“Nola,” Delaney chastises. “Keery has said he will be helping Cole return to us. Let’s support that. We know, as much as anyone, what it’s like to have your mate stolen away from you. In order for Keery to help us, he will have to leave Raven behind. That’s difficult for anyone, especially newly fou
*Raven*I have an Aunt.Nola takes me to her home, and together we begin to bake a traditional dessert that is eaten during celebrations. She tells me all about how the dish is prepared and why it means so much to our people.I am listening the best I can, but I am distracted. I keep thinking about
“Thank you.” Again, I blush and look away. Handsome isn’t the half of it. He’s gorgeous, just like all the princes in the storybooks I managed to swipe from the library over the years.Aunt Nola starts to speak again but then goes quiet. I wonder if she’s realized who Kieran really is and is mad unt
*Kieran*When Delaney first asked me to come with her, I was nervous, but as we walked along, she told me about what it was like giving birth to Raven, how she’d been asking the Moon Goddess to bless her with a child for many years and hadn’t been lucky enough to have one until finally she found out
“Let us celebrate!” the Luna says, and then we are rushed away to the area of the plaza where the food is ready for everyone. Musicians begin to play the guitar, violin, drums, and flute. With our hands still bound together, we are led out to the floor and begin to dance. At first, I’m a bit shy, bu
RavenMy legs ache from dancing. At one point, I took my shoes off and let Kieran spin me in circles across the rough cobblestone in the square. Now, I’m barefoot and hobbling beside my mate–my husband–along a trail through the tunnels lit by the same lanterns the villagers had hung in the square be
When I’m within his reach, he pulls me toward him, water sloshing over the sides of the tub, and sits me in his lap, my back pressed to his chest. He takes a long breath and exhales deeply into my hair. “You drank a lot of mead, didn’t you?” I whisper as his hands come up to palm my breasts. “Mhm
KieranI wake to lamplight streaming through the curtains. It’s early morning. Though I can’t see it down here in the tunnels, I imagine the sun is still hiding beneath the horizon. I should still be asleep, but my mind and body are at odds with my heart, and rest hasn’t come easy. Raven and I made
“What?” Ingrid scowls. “You’d think assassinating your own father would be enough to prove that you didn’t agree with him. Throw Mother in the dungeon with Hollis, when we get around to that stage.”Anwen winces.“We’re not throwing Hollis in the dungeon,” Kieran says tightly. “Not least because, in
CandaceI sit at a makeshift table in the center of Kieran and Raven’s tent, surrounded by people with various claims to being my family, all talking over each other about the mess I’ve made. Even Kash, my father, is here, for reasons I might never understand.“She didn’t do anything wrong!” Ingrid
“I couldn’t fucking tell you.” I wipe my mouth on my bare arm.“Give me one good Goddess-damned reason why not.” His voice is sharper than I expect, and I glance at him.Zain and I have always been close. Having an actual guy friend was useful growing up, but every time something actually important
Hollis“We will not discuss this in public.” Father scowls at the chaos of the crowd then turns and storms out.Like a dog on a fucking leash, I chase after him with the rest of the Snowcrest delegates. My ears are ringing, my heart’s damn near pounded itself to mush against my ribcage, and my eyes
Diplomatic tensions are dissolving, he tells me over mind-link. Snowcrest is furious. Other kingdoms are saying that we’re traitors. We have to go.Snowcrest is furious? I ask. Or King Andri?They’re the same right now, he snaps. Anwen’s working with Alpha Cole to dissolve the crowd, so you and I ju
Candace“No!” I shout as I’m ripped away from Hollis. Like anyone will hear me over the chaos the crowd has broken out into.It’s worse than any other ritual—or maybe this is the only one I’ve been in the crowd during. Scents buffet me from every direction—flowers, trees, body odor, stale alcohol. S
But this is nothing like anything I’ve seen her face before. She stayed, stood her ground, stared at us until she saw the mark. Until she realized, for the first time, that we might not be on the same side.Goddess above, I am so fucking stupid.By the time the sun starts to rise, I realize I’ve mad
HollisI lock eyes with Eva. Tears shine in her green gaze. That, I can handle. But the pained pinch of her eyebrows when Candace picks her head up is too damn much.“This isn’t what it looks like.” I yank back from Candace without a second fucking thought.Eva’s gaze drops to my cock, standing at a
He rams himself forward and goes taut. Salty, musky liquid pours down my throat, hot and still tasting of him. I moan around his length and swallow as much as I can.Mere moments later, he pulls back, grabs me, and lifts me into a kiss. His taste blurs between us. I shove my tongue between his lips,