*Maddox*I lunge, colliding with Seth just as he swings the sword. The heavy metal slices through the air as I wrap my arms around his knees and send us both flying backward away from the blast of silver light now coming from the statue. I feel the sword graze my back, slicing through my shirt and scraping across my skin. It's enough to make me grit my teeth and growl as we roll and roll towards the far wall of the temple, the sword left in our wake. Seth’s fist smashes against the top of my head, and I momentarily see stars before I roll off of him and get onto my knees, panting. Only six feet separates us. “Don’t make me do this,” I say to him, my ears ringing sharply as I blink into the silver light now climbing in long ribbons up the walls. “Seth–”“I can’t let you leave this temple alive,” he says hoarsely, and I see blood trickling down his face from a wound he must have obtained when I slammed all of my weight into him and sent us to the ground. He takes an uneven step towa
Poppy groans as I help her sit up in bed, her face twisting with discomfort. While my magic was about to heal the stab wounds across her belly, she is still recovering from the black and blue bruises that cover her entire abdomen. She looks terrible, but I do my best not to make a face as I lift up her shirt to look at the… carnage. That’s the only way I can describe it. “I’ll live, Isla,” she rasps, rolling her eyes as she playfully swats my hand away. “Pardon me for being worried about you, Poppy,” I tease, sitting down on the edge of her bed with a sigh. I glance at the warrior sitting on a stool by the door, his legs crossed and his head hanging as he sleeps. We made it through the day. No one else had been attacked. But I can’t help but feel like this is far from over. “Did Isaac make it safely?” she asks in a whisper, her eyes drifting to the warrior by the door. “Yes,” I reply, the word sticking to my throat. I fight back the rush of grief welling in my chest as I run a co
*Isla*“Get–her–out–of–FUCK!” Antony takes the warrior by the shoulders, bending the man at the waist before driving his knee up into the man’s chin. “Get her out of here, Isla!”I’m scrambling to get Poppy off the bed. She’s hurt again, but actively fighting against me as I drag her by the waist across the room and away from where Antony is beating the warrior into a bloody pulp. “The knife is still in his chest!” Poppy howls, clawing my arms. “Stop fighting me!” I cry, but she kicks her legs, pressing all her weight into her heels to halt my progress. The warrior breaks free of Antony’s grasp and pushes him away at the same time he grabs the knife and twists. Antony shouts–and to my great surprise–slaps the warrior across the face. I freeze, obviously in shock, and fight the urge to laugh in disbelief as Antony shoves the warrior away and removes the knife from his chest himself, tossing it across the room. “Slap him again!” Poppy roars. I put my hand over her mouth and continu
*Isla*“He’s on his way back,” Ben says hoarsely, running his fingers through his hair as he takes a seat in the dining room. I hold Isaac against my chest, patting his back as I pace along the far wall where the sunset is beaming through the windows. “I talked to him a few hours ago. He said he’d be here by morning.”I nod, glancing out a window as I pass, as if I can make Maddox just materialize out of nowhere. “How is Antony?” Ben asks as he reaches for a bottle of wine. He motions with his hand to offer me a glass but I shake my head. “Fine. Angry, but fine,” I sigh. I look down at Isaac, who is asleep with his chubby, perfect cheek squished on my shoulder. “He’s been holed up in Poppy’s room all day. He wants to skin that man alive, Ben.”“I understand why,” Ben says through gritted teeth as he pours himself some wine. “Has the man said anything?”“He won’t even give us his name. I interviewed some of the other warriors, and no one recognizes him. No one knows who he is or wher
*Isla*“It’s not even in the way she talks or handles business between the servants,” Poppy says as she winds a lock of my hair around a curling iron. “There’s just something strange about her.”“And Trinity hired her,” I add, dusting my cheeks with blush. “Yes, and that,” Poppy grimaces, starting on a new curl. “She probably just looks forward to the day I leave, Isla. If I leave. I don’t fall into the ‘be sweet and silent’ type of maid that she prefers, you know? And based on what you just told me, she thinks Trinity is dumb–”“She didn’t say dumb,” I laugh, smiling at Poppy through the reflection in the mirror. “But she did allude to Trinity being inexperienced and… well, I don’t really know how else to describe it. I want to like her because she’s done a great job in the role so far, but if Trinity is up to something… how can I trust her, or anyone in this house, for that matter?”“Well, Maddox will be home any minute now, and you won’t have to do all of this on your own anymore,
*Isla*Maddox is ravenous, and every cell in my body responds to his touch as he lifts me up from the floor and sets me on the stone table at the center of the gazebo. I can still taste him on my tongue, but he kisses me anyway as he unbuttons his shirt. My hands press into his chest, feeling the hard, solid muscles there. “Wrap your legs around my waist,” he rasps, his breath heavy and wanting as he trails kisses over my neck. I do as I’m told, locking my ankles together over his lower back. He reaches between us and drags his fingers over my slit, growling with approval. I exhale, trembling beneath his touch as he teases me, his eyes locked on mine. “I missed you, little flower.”“Show me how much you missed me,” I choke out, a moan leaving my lips as he positions himself at my entrance. He plunges into me with one hard, near violet thrust that leaves me seeing stars. I clutch his shoulders, digging my nails into his skin as he slowly pulls out again, dragging himself down. “I m
*Maddox*The dungeon beneath the castle is cleaner and less… damp, than most since the clean up of staff after the debacle with Zabrina. I still don’t like spending time down here, but there’s no other place to keep my enemies. I pass the cell where the man who’d attacked Isla and Poppy is sitting, his back to me. He doesn’t look up as I walk by, but I notice several scuffs on the smooth stone outside of the cell, like someone has been pacing back and forth just outside the bars. There is no doubt in my mind that Antony has been coming down here just to taunt the man, to walk along the bars and sneer and spit at him, and the man likely knows full well that Antony will take him apart piece by piece, slow and methodical, to avenge his mate, when I gave him the green light to do so.What will need to happen to Seth seems like a mercy in comparison.I turn a corner and come to a stop in front of a heavy metal door, a light flickering overhead. Amber light spills over the floor as I curl
*Isla*“Look at you,” Maddox beams as he balances on his hands and knees in front of Isaac on the floor in the large, airy sitting room near the library. I glance up from the magazine I’m reading to watch them, smiling as Maddox drops onto his elbows to look Isaac in the eyes. Isaac, hating every minute of what his nanny calls “tummy time”, screws his face into a scowl and lets out a howl of displeasure. “Oh, come on. You’re big and tough!”“You’re torturing him,” I chuckle, flipping a page. Maddox makes a face at Isaac, and the baby’s scowl turns into a grin. Seeing Maddox as a father is… a dream. Speaking of big and tough, this man used to intimate the hell out of me, and still intimates practically everyone else. Maddox just stepping into a room is enough to silence the space, and one look from him has Alphas cowering. But with Isaac he’s goofy, lighthearted, and… soft. The kindest, truest soul. I set my magazine down as Maddox rolls onto his back and lifts Isaac onto his chest.
Misty“Everyone’s okay,” I tell Lexa and Addy, laying them out in the center of Ryan’s bed, side by side. Both babies scowl up at me–Lexa, for not being her mother, and my own son for showing another baby attention. Lexa’s face scrunches. She puffs her cheeks out in the threat of a wail while Addy picks up on her energy and begins to whine. I cover my ears, taking the deepest breath I can handle, and scoop both screaming infants into my arms for the hundredth time in the last two hours. “They just won’t sleep,” I say, rounding the corner into the living room where Sarah is still camped out with her new babies, and Sydney is pacing like a madman in front of the windows, looking for any sign of Kenna, Ryan, Aviva, and the kids. Sarah’s fast asleep with her brand new twins resting in a floor cot nearby, but Sydney has free hands, so I thrust Lexa against his chest without saying another word. “Freya’s supposed to be coming up to help,” he says under his breath, still looking worse fo
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