**** Alyssa **** “I’m so sorry! In my defense, when the bear growled, your wolf clamped his jaws tighter. I was happy until then to let him think he had me bested. I wanted to avoid this fight, but then when he bit down, I had to get him off me,” the Duke tries explaining as he kneels beside me. I hear the words, but they still don’t quite register. Frantically trying to stem the bleeding, my hands slipped in the rapidly pooling blood. I can’t think straight when there’s this much blood. It’s hard to even tell where the worse part of the wound is. “What did you do?” I mumble, more to myself than anything, my voice soft and shockingly fearful. “He was going to kill me. I had to defend myself,” the Duke answers. “I get that!” I snap. It doesn't make me feel any calmer though. “What exactly did you do?” tearing my eyes from my mate’s blood-soaked belly to glare at the Duke. Surprisingly, he does look regretful. He also answers immediately. “I shifted my claws and tried to shove him
**** Alyssa **** Leaping from the car before it's even fully stopped, I rush into the arms of my waiting friend. "Veronica, what the heck are you doing here?" I exclaim. "Long story short!? After you left, Jamie, Alpha Enzi, and a few others came looking for you in our pack. Your uncle dragged all your friends in for questioning, thinking you must have told one of us where you were headed. It turned out Jamie is my mate. We have a lot to catch up on. But first, what happened here?" Veronica points to the cars behind me. Turning, I see Doctor Dan directing Jayvon and the others while they load Enzi on a stretcher. "It's complicated, but he'll be ok. He just needs rest to heal." I answer with a shrug because the last thing I want to do is to explain all of this. My head is still struggling to make sense of it. "Luna, I'm so glad you're home," Merideth squeals, flinging herself into my arms next, "Girl, we have so much to talk about! I can't believe you didn't tell me you were the L
**** Alyssa **** "Good morning! I knew you were awake!" Merideth squeals with way too much excitement. Instantly, I'm smacked with déjà vu and that failed shopping trip so many years ago. "He's always up early," Merideth says as she winks at Enzi, who responds with a noncommittal grunt. I can sense he's displeased at her interruption, but surprisingly, he doesn't kick her out. That could be because she thrusts an oversized coffee mug in his hand before she continues babbling on. "Did you sleep at all? You have massive black bags under your eyes!" Merideth says, softly gripping my chin and staring intently at my face. Far out, this is a lot for first thing in the morning. I glance at the man behind Merideth, who wordlessly mouths the word "sorry" to Enzi and me. The sheepish look on his face makes me smile. "She looks beautiful," Enzi whispers. "Suck up," Merideth groans, and I laugh out loud at that. "He's your mate?" I blurt out, pointing to the Enzi look-a-like with a tip on m
**** Alyssa **** "Alyssa? Is it really you? I heard you were missing. Where have you been? What happened? The news said you are the missing Princess. Is that true?" "Goddess, Melody, those are a lot of questions! Let's see.. Yes, it's really me. I have yet to learn about the Princess thing as I'm not ready to talk to them just yet. I ran away from my husband, who turned out to be my fated mate, and he's actually why I'm calling you. I was hoping to get some advice, and I think you are the perfect person to talk about my feelings with, if you don't mind?" "Of course, sweetie. I don't mind! You and your family were there for me when I needed you the most. It worked out well in the end, but I was a mess at first, and without you and your parents in my corner, I don't know where I'd be right now. So shoot, sweetie, I'm all ears," I recount my story for what feels like hours, sparing nothing. Melody oohs, ahhs and cusses in all the right places as she listened intently and occasionally
**** Alyssa **** "How did they work out their differences? Your father insisted on cutting my mother from the line of succession, didn't he? Was it a condition that he cut my mother, and me, off completely?" I ask. "Yes," Adrian answers, and I sit in silence for a moment processing this new information. My mother must have thought her father had given up on her. He must have felt awful for pushing his daughter away. Or at least I hope so. "Why would he agree to that? He's the King. Why not tell his brother to go frack himself?" I ask. "My father was a master politician. He was charismatic and managed to sway a lot of supporters. He used that influence to undermine many of your grandfather's decisions which crippled the government. "The King, busy and distracted, didn't realize the full extent of my father's meddling until it was too late. My father, though strong, knew he wouldn't win in a direct challenge, so he finagled and meddled to gain more power. The short story is the Kin
**** Alyssa **** I barely had time to register who my visitors were before finding myself crushed in Dara's arms. They are here. Dara, Marc, Nathan, and Emily all stood in the pack house foyer. Nathan looks suspicious. Marc looks indifferent. Dara looks excited. Emily seems nervous, as does Jayvon. "Welcome," Enzi greeted my friends politely, despite their evident uneasiness — I had to give Enzi some credit. But here Enzi was, welcoming these strangers, none of whom trusted him, into his home without reservation because of me. This pack had a reputation, and on top of that, Nathan and Luke would have told my friends everything that happened. Well, Nathan would have. Luke was not the chatty Cathy type. I could almost see Luke's cold glare while they tried to prize information out of him. By the time I'd finished reassuring my friends that I was fine — I had not been kidnapped, I was not a prisoner, and I was not in any way injured — it was time for dinner. Enzi told everyone who I w
**** Enzi **** I thought my heart would explode when she suggested staying in my room last night. It took her a while to fall asleep, I could sense her nerves, but I could also sense that she was starting to need me, want me. She finally rolled her back to me and tucked herself in as my baby spoon. Fracking perfect! "Is this alright?" she'd asked. "Yep," my answer was short because having her heavenly self this close to me set my soul on fire. I was desperately trying to think unsexy thoughts so that she wouldn't feel the rapidly hardening buddy poking her from behind. When I did fall asleep, it was the first time in a long time that I felt this at ease. Now, the golden glow of the sun is just tinting my room. I'm sure I didn't get much sleep, but having my gorgeous mate beside me, feeling safe and comfortable with me, made me feel fully refreshed regardless of how much sleep I had. "I love you, Alyssa. Even if you don't love me yet, I will always love you," I whisper while she
**** Alyssa **** Three dead. It hurts my heart to see three wolves dead because of me. One looks young, probably my age, and the other two look older. I recognize the older two from the files I examined years ago, but I only remember a little about them as individuals. And that just makes me feel worse. All three must have families who love them; I wonder if the young man had met his mate yet? Just then, a familiar and unexpected voice breaks my revelry. That is a voice I haven't heard in person in many years, and it takes a moment for me to fully register who it is. "Well, I never should have trusted a rogue to do a Luna's job." My brain was still grappling with her words, and I couldn't quite process what she meant. What the heck is she doing here? A heavily pregnant Carin steps out of the plane with a smug grin, and a gun pointed right at me. "Aunt Carin?" This does not make sense. If she's here, does that mean she had something to do with my parents' deaths? And how did