She laughs then covers her mouth. “No. Father’s… I’ve never seen him give up on anything. He’s probably just changing the plan, now that he’s lost the element of surprise.”That, too. She’s weirdly calm for having turned her back on her father.Kieran said I was projecting when I told him my worries
EstrellaI tug Anwen through the forest. While I do have a map in the bag strapped to my back, I don’t pull it out. The bag is heavy because King Kieran packed us enough fresh water in canteens to last a week. I need a moment alone with my mate.The twisting, winding roots guide my steps deeper. Th
“Close,” I manage to nearly sob.I expect him to let off, to string out this beautiful torture as long as he can like he seems to prefer. He doesn’t even hesitate.My orgasm rattles through me. I clutch his bare shoulder, and the scent of his blood licks the air as my claws extend for a better hold.
Anwen‘Wake up!’ Candace yells through mind-link. ‘Right fucking now!’I shoot up. Candace doesn’t curse. She’s never cursed before.‘I’m here. Who are you, and what did you do with my sister?’‘Shut up. I had a dream. You need to move everyone.’‘Your dreams are bullshit,’ I reply. ‘You can’t see t
The clearing becomes my racetrack, and I’m darting side to side, slaughtering one rogue only to dodge a vicious attack from another.And I haven’t seen Estrella since that rogue knocked me off course. Or Dorian Meadows.She’s not injured, I think as I suck in a deep breath. I would know.The tide of
EstrellaDried blood itches under my fingernails. A few sticks scratch the back of my neck where they’re caught in my hair from sleeping under the moon. I cling to Anwen’s hand as he leads us through a series of underground tunnels back into the castle.I’ve never been in a fight like that before. N
“Good morning.” Candace’s smile is taut. “I’d like to introduce you both to Lady Eva of Snowcrest Canyon. She’s really made a splash here already.”Her words seem strange. I peer at her face, see a little of my own exhaustion within, then look at the redhead again. Sharply pointed nose, high forehea
“There’s no need for that!” I say quickly.“She injured—”Before she can finish her sentence, I reach out to the Goddess. The power springs to my command, easier and easier every time. My hands glow, and so does my ankle under the dress. When the feeling of pain fades, I lift my skirt to show the un
Kash frowns. “Then how’d she find out? See a mark?”“In effect.” Hollis stares at the rocky floor.“He’s softening it.” I bite my lip. “We didn’t not pursue as much as we intended to, and she caught us. We made a terrible, selfish mistake that’s caused a lot of problems, and we just want to fix them
Candace“This is a bad idea.” Ingrid crosses her arms and glares at her door, like Hollis is just outside of it.He’s not. He’s in my room, waiting for me to come back after I told him his idea was a bad one and that I needed to get someone else’s opinion first.“Is it a bad idea because it’s Hollis
“Lord Soren,” Candace says numbly. “Where is he?”I grimace at the memory of our return home. Soren greeted the caravan at the gate, redder than Father with rage. His bellowing was hard to follow, threading together fights from their childhodbetween him and Father with ancient slights between our fa
Hollis“Come in?” Candace calls hesitantly through the door of one of the lesser guest rooms.I suck in a deep breath. I can smell her even through the door, blackberries and sunshine. Knocking—rather than just tearing down the door like I wanted to the second Lord Gunnar told Father about the addit
“Coming up!” the driver on the front of the carriage calls.Ingrid presses her face to the window. I try to look and almost end up tumbling into Taner’s lap. But finally, the carriage pulls to a stop, and someone opens the door for us to exit.According to protocol, Kieran exits first, with Taner ri
CandaceWhen the sun rises the next morning, it finds me crouching in the stables, sandwiched between one of Finn’s favorite stallions and Ingrid. It lights the wild grin that’s barely left her face since I barged into her drawing practice yesterday and declared Kieran didn’t control me. She immedia
That leaves me with Kash as company. He likes to walk through the castle with me while I point out places where different things happened. And to eat every meal together. And to spend almost every second that I’m not asleep by my side–making up for lost time, always. By the second day, I’m making up
CandaceI fold dresses into my trunk and listen to the commotion of the rest of the encampment breaking down outside. Kieran decided that letting King Andri cool off would yield the best results, so we’re leaving just as quickly as everybody else. This weird pocket of time with so many people in one
“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