Leander

“So, Mum is going to be helping me with pretty much everything.” Both Mum and my sister, Lilly, laugh as though they were best friends giggling over the hot boy at school. “Obviously, Dad is giving me away,” Lilly smiles at Dad, who winks at his only daughter.

Mum sits next to Dad on the couch, holding his hand. Lilly is on Basian, her mate’s lap, as they sit in the armchair, and Luther and I are sitting on the two-seater sofa opposite them. We’re in the drawing-room, talking about Lilly and Bastian’s fast approaching wedding.

I’ve never been a big fan of Bastian Ashworth, even less when he realised Lilly was his mate and promptly rejected her. The agony he caused both Lilly and himself, all because he believed she was a rogue, was unconscionable.

But Bastain soon realised he’d made a mistake and tried righting that mistake. Lilly refused to accept his apology and tried to fight the mate bond.

They ended up together, but so much happened in such a short amount of time. I don’t know how any of us survived, let alone my sister and her mate.

But it all worked out in the end, and now they’re getting married. As Lilly is the future Queen of Zidiah, Bastian had to make a choice. Join Lilly in ruling Zidiah, or return to his pack and continue being the Alpha there.

There was no choice to make in Bastian’s eyes. He had to be with Lilly, no matter where that was. Lilly could have handed the throne to Luther or me, but we all know that a purebred Omerian Queen on the throne would bring balance to our world.

My father is the King of all Alpha’s, an Entyrie Romerian Alpha, the rarest of all Alphas. This is what makes him King. An Omerian is the female equivalent of an Entyrie Romerian.

Mum is Omerian, Lilly is Omerian. Luther and I got the Romerian gene, but neither of us is Entyrie, meaning Lilly is our superior, our future Alpha Queen.

Both Luther and I would do anything for our sister. We respect that she will one day rule, and we are her most loyal subjects. Lilly may be younger than us by a few minutes, but it means nothing in the grand scheme of things.

“The whole family will have a big role in the wedding.” Of the century is what Lilly is dying to say but doesn’t. “I know it’s not traditional, but I was hoping my brothers would stand up front with Bastian.”

“Of course, we will,” I nod in agreement with Luther.

Though Lilly is correct, it isn’t traditional for the bride’s brothers to stand up-front; if it’s what Lilly wants, Luther and I will do it.

At Lilly and Bastian’s blood bonding, the marriage of their wolves, Lilly had us stand behind her, which isn’t traditional either. Now she wants us to stand up front for the wedding of her human side, so that’s just what we’ll do.

“Are you sure, though, Lil?”

Lilly chuckles, and Bastian wraps his arms tighter around her waist. He kisses her head, and she smiles.

“Us three,” Lilly points to Luther, me, then herself. “And Lorcan, we’re connected in a way most will never understand. You’re my brothers and my best friends, and I want you up there with me. I know Lorcan won’t be there in the physical, but he’ll be there just as you will.”

I smile in my sister’s direction. “And we will be, Lilly.”

“Thank you,” She smiles again. “The mating ceremony and blood bonding were amazing,” Lilly looks at Bastian as he kisses her cheek, and she smiles contentedly.

I never thought I’d see Lilly look at her mate the way she is right now.

She looks back to the rest of us as if remembering that we’re still here. “But this is our wedding day, and it has to be perfect,”

After everything Lilly and Bastian have been through since they met, they deserve the best of everything.

Fighting a monster who believed he could destroy the Royal family took its toll on all of us. But it was Lilly who suffered the most.

How she’s still standing is beyond me.

“It will be, sweetheart,” Mum smiles. “Nothing is going to go wrong, that I promise you.” Mum gasps when Lilly suddenly slams her hands over her eyes and starts to cry.

We each share a look. No one knows what to say because we’re don’t know what’s wrong.

Never have I seen Lilly cry as much as she has these past few months. She has every right to cry when she needs to; no one would say different.

However, before five months ago, we rarely saw Lilly cry. We were not used to seeing Lilly cry. She was too proud to do that in front of anyone.

Lilly cried when she banished Bastian, trying to tell herself that she didn’t want to be his mate. She felt him kiss another woman, and it crushed her heart. Yet she’s always seemed to hold her tears at bay until lately.

‘Hi, Uncle Leander!’ I turn my head and smile at the little boy now taking a seat between Luther and me. ‘What’s wrong with Mummy?’

“I’m not sure,”

Luther stares at me.

No one can see little Harry, and the reason for that is because they don’t have the gift that I have. Blessing, curse, I’ve felt over the years that seeing and speaking with the dead is both.

I realised I could speak to the dead when I was four years old. A pack member died in childbirth, a much-loved pack member. Mum was sad as she sat with Dad, all of their friends in the ample hall space as their King gave them the tragic news. Samantha, our Delta’s wife, was dead, leaving behind her husband and four children, including a newborn son.

I didn’t understand why Dad was saying that Sam was no longer with us.

How could it be true when she was standing right beside me?

Of course, people thought that I was crazy when I told them, and they wanted me looked at. I wasn’t scared; Samantha told me not to be afraid of my gift but to be careful with whom I tell.

She gave me a message for her husband, which I delivered. The words I spoke were those only his wife would have known, which led him to believe what I was saying. This caused others to think that I’d tricked a grieving man and how evil I must have been, even at the age of four.

Mum was so very angry with everyone. She had many abilities of her own, and she believed people would better understand her middle child.

Dad thought Mum would go insane with anger, but with Grandmother’s confession, Mum calmed down.

Grandmother, Dad’s Mum, explained that her younger sister had the gift too. The ability was passed down through the generations, and I just so happened to be the one it passed to this time.

People were finally understanding, but still, they were wary of me. Some would come to me and ask if I could contact their loved ones; others avoided me like the plague.

There came a time when Dad put his foot down and told people that I wasn’t a sideshow. They were not to approach me and ask if I could speak to their loved ones. He understood how desperate people could be, but he also knew how much it took out of me at such a young age.

So, everyone backed off, and I spent time with the Elders and my mother’s father. They helped me learn to understand my ability and how to use it correctly.

There were times when I thought I’d go crazy not being able to shut out all of those voices. I barely slept for three years due to spirits waking me in the night, wanting my help. Some didn’t realise they were dead, and those were the hardest to deal with because it would drain my energy for days afterwards.

By the time I was eight, I had learned when to hear those who’d passed and when to turn it off. Now, I choose who to speak with; which isn’t many around Dalgaard mansion. Mum had the house blessed, and it seemed to clear the place out when I was a kid.

The grounds around the packhouse, the forest itself, and even the lakes are another story.

I try not to speak with spirits in front of anyone, but sometimes it can’t be helped. My family have learned to live with me, sometimes talking to what they see as thin air. But then my family have always supported each other, no matter what.

‘Isn’t Mummy happy that she’s getting married?’

“Of course, she is,” I smile at Harry, and his cute little smile melts my heart.

Harry was a pack member here, his mother died in childbirth, and his father killed himself the next day. The child was orphaned and taken to the packs, children’s home.

From the moment Lilly saw Harry in his crib, she was hooked. My sister fell in love with the child and soon brought him home with her. She begged my father to allow her to adopt Harry and didn’t give in until he agreed.

Harry was a happy child with an authoritative streak. Dad believed that Harry would one day make a good Beta; it was in his blood.

Dad said that Harry even had an Alpha streak in him, so who knew what that boy would one day grow up to be?

My father is the King, so I know that he knew but never confirmed anything.

Harry was also incredibly smart and unbelievably fast. Harry was also a very loving child, one who adored Lilly and followed her everywhere.

Harry knew never to walk into the forest by himself. Each cub is taught that you don’t wander about without an adult because of the dangers rogues pose. Those fuckers have no boundaries when it comes to being places they have no right to be.

Little man asked if he could be trained in combat; that way, he could protect his mummy. It made us all smile, but we don’t train three-year-olds in combat.

Dad explained that Harry would be allowed to train with the others as soon as he reached ten. I’d never seen the boy so excited.

The day Harry died, he’d be crying because he believed Lilly wouldn’t return from Greenrock once she was there. Lilly had finally accepted Bastian as her mate, and they’d been enjoying a few days in Zidiah before returning to Bastian’s pack. For all intents and purpose, Lilly was now the Luna of Greenrock, and before Bastian handed the pack over to someone worthy of Alpha, they needed to spend time there.

No one understood why Harry was so anxious for Lilly not to leave. We all put it down to the fact Harry had imprinted on Bastian the way he had Lilly, and he was afraid he’d lose them.

What happened to Harry the day he died will stay with me always.

He’d been anxious all morning, knowing his mother and father would be away for a while, and they wouldn’t be taking him with them. Harry cried and begged his mummy not to leave him and that he loved her so much.

Upon hearing those words, I remember Lilly’s smile was one of the most beautiful I had ever seen. I watched her take Harry’s hands in her own and explain how once she returned from Greenrock, she’d never leave him again. She would only be leaving him this time because she wouldn’t be able to spend time with him while she and Bastian were sorting the new alphaship. Harry seemed to understand and agreed to be good while his parents were away.

Everyone was happy and waved off Lilly and Bastian. However, Harry sobbed and chased after their car, screaming for Mummy and Daddy to come back. Toby, our pack doctor, ran after Harry, but Harry ran into the forest, seemingly hoping he’d get to Greenrock on foot before anyone could find him.

Luther and I took chase on Dad’s orders. He wanted his grandson brought home where he’d be safe until Lilly returned. Sadly for all of us, Harry was caught by a rogue.

Toby and I were ahead, and we saw what happened, the sheer horror of it all. Everything that happened seemed to go in slow motion.

Toby screamed for the rogue to let a terrified Harry go, but the rogue smirk before tearing that tiny little boy to pieces.

Having to tell my sister how the little boy she loved as her own was dead was the worst thing I’ve ever experienced. She howled in so much pain that we had no clue if she’d ever recover.

Lilly ran and kept running for a month. Bastian, Luther and I followed, yet we seemed to keep missing her.

We had believed that Lilly had been on a killing spree, but we were wrong.

A hybrid with ideas above his station was the one destroying villages and making it look as though Lilly had been doing so.

Lilly was then kidnapped, held prisoner, and put under a powerful illusion. Thomas Charter was a hybrid wolf and dragon with no shifting ability. However, he had powers that he used plenty on my sister.

Goddess knows that bastard made Lilly suffer.