Edric’s POV:
I run into Stephen in the entrance hall. “You made me your Beta,” he says before I can even open my mouth.
“Yes. Is that okay with you?”
“I’m just a warrior. I don’t know anything about running a kingdom.”
“There’s no such thing as just a warrior. As for running a kingdom, I don’t know anything about it either. We’ll figure it out together.”
I can’t imagine running a kingdom is much different from running a pack, except that I’m now also responsible for every single Alpha that lives in my kingdom. “Get Cedric and gather the tribe. Alexander plans on announcing my succession in a few hours.” I switch to our mind-link. “And tell the warriors that already bent the knee to me, that I expect trouble. I think he’s up to something.”
“Yeah,” Stephen sighs. “He always has something up his sleeve.”
“Hm-hm. Be careful.”
“Always.”
I break our link and as I walk back to the apartment, I dig my p
Edric's POV: I kick the door to the parlour open, looking around the large, too warm room. Alexander is sitting in his usual place next to the fire. “Is it time?” he asks, his voice shaky. “I’m going to give you one chance, old man. Where is Maya?” He shrugs, and stares right at me, but is careful to avoid making eye contact. Fucking coward. “How should I know? She’s your mate.” I leap forward, grabbing the armrests of his chair. “I will fucking end you,” I hiss. “Where are you hiding her?” All I have to do is find the lever Millicent told me about, but I want Alexander to attack me. The old wolf just sits there, laughing at me. “You can get her back if you agree to leave. I’ll send her your way when you’re out of my kingdom. If I die before then, well it’s just too damn bad, isn’t it?” I raise my eyebrows at him. “You think everyone’s like you, don’t you? You think everyone lies and schemes and cheats. I’m not l
Something happened to me when the tribe declared Edric as their king. I remember Clarissa telling me she felt a change within herself when Darius became Alpha, which elevated her to Luna. I’m pretty sure something similar is happening to me. My magic is stronger, and I’m fully awakened now. The Goddess part also started burning brighter and stronger -- I can feel the power scorching through me like lava. It’s terrifying. I sit on the porch step, watching the tribe shift with their new king, reflecting on the last two months. How quickly things have changed. How quickly I have changed. Even Edric went through a metamorphosis and isn’t the same wolf that chased me through the woods. That night feels like a lifetime ago now. My eyes fall on two wolves in human form walking in the direction of the warriors’ cabins. It can’t be. They look just like Luca and Jasper. Still sure I’m seeing things, I get up and run through the throng of shifting wolves to catch up with the tw
For once, my prayer didn’t go unanswered and we had more than just one calm night. We had several weeks. For a while, everything went well. I almost convinced myself that our lives were finally starting. That all the pain and fear were behind us. That we finally had that chance we both wanted so much. And we almost did. Almost. Edric’s family left four days after Alexander’s death. In time to join their pack for the full moon. I tried to avoid them the entire time they were here. Despite my initial joy at seeing them, it all very quickly went to hell, and their presence made me very uncomfortable. For Edric’s sake, I endured it, but I almost skipped with joy when they left. I thought Edric enjoyed their company, but after they left, he admitted to me that he found the whole encounter as awkward as I did, and he was relieved that they were gone. “I’ll always love them, but they’re not my pack anymore,” he said. “And your dad? Jolie?”
Edric's POV I never wanted to tell her…I would have been happy to go to my grave with the secret. I thought I would get better, that the memories of the dungeon would fade to a bad dream once Alexander was dead, but now that I have more time to think instead of just reacting all the time, it feels like I’m getting worse. What’s infinitely more troublesome is that I started resenting Maya – started blaming her, our mate bond, for the torture. I can’t rationalise it away, and Goddess knows, I’ve tried. I put it off as long as I could, but there’s no way around it anymore. “The doctor says the external scars could fade over time, but…the internal damage may never heal.” She looks so sad for me. But the expression on her face and the pity in her eyes – that’s what I can’t handle. “Why didn’t you heal?” “My wolf was suppressed, and without him, I just never healed properly…and every day they made it worse, until the damage they cau
Edric's POV:I shift back to human while doing a three-sixty turn. To what end, I don’t know – she’s gone, and no amount of circling is going to change that. I have to get back to the palace, rally the warriors so we can go after her, but I can’t leave. It feels like I’ll abandon her if I do.“Fuuuuuck!” I bellow at the sky. What the hell is wrong with you, Edric Payne? Why do you always have to sabotage every good thing in your life? Do you want to end up like Alexander, you fucking idiot?”“Edric--” Maya steps out of the dark, glowing blue like The Goddess --“it’s okay. He didn’t get me.”I blink, rub my eyes, unable to process what I’m seeing. The glow around her fades out until it’s just my mate standing there. “Oh thank, Goddess.”Right now, more than anything, I want to hold her, but after what I’ve said, what I&r
I left right after Edric fell asleep. It was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done. I dragged my old backpack from the closet, throwing out the ratty old clothes and replacing it with the newer jeans and shorts Edric bought me.I went into the living room and saw him stretched out on the couch, his arm flung over his scarred chest, sweat pouring down his body, fists clenched. He moaned softly and flipped on his stomach. He mumbled in his sleep, as he so often does these days, then let out a strangled cry. My heart broke, and I almost changed my mind.More than anything, I want to wipe those memories from his mind, but it’s not in my power. I can make him stop feeling the emotions attached to the memories, and if he asks I’ll do it, but deep down I know it’s a bad idea. I can do more harm than good.I’d already taken enough from him, so I put the envelope full of cash and the credit card on the kitchen counter. I wasn’t going
We are back at Mountain Fire. If I had a million guesses, I’d never guess that we’d end up back here so soon. We’re even back in Edric’s old room. I thought someone would have moved in here, Adrian perhaps, but they kept it exactly as it was the day we left.Inhaling the cold mountain air, I look out over the grounds below. It’s just as I remember it, except that it’s colder now. “Maya,” Edric says behind me. “I’m back. Come inside before you freeze to death.”I didn’t bring any winter clothes with me…I forgot that it gets cold here, and with winter fast approaching, the nights are getting quite chilly. “Where have you been all day?” I ask as I step back into the room.“Just out, catching up with everyone. Luca and Jasper are avoiding me. Guess they can’t get over the fact that I killed Alexander.”“Hm-hm.”“Jolie’s o
Edric's POV: I stare at Maya where she’s sitting on the couch, wrapped in a blanket and reading a book. She still refuses to share the bed with me, and won’t let me take the couch. I swear she’s getting more stubborn by the day. When Gabriel phoned me two days ago to let me know Maya was with him, I almost told him to take her and go, but something told me not to do it, that I had to go and get her. He promised he’d slow down so we could catch up. I gathered my warriors and we broke every land speed record trying to get to the airport on time. Gabriel was deeply annoyed by the time we finally got there. “Took you long enough,” he said. “Hey! I did not bring her here. You did.” “She told me that she would talk to you about it.” “And you believed her?” He raised an eyebrow at me and smiled. “Eh well--” he clapped his hands together, suddenly serious again --“Edric, before you get on that plane with her…she cannot
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