Edric’s POV Leaving Maya and Deimos was harder than I expected, especially since I know how scared my mate is. She’s afraid to be alone with the Lycans, and with the full moon coming up, she doesn’t know what to expect. I’ve ordered Stephen and Cedric to stay with her during the shift, but it doesn’t make me feel any better. It's late afternoon when my plane lands on the private airstrip just outside the town. I booked myself into the little motel instead of assuming that Mountain Fire will accommodate me in their pack house. I don’t think of them as my pack anymore, and I won’t make any royal demands. Cameron waits for me with his guards at the little airport. “You didn’t bring a guard?” he asks when I get off the plane. “No. Do I need guards?” “Well, they’re your family, but…I’ve been receiving…increasingly concerning reports from Mountain Fire.” “Why didn’t you let me know sooner?” “They’re not your pack, not your problem,” Cameron answers as if it’s that easy. “But they’re
Edric's POV “Dad,” I kneel next to my father. He’s passed out on the study floor, reeking of cheap whiskey and vomit. I look up at Adrian. “What do you usually do? Take him up to bed?” My brother shakes his head. “I turn him on his side and cover him with a blanket.” I sigh deeply and nod. “I guess we should do that then.” Cameron looks down at us with disgust on his face. “Goddess. What kind of wolf?” “One that’s been hit too hard too many times,” I say. “I know how he feels. If Maya wasn’t pregnant…” I shrug. “Oh come on,” Cameron counters. “Half the shit that happened to him, he did to himself.” “Yes--” I stand up so I can look the king in the eye --“and the guilt is eating him alive. It will be a kindness to relieve him as Alpha.” “I agree.” I look at Adrian. “And you? Are you ready?” “No,” my brother says. “But what else can we do?” I grin and grip him by the shoulder. “You’re more ready than you think. You handled those young warriors well.” He snorts in a way that re
Edric's POV: I steal a glance at my father where he sits at the head table, cradling his head and refusing to look at me. He is unshaven, his hair uncombed, crust from the night before is stuck to his eyes, and he did not change out of his vomit-soiled clothes. I can smell him all the way over here. So can everyone else. I catch Adrian’s eye. He looks uncomfortable, and it’s easy to see that my father’s stink is making him physically sick. Fuck. Shit. I wonder if this is the life Adrian imagined when he left his pack? When I told him he’s the future Alpha of Mountain Fire? Probably not. Cameron did not join us for breakfast. He chose to eat outside with his warriors. Overnight, he lost what little respect he had left for my father, and does not want to share a table with him. It’s a huge insult to Joshua, but I don’t blame Cameron. I don’t want to be here either – only my love for my brother and father forced me downstairs today. My father clears his throat and rises. “Silence!” he
The moment my phone rings and wakes me, I’m annoyed. Deimos kept me up from the moment Edric left, and he finally dozed off long after sunrise. At first, I try to ignore the phone, but as soon as it stops ringing, it starts up again. Groaning, I roll over to Edric’s side and grab my phone off his nightstand. “What?” I growl. “What do you mean what?” Edric asks on the other side. “Oh God, I’m sorry,” I say, genuinely happy to hear his voice. “I’m just annoyed.” “Why?” “Deimos was up all night.” “Really? He’s usually such a good sleeper.” I yawn loudly and rub my burning eyes. “I think he’s teething.” “Already?” “Yes. He’s been chewing on everything, including my nipples.” Edric laughs softly. I’m sure if it were his breasts, he wouldn’t be so amused. “I shouldn’t be surprised. Did you speak to the doctor about putting him on solids?” “Uh-huh. He says no.” “I’m sorry, my love. Give it another month or two I’m sure--” “In less than two months, we’ll have our second baby. I don
Edric's POV: I knock on my dad’s door, my heart beating wildly with apprehension. “What do you want?” he calls out. Sighing, I push the door open and step inside. “Dad. Are you drunk?” “Not yet. Unfortunately.” I sit on the edge of his bed, watching as he walks over to his bar on the other side of the room and pours himself two fingers of whiskey. “Do you want some?” “It’s not even twelve yet.” Joshua shrugs, takes the bottle from the bar, and plops down in an armchair. “It’s happy hour somewhere.” “Dad. Why are you doing this to yourself?” He empties his glass and pours more whiskey. “Why shouldn’t I do it? My pack was ripped from me, all my dreams for your future has been destroyed, and to top it off, you defied my orders and let that…thing live, because that little slut of yours wanted him.” I grip my thighs tightly, focusing on the way my nails cut through my jeans and into my skin as I try to keep the anger at bay. “She’s my mate. Don’t talk about her like that.” “Then ag
Edric's POV The moment I switch on my cellphone it starts pinging. It’s not unusual after my phone’s been off for a while, but there are a lot more messages than I would normally get. I start to scroll through the texts, most of them inconsequencial, while keeping an eye on Jessica. She’s out of her depth, but enjoying the whole experience so far. She keeps looking around her with lively curiosity, and on our plane ride here, I encouraged her to ask all her questions – it helped to pass the time and occupy my thoughts. I haven’t been able to reach anyone since yesterday, and I’m worried sick about Maya. My fears don’t ease up when I read the last few texts from Stephen. “Where are you?” I frown and scroll down my message. "Answer your phone, dammit." And then. “I’m taking Maya to the clinic. She’s unwell. I suggest you get on a plane.” I stare at the message for a while, trying to process what I'm reading. The whole pregnancy has been rough on her, and it might be nothing, but then
Abbadon's POV I wake in the middle of the day. Something that hasn’t happened to me in many, many decades. I frown, trying to figure out what woke me. I went to the other side of the world, put thousands of miles between Maya and me, and it didn’t help. I can still feel her. I can always feel her. It never ends. It’s torture. It is her panic, her pain, and crushing sorrow that woke me. For a few weeks, her emotions ran between fearful, curious, sad, ecstatic, annoyed, and sometimes a tinge of desire. Just the usual range of a well-adjusted being’s emotions. She was happy, for the most part, excited about something, though what that something was I couldn’t tell. Any normal-thinking person would say that she’s excited about her baby, but all through her pregnancy, until recently anyway, she was depressed, lonely, consumed by regret and grief – she went from that to joyful in a blink. It made no sense. And now this. It’s not depression. It’s the kind of desperate sorrow and fear th
“Are you ready to take a little ride?” Edric asks while pushing a wheelchair into the room. He left an hour ago to take a shower and check in on Deimos while the Omegas cleaned me up and changed me. “I can walk,” I say in reply. “No, come on, you went through a lot, and I bet walking will be difficult right now.” He’s not wrong. I am shaky and weak, and it feels like a horse kicked me square between the legs. “Fine,” I concede, too tired to argue. Edric helps me off the bed and into the wheelchair. I wince as my butt touches the seat. “Deimos is doing well,” he says. “Cedric tells me his two bottom teeth finally broke through, and he’s a happy baby again.” “Thank you,” I say, feeling a twinge of intense longing for my older son. “Can you bring him down when we’re done? I want to see him.” “Not just yet, sweetheart, you need to rest.” “But--” “He’s not the one you should worry about right now. He’s healthy. He’s happy, and you stored enough milk to keep him well fed for at least
Abbadon's POV For ten years, I managed to stay away from Maya, and then I couldn’t stand it anymore. I left my home in Greece and went back. I watched her from afar, my heart screaming out to her, but knowing I couldn’t interfere. She needed her peace, and she found it. She was happy, living a life of domestic bliss with her mate and their mini-pack of eight pups. Deimos grew into an admirable young Alpha, and I felt her sadness on the day he left to take his place as Silver Springs’ leader. He was loved and respected. He visited his parents every chance he got until he stepped down as Alpha and was never seen again. Warwick took the throne on his twenty-fifth birthday. Edric was happy to retire. He was a good king and dragged his tribe into the twenty-first century whether they liked it or not, but he never wanted the job. He was at his happiest when his children and grandchildren surrounded him. Their third child, a boy named Joshua, returned to Mountain Fire when he was twenty.
With Warwick resting on my hip, and my other hand in Deimos’s I look around our apartment one last time. It was our home for more than a year, and I’ve grown oddly attached to it. “Where going, mama?” Deimos asks.I look down at my one-year-old who isn’t behaving like other one-year-olds and smile at him. “We’re going home.”“This home.”“No kid,” Edric says from the doorway. “This isn’t our home anymore. I build us a better home.”“Hellooo,” Cedric calls from the living room, his voice echoing in the empty apartment. “One last time for good luck.”I start laughing and let Edric take Deimos before we leave our bedroom for the last time.Cedric and Stephen waits for us in the living room surrounded by their three pups. They took to parenthood like ducks take to water, and soon after the pups arrived, Cedric resigned as Edric’s Gamma. “Are you sure?” Edric asked.“Yes,” Cedric replied, beaming at Edric. “It’s all I want now.”“You don’t just want paternity leave?” Edric joked. “Reconsid
Edric's POV Our date night turned into a bit of a flop. We had to take it in turns to stop each other. When Maya lost control, I’d remind her to stop, and when it was my turn to lose control, she’d remind me to stop, but somehow we made it work. Together, we found new and interesting ways to satisfy each other, rediscovering each other’s bodies. I yawn and flop backward on the bed. The moment we were home, Maya rushed off to find the boys, and I take the time to enjoy the silence. Goddess knows, I love my sons, but I do enjoy these quiet moments. It gives me a chance to think. The one good thing that came out of last night was that Maya finally opened up to me and shared her fears. Now that we’re talking openly and frankly again, I’m hoping that she’ll slow down and spend more time with me. I miss her. My phone starts vibrating and I pull it out of my pocket. With a frown I stare at the caller ID. “Adrian?” I answer. “Hello,” he says. It’s strange to hear his voice. We haven’t sp
Edric's POV Maya’s heat comes on as suddenly as it did the last time, only this time I’m here to experience it, and she’s not locked behind several layers of wood and steel. One moment, everything’s fine, the next I almost drive off the road as her scent fills the car and attacks my senses. I wipe my wet palms on my jeans and try to pay attention to the road so I don’t kill us. “What’s wrong?” she asks. “You don’t know?” I ask in return, hearing my voice rise several octaves. “You’re in heat.” “Is that what it is? I just thought I’m horny for…well, no good reason at all.” She laughs uncomfortably and shifts around in her seat. “Shouldn’t I get some kind of warning or something?” “Normally, yes…but we forget sometimes that you’re not normal.” We are almost to the hotel and the road is clear with no other cars in sight, but I’m not sure I’m going to make it. Blood rushes through me so fast that I can barely hear, let alone see. Just like last time her heat overwhelms me and I can’t
I crash through the misty woods, my wolf pushing our body harder than I thought was possible, oblivious to our surroundings as we keep trying to get away from whatever it is that’s chasing us. I never saw what it was. I just felt it. Danger. It’s right on top of us. ~ Go faster! ~ I scream at my wolf. She increases her pace, but we won’t be able to do this for much longer. We’ve been running for hours, and our legs are about to give out. At first, I’m relieved to see him. Abbadon lands in front of me, and I dash past him, placing myself between him and the thing chasing us. Finally, we can stop. I collapse to the ground, and my exhausted wolf lets go, forcing me to shift back to human. I curl up in a little ball on the cold, wet, forest floor and try to catch my breath, trusting that Abbadon will take care of the dangerous thing I’m trying to escape. I look up at Abbadon. My mate. No matter what he is or what he does, he’ll never harm me. “Is that what you think?” he asks in his
Edric's POV The weeks slip by without anyone taking much notice. New Year’s day comes and goes without much fanfare, but a week into the new year, Maya insists on speaking to Alpha Neil about Deimos, and after days of pestering me about it, I give in. The Alpha doesn’t tell us anything I haven’t already told her. “I don’t know what else I can say, Queen,” Neil says. “We grow up fast, and we shift young--” he shrugs --“but that’s just how it is with our kind. We are big, we’re strong, and we’re violent.” Maya shudders lightly and looks over at Deimos who is trying to pull himself upright against a couch. “He’s not even five months old yet,” she whispers. “Yes,” Neil replied. “And by the time he’s twelve, he’ll look like a fully grown man. But you have to remember, he’s still just a child.” The Alpha bites into his nails, his face pensive, then he sighs and goes on. “This is important. The first shift is the worst. It lasts for hours, and it is brutal. Make sure you lock him up.” “W
I haven’t seen Edric in such a good mood since the day he introduced me to the pack back at Mountain Fire. At first, the higher-ranking wolves wouldn’t join us, refusing to eat with the ‘lower filth’ as one of the warriors called the True Omega that walked past him. Just when I thought my grand plan would come apart at the seams, Stephen and Cedric jumped in and arranged everyone according to their rank, which placated some of the grumpier wolves. Less than an hour later, everyone is happily chatting and enjoying the day. Even Maxwell and Alexander’s widow, Esther, came out of their hiding place to join us, but they are sitting by themselves, away from the rest of the tribe. “He looks much better,” I say while staring at Edric’s uncle. Edric looks up and follows my gaze. “Yes, now that he’s not getting poisoned every day. He’s actually improving, but he’s still not speaking. Winston says the damage to his brain is catastrophic. He’ll heal some, but he’ll never be quite…right.” I’ve
Edric's POV I lie on my side, watching Maya sleep, trying to get rid of the unnecessary guilt that’s trying to eat me alive. She kept trying to reassure me that it’s okay, but I’ve been so conditioned by my time with Mountain Fire, that I can’t let go and believe it. I lost control. "Alphas don't lose control," I can practically hear my father's voice. It's as if he's standing right next to me. "It's a thin line between losing control and going feral." Sighing, I pull on a pair of loose boxers and go back to the balcony for a glass of wine. I won't be able to sleep while I feel like this anyway. “Evening,” Stephen says from their balcony. “Hey,” I answer and pour some wine into my glass before I walk over to the low wall separating the two balconies. “Where’s Cedric?” “Inside, feeding Warwick. How’s your date going?” “Well, it’s not…I think it’s over. Maya’s asleep.” Stephen laughs softly. “Yeah, I’m sure she’s tuckered out. You two were a bit…loud.” I blush, grateful for the d
It’s like I’m standing outside myself. Watching, hearing, feeling and seeing everything my wolf does. I have no control over myself and my body anymore. It was already too late when Edric brought me inside -- by then she had taken control because she sensed my hesitation. Edric tries to pull away from me, but she growls a low warning and grips his hair, roughly pulling him back to her, folding her lips around his mouth. The kiss steals the breath from my body and drives me insane with dark, needy lust. I want to stop fighting it, want to stop overthinking every little thing, I want to stop fighting my wolf and just let it happen. I want to find my mate again and be with him like we used to be when we found each other. Edric picks me up, and I wrap my legs around him. He carries me across the room, slamming me against the wall so hard that my head connects to it with a jarring thud. It doesn’t even slow my wolf down. Her claws surface and she rips his shirt to ribbons. I’m terrified