Fuck. This is not how I want to die.I hear Kane’s voice through the madness and turn to see him, slightly bloodied. “Hold,” he says. “Hold your line. No one retreats.”A shout from behind us draws my attention. I turn to see King Cyrus on horseback with his bannermen behind him. Sardonia has come
KaneOur troops from both sides surround us with bated breath. The battle is mostly over. This duel between King Peter and I is what will determine the end of the war. It is the culmination of months of posturing and preparation.“Here are my terms, Kane Alexander of Crimson Peak” King Peter says. “
Kane is the conquering ruler. He can do what he wants. Him even putting this council together is his desire to be diplomatic. Kane believes in fairness and I love him for it.We sit at the war room of Crimson Peak at a long table. Kane sits at the head of my table and I’m at his right with Rainer at
When we reach the rose gardens, I let out a deep sigh and run a hand over my face. The heavy pressure of having to make a decision I don’t enjoy closes around me. Embry doesn’t let me go and rests her chin on my shoulder. Her emerald gaze doesn’t judge.“What are you thinking?” she asks.“I’m thinki
KaneDespite Emory’s urging that we get married as soon as possible, I want to do this right. I only plan on getting married once and I’m not going to have a rushed wedding. I’ve been asking her to marry me for months and I want us to have the wedding of her dreams. Besides, planning a wedding is le
“We don’t marry shifters either but here I am.”Lex snorts. “Enough about me. This is your big day.” He picks up the blazer off the chair and helps me into it and declares, “Let’s get you hitched.”We leave my suite and make our way to the ballroom where dozens of guests are waiting. Most of the va
We would rather be safe than sorry when it comes to Michael’s safety.Kane leads me around the dancefloor smoothly for our first dance. I had to endure months of dance lessons for this. Kane has decades of experience and he puts it to show as we glide around the room. Dancing with him is like a drea
EmoryI make my way down the stairs, trying not to trip on the hem of the green gown I’m wearing. It’s sleeveless with flowers embroidered on the bodice. I feel quite pretty, and I’m a little bit disappointed my husband won’t be able to see me. I’ve taken extra care with my appearance, curling my ha
MichaelI can count on one hand how many times I’ve been in this cathedral over the course of my short life. The dark stone walls echo even the smallest whisper, and the ancient stained glass sends shadows instead of snowy sunlight into the cavernous space. I wouldn’t consider vampires a very relig
FayeIt’s snowing on my wedding day. Snowing hard, actually, as I watch cars pulling around the castle where valets are waiting to greet the guests. The wedding will take place in an hour. An hour. I can’t believe it. My stomach pitches as two maids pull curlers from my hair and dab blush on my che
EmeldaQueen Emory smiles at the spread of vampire-friendly food laid out on a tea-table. Blood pastries and cakes galore sit on pretty little trays adorned with flowers, flutes of blood made to sparkle resting beside them. “Are you not hungry?” she asks as I inspect the spread over the sound of Al
MichaelI don’t really want to be here, but my mother and my fiancee practically forced me out of the castle and locked the door behind me. The dingy, crowded tavern some thirty miles away from the castle seems to sway against the crowd of shifters and vampires alike, everyone drinking copious amou
FayeIt’s snowing again. White fluff falls from the dark sky, highlighted by the exterior sconces placed along the walls of the castle. I smile as it blankets the ground, sticking to every surface it touches. I never really thought about the logistics of my future wedding. A marriage? Sure. My even
MichaelI stare at my soon-to-be bride, who looks up at me like a little golden owl, her blue eyes wide and shocked as she takes in my level of disheveledness. But I’m looking at her bloody finger, the bowl of liquid on the table, and the two guilty-looking ex-witches standing on either side of Fay
“He told me he thought you might have been pregnant the night we were going to give you that final potion,” she whispers, meeting my eyes. “I told him it couldn’t be. It was far too early to tell and the herbs I’d been giving you to try to heal you would have been harmful for the baby.”We stare at
FayeMorning comes like sand falling through an hourglass. All night, time moved so slowly. Each second passed in agony as I waited and paced, hoping for any shred of news from Michael. I’ve spent the most time in the living room sitting in awkward discomfort between Cole and Emelda, who refuse to
MichaelAlpha Harold watches as I sink into an armchair across from the raging fire in the hearth. He holds me a glass of whiskey, his eyes holding mine for a second before he turns to settle on a stool beside his mate. I find this entire situation–this man, this pack–alarming. “How long have you