Novels by Penny Haddleton

Raeyan's POV Aurielle’s scream of my name took me unawares.“Raeyan??!”My head snapped toward her at the same time my brothers’ heads snapped toward me and Kaelen frowned so hard his eyebrows almost touched.“She knows who you are… already?” Kaelen asked.Drystan looked just as annoyed. “Since when do random girls know your name, Raeyan?”I ignored both of them because something else had just clicked in my mind.. something far more shocking.This girl… this chained, angry and wild-eyed princess… I knew her and not just from a vague memory. I knew her scent and I knew her fire.Kaelen grabbed my arm. “Explain. Now.”“Later,” I said quickly. “Where are the other hostages?”“What?” Aurielle blinked at me. “There are no other hostages. It was only me.”Kaelen and Drystan both froze.“…what?” Drystan said slowly.I turned toward them but they were already exchanging looks like two wolves who had just been hit by the same stupid idea.Kaelen muttered, “So all three of us felt the mate

Aurielle's POV Pain was the first thing I felt.. A sharp angry ache in my neck… then in my arms… then everywhere. I groaned softly and opened my eyes. It was dark... deep night... and a smell of wet earth filled my nose. A campfire crackled a few feet away, throwing orange light across the trees. I tried to sit up but something heavy yanked me back down. Chains… Thick and ugly chains wrapped tightly around my wrists and ankles. “What... where am I?” I whispered. A burst of laughter answered me. “Well, well. Sleeping beauty wakes.” I jerked at the voice. A man sat near the fire, grinning with broken teeth. Three others lounged around him, all dirty, all armed and all smelling like they had not bathed since the last century. Rogues… One of them nudged another. “Told you she’d wake before midnight.” “Shut up,” the other snapped. “You heard what we were told. Don’t annoy her.” Annoy me? While I was chained like a goat about to be roasted? Really? I pulled at the chains ha

Aurielle's POV “Aurielle, what’s the matter?” my father asked. His voice cut through my thoughts before I even lifted my spoon. I must’ve looked terrible because even Lord Varyn paused mid-chew to look at me over the breakfast table. “I’m fine,” I said quickly. I was not fine. Not even close. We were all seated in the royal dining hall... me, my father, my uncle Lord Varyn and my cousin Seraxa. Everyone was eating while the palace staff moved quietly around us… and meanwhile I was dying inside because apparently the Moon Goddess thought it would be funny to throw three mates at me at once. Seraxa shifted beside me and I knew instantly... instantly... she was about to open her big mouth. “Well actually...” I stomped her foot under the table hard. She yelped, choked on her juice and glared at me like I’d stabbed her. I put on my sweetest and fakest smile. “It’s nothing really.” My father frowned. “You seem down this morning.” “I’m fine,” I repeated, stuffing

Aurielle's POV *Two Years Later* “Princess Aurielle, it’s getting dark,” Captain Calder said with his voice firm but polite in that annoying way only he could manage. “We need to head back to the palace now.” I sighed and brushed my fingers over the cold stone of my mother’s tomb. Two years had passed since the attack in the streets... two years since that boy, Raeyan, had tackled me and saved my life... and yet every time I came here, I still felt like the same confused girl from then. “I just need a little more time,” I tried. Calder shook his head. “We cannot. Nightfall is too dangerous.” “Please, just...” “Princess,” he cut in gently but firmly. “We leave now.” That was that. When Captain Calder decided something, the whole world could fall apart and he still wouldn’t change his mind. I gave the tomb one last look, whispered a quiet “I miss you, mama,” and stood up. “Fine,” I said. “But this is why everyone calls you boring.” “No one calls me boring.” “Oh,

Aurielle's POV The wheels of the royal caravan rattled softly under us as we rolled through the streets of Vaeloria and I pressed my face to the window like some little kid who had never seen the outside world before. Well… technically, I was sixteen and had never been allowed outside the palace walls so maybe the comparison wasn’t that far off. Still, I tried to look regal. I really did.. I kept my chin lifted and my shoulders straight, pretending I was used to all this... the colorful market stalls, the stone houses, the bright flags and the excited shouts of the people. But my eyes kept darting everywhere and my mouth kept parting like I’d just discovered there was a world outside of books. My father sat beside me with arms crossed, looking like he was mentally handling ten different political crises at once. The High Lycan King of Vaeloria rarely relaxed and today wasn’t any different. He had that same stern expression he always wore when he took me anywhere that wasn’