Apphia Blade is waiting in the lobby. He smiles at me. "Where's Lilibet," I ask. "She's on her way," he answers. "Has a reservation been made?" Nicholas asks. "Yes. Lily did," The two men briefly discuss work but are interrupted by Lily's voice. "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting," she saunters into the lobby, all light pink outside. Blade's breath hitches, and my gaze instantly finds his. His eyes slide over the princess' body, awed; she's wearing the most fluttering strapless ruffle creamy pink midi dress, tight in the chest and waist. It exposes her right leg up to her upper thigh. Her loose curls are in a side-part hairdo. Her earlobes, neck, and wrists are adorned in white gold. She stands before me, her mouth slightly ajar. "I love everything about you," she says. "Same," I gesture towards her outfit. Nicholas and Blade are watching us complement each other like little school girls. I blush and take Nicholas' hand in mine. When we reach the upscale restaurant, it's a li
Apphia"I want to go dancing tonight," Lily whines as we walk outside. "Who's coming with me?" "We are leaving at eight o'clock in the morning. You should rest," Blade murmurs. "You go and rest," she snickers, sounding slightly annoyed. Nicholas and I exchange a glance. I tell him with my eyes that I'm tired and want to rest. "We'll walk to the hotel," he says. Lily pouts, giving me her puppy eyes, but doesn't try to convince me, "Fine, I'll go alone," she resigns and walks in another direction, another street. Blade sighs and strolls after her. Nicholas shakes his head and extends his hand to me, "Shall we?" We stroll back to the hotel. The weather is crisp, the night is serene, and the sky is full of stars. A few couples are strolling on the steep street, holding hands or stargazing. Love fills the air. "Morgana was my ex-girlfriend," he says suddenly, " She was my first real girlfriend and love?" "I know," my voice is a whisper. Nicholas scrutinizes me, and then realiza
ApphiaWe are going to the Ivory Moon pack. Lily, Drake, and the twins, Chase and Chelsea, are going with us. They are in another car in front. Blade, too, wanted to join us, but he had to stay to run the pack. Lily will help with that task after she attends the meeting we will have while we remain. I'm nervous but not scared because Nicholas is here with me. He's holding my hand the whole ride. I have to remember that no one can hurt me anymore. I'm stronger and in a higher position than them. We soon arrive at the pack. It is just as I remember it—lovely, quiet, and clean. Our driver, Chase, is sitting beside his sister Chelsea. He pulls in front of the packhouse. My brother, Duncan, handsome and full of alpha aura, stands before the cars. His council is behind him. There are eight in total, a mixture of age and gender. Some pack members stand behind the council, keeping their distance but eagerly watching." Are you ready?" Nicholas asks. If not, I promise we'll return home and c
Gavin I had an emergency at the border early in the morning, so I wasn't there to welcome the Alpha Prince and Luna. On my way back to the packhouse, there was chatter and cries. Calla and her friend rush to me as soon as I enter the driveway. The woman throws her hands around me, sobbing. " What is it?" I ask, untangling her arms from me. " Susan and Orson are dead," I'm shocked. " Shit, I saw them before I left. What happened?" " The royal members killed; it was horrible, I hear," she cries. " W-why?" " Susan called that freak bitch Apphia a murderer, and they killed them," she shrugs, puzzled too. Apphia? Apphia is here? How? " Apphia?" " Yes," " The bitch __" " Don't insult her!" I growl, making her flinch. " Where is Apphia?" " She's attending the meeting along with the royal members, beta," Calla's friend answers. I rush to the conference room and open the door. Then, I see her. My heart ceases. I can smell her and see her! My mate is standing before m
Apphia When we wake up from our nap, it is evening. We take a shower and change into fresh clothes. I wear a pale blue V-neck short-sleeve dress. My hair is unbound, and my makeup is minimally done. My mate holds my hand as we go downstairs. Drake and Lily are waiting for us downstairs to go to dinner. "Hello," she greets me cheerfully, smiling like a cat. She is in a better mood than we arrived. Drake, too, looks satisfied. What did they do? "What have you done?" "There are quite some mannerless people in your pack. But we dealt with them," she grins, her eyes glinting. I don't want to know what they did, but I know it was in my defense. We head down to the dining room. Everyone sits around a long table laden with so much food and wine. I can read their energy. It is so different. Uniformly, everyone gets to their feet and bow their heads to us... My gaze immediately finds Calla sitting close to the beta; she's glaring at me with red eyes while Gavin looks pissed at my mate.
Apphia"Apphia!" someone calls me. I stop and turn. It's Nalani. She smiles and waves as she walks towards us. Next to her is her friend, Vivian. Nalani looks me up and down with a smile. "I heard you were back. How are you?" she's smiling hard. I can't help but reciprocate her excitement. "Hi, I'm alright. How are you?" "I'm fine. We were going to the pack to see you …" she glances back at her friend, but Vivian has frozen, her gaze solely on Chase. They are mates. Vivian, as though on autopilot. She moves towards my bodyguard and smiles, standing very close to him, "Hi," Chase steps back and quietly answers, "H—hello. " There is silence. Chelsea smacks her brother on the shoulder hard, making Vivian growl. "Are you going to stand there like an idiot?!" she barks. He finally tears his gaze away and meets his sister's eyes, lost. He doesn't know what to say or do. I almost chuckle. "Congratulations, you two," I beam. They regard me and bow their heads in thanks. "Ladies
ApphiaGavin's Lycan has resigned, whimpering in defeat. He knows what's about to happen and is filled with regret for this challenge. He did it on impulse, and now it will cost him his life. I hate Gavin so much for what he did to me, but I wouldn't want him dead because of it__ because of me."You're an unpleasant little Lycan," sneers Nicholas, ready to end him, 'No, Nicholas, please,' He doesn't turn to look at me. Please, no, I implore. 'Why?' he growls. 'I don't want another death on my conscience,' I tell him. 'It's on me,' 'Don't, Nicholas,' 'Why do you always call me Nicholas… No words of endearment,' he sounds sore and juvenile. I could laugh if this situation weren't dire. A wail resounds before I can respond to his question. The former beta female, Nancy, runs in, throwing himself before the Alpha prince, two hands rubbing together."Please don't kill my son.," she pleads, "He's all I have, please, I beg you," Nancy is crying, head bowed to the ground. I hate the sat
ApphiaNicholas is not pleased to see me here. He's fuming as he approaches me. My eyes swiftly sweep him. Okay, he's fine, with not a single scratch on him. Drake and the twins by his side also give me a worried but disapproving look. "Apphia, what the fuck are you doing here?" Nicholas growls. "Don't talk to me in that tone," I retort sharply. He stops and runs a hand through his tousled hair, his eyes glaring at me, aggrieved. Drake walks past him and checks my minor injuries. "Luna, are you alright?" I give him a tiny smile and nod, "I'm fine, Drake. Relax. You trained me well," I wink. He exhales in relief. "I told you to stay in the room, and you disobeyed me," Nicholas says sternly as if talking to a deviant child. "And I told you I wanted to c—go with you, but you left me," I tell him disapprovingly. The four shifters with us silently leave, giving us privacy. “ It’s dangerous; you could have gotten hurt__ look, you’re hurt,” "It's just a few scratches, Nicholas.
ApphiaThere are thousands of warriors. We didn't know how many our enemy had, so we had to prepare as many so we couldn't be outnumbered. The lycans and wolves are getting ready to eradicate the vampires attacking them. We have formed five groups, each with a leader. I will lead group E in rescuing the humans used as blood bags as I know exactly where they are keeping them while others fight. We are standing atop a mountain, secretly watching the vast estate. I'm wearing tight leather pants, a black tank top, and boots, and my hair is pulled in a tight ponytail. My mate snakes an arm around my waist and kisses my temple. "Please be safe. Don't hesitate to strike, and be quick on your feet," he says. "You too," He scoffs. I grin at him, knowing no one can come close to him in battle. His face is stern again. "Maybe I should go with you," he says."No, you're helping the warriors get rid of the vampires. Don't worry about me, Chelsea and Chase will be with me," "But_" "I'll be fi
Duncan After receiving my sister's forgiveness, I feel the pain I'd carried in my chest for ten years slowly dissipate. We are sitting on the kitchen island, all four of us, now eating the horrible pasta Nalani had made us for dinner. She seemed so impressed with her cooking skills that we could not tell her how awful the food was. My relationship with Nalani has improved so much, and I'm happy about that; we go on dates, and she joins me for pack duties; she makes a fine Luna. However, she hasn't let me mark her yet and refuses to sleep in my bed. It bothers my lycan and whines about it, but I'm patient; after my history with women, it's a given that she'd be reserved to give her all to me. But I let her mark me, to show her how much I'm committed to this relationship. " No, I can't have more without my stomach exploding; thank you, Nala," Apphia shakes her head, pushing her plate away. Her mate, too, refuses Nalani's offer to give them more food. The two exchange glances and ex
Apphia. After I told them everything that had happened to me and all I had learned about my new powers, my brother hurriedly left the dungeons. I glance at my mate, and he nods. I go after Duncan. He's sitting on the ground, back against the wall. I swallow and approach him."Duncan," he looks up at me, eyes red. His face a picture of devastation. He gets to his feet and tells me it's not my fault that any of that happened to Mom and me and that he's sorry for abandoning me. He did abandon me, but I didn't hate him for it. I've always loved Duncan. I was just hurt and disappointed that he treated me like I was no one to him, even after promising to look after me. I try to tell him that, but words fail me. Unable to produce a word, I turn and walk away. He's two steps behind me, silent. I go to the lake where I used to go. It is as lovely as ever; the air is crisp cold here, yet bearable. The lake I loved so much was now tainted with the night Rory assaulted me. Every place I look, I
Duncan Flashback'Duncan, i told you to take care of your sister,' Mom scolds gently after I tell her Apphia has run away after I refused to share my new toys with her. I would give her, but she destroys them, and when I scold her, she cries and runs into the forest. Mom scolds me… Even though she says she doesn't have favorites and loves us equally, I know Apphia is her favorite. However, it's alright because Apphia is a girl and needs Mommy more than I do. I'm a big boy. I just turned ten!"I went looking for her, but I got hungry and came back. I'm sorry, Mom," I tell her. She smiles__ my mom is the most beautiful mommy ever, but I love her smile more. She holds my hand; her hand is very soft. We go in search of my sister. We find little Apphia soon; she is playing alone at the lake. Her skin seems to glow more than ever in the afternoon sun. "Apphia," Mom calls, but my baby sister doesn't turn to look at us. However, the glow around her dims a little. "Baby, let's
Appphia I startle awake from my sleep, my heart thundering in my chest, sweating and haggard. Something streamed down my face__ tears. Nicholas rushes to me instantly and climbs into bed, knees on the bed and cupping my cheeks, "Baby, you're alright. It was just a bad dream," he soothes. I wrap my trembling arms around him. That dream scared me. Many vampires and two witches surrounded me. My body shudders, and I hold Nicholas tighter. He coos me, stroking soothing lines down my back to comfort me. When we pull away from each other, he wipes my tears. I take him in. His sculptured chest is bare, but he's wearing sweatpants. It seems he's been awake for hours. What time is it? My gaze goes to the digital clock on the bedside table. 12.34. Have I been asleep for that long? "What was your nightmare about?" he asks quietly. I fix the pillow behind me to rest my back as I tell him about my dream. He's frowning as I do, worried. Afterward, I take a long cold shower and wear jeans
ApphiaI'm bent over Nicholas' knee, my torso against him and my behind exposed to him, and a little sore from the spanking I've received. After a brief talk with Ziora, I decide to take this all in good fun, "Will you continue to disobey me?" he asks, his voice cool and challenging. "Yes," He exhales, raises his hand, and brings it down to slap my naked ass again... harder than before. I gasp at the impact. It hurts, but it is so hot and sexy—even his hard dick twitches. "Will you do it again?" "No," I concede, not knowing how long I'll last in this position without coming all over him. "No, what?" "No, Sir," "Good girl," he brings his lips to kiss my behind while he caresses it softly. I get on my feet and hiss at the soreness on my ass. Nicholas goes to the bathroom and returns with a bottle of oil. I'm trying to gauge his reaction; he seemed mad before spanking me, but now he's just stoic. And I can read his thoughts. He gets on one knee behind me and rubs my behind
Seeker I need to get my hands on the marked wolf. The spy we put in the pack noticed a silver, purple wolf in the forest running, and after following the wolf, it turned out to be the Luna of the Sapphire royal pack, Apphia Aeson. Fuck. It would make things difficult. Her position is too high. The Luna Queen of lycans is the unique wolf with the power I need to take my crown. " What did the sisters say?" I ask my third, Shona. We've been gathering our witch allies since learning the marked wolf's identity—just two. They can cast a spell on me that enables me to siphon the marked wolf's divine powers for myself. " They are ready. Once we have Apphia Aeson, we shall call them, and then they can begin the spell," she informs me, satisfied. " Good job, Shona," I praise. " Thank you, master," " And the spy?" I ask, suddenly remembering the young man. " I paid him and released his human mate from our holding," she answers. " You should have killed them; it's too dangerous, especiall
Nicholas What the fuck is she doing here? I know this girl. She's the daughter of the bastard Amir. She has been coming to my office to beg for her father's pardon, but all her requests have been shut down. I close the door behind me and glare at her. " Why are you here, on my bedroom door?" I ask. " I'm sorry, my prince. I came here to collect my items and heard you are visiting this pack. I wanted to implore you again for my father's release," she says. " The answer is still no," " Please, Alpha. He's a good man," she sniffs, tears filling her eyes. " Is he?" I question, reigning in my anger. She's at a loss for words. She, too, knows the truth. Amir is a bloody bastard_ a pedophile. After extensive investigation, we discovered pictures of my mate on his phones and computers. The man was obsessed with her since she was a child. " I don't want to see your face again. Your father will serve the sentence he was given," I declare and get back inside the room, shutting the
ApphiaMy father is not the man he once was. He has lost weight, his eyes dull, and he has a permanent scowl on his face. It seems he has lost all spark in life. I want to turn and walk in another direction, but my legs won't move. For some reason, he scares me. Why am I scared? I try to get in his head and read his thoughts. There is only contempt, no kind memories of me whatsoever. It's just hurt and hate. He still blames me for his mate's death. And then realization dawns on me: this man has always hated me; my mother's death was only the tip of the iceberg.His eyes darken, and he regards Jerry beside me, mindlinking him. " Luna, he's asking me to leave," he whispers, eyes glimpsing at his former alpha, lips pressed in a thin line." Go," my voice is barely audible. Jerry hesitates for a bit, but I give him a light smile. He bows to me and leaves, leaving me with the monster in my life." You, I heard you're back," his silver eyes survey me. If eyes could kill, I'd be dead. I cro