WILLOW
_Not for the first time since breaking into these particular forests, I felt like I was being watched. Stumbling through the thick forestry, I huffed out in strain, pulling away a few branches as I inched out of the dense area.
For hours I'd been trying to find my way through the borders of Gornagon and over to civilization, then I'd started to trace my way back to my coven. A light feeling unfurled in my chest. My coven. It's been so long since I went home.
That was, if I could still call it home. No, I'll be starting afresh with Lan, building up the home I'd always dreamed of with the man I loved.
Yes, I loved him... I think I always have. Right from the moment I hesitated to cast the death spell on him. Hecate be damned, I was done trying to kill him. Now I just wanted to explore what we had. Immediately after I stopped an impending ambush.
Running across the wide plains, I started down a rock cliff, scraping the backs of my
A sick feeling coursed through me and I made to hunch over, but the grip on my arm stopped me. I pried my groggy eyes open, and chills slid down my spine to see we'd apparated.White filled my line vision. Drifts of snow blew past the dark little village before us. Snow coated the leaves on large trees, gathering around the rooftops of the wooden cottages stretching down the wide settlement. A subtle note of pines and aspen tinged the air. Where the hell were we?The hold around my arm tightened and soon I was being pulled forcefully. Lan stormed down to the first cottage in sight. Pushing open the door, he barged in, startling the little man seated at the dinning table in a corner.The yellow bulbs above shone down on his heavily bearded face. Some strands were greying. He lurched up to his feet, his brown eyes widening as he took in Lan's bloody tunic, his scarred face, and my haggard state.He backed away, his voice coming out hoarse and heavily
LAN__The next morning had me going down to the riverine bordering the small village. I dropped down the fishing equipment I'd gotten from the cottage and took out the pole. Fixing it up, I sat on a large rock and threw the hook into the water, waiting for an unassuming fish to think they got lucky.Different scents bombarded my nose and I watched slight ripples form on the surface of the water. The chill in the air bit into my skin despite the high temperature my lycan blood had heated up to.With my quick healing abilities, the wounds I'd sustained from the fight were healing rapidly, but with each movement I made, I could still feel a mean sting or two.I focused on the green grasses at the opposite bank, an ever present anger clamouring around my insides. A weariness came to settle on my shoulders.Some of my men had been severely injured.We hadn't anticipated that the witches would be armed--or coming to attac
WILLOW__I couldn't shake off the feeling something was wrong.Could be because I had slept thinking about Lev's parting words. What odd things happened this side? Puffing out my cheeks, I tried to cancel out my thoughts and the feeling of foreboding spreading around my chest.Looking around the small cottage, I set to thinking about my next course of action. I was Hecate's chosen, at least according to Allegra. The lycans didn't know that, but given the way Allegra had stationed witches around me for protection, the lycans must think I was important to her, and therefore to witches in general.And if that was the case, then, assuming they held her--or any witch--hostage; they'd be using me as incentive for confession. I wondered what lies they'd told them. That I had been taken to an intensive torture unit? That with each lie they told and each information they withheld, I'd have a limb cut from me?I grew sick. If it was so then I needed to get back to Chicago, to take away their o
LAN__My breaths fell to harsh pants as I barrelled through the forest, a hotness burning through my veins. Wild animals went screeching away as my beast tore through the thick vegetation.Anger roiled in my gut, increasing by the second to an alarming degree. I sliced through a low hanging branch, snapping spindles with my large form as I banded through the forest.Drawing to a stop, I roared out my frustration, sending a flock of birds flying away. Fury boiled in my gut and I turned to the tree beside me, desperately needing to take out my anger.My beast drew its massive arm back, then landed a heavy blow on the large trunk. Two more mindless hits and I heard a loud crack. Uncaring of whether it came from my hands or the tree, I continued to throw lightening-quick blows on it. My hairy fist shot through the bark, breaking through hard wood. Withdrawing it, I exhaled a harsh breath, focusing my gaze on the blood stains smeared on the dark surface.Shifting back to my human form, I
WILLOW__The door suddenly came open and I paused in spreading the linen on the dinning table.Lan leant his broad shoulder against the doorframe, folding his hands before him. There was... something different about him, but I couldn't tell what.His deep voice filled the small space. "How were you able to communicate with your people?"Turning away, I resumed what I'd been doing before he came in. Uncaring of whether or not he'll believe me, I said, "Through my dreams. Allegra had a dream-walker reach out to me.""So I'm guessing the plan was to give them the code to the refuge so they'd come in and launch a surprise attack on us."I pasted a smile on my face. "Again, you guessed right."He nodded, then as if quoting someone, he said, "I could not have known your people were coming, and you would have just remained with me until they did... right?"Growing stiff, I looked at him. What was he implying? Averting my gaze,
Lan pushed me behind him just as an interloper's talon shot out, scouring a bloody trail down his chest.With a roar he shifted into his beast, grabbing the being's webbed wings as it made to fly away in shock. In a quick motion, he swung it into the living room. The black, feathery creature crashed into the wall, creating a cracked indent.My heart sped as I watched it fall to the floor, clutching its left wing. Just as Lan's beast made to grab the other one, its eyes widened and it rasped out in surprise, "You."Lan's large paw went around its neck and he started to squeeze. "Who... sent you?" he grated slowly, his voice deep and guttural.The creature's feathered face grew bloated and he started to desperately claw at Lan's hand, choking out, "Hear... me out... Your Highness."Lan's hold loosened. I snapped my head to the other being when he limped up to his feet. Focusing on it, I felt magic crackle around my fingertips. Reciting an explo
Decan and his companion left shortly, and Lan went out the door, his shoulders tense. I went out to meet him standing near the moonlit forest, staring up at the dark skies.As if hearing me approach, he said in a deadened tone that had my throat tightening, "It's all been a lie." He laughed humorlessly. "All this time I've accommodated the very person that killed my mother, ate at the same table with him, laughed, shared toasts... Goddess, I was so blinded by hate. I...I could have conducted a proper investigation, I could h--"Walking up to him, I passed my hands over his shoulders gently. "Lan... Don't beat yourself up. You couldn't have known..."My voice trailed up when I felt a shudder wreck his huge form. He pinched the bridge of his nose and when his shoulders heaved, I realized he was crying.My eyes stung and I went over to stand before him. Wounding my arms around his shoulders, I hugged him to me tightly. After a while he buried his face in the
Tension built in the air as he took me down to his room, openly sucking on my neck as I mindlessly moaned and writhed against him, wanting his clothes offOnce the door slammed shut, he set me down. A sense of loss spread around me, but it was gone the moment he quickly stripped off his shirt, revealing ripped muscles, broad shoulders, and rock-hard abs.The bulge in his pants had me growing even wetter.He took off my gown, leaving me in just my underwear. He drew back to look at me and his eyes burned yellow with desire, his claws extending. My ears reddened. There he went... making me feel more desirable than I actually was. And as always, it was f*cking empowering.He sliced of my bra with a claw, tearing off my panties. Backing me against a wall, he opened his hot mouth over my shoulder while a sharp moan escaped me.Palming my breasts, he groaned, switching his lips to my jaw. Kissing across it, he claimed my mouth, his lips urgent agai