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
Ivy's POVSomehow, despite being possibly mortally wounded and bleeding out in the middle of nowhere, Princess Sylvia is able to bring everything back to her relationship issues. I can’t help but roll my eyes at her, grateful that the darkness will prevent her from seeing it clearly. In her words, I feel as though the rude spoiled princess from the palace has returned–the one who had me sent to the Werewolf Council and tried to torture me over a round of etiquette lessons. I don’t actually feel all that frustrated or afraid, though. It’s sort of relieving to catch a glimpse of the Sylvia I’m used to. If she has the energy and the capacity to be feisty, maybe the situation isn’t quite as bad as I thought. Maybe she’s actually got a chance of making it out of here alive“Beta Wilson does care about you,” I reassure Princess Sylvia gently, finding her shoulder through the darkness and squeezing it reassuringly. I think back to the conversation Wilson and I had in the garden. “Even if
Ivy's POV“I’ve got him!” Princess Sylvia whispers through the darkness. Her head lolls weakly, and she suddenly seems much less healthy than she did before. “What–what do I say?” My stomach plummets. I reach for the princess’s hand and squeeze it, then drop my fingers to her wrist to keep track of her pulse. It’s there, but seems weaker than I’d like. Princess Sylvia is in desperate need of medical attention. I don’t know how much time we have.“Tell him where we are,” I advise.“I don’t know where we are!”I grit my teeth. “Tell him the name of the area you wanted me to be imprisoned in, then, and tell him we’re hiding in an animal cave in the side of the mountain. That should help.”“Alright.” Princess Sylvia doesn’t even seem to have the decency to sound ashamed of her actions as she relays the information to Beta Wilson. “Tell him you’re injured, too,” I add. “He could probably bring us medical supplies–at the very least, something to help you with the pain.”“What pain? I’m
Ivy's POV“Because I don’t want Spencer to die!”My eyes widen at the princess’s confession. “What do you mean you don’t want Spencer to die?” I ask. “I thought me dying would only weaken him–are you telling me it would kill him?”Princess Sylvia sighs. “That part is true–in theory, it would only weaken him, because you’re his mate and you performed the Blood Oath Ceremony together. But the Lycan Royal Family is at war now, and Spencer is right there out on the battlefield. If you were to be killed, the pain it would bring Spencer could cost him his life in the heat of combat. Spencer is the Crown Prince, the future Lycan King. And I have to put my family first. So I had no choice but to try and save you.” I fall into stunned silence. Princess Sylvia smiles at me wryly, a bit of blood dribbling out of her mouth. “Does that upset you?” She asks. “To know I only saved you for the sake of the Lycan Royal Family?”“I don’t… I don’t know,” I manage, still stunned by her words. She chuck
Ivy’s POVAs I scan the battlefield impatiently, doing my best to figure out where I could be the most helpful, all I can see is need. Spencer’s announcement on how to best take down the rebel werewolves has certainly been incredibly beneficial to the Lycan warriors. As I watch the battle continue to play out, the warriors are now employing tactics more or less reliant on grace or dexterity to make sure they can have the upper hand as much as possible. And while it’s encouraging to see the warriors continuing to make the best of the situation they’re in, adapting to the difficulties of such ruthless and magically enhanced opponents, there’s still so much death here. The Lycan warriors are getting more and more exhausted with each second that passes, and one side effect of those blasted potions seems to be enhanced stamina. Despite all our efforts to make sure the warriors have as much support as possible to do what they need to do and conclude this battle once and for all, we’re sti
Spencer’s POVThe skin of Elder Jet’s throat splits like silk beneath my claws. The last sound he ever makes is a small gasp, as though even after everything he’s said about accepting his fate, he’s still somehow surprised that I’d actually do it. For just a few moments, blood gushes liberally from the ragged wound in his throat–his weak heart pumping out blood with its last bits of strength. But as soon as his heart gives out, the blood flow stops its torrent. I raise my gaze back up to Elder Jet’s face. I want to feel something as I look over him–the wounds marring his features, his matted, stained fur, the glassy lifelessness in his eyes–but I don’t feel a thing. I pull away from Elder Jet slowly, staring at his corpse splayed out on the grass. This is the man who tried to kill me. Who tried to kill Ivy. Who succeeded in killing my father. He’s twisted and manipulated the minds of countless young werewolves, many of whom are no doubt dead thanks to him. Every action in his miser
Spencer’s POVWhen I see Elder Jet pinned beneath Ivy’s strong hold, the first thing I feel is pride. Over the course of knowing her, I’ve seen Ivy reclaim her own strength and power against all odds. When no one else believed in her, she believed in herself, and she’s been able to accomplish amazing things because of it. The sight of her now, able to so easily control such a powerful and influential man despite having been teetering on the verge of death so long ago… I’m so proud of her. I stalk towards Ivy and Elder Jet with a bold grin. “Thank you for taking care of him, Ivy,” I say. “Would you like me to handle things from here?” “It would be my pleasure,” Ivy replies. She strikes him across the face–just once, swiftly and harshly enough to open up a rather sizeable welt on his upper right cheek. As Elder Jet is still reeling from the blow, Ivy releases her hold on him and allows me to take her place. Before Elder Jet can even register the switch, I’ve got him firmly in my gr
Ivy’s POVThe sensation of Elder Jet’s skin tearing beneath my claws is one of the best things I’ve felt in a long, long time. Elder Jet lets out a sharp cry of pain as my claws rip into him. I can feel hot splashes of blood splattering up onto me, and I only curl my talons deeper. Elder Jet’s cry bleeds into a shout as I rip my paw back, tearing a ragged hunk of flesh out of his shoulder. “You,” Elder Jet snarls, looking up at me with an expression of profound loathing as he curls his lip at me and takes a step back. “Me,” I repeat with a smug grin, shaking the bits of viscera out of my claws. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Gamma Everly doing her best to limp away. Elder Jet doesn’t pay her any mind, though. His gaze is focused on me like a laser, and I can tell I’m his only focus right now. “You should be dead right now,” Elder Jet stammers out. His speech is already starting to slur from the blood loss. “After that potion we gave you, after the injuries, after–I killed
Ivy’s POVThe moment Spencer gets tossed back into the throes of battle, I know the final wave of combat has begun. I don’t waste a moment before shifting into my wolf form. I can feel the familiar surge of power rushing through my body. Every flex of my muscles, every arch and twist of my graceful limbs seems to be crackling with barely-restrained strength. My fur is as white as pure snow right now, but I know it’s only a matter of time before it becomes stained pomegranate red. My razor-sharp fangs, sharp as knives, are bared menacingly as I look around expectantly and grin. “None of you could kill me!” I shout, muzzle turned upwards towards the sky. I let out a victorious howl. “No matter how hard you try, you can’t stop me!” I pad back and forth, feeling the clots of dirt beneath my paws. Out of the corner of my eye, I can spot the wrought-iron cage that was used to hold me. I lunge towards it, a growl rumbling in the base of my throat, and twist its metal bars until the cage i
Spencer’s POVAs I rise to my feet, I can feel the full effects of the Moon Goddess’s blessing, and I feel much better than I’ve felt in a long time. It’s odd–ever since this whole fiasco with Elder Jet began, I’ve felt myself constantly on edge. There's been a strange underlying tension to my life. Everything I’ve done in my mad scramble to protect Ivy, every bad decision, every misguided sacrifice I’ve done… All my actions, whether they were right or now, were the result of trying to dodge invisible looming threats. The threat isn’t invisible anymore, though–now, it’s everywhere I look. But there’s a sense of relief to that. I can tell that Elder Jet is finally giving his all now. He’s played every last card he has left to play. And as scary as that may be, considering the magnitude of the threat I’m up against now, I can also feel my resolve building. This is it. The end of the line. The final surge. If we can defeat Elder Jet now, we’ll never have to deal with him or any of h
Spencer’s POVThe battlefield is erupting into chaos all around me, but right now, all I can think about is how beautiful Ivy is. Thanks to the Moon Goddess’s blessing, she seems to be glowing now. There’s a light in her eyes, a fire that’s been ignited deep in her soul. I can sense the strength radiating through her. All her glory, all her grace, all her willingness to fight…I know what Ivy is capable of now, and I’m never going to underestimate her again. “How do we want to do this?” Ivy asks. Her gaze continues to dart around the battlefield frantically, and I can tell that she’s sizing everything up, trying to figure out the best way for our forces to win. I feel an odd sensation of pride, knowing that Ivy is now able to navigate this scene with tact and poise. I trust her instincts. I purse my lips, watching yet another one of my Lycan warriors get picked out by the group of potion-enhanced werewolf rebels. He puts up a fierce fight, but it’s too many opponents for him to fe
Ivy’s POVAs the last beautiful sliver of that eerie red moon vanishes behind the clouds, I suddenly become aware of the eerie silence that’s overtaken the entire battlefield. I look around slowly and am shocked by the sight before me. My lips are still tingling with warmth from the feeling of Spencer’s kiss, but my focus has shifted to the unsettling quiet of the battlefield. Everywhere I look, the combat has seemed to cease. Lycan warriors and rebels alike have gone still, gazes all fixed upon the sky with expressions of profound shock and wonderment. I can understand the sentiment–the blood red moon has been a wonderful thing to behold indeed. But enough to stop an entire battle? I squeeze Spencer’s hand to get his attention. “They’ve all stopped fighting,” I murmur to him. “What’s going on?” “I don’t know,” he replies. Spencer seems every bit as puzzled as I am, gaze flitting around the battlefield restlessly. I follow his focus, though it’s hard for me to dwell on the sight
Spencer’s POV“Spencer, wake up!” When I hear Ivy’s sweet, beautiful, familiar voice coming from above me, I can feel my heart swell with joy. My eyes snap open. Upon seeing Ivy, her hand gentle on my face, tears begin to well up in the corners of my eyes. I can see her starting to cry, too, face breaking out into a wide smile as she gazes at me with so much love it feels overpowering. “You’re okay,” she says softly, brushing her thumb against my skin. I nod slowly, placing my hand over hers and pressing her even further against me. “You’re okay,” I reply, looking up at her in disbelief. Illuminated by the bright red moonlight, she looks almost otherworldly. She should seem like a mess–her clothes are matted with blood and dirt, her hair is a disaster, and her eyes have this shattered, distant look to them. I can see what this battle has done to Ivy, the profound effects it’s had on her. But seeing her like this, awake, alive… She looks like the single most beautiful being in t