Cassian’s point of viewMy body aches, and everything feels like it’s spinning. Katrina is sobbing. She feels helpless. I feel like I am stuck somewhere and can’t move.My mind is awake, but my body feels heavy. I can’t move.I’m dying.Ryan betrayed me. He sold me out. Why? My eyes snap open, and I am in my chambers.“Cass?” Lucius’s voice comes as I look at him. He is in his usual ugly colors. Black and green.“Luc. You are alive.”“Yes. We both are. How are you feeling?”“Pain. And tired” and fucking horny. Why the hell do I feel horny? I haven’t had a hard one in months.“That’s good. There’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”“Okay. Can it wait? I need to speak to the council of elders and the rogue king,” I try to pull off the sheets.‘Someone marked us!’ my wolf growls‘Someone what!’I brought my hand to my neck, and for real, someone marked us. “What the fuck?”“About that. Someone had to mark you so that you could share the pain and, well, suck out the poison,” Lucius
Katrina’s Point of View“Junie?” I call, and she moans even moreJuniper falls to the ground once she pulls away from him.‘Shield me,’ I link to Lucius, who turns to Noah and Taylor, who come to stand with their backs turned to us. My claws elongate with white fur as I dig into Cassian. Lucius doesn’t seem shocked as I shut my eyes so tightly, letting the poison get into me. I give him a lifeline while taking some of his poison.“She needs a healer” I whisper to Lucius as I fall on my butt.“Well done baby” he kisses my temple before turning to Taylor. “Find the healers” He orders before helping me to my feet.“Is everyone safe?” I ask Suri, and she nods her head.“Five Casualties. But otherwise, we are okay,” she says, and I nod my head.“I will track Ryan. Can I trust you will handle this?” I ask Lucius, who shakes his head.“No. I have Gerald and the rest going after him. We need to secure the palace, and you need to rest.” He wraps his arm around my shoulder, taking a blanket fro
Katrina’s point of view‘Sage. I can’t lose him. He can’t die’ I linked to my wolf, hoping she would have a solution for me. She is the brain, and I am the muscle. She can find a way to heal him.‘Katrina. You have to let him go’ she says as I shake my head, looking at everyone around us. “I can mark him. My wolf will heal him,” the words blurted out before I could even think what I was saying.“Fuck no! You are mine! Do you hear me?”“I can heal him. Please, Lucius!”“If you mark him. He becomes one with you. I will not let you do that,” He growls, his voice getting huskier as he grabs my hand.“Please, Kat. I know you care about him, but what about me, huh? What happens to us?” He pleads as I feel Cassian’s heart slow down.“I can save him,” the words come out like a whisper. I don’t want to fail. I can’t fail.He drops his head to my forehead as tears stream down my cheeks. I can’t let him down. Ryan would have won. He would have achieved what he wanted to.“I will mark him” Suri s
Lucius’s point of view“How the fuck did this happen? I thought you had this under control?” Cassian snapped as I led him to the throne room. The only place I know where I can be able to protect him and be able to win a fight.“Forgive me if you have a traitor in your ranks, alpha king,” I snapped, irritated with his nagging.“Didn’t you ensure everyone was checked? Why are there dark ones flocking in my fucking palace!” he growled, his eyes changing into something I can’t recognize.His wolf.“You know what bothers me? I don’t have time for this. Katrina is out there doing everything she can and trust me, I am not in the mood for your fucking tantrums right now. You either move it or let me go back.”“Not an option right now. We get to a palace safe, and we can strategize,” the rogue king chimes in.“Where are my men?” Cassian asks, “I need to go back to Katrina” he turns on his heel, but I grab his arm.“Don’t. As much as I would love to go out there. I made a promise to protect yo
Katrina’s point of viewWe get into the palace, and there’s bloodshed all over the floor. I head straight to the gallery and punch in a few codes before the door opens.“Stay here. Unless it’s me opening the door or knocking, do not open,” I instruct the two princesses while Ingrid whimpers.They didn’t respond, but I didn’t expect them to, so I took their silence as a sign and turned to leave.“Katrina!” Princess Ellie shouts behind me. “Thank you,” she says, and I bow before her as the doors close.I shift and bolt back to the ground, but I don’t see the wolf coming, and it lunges at me, sending me flying.“Kat!” Becky shouts, as I roll a few times on the ground. I try to get up but find myself falling to the ground.‘Kat, get up!’ Sage’s voice comes, but I feel too weak.I lift my gaze and see four wolves surrounding Becky. “No. Not her” I whimper, getting to my feet, about to pounce on the wolf, but it dodges, sending me skidding on the other side.A gunshot rings from behind m
Katrina’s point of viewHowls. Cries. Grunts. Moans.It’s all I can hear.And I see red when I head back to the ceremonial grounds. Becky is trying to fight off two wolves who are trying to attack Princess Ellie.Ingrid has scrunched to the ground, covering her ears as a wolf strides towards her. She can’t even see that she is about to be shredded into pieces.‘You can let her die,” Sage suggests, but I curse before running. I am not letting Lucius’s mate die. I am not that kind of person. Jumping on the back of the wolf, he staggers, trying to get me off him, but it’s too late because I lodge both my blades in his shoulders, and he falls to the ground.She shrieks, covering her ears with her hands, and her eyes are shut so tightly. “Princess!” I shout, getting in front of her and pulling her hand.“We have to go,” I say to her as other wolves try to fight off their own battles. Someone let these men in, and it has to be someone with a high-ranking post.“Let me go!” She protests.“Li
Lucius’s point of viewThe wedding went by so fast, and the marking ceremony didn’t take long. I couldn’t help but notice how Aidan kept watching Kaelin every time she smiled or shifted.When she seemed nervous, he wrapped his arm around her waist, I would have expected her to pull away from him, but after the marking, it’s like a bond just snapped in place. He looks at her like she was the most precious thing in his world.I can’t help but imagine Katrina in a wedding dress and how it would finally feel like having a bond with Katrina. Would she wear a ball gown or something fitting? I bring my glass of champagne to my lips, smiling at myself.“You know she is just a few feet from you? You don’t have to daydream about her, right?” Noah asks, sipping from his glass of champagne.“Funny they are working while we are enjoying ourselves” he adds as Becky walks over to Katrina then whispers something. Katrina frowns, then lifts her head to look at me.Something is wrong.“Can we talk?” In
**Katrina’s point of view“Are you ready, your grace?” I asked him as he made his way out of the elevator.“As ready as I can be,” he curtly says to me as we make our way towards the car. I sit in front while Suri and Martin are in the other car.“It could have been you,” the rogue king starts while I focus on the tablet, trying to avoid the conversation.“Your grace,” Aidan chimes in“She was the better option. Young, fierce, and beautiful would have made a perfect wife for you,” he says monotone as my eyes meet with Aidan’s through the rearview.I’m sorry. He mouths to me.“You tend to forget your people slaughtered my pack.” I shot back, and he smiled.“Yes. It was only in retaliation. I thought we moved past—”“We didn’t! Just because I am here protecting you and doing my duty doesn’t mean I moved on. I lost my family and people.” I snap.“Your family was collateral damage. I apologize for—”I chuckle, shaking my head. “Your grace. If you don’t mind, I would like this conversatio
Katrina’s point of view“I wish I were a guest at the wedding,” Becky said, holstering her gun as I tilted my head.“Really? I thought Noah and you would be going as a couple,” I said, applying my sunscreen. I don’t mind working when it’s a royal wedding.Lucius insisted I let everyone else handle it and be his date like we had planned, but I would rather be the one running the command.“I was supposed to, then your boyfriend heard you are working.”“He is not—” I paused, turning to look at her as she smiled, throwing on her leather jacket.“Not your boyfriend? I think we are way past that. Should I say mate?” she asked as I stopped in my tracks. Does she know?“Hey. I’m joking. I know you want to find your mate one day,” she came closer, she must have noticed the tension in my shoulders and the way my heart was racing.“I would give anything to feel a bond with him,” the words rolled off my lips as tears threatened to fall.“I know. I wish sometimes that maybe Noah should be my mate.