My heart pounded as I rushed through the castle corridors, the stone walls a blur of gray in my peripheral vision. Darren's scent lingered in the air where he had passed through earlier, teasing me, drawing me forward like an invisible thread connecting us. I needed to see him, to feel his strong arms around me, to lose myself in those piercing green eyes. To make sure everything was okay between us. The ache in my chest grew deeper with each step, a physical manifestation of my longing. The only thing helping was knowing I would see him in just a few moments. I rounded a corner, my pace quickening, when a large hand clamped down on my shoulder. I gasped as I was spun around, coming face to face with Ivan's imposing figure. His golden eyes bore into mine, his expression stern. "Slow down there, little queen," he rumbled, his deep voice echoing off the stone walls. "Darren's occupied with urgent matters and can’t be disturbed right now." I opened my mouth to protest, but the words
DarrenI paced my private office like a caged beast, each step echoing off the stone walls of the castle. My breath came in ragged gasps as I ran my fingers through my hair, tugging at the roots.“Damn it all,” I growled, my voice barely above a whisper.The image of my father’s broken expression flashed through my mind, tearing at my heart. But what choice did I have? My own mother, threatening my mate, my Ally…A wave of protective fury washed over me, setting my blood on fire. My hands clenched into fists, claws extending involuntarily.“I had to do it,” I muttered, trying to convince myself. “For Allissa. For our child.”But the doubt gnawed at me, an insidious whisper in the back of my mind. Was there another way? Could I have reasoned with her, made her see she was wrong?No. The memory of my mother’s treacherous words of killing Allissa had my body trembling. A snarl ripped from my throat. The scent of cinnamon intensified as my anger built, filling the room with spice and heat
AllissaDarren had engaged in the food fight until he suddenly had to leave. I wasn’t sure what came over me, but when I saw him, I had to flick sauce at him. In a strange way, I think we both needed it … a moment of normalcy and seeing that everything was okay. I reached my fingers up to my lips. The way Darren kissed me before he left ... there was so much love. Undeniable love. It made me feel so silly for doubting him. I would try to convince myself of his love the next time my emotional wounds resurfaced.I rinsed the suds out of my hair and shut off the water. I wrapped myself in a fluffy towel with a frown. Darren took Finn and Ivan with him this time. Something was going on and I needed answers. I looked around the bathroom and realized I didn’t have any clothes to wear. I gripped my towel and opened the bathroom door.My eyes locked with Lyle’s surprised blue ones. His face heated red and he quickly spun around.“Sorry, Issy ... I didn’t realize ... and I ...” he sputtered, m
The scent of stale potato chips tickled my nose as I blinked awake, disoriented. Lyle’s muscular arm was draped over me, a half-eaten chip still clinging to his lips. I stifled a giggle as I carefully leaned out of Lyle’s embrace. The velvet couch cushion shifted beneath me as I escaped, making Lyle stir. I ran a hand through my tangled brown hair as I looked around. Darren still hadn’t returned, and I couldn’t help but start to worry.“Morning, sunshine ... or is it afternoon?” I looked over at his blue eyes, and he gave me a lopsided grin as the chips crumbled from his face. He swiped at his mouth and his cheeks reddened in embarrassment. “I guess I pigged out.” He then glanced at me. “Darren is going to put a rope around my neck for falling asleep next to you.”“No sign of him yet.” I couldn’t help the frown that formed on my lips. Lyle’s brows furrowed as he sat up more, placing his hand on my shoulder. “None of that. You just woke up. Besides ... you just ignored the part about my
His clothes were off and then his lips, soft and full, pressed roughly against mine, igniting a fiery passion within me. Our kiss deepened, becoming more urgent with every passing second. His fingers glided across my skin, leaving a trail of heat behind them. He knew every inch of my body—the sensitive spots that made me tremble and the secret places that sent tingles down my spine. With each touch, I arched into him, unable to resist his tantalizing caresses. My body was his canvas, and he painted it with desire and need.Darren’s tongue traced the shell of my ear as he moved to graze my neck with his teeth. “Mine,” he growled, his voice was raw ... possessive.“Yes, I’m yours.” I felt as if his mind was teetering and he needed to hear me tell him this. There was a low growl in his throat as his head moved, lowering to my chest. He inhaled a nipple and began to knead the other with his fingers.“Dare,” I moaned, my back arching off of the bed. I could feel him pressing his hips agains
Everything moved so quickly today as we prepared to meet with our alliance. We would be reclaiming the neutral village, and from there we all knew it would lead to war with the vampires.“You be safe.” Lyle prodded my nose and I wrapped my arms around him tightly. It felt weird leaving Lyle behind, but it was either him or me. One of us had to stay behind and I didn’t volunteer myself. However, I doubt Darren would have permitted me to stay now. After their investigation, he was still very cautious. I found out that most of the nobles and Waiting Ladies were truthful. None of them had bad feelings toward me.In fact, we found out that the nobles were over sending their children to be potential mates to the king. They all wanted to strengthen their lines by finding fated mates. This was true for all of the families except for Dara’s. Dara had been beaten by her family and cast out for being sent away from the castle. The noble family was within their rights to cast her out. Darren relu
“So, it’s already decided? You made this decision without me here?” Darren was frustrated but he managed to control his temper. I looked over at the three men in front of us. “You had no right to make that call without consulting me first,” Darren growled, his fists clenched at his sides. I watched Darren’s shoulders tense, the muscles in his back coiling like a spring about to snap. My heart ached, seeing him struggle against the curse that amplified his temper.I felt his darkness pooling inside of me, and I sent my calming energy back to him. I watched as his green eyes glanced at me gratefully before he returned his focus back to the man in front of us.“We have extensive military training. Trust me, this is the best move. I made a tactical decision based on the intelligence we had.” A man with blond hair and brown eyes looked over at Ivan, his brother. “You agree with this strategy, don’t you?”“Anton, it isn’t that I don’t agree with it, but I do think you should have discussed i
My heart thundered in my chest as I stood in front of the second wave army. I felt my muscles coil with anticipation. My feral nature demanded that I jump into the fight and be by my mate’s side. It was all I could do to force myself to remain calm. I dug my nails into my palms, trying to distract myself.“Easy,” Ivan’s deep voice rumbled beside me. I glanced over at him. He looked calm despite the chaos unfolding in front of us. I might not be afraid of fighting, but I didn’t have any experience with war. Ivan’s composure proved that this was not something new to him.I growled low in my throat, the lycan inside me snarling to be released. “I can’t stand this. I need to be fighting near Darren’s side.” It was a blur of bodies in the village and I couldn’t see him anymore. “You’re taller than I am … can you see him?”Ivan’s gaze returned to the distant battle. “I lost sight of him. The vampires are pressing hard on the eastern flank. But our centaurs are holding the line, giving the fa
“The watch is hot, but it was cold when it was first given to me. The heat from the watch is a type of energy, but what does it mean?!” Fury was trying to help me. She was giving me tiny hints the best way she could. I needed to think about everything she had told me. Every word could be a tip.“Gujin is a messenger. Was that his way of telling you the watch is a message?”It made sense. Maybe even Gujin was trying to leave me a clue. I guess neither one was able to tell me anything, which was frustrating, especially when they may have been involved. That would mean that Gujin knew what happened to my father. I know I’m meant to figure it out on my own, because it seems like this is the type of game the gods enjoy.“You know what? One mystery at a time.” I sighed and brushed my hair behind my ear. “So the guards have found some evidence of brainwashing?”“Evidence of ... manipulation. Mind games. Enough that it has convinced my father. He’s with mom now. He decided to talk with her an
AllissaI thought that becoming the queen would make me feel different. But I was still just me. Lyle followed me everywhere and was always helping me. There were a lot of boring things I had to read and sign. I wonder how Darren managed to stay awake. I honestly felt myself dozing several times. Luckily for me, I could blame the pregnancy.“Issy, look, this just arrived from Darren!” Lyle ran to me with childlike excitement.My fingers moved so fast as I dove into the letter. It had been days since I’d heard from him. I felt my eyes watering up. His words reflected exactly how I felt. I wish I could see him … I wish I could hold him. I wonder if he knew I was the queen now? At least I knew he was okay, but it did little to heal the aching pain in my chest.“He’s okay.” I smiled, glancing up at Lyle’s relieved eyes. “Sounds like the battles have been steady. I’ve been so worried—” The tears welled up in my eyes as I held his letter to my chest. I had barely been hanging on. My mate was
DarrenI dragged another fallen enemy across the blood-soaked earth, my body screaming in protest.“Another one,” I grunted to myself, tossing the limp form atop the pile with a dull thud. I wiped the sweat from my brow as I looked over the battlefield. It had been a non-stop onslaught for days. I haven’t even had time to send a message to Ally. I can imagine her blue eyes as she sits in our bedroom. She was probably worried and each day without contact would make it worse. I have been fighting to the brink of exhaustion. Collapsing for an hour or two of sleep and then right back at it.There were so many vampires … many were new. When they took over these towns, those who lived there either became food or new vampires. They were building their army. If that wasn’t enough, the demons who have joined them were also well prepared.I was barely able to catch my breath and another battle would arrive. I surveyed the chaos around me, that had become a frequent sight. In all honesty, we nee
I had no clue who or what I was looking at. A small, delicate person? Or something more like a fairy? The figure was small, no taller than a child, but it radiated an otherworldly power that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Delicate, translucent wings fluttered behind her, her skin as white as ivory. She wore a white, shimmering gown that flowed around her. Her face was impossibly beautiful, with high cheekbones and almond-shaped eyes that seemed to glow with an inner fire. But it was her expression that truly captivated me. A fierce determination and cold detachment that sent a shiver down my spine.The way she was staring at me almost looked aggressive, which made me defensive.“Who are you? What do you want with me?” I demanded, injecting as much authority into my voice as I could muster.“I haven’t decided yet.” Her voice was cold as her eyes fixated on mine.“You haven’t decided who you are, or you haven’t decided what you want with me? I asked you two questions
“Is this really necessary?” I pouted as I felt the heavy robe draped over my shoulders. It was not only heavy, but I felt like I was in a sauna.“It’s traditional. All of the crowned royals wore this robe.” Lyle’s blue eyes sparkled in amusement as I grumbled. “The weight represents the burden of leadership. Besides, you look rather fetching in it. Like a true queen.”“A sweaty, irritable queen,” I muttered, but then a realization came over me. “It’s never been washed … has it?”Lyle boomed out a loud laugh. “No, it’s not washed. It’s only worn for a few hours for the ceremony, and—”“I’m caked in a stranger’s sweat.”“Darren wore it last.” Lyle smirked at me.“It doesn’t have his scent.” I sighed, staring at the mirror. There was still no message from Darren. He knew I would be worried, and I knew he would reach out to me as soon as he could. I knew he was alive, but that was the extent of it. How bad were things for them right now? “It feels weird to be doing this without him here.”
My first night away from Darren was torture. I tossed and turned,missing his warmth next to me. I was so dependent on him. Every day away from him was going to be hard. I knew that, but I guess I wasn’t fully prepared for the loneliness. I was missing a piece of me, and I couldn’t be whole without him.Lyle stayed with me until the early morning hours, trying to keep my mind off Darren. He put on movies and told me stories. But as soon as he left, Darren was all I could think about. How was the battle? Was he resting? Did he get hurt? So many questions, and there was no way to get answers. I had to wait for him to contact me.I looked at myself in the mirror as I finished applying my lip gloss. Today, I was going to be crowned queen. I didn’t look like a queen … I didn’t feel like a queen. I was just me. I wonder if all leaders felt like this?“This is as good as I get,” I said to myself with a shrug, looking at my reflection. I opened the door to my bedroom and there was Lyle, leaning
I was surprised as we walked through the tower. The place was beautiful. It was well decorated and had every luxury. I mean … lock me up with Darren in here and I could stay forever. The punishment of being here was two things: shame and freedom. Other than that, Winifred could easily live a comfortable life here. And maybe that was an option. But if she had been brainwashed, then there was a chance to reunite their family.As we entered the grand room, my eyes landed on a group of maids meticulously cleaning every nook and cranny. The sunlight peeking through the windows was dimmed by the richly colored tapestries that adorned them, casting an eerie glow over the space. The only source of light came from the flickering flames of the fireplace, where Milo sat in a lush red armchair, his gaze fixated on the dancing embers.“Dad, have you eaten anything?” Lyle asked as he approached him. Milo didn’t respond and simply kept staring at the orange glow.I grabbed a chair and pulled it up be
“It’s my father. He’s depressed, and I don’t know what to do. He isn’t eating. Issy. He is taking this thing with mom so hard. I’ve never seen him like this.” I could see the pain in Lyle’s eyes. He also looked tired. I was sure it had been a heavy burden on him, running the kingdom in a time of war.“I’m here to help. I’m not going anywhere. As you can see, the little pup is growing quickly. I think I’m a bit farther along. This happened before I went into heat, even though Darren used precaution. Unless, because we are both powerful lycans, things have sped up?”“All lycan pregnancies are different, but royal pregnancies have always been unpredictable. And you are the true royal … I’m guessing that has a lot to do with this.” I listened as he sighed. “How is Darren?”“Getting ready to head into Catata as we speak.” I pursed my lips together. “I want to be by his side.”“I do, too,” Lyle admitted. “I’m glad you’re here. I can use your help. There is also one more thing … and I hate t
The next few days were busy. They created a new strategy and decided they would head to Catata after the naga arrived. From there, they would continue to push into vampire territory, going in aggressive and hard. They intended to launch a full assault with the sorcerers and fairies, then come in with the muscles. They had created new enchantments for the soldiers and protection spells against the demons, pulling up the old archives of what they used before and adding to them. The element of surprise was now gone, and they were better prepared. Hopefully, this meant no more heavy losses for our alliance.My nights with Darren had been pure fire. His lips touched every inch of my body. He whispered how much he loved me over my skin, as if he were trying to engrave the words on my body. Our lovemaking had always been passionate, but these past nights … there was an urgency, a desperation that left me breathless.“Thinking of me?” Darren whispered as his arms pulled me to his chest.“I was