Kane’s POV I kept looking at Grandmother’s list. When I was sober. Should I put Elaine through her paces? I was sure Selene would want to participate, which would remove all the enjoyment. Sadly, my Luna-in-waiting wasn’t on there. Maybe she didn’t have enough brains. Though the warrior from the Black Hills pack seemed equally as stupid as the one-time head Omega. Equilibrium was now restored; there was no chief among the lowly. Elaine had abused her position and I would give no-one else the opportunity to do the same. Chrissy would no doubt have been fair-minded, yet I knew she wouldn’t have relished being in charge and would be open to abuse from the very peers from whose ranks she had risen. They would get away with murder, like someone already had. Or would do when Dorothy breathed her last. The old Luna was hanging in there. I didn’t visit her so often these days; it pained me to see her like that, whether or not she had played me false. Correction: nobody was getting away wit
Jake’s POVI went to see the Alpha King about the man and the girl. It was probably a stupid thing to do. I wanted to get back into his good books and if he didn’t know about these two, it might pave my way.He was sitting in the library, perusing a great tome concerning wildlife, or so it seemed. Actually, underneath that, was a book about Vlad the Impaler. I misread the last word and made a crass remark which he might have expected about antelopes not being readily available in the States other than pronghorns.The Lycan just stared at me with those reddening eyes before showing me the book’s cover. I have to say those fangs were much larger than Mina’s.“I’ve made a discovery,” I said.He sighed. “Was the key in the lock? I’ve told Diana about that before.”So he did know about this pair.“Who are they?”The look he gave me told me I was pushing it. I held his gaze for as long as I could.Eventually, he waved an airy hand, still concentrating on his biography. “Relatives of Diana a
Amy’s POVKane dismissed me soon after my faux pas. I’d meant no disrespect about his parents’ relationship but he was easily enraged these days.It couldn’t be for the same reason as me, surely? Though my mood swings had to be curbed. I wasn’t an Alpha female yet.The packhouse was a busy place right now and full of shifters wanting their own way and to be informed of the best places to run.It wasn’t just the visiting Alphas who were annoying, their Lunas were equally as bad. There would be even more tomorrow, the day of the party, though at least they wouldn’t want accommodation.Everywhere was spotless, I had seen to that whether personally or by supervising the Omegas and maids designated as cleaners. There was just one place to which none of us had any access, including Kane, and that was his pleasure room.Who had taken the key, and why?Well, it wasn’t any of the Omegas and I was working my way through the maids. All this wide-eyed innocence in terms of being a thief was makin
Lisa’s POV“You lied to me.”Maybe I shouldn’t have accused the Alpha King, a Lycan, of such a thing and in that tone of voice, but I was so angry.“Only about that one thing,” he said, gazing at my mother’s moving fingers.She was drawing a gazelle and it was so good to see.“Kane’s your sworn enemy because of her, isn’t he?”“Not just mine. He despises all the Lycan clans.”“Then why is he mating the daughter of one?”“Haven’t you worked it out yet, Lisa? He wants to be on the inside so he can discover her whereabouts.”I looked at him, anxiously.“Will you ever let her go? What about me?”“Come back downstairs and we’ll discuss it. I’m not the monster you might think.”I followed him with reluctance, leaving the woman who had given no sign she recognised me.“Thank you for trusting me with this.”I owed him my gratitude for that at least and had been brought up always to acknowledge a good deed.“You could have lied to me, pretended she was a stranger to you,” he said, pausing on t
Amy’s POV The scrolls were now in my possession for all the use they were. As usual, we’d been interrupted, thankfully given the way he was eyeing the bed in that room. I was under strict instructions to return them before midnight. Did he think I was going to sell them on the black market or something? There were a lot of figures, combined with names and dates, but nothing of significance leapt out at me. I was bleary eyed from consulting hospitality checklists of my own devising. Why was I so painstaking in this? For him or for her? I had given up trying to second guess myself. When I judged the hour was late enough and that Selene would be contemplating her beauty sleep in advance of the big day ahead, I made my way upstairs. Testing myself, I used the lift, noting the new bags under my eyes and that my long hair was in need of a twist or something. Alpha Kane wouldn’t appreciate my news, or lack of it, that was for sure. I entered once I had his shouted permission and was ast
Kane’s POVI wasn’t myself and couldn’t seem to control my baser urges. Dorothy was nearing the end of her life. Only her she-wolf physiognomy had kept her going until now. It was driving me crazy. Still, that was no excuse for the way I’d behaved with Amy. What I’d put her through was unforgivable and now I had a Luna to appease.My Beta came to see me in the small hours. I heard his complaint to the bitter end, even though my head was splitting in two and I was seeing double.Had someone drugged me? It was a distinct possibility.“You need help, Alpha Kane,” he said.His sympathy was genuine. I had always liked Jarvis, a good man who would tell it to you straight.“Is Amy okay?”“She couldn’t stop crying,” my Beta told me. “Inviting Alpha Solomon was a step too far. In my opinion.”“I’m going to kill Selene,” I said, clenching a fist.“You didn’t know?”“I forbade it. Where’s Amy now?”“In my quarters. Alpha – ”I cut him off before he could explain that he was her mate.“Bring her
Kane’s POVI couldn’t call it off. Dorothy had wanted this. Strangely, I dreamt about her and was taken aback when she insisted she’d meant I should mate Amy. I knew what that was: wishful thinking on my part.Maybe that was why I claimed her in the shower. I promised myself it wouldn’t be for the last time.That question about what happened to my grandmother’s wolf refused to go away. Everyone assumed they passed with the person, but what if that wasn’t the case? They were eternal creatures. Perhaps I should watch out. Assuming the next host would be as fierce and no-nonsense as the old Luna.I grinned, remembering what she’d once said when I hadn’t realised I’d actually said it out loud.“Less of the old.”I hadn’t totally forgotten about the suspected treachery, though Amy and I could have been wrong.For something to do to keep my mind off my inevitable fate, I went to look through Grandmother's belongings and found a sealed envelope addressed to me. It was to be read in the event
Amy’s POVThe sun hadn’t exactly made much of an appearance, though there was a rainbow forming up above. I’d always liked the pretty colours and followed the human superstition of making a wish. Not for myself. I just wanted everything to go smoothly.That moment at the party when they’d played ‘Hound Dog’ had creased me. Who would have thought there’d be two Elvis’s always on my mind? I’d caught Kane’s eye and, just for a split second, we were on the same high frequency before I crashed and burned on seeing Selene.I mouthed the incantation while touching the centre of my pendant and soon I was in Massachusetts only a few metres from the diner. A digital clock on a pharmacy showed me it was close to 1300 hours. Time travel. How spooky was that? I’d only ever gone from A to B before in the form of a practice run when I accepted this mission.Slavery, after Jake’s selfish actions, had put an end to my freedom until I was appointed housekeeper.The distinctive aromas of fish and seafoo