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
Raven“It smells awful in here.” I tugged against Neil’s grip on my hand, digging my heels into the dirt. My nose wrinkled at the scent of something I couldn’t quite place—whatever it was, it smelled like death. And rotten eggs.“Stop struggling,” Neil growled, clearly annoyed with me. “It’s just a
The pilot, though…“Maybe there are alligators, too,” Neil continued, taking another step closer. There was a tiny smirk tugging at his lips, and the torches made him look even more impish. “Or perhaps piranhas.”“Stop—”“Hm. Or maybe there are sirens beneath the water who will drag you under and fe
Raven“I have no interest in you whatsoever.”Those words should have been a relief. In their own way, they were a promise—a promise that, once this whole ordeal was over, we would break our bond and I would return home unscathed with nothing tying me to the barbaric Lycan world.And yet… I couldn’t
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
Raven The throne room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, despite the fact that Lycans filled every available space. Buttery yellow sunlight spilled through the large stained glass windows, casting patterns of deep reds and golds across the stone floors. I had only been in this room during t
He didn’t reply, but I felt his fingers press a little more firmly against my waist, pulling me just a fraction closer as he led me through another spin. The music shifted, the tempo quickening, and I was glad for it. It let me focus on matching his movements rather than the confusing swirl of emoti
Raven Neil led me toward the dance floor, which had cleared of people during the fight. The music began to play the moment we set foot in the center of the circle, a lively and upbeat tune that thrummed up through the soles of my feet. Someone in the crowd whistled as Neil tugged me closer, and
Ember gestured toward the ring, where Neil and his opponent were still sparring relentlessly. “In Lycan tradition, the ultimate victor of fights like these will choose whoever cheered the loudest to dance with after the fight… and maybe even take home.” Ember’s lip curled a little at that last bit.
Raven As the victor challenged Neil, the whole village square seemed to freeze. Conversations dropped off, laughter died down, and suddenly, all eyes turned to Neil, who was still standing quietly beside me. His expression didn’t change, but something flickered in his gaze. I couldn’t tell if he
At that, Ember’s gaze darkened, and I could sense the resentment bubbling just below the surface. She shook her head and took another big gulp of her ale. It was strange, seeing her be so open about something like this. After all, Ember was the last person I’d expect to be open about… well, much o