All around us, Alphas and their Lunas raise their goblets, cheering. I stand stone-faced, staring out at all of them as the King holds me close to his side, an arm around my waist. No one mentions the rips and dirt stains at the hem and back of my dress, or comments on my shocked pallor.
They ascribe both, I assume, to the passion of the King – after all, we wolves are not prudes – and the shock of being chosen as his new Luna, the future Queen.
The King takes a swig of wine from the goblet in his hand, looking down at me.
“Drink, wife!” he demands with a laugh, his voice booming. I look up at him and do as I’m told, bringing my own goblet to my lips and taking a sip of the rich red liquid. The King takes a step away from me as I drink – just a step – distracted by one of his favorite courtiers. The wine is delicious, but I barely notice it as I look anxiously out into the crowd, hoping to spy my sister – even my mother –
But suddenly, I feel my face pale as a tall figure walks towards me.
Him.
He comes forward slowly, his eyes sliding over me with curiosity. Though he’s not nearly as well-muscled as his father, Prince Auden checks every box that a powerful Alpha of noble blood should. Auden is, in so many ways, the cultivated counterpoint to his father’s barbarity. Mahl is a rough and turbulent storm, bowling over anything in his path. But Auden is the lightning that chases through that storm: blazing, but precise.
You can see it in every deliberate step he takes toward me, his dark blue gaze sweeping over my form, reading on me the details of my life, my identity - as if my skin is a manuscript. As I watch him come closer, I am newly aware of the fact that Auden is just as commanding as his father – and as handsome, though the cruel lines of Mahl’s face are softened in his son’s, perhaps by the influence of his mother, Mahl’s first queen.
Or, perhaps it’s because Auden wills his face to appear that way, a cool mask beneath which he hides his fire.
I feel the breath leave my lungs completely as I watch Auden slowly walk towards me, my mouth falling open in despair as I meet Auden’s gaze and wait for him to ruin my life.
“Well then,” Auden says as he approaches me and offers his hand, his tone dry. “Should I call you mother? Or do you prefer Celestial Queen?”
I snap my mouth shut, staring at him. What!?
I continue to stand stock still, looking unblinking at Auden and coming up just…completely empty regarding an answer to that question. The seconds lengthen between us as I wait for him to give up the pretense – to grab and shake me, asking me what the hell I think I’m doing here, engaged to his father.
Auden waits quietly for me to take his hand, but I just stare at him, baffled. Slowly, intuiting that something is wrong, Auden lets his hand drift back to his side.
“Auden,” I hear myself say, taking a step closer to him and lowering my voice, even though the room is loud enough that it’s not likely anyone will hear. “Auden, we’ve met.”
He blinks at me, surprised. “What?” His brows knit together.
And then my mouth drops clear open again as I realize that…he doesn’t remember me. Not at all. That the spell worked far better than I ever anticipated it would. Not only does he not remember meeting me the evening of Angeline’s masquerade, he doesn’t remember me. At all.
And I burst out with a little hysterical laugh, not believing my luck.
Auden frowns as he watches the laughter continue to spill out of me, clearly displeased.
“No,” I beg, pressing a hand to my chest in an attempt to hold the laugher back. “Please – apologies, Prince,” I continue formally, shaking my head. “I’m sorry - we met…when we were children.” A lie. “It was just in passing. I shouldn’t have flattered myself to think that you’d remember.”
“No,” Auden replies, all formality again. “Forgive me. I never would have thought myself capable of forgetting such a beautiful Celestial as you.” It’s the perfect Prince’s response: self-deprecating, complimentary, and completely canned. I can see his mind working behind his words, trying to sort through the details of this – of me – as he speaks.
And I should worry about that, but honestly, in this moment? I just feel so relieved. So…free.
This has been the biggest thing weighing on my mind since I came to the ball this evening. But now that I know that he has absolutely no memory of me…
It’s perfect. Now I can enact the plan that’s been forming in my mind since the King took me by the arm and escorted me back towards the palace. And no one will have any reason to suspect that anything is wrong, not at all.
Auden shifts his weight onto his back foot and leans away from me to consider the situation more completely, his eyebrows drawn together in confusion as he studies me. He opens his mouth to ask something –
But before he can speak, my sister comes into view and I shift my eyes to her. Auden notes the changed direction of my gaze and turns to look as well, seeing Callista arriving with my beaming parents.
Callista looks at me with wide eyes and a shocked expression. I fasten my attention on her, nodding eagerly, hoping she understands that I want her to come forward – that I need her here, at my side, now. Thankfully, she presses through the swell of people who ring the dais, pulling my parents with her.
The King smiles graciously as my family arrives before us, stepping forward to greet them, and thankfully the Price moves towards them as well, to welcome them into the family, I suppose.
“De Silva!” the King booms, grasping my father’s hand. They know each other, of course – my father is the Alpha of one of the oldest and most powerful packs in the kingdom. “Where have you been keeping this girl for so long?”
My father shrugs, pretending a humility he doesn’t feel, and begins to chat with the King and the Prince, my mother smiling charmingly at his side.
With everyone else distracted, my sister scurries to me.
“Everleigh,” Callista hisses, taking my hand. “What the hell are you going to do –“
“Not here,” I whisper back, looking around anxiously. “Come on,” I murmur, squeezing her hand and bringing her over to the King, the Prince, and our parents. My mother gathers me to her, giving me kisses on both cheeks while my father observes us, proud.
Before anyone can take control of the conversation, though, I turn my attention to the King.
“Sire?” I ask, looking up at him with wide and innocent eyes. I feel my wits starting to come back to me now, especially since my worries about Auden recognizing me have been wiped away. “Do you think I might have a moment alone with my sister? I find myself…overwhelmed in this crowd. I…would like a private moment.”
I blush prettily then, a studied thing I learned in my years with Angeline. The King smiles down at me hungrily, a look my father pretends to ignore. The King likes me this way, I realize. His startled doe.
A role I can play, if I need to.
Slowly, Mahl nods, the light in his eye promising he will find me later.
He holds my gaze as he slowly bends down, taking my hand in his own and raising it to his lips. The King presses a kiss to my knuckles, letting it linger, a sensual promise for more kisses to come.
I can’t help the shudder that runs through me at the thought of this. The King smirks when he feels my shudder’s echo in my hand, but I can tell he thinks it’s the thrill of anticipation, not of revulsion.
_________________
Fifteen minutes later, Callista and I are in the Queen’s chambers, the door closed behind me and my back pressed against it as I exhale a huge breath.
Callista stands in the center of the vast room, her face stark. I glance around the familiar chamber as I catch my breath. I’ve been here before, of course, with Angeline. We spent hours out on that balcony, talking quietly as we looked up at the sky -
“Evie,” Callista wails softly, shaking her head and interrupting my thoughts. “If he finds out –“
“I know,” I breathe, leaning over to put my hands on my knees, closing my eyes and catching my breath.
“He’ll kill you Everleigh –“
“I know, Calli,” I growl, the words coming from between my clenched teeth.
“So?” she demands, and I open my eyes, realizing that she’s come close to me. “What are you going to do?”
“Run,” I say, meeting her gaze and holding it as steadily as I can. “Tonight, right now. I’m going to run.”
Auden frowns at the plate of dinner in front of him, not touching it. He glances at his father a few seats away, eating lustily and laughing with the pack of Alpha Lords who have come to celebrate the selection of his bride. Every few minutes the King glances at the doors to the great hall, waiting for her to come through.But Auden knows that something is off. As he sits watching his father watch the door, Auden taps the table with his forefinger, thinking it through. Something, in his gut, rings wrong about the situation.And it all starts with that girl.Everleigh. Celestial of the De Silva pack. Eldest daughter, but not Selene, a little piece of gossip he’d picked up in conversation this evening after she inexplicably left the ball with her sister, wanting “a moment” that has now stretched into an hour. According to gossip, Everleigh had given up her position as Selene of her pack in favor of her younger sister years ago. An almost unheard-of choice, for an elder sister to give up
It only takes five minutes for Auden to leave the palace and cross the grounds to the Beta barracks, where he throws open the door. Everyone inside immediately goes still, caught in the middle of a card game that absolutely should not be happening.Or at least, almost everyone goes still. One person lounges carelessly in her chair, draping an arm over the back.“Should I deal you in, Prince?” she drawls, her black eyes sparking as she brushes her silky curtain of black hair away from her face.Auden narrows his eyes at Margot, the most notorious woman at court and certainly not an enlisted member of his military. “No, Margot,” Auden replies evenly, hiding his surprise as he takes a few slow steps into the room. He slips his hands into his pockets. “Though I wonder if there’s any way I could convince you to close out.”Auden’s eyes flick to the two dozen still-frozen Betas who watch him warily, trying to figure out precisely how much trouble they’re in. “I’m sure that by now you’ve take
“I’m sorry, sir –“ the boy gasps, shrinking away. “We’re told to obey Celestial orders without question –“ his lip starts to tremble in fear and guilt.Auden just growls and drops the boy’s arm, reaching into his pocket to grab some coins, which he slips into the boy’s hand. “Tell no one that we’ve been here and no one that she left. Share those coins with the boys inside, pass the instructions on to them. If you all stay silent, there will be more.”“Yes sir!” the boy quips, his face bright now.“I’m serious, boy,” Auden continues, snapping his fingers in the boy’s face to make him focus. “There will be consequences for all of you if you disobey. As far as anyone knows, you all fell asleep. You know nothing of anyone leaving the stables tonight. Even if they flog you for it. Yes?”The boy hesitates and then nods.Auden nods back to the boy, dismissing him as his Betas come forward leading their mounts. When they’ve led the horses outside and climbed into their saddles, Auden signals f
Shit.It’s the only word I can think as I see him standing there, his eyes taking in the picture we make: me, my children, our ridiculous pet dragon, clearly ready to run. And I watch as he focuses solely on them, shock the only thing on his face as he puts together my story, the reason I ran.I’m completely frozen as I watch the man I never, ever intended for my children to meet looking right at them.I gasp, suddenly, my body forcing me to draw breath as I realize that in my panic I’ve completely stopped breathing. My mind begins to whir then, coming up with any excuse, any viable solution –The only thing I can think of is to scream at my children to run – or at least to lie -Unfortunately for me, Vivi acts first.“You stay away!” she yells, dropping Coco on the wooden floor of our porch with a thump as she points a small, angry finger at the Prince. “You get away from our house, stranger!” she shouts. Coco gives an indignant little cry but then he shakes himself and, predictably,
**Midwinter, Five and a Half Years Ago**“Wait wait wait,” Angeline bursts out, laughing so hard she can hardly say the words. “Wait! Evie!” She puts her hands out to grab my wrists, stopping me from again sweeping my hands over my hair, which is currently a bright purple.I’m also laughing so hard that my stomach hurts as I stare at our reflections, baffled and thrilled at how well the little illusion spell is working on us.“No!” I shout, trying to raise my hands again, “I want to turn it green!”“No, the purple is amazing!” Angeline protests, grinning at me in the wide mirror in her bathing chamber. “It goes with your dress! And you have to fix mine – seriously, you have to fix mine!”And then we’re both laughing hysterically again because I really do have to do something about her hair – the last time I touched it and muttered the words to the incantation, I made it look like the ends of her hair had caught on fire and shriveled up into sad, crispy little curls. It’s amazing, real
**Midwinter, Five and a Half Years Ago**“My queen,” Auden says, bowing low to the girl he barely knows standing before him on the dais. He lets out a long breath as he holds the bow, staring at the floor, willing himself to hold himself together and be civil to this woman who took his mother’s place. It wasn’t her fault, after all.When Auden straightens, he sees a warm smile on Angeline’s face, her hands outstretched towards him.“Hey, Auden,” she says, her voice soft. “Welcome home.”And something shifts in the prince as he looks at the girl standing before him, her face open to him and full of empathy. He had thought that he’d have nothing but bitter resentment for Angeline for the rest of his life - had been fully prepared for that, even.But as she stands there in front of him, her arms outstretched, a hesitant smile starting on her face, Auden’s mouth curls upwards at one corner. Damn it, but he can’t help but like her. Just a little bit.Auden takes a few steps forward, raisin
I lean against the threshold of my front door as I watch Auden kneel in front of Vivi, who glares at him, and Niall, who looks at this gigantic Alpha with wide and worried eyes. Niall tucks himself behind Vivi a little, hiding behind her courage. “Are you really a prince,” Vivi asks, narrowing her eyes at Auden and looking him up and down, her little blue dragon sleeping across her shoulder. “Don’t I look like a prince?” Auden asks, cocking his head to look at his daughter curiously. “No,” she replies instantly, making him laugh. “What about me doesn’t seem prince-like?” he asks, and I come into the room, shutting the door behind me. My gaze flashes to Anna in the kitchen while Vivi considers Auden for a moment longer, and I quickly shake my head at Anna, asking her not to say a word. Anna nods a quick assent. “You are too tall,” Vivi decides. “And dirty. And you have no crown.” Auden laughs again, a warm sound that surprises me
My stomach twists with anxiety as our three horses approach the palace. The sun is almost fully risen, which means that soon the palace will wake up - that Mahl will wake up and have the chance to notice that I’m gone. “Can we go any faster?” I murmur, glancing over my shoulder for probably the hundredth time even though I’m fully aware that there’s no one behind me except Auden’s guard, Richard. Richard doesn’t take his eyes off the road ahead of us, but I know he’s watching my every move – that he’s been ordered to, just in case I’m stupid enough to try and run again. “If we go any faster,” Auden replies tightly under his breath, “we’ll draw attention to ourselves.” I know he’s right – and I know he’s frustrated because he’s already explained that to me twice before. Our goal right now is to look like an everyday Alpha and Luna heading to the palace with their guard for the continued festivities. They’ve dressed me for the part, too, in an elegant
God, but the Night of the Stag is…disgusting. Auden’s mother had always hated it – had forbidden it, actually, after she participated in it once first-hand.But Mahl had only banished it for her sake. It had only come back into style and favor with Angeline, and then Beth.This is the first time, though, that Auden has been at court to participate. He watches as several of the Alphas smile gleefully, clearly looking around at all the women before them with avarice in their eyes.Yes, as usual, his mother had been right. It’s all just…wildly disgusting.This entire practice should be banished – a King doesn’t need a celebration of his virility before he dedicates himself to one woman for the rest of his life. Especially when it’s his fourth wife, and he already has four children, and he has absolutely no intention of staying faithful to his Queen once they’ve wed.A gong sound
Margot turns back to the mirror, just staring at her reflection – my reflection twice, really. She shakes her head, raising a hand to her cheek and softly touching it like she’s not sure it’s real. “This shouldn’t be possible.”I hesitate. “Why not?”“The magic,” she murmurs, leaning over the sink to inspect her face, turning it this way and that to observe the incredible effects of the spell. “It’s not that powerful. It’s just a little cantrip – a joke spell…”I bite my lip, not knowing what to say. Because, I mean, I have no explanation for why this works. It just…does.Slowly she turns back to me, her eyes flashing over my face and then down my body. “What are you, Everleigh?”I swallow hard, tilting my chin to the side, not having…any answer for tha
“Everleigh!” Margot gasps, spinning toward me as I open the glass door to my roof garden and slip in. “You scared me – you said you’d be here –““I know, I’m sorry,” I say, stumbling over to her as Coco swoops into the room after me. Margot gasps, covering her head, but I just flap a hand in the air and point to my bed, instructing Coco to go settle down. He does as he’s told, flopping down onto my pillow and looking between Margot and I with a great deal of interest.Margot straightens and frowns at him. “Is that dragon…wearing diamonds?”“Yeah, it’s Vivi’s thing,” I say, grabbing Margot’s wrist and starting to tug her toward the bathroom. “She loves diamonds almost as much as you do.”“Will it bite?” Margot asks, looking over at Coco. “If I try to…borrow that fairly fantastic bracelet?&rdqu
“Come onnn,” Niall groans, looking very anxiously toward the suite’s door. “We have to gooo!”“You just want to see Aurora,” Vivi teases, wiggling in her father’s arms. Auden smiles as he puts her down and she runs to her brother. I press my lips together to keep from squealing at how cute my baby is with his adorable little boy crush.“Yes, I want to see Aurora!” Niall snaps, frowning at his sister. “Who is much nicer than you!”“Aurora cries all day –““She doesn’t!”“All right!” Auden cuts in, his voice loud and serious enough that both kids let their argument drop and turn to him. Auden lifts his chin toward the door. “Go and check your bags, make sure that you have your toothbrushes.”Vivi and Niall dart off to do as they’re bid and I turn to Auden, knowing that he sent them away to
“Everleigh,” she says, starting to shake her head. “Mahl is the one who made magic illegal –““You use magic on him every other night!”“And I am a professional,” she says, laying a demure hand on her breast and grinning at me. “You are a rank amateur!”“Oh, come on, Margot!” I beg, dashing for her and dropping to my knees in front of her stool. She blinks at me, surprised. “It will be easy! I did it before with Angeline and it worked so well! He’ll never notice!”She turns her head to the side a bit. “He’ll never notice…what?”I smile prettily at her again, hoping that my excited expression hides all of the anxiety boiling in me now, the desperate howl of my wolf as she panics, wanting any way to get out of this horrible situation –“He’ll never notice,” I whisper, still smiling desperately at my friend. “When you take my place tomorrow. As the Golden Doe Goddess.”Margot’s mouth drops cle
Mahl sighs and takes a step away from me, looking toward the window. “If you’re denying me today, I will expect the performance of a lifetime tomorrow, wife,” he snaps. “No half-hearted mewling and laying still on the mattress if you’re going to make me wait like this.”I slip off the table, not knowing what to say. I step forward and take Mahl’s hand, silently begging him to turn to me. He does and I look up at him with wide, worried eyes.Mahl softens, thank god, and steps toward me, giving me another of those long, lingering kisses. Then he smacks me hard on the ass, eliciting a little yelp, and gives me a gentle push toward the door. “Off with you, wife. Prepare yourself for tomorrow – I will send the Priestesses to anoint you with oil. And I will look forward to tomorrow evening.”“As will I,” I whisper, trembling a little with relief and letting him think it
“I’m sorry, little bride,” Mahl murmurs, all grumbly and low and heated. “That I have not had the time for you that I would have wished. This war is…consuming.”“That’s all right,” I say, my voice a little tense as Mahl’s fingers tighten possessively on my flesh. “I…understand. War is…hard?”Pathetic. Pathetic and panicked, that’s all I am.Mahl smirks at me and turns me toward the table, walking forward a step until my rump hits the edge. To my surprise he then lifts me so that I’m seated neatly on the table, my legs spread wide to accommodate the breadth of him between my knees.“My sweet little Queen,” Mahl murmurs, shaking my head like I’m adorable as he leans closer to me - so close I can feel his breath on my face. “Don’t you worry about this war – let daddy handle it –“My eyes do flare a
I push gently at the door to Mahl’s chambers when I hear his deep voice call for me to enter. Immediately my stomach tightens at the sight of him raising his eyes to me over the table spread with papers, maps, and little carvings that must represent his troops.A deep growl rumbles in his chest as his eyes rake over me. I exhale slowly as I step into the room, looking around at the five or so men who have gathered with him. My eyes flash wide and I go completely still when my gaze lands last on a very familiar face.Alpha Wood’s brows draw together. He glares at me from beneath them, a great deal of hate and ire gathering there.Yup. He has…not forgiven me for the disgrace I brought him in flatly refusing to marry him five years ago.“Leave us, men,” Mahl murmurs, low and rough. I snap my gaze back to him, gulping a little, wondering if he saw the look between Wood and I –But the serious way that he stares at me lets me know that
And it’s not nearly as intense as that – Everleigh’s scent is nowhere near as good as Evie’s had been - but certainly this draw to a woman is the strongest he’s experienced since he lost his mate and failed to find her after she vanished.But a series of anonymous women in his bed had helped him still the grief of Evie’s disappearance, though he’d certainly had to fuck his way through half the women in the army camp to free himself of her grip.Maybe…maybe another lover will do the same thing here.“Auden.”He turns at the door, meeting Everleigh’s eyes, gripping the handle hard to pin himself there, to keep from striding back to the bed and grabbing her to him, ripping that ridiculous robe right off her body.“I’m sorry,” she says quietly.He opens his mouth to protest, to say it’s not her fault – because he honestly believes her when she says she didn’t know.“Will you just let me be sorry?” she says, interrupting, her blue eyes hug