Ivy's POVI don’t understand why the maids hate me so much.I pace the floor of the room restlessly, frustrated tears pooling in my eyes. The dust covering the floor and hovering in the air makes my nose itch, making it a horrible place to pace in, but what else am I supposed to do? I’m trapped, completely and utterly. I haven’t done anything to any of the maids–they shouldn’t have any reason to despise me based on any of my actions. Is it because I’ve been labeled as an auction girl? Or maybe it’s because I don’t have a wolf? But all of that is based on rumors, and far from the actual truth. None of what’s happened to me has been my fault. I’m an Alpha’s daughter, and I once had a wolf–I only lost that connection because I was forced to drink wolfsbane. Maybe it’s because I’m so weak now that they all hate me so much? But I’ve never done anything to harm them. Or maybe it’s because of Spencer. He is, after all, incredibly charming. And handsome. I wouldn’t be surprised if every
Spencer's POVIvy is missing.I stare at the doorway of her room, which is wide-open and vacant. All the lights were off when I got here, bed still freshly made from this morning. There was a glass of water on her nightstand. Her pajamas were folded neatly under her pillow.Simply put, the bedroom is exactly as it was when we left for breakfast.And Ivy hasn’t returned.I pace back and forth frantically. I’d returned to the room to see her–I wanted to see her, but she’s nowhere to be found.Is she lost? It’s a big castle, sure, but there are plenty of staff here who’d be able to take her to her room. Even if Ivy had wandered outside to explore the grounds a bit, surely she’d have returned inside by now. It’s dark outside–it’s been dark for awhile now.Has she left the castle? No. There are guards everywhere, and they would have reported to me immediately if she had left.‘Beta Roger’ I quickly mind-link my Beta, ‘the girl I brought back from the auction is missing. Seal off the castl
Ivy's POVI’m on the run, and I need to move.Fast.Though my wolf is gone now, my senses are still sharp, and I can hear the voices of warriors in the distance shouting directions to one another. As I crouch in the grass, fear grips my heart in a tight fist.The voices are getting closer.And I have no idea where to go.I need to consider where Spencer thinks I am–whether he thinks I’m missing, or whether he knows I’m running away. The consequences of those two possibilities would be wildly different in terms of how he treats me. While Spencer has been good to me so far, I know that running away would most likely make him angry. He did buy me, after all–I’m under no delusions that he truly cares for me. Maybe I’m just some toy he picked up at the auction, something he can play with patiently for as long as I’m obedient. Maybe he gets off on spoiling me. But if it’s all under the condition that I play nice, I have no idea how he’d react to my escaping. I’m not following orders now.
Ivy's POV“How about you let me fuck you, and then I’ll let you go?”My mind races a mile a minute, formulating my plan.“Deal,” I reply breathily, looking up at the warrior through my lashes.He grins and pushes himself closer against me. I’m already pinned to the tree, and he’s only minimizing the distance between us–I can already feel much more than I want to, but I grit my teeth and bear it. I remember the combat techniques my father had taught me, his insistence that I learn how to fight. I pray silently to the Moon Goddess and my father for strength. I’m going to need all the help I can get. As the warrior’s rough hands start to caress my waist, I reach for a hard, thorny branch nearby. I wince uncomfortably as his fingers poke and prod into my sides, waiting for the moment when he’s the most distracted.He hums in contentment, grabbing me particularly roughly.Anger and indignation spark in the pit of this stomach.Who is this man to touch me like he owns me? I’ve had quite
Ivy's POVI stare helplessly at the lifeless body of the warrior, trembling from head to toe.He’s dead. He’s dead, because of me.Finally, with a great amount of difficulty, I force myself to tear my gaze away from the corpse. Looking at it won’t change anything. This is my situation, and it couldn’t be worse. Tears stream freely down my face as I look back at Spencer. What happens now? He found me. Does he know I tried to escape? Will he kill me for it? Or does his killing that warrior mean he thinks my disappearance was someone else’s fault?Spencer locks eyes with me, and something heavy clouds my expression. I feel like I’m destined to fail.“You ran away,” Spencer states confidently.A chill runs down my spine. How does he know?Now, the Lycan Prince will surely kill me as ruthlessly as he killed that warrior.“The maid lured you to the punishment room. You managed to escape, but you didn’t come to find me,” he calmly states, slowly approaching me. With each accurate statement
Ivy's POV“The forest is full of danger, but my warriors can move through it easily and cover every inch of the grounds.” Spencer’s voice is casual and relaxed, as though we’re discussing the weather, but his eyes lock on me with a warning glint. “So, naturally, you have no chance of escape.”Ice cold fear floods me. My heart starts to pound as I nod quickly. So long as Prince Spencer doesn’t kill me, I can afford to be more or less compliant. No–completely compliant. After all, I have more important things to do than incur his wrath.While I’m still lost in thought, Spencer suddenly scoops me up into his arms. I gasp and let out a small shriek, wrapping my arms instinctively around his neck and clinging to him to keep from falling. He starts to walk back down the path he came from, and my last hopes of escape slip away as I realize he’s carrying me back to the castle. “I can walk back on my own,” I whisper to him. “Your ankle is sprained.” Spencer dismisses me with that same infur
Ivy's POVThe moment I hear the word ‘punishment,’ alarm bells go off in my mind. Cold fear grips my heart. Right away, I try to explain myself. “I didn’t mean to offend–”“Didn’t mean to offend?” A hint of a smile plays on Prince Spencer’s lips, a mischievous look that makes my heart pound in sudden excitement. Is he mad at me?If he’s mad, he’s certainly not letting on. In fact, if I didn’t know better, I’d think he’s every bit as excited as I am. His hand starts to move slowly from my ankle up to my calf, and all of a sudden, it’s the only thing I can focus on. His questioning continues. “Your foot ends up on the Lycan Prince’s chest, and you’re denying that it’s intentional?”“I… I… I’m really sorry, but–I truly didn’t mean to!” I stammer out nervously. I know, on some level, that I’m in trouble.But Spencer’s wandering hand makes it hard to think about anything else. His hand, rough and calloused from years of training, grazes my soft skin as light as a feather. I bite back
Ivy's POVWhen I feel his fingers enter me, I reach instinctively for Spencer’s white shirt and clutch it desperately, my body tensing up. I pull him as close against me as I can and take comfort in the feeling of his heart pounding in his chest. My heart is racing, too. My legs start to shake as he fingers me relentlessly, every deft curl of his fingers causing a new wave of pleasure more powerful than the last. I bury my face in the crook of his neck as I let out one soft, uncontrollable moan after the other. I’ve given up on trying to be quiet. He makes me feel too good for that. As his fingers move rhythmically in and out of me, a brutally fast pace that leaves me with quivering thighs and ragged breaths, I can feel damp wetness trickling into the cushion beneath me.Some part of me is worried about making a mess, but mostly it occurs to me how easily Spencer was able to slip his fingers into me–how ready I was for him. I’ve never been this wet in my life. Every part of me wants
Spencer’s POV“Alpha Fierro, I need you to focus up.” The words are harsh as they leave my mouth, but I’m not trying to be malicious, although it’s true that things desperately need to get moving. The longer I spend in the Sunclash pack, the more on edge I feel. Every wall in sight feels like it’s closing in on me, and I can feel the sickness permeating the air. There’s a heaviness to this place now, an endless sense of dread. I have a feeling that this ground will carry the weight of all its deaths for a long, long time. “Scour the office for anything that seems out of place,” I say. “If your Beta was in charge of the pack in your absence, it’s likely that he was the one putting any preventative measures into place. He may have tried to find a cure–hopefully there are signs somewhere around here.” I look down at the man’s corpse, the papers clutched in his fist and the expression of profound horror on his face. “I read his reports. He seems to have been a confident, driven man. I’
Spencer’s POV‘I think a considerable number of people managed to leave, contaminated or not.’ The longer Beta Wilson’s words echo through my mind, the more I begin to realize the scale of the potential disaster we might have on our hands. Where would any contaminated werewolves go? To the surrounding packs, most likely, and from there, the plague could spread from pack to pack to pack endlessly, ultimately becoming a worldwide pandemic…I whirl around to look at Alpha Fierro. “What was your relationship with other packs like?” I ask him urgently. “If any of your pack members were to turn up there looking for help, would they receive it?” “Probably, yeah,” Alpha Fierro says. “We tended to keep things as peaceful as possible. Unless there was very clearly something wrong going on, no one would have any reason to turn any of our members away.” I curse silently under my breath. “Keep heading towards the pack house,” I tell Alpha Fierro, already starting to walk away from him and back
Spencer’s POVMost of my skin has already been covered by my day clothes, but in the few places I’m not, I can feel the hazmat suit’s crinkly plastic resting against me uncomfortably. I shudder as the plastic continues to shift. It clings uncomfortably to my skin and is far from stealthy, causing a loud rumpling sound to ring out with every step. I’d hoped that we could carry out this surveillance with at least the slightest bit of stealth and decorum, but as the entire haphazard team of us begins to make our way into the Sunclash pack, it becomes more and more evident that that’s just not going to happen. Through the suit’s bulbous plastic dome, I make eye contact with Doctor Danbury, clearly far from amused. She purses her lips, and I can see my own frustration mirrored on her face as we continue to lug equipment around. “I know,” she says, coming up to walk beside me. “Believe me, I hate the suits too. Easily one of my least favourite parts of this job. But whatever wiped this p
Spencer’s POVAs we all sit in the back of a sleek, high-speed limo, I can’t help but feel thick tendrils of dread curling throughout my stomach. Every second I spend away from Ivy feels like I could be missing her final moments, and the fear over what could happen to her is making me sick. “The hazmat suits will be uncomfortable,” Doctor Danbury warns, holding up a hideous yellow baggy bodysuit. The plastic crinkles under her touch. “And the tanks on the back are going to poke weirdly. It’s no fun to wear, I know. But we still don’t quite know the extent of the toxicity of the environment we’re about to enter, so right now, safety is of the utmost importance. It’s possible that we’ll be able to take the suits off once I’ve run a couple tests and deemed the area safe, but I have no idea yet.” “Whatever it is, it seems to be highly contagious,” Alpha Fierro says somberly. Doctor Danbury nods. “The last thing we want to do is bring an uncontained plague back to the Lycan Kingdom, so
Spencer’s POVJust as Beta Wilson and Alpha Fierro make their way out of my office, I see Alpha Leo slip through the doorway. He looks much better than he did the last time I saw him–there are still the occasional cuts and bruises marring his skin, a couple ridged scars in the process of forming, but Alpha Leo seems to be walking without much pain. His posture is straight and his gaze is keen. He looks at me tentatively as he approaches my desk, and I can tell he’s just the slightest bit on edge. “Your Highness,” he says uncertainly. “Alpha Leo,” I reply. “Um, what can I do for you?” Alpha Leo asks nervously. I shuffle a stack of papers on the desk together. “As I’m sure you know, we’ve suffered considerable gaps in our staff,” I begin. “Specifically in our military and guard positions. One of the most notable absences is Captain McAndrews, as I’m sure you remember quite well.” Alpha Leo blanches. “Right,” he mutters. “The work you did during Elder Jet’s invasion was exceptiona
Spencer’s POV“The Lycan Kingdom will come to your aid at once.” Clearly, the ease with which I offer my support comes as something of a shock to Alpha Fierro. His eyes widen, and his face breaks into an expression of gratitude. His posture already seems straighter, like a great weight has been lifted from his shoulders. “Really?” Alpha Fierro breathes out. “Thank you, Your Majesty. Truly, I’d nearly given up hope on receiving any sort of aid at all–I’d almost started believing the rumours…” My eyes narrow. “The rumours?” I repeat coldly.” Alpha Fierro blanches. “Well, I–of course, I never really believed them. But I’m sure it hasn’t escaped your vast reach of influence that some werewolves have been saying things about the Lycan Royal Family that have been rather… out of line. Ever since Elder Jet and his rebellion, things have been different. But I–that’s not important! What I’m trying to say to you right now is thank you, Your Majesty. From the bottom of my heart.” I remain si
Spencer’s POV“Tell me everything you know about this plague.” The command is sharp and electric, crackling with urgency. At Alpha Fierro’s mention of this strange plague taking lives–not to mention its unfortunate coinciding with the Blood Moon–I can’t help but feel nauseous thinking about what could happen to Ivy. There’s been no confirmation that she’s sick with any sort of plague, of course, and there haven’t been any reported cases of illness from those who have come into contact with her so far. But all of that could change at any given moment, and when it comes to Ivy’s life–or the lives of anyone in my kingdom, for that matter–I have no intention of taking it lightly. Alpha Fierro hesitates for a moment. “I’ve been having my Beta send me reports tracking the symptoms he’s seen from some of the infected pack members we’ve got under observation,” he says. “But my Beta is–well.” He stops speaking abruptly, gaze momentarily taken over by sadness. “He’s deteriorating rapidly, to
Spencer’s POVAs I tear my way through the hospital and back towards the place, a million thoughts are racing through my mind. “Where’s he been staying since I turned him away?” I ask Beta Wilson, moving as quickly as I can. The day of my wedding, he’d somehow managed to fistfight his way past all my staff and slip past the wedding chaos to my penthouse. He’d knocked on my door like a madman before pleading with me to take his meeting–the only reason I even did was because I hold a fair amount of respect for the Sunclash pack. But the man had been blabbering on and on about some sort of curse rained down from hell that had overtaken his punishment, and he’d seemed all but mad, and I’d had a million other things on my mind since. “He’s been staying in a hotel within the kingdom for the past week,” Beta Wilson replies. “I’ve done my best to reach out to him over the past couple days, but he’s remained adamant that he only wanted to speak with you. At first I thought it best not to le
Spencer’s POV“No matter what happens to me, swear you’ll always take care of Tala.” Something in the solemnity of Ivy’s words jolts me right back to reality. Immediately, I realize just how unstable I’m acting–threatening the very doctors and nurses who are trying to save Ivy couldn’t be a more impractical use of my time, and it’s certainly not the kind of support Ivy needs right now. What’s happening to her would be terrifying enough even without all the uncertainty–my own overreaction certainly isn’t something she needs to be worrying about right now. Above all else, she needs to know I’m there for her. “Oh, Ivy, of course I’ll always take care of Tala,” I tell her gently. “You don’t need to worry about that at all. She’s my daughter, and I love her. I swear I’ll do everything in my power to make sure she never has a care in the world. Jason, too–I want him to be my son as well. I know I haven’t always been as reliable as you’ve needed me to be in the past, but I’ll always be he