HUNTER It had been a few days since the wedding, and I knew more than ever that my decision had been absolutely correct. Charlene was the perfect Luna, wife, and mate. Not only was her heart beautiful, but so was she. A perfect bonus, because I craved her. One night was not enough for me. That first night, I had made love to her twice before forcing myself to stop, it was her first time and I knew she would be in pain. The very next day, I had awoken to her having run me a bath and had my clothes out ready for me. I told her she didn’t need to do that stuff for me, I had Omegas for such tasks, but she made it clear she wanted to be the only one taking care of me. I nearly smirked, it was almost as if she meant something else… but I wasn’t sure… I planned to tease her a little and see if my innocent princess would indeed get jealous. I wanted her to be possessive of me, to show me that she wanted me all for herself. Ah, it was pleasant to have someone by my side, and although I want

THEON The weather was pleasant, and the sea was calm. It was the following day after the attack, and night had fallen. Everyone was sitting on the deck enjoying the music Leto was playing. Tankards of hot mead sat on the tables in front of us, with platters of snacks as we enjoyed the calm. Two sirens had approached hours after that attack, but after a word with Yileyna, they had swum away. I still don’t know how to feel about them. For them to not attack us was… strange. Her words and concern when she had turned back to us were still fresh in my mind. ‘We should be safe from here, the sirens and my guards will keep an eye beneath the surface but… even they don’t know why the Leviathan was after us. It is not meant to be anywhere near here.’ The Leviathan… Something about it niggled at my mind. When she had encased it in ice, the darkness I had felt from it… it felt oddly familiar to the darkness I feel around Arabella… but how was that even possible? A witch, even a dark one, cou

YILEYNA My heart squeezed at those words. Mixed with the sadness I felt for the young woman who had been murdered for loving him, I felt something else. Theon closed his eyes, and I could almost see him shattering, my own eyes stung with tears. I didn’t like seeing him in pain, it was obvious he had been through a lot. Cadoran continued as if he had wanted to spill the burden the weighed upon him. "It was one of the final steps to shape you into the man you would become. Your father wanted you to become his mirror, his shadow, his-" "I will never be him." Theon cut off, his eyes blazing. "What else has he done, tell me!" "Aside from selling the women and killing those who disobeyed him, I know not what is true or what not, but there were rumours that he had a dark power in his grasp. Something that-" "Arabella. We know. Anything else?" Theon’s anger was at breaking point, and he was fuelling his pain into rage, worrying me. "Nothing, I'm sorry." Cadoran’s fear had returned, an

THEON A tear trickled down her cheeks and I moved back, concern flooding me. Did she regret it? Her eyes opened, glistening with unshed tears. I brushed them away with my thumbs as fresh ones fell. "Hey… What’s wrong?" "You’ve never kissed me like that." "Never realised it was so bad that it made you cry." I whispered, making her let out a weak laugh as she shook her head. No. It wasn’t bad… it was her realising how I truly felt. There was no hatred or rage fuelling me tonight. Just her… "No. Far from it." She whispered, pressing herself against me. "Let’s try again then." With those words, I threaded my hand into her hair and claimed her lips in a deep, passionate kiss. This time I let my hunger lead. Mixed with everything I felt, I kissed her harder, yet slow enough that she could still keep up and savour it. This wasn’t about me, it was about us. Her arms locked around my neck, and I lifted her up, my hands on her ass as she moaned against me. We kissed each other as if

YILEYNA. The legion approaching burst from the trees, and it was an impressive sight. One of unity and strength. Werewolves in human and wolf forms, fae knights on horses, all wielding weapons and ready to attack. They stopped upon seeing us, but it was the woman on the black horse in the centre that made my heart skip a beat, and the tears of happiness fill my eyes. I was unable to say anything, my emotions overwhelming me. I took a shuddering breath as our eyes met. It took her a moment to look me over, noticing the change in my appearance, but not once did she not recognise me or hesitate. Her beautiful green glistened with tears as she slid off her horse and ran towards me. My Queen. I stepped forward. Never had I been apart from her for so long and I had truly missed her. "My Angel." She sobbed the moment she flung her arms around my neck tightly. I embraced her tightly, burying my nose in her shoulder. She smelt slightly different, but it was still her, still my Charlene. I