Se connecterArisPosey disappears in a flurry of gray wool the second my powers fade like tendrils of smoke across the dark mosaic tiles of the grand foyer. Her footsteps echo down a darkened corridor, the only sound for what feels like an eternity–an eternity spent willing myself to stand still and not chase after her. We just returned from Silverhide moments ago. Me, my mate, and my parents and grandfather. Posey’s role is clear as I tuck my hands in my pockets. She’s going to help Ian using her alchemy. My parents, on the other hand, came here because… I don’t feel like myself and they sense that and are concerned… among other things, like the fact I have a mate and she’s… powerful. So powerful. There’s a monster inside of me with a one-track mind, and it’s only thought is her, my mate. My mate and her comfort, her protection. My mate and her body under mine. My mate locked away somewhere only I can find her for the foreseeable future. It’s a grating, unnerving sense of possessiveness that
Aris“Are you okay? Dizzy?” Posey’s cheeks are warm and flushed between my gloved hands. She nods, but it’s short and sharp, and I can tell she’s lying about feeling anything but insanely nauseous and out-of-body. I’ve jumped with her before, when I brought her mangled, bleeding body back to the castle and dosed her with so many healing drafts I wondered if I’d inadvertently killed her with them instead of healing her injuries, but unlike Brie and some of the other normal people in our family, she has powers, and she recovers within seconds of being torn between realms and stitched back together again. It’s early evening in the Deadlands. Silverhide glows in the pale golden haze of the first light of sunset. The snow-covered landscape shines pink as the sun dips below the ridges, turning the sky a stunning violet, but we’re not here on a sightseeing tour. “Come here,” I murmur, tugging her closer to fix her cloak, which tangled during the journey. She stands stunned, looking to the
ArisI lift the smaller skull and balance it in my hand while Posey moves in the background. The midmorning air is scented with the herbs she uses for her potions and hand creams. Little bells and chimes ping through the air as her timer goes off. I glance at her, the sunlight casting a halo around her face. She’s pouring a cooled tincture of whistlethorne and dried cherry into a large vial. It’s not even noon, and her fingers are already stained black. I set the skull down and look at the tools arranged on the granite, some still cooling, sending puffs of steam into the air. “You have a whole collection now,” I muse, and her smile is soft, no teeth, just a twitch of her lips. “I have a ways to go to replace everything from the old alchemy room downstairs.”“I could… order some, take the burden off your shoulders.”She throws me an incredulous look that makes my heart squeeze. “Or not.” I ease onto the stool I brought upstairs so I could sit here and watch her from a closer distan
PoseyAris pants against my neck. Pleasure like I’ve never known washes through me. Toe-curling, mind-numbing bliss that I drown in for several seconds until the room comes back into focus, and I remember myself. His eyes are dark and hooded in the firelight. The curtains are drawn to the storm beyond, and it’s still nighttime, I think. Aris is leaning over me, one hand resting between my thighs, and his other hand is still splayed against my back to keep me upright. His gaze holds mine in disbelief before he dips his head to lick the wound he just left clean, the puncture marks fading into scars under his tongue. His mark on my skin feels like I’ve been branded by liquid silver. It feels heavy and amazing.“You should hate me,” I whisper, closing my eyes and leaning my cheek against his. I’m so tired. I’ve never felt exhaustion like this before. My fingers ache to the bone. All I did today was build the helmet, repair every gem, turning silver into diamonds and moonstones to hold hi
PoseyThe shadow shifts form, the massive wolf finally coming into full view just seconds before his body rolls into its human form, cloaked in tendrils of night. Silver eyes. A mask that gleams in the moonlight–all those gems. All that iron. Minerals I’ve touched. Mended to fit. Armor of black coating his body. His usual cloak. I’m not imagining it. He’s wearing the newly mended helmet, and it glows with his powers. Blood seeps down my legs as I curl them against my chest, trying to wiggle back as far as I can against the tree. His determined steps align with my rapidly beating heart. Dread worse than being thrown and bitten by those wolves rips through my senses. Tears blur my vision. I extend a trembling hand like I can push him away. “Please–” I croak, choking on a sob. “P-please don’t, Aris. Don’t h–hurt me! I–I don’t want to–to die like this–I just–” Sobs cut through the words. I can barely get them out. “Please don’t hurt me! Please don’t! I can’t help it! I never–I never–I
PoseyThe snow is far too deep, but the air is crisp, and icy fog hangs low. I bounce and weave between trees, my body and mind feeling freer than it has in a long time. I would stay like this forever if I could, but… I’m untrained. Also, if I’m caught, I’ll be killed and made into a pair of expensive mittens, which I’d rather avoid. It’s been months since I let the moon take over. When I was training in Moonrise, I spent three full months in the temple, sweating and in debilitating pain while chugging vial after vial of healing tonic to try to keep the shift from happening. I prayed for mercy. I often prayed for death. I mostly thought about Aris and let my mind stay in those golden memories from this summer, even though at any other point in time, I did my best not to remember. But tonight wasn’t an option. I should have seen the signs this morning–my one-track mind and my inability to keep still. I couldn’t sleep, for one. I was ravenously hungry, thirsty, and bouncing off the wa







