Novels by A. L. Lacey

I woke to pain. Real, sharp, oh-my-gods-what-now pain.My body slammed against something hard with every jolt. My ribs burned. My head pounded like someone had stuffed a drum inside my skull and invited toddlers to play with sticks. A dry, dusty scent filled my nose, and was that a horse I just heard?. I also smelled sweat, and leather, and something metallic and wrong.I tried to move. Couldn’t.Someone tied my arms and legs so tightly that I could feel the ropes biting into my skin. Every time I tried to move, the burning from my bindings intensified. Panic surged fast and vicious, clawing up my throat. I took some slow, deep breaths. Panic would not help me. I forced one eye open against the blinding sunlight. I needed information if I was to make it out of this alive.When I cracked open my eye to try and take a peek at what kind of situation I was in. I noticed nothing was behind us but forest and woods. That could only mean one thing right now. I was hog-tied across the back of

We reached the clearing where Zephyrous and Evalandra were already waiting. Zeph wore his usual cool, unreadable mask; Evalandra waved excitedly at our approach,“You got it done faster than I thought,” Evalandra said, grinning. “How did the fight go with The Yale? You don't look injured?” Ev looked me up and down.“I guess I’m good,” I said, letting a little pride warm my chest. “She didn’t actually fight it.” Carlin said, bursting my false pride.“You actually didn’t fight one?” Zeph asked bluntly.“I didn’t. I took it while it slept,” I said

I slipped into the clearing, basket slung at my side, and began gathering tusoshary. I wasn’t sure whether to hunt down a Yale beast or search for the elusive crawling stammerwort. My decision would have to wait—first, I needed river pokeroot. The sound of rustling snapped me into the shadows, heart hammering. I knew there would be other creatures out here, but these woods were unfamiliar to me.A bark broke the silence.“Bella?”“Woof!” She tilted her head, as if asking what I was doing out here.“So this is where you’ve been running off to, girl?”“Woof!” She barked again, pleased.“Alright, but you need to be quiet. I’m hunting a Yale beast and searching for plants. Hopefully Uncle Garret won’t mind you tagging along.”Bella gave a low, dismissive growl, as if to say she didn’t care what Garret thought—she was with me. I laughed and scratched her head.“Okay then. Hunt the beast with the big horns and lead me to it. But don’t let it notice you.”With a soft bark, Bella darted away

Time dragged like molasses these past months. Camp to camp, trail to trail—always moving with Carlin and Evalandra. Evalandra was a bard who could make the rain sound poetic. We checked on supplies, trained till my muscles ached, and kept things running. All of that was useful and important, but they hadn't allowed me into the Order's secrets yet, and that gnawed at me. Every day, I pestered Carlin to let me join early. Every day, he refused. Today, though—today was different. Today was my twentieth birthday. The rules finally shifted today, in my favor.I leaped out of bed, a surge of excitement coursing through me. My hair routine was muscle memory by now: down enough to hide the scars, pulled back enough to keep it out of my eyes. Not glamorous, but efficient. I could never make it look as good as Hana did. Today I had a new mission—to harass Carlin worse than ever before.

Saying goodbye to Ivy was harder than I wanted to admit. But there was no changing it. We each had our own missions to handle. She was strong, clever, and resourceful. She’d survive. At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.Bella padded quietly at my side as the days blurred together. I followed whispers and tracks, chasing after Sir Garret and Carlin. Even with their direction, I always seemed to be a few steps behind. Sleep became a stolen luxury—snatched in shallow bursts beneath trees or in abandoned barns.The woods weren’t safe. The city was worse. Every time I stepped into a street, suspicion prickled over my skin. Eyes lingered too long. Who knew how many Remier had bought? Shadows felt sharper here, less like cover and more like traps. I didn’t belong among them, not hidden in alleyways with my hood pulled low.Nearly a week passed before I finally stumbled into the outskirts of the seeker camp. My knees weakened at the sight of their banners, relief flooding through me s

Ivy let me sleep far longer than I meant to, but she was right—I needed it. My body felt heavier, my chest hollow, and the guilt had not lessened. Ivy didn’t look tired at all. She only looked worried.“Has anyone come out of the woods?” I asked gently.“No.” Her voice was clipped, trailing into silence.“Not even—” I started, but she cut me off.“No.”She didn’t look at me, which was merciful, because I flinched. The pain in her tone was worse than anything I could have imagined.“Maybe he had to go another way,” I said quickly, desperate to keep the fragile thread of hope alive—for her sake, for mine.“Maybe.”Her face was unreadable, but her shoulders sagged, and guilt hit me hard. If her husband was gone, was it because of me?“I’m sorry,” I whispered.“Don’t be.” She still didn’t meet my eyes, just kept staring out the window, as if the forest itself might deliver him back.“Is there anything I can do?” I asked, my voice small.“Yes.” Her gaze finally left the glass. “Take watch

We drove for hours, heading north—farther north than I had ever traveled in my entire life. The town I knew all my life disappeared behind us slowly, like it didn’t want to let me go, but it finally did. Everything I grew up knowing disappeared slowly into the vast forest.After we passed the last small neighborhood, the world became nothing but trees. Moss coated the trunks in soft green velvet. Ferns spilled across the forest floor in waves. Sunlight flickered through the branches, sliding over us in warm, gold stripes. Between the shifting shadows, everything looked dreamlike… unreal…I couldn’t look away. My forehead practically stayed glued to the window. It was just so beautiful.“You see anything good?” Luka asked, amusement curling in his voice.“No,” I breathed, “but… I’ve never been this far out of town before. The woods out here are just amazing,”“Why not?” Luka questioned.“I don’t know. Mom never wanted to go anywhere. Plus, we never had the money to do anything anyway.”

A heartbeat later, the elevator doors slid open with a soft metallic sigh. Luka stood there, framed by the warm gold light pouring from the hallway behind him. For a split second his expression was pure shock—wide eyes, frozen stance—then it shattered and reformed into something far darker. His jaw locked. His nostrils flared. A quiet, controlled fury radiated off him like heat from a furnace.He looked from me… to the massive black wolf at my side… then back at me. And the way his eyes moved over me this time made my stomach twist. This wasn’t a concern look. This wasn’t the soft warmth he usually gave me.This was rage. Icy. Focused. Lethal.“Who did this to you?” Luka’s voice was low, almost too calm, but each word dripped with barely contained violence.Talk later. She needs care.“No! I need to know what happened,” Luka snapped, stepping forward.Don’t back-talk to me, boy. The wolf’s growl reverberated in the elevator like distant thunder. The Alpha here has it handled. Take her

The wolf from my dream was here. It was physically here. It was massive, with glowing blue eyes. He looked pissed. Monica shook next to me. “Holy fuck…. I can't do this!” Monica's voice was laced with fear. She dropped the knife she held at my side. She turned to flee. Before she got the chance. The black wolf pounced on her. Chad was nowhere to be seen. Of course, P.O.S. The wolf growled in her girl's face. Monica began sobbing. I couldn’t let her die. WHY SHE WANTED YOU DEAD. A deep, angry male voice sounded in my head. I stood in disbelief. The wolf was looking at me. Cold fury in his eyes. I knew he wasn’t mad at me but, I froze on the spot. We stared down each other. No one is budging. I think he was waiting for my answer. I AM Holy crap, this was crazy. “Because she wasn’t acting alone. There is something bigger going on.” I tell the wolf. I think I lost it. This couldn’t be real.Explain “Give me a minute. This is cray.” I tell him trying to get my thoughts in order.

Stars exploded across my vision. Pain burned through my face as I fell to the floor. Soon, my attacker was lifting me to my feet. I couldn't breathe. I was trying to wrap my head around what was going on. I was being choked. My head was swimming. I think I heard a voice? “FUCKING DIE ALREADY!” A female voice was fuming with anger. Who was that? I couldn’t think straight with the pain. I have never been hit before, and the lack of oxygen didn't help. Something had to be done by me. I couldn't move. If something didn’t happen soon, I was going to die. Maybe I was okay with that. No more pain. No more losing people. That sounded nice. NO! YOU WILL NOT DIE! A voice sounded. Snapping out of my thoughts. I had people to live for. I would not die. I dropped my hands from my attacker's wrist. I felt the wall for something. I could not see. But I felt something on the table. I mentally smiled. It was the plate that Matt filled up with food. I grabbed it and prayed it would save me. I some

I can’t believe I just left them. How could I leave them? Trusting Joel was necessary, as he said he'd get Jess and the twins. Joel said Luka can handle himself, so I had to trust him. Trying to calm down, I stopped crying and took slow, deep breaths, as taught in grief therapy. I felt more in control of my emotions as I turned around. I pulled the hood over my head and breathed in Lukas's scent. It helps calm me. There was no way someone could have hurt Luka. He ran into a burning building to save my mom for me. He could get through whatever he was after. I told myself, and I might have been a bit delusional in my thoughts, but until otherwise proven, I held onto those thoughts. “Don’t worry, Danni. It will be okay. Luka is a badass.” Matt tried to reassure. I nodded my head in wagreement. Spoken words were still too hard. I noticed that Kayla was staring at me. I guess staring would be the wrong word, more like glaring, and if she could, she’d probably shoot laser beams at me.I di

I watch in slow horror as Luka moved through the night towards the shadow that seemed off. I still couldn’t wrap my mind around it. What was going on. My phone started buzzing in my pocket. I looked at the call ID. I was surprised that he was calling. “Joel?” I answered. “WHERE ARE YOU.” Joel barked out. “Why?” I asked. I continued watching Luka move slowly but swiftly from one spot to another. “WHERE ARE YOU!” He yelled more frantic than angry. “A few houses down from the Robins,In Luka’s truck,” I answered. A slew of curses came from Joel's mouth in a very chaotic manner, especially for him. “For the love of god tell me Luka is with you at least” Joel responded. “Uhh…” How did I answer that? “Danni don’t tell me he left you alone!” Joel seemed pissed. “I am in his truck and I can see him” I tell him hoping that will help. “YOU CAN FUCKING SEE HIM” Joel is fuming. That seemed to make things worse. I dont answer. I have no idea what to say to that. “I am sorry Danni, Luka