The room was dominated by a large, crystal-encased pod in the center. Inside, a figure lay unmoving, his chest rising and falling with a shallow, rhythmic breath. Even from this distance, I noted that the man was handsome. His hair was long and dark, floating in the liquid around his head. "You've
Charles "Eva?" Astarte's shocked whisper hung in the air. My own gaze darted between Astarte and her daughter then to Lucian. His face was etched with a mixture of concern and apprehension. Eva hesitantly stepped into the room with Ryon by her side. “Eva?” Astarte rasped again. "That's... That
Lucian's lips twitched. "He's the elder." My jaw dropped. "What?" Astarte frowned. "He always..." "We agreed to it," Lucian said. "After our brother..." I frowned. Lucian and Set had a brother? A flicker of realization dawned on Astarte's face. Her gaze darted towards me, a new glint of unde
Charles A glint of something akin to approval flickered in Astarte's eyes. "We expose him, but first, we shore up your reputation, get you some more allies, public and powerful allies. The whole 'challenger' fiasco needs to be addressed, so you're going to make a statement about the challenge circ
Taking a deep, steadying breath, I forced myself to meet her gaze. "Can we talk about this privately? There's something I need to understand…" A flicker of surprise crossed Astarte's face, a momentary lapse in her ironclad control. But it vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a curt no
Charles Grace set her jaw. I reached out, cupping her face and lifting it until I could look into her eyes. "I have always planned to break the bond, ever since I started to pursue you." My hand fell to the courting band on her arm. "I had never had a chance to give Tessa a courting band." H
The first rays of dawn painted the sky a pale grey and woke me. I rose from the bed, my gaze lingered on Grace's sleeping form. I leaned down, brushing a gentle kiss against her forehead, a silent goodbye etched in the tenderness of the gesture. With a final, lingering look, I got dressed and pack
Charles I held up a hand, silencing him with a gesture. "Your daughter stands accused of treason, adultery, and a no number of other crimes. Be grateful I have not simply executed her." Tessa's jaw dropped, a gasp escaping her lips. Her gaze flicked back to me, pleading, but I wasn't moved..
I nodded. "Don't let me trip." "I'll do my best." With a shared laugh, we headed out the door. Esme was there at the door, hanging back. Gracian stepped away from me and linked arms with her. "We'll see you soon." I nodded and watched them go. We stood in the foyer of the building. From wh
Grace A month later... After the attack, the remaining members retreated into the cabinet to figure out what to do. After all, the other half and the president had been killed in the attack because they attacked Mooncrest. Luckily, Astarte had simply fixed everything, and aside from the aches an
Fire spilled over the doors as we fought our way down the stairs. Something swiped my cheek, but I didn't heed it. We stumbled over the bodies and slipped in the blood. I tried not to think about how many people I'd killed. I didn't want to think about it. "Back up is coming, but we need time, "
Grace I heard dying screams as I ran. The sound of battle echoed down the hallway. I found Astarte holding a group of attackers off at the door of the other stairs. "There was no way off." Astarte snarled. "Your mother's office! Lock the door." "What about--" "Go!" I bit my lip and ran
"A good PR move comes with a splash of fun." Astarted nodded forward. "I believe you should get to your command room, yes?" I nodded and headed upstairs to my father's office, adrenaline pumping through my veins. An attack, contained or not, was a serious threat. The city needed to be locked dow
Grace As we boarded the crowded bus, a knot of unease tightened in my gut. Astarte made a show of being intrigued. She smiled for every photo and seemed genuinely delighted, all the while, she explained her plan. I promised to help you. PR is important. Having me here will get you attention beyo
"Thanks." "Really well," Xavier said, setting his laptop on the table. On one side was a report on my interview, a headline streamed across the bottom. "Alpha Wolfe: A Beacon of Hope in Dark Times." Below it, a graph charted a dramatic rise in public approval for both myself and Wolfe Medica
Grace A nervous flutter danced in my stomach as I smoothed out the wrinkles on my blazer. I'd rather be orienting all the students, including the bright-eyed Westridge students, but Xavier and Amira swore up and down that this was for the best. Charles leaned into my office and grinned. "Nervous
I set my phone down and scoffed. When had my alma mater allowed so many idiots since I'd been an undergrad? Their loss. The lycans, humans, and witches had no problem. Seraphina, Margaret and I met everyone who had signed on in the conference room at City Hall. The excitement was palpable as the n