Leah’s angry shriek at Samuel has alerted every single danger in the stairwell to our presence, and some in the hallway too. Their thunderous footsteps come closer to us. Samuel uses his body to push Leah and me inside the stairwell. I yank closed the door behind us and turn the inside lock. Fro
“Caleb said to follow him!” I reply, pushing back. But Samuel is much stronger than me. “Your king is the target here. He’ll only lead us into death!” I continue to try to fight against Caleb, but he doesn’t give me an inch, He said to follow him. He said the lowest floor was the only way out.
Maybe I should be more worried about myself. There are unfamiliar soldiers walking around the streets, and gun battles seemingly around every corner. Here, underground, where everything already echoes, it’s disorienting, not knowing which way the gunfire is coming from. I move to step out of the c
I’m not a trained soldier and I don’t know much about stealth, but I keep to the shadows as best I can as I move around toward the alleyway where I saw Caleb fall into. Fortunately, as this area is underground, it’s already dark. And many of the streetlights have been shot out, making it even darker
“You would fight me,” Samuel repeats slowly, as if in disbelief. “For him.” “Not just for him, but for your sense of honor as well as mine,” I tell him. With that wild look in his eye, I don’t trust him enough to even turn my back on him for a minute. Of all the dangers out here, the invaders and
The man moves closer, coming right for us. I tense all of my muscles, ready to fight, when I blink and realize the identity of the man in question. It’s Tristan. Breathe exhales my lungs so sharply, I feel like it’s been punched out of me. Tears well in my eyes, relief flooding through me. Tri
“Destroy who? Who can’t we trust?” He clearly knows more than I do, perhaps from slinking around behind enemy lines. “George. Caleb’s Gamma. One of his closest advisors,” Tristan says. “The one who never agreed with him.” Tristan nods. “Caleb always thought some dissenting voices were good in
The road that leads out of the caverns is a winding spiral. Tires screech as we go around and around, up and up, Tristan never once taking his foot off of the pedal. In the backseat, as I cling to Caleb’s unconscious body, the force of the turning pushes us back into the seat. The blanket that’s c
At first, I saw Caleb as nothing more than a brute, a vicious, ruthless tyrant who valued power above all else.While Caleb continues to be independent and stubborn, he has also become more compassionate. He is proud and strong, and loves me deeply. I cannot imagine a more perfect mate.A mate that
As I’m moving into Caleb’s room after today, I feel a sense of bittersweet nostalgia standing in my own room in the palace. Caleb has told me that the room will remain unchanged, and that I can continue to use it however I wish, but what I want most is to move forward in my life with him.I’m standi
Knees in the dirt, Caleb still manages to look proud, even as he surrenders.“I will give you the crown, if that is your wish. I will easily give you my life,” he says. “But do not harm my mate.”Tears well in my eyes. Caleb, my brave mate, so strong and proud, willing to lower himself to this becau
His face is pale, his cheeks sallow. All of his limbs sag heavily, as if being dragged down toward the ground with more than just gravity. He seems to be giving great effort even to just keep his head upright.“What do you want, Gladys?” he asks. There’s anger in his voice, but there’s also defeat.
Behind Samuel, I see Caleb rise up from the ground. He heaves like it costs him great effort to do so, yet determination sparks like fire in his eyes. With clear exertion, he forces his massive werewolf body to take a step forward. And then another, approaching Samuel.Samuel, who had shifted to hum
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