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
Ivy's POVThe moment the challenge passes my lips, every warrior in the barracks falls deathly silent. They look towards Spencer as one, eyes all wide with fear. They’re not afraid of me, I know–I bet they’re terrified of what Spencer would do to them if they actually took me up on my offer. A strange calm comes over me at their stunned faces, a satisfaction at being able to do something none of them could have predicted. Slowly, steadily, voices thin and brittle with trepidation, the warriors begin to chatter again. They look up at me occasionally in shock and disbelief. The more the volume of the conversation rises, the more concerned Spencer looks, a deeply serious expression taking over his features. Even Gamma Everly and Sylvia look a bit unsure, their gazes fixed onto me as though trying to figure out what to do. I understand everyone’s concern–I really do–but I think a challenge is what I need. After all, how else is anyone going to take me seriously?In the code of honor