LOGINSydney
Snow covers the normally golden plains on the outskirts of Moorn, a small territory far outside of the city center. It took a full day to reach this place, this hovel between two hills where the distant border of Eastonia looms.
I don’t want to be here. The distance between Sarah and the damning truth between us is excruciating, damn near tearing me apart.
But I’m still an Alpha. Still a royal. And there are some things I just have to do.
The wind rushes through my fur as I wait beside my father, who’s also in his wolf form. We’re both large and dark brown with glints of gold throughout.
Night has fallen. I know we’re both exhausted. We traveled on foot without stopping for a break. Maybe he needed to run in his wolf as much as I did.
But still, tension makes my muscles lock. My mind is in shambles, and my heart is….
I’m devastated. I d
Posey“Well, that takes care of that, I guess.” Willow cuts me a look as she stuffs her clothes in her suitcase, leaning her weight against it. “I did tell you he was interested in you.”I slouch on the edge of her bed on the second floor of the lake house, the room full of tangerine-hued light from the sunset. “He’s not interested in me. He’s interested in my business. There’s a difference. Aris has always had to know everything about everyone.”She rolls her eyes and yanks on the zipper several times before it gives and allows her to close the suitcase, which she promptly dumps on the floor with a reverberating thud. “I’m here for one more night, and the one thing I want more than anything is to see you let loose and have fun with me. Can you do that? Your secret is out, so it doesn’t matter.”My chest tightens. “My-my secret?”She tosses her hair over her shoulder. “Uh, yeah? The fact you’ll forever be a virgin?”My chest relaxes as relief sweeps through me like a tidal wave. “Oh,
Aris“You didn’t have to come,” Roman says. We walk side by side through the market that’s held in Ruby every weekend. It’s crowded with locals and summer tourists alike, but through the noise and bobbing crowd, I catch a glimpse of Posey’s reddish-blonde hair as she weaves toward a stall selling an incredible array of freshly cut flowers. “I was either going to sleep half the day away or this.” I motion toward the market. “I had no other plans.”“Well, we’ve been going a hundred miles an hour since we arrived,” he says with a sigh. “I’m kind of looking forward to a break this weekend; I’m not going to lie.”“Are we getting old, Roman?”He smirks, shrugging. “I suppose the fun has to come to an end at some point.”“Hold this,” Posey says quickly before darting away, leaving Roman with the giant basket she brought, which is now full to the brim with vegetables, two loaves of bread, three bottles of wine from a local vineyard, and several small bags of herbs. Roman adjusts the weight
PoseyWillow sneaks through the door into my room dressed in a thin nightgown that barely brushes her knees. She grins at me like she has a secret stuck to the tip of her tongue, her eyes wide and bright with mischief. I smile through the mirror, catching her reflection, and shake my head. “What are you doing up here? I thought you were going out again tonight.”“I had about all the fun I needed for the day.” She jumps onto the bed, ignoring the books, and rests on her belly with a sigh. Her eyes meet mine in the mirror. “A little sunburned?”“A bit.” I continue slathering a cooling gel on my chest and shoulders. Willow, who tans like a dream, cocks her head. I move the straps of my tank top out of the way, revealing the color my skin turns in the sun. Pink. She clicks her tongue, saying, “Ouch.”“Speaking of ouch, how’s your head?”“Are you asking about my plummet off the falls? I knew exactly what I was doing and who’d run to save me.” She twirls her hair around her finger, lookin
Aris“We should have spent more time here growing up,” Roman quips, sprawled on the smooth wooden deck of the sailboat, the sun relentlessly beating down on him, but he smiles under the shade of his hand. “Neither of us had access to our wealth until recently. Even just visiting Gem Lake is expensive.” I gently bank the boat to the left, gliding just close enough to shore to see the houses peeking out over the treeline. We’re one of a few boats on the water this morning navigating the wider areas of the interconnected lake systems and narrow passageways. Small towns and villages rest along the shore every couple of miles, but private homes and pack communities are abundant. Veiled Valley has thrived when other kingdoms have not. That’s clear as I scan the shore, watching ancient architecture blur against a wash of modern homes and businesses. Magnolia trees hang heavy with blooms over the water, their white petals dappling the shore. The air is heavy, humid, and stifling hot, and I
Aris“Why didn’t you tell me Posey can’t shift?”Roman squints into the midmorning sunlight, his tan skin going rosy along his cheekbones. The dock off the back of the house is empty save for the two of us taking up residence in wicker chairs, watching the fog roll off the lake. A loon floats by, diving under the water.Everyone else is still in the house sleeping off their hangovers. I couldn’t sleep. Haven’t slept. Probably won’t until I get this cleared up. Roman exhales deeply, scrubbing his forehead like he can swipe his hangover away. “It’s not something she likes people to know.”“Obviously.”“She never came into it, never showed any signs of developing gifts in that realm. My parents said she just needed more time, but Posey produced a report from the healers in Sapphire Ridge that confirmed she didn’t possess any lupine powers, and that was that. Mom’s in pieces about it, worried about Posey’s marriage prospects.”I shake my head, bringing my steaming mug of coffee to my li
ArisWillow is exactly the type of girl Miles, our friend from our early warrior training days, would fall for. It’s a damn shame she’s all over Roman at the moment. Miles tilts his pint of beer back and sighs, shaking his head while Roman and Willow stand at the bar across the room. Tate raises a brow, his close cropped black hair catching the dim, flickering neon lights plastered across the wall to our backs. “What?” Miles gripes, running his fingers through his dark, equally short, hair. Both men are in the Ghost forces, low ranking, low enough that taking several weeks of leave wasn’t that big of a deal. “Roman’s not interested in her, man. He’d love someone to save him right now.” Tate shrugs, hazel eyes glistening. “Just go talk to her.”Miles grumbles something incoherent and twists his empty glass in a circle. I roll my eyes to Tate, who shrugs again before sipping his beer. “She’s staying for a while, according to Roman,” Tate offers. Miles glares. “She doesn’t seem lik







