Adrian’s POVThe hotel is as deserted, quiet, and dark as we left it. Once inside, I undress and shift, the wolves behind me let out a sort of gasp when they see my wolf. Not many of them have ever had the opportunity to see a Lycan in his wolf form.I stand very still and concentrate on the song calling out to me. It’s louder in here, much more intense, but at the same time, it’s much easier to stay focused, and unlike before, my mind doesn’t go blank. It’s as if she knows I’m on my way.Calhoun is agitated, trying to force his way to the surface. His connection to River is stronger than mine is to Pippa, and he’ll probably be able to find her faster, but he’ll be reckless about it, storming into a situation we possibly can’t control, and he could end up getting the lot of us killed.“We have to go,” my wolf says.“I know, buddy,” I answer. “Just give me a moment.”A few seconds later, I pinpoint the direction we need to go. I concentrat on that song, allowing my body to carry me for
Adrian's POV “Can you shift?” I ask Pippa. “I don’t know. I haven’t tried. Thespian says he can’t, so I don’t think so.” I peer over her head at the elderly Lycan. He is older than I think Pippa realises, but I can tell by his aura, dim as it is after all the years he spent in this dark pit, that he’s at least four-hundred-years-old, barely middle-aged by our standards. “Do you want to try anyway?” I ask Pippa. She just shrugs. “I don’t know. I think it is be a bad idea.” I can’t feel her, but I can see it on her face. She is very scared, but I forge ahead. We won’t be able to get out of here without her help, and whatever it is that's telling me what to do right now, wants us to shift. "We have to try." “What do you think we’ll achieve by shifting?” "I am not sure," I answer honestly. "I just know we have to do it." "How do you know that?" Thespian asks. I shrug. "Some kind of instinct." He nods. "My wife used to have those...it's the Goddess talking to you." "Maybe," I mu
Pippa's POVI watch in horror as Adrian hits the ground, not on his feet or back like Thespian and I did, but on his head.The place where we landed is completely flattened. It looks as if someone dropped a bomb in the middle of the forest. The earth is scorched, trees levelled, and the underbrush is on fire. The smell of smoke and ozone hangs heavy in the air.I’d be in awe of it all if it weren’t for Adrian’s still body lying only a few metres away from me.I quickly shift back to human and rush over, Thespian by my side. He looks fine, better than he did when we were in the prison, but he’s still limping and moves far too slowly for my liking.There’s no time to think about what we had managed to do, but in the back of my mind, I’m aware of the fact that I couldn’t have done it by myself. If it weren’t for Adrian’s aura combining with mine, we would never have been able to escape that prison.Later, when I’m sure my mate is okay, I’ll take all the time I need to figure it all out,
Caspian’s POV I’m tired. Day after day, my spies report that Adrian’s army keeps growing, and finding new mages to perform the ritual I need is proving much more difficult that I had anticipated. I thought rewarding the winners of the blood games with money and promoting them would win their loyalty, but more and more of them are leaving. My father was right about one thing. Always rule with fear, never with kindness. I’m not here to win any popularity contests. All that matters is power, and I'm losing mine because I became soft and complacent. That will end. Now. Yet, Adrian is kind, or so I’m told, and he’s getting support without even trying. Until yesterday, my spies couldn’t even enter his camp. The Cambion protected it somehow, but she has since disappeared, along with Adrian, and several of my spies managed to sneak in undetected. Within hours I knew why Adrian protected the Cambion so fiercely. I was a fool. I should have known from the start, especially when we heard the
Adrian's POV Thespian moves a little too slow for my liking, but we’re not running from wolves, just humans, and there's no need to rush. So many strange things have happened at the church that I’m sure they’ll have a team of experts from the Vatican here any day now to investigate. They’ll no doubt find some kind of rational or scientific explanation…if only they knew that for many centuries they weren’t too far off the mark with their observations about the supernatural world. “King,” Joseph mind links with me. “Have you gotten away? The police are here now, and I can't keep stalling them.” “Yes. We're far enough so humans won’t find us.” “Monty says he’ll pick you up himself. He told me you were gone for more than a day.” Fuck. That long? “Fine. Thanks. The camp would have lost Pippa’s protection, send word that they need to look out for any possible spies.” “Yes, your majesty.” I remember Bryce’s words. I can't do this alone. “And Joseph, it’s time for you to join me. I nee
Adrian’s POV When Pippa’s light retreats, there’s almost nothing left of the part of the forest that surrounds us. The water in the stream boils and hisses softly as it releases steam into the atmosphere. Dying trees stand out starkly against the blue skies, their skeletons now nothing more than a memory of her fearsome power, the blackened grass and plants will never come back to life. This part of the forest is dead forever. All but three of our enemies have been turned to dust, floating away on the breeze. The survivors – Edith, Niall, and Finian – are huddled together, clinging to each other like terrified toddlers. When they realise they’re not dead, they scream and try to get up, but Pippa bound them to the earth. They will die where they sit. I stare at my mate in wonder and terror. I’ve heard stories about wrathful Undines and the havoc they’ll wreak when they’re truly angry. Seeing it with my own eyes is a different story, though. I don't know if I should be scared or pro
Pippa's POV I wait and wait for the guilt to come, but instead I’m still just angry. There is no room for any other emotion. All I cared about was that they hurt Adrian, and I wanted them to suffer for what they had done. Killing them didn’t satiate my rage. It's still churning and boiling inside me, begging me to unleash it on something, anything. “We should get going,” Adrian says and drops my hand. “Someone would have seen your light.” “Our light,” I correct him. “Yes,” he says. “But mostly yours.” Adrian crouches on the ground and closes Joseph's eyes. "Goodbye, old friend. I hope you find peace on the star planes with our mother." He barely looks at me when he gets back up. “I had to kill them,” I try to explain. “Yes, of course you did.” He looks around the destroyed forest. “We need to find a place where we can wash.” We're both wearing the clothes Joseph brought us, but we're covered in blood and soot. We definitely can't walk out of the forest looking like this. “Ther
Adrian's POVWe don’t make it back to our camp until late the next morning.We were too tired to keep going, and Monty found an out of the way place where we could spend the night. The little holiday cottage was empty and boarded up for the winter, but we barricaded ourselves in regardless.Early the next morning, while Tammy and Pippa slipped away to wash, I asked Monty if Joseph ever contacted him to tell him where we were. The old wolf shook his head woefully. “No, but we followed them two mages, heard them talking. Edith said the spell would spit you out where the Cambion feels safest. I figured either the farm or the church.”I nodded, and watched through two slats of wood as my mate returned with her friend, hoping that I’d be able to give her a home where she’d feel safe one day.We pull up to the camp and I shake Pippa awake. “We’re here,” I say softly.My mate rubs her eyes like a sleepy toddler and looks past me out of the window. The Betas and Gammas are on one side of the
Dear Readers, And so we have reached the end of Adrian and Pippa's journey. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it - although this was a painful and difficult story to write at times. I am always short on words at the end of a book. I never know how to properly thank my dear readers for all your support and kindness. A 'thank you for reading' always seems inadequate to me, but please know that it means so, so much to my dark little heart. Your love for Adrian and Pippa brightened my days, and more than once your comments made me smile. Thank you for every gem, comment, review and word of support. Much love as always,Celice
Adrian’s POV In the weeks and months that followed Caspian’s death, the kingdom was in turmoil. No one knew what to expect from the new Lycan king, and everyone went on as if Caspian was still alive. They feared me as they feared him. After the execution of the traitors, Bryce and Terrance went back to their families and lives as pack Alphas. It was what they wanted and they deserved to live free and happy lives. Slowly, but surely, people started to realise that things are changing. One day, the Lycans started coming home. I thought the ones that were at the palace were all that was left of our kind, but I was wrong. Over the months, dozens showed up, including Thespian – Pippa’s father. They had been in hiding all this time, waiting for their true king's return so they could come home. We tracked down Denise’s family, and her sister came to fetch the Berger children. They asked for leave to change their names, which I granted, and they left. Their pack had been devastated like so
Pippa's POV For a long time, no one moves. It’s as if the world itself is holding its breath. I can scarcely believe it. After all these months of running and hiding, after all the years of torment Caspian wreaked upon the wolves, it’s over. Just like that it all comes to an end. I can't quite place myself in their shoes. I only had a glimpse of the suffering they have suffered, and that was bad enough. How immense their relief must be. How complete. Adrian gets to his feet and pulls back his aura. The terrified warriors don’t move. Even Bryce can’t seem to find the words, and simply stands there, staring at Caspian's lifeless, headless body. It's a fitting end for a man who kept two heads in a jar for more than a week, I suppose. Adrian looks up at me with eyes that are filled with tears. I can’t sense his emotions as strongly as he can sense mine, but I know that despite his remorse for killing Caspian, he’s relieved, overjoyed, and a little scared. I don’t know if he truly wants
Adrian's POVWith Ryker by my side, we sneak across the overgrown land bridge. Far below us, the ocean churns and smashes against the cliffs, signaling the incoming tide.We swing to the left, keeping to the palace walls until we reach a hole in the fence. We crawl through it into an unkempt garden. I suppose at one time it might have been beautiful, but the fountains are crumbling and ivy is growing out of control, strangling the rest of the garden to death.“Glad to see he took such good care of the place,” I say.“The last year or so, things started to unravel quickly. That’s why I left. He began to look at me in the same way he looked at the Stonefang twins.”“Yeah, that sucks,” I say. “Maybe you shouldn’t have helped him to kill his father, hm?”“Hindsight is a luxury many can't afford. The two of us included.”I decide it's better to shut up. He's right. As we make our way through the eerily quiet gardens, I ask, “Why did you do it?”“Carter was going to name Damien his heir. At
Pippa's POVI open the window and inhale deeply. I have never seen the ocean. The rising sun glitters on the deep blue water and the air smells fresh and clean. I lick my lips and taste salt on my skin. Smiling, I have to resist the urge to stick my head out of the window like a dog.The cold wind wakes Tammy and she scoots over to my side to look out of the window with me. “It’s so big,” she says in awe.Lucille looks over her shoulder at us. “Have you two never seen the ocean before?”“What yeh be talking about woman?” Monty asks with a smile. “I’ve never even seen the sea, have I? We lived where we was born, we did.”Beautiful as the ocean and the surrounding coastland are, I’m eager to get to Adrian. There's no time to slow down and enjoy it. Time is growing short, and for all we know he might have already invaded. “How much longer?” I ask.“Another hour or so.”I glance at the clock on the dashboard. It’s already seven. We’re not going to make it at this pace. "Can you speed up,
Adrian's POVWhile I’m busy talking to Pippa, the scouts I sent out to get the lay of the land return. As quickly as I can, I end our conversation so I can pay attention to my wolves. “There are no guards,” the first scout says."Are you sure?"“Yes,” another agrees. “It's strange. No guards, no children laughing, people talking, not even the scent of food cooking. There's nothing…the place looks deserted.”I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing. When everyone told me that Caspian was alone, I didn’t think they meant that he is completely alone, but that seems to be the case. “What about lights?” Bryce asks.“One, Beta,” the scout says. “At the topmost tower overlooking the land bridge.”I side-eye Bryce. I can already see which way his head is turning. “He won’t be there. It’s like a beacon.”“A trap?” he asks.“Perhaps.” I answer. “Or maybe someone forgot to switch off the light before they left.” I turn back to the scouts. “Anything else?”“No, King.”“Thank you. You may go.”I
Pippa's POV “Who are you?” “I was a friend of your mother’s.” At that exact moment, Adrian decides that it’s a good time to stop blocking me. “Pippa? What’s wrong?” “Nothing,” I lie. There’s nothing he can do anyway. He’s too far away. I wish I knew how to block him so he wouldn't feel my emotions. There must be a way - if he can do it, so can I. “Tell him that you are fine,” Lucille says as if reading my mind. “I am not going to harm you.” “I already did,” I tell her, “but he won’t believe me.” Lucille gently squeezes my upper arm. “It’s true. You will be just fine.” “Pippa?” Adrian asks in my head. “You need to talk to me.” “I’m fine,” I reply. Even if I’m not, I get to talk to him one last time and just hearing his voice makes me a little less afraid of what's to come. “Where are you?” I decide to change the subject, and perhaps buy myself a little time so I can talk to my mate just a while longer. “On the border of Azuria. We invade tomorrow.” “Are you scared?” “Scared
Pippa's POVI didn’t think it was possible to feel this bad and live to talk about it.When I woke up, I thought I was just tired and not used to an all-night sex session, but I feel sicker and sicker as time moves on.At first, I try to ignore it so I can help the Omegas to break the camp, but after an hour, Tammy stops me. "Have you tried to shift? Maybe that will heal you."I haven't even thought of that. With Tammy by my side, we go back to tent where I attempt to shift, but I can't. I try to talk to River, but she doesn't answer me. I don't tell Tammy, but she's not stupid and I can see the concern on her face. "Maybe you just need some sleep," she says.“I can’t let you do everything by yourselves,” I disagree.“No offence, my queen,” Tammy replies, “but you are just in the way. We have enough hands. You are sick. You need to rest.”I don’t have it in me to keep fighting with her. I thought I had been sick before, but the monthly sniffles I used to get before my wolf woke are no
Adrian's POVFor once, no one bothers us, but I wish they would. It would make me feel better. I feel as if I failed these people. I should have done something sooner, instead of hiding in the church like a fucking coward.Tonight, the campfires are cold, the wolves are quiet, the children are softly sobbing in their tents. “Where are the Berger kids?” I ask Pippa.“Monty gave them their own tent. Brendan didn’t want to stay with us. He says he’s old enough to take care of his own sisters.”“He’ll be a good Alpha.”“Are you sure?” she asks. “Considering his…lineage.”“Do you think people are born cruel?” I ask as I unzip our tent flap and usher her inside. “Denise raised Brendan. He has his mother's kindness and his father's strenght. It's a good combination. With a little guidance, he'll make a great leader.”“A leader without a pack,” Pippa says, her voice reflecting all the sadness I feel.She’s not wrong. If everything the mage told us is to be believed, Caspian wiped out his own