Spencer's POV“Who would do such a thing?”Ivy’s question ricochets through my head. I really hoped she wouldn’t ask–she doesn’t need to be hurt anymore than she’s already been hurt–but I know her well enough to know that there’s no way she wouldn’t have asked. “You don’t have to worry about that right now,” I tell Ivy softly, hoping that will placate her.Ivy frowns. Her gaze snaps up to meet mine. “You know,” she says in accusation. “I know,” I confirm, pursing my lips. “Tell me!” I hesitate, breaking eye contact and lowering my gaze to Ivy’s hands twined in mine. How is this supposed to work? How am I supposed to say this? There’s no good way for me to tell Ivy that her own adopted son just tried to kill her. I’d been eager to break away from wedding discussions with Delilah when I suddenly remembered that I hadn’t seen Jason in quite awhile. And I certainly wouldn’t have adopted the boy on my own–really, the only reason we’re connected in the slightest is because of Ivy–but
Ivy's POVAt Spencer’s words, an immediate jolt of shock ripples through me. “No.” I shake my head immediately, breaking eye contact with Spencer. I can’t stand to look at him after what he just said. “No, I–that doesn’t make sense. Jason couldn’t have done this! Jason wouldn’t have done this, that’s absolutely absurd–” I draw in shallow, rapid breaths and can immediately feel the lack of oxygen hitting me. I feel like I’m underwater, the sounds and sensations around me miles away. Spencer reaches out and grabs my hand, no doubt an attempt to bring me back to reality, but his hand feels like ice. “Ivy, please. You have to listen to me,” Spencer says quietly. “After realizing I hadn’t seen Jason for awhile, I went to go check in on his training, but I overheard him speaking with Warrior Lance about having the chefs in the kitchen poison your meal tonight. Warrior Lance was the one who planned the whole thing, but Jason is the one who carried it out. Jason brought wolfsbane to corrup
Ivy's POV“We’ve found the suspect, Your Highness.” The world feels like it’s falling apart around me as Captain McAndrews refers to my own son as ‘the suspect.’ How could this be my life? How could this be my son? But there’s Jason, guilty as all hell and glaring at the floor of the dining hall. Spencer frowns, looking Jason up and down. His expression seems devoid of any emotion–it’s as though he’s just looking over another captive. “Where’s his accomplice?” Spencer asks. His voice fills the dining hall with cool, steady authority, a clear voice of reason. “Unfortunately, he evaded our capture, Your Highness,” one of the warriors says apologetically. “We’ve got a separate team on the lookout for former Warrior Lance Silvers, though,” Captain McAndrews clarifies hastily. “And we will not rest until he has been captured and brought to justice.” Spencer nods. “Good. Now, Jason.” His cold gaze fixes on the boy, who starts trembling like a leaf. “What do you have to say for yoursel
Ivy's POVAs he considers the possibility of being put to death, Jason’s eyes widen in fear, and his lower lip starts to tremble. My heart twinges with sadness for him. Despite everything he’s done, Jason didn’t ask for any of this. Beneath it all, he’s just a scared kid who got dragged into a war he never had any intention of playing a part in. He’s made some mistakes, sure. But I won’t let him be killed for them. “He tried to kill you,” Spencer points out impassively. “And such a dire crime–attempted assassination of a resident of this palace–is easily punishable by death,” Captain McAndrews adds. “As our protocol dictates.” “Even if the attempted assassin is a child?” I ask, mouth agape. “We don’t usually make exceptions,” Spencer says coldly. I can feel myself starting to tremble. “You can’t seriously be considering this, Spencer. He’s your son!” Spencer remains silent, but I can feel his unspoken retort: no, he’s YOUR son!I feel as though I’m completely alone in this si
Ivy's POV“Warrior Lance!” I growl at the disgraced warrior, baring my teeth at him. I want to tear him limb from limb. I want to watch his blood splatter across the marble floors. I want to break his bones one by one for what he did to my sweet, innocent son, for the wicked thoughts he had the audacity to plant in his mind–Lance bares his teeth right back at me, but as Spencer continues to keep him in the chokehold, I can tell that he knows he’s been defeated. I wonder for a moment why he revealed himself to us–after all, he could have tried to escape capture. But I suppose it makes sense, considering he just tried to kill Jason, that Lance is trying to tie up his loose ends right now.After all, Jason was just about to reveal how Lance had corrupted his mind. “You should have eaten every last bite of the wolfsbane, you royal leather bootlicking bitch!” Lance sneers at me, thrashing against Spencer’s firm grip. His voice is raspy and full of anger, completely unlike the polite,
Ivy's POV“Jason is the illegitimate son of an Alpha and a witch.” At Lance’s words, I feel my blood run cold. Still holding Jason’s chains tight, Captain McAndrews lets out an audible gasp, raising his gaze to the heavens. “Moon Goddess spares his soul,” Captain McAndrews murmurs. Held firm in Spencer’s tight grasp, Lance starts to chuckle, a cruel smile warping and distorting his once-amicable features. “I thought the witches were long gone, vanished decades ago,” I tell Spencer in surprise, meeting his gaze. Spencer shrugs, expression impassive. “So did we. But with the evidence of those red potions Elder Jet has been using this whole time, as well as his extensive poison knowledge…” he trails off. “I’m afraid it’s very possible that the witches–or at least one witch–is still present today.” A shiver runs down my spine. Witches are the stuff of fairy tales–wretched hags who creep and lurk in the shadows, twisted godless women with strange rituals and practices. Witches are th
Ivy's POV“Ivy, what are we going to do about him?” Spencer’s brow is furrowed uncertainly. I can tell that he’s already made up a decision in his mind, and I doubt that it’s one I’d agree with. Spencer is, after all, a brutally cold and practical man. The only reason he hasn’t made an official decision right now is because he’s doing me the courtesy of letting me voice my opinion first. I don’t know exactly where I stand right now, but I know that Jason doesn’t deserve any of what happened to him. After all, this entire ordeal–members of the Werewolf Council, and specifically Elder Jet, wanting to wage war against the Lycan Royal Family–only really began because in killing Erick, I gave Elder Jet the leverage he needed to build this entire attack from the ground up. While these conflicts have existed for far longer than I’ve been in the Lycan Royal Family’s sphere, they’ve only really taken shape since I entered the picture. What happened to Jason is, ultimately, my fault. And w
Ivy's POV“He tried to kill you, Ivy.” Spencer seems exasperated by the conversation. He’s shifting back and forth, and keeps shooting angry glares at both Lance and Jason. I can tell that he’d much rather be out of here by now. “But he wouldn’t have tried to kill me without outside influence!” I protest, looking at Jason. “That was all Lance’s doing.” “He hated you plenty before I showed up,” Lance chimes in. “All I did was give him a plan. He was more than willing to participate!” I raise an eyebrow at Jason. “Is that true?” “I–I–” Jason’s face flushes a deep, frustrated red, and his lower lip starts to tremble. “I don’t know! My mother just died and the war was the Lycan Royal Family’s fault and everything was a mess! What was I supposed to think?” I breathe out a slow sigh, then purse my lips, thinking intently. I want to make sure Jason is provided with all the opportunities in the world to change and learn and grow as a person. Now that everything has been revealed, now t
Spencer’s POV“Alpha Fierro, I need you to focus up.” The words are harsh as they leave my mouth, but I’m not trying to be malicious, although it’s true that things desperately need to get moving. The longer I spend in the Sunclash pack, the more on edge I feel. Every wall in sight feels like it’s closing in on me, and I can feel the sickness permeating the air. There’s a heaviness to this place now, an endless sense of dread. I have a feeling that this ground will carry the weight of all its deaths for a long, long time. “Scour the office for anything that seems out of place,” I say. “If your Beta was in charge of the pack in your absence, it’s likely that he was the one putting any preventative measures into place. He may have tried to find a cure–hopefully there are signs somewhere around here.” I look down at the man’s corpse, the papers clutched in his fist and the expression of profound horror on his face. “I read his reports. He seems to have been a confident, driven man. I’
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