LOGINThank you all for hanging in there. I hope you are enjoying the new chapters! I wanted to show you all a bit more of their world as we reach the end of the first half of the book. Adventure and danger await them at the convention. In the next chapter, find out what happens to Alexis after she is dismissed by Sly. Do you think she's up to anything good?
[Hazel] The first missile barely missed us. The second one exploded near the front windshield blinding us all with a flash of light. Closing my eyes, I can still see the flying bits of shrapnel like flames shooting across my vision. My heart is hammering so hard it could burst through my chest. I can’t breathe, I can’t think. All I can do is hold only my mate’s hand, squeezing as the helicopter rattles from the force of the blast wave. Only moments ago we were celebrating the most important moment of our lives together. And now, it might be over in a blink. But who is attacking us? “Orders, Alpha,” the pilot turns his head slightly, addressing his question to my husband. He has only been an alpha for just over an hour, but he takes to this new power naturally–as if he were born to it. An aura of authority pours from his core, sending a wave of peace throughout the helicopter despite the chaos swirling around us. Lifting his head, in a clear, calm voice he asks. “Did the blast co
“Wait!” Hawthorne shouts, jumping in front of me with his arms wide, blocking my view of the portals. “Apple, wait! It’s not what you think!”I barely have a chance to register his words before my wolf takes over, guiding my body away in time before launching a ball of fire straight into Hawthorne’s chest. Astrea takes over and with a flutter of my fingertips forces me to reabsorb sparkling energy, setting my nerves on fire with the burn of it. My face flushed, I glare painfully up at my out of breath beta. “What on earth are you doing, Thorne! I nearly blasted you!” If he hadn’t spoken first, he’d be the one looking up at me from the ground, twitching as my power destroyed his nervous system. If my wolf hadn’t been quick enough, he’d be barely more than ash beneath my feet. And he knows it.. Swallowing hard, Hawthorne’s chest is heaving as he looks down at me, his eyes wide. “Couldn’t you sense who it was, Apple? Not many witches can open a portal inside the center of a packhouse,
[Apple] It all looks so beautiful. Like flame-kissed fireworks exploding in every direction, if I didn’t know each explosion promised death, I might have mistaken it as a celebration of our marriage.Except that we are at war with the humans, more specifically the Brotherhood of the Sun, who is currently in control of the human government. The current president is little more than a figurehead and scapegoat for the evils they are creating in the name of “protecting humanity from the monsters.” But who are the monsters now? We are not bombing their cities or killing their frail population with mind-twisting drugs. They are. But I’ve been among them, I know how deep their fears are, and how those fears make them feel justified in their actions. They are under the mistaken impression that this planet belongs to them alone, that it should be for humans only, that we are the abominations. But the children of the sun and the children of the moon have always shared this space. Some even be
[Apple]There isn’t a moment to rest.As soon as the ceremony is over and we’ve had a celebratory toast to seal our three unions, we all rush to our chambers, shimmying out of our finery to don more practical clothing. The next all of us are together again, the three men are in full tactical gear, their military uniforms replacing their wedding suits, and the three brides now wearing various versions of similar attire. While I’m in my most comfortable jeans and t-shirt, Hazel and Amy are wearing suits of leather armor, their hair pulled back into more practical styles that can easily be fit under safety helmets and worked around bulletproof vests. They look like they’re going to war. And I guess, in some ways they are. Of the three couples, only Sylvester and I are staying behind. Walking up to Hazel, my stomach churns nervously. She was the first one to welcome me to Crescent City, and Rudy was my first protector. I feel like I’m losing two of my best friends as I watch them prepar
[Sylvester] In another time, in another life, this room would be full of wolves and witches, elders and elite from every clan watching in splendor the wedding of the Alpha King and his fated Queen. Apple deserves a grand, beautiful wedding. She isn’t just my mate and Luna, she is my rock, my anchor, the one who keeps me moored as the world swirls out of control around us. In a better world, she would have that moment to shine with honor as I let the world know that I would be nothing without her love and grace. If Apple had never answered that ad, never stumbled into my office by mistake, I wouldn’t be standing here now. The way she instantly seized my heart that day took me by surprise. The moment she walked into my world was a blessing I wasn’t prepared to recognize. She woke me from the dark, cold confines of my shattered heart. I didn't believe I could love again until somehow, accidentally, that's exactly what happened. I wish I could give her the type of ceremony that others
[Apple]Sylvester’s chuckle was the last thing I expected to hear through our bond. He seems genuinely amused.“Ah,” he finally linked to me, his words as clear as if he were in the room. “I guess he’s chosen.” I can sense him shaking his head, and the weight of his deep sigh. “He’s ours now, Apple. That is, if you choose to accept him.” In a flurry of emotions, images, and words, the truth is filtered into my mind, throwing me into a shock so sudden I take a step back. I had heard that Hawthorne was now a hybrid too, with a strong wolf to balance his exceptional magic, a beta no less. Not just any beta, MY beta. Reaching out through another cord of connection, I seek out Rudy, my current Beta, only to feel that his bond has changed somehow. We aren’t disconnected, but the cord is thinning, fraying. “Rudy?”“Luna Queen,” he’s sad, but also glowing with power and pride as he tells me that he cannot serve as my Beta anymore. “I’m an alpha now,” he replies. “I’m going to be taking over







