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
Ivy's POVThe moment Spencer gives the green light for the warriors to challenge me, they start stepping up to the challenge.I raise an eyebrow as masses of them clamor forward, shoving each other out of the way like petulant children about to fight for the last slice of birthday cake. I catch Gamma Everly’s eye, and she seems almost as caught off-guard by it as I am. It takes all my concentration just to stop myself from bursting into laughter. Suddenly, a massively-built warrior steps to the front of the crowd, and all the warriors immediately fall back into place. “I’ll take the challenge!” The warrior roars. The rest of the warriors fall silent. As I look the warrior over, I suddenly feel a spark of recognition. This man is Warrior Garrett. I met him on the way back from the enemy pack’s territory. I’ve heard of him before–both Gamma Everly and Spencer himself have spoken quite highly about him. And judging by the surprised looks on everyone’s face, I have a feeling this sol
Spencer's POV“How did Ivy get kidnapped by our enemies yet again?”I glower down at my mother as she places her hands across the desk, looking up at me with a smug, expectant gaze. “They used a sedative,” I say eventually. “But now that we know it’s a weapon they have at their disposal, we’re ready for it. And they didn’t even take Ivy from the palace! We were off royal grounds when they–”“This isn’t the first time Ivy has been taken,” my mother cuts in abruptly. “And it certainly won’t be the last. Please, Spencer, I need you to face the facts. As long as everyone knows how much you love Ivy, she’ll always be a target.”I purse my lips. I want to refute, to say all the ways I could protect Ivy, but something is different this time. Because this time, she was taken from right underneath my nose. I should have been there–I was nearby, I could have protected her, but I was off swimming and I wasn’t there and she nearly died because I wasn’t good enough–And if I can’t protect her…F
Ivy's POVAs soon as I’ve finished up going over a training schedule with Gamma Everly, I rush straight to the hospital.As I walk, my mind is flooded with worries. As far as I know, Delilah is okay. But what if things take a turn for the worst? She’s been asleep for a good couple days now, and with the way my life has been going, things have a tendency to unravel in the worst possible ways. I’ve lost so many people, seen so many people hurt–At any given moment, I’m agonizing over the worst possible scenario. I guess this is my life now. When I walk into Delilah’s hospital room, though, I’m more than relieved to see Delilah awake and chatting away with her father. “Ivy!” Delilah squeals the moment she sees me. She tries to lean forward, but quickly winces in pain, needles tugging underneath her skin. “You stay there!” I say quickly, rushing towards her and wrapping my arms around her gingerly, doing my best to avoid her wounds. “Moon Goddess, Delilah, I’m so glad you’re alright.
Ivy's POVToday is the first day of training, and I couldn’t be more excited. I arrive at the training grounds early, feeling like I’m about to explode with anticipation. I’m dressed in athletic wear, hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. The scars on my arms and back are more exposed than I usually let them be, but that’s okay, because now the scars don’t belong to a scared girl struggling to survive.They belong to a warrior-in-training who’s lived through some of the worst things a person could go through. When Gamma Everly sees me, she gives me a brisk nod. “Glad you’re early. You ready to get started? Sylvia should be here soon.” I beam, rocking back on my heels and eyeing the entrance to the training grounds excitedly. Soon enough, Sylvia shows up, dressed the same as I am and ready to get started. I can see the scars on her body, too, and I hate how similar they are to my own. “You both set?” Gamma Everly asks as soon as Sylvia sets her things down. I tilt my head. “I t
Ivy's POVIn the following days, I find myself settling into something of a routine. Every day, Sylvia and I spar under Gamma Everly’s supervision. I wouldn’t say either of us are exactly good, yet, but every day we’re better than we were the day before. So it’s a start. I leave every training session sore in new places, body marred with bruises and cut skin, but I’m becoming used to the sweeter rush of pain. I can feel callouses building on my palms–nowhere near as significant as Spencer’s, but they’re forming. I’m becoming familiar with the beats of combat-how to throw a perfect, heavy punch, how to shift my weight so I can step gracefully or hold my stance firm and unshakeable. I’m learning how to take a hit and keep on swinging–when to tank an attack or when to dodge. I don’t quite feel safe, not yet, but I definitely feel like if I was attacked again I’d have a better idea of what to do. And that sense of certainty is what I’m after. I can tell Sylvia feels it too. After e
Ivy's POVSpencer moans ever so slightly as I straddle his lap, and I can feel his body tense up just a bit. I grin devilishly, certain he’s reacting to me. His gaze rakes along my body hungrily, moving from my chest to my lips to my eyes. I continue to boldly tug Spencer’s tie, my fingers working their way along the fabric until they’re right at the base of his throat. His heartbeat races, a steady thrum through his jugular. Our bodies are pressed flush together, and I can feel his chest heaving against mine as he looks me up and down. That familiar heat grows in the pit of my stomach, and I can feel my heart start to race in anticipation. Just as I lean forward, ready to press my lips against Spencer’s, he draws in a deep breath and pulls his gaze away from me abruptly. He shifts his gaze towards the window instead, expression distant. I can sense his withdrawal, and the sharp sting of rejection hits me right in the stomach, a bitter pang of disappointment. Did I do something w
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’