It was late morning by the time Nilo and I finished planning the dates for the festival and the major details. I’m going to have him and the secretaries plan the minor details when he returns, but he has done enough to write up a decree, declaring an annual holiday and festival in honor of my mate. “I hope she likes it,” Killian says nervously, “She didn’t have much love for this pack in the past.” He is thinking of the day she rejected us and then rejected the pack and her role as Luna, showing no sorrow or remorse. “We didn’t give her much reason to.” “You’re right,” he sighs, “I just don’t want her to panic about having all the focus be on her.” “We will help her adjust,” I told him. He huffs, “You mean I will help her. She still doesn’t like you. She called me a puppy,” he boasts. “Fuck you,” I snarled. “Don’t be jealous,” he snorts. I grumble under my breath, really jealous about Lira being okay with Killian and not with me. I go back to m
Elelira POVI had the most marvelous morning that I can ever remember having before in my life. Shortly after Lachlan left, a maid scurried into my bedroom with a teapot, some pastries and fruit to snack on until breakfast. I didn't expect Lachlan to follow through. I thought he just wanted me to stay in my room.I sipped hot tea by the large bay window in that chair that had been calling to me since I first stepped into the room. The fire was brought back to life by the same maid that brought my tea, warming the room while I watched the sun rise up in the sky over the sea and send the ocean into a glittering array of vibrant colors. I was a little disarmed having woken up in Lachlan's.... well, really Killian’s arms, but the rest of my morning was relaxing and comfortable. Cherum and Mimi came once the sun was awake, and encouraged me to open all the birthday presents given to me by Lachlan, as well as our wedding presents. There were so many gorgeous items of clothes, accessories
“These are pretty good,” I told Percy after taking a big drink from my second mug of his special coffee. “I know,” he smirks, “The cream is homemade. Only the warriors blessed to be in your service ever get to have it, Luna. Well,” he smiled at Yasmin, “I guess your new hand-maiden can have it now too.”I smile warmly at how welcoming the warriors are to Yasmin. I could see in them at first that they wanted to find the culprit who hurt her and deal with them. I feel much the same, but it was going to hurt her more to demand answers here in the dining hall after Cherum almost threw her out. She had no reason to trust them, or to even trust me, a stranger, enough for her to share that information or relive the horrors she must have been through. I thought that with her profession, that the men here would assume that it was her fault that something like that happened to her. That was always the case with my uncle’s pack. It was always the woman’s fault, never the man’s. I used to hea
Lachlan POV “Lira,” I said in a measured, warning tone, feeling a heat inside my chest and a ringing in my ears. I try to reach out for her, ignoring the feeling building inside me, but she sneers, moving to avoid my touch. A growl escaped me, my anger breaking through my stunned reaction. Her calling me a whore, then avoiding me, like I was filthy or something, hurt far more than her slap. I barely felt the sting of her hand slapping against my cheek, but I felt the pain of her words shredding my pride as an alpha. Killian is howling at me to calm down; to apologize, but I can’t register his words through the haze of my anger. Cherum puts a protective hand on Lira’s shoulder, pulling her back towards him like he was ready to tear her further away from me if needed. This fuels my anger more, making it scolding white hot as it rages inside me. “You want to condemn me for being a whore, and protect the actual one?” I felt my canines and teeth sharpening, my ange
“Excuse me, Alpha,” I said, hoping to the goddess that he freely moves and doesn’t make this scene worse than it is. Elelira is clinging to my shirt, her eyes closed tightly, and her small body is shaking like a leaf in my arms. Lachlan’s eyes focused on my hands gripping her, and I could see the conflict of wanting to tell me to get my hands off his wife again on his face, but to my relief, he stepped to the side, giving me room to pass without saying a word. Elelira’s hold on me remained tight as I walked with her out of the hall. My men followed me out, sensing as much as me that their Luna needed them. Once outside the large, heavy wooden doors, as we began to go back to her room, I heard a fierce growl I am all too familiar with echo out behind us, and the crashing of what I assume was a table he just flipped. “EVERYBODY OUT!” he roars, and I’m sure Killian is pushing his way out. Elelira startles and jerks, whimpering softly as she clings to me more.
Elelira POVIt takes me a moment to regain my composure. Being kissed by Lachlan when Val was the one who initiated it was very different to the fear I felt when I thought Lachlan was going to strike me. When his hands went out towards me faster than my brain could register, it was like the whole world faded around me.Vivid and horrific memories of before my death overcame me, and the feelings that accompanied them. Val screamed in my head, louder than I'd ever heard her scream before. She had succumbed to the illusion that Lachlan cared for us, but that shattered with his actions just now.Now we are both back on the same page; wanting to bide our time until we can leave."Can we find a way to leave now?" She asks, worried about what Lachlan might do to me next time we see him.I'm more worried about what he will do if we leave before giving him an annulment or divorce. He can not take a chosen Luna until he does, at least not without aging through great lengths through the elderso
Cherum and Percy accompanied us outside, but after a little pleading, I got them to agree to watch us from the stone walkway as Yasmin and I strolled down to the water’s edge by ourselves. We rid ourselves of our shoes, walking barefoot in the sand. The grainy particles between my toes felt comforting. The waves were crashing on the shore, the water soaking the bottoms of our skirts made us giggle as it tickled our feet. The fragrant ocean air soothed me and helped to keep me calm as I began to tell her my story. As we walked along the beach, I told Yasmin about my mother, and the suffering she went through because of my uncle and his men. There are so many rumors of my mother being a whore and a loose woman, but she was forced into doing those things by my uncle, until the day of her death. I even brushed over some of the abuse I endured, leaving out the more gruesome details that had yet to happen. I did tell her that I knew her pain. I had been in similar situations where I was
Lachlan POV“GAAHHHHHH!” Killian roars as he throws a table across the room, shattering a glass window. That was the last table and last window in the room that was left in one piece. Not anymore....“HOW COULD YOU!?” he yells, his threatening tone directed at me. “HOW COULD YOU HURT MY MATE!?”“Our mate,” I told him feebly. “No. No, you don’t get to call her your mate. Not after what you just did. Not after you tried to….to….”He plays the scene in our head again, of Lira’s face when I struck out for her, and the horror that filled her emerald eyes and washed all the color out of her features before Cherum thankfully pulled her away from me. I did that. I hurt her again, only this time I have no excuses. I knew she was my mate. I knew she was easily triggered. I knew she thought nothing but horrible things about me. I just proved everything she thought of me to be true. I ruined any progress I might have made this morning, and I have no excuse besides I’m a fool. Killian stands at
~~~~~~I had closed my eyes in hell, giving the rest of myself, all that I was over to the man I knew would fulfill the task that I had set out to do. Lachlan would bring my daughter happiness. He was giving her a family. He had already given her everything she had missed out on in her former life.As I closed my eyes, I felt peace, knowing they were going to be fine. I felt peace, knowing that my greatest accomplishment was finally seen through to the end. I felt peace….because I knew I could finally be with her. I could finally join my love. I had closed my eyes in hell, and I opened them again in the light. The light around me was brilliant, so brilliant I instantly knew where I was. There was no sun. No moon. No definition of time. There was just the light, and all the good the light had to offer. None of the pain and heartache of the mortal world could be felt in this place. My feet pressed into the soft, vibrant grass, like a pillowy carpet and without the harshness of weeds
7 months later on Elelira’s 20th Birthday….Elelira POVTonight was the night. It was finally the night I would turn twenty. Just a few more minutes, and the full extent of my power will be released inside me once again. “You look lovely,” Gemma gushed, standing beside me in front of the mirror. “She looks like she’s getting ready for something other than taking a swim,” Beretta muttered to Yasmin, who was feeding her and Percy's daughter. “Maybe a private swim in the hidden pools near the stream.”Yasmin snickered. “They do that plenty. Percy overheard the Alpha ordering the sharp stones be smoothed down so as not to hurt his Luna’s back.”“Will you both stop it,” I snapped, scowling at them in the reflection. “It’s just a robe.”“And what are you wearing underneath?” Beretta wiggled her brows.“You’re annoying. Don’t you have a pack to run?” I huffed. “Eh, it’s running itself right now.” She appointed one of the women who escaped the North with her, who was also originally fro
Lachlan POV“Where is she?!” I demanded, running through the castle after being called back from town. “Where’s Lira?”“Alpha,” Meldec was waiting for me, and was rushing to keep up as I stormed through the halls. “Ced and Cherum took her to the ocean.”“THE OCEAN?!” I roared. Killian was growling in my head, “This is not the fucking time to take a bloody swim.”“She kept demanding to be taken to the ocean, Alpha. She commanded it.”“Of course she did, that infuriating woman.” She goes into fucking labor the day she insists I pick Westley up to surprise Mel and Cedric. She was too excited about sending me away with their adoption papers they applied for last week. Because Westley had living relatives from another pack, we had to ensure they wanted no claim on the boy before we granted my gamma and Lira’s knight’s request. They didn’t want to take him in years ago, and they didn’t want the boy now. When we got the message back this morning, Lira insisted I handle it right away, but I
Elelira POVLife after the brief but impactful war was much different than our lives before. So much had changed. When the rest of our warriors saw that Lachlan had survived and I was also alive and well after running into literal hell, the celebration lasted weeks. Percy chewed me out, as did the rest of my guard, but they soon turned to rejoicing at our return from certain death. Our pack was celebrating, but our hearts were not in it.My father’s body was taken back to the sea by Cedric and Lillian after I was finally able to let him go. It took me days to accept that he was gone. I had been hoping that some magic was left in his body and could save him from death, and everyone allowed me to live in the fantasy until I came to terms with him truly being gone. He was to be laid to rest deep in the ocean, at the place where all the siren kings and queens were buried. I wasn’t aware, and neither was Lachlan, but when my father and Lillian had stormed into my uncle’s pack the day bef
Elelira POVMy soul was torn. My heart felt like it hadn't beat since the moment we felt the pain of his death. Val was howling and roaring furiously as we tore through the rugged terrain to get to the place we sensed he was. Something was pulling forward, whether it be desperation or insanity, or maybe some lingering trace of our dying bond, our body just knew where he was. He can’t be dead. There was no way he would die just like that after all we had been through. After everything we overcame to finally be together, I can’t accept that it was all ending just like this. I could sense others behind me, but Val wouldn’t slow down for anyone. She was maddened with her desperate need to see our mate. To see with our own eyes that this was truly the end. As we raced forward, I suddenly felt another tear in my heart that had Val roaring loudly with the pain. I’m choking with the dread of finding out what it was from. My world was collapsing, and we could do nothing but run towards th
King Brennus POVEverything happened so fast. I was already feeling weak because of draining as much of my magic into the necklace as I could. It was not just my daughter I needed to save anymore. It was all of them. My daughter, son-in-law….and their child. I wouldn’t let all the sacrifices her mother and I made be in vain. With the bond connecting them, I prayed that the magic would flow through that and keep her safe, while also protecting the one that will protect her and my grandchild in my coming absence. When my mate told me before we reset the fabrics of time once again that his happiness was hers, I didn't understand what she meant. I thought that just Elelira being alive and safe was all that mattered. Then, she ran away, joining the pirates, and though she was fierce and found her inner strength, I could see that it only made her bitter. Not happy.Her happiness didn't come until she finally forgave and accepted her mate. Now, he was dead, and everything was coming full
Jack POVThe sky was growing dark. Night was coming. The anticipation for the battle to come was now painful. It was festering. The anxiety it left in my chest was like an infection that I couldn’t cure. Even if I had a lick of alcohol, it wouldn’t help this feeling to go away.That, coupled with the fact I still had no idea if Beretta was alive or dead, made this entirely unbearable. I wanted to attack first. I wanted to draw first blood, and tear through any and everyone blocking my path to save that maddening woman. I knew why I couldn't. I knew I would never make it through the demons alive. All I would be doing is risking every life here. It didn’t make it any easier to just sit around and wait. “Gamma!” A group of freshly shifted men came running towards where the Gamma and I were sitting, staring at the growing dark army while discussing our plan of attack for our men when the time came. “Gamma!”“Percy?” Gamma Meldec stood up, looking curiously at the men that were left beh
Nilo POV“We have to stop her!” Beretta was hissing at me. “Do you know what he will do to her? Do you have any fucking idea what these monsters do to women?”I knew. I knew that too damn well. I wish I could do something, anything to stop her, but I feel helpless right now.Irrita used her magic to hide our voices, but the strain on her was growing. I could tell the energy was draining from her face. She may be free from the restraints, but there is no telling how long she and these other women were oppressed. They won't have the reserves of energy like a fit warrior would.The other women were holding Beretta back from revealing our location. When the Luna said she was here to trade her life for ours, I reacted the same way. The command Ela gave and my fear for my mate's safety were the only things keeping me from acting right now. When I saw Ela move to cut the throat of her own uncle, my blood ran cold. She is my Luna. I should be out there protecting her from the vile stares of
Elelira POV“Oh, really? Then what, pray tell, have you come here for?” The dark fairy was gazing down at me with sinister superiority. He did have the upper hand, but I had a plan. Val and I were discussing how to get Nilo and Beretta out of here, speaking about how we could use the magic still inside us to win this, even though the situation was not in our favor. We came up with one way, and it was something we never could have considered in the past. Something so grotesque and shameless that even suggesting it would have sent me into a panic before. I just need him to take the bait. If I can get him alone after I guarantee my loved ones’ safe passage to the south, I could finish this, and there will be no need for endless bloodshed. “I have come to trade myself for the prisoners you took from my pack,” I stated boldly. “I wish to give you my life for theirs, as long as you allow them to return home unharmed.”A vicious snarl ripped through a mind link that I recognized coming