LucyMatt’s eyes darted between my head and then up to Yvonne’s face. He growled. “How dare you do this to her hair!” Matt growled and stepped toward me. “It’s so short. We’ve been working so hard to get it to grow out. You—”He reached out to me. I pulled away. My heart was racing as I started to speak.“I asked her to cut it.” He shook his head. “No, you’re just saying that. You want long hair. It makes me happy. Don’t you want to make your mate happy?”I clenched my jaw. “I hate having long hair.”He flinched, stumbling back. My jaw trembled. Fear tumbled through me as he kept shaking his head. I forced myself to just keep breathing. I could do this. I could say something.“What are you saying? You… You’re our mate. You’re supposed to make us happy.” His gaze darted to my ears. “Where are your earrings?”“My ears have to heal,” I said. “And… And I didn’t—”“They did heal,” he said. “You’re a werewolf. Sure, you’re a half-breed, but it wasn’t that big of a wound. She’s just doing
TonyI woke up and felt restless. I paced. I hated. Every step I took felt like I was losing control, but I couldn’t help it. Something was wrong. Matt seemed on the edge and restless all night. I don’t think he slept at all. This morning our bond was seething. I felt Matt’s anger and panic, but he didn’t say anything to me. Instead, he seemed to be simmering and confused. The anger started to grow as I got into the car with our luggage and headed back to the Blue Moon Estate. Matt, calm the fuck down. What’s happening? Is Lucy in danger?It’s the doctor. She’s turned her against us. I’ll fucking kill her!Another spike of fury went through me, and I cursed, pressing the gas pedal so the car lurched forward. The first thing I thought of was David. Were they connected somehow? In league to steal Lucy from us? I pressed the gas pedal to the floor until I could almost smell the engine’s metal starting to burn. No sirens followed as I raced down the highway. The car skidded and nearly t
LucyI woke up with a pounding headache. The smell of burning wood and something floral was still in my nose. I opened my eyes and found the room completely dark. The sheets weren’t Matt’s or Tony’s, and that made me relax. I had to be in Yvonne’s quarters. Someone was yelling outside. It sounded like an argument, but I couldn’t make out the words. I shuddered at the thought. Was it Matt? Was he still angry? Had he hurt Yvonne?My stomach turned as I swung my legs over the edge and felt for the floor. I felt around until I felt something that felt like a lamp, but it didn’t come on. A knock sounded on the door a few seconds later. “Y-Yeah?”Yvonne opened the door, and the lamp started to glow. She smiled. “Sorry, the lights require a little magic to get them going. Most electric lights are irritating. How are you feeling?”I shrugged, unsure of what to say. “Okay, I guess.”“Headache?”I nodded. “Hungry?”I shook my head and drew my knees to my chest. “I-I don’t think I can eat r
LucyI followed Yvonne out of the smaller room and looked across the room at the tall, broad man. He was taller than Matt and Tony, broader too. He reminded me of a football player, but he was dressed in combat gear like he was from the army. He didn’t carry a gun, but there was a belt of something slung across his chest that looked like crystals. He also looked really upset. “’Vonne, what the hell?” His voice was gruff. I frowned and tilted my head at the name. Yvonne tutted. “You’re going to make a bad impression on the little one. Put the dragon away. This is Lucy.”He looked at me. For a moment, he seemed frozen. His eyes softened even as he set his jaw. “You’re practically a baby.”My face heated, and I ducked my head. Yvonne laughed. He gestured to the couch and let Yvonne and I sit before he took a seat.“The two furry idiots are upstairs getting their wounds stitched as you’ve refused to give them silver antidotes?” He cocked an eyebrow.Yvonne picked her nails. “Morri’ c
LucyWe talked a bit longer before he let out a deep sigh and stopped writing. “This is a mess, honestly, and I wish I could do more right now without having to deal with the Council on my ass.” He tutted and shook his head as he put his tablet away. “All right, Lucy, here’s what I can guarantee. It’s not the best, but it’s the best for now.”I swallowed and nodded. “Okay.”“Unless you explicitly want to have sex with them, engage in luna-related activities, or even be involved with the pack at all, you won’t have to. There will be no threat of being tossed out, sent back, or whatever else you fear might happen if you refuse them.”I swallowed and met his gaze. Yvonne put her hand on my shoulder. “Is it really that simple?”“In your case?” He chuckled. “It is hardly simple, but I can guarantee this for you.”I worried my lip and nodded. “That… is more than I could really ask for, I think.”“Well, prepare to be amazed. That’s only part of it. If, at any time, you feel as though they
TonyThe fury was roiling in me, but I couldn’t shift. The silver still pulsing through my body kept it at bay. “You can’t—”I turned to look at our beta. “Stay.”I turned to look at the rest of the room. “The rest of you. Leave.”They each looked confused. I let out a growl that had them quickly leaving quickly. I turned back to Dagon and Lucy. I didn’t spare her more than a glance as the sight of her over there eating so calmly only made me more furious. She was our mate. How could she do this to us?“Before we start,” Dagon said. “You’ll each need to swear an oath—”“I’m not swearing anything,” Matt growled. “You’re overstepping your rights. You’re just a liaison. You don’t have any authority over what we do within our own Pack.”Dagon smiled. “Should I take that as a refusal to enter into a Liaison Call?”Matt growled, “You—”“Matt,” I cut in, glaring at Dagon. “Stop. Swear the oath so we can get this over with. If the Council can use this against us, they will.”But Lucy is our
LucyAfter Dagon left, I hardly left Yvonne’s quarters. The few times I saw pack members were when they came in to be treated for various injuries. They were all rude to Yvonne more often than not, but they tended to simply glare at me. “Fucking half-breed,” one of them hissed at me as they passed and left the room. Yvonne hummed as she mixed a potion and settled onto the couch beside me. “Seems like the news has gotten around about your change in status.”I smiled at her. “I’m okay with that.”“How are you feeling? I know all of this has happened pretty quickly.”I looked down at the stack of books on the table that I should be studying and shook my head. “I feel like I should feel more, but I really… don’t. I just feel kind of relieved that maybe… this will all be over soon.”She smiled. “Knowing my brother? You’ll be out of here by the end of the month. Any thoughts about where you want to go?”“Nowhere nearby… I don’t want to run into anyone I knew before again.” I shuddered. “
LucyI studied hard for the next few days. I didn’t come out of the room. I didn’t even let anyone come see me, no matter how many times Yvonne allowed me to make that choice. The beta was outside the door this time. I stepped out and met his gaze. “I am not your luna,” I said. “Please stop coming to talk to me about it.”He winced, but he nodded and turned away. Yvonne grinned. “I think all this practice is giving you some oomph.”I smiled and slumped forward. “All I feel right now… is drained.”She laughed. “That makes sense.”We ate lunch at her little table, and another knock came. This time it was Matt. I went stiff, watching him warily. He cleared his throat and lifted his head. “I’m here to talk about the luncheon tomorrow,” Matt said. “The Liaison said we have to… make sure you’re getting time to socialize outside of the pack, so we’re taking you to a human luncheon.”I swallowed and nodded. “Okay.”“Great. We’re going shopping—”“I don’t want to,” I said, meeting his gaze
LucyThe morning sun, a mischievous wink through the blinds, painted golden stripes across our bed. I snuggled deeper into the warmth of David's embrace, the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest a soothing lullaby. He slipped his hand across my lower back. The warmth of his bare skin against mine set a spark of pleasure through me. He rumbled low and content into my hair. “Wake up,” David rumbled. He kissed my head and twined a curl around his finger. “We have things to do.”“You shouldn’t have kept me up all night.”He chuckled. “You didn’t say that last night.”I nudged him. He dipped his head to nip my lips. “You know, if it’s too much, you can always tell me to slow down.”He’d been saying that for five years now, and I never found a reason to tell him to. He knew that. His eyes flickered between colors. I nipped his lower lip. “Give me a reason.”He smirked and rolled me onto my back. “To slow down or…”“To get up,” I said as he kissed
LucyI sat on the cold stone, watching her, but she didn’t move another muscle. I didn’t know how long it had been, but it didn’t matter. The spectral glow around her was starting to dim, and my mind was just too stressed to do too much thinking. The light of the ritual, the spell I’d used, the blood on my hands all flashed through my mind, and part of me wondered if it was all just a dream. I looked down at the stained and ruined gown. The armor was as pristine as ever, but most of the embroidered roses were torn or stained. This dress would never be white again, let alone whole. I flicked a piece of the long, gossamer fabric and shook my head. I really liked this dress.“Lucy!”I turned my head toward the sound of David’s voice, wrung out and relieved to hear him. He was rushing through the air towards me. He dropped down a few feet from me, looking so worried I could cry.I smiled at him as he dropped to his knees beside me and threw his arms around me,
LucyI sailed through the air, landing with a jarring thud within the ritual circle. With a trembling hand, I pushed myself up, my senses on high alert. A figure, cloaked in darkness, appeared in front of me. My blood ran cold. Selene."Well, well, Lucy," her voice, honeyed yet laced with venom, slithered into the darkness. "Thank you ever so much for making this easy at last.”I grit my teeth. I wouldn't go down without a fight. Straightening my shoulders, I met her gaze, my voice shaking but resolute. "You underestimate me.” “No, Lucy,” her voice dropped, and a cruel smile twisted her lips. "You underestimate me.” The chanting grew louder around me. I lunged for the necklace, my fingers grazing its cold surface before Selene snatched it away, a triumphant gleam in her eyes. But that touch, fleeting as it was, ignited something. I felt her pushing at my mind. I felt her shoving me back until I could see the forest from before, and we were fighting in a ci
MattMy vision pulsed and flickered, a strobe light of pain blurring the edges of reality. Tony rained blows down on me, slashing with claws. Each hit chipped away at my resolve and my control, leaving behind a raw desperation to end this quickly. My armor protected me from most of the damage, but still. He was always the stronger of the two of us. I thought it was just because he was the older of the two of us, but this was different. I thought for sure he was going to bite off my head. Then, a flash of golden light arced through the air, and a spear lanced past my shoulder, catching Tony square in the chest. I turned back to see Ginevra hovering in the air. Her golden dress glowed as she passed me with a glowing winge spreading from her back. What the absolute fuck?Tony staggered, falling to the ground, and Dad darted forward, encasing Tony in a shimmering web of light. The wave turned to chains. He thrashed and howled, straining against the magical bonds, but t
LucyPeter's breath hitched, rasping, and shallow, then deepened into a cough that wracked his battered body. His eyelids fluttered, eyelids so pale they were almost luminous in the dim torchlight. He struggled to get up, leaning on his Spear and on Michelle. The light pulsing through the Spear rippled over his skin. He let out a soft sigh and stumbled a little. “Peter?”“I... It’s gone.”“What?” Michelle gasped as his hair started to change, losing the gray color and growing dark. His face turned younger until I was sure that he was all of twenty-something. He grew a bit taller, too, bigger until his shirt strained against his chest and his buttons popped. He flushed. “Well… that’s not…” He cleared his throat as Michelle smiled up at him. “So this is what you looked like in your youth?”He scoffed. “I’m much younger than you think.”He grunted, pressing a hand to his side. “Wish the Spear would heal the wound, though.”I winced. “Sorry… it’s a
PeterMy feet pounded a frantic rhythm against the uneven earth, branches whipping at my face, thorns tearing at my clothes. How long had I been running? How much further did I have to go? I didn’t know, and it didn’t matter so long as I got there. My lungs burned, legs screaming in protest, but still I ran. The trail of blood behind me and the patchwork of wounds across my body, chunks of missing and regrowing flesh, weren’t my concern right now. The creature—the wolf was after me, and unlike before, it didn’t seem willing to back off or slow down. It was going to kill me, and what happened after that was anyone’s guess. Behind me, the guttural snarl of the wolf echoed through the trees. Too close to be comfortable. Too close to make sense. This was too much like that dream, but worse. So much worse. The sky was a kaleidoscope of images I could barely make out. They flashed in the sky and in my vision, making it hard to see. I saw Lucy. I saw Michelle. The long
LucyAdrenaline surging, I grabbed Michelle and pulled her after me deeper into the inky depths of the tunnel.“Quick!”She panted. “What’s going on? Peter—”“He’s possessed,” I said. “Just keep running for now!”I saw my Allison up ahead, leading me down another tunnel. Behind us, I heard Peter's guttural snarls, the rhythmic thud of his feet echoed eerily in the confined space. We had to lose him and the other one quickly, but we didn’t seem to be putting enough distance between us. Panic coiled in my gut, urging me to run faster and push my body beyond its limits. Michelle kept up relatively well. We twisted and turned, navigating the treacherous path by torchlight and the spectral murmurs of White Moon's fallen. But the passage seemed to twist back on itself. When we were back at the forked path, the faint light that had been illuminating the tunnel went out, plunging us into darkness.Michelle shuddered. She drew closer to me and tightened her grip on m
LucyI was back in that house with that couple that adopted me. I felt the floorboards creaking as I went downstairs. I saw the men in suits. I shrieked, turning. Not again. I couldn’t be back here. Where was David? How had I gotten back here? I looked down. I wasn’t… wearing the dress or the armor. I had no daggers. My hair was just as uncombed and dry as it had been then. When I looked in the mirror, the skinny young woman who had barely had anything more than ramen and school lunch stared back at me. My stomach lurched. The door opened, and I turned to run, knowing what was about to happen. I dug my heels in as dark shadows pulled me towards the door. I felt myself being lifted onto someone’s shoulders. I fought and kicked, but all my training and all my strength were gone. I saw the calendar on the wall, but the date was different. It wasn’t my birthday. It was the day of the Crescent Moon Festival. I screamed, grabbing anything I could manage. Then, Sele
DavidOren's head arced through the firelit air, landed, and rolled. His body dropped to the ground, still spurting blood. Then, all hell broke loose.The shimmering barrier around the Ball faltered, rippling like a pond, before collapsing entirely. Hunters poured into the arena, their snarls blending with everyone's shocked gasps. “Defensive measures, now!” I yelled, my voice carrying over the sound of the attack. A group of dragon shifters took to the sky as my blade clashed with the first hunter. How had they gotten through the barrier? I saw a flicker of a ghost and growled. “Selene!” I shoved the hunter back, slicing through him before sending out a shockwave of air. She’d been behind this, and maybe she’d been planning this for years, using the werewolf virus to spy on the preparations. It would make sense to try and get rid of me. I was the direct descendant of Fenris. More than that, it was their movements. Each and every one of them moved e