Kat POV“You’ve got to eat something,” Cassie insisted as she pressed a sandwich into my hands. I met her red rimmed eyes and reminded myself that I wasn’t the only one who was affected by Enzo’s imprisonment. Cassie and Vasilios were equally distraught, and had backed me a hundred percent when I decided I could not live in the castle knowing that the man I loved was a few feet below me in some damp and dark prison cell. Cassie had been the one to suggest that I stay with them, and Vasilios supported the decision - even going up against my uncle when he tried to fight against the move. A door slammed shut as Vasilios entered the cottage, his face looking older than he had seemed just a few days ago. “Luca and Eliana will be here soon. Their plane has already landed, and they are just waiting for permission to enter the Royal lands,” he announced as he picked up the sandwich from the plate Cassie handed to him. I felt my stomach form a hard knot as nervous energy pulsed through me.
Eliana POVBeing in Enzo’s house without him felt strange and a part of me kept expecting him to walk into the room at any moment, that cheeky smirk on his face and his hair hanging in his eyes like some rebellious teenager. Even the scar across his right eye seemed to be vividly etched into my mind, a strange thing to remember about him, but there it was. I walked around aimlessly, dragging my fingertips along his belongings as if they somehow held remnants of his presence. “Are you ready to go?” Luca asked as he came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, pressing his face into my hair. I nodded, turning in his arms and cupping his face with my hands. “Do you think we can take him something? Some food? A blanket?” Something flashed across Luca’s eyes, but he never said a word. Instead, he took my hand and in silence we walked up the winding path to the castle curtainwall. I’d only ever been to Slovenia a handful of times, the last being shortly after Cassie and Vasi
Kat POVI had heard whispers about the woman who was going to represent the Council in Enzo’s trial - a lawyer so fierce that she could pry the truth from the most unwilling of suspects. “They call her the Council’s lapdog,” I overheard a soldier say to his friends as they walked past Enzo’s house. “You can bet that she’s the reason for the delay in the trial - she’s making Captain Castello wait until she is sure he will break under her questioning.” The soldier’s words stayed in my mind as the days went on without any sign of a trial date being set. The number of council members in the court seemed to grow by the day, but still there was no sign of the lawyer. I had begun to build her up in my mind, imagining her to be this regal being dressed in flowing robes, so I was slightly taken aback when she showed up at Cassie’s front door, looking like a normal person off the street. “Yvonne!” Cassie called out as she opened the door, engulfing the petite Asian woman in a hug.”I thought
Kat POV“Kat, wake up!”The frantic voice which sounded vaguely like Elle broke through the sleepy haze and entered the pleasant dream I was having where I was walking through a meadow with Enzo and Aurora.“Kat, you need to get up. The bloody Council are up to their tricks again,” Elle said again, shaking me slightly. I sat up groggily, looking around the dark room in confusion. “What time is it?”Elle pulled the duvet cover off me and started rummaging in Enzo’s closet for my clothing, cursing under her breath. “It’s late… or early… twelve-thirty. For crying in a bucket, where are your clothes? We need to get going!”I dragged myself out of bed, turning on the bedside lamp and illuminating the room. “I don’t understand,” I said, my voice hoarse with sleep. “Where are we going?” Elle let out a deep sigh and dragged her hand over her face… her rather pale face. Something was wrong, that was obvious. “The Council have called for Enzo’s trial to be held right now. They kept it secre
Kat POV“Guilty.” The word echoed through the room, punctuated by Eliana’s scream as she clung to her mate. Vasilios gripped the bench in front of us so hard that it splintered, his blood dripping on the floor as the wooden fragments pierced his skin and yet he didn't pay it the slightest bit of attention. Tears pooled in Cassie’s eyes, but she blinked them back furiously. I swallowed hard as my gaze moved to where Enzo knelt on the marble floor, the guards now standing on each side of him with their swords drawn and ready for a fight. Enzo’s eyes were vacant - as if his soul was no longer there and he had peacefully resigned himself to death. “No,” I whispered to myself, unable to comprehend what was about to happen. “No.” I felt my feet moving as I rushed to him, kneeling before him as the guards barked at me to get back. I ignored them, wrapping my arms around the man I loved and willing him to fight for just a little bit longer. This couldn’t be the end. I couldn’t let it happe
Kat POVThe flash of pale fur crashed into the executioner who stumbled backward, dropping the heavy broadsword as he struggled to keep his balance. And then, absolute chaos ensued. Some of the young members of the Council leapt to their feet and I heard a chorus of swearing and curses from their lips as they realised what was happening. “Get the sword, you fucking idiot!” I heard one of them shout at the rather stunned executioner who fumbled for a moment before he found and picked up the broadsword, gripping it as if his life depended on it. Aurora stood between Enzo and the executioner, her teeth bared as she growled menacingly at the man. There was no doubt in anyone’s minds that the wolf would fight to the death to save her mate - just like I should have instead of going along meekly. Guilt pulsed through my veins and before I knew what I was doing, I was on the platform beside her, a wordless threat. If he wanted to get to Enzo, he would have to kill the heir to the monarchy
Kat POVI stood in front of the mirror in Enzo’s bedroom and stared at the reflection illuminated by the pale moonlight which poured in through the open windows. I had thought that being marked would be something magical - fireworks and butterflies all rolled up into one. I had expected to be instantly reunited with Aurora as Enzo and my souls became linked. None of that happened.I turned slightly, inspecting the red mark on my shoulder which would soon fade to a muted silver. It had hurt when Enzo’s teeth pierced my skin, and Aurora’s howl filled the air before her ears pricked up and she darted through the courtyard, past the guards at the main gate and into the forest. “What’s wrong?” Enzo asked, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around me. “I could feel your pain from outside.” He ran his fingertips against the mark, and sparks of electricity ran through my body at his touch while at the same time, the burning heat from the mark instantly cooled. “I’m not sure,” I said
Kat POVIt was as though the darkness had awakened something in me, images flashing through my mind - horrible images which made me yearn for the darkness once again. Only, the darkness didn’t return and I was forced to painfully watch the images with no escape until it suddenly clicked in my mind that they weren’t just images, they were memories. Two men dragged my body as I pretended to be unconscious - at least if they thought I was unconscious they wouldn’t hurt me again. I was grateful for Aurora who took most of the pain into herself, but I could tell that the wolf was weakening and I didn’t know how much more she could take. “I thought she was meant to be stronger than the rest,” the one man snorted, his British accent standing out in my mind. “Castle said she was special, but I guess he didn’t mean stronger. He’s going to be disappointed though. He was hoping to have some fun with her when he gets here, but at this rate there won’t be much left,” the second man laughed, a f
Kat POVTo say that I was starting to hate my life may be the understatement of the century. The three bodyguards trailed behind me like puppies and I could do nothing without them hovering. Even going to the bathroom had become a chore, and just a few short hours after they had been assigned, I found myself shouting, “can I please pee in peace?” So by the time Saturday came around, I was fully ready to be free of the trio for a few hours. “Are you almost ready to leave?” Jurgen asked as he closed my bedroom door behind him and leaned against it, looking a lot less formal than he usually did in his jeans and a Metallica t-shirt. Enzo raised an eyebrow at him, but I wasn’t sure if it was because of the t-shirt or because Jurgen was still playing babysitter. Either way, my mate remained quiet as he helped me with the zip on the back of my dress. “I just need to fetch the cake from the kitchen, and then we can go,” I told the two men, checking my makeup one last time. I was incredi
Kat POVI sat next to my uncle’s bedside, holding his pale hand in my own as the doctor spoke with Jurgen outside the room. King Mattias, the great king of the werewolf nation, looked so fragile and weak in the gigantic bed, but not nearly as much as he had been when Jurgen and I had discovered him. A shudder coursed its way through my body as I remembered the image of my uncle lying beneath his desk, his eyes rolled back to show the bloodshot whites of his eyeballs as every breath he took resulted in foamy saliva bubbles forming at his mouth. I have never seen Jurgen move so fast as when I screamed. Within seconds, the tall man was by my side, his body poised and ready to protect me from whatever danger there was… only to quickly turn into my uncle’s rescuer as he launched into action. Within mere minutes, the doctor had been fetched and my uncle was stabilized in the middle of his office floor, curious eyes kept at bay by a rather fierce looking Vasilios. “Are you alright, Prince
Kat POVWaking up to Jurgen standing in the kitchen sipping a cup of coffee was certainly not what I had expected when I stepped out of the bedroom.“Jurgen!” I squeaked, pulling my dressing gown tighter around me to cover the fact that I was naked beneath it. He bowed his head slightly, but the faint blush on his cheeks told me that he had seen more than I had hoped he would. “Good morning, my Princess,” he said, turning to place his mug on the kitchen counter. “I hope you slept well.” “Very well, thank you,” I responded and glanced around the small home. “Where is Enzo?” Jurgen smiled slightly and nodded his head toward the door. “He’s out on the training fields. He has realised how unfit incarceration has made him, so he decided to put in a few extra hours into his training.” “Oh,” I replied, still trying to figure out what on earth Jurgen was doing in my kitchen at 7 o’clock in the morning. “I hope you’re already packed,” he said casually, and I blinked a few times as I tried
Enzo POVI bolted upright in bed, beads of sweat trickling down my forehead and my breathing harsh as my heart beat loudly against my chest. “It was a dream,” I whispered to myself, a vain attempt to convince myself that I hadn’t witnessed the secret meeting between Anka and the last person on earth I would have suspected to be in collaboration with the Council, and yet my eyes could not have deceived me. The warm hand which brushed against my back almost sent me bolting for the door, but Kat’s scent wafted toward me and I remembered where I was and who I was with. “Are you alright?” she asked sleepily as she sat up and wrapped her hand around my arm, kissing my shoulder gently. I nodded, stroking the back of my hand down her soft cheek. “It was just a bad dream,” I told her. “Go back to sleep.” She yawned as she grabbed her pillow and hugged it as she lay back down again, falling asleep almost as soon as her eyes closed. I watched her for a few moments, a strange sense that the
Enzo POVI sat on the sofa and stared at the glass of whiskey in my hand, watching the way the fading sun turned the amber liquid into fire. Soon, it would be time to go to sleep - and then the nightmares would start. It was always the same; me tied up and struggling to break free, blood dripping from my chafed wrists as men with hoods covering their faces took turns abusing Kat. When they had first started I hadn’t even known her, she was merely Princess Katerina, the woman I knew was my mate just by the connection I had felt through a computer screen. But now, she was my Kat, and the emotions which surged through me each time her screams rang out were what kept me awake. “There you are,” Kat grinned as she made herself comfortable on my lap. “I thought you might have slipped out for a run by yourself. I know I hold you back.” I chuckled and tucked a strand of her golden hair behind her ear. “Yes, you do,” I admitted with a wink, “but I still prefer running with you than running al
Kat POV“What’s wrong?” Enzo asked, taking my hand and guiding me to the empty chair before standing behind it. Everyone seemed to ignore his question; Eliana fiddling with the fold in her skirt, Luca preoccupied with something outside the window, Jurgen - who I was surprised to see in Vasilios’s home in the first place - was drinking some sort of fruit juice from one of Cassie’s ‘I heart NY’ tumblers, while Vasilios and Cassie seemed to be having a staring competition.Apparently the pair were actually having a silent argument as Cassie threw her hands in the air and sighed dramatically before she turned in her chair to face us. “Elle and I went to town today to get some party stuff for Theo’s birthday,” she paused, a strange expression flitting across her face before she continued. “We saw Damian there, and something is definitely not right with him. He completely forgot Theo and thought I had a daughter.” “That’s really strange,” Enzo agreed, and I could feel the tension through
Cassie POV“We’re not going to be long, I just have to get the party things and then will be right back,” I told Enota, the teenager who babysat Theo whenever I was desperate. “Are you sure you’ll manage with the two of them?” I looked from my tiny terror, who sat in the living room gnawing on the coffee table while Gianna, Elle’s sassy four year old, sat on the other side with her crayons and a colouring book. Enota laughed and patted my arm in a way which bordered on condescending. “You do know I’ve done this before, right?” Of course she had. She had been a life saver the night of Enzo’s trial. “Call me if there are any problems and we’ll come right back,” I said again, bending down to kiss the top of Theo’s head. Gia waved to me as she coloured in sweetly, an absolute angel - or so she seemed. I secretly would bet all I owned that she would manipulate Enota into doing something her mother refused to let her do. “All set?” Elle asked as she walked toward Gia for a goodbye hu
Kat POVI shivered as frigid tendrils wrapped themselves around my body, clinging to my skin. It took me a few moments to realise that I wasn’t dead, although the memory of the pain that I had endured was still at the forefront of my mind. Groaning, I forced myself to sit up as the cool wind seemed to seep into my damp pyjamas. I had no clue how I had got to the tiny island in the middle of the lake, but there I was, thankfully alive. “Of course you’re alive, silly,” I heard a voice and I jumped, looking around me. “Did you really think I would let you die in the place we first met?” Staggering slightly, I managed to stand even though my limbs felt as if they were on fire. I looked about, realising that the night didn’t seem as dark as it had been when I left Enzo’s house. “Hello? Who is there?” I called out, steeling myself for some old hag to jump from what seemed to be ruins… or maybe it was just a pile of rocks. But instead, laughter as clear as day echoed in my head. “Oh, yo
Kat POVIt was as though the darkness had awakened something in me, images flashing through my mind - horrible images which made me yearn for the darkness once again. Only, the darkness didn’t return and I was forced to painfully watch the images with no escape until it suddenly clicked in my mind that they weren’t just images, they were memories. Two men dragged my body as I pretended to be unconscious - at least if they thought I was unconscious they wouldn’t hurt me again. I was grateful for Aurora who took most of the pain into herself, but I could tell that the wolf was weakening and I didn’t know how much more she could take. “I thought she was meant to be stronger than the rest,” the one man snorted, his British accent standing out in my mind. “Castle said she was special, but I guess he didn’t mean stronger. He’s going to be disappointed though. He was hoping to have some fun with her when he gets here, but at this rate there won’t be much left,” the second man laughed, a f