AZALEA’S POVShe realized that she’d been away from the Lycan Kingdom for too long and that it could potentially raise flags with Carlton and Eligor, so we decided to split up. She returned there, while I returned to Erea.Where everyone had apparently left save my best friend.“They couldn’t wait for you since none of us knew where you’d gone,” she alerted.That didn’t really bother me. “Did Brantley tell them that Carlton was planning on attacking?”She nodded. “He mentioned it to our fathers. That’s why everyone had to leave. They’ve gone to attack him first.”“Ok good! At least they have that under control,” I stated.She shot me a look. “And what exactly do you have planned?”“I need access to your archives,” I replied.She raised an eyebrow. “We both know you’re not getting any access without first stating what your intentions are.”“I’ll explain myself, but I can’t guarantee that everyone will like the explanation,” I argued.She sighed. “Well, my dad’s gone, so I don’t know wh
AZALEA'S POVI expected that we would be heading to the archives room, but instead, my uncle led us to a portal. It was obvious that the four of us had no idea what was going on as we followed him through.Once through, the air instantly felt different. It was seemingly a cold day where we were, with the sun nowhere in sight. We continued to follow my uncle as he led us towards the castle in the distance.Everything about this place felt chilly, almost like it was meant to keep outsiders away. We reached the castle gates and when the guards saw my uncle, they seemed confused, but they let us in anyway.I looked around and the gardens were well kept, with a couple of trees around. There were no water features or statues around. The walk to the main door was quite long, and once we made it, the door was pushed open for us.The castle was decorated with neutral colours, with touches of black and gold. We continued to follow my uncle to a massive room, where I was stunned to see who was s
CLAYTON’S POVWe watched him, watching as he grappled with the revelation. “I didn’t even know she was pregnant when we last spoke.”It was surreal being here, watching the man speak. The more I looked at him, the more I realized just how much Brantley looks like him. My best friend would finally get to know his father depending on how everything goes from here.“Her own sister didn’t know she had a child. Simiyan mentioned that Simoa disappeared for a while twenty-four years ago, and now that we know about Brantley, we know why,” King Hayes commented.King Brennus seemed affected by the name. “Brantley? Is that his name?”“Why the reaction?” my fearless mate questioned.“Brantley is my father’s name. She knows how much he meant to me,” King Brennus explained.“She wanted you to know that you’re still special to her, even if she shut you out,” Pixie commented.“Keeping my son away from me isn’t exactly putting her in the best light,” he argued.He had a point there.“True, but as some
CLAYTON'S POVWe were left alone for a few minutes before some staff came in and directed us to one of the lounges. If there’s anything I’ve learnt about castles, it’s that they tend to have more than one of each room.But something told me we wouldn’t be afforded a tour of this particular castle.Or at least not yet.“I guess I won’t be able to see this castle before we leave,” my mate commented beside me.I smiled. “I was just thinking the same thing.”We were told that they were bringing us food while we waited, and Azalea cuddled into my side, with Pixie doing the same with Bennett. “We’ll probably only get a tour once everything is said and done.”“I’m curious about something. If Brantley’s dad is a King, that makes him Prince of this place, right? If that’s the case, does that mean Cyrus becomes Grand Beta?” Bennett questioned.King Aragon had already asked Azalea and I about our Grand Beta situation, and at the time, we didn’t give him an answer because it was something that we
AZALEA’S POVMy uncle and King Hayes disappeared for a while, and Clayton told me that he needed to speak to me. I was a little worried because of the look on his face, but I followed him outside nonetheless.“It’s nothing bad, so you can breathe,” he teased.I blushed. “Can you blame me? Things haven’t exactly been smooth sailing with us.”He took my hand in his. “Things will get better Lea, and then we won’t have to constantly be on high alert.”I nodded. “What did you need to talk to me about?”“While you were gone, I realized that I was feeling somewhat overwhelmed emotionally, and I went to your uncle about that and we discovered that you, or rather Shaylah, is dumping your negative emotions on me,” he stated.I was confused. “What does that mean?”“Have you felt particularly fearless? Like more than normal?” he asked.I thought about his question and realized that I had. “I have. I feel like I can face anything and anyone despite all the circumstances.”“I’m talking about that.
CLAYTON’S POVThe cave we were in was bright and surprisingly warm. The smell of lavender wafted through the place, and we watched on at the tension between the mates – both visibly longing to be in each other’s presence.I’d never before actually been fully in Simoa’s presence like I currently was. It wasn’t what I expected, and I definitely didn’t feel the chill that they say comes with being in her presence.If anything, I was blindsided by how normal she looked.She was wearing a simple black dress, and her black hair was left flowing down her back in waves. Aside from her dark makeup, she looked exactly like Simiyan, which is another thing I didn’t expect.King Brennus took a step towards her and she stumbled backwards. “I’m not angry at you.”“You should be,” she barely whispered.He shook his head. “I know you Simoa. I know there’s a reason behind everything you do. You wouldn’t shut me out without a good reason. You wouldn’t hide our son from me without a good reason.”A tear
AZALEA’S POV“What do you mean he’s right? He can’t possibly be right because then you’ve lied to me,” I told Simoa.“I didn’t lie to you Little Salvatore. I just didn’t blatantly tell you the truth,” she defended.“Why does he go by the name Carlton?” Clayton asked.“Because he knows that there will be people looking for him if he goes by the name Eligor. Dormut isn’t the only place where he left a path of destruction. He is a wanted man in many dimensions, so he’s been laying low in the Lycan Kingdom under his new name,” King Brennus explained.“That’s why you have to do Carlton’s bidding, because you’re doing Eligor’s bidding!” I realized.“I wanted to tell you, but I wasn’t sure how you would take the news,” Simoa spoke.“You have my father about to go up against an evil wizard with an unstable Lycan!” I spat.She sighed. “Look, I’m sorry. You can tell him to stall his plan and let Carlton come to him as was the original plan.”“But, if Carlton’s ready to strike, doesn’t that poss
AZALEA'S POVWe watched her, and she really looked like she was trying to remember. “You’re not going to remember.”“But it’s clearly important that I do,” she argued.I nodded. “That’s true, but it’s not just going to come to you.”“So, what then? What’s our next move?” she asked.“We stick to the original plan. Lea, King Brennus, and I will head back to the Lycan Kingdom to talk to King Aragon and make our move on rescuing Lea’s mom. You need to report to Eligor while we get King Hayes to get Brantley and Bentley to Advalur. We obviously can’t control what happens after all of that, but we’ll at least have the full team together,” Clayton explained.“He’ll expect me to fight on his side, despite the suspicion,” she pointed out.“And you will,” I stated.She raised an eyebrow. “I will?”I nodded. “You will. Simi’s going to be on our side, and for as long as she thinks you’re the enemy, she won’t back down easily. That means you can use your powers and fight, without Eligor picking up
AZALEA’S POV“I can’t believe two years into your marriage and you’re still pulling these stunts!”“How else am I supposed to keep the romance alive?”“He’s going to kill you, you know that much, right?”“He wouldn’t kill me while my dad still lives.”“At this point, Hugh would welcome your death. You truly are a menace.”My mouth dropped as she giggled. “You don’t mean that!”“Oh, I believe it too. When they told me you’re a menace, I didn’t know just how right they are,” my aunt teased.“You all just hate me,” I argued.“No one hates you because you won’t even allow us to do that much,” my mother commented.I gasped, and the evil women just laughed at me. “I can’t believe you’re in on this too!”“You and I are connected, and while the reason why is still a myth to all of us, at no point in my life did I swear to stand by your foolishness, especially when it involves tormenting that poor sweet boy,” Simoa stated.“There’s nothing sweet about him. You guys just don’t get to see how he
CLAYTON'S POV“I underestimated Eligor’s memory spell. I was desperate to explain myself and my actions, and to ask for forgiveness. I wasn’t sure if going to Aragon would help, so I went to the only other two people who knew me better than he did. Avril and Val were my best friends, so I thought if I could get them to understand, then they’d help me make sense of everything and help me deal with my new reality. I was lost, and in pain, and I just needed someone to understand me, except it was in that moment that I realized it would never happen. If the people closest to me couldn’t remember me, then I had no one. I was officially all alone,” Alyx explained.“What happened? Where have you been all this time?” her brother asked her.“After what happened with Avril, I knew I had to find a way to control what I’d become. I got some of Eligor’s powers through our mating, and they helped me to an extent. I found out he was abusing the Xeglan, and they asked for my help in keeping them from
CLAYTON’S POVOnce King Brennus lifted the spell from them, it was decided that we should head back while their memories started to trickle in. With everything over, the packs had been instructed to stack the dead hybrids and burn them.We suffered a couple of casualties and injuries on our side, and it was decided that the bodies of the dead would be put aside and we’d have a funeral for them the following day. We needed to let everything settle down first.With Eligor out of the picture, King Brennus ordered the Xeglan to return to Advalur, and they happily complied, while the Xeglan hybrids were imprisoned. At the end of the day, they were traitors, and it would be decided later what we’d be doing with them.Azalea led her aunt to our room, refusing to leave her side, while Pixie was quickly at mine. “You’re coming with us.”I followed after her, and she led me to a room with our friends in it, including Brantley and Bentley. “When did you guys get here?”“That’s not important! Wha
AZALEA'S POVThe turned Lycan looked my way. “I’m the source of a lot of your problems. With me out of the way, you stand a better chance of taking over this kingdom, but you’re going to have to catch me first.”I closed my link to my family and friends as I turned and made a run for it. I could hear him following after me, as well as my family following after him. I had absolutely no clue what I was doing, or what the plan was, but this distraction was giving me some time to think.And before I knew it, I was running past the border and into the Forgotten Lands.Being here, I knew that only Eligor, Clayton, King Brennus, Greier, and my aunt could follow after me. My father and Clayton’s father didn’t have the bracelets on them, so they’d be affected if they came through.I finally let my mate through our link as he ran in after me, shifted back and changed into shorts. “Now what?”“I have no idea, but I know this is where everything has to end,” I told him just as Eligor’s beast grow
AZALEA’S POVShe looked more badass than she had in the vision. Confusion surrounded us as we watched everyone wondering why the Xeglan hybrids weren’t fighting, and who the woman was. Much like in the vision, she was preceded by smoke, and when it cleared, I could see recognition from our inner circle.“It’s her. It’s the woman from the painting,” Pixie was the one to state.“It’s Alyx, isn’t it?” Cleo asked, but no one responded.Instead, we watched as Eligor took in his mate, surprised to see her in her true form. “You can control the faces?”“I can do a lot more than that, but I’m not here to tell you all about that,” she told him.“Well, it’s about time we joined hands and finally took over the kingdom as planned,” he smiled, walking over to her.She put her hand out. “You either didn’t hear me, or you’re choosing to ignore what I said. I’m here to stop you.”It was a slight opening in his emotions as the vulnerability showed on his face. “Tell me that these people aren’t right.
CLAYTON’S POV“Avril and Valencia were my closest friends. Lost as I was, I thought if I went to explain myself to them, they’d understand, but I underestimated Eligor’s spell. They really had no idea who I was, and the changing faces and my changed form weren’t helpful. That’s when I realized that I needed to learn how to control the faces and my body.”Azalea was crying beside me, and I put my arm around her. “Where was Eligor during all this?”“I didn’t want anything to do with him, and he agreed to give me my space. However, in that time apart, I realized that my love for him was turning to hatred. Every time he checked in on me, he would let me know about his efforts to undo what he’d done, but I’d already lost too much. Being with him didn’t feel like something I wanted to do anymore, so I kept to myself. One thing I got through our mating is some of his powers, and I used them to travel the dimensions, learning as much as I could about what they knew about shapeshifters. I also
AZALEA’S POVThere she was.She was dressed in a dark emerald dress, and there was smoke around her, but I knew it was her. The same eyes I’d seen in the painting were looking straight at me. She was unmoving, showing no emotion on her face.“It’s her.”I didn’t know if I could even bring him with me, but I was relieved to look to my side and find Clayton there. “Do we go to her?”He shook his head. “We wait for her.”I agreed, and we waited. Before getting pulled in, we moved off the battlefield, hiding, and I could only hope that we’d stay hidden given the fact that we had no idea what was going on outside this vision.After a while, she finally moved towards us. I unintentionally squeezed Clayton’s hand a little harder, and he put his other hand on top of mine. I looked up at him, and I knew what he was telling me through his eyes.He was with me, and he had my back.She walked until she stood before us. Much like I’d felt back in the castle, it felt like I was looking at an older
CLAYTON’S POV“Report?” my father asked.“They’re coming from the direction of the castle, so we can confirm that it’s Eligor and his army. There hasn’t been any movement from the Forgotten Lands,” his man reported.My father nodded. “Take to the skies and stay there waiting for my command.”“And Isaiah?” the man asked.“Tell him to stay where he is,” my father replied.The man nodded before leaving. “What’s going on Hunter?”“Like Theo just said, Eligor is headed this way with his army. There’s no word from Alyx’s side,” my father replied.I was about to ask a question when my mind link was prodded. “CLAYTON!”“Simoa?” I asked.“Yes, it’s me. Where is your mate?” she asked.“She’s here with me. Why?” I countered.“Eligor is on his way. I have been trying to let her know, but I haven’t been able to reach her,” she huffed.I turned to my mate. “Love, is there anything going on with your link to Simoa?”I heard the murmuring, but I didn’t care for it as my mate scowled. “I can’t feel he
AZALEA'S POV“Are you sorted?” I asked him.He nodded. “Ariel and Cleo are directing everyone here. Greier and the Lyca will join us shortly. Your uncle linked to say there’s a bit of a delay with the archives, but that he’ll be here as soon as he has the information with him.”“Should we maybe not talk to our people before they get here?” Clayton suggested.“He’s got a point Aragon. While we may be understanding of how you reached the decisions that you did, your people may not be,” Clayton’s dad joined us.“I’ll address them once they’ve all assembled,” my father agreed.As expected, our pack members were the first to assemble, and I could see the pride on my mate’s face at seeing his people still as efficient as ever. The pack members of The Rebelution were officially the pack members of the royal pack.I had read up on the royal pack, with my father answering any more questions that I had. Apparently, the royal pack that he was Alpha of was either taken over by Eligor, or those wh