Amy’s POVThe prince took the fur coat from my shoulders in a sensuous move which I suspected he had performed many times before.“Lie down and stretch out your arm,” he ordered.Unlike the Alpha, there was no aura, yet I hurried to obey. Fear had diminished, leaving a heady anticipation.Had he softened me up merely by placing his cold lips on mine?The man who entered looked ghastly. Saliva dripped from fangs he was unable to properly conceal when he saw me. I jammed my legs together, wondering wildly if I’d forgotten to shave them.That wasn’t the part he was interested in, but he obeyed the vampire prince and kept his bloodless white hands to himself as he attached an odd-looking contraption to my bare upper limb.A vampire with a bald head chose that moment to glide through the door.“Mina said you woke early again. Oh, is this the new lady?”“Allow me to introduce Arnold, my second-in-line. This is Amy, a healthy she-wolf. I doubt she will be joining our group.”“Can I watch you
Amy’s POV Did I mention his lips were cold? I scarcely noticed at first until a pint of rhesus negative left my rapidly cooling limbs. Come to think of it, the whole room was freezing. “Are there any candles?” I murmured, drowsily. “I thought you would want to sleep, my precious.” “I meant for warmth.” “Arnold.” Mina’s crush had several attempts before an elaborate candelabra appeared in his gloved hand. Any other vampire might have set his hair alight. I suppressed a giggle. Maybe this wasn’t the first such request. Still gawking at me was the farmer I’d dubbed Horace. I supposed he had to stick around to oversee proceedings. Then it struck me. I’d been likened to a cow. This new drowsiness was getting in the way of my indignation. I allowed my head to loll back on the pillow and closed my eyes. I really didn’t want to see the rust and peeling black paint. “What’s your castle like?” Arnold tittered. “She doesn’t know, does she?” Prince Leander ignored him. “I’m about to
Kane’s POVI had no idea what Ingrid’s sister was talking about but I played along.“What do you take me for? I’m not someone who would ever pry into another’s private affairs.”“Affairs? Good choice of word. Did Jake enlighten you? Lori said he stole it at one point.”I might have known Amy’s brother would be involved somewhere along the line.“Do you want it back?”“There is no point,” she said, her tone bleak.One less thing for my to-do list.“Don’t give up,” I urged. “Mina hasn’t.” Her mouth opened and closed but she said nothing. “Noah?”“I’ll take you to him, though I should warn you, he’s very sick.”She wasn’t lying. Those furs seemed familiar and yet my Delta’s teeth were chattering.“Amy?” I queried.My sister’s mate did his best to respond through a parched mouth. Ingrid offered him a little water from her flask, a drop at a time.“In case you’re wondering, that’s my coat,” Diana said.“Good of you to think of him. I mean it.”“Prince Leander likes the females in his group
Amy’s POVIt seemed I was his new flavour of the month, or so Mina informed me. I groaned and began to scratch my back. I didn’t fancy her input in that respect; her nails were close to talons. Well, maybe I am exaggerating a little.“Where are we?”I didn’t really expect an answer.“In transit.”It meant precisely nothing to me.“Is that why everything is grey?”“Uh-oh. I think you might be coming down with something. As far as I’m concerned this whole cloud is yellow.”Cloud, what cloud?“Well, I’m not a vampire,” I snapped.“Someone’s crotchety this evening.”Crotchety? She didn’t know the half of it.“Where’s Diana?”Mina’s face changed.“Lost,” was all she said.I felt lonely all by myself following her abrupt departure and attempted to contact Anastasia.Success!For here she was sitting beside me on whatever this fluffy cotton shape was as we floated to nowhere in particular.“Hey,” I said. “What’s happening, Stace?”The blind spirit took me literally.“Kane’s searching for you
Amy’s POVWe’d been gazumped, can you imagine that? Squatters were inhabiting Prince Leander’s new palace and they were being paid to stay there by the one who’d acquired it from under his nose.Mina told me they were members of a coven. Not even a bloodsucker would tangle with witches and warlocks if he could help it.“Ever thought of going to Mexico?” I asked when he came to me that night.“Too hot.”Now I had him.“Canada’s closer. The Scots who came over probably built lots of castles to remind them of their homeland.”I was improvising madly. Those poor crofters were more likely to have begged at the servants’ entrance after having been driven from their land.“Do you speak French?” he asked.“I like their way of kissing.”I went on to demonstrate, wondering if I’d gone too far when he pinned me to the rocky wall.“Show me more,” he urged.“Only if you promise not to bite off my tongue.”That cooled his ardour. He tapped at a vein instead.“Why are you less responsive today?”“Ho
Amy’s POVThe prince was furious, bitterly bemoaning the treachery of someone he hadn’t turned. It seemed he was even contemplating casting out anyone who had joined the ranks of the undead by another’s bite. However that had been achieved.Arnold to the rescue. He pointed out that would mean Leander had a group of half a dozen or so.My throat was squeezed a few times initially.“What would you have done in my position?” I croaked, eventually. “I have responsibilities, pups to raise.” Then I played my ace. “Didn’t you ever stop to think who alerted Mina?”“Hedging your bets, were you?”“Don’t be mean. I may have no loyalty to you, but I had even less to him. Putting my life in danger like that. I nearly slid off the third roof.”I was outraged by my network, as well.Agatha, if you’re listening … I quit.I meant it. I wasn’t working for her any more. That didn’t mean the cause still wasn’t close to my heart.She means well, dear.Ariadne, are you feeling better?I’ll live.Help me. H
Kane’s POV In the end I chickened out, sending in Ariadne to pose as Amy’s auntie. She would claim that her niece was touched in the head and prone to pilfering. An offer to compensate the store for any “inconvenience” should avoid awkward questions. If my mate was spitting feathers by the time she climbed into the limo I had waiting, I hoped a cocktail or two would calm her down. I wanted her lightheaded and walking on air before I presented her with my gift from Tiffany and Co. That was the plan anyway. As always, with Amy, nothing was straightforward. She fell asleep on my shoulder while Ariadne played third wheel. Connors was driving the car I’d splashed out on for the occasion. We attracted plenty of interest curb side, I can tell you. Had they mistaken me for a celebrity A-lister? Not when they saw the state of my mate. She was thinner than normal and not making a lot of sense as she weaved her way across the pavement in a kind of horrible dance. “Join me,” I said, once my
Amy’s POVSame old Kane. Or so I thought. Always boasting.This time he came good.The dress was out of this world.That reminded me.“We need to talk,” I said. “How did you manage to prise me away from the vampire prince?”“Keep your voice down,” he hissed.I hadn’t realised I was shouting.A quick shower had refreshed my body without having the same effect on my mind.“Let me guess, you didn’t.”“Ariadne’s waiting,” he growled, pointing to his timepiece.“Oh, so it was her,” I said, just to antagonise him.My personality hadn’t been totally wrecked by my experiences in what I thought of as a twilight world. The colours had been fuzzy, the accommodation left a lot to be desired and I was feeling bereft.Could you get withdrawal symptoms if no-one was depriving you regularly of your blood?“What do you remember exactly?”I thought for a minute.“Weird dreams, mostly. I was sitting on a cloud talking to Stacey. Or was it Mina? Maybe both of them.”“Someone told me you were on another p
Kane’s POV It soon became clear that Miss McGregor wasn’t a rogue she-wolf. She explained that she’d been heading back to her pack above the border in Canada when her car got a flat. Jake had offered her a lift when he spotted her hitchhiking. She said he’d been on his own and never mentioned another female. I would question him later. Expecting my Luna to burst through the door and start what the humans called a cat fight, I can’t say I was disappointed when she didn’t. After a brief lecture on how lucky Miss McGregor was not to be considered guilty by association, I stood up and looked her in the eye. “You can go,” I announced. She cocked her head on one side, regarding me critically, and I knew it wouldn’t be quite so easy to dismiss someone like her. Not without proceeding to formally reject her. Faith Isla McGregor beat me to it, not even hesitating over my surname and the name of my pack. I couldn’t believe the nerve of that she-wolf. It didn’t seem to cause her much pain,
Lisa’s POVI was pleased to see my brother so happy and even unbent enough to invite Amy to tea. Kayleigh was there, moping a little, but she brightened up when she saw the Luna. Noah was supervising the border guards. Again. I’d pouted a lot until he told me Kane was thinking of appointing another Delta.He swore me to secrecy afterwards, but Amy knew. Of course, she would.“Does this mean there will be two Alphas again?” I asked, when my daughter was paying a visit to the bathroom.“No chance,” she said. “But it’s cool. Kay looks much better.”“Do you think so? I wish she would cheer up.”“She’s been through a lot.”Did the Luna think I didn’t know that?“Have a scone. Fresh from Ray’s bakery.” My visitor hesitated. “Go on. Take one at random. I haven’t poisoned them all,” I joked. To prove that, I selected one with blueberry jam inside and took a small bite. “Mm, delicious. I don’t know why I didn’t think of commissioning your stepfather to bake my daughter’s special cake.”“He’s n
Kane’s POV“If I’ve won, I want you to … ”Amy whispered the rest.“What? No way,” I said, and went on to issue a stern warning.Just for a second there I was tempted to cheat, claim she'd lost. Until –“Be nice,” she hissed, putting emphasis on the second word and fiddling with the knot on her blindfold.I watched her struggle for a while – why didn’t she just lift the whole thing over her head? – before going across to the monitor and calling up the incriminating evidence.“You won’t like it,” I warned her, again.That had been a part of my reply when she said, “Show me the footage of you and Omega Sharon. All of it.”As if there had been other encounters in the past.The truth was laid bare, making her huff with contempt.“Satisfied, Luna?”“I thought as much. She was faking it. On your orders?”“Yeah,” I managed, feeling like I’d just crawled out from under a rock and couldn’t find my way back there.Exposed, just like Amy, yet in a very different way.“She must have told everyone
Amy’s POVIt soon became apparent that Jake was lost to us. I missed Ingrid, too. Was he treating her right? I hoped so.Mom was inconsolable for a whole week and then, in typical Velma fashion, she moved on. That must have been something to do with Ray. One for the homilies, he was. She kept twittering on about my brother making his own way in the world.As far as I was concerned, he’d always been rogue material.I was biding my time to catch Kane off guard and then I would strike. In the nicest possible way, of course.It wasn’t long before we were back to sharing the same bed again. His hands kept straying to my tummy. So much for emergency contraception.I’d been feeling really sick in the mornings, something I’d not experienced much the last time around. Making him wait fit in well with my plan.Coaxing him back to our quarters that afternoon, I had a surprise in store in the form of a new game.This time, my intention was to win, though I allowed him a say in the ‘rules’ we were
Lisa’s POVSomething was off about the atmosphere in the nursery. Dan usually got the blame but this seemed different. Even more unwholesome, if that was the right word to use about my only nephew.I didn’t visit the pups with my daughter any more. She was sensitive and tended to kick off if she knew we were going there.Noah and Kayleigh were closer than ever. I tried not to resent their easy relationship while I had to work at it. Maybe she sensed my annoyance and that was why she clung to the Delta when he came home to us. Or could it be that because I was always around she missed him more?I told myself that was it even though it bugged me. A lot.Picking up Dan’s rattle one day, I felt a surge of power. Static electricity, I thought. It didn’t plug in, that was for sure.He went ape until I gave it back to him.Dora wasn’t like that. She didn’t seem to mind when he took her toys off her. Maybe she was in awe of him – or frightened. I couldn’t be sure and knew better than to menti
Amy’s POV The pups were hard work but I became engrossed in what was mainly pandering to their needs. It gave me time to think. I didn’t miss the decisions I had to make, the daily squabbles which had to be sorted between maids and Omegas. They were trivial in the scheme of things. It made me smile to think of the Alpha dealing with petty rows about dirty looks and the more serious allegations of slacking, which tended to be unfounded for the most part. Some of the older servants had heart conditions and they needed more regular breaks. If he reinstated punishment in what had been CC’s room I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night in that same bed. Yet I couldn’t stop him. I had no say and wouldn’t be aware of anything like that given that I was stuck here for the most part, even for meals. He deserves to know. Misha, now’s not a good time. Do it. Or Rhett will tell him. Are you threatening me? My wolf didn’t answer, retreating to sulk, presumably. I knew she was right. The
Amy’s POVSomething was going on. Something I didn’t understand. People were murmuring to each other and occasionally gazing at me. Was I paranoid? This had happened to a human at school, all because she had a fondness for snacks between meals.Suzie’s a renowned pie maker these days. At least she was.They’re not sniggering any more.Someone asked Chrissy in a loud voice if there was any Sharon fruit, to general titters. I didn’t get the joke. At least not until later when she knocked on the door to our Suite.I was tossing and turning in what had been the pleasure room.“You sent for me, Alpha Kane. And here I am.”“Give me a twirl,” I heard him say.What? I wanted to jam the pillow over my head, but I was curious.“Do you like it? I sewed it myself in my spare time.”“Very fetching.”There he went again with those old-fashioned words. Was I the catalyst, being around Mina and not ‘suffering’ myself. Still, I was proud of my extensive vocabulary so perhaps it was less noticeable wit
Kane’s POVCC told me more than once that a good whipping would convince anyone not to re-offend. I didn’t subscribe to that notion. My belief was that discipline should be relative.Amy had failed as a Luna when she allowed the rogue she-wolf to abduct her without a fight. I intended to pit her against Lori, an up and coming female warrior, who had once shot her by mistake. That should serve to punish both of them.Maybe I would sell tickets, for charity of course.My Luna had betrayed me by succumbing to my former Beta’s kiss. At the same event, maybe I could have my pack members – men and women – line up to claim her lips. Standing up for hours, hungry and thirsty, her mouth swollen and parched. That would teach her.And now I had found the blister pack containing something which fuelled my fury yet further.A public whipping seemed highly appropriate.I knew I would put her through none of the above. She had always been mine to ruin.If it wouldn’t hurt our twin girls I would have
Kane’s POVIf I had to absorb Blaylock, surely Garrett would help me control him? I could only hope. Asking Rhett would just depress me, because I already knew the answer.My priority was to rescue my cousin’s girl. We had a date to watch a movie for fuck’s sake. And Noah would surely not survive a prolonged invasion even though he’d been doing better recently. I needed my Delta and Kayleigh needed her stepdaddy.As for Lisa, words failed me. Her scream had alerted us and yet she must have been the one to lure the mage upstairs. My guess was she’d visited the lab and seen him.I was hoping to save him, too, if only by hosting the Lycan wolf once more. Though the mage was way down the pecking order. Probably last.In fairness, it didn’t seem as if Amy and Jarvis were lovers or even planning to be. Yet the crisis had elevated a level. Maybe they were just biding their time.I knew I couldn’t afford to think like that once Blaylock was in situ. The ancient Lycan would probably pounce on