LOGIN“He’s gotten so strong,” Andrei whispered as, a little while later, we stood beneath the hot spray together. I traced my fingers across the familiar planes of his chest and abdomen, leaving patterns in the hair. Everything was the same. Everything. As if not a single day had passed since he left.“H
Natalia’s POVThe light wound up leading us to a small, nondescript inn with a sign that read “Rusty’s Rest” at the edge of a narrow and winding roadway. It had worn wooden siding and an inviting yellow glow through the dusty old windows.We were all surprised to come across any sign of civilization
Natalia’s POVCold, wet ground rushed up to meet me. I gasped, tucking my arms, and braced myself for impact.Thankfully, the bed of moss I fell onto was soft and plush, and although it knocked the breath from our lungs, I heard no cries of pain or snapping of bones. In fact, the cold damp of rain w
My wolf came back like a dam had burst.It was sudden and all-consuming, almost painful in its intensity. My nerve endings lit on fire. A bond I’d forgotten for too long suddenly snapped into place like a live wire pulling taut. I looked up, and an animal howled in my mind.Mate.My Lord let out a d
Andrei’s POVThe ring was too small for every finger except my pinky.I couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. Her hands were still wrapped around mine, and she was saying something. Not out loud, but somewhere deep and resonant. Inside of me, where my Lord’s voice dwelled, came hers. Soft and sweet and so
I still knew every word.“Mom.” Max’s hand tightened on my arm. “Drop it. Look at me.”I looked at him.He had dirt on his face and his lip was split and his eyes were wide and scared and absolutely certain, all at once. He looked eleven years old and he looked forty, and I loved him so much in that
The King crossed the distance between us in two strides. He grabbed me by the throat and lifted me off the ground, sliding my back against the pillar. I clawed at his hand, but my fingers were numb and useless.“Clever,” he hissed. “Very clever. But not clever enough.”He slammed me into the stone f
Natalia’s POVThe poisoned water burned going down my throat. I took the smallest sip I could manage without looking suspicious, then lowered the cup and forced myself to smile.“To our future,” I whispered.The King drained his cup in one long swallow, then set it down on the table. He reached for
“I thought I’d lost you,” he whispered into my hair. “When you fell, I thought—”“I know. I’m sorry.” I pulled back to look at him. “Are you okay? Grace said the fumes messed with your head.”“I’m fine now. It took a while for my head to clear, but I’m better.” He cupped my face in his hands. “Are y
Before I could completely fathom it, the ring stopped glowing again and the image vanished completely this time. I was myself once more, my baby looked like a baby again, and my head was spinning even worse now. The effort had drained me. I slumped back against the bed, completely exhausted now.So







