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TWENTY-ONE | EMBERS
Lily
Buttery sunlight fell in soft waves to the forest floor. Lily wanted to close her eyes, to revel in the feel of eternal dawn upon her skin. She did not need to look to know exactly where she was going.
He called to her. It swelled deep in her chest, her scarred heart pounding against her ribcage. The sickness at the similarity of this to feeling dulled, until it was little more than an ache in her temples. This was not Atticus. That pain – the pain he had caused – was merely temporary. Her true path lay ahead.
Four white trees stood in a perfect diamond. Lily stilled, cocking her head to one side. A man was resting against one, his sword tossed on the ground beside him. She could smell fresh basil and citrus, undercut with something smoky; a bonfire breathing darkness into the dawn. She feared her growing heart might crush her lungs.
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The Broken Alpha TWENTY-TWO | ENTRA
ElijahHer wounded leg gave out. He dropped his sword, letting it clatter to the forest floor. It did not matter – not as she did.Holding her gently, tenderly, he lifted her to his chest. Leaning down, he grabbed his sword quickly, adjusting her in her grasp as he slid it back down his spine. Her bloodied face pressed against him, and he could have wept. Panic rose in his chest, in his throat. Her eyes were closed.“Lily?” he tried, her name foreign – but beautiful – on his tongue. It fit. It fit, and it felt right for him to be the one to say it. His heart thundered, and the echo of hers was the only thing keeping him sane.“Lily?” he whispered, struggling to feel for a pulse with her clutched so tightly in his arms. But he found it, and he exhaled heavily. Numb and overwhelmed, he held her reverently. Since the fi
The Broken Alpha TWENTY-THREE | DREAMSCAPE
AtticusHoney-brown hair spilled across the pillow, tangled from hours of restless sleep. Darkness swelled outside, watching, waiting. His eyelashes fluttered against his cheeks, shadowed crescent moons spilling spider’s legs across his skin in the dusty moonlight.Behind closed eyelids, green eyes searched relentlessly for one thing: her. His heart ached, pulsing with need for a girl with brown eyes that saw beyond the mask he presented to everyone else. Her eyes were brown, but they shone with gold.His fist crumpled the rumpled duvet. His chest rose and fell rapidly, breath catching in his throat.He was in the garden again. Spring leaves formed an archway, a floating path that wound gracefully between the wide boughs of the trees. His feet followed it weightlessly. And, for once, his head felt empty, quiet, peaceful. His mind was gentle; she soothe
The Broken Alpha TWENTY-FOUR | MASTER OF HERBS
LilyA hazy dream blurred into reality as Lily reached her hand out, her palm aching to brush against something familiar but new. It met a soft bed of moss and, confused, she startled awake.“Hello.” A strange, wizened creature stared down at her, black eyes peering over his bulbous nose. Long fingers wrapped around a bunch of dried rosemary, but he quickly discarded his work in favour of stepping towards her.“Hi,” she croaked, her voice shaky and uncertain from disuse. “Where am I?”“My name is Hargrin,” the creature said kindly. He settled on her bed beside her, patting her knee. “I am Master of Herbs. Your, ah, friend,” he said the word with a twinkle in his eyes, “brought you here for my assistance. You are safe now, Lily.”She blinked, struggling to ta
The Broken Alpha TWENTY-FIVE | NIGHTFALL
ElijahHe didn’t want to leave.She’d glanced over at him, hair spilling across her face and down her shoulders, tumbling in thick waves. Her lips – full and red – had parted, and she’d inhaled shakily, her eyelashes fluttering against her bronzed, freckled cheeks.His heart and stomach competed for his attention and, after a moment’s hesitation, he allowed his aching, empty stomach to drag him towards the main house.Above, stars glittered. Interwoven into the fabric of the night sky, they seemed to shine just for him, just for a moment. He brushed his hair over his ears, even though their hosts knew – and had pointed ears of their own.“Hello?” He rapped lightly on the door.“Who is it?”“It’s me. Elijah,” he ad
The Broken Alpha TWENTY-SIX | PHOENIX
Lily Elijah’s still-damp body clung to his clothes as he padded back into the main room. Lily stole glances at him as he moved, watching the lithe muscles bunch and release, watching his wet hair trickle down his neck and chest. She raised an eyebrow at him as he sat heavily on the nearest rug. She’d awoken shortly after he’d gone into the bathing chamber, and had been waiting for him to return. The cold dinner beside her was making her stomach ache, desperate for food, but she’d wanted to eat with him. She shuffled to the edge of the bed. “What are you doing down there?” He frowned up at her. She longed to kiss his damp brow. Lily didn’t understand the urge, but she couldn’t deny it either. “I – I don’t know.” He smiled helplessly. His fingers trembled slightly as they met hers. The bond snapped
The Broken Alpha TWENTY-SEVEN | FAELEN
ElijahElijah awoke slowly, the world shaping around him in soft, blurred lines as the sun rose outside. He became aware of the steady sound of Lily’s breathing, finding his own lungs moving in a gentle rhythm along with hers.Her warmth seeped into his skin through the thin layers of their clothing. The night before formed itself in his mind’s eye as dawn light spilled across his frame of vision. They had shared a moment of peace, bodies pressing closer and closer as the moon had rolled across the night sky. His hands had tangled in her hair, in the fabric of her clothes, then splayed across her bare skin.Though they’d edged around the darkest depths of their buried truths, he had learned other facets of her, of who she was, under the shroud of night. They had spoken until sleep had pulled at their eyelids and, at last, they had succumbed to it, entwined toge
The Broken Alpha TWENTY-EIGHT | HOME
LilyLily hadn’t known Elijah long, but she had picked up on some of his habits: the twitch in his fingers that signalled he wanted to toy with his shaggy hair; chewing the inside of his cheeks; rocking back and forth on his heels. She hadn’t known him long, but Lily knew that Elijah was nervous.About what, she had no idea.They crossed a small, sparkling stream, wobbling across a casually placed log. Dense forest formed around them, blocking out the sunlight as they left Entra behind.They walked in silence for a while, the soft sway of their steps and the occasional slice of their swords through thick underbrush the only sounds to fill the air between them. Lily weighed her new sword in her hand, garnets glinting dully in its hilt, guilt gnawing at her insides.Elijah had paid for the sword. He’d paid for everything,
The Broken Alpha TWENTY-NINE | HONEY
AtticusOnyx eyes surveyed Atticus keenly. He sighed at Ralphin, and rolled his eyes for good measure.“I have nothing new to tell you.”Ralphin sighed dramatically, pushing away from the tree he’d been leaning against. “I’m not here for news, and you know it.”“So you truly are just here to pester me, then?” Atticus folded his arms across his chest. Before Ralphin could retort, he spoke again: “We’re meant to be running. This seems an awful lot like talking to me.”“Fine.” It was Ralphin’s turn to roll his eyes. He slicked back his inky hair and grinned. Letting out a howl that curved around his laughter, he sprinted into the grassy plains bordering the southern edge of the Blood Moon pack.For a moment, Atticus remained. He surveyed
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