I finally make my way into the bathroom, undress and get in the shower. I let the hot water soothe my body and I take my time scrubbing off all the dirt and any dry blood I missed earlier. I then wash my hair and the scent of my shampoo, conditioner and even body wash relaxes me just as much as the hot water does. I missed all of this. These things might seem unimportant to other people, but these things mean everything to me.When I’m done I get out and dry off. I towel dry my hair as much as I can and then tie it up in a bun. It’s not as perfect as Chris’ but it will do. Finally, I make my way to my closet and smile wide at all my clothes. My clothes. I’ve been wearing other people’s clothes since I was gone, some of it not fitting me all that well, so it’s a relief to be able to wear my own clothes again. I slip into some lounge shorts and a fitted tank top and already I’m starting to feel like my old self again.I can feel Chris’ vibration close by and he’s swimming with excitemen
After dinner, I helped Kennedy with the dishes. She kept trying to get me to sit down, but I’d much rather help out. This is the first time in weeks I’ve felt normal, though I’m still not entirely sure what normal is but I think this is it. When the dishes were done, we sat around the living room talking some more until it started getting late. One by one we said goodbye to our family, exchanging more hugs and promises to do this again soon, which I am all for. Once everyone was out the door, Chris shut the door behind them and leaned against it facing me with a relaxed smile on his face. “What?” I ask, mimicking his smile. “It’s just the first time in a while I’ve seen you that happy and relaxed. I was happy to see you like that again,” he says walking over to me, wrapping me up in his arms. “It was good to feel like that again. Did you know they were planning on doing all this?” “Of course, I was coordinating with them since we were at the Tian Pack. Evalyn was adamant on it bei
I make my way out of the bedroom, feeling Axel’s eyes follow me on the way out. I make my way to the door but as I do I notice those yummy buns still sitting on the kitchen counter. I quickly grab two and then make my way out of the suite, down the stairs and out of the packhouse where I’m met by the crisp refreshing night air. The moon is high in the sky and even though it’s not full, it’s shining so bright it’s lighting up the entire territory. It looks so magical.When Chris was teaching me about mutolupus’ I learned that humans call them ‘werewolves’ and think they shift when there is a full moon. The idea is kind of funny to me. Imagine not being able to control when you shifted, that would be torture. What’s also funny is a mutolupus has no ties to the moon at all, in fact, they’re more connected to the sun than the moon. At least that’s what I was told. Nagata aren’t tied to the sun or moon, or anything like that… at least I don’t think we are. A mutolupus shifts for the first
I race up to the Alpha suite and repeatedly press the buzzer. I’d hate to wake up Amelia right now, but this can’t wait. As I keep pressing the button I hear the door click and open to reveal Amelia on the other side in a short, green-satin robe, her face and chest are flushed, and her hair is a mess. For a second I thought I’d frazzled her, but I quickly catch a particular scent and now I realise why she looks like that. Oops. I feel embarrassed and guilty for having interrupted, but this is an emergency.“Mei? Is everything alright?” She asks with a worried look on her face.“I think I know how to be an empress to Longsang without having to leave Invictus,” I say in a rush, almost shouting the words at her.Her eyes widen a little, “Come on in,” she says ushering me into the suite where the scent only gets stronger. She shuts the door and walks over to me. “What’s your idea?”“A makkari.”“A makkari what?” She presses.“What if I asked a makkari to create a portal here on Invictus t
I thought returning home with Mei would make all the things I’ve been feeling go away but I guess I was wrong. Mei has settled back in far better than I expected and instead it’s me who is still constantly on edge. When she’s not near me all I feel is panic that something bad is going to happen. All I do is monitor her through our link day in and day out and even I know that’s not healthy. Even now, I’m standing at the back of the packhouse watching Mei like a hawk and all she’s doing is having a picnic with Evalyn. They’re close to the packhouse, getting to her would be no easy feat, and yet I’m terrified to turn away, paranoid that the second I do someone, or something will swoop in and take her from me again.“Holy shit, is that Goddess Morrtemis?” I vaguely hear someone say next to me.“Huh?” I ask, glancing to my left to see Tyson.“I have been standing here trying to get your attention for like two minutes, where were you?” He asks, frowning.“Sorry, I was distracted,” I say as
Stepping in I see Amelia behind her desk and Vitali sitting on the couch. I also notice her desk has changed.“Why the new desk?” I ask, closing the door behind myself and Tyson as he takes a seat in front of her desk.“I broke the previous one,” she says matter-of-factly.“Why did you do that?” I ask with a raised eyebrow.“Because she was pissed off at Setia and took it out on the desk,” Tyson answers for her.“Why didn’t I know about this?” I ask in confusion.“You weren’t exactly in the right headspace at the time,” Vitali says with a half-hearted smile. Oh. Well, that makes sense. I didn’t really care about anything when Mei was gone. Russia could have been dropping bombs on the US and it still wouldn’t have been enough to pull me out of my depression.“Where’s Marcus?” Tyson asks.“On the phone with Alpha Jasper. Marcus and I have been talking and as an allied pack and one that is practically a sister pack given Marcus’ previous position and ancestry, we have decided to invite t
Today is the day we return to Longsang, and I am a bundle of nerves. Maybe I should have gotten some advice from Jianyu. He had to become an Alpha before he was ready, and now I’m expected to be an Empress at nineteen. Safe to say I’m feeling the pressure. I’ve spent the last few days getting input from Amelia, Marcus, even Amelia’s parents and grandparents- and Chris of course. After many conversations I think I now have a plan of action, I just hope it goes well.I wanted to look presentable when I return to Longsang, to show my people that I’m taking this seriously, so Kennedy, Lacey and Fleur were kind enough to help me get ready. Lacey put my hair in a half updo with the top half pinned into a beautiful bun with a gold floral hairclip at the side. Kennedy went searching for a dress that spoke more to my cultural origins, so she found a stunning full-length qipao. It’s mostly black with a golden-yellow skirt underneath that shows through the slits at the side. It has three-quarter
Amelia was right. Aulen couldn’t open a portal that opened inside the barrier around Longsang. She got us to the barrier and then I had to grant her entry. Chris already had it from last time though. Once inside the barrier she then opened another portal that took us directly to the palace to save us the walk. Life seems very easy for a makkari. Want to go somewhere? Wave your hand and you’re there in an instant. Imagine having the power to see the whole world whenever you wanted. What a gift that would be.As we stepped out from the portal I could see many people around us. Each stopped what they were doing and politely nodded their head in our direction, and Chris and I did the same in return.“A girl could get used to this,” Aulen mutters as she looks around with a look of wonder on her face. “So this is Longsang. Seems criminal to keep such a beautiful place locked away,” she sighs. I do agree with her, despite the horrors that have occurred here I can’t help but remember the same
Thank you to everyone who has read this book and for all the positive feedback you readers have shown me. It has been beyond heartwarming. I have enjoyed all of your comments with each passing day. Seeing you all connect with the story and characters truly touched me. I truly hope that if you are in the mood you will consider donating gems, and most importantly, leaving a review of this book on the book's main page. It would do me and my book a huge favour and will also allow me to hear your thoughts on the story. Speaking of story... Here is a breakdown of the series so far, what currently exists and what is to come! Currently Available: Book 1 - A Queen Among Alphas (completed and also available on paperback) Bite-Size Luna - A prequel spin-off to A Queen Among Alphas (completed and coming soon to paperback) Book 2 - A Queen Among Snakes (completed and coming soon to paperback) Book 3 - A Queen Among Blood (completed and coming soon to paperback) Book 4 - A Queen Among Darkn
“Mei?” I hear Eric ask. I zone back into the conversation; I really need to learn how to stop doing that. “Sorry, Eric,” I say sheepishly. “It’s okay,” he assures me with a kind smile, “Now that I have your attention again, there’s something I wanted to ask you in today’s session.” “What’s that?” I ask curiously. “In the past couple months you’ve interacted with Irshiusts on numerous occasions, but you haven’t once thought to ask them what became of the Alpha and Luna of Albus Mons.” “That’s not a question,” I point out. “You’re right,” he smiles, “I’m just wondering why.” “Because I don’t want to. It’s not something I ever think about. They were brought to justice and can’t hurt me or anyone else again, I don’t need to know more than that.” “Does that mean you’ve forgiven them?” I feel taken aback by his question. Forgiven them? How can anyone who has done such monstrous things be forgiven? “Why would I do that?” I ask warily. “Forgiveness isn’t about the other person; it’s
I take a deep breath as I eye my target. Everything is resting on what happens next. One wrong move and it’s all over for me but I’m not about to let that happen. I’ve come too far to lose now. I watch as the puck glides quickly in my direction and with a quick flick of my wrist, I hit the mallet at the puck sending it across the table where it shoots right into the gap at the end of the table. I throw my arms up in victory and dance around. “Oh, come on!” Vitali exclaims, “There’s no way you’ve never played air hockey before. You’re a devious snake and I think you’re hustling me,” he accuses, pointing a finger at me. “What does hustling mean?” I ask, stopping my dance to look at him curiously. “It means he’s a sore loser,” Amelia teases from the couch where she and Marcus are cuddling. “I am not a sore loser, I just find it hard to believe that someone who claims to have never played air hockey has beaten every single one of us,” he says, narrowing his eyes at me. “I swear I’ve n
There hasn’t been a dull moment since the coronation. Aulen returned and put up a permanent portal between Longsang and Invictus. Mei requested it be placed in a specific room in the palace so that it would be easy to find and prevent anyone from stumbling upon it by accident. My sweet, little Empress is a genius. Amelia followed her lead and requested the other side of the portal open inside the Temple of Morrtemis, again so no one would accidentally find it. Within days of the coronation, several members of the den packed up their belongings and came to live at Invictus. Their new homes aren’t ready yet so in the meantime, they’re staying in the guest house. Mei and I have been helping them to integrate into the pack. Some pack members – the troublemakers and the old-fashioned people – weren’t as welcoming to our new members, but they’re smart enough to keep their mouths shut. The rest of the pack, however, welcomed the nagata with open arms and have been helping them assimilate, es
After the ceremony, everyone gathered outside and what I saw was like I was seeing colours for the first time. More red lanterns hung from strings reaching from tree to tree and as the sun set they cast a soft red glow over everyone. There were performances, music, and plenty of food to go around. Everyone was together celebrating what just happened and if that wasn’t enough to make me happy, getting to see more of my Chinese heritage in action, was. For fourteen years I never even dared to dream I’d experience a day like this one, and yet now it kind of feels like a dream. A beautiful dream that I never want to wake up from. Logic tells me fate brought me here, it wasn’t an easy journey, and it wasn’t one I wish on anyone else, but boy does getting here feel worth it.I’m sure that sounds crazy. Who could ever feel the horrors I’ve lived through are worth it? But the truth is, those horrors allow me to appreciate all of this so much more. Joy, pleasure, love; I treasure and feel thes
Watching Mei take her oath standing before me looking like a Goddess has me captivated. I hoped and prayed every day and night since we met that she would find her strength and become who she was meant to be. I never knew this was what the future had in store for her, but watching it happen before my eyes, it feels right and as I feel the pride radiating off her, I’m filled with pride for her.I force myself to focus back on Qiang as he begins to address the crowd one more time.“Today is a day of many firsts, for today we not only welcome our new Empress who is the first of her kind, but we welcome our new Emperor, the first mutolupus to govern over our people. To those who may disagree with this, I remind you of our most sacred beliefs. The bond between soulmates is the purest gift of love and strength ever given to us by the Goddess Zarseti. It is through our soulmate we find peace, wholeness, and a pillar for life. The Gods have chosen this man to be not only the pillar for our Em
I can’t believe this is really happening. I’ve spent all day in Nuo’s bedroom as she helped me get ready for the ceremony. I’m used to the women back at Invictus helping me get ready for something, but those times took maybe an hour at the most. This, however, has been a day-long process, one I’m very grateful to have had Nuo’s help with. Looking at the final result, I no longer recognise myself.My creamy skin is glowing and luminescent from the makeup she did, shaping and accentuating the shape of my eyes while giving them a small cat eye and a dusting of gold on the lids to match the gold lipstick on my lips. My hair has been pulled up and styled into I guess what looks like several buns elegantly tied together and golden clips pinned throughout. I don’t have pierced ears so finding earrings was tricky, but she managed to find a beautiful pair of gold chandelier clip-on earrings, but all of that is nothing compared to the stunning gold embroidered hanfu I’m wearing. The inner layer
It’s one week till the coronation and things have been hectic as hell, although Mei seems to be thriving. She’s embracing her new role with gusto and watching it is inspirational. She’s been working closely with Nuo, who is overseeing the entire ceremony. She’s organised the decorations and what we’ll be wearing and teaching Mei and myself the words and customs of the ceremony. It’s a lot more than what I experienced for my Delta ascension and to be honest, I’m getting excited and to top it off it’s a crash course in Mandarin. I’m also anxious as hell, but I think it would be weird if I wasn’t. In between learning the words for the ceremony and the ceremony itself I’ve been juggling the fittings for what I’ll be wearing and doing a lot of finance work not just for Invictus but Longsang as well. The people of Longsang know how to be self-sustaining but so much there has been left in squaller because of their selfish prick of an Emperor. Oh sure, he had no issues with buying jets and ex
We had lunch with Qiang and Nuo and then they took us around showing us more of Longsang. Seeing this place as a guest instead of a prisoner helps me to appreciate it more. Longsang is a truly breathtaking place, even Chris was in awe as we walked around. It did give Chris and me a chance to see what changes need to be made. The school here looks like no one has cared about it in years, which makes me sad. It hurts to think there are children here growing up without an education just like I did. The medical centre has definitely seen better days. Everyone’s homes are in good condition because they take care of them themselves, but anything that involves community or public wellbeing has been horribly neglected. When I think I’ve learned all there is to know about Zixin’s cruelty I learn something new that devastates me. Nuo, however, told me that my mother loved the school and actually was one of the teachers. Hearing this has made me even more determined to fix this place up and turn