Bronx’s POV Milo’s “emergency” was that one of the pups went “missing” when everyone was leaving the safe room. The little boy turned out to be in the kitchen, where Mrs. Miller was keeping him calm with milk and cookies until his parents could track him down. As I leave the kitchen, I’m stopped by a group of guards who want to make sure I am up to speed on the rogues, they found on the northern border. I pretend to listen as patiently as possible, but I don’t really hear anything they’re saying. I preoccupy my mind with Kas, waiting upstairs in the apartment for me. Saint becomes more and more irritated, pacing back and forth in my mind as the guards drone on and on. “Alright guys, file a report, give it to Beta Milo. He will compile everything for me. Thank you for your service,” I hastily shake their hands and try to make my way back upstairs. As I reach the bottom of the staircase, Musu and Lenora come rushing up, begging me to go to Lenora’s office. I close my eye and take a
Marco’s POV I look around the room and watch everyone’s jaws drop except for the Alpha’s. He’s squatting in front of Kas, but as soon as Musu announces that this woman Tessa is related to the Santoro family, his head whips around and a look crosses his face that I ain’t seen since I was eighteen and he was nineteen we served in the military together. I feel my head shaking back and forth and I hear myself whisper no. He can’t seriously be thinking what I think he’s thinking right now. Beta Milo and Gamma Reggie jump up out of their seats. “Absolutely NOT, Bronx! Get that look off your face,” Milo growls, pointing at him sharply, “Just fucking forget it, right now.” “Bronx, No. Not an option. No. Stop it. Don’t even think about it,” Reggie yells at the same time. The women around the room look at us, confused by our reactions. Bronx stands up. He looks taller and more intimidating than I ever seen him be before. For a hot second, I'm pretty sure he is glowing purple like Kas does,
I can’t remember the last time I ran so fast. As we approached the pavilion of the training grounds, we can see there are already a ton of people gathered there. The head guards and trainers are trying to push people back from the training ring. James comes jogging up beside us as we make our way through the crowd. The closer we get to the front, the louder the growling and snarling from the ring gets. As does the purple glow. It wasn’t just a glow, though. It was like pulses of energy coming from the ring. I have to cover my hand over my eyes to shade them from how bright the light is. The entire area feels like it's filled with static electricity. When we get to the front, we see Kas putting a full on beat down on the Alpha. Bronx is so close to passing out, he can’t even put his hands up to defend himself. “Damn, we missed it,” Milo whispers, with his hands on his hips. “Don’t worry, I got it on video,” the Tyree says, holding his phone up in his hand, “and you guys aren’t gonna
Kas’s POV I wish I could tell you what set me off, but I don’t know. It was just like when I attacked James. I couldn’t control myself. It felt different, though. Instead of acting on instinct to kill, it upset me that Bronx would want to tip the balance of our natural order. I just felt so angry at the core of my being. Hearing Bronx wanted to break laws and go around the established system to get revenge lit a flame inside me. The thought of him wanting to start a war was overwhelming. I wasn’t sure how I was going to stop him. I just knew I couldn’t let him do it. We have rules to follow. I won’t allow him to become a tyrant. I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt. I knew that much. That's why I froze time before I threw myself at Bronx. A surge of energy flowed through me I had never felt before. Some deep down part of me knew my actions would mean I would serve justice, and I felt brave. Fearless. Confident that I was following my mother’s bidding. He wasn’t expecting it. He ca
Once I’m ready, Delilah lets me know the doctor stopped by and said I could go see Bronx. As we walk down the hall, I take a deep breath and steady myself for whatever his reaction is going to be to seeing me. She gives my hand a squeeze when we get to the door of his room. “We will be here waiting,” she murmurs in my ear. I smile and nod as Tyree opens the door to let me in. Bronx is sitting on the edge of the bed with his legs hanging off the side. He is holding an ice pack up to the side of his face. I don’t know why he is holding it on that side because the side he isn’t covering looks pretty swollen too. His nose was broken but someone reset it so it could heal faster. His eye is swollen, so he’s barely able to open it halfway. Since he doesn’t have an eye on the other side, I assume he can’t see much of anything. They must have taken his shirt off for the exam. He is covered in scrapes, cuts, and bruises that Saint is still healing. There are also burn marks covering his wri
Once Kas calms down a little, Tyree gets me a towel to clean myself up, then moves to the corner of the room to keep an eye on things between Kas and I. I explain more about my conversation with Randall and what I need Kas to take care of at Silver Moon. “Kas, Randall will meet you there,. You won’t be there by yourself,” I promise her, “You are going to be their Luna. When Randall announces it, they will show you respect. The pack members that don’t want to accept that can leave. It's their option. And honestly, good because I don’t really want any of them here, but the Council is forcing my hand. I’ve already made it clear to Randall that there are no second chances once they're here.” Kas has a permanent little frown through the entire conversation. I know she isn’t happy about the idea, but she hasn’t made any comments or asked any questions either. She’s just intently listening. “How long do I need to be there?” she finally asks. “You will need to leave tomorrow and be there f
“Alright, Luna Regent Iokaste Mason, let’s see what we’re working with, my dear,” Lady Camile’s soothing voice calms me as we settle into the comfortable pillows on the floor of the meditation room. Bronx made the male wolves who were working out in the weight room next door all leave and turn off the music. That way, we could have some peace and quiet, and I wouldn’t have to walk by the weight room in my meditation outfit. Bronx gets jealous like that. Yeah, I still roll my eyes at the notion too. “Delilah tells me things have been...tumultuous lately,” she takes my hands and massages my fingers. Her hands are nice and warm. The feeling is so calming. “Yeah. It really has been,” I nod, feeling a little sleepy. “Well, let’s do things a little differently today. Since there are stretches of time you are having trouble accounting for, let’s do a bit of hypnosis. See if we can find it,” her voice sounds soft and seems to melt into my mind. “Yeah, okay,” I hear myself answer, but my co
“So this Leticia, she admitted to killing Cordell Santoro?” Bronx asks, “Just like that?” I give a frustrated sigh. I mind linked Bronx to come down to the meditation room as soon as Lady Camille could make sure I was safe and, as she said, actually me. Once she was satisfied that I wasn't possessed, she relaxed a bit. Bronx got to the meditation room so quickly that I wondered if he had been sitting on a bench in the weight room next door, waiting for me to contact him. He is not taking this whole ‘transported to an apartment that can’t be located’ thing very well. “She said I ordered her to do it, Bronx. She also said she was the one that killed the guy from the jewelry store. I think in some misguided way, she thinks she’s protecting me. That’s the sense I got from her,” I don’t know why I feel like I need to defend Leticia, but I do. “Okay,” he holds his hands up, hearing my defensive tone, “I won’t do anything for now. It sounds like she isn’t a danger to you and I don’t know
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