Asher“Bowling alley?” I grimaced as my brothers pulled outside our usual place. We had VIP access here so we didn’t need to wait in line.“Let’s get some heat off you,” Logan smirked, striding inside.“Yeah you seem to be burning,” Noah chuckled, nudging me with his elbow. I scowled, but regardless, followed my brothers.“Mr. Gray, welcome,” the young woman at the reception smiled. She fluttered her lashes, giving all three of us doe-eyed looks and making me roll my eyes inwardly. All three of us were committed…well, kind of. Immediately, the memories of those uncanny blue eyes erupted through my mind, and I scowled harder. I wished she would fail to complete the task so I could punish her more.“Are you sure?” Mac prompted. “Not even a teeny bit worried?” “No,” I snapped, trailing behind Logan and Noah as a young guy ushered us to the private alley.“Enjoy your time,” the guy smiled, even though I could sense he was
AsherWhat did she just say?“What?” I questioned. Ivy took another step towards me, but it wasn’t like last night. She maintained a distance even if she was standing close.“I will marry you, Alpha,” she replied. “I agree to your proposal.”“And why this change of heart? May I know?” I narrowed my eyes at her.“Because I wanted to…to make up for last night. That was wrong and I am sorry. I…I can’t explain what happened because, frankly, I don’t know, but I did realize that I have insulted you and what happened shouldn’t have. Apart from that, your brothers have given me shelter and care when I needed it the most. Showed me immense respect and kindness. Take this as a
AsherAfter the second condition, I should have seen this one coming. Yet the shock I felt kind of surprised me too. Mac let out a growl, more pissed than shocked, and I understood his point because marking Ivy was his right as her Alpha, and denying him that would be…cruel. The mate mark is the source of communication between the wolves of both mates. And if Ivy doesn’t let me mark her, then Mac won’t ever have any form of communication to her wolf. The mate mark was also a symbol of an Alpha’s protection and possession, letting other male wolves know this one was taken.“You aren’t saying anything?” Ivy mumbled when I continued to stare at
IvyMy body relaxed the moment his lips touched mine. The warmth of his body made me want to crawl into them and never come out. Because in that moment, none of the darkness that had me fighting for air, none of the pain that made me want to scream. It felt so safe that it was almost daunting. I barely even knew this man.Then how could he feel so much like home?“Get some sleep, Ivyanka,” Asher murmured, taking a step back. “I will pick you up before breakfast tomorrow. Trust me, you will need your strength so sleep well,” All I could do was nod, and before I could do something stupid again, I turned on my heels and almost ran towards the Delta House.I rushed towards my shared room with Naya, and somehow it didn’t occur to me to knock. The door was unlocked too and the moment I rushed in, my eyes fell on the tangled bodies on the bed. Startled, I almost let out a scream before quickly turning away.Fuck.“Sorry,
Ivy“Don’t be nervous,” “Are you talking to me or yourself?” “Both, if I am being honest,” Asher shrugged. “Never imagined ever needing to announce my marriage.” He made a dirty face as if marriage was some disgusting word. “So…you never wanted to get married?” I asked, out of sheer curiosity. “No,” “Why?” “Not my thing. Come on, let’s deal with the drama first,” He held out his hand for me and I gave him a look. “No physical touch.” “I had no idea I affected you that bad, Ivyanka,” Asher said drily, retrieving his hand and shoving it in his pockets. “At least try to act as if this was a mutual decision and not some kind of scheming. That we are actually willing to try.” “And how do I do that?” “Wipe that scowl,” His comment made me scowl harder and he grinned, shaking his head. Turning a bit, he leaned down so our faces were merely a breath away and brushed a loose tendril from my face. I blinked, my h
“This should be fun,” Silver snickered.“Come on Ash, what’s a kiss for you?” Logan probed. “Are you being coy, baby brother?” Asher shot him a murderous look but then turned to me, looking helpless.“Just one kiss, Ivy…we won’t ask for more,” Cora nudged me. I don’t even know at what point they all caved in on us. I gazed up at Asher and he gave me a very subtle shrug. We were efficiently trapped.“O…okay,” I mumbled, trying to sound enthusiastic and failing.Kiss, just a kiss…nothing more. It’s just a role we are playing..nothing more…nothing more…“Fool,” Silver grimaced and then, mimicking my tone, added, “It’s just a role we are playing..nothing more…nothing more…IDIOT!” I would have strangled Silver if I knew how to for being such a pain in the ass. Finally, Asher turned to me and managed a tight smile. Something told me he was equally nervous even if he seemed perfectly calm and his usual I-don’t-give-a-shit-about-anything self.“You guys want to see me kiss so badly, pervs,”
What the fuck?It wasn’t as clear as Silver’s voice in my head. But I heard it, somewhere deep in my consciousness, muffled yet clear enough for every hair in my body to stand to attention with the dread I felt. It wasn’t a voice that could be mistaken.“Ivy?” Ash probed.“Don’t say I didn’t warn you, little wolf…”Was I hallucinating?“What is that?” Silver hissed.“Ivy…” Asher’s dark eyes studied my face intently. “What’s going on? Fuck, you are so cold. What is wrong?” I was practically shaking, my mouth going dry.“Alpha,” we both turned around and Elder Silas stood behind us, his face blank but eyes fixated on me. “Everyone’s waiting,”“Yeah, be right there,” Asher nodded. Silas gave him a nod, shot me another look before heading over to where everyone stood by the raised platform at the front.“Ivy, what is it? Is this something really urgent? Can we do it later?”“I am…scared,” I whispered, my voice shaking. Asher blinked, looking surprised, and then pulled me closer. The dread
Ivy“Why does she need to move to my room?” Asher demanded, looking appalled at the idea. I was sure my expression exactly mirrored his.“What is that supposed to mean?” Cora narrowed her eyes at him. “You two are getting married soon. Where else would she stay? This is the time for you to get used to each other, know each other better. Unless it is not what it is…” She threw Asher a knowing look, as if she knew we were up to something.“I believe Ivy would prefer her privacy, won’t you, sweetheart?” He nudged me lightly, and I nodded like a robot.“Yeah…yeah…I mean, you guys know us. It would be a mess if we had to live together,” I mumbled, realizing what a lame excuse that was.“Isn’t that exactly why you two should? So you two can warm up to each other?” Logan raised a brow, appearing from nowhere. He narrowed his eyes at his brother, who shot him a scowl.“Yeah but…”“I think you two need to do a lot of work before getting married. This should be a good way to go,” Logan said. “Pl
IvyI stepped closer, my dagger glinting in the dim light. “What were you doing here? What was the ritual for?”Thalora’s lips curled into a smile as if she were savoring some private joke. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”Sabrina’s magic flared, and the chains constricted sharply. Thalora hissed in pain but laughed again.“You’re standing in the middle of it and you don’t know? Typical. Always so blind to the bigger picture. Fine, fine. You disrupted it anyway, but you might as well know what you’ve doomed yourselves to.” Her gaze flicked to me, dark amusement dancing in her eyes.
IvyThe tunnel opened into a dimly lit corridor, damp and suffocating. The walls were carved from rough stone, and the air carried a mix of mildew and iron—the unmistakable scent of blood. My boots scraped softly against the uneven floor as Sabrina and I moved forward, her magic casting a faint glow that barely pierced the oppressive darkness. I knew this place. This was the Crescent Moon dungeon.“Stay alert,” Sabrina whispered, her sharp eyes scanning ahead.A faint noise—shuffling footsteps and low murmurs—pricked my ears. We slowed, pressing against the cold stone walls.“They&rsqu
IvyI armed myself with whatever possible weapon I could—wolfsbane in small vials, a wolfsbane laced dagger and even small blades laced with wolfsbane. My heart was pounding in my chest as I took deep breaths, pulled on my gloves and headed downstairs. The weather outside was turning darker by the second and Sabrina predicted a blizzard to hit soon.The last update Asher gave me through the mindlink was that the armies have gathered and the glimpse he tried to give me of Killian’s army…things were really not looking good for GrayCrest. We literally had half of what he had apart from the vampires and the hybrids. The only hope now was tha
Christmas morning was filled with the comforting smell of roasted meats, warm bread, and the spice of mulled cider as pack members gathered around the tables for a feast. No one talked about the war, even if between us, we knew that Silas was dead and Noah had actually sent his dead body over to the Crescent Moon—a Christmas gift Killian would remember. Sabrina told me that she has managed to create the antidote and tomorrow she and Avery will start injecting the warriors and everyone else with it before leaving for the battlefield.Cora, Rose, and I had gathered gifts over the past weeks, and together, we made our way through the pack, handing small wrapped bundles to every member. The omega children squealed with delight as they tore into theirs. Stacks of gifts piled up for Aurie and Theo, each pack member contributing something to bring joy to the children. I glanced at Shae and Lia as they added their own contributions to the ever-growing pile. Everyone’s gestures, big or small,
Ivy“How could they even decide that without asking us what the truth was?” Cora growled as Asher’s eyes scanned the letter, turning dark with rage every passing second.“Natalie must have been very convincing,” I grimaced. “Does Logan and Noah know?”“Yes, I told them,” she nodded.“Are they still working on Silas?” I asked. “It’s been long enough.”“None of what Silas told them is of any use to use. And apparently, even he doesn’t know Killian’s war strategy. Logan has tried enough…you wouldn’t want to see what he has done with him. I have never seen Logan this angry in all my life and I have seen a lot…” I pursed my lips. If it scared Cora watching what Logan had done to Silas, then I definitely didn’t want to know.“Well, if we get through this the Council is fucked,” Asher hissed, crumbling the paper in his hands.“Now what?” Cora asked.“Now we fight with all we have got,” he said. “This isn’t going
Out of all the places, I didn’t expect Asher to take me to a tattoo parlor. Did he want to get a tattoo now?“I don’t think this is an appropriate time to get a tattoo…” I muttered as he headed inside.“I’m not here to get a tattoo, but this is where I have got all my tattoos done, in case you were curious. And when all of this shit is over, I have a matching tattoo planned for us as well,” Asher said. “Now…this is why I am here,” I frowned as he pointed to a woman in black standing by one of the booths. She had pink hair tied in a ponytail and looked pissed as fuck as she watched an artist work on a guy.“Ruby,” Asher called. The woman turned around and I blinked. She was typically not the kind of female I could imagine Asher being friends with.“Hello Alpha,” her scowl instantly turned to a grin as she walked over and gave Asher a hug before turning her eyes covered in kohl and liner to me. “Wait…don’t tell me…it’s her, isn’t it? The Silver wolf?” I frowned.How did she know that?“
Ivy Reed, dad and I were gathered in the common study to discuss war strategy. We had spread out maps and charts and all that stuff and now my father was deep in talks with Reed as he explained the old strategies of the army to him. My father looked much recovered now, very much like the alpha he was. If there will ever be a second in my life where I won’t be grateful for Eli’s sacrifice, then I hope the Moon Goddess kills me right there.“Hmm. I believe Killian’s forces will be advancing from this side…” Dad muttered, deep in thought.“Yes,” Reed agreed, his expression serious as he analyzed the map. “And we’ll be positioned here.” He tapped a cluster of trees on our side of the field. “It’ll be steep and treacherous, but we can use that to our advantage. If Killian’s vampires try to attack from higher ground, the slopes and snow will slow them down.”“They’ll likely position their main forces here—vampires an
IvyHybrids? Did he just say hybrids? We all fell into stunned silence as Silas broke out into his maniacal laughter. Out of everything, we never expected this to happen.“Hybrids?” Joseph exclaimed. “What?” Silas nodded his head.“Yes, hybrids,” he grinned. “Killian has an army of hybrids, and he’s going to destroy you all with them. Hybrids are ten times stronger and faster and more lethal…”“But how the fuck did he even create an army of hybrids?” Asher asked. “It’s not possible…”“It is possible and Killian has done it,” Silas hissed. “That’s why he had taken the young wolves. They were at a vulnerable place and terrified by the pain of the first shift…and you know how it is? The breaking bones, the boiling blood scorching their veins…it’s hell.”“And how does this have anything to do with hybrids?” Logan demanded.“That’s a mystery you can solve by yourselves,” Silas spat. “I have told you enough…”“It w
Asher“Let the truth potion work,” Noah muttered.“Sabrina asked to wait three to five minutes and then it should be good to go,” Ivy said. Silas threw her a glare and ended up getting another punch from me.“Don’t you dare…” I hissed. “Now, enough with your shit…it’s time you spill. Tell us, why did you come here? What was the plan, and exactly what happened after the Cold War? Tell us everything…”“Come on…get talking,” Logan slapped his cheeks.“Patience, Logan,” Noah said.“The fact that he isn’t dead yet is enough sign of my patience,” he responded.“Tell us…what happened after the Cold War,” I repeated. Silas looked up, his eyes turning red, the gash on his cheek from Logan’s punch turning purple already.“When we saw that we were losing the war…Alpha Roman asked me to take Luna Charlotte and run,” Silas croaked. “She was pregnant and just a few days away from delivering the baby. I followed his order and did as he asked.”“We know all that…tell us what happened after Charlotte g