Maddox's POV
I gazed at the witch, unblinking, trying to make sense of her words.
"Huh?" I eventually managed to squeak.
"It was your blood," she repeated firmly. "You were at the castle to celebrate the Princess' naming ceremony. The Lycans refused her request so she asked if the blood needed to be pure. It was because it wasn't pure she demanded I use more. You were ten years old."
I shook my head, frowning at her, vaguely aware of Blake at my side, resting his hand on my shoulder.
"I think I'd remember a virtual stranger taking blood from me," I said, "you must be mistaken."
"You're Maddox Mason?" Willow asked, "son of Nicholas Mason?"
I nodded.
"Then I am not mistaken. It was her lover's idea. He was close to you."
"Who?" Blake snapped, stiffening at my side and tightening his grip on my shoulder. Willow dropped her head and sighed.
"I'm sorry," she said looking up at
Kayla's POVMaddox inched closer, grabbing my hand and squeezing so hard my bones threatened to break. The pack filtered in from other rooms, all keeping their distance. Soft sniffles echoed around the hallway.The wolf Nico dropped to his knees at Wilow's feet, wrapping his arms around her waist, pressing his face into her barren stomach."Willow," he whispered. "I promise, she is out there."Willow shook her head, tears streaked her ivory cheeks. Her lips moved in protest but grief swallowed any sound she tried to make.My heart swelled in my chest."I thought I lost you," Nico cried, hugging Willow harder."You... You left me," Willow snarled as a lifetime of grief twisted into rage and abandonment. "I thought she had killed you and our child but you left me."Nico pulled himself to his feet. He towered above Willow as he took her tiny human hands into his giant paws."I woul
Skye's POVWillow sobbed into my neck. Nico's arms squeezed tighter. My heart threatened to burst. There was so much I wanted to say, so many questions I needed to ask but my brain and mouth refused to cooperate."Did you bring anyone else?" Casper asked. Nico turned his head but refused to loosen his grip on me and Willow."I've been building an army," he grinned. His words brought reality crashing back down. I finally had everything I'd ever dreamed of. A pack who protected and loved me. A mate who would die for me and parents who adored me and a war hung over me, promising to take it all away."Not now," Maddox growled. "No war. Not tonight. Kayla needs time to reconnect with her family. Alaya is no more a threat tonight than she will be tomorrow.""Every second we waste..." Casper started. A low, menacing growl from Lena cut him off."You can give them tonight. Blake and I will welcome any newco
Maddox's POVI left Kayla in my grandparent's small garden with Will guarding the entrance and made my way back to the packhouse. She needed some time alone with Willow and Nico to try and make sense of the bombshell that just landed. A wall of noise smacked into me as I opened the door.I blinked, trying to make sense of the sight before me. Hundreds of strangers were crammed into the packhouse. Amber and Lena were folding out camping beds in the entrance hall."They came," Blake grinned rushing over with a massive grin on his face. "They all came to help.""But can we trust them?" I frowned. Because if we couldn't we were outnumbered two to one."Well, we'll need Skye to weed out any potential spies, but I think so.""Skye?""Yeah, you know, Kayla? Your mate.""Yeah," I sighed running my hand down my face. "I'm just tired and overwhelmed. This is a lot of werewolves.""I
Skye's POV"Skye," Maddox said cupping my face, "If I do this and anything goes wrong..." he dropped his gaze as his voice trailed off. His sweet face twisted in anguish."Then don't let it go wrong," I growled."Alaya will not take the cure willingly," he said lifting his gaze to meet mine. Tears glittered in his blue eyes. "I will need to get close to her and you saw what she did at White Castle."The horror I witnessed in White Castle was burned into my memory like a grotesque scar. The terror and agony etched onto the faces of the mangled bodies. The heavy, sickening scent of blood and fear lingering in the air. A heavy, Lycan proof cell ripped to shreds like it was nothing more than paper. My stomach lurched at the possibility of Maddox getting anywhere near close to the thing that caused it all."Ask someone else to do it," I begged, gripping his hands in mine. I squeezed so hard, so desperately, I never w
Maddox POVSkye's eyelids flickered. She nuzzled further into me in a vain attempt to block the morning sun from dragging her away from her dream. A soft smile rested on her lips."Mmm," she sighed, arching her back."It's morning," I whispered brushing a stray curl from her face. Her smile faded. She twisted to her side pulling herself up on her elbow to face me."It's today, isn't it? We go to war today?"I nodded swallowing down the lump in my throat.We had the perfect night last night, alone in the woods with only the song of the crickets for company we finally sealed our bond. We were mates. True, bonded mates and today we go to war with the vilest enemy my people have ever faced.Skye twisted herself around, pulling her knees into her chest as she faced the sunrise. We sat in silence, enjoying the last moments of our final morning on Earth. Golden rays of light kissed Mountain Ridge far in t
Maddox POVWarriors crammed into every inch of the entrance hall. Some spilt out of the kitchen and office, others piled on the balconied landing behind me. Hundreds of warriors, stood waiting for me to address them. Skye stood at my side at the top of the staircase. Casper, Serena, Blake and Lena stood behind me. The silence was sickening, deafening. Even the birds in the trees beyond our fortified walls stopped their singing and listened.Our families were secreted away in Greystone Manor. Whisked away amid tears and goodbyes to safely live another day. We all knew some of us would not live to see them again. My Gran took it hardest of all, wringing her hands in her apron and sobbing hysterically as she was forced into a four-wheel drive and taken away to safety. She knew as well as I did what needed to happen. Only I could force the cure into Alaya. And I would not survive it.Skye gripped my hand, her palm damp from the t
Maddox POVI stood back as my warriors slowly peeled their clothes off and released their wolves."Unless you can develop opposable thumbs in the next thirty seconds and can handle a syringe, this is my fight," I told Shadow."I understand," he said. We'd finally come to an understanding. He respected me and I listened to him and now it was all about to bed.Blake, Lena and Skye were the last to change."You take care of each other," I warned them."And you take care of you," Blake said as he shifted into his wolf."I love you," Skyesobbed as she let Izzy free. I kept my eyes on her massive white wolf as she took off into the herd rushing over the ridge. Lena was last to leave.Lena, my best friend for as long as I could remember. No matter how bad things got she was always at my side, always defending me and watching my back. She was the strongest wold I knew.
Maddox POVAlaya stormed towards me her amber eyes locked on Henry's lifeless corpse and his blood-soaked son still standing over him with his fangs bloody and dripping. She didn't care who got in her way, her own warriors or mine, they were all fair game.She tossed their bodies aside as if they were nothing more than ragdolls. They smashed into trees or slammed into the ground their bones snapping and cracking as they landed. The anguished wail tearing from her lungs never waned.Skye tried to slow her down throwing the ground beneath her thick, heavy paws into the air. The earth rumbled and shook. Warriors, ours and Alaya's fell down crevices opening in the ground, their bodies buried by the debris raining from the sky.Willow's coven chanted spells, desperately trying to slow the beast down.I readied the syringe and rushed towards it, jumping over fallen trees and broken bodies. the beast fell to all