Lisha POV I am sitting on my bed, waiting for Skyla and Lilly to turn up; in my hands rests the urn that contains Damian's ashes. We had his funeral yesterday; today, I will sprinkle Damian's ashes in the part of the forest I set fire to so that when I bring the trees, flowers, and foliage back to life, each one will contain a small piece of Damian. Damian loved this place. His spirit should stay forever in the forest surrounding his realm. Most of our wolves have been healed; there are only a few left that will take another couple of days to recover. Tyler and Xavier are training the warriors in preparation for the attack on the Seelie realm. We need to act swiftly, or Allana will find out what we are planning. Xavier is going home later today to ensure his domain is safe; if there's a way to contact Allana, he will do it, as we need to figure out how to get all our warriors into her realm without her being alerted. Lilly and Skyla stroll into my room without knocking; I stand,
Xavier POV One minute, we are training; the next minute, Tyler's face turns white, and he starts running toward the castle. I take off after him asking, “What's wrong, Tyler?” Tyler's voice is harsh and strained as he mutters. “There's something wrong with Lisha.” I mind-link Skyla, “What happened to Lisha?” Skyla seems puzzled as she says, “She was fine a minute ago.” I hiss, “Where is she?” “In her room.” Tyler has already reached their bedroom. He rattles the door handle trying to open the door, and growls, “The fucking door is locked.” I watch as he takes a few steps away, then runs at the door throwing his right shoulder against it. There's a sickening crack; I am not sure if the wood or one of the bones in his shoulder has cracked. He snarls, taking another couple of steps away from the door, and growls, “Help me get this fucking door open, Xavier.” We both run at the door, the door flies open on impact, and I hiss when I see the room empty. “Where i
Xavier POV I didn't have a plan when I entered Allana’s realm; the only thought in my head was to get Lisha to safety, then sit back and wait to see what would happen. However, now that I am here, there is no reason not to try and contact Mathew; there's no doubt in my mind that once he finds out Tyler is alive that he will help us. Mathew’s pack prefers to live in peace, but it doesn't mean they are cowards; having them fight with us against Allana will be a huge advantage. There's a small grove of golden bamboo just in front of us; their stems are close together the leaves are thick and heavy and hang over the sides of the plant; in the middle of the grove is a space big enough to hide Lisha, why I try and find Mathew. I had just laid lisha down on the soft grass and was pulling the leaves over her when a branch breaking behind me alerted me of danger; I turned as the wolf lunged for me, he was fast, but I was faster. I hiss, my fangs elongating as I crouch; there's no way this
Tyler POV I know I should get up and do something, but I can't; so many different scenarios are running through my mind. What if Allana finds Xavier and Lisha? What if Lisha doesn't return, and how will she feel about wearing my mark? My heart feels like it is breaking in two when the worst one flicks through my mind for the hundredth time since Xavier left. What will I do if Lisha dies? Skyla hasn't left me alone all fucking day; her pacing up and down the room is starting to annoy the shit out of me. She starts chuckling; I turn, glaring at her, and snarl, “What’s so fucking funny?” She grins, “Xavier, Mateo, and Lilly are on their way back.” The words feel like they are choking me when I ask, “What about Lisha?” Skyla shakes her head, “She is pissed you marked her.” I grin, “She’s alive?” Skyla beams at me, “Yes.” I jump up, embracing her; she squeals, “Let me go, Tyler. I can't breathe.” I run out of the bedroom; Skyla is following closely on my heels; sh
Lisha POV No one is surprised by Tyler's words, they all knew we were going after Cassandra, but I had hoped we had a little more time. I wait until Tyler stops speaking, look at Lilly, and say, “We need as many weapons made out of iron as we can get our hands on.” Lilly's smile is smug, “I asked the smith to start working on them as soon as we got here.” I grin. “Thanks, Lilly.” Mateo looks at Tyler, asking, “How many wolves are we taking to the Seelie realm.” Tyler stands up, places his hands on the desk, and replies, “No more than a hundred.” Mateo’s brow furrows as he frowns, asking, “Is that going to be enough?” Tyler inclines his head at me; I look at Mateo and say. “If we can get rid of Gabriel, it will be.” Skyla chuckles, “When he sees you, it won't be hard to draw him out.” Mateo smiles, “You're going to be the bait?” Tyler inhales sharply. His voice is harsh and angry when he growls, “No fucking way Lisha.” I turn to him, cupping his face wi
Xavier POV Keir met me at the castle gates, “Allana’s in the throne room.” I nod, “Did you keep an eye on her?” “Of course.” “Did she ask where I was?” “I told her you and Skyla were hunting down a few rogue vampires, and you would be back as soon as you could,” I smirk; well done, Keir! that takes care of me having to explain where Skyla is. Allana turns toward me when she hears me approaching and raises one eyebrow, asking. “Did you take care of your little problem Xavier?” I hug her and say, “Yes, Skyla is rounding up the last of them now.” Her eyes widen in shock as she asks, “By herself?” I shrug, “Yes, you know how stubborn Skyla can be, Allana.” Allana chuckles and pours a glass of red wine; screws her nose up at the taste, holds the glass up in the air, and asks, “Have you got anything better than this?” I chuckle and pour her a glass of whiskey before taking my seat on the throne. “I didn't expect to see you so soon.” She smiles, “I don't
Tyler POV I mind-link Amelia, asking her to send some coffee and a couple of sandwiches to my office. Xavier is sitting opposite me, and once our coffee and my food arrive and the omega leaves, he asks, “Have you got a plan?” I blow out a breath as I say. “Lisha has a pretty shitty one.” He chuckles, “Talk me through it; then we can see what we can do to improve it.” Xavier leans back on the chair; he doesn't interrupt or ask questions as I go through Lisha's plan; then he scratches his head, looks at me, and says, “I agree with Lisha; Gabriel must be the first to die.” My wolf Tristian growls inside me when I ask, “What's so special about that bastard.” “Gabriel has the respect of his warriors and Cassandra's loyal subjects; they will follow him to their death if he asked them to.” “How do you know all this?” “You forget Tyler; my father was a constant visitor to Cassandra’s realm, the only person he hated more than Allana was Gabriel.” “Why.” “Because he f
Lisha POVWe have had word that Mathew and Zane are waiting at the border for permission to enter our territory. I walked outside with Tyler and Mateo and waited until Tyler had left to meet his father, then mind-linked Lilly, “Meet me in the kitchen, Lilly. I need to speak to you.” I stayed where I was for a moment watching Tyler shift and run into the forest; Lilly’s hand touching my shoulder startles me. She laughs when I turn around, scowling at her, and say. “You scared the crap out of me, Lilly.” “I'm sorry, Lisha, I didn't mean to.”I should have known Lilly wouldn't be too far away; I take a breath, turn, and walk back inside, as she asks. “What’s up?” I motion for her to follow me to the kitchen; I want to organize food and beverages for Mathew and Zane's visit and a play area for Asher so he can finally meet his grandfather. There was something I wanted to ask Lilly in private, so once everything was ready, I took a seat at the table, patted the seat beside me, and wai
Lisha POV It's been two years since Allana’s death, Tyler has never asked how it was possible I left the Unseelie realm and returned home with him, and I have never told him. Damian’s and my son Nate was born a couple of months after we returned home; he is a beautiful little boy with the same deep-set chocolate brown eyes as his father, olive skin, and a head full of curly brown hair. Nate and Asher will grow into extremely handsome men; I can see them breaking many hearts before they find their true mates. Nate and Asher adore Tyler, and he is a fantastic father; he treats both our boys as his own. The first thing Tyler, Xavier, Skyla, Tiffany, and I did was build a meeting house in the center of the four realms. Every three months, we come together as representatives for our species and discuss any issues that may arise. Each kingdom has two representatives for the Unseelie, Zane and I; the werewolves, Tyler and Mateo; the vampires, Xavier and Skyla; and the Unseelie, Tiffany, an
Tyler POV Lisha winks at me and whispers, “No matter what happens, hold the circle.” She moved closer to Allana while reaching behind her back and placing my hand in Skyla’s. A dense fog was rolling in from every direction; a cold chill crept up my back, and the hairs on my neck and arms stood up. I knew there was someone behind me, but I didn't dare to turn my head and have a look. Lisha smirked as the fog grew thicker and denser; Allana was so confident in her abilities that she refused to consider for one moment we could beat her. Allana hissed, her eyes glancing at each of us as she snarled, “You can't beat me, you foolish girl.” Lisha's laughed softly. Only the people closest to her knew what that particular laugh meant; it always sent shivers down my spine. She looked at Allana and whispered, “I am not trying to beat you, Allana; you wanted power, and I am going to give it to you.” Allana's eyes narrowed as she stared at Lisha, her lips twisting into an ugly smile as
Lisha POV Tyler and I woke early, we had a feeling that someone had betrayed us, and we were right. Xavier, Skyla, Tyler, and I knew what was coming, but no one else did; the fewer who knew what we intended to do, the better. Tyler made short work of Anton, the warrior who told Allana we were here; he was one of Dimitri’s wolves, I knew we should have killed the lot of them when we killed Dimitri, but Tyler wanted to believe that they were loyal to us, so he did. Sometimes it's better to learn the hard way than be made aware of the truth by someone else, even if you love that person wholeheartedly. The day we have been waiting for is finally here; we leave Mathew's cabin under cover of darkness. The one hundred wolves Tyler brought with him will stay hidden inside Mathew's village until everyone else arrives. Then they will join us in the procession to where Allana, Xavier, and Skyla were supposed to be waiting for us. We could hear Allana’s people getting organized for everyone to
Xavier POV Allana’s guards line the path leading up to her castle, each one holds a staff with a purple and black flag on the top of it, and Allana is standing regally at the bottom of the castle steps, a sweet smile on her face as she watches Skyla and I walk toward her. Skyla tugs on my shirt sleeve, murmuring, “You had better wipe that disgusted look off your face before we get too close to her.” I give myself a shake and remember why we are here, “She extravagant.” Skyla chuckles, “That she is; now smile sweetly for your bitch of a grandmother and lavish her with praise.” Allana takes a step closer to us, opening her arms wide; embracing Skyla and then me as she says, “I am so glad you are here; come inside, and I will give you a tour of my home.” The beauty of the castle and grounds are breathtaking; gardens are scattered everywhere, filled with flowers of every color and description imaginable. The castle itself has been constructed out of white limestone, and heav
Tyler POV Xavier glanced back over his shoulder at me once before Skyla, his vampires, and he stepped into Allana’s realm, my wolves and I didn't have to wait long before my father stood before me, motioning for us to follow him. I whispered, “Won't Allana become suspicious if our not with Xavier?” He shakes his head, “No, she only required Zane to escort Xavier, Skyla, and his vampires into the realm.” I grinned, “How is Lisha?” He smiled, “Good, she is safely hidden inside my cabin.” After my wolves were taken to their quarters, I left them in my father's care and went to see Lisha. Lilly opened the door of my father's house and stepped to one side before leaving; I frowned, “Where are you going, Lilly?” Lilly hesitated before glancing up at me and murmuring, “I thought you and Lisha might like some time alone.” I smirked and moved out of her way; Lilly is and has always been one of the worst liars I have ever met, Lisha has been up to something, and I need to fin
Lilly POV Lisha smiled as she walked toward us; when I asked her what had happened, she frowned and said, “You saw what happened, Lilly.” I shook my head.“No, we couldn't see or hear anything.” She smirked, “That's probably for the best.” This is her answer; that's probably for the best; what the hell is that supposed to mean? I grabbed Lisha’s arm as she went to walk past me and whispered, “Are you going to me? What happened in there, Lisha?” She blew out a breath and whispered, “It's getting light, Lilly. We need to get back to Mathews.” I growled, “How the hell am I supposed to protect you if you don't tell me anything.” Lisha glanced back the way she came for a moment, then turned back to me and whispered, “When we get back to Mathew's house, I will tell you everything, but if we don't go now, someone will see us.” Lisha raised her eyebrows and inclined her head in Zane and Matthew's direction; there was no point in arguing with her any longer; her expression alone
Lisha POV Lilly is correct; the forest feels cold and unwelcoming as we follow Zane deeper into the woods. Every so often, I catch a glimpse of glowing eyes peering back at us; I didn't say anything to Zane at first because of thought I was seeing things, but the last ones I saw were a little too close for comfort as far as I am concerned. I swear under my breath and increase my pace so I can walk beside him. The paths narrow, and it infuriates me further when I keep hitting my head on the tree's low-hanging branches. How fucking long has it been since anyone walked this trail? I grab hold of Zane's arm, causing him to stop mid-step and ask, “I thought you said no one would see us?” He glances at the trees surrounding us and murmurs, “The people here won't hurt us.” I growl, “What fucking people, Zane.” He shrugs, “The banished, the Fae that didn't support Allana, she banished them all to this part of the forest.” “Why here.” He raises his eyes, looking toward a cl
Tyler POV The air is electrifying as my wolves prepare to leave our territory, so many of them are still holding grudges against the Unseelie, I will have to keep a tight reign on them, so this doesn't turn into a total blood bath. Mateo is the only member of my pack who is similar in size and appearance to Theo; he will be the one to lead a hundred of my wolves into Allana’s realm. If he doesn't get too close to her, we will be able to fool her for a short time, at least. Not having Lisha here is hard; I know we argue sometimes, but what couple doesn't? It's all part of getting to know each other again. Having a bit of space from each other has helped me realize that if Lisha has to stay in the Unseelie lands until she has the baby, I will stay there with her. I know Mateo will take care of my wolves until we can work something else out. This time when Xavier appeared at my side, he didn't startle me; I sensed him coming before he arrived. He raises his eyebrows in surprise, asking,
Lilly POVI never thought there would be a time when I would be scared of anyone, but Lisha is starting to scare me to death. Since we arrived here, it's been like her mind is elsewhere, her eyes vacant, and the dreams, it doesn't matter if it's day or night, every time she falls asleep, she wakes up screaming and fighting against some unknown force. I can see and feel her changing; my nerves are shot, and I pray to the moon goddess every chance I get pleading with her to do something, anything to stop Lisha from falling into madness. I can't leave her. I love her too much, and in the back of my mind is the thought that Tyler will arrive tomorrow morning. Please, goddess let her hold onto her sanity until he comes, they say love conquers all, so if anyone can pull Lisha out of the pits of despair, it will be Tyler. The creaking of the trapdoor alerts me to the fact that Mathew is home; he cautiously descends the stairs, his voice hushed as he asks, “How is she doing?” I blow out a