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Faris POV The mound of paperwork on my desk seems to be never-ending now that I am doing the work of both the Alpha and the Beta. I knew I shouldn't have let Chad go on the mission to kill Willow, but he was so intent on being the one who ended her life that there was no stopping him. She had embarrassed him one too many times on the training field. Now, questions about his whereabouts are being raised. But it isn't just his death I am having to cover up. The idiot took Lauren with him. Even though she wasn't well-liked, people are still wondering where she has been. Eventually, I will have to come up with some excuse as to why they are gone. I know Chad's mate had to feel his death through the mate bond, but if she cares he is gone, she hasn't let me know. I pull the top paper off of the stack and look at it. It is another Lycan City company asking for a bailout. Ever since my father died, companies have been going under left and right. I can't produce Chow fast enou
Willow POV "Again," my mother shouts from across the room, and I have a flashback to when I was fifteen and my father started training me to fight. He was relentless, and my mother is proving to be the same. "Why are we doing this again?" I ask breathlessly. "We have been at it for hours." "What is the point of having powers if you don't know how to use them correctly?" My mother says. "I do know how to use them," I huff. "You know how to use them in a time of anger and destruction," my mother corrects me. "That is what is leading you into the dark. You need to learn to use them in the light." "There is no need for me to create fire unless there is anger and destruction," I moan in return. "Until we find the witch that placed these runes on your back, you need to learn how to control your magic so you don't slip farther into darkness," my mother informs me. "I believe that we can do this together." "I think we both know who put these runes on my back," I frown, thinking
Willow POV My anger bubbles to the surface again as Osiris shakes his head 'no.' "Celeste wouldn't do that," he says in disbelief. "She has been a loyal friend." I push Osiris away from me and try not to lose my temper again. "I have told you what I have seen," I snap at him. "She has been giving Faris readings as well. She has been letting him run Chow through her business. She is playing both sides." "I trust her," Osiris yells at me. "She must have her reasons for helping Faris." My fingers flicker with flames as Osiris talks. It feels like he is choosing her over me. Jealousy courses through my veins, making my anger even worse. 'You don't want to hurt your mate,' the voice inside my head tells me. 'You need to calm your emotions.' "Shut up!" I scream aloud at the voice in my mind. I place my hands over my ears and drop to the ground in a panic. Osiris is talking to me, the voice inside my mind is talking, and there is no reprieve from the noise. Osiris plac
Willow POV In an instant, I am standing outside of the little cottage in the middle of the forest. Petra is on the front porch sweeping; she must have seen me coming. I wait until the world stops shaking under my feet before I stomp toward the cottage. Petra doesn't raise her head to look at me as I climb the few stairs onto her front porch. "I know why you are here," she says as she continues to sweep the porch. I stand in her way, refusing to let her sweep around me to the left or the right. "If you know why I am here, then why don't we get started?" I ask, not knowing what the process of removing runes is. "I cannot help you," Petra says, still not looking at me. "I know who you are?" I say, hoping to sway her decision. "I know everything about my past." "Then you know the reason why I cannot remove the runes from your back," Petra says as she sets the broom against the doorway and tries to disappear into the cottage. I grab her by the hand and pull her back. I
Osiris POV It has been a long afternoon. Hunting down all of the parents of the children who saw Willow's meltdown was a chore. Many of the children were still crying as I spoke with their parents, and they are claiming to be scared of their Luna. There is one family left to visit, and that is of the little girl who has looked up to Willow from the moment she stepped into this pack. I knock on their door, and a frail older woman opens it. I had forgotten that Liz was adopted. Her parents were killed in one of the raids by the Lycan King. They had fought and died bravely by my side, leaving Liz on her own at just two years old. An older couple who had not been able to have children of their own took Liz in immediately and treated her as their own. But now, as I look at the woman standing in front of me, I worry that Liz will be left to fend for herself again. "Alpha," the older woman says. "What do I owe the pleasure?" "Hello, Gretchen," I say softly. "I need to discus
Osiris POV Ella and I pull up to Petra's cottage. Much to my surprise, Petra is not on the front porch sweeping like she usually is when someone comes to visit. Walking to the car's passenger side, I help Ella from her seat and walk arm and arm with her to the cottage. Ella pauses just beyond the first step of the porch. She cocks her head to the side curiously and snickers to herself. "I am not welcome here," Ella smirks. "What do you mean?" I ask in confusion. "Wards," Ella says as she lifts her hands up to the air and pulls them back quickly as if she has been electrocuted. "What does Ward have to do with you not being welcome?" I am beyond confused. "Not Ward," Ella busts out in laughter. "Wards, magical barriers to keep those out that are not welcome." I stand on the top step and study Ella closely. She cannot come any closer to the cottage than what she is right now. It is like there is an invisible wall keeping her off the porch. Ella holds up her hands, b
Unknown POV The sound of arguing brings me to my senses. I don't know how long I have been in the void between this world of the living and the realm of the dead, but it feels like an eternity. I stretch my arms lazily to my sides and yawn loudly. The dark tendrils of the void lap at my skin. They are like slimy tentacles determined to suck what is left of my mortality from my fading body. They tease me with their hushed voices. "Do you think we should tell her?" The tendrils laugh. "Tell me what," I groan. I am growing tired of the constant bickering of the tendrils. "There is an opening," a tendril hisses. "An opening between this realm and the living." My eyes fly open, and I sit up. I pace the cabin floor that mirrors one in the earthly domain. I try to understand what the tendrils mean. Reaching out with my magic, I look for any holes that might lead me back to the world, but after spending decades in the void, my magic is not what it used to be. I lower my
Osiris POV "We have to find Cordelia," I spit out as Ella and Petra comfort one another. "Without her, we cannot help Willow, even if we do find her." Ella and Petra wipe the tears from their cheeks and stare at one another. It is as if they are having a silent conversation with one another. Petra nods, and Ella sighs. "We can't risk Willow being with the coven for any amount of time," Petra says. "Even with her light magic bound, she is too strong. If they manage to get her to join the coven, they will become too powerful. We have to find Willow first." "No one wants to find Willow more than I do," I tell them. "But we need Cordelia. You said that yourself." "Perhaps we should call on Celeste for help," Ella says. "No!" I growl. "She cannot be trusted." "Willow is her niece. She has to care for her at least a little bit," Ella tries to convince me, but I am not falling for it. "She hasn't cared about Willow so far," I grind out. "What makes you think that sh
Willow POV Faris's body floats to the middle of Lycan City Lake, just like his father before him and his grandfather before that. Horns play loudly, signifying the beginning of the lighting ceremony. I watch from a distance as the leader of the Royal Guard raises his hand in the air, and three archers light the tips of their arrows with flames. The leader lowers his hand, and the arrows fly into the air before hitting their mark. As Faris's body is engulfed in flames, I find myself shedding a tear. Not for the man Faris was at the end of his life, but for the man he was before I became his assassin. The uncle who would sneak me out of my house with his mate and feed me ice cream before dinner. The uncle who never missed a school event and treated me like his own flesh and blood even though I was not. Liz pulls at my black dress and looks up at me with her bright green eyes. "Are you okay?" She whispers, pulling my attention away from the end of my uncle's ceremony. "I'm
Willow POV As I watch Endora’s ashes fly away, the runes on my back begin to burn. It feels like someone has poured salt on an open wound. I drop to my knees and claw at my skin through my shirt. My mother and Cordelia rush to my side, ripping my shirt off my body. I look at the runes on my arms, and they are glowing bright red. “What is happening?” I cry out in pain. “Since Endora has been killed, your link to the Coven of the Lunar Star is broken,” Cordelia tries to smile even though I am in pain. “The magical bindings they put on your skin are breaking down.” “They are disappearing?” I ask as I attempt to get to my feet, but my knees buckle under my weight. Exhaustion has finally caught up with me. Wincing through the pain, I look at Faris lying beside me. His face looks peaceful like he is sleeping. I look around me, and all of the fighting has stopped. Faris’s Royal guards must have felt this tether to the pack break when he died. Now they are all on bended knee
Willow POV My two-hour training session turned into five hours. By the time Cordelia is done with me, my arms feel like jello. My feet drag as I walk from the training area back to the farmhouse. I am exhausted, and I cannot wait to crawl into bed for a few hours before Osiris wakes me. As I approach the farmhouse, my heart sinks. A group of rogue warriors is already gathered outside of the farmhouse. Osiris is standing on the porch giving them a speech. When he sees me, he raises his hand and gestures for me to join him. Mumbling obscenities under my breath as I approach Osiris, I realize I am not getting my nap. Plastering a fake smile on my face, I stand beside Osiris. Osiris wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me in close to him. My fake smile turns into a real one as I feel the tingles of the mate bond spread throughout my skin. Osiris's shoulders relax as I nuzzle into his side. He wraps his arm tightly around my waist and continues his speech. "We were att
Faris POV I leave Natacha sleeping in my bed. Her new mark shimmers under the morning light shining into the room. I had expected her mark to match the one I had given Kayla, but it is different. A beautiful rose blooming under a full moon now resides on her neck. Natacha had been more than willing to accept my mark. The lovemaking between us had been patient and gentle. I was worried about hurting the pup that grows within her. But when it came time for Natacha to mark me in return, I couldn't let it happen. It felt too much like I was replacing Kayla. Natacha pretended she understood, but I could feel her pain through the bond between us. She was disappointed. Pulling on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, I head into the office that adjoins my bedroom. Sitting down at my desk, I begin to make plans on when and how to attack the rogue camp. But my heart isn't in it. Now that I know I have an heir, nothing else seems to matter. It all feels petty. "Why shouldn't I let
Willow POV After much negotiation with the doctor, he finally agrees to let me leave the hospital. The wound on my neck is almost healed. I have not been brave enough to look at it. I don't want to see the damage that Osiris has done to me. After taking a shower in the tiny hospital bathroom, I open the bag of clothes that Osiris brought me from the farmhouse. I roll my eyes when I see a pair of bright red lace panties and a matching bra. Sticking my head out of the bathroom, I hiss at Osiris. "You couldn't have brought something more comfortable?" There is a mischievous grin on his face. "They looked comfortable to me," he chuckles. I shut the door in frustration, and I begin to pull on the leather pants and black t-shirt. I pull my hair up into a ponytail and walk back out into the hospital room. But there is no one in there. I peek out of my hospital room and see nurses and doctors frantically running toward the entrance of the hospital. I can hear the sounds of
Faris POV It is the wee hours of the morning when I finally return to the royal mansion, but the mansion is already buzzing with activity. I quietly slip past all of the Omegas who have already started their morning chores. I go upstairs and past the room that Natacha is staying in. Her scent of lavender and roses is wafting through the door. She barely smells like a rogue anymore, and I wonder if it is because she is carrying my child. Slowly, I turn the doorknob, and I am surprised to find it is unlocked. The door opens with a slight creek, causing me to cringe. I consider walking away, but curiosity draws me further into her room. Natacha is sleeping peacefully. I have to admit she is beautiful. Not as beautiful as my Kayla, but still beautiful nonetheless. Tiny puffs of breath leave her full lips as she sleeps. She is sleeping in an oversized t-shirt. A smile crosses my lips when I realize the t-shirt is one I had left behind at her apartment. The t-shirt has ridd
Osiris POV Ella grabs my hand and teleports back to the hospital. The wind swirls in the sky as the witch sisters appear out of nowhere beside us. I am unsteady on my feet as the world comes back into focus. "I don't think I will ever get used to that," I grumble as I choke back the vomit rising in my throat. "You will get used to it over time," Ella says as she gently rubs my back. I shrug off Ella's hand and turn to the four witches. "We don't have time to lose," I say. "We need to get to Willow." Once I have regained my balance, I head into the hospital with the witches following behind me. As we walk through the halls, people scatter away from me and the women walking with me. Whispers follow us through the corridors. Many of my pack members have not seen so many witches together in one place, and their eyes follow us as we make our way to Willow's hospital room. As we approach Willow's room, the doctor is waiting for us. He looks the witches up and down before o
Faris POV Natacha follows me into the royal mansion, keeping her head down. As we walk through the mansion, I can hear the whispers coming from the Omega servants. They are wondering why I have willingly brought a rogue into Lycan City. My personal Omega, Jessica, is leaving my bedroom when I reach the top floor of the royal mansion. Her face blushes deeply when she looks at me but quickly disappears when she lays eyes on Natacha. Jessica's nose wrinkles as she catches Natacha's rogue scent, and a scowl tugs at her lips. "How can I help you, Your Highness?" Jessica says with a fake smile spread across her face. "This is my close friend, Natacha. I need you to set her up in the room next to mine," I instruct Jessica. Jessica doesn't try to hide her displeasure at the thought of a rogue staying within the royal mansion, but still, she gestures for Natacha to follow her down the hall. Natacha hesitates to follow the young Omega. "Are you coming with me?" She asks nervou
Osiris POV A headache is pulsating at the back of my skull as the doctor tells me the damage that Willow sustained to her neck when I tried to remark her. I know I should be listening to what he has to say, but the only thing I can hear is the steady beep of the machines coming from her room. To me, those are the only sounds that matter because they are the only indication that she is still alive. My eyes wander past the doctor to the room filled with Willow's family. Her adopted father, mother, and grandmother are all surrounding her. They are all wearing identical faces of worry, and it is all my fault. I couldn't have known what would happen when I tried to remark her, but I should have known we got away too easily. I should have known that the witches had something more sinister in store. Guilt fills my brain as I think about what I have done. My mate is fighting for her life because I was determined to make her mine again. "Alpha?" The doctor interrupts my thoughts.