“We all have great respect for your grandfather, and that’s why most of us have shown up today, despite our history with your father,” Alpha Nigel explains. “Asking us to go to war for you is a big request.”“And from what I’ve heard, you and the vampire king are more than allies,” Alpha Gerald adds
KaneEmory has left for Moon Grove to persuade the other shifter packs into becoming our allies. I try not to be too hopeful that she’ll succeed, not because I have no faith in her but because the enmity between our species has been around for far longer than Emory has been alive. It will take a lot
“Father trusted you to always give him the best advice,” I point out. “And you did. From what I’ve heard, you’re the reason there was less bloodshed between us and the shifters.”“I never saw the reason to antagonize the wolves. While we may be stronger and faster, the tides can always change. There
“No.” I get up from my seat abruptly, causing dishes and cutlery to rattle on the table. “I do not want to hear your excuses. We did monstrous things. There is no excuse for any of that.”I leave without turning back. My mother calls out for me. I ignore her.She’s not the one I need to talk to.*
EmoryI don’t immediately return to Crimson Peak. I take a few days to iron out the alliances with the other Alphas before they return to their villages. All the excitement from the previous days finally hits me, and I need to rest. My mother calls for a pack healer to come to the mansion for a chec
I’m glad I don’t have to be alone for this. When my mother wasn’t speaking to me, I thought I would have to be alone for my first shift. It’s a terrifying and lonely thought. I’m relieved I’ll be surrounded by my pack.I spend the next few days in bed, trying to rest up and take the healer’s advice.
My mom takes my hand in hers. “I’ve been waiting for years for this day. It’s not how I had imagined it to be, but I am so proud of you.”Tears well in my eyes. “Thanks, Mom.”I plan to call Kane tomorrow and thank him for the gifts. I know I am too concerned with the shift that night to think about
EmoryI open my eyes and stare up at the full moon. My senses are overpowered. I can hear and see things from afar. I smell everything from my mom’s cloying perfume to the dirt coating my paws.I look down at my new body. My paws are large and covered in white fur. I turn my head to look over the
Michael“The second born son of this union will be handed over at birth to King Mattias and his court to be raised in Red River as the rightful heir to the throne,” Dad reads aloud as he paces in front of the windows in his office that overlook the bleak, snow drenched landscape beyond, “to ensure t
MichaelThe emissary to Red River–the real one–isn’t anyone I recognize. He’s tall and pale blond, his red eyes gleaming in the brightly lit ballroom where he and his posse of royal Red River guards have gathered. He scans the group before him–myself, my father, and my uncle, and smiles faintly, hi
I listen intently, watching a myriad of emotion play over her face as she knits her fingers together. “We spent an entire summer sneaking around,” she says softly, closing her eyes. “He’d find me in the garden, in the library, sometimes going as far as to sneak into my room at night. We couldn’t st
FayeStill in the library, I listen intently as Emelda discloses far more than I expected her to.There was a point in Emelda’s life as a vampire that she’d accepted she’d always be alone. Her bed would always be cold, her skin unblemished by a loving touch. She’d never know love again, and for deca
Faye“It really is gorgeous,” Emelda says the next morning while walking with me to the library. She runs her thumb over the massive sapphire ring and smiles faintly, raising her brows. “I think it’s a family heirloom, too. You should expect a load of fine jewelry to follow.”“You know I don’t care
FayeKing Kane is a slightly terrifying man. His presence is all consuming–like he sucks the light out of the room. He doesn’t look his age, like all vampires. The only indication that he’s a senior vampire compared to his son is the faint gray glow around his temples where his dark hair is starting
MichaelI watch Faye run a comb through her hair, over and over. The golden strands shine like golden silk in the pockets of sunlight shimmering through the curtains. Beyond the glass, knee-deep snow covers the castle grounds in a blanket of pure, untouched white. Deep inside, I feel a flicker of m
I shake my head, sniffling, trying to pull my tears back into my eyes but fail miserably. They trickle down my cheeks, freezing to my face. “We would have been caught.”“I wouldn’t have cared. I still don’t!”“You were getting married–”“I’ve been betrothed since I was a child,” he says hotly, gritt
Emelda“Why are you out here?” Cole asks, his hand moving up my back as he presses me closer. “You’re freezing.”“I wanted to check on Ravenfell–”“I was on my way–”“It’s not your responsibility–”“I was on my way to find you,” he cuts in, taking a breath. I open my eyes, breaking out of the haze