Alora POVThrough an unspoken command, the guards grab Alfred by his arms and drag him out the front door of the castle. The one who stepped up to help me glances over his shoulder. His eyebrows are furrowed together with concern, but he doesn’t stay to make sure Leonidas’s lycn doesn’t hurt me. Alfred is thrashing and screaming, but his threats fall on deaf ears. I can’t take my eyes off Leonidas’s lycan. The beast steps in my direction, but I don’t feel afraid. His massive arms wrap around me, and he carries me upstairs.The beast pushes the door open to the king’s rooms and sets me on the ground. He disappears into the adjoining bathroom, leaving me in the middle of the floor. There is a loud crack that sounds like bones breaking. Finally, the fear I have been pushing away crashes down on me. I fall to my knees and hide my head in my hands. My tears coat my cheeks and drip onto my gown. I have a fleeting thought that I am ruining the beautiful dress, but I can’t seem to
Leonidas POVOne hundred years agoThe ball my father threatened to hold is tonight. When I told him I had no plans to attend, he threatened to kill Anila. With Evanora at his disposal, he doesn't need Anila. Her sole purpose is to be used as a bargaining tool. Father knows I will not risk her life.There is a weak knock on my door. Her cinnamon scent wafts through the door, and I race to answer it. Swinging the door open, I can't wipe the look of concern off my face."Mother," I sigh. "You should be in bed."She is pale and unsteady on her feet. The years she has spent enduring my father's abuse have taken their toll. She is dying. The constant betrayal of the mate bond is more than her body can take.Even in her weakened state, she saves a smile for me. "I was hoping to walk with you before the ball.""Do you have the strength?" I ask, not bothering to hide my worry."For this, I do," she replies cryptically.She reaches for my hand, and I hold hers gently. We walk hand in hand thro
Nothing but a frozen wasteland stands between the cabin and the forest. The snow blanketed on the ground is untouched. Not even animals dare to approach the cabin, knowing that a fate worse than death awaits them. It has been that way for eighteen years, but tonight, the air has changed. Something wicked or righteous stirs in the forest. It is too soon to tell which is coming. Smoke billows from the cabin’s chimney and curls into the air, swirling around the cabin and shielding it from view. Three sisters stand on the porch. One young, one old, one hag stare together through the smoke at the trees in the distance. Their hands are joined, and they chant under their breath. “They are less than a day away,” the oldest sister says. She is the plainest of the three. Deep lines are etched on her face with a permanent scowl. She keeps her gray hair in a tight braid that hangs down to her waist and her cloak pulled over her head. Her milky eyes stare toward the trees, and she s
Alora POVA stunning fae man steps through the veil with a bundle in his arms. He is tall and handsome with icy blue eyes. Pointed ears stick out from his jet-black hair, and there is a sour look on his face. A small group of cloaked women are waiting for him. Their hoods are pulled down over their faces so only their odd, glowing eyes peer out from beneath. “You summoned me,” he speaks to the women as if they are beneath him. “I have foreseen the fall of your realm,” one of the women speaks. She lowers her hood, and milky white eyes glare through the night. The fae doesn’t believe her, but she had foreseen that as well.“What do you need with my child?” He asks, holding the bundle close to his chest. “The Lycan King will break through the veil to claim her,” the woman continues. The fae scoffs. “He doesn’t possess the magic to do that.” “He doesn’t possess it yet,” the second woman steps forward. “He is searching among the covens for a witch to do his bidding.” “And whe
Alora POVI wait for Evanora to leave the room before I attempt to get out of bed. Much to my surprise, I do feel better. Her words ring in my ears about it not benefiting them to kill me. I have so many questions about the years I was asleep, and without knowing where the sisters are, King Leonidas is my only hope for answers. Gingerly, I get to my feet and cross the room to a mirror. I close my eyes as I approach it, not wanting to know what three years of sleep has done to me. Opening one eye at a time, I look into the mirror, and I am shocked by what I see. I look fine. My raven hair is a little tangled, but everything else looks the same. I expected my skin to be sallow and my eyes dull, but I look like I had a restful nap. Glancing behind me to make sure I am alone, I lift my arm and sniff my armpit. I don’t even stink.Fear washes over me as I lower my arm. Someone attended to me while I was sleeping. I was touched while I was sleeping. A knock on my door frighten
Leonidas POVI would never admit to such a thing as being nervous, but there is a strange feeling in my stomach as I wait for Alora to come down to dinner. When I first laid eyes on her three years ago, I expected her to be beautiful. But her beauty is beyond compare. Even as she slept, she was exquisite. I have never seen anyone as ravishing in my two hundred and fifty years on this earth.I did not think it was possible for her to be more lovely than she already was, but then she opened her eyes. Her icy blue eyes seemed to stare right into my soul. Even though she knew me as her enemy, she did not look at me with anger or malice. I knew at that moment that I would never be good enough for her, but that would not keep me from trying to win her heart.The scent of lavender fills the air, and I do my best to look annoyed at her presence. That witch sitting at the other end of the table can never know Alora is my mate. Evanora knew as soon as I touched her, but the other must rem
Alora POVThe footsteps I hear behind me only serve to make me walk faster. In truth, I want to run. I have never been more humiliated in my whole life, but I wouldn’t let them see my shame. I stop in the center of a large entryway. There are staircases to my left and to my right, and I can’t remember which way I came from. I chastise myself in my head for not paying attention, but I was so captivated by the beauty of the castle, my eyes were bouncing from one thing to another. The whole castle glitters and it distracted me. “You want the stairs to the left,” a voice comes from behind me. It is not the gruff voice of King Leonidas and that puts me somewhat at ease. Spinning around glitter on my gown swirls with me causing light to cascade onto the walls. My eye glance up at the grand ceiling and it looks like the night sky. Suddenly, I miss being at the cabin. “Would you like me to show you to your room?’” Alfred asks politely. “I hardly think that would be proper,” I whi
Alora POVButterflies swarm in my stomach as I wait for Anila to come to my room. I don’t know what I will say to her. I am both angry and excited. She ignored me completely at dinner, but she is the only contact I have to my old life. Perhaps she can shed some light on the last three years. Anila doesn’t knock on my door. She steps inside, and her milky eyes scan the room until she finds me. I had once believed that she was blind, but her vision just works differently than ours. She is perfectly capable of seeing what she needs to in the world around her.Anger fills the air in the room like a thick fog. It is dense and comfortable to sit in. I do not know what I have done wrong but I must have made a terrible mistake with the Lycan King. “You should not have asked for me,” she snaps at me. “I did not as for you,” I retort. “I ask for Sabrina and Evanora. You made it perfectly clear at dinner that you no longer wanted to associate with me.” “Did you ever think that I a
Leonidas POVOne hundred years agoThe ball my father threatened to hold is tonight. When I told him I had no plans to attend, he threatened to kill Anila. With Evanora at his disposal, he doesn't need Anila. Her sole purpose is to be used as a bargaining tool. Father knows I will not risk her life.There is a weak knock on my door. Her cinnamon scent wafts through the door, and I race to answer it. Swinging the door open, I can't wipe the look of concern off my face."Mother," I sigh. "You should be in bed."She is pale and unsteady on her feet. The years she has spent enduring my father's abuse have taken their toll. She is dying. The constant betrayal of the mate bond is more than her body can take.Even in her weakened state, she saves a smile for me. "I was hoping to walk with you before the ball.""Do you have the strength?" I ask, not bothering to hide my worry."For this, I do," she replies cryptically.She reaches for my hand, and I hold hers gently. We walk hand in hand thro
Alora POVThrough an unspoken command, the guards grab Alfred by his arms and drag him out the front door of the castle. The one who stepped up to help me glances over his shoulder. His eyebrows are furrowed together with concern, but he doesn’t stay to make sure Leonidas’s lycn doesn’t hurt me. Alfred is thrashing and screaming, but his threats fall on deaf ears. I can’t take my eyes off Leonidas’s lycan. The beast steps in my direction, but I don’t feel afraid. His massive arms wrap around me, and he carries me upstairs.The beast pushes the door open to the king’s rooms and sets me on the ground. He disappears into the adjoining bathroom, leaving me in the middle of the floor. There is a loud crack that sounds like bones breaking. Finally, the fear I have been pushing away crashes down on me. I fall to my knees and hide my head in my hands. My tears coat my cheeks and drip onto my gown. I have a fleeting thought that I am ruining the beautiful dress, but I can’t seem to
Alora POVI grumble under my breath while I get dressed. He may have commanded I come down for dinner, but he didn’t say I had to wear a fancy gown. I stand in front of the array of dresses and look for the perfect one to piss him off. My eyes keep flickering toward a blue beaded gown. It is beautiful, but not what I am looking for. After mulling it over for too long, I decide I should be dressing for myself, not for Leonidas, and it would be a shame to let something so beautiful go to waste.I pull it out of the closet and strip down to my undergarments. An uneasy feeling washes over me, and I feel as if I am being watched. Wrapping my arms around myself, I spin around, but there is no one there. Dragging in an uneasy breath, I try to push my nerves aside. I step into the dress quickly, pulling it up over my shoulders to cover myself. It takes longer than it should for me to tighten the corset myself, but once I am finished, I am pleased. The blue is the exact shade of
Leonidas POVAlora is everything I love and hate. She is fierce and beautiful, but she is so stubborn. She would rather stand in her own way than let me show her happiness. If she would only let me, I would shower her with affection. Instead, she would rather let her smart mouth stir up my anger. One day I will show her what that pretty little mouth is made for, but for now, I need to find a way to get that fucking stone from the Fae Realm. I round the corner of my hallway, and Alfred is waiting for me. “Why is Anila dead on your bedroom floor?” “Have someone clean that up,” I respond, stepping around him. “You didn’t answer me,” he growls.“Why do you care about what I do with my witches?” I muse. “Because your decisions will doom us all,” he hisses in a low voice. “Why were you in my bedroom?” I snap back. He visibly bristles. “I was looking for the Princess.” A snarl rips from my lips. “I thought I told you to stay away from her.”Alfred has the audacity to laugh.
Alora POVWarm water splashes me in the face as Leonidas joins me in the bathtub. At first, I am too stunned to speak. He is sitting fully clothed in the water with me and doesn’t seem phased at all. “Your Highness,” I whisper in shock. “Don’t call me that,” he growls playfully. “King Leonidas,” I correct myself. He inches closer to me. “Don’t call me that either.” “Leonidas,” I chance calling him by his name. He cups my face with his hand and stares into my eyes. The electricity between us is almost unbearable as it lights up my skin. My body is urging me to push him away but pull him close to me at the same time. As the war within me rages, Leonidas continues to get closer. “Sire,” I whisper. “You have on your clothes.” His lips are so close his breath fans my face. “Would you prefer I was naked?” “Yes,” My words betray me. “Wait…” But the damage has been done. He stands in the water and begins stripping off his clothes. He peels each item from his body an
Leonidas POVI am helpless as I watch Alora leave my room. I should go after her, but Anila is blocking my way. The light around us flickers, and the hag before me transforms into the young woman I knew so many years ago. Her blonde hair and freckles have been restored and there is not a wrinkle to be found on her skin. I had forgotten how beautiful she was.Her trick almost works. I almost melt under her smile and forgive her, but I am not as naïve as I was a century ago. “Move,” I warn her. “You could have chosen me,” she growls. “That night at the ball. You could have chosen me.” “Is that what this is about?” I scoff. “I was never going to choose you. Even if I wanted to, my father would have never allowed it.”“I killed him for you,” she snaps. “Apparently, you killed him for you,” I scoff. “I tried to take matters into my own hands,” she sneers. “But you found me too quickly. The spell was meant to kill her, but I made a mistake. I let her turn eighteen. It is
Alora POVThe room is silent, and I know I have touched on a subject that Leonidas does not want to speak about. I hold my breath while waiting for Leonidas to answer. At first, I don’t think he is going to answer me, but then he opens his mouth to speak. “Do you know about the Moon Goddess?” He begins. “I do,” I respond. “She is your creator.” Leonidas gives me a genuine smile, something I have yet to see from him. The sight of it makes my heart flutter. I have thought he was attractive, but when he smiles, he is devastatingly beautiful. Right now, he looks like the prince in every book I have read, instead of the villain he has turned out to be. “That’s right. She loved us so much she gave us each a partner called a mate. Our mate is supposed to complete us. They are everything we are not and everything we need. With our mates by our side, we are stronger and happier.” I pause to think about his words. It is not the archaic situation I had expected, and that gives m
Leonidas POVOne Hundred Years AgoThe sound of skin slapping together fills my dark room. The lycan woman bent over the edge of my bed has her face buried in the pillow to muffle her screams. I have spent years trying to woo this one into my bed. She was hard to catch, but now that I have her, it is kind of disappointing. As hard as I try, I can’t even remember her name. She is utterly forgettable. With my cock deeply inside her, I still find my mind wandering. I can already tell there is no release for me on the horizon, and I grow tired of fucking her. As I pull out, she whimpers at the loss of my touch, but if I touch her for one more moment, I might be sick to my stomach.She looks back with a frown on her face. “Are you okay, Sire?”“Leave,” I hiss through my teeth. She looks hurt. Her large brown eyes brim with tears, but to her credit, she doesn’t let them fall. She steps in my direction, but I step back. I don’t want to give her hope.Suddenly, the door to my bedr
Alora POVThe man ruffles his hair in an attempt to hide his ears, but it is too late. I have seen what he is. He turns from me and tries to leave the stables, but I chase after him. “Wait,” I beg. “I am not supposed to talk to you,” he mutters under his breath. “Why not?” I plead. “Does the Lycan King not know what you are?” “It is because of what I am that I cannot talk to you,” he whispers. He races up the hill to the castle, but I refuse to accept his departure. “Please,” I beg. He spins around so quickly that he almost knocks me over. His hand wraps around my forearm and stops me from tumbling to the ground. His grasp is firm, but he does not hurt me, and his eyes are laced with concern.“What is your name?” I ask curiously. Waiting until I am steady, he lets go and exhales an uneasy breath. “My name is Elric.” “Elric,” I repeat his name. “I am Alora.” “I know who you are,” he groans. “I need to go.”“Wait,” I call after him again. “How did you get through th