Octavia was born a Princess. Her family has ruled the Shifters for centuries. With wealth and power, Octavia has it all. But none of that matters--not when her people have been at constant war with the Wyres, cursed Shifters chained to the lunar cycles. Wyres are monsters, everyone knows that. And now, their Bloody Prince has set his eyes…on her. She shouldn’t want him. He’s cold. Distant. Ruthless. The Dark Prince and his army of monsters are like nothing Octavia has ever known. And yet she can’t help but crave the wildness they unleash. The Bloody Prince and his guard lure her in despite her every instinct telling her to run. Octavia knows she has the power to end the war. But at what cost?
View MoreI can’t sleep that night. I run through my little speech over and over again, feeling like I could have done more. That I should have said more. For the first time in my life, I’d been given a voice—something I never had before. What if they didn’t like what I said? What if I’d only made things worse? The anxiety of it all is eating me alive. Tossing from one side to the other, I finally toss back the covers. I feel too restless to even just lie there awake. Pulling on a hoodie and sweatpants, I crack my door open just a bit. The hall outside is empty. I can hear Madalynn asleep in her room across from mine. Ezra’s room is down the hall, but I hear nothing from his part of the inn. Nor do I hear anything in Dominic’s room. Straining my senses, I try to locate them. Ezra’s not on the property at all. At least, not that I can hear. Dominic’s outside, on the porch swing. The metal chains squeak quietly to a smooth rhythm, piercing the otherwise silent night. I creep down the stairs, t
The town is only slightly bigger than Elk River. It at least has a Starbucks. We drive in complete silence through the town, though I don’t mind much. It gives me time to study my surroundings. Unlike Elk River, the roads here are not as nice, with huge potholes and torn-up cement. The buildings look new, however, though there are a few blank spaces here and there. My eyes catch on one building near the edge of town. It’s a charred mess, though I think it looked nice at some point. The broken windows look forlorn, the scorched paneling turned ashen. It must have been white before…whatever happened here. Because something did happen here.I can tell by the way Ezra sits in the front seat, fists clenched tightly against the door. I can tell by the way Dominic’s eyes remain straightforward, movements rigid as he drives down the main road. Even Madalynn has stopped her excited bouncing and remains still beside me. They’re all acting weird. The hotel we stop at is nice enough, though ve
Keys jangle in the locks the next morning. I’ve been awake all night, flashbacks of teeth and golden eyes making it nearly impossible to fall asleep. Sitting on the cot, knees pressed against my chest, I watch as Dominic forces the door open. His eyes are dark, unreadable, as he surveys the destruction from Ezra’s wolf. I don’t know what he remembers, or if he remembers anything at all. But he doesn’t really need to. The outline of a wolf’s body is so clearly imprinted on the outside the door, the bars that lined the outside twisted and bent. I shudder, knowing that Ezra was only a few seconds away from actually getting in. And who knows what he would have done then?“Are you alright?” Dominic asks quietly.“Do I look alright?” I force myself to straighten up, looking him dead in the eye. “I told you this wasn’t the best idea.” He turns away, going to Tristan’s cell. “It was the only one we had,” he murmurs. I ignore him, reveling in my self-righteous indignation. Tristan eyes Dom
There’s no window in my cell. Everything is completely barred. I lost track of time fairly quickly and my anxiety about being locked in here skyrockets to the point where even the books can’t help to distract me. I spend the first twenty minutes pacing, biting at the edge of my thumbnail until blood wells along the soft curve of my cuticle. Pressing against the wound, I ignore the slight pain. There’s no telling what time it is now, though it feels like forever. A thunderous crash shakes the walls of the house, making me jump. My heart leaps to my throat, choking me. I strain to hear the steel doors, through the bars lining the walls. At first, I hear nothing but Tristan’s heart racing in the cell down the hall. Then a noise. It’s a soft padding across the floor above me. Heavy breathing of an animal reaches me, even down here. Claws click on the tiles above. A Wyre. I back away from the door. There’s no seeing through it, no way out of this steel contraption I let Dominic l
I jump at the sound of Ezra’s fist hitting the wooden table. My plate of eggs and bacon rattle from the impact, rings appearing in my cup of coffee. Ezra doesn’t even look up, his fists curled so tightly that I think his bones might snap. Behind him, Dominic doesn’t react, probably used to his Alpha’s outbursts. Taking a bite of my eggs, I try not to be too curious. I can tell it’s something serious. Ezra has his usual files and papers spread about the table with only a coffee to keep him company, though he’s hardly touched it. Ezra clears his throat, the muscles along his jaw tensing as he shoves the papers back into the folder. “Am I allowed to ask?” I set my fork aside. “Or will it be futile to even try?” Ezra’s eyes flick up to meet mine, the gold so intense I nearly wilt right then and there. “You can ask, though I’m not sure what answer you’re expecting.” “The truth?” He sighs, fingers running through his perfectly-styled hair. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen him mess it
At first, the house is silent. Dominic locks Tristan in his house before fleeing into the forest. I’m not sure whether he knows the storm is about to hit or if he’s just as embarrassed as I am, but he’s gone. I stand in the middle of my room, unable to decide whether I want to storm down to Ezra’s and beat the crap out of him or hide beneath the covers until I’m dead. A crashing sound breaks through the fog in my mind, my body automatically flinching away from the door. I half-expect Ezra to tear back in here, pushing me up against the wall until I can’t breathe again. But that doesn’t happen. Instead, another sound of breaking glass splits the air, sending shivers down my spine. Tentatively, I head toward the door, my hand hovering over the handle. Another thud, the cracking of wood. I wonder how much Ezra spends on furniture when all he does is destroy it. Tip-toeing down the hall, I doubt Ezra will hear me over the sound of his own tantrum. A part of me doesn’t want to go to him.
I take my time going back inside. Dominic keeps a safe distance away throughout the evening while I laze about on the back patio. Despite the golden ring on my finger, despite the new title and burning Mark on my shoulder, I still do…absolutely nothing. What did I expect? For Ezra to suddenly start treating me like a Luna? For him to just let me in? I would have been stupid to think that. And I’m definitely not stupid. I distract myself by ironing out the details of my plan. I know something else is at play here beside the peace treaty. They really didn’t need me for that, especially when it seems this marriage did nothing but divide the Wyres, causing this little rebellious group to form. I line up the facts in my mind. Ezra wanted me specifically, for one reason or another. Dominic said that Ezra needed me, sounding like that need extended past whatever requirements this peace treaty brought. They’re careful about what it is they’re hiding, but I know it has to come out at some p
Dominic takes us back toward the yard, in the open space just behind the house. The forest surrounds us, overshadowed by the mountain range beyond. The sky is clear today, though as gray as it can be. I can smell snow in the air, knowing it’ll come soon. Being from the south, I don’t exactly have much experience with it, and we’d never gone too far into the north west regions of the United States for ski trips due to the war. I wonder if it would be un-Luna-like to play in the snow.“Alright. We’ll work on some easy defensive maneuvers when faced with an opponent who is both faster and stronger than you.” Dominic wastes no time getting right into it. He motions for Tristan and I to face each other. “Octavia, you’re smaller than most Wyres, meaning you have a slight advantage when it comes to defense. You can easily slip away.” His eyes lock on Tristan. “You, however, are tall, gangly, and slow. Foxes are no match when up against a wolf.” Tristan bristles at that but, before he can s
I wake with a start the next morning, my claws digging into the pillow pressed against my chest. It takes me a few seconds to remember where I am. Ezra’s room seems different in the light. Less…intimidating. I stretch beneath the covers, not really wanting to leave the warmth. His scent is everywhere, growing stronger as I move beneath the sheets. I’m not sure what time it is, but sunlight lazily streams in through the window. My phone isn’t here, so I can’t check what time is it, but I’m definitely sure I’m late for breakfast. I briefly wonder if the same rules of eating with Ezra each morning apply to the day after our wedding, but I wouldn’t want to risk it. Slipping from beneath the covers, I wonder how I’d be able to slip past the court and my parents to my bedroom as I didn’t have any other clothes besides the wedding dress. And that had been torn to shreds the night before.Heat flares across my cheeks as the memories of our consummation come back to me. I try to ignore the wa
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