After trudging across rivers, forests, and open grasslands, hiking miles along a winding and rocky terrain that went higher and higher with each step, the entrance to Lyklos Keep was a glorious sight to behold emerging from the side of the mountain. Ronin could hear a myriad of voices echoing along the path just beyond the stone archway, chanting a sacred hymn to the Goddess that he hadn’t heard since his youth. A fleeting memory teased his mind: sitting on his mother’s knee as she braided his hair, singing a sweet ode that often sent him off to sleep. He wished he could hear her sing again. “Going in?” Thaddeus touched his arm lightly, jolting him from his reverie. “You go,” Sybl urged. “Phoebe and I will keep watch out here until you return.” She moved to the side, sitting on the large boulder near the entrance. Ronin nodded, going in first with his council trailing behind him. Torches lined the walls along the path, shining brighter the deeper they got into the cave. He kept hi
Liora was spending another afternoon down by the fish pond near the greenhouse when her ears picked up the loud rumble of an engine in the distance. She kicked her feet excitedly, dollops of water soaking Callie’s blue shorts.“Liora,” She groaned. “These were my favorite pair.”“He’s back!" Liora sang, giddy as she abandoned her flip-flops, opting to go barefoot as she ran toward the house. It had been three miserable days without her mate, and she was excited to be in his arms again and breathe in his intoxicating scent. Skipping the front steps two by two, Liora veered off to where the plane had landed. Her black frilled mini dress clung to her thighs as she ran, her dark hair floating on the wind. She stuttered to a halt just a few yards away from the plane. Heart leaping in her chest, she greedily took in his appearance. His hair was tousled, hanging over his crimson gaze. A white fitted sweatshirt hugged his torso, tucked into his green cargo pants. A 5 o'clock shadow dusted h
The full moon was especially bright on the night of Liora’s coronation. Shuddering with anticipation, she smoothed her hands down the front of her delicate gown. The white satin was covered in gold embroidered vines and flowers, starting out dense at the lower half of the skirt, and spreading out towards her midriff. The sleeves were fitted lace, flaring out over her knuckles. A heavy gold robe with white fur lining sat on her shoulders, the train pooling behind her.It took weeks, but Maia and her team had managed to pull off one of the most prestigious events the Helm had seen in years. Every high-status wolf from all the neighboring packs would be in attendance. Shifting her eyes from the door to the throne room, she watched as the courtyard slowly filled with civilian wolves.Knowing that they were waiting for her made her heart swell. She prayed to the Goddess that she remembered the proper protocol and didn’t make a fool of herself.The doors to the throne room opened and she st
Ronin knew that his eyes had gone pitch black when Geneda shrank back from him, shivering in fright. He was almost convinced over the last few weeks that his wolf was getting better. The urges had lessened, and the voices had quietened. The deep growl in his head proved just how wrong he was. ‘She dares to invite another male to our bed?’ His wolf was seething. “A-alpha?” Geneda stammered, shrieking when Ronin bared his fangs. Ignoring her, he got to his feet and stalked after his mate. That mate of his was out of her mind if she thought for one moment that he would allow her to fuck another wolf. Over his dead hide. He was naive to trust that she had conceded to their predicament when she didn't push back to him sleeping in the study for as long as he did. Even though he knew through the mind link that she struggled with her heightened sexual desires, he still refused to go to her. Each time they mated put her at risk and he had been determined to protect her. Now she was talkin
Liora fidgeted with the hem of her t-shirt as Dr. Reynolds passed a large hecatolite over her body. The peculiarly shaped stone reminded her of a metal detector, only in this case, he was scrying for any darkness or corruption in her wolf.This was her fourth time on his examination table, but she could never get used to being under such scrutiny. It felt invasive, and her wolf agreed, squirming within her as he moved the glowing stone from head to toe.“Keep still.” The whisper of Ronin’s voice came from her left, filled with anticipation.“Why do we do this every week again? If there was anything–the doctor would’ve found it by now.” She huffed, folding her lips when Dr. Reynolds gave her a stern look. Right. No talking.He made one last pass with the stone before nodding in approval, “Luna’s wolf is clean.” He moved away to the side, scribbling on his clipboard.“Thank you, Doc.” Liora sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the table. “Can we go now? The packs will be here any
“Are you ready, Liora?” Ronin whispered to her as the crowd fell silent, looking at them expectantly.This would be her first time officially addressing her people since the coronation. Considering she used to be an omega with no practice in public speaking, Liora should’ve felt the opposite of ready. To her surprise, all she could feel was a rising urge to display dominance. Linking her fingers with his, she gave him a bold smile.Casting his eyes forward again, Ronin raised his voice for all to hear. “Welcome to our 45th Gauntlet Games!–”Loud cheers erupted, hooting and roars. At the side of the dais, the four visiting Alphas stood in a row, preening at their supporters. Well–all except Alpha Odys. His expression remained blank.“–As is tradition, we’ll kick off the games with the hunt for the Ceryneian Hind.” The Ceryneian was a monstrous fire-snorting doe with a spotted hide and
The rest of the day was filled with several challenges and activities that required teamwork and synergy between the participants. They weren’t exactly doing trust falls, but the daunting games fostered more morale among the people than Liora had seen in a long time. With Alpha Derith’s wedding to be the highlight of the night’s activities, everyone was in high spirits.It took her a while, but she was finally able to slip away from the crowd at sunset, without being drawn into another huddle of small talk and inquisitions from high-status wolves. Dusting off the thighs of her jeans, she scaled the steps of the training center.He was a slippery one, but after a few tries Liora latched on to Nikolai’s strand and found him. Pushing the door open, she was greeted by the rhythmic sound of flesh hitting a hard surface. Moving in rapid succession, his hands whacked the thick bars that extended from the base of the wooden dummy.She stared at his exposed back, gaping at the thin scars that
Nikolai had brought her to the private bathrooms in his office on the second floor of the training center. He left her to shower while he billowed into her closet to get a T-shirt and another pair of jeans. Thank god she had opted to turn the light off inside it or she would’ve had some serious explaining to do.Liora spent an hour beneath the hot water, rubbing her skin until it was pink and all evidence of blood and cum was gone. Only her soul bore the stains of what she was starting to become.There was no washing that off, so she quickly grabbed the clothes left for her on the bathroom counter, blushing at the pink lace underwear neatly folded on top. Putting her clothes on in record time, she raked her hand through her damp hair, avoiding the mirror completely. “You’re still here?” She startled. Nikolai leaned casually on the front of the desk, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his dress pants. His tux fitted to his body like a glove and his hair was gelled down into a tight,
Why are you being so stubborn?”“Leave me ALONE!”‘MATE MATE MATE!’‘Shut up, Kaon! You’re the reason we’re in this mess in the first place!’ Ronin ignored Caius and stumbled to the bedroom as he berated his wolf. ‘Have you forgotten the many secrets you kept that led to our mate’s demise?’‘MATE!’Ronin collapsed near the edge, resting his face against the mattress as another wave of need coiled tighter in his belly. His fangs throbbed in tune with his painfully hard cock, leaving him no choice but to let his mouth hang upon to prevent overstimulation.He only experienced a rut once, as an adolescent, a marker that he was coming of age, no longer a cub. It was nowhere near as intense as the sensations that overwhelmed him now.Caius swore under his breath, “This just might kill you.”“Then let it! Why did she have to go with Nik? I get that they had this freaky bond when the curse corrupted her, and they’re Shadow Kin– but we have a child together, damnit!”“Nothing happened between
He found her sitting in the nursery, rocking Yiannis against her chest. She smiled down at the cub, using her index finger to lightly boop the tip of his button nose. “I suppose you already know why I called you.”“Yes.” Ronin stayed close to the door, breathing only tiny pulls of air.She got up slowly, coming over to place Yiannis in his arms. “I’m in heat.”“I know.”“I’m spending the night with Nik.”“Okay.”“I’d feel better if you were watching Yiannis.”“Of course.”She pulled back, searching his face. “And you won’t go off the rails?”Ronin’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Would you prefer it if I did, my Luna?”“No, that’s not what I’m saying.” She took a full step back, red blooming on her cheeks. Her soft champagne dress shifted softly around her curves, barely containing her heavy, milk-filled breasts. He didn’t know how much longer he could take being drowned in the thick scent of her sex.Turning his focus to Yiannis, he stepped to the side. “You should go to him now bef
Days later, Ronin stood at the entrance of the mess hall stroking his stubble thoughtfully as he watched Liora surrounded by admirers. To say the morale had increased would be an understatement. News of the miracle spread far and wide and lupine folk converged on Black Crescent pack to meet the Luna who had such favor with the Goddess.From betas to omegas, they sat in a circle at her feet, hanging on to her every word, giggling and laughing, completely oblivious to the very real threat at large. Maia was vigilant, watching them like a hawk as she rocked Yiannis in her arms. Any sudden movements and she would be ready to defend her queen.Ronin understood the urge. Losing her had left the council raw and out of balance. It made sense that they were on edge.“Why don’t you go talk to her?”“The last time I checked, Silvermane, your Queen doesn’t want a thing to do with me.”Xander nodded, humming, “That would have been true last week, but I sense a thaw. Did something happen?”“We had
The unusual silence had Liora jerking upright in the middle of the bed. From the moment he arrived, Yiannis Ashenthorn was a force to be reckoned with. She would never forget his warrior cry as his lungs filled with air. It had been a little more than two weeks, enough time for her to be in tune with his sleeping and feeding patterns. She would get up several times during the night to tend to him.Even unconscious, Liora knew the amount of sleep she was getting was suspicious, confirmed even more by the tiny silver of daybreak streaking between the heavy curtains. Glancing down at the necklace, the tension eased from her shoulders. Yiannis was finally starting to sleep for more hours. She could use this bit of time to soak in the luxurious tub Lucien had installed for her.They had practically commandeered Alastor's cabin and master rooms. Still, he refused to move out completely, opting to stay in a smaller room on the other side–far away from the ‘baby shenanigans’.Liora sighed dee
Ronin turned away from the open door, clenching his fist so tightly that his nails bit into the flesh of his palm. Every scream sliced through his tortured soul, stripping him bare. He should be in there with Liora, soothing her and telling her that everything was gonna be okay.How did they come to this? Were they so broken that he would not even be able to fully witness the birth of his cub?Liora pelted out another gut-wrenching scream and he growled in response.“Alpha?” Ronin whipped his head around. It was the pack doctor. Her gloves were covered in blood and her face was grim.Pushing Thaddeus to the side, he got up close, baring his teeth. “What is your name?”"Beta Penelope.” She inclined her head slightly.“What is wrong with Liora? Why hasn’t she delivered the pup yet?”She swallowed thickly, “I’m sorry, Alpha but there’s been some complications.”“What kind of complications?” He ground out.“There’s no easy way to say this, but the cub hasn’t crowned yet. If Liora cannot d
This time when snow cascaded all around him, it didn’t burn.If it did, Ronin couldn't tell. Every nerve tingled, rippling as the hair stood on end. The pyre was obliterated, leaving only a large round scorch mark on the ground. His chest tightened and his lungs refused to let in air, terrified that if he took another breath, she would disappear.Liora stood in the center, a bright halo of eight moons glowing over her head. Her eyes were closed, a small smile teasing the corner of her mouth as if someone was whispering delightful things into her ear. The pendant that settled between her breasts blinked brilliantly in time with his cub’s heartbeat.Finally, her lids fluttered up, revealing deep red.The attending mass erupted in gasps and various cries of wonder and joy, falling to their knees with their faces to the ground. They chanted her name and sang praises to Selene, collectively vibrating bliss across the mind link.Kaon clawed at him, wanting out. The tattered bond lurched tow
Warm velvet unfurled from around her, pushing her up to the surface of the starry waters.The moons glowed brighter than she’d ever seen, and she wondered if this was peace.Still, it didn’t feel like it, so she wandered deeper into the infinite space, searching for something she couldn't name. Clouds gathered, swirling around her and blocking her vision. When it became clear again, she stood atop a mountain shrouded in fog.The air was cool and refreshing against her face, calming her with every deep breath. An unseen force tugged her gaze to the right, to the largest hecatolite she’d ever seen. Sitting in the middle of that perfect round slab was a youthful woman with curly hair cascading down her shoulders, slightly brushing her folded legs. Her lids popped open, revealing eyes that seemed older than she appeared.“Sweet child of mine. I’ve been waiting for you, Liora.”“For me?” Liora’s brows knitted. Why would this woman be waiting for her? “Do I know you from somewhere?”Moving
Outraged voices erupted around the mahogany table, going back and forth as they fought to push their own strategy forward. Ronin wasn’t familiar with half of them, but through the bond, he could sense they were all Ranked.He observed them listlessly as they snarled at one another, the sting of their recent defeat still vivid in their thoughts. Werewolves held a deep sense of pride and their egos pushed them to rash suggestions of retaliation.“Sit down, and shut up,” Caius growled, glaring at Juanzo.“That’s easy for you to say!” Juanzo shot back, “You didn’t lose anyone during the ambush. You’re cold and dead on the inside Caius. You have no idea what it’s like for us Alphas to bear the sorrow of our people. We. Want. Blood!”Dorian clamped a hand on Caius’ shoulder to prevent him from diving over the table. “I’m going to let that slide because this is a tense time for us,” Caius said quietly.Ronin could barely hear them. His eyes bored into Derith. Finally understanding what his R
They guided him through Alastor’s house towards a vast hall. A gazebo was erected in the center, the sides draped with sheer curtains. He could make out tiny details of her silhouette that filtered through.Lupine folk knelt all around, prostrating and weeping, many ripping the skirts of their deep blue robes. The Oracle sat near the entrance, rocking herself back and forth as she mumbled in Greek.Ronin stumbled forward, catching himself against the post.“I’m fine.” He shrugged off Lucien’s helping hand. He didn’t want it.Flipping the curtain aside, he dragged himself in. She lay on a bed of furs and flowers, dressed in a shimmering blue gown, a white rose crown nestled on her head. Her long hair was fanned out over her shoulders, framing the necklace around her neck, which no longer had light.Her hands cradled her belly, almost like she was still protecting their cub.“Liora,” Ronin choked, reaching his trembling hand towards her cheek. It was so cold. His knees gave way and he c