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
I blinked at that, then recalled last night—the play fighting in the hot springs. Had Ember heard about that? But Neil hadn’t been hurt, or so it seemed.“We were just—”“You insist on pampering yourself like a princess,” Ember continued, firing another arrow into the dummy. “Prince Neil finally got
RavenNeil’s blue eyes were glazed over with alcohol as they lazily trailed toward me.For a moment, he did nothing—just flicked his gaze across me, lingering momentarily on the plate in my hands before moving to my legs, my chest, my hair.I flushed deeply, too frozen to move. Neil was being touche
Neil harrumphed. “So I have heard. Ridiculous.”“Ridiculous?” I spat out. “What’s even more ridiculous is having a woman who loves you and sleeping with another. That’s ridiculous. And selfish. And…” I paused, but not long enough to consider the word that I spat out next. “Savage.”Just as they had
NeilI did not invite that woman back to my room that night.Nor did I invite any woman to my room, even though I had been in the mood to drink and let off some steam.Sleeping with a beautiful Lycan woman should not have bothered me. It was commonplace here for a man—especially one of my status—to
“No, Neil,” my brothers cut me off at almost the exact same time. Edrick smirked and continued, “It’s better for you to stay here. We need a guard dog around the castle.”I clenched my teeth, prepared to bite out a retort. But before I could, Caleb said, “Actually, that reminds me… Have you found an
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
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.