Wow, it's been a while since we've seen Rik go all Alpha. Of course, this is a bit more Alpha Dad. What do you think?
We’ve been fighting for months. I’ve lost more men in this battle than I’ve lost over the course of my entire life. Granted, by fae standards, I’m not old, but still, this last year has been bloody and gruesome. As I slide Lightning Wielder through the body of one of my brethren, now dark from Lorelai’s influence, I watch as his eyes go from the opaque white back to a soft brown. “Thank you, My Prince.” He whispers and I slide my sword out of his body which falls to the ground in a dead heap. I grit my teeth, understanding more than ever why my father fights so hard for peace. These men did not want this, or at least, not all of them did. But they followed Lorelai, whether because of loyalty or because they believed in her, it doesn’t matter. They are dark and have threatened my mate, so they must die, even if I hate every moment of killing them. I haven’t seen Lorelai in days. She’s been hiding in the castle, sending her minions out to die for her. I knew from my father than Lily h
I had proudly stood by and watched Cohen take his oath as Alpha. Unlike the rest of my family, I didn’t officially join his pack. I think I’m the only one of our generation to not swear my allegiance to one of the packs. Losing the pack link had felt strange, like I’d lost my family. Thankfully, I still have my family link, so I can mind link them. But, the loss of the pack, only adds to the loneliness I’ve been feeling since I’ve been separated from Aolis. “You know, I can make you a friend of the pack and you don’t have to swear your loyalty to me.” Cohen says, coming up behind me. I turn to him, pasting a smile on my face. “It’s weird, not being a part of a pack anymore.” I tell him. “You will always be a part of this pack. I understand why you can’t swear your allegiance to me, that belongs elsewhere, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t set up an alliance between Araphyra and Canyon Ridge. I’m sure you could do the same with the other packs. We’re all family here.” I look at m
After breakfast, Buppig and I return to the library, the room that has become our second home over the past year. “I get the flower of spring is me, that makes sense. Although, in truth, your mate and any of her sisters meet this criteria as well.” I say to Buppig, who shakes his head at me. “But are we sure that Dominic is the pain of night?” “Yes, Princess, we’ve been over this. Not only is Dominic’s fur as dark as midnight, but he is the nighttime protector of the forest. And let's not get started on the pain part. No one in Araphyra was in as much pain as Dominic.” Buppig says, huffing at me. Well, he doesn't have to convince me of that. I remember the pain he felt very well. My body shivers at the memory. “Fine.” I say, before rereading the prophecy. When the flower of spring Eases the pain of night She will begin to heal He who is broken "Okay, that part makes sense. Although, similar to what GoldMoon told us, the word ‘broken’ isn’t exactly accurate. Dominic isn't broke
It’s been months, and I’ve tried with everything I have to heal Dominic. But, as Buppig has said, ‘the time hasn’t come’. It’s so annoying. Each time, Dominic and Tialha gets their hopes up and each time, I disappoint them. Aolis has gone silent again. I hear from Ailduin that more fae are going dark. Aolis is trying to find Lorelai, but she keeps evading him. She is creating an army, or that’s what Ailduin thinks. She’s very smart, and she knows how Aolis and Ailduin plan their strategies. It has given her the upper hand, causing the deaths of many of Ailduin’s soldiers and forcing him and Aolis to change their fighting strategy. But as of now, the new plan hasn’t worked. More and more fae are turning dark. The stories coming from the townships is that Lorelai is imprisoning the families and loved ones that she wants as her soldiers, threatening their families if they don’t agree to become her minions. While I understand their sacrifice, it still makes me angry that she has this le
My frustration with not being able to find Lorelai and being away from Lily for so long has made me nearly unbearable to be around. My men give me a wide berth whenever they are near me and there is a constant storm over our heads. I want this done. I want Lorelai dead. I want to be home with my mate. I want to complete our bond. I want to finally start my life. This endless loop of fighting and killing is not the life I want, not for me and not for my men. We’ve just entered WoodLily when Castien comes running out to greet us. “Lord Aolis. Come quickly.” He says and rushes us inside his castle. Once inside, I see his people all huddled together. “What’s going on?” I ask. “Lorelai has been spotted nearby. We have heard what she is doing to create her army. I called my people to the castle to keep them safe. But some are missing. We’ve heard the rumors. We know how Lorelai is gaining her army. I want to keep my people safe, but…” His voice cuts off as he looks around. I can tell t
I’m so excited to see Emlyn and then to see Cayd too. It’s nice to have my family here with me. Even though neither of them are blood relatives, the Guardians' children have always been like family to each other. When Emlyn tells me about what happened between her and Rich, I’m shocked. I’m so angry at him I want to punch him. Stupid men. Apparently, it’s not just my mate that does stupid things. I’m even more shocked when I hear that she wants to try to break her Guardian bond. I didn’t even know that was possible. I feel terrible that I didn’t know that any of this was going on. First Emerson and his bond with Quinn, now Rich and Emlyn. I feel so disconnected from the packs and what is going on with them. I get Buppig to help us find books that might give us a clue as to where to find anything on how to break the Guardian bond. We’ve been pouring over them for days when I hear the rumblings that the soldiers are back. It’s another couple of hours before Aolis finally comes to fin
After spending the day helping Lily and Emlyn looking for a way to break Emlyn’s Guardian bond, all I wanted to do is finally have some quiet time to reconnect with my mate. From the moment I walked into the library, everything was uncomfortable. I could tell Lily didn’t know what to say to me or how to interact, and I felt just as uncomfortable. I waited for hours for her to join me in our room. It was late into the night when I realized she wasn’t going to come. I have no idea where she slept, but it wasn’t with me. The next morning, I join my father and Anastasia in their private dining room for breakfast. Neither Lily nor Emlyn show up for breakfast. I have to hope that Lily hasn’t changed her mind about our bond and isn’t looking for a way to break her Guardian bond to me while she helps Emlyn search. I’m just about ready to go search for her, to force her to talk to me, when we hear Dominic’s howl of warning. Lorelai is here. I rush back to my room, putting on my armor and gr
When I open my eyes, I’m disoriented. Where am I? There’s a strange beeping sound nearby and the sounds of scurrying, as if people are busy rushing around. Is it morning? Did I oversleep? I reach out, like I always do for Hera. I only get a soft, exhausted response before she’s gone again. My body hurts. A lot. More than it’s ever hurt before. Am I injured? Is Hera injured? I try to clear my hazy brain and then it all comes flooding back. Lorelai, the battle, the lightning, Hera’s heart stopping. ‘Hera!’ I scream. Is she dead? Am I alone? ‘I’m here. Need to heal.’ She says softly before drifting away again. I hear movement near me, someone comes over and a warm hand touches my face. Then I smell the delicious scent of freshly fallen snow. “Aolis.” I say as my eyes drift open. His grey-green eyes are full of concern as he leans over me, looking at me intently. “Lily. Lily, you’re okay.” He says, pulling me into his arms and burying his face in my neck. I feel his body jerking