*Rose*I hear voices in the distance. It’s foggy–like they are in another room, through a closed door, maybe underwater. I can’t really understand what they’re saying, but I recognize some of them.My brain feels heavy, like a sponge that’s soaked up too much water and is dripping onto the floor. Wh
Eli brushes the tears off my cheeks. “Goddess, I’m so happy to see you. How are you, beautiful?”My mouth is dry, and it takes a lot of strength to croak out. “Alive.” They all laugh, but I didn’t mean it as a joke.“Of course you are,” Tristan tells me, standing right next to my left shoulder. “We
*Reece* This is the most beautiful and simultaneously the most terrifying experience I’ve ever had in my life. All I can do at this moment is stare into my beautiful daughter’s eyes and imagine the whole lifetime she has ahead of her. I can’t even describe the relief I’m feeling now that Rose is o
She looks at me, and the last thing I want to do is hand my new baby daughter over to anyone, but I do it anyway, reluctantly. My arms feel so empty when the nurse takes her from me, and suddenly, a rush of dread comes over me as I wonder what it will be like when she gets married, and I have to say
*Gene*“The fucking Breeder had her babies?” I repeat to the servant who has just barged into my bathroom to give me this news. I am taking a soak in my garden tub, and the scents of roses, lilacs, and other flowers are wafting around me. I had found it soothing until a few moments ago when this idi
*Eli*Tristan, Mark, and Reece have all spent some time with Rose now, and we’ve taken a few turns going in so Rose can feed the pups. They all look so full and satisfied, sleeping in their little bassinets with nurses coming and going quietly, and Rose is resting again now. I can’t imagine what it
“Got it,” I say. “Is he a threat?”Mark shakes his head. “He hasn’t been a problem,” he says. “He’s all about complaining but doesn’t have the teeth to back it up. I’m not worried about Al.”“Still,” I say, “I’ll keep my eye on him.”Mark nods with a lighthearted laugh and digs into the huge plate o
*Adam* Alaster Dravenwolf has left the castle, and I don’t think this is a good thing. In fact, it makes me very nervous. The new Beta that Alpha King Gene has just named to replace me looks a bit deranged to me, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he hasn’t actually been diagnosed with something like…
I look at Shelby. “Shelby… why?” She looks like she’s about to burst, and she finally spits it out. “Because I’m pregnant!” My eyes go wide, and I want to grab her and jump up and down, but I don’t want to squish Reeva, so I do a milder equivalent of that, which involves one arm and bouncing more
Rose It feels strange going back to Castle Dark Forest, and it’s going to feel even weirder being there again. It’s been so long since I first arrived there for the stupid contest… well, I guess without that contest, I would have never met my Alphas, so I suppose I won’t call it stupid anymore. I
Eli seems only half-convinced, and once Kelly and this guy are finally separated, he clears his throat.“I’m going to need the name of the guy who just sucked face with my sister,” he says firmly. “And I need to know where you’re from, and whether you have a criminal record, and—”Kelly slaps Eli’s
RoseI can’t believe how much the Goddess has blessed me. I remember all the times I was hunched over on the floor of the sewage plant trying to force myself to breathe through my mouth to avoid the stench. It didn’t work very well. I also remember all those lonely nights in my high school years whe
After a moment, I remember and quickly free him from the rest of his clothes. He pulls my nightgown over my head and tosses it exactly where he thought it should go and then lays me on the bed, All I’m wearing now is a tiny red thong. He stands at the foot of the bed and takes me in. “Damn,” he mur
Mark It’s my turn to spend the night with Rose, and I can hardly wait. It is a little odd being in this position, sharing my mate with four other men, but now that we have our situation settled, I realize I wouldn’t want it any other way. I’m carrying flowers as I go into her room. I think she’s p
“No, little flower,” says Tristan.The smile on his face and twinkle in his eye made my heart skip a beat.“He’s not allowed anywhere near our precious little pups,” he clarifies. “Just the diapers. Dirty diapers, all day long… that’s his new job! We’ll watch him every second.”“But you don’t have t
RoseI love spending time out in the garden, and now I’m doing it with four little bundles of joy. I’ve heard that expression so many times, but now that I’m a mother, I really understand just how much joy those little bundles can bring. And with all the fear of losing them that I’ve experienced ove
“No.” Alpha Alice crosses her hands across her chest. “I’m staying out of this. If these Alphas want to take you, so be it. I know how the contest was supposed to go, and if one of them had a male baby, then that will be the next Alpha King. I’m not getting on their bad side.”“Appalling!” I shout.