*Alec*As I arrived in the rogue village, the air was alive with a vibrant energy that pulsed through the bustling streets. The stars had begun to shine in the sky, and the moon had started to rise. Laughter and singing filled the air as I walked through the village’s center past the party going on. Half-dressed women hung on the arms of various men. Others danced with each other lifting full cups as they twirled around. Giggling couples whirled around the bonfire in the center of town.I recognized a few faces from the carnival among the group, but most of the villagers were unknown to me. Most of them didn’t even acknowledge my presence, either too drunk or otherwise occupied, as I walked past, heading toward the largest house in the area. It wasn’t at all like the castle. I assumed it probably had eight rooms in it, but it had a sort of comforting feel. I could feel the mist of a large body of water on the breeze and the scent of a garden. Soon, I saw Sawyer standing on th
*Ember*I got out of bed and headed out. My mind was still churning about Alec and that woman. The sultry way she purred to him. The fact that his door was open only made it hurt more. Then, her words rang through my mind.Exclusive…My lips trembled, and all my doubts started to creep up again. Alec wasn’t mine. He still wasn’t my Alpha. I was little more than a guest and occasional lover. Maybe he was tired of me. I crossed my arms and wiped away the tears before they could fall.I hated that she’d said that to me. I hated the situation, but as much as I didn’t like her, and didn’t like the idea of her around Alec, I couldn’t find it in me to hate her. No matter how I looked at it, she was right. Alphas got to do just about anything they wanted. They could have a Luna and fifty breeders. They could trade them out at will and without reason, but if a woman, no matter her class or station, was found to even have more than one lover, she’d be torn to shreds by their pack and may
*Ember* The crowd continued to shift and move as if the wolf had never been there, but I kept staring after it wondering if I was just losing my mind from all the stress or if it was a sign from the Goddess that there was so much more to my life that I didn’t understand. Maybe I would never understand.“What are you looking at?”I turned around swiftly, looking up at Alec, who looked back towards the crowd before looking down at me with a lifted eyebrow. The sight of him made me set my jaw and put distance between us. A bit of hurt flickered in his eyes, but I couldn’t let myself feel anything about it.I met his purple gaze and braced myself to ask what I should have been asking all along.“What’s going on between us?” I swallowed. “What… What are we to one another?”Alec frowned. “What do you mean?”My lips twitched as I held back a snarl of anger. The guilty, nervous look on his face was enough to tell me that he knew exactly what I was asking.“Don’t… pretend like
*Alec*I grimaced as Cassandra drew closer to me. I caught her hands in mine and pushed her away gently, not missing the look of surprise on her face.“Stop it.”“Alec,” she whispered. “What—”“I saw the way you looked at Ember,” I said. “I don’t appreciate it.”Her eyes narrowed briefly. She didn’t pull her hands back, and she didn’t move as she looked up at me as if she was trying to figure something out.“Are you and the Shadow Walker mates?”Her words struck me breathless as I stared down at her. She cocked an eyebrow at me. Her eyes were still searching my face. I swallowed down my answer and focused on what she was saying. She didn’t deserve the answer before Ember did.Shadow Walker? I had heard of the term maybe once or twice in my life, but it still sent a chill through me. I could almost taste the ozone in the air as I thought back to when Ember had injured Bryan. Then, I narrowed my focus on Cassandra. While she was still a beautiful woman, there was somethin
*Ember*His mate?I sat there, stunned by Alec’s revelation. The warmth of his hand started to seep into me past the cold that had gripped me since I left him with that woman in the village. His purple gaze was so open and earnest. Desperate. He wanted me to believe him, and as much as I wanted to, I resisted. His words echoed in my mind. My emotions felt like a storm rolling and rioting through me as a sense of unease started to come through. Could it be true? Was I truly his mate?“I should have told you”, he said. “The moment that I realized.” Why was he telling me this now? Just as I was making my peace with never seeing him again, whether that be because I would end up in Lukas’ clutches or with the Maidens? “Why… are you telling me this now?”He worked his jaw and tightened his grip on my hand. “Because you deserve to be the first person to know.”I looked away from me. “Wh-What difference does it—”“It makes all the difference, Ember,” he growled. “It
*Ember*Alec left me in the gazebo after fixing my clothes. He kissed my forehead and told me he’d be back when it was time to go. As I looked out over the lake and across it to the mountains, I sighed with relief. All my fears about Alec’s plans for me were gone.Better than that, we were mates. The joy that filled me made my toes curl. My stomach was filled with butterflies at the thought. I couldn’t even feel the soreness from earlier. I was so happy and relieved. Alec wasn’t going to give me back to Lukas. He wasn’t choosing Cassandra over me. He wasn’t going to give me up at all. We would be together just like I’d hoped. I had never imagined that I would have a mate. In all the years of living with the Alpha King, I had never imagined much of a future. Finding Alec had been more than I had ever imagined. Now, there was so much more I could look forward to. I couldn’t stop smiling if I tried. Would I be the next luna of Whitelark? I rolled my lip between my teeth. What did t
*Alec* A few days had passed since we came back from rogue territory. I hadn’t given another thought to that crackpot’s words, but I hadn’t slept easy either. My plan to get Lukas to Whitelark was working, but my stomach churned at the thought of the cost. There was something about the whole situation that felt too easy. Every night I went to bed, I found I couldn’t sleep. Ember was in her chambers. I knew the castle was safe, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of looming danger. As the day that Lukas was meant to arrive drew closer, my sleepless nights turned to anxious fever dreams. I saw my mother and her kind smile. I saw my father and his blood splattered across the ground. I felt the agony of that blade in my back from all those years ago, as if my mind was dragging me through my memories or something inside me was sending me a warning. When the dreams turned from the past, I thought I would at least sleep easy the night before his arrival, but I was wrong. Shadows swarme
*Ember*In the middle of the night, I found myself roused from slumber, a heaviness tugging at my chest like an invisible weight. I opened my eyes and smiled as I felt the warmth of Alec’s body beside me. I knew he’d give in and come to bed with me eventually. I curled closer to him, not wanting to leave his side now that he was here, but the pressure in my chest wouldn’t let up. It was almost like something was pulling me. I sat up, and the sheets slipped down to my waist as I carefully disentangled myself from Alec's sleeping form. The dark circles under his eyes seemed deeper in the cool light coming through the window, but he looked peaceful. If I stayed, I’d probably wake him up, and he was stressed enough with Lukas being here, so I grabbed a robe and slipped out of the room as quietly as I could. Alec didn’t even stir as I closed the door behind me. A faint chill lingered in the air as I walked down the hallway. Soon, I reached a side door that led out to the garden.