*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
*Isla*All the information that Mystica is giving me is too much for my mind to process all at once. I’m going to need a few moments to get it all into my brain. For now, I’m still stuck on trying to grasp the idea that I'm pregnant.I’m pregnant, and my child was not only exposed to the wolfsbane that that horrible bitch Zabrina poisoned my body with, but who knows what kind of damage the medications Mystica gave me in an attempt to heal me could cause in a body so tiny and undeveloped?Maddox is telling Mystica to stop filling my head with nonsense when I finally begin to pay attention to their discussion again, and the healer looks horribly offended. “Your Majesty!” she declares. “I am not filling her head with nonsense! It is about time that you came to understand the truth of the situation. You have to accept the fact that your beloved breeder here is more than just the title you have bestowed upon her! She is, in fact, a princess! She is from Maatua! And she does have capabiliti
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