Ivy
I dashed towards the lake house as soon as Asher counted to three. He picked up real quick, and we were neck to neck, dashing through the forest and jumping over the dead tree trunks and big stone boulders. We reached the lake house together, both breathless and drenched in sweat.
“Good one,” Asher smirked, jogging towards the lake. The clear glistening water sparkling with the early morning sunshine was too appealing to ignore.
“You aren’t going to strip, are you?” I muttered.
“I don’t know how to take a bath while fully clothed, Ivyanka,” he gave me a roll of his eyes and then took off his track pants and boxers before divi
Asher“The marriage registrar is here,” I said.Ivy finished tying her shoes and then stood up, her face impassive as she gave me a nod. She wore a simple white full-sleeved top paired with a blue denim skirt and white shoes. Her cinnamon hair was tied in a high-ponytail with tendrils escaping as always. I must say, Lexi did a good job with her wardrobe. The skirt showed off her long, toned legs and I squirmed, remembering the memory of them wrapped around my waist.“I am ready,” she nodded.“Let’s go then,” I held out my hand and she wordlessly took it. I marveled at the feel of it and also at how pretty the engagement ring looked on her slender finger.Mine, a voice in my head whispered, sounding smug and proud.In the past few days, something between us has changed. I don’t know what, but I could feel it. Not only that, I have felt something change within me. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to explore it further, b
Ivy seemed wary as we followed after him and I kept myself absolutely focused, looking out for anything suspicious. There doesn’t seem to be any. The inside was intricately done and seemed old but charming. Orion led us through a corridor and then opened a door to the left. There was a disgusting, musty scent lingering in the air. It hurt my nose. “Please come in,” he said. We stalked inside and a woman was standing by the window. She too was similarly dressed in black with a sharp, fiercely beautiful face but pale as death, dark hair tied intricately with those creepy red eyes.“And this is my mate,” Orion said. “Venette.”“Pleasure to meet you,” the woman said. “The young alpha of GrayCrest. Please have a seat.” She pointed to the couch and gave me a smile. I kept my expression even, taking a seat with Ivy following suit.“Is that all? You and her?” she asked.“No, we have a family too. But they prefer to stay away from werewolf company,” Venette replied. “Couldn’t force them.”“Th
Ivy To say that my wedding dress fitting was exhausting would be the understatement of the century. Cora was relentless and after a point I forgot how many dresses I tried and which one I finalized. Thankfully, the designer personally came to the packhouse, saving us the ordeal of traveling to the City. I spent the day doing some physical training with Eli and then Luna training with Cora. After dinner, I told Asher I was tired and going to bed early and then pretended to have fallen asleep until he was fast asleep beside me too.And now I was scooting through the silence of the night as Killian’s Beta waited to pick me up. He called me before I had a chance to call him, saying he had the first task ready for me. I told him I would not do anything until after he let me meet with my father and answer the questions I had. He had just laughed and agreed to it.As always, my eyes were blindfolded but this time my senses were at alert. I was keeping count of every bump, every turn. To cour
Ivy“The what?” I frowned. “You need me to find what?”“The Book,” he said.“And what is that supposed to be?” Killian shifted in his seat, throwing one long leg over another.“The Book is well a book that contains the spells needed during the Reawakening Ceremony to awaken the pack souls. I need you to find that book before the Reawakening Ceremony and bring it to me.”“And why do you need a book of spells?” I frowned. “Clearly not for any good reason, but I would like to know what sin I am committing next.” Killian smirked, twirling the glass in his hand.“You have a way with words,” he said. “And if you think it’s a sin, why bother with the details? Our agreement was for you to do what I ask of you. There was no mention of asking questions. Yet, I am willing to answer your questions but only those I feel like answering.”“You are a sick bastard, did anyone tell you that?” I hissed.“I thought that’
IvyKillian’s last words were haunting me as I sneaked back home. Dawn was just starting to creep in and, thankfully, Asher was still fast asleep. I silently stood under the warm torrents to wash off any unwanted scent of me, a sense of terrible dread starting to gnaw at my chest.Congratulations on falling in love with Asher Gray.No. No, he was just playing with me. Just messing with my head. One of his dirty, sick ways. I didn’t love Asher. Yes, I have grown a bit fond of him lately, and have started to see him in a different light.But that doesn’t mean I loved him, does it?“The sound of the shower running woke me up,” I blinked in the semi-darkness while Asher stood by the bed, still half sleepy, his curly hair all messed up as he peered back at me. Something inside me shifted, and it startled me when a sob escaped my throat, and before I could stop myself, I was already rushing towards him, throwing my arms around his warm, naked body.“What’s wrong?” he asked softly, hugging me
Asher“What?” I braced myself, trying to keep my face even as my father thundered in the dining room, his eyes wide. He looked appalled and so did everyone else except for my brothers.“You heard me,” I said flatly. “Ivyanka will be taking part in the sparring contest. Graham added her name and, as a warrior, that makes her qualified to participate.” Ivy shifted beside me, looking highly uncomfortable.“She is not a warrior anymore, Asher. She is the Luna of GrayCrest,” mom said, throwing a look at my mate.“Yes she is. But she is still a warrior as per the oath and…she will continue to be regardless of
AsherFor the next few days, I threw myself into training Ivy. Nobody knew because we would always train very early in the morning. And then I spent the evenings training her at the gym. She worked hard too, because not only was her position at stake but my pride. She knew how my father wouldn’t pass up a moment to prove how I was still an idiot who wasn’t ready to make sensible decisions. Anxiety was getting the better of me the night before the contest, and it was an effort to close my eyes.What if she gets hurt? What if Graham or even my dad pulls some shit to make her lose?“Hey,” I sighed in her scent before turning around to find Ivy standing be
IvyMy heart was pounding in my chest as we stepped into the ring. On the opposite side, stood Graham’s wolf, a russet asshole with gray eyes. It was gigantic. Not as gigantic as Asher’s wolf, but still. He studied my wolf with a look in its eyes that I was sure Asher would kill him for—lust and bloodthirst.“It would be so much fun to kill him,” Silver hissed. I agreed wholeheartedly. Graham’s wolf took a step forward and then halted in the center. Silver followed, so we were merely a few feet away from each other, waiting for Eli’s announcement to begin. I noticed the russet wolf brace itself and gave us a snee
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