FerraraThe lies had slipped so easily out of her mouth, but while Marsh invited Finn to stay for dinner, Violetta started to shake. I knew what she was thinking. My wolves hadn't made it back.Interesting that she would worry for them so.I knew that my wolves were fine. I would feel if they were dead. Finn had lied. I couldn't tell Violetta that. I also didn't know why.We spent the next two hours as guests while Marsh happily relayed stories of little Violetta that set my teeth on edge and tested me in every way possible.Violetta, meanwhile, never blinked an eye.Afterward, I quickly shut down Marsh's suggestion that we sleep in the cabin. When he mentioned we could all shift and sleep together, I felt the first sign of Violetta's fear and panic."Violetta's wolf does not come out unless we're home," I said, playing the role of the controlling mate.Marsh was clearly frustrated, but I didn't budge. It was obvious he wanted Violetta. Did he really think I would share her?Had someo
ViolettaI kept my back to Ferrara when he returned and pretended to be asleep. We both knew it wasn't true, but he quietly stretched out behind me and laid a hand on my hip. I almost gave him a warning growl, but his touch did help settle my wolf. Her anxiety at being alone on Marsh's land was suffocating.I hated how he made me feel. Calm. Centered.Desperate. Needy.Furious.The man gave me whiplash, and now, I had his kiss to haunt me. His real kiss. Not just the ones I sometimes had in my dreams.Somehow, with him behind me, I managed to slip off into sleep. I had no idea how much had passed before my wolf's panic had been bolting upright.Next to me, Ferrara had already started to pull me against him when a blade shredded the tent, and Marsh's face loomed near. He was streaked with blood and had a crazed look in his eye."Something wrong?" Ferrara said tensely."Stupid bitches think they have a say in what I can and can't do," he snarled. "This one is mine. Shane gave her to me,
ViolettaI hated not knowing where we were and having to follow the instructions of a stranger.Finn had risked a lot to see us to safety, though. So much so that Ferrara didn't think he was safe in Wisteria Woods anymore. He gave the young man instructions back to West Ham with a message his guards would understand.When Ferrara returned, Finn would have a chance at joining a pack. I was a little sorry that I wouldn't be there to see it happen."That would be a pretty targeted question for me to ask, wouldn't it?" Ferrara responded.Shivering, I turned my back and slipped off my wet shirt. We were in a cave that, according to Finn, was part of a system of rock dwellings. He believed the caves would lead straight to the witch's den, but he hadn't explored them. He said he'd only tried to go further once when he became ensnared in a spell trap. It was two agonizing days before a witch released him and warned him away.Ferrara had commented that it was awfully nice of them for a group o
FerraraThe minute her hands touched my chest, I saw the flash of heat in her eyes. The warmth penetrated the fabric of my shirt, and her mouth opened just a little.That was all I needed. Capturing her lips in mine, I kissed her urgently as I backed her into the rock. Just before her head hit the stone, I cradled her head, and it was my knuckles that smacked against the rough surface. I didn't care.My tongue swept in, taking what was mine, and as soon as I tasted the sweetness of her mouth again, my fury grew. How could she be so fucking delicate? So goddamn innocent?How could I crave her this much knowing what she was?Growling, I tore my mouth away and stared down at her. Wet large and hesitant eyes stared up at me, and I was lost in her. "Turn around," I ordered. "I want you pressed up against me."Quietly, she obeyed. As soon as my fingers moved down her soft belly, she shivered and squirmed against me. I could smell her arousal, and my own body tightened in kind.Mine.She was
FerraraOur clothes were dry by the next morning, although they smelled like the river. It was still better than having her smell like Finn."I'm not familiar with this area, but I should still be able to spot any spell traps. You just have to follow me closely and listen to me," she said sharply as we stepped out of the cave.She was feeling vulnerable about what happened yesterday. She wasn't the only one.Rubbing my chest, I just nodded. "Finn said we're probably only a day or so away from the witch den.""Lead the way," I said with a mocking bow.With a roll of her eyes, she looked left and right. Finn had said to follow the caves north until we could find the narrow path to climb over them. From there, we'd be able to see the fortress.We made it ten minutes before she stopped short and held out her hand. "Don't move."Her voice held just a thrill of excitement, and I followed her gaze. It only took a second for me to see something shiny. "It's just the sun reflecting off some me
ViolettaFreedom was one step away. All I had to do was turn and leave. I knew the way to the witches. They could come back and get Ferrara and be prepared for whatever he had in store for them.It probably wouldn't lead to his death."You're not breathing," I snapped as I knelt down by him to check out the trap. I couldn't leave him here. Not even if it was in my favor."Maybe because I was thinking you'd leave me," he said weakly. I glanced at the blood trickling down his leg. It was serious, but he wasn't going to die just yet."I should have," I muttered as I focused on the magic. It wrapped around me, brushed along my skin, tried desperately to claw at me and trap me the way it had trapped Ferrara.I'd lied to him before. I didn't have a way to dispel the trap. I didn't need it. After a moment of touching me, it turned dark and died. Just died and dissipated into nothing.I couldn't tell him that. I knew what it made me. My father knew what it made me, and he'd locked me in the h
ViolettaIt was two days before Ferrara could walk on his own again. Two days of him swearing up and down that he was fine and collapsing not more than five minutes of trying to leave the cave.Two days of him demanding to know how I released him from the spell.Two days of him asking about my father.I couldn't tell him about the spell, so I told him about Shane. Everything he wanted to know. Every answer I could give him. Maybe I felt like it was my last chance at redemption.After we reached the coven, I would never see Ferrara again.I had a plan. If he didn't tell me what he wanted with the witches, I would leave him there. He'd never get in without me. If he did tell me, maybe the witches would let him in. Either way, we'd go our separate ways.I'd stop being Shane's daughter. Adopt a new name and live my life alone. Lonely but peaceful.Away from Ferrara.When we walked the rest of the way, we did so in silence. If Ferrara was suspicious of my motives, he didn't let on. If he w
Ferrara"Where is Violetta?" I demanded as I looked down at my tea. It was a surreal moment. The small tea parlor had plenty of sun streaming through the windows despite the fact that there were no windows outside.Five minutes ago, I was fighting for Violetta's life. Then, I was here, in a fucking tea parlor, with a dainty little teacup in front of me.Witches. Whatever was in this cup of tea could kill me.Three strangers were in the room with me. A short and rounded older woman with long thinning gray hair set the rest of the cups of tea down and eyed me through thick glasses. A young woman who looked no more than twenty with long red hair and a beautiful smile accepted a cup of tea and sat across from me at the table. In the corner, on the bench where an unconscious Violetta lay, a middle-aged woman with a blonde messy bun and a permanent scowl on her face sat next to her and waved her hands up and down Violetta's body.The maiden, mother, and crone. Were there really only three w
ViolettaI did as much good at Indigo Peak as I could while I was there, but few of the wolves were happy to see me, so I spent most of my time in my room reviewing Maeve's books in an attempt to help Finn get organized. I ignored all the massive journals the crazed woman had collected. I was no longer the ternary, and they had nothing to do with me.Lunessa, Irene, and the other witches helped identify the small faction of witches who'd been working against Maeve. Most of them were imprisoned. Some were in the field when Lunessa stole their magic. And some were dead. There were enough that, in a few months, the land might be healed enough to start growing again, just in time for spring.At least, that was the hope.Leaving Finn was difficult. I didn't know where he was mentally, but I knew Indigo Peak needed his help, and he would provide it.And when Amelia returned with us, tears in her eyes, I tried not to get involved. Finn was making a mistake, but he would realize that. In due
ViolettaImmediately, I stepped inside the circle and felt the magic drain away. "I don't have magic anymore, but even if I did, none of this is for me. It was for a deranged woman to hold on to a memory of when she thought she was in control. She's dead now, and I don't need this place to know that I had a happy family once. And I don't need to bring any of that up. I have enough happiness in my immediate past."Finn stared at the home as the flowers started to wither and the wood started to break down. Its age was catching up to it. "I could burn it to the ground," he said darkly."I think you should. I love that you wanted to give me a choice, but this place doesn't mean anything to me, and it's a symbol of Indigo Peak's troubled past. Burn it and make way for the future. You're going to be an amazing alpha, and if you'll let me, I'll come visit often to check in on you. I'm going to miss you and Amelia.""You're more than welcome, Violetta. I'll demand your visits, seeing as how I
ViolettaI woke up alone. For a moment, I thought I was back in Maeve's grip, chained to the wall, listening to Finn's cries as they tormented him. Tears pricked my eyes until I heard a voice in the room."Violetta."The hoarse whisper calmed me, and I took a deep breath. I was not alone. Maeve was dead. I'd been certain that Ferrara had been in the room with me at one point, but he was gone now. Sitting up, I looked over at the other bed. Lunessa looked only marginally better than she did before as she smiled at me. "You did it."When she started to cough, I rolled out of bed and made my way to her. Snuggling up next to her, I grabbed her water and held it up to her. "So did you. Lunessa, the amount of magic you displayed was insane. How are you?""Depleted," she admitted as she sipped her water. "And scared that I might not bounce back.""How did you do it?"She sipped the water more and leaned against me. Less than a year ago, she was the Maiden, a witch who'd saved my life once, e
Ferrara"Ferrara," London said in a low voice. "You are growling at the kitchen staff."Immediately, I pulled myself back. A dozen wolves stared at us, frightened. "My apologies. My thoughts are elsewhere," I told Finn. "Please continue."The staff cleared their throats. "We have access to large herds here, and we used to use the witches to magic the land to provide for the wild game so we could eat fresh all year. With the magic repurposed," one wolf said carefully, "much of the game fell ill. We tried to preserve meat, but our previous alpha believed in eating fresh and shut us down."Finn frowned. "I believe in eating fresh but also storing when prepping for leaner months. I'll speak to the witches about healing the land once more, but I won't know how long that will take. Do you have the supplies to cure the meat?"One wolf nodded. Finn looked over at us. "Do I have your permission to use some of your soldiers for an immediately hunt before you leave?"We all nodded, and the staff
FerraraFinn's eyes were red, and his wolf's power still spilled out of him as he sat stock still in the chair at a large conference table. Food was spread over the table, but it didn't look like he'd eaten any of it. Blood was still dried on his skin, and his clothes barely fit him.Two submissive wolves hovered uncertainly at the table, and as soon as we walked in, he dismissed them. They'd scurried out of the room like they'd been shot, and the doors slammed shut behind us."I cannot be alpha," Finn growled. "Not of this pack."I met his gaze head on and lifted an eyebrow. "It's a little late for that. You killed the previous alpha and slaughtered anyone who challenged, which, from what I can tell, included her second, third, and at least ten of her top guards.""I didn't realize that they were challenging me," he said tightly. "Do I have to die to relinquish my new position?"London, Elonso, and I exchanged looks and pulled out chairs at the table. I sniffed at the food. "Doesn't
FerraraPulling free from our captors, London and I raced up the hill. He got to Lunessa and yanked her from the stone before I could reach Violetta. A large, mutated wolf pounced at Violetta, and I dove into him. Teeth and claws raked into the flesh of my human form, but I ignored it. There was only one truth. If I didn't get to Violetta, she would be torn limb from limb.Shifting faster than I'd ever shifted in my life, I turned and raced back to her. With a roar, I pulled her chains from the rocks with my paws and turned back to her."Ferrara," she whispered and sank into the ground. "I'm sorry. I don't think I can walk, let alone shift. Help Finn."Finn didn't need my help. He was ripping through wolves at an alarming rate. I wasn't even sure he knew what he was doing.Violetta flinched, and I turned as another wolf tried to pounce. Ripping my claws into their flank, we tumbled, but as soon as I found my footing, I returned to her side.If she couldn't shift, she would be vulnerab
ViolettaThe outer ring of rocks on the hill were etched with symbols and held offerings to the elements. Water from the largest river on the mountain. A feather willingly given from a bird. Earth enriched and blessed. And fire sparked from the kindling of the land.Words from the spell rose up in my head as I was marched through the circle. Below me, an enormous audience had gathered. Most of the wolves were grotesque and foaming at the mouth. It seemed to take all of their energy to be still. Those who weren't mutated seemed so small, but there was nothing innocent in their gaze as they watched.In the silence, I heard someone roar Lunessa's name and then mine. Turning my head, I watched in horror as Ferrara and London were hauled to the front of the audience and forced to their knees. My gaze locked on to his, but there was nothing either of us could do.My chains were attached to one of the inner rocks, and on the other side, Lunessa, also dressed in white, was chained to the same
ViolettaI hadn't seen Finn all night, not since they dragged me away. I was taken to a completely different part of the building, three floors up, and chained to a different wall with a bed.Cozy.Instead of resting for the ritual, I pulled myself as close to the window as I could possibly get and stared outside. It was the same side of the building, the same view of the ritual circle. No new information presented itself, but while I was trying to find an escape, I was also searching for Ferrara.I could feel through the bond that he was close. Alive. Getting stronger every hour that passed. Hope flared inside of me.When the sun rose, the door opened. Three wolves and three witches stood before me. "Time to prepare," one of them said, her voice laced with excitement. She put a white dress on the bed.I glanced at it and snorted. "If you're hoping this is some kind of virginal sacrifice, I have bad news for you. I have been well-loved and well-fucked.""Don't be ridiculous. The magic
FerraraThere were at least fifteen dead wolves at our feet. Adrenaline surged through me, but I was losing too much blood. London could barely stand. A familiar male werewolf loomed over us."Ferrara. London." He spoke with a harsh rasp that further identified him. Dolan. Maeve's second-in-command. We never interacted much because Dolan rarely left the territory. Normally, her third traveled with her, something most alphas practiced, but Dolan was a different breed of wolf. Apparently, he enjoyed disciplining. There were rumors that Maeve had wolves in confinement for lifetime prison sentences, and Dolan liked to make them bleed, wait for the heal, and then rip them open all over again."I see you left your whipping station," I said hoarsely as I stood. My legs shook so badly that I nearly fell over again. "Just how many wolves did you bring to take us?""I have twenty more rogues on their way here," he said in a bored tone. "My alpha has commanded me to give you a choice. Continue t