Kas’s POV “Good morning, Luna!” Tyree chimes in a sing-song voice and gives me a toothy grin when I open the door. Lenora and Marco are right behind him, looking just as happy, “Ha HA! Today’s the last day! We get to go home tomorrow! Come on, time for breakfast. The sooner we finish, the more time we have to relax later.” “Yeah! Last day! I can’t wait to get it started!” I smile at his enthusiasm and let him in the room with the to-go boxes of food. “I noticed they didn't have a whole lotta fruit in the deliveries. I swiped this from the kitchen for you,” Marco pulls a banana from his jacket pocket before he cuts up his pancakes. “Thanks, Marco,” I reply gratefully. I eat the banana first, then cut the rest of my food, thinking about what needs to be finished today. “Earth to Kas,” I hear Lenora say. “Huh? What?” I look up at her. “You’ve been poking at that same piece of food for ten minutes. Have you heard anything I’ve said?” she looks at me, concerned. “I-uh, no, honestly,
Tyree’s POV As soon as the Luna opens the door, the smell of blood is overwhelming. It isn’t old and stale, like you would normally smell in a dirty dungeon. This smells like someone just sloshed buckets of it down the hallway. How is that possible? The door was locked. I look over at the Elder, who looks pale and if I didn’t know better, guilty. I send a mind link to Marco and Beta Lenora, letting them know I need backup. Honestly, the Luna can handle anything going on down there. Even if she wasn't one of the strongest wolves I've ever met, with her powers she can defeat any threat, but it’s my job to protect her, not the other way around. My wolf, Slayer, paces in my head, "High alert, my man. This clearly ain't right." "Agreed, Slayer. Let me know if you see anything. If memory serves me correctly, there isn't a whole lot of room to move down there. We won't be able to shift if there's an actual emergency." "Ten four," he growls. I let him come forward enough for my eyes to t
When the light fades, we look back down the hall. The Luna is standing there looking into the room with a slight purple glow around her now. Her scent is gone, so is our pack link. It doesn't hurt, it's just kind of like a light switch being turned off inside me. I feel so...empty without it. It makes me uncomfortable. It’s like she’s a hollow shell of the Luna standing down there. Marco takes a step toward her before he stops short and turns around. He's got a weird look in his eye. I can practically feel him becoming more protective of all of us. He points to Beta Lenora. “Beta, please get that child upstairs. She shouldn’t be here for this. Call in a Code Violet to Carly. Call the Elder Council. I’m going to check on Kas until you get back,” Marco orders Beta Lenora. He turns to me, “Tyree, get that asshole in a cell and meet me at the end of the hall. The Luna has the keys when we’re ready to get him out.” Look at the big man, taking charge instead of taking orders. I’m not used
Kas’s POV I look into my old bedroom and see a large man’s body on the ground. He is leaning against the bed frame. The longer I stare, the more detail my mind takes in, the more horrified I become. The front of his black shirt is torn in half and his chest has been crudely cut open from his sternum, all the way down to the middle of his stomach. His intestines are pulled out of his body, strewn across the floor like grotesque, sticky ropes. His ribs are broken and sticking out at odd angles. It reminds me of the bones on a rack of lamb. Someone has pulled one of his lungs out, resting it overtop of his chest instead of inside. I feel my heart squeeze in my chest. Who would do this? Who would have it in them to be able to commit such a crime? My watery eyes wander up to find his neck has been deeply slit. It makes his head tip in an unnatural position. I look up at his face to see if I recognize him. His left eye is missing, recently cut out. There is blood still dripping out of th
Bronx’s POV “Ladies, Gentlemen, again, I apologize. This is obviously not a good time, but we will have our head doctor come down right away,” I nod to the Santoro Enterprises team, not letting them see my genuine emotions. “Of course, Alpha,” Katherine doesn’t look away from Tessa, who is sobbing and writhing in pain. Reggie, Milo, and I walk as calmly as possible out the door, closing it behind us. “What happened to Ashley?” he asks Carly as we jog down the hallway. “I don’t know, she was having pains in her stomach and they took her to the hospital wing,” Carly whimpers, running alongside us. “I gotta go, Bronx,” he starts running faster. “Yeah, we got it. Take care of your mate,” I call out, “Carly, what happened at Silver Moon?” We reach the end of the hallway into the main level of the packhouse. “Beta Lenora said there was a murder and when the Luna saw the body, she fell into a vision,” Carly informs me with tears in her eyes. “Alright, I gotta go,” I say, pulling of
No fucking way. I let go of the bars, ignoring the raw skin left behind. “How do you know him?” My voice snarls. “Knew him,” Lenora interrupts, “He’s the victim at the end of the hall.” I snap my head to her, then back to Randall, “How do you know him, Randall?” “He is mates with a woman named Contessa DeCaul. They work for Santoro Enterprises,” he swallows hard before he continues, “When I was first initiated into the council, they approached me and we made an agreement to help each other. I gave them confidential Council information in exchange for protection.” I rub my hands over my face in frustration. “Did you know she is one of the Manae?” I put my hands on my hips. “What?” he looks at me wide eyed, “No.” Based on his reaction, I believe him. He will leverage anyone for more power. If he would have known Tessa was a goddess, she wouldn’t have been an exception. Lenora takes me by the wrist,” I’ve already called the Council to come deal with him and the body down the hall
Kas's POV I open my eyes to find I’m laying on my back on the floor of the meditation room of Blood River pack house. My heart is beating painfully hard. I rub my hand against my chest, trying to remember how I got here. When did we leave Silver Moon? Did Bronx come and bring me home? Why would he bring me to the meditation room? It’s so weird. I have never woken up from a vision in a different place before. The vision. Bronx’s emotions all come back to me like a punch in the gut. I can feel tears gliding down the sides of my face, into my hair. The sadness inside me is overwhelming. I try to swallow it down, hide it away, but it just won’t obey. My lip trembles, doing its best trying to hold everything in, but a gasp of a breath escapes me. I cover my mouth with both hands and silently sob, letting my body shake. “Lex, is she really going to die?” I squeak out between the sobs. “I don’t know, but it's going to be alright, Kas. Get yourself together. It was just a vision. We’ve b
“Bronx, what are you talking about?” I ask confused, “You didn’t bring me home? You didn’t know I was in here?” “No, Baby. I didn’t know where you were. No one did. I felt you reach out to me, so I ran back to the packhouse. I was going to let Lady Camille know, but then I smelled your scent and I was able to follow it down here,” he explains into my ear, still holding me against him. He gives me little kisses on the side of my face while he talks, leaving little sparks behind with each one. I close my eyes and smile, grateful to be home and in his arms. “I’m sorry, Bronx. I didn’t mean to scare you,” I apologize even though there is nothing I could have done about it, “All I know is I fell into a vision in the dungeon of the Silver Moon packhouse and I woke up here in our meditation room.” I feel him smoothing my hair and nodding, but he doesn’t say anything. “Bronx, w-what’s going on? What’s wrong?” I ask, sensing there is a lot more to his look than just my reappearance. “Oh
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