Sophia I allowed myself to feel sad and angry for a few hours after my conversation with Rider, but that was all I could afford. After that, I put my game face on and focused my attention on the upcoming attack. The rest of the day had been a blur between preparations and welcoming the arriving warriors. I really didn’t have time to have a pity party, even if I wanted one. Rider was brooding the rest of the day and made it a point to ignore my existence the best he could. The way he had been acting certainly wasn’t making me want to compromise with him. That night I barely slept at all. I wasn’t sure if it was because of Rider or what was coming in the morning. Either way, my mind was a mess, and I spent most of the time tossing and turning. I was wide awake at four-thirty a.m. and knew I wouldn’t get any more sleep, so I got out of bed and had a quick shower before getting dressed in black leggings and a black T-shirt. The color I chose was fitting, given the mood I
Rider I shouldn’t be thinking about anything other than the attack we were about to launch, but I couldn’t help it; Sophia was plaguing my mind. The woman would be the death of me. I wondered if the Moon Goddess made a mistake when she paired us together. I should have known that our personalities were far too strong for it to ever work between us. The constant fighting was exhausting. At first, I wanted it to work out with Sophia; I tried to compromise, but she fought me every step of the way. How could she not see that her place was by my side? She was meant to be a luna, not an alpha. She didn’t seem to understand that being my luna didn’t mean I wouldn’t let her have a say in things; it was just a damn title. She would still rule the pack with me and have an equal say in all the decisions. Why wasn’t that enough? My wolf has been giving me the silent treatment since my fight with Sophia. I hated how the bond controlled him so much. He would give up everything in a fla
Rider Once all the warriors were ready, I fisted the necklace that was supposed to open the portal in my hand. An uneasy feeling swirled in my gut, but that feeling was likely because I had no idea what to expect. Magic wasn’t something I grew up around. I was also curious to see what would happen when I said the word open in Latin, as Cole instructed me to do. I guess I was about to find out. “Apertus!” I shouted. I watched in amazement as a blinding white light appeared before me and expanded until it was big enough for a person to walk through. The light remained at the circle’s edge while the center was pitch dark and swirling. I was expecting more of a door, not some dark circle that led to goddess knew where. I glanced to my right and then left, where Matty and Rory stood. Both guys nodded, letting me know they were ready, but they also seemed hesitant by the portal. Behind us was an army of warriors, including Drake and Cole, prepared to follow us. I clutche
Rider I left the witches’ tent and snuck back into the forest where Rory and Matty hid. “So, is the witch going to help?” Rory asked as I approached them. “She is,” I replied with a tight nod. “What does she look like? I don’t want to attack her accidentally,” Matty asked curiously. “She’s… short with brown hair and glasses. Trust me, you’ll know who she is when you see her,” I replied vaguely. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Matty frowned. “She’s petite, that’s all, and stands out in a crowd of werewolves. Are the troops ready?” I asked, changing the subject. “The warriors are all in position and waiting for your command,” Rory replied, but his attention, as well as Matty’s, was focused on something over my shoulder. I glanced back to see Drake and his team stepping out of the tent, followed by Cole and Maribel. “Is that her? You weren’t kidding; she’s tiny, but you forgot to mention cute. I thought she was supposed to be some powerful witch?” Rory as
Sophia My team crossed through the portal right after Rider’s team. Our primary focus was finding the prisoners and returning them to safety. Cole had shown us on the map where the prisoners were being held, so as soon as everyone was across, we made our way toward the west side of the camp. We passed some of our warriors fighting against rogues, but by the looks of things, they had everything under control, so we kept moving. It only took a few more minutes before we spotted the two buildings used as prisons. They weren’t even buildings, really, but rather large outdoor cages with metal bars surrounding all sides. There was zero protection from the weather for those trapped inside. I frowned as we got closer, one cage was crammed with people, but the other one was empty—the full one held around one hundred prisoners, which was only half of what we were expecting. “What happened to the rest of the prisoners?” Emma murmured as we approached. “Good question,” I re
Sophia The same static sensation flowed through my body as I passed through the black hole of the portal. I was extremely nervous to see what awaited me on the other side. At least when I crossed over into the rogue camp, I had an idea of what to expect. This time I was going in blind, and there was nothing I could do about it. I was definitely worried, not for myself, but for all the prisoners at stake. Their lives and safety were at risk, and I was the only one who could save them. The minute my feet touched the ground on the other side of the portal, I sucked in a deep breath and scanned my surroundings. Men and women completely surrounded me, hundreds of them. I considered walking back through the portal, but resisted that idea. I needed to follow through with this. I could tell they were all vampires by their pale skin and sharp fangs protruding from their lips. Some eyed me like I was their next meal, while others looked curious as they took in my appearance. I
Sophia I waited in the office for several hours before Ricco and a few other vampires came to get me. They escorted me through the warehouse in silence. I debated making a move to escape but decided against it. Not only was I severely outnumbered, but I also didn’t have my wolf or anything I could use as a weapon. I needed to be smart and wait for the right opportunity if I wanted to be successful. I might need to earn Darius’s trust first in order for him to lower his guard and lessen his security detail on me so I could manage to escape. Ricco escorted me outside the warehouse, and I wasn’t surprised when I was greeted with the darkness of night. Darius did say we would be moving after dark. A black car was waiting out front, and Ricco wasted no time opening the back door before motioning me inside with his hand. I hesitated momentarily, wondering if I should comply, but ultimately decided to get it in the car. As I said, I needed to appear cooperative for now
Sophia Panic started setting in. I had no idea how I would get myself out of this mess. Darius had been composed up until our dinner, but then I saw glimpses of his true nature. He wanted me for power, and I was nothing but a tool for him to use. I searched every inch of the room I was locked in, trying to find anything I could use to either help me escape or kill Darius, but I found nothing. I was utterly exhausted, but sheer determination kept me going. Darius would have to kill me before I willingly gave myself to him. It was almost laughable the situation I had found myself in. Darius wanted me for the power I held, whereas Rider would probably prefer I had none. Desperate times called for desperate measures. It wasn’t my most promising idea, but I was currently sitting on the bed trying to figure out how to sharpen my toothbrush into a dagger. I nearly had a heart attack when I heard a familiar voice inside the room. “You planning on killing your future
Sophia Fifteen Years Later The first five years as king and queen were challenging. Rider and I spent most of that time figuring out our new roles while everyone else adjusted to our leadership. No one outright challenged us, but we were forced to use our aura to bring people to their knees occasionally. I didn’t like doing it, but it was a necessary display of dominance to gain full compliance, and it worked. Since then, things have been much more manageable. We’ve earned respect and loyalty from our people by keeping the peace in our kingdom and bringing the packs closer together. We’ve even formed a close alliance with the vampires thanks to my cousin Jonah and his queen, Dawn. Now, if ever there was a threat against our kingdom, we had all the support we would need. Rider and I still had our battles, but they were fewer and farther between since we’d learned to communicate better. The Moon Goddess was right. I would have never succeeded in this role if it were
Sophia The week flew by in a flash. It felt like just yesterday when Rider and I marked each other, and here we were, getting ready for our crowning ceremony. We traveled to the royal palace for the first time since discovering that it would be our new home. The council had been busy renovating it over the past week in preparation for our arrival. They said it wouldn’t be completely ready yet, but it would be livable while they finished the last few details. The palace was jaw-droppingly beautiful, straight out of a fairytale. The building was at least triple the size of my old packhouse, and you could tell money was not an issue when it was built. Everything looked expensive and hand-crafted. The building had a Venetian feel, with rounded stone window frames and entryways. The floors were expensive marble, and the ceiling had intricate carvings in the stone. The entire place looked like a work of art. When I first stepped foot inside, I felt like an imposter that didn’t belong
Sophia I should have gone straight to find Rider after I left my parents, and that was where I was heading until I remembered our earlier conversation. Rider had said, “If you’re not back in here within the hour, I’m hunting you down.” A mischievous smile tugged at my lips. When did I ever listen to commands? OK, maybe when he brought me to the edge of an intense orgasm, I might be a little more compliant, but right now, I wanted to make him work for it a little. So instead of heading for our room, I headed to Emma’s. I hadn’t had a chance to hang out with her much since Rider arrived, so I was actually looking forward to catching up with her while Rider lost his marbles searching for me. Hell, we went seven months without sex. What would a few hours hurt? When I reached Emma’s door, I knocked. I heard a bunch of commotion inside the room before the door finally opened a crack, and Emma stuck her head out. My eyebrows shot up when I took in her disheveled state. Her hai
Sophia Dream I was sitting at the edge of the dock with my feet dangling in the water, wearing my sleeping shorts and white tank top. How did I get here? The water was cold, but there was a warm breeze, and the sun shone above me. This was the same lake Rider and I camped at, but I was alone. I was drawn from my thoughts when a presence behind me caused the hairs at the back of my neck to stand up. I glanced over my shoulder only to be blinded by a bright light. My hands lifted, shielding my eyes while they adjusted to the brightness. The light faded, and I gasped in surprise at the woman who appeared and started walking toward me. She was breathtaking, with long silver hair, bright blue eyes, and the smoothest skin I had ever seen. She looked no older than thirty and wore a long, silky white dress. The woman smiled at me, stepping onto the dock. “May I sit with you, Sophia?” she asked, her voice serene. How did she know my name? A glowing light surrounded her, b
Sophia After the initial shock wore off from finding the crowns above our marks, Rider proceeded to fuck me three more times throughout the night. The guy was an insatiable beast, and I loved every minute of it. He was currently fast asleep next to me while I lay wide awake. My mind was a jumbled mess, thinking about the mark on my neck and what that meant. I remembered my conversations with Darius and Dawn, but at the time, I thought they were nuts when they claimed I was a true queen. I needed to speak with my parents and see if they could shed some light on everything. I gently lifted Rider’s arm around my waist before wiggling out from his grasp and climbing out of bed. It was six-thirty a.m. on Saturday, so there was no warrior training today, but I knew my parents would be up anyway. They liked getting up before the pack and having a quiet breakfast together. I tiptoed into the walk-in closet and slipped on black leggings and an oversized blue off-the-should
Sophia When the kitchen staff brought out our dinner, I nearly died laughing. The chef had made Al pastor pork tacos for me with fresh pineapple salsa and a drizzle of chipotle crema. And for Rider, he made chicken Alfredo. When I looked at Rider with a brow raised and an amused smile on my face, he simply shrugged like it was all just a fluke. The kitchen staff also brought out a bottle of prosecco and two flutes before leaving us alone in the small dining room. The room was usually only used when we had important visitors and wanted a quiet, more intimate evening. It was small, with a ten-person rectangular wooden table in the middle surrounded by dark grey upholstered chairs. Rider was sitting on the end of the table with me by his side. “Mmmm… these are so good,” I moaned, taking a bite from one of my tacos. “Not as good as this creamy, garlicky goodness,” he argued, spinning a decent amount of the fettuccini onto his fork before shoving it into his mouth.
Sophia What a week. It all started with our camping trip, but it only got better from there. Rider and I have spent almost every minute together. My father wasn’t lying when he said he cleared my schedule. Whenever I tried to get a little work done, I was scolded and sent on my way. I couldn’t be mad, though, because I had the best time of my life. I didn’t even recognize Rider anymore. Instead of the uptight, domineering man I grew up knowing, he seemed stress-free and even playful. His need for control was still present, but I didn’t mind that. I even enjoyed it at times. He’d slept in my bed every night, but as he promised on our camping trip, other than a few passionate kisses, he hadn’t gone further. We just cuddled and tortured ourselves with the sexual tension building between us. Rider hadn’t pressured me at all about us, and I was appreciative of that. I liked this new version of him, but was this just because we were on some stress-free vacation? Now that I had a
Sophia We arrived at the lake on the western edge of my territory just before eleven. I knew where Rider was taking me the minute we left the packhouse and started walking west. It was where Conrad, Emma, and I always used to go camping when we were younger, and even Rory joined us a few times when he visited. Rider got to work on setting up the tent while I got the rest of our camp set up. There wasn’t much to do, but I cleared an area for a campfire and unloaded our backpacks. Once done, I glanced at Rider, who was cursing like a trucker, struggling with the tent. “Hey, you need some help?” I offered. “Nah, I think I got it now. Why don’t you hop in the lake, and I’ll join you in a few minutes,” Rider replied with a smile, but I could see right through it. He was getting frustrated with the tent and, by the looks of things, had not made any real progress. I held back a chuckle as I watched the stubborn man trying to figure out how to set it up. It looked like he woul
Rider I couldn’t be happier after seeing Sophia again. I thought I had lost her forever after the rejection, but it looked like I might get a second chance to prove myself to her. I didn’t take that lightly and was ready to do whatever it took to win her back. I fucking loved the woman and couldn’t wait to show her just how much. The minute Sophia had left me on the field, I practically ran back to the packhouse, searching for Maribel. I wanted to save time and figured she would be the fastest way to get to Sophia’s territory. Maribel, the little witch that she was, made me grovel for her help. She wouldn’t open a portal until I told her she was the best sister-in-law in the whole wide world and the most powerful witch I had ever met. The woman was almost as infuriating as my brother and mischievous as fuck. I knew I had a few hours before Sophia returned to her packhouse, so I took that time to find her parents and talk to them. I wasn’t expecting it to be an easy co