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SEVENTY-EIGHT | COMPASS
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The Broken Alpha SEVENTY-NINE | BONFIRE
Lily“I can’t believe you’re back, Lils.” He’d said it a hundred times over dinner already. Lily’s heart twisted a little more each time.Her dad reached over the table and squeezed her hand. Lily stiffened at the touch for a second before relaxing into it. For all his faults, Atticus had never once touched her without her express consent since he’d rescued her from Red Ripper. Today, she’d been touched more than she had in the last month and, as the rush of excitement wore off, so too did her ease at the feel of foreign fingers on her body.She swallowed hard and, after a moment, she let his fingers drop. “Me either,” she murmured, poking at the roasted vegetables on her plate.“Aren’t you going to eat those?”She shrugged and pushed the plate over to him. “Probably not.”His brow furrowed, even as he took it and started to eat her leftovers. “You’ve told me what happened while you were gone, but… You haven’t told me everything, have you?”“I can’t.” Her voice came out hoarse. “Not y
The Broken Alpha EIGHTY | DARK MAGICK
ElijahDawn light spilled into the clearing. Elijah scratched a hand through his dark hair and stared without seeing at the dark swathe of bottle-green pines surrounding them. Pale, fractured sunlight caught the tips of needles and the bends of boughs, highlighting the remnants of birds’ nests and the red belly of a lone robin.He dug the toe of his boot into the dry dirt from where he was sat, his back pressed at an odd angle against a fallen, moss-covered log and his knees bent, pulled up close to his chest. He was supposed to be sleeping, but thoughts and hazy imaginings of what Lily could be doing – or what could be being done to her – had plagued him ever since night had fallen, and continued to do so as the sun had risen. Sighing, he turned his grey gaze to his Gamma.“I know you aren’t sleeping. I’m on watch – and there’s no point us both being awake. You’re moping,” said Caslein, arching an eyebrow at Elijah. “Again. Stop it.”Elijah’s throat bobbed. “No, I’m not. I’m thinking
The Broken Alpha EIGHTY-ONE | TWILIGHT
AtticusLily looked beautiful like this: painted in shades of red and orange and gold by the trembling brush of the firelight, one side of her face cast in navy shadow and the other all the brighter for it. She was smiling at him, and there were no reservations in her eyes.Atticus froze, losing himself in those irises. They were like autumn, he thought, brown and gold and, right now, lit by heat like the curled ends of a crisp orange leaf. He did not dare dip into the depths of her pupils, wide and honest and glittering like the stars above.She cupped her mulled cider between both hands and blinked up at him. “So?”His brows pinched together. “So what?”Her lips twitched. He never wanted this moment to end – chilled by the night air, warmed by the firelight, with Lily beside him, teasing and smiling and speaking to him like – like she liked him.“I said, ‘What did you want to talk to me about?’ In private,” she added, with a slight quirk of her eyebrows.Atticus could feel the truth
The Broken Alpha EIGHTY-TWO | CROOKED
LilyLily couldn’t quite believe what she was doing as she walked down to the training fields. Her canvas sneakers squeaked with every step as they met dew-damp grass. Everything about this felt wrong, crooked somehow, distorted from the norm - from the way it should be.“I’m so proud of you,” her dad was saying, his chest puffed out and his eyes, so like hers, round with fondness. “Taking a stand with Alpha Atticus. It’s right, you know? You were destined to be his Luna, after all.”Lily swallowed hard. “I just agreed to train with him this morning, that’s all.” Her voice wavered; she swallowed again, hating the quiver of uncertainty. “I don’t… I don’t know what I’m going to say to him yet. And as for being his Luna…”He clapped her shoulder with a calloused palm. “I know, you’ve got that Alpha Elijah now. But this is your home, Lils. This is where you belong.” He paused; Lily turned to look at him as his eyes flicked up to the sun-streaked dawn sky. “I think this had to happen. It’s
The Broken Alpha EIGHTY-THREE | UNDERWATER
ElijahThe mossmen were everywhere. Elijah’s arm sagged; he hoisted it back up and drove it through the wooden belly of the nearest mossman. It creaked and groaned and then, before Elijah had even blinked, another sprouted from the hedgerow and took its place.He couldn’t see Caslein anymore. His Gamma was under there somewhere, still fighting, if the grunts and curses coming from his direction were anything to go by. Elijah sought out a glimpse of dark skin or textured hair, but there was only moss and branch and stone.But he wouldn’t give in. These were creatures bound together by magic, not mortal enemies of flesh and blood. They were harder to defeat, but Elijah had something they didn’t. The capacity to love.He dove into the fray. Bony hands yanked at his hair, at his ears; he winced, his self-consciousness so ingrained that he was afraid of even the mossmen seeing the truth about him. He thrust his sword in all directions, tingles scraping down his spine like chalk on blackboa
The Broken Alpha EIGHTY-FOUR | HALF MAN, HALF WOLF
LilySlim fingers knotted together. Lily paused, the pads of her fingertips brushing over naked skin where once a garnet ring had sat. Still she missed the feel of it, the metal warm from her body heat, the red stone glinting in the summer sun. That sun was long lost now, as well. Autumn was settling in, the leaves as red as the garnet had been; some drifted slowly to the grass, twirling downwards, back and forth, with a sad air to them that she couldn’t quite place. A leaf couldn’t be sad – could it?She bit her lip and turned away from the window. The kitchen felt too still and too quiet. Lily turned her eyes away from her father, latching them onto the flowers at the table’s centre. Her heart warmed momentarily, thoughts of her mother easing the tension she could feel rising rapidly between them. It formed an invisible wall, thickening with every second that passed in silence.Her dad knew what she was going to say. It had settled into every crease of his face, from the crinkles a
The Broken Alpha EIGHTY-FIVE | A WRITHING SEA
AtticusNight had passed back into morning by the time Atticus heard that Lily had gone.Dew speckled the grass, sparkling in the last silver sliver of moonlight. A moon that was still a little over three weeks away from growing full again. It was a haunting sight, one that made fresh wounds rip open in his heart. Atticus stared at it helplessly, hovering above the horizon line, mere moments from dropping below it. Caught between this second and the next, he thought, as was he.The moon fell. Struggling to comprehend the swelling tide of emotions writhing desperately in his hollow chest, Atticus stalked across his grounds. Remnants of the Mabben decorations still hung in the trees, not magically disposed of as they usually were. They made him think of Lily, and his heart – his whole body – ached with the loss of her.He’d saved her. She’d betrayed him.Collapsing against the base of the same tree she’d sat by only a matter of days ago, he curled his hand around a bunch of grass and ri
The Broken Alpha EIGHTY-SIX | OAK AND IVY
LilyIt was strange, Lily thought, as she retraced the same steps she’d taken before, so many months ago now, that her father was with her. He walked with a permanent scowl, though it was neither malicious nor unkind; it was a scowl of defeat, of questioning a choice too long after it had been made to do anything about it now.“I’m glad you came,” she said, eyeing him sideways. “So am I,” he replied, too quickly.Lily smiled wryly. “No, you aren’t.”He sighed. “It’s getting dark. And I just realised…”“That you have no real bed?” she finished for him.“Exactly.”“We have a tent. And bedrolls. And blankets.” She shrugged. “We’ll be fine.”He wrapped his arms around himself. “It’s autumn.”“And?”“And it’ll be cold. We can’t light a fire, I know, but…”“I know, Dad. I’m sorry.”“You don’t have anything to be sorry for.” His mouth twisted. “I wasn’t going to let you go alone.”Lily let the silence swallow them both. She knew what he wanted her to say: let’s go home, Dad, and I’ll force
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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
