“I guess I could play,” she said. “Fine.” Neil stood, his skin glistening in the flickering torchlight as the water rolled off of him. “Castor, you partner with Ember. I’ll partner with Raven.” For a second, I hesitated. I could feel Ember’s gaze on me, the hope in her expression dimming. I didn
Raven I found a tree stump near the edge of the forest and plopped down on it, my burning hand clenched into a fist in my lap. Neil’s words still stung, like a knife twisting in my belly. One night of pleasure. Was that really all I was worth to these men? Like a single-use item, to be had and d
Raven Before I could even say a word, Neil had already vanished into the flames. A plume of black smoke billowed out through the hut’s small windows, swallowing him. For a second, the world felt distant—just the roar of the fire, the crackle of burning wood, and the sound of my own blood rushing t
I screamed, the sound raw and ear-splitting, like a trapped animal. Because that was what I was—trapped. Like a rabbit caught in a snare. If I hadn’t lifted my hand to defend myself, then the knife might have gone through my eye instead, but my relief at that was nothing compared to the pain. “Hmm
Raven I winced as Ember cleaned the wound on my hand with some kind of sanitizing solution that stung like hell. The knife had gone straight through my palm, leaving an ugly, raw hole that would likely never fully heal. Not at this rate, at least. “This should be closing by now,” Ember muttere
Raven The large, heavy wooden doors of the throne room groaned open, their sound echoing off the vaulted stone ceilings as Neil led me inside. My pulse quickened inside of me at the sight of his two brothers standing by the throne, with the King seated between them. The King’s piercing eyes lock
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” I choked out, throwing in a sniffle for good measure. “But I think I need to lay down and… process all of this.” The King’s expression seemed to soften, just slightly, but it was enough to send a ripple of relief through me. He bought my act. For now, at least. As for
Neil & Raven Neil My horse’s hooves pounded against the ground beneath us as I pushed him harder, faster, the wind stinging my face and tearing at my cloak. My muscles burned and my bones ached from riding nonstop for hours, but I did not slow down. As the first light of dawn filtered through
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.