Novels by Cynthia Anyanwu

Kaelan closed the door behind him.The council room felt colder than usual. The stone walls seemed to hold the chill of the mountain. Lucien stood near the long table with his hands behind his back. Seraphine stood a few steps away. Her posture was straight and calm. She did not look nervous. She looked decided.Kaelan walked closer.“You asked for me,” he said to his father.Lucien nodded once. “Seraphine has something to say. I thought you should hear it directly.”

Liera’s back arched off the bed.Ryke’s mouth was between her legs. His tongue moved slow and deep. She could feel every part of it. Her hands held the sheets tight. Her breath came out in short sounds.They had been like this since early morning.First he had looked at her in the soft light and said she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. She had smiled and told him he had promised her something. He had remembered. He had kept the promise with his mouth.Liera moaned when the feeling grew too strong. Her legs shook. She pushed against his fa

Kaelan opened his eyes when he felt light coming into the room.The bed was warm, but empty. He reached out with his hand. The space beside him was cold. Celeste was not there.He sat up slowly. Last night came rushing back to him. He had called her to his room. And when she came he had called her name softly in the dark. She had come to him. They had held each other. They had fallen asleep with his arms around her. Her head had rested on his chest. The bond between them felt settled. He barely felt it like he did before. Before it felt like tugging and urgent and now.. it's just settled.Now she was gone. Maybe she had gone back to her room.

Celeste and Seraphine walked back through the cave and up the hidden path. The morning air felt warmer and brighter now. The packhouse walls looked dark and tall when they came into view.When they reached the side entrance, Seraphine stopped and turned towards Celeste.“I have to see Alpha Lucien and the council of Elders,” she said. “I need to tell them I am staying.”Celeste nodded. “All right. I'll see you later.”Seraphine gave her a small look and then walked away down the corridor. Celeste stood alone for a moment. She f

Celeste opened her eyes slowly.The room was still dark. Soft morning light came through the closed window. She was warm. A strong arm was around her waist. It was Kaelan’s arm. His body was behind her and his chest touching her back. His slow breathing moved against her neck.She stayed still for a long time. She did not want to wake him up. He looked peaceful when he slept. The usually hard lines on his face were softer. He was very relaxed and she liked seeing him like this.Celeste moved a little. Kaelan’s arm tightened around her right away. Even in sleep he held her close.She waited until his arm loosened again. Then she carefully moved his hand and sat up. Kaelan did not wake up. He only turned his face into the pillow. Celeste looked at him for one more moment. She felt something soft and full in her heart. Then she stood up.She put on a simple dress and a shawl. She left the room without making noise. The corridors of the packhouse were empty and quiet. Her bare feet made a

The training grounds were loud that morning.Ryke stood near the edge of the yard, his arms crossed, and watching a group of younger warriors move through their drills. The sun was already high. The air smelled of dust, sweat, and steel. He corrected a stance here, a grip there, but his mind was only half on the training. The other half stayed with the same thoughts that had followed him for days.The festival was coming closer. The elders were restless. Kaelan carried more weight on his shoulders every day. And somewhere beyond the mountains, Liera was still in Asheville with her mother.Ryke had read her last letter so many times he knew the words by h