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 POVAs Delilah and I walk out of my suite, I suddenly see Ivy heading to the dining hall with Jason. Ivy seems like she’s cleaned herself up since we last spoke–she’s out of her training clothes, and small bandages have been applied to her myriad cuts and scrapes. Now she’s dressed in a purple gown that glitters and gleams. Her hair is pulled back, soft auburn curls bouncing with every step, and she’s wearing just a bit of makeup–enough to enhance her beautiful features without covering anything up. Ivy is holding Jason’s hand as she leads him down the halls, and they look like the perfect mother-child pair. They don’t seem like they need me at all. As I watch them go, I want nothing more than to pull Ivy aside and talk over the day’s events with her. There’s so much I want to say. But I keep thinking about the look in her eyes when she left. The disappointment there, the anger, the fear. Would she ever want to speak with me again? I swallow my feelings as I walk away s
Spencer's POV“Does holding the wedding in a week work for you?” I look up at my mother in surprise. “Wait, did you hear me–”“I don’t care if your wedding is real or not,” the queen replies. “Goodness, Spencer. No royal weddings ever are. We don’t marry for love, we marry for duty. You think your father hasn’t taken lovers over the course of our marriage? Or even myself? You don’t have to commit to Delilah in every sense of the word, just enough for our agenda to be fulfilled.” I stare up at my mother in shock. Is this what royal weddings are supposed to be? The broken promises? The lies?If Ivy and I ever get married–and I really hope we get the chance to–our wedding won’t be like that. Our marriage won’t either. We’ll build something strong and true, able to withstand the stress and wear of time. I’d build us such a good life together, if only we get the chance. I need our enemies to be gone. I need Ivy to be safe. I need everything to be the way it should be. “So,” my mother
Ivy's POVAs Jason and I sit down for dinner, I decide that this is going to be my chance to get to know my son. After all, everything has been so hectic lately–from bringing him to the palace to the ordeal he went through at the hands of the palace staff, and then his recovery time in the hospital. And after that, I’ve only really been able to spend time with him in a group. We haven’t had the chance to chat one-on-one yet. “Do you like mutton pie?” I ask Jason as we sit down in the dining hall. “I heard that’s what the kitchen staff are serving today.”“I’ve never had it before,” Jason replies, picking at a napkin. “Can I have French fries?”I chuckle lightly. “Oh, I’m sure we can get you some French fries.”We fall into a momentary silence. I’m briefly lost in thought, still rattled by my altercation with Spencer. The feeling of his hands on my body even as I told him to stop is a bitter thing to remember. But I shake the thoughts away quickly, refocusing on Jason and smiling.
Ivy's POVI do my best to explain my situation with Spencer to Jason. It’s a surprisingly quick conversation–after all, Spencer and I are mates, and his royal status does make things complicated. So just saying Spencer and I have some technicalities to work out is close enough to the truth. Jason and I finish our meals quickly, exchanging stories from our early childhoods. By the end of the dinner, our faces both hurt from smiling. I look at Jason proudly, happy with the time I’ve been able to spend with my son. “Did you end up liking the mutton pie after all?” I ask, standing up and leaving the table. “It was yummy,” Jason replies, grinning. “But French fries are still better.”I laugh. “I’m sure. Can I walk you back to your room?”“That’d be good,” Jason says quietly. I look down to see that he’s already reached his hand out to me in a clear invitation to hold it. My heart warms a little at the sight. I’m not alone in this palace. No matter how things go with Spencer, Jason and
Ivy's POV“Can I go back to my room now?” I look down at Jason in shock, surprised to see that he’s walked up to me. He tucks his hand in mine and looks around for a moment before deciding there’s nothing to be worried about. The boy yawns widely, then rubs his eyes. “I’m sleepy,” he mutters. I smile weakly, trying to shake myself from the terrible tangle of thoughts clawing their way around my brain. None of this is Jason’s fault–a child shouldn’t have to deal with the emotional burden of my problems. “Of course,” I tell him gently. “Let’s get you to bed now.” I lead Jason to his room. When I open the door, it’s neater and tidier than most young boy’s rooms would be–clearly, the maids have been doing their work well. Good. I hope Jason doesn’t forgive any of them until he feels truly ready.“What do you do to get ready for bed?” I ask Jason as he takes his shoes off. “Pajamas, toothbrush, goodnight,” he replies, rushing over to the clothes laid out on his bed. I lean in the
Ivy's POVAt the sight of Delilah, I don’t know what to feel. When she sees me, her eyes widen, and her mouth falls open. Her gaze darts back and forth, face ever so slightly flushed. Delilah certainly seems guilty. It brings me right back to everything that happened with Erick and Veronica–a friend that I thought cared about me, and a man I thought was the love of my life. I suppose I always knew, in the back of my mind, that Delilah had a crush. But I thought it was harmless. I never thought she’d ever actually act on it. And I can’t believe Spencer would go along with any of it. “Delilah!” I exclaim awkwardly. “I was just–um, I was heading back to my room for the night. While I’ve got you here, I was wondering… I’ve been hearing these rumors–” I let out a fake chuckle, resenting myself for my clumsiness. “Total nonsense of course. But rumor has it you and Spencer are engaged. What could this possibly be about?”Delilah averts her gaze, and my stomach plummets. “I’m really s
Ivy's POVThe next day, I awake to a group of maids sweeping through my room. I sit up straight, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. “What’s going on?” I ask in a daze. “Get up,” one of the maids says with a smirk. “The Lycan Royal Family will be making a very important announcement in an hour, and they’ve personally requested you attend the press release.” My heart sinks. So the Lycan Royal Family really is going through with this whole scheme. “Alright,” I agree reluctantly, climbing out of bed. Beams of early morning sunlight spill through my open windows as I nibble at the breakfast platter the maids brought me–pastries, tea, and fruit dusted with powdered sugar, nothing too substantial. While I’m eating, the maids pull clothes out of my closet. The moment I’ve finished my meal, they’re pulling me up and undressing me from my pajamas. “Hey–slow down!” I protest as one of the maids pulls a stifling slip over my head. “Seriously? This is too heavy for the heat this time of year!”
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