He headed towards the figure in the woods, and I headed toward the direction he’d gestured towards. The pleasure still hummed in my veins, but I did want more. More than that, the anticipation of how jealous Candido would be made me throb. I felt like I was getting wetter with every step.I walked for a few minutes before I found him. There was a great wall of darkness in front of him. He faced it, staring into it. At least, that’s what it looked like. I was close enough that I knew he could smell me, but he didn’t turn around. I approached him, about to call out to him when he spoke.“I am glad to hear it,” he said. “What about Wolf Fang and Mountain Cliff?”My eyes widened, and I held back from calling out to him, listening. He started to pace, but he didn’t seem to notice me, or maybe he didn’t care that I was there. And he shouldn’t. I was his mate. We were going to rule Full Moon together. I should know everything he does about the status of the werewolf world. I almost smiled, k
“Where is he going?”“To rally with the rest of the remaining werewolves to come up with a plan and try to make a final stand… at least that’s what he said he’s doing.”“I’ll go with him—” I broke off and looked at Cillian. “On…second thought, will you take me to Wolf Fang?”He cocked an eyebrow. “What do I get out of it?”My stomach jolted, and my heart raced. Was this the point that he’d ask me for sex? Would it be so bad? It felt so good the way he touched me, the feeling of his fingers inside me. Wouldn’t it be like that but more? Would we have sex before we left? Heat pooled in my gut at the thought. Candido had sex before we found each other. He wasn’t even talking to me right now. The jealousy he would have to feel knowing that I had slept with Cillian would definitely be enough to make him come around and break whatever enchantment Estella still had on him.“You… want me to sleep with you?”He laughed. My face heated. “I’m not inexperienced enough to not know how to seduce a w
“You think you can keep it from me,” I said, meeting his gaze. “You’re wrong. I’ll find it before you will.”Peter didn’t respond. His expression didn’t change, but his eyes glowed softly with red light. There was a twitch in his jaw that seemed like he wanted to say something, but he was holding it back.“I’ll take your silence,” I said and smirked. “Seems like you already know that you can’t win against me.”Peter blinked. Then, he closed his eyes, and a shield of light circled around him. I flinched at the show of power. It felt hot as if it would burn me if I got closer. I crossed my arms as we rode. Cillian didn’t look back. If he heard anything, or if he was paying attention, I didn’t know, but I looked up at him and wondered what it would take for him to tell me anything and everything he knew about the Heart of the Moon.“Cillian,” I said. “What do you—”“Quiet,” he said sharply, drawing a blade from his belt.My face flushed as we headed out of the forest and into the mountai
I lifted my head proudly. “I’m the future luna of Full Moon.”He cocked the gun at me. “You’re full of shit.”“I’m not! Candido and I are mates, and I’m here to—”“You’re barely old enough to have a moon mark,” he sneered. “Who the hell are you? I’m not asking again!”“It’s true,” I growled at him. “I’m Candido’s fiancé!”“She’s fucking crazy. Probably on that drug that turns werewolves nuts,” he said and cocked the gun. “Hold steady, we’ll put her out of her misery---”“Jake, just calm down,” a woman said. She stepped from behind him, also carrying a gun. She reminded me a bit of Estella in the way she wore her short hair and how tall she was. She put a hand on his arm and then looked at me. She didn’t seem to recognize me. “Look at her. She needs help.”“I know that. She’s fucking crazy.” He huffed. “With vampires everywhere and the alpha king MIA, we can’t afford to take chances. I say we should kill her here and now, and be done with it.”Another person cocked their gun. “I’m with
I walked with the rest of the people who had been forced outside toward the center of town. People were screaming, struggling against groups of vampires that were draining them. Then, I saw Steven on the ground as a man stomped on him.“Don’t hurt him!” I flinched at the sound of Bella’s voice. Then, I saw her. What was she doing here? Wasn’t she banished? Then, I realized that was probably where Steven and Lilian had gone: to retrieve her from wherever she’d been.She looked better than the last time I saw her. She was tied up too, but further away.“Don’t you touch my daughter,” Steven hissed.I clenched my jaw and felt my eyes pricking with tears. He would never say that about me. It was always Bella. The vampire kicked him in the face. Blood splattered. Bella wailed.“Daddy!”“I’m only going to ask one more time,” the guy standing over Steven hissed. “Where is the relic?”“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Steven cried out as the man shot him in the leg. He writhed around o
Soon, all I could hear was the sound of burning wood and the rumbles of engines. When I reached the center of the town, I noticed that people were running around with medical supplies that looked a lot like the stuff Estella had provided for Blue Moon.I clenched my jaw and stomped through the crowd. There were too many people around to try and dump it all out or even get near enough to figure out something I could do. It was fine. Instead, I went looking for Candido. He kneeled by someone before darting away and through the smoke.“With me to get the fires put out! We need a patrol and lookouts!”I wanted to go after him, but I was too dizzy from all the blood I’d lost.“Hey,” Mary said, leaning on her rifle. It made me think of Estella and only pissed me off more. “Let’s take a look at your shoulder, hm?”She turned back and called out for someone. Several people looked at me, but none of them came over. Harper walked right past me.The other truck rattled towards the center as Mary
I smiled, glad to hear his voice, but what he said next just made my hopes deflate.“Wolf Fang is your birthright. You should remain here to help rebuild it as a pack.”“I’m not staying here,” I said, closing the drawer. “My place is with you.”“Hedy—”“I want to be with you. I’m your mate. I’m your luna. We could be so happy together if you just let us be happy together. If you’d just stop pushing me away. Can’t you see that I’ve done all of this for you? I left Wolf Fang for good years ago. You promised me a place with you.”Candido took a deep breath as he stood and continued checking the floorboards. There weren’t any others that popped up. The drawers were empty. There weren’t any hollows in the wall.Cillian came in. “Any luck?”“None,” Candido said. “If you’re sure that Hedwig might have owned it, and it was inconspicuous enough, it’s likely with all of her things.”“And where are they?”“In Full Moon.” His lips twitched. “What’s left of it anyway.”“Don’t look so sad,” I said.
I tried to remain positive as we walked away from the house, but the closer we got to the square of the town, the more Candido’s words swirled in my mind. I couldn’tWolf Fang is your birthright. You should remain here…Estella could have kept up. You want to pretend to be my equal? You want to stand by my side, then do it.You get there on your own feet, or you turn around.His words hurt more than I could say. He was just being so unfair and blind to everything I had done for him.Everything I had done for him. I put myself in danger to support him on the battlefield. Just because I refused to take any training with Moon Shadow didn’t mean that my support meant any less than anyone else’s.I clenched my jaw and looked at him walking ahead of me. He didn’t understand, but he would. We were meant to be together. We’ve always been meant to be together. I’d make him take back everything once the rest of Blue Moon and Moon Shadow was dead. When my plan went through, there was no way he’
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