CARLA WINEHOUSEGotham palace was quieter than it had ever been when I stepped out of my chambers, where I had been hiding out away from the Alphas.That was the thing about doing something scandalous, the immediate need to take cover was a wise choice in Gotham if one didn’t want to lose their good head.I had felt the Alphas absence before I’d heard the great palace gates rocketing open and the stampede of horses storming away from the lot.“Hello?” I croaked tentatively, but only the distant sound of conversation reached my ears.My curly red hair felt heavy behind me as I swept toward the voices, sucking through arched entryways and paths until I saw the old Wueen sitting round a small white table with her posse of fans.I was over this shit. Panic wormed it’s way into my gut when I remembered Alfred’s threats. What would Alaric do to me when he realized I had failed the one simple task he had given me? To keep an eye on FUCKING ELENA.“What’s going on?” I whispered, feigning an

Anthony Gotham“Hawk. Status report.” I ground through clenched teeth as we slammed the horses to a stop inside the huge lattice gates of the palace.My boots hit the cobblestone path with a thud and I jogged toward the circle of guards around the grey husk of the servant’s apartment with the guard following closely behind my brother and me.“Happened only minutes ago Your Highness, one of the royal maids was found in a bloody pile in the common kitchens,” I felt my patience thin even more as I stared at him in disbelief. We had come all the way here for a bloody maid? The guard seemed to understand the expression on my face before hurrying farther down the path, forcing us to follow.“Normally one of the elders would handle such delicate matters, Your Highness but I'm afraid this was impossible seeing as it was one of the Luna’s own handmaidens,” The one-eyed wolf grunted, and a bolt of current whipped through my body.“Who?” Michael snarled before I could, slamming to a stop the s

Michael’s POV“Can you tell us what happened again? From the top?” I growled, narrowing my eyes at the trembling woman who stood below the dias, swooning on the red carpet that stretched across the throne room as if she would fall.I caught the way Anthony’s hands circled around the throne’s armrest, his knuckles whitened to the bone. I could tell he was trying to keep from lunging at my throat and felt a smile tear at my lips.Had to be tough. I was doing the best I could to pick apart Carla’s story. Something about the shit she spewed didn't sit right with me. And that was from someone who spewed shit for a fucking living.“Is this REALLY necessary Michael? The woman is tired and she's with CHILD, for fucks sake-” My brother’s raspy baritone swept through the sea of elders who murmured, their whispered dissent settling an air of unease over the swooping chandeliers that hung down around the throne room.I could feel his hot hazel eyes boring into the side of my face as if trying to

ELENA GOTHAMIt was the muted din of laughter in the distance that made me gasp awake with goosebumps covering my entire body.I whipped my head around the clearing in the trees so fast that my vision of the tall spindly trees blurred and spun.We were still in the dark woods, I could tell by the suffocating despair that hung in the air like the thick rain clouds in the vast sea of black above us. It was night already. “Good. Keep that vomit in your throat Goldilocks,” Bella snarled drily and I turned to see her large form glaring down at me.I opened and closed my mouth wordlessly, barely trusting myself to speak as pain zinged up and down my body, brooding around my ankles that had been strapped with sticks and bandages.My throat felt like someone had shoved a grater through it, and I let out another groan when I felt my belly cramping.Had I hurt my baby in the fall? I shook myself, refusing to let panic tear through my heart. I needed to get out of here. I needed to think!The

ALPHA ALARIC WOLFEThe valley between my eyebrows felt like it was weighed down by my brick blocks as I tumbled into the clearing, feeling the wraith of my tunic sailing behind me.“Where is she?” I roared, scanning the mess of campfires and tents scattered between the tall pine trees.My gaze caught on the bloodied wolf woman kneeling face-down in the dirt, surrounded by a litter of the red moon beasts.My lap dogs.The woolen rope binds that once held the Gotham Luna were now slack and empty. I blinked slowly, trying to take in the sight as red-hot fury burned through me.“Bella. What is this?” I growled after marching toward the prisoner, staring down my nose at her as the guards forced her head up, sending a wave of satisfaction through me when I saw the large purple and red bruises marking the leathery skin.“Your Majesty, we have good reason to believe the general let the prisoner go. We also have reason to believe she was working with Markov. The rogue, to double-cross you,” Al