My room was done. It seemed like a silly thing to be so excited about, but I’d always been someone who needed her own space. It was an Alpha thing—we called it denning, an instinct that harkened back to the old days of fighting for and protecting territory. Obviously we weren’t competing for the b
I’d barely done anything in the grand scheme of things. Hell, I’d only been here two months. That my people would do this for me was… Well, there were no words. All I could do to show my gratitude was walk over and pull Jordan into an embrace. “I love it,” I said, voice shaking. “Thank you Jorda
Elroy’s POV The moment Olivia's breathing evened out in sleep, my wolf growled angrily in my mind. I pursed my lips, knowing exactly why. Olivia looked so peaceful in her sleep. Even now, seeing her safe and sound sent a wave of relief through me, just as it had when I'd found her alive after th
The Great Hall of Justice loomed around me, its ancient stone walls seeming to pulse with the weight of centuries of werewolf law. I was honestly surprised it had taken this long for me to enter it, but then, most debates were just held in the council chambers. The Hall was only ever opened up when
“The woman—the Ravencrest person who gave me the information—told me it would distract everyone from the actual report. It would become a whole political issue and people would focus on that instead of on what the report said about Luna Olivia. That made sense to me, so I pretended I’d done the rese
I rubbed my eyes, bent over yet another dusty old book with writing too small to for comfort. This section of the library was rarely used and it showed, but there was nowhere else I could find more about Eclipse’s history with Ravencrest.Rita’s testimony brought up a thousand questions. We couldn’t
We were Mates, after all. We weren’t going anywhere.Elroy didn’t speak again until we were sitting at our dining table, the gentle clink of silverware against fine china filled the dining room as we settled into our meal. The flickering candlelight cast a warm glow across the table, softening the e
My heart raced as I stared at the blank television screen, hands clammy with nervous sweat. Any moment now, Ines would appear, ready to reveal the painful truths that had been kept hidden for so long. Beside me on the plush sofa, Elroy's leg bounced with barely contained anxiety.We were both terrif
“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
I rose with the sun, brushing aside the veil of last night's uncertainties. Elroy had left early, and even though he was usually gone by the time I woke up, his side of the bed felt colder than normal.I moved through the morning with my thoughts in a tumult, incessantly repeating the same questions
But he hadn’t told me his feelings, hadn’t told me how close he wanted us to be. He could just mean he wanted a strong partnership as Alpha and Luna, like we’d discussed at the very beginning of it all, or it could be he cared for me as the mother of his child but didn’t love me. Not like I loved hi
The diner was a 1950s style burger joint, complete with black and white checked flooring and too-shiny red seats. The waitresses were wearing the same type of uniforms I’d seen in old movies, and Elvis played quietly over the speaker. One of the booths seemed to be made out of a classic car.Elroy l
I glanced at Elroy, feeling his silent encouragement radiate through our clasped hands. "To be honest," I confessed, "the depth of deceit took us by surprise. We were largely in the dark, just as many of you were."“And the council?” someone else asked, shoving a microphone towards Elroy.“The counc
Olivia’s POVI smoothed my dress, silently appreciating the way the purple fabric hugged my hips, accentuating my small baby bump. This would be the first time I’d be outside the manor since my pregnancy became visible, and the knowledge that everyone would see that there was life growing inside of
The incense stick sparked to life with a hiss, its aroma weaving through the air of the Ruby Room. I settled onto my knees, the rough carpet biting into my skin, and closed my eyes. Smoke curled like ethereal tendrils, carrying my silent prayer upwards."Great Moon Goddess," I murmured, choking on a
I wanted to pull until the hook ripped out, taking whatever traitorous chunk of me it wanted as long as it was gone. It was like an infected limb, but nothing I did seemed to force the amputation.What was wrong with me? Why couldn’t I just let this go? She was just a healer, someone I’d never even
Elroy’s POVThe effect of those words was immediate and indescribable. More than guilt, or shame, or horror—it was something that howled through me like a hurricane, ripping me apart and leaving ragged, bloody holes. My body could feel it, and it was as real as any cracking bone.My ears rang. My vi