I promise I will NOT abandon this book. It will get finished and I will work hard to get more regular updates as work starts to calm down. Today was my first day off in a while. I love writing and I love this story so much. I have another chapter I'm in the middle of but wanted to post this one in case I don't finish the other one up tonight. I have been busy with work and preferred to not update rather than give half dedicated chapters if that makes sense! I genuinely adore all of you for following the story and appreciate you so much!
Lucy:Was I imagining that? Was I starting to feel things that I wanted to just because I had some feelings or connection with Seth?I couldn't stop thinking about his touch.I could tell that Seth's intentions were not just to help me warm up before tomorrow, but rather, he was worried about me.I hadn't been inside the gym much. It was spacious. At least three hundred warriors could train here comfortably."Stretch," Seth says with a smile. "You're not going to scold me for being petty? I do have another reason, you know? Whether some of my reasoning has bad intentions, I also want to help Gatheo," I explained.I sit down and start stretching my legs, waiting for him to speak up, but he just looks at me thoughtfully instead.Never prying too much, just letting me speak as I do naturally."You know I could never scold you for that, Lucy. I was there that night and the following day. I just needed to know, and I needed you to admit it out loud. Now come on," he says, extending his ha
Lucy:As I suspected, they wanted me to light the bonfire with my magic.The magic Sybil spoke of was now starting to take some effect, and it felt like it already had for both of my mates for most of this day."I don't think this is a good idea," Seth finally voiced his opinion.Liam led us to the City Hall, where Leon was with Leander, Sybil, Trish, Saul, and a man whom I'm guessing is Theo.The moment my eyes met Theo's, he tilted his head and smiled widely."You must be Lucy," he bows after grabbing my hand and kissing the top of it.'What the hell?' I ask Nia.I can feel her lurch forward, but she doesn't say a word.I pulled my hand back and smiled politely, even though I felt very weird about his actions."You must be Theo! It's so nice to meet you. I have so many questions for you!" I say, remembering he was a real wizard.The child in me was fangirling."It's better the pack knows now than to have them find out later. Lucy is just as much a Fae as she is a werewolf. The pack m
"Let's go for a swim!" Liam says, ripping off his clothes like he's burning up, yet it's not warm at all.I look around to see everyone doing just about the same thing.'This is my kind of festival,' Nia giggles.'Could you hear Seth? Am I going crazy?' I ask her, taking off my sweater now."Wait up!" I hear Trish from behind us.Liam and Leon pause, standing in their briefs leisurely like it's the middle of the summer."What about my vision?" Trish says, catching her breath as Saul strides up behind her."The Mood Goddess protects us. We give offerings and truth in exchange for this night of celebrations and the blessings within the pack," Leon shrugs casually like it's part of his personality, but I know that's not true.No one is themselves, and yet I don't feel any different at all."Don't you think we should be strategizing nonetheless? What if Zeak takes the opportunity to strike first thing in the morning when he thinks we will be weak from everyone staying out late at the festi
Lucy:Under the spell that was the lands of the Silver Throne Fae, my mates and I were consumed with unbridled lust and desire.Maybe this was our truth, the raw need for each other. Yet, something was always standing in the way. I was probably the most guilty person in this department, but tonight, I wasn't going to be.I could feel Leon's canines pierce the outer layer of my skin. A small drop of blood runs down my neck.Liam has me on the brink of ecstasy when we hear a twig snap.Liam and Leon immediately push me behind them. I was unprepared, dipping into the water without their support to hold me up.Coming back up for air, I grab Liam's shoulder as I gasp for breath after taking water into my lungs."What are you doing here?" Leon hisses.I can't see over their big frames."Let me up!" I whine in Liam's ear.I grab his shoulders and lift myself. He catches my legs, looping them in his arms like a piggyback ride.My face drops as I see Savina standing next to the spring with her
Leon:"Why is he here?" Liam grumbles as we get closer to the training grounds.It's clear he wants to hate Lucy being around Seth, but it's starting to feel like he's trying too hard to hate it.I roll my eyes, but I can't help but tune into their conversation. Liam had to have been doing the same thing. We shared a curious glance before calling out what we heard.'I have to admit, I feel bad for Seth,' Liam links me as we watch him helping Lucy with her defensive moves.They really did train fluidly together. They moved with one another like a dance. It's the first time I've seen Seth look that happy.'So stop being an ass. Our mate cares for him, and he's our best friend,' I link back.'What if she never gets over him?' Liam questions through our link.I look over at him with a smile. He knows my answers to this already. What he is really asking is if I still care because she already has two mates.'I already told you how I felt, Liam; nothing has changed because she's mated to yo
Lucy:I knew something wasn't right the moment I finally pinned her down, and she started laughing.'Shift,' Nia encouraged me, but I couldn't; my insides felt frozen.The longer I was frozen, the more I felt Nia shrinking further into me.Savina always had ill intentions toward me. This much I could feel in her presence. I had assumed this had to do with being Leon's mate, but there's something I'm missing.Nia can't reach me nor can I reach her now.'Mate, get up!' I hear Liam scream through the link, breaking me from the trance I had with Savina.'What's wrong?' Leon links immediately after.I feel like my soul was nearly ripped from me, and my lungs were run over by a truck."How did you do that?" I say, barely a whisper, as I continue to catch my breath.I get to my feet shakily, stumbling backward as she laughs at me again.'Nia,' I whisper, searching for any sign of her.I can't feel her anymore. It's like she was never there to begin with."I told you to forfeit. This didn't h
Lucy:The last thing I remember was feeling weak and my eyelids being too heavy to hold up before I collapsed.All that I can hear now is the faint sound of beeping."She needs rest, Alpha. We don't know enough about Fae to treat her properly," I hear a familiar voice.Jonie, I tell myself. I try to call out for her, but my voice is too weak."Why isn't her wolf healing her?" I hear Leander ask.I want to tell him she is gone, but my body isn't cooperating with me.'Nia?' I call out again, desperately hoping she will give me a sign that she is still there.Nothing. The beeping grows faster as the realization that I may have genuinely lost Nia starts hitting me full force."What's happening!?" That's Liam's panicked voice.I can't open my eyes; they're too heavy. Everything feels too heavy."Alpha, you need to get your boys out of here." That's not Jonie but a man.Dr. Solfere, perhaps?"I'm not leaving her!" I hear Leon; his hand grips my arm.I can feel his grip. No sparks. Does he fe
Tricia:The phone held its silence as I grasped what my mom asked."Tricia... I just thought it was better for you not to get your hopes up when I saw what I had," Mom explains."I guess mine and Enya's decision affected more than I had realized," she sighed as I stood there frozen.My heart feels like it is being crushed, knowing that in some version of my life, I may never have met Saul.I look over at Saul, who is doing his best not to intrude on my phone conversation, but I know he has been listening in enough to hear what I did.I hang up. I don't know what to say or how I'm supposed to act. I knew she had kept something from me."Has Liam or Leon ever saved your life?" I ask Saul directly.He looks at me, baffled but clearly deep in thought about my question."Why do you ask?" he questions me, his eyebrows furrowed and his arms now crossed below his chest.It's clear he remembered something, and the connection is making him question further why I'm asking this question myself.He
Lucy:The scent wasn't fresh, or at least, it wasn't potent.Whoever had been in here likely wasn't here anymore, but of course, I checked every space that someone could be hiding in.'Maybe it was that driver,' Nia ponders, even though we can both tell the scent isn't the same.The idea sounds better than the alternative.I take a mental note to ask my mates if they've had anyone in here for any reason. I let out a massive sigh of relief as I opened my dresser drawer and removed the clothes. The key and journal were still tucked beneath the stack of clothes.What would they be in my room looking for? This wasn't exactly the best hiding spot, but I had never worried about anyone breaking in.'The door isn't damaged, and it was locked. That means, if someone did come in here without permission, they would have had to have had a key,' I say to Nia, trying to sort things out.The book on my nightstand that I knew had been there was gone. From what I could tell, my brush was the other
Lucy:I was going to have to face the entire pack soon. Tallie was essentially supposed to be like practice for me, but the moment she burst into tears, I no longer knew how I could possibly address the entire pack.Tallie sobbed for an awkward minute or two. I wasn't sure if she felt comfortable with me consoling her, so I stood there silently with my hands clasped in front of me, praying to the Moon Goddess for anything at all."Umm... Tallie, I'm sorry if I scared you," I mutter, my voice cracking.She shakes her head and wipes her tears off her face before sniffling and regaining her upright position to face me."It's not that. I mean, you didn't scare me," she explains, throwing her hands around in the air.I walk forward and hug her, letting my magic flow from me to her, similar to how I did with Saul. She needed to feel understood and not so alone. This was something I was good at.She settles down dramatically, her body relaxing and the trembling disappearing almost instant
Lucy:Leander said yes, of course. I knew that he would.Rosie was over the moon with excitement, and while I think we were all still shaken up about the crazy driver situation, this was a silver lining."Of course, Tallie and Maddel will have to agree. After all, they did adopt Rosie, and she is not an adult yet," Leander states.I couldn't tell what it was, but I didn't care too much for Rosie's adoptive mother, and I hadn't met her adoptive father yet."You're like a magnet for danger!" That's Trish.About time she shows up.Oh no. She doesn't have Saul.It's getting late. We've been here for longer, or the entire crash and chaos took more time than I had thought."Trishy, where is your mate?" I ask, staring at the cottage in hopes that Saul will come around the corner, but he doesn't.He went with Seth.Of course, he did. It makes sense, but I still can't help but feel bad. I keep feeling like everything is my fault. Anyone around me is put in danger left and right."Stop," Seth
Lucy:A gentle hum vibrated from my connection with Rosie before everything went black.Am I the only one who can hear her this way?"Hello?" I ask into the darkness.A blue light illuminates the darkness. I shield my eyes with my arm momentarily until the light dims, and I'm left sitting on a garden bench."You're okay," I hear Liam's voice.I jump, startled by his presence in my space.My space? Where am I?"What? How?" I ask, turning my body to face him fully now.Liam just smiles at me and pulls me onto his lap to straddle him."This doesn't-" I'm cut off by Liam's lips softly pressing against mine.He gently wraps his arms around me, pulling my body closer to his in the process. For a brief moment, I let myself go, bringing myself into this moment with Liam."Wait!" I pull away."This isn't real. You aren't real!" I say, tearing up again.I had a horrible feeling about Liam going on that mission.How do I get out of here? I need to find Liam. Real Liam.Dammit, Rosie, what did
Seth:'What do we do?' Leon links me.Lucy has been crying in his lap for at least five minutes now as we drive to Rosie's.Goddess, why did she have to live so far out of the way? A large spot on his shirt was soaked with her tears. He's been doing a great job soothing her, the best anyone could, but she's not being receptive like she normally is.I can tell even Leander is getting nervous. Lucy's mood seemed to sway anyone within 20 feet of her.'Maybe it's a good thing we're going to Rosies,' I link back.Honestly, I have no idea. I had never seen Lucy act this way.Liam's leaving broke her into pieces. At least a million of them."Lucy!" Leander speaks up before clearing his throat.I watch as she hiccups and clears her throat, wiping her tears as they continue to flow steadily down her cheeks."Liam has been on a lot of scouting missions. This is his specialty. He managed to make it to Kragen's facility, find you, and come home in one piece. He will be okay," Leander states, s
Lucy:'Lucy! Wait for us!' Liam links me, but Nia isn't listening.Neither am I.I gave Nia complete control; she needed this. We should have gone for a run first thing this morning.We're gaining on him. I can feel the strength running through our blood, supplying us with more energy.The sound of his heartbeat sounds like rocks beating relentlessly against a drum.He's scared.Good.'There he is!' I say, even though I know she can see him too.The sound of paws is now beating heavily against the dirt ground, echoing off the solid oak and maple tree trunks. Of course, he had headed straight towards the forest. Anyone trying to get away would run in this direction but an unanswered question pops into my head.Where is he running to?'Wait! Nia! Let him get away!' I shout as loud as I can.I feel her growl vibrate through our entire presence as she leaps over a fallen oak log, our paws nearly brushing against the bark.I force myself forward, shifting mid-air against her will. My body
Lucy:"We'll have to take a car to Rosie's," Seth says as we head out the front doors of the pack house.For the most part, everyone understood what I had explained to them earlier about the connections, but if there was one thing I was holding very close to me, it was Hecate telling me to trust my gut.I had a third sense for things. It wasn't my core gift, but it acted very close to it.At some point, I needed to get Seth alone to help me plan for my other mate's birthday.While the ceremony would be on their actual birthday, I had a small idea of what I wanted to do for them as my gift, and it wouldn't be able to be on their actual birthday.The typical black SUV pulled around with a driver I hadn't seen before. It wasn't their usual guy."Can I take the passenger seat?" I ask, feeling oddly uncomfortable with this new driver for some reason unknown to me at this moment.While it may seem odd to take the passenger seat with how I'm feeling, it's really not. The closer I am to this d
Savina:"What took you so long?" I hiss.They left me for dead; I just know it.My throat feels like sandpaper as I sit up in the cot I had been in for the last several days."Be thankful we came back for you at all," Kash says.I have no clue where we are. The room is dark, and they haven't let me leave since I got here.They lied to me. Lucy wasn't supposed to have her magic. It was supposed to be an easy task.Although my plan was never to take her out in a challenge, I was improvising.The goal was to separate her from her mate's bond so that if her magic ever came to fruition, she would not gain her full strength.Kash never told me why we were doing it. Some might think I was a fool for following his orders blindly, but I trusted him.I loved him.I never wanted Leon the way that I had made it seem. It was a means to an end."How could you say that, Kash?! I did what you asked of me!" I defend.His comment nearly shattered my heart into a million pieces."You are a fool, Savina!
Lucy:We had lunch and revisited the plan we had made with Zeak after getting blood samples. There were still many things to do at this point, and I wasn't sure which direction to take next.We decided to have lunch at the pack house cafeteria. I told my mates we needed to start being more present in the pack."This doesn't mean that Savina is a demi, does it?" Liam asks."No, there weren't enough markers. She was given a gift somehow. That means we're working against magic that we hardly know anything about," Theo explains.Nadia looks worried, even though she is trying to pretend otherwise."Are you not going to explain to me why you want my blood tested?" I ask Nadia for what has felt like the millionth time.I know she isn't being completely honest, but what I had said to Seth was true.I want to build her trust and guidance, but I don't want to push for answers because I know sometimes we just don't know what the answer really is.I gave Theo another sample of blood—a fresh one.