Nanâs POVMy daughters are now 7 years old.Time had gone by so fast. It felt like only yesterday that I had tucked my two five-year-olds into bed for a nighttime story. It feels so bittersweet.Vera had grown taller. The top of her head now reached my waist instead of my thighs. Her gorgeous head o
Then Katya appeared. Wearing a black dress. The black swan to our swan lake.âWow.â She said coolly. âIt seems like your skills were not exaggerated, Nan.âThe wonder and joy drained from my daughtersâ faces. I resisted the urge to groan. Of course she would show up late.âShe just cannot resist ste
Lionelâs POVHow dare she?A fury like I have never known burned within me.My inner wolf and flame were in havoc.I could not protect my own daughtersâĶI was a failure of an alphaâĶI failedâĶIt was only Nanâs tears and sadness that brought me back to my senses.âLionel,â she wept. âWe have to get the
âYouâve been grimacing non-stop for hours now.â She replies quietly. âYou only make the face when you have a headache.âI purse my lips. âI would say my headache is justified.âShe frowns. âYour investigators havenât found anything?ââThey have.â I admit reluctantly. âBut not enough to get the girls
Lionelâs POVâKatya has a secret childâĶâI could not believe it.Katya never wanted to have children. Vera and Patti were only born out of obligation. The selfish she-wolf did not have a maternal bone in her entire body.Yet here was evidence claiming otherwiseâĶIt is exactly what I have been lookin
The symptoms were horrible. It began with a rattling cough and fatigue. Nothing seriousâĶuntil it was.The curse specifically targeted a personâs wolf. Slowly draining the spiritâs energy and eating away at it until there was nothing left. It is brutal and painful.No person born with a wolf could su
Nanâs POVIt all began with the gardener.Nikoliâs testimony was astonishing on its own. Hearing such repulsing words from the mouth of an innocent babe was enough to win us the custody battle. That was clear in the disgusted and angry eyes of the reporters and the civil servants.His tale was not t
But the only thing I could consider at that moment is the confused cries of Nikolai at the sight of his mother in handcuffs. Distress and hurt making his pale face faintly flush. The way her eyes did not even glance at her sickly son.Sorrow and pity filled my heart.She had ruined so many lives. Sh
Third Person POVIt had been the easiest wedding Nan had ever planned.She knew that she might have been stressed under any other circumstances. Nan had survived much worse than planning her own wedding. So this did not phase her.Scarlett and her sister had been a huge help in that regard.Nan was
He pulled out all the way and then slammed back in. Again and again. It was fast and brutal.I loved every second of it. This is what I had been craving. Lionel at his wildest and utterly crazed for me.At one point he turned me onto all fours. This new ankle only brought him deeper. Making me clenc
Nanâs POVIt should have been awkward.We were on a deserted island. The heavy weight of history of this place resting over us like a dark cloud. Exposed to the elements.It should not have been as arousing as it was.There was something about this that excited me. We were out in the open. Anyone co
I felt sick to my stomach. Everything I had uncovered had hinted at some dark origins. I could not have imagined anything like this.I could imagine it in my mindâs eye. The betrayal from the people they had led. Blood and shackles their new fate.âOnly one clan remembered its original purpose. Only
Nanâs POVThis was the moment I had been waiting for.Mr. Holder had allowed us to go home and rest for a while. Correctly guessing that Lionel and I needed time to rest after that ordeal. Neither of us wanted to be far from each other that night.Mr. Holder had requested for us to meet with him at
I let the bond wash over me. Lionel pushes his emotions through. His fear, his worry, his love.I send back my own terrible fear and pain. He takes it into himself. Almost cupping it like he would a wound.There are no true words in the bond. Not really. But if there wereâĶâRememberâĶfightâĶremember w
Nanâs POVMy entire world was aflame.Fire filled my vision. Smoke burned my lungs. I held my breath.The fire licked at my skin. Heated my blood. Seeking to fill the hollow of my bones.The strangest thing was that I was not burning.I should have been. Any normal fire would nave incinerated me. Ye
âYes?ââIf we do this-â She begins.âNan!â I interject sharply.I am ignored.â-and it failsâĶwhat will happen to me?â She asks tightly.He meets her gaze head on. Unflinching. âYou would most likely perish.ââSee?! Itâs too risky!â I growl.Nan is not paying me any mind. Her attention is directed at
Lionelâs POVâToday marks your third trial.ââWhat is today?â I ask weakly. âRunning through the forestâĶa treasure hunt?âEach trial had gotten progressively more difficult. I had not forgotten the manâs last words to us. Knowing that this would be the worst of all did not inspire much confidence in