TYLERMoving forward through the dark woods toward Wolf Creek took all my willpower. Every ounce of my being wanted me to turn back. I’d been walking all day, fighting against the pull of my mate.It felt like I was being ripped in two. My soul was at war with my body, threatening to split from me and find its way to her.The woman who was the cause of my madness and my pain was also my reason for breathing. I needed her like I needed oxygen.I wasn’t sure when it happened or how I’d let the bond take over so completely. It didn’t matter though. It was too late to do anything else other than claim her as mine.Once I completed the bond, once I felt our souls join, everything would be right with the world. The mark she wore meant nothing. She would bend to me as was her place.Walking back into Wolf Creek, empty handed, was going to drive my father into a rage. He never wanted this for me, but he didn’t know what it was like. He never felt the pull of the mating bond. It was a connecti

Mist sprayed on my face and I closed my eyes, pretending the cool water was helping wash away my anxiety. The roar of the waterfall eased my racing mind, giving me a few blissful moments of peace before the weight of the world came crashing in around me.My eyes snapped open as I wiped the water from my face. I took a step back, then crossed my arms over my chest. The sun was low in the horizon and my clothes were soaked from standing so close to the waterfall. I was freezing, but that was a small price to pay for a moment of peace.Star had agreed to let us stay the night at her place, but I had to admit, the thought of fleeing had crossed my mind. It wasn’t that I wanted to run from my problems, it was that I was tired of getting swept up in everyone else’s. Since when was it my job to help my absentee father with a coup?I shifted my weight and my feet slipped on the mossy ground, nearly causing me to fall. Finding my balance, I backed away from the edge of the water. At least my s

I marched over to Spencer, my eyes narrowed. Heat rushed through me, and I felt like I had electric current in my veins. “When were you going to share this with us? How dare you put my friends’ lives at risk. After everything you’ve already done.”“First of all, I didn’t even know you were alive, so spare me the deadbeat dad guilt,” Spencer said with a growl.His tone was menacing, and I tensed but held my ground.“Second, I never asked your friends for help. I asked you. And your brother was a happy addition,” he said.“That’s why you needed us,” Malcom said. “You can’t do this without blood relatives to help. You weren’t counting on the others joining.”“Maybe there’s hope for you, after all,” Spencer said. “Get your sister in order.”I growled. A low, loud rumbling that felt like it came from my toes. “Nobody gets me in order. We are the ones helping you and we can back out of that at any time.”Spencer lifted a brow. “Did you growl at your future king?”“Did you talk down to a fut

I followed Star down the long hall, past several doors until we reached a room at the end.“It’s all yours,” Star said. “I call it the yellow room.”“Well, that’s dubious,” I said as I pushed open the door. Everything in the room was an overwhelming shade of yellow. My lips parted. “You weren’t joking. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much yellow in one place before.”The wallpaper was yellow and white striped, the bed was covered in a pale-yellow quilt, and the lampshades were an almost neon lemon color. I stepped into the room, noting the huge yellow and orange rug that covered most of the wood floor. “Your choices or did it come with the house?”“It came this way. I didn’t ask.” She walked toward a closet and slid open a mirrored door. “It also came with this.”Inside the closet were men’s suits, dress shirts, and ties hung in neat rows. My brow furrowed. “It just showed up in the closet?”“Maybe Winter thought I’d have a friend over some day. I’ve learned not to question the fae to

A shiver ran down my spine as I peered down the ominous steps. I didn’t like the thought of going down there, but if Star was there, it could provide more privacy than other parts of the house. I didn’t want an audience for what I was going to ask.You don’t cross a witch. Everyone knew that. Though, the example I’d grown up with had been my own grandfather. While the true history was different, and his curse might not have been the result of his direct actions, it was still a warning. Witches could do things with magic that shifters had no power over.I balled my hands into fists and took a deep breath, steeling myself for the descent. My fear of witches and their magic was less than my fear of being bonded to Tyler for eternity.The bond was getting stronger, and I needed to stop the connection. I had reached the point of desperation. Anything to break the bond would be worth the risks.The only light in the basement came from the orange lamps softly buzzing over the rows of herbs.