Ivy's POVBefore anyone can answer Delilah’s question, Beta Wilson emerges from the treeline, looking crestfallen. The moment Sylvia sees him, she shakes her head, looking away from him pointedly. She folds her arms across her chest in a clear refusal to acknowledge Beta Wilson at all. “I’m afraid I’m not in the mood for any more games,” she says primly. Delilah tilts her head in confusion. “But we haven’t played any games yet…?”She trails off, waiting for someone to elaborate, but no one seems to have it in them to explain what’s happened. “I’m afraid I won’t be joining, either,” Beta Wilson says, glancing over at Sylvia with obvious heartbreak on his face. “Oh,” Delilah says, clearly disappointed. Seeing her upset expression, my heart twinges. We put this whole day together to help her feel better about everything–it’s not Delilah’s fault that Sylvia and Beta Wilson’s drama has seeped into everything.I’m still a bit worried about Sylvia, and I want to talk to her at some poi
Ivy's POVLooking down at Sylvia and Beta Wilson’s unconscious bodies, resolve builds in the pit of my stomach. I can’t let them get hurt. “You’ll have to catch me first!” I shout, turning away from them. “Fat, stupid, ugly wolves that you are–”I take off in the other direction, hoping my taunts landed enough to draw them away from Sylvia and Beta Wilson. I start to sprint furiously through the woods, wind tangling my hair and branches snagging my dress. The thin sandals I’m wearing are hardly ideal for such a strain, and I can already feel my feet starting to hurt. I can hear the werewolves running behind me, snapping twigs and leaves on their fur. Their enraged howls fill the air as they pursue me with snapping teeth and razor-sharp claws. They’re closing the distance fast. I can feel them at my heels. Too soon, my lungs start to burn, and my legs ache. As the adrenaline pumps through my veins, the forest landscape a blur around me, I start to weigh my options. They’re much fa
Ivy's POVThe two wolves close in on me from either side, moving faster than before. My heart thuds in my chest like a marching band’s drum. I spin in quick circles, looking in either direction, but there’s no escape.They’re too close for me to run, and I don’t have my weapon anymore. Still, I raise my fists, kicking the wolves back as they circle me and snap their jaws. My right foot connects with the muzzle of one of the wolves, and I feel a burst of satisfaction as he recoils. “Ha!” I grin in elation. “Take that!”Just as I try to run past him, though, I feel an excruciating pain in my left forearm. I let out a scream, whirling around to see the other wolf pulling his bloody mouth away from my muzzle. Arcs of pain lance up and down the limb, and I cradle my arm against my chest, lookin down in horror at the puncture wounds oozing blood freely. As I press my palm against the wounds, trying to staunch the flow of blood, I suddenly feel a wolf’s jaws clamp around my waist–not wi
Ivy's POVThe sounds of battle filter into the wood cabin’s thin walls with astounding clarity. What I can hear makes me wince–cut flesh, snapping teeth, torn-out fur. Wolf’s feet padding along the round frantically. Bodies tossed into the trees. Every sound is familiar and distinct to me, and I hate how well I’ve come to recognize all the different sounds of violence. I listen intently, fixated on anything that’ll break the monotony that I’ve been forced through. I can’t see anything in the cabin’s darkness, but my mind can conjure a million different terrible images. What’s happening out there? Does it involve me?Am I finally going to get out of here?As I continue my theorizing, a girl’s anguished cry suddenly cuts through the air. The voice sounds familiar. As soon as I figure out whose voice it is, my heart plummets. It’s Delilah. “Delilah? Is that you?” I scream out desperately. “It’s me, Ivy, I’ve been taken hostage and I’m stuck in this cabin!” But there’s no answer–ju
Ivy's POVAs blood continues to drip from the gaping wound in Delilah’s stomach, I have to hold her up for us to be able to leave the cabin. We lean against its rough wooden boards. I scan my surroundings intently, frowning as I look out over the bare grass clearing. “Where are the warriors you fought?” I ask Delilah. I know I heard the sounds of combat, and flecks of blood and tufts of torn fur littler the ground. But the warriors themselves are gone–there’s no sign of them. “Delilah?” I say, nudging her shoulder gently. “Mmmmmm…” she groans, face ashy. She looks ghastly. “It hurts.” I rub her shoulder soothingly, brow creased with worry. “I know it hurts. I’m so sorry. I’m sure help will be here soon, though.”She did say everyone has gone out looking–I’m sure someone knows where she went. Spencer and Beta Wilson wouldn’t leave Delilah alone to figure out how to rescue me.I press my hand against Delilah’s forehead as she slumps against my shoulder. Her skin is the right tempe
Ivy's POVI want to join the warriors’ training. At the sound of my bold declaration, loud laughter immediately erupts among the warriors, making my face flush angrily. I fold my arms across my chest and glare them down, but at the sight of my frustration, their laughter only grows loudly. Spencer clears his throat, and the laughter stops at once.I want to be able to command that sort of respect. “Ivy,” he begins gently, “I can see why you’d want to get your strength up, but unfortunately, I don’t think warrior training is the route for you. For starters, without a wolf, you lack the basic conditions for training. Plus, all the Lycan Royal Family’s warriors are men. Our training is intense, and–please don’t take this personally–you won’t be able to keep up.”I take a long look around the barracks. There’s training equipment as far as I can see. Along with basic combat equipment–swordifghting dummies, archery targets, climbing courses and ranges–there’s also much of the equipment y
Ivy's POV“Return to your ranks!”At the sound of Gamma Everly’s stark command, everyone’s shock is quickly buried. All the patrolling warriors nod once before swiftly arranging into their legions. She walks up and down the rows of warriors, inspecting each one. “As if any of you would be able to understand who can and can’t choose to fight,” Gamma Everly scoffs. “I’m a she-wolf too, and I could fight every man here at once without faltering. I’m not just the strongest she-wolf here, I’m the strongest wolf here. Are you going to stand here and tell me I couldn’t make just as fine a warrior out of the mate of Prince Spencer himself? An Alpha’s daughter who’s made it off multiple battlefields unscathed? Who are you to tell anyone what they should do?” Gamma Everly’s words ring across the barracks, easily filling the space, and the warriors all avert their gaze. It’s clear how much they respect her–her voice carries real weight. A spark of gratitude fills my heart as I look over at Gam
Ivy's POVAt the sight of Sylvia, Gamma Everly nods in approval, a slight smile on her face.I wonder how long she’s waited for something like this–the opportunity to speak about what it’s like being a she-wolf and a warrior. To try and subvert the expectations forced upon her. I don’t know how long Gamma Everly has held her position for, but judging by how much her warriors respect her, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s been at this for a while. She has all the poise, grace, and confidence of a truly seasoned warrior. How many years has she spent all alone in this? “Honestly, at this point, it’d be just plain foolish to not let she-wolves train,” Sylvia says bluntly. “I mean, I’ve had to encounter loads of enemies out in the world before.” She grabs the neckline of her shirt and pulls it down to her collarbones, revealing a horror show of scar tissue. “And this is what it did to me.” She pauses for a moment, allowing her words to settle over the crowd before continuing. “I didn’t h
Spencer's POVAs I throw the lifeless body of yet another transformed soldier off of me, I can feel myself trying to formulate a plan. I try to remember what I can about the effects of these potions. The strength, the size, the bloodlust—all of this is familiar. But there was another side effect to the potions, as well. Something that Elder Jet never wanted us to know about. The potions will inevitably drive those who have taken them mad. I disentangle myself from my latest round of combat and quickly mind link Gamma Everly. ‘We need to wait them out,’ I tell her. ‘They’ll start to slip eventually! We just need to make it until then.’‘Look around, Your Highness,’ Gamma Everly warns. ‘They’re tearing through our forces like it’s nothing. Do you really think they can stall? We’ve been through a lot.’‘We’ll just have to do the best I can, then,’ I reply, looking around restlessly. Gamma Everly’s voice leaves my mind, but she rejoins the link a moment later. ‘Do you remember Ivy an
Spencer's POVAs the painful ringing slowly begins to fade away from my ears, all around me, Elder Jet’s werewolf rebels are starting to shift. I look around uncertainly, doing my best to keep my bearings despite my extreme disorientation. I thought I’d seen the worst of these transformations before, the first time I’d encountered Elder Jet’s blasphemous witches brews. But as it turns out, what I’d seen then is nothing compared to what I’m seeing now. Before, all I’d seen was the twisting of skin, the subtle shifting of muscle and bone. It was unnatural, but seemed confined to the realm of reality, at least. Now, though, as I gaze upon the rebels’ hideously contorted bodies, the transformation is even more disturbing to bear witness to. It’s as though their bodies are exploding from the inside out. The sound of bones crunching fills the air, and I can actually see bone and muscle sliding along the surface, pulling the skin taut in places. They look like the exaggerated villains fro
Spencer's POV“You don’t have any ground to stand on, Your Highness.”Elder Jet spits out the words Your Highness, sneering as they pass his lips. He looks around at his forces, the assembled rebel werewolves, and seems proud of the group he’s created. I look around at them, too. What I see makes my heart sink. None of the rebels look particularly convinced by anything Alpha Leo is saying. In fact, as his words wash over him, their expressions contort and twist into anger. I can see it on their faces—they no longer think he’s one of them. They’ve seen him switch sides, and rather than follow in his footsteps, they're prepared to resent him for it. ‘Stand down,’ I tell Alpha Leo. ‘I’ll handle it from here.’‘They’ll be killed!’ Alpha Leo protests. He doesn’t look at me, but I can see the pain in his eyes. I feel for him. They’re his people, and he’s the one who sent them into Elder Jet’s arms. Alpha Leo let them get led astray, and now they’ll have to pay for it with their lives. I
Spencer's POV“You’re the traitor, Elder Jet.” Alpha Leo is staring Elder Jet down with a vicious, furious glare. There’s betrayal in his eyes, too, and I realize just how painful this must be for him. I remember what I know about him. That his father died when he was quite young. That Elder Jet took him in, stepped up. Elder Jet became his father, in a sense. Alpha Leo has quite possibly been more poisoned than anyone else. And he was able to break out of it. It must feel like the world is crashing down around him. I can’t sympathize, but it’s always good to pay attention to the emotional state of those closest to me. To cue into their patterns and behaviours. To be able to tell if they’re going to snap. Alpha Leo curls his hands into tight fists as his gaze remains locked on Elder Jet like a fuse. His mouth opens and closes several times, and just as I’m about to step in and pull him away from Elder Jet myself, he finally begins to speak. “I recognize quite a lot of you,” Al
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’