EllaBright light. A soft, warm breeze that smells sharply of pine and cedar. Somewhere in the distance a soft, delicate voice sings a beautiful song–a lullaby. A baby whimpers and is gently shushed. I feel hands grazing down my arms. The scent of honeysuckle and lavender fills the air, and birdsong echoes in my ears. I snuggle deeper into the warmth penetrating my back. Ryatt’s scent brushes over my senses like a loving embrace. Deep in my chest, in my soul, that thread that binds us together sings with satisfaction. His scent is sharper than before. It’s everything I love. Everything that sets my soul aflame…I jolt to awareness, and I’m blinking frantically to clear my vision. Murmuring male voices cut through the lullabies and birds singing, and suddenly I’m in an unfamiliar cottage made of dark stone, the windows open to reveal a landscape of towering pine trees and rolling mountains capped with snow. They’re people standing outside of the cabin dressed in warrior leathers. I
RyattFresh raindrops glisten on the trees above my head as I walk on steady feet toward the creek that runs adjacent to the village. It’s quiet here. Nothing but the sound of the birds and the rippling water pierce the air as I sit on a boulder overlooking the creek and adjust the bundle in my arms. My daughter is asleep, making little suckling motions with her lips every once and a while. Gods, she looks like Ella right now. Her hair is a dark mahogany brown, and the scrunch of her nose mimics my mate’s look when she’s annoyed–or teasing me or someone else. I’m supposed to name this baby. Ella told me not to come back to the cottage until she has a name, or I’ll sleep outside with the bugs and rats. I stretch out my legs and cross my ankles. This could be a long day, and I haven’t even eaten breakfast yet. Now that Ella is recovered, we’re planning on leaving tomorrow for Rifthold. Following the base of the mountains and skirting the edge of Tarsian, and Alpha Jaxon's territory,
Isaac I’m not sure what I was expecting to find, but it isn’t this.Instead of simply walking through a wall of mist and magic, coming out the other side and coming face to face with Ryatt and Ella, I feel like I’ve been dropped on my head after having every nerve in my body pulled apart and thrust back together again.I never gave much thought to what Ryatt and Ella went through, twice now, while crossing the veil. It’s nothing like spiriting myself from room to room, or from the castle to the rolling fields beyond the woods, no.My powers are useless. Even my wolf powers are whimpering in my veins as I shift my weight on the stool I’m sitting on with my hands bound behind my back.How many days has it been since I came through the veil? Four? Maybe five?The man seated in front of me hasn’t said a word in a long time. I can only see his jaw, the rest of his face shielded by a hood. He has dark skin, and his hands are covered in a tangle of scars and tattoos.Other than tying me up,
EllaThere’s a commotion outside of the cottage. It’s just after noon, from what I can tell, and the little village girl who follows the witch around everywhere has just dropped off a basket full of cold sliced meat, bread, cheese, and an assortment of fruits and vegetables for a quick lunch when the door to the single room cottage bursts open.I rise from the pile of clothing and gifts we’ve been given from the nearby village, in the process of packing up for our journey home, when Ryatt strides in and shuts the door with a snap. He locks it and stares down at me absently.“Uh, are you okay?” I straighten as he turns to the single window and pulls the curtains closed. “Ryatt, where’s the baby?”“She’s with Westfall.”“He’s here?”“He just arrived.”Something in Ryatt’s tone puts me on edge. It’s been several days since the baby’s birth, and he’s finally coming around. Dark circles no longer cloud his eyes and his shoulders have been relaxed, but now?“Are we under attack?” I ask, ro
EllaI cry out Ryatt’s name as he thrust in from behind. He grips my hips, adjusting me so I’m where he wants me, and begins to absolutely lay waste to my body.It’s like every piece of me–every cell, every nerve–is honing in on his movements. He lowers himself over my back after a moment, pressing me into the mattress with one of his hands pinning my wrists above my head.He kisses the base of my neck, then bites down, holding me there.For whatever reason that bite ignites something in me I’ve never felt before. It’s something ancient. Maybe something tied to my powers? I don’t know. But whatever he does awakens that spark of light deep in my soul, and soon my skin is glowing a pale gold.Each stroke of his cock has me edging toward a climax I already know is going to be stronger than anything I’ve ever experienced. I lose sense of place and time. The bed is threatening to fall to pieces beneath us. His free hand smooths over my side, clutching the slope of my hip, and he thrusts i
RyattThe bartender at the quaint inn we’re staying at for the night pours me another glass of whiskey neat. I nod my thanks as little jolts of pain run up my spine, skittering like mice. It took three jumps to get from that hell-hole where my daughter was born back to Rifthold. I was barely standing by the end of it, and after two full days traveling on foot, we’ve finally made it to a familiar pack, a familiar village, and are back in the Roguelands.We’ll be close enough to Veiled Valley that I can spirit us the rest of the way there after another day of travel.I turn back to the table where I’ve just left the Alpha and Beta of this pack to finish their platters of roast beef, bread, and stew. Granger already retired to bed an hour ago, and the witch, still unnamed, is visiting with the local healer.Westfall has made himself scarce during our journey here and is fine acting as a scout while we navigate the Roguelands. Something has to be done, however. He’s on edge and flighty. I
EllaEverybody loves Kenna.We have been endlessly showered in praise and gifts over the last few days. Word spread about her birth, and every village we’ve passed through on our way home has been the same–lit up like a bonfire with music and revelry in her honor.Granger grunts under the weight of the heavy leather sack he’s lugging behind us as we walk out of the village proper. I don’t even know the name of this place, but everyone knew us, that’s for sure.“This is going to be you in a few weeks,” I tell him over my shoulder as I follow Ryatt into a moonlit clearing. He meets my gaze with a smile and looks lighter than he has in weeks.One more jump and we’re home.“Is everyone ready?” Ryatt says, a little breathlessly.I adjust the sling across my chest that someone fashioned for me and Kenna. She’s sleeping right now, gathered against my breasts with a little fist clutching my sweater. It’s chilly for a midsummer night and currently sprinkling a misty kind of rain that sticks to
EllaWe’ve spent several days in the castle… doing nothing, and it’s been the best three days of my life. Every morning I wake to Ryatt laying Kenna down between us and crawling back into bed for a few moments of peace as a family. Tender kisses and soft laughs fill those blissful minutes before we drag ourselves out of bed to dress for the day.Amanda and Granger haven’t been seen since we came home, but that was expected. Today is different, however. Today, we all gather in Ryatt’s office as heavy rain glides down the windows, and a storm brews outside, cloaking Veiled Valley in sheets of heavy gray mist.While the rest of us recovered from months of travel and torment, Isaac has been… well, my brother is the most annoying kind of tourist. He’s been out with Westfall every hour of the day for three days buying gifts to try to butter Maddy up when he returns home. He’s seen every inch of Veiled Valley, talked to just about everyone, and has been trying to figure out how he can mimic
RyanThree Days LaterTarsian is gone. That’s the only way to describe it. The cities, the packs… it’s nothing but endless, blood-stained desert now. Even the sea lapping against the shores of Serpentia is stained a dark red, but I watch it fade as I stand on what’s left of a deck overlooking the ocean. Behind me, the incessant chatter of the injured and healing overwhelm the sound of the waves. A few people walk along the sand–warriors of different ranks and alliances. A young man in tattered Arcane Umbra armor talks to a group of men in armor from the Roguelands, reunited with old friends. The curse is gone. The soldiers the Umbra Mortis turned into his puppets, his monsters, well… so far, they have no memory of the war, which is a blessing. The rest of us remember, though. How could we ever forget what happened here? How are we possibly going to move on? “Ryan?”I turn toward Kenna’s voice as she steps toward me, edging around a group of nurses from Moonrise here to help treat
ColeI choke myself awake. Smoke fills my lungs, smothering my senses for precious seconds I quickly realize I don’t have. Muffled voices fill my ears–a few shouts of pain, of surprise. People are calling out for friends and comrades.I’m not in the afterlife. I know that immediately. Pain echoes through my body like waves, driven by the tide of my heartbeat as my body claws back to life, my chest wounds knitting together in real time. But my hand is freezing. I squeeze the fingers tangled in mine and jolt back to reality, rolling with effort to curl my body around Misty. “No,” I breathe into her hair. “Come–Come back.” I can’t feel her anymore. My hand slides up to her neck, my fingers trembling as I feel for her pulse. It’s there, but barely. A weak thump that pauses for several heartbreaking seconds. “H-Help!” I try to shout the word into existence, but my voice cracks painfully, turning into a scream. “HELP!”Figures rush toward us in a blur. The battlefield erupts into view, sh
MistyI land on my feet in a sea of mist. Silver fog snakes around my ankles, around my glimmering armour made of pure light. For a moment, I think I’m… lost within the aether–in the misty, shadowed undercurrent that separates our realm from the Goddess’s kingdom. But wet grass squishes beneath my boots as I stumble forward, breathless, damn near in pieces. Rain pelts the top of my head as I grope for anything to grab onto before I careen toward the ground. I yelp as my body lands with a thud. Thunder booms, followed by its rolling echo as it bounces toward me. The rain fizzles to a gentle whisper as the mist begins to part. A great stone wall comes into view, and then two voices carry toward me, lifted in alarm. I sit up with great effort, kneeling as I gasp for breath that won’t fill my lungs. I slowly lift my head and see two women–one young and… stunning, with long, blonde hair and ocean blue eyes that seem to glow as she holds my gaze, her lips parted in surprise. The seco
Cole“Undo it,” I tell him. “Take the curse back and reinstate order.”He purses his lips to a thin line, confused. “But, Cole, I can’t. It’s not something you can just… stop. Think about it. Use that big brain of yours. Do you see this place? Tarsian is so much bigger than the rest of Eastonia. Riches beyond belief lay below the sand. There used to be mines and forges here, mines that pulled silver and moonstone from the ground and forges that turned that into magic. Yet, in our time, the magic is hoarded by the royals–the Allied Kings.” He sweeps his hand toward the battle. “But not anymore. Once I open the gate, it’s over. This world will be no more. You can come with me, Cole. Be a god instead of a king.”“You can’t, Richard. You failed. Misty is safe, with her family. You needed her to do this.”He smiles a bit sadly, but his eyes flare with mischief. “Yes, she is. Such a shame, really. It would have been easier to do it with her help. Quicker, less leg work for me.” He opens the
Misty“Forgive me, please,” I say to Mom as we walk side by side to the war room, which is really just a massive training area at the very base of the castle. “I know I just got back…hours ago….”“Bring them back for me,” she replies sadly, her hand ghosting down my back. She stops at the staircase leading to the furthest depths of the castle. I turn to face her, and she tucks a lock of my hair behind my ear. “I’m okay here. I’ll keep the kids happy and comfortable.”That’s my mom’s power. Being the leader of this family. She has a knack for bringing everyone together, keeping everyone loved and… whole. I pull her into a hug and squeeze. “I’ll come home again, I promise. I’ll be bringing my mate home with me in time for Solstice, I promise.”Her tears fall into my hair. I reluctantly let her go and turn for the stairs, refusing to look back. I have to look forward–only forward–if I’m going to get through this. Ella’s already in the armory, sorting weapons, her eyes locked on her tas
MistyEverything else is a blur. Aviva’s screamed words. Ella’s rushed explanations. Grandma taking me by the shoulders and leading me away, tucking me in a sitting room somewhere in the depths of the castle. I barely feel her arm on my shoulder. I barely register sitting down in a chair, holding the bloody pages in my lap and watching the firelight dance over the untidy scrawl I know so well. I sit there for what could be hours. Eventually, I’m joined by Sarah and Kenna… and then Aviva. Still, I haven’t read the letter. I’ve read my name, addressed at the top of the first page, over and over again. This is his final goodbye, and I’m not ready to accept that. “What are we supposed to do?” Kenna grinds out. “The reports coming out of Tarsian are–”“I don’t fucking care what they are!” Sarah’s voice pitches with fury. “The father of my sons is fighting for his fucking life right now, Kenna.”“My mate, too!” Kenna shouts. “But we’ve been told to stay, to be prepared to defend Moonrise
MistyI wait in the hallway for Luke, not believing he’s actually here, in Moonrise, in the same place I currently am. Eventually, he’s escorted around a corner by two of Ella’s royal guards. His eyes go wide when he sees me, his cheeks flushing. “Misty–”“Luke,” I whisper, trying to smile at him, but my heart is skittering out of my chest. He glances at the guards before taking several swift steps ahead of them to reach my side. I pull him across the hallway to a set of windows and benches overlooking the city of Moonrise, now bathed in afternoon light. “You got out,” he says in disbelief. “I heard that you had, but I didn’t believe it–”“Is Georgia safe?” “Yes, she’s with her family. Her father’s fighting, but she and her mother went to Crescent Falls–”“What did Cole have you working on in the castle?” I rush out. “I was supposed to help you with it but never got the chance.”He pulls a small, oval object out of his jacket pocket and hands it to me. “It’s a cryptex. He said it wa
MistyBefore my body even catches up to itself, Mom has her arms around me, pulling me into the tightest hug possible as Sarah’s powers shudder away, falling like ash that covers the ornate red carpet in one of the upper wings of Aunt Ella’s palace in Moonrise. Golden finishes blur my vision. My senses go haywire for a fraction of a second before familiar scents and voices bring me back to reality. I slowly fold my arms around Mom’s back and squeeze. Neither of us says anything for a long, long time. I stand on my tiptoes and rest my chin on her shoulder, closing my eyes and breathing in her sweet, floral scent. She’s been wearing the same perfume for decades. She always smells the same–the smell of my childhood. “Mama,” I whisper into her strawberry scented hair. She trembles with silent sobs, cupping the back of my head as she pulls away. Her big, dark blue eyes–eyes she shares with Sydney and Ryan–sweep over my face, over the new lines of exhaustion and heartbreak. I feel a p
MistyIt’s morning. Early morning–still too early for the sun to breach the mountains and send light spilling over the village of Silverhide. I roll over on the couch, wrapped in a thick blanket, and stare at the dying embers in the stone fireplace across the room. I haven’t slept. Pain echoes through my body, settling deep in my bones. It’s not a sharp, bright pain. It’s the kind that aches and throbs–a dull thrum of noise that makes it impossible to focus, let alone close my eyes and rest. I feel empty. Empty, and alone. ‘Why did you do this to me?’ I ask through the sliver of bond I still share with Cole… I hope. I hung on so tight when he rejected me, refusing to let him do it. But his voice is no longer in my head. My eyes are dry and rimmed red as I watch the embers flicker like stars against a sea of darkness. I have no tears left to cry. I used them up. They’re gone. Ryan and Aviva’s bedroom door opens nearby, a shadowed figure ducking as Ryan steps out of his room and