Chapter 21 - Unexpected Garren By the time I had shown Penelope the rest of the village and got her settled into her room, the sun had started to set, and I knew that tomorrow would feel even shorter than it did today and that after tomorrow it would already be time for us to return to the castle and all the threats and problems that were waiting for us there. But even with the distraction of the people here and the problems back in Caspian, I still couldn't drown out the words Penelope had said to me when we first got here, right after I had basically told her I didn't want to go. The close contact with her seemed to make my mouth work faster than my mind and I knew that if I wasn't careful I would only make all of this harder on the both of us.The hurt that crossed her emerald eyes still made my chest feel tight and my skin itch with anger. Not anger towards her but towards the cruel hand that fate has dealt us. It was why I had found myself behind the bakery, cutting wood as th
Chapter 22 - Challenge Penelope It felt as though the world around us faded into nothing as I stared into Garren's silver gaze. His eyes held me hostage as they swirled with a hint of the deepest violet, beckoning me closer. His words made my heart flutter no matter how much I wished they wouldn't, how I wished that his presence didn't consume me entirely whenever he was around. Yet, I couldn't deny the pull in my chest, the kind of pull that filled me with want and need every time he looked at me like this. Like he wanted to steal me away and never let me go again. But I knew it was too good to be true, even if my heart refused to believe it. A throat-clearing shattered the moment between Garren and me, bringing us both back to reality. My cheeks heated from embarrassment as I pushed myself out of his arms. I could see the reluctance in Garren's eyes before he released me. My body slid down his tone chest as my feet made contact with the solid ground. I turned to find all the you
Chapter 23 - Enough Garren The job of a King was to ensure that his people felt self and protected all while keeping order. It was a gruelling task, one I wouldn't wish upon my greatest enemy. The hours were long, and the days were tiresome. I didn't want to be back here sitting on my throne in front of my people so soon. Not when I had planned to have one more day of solitude with Penelope. But all of that was shattered the moment Zeke stepped through the portal and destroyed any shred of hope I had at having one last night lost in the possibility of what life with Penelope could be like. As I sat in front of my people and listened to their outrage and confusion about the rumours of my mate that had spread like wildfire throughout the capital. I knew then that a life like what we experienced in Ramiro, where everyone accepted Penelope so quickly, was impossible. Another reminder of why I had to find a way to get her to leave without breaking my promise of asking her to, or worse,
Chapter 24 - PersistencePenelope A faint ringing somewhere in the distance threatened to pull me from my dreams. The dream where I was currently reliving the moment Garren's lips met mine, the world around us fading to nothing as fireworks ignited within my veins. It felt as if the world started and stopped with us. Garren tasted even better than I could have ever imagined, the sweet taste of peppermint and sugar brushing across my tongue as I tasted him. I swore I could still taste him on my tongue and that I could still feel the swelling of my lips after only a few moments of kissing him. Erasing the bitter, broken memory of that night in the alleyway and replacing it with the memory of the fire that burned deep within my chest at the mere thought of kissing him again. The ringing grew louder, shattering the dreaming world as I was forced to wake. I rolled over toward the edge of the bed, running my hands along my bedside table until my fingers brushed across the noisy culprit. I
Chapter 25 - DutyGarren Twice I had lost myself to the pull of the bond, and twice I hadn't cared what that meant for Penelope and me. Consequences be damned; now that I had a taste of Penelope, I wouldn't be able to stop. It was a dangerous game, the constant fight between my heart and my head, but it was one I was willing to play, knowing that time wasn't on our side either way.She was a siren with a call explicitly designed for me. The way she defied my orders and continued to push when I told her to stop drove me insane, but it also made me want to do other things to her that I hadn't wanted to do with any other female before. Penelope may be a werewolf, but she has the heart of a warrior and the spirit of a dragon. She was a walking target that filled my chest with both pride and worry. The stubborn bullheadedness was bound to get her into trouble, and it had. I was still fuming with rage, the loss of control driving me mad. After promising she wouldn't, Penelope had gone a
Chapter 26 - HazePenelope It was as if all rational thought left me whenever I was around Garren. Like my brain turned to mush, and the bond had taken over my ability to function. Though Kyra was still on guard about our mate, she didn't seem to fight the bond as much as she once had. And it seemed that Garren had fallen prey to the bond just as much as I had in the short time we had spent together. It was why my mask had slipped ever so slightly when Garren had informed me that his mother would be taking on training me every spare second I had left. It was a short lap of judgment that had me hoping that once my training was over for the day, maybe, just maybe, I could steal some time away with Garren, not to jump into a relationship but to give myself a chance to know the male who had been so willing to push me out to save me from his people all while denying himself the happiness he too deserved. In the short time I had been here, I had learned rather quickly that Garren would s
Chapter 27 - ImpactPenelope "Again," Mildred commanded. I raised my bow without complaint, notching another arrow and lining up my arms until I was in position. I stared at the target taking in the direction the gentle wind blew around the last of the dying leaves and the feel of the chilled air against my face. I took a deep breath in through my nose and out my mouth. With one final inhale, I held my breath, releasing my hold on the arrow as I slowly released the air from my lungs.The sharp whistle of the arrow whizzing by my ear was the only proof that I had given it enough power to hit my mark with a hard impact. An impact that would have been strong enough to pierce through an enemy's heart. My arrow cut through the air at full speed ending with an audible thud as it hit the bullseye. I didn't give myself time to admire the shot, raising another arrow and firing it into the next target and then the next, and the next. Each target was farther than the last, but my aim held tru
Chapter 28 - HeavenGarren The trip to the realm of dreams was an annoyance I didn't plan on. Not when I had bigger things to worry about. Like my mate and her upcoming battle for her throne and title. From dealing with constant meetings with the royal council and the summons from my people alongside the extra training I had been squeezing in with Penelope on whatever free time we had left, I had no space for last-minute departures or week-long trips. But even though I didn't have time to leave or the patients to be around Penelope's cousin to help him with the final touches to his latest project, I had to make an exception. Balor's school would help prevent a lot of future attacks against many realms and also allow students from all walks of life the opportunity to create lasting friendships and strong ties that could better their futures. It also gave them a chance at gaining a top working position within some realms after graduation. Though I would never tell Balor how great h