Novels by LadyBee

Cassie's POV Ledger leaned toward me quietly. “Think ours will be this dramatic?”I smirked. “Yours, maybe.”The officiating minister smiled as he looked at both couples. “Marriage is not about perfection,” he said. “It’s about grace. About two people choosing to love each other even when they don’t feel like it.”Alison nodded slightly. Kylian’s thumb brushed over her hand.Elaine squeezed Liam’s fingers. He squeezed back.I glanced toward the guests. Mom had her hands clasped tightly, her smile small but proud. Lady Adelaide’s expression was softer than usual, almost emotional. Chairman Rivers had that rare, content look… The one you’d only seen when his family was all together.Beside them, Ledger’s siblings watched: Dorothy was calm, Whitney was busy whispering something to George again, and Liam’s twin, Ledger, standing quietly next to me, eyes fixed ahead.The minister continued. “You have declared your intentions before God and before this gathering. You’ve exchanged vows and

Cassie’s POVIt had been three months since the stadium event. Since then, life had gone on quietly. Classes, internship, sleep, repeat. We were almost done with our first semester — just one step away from graduating Monarchcrest.But today wasn’t about school.It was about the wedding.We were outside the church courtyard, and it was already full. Rows of white chairs faced a wooden platform covered with flowers. Nothing over the top — just simple and neat. Exactly what Alison wanted.And it wasn’t only Alison and Kylian’s day. Liam and Elaine were getting married too. Same day, same time, same spot.When Liam announced that he and Elaine had agreed to go ahead with the marriage, we'd thought it was crazy. Because it meant they'd have only dated for three months, but Liam didn't seem to mind. It was better than an arranged marriage with someone he didn't like.It was weirdly perfect… They just made sense. There was no other way to explain it.“Cassie, pin this for me,” Alison said b

Author’s POVA few days later, Cassie stood outside Professor Owens’ office, holding a printed copy of her final-year feature. The Seniors had been told to write a feature on a prominent figure in Monarchcrest. Now that every major conflict in Ledger's life had reached its resolution. Cassie had decided it was time to submit her dissertation.Her name and title were clear on the front page:“From Suspension to Redemption: The Ledger Rivers Story.”She took a quiet breath before knocking.“Come in,” Professor Owens called.Cassie stepped inside and smiled when she saw her professor behind the desk, glasses on, reading something on her screen.“Monroe. Finally here to submit your project.” The professor asked.“Yes, ma'am. Sorry for the delay. I wanted to turn in my best.” Cassie replied.“That's alright. You’re only one of the last few to submit.” She smiled. “You’ve made a name for yourself here. Everyone’s curious about what you’d write.”Cassie laughed quietly. “I just hope it’s go

Cassie's POV I woke up to a whole lot of noise. More than usual. The noise wasn’t new. Mornings here were never quiet, not since we had started living with the soldiers. Someone was always training or shouting instructions before breakfast. But this time, it was different. There were more voices, lighter ones. Then it hit me… The Rivers had moved in yesterday. The realization had me sitting up immediately. Ledger and I had gone from being on the verge of breakup to just being a block away. In fact, he wasn't just a block away, our balconies were now opposite one another.First of all, I went to the bathroom to freshen up and brush my teeth. Pretty sure I'd done it in record time with how fast I was brushing. Once I was done, I got dressed. Considered using lipgloss, but knew Alison would tease me endlessly if she found out. So, I didn't.I went to the balcony, trying to see if I could catch Ledger. I stepped out at the same time he did.“Hey, Cassie.” He greeted me, waving at me.

Author's POV Whitney returned soon after with a big tray. She waved us off when we tried to help. “Sit down. You guys never listen.”She set down our usual orders like she’d read our minds. Then Ethan’s and Elaine’s specials. And finally, a plate for George—who hadn’t said a single word about what he wanted.We all stared.Whitney caught us. “What?”Cassie blinked. “You didn’t take our orders.”“And?”“You gave George food.” Cassie said, eyeing his plate. “A specific order might I add.” Her mouth twitched.Whitney rolled her eyes. “Mind your business. George and I will sort out whatever’s between us.”Cassie and Alison both tried to hide their grins behind their drinks.Elaine suddenly stood up and moved to the seat she’d avoided earlier, leaving the one beside George open.The table nearly burst into laughter. Whitney turned a darker shade of red.“Sorry about them,” she told George.He chuckled. “It’s fine. I’ve seen worse. Did worse… to your dad and mom,” he added, looking at Cass

Ledger's POV We'd won. Both teams had been unbeaten since the regular season started and had tied on the standings. Now, that tie was broken. It was definitely something worth celebrating for.But still, I also what it felt like to lose a game you'd thought you would win. So, I skated to Ethan. “How long are you going to remain down for?”He looked up, taking off his helmet to see who it was. When he realized it was me, a scowl formed in his face. “Fuck off, Rivers.” Ethan spat, looking down again.Well, he was more foul-mouthed than I had realized. “Come on, it was a good game. Could have gone either way.,“Don't patronize me.” He shot back.“I'm not. You underestimated me and didn't trust in your team.” I explained. “On the other hand, I studied your plays several times. And still, you were a lot harder to defend than I expected. If I hadn't prepared for the worst case scenario, we might have lost.”Then he looked at me. Like really looked at me.He studied me quietly, before speak

Theodora's POVThe world exploded into color and sound and smell. Everything I thought I knew was wrong. I had been living half blind my entire life. Now I could see emotions hanging in the air like ribbons. Fear was gray. Love was gold. Anger burned red. Nate's love for me wrapped around us both like a warm blanket. I could smell it. Taste it. Feel it on my tongue.My ears picked up sounds from three floors above. Footsteps. Whispered conversations. Someone's stomach is growling. A faucet dripping in a bathroom I would never find as a human. The cacophony should have been overwhelming. Instead, it felt right. Natural. Like my brain was designed to process this much information.I tried to tell Nate how incredible everything was. Opened my mouth. A whine came out. High pitched. Frustrated. Not words. Not even close. I tried again. Concentrated harder. Another whine. Damn it. This body did not have vocal cor

Nate's POVDora's screams tore through me like knives. Her body convulsed on the stone floor. Silver light poured from her eyes and mouth like she was burning from the inside. I lunged forward. Had to reach her. Had to make it stop. Elder Moira caught my arm. Her grip was iron."Let me go. She is dying.""She is transforming. If you interrupt now you will kill her. The process must be completed.""Look at her. She is in agony.""Yes. And she will survive it. Or she will not. But interfering guarantees failure. Trust the protocol. Trust her."Trust felt impossible when every instinct screamed to protect. The bond between us pulsed with her pain. I felt every moment of it. Every nerve ending is on fire. Every bone is breaking and reforming. Every cell is changing into something new. It was destroying me. Tearing me apart. I fell to m

Theodora's POVThe training room was underground. No windows. Stone walls that absorbed sound. Cold enough that my breath fogged. Elder Moira stood across from me looking grim. She held a small vial filled with dark liquid. The accelerated training protocol. Whatever was in that vial would put me into a trance state deep enough to access parts of my mind I normally could not reach. Deep enough to confront my power directly."Once you drink this there is no stopping the process. You will be under for hours. Maybe longer. Your body will go through changes. Physical. Mental. Spiritual. It will hurt. A lot. But you cannot wake up early. If you try to surface before the protocol is complete your mind could shatter. Do you understand?""I understand.""Are you certain you want to do this? There is still time to back out. Choose a slower safer path.""There i

Nate's POVThe Council chamber erupted into chaos. Voices overlapped. Arguments bounced off stone walls. Everyone had an opinion on what to do about Richard and Vincent escaping. Most of those opinions were useless. Magistrate Thorne stood at the head of the table looking smug despite the disaster. Like he had planned this somehow. Like the escape proved his point about how dangerous the situation had become."Order. We need order." His voice cut through the noise. "Richard Montgomery and Vincent Steele are loose. They know the compound's location. They know Miss Steele's capabilities. We must assume they are planning another attack. A more organized one. We have three days until the full moon. Three days to prepare.""Prepare for what?" I could not keep quiet anymore. "You heard what Vincent said. The ritual does not need Dora's consent. Just her presence. That means they will come for her. T

Theodora's POVWhite ceiling tiles. Sterile smell. Steady beep of machines. I woke in the medical wing and knew immediately that something was wrong. Not physically. My body felt fine. Rested. The exhaustion from unleashing my power was gone. But there was a weight around my neck that had not been there before. Heavier than the first collar. More substantial. I lifted my hand to touch it and felt intricate metalwork. Cold metal that seemed to pulse with its own energy.Nate was asleep in a chair beside my bed. His head tilted at an angle that would give him a horrible neck ache when he woke. His injuries were healed. Thank god. The broken ribs. The fractured jaw. All of it mended while I was unconscious. He looked peaceful. Younger somehow. Like the boy I fell in love with before everything got complicated. Before mates and councils and prophecies. I wanted to reach out and touch his face but I did not want to wak

Nate's POVPain drowned everything else. My ribs screamed with each breath. My jaw throbbed where Richard broke it. Blood filled my mouth. But none of that mattered because I could feel Dora through the bond. Feel her teetering on the edge of something dark. Something she could not come back from. I had to reach her. Had to pull her back before she crossed that line.My shift reversed. Bones cracked as they reformed. Fur receded. The process hurt worse than it should have because of the injuries. Every transformation pulled at broken places. Tore at damaged tissue. I gasped when I finally became human again. Naked. Bleeding. Barely able to stand. But I could speak now and that was what mattered."Dora."My voice came out rough. Damaged. But she heard it. I saw her flinch. Saw the silver light in her hand flicker. She was listening. Still there. Still my Dora