Days passed with them gathering information in secret and plotting a path out of the castle. She couldn't find a map of the continent as a whole in the library. The other two women were growing more and more anxious and Daphne was at a loss. She understood them wanting to escape, but there was no attempt in trying to escape when they had no idea of where they were going.
She huffed, sitting on the couch in the queen's library before frowning, noticing a door on the other side of the room. Hadn't Kayley mentioned an office? She jumped to her feet. Why hadn't she thought of it before? If there was anywhere in the castle that might have had some answers, it had to be the queen's office! She approached the door, tentatively and turned the silver handle. The gems around the frame of the office filled with light as she entered.
There was a door inside that led into a dark corridor behind a bookcase.
She gasped. Was this how Rose escaped? If it was true that no o
The carriage traveled long enough for Mamie and the other two women to wake up and start struggling, biting, and trying to get the shackles off. They shifted back into their human form and found that the shackles simply adjusted to the change in their sizes. They seethed and glared at Daphne."A traitor to the end, aren't you?" One of them asked.Daphne looked at them as fury rose in her and glared at them, "Shut your mouth."They flinched and their mouths clicked closed."Have you even considered anything that's going on? You're the ones who were itching to leave. Owen doesn't work with Nicole, he probably works with whoever you two overheard."She winced at the pain in her head and the little spell of dizziness. Mamie's eyes widened as she stared at Daphne."I don't know what they want, but I have a feeling we're about to find out."The carriage slowed to a stop. One of them stood and crouched, aiming their head at the door. When it
“What?” Daphne asked, coming up behind her.“The tub,” Mamie said, “It should be heavy enough to break at least one of them.”She turned to the other two, “You two lock the door and make as much noise as possible. Scream, argue, whine, whatever. Daphne, sit down.”Daphne followed Mamie's instructions as the two started yelling at each other about being chosen to come with Daphne. The words were angry and spiteful, but she blocked them out as Mamie maneuvered her hands apart and flat on the floor behind her. Mamie stood beside her. She felt the leg of the tub strike one of the cuffs with a sharp snapping sound. She closed her eyes praying that no one heard anything over the sound of the two screaming. The tub struck her other cuff twice before she could pull her hands apart. She looked up at Mamie who grinned at her.Daphne stood and went to get one of them to help get Mamie's cuffs off."Hey, come in
The secret passage led to the stables where three horses stood in stalls. Daphne figured it was luck. She took one horse, stroking its head to keep it calm before leading it out of the stables around the side of the building. Mamie shifted into her wolf form first. The other two followed suit and they crept around the building carefully until they reached the forest.“Which way do we go?” one of them asked.“West.” Daphne said, “We should be close enough to see the canyon. Help me up.”Mamie gave her a hand so she could climb a tree nearby. It made her think of her childhood in the forest. These trees were different from the ones near her cabin, but she found her footing and pulled herself onto the lowest branch before climbing higher as Mamie and the women kept watch. She pushed the branches apart and looked into the night, scanning the skyline until she found the dark figures, like a smudge of darkness against the star
Her breathing sputtered and stopped as the panic overtook her. How could anyone find this funny? She watched Mamie’s body move, stilted and jerky, like a crude imitation of the sharp, near unnatural movements of a vampire. The other two women turned and stood beside the vampires who turned them.“Mamie? Mamie, can you hear me?” Her body didn’t move, remaining still and unaffected by her cries. “Mamie!”“She can’t hear you,” the voice said, laughing. “Her body is there but that’s all.”Daphne’s jaw trembled as she looked toward the laughter.“Who are you?” Daphne asked. “How dare you laugh!”His laughter grew louder and slowly, the burning red of his eye cut through the darkness. He walked closer, coming out of the shadows. Daphne froze, shocked at the sight of the man. His face was familiar like an older slightly different version of Owen with a sc
Daphne expected Osborn and Owen to follow them, but she didn’t expect that earned corpses to follow them as well. Their gaits were unnatural, stilted, and stuttering behind the vampires who had turned them. They walked back towards the manor through the cool night. Daphne struggled in John’s hold the entire way, but he ignored her struggling. When they reached the manor, they parted from Owen, Osborn, and the others. John pulled her down a hallway at a deft pace.“What about them?” Daphne asked, her voice trembling as she tried to resist him. “Where are you taking me?”John scoffed, yanking her after him, “They’ll be disposed of as is proper, and you’ll see when we get there, Your Highness.”Daphne turned sharply, fearful and anxious. She dug her heels into the ground, making it harder for him to pull her along.“Let me go,” she said, yanking at his grip. He stumbled a bit as she pull
Blade wasn't sure what it was. It started like a pulling feeling before cracking and almost shattering the night before. The feeling had only continued to get worse. Their bond felt as though it was eroding with every passing breath. Was it the distance or something else? Something had happened to Mamie, but he had no way of contacting her. Their bond changed, but it wasn’t gone. He didn't know what that meant, and it only added to his anxiety.He kissed his son and left him with a servant before going to find Arthur. It was nearing the end of the two weeks and there had been no word about Daphne and her escort making plans to return.He went to the main hall and entered as Arthur let out of a ferocious growl. An Alpha and the young woman at his side stumbled back and away from him. Blade winced at the sight. It seemed they were still trying to entice Arthur to break his bond with Daphne and parading eligible women through the castle to meet him.When were
Nicole woke and headed to Daphne’s suite. She knocked but heard nothing inside. That was strange since Daphne tended to wake up early.She called through the door, “Your Highness? Are you awake?”There was no response. She didn't even hear her heart beating, nor the sound of her breathing. She opened the door and stepped in, finding the room empty. Trepidation filled her as she searched the room. There wasn’t much missing. Most of the things she’d brought with her hadn’t even been moved from their places. Perhaps she was off on a walk or in the library.A piece of paper called her attention from the small table in her parlor. She crossed the room and picked up reading the note before setting it back down. She cast a spell over the note and it revealed that Daphne had written the night before.If she’d intended to return by morning, she would have already been back.So where was she? What p
Nicole reached the queen’s suite quickly, hoping that what she would be dealing with wouldn’t be too bad. She knocked on the door expecting an answer, but none came. A servant she recognized readily opened the door with a grave expression.Mira had been with the August family for years. She knew about Nicole’s relation to Daphne and more than most about the August family. If she looked so grave, Nicole knew it was worse than she could have expected.“Mira?”Mira let her inside and closed the door behind her. Daphne’s scent had changed, leaning a little closer to the scent of a true vampire than before. Given the timing of the change, she was suspicious. They knew of plenty of half-human vampires who had never had the thirst for blood. There were also some who, for one reason or another, had taken on the full change. Those few had a bit of an advantage over born vampires in that they tended not to be sensitive to su
Arthur was in a bad mood, but as Daphne held onto him, she couldn’t help but laugh. They’d left the cottage about an hour ago and they hadn’t gone for. If she didn’t know better, she would have sworn he was walking in circles just to avoid leaving.“Oh, Arthur, it won’t be that bad.”“We deserve at least a month,” Arthur grumbled walking through the forest.She laughed, “Is that why you’re walking so slow?”He didn’t answer and she laughed harder, leaning into the warmth of his glossy, golden fur. He’d been grumbling about heading back to deal with the mess of the werewolves and vampires for the past few days.“We don’t have to go back,” Arthur huffed. “You don’t think Nicole can’t handle those cowards?”Nicole would just as soon kill half of the pack leaders than put up with bullshit from them, but that wouldn’
Morning came slowly, waking Arthur. Daphne’s scent filled his nose and he turned to look at her, grinning at her sleeping face. As if she felt him looking at her, her eyes snapped open and their gazes met. Arthur turned, pressing his lips to hers, unable to resist the need to be closer to her, to be sure she was still his Daphne.Daphne sighed, pressing into the kiss with a little sigh. The sound sent heat through his blood until need and desperation pooled in his hips and he felt his cock swelling.Daphne gasped, as he angled his hips against hers. She looked up. Arthur’s face heated. He was going to apologize, to make some sort of excuse, but he didn’t get a chance.In a flash, he was on his back with Daphne hovering over him. He was a bit shocked at her speed and strength, but his wolf growled in contentment. Did werewolf mates tussle with one another? He’d always imagined it as sweet and gentle, but the urge to flip them over again an
Arthur chuckled at her thought. Did she think he wanted to talk about it now? He was running on adrenaline and relief. As soon as he got somewhere he knew was safe for them both, he’d probably collapse, curled around Daphne.“I haven’t changed much, Daphne.”“That’s not true,” Daphne said, “You have more scars.”Arthur shrugged, “They’ll be gone in a few days.”“Not on your skin,” Daphne said, sliding a hand over his chest as she looked up at him, “In here.”His heart sped up as their gazes met. He wanted to protest, but he couldn’t find the words. She was right. So much had happened. He’d been so used to not thinking about it before Daphne, then worrying about it with her, that losing her had left him floundering.She stepped back, taking his hands and leading him towards the house.“Come on. Let’s take a bath. I th
Arthur opened his arms trying to sweep her into his arms, but she lunged at him, wrapping her arms around him and sobbing into his shoulder. Fear filled him and anxiety. He didn’t know what to make of her sudden apology or what he should say in response.“I’m so sorry, Arthur! I should have never gone! I shouldn’t have left you. I should have made Mamie and the others leave me behind, at least they would have been alive.”Arthur’s eye burned with an unfamiliar sensation. He didn’t remember the last time he’d cried or if he’d cried at all, but the tightness in his chest felt like it was going to burst. It sounded like she was regaining her memories, but had she regained all of them?She hiccupped, “The baby… It wasn’t your fault. I…”Arthur tightened his grip on her with a relieved sigh, burying his nose in her neck.“Daphne,” he whispered. “You r
Daphne didn’t speak as they watched the fire rage, burning through vampire and werewolf corpses and surrounding John as he panicked, limping as if his leg had been injured. Daphne narrowed her eyes as he tripped on nothing.He tumbled, head over heels onto the duchess’ body, and shrieked, drawing back as the fire began to devour him.“No! Your Majesty, please!” John crawled towards them. His face twisted with desperation and terror.Daphne didn’t look away, meeting his gaze as he realized that there was nothing he could say to escape his fate. His expression turned determined as he got to his feet and tried to shake off the fire that had reached his jacket. He tore it off but another burst of fire started on his pant leg and he went down again.“That lesson about tying your boots properly,” Nicole said lightly, “That is why.”Her lips twitched into just a bit of amusement as he began to scream a
Daphne rushed to where his body stopped, pulling him onto his back as tears fell down her cheeks.“Just hold on!”Owen’s hand grabbed hers as she settled her shaking hands over the hole in his chest. Blood was bubbling up and pooling around them. Her magic warmed and stuttered trying to close the hole.“Run…” he gasped before his last breath escaped him and she could no longer feel any spark of life in him.“No…” she sniffled. “No! You can’t–”A snarl drew her attention from above. Osborn had shifted and started to barrel down the side of the hill towards her. She lunged aside, barely dodging his attack, and grabbed her sword, turning into his next attack as he skidded, turned, and lunged at her again.His claws met her blade and shoved her back and off her feet. She tumbled back and landed hard on her arm.He was too strong f
Arthur ran towards Osborn, snarling at him. Osborn didn’t seem worried, watching and waiting for him before moving at the last possible moment. He shifted into his human form so Arthur’s attack, just barely missed him before shifting back into his wolf form to snap his jaws at Arthur’s leg.Arthur shifted mid-air and rolled across the ground. His heart was hammering. If he hadn’t, there was a good chance that Osborn would have taken his leg off or at least wounded him seriously.Osborn was nothing like Owen. He had to be more careful. Osborn chuckled and turned towards him.“Hello, nephew… shame your mother manage to get you out in time… I’m impressed you have a bit of battle awareness.” Osborn laughed, dark and furious. “Next time, I’ll just take your head.”Arthur got to his feet, eyeing Osborn. They watched each other before he heard the duchess’ footsteps.&ld
Tom looked up in horror.He couldn’t believe it, but there was no mistaking Osborn even with his missing eye. He was wearing the same armor he’d gone to battle against the vampires in though it bore the signs of battle. Behind him were other werewolves in the same armor, glaring across the clearing.How could he be alive?His heart lurched as Arthur got to his feet and shifted into his wolf form at Daphne’s side. He’d been overpowered by a half-vampire woman. Arthur didn’t stand a chance against Osborn! What were they going to do?Even with the Royal family’s ability to control wolves, Arthur didn’t have the years of combat experience or the deep-seated rage that Osborn did. His legs felt weak as he turned to look at the others who looked confused and had started to engage the turned werewolves.It was uncanny and deeply disturbing to see Osborn commanding them. What would Dean have thought of his brother now
Her tone was as sharp as a blade. She seemed to glide towards him and swung at him, barely missing his shoulder.She was much faster than he remembered. He felt the force of her swing as it missed him and knew she’d gotten stronger too.“Daphne! Stop. I don’t know what they’ve done to you, but this isn’t like you–”“You don’t know anything, murderer!”His gut clenched and for a moment he heard the furious chants of the Brown Valley pack at the back of his mind.He pushed those thoughts away and dodged another attack.“You killed my son!” Daphne screeched.Her words struck him. His blood ran cold, “What?”Daphne growled at her, “Don’t play dumb, werewolf. You were happy to sleep with me but you couldn’t bear the thought of half-vampire son, could you?”The bubbling joy of hearing that she was pregnant died as the rest o