*Maddox* This is a mistake…. I can’t help but think perhaps I should not have arranged to take Isla out on a date. After all, I haven’t dated anyone in… years. Not since Rebecca and I were first introduced. That was almost ten years ago. At the time, we’d just discovered we were fated mates, and I was so excited to get to know her. She was gorgeous, and I wanted so very much to touch her in every way possible. But Rebecca was a lady, and she had a reputation to maintain. I had to bide my time with her, waiting until we were engaged before we ever even kissed. We married a few months after we established our mated bond. After that… everything changed. Rebecca was a wild woman in the bedroom, completely inhibited in every way. The woman I had been dating and the creature I encountered in the bedroom seemed like polar opposites, and I was shocked with all of the positions and kinky toys she wanted to try. Personally, I preferred two or three positions that Rebecca thought were bori
*Isla*“Would you like to dance?” the king had asked me.I’d looked from his intoxicating eyes to his outstretched hand, and my first thoughts had been of my two left feed.Even back home, when I was dancing at school dances with boys of little consequence, I was the most ungraceful person in the building.He is a king and has likely danced with all sorts of beautiful, graceful women over the years.I would make a fool of myself!So I said, “No.”I see his face falter slightly and inhale deeply, wishing I had the words to explain.“I, uh… don’t know how,” I stammer.“Oh,” he says, grinning at me. “I see. Well, that’s no problem, Isla.”I love the way my name sounds when it rings from his lips. Like I am an unexplored territory in paradise….“It isn’t a problem?” I ask him, feeling my cheeks redden.He shakes his head and reaches for my hand, gently guiding me from my chair. “I can lead you.”“Oh, but I….”He cuts me off. “Don’t worry. It’s just the two of us.”I don’t tell him that is
*Maddox*“Zabrina, why are you all covered in blood?” I ask again as I stare at Alpha Jordan’s daughter. Her yellow dress is covered in the red, sticky substance, as are her hands. It’s smeared all the way up her arms and even on her chin. “Are you injured?”She shakes her head, “No, King Maddox. It’s not me… it’s… the maid!”I let out a sigh of relief that it’s not Zabrina who is bleeding profusely, not because I care so much about her but because I don’t want to have to explain to Alpha Jordan or any of his friends that his daughter was grievously injured while she was in my home.I’ve already sent for help using the mind-link, and as I hear footsteps approaching from behind me, I know that it’s Seth.Reluctantly, I turn to Isla. She is even more pale than usual, and her bottom lip is trembling as he sapphire eyes stare in abject horror at the bloody monster in front of us.I really f*cking hate Zabrina right now. “Isla, dear, I’m going to have to let Beta Seth walk you back to your
*Isla*That was certainly not what I was expecting!After a lovely dinner and dancing with the handsome king, he had invited me back to his room so that we could get to know one another better.I had fully expected this to be the night when I began to fulfill my duties.Now, I am back in my own bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the mirror above the dresser across from me, trying to process what I’ve just seen.What the hell happened to Zabrina?All I know is that she said something about the maid. But I don’t know what she’s talking about.From the looks of all of that blood, I’m imagining that someone had to have been hurt pretty badly.Poppy opens the door between our rooms and walks out slowly, peeking around the door like she’s afraid the king is in here and she’s interrupting something.“Hi,” I say to her in a solemn voice. I’m not sure why I’m so upset. It’s not as if I wanted to breed with the king anyway. I need to remember that. The longer I can put that off
*Maddox*I run down the hallway, frantic, my eyes wide with terror as I pray to the Moon Goddess above that my own stupidity hasn’t cost me again.How could I have been so stupid? To have gone back to my room thinking that there was no one else Zabrina would want to kill!Once again, I feel like my own idiocy has cost me dearly.I can only pray that the girl is all right, and the Moon Goddess and I haven’t exactly been on speaking terms these last few years since Rebecca’s… untimely death.My shoes slide on the slick floor in the hallway as I try to round the corner, and as I lose traction, I look down to see that it’s not just the shiny marble surface that has made me lose control, the floor is wet as well,Smears of red paint the floor like an angry finger painter, a child who was allowed to stay up too late before visiting the art center, perhaps one that had far too much sugar.The red streams around the corner into the next hallway as well, making my footing even more precarious.
*Isla*King Maddox is lying in my bed… with his arms around me. He is holding me like I am something of high value to him, something precious, and for the first time in my life, I start to think maybe I am more than just the daughter of well-meaning parents who had misfortunes and could never quite make ends meet.Maybe I have some worth to me after all.I drift off and have pleasant dreams the rest of the night, mostly about him, this amazing man who has me tucked away against his chest, cradling me in my sleep. In the morning light, I awake, thinking at first he is likely gone, but he’s not. His firm chest is still beneath my head, and when I lean up to look at him, his eyes are wide and looking into mine.“Good morning, Isla,” he says. “Did you sleep well the rest of the night?”“Yes, I did, thank you,” I tell him, still trying to figure out whether I am awake or caught up in a dream again.Why is the king still in my bed?“That’s good to hear.” He runs his hand along my cheek, ca
*Maddox*“Alpha Jordan,” I say as the other Alpha comes into my office. “What can I help you with?”His eyes are narrowed as he says, “I want to speak to you about what happened with my darling daughter, Zabrina, last night.”I nod. “Yes, I’m glad you came by. I think it’s a good idea for us to talk about it as well.”“You do understand how close she was to being killed yesterday, don’t you?” he asks me as he sits down in a chair across from me, his forehead wrinkled with concern.I stare at him for a long moment, not sure how to respond to that. “She almost died?” I repeat. “I’m not sure I understand what you mean.”“That woman—the maid—whatever the hell her name is… she could’ve killed my Zabrina. What if she would’ve stabbed my daughter instead of killing herself? I find it horrific to think that your guards in the dungeon are of such poor quality that they can’t even prevent a prisoner from getting access to a knife!”When he is finished, I take a moment, trying to process what he
*Isla*I received a note from Maddox, written by his own hand, that he’d be by to get me for dinner at 7:00.Now, it’s 6:55, and I am watching the clock, wondering if it’s possible for the hands to actually move backward.It seems to be taking forever for him to arrive! I am pacing back and forth at the end of my bed, the long red dress I am wearing swishing back and forth. It’s not exactly a gown, but it’s fancier than most of the dresses I have in my wardrobe.I want to look nice for him, especially tonight.Is there a chance this will be the night he will claim me?My heart races as I think about it. I sure hope so.“You’re going to wear the carpet out,” Poppy says, her nose in a book. She’s hardly spoken to me today, and she hasn’t done a lick of work either. She’s upset that I didn’t tell her what happened between Maddox and me last night. I keep thinking she’ll get over it, but so far, what I’ve learned about Poppy is that it takes a lot for her to get past things.I don’t resp
MistyTwo white wolves in a clearing.Their bodies made of mist and aether, standing side by side.Mates. A marvel of second chances and extraordinary fate.Two white wolves turn toward the sunrise knowing what they must leave behind; what he sacrificed for those he loved and her refusal to let him go into death alone.Two white wolves stand over their earthly bodies. He, battered and still.She, going into death with eyes open, cupping her mate's face between her graceful hands, her eyes locked on his at the moment of her dying breath.Their last words had been simple. I love you.They always had.They’d promised this instance in stolen moments, in private corners, when there was nothing but the stars to light their way.I will not stay here without you.I will not leave you behind.And so, it was.Two
AvivaThe first flakes of snow fall from the sky as I watch Ryan trying to herd everyone in position. Bundled against the cold in a wool coat Freya and I worked tirelessly on for the last three weeks, I step to the side, finding myself in the center of the crowd standing in the middle of the village of Silverhide. I watch my mate and his Beta, James, nudge families together and run back and forth toward a tripod where Ryan’s camera rests, facing us, to gauge whether all one-hundred and fifty people are in view of the lens.Ryan stands behind the camera with his hands up, his hair dusted with snow. “Okay. Nobody move!”A few excited giggles whisper through the front of the crowd where the numerous children are arranged. I glance around, watching as James joins Dahlia’s side, their baby on her hip. The baby girl finally has a name. Cosette, named after a friend of Dahlia, but they call her Cossie for short. Other babies
Two months later…RyanThe Harvest Festival has been held at the festival grounds between Endova, Teshka, and Navvan for centuries. When we arrived two days ago, leaving only a few people behind in Silverhide to make sure the animals are tended to in our absence, the wide, open space had been nothing but rolling plains.Now, it’s a city of canvas tents and twinkling lights, the air spiced with smoke and the smells of meals being cooked at each fire. Songs mingle as I walk through the festival with Aviva on my arm. I’m wearing a normal outfit. Well, not normal, actually. Mom forced me into a suit and tie with the Crescent Falls royal banner and all of my metals from my years as a warrior draped over my shoulders. Aviva is wearing that white, fur-lined dress again and a pair of new sheep-skin boots Freya and Mercy made for her, but instead of freshwater clam shells and pearls decorating her hair, her curls are w
RyanAn hour earlier…I can’t scrub the image of Aviva dead in my arms out of my head. It’s been several days since the battle, since the moment I put her in my uncle's arms and turned back to the ravaged scene, not knowing whether or not she survived the journey all the way to Maatua.Three days. It was three entire days before Sydney arrived in Silverhide with news about my mate. I’d just arrived back at my territory, exhausted and in tatters, when he clapped a hand on my shoulder and used his powers to spirit us to Moonrise, then to Veiled Valley, then to Maatua. He’s not as strong as Ryatt. Jumping took a toll on us both, and when we finally arrived at my grandparents’ beach house, I collapsed before I even made it up their driveway.Everything since the battle is a blur. Navvan is just… gone. The few survivors were mostly women and children who’d left the villag
AvivaI wake with a start to bright, warm sunshine and the smell of salty air. I grope white sheets, blinking several times to clear my vision as an unfamiliar bedroom fades to life around me. Warm white walls. Pale wood finishes and sleek furniture in soft browns and creams. White curtains drift in a salty breeze coming through several open windows, and a glass door opens to a deck with a view of… a view of the ocean.I’ve never seen the ocean before. From where I lie, I can hear the waves crashing on a white sand beach. Music I don’t recognize drifts toward me, carrying two voices with it, one male, and one female.“Your parents worry about you endlessly, Misty.”“They have nothing to worry about. It’s not like I’m ten anymore, Grandpa. I can make my own way in the world now. Plus, where was their worry when they shipped me here four years ago, huh?”“You
RyanI’ve been dreaming about tying Aviva to my bed, but I’m going to make it a reality for entirely different reasons. Now, I’ll be tying her to keep her there, forever. No more hunting. No more fighting. No more killing rogues barefoot in the woods.No more putting herself in situations like this. I will do her dirty work. I will gladly do it. I roll with Hardan in his… hellhound form? Whatever the fuck he is now. I wish, Goddess, I wish I could have faced him man to man instead of beast to beast. I would have loved to see the look on his face when I ripped out his heart for even thinking for a second he had some kind of claim to my mate, even before I found her. We roll down a decline. I sink my talons into his belly, ripping hard, but I already know hellhounds aren’t that easy to kill. We crash into an oak tree. Leaves shower over us as he tries to claw free of my grasp. He’s calling out, bellowing strange, high-pitched howls. The forest floor rumbles as I sink my claws into hi
AvivaI’m having the time of my life.I zigzag through the woods in my wolf form after three rogues who’ve decided they want nothing to do with me. In fact, the rogues have stopped hunting me over the past several hours and instead are trying to get as far away from me as possible. Their prey has become their biggest predator.I did my best to lead the horde away from Endova. That was my goal–the reason I made the snap decision to leave my mate behind and race into the jaws of death itself. Now, I have the horde moving away from the tribal packlands all together, herding them back into the open plains like a shepherd, and they’re my sheep–if a shepherd killed their sheep, that is.I’ve lost count of how many there are. My red fur is completely black with their blood. I catch my reflection in another small, burbling creek as I leap, seeing only my eyes shining like polished amber against a
Ryan“She’s not here, Ryan,” Mercy hisses as I run through the village. She’s hot on my heels, grabbing my fur to try to pull me to a stop but I’m not in my right mind.It’s been five hours since I last saw Aviva. Andrew and I have been scouring the forest and plains for any sign of her, but I lost her scent, and my desperate attempts to mind-link with her have come up empty and silent.I shift into my human form the second I cross into the pack house and immediately crash into one of the tables, tripping over the bench and landing on my side with a crunch. I’ve been in my wolf form since last night. Exhaustion sings through my bones as my vision spins. I hear Andrew similarly falling to the ground with a choked groan before hurried footsteps reach the pack house. Someone throws a blanket over me with a scoff, followed by Mercy’s sharp, soprano voice ripping through the air as she starts s
RyanIt’s barely dawn. Four hours ago, I was taking a deep breath as I tucked my mate into our bed, and now we’re here, lying low in the grasslands ten miles from Silver, with twenty of my best warriors scattered behind me. Stars still fill the sky, shining under a blanket of deep navy and vibrant violet. It's kind of hard to stay focused when the sunrise looks like this, the first echoes of gold casting Aviva, in wolf form, in a halo of light. She’s crouched in the swaying grass just a few feet below where the rest of us are lying, hiding in the scant brush and scorched trees. I watch her edge forward a few inches, her body covered in weapons and leather–one of her special dresses from Endova. A half dozen whispers ghost through my head, mingling with the thundering of my heartbeat in my ears as we watch, and watch, the dozen or so rogues passing by, moving in a lazy formation toward the forests we, and the tribal packs, call home. ‘What are they doing?’ Andrew lies on my left sid