Ivy's POVThe werewolf that had attacked me collapses onto the road with a thud. He lets out a weak whimper, blood pooling from the wound just below his jaw, before the light fades from his eyes and his expression becomes glassy. My breathing becomes shallow. I’ve seen so much death now, but even still, it rattles it. As I slowly recover from the panic of being attacked, I suddenly realize I have something new to worry about–or rather, someone. I clamor to my feet quickly, taking a few steps back as I stare in shock at the young man in front of me. His hair is long and black, tied back loosely. He’s tall and lean and dressed in an all-black tracksuit that would look strange and pretentious on anyone else, but somehow it makes him look casual, yet sharp. His pale blue eyes glint with mirth. I can see the evidence of his brief battle on him–the tracksuit has a couple torn patches, and there’s a shallow claw wound along his forearm. His handsome face is smudged with a few droplets of
Ivy's POVColin? The mysterious stranger is Prince Colin? I look up at the man in shock. Now that I know who he is, I can see a clear resemblance between Spencer and Colin–something in the corners of their eyes, in the slopes of their noses, in their chiseled, pronounced cheekbones. But where Spencer is broad and muscular, a walking testament to pure physical strength, Prince Colin is lean and angular. There seems to be something almost slippery about him–a wiry, cunning air. I wince as Spencer delivers the fourth punch. On the ground, Prince Colin groans in pain. For as long as I’ve been hearing about the Lycan Royal Family, I’ve known that Spencer has a younger brother at the werewolf military academy. But out of all the ways I could have met him, I never thought I’d meet him like this. And Spencer and Colin don’t exactly seem to get along. As Prince Colin spits a mouthful of blood onto the ground, Spencer prepares for a fifth punch, but quickly decides against it. Instead, he
Ivy's POVAt Princess Sylvia’s question, Jason glances up at me nervously, clearly in search of reassurance. I suppress a smile at his endearing anxiety and give him an encouraging look and a thumbs-up. He looks less apprehensive meeting new people now, at least. That’s a good sign. It’ll be hard to undo some of the damage the warriors have done, but Jason seems strong. I’m sure he’ll be able to bounce back well. Jason nods up at Sylvia nervously, gaze shifting back and forth. I wouldn’t usually think of Sylvia as the warmest person, but to my pleasant surprise, she offers Jason a warm smile. “Well, nice to meet you, Jason. My name is Sylvia.”She extends her hand towards him, an open invitation to shake, but Jason just stares at her palm uncertainly. Sylvia brushes past it easily, grin widening. “I’m Spencer’s sister,” she continues. “So, if you’d like, you can call me your aunt.” “Aunt Sylvia,” Jason whispers, as though getting a feel for the shape of the woods. Everyone at
Ivy's POVThe next day, as I spar with Sylvia out on the training field, I can hardly focus. I’m still haunted by what happened with the werewolf assassin. As I dodge and swerve around Sylvia’s attempted strikes, I can still see the assassin’s figure superimposed over hers, haunting me. I cna’t stop replaying our fight in my mind. As she steps, he steps. As she dodges, he dodges. As she swings, he swings. I can feel my heart rate going up, panic settling into my chest. Once again, I was ambushed. Once again, I almost died. Once again, the only reason I’m alive is because someone else was able to rescue me. It’s different this time, too, because I’m in training. I’ve been learning how to fight. I’m supposed to have gotten better. But in the end, it didn’t matter. He could’ve killed me all the same. And what about the man who rescued me? I aim a halfhearted strike towards Sylvia, but she dodges easily. I can’t stop thinking about the animosity between Spencer and Prince Colin. I’
Ivy's POV“When Colin was younger, he absolutely idolized Spencer.” Sylvia draws in a deep breath as she starts to explain her immediate family’s history, expression tinged with regret and a bit of nostalgia as she remembers time past. “He’d follow him around constantly,” Sylvia adds with a light laugh. “But Spencer–well, you know how he can be. All cold, and detached, and distant, and… I mean, I don’t need to mince words. You know him. He can be an asshole.” “He really can be,” I agree, thinking back to how things have been over the past couple days. Sylvia’s smile wavers. “You’ve heard about how my parents have seen Spencer, right? They’ve always treated him like… well, not a monster, exactly. But different from everyone else. I don’t know if Spencer was already emotionless, but if he wasn’t to begin with, he definitely ended up that way thanks to their treatment. And after he showed early signs of being a skilled fighter, it was over for him.” I listen to Sylvia’s words in st
Ivy's POVI’m surprised and a little nervous at Prince Colin’s unexpected arrival, but Sylvia and Everly don’t seem to react at all. Sylvia rushes towards him with a wide smile. “Colin!” She exclaims happily, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into a tight hug. “Moon Goddess, it’s been too long. What are you doing here?” As I watch the two siblings embrace, I realize that I’ve never seen Spencer and Sylvia act particularly affectionate before one another. They seem more like acquaintances or work colleagues than relatives. I’d assumed before that royal siblings weren’t particularly close, but I guess the problem has just been Spencer. I also feel a slight tinge of worry. If Sylvia truly believes that Colin wants to challenge Spencer for the throne–a fight that would no doubt be to the death, or to something even worse–where do her alliances lie? Which brother would she stay true to? Sylvia seems genuinely close to me. I’d like to think we’re friends. But she doesn’t seem
Ivy's POVPrince Colin looks me up and down, a heavy sort of glare that takes over my body. I squirm under his glance, feeling strangely uncomfortable as I’m observed–as though I’m being examined. It’s not the slimy sort of stare that I’ve incurred from men before. That’s not what Prince Colin is doing. He’s sizing me up for combat. I can feel myself start to buzz with anticipation. Prince Colin smirks as he meets my gaze. “Just to be fair, I won’t shift.” “Sounds good,” I agree. I take a few steps back from him, assuming the starting position Sylvia and I usually begin with. “Um, when should I…?” “Whenever you’re ready,” Prince Colin replies. I narrow my eyes, looking the young prince up and down. He hasn’t taken any sort of fighting stance–he looks relaxed, posture slightly slouched, arms crossed lazily over his chest. But he has the same sort of latent strength that Spencer says. I can recognize it in how he carries himself. Prince Colin is dangerous–he just doesn’t let it
Ivy's POV“Spencer, please, it’s not what it looks like–”Before I’m able to even finish getting the sentence out, though, Prince Colin shoves me away from his body and does his best to dodge Spencer’s vicious punch. Spencer’s hit still skims the side of his face, though, and as Prince Colin tries to duck aside, a massive red welt rises up on his left cheek. “Spencer!” I shout again, my voice feeling ragged and hoarse. “Spencer, just listen to me, please–” Spencer doesn’t even seem to hear me. He seems completely, utterly blinded by rage, an all-encompassing force that has warped him beyond recognition. “Please,” I say quietly. “Listen to me.” But Spencer is too busy fighting Prince Colin to pay me any notice. I breathe out a slow breath, squeezing my hands into fists and closing my eyes shut tight in a desperate attempt to stop myself from bursting into tears. I walk over to Gamma Everly and Sylvia and stand beside them in stunned silence. “Is it possible either of you could d
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
Ivy’s POV“That is unacceptable!” At the roar of Spencer’s voice, the ferocity of his tone and the growl rumbling in his throat, the nurses and Doctor Danbury both back away in fear as they look up at him with wide, horrified eyes. I’m not even the designated target of Spencer’s ire–hell, I’m the person he’s doing everything possible to protect–but I still feel an instinctive shiver of panic run through me at the sound of such evident threat and disapproval. I can feel Spencer’s Lycan Aura, only more powerful now that he’s king, just on the precipice of being unleashed. It crackles through the air red hot and electric as he continues skewering the doctor and the nurses with his severe gaze. “Spencer,” I try to say, reaching out and grabbing his hand. Another cough hits me, though, and I’m hacking and wheezing as I try to speak. “Spencer, please, it’s not their fault–” “Their job is to heal!” Spencer protests. He turns to look at me, and much to my surprise, I can see the tears spr