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
I turned over in the tangled sheets, my body instinctively searching for Darren’s familiar warmth, but as my hand reached out, I was met with an empty space and a cool spot on the bed. My eyes snapped open. “Darren?” I called softly, scanning the dark interior of the tent. The faint glow of the dull morning light filtered through the fabric walls, casting shadows on the ground below. Darren was gone, and judging by the coolness of the blanket, he had been gone for quite some time.With a sigh, I swung my legs over the edge of the cot and stood, wrapping myself in a thick robe. The soft fur lining tickled my skin as I cinched it tight around my waist.I pushed aside the canvas and stepped out into the crisp morning air. A shiver ran through me as the cool breeze caressed my face. The camp was already stirring to life around me.My eyes scanned the misty field, searching for that familiar, broad-shouldered silhouette. Nothing. Just tents and trees and the soft glow of dawn. My stomach tw
AllissaThe thick canvas of the white tent muffled the sounds from the outside. I stood behind the gathered leaders, my eyes fixed on the map spread across the makeshift war table. Darren was right in front of me, and I watched as his fingers moved over the parchment. The centaur prince to his left growled low in his throat, shaking his head. “That leaves the eastern villages exposed. We can’t risk it.”“And if we pull back to defend them, we lose our advantage in the mountains,” countered the harpy queen, her wings rustling with agitation.I bit my lip, my mind racing as I considered the implications of each strategy. The complexity of inter-species politics had never felt more daunting. One wrong move could shatter fragile alliances, doom innocent lives.My gaze drifted across the tent, taking in the assembled leaders. Battle-worn and weary, they bore the marks of our recent struggles. A bandaged arm here, a haunted look there. When my eyes landed on Asta, standing quiet and watchfu
DarrenI had Allissa taken to the fairy infirmary just to be safe. A petite fairy with iridescent wings, a healer, tested her blood. Her hand glowed with a soft white light as she waved it over Ally’s body. She confirmed there was mistletoe in her blood but that her blood was attacking it. Little by little, it was removing it from her body. The healer also did a special check on our pup.I didn’t know much about fairies before, but they’re amazing. She was able to see our pup. She said the pup was strong, very healthy, and growing rapidly. Our pups tended to do that. Our gestation was anywhere from four to six months, depending on the pup and mother.“You already have a little bump starting to show,” the fairy healer said, motioning over Ally’s stomach. I watched as Ally flashed her beautiful smile up at me. Gods, was it like this for everyone? My heart beat faster just because she smiled at me. I remembered the mistletoe in her system then. “Remarkably advanced for the short time ...
For a moment, my heart stopped, as the feral beast came into view. My mate’s white fur was stained red. His eyes were wild and aggressive as they scanned through the flames. His head snapped in my direction, and I was relieved to see that he was okay. He was wounded, but nothing looked serious. He raced toward me, but then Ivan’s enormous beast let out a roar.It was chaos. I’m not even sure what happened. It was a frenzy of movement and sound that left me disoriented. In the blink of an eye, the two massive creatures, their pure white fur stained with blood, were locked in a vicious battle. Teeth gnashed and claws slashed as they tore at each other, the ground trembling beneath their weight. It was a brutal dance, the violence escalating. The world seemed to slow down as I took in every detail of the epic clash before me, my heart racing as I tried to understand what was happening.Ivan threw the monstrous lycan into a burning building. I watched in horror as Darren’s lycan disappeare
My silver fur bristled as I crouched low, muscles coiled and ready to spring. I bared my fangs as the approaching vampire army but something suddenly flashed over them. A bright blue aura surrounded them, pulsing with otherworldly energy.What the hell?My confusion lasted only a moment before their battle cry rang out:“For the King!”Realization hit me like a bolt of lightning. These weren’t enemies––they were Finn’s allies! The blue glow must be some kind of magical marker to distinguish them from other vampires.Well, I’ll be damned. Looks like the exiled king still had a few tricks up his sleeve.As the blue-wreathed vampires charged past me to engage our foes, I couldn’t help but think of Darren. There was no time for celebration. I needed to get to him. My ears twitched at the sound of the battle in all directions. It was impossible to detect my mate.With a fierce howl, I leapt back into the fray, silver claws extended and ready to tear into any enemy that dared cross my path.
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
“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
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
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