I freeze as I look to the door. Caleb stands there, glowering at me. Bethany looks nervously between us. “Uh, please excuse me,” she says and quickly makes her way to the door. She slides around Caleb, whose gaze is fixed solely on me, and escapes. With Caleb looking right at me, though, I have no
“You are being ridiculous, Harper.” I don’t want to be in bed with this man anymore, even if that meant I had to stand in the room naked to be away from him. So be it. Rolling out of bed, I place some space between us. Fortunately, I have a robe draped over a chair nearby. I quickly shuck it on.
“As your wife, it would be incredibly disrespectful and purposefully hurtful for you to still require the services of a harem,” Annabelle says. “As such, I expect you to entirely dissolve your harem, releasing all of the girls – including Harper.” Caleb’s annoyance intensifies the longer Annabelle
“That is a terrible idea,” Bethany says, not holding back. “What could you even hope to gain by doing that? Best case scenario, Leah has no way of delivering the message. Worst case, Samuel lures you out somewhere and has you killed.” “He won’t kill me,” I say. Despite his threats, he cares for me,
Seeing Caleb rush towards me, fury in his gaze, I already know what’s happened here. Bethany. She might have seemed compliant when I told her to stay behind, but I should have known she wouldn’t just sit idly by while I placed myself in danger, even if I instructed her to do so. She is my friend b
Much, much later, after Caleb ravaged me on the stairs again and then twice more in my bedroom, once we are relatively cleaned up, though I still carry his scent all over me, Caleb sits on the edge of my bed, staring at me as I recline there, jelly-like and sated. We need to have a talk, and I know
I awaken the next morning to a loud, confident knock on my door. Rising up from bed, I pull on my housecoat and walk to the door, opening it. I’m half-expecting Bethany, though she doesn’t usually knock quite that loudly. Instead, I find the Pitmaster there. Her expression is severe as always but d
She looks away. “While I cannot save those condemned to the coliseum, I can help prepare them to hone the best of their abilities. I give them the best possible fighting chance, so when they step into the ring, they might survive. Many do not, but some succeed.” Looking back at me, she continues, “
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