The passages twisted and branched, though Lanna seemed to know them well, taking each turn as though confident of where it led. After a while, she slowed her pace, as she traced her fingers along the walls, seeking.. something. Eventually, she found it, stopping and placing both hands on the wall, shimmying the loose panel upwards this time. She climbed through, holding it up for the three of us to do the same, then carefully lowered it, trying not to make a sound. The sound of harsh laughter suddenly came from behind us, followed by a match strike, filling the room with an eerie, dancing light as we turned to face them. I could feel Ceridwen immediately on edge, stirring again in the depths of my mind. "Excellent!" exclaimed the haughty male voice Haden and I had heard earlier, its owner standing before us, as several others moved out of the shadows behind him. "Reagan," Ceridwen snarled inside my mind, her fury kick-starting my adrenaline into overdrive.I froze, staring up at h

I woke slowly, my hearing returning first, before I'd even regained the strength to open my eyes. As my mind slowly cleared of the heavy foginess, I kept them closed, listening to the voices around me. My heart sank as I desperately tried to hear Haden, but Ceridwen's voice in the back of my mind was soothing. "He's close," she murmured groggily, "I can feel him." Her words brought some relief, and I focused on assessing the situation we now found ourselves in. Listening for a long moment, it was clear there were guards around us, yet I couldn't hear any signs of Reagan himself close by. I was grateful for that, but a new rush of fear swept through me, as I thought of Saxon. Had they warned him? Was Reagan hunting him now? Or worse, I wondered, with a deep feeling of dread. Ceridwen made her frustration clear, though, and I turned to gently testing the binds I felt around my wrists, feet, and chest, instead. They felt strong, and tight, and I dared not test them too much, in case

Reagan looked confused, caught off guard for a moment by Haden's expression. He looked between the two of us and his six men, seeming uncertain, before he looked at Haden again, drawing another of his hidden silver daggers. "What's wrong with you?" he asked, staring down into Haden's eyes, as he turned the dagger around and around between his long, slender fingers. "Is the poison affecting your wits, boy?" he continued, with a laugh that sounded a little forced. Reagan's head snapped around to his six men, "Look! The poor, pathetic Lycan boy's going mad!" he said with another bout of laughter, this time chorused by his men. Haden smiled wider, and it seemed to bother Reagan even further. "Well, come on," he said, gesturing grandly and raising his voice, clearly mocking, "Enlighten us with this joy you've found, at the end of your miserable life!"Haden muttered something, barely audible to my ears, and entirely imperceptible to theirs. My eyes widened, but I barely managed to swall

I stepped backwards as one reached a thickly-muscled arm towards me, crying out as I put weight on my momentarily-forgotten injured leg. His hand only gripped my shoulder reassuringly though, then my waist as his expression turned to one of concern. His eyes went blank for a moment, presumably communicating with the two who had climbed through after him, their weapons already drawn as they moved towards Haden and Reagan. I attempted to struggle as he lifted me easily, shaking my head, but he was exceptionally strong, even for a Lycan, and gave a soft laugh in response. "Relax, Princess," he said, sounding half-mocking, yet somehow warm, "We're friends, you're safe now." He carried me towards the window, but stood aside to allow two more to climb through, before calling out to one on the other side. "Marcus! Take her, carefully.. she's hurt," he said, and another huge Lycan came over to the outside of the window, waiting to gently grab my legs as the first passed them through, desp

I stared back at her, not quite able to find the words to respond. The nurse keeping an eye on me seemed equally uncertain, glancing nervously between us, and where Saxon was checking in on Haden. The Luna gave a soft, casual laugh as she noticed. "Relax, I'm not about to bite her head off," she said to the nurse playfully, before turning back to me, "But I did think it was past time we properly met. We are apparently related, after all." The nurse gave her a sharp look, but gave us a little more space, physically at least, though he continued to watch us like a hawk. Laila smiled warmly, as she noticed, "They seem as protective of you, as mine are of me," she said quietly, and though I frowned doubtfully, her words brought a warming kind of comfort. They did seem to care about me, certainly far more than Silver Waters ever had. She watched me patiently, and my mind was drawn back to her previous comment. "Oh.. I suppose we are related, aren't we?" I said awkwardly, and she respond