Mate? As soon as Lottie said that word, a familiar pang blossomed in Micah's chest. It was the only thing that crippled him right down to his very soul. It hasn't been long since the execution of his first mate, Melania. The painful breaking of their bond was still fresh in his mind. 'You will never be rid of me. You will always belong to me and only me.' That was the first thing Melania said when he broke their bond, and as much as he didn't want to admit it, she was right. Parts of him still felt attached to her. A thin connection making even the slightest thought of her pulled at his heart. Micah knew it was because of Roman's connection to Nova. There was nothing he could do about that. Micah took a few calming breaths. Even though Lottie's words hit him hard, she had a point. If this woman was really his mate, then it was in his blood to want to protect her. No matter what the circumstances. Though she was human. The fact made Micah a bit uncomfortable. He had no qualms with
Laurie couldn't help the surprised look on her face. Edmund's question was too coincidental. How could they know about Mason? How did they know about him kidnapping a princess before them? Laurie watched Edmund's face as he continued. Something didn't feel right, and she was glad she wasn't the only one who felt that way. Micah smiled at Edmund's accusation. "Is this confirmed or just a speculation, Commander," Micah asked smoothly. "I would hate to believe you would give chase to such a rumor without evidence." Edmund walked around the room, looking at nothing with his hands clasped behind his back. Archie stayed in place, his eyes shifting between everyone in the room, lingering on Laurie sometimes. "Of course not," Edmund laughed. "Just wanted to see how you reacted to the information. Though, there were reports that Princess Aidy was last seen at the Century War celebration near one of your towns. Ornxville." "Ornxville is at least a day's ride away from here, Commander,
Xenia threw another glass of water at the door as the guard retreated. She tried escaping again after Mason tried his version of flirting with her. She got him close enough to knee him straight into the balls and bolted out the door into the arms of two guards. She hated how fast they were and struggled as they brought her back into the room to an angry Mason. She thought this was it. Mason was going to get rid of her for sure this time. Really, how much assault could he take from her? Surprisingly, he laughed before leaving the room. That part pissed her off. The longer she stayed here, near him, made her resolve to leave weaker. A part of her wanted him closer, his nearness, his touch. It was driving her insane. Her only hope was to remind herself why she was brought here and what she had been through. She sat by the window, glaring at the full moon with its tint of blue hanging in the sky. It was one of the most prominent moon sightings she'd ever seen. She could make out every
The guard quickly closed and covered his eyes. "Doesn't matter if I don't see anything," the guard said with a smile. "You might be right, but what he does matters, especially if he finds us like this." Xenia reached out and placed her hand on the guard's shoulder, only for him to stumble back towards the door. "You know, it's better if I watch from out here anyway. It's not like you can go anywhere." He slammed the door shut as Xenia dressed before turning towards the girls. A minute passed before they all started laughing. Given her dire situation, Xenia felt good just laughing with anyone. "Did you see his face," Celia laughed. "Looks like someone understands how much power she really has," Lacey said. "And look at that body," Frieda said. "I can see why Mason's been all hot and bothered lately. Oh, the men I would have under my control with a body like that?" Frieda smiled to herself. "My own little harem." Lacey threw a brush in Frieda's direction. "You need to be locked
Micah stood in the middle of what was left of Lottie's and Xenia's cabin. Her scent was the strongest here, surrounding him with warm vanilla and lavender. His body swayed as if it was pulling him in many directions. He moved through the crumbled wall and picked up a shirt belonging to his mate. Much to Roman's pleasure, Micah inhaled Xenia's scent, committing it to memory. The effects of it moving through his body. He exhaled, and Roman growled through him. He pushed to come out, but Micah held him down. Roman wanted to find her and mark her to make her his. Micah couldn't agree more. "In due time, friend," Micah promised. Micah adjusted his eyes to the darkness as the Blue Moon was the only light source. He moved through the small hall to where his brother's scent was the strongest. He stopped where there was a huge spot on the floor and picked up the dagger on the floor. He tried envisioning the fight that happened here. His brother fought the knight and decommissioned near whe
Delilah slowly opened her eyes and groaned from the pain. She saw the bars of the dungeon and tried remembering what had happened to get her into this situation. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be the first time she found herself on the wrong side of a cell. Most of the time, she had too much pixie dust and caused a ruckus or was improperly dressed somewhere. The soft glow from the torches meagerly illuminated the area enough for her to see cots lining the back wall, making Delilah wonder why she was on the floor. The moment she sat up, she felt a pain across her forehead. She gingerly touched the spot that hurt the most and could feel a knot forming. She felt around to make sure that there weren't any other injuries. "Don't touch it," a soft voice said, making her jump and look for the source. "It'll only bleed more." "Who's… who's there," Delilah asked, trying to hide the nervousness in her voice. Delilah peered into the darkness, waiting for someone to respond. Her vision was still
Delilah stared at Princess Clara, whose words didn't fully register with her. "That can't be true," Delilah said more to herself. "They...they will find us, surely." Even though she didn't believe her own words, she had to. Xenia was still out there, and she refused to die before finding her. "Look, lady, you can believe all you want," Princess Clara grunted, "but if they haven't found us by now, there's no hope they ever will." Princess Aidy cried even louder, and Princess Clara growled. "She's been like this for days. I think I prefer death to this...incessant crying." "Oh, honey. Shh," Delilah said as Princess Aidy cried into Delilah's shirt. Delilah looked around the cell. She didn't want to think about her daughter being stuck in this place. Alone and scared, having no one to embrace her. Or even worse, thinking no one would come for her. She needed to find a way out of here. Tears formed around her own eyes as she thought about Xenia. "Please, don't start crying, too,"
The guards led Xenia through the packhouse to what looked like the bottom floor. They picked up lanterns before opening a set of heavy-looking doors and ushered Xenia through. A small crowd of werewolves or maybe humans, Xenia couldn't tell, parted as she walked by. They held torches, lanterns, and other light fixtures to help light the way down the tunnel. On their foreheads was a symbol, more like a crescent moon mark. She wondered if this was part of the ritual. They were calling out her name, well, more like calling her Luna. The faces in the crowd were filled with intrigue, as if she was royalty to them. Some even reached out to touch her. Their fingertips brushed her skin while the guards kept the eager ones away. A new kind of fear filled Xenia, but she kept her back straight and looked straight ahead. They will not get to me, Xenia reminded herself. You know what you have to do. Xenia and the guards made it to the middle of the room. The light from the Blue Moon reflected b
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