"I warned her the fatigue would be too much!" the physician grumbled. "Three times, I told her to rest, and she lied that she would. She hasn't rested at all, has she?"Daniel shook his head, and the man sighed as he glanced back inside Beth's bedroom. "Well, she's asleep now even if it's against her will. I gave her something to help her sleep, but I had to tell her it was only to bring down the fever. She wouldn't have taken it otherwise.""Considering she lied to you first, I think it's fair. It's also for her well-being. Thank you, Doctor.""It's nothing. I'm just frustrated there's nothing more I can do. But the good news is that all she really needs is rest, and not the half-baked naps she takes. A real full night's sleep, probably the first she's had ever since you and Elizabeth returned from Gold Nation.""I'll make sure she gets it. I'm staying by her side. You said she needs to be with someone at all times until she wakes up, right?""Just as a precaution. Sometimes it's a l
Daniel knew he was taking advantage of his mother, that she wouldn't be able to tell him no. But in truth, he needed this. He had ulterior motives, but at the core of it, he did need closure. All that time he had been trapped in Andrew Troy's prison, full of impotent fury and utterly useless, the world had gone on without him. Warren, Brian, and Carlo had died and been sent off without his ever being there, not for a single second.His mother knew. This was his way to mourn them, even if was far too late.* * *It was three days later when they held the funeral. Only a mock funeral, technically, but it was as solemn as the real one. There was only direct family gathered here tonight, cousins and aunts, uncles. The ones who hadn't been lost to the slaughter too, anyway. Everyone looked exhausted and grim, but they all shared in each other's sadness and held each other up, joined as family.Except for two outsiders, ones Daniel had specially invited. He hadn't mentioned he would ask th
It was Beth who greeted Adrian first, but there was a tightness on her face that she couldn't hide at the wine glass tipping and swaying in the elderly man's hand. Still, she was concealing her distaste far better than Daniel. The mourning ceremony hadn't been over but ten minutes and Adrian Heether was already making a grand fool out of himself, getting tipsy on rich wine when he should be the one out of everyone present most concerned with his image. From the few droplets on his weathered hand, he must have already sloshed the glass a few times on the way through the crowd, too. The Deltas in charge of cleaning up after everyone left might have their work cut out for them."Just wanted to say hello and a thank you for inviting me to partake," said the old man. "I've been here more times in the past week than I have the three years before that. It's good to see some things have changed and some things haven't." He laughed and nodded before turning away, searching the crowd for someo
Matt gave in, and easily, too. Daniel wanted to think it was because Adrian had struck at the heart of his reasoning ability and convinced him it was for his own good that he cooperate, but seething anger coiled in every corner of his body whenever Matt glanced at Beth every few words as he explained his suspicions about Gold Nation treachery, as if seeking a reaction, approval, something he far from deserved. So maybe it wasn't that Beth ever had feelings for him before, but that he was the one who had chased her and courted her to no avail. Was that what it was? If so, Daniel almost hoped Matthew would try to fall out of line again. Maybe before, the man had gotten away with overstepping because of connections with the Rokley pack, but Beth was his now. Beth belonged to the Heether pack, his to protect.And Daniel would be damned if he let Matthew try anything."And there's more," the man added. "I'm still collecting reports, and they're scattered far and wide, but I have reason to
Leaving home at such a vulnerable time was unthinkable, and Daniel had still done it. But he hadn't had a choice. With his father growing quieter and weaker every day, sometimes not even leaving his room at all, and his mother crumbling too under the weight of the ever-present grief and the fatigue that came from fighting it alone without the strength of her mate, it was up to Daniel to lead the Heether pack. But at least they were still there - at least there was still a spark in the Alpha and Luna. Soon, there would be no more faith in the pair, and then Daniel's presence would truly be indispensable. Before that happened, he had to do what needed to be done, which was why he had come to Gold Nation with this brash plan of infiltrating their army.But at least Beth was holding the line. Despite not having the Heether blood and only being known to the pack as the widow of the late eldest son - and being so young! - she had earned the respect of many. For holding the pack together
"Daniel!""Beth."The name almost caught in his throat. Did, actually, and he had to disguise it by clearing his throat. But there was no need. She didn't even notice as she threw herself at him, and naturally, easily, like he had done it forever, his arms came around to embrace her around the waist.He had never held her like this before, not since the night in the gardens when she had collapsed from fever and exhaustion. She probably didn't even remember any of that night at all, but he did. She was so soft...so warm.He shouldn't be doing this. He had an armful of a beautiful woman he knew he had been thinking of far too often at the wrong times, a beautiful woman who was his dead brother's wife. It hadn't even been but a few months since he and everyone else was massacred. He shouldn't be thinking like this -She pulled away far too soon. "Did Andrew try anything?" she demanded as she pushed him toward the closest armchair in the sitting room where he had been waiting for her. "Yo
Beth was here again. The past in the future, almost ten years hence. She had eloped with Matthew Catii, leaving behind her loyalty to the Iron Nation and rejecting the mate chosen for her among the Heether pack. From then on, she became Matthew's most faithful companion, besotted with him and the miracle that had made it so they were each other's fated mates.Silver Nation had been at its peak then, of course. Not long after, clouded by marital bliss and the fact that Matthew was loathe to share too many political business details with her, a mere woman, she had heard some news about Silver Nation being in grave trouble, but she hadn't known exactly what had happened then.But what happened a month after that had reached every corner of the werewolf world. Daniel, not only having lost his brothers but both of his parents as well to the grief, took on the mantle of sole Alpha of the Heether pack, and Alpha King of the mangled Silver Nation, and somehow gathered up a ferocious, reveng
Daniel took the letters from Teo. "Two of them," he remarked. "Interesting." He glanced at Beth to find her frowning even more deeply. So they had been thinking the same thing, had they?"Um...Also, I suppose it's relevant to mention that the messenger wanted to pass on that you were both invited because...you're both unattached and without mates. That perhaps you might be searching, and maybe Elizabeth might be ready to return to her birth pack..."Teo trailed off, which was just as well. Daniel was about to tear up the invitations just from what the man had said already. Beth was family. She hadn't reneged on the engagement promise to Warren. She had married him, if only for a little while, and she was with the Heether pack now. This wasn't some stay at a temporary inn. She was where she wanted to be, where she belonged."We'll be there."His eyes darted over to Beth. What? She was the one who had looked even more annoyed by the information than him. But she was going to accept?"Ha
The rogues won.Andrew smiled as he placed the tattered letter inside his stylish jacket for safekeeping. It would make for a good memento once he did the deed and ended the war for good, branding Daniel as a power-mad despot who had tried to rally the greedy Alpha Kings against the honorable Gold Nation.The rogue leader Karthen had even mentioned it might be possible to frame it as Daniel attacking the combined forces of Iron and Bronze, with Gold Nation coming to the rescue. After all, Alpha Matthew Catii was the only survivor, and he was so weak it would be no trouble bending him to his will.Now all Andrew had to do was meet with Karthen, collect the heads, and this stupid pretend war would be over."I think I'll go in ceremony," he announced to his Beta. "Gather the troops just in case since we might be stabbed in the back by the rogues... Well, either way we would have turned on them next. It's almost over, friend. You've served me well.""It's an honor to be with you at the mo
This was never going to go to Union Court. It was going to go straight to war, and Beth was ready to fight. Andrew Troy had manipulated his way to victory every time but now, he would get what was coming to him.No one knew where his father was so he was all but Alpha King of Gold Nation now, which made him the most influential party in Union Court. Like hell Beth was going to bother bringing up a grievance against the most powerful member there. That was going to be open and shut and he was just going to find a way to punish everyone involved, and with legal backing.Better to just take the fight to his face and show him what was what. Beth already had her sleeves up and claws out.... Except Daniel and everyone else forbid her from leaving the Heether pack house. Completely."I am not an invalid!" she shouted. "I can still fight!""Beth... Please. You're going to stress out the baby.""The baby is stressed out because you're leaving me behind!"Daniel held her tight, stifling her st
Daniel wasted no time in telling his mother the truth that day. That is, that he and Beth had secretly been in a relationship for weeks now, technically months since they had definitely been tip-toeing around each other in poor, secret denial long before they truly pledged themselves to each other.Beth was not ready. She was still adjusting to being back in the Heether territory, still adjusting to the relief and anger and determination to take Andrew down even though she was undoubtedly pregnant. She had only just confessed to Anna about that, and Luna Margaretta already knew? Before Beth had had a chance to ready herself?"It'll be all right. She'll come around." Daniel placed his hands on her belly, which had not yet begun to grow but would soon swell with the life of their growing baby. "It's important that everyone's on alert, keeping them in the dark will only make things more dangerous."She swallowed hard. Daniel was right, but that didn't mean it make it any easier. Anna had
As an Alpha, Beth could throw off sedatives without lasting damage. Whatever Andrew had drugged her with, it wasn't doing permanent physical harm, and the effects were reversing already. Her regenerative ability had only improved over the last year with the constant strain she had put her body through, and she thanked it now as they rolled through the streets past the growing chaos of soldiers searching the streets for their missing prisoner. With any luck, within a few days of having untainted food and drink, she and the baby would be right as rain.Andrew had discovered her absence far sooner than she had hoped, but it couldn't be helped. Someone must have checked in with breakfast earlier than usual. But for the bad luck to strand them all in the city and get them caught up in the manhunt...Matt had prepared everything, at least. She still had misgivings about him that would never go away for as long as she lived -- sounds wounds ran far too deep to ever forgive -- but he had done
The first thing Beth saw when she came to was Daniel's blurred face. Even though her head pounded so fiercely she could hardly breathe, the sight of his face swimming in her swirling vision sent such sheer joy and pleasure through her that tears sprang to her eyes."Daniel...""Shhh, Beth, don't try to get up. Rest. I just brought you to the place where I'm staying, and it's a decent place to hide for now, but we don't have a doctor here yet. You need to be seen, something's wrong." He lifted his head, looked at someone over his shoulder. "Go! Find a--""Wait!" She grasped at his shirt, fingers digging weakly into the fabric. "Wait, don't. Andrew doesn't know I've escaped. When he finds out, he'll start a search and hunt me down, and anyone would figure out that it was me if they see me like this. I'm a mess."Daniel leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Maybe, but I'll get you out of here anyway. But something's not right and we have to fix that first. Did Andrew hurt you? What did h
The Troy pack house ran on routine. Everyone had been careful to keep their mouths shut about even potentially important information around Beth, which made sense since everyone knew she was a prisoner, not a mere guest. But what Andrew Troy had so carelessly forgotten was that she had already stayed here before her imprisonment.When he had entertained her as an actual guest in the span of time she had spent waiting for Daniel to arrive here, back before Andrew requested she go to Tahoe Village to help with the fake 'espionage' mission, she had already been housed here for quite a while. Long enough to learn several important details, and details that she couldn't imagine would have changed since then.Andrew's political wheeling and dealing were unpredictable, but his home life was anything but. That enormous cart of food she always saw wheeled in every morning at four in the dark of night came in every day without fail, and she was willing to stake her escape on the guess that that
They were still talking, but they had moved off the stone path and deeper into the shadows. They were on the other side of the stone half-wall, so close that it took another five steps this way, they would find Beth and she would be discovered. She placed a hand over her mouth and nose to stifle what little sound she might betray, but there was nothing else she could do. Her only choice was to wait and hope they didn't notice her, and as soon as they left, she could make a break for it.But to her chagrin, Andrew's voice became louder -- closer. Oh, Moon Goddess. They were now standing almost on top of her, just on the other side of the wall, and if they leaned over, they would see the top of her head no matter how she tried to squash herself against the stone. Was this it? Had she been too hasty?How could her luck be like this! If she had waited only one more night, Andrew Troy might not be walking the grounds. She could deal with avoiding a measly patrol; most of the time, walkabo
The shift change came every day at nine o' clock in the morning and nine o' clock at night. Morning escape was impossible, because even if she slipped past the changing guard, it would be daylight outside and everyone from here to the outlands would see her running across the estate's grounds. She had to make it a night getaway.The good news was with the frigid weather and the frequent sleet and rough snowfall, her tracks would be covered easily, and her scent hard to follow. She was used to traveling in harsh conditions from the life before, and hadn't she managed that journey to Pandemonium City and back? It had been grueling, but she had done it. And, she thought grimly, she had already conceived by then.Proof her child was already strong. Took after its father, and its mother, too. Beth smiled at the mirror, but it was razor-sharp and vindictive, not sweet.She had no more sweetness left for the enemy. She and her child would get out of here no matter what.***One week of obser
The days were short yet passed in slow misery. Trapped in the Troy pack manor on the third floor with guards posted everywhere to keep her from escaping, Beth was a canary imprisoned in a gilded cage, never allowed a moment alone even to bathe. Andrew Troy pretended it was to pamper her by assigning her female attendants to attend to her every need, but she knew better. Much better.He even had the gal to visit her as if she were just some guest being entertained in his home. How dare he have the fucking nerve? She was a prisoner, and yet when he knocked on her door and let himself in, he was all charming smiles and gentlemanly manners. Except how he never explicitly waited until she gave him permission to enter, but maybe that was because she flatly refused to give it. After five seconds of waiting, he came in, ready or not, and it made her want to punch him in the gut for it all the more.She was fed and well-taken care of, granted, like a captured exotic animal kept for private vie