“I volunteer,” Phillip says before I can pick a single guard. Finally, he takes a knee, like the rest of the assembled guards, and bows his head. “I pledge my service to you.”My mouth drops open as panic starts to eat away at my insides. Am I supposed to say something? Is there some kind of incantation or magic I have to perform? Kane looks at me and nods but doesn’t offer any further insight. “Five more,” he says.A she-wolf who towers out over the men, even on her knees, catches my eyes. I walk up to her and touch her shoulder. “What’s your name?”“Julia,” she answers.This is the one Phillip wouldn’t vouch for because she said some troubling things about witches. “How do you feel about witches?”“In general or as individuals?”“Both.”“I think in covens they’re easily manipulated and dangerous to our kind…as individuals, I think they’re redeemable.”I laugh softly. “Do you want to take the oath?”“Yes,” she says immediately and looks up. Her wolf’s eyes burn into mine. “My wolf in
Kane's POVI give the guards their orders, then take my mate home. Whether she knows it or not, she needs to rest. The silver, brief as the exposure was, has weakened her, and the creation of the oath bonds themselves can be tiring.Willow still doesn’t understand why the wolves would offer themselves up in the way they did, but at least she grudgingly accepts it now. “Are you hungry?” I ask as we walk into the living room. “I will quickly slap something together.”“I suppose so,” she says and without another word disappears down the hallway with Adare.I follow her to the bedroom, just in time to see the tips of her fingers glow blue-white. “What are you doing?”“Healing my fingers,” she says, holding her hands out in front of her, a look of surprise on her face. “I’ve never tried to heal myself before.”“Is it working?”“Yeah.”She’s like a piano wire, tense and stretched way too tight, right on the brink of snapping. “Do you want a glass of wine or something?”“No. I have to nurse
Kane’s POV We fall backward on the rug, Willow opening her legs and wrapping her feet around my waist, pulling me closer to her. Goddess, what I wouldn't do to get lost in her, forget about everything and everyone for just a few minutes. I want her back, want her to break through the wall and drag me out of the darkness. Moaning softly, I nestle between her legs, pushing the painful erection tightly against her, feeling my resolve to stay emotionless slip away when her hands curl around my ass and she starts to urge me on. Dario comes panting to the surface. There’s little of the intelligent creature I know and love present tonight. He’s more animal and desperate instinct than anything else. “Our mate,” he growls. “I'll fix it.” He’s been desperate to break the wall, aching to feel the full strength of our bond with Willow. As always, he’s hurting so much worse than I am. “Back off, buddy,” I say, trying my best to be gentle with him. “You’ll scare her.” But there’s no holding him
Kane's POV Four hours later, I sneak through the quiet castle, ignoring the few Omegas that are still awake and going about their work. They’re not used to seeing my wolf in the castle, and most of them cower away in fear. The guards, on the other hand, give me curious looks, following me with their eyes. I have no idea what Dario did or where he went, but I woke up right on the boundary of the witches’ forest, naked and freezing cold. I did a quick self-check to reassure myself that I didn’t kill someone or inadvertently hurt myself. I am hungry and thirsty, so at least I haven’t eaten some poor, helpless witch child. Without any interference from Dario this time, I shifted back to wolf form and ran home. He must have really pushed himself to the brink because everything hurt. Within seconds of starting the run home, my lungs burned and every muscle screamed at me to stop, but the worst was my paws. They’re ragged and raw and each step sent sparks of pain up my legs. I forced myse
When I saw the dead witches, my first instinct was to call out to Kane, but I realised my mistake a few minutes later when I felt the presence of the Templars hiding everywhere in the village. I walked right into their trap. My instincts didn't warn me, but I'm not too surprised. Templars know how to block witches' abilities. I look around me, then straight up to where a Templar is hiding in a tree. “It’s against the law to kill witches.” Modern Templars wear black uniforms with white Templar crosses on their left sleeve. Like the Templars of old, women aren't allowed to join their order. Some will get the cross tattooed on their chest, believing it will protect them against supernatural forces. They’re wrong. The government funds them, but witches are off-limits because most of the people in power only made their way to the top thanks to our magic. I cast the power and influence spell that put the current prime minister in his seat. “But we are allowed to kill witches that work w
Trust my father to ruin my life, even from beyond the grave. “Fine,” I say. “You’ve got me. Go ahead and kill me. I hope you have silver bullets in those rifles because I have no desire to suffer.” “Kill you? Oh no, no, no, you are of no use to us if you’re dead. I told you already, Miss Jones, we have orders to bring you in alive.” Oh lovely. Here we go again. Back to dungeons and endless torture, I suppose. “To Rome?” “Yes. The Pope desires an audience.” I snort loudly and fold my legs under me, sitting hip-deep in someone’s blood and not caring. “Why?” Lester crouches next to me. “I don’t know why, Miss Jones. I’m just a soldier. As you’ve said, the kings don’t reveal their plans to the peasants.” “You are hardly a peasant.” Lester chuckles but doesn’t comment. “Bind her with silver.” Oh great. Just what I need. My only fear now is that Kane will feel my terror and pain – he can’t think rationally when that happens. I try to remember how the witches blocked our bond when the
Kane’s POV For several moments, I stand rooted to the spot, trying to connect with Willow again, but she’s blocking me. With a roar, I unstick myself and tear through the apartment to the bedroom, pulling on a pair of shorts and nothing else. I wouldn’t bother with clothes at all, but the castle is teeming with the visiting Alphas and their families, and if Willow survives whatever is happening to her, she’ll have my head on a spike for running around naked in front of strangers' pups. Her guards aren’t at the door, which means they went with her, but it's a hollow comfort, because at best it means they're dead, at worst it means they left her alone and vulnerable, in which case their oaths will kill them. Several Alphas stop as I dash past them, trying to ask me what's going on, and when I don't answer, most of them turn around to follow me outside. They don't need to talk to me to know something is seriously wrong, it's written all over my face. I find Glenn on the steps leading
Kane's POV On my way to the forest, I stop feeling Willow. It’s as if someone flipped a switch. One moment, I can still feel all her sorrow and regret, and the next…nothing. If the Templars were hoping this would make me back off, they are sorely mistaken. It has the opposite effect on me. I rip my shorts off and shift, increasing my speed. I’m aware that several more Alphas have joined us and are charging after Jackson and me, determined to help or prove their worth to me – whichever one of the two it is doesn’t matter, they can fight and that’s all I care about. I find Willow’s guards, Mario and Arlene, pacing up and down right outside the boundary. They can’t enter and they’re frantic. I see red, and go straight for them, throwing Mario on his back and clamping my mouth around his exposed neck. The guard lets out a frightened yelp and desperately tries to push me off him, but his efforts are in vain. He needs to die. He should be with her or dead, not out here safe and sound whi