Marco’s POV “Mister Sanchez, what can I do for you? I’m having a terrible day,” Katherine sighs into the phone. “Katherine, we need your help. Something’s wrong with Kas,” I pace around the living room, cause ain’t no way I can stand still right now. “What’s wrong with her? Out with it,” she snaps. There ain’t no concern for Kas in her voice. She just sounds annoyed. Kas was right about this bitch. “She is hysterical, and it seems like she’s in a lot of pain. She keeps calling for Amari,” I explain as patiently as I can. “Well, that is probably because Amari passed away sometime last night or this morning,” her voice is so cold and uncaring that you’d think she didn’t give a shit about Amari. It makes me feel like she just threw a bucket of ice water at me, “Just tell your Alpha to keep giving her all those hugs and kisses until she gets over herself.” “Wait? What do you mean, Amari and her mate passed away?” I ask. How can she say it with no emotions, like it doesn’t matter that
Bronx’s POV Diane offers to keep Kas company in the apartment while we work out a plan on how to keep her and Tessa safe from the rest of the Manae. I feel better knowing she is a nurse and Kas trusts her. When I get back in the afternoons, she reports that Kas mostly sleeps and spends a lot of time in the shower. Almost every day, after I dismiss Diane, Kas lets me hold her while she continues to cry from the lingering pain. I don’t know how else to help her and it’s killing me. She doesn’t leave the apartment except to come downstairs for dinner. She insists being with the pack will lift her spirits up. Delilah comes to the apartment every evening after dinner with her bag of potion ingredients. She and Kas spend an hour with the bedroom door closed meditating and trying different remedies to help ease Kas’s pain and help her sleep. Some nights it seems to help. Other nights, I have to hold my sweet little mate while she whimpers and cries to her mother for mercy. I feel completely
Kas’s POV I look in the bathroom mirror and sigh, “Lex, we’re doing the right thing here, right?” “Yeah. I truly believe we are. Everything will change. We’ve known for centuries it wouldn’t be easy, but right now, you have all the tools and resources you need to make it happen,” she reassures me, “You’ve got this.” “You can feel it taking over, can’t you? The darkness. Even with Delilah trying to help remove its presence every day?” “That is your human spirit, Kas. I don’t feel it. I just sense that I feel you’re not the same anymore. You may never be, honestly. But I will always be here for you, regardless.” I lean against the back of the door and cross my arms, “What if I’m happier this way? With this feeling inside. I’m stronger than I’ve ever been. It's a little scary, but it feels good too.” “Kas, what do you want me to say? That you should stop letting Delilah try to help you? Let yourself become corrupted by dark magic?” “A part of me does, yeah.” “I love you, Kas, but
“Kas, this is where you live when you’re not with us?” Julia asks, looking around my apartment in the packhouse in awe. “Yep. This is it,” I smile as I take a couple of boxes out of her hands, “What’s your home like when you aren’t at Mavri Magea apartment?” “Well, it’s basically a bunker,” she frowns, “I can’t have a whole lot of flammable items. Just the necessities.” I give her a compassionate look, “Maybe soon, I can help you hone your ability. Get a better control over it?” “I would love that, Kas,” she smiles before she steps back through the portal to get more containers of baked goods they have prepared using my recipes. I look at the clock on the wall, four thirty p.m. “Alright, ladies, time to wrap it up. I’ll take it from here and I’ll see you all soon,” I clap my hands, giving everyone a hug before they climb back through the portal in my bedroom. When the last of the Mavri Magea disappears into the white circular light, I wave my hand and recite the incantation to cl
“Tessa said she and Arnie can escort us to give everyone else a break, but only pack members who live in the packhouse, okay? If we leave the packhouse, we have to have extra security. Even if it is just the houses down the street,” Bronx lectures me after making a few phone calls. “I’ll take it. We can get everyone else tomorrow in the dining room,” I smile and throw my arms around his waist before I run on my toes to the shower to get myself ready for the day. I turn on the water in the shower and get undressed, take off all my jewelry, including my lavish, trackable, diamond dog collar, and place it all in the little velvet lined dish on the countertop. Oh sorry, I meant to say, the beautiful diamond necklace my husband had custom made, using the latest nanotechnology, so he could know where I am every second of every day. I step into the shower and start washing my hair. As I’m massaging the shampoo into my hair, I hear Bronx call me. “Baby? Did you take your necklace off? I go
After congratulating the happy couple, we make our way around the hospital wing, handing out boxes to the grateful staff and the patients who are happy to get a visit from their Alpha and Luna. When all the boxes run out, we make our way back up to the apartment. I give Tessa a deep hug, letting her energy surround me without pulling it from her. It feels very structured and controlled to hug her, but full of gratitude and love at the same time. “Everything’s going to work out for the Manae, Tessa. I’m going to make sure of it,” I pat my hand against her face reassuringly. “Little Sister, I don’t know how you think you could make a difference on your own, but I commend your tenacity,” she gives me a kiss on the cheek and makes her way down the hall. I get back to my normal routine and make dinner for Bronx. He comes into the kitchen and helps make the side dishes, listening to my instructions carefully. Just like the guards and warriors I have given lessons to in the past, using t
I send six of the wolves in one by one to spread themselves around the packhouse. The more confused pack members are by seeing Lex look alikes, the better. “Leticia, no shifting. No magic,” I warn before she enters. “Yeah, yeah. You’ve already told me,” her wolf tilts her head curiously at Lex before she bounds off into the pack house. “Alright, ladies. The back staircase to the dungeon is to the left. I’ll shift. You stay in wolf form until we get to the safe. Let’s make this quick,” I say to Sophie and Thea, who are twins. Sophie has the power of telekinesis and Thea can control electricity. Throughout the packhouse we can hear yelling, barking, and claws clacking on the marble floors. When we get to the door to the dungeon staircase, I shift and quietly use a spell to break the lock. I crack the door open and sniff deeply. There are no fresh scents. No prisoners means no guards are down there. We won’t have any interruptions until someone has time to check time to see why the
“Incoming,” I link my sisters in the apartment. “We’re hidden,” I hear Thea reply. Marco, Ellen, and I make our way into the apartment. Bronx is already standing in front of the sofa, where Estelle and Simone are sitting. Marco directs Ellen to sit as well and stands behind the sofa with his gun still raised behind them. I don’t see any of my other sisters who I know are hiding somewhere inside. “You. Keep your mouth shut,” Bronx points to Estelle, then points to Ellen, “How many of you are here?” “Just the three of us,” Ellen says sullenly. “Bullshit,” Tessa growls with her nose in the air, “I smell more of you.” Bronx puts his nose in the air as well. His eyes turn black as Saint comes to the surface. A deep growl comes from his chest. Saint’s gravelly voice comes out of Bronx’s mouth, “Lie to me again and I will end this lifetime for all of you.” I watch my sisters shrink back as their Guardian threatens their lives. I have a powerful instinct to scold him for their mistreat
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