So, lavender is Jordan’s Achilles’ heel, and his brothers’, too.Summoned by me, Phaedra Cascadia clicks her tongue while rubbing salve on Jordan and feeding him anti-allergy medicine. “Lavender, Jordan? Really?”He talks even though he’s coughing so hard he can barely breathe. “Phaedra, do you seriously think I–”“It was my fault!” I hover nearby. “I didn't know he was allergic. I just chose it because it’s relaxing and pleasant. And normally good for you.”It certainly didn’t appear in the information my father gave me. The great Haydon Blessing missed a critical detail? A weakness?Phaedra glances at me, then apparently decides I’m not on her blacklist. “And of course, there’s no lavender in the kings’ suite. We just assumed you’d be spending the night there.”I blush scarlet. How many people in the palace know about me and the Alphas? Is it going to get back to my father? But then, he was in the dark about their allergy.“Jordan!”Kent and Wiley blow into the room, twin hur
I don’t know how many parlors this palace has, but I’d bet money that I’m sitting in Luna Elayna’s private parlor. Paintings of family members cover the walls. It has so many gorgeous antiques–intricately carved end tables and chairs, delicate vases, and a collection of nature figurines, especially elephants for some reason. She must collect them. This room doesn’t look too fussy, frilly, or overdone. The word is “classy.” We’re sitting at a table with half a bakery’s worth of breakfast pastries and every kind of fruit I could want between us. We both have cups of coffee, and mine is just how I like it. Jordan and I didn‘t eat breakfast, and I’ve worked up quite an appetite. Everything looks and smells scrumptious. I eat delicately, remembering my manners.“Is the food not to your liking?” she asks.Far from it! I could devour everything on this table. “It’s all wonderful.”She swallows a bite of cinnamon coffee cake. “Then eat, by all means. You’re too thin.”She’s a puzzle. “
I can’t get Jena’s words out of my mind. As I watch Kent pace in his study, his favorite thinking place, I consider sharing what she’s told me. Is he my enemy or just the kings’? Until I can prove there’s reason to doubt Lucas, I decide it’s better not to bring it up. To my lust-filled eyes, Kent is so mesmerizing and sexy when he’s wrestling with a puzzle. Between the manhunt and a minor crisis demanding the kings’ attention and planning for the Hunter’s Ball, we’ve barely had time together. We’ve spent the last two days investigating rogue hideouts and caught a handful of rogues who, unlike Jena, have clammed up tighter than the kings’ vault. They’re currently in the dungeon. We won’t get any of them to turn on Alpha Rollo. One of the kingdom maps in his study is dotted with thumbtacks indicating rogue hideouts. A couple have X-es indicating we checked them out and came up empty.“Why do some of these sites have more than one thumbtack?” “That indicates a site where Rollo mi
The next day, my quarry stands in the kitchen, arguing over the menu for tonight’s dinner. We didn’t get to eat last night’s meal because we got a tip about rogue activity that led to a late-night stakeout and short tempers when we didn’t nab Rollo.“No, no, no. You can’t serve steak tartare! And honestly, raw meat seems so primitive. They may be debauched degenerates, but Goddess forbid the dinner isn’t to their liking.”Mr. Bricker spins around in a huff and stalks away from the chef, coming face to face with me.“You’re a hard man to pin down, Mr. Bricker.” He points outside toward the kitchen garden. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m overdue for my break.”I follow him into the colorful vegetable, fruit, and herb garden. A cornucopia of freshly grown produce. The tomatoes shine like rubies, the blueberries like sapphires. “This is amazing,” I say.He sniffs. “Only the best for the Alphas.”I gather my courage. “What did you mean before?”“Just that if you had any sense, you’d le
I’m stunned that my hands could knead bread dough at the moment, much less living warm flesh. I work Jordan’s muscles, rubbing the cream thoroughly into the skin. With the high concentration of lavender, he should experience a reaction any minute now. Nothing yet except his soft sigh of contentment. I tackle Kent’s tense muscles next, massaging between his shoulder blades. His soft sounds of bliss tug at my heartstrings. Next, I pummel up and down Wiley’s straight back, which is already fairly loose from our afternoon of love. If the Moon Goddess takes them now, let it be when they’re happy. They deserve that much, no matter what they’ve done.I can hear my father’s words ringing in my head: ‘They hurt me, Aurora!" I squeeze my eyes shut before I take a deep breath and continue massaging. The scent in the room is too strong because my eyes are wet and stinging.“I could get used to this,” moans Jordan.“Every day,” Kent murmurs, his voice gentle and mild.Wiley groans a
With Lucas’ grip clamping down like manacles on my arms, and with the vise of guilt squeezing my heart and soul, I decide to confess to my mates.“I didn’t know you. I didn’t have a bad thought about you until my father fed me a story about you being the worst tyrants in shifter history. That’s how he made it sound.”Wiley let out a hiss. “You BELIEVED that load of crap?”I let out a pained sigh. “And I believed him when he said he wanted to take over as Alpha, even though he’s never mentioned it before.”A contempt-filled silence meets this revelation.“That wasn’t the only thing he didn’t mention.” My voice trembles. “He completely lied about the incident between you–and about everything else to do with you. He said…he said he heard you were using me and were going to throw me away. He said that when I talked to him last night. Again, not something he ever mentioned in the files on you that he provided.”Kent is coolly biting. “Well, MY file on you was accurate–including blind
How the hell did they get in the palace? Who let them in? If I have any future with the Alphas, I swear Kent, Wiley, and I have to have a serious talk about palace security. And by talk, I mean complete overhaul.After the shock wears off, I see one answer immediately. The Stealth Furs royal guards are dressed like the Ruby Alphas’ palace guards. I have no weapons, but I kick and claw and bite and scream until one of my attackers tries to shove a gag between my lips. I sink my sharp teeth into his hand and get the satisfaction of his cry of pain.One of the enforcers hisses, “Unless you want us to kill your guards and anyone who tries to help you, you’ll be a good hostage and come quietly.”My wolf hates these guys, even though I sense annoying self-righteousness from her.I wish she was wrong to feel that way, but part of me is certain I do deserve this ordeal for hurting the men I’ve come to care for—good and decent men and beloved rulers. I become as still and meek as a mous
Instead of locking me in my room again, Jordan has picked something that makes me want to bolt. Something that completely surprises me. But these men are nothing if not unpredictable. I’m not in the dungeon, or even in my room.I’m lying on an examining table covered in soft cream fabric while Healer Phaedra, with her cool, gentle touch, inspects every inch of me. “Did they do anything else to you other than foolishly try to take you out of this palace?”“Goddess, no. I did more damage to them than they did to me.”Her eyes narrow. “What did they want?”“Honestly, to start a pack war and unseat the Alphas which will never happen.”“Spoken like a fierce fighter and a true Luna,” she says.A true Luna. She knows. But then, the Alphas announced for all to hear that I’m their mate. And Phaedra is no fool. She’s also a close confidant of these men. I hope she doesn’t know everything. If she does, she hides it well. “You stalled them and kept them off balance and confused,” she conti