Kas's POV It's my birthday. It's Summer Solstice. It's also my freaking wedding day. I can't believe it. "One year together with you, Kas! It's been an exciting one!" Lex sings in my head. "Tell me about it. I'm so glad you're you, Lex." I smile at her. "I'm glad you're you too, Kas.” She purrs. “What do you think today will be like, Lex? I’ve never celebrated my birthday before. I’ve never gotten married before either." I wonder. “Well, I imagine people will be wishing you a happy birthday all day. You will probably get gifts too. It will be rude to decline them, so just smile and say thank you.” She advises. “Now that you're eighteen, your scent is going to be stronger. To Bronx and to other wolves. Bronx may be a little more protective, but he is also going to fall so much more in love with you too.” “Oh yeah, I remember them teaching us about that in health class.” I recall. I look out the living room window and see the hustle and bustle of the lawn being transformed for th
Bronx's POV Instead of an actual training, we have a class scheduled for other packs to understand our training programs. We do a ten-mile warm-up for those who want to participate, then we move onto the presentation. We have a few pack warriors who will be doing some demonstrations while I walk through our programs. I'm explaining the benefits of rest days where there is only light cardio and stretching when I feel a whisper on my neck. I flinch and look to the right, fully expecting to have to chastise Kas for leaving the packhouse without a guard, but she's not there. I smile to myself as I look at my watch. It's her meditation hour. She just reached out and touched me. My heart thumps a little harder knowing she is thinking about me. “Okay, now can we go see our mate? She wants to see us.” Saint begs. He doesn’t understand why we have to spend a full day apart when she is inside our apartment. “No, Saint. Later this evening. You and Lex will get to spend time together, then Kas
My heart clenches in my chest. I can feel tears in my eye as I put my hand over my mouth. The guests all gasp and whisper as they admire my mate and bow while she comes down the aisle. As they should. If I didn’t know it was Kas, I would have thought the Moon Goddess herself was making her way to the platform toward me. “That’s our mate?” Saint asks in awe. “Yeah, that’s our mate.” “She’s out of your league, man.” “Shut up, Saint. Just enjoy her beauty in silence.” Kas’s dress is long white and flowy with pleats to make it look more structured. There’s a belt that looks like a little rope wrapped around her waist. The shoulders of the dress are silver olive leaves that match the ones on my eyepatch. There is even more flowy material attached at the back of her shoulders that flows down and trails behind her like a train. She is wearing a wreath on her head that’s made of silver olive branches that makes her hair look even more sparkly. I look into her eyes, the vibrant violet of
Kas’s POV It takes a lot of convincing, but I finally talk Bronx out of bringing James or Marco on our honeymoon. He very begrudgingly agrees and only because, as a wedding gift, Henri arranged for one of his warriors to be our personal driver for the two-week trip. His name is Francis. He’s not nearly as burly as James or Marco, so I was skeptical as to why Henri would send him. “Don’t let looks deceive you, Kas. Francis is Henri's right-hand man. He’s a technician. I wouldn’t want to meet him in a dark alley.” Bronx says looking off into space. “Actually, you could probably learn a thing or two from him when you're ready to get into weapons training. I'll talk to Henri." I look at the unassuming man with short bleach-blonde hair, wearing a black suit and white dress shirt. He's a chain smoker, but somehow doesn't smell like cigarettes. Regardless of who he is, when he isn’t driving us around Paris, he is very polite and accommodating while he does. On the first night after din
"Shit! Don't do anything crazy, Kas. We're in the human world." He urges me. “I already hear police sirens, be careful, Baby. I love you.” "Okay, nothing crazy. Got it. I love you, too." I say nervously. I have never really spent time in the human world except for when Bronx has taken me out. I'm not completely sure what constitutes crazy in this specific scenario. I try to recall all the training James and Marco have given me. "Hey! Girlie, what did you just do with yer eyes there? What kind of contacts you wearin’?" The first man says. Referring to my eyes clouding over from the mind link. "Sir, I-I'm just here to get my cell phone." I say backing up as the man I assume is Jimmy approaches me. "I don't want anyone to get hurt." The man laughs and grabs me by the arm. I easily break the hold and punch him in the face, breaking his nose, then chop him in the throat as hard as I can, making him fall to the floor choking and coughing on his own blood. The other two men aim their guns
“Are you hurt, Baby?” Bronx asks, wiping the blood from my face with his sleeve. I shake my head no, but I’m having trouble finding words. I look down and wipe my hands on my dress. The blood drops smear. I can feel tears stinging my eyes as I look at Bronx. Someone killed that man. My mouth opens and closes a couple of times, but I can’t seem to form words. “Francis, please get the Luna in the car. I will tell the police if they need a statement, they need to come to the hotel. I’ll get the list of detectives so we can get them cleared through MasonCo before we let anyone up to see her.” I hear Bronx say. I feel Francis gently guiding me. “Kas, Baby, it's going to be alright. I will be there in just a minute, okay?” Bronx says to me as Francis leads me away into the sedan. Bronx’s POV Of course, I leave Kas alone for one minute and trouble follows. I will say, thank the Goddess she has had such good self-defense training. It probably saved her life. I look at the assholes Kas att
Kas’s POV The spindles of the staircases in the apartment building are ornately decorated metal that looks like gold. You can look up the center and see all the way up to the ornate ceiling. It is an odd contrast to the modern-looking pictures Lenora had shown us. We climb the stairs to a plain oak door on the fourth floor. Voices and hammering are coming from inside. Bronx knocks but gets no reply so he opens the door without waiting. We peek in and see a flurry of construction workers in white jumpsuits. I go to step inside, but Bronx holds his arm out and stops me. He turns and picks me up bridal style and carries me over the threshold. "Sorry, but we were too preoccupied to do that on our wedding night. I wanted to do it properly for this new place." He grins and kisses me on the nose, making me giggle, before putting me down. A man with a thick mustache and beard approaches us. I can smell he is human. "Monsieur Mason, we were not expecting you until tomorrow. We are almost
Bronx’s POV Once we get home, we settle back into our regular routines. Most notably, training. In addition to the private defense lessons she still takes with James and Marco, Kas starts joining training sessions with the pack warriors in the mornings too. She's a firecracker. We quickly find she is too strong to fight with the female warriors. They're not even a challenge for her after a couple of months. She and Lex are getting stronger by the day. Once we put her in the ring with the male warriors, she’s vicious. Don’t get me wrong. It is hard to watch all those guys put their hands on my mate. It is even more difficult not to step in the ring and attack someone when she takes a hard hit or kick. I do my best to hold myself back. Kas can take down most warriors twice her weight, except for some of the most elite who have been fighting for years. It's evident even some of them are doomed, it's only a matter of time as she learns more techniques. I told her I'm only willing to figh
I sit on the edge of the bed in the silent room. So this is what twenty-five feels like. I wonder if a hundred and twenty-five will feel just as good. What about two hundred and twenty-five? I laugh to myself at the thought as I head into the bathroom. I look in the mirror and run a brush through my white hair. None of the sparkly gray came back when it grew in four and a half years ago. I examine the mirror closer. It looks like there are some more violet flecks in the light gray of my irises, but maybe that’s just me being hopeful. I still don’t have any abilities other than being able to shift and mind linking other pack members. I splash water on my face and brush my teeth. There will be time to shower later before the pack Summer Solstice party and pack run. I pick up some toys that made their way into the closet room and find a dark blue sundress to wear. Once I am changed, I look at myself in the full-length mirror and smile. When I get into the living room, Marco comes up an
The smell of pine needles and lavender fills the room. I keep my eyes closed and hide my smile as the giggles get closer. “Mommy? Are you awake?” Maya’s little voice whispers loudly. I can feel her weight climbing onto the bed. “Shhh, Maya, Mommy gets to sleep, because it’s her birfday,” Andreas giggles at her while he climbs onto the bed as well. I roll over and pretend to yawn with a big growl and stretch my arms out wide, grabbing them both and bringing them toward me. Their happy squeals fill my heart with joy. “Hello, darlings,” I squeeze them tightly in my arms. “Mommy, happy birfday!” Andreas says happily and gives me a wet kiss on the cheek. “Mommy, Auntie Delilah said she’s made a cake for you,” Maya says with big gray eyes. She lays in my arms and plays with my white hair. She gives a sly little smile, “I think she made chocolate.” “Oh, she did, did she?” I smile back. The twins talk excitedly at the same time, telling me about all the things they want to do with me to
Kas’s POV I sit in front of him, even though he doesn’t know I’m there. I’m afraid if I look away, I may never see him again. Elexis’s black snout pushes under my elbow so I will put my arm around her while she sits next to me. I let myself lean heavily against her while we watch our mate realize that my spirit has left my body. “He broke the mate bond, Kas. Our spirits’ journeys are finished,” Lex says quietly, “There are no more lifetimes for us.” “I understand,” I nod slowly as I run my fingers through her silky onyx fur, “Lex, through everything, I forgive him. I’m sure it seems foolish, but I don’t have the desire to hold on to hate or malice when I move on. So, I forgive him.” “Of course you do. You have a good heart, Kas. I know how much you loved him over the centuries.” “I’ve made my peace, and I died knowing I did everything I could do to save my sisters and keep my pups alive. There is nothing else I need to fulfill me.” “It has been a pleasure being your wolf, Kas. I
“She’s pregnant?” I ask out loud, no one in particular. “Twins,” Reggie says dully. “Based on how big she is and comparing her to when Musu was pregnant, we think she’s due any day. Since she hasn’t eaten, her babies are basically using her body for nutrition. For lack of a better term, they’re eating her alive,” Milo says, as he brushes his hand against her cheek. He sits back on his heels and looks at her with tears in his eyes, “We don’t know what happened to Lex. She hasn’t been able to heal her for over three weeks now.” “What did the doctor say?” I gulp hard. I plant my feet to the ground, afraid to move. “You said no fucking doctors,” Reggie hisses at me through gritted teeth, “or have you forgotten?” “LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO HER YOU SON OF A BITCH!” Saint’s first words in weeks are pure rage against me. He tries to claw his way forward to take control and get to Kas, still protective of her. I take a step forward. A small piece of me, a deep down part that has been hidden awa
Bronx’s POV “Come on, man. It’s been a month. We’re sick of this shit. If this is your order, if this is truly what you want, then man the fuck up and come to the dungeon so you can see your damn handy work,” Milo’s steel-gray eyes bore into me, “Like you said, you don’t give a fuck anymore, so prove it. Come see what you’re doing.” “Watch your tone, Milo,” I stand up, growling at him. “Look, Bronx, you can come with us right now or you can find Blood River another Beta. I have plenty of packs who have already said they would give me asylum. Fuck being a Beta. I’ll take a job as a front gate guard and call it a fucking day. I’ll pack my shit, take Codi, and leave today if that’s how you really want this to go down. Your choice,” he crosses his arms and stares me down. Behind him, Reggie has his hands on his hips, looking at the floor. “What about you, Reggie? You're awfully quiet. Are you part of this ultimatum, too?” I lean forward against the desk, giving him a chance to speak u
Milo’s POV Marco had told us to find her binder before Bronx ordered us to lock him in solitary confinement. He said Kas kept note cards and binders for everything. We just had to find the correct binder to figure out what she was up to. He couldn’t tell us anymore because of some sort of potion he had swallowed. He was right. We rifled through dozens of binders in her office until we found one in her desk drawer that had a sticker labeled ‘Manae Notes’. It detailed everything, complete with cute pictures of rooms and furniture she wanted to use magic to create so her sisters would be comfortable in the home she was building for them. Some of the note cards were actually thin sheets of parchment that looked like they were hundreds of years old. Others were thick handmade papers that were crumbling on the edges. There were at least six different languages among the cards. Musu helped us translate most of them, but a few she said were in dead languages she wasn’t familiar with. Regardl
Kas’s POV I wake up in the morning feeling stiff and sore. I slide out of bed with a groan and look in the mirror. Even more than yesterday, I don’t recognize the reflection I see. Pale skin with dark bags below my eyes. All the violet from my irises is gone, replaced by a gray so light, it could be mistaken for white. I gently run a brush through my brittle, thinning hair. It is no longer gray and glittery. It’s turned into a dull shade of white that matches my eyes. I put on a loose dress and a heavy long cardigan to hide the joints protruding from all my angles before I go out to address my sisters for one last time before escorting them to Kardiá tou Manae. When I first met Lenora, bruises from my nose being broken upset her. What she would think now at my self-imposed deterioration. I turn to the side and admire my growing belly. I let myself smile when I feel the impatient little kicks coming from inside. I spend time with each team of sisters and make sure they are still on
Bronx’s POV Halloween comes and goes. Thanksgiving comes and goes. Winter Solstice is only a couple of weeks away. The frigid Montana winter trudges on. The world keeps turning as if Kas never existed. Last week, I heard Katherine Santoro’s abandoned estate in Greece burned down to the ground. No fatalities and no signs of the other residents and staff who lived there several days prior. A few days later, hunters found Katherine’s naked body, along with an unidentified woman, both mauled by wild animals in a wooded area of Mongolia. The artist's sketch of the other woman is clearly Cora. As soon as they confirmed Katherine was dead, I had my people get to work on acquiring Santoro Enterprises. Within several months, I will be the CEO, absorb the company into MasonCo and create a logistics division. If there are any Manae hiding among Santoro Enterprises staff, I will flush them out and throw them into the dungeon to rot. It’s what they deserve. If Kas ever dares show her face aga
Katherine’s POV The estate is unusually quiet when I get home from work. I don’t notice the usual hustle and bustle, but I chalk it up to coming home later than I normally do. I push open the door to my darkened office, pour myself a glass of scotch, and make my way over to the desk. I turn on the desk lamp and sit down, taking a deep sip of my drink. “Hello, Iokaste,” I lean back in my chair, addressing the woman in the tall wingback seat across the desk, “You look like shit.” “Hello, Katherine. Thank you for the compliment,” she snarks at me and leans forward from the shadow, letting me see her pale skin and sunken eyes be more clearly. Her spindly hand supports her chin. The longer I look at her, the more I realize she is way too thin. “K-Kas. Are-are you alright?” I stammer when I see her true condition. “Don’t worry about me, darling. You never have before. I’m here because I need you to do something for me. I’m going to give you a choice on how you do it,” she says, steepl