously. “There is something I want to show you, and while I do not want to bother you with more work, I believe it might be important. Possibly a message for you.” His red brow lifted. “A message for me? In the pages for Lunas? I highly doubt that.” She rolled her eyes with a soft groan that had Lino chortling. She pulled out a chair and pointed it at him. “Come sit,” she said without turning to look at him and pulled out another chair and settled in it. He joined her, and she felt rather than saw him lean into to peer into the open book on he
Cassy nodded and sighed. He could see the lines of stress about her eyes and on her smooth face. Her eyes were haunted and temporarily vacant as she was lost in thought. There was that look again. Something was bearing down on his mate and she wasn’t telling him what it was. Cassy was hiding something from him. “What is it, Cass?” She blinked, expression suddenly guarded. “Nothing. I just have a lot to think about these days. Like the ceremony in a few days and the speech I have to write! It’s a lot of things to think about.” Lino’s eyes narrowed. He had felt every single lie down the bond. She was lying to him and hehad just confirmed it by the series of lies she just told. How could he ask her? He needed her to trust him completely. He needed her to know she could trust him with anything that bothered her. Lino sighed, brushing his fingers through his hair. “I will have the old texts searched for. There should be something we can find on this said ritual.” Cassy
Tears suddenly filled her eyes, and Lino started, completely confused. She turned away from him sharply. “You do not care for me, is that it? I came here, not just to convince you to follow my father’s course. I came here because I was so alone. My brother died!” Lino’s heart sank as he suddenly felt the woman’s grief. He hadn’t asked her about it. He had been too occupied trying to make his mate jealous to understand or be there. “I needed someone to speak to. A friend. We were friends first, before all of the things we went through. Before all of the things you put me through,” she sobbed, and though, Lino very well wanted to tell her he was sure it had been the other way around, he kept still, not speak or interrupting the crying woman. Perhaps, it was her own way of expressing her grief and her pain. She suddenly turned dramatically, and Lino resisted the urge to roll his eyes. She really was a wonderful actress. If she thought she could play this card once mor
Eleanor shifted slightly, eyes fluttering open. She blinked severally, adjusting her vision to the sudden brightness of wherever she was. Her head hurt and even the slightest movement had her wincing and motioning to grab her head. Only, she couldn't move her hands, or her legs. A let out a warning growl as she tried again, but her hands and feet would not budge. She peered down at herself to find that she was tied in straps of clothing and...chain? What in the world....who would dare keep her in chains? And what in the world was she wearing? A tunic that was four sizes larger than her sat on her upper half and her tight pants remained on her lower half. Her feet were stuffed in her boots, though they didn't seem so dirty anymore. She felt somewhat refreshed, and minus the headache, she felt...well rested. Just how long had she been knocked out? And who in the world changed her clothes?! She recalled the last thing she had been doing before she had felt pai
He expected that she would act the fool. Like a slave before him. But she would never. She was Eleanor Badminton. She had Alpha blood running through her veins. It made her as close to royalty--even more than the useless Cassy who had suddenly shown up with Alpha blood. Cassy was a fake. She was the real thing. She hailed from a strong line of werewolves. She would never bow to a sorcerer or demean her status by begging for shelter. She was not a lowly Omega, or some useless servant. He might have been mocking her by calling her princess, but that was everything that she was, and so much more. She would take from him like she had taken from everyone else whenever she so wished it. Her mother had always said, "Everything in this world belongs to you, if you so wished to take it for yourself." And she had lived by that code her whole life. She would never beg for a thing. Not when she had the Alpha tone. So she squared her shoulder and raised her chin, reaching
Selene cocked her head in a strange motion. “You have placed her in the path of the sorcerer? To redeem her?” The Moon Goddess shrugged, the expression making her ethereal being almost look human. Selene scowled, as much as wolf could scowl. “The woman has no redeemable qualities! Even now, all she thinks about is killing Cassy and ruining Lino. There is nothing to redeem in her. Besides, her life is Cassy’s to take. Do you wish to change that? To help her?” Sadness flickered in the eyes of the goddess very swiftly. “They are all my children, Selene. It doesn’t matter how terrible a child becomes, the mother never stops loving them. She never gives up on them. Her life might be Cassy’s to claim, but I do doubt my favored will have much reason to kill her if she turns a new leaf.” “The woman will not turn a new leaf. It doesn’t matter how many times you try to help. A leopard will never change its spots.” The Goddess moved back, settling in her preferred throne. “
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