Novels by ladidi

The workspace Sage had prepared was in one of the tower's middle floors, in what looked like a library or research room. Books lined the walls, ancient texts mixed with modern volumes. In the center was a clear space with cushions arranged in a circle, candles burning at cardinal points.Sage looked up from her laptop as we entered. "Hey. Ready to potentially traumatize yourself for the cause?""Do I have a choice?" I asked."Not really." She gestured to the cushions. "Sit. Both of you. This will work better if Dante's present, the bond will help stabilize you."I sat, and Dante settled across from me, close enough that our knees almost touched. This close, the bond hummed louder, feeding me constant updates on his emotional state: worry, carefully controlled, and underneath that, grief he wouldn't acknowledge.Still mourning his mother, I realized. However long ago she'd died, the wound was still fresh."Stop that," Dante said quietly."Sorry." I tried to pull back from the bond, to

The other wolves backed up, forming a loose circle. I could feel their anticipation, their curiosity. Most of them probably expected me to fail spectacularly.Vera didn't give me time to prepare. She came at me fast, a testing strike that I barely dodged. My wolf surged, wanting to shift, wanting to meet the threat with teeth and claws. But I shoved her down, relying on human reflexes instead.Bad move. Vera's next strike caught me in the ribs, pulling the blow at the last second but still hitting hard enough to drive the air from my lungs. I staggered back, and she followed up with a leg sweep that should have taken me down.Should have. But years of foster care had taught me how to fall, and I rolled with it, using the momentum to create distance. When Vera came at me again, I was ready. I couldn't match her strength or training, but I could be unpredictable.I went low when she expected high, slipped past her guard, and landed a solid hit to her kidney. Not enough to hurt her but e

The words hit like a slap, but I could feel through the bond that he didn't entirely believe them. This was armor, the same way my invisibility had been armor. A way to survive in a world that wanted to use him."Fine," I said. "I'm your meat shield. But I'm a meat shield who can feel when you're in danger. Who can access abilities that might keep us both alive. Who might be able to figure out who killed Adrian Sorenson and the others.""Others?""Your father said this was the fourth murder. Four wolves, all high-ranking, all drained. Someone is hunting your pack, Dante. And I might be the only one who can find them."He studied me for a long moment. "Because you're a Blood Heir.""Because I touched Adrian's body and absorbed some of his essence. Sage said I should be able to access his last memories. See what he saw before he died.""Sage talks too much," Dante muttered. But I could feel his interest through the bond, sharp and focused. "Can you do it? Access the memories?""I don't

I read Sage's notes cover to cover twice before Cassidy came to collect me. The journal was full of cramped handwriting, sketches of ancient symbols, and highlighted passages about Blood Heir abilities. Some of it was fascinating. Most of it was terrifying.Apparently, a fully awakened Blood Heir could not only absorb abilities but also memories, emotions, even fragments of personality. The strongest Blood Heirs in history had been able to command other wolves simply by understanding them completely—knowing their fears, their desires, their weaknesses.No wonder the packs had tried to wipe them out.The ritual chamber was in the sub-basement of the compound, far below the gleaming corporate facade. The walls down here were stone, old stone, the kind that had probably been part of Callahan City's original foundation. Candles burned in iron sconces, casting flickering shadows that made the carved symbols on the walls seem to move.About twenty wolves had gathered in a circle around a ra

I looked at Dante Silvercrest, at his cold eyes and contemptuous expression, and knew with absolute certainty that he would get me killed. Whether through negligence or intention, it didn't matter. This was a suicide mission with extra steps.But it was also time. Time to find out who killed Adrian Sorenson. Time to understand what I was, what a Blood Heir could do. Time to uncover the gaps in my own history, because I was suddenly certain they were connected to all of this.If I was going to die anyway, I might as well die with answers."Fine," I said, meeting Dante's glare with one of my own. "I'll do it.""Excellent." Dominic pressed the intercom again. "Cassidy, prepare for a guardian bond ritual. We do this tonight.""Tonight?" I couldn't keep the shock out of my voice. "Don't I get time to…""Prepare? Think it over? Run?" Dominic's smile widened. "No, Kira Volkov. You don't get any of those things. Welcome to the Silvercrest Pack.”As Cassidy led me from the office, I caught one

The Silvercrest compound looked like a fortress pretending to be a corporate headquarters. Thirty floors of gleaming glass and steel in the heart of the Spire district, where property values started at "obscene" and climbed from there. The bottom fifteen floors housed legitimate businesses, Silvercrest Holdings owned half the development projects in Callahan City. The top fifteen floors were pack territory, closed to humans and wolves alike without explicit permission.They took me to the top floor.The elevator ride felt like ascending to my own execution. The female enforcer, she'd introduced herself as Cassidy, head of security, kept her hand on my shoulder the entire way up. Not painfully, but firm enough that I couldn't mistake it for anything but a restraint."Nervous?" she asked, and I couldn't tell if it was mockery or actual curiosity."Terrified," I answered honestly. No point in lying when they could smell the fear sweat beading on my skin."Good. You should be. Alpha Silve