*Poppy*Gemma excitedly started singing along, imitating Britney singing about being stronger than yesterday. I focused my eyes on the prince, who was staring at me as if he wanted to come over and kick my ass for considering the guard's words or spank me for inappropriate behavior."Can we go? I have to be home before dinner." I called out in hope.The prince took a deep breath, tilted his head to the sky, and seconds later, he was back in the car and driving off with a screech of tires, leaving clouds of smoke behind him.I closed the window and put the car in gear, slowly driving away, wondering what had made him react this way. I didn't notice anyone waiting for our arrival until we parked in the same place where Arthur had previously parked. Neither the prince nor Mr. Bernard was ready to lead us further into the unknown.I let Gemma out of the car seat and quickly grabbed her hand, ensuring that my little, quick, and curious girl didn't escape me and cause problems with her curi
*Poppy*I screamed as I immersed myself in a bathtub filled with ice. I was shaking and cursing while slowly adjusting to the cold. This should have been easy after repeating it for a long time; somehow, I cannot get used to it. Iris was sobbing from exhaustion but clenched her teeth and suffered the consequences with me.'I didn't think pain could be so painful and enjoyable at the same time.' I admitted, shaking under the pressure of ice filling my vast bathtub.'Think how sweet it will taste when you stare at the defeated asshole in a few weeks.' Iris reminded me, and suddenly, instead of satisfaction, I felt fear.'We can do it, Poppy. You heard what Logan said; we're as strong as Alpha; we'll kick his ass.' She motivated me by repeating words that were important to me.I rested my head on
*Poppy*While once I wouldn't even dream of letting someone look at me in my underwear, now I can't imagine not having Anastasia with me when I almost have to crawl to the shower.King Alexander's words were prophetic, too. Not only did Gemma become so close to them, but so did I. For over two months, I have been with the King and Queen on a first-name basis, treating them like family. They pamper my daughter as if she were an actual princess. Apart from the moments when I saw Lex or Anastasia get angry and cause fear among people, I discovered that they were cheerful, regular, and accommodating people.Our acquaintance became a friendship almost immediately, leaving only one problem between us. Prince Logan. Although I finally managed to say his name without the title after his many corrections, I still don't know why I can't bring myself to relax around him.
*Poppy*The dinner was awkward, at least to me. I couldn't look at Logan, and Iris couldn't stop reminding me of his words before he stormed off, leaving me stunned. Additionally, Gemma decided to have her worst day today and refused to eat, sitting with arms crossed over her chest, unsatisfied with the King's refusal to allow her to ride on his lycan. Although he promised her to do it one day, I convinced him to change his mind, explaining that it wasn't good for Gemma. Not because it was dangerous, or I didn't trust him, but because lately Gemma was acting more like a spoiled brat than ever, and that wasn't my intention to raise her as such."So, how's it going with the training, Poppy? I heard from many that you have improved tremendously, and the duel would be a cake for you or Iris." Lex asked, breaking the awkward silence."Well, thank you, but I wouldn't be so confident. The fir
*Poppy*My heart pounded in my chest, not because of his words but because of how he said them. It felt almost like he screamed his frustration out at me for not noticing his feelings towards me, but I was not his mate. Iris sat quietly, not commenting or joking about rushing to console the frustrated little lycan prince. She understood him better than anyone. Despite his flaws, Ezra was her everything, and not even his flaws were able to stop her from loving him. She would choose him every time over someone better."Mommy. Why is Logan angry?" Gemma asked, a little scared.I rushed to her and hugged her immediately. I knew she was sensitive to similar situations, as if my fear of being disposed of by Seamus had been projected onto her and instilled in her a fear of angry alphas. I kissed her head before smiling at her."Honey, you know Logan would neve
*Logan*I hit the punching bag with great force, but even that didn't bring any relief. Furious, I let out a roar and allowed Gunnar to come out momentarily. With his sharp claws, I tore the hard leather material into shreds, scattering all the sand on the floor."Great, that's the fifth one. I hope Your Assholeness will buy them all for me." Andrew, the owner of the gym in vampire territory, clapped as he approached cautiously."Don't piss me off too. Or I'll count your bones instead of that miserable bag. What happened to those strong dragon skins you were so proud of recently?" I hissed, breathing deeply, trying to control my anger and Gunnar's desire to kill.Andrew snorted and crossed his arms over his chest, showing off his tattooed forearms. The contrast of the black ink on his pale, almost snow-white skin always attracted my attention. I have a few tattoos, but none look as great as his. Maybe it's because of my sun-kissed skin; the tattoo doesn't stand out as much as it does
*Logan*When I entered the training field, I had a clearly defined goal. Still, after just a few seconds spent surrounded by this most beautiful smell, tantalizing my senses, I had to double my effort not to throw myself at her and tear off her tight training outfit, emphasizing her tempting curves.Gunnar was no better; if it weren't for the fact that I was the dominant part, he would have long ago assumed his intimidating Lycan form and forced the shift on Poppy and would have copulated day and night with Iris, marking her as ours in more than one way.But today, something changed. Not only the time of our training, which I may have forced Poppy too coldly and rudely, but her attitude, definitely her attitude towards me and, to my surprise, her training outfit. I stopped beside the sparring ring, set down my towel and water bottle, and watched my mate hit the heavy training dummy in the middle.Her focus was absolute, and her strokes were precise and calculated, precisely as I had t
*Tanner (Poppy's Previous Gamma)*I glanced into the rearview mirror, feeling like someone was following me despite having been alone on the road for at least twenty miles. I hadn't seen anyone, and this road is usually well-traveled, although perhaps not at night. It was just past one o'clock. I looked again and slowed down to make sure that no one was following me, whether in a car or on all fours, lurking in the darkness of the forest."I must have gone crazy," I whispered, shaking my head, but my wolf Otis was growling a warning in my head.'Hurry up. Something is wrong.' He warned me, and I immediately accelerated towards the human city.His senses have never failed me yet, and if Otis feels something is wrong, it is. The first time this happened was when, a few days after making the oath to my Luna, Otis started acting strange when Seamus began to send me on resupply missions to the human city. I didn't understand why he needed such large amounts of opioids, but I didn't questio
*Poppy*For the past thirty minutes, three handsome princes have been discussing my situation fervently, even though I'm sitting right next to them, hearing every word they say and wondering why no one has let me out and allowed me to contact my daughter. I have some rights, don't I? We may not be subject to the human justice system, but for God's sake, I have the right to a lawyer, to remain silent, and to make one phone call. Unfortunately, I've been denied that for the past three days. I'm not going to sit here idly wondering when and if I'll be able to hear my daughter's voice and see her sweet, smiling face. I got up from the small bed, walked toward the silver bars, and cleared my throat loudly. Unfortunately, my attempt to get the attention of the three powerful Lycans failed, and each of them began to discuss various matters, interjecting words whose meaning was a mystery to me. Well, yes, I have not learned to speak Italian or Mandarin. Spanish is the only language I have lea
*Poppy*“ How did I end up here? “ I wondered as I sat in the barred cell, pulling at my hair. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. This wasn't how my case was supposed to end. This wasn't how my life was supposed to unfold, for fuck's sake. What the hell had gone wrong?! I shouted these questions like a catapult, creating an even bigger mess. I lifted my head and stared at Easton, pacing back and forth, tearing at his hair as I did, questioning our situation. His footsteps could already make a path the size of the Great Wall of China. Chairman Pullman glared at me as if I'd killed his cat with a hammer. Where had he even come from? And how on earth did he manage to convene some extraordinary council that was supposed to decide my fate? When did my life turn into a series of endless disasters?"What will happen to me? I mean, what could be a punishment for this?" I asked quietly, pondering how to escape this impasse. Easton paused and glanced my way. His eyes were eerily stormy as i
*Dante de Gallo*My head is pounding, and I feel like I have a subscription to a jackhammer. My skull feels like it’s splitting. I groaned when I tried to move just enough to grab a mug of steaming tea. The clatter of dishes, the layers of conversations, and, above all, the mingling of smells were not helping me at all. I found myself breathing through my mouth and praying for mercy after yesterday's foolishness."I told you to stop at scotch; you insisted on that damn moonshine. Now suffer." Nanyou, my best friend and partner in crime, chirped, delighting in my misery. I looked at him through slightly swollen eyelids, and although I tried to give him a murderous glare, I suspected from his amused expression that I appeared as if I had suffered a stroke."Why didn't you stop me?" I asked, even as my breath still carried a stench of booze. I had overdone it. Yesterday, or rather this morning, I had gone too far. My father would scold me if he found out that his pride and joy had failed
*Dante de Gallo*"Listen to me, Allegra, and listen closely." I turned to my sister as our jet landed at the small airport, making our way toward the VIP hangar. Our relationship has always been complicated, filled with both protectiveness and frustration. "I’m here to investigate some ridiculous case and plan to do it as quickly as possible. Don't interfere, don't step in my way, and most importantly, don't go after that insufferable royal jerk. I don't have time to babysit you, and I have no intention of instigating a conflict with the Brantfords. Keep your hands to yourself, and don't think I don't know why you're here." I threatened her with my finger, even though Allegra looked at me as if I was unjustly accusing her. "You're still obsessed with him," I confronted her, and she momentarily widened her eyes. "You better stop this because once your lycan detects your mate, you don't want to break her heart by choosing an unworthy jerk over the blessed love sent to you by the Goddes
*Dante de Gallo*"You have to be kidding me, Dad," I growled, hearing his latest request. I turned suddenly, checking if the joke on his lips matched his equally smiling face, but it didn’t. Unfortunately, his sincere expression suggested I was not dealing with a joking father but a king giving an order."You want me to go to the States as a European royal representative because the Supreme Council called a meeting for a frivolous reason?" I asked, making sure that my reasoning included the entire situation. "Yes. And as the future King Dante, you must learn to keep your grudges tucked away and perform your duties respectfully and passionately." He scolded me, recalling my quarrel with one of the Brantford brothers. I narrowed my eyes at the old man but kept quiet and nodded before he dismissed me from the damn office. How the hell does he expect me to fulfill my duties with this jerk taunting me every chance he gets?'Fuck that princeling. Let's make our father proud and resolve the
*Logan*My eyes flew open, and the bright light of the fluorescent lamps made me wince. I quickly closed them again, but the groan that escaped my lips drew people's attention in the room. I heard footsteps, gasps, and murmurs of concern, but none sounded familiar."Let's dim the lights. Our prince appears to be sensitive to brightness." I heard a man chuckle, and irritation washed over me. My gut suggested I recognized the owner of the voice, but my mind felt blank."Logan, try again. It's almost dark in here, " the same voice said. I pried my eyes open slowly, and I saw a face that stirred something inside me. I wasn't sure if it was a positive or negative feeling."How are you feeling, Prince Logan? We’re glad to see you back," the face said, concern etched on it. I contemplated his words and focused on my body's reaction. There was no pain, burning, soreness, or anything alarming—just my weak Lycan, which seems to take a while to recuperate."I'm fine," I replied, attempting to si
*Logan*My brain felt melting, turning all my memories, thoughts, and desires into a gooey blend. Everything merged into a discolored mass, only to suddenly scatter into millions of separate images—each one incomplete or blurred. At one moment, I saw my parents; at another, I caught glimpses of my siblings. There were also fleeting images of women who had significance in my life—some more than others—but each had something that made me remember them.The pain that accompanied this, as I suppose, the resetting process was so terrible that I began to beg all the heavens for mercy. I felt nothing but a pulsating, pressing blow on my temples comparable to the blows of a jackhammer. My body vibrated and then squeezed as if I were a wrung-out rag. Even the heat that suddenly enveloped my body was almost scalding. I felt like a crab being cooked alive. Everything was unbearable, and I couldn't remember how I entered this state.Why do I have to endure this torture at all? I don't know; even m
*Poppy*I stood frozen, staring at the space where my mother had stood just a few milliseconds ago, asking, no, begging me not to accept anything my own old home had to offer. Her voice, gnawing with emotion, still echoes in my head, and her skeletal, crying posture replays like a looped image."What the fuck?" I asked in shock, but my stomach suddenly interrupted and forced me to act.I clamped my hand over my mouth and dashed towards the bathroom like fleeing a fire. I collapsed onto the icy tiles, and with alarming speed, I leaned over the toilet and began to retch. It was a relentless assault, each wave bringing with it shivers, tears, and a lump not in my stomach but in my throat. The most unbearable part was the strange aftertaste that lingered in my mouth after each expulsion.'What's going on here, Pops? I feel this strange taste and churning in my stomach, but I don't feel any other poisoning symptoms.' Iris, my she-wolf, began to analyze our bodies, trying to understand what
*Poppy*I sat there as if I was sentenced, feeling all the eyes on me. They weren't pleasant, but they didn't exude fear, but cold. I felt unwanted, unnecessary, and even out of place. What happened to them? Had Seamus manipulated them so much that they believed everything he said? I don't know, but something was odd here.Iris was silent, trying to ignore each one of them and not think that we had spent over twenty years of our lives with these people, laughing, having fun, and making mischief. It was pathetic that one man could turn over a hundred people against me."Let's go out of here. I feel like having breakfast outside. It stinks of rot in here." Easton threw his napkin on the table and stood up loudly.All eyes turned to him, and he gave them a challenging look. They didn't like the insult, but none dared to retort to the royal Lycan."You're right. Why poison yourself before a duel."I agreed, stood up ostentatiously from the table, and walked with Easton towards the buffet.