Evangeline’s POV As I sit alone with Shannen, I am dying to hear what she has to say about Ora. But since Edgar isn’t here, it’s not fair. So I ask Shannen to tell me about herself. She had a rough upbringing from the life she has described. Her mom seemed to be the main cause of her pain. She talks sadly of her murdered stepfather. But she lights up when she mentions her siblings. They supported one another from the sounds of things. She tells me how she found her mate, who was best friends with her sister. They were the ones who uncovered her biological father’s identity. “He is also the father of Jo’s baby.” That piques my interest. Jo left Ora alone long enough to get herself pregnant. What else was she doing when she should have been protecting my child? “It wasn’t like that,” Shannen defends Jo. “It was Ora and me. We forced them to be together. We locked them up together. We forced them into the same proximity all the time.” I look at her, not believing what she is s
Evangeline’s POV Discovering that Joanna was pregnant was both shocking and frustrating for me. How could she be pregnant if her duty was to protect Aurora? Hearing about the sneaky pranks Shannen and Ora pulled on the couple made it less upsetting. But the revelation that Ellie might have a way to rid the world of Millicent and Marco caused me to forget about it immediately. I thought it was peculiar that Ellie came to help Joanna, but if Frederick sent her, there must be a purpose behind it. I have learned over the years not to question him or his methods. “Once we have his poison and her blood, we are only going to have a small window to get the antidote ready. If Joanna is really that important to you all. The fight is going to have to be wherever she is,” Ellie tells Nathan. She’s right, there will only be a few hours in which we will have to create the antidote. So it’s agreed our ultimate battle with Millicent will be here. But how do we lure Millicent here? I could us
Evangeline’s POV As Edgar and I sat on the plane home. I don’t speak. I just think. “The time to fight is now.” Were Ellie’s words. I looked at my watch, wondering who would be on duty at the resistance headquarters, probably Malick. I am sure there is a meeting scheduled for tonight. If I can make it there in the next few hours, I should be able to catch everyone together. “We’re nearly home,” Edgar tells me as he kisses my hand. We both fastened our seatbelts, ready for the captain’s announcement. But it didn’t come. I look at Edgar, who looks at me. He raises his finger to one of his guards. While heading towards the cockpit, the intercom pinged. “This is your captain speaking. Sorry for the delay, your majesties. We are being diverted. I am trying to speak to someone in charge.” I look at Edgar, who gets up and heads toward the cockpit. He returns a few minutes later. “There has been a bomb threat at the airport. Every flight has had to be diverted.” He tells me. I nodded my
Ellie’s POV “Come on Ora. You can do better than that.” I yelled at her. We have been training for over a week. At first, the progress she made was truly impressive. She’s not at full power yet, but I can see it advancing. But now, she seems distracted. I keep catching her and Benson looking at each other and that worries me. She needs to be focused on the task at hand, on saving her aunt and helping me take down Millicent. On top of that, Rhea keeps acting like a giddy child around him. I can guess that is how the pair used to act when they were growing up. I needed to speak to Benson about the situation, so I waited until Ora went to do some training with Rhea. I told him my concerns. At first, he looks hurt and shocked. But in the end, he agreed he is more of a hindrance than a help at this crucial time. Although he didn’t want to leave, he offered to return to Beta Academy with me the next time I went. “I am not sure if that is the right thing to do, Benson.” He looked con
Anabelle’s POV As we stepped onto the plane, I felt scared. Not because of the long flight ahead. But because every step we take towards reaching Beta Academy means Frederick is one step closer to death. He’s being so brave. Yet I want to cry for a loss that hasn’t happened yet. I hadn’t noticed, but Frederick told me my powers were developing. That I should be mindful of my emotions as they can affect those around me. So I swallow my feelings and think of the happy times that Frederick and I have spent together. He has acted like my grandpa every day since we met, caring for my needs like I was his kin. He didn’t have to. But he told me once he had a vision that I had an important role to play in the upcoming fight. That I had the potential to save the life of someone important. He never elaborates, and I find it frustrating when he does that. When Frederick tried to book us a direct flight to America, he was told the plane was full, and we could go on standby. Instead, he
Anabelle’s POV I guided Merida toward our table in the restaurant, and we joined him at the table. Frederick is sitting there with a coffee in his hand. “I ordered for you. Didn’t think you would be long,” he said. I looked at the table. Two huge chocolate sundaes were sitting there. He pushes them toward us. “There is no one here to impress. Wouldn’t you agree?” He says, but looking at Merida, like he is saying something personal to her. “Chocolate is my favorite.” She looks at me. “But I eat like a slob and make a mess. Ma won’t let me have it.” She says, pulling it toward her. Frederick smiles as Merida shoves the spoon into her mouth and moans. I haven’t even made a dent in mine when she puts her spoon on the table. I look at her and can’t help but snicker. She’s an absolute mess. I can see what her mother means. It’s all over her face, in her hair, and all over the table. “I enjoyed that,” she says, patting her stomach. Frederick looks at her and his face becomes serious
Ellie’s POV This time when I arrived at Beta Academy. I was met with no resistance from the guards. It was creepy considering how I was first greeted. They mind-linked Nathan, who seemed happy to see me. “How are you, Ellie?” He greeted me like an old friend with a smile. I looked at him dubiously, believing he was up to something. Either that or the pod people had taken over his body. Nathan introduced me to his daughter-in-law, Maria. Maybe that’s why he’s acting strangely. Is he trying to impress her? “My friends call me Goldie,” She said. I’m going to let her know we’re not friends, just acquaintances. But then she tells me she is Shannen’s sister. Ora talks about Shannen all the time. So I believe Goldie is possibly a good person. “Daughter-in-law?” I asked, looking between the two. “Future Queen then?” I asked. “Yes, unfortunately,” Maria said unhappily, crossing her arms in front of her. “Maria, we’ve talked about this,” Nathan scolds her. She scowls at him. “Sorry, El
Evangeline’s POV I haven’t slept since I met Frederick that night. I’m attempting to make sense of all the things he talked about. But the first thing I had to do. I made sure to give my Wiccan friends a funeral that honored them with the respect they deserved. To make this happen, I had to contact each coven separately and inform them about their murder. As their friend and queen, I felt obligated to be in charge of the ritual. So I traveled to each coven. It broke my heart to say goodbye, but it was the right thing to do. Each time, I asked myself if it was worth it. It wasn’t until I was safe in my home coven did I say those words out loud. I was standing next to my aunt at the time. She was the one I turned to for guidance after my mother’s murder. She deservingly is now one of the coven’s elders. Her appearance has changed since I last saw her. She now has gray hair and a hunched posture, causing her to rely on a walking stick for support. “Don’t do that to yourself, Evange
Evangeline’s POV Nathan has been exceptionally accommodating ever since we settled into his home and kingdom. Edgar spends quite a lot of time with him and Jasper. It’s good to see Edgar finally relaxing after all these years. I think abdicating may have been a wise decision. I get to spend time with Ora and Shannen a lot these days. Maria’s mates have been treating her like she is breakable, which is driving her potty. As the date of Maria’s scan approaches. Nathan has been becoming more and more agitated. Edgar and Jasper have been helping him relieve some of that aggression in the training field. But I can see the emotional toll it is taking on him. I talked to Asher, Dexter, and Finley, asking for permission to speak with Maira privately. At first, they said no, “Whatever Maria is going through, she has us to support her,” Finley told me. “This is a difficult time for any family. I understand that. Maria may have relied on her mother for guidance, but she isn’t here. I am no
Benson’s POV “It will be okay,” I told Rhea as we drove to the Dark Crescent Pack. Ora and Rhea are sitting in the back seat and I can see how restless she is. “I know, but I still feel nervous about returning home,” she says. Rhea hasn’t been home since the hunters took her. We are both concerned mom will have a heart attack if she just turns up. So we both agreed to break the news to her gently. Which is why the back windows of the car are tinted. Edgar and Evangeline have given us a head start. But they are on their way to meet their in-laws. “No matter how you are feeling. Can you imagine what mom is going to be like?” I said as I approached the border’s gates. I lower the window and am greeted by a guard. He ushers me through without hesitation, telling me he has informed my dad about my arrival. I drive slowly through the pack so that Ora can see where I grew up. “It’s so quaint,” she says. “The people are so nice here. It was a great place to grow up.” Rhea tells her
Ora’s POV After leaving Scotland, we traveled south. To a place I once called home. I had so many mixed feelings on the journey. I had lived there in that farmhouse for as long as I can remember. I have so many memories there. What stands out in my memory now, is that this is the place where Aunt Jayne and Aunt Josie lost their lives. As we pulled down the long drive, there was nothing in sight. No buildings, no equipment. Nothing but grass. “Everything is gone,” I said sadly as I got out of the car and walked around. “There is a chance Millicent burned the place to the ground to cover her tracks,” Mom told me. “You will always have your memories of this place before the attack,” Benson says. “Do you remember the time I hid in the barn?” I smile, but that’s all it is now, a memory. “Feels like a lifetime ago,” I said as he kissed my hand. “Did you do anything off the farm? Maybe that will cheer you up,” Dad asked me. “I had a pretty strict upbringing. Going out
Evangeline’s POV Our alarm went off just as Edgar and I were still busy. We grinned at one another. “It’s been a while since we had a night like that,” he announced proudly. “Hopefully, we get to do it again. Now that life is as it should be,” I responded. There have been instances in the past where I felt guilty for my happiness while my child was out there somewhere. But that is behind me now. As we entered the dining room, I was surprised to see Ora and Benson sitting there. Ora’s hair was tied up, showing off Benson’s mark on her neck. “I guess we had better get used to having a son and a daughter,” I told Edgar before we sat opposite the couple. Coffee is brought to our table. “Have you given any thoughts about your future?” Edgar asks Ora. She stops eating and questions him about what she means. “You are our daughter. By birth, you are the heir to the throne. A princess.” Ora places her knife and fork down before she looks at Benson. “I would follow you anywhere,” Ben
Evangeline’s POV It’s a hard pill to swallow. The baby I once cradled in my arms is now a woman. I have missed so much. I fear I will never truly get to know my daughter now that her mate bond has snapped into place. As I maneuver around the room, I see so many new friends. But the person I am keeping my eye on the most is Edgar. He is in overprotective dad mode. Every time Benson and Ora go to leave the room, he is there, blocking their path. The next time he does it, I will say something. I tell myself, knowing it won’t be long. But first, there is someone I need to speak to. I glanced around the room, easily spotting her vibrant red hair. She sees me approaching and straightens up. “Be in my lab in an hour. Bring your arrowhead. All being well, we will leave tomorrow.” I told her quickly as I could see Edgar moving again. “See if Kristopher can help,” I said as I rushed away. “Where are you two off to?” I caught Edgar asking the couple as he stood in front of them with h
Jo’s POV “Haven’t you slept for long enough?” Jupiter asks. It’s good to hear her voice even if she is complaining. “A few more minutes,” I pleaded as I stretched my limbs, hitting someone in the process. My eyes flew open, fearing who it could be. I turned my head to the side to see a face I had not seen in a very long time. “Gosh, you’ve aged badly,” I told Nathan as I rolled on my side and stroked his face. “I’ve aged fine. Thank you very much, Joanna. It’s the trouble you’ve brought to my doorstep that’s aged me. I think I’ve aged a decade since finding out you were here.” He retorts. “Are you saying I shouldn’t have come back when I had nowhere else to go?” He pulls me close to him. “You should never have left. You owe me an explanation.” He says adamantly. Seeing the pain on his face makes me think I may have made a bad decision back then. But I made it based on Nathan having a life full of happiness with his mate. I made the hard sacrifice, so he didn’t have to. I love him
Wolf King Nathan’s POV Ajax has been inconsolable since our mate bond was severed. He decided our best chance right now was to be in human form. Being in human form would mean we had a clearer head, as the mate bond was connected through the wolf. Then he could be blocked out. I stood side by side next to my son’s wolves. Face a group of creatures set on destroying us. Every wolf around me stood strong, growling as our enemies got closer. Then, when they were close enough to smell them, we charged forward. Cooper, Colt, and Cody blocked my path. I tried to get involved, but this only distracted them. I begrudgingly took a step back for their safety. It left a bitter taste in my mouth. The howling intensified with the arrival of more wolves to the fight. I don’t know who they are, but I am grateful they are here. To make myself useful, I approach the ice wall, intending to break through it. That will be the next task we face. “It’s solid,” I say as I kick it in frustration. I cou
Merida’s POV With everything going on here and worrying about my Ma back home. I needed to blow off some steam. With my new bow and a couple of quills, I went for some target practice. I know it’s old, a lot older than I am. But this bow feels like it was custom-made for me. It’s the perfect height and weight for me. The wood is sturdy but also bendable, and the string fires my arrows faster than any other material I’ve used. It is a work of art. When Rhea suggested lighting my arrows, I couldn’t believe it. “Best day ever,” I whispered, causing her to snicker. “Wolf hearing,” she responded. I was having a great time until Frederick had to spoil my fun by telling me not to waste my arrows and sending Rhea to be with her brother. Benson is alright, but I still haven’t forgiven him or Ellie for what they did to me. Just as I was aiming to shoot an arrow at a tree, the wall of Beta Academy exploded. While dodging the flying debris, I got hit on the head. A flying piece of debris. Th
Anabelle’s POV Frederick said I would die protecting someone important, and he was right. I protected an unconscious woman and her unborn baby. How important they are doesn’t matter, they are defenseless. The pain in my chest was excruciating, and I had trouble taking breaths. I struggled to keep my eyelids open as I tried to breathe. When they closed, happy memories of my family appeared, the things that brought me the most joy. I could hear Maria’s reassuring voice telling me help was coming. The more time I spent with my eyes closed, the more my memories lengthened. That’s when I saw memories of Ellie and me running around the castle growing up. Getting into all sorts of mischief. I began to cry at the thought of leaving Ellie. She would be all alone in this world without me. But there was nothing I could do. My chest hurt so much. Ellie was my last thought as everything became dark. I felt so cold. As the darkness consumed me. Kristopher suddenly appeared out of nowhere. A br