When I woke up after my nap, I felt better. The ache in my thigh had subsided, only the fuzzy aftermath of a mid-day nap. I slipped out of the covers, wobbling over toward the door, I opened it and noticed two dragons standing on the other side. "Hi," I said softly. "Um, I'm getting hungry. Do you know where Marcus is?" The blonde dragon stepped forward, offering me his arm. "We'll go find him. Dinner is probably finished, we can grab some food with you." I looped my arm through his, and leaned a majority of my weight onto him, not that he seemed to notice. Dragons were big, bigger than most wolves, taller at least. The closer we walked toward the dining hall, the louder the voices grew. Nerves raced down my spine. I didn't like crowds, but my stomach wasn't going to let me walk away from this one. The dragon led me down a long hallway, underneath a stoned arch, but we stopped when someone growled. The dragon turned quickly, bringing me with him. Marcus stood in the doorway to wha

The dragon kissed the top of my head when Marcus picked me up to carry me back to bed. I smiled at him, noticing his kind eyes, a true gentle giant. It was the middle of the night, and the moon looked so delicately placed above the castle. If the circumstances weren't so raw, and heavy, I would have asked to stay outside to admire it. But the aftermath of my dream felt like nails against my skin. Knowing Alaric was there soothed me a little, but I knew Jason was conniving and savvy. What if Alaric didn't stop him next time? He didn't care when Zane Cavil took me. What if Marcus couldn’t wake me? Resting my head on his shoulder, I watched Heather give me a small wave and walk back toward her chambers. Where she would spend a normal night with her boyfriend. Not me, because mine was afraid to break me after marking me. The wolf's bane looked better than before, but not healed all the way. My thigh still ached, but not as bad as my need for Marcus. My need for normality. He carried

The dragon in front of me was huge, his wings tucked tightly against his back, and his long black hair tied at the nape of his neck. If I hadn't known him, I would be intimidated. But his kind smile always pushed any fear I had about him away."This was my daughter's sword when she was a child," he chuckled, a playful look in his eye. "Believe it or not, dragons are small when they are children."I smiled and eyed the shiny blade. "It's beautiful. Did you carve the handle?"He nodded. "I do woodwork in my spare time.""Have you always been in this coven?" I asked, taking the blade from his strong grip, and admiring it up close."No. My mate was from this coven. When her parents grew old, we moved here to join this coven. When she passed, I stayed because my daughter grew up here. Now she's mated and found a new coven.""Do you miss her?" I asked."Very much so, but she comes to visit a few times a year. She would love that I'm teaching you a few moves with her sword."I ran my finger

Marcus let the bedroom door shut behind him once the guards made it into the hallway. My gut felt like rocks lined the insides. My heartbeat was still out of control from my dream—nightmare—with Jason. He'd pulled me through the courtyard by my hair, and I found little relief in massaging my scalp. The bastard had kicked me, taunted me, laughed at me, and when he shoved me down onto the ground, I knew he planned to rape me. The look of outrage on his face caused panic to knot in my throat. I'd never felt so helpless pressed against his body and the ground before. It was worse than the wolf's bane. It was worse than my leg. It hurt my pride, and my dignity to think he would take that from me. There was gravel beneath me, but no rocks big enough to do any damage. Jason's fingers tightened around my throat, and I gasped for breath. Kicking my legs wildly, I heard the sound of wings above me. I'd never prayed for another man to show up and save me as I did Alaric. But I couldn't see h

The flight over had been a close second to a night in Hell. Probably not, but it put the fear of dying in me. Alaric seemed unfazed by his tight turns and uncanny speed, while I prayed he didn’t let me go. The wind sucked the breath from me, and I became still, praying that we made it over in one piece. When Alaric dropped me in front of Marcus, and I scurried over, I’d been hopeful that Jason finding his mate—and it affecting him the way it did—would deter him from everything. Wishful thinking. Mindless dreaming. Standing to the side of Marcus, I held him closely as Jason convulsed and fought to stay in control. “Jason found his mate when we were younger, I thought, he said it was his mate,” I whispered. “Some wolves have more than one. Seeing he’s a Lycan King, and not around his first one, it's not uncommon that he has another one.” My gaze shifted around the yard, wondering who had drawn such an unlucky card. Jason screamed, looking up with red eyes, his wolf began to cra