Viviane’s POV“Viviane, what is this?” Kiera asks, twisting around in bed to observe all the pearls scattered among the sheets.“I–” Fresh tears hover on my lashes. Now that my cover is blown, I can’t seem to hold back my feelings anymore. Pearls drip from my skin like luminous stalactites. “I wanted to tell you.”“Tell me what?” Kiera asks, her cheeks flushed with color, “That you’ve been lying to me from the day we met?”“I didn’t have a choice.” I hiccup, “my mother made me promise never to tell anyone.”“Parents always have stupid rules like that.” Kiera brushes the excuse aside. “You were supposed to be my friend.” She reminds me emphatically, “Friends don’t keep secrets!”“You don’t know what it was like.” I explain desperately, “When we first came here it seemed like every shifter was against us.”“You and I were never like the others!” Kiera insists, rising from the bed and flipping on the bedroom light. “Do you think it mattered to me whether you were a cat or a mermaid?” She
Chase’s POVMore than any other member of the pack, it is a Beta’s job to transform; to change shapes according to the moment at hand. We do not serve any one role, or know any limits to our responsibilities; we simply become whatever we have to be for the best of the pack. Our transformations go far beyond man and wolf, extending to mediator, guardian, enforcer, disciplinarian and anything else the Alpha might need.One day I will serve as a key negotiator between quarreling pack members, as well as a diplomat to our allies and enemies in other territories. When that time comes, I will also become the foremost proponent and enforcer of the Alpha’s rule within the Nightshade pack. But now my most frequent job is tempering Caspian’s violent mood swings and wild aggression.Caspian is no different from any other Alpha in this regard. The indomitable strength required to lead a pack of the Nightshade’s renown overflows in excesses of anger and hostility so volatile most shifters could no
Viviane’s POVHeavy footsteps pound up the stairs, and I jolt into a sitting position. Despite my mother’s advice, I hadn’t been able to call Caspian and tell him I disobeyed his orders. I couldn’t bring myself to face him yet. Instead I curled up on the couch and buried my face in my pillow, disappearing beneath my blankets and pretending I didn’t exist.In the grand scheme of things it wasn’t the best strategy, but it did give me a few hours of peace.A heavy knock lands on the door, and my heart races in my chest. The fact that Caspian hasn’t already greeted me through our bond is a bad sign. He must be even angrier than I anticipated.Mom swiftly opens the door, anxious for news. “Hello Caspian.” She says softly. It’s very odd to see them on good terms, and even stranger to think they’re allied against me. I know that isn’t a fair assessment, but I can’t help but feel ganged up on with the two of them standing side by side in the doorway, staring me down.“Marina.” He returns her
Viviane’s POVIf I hadn’t already been sitting down, I surely would have fallen over.Caspian’s velvety voice wraps around me like a warm blanket, lulling me into a false sense of security as I try to process this latest shock. I can’t believe what I’m hearing, and I don’t have the first clue how to respond to the young Alpha’s invitation. Dazedly I wonder if my mother is still in the hallway. Wherever she is, I’m certain she can’t hear us, or she would already be back here screaming her head off.Unable to find words, I stall for time. “What are you saying?”“I’m saying I want you to move in with me, Viviane.” He repeats.“This is crazy.” I protest. “We haven’t known each other long enough to even be thinking about moving in.”“When it comes to mates, we measure relationships in feelings not time, kitten.” Caspian declares, his warm hands sliding over my body in slow, calculated caresses. “I want your beautiful face to be the first thing I see when I wake up in the morning and be the
Caspian’s POV“What?” The sweet creature in front of me looks more like a deer in the headlights than a naughty little mermaid trying to pretend she didn’t just admit her true feelings for me.“You just said I’m your mate.” I inform Viviane smugly, dragging my knuckles over the high plane of her cheek. I’ve been waiting to hear her tell me I’m her mate since the first moment we met. I wasn’t expecting my victory to come so soon, and I certainly didn’t foresee it happening in the middle of an argument – but no matter how it happened, I’ve never heard such perfect words.“I did no such thing.” She lies, biting down on her lower lip with punishing force.“Careful, sweetheart.” I warn, plying her swollen lip free with my thumb. “Lying to your mate has consequences.”Viviane opens her mouth to argue back, then closes it abruptly, her turquoise eyes flashing while my fingers continue to stroke her lips. Our connection allows me to feel the sentiments she wished to throw back at me, though s
Viviane’s POVI wish I could talk to Kiera.It’s been a week since we spoke, since Caspian moved Mom and me into the Pack House despite my fervent objections. I’m still angry with them both, but keeping up the silent treatment is infinitely more difficult when I don’t have my best friend to lean on.I’ve tried calling her dozens of times, but she never answers. At school she walks past me in the hallway as if she can’t even see me, which would be bad enough as it is. With Caspian’s added security measures, no one but Kiera is allowed to come within ten feet of me and even if they could, who would possibly be brave enough to try with Caspian’s guards tailing me at every turn.I’ve tried to tell him countless times that his precautions are only going to draw more attention to me, but he won’t listen. No, while my teachers watch me with sharp eyes – sizing up the Pack’s future Luna– the other girls glare at me through the lenses of green eyed monsters and the boys try to pretend they are
Caspian’s POV“You’d better come inside” Despite her harsh tone, Kiera gestures for me to enter her home, and for the first time in my life I hesitate. Would she be offering me the courtesy if I were anyone else? Are her actions signs of true interest, imposed respect, or fear?“Do you really want me to?” I ask, not moving forward.Kiera pauses, assessing me again. “No.” She quips honestly, “But I also don’t want to stand in the doorway for the neighborhood gossips to overhear our conversation – so you might as well.”I glance around, realizing she’s right. Shifters of all breeds and walks of life are hovering in our periphery, looking on with curiosity as I stand in Kiera’s doorway.Reluctantly stepping inside, I wait for the young woman to close the door behind us and circle in front of me before further invading the space, “We might not have sound-proofed walls and all the high-tech amenities of the pack house,” Kiera explains leading me down what can only be a basement staircase,
Caspian’s POV“I can’t forgive him. Not until he stops treating me like a toy, and starts treating me like an equal.”I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.Well, that’s not entirely true. I did intentionally stay within hearing distance of Viviane’s rooms after bringing Kiera to her door, but only as a precaution. I wanted to be near, just in case things went poorly.Of course, I got what I deserved. My stomach is in knots after hearing Viviane describe our relationship in such a way. Apparently even recognizing me as her mate didn’t change the mermaid’s perception of my character. The worst part is that I know this has nothing to do with my being a wolf, and everything to do with my personality.I thought I was doing all the right things: loving her, protecting her, providing for her. That’s what mates do, isn’t it?My wolf whines in my head, objecting to the notion that we’ve treated Viviane as anything but the treasure she is. I know. I respond silently, but it doesn’t matter what we intende
Three Months LaterViviane“Viv, are you ready?” Kiera asks, appearing in the doorway.I’m standing in front of a huge, floor length mirror, my wedding gown flowing around my body in graceful waves. It’s a delicate concoction of sea colored silk that ripples over my curves like water, and brings out the color of my turquoise eyes.I honestly can’t believe this day has finally come. I never thought I’d get married at all, and here I am preparing to walk down the aisle to join myself with the first Alpha in shifter history to rule two packs. After my rescue, Caspian tried to find another candidate to lead the Bloodstones, but none of the wolves in the pack were willing to do away with Damien’s mermaid program completely. Luckily for us, none of them were strong enough to challenge Caspian either, so he stayed in control by default.When we got home he finally sat down with his father and aired out all of the secrets and unspoken traumas of Caspian’s childhood, and his father willingly s
VivianeDamien’s body is so heavy on mine. His rough hands bruise my skin as his sneering face gazes down at me, and nausea writhes in my belly as I feel his hardness digging into my stomach. My mind is whirling, struggling to stay in the present as past horrors seek to drag me under, and simultaneously fighting the urge to leave my body and dissociate from the violation I’m about to suffer.In the distance Caspian’s roars and growls fill the air, the sound of his body slamming into the glass over and over again wrenching at my heartstrings terribly. I don’t want him to see this, I can’t bear the thought of him blaming himself for not saving me, and I know he will.Calling out to him through our mental link, I try to tell him to turn away, even though I know it’s useless. Don’t watch, Caspian. I beg, please, I don’t want you to see this.No! He thunders back, don’t give up, Viviane! Just hold on!It’s okay. I mentally sob, I’ll be okay. I’ve survived before and I’ll survive again, jus
3rd Person“What do we do?” Chase exclaimed, his gaze ping ponging back and forth between the images on the security screens. The Beta was beside himself, unable to help Caspian and distracted by his mate’s antics all at once.“I don’t know.” Marina fretted, her attention focused on Viviane and Caspian, divided by glass walls and completely at Damien’s mercy. Even as she watched them, she knew she couldn’t simply stand there and do nothing. “I’ll go help Kiera.” She suggested after a moment. The chances that she would be able to help her daughter were slim, but Chase could – assuming he was able to focus on doing so. “She’s not in imminent danger and the faster the other mermaids are freed, the better.”“Thank you,” Chase breathed, anxiously following her movements on the black and white monitors.Without another word, Marina careened out of the control room, dashing for the lower levels where the mermaids were trapped. Her heart pounded, blood rushing in her ears as she darted throug
Viviane The day of the auction begins like any other, except instead of waking up and getting ready for school, I’m taken to a Bloodstone spa. If the circumstances were different, I might enjoy the pampering, but I know none of the treatments I’m being given are for my benefit. Instead they’re purely intended to make me as desirable as possible to the shifters at the auction. The servants do not speak as they bathe me, filling a huge ornate tub with perfumed water and rose petals, then adding soaps that froth and foam at the surface. I can see the women attending me are mermaids from the brands on their ankles, but they are not as beautiful as the other girls in the brothel. I wonder if this is yet another fate for my kind – if one is too dried up to produce pearls, but not lovely enough to fetch a high price as a pleasure slave. Instead they must help send the unlucky beauties to their terrible fates. I have to think this is the best deal a mermaid could hope for in Sangville, m
CaspianChase and I are on the outskirts of Sangville when we sense we’re being followed.After killing mordred, a cold sort of determination took over me, an emotionless drive to finish the job no matter the cost. I knew if I let myself think about Viviane – about what might be happening to her this very moment – I would lose my ability to think about our situation objectively. Despite the fact that this was the most personal thing in the world to me, if I let my emotions rein as we planned our strategy, we would lose – and badly.So we arrived here and bega
Viviane“The auction is tomorrow.” I whisper, looking around at the hundled mermaids surrounding me. A dozen worried faces gaze back, their pretty features ranging from frightened to positively petrified. “If we’re going to escape, we have to do it tonight.”“There’s no use.” One of the younger girls sighs forlornly. She looks about fifteen and has spent most of our time here crying. I can’t say I blame her. When I was her age I would have fallen to pieces under these circumstances. I’m actually amazed I’m not in worse condition now. Being with Caspian really has changed me, made me stronger and more confident. A few months ago I would have sat here and waited for him to come and rescue me, but we don’t have the time to waste.“I know it’s daunting, but we have to try.” I tell her gently, looking to the others for support. Unfortunately she’s not the only one who has doubts. Spending one’s formative years in captivity has that effect, we were trained to obey or suffer, and made to bel
Caspian“My brother?” I repeat, stunned.“Honestly Caspian, I knew you were incompetant, but I never thought you were stupid.” James drawls. “Did you never wonder how there could be such a large age difference between siblings? Our grandmother was already thirty when she had mom, she was in her fifties by the time I came around - not exactly prime breeding years.”“They died before I was born.” I remind him, “I never knew the math.”My head is reeling, but I have to admit it makes sense. It would explain why my mother always treated him like a son, why she loved him so much more than she loved me. We were both her children, but he was the one she actually wanted.“Why lie about it?” I demand, “My father let her get away with everything, why lie about your relationship?”“It was never about your father.” James scoffs, “It was about mine. He would have taken me from her if he’d known I existed. She was nothing to him, just another she-wolf in a long line of conquests, but he never had o
Caspian “Are you sure about this, Caspian?” My father asks. “James is family!” “Being family didn’t stop him from kidnapping my mate or betraying me in the pack games.” I remind him. “I don’t have proof yet, but I’m going to get it. If I’m right he’s the only one who might know where they’ve taken Viviane.” “I don’t understand, why would mermaid traffickers take her in the first place?” He inquires, “if she discovered what they were doing, why not just k- silence her?” He continues, clearly amending his words even as they leave his mouth. For a moment I consider lying, but I can’t help but think this has gone on long enough. The truth is that mermaids like my mate have been suffering in this city for a long time, and the only way things are going to change is if I change them. Taking a deep breath, I announce, “Because Viviane is a mermaid.” “What?” My father questions blankly, “What are you talking about.” As I explain everything
I spent the first thirteen years of my life in the Bloodstone territory, yet I’ve never seen an inch of the free territory. I knew only the pearl farms and the river which swept us to freedom.I’ve imagined it a thousand different ways, always assuming the blood money they wrought from the flesh of mermaids afforded the pack lives of unimaginable luxury. I wasn’t wrong, but I certainly didn’t picture this. As the truck rumbles through the city, I remain glued to the back window, trying to memorize the streets, the landmarks and route on the off chance we actually manage to pull off an escape. Luckily the shifters don’t seem to believe we’re capable of even contemplating saving ourselves, because they don’t try to stop me.My memory is incredibly sharp and if I can focus on navigation, I might stand a chance. However it is difficult, because everywhere I look my eyes want to leap out of my head. The bloodstone capital seems to have been built on the side of an active volcano. Silver bu