KaiyaThe doctor doesn’t seem in the least bit fazed by my emotional outburst. Instead, he gets up and calls the king back inside. “It will help if yeh hold her a bit,” he says to the king and leaves, softly closing the door behind him.I can hear the king’s reluctant sigh even over my hysterical weeping. I wish I could stop, I just want to stop, but the more I try, the harder I cry. And I don't even know why I'm crying like this. I've been through much worse. There's no reason on earth for me to sit here and cry like a damn toddler, but I just can't seem to stop.At some point, Bowden simply picks me up and puts me on his lap. He hums softly in my ear, and that strange warmth that radiates out of his body spreads through mine, giving me a sense of safety and peace. It does help, and finally I start to calm down until my tears dry up for good.Without asking for permission, he carries me to my bed and gently tucks me in, putting my injured foot on a pillow and making sure the blankets
Bowden I am deeply annoyed with Clara by the time she finally deems to show her face. She is twenty minutes late, and if there’s one thing I can’t stand it’s when others think my time is invaluable and can be wasted. “Come in,” I bark when she finally knocks on my door. This door, unlike the ones on the upper floors, is modern and easily swings open. The red-headed she-wolf steps into my office, her head respectfully bowed. “You wanted to see me, your majesty?” she asks, her tone of voice not nearly as respectful as her body language. “You’re late.” “I got lost.” When I was a pup, my father taught me that there were some battles worth fighting and some you just needed to let go. The she-wolf not showing up in time might not seem important to others, but it sets a tone for relationship going forward, and disrespect has a way of rippling outwards and taking root. “And you could not let me know that you would be late?” I ask, keeping my voice low and dangerous. “How?” she asks and l
BowdenKaiya is on all fours on the floor, breath rasping over her lips, her clothes hanging from her body in tatters. She is mid-shift and unable to complete the transformation. Her claws dig into the slate floor, muscular hind legs spasm, and her back arches at an unnatural angle as the wolf tries to force her way to the surface.I slam the door shut behind me before Elias can follow me inside, and lock it just in case anyone gets any ideas.I kneel next to my mate, my heart hammering so hard in my chest that I can feel it in my head. “It’s all right,” I say in a comforting voice, and put my hand on her shoulder, hoping that my touch will help her. “The first time is difficult. Don’t be scared.”She can’t answer me, but I can feel the fear blasting from her, hitting me square in the chest like a raging furnace. I’ve never had to guide anyone through their first shift, but I remember my father doing it for me. “You have to let go and allow your wolf to surface. Stay in control of you
KaiyaI wander through the castle with Elias close behind me. He doesn’t say anything about the fact that I changed my clothes, but put the king’s jacket on again before I left my room. Nor does he mention my failed attempt at shifting. All he did when he glanced into my room and saw the blood on the floor, was to summon an Omega to clean it.King Bowden was right. I can feel it now. The changes are happening faster than I expected, and it's slightly disorientating.I can hear things I couldn’t hear before, down to Elias’s steady heartbeat as he walks behind me with his hand on the sword sheathed by his side. I can smell the different scents of the wolves passing me by, I even catch a human scent here and there. “You have humans living here?” I ask Elias.The guard hurries to catch up with me. “Yes, your majesty. Most of them are mated to Lycans.”“Are they fated?”Elias shakes his head. “Seldom. The mark itself will create the bond, but fated mates are so rare these days.”“It wasn’t
KaiyaElias gives me an uncertain look. “Ah…the king is working right now.”I cock my head at him and plant my hands on my hips. “And how do you know I don’t have important business with him?”“Because he told me to make sure you're at his door at seven sharp.""Well...things change.""Did they?" he asks with a little chuckle. "What changed?"“How is it any of your business?”“You're right-" he nods rhythmically -"It's none of my business. You're sure it can’t wait until tonight?”“It’s all right, Elias,” Griffin says behind me. “I’ll take the queen to see King Bowden. You can go.”Startled by his sudden and unannounced appearance, I spin around to glare at the Beta. He looks as kind and friendly as always and I find myself relaxing. I turn back around to talk to Elias, but he’s already gone. “Can I help you?” Griffin asks. "Bowden is really very busy...if I can help-"I tuck my hair behind my ear and catch a whiff of my own scent again. “Do I smell funny to you?”He nods. “Your wolf
Bowden I help Kaiya out of the jacket and throw it on the chair next to my shirt. She’s mostly speechless as the concoction Deacon gave her is burning a hole through her guts right now and talking is difficult. “Up,” I say and hook my fingers under her t-shirt. “Why?” she asks, her voice so hoarse that barely a sound is coming out. “I told you skin-to-skin works better. Did you think I meant only my skin? Don’t worry, I’ll keep your bra on.” She’s too unwell to argue much. Her wolf isn't fighting very hard, and is close to death already. Feeling your own wolf dying is an extremely painful experience, especially towards the end, and can kill the human too if it’s not done right. I don’t know how Clara managed to survive. Some witches can kill wolves without killing the human, but it takes considerable skill. I pull the t-shirt over her head, not paying much attention to the unflattering, white cotton bra that leaves a whole lot to the imagination, which suits me just fine. I get o
Bowden Kaiya won’t wake for several hours. After making sure that’s she’s safe and comfortable, I drape my shirt over her so she’ll be comforted by my scent and go to my office where I open my laptop and pull up the birth records for the year Kaiya was born. ‘Kaiya Cole. A healthy daughter born to Alpha Deimos and Luna Andriette, 7 lbs. 6 oz. - Alpha aura.' That doesn't tell me much. For all I know, someone dropped Kaiya on the pack house doorstep as Clara did with her daughter. Instead of driving myself nuts trying to find Kaiya's origin, I decide to search for answers in our archived history, rereading everything I already know, looking for some kind of hint as to why Kaiya is a Lycan and if there are other recorded intances of Lycans being born to werewolves. Two hours later, and beyond frustrated, I slam my laptop shut and summon Griffin to my office. He told me she'd be my last mate. My wild child. He must know something. “Sit,” I order him when he shows up five minutes later
Kaiya I sit cross-legged in front of the full-length mirror in my walk-in closet, blushing when I remember the king’s words to me a few hours ago. “Is that what you want?” he asked. “Do you want me to spank you?” I couldn’t answer him. The images that flashed through my head were too indecent to share, but it was as if he could see straight into my skull. “Because I’ll do it,” he said, his lips so close to mine that his breath tickled my skin. I tried to swallow past the hard lump in my throat, tempted to tell him yes, do it, but at last all I could manage was to shake my head. “Be careful what you wish for,” he said as he rose, not even trying to hide the bulge in his pants. “You barely know me, don’t know the depths of my depravity.” I hardly heard him. All I could think was that he was at least as turned on by the idea as I was. I wanted to tell him that I changed my mind, but it was already too late, he already turned his back on me, his hands clenched in tight fists by his si
Dear Readers, Here we are at the end of Kaiya and Bowden's story. This one flew by didn't it? I loved working on it, and I'm genuinely sad that it has come to an end. Kaiya is perhaps one of my favourite characters, and I loved exploring her story. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I was once again blown away by your amazing support. I want you to know that I do read your comments, and they do always encourage me to work harder and write better. I love hearing from you. Writers always love hearing from their readers, so please never stop! You have no idea how much it means to us as writers. Thank you, as always, from the very bottom of my heart for your support, comments, gems and ratings. It means everything to me. I hope to see you for our next adventure. Much love,Celice
KaiyaThe returning Lycans didn’t care where Deborah and I came from, especially not after Bowden told them that going forward, none of them have to give up their mates unless they want to do so by choice.None of them wanted to break their bonds. None of them wanted to suffer through the heartache again. Centuries of living in fear came to an abrupt end, and they embraced it with open arms and hearts.A week later, Neil mated with one of my father’s ex harem girls. A sweet young woman named Kaylee, a week after that, Deacon mated with Sparrow. A new light shone in the castle, one of hope and happiness.Three weeks after I came back, Vanessa returned, but she wasn’t the same. Jaeger told her what happened, and it scared her. She couldn’t get her mind wrapped around it – the magic, the deaths, the mayhem, all the things things that humans find unimaginable. We were the living embodiment of her nightmares.She gave Jaeger an ultimatum – leave his home and live with her in the human world
Kaiya I wake to the sound of the song I sang to the mates the day they exited the catacombs. Deborah stands next to me, a confused frown on her face. “They’re all dead,” she says. “They’re supposed to be,” I say without thinking. I have no idea where that little nugget of knowledge came from, but I know it to be true. I groan softly and sit up, looking around me. There's no light coming in from outside, but I can feel the full moon. A white sheet of snow cuts the outside world off from view. The only light comes from the flickering torches against the walls. Bowden isn’t here like he was the last time, and I feel completely and utterly abandoned, cold, and lonely. “Why aren’t they waking?” Deborah asks, her face pulled into a frown of confusion. “You could never wake them,” Lauren says from the darkness. I swivel my head in all directions, looking for her. “Not by yourselves. They were dead and you forced them from their afterlife, pulling their souls into the void.” “We didn’t
Bowden “Bowden?” Griffin asks from the entrance of the catacombs. “This is not healthy. You have to get out of here. Time is running out.” Every day, just before sunset, I come to the catacombs and stare at Kaiya’s face, willing her to open her eyes. I shake my head, unable to move. Three days after Kaiya died the first time, the bond started to come back to life. It helped to keep some of the darkness at bay, and I did all right until the day after the full moon, when it happened all over again. The pain of it woke me from my sleep, tearing through my like a blunt knife. I was still trying to take a breath when Griffin stormed into my apartment, a look of pure agony on his face. "Is it breaking?" he asked. "Are they proper dead?" "I don't know." I gasped through the pain. The first time it happened was still too raw, too fresh, and it all blended together into a stewing pot of abject suffering We rushed to the catacombs to see all the mates back in their sarcophagi and Kaiya
Kaiya I didn’t expect to go back to sleep when I entered the catacombs. I didn't give it much thought before now, but what the hell are we supposed to do down here, day in day out, unable to sleep, unable to live, unable to die? No wonder everyone is so fucking angry. I've not even been in the catacombs that long, and I'm already pissed off at the world and the dark witches that cursed me to live this waking nightmare. Lauren leads us into a vast, open temple. It's bigger than the one in Junction City, but unlike the one under that pack house, this temple glows brightly. It is warm and inviting, and I feel no trepidation when I step inside. There are twenty witches in the temple, including the old woman that did the purity test on me, standing around the altar, chanting some ancient spell in an ancient tongue. A spell at least as old as the catacombs. On our way here, I tried to talk to Elowen. I could still sense her, she didn’t die, but just like I couldn’t talk to Bowden anymor
Kaiya I open my eyes, but it’s as if I’m trying to see through a deep mist. I can’t make anything out around me. My arms and legs are trapped against my body. Someone tied me up. I let out a high-pitched scream and try to struggle out of my bindings, grunting and crying as panic wells up in my chest. “Sh-sh-sh,” Bowden’s voice flushes over me. “Stop fighting. I’ve got you.” At the sound of his voice, I relax and allow him to lift me up off the hard surface I’m lying on. He unwraps whatever it is that kept me trapped like a swaddled baby, and the more he works to undo me, the more of the world comes into view. What happened? I remember falling asleep in Bowden’s arms, and then nothing. Not even dreams. Did I make it? Were we wrong? My heart sinks when I sit up and take in my surroundings. We’re in the catacombs. The thing that bound me now lies at my feet, and looks like some kind of funeral shroud. The full moon is casting it’s glow in through the opening. Two weeks went by, but t
Bowden When we return to the castle, we find two more dead werewolves. Mindy, the one who always did Kaiya’s hair, and a male that worked in the kitchens. “Fuck!” I growl. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” “Bowden,” Griffin says gently. “I’ll take care of this. Go upstairs and get started on your whiskey.” “No. I’m taking care of these fuckers once and for all.” “What are you going to do?” I give Jaeger a cold stare. “We have a dungeon full of witches.” “No,” my Gamma says. “No, you can’t tie them to you. You already battle with your own darkness. Tying that many to you…it will swallow you whole.” When I mated with Kaiya, my darkness faded in the brightness of her light, but it’s back now with a vengeance. I want to kill something, preferably hunters. “Leave me alone,” I say and stomp through the castle to my apartment. I get the ritual box from the safe, locking the office behind me again, and go to the dungeons. Griffin waits for me at the bottom of the stairs. “Are you going to try to sto
Bowden The Lycans formed an honour guard on either side of the path that leads to the catacombs. They’re dressed in their mourning clothes, the same as everyone else, hands clasped in front of them, heads bowed. A few of them are openly crying, including Neil. He never did take a real liking to Kaiya, but he loved her. When you live as long as we have, you start to learn that the two aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. It's the only time I feel comfortable showing them all my emotions, open and raw, bleeding for all to see. They've all been here more than once, and they all know the enormity of it. The exquisite and unending pain. Jaeger and Griffin walks ahead of me to show me the place they had prepared for her. It’s a little deeper into the catacombs, but not so far that the warm sun streaming in from outside won’t catch her. Oswald came to light all the torches that had gone out while the mates were roaming around outside, and they flicker in the breeze, casting their soft,
Bowden “That’s it.” I slam the last of the hunters’ diaries shut. Out of sheer desperation, we turned to them but found nothing important. “There’s nothing. No answers.” We have spent the last two and a half days frantically reading, searching for answers to the mate problem, while also trying to figure out how to break the death curse. I went into the dungeons and questioned the witches I brought back from Junction City to hear if any of them could break the death curse, or at least knew who cast it, but they were as clueless as Samantha was. I stare at Kaiya, who is sitting next to Oswald on the couch, reading a book about nymphs. We know a lot more about them now, but very little about wild children. No one bothered to write about them because they’re so rare. A knot pushes up in my throat as I realise that we’re not going to be able to save her. Up until a few minutes ago, I kept expecting a miracle, kept thinking we’d find something somewhere, but I was arrogant...and so, so