Ivy's POVI’ve never been more grateful for Beta Wilson’s presence than I am at this moment. I allow myself to lean on Beta Wilson as I regain my bearings. My back is still bleeding, and the muscles in my legs and stomach burn in agony, worn and overworked. My joints ache and creak. I breathe in and out slowly, trying to sort myself out. Something about seeing me in his arms causes Princess Sylvia’s facade to slip entirely. She fixes Beta Wilson and I with a look of profound hatred, and I quickly realize what this is all about. Princess Sylvia is jealous of me. Her reasoning is absolutely ridiculous, of course. I certainly have no intentions of stealing Beta Wilson away from her, and he doesn’t seem to have any feelings for me. We could be friends, maybe, but certainly not lovers. There’s nothing between us–my heart belongs to Spencer. I just wish Sylvia would stop taking out all her frustrations on me. “What are you doing, Sylvia?” Beta Wilson asks with a disappointed shake of
Ivy's POVBeta Wilson looks utterly heartbroken as he leads us away from Princess Sylvia’s chambers. “Let’s go to the garden,” he suggests quietly, moving quickly through the hallways. “I need to… I need to clear my head.”I nod in agreement, allowing him to guide the two of us to the palace gardens. As we step into the lush mazes of roses and lilies, past terraces dripping with wisteria and fountains sending gorgeous arcs of water into the sky, a strange sort of calm seems to settle over both of us. We walk between archways and fruit trees laden heavily with fruit for a bit, but soon, the muscles in my legs start to protest. Still sore from everything the maids and Princess Sylvia put me through, I take a seat on a stone bench beneath an orange tree. The sweet scent of citrus envelops us. “Beta Wilson,” I say carefully, “Can I ask you something… direct?”“Go right ahead,” he replies with a defeated sigh. “Do you love Princess Sylvia?”Beta Wilson’s mouth falls open in shock, expr
Spencer's POVThe two rebel packs aren’t too far from each other. Which makes them a fearsome foe, perhaps, but also makes for light travel. Gamma Everly and I, along with the rest of the warriors, stop our travels about ten kilometers from the first pack’s border. “We’ll camp here!” I call out to my warriors, surveying the landscape. We’re at the base of a small hill–not so tall the rebels would get the upper hand on us if they attacked, but tall enough to block us from being immediately detected. The woods nearby are lush with life and should provide easy hunting so we can travel light without having to worry too much about rations. Judging by the current angle of the wind, the smoke from our fires shouldn’t drift towards the rebel pack. All in all, it’s the perfect place to begin our siege. “Prepare for a lengthy campaign, men,” I say, gaze sweeping across our makeshift campsite already beginning construction. “This area will serve as our base for rest and training. We’ll dra
Spencer's POVI find Gamma Everly in the middle of the camp, surrounded by a swarm of warriors. “Make way,” I commanded immediately, pushing through the crowd. As I approach her, I can’t see any visible injuries, but her expression is one of profound shock. I narrow my eyes, examining Gamma Everly a bit more closely. Shock is exceptionally unusual for her–the more I look at her, the more I realize I’ve never seen her look this rattled before. I’ve fought alongside her countless times, and haven’t seen her usual calm, wise, put-together attitude slip once. But Gamma Everly looks shaken to her very core. An underlying pressure seems to be seeping into the camp. This time, our enemy may be more formidable than anything we’ve faced before. “Are you alright?” I ask Gamma Everly softly. She nods once. “May I speak privately with you, Your Highness?”“Of course.” Gamma Everly brushes herself off once, as though trying to rid herself of the memories of everything she’s seen, before st
Ivy's POV“I’ve scheduled you for a medical checkup!”I look up at Princess Sylvia in annoyance as she storms into my chambers, arms crossed impatiently over her chest. She stares down at me as though waiting for something. “Who let you in here?” I mutter, stretching out slowly on the loveseat. “A maid. I’m the Lycan Princess, remember? I go where I want,” the princess boasts, tapping her foot impatiently. “Now get moving.” “Which room is it in?” I ask, standing up. “I can head there myself when it’s time.”Princess Sylvia grins. “Oh, it’s not in the palace.”My stomach falls. “I… don’t know, Your Highness,” I say carefully, sitting back down. “My wounds aren’t all that bad, and the medicine has been working. I don’t need a checkup.”The princess scoffs. “It’s not for your wounds. Since you’re Spencer’s mate and potentially the bearer of his heir, it’s crucial that you’re in good health. But because you don’t have a wolf, and Moon Goddess knows what else is wrong with you, it’s im
Ivy's POV“No one is coming to rescue you.”The princess is right, is the worst part. I agree with Princess Sylvia completely: no one will be able to rescue me. But that doesn’t mean I can’t rescue myself. My chances may be positively abysmal. I don’t have an inner wolf anymore, and I’m not particularly skilled in combat, but I’d certai\nl\y p]ucked -up at few tricks from my father over the years. I’m not about to let Princess Sylvia’s scheme succeed without putting up a fight. I won’t give up easily. I have to try. I curl my hands into fists as I climb to my feet, staring the princess in the eyes. As I’m still figuring out potential ways to escape, though, a massive black SUV rams into the car in front of us, taking the maids with it. Princess Sylvia and I leap back in shock, looking up at the huge vehicle in shock. Wordlessly, we duck into a cluster of bushes at the base of the mountain. A silent understanding passes between us: we’ll go back to dealing with our problems aft
Ivy's POV“Follow me!”Princess Sylvia’s voice crackles through the woods like a gunshot as she roars the words at me. She flees quickly into the nearby treeline with perfect grace and impossible swiftness, leaving me following her close behind. I can hear the heavy footsteps of the attacking werewolves as they chase after us, crushing twigs and leaves underfoot. They whoop and holler and roar as they pursue us, acting like they own these woods. Clearly, they’re not worried about anyone else being able to detect us. Where are we?I’m not sure how long we run before my stamina begins to wane. My muscles burn, and my lungs are screaming for a break. Every inch of my body is wracked with excruciating pain and exhaustion. My heart feels like it’s about to beat out of my chest. My steps start to slow, and I find myself lagging behind the princess. “Hurry up!” Princess Sylvia hisses at me, rounding a sharp bend and pulling us into a dense patch of trees. “I… I can’t…” I trail off and st
Ivy's POVAt first, Princess Sylvia’s Lycan Aura seems to be working. But it’s not long before the cracks begin to show themselves. Slowly, shakily, the werewolves all reach into an inner coat pocket and pull out small red vials. I don’t know what they are, but just seeing them makes me feel uneasy. “What’s happening?” I whisper to Princess Sylvia, but she’s too distracted by maintaining the power of her Lycan Aura to answer me. Princess Sylvia glares at the werewolves, face gone red as she continues to hold up the aura. The burly werewolves all down their red potions simultaneously, one of them looking up at me and winking. My stomach curdles. Princess Sylvia’s hold on them slips away suddenly, and they climb back up to their feet without hesitation, something wicked and corrupted glinting in their eyes. The werewolves all turn their muzzles up to the sky, suddenly howling up into the air like madmen. Their powerful roars fill the woods as their bodies begin to swell and conto
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