Warm sunlight spilled into the vast chamber of the Vine Castle. The golden glow touched the silk sheets that were tangled around Aria’s bare body. The morning sun bled through the tall windows and illuminated the room.For a minute, after she had awoken, all she did was lie still.She could feel Lucien lying beside her, his arm was draped protectively over her chest. The rise and fall of his chest was steady and peaceful. He was asleep.She turned to face him and smiled, the usual hard lines, the tension that was usually carved into his expression was all but washed away. Her heart softened as she watched him.The mate bond between them pulsed faintly, it was a gentle thrum in her heart, but it also enveloped her mind. She smiled as the memories of the night rushed into her mind.Once again, she felt safe… and whole.She tried to sit up and the moment she did that, Lucien stirred, his heavy eyelids fluttering at her motion. In moments, his eyes were open, and his smile was warm.His v
Rose’s POV: Rose’s day was going great, and her night was going to be greater, at least she thought so.It had been hours after she had left Lucien’s chambers, and she could not resist thinking about the last time she met Aria. She still could not believe that her friend was going to have a child.Outside her hut, she could feel the sky getting brighter. Rose needed sleep, she knew that, but she had spent the entire night so engrossed in the weave that she did not realize how fast time was moving.Right now, it was only a couple of hours to dawn, so she was trying to get as much sleep as she could.The moment her head hit her bed, she stiffened, her instincts pulled at her, and before she could sit up, she heard a knock on her door.Her eyes widened, who the hell was knocking at this time of the morning?She debated ignoring the knock, but before she could even decide what to do, a knock sounded again, and this time, she knew she had no choice, because she could recognize the woman k
Shadow’s POV: The shadow’s face grew pale as she blinked, almost staggering as her control over the weave snapped immediately.“What? Why?” she gasped,A smug smile appeared at the corner of Silver’s lips the moment she saw that her words had faltered the shadow. “Actually, it’s a pretty interesting story,” she smiled, “From what I could find out, the alpha of the thorne pack got into a fight with Lucien, and lost. During the process, Lyra, his daughter, was captured.”“Hmm?” The shadow mused. She had been in the vine clawhold for a while now. How come things had dissolved that fast in just the short while she was gone?“So?” Gold asked, “What do you suggest we do? Since we are not the only ones vying for her, I believe we should go back through the sacred tree and inform the matrons of the new development, right?” she asked,The shadow shook her head. “No,” she answered firmly, “We can’t do that. We will all be punished.”“Well, what choice do we have?” Gold asked with an exasperate
The Shadow’s POV: “Finally,” the Shadow muttered under her breath as a sigh escaped her lipsIn front of her was the Whitevale forest, right now, she almost screamed into the air in delight.“Finally,” Behind her, Gold and Silver repeated.For the past few days, they had spent what felt like forever running through the wild snowy expanse of the northern reaches. Eventually, the shadow was forced to realize that she needed to shift her priorities if she wanted to journey to end, so she ordered her charges that they had to also run at night, instead of resting.The girls had initially complained when she had informed them of her decision, but after a stern glare from the shadow, they had both chose the wise choice, to keep silent.A smile tugged at the corner of the shadow’s lips as she pulled the rein of her horse, behind her, Gold and Silver did the same.Their horses stopped, and the shadow slowly began to lead them towards a corner of the whitevale, one she knew was so rarely walke
For a very brief moment, Lucien blinked. He stared at Varion as if the man had just spoken in another language. For a long, stretched-out moment, the words 'Sydney is dead,’ and 'Lyra killed her’ echoed across the vast corridor.Behind him, Aria grew still, her eyes widening as the words impacted her more than it did on Lucien.“Lyra killed someone?” she gasped,Lucien’s throat tightened as his aura slowly began to condense, “What did you just say?”Varion’s head was still low, his eyes held no trace of surprise. He was also shocked when Jamal had come to him with the news.“Lyra killed her, Alpha,” he continued, “Jamal questioned her, and she claims it was self-defense.”The silence that followed after he spoke was completely deafening, it pressed against the wall, and Lucien frowned.When he spoke next, his words came out in a growl,“Call Jamal,” he ordered, “Have him meet me in the throne room.”Varion bowed low, “Right away, Alpha,” he answered.He did not wait to see Lucien’s re
Aria froze.For a long, drawn-out moment, her brain refused to register what she had just heard. Lucien’s words hung in the air around her.“You are pregnant,”Her lips parted, but no sound left her lips. She blinked once, twice, completely shocked by what she had just heard. And as realization hit her, she covered her mouth with both of her hands.“Wait,” she stammered, “I’m what?”Lucien’s smile deepened, his warm eyes never leaving her as he replied again, “Pregnant.” he repeated softly,Aria’s heart softened, her breath came in short bursts as the world itself seemed to tilt around her. She tried to speak but all that left her lips were laughter, tears prickled her eyes as shock reverberated through her body.“How do you know that?” Aria asked,“Rose informed me,” Lucien answered with a smile, “She said she noticed while infusing her body with magic,”“I.” Aria shook her head, her hand moving down until she rubbed her belly, “I’m having a child?”Lucien reached for her hand, his t