Eli didn't knock, but he did hesitate once inside, before shutting the door and moving towards my spot by the fire. He crouched down beside me, taking in my appearance. My hair was tangled and contained a few pine needles and leaves that I'd need to work out with conditioner, dried mud streaked my feet and calves, and I'm sure the bags under my eyes were big enough to fit all of the luggage we would need when we left to visit Summit Mist. If Eli agreed to it, that is, and if Ransom agreed to a truce for the time being. Eli reached out to me, hesitating when his hand was inches away from my jaw, but I refused to flinch away, refused to give him power over me. When he finally traced his thumb over my cheek, down the line of may jaw, hushed sparks trailed along with him. I closed my eyes and focused on using my magic to cage the mate bond, the feelings it made me feel, and lock it away within myself. After a few minutes of trying, Eli had already taken a seat a few feet away from me, o
The bond didn't feel the way I thought it would. It didn't force me to fall in love with Eli, but it did strengthen the longing I had for him. The sparks intensified, and I allowed Eli to pull me into his arms, standing under the steaming shower stream, we just held onto each other, neither of us wanting to pull away. I had expected him to want to mate, for Ridley to come forward, for Athena to go wild in my mind, but all was quiet and peaceful, I didn't even feel evidence of arousal from Eli, even though our naked bodies were pressed together. I only felt peace, and relief. I was still tired, but the bone deep exhaustion I had been dragging around with me seemed to have lifted. Eli's touch was like a balm to my wounded soul, even if I didn't want to admit it. He finally let me go, stepping out to retrieve towels for both of us. Once we had both dressed and finished getting ready for bed, Eli scooped me up and slipped under the covers, positioning me so that I was facing him, wit
My heart thundered in my chest, filling my head with it's rapid fire beat. I gripped Eli's arm so hard that I nearly broke my fingers, until he growled at me, interrupting the buzzing sound filling my ears. "Sorry," I hissed under my breath, trembling before the double doors of the great hall, "I'm just a little scared." Eli moved his hand to the small of my back, pressing a kiss into my temple, and just like that, the doors are open, and we're moving forward. The low hum of chatter comes to a complete halt, even the clink of silverware stops, and everyone watches as we make our way to the kings table, the roaring of my heartbeat filling my ears again, our echoing footsteps a distant echo at the back of my mind. As we reach the kings table, I realize that only one seat is available, and counsil members are seated on the kings right, and left. Scanning the table, my stomach dips, anxiety rushing through me like electricity. No place has been prepared for me next to Eli, but one sea
I fought my attacker at first, finally managing to catch a glimpse of Otto. He twisted around me, his rage blinding, and before I realized why he was twisting around me, pain exploded in my temple, dropping me to my knees for a moment, which sent the knife pressed into my neck, deeper into my flesh. Allowing my claws to extend, I slashed into Otto's leg, the pain making him drop the knife and grab my hair again. This time I saw the fist coming as it slammed into my jaw, and the taste of blood filled my mouth. Magic was long forgotten and I allowed my canines to extend, slamming my head into Otto's, forcing his neck back. Just as his neck was exposed, I moved to rip his throat out with my teeth. Otto had managed to recover his knife, and right as my teeth sank into his skin, his knife slid between my ribs. "STOP!" Eli roared, his command rolling over the room, affecting everyone but me. I could feel the blood filling my lungs, and I stumbled back, teeth still lodged in Otto's throat.
A long line of black SUV's and vans filled the courtyard and the gravel drive leading up to the Castle, servants bustled about packing suitcases and trunks into some, cases of wine, honey, medical supplies, and who knows what else into others. Giselle and Diana readied our SUV, carrying out soft blankets, pillows, snacks, bottles of water, and glass bottles of iced coffee for the journey. This would be a long working trip, and Eli and I had agreed that strategy was something we needed to focus on. I was surprised, when we loaded up into the van, to find that the back was designed in the same fashion as a limo, with seats lining the walls of the vehicle, fold away lap desks and arm rests sat ready for our documents. "You know, I almost thought we would be traveling by horse and carriage, or some other bizarre method. What with you living in a castle and all." I teased. "I didn't expect to travel like modern humans.""Oh the carriages are in for repair right now, and the horses told
I trusted her.My mate, she should have been my queen, my partner in all things. Instead she used me. Abandoned me before we could even begin setting our plans in motion. For what? She made me believe she could set the past aside and put an end to this bloodshed, she worked so hard to earn my trust, hiding her true intentions. She went so far as to mark me, mate me, make me believe she could love me. I screamed, tearing apart the room, ripping sheetrock from the walls, smashing anything that could be smashed. I finished trashing the house and made my way to the forest. I could feel that she was gone, even with her shutting me out through the bond, I could tell when she was near. Following her trail to the river, I raged at the guards, how easy it was for her to escape, it could just as easily have been a rogue or mercenaries sent to kill us, and they still wouldn't have had time to stop them. Ordering everyone to meet me back at the caravan, I dressed and did what I could to regain
My heart thundered in my chest as I sprinted through the forest. Every few seconds, a mage from the quell would pop up out of nowhere, and I'd be forced to throw up a shield, or change course. There was no escaping, no recanting the terms of our agreement.It had been a week since I came to them, asking for their assistance in the fight against the vampri and the shadowmoon cult. Their terms were reasonable. That I be trained, to tap into the true power inside me, instead of grasping at the edges of my power, to have a seat on the council, and an open line of contact with each pack for apprenticeships. This was my third day practicing shields and traveling, and I was barely making any progress. My head throbbed, pain radiating through my temples as I strained to channel all my energy into traveling. A hot, searing pain jolted through my body as I slammed into a shield held by one of the mages. Shit. I'd allowed my own shields to drop, and still wasn't able to travel more than once pe
Athena sprinted through the forest, pushing herself to top speed. The trees here were enormous, and several feed apart, without thick underbrush to snag us. Leaves and pine needles mixed with the damp earth and moss to form a soft, springy bed to soften the blow of our paws. I let her take full control, focusing on her senses. I'd always loved the smell of the forest, but as a wolf it was so much richer. Catching the scent of a deer, Athena whipped to the right, changing course, racing for the higher ground. The scent began to change as we crested the hill, blood tainted the deer smell, and it became harder to tell if it really was a deer. Athena slowed, creeping forward as she scanned the forest. The afternoon sun was low, offering a bright orange glow to the treetops, but the forest floor was growing darker. Wolves have much better vision in the dark than humans, but that didn't mean we couldn't be caught off guard. The wind shifted slightly, and a rotten scent that made the hair
I felt light, as though no gravity weighed me down. I hadn’t been sleeping, but I was floating, dreaming in colors. Athena nudged my hand, drawing my attention to her wolf form. As I reached for her, a ball of light drifted towards us, expanding and blinding until it swallowed us, pulling us through to a warm, grassy meadow. Pushing up to my knees, I scanned the area, noticing how Athena trained her gaze on the wood line. She whimpered, and I followed her line of sight to see a woman emerge, and stop just beyond the trees, about fifty yards from where we stood. The blonde woman wore a loose flowing white gown, and shimmered in the low evening light. She smiled at my wolf, and held out her arms. Athena turned to me, and I realized then that I hadn’t heard her speak since we died. Realization washed over me, and I rocked back on my heels, sadness echoing distantly in my heart, like it was separate from my being, but I knew that this moment would hurt. She pressed her large furry head
I smelled the dungeon before I opened my eyes. My head throbbed, but I felt a surge of hope as I sensed magic thrumming through the air around me. I sat up, groaning as the change in position worsened the pain in my head. I felt around in my hair and located the knot, on the right side of my head, I must have been thrown in here, because the knot was raised and bloody, still not healing because of the wolfs bane. Reaching for the magic, I pulled it towards me, attempting to heal my head. Only it barely gave, and once it reached a certain point, it snapped back into place. The cells were protected by powerful charms, and would not allow me to use any magic here. “Psst!” someone hissed, and I squinted into the darkness, trying to refocus my vision. A few seconds later, Roland emerged from the darkness, carrying a flask and a gauzy bundle of fabric. Keeping his voice low, he crouched in front of the silver bars. “Drink this, quickly, before the other guards catch up!” Unscrewing its li
Heleos opened the passenger door of a sleek black Audi R8, and held it open for me. The windows were tinted heavily, and the windshield itself had some type of reflective tint on it. I buckled and examined the windshield as Heleos situated himself in the drivers seat.“Is this so the sun doesn’t burn you?” I asked. The garden had been heavily shaded when we’d toured it the day before, so I assumed he could be out during the day, just not in direct sunlight. “No, it’s so people can’t see in. Even wolves and other vampires have a hard time identifying faces through an obstruction like that. The sun doesn’t actually affect me at all. It would have, but several generations ago, the vampri found favor with the soul witches, who bestowed generational protection charms. Any vampri we make, or spawn, will receive the imprint of the charm, protecting them from the sun.”“Well, that’s convenient, what about garlic?” Heleos side eyed me as he pulled down the long, winding driveway. “Actually,
I woke up tangled in the sheets of the bed in my guest room, wrapped in a damp towel, with my still damp hair in a tangled mess around my face. Heleos sat in an armchair in the corner of the room, his feet propped on an ottoman. He held a small tumbler of blood in one hand, and a book in his other. He glanced at me briefly, snorted, then went back to his book, occasionally sipping from his glass. Wrapping the comforter around me, I dragged myself to the bathroom, showered properly, and emerged clad in a plus bath robe, with my hair wrapped in a towel."Not much of an improvement, but it's a start." Heleos nodded toward the closet, "I had the housekeeper order some things for you, they're hanging there. We will be meeting with a few of my trusted friends today, feeling out the extent of ground work we'll have to do in order to infiltrate the council and... cut out the infected members.""Infected?" That sounded ominous, and a little shivver trailed down my spine. Heleos snapped his bo
"You're staring, and staring is rude." Heleos hummed.I snapped my mouth shut and returned my attention to my food, letting my hair fall forward to help camouflage my blush. Heleos was eating blood out of a pristine white bowl, with a spoon. Of all the ridiculous, cringy things I'd witnessed since becoming a part of the supernatural world, this one was easily the most asinine."Can't you just... you know, drink it from a glass, or a blood bag, or ..." I trailed off. It wasn't exactly my business, but for some reason it irritated me. He rolled his eyes and the corner of his mouth tipped up, as though he were trying not to grin. "You have always hated it when I took my meals this way." His mask of indifference was exceptional, but something told me he was extremely pleased to have found a way to pester me. I picked at my steak and brushed off my irritation. "I don't hate it, I just wondered if you knew how stupid you looked, eating a bowl of blood. No wonder you live in isolation, I'm
"Please, have a seat." He said, casually, as if we were old friends catching up. I scented the air around me, but I could feel the protection charms around him, blanketing his true scent. I stiffined, yanking my hand from his."Who gave you those protection charms?" I demanded, readying for an attack. The most likely explanation was that he was already part of the vampri alliance with the shadowmoon, which meant I had walked directly into a trap."Your mother." He grinned widely, and aside from his cuspids, also known as canine teeth, being a little sharp, there was nothing alarming about his mouth. "Ah, don't worry, I won't use them on you, not unless you ask." He paused, thoughtful. "Not unless you ask, nicely." And he grinned again, tugging me to the sofa. It occured to me that I should shield myself, but a warm, relaxed feeling washed over me, and I found myself eager to hear him speak again."You are Heleos?" I asked, then without waiting for an answer, "When did my mother give y
I woke up nauseous, and perched on something uncomfortable. Sitting up, I realized I was in the back seat of a car, and Roland was driving. He glanced at me in the rearview mirror."We've been on the road for about two days, you've made good progress healing, but there are a few developments you have missed. The king has your friend, Phoebe, and is trying to use her to track you down, he also has your son, and Phoebe's daughter. I don't know what agreement he made with the Summit Mist alpha, but it does not seem that he objects to any of this.""Take me to the Quell, we have to go over a plan of attack before he finds me.""I'm afraid the attack has already happened." Roland sighed, "Are you hungry?"My stomach answered for me, it had been clawing at me since I woke, demanding my attention. Roland laughed, pulling off at the next exit, where a diner and two gas stations sat around a blinking yellow traffic light. We sat down and ordered, and Roland gave me the rundown on what he was a
Athena sprinted through the forest, pushing herself to top speed. The trees here were enormous, and several feed apart, without thick underbrush to snag us. Leaves and pine needles mixed with the damp earth and moss to form a soft, springy bed to soften the blow of our paws. I let her take full control, focusing on her senses. I'd always loved the smell of the forest, but as a wolf it was so much richer. Catching the scent of a deer, Athena whipped to the right, changing course, racing for the higher ground. The scent began to change as we crested the hill, blood tainted the deer smell, and it became harder to tell if it really was a deer. Athena slowed, creeping forward as she scanned the forest. The afternoon sun was low, offering a bright orange glow to the treetops, but the forest floor was growing darker. Wolves have much better vision in the dark than humans, but that didn't mean we couldn't be caught off guard. The wind shifted slightly, and a rotten scent that made the hair
My heart thundered in my chest as I sprinted through the forest. Every few seconds, a mage from the quell would pop up out of nowhere, and I'd be forced to throw up a shield, or change course. There was no escaping, no recanting the terms of our agreement.It had been a week since I came to them, asking for their assistance in the fight against the vampri and the shadowmoon cult. Their terms were reasonable. That I be trained, to tap into the true power inside me, instead of grasping at the edges of my power, to have a seat on the council, and an open line of contact with each pack for apprenticeships. This was my third day practicing shields and traveling, and I was barely making any progress. My head throbbed, pain radiating through my temples as I strained to channel all my energy into traveling. A hot, searing pain jolted through my body as I slammed into a shield held by one of the mages. Shit. I'd allowed my own shields to drop, and still wasn't able to travel more than once pe