AnnalyseI was beside myself with sorrow. I had to leave home to stay at the palace where my supposed Fated Mate, the Lycan Prince was. I just want Chase. I felt as though my soul was being ripped into pieces.Mom came in as I was mopping up my face. “Honey! What’s wrong?”, she asked, alarmed.“Nothing, Mom. I’m just nervous and don’t understand why I can’t just stay home.”, I answered, trying to hold back another flood of tears.She wrapped me into a hug as she purred, almost humming like she did when I was little and upset. It helped calm me. “Don’t worry, Lyse. Everything will work out as it should.”“I know. I don’t know why I’m feeling so emotional. I think it’s just nerves.”, I said, worrying my lip and taking a deep breath.She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, ornately carved cedar box.“I have something for you, Sprite. It was your father’s mother’s.”, she said.“Your father insisted when you were a baby that you have it the week before your birthday. It will bo

ChaseI glanced down at Lyse, an intense wave of lust and protectiveness rolling over me.‘That’s new’, I said to Havoc.‘She is ours, Chase. The bond is only getting stronger. The more we’re with her, the stronger it gets. Her wolf feels it too. I can not just sense it, but her eyes flashed violet as she tried to push through.’, He answered.She looked up at me, cheeks rosy, a small gasp leaving her full lips. Yep, she was feeling it, too.Ryker was waiting on the top step.“Mrs. Mitchell, the King wishes to see you.”, he said, inclining his head beckoning her to follow him.“I’ll take good care of her.”, I started. “Ryker will bring you to Lyse when you’re finished.”I motioned for one of my guards to grab her bags and follow us.As we stepped through the front doors into the massive entry, I looked at Lyse, struck by her beauty as she seemed to look everywhere at once.“It’s stunning!”, she exclaimed as she looked at me with wide eyes. “Look at this banister!”, she said as she walk

CarolinaI left Lyse with Dylan (he looked too much like his mother to be anyone else), and followed Ryker up two flights of stairs to Arvand’s office, if it was still in the same place it had been years ago.Ryker knocked twice to signal our arrival.“Enter”, the deep voice from the other side answered. No, commanded. Ever the King.He held the door open for me as I entered, looking at Arvand, a mixture of happiness at seeing him well and sadness at the memory of Mara.“You may wait outside, Ryker. Please close the door.”, He said with a small nod.Ryker bowed in return. “Of course, Your HIghness.”The moment the door was closed, Arvand came around the corner of his desk to envelope me in a tight hug.“Oh, Arvand! It’s so good to see you again.”, I began.He let me go and proceeded to gesture for me to join him in the armchairs on the visitor side of his office.“It’s wonderful to see you as well, Carolina. It’s been far too long.”“It has. And I’m sorry. After Mara, I just… didn’t k

I pulled away from him as though I had been burned, missing his warmth the second we were apart.I turned and looked into the face of a gorgeous woman. Mahogany hair and deep blue eyes staring daggers at me.I looked at her with open curiosity as she sauntered around the countertop and stepped in between Chase and I to wrap her arms around his neck and pull his mouth to hers in what looked to be a scorching kiss.“Long time, no see. I missed you.” , she said with a smirk and glare in my direction.Chase looked like a deer caught in headlights. A pissed off deer.“Well, uh. I’m going to find my mom and get settled for the night.”, I said, turning to go. “Thanks for the talk.”“Lyse, wait a sec.”, he began.“No, Chase. We’ll talk more at some point, I’m sure.”, I said, steeling myself against tears. How could I be so stupid? Just like with Jace. I’m a total idiot when it comes to guys. I really hope the goddess knows what she’s doing, mating me to a Lycan Prince because right now, I did

ChaseI headed inside after picking a blue lotus for my girl. Mom had them planted, telling me one day that I might need them. Boy was she right.I headed to my floor and Lyse’s rooms. I knocked and waited. No answer. ‘I hear water, Chase.’, Havoc said. ‘And more than that, I can hear her crying.’, he continued, sounding and feeling agitated.I tried the knob. Locked.‘You have to make this right. That she-bitch ruined everything. We were making progress with her.’, he said, rage coming through at Harper and her nerve.I looked at the flower in my hand and then I reached into my pocket, my hand closing around the key to her rooms. It was actually the key to both of our suites as well as the locked adjoining door between the two.I went to my room and unlocked that door, slipping in and leaving the flower on her pillow, yearning to go to her, only feet away.I could picture her body under the surface of the water, almost instantly hard at the thought of kissing away her hurt and maki