Kane’s POV: Thankfully Willow pumped yesterday and I can feed little Adare twice before I need to wake her to nurse him. Half asleep, she sits up and takes the boy to feed him, leaning back against the headrest and going straight back to sleep while nursing. I stay with her to make sure Adare doesn't fall out of her arms, and when they’re done I bring him into the living room with me. I strap him into his pram and leave a note for Willow. *Went for a walk with Adare. Food in the microwave.* The castle is quiet, as it always is after the full moon. The only thing that stirs is the sleepy guards who jump to attention when they see me approach, but slump right back into their dopey states as soon as I pass them. We are at our most vulnerable right after the full moon, but every wolf here has the ability to wake up fast and be ready for an attack in minutes. I walk along the perfectly paved paths, listening to Adare making cooing sounds as we go. It’s a beautiful day. The only thing th
Kane's POV: Willow puts Adare in his slings, and rushes ahead of me to the tower. “I bet it’s not very clean or comfortable,” she says and before I can say anything, she’s gone. We hadn’t been in the tower since Willow lived there for a week, and she’s not wrong, I’m just not sure it’s worth it to send Omegas up to make the place clean and liveable if Agatha only has hours left to live. But when I finally make it up there with the elderly witch in my arms, I’m reminded once again of how much I underestimate Willow’s magical abilities. A fire roars in the fireplace without an obvious fuel source, the shiny floor shimmers orange and gold in the light of the blaze, and in the bedroom, the bed is neatly made with clean, fresh linens. She put a jug of water and clean glass within easy reach of the bed. I’m sure it’s the only thing she didn’t conjure. When she sees us walking into the bedroom, she pulls away the covers and wait until I put the frail old woman down before she speaks. “Wha
Kane's POV The one thing Willow and I didn’t bargain on, and we should have, was that I’d be able to feel everything she felt. That catastrophic mistake doesn't become clear to me until a few minutes later, when she starts to break Agatha's spell. I barely make it down the stairs when a psychic pain so deep and profound rips through me that it renders me immobile. I fall against the mildewy wall and slide to the floor, just barely holding on to the pup. The safest place for him is the floor. It’s hard and dirty, but at least I won’t drop him. “Mother,” I mind link with Erica. “Are you awake?” “Yes.” She sounds sleepy, but she’s an experienced wolf who can handle the full moon shift much better than a young one. “Is something the matter?” The last time I contacted her after a full moon was right after Willow's first shift. “I need you to come and get Adare.” “Why?” My hands clench into fists. Something dark is coming. Dark and dangerous. For a moment, the whole world goes black
“That was uncomfortable,” Kane coughs and tries to sit upright.Uncomfortable? Only Kane will describe the horror of the underworld as uncomfortable. “Where is Adare?” I ask right away. I should be more concerned about Kane, but my baby’s not here and I don’t know if he’s safe.“With my mother.”I relax immediately. At least he’s in good hands, and I didn’t inadvertently bring him to the pits of the underworld with me. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” I say, and wipe sweaty hair out of Kane’s eyes. “You weren’t supposed to be dragged into the underworld with me.”“How did I get there?”“I don’t know.” I’m so close to tears that it’s difficult to speak. Seeing my beautiful, strong mate lying limply on the floor, covered in dirt, and paler than death itself, hurts more than anything my father ever did to me. “I should have made sure you’re protected.”“No.” He coughs again, an ugly hacking sound. “You couldn’t have done both.”“I could have. I should have.”“Well, you didn’t know it would hap
Kane's POVMaybe being void of emotions is a good thing. It's a nice little break from the turmoil, and it will make it easier to execute my father when the time comes.The Alphas are set to visit us in two days’ time, and I haven’t thought about my father’s impending judgement in all this time. I couldn’t. It was just too much on top of everything else I’ve had to deal with.I sit on the couch, staring at the dead TV while I listen to Willow puttering around the apartment as she takes care of our son. Soon after my mother left, she declared that she’ll take care of supper, and I haven't seen her since. I shudder to think what might come out of that kitchen tonight.It doesn’t matter. I’m not hungry anyway.At least I can’t feel that odd longing for Dani anymore, which is a blessing in itself. “Kane?” Glenn speaks in my head.“Yes?”“The undertaker is here. What do we do with Agatha?”“I’ll let him know what the plans are. Willow wants to talk to the witches before we decide what to d
Kane fell asleep less than an hour after we ate dinner. It was frustrating trying to get him to eat. He pushed the food around his plate, and when I finally convinced him to take a bite, he gagged, his lips pulling downwards in disgust, and tried to push the food away. “Tastes like dust.” “I know, but you have to eat it anyway. Nothing will taste good for a while.” Sitting there, watching him force the food down his gullet, made me nauseous with concern. He’s bound and determined to stay dead inside until after his father’s execution, the consequences be damned. I stand by the side of our bed, looking down at my mate. The gentle rise and fall of his chest, his relaxed and calm face – I can almost believe that he’s all right, and not turning into an emotionless monster -- which is exactly what he’ll become in the end. I’ve seen it before. Even with protection, the soul reapers eat bits of your soul away, and if you go deep enough, and often enough, it becomes nearly impossible to r
Kane's POV “Go get our mate,” Dario snarls in my head for the tenth time since she left with Adare. “Quiet. I want to sleep.” “No. You are hurting her. On purpose. I won’t let you sleep until you go to her.” Fuck. I’m annoyed. Mildly, but still, it’s there. The small return of an emotion that I do not want. I drum my arms and legs on the bed like a toddler. “Shut up! It’s just for a few days. She’ll be okay.” “She’s afraid of you…of us.” “No, she’s not. She’s worried she fucked me up. And if you think about it, she did. I wouldn't be in this mess if she didn't insist on helping Agatha.” That's unfair, I know, but I'm grabbing at, and holding on to, any and every straw I can find to justify my behaviour. “Go to our mate.” Dario roars. “We will lose her if you don’t.” I sigh and roll off the bed, pausing at the window to look out at the moonless night. The gardens are calm and peaceful, the night dark and cold. I open the window, letting the freezing breeze in, and gulp in big lu
Kane’s POV “What do I need to do?” I ask, tucking stray strands of curls behind Willow’s ear. “Is there some kind of magic or something you need to use on me?” “No.” She shifts on my lap and manoeuvres herself around, throwing a leg on either side of me. Wrapping her arms around my neck, she presses her soft, warm body tightly against mine. Dario purrs happily and finally settles down. “What are you doing?” “Nothing,” she answers me, but she has the most lascivious grin on her face, and her eyes sparkle naughtily into mine. “You just need to be with the ones you love, allow us to love you.” Her delicious lips embrace mine, stealing the last little vestiges of reservations I had left. It’s just a flicker of lust followed by a tiny ripple of love, but it’s enough to remind me that I have to fight for it. Fight for her and Adare, because if I don’t, I’ll lose them – one way or the other, they will disappear from my life. “The negative emotions are always the first ones to come back,