Kenna
Evander looks down at me and goes perfectly still.
“What was that?” I whisper. It could easily have been the fireworks the elder council in the coven ordered for the festivities.
Another Earth rattling boom shakes the underground temple to the point dust and bits of rocks tumble from the ceiling.
I don’t even have a second to take a breath before Evander rolls off me, pulls me to my feet, and grabs his shirt. He yanks it over my head and deftly buttons it, but his body is so still, and his head is cocked to the side as he listens to whatever is happening beyond the sanctuary of the cave.
His mark on my shoulder burns, and blood seeps into the white fabric of his shirt, which is large enough that it brushes over the top of my knees as he steps away and quickly puts on his pants. “Where is your cloak?”
“Evander, what is going on? It’s just the fireworks&ndash
EvanderI’m not sure what I expected Kenna’s wolf to look like. I hadn't expected this, however. Her night-black fur shines in the faint light cast from the windows where magic is whizzing through the air as a battle ensues outside. Her fur is so dark that it sucks the light from the room and turns it to diamond dust that falls from her as she moves toward me, her silver eyes blazing with mingled worry and surprise. She’s small–smaller than the average wolf, for sure. The top of her head barely reaches my shoulder as she brushes against me. I feel her power the second she touches me.Unmatched strength. Ungodly powers I’m sure even she doesn’t comprehend. She is a hybrid of several forces combined into one tiny wolf, and I have no idea what to do with her now. I have it in mind to find the nearest closet and lock her in it, preventing her from putting herself in danger, but we need to find her father. Sydney returns from surveying the castle for more threats, his golden wolf an i
KennaI arch my back and brush my mouth over Evander’s jaw. His proximity is overwhelming to every single sense, and I drown in him. He lowers himself to cover me wholly with his body, pushing the sheets down to the end of the bed with his feet. This feels different than it did in the cave. Despite our obvious desire for each other that has spanned weeks at this point, we were performing the ritual together. It was something we had to do.But this… this is just for us. Because we want to. Because, despite everything that happened last night and what’s happening now, we need this from each other. His touch is the perfect distraction. His hand roaming down my side is enough for my mind to go blissfully blank. Every other feeling is set aside for now, and that’s okay. For a few moments, we can just be mates. Soon, I’m sure every waking minute of my life will be consumed by worry for my parents and my kingdom. Falling back into the spiral of anxiety and grief, I clutch his face and dr
KennaI adjust my apron strings to stop my hands from trembling. The corridor outside my dad’s office is unusually quiet and empty. Normally, warriors and higher ranking wolves would be walking back and forth or waiting on the benches along the wall for a meeting with him. Commanders would be speaking in low tones outside the door, not sparing a passing glance to the others waiting in the wings. And beyond the windows behind me, the city of Moonrise would be loud, shiny, and glowing with activity, but now it’s gray and silent. The wound on our precious, sacred city festers with every passing second my mother, the queen, is gone. I chew my lip and rock on my heels. “You had an opportunity to tell me the truth and you chose to lie–”“She is my mate, and I will decide what is best for her!”I close my eyes and let out my breath. I’ve been listening to Dad argue with Evander for the last ten minutes. Dad promptly shut the door in my face when I tried to follow Evander inside, so… what
EvanderI look down at a pair of familiar black gloves. They feel heavy in my hands, but that might just be the crushing ache of what's to come and why these have been given back to me.The barracks in Moonrise suffered damage in the attack, but they’re still intact enough to house the unmarried and unmated warriors who reside in the city. I came here because I had to meet with Commander Artyom to get these fancy gloves back, and since every warrior is out in the city canvassing for hiding enemies, I’m alone.I sit down on a random cot and stretch out my legs, going over the conversation I just had with King Ryatt.I know this mission wasn’t given to me because I am the best in the field and the only chance of the Allied Kings finding this woman, whose name isn’t known. I am being forced away from Kenna while her father, the king, decides whether or not I’m worthy of her affection.I don
EllaDim lighting casts the space in a strange, unnerving glow.I pace along the wall, running my fingers over the strange carvings that seem lost to time and make little sense to me, despite over two decades of learning every custom and legend about Eastonia and its dark history.Even Amanda’s not sure what these murals and carvings mean or depict, but we’re in agreement that we’re deep underground in the ruins of some old temple to some lost god.Amanda rushes out a breath and slumps into a dusty armchair, which looks out of place in the sitting room where we’ve spent the last two days. Maybe it’s been two days. I haven’t seen the sun since before the eclipse began and everything absolutely unraveled.“I can’t shift,” she breathes, closing her eyes. “My powers are shot.”“Me neither,” I grumble, tucking my filthy, dust covere
KennaI wake up in the morning to hazy sunlight blaring through my windows. I blink, reaching up to rub my eyes but then pause and look over at the other side of the bed. Evander slept here last night, but he’s no longer here, and his side of the bed is cold and empty. He’s leaving today. Soon, I assume, given the fact I overslept, and it’s probably close to 9:00 AM. I roll over onto my side, lifting up on an elbow to peer over the edge of the bassinet beside my bed. Brie is snoozing with a peaceful expression on her perfect face. A soft creak alerts me to someone entering the room, and thinking it’s Evander, I sit up a little straighter, but it’s only Avery. “Hey,” I whisper, pushing the sheets down to free my legs as I swing them out of bed. “I didn’t expect to see you until later.”“It’s a quiet morning down in your makeshift infirmary,” she says with a soft smirk. She edges toward the bassinet and peeks inside, her smile growing. “Are they supposed to sleep this much?”“Yes.
KennaThe willow tree wasn’t touched during the battle. I’m not sure how I would have felt if we’d walked up and found it destroyed. Some of the tension in my chest eases as Evander parts the curtain of branches and ushers me inside the shaded haven of our youth.My gaze sweeps over the cool, shady clearing before I turn to my mate and finally let out a deep breath. It seems like I’ve been holding it since I woke up this morning.“What do we do?”Evander paces with his hands tucked in his pockets, his brow pinched in thought. “You and Brie will go to Veiled Valley, immediately.”“But–”“It’s the best option other than sending you both to Maatua,” he cuts in.I rest my back against the tree trunk, crossing my arms under my breasts. “I won’t just run away and let others fight my battles. I’ve spent my ent
EvanderRyatt only wanted to see me to tell me what I already know. I’m not leaving yet, but if it were up to him, I’d be on the next ship sailing out from Tarsian into the uncharted sea south of Eastonia with no return date. I’m needed. It’s the only reason I’m still in Moonrise. While Ryatt is the king, he has commanders to appease, and all of those commanders are currently fighting over who gets to use the Ghosts. “I’m not a fucking roofer,” Flynn groans, squinting against the sun as he drops another box of singles on the roof we’re currently patching. “You look the part,” Connor remarks from a few feet away, his brow damp with sweat and eyes shining in the setting sun. Flynn scowls and wipes his face with the back of his hand, smearing tar across his cheek. “This is absolute bullshit. Where the fuck is Commander Artyom? I know this wasn’t his idea.”Connor's eyes flicker to mine. He gives me a knowing smirk. “I take it your soon-to-be father-in-law didn’t take so kindly to th
BrieI take a step away from Logan, then another, until my back hits the wall just outside of the bathroom. The room blurs, the soft cream fabrics and dark wood turning dreamlike and hazy. We could be anywhere–any kingdom–any room or darkened forest, and I wouldn’t know it because right now it’s just me and him, and I’m utterly, wholly exposed. I’m sure my family and those others who know me well would say I’m a complicated person. They’d be right. Below the surface, beyond my mask of resilience, I’m like ice, and within that icy fortress is something akin to fear. No one has been able to penetrate those walls. Not even Maeve. But Logan is looking right through me, shoving those walls down, clawing at them until they topple and shatter. “If you don’t feel the same,” he says, his tone softening, “I… I understand. I know our situation is complicated, Brie, I get it. I have an… obligation to return to Emberfyll, and you–”“I regret it.” My voice shakes, but my gaze stays locked on hi
BrieI can’t be your friend. I lean my forehead against the railing, closing my eyes as I dangle my legs through the rails. What feels like fathoms below me, the ocean stretches toward the milky light of the last minutes of what had been the most spectacular sunset I’d ever seen in my life. Stars flicker into view overhead, nestled against a blanket of deep orange and crimson, and behind me, I listen to Sawyer and Logan pouring over a map spread out on a table bolted to the floor just beside the helm–the massive wheel used to steer a ship only a pirate would have. Logan doesn’t want to believe we have, in fact, been thrust through time and now sail the open seas in the company of pirates. In his rational defense, I haven’t seen a single person with a peg leg, a parrot, or an eye-patch, so he’s probably right. It’s a fun thought, though. I kick my legs, my bare toes chilled by the wind whipping into the sails as we practically fly over the water. I like this better than the yacht.
LoganSunlight pours over the deck of the Asteria, glinting off the sails. I watch the Artemis drift past, Alex waving from the upper deck before fading into the bright glare of the sun. I grip the railing, closing my eyes for a moment and taking a much needed breath that catches in my throat the second footsteps sound on the stairs nearby. Sawyer grunts softly as he reaches the top of the steps and turns in my direction, squinting against the sun but smiling as he says, “You settled in?”I nod, biting back that breath I desperately needed and all the other feelings threatening to make themselves known the next time I see Brie, which is hopefully several hours from now after I’ve had a chance to cool off. “The Asteria’s the oldest and slowest,” Sawyer says under his breath, joining me at the railing. “But she’s a solid ship. A good girl. My favorite of the fleet, actually.”“Why aren’t you captaining her, then?”He grins and shrugs. “The same reason I’m not on the Artemis with Alex.
MaeveThe hallowed halls of the palace in Moonrise are quiet and somber. Normally, light would spill through the ancient stained glass windows lining the foyer, casting sunlight that made the golden walls gleam, but today everything is dark. Gray. Lifeless. Rain thunders across the glass ceiling, echoing down hallways usually alive with conversation and bodies bustling from room to room. Now, my only company is my shadow, and even that’s trying to curl away, just as worn and empty as I feel. It’s been nearly a week since we lost Brie. I couldn’t stay in Maatua for another second waiting for news.I walk up the grand staircase, wearing a hoodie, jeans, and sneakers, a far cry from the sweeping, luxurious gowns of silk I normally dress in when visiting my future home.Yes, one day all of this will be mine. I’ve known it–felt it in my bones since I was just a little girl. I will be queen. Soon. Three years from now, I’ll stand on the balcony and wave down at the people of Moonrise–of a
BrieAt first, I feel nothing but his mouth on mine. He inhales, but otherwise, is still as stone. The tension between us is so thick I could drown in it, and I wouldn’t bother saving myself by coming up for air.I pull away just a touch–just enough to take a shuddering breath. Maybe this was a mistake. I’m not sure what I was thinking kissing him back, but… here I am, wondering when he’s going to start laughing at me.Logan’s nose brushes mine as he closes his eyes. His hands drift to my waist, and my eyes flutter closed as his grip tightens. He takes a step toward me, then another, until I’m forced back, until my shoulders hit the wall. Time moves in slow motion as his lips brush the corner of my mouth, and he groans.Logan presses me to the wall and kisses me hard enough to steal my breath away. I rise on my toes to meet him, my lips parting as I try to suck in another breath, but his
BrieNight falls on the trio of ships. During the course of the evening, the ships had been readied, and the camp on the beach had been totally dismantled, leaving no trace that Alex’s pack had ever been there.Now, against a blanket of silver moonlight, the Artemis bobs in the shallows just beyond the mouth of the lagoon, engines purring and sails drawn.I lean against the railing and soak in the cool night breeze. It smells amazing here–like salt and tropical flowers. It’s almost exactly like Maatua but far more rocky and mountainous. Beyond the mountain shielding the lagoon, nothing but calm, open water stretches as far as the eye can see… which means we’ll be totally exposed to whatever enemies are lying in wait.The deck teems with people waiting for the two other ships to silently leave the lagoon. It’s a rough looking bunch–mostly hardened men with deep suntans and scars on
BrieMonica arches her brow as she plucks another petal off the flower she’s been defacing for the last ten minutes in relative silence. She’s precariously perched on the railing of the upper deck, with an insane drop to sudden death beneath her, yet she doesn’t look the least bit fazed by it.Me, however?I adjust my position on a crate nearby, neatly crossing my legs and refusing to look over the railing and the lagoon below.“Afraid of heights, Princess?”“No,” I rush out, but the word wobbles. I straighten my back, brushing invisible dust from my dress, and fix her with a cold look. “I’m not.”“Come sit with me then.” She pats the railing, a cocky smile tugging on the corner of her mouth.“I’m fine here,” I counter, narrowing my eyes.“Suit yourself. You’re missing the show.&rdquo
LoganI don’t remember falling asleep. I don’t remember much of the past day, actually, not since washing up on the shore on some nameless island. I slowly sit up, wincing as bright, fresh pain ripples through my back. I press my hand to my chest where the bandages cover most of my skin and find them damp with blood, but it’s not fresh. No, I must have stopped bleeding like a stuck pig a few hours ago. That’s one thing going my way, at least.A soft murmur beside me steals my attention from my pain, and I turn to find Brie fast asleep, her hands tucked beneath her cheek. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her wear her hair natural before. It’s wild and… lovely. But looking at her–at the soft, relaxed expression on her face as she sleeps–has me careening back to going into the water with her and realizing that was it.I’m not sure how we survived. Call it divine intervent
BrieThis giant boat is something out of a fairy tale… well, I’ve just found out that Alpha Alex not only has these three but two more tucked away in some island chain about as far from the capital of KiloKilo as he could get. It’s hard to believe these boats even exist. It doesn’t make sense. This room and its finery doesn’t make sense.I watch Logan resting only a few feet away, his large frame eating up the dainty armchair perched in front of a dormant hearth. He hasn’t touched any of the food laid out for us, but I have. I’m on my second bowl of stew, swiping the nearly empty bowl with my fourth or fifth piece of rustic sourdough bread. With food in my body for the first time in what feels like days, I’m acutely aware of my senses and the room around me… and the people within it. The ship's ornate details come into startling view as I scan the room under the shadow of my eyelashes, carefully not