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 I land just outside the palace grounds in a piece of stinking wetland that's crawling with all manner of deadly creatures. Brett meets me in the darkness, his eyes downcast, searching for danger. “If I’m caught--” he starts. “Then lie. How’s the pup?” “They named in Warwick.” “Well, that’s very nice, but I really don’t care about his name.” Brett shrugs and folds his arms over his narrow chest. For a Lycan he’s small and weak, hell he’s small and weak for a regular werewolf. “Not doing too hot from what I hear.” He grins. “What goes around comes around, right?” I grab him by his throat. He has just enough time to release a grunt before I cut off his air supply and lift him into the air, laughing at him when his arms and legs flail about as he tries to kick and punch me. If he shifts, I’m fucked. “I will kill you,” I say and drop him in the stagnant, rotting water. “Where are they?” “The clinic,” he squeaks while he rubs his throat. God, I want to kill him. I want