Mag-log inThe closer we got to the throne room, the more patrols we sensed. We couldn’t risk going as far into the palace as I would have preferred. Rhonen wasn’t interested in waiting any longer as it was. But we would have no chance without that distraction. We needed Jaden to come through to pull the bulk of the guards away from Anders.“And you’re sure Anders is going to be in the throne room?” I asked Hunter as we waited in a servants' passage. “Even at this time of night?”Hunter nodded. “Apparently he rarely leaves,” he replied. “It’s either there or the war room.”Which sat behind the throne room. So, we were heading in the right direction regardless. I felt a wave of anger wash through the connection. It was a violent rage coming from all directions. There was the sound of a distant boom.‘We’ve broken through the palace gate,’ Jaden linked. ‘We may have tapped into a bigger powder keg than we thought. End this quick before it gets too out of control.’He abruptly cut off the link. He
Cecelia gave me a pained look. “I don’t know,” she said. “He could be a descendant.”I started to feel lightheaded. I thought about how sure Soloman seemed about this being a good omen for our side. I didn’t even think that Raphe believed this meant we would fail. A wave of nausea washed over me as I thought of what this meant for Sutton. What it meant for the lycan nation. For the humans.This couldn’t be right.I may not have been raised a believer, but the Moon Goddess I was told about would never let this happen. There had to be another explanation.“No, that can’t be it,” I stated. “It has to mean something else.”There was a loud crash somewhere beneath us. Making us jump. I could see Cecelia getting more nervous as we crouched down. Hoping no one would come into our hiding spot. I swallowed. Tightening my grip on the metal pole. My mind racing through all the details I’d learned in the last couple of hours.“Hang on,” I said. “Sutton said that Raphe may be upset about the Blood
Cecilia pulled me through the bookshelves toward the front of the library. I nearly ran into her when she stopped halfway to the stairwell. Looking over the balcony railing, we could see guards bursting through the doors below. Cecilia cursed under her breath.“This way,” she told me, continuing to pull me along. This time toward a new wing of the library.‘Helene, are you sure?’ Sutton’s voice came through my mind. ‘How do you know it’s not me? What about Nova?’I couldn’t focus on her questions as I pushed my feet to follow Cecilia, trusting that she would know some place safe for us.‘Um… a little busy, Sis,’ I replied. ‘I’ll get back to you.’Cecilia turned a corner, down one of the aisles in another reference section. Leading me toward a door at the other end. Looking around to make sure we weren’t seen, she reached for the knob. My heart skipped when it didn’t turn, but that didn’t slow Cecilia down. She pressed a finger to the lock and jolted the handle to the side. It gave way
“Ugh. This really does seem ridiculous,” I said, pushing my hands through my hair in frustration. “No wonder so many people think this is some kind of myth. There’s no rhyme or reason to these events.”I’d been through three books already and hadn’t learned much more about blood moons than what I was told earlier. My stomach twisted as I considered more and more that this was a waste of time. A commodity we didn’t have much of at the moment.When I suggested doing research, it was mostly to put Sutton and Lucas at ease. I was afraid that if they were stressed out about this, they would get reckless and make mistakes that could get them killed. The problem was that I couldn’t find anything that would change our concerns in either direction.“I wouldn’t say most people believe it is a myth,” Cecilia commented next to me. Tarah happened upon her while they were recruiting and discovered that she was studying blood moons for her degree. “I think it is more that they don’t believe they wil
I wasn’t ready for this part. I knew it was possible Lucas and I would have to split up. In fact, I knew it was practically guaranteed. Lucas wasn’t going to allow Anders anywhere near me. It was an unspoken conversation we had shared through the many looks and glances we shared every time we talked about facing that madman. We both knew if the worst happened, I would have to run. My best chance at escaping Anders’ grasp is to stay as far away from him as possible.Lucas sent Hunter back out to make sure check that we had a good opening to leave our hide away. I found myself clinging to his arm. My heart was about to beat out of my chest as the very real possibility that I wouldn’t see him again started to sink in. That couldn’t happen. I hadn’t had enough time with him. So little time together. He felt my anxiety and pulled me to the far corner of the room, tucking us into the space next to a vending machine for what little privacy we could manage.His lips were on mine before I coul
I didn’t tell them that I had been feeling the same connection Sutton had. It was incredibly strong now. If I hadn’t already been an Alpha for so long, it would have been overwhelming for even me. I was trying to distract Sutton from this whole blood moon and omen business, downplaying it as nothing more than superstition. But deep in my gut, I could feel something more was going on.I wasn’t going to tell Sutton, though. It was too much pressure. And it wouldn’t change what we came to do.Our fate… whatever it was… was sealed.Rhonen paced anxiously in my mind. Showing no signs of disappearing like Nova. In fact, he was right on the edge of our barrier, brushing and pushing against it as he honed in on one tether in particular. A tether that didn’t belong.Anders was anxious. And angry.Those emotions were radiating through our shared consciousness. And he was close. I didn’t know where in the palace he was, but he was definitely here. And Rhonen was fixed on him. Because we both kne
It felt like time was moving at a snail’s pace. Korinna tried to help by talking about Mom, but my heart just wasn’t in it. All I could do was pace to keep from going stir crazy. My mind kept going to Soloman and the council, praying they would make it out okay. Then back home to the Ironpaw Pack a
“What… I can’t. We’re on our way to chambers now,” Soloman told me frantically. “What’s going on?”I was already up off the couch, hand pushing through my hair as I tried to figure out what to do. Which was nothing. There was nothing I could do from this far away.“You said there was no way they wo
I choked on a disbelieving laugh. Surely I hadn’t heard him right. But his constant gaze told me I hadn’t. The pit in my stomach grew as I tried to make sense of it. Reject Sutton? I felt Rhonen stir in my mind at the thought.“You’re insane,” I spat. “That will never happen.”“Maybe,” Hank said. “
‘You and Lucas are not them,’ Nova popped into my head defensively.‘But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a point,’ I replied.Not that it mattered. That wasn’t what I was supposed to be focused on today. Regardless of our bond or how long we had known each other, I couldn’t be a good partner to







