Valeria’s POVWarm, rough lips graze the length of my neck, leaving hot marks that feel like insect bites on my skin. The effect of the alcohol is still weaving in my bloodstream, but at that moment, I’m able to try to open my eyes.Dim orange lights blaze in my eyes, but it doesn’t take me a while
But at the same time, I don’t know what to say.I turn to Gianna for help, and she faces Ares. “I’m just helping her out.”“Why?” he demands. “With what?”I open my mouth to answer, but then he frows and sniffs the air. His eyes narrow.“What’s wrong, your Majesty?” Gianna asks. Then she pauses too.
Ares’s POV“King Ares!” Gianna keeps calling to me, trailing behind me like a lost dog as I head down the stairs. “King Ares, I have something to tell you!”I continue to descend the steps, ignoring her as her high heels make loud clacking noises that echo in the whole area. It feels like a taunt. E
With that, she gets up and leaves me alone, and I stay there for a long while, mulling it over my head.Then I decide to get up and head to the throne room.* * *Gianna’s POV“Everyone, all rise for the King of the Lycaon Kingdom, his Majesty Ares Ryder!”I break into the biggest smile as Ares emer
Valeria’s POV“Miss Valeria?”Celine’s voice echoes from the other side of the door. My heart jumps with hope and a small spark of joy. I scramble out of bed and wait in front of the door eagerly, and I watch as the guards open the door and let Celine in.She takes one look at me and tears flood her
“Why did you do this to me, Gianna?” I ask her in a low calm voice.Her eyes go wide. “What do you mean?”“Let’s not play dumb here.” I sigh. “I know that you did it. Did you put something in the drink? Did you give me to another man and let him take advantage of me? I can understand you doing it to
Ares’s POV“Help me! Help!” The sudden screams that invaded my ears just I enter the palace roots me to my spot. I immediately recognize the voice as Gianna’s and I can hear the raw fear in her tone. But the thing that broke the spell and made me move is the fact that the screams are coming from V
“White wolf?” Heather echoes. “What happened? Is it Nikolai? Or is it….”She trails off and I know that she immediately recognized it. I sigh. “Yes, you know who it is now. Please, help me locate her and keep everyone out of danger. Tell any guard to mind-link me if they see her.”“On it.”With that
“We’ll see,” is all I manage to say, then I promptly end the mind-link with Heather.Before I can even tell Frank to go, he already takes initiative. He starts to drive into the neighborhood, stopping in front of the lab and getting out of the car at the same time that I climb out. His fists are cle
“You don’t have to come forward and be public about your existence like we are,” I declare. I have to admit, I had no idea about that clause in the treaty. But then again, Nikolai and Ares should have known. If we were indeed doing something we shouldn’t then they should have spoken up about it. “We
Valeria’s POVI’m rooted in my spot, staring at the man in front of me. But at this point I suppose I should stop calling him a man, because he’s so far from that.Everything about him screams something else. Even though my heart rate has slowed down I still feel like I can’t move. I just watch as h
“No, mommy.” Edith shakes her head. “He just looked at me. And when I stopped playing, he left. I’m just scared that he’s there watching me again. I really want to play but I’m worried about him. What if I go out there and he’s watching me again? What do I do?”I can’t stand to see her this scared w
Valeria’s POV“Mommy, can I stay with you for a while?” Edith asks as I drop her and Emmett back to school. She holds my hand as we approach the building, and even though I hold her back reassuringly, I have to admit that I’m curious about this sudden shy behavior.“What’s going on?” Emmett asks. “D
My vice mayor has conducted some meetings with the delegates of important groups in the city while I was gone, and he compiled everything into papers. I read the papers all morning and finally come up with laws that bind the Lycan and Human world together.The new laws are similar to the initial one
Ares’s POV“I don't know what happened,” Vincent says as soon as we're gathered in my study, including Heather and Valeria. “I don't know how he managed to do it. But his hearing is next week and I heard that the judge is considering setting him free on a bail.”I stare at the back wall, still tryin
“It’s not like that, Ares,” I say, but he just turns away from me. I feel guilty for shooting down his feelings but I have no choice. It just feels too absurd for me. I recognize that I might be in denial, but I don’t think Gianna has enough power to sway the Vampire Kingdom into doing her bidding.
Valeria’s POVI whip around to face Lavinia. But of course, she just rolls her eyes like this is some senseless babble. “You better keep your mate in check. I can’t have him wreaking havoc like this.”“What did you do?” I demand at her, but she just waves her hand airily.“You should ask him what he