I wait until an hour before the Prince’s deadline to finally call him to set our meeting. At this point it’s been eight hours since I woke up, and I figure that if Ella hasn’t found a way out by now, she’s not going to. I use the same protocol from our first rendezvous, promising to send the locatio
Ella I gaze around at the icy mountains, squinting up at the sky. The sun is high overhead, only halfway through its daily journey from East to West. That means it’s about noon… three hours from when I found the passage, according to the bedroom clock. The Prince’s deadline isn’t until dusk, which
No! I argue immediately clutching my belly. Not unless we have no other choice. Those herbs are a last resort. I don’t like it any more than you do. She remarks sorrowfully, but this is life and death. If you don’t make it, Rafe doesn’t either. I know that! I insist ferociously. But I can’t… there
Ella My grief keeps me awake far longer than I’m sure I could have managed otherwise. I’m alone, so I don’t bother trying to quiet my keening, wailing my despair into the night air. I’m not sure how long it will take for the shift to take hold, but I pray that the violent transformation will genera
Sinclair cuts him off, “I’ll explain later, we need to get out of the woods.” He stands, cradling me in his arms, and I sob into his neck. “Th-the p-pup.” I moan. “I-I’ve k-killed him.” “Shh, little one.” Sinclair, purrs, but I can hear the grief in his own voice. “Let’s just get you someplace saf
Sinclair I don’t remember much about my own experience shifting for the first time. I remember the blinding pain, the torment of having every bone in my body broken, every muscle torn to perform the strange alchemy of reshaping my into a wolf. I remember it feeling as though it lasted forever, the
Suddenly Ella’s back bows violently as a horrible crack fills the air, and I know we’re out of time. She howls with pain as she enters the second stage of her shift, and my wolf whines helplessly, rabid with the need to ease her torment. I pull her from the bath and return her to the nest, letting h
Ella Everything is different the moment I open my eyes. I don’t really want to wake up, to face a world without my baby in it, but my grief is momentarily dimmed by my wolf’s elation to finally be free. The temptation to bury my sorrows deep down and let myself be distracted is incredibly allurin