Ivy's POVI want to tell Spencer to let me die, but if I do, I’ll doom us both. I find myself trembling as Alpha Jameson’s claws dig into my throat. My pulse sings against his claws, almost like a taunt. I can feel the skin stretched dangerously thin, so close to breaking I can feel my life balancing on a knife’s edge. I hate how vulnerable I am. I hate how vulnerable Spencer is because of it. If the situation were different, I’d lay down my life for him in a heartbeat. Everyone knows his life is immeasurably more valuable than mine. But I don’t even have the option of sacrificing myself for Spencer anymore. I understand the Blood Oath Ceremony well enough to know that our lives are bound together in such a way that if I were to die, Spencer would become a shell of himself–almost certainly dooming him to a quick death on the battlefield. I want to sob, but I’m terrified that moving will kill me instantly. Why do I always drag down the people I love? Why do I keep hurting them? Is
Ivy's POVEvery eye outside the pack house is locked onto Prince Spencer, breaths held in anticipation of his next move. Alpha Jameson grips me tighter, squeezing at my neck so hard my breath comes in strangled gasps. I can feel the tense fear in his stance. He’s well aware of the lines he crossed, the point of no return. He’s gone too far, and he knows it. No one has any idea what Spencer is about to do next. Standing a couple dozen meters away from Alpha Jameson and I, Spencer’s silhouette seems to melt into the night as though he’s made completely of shadows. His eyes pierce the darkness like blades, expression cold and inscrutable. With blood on his hands and that horrifying steely glint to his eye, he looks well deserving of his title as the God of Death. Everyone here should be afraid of what’s to come. “Ha!” Suddenly, Spencer lets out a disdainful laugh. Alpha Jameson jolts at the sound. His hand starts to tremble ever so slightly on my neck. As happy as I am to see Alp
Ivy's POVElder Jet quickly ducks behind Alpha Leo and several other werewolves like the coward he is. Still standing near Alpha Jameson, I follow Elder Jet’s movements with my eyes, bracing myself for whatever his next move is. Alpha Jameson–as I've already been able to ascertain–may be burly, but he also seems like something of an idiot. Elder Jet isn’t so dim-witted, though, and I’m afraid of what his retaliation may look like. He fixes his shrewd gaze on Spencer, eyeing him with caution. I can almost hear the gears whirring in his mind as he plots out his next angle, some other way to make Spencer look like the villain even as his own warriors threaten the very life of his mate. Suddenly, his eyes gleam with a menacing light. My stomach twists. “Prince Spencer showed our warriors that very same disdain the day he killed them!” Elder Jet shouts, cupping his palms around his mouth to project his voice. He speaks with the passion and fury of a luminary, but I can tell he doesn’
Ivy's POVAll I can do is watch helplessly as the werewolf warriors begin to shift. Their muscles swell rapidly, thick bands of sinew contorting unnaturally underneath their clothes and armor. As the werewolves shift into their wolf forms–now a horrifying mass of twisted muscle and matted fur–they expand to nearly the size of Lycans. The chilling sound of bones twisting and grinding fills the air as their skeletons grow to accommodate their newly bulked-up bodies. As I watch the transformations, fear flooding my body, scenes of the werewolves who’d chased me and Princess Sylvia earlier flash through my mind. I remember their mindless bloodlust, their utter lack of any reason or logic. I understand now that while these werewolves may gain immense strength under the influence of the potions, they pay a steep price: their sanity. The red potions aren’t any sort of so-called secret weapon. They’re a poison that will ultimately destroy any werewolf who consumes them from the inside out
Ivy's POVBy the time I look back at where I’d just been standing, Spencer has already been surrounded by werewolves. He’s locked in fierce, chaotic battle. Screams and howls flood my ears inescapably, and my nose fills with the bitter iron tang of blood. As I watch Spencer fight, though, my gaze suddenly drifts to the golden pillar, where Alpha Jameson is slowly struggling to his feet. Alpha Jameson looks like he’s in terrible shape–blood leaks freely from his mouth, and his jaw is bruised and clearly broken. The pain in his expression is both horrifying to see and impossible to miss. His eyes are dazed, suggesting a concussion, and the limb with which he walks makes me think he’s broken quite a few bones. His gaze fixates on Spencer, and I can see the burning loathing he’s harboring. He seems to be muttering something under his breath–curling swears and curses at Spencer, no doubt. He seems hell-bent on a revenge so vicious it makes my stomach churn. Suddenly, Alpha Jameson’s ga
Ivy's POVI’m shocked to learn that someone as reckless and shameless as Alpha Jameson could have such a tragic past. But I also don’t believe that Spencer or anyone else in the Lycan Royal Family would betray their allies. While certain parts of his story ring true–I certainly don’t doubt that his parents were killed–the rest of the narrative seems highly implausible, especially the Lycan Royal Family’s involvement. And considering all the despicable lies Elder Jet has told so far…Well, his words can’t be trusted. I have a feeling that, like Alpha Leo, Alpha Jameson has been led terribly, terribly astray. “You’re lying, Jameson,” Gamma Everly cuts in sharply. There’s a bitterness to her expression as she looks at Alpha Jameson that I can’t quite place. “The Lycan Prince wouldn’t betray his allies. And you know that Elder Jet has spent his entire life trying to stir up conflict between the Lycan Royal Family and the werewolves–are you really going to let Elder Jet manipulate you?”
Ivy's POVIn just a split second, Alpha Jameson shifts into a monster. The transformation is uncannily quick this time–in a surge of muscle and flesh, all of a sudden a massive brown wolf stands before me with blood dripping from his fangs and murder in his endless eyes. Alpha Jameson shakes his head back and forth, clearly adjusting to his new, well-muscled form, and a chill runs down my spine when I see the ease with which he’s moving. It’s as though the red potion has cured all his injuries. Or–that’s not quite right. Looking at him a little more closely, I can still see the evidence of Alpha Jameson’s wounds, except they don’t seem to be hindering him anymore. The potions, full of power as they are, must have somehow numbed his pain. Alpha Jameson stands before me. I tremble, taking an involuntary step forward. His massive body is even larger than Gamma Everly’s. He throws his head back and roars, releasing a thunderous howl that echoes all his pent-up fury. I feel stunned b
Ivy's POVAlpha Leo looks shocked to find me sprinting through the middle of the battlefield. His gaze fixes onto me, lips pursed in confusion. He’s looking at me like a question he doesn’t quite know how to answer. I can tell that he’s weighing his options, and whatever he’s deciding seems to be quite the tough choice. Hoping I can slip past him before he makes up his mind, I do my best to step around him, but he quickly mirrors my motion, blocking me off. My heart sinks. But deep down, Alpha Leo seems like a kind soul. Maybe all hope isn’t lost. After all, he hasn’t tried to grab me yet. “Leo, please,” I beg. My instincts are telling me that Alpha Leo isn’t a cruel person–on the contrary, he seems to be upright and kind-hearted, just led astray but Elder Jet’s scheming. But even in the middle of combat, I can see those glimmers of a good person shining through the battle-hardened rebel personal Elder Jet has forced onto him from what I assume was quite a young age. At this po