Tylers's Point of ViewWhile Daemon, Thorn, Alastair, Lysandros, Aeon and I were observing the interrogation, if you could call it that, of the two Dark Fae, I was missing Avril. She had come with us to capture them but wanted to have no part in any interrogation or torture. I was pleased, as I would have argued with her if she had wanted to be here.Now, we were heading back to inform Queen Aurora of our findings. I doubt she was going to be very happy with it. I know that we weren't. Echo was still pissed and wanted us to hunt down Lord Umbra right now to make sure our mate and her family were safe. I didn't blame him.A heavy silence draped the room as we gathered in Queen Aurora's chambers to share our grim findings. The revelation that the Dark Fae remained resilient under torture, conditioned by the sadistic Lord Umbra, sent a chill through everyone."How accurate is the information, Aeon," she asked."We have no way of genuinely telling since interrogation techniques weren't ef
Avril's Point of View We were finally going to leave on this mission. I had a feeling that Tyler didn't want me to go with them, but he wasn't saying anything so far. That was a good thing since there was no way I would be left out. I was a capable fighter. When the stable hands brought out our mounts, I tried to translate their names from Fae to English. Most were already part of human mythology, so it was pretty easy. The only ones he hadn't heard of were the stoikheṓdes alogo, which were elemental horses. They usually only had one element, but it could be lethal. We bred and trained these as warhorses. It was strange since we didn't really go to war, but some of the patrols along the border were mounted, effectively giving the patrol an extra 'warrior'. All of the Shifters transformed into their animal forms. I loved feeling Echo's fur. His soft brown and white fur was velvety smooth to the touch. I couldn't resist putting my arms around his neck and giving him a hug and ear sc
Avril's Point of View So far, throughout the early evening, it had been quiet. There were the usual sounds of night creatures. I could hear the occasional hoot of a glaukē as it hunted a sika or a mus, its silent wings aiding it. "What was that?" Tyler whispered. "It is called a glaukē. You would call it an owl," I answered. From the books I had read while in the Mundane Realm, there were equivalent nocturnal animals. The
Avril's Point Of View "Tyler!" I screamed, feeling his pain through the mate bond. As I watched in horror, time seemed to slow to a crawl, the sounds of battle fading into a deafening silence. With every fibre of my being, I reached out to him, my heart pounding with dread as I witnessed the severity of his wound. "Tyler!" I cried as I held him. "Someone help him!" He looked at me but seemed unable to answer. Through the mate bond, I could feel that he was still alive. He was in pain. So, so much pain, and I could feel it all. They must have stabbed him with a dark blade made from enchanted obsidian. A blade forged from lava, containing its heat. Any wounds from it burned. But amidst the chaos and despair, a glimmer of hope emerged. With a de
Avril's Point Of View "Prince Tyler will make it." Those magical words of hope kept me from the insanity of losing my fated soul mate. A small number of words, yet with so much importance and consequence behind them. The weight of the past few hours lifted off my shoulders. Tyler was going to be okay. I couldn't wait to see him and hold him, but I knew he needed rest. I thanked the healers, and they left to attend to other patients. I sat by Tyler's side, holding his hand and watching him sleep. He looked peaceful, his breathing steady. I couldn't help but think about what could have happened if we hadn't been able to save him. I shuddered at the thought. There was still a chance I had managed to conceive during my heat. What if I were carryi
Tyler's Point Of View This chapter covers some of the previous chapter, but from Tyler's point of view. I awoke in what looked like the Fae infirmary after being stabbed in the back. I wasn't sure what they stabbed me with, but by the Goddess, it hurt. It felt like I was burning up from within. Before I even opened my eyes, I could sense Avril was sitting beside my bed, her hand in mine. I opened my eyes to see Avril's worried face, her eyes red from crying. She tried to hide it with a smile, but I could feel the tension in her grip on my hand. "Hey," I rasped, my throat dry. "Hey, you're awake," she said, her voice trembling with relief and her eyes filling with tears. I nodded, trying to sit up but feeling a wave of dizziness wash over me. Avril gently pressed me back onto the bed, concern etched on her face. I told her through the bond that I was okay, but I could still feel her worry. "I know. I'm just so relieved that you are okay, but you need to rest, Tyler," she said s
Tyler's Point Of View As the day continued, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong. I tried to push it to the back of my mind, but it kept nagging at me, growing increasingly intense with each passing moment. My wolf, Echo, was also on high alert, his senses hyperaware of everything around us. We were back in our own apartment when Avril noticed my unease and placed a comforting hand on mine. It only made things worse. The slightest touch felt like a jolt of electricity running through my body, causing me to flinch and pull away. "What's wrong, Tyler? Are you in pain?" Avril asked, her voice laced with concern. "I'm fine," I snapped, my tone sharper than intended. "I just need some time alone to think." Avril's face fell, hurt evident in her eyes. I could feel the guilt and shame building up inside me, but I couldn't stop the wave of anger and paranoia that was consuming me. It felt like the world's weight was on my shoulders, and I struggled to keep my emotion
Avril's Point Of View This chapter covers some of the previous chapter, but from Avril's point of view. Tyler had been acting weirdly all day since returning from the infirmary. There was a block in our mate bond, and he was quick to anger. He wasn't very talkative over lunch, but he seemed cordial enough. After lunch and back in our apartment, Tyler and I sat on the couch. I hugged him and could feel the mini electric shocks we always got whenever we touched. It was what made the mate bond so incredible, having this electricity between us. I wasn't expecting Tyler to flinch and pull away. Nor was I expecting to feel rejected like this. "What's wrong, Tyler? Are you in pain?" "I'm fine," he snapped at me. "I just need some time alone to think." I thought Tyler and I had an unbreakable connection through the mate bond, but maybe I was wrong. I didn't want to make things awkward between us, so I tried to brush it off and act like nothing happened. But deep down, I couldn't help
Cole’s Point of ViewDawn broke over the city as the last of the Supernatural Council guards departed with the prisoners. Thank the Goddess that the docks were a rundown abandoned area with few to no humans. The warriors we brought with us cleared the area before the Council arrived.The rogues and traitors, shackled and subdued, were loaded onto the council’s enchanted wagons, their fates sealed. I stood beside Marc, our shared relief palpable as the weight of the past days began to ease. Lucienne stood a few steps ahead, her posture straight and proud, but I could feel the tension radiating from her.Marc and I exchanged a glance. She hadn’t spoken much since we found her. It wasn’t like Lucienne to hold back—she was bold and fearless, her emotions always worn like a badge of honour. But now, her silence was deafening, the weight of everything she had endured pressing down on her.She stayed close to us, her touch grounding. Whether holding our hands, leaning into us, or simply brus
Lucienne's Point of ViewTaking our prisoners upstairs, Elizabeth’s face twisted into a mask of desperation. “Reject her!” she demanded, her voice shrill. “Choose Beatrice instead. She’s been trained for this position her entire life. You grew up with her—you know her! She’s everything a Luna should be. Not some—some Gamma!”Her words grew more frantic as she continued. “Beatrice loves you! She’s ladylike and graceful; everything Lucienne isn’t!”Elizabeth was giving me whiplash. First, she mistook Marc and Cole’s Lycans for my parents, recognising that I am a princess. Then she called me a mere Gamma as if what she said previously was non-existent.Marc and Cole both laughed the sound deep and mocking.“You’re delusional,” Cole said bluntly.“As is Beatrice,” Marc added, his tone filled with disdain. “To think we’d ever give up our fated mate for something far less.”“As if we’d give up our fated mate for anyone else,” continued Cole. “Unbelievable!”Elizabeth’s mouth opened and clos
Lucienne's Point of ViewShaking my head, I couldn’t believe she couldn’t put two and two together to make four. My father had already told them I was his daughter the first time Elizabeth threatened me. It wasn’t hard to make the connection that if my mother and father were Lycans, I must be one too.Beatrice shook her head, her trembling intensifying. I guess she was that stupid. Her head sank into her hands, her muttering turning into unintelligible whimpers. Her disbelief and humiliation were all too much for her fragile ego to handle. Despite wanting Eric rather than my mates, she had built her entire life’s plan on lies and half-truths fed to her by Elizabeth. And now it was crumbling before her eyes.Behind me, I heard a sharp intake of breath. I turned my attention to Dwayne, who had managed to pull himself into a sitting position against the wall. His face was ghostly pale, his eyes darting between me and Beatrice. There was no fight left in him, no bravado. Just a growing, s
Lucienne's Point of ViewThe sheer arrogance of my captors. They thought they had me trapped, powerless. Fools.Now, Elizabeth and Rodney sat in the corner of the cell I had once inhabited, their faces pale as they realised they were trapped. Their façade of control had crumbled, and seeing the fear in their eyes was almost pitiful. They wouldn't escape justice. Not this time.For now, though, my focus was on someone else-Beatrice.Her betrayal wasn't personal. It didn't sting, nor did it matter enough to hurt.Beatrice was simply another obstacle to remove, a loose end to tie up. However, like Elizabeth, she was an instigator in my abduction. Beatrice was about to learn that actions had consequences, and I intended to ensure she faced them.Elizabeth's voice, shrill and panicked, broke through my thoughts. "You won't get out of here alive, Lucienne. Upstairs is full of rogues. By the time Marc and Cole get here, you'll die!"I smiled coldly. Well, as much of a smile as I could in Lyc
Rodney's Point of ViewHer gaze didn’t waver. If anything, it sharpened, her defiance burning brighter. I could feel the tension in the air as Elizabeth stood next to me, the whip in her hand.“Give me the whip,” I demanded, telling Lucienne that I was going to show her mates exactly why they needed to reject her.Elizabeth refused despite me making it clear that I didn’t want her to do it—not that it mattered. She wasn’t going to listen. Elizabeth was determined to be the one to strike Lucienne, refusing to let me handle it.“Just don’t go so hard that you kill her,” I said.I wouldn't let Lucienne die—not like this. Elizabeth saw no issue with it.To her, Lucienne was just another obstacle to crush. She didn't understand that there was no way I was going to allow her to kill Lucienne. I would kill Elizabeth sooner than I had planned. I couldn't risk losing her, not when I was this close to getting what I wanted.I watched Lucienne’s face when Elizabeth told her that Marc and Cole we
Rodney's Point of ViewShe was perfect—every part of her. From the way her dark mahogany brown hair clung to her damp face to the fierce glint in her amethyst eyes, Lucienne was unlike anyone I had ever encountered. Even in this wretched, decrepit cell, she exuded an ethereal quality that only made me crave her more.I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her. Those eyes—by the Goddess, they haunted me. That purple—the most striking, vivid shade I’d ever seen—was like a curse, binding me to her in ways I hadn’t anticipated. They seemed to pierce through me every time she dared to lift her gaze. They weren’t like the dull brown or washed-out blues I was used to seeing in Wolf-Shifters. No, they shimmered with an otherworldly depth, glowing faintly even in the dim light of the basement. I’d never seen anything like it, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how those eyes would look, gazing up at me… filled with submission.My obsession with her had grown from fascination to a consuming need. S
Lucienne's Point of ViewI had no idea what time it was. The thick, suffocating darkness of the warehouse seemed endless. When Beatrice had ordered Michaela upstairs, she’d deliberately switched off the only powered light, leaving me to eat in the dark. The cold seeped into my bones, the stale air heavy with the scent of mildew and iron.My body trembled from exhaustion and hunger; the pitiful scraps they fed me were barely enough to keep me conscious. Thankfully, I was just like a human still, which meant I didn’t need as much fuel to sustain me—but even so, I still longed for her strength, her presence, to return to me.Yet, amidst the weakness, I could feel a faint shift—a flicker of hope. The activated charcoal was working, slowly but surely purging the wolfsbane from my system. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to stoke a fragile fire within me.Curled into the corner of my cell, I clung to that flicker, willing myself to stay alert. My body was still weak and far from ready, but
Marc's Point of ViewThe moment we reached the edge of Charleston’s industrial district, our mood changed to serious mode. The dilapidated warehouses loomed ahead, their skeletal frames standing against the faint glow of distant city lights. The air was thick with the acrid scent of saltwater and rust, a sharp contrast to the quiet rage simmering within me.Every fibre of my being was screaming to charge in, to find Lucienne and end this nightmare, but I couldn’t afford to lose control. Not now. Not when we were this close. I glanced at Cole, who sat rigid in the seat next to me, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles were bone white. His wolf, Blaine, was barely restrained, a growl rumbling deep in his chest.“Breathe,” I murmured through the mind-link, my voice steady despite the turmoil churning inside me. It was a simple command, but it carried more weight than either of us could have anticipated. I wasn’t sure if I was reminding him or myself.The tension from us was plain to
Cole's Point of ViewThe growl of the SUV’s engine echoed my mood—low and simmering with restrained fury. A day’s drive to Charleston felt like an eternity. Every kilometre of road we travelled was one less between us and Lucienne, but it didn’t feel fast enough. Every second on the road felt like a century.My Lycan, Blaine, prowled at the edges of my mind, eager to tear into anyone who had dared harm her. The fact that we had to wait to reach her made my blood boil. Marc sat in the back seat next to me, his posture rigid and his eyes locked on the road ahead, his knuckles white as he gripped the armrest. The fire burning in his amber eyes mirrored my own.Queen Adriana sat in the front with King Daemon driving, their presence commanding yet oddly comforting. Daemon had been our anchor through this ordeal, his steady voice reminding us that charging in mindlessly would only hurt Lucienne. Gamma Ellis was quiet beside us, his jaw tight as he stared out the window.Tension crackled in