Spencer's POVThe moment Alpha Quentin enters the dining hall, I find myself scrutinizing him closely. I’ve heard of the Mountaincrest pack before–while a smaller pack, they’re formidable for their strength, seeing as they live at higher altitudes in the freezing cold. I can see the evidence of this harsher lifestyle upon examining Alpha Quentin–his body is large and well-muscled, and his keen brown eyes are alert as they look around the room. Yes, it seems that Alpha Quentin would be a beneficial match for the Lycan Royal Family. A lot less complicated than Sylvia and Beta Wilson, too. He’s handsome, too, with curly black hair and chiseled features that soften into a warm smile as his gaze lands upon Sylvia. Alpha Quentin approaches the table and stands next to Sylvia, where his seat awaits him. “My fair Princess Sylvia,” he says, powerful, rumbling voice heavy with respect. As he sweeps into a low bow, he takes her hand in his and plants a kiss in the air above her knuckles. “I
Spencer's POVBy the time the dinner finally ends, I’ve more than had enough. Sylvia and Alpha Quentin are talking rapturously, clearly taken with one another, while my mother watches the two of them intently. Beta Wilson is also watching, but with a scrutinizing, reluctant eye. I know him–I’m certain he’s already coming up with reasons as to why Sylvia and Alpha Quentin wouldn’t work, trying to undermine the situation rather than actually talk to Sylvia. My father seems more than ready to leave the dinner, as does Delilah. And Colin has been watching me the entire evening, though he hasn’t spoken a word. Lovely. As soon as my father sets down his fork, announcing the official end of dinner, I’m out of my seat and walking swiftly towards the exit. “And just where do you think you’re going?” My mother scolds. “Please forgive my haste,” I reply, trying to figure out the sarcasm. “I have important military matters to attend to.” Delilah stands up and quickly follows behind me. I h
Ivy's POVIt’s been a few days since I saw Spencer with Delilah, and since then, time has felt like it’s passing me by in a blur. I’m still training with Gamma Everly, and sometimes taking Jason out for a couple training sessions of our own. But without the stress of the duel looming over me, fighting feels dull and uninspired. Sometimes, across the training grounds, I catch a glimpse of a woman starting to hone her combat skills for the first time. It makes me feel joyous–like I did something meaningful, for once. But these days, it’s a fleeting pleasure. And without Spencer to spend the time with, I’m acutely aware of my own loneliness. I’m sitting in my room and nibbling idly at a platter of sandwiches when I hear a knock on my door. My heart starts to thud in my chest as I stand up and walk towards the door. Is it Spencer? What does he want? Do I even want to see him right now? No, I don’t want to see him, the bastard, but I want him back more than anything and I–“Sylvia!” I
Ivy's POVAs soon as the words pass my lips, I find myself bursting into tears. “Oh!” Sylvia exclaims suddenly as I bury my face in my hands, the hot tears running down my face. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I–I didn’t mean to make you cry…” Sylvia wraps her arms around me and pulls me close to her chest, stroking my hair soothingly as she does her best to calm me down. I don’t know why the full force of my loss and heartbreak has chosen this moment to manifest itself into a wave of desolation that makes me want to do nothing but cry, but I feel unspeakably awful right now. My cheeks burn with embarrassment at crying, but as my cries morph into twisting, heavy sobs, I realize this is the first time I’ve actually just let myself cry over this entire situation–a real, proper cry, not just a few shed tears that I’ve quickly swiped away. The sort of cry that’s cathartic, after all the misery. “It–it’s not your fault,” I sniffle, trying to reign in the overwhelming surge of hopelessness that’s cr
Ivy's POVJust as it seems like Beta Wilson and Alpha Quentin are about to start fighting, the Lycan King and Queen suddenly sweep into the foyer. All at once, the crowd falls silent. The Lycan King’s stern gaze fixes on Beta Wilson, his brow furrowed in distaste. “You can imagine my immense displeasure to hear that my Beta is picking fights with our most cherished guest at the palace,” the king says, voice rumbling with thinly veiled anger. “What is the meaning of all this, Wilson?” Red in the face, Beta Wilson points a tremulous finger towards Alpha Quentin and narrows his eyes. “I caught Alpha Quentin kissing one of the maids!” Beta Wilson says in accusation, glaring at Alpha Quentin with an unmistakable fury. “That’s not true,” Alpha Quentin says immediately, voice smooth and unfazed. But I can see his gaze shifting to a small, strikingly beautiful maid lurking near the edge of the crowd. Her thick brown hair is all mussed up, and her uniform looks rather disheveled. She’s d
Ivy's POV“Sylvia?” Both Beta Wilson and Alpha Quentin say her name in unison. Sylvia breathes out an exasperated sigh, marching towards Beta Wilson. Her heels clack on the marble floor as she approaches. She jabs an accusatory finger into his chest, eyes blazing in anger. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Sylvia snaps at him angrily. “Sylvia, I can’t let you marry a man who’s–” “That’s Princess Sylvia to you,” Sylvia cuts in sharply. I suck in a breath. I don’t think she knows how to come back from this. Beta Wilson blinks, and for a moment, I can see the hurt etched into his features. But he refuses to back down, glowering at Sylvia. “I know what I saw!” “I can take care of myself, Wilson!” Sylvia snaps at him. “I don’t care what you saw–why would you be getting involved with royal matters to begin with? My marriage is none of your concern. Don’t you dare tell me what you can and can’t let me do.” Sylvia and Beta Wilson glare at each other, raw emotion crackling be
Ivy's POV“Alpha Quentin betrayed you! Why don’t you seem to care about that?” Sylvia rolls her eyes at Beta Wilson’s continued exclamation. “I don’t believe you!” She replies. Alpha Quentin looks up at Sylvia with wide, innocent eyes. “Princess Sylvia, Your Highness, please believe that I would never do anything that could hurt you in such a way–” “Why don’t we ask the maid?” Beta Wilson snaps, eyes gleaming darkly. The crowd’s attention shifts to the maid I noticed earlier, the beautiful girl with the dark brown hair and the disheveled uniform. At Beta Wilson’s accusation, her eyes widen in fear and horror, and I can see her chest rise and fall rapidly as her breathing begins to quicken desperately. A few members of the crowd shove her forward abruptly, and the girl goes pale with fright as she finds herself in the middle of the ring of observers–presented before the Lycan King and Queen themselves for judgment. I feel bad for her. I really do. The maid, trembling with fear,
Ivy's POVAs soon as Sylvia leaves the foyer, distraught after the whole affair, I approach Beta Wilson. Or–I suppose he’s just Wilson, now. “Ivy!” Wilson says, eyes widening as he sees me. “Moon Goddess, that was horrible. I mean–can you even believe everything that happened? They’re liars, Alpha Quentin and that maid both, and it’s only because of this sham of an engagement that the Lycan Royal Family won’t listen to me. Not to mention, Sylvia was completely, utterly unreasonable–” “I’m not going to sympathize with you, Wilson,” I snap sharply. Wilson falls silent, looking down at me. “What are you here for, then?” He asks dryly. “I used to think you and Sylvia were destined to be together,” I tell Wilson. “I thought, even after all the bullshit you dragged her through, somehow, somehow, the mate bond you share would be enough to make it all worth it.” “And I swear I want what’s best for her–” Wilson begins. “You’re not thinking about what’s best for her!” I counter. “Thanks
Spencer's POVI can feel Elder Jet watching me as the life slowly ebbs from my body, and I want to tear his eyes out. He’s smirking down at me, lips curled into a sickening grin. I grit my teeth as I look up at him. I think I could stand up if I wanted to, maybe land a couple weak blows, maybe draw a bit of blood, but what’s the point? I’d rather save my energy for when I know I’d at least have a fighting chance at getting something done. “Your army is failing,” Elder Jet says to me, crouching down by my side. “Or rather—you failed them, didn’t you? Because you weren’t strong enough, weren’t smart enough, weren’t able to do what needed to be done. I suppose losing Ivy rattled you even more than I would have anticipated, hm?” He chuckles, a bitter, rasping sound. “You can’t even begin to imagine how glorious it feels to get everything you ever wanted so perfectly laid out for you.”I’m still trying to reach out to my centurions, hoping to rally them and their troops to battle. But ag
Spencer's POVElder Jet’s cold laugh chills me to the bone. “My, my, Prince Spencer,” he says smugly. I can see him towering over me, can feel the droplets of my own blood pooling into the ground below me as the silver mist works its way into my skin. “I thought you’d at least be able to put up a better fight than that!” “A prince’s pride is often his own undoing,” comes the witch’s voice, prompting another wave of revulsion to come over me. “So I can’t say I’m particularly surprised.” I let out a ragged cough, droplets of blood splattering out this time. That can’t be good. My chest burns as small drops of silver continue to worm through my skin, and the sizzle of my flesh on fire combined with the iron tang in the back of my throat makes me want to puke. I want to speak, want to form words, but it feels like my vocal chords have been severed and drenched in lighter fluid. Reinforcements. We need reinforcements. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Gamma Everly, Alpha Leo, and
Spencer's POV“I really did try to warn you.” The witch’s words are nonchalant, spoken with a sigh as she tucks the silver spray back into one of the pockets of her dress. She watches Gamma Everly, Alpha Leo, and Wilson carefully as the silver spray begins to take effect. A shiver of revulsion runs through me as I realize what’s happening. Their pained, piercing screams fill the air as they all swat at their skin frantically, as though they’re being stung by a swarm of bees. Those little droplets of silver mist, innocuous and beautiful as they seem, appear to be burrowing into everyone’s skin. I can see little pinpricks of blood running down every inch of exposed flesh–even Gamma Everly, who’s encased almost head to toe in her heavy red armour, has blood on her face as she tries desperately to rub the spray off her face. The smell of overcooked meat fills the air, and my stomach turns. Small wisps of smoke are rising up from the site of everyone’s exposure. Gamma Everly, Alpha Leo,
Spencer's POV“Step away from them!” Gamma Everly’s voice is strong as she levels her sword at the witch’s chest. Even in the pale moonlight, her red armour seems to glow, almost illuminating her in a crimson halo. The blade’s edge is wicked sharp, and even just looking at it makes my skin feel a twinge of sympathetic pain. Her eyes are cruel and hard as diamonds as they bore right through the witch’s skull. But the witch only lets out a calm, melodic laugh as she trails her fingers along the sides of the small silver bottle she’s just procured. Alpha Leo and Wilson exchange concerned looks as they stand behind Gamma Everly, prepared to back her up the moment she needs it. “Gamma Everly, please don’t be so foolish,” the witch says with a sneer. “And tell those men to stand down, too. Ivy and Spencer are dying. There’s nothing you can do to save them. I can take you down in an instant if I want to, but I figure I should do you the courtesy of sparing you that pain now.” “Not a chan
“I love you.”Ivy’s final words to me ring in my ears like gunshots. I hold her close, I kiss her forehead softly, I do everything I can think to do because I can feel her slipping away. Her body is so small in my arms, so frail, and I can tell I’m losing her, and then–Ivy’s strange, dreamed-up world flickers in and out of view, alternating between the woods and the battlefield outside of the barracks. All at once, she’s not in my arms. I don’t know where she is, but I’m lying on bloodstained grass and I can hear the fighting all around me and my throat feels like it’s on fire. I’m awake now. This isn’t a dream. It hits me all at once, the crushing weight of realization–if we’re not inside Ivy’s mind anymore, if we’re not intertwined in that beautiful place where we could avoid the rest of the world, that must mean Ivy wasn’t able to sustain the connection for any longer than she did. And considering the poison she’d swallowed, considering the undeniable consequence of that…She’s
Ivy's POVIt takes me a good couple of moments to realize I’m not dead. Death, I’d always imagined, would be cold. Distant. Disconnected–and that’s only if I’m aware of anything at all. But as my eyes slowly open and I continue to hear the overwhelming cacophony of war all around me, it slowly dawns on me that I’m not, in fact, dead. The pain hits me a couple moments later. In my mind, it had been a nagging sort of reminder. But all at once, my throat is burning like it’s been doused with acid once more, and blood keeps dribbling down my lips. The overpowering iron taste is enough to make me want to throw up, but I do my best to hold it back. The feeling of bile against my already-shredded throat would no doubt push my already-excruciating agony to new, unimaginable heights. I’m trembling from head to toe. My entire body feels weak and limb, barely within my control. It’s hard to feel much of anything beyond the pain, really. How am I alive? I should be dead. ‘Hang in there, Ivy
Ivy's POV“Loving you is the best thing I ever did.” Spencer’s hands in mine are soft and warm and reassuring. He feels like coming home. Like relaxing. Like finally letting myself feel peace. I look at him, and my heart flutters. He’s going to be the last thing I ever see, and I couldn’t have chosen a better view. “Thank you for telling me,” I say to Spencer. It feels as though a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I’m almost ashamed to admit it, but for so long, I’ve been clinging to the notion that Spencer left me because he wanted to. Because he could. “I wanted to tell you sooner,” Spencer admits. “There were so many times… but then there would be people around, or Delilah would interrupt me, or–did you know she told me she’d explain the whole situation to you herself, so no one would be suspicious and think the engagement was false? That was her entire reason for me to keep it a secret! All so the rest of the world would believe that Delilah was my mate, not you.” I
Spencer's POVIvy and I are lying in the grass, and as time continues to pass in this stolen in-between, I can tell her mind is racing a thousand miles a minute. I roll over so I’m facing her. I could spend a lifetime admiring Ivy–her soft, sculpted features, her beautiful blue eyes as endless as oceans, the way her auburn hair spills over her shoulders. When I'm this close to her, when we’re almost face-to-face, I can see faded freckles splashed across her cheeks like constellations. She’s a work of art. Her gaze is fixed on the sky up above, lips parted ever so slightly, hands clasped over her chest. And she’s completely, utterly lost in thought. I reach over and grab one of Ivy’s hands. She jolts ever so slightly at the touch, then looks over and smiles distantly at me. I furrow my brow. “What’s on your mind?” I ask her. “It seems so silly to bring up now,” Ivy mumbles. “Don’t worry about it, please.” I tilt my head, looking her over once more. I’m trying to etch every last
Spencer's POVMy only regret is that I didn’t have a proper ring to give her. I know the ring I would have used to propose to Ivy, had I had the chance. The ring that’s been in my family for generations. The one with decades of history behind it, that would have symbolized her place as my future queen. If Ivy and I ever got the opportunity, that would be the ring I offered to her. But as I kneel on the grass, feeling the dew slowly soak through the fabric of my pants, and reach into my back pocket, I’ve still got a ring for her. “Ivy,” I say softly. Her voice is a prayer on my lips. “You are the most courageous, brave, incredible, and beautiful girl that I’ve ever known. You’re the love of my life and the only thing that matters to me. I want nothing more than to–to spend the rest of my life with you…” I look away, the words beginning to choke me up, but return my gaze to her as I press on. “I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you and make you my Queen.” “Sp