ZEKE: My world spins off course. Hours after the show and she's still missing. I let her slip away from my hold and the mare thought of that is ruining me. I can't think straight. My wolves have searched everywhere for her. They've raided the territories of all of Moon Grove's enemies, including hunters, but I still can't find her. The more time passes, the more danger she will be in. Her sudden disappearance had me using our pregnancy as an excuse on live TV. The entire world knows I'm expecting a baby a little too early. This isn't how I meant everything to go down. I clutch the side of my head and pull at my roots. I'm in my study and the next thing I know; I swipe off the contents on my desk, shoving them to the floor. My palms support me on the desk as I breathe hard. I sense her presence before she speaks. "Zeke, I think we are looking in the wrong direction," Drusila says. She doesn't have to tell me. I realized it the second my wolf, Aiden, came with the news after reques
MARE: A hand removes the covering over my head when the car stops. Dawn is still with me, and I'm somewhere in the middle of the woods. There's a mossy stone walled cottage outside the window. I see it's country styled. Dawn says, "This is your new home. Wendy and Bessie will train with you every morning for a few days." I have had so many new homes in the space of days and I'm tired already. "How long do I have to stay here?" "It all depends on you, Marelyn. How long will it take you to get stronger?" Of course I can't answer a question like that. It's not within my reach to know what the coming days will hold. What powers do I have, exactly? These are question that will be answered inside here and I can't wait. I get down from the sedan and Dawn follows me, but Holly remains inside the car with the Chauffeur. Dawn leads the way into the small building. There's a front porch and a nice foyer after the door with two rocking chairs placed side-by-side each other. The enormous
I keep thinking about everything Wendy revealed to me. It's on my mind every second of the day. The chef arrived a while later and my diet plan comprises bread and lots of pastries. I scowl at the sight. By late afternoon, Bessie shows up just as the chef takes his leave. I'm bored. Wendy left me with that heavy piece of information and disappeared for the entire day, but they are back now. I'm in the living room when they walk in. Bessie's wearing a dark leather jacket over a tiny green dress and a black pantyhose. She rocks her outfit with a black nosebleed boot and shoves her red hair to one side of her face. She looks as mean as a rock. "Does she understand what she must do?" Bessie asks Wendy, who's standing behind her while looking at me throughout. "She has. I made sure of it." Wendy steps forward in those denim shorts and urban black tee. Today, she sports cat-framed glasses, and the freckles sprinkled over her cheeks glisten. I know what I'm headed into. Stage one didn
The next two times I try, I'm still a failure. I just can't get it right and they are not being helpful, too. Bessie's looking for perfection, but it's like the universe gave them a mockup version of a bloodline. It's day three with this sick, orange-juice-and-cleansing-gel method. I want this over soon or I'll lose my mind. I hear someone calling from the foyer. At this stage, the house door's always left open. It seems safe since there's only six people who know about it. I discern the male voice and quickly skip down the stairs. I'm bored as hell, so when I see Jai-Blynn, a rush of relief floods through me and I ram into him, throwing my arms around his waist. He chuckles and his chin rested at the top of my head vibrates. My wolf can't deny she missed him. She's purring all over the place and has totally forgotten his betrayal. She really needs company. "You seem happy." He pulls away, smiling down at me. I smile back because I've missed this playful and carefree side of him
I make excuses on his behalf in my head. I tell myself he didn't mean that, but I'm not stupid. He does mean what he said. For someone whom the Alpha saved, he seems to hate Zeke a lot. It goes far beyond protecting wolves and humanity. The beta acts like he has a personal vendetta against Zeke, someone he owes his life to. I can't understand it. Dawn and Coral pick me up from the cottage hours later. I leave Jai-Blynn behind to answer to Isolde's summon. She's here today. The eldest Diamond wants an audience with me. She wants to gauge how far I've gone with the plan we all had. 'Train me and I'll think about destroying the legacy Alpha.' I'm headed for the Diamond circle with Dawn and Coral now. It's the fourth day of training and the cravings have spiked. I do not doubt I'm pregnant one bit. I clutch my stomach again, thinking about how Zeke has not even shown up for his heir till now. The video of him kissing that beautiful actress comes to mind, and I hit the side of my head wit
************************* ZEKE: I've left this place untouched for two years and I don't know why I'm back here, even when I know it's too much to handle. My hands are in my pockets as I walk further into Scarlett's room after flipping the light switch on. This used to be 'our' space, but now it's just hers, and everything is just as I remember it...painful. I don't know why I'm here, and why it has taken me so long to do this. I still smell her. She's so alive within these walls, and I see why I ran. A ray of hope sparks in my chest. I'm thinking about a line of possibilities that will only end up hurting me. It's cruel, even for me. I walk over to the wide, fully stacked closet first. All of her clothes are still in here, like she never left. I lift my hand in the air, faltering as it inches closer to the brown coat facing me. My heart cracks. I used to love this coat. I still do. Hours go by. I'm slumped against the wall of the b
MARE:Earlier...It's my father's voice I hear. Isolde says what she says and his voice erupts in the back of my mind. He didn't realize what he had done that day when he told me what memories really are."Strength is measured not only by your power alone, but by the strength of your mind," Ivan had said.I remember staring at my father for a long minute. It only makes sense now, but I already know I shouldn't treat this lightly.Isolde asked me to give her access to my memories and it felt so intrusive. I do not know how to take it because I do not know if I have a choice yet. These witches have decided everything for me until this point. They wouldn't need my opinion now."Why?" I leave my thoughts and ask, watching each of them like a hawk."To defeat the Legacy Alpha, we need to start from where it all began; the Celtic Isle." Isolde holds my stare and the grave look in them has my heart racing."I don't know what you are talking about." Actually, I do. Not only have I read the boo
I'm begging for this to be a lie. He can't do this to me. I slam my fist to my chest, feeling choked as the tears roll down my cheeks. I raise my head to the ceiling. It's crazy how I've formed a bond with a child I've not even met. A child I should not even want. Jai-Blynn grabs my knee first and stands. Then he grips the scruff of my neck and pulls my face to his. He says in a low voice, "Do you understand?" I don't. There's nothing I can grasp at this moment except his betrayal, which cuts me like a blunt knife. I'm staring at him like I have nothing better to do because I want to see for myself. I won't believe it just yet. Maybe there's someone forcing him to do this to me. "Mare, I won't ask you again." He breathes, and I shiver from the coldness in his voice. I'm wondering what has changed. How did everything go from this to that? This isn't the Jai-Blynn I know. This isn't the man who kissed me in the Alpha's study and promised to protect me. "I won't let my child die,
I'm standing at the window edge of a hallway in the fortress. Everyone that passes greets their Alpha with a bow. Today is the exertion of the verdict I passed over all those involved in my mother's death. I took her skull down from where it was hung and finally gave her a befitting burial. Chantria Van Acker, after being tried for my mother's death and King Nikolai's death, was sentenced to death. Her execution is today, and Zane doesn't try to stop it. I knew he went to see her one last time at the dungeons last night, but she's his mother. Will that ever be enough? Hours later, Aiden hands me a platter. I open it and find Chantrias head. The last thing I can do for my mother is to replace her skull with that of the person who put her there. I tell him where to leave the human head until it decomposes, and only a skull is left. My brother stops by to see me in my chambers that evening. He doesn't seem angry that I had given the order for her death. She had killed Father, too. It
ZEKE Again, fire and water will stand against each other. I don't know what the outcome of this fight will be. In my head, I know what I want, but I can't tell exactly what my brother is thinking. It was his idea to do this. I'm not so sure why I even agreed. Revenge doesn't matter anymore. Once I looked into my daughter's eyes, all the pain I felt melted away. I healed. Mare couldn't let go of me all through the night. She was stuck to me like glue because she feared this moment. She feared losing me. My life is finally coming together. I fear losing it, too. The arena roars wild. The entire wolf lands are watching King Nikolai's sons make history. I'm already a record breaker, and he's their king. This fight will have them all at the edge of their seats. The gong goes off and shirtless as we are, dressed in nothing but shorts we fight to the death. I cast an illusion of a cloud over his head, and constant rain falls on only him in the arena. Zane is furious that I'm drenching
KYRA I'm storming into his chambers in Moon Wood's fortress. I just learnt the news of a battle between legacies. There are only two legacies I know apart from evil Jai-Blynn. All of Carodia believes the king has gone mad for wanting to fight his brother, who took down an entire pack and turned them to dust. Zeke Van Acker has gained a name for himself in the city, but that is still far from my point. How could he do this to me? We talked the second our boat arrived at the harbour. Actually, we did less talking and more physical activities for the first few hours after meeting again. I was so sure Marelyn and I made the right choice after spending time with him again. My wolf couldn't stop pining for him, but it seems I'm the only one who felt that way. How could he do this us? Zane says after I barge in, "I know you are angry. Kyra, calm down—I can't believe they just let you walk through easily." "It's not news to anyone, including your other mates, that we are together, Zane.
"That child and I can't exist at the same time on this earth, Mare." "Why, Jai?" I frown, calculating the distance with my eyes. I make a jump for it and shield Kinna from his attack with my body. Summoning my powers, I struggle to get a hold of his mind, but the calibre of power coming out of him is not to be underestimated. Now I realise he wasn't kidding back then in that warehouse. "Your little bloodline powers won't work on me. But Mare, you are no longer my concern. Give me your champion, and you can walk away from this alive." I'm shocked that he's willing to bargain. There's something he knows that none of us do. Something that makes this moment more important to him than ever. I scream hard. "Never!" The force of my voice hits him, but he only staggers back by a step, and I had really mustered up strength with that move. How powerful is he really? "Angering me will only make the terms worse, Marelyn!" "You can kill me, but not my child, Jai. I will never let you touc
ZEKE A Day Earlier... I'm standing in front of the mirror, feeling for my now thick beards. It's a new look I've been sporting. Just yesterday, the action series I starred in aired, and the viewing ratings were through the roof. It's a hit. I've always had blockbusters where I starred as the villain, but never have I been portrayed from a protagonist's point of view in one of them. It's unreal. What's also unreal is what tomorrow is. I know Marelyn is due tomorrow. My chest tightens like every other time I've stared at the date or thought about it. I've been distant. I never showed up for our daughter, but it all got to a point where I considered myself unworthy of being in their lives. She may be happy in Carodia with her date from before. Maybe it fleshed into something more. I can't tell, but it's been bugging me at the back of my mind for months. Scarlett helped me understand what those random slip-ups meant over time. Everything is clear to me now. I stare at my reflection
I don't realise that the doorknob has come off. I stare at the piece in my hand. It broke off, but my mind is fixed on their conversation. She's dating now. It's been just two weeks, and she promised that wasn't goodbye. My jaw clenches impossibly in anger. Finding a new path. Bullshit! I block out their voices and lock myself in my study. I throw my head back over the headrest of the desk chair, blowing out my cheeks. So far, the day has been terrible. I'm nervous. I want to storm into Carodia the next second and restructure the idiot fling's face. She's mine. She's fucking mine! The broken doorknob sits on my desk because I don't know what to do with it yet. Suddenly, my mind is made up. I stand on my feet and head to my bedroom. I open my suitcase on my bed, swiping clothes off the rack in the walk-in closet and dropping them inside it. It's easy not to overthink it. But soon, there's a knock on the open door, calling my attention. Scarlett is holding the broken doorknob, eyein
I've been showing up for appointments with the pack doctor at Blue Silver for the past two weeks since I arrived. He's not who I used to know, and his name is Xavier Scythe. When Ava refused to take me in because of our last encounter, Xavier showed Kyra and I a roof over our head. He is also the next catch as Kyra put it. She wants me to take on his advances and use him to forget all about Zeke. I try. I actually put in effort. He knocks at my door and I open it with a bright smile on my face. "Xavier, how are you?" His hands are locked behind him as he says, "I'm good. How are you?" Xavier runs a nervous hand over his sleeked back long black hair. It's tied up because of how impressively long his hair is. Xavier is a real catch. He's tall and looks hard all over, like a man should, but I don't get that spark from looking at him or anyone else that's not Zeke. Maybe Kyra is right. My world does revolve around only him. "The Blue Silver carnival is coming up. Would you like a p
MARE I see how worried he is. I'm not saying he shouldn't be, but it's another cold truth. She's his forever. I'm the intruder, and I have no place here. We are at the hospital. Scarlett lost her wolf. She's like a human, so I guess that's why we are all concerned because she can't heal. Kyra says, "How can she do this? Overdosing because she wants attention. Jeez." "We don't know that." Drusila chips in from across the waiting room. We are the only ones here at the moment, but it's a hospital people can arrive at any time. Unfortunately, Kyra seems pissed about spending her night here. Zeke is with the doctor. "I'm going to grab a snack." I stand on my feet without glancing at any of them. They still remember how I just cried my eyes out because Zeke made his choice. Now I'm sitting here watching him care for someone else like I wish was only just for me. It's still pure torture. Kyra joins me at the vending machine. I get a chocolate bar while she gets a bag of cheetos. At
************************** My eyes crack open. Daylight shines into my room, but I'm still stuck in last night's pack gathering. Zeke wanted a son who would challenge Zane's throne. A female Alpha will never be accepted to lead Carodia. I'm sad for other reasons than Scarlett. My happy ending keeps drifting far and far away. I wonder if he's angry with me. If this will change everything. Maybe he will finally realise that he won't gain anything from me because I can't even give him a proper heir. I will love our daughter with everything in me because she's a product of our great love. I take a shower, anxious about joining the rest downstairs. Will they see me as a failure? I couldn't protect the first heir, and now I've given them a child they can't accept. A while later, I cross Kyra and Aiden in the hallway, just above the stairs. She spares a broad smile, looking over her shoulder at me. "Hey, Mare! I can't wait to meet our princess."