LOGINI woke a few hours later, hungry and alone in my room. Killian's scent lingered, a memory of his arms around me and the promise of violence declared with unflinching earnestness. He was no doubt out on the hunt, working to fulfill his promise to bring Evangeline and Andromeda to justice. To ensure my safety as his mate.
But a small part of me wished he'd waited a little longer and stayed by my side until the next morning.
His infuriating, mercurial presence anchored me to realit
Leon. Here. In Snow Pointe. In the flesh. And not in chains.It was a miracle.Alpha Damon smiled behind him, arms crossed over his puffed-out, proud chest. A grinning father witnessing his beloved child open his gift at Christmas. He'd done this. He brought Leon here for me. Not for a political arrangement, or a trade agreement. Because I told him I missed Wayfinder and worried about their safety. He brought Leon to soothe my fears.I mouthed the words 'Thank you' over Leon's shoulders and Damon's smile grew broader."Feels like years," Leon said, voice muffled by my shoulder, his grip unrelenting. He didn't want to let me go, and I was the same. I clung to his shirt, burying my face in his neck and breathing in his familiar scent. It was the smell of the wild and of home. This is what I'd missed, the easy comfort of being in his orbit. Safe and protected.It was different than what I felt with Killian and his mercurial nature. Unstable and passionate, being with Leon was like walking
Days passed in a blur.Prince Killian remained a ghost, hunting down Evangeline and everyone else who fled with her and the traitorous Andromeda, six people in total. His absence weighed as heavy as his presence, pregnant with the promise of his return and everything that entailed.Alpha Damon made an official address to all of Snow Pointe, declaring Evangeline an imposter, illegitimate heir, and a usurper of his rightful daughter's place. Against my will and better judgment, I joined my father on the dais and stood by his side as he claimed me as his true daughter and the rightful heir of Snow Pointe. Aurelia Drow. Aurelia Praxis. Aurelia Snow.The pack received the news with mixed reactions. Some gasped audibly, taken aback by the betrayal and the thwarted eradication of Snow Pointe. Others cheered, having had their suspicions against Evangeline and Andromeda for years. A small few seethed, whispering behind their hands, loyal to the liar who sat in my place for twenty-two years. Ev
Luna Alena's request rattled in my mind the rest of the day. She didn't pester or press me into an answer immediately, but the pressure still weighed heavily on my shoulders. I ate, walked the territory paths, even trained with the warriors of Snow Pointe. Anything to clear my head of the spinning thoughts and the terrible three-way split I was being pulled into.The fresh air and exercise did little to help. The hushed whispers, cautious stares, and confused expressions of the warriors and onlookers helped even less. Everywhere I turned, they gawked as word traveled about my true identity and the heinous treason committed by Evangeline and Dr. Andromeda. More reminders that my "rightful" place was in Snow Pointe.I pushed myself hard. Harder than I should have. But I needed The Gauntlet to work. I needed my head clear for just a moment before I fell into a downward spiral and lost all sense of reason."You should rest," Gamma Olivier grunted, waiting for me at the end of the obstacle
I woke a few hours later, hungry and alone in my room. Killian's scent lingered, a memory of his arms around me and the promise of violence declared with unflinching earnestness. He was no doubt out on the hunt, working to fulfill his promise to bring Evangeline and Andromeda to justice. To ensure my safety as his mate.But a small part of me wished he'd waited a little longer and stayed by my side until the next morning.His infuriating, mercurial presence anchored me to reality when I was in the midst of falling apart. My lament was cut short by a knock at my door.I wasn't this in demand as Wayfinder's second-in-command. Every day since I'd returned to Snow Pointe, someone had knocked on my damned door. I was getting sick of answering it. But I knew who it was—the familiar, soft cadence of the knock and the scent that wafted around the cracks.Luna Alena waited on the other side of the door, her eyes filled with unshed tears. Her solemn face gree
Killian's lips crashed into mine with no warning and no chance for me to prepare.Rough, hungry, dominating, his hands matched the frenzy of his kiss, trailing up and down my sides, reaching between my body and the bed to cup the curve of my buttocks. He wasn't lying. He'd lost all his manners.My hands bunched in the fabric of his shirt, half-hanging on for dear life and half-desperate for a moment to breathe. I turned my head and gasped for air, face burning bright with embarrassment and something too shameful to name. "W-Wait!"He growled and buried his face in my neck, nipping at my skin in response. Reason was lost on him, and I was caught in the whirlwind of his desire. One of his hands slipped beneath my shirt, his rough fingers tracing the soft skin of my waist, the curve of my ribs beneath the skin as he inched higher and higher. The other hand squeezed my butt harder, and I yelped in shock.Too fast, it was all too fast."Killian, wait!" I whimpered.He stopped. As quickly a
"What?"The prince's entire demeanor shifted instantly. The warm, loving, comforting mate was replaced by the cold, calculating ruler. His arms tightened around me a fraction before loosening entirely as he marched toward the guard. The smaller man cowered, but it was too late.Killian's massive hand wrapped around his throat, and he hauled the guard off the ground by the neck. He never raised his voice. Never shouted or insulted. But when he spoke, the air grew colder."Did you just announce that the prisoners who infiltrated and infected your pack, the prisoners I commanded you to contain, escaped?" Killian tilted his head, leaning in to hear the guard's grunted, strained whispers. "That's what I thought."He released the man, dropping him to the floor just as Alena and Damon returned, both shaking with fury and covered in someone's blood. No doubt the poor guard who was tasked with watching Andromeda and Evangeline."They killed Ricardo and escaped," Damon growled. "And they had to
Outside Evangeline's room, I finally breathed again, free from the overwhelming stench of her unnaturally heavy vanilla scent. Just another reason I always left from her presence nauseous and dizzy. It clung to my clothes as I returned to the kitchens, burning in my nose until I had to rush to the
Evangeline Snow was not nearly as unconcerned as her parents.The moment I pushed the cart into her quarters, her gaze landed on me, sharp and unyielding. I lowered my head, shrank in on myself as I had in the Gathering Hall, but it returned the opposite result. Where the pack nobility ignored my h
For the first time, Arya took total control. My consciousness drifted to the back as my body bent and burned with the transformation. Black fur covered my pale skin, and long claws grew from my hands. By the end, I barely fit in the basement.Ah... finally. Are you okay, Auri?Her voice was so loud
It was a small blessing that my seventeenth moon day fell on one of my days off. I don't think I could have survived Delta Hester's displeasure at me taking the entire day off otherwise. Small mercies found me in those days, and I never forgot to thank the Moon Goddess for the reprieve.Bu







