Arina's pov We had spent the most pleasurable night together only to face the worst morning. I couldn't say anything. It was as if the moment Rick walked in my voice and thoughts were taken from me. When he said Aella was his mate, I felt a fire burn within me. Anger ran cold through my blood. Ever since the day Eleni and Rick came, Aella had been distant. She hardly left her room and now it made sense. This entire time she was hiding this from us, but she didn't have to. We could have been better prepared had she told us. The moment everyone started to shift I felt I had to do everything to protect my family. I gave Zakara full control and felt a surge of power break free. I knew Alexandre was a Fire element, Dad was an Earth element and Bryan had Wind. Zakara being the Delvhen wolf and controlling all five elements could project any element needed at that moment. She predicted her earth element onto all of them, giving them her power. It helped but not like we thought it would. Ae
Arina's POV The drive back was longer than I expected. What was only six hours felt like an eternity. We stopped just outside the pack border, the same place we had left that night. I chuckled at the memory thinking about how ironic this was to end up right back where I started. I looked up at the night sky and glanced at the moon. What had started as a journey of fear and uncertainty had ended up being an adventure of self-discovery. I realized that this journey had shown me the beauty of life. I also realized how, no matter how dark things may seem, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. I was grateful for the experience and vowed to never take life for granted but I was also scared. I was scared of the things that were to come that I couldn't foresee. Alexandre was quiet the entire drive. I could tell he was lost in his own thoughts and from time to time I would notice his knuckles would turn white from his grip on the steering wheel, his face would contort in anger and
From Arina's POV He stood in front of me, concerned in his eyes. I suddenly felt ashamed and embarrassed but my father was right. I needed him to know. Taking a deep breath I looked at him as tears fell from my face "The last time I was in this room was when my mother, Eleni, beat me half to death." I looked up at Alexandre. "This is my room," I said in a low and timid voice. Alexandre's expression never changed, anger written all over it, his ocean blue eyes now onyx indicating that D'Artagnan was now present. I could feel my heart racing as I waited for Alexandre's response. I was sure he was going to lash out in anger, but instead, he reached out and hugged me tightly. His embrace was all I needed to feel safe and secure. I hugged him back, not wanting him to let go, he slowly pulled away, still holding my hand as he turned to face my father. "This place will burn when we are done." My father nodded in agreement. Alexandre cleared his throat and gestured toward the stairs. Our
From Arina's POV Losing Aella hit everyone hard. Leonidas carried her limp body back to the car, his face contorted with anger and sadness. I could only think of Penelope. I knew this would break her heart. My father helped Leonidas place Aella in the car and the two drove away, leaving us standing in shock. We had all shed tears together, mourning the loss of our beloved Aella.Alexandre ordered a few warriors to stay behind and search the grounds while he walked me back to the car. The pain of losing someone so close to us was overwhelming. As we walked back, I could feel my heart breaking with every step. All I could think of was how Penelope would feel when she heard the news, and I couldn't help but start to cry. "Are you OK?" Alexandre asked, placing his hand on my shoulder. I shook my head and continued to cry, unable to find the words to express the pain I was feeling. I knew that this was only the beginning of a long road of grief. As we approached the car, I felt Zakara st
From Arina's POV His lips against mine brought warmth to me. I craved more, I desired him. At this point, I didn't care about anything or anyone. I just wanted him. I longed to feel him inside me. I wanted to lose myself in the moment and forget about the world. I wanted to be so close to him that I couldn't tell where one of us ended and the other began. I wanted to feel alive. So I pulled him closer, and our kiss deepened. I felt my heart racing and my body melting away. I was consumed with passion and desire, and I never wanted the moment to end. Kiaralicked my face and broke our embrace. We both laughed at the cute Frenchie who thought this was a game. I kissed Alexandre's nose as we both stood. He turned to walk away when I grabbed his hand. His brows furrowed in confusion. "What is it?" he asked. My face flushed at the thought of what I wanted to ask him. When I noticed he stepped forward with a smirk on his face, he kissed my forehead and then looked me in the eyes "I'll mee
Alexandre's POV Watching my sister murdered before me was one of the hardest things I ever watched. I tried to get her but something kept me frozen in place. I couldn't look away as much as I wanted to "Long Live the Princess" Rick said as he dug his canines into Aella's neck. I saw tears falling from her eyes as I realized what he had just done. I saw when Zakara rushed forward at him and dropped Aella to the ground. It was at that moment that I could move and run after him. However, he quickly disappeared along with Eleni in a cloud of black smoke. Aella's beautiful eyes began to fade as my father ran towards her and held her close. "She has wolfsbane in her system, I am sorry," Zeno replied. Wolfsbane wasn't necessarily lethal to us lycans but there were so many different versions out there that we weren't sure which one was and wasn't. I watched as she took her last final breaths. My father's eyes widened with grief and he gently laid her down on the ground. He looked up at th
From Alexandre's POV Taking a shower with her was the most amazing experience I ever had. The moment I stepped inside the shower I lost all control. I stood there quietly admiring her entire body. I was jealous of the water running down her flawless olive skin. The way her breast perked at the slightest hint of a cold chill set fire to my lions. I watched her through the glass door for a moment, her eyes closed as she let the water run down. She turned her back to me and caught sight of her perfectly round ass. I wanted to go in there and join her, but instead, I just stood there, mesmerized. I felt my heart racing as I watched her body delicately glistening with the water droplets. I had to take a deep breath to calm myself down. I couldn't resist any longer and I opened the door, allowing the warm steam to engulf us both. I was now standing in the back of her, and I felt so alive as I wrapped my arms around her waist. I felt the sparks of the mate bond rush through me. She turned
From Arina's POV We made love the next morning and I couldn't help but feel complete. Although there were so many problems we had to deal with, at that moment I didn't care. I wanted him just as much as he wanted me. When we finished Alexandre carried me to the shower, where we stayed in each other's arms in pure bliss. As I washed his body, I saw my mark on his neck. It was a full moon that looked as if it was made of gold with a wolf in the middle that looked just like Zakara with wings that resembled those of a Phoenix. It was beautiful. "Our Mate is beautiful" I heard Zakara say, "I don't think you can call a man beautiful" I replied back to her. "Well there's always a first," she added as she was about to turn and walk away. She turned and said "Invite him for a run, I would love to meet D'Artagnan" I nodded as she walked to the depths of my mind. Taking a deep breath, "Zakara wants to go for a run with D'Artagnan" I said to Alexandre. "I think that's an excellent idea. I wou
Hello, my wonderful readers!I want to thank all who have read my book. Your love and support is greatly appreciated.This book has finally come to an end, but not, for there is a second part to this wonderful story that will come soon.This book is currently undergoing editing and will be released in print soon, so be sure to look out for that.In the meantime, make sure to check out my other book, Mated and Rejected by her Beta, and tune in for the other amazing projects I have upcoming.As always, thank you for your love and support.Mistress of the West
From Arina's POV In the days that followed the meeting with Alpha Jax, or Grandfather as he would have me call him, we settled into the Running River pack quietly, well except Kiara as she kept tormenting everyone, taking their shoes and making a mess in the kitchen when she was fed, but regardless of whatever she did for some reason everyone loved her. Alpha Jax even stole her once and took a nap with her. He swears that he never did such a thing and that she had snuck into his room. Alexandre and I had not seen each other since we arrived. He spent all his time with Alpha Jax discussing everything we knew about Eleni, and then there was the Lycan Blood Pack that also required his attention. Thiago spent his time training with the warriors, saying, "I need to get better prepared for this epic battle that is coming." Of course, he still kept his sense of humor. I was just about to sit and relax on the back patio when I saw my dad approaching. "Hello, Arina," he said, sitting next
From Arina's POV I was nervous. I had no idea what to expect. The most terrible thoughts ran through my mind as we drove to the Running River Pack. Alpha Jax sent two cars, as he instructed; my father and I rode together while Alexandre and Thiago rode in the other car. "Relax, Arina; we are sure to be fine. Nothing terrible will happen; if anything, this is a positive thing," Zakara said as she pranced around in my head. For her, this was something extraordinary, but for me, this was uncharted territory, not to mention this was also my mother's pack we were going to, which had me even more on edge. I shifted in my seat, feeling uncomfortable. "Is everything okay with you?" My father's voice brought me out of my thoughts, and I smiled at him. "Dad, when were you here last?" I asked. With a heavy heart, he patted my head and smiled, "The last time I was here was the day I promised your mother I would return for her." I hugged him tightly, and tears started flowing down my face. We
From Alexandre’s POV As I let the hot water wash away the stress that had accumulated from the night's events, I could only think about what Arina had told us last night. I was shocked by her words, "Eleni is here." How could she have known? No one outside of my parents knew of the plan. I racked my brain, thinking about how she might have found out but kept coming up with nothing. Her claims left me dumbfounded, and no amount of hot water could rid me of the confusion and questions that filled my mind. Due to my loss of focus, I didn't notice when Arina walked through the shower door. I felt tingles running throughout my entire body as her hands caressed the small of my back. My eyes were drawn to her naked body under the water. Taking in the sight of her perfect breast, I let out a low growl as I moved closer, pressing my body against hers. I gently kissed her neck and felt her shudder in response. Our breathing quickened as we embraced each other, the water cascading over us. I fe
From Alexandre's POV During the flight to Sicily, I only thought of my parents. I knew they would hold Aella's funeral in a few hours. Goddess how much I missed her taunting voice. I was overjoyed when she came home because I knew she had been waiting so long to leave that place. Initially, Father sent her to school to study her gifts, but after one semester, she was fed up and decided to venture out independently. Having worked and built her powers alone, she returned home to find that our parents had already left, and I had taken the throne. I was so proud to see how far she had come. Even if I didn't spend much time with her, I knew she would have been a force to be reckoned with. I wanted to honor her legacy and keep her memory alive in some way. After twelve hours of flying, I was ready for some much-needed rest. The hotel was our first stop after getting off the plane. On arrival, we headed to pick up our rental. I notified the Alpha of the main pack that we would be arriving
From Arina's POV It had been two days since we discussed leaving for Sicily. All of the arrangements had been made to accommodate Alexandre, Thiago, my father, and myself. Having said goodbye to Leonidas and Penelope, we headed for the airport. I was sorry that we would be leaving them at a time when we should all be together for Aella's funeral, but they understood. Bryan and maribelle had returned to the Okami pack. Bryan had not seen his family since he began helping me, so I knew he was happy to spend time with them. He vowed to bring them all back to Lycan Blood Pack after we returned. Alexandre hated the idea of me bringing Kiara along. However, I couldn't leave my beloved Frenchie behind, so I made sure the hotel could accommodate room for her. As our flight boarded at five am, we needed to leave early enough to get through security. To draw less attention from anyone or anything, Alexandre decided to fly commercial instead of taking one of his jets. The phoenixes followed
I stared at all the Phoenix on the front lawn. Different colors, different sizes, but with the same goal in mind: to protect me and to be here for me. I felt a sense of comfort and safety just looking at them. I knew that no matter what I faced, they would be there for me, a loyal companion through life. I was grateful for their presence. But I was also worried about them. Everyone knew that a Phoenix would burn itself and be reborn after some time, but the thought of losing them in battle was still heartbreaking. Alexandre was just as shocked as I was when he saw them. "What are we supposed to do with so many?" Thiago asked. Alexandre shrugged off his shoulders. Unable to form a coherent sentence I turned to him. "Do we need to go to Sicily?" I blurted out. He turned to me with confusion on his face. "What do you mean?" he asked. I explained that Zakara had mentioned that the answers we sought were there. "We have to be there before the next full moon," I said. I braced for his r
I sat up and stared into the trees. I watched as the red eyes glared at us, "Do you see it?" I asked Alexandre my eyes never leaving those of whatever was out there, when Alexandre stepped forward and said, "Come out Jessica?" he said, leaving me speechless. Jessica stepped out of the trees. Her lycan fur was light gray with a white stripe down her face and her red eyes never left me. I stared at her in shock. I had no idea how she got here or why she was here. She stepped forward and opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, I found my voice and asked her "What are you doing here?" She stopped and looked at me, her red eyes burning into me. She smiled, but there was something off about it. She said nothing and slowly turned to face Alexandre. "What do you want?" he asked sharply, his voice holding a hint of warning. There was a sudden chill in the air, and for a moment I felt as if I had stepped into a dream. Jessica shifted back to her human form, standing in front of
From Arina's POV We planned on having the ceremony within two weeks' time. This would give everyone enough time to compose themselves and enough time to get informed of the entire kingdom of the Lycan Princess's death. Penelope decided to hire someone to do the catering and decor as she was not up to doing it herself. Once we settled on the day and time, Leonidas and Penelope returned back to their room. Bryan and maribelle stayed away this morning allowing the former King and Queen space. Thiago had not been seen since we arrived, so he too decided to give everyone space. My father had walked up to his room. He was silent the entire time and I knew he could relate to their loss having died himself. Alexandre and I decided to head out for our run, as we walked outside the three phoenixes waddled behind me the moment we stepped outside they took off into the air. Their wings were magnificent, and I had no idea what other mythical creatures would arise but I was excited to find out. Ki