Ivy's POVSpencer’s gone mad.I can hardly believe what I’m seeing. Spencer, in a frenzy, slaughtering every warrior in sight in the meeting room. I don’t want to believe it’s him. I shouldn’t know it’s him. I want it to be anyone but him. All I can see is a massive black-furred wolf tearing the warriors to shreds. I don’t want it to be him. Blood sprays through the air, splattering on his fur, and bits of viscera dangle from the wolf’s jaws. I hate seeing Spencer like this. But deep down, I know it’s him. After all, the Lycan Prince Spencer is the only one who could possess such immense power. The soles of my shoes feel slippery on the blood-soaked floor. My senses are heightened, and I feel dizzy from the sheer amount of violence around me. All I know is that I need to go to Spencer. But just as I move to stop him, Beta Wilson pulls me back. “Let me go–” I begin to argue, pulling against him. He’s stronger than me, though, and it’s no use trying to fight against him. “Don’t
Ivy's POVThe moment Spencer’s wolf starts to calm down, I feel myself starting to stumble. I can sense the chaos in Spencer’s mind starting to right itself as I gasp in desperate breaths, wobbling back and forth woozily as I gradually start to regain my vision. My throat aches, and I can already feel it starting to bruise. If I tried to speak, I think it would burn. My body feels strange and it takes me a moment to realize exactly what I’m feeling.Or rather, what I was feeling. The strange, abundant magical power that had been coursing through my body dissipates, sending another wave of disorientation through me. I lose my split-second connection with Spencer’s mind and his wolf. Just as I think I’m about to fall to the ground, Spencer, now returned to human form, catches me.“Thank you,” I whisper hoarsely as he scoops me up into his arms. Spencer nods once, expression distant. His eyes gleam with an emotion I can’t quite place–something bittersweet and sad as he looks at the bo
Spencer's POVI never thought things would go this way. I sprint desperately through the woods, mind lost in a flurry of thoughts. I’d fallen into Elder Jet’s trap, purely because of my own arrogance. All those warriors are dead now because of me, and the worst part is that Elder Jet’s plan worked exactly like he wanted it to.I don’t know what will happen when word gets out about the werewolves I’ve killed. Worst of all is what happened when Ivy showed up. When I finally got control of Lucius, I was horrified to find myself choking Ivy. And although I released her as soon as I got the chance, she was already on the brink of death.She can’t die because of me. She can’t. I burst through the doors of the Lycan Hospital without hesitation. “Who’s the head doctor here?” I roar, whipping my head back and forth in search of anyone who can help. A tall, slender woman immediately rushes over to me. “That–that’s me,” she says cautiously. “My name is Doctor Danbury. How can I help… you…”
Spencer's POV“I am her mate.”The moment I hear those words pass my own lips, I find myself stunned and shocked. I’d never wanted to share this secret with anyone–including Ivy herself. I have no plans to hold any sort of Mate Ceremony with her, nor do I want anyone to use her against me. But the sight of Ivy in her coma…For the first time in my life, I’m afraid. I’m afraid of losing her.Is this because of the mate bond? My mind starts to race, but now’s not the time to ponder that question. I have bigger things to worry about. “I am her mate,” I repeat helplessly, looking around at the swarm of doctors and nurses as if they’re holding some secret answer hostage. “So what can I do to help her? How do I reactivate her life force through the mate bond?”Swallowing her shock and doing her best to restate her mask of professionalism, Dr. Danbury replies quickly. “The Blood Oath Ceremony is the only solution.”“The Blood Oath Ceremony?”The doctor hesitates just a moment before expl
Spencer's POVMy heart races with anticipation as I look over Ivy’s pale body lying on the hospital bed.Since I’ve met her, I’ve done many things I can’t quite explain. Ivy is my mate, and I’m more interested in her than she could ever know, but I never thought I’d be willing to share my life with her. And yet I feel as though losing her would mean losing my life, too. I take my clothes off quickly and sit down next to her on the bed. Slowly, uncertainly, I start to undress Ivy, removing her garments one by one. I draw in a deep breath, trying to stay calm.Once we do this, our bond will be inseparable. Just as I’m about to put Ivy’s things away, I suddenly receive a mind-link from Beta Wilson. ‘The Lycan King found out about your plan to save Ivy,’ Beta Wilson says. Even through the mind-link, I can hear the vague chastising in his tone. No one would dare openly criticize me, of course, but Wilson is not only my Beta; he's like a brother to me. He asked worriedly, ‘The Blood Oat
Ivy's POVI find myself in a vast forest, dappled sunlight pouring through the trees and warming my skin. I know I’ve never been here before, but something about the forest feels uncannily familiar. The arch of the trees, maybe, the crook of the branches. The way a gentle path winds and curves around the woods. The lazy slope of hills spilling across the horizon. It feels safe here. Realizing I’m on my knees, I stand up quickly and turn in a slow circle. The trees spread out in every direction, humming with wildlife. Birds and insects chirp all around me. The sunlight is golden and feels holy against my body. How did I get here?I don’t know where to go, so I pick a direction at random and start walking. I’m barefoot, but the ground is laden with soft moss and grass. A simple white slip falls just past my knees, occasionally lifted by the wind. I know I should be terrified, but I feel more at peace than I’ve ever felt before.“Hello?” I call out tentatively.No response.Am I alone
Ivy's POVI wake up to find myself lying naked in Spencer’s strong arms, his hands clasping mine tightly. I blush immediately, pulling my hands out of his. Much to my surprise, thick beads of gold blood run down both our wrists. I wipe my cut palm frantically on the bed sheets before wriggling my way out of Spencer’s embrace. Just as I’m about to leave the bed, pondering how I could’ve possibly ended up where I just was, a muscular arm wraps around my waist and pulls me back down onto the bed. Spencer lets out a low chuckle as I land next to him on the sheets, together once again. “Just came back to life and you’re already leaving me?” Spencer questions, looking me over intently. My blush somehow intensifies, and I look away from his piercing gaze. “I…”Back to life? The memories hit me all at once, a relentless wave. Suddenly, I remember what had happened back at the Werewolf Council’s chambers, and how I’d ended up collapsing in Spencer’s arms. I take a look around the room an
Ivy's POVSweat dampens the hair on my forehead. I whimper, not quite sure what to do. I want him to hit me again. I know that much. “I’ve taught you what I want to hear,” Spencer reminds me patiently, lightly biting my earlobe and eliciting another moan at the slight sting of pain. My mind reels, struggling to figure out what my next move should be. I’ve never felt this excited–or helpless-before. I respond instinctively to Spencer’s kisses. Everything we’ve done so far has felt completely natural. But I have no idea how to answer his question. As Spencer continues to pleasure me with his free hand, teasing and toying but never actually applying direct pressure to that sweet spot where I want his fingers the most, I can feel both my mind and my body becoming clumsy. Finally, I settle on an answer. “Prince Spencer,” I moan. He would want me to respect him, right?Plus, even if my answer is wrong–and I have a sneaking suspicion that it is–I think I quite like what my punishment
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
Spencer’s POVThe more time Ivy and I spend in the hospital, the more the days begin to blur. When Ivy is deemed stable enough to move out of the delivery room, we’re quickly moved to a much nicer room in the hospital, and it’s a brief respite from the monotony that’s overtaken our days. I’m able to move most of my work from the palace to the hospital, though I do go back every so often to transfer files or spend some time with Tala. “It’s just a postpartum fever,” Doctor Danbury assured us initially, looking over her files with a wrinkled brow. “Queen Ivy, I know you’re feeling sensations right now unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before, but I promise it’s all a fairly natural–albeit unpleasant–aspect of the postpartum healing process. We’ve got you constantly monitored now. Just do your best to keep eating and drinking. The best you can do is build back your strength.” “Yes, Doctor,” Ivy said demurely. But as we exchanged dissatisfied glances, I could tell neither one of
Ivy’s POVAs I watch the former Lycan Queen hold my daughter, a strange sensation suddenly overtakes me. I let out a sharp gasp, grasping for Spencer’s hand immediately. I try to cling to it, but my grip is already beginning to slacken. Tiny black and white specks flash across my face like static. I can hear a faint ringing in my ears, a piercingly shrill whistle that feels like an ever-growing pressure just behind my eyes. Goosebumps ripple across my skin, and all the residual pain I’ve felt from childbirth suddenly seems to intensify. But more than anything else, I feel like I’m on fire. It’s as though hot coals have been set ablaze just underneath my skin, like I’m crisping up and sweltering in the overwhelming heat. I groan, doubling over in pain as the heat persists. “Ivy?” Spencer asks urgently, immediately doing his best to prop me up. I keep slackening against his grasp, though. “Ivy, what’s wrong?” I do my best to form words, but it’s as though my tongue is suddenly inca
Spencer’s POVAs I look down at my daughter, a love unlike anything I’ve ever felt before flows through me. It’s not different in its magnitude, but rather in its softness, its sweetness. The overwhelming sense of protectiveness that overtakes me. My young daughter, my beautiful Tala. I want to take care of her day in and day out. To provide for everything she may need. To be there for her as long as I possibly can. Her soft, squishy cheeks, her pudgy fists grasping at nothing, the wisps of curly hair still plastered to her head…“Could I hold her, please?” I ask Ivy quietly. She beams up at me. “Of course!” I take a seat beside her in the hospital bed, careful not to jostle her or Tala too much as I do. The moment I’m seated comfortably, Ivy slowly places the little bundle of joy into my arms, and my heart feels like it’s about to overflow with all the love I’m feeling. “Oh,” I whisper softly, tears forming in the corners of my eyes. I smile gently at Tala, brushing one finger ag
Spencer’s POV“So is the baby okay?” I ask the question frantically, watching both Ivy and the infant in fear that something could go wrong at any instant. The image laid out before me is peaceful–Ivy is cradling our child in both arms, rocking her back and forth and humming and whispering sweet nothings against her baby curls. Most of the blood has been wiped from the infant’s pudgy body, and she’s sleeping now, all curled up in her fuzzy pink blanket. But I can’t shake the lingering feeling that something is terribly, horribly wrong. Doctor Danbury shrugs. “Honestly, if I didn’t know she was about twenty-eight weeks early, I wouldn’t have known,” she replies. “Her vitals are healthy, her breathing is good, she’s an appropriate weight and size… this was pretty much the ideal scenario for childbirth, save for the fact that it happened directly after your wedding. I can’t promise anything going forward, but right now, you have a perfectly healthy baby girl.” “But how did this… happ