Kiera’s POV“What’s going on with you?”Viviane is lost in thought again, her expression dazed and vacant. “It’s just been a crazy couple of weeks.” She answers simply, her lovely voice hushed.“Safe to say that’s the understatement of the year.” I quip. Viviane’s stock has skyrocketed at school ever since she won the scholars tournament and stopped wearing her glasses. We used to be ignored and overlooked, but now that everyone knows how smart and beautiful she is, we’ve become surprisingly popular.Of course it also helps that she’s dating the heir to the pack. I knew Caspian had been pursuing Viviane, but it still shocked me when she agreed to go out with him officially. Despite his bad reputation, the Alpha’s son is still extremely powerful and our peers won’t soon forget it.To top it all off, it sounds like Viviane’s home life has been a roller coaster as well. Though I don’t know all the details, apparently Marina decided they needed to leave the Nightshade pack last week, and
Viviane’s POV“How is this possible?”Caspian is still standing over Mordred in wolf form, his fangs dripping with blood. His paws are planted on my attacker’s chest, pinning him to the ground with bruising force, but Caspian’s attention is fixed solely on me.At first it hadn’t even occurred to me that he couldn’t speak when shifted, I simply heard his voice and responded reflexively. Now it seems all too surreal, can I really be hearing Caspian speak in my mind?“You’re mates.” Chase explains evenly, still trying to balance Caspian’s out-of-control emotions with his unfailing calm. “It’s right for you to be linked this way.”My eyes swing back and forth between the men. “Does it work both ways?”Chase is watching his friend closely, seeming to notice the way Caspian’s focus lingers on my ripped clothing. Before answering he pulls off his jacket, moving forward to offer me the garment.I leap backward out of Chase’s reach, my mind registering nothing but the fact that a man is approa
Viviane’s POV“I have a surprise for you.”Caspian hasn’t let me out of his sight since Mordred attacked me at the stadium. If he can’t be with me himself, he assigns enforcers to guard me. He won’t admit it, but I’ve caught one too many suspiciously mature looking teenager wearing an earpiece roaming the halls of my school.I know in my heart Caspian would never endanger me, but “surprise” has always sounded like another word for “trap” to me. “What kind of surprise?” I hedge warily.Caspian huffs out a laugh, reading my mind. “A good one.” He pledges, planting a soft kiss on the tip of my nose.Still I hesitate. “I don’t know Caspian, surprises are… couldn’t you just tell me what it is? I’ll appreciate it just as much, I swear.”“You have to start trusting me sometime, Viviane.” The words could have sounded harsh, but he says them without a hint of judgment or annoyance.“I know.” I whisper, bashfully fiddling with the buttons of his shirt.Powerful hands knead my lower back and a h
Viviane’s POV“It’s not that simple, Caspian.” I exclaim, shrinking away from him. “Mermaids don’t have mates the way shifters do – this is all new to me.” Seeming to hold himself in check, the future Alpha watches me retreat. “I don’t know what to think.”Caspian squares his shoulders. “It’s not about what you think. It’s about what you feel.”“Is it really that easy for you?” I counter, “you just know, unconditionally? You never feel unsure, you never feel overwhelmed by it all?”“Yes.” He replies curtly. “It’s that easy. One whiff of your smell, one look at you, and I know.”“But you’re also experienced, you know what it’s felt like with other women,” I remind him, “you have a very large frame of reference whereas I have nothing.”“Nothing?” His wolfish eyes sharpen with possessive pride.“Is that so surprising?” I inquire defensively, “Secret identities and dating don’t go very well together.”“Then why have you risked it with me?” He prods, stalking me across the beach.“Because
Caspian’s POV“You don’t understand what you’re saying.” I snap, temper and frustration rising alongside the overpowering and irresistible urge to mate Viviane.I can feel her uncertainty through our bond. Her body wants it almost as badly as mine, but her mind is unsure. “It was going really well.” She murmurs, turning back. I groan internally, seeing her lust-glazed eyes is not helping. “And it felt–“That’s lust talking.” I cut her off before she can tell me how good I was making her feel. It isn’t necessary, I can smell her arousal even from across the room. “You’re not ready.” My wolf howls in my chest, an unmistakable mating call.To my surprise, Viviane sways forward as if she hears it, but the confusion on her face tells me she has no idea why her feet decided to move. Interesting. I think, wondering what else our mate bond might allow. And very inconvenient.“Viviane.” I don’t want to raise my voice, but she’s leaving me no choice. If she touches me I’m a goner. She freezes o
Viviane’s POVI wake to my mother sweeping up pearls littered around my sofa bed. “You shouldn’t be doing that.” I object instantly, sitting up.She pulls the broom and dustpan out of my reach, “I’m not a complete invalid you know.” She looks me over dubiously. “Besides, I’m not the one in need of healing this morning.”“It was just nightmares.” I deflect, rubbing my eyes drowsily.“I’m not talking about the nightmares.” Mom replies coolly. “You should go take a look in the mirror.”“Wh–” All at once it comes back to me: the scene in Caspian’s rooms; my refusal to leave; his shout; strange wolves grabbing me and carrying me off against my will; Caspian attacking his father. “Oh my god.” I murmur, sinking back down onto the couch. I quickly survey my bare arms and legs, finding them littered with bruises I earned trying to escape the wolves. My entire body is sore, and suddenly all my horrible nightmares make sense.At first it was just Mordred, then his face changed, replaced with doz
Viviane’s POVI have to see Caspian.If I’m going to end things between us, I have to do it in person. He deserves that much, and I have to make sure he’s okay for my peace of mind. From what I saw on the news, he came out of the games trials last night looking like he’d been doing a lot more fighting than hunting, finishing in second place behind his uncle, James.I can’t help but think he would have performed better if he hadn’t wasted all his energy attacking the Alpha the night before and been tranquilized. I also wonder if being in heat harmed his chances. I don’t know much about shifter mating, but I know the heat can continue for days if not weeks.When I knock on the pack house door, I’m surprised to find it’s opened, not by a servant or guard, but by James himself. “Oh,” I say dumbly, taken about. “Hello, I’m Viviane.”“Yes, I know.” He says with a small smile. “I was here on Thursday night.”My cheeks flush with heat and I’m finding it suddenly very difficult to look him in
Caspian’s POVThe 10 behemoths blocking the locker room door are glowering at me with a mix of resentment and uncertainty. They might not want me to win, but I am still heir to the pack. I am still an Alpha by blood and birthright. James might be a persuasive speaker, but he does not possess my authority, and he is nowhere near as dangerous as I am.“You do realize what he’s doing don’t you?” I ask, “He wants you to exhaust yourselves fighting me so that you won’t have the energy to fight him.” I point to the door where James retreated. “That’s been his strategy through the entire Games. He set the fastest and strongest trackers on me so that I would knock them out before they could complete the trial. He’s doing the same now, using me to get you out of the way.”The wolves glance at one another hesitantly, and I press on. “Is that really the kind of shifter you want vying for control of your pack, one that cheats and props himself up on stronger men. One who kidnaps women – mates – t