Eleonore’s POVThere was no greater irony than being hurt by your own hypocrisy.And realizing it only after the fact when your face was buried in a pillow, having just finished coming down from an emotionally charged moment you backed out of, that would’ve ended in tears if you stayed.Which was probably still going to end in tears at some point, which I very much did not need at the moment. That’s why I left, though, to calm down and think about this rationally without getting angry at them.I was not doing too hot, though, that might’ve been the blood loss talking. After finally answering Charlie’s flurry of worried texts and her bullying me into letting her come over with some electrolytes, I laid in bed and just sort of existed. This sucked…it was absolute b-bullshit!First father came with a surprise visit, then I learned he really would kill me for his own goals because ‘daughter’ was just a fancy term for bargaining chip to him. Then Valerian became Valerian Night
Eleonore’s POV“—and that’s why I’m pretty sure that my father’s sold me to Selene Thornwood for some reason, and that my engagement to Valerian Nightshade is nothing more than a legal cover story, which also explains the heavy dose of suppressants. So I don’t EVER find my mate. Any questions? Please be aware I might not be able to answer them.” With that, I waited.Gabriel, Gael, and Missael had been more than ready to finally talk, and talk we did, spilling everything about our pasts to each other, or at least the cliff notes. I’m pretty sure Gael didn’t want to go into detail about how he was almost poisoned by his family member.But everything was out there now, from my suspicions to my father’s treatment of me, along with how dangerous it would probably be to BE with me romantically.However, despite the trouble it would no doubt bring, it didn’t chase them away.“Uh, yeah, I have a lot of questions but they’re more along the lines of how we potentially fight a Vampire l
Gael’s POVSomehow I was giddy and nervous all at once. I’d been on dates with Ellie before, we all had, but there had been this invisible wall before. Less nerves and more like…a distance between us.I suppose it was because there’d been so much we hadn’t told each other, so much we didn’t know.Ellie’s father was apparently a bastard. She had no desire to talk about him, and really, it hadn’t been relevant until he made himself a threat like that. Here at university where she was away from him meant that he couldn’t have that much control over her.That didn’t change the mental damage he did though, how it was only now she was starting to look like she was free of him. It was a good look on her.We’d have to do something about him and Valerian at some point, but for now, we could just enjoy each other, enjoy being mates.I won the vicious rock paper scissors contest that almost ended in another fistfight, but I got to take Ellie out first and had planned everything. Now I
Gabriel’s POVIf fratricide wasn’t illegal, I might’ve killed Gael for his audacity, even though he apologized furiously and said I could punch him for it.Punching him might’ve made me feel a little better, but it didn’t change the fact that he informed me fifteen minutes before my date with Eleonore that she didn’t like dancing.Where on said date I’d be taking her out dancing.Something he knew but just forgot since he was on cloud nine after his date.There was no way I could just plan an entirely new date in so little time. So all I could do was tell Eleonore and hope that going somewhere else at the last minute would be alright.We’d all been trying to plan fantastic dates because we wanted to treat her to something special. We just wanted to spend more time with her, show that we were going to cherish her and love her, and prove that she had nothing to fear with us.Her father was a powerful man, but so were we.“Gabriel, there you are, I’m sorry, I thought you’d
3rd Person POVMissael loved his brothers, but by the Goddess did he believe they were idiots. Now, he knew that wasn’t very fair of him, seeing as he did have the advantage of being able to feel emotions but that didn’t change the truth. He never tried to pry or spy on someone by feeling out their personal emotions, but that didn’t change how strong emotions came through no matter what he did, and boy, were his brothers feeling strong ones. His best hope was to ignore them, and he was–trying to at least. Both Gael and Gabriel’s dates with Eleonore had been more than enjoyable, but the way they ended seemed to be just a little less than ideal, though Missael didn’t know why since neither were talking about THAT part of their dates. The only thing he knew was that their dates ended with them being horny. At that point, Missael had cut his losses and vacated the apartment to study for his classes and plan out his own date with Eleonore. All that was left were the finishi
Eleonore’s POV“Gael. I swear to the Goddess, if you don’t order, I’m going to let you starve.”“And who says you’re paying? What if I’m paying? I can take all the time I want. There’re too many options. You know we never come to steak houses.”“Yeah, there’s a reason for that,” Missael muttered, buttering his bread roll with a tired, put-upon look that said this wasn’t the first time this happened, before moving the butter closer to me, letting me butter my own roll.It was the first time all four of us were going out as a polycule? Quartet? One of those things? It was a date, technically, though hanging out would better describe it. I wasn’t sure how romantic the boys were willing to get around each other just yet or if they were comfortable with such a thing. Maybe later in our relationship.Either way, I was enjoying myself, even if I had a front-row seat to Gael and Gabriel arguing over the menu.The steakhouse we were at was in the city over from our campus and was
Eleonore’s POVI would’ve bitten him if I could. Unfortunately, Valerian had a good grip on my lower face and the lack of oxygen was making it significantly harder to fight back, not that I could overpower a vampire to begin with, but it was the principle of the matter.Valerian just gave me a cold smile as I struggled, reaching out and tucking a lock of hair behind my ear.“Well well well, I really wasn’t imagining it.” He leaned in, catching my wrists with one hand as I tried to punch him, nosing my neck and inhaling, making me shudder. “The scent of dog is on your skin. To think my cute little fiancée would be so stupid as to cheat on me.” He tutted, letting up just enough so the black spots of my vision disappeared but he didn’t let me go.Stupid—dialed up—supernatural senses! Was it because I stopped taking the pills, that I’d finally started to get more intimate with the guys that he could tell?Either way, I was in a bad situation. My phone was charging on my desk, I w
Marcus’s POVWhile Marcus truly believed that being the president of a country was nothing like running a pack, it was pretty damn close. Work every day, all the time, seven days a week, and then some, and on call whenever shit went down and even when it didn’t.Negotiations, spats, over territory, resources, allies, everything, anything. Documents needing to be looked over and signed, transfers to other packs both diplomats and marriages needing to be approved, and programs and more to support not just the packs and werewolves but all supernaturals, and keep their hidden community safe.So, when Marcus managed to get to bed after a hard day of work and making sure a vampire lord wasn’t about to rain hell down on his sons and was just in their usual haunt, he didn’t expect or want to be woken up a few hours later to deal with a problem.However, that problem was his sons, so despite how tired he was, and how irritated the situation was making him, he grabbed a robe to throw ove
Eleonore’s POV Alpha Sined scolded his sons for their actions of preemptively marking me. I was let off rather lightly and given some reading material to go over while he had the guys train until they dropped. Despite that though, the marks remained, mostly covered by my hair and so faint you could barely see them but just brushing my fingers over them made me stupidly happy. After that, it was time to finally return to college. It felt like so long ago since I’d been on the campus, and even though winter was just around the corner the grass was still green as I stepped out of the car and took in the sights. Lush green, students milling about, and plenty of opportunities. So many opportunities that I didn’t know what to do, I was too excited. “I’ll see you guys later, alright!” “Don’t keep us waiting too long, alright?!” Gael called as I hurried off towards my dorm, well, my new dorm. I had already exchanged my keys. After my father cut ties, he pulled away from being a
Gabriel’s POVThere was never a sight more beautiful than Ellie. She was…absolutely everything, and I adored her so much. To think that day in the library would spiral into this. So much had changed in so little time but I already knew that she was IT.There would be no one else, no one else I’d want or love as much as her, I knew that deep within my soul.Lying there on the bed, sprawled out the way she was and looking so content it felt like a sin to disturb her. Gael and Missael ran her hard, not that I blamed them. We’d all been waiting so long to finally have her like this, as we so desperately craved.Wholly. Intimately. We couldn’t help such desires any more than we could help loving her.Watching had been a strange sort of pleasurable torture, and reassuring in the weirdest of ways, to know that they could take care of her so well when I would be busy and couldn’t be around.And that was the crux of the matter, wasn’t it? When I was the alpha, I’d be busy, there was
Gael’s POVI owed Gabriel like, an entire week of me not giving him crap, holy shit. I hadn’t expected watching Ellie get fucked to be so inspiring but damn, I wanted to be there, doing those things to her.Before I’d been fantasizing about it, who wouldn’t when you had an absolutely gorgeous partner? However, that’s what it had been before, a fantasy, and now it wasn’t because I didn’t need to imagine how she looked without clothes or how she sounded like getting fucked.If I’d been desperate before then whatever I was now was probably going to die from the sheer need, not just to get off because I wanted to make Ellie feel good. Maybe it was just the people pleaser in me but I really, really wanted to make this good for her.I think Gabriel could see that, and Missael could definitely feel that which was why I was allowed to go next.Ellie was a sight, with flushed cheeks, chest heaving with every breath, and I joined her, tilting her head to kiss her, twirling our tongues
Missael’s POVThe mating ceremony was like the werewolf version of a wedding, along with a few almost ritualistic notes to it.In the evening under a full moon, you’d exchange vows, present yourselves to the Moon Goddess, and under the light of the moon, be blessed with a wonderful union. Then, you’d bite your mate and leave your mark deep enough to scar.Similar to wedding vows, standing before the pastor, then exchanging symbols of loyalty to each other, which was then followed by a big celebration. The Moon Goddess was the witness to the union. We had done something a little different with our bites and they were more akin to a promise ring, though, in the end, Father might still be scandalized by our actions.We had all talked about all our choices and what we wanted to do and decided that this was it. We agreed upon it and there was no second-guessing ourselves. We knew what we wanted. We didn’t want something as flimsy as paper getting in the way of our relationsh
Eleonore’s POVRecovery had been a bit slow going but as was promised, after a week of being laid up in the hospital and monitored, I was released.I was still a bit weak but other than that I was perfectly fine and was escorted back to the manor where I was placed in the east wing, all my things already moved.The room itself was lovely, and reminded me a bit of my old room, just a bit grander. The bed looked like it was king-sized with luxurious sheets while all the furniture seemed specifically chosen to go with the soft blue walls and white ceiling.It looked nice, like a place I could call home.The first thing I did after arriving home was call Thomas. He was beside himself with worry that I swore he cried for ten minutes after hearing my voice as I did my best to soothe him and explain what had happened.He explained that father had called him and that I’d been struck from the family records, so instead of just being handed over to Selene, I was no longer Eleonore Ev
Lillian’s POVEver since I was a child I was a proud person, I’d never deny that. Both of my parents had been rather affluent members of the pack, so I’d been proud of them and as a consequence of that, I became prideful of myself.I wanted to be someone as spectacular as them, so I held myself high and never looked back. There were times it got me into trouble, and I’d refuse to apologize, believing myself to be right.Sometimes they’d have to force me to apologize for a mistake I made when I was truly in the wrong—and I would, but Goddess did it hurt worse than pulling teeth when I had to.That should’ve been the first sign that maybe I had a bit too much pride, but it wasn’t like I didn’t work hard to have something to show for it, not just my parents’ accomplishments but my own.I had chosen to become a member of the Alpha’s guard. It was an extremely lofty position, very few people were able to acquire such a title. As a rambunctious kid who got into scraps and fights, I
Eleonore’s POVWords could not describe how relieved I was to not be staring up at a medieval stone ceiling the next time I woke up.I might’ve been hooked up to various medical machines, in a robe instead of the clothes I was previously wearing, and with a needle in my arm but it meant that I was no longer in Selene and Valerian’s hands, which was good in my book.Words could also not describe the sheer exhaustion I was feeling either, though.For a moment, things were too foggy, and I was just too tired to make sense of anything, but it slowly came back to me. What had happened at the vampire manor?I remembered…gravity pressing down on me. Of everything growing so cold as my blood and life were sapped away before I saw—I saw Gael and Gabriel and despite fighting Valerian again, Gabriel came and fought Selene.For me. They came for me, and even now I couldn’t help but tear up at that realization.After that and watching him get beat up I couldn’t stand it, so I crawled
Gabriel’s POVThere was something extremely upsetting about my little brothers being the ones to throw themselves straight into danger without hesitation and knowing there was no other option and that they were doing the right thing.I hated myself a little, but I had to trust them like they trusted me. They trusted me to save Ellie, to defeat Selene, and it was a lot of pressure. I didn’t know if I could defeat her when I had already struggled when facing Valerian, but the consequences of losing…No, I couldn’t think about that right now. As I sprinted up the stairs I only had one thing in my head. Save Ellie. That’s what we were here to do, that’s what we were GOING to do.Climbing the same damn stairs was starting to get old though, I’d even been close enough to hear Missael fighting which just fueled my determination to see things through.I was glad I didn’t have to kick the door down again. It wasn’t the most stealthy way to take care of things and I could finally see i
Gael’s POVDamn Missael for being cool as fuck in the most stressful moment of our lives!It hurt to leave him behind, but he was right, we had to save Ellie. Falling for their plans and distractions wasn’t going to cut it. A bunch of half feral vampires, while a bit overwhelming, was probably going to be one of the easier fights in this place.Gabriel and I had to trust that Missael knew what he was doing and could take on those vampires. Finding the place was only possible thanks to our father. He narrowed down the location for us and with Missael with us, it wasn’t too hard to find a place inside the forest where there were people using his empathic gifts.He’d been doing most of the heavy lifting on his own ever since we started this trip and I was starting to feel a bit lacking. But I’d make up for it with a damn good rescue like Missael had trusted us to do.So, while he was taking care of the mooks, Gabriel and I ran through the strange castle manor, following the feel