She nods. “It’s a beautiful day outside. We could go for a walk in the garden.” “Am I allowed to do that?” I ask her. She giggles. “Of course. And you’re dressed for it.” I glance down at my red sundress and strappy sandals. “All right,” I say. “As long as you’re sure the king won’t mind.” “No,
Emory “This is her?” a blonde woman with a pointy nose asks, her raised finger barely sharper than her beak. “This is the fucking breeder?” I take a deep breath, not wanting any trouble. I am obviously outnumbered, and while I have no problem kicking Opal’s ass and her friends’ asses, I have a fee
“Shift, stupid bitch!” Opal says, kicking me again, this time in the shin, harder. Her foot is like a piece of stone, and I wince as I feel myself instantly bruising. I may have to run with one shoe on and hope that it falls off. Maybe I can use this shifting bit to my advantage. “It’s against the
“Get back here, fucking bitch breeder!” Opal is shouting, and I can feel the reverberation of their footsteps off of the sidewalk as they fly toward me. I am fast. I am not that fast. I see the castle in front of me and know it will take me a moment to get up the steps and through that door. Even
Emory My head is aching, and my shin is throbbing, but when I look up to see King Kane standing near the side of my bed, it’s like all of the aches dissipate, and the only thing that matters now is him. I start to sit up, but he stops me with a motion of his hand. Helga and Nellie are gone, and it
“Emory?” The sound of my name on his lips does nothing to dislodge the distraction I am caught in. He lifts his other hand so that one finger is beneath my chin, and he pulls my eyes back to meet his face. When his hand leaves my skin, I can breathe again, and my hand slips away from his arm. “Actua
Emory Kane’s mouth is smooth and warm as his lips move against mine. Once again, I’m surprised that they’re not cold, but the longer he holds himself against me, the more those thoughts fade from my mind, and all I can think about is how badly I want this man who is touching me in a more intimate w
And he didn’t have to. “What about that man from the meeting yesterday?” he asks, changing the subject on me so abruptly, I’m not sure who he’s speaking of. I stare at him, unblinking. “The tall one who was standing behind you.” “Oh. Darius,” I say with a nod. “He’s my Beta. Will be my Beta. Was s
WillowI never like it when Rainer comes home injured. The gashes Opal left on him have healed by the time I see him, so there’s no reason to drag him to the clinic to get checked over by Dr. Martin. He tells me that Lex is in worse shape and is being treated by the doctor at Scarlett Thunder. Opal
LexRainer moves quickly, shielding Kane with his body. The sword slices into the dark fabric of his shirt and leaves a large cut on his shoulder. He hisses from the pain and pushes Opal away with his other arm, nearly knocking her off her feet. Blood drips down from the sword, onto the carpet.Opal
EmoryWith the Nightstones all refusing to leave Nightfall until Lydia is woken up from her magically-induced coma, I decide to hold the meeting with all the Alphas at Alpha Gerald’s home. His home is a fortress, and he has the room to accommodate all the Alphas and their entourages. I’ll also get t
Rainer“You son of a bitch, you did it,” I say, still reeling with how Kane has managed to convince the vampire monarchs to agree to his insane plan.“Hey. That’s my mother you’re talking about.” Kane is smiling so I know he doesn’t really take offense. “I’m surprised I got them to agree, too. I tho
KaneI don’t know how much King Myenas is looking into Lydia’s death. I know people have to be talking about seeing Lex flee Carmine Falls with a witch who throws fireballs at guards. Having the meeting with all the vampire monarchs at Scarlett Thunder is a way to deflect that this whole thing isn’t
LexI’m not looking forward to having guests again after Cole’s birthday party. It hasn’t been that long, and the expense troubles me. The royal coffers are still low on funds, but I couldn’t refuse my brother when he asked me if I could host the meeting between the vampire monarchs. I'm surprised K
KaneAs Lex is leaving to go back to Scarlett Thunder, I tell him about the plan to end King Myenas’s feeder trafficking operation by replacing it with my own more humane system. My brother looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. Saying it out loud to another person makes me realize how unhinged the pla
LexNow that Lydia Nightstone is back with her pack, I’m going to head back to Scarlett Thunder. Cole and I have been away for too long, and I have a lot of work to tackle. I’m not looking forward to the paperwork, but that’s part of running a kingdom. There’s always an endless amount of paperwork.
“I need to end the business with the feeders. It’s how he has allies. He provides them a steady blood supply without going through the trouble with the shifter packs. If I can cut off his blood supply, his allies will not stick around,” I explain.If there is anything I know about the vampire royals