"Kane stays unmoving, and I realize he’s barely breathing. I don’t think he needs oxygen to stay alive, so that’s not too surprising, but I can’t’ figure out why he is so still. His hand at my waist is so very close to my breastbone, the longing for him to slide it up only a few inches, to touch me in places no one ever has before, has a gasp leaving my lips. I have to bite down again to keep from moaning, and he hasn’t even kissed me yet." Emory I was born to be the Alpha of my pack. But now... I am here, in the castle of our greatest enemy, the Vampire King. I should hate Kane, but the more time I spend with him, the more I long for him. I am not here to be his lover, though. I am here to be his feeder. But even before his lips graze my skin the first time, I know I would give myself to him in every way imaginable if only he should ask. Kane I long to taste the wolf shifter, but not her blood, her body. But I'm already betrothed to marry another vampire, and if I call that off, I have resigned my kingdom to yet another war. There has to be a way to keep Emory as my feeder but not claim her in my bed. I just haven't figured it out yet. But I have enemies, and every moment she spends here in my home, Castle Graystone, she's in danger. I can protect her, but at what cost? Am I willing to risk everything to make her mine? Or should I put my duty to my kingdom first?
View MoreKaneDespite Emory’s urging that we get married as soon as possible, I want to do this right. I only plan on getting married once and I’m not going to have a rushed wedding. I’ve been asking her to marry me for months and I want us to have the wedding of her dreams. Besides, planning a wedding is less stressful than preparing for a war.A smaller more intimate wedding would have been ideal for us but we both understood that our union is a declaration. After centuries of bad blood, a vampire king is marrying a shifter Alpha. This is going to ruffle feathers and we are going to face everyone opposing us being together head on. We’ve fought a literal war to be together and we know that there will always be people that think our love is an abomination.That morning as I’m getting ready for the wedding, I feel calmer than I’ve ever been. There’s a sense of rightness to this day that any cold feet aren’t going to ruin. I
KaneOur troops from both sides surround us with bated breath. The battle is mostly over. This duel between King Peter and I is what will determine the end of the war. It is the culmination of months of posturing and preparation.“Here are my terms, Kane Alexander of Crimson Peak” King Peter says. “If I win, you will marry my daughter and make her your queen. If you do not, I shall have your head and place her on the throne and your child will inherit the throne.”I don’t correct him when he calls Opal’s child mine. He will not accept any other reality than the one he has in his head.“If I win, you will return my brother to me unharmed and surrender your children to be punished for hurting Embry Moonraker,” I reply. “I will not claim Opal’s child as my own but the child will be taken care of.”King Peter snarls. “I agree to your terms.”A squire hands him his helm
LexThe sword hits the wood of the shovel, digging into the weathered wood. Jacob’s blue eyes glare into me. I don’t think I’ve ever had someone hate me this much before. The ferocity with his attacks tells me that he truly wants to kill me.This isn’t just a mean boy wanting to pick on someone. Jacob wants me dead.The wood begins to break under the weight of the sword and Jacob’s strength. I step back, and he takes the opportunity to swing again. The blade catches me in the arm, easily slicing through the thin layer of fabric I’m wearing. I hiss my arm begins to bleed, staining the white shirt red.Jacob swings again, and I dodge, opting to tackle him to the ground. The sword flies out of his hand as I force him on his back. I drop the shovel and wrap my hands around his throat, cutting off his air. He scratches at my arms with his one hand, his legs trying to kick me off, but I sit on his torso to steady
LexThe girl lies limp on the dungeon floor. I’ve drank more than I meant to this time, and I feel her blood running through my system. Since she first started to visit me a few days, she’s returned several times, and my body has begun to heal itself. My ribs still feel tender as the bruises fade around my torso. I haven’t felt this strong in weeks.I gingerly get to my feet, stretching my limbs. I try not to glance at herl. The faint beat of her pulse echoes in my ear, so I know she’s still alive. This time, she insisted I drink straight from her. She said she was willing to sacrifice herself for my cause. I have no idea why. So… if she doesn’t die from blood loss, she’ll become a vampire.I don’t have time to dwell on that now. Most of the guards around the dungeon are gone as she said they would be. They have left the castle to fight in the battle against Crimson Peak. Knowing my chance will never come again, I
EmoryMy mother tells me about what happened to Bernard before we arrive in Moon Grove. His body is transported in a separate car as we make our way back to my hometown. I’m too numb from shock and the millions of things I need to focus on other than my father’s death. Bernard, until the end, is causing problems for me.I don’t have much time to give attention to this so I let my mother handle most of the arrangements for the funeral pyre. All Alphas are traditionally cremated outside while their family and friends look on and tell stories about the life the Alpha lived. Bernard’s public disgrace makes this a small affair. It’s just my mom, my siblings, and I. We were the closest to him, and still, none of us had really known him at all.It’s sundown by the time the funeral pyre is ready. I was only three the last time I saw an Alpha’s cremation when Grandpa Colton died. I move mechanically through the funeral. My mom says a prayer to the Moon Goddess, and we stand under the moonlight
LexThe days blur together in that dark cell. I can barely do anything but sleep. Somebody brings me blood on occassion. My ribs are broken, and they are trying to heal, but I need more blood.My nose has healed, and it feels crooked, which will marr my looks forever if I don’t have it reset soon. There are bruises on my torso that make it hard to rest. Whenever I move in my sleep, the broken ribs and the bruises awaken me with pain. I’ve never been this uncomfortable in my life.I pay attention to what I can in my cell. The tiny window is too high for me to reach, but it’s the only thing that can tell me about the passage of time. The guards change a few times a day, and that’s usually when a servant brings me a pitifully small goblet of blood. No one wants to talk to me, and they place the tray with the goblet on the ground before closing the cell door quickly.I try to bribe the guards, but they laugh at me. I offer the expensiv
KaneA few days after the alliance with Willow’s former coven is finalized, Ivy is going to meet up with the high priestesses of covens she is associated with. Surprisingly, she’s taking me with her. When I ask her why she wants me there, knowing how the witches will not positively react to me, she points out, “This war is your mess. You should be doing half the work of trying to convince them.”I don’t really have an argument for that, so I call Emory to inform her I’ll be gone for a few more days then make the drive to the meeting point the high priestesses agreed on. We drive even further up north, my guards along with Willow and Rainer tailing us. It’s even more remote here, no buildings and people to be found for miles. When we reach our destination, we step out of the car, and Ivy guides me toward stone steps that lead up a hill.The steps are steep and have been carved into the stone. There are no railings for sup
Willow“Bryony never stopped hoping you would come back. And it’s because of her, I will listen to what you have to say,” Ivy declares. “We will speak alone in my home.”Relief washes over me. “Thank you, Ivy.”She raises a hand to stop me. “Only you. He can’t come into the village.”Glancing down my intertwined hand with Rainer’s, I give him an apologetic look. He whispers in my ear, “I don’t like this. If you’re in danger, yell for me, and I’ll fight off the hoard to get to you.”“I’ll be fine,” I assure him. “Try not to piss off the witches any more than they already are.”His blue eyes bore into me. “Be careful.”“I will.”I squeeze his hand reassuringly before moving away from him. I feel the weight of dozens of stares as I follow Ivy into the village. We walk past buildings until we reach the largest house. It’s a two-story limestone building covered in foliage. Vines wrap around the metal railing of the balcony on the second floor. It makes the house look like it sprouted from
RainerAs soon as Dr. Martin discharges me from the clinic, I’m back to duty as if I’ve never been gone. A lot can happen in a week’s time, especially since we’re on the verge of a war that could annihilate our way of living. With our leverage against Scarlett Thunder gone, we’re anticipating King Peter’s next move any day now. The air practically crackles with tension as everyone in the castle knows something is about to happen. With Kane and Emory busy with Mikey, I have to step up so that they can take the time they should be spending together as a family. If I can lighten the load for Kane in any way, I will always do so. My old friend has a way of trying to shoulder all the burdens of the world. I’ve taken on the work of trying to help him for as long as I’ve known him.I visit the nursery to meet my godson as I have promised to Kane. Mikey is awake and sucking on a pacifier. Emory hands the baby over to me and shows me how to hold him. She instructs me to support his head which
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