"What do you think, my lovely?" the prince asks. "I shall announce our engagement in front of everyone who matters in this pack and many others." He squeezes my hands tighter, bringing them more firmly against his chest. "And before the King, I will claim you as my mate.""That sounds…" Horrifying. "Wonderful," I say, forcing a smile onto my face. I look up into his eyes because I must. I must. "I can't wait.""Neither can I," he replies, the joy evident on his face. I hate the thought of breaking his heart, but this life he wants, this vision he has…It's not the life I want for me and mine. My baby would never be safe among the Lycans. I know that with my entire heart. His people will kill my pup before it can even take its first breath.And the prince will let them.He gives me one last rapturous look, then lets go of my hands. "You'll need a proper wardrobe to attend the royal banquet. I'll have the best seamstress in the city come to your quarters. I want you dressed in the heigh
Her words touch the truth of my soul in a way no one else has. I've always followed my heart. Every decision I've made was because its voice told me it was the right thing to do. And even though I know Josephine's daughter's story does not have a happy ending, I will follow this path as well.Because it's my destiny.She nods and I know she's reading my mind. "Yes, I was right. Two of a kind. And because I can see you already know, I will tell you the end. Her escape plan failed. She was caught–" The word seems to stick in her throat. "Punished.""Punished?" The word falls out of my mouth before I can stop it. I don't want to know. I already know.There are no more tears when she meets my eyes, only hard resolution. "I waited until the wind was right, then I let her ashes go. I let them blow toward the Werewolf lands." A sad, wistful smile graces her face. "And her beloved."I clasp her hand hard, both taking and giving comfort. I don't think I've ever been this afraid in my entire li
"Werewolf!" another guard calls, and the four who surround me move in closer.I look around, my head swiveling this way and that, but I already know there's no escape. I'm in the middle of a border checkpoint, surrounded by guards, not to mention all the Lycans who are just there on routine business. Every single one of them stopped what they were doing at the first cry of "Werewolf."If I make any sudden moves, I'm going to be attacked. And though I may survive the assault – and only because they'll want to question me – my child might not. I have to project calm. I have to stay still, even as my nerves jitter and jangle.Obedient. That is what I must be. For the sake of my baby.I hold up my trembling hands, a universal gesture of surrender."Come with us," says the guard who commanded me out of the truck."Where are we going?" I ask, but they ignore me.The squat, concrete building they manhandle me into fills me with fear, and when the door slams shut behind me, it feels like a de
I've never hated anyone the way I hate this cocky Lycan in front of me. I would love to wipe that smirk off his face, but I have no proof of anything I say."It was a gift," I tell him again, but this time more desperately. "I swear. I'm not an emissary, a spy, or a thief. I just want to cross the border." I can't help the tears that form in my eyes. "I just want to go home.""No, you're just an innocent wolfless wolf, crossing the border from the Lycan side, carrying the token of your King of Kings. A token so precious only a select few have the honor of owning them."I don't know what to say to that, so I say nothing at all. That is the truth, but he's never going to believe it.He smiles suddenly, his eyes lighting up with glee. Menace comes off him in waves. Try as I might, I cannot suppress my shudder."I've got to be honest," he says, his voice eerily cheerful. "Breaking you is going to be fun."I'm going to die here. The last thing I'm going to see in this life is this hateful
Try as I might to put on a brave face, I cannot fully suppress my fear and apprehension. The prince's words seem mild, and the question wasn't asked in anger, but there has to be a catch, something underneath all his courtly manners, just waiting to attack."Don’t look at me like that," he says, and for the life of me, I swear he sounds…sad. Disappointed. "I brought you home with me because you were hurt. Banished. We both know you would not have survived on your own.""You don't know that," I say, chafing at the insult.He laughs freely, but not meanly. "Aurora, what do you think would have happened to you if I had not arrived at the guard house to take you away?"I have no answer for that because we both know that answer."As I was saying," he goes on good-naturedly. I realize that he's teasing me. It's sweet in an odd sort of way. "I took you home because you needed my aid."His face goes softer – and a little sadder. "And of course, because you're my mate, I want to bond with yo
I smile despite myself, pleasantly surprised by his offer to get to know one another better. In my sorrow, my rejection, and my trauma, I may have misjudged the prince. Falsehoods and rumors about the Lycans in general also probably added to my prejudice.Looking into his handsome face across the café table, I'm glad that I now have the opportunity to learn more about this man and his people on my own."I'd love to know more about you, Prince Mykal," I say. "I think sharing some of our personal history is a wonderful idea.""Excellent," he replies. "But before we go any further, let's drop the honorifics. I am just Mykal, and you are just Aurora, and we are simply two people on the verge of forming a friendship." He gives me a cheerful grin. "How does that sound?""If you insist…" I'm not entirely comfortable with his desire to be so intimate. Unfortunately, I have little choice. "I do insist," he says, laying on the charm. "All right," I say, forcing a lighthearted smile onto my f
I bring the picture close to my face. The girl within the frame smiles back at me. She has the same hair and eye color as me, but that's where the similarities end. Her clothing is different than anything I can ever recall wearing, her hairstyle much more intricate, and when this photo was taken, she had to be at least twenty or more years younger than I am now."I have no memory of this," I say, my frustration growing. I glare at the image, straining my brain, willing the memory to come back to me."Aurora," Mykal says, and his amused voice shatters the void I'd fallen into. When he sees he has my attention, he smiles wider. "Your eyes are going to drill holes into that photo if you stare at it any harder.""I don't know if this is me," I tell him somewhat desperately. "I have no recollection of ever coming to Lycan territory. For the past twenty-some years, I've thought of myself as a pureblood Werewolf. There was no reason not to.""I know it's you," he says with a confidence bef
Evander's POV"Nalani's awake."I look up from the paperwork I've been frowning over for the last half hour. My Beta stands at attention before me, his face, as always, neutral."Meet me outside in five minutes," I command. "We're going to the hospital."Ralfi nods, acknowledging my directive, then exits my home office.I look down at my desk, at the bills of receipt, supply requests, cargo manifests – all the things Aurora used to deal with when she oversaw the border crossing. I'm happy to escape it, and even happier with the thought of passing it to Nalani.She is the Luna now, after all. I'm curious to see how she handles it.The Jeep is waiting for me outside, and Ralfi and I arrive at the hospital a few minutes later. Dr. Oliver meets us in the lobby, then escorts us to Nalani's room.Ralfi takes up his position outside the door, and I enter alone. I have some questions for my former mate."My darling!" Nalani calls out as I close the door behind me. She holds out her arms to me