ZEKE A Day Earlier... I'm standing in front of the mirror, feeling for my now thick beards. It's a new look I've been sporting. Just yesterday, the action series I starred in aired, and the viewing ratings were through the roof. It's a hit. I've always had blockbusters where I starred as the villain, but never have I been portrayed from a protagonist's point of view in one of them. It's unreal. What's also unreal is what tomorrow is. I know Marelyn is due tomorrow. My chest tightens like every other time I've stared at the date or thought about it. I've been distant. I never showed up for our daughter, but it all got to a point where I considered myself unworthy of being in their lives. She may be happy in Carodia with her date from before. Maybe it fleshed into something more. I can't tell, but it's been bugging me at the back of my mind for months. Scarlett helped me understand what those random slip-ups meant over time. Everything is clear to me now. I stare at my reflection
"That child and I can't exist at the same time on this earth, Mare." "Why, Jai?" I frown, calculating the distance with my eyes. I make a jump for it and shield Kinna from his attack with my body. Summoning my powers, I struggle to get a hold of his mind, but the calibre of power coming out of him is not to be underestimated. Now I realise he wasn't kidding back then in that warehouse. "Your little bloodline powers won't work on me. But Mare, you are no longer my concern. Give me your champion, and you can walk away from this alive." I'm shocked that he's willing to bargain. There's something he knows that none of us do. Something that makes this moment more important to him than ever. I scream hard. "Never!" The force of my voice hits him, but he only staggers back by a step, and I had really mustered up strength with that move. How powerful is he really? "Angering me will only make the terms worse, Marelyn!" "You can kill me, but not my child, Jai. I will never let you touc
KYRA I'm storming into his chambers in Moon Wood's fortress. I just learnt the news of a battle between legacies. There are only two legacies I know apart from evil Jai-Blynn. All of Carodia believes the king has gone mad for wanting to fight his brother, who took down an entire pack and turned them to dust. Zeke Van Acker has gained a name for himself in the city, but that is still far from my point. How could he do this to me? We talked the second our boat arrived at the harbour. Actually, we did less talking and more physical activities for the first few hours after meeting again. I was so sure Marelyn and I made the right choice after spending time with him again. My wolf couldn't stop pining for him, but it seems I'm the only one who felt that way. How could he do this us? Zane says after I barge in, "I know you are angry. Kyra, calm down—I can't believe they just let you walk through easily." "It's not news to anyone, including your other mates, that we are together, Zane.
ZEKE Again, fire and water will stand against each other. I don't know what the outcome of this fight will be. In my head, I know what I want, but I can't tell exactly what my brother is thinking. It was his idea to do this. I'm not so sure why I even agreed. Revenge doesn't matter anymore. Once I looked into my daughter's eyes, all the pain I felt melted away. I healed. Mare couldn't let go of me all through the night. She was stuck to me like glue because she feared this moment. She feared losing me. My life is finally coming together. I fear losing it, too. The arena roars wild. The entire wolf lands are watching King Nikolai's sons make history. I'm already a record breaker, and he's their king. This fight will have them all at the edge of their seats. The gong goes off and shirtless as we are, dressed in nothing but shorts we fight to the death. I cast an illusion of a cloud over his head, and constant rain falls on only him in the arena. Zane is furious that I'm drenching
I'm standing at the window edge of a hallway in the fortress. Everyone that passes greets their Alpha with a bow. Today is the exertion of the verdict I passed over all those involved in my mother's death. I took her skull down from where it was hung and finally gave her a befitting burial. Chantria Van Acker, after being tried for my mother's death and King Nikolai's death, was sentenced to death. Her execution is today, and Zane doesn't try to stop it. I knew he went to see her one last time at the dungeons last night, but she's his mother. Will that ever be enough? Hours later, Aiden hands me a platter. I open it and find Chantrias head. The last thing I can do for my mother is to replace her skull with that of the person who put her there. I tell him where to leave the human head until it decomposes, and only a skull is left. My brother stops by to see me in my chambers that evening. He doesn't seem angry that I had given the order for her death. She had killed Father, too. It
I walk down the aisle, parting through the crowds of Red Valley and Blue Silver Wolves gathered to witness this remarkable moment in my history. My father, Alpha Ivan Everdeen, has called a truce between the two packs. I was the sacrifice offered. Now I must mate with Chase, the Alpha of the Red Valley pack. A month ago, my life changed, and I wasn't even eighteen yet. Responsibility weighed on my shoulders. After my mother, the fallen Luna, I am the next bloodline silver wolf and many Alphas will kill to have me. I'm a wolf with healing abilities and with far greater strength and abilities. The moon goddesses prophecy has described my title as a blessing to any pack that will have me. My father holds power because of this. Our pack is one of a kind and in the wolf world, we are top ranked, but the bloodline mark only appears once in a hundred years. It is my turn now and Alpha Chase is the one my blessing will fall on. It's too bad he doesn't feel happy about mating with me so sud
My legs fail me and my heart squeezes in a vice grip. I feel this is only an illusion; a glitch in my brain because this cannot be happening to me. Not today, not now. I stare at Chase in the eye. He's on his feet now, and he's putting his clothes on quickly. I want him to look at me because this cannot be real. He wouldn't dare do this to me on such an occasion. There was nothing binding on our relationship except the words of our parents, but in a few minutes, this will definitely mean infidelity. "How dare you, Chase?" I frown with so much venom in my gaze. I want to rip Ruby's eyes out for stealing what is about to be mine. My fists clench at my side and there's a chimney in my ears. "Save it, Mare. Don't act like there was ever anything real between us. I just met you a month ago." Tear pearls gleam in my eyes as my body quakes with anger. I want to hit the nearest thing next to me and I will. Ruby strides up to my side after fitting back into her evening dress. She int
Chase and I walk back to the Alpha's Manor together. Wolves are everywhere in sight and many are watching with interested eyes. They want to see how we are together and hope to catch the slightest error that will spur gossip around the pack. We maintain and once we reach the Manor and at his room door; he shoves it open and lets me in after him. My coronation is over now. I'm in a new year of my life and the alpha and I must consummate our mate bond, just as the moon goddess has deemed it so. I'm excited and scared as I stand awkwardly in the middle of the room. Chase takes off his white tunic and leaves his pants on. He turns to the wine cabinet in the room and drowns his sorrows in the glass of bourbon. This isn't what I want. I'm his Luna now. We've bonded with each other forever and no one can come between us. I want him to drown his sorrows in me. I want to be the one he turns to whenever he's sad or needs help. "Chase." I call as I walk over to him and place my palm on his ba