I woke to darkness and the taste of copper in my mouth. My head throbbed with each heartbeat, a dull percussion that seemed to echo in the cold, damp air around me. As consciousness seeped back, I became aware of the bite of metal against my wrists and ankles—chains, heavy and unyielding. The realization slithered through my foggy mind: I was restrained, captive. A prisoner. Memory hovered just beyond reach, fragmentary and slippery, but instinct told me to remain still, to assess before revealing I was awake.The room smelled of earth and mildew, with undertones of something chemical that stung my nostrils. A basement, my mind supplied. The floor beneath the chair I was bound to was concrete, uneven and moisture-slick. The air hung heavy, still, suggesting we were underground with little ventilation. My werewolf senses, dulled though they were, picked up traces of rodents, old wood, and the metallic
My fingers were frozen against the cool marble of the bathroom sink, but inside my chest burned with an ache so fierce I could barely breathe. I caught my reflection in the mirror – eyes wild with fear, jaw clenched tight enough to crack teeth. Somewhere out there, Emma was gone, taken, and the bond that had only just begun to bloom between us stretched like a gossamer thread ready to snap. I couldn't feel her emotions anymore, just the faintest whisper that she still existed in this world. It wasn't enough. Not nearly enough.The bathroom in my hotel suite had become an impromptu command center, the white tiles and gilded fixtures an absurd backdrop for the nightmare unfolding. Forensic experts in blue gloves moved methodically through the space, collecting samples, photographing surfaces, their voices low and clinical. I had insisted on staying, and Elijah – his face a mirror of my own devast
I walked the plush carpeted hallway from my suite to Emma's, a smile playing at my lips that I couldn't quite suppress. The image of her face when she'd first seen my bathtub—eyes wide with wonder, lips parted in delight—had etched itself into my memory. Such a simple thing, that massive marble tub with its gold fixtures and multiple jets, something I'd taken for granted my entire royal life. But through her eyes, I was seeing my world anew, seeing the privilege for what it was. And somehow, that made me want to give her everything.The memory of last night lingered like a sweet taste on my tongue. Just twenty-four hours ago, we had accepted each other as mates, the bond between us still fresh and delicate as a newly unfurled leaf. I'd spent 175 years waiting for this, for her, without even knowing it. The fierce protectiveness that surged through me whenever I thought of Emma startled me with
"This is... impressive," I managed, turning slowly to take it all in. The ceilings soared overhead, decorated with frescos depicting night skies and running wolves—both two-legged and four. Floor-to-ceiling windows looked out over the Royal City, its lights beginning to twinkle in the gathering dusk."The royal suite has been modified over the years," Theo explained, watching my reaction with a hint of nervousness I found endearing. "I've made some changes of my own since taking the throne."He led me through a doorway into a massive bedchamber dominated by a bed that could have slept six comfortably. More windows, these draped in midnight blue velvet, looked out over a different angle of the city. The room was decidedly masculine in its decoration, with dark woods and leather, but touches of softness appeared in unexpected places—a cashmere throw a
The crowd pressed in around us, their voices a strange mixture of technical analysis and romantic speculation. Half discussed the finer points of taking down a larger opponent, while the other half cooed over the King and his new mate—me, somehow. I stood there, still catching my breath, my hand clutched in Theo's much larger one, wondering how I'd gone from pack Gamma to spectacle in the span of a single match."Did you see how she used his weight against him?" A Lycan guard was explaining to his companion, gesturing wildly with his hands. "Pure technique, not strength.""But the way he looked at her when she pinned him," a female werewolf sighed dreamily nearby. "Like she hung the moon itself."I felt heat crawl up my neck, spreading across my cheeks like wildfire. The training mat beneath my feet suddenly s
I glanced over to meet Theo's eyes, finding them already fixed on me. He rose smoothly, brushing popcorn from his hands."I'd love to help with this demonstration," he said, his voice carrying across the training ground. "I'd rather do it than let someone else."The significance of his offer wasn't lost on anyone present. The Lycan King, volunteering to be taken down by a werewolf in front of both species – it was unprecedented."Are you sure?" I asked as he approached, aware of every eye upon us.His smile was warm, intimate despite our audience. "Yes."Elijah patted him on the back as they passed each other. "Hope you know how to fall, Your Majesty."I laughed, shaking my