SCARLETT POVI let Lilith go and follow Tina inside. We head upstairs and into one of the bedrooms,“Your Highness, Scarlett, your mother can shift in the bathroom and have a shower. There is already a towel in there and I’m sure she will be able to find some clothes in the closet to wear.”“Thanks, Tina.”I make sure mother has everything she needs and then go look for Tina. I find her a couple of rooms down sitting on the bed with tears sliding down her cheeks. I make a soft noise to let her know I am here.“Tina? Are you okay?” I slowly move into the room and sit next to her on the bed.“Yeah, a lot has happened in such a short time, just like in this room.”She gets up and moves over to the window before continuing“No one but Stefan knows this, but after my mother was killed, my father only just managed to hang on to his sanity. He always said if it wasn’t for me and my brother, he would have ended his life following his mate. This is my room, I had lots of fun in this room growi

TERESA POV“Talking about rest, I think I might get some sleep,” Scarlett says as she lays back on the bed.“Okay, I am going to go and run these tests. I will come to check on you later.”I wait until her breathing evens out, showing that she has indeed fallen asleep. I get up and leave the room. As I head back to the hospital, I go over the different possibilities that could be causing what she is going through. Garlic can do a bit of damage to a vampire but it is not strong enough unless given in really large amounts to cause a vampire to go into hibernation, but then the vampire knows what is going on and it wouldn't affect her wolf.Then there was wolfsbane, but that would affect her wolf more than her vampire. There are only a few things that affect both species. The main one is silver. So for this to be affecting both her wolf and vampire I think someone gave her some silver and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was in the blood bags she was given, it would be the only way she woul

PHOENIX POV“Sorry Butterfly, but I have patrol and so does Seb, so it seemed like the best time to get her to give you a check-up.”I give her a quick kiss and walk out the door. Sebastian smiles and follows.After seeing those dark bruises on her from our sparring session, we just had. I have also noticed some smaller bruises appear after she has finished her sessions with the young females. I know something isn’t right, and it hasn’t been since we bought her home. I think that Alpha did something to her other than touch her, but I just don’t know what. Hopefully, Teresa can help work it out, and then we can get the real Scarlett back.“Nix, what’s going on? We don’t have patrol. Why did you lie to Scar?”“I needed Terri to give her a check over and I knew she wouldn’t be honest if I was in the room.”I stop in the kitchen and sit at the counter before continuing,“I can barely sense her wolf or her vampire anymore. The mate bond seems to be there, but it is extremely weak. I don’t

CHARLOTTE POVI hear a lot of commotion going on around the castle, and I know most of it is to do with Scarlett. I have been watching her return to her duties as the vampire princess, but there is something about her that has changed. To everyone else, she is the same happy female, but I can see she is withdrawn and Phoenix is the same. They are perfect for each other. I have grown up with them together, and seeing them like this is just horrible and wrong.She looks at him with longing, like she used to when we were younger, knowing he was hers but was too young to be with him. He has just shut himself off completely, even when he looks at her, that love and longing that used to be in his eyes all the time is gone and when I see them touch, she flinches and he... Well, I don't know.I wanted to talk to my father about what is going on, but when I get to his office; I stop just outside the door as I hear voices,"Okay, that is enough, everyone. Nix! Nat! How about you two go and find

PHOENIX POV“I know you feel betrayed, but maybe you really need to talk to Father about it, find out how he felt and handled it when it happened to mother. Have you ever thought that she might feel betrayed by you as well? Betrayed by you when you put your thing inside that other female...”I take a quick step toward Charlotte as my anger rose from her last comment and Soren fought to take over, but then I think about what she actually said. I look at Charlotte and see the fear of me in her eyes. I would never hurt anyone in the Royal family. They are my family, the only family I have. I sigh and take a few steps back.“I’m Sorry Charlotte, I didn’t mean to scare you.”“Don’t worry about it, I hit a nerve, and the reaction was a natural one, but you need to consider what I said, she feels just as betrayed as you do, go and talk to father, find out how he handled it. Go!” I turn away from her and go to find Dominic.I was expecting him to be with Scarlett but instead, I find him in th