"Serif and the twins came in the carriage," Laurie said. "They are still on the main road." On cue, Serif and the twins emerged from the treeline, yelling and fighting away the bushes that tugged at their eccentric clothing. It took a minute for them to make it into the clearing. The girls helped remove twigs and leaves that stuck to Serif's clothes. "Wow, people still do this," Serif said, looking at the makeshift camp. "Camping and all that. It's very...rustic and of nature. What was that?" Serif jumped at a sound coming from the forest surrounding them. "Just the night creatures saying 'Welcome' to their home, Serif," Micah smiled. "Maybe this scene is too verdant for your blood. You can return home and let us worry about Xenia." Serif laughed nervously but looked like he wanted to accept the offer. "I'm quite alright, Alpha Micah. This is for Xenia, and I guess...I have to stay if I want to help you all find her. Besides, you might need our expertise." Though his words
Archie stood in the middle of the group, holding a broken wood in one hand and a broken metal ball in the other. The wolves kept their distance as the scent of wolfsbane floated in the air. Archie turned it around for everyone to see the royal seal on the front. "That's the Pruvaria's seal," Serif gasped. "So it's true," Lottie said. "These weapons are made by the human kingdom." "This seal is part of the armory," Cristobal said with disbelief, "but this contraption is something I've never seen before." "We have seen it," Laurie stated. "It's the same weapon we saw at burnt settlements we passed before. A way to try to eliminate the werewolf species. Like genocide so one species can rule all." "That is not true," Archie yelled at her, causing the others to converge to their location. "We don't believe one species should rule. We are here to try to keep the peace." Laurie laughed harshly. "Is that what we saw back there in those towns? Keeping the peace!" Laurie flicked he
Everyone took a minute to scan the area. It was Cristobal who answered first. "There are multiple indications of a battle here," Cristobal said, pointing to the marks on the trees and the ground. "Exactly. I saw no indication that werewolves attacked the other locations. We might be trained, but even my wolf is inclined to leave a mark or two," Micah finished. "So now I ask the difficult question. If we both want to find my brother, why is your brother leading us farther away from him?" All eyes fell onto Archie, who was struggling to find an answer. After a resigned sigh, he dropped the plank on the ground. "I don't have an answer. If, and this is a big if, my brother had something to do with this, then it is without my knowledge." Micah placed a comforting hand on Archie's shoulder. "Believe me, Archie. I know a thing or two about brothers making decisions behind your back. Right now, I just need to find out why and what Xenia has to do with this?" Archie offered a small s
The sun seeping through the window cast a shadow of a claw over Xenia's face. Lillian stretched before walking over to the bed. She traced a finger down the side of Xenia's face, over her cheekbones, round nose, and full plush lips. She was careful not to leave a mark on Xenia's pretty face, knowing Mason or, rather, Rodin would have a fit. "I'm bored," Lillian sighed, propping herself beside Xenia. "Mason's away, and my mate is resting from our late-night activities. That means we had sex last night. Do you understand sex," Lillian whispered in Xenia's ear before taking the tip of it between her teeth and letting go as she laughed. "Sex between mates is... indescribable. Apologies if you could hear us. Werewolves are not shy from being loud. It doesn't help that we're just below this room either," Lillian giggled before propping herself over Xenia's body. "I guess sooner or later, you'll find that out yourself. How lucky you are to be Mason's mate." "I wonder if you can hear me
Delilah spat obscenities towards Lillian, and still, Xenia didn't move. "I know you're awake. Stop playing games," Lillian yelled, tightening her grip on Delilah's throat. "What the hell is going on!" Lillian turned to see Mason standing in the doorway. His eyes accessed the situation, moving from Jane to Lillian to Delilah and finally Xenia. He noticed the cut on Xenia's face, and a growl rumbled low in his chest as his eyes bled red. "Rodin..." Lillian whispered as she let go of Delilah and slowly backed away from the bed. "Did you touch her," Rodin growled, each word coming out as painful as the next. "It..it...was an accid..." Before Lillian could finish, Rodin lunged for her. Lillian successfully dodged his hands and ran for the door. However, Rodin was quicker and grabbed her leg to swing her towards the wall. Lillian hit the wall hard enough to hear a crack. She crumpled to the floor, holding her hands out to protect herself. Rodin stalked towards her, and she painfully b
"She looks so peaceful. Like a magnolia in May." Frieda stared at Xenia's body. "It's strange she's still human?" Lacey leaned over Xenia's body, sniffing it before stepping back. "She doesn't smell like a werewolf to me. Maybe it didn't work." "Let me see." Frieda pushed Lacey out of the way and sniffed Xenia. She shook her head and did it again in different places. "Well, at least she smells good," Frieda purred while twirling a strand of Xenia's hair around her finger. "Has she always looked this pretty? Look at how her hair frames her face." "Get off of her, you horn dog," Lacey said, pushing Frieda away from Xenia. "Don't make me get the hose." Frieda pouted. "I can't help it. The moon is callin' to me." Frieda throws her hands in the air with a small twirl. "Can't you feel it callin', Lacey?" "No, so hang up." Lacey glared at Frieda before rubbing lotion on Xenia's skin. "Let's just hurry before he comes back." Alpha Mason finally allowed them into the room to cle
Lacey held the key out in front of her. "Celia found it underneath Xenia's pillow. She made a weird look and put it in her pocket when she thought no one was looking. I thought the whole thing was weird, so I stole it from her." Frieda looked aghast. "A key, Lacey? Really? Do you know how many doors this place has?" "I do," Lacey said defensively, putting the key back into her pocket, "but how many use actual keys? And besides, look at it." The jagged key had a carved-out seal on one end with a jewel in the middle. "Maybe it's a key to the dungeon's cells or something important. It looks all fancy." "Well, how are we gonna test it," Frieda asked. "Celia is the one that delivers the food down there. Come to think of it, I'm not sure I want to go down there. It's so…dark." "Just come on," Lacey said, pulling Frieda out of the room. "We should go now while everyone else is getting ready for tonight's bonfire. This is the last night of the Blue Moon." Not long after, they stood near
Jane's hands shook as she carefully skimmed to the chocolate bar's top. She ignored the sweat and clumps of wet flour caked on her face. She wanted to imitate how Xenia made the swirly chocolates for the banoffee pie. So far, in the last ten minutes, she has gone through two bars of chocolate and made four perfect toppings. "I have no idea how you can do this with such ease, Xenia." After ten more minutes, Jane gave up and decided to go with what she had. She had been slaving all day in the kitchen and between her other duties to make this, and she prayed it worked. "If there's one way to get back in your good graces, it will be with this pie," Jane muttered as she placed the last chocolate curl on top of the pie. "Done. This should be perfect." Jane stepped back to admire her work. She planned to put it up for when Xenia woke up, but no one knew when. The fact that she growled earlier indicated it might be any day now. "Hopefully, it's soon," she muttered. "I would hate for thi
Lillian and Rick exchanged glances as Mason stormed into the dining room, his jaw clenched and fists, bloodied and balled at his sides. Lillian knew that meant he was in the dungeons with their shipwrecked guests. Still, she said nothing as he sat down at the head of the table with a force that rattled the silverware on the table. Normally, Lillian would offer him an alternate way to release his tension, but it looked as if even the sound of a fork scraping against a plate might set him off. So, to be safe she was careful with her movements and words.Lillian cleared her throat. “Everything is in place for tonight, Alpha,” she began. “The preparations are nearly complete. The altar has been set, and the ceremonial items are ready.”Mason didn’t respond immediately. His gaze was distant, lost in thought. He reached for a glass of water, his grip tight. Lillian glanced at Rick, who avoided eye contact and focused on his plate. He had seen Mason in these moods before–volatile, unpredicta
The morning of the Red Moon came quicker than Xenia had hoped. She had barely slept through the rest of the night after Mason practically dragged her from the dungeons. She had a bit of solace when something urgent came up and he left her for a while. It wasn’t until later when she felt him enter the room, smelling of earth and blood until he went into the bathroom.Xenia prayed he would leave but that went out the window the moment he climbed into the bed. She moved only for him to grab and pull her into his arms. Xenia pushed against him but he only tightened his hold.“I have to pee,” Xenia lied, preparing to bolt from the bed the moment he let her go.“You lie,” Mason grumbled, his voice drifting off as Xenia sighed into his hold.I’ll just wait until you’re asleep. She thought as she stared at the ceiling, waiting until the shadows in the room seemed to stretch long in the early light, wrapping around her like chains she couldn’t break. What was worse than having a psychotic kidn
Mason walked into the woods far from the packhouse. It was already late and he didn’t like being away from Xenia for too long. His instincts warned him that leaving Xenia alone was a mistake, even if the threats of her friends’ lives kept her in place for now. She was clever, and desperation could make her even more so.Mason paused in his steps, his eyes scanning the darkness ahead. He knew they were close. Lillian and Rick had found something important and refused to let him know until they got back to the packhouse, but Mason was impatient. It was too close to the Red Moon to be left out of the loop.A flicker of movement to his left caught his eye as Lillian emerged from the darkness like a phantom, her eyes blazing with fury. Rick trailed behind her, his expression stoic.“What are you doing here?” Lillain spat with irritation in her voice. “You left her alone.”Mason didn’t flinch under her glare, though her anger was palpable. He knew what she was really angry about. He expecte
Delilah hit the water hard, the icy shock of it stealing her breath. Panic surged within her, a flashback to the last time she had been submerged in the waters from an explosion–a time when death had nearly claimed her. The relentless grip of the ocean, the surrounding darkness, and the crushing weight of the water threatened to drown her in panic. I just have to swim up and I’ll reach the surface. She thought, but her body refused to move. The water was ready to drag her under. Then, in the midst of the chaos, she thought of Xenia. The image of her daughter’s face, strong and resolute, filled her mind, anchoring her in the present. She couldn’t give in to the fear. Not now. Not when they still had a chance to save her baby.Kicking furiously, Delilah forced her way to the surface, gasping for air as she broke through the waves. Her eyes darted around, searching for the others amidst the chaos. Pieces of the boat floated around, and she could barely make out the figures struggling ag
Xenia’s breath hitched as she took in the sight of Lacey, bruised and broken, barely clinging to consciousness. Next to Lacey, sat Frieda in the same condition. Xenia’s nails bit into her skin as her fist tightened from the fierce anger that had been burning inside her. She tried to look away but something wouldn’t let her. The air around her was thick with the scent of blood. She took one shaky step forward, keeping her gaze on Lillian, who had a sickening smile on her face. I want to kill her. I want her dead! Was on repeat inside Xenia’s mind as she got closer to the cell door. I could do it, she thought. I was fast enough to dig my nails into that pretty face of hers. Nova’s power flowed through Xenia and out into the room. She felt Nova pushing her, urging her to act, to tear Lillian apart limb by limb. Every muscle in her body tensed, ready to spring into action.Lillian’s smile was gone now, replaced by a wary glint in her eyes. She had felt the shift of power, the surge of e
The cannon ripped through the side, sending vibrations through the ship and rattling the planks and bolts.“What the hell!” Micah yelled over the noise. “Did you signal them to attack us?”“No,” Archie responded, looking just as confused as the panicked crew. “This is all wrong.”“Maybe they attacked because we’re onboard,” Eric suggested.“How would they know?” Archie asked. “This is a civilian ship with King Gerald’s flag colors.”Another cannon exploded above them. Gunpowder filled the air and like before Micah could taste the silver. Before he called out to Laurie, she already created a whirlwind to keep it away from the crew, especially the wolves.“I think your notion that they don’t know werewolves are on board is wrong Lieutenant,” Micah growled.“I don’t understand,” Archie said in disbelief.“It doesn’t matter what you don’t understand,” Laurie yelled. “Just know right now we are being attacked!”The crew sprang into action, each member knowing their role as Micah and his te
Lottie paused mid-pace, her glare sharp enough to peel paint. “Just great. Now we have two lovesick puppies on this boat.”“Better two puppies than one seasick alpha, amirite,” Spencer quipped, trying to lighten the mood. Silence greeted him like an old, unfriendly acquaintance. “Tough crowd,” he muttered, looking around for a lifeline, None came.The boat swayed gently as the crew exchanged uneasy glances. Delilah emerged from the cabin, stepping right into the middle of the Micah-Cris showdown brewing on deck. Micah, who swayed in perfect time with the boat, looked both determined and like he might hurl at any moment. Despite Eric steadying him like a weary mother holding up a toddler, Micah’s glare at Cris was unwavering.Cris’s laughter broke up the tension. “You can’t be serious, right?”His arms crossed, voice dripping with disbelief. “You realize we’re still together. Have been for a while now. You can’t think you can just come in and break up something as real as what we have.”
Micah stood at the edge of the pier, watching the water lap at the edge of the boat. Sweat was building across his forehead as he took a deep breath, steeling himself to walk across the plank leading up to the boat. The salty tang of the sea filled his nostrils, and the sound of the water was anything but comforting.“Alpha, we have to go!” Laurie’s voice rang out from the haul, carrying a note of urgency. Her usual calm was slipping. “Just pretend it’s a moving house!”Micah growled low in his throat, frustration evident in his tone. His usual bravado was faltering, replaced by a rare vulnerability. “Wow, thanks for that, Laurie. Super helpful. If I hurl, it’s going to be your fault.”“Can’t believe the big bad Alpha is afraid of boats,” Cris laughed, his amusement clear. “This is priceless.”Lottie, standing beside him, quickly hit him across the shoulder. “Said the guy who once jumped on Xenia’s back in the dead of night, screaming like a banshee,” Lottie shot back, a smirk playing
Xenia’s heart pounded as she narrowed her gaze, locking onto Mason’s intense expression. What are you playing at? Xenia wondered as she stared at Mason, searching for any signs of deception. But all she found was a raw mixture of lust and determination.“You can’t be serious,” she scoffed, hoping her laugh would push him back. But instead, Mason smiled, a slow, predatory grin that sent heat pooling low in her stomach.“I think you know me well enough to realize I’m very serious,”he replied, his gaze flickering down to her lips, making his intentions crystal clear. “You realize every time we’ve kissed it was Rodin who was in control. I can’t help but feel a bit…”“...jealous,” Xenia replied.“...left out,” he finished, his eyes darkening as he moved closer, closing the gap between them. She felt her pulse quicken, her body betraying her mind. His nearness was intoxicating, and that made her furious. She tried to fight the rush of heat flooding her, swallowing hard as she placed a hand