AVAWe’d just sat down for lunch the next day when Alpha Michael linked me.“My Queen, how are you and our Kings?”“We’re very good now, Michael, thank you for asking.”“Of course, my Queen. I need to speak to you about your pack, we’re having a problem with rogues again.”“Let me just invite the Kings into our link, Michael. Saves us both repeating it.”“Of course, my Queen.”As soon as the four of them joined, he greeted them all by name, his voice full of respect. It was actually kind of heart warming.“Okay, Michael. What’s been happening?”“We had multiple border breaches in the night, my Queen. I had already increased security following what happened on the full moon, so they were not successful. We have two of them ready to be interrogated, and the remainder were either run off or killed.”“Did we lose any wolves or Lycans, Michael?”“No, my Queen. We have seven in hospital with minor injuries, but they will all make a full recovery by the end of the day. They are simply in hos
AVAThe next two days were a blur of border concerns and all manner of other crap. On the third morning, I made a point of doing something normal. I got up at 5am to run with Alex and Kieran. Of course now I had a security escort, but they stayed far enough back that I could attempt to pretend they weren’t there. Not that it’s really possible to ignore the presence of Lycans. Alex beat us to the training ground; I hadn’t actually told him that I was planning to join him for this run.Kieran was standing in the middle of the training grounds when we got there, clearly having just shifted. He jumped and spun around at the sound of paws approaching him, his unease pouring off him at the sight of the Lycans behind me.Then he saw Artemis… and yipped happily.“Ava!” Alex shouted excitedly through the mind link. “I’ve missed running with you.” He suddenly stopped, before correcting himself. “My Queen.”I laughed. “Alex, you’re like a second adoptive father to me. In informal situations, a
CALLUMThe four of us were waiting outside the packhouse when Ava came back. Part of me wanted to insist that if she did this again, she had to take me with her. But since she took the Queen’s guard with her… I didn’t exactly have a leg to stand on, it would have just caused a pointless argument.What I did have though, is a parcel Alpha Michael had sent. I’d already checked it for anything potentially dangerous, and it was brought down by another two members of Ava’s guard. And I could tell straight away… she wasn’t going to be best impressed with what he’d sent. So unimpressed that I’d stashed it in our bedroom and I’d give it to her after breakfast or she’d never eat.I wrapped her in a hug once she shifted back and threw on the clothes I’d found her, with Noah, Theo and Oscar jumping in as soon as I moved. We walked into the dining room together, Ava in between us. Everyone bowed when we walked in, and that was still something I had to get used to… it wasn’t as uncomfortable as
AVAWhen we arrived, Jeremiah opened the door for the Kings to get out first. I could feel the discomfort pouring off them, especially off Theo as the crowd all dropped to one knee.Once they were out, Michael took my hand, helping me step out of the car, before bowing and kissing the back of my hand.“My Queen, my Kings,” his voice was strong, confident, and loud enough that the crowds would have heard him. “I’m delighted you could all join us. I’m sure you could all use a little break following the drive, if you all follow me to the drawing room, where I’ve had afternoon tea arranged for you all.”“Thank you, Michael,” I smiled, taking his offered arm.My four Kings all felt unbelievably nervous, but Theo was easily the worst of the lot.“Theo, you’ve got this,” I attempted to reassure him through our mate link. “I love you and the Kingdom will love you too.”“Thank you, Ava,” he replied, and the uncertainty in his voice broke my heart.We all took our seats in the drawing room, wit
AVATheo and Noah were insatiable to the point that I ended up having to rush to get ready for the dinner in less than half an hour. But… It was still an event I would rather not attend.The butt-hurt looks on some of the faces of the ministers when my Kings and I entered the dining room reinforced those reasons through and through, and those faces only got worse when they all had to stand to bow for us and couldn’t sit until I did. Just out of spite, I made a point of insisting on each of my Kings sitting down first, before I really took my time about the matter.The smirks my Kings were trying (and failing) to hide said they had worked out exactly what I was doing.As soon as I sat, the ministers and ranked pack members followed suit, and staff immediately started moving through the room filling wine glasses.Michael looked in my direction, a question showing on his face. I nodded to him, knowing fully well what he was about to announce.“My Queen, My Kings, Lords, Ladies and estee
AVAThe last thing I wanted to do the morning after an incredibly uncomfortable dinner was to delve into my history and that of my predecessors’ history with Michael, but apparently I didn’t have much of a choice in the matter.After a breakfast of croissants, fruit, salmon and cheeses, the five of us made our way to Michael’s office. I stopped in the doorway having noticed the mountain of books on Michael’s desk. They really had been busy…“Please, sit, my Queen, my Kings,” Michael gave a small smile as he motioned for us all to sit around the table. “What do you have for us, Michael?” I jumped straight into it. I wasn’t sure how I felt about this forthcoming history lesson… gut feeling said it would be uncomfortable, to put it politely.“I’ll start from the beginning, my Queen, with the prophecy. We’ve discovered that the prophecy we all know today isn’t the original version, it changed a few centuries ago. The original prophecy is very vague about the number of mates that the Alph
AVAAfter that delightful history lesson, I really needed to unwind, and fortunately, the perfect opportunity came in the form of Theo.We never got to have time alone before when we marked each other like I did with the others, and that was something I wanted to make up for.That evening, we left Noah, Callum and Oscar to have a few drinks and relax, and we headed out into the meadow with a picnic in tow. Of course we had a full Queen’s Guard with us, so we’d never be truly alone… but at least Jeremiah and the others would be discreet, as far away as possible without compromising my safety, and wouldn’t even consider running around telling everyone what they see me getting up to.Theo spread out a beautiful, fluffy picnic blanket when we reached the clearing, finding another ready to pull over us if we got chilly.It was a clear night, fortunately, because the plan was to watch the stars. A meteor shower was predicted, and watching that would be the perfect date night for Theo and I.
AVAI was still floating on a post-orgasm cloud the next morning to the point that I was practically bouncing as I walked. Theo and I needed that time together last night, and badly.“You’re in a good mood this morning, Theo,” Noah smirked when we all sat down for breakfast in the private dining room in our suite. I’d insisted on a room being set up so the five of us could eat in private if we so desired, and Michael had more than delivered on that.Theo pressed a kiss to my forehead, grinning at Noah. I shook my head at the pair of them, unable to stop the smile spreading across my face, before walking around the table, saying good morning to and giving each of the others a kiss. When I reached Oscar, he wrapped his arms around my waist, tugging me into his lap so I straddled him where he sat. This is why when we chose chairs, the boys all insisted on ones without arms.“Good morning, little one,” he whispered against my ear, his breath sending a shiver do
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