CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR:~Drake: I rolled my eyes, “And how is this time supposed to be any different than the nonsense you were having me do outside earlier?” “Like I said, that wasn’t real,” he grunted, pulling something out from a chest that must have been way at the bottom. Everything clattered loudly as he removed it. “Aha!” he exclaimed, holding up a big golden… arm band? It looked like part of a knight’s old armor. Like it was made for someone’s forearm. He walked over to the table beside where he told me to sit, and laid everything out. It looked like nonsense. ‘Looks like a crazy pirate’s treasure,’ Dane said in a wry tone. ‘And where have you been?’ I asked him right away as I watched Alec sort his crazy collection of random shiny objects. ‘I needed a break,’ he said simply. ‘From?’ I asked. He didn’t reply. Again. My skin was itching to get to Avery but I had no real way of finding her. I looked back up at this crazed vampire and squinted my eyes trying to figure hi
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE:~Avery: The woman in front of me was her, I knew it in an instant. My gut sank. My heart broke. My spirit dissolved. All of them, Tyler and his older brother, and now her, had reasons to hate me. Reasons to track me down like this, to kill me. I’d have done the same thing if someone had done that to my parents… I had taken away their parents. Come to think of it, I killed mine too. In a way. While I know Tyler could have died without me stopping his dad, that doesn’t change what I did. All of my running over the years. It was for me. Not just because I didn’t want to get caught. Not just because I was a danger to anyone who tried to lock me up. But because I was running from this. From facing the consequences of my actions. I was a murderer. A family destroyer. I felt sick. I leaned on one hand, pressing into the concrete floor, suppressing the urge to vomit. I breathed deeply, something between hyperventilation and dry heaving. After a few moments I looked
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX:~Drake:I stared at the chair in front of me, my palm up and ready for another attempt to reach Avery. Every fiber of my being longed to find her, to free her from the clutches of her own nightmares. Dane paced in my head, adding to my anxiety. The mate bond between us pulsed within me, stronger than ever, but it was a bittersweet sensation. While I could feel her presence more intensely now, I also sensed some immense feeling of turmoil she was enduring.I shot a thought to Dane, ‘We have to find her. We can't let her suffer like this.’Dane paused, and nodded in agreement. ‘We’ll find her. Together, we'll find a way to break through and bring our mate back.’Alec watched my inquisitively for a moment before he gestured to his open palms. Renewed determination filled me as I placed my hand in his again, ready to venture once more into the Waking. In a moment darkness enveloped us, and my senses sharpened, attuned to every subtle sound and movement. Like the first t
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN:~Avery:I opened my eyes, my body aching and my spirit broken. Depression gripped me tightly, suffocating any remnants of hope. Nightmares swirled in my mind, replaying the deaths I had caused, tormenting me relentlessly. I struggled to stay awake, but sleep seduced me once more. I’d had depressive episodes before, but this was something else. I was sucked back in to repeat the same cycle over and over.Something pulled me out early this time.As my eyes adjusted to the dim light surrounding me, I noticed a vaguely familiar figure poking me with a long stick. Recognition dawned upon me—it was Tyler, my former foster brother. He was as thin and dead-eyed as he had been as a kid. I tried to find my voice, to apologize, to say anything, but before the words could escape my lips, Tyler's older brother stormed into the room.His face bore a smug satisfaction, reveling in the knowledge he had acquired. "Well, I have to admit I’m surprised he was here bothering with you,
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT: ~Drake: I slumped in the chair, frustration etched on my face. "Damn it, I need to find Avery," I muttered, my voice tinged with desperation. I glanced at Alec, pleading for answers. "I can't let her suffer like this, Alec. We have to find a way." Alec's gaze turned thoughtful, his brow furrowing in deep thought. "I hear you, pup. Let's give it another shot. You’re her mate. There’s got to be a different way to reach her, to take over what she’s seeing - so she sees you. I’m not sure if she’ll still be there now but it’s worth a shot." I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, focusing on Avery's presence in my mind as Alec took us back in. We walked the same way, through the darkness and gray, to the place we found her last time. This time when w
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE: ~Avery: The guards of the mysterious man began to rub blankets and jackets all over me, as if they were trying to collect my scent. Their rough handling made my skin crawl, and I shivered under their cold gazes. They yanked on my arm, and one held me in place as the other pulled out a knife. “Hssss!” I sounded as they cut along my arm. “What the h**l?!” They didn’t say a word as they held me in place. A tube came out, and it looked like they were collecting my blood. I fought and tried pulling away from the one holding me in place but he didn’t budge. I felt pathetically weak. The second one who was collecting the blood then grabbed a jacket into the woun
CHAPTER FIFTY:~Drake:I couldn't ignore the pull any longer—I had to find Avery. Leaving Alec and some others I went back to my room, one of the many guestrooms Alec had in this opulent boarding house of his on this land. I sat down in a chair beside the bed, determined to reach Avery. If Alec didn’t want to help right now, then screw him.Ignoring Alec's warning about doing this alone, I delved into the dream state, determined to reach her on my own. The darkness enveloped me like a suffocating shroud, and I searched frantically for any sign of her presence. The pull of our mate bond was strong, leading me deeper into the abyss, but the darkness was disorienting. Panic and pain flooded my senses, I knew they belonged to Avery, but I couldn't discern the direction they were coming from."Avery!" I called out, my voice echoing in the void. "Where are you?"‘You idiot. You egotistical idiot,’ Dane grumbled. ‘Now we’re lost. Avery needs us and we’re lost. And stuck.’‘Stuck?’ I asked hi
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE:~Avery:My heart pounded in my chest as I carefully executed my escape plan. I had to seize this opportunity, no matter the risks. Gripping the frayed rope tightly in my hands, I waited until the guards' footsteps faded into the distance before making my move. I’d been stuck in limbo for what felt like an eternity when I had rounded the corner to see a group of three guards talking by the door I’d planned to use. By sheer luck they didn’t turn my way and only veered off in different directions after deliberating for way too long.Silently, I tiptoed to the door, praying it wouldn't creak or give me away. With bated breath, I turned the handle and slipped out into the dimly lit hallway. The adrenaline coursing through my veins kept me alert as I navigated the unfamiliar corridors. What even is this place? Seemed to me an eclectic designer pieced it together from leftover materials from a million different types of buildings. I had assumed there would be maybe one mor
CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE:~Avery: It really was another thing entirely to physically be here, to hear these things, and then to see them. After Drake destroyed this particular guard we wasted no time moving forward. I jumped off Dane’s back to free him up to get the bunker door down. It took three big hits from him but then it was cracked open. I went in first, the opening not quite big enough for him, and I heard him whine as I ran past. My shoes echoed on the cold hard floor as I walked forward. The hallway jutted to the right and revealed a staircase that went down a few floors. Just how many people did they have down here? With another loud boom I knew Dane had gotten the bunker door totally down, and I heard him chasing me as I went down the first few flights of stairs. There were no hallway offshoots until the third floor, and in my rage, with my light fired up and my hair completely lifted, I nearly slipped on the last step before finally seeing a doorway. I moved quickly with
CHAPTER SEVENTY:~Drake:‘I’m not staying here forever, they need to find or pick someone else,’ I grumbled to Dane - again. ‘We were born to lead,’ Dane fires back. It’s been our constant argument for the past week. Pretty much the only time we aren’t arguing is when Avery has our attention. We’re both one hundred percent focused on her when she’s around. Just then, like I’d been summoning her, a knock came to the door. I knew it was her before she opened it, and the instant her eyes met mine, everything else faded to gray. “I can feel you getting… upset?” she asked, closing the door behind her and walking over to the desk I’d been sitting in for too long. I stood up, needing contact with her right away. Without another word she was in my arms and everything seemed lighter, easier. “I’m perfect now, Freckles,” I said, a long breath leaving me. The encouraging tingles from everywhere we touched, accompanied by her intoxicating scent settled me down. Goddess, she’s amazing. The
CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE: ~Avery: It’s been a week since we stormed into Black Mountain. And while I wish things were relaxed, they’ve been just way too chaotic for much anything at all outside of putting this pack back together. We spent the first three nights at Alec’s with Drake needing to come back here for one thing or another, and since he didn’t want me out of his sight, I would tag along too. Not that I was just being pulled around all over to stand around and no nothing. No, it seemed I was stepping into Luna duties right alongside Drake. I spent my time meeting with this group and that, and have now started restructuring the school here. It seems like girls and boys were treated very differently in school and on the training fields, and while Drake has implemented changes for training, the school was overlooked. Not everyone is happy about these changes. There are a group of older pack members who grumble and fuss, and it’s hard not to just snap at them but I’m trying to em
CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT:~Drake: Something about the unknown intruder had Dane on edge. I asked him about it but all I got was a noncommittal grunt in return. Helpful. It was hard to leave Avery like that there but I shouldn’t be long and I didn’t know what exactly was out there waiting for me. I wish we were fully marked though, with Beatrix able to link with Archer, I really think that Avery and I would be able to link. I’d feel so much better if I were able to talk to her, knowing she’s okay. It took a couple of minutes but soon I saw two border guards up ahead. I recognized the three of them and they nodded at my approach. The vi
CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN:~Avery: God were we ready for this to be over. I saw that in Drake too when he assessed his previous Alpha. There was this huge weight, this expectation I think the group around us had, but no one said a word as Drake went straight for the kill and I had no problem sucking in this tyrant’s darkness. Unsurprisingly he was all dark. Just like Justin. That had been crazy too. I didn’t even know where to start with that, I wasn’t sure I could ever really process everything he ended up being. I just held onto Drake’s hand. It was the only thing I could think to do. We started our walk back while Beatrix, Emery and
CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX: ~Drake: I spent some time talking with Avery about what we’d seen. I knew I was adopted, and suspected I had Alpha blood, but to see all that… My parents sacrificed themselves for me and Rafael, Rafael was all behind it. He had killed my parents, my entire pack. And then he killed my adoptive parents, the sweetest, bravest people. I was going to slaughter him like a pig before he took anything else of mine. I didn’t understand what kind of deal he had made with the demons for that insane attack to have happened, but I didn’t care. And Eric, who had he been to my birth parents? Had I been stupid not to look for him earlier? Was it too late now? It was too late to keep in my head though, we were gathering for our strike. I would have to think all this through later. Now, I needed to put it aside. “Teams 1 - 4 are our frontline led by me,” Archer ordered out to the troops. There had been some arguing about this but we were going with what was planned. Ave
CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE:~Avery: We were supposed to sleep in to help prep our bodies for what could be a long battle, and I really did not have a problem with that. I woke up once around early morning, feeling anxious, but Drake pulled me tighter into the hold he had me in and I found myself relaxing again. The second time I woke up it happened slowly. I rubbed sleep from my eyes and realized I was the little spoon to Drake’s big spoon. It made me smile. Something so simple like this, something I honestly thought I would never have. But here he was. His hold, his heat, his scent - it all gave him away so I didn’t even need to look. But how I wanted to.
CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR: ~Drake: It felt good to be heading home. Well. That and other things. It felt natural to be heading back towards where my pack was, but with everything there waiting for me, and the knowledge of my parents’ slaughter… well it was a lot. Avery insisted on taking a turn driving. She was currently scanning the radio for something, I wasn’t sure what. She’d passed by a couple songs that weren’t half bad. She listened for a few seconds before scrunching her nose in distaste and changing the station again. The windows on this old beater we bought from a junkyard couldn’t close up all the way on the driver’s side but instead of letting me cover the gap somehow she had insisted that the fresh air was good for us. So now her hair flowed a bit like she was using a little of her magic. Her hair had grown out a lot since before she’d been taken. As much as she looked beautiful when I met her, and each time she’d changed her look, I much preferred her natural strawberry-b
CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE: ~Avery: I thought for a moment before nodding, a silent ask for him to continue. I had to know everything. No more running from this life, from what we might have to face. I felt my whole body tense like I was preparing for some kind of assault. I tried to relax but knew I wouldn’t be able to until I finally heard this. No more secrets, no more ignoring what very well could be reality. “Okay - again - I don’t put too much stock into this,” he glanced at me again. I just nodded once more, still stiff. “Beatrix calls you Queen Mothe