Olivia’s POV The acrid taste of bile rose in my throat as I rolled over, my hand instinctively reaching for Elroy's warmth. Instead, my fingers met cold sheets, and I jolted awake. If Elroy was awake then I had overslept, and I had too much to do for that kind of irresponsibility. A groan escape
Elroy's lips pursed. "I know it’s bullshit, Olivia. We just need to put some distance between you and Astor for the foreseeable future.” I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing thoughts. Unfortunately Elroy was right, and all three of us knew it. Even Astor didn’t deny it, even though he lo
"So none of those leads panned out?" he asked, leaning forward. I nodded, rubbing my eyes absently. We'd been at this for hours. "Not one,” I admitted with a sigh, “but the lack of bodies—" The library door creaked open, interrupting my train of thought. Jordan appeared, balancing a tray of stea
Whatever else I might have to say about the Ruby Room, it had one hell of a comfortable bed. Talking to a maybe-cannibal had really been the icing on the cake for my anxious body, the residual discomfort still keeping my shoulders tense hours later, but at least tonight I could actually sleep at a r
I realized how close I came to being Iris. I hadn’t thought about it in what felt like ages, but some of Elroy’s past words drifted back to me. I whispered, "You threatened to do the same to me." Elroy flinched as if I'd struck him. "Olivia, I..." He reached for my hand, hesitated, then let his
The heavy oak door creaked open, revealing Elroy's office. Sunlight streamed through the single window, illuminating shelves lined with leather-bound tomes and casting a warm glow on the polished mahogany desk. It wasn’t a huge space like the library, and something about being able to see the whole
“Yes, Iris told me,” I said. “Well, all that time Astor had our father to himself. It was like I didn’t even exist, and he was basically an only child. All of father’s attention, all his efforts, went into him. “When I presented as an Alpha, it changed everything. Suddenly my father was interest
The door swung open with a bang, startling Elroy and I both and breaking the moment we were suspended in. Astor sauntered in, his lips curled into that infuriatingly smug grin I'd come to both dread and secretly appreciate. He’d been more endearingly annoying than truly problematic recently, but tha
Olivia POVElroy left with a thousand soldiers the next morning, half on horseback and half in their wolf forms. I supposed I should be curious about the battle strategy, but I wasn’t. I couldn’t bring myself to care.A part of me knew I wasn’t defeated, that I would still fight for wolves’ rights a
She held up a hand. “I said I had to ask. I didn’t say I give him any credit. Officially, I am asking if you’re denying his claims.”“Of course I am!” I threw up my hands. “It’s all just some lie he’s made up to cause trouble.”I put my hands down. “Think about it, if I had someone from my past I lo
Olivia POVRefusing to follow behind Elroy like a naughty child, I swept out of the room ahead of him, though I took care to dismiss Jordan gently. She, like most of the wolves in the room who didn’t fight, looked shaken but still present in the moment. I trusted they could all take care of themselv
He looked at me and then bowed deeply, making several people gasp.“Come with me, Lady Olivia,” he urged, looking up with his hand stretched toward me. “I have gathered an army of Rogue werewolves who call me their king. Come with me and rule them by my side.”I was about to demand just what sort of
Olivia POV“He seems to know you,” Elroy said, and there was some accusation in his tone.“I promise I have no idea—”“Alphas! Betas! Omegas! And ladies and gentlemen!” the man said, his voice easily reaching over the chamber music to every corner of the room.Elroy signaled for the music to stop, a
Olivia POVI had always admired blood woods. Unlike the rather ugly bloodwood trees of southern Africa (so named because they seemed to “bleed” red sap when cut), blood woods’ deep scarlet color, elegantly twisted trunk, and thickly canopied dark green leaves made them a delightful focal point of an
But Jordan was right. What Ines and the others had described was a caste system in all but name.“People aren’t going to like our using that word,” I muttered.“People aren’t going to like a lot of things,” Fay said.“Yes, but there’s a knee-jerk reaction to the term ‘caste.’” I knew we were all thi
Olivia POVI had no idea what to say. I needed to do so many things, but right now I needed this man to continue to be the kind, playful husband he was being. My whole body seemed to light up inside from his touch, and all I wanted was for him to keep smiling and be happy.“Do you mean that?” I aske
“Jordan,” I said, “I think it’s time to hold a banquet.”The low light of my bedside lamp lay across Elroy's face, casting a warm glow on his furrowed brow as we settled down to sleep. It was hard to believe that I’d once been so reluctant to lay near him, and now this protective little cocoon we fo