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
Tyler POV Most of my wolves and Xavier warriors separate from Xavier, Skyla, Lisha, and me. We keep twenty with us and head to the dungeons to release the prisoners. Every prisoner will have the choice to fight with us or leave; the guards are not so lucky they are to be executed immediately. After our warriors disappear into the dungeon, Xavier and I follow Lisha and Skyla past the dungeon and down a cobblestone lane. A row of run-down shacks line one side of the lane and behind them is the forest; Skyla stops at the first cabin, winks at Lisha, then enters the house. Xavier and I scan the surrounding houses while we wait for Skyla; I mind-link Lisha, “Who lives there.” She smirks, “No one of importance.” “Then why have we stopped?” She shrugs, “Skyla has a score to settle.” Skyla walks back outside, wiping the blood from her mouth, and smirks at Lisha as she says, “Athena’s blood tasted as I expected it would.” Lisha grins, “What do you mean?” Skyla chuckles.
Lisha POV Skyla looks up when I enter the room; Cassandra’s mangled body is lying on the floor. I shake my head as I say, “You certainly made a mess of her.” She grins, “It's not like she didn't have it coming.” I chuckle. “Yep, don't I know it.” Skyla narrows her eyes at me, “What's wrong?” “I think Tyler was disgusted by my actions earlier.” Skyla hisses “What?” I shrug, “Nadia looked a bit like Cassandra when I was finished with her.” Skyla hooks her arm through mine as she murmurs, “Don't be angry with him, Lisha. He doesn't know half of what we went through while we were here.” I pat her arm, “I know.” When I open the door. Skyla turns me to face her and asks, “Where are we going?” I blow out a breath and whisper. “I need to find Seline.” “Why?” “Cassandra wasn't lying when she said the Seelie realm would fall into chaos without a living royal heir.” “Whats Seline got to do with anything?” I smirk, “She knows where to find the old queen's
Tyler POV What's left of the Seelie guards are huddled in a group in the center of the courtyard. Servants Seelie and Unseelie surround them, ensuring they don't move. In the distance, there are hundreds of Seelie flocking to the castle. An older man is leading them; he holds his arms in the air in a gesture of surrender just as Lisha and Skyla reach Xavier and me. Lisha frowns, “Who are they?” I shrug. “I don't know.” She turns and motions for one of the servants to come to her; the girl looks past Lisha, then shakes her head, whispering, “I don't know who they are; I have never seen them before.” Lisha rubs the back of her neck and murmurs, “There's only one way to find out what they want.” Then she turns on her heel and walks outside the castle grounds; I clench my teeth, and my jaw feels like it's about to snap as I spin around and chase after her, grabbing her arm and snarling, “What the fuck are you doing, Lisha?” She takes a deep breath and then exhales slowl
Lisha POV We have been here for two days; Tiffany is recovering from her wounds, and the last of the Seelie have pledged their loyalty to her; nothing is keeping us here now, and I can't wait to get out of this place. Tyler and I have decided to leave Tobias and fifty of our wolves at the Seelie court to help Tiffany maintain control of the realm. Neither of us trusted Samuel and thought it would be a good idea to approach Xavier and see if he could leave fifty of his vampire warriors here as well. Xavier and Skyla also need to return to the vampire realm before we all meet at my mother's home on Wednesday and enter the Unseelie lands. I am nervous. Everywhere we go, there are whispers of how much stronger Allana has become; there is a little voice inside me whispering that we can't defeat her, and if that's the case, we are all dead. The castle and grounds are quiet; everyone is still asleep. I couldn't bring myself to sleep inside those walls, so Tyler and I have spent the last t
Xavier POV I knew I could rely on keir to have everything ready when Skyla and I returned home; one hundred of my finest warriors would be prepared to leave in two days to start the journey to Allana’s realm. Keir will be coming with us this time; my domain will be safe, and none of my vampires will dare to betray me; it's not only me that they fear; everyone is wary of Skyla. I had just sat in front of the fire and poured myself a scotch when Skyla burst into the room; her eyes were wild when they met mine. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and nerves flutter inside me; there's something wrong; I place my glass on the table and cautiously walk toward her, asking, "What's the matter?” She takes a deep breath before answering, “Lisha, there’s something wrong with her.” I narrow my eyes at her; Skyla is hiding something from me. “What's wrong with Lisha Skyla?” “She’s weak; I can feel it, Xavier.” I hiss, “How could you possibly know that.” Skyla averts her eyes
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