KALEBA werewolf’s olfaction was sharp and our reactions were incredibly fast.But anesthesia and its effects were even faster.As the plumes of the chemical’s smoke filled the air, I muffled my mouth swiftly with the sleeve of my thick jacket. I thanked the Moon that I’d selected that blend of fabrics this morning, otherwise, I might have succumbed to the smoke.Thanks to the barrier of my jacket sleeve and the distance I kept from Lord Kane and Healer Cassandra, I didn’t inhale much of the awful chemicals.However, my guards weren’t as lucky.They appeared drunk as they stumbled around aimlessly. Their eyes had a glazed and distant quality, and their every movement was simultaneously delayed and erratic.In a few more seconds, they would be lying on the ground like the dead corpse of Spike.As I fought to gather myself and regain control over the situation, Cassandra and Kane rose up from their places on the stone ground of the dungeon and prepared to make their escape. Though they
BECKYWhen I arrived at the clinic, Erika appeared to be a bit exhausted. Her eyes were slightly vacant and were underlined with deep circles. Her skin-normally a nice, creamy shade of tan, was pale, and her hair was in a slight bit of disarray.“Erika,” I greeted her, my tone laced with concern. “What’s happened? Are you okay?”The maid released a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose before responding. “I’m alright, Becky. It’s just been a busy morning and Cassandra hasn’t returned. She left at dawn to take care of some business, but she hasn’t come back. Normally, she isn’t gone this long.”I frowned as her words set in. “That is strange. Do you know where she went?”Erika shook her head. “She didn’t say. She just asked me if I could keep an eye on Finnick and get him ready for the day. And then she mentioned that she wanted to get everything done early today because the Alpha King is going to return to Anemond this afternoon.I knew at once that Cassandra was likely visiti
BECKYMy jaw dropped in shock as I took in the gruesome sight, and for a moment, I was frozen in place in pure panic, but then, I managed to snap out of my haze and rushed over to the pair.“Becky,” Cassandra greeted me as she struggled to support the man. Her emerald eyes were enormous with concern and her expression was panicked.“What happened?” I asked as I studied the man in her arms. His shirt sleeves were soaked with blood, and his face was pale, likely as a result of the blood loss. His captivating violet eyes were distant and his breathing was laborious as he tried to maintain consciousness. It took me a moment to realize who he was, and then it hit me.He was Lord Kane, the Alpha King’s brother.“I’ll explain later,” Cassandra remarked as she tried to steady Kane. “But I need you to bring me one of the medical kits at once. Lord Kane needs immediate medical intervention.”I nodded and then swiftly rose to my feet and practically sprinted to the supply room. I rooted around u
CASSANDRAAs Becky stared at me in confusion, I gestured down the hall.“Follow me,” I said. “First, I need to wipe some of this blood off of me. It smells so awful I can hardly think straight.”My assistant nodded. “Of course. Let’s get you cleaned up.”We walked from the lobby down the hall to a private bathroom. It wasn’t accessible to patients and existed solely for our benefit. I’d stashed a few changes of clothes in the closet, and once my arms and face were free from the blood from Kane’s wound, Becky helped me get dressed in fresh clothes. She even braided my long copper hair back into an intricate style that kept the tresses away from my face.“Thank you,” I said gratefully, and she smiled at me.“Of course,” she replied. “It’s the least I could do. Now, come on. Let’s get you some tea and then we can talk.”I followed her into the meeting room and she immediately threw the kettle on. I sat down on one of the leather chairs and after a few minutes, Becky handed me a cup of my
CASSANDRA It wasn’t difficult at all to find Kaleb. Not long after I left the clinic, a tall, muscular guard approached me with long, confident strides, and asked me if I was looking for my son. When I nodded, the guard’s expression grew serious and his eyes bore down into mine with intensity, and asked me to follow him. “Someone wants to speak with you before you can see your son,” he stated firmly. His tone was so bold that I was almost scared for a moment but I managed to stay calm. As I studied the unfamiliar man, I noticed the badge of the Beta family that Becky had mentioned seeing on his shoulder. Anger swelled through me at the thought of the Moses family being involved in this terrible uprising. I had long hated Oliver and Adalyn, but knowing that they had worked with the king of Yurene to bring all of this to fruition… it only made my hatred grow worse. Despite my rage, I didn’t say anything and followed the guard quietly. The streets of Anemond were as bustling as usu
ADALYN I couldn’t remember the last time I’d stared at Asher’s sleeping face so closely. As my eyes trailed over him and took in the handsomeness of his high cheekbones, his chiseled jaw, and his long dark eyelashes, I wondered if perhaps I’d never done it at all. I had never had an opportunity to get so close to him in such a private space where it was only the two of us. Though I was his wife, officially and legally, we never had the opportunity to consummate our marriage. Asher had made it perfectly clear since the beginning that this marriage was solely for the sake of Marco. But how could he let me wither like a dried flower? And how dare he ignore me completely when that healer turned up? I didn’t understand. While some thought me vain, I simply saw it as having confidence in myself. I was a catch, after all. I took great time and care to meticulously groom myself for his benefit. Daily, I brushed and oiled my long dark hair. I bathed myself in artisanal products crafted fro
ADALYNAs my words set in, a familiar expression appeared on Silas’ face. I hadn’t seen it in years, and it sent a wave of satisfaction through me.My brother was at a loss again.No matter how tall and strong he now looked, he was still that poor little boy who didn’t even dare to cry for his stupid dead bird.He clenched his fist at his side and stared at me as if he wanted to smash it directly into my face, but I knew he wouldn’t do that. He was a pathetic wimp, a fool with a wavering heart.It would be his downfall.I was sure of it.After a long, steady silence, Silas seemed defeated. When he finally spoke, his voice sounded meek.“Father can’t do this,” he muttered, but it was clear by his expression that he didn’t believe his own words. We both knew what Father was capable of. He appeared helpless, though he tried his best to hide that. “I thought Father wouldn’t…”His words trailed off and I kept waiting for him to finish his sentence, but he never did.An uncomfortable pause
CASSANDRAWhen my brother Ector and I were children, we would often get ourselves into a great deal of mischief.At the end of the day, it was mostly just us having fun and messing about, but sometimes, when we were particularly naughty kids, Erika would sit us down and tell us stories. Once I reached adulthood, I realized these stories were meant to get us to settle down and listen to her, but at the time, I took every word as a warning.Erika told us tales about ghosts and devils alike. While the ghosts were there to frighten us, the devils had different intentions in mind. As the fire in the fireplace blazed behind her, the maid would gesture for us to sit closer, and she’d tell us all about the devils.The devils, she said, would drag naughty children down the ground. They were horribly ruthless, terrible creatures, and if a kid was snatched and taken by a devil, they would never be able to return to their homes and families.The solemnity of Erika’s tone coupled with the chilling
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