Raven“You will be meeting the Lycan King and Queen today.”Great, I thought as Ember carefully pulled my hair back into two ornate braids, affixing small golden cuffs around the end of each. That was just what I needed; to spend a day having to blend in with people who executed their own.After all
“I do not share a mother with my brothers.”The answer took me by surprise. I had no idea that Neil was an illegitimate child—since he apparently still had a right to battle for the throne, then it never occurred to me.“It’s complicated,” he added, sensing my confusion.With that, he turned to Edri
HannahI whirled around at the sound of the voice, meeting the sharp gaze of a beautiful woman across the room.She had silver hair that was coiled neatly into a plait around her head, on top of which sat a delicate golden crown that matched her shimmering golden gown. Her eyes were the color of hon
Hannah’s eyes were wide as saucers. “My Queen—”“Hush, Hannah. Do not make a fool of yourself.” The queen corked the bottle and handed it to her servant, who pocketed it. Hannah seemed to tremble with rage, but finally went silent. The queen asked, “You’re well-versed in making perfumes, I take it?”
RavenThe ballroom was awash in the golden light of the braziers, casting flickering shadows across the swirling dancers. Long gowns swished across the floor, cloaks dragging behind muscular shoulders.Neil’s cloak enveloped us both as he held me against his chest. It didn’t smell like the coppery t
“I won’t go easy on you, Raven,” Castor said with a tiny smile. “Eric is right; you are a little big for your breeches this morning.”Eric scoffed. “She got into the Queen’s good graces last night, and thinks she runs the castle.”My face reddened at that, but I knew they were right. Between that an
RavenI must be crazy, I thought as I ran those laps.Outwardly, I complained nonstop about the punishment. I made sure to throw Eric and Neil and even occasionally Castor whatever insults would come to mind as I passed them on the track.But on the inside…I couldn’t stop thinking about the way his
“Where are you going?”I was halfway across the courtyard when the sound of Neil’s voice stopped me in my tracks. I turned to see him leaning against a pillar, shirtless as if he’d just been on patrol or something—like that first day we met.“The forest,” I said, pulling my shoulders back. “To gathe
I just knew I wanted him. Even if we were outside a dingy tavern in the middle of the night, inches from being spotted, I didn’t care. Wanting my mate was the most natural thing in the world. A soft moan escaped me as I shut my eyes, feeling his warmth press into me. The heat between my thighs pul
Raven The sudden press of Neil’s lips against mine felt like a lightning strike, electricity coursing through my body. For a second, I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think—I could only feel the searing warmth of Neil’s mouth on mine and the roughness of his grip around my wrists. But just as quickly
He gave a short nod, apparently satisfied. A few moments later, the guards returned with drinks. Castor and Eric were in the midst of recounting the battle, ale sloshing out of mugs as they gestured wildly. “And then Neil dove right into the heart of the fight,” Castor was saying. “One rogue after
Raven The tavern was dimly lit and packed, the air smelling thickly of alcohol and smoke. It seemed the entire village was there tonight, celebrating the warriors returning safely. We made our way to a table in the corner, our cloaks up to shield our faces despite the crowded atmosphere. The gua
Ember remained silent, studying me with an amused glint in her eyes. “But at least here,” I muttered, swinging again and managing to force her to step back, “Lycan women are honest about their intentions. You don’t pretend to be best friends while plotting behind someone’s back.” As I took anoth
Raven The morning sun had barely crested over the castle walls when Ember and I made our way to the training yard. I’d hardly slept at all last night, tossing and turning after my little late night run-in with Hannah. Ember was still watching me out of the corners of her eyes, clearly waiting for
Hannah rolled her eyes and stepped back. I didn’t lower my knife. “And that’s exactly why you are weak,” she said. “A tragedy like that would make a strong queen, not weaken her. If you were worthy, you would have used that pain to grow stronger. Instead, all it has done is make you look pathetic.”
Raven For the second time since I had met Hannah, she had a blade pressed to my throat. And if the infuriating curl to her lips was any indication, she was loving this little power imbalance. But I had learned from our last encounter, and I was prepared. “You seem to enjoy holding a knife to my
But as quickly as it had come, it was gone, and his gaze returned to the floor. I quickly realized I had been lingering longer than the other fiancées and everyone’s eyes had turned to me. My face heated, and I quickly scurried away, joining the other two women off to the side. The ceremony ended