Roman raises the ax and brings it down in a clean arc. The tree sways dangerously but the space in front of me right now is wide enough that he can get away with felling a tree. There’s enough space for it to fall and not hit anything. Roman hits the tree with the ax again and it sways once more. Then again, and again and again until I realize that he’s not trying to fell the tree. If he was it would have fallen a long time ago if he wanted it that way, he isn’t looking to make it fall. I pull in a deep breath and approach the swinging Alpha. On anyone else, this activity would have made them look sweaty and exerting. On Roman, I can only see the way he hefts the axe with ease. The sun slides on the blade of said ax before he swings it with such force that the glint of the sunlight seems to leave an afterimage as it follows the curve of the ax. How he’s doing this in his black shirt and pants isn’t helping me focus at all. “I’m sorry, Roman.” He ignores me and keeps on swi
Danis casts a spell around the garden while Roman picks up his ax and puts it away.Priam pushes hard on the tree Roman was hitting earlier and it cracks and groans as it finally topples and goes crashing down to the ground. Leaves fly in the air and I'm pretty sure he just made a huge mess but Roman doesn’t say anything about it.Priam sits on the stump of the felled tree and he takes a deep breath. I guess he’s still a bit tired so he needs to rest constantly. Being delivered of a curse has to have some side effects right? I’m caught off guard when he looks at me and nods, the proud jut of his chin deflating a little bit.“Thank you.”My brain stops functioning for a while and I am almost tempted to ask what he’s thanking me for, until he moves the shoulder of his loose white shirt and I see something strange there. It’s like a faded tattoo.The mark looks fresh, but not quite.He covers it up again and gives me a sad smile.“I’ve been trying to get rid of it for years now, so tha
Roman's pov Scarlett moves her hair forward and at the sight of her nape, images fill my head. My hand stills on her zipper and despite Danis’s request to have it go lower, I find it hard to do that. They shouldn’t get to see any inch of her skin if I don't want them to. Except one of them already has. I glare at Danis as I move the zipper lower slowly. Scarlett seems to heat up with the action and I stop the moment I see the purple strap of her bra. Scarlett turns and bares her exposed back to these men. Her eyes are down and I can't see through her lashes, so I glare at Danis and Priam instead. Danis looks unsurprised by my reaction but his eyes still stay fixated on the mark all the same. He nods to himself and draws a sign in the air. I wait to smell the flare of his power but I can't. My eyes drift to Priam and his gaze is critical. Knowledge glimmers in his eyes and when he looks up, a grim line settles on his face. “I need to get back to my pack.” Scarlett turns aroun
“It’s spreading.”My heart thunders in my chest at the fear that roars through me but the picture is clear as day.The mark has spread.After the fundraiser Roman had his specialist come in to help me get the extra area of the tattoo off. He feared that something might happen to it or new ones would appear around it.It hasn’t spread since then. It’s just been there, but now…. “It’s actually spreading.”The amount of shock in my voice scares me and strikes me as silly.I turn to find Roman wearing a grim expression and when I look at Danis, I can see he’s already aware of it.His eyes still gleam that neon green and I look to the path Priam just took as he left.“Is that why he left? Because it’s spread and he knows something?”Roman’s brow furrows just the slightest before a resolved look settles in his eyes.“It’s for the best if he doesn’t leave then.”Danis’s action suddenly makes sense but still it makes me feel an added layer of fear.If they’re trapping Priam in here, that mean
“The mark on your neck is the mark of the sisters three.Some will remember it as the Decree of the sisters.”Priam is almost silent as he speaks and his words are solemn as they leave his lips.“In my pack, we call it Selene’s decree. Each component of that mark means something special to the werewolf race. The moon signifies power. It is the source of our abilities and it is what prompts the dormant soul in us out. The moon is also the source of all gifts, even magic.”“The vines wrapped around the moon signify nature at its simplest. While the moon may grant gifts like speed, or healing, the vines signify everything that is yet to blossom. It signifies nature in its raw form and……. there’s no clear interpretation for that yet.” He sounds thoughtful as he continues.“It might signify control over the elements, or it might signify something much simpler..”“Like the power to control vines?”Priam’s eyes dart up to meet mine and I can almost see the near accusation in them already.
Roman's pov “What’s happening in there?” Danis doesn’t look at me. He barely acts like he noticed I spoke. The urge to get angry and annoyed at him surfaces but I push it down. I can’t force him to do anything unless I want to get violent and Scarlett is still in his barrier. I can keep calm till this ends. I can do it for her. “They’re on their way out.” The pulse of magic hums in the air immediately and Scarlett stumbles lightly on her feet as the spell casts her out. I move without thinking and only realize I used my Alpha speed when I'm at her side. Scarlett doesn’t flinch when I touch her. She only tries to regain her balance and I chuckle at how endearing that looks. I swayed on my feet too when I came out. Danis didn’t look like it affected him the slightest. Priam’s presence breaks the bubble I'm encased in with my mate the moment I notice him and though he looks slightly disoriented, he’s okay. He doesn’t sway on his feet and his skin seems to glow with a health
Maya is giggling.Not the kind of giggle that would have her stop after a few seconds but the type that has her repeating that giggle and increasing its intensity.Danis is passing her chocolates under the table and I believe my daughter considers it a highly scandalous situation. The minute I throw a glance their way, they both fall silent.Deathly still and picking their food kind of silent. I don’t need to ask Danis where he got so many chocolates from.Maya told me she saw a car driving into the compound when she came down from the car that takes her to school, a car and a driver I still haven’t thanked Roman for.I grit my teeth when I think of it. Maya says she hasn’t seen Fen today, and I know I have to talk to him about what I said… was it yesterday or today?I feel like shit when I think of it. I might have hurt his feelings in the worst way, and if what Danis told me is true I suspect I did. Roman’s beta lost his daughters to the Rogue attack. His daughters and his mate.Fu
Scarlett's pov Roman does not make any comment on what I have done and it scares me. There’s nothing worse than knowing you could be the cause of someone’s life going to hell, and having that person be Roman makes it feel like I have a thousand daggers in my chest. He stares at me, nods, and sips his drink. “What about the mark?” I swallow and relay everything Priam told me to him. I tell him of the symbolic significance the components of the mark hold, I tell him of how Priam said he wasn’t too clear on the meaning of the vines and the flowers but how he was certain of one thing. “He says the mark is Selene’s Decree. According to legend, it’s something that appears on the body of a werewolf when that werewolf’s pack is going to produce the next Alpha King. Not just any Alpha King…. But an actual Alpha King.” And then the panic sets in my mind once more as it goes wild. Roman glances at me and I can tell he’s having the same thoughts. If the mark had appeared on my body and th