On one side of the bed lay Nicu, his throat torn to shreds. I had killed the crown prince and I swallowed down the bile that rose in my throat as Echo licked his lips trying to come out to eat his liver. In front of the bed lay Dorin, blood pooling from his nose with his neck angled to one side. It was him I had stumbled over.“What the hell happened here?” It had taken Milo seconds to get here and he looked around the room, his eyes filled with disbelief.“Nicu found Dorin in my room. He overheard our conversation. Dorin was telling me that he couldn’t fight the bond anymore, that he’d sneak me out of the palace to safety so we could be together. He didn’t even see Nicu coming. He broke his neck and then his nose as he slumped to the floor.”“Shit Abby.”“Nicu slapped me and pushed me down on the bed. He told me that he was done playing nice and that I’d give him his dues tonight. That’s when Wynter came in and killed Nicu.”Milo had Abby in his arms and he stroked her back as his on
I carried Maya to her wing of the castle. She had cried herself to sleep again and I had the lair doctor waiting to give her a check-up. Abby walked inside with Milo once again holding her and I saw Luciana from the corner of my eye as I walked down the long hallway.I stayed while the doctor took her blood pressure and prescribed something that was safe for the baby. She was on her side with her back to me as I sat next to her and stroked her hair. She seemed calmer now and then she turned her head to look at me.“We weren’t close but he was still my brother.”“Of course he was.”She sighed and shifted around to look properly at me. “He wasn’t a good person but he seemed so different with Abigail that I hoped the things he did in the past was behind him.”“What things?” I had to fight to keep control of my voice because she knew things I didn’t know and I’d left my sister with him.“He was accused of rape once but the case was dismissed for lack of evidence. I don’t think he did it,
I was woken up by the shrill ring of my phone and it felt like I had just closed my eyes and fallen asleep. I turned on my back with a groan and stabbed at the answer button angrily. “Grey.”“I’ve been thinking about our conversation last night and I’m still pissed off but Nova’s insisting we come to see you at the end of the week before we go home.” I could envision Nova standing next to him because he really wasn’t happy making this call.“Great, you’ll be in time for Nicu’s funeral ceremony.”“Shit. Make that the end of next week.” I chuckled as I heard something that sounded like a smack and Ryder’s low cursing as he fumbled with the phone.“Whenever is fine. Gives Abby time to settle in here. We have to go to the ceremony. Dorin was killed too so she’s taking that very hard.”“She needs to come home.”“I’ve got her Dad, she’s safe here with me and Milo.”“Yeah. We’ll talk again.”No goodbye was said and the line went dead as I placed my phone back on the side table and turned tow
On Wednesday I woke up in the middle of the night to Maya’s shrill screams and I fell out of bed in my haste to get moving and pulled on sweats just as I opened the door and started running in the direction of her voice.I stopped in front of Milo’s suite and yanked the door open and averted my eyes as they widened at what I saw and I had to close my mouth. The doors to his bedroom was flung wide open and Abby sat on his bed, covered only by a sheet.Milo was in front of her, buck ass naked trying to cover himself with the tiny piece of sheet that Abby hadn’t grabbed and Maya stood in the doorway, looking like she’d either seen a ghost or was about to pass out.“What the hell’s going on?” I had a very good idea exactly what was going on and my fists clenched by my side.“I … I shouldn’t have come here.” Maya turned around and slightly bumped into me in her haste to get out of Milo’s suite.“Maya wait.” I rushed to catch up with her as she power walked back down the hall to her suite.
Maya’s luggage filled the entire boot and backseat of the SUV and there was just enough space for Genevieve to sit. The drive to Sinaia was quiet and Maya slept through most of it. It was going to be a long and emotional day for her.I hadn’t taken any luggage because I wasn’t staying. It would help cement Maya’s story about the annulment if I left right after and basically ignored her throughout the ceremony. We’d ended up talking for hours and I was reminded of the girl I’d talked with so easily in the garden.Abby had come downstairs to say goodbye to me and told me to give Milo some time. I didn’t tell her that I would be back that same night. Luciana had, as was our way, stood by my window until I looked up and winked at her.I felt a sense of dread as I drove through the Palace gates and parked near the steps so Maya didn’t have so far to walk. She’d allowed me to feel the baby kick the previous night and we were now confidantes and in a good place.“Duke Grey, Princess Maya.” T
I sat up straight in bed, cold sweat dotting my forehead as Echo nudged me on the inside. “Shit.” I jumped out of bed just as the lamp next to Luciana switched on.“What’s wrong?”“My father’s here.”Her eyes widened slightly as she also got out of bed and pulled on a robe. I left the room as she headed to the bathroom and knocked on Milo’s door. I knew he wouldn’t open it since it was me knocking but I did it anyway. “Dad’s here.”I opened the front door just as a car pulled up and the rear door opened as Shae jumped out and ran towards me. “Wynterkins!”“Hey wild child!” I had her wrapped in my arms and hugged her tightly as her eyes flashed between silver and yellow.Chusi separated from Shae and stumbled over her tail, landing on the steps with a thud as she looked up sheepishly at me. Echo nudged me to walk down the steps so he could also separate from me. His tail thumped up and down as Chusi rubbed herself against him.Chusi was much smaller than Echo and she seemed to look eve
I didn’t mention my son again, not to anyone, not even to Luciana. Maya and I had spoken again, two days later and she told me that she had wanted to name him August Grey de Haviland since we hadn’t been married when he’d died in her womb.At the back of the castle, deep into the wooded trees that surrounded us, I placed a small tombstone and buried the rattle that Nova had given me as a gift when Maya’s pregnancy was announced. It was a beautiful rattle with the head of a dragon carved from Dragonstone.I walked past his substitute grave every single day and I left my grief and regrets there. To the outside world I had dealt with my grief and then continued to be the Duke and Sire of Mintia. I would always wonder what type of child he could have been, what type of man he’d grown into and thoughts like that just kept the wound fresh. I needed that pain to stay with me.When I walked back into the castle I put a smile on my face and soaked in the time I had with Luciana, feeling our da
I caught the Queen’s scent and turned my head towards the hall. The King was yelling at me but I ignored him as I started running down the hall towards the Queen. By the time Florin and his warriors reached her office I had her in front of me, my hand around her throat.“Wynter … what are you doing?” Florin had his hands up in front of him, pleading with his eyes for me to let her go.“We’re going to have a little talk, you, me and the Queen. Your warriors need to step out or I snap her neck right now.”He nodded his head and the three warriors backed away from us, out the door and stood watching me with careful eyes from the hallway. I didn’t want them gone, they needed to hear this as well. Sorin’s face appeared and Florin seemed to exhale in relief.“Hello Sorin, nice of you to join us.”“Wynter, what’s going on?” He knew exactly what was going on but it wasn’t like I’d had time to warn him.“This is madness Sorin! He needs to let her go and explain why he killed my daughter!” The
Watching Hunter and Ally leave my house hurt so much that I almost couldn’t stand it. She’d been gone for two weeks and I felt that void in my house, in my heart and in my soul. Riley was sad, she missed them both.Ryder sat across from me on the couch and I couldn’t read the expression in his eyes. “What the hell are you doing?”“I spoke to a lawyer. If I push this I’ll have to prove paternity, get a court order to have my name put on his birth certificate then I’ll have more rights to him. Joel says she was being generous with the school holidays.”“You’re going to go the legal route?”“What else am I supposed to do? I have a right to have him in my life, in my house!”“You are stupider than I thought. She loves you Wynter and all you had to do was love her back!” Ryder’s voice was angry but it didn’t match the anger that I felt.“She’s marrying someone else! She doesn’t love me Dad, maybe she did a long time ago because if she did she wouldn’t have left me!”“She left because you k
For days afterwards I couldn’t look Lauren or Chandra in the eye and Ally seemed to notice that something had happened. It took her three days to corner me, three days of her sleeping in my bed and my mind working overtime.“Are you sleeping with them?”“No.”Her eyes held a hint of sadness as she looked at me. “But you want to.”“What does it even matter if I want to or not?”“Because I wake up every morning with your erection pressed against my ass.”I sighed and briefly closed my eyes. “If it bothers you so much go sleep in the guest room. We’re not a thing Ally.”“Not yet.” Determination were steeled in her eyes and I had no clue what she actually wanted.My days were swamped with requests since news had spread that I wasn’t dead. Ivan was the first to call me and I could hear the emotions in his voice as he yelled at me for being alive while I laughed. Our conversation about Mintia wasn’t a good one.Milo fell into step next to me every morning as I jogged through Chehalis and so
Twenty-four hours later we were back in Chehalis and I opened my front door to the welcoming sight of our family wiping happy tears from their faces and welcoming us home.The last day had been busy, filling in reports for Clark, giving them all the information that I had and listening to how Ryder had found me. He’d sent Shae back to Mexico with the rest of the men. He, Maxim and Milo had stayed behind saying they were going to look for me.Sorin wasn’t happy and neither was Clark but they relented because they also had other duties to oversee. Ryder had pulled charred wood and debris from the living room and found the trap door. He’d led them down the tunnel and into the vents.Ryder hadn’t told our family about what I’d done and it didn’t matter now, we were all safe and back home. Chandra and Lauren reached me first, kissing my cheeks and hugging me tighter than I’ve ever been hugged in my life.Riley was in my arms and I didn’t want to let go of her and soon Hunter was on the oth
I must have somehow missed Shae’s scent, probably smothered out by the scents of the vampires around her. His chambers were located on the ground floor in the corner opposite the basement. The ten wolves followed me up the stairs and the tingling feeling spreading from my scalp down my back had me turning around to them.“Open the gates. Now.”They dispersed and I could feel Abeloth reaching out to Echo. They were close but I had no time to think about how they’d gotten here so quickly. It was just past two am meaning they’d had to leave minutes after I’d left.I could feel their presence but I had no choice but to go forward and find Shae. My cover was blown in any way but Marcel had underestimated me, I’d already killed almost thirty of his men in the space of an hour.I encountered five more vampires and one managed to swipe across my throat as we fought and I broke his neck before ripping his throat out. My wound closed as I held my breath and the blood dried as I ran shoulder fir
I frowned at Ryder as the pilot of the private jet announced our destination. We were heading to Mexico, hours from Guatemala. He ignored my not so subtle looks and each time I tried to get him alone, he busied himself with Maxim.We drove in a large convoy into the resort town of Puerto Vallarta. I sat in the back of the SUV that Ryder drove and a huge walled estate came into view. The overpowering scent of wolf caught my attention as the gates opened and Ryder drove inside.An old man stood by the bottom of the steps, a younger man’s arm under his elbow. “Ryder Grey! You are a sight for sore eyes my old friend!”“Gideon, it’s good to see you!”“You remember my son, Phillipe.”Ryder and the old man hugged briefly and he shook hands with the younger man, who was also smiling. Wolves and vampires eyed each other and Maxim climbed out when I did. The old man regarded me with a smile on his face even though I didn’t smile back.“Ah you brought the Dragon Slayer with you.” Gideon regarded
Six hours later, Maxim and I walked through the front door of my house where Ryder paced up and down speaking on the phone. “I want the spell lifted Marlo! And let me know the moment you have a location on her.”“Dad, what happened?”Ryder turned to look at me as fury swirled in his eyes. “She’s gone Wynter, that’s what happened. Disappeared from her bed in the dead of night. Chandra’s shield was broken and we found Milo outside near the river with a broken neck.”“She’s gone?” Maxim had paled and his bag fell to the floor.“You brought their King here?”“Dad, we know who has her. Marcel took her …”“We need people, trackers, warriors, hackers. He’ll have her out of the country before nightfall.”“My men are an hour behind us. I have all of that. Marcel was banished to Guatemala, he’ll have a stronghold there. This is an open declaration of war and it won’t go unpunished. Wynter do you still have contacts inside the Unit?”“Yes. I’ll call Clark, he can gather intelligence for us.”“I’
Days went by with nothing out of the ordinary, except that Ally had gone back to sleep at Chandra’s house but Hunter had opted to stay with me. That day had cemented our relationship, when he thought he’d lose me and I thought I’d lose him.I hardly slept those first few nights but sat on the couch and watched Hunter sleep on the sofa bed. His dragon hadn’t separated from him yet but then again he was only four and mine had appeared when I was five.His dragon was the same shade as mine and Riley’s was the same as Ryder’s. I couldn’t just sit here and do nothing so I made my move and left in the dead of night while Milo ran the perimeter and the house was asleep.I left a note with instructions and even though the bonds had flamed back to life when Ryder had hugged me that first day, I knew they wouldn’t follow me. They had to take care of everyone here while I went and did what I did best.I boarded a plane twenty minutes later, having timed it perfectly beforehand. The flight was ab
Ally made herself comfortable in my house, like really comfortable. I didn’t talk to her about sleeping next to me since Echo said there really wasn’t anywhere else for her to sleep and he ignored me when I pointedly looked at the other couch.Milo went with me on the weekly grocery run and it felt like old times again. Milo and I hadn’t talked about that fight and I wasn’t going to bring it up either. We’d both suffered enough and there was no reason to relive the past.“Put that back.” I glared at Milo as he held the offending object in his hand.“You don’t have one, therefor you need one.”“I don’t need a purple apron.”“Well maybe since you knocked up my sister, she can wear it.”“You knocked up my sister too Milo.”“True.” He grinned at me and placed the apron in the trolley as I shook my head and walked away from him.We finished our shopping and loaded everything into the SUV as Milo kept glancing at me. I ignored his looks all the way to the house as I parked and started unloa
Ally remained in the living room as Riley took Nova, Shae and Abby upstairs to the guest rooms while Milo and Ryder got their luggage from the car. Ally looked around nervously before standing up and sitting down next to me.“We have to talk Wynter, alone. Can you come over to Chandra’s house a bit later?”“I’m sorry I kissed you, it shouldn’t have happened.”“Wynter … please.”She left again as quickly as she had sat down and was out of the front door. It could only be about that kiss, we really had nothing else to talk about and I knew that she’d felt that bond groping for us just as strongly as I had.“Wynter, you really don’t have to give up your room for us. We can go stay in a hotel.” Ryder still had the luggage in his hands and I looked up from the couch.“Not a chance. I’ll be fine down here.” I took a suitcase from him and headed up the stairs to my bedroom where he and Nova would sleep.I put the suitcase down and took some clothes from the walk-in cupboard and found Ryder l