Aviva
Warmth. I feel warm to the bone and heavy as I roll to the side and snuggle deeper against the body beside me. My hands drift up his stomach to his chest, tracing taut muscles until I reach the half moon shaped scar on his shoulder. He stirs, rolling over and running his calloused hand over the slope of my naked hip, over my thigh.
When he kisses me, it’s unhurried, his tongue sweeping over mine and exploring any place he hasn’t yet discovered. My breasts ache as he rolls my peaked nipples between his fingers, stirring that desperate, unending want between my legs.
His tongue dances with mine as he slides a hand down over my belly, his fingers reaching for my slit, and he finds me wet and aching for him.
He hums with satisfaction, his mouth still on mine, and whispers, “What have you done to me, little wolf? I can’t get enough.”
I gasp, my eyes flying open to pale gray daylight str
SorenLight creeps over the wet cobblestone in the inner city. Moonrise is washed in pale gold as the sun sets, the glowing orbs outside each home, each business, light the narrow, ancient streets as the sun's warmth fades beyond the mountains. My boots squelch in the puddles left behind from an epic rainstorm that nearly flooded Old Moonrise, but this city is raised above the lake, safe from the high water. In fact, the pebbled beaches that line the long, turquoise waters are completely submerged now, and rain still patters overhead, pinging off awnings and pouring out of gutters, further soaking the street I’m following uptown. The castle rises into view, its windows shedding light across the more affluent neighborhoods, parks, and shops that surround its massive gates. Impenetrable gates, they say. It’s said that it’s impossible to get into the city-sized palace, and on an average day, I’d believe it. But it’s not an average day by any means, even with the storm still passing o
MaeveThe grand balcony overlooking the glimmering city of Moonrise spills soft light into the complex and lovely front garden. Beyond the tall, exterior castle walls, the city stretches under a blanket of stars, lights flickering in tune with my own heartbeat. What a day it’s been. I’m not sure how I feel. Relieved that Brie and Kieran are okay? Yes, I feel that. Happy to be an aunt? Of course. Anxious about the future and what it holds for my sister and her son?I look down at my hands as they curl around the railing then sink into a nearby chair and hang my head. Minutes creep by in silence. The entire family is going to be gathering here over the next couple of days to celebrate Brie, Logan, and Kieran, and his safe, but early, arrival into the world. Yet, I feel shockingly alone as I gaze out over the city and the lake, which reflects the stars above like a pool of diamonds. There will come a time when… I’m alone here. I know Grandpa and Grandma mean to move back to Veiled Val
Brie“I can walk, really,” I say with a hint of annoyance as Maeve wheels me in a wheelchair down the hallway. “You just had a person exit your body rather violently,” my sister quips, obviously enjoying herself at my expense. “I wish I’d seen it.”“I’m glad you weren’t in the room,” I reply, sniffling dryly as she takes a sharp corner, nearly tipping me over. “It wasn’t a fun time.”“It didn’t sound fun,” she admits, laughing sharply. “You scared me to death!”“You didn’t have to linger outside the door, you know.”“Where else would I have been? You’re my sister. You just gave me a nephew. Of course, I was going to be there.”She stops at a seldom used elevator and slams her fist against the button, tapping her foot. “I can walk–”“No, this will be faster.”“No one uses these elevators, Maeve. If we get stuck–”“We’re not going to get stuck,” she grumbles, pressing the button repeatedly until the doors finally slide open. Then, she wheels me inside, flipping me around to face the d
LoganSeveral Months LaterMoonrise is washed in rain as I pace the upper hallways of the grand palace. My muscles are impossibly tight as moans echo toward me and away again. I pace in the opposite direction of the cries of agony that cut me to the core. It’s been like this for hours now. We’d arrived in Moonrise last night with plans to visit for a few days before leaving for Veiled Valley for the next month or so, returning to Emberfyll in time for the birth of our child with time to spare, but things went awry. A nurse–a witch–rushes in my direction, her face pale and washed in concern. “Alpha King Logan? It’s time.”“Is she all right?”“She’s okay,” she lies, her eyes giving away her worry. I brush past her, the hallway blurring as my vision hones in on the door behind which my mate is writhing, begging for relief, but also more time. Our son is months early. Eight weeks early, to be exact. The witches have been trying to stop the labor for hours, but Brie’s in so much pain,
BrieI wake up the next morning curled in Logan’s arms. I doubt we got more than a few hours of sleep, but my mind won’t shut off, and I doubt his has either. We lay there in silence for several minutes. Logan draws lazy circles on my arm while staring up at the ceiling. I want to ask him what he’s feeling right now. I’ve never seen him this quiet, this at a loss for words. So, I’m the one who talks instead. “Do you remember me as a kid?” I ask, and he nods, then shrugs one shoulder. “I suppose. You’re seven years younger than me, though. You would have been playing with dolls while I was out hunting or training to be a warrior.”“Maeve mentioned last night, when I told her I could speak your language, that I spent a summer in Silverhide while Aviva was teaching you how to read and write. Apparently, I picked up your language back then, and just… forgot about it.”His fingers stop moving for a moment, but then he chuckles low in his throat, rolling over to face me. “I actually rem
BrieThe castle glows like liquid gold from the light of what must be hundreds of tallow candles. The gathered crowd shuffles to find a spot to sit or stand in the wide, toppled ballroom of sorts. I’m not sure what it used to be, but only so many rooms are still fully enclosed. The weather in Emberfyll is mild. I imagine when the forest grows back, it’ll be borderline tropical. A feast of fish is laid out on makeshift tables or on long strips of fabric where people are seated on the floor, passing pewter plates down the line into hungry hands. Others break bread or pour tea and mead into mugs. I watch from the front of the room where I’m seated against a backdrop of the ocean and the clear, star filled sky. Maeve’s still asleep. She’s been sleeping all day, since the moment she arrived, but I imagine that won’t change for a while. I’m worried about her–have been checking on her all day while also juggling creating a plan of action with Logan and Seamus for when my father’s warriors
BrieI wake in the early hours of the morning to soft sunlight brushing over my cheeks. I’m sure I cried myself to sleep last night. I forgot where I was, but only briefly, reality rushing in, reminding me that I made it to Emberfyll alone. I roll in the furs, letting the warm, morning sunlight play over my face, but then I hear a commotion coming from outside. Yips and barks dance through the air. I rise, clutching the windowsill for support as I squint into the sun and see a dozen wolves racing through the flattened, charred space that used to be the front garden. Smoke rises in the forest from chimneys, the villagers waking for the day, but I can’t see past the trees and their thick summer canopies. The wolves are racing into the forest. I whirl to heavy footsteps running into the room I was given to use as my own last night. Seamus braces himself in the doorway, panting like he ran all the way here from the depths of the castle. I wait for him to tell me we’re under attack, or
Logan“BRIE!” I shout toward the trees. My voice carries through the night but doesn’t bounce back to me. It just keeps going, and going, and I’m at a complete loss as to where we are or where my mate could be. Maeve murmurs at my feet where she’s lying flat on her back. I woke up five, maybe ten minutes ago in so much pain I could barely breathe, let alone stand. Now, I’m stumbling from spindly tree to spindly tree, using them to steady myself as I scream my mate’s name into the night, but she doesn’t answer. Through the trees, I can just see the ocean, the storm raging in the distance. Lightning in shades of crimson and deep violet split the clouds as wind rushes toward the mainland. I can feel the electricity in the air, even from miles away. I can taste the thick, metallic stain of magic on my tongue. That storm… Maeve created it. It’s her powers drifting away from us, stirring up the sea. But Maeve is currently unable to even speak as it stands, and she’s cold to the touch whe
BrieI open my eyes as I’m falling through thin air. I don’t even have time to scream before my body drops into water. Deep, rough water that drags me under the second I suck in a salty breath. I flail against the waves, trying to find the surface, but the undercurrent drags me down again, pulling me by my dress and tossing me upside down. My head hits something hard, and I screech, but the sound is empty. I suck in water, choking, and realize quite suddenly that I’m drowning. I go as still as possible, using the last of my energy to start moving with the current instead of against it, which turns out to be the best idea I’ve ever had, especially under duress. I open my eyes underwater, staring down at the shallows. It’s sunny. Daytime. And below, seaweed waves between large, gray rocks. Pockets of sunshine dance through the water, illuminating seashells in shades I’ve never seen before. Another wave crashes over the top of me, sending me rolling into even shallower water, and fina