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
Ivy's POV“No!” I scream, rushing towards the fight, but it’s already too late. Princess Sylvia is splayed out helplessly on the ground, looking at the attacking werewolves fearfully as they circle around her fallen body. They lean in and bite at her, then pull away, clearly mocking the princess’s wounded state. Blood continues to pool from the wound on her leg in thick rivulets, and I can see that they’ve managed to bite through her muscle all the way to her bone. The look of pain on Princess Sylvia’s face is excruciating as her leg twitches weakly. I don’t think she’ll be able to stand again. The werewolves who’ve consumed the potions are extraordinarily strong, and Princess Sylvia is already covered in wounds and overexerted from all our running before. I can see the exhaustion etched onto her face. The cards are stacked against her. Like this, she’s no match for them. But even still, she does her best to fight back. “You cowards!” Princess Sylvia snarls, looking between the
Spencer's POVI’m planning my first attack when the surge of anxiety hits me. I let out an involuntary gasp, suddenly grasped by inexplicable panic. My eyes open wide, and I press a hand to my chest, not sure what to do with myself as the flash of worry slowly ebbs away. My heart, which had started racing out of the blue, slowly returns to its usual rhythm. I breathe out a slow sigh as I feel my nerves start to return to their usual steady state. I look around my tent cautiously for any sign of what could have triggered it, but I’m alone here, and if there was an attack outside one of my warriors would have mind-linked me. There’s nothing going on for me to be exceptionally worried about right now. And even if there were, as the powerful Lycan Prince, anxiety isn’t something I typically feel–certainly not in rough sudden flashes like that. Is it related to Ivy somehow? Ever since we performed the Blood Oath Ceremony together, I’ve been able to sense the changes in her mood more a
Spencer's POVAlthough I want to cut my enemy down the moment I see him, I trust Gamma Everly to handle the situation. Or, at least, I trust her enough to hold back for now. I crouch down in my spot in the bushes, completely hidden from view. Despite the distance and the sound of the river burbling, I can still hear the entire conversation thanks to my keen hearing. “–Please, Everly,” I can hear Alpha Jameson saying through the trees. His voice is gentle, pleading, but I don’t believe him for a second. “Ever since I first saw you in those woods, I’ve been utterly captivated by you. You’re my mate, even if you’re the Lycan Royal Family’s Gamma. I know you refused me the first time I asked, but you’re here now, just like I asked you to be, which means you’ve reconsidered. You’re fighting on the losing side of this battle. Join me, and let me make you my Luna.” “You make it sound awfully romantic,” Gamma Everly says flatly, raising an unimpressed eyebrow. “‘Ever since you first saw m
Spencer's POVThe werewolves circle Gamma Everly, ready to pounce on her all at once, but I’m not the slightest bit worried about her getting hurt. Still, I can’t help but frown as the werewolves set up their attack. While I’m not worried about Gamma Everly, the despicable nature of Alpha Jameson has me more disturbed than I’d like to admit. I believe that the mate-bond between Gamma Everly and Alpha Jameson is real–so for him to use it against her like that, in such a wicked way…It hints at his deeply twisted nature. Still, a dozen or so werewolf warriors are no match for Gamma Everly. “I wish I was surprised, Jameson,” Gamma Everly says with a sigh. “But if you think this is all it takes to defeat me, I guess you never really knew me at all.”I watch from the bushes as the warriors charge at Gamma Everly from all directions. Gamma Everly leaps into the air with an uncanny grace, a brilliant streak of cardinal red lighting up the sky as she flips in midair and twists around to es
Spencer's POVNow that they’ve consumed the red potions, Alpha Jameson’s warriors are even stronger than they were before. They all shift simultaneously, and I’m caught off guard by how large their shifted forms are–almost approaching the massive size of Lycans. They charge at Gamma Everly at once, barrelling towards her in an unrelenting mass of fur and claws and slavering fangs. Gamma Everly raises her fists in anticipation of the oncoming attack, but doesn’t shift. Still watching through the bushes, I smirk. Refusing to fight another werewolf in their wolf form is one of the greatest insults to a werewolf’s combat ability, and Alpha Jameson deserves to be thoroughly humiliated before we tear him to pieces. Gamma Everly moves in a blasting red streak, kicking and punching and weaving between the mass of wolf bodies charging towards her, but they’re even tougher opponents now than they were before. Under the relentless onslaught, Gamma Everly seems to waver ever so slightly. Whil
Spencer's POVWith Alpha Jameson gone, it doesn’t take much time to kill the few living werewolves that remain. I wash the blood off my hands in the riverbank, then head down the path Alpha Jameson used to flee. Ahead of me, I can see that Gamma Everly has caught up with him a ways down the riverbank. She moves swiftly down the edge of the water, heels kicking up flurries of dirt as she travels. I don’t know how she’s going to handle her mate-bond with Alpha Jameson, but I trust that she won’t betray the Lycan Royal Family. He offered her everything, and she turned it down. If she wanted to betray us, she would have. I know where her loyalties lie. Alpha Jameson is still running, but Gamma Everly runs up behind him and tackles him around the waist. In an instant, she has him completely pinned, pushing his face down into the dirt. She punches him in the face, and I can hear a rough cracking sound as blood starts to pour freely from his obviously-broken nose. “How could you do this
Ivy's POVThe werewolf attackers don’t seem to be able to move. I pause for a moment, watching them uncertainly, but it seems they heeded my command–when I said stop, they stopped. It’s as if they had no chance but to obey. Why? The question flashed through my mind briefly, but there was no time to ponder it.I walk towards them cautiously, picking past their claws and bloody muzzles as I approach Princess Sylvia–who’s losing blood at a frightening rate. She looks up at me through dazed, glassy eyes as I grab her around the waist and pull her into a bridal-style carry. The werewolves still aren’t moving. The princess’s clothes are sticky and wet with blood, a sensation that makes my skin crawl. Still, I hold onto her as tightly as I can, running quickly into the depths of the forest and. The night feels heavy and ominous as I sprint. The sound of rushing wind and my own desperate breathing fills my ears. I can almost hear my own heartbeat, that dull pulsing and thudding ringing
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