Ivy's POV“We need to move.”The words leave my mouth in a hiss. I scoop Princess Sylvia up into my arms, praying I’m not jostling her too badly as I look frantically around the cave for somewhere tucked-away to hide her. “What are you doing?” Princess Sylvia whispers angrily, pushing at my chest weakly. “Put me down!” “Fine.” I’ve already found where I need her to be anyway. I set her down behind a little stone outcropping that will hopefully conceal her from view, then grab a couple strewn-about sticks and leaves and scatter them nearby. My haphazard heap of materials mostly obscures the princess from immediate view, looking almost like the abandoned nest of some long-gone critter. I pray it’s enough to divert any attention away from her. The footsteps continue to shuffle around the woods, but I can’t quite manage to gauge their distance. “I’m gonna need you to be real quiet, now,” I whisper. My plan is simple: I’m going to use myself as a diversion to distract whoever’s out t
Ivy's POVBeta Wilson’s clothes are streaked with blood. I want to cry with relief upon seeing him here to rescue us, but I have to suppress them, knowing now isn’t the right moment. Because Beta Wilson’s clothes are streaked with blood, which means that something is very, very wrong. “What happened?” I ask, crawling out of the cave and leaning against the mountainside in shock. I look up at him. The blood splatter on his clothes looks like it was left by slashing wounds, and there’s so much of it I can’t tell if any of it is Beta Wilson’s. “Are you okay?” “I’m alright,” Beta Wilson assures me quickly. “But as I was searching the woods for you and the princess, I encountered a raging Lycan nearby. I tried to speak with him, but he was extremely aggressive, and ended up attacking me first. I had to fight him.” He lowers his head, somewhat ashamed. “I’ve never seen anything like it, Miss Ivy. Or–well. I’ve seen something like it once.”Beta Wilson averts his gaze, and I know he’s ta
Ivy's POV“We need to go.”I look up at Beta Wilson in surprise. He’s spent the past little while taking care of Princess Sylvia–applying bandages, cleaning out wounds, and speaking to her in a hushed voice–but there’s a concern to his voice now that takes me off guard. “We don’t know how many more enemies are out there,” Beta Wilson says. “I’ve managed to get the princess stabilized enough for transport now, but I don’t want to risk us staying here any longer.”I nod. I’m about to ask what our next steps are when suddenly I realize that Beta Wilson is here alone with us–there aren’t any more of our warriors in sight. “Why isn’t anyone with you, Beta Wilson?” I ask. “Where are the others?”“They’re on their way, but I scouted ahead,” he explains, scooping Princess Sylvia up into his arms. He cradles her head gently, brushing his fingers through her matted hair, and walks towards the cave entrance. “I was worried about their safety, so I figured I’d have a look around first. I’d only
Ivy's POV“Take her.” Beta Wilson rushes over to me as the two werewolf warriors advance on us, pressing us closer and closer together. They grin as they circle us, clearly confident they’ve got their prey cornered. I gasp as Beta Wilson hoists Princess Sylvia into my arms. He turns his sharp gaze to the enemies in front of us, sizing them up warily. The princess’s body feels heavy in my arms, damp with sweat and blood. Her eyes are shut, moving back and forth rapidly behind closed eyelids. Her skin is ghostly pale and glossy. Her lips open and close, murmuring words no one can understand. She’s clearly fallen unconscious, well beyond reach now. She’s burning red-hot with fever. The moment Princess Sylvia is out of his hands, Beta Wilson steps away and shifts into a large brown wolf. With a roar that shakes the treetops, Beta Wilson launches himself into combat, hurling himself at the first werewolf in a flurry of fangs and snapping teeth. The sounds of battle quickly fill the ai
Ivy's POVThe pain never comes. I crack an eye open, surprised that the enemy’s claws haven’t landed on me. As the enemy frantically swings his massive paw towards me, claws out, a mysterious gray wolf suddenly lunges towards me and knocks the enemy away. I scream, stumbling backwards at the sight of the wolf. He doesn’t even bat an eye at me, taking advantage of the enemy werewolf’s disorientation. His jaws lock around the werewolf’s throat, and in an instant, he’s dead. Blood splatters onto the gray wolf’s fur, but he doesn’t seem concerned with it in the slightest. I lock eyes with Beta Wilson. ‘Who is he?’ I mouth. ‘No idea,’ Beta Wilson mouths back. The gray wolf shifts fluidly into his human form–tall and broad-shouldered, with tousled black hair and piercing hazel eyes. He doesn’t spare myself or Beta Wilson a second glance, turning instead to the deceased wolf lying at his feet. “Useless trash!” He spits at the fallen enemy, snarling viciously. “Even with the potion’s he
Ivy's POVThe moment I step out from the bushes, the gray wolf’s eyes lock onto me with the intensity of a thousand suns. “There you are,” he says, voice suddenly as slickly smooth as oil and honey. I start to tremble, taking a step back in fear. As I do, though, he takes another step towards me. I look back at Princess Sylvia–the weak rise and fall of her chest, the unconscious slump of her body in Beta Wilson’s arms, the blood that’s stained her clothes so red they look black. The sight of her strengthens my resolve. I return my gaze to the strange man, steeling myself for whatever is to come. “Is your promise genuine?” I ask the stranger. My voice sounds frail and small as it drifts through the cold night air. “Will you spare them?”“Oh, I’m not interested in anyone else. I only want you.”The gray wolf looks me up and down, and I find myself resisting the urge to shrink back again. I don’t know what this stranger wants with me, but I’m all out of options at this moment–Prince
Ivy's POVAs we walk through the dark woods, I find myself trailing behind Alpha Leo.It’s not my intention to move slowly–I’m completely and utterly lost in thought, a storm of anxiety racing through my mind. I’m worried about Princess Sylvia, about Spencer out there on the battlefield up against who knows what, about Alpha Leo and what he may have in store for me. The unknowns are building up to an excruciating high. The more stressed I get, the more my gaze lingers on the dark trees surrounding me, and my feet move slower and slower along the forest floor. Alpha Leo looks back at me in mild annoyance, tugging my arm to indicate I need to pick up the pace. “Hurry up,” he complains, rolling his eyes. “Do you really think you’ll be able to escape? Please. Quit wasting your energy scheming and just follow me.”Alpha Leo’s words catch me off-guard, and suddenly, I find myself frozen in place. “I wasn’t scheming–”My words die in my mouth as, in a split second, Alpha Leo shifts fluidly
Ivy's POVWhile I’m still reeling from Elder Jet’s presence, another man steps out of the pack house and walks up behind him. I narrow my eyes at the other man. His hair is light brown and cut short against his scalp, and there’s a steeliness in his frosty blue gaze that makes me inherently mistrustful of him. Despite the clearly over-exaggerated swagger he walks with, he looks remarkably worse for wear–a purple patchwork of bruises mars his face, and his nose has clearly been broken. I wonder if the awkward attempted bravado in his gait is a failing attempt to hide a limp or some other sort of injury. While I don’t recognize him, something in the way he moves suggests a similar amount of inherent power to what I’ve seen from Alpha Leo. Another Alpha, surely. And considering his presence here, among Alpha Leo and Elder Jet, I’d say it’s safe to assume he’s the Alpha of the other pack that betrayed the Lycan Royal Family. The other Alpha quickly surpasses Elder Jet, stalking towar
Spencer's POV“Attack from behind!” My command ripples sharply through my troops. Before Elder jet’s forces even get the chance to pull away from the reserve forces and focus their attention where it’s really needed, The rest of the world slips away as I launch myself into the mass of rebel werewolves. My claws slash wildly, finding purchase in every direction. The thick smell of blood is quick to overtake the air as the battle begins in full force. Of course, as I push through the battlefield, I’m trying to take out as many of the rogue werewolves as possible. But beneath it all, there’s a single goal raging in my heart like a wildfire. I have to find Ivy. I don’t know what the odds are that Elder Jet or anyone else would have brought her here. But for all my trying, I can’t sense her. I can’t mind link her. Our mate bond, which was only ever strengthened by the Blood Oath Ceremony, has been guiding me on like a lighthouse ever since I met Ivy. To have it dimmed so suddenly has
Spencer's POVAs the entire Lycan Army begins to tiptoe through the forest, I’m convinced that almost every warrior among us is a spy. It’s not a rational series of fears, I know. But after everything that’s happened, it’s hard to abandon them. Every misstep a soldier makes, every stepped-upon branch or heavy-footed tread on dead leaves, every clank of armour upon armour–with every sound, I’m certain beyond logic that it’s just another attempt to clue our enemies into our location. ‘We’re almost back at the barracks,’ Gamma Everly tells me over the mind link, giving me a furtive glance. I raise an eyebrow and examine our surroundings. True to her word, she’s done an excellent job of taking us around the woods in a way that we normally wouldn’t go, so that any of the traitors in our midst wouldn’t be able to determine our final location. As I look over the treeline, however, I begin to recognize familiar dips and ridges, and a faint flickering torchlight just beyond our view. There
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