*Isaac*Lorena sits in a wing-backed armchair in the formal sitting room off the front garden. Her golden hair falls over her shoulders in soft curls. Her eyes haven’t left mine for the past hour, and to be honest, I find myself growing more and more uncomfortable in her presence. This isn’t good. She’s my top contender at this point, a week after out initial meeting. Her father, an Alpha, is a great man. Kind, loyal, intelligent. An ally I am lucky to have. I know that his loyalty to the crown isn’t contingent on whether or not I choose Lorena as my wife and Luna based on a prior conversation I had with the man. Thank the Goddess. It’s not that I’m not attracted to her. It’s not that I can’t see her potential. It’s her voice–and the words that leave her lips when her guard is down. I can sense a bit of a mean streak, and the way her eyes narrow on the female maids that work at my home make me wonder if she’d rule this house like a dictator, her intentions cruel and that cruelt
*Maddy*I can’t understand a word these people are saying. I sit in on a bench in a large kitchen, a cup of hot tea with milk and honey in my trembling hands. King Isaac is arguing with the copper haired man, a shade a few lighter than my own. I recognize him from the day Reginald dragged me here. They must be roughly the same age. The man looks over at me quizzically before turning back to Isaac and continuing the animated conversation. I wish they’d slow down so I could have a moment to pick through their words for anything that sounds remotely familiar. Anything I learned from Reginald’s sadistic tutor has been replaced by nothing but the feeling of my knuckles being swatted over, and over again. I’m dead. The second they lead me out of this castle, I’m dead. Two women walk into the room, and I immediately hang my head so my hair falls forward to shield my face. One of them looks a lot like Isaac. Her hair is much darker, a deep brown that’s nearly black. I can’t see the other
*Isaac*I don’t believe her name is actually Jenny. The uncertainty in her eyes gives it away. This man, whom she says is her uncle, has motives that are unclear. I had Cassian send for the man shortly after I hauled the girl into the kitchen with the intent of questioning her. Both intentions fell flat, of course. She doesn’t understand much of what I’m saying, and Alester Martin, if that’s really his name, is incredibly hard to track down. But now he’s here, and I intend to get the truth out of him. Short and lean, he walks into the sitting room with a look of elation on his face that falls the second he sees his niece sitting in a chair dressed in sweatpants instead of the fine gown she arrived in. Contempt flashes behind his beady eyes as he looks her up and down before turning to me with a deep bow. “My King–”“Would you care to explain why your niece is here at my home, uninvited? I made it very clear that she wasn’t part of the chosen few I’d invited back for interviews.”
*Maddy*Reginald hasn’t spoken to me since he brought me back to his townhouse last night. Fresh bruises pepper my skin from the beating he gave me last night on the way home last night. I used my forearms to shield my face from the blows before he finally turned around and left me alone. Today, he seems in good spirits, but I have no idea why.I failed. But then nothing else happened to me last night. I wasn’t dragged from my room and given to his wolves. I was simply left to my own devices, which meant I spent the entire night picking through the brief conversation he had with King Isaac. I found a few words I recognized, but I still can’t make sense of why Reginald is so adamant I catch the king’s attention. I can’t possibly be considered as his Luna. A consort, maybe? Someone to warm his bed? Morning sunlight whispers through the windows in my room. No breakfast has been laid out, and neither Glenda or Clare have come in to ready me for whatever I’m supposed to be doing today.
*Maddy*I expected the blows to my body, the rough knuckles raking over my skin until bruises bloomed yellow and purple on my arms and stomach. I expected the bitter words in a language I didn’t understand, and the tight grip on my wrists as I was dragged through wet snow back into the house I’d just escaped. I wasted so much time. I couldn’t help but beat myself up over it. Had I not run into Princess Ella, I’d be on a train right now traveling far, far away. Cool night air was replaced by dry, fiery heat, and then it all went black. For a moment, at least. I wake to someone shouting, and suddenly, I’m lifted and thrown against the wall, my head banging against the weathered floorboards with a violent smack. Stars fill my vision before faces blur into view. Reginald is standing over me, the toe of his boot pressing into my chin. “How the fuck did she get out?” he sneers to a large man standing beside him. “The kitchen window, I think.”I wince as Reginald’s boot clips me hard,
The night before… *Isaac*I press my phone to my ear as I walk through the castle. It’s early evening, and Cassian is insistent on shifting with me tonight. It’s a perfect night for it, a full moon. The whole city is lit up with lanterns and every temple is decorated for the monthly celebrations that take place during the full moons. “Mom,” I breathe, my mouth curving into a smile. “I missed your call earlier.”“How are you, honey? I haven’t heard from you in ages!”“Busy,” I admit, wincing. “I’m sure Dad and Antony have made you well aware of the situation here.”“They have.” Her voice is suddenly stern and uneasy. “Antony and your dad are growing concerned. It’s all the talk around Crescent Falls, but it takes so long for news to reach Maatua. Is everything all right?”“Everything is fine. The threat is far south so far, and I have it handled.” For now. I keep her chatting for a moment, trying to gauge whether Ella made good on her threat to tell our parents what I’m up to, but M
*Maddy*Reginald's hold on me is tight as he leads me up the wide steps leading to the front door of King Isaac’s home. I feel like I’m about to be sick, but I swallow past the painful lump in my throat and force myself to put on a brave face. There are only two reasons why I’m here. Either Ella told him what happened, and in that case, I have no idea why the king would involve himself, or Reginald and the king have made a deal. In any case, my fate is no longer in my hands. But then, it really never has been. I should have known from the very beginning that I wouldn’t be able to escape. In the best of circumstances, I’m simply being passed from one man to another, and I have no guarantees King Isaac is better than Reginald in any way. The door opens with a whoosh that sends a wave of warm, dry air over my face. My hair flies over my shoulders, left loose and falling down my back in thick waves that coil into curls at the ends. I’m not in a gown this time, thankfully. Brown slacks
*Maddy*There’s a commotion in the hallway outside the parlor door. I don’t know how long I've been sitting on the ground staring into the fire, but the click of the knob catches my attention, so I turn my head. Hannah, with her curly blonde hair tied back from her kind, smiling face, steps in through the door. She takes a deep breath, wiping her hands on her apron. “Not fluent,” she reminds me, but her smile is warm and inviting as she extends a hand to me. I take it and allow her to help me to my feet. Why not? What am I going to do now, run? How can I do that when what feels like every royal guard in the kingdom is in the house or on the property? Hannah leads me through the castle and up a flight of stairs. She says nothing as we walk along the second floor foyer–a balcony that overlooks a section of the first floor, where the commotion I’d heard can now be seen below. I freeze, my skin prickling with adrenaline as Reginald fights in the arms of several guards. A golden-haired m
MistyNight falls on Silverhide against a chorus of coughing and sneezing. I’m not sure how else to describe it, but I’ve also never been sick before, so seeing half of Ryan’s pack under the weather is absolutely alarming. Everyone seems to be doing okay, however. Aviva snapped out of what ended up being a very short-lived fever, and Lexa is back to her usual self, but they’re both exhausted. Freya, Andrew, and their son, Sam, were somehow spared by the worst of the illness and have taken over care of Aviva and Lexa tonight so Ryan can take me on a run. I stare at the sleeping forms of Cole and Addy before closing the bedroom door and slipping out of the cabin to meet my brother on the road leading out of Silverhide. The dress I borrowed from Aviva feels strange against my skin as the warm night air wafts over me, lifting my hair from my shoulders in a soft breeze. It’s one of those Endovian dresses designed for shifting, of course, which means I’m practically exposed, but when I ca
MistyIt’s early afternoon when I finally leave our cabin in search of Cole. Aviva–who stayed up all night hunting, and then the entire morning caring for Lexa–is asleep on the couch with both babies as the moment. The tension in the village is palpable as I walk through the village square, which is quiet… borderline empty. A few people mill around going about their chores, but the square isn’t filled with conversation, children playing, or food being cooked and shared. It’s a bright, sunny day, which is being wasted. I sigh heavily and hike the bag I packed with a few sandwiches and treats for Cole over my shoulder and lower my head as I pass a group of men then turn toward the healer’s cottage. In the few days we’ve been in Silverhide, I haven’t had a chance to meet the pack's healer–some witch sent down from Moonrise a few weeks ago to serve in his pack. That’s the norm across Eastonia. Witches trained in Moonrise spread out, taking up residence in packs from Veiled Valley, thro
AvivaHot water rolls over my skin as I press my forehead against the tile. The shower is a new addition to our house, built along with the second story and unused bedrooms in the upper level. For me, the shower is absolutely massive–unreasonably so. For Ryan, it was a much needed upgrade from our copper tub downstairs. He stretches his arms over his head and groans as the scent of lavender soap fills the air, mingling with the steam. The window cut into the tile fogs up, blocking our view of the woods, but the first inklings of morning sunlight are trying to stretch toward Silverhide. “So,” he says behind me, gently tugging twigs from my curls and tossing them out of the shower. “This hellhound you found… what did it look like?”“A wolf,” I say, closing my eyes as his large hands drift to my shoulders, working out the knots from being in my wolf form practically the entire night. My breasts begin to ache with fullness but it’s a sensation I’m eager to ignore, especially as his touc
AvivaThe packhouse is always full to the brim. Four impossibly long tables and benches rest in the center of the wide, wood-lined space in rows where not a single seat is unaccounted for. Children dart from group to group, finding friends to play with while their parents dine. I’m at my usual spot at the head of the left-most table, surrounded by the other young, mated, new mothers while our mates move from group to group of men, chatting over pints of home-brewed ale. I bounce Lexa in my lap as I fork another piece of meat into my mouth, glancing down the table where Misty and Cole are seated together, unaccustomed to the noisy, damn near riotess shared evening meal. Misty seems especially affected, which strikes me as odd, given that she spent two weeks here last year before she went back to school… but that was before everything happened. Her eyes are empty, which worries me. I thought I was the only one having an existential crisis, but apparently… I’m not. Freya leans over,
Ryan“Come on, girl. You liked me yesterday.” I hike Lexa up and set her on my shoulder so her legs are around the back of my neck, my arm bent and extended so I press my hand against her back. She immediately fists my hair and stops wailing, her sad sniffling turning to quiet excitement. A small giggle leaves her lips as we pass one of the ceiling height windows in the hallway I’ve been walking her up and down for the past thirty minutes.Aviva would tell me this is dangerous to do with her at only four months old, but I can’t help it. Tossing this baby around is getting her ready to wrestle, which is what I often tell my wife before she stops my fun, but right now, we’re completely alone.I turn a corner, find another hallway, and walk down it with no plan nor destination in sight. In fact, I’m not entirely sure what I’m supposed to be doing right now other than keeping Lexa happy, and current
AvivaI’m the biggest baby in the entire world. Not only did I freeze the moment Ryatt announced he was making me a commander, but I went so pale that the excited look on his face–his eyes shining with pride–shattered with concern. He took one step in my direction, and I burst into tears… in front of every man in the room. I ran. There wasn’t anything else I could do, honestly. The only man I’ve ever cried in front of is Ryan, and even then, I hate it. I’m supposed to be tough. Hard. Unbreakable. I skirt around the lake in my wolf form, my paws beating the rocky shore. Morning sunlight breaks over the mountains, splitting the sky with ribbons of pure gold. The pretty sage dress I fussed over this morning is caught around my neck and in shambles, which only adds fuel to the fire of my despair and desperation. I can’t untangle the dress, just like I can’t untangle my thoughts. A year ago, I would have been honored to be given this position. I would have jumped at the opportunity.
AvivaThe last time we were in Moonrise was for Lexa’s birth. Four months have passed in a blur, which I assume is normal when you have a baby for the first time. Pile on our responsibilities as Alpha and Luna of Silverhide, let alone the rulers of all the Deadlands, and time is merely a construct in our lives that I’m keen to ignore as long as possible.Still, when Kenna arrived yesterday morning, chipper and excited to see us and Lexa, I felt a weight begin to press into my chest. Whatever Ryatt wants with me comes with a cost–which will be the end of our somewhat quiet, cozy life.I spent the entire day in Kenna’s company while she made her rounds checking on every baby and mother in Silverhide. Ryan went off to do Alpha duties, like making sure James, his Beta, had what he needed to take over for a few days in our absence. His mate, Dahlia, is pregnant again–with twins this time–but Kenna seemed h
AvivaIt’s just after dawn when I slide Lexa into her sling and head out of the house into another warm, later summer morning. The sun stretches across the pastures, casting golden light as far as the eye can see. Lexa–who I’ve taken to carrying on my back lately–coos softly as she uses my hair as reins, her chubby fingers tangled in the sloppy braid I managed to throw together just after I woke up, alone in bed, in a quiet house.I stare at the road leading into the forest–out of the valley of Silverhide. It’s empty. No wolves trot in my direction. I grind my teeth as the crippling unease that’s been coasting through my body for days nearly chokes me, but I turn toward Freya and Andrew’s house.Andrew built Freya a shopfront earlier this spring while they waited for their son, Samuel, to make his arrival. It’s cozied up beside his blacksmith shop, and her gorgeous tapestries and wov
MistySome days I don’t think about the war.Some mornings I wake to sunshine and Cole’s arms around me while I cradle Adrian in my arms and don’t think about how the three of us came to be. I think of clean sheets that smell like lavender, not the smell of Richard’s bloody war room where I’d healed that cursed wolf. I sip coffee while watching my mate–my husband–the love of my life rush around the kitchen packing his bag for another long shift at the hospital instead of watching him don that black cloak.We have a house instead of shared spaces. Our home is safe and full of love instead of constant stress and the crushing weight that, at any moment, our safety will end.But some days I have to remind myself that we made it out. That we’re here, and whole, and together.Today is one of those days.Mom peeks into the massive library at the castle of Cr