*Maddox*I sit behind my desk, silently swiveling my chair back and forth, just an inch this way and an inch that way, but it’s enough to keep my mind locked on the issue at hand.I have a decision to make, and it won’t be an easy one.Seth clears his throat from the chair across from me. That’s his way of saying he wonders if I’m ever going to respond to the question he asked several minutes ago.It’s one I don’t have an answer for, one that I’ve been mulling over since before I even told him he needed to come to my office to talk this through. Of course, I don’t expect him to have an answer either, but for the most part, Seth is the one I turn to when I need answers. He’s level-headed, smart, insightful, and doesn’t get distracted easily.Right now, I am not distracted either, for once. Lately, it seems like every time I try to make a decision, Isla leaps into my mind, and I’m completely sidetracked. Today, even though I am looking forward to relaxing in her arms at some point, but
*Isla*I hum a lullaby to Maddy as I rock her to sleep in my arms. Thanks to the wet nurse, she has a full belly, and I feel blessed by the Moon Goddess to have the opportunity to sit here and watch her sleep.I’ve made peace with the fact that I’m not keeping her. In fact, one of the women from the nursery told me earlier today that they’d contacted some family members that are related to Sydney’s mother, and they are planning to come and pick her up in a few days. Of course, they will be thoroughly interviewed by the king and myself first. Maddox will allow that, I have no doubt.I’m not the Luna, and I probably never will be, but when it comes to taking care of the packs’ children, I am willing to assert myself. Perhaps spending so much time with Maddox is making me feel more confident in my ability to make a difference for the better in the kingdom.As I rock and hum, I think about Maddox. I know he’s very busy today. He’s trying to decide what to do with all of those people who h
*Maddox*The sound of hammering resonates even though I’m inside looking out at the gallows that are being constructed in the courtyard. It’s been years since the last time I’ve heard that sound, and this is the first time I’ve ever ordered it myselfBut I don’t feel bad about it.This is something that has to be done, something I know will accomplish several goals all at once. It will get rid of these people who have committed horrific crimes against the crown and the citizens of my kingdom. It will show that I mean what I say when I decree that all of the packs are meant to work together toward a specific end. And finally, it will send a message to anyone out there who is thinking perhaps I am making a bad decision or that I am weak that they shouldn’t fuck with me.That’s really the biggest message I am hoping to send, and I hope that my enemies both far and wide hear that message and ingrain it into their brains for the rest of their miserable lives.Seth is quiet beside me, and I
*Isla*“Who the fuck are you?”Maddox’s outburst has me letting go of my brother, Ben, but standing between the king, who looks like he’s about to storm right through me and knock my little brother out the window, I put up my hand and shout, “Maddox, stop!”I hear Ben mumble a curse word I’ve never heard come out of his mouth before as he drops to his knee. “Your Majesty!” he declares, and I can’t tell if he’s afraid Maddox is angry because he’s not being subservient enough or if my brother realizes Maddox has the wrong idea.“Who is this asshole, and what the fuck is he doing in your room with his arms wrapped around you?”The king steps to the side and I have to move quickly to get in front of him. “He’s my brother!” I shout.Maddox looks like he’s about to shift, he’s so mad, but when he processes what I’ve yelled at him, he stops mid-lunge, and his eyes widen almost as much as his mouth, his razor-sharp canines picking up the light from the lamp overhead and twinkling–not in an en
*Isla*Staring at Maddox, I try to understand what it is he’s saying, what he’s just screamed at me, but it’s difficult, and I’m not sure I will be able to comprehend it without some sort of a better explanation.I wait, hoping he will say more, but all he’s doing is shaking his head, running his fingers through his hair.I’m going to have to ask him. “What do you mean my birth certificate is fake?” My lips are trembling as I ask the question. I thought this would be the proof he finally needed in order to see that I really am from Maatua, that I am a princess, but he doesn’t even want to accept this government-stamped, issued document.A loud sigh escapes his lips as he says, “Perhaps we should speak about this another time.”“What?” I blurt out. “No! You can’t say something like that and not explain yourself. You essentially just told me my entire life is a lie!”“Your entire life is a lie?” he repeats, his eyes wide and wild as he looks at me. “Isla, if this document were true, you
*Isla*“No.”I stand there, staring at Maddox, unable to comprehend what he’d just said to me. I have to repeat the word out loud before it fully sinks into my mind. “No?” I ask him.“That’s right, Isla. There’s no way in hell that I’m letting you go to Maatua. Not now. Not ever.” He is standing in front of me with his hands folded across his chest, looking down at me, as if his word is final.Technically, his word is final. After all, he is the Alpha King. He would be able to keep me from going there in several different ways–everything from just ordering me and compelling me to comply so as not to go against the word of the king to locking me up in the dungeon near Zabrina and the other captives he’s just brought in from Hill Country pack.Not that I think he’ll go to those lengths, but as I look into his narrowed eyes, I understand that he means what he’s saying to me. For whatever reason, this is not up for discussion.But that doesn’t mean that I’m willing to just say, “Oh, okay
*Maddox*Well, I fucked up again. Obviously.Leaving Isla alone to get some rest or maybe visit with her brother if he comes back, I head back to my office. Now that I’ve had the relaxing diversion of arguing with my breeder–or lover–or whatever the fuck you want to call her–I’m ready to get back to work.I see Seth in the hallway walking at a brisk pace, and the way he’s flying down the hallway, practically running, I have to wonder what the hell has happened now. I don’t even want to know. But I ask. “What’s going on?”Seth shakes his head. “It’s Zabrina,” he says. “She’s just down there in the dungeon throwing a fit, and the guards want to know if they can sedate her. I told them to go ahead, but somehow, when they went in to give her the shot, she managed to rip it out of the guard’s hand with her teeth and plunged it into the guard’s face. Now, they’re all hesitant to go back in there.”“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” I say, wondering how this woman has gotten to be such a pain in my ass.
*Isla*I am dreaming again. I know that it’s a dream because nothing I’m experiencing makes sense to me from my most recent memories, and as I puzzle over what I am looking at, trying to put it together, I’m struggling to figure out not only where I am but when I am… as well as who I am.This feels different than the other two dreams I’ve had recently where it took me a while to realize that I was dreaming and then to figure out who I was, but I seemed to know when it was happening.The sensations that surround me as I stand in this meadow and look at this young woman and young man who are obviously in love make me think that this dream is more like the memory I had of getting on the boat with my parents back when we fled Maatua, the dream I had when I was dying.I know I’m not dying right now. I’m just sleeping. But this does feel like a memory.The only problem is, as much as I feel a familiarity toward both of these people, I have no idea who they are.The girl is beautiful, with l
Misty“Aviva, stop!” I shout as she begins to turn toward the woods, her bow raised and arrow primed and ready. My powers ignite, stronger than they’ve ever been, and explode through the clearing in bright, blue light that sizzles into the ground. I swear, somewhere deep in the swirling, blue ether, I hear what sounds like a lock clicking–like I’ve just jammed a key into a padlock and wrenched on it until it turned–and then the ground shakes violently, a crushing, grinding sound beginning to echo through the clearing. Red eyes appear near the tree line–three sets–barreling toward us. Aviva roars as she pulls back on her arrow again, but then she… disappears with a surprised scream. “Aviva?!” I shout, then choke on her name as the ground beneath me falls away. My powers burn out. I’m falling through the darkness, reaching blindly for anything to grab onto. Something beneath me hits the ground with a crunch, and then I’m landing on top of the object, which turns out to be Aviva. We
MistyLogan is quite gaunt. That’s the first thing I notice as I linger in the doorway of the healer’s cottage, watching Cole check Logan’s ears. Cole is amazing with kids, and it shows, because Logan cracks a smile at something Cole says and Aviva interprets. But Cole’s eyes are heavy with concern when he turns away from the boy, his eyes scanning his notes before closing his notebook and setting it on the counter. Aviva, wearing Lexa on her back, takes Logan’s hand and leads him out of the healer’s cottage, closing the door behind her. I watch through the window as they walk away, into the rolling, morning fog. It’s a chilly late summer morning–the first truly cold morning since we arrived last week. It’s been four days since almost everyone fell ill, but thankfully that’s over. And, Kyra isn’t here right now. She’s off doing something in Endova, according to Cole and Ryan. I feel immediately more relaxed in her absence. “So? Is he going to live?” I try to tease to break the t
Aviva“What’s your name?” I ask in the old tongue as I lead the boy through one of the pastures, shoving chest-height strands of wheat to the side to give us a path.He doesn’t speak for a while. I don’t press him for information, either. The fact that he’s following me is enough.“Logan,” he says after a moment, his voice calm and cool like the breeze coming off the rolling hills in the distance.“How old are you?”“Twelve.”“I thought so.” I look at him over my shoulder, smiling, but he doesn’t return the gesture. Dark circles line his eyes, and he’s incredibly thin, even for a boy his age, who all seem to be gangly and lanky. His dark, nearly black hair is pin straight and sticks up at all angles, rustling in the breeze, and he’s pale with freckles across the bridge of his nose.A scar wraps fr
AvivaI wake from a dead sleep that leaves me in an absolute panic. I roll off the bed with a crash, and then Ryan’s voice cuts through the air in alarm over the sound of him ripping the sheets from the mattress in his haste to follow me out of bed. “Aviva–Goddess–” he grumbles, scooping me up right by my armpits and tossing me back in bed just as a wail echoes through the house. “Where’s Lexa?” I croak, my throat throbbing painfully like I’ve swallowed glass. I clutch my neck in alarm, swallowing hard past a massive lump nearly blocking my airway. I’ve never felt so terrible in my life. Ryan disappears and returns a few moments later with an incredibly fussy Lexa and a giant glass of water for me. Then, he fusses over us, propping me up against the headboard with several pillows and whisking Lexa away when she’s done nursing, all while I sit there in a haze, my head pounding and my joints aching so badly it nearly brings me to tears. It’s early morning. I don’t even remember goi
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