Ivy's POVElder Jet looks like a caged animal under Prince Spencer’s piercing stare, looking in every direction for help. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots Alpha Leo, once again lurking at the edge of the battlefield as though unsure whether or not to join in.“Alpha Leo!” Elder Jet shouts, warping his voice to make himself sound far older and feebler than he really is. “Please, save me from Prince Spencer’s vicious wrath!” The moment the false plea for help leaves his mouth, Elder Jet steps aside, leaving the space wide open for Alpha Leo to engage Spencer in combat. Alpha Leo steps forward reluctantly, looking Spencer up and down, but Spencer hardly pays him a second thought. “Damn you, Elder Jet!” Spencer curses fiercely. “You’re nothing but a coward who expects others to risk their lives for you without ever facing a fight. You’re weak, pathetic, and completely unfit to rally this miserable group you call a rebellion. If you want to protect your honor as a werewolf and as
Ivy's POVUpon being discovered, Elder Jet stands up slowly and turns around, eyeing his warriors cautiously. I can see that he’s trying to keep himself calm, drawing in slow, deep breaths. But seething anger–as well as panic–sparks in his eyes as he looks around. “Alpha Jameson has already fallen in battle!” Elder Jet shouts, projecting his voice. “And many of our men are injured or dead. In order to preserve our forces, I’ll be withdrawing with some of our warriors to prevent further losses. Stay strong, men!” I raise an eyebrow at the sheer audacity of what Elder Jet is saying, but much to my dismay, his werewolf warriors seem to be believing him well enough. “Fight Prince Spencer now, Leo!” Elder Jet roars at Alpha Leo. “Buy us time for the retreat!” Before anyone gets the chance to react to Elder Jet’s words, he quickly twists around and flees into the crowd of warriors, vanishing into the nearby forests in a flash so quickly Spencer doesn’t get the chance to chase after him
Ivy's POVThe moment Spencer hears my voice, he pulls his paw away from Alpha Leo’s throat.Alpha Leo lets out a strangled gasp as the pressure that was being exerted on his neck suddenly eases. He starts to cough, chest shaking. Spencer looks down at Alpha Leo with an expression of profound disdain, clearly disapproving of the display of injury. The world seems to go quiet as I realize what I’ve done. I’ve just challenged the Lycan Prince’s decision to kill an enemy warrior–a leader among the enemy warriors, no less. Spencer, Gamma Everly, and the remaining royal warriors all look at me with expressions of confusion, and I suddenly feel a bit nervous about my decision. “You’d better have a good reason for this, sweetheart,” Spencer says patiently.I purse my lips awkwardly, trying to figure out the best way to explain myself. “...I don’t think he’s actually as bad as we think he is!” I blurt out. Spencer raises an eyebrow at me skeptically as the other warriors frown and murmur t
Ivy's POVAfter hearing my words, Spencer is silent for a moment, clearly lost in thought. I look at him with wide, pleading eyes, quietly begging him to take my words to heart. I’m fairly certain his original mission was to capture, not to kill–even though the battle got wildly out of hand, things seem to have settled now, so hopefully everyone can go back to that plan before any more blood needs to be shed. “Tie Alpha Leo up and take him back to the palace,” Spencer says abruptly. He releases Alpha Leo and shifts fluidly into his human form. At the sight of his piercing eyes, perfectly tousled hair, and flawless musculature beneath his tight bloody clothes, a thrill rushes through me. If the fighting is over, that mean soon enough we can return to the palace and…I’m torn from my thoughts by a sudden commotion. I look over to see Alpha Leo thrashing wildly as a royal warrior pulls him to his feet, teeth snapping madly. He looks so erratic and disheveled that for a moment I’m afr
Ivy's POVNow that Alpha Jameson is dead, Alpha Leo has been captured, and Elder Jet is nowhere to be seen, the fighting is over. I watch the royal warriors evacuate from the enemy’s pack house as the rebel warriors retreat in shame. I don’t know what sort of retribution the Lycan Royal Family will seek, but that’s not my problem now. The battle is over, and we can go back to the palace safe and sound, and that’s all that matters to me. I’m still curled up in Spencer’s arms as he carries me away from the pack house’s lawn and towards his camp. As we’re nearing the edge of the border, though, I suddenly hear a faint, childlike sobbing. I lift my head up from Spencer’s arms. “What is that?” I ask. “Probably nothing,” Spencer says dismissively. I look around and spot a young boy–maybe seven or eight–curled up in front of a small cabin. “There’s a child over there!” I exclaim, shocked. “Put me down.”“Ivy, please don’t–” Spencer begins. “Put me down!” I repeat frantically. With a
Ivy's POVA few days after the battle, after we’ve all packed up the camp, Spencer and I make our return to the Lycan palace along with the rest of the warriors. The car containing me, Spencer, the boy from the enemy pack–whose name, we’ve learn, is Jason–and Gamma Everly pulls up to the palace. I breathe out a sigh of relief upon seeing the familiar array of towers and arches and lush gardens, realizing that after all this time, the palace finally feels like home. Spencer wraps his arm around me tightly, pressing a gentle kiss to my cheek. “We’re here,” he says with a soft smile.Gamma Everly opens the car door before a maid can open it for us. “I’ll be going to the Lycan hospital with the rest of the warriors for treatment and checkups,” she says. Now that she’s changed out of her armour, I can see the great many wounds stretching across her skin–she’s in desperate need of medical attention. “If you’d join us, Prince Spencer?”Spencer shakes his head. “I must report the status of
Ivy's POVJust as I’m about to tell the queen what happened, Princess Sylvia suddenly runs down the hall towards us.I can see several bandages and stitched-up wounds across her skin, along with bruises, scraps, and minor cuts. She’s dressed in a simple, elegant slip–no doubt it would be too much strain to dress her in the usual elaborate royal attire. Her skin still looks unnaturally pale, and she’s moving with something of a limp.But Princess Sylvia is alive, and I’m grateful for that. “Wait!” She exclaims, doubling over and panting. She rests her hands on her knees. “I told you, Mother, you’ve got it wrong!”“Sylvia, be careful! Your injuries!” The Lycan Queen gasps, helping her stand up straight. There’s a motherly concern in her eyes as she looks her daughter over, but when her gaze returns to me, any warmth that was there quickly freezes away. Princess Sylvia waves her off. “Ivy didn’t do anything to hurt me. It was the rebels who have been trying to take down the Lycan Royal
Ivy's POVI struggle and thrash as the warriors drag me to the dungeon, but they’re holding me so tightly I can feel them starting to bruise my skin. It’s no use. Even at full strength, I’m still weak and wolfless. I’ll never be able to fend for myself again. One warrior holds my wrists together tightly while the other unlocks one of the cells. The sound of iron bars dragging along the stone floor makes me cringe, a terrible sound that scrapes at the inside of my skull. The moment the cell door is opened, the warrior holding me pushes me inside roughly. “You can’t do this–” I protest angrily, but the warriors slam the cell doors shut and leave. I huff, grabbing the bars of the cell and rattling them in frustration. It’s not fair. I’m the Lycan Crown Prince’s mate–one would assume that would grant me at least an ounce of respect in this palace, but I’m still being hauled around like trash. “So you’re a traitor now, too?”I whirl around, surprised to see Alpha Leo leaning against t
Spencer's POV“Elder Jet!”My roar cuts across the battlefield like a hurricane. I don’t even realize that I’m doing it, but my Lycan Aura rolls off of me in droves, sending every single werewolf except for Elder Jet to their knees. I narrow my eyes at him. Elder Jet remains standing, smiling smugly. A ripple of unease shoots through me. He should be on his knees by now, unable to resist the power of my Lycan Aura, but it doesn’t seem to be working on him. I set my jaw and march towards him. There’s iron in my posture and ice in my veins. I don’t care what sort of blasphemous witch’s magic Elder Jet is using to fortify him—the rest of his forces are now out of commission, and in a fight between him and I, I’d be the obvious winner. “Where’s Ivy?” I snarl at Elder Jet. Elder Jet lets out a wicked chuckle. “Oh, she’s not far,” he replies. “But if you want to see her alive ever again, you’ll kindly refrain from killing me.”The anger washes over me in a sudden, white-hot burst. It ta
Spencer's POVAs we enter what will hopefully be the final stretches of combat, my search for Ivy only becomes more desperate. There are only so many places to look–all the buildings in the barracks have been thoroughly sealed off, and I trust Wilson to have inspected each and every one of them carefully. If Ivy was stashed away in any of them, Wilson would have found her by now. The watchtower, as far as I know, is still under our influence. All that’s left now is the training area, the wide grassy sprawl with bleachers all around the perimeter. It’s a flat, open expanse, and by now I think I’ve searched the whole thing over at least three times. Still, I continue to walk around restlessly, I’m scanning eagerly for Ivy with every step. Now that the stress of the battle has simmered to a background concern, she’s consumed me once again. I need her. Like oxygen, like food, like water.She’s a fundamental and visceral need. But as I’m once again looking over the grassy expanse, the
Spencer's POV“Attack from behind!” My command ripples sharply through my troops. Before Elder jet’s forces even get the chance to pull away from the reserve forces and focus their attention where it’s really needed, The rest of the world slips away as I launch myself into the mass of rebel werewolves. My claws slash wildly, finding purchase in every direction. The thick smell of blood is quick to overtake the air as the battle begins in full force. Of course, as I push through the battlefield, I’m trying to take out as many of the rogue werewolves as possible. But beneath it all, there’s a single goal raging in my heart like a wildfire. I have to find Ivy. I don’t know what the odds are that Elder Jet or anyone else would have brought her here. But for all my trying, I can’t sense her. I can’t mind link her. Our mate bond, which was only ever strengthened by the Blood Oath Ceremony, has been guiding me on like a lighthouse ever since I met Ivy. To have it dimmed so suddenly has
Spencer's POVAs the entire Lycan Army begins to tiptoe through the forest, I’m convinced that almost every warrior among us is a spy. It’s not a rational series of fears, I know. But after everything that’s happened, it’s hard to abandon them. Every misstep a soldier makes, every stepped-upon branch or heavy-footed tread on dead leaves, every clank of armour upon armour–with every sound, I’m certain beyond logic that it’s just another attempt to clue our enemies into our location. ‘We’re almost back at the barracks,’ Gamma Everly tells me over the mind link, giving me a furtive glance. I raise an eyebrow and examine our surroundings. True to her word, she’s done an excellent job of taking us around the woods in a way that we normally wouldn’t go, so that any of the traitors in our midst wouldn’t be able to determine our final location. As I look over the treeline, however, I begin to recognize familiar dips and ridges, and a faint flickering torchlight just beyond our view. There
Spencer's POVJust as Gamma Everly are about to return to the troops to lead them onward, Wilson’s voice crackles through my mind. I freeze in place as his words echo through my head, an almost imperceptible tinge of panic to them. ‘Prince Spencer, Elder Jet’s forces are heading towards the barracks,’ Wilson warns. ‘They’re advancing rapidly. We’ve got the reserve forces stationed here, but he…’ For the first time in my life, I can hear a tremor in Wilson’s voice. ‘He’s bringing his entire army, and it’s massive.’ ‘We’ll be back soon, Wilson,’ I assure him quickly. ‘How far away is Elder Jet and the rest of them?’ ‘They’re still only visible from the watchtower, but I think they’ll be in our line of sight soon,’ Wilson replies. ‘We’re willing to do whatever it takes to defend the palace, but what if…’ ‘What if it’s not enough?’ ‘Exactly,’ Wilson says softly. I grab Gamma Everly’s arm. “We need to go back to the barracks now,” I hiss at her quietly. “Get everyone moving, but don’
Spencer's POV“Keep this to yourselves.” The words spring from my mouth like a gunshot as I look between all the warriors who’d followed me into this small segment of the woods. I fix each of them with a harsh, steely glare, sharp as a knife, until they all nod once. At this point, I have no idea who I can trust. It seems as though virtually everyone I’ve encountered by now has let me down. But the trembling of the three warriors is enough for me to believe that they won’t be able to do anything too bad for the time being. Before any of the warriors can question my order or ask any questions, I quickly turn on my heal and make my way out of the clearing without sparing the bodies so much as a second glance. This area isn’t important–I can tell by the blood tracks on the ground that the bodies were dragged here. This wasn’t where the warriors were slaughtered. I’m a bit worried by how easily they seem to have been slaughtered–the depths of their wounds points to quick, brutal kills
Spencer's POV“We need to return to the palace!” My thunderous command tears through the ranks of soldiers, and in mere instants, the entire army has begun marching all the way back in the direction of the palace. Gamma Everly and Alpha Leo bring up the head, but I linger near the back, frantically getting in touch with Wilson. ‘Are you at the palace?’ I ask him. His response is quick. ‘Sylvia and I are stationed at the front doors, Your Highness. We’ve also got all the guards ready to defend the palace as soon as it’s necessary.’‘Well done, Wilson,’ I say. ‘I’ve got another task at hand for you, though. The rogue werewolves have just attempted to lead the entire Lycan Army out into the middle of the woods–likely to leave the barracks, and thus an entrance to the palace, undefended. Fortunately we’ve still got reserve soldiers stationed there. I need you to head to the barracks, investigate the scene, and mobilize the reserve soldiers as needed. Can you do that?’ ‘Of course, Prin
Spencer's POV“Don’t trust him!”The words burst out of Alpha Leo’s mouth in a jumbled rush as he comes to a stop in front of Gamma Everly and I. He doubles over in exhaustion, hands resting on his knees. His breath comes in ragged, wheezing gasps, clearly plagued by trauma to his lungs. I can still see him suffering from the remnants of his injuries from earlier today—no doubt they’ve slowed him down considerably. I raise an eyebrow, studying Alpha Leo intently. “Don’t trust who?” I ask. “The—the centurion!” He gasps out. There’s a faint wheeze tugging at the edge of Alpha Leo’s breath. He stands up slowly, spine popping. “The man who… who told you to come here—he’s not who he said he is.”I breathe out a slow sigh. As much as I’d hoped Alpha Leo would have more positive news to bring, Alpha Leo’s words are only confirming what I’ve previously assumed, much to my disappointment. “How do you know this?” I ask. “I saw him emerge from the edge of the woods while I was at the watchto
Spencer's POVAs I lead my warriors boldly into the night, I feel more determined than I’ve ever felt before. I'm well accustomed to hatred. To loathing. To the sort of burning fury that aches like hot coals in the pit of my stomach, a relentless pain that consumes my every waking thought. Such anger is not unfamiliar to me. But the sheer volume of it I’m experiencing now, knowing that Elder Jet is out there somewhere holding Ivy hostage and hoping to topple the entire Lycian Kingdom in one fell swoop…A quick death would be too kind a fate for Elder Jet. I want to pick him apart slowly and excruciatingly. I want to feel his blood between my fingers and to hear every scream of agony. I want to invent new depths of suffering just for him. “Be ready, soldiers!” I say, keeping my voice hushed as I look back at my army. Gamma Everly and I are leading the troops onward. We move silently and swiftly, scanning the trees for any signs of threat. The trees are tall, branches stretching upw