King Asher’s POVWe were a mess inside. Derek was on a bed in the lounge room because there was no other room in the house that we would be able to fit another bed and all the equipment that we needed. “Derek is here knocked out, but Sophia is in the room upstairs. She is still knocked out. Well, we can’t be sure, but she is acting as if she is.” I sighed. I needed this headache over and done with.“I will go and get the girl. The rest of you need to clear the room out and help Roxy get the equipment we need. You have ten minutes.” Alaric ordered each of us with the tasks that he needed us to do.“Are you sure you can get her, Alaric? We covered her in silver?” I asked him, afraid that he would get hurt. “Thank you for your concern Asher, but I have built up let’s say a little tolerance to silver. I will be able to handle her. She won’t be able to hurt me so easily and I need to see whose blood is in her body.” He explained to me. Nodding my head, I would not disagree with him. We w

Derek’s POVI was alive. I couldn’t understand how the fuck I was? That nightmare had seemed so real. Holding Sophia’s lifeless body over and over had woken me up from whatever dumb state I had been in. I don’t give a shit what she did, because I know it wasn’t her. She is my mate, and I had left her alone through all of this. I was the worst mate there was. “How much do they know, Alaric? Did any of my guys explain to you about Sophia?” I asked him through my thoughts. I had met Alaric a long time ago. When I was little, he had helped my father with a few rogue vampires that had been causing trouble for the Kingdom. So after that, every so often, he would come to check up to make sure nothing had been happening. Plus, having him there, his scent was all over the kingdom, scaring away the rogue vamps. “I told them everything. They had a right to know. Yes, Lars told us all, and he said he would take the punishment for telling his Queen's secret when it wasn’t his to tell. But like I

I could sense that Asher was staring at Derek, guessing that he was warning him. Asher truly was special. He was nothing like we all thought he was. The saying don’t judge a book by its cover came straight to mind. He was warm and caring. I know what he has had to sacrifice, and it was truly not fair. Every part of me was aching, but I was putting on a front. Everyone had been strong for me and now I needed to do the same for them. Looking down at Brooke's body, my heart missed a beat. My best friend had died trying to save my sorry ass. How the fuck was I meant to live with that? Her scream had awoken me from the cage that I had been caught in for nearly a year, a prisoner in my own body and mind.“Asher, if you need any help to clean this up or handling anything, please let me know. But I would like to take my best friend back home and plan her funeral with the Queens.” I said to him. Honestly, I didn’t want to leave him alone with what had just happened, but Brooke deserved to be b

Sophia’s POVI wasn’t sure how many hours had passed, but Derek had finally fallen asleep, my broken mate in my arms like a little child every time I thought about our son it made me sad, but I knew that he was with the Moon Goddess. “Brooke.” I heard Derek whisper again. He was dreaming about her again. I wasn’t sure if this should be upsetting me, but Brooke had been my friend as well. She had died trying to save me. Now her mate was never going to know her. That was going to have to change. I would tell him everything about her and let the others tell him everything that he might want to know as well.“You weren’t meant to go, Brooke. You were going to help me with the wedding and be her bridesmaid.” He whimpered.“See, he does love us, Bria.” She hadn’t said a word to me in hours.“I know he does, but what about Jerek? Derek has locked him away where I can’t reach him and I don’t know if I want to reach him?” We were both so torn about what had happened. But at the end of the day

There was no way what I heard was right. Tim told her it was impossible for her to become pregnant. This was going to be some type of sick payback. They were dishing out on me for the behaviour of bloody Jerek. Moaning in the back of my head, I locked him out of my head again. He still couldn’t see what he did was wrong. Sophia’s gasp brought me out of my shock. Running into the room, I looked at the scene before me. Sophia was crying, but the look on her face was shock and happiness.“Soph?” my voice came out so weak I wasn’t sure if she had heard it or not.“Derek, come and look.” I couldn’t bring myself to move. If it was their way of getting back at me, I didn’t want to get my hopes up because it would be the last blow I could take. She was holding out her hand.“Baby, it’s not a trick. Come and look.” She whispered again.“Derek, it’s true.” Tim confirmed it, slowly moving towards the bed, grabbing her hand. Feeling nothing but the sparks of the mate bond course through my body,