Spencer's POV“Is Miss Ivy Bell your mate?”My father’s face darkens in disappointment as he asks the question. I know he already knows the answer. He just wants to hear it from me. His hands grip the sides of his chair angrily, knuckles white. I can feel just how enraged he is even at the mere prospect. No Lycan Prince should be with a lowly girl like Ivy, and we both know it. And yet, here we are. “She is,” I admit, looking him squarely in the eyes. My father sighs, rubbing his temples with one hand. He glowers down at me. “Have you gone mad? Why did you lie to me about this, Spencer?” He asks in frustration. “I had no intention of actually acting upon our Mate Bond,” I explain calmly. “I wasn’t planning on holding any sort of Mate Ceremony. While it’s true that Ivy is my mate, I figured nothing else in my life would change–she would simply remain by my side. And so, as far as anyone was concerned, no one else needed to know. Not even her.”It’s strange to think–I mean what I’m
Ivy's POVThe maids don’t seem to have any intention of treating me well as they escort me through the palace. They sneer and glower at me, pulling me along harshly. My body is still weak from everything that happened in the Werewolf Council’s halls, and I find myself stumbling along, disoriented, as they continue to drag me forwards.At least they let me get changed before they dragged me out of the hospital room. Still, though, the thin paper gown leaves me far more revealed and vulnerable than I’d like to be. I haven’t endured such a cruel treatment from the palace staff since Spencer made me his personal maid. Which means that something in my standing must have changed. Fear seeps into me as the maids bring me to the doors of a luxurious hall. Two of them pull the doors open, revealing stunning royal chambers. A regal middle-aged woman sits in the middle of the room, lounging on a gilded gold throne. She’s clearly been waiting for me. The maids throw me to the ground. I cry
Ivy's POVEven though I’d never even imagined becoming Spencer’s Luna, the Lycan Queen’s rejection still stings. Only since my father’s death have I truly realized just how much malice exists in the world. Once, I’d been my father’s pride and joy, the crown jewel of my pack–cherished and pampered and adored from such a young age. But now, there’s no one on my side. I have to face these challenges alone. The maid’s whip lands on the already-bleeding wounds, causing me to gasp sharply again. Thinking about Spencer makes me feel a bit better, though. Even just imagining him is something of a comfort. I fight the urge to scream at the queen. I won’t give her the satisfaction. “I never thought I could… become Spencer’s Luna…” The gaps between my words are interspersed with sharp hisses. “But I am his mate. The choice of who his Luna is should be made by Spencer himself…”The queen narrows her eyes at me in anger, and I feel proud of my small rebellion. No doubt she had hoped to see m
Ivy's POV“You won’t kill her, Mother.”Spencer’s defiant command rattles around the hall, causing the queen’s face to tighten with rage. How many more orders can he defy for me? My gaze shifts nervously towards the maids and their whips, wounds aching even more at the sight of them. I know the maids won’t dare attack me with Spencer in the room, but if somehow he ends up leaving… I shiver and try to tear my thoughts away from worst-case scenarios, returning my focus to the Lycan Queen. “You are being insubordinate, Spencer!” She shouts. “Although you may be my son and the Crown Prince, you have no right to disobey me over and over again. She will die today.”I tremble in Spencer’s arms, but he still looks completely unfazed. “We’ve sworn a Blood Oath together,” Spencer says calmly. A Blood Oath. What is that? Spencer’s voice may not be raised, but it crackles through the hall like a thunderclap, causing the queen to shrink back into her chair in shock. A pair of maids step fo
Ivy's POVThe room is empty except for Spencer and I.Spencer lays me down gently on his bed and starts to remove my hospital gown. I find myself blushing, body heating up. “Wait,” I say suddenly. I know we’ve been… intimate before. And considering the deep wounds biting into my back, I’m sure he’s only trying to see how I’m doing. And yet, I still find myself embarrassed about undressing in front of him. My gaze drops to the bottle of ointment in his hand. He’s only trying to heal me. “Just apply the medicine, please,” I say shyly. “You don’t… you don’t have to…” I trail off, not quite sure how to finish the sentence. Spencer raises an eyebrow. “No saliva this time?” He asks, clearly picking up where I left off. My face flushes. “Yeah,” I reply, nodding slightly. “As you wish.” Spencer’s voice is gentlemanly, but his smirk says otherwise. I lay down on my stomach as he gingerly peels away the thin fabric. The cold air feels good against my injuries. Soothing, almost. When hi
Ivy's POVA pack rebellion is a serious matter. Let alone two. I pull away from Spencer abruptly, sitting up straight on his bed and pulling my hospital gown back on. “I can take care of my injuries myself,” I insist quickly. “Go take care of everything you need to handle.” Spencer hesitates for a moment before nodding. My determination is, after all, impossible to ignore, and I refuse to get in the way of his role as Prince any more than I already have. He squeezes his eyes shut for a moment, clearly sending a mind link. Moments later, a pair of maids bustle into the room, first aid supplies in hand. My heart freezes upon seeing the maids, already wondering what they’re planning on doing to me. I’ve had too many bad experiences with the maids of this palace. Noticing my worry, Spencer quickly glares at them. “If either of you do her any harm, I’ll have you both executed the moment I get back,” he growls at them. The maids’ eyes widen quickly. “Yes, Your Highness,” one of them
Ivy's POVI’ve never seen such a valiant she-wolf in my life. I can’t stop looking at her. Can’t tear my gaze away. Dressed in polished, shining red armor, she looks like the perfect picture of a blazing fire–brilliant and striking. Her long, raven-black hair is pulled into a sleek high ponytail, revealing a sharply defined face with determined eyes that pierce like an eagle’s.As she talks with Spencer, pacing back and forth, her movements are steady and graceful. Each action is packed with an uncanny grace. Her steel-toed combat boots make a commanding clank on the ground, as though declaring her resolve with every step. Dangling from a bejeweled sheath at her hip is a wickedly sharp longsword, a few inches of exposed blade glinting in the sunlight. Everything about her evokes awe. She must be a warrior. But who is she? I watch her proud stance and domineering presence with wide eyes, feeling a profound sense of respect as I look at her. Suddenly, Spencer’s gaze latches onto
Ivy's POVWhen the warrior approaches us, strong features etched into the picture of concern, I know something’s gone wrong. “Apologies for intruding, Beta Wilson,” the warrior says, nodding his head ever so slightly. “But I’ve just received word from the prison that inmate Veronica Kent has been causing a fuss. She’s been demanding to see you.”My stomach twists. What could Veronica possibly want?Beta Wilson sets his jaw. “Before I speak to anyone else, I must escort Miss Ivy to her room.” “No, it’s alright,” I say quickly. I’m tired of being fussed after. I just want to go to my room and recover in peace. “Go handle your business. I can get back to my chambers on my own. As twisted as these halls are, I’m getting the hang of it.” I grin wryly, already turning away from Beta Wilson. “As you wish,” he says after a moment’s hesitation, allowing the warrior to lead him away. I start to wander down the hallways on my own. I’m happy to find that my words before weren’t a lie–I really
Spencer's POVJust as Gamma Everly are about to return to the troops to lead them onward, Wilson’s voice crackles through my mind. I freeze in place as his words echo through my head, an almost imperceptible tinge of panic to them. ‘Prince Spencer, Elder Jet’s forces are heading towards the barracks,’ Wilson warns. ‘They’re advancing rapidly. We’ve got the reserve forces stationed here, but he…’ For the first time in my life, I can hear a tremor in Wilson’s voice. ‘He’s bringing his entire army, and it’s massive.’ ‘We’ll be back soon, Wilson,’ I assure him quickly. ‘How far away is Elder Jet and the rest of them?’ ‘They’re still only visible from the watchtower, but I think they’ll be in our line of sight soon,’ Wilson replies. ‘We’re willing to do whatever it takes to defend the palace, but what if…’ ‘What if it’s not enough?’ ‘Exactly,’ Wilson says softly. I grab Gamma Everly’s arm. “We need to go back to the barracks now,” I hiss at her quietly. “Get everyone moving, but don’
Spencer's POV“Keep this to yourselves.” The words spring from my mouth like a gunshot as I look between all the warriors who’d followed me into this small segment of the woods. I fix each of them with a harsh, steely glare, sharp as a knife, until they all nod once. At this point, I have no idea who I can trust. It seems as though virtually everyone I’ve encountered by now has let me down. But the trembling of the three warriors is enough for me to believe that they won’t be able to do anything too bad for the time being. Before any of the warriors can question my order or ask any questions, I quickly turn on my heal and make my way out of the clearing without sparing the bodies so much as a second glance. This area isn’t important–I can tell by the blood tracks on the ground that the bodies were dragged here. This wasn’t where the warriors were slaughtered. I’m a bit worried by how easily they seem to have been slaughtered–the depths of their wounds points to quick, brutal kills
Spencer's POV“We need to return to the palace!” My thunderous command tears through the ranks of soldiers, and in mere instants, the entire army has begun marching all the way back in the direction of the palace. Gamma Everly and Alpha Leo bring up the head, but I linger near the back, frantically getting in touch with Wilson. ‘Are you at the palace?’ I ask him. His response is quick. ‘Sylvia and I are stationed at the front doors, Your Highness. We’ve also got all the guards ready to defend the palace as soon as it’s necessary.’‘Well done, Wilson,’ I say. ‘I’ve got another task at hand for you, though. The rogue werewolves have just attempted to lead the entire Lycan Army out into the middle of the woods–likely to leave the barracks, and thus an entrance to the palace, undefended. Fortunately we’ve still got reserve soldiers stationed there. I need you to head to the barracks, investigate the scene, and mobilize the reserve soldiers as needed. Can you do that?’ ‘Of course, Prin
Spencer's POV“Don’t trust him!”The words burst out of Alpha Leo’s mouth in a jumbled rush as he comes to a stop in front of Gamma Everly and I. He doubles over in exhaustion, hands resting on his knees. His breath comes in ragged, wheezing gasps, clearly plagued by trauma to his lungs. I can still see him suffering from the remnants of his injuries from earlier today—no doubt they’ve slowed him down considerably. I raise an eyebrow, studying Alpha Leo intently. “Don’t trust who?” I ask. “The—the centurion!” He gasps out. There’s a faint wheeze tugging at the edge of Alpha Leo’s breath. He stands up slowly, spine popping. “The man who… who told you to come here—he’s not who he said he is.”I breathe out a slow sigh. As much as I’d hoped Alpha Leo would have more positive news to bring, Alpha Leo’s words are only confirming what I’ve previously assumed, much to my disappointment. “How do you know this?” I ask. “I saw him emerge from the edge of the woods while I was at the watchto
Spencer's POVAs I lead my warriors boldly into the night, I feel more determined than I’ve ever felt before. I'm well accustomed to hatred. To loathing. To the sort of burning fury that aches like hot coals in the pit of my stomach, a relentless pain that consumes my every waking thought. Such anger is not unfamiliar to me. But the sheer volume of it I’m experiencing now, knowing that Elder Jet is out there somewhere holding Ivy hostage and hoping to topple the entire Lycian Kingdom in one fell swoop…A quick death would be too kind a fate for Elder Jet. I want to pick him apart slowly and excruciatingly. I want to feel his blood between my fingers and to hear every scream of agony. I want to invent new depths of suffering just for him. “Be ready, soldiers!” I say, keeping my voice hushed as I look back at my army. Gamma Everly and I are leading the troops onward. We move silently and swiftly, scanning the trees for any signs of threat. The trees are tall, branches stretching upw
Spencer's POVNow that we know how we want to move forward, things are quick to fall into place. The centurion who gave us the tip has fallen out of sight completely–I’m assuming that by now he’s getting the medical treatment he needs. I’ve mind linked all the surviving centurions to bring their search parties back to the barracks, too, and now I’m just watching the last remaining warriors trickle back into our camp. The plan is simple. We aim to strike first, and to strike with such overwhelming brute force that no matter his schemes, Elder Jet will be left completely and utterly unable to recover. “If we move through the woods along here, I think we can follow the natural curve of the river without detection,” Gamma Everly says slowly. She traces her fingers along the map and shows me her outlined path. “There’s enough space for all of us to move around the region relatively freely, but the topography will make it harder to corner us. We could use their camp location to our advan
Spencer's POV“What happened?” I reach down and grab the fallen centurion’s shoulder firmly. Beneath my fingertips, the fabric at the joints of his armour is thick and bloody, and the warrior groans as I make contact. He’s not dead yet, though, and that gives me hope. With a little help from Gamma Everly, the two of us manage to bring the man up into a sitting position. He’s moving slowly and unsteadily, eyes clouded with unforetold terrors. I can see his limbs tremble and shake, the clear difficulty of every moment. “I… I was out surveying the area…” the centurion murmurs slowly. “And I was–and there was–” I still can’t see the full details of his face, but beneath his mask, his gaze is darting back and and forth anxiously. “It’s okay,” I tell him. “You’re safe here now.” Comforting people certainly isn’t my strong suit, but he has the information I need. And besides, it feels like something Ivy would do. She’d speak to him softly, gently. She’d nurture him carefully. She’d ma
Spencer's POV“What do you need me to do?” Alpha Leo’s expression is solemn as he faces me. All at once, I can see just how deeply he’s changed over the course of today–just earlier this morning, he was breaking out of our dungeon, not caring who he killed or whose lives he drastically affected. He was ready to return to a wicked, traitorous man and help him take us all down. But now Alpha Jet looks at me with respect and admiration. There’s still a lot more work to do, but he’s reckoned with Elder Jet’s fundamental evils and cruelties. He’s not just ready to change–he’s at a point where he’s more than willing. I smile at him, taking his question as confirmation that he would indeed be interested in aiding the Lycan Army. I point to a large building on stilts right near the back of the barracks. Alpha Leo follows my gesture with his eyes, tilting his head in confusion as he looks the structure over carefully. “Is that… a grain silo?” He asks. I smile. “We’ve got a herd of cattle
Spencer's POVAs the centurions lead their recruited parties out into the distant woods, I can feel the cold hand of horror slowly clamping around my heart. Of course, my main goal with sending out these search parties is to determine just how much of a threat Elder Jet truly is right now. Of course that’s what I’m trying to do. But in sending out all of these patrols, there’s something else I may be able to figure out, too. I’m hoping against hope that one of the parties will be able to figure out where Ivy is. But with that hope, there’s fear, too. What if they find Ivy, but it’s too late? What if all I can rescue now is her corpse? Or what if she’s alive, but broken and hurt beyond measure? I don’t want to see her injured. She’s been through so much–I don’t know how many more traumas she can take. Especially with the baby. Oh, Moon Goddess above, please protect Ivy and my baby. The warriors that aren’t members of any of the search parties spread through the forest, lying in