SYLVIA
“I can’t sit around here doing nothing, Marcelle. We need to train. I’m much better now.” I told Marcelle. We sat outside watching Nina run around, dancing with her dolly and chasing butterflies. Nina was happy, enjoying the mild weather outside. She seemed to have no memory of her nightmare the other night and it didn’t recur.
Marcelle smiled indulgently. “Are you sure? You know how Kane likes to drill us.” she said.
Anything would be better than sit around doing nothing but watch Nina and spying on the maids crushing on the men. I liked cooking and baking, but Pierre, our cook, gets irritated when we get in his way too much. He is a sweet old man, but set in his ways.
“Yes, I’m sure.” My body healed faster than I thought it would. I don’t want to ever feel so helpless again. “I want to learn to defend myself.”
“I’ll go speak to
HUNTERJoffrey and I waited outside a closed workshop on the outskirts of town. There was no sign of other werewolves or humans. The place was deserted at this time of night. Our senses on high alert, we scoped the area for any sign of impending danger.“Maybe this was a scam.” Joffrey said, as we had been waiting for more than an hour.“Give it a few minutes more.” I replied. My words weren’t even cold when we noticed a vehicle’s headlights approaching.“Showtime.” Joffrey said.The vehicle, a panel van, stopped in front of the building and a man got out. He was human. Did I just cost a man a legitimate job?The man greeted us. He looked like an ordinary worker. “But you aren’t the man I spoke to. Who are you?” he asked, but he didn’t seem too concerned.“We are friends of his. He said we could get a job here. He got another offer an
SYLVIAI woke up with this feeling of uneasiness growing in my gut. Ever since Hunter called me last night, I couldn’t shake it. I tried to phone him when I woke up but there was no answer. He could be busy training the warriors. Or making sure the security is in place for the Norwegian Royals. They would be arriving soon.Not too long ago he said he was willing to start a war to have me. Would he still want to do that? Would he do whatever it took to make me his Luna Queen?Nina came into my room, interrupting my thoughts. She jumped onto my bed. She was my little sunshine. Her smile lit up the whole room, brighter than the sun. She threw her little arms around my neck and hugged me tight.“Mama, Nina’s hungry.” She pouted. Her blue eyes shining brightly from just waking up. “Well then, we should get Nina some breakfast. But first…” I tackled her down on the be
HUNTERThe last thing I remember before everything went to shit is that Joffrey was hurt. I forced myself to consciousness. The truck turned upside down and I must have been thrown out. Picking myself up out of the dirt I looked for him. Dawn was breaking in the east – we no longer had the cover of night to hide.Joffrey was still inside the overturned truck. I heard his heartbeat and raspy breathing. At least he was alive. Keeping low to the ground I hurried to the truck. There was no sign of our attackers, but I was not taking chances. They had silver bullets. It just grazed my arm, but it burned like a bitch. Fortunately for me, I heal fast.“Joffrey! Hey man, wake up.” He groaned slightly. There was a lot of dried blood on his face and shirt. The bullet had grazed his temple, leaving a deep gash which I saw when I examined him. Luck had favored him, a few inches to the left and he would have been a goner.
SYLVIA Darkness surrounded me in the boot of the car. I tried not to panic, breathing slowly, feeling around in the darkness for something, anything to keep me grounded. Cold metal, carpet, more cold metal. It felt like a metal coffin. Must just breathe. The road became bumpy and I was thrown around against the sides of the car. My body hurt. I felt like crying, but I had no tears to cry. I was so thirsty. My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. Where was he taking me? My poor Nina. She was terrified, but so brave, trying to rescue me from the monster. Yes, he was a monster. What he was going to do to me, I could only imagine. Worst he could do was to kill me. No, I knew from experience that there were things he could do that was worse than death. Death would be merciful. And he had no mercy in him. I prayed to the Moon Goddess to save me. I prayed Hunter should find me. I prayed Drake would kill me. I prayed until I passed ou
HUNTER“Hunter, are you okay?”I heard Marcelle’s voice coming from afar. Clutching my chest, I fell to my knees. Hard to breathe, I gasped for air. The pain in my chest cut me like a knife. It was unbearable and I didn’t know what was happening to me. But then I felt it, Sylvia – she was hurting. I heard her screaming my name in my mind.“Joffrey, do something! What’s happening?” I heard the panic in Marcelle’s voice, but I couldn’t answer.Joffrey bend down next to me. I clawed at the ground, heaving.“He’s hurting her! Joffrey, he’s hurting Sylvia. It’s him, I know it’s him.” I sobbed like a girl. It wrenched out of my gut I couldn’t help it. Couldn’t stop it. Blaze howled in my mind; I was halfway between transformation.“Oh Goddess! Hunter….” I heard Marcelle crying and I felt
SYLVIA“You are out of your mind. I would have remembered if I had given birth.” I snarled back at him. What devilish game was he playing at?His rough hand cupped my face. I wanted to recoil from his touch, but his fingers on my arm tightened to the extent I wanted to faint from the pain.“No, Sylvia, you have blocked it out of your mind. You almost died giving birth to Nina.” Drake placed his forehead on mine, his red eyes staring into mine.“No, no, I don’t know who told you her name, but you’re lying. She was found abandoned in the forest.” I was done listening to his lies. But he kept holding on to me. “Leave me alone, Drake.”He laughed in my face. “Never, my little Mouse. But you are getting very brave, aren’t you? I don’t know whether I like it or not.”A shiver went down my spine when I saw the look of lust on his face. I wish
HUNTER“I’m sorry, Hunter.” Kane linked me. The third lash fell and my body was on fire. The silver tips burned through my skin like acid and the wolfsbane soaked leather slowed the healing process. What hurt more was the mental flogging my father gave me.“Say the word and we will stop, Hunter. Say you will take a chosen mate. Forget about that weak, broken she-wolf. She is not worthy.” Father stood in front of me, lifting my chin to meet his eyes.Weak and naked, hanging spread-eagled on the silver chains, the only thought that kept me from not giving up was Sylvia. I kept seeing her sweet face, those pink full lips that I loved to kiss and her blue eyes.“Proceed.” I heard my father say.I took a deep breath and waited for the fourth lash. It didn’t come. Kane threw the whip at my father.“Fuck you! I’m not doing this.”“You dare defy me
SYLVIA “Except for what you need. Someone to love you.” I said as I watched him snarling into my face, more wolf than human. “I don’t need love, you stupid bitch! Do you see my face? This is what so-called love did to me!” The sudden release on my clothes had me sprawling on the table, my face almost hitting his plate. “This is how much my father loved us. He ruled us with an iron fist. We feared him and I learnt that fear was much more powerful than love.” Drake pulled my face up by my hair, my neck bent so far back I could hardly breathe. I grabbed at his hand, trying to release his fingers. “Then one day he was drunk and high on drugs. He raped my sister while my whore of a mother watched. I killed them, all three of them, ripped them to pieces when I transformed into my wolf. And I liked it.” He laughed, a monstrous sound. “Are you satisfied now, my curious little mouse? Have you heard enough? Are you still feeling