LOGINAva I didn’t like Queen Patricia from the moment I met her. I saw the way she looked at me, condescending and judgmental. I felt like Leo hadn’t been fully honest with me. He had led me to believe that his mother and father were kind people who were eager to meet me, and clearly that wasn’t the case. The bitch had asked me to “turn around” like I was some sort of monkey on display. Who does that? Who inspects another person like cattle? I’d been so embarrassed, standing there in my ripped jeans and Beatles shirt. Leo should have given me a heads-up to change. I had no shortage of dresses in my closet, thanks to the maids and their endless sewing. I could have at least shown up looking a little more presentable. I’d done my best to be polite, but it had been really hard. I knew she hated me and didn’t want me with her precious son. It stung, but what stung even more was that she was probably right. I was far from royalty and thinking otherwise had been delusional. What the hell wa
Leo The palace bells rang out as I sat in my study, reviewing some pack requests. I stopped immediately as the bells continued to ring. They could only mean one thing. My parents were here. Shit! I didn’t know they were returning today. Ava was out with Cassie on the warrior training grounds, watching her practice for her warrior tests. Ever since the execution, she’d been a little distant from me. On the surface, she seemed fine, but I could sense that something was wrong—something she wasn’t telling me. We still slept together every night and ate our meals together, but there was a tightness in our conversation. She had me a bit worried, to say the least. The clock was ticking, and we had less than two weeks left—a week and a half, to be precise. I’d done everything in my power to win her over, but still, I couldn’t help but feel that it wasn’t enough. And now my parents were here, unannounced. They’d been gone on their annual holiday to visit some European packs in the south
AvaWe were gathered in the courtyard early in the morning. I stood beside Cassie as people trickled in, excited looks on their faces. It was the morning of the public execution for the Stormbrook prisoners, the ones that had been in the dungeon for a year now.Oliver was at the nursery and had made a full recovery, thanks to Jade’s intervention. Leo had asked me last night over dinner if I wanted to attend the execution. I hadn’t been sure at the time—it sounded pretty awful, in my opinion—but he seemed genuinely excited about it, and since this was a part of werewolf life, I agreed to go.An ominous mist had settled in the courtyard. The prisoners were tied to wooden piles, with rope around their chests and feet. Both men and women were bare-chested, their arms dangling freely in the air. Their bodies were covered in bruises and whip marks, and they were all so thin I could see their ribs. Some hung their heads, refusing to look up at the crowd, while others glared, their jaws clenc
AvaMy heart dropped. What? What did she mean something was wrong with Oliver?“Leo!” I motioned at him from across the room. He took one look at me and then at the wolf pup educator and rushed towards us.“King Leo,” the wolf pup educator said, bowing her head. “Please come. It’s Oliver. He’s...we don’t know what’s wrong.”I felt like the floor was falling out from under me as we rushed out of the party. It took everything in me not to run. The wolf pup educator walked quickly, giving us snippets of what had happened. I was barely listening, though. I couldn’t. I was so sure something was horribly wrong. Had he been bitten? Was he injured? Had another little wolf pup attacked him? Leo said that happened sometimes but not often and that if it did, it was usually only a small nip. But what if Oliver was the exception? My mind spun, and we couldn’t get to the room fast enough.We scurried through the maze of corridors. I assumed we were going to the nursery, so I was surprised when the
AvaMy heart dropped. What? What did she mean something was wrong with Oliver?“Leo!” I motioned at him from across the room. He took one look at me and then at the wolf pup educator and rushed towards us.“King Leo,” the wolf pup educator said, bowing her head. “Please come. It’s Oliver. He’s...we don’t know what’s wrong.”I felt like the floor was falling out from under me as we rushed out of the party. It took everything in me not to run. The wolf pup educator walked quickly, giving us snippets of what had happened. I was barely listening, though. I couldn’t. I was so sure something was horribly wrong. Had he been bitten? Was he injured? Had another little wolf pup attacked him? Leo said that happened sometimes but not often and that if it did, it was usually only a small nip. But what if Oliver was the exception? My mind spun, and we couldn’t get to the room fast enough.We scurried through the maze of corridors. I assumed we were going to the nursery, so I was surprised when the
Ever since our escapades into the forest, Leo and I had been insatiable in our lovemaking. My wolf hadn’t gone into heat again—yet—but we explored each other in ways that made me blush. His scent washed over me, as it always did, and I had to resist the urge to suggest we screw the party in lieu of actual screwing. But I pushed down my devilish thoughts—I’d promised Cassie I’d attend, and there was plenty of time for lovemaking after the party.Leo kissed me on the cheek, his lips igniting the fire in me even more deeply. Then he led me to the grand ballroom.“Holy shit,” I whispered as we entered. The entire ballroom was decorated with soft, blue silk—Cassie’s favorite color, I’d come to learn. There were tables and tables of food, and waiters weaved their way through the crowd of people with trays of drinks. Everyone was elegantly dressed. I knew Cassie’s party would be lavish, but this exceeded my expectations. It looked like a scene from a movie.I thought about Oliver. His first
PhoebeCurled up in a bath of ice water, I whimper and push back the pain of my heat. Jiya came in a while ago to say Saben woke up. I was happy to hear my baby was awake and that the wolfsbane was gone from his small body, but I hated that I couldn’t be there as the first person he saw when he wok
LeviWalking into the Haven Trail pack house, I head upstairs to Gamma Aidan’s office, catching the man just as he is leaving.“King Levi,” he calls out in surprise before quickly masking it. “I thought you would be interrogating the hunters by now,” he says, giving me a friendly smile.“I thought
PhoebeLooking at the test results for the new security program, I smile and glance at Claira. The same triumphant smile is reflected back at me on her lips, and we both silently come to the same conclusion: We can release this product worldwide, and it will be a success.“I already booked a press
PhoebeSmall kisses on my shoulder bring me from my slumber. My body, although sore, no longer feels the pain of heat coursing through me. The kisses continue to move along my skin from my shoulder to my neck, and I smile, turning over to find Levi above me, his green eyes clear of the lust caused







