CASSANDRAMy head spun as I walked, and with every step I took toward Keller’s, memories of my conversation with Spike faded into obscurity. How I exited the dungeon eluded me and I felt as if someone else was controlling my movements. This strange sensation of possession wasn’t something I was used to, but with how much turmoil plagued my thoughts, it made sense that I was feeling out of sorts.I was restless and my mind was agitated from the pressure of it all.Mind control, talismans, Emmett… there was so much to consider and I didn’t know how to make sense of it. I wished that Asher was here to help me sort it all out, but with him being gone on some unknown errand, I was alone in the matter.Spike had no reason to deceive me, did he?Though he was an imposter and not necessarily a great man, what would he have to gain by lying to me?There was only one plausible answer to the question that haunted me- Emmett had intervened to suppress my ability to shift.But why?Despite the war
CASSANDRADespite Becky’s best efforts to prove otherwise, worry and concern painted her features, and her reddish-brown eyes were slightly glazed over as she stared at the floor. Though she’d mentioned the importance of sharing the news of the contaminated water with Marley, I had the distinct feeling that there was something more happening, something she wasn’t sharing. It wasn’t like my assistant to lie, but I knew her well enough to know something was amiss.As she began to fidget nervously and mess with the sleeve of her soft blue sweater, I gently placed my hand on her shoulder and offered her an empathetic expression.“Becky, what’s going on?” I asked her quietly. “You look distressed.”My assistant raised her eyes and the moment she met my gaze, her porcelain skin flushed scarlet and she pushed her glasses up.“Just ignore what I said,” she urged me, and she shook her head and forced a smile. “You’re right Cassandra. We should just wait for the Alpha King to return before we s
ASHERMuch to our shock and concern, Ector Felix’s condition worsened upon reaching the military base.It had been a difficult journey back to the compound. Ector had been reluctant to leave his home, so a mild sedative had to be administered to transport him.Upon arrival, Silas and I carried him inside, where a host of military personnel were awaiting our return. A gurney was procured immediately, and the Beta and I carefully set him on the cart.I was grateful that no one seemed to question the identity of the poor, frail man that the Alpha King and Beta had brought into the facility. It was one of the perks of being the ruler of Wegalla- discretion was the name of the game. I couldn’t be questioned by anyone, no matter their rank, for fear of punishment. Of course, I wasn’t that type of ruler by any means, but when it came to Ector Felix, I wasn’t going to risk his safety by someone asking questions.The gurney was wheeled into a private room, and once the doors were closed behind
ASHERSilence hung like a heavy veil in the room as I awaited an answer from the group. Lancel’s expression remained stoic and composed, meanwhile, Adalyn’s normally richly tanned skin had paled considerably. She bit her lower lip and slightly smeared the red lipstick that covered it.Agitation rose within me and with each passing second, my patience thinned.I was the Alpha King of Wegalla.Why was no one respecting my demand?Finally, Adalyn cleared her throat and her piercing golden eyes met mine.“It was my doing,” she admitted, and her voice wavered slightly as she spoke. “After he was injured by the fallen tree in the woods, Marco cried out for you. He begged and demanded to see his father and refused medical attention unless you were there. Don’t blame Lancel. I all but forced him to bring us here. I know it’s improper to interrupt the Alpha King when he’s on official business, but I didn’t know what else to do-”“It’s completely improper,” I interrupted her sternly.“Daddy, do
CASSANDRAThe morning after my conversation with Spike, I was too excited to sleep in, and awoke far before the sun had even breached the horizon. I sat straight up in bed and stretched my arms high above me, relishing in the sweet release as my muscles eased. I let out a soft sigh and a smile crawled on my lips.Asher was set to return in the afternoon. Though it had only been a few days, it had felt like an eternity since I’d seen the Alpha King. I yearned for the scent of his cologne as well as the feeling of his lips against mine. I longed for the warmth of his skin and the way his gray eyes softened when they met mine.It was crazy to think back to when we’d first met in Wild Crawler. That Asher had a steely gaze that made me uncomfortable and cold, but this new Asher, the Asher I knew in the past… he was someone else entirely.I quietly padded over to the bathroom and gently closed the door behind me to keep from waking up Finnick. I approached the sink and splashed my face with
CASSANDRAMy eyes widened in shock at the gruesome sight, and for a moment, I thought I was going to vomit. Nausea sent waves of discomfort through me, and I shivered in fright.As a healer, I’d seen plenty of blood and wounds over the years, but it was far different when the wound belonged to someone I knew.“Stop!” I begged Kaleb and rushed over to where the guards had started dragging Kane away. I nearly skidded on the wet floor but managed to find my footing just in time. The guards snarled at me and were about to stop me, but Kaleb raised his hand.“Let her pass,” he remarked in an amused tone, and the incredibly tall men released their hold on Asher’s brother. Kane slumped over and then fell to the ground. Blood began to pool on the ground, and as the metallic smell hit the air, the nausea returned, but I forced myself to be brave.I crouched down and carefully looked at his wound. The cut on his arm was deep, nearly to the bone. He was losing blood rapidly, and I wished I could
KALEBThe pathetic expression on Kane Collin’s otherwise attractive face was sickeningly pitiful. His long-lashed violet eyes were pathetic as they remained fixed on the beautiful healer, and I fought the urge to sigh.I wasn’t unfamiliar with this look. I’d seen plenty of it on my mother’s face before she died. She would lean her emaciated body against the door frame and stare at the empty hall with longing in her ice-blue eyes. Yet, despite all of her yearning and wistful dreaming my father never visited her.So, my mother brought that look all the way to her tomb. It was silly and shameful for her to believe that my father ever loved her, not to mention pathetic and naive. The whole idea of love in general was foolish.I averted my eyes from Kane’s face and glanced over at Healer Cassandra, who looked both baffled and vexed. I had to admit that I found it interesting to see this young, lovely woman lose her temper, given the fact that she always seemed to be so calm and subdued. I
CASSANDRAI had never considered myself a fool.But then again, in light of everything, perhaps I was.At the very least, I was naive, foolish, and blind. I should have put the clues together long before this moment. It should have been completely obvious from when Asher had mentioned the jasmine tea wasn’t a gift from him but from his brother.Back then, I had thought that Kane Collins was just considerate. I thought maybe he had just checked with Erika or some other servants who knew I adored jasmine tea and then made an excuse saying it was a gift from Asher just because he didn’t want to pressure me.Or maybe he just wanted to compensate for what his mother had done to Erika and me. Either way, I hadn’t given it a single thought.But if I’d been more careful and sharper about it all, I wouldn’t have neglected the possibility that Kane might find a clue to my real identity.The moment that the question left my lips, Kane’s gaze remained elsewhere. He avoided eye contact with me as
CASSANDRAIt was a sunny day, the first one in a long time.After the long winter and cold spring, summer eventually came, and it was hotter than it had been in forever.Sunlight streamed in through the clinic window, and I was a little distracted as I stared out at the window at the kids in the yard.Finnick, Lila, Marley’s boys Eric and Adrian, and Dominic were all chasing each other, playing a game of tag with one another. Marco was out there with them too, but he was sitting on a bench alone, meters away from the rest of the kids. He looked lonely and didn’t move as the others played around him.It had been a month since the chaos in Merliscire and Adalyn’s death. I supposed it was still hard for Marco to accept the fact that his mother was gone. She had killed herself right in front of him after holding him hostage and threatening to hurt him. The poor little boy had endured so much trauma in such a short amount of time.He wasn’t a bad kid. He had a mean disposition at times, bu
ASHERIt had been a while since Cassandra entered the building, and with every passing minute, my nervousness and anxiety grew stronger. While I knew she was capable of handling herself, I didn’t like the idea of her being in the House of Moses without me.I began to feel restless. It was a mistake to let her leave with Adalyn alone.I pondered my options for a minute and then decided I couldn’t wait out on the grounds any longer, not when my mate could be in danger. I started to walk toward the building, but before I could get too far, the soldiers guarding us stopped me.At first, they were polite but quickly, they became rude. They shouted and told me to back up. I wasn’t allowed in, not until Lady Adalyn said so.I considered pushing past them but didn’t want to escalate the situation, so I nodded and retreated ever so slightly. All around me, the councilors grew restless. They too, wanted to leave, only they desired to go back to Merliscire. However, when a group of them tried to
BECKYAfter our conversation with Oliver Moses, Dickson and I had been seized by the Moses guards and taken into a room that appeared to be used for interrogation. The door was crafted from iron and there were no windows, so the room was dim and quiet. There were only a pair of chairs, each a little rickety and old-looking. It was a pathetic, desolate sort of place, which was surely on purpose.Time didn’t make much sense in there and I soon couldn’t figure out how long we’d been locked in. My body ached and my mind was spinning out with a million thoughts as I absorbed all of the information I’d heard in the past couple of days.I had thought Oliver Moses would quickly find out the truth or ask me to confront Adalyn again, but Dickson thought the opposite when I presented the idea to him.“Look at this place, Becky,” he said, his voice gloomy and negative. “No one is going to visit us any time soon.”Sadly, he appeared to be correct, and his point was only proven as time went on. Tho
ADALYN Ada. How long had it been since I’d heard that name? My parents had never referred to me as Ada. They had never given me a single nickname or pet name. Mother had always said it was improper to call a child by anything other than their name and Father had never given me enough affection to bother. There were only two people in this world who had ever called me Ada. Asher. And Cora. I tensed as I tried to understand how Cassandra knew this. Had Asher told her about our close friendships when we were young? No, there was no way. Suddenly, I was hit with a realization, one I couldn’t ignore. I stared at Cassandra and studied her carefully. I searched her features, scrutinizing her nose, her mouth, the shape of her eyes. None were familiar, but as I stared at her deep emerald green irises and recognized the hue of them, it all began to make sense. I’d never understood how Asher could fall in love with a common healer. Cassandra wasn’t ugly by any means but to care so deepl
CASSANDRAAdalyn’s golden eyes narrowed and then locked on mine.“Why would that wicked woman come with us?” she demanded as she continued to shoot daggers in my direction.“Those are my terms,” Asher insisted. “You want an audience with me? Those are my requirements.”It was a bold assertation on his behalf. As long as Adalyn had Prince Marco in her grasp, she had the upper hand, but she was far too weak to realize her power. Asher was still the Alpha King, after all, so I supposed that subconsciously, she felt compelled to obey.Silence hung heavily in the air and then finally she sighed.“Fine,” she huffed and then she flashed me a sneer. “Let her come. Perhaps we’ll have some fun with your little plaything once we’re there.”“You won’t harm her,” Asher growled.“We’ll see,” Adalyn said with a shrug. “Come. It’s time we left this musty room.”Her big eyes scanned the room and then she addressed the councilors. “The rest of you shall come as well. Might as well make an event of it.”
CASSANDRAAdalyn’s face twisted again at Karsh’s cold and daring question, only this time, she didn’t recover and lost any sense of calm within her.“How dare you demean the future king’s mother?” she roared, her golden eyes flashing with anger as she bared her teeth.Despite her outrage and fierce expression, the councilor remained as cool as ever and didn’t even flinch. It was an impressive sight to behold and it made me respect Karsh even more. Adalyn had always been a brat but I had the sense that her ferocity wasn’t something to take lightly, at least not today.“I’m just stating the truth, Lady Adalyn,” Karsh said with a slightly raised chin, his eyes locked on hers. “The king is alive, I can assure you-”Before he could finish his statement, Adalyn motioned with her hand and gave a signal to the soldiers behind her.“Seize that traitor!” she ordered, and her men launched into action at once.My heart raced in my chest as I saw the soldiers approach Karsh, but before they could
CASSANDRAThankfully, Adalyn’s proposal wasn’t as convincing to the councilors as she’d expected. It was clear from the glint in her golden eyes and the proud expression on her beautiful face that she assumed all would accept the idea of Marco’s ascension without complaint, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth. The room dissolved into whispers and gasps at once.One of the councilors I didn’t know the name of cleared his throat and all fell quiet.“Pardon me for my bluntness, Lady Adalyn, but it’s absurd to announce a new Alpha King when there is no evidence showing that the king is dead,” he pointed out, his thick dark eyebrows furrowed at her. “We have nothing of the sort before us-”“The forensic report will explain everything-” Adalyn began to say but the councilor waved her off with his hand.“A report means nothing,” he stated boldly, and then he glanced around the room to garner attention from the other councilors. “If the Alpha King is dead, we need to see his co
CASSANDRAOne thing was absolutely certain amongst Asher, the councilors he trusted, and I.Whatever Oliver Moses wanted to do at the council meeting, we needed to stop him. We were in complete agreement but knew we needed others to agree to our cause. We needed the support of other Packs in order to bring him down, and knew we wouldn’t get far without it.“Oliver Moses has quite a number of soldiers stationed in Anemond, especially around Merlisicre,” Karsh revealed solemnly. “If we want to confront the Moseses, we will need a troop of good soldiers of our own.”Though I didn’t want to admit it, the councilor was correct in his assessment. Despite having support from Alpha Gareth, Wild Crawler on its own couldn’t provide enough soldiers. If we wanted to gather real numbers to stand against the Moses soldiers, we needed to contact other Packs and ask for their support.“Your Majesty, it would be best for you to remain in the darkness before the meeting,” Jacoby advised after a moment
ADALYNThis girl was stupid and annoying, to say the least.Yet, despite these facts, I regretted that I had underestimated her. I should have dealt with the tiny redhead girl right after Cassandra Keller had disappeared. Now, she had become a big problem, one I wasn’t sure how to handle.“I was hiding in the room next to yours when you spoke,” Becky chimed in.Father’s face changed when she mentioned the meeting. His complexion paled and his hazel eyes widened, but when he ran his hands through his graying hair, it was clear that he seemed convinced by her words.I had to hand it to her.Placing herself at the scene of the crime was a bold move, one I wasn’t sure how to work around. This was damning to be certain but I had to remain collected if I wanted to make it out of this and continue my plans without interruption.Silas’ little kitten was a true thorn in my side.Father studied the girl’s expression like a fox studying its prey. “I hope you acknowledge that you will be punished