What do you think will happen in the peace talks? Is it possible they can stop the war?
Nervous and hopeful energy flowed through me as we arrived at the lake-side resort that would serve as a neutral ground for the peace talks. I recognized several alphas, and some even recognized me. I tried not to duck my head, embarrassed, when they saw I was with Kalen. As much as I hated that this would make Carl’s claims against me seem more true, I cared more for peace than my reputation.Almost immediately after we went inside, I saw Carl and Lena. Rage filled me. My body shook. They saw me too. Lena laughed as they walked over to us. “Well, so the rogue didn’t kill you. Lucky you, I guess.”“Yes, lucky me, but not for you,” I said, taking a step towards them. It filled me with immense joy that Lena took a step back to stand behind Carl.Carl’s jaw clenched, and he glared at me. “Careful,” he sneered, his voice low. “You might want to watch that mouth of yours. You don’t know who you’re dealing with.”I felt a smirk tug at the corner of my mouth. “Oh, I know exactly who I’m deali
After the initial meeting with the lycan king, we went to check our rooms to ensure our luggage was there and then dressed for dinner. Tonight there would be a banquet, then tomorrow the talks would begin. I wanted to ask Kalen about the lycan king and the fact the lycan king seemed almost friendly to him. Yet, even a blind man could see the tension in him and I didn’t want to push him. Now wasn’t the time for questions.Instead, we dressed for dinner and went down to the banquet. Once more, our table was in some corner, but this time we had a tablecloth with some water bottles. Not long before the banquet began, the alphas began showing their true faces.I saw at least three alphas that had two or three lunas with them. The alpha of the Duskmire pack had two lunas, one feeding him and the other offering him drinks. I didn’t see him pick up his fork once.They all dressed in obviously expensive clothing. Some lunas had enough jewelry to fund an entire pack for a year, probably. Yet, de
The cold seemed to seep into my soul, but the surprise of Kalen tossing that woman into the lake and scaring off Lena filled me with a strange warmth. I hugged myself, shivering, and walked back to our room, when I gasped in surprise when Kalen picked me up in his arms. “I can walk.”“It’s cold out here and you’re soaked,” he said, not letting me go.“Fine,” I replied, instead of arguing because his body heat felt good against my chilled body and I also was feeling a little weak and dizzy.Kalen didn’t set me down until we were in the bathroom of our room. Once he set me down, he hurried to give me a change of clothes. “You need to get out of those wet clothes. Can you do it or do you…” he paused, and the air between us became awkward and charged.“I can do it,” I said in a rush, taking the clothes. He was being a lot kinder, but I didn’t want to complicate things more than they already were. Once Kalen closed the door, I peeled the damp clothes from my skin and dressed in the warm, dr
Kalen kept his expression stoic as Lena claimed he was hurting her. When the lycan king looked at him, Kalen told him, keeping his tone as emotionless as his expression, “She did it herself to atone for mistreating a member of my group.”“He’s lying,” Lena demandedAt the same time, Carl snapped, “You’re lying! My king, you can’t trust rogues! They’re all liars and--”The king held up his hand, but didn’t take his eyes off of Kalen, who met his gaze boldly. “We all saw her pour the water on herself with no force by the rogue or his party.”“But….” Carl said as Lena’s face twisted in anger, realizing that her attempt to garner sympathy had failed.She shot Kalen a venomous look before addressing the king again. “No, you’re wrong! That rogue forced me to do it. He manipulated me,” she insisted, her voice trembling with false indignation. “I was afraid for my safety. He--”The king’s expression shifted slightly, something dark and calculating flickering in his eyes as he observed her. “Al
The lycan king sat at a small table in a sunroom filled with all kinds of plants. Unlike outside, the air was humid and warm. “You wanted to see me?” I asked, walking into the room. Remembering Alyssa’s words, I tried to keep my anger in check.The lycan king stood up and walked over to me, looking me up and down. “Yes, I did. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. You’ve grown up into quite a man, Kalen.” Sensing my irritation the king added, “Can’t a grandfather not be curious about his grandson?”“Not when it’s you,” I told him. “Your flattery usually comes with strings attached. So what do you want?”Instead of getting angry, the lycan king gave me a brief smile as he turned and walked back to his chair. “She’s lovely,” he said, and before I could ask, he continued. “After everything, I am glad Alyssa is with you instead of that sad excuse of a husband, or should I say ex-husband, now.”“What?” I asked before I could stop myself and the king glanced back at me with a smile, pleased
I splashed chilly water on my face as I tried to wash the fear and desperation away. The nightmares felt worse now that I was here, near Carl. I blew out a breath, trying to calm and recollect myself. Turning to open the door, I gasped when I saw Kalen standing in the doorway.“We need to talk,” he said, his tone serious. “What was that?”“A nightmare,” I admitted. “Sorry, I should’ve warned you.”“You were screaming as if you were being murdered. What are you dreaming about?” he asked, and despite the harshness in his voice, I heard more concern than anger.“We don’t have time. The peace talks will start soon and my nightmares… they require a longer conversation than we had time for.”Kalen’s expression tells me he wants to argue, but he also knows I’m right. “Fine. Later.”“Later,” I repeat. If this Kalen stays instead of the cold, mean version of him, then perhaps it is time to tell him everything.Once ready, we headed to the meeting room. It’s a large conference room. The lycan ki
“No?” the lycan king repeated, as if he couldn’t quite believe Kalen’s response. I know I couldn’t. What did Kalen mean by no? “Think about what you’re doing, boy,” the lycan king warned him as he leaned forward in his chair.“See, just what I thought,” Carl said smugly. “The rogues don’t want peace.”Leaning closer to Kalen, to avoid making a scene in front of the alphas, I hissed, “Kalen, what are you doing?”Kalen ignored me and glared at the king. “I’m not a boy. You can play all of them as you like, but I am not part of your game, old man!”The room fell silent, the tension crackling like a live wire. The assembled alphas exchanged uneasy glances, most bristling at Kalen’s audacity. “Careful Kalen, you tread dangerous ground when you speak to me like that. I’ve allowed much and I’m willing to give you more than perhaps you deserve, but my patience is growing thin,” the lycan king told him.I couldn’t shake the feeling as if I’d missed something, but I didn’t care. Kalen had to say
The drive back to the rogue territory was silent and tense. While that sudden fight with the lycan king’s men gave me doubts, I was still furious with Kalen and his refusal. He didn’t even try to negotiate with the king. He just refused!When we returned, Kalen and Jack rushed off somewhere.“So it was that bad, huh?” Adelaide asked as she walked up to me, watching the two men rush off.“Worse. He didn’t even try to negotiate! Kalen just told the king no, then stormed out of there with no explanation or anything,” I said, my anger resurfacing.“I’m sure–”“He has a good reason? Maybe, but he won’t tell me so good luck figuring what that is,” I said and ran my hands through my hair.“How about we take a walk before you explode,” Adelaide says with a laugh.I give her a weak smile. “That sounds great.”“Oh, we’re coming too,” Sarah said, pulling Thomas along.I wave at them. “Sure, more the merrier.”We started walking towards the forest, taking one of the clearly marked trails. For a w
I walked over to the shattered remains of my necklace on the ground. “Caden,” I whispered as I fell to my knees in front of the pieces.“Who is Caden?” Kalen growled, kneeling next to me. There wasn’t a hint of regret in his face as he glared at me, the jealousy obvious in his face.Tears stung my eyes. “Our son. He was our son,” I told him, my voice cracking.Kalen’s eyes shot wide and his complexion went a shade whiter. “What?”I picked up a piece of glass from the pendant, a tear slipping down my cheek. “Shortly after you and father left for the war, I found out I was pregnant. I told Carl and asked for his help to find you. That’s when he told me about who you were, but I didn’t believe him,” I said, then glared at Kalen with bitterness. “I was sure something like that you would’ve told me.”Kalen didn’t say anything, and I continued with a sniff, tears stinging my eyes. “When I refused to believe it, he said it didn’t really matter. You were dead. Carl even faked a scout report
Once I couldn’t hear Kalen and James shouting at each other, I relaxed. I owed the rogue king for letting me leave. For a moment, I worried that he’d want to keep me there too. I walked through the trees of the forest, knowing more or less what direction I’m going. My father taught me how to find my way through the forest.I knew more or less the direction Kalen and I went to meet with the lycan king. He might know something about my father. That was who I needed now, my father. He would make all of this right, somehow. I know it. Dad could always make things right.I’d been walking for hours when I stopped and to take a small break. Setting my bag down, I took out a sandwich and ate it quietly, trying not to think about anything too hard. As I prepared to get up and continue, I heard a twig snap. When I looked in the direction of the sound, I saw three men walking towards me. All three were dirty and looked like they’d been out here for a long time. These men were probably deserters
Kalen“Oh, don’t you dare judge me,” I growled at my uncle. I couldn’t believe what he was doing. “Especially when you have no fucking idea what’s going on,” I told him. Where did he get off saying any of the crap he did? He knew nothing about Alyssa and me, or Chelsie, for that matter. In fact, I didn’t know why either he or father stuck their noses in my relationships. Neither of them mattered. All that mattered was Alyssa.I turned to reason with Alyssa, to explain to myself when I realized she wasn’t there. Panic slammed into me as I looked around. “Where’s Alyssa,” I said, ignoring James and my father. I didn’t see her anywhere.“Kalen,” my father said as I started to walk away from them, his tone sharp and serious. “Stop. She’s gone. Leave her be for now.”“For now? You don’t get it, Father. She’s leaving,” I growled at him, then before I could say anything I added, “And it’s your fault! You let her slip away!” I glared at my father, feeling my rage build. My wolf wanted out. He
I grabbed the duffle bag that was still in the corner. My tears stung my eyes and a few tears slipped down my cheeks as I set it on the bed. I wiped them off, angry they fell in the first place. I didn’t want to cry. Not for Kalen. Not again. I slung the strap on my shoulder and started to leave, then remembered the ring. I took it off and set it on the nightstand. If he was telling the truth about its history, then it didn’t belong to me, but Chelsie. The thought made my stomach churn.Taking paths that led me around the community instead of through it, I did my best to avoid everyone. I didn’t want to talk or explain myself. All I wanted was to leave and get as far away from here as I could. I was nearing the edge of town when I heard the voice of the very last person I wanted to talk to.“Alyssa, wait,” Kalen called after me. I
The next few days, I didn’t see much of Kalen. He seemed to always be in a meeting with someone. I usually kept myself busy in the kitchen and taking walks with Adelaide or Thomas and Sara. Today, however, I was walking alone until I ran into James. He seemed surprised to see me. “Hello, Little Luna. What are you still doing here?”Confused, I asked, “Why wouldn’t I be here?”“I didn’t think you’d want to stick around to see Kalen marry someone else.”“He’s not,” I told him as a matter of fact. This was Kalen’s uncle, so I don’t see the reason to hide that fact: the wedding wouldn’t be happening. “Kalen is going to break it off, tell everyone it was a misunderstanding.”“And when exactly did he say he was going to do this?” James asked, giving me a curious look.“A few days ago. Well, he said it would take time, but still doesn’t change the fact the wedding isn’t happening. Why?”His brow furrowed as he frowned. It was the first time I’d seen him with anything other than that smug smi
“Well, good news is that your heart seems to have only suffered minor damage from the poisonings and currently, your baby seems fine,” the doctor said as we finished up. “But I want you to take some precautions. I know you said you believe you were poisoned when you were in the lycan king’s peace talks, but until we can be sure, I don’t want you taking food from anyone outside the kitchen staff and I also want to do weekly blood draws.”Talking about this sent a chill through me and I nodded. “Of course, whatever you think is best.”“Good. Now I will see you here next week for a blood draw and two weeks after that, we’ll have our first prenatal visit.”Just hearing the word prenatal made my heart jump. I still couldn’t quite believe it. Pregnant. I was pregnant again. “Yeah, okay. See you then,” I said and left the doctor’s office. I took a roundabout way to the communal building to avoid Chelsie.Kalen had said it’d take time to untangle this wedding business, and I don’t think I cou
I stare at the sunlight streaming through the window, surprised and confused. Had I slept through the night? No nightmares? I sat up and rubbed my sleep numb face. For once, I felt rested and ready for the day. I heard Kalen yawn, wrapping his arm around me. He pulled me against him. “Good morning,” he said as he rested his chin on my shoulder.I leaned into his touch and close my eyes, just wanting to live in this moment. “Morning, Kalen.”As if he could read my thoughts, Kalen whispered, “I want every day to be like this, Alyssa. Just you and me.”“It can be. We can be like this every day,” I told him. “But only after you talk to your dad, Cheslie, and whoever about this wedding.” I can’t help the bitterness in my voice as I mention his wedding with the blonde idiot.“Yeah, I know,” he said. His expression seemed to mirror my thoughts on the idea of him marrying her. It settled some of the uneasiness inside me. “However, her dad is a big supporter of my fathers. It’s going to take m
Kalen“Father, what are you doing here?” I asked as I walked into my office. Jack had told me he came, but I hoped my beta was wrong. The idea of my father being here made me nervous, especially after nearly losing it. If Alyssa hadn’t been there…I didn’t even want to think what might have happened.“Can’t a father check up on his son?” The king said, leaning back in my chair, sitting at my desk as if he owned the place.“We’re in the middle of a war, right after a failed attempt at peace. I’d assume you’d have other things to do besides pay me a visit,” I told him, crossing my arms over my chest.My father sighed and sat up. “Look, Kalen, I’ve been hearing some things and I’m not sure what to make of them.”A jolt of panic rushed through me, but I fought it down. Clenching my jaw, I took a moment to master myself. “You came all the way here for rumors?”“Are they rumors?” Father asked, leaning forward to look at me. “Why is the Crimson Fang Luna here? Why did you take her to the peac
I hurried away from Kalen as fast as I could, without it looking like I was running from him. Once I was calmer and had a better control over my emotions, I would talk to him. Right now, I needed space and something to do. I knew the perfect place to go to help me think and do something — the kitchen.The chef was an older, lithe man who lit up as soon as I offered to help. “Ah, wonderful! Alyssa, you are a lifesaver. Can you take that on?” he said, gesturing toward the mountain of dishes accumulated after breakfast.“Of course, Marcel,” I tell him, and walk over to the large sink.“Thank you,” he said, then glanced at me. “Few people volunteer for the grunt work of cooking.”“It helps me think,” I admit,