** My Dearest Marlon, **I look up from the letter, staring at The Pope. โMarlon? Your name is Marlon?โ It really doesnโt fit him. I donโt see him as a Marlon.He gives me a grim smile. โNot anymore. Keep reading. Not out loud.โ** My Dearest Marlon,I am so sorry for what Iโve had to do all those years ago. I want you to know that I did it for your own safety, but from afar, Iโve watched you grow into an admirable young man. I could not be prouder. I hope you know that I never stopped loving you. Never. Not even for a second. When I left you on the steps of The Templar church, my heart broke, and it stayed broken all these years. I feel it with every beat, the longing for my child.Never in a million years did I consider that you might be an empty vessel. Our familyโs magic is so strong, I just assumed youโd be a witch. It doesnโt matter now. Itโs all in the past. What really matters to me is that you are alive, that you grew up strong and well.Iโm writing after so many years to beg
Kane's POV Zael lands softly next to me. โHow many Templars?โ I ask โWe counted thirty outside, but we should expect a fair few more inside.โ โCan you hear anything from inside?โ โNo, not anymore. The Pope no doubt informed them that youโre still alive.โ โYeah, him or Feodora. Okay.โ I turn to face my army. We are just outside the Templarโs perimeter where their cameras and magic canโt find us in the dark. โI will go first,โ I say. โBreak their spells. Chancellor Glenn will give the command to attack. Stay in your human forms as long as possible, we donโt want anyone to see us shift.โ The church is right on the outskirts of the city, and there arenโt many human eyes here, but I still donโt want to risk it. The air is alive with excitement. These wolves havenโt had a good battle in years, and theyโre looking forward to it. Pushing my own fear way down deep, I creep up to the church, sticking to the shadows as much as possible. I donโt want to use a camouflage spell, because it wi
Kane's POV Zael is in the room and on top of Edgar before he can get off another shot. I stroll into the room, ignoring the magical doorway that scorches my skin, and hand Zael his shirt. The vampire is sitting on the desk, the rifle in his hand, foot on the Prime Ministerโs chest. โShow us the bullets you used,โ Zael says. Edgarโs lips set in a thin line and he shakes his head. Sighing with mock exaggeration, I walk around the desk and start to rummage through the Prime Ministerโs drawers. The older man looks at me with open fear. Humans arenโt very good at hiding their emotions, thatโs why theyโre such an easy enemy to defeat. I find a box of ammunition tucked away in the back of the middle drawer. โIs this it?โ โNo,โ Edgar says, his throat clicking loudly as he tries to swallow. Chuckling, I open the box and examine the bullets. They look like normal silver bullets, but when I take one out and turn it around, I can see the runes carved into the metal jacket. โMagic?โ Zael asks
Lester returns with the new collar, and suddenly Iโm very afraid. Innocent looks at me and gives me something Iโm sure he thinks is a reassuring smile. โIt wonโt hurt.โโItโs silver, of course it will hurt.โโNo, my dear child. Youโll see.โHe nods at Lester who walks over to me and asks me to sit down. โMay I reassure her, your excellency? Share my experience with the collar?โโYes, of course. Please do that if it will put her mind at ease.โHoly fuck, this man is giving me whiplash. Last night, he was cold and indifferent, and tonight heโs like a loving father, kind and caring. Itโs freaking me out.Lester unlocks the collar and turns it around to show me the inside. โItโs insulated with leather,โ he says. โThe silver wonโt touch your skin.โโOkay,โ I say, nearly breathless with fear now.โYou wonโt be able to communicate with your wolf, and you wonโt be able to shift. On the next full moon, which is just a little over two weeks from now, when your wolf forces the shift, the silver
Kane's POV As we go in search of the basement, Willowโs emotions hit me again. I gasp and grab for the wall. Whatever theyโre doing to her is bad. Donwright evil in fact. โWhatโs wrong?โ Glenn asks and holds his hand up to stop the guards. โTheyโre doing something to Willow.โ โWhat?โ I shake my head and groan. Itโs awful. Like that day with her father, I can sense a flicker of her pain. Then, it just stops. Like someone flicked an off switch. The sudden amputation of our connection is jarring. Iโd rather feel the pain than nothing at all. โWe need to hurry,โ I say. โFind them.โ Just like the day they took her, I am not in control of what comes out of my mouth. โIf we donโt get to them in time we wonโt be able to help them. Theyโll be lost to us. And Tully will die. Sheโs not strong enough yet.โ Glenn groans softly but doesnโt say anything. Poor guy. I wonder how many horror scenarios are running through his head right now. โWhat is he talking about?โ Phillip asks. โA premonitio
Kane's POVAfter swinging by the hotel to pick up our gear, we hit the road. An hour later, we leave the city behind and two hours later, we pass into werewolf territory. This used to be Vickusโs kingdom, and even though it belongs to Felan now, I still feel uncomfortable being here without the Alpha's permission.โTurn right up ahead,โ I tell Phillip.โWhy?โ he asks. โWeโre wasting time.โI growl softly. โListen, I know you are eager to get to the queen, but donโt for one second think you can start questioning me.โPhillip mumbles an apology and switches on his indicator. Twenty minutes of bumpy dirt road later, we pull up to a smallish pack house. The guard gives me a questioning look. โForgive me, your majesty, but why are we here?โโI need an army, Phillip, or do you propose we try to invade that stronghold with eight wolves?โWhile the wolves of the city pack was eager to take out The Templars in London, they were far less agreeable to come with us to the stronghold where Iโm sur
Kane's POV โDo not come any closer,โ Lester says. Heโs nervous and on edge, and I donโt plan to test him. Iโm no good to my family if Iโm dead. โMay I lower my hands at least?โ He nods and jerks his gun to the right. โIf you take one step, Iโll kill you.โ โI have no doubt that you will.โ Willow was wrong. He is not a wolfless wolf that much is clear. The man before me is a scarred and maimed werewolf. โGladstone,โ I say. โYou wouldnโt happen to be related to Richard Gladstone of Silver Star, would you?โ I noticed his surname back at the church, but it didnโt click with me until this moment. He looks like his father. Lester nods. โHeโs my father,โ he confirms. โWhat happened to your wolf, Lester?โ โI was born wolfless,โ he replies. โMy mother sensed it when I was very youngโฆthatโs why she took me and ran.โ โDonโt talk shit,โ I say, trying my best to keep the bubbling and swirling anger at bay. โYou may be able to fool Willow with that cock and bull story, but you canโt fool me.โ
The whole day, or night I donโt even know anymore, Iโm out of it. I slip in and out of consciousness, unable to hold on to my own sanity. I stare at a white ceiling, two unanswerable questions running through my head on repeat. Where am I? What is this place?โWillow?โ someone asks in my ear. I donโt know the girl, but undoubtedly sheโs one of my fatherโs victims. I can tell just by looking at her. In the distance, somewhere far away, I can hear a baby cry. โYou have you to nurse Adare.โWho the hell is Adare, and why do I have to nurse him? โFind his mother.โโYou are his mother.โI force myself to look into the eyes of someone Iโm pretty sure is my friend. โWho are you again?โโTully,โ she says. โHere. Take him.โShe places an adorable baby in my heavy arms. He has the most beautiful head of curly, gold-red hair and shocking blue eyes. โWho is he?โโAdare," she answers. "Heโs your son.โThe girl who called herself Tully reaches up and undoes the buttons of my nightdress. I let her,
Dear readers, I would like to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to read Willow and Kane's story. This has been one of the longest books I've ever written, and when I started out I did not expect it to turn into this epic saga, but I regret nothing. Nothing I tell you :). I fell in love with Willow and Kane, and I am genuinely sad to say goodbye to these two, but unfortunately all stories must come to an end. Thank you for your support througout this wild ride. It means the world to me. I hope you enjoyed reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it. Until we meet again. All my love, Celice
Kane Madden, Lycan King of Felan, wakes up to an unearthly racket right outside his bedroom door. Slightly concerned, he glances at his heavily pregnant wife and smiles despite his annoyance at his oldest sonโs shenanigans in the hallway. Willow Madden, his mate of fifteen years is heavily pregnant with their second set of twins, two boys this time, and Kane sincerely hopes this is the last time. Goddess knows he loves his children, all eight of them, and heโs sure heโll love numbers nine and ten just as much, but itโs getting difficult to keep up with all the pups. They are exhausting. For a time, he was sure that theyโd never have more children, but after one wild afternoon in the forest, Willow did get pregnant with twins, a boy and a girl, as their remarkable son predicted. She named the twins Josiah and Jocelyn, after the previous occupants of their home. Kane thought it was macabre, but Willow insisted, saying they had to honour their ancestors. That would be the same twins wh
Itโs a beautiful summerโs day, and the drive up to the cabin is pleasant enough. Kane and I have found a peaceful kind of comfort in each otherโs silence, and we rarely need to fill the quiet with inane background chatter. We are content, just being together. I inhale the lovely fresh air, remembering the first time I came here. The night Suri was born, the sheer exhilaration of feeling my wolf come to life...and that was all thanks to Agatha. Dear, sweet Agatha who never found a final resting place because we went to war and in the chaos, we forgot all about her. Our funeral home has since been bombed off the planet, and we just take care of our dead our own way as we'd done during the war. There arenโt that many of us left anyway. The few surviving wolves live here now, and those that refuse to come to safety are dying off โ Templars bearing a lingering grudge either murder them, or the wolves yield to their unrelenting urge to join a good war. Kane once told me that wolves had be
Kane's POV I wasnโt sure what would happen in the months and years that followed after we signed the peace treaty, so we went with the tried and tested 'go with the flow' method. For a time, everything went back to normal. Drake and Patrick ran the business, and more and more my little brother took over my duties in the company. Proof, Willow liked to remind me, that Omegas are just as competent as any other wolf. The overseas wolves went home, and as soon as they were sure the threat had really passed, the European wolves followed suit. The only ones that stayed were the humans. I claimed the human town as part of my territory during the peace talks, and the residents now affectionately call it Wolftonia. Leif left, taking his strange sister with him. Only later did we learn that Silkeโs time on earth was limited and that she had foreseen her own death long before she ever came here. Unbeknownst to all of us, including Willow, a vรถlvaโs dying energy projects outwards, and what we m
Adare runs around the garden with Roland. The two boys growl and stalk each other like prey. My motherly instinct is to jump up and stop them before one of them gets seriously hurt, but Rosie quickly grabs me and pulls me back to my chair. โNo Queen,โ she says. โThatโs how they learn. They wonโt hurt each other.โ โAre you sure?โ โIโve seen them play this game a hundred times. Iโm sure.โ Dammit. My throat burns and I have to fight against the tears. Iโm so happy that my son is home, but Iโve missed so much. He is the size of an average three-year-old and when I talk to him, I sometimes forget that heโs not even two yet. I choose not the think about it. I choose to focus on the here and now. My family is whole and complete and that's what matters โMama! Look!โ Adare squeals and tackles Roland to the ground. โGood job, buddy,โ Kane says behind me. I look over my shoulder at my mate. โYouโre back early.โ โYes. Peace talks broke down.โ โWhy?โ โClement wants my humans.โ โI thought
Kane rolls over to my side and pulls me into his embrace. I donโt even bother to open my eyes. Itโs been a wild few days. โOh Goddess, no,โ I complain. โHavenโt you had enough?โ He laughs breezily in my ear. โNeverโฆbut for now, yes.โ He flutters kisses over my jaw and neck. โHow do you feel?โ โLike I got run over by a penis-shaped bulldozer.โ โHey, you wanted it.โ I finally manage to drag my eyelids apart. โI did.โ I smile at my impressive mate. โThe first two days were great.โ โI know.โ He rolls away and swings his legs off the bed. โThe last day always feels more like a punishment than pleasure.โ I turn over onto my side and stare at his broad back, the strong muscles flexing under his skin. โNo regrets though, right?โ He looks over his shoulder at me. โNone.โ He gets up and stretches, scratching his ass as he walks to the bathroom. A minute later, I hear him open the tap. We donโt have electricity yet, but Iโm not so sure I miss it. Life is kind of peaceful without the cons
Kaneโs POV I sit on the couch in the dark living room, watching the glowing embers in the fireplace, trying to ignore the call of Willowโs heat and the fever that's trying to consume me. I'd go to her, but she's still asleep. tโs not time, she canโt feel it yet, but she will in another few hours. I should be sleeping, prepare myself properly this time, but I canโt switch my milling thoughts tumbling through my head off long enough so I can go to sleep. Iโve already sent orders out to bring the power stations back online and ordered our army to stand its ground. Thereโs nothing else to do now but wait for Clement to come back so we can finish up the peace agreement. In the absence of entertainment or imminent danger, the only thing I have to keep myself occupied is my own thoughts, and all I can think about is the possibility that Willow will get pregnant. Here, in the quiet of the night, all by myself, I have to admit the truth. I never want her to get pregnant again โ not becaus
Kaneโs POV For the next few hours, we talk about the meeting with Clement, the future, and a whole lot of nothing. Thereโs something comforting in it, just friends having a chat about life, love, and everything in between. I glance at my watch, surprised to see that it was well past midday. โThatโs it,โ I say and get up, stretching my too-tight muscles. โWeโre taking the week off. I don't know about you, but I've had enough of war to last me a lifetime.โ โShall I collect Adare?โ Zael asks on our way out. โNot yet. I donโtโฆWillow thinks heโll be safe here, but I want to make sure.โ โIf what she said about The Goddess is true, sheโs probably right. She hasnโt been wrong so far, has she?โ I scrunch up my face and rub my forehead. โI donโt know. I canโt think straight anymore.โ Zael nods. โI know the feeling.โ โDid you get any retaliation over the Raymond thing?โ โOf course I did.โ โAnd?โ โAnd nothing. I handled it...it won't come back to you.โ โDo you think this war is over?โ
Kane's POVIt had been weeks since we slept comfortably, and even though we both sort of hinted at passing the night making love, neither of us could actually gather the energy to do more than snuggle down in each otherโs arms.For the first time in weeks, perhaps months, I wake with a smile on my face, completely relaxed and almost happy. The only thing I need to complete my joy is my son, and he'll be here soon enough.I stretch languidly, and slip out from under Willow and go to the bathroom to get ready for my meeting with Clement. I hope against all hope that Willow misunderstood The Goddess and that there would be no human war. I hope, and I pray, that Clement would listen to my advice and stop it before it even starts.The castle is freezing, and Iโm shivering so much that I cut myself several times while I shave. Rattling like an excited dog, I run back to the bedroom, pull an extra blanket over Willow, then rush to the closet so I can dress in one of my suits and my long, thi