Kane's POV:While I wait for Charmaine, I drag the growing stack of paperwork toward me. I had planned to reschedule all the meetings I had to miss over the last three weeks, but I just don’t get around to it.While paging through the stack of papers, I call my assistant on her cellphone. She’s bristling. “Where the hell have you been? I’m holding this place together with staples and glue!”She’s human, so I can’t tell her much of anything that’s going on. “Oh come on, Layla, give yourself more credit than that, you can handle it. I have an ongoing family crisis.”“What kind of crisis?’After working for me for three years, she knows she won’t get an answer, but she always asks. “You know better than to ask. Did you relay everything important to Mister Willis?”Over the years, I’ve put failsafes in place in case werewolf business

For the first time in two days, I wake up feeling almost good. Most of the aches and pains are gone, and the crushing fatigue is now merely annoying – something that is hanging around to remind me I’m busy growing another living being.I take a long shower, sighing with pleasure as the warm water washes away the last several days’ agony. I even have enough energy to change the linens, and since no one’s been in here to clean for a while, I decide I might as well get on with that too.I’m unsure what this emotion is I’m feeling. I have felt it before, but I’m loathe to even think of the word because it never lasts. I’m happy. I can count the few times I’ve been this cheerful on one hand. The last time I was this happy was a month ago when I met Suri.Singing a lullaby Aunt Mildred taught me, I make my way to the living room, expecting to see Carl or Kane, but it’s Glenn who waits for me today. His head h

Kane's POV:The three massive Gammas, emissaries from Vickus’s kingdom, look at me like I just hit them with a wet fish. “Forgive me, king,” one of them says. “You want us to decide Vickus’s fate? Why?”“You were his warriors. Your lives were impacted by his actions the most. What is your process?”“Our process, king?”“Hm. Do you have a hearing or a court or…how do you deal with traitors?”“Vickus just…executed them. Publically.”“Well, we don’t. We gather our Gammas and decide their fate together.”The emissaries look at each other like it’s the most amazing thing they’ve ever heard. “You trust them?”“Yes.”“Why?” The oldest of the Gammas, Blake, asks. He’s the one I almost killed the night in the forest.“That’s ho

While we’re eating breakfast, Kane tells me about everything that happened yesterday. I’m not surprised to hear about Tyler. I know from experience how depraved people can be. “Bryce took an under-aged mate too….Is that a thing with werewolves?” “No. It’s against the law, but if we don’t know someone’s breaking the law there’s not much we can do about it.” “How did no one notice his mate was only fifteen?” Kane shrugs. “They probably lied about her age.” “So what now? What will you do with Tyler?” “I don’t know. He didn’t murder anyone. He didn’t commit treason. I want to kill him, but he didn’t break any laws that warrant a death sentence.” “What does it warrant?” “A lengthy prison sentence. Sometimes a sentence of slavery.” “Slavery?” I ask, not shocked at all, just curious. “Why?” “So they’ll understand what their victims went through.” “Ah,” I grin. “A tit for tat punishment.” “Something like that, but I can’t give him a sentence of slavery, because my grandfather outlaw

Kane’s POV “It’s not the potion,” Agatha says. “Nothing in it can cause…this kind of mental and physical decline.” “Fuck,” I run my hand through my hair and glance at Willow. She’s quiet, her head thrown back, looking at something we can’t see. “What is wrong with her?” “I don’t know, great king. Perhaps it’s the pup doing it to her.” “Why would he kill his own mother?” Agatha just shrugs. “Who knows why The Ultima does anything, my king? Maybe she’s not supposed to survive the pregnancy. Perhaps, the gods only granted you this short time together, so she can birth this saviour of the werewolf race, and then her time here comes to an end.” I have to stop myself from knocking Agatha’s head off her shoulders. She’s saying things I’ve been thinking about but don’t want to hear. I don’t want to believe it. I can’t. We are meant to be together forever. “If that’s the gods’ plan, it’s a bad one. Ripping the child’s mother an