The flames danced in the fireplace, illuminating the Blue Room. The place was quiet, the only noises came from the crackling wood and flying sparks. The sweet smell of the wood held the strongest memory for King Kanyon. This was the place he sat for days upon days after Ellie died. A place where no sunlight or moonlight could enter. There weren't any windows for life to beam through, just a fireplace and without it being lit, the place remained dark. There was no way to know whether it was night or day unless you go through the one door leading out into the south corridors. Even though the mulled wine warmed him up inside, Priestess Constance's cold gaze left him feeling frozen. He waited for one of the servers to give the woman her requested drink; blood from a lamb. The server kept her head low as she handed off the glass to the priestess before leaving the room in a hurry. "You seem different," she finally spoke, her face hidden behind curtains of black veils. Only her pier
'Don't do it Kanyon, we can't let her know we've found a second chance mate. At least not yet,' Sinbad warned. Kanyon was itching to tell the priestess that the Moon Goddess had gifted him another mate, but his beast was correct. He couldn't spill the beans now, not until Jessica was in the loop and he felt she was safe. Constance had already passed a bill stating that if no one from the Blackwood bloodline came forward to claim the throne by the fifteenth year of Eleanor's and Melissa's deaths, then the kingdom and all its wealth would go to her and her adoptive daughter April. And who knew what she'd do if she found out that the last Blackwood heir was the king's new mate. "Have I made myself clear?" Constance's voice boomed with authority. "Of course, Priestess Constance," Kanyon nodded. "Then that's settled," she sighed. "I'll take a look around your castle grounds, and then I'll take my leave." "You're not staying the night?" Kanyon asked. "Don't act so sad, but no
Kanyon waited for them all to catch their breaths. He shared every secret he had been holding in with them, including the fact that Jessica comes from royalty. "So my cousin is the last surviving Blackwood?" Ariel added. "I knew that girl was special all along." "Your Majesty, if this is indeed true and she is your mate, then you must marry her," Lucy added. "You shouldn't allow the priestess to push you into a marriage with Anna." "I agree. I love Anna. She's like family to me, but you have to do right by your mate first, King Kanyon. This is what the Moon Goddess wants," Alpha Daniel gave his two cents. "I'm fully aware of all this," Kanyon spat. "I still have eight months to figure something out." Cameron stayed silent during all of this. "Master Cameron, you haven't said a word," Alpha Daniel pointed out. "What are you thinking?" "Kanyon knows what I'm thinking," Cam huffed. "He shouldn't wait, he should marry, mate and mark Jessica as soon as possible." "Cameron,
Jessica walked back and forth, waiting for the escort Lucy had said would come to take her to her cousin, but she was getting frustrated and restless as nearly twenty minutes passed with no sign of anyone to accompany her. "That's it," she stomped her feet hard on the ground. "I'm going to the diamond wing to find Ariel's room myself," she said, deciding that she would not stand around and wait on this person. Plus, she had to learn how to navigate her way around the castle, anyway. She swung the door open and took a quick look outside. She rolled her eyes when she saw Zachery leaning against the wall, chewing on a toothpick. His smug face made her stomach churn. "What do you want?" She asked, folding her arms at her chest and waiting for his answer. This man had been trouble since the moment she met him. She knew his type, young, good-looking and conceited. He reminded her of Cory, and that alone was the only red-flag she needed to let her know to stay away from Zachery. "
"Ellie. You must come with me or the king will get suspicious." Zachery tried to drag Jessica along since she refused to ride his back. She realized his cold, hard eyes had nothing but wickedness in them. How could he be of the same kin as King Kanyon? Kanyon was so nice and had a kind heart. "How can you just stand here and pretend like you are a true follower of your king?" Jessica spoke with scorn. "I know you only brought me to the Queen's Keep to try to turn me against Kanyon. But it won't work," she scowled. "And my name is Jessica, not Ellie." "What?" "You called me Ellie just now," she snickered. "You two must have been pretty close for you to be calling her by her nickname. Seems you're the one who sees Ellie every time you look at me." He rolled his eyes. "No wonder your mate rejected you. You're so stupid." Jessica’s heart plummeted in her chest, hurt by his remark. She swallowed hard before she replied. “I may have been too trusting at one point in my life, but
"Girl, I got the distress signal!" Ariel squealed. She dropped her bag next to the door before running into Jessica's arms. "I'm so glad to see you," Jessica sniffled, and soon her tears were wetting Ariel's shoulder. "Hey, honey. What's wrong?" Ariel pulled back so she could look at Jessica's face. "What's with the tears?" she used her thumbs to dry Jess's face. "King Kanyon. He's a big fat liar and a cheat." "Oh shit!" Ariel shrieked. She bent down and picked up her bag. "It's a good thing I brought booze and chocolates." She pulled out a fancy looking bottle holding a brown liquid. "But I'm not twenty-one yet," Jessica let out. "Girl please, with all the stress and issues we omegas deal with, we could easily pass for sixty, right?" Ariel wiggled her brows. "Come on, let's drink and talk about what that sexy king of yours did to have you crying like this." An hour later and the girls were slurring their words. Jessica was feeling much better as she finished tell
"WHO THE FUCK IS BANGING ON MY DOOR AT THIS HOUR?" Kanyon roared as he stepped angrily from his bathtub and onto his ceramic tile covered floor. "Hold your damn horses!" He shouted. He was on edge because he hadn't seen Jessica since this morning, and she had acted so cold towards him. Plus now he had to go spend the night with that energy draining she-wolf, thanks to his idiotic second. Kanyon wrapped a towel around his lower torso, not even bothering to dry his hair as he stormed towards his front door. He stopped in his tracks when he smelt the sweet smell of his mate seeping through the cracks of the door. He pulled it open. "Jessica, what are you doing here?" he asked, admiring how sexy she looked in that oversized sweater and bunny slippers she wore. "I came to see you, buddy," she snarled, using her finger to poke his nipple. When she felt it hardened against her fingertip, she dropped her hand and held the king's gaze. His pupils were dilated with a playful smirk on his
The sound of thunder grew louder, and the sky became even darker. Flashes of lightning shone through the glass windows and across Jessica's pretty face, illuminating her features. Kanyon could feel her breath warming his skin, and the rumbles of thunder sounded once more as if the sky were cheering them on. His eyes roamed over her chest, her perky breasts sitting firmly watching him. He licked his lips and asked, "Can I?" She nodded her head, biting on her bottom lip, shaking in his grasp as he teased her lips with his tongue. "No, Jessica, I need you to use your words," he fumed. "Can I suck your nipples?" "Yes, you can." A pink tint took over her nose and cheeks. Kanyon held her by her underarms, lifting her up and setting her to sit on the countertop. She propped one leg over his shoulder while he pressed the other down on the surface of the counter. With his long fingers, he shifted her underwear to the side. His middle finger didn't waste any time as it found her h
"King Kanyon!" Daniel bowed. "What is going on and why am I here?" Daniel strode over to the king while he finished buttoning his shirt. "Alpha Daniel. Is that really you?""Of course it is, Your Majesty. Is this some kind of April Fool's joke?" he scoffed. "I wish it was," Cameron mumbled. "What's the last thing you remember?" Kanyon asked. "Well, Sofia and I had just celebrated our twentieth wedding anniversary. First, we wandered through the park, then we ran a bit in wolf form, and after that, we went to bed. The next thing I knew I was waking up on that table over there," he finished, pointing to the mage's gurney-like table. "Father, that was over ten years ago," DJ spoke up. "Mom has been dead for fifteen years."Daniel's eyes landed on the tall, muscular man that just called him father. He looked like his son, but a way more mature version. "DJ, is that you? But you look so old. And Sofia is not dead. She can't be." "I'm thirty-five now, Dad, and yes, mom is dead." "How
"Cameron, what's going on? Everything started shaking, and I thought we were having an earthquake," Ren rushed into her husband's arms the moment she laid eyes on him. His gaze wandered to Theodore, who had a terrified Falcon in his arms."No, it's not an earthquake." He kissed the top of his wife's head before spreading a viral message through the pack link, urging all castle residents to get to their bedrooms, lock their doors, and widows then fortify the entrances with Moon Petals. He instructed the guards to secure every entrance and exit in the castle with Moon Petals as well. No one should come in or go out. "Are we under attack?" Falcon asked as he sank his face into Theodore's chest. The vampire prince held his mate tightly, stroking his shoulder for comfort. "No, but someone is doing something inside the castle that they shouldn't be doing," Cam let out. "Everyone stay close together and follow me. We're going to Lucy's chambers."******"Your Majesty," one of the nannies b
King Kanyon sat down at the head of the table while he conducted this meeting. “Cameron, is the Graceland kid still lurking around the town?” Kanyon inquired. “You mean Cory? Yes, he’s still being a creep. My informants told me he has been spending most of his time in the crafts shops,” Cam chuckled. “Why the hell was he still here?” Kanyon gritted his teeth. “I don’t know, but as long as he doesn’t come near the castle, and near Twinkle, I’m good,” Cam added. “Is there anything you’d like to add, DJ? Do you need any help with anything?” Kanyon asked DJ. “No. I cannot think of anything right now, but if I do, I’ll let you know,” he stated and the king could taste the sorrow on DJ as the young Alpha spoke, but he kept his composure. DJ's voice didn't crack once. “So Annabella is really gone?" he asked, leaning back in his seat with his palms resting flat on the table. "I'm sorry, man. I know how much she meant to you," Cameron rested a palm on DJ's shoulder. "Thank you, Master
“You will not have either of us!” Jessica exclaimed in a fit of rage as she confronted the being possessing her cousin. "Let me help you rephrase that,” it smirked. “I cannot have you — yet," Constance put emphasis on the word ‘yet’ which made Jessica angrier. Constance felt Ariel's soul fighting for its body back. "It looks like my time here is running out. Even though I know you've been warned already Queen Jessica, but I think I will warn you again. Mistress Paloma says Alpha Daniel's soul already belongs to her, so if you do this spell and bring him back to life, then there will be grave consequences.""What kind of consequences?" June asked. "The bad kind," Constance let out. She felt Ariel pushing her out now. "I will go now, but one of you has to break the seal." June walked up to her and used her foot to break the circle. Ariel began to throw up what looked and smelt like tar. Jessica sprinted to her side and held her hair away from her face. The tar transformed into black
The lamb baaed and bleated as the entity possessed it. The poor sheep's eyes rolled over in its head as the scent of death and despair stained the air all around. Little by little, its face twisted into something ghastly, an abomination between a human and a demon. "Who are you, and why have you come here?" June asked as she stepped up to the animal who was bucking and chewing at the bars of the cage. The iron bars sizzled and burned the creature's tongue. It hissed and scurried back into the centre. "Saltttt!" the demon spat. The tone of the voice told June it was a woman. The three mages swallowed hard. They had never witnessed anything like this before. Luna Ariel was in a corner with her heart beating like a war drum, rethinking this whole resurrection thing. Queen Jessica, however, could have sworn that the creature's voice sounded familiar. "State your name now and tell us why you have come here?" June barked once more."I came for," the lamb paused as it cackled then slow
As midnight drew near, the palace took on a dark and eerie atmosphere. Jessica and Ariel quietly made their way to the south side of the building where Lucy's chambers were located. With Lily's support, Jessica discovered how to turn off her mindlink so that Kanyon wouldn't pick up on anything she preferred to keep a secret from him. This decision wasn’t easy for her. She felt awful keeping this from her husband. Jessica squeezed her cousin's hand harder as they made their way down the path. "Don't be nervous," Jessica whispered. "I truly believe everything will be alright.""I wish I could be all mellow like you, but I can't. My mind's racing with all the ways this could play out, and I have no clue what to expect,” Ariel sighed. "I understand, but try and be positive,” Jessica kissed her palm. “Now chin up because we're here," Jessica stated as they settled on Lucy’s welcome mat. The queen tapped on the door, and Laura opened it for them. “Get it,” Laura ushered them inside qu
"Resurrection spell? Isn't that considered dark magic?" Ariel swallowed hard. It seemed like everything in the room was spinning. When she was younger, she was always taught that if you fooled around with dark magic, it could cause you to lose your soul. "The darkest of dark, Luna. But our queen here doesn't seem to understand how dangerous this is,” Lucy huffed. “So Ariel, I will need you to step up and be the wise one. Alpha Daniel was your husband, and even though we all miss him and believe he didn't deserve that fate, the choice lies with you. If you tell Jessica that you don't want this, then she cannot continue with this madness. Take your husband's body home and give him the proper burial he deserves. Don’t let her taint his vessel like this.” Lucy eyed Jessica sternly. "Lucy! Watch your tone," Jessica hissed. “You act like I’m going to use a knife and carve into Daniel’s body.”“You might as well do that,” Lucy rolled her eyes. "Ariel, don't listen to her,” Jessica sighed.
"Lucy, are you still mad at me?" Lily asked her sister as they stepped into the portal door. Lily tried grabbing her sister's hand, but Lucy flashed her off. Laura had already gathered the sages and candles needed for the spell and was sitting on the floor by Lucy's bed, waiting for her two sisters to return. Zap!!! The door appeared and Laura tasted the bitterness between her two sisters as they stepped out of the portal. "Did you guys get all that we will need?" Laura asked. "Yes, and we had to kill two trolls to get the toes we required," Lucy gagged as she scraped the goo off her hand and flashed it on the ground. "So how did you do? Did you get everything else?""Everything except the witch's blood.""Where are we going to get witch's blood from?" Lily sought. There weren’t any witches in the kingdom. Laura looked at Lucy."No! I cannot ask June to be a part of this," Lucy shook her head. "It's just a little blood," Laura added. "It's not like you're gonna ask her to help pe
“Forgive me for what I am about to say,”Lily blew out a breath as she stared at the woman in front of her who was asking her to perform a forbidden spell. “Are you out of your freaking mind, Your Majesty?” she yelped. She was shocked by what the queen was proposing. “That's some serious dark magic, Queen Jessica.”“I know, but maybe if you teach me how to do it like how you've been helping me with spirit summoning, then maybe you won't have to get involved,” Jessica pleaded her case. “You are smart enough to know only a mage or a witch can cast such a spell, so there's no way I'm letting you do that. And what if you died? The king would have my head and then maybe my sisters’ heads as well,” Lily scoffed. “You're not letting me do this?” Jessica snickered at the mage as she repeated her words. "If I command you to do it, then you will do as I say. Am I not your queen?"“Of course, but —,”"Then it's settled. You will gather the ingredients for this spell and I will stall Kanyon and