Aviva
Something changed after that night. There was a shift between me and Ryan. He showed me a part of himself that only two other people have seen. Something he locks away, guards, and hides. I don’t know if he’s ashamed of it. I wouldn’t be. If I had the power to shift into a beast like that? Oh, gods, everyone would be sick of me. I’d never shift back. I’d stay like that, ruling the forests, enacting the sick, twisted judgment I crave when it comes to rogues and hellhounds.
Maybe not, but it would be difficult to come back to my human form. I could tell, when he was in that startling form, that he was uncomfortable. I think it hurts him, honestly. The grotesque shape of his spine. The hard as rock muscles covered in tight, scaled armor. Fur sharp enough to tear skin.
It was the coolest thing I’d ever seen.
But I understand the weight of it. What he carries everyday in his heart. He&rs
AvivaRyan walks in alone, his unfamiliar companion rushing back down the stairs away from the house. He’s slightly unkempt, like he’d been to the sawmill, wood shavings sticking to his clothes and hair.There’s a new scent being carried on his clothes–male. Familiar, yet unplaceable.“Hey,” he says with a smile, pressing a kiss to my temple as he walks past me toward the bathroom.I whirl, following him. “Who was that?”He turns on the shower. “I have to make this quick. We’re leaving in a few minutes.”“Oh–”He rushes out of his clothes, stepping into the bathtub and pulling the curtain. I chew my lower lip as I walk out of the bathroom, edging toward the window to look outside. In the distance, a group has gathered in the center of the village around a stranger that I can’t see clearly. I have an odd feeling abo
AvivaI expected to be led into a throne room guarded by wolves. I expected gold finishes, ball gowns, crowns made of precious gems. I expected to see their powers at work and feel tiny in comparison.I wasn’t expecting the woman who greeted me in the doorway of a very simple, open sitting room in the depths of the castle, yellow wallpaper illuminating her face in a soft glow.She sucks in her breath and absolutely beams at me, her dark blue eyes widening with… joy. Or maybe it’s utter relief. I’m not sure. Whatever it is, she’s happy to see me, and she doesn’t even know me.“The girls said you had red hair, but this–wow, you are just stunning.”“Mom, can you at least let us come into the room first?” Ryan smiles down at the woman, his mother, his hand flat against the small of my back.I see the resemblance now. Ryan doesn’t look l
RyanThe family dining room in the private quarters of the castle where Ella and Ryatt spend their time outside of their royal duties is washed in starlight and the faint glow of a chandelier.It’s probably edging on 9:00 PM, by my estimation. The dinner was long, drawn out, conversations yelled down the impossibly crowded wooden table.Now, I sit on one end, nursing a glass of scotch, while my mate sits surrounded by my family on the other end, her eyes rapt as she watches Ella’s mouth move.I’ve barely spoken to her in the past two hours. She was herded to a seat and immediately surrounded, and I ended up on the other side of the table from my mate, stuck between Sydney and Granger, Evander’s father. Granger eventually moved down the table as well, joining whatever conversation I was being excluded from, apparently. The kids were scooped up and tossed in bed an hour ago. It’s quiet now, which
*Isla*Rain pounds my back as I follow Alpha Ernest up the wide marble steps to a home I never expect to see in real life. I look around quickly, but he is walking fast, and I don’t have much time to see the outside of the mansion. I only know it resembles a castle. The dreary sky seems fitting, considering my bleak outlook.Likewise, this castle is fitting for an Alpha King.Under the wide porch, there is a bit of shelter from the wind. I pull my thin cloak around my shoulders. When Alpha Ernest’s fist pounds on the door, I jumped. Everything about this day is unexpected and has me on edge.The door opens a bit and a man with a thin, long nose gapes out at us. He is wearing a butler’s suit, and I relax only slightly.Not that I expected the cruel king to open his own door, but I am thankful not to be faced with him right away.“Greetings! Greetings!” Alpha Ernest says in his jovial, exceedingly loud voice. He laughs in the back of his throat, his gruff tone as raspy as the thunder in
*Maddox*I hear the word come out of Alpha Ernest’s mouth, watch his gums flap as his fat cheeks shift into a smile, his greasy mustache dancing as he tips his head up and blinks at me.He’s like a shoddy used car salesman, trying to convince me to take something I don’t want or need.Something that’s broken and doesn’t even work correctly—something that will never serve its intended purpose.What he doesn’t know is that I’ve already been considering finding a breeder for the last few months. I just haven’t had the time to try to find a woman who would fit the requirements.Everything he’s said is true. I certainly don’t ever want to marry again, no matter what. Even thinking about my wife makes my heart tighten up and my eyes begin to water. I have to immediately push her beautiful face from my mind. No, I will not ever take another bride.That means, in order to have an heir, I have to find a woman who’d be willing to carry my child knowing that there are no strings attached.That s
*Isla* The head maid lets go of me when we hear a male voice demanding to know what she is doing. She turns to address him as I cover my face, pain radiating through my cheeks and nose. “Beta Seth,” she begins, “this girl was being careless with the king’s belongings and disrespectful to me. I was simply teaching her a lesson, the same way I would teach any new servant a lesson, sir.” I wipe a bit of blood from my upper lip with the back of my hand and turn to see a handsome man walk into the room. He is tall with dark blond hair and white shoulders. His green eyes are focused on the other woman in the room, and his intense stare has her rigid stance wavering. “How dare you?” he demands. “You were asked to show Miss Isla to her room, Mrs. Worsthingshorethinshire. No one asked you to teach her anything. I can’t imagine she did anything careless. What could she have possibly done? I didn’t see anything broken between here and the king’s offices.” I watch as the woman’s throat moves
*Isla*I sit on the bed in my new room, not sure what to do, grasping my bag. I look around, but I’m not sure what to do.Why am I here?If I touch anything else, will someone come flying out of the closet and slap me again?Beta Seth has assured me that this is my room, and I can do whatever I want, but I am still hesitant. I can’t help but think that this is all a huge mistake.Mrs. Worchestshire or whatever her name was had mentioned that she thought I was meant to go to the maids’ quarters, and while Beta Seth said that wasn’t right, I can’t help but think maybe someone will come and take me there soon.If I get too comfortable in here, I will just have to go.And this is the nicest room I’ve ever seen.I haven’t been sitting here too long when there is a knock at the door.I look up, and a girl with brown hair and wide hazel eyes is staring at me, just her head sticking in the door. “Hello, Miss,” she says. “May I come in?” “Yes, of course,” I say, starting to get up.“Oh, no, d
*Isla*I sit on the edge of the bed for a few minutes after Poppy leaves, contemplating what to do. She’s turned the bathtub on, so I know I have to go into the bathroom eventually or else the tub will overflow.I want to take a bath. It sounds luxurious. I can’t remember the last time I did anything like that for myself. For the last few years, everything I’ve done has been for my family.But… the idea of taking my clothes off and soaking in the tub in this amazing room seems frightening and foolish.All of this has to be a mistake, and when they find out about it, shouldn’t I at least be dressed?Still, if I take a quick bath, maybe I can be in and out before Poppy returns. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about this castle it’s that it is huge.Setting my bag down on the chest at the end of the bed, I head into the bathroom and take my clothes off, hanging my wet, dirty clothes on a hook on the door, embarrassed by my old underwear and bra that doesn’t really fit me correctly. I d