Spencer's POVAs I watch my mother and Delilah go over wedding plans, I’m not sure how much more of this I can take. “So we’ve got the florist on call for dahlias, calla lilies, and lilacs,” the queen says, running her hands over pictures of wedding bouquets. “And the baker is working on the cake–three tiers is traditional, of course, but to feed a wedding party of the size we’ll be having…” “Why break from tradition?” Delilah asks with an excited smile. “We could get multiple cakes! A big one for the center of the room, the showpiece, and then smaller cakes for everyone else!” “Brilliant idea, Delilah!” My mother beams at her. I breathe out a repulsed sigh.I don’t care about cake or flowers or whatever the hell else I’m supposed to be caring about right now. I don’t care about any of this–none of it is for me. I think this is the happiest I’ve ever seen my mother, and it’s when she’s planning a wedding between me and a girl I absolutely do not want to be marrying. Go figure.
Ivy's POVLittle by little, I’m getting used to life without Spencer. The days pass by in blurs, making my head spin. Training has been going better and better since my conversation with Sylvia–I can recognize that anger within me, now, and I’m learning how to use it. The extra force to my punches, the heaviness to my step, the way my blood boils at the thought of defeat–When I’m in control of it all, it only makes me stronger. And with the date of my duel against Warrior Garett drawing nearer day by day, I can feel the anticipation driving me forward. There’s almost no space left in my mind to be taken up by thoughts of Spencer. Almost. After I’ve dressed and showers, body covered in fresh bruises and scratches from my day with Sylvia, I make my way through the palace to head over to Jason’s room. As always, my heart twinges as I pass the hallway that would take me to Spencer’s room. And as always, I pretend it’s not there. Sylvia is right. He’s just being cruel for cruelty’s
Ivy's POVThe duel is tomorrow.And I’m both terrified and thrilled. As I prepare for my last day of training, I can feel the adrenaline building up inside of me with every moment that passes. I’m sitting on a bench waiting for Gamma Everly to arrive. It’s just us today–she requested a one-on-one training session to help me hone some of my skills. And, as Gamma Everly told me, we won’t be sparring too strenuously today. It would be awful if I was too sore to fight on the day of my duel. That would be even worse than losing the match–I think I’d be dooming every she-wolf ever to a life she doesn’t want. This fight is bigger than just me. And I have to be perfect. Up ahead, I can see a bright red figure rushing towards the training grounds. She’s moving quickly, and in just a few moments Gamma Everly comes to a stop beside me, breathing heavily. “Sorry I’m late,” she says, setting down the large bundle of leather she’s been holding. “I wanted to snag some armor for you for today’
Ivy's POVIt’s the day of the duel, and I can’t help but feel like a lamb being led to the slaughter as I walk onto the training grounds. My bag feels heavy in my hand, and my heart is hammering in my chest as I take in the scenery around me. I’m used to having the grounds to myself, but today, they’re packed with warriors. As I approach, they jeer and boo at me, raucous sounds that make my head pulse. I can see Gamma Everly and Beta Wilson–a couple familiar faces, at least. Beta Wilson is sitting silently with the warriors, while Gamma Everly is in the middle of the training grounds, clearing waiting for the duel to begin. She stares at the jeering warriors with a bitter expression. It must be hard for her to see the extent of the disrespect they harbor for a woman who dares to fight. I know it’s hard for me to see.“Ivy!” I whirl around in surprise as a pair of arms wrap around me from behind. When I see who it is, my face breaks into a grin. “Sylvia!” I exclaim, hugging her t
Ivy's POVAs Warrior Garett grins at me, a wicked smile that’s all teeth, I can feel the blood start to roar in my ears. I stare him down, shifting my weight from foot to foot. I’m ready to move in an instant. Warrior Garett is clearly sizing me up–my stance, the way I carry myself, whatever skill I might betray now. Unfortunately for me, he doesn’t have any of the bold brashness of a younger fighter. He’s an older, seasoned warrior, with all the patience and skill that brings. I’m expecting this to be a difficult fight. I can tell that Warrior Garett is waiting for me to make the first move, but I can hear the last bits of advice Gamma Everly gave me ringing in my ears. “You don’t know what he’s capable of yet,” she’d said at the very end of yesterday’s training session. “Let him strike first. Let him think he’s got the upper hand. Let him think he knows what kind of a fighter you are. All the while, you’ll be learning more about him.” Suddenly, Warrior Garett aims a punch at m
Ivy's POVWithout warning, Warrior Garett twists his head around and bites me sharply on the fingertip. I shriek loudly, pulling my hand away. As I wipe the blood off frantically, Warrior Garett climbs to his feet, staring down at me. His body towers over mine, an overwhelming mass of muscle and flesh. “Oh, I certainly won’t be backing out,” he replies, breathing a low chuckle. The crowd cheers loudly, a noxious swell of applause. He takes another swing at me. I manage to dodge the worst of the blow, but this time, the sides of his knuckles graze me. I whirl around and try to aim a retaliatory blow, but this time, Warrior Garett is the one who’s able to dodge with ease. I gasp as he manages to catch my wrist, yanking me towards him. My lungs start to burn, and my body aches with old sores and bruises. Warrior Garett’s fingers dig into my skin roughly as he attempts to toss me to the ground. I land hard, but roll over and stand back up before he can attack me in my weakened posit
Ivy's POVAs Warrior Garett punches me hard in the stomach, the crowd’s cheering only grows louder. I squeeze my eyes shut as bile rises to the back of my throat again. I have to stop myself from vomiting. I hate the idea that all the warriors are actively rooting for my downfall–that they’re all hoping to see me fail. As I open my eyes and gaze at Warrior Garett, a chilling thought strikes me all at once. Spencer never rejected me. We’re still tethered by the mate bond. And the winner of a duel can do whatever they want to the losing opponent. If Warrior Garett wants to kill me, Spencer will be weakened considerably, and it will all be because of my own failings. I can’t let that happen. “I’ll strike you down eventually,” I hiss at Warrior Garett, scrambling away from him in a desperate attempt to gather myself. My body is aching and bruised, skin mottled with a few small scrapes. My lungs burn and my feet hurt. But, without a doubt, the worst of all is the pain radiating from
Spencer's POV“I just don’t see why you’d be going to this!” I roll my eyes as Delilah looks up at me with a pout on her face. She’s being ridiculous–she’s been acting ridiculous about this since I told her I was going to the fight. I don’t want to shout at her or be too harsh, since that would make my life even more complicated than it usually is. But Delilah has really been getting on my nerves lately. “It’s an important event,” I tell Delilah with a frown. “Gamma Everly will be there, along with Beta Wilson. It’s strictly a military matter.”“But you need the kingdom to think you’ve actually moved on from Ivy!” Delilah protests. “If you’re showing up to all her little events, they’re never going to believe that.” “This isn’t a ‘little event.’” I breathe out a heavy sigh, doing my best not to snap at her. “Today, Ivy is dueling one of the best warriors in my army for the right to let women serve in the Lycan Royal Army. This is a historical day. Besides, Ivy and I are still lin
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