Most of the day was filled with gossip about Linda leaving. It seemed there was almost no one in any grade-level who wasn’t glad that she was gone.“She was the meanest girl I’ve ever met.”“A total disgrace to the word nobility.”“She was so arrogant though she wasn’t that pretty and her family just isn’t that important. I mean, it’s not like she’s the Alpha King’s niece or something.”I shook my head as the gossip continued to roll around the school. The school forum was filled with it. People were planning parties in the dorms to celebrate her being gone. Claire laughed.“Well, I can’t say she made dorm life easy either,” Claire said. “She would get her little followers to block off the communal bathroom and use all the hot water… And when she wasn’t doing that, she tended to bring her favorites in to have sex in the showers.”My eyes widened at her. “In… the shower?”Claire rolled her eyes. “Obnoxiously loud. You couldn’t even wash your hair in peace and—”She stopped, and her eye
“What are you doing here?” I asked, happy to see him but still surprised.I was almost certain that he had a million things to do for the pack and the territory. He always did. He glanced around the field.“What else does one do on a field?” Candido asked and eyed me. “In athletic clothing?”I pouted at him. “You know that’s not what I meant!”Candido grinned. His eyes twinkled with mischief, making him seem so young and carefree. It was rare to see him like this, but it filled me with joy and hope. Maybe I was just a little girl in his eyes, but he was comfortable with me, and that was a better start than being a beautiful woman whom he couldn’t trust.“My little girl wants to be on the rugby team,” Candido said. “Of course, I’m here to help.”I dropped my gaze. “Losing weight—”“You’re a werewolf, Hedy,” Candido said gently. “Do you even know why you gained weight in the first place?”I rolled my eyes. “Eating all that rich food you’ve been serving at the Estate!”Candido shook his
I scrambled off Candido and turned away, trying to hide my flushed face. By the Moon Goddess, why did Allen have to talk right then? Why couldn’t it have been earlier or much later after I had gotten the kiss I wanted. I huffed, scowling at Allen across the field, though he didn’t seem to notice.Candido rose slowly from the ground and placed a hand on my head. “Let’s take a bit of a break before getting back to it. You did well.”I nodded and stood, following him to where Allen and a staff member had set up a small picnic area. I flopped down beside the basket as my stomach rumbled. I frowned and Candido handed me a sandwich that was stacked high with meat. It looked delicious, but there was no way that eating this sandwich was going to help me lose weight.“Eat it,” Candido said. “Or you’ll pass out.”I took it warily and took a bite. It tasted even better than I imagined and I hardly remembered eating the rest of it.“That must have been the first time you’ve been so close to a man
I couldn’t go back to sleep after that. I waited all night hoping that Candido would come the way he usually did when I had a nightmare. He always knew when I had a nightmare, but he didn’t come.When morning came, I dragged myself out of bed and down the stairs. Allen greeted me stiffly, but I had a feeling why. Candido hadn’t come home last night.He’d stayed at the Red Moon Pack. Whether that meant he was in a guest room or in bed with Sibyl, I didn’t know. I forced myself to eat breakfast and headed out with Team Gamma-2 to school. I got out of the car, hoping not to be bothered. Most people didn’t seem to notice I was in a dark mood, too busy commenting on my change of clothing or the latest rumor they heard.I trudged towards my first class. Bella walked out of the classroom and froze in the doorway. She went pale, scowled, and stormed off down the hallway as if I was going to chase her.“Hey, you,” Claire said, coming up to me. She put her arm around my neck and frowned. “You l
“Aren’t you going to introduce me, Franci’?” The man asked gruffly. Francium grit his teeth and winced. I glared at the man’s hand on Francium’s shoulder. I could almost hear the bones in Francium’s shoulder creak under the force.“Claire,” he bit out. “Hedy, this is my older brother, Felix.”The name was familiar, but when Claire stiffened beside me, I knew it wasn’t for any good reason. To be fair, he didn’t look like it could ever be a good reason to be alone with him. He oozed a sense of superiority and arrogance that was outright dangerous in the right circumstances.“Good,” Felix said, “Now get out of the way. You’re in my seat.”Francium took a deep breath when Claire looked up and glared at Felix. Her voice was low and threatening. I had never seen her like this. She looked ready to jump up and claw Felix’s face off as she spoke.“Let him go.”Felix quirked an eyebrow before he smirked. “Feisty. I always thought you were. Do you really—”“Let him go, or I’ll make you,” Claire
The sight of Francium staggering away, the bottle of pills he had and the whole situation haunted me for the rest of the day. It felt too close to home, to reminiscent of my time at Wolf Fang. Sure, I hadn’t been given poisonous pills, but if Francium was being poisoned, I had to help him for his and Claire’s sake.Claire may not have said much more than having a bad feeling, but I could tell how worried she was from the way she followed Francium with her eyes every time he was nearby. Maybe I could talk to Candido about it. Instead of allying with the Red Moon Pack, he could start building a relationship with the New Moon Pack or at least get them in line.I huffed. I still didn’t know if Candido had even returned from the Red Moon Pack’s capital yet, and I was scheming about how I was going to convince him to talk to Francium’s family. I shook my head. I needed to be focused on Moon Shadow’s investigation of the attack, the deaths that had happened, and so many other things.I got b
Allen sighed and glanced at me. “Miss Hedy, there is something you should know.”“Before my birthday?” I repeated. The anger in me rose. Why wouldn’t Candido have mentioned that? There wasn’t a lot of time between now and my birthday to make sure this didn’t happen, but I couldn’t show my anger. I needed to know why. “You make it sound like it was supposed to be years from now.”“Quite honestly, I had hoped that His Majesty would find a way out of this agreement by now. He had been putting it off for years for good reason.” His lips twitched. “If he were to break the engagement now, I believe it would be the proper time, but he is a man of honor.”I nodded. I understood that. I knew that. There was no one more honorable than Candido.“What’s this very good reason?”Allen hesitated and he sighed. “Personally, I believe that His Majesty would be… ill-served by have Miss Sibyl on the throne by his side. She is ill-tempered and… quite selfish.”My lips twitched. “You could just say she’s
After I had cried my heart out, I returned to the Estate, found something to eat in the kitchens, and retreated to my room for a hot bath. I felt calmer, steadier like I could push away the sadness if I tried hard enough. Candido wasn’t home, so it made it somewhat easier. I didn’t have to catch the scent of his cologne in the hallway and think about what I wouldn’t have with him.I sunk into the bathtub and closed my eyes.My feelings aside, the situation with the former Alpha King was troubling. How had vampires managed to infiltrate the estate? Weren’t their guards? Secret passageways to escape by that only pack members would know? Wasn’t the former alpha king a great warrior?I frowned and sat up. Was Candido’s father actually the former alpha king? The title referred to the alpha of the biggest pack with the biggest territory, but the Full Moon Pack had been much smaller before Candido took over.The Full Moon Pack was one of the oldest packs, one of the first that was mentioned
She cocked an eyebrow. “They might be related, but there’s no way to know if they’re compatible.”“They’re both golden wolves. That should be enough.” I swallowed. “I don’t care what you have to do, you have to keep him alive.”Her eyes drifted down to Candido with an odd expression on her face. “I’ll see what I can do,” she looked up at me. “But… there will be a hefty cost.”“I don’t care,” I said. If Candido was really being used to stabilize Solare, whatever that meant, then I had make sure that he had enough life force, that his body still remained, after that was done to wake up. “I developed a drug that strengthened wolves,” she said. “I have a feeling that it would at least help.”My eyes bulged. “You’re… You’re the one who made the drug for the vampires.”She smiled. “I am. And?”I growled at her. “You’re a traitor.”Her smile turned cold. “And you aren’t the alpha king’s mate.”She cocked an eyebrow. “Given the state of the world, do you think they’ll care?”“Of course, the
“It was unsure if my Beloved King would have ever risen again and to what world,” she said. “It was for the best that I changed the path.”“We’re mates,” I said again. “We’re mates. Nothing you say can change that.”“Mates,” she scoffed. “A tool for conquest. Were you not listening? The vampiric power you inherited from your mother was the only reason you could fake the moon mark. The white fur you inherited from your father turned platinum because of it. When you were no longer a vampire, after Cillian had drained the last of that power out of you, you were just a plain werewolf…”“I don’t believe you,” I said. “I won’t believe you. You’re just trying to trick me.”“Your real moon mark vanished the night that your mate died trying to protect you.”I saw the senior diving in front of me and jerking as the bullets hit him in the chest. “Him?” I growled. “No. I can’t believe that.”“Neither could your mother,” she laughed. “By the time you met your grandfather, I had already been makin
I pushed at the wall, trying to get over there and drag Estella away from Candido. Then, Vanessa appeared dressed in a wispy gauzy red dress. She looked younger than the last time I had seen her. Two younger men followed her, chatting with her though I couldn’t make out what they were saying. They were dressed in red tunics. Then, I saw Claire and Francium striding towards them in red. They were holding hands. Her hair was gathered up in a flower wreath as they smiled together. They looked so happy together as they sat beside Candido and Estella. Soon, I saw other people. I saw Claire’s parents and the people I remember dying over the course of the war. They sat together in a circle around Candido and Estella, chatting happily. “Don’t be happy!” I yelled, banging on the wall. “Claire! You’re supposed to be my friend! Get her away from my mate!”No one even noticed I was there. They laughed and chatted, welcoming other people as they came to join them. Everyone else was wearing red,
Weeks passed, and in that time, I made the remaining people do what needed to be done. They fixed up the building Candido and I were in. While they couldn’t get the water or electricity working, there was a roof and the floors were cleaned. They brought me food when they came to check on Candido and busied themselves with trying to contact whoever else might be alive. “Miss Hedy.”I looked up, glaring at them. “How many times have I told you to call me luna?”The man lifted his head. “Until the king confirms it, I would never disgrace the position that way.”I glared at him. “Then, I suppose you’ll be tried for treason, then.”His eyes narrowed as two people entered the room. “You’re supposed to be regent, right?” The woman asked. “You have some authority.”I lifted my head. “I’m luna.”She pointed at the man beside her. “Then tell this man that I want nothing to do with him and he should leave me alone.”“We’re mates!” He growled. “You’re not going to leave me.”“There is no mark,”
When I opened my eyes, I knew I wasn’t awake. Candido wasn’t there with me. I was seated across a long table that I had never seen before. The windows were all made of stained glass. Moonlight filtered through the colorful glass and sent the colors splashing everywhere. At the other end of the table was the vampire king. He was darker than I remember, but his hair glowed the way it had in that castle. The crown on his brow twinkled with light. To his left, like an odd reflection, was Marius. His blonde hair didn’t glow, and he didn’t wear a crown, but looking at the two of them it was so obvious that he was related to the thing. Their eyes glowed the same. I clenched my jaw and glared at them both. “Where am I?” I asked. “If you think you can change my mind about—”“The time to change your mind has long since passed, Hedy,” the vampire king said softly. His lips twitched into a small smile. “The time to make different decisions is long since over.”He took a deep breath and shook h
I shook my head. “You’re lying. You have to be lying. How would you know if the door was closed?”He laughed. “It was closed to her and all the other traitors. No child of Lunae who still walks in the Goddess’ grace would be turned away from returning home.”I swallowed and shook my head. “She never got Candido’s grandfather or father… I imagine she’s burning with jealousy that you’re so close to what she wanted,” he smiled. “Or maybe she’s proud that you share the same tastes.”“None of that matters,” I said. “I’m not a vampire. I never was. I’m a werewolf. I’m Candido’s mate. Tell me what you plan is. What are trying to do? If you’re trying to hurt Candido, I’ll never forgive you.”He laughed, throwing his head back. “Why would I give a fuck about your forgiveness, traitor?”“I— ““You’re even worse than Hedwig in some ways,” He laughed. “At least Hedwig mourned Candido’s father and grandfather. At least she was faithful in her pursuit. You jumped at the chance to get as close to f
I fell to the ground, choking. For a moment, I imagined Candido stroking my hair like we were in one of the parlors at the Estate before the war. I could almost hear him reading a book to me, some book that I was supposed to read for class but didn’t want to. I didn’t remember the words. I wasn’t even paying attention to his words or the book. I didn’t care. I just loved that he was spending time with me. It was all that I wanted. It was all that I had ever wanted. I closed my eyes and let myself sink into the memory. Slowly, the darkness faded. I felt his lips on my forehead then he was gone. It was so cold. I shivered in the wind that picked up over the mountaintop. I opened my eyes. Dawn was coming over the mountain. I shook and rolled over and tried to get up. I could see Candido there. His fur was still golden. He hadn’t turned back. He didn’t move. I crawled toward him. “Candido?” I whispered. “Candido? You can’t be gone… She promised me. I… You promised.”I got to him and we
“Fuck!”I rolled over and tried to see what was happening as I sucked in breath after breath. I choked, trying to catch my breath as I saw a glint of silver cut through the air. The man barely choked as his head tumbled through the air. His body went up in flames. Then, I saw Raven’s face. Her eyes were filled with blood-red light.She walked toward me. A flash of silver went by me and the gag loosened. I spat it out and my hands fell apart like the cuffs were broken. Her sword was aimed at me. Her expression was cold as she looked at me. Her hand trembled. Tears streamed down her face. Her jaw trembled. Then, she lowered her blade. I couldn’t believe it. I looked around, searching for someone else, but there was no one. It was just the two of us behind the barrier. Then, the wall of light shimmered and started to fade.I heard a stroke of thunder and turned as lightning fell from the sky and slammed into the side of the mountain. I smiled. Candido was using his power and winning. W
The fury simmered behind the tears in her eyes before she turned back to the group. They talked a little longer When they broke apart, none of them came my way. Most of them went with Wren, but the man with bandages headed toward a different truck. I eyed him suspiciously. What was he doing separate from the rest of them? Were the rest of them going to Candido and leaving him behind? Where were they going?I looked across the way as Harper and Wren and the others looked at me, glaring. Their eyes were filled with red light. They drove away, never taking their eyes off me. One of the women was crying. I looked over at the bandaged man as he hauled himself onto the back of the truck, still leaning to one side. Then, the truck I was in started to drive away. I turned back to see where were going and knew we were headed toward the mountain from my vision. My heart started to race. It seemed like we were heading to the end of the war now.“Black Team,” someone said. “En route to Gold Tea