*Maddy*I had enough time to go back to my room to change, but once I got there, I was a little lost. Standing in front of the closet looking into the darkened depths which Hannah had filled with clothing in exactly my size, ranging from soft linen and silk lounge wear to the most incredible gowns and dresses I’ve ever seen in my life, I take several minutes to contemplate, wondering what to wear to a family dinner with the royal family. For whatever reason, wearing a gown tonight feels too formal. Much, much too formal. With a sigh, I settle for tailored black slacks and a dark blue cashmere sweater. I pull my hair back into a long ponytail, pinning it away from my face. A smidge of makeup completes the look. I don’t have jewelry. I haven’t ever really worn it. This will have to do.I give myself one last look in the mirror over my vanity and see, for the first time, myself. Not a lowly slave. Not a maid. Not a severely underfed and overworked orphan resigned to a life of lonelines
*Maddy*I’m not sure what else there is to say between us right now. Everything seems to have been set into motion already–our marriage, his departure to war, the fact I’m being left here to act like a Luna when only weeks ago I was scrubbing floors. Any residual feelings from our intimate moment in the astronomy tower had vanished during the tense family meeting in the sitting room after dinner. The tension in the family is thick, and I feel like I’m in the middle of it. I follow Isaac to his office through the surprisingly quiet house. There are so many people here tucked in the bedrooms and suites, but it feels like we're totally and utterly alone. As he closes his office door behind me, and motions for me to sit on the red leather sofa in front of his desk, I fight the urge to immediately ask the questions burning little holes in my mind. He leans against his desk and crosses his arms over his chest, looking withdrawn and exhausted. “I’m sorry to have dragged you into all of t
*Isaac*I pick her up in one swift motion, clutching her body to my chest. I’m not doing this on the couch in my office like she’s someone I brought home after a rowdy night at one of the bars downtown, no. This woman is going to be my wife in a few days. She’s different. She means much more to me that I’m even willing to admit. Unlooking the office door, I quickly move through the second floor of the house. “Isaac,” she pants, gripping my shoulders. “I can walk–”I turn a shadowed corner and walk down the hallway that leads to my room–soon to be our chambers. The full bedroom suit and adjoining sitting room. I do my best not to kick down the door in my haste to get inside, driven mad by the feel of her in my arms. Her scent is everything I love and everything I find hard to explain. Like a fresh, clean spring day mingled with a warmth that reminds me of sitting by a fire with a drink in hand after being outside in the cold for hours. Her touch sends ripples of heat through me tha
*Maddy*I might be dreaming. The distant echoes of a scream flicker through the room. I look down at the moonlight dusted arm of Isaac, who is still holding me against his chest as he sleeps. He doesn’t wake to the sound, and it’s gone in an instant, replaced by total silence. But every fine hair on my body is standing on end. Something isn’t right. I feel it deep in my bones but second guess myself. Isaac would have woken up if the scream had been real, right? I close my eyes and breathe deeply. Our scents mingle. The bed smells like us, together. Everything is right in the world right now. Nothing but this moment matters. At least, I tell myself that, because internally I’m on the verge of losing my Goddess damned mind at the idea that there’s a ghost walking the walls and screaming at the top of his or her lungs. When another ear piercing howl sends a tremor through the castle, I’m up out of bed, sprinting toward the door, naked as the day I was born. I look back at the bed. Is
*Isla*The Temple of the Moon Goddess rises above the city like a silver fortress, glinting in the soft spring sunlight. It’s a gorgeous day, not a single cloud in the sky. A warm breeze rustles the wildflowers that are just starting to bloom on the sloping green hills surrounding the temple. I stand with Madeline on the marble steps, looking out over the kingdom. Our kingdom, me, and my soon to be daughter-in-law, the future Luna. The heir to my title. Standing beside me with her hair pulled back away from her face and wearing a sleeveless shirt, I notice little scars along her shoulder and arms, and feel a sudden urge to reach out and touch her. Guilt washes over me as I take her in, the slightness of her body, the way her eyes always seem lined with grief–and suspicion. I don’t know all of what she’s been through, but I feel like it’s partly my fault. “She’s ready for you.” A temple attendant in a white and silver robe appears behind us. I turn to the woman, who is not even si
*Maddy*I hadn’t realized what changes had taken place in the city outside the castle since I first came to stay there. Even during my last trip into town to be fitted for a wedding dress with Ella, Rosie, and Hannah, there hadn’t been this many… people. Warriors, all of them. Some are so young they look barely old enough to be leaving their mothers, let alone going to war. Isla sits between me and Ella in the backseat of the car as we drive toward the castle through the city center. She holds our hands and stares blankly out at the window at the armies gathered in camps in what looks to be a stadium of some kind with a wide, grassy plain out front now covered in tents. Even Ella’s in shock, her eyes glued to the window and her mouth slightly parted. “There’s so many of them,” she whispers, turning to her mother. “Your father and brother have been busy the last few days,” Isla murmurs with a hint of annoyance, but her eyes betray her casual demeanor. “These warriors are from the ne
*Isaac*I’m skipping three steps at a time as I chase after Maddy. She’s remarkably fast for someone who’s doesn’t even have a wolf, which grates my nerves to the point I’m gritting my teeth and needing to grip the walls, the banisters, or side tables to keep my footing as her tiny feet kick up carpet runners in her haste to get away from me. “Why are you running?” I shout, but she disappears around another corner, her speed sending a whoosh of air in my direction that causes the paintings on the wall to rattle in their frames. This is insane. Me chasing her through the castle is insane. Her thinking my feelings for her don’t go farther than a business friendship-one reliant on occasionally closeness and intimacy–is particularly insane. “Maddy!”“Leave me alone!” she cries, her voice hollow and echoing down the chamber nearing her bedroom. Her tone gives me pause, and I come to a screeching stop, my sneakers squealing on the freshly waxed tile. Her room is at the very end of a long h
*Maddy*There isn’t much to say about the grand dinner thrown in honor of the Alphas who’ve brought their warriors to slaughter. Dressed in finery, they grovele at the feet of the Alpha King, praising the strength of his royal army that now numbers in the tens of thousands. I sit in a gown of red silk that flows over the new curves several weeks of food have afforded. I eat the extravagant food and sip the expensive wine without tasting it, and once dinner is over, I allow Isaac to help me from my seat. The Alphas boweto their future queen, and I watch from the second floor balcony as Isaac and his subjects walk into a sitting room to talk more about the impending war over glasses of whiskey, the door shutting behind them. I remain on the balcony overlooking the grand foyer. I watch the silent guards by the door as they do their best to remain alert and awake. Other then Isaac, the only other royal family member to be at dinner tonight was Maddox. I’d been told by Hannah that the w
AvivaRyan looks hilarious in the too-tight clothes borrowed from some rural villager half his height and weight. He glances at me with a scowl, rolling his eyes and cursing under his breath. “Don’t look at me, Aviva.”“I can’t help it. Your whole ass is out,” I giggle, wiping tears from my eyes. Goddess, I wish I had his camera with me. He reaches down to pull what had once been trousers down over his thighs while shooting me another glare. He had to cut them into shorts to fit. The shirt isn’t any less revealing, but at least he’s not naked… or worse, in his terrifying beast form. He’s too exhausted after being in his beast form to shift into his wolf, which would have been easier than this, but I’m enjoying myself thoroughly at his expense. A few of the men from the village titter behind us while I walk a few paces behind my mate who’s turning a deep red in the face and sulking as we walk up the rural road, passing a few shops and cabins where people peek from their windows as we
AvivaThe forest shifts from endless shadows to an assortment of pale gold as the sun rises. I’m sprinting in my wolf form, Ryan not far behind in his. There was no reason for him to shift into his beast, thank goodness. He’s actually slower in that form than his wolf, but we’ve covered serious ground in the two hours since leaving Silverhide. Forty miles, in fact. A new record. Panting, I reach the far edge of the forest that weaves through the tribal territories of the Deadlands. Behind us, the packs of Silverhide and Endova are just waking up for the day. Ahead of us, the sun hasn’t even begun to touch the towering mountains to the far west, where my new powers showed me a glimpse of Maeve and Logan. I’m still getting used to the prickle of energy that wasn’t there before. It’s now the air I breathe–the blood rushing through my veins–the rhythmic thump of my heartbeat. I’m changed; for better or worse, I don’t know. All I know for sure is that we have another twenty to thirty m
Misty“Briar,” Sarah says weakly, sweeping her thumb over the perfectly pink baby girl’s cheek. Sarah smiles softly, her eyes still glazed with exhaustion and her hair damp with sweat. “And this one–” she reaches for the second baby, another girl, nestled in a traumatized Sydney’s arms. “Celeste.”“Those are beautiful names,” Aviva says gently, laying another warm rag over Sarah’s forehead. I’m watching from afar, my trembling hands cupping a mug of calming tea that’s doing nothing for my system. I was a teenager when Sarah came into Sydney’s life. I remember whispers about her falling ill but didn’t understand how horrifically sick she’d really been until now. Sarah is a Mystic. She’s different. It takes so much more energy to heal her. Healing her sucked my powers dry, and I feel… shockingly empty right now. It was like running a marathon and then getting hit by a bus, but she’s alive, and so are her twins. Sydney accepts another cup of tea from Ryan with a weak nod. He looks lik
MistyCole doesn’t tell me I should get some rest, and for that I’m eternally grateful. I pace the cabin, watching as he organizes and takes inventory of his medical kit. I remember the day I found out he was a physician. It had been a shock. My arm had been torn to the bone by a rabid, cursed wolf, and this man–this stranger who I thought was evil–sewed me back together again. That feels like a lifetime ago. Maybe it was, honestly. Sometimes I wonder if our weeks in Richard’s fortress actually happened or if it were a fever dream. But the glint of lantern light on the sharpened edge of a scalpel pulls me back into reality as he drops it into a pot of boiling water. “Are you going with us?” I ask into the silence. Cole’s mouth twitches with something unsaid. He shakes his head, glancing at me over his shoulder. “No. I’m going to stay here with Addy and be available to anyone who needs a healer.”I wait for him to tell me I should try to get a few minutes of sleep, but he doesn’t. I
Aviva“No one needs to worry about me,” Sarah says confidently, cradling the swell of her belly as she leads our group through the woods toward the lake. “I’m not going to go into labor right now, I promise.”Sydney grumbles something under his breath in response, the words drifting on the warm breeze making the leaves dance above our heads. Ryan’s hand is on my lower back–a warm, solid presence. Lexa’s asleep in her sling on his back, and when I look up at the two of them–with Ryan wearing a traditional Endovian sling and his face cast in uncertain shadows–I feel a prickle of regret. Part of me believes I shouldn’t have told him about what I saw in the forge. The past lives I walked through, the wars, the downfall of our kind… and most importantly, the fact that in another life, we lost our children and were separated for decades, only to find each other again in the very last moments before we both died. It stings to think about, though it doesn’t affect our lives now. I’m not sur
AvivaI watch Sarah and Misty leave the room. Misty takes Lexa with her, giving me a moment alone. I should be resting right now. If Maeve and Logan aren’t found by sunset, I have to put these new, unnatural-feeling powers to the test. I listen to the soft conversations taking place just beyond the bedroom door. I already know Ryan’s on edge and doing his best to handle this situation, but having Evander and Sydney here isn’t helping his stress levels at all, I fear. His wife almost drowned, his uncle wants me locked up in Moonrise until my powers fully emerge to ensure I’m not a danger to myself and others, and Maeve and Logan are still out there, hopefully together and safe. The door opens a crack before widening, revealing my mate and a large plate of food. The scent of blueberry syrup fills the air, bringing back memories of making this exact breakfast for my sisters, but that… causes my mind to drift back to the tangle of new memories. Memories of the countless lives my soul
MistySometime in the dead of night, Cole took Addy from my arms and laid him in his crib. I was next and woke up tucked against Cole’s chest as the first rays of warm, morning sunlight drifted through the window. Addy wakes up happy every morning lately and is beside himself with glee when he sees me looking down into his crib, extending my arms for him. Cole thinks Addy looks like me, but I beg to differ. I think his hair will be blond, of course, given that both his parents have fair, light hair but his eyes are starting to change from that soft blue to a paler, icier gray, like Cole’s. I run my fingers through his hair while he nurses. Cole continues to sleep, and I let him. I’m dreading starting our day, honestly, and stepping out into the village to see the aftermath of Kyra’s destruction and wait for news about Maeve and Logan.I feel awful for Kenna. My heart is shattered for her and Evander. I hold Addy c
MistyCole’s arms are wrapped around my stomach, his eyes widened in disbelief as he stares at Aviva. She looks like a wet rat right now–completely soaked to the bone with her hair plastered to her face and her knife belt hanging off her waist, but otherwise she’s whole.My powers are a meer flicker of what they usually are, but I feel them simmering to life as the strange, glowing symbols all over her arms and legs start to dim, and the roaring in my ears fades to the point I can hear my rapid heartbeat and Cole’s heart behind me. Ryan looks devastated. Devastated, and shocked–a myriad of emotions I can’t even begin to put into words. He shakes his head, mouthing Aviva’s name as he reaches a hand toward her then retreats. Aviva looks terrified as she scans the group, panting hard, her breath coming in shallow rasps. She turns her gaze back to Ryan, and her expression shatters, tears welling in h
RyanI watch the last group of warriors from Silverhide disappear into the night, a few Endovian warriors following them. The forest that wraps around Endova is alive with action–howling, people calling out Logan and Maeve’s names.All over the Deadlands, people and wolves are searching for our missing children and the witch that stole Kenna’s child from her arms. It’s only a matter of time before we find them, I’m sure. Kyra won’t live to see morning if I have any say in it.I failed my pack as an Alpha tonight. I didn’t see the signs in front me that we had an enemy in our midst. James is back in Silverhide cleaning up the mess she made. Cole is tending to the wounded, while I’m here in Endova gathering more troops, and my wife is… somewhere else.My gaze sweeps over the darkened forest. There’s only a few hours left until daylight. I think of my daughter and my