Roman POV To say that I was confused and conflicted with myself would be an understatement. I do not know what came over me last night. I had the same urge to protect Dragana, I wanted her, that much has not changed. But there was something else. I felt something. I felt a bond of some kind. I slept soundly with her in my arms for the first time in many years. I woke up not wanting to let her go. However, I knew I had to. I had a mate and my fidelity, love and responsibility belonged to her. Something was nagging me though; I could not explain it. When I kissed her this morning before she left, it was incredible. For the first time, I just wanted to kiss her, I wanted her to know the gentleness, the actual kiss, other than the raw sexuality behind it. I hesitated at first, but when her plump warm lips opened to me, I lost myself in her scent, in the warmth of her mouth, in the fact that she was responding. I could have stayed like that forever, kissing her as if I was drowning and she
Dragana POV Opening my eyes slowly, I was adjusting to the bright light around me. Passing through the portal, I did not ask where I was going or why. All I needed to do was escape Dark Lord Khor, and with Jasmine’s help and my mother’s ancient magic I managed somehow. I still did not understand how a lullaby could do such a thing. My head was hurting and in fact, my whole body was aching. I did not know where I was. Sounds of birds and water were near and as I slowly got up, I realized I was on the beach of some kind. Sun was shining bright, and it looked like it was midday, someplace, somewhere. I looked at my leg, and while there was some dried blood, my wound was closed and completely healed. Stumbling, I tried to get up, but I felt weak, weaker in fact then ever.“Teleportation spells are advanced, and if you are not practiced at it, they will take a lot of energy out of you. I suggest you move carefully and get up easily”, I heard a man’s voice. I tried to see who was speaking
Roman’s POVThe excitement of finally seeing my mate, of holding her close to me was buzzing around me. Electricity of it was unreal and I was beyond ecstatic! Finally, my fated mate, my Luna Queen, future mother of my pups, stability for my kingdom, stability for my packs, stability for me, and I for her. I thought of all the ways I will make her celebrated, wanted, elevated, loved, cherished, and supported. She was my destined, the gift from the Goddess after all. I kissed her with all I had, sparks flying around, and she welcomed my kiss, her plump lips opening to me, her warm tongue dancing with me. However, something was wrong. Something was seriously, very, very wrong. The mate bond was faint if there was a bond at all. She was a beautiful and attractive woman, but this was not a mate pull. This much I knew. It was definitely NOT what I expected, not what I have heard or what I have known. This was also NOTHING compared to me kissing Dragana! Caleb was roaring in my head, he rea
Lady Jasmine POV The smoke and fires were around me, as were the dead bodies. I smelled blood and death. Laying on the ground, my whole body was aching and all I heard was buzzing. My vision was cloudy but I was trying to see, trying to get up. Yet something held me down. “It is an immobilis spell, you will not be able to move until I say so", I heard the voice of my brother. “WHERE IS SHE?????” he roared. The portal had succeeded, I thought to myself. The lullaby worked. Little did Dragana know that was an ancient spell, but it required a power of a well-trained witch to open it. She was not trained. I took a chance, praying it would work to save her. It did. So, at least she was safe, I thought to myself. “WHERE IS SHE?? I WILL NOT ASK AGAIN JASMINE!!!!!!”, my brother was pacing around me, the ancient magic embedded in him, his tattoos becoming active, moving up and down his arm, his aura becoming more dangerous every moment he moved. I tried to speak, but blood was pooling in my mo
Beta Artemis POV The white lights above my head were blinding. I slowly opened my eyes and the sheer power of them nearly blinded me. I was slowly adjusting to it. The room was spacious, white, and smelled of cleaning chemicals. I must be in a hospital, I thought, trying to get my bearings, to orient myself and understand what was happening. Again, I struggled to open my eyes, but gradually things were falling into focus. I tried to get up, but noticed I was plugged into machines beeping. Turning to my right, I saw an unexpected person. Alpha King Jonathan. Technically, a former Alpha King. Yet, he was sitting in the chair next to my bed, looking intently at me. “You woke up son!” his deep voice rumbled, and I could tell he was relieved. “You gave us quite a scare there, my young buck!”, he chuckled. I tried to speak, but words were not coming to me. “Nurse”, Alpha roared, and soon, a diminutive, yet strong-willed she-wolf appeared. Her expression was that of no-nonsense. “Alpha King
Roman POV At this point, I did not know if I was coming or going. Sitting behind my large desk in the pack office, I was surrounded by King Malakai’s people – a couple of his generals, one of whom looked at me with literal hatred, his healers, Slavic coven witches and my father. Dragana was missing and I felt as if part of me was missing – the chasm of emptiness because of her disappearance not only shocked me, but nearly killed me. I did not understand why that affected me the way it did, but here I am, stuck with these people who apparently can do nothing but argue. Lady Jasmine’s injuries were severe, but her physical body was mending. However, it was her mental state everybody was concerned about and nobody had any real solution to it – we did not know how to bring her back from the veil in between. Then there was Art – my brother from another mother, my childhood friend, and my Beta, who barely survived and from what I learned survived only because Lady Jasmine helped him, eve
Dragana POV The sun was shining brightly, the smell of seawater and sand hitting me as I was waking up. A large white canopy tent was around me, however, inside it looked more like an ornate and very elaborate living room. Beautify decorated red and gold cushions with intricate designs were everywhere. Fresh flowers of all kinds and glass and gold ornaments stood around me, catching the sun and sparkling in reflection. Crystal chandeliers were hanging as if suspended in mid-air by sheer willpower. I was laying down on a very large white and gold ottoman, a light blanket on me. I heard people and sensed their presence but really saw nothing. Sitting up, I was trying to recall where I was. “You have woken up child!”. I heard the voice belonging to Solomon, whom now I understood was my great grandfather, my family. “Where am I?”, I said groggily. “You passed out child, summoning and traveling through Silver Gate took a lot out of you”, he said with a smile, although I could sense concer
Dragana POV “I am a WHAT??????”. Dear Goddess, how did this day get to go so badly???? What is happening?? One day I dream of freedom and the ability to leave the pack and that is my biggest problem in life. Next day, people are shooting at me. I find out I am in love with a guy I can never have and who is not my mate, I find family I never knew about, family that should have kept me close all my life, being told I am - a what???? “A WHAT???”, I repeat again in a very high pitch voice, not sounding like myself, not recognizing it. Everything was spinning around me again, and I barely contained myself from falling. I did not realize that, as Solomon was explaining things to me, in the process I stood up, my fists clenched, my posture stern, anger seeping from me like a storm. “Calm down...”, the soft voice said. “Think, there must be an explanation to this – something more logical perhaps”, the voice continued. She was right. I needed to calm down and remember my books and stories I