LOGINShare
FIFTY-SEVEN | BEWITCHED
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56Atticus
No matter how many times Atticus told himself that his move on the Sea Pine pack was tactical, and for the benefit of Blood Moon, there was a kernel of truth nestled somewhere deep within him that would not remain quiet.That kernel was the reason he had distanced himself from his parents, Ralphin, and Trove. He felt their judgement in waves whenever he was near to him, and Atticus could have sworn that their eyes followed him around their encampment whenever they stopped to rest.
They needed food. They needed a show of strength. But, above all, Atticus needed Lily.
He spent his nights curled up atop his bedroll, hardly noticing the way he shivered as his thoughts swirled within his skull. He imagined what his life would have been like had he not rejected her, and the pain of that imagined reality only served to send him spiralling further.
&n
Related chapters
The Broken Alpha FIFTY-EIGHT | WARRIOR WOLVES
ElijahElijah closed his fist around Lily’s garnet ring. It gave him strength; his own had depleted, seeping away with every passing hour that she was gone. He had not eaten or slept since Ieun had entered the room, his fate, his downfall, held like a bomb in the palm of his hand.With one day until the full moon, Elijah had a plan.“There have been no further reports of Red Ripper near our borders or territory,” said Caslein, sliding one of his rings up and down his finger. “As impossible as it sounds, they seem to have just disappeared.”“Taking Lily with them,” said Elijah, staring desolately out of the window.“You need to snap out if it.” Ithia took his hand, closing her fingers around his white-knuckled fist. “Self-loathing and regret won’t bring her back.”
The Broken Alpha FIFTY-NINE | SCOUT
Atticus“Two?”“Two of our wolves?”The chorus rose quickly, spreading through his pack like wildfire. Everywhere Atticus looked people were turning to their friends and family, their neighbours, ensuring that everyone they’d seen moments before was still beside them.But it was Alvaro’s words that cut through the crowd noise. “Calling off the attack?” he asked, stepping to the front of the amassed wolves. “After all we have been through the get to this point?”How dare his father make him look a fool in front of his pack?Atticus held up a single hand. In an instant, silence swelled.“Alpha? Which two?” asked Siras.Everyone nodded; some whispered, “Who’s missing?” to
The Broken Alpha SIXTY | BROKEN AND BETRAYED
LilyWithout her mother’s garnet ring adorning her finger, Lily’s hands felt oddly empty. The urge to twist the ring surged through her, and she found herself picking at her cuticles as she stared unblinkingly at her father.“I–“ she began, only to cut herself off. Lily shook her head.“No, Lily.” Her father took an uncertain step towards her.She closed the last of the distance between them and pulled him into a hug. “Dad,” she murmured, pressing her face into his neck. “I’m so sorry.”“I’m sorry, too.” He patted her back awkwardly. “I failed you.”“I failed you,” she said, words morphing and twisting around a sob. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. “I had to leave, but I should never have left wi
The Broken Alpha SIXTY-ONE | DAMSEL
Lily Lily was jerked awake by the groan of the cell door opening. Still exhausted, she moved on fear alone as she pulled herself upright and combed her fingers through her knotted hair. Morvand stood in the doorway, glistening in the ethereal purple light of the veil that hung there. His long, bony nose looked particularly crow-like with the way the unusual light hit it. Lily recoiled at the sight of him. For his part, Efaffion – who had taken the form of her father again before falling asleep – just grumbled something unintelligible and shifted in his sleep. Lily envied his poise, his utter disregard for the Red Ripper pack. Now she knew him better, she supposed she understood. He had got himself into this situation, after all. He had trailed them, had picked out their weaknesses. To her, they were still very much unknown. “Get up, Princess,” growled Morvand, his eyes sparkling as though h
The Broken Alpha SIXTY-TWO | VOICES
ElijahHalfway through the shifting purple light, a hand gripped Elijah’s bicep.“Alpha,” hissed Conall. “Stop. Listen.”Elijah turned, his frustration evident in his sharp gaze, but then he heard it, too: harsh voices, forced low, winding through the trees. Reluctantly, Elijah pulled free of the magic and stepped back, eyeing it warily.His wolves kept quiet. Even their hushed breaths sounded too loud as they strained to hear. It was two men – Elijah was sure of it. Their voices growled and grumbled through the pine trees, ricocheting back and forth but never quite loud enough to hear.And then a shout broke through the silence, sending slumbering birds soaring into the night sky.“You continue to lack faith in me!”Devyn took a step back. A twig snapped underfoot. Her eyes widened, so large and so white that they shone through the darkness. Her youth an ine
The Broken Alpha SIXTY-THREE | AN UNEASY ALLIANCE
AtticusAtticus was angry at three things.The first was his father, for obvious reasons. He was a big-headed know it all, trumpeting his opinions loudly throughout the forest even though his love life and his decisions were, quite frankly, none of his business. Alvaro practically bristled with contained rage, though his eyes were endlessly sad as he stared at his son. That only made Atticus more angry.The second, though he would not admit it to anyone but himself – and even that was a struggle – was, in fact, himself. He was so close to Lily – so close he could almost feel her, could imagine the press of her soft skin against his, could feel the heat radiating from her body into his, could imagine how small she’d feel in his strong arms – and he was wasting time in allowing this ridiculous argument to continue. It was his fault he had lost her in the first place. He would not make the same mis
The Broken Alpha SIXTY-FOUR | ARMOUR
LilyLily stared at the cell wall without truly seeing it. Her long, wavy hair was matted and sweaty, and it itched all of the time. She no longer had the energy to lift her hand to scratch it.She didn’t know how long she’d been stuck there. For the first few days she had scratched a tally into the wall, but as the little lines had grown in number they’d served to make her more melancholy rather than being a reminder of hope.She also didn’t know where Efaffion had been taken. Apollo had come for him in the middle of the night – not that either of them had been sleeping – and had been all broad smiles and waggling eyebrows as he’d promised to take him somewhere deserving of a man with, “Such good ideas.”It was a lie. Lily knew that, and yet she couldn’t find any sympathy buried anywhere within her for the eleve. Their tenuous friendship, if it could even be describe
The Broken Alpha SIXTY-FIVE | VEILED INTENT
AtticusThe two Alphas strode ahead, brambles and branches catching their sides, their clothing, their hair, as they walked, heads held high, towards the veil. Even though Elijah knew the way, Atticus kept pace with him. Unwillingly to look weak, even in this most fragile of ways, he kept his gaze darting from Elijah’s feet to his legs and to his eyes, catching the most subtle of suggestions about which step he would next take so that Atticus could not only copy it, but pre-empt it.Atticus swore under his breath as yet another thorn twisted into his honeyed hair. Forced to pause, he dug thick fingers into his tangled hair and yanked the thorned vine free.And Elijah – damned arrogant stupid Elijah – stopped dead in his tracks and waited for Atticus to catch up. That only annoyed him more.“Thanks,” Atticus said, his voice pitched high and sickly sweet. If Elijah were going to out-honour him, then
Latest chapter
The Broken Alpha 109 | EPILOGUE
LilyLily stared down at the letter, a tiny smile tugging at her lips. There had been something nagging at her, ever since the battle, and at last she understood what it was.Lily,Or I suppose I should refer to you by your proper title. Luna Lily,I always knew you would grow to be a completely insufferable pack leader. We last met at the Great Battle, as it is already being termed – and, really, should we not wait until longer than a few months have passed before we name things with such grandiose titles? – but you did not seem to recognise me. If I were another, I may have been hurt by that. Then again, you never were very good at seeing through my disguises.Therefore, I have decided to be blunt. I have lost everything. My home and my people are gone. I took that Alpha wolf you had a soft spot for, Atticus, to bargain with Blood Moon. To no avail, might I add. He was more irksome than he was useful, so he has been deposited back in his rightful home. The issue is this: I have no
The Broken Alpha 108 | HEARTFELT
ElijahElijah stared up into Lily’s beautiful face. “Elijah?” she breathed. He gazed at her, feeling like he was staring straight into the sun. Her warmth enveloped him, bringing heat into his frozen limbs. Elijah flexed his fingers and toes, waiting for the dark to swallow him once more.But it did not. He waited and waited, his heart in his throat, but nothing happened. He took a breath, then another. And life went on. His life went on.“I’m alive?” he whispered, raising his bloodied hands to the morning sun. “I think so?” Lily laughed; it broke, becoming a sob. Gently, he was lowered to the ground. They fell into each other, their hands clutching desperately, their bodies pressed flush. Elijah dropped his forehead against Lily’s, just breathing for a moment, relishing in the way his chest hollowed and filled with air. “You’re alive,” she whispered, pulling back to stare at him with wonder swimming in her eyes. “How? I saw you. I,” a hiccup cut her off, and more tears filled h
The Broken Alpha 107 | SUNRISE
Lily“Lily?” her dad murmured, his strong hand settling on her trembling shoulder. “Lils, we can’t stay here. We need to go home.”Sunlight fell in slanted beams through the trees, casting everything in a strange, gold-green light. Elijah looked more faelen than he ever had before, his skin pallid, his pointed ears sticking out of his long hair. She swallowed hard. Her face was dry and stiff with tears and her throat ached from screaming. And her heart lay in tatters on the ground beside him.“I won’t leave him,” she rasped, bowing over his too-still body and clutching at his torn clothes. “I can’t.”He sighed, the sound twisted and broken. “It’s okay, sweetheart. It’s all right. You don’t have to leave him. I won’t either.”She turned to look at her father with fresh tears beading along the dark sweep of her lashes. “You won’t leave me?”“Never again,” he swore. The lump in her throat grew too large for her to speak, but she nodded, her lips quivering. Silent sobs overcame her for
The Broken Alpha 106 | AUBURN
AtticusNeither Ralphin nor Trove spoke to Atticus as they went to face the Blood Moon pack. They kept sharing long glances, only looking away when Atticus tried to catch their eyes.The battle was already diminishing as they joined it. With the magic of Red Ripper gone, the wolves were shifting back into their human forms as the moon set. They had no leaders, no plan, and the Blood Moon pack were fresh and uninjured. Atticus barely had to think as he fell into the easy routine of fighting, punching and scraping and kicking. This part had always come to him with ease. It was other things he struggled with. Other things – like Lily. He slammed his fist into the jaw of a weedy, speckled wolf. Huh, he thought, it was no wonder that one had wanted to join Red Ripper and use their magical hoo-hah to get ahead. It didn’t stand a chance against a real wolf like him. He gripped its throat, squeezed, and something snapped deep within it. He dropped it to the ground, a sneer tugging at his mo
The Broken Alpha 105 | EMPTY
LilyNo.Lily could not think beyond that single word. This couldn’t be happening. She’d waited so long to see Elijah again, and now…No.She shoved out of Atticus’s arms, rage burning through her. “You,” she snarled, slamming her fists into his chest. His unharmed chest, which had been healed by Elijah. “You did this.”He looked at her blankly. “Of course I did. I did it for us, Lily. You would never have been truly happy with me while Alpha – Alpha Elijah lived. He was basically dead already.” He inspected his nails, wrinkling his nose as he picked out a sliver of dried blood.A sob built in her throat. She tore away from him and fell to her knees beside Elijah, gripping his ripped shirt in her fists and bowing her head over his. Her tears fell onto his face, blurring her vision so she couldn’t even see the man she loved. “Come back to me,” she rasped again, her whole body shaking with need.Warm hands pressed in on her. She recognised the touch of Elijah’s Beta, Ithia, and her own
The Broken Alpha 104 | IN DEATH
ElijahElijah fought through the darkness, every step excruciating. His burns seared his flesh, but he was alive. For now.His heart thrashed. The sounds of battle raged ahead, howls and choked off screams and the dull thumps of bodies smacking the ground. It was messy, undignified, and Elijah had never longed to be a part of something so badly.Because Lily had to be there. Everything in him was screaming that she was, even though the thick, pulsating magic cloying the air was throwing off the power of their mate bond. He could not pin her down – but still he knew.At last he reached the clearing. The remnants of magic hung heavy in the cool night air, sparking at his touch as he stepped through the boundary they’d made and through the ring of trees. He paused, sucking in heavy breaths, leaning heavily on a trunk as he tried to pick out Lily amongst the mass of wolves.Bile rose in his throat. Bodies were piled up everywhere, ringing the clearing, bloody and mutilated. He realised wi
The Broken Alpha 103 | KING
AtticusAtticus relished every racing beat of his heart. He was alive, more alive than he had ever felt, and each solid pound of it meant that he was still there. Still fighting.Still fighting for her.When he’d seen that arrogant, too-pretty-for-his-own-good, so-called Alpha kiss Lily, he’d seen red. He’d let that bright, burning red edging his vision become a prediction of the future: Apollo would bleed for all that he’d done. But this fight was no normal fight. Atticus was strong, brutally so, but Apollo never seemed to tire or lag. He had no weaknesses that Atticus could take advantage of, no faltering glances or too-slow reactions. He was on top form, all of the time, and Atticus’s energy was starting to wane.He whipped his head around, searching through the crowd for his Beta or Gamma. They were lost to the writhing sea of bodies, part of the blur of dark fur and bloody teeth surrounding him, packed tight in all directions. His pride kept him from asking them for help. Apoll
The Broken Alpha 102 | CEREMONIAL
LilyA howl shattered the clearing. It tore apart the chants, reverberating through each of the elements swirling through the darkness.The blade froze a hair’s breadth above Lily’s chest. She let out a ragged breath, though her eyes remained fixed on the glint of the blade. It shimmered in the moonlight, trembling in Peverton’s shaky grip.“Potentia grym,” he muttered, shaking his head. Then, again, louder, he said: “Potentia grym!” and raised the blade anew. Before he could slam it down into her chest, though, a huge black wolf smashed into him. Lily gasped, twitching away from the blade as it fell. It caught her foreleg, slicing down towards her paw, her blood dripping down onto the earth before she could tear away.The wolf towered over her on her altar, its fur alight with all four elements. The ends of its black fur were tinged red by the flames; air made its hair sway; ivy coiled up its legs; water slicked down its back. A loud sizzling noise drew her attention away. Her bloo
The Broken Alpha 101 | WARDS
ElijahThe brush of the magic skittering over the veil was cool to the touch. Elijah dipped his fingertips into it, a shiver running down his spine and raising the tiny hairs prickling down his forearms. A sense of foreboding washed over him as he stepped through, his foot landing solidly in Red Ripper’s territory.The entry point of this veil was different to the last one he’d come through. Darkness ebbed and flowed like a river in the far wood, but Elijah turned away from it. He had one goal to focus on: find the cells. Once he’d managed that unnoticed, he could worry about the incessant scratching at the back of his mind and the oppressive weight of magic hanging thick in the night air.Ducking low, Elijah picked his way towards a flickering light in the distance. He’d drawn out a scribbled map of the territory, as it was in his memory, but whether that was accurate to the reality he’d witnessed or if the Red Ripper wolves had changed the pack’s layout since then, he had no idea. I
