Lisha POV When the door opened, I was expecting Damian; he hadn't returned to our bedroom last night. Lilly walks in first, followed by Sharna and a heavily pregnant Jasmine. I frown before asking, “What are you all doing here?” Lilly answers for the three of them. “Sharna wants to help, and Jasmine is the only one who can gain us entry into our parent's cabin.” “Does Damian know you are here, Lilly?” “Yes, Lisha, and before you ask, he slept in his office last night.” I raise one eyebrow and ask. “By himself.” Lilly laughs as she says, “Yes, Lisha, there was no one with him.” Relief floods me; I had horrible visions of Damian wrapped in another woman's embrace all night. I hiss, narrowing my eyes at Sharna, “What do you want?” She looks at Lilly before turning back to me. ”You saved my life by not letting Lilly report my attack against you to Damian.” “So What” “Because I owe you a debt, I pledge my loyalty to you.” I smirk at Lilly and wink; now I have two warrior
Lilly POV I should have known Lisha wouldn't just take the daggers and not ask questions; it's not in her nature. “I don't know how they were forged; all I know is they are hundreds of years old.” Lisha rolls her eyes, “Not good enough, Lilly; keep talking.” I huff at her; she’s a pain in my ass. “When Jasmine and I were little, our mother didn't tell us much about our past. I know our family has had the daggers in their possession for generations.” I pause; Lisha waves her hands irritably for me to continue, “An agreement was made between the witches and werewolves that the daggers would stay in this realm. When my mother died, it fell to Jasmine to keep them safe. When Jasmine dies, they will be passed onto her children and so and so on.” Lisha shrugs in puzzlement, “Then why give them to me?” I don't know whether to tell her or not; Jasmine made me promise I wouldn't. I know Lisha doesn't believe me when I say, “I don't know; Jasmine didn't go into details, Lisha.”
Lisha POV It's been a week since I last saw Damian; he mind links me every morning to say hello and then again at night to say good night. I am getting angrier as each day goes by. The only good thing about staying at the cabin is that I get to venture outside, with his stipulation that I must remain within the wards Jasmine has placed around the clearing. Jasmine has been like a bear with a sore tooth; her mood swings drive us insane. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Lilly and Jasmine whispering as they steal glances at me under hooded eyes. Jasmine’s face flushes with anger before she storms toward me and says, “Does he know Lisha?” I roll my eyes at her and ask myself, what the fuck is she on about now? “Does who know what, Jasmine?” Jasmine growls at me, “Does Damian know?” If Jasmine weren't heavily pregnant, I would smash her in the face; everything about her manner is threatening toward me. I go to walk away from her when her following words stop me midstride. “
Allana POV I should have spoken to Cassandra before now. I hide in the tunnel that leads to Cassandra's chambers; once Gabriel leaves the room, I pull the tapestry aside and step into the room. I roll my eyes when I see Cassandra tangled in the bed sheets. She opens her eyes when she senses my presence and hisses, “About time you got here, Allana; it's been months.” I snarl, “It takes time to bring a realm back from the brink of chaos, Cassandra.” Cassandra climbs out of her bed and slips a robe around her shoulders before saying, “You do know Lisha is alive, don't you?” I smirk and ask, “And whose fault is that?” Cassandra's lips curl in disgust as she says, “Yours, Allana, you organized her escape from my realm.” “I had no choice Cassandra; I have been acting as the devoted grandmother for the last nineteen years; Zane and Mathew were getting suspicious and kept asking why I hadn't teleported in here and brought her home.” She shrugs as she says, “It doesn't matt
Tyler POVI don't remember my life before I woke up on the castle grounds. As soon as I opened my eyes, all my mind could register was the excruciating pain that ran through my body; it felt like I was being ripped apart. There wasn't an inch of my body that wasn't writhing in agony. I couldn't breathe; blood was flooding my lungs; I remember screaming when the wolves picked me up and carried me to what is now my chambers. I passed out again, only to be jerked back to consciousness by Damian when he pulled the arrow from my chest. When I finally regained full consciousness, I asked what had happened, and they told me I had been shot in the chest with a silver arrow, I nearly died, and it took me months to recover from my injuries. The wolves that found me also said the village I lived in had been attacked, and everyone there had died; no one was left.Jasmine was one of the first wolves I saw when I opened my eyes. She has short brown hair and large green eyes; Jasmine is tall and
Lisha POVDamian has summoned the Alphas and their Betas to the throne room. My heart pounds in my chest as I stand beside Damian, waiting for them to arrive. Lilly mind-links me, “For god's sake, Lisha, calm down, or they will smell your fear.” One of the omegas offered me a glass of water. I took a small sip as the Alphas entered the hall. I mind-link Lilly, “How many are there?” Lilly’s eyes scan the room before she answers, “Only fifty have bothered to show up.”Lilly stands on my right, her hand rests on the dagger she has strapped to her hip, Sharna is standing behind me, Tyler is directly behind Damian, and Theo is standing as far away from me as possible. Damian takes my hand and whispers,“Stay here with Lilly and Sharna. I will be back in a minute.”He motions Theo and Tyler to follow him and walks over to the Alphas at the front of the room. Even with my Fae hearing, I can't quite make out what he is saying to them. The tension in the room rises as more wolves enter; m
Lilly POV The smith has promised he will have our weapons ready first thing in the morning; now, I want to talk to Sylvia and see what she thinks about what Jasmine has told us. I knock on the gran's door and chuckle when she opens the door wearing a fluffy pink dressing gown and pink slippers. She waves me inside before quickly shutting the door behind me and says, “I don't want my neighbors seeing me in my pajamas, Lilly.” I follow her into the kitchen and watch as she puts the kettle on and places a plate of biscuits on the table; once the tea is made, she sits down and asks, “What's worrying you, Lilly?” I take a deep breath and tell her everything Jasmine told Lisha, Sharna, and me this morning. Gran sighs as she takes hold of my hand and whispers, “Jasmine is exactly like your mother. If she dreamed this would happen, then it will.” I tighten my hold on grans hand and ask, “Will you come with us?” She shakes her head, “No, sweetheart, I am too old to shift, and
Lisha POVI wipe the tears from my face when I realize Damian left without waking me; it breaks my heart that Damian won't listen to me, and leaving him is the only option I have to keep our baby safe. I climb out of bed and grab a small bag out of the walk-in before hastily throwing some clothes in it; there’s a soft knock on the door. When I open it, I see Lilly waiting in the hall. I hand her the bag and follow her to Jasmine and Tyler's room; Sharna is leaning against the wall tapping her foot impatiently as she growls at Lilly. “What took you two so long?” Lilly snarls back at her and hisses, “We can't look like we are running, you fool; if it gets back to Damian, he will become suspicious.”Lilly knocks on Jasmine's door, and when she opens it, Jasmine ushers us inside. She has a bag sitting on the table filled with clothes and food for Asher; Jasmine refuses to make eye contact with me as she hands me a piece of paper and says, “Once you enter the cave, repeat these words t
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