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
Ivy's POVJust as Spencer’s claws are about to brush against me, he pulls away abruptly. I start to breathe out a sigh of relief when Spencer withdraws his claws, but before I can process everything that’s just happened, Spencer starts to roar at me angrily. “Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?” He snarls at me, shifting back into his human form. His eyes are dark and heavy with rage, and this time it’s directed at me. “What the fuck, Ivy? What’s wrong with you? If I hadn’t pulled back in time, I could have killed you!”“Spencer, she didn’t know–” Sylvia begins, walking towards him quickly and staring up at him in concern. “It’s not her fault!”“Stay out of this, Sylvia,” Spencer growls lowly. I stare up at him with wide eyes, stunned silent. Whatever words I was going to speak shrivel up and die on my tongue in the face of his anger. This is the first time I’ve ever been scolded so harshly by Spencer. Is this how he talks to the people he’s upset with? I don’t like that
Ivy's POVBefore I get the chance to pull away, Spencer scoops me up into his arms and starts to carry me away from the training grounds. Fear and panic rush through me. I can hear my heartbeat, a frantic drum. I’ve never been this scared of Spencer before. Who is this man?“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I scream at Spencer as he carries me away. I flail my hands against his firm chest, but it’s no use. He holds me tight. “These are my training hours, Spencer, you can’t just–” “I can do whatever I please,” Spencer growls lowly, eyes still ablaze with that wretched anger. “Spencer, put her down!” Sylvia exclaims, rushing towards us. Gamma Everly follows a couple paces behind her. “She doesn’t want to be carried away!” “Prince Spencer, we still have a bit more training to do–” Gamma Everly adds. Without so much as a word of response, Spencer unleashes his powerful Lycan Aura. Gamma Everly and Sylvia fall to the ground at once, unable to even raise their heads. I look
Ivy's POVSpencer pulls his hand away at once. When he looks at me, for once, there’s genuine hurt in his eyes–or concern, at least. Doubt. Hesitation. Some indicator that all isn’t well, that we have things we need to talk about. I’ve got his attention, at least. “How could you ask me that, Ivy?” Spencer asks, shaking his head at me. He’s clearly upset. “Without a doubt, I love you. I’ve been good enough to you already–I’ve changed so much for you, in ways you could never understand. Before I met you, before I had you as my mate, I never used to care about being kind to anyone. I didn’t care what people thought of me. I never would have brought a child back from the battlefield. Of course I love you. How can you not see that?”I shake my head in frustration. He’s still not seeing me. He still doesn’t understand what I’m trying to say. It almost feels pointless to try and argue with him, like I’m talking to a brick wall, but I can’t just give up on him completely, can I?“Spencer–”
Ivy's POV“Spencer, let me the fuck go.” I’m almost surprised by the sound of my voice. I barely recognize it–I don’t usually sound so cold, so harsh, so gravely serious.But Spencer’s arms around my body feel like iron chains, and the heat of him is stifling. I hate his closeness right now. His touch. He doesn’t release me.I sink my fingernails into Spencer’s skin. “Spencer!” I say louder, writhing and squirming in his hold. I hate how comfortable he is restraining me without my permission. What makes him feel like he gets to be this entitled to my body all the time? “If I let you go, tell me you won’t leave,” Spencer says in a tone far too commanding for this situation. “You don’t control me,” I tell him. “But fine. I’ll hear you out for now.”Reluctantly, Spencer lets me go. I sit on the edge of the bed and stare at him as he looks away, seemingly in an effort to formulate his thoughts. “I don’t understand why you’re willing to argue with me so fiercely over Colin,” Spencer
Spencer's POVWatching Ivy walk away, I suddenly feel myself struck by the full force of one of the most painful moments of my life. I stare at the sheets where she’d once laid. My hands burn where I touched her–I should have stopped, I know I should have stopped. But I couldn’t bear to let her go. And now she’s gone. Will she come back? She has to, doesn’t she? I can feel the mate bond pulling between us like a string, linking us together eternally. She’s always in the back of my mind, impossible to ignore. Ivy and I share more than just a mate bond. We share a Blood Oath. We share a life. We even share a child, now. Love like ours doesn’t just vanish in a day–it’s stronger than that, and no external force could ever break it apart. Right? I grit my teeth, bunching the sheets together in my fist. Colin. It’s all because of Colin. This is what he does–he’s always wanted to take away the people around me, the people I care about. He’s always wanted to turn them against me, ever s
Spencer's POVI think you should marry me.At her words, my brow furrows immediately. Delilah is a sweet young girl, and it’s obvious that she’s got a bit of a crush. But Ivy is my mate, and Ivy is my friend. The idea of marrying Delilah seems wrong. “Delilah, I’m sorry, but I really can’t–” I begin. Delilah cuts me off quickly. “Moon Goddess, no! I’m sorry. Let me explain,” she begins. “I don’t actually want to marry you. This would all be for Ivy’s sake.” I raise an eyebrow. “Is that so?” I ask, not entirely convinced. “I’m not after the Luna position,” Delilah replies. “I just want to keep Ivy safe. I know it’s strange, but please just trust me. No one would treat their own marriage lightly, but I’m willing to do this for her. I mean–think about it! Your mother isn’t the fondest of Ivy, but she likes me so much she brought me across the continent just so I could meet you. So that would resolve all your problems with her. Plus, if we got married, all your enemies would think Ivy
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