Two days until the full moonAVAI woke up in a tangle of sated bodies, but it wasn't right. It wasn't right without Theo. I still felt like something was missing.We all went for a run before breakfast, which definitely wasn’t as relaxing as normal, thanks to the security escort Michael had insisted upon… and by the time we returned to our suite, the room had already been made up and handmaidens must have picked our outfits for the day… including my heels and tiara.I groaned when I saw the ‘casual wear’ that had been laid out for us. The men had dark blue chinos with black formal shoes and shirts, each in a different colour, whilst I had a blue chiffon cocktail style summer dress with black heels. Fortunately the tiara laid out with the outfit was a delicate one, as close to casual as it's possible to be… but it's still a tiara.“You look amazing, my Queen,” Callum smiled, taking my hand and spinning me around. “This royalty thing suits you.”I rolled my eyes.“He's right, Ava,” Osc
AVAThe run back to Blood Moon was faster this time, we managed it in only four hours. But that will be because part way back, I felt Theo being tortured. There’s nothing like the feeling of your mate being tortured to help you somehow run even faster.We set up my twelve warriors in one of the guest houses, one nicely close to the pack house in case we needed the backup quickly. I’d agreed with Callum, who was essentially my head of the Queen’s Guard, that I’d have two warriors tailing me at all times, not including him.I could deal with that.With everything that was going on, being tailed by two warriors is hardly a concern. I was planning on insisting each of my mates had a tail too once my Queen’s Guard was fully in place. They wouldn’t like it either, but they’d have to learn to deal with it.Until they didn’t, I’d keep knocking them on their asses in training.Of course, we hadn’t told Jacob and Alex yet that I’d brought twelve Lycan warriors back with us from our adventures,
AVATo summarise, it’s two days before the full moon. And it’s not early in the day either, it’s nearly 11pm.According to the Moon Goddess, Selene, that’s when shit is going to get serious.There are two psychopaths that want to forcibly mark me. One is the Rogue King, the other is the brother of the Beta female of a pack that’s not even that close to ours. They both believe that if they forcibly mark me, any future pups of ours would be all-powerful, help them take over the world… and whatever else power hungry psychopaths want.They’ve heard the legends of the Alpha Queen, and most likely interpreted it wrong.I’m still missing one of my fated mates. He's been captured by the power-hungry psychopath who wants to forcibly mark me and is being kept somewhere in a basement near a train line. We’ve still got about fifteen miles of train line to search, and it’s in a territory we’ve got to sneak into so we don’t immediately start a war.At the same time, our pack’s Alpha has been kidna
One day before the full moonAVAWe searched the territory for hours. Callum, Alex and I plus our warriors finished first and drew a blank, so we all pushed out to help Noah, Oscar and their teams search the forests.By the time we finished, we’d been going for six hours and it was the middle of the night. On the day before the full moon. My stress levels were through the roof already, and I knew that was only going to get worse.But not just for me.Noah’s parents were missing, his brother was missing. He needed me that night, and I didn’t have any issue with that whatsoever.We might not have had long to rest in between problems to solve, but I’d give him whatever I could. As soon as we reached the bedroom I had set up in the packhouse, we stripped off and fell straight into bed, wrapped in each other’s arms.“I love you, Avelina Wroblewski,” he whispered in my ear.“And I love you, Noah William Hughes.”His smile was like a kid on Christmas. His hands moved until he cupped my face
AVAI managed to get a whole three hours of sleep before I was up and out again. The first job of the day was interrogating our friend Julian Stanley. We needed to know what he was doing and why the bloody hell he was doing it.Was he just acting on behalf of the Rogue King like he claimed? Or is he actually a third psychopath that I’d need to worry about? That’s the question.I burst into the interrogation room in the basement, Callum hot on my heels. I’d already had security move Julian from his cell to the interrogation room; his hands were bound with silver cuffs to the table in front of him, and his ankles were shackled to the chair legs.Callum had found a witch to remove the spells he was using, so instead of seeing a replica of Jacob, we were now seeing him for who he is. He wasn’t as tall as he was pretending to be, or as muscled, so all of his clothes were now hanging off him. His mousy brown hair looked like it hadn’t been washed, and his face looked like it had an argument
AVAI couldn’t believe it.We actually had a lead on Theo’s location.For the first time in days, I had hope.I turned to sprint from the office, motioning for the guards to move him back to his cell as I went.“Noah, Oscar, my office,” I shouted through the link I had with my mates, Callum was only a foot behind me as I ran. “Callum, round up the Guard. Theo, if you can hear me, we're coming for you, I promise.”“You know he probably can't hear you,” Callum replied, out loud, his voice quiet, almost delicate.“I know,” I replied. “But I have to keep trying.”Oscar and Noah met us at the door to my office, also evidently having run. I couldn't help the smile that started to appear around my face at the thought that we were going to get him. We were going to get the missing piece of my soul.“Ava, is it true? You know where he is?” Noah’s voice was frantic as we all sat down.“We have a good idea,” I replied. I was trying not to get either my or Noah’s hopes up, but it was hard and I c
AVAI opened my mouth to reply, but immediately let it close again. How do you tell this kind of story? That’s the question.When my Kings and Alex all saw my expression, they all gained a worried look.“Do you know who he is, Ava?” Callum asked.“Yes.” I paused for a moment, biting my lip. “Unfortunately. Before I tell you this story, you’ve got to understand that Lycan packs are a monarchy that is operated in a much more old fashioned way than most wolf packs. There are a lot of things that I plan to change when I take over.”I let my eyes fall closed, face tense. When I opened them again, I knew Artemis was forward. She wasn’t looking forward to this conversation either. “Callum, can you pour me a drink for this conversation, please.”He nodded, grabbing a glass and a bottle of rum. He poured a generous glass for me, and put the bottle next to me on the table. He knew me well enough to know that this wasn’t going to be good.“I was betrothed to the Rogue King before I was even born
CALLUMIt broke my heart more than I ever thought possible to hear what Ava went through. It's disgusting that arranged political marriages are still even an acceptable thing in any pack, regardless of whether it's run as a monarchy or not.Absolutely despicable that people would put their children through that.I'm sure there are genuinely happy marriages that come out of that arrangement, and I know Ava's biological parents were happy despite being in an arranged marriage… but I couldn't put my child through that. Absolutely never.I'd lock up anyone who tried to force someone into that and throw away the key. The fact that someone is trying to force Ava… well. I would come down on them like a tonne of bricks.The room was deathly silent once Ava finished telling her story. I walked around the table towards her, sitting on the desk in front of her. I pulled her into my arms, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “He won’t take you away from us, little one,” I whispered. “I promise you th
AVAI sank into the plush armchair, my body feeling like lead. The room was dimly lit, shadows dancing on the walls as the fireplace crackles softly. Oscar lay on the chaise lounge nearby, his chest rising and falling steadily. Relief washed over me, but it was tinged with a lingering anxiety that refused to dissipate."How are you feeling, love?" Theo's voice broke through my thoughts.I met his concerned gaze, and I knew my eyes were full of pain. "Like I've been hit by a truck, then run over by a train for good measure."A weak chuckle escaped Oscar's lips. "That's my girl, always with the colourful descriptions."My heart clenched. He nearly died saving me, and there he was, still trying to make me smile. I reached out, grasping his hand tightly. "We need to talk about what happened," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.Callum leaned against the mantle, his jaw clenched. "Agreed. We can't let something like this happen again."I could feel the weight of their worry, their lov
AVAI couldn't bear it anymore. The pain of feeling Oscar slipping away was too much. With a surge of desperate strength, I pushed against Theo's chest. "Let me go," I choked out, my voice barely above a whisper.Theo's arms loosened, surprise flashing across his face. I took advantage of his momentary hesitation and scrambled away, my legs giving out as I reached Oscar's side. I collapsed to my knees, my hand finding his."Oscar," I whispered, squeezing his fingers. They felt so cold. Too cold. "Don't you dare leave me."I could feel our bond stretching, thinning like a gossamer thread about to snap. Panic clawed at my throat. This couldn't be happening. Not after everything we'd been through."Ava," Callum's deep voice c
CALLUMI could feel Theo's anger radiating off him in waves as we strode down the dimly lit corridor toward Sera's cell. My own fury simmered just beneath the surface, barely contained."Remember, we need information," I said, my voice low and tight. "Don't let her provoke you."Theo's jaw clenched. "I'll try."As we approached the heavy iron door, I took a deep breath, steeling myself. The guard unlocked it with a harsh clang that echoed off the stone walls.Sera sat on a narrow cot, her raven hair tumbling over her shoulders. Those unnerving violet eyes locked onto us as we entered."Well, well," she purred. "To what do I owe the pleasure of a royal visit?"
OSCARI couldn’t tear my eyes away from Ava's lifeless gaze as the healers swarmed around us like agitated bees. The scent of herbs and magic hung thick in the air, mingling with the acrid tang of fear emanating from my brothers and me. My fingers tightened around Ava's limp hand, desperately seeking some flicker of response."Damn it, why isn't anything working?" I growled, frustration boiling over as another potion fails to elicit even a twitch from our mate.Noah placed a steadying hand on my shoulder. "They're doing everything they can, Oscar. We have to be patient."Patient? How could I be patient when the love of my life is lying there like an empty shell? The urge to lash out, to find that witch and tear her apart with my bare hands, was nearly overwhelming.
AVAThe moon's absence cast an eerie darkness over the ritual circle, the air thick with anticipation and the scent of herbs. I took a deep breath, steadying myself as I stepped into the silver-etched boundary of the circle, my heart pounding against my ribs like a caged bird. Sera's violet eyes gleamed in the flickering candlelight, her raven hair seeming to absorb the shadows around us. I could feel the tension radiating from my Kings through our bond, their worry and love intertwining with my own determination."Are you ready to begin, Your Majesty?" Sera's melodic voice carried an undercurrent of excitement that set my nerves on edge.I swallowed hard, casting a glance at my mates. Callum's jaw was clenched, his blue eyes stormy with concern. Theo's hands were balled into fists at his sides, while Noah's gaze was fix
AVAI bolted upright, a scream tearing from my throat. The room spun, shadows dancing in the dim light of dawn. My heart pounded, sweat plastering my nightgown to my skin."Ava!" Noah's voice, thick with sleep, cut through my panic. His strong arms encircled me, pulling me against his chest. "It's okay, love. You're safe."I couldn’t stop shaking, the nightmare's grip still tight around my mind. The empty crib, the hollow ache in my arms - it felt so real."The nightmare again?" Theo asked softly, his hand finding mine in the tangle of blankets.I nodded, unable to speak past the lump in my throat. Oscar shifted closer, his warmth a comforting presence at my back. Callum's fingers brushed my cheek, wiping away tears I hadn't realised I'd shed."Talk to us, Ava," Callum urged gently.I took a shuddering breath. "It was... worse this time. I could hear a baby crying, but no matter
AVAThe library door crept open, and Theo stepped in, his blue eyes immediately finding mine. My heart rate picked up as he approached, his muscular frame taut with tension."Ava," he breathed, sinking into the chair beside me. His large hand engulfed mine, calloused fingers tracing soothing circles on my skin.I swallowed hard, bracing myself. "Theo, I—""Wait," he interrupted gently. "Let me speak first, please."I nodded, biting my lip.Theo took a deep breath. "I understand how much you want this. Truly, I do. The thought of having a child with you... it's something I've dreamed about." His voice broke slightly. "But Ava, the risks..."
AVADays passed, and the tension in the castle grew as thick as the snow piling outside. I could feel it in every glance, every touch from my Kings. They were worried, and I couldn’t blame them. But I couldn’t let this go, either.I was poring over ancient tomes in the library when Sera glided in, her presence as ethereal as ever. "Any luck, Your Majesty?" she asked.I shook my head, frustration bubbling up inside me. "Nothing. Not a single mention of the Fertility Invocation outside of what you've told us."Sera's lips curved into a sympathetic smile. "It's an ancient and rare ritual, My Queen. Few have the knowledge or power to attempt it."Her words sent a chill down my spine, both thrilling and terrifying. I closed the book before me, dust motes dancing in the air. "Tell me more," I whispered, my heart racing.Sera leaned in, her voice low and intense. "Think of it, Avelina. A chi
AVAThe howling wind outside the castle walls mirrored the turmoil in my mind as I stared out the frost-covered window. Days have passed, and the relentless snowstorm showed no signs of abating. I pressed my palm against the icy glass, feeling the chill seep into my bones."My Queen," a guard's voice cut through my thoughts. "There's someone at the gates seeking refuge."I turned, eyebrows raised. "In this weather? Who would be mad enough to travel?"As if in answer, the doors to the great hall burst open, a gust of snow and a cloaked figure blowing straight into the castle. The hood fell back, revealing a woman with raven-black hair and piercing violet eyes."Greetings, Your Majesty," she said, her voice as smooth as silk