I pushed at the wall, trying to get over there and drag Estella away from Candido. Then, Vanessa appeared dressed in a wispy gauzy red dress. She looked younger than the last time I had seen her. Two younger men followed her, chatting with her though I couldn’t make out what they were saying. They were dressed in red tunics. Then, I saw Claire and Francium striding towards them in red. They were holding hands. Her hair was gathered up in a flower wreath as they smiled together. They looked so happy together as they sat beside Candido and Estella. Soon, I saw other people. I saw Claire’s parents and the people I remember dying over the course of the war. They sat together in a circle around Candido and Estella, chatting happily. “Don’t be happy!” I yelled, banging on the wall. “Claire! You’re supposed to be my friend! Get her away from my mate!”No one even noticed I was there. They laughed and chatted, welcoming other people as they came to join them. Everyone else was wearing red,
“It was unsure if my Beloved King would have ever risen again and to what world,” she said. “It was for the best that I changed the path.”“We’re mates,” I said again. “We’re mates. Nothing you say can change that.”“Mates,” she scoffed. “A tool for conquest. Were you not listening? The vampiric power you inherited from your mother was the only reason you could fake the moon mark. The white fur you inherited from your father turned platinum because of it. When you were no longer a vampire, after Cillian had drained the last of that power out of you, you were just a plain werewolf…”“I don’t believe you,” I said. “I won’t believe you. You’re just trying to trick me.”“Your real moon mark vanished the night that your mate died trying to protect you.”I saw the senior diving in front of me and jerking as the bullets hit him in the chest. “Him?” I growled. “No. I can’t believe that.”“Neither could your mother,” she laughed. “By the time you met your grandfather, I had already been makin
She cocked an eyebrow. “They might be related, but there’s no way to know if they’re compatible.”“They’re both golden wolves. That should be enough.” I swallowed. “I don’t care what you have to do, you have to keep him alive.”Her eyes drifted down to Candido with an odd expression on her face. “I’ll see what I can do,” she looked up at me. “But… there will be a hefty cost.”“I don’t care,” I said. If Candido was really being used to stabilize Solare, whatever that meant, then I had make sure that he had enough life force, that his body still remained, after that was done to wake up. “I developed a drug that strengthened wolves,” she said. “I have a feeling that it would at least help.”My eyes bulged. “You’re… You’re the one who made the drug for the vampires.”She smiled. “I am. And?”I growled at her. “You’re a traitor.”Her smile turned cold. “And you aren’t the alpha king’s mate.”She cocked an eyebrow. “Given the state of the world, do you think they’ll care?”“Of course, the
I was warm when I opened my eyes. Though my body still ached, I wasn’t dead. It wasn’t the rain-wet pavement I expected, but a bedroom. I gasped at the sight around me. The room was beautiful. The furniture was all made of sleek straight lines, but the quality of it all made it seem more modern than Spartan. I drew my hand across the sheets over me with wonder. They weren’t silk, but they were the softest thing I had ever felt. I’d made it. Instead of running me over, the limo bearing the symbol of the Full Moon Pack had stopped and brought me here. I was at the alpha king’s estate. I had to be. “You’re awake!” A woman’s voice said, pulling me from my thoughts. She was dressed in a simple white button-up shirt, skirt, and a white apron. “I hope you’re hungry.” My stomach growled as I caught the scent of meat from the tray. "Where am I?" I prayed to the moon goddess that I wasn’t wrong. “In the home of Alpha King Candido,” she said, shaking out a napkin to put over my lap. She s
I shuddered. He knew. I should have known that he would know I wasn’t twenty. I wanted to plead or explain, but the words turned into a squeak of terror as my tears flowed down my cheeks. I couldn’t breathe. He was going to kill me. He was definitely going to kill me, and no one would care. The Wolf Fang Pack was a small one like those that tended to get involved with vampires to try and secure more power. Did he think I was a threat? Would he try to interrogate me? Werewolf society had fallen into chaos since the vampires had united under their king and began to infiltrate and sabotage the smaller packs. Before I could say anything to assure him, he spoke. “Look at me,” he commanded. My eyes popped open, obeying him and hoping that I didn’t look like a threat. “ How about we play a game?” “A-A game?” He narrowed his eyes and gave me a slow, cruel smile. “If you win, I’ll grant you sanctuary.” My eyes widened with a spark of hope. “But if you lose….” The ride was silent. The
Tonight was the Noble Academy’s welcome-back dinner for the new year. Most of the women in attendance weren’t here for an education or to better themselves. They were dressed like they were walking the red carpet and wore so much makeup that they looked fake. Still, the gleam of their jewelry and their figures caught the attention of most of the men who were starting school with us. Some of it was tasteful, but a lot of it just seemed like they were flaunting their wealth needlessly. Claire and I sat in the corner of the room, away from most of the other tables, uninterested in speaking to most of the others in the room. Claire and I were so underdressed for the event that we looked like we didn’t belong, and that was fine for us. We weren’t here to make friends. We had each other, and that was enough. Claire was the daughter of the Full Moon Pack’s Secretary of State. She was important enough that it would never matter what she wore. She was also as beautiful as her mother, with a
Candido watched me carefully. “We’re going home so you can change for the event.” A protest rose to my lips, but I swallowed it and sat up straight. I was a member of the Full Moon Pack. I hadn’t been Hedy of the Wolf Fang Pack in four years. There was no sense in being afraid of a small pack that posed no threat to me or the Full Moon Pack. So, I sat back and nodded. “I hope you didn’t pick out an orange dress.” "Of course not.” The dress was a shimmering nude and white dress that flattered me as if it was made to fit me. Knowing Candido, it probably had been. I promised not to be afraid. I kept a brave face from the time I got dressed until I returned to the car to ride to the banquet hall on the other side of the capital city. Still, my stomach turned with nerves. When we arrived, I stepped out of the car with Candido and looked up at the banquet. Before, there was no way that my father would have been able to afford such a thing. Either the pack was doing well, or the
Candido’s voice pulled me out of my flashback. I sucked in a sharp breath and looked up at him. He gazed at my face, his eyebrows furrowed. "Don't be afraid." My tears fell from my eyes at his words. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me to his chest. I leaned back and took a deep breath, trying to slow my racing heart. The sight and sounds of the banquet hall filled my senses, and I averted my gaze from my father. Everything was fine. Candido was here. I would never have to go back. I would never be abused again. “Nothing,” I said, shaking off the scare and clenching my hand to hide my trembling. “I’m fine.” “I’m not done—” Steven’s voice broke off. He stepped back and went a bit pale. I could only imagine Candido was glaring at him as he tightened his grip around my waist. Silence filled the air again as they glared at each other. Lilian’s words came back to me, and I remembered the conversations Candido and I had over the years. Steven had reached out to t