“I know what I want,” Samuel says, speaking to Leah now. “I’ll be an outlaw, I don’t care. I’m tired of playing pretend. I’ll save you from this fate, Harper. I’ll take care of everything. I only need you to come with me.”“You would lose everything,” I say, my heart in my throat. For so long, I’ve
“No…” I say, swallowing the rising lump in my throat. “I’m not.”This answer has ostracized me from my pack. I’ve been called every name under the sun: slut, whore, loose, tainted…All because I went into heat and slept with a man who was not my mate. A night I barely even remember. Most of my recol
I stare wide-eyed, mouth agape at the man I shared my heat with three years ago. I have to be mistaken, but my body knows the truth. Those strong hands caressed my skin. Those plush lips spent hours sucking marks onto my breasts.Immediately, I turn away. Curling closer to Jane, I hope to use her to
Glaring at me, Caleb waits. He seems expectant, as if he’s waiting for some kind of response.For the sake of self-preservation, I need to answer my king. But genuinely, I do not know how to reply to the implication that we have a child together.Tristan, Caleb’s Beta, walks into the closet behind h
I stop when my back is against the wall. There’s not really anywhere for me to run to. I’m locked in this room with him.“Now. You’ve had time to think it over,” Caleb says. “Stop pretending you don’t remember our encounter.”I remember his face staring down at me, his blues intense, his brows pulle
I want to deny him, but Tristan’s warnings echo in my mind. The only rule of this place is total obedience. Denying the king could easily lead to my death.With shaking hands, I slowly reach up and pull down the scraps of my shirt from my torso. They fall to the floor in a blood splattered pool.Cal
When I wake up again, Tristan is standing over me.I gasp, reaching for blankets to cover my naked body, only to find that a sheet has already been draped over me. I don’t hope to think King Caleb has done something like this. Perhaps Tristan has.Although, with the way he’s staring at me with a bor
The man in the lab coat fills the syringe with the bluish liquid of the vial. Then he brings it closer.“What is that?” I ask, panic rising in my voice. My heartbeat pounds out of control.“For generations, the royal family has been the sole owners of a special truth serum,” Tristan says. “It specif
Caleb doesn’t answer, but I suppose he doesn’t need to. I know what he said. The soft way he is looking at me, combined with the tender way he strokes my cheek tells me all that I need to know.He said I am his mate.As a human, I can’t feel the draw of the mate bond as well as a werewolf could. I’d
Samuel glances from me to Gladys and then finally to Caleb. “You agree to this challenge? You will fight me for Harper?”“And for the kingdom,” Gladys says.“I would, if in exchange you disappear and leave us all alone,” Caleb says.Per the rules of the kingdom, any alpha can challenge the Alpha Kin
“Are you in any such position to offer such a challenge?” Caleb asks.“With Harper as the prize, he will agree,” Gladys says with total confidence.“And what kind of benefit would this give you?” I counter, pushing forward. Tristan lets me past him but Caleb does not, stepping in front of me protect
I can’t see what is happening, but I can hear it. Bethany’s terrified shriek. Her thump against the ground. The slide of a sword leaving a sheath.“Drop that weapon,” Caleb commands.“Everyone here knew I had no intention of leaving these two alive,” Gladys says, ignoring Caleb’s demand. “These are
Caleb hears each and every word Gladys utters, including her plans to kill Harper and drive him insane. Without his meaning to, a growl escapes his throat. Immediately, Harper looks at him with worry. “What is it?”“Nothing,” Caleb lies to her. He will not tell her the truth, not wanting to worry h
We move closer to the stronghold, me staying in Caleb’s shadow. He stays in human form for my benefit, but I can tell from the red sheen in his eyes, that he is on edge. Likely, he could shift in a moment’s notice to protect us.The wolves that hounded us seem to have all retreated. I still don’t un
But he has no question that she is his. Even without her ability to soothe him, he feels a sort of tether to her, like a connection between their hearts. He’d ignored it for a time, believing since youth that the pull of a mate would be stronger.Perhaps if she was a werewolf…No matter. She is his
After a bit more running, Caleb sets me down in a spot that seems relatively safe for the moment. We’ve been moving in a more dangerous way than before. Instead of running away from the danger, we seem to be skirting around it, with the enemy wolf howls nearer rather than at a safe distance.Caleb s
Tristan hadn’t even tried to defend himself. Now, he remains in wolf form, broken and tattered on the ground. But he’s still alive, and that knowledge gives Bethany some relief.Tristan isn’t an alpha wolf, but his werewolf healing factor will help him recover in time. He will survive this.“I told