Abernathy’s POVMy beast and I felt the magic of the gilded gift when it came to us. The late King Sebastian had tried to prepare me for what would happen when Sophia came of age, then it didn’t happen, so I assumed the old man had been crazy and thought nothing more of it, as convincing as he had been.There have been stories of the royal family’s golden eyed protectors for generations. My own Grandfather claimed to have been one of King Lucian’s Gilded Guards before he met my grandmother. His tall tales amused every pup around the campfire when the rest of the pack went on hunts, and I always wanted to believe him, but everyone knew they were just urban legends.I can still picture the deep creases around eyes that had seen everything and then some, if his stories were to be believed. My dear old grandad was a crotchety son of a bitch, except for nights like the Yule hunt. The Yule hunt before I tuned eighteen was the last time I sat with the other unshifted wolves and listened to h
Zaine’s POVI could have easily slept for a week but a few hours after my head hit the pillow I was up again. The gaggle of guards outside the door are up to no good, I can feel it in my bones, and if Abernathy has anything to do with it, it’s probably going to end in bloodshed.I don’t recall ever being so exhausted in my life. At least I managed to get Sophia and I back to the room before collapsing into bed. Torrin’s concern was written all over face when he saw me carrying Sophia up from the lake. The brave soul even offered to carry her for me. My shoulder aches as I chuckle at the memory.“What’s funny?” Sophia’s hand takes hold of mine and she gives it a gentle squeeze as she lays beside me. The scheming in the corridor can wait. Right now, I need to be here, with Sophia. How much trouble could they really get into anyway?“Nothing sweetheart, I’m just wondering how I got to be so lucky.” I turn to give her a kiss but am stopped in my tracks only inches away from her cheek. Her
Sophia’s POV “You stay behind me Sophia, I’m not playing.” Zaine looks down at me with a pleading look in his eyes. His voice is firm and commanding, and he called me by my name, which I’ve quickly realised he only does when he is deadly serious, so I nod and smile. He wants to protect me, and I want that too, but there is nothing out there that would harm me. I don’t know how I know it, I just do. When he slowly opens the door, I stand behind Zaine but look around him to see Torrin and another man’s back blocking my view down the corridor. That must be Abernathy. I remember him from my childhood, before… He was Beta, then after I was sent to the omega wing I only saw him once. When Zaine became Alpha and Luca and George his Betas, I never saw Abernathy again. There were rumours that after Alpha Theo and Luna Genevieve were killed, Abernathy was distraught with grief. He blamed himself for their deaths and tried to take his own life. I’ve never really given much stock to rumours, th
George’s POVSophia probably thinks I hate her. After all, I’ve never done anything to show her otherwise. I can’t lie and say that I feel the same way about her as everyone else in this room does. She is our queen by blood, but blood does not make a ruler worthy, and she is not fit to guide our pack never mind ruling our kind.How can someone who has grown up on the outside of the pack, possibly know how to be Luna, let alone Queen? It’s ridiculous. Now we are all in more danger than Zaine, Torrin, Abernathy or Luca, will admit, and that makes me nervous. If they don’t shed their blinkers and open their eyes to the real world, the pack will suffer. The blue cunt is still prowling in the southern forest, and Acheron isn’t going to sit idly by when the one man who could stand against him plays house with his new mate. When he finds out she has been here and alive the whole time, he will show no mercy, he doesn’t have it in him.I’ll give Sophia this, she has some balls, calling me out
Mrs Crook's POVSophia listens intently as I tell her about the days leading up to her birth and how loved and wanted she had been before she even existed. Her eyes gleam with unshed tears and her hand shakes in mine, as I try to keep control over my own emotions. I have imagined having this conversation with her so many times over the years. I have gone over it again and again in my head, wondering what to tell her. Do I leave the worst of it out, of tell her every single detail? Will it really help her to know everything or will that only add to her heartache?I see Abernathy fidgeting uncomfortably out of the corner of my eye, which makes sense when I feel Torrin’s strong, supportive hand on my shoulder. For someone who is convinced his wolf and mine are crazy, there sure is a whole heap of possessive jealously rolling this way.“Your father did all he could to protect Genevieve and you, but by the time we realised what was happening right under our noses, it was too late. His brot
Zaine’s POVGeorge looks around the room until his gaze lands on Luca. My beta’s usually back each other up in everything, but I decide to keep my mouth shut and see how this plays out. My beast watches closely through my eyes as he gushes in my mind about his warrior mate and how long he has been waiting for her to return to him.“Let her find her feet again Zaine. She needs time and opportunity to feel like herself. When she remembers all of who she is, you will understand. I can’t believe it is really her.” The depth of his reverence is so foreign and unsettling to me. My wolf has never submitted to anyone, but a few minutes of muted conversation between him and Sophia’s wolf, and she is practically leading him around on a chain. “What’s with blocking me? You never do that. Who is she?” I sound like a whining pup in my own head. I’m not used to secrets or someone else taking charge, and the fact that Sophia’s wolf has her ready to run head on into the man who my own Betas and her
Sophia’s POV The heavy weight of Zaine’s sweaty body slumped on top of mine is strangely comforting, if a little suffocating. My insides feel like they have been stirred up and displaced and my legs are dead but still shaking from the effort of keeping me standing during his possessive onslaught.The second the bedroom door clicked closed my wolf hinted at what was in store for me after our little display of power in Zaine’s office. ‘It’s a male thing.’ She told me. ‘They need the illusion of power and control and if you are lucky, you will benefit greatly.’ She chortled in my head.“Are you okay baby girl?” Zaine pulls slowly out of me as he sucks on my marking spot which makes my skin prickle with goosebumps. “Mmm hmm.” I wince a little as the huge head of his still hard beast stretches my swollen insides on its way out. It’s an unexpectedly satisfying kind of dull ache which makes my nipple tingle and my toes curl. My pussy tightens, making him growl against my skin. The vibratio
Luca’s POV The grand ballroom is coming together nicely. I know the annual coalition ball couldn’t have come at a worse time as far as Zaine is concerned, but perhaps this is exactly what we need. Something to take our minds off of everything and give us the illusion of normality, for a little while at least. To be honest, I could have done without us being the hosts this year. The last time we hosted this thing was just before Zaine's parents were killed, so I had no hand in the preparations. Every ball since then has been hosted by one of the other ten alphas, and each year it grows in both attendance and magnificence. I will not be shamed by producing anything less than spectacular, and luckily for me the drama that kicked off when Alpha Tomlin of Gibbous Moon hosted last years shin dig, means that as long as this thing doesn’t crash and burn, our reputation should remain unscathed. Aggie Crook tells me that our new Luna and Queen has a deep love of everything winter and woodlan