Novels by Aveline Shadowmere

The two guards marched me through towering black doors etched with silver sigils and into the private wing of the Obsidian Citadel.Heavy drapes shut out the daylight. Iron sconces threw shaky shadows along the stone corridor, and the air smelled of old smoke and cold stone. Tall doorways lined both sides of the hall. Behind them lay the studies, sitting rooms, and bedchambers of the six Vampire Kings."Where are you taking me?" My voice came out as a whisper."To your workplace," the guard said, and shoved me forward.They stopped outside a wide sitting room. A woman in a high-collared dress stood waiting with her arms crossed. This was Martha, the head servant."This is Lyra," the guard said. "His Majesty ordered her to serve in the inner sanctum."Martha's sharp eyes slid over my heavy frame and my rough slave tunic. She clicked her tongue, unimpressed."Listen carefully, wolf. You will clean the sitting rooms, arrange the studies, and help serve meals. When any king summons you, y

The two guards marched me down a long stone corridor, gripping my arms so tightly that it hurt.I had expected them to take me to the mines with the other slaves. Instead, they stopped in front of a heavy wooden door reinforced with iron. One guard unlocked it and shoved me inside.The room was bigger than I expected. It had a soft bed, a small table, a chair, and candles burning along the stone walls. A narrow window looked out over the dark mountains around the castle.For a moment, I wondered if they had brought me to the wrong place."This is your room," the guard said. "You will stay here until the kings summon you."I turned to him. "Why am I not going to the mines?"He laughed. "The mines are for the slaves who weren't chosen. You should be grateful the kings picked you."Grateful?My own father had sold me. An iron collar kept me from my wolf, and I had no idea what these vampires wanted from me. I had nothing to be grateful for."Remember your place, slave," the guard warned.

The wagon smelled of wet straw and old blood. Every time the wheels hit a hole in the road, my back slammed against the wooden floor.I lay curled up in a corner, trying to keep warm. My torn clothes did little against the cold air that slipped through the gaps in the walls.The iron collar around my neck kept buzzing.Each time I reached for my wolf, it sent a freezing shock through my body. The pain forced me to stop. All I wanted was to feel her, even a little, but there was nothing there. After the third try, I gave up.The silence inside me was the worst part. Only a few hours ago, I had been standing in front of a mirror, smiling. Now I could still hear the laughter from the hall, and I could still see my father turning his back.Why had my father done this to me?I knew our family had money problems. I had heard my parents arguing about gambling debts and failed business deals. Sometimes I skipped meals so the food would last longer. But I never thought my father would sell me

Tonight, everything was finally going to change, and I couldn't stop smiling.I woke before sunrise with my wolf bouncing around inside my head. I stood in front of the mirror, trying on different smiles and laughing at myself.Tonight was the Mating Ceremony.Every year, the young shifters of the Blackpine Pack gathered in the grand hall to find their mates. Under the full moon, the Moon Goddess chose the person meant for each of us.I had dreamed about this night for months. I wanted someone to love me for who I was. I was tired of feeling unwanted because of my size.By evening, the hall was packed with hundreds of shifters. The smell of roasted meat and pine smoke hung in the air as everyone waited for the ceremony to begin.I moved through the crowd, looking for Brandon.He was my boyfriend, though nobody knew. He held me when we were alone and kissed me when no one was watching. He always promised that one day he would tell everyone about us.*Soon,* he would say. *We just have