LOGINRaiden’s POV After the mind link with Traci ended, Zayden and I knew there would be a problem. We rushed out there to take care of the situation, or at least to see if anything was going down. I almost made it to Traci when I saw Edward reach into his pocket. Something fell onto the ground. The small packet landed at Edward’s feet, and for one second, nobody moved. Then Kael stepped forward. “Oh, what do we have here?” Edward looked down. His face changed immediately. Kael bent and picked up the packet carefully, making sure not to disturb whatever was inside. He held it away from his body and looked at me. “Take it,” I said. “Get it tested as soon as possible.” Kael already knew what to do and headed toward the palace without another word. Edward suddenly turned, trying to move in the opposite direction. “Stop him.” The warriors surrounding us reacted instantly. Two grabbed Edward before he could get more than a couple of steps away. He fought against them, twisting hard enou
Traci’s POV I was still standing near the vehicles when I felt Raiden reach for me through the mind link. I focused on him immediately. “What is it?” His voice came through calm, but I could tell from the way he spoke that something had changed. “We found out who the warrior is.” I glanced toward the group around me. “Who?” “Edward LeMasters.” I looked toward Edward. He was standing a short distance away with several of the other warriors. Corbin had Kieran in his arms, and Marge was still holding Theron. Sarah was standing beside us, watching the boys with a smile on her face. “What did you find?” I hated to ask. I was afraid of what he found out. Raiden hesitated. “He competed in last year’s tournament. Kael found his records. Ryker recognized him from one of the matches.” I kept my eyes on Edward. “What happened?” I asked hesitantly. I already knew this wasn’t going to be good. Raiden told me about the match. About the powder. My stomach tightened. The same powder? He mus
Raiden’s POV I was sitting behind my desk with Zayden across from me while Kael and Ryker stood near the other side of the office. We had been going over the last few things that needed to be handled before the tournament, making sure everything was in place. Kael had a list in his hand, and Ryker was going over the security details with him when I suddenly felt Traci reach for me through the mind link. “Raiden.” I immediately focused on her. “What’s wrong?” The answer came almost instantly. “The boys just did something.” My entire body tensed. “What did they do?” She took a deep breath. “They were walking back toward the vehicles with Corbin and Marge. Corbin has Kieran, and Marge has Theron. One of the warriors stepped out of one of the SUVs, and both boys turned toward him. Then both of them raised their little hands.” I exchanged a quick look with Zayden. “What happened after that?” Traci hesitated for a second before answering. They both twinkled their fingers and said, “
Traci’s POVThe morning had started out quiet. Sarah, Helen, Samantha, and I were walking through the garden, enjoying the fresh air before the day really got going. The palace was busy with people coming and going as preparations continued, but out here, everything felt peaceful.I was listening to Sarah complain about something when the sound of an engine caught my attention. I turned toward the palace entrance. A dark SUV was pulling through the gates. I slowed my steps.“Is somebody arriving?” Helen asked.Sarah looked toward the vehicle. “Maybe.”The first SUV continued toward the palace, and another one came through the gates behind it. I frowned. Then a third followed.Samantha stopped walking. “Is that another one?”I nodded my head. Another SUV came through the gates. Then another. We all stood there watching as the vehicles made their way through the gates.“Already?” Sarah asked. “They’re showing up two days early?”I shrugged my shoulders. “I guess some people couldn’t wai
Zayden’s POV We’d been back home in the palace for six months now. It was hard to believe how quickly those months had passed. It seemed like only yesterday we had been carrying our newborn sons through the palace doors, terrified that spiders may return and bite one of them. Or the curse would return. Now there wasn’t a trace of it. Raiden’s marks never returned, and neither did Kieran’s or Theron’s. The boys had grown faster than any babies I had ever seen, but then again, they weren’t ordinary babies. They were White Wolf babies, and they were already showing just how different they were. At six months old, they were toddling around the palace. They still fell every once in a while, because their little legs hadn’t quite caught up with how quickly they wanted to move, but they were far more advanced than any six-month-old should have been. And we had learned that their abilities were developing just as quickly. Kieran had fire. Theron had ice. We had discovered their healing a
Zayden’s POV I was still staring down at Theron when he let out another tiny whimper. I rubbed my hand gently over his back. “What’s wrong, little man?” He squirmed against my chest, his little face turning toward his brother. I followed his gaze. Kieran was still in Raiden’s arms, staring at the fireplace like he had no idea he had just caused the flames to jump. Then Kieran made a tiny sound. The fire flickered. I looked at Raiden. Then back to the fireplace. The flames jumped a little higher. Traci covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. Kieran’s eyes stayed fixed on the fireplace, and his little mouth curled into that same innocent smile. “Well,” I said slowly, “I think your brother wants to show off.” Theron let out another whimper. I looked down at him. “Are you jealous?” He stopped moving. Then he balled both of his little fists. I watched as he raised his hands slightly. A chill swept through the room. Before I could say anything, frost began spreading across the hearth.
Traci’s POV“Corbin, we have a problem.” The second the words left my mouth through the mindlink, panic nearly swallowed me whole again.“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Corbin’s voice came through instantly, calm and steady like always. “Are you okay?”No. Absolutely not.I pressed both hands against t
Raiden’s POVRogue attacks across the kingdom had gotten worse every year.What once started as small raids along distant borders had evolved into organized assaults with strategy behind them. More warriors. Better timing. Stronger fighters. Somebody was building an army in the shadows, and whoever
Zayden’s POV“Sienna,” I muttered against her neck as she settled herself onto my lap with a satisfied little smirk.Soft music drifted through my chambers while firelight flickered across the walls, casting golden shadows over the room. The scent of vanilla and wine clung heavily to the air. Hones
Zayden’s POVPeople hear the words Alpha King and immediately imagine some noble male standing on a balcony giving inspirational speeches while dramatic wind blows through his hair.Absolute bullshit.Most days consisted of paperwork, meetings, threats disguised as diplomacy, and elders breathing d







