HECTOR BAYES I hadn't been in the banquet hall for as much as three minutes before I realized I hated it.Three minutes!That was all it had taken for me to walk right into the green-eyed imp again. The slender line of her shoulders went rigid when she realized I was the one behind her. Like I was some monster!But you are Hector, forgotten our past so soon have you? A small voice nudged inside me and I preemptively tried to shake it off, but it stayed, the voice.Like poison in my marrows.I wished there was some other way to get through to the woman, but I was beginning to realize I might never be able to convince Nola Reynolds to stay.She was like that, stubborn and head-strong once she'd made up that impish mind of hers.She might be the one that gets away, and I was powerless to stop it. I couldn't watch her all the time. Not even the witch could manage that, and Ma Jules had three eyes. “Your highness, sweets for you,” A willowy elder I vaguely realized from my father’s parti

HECTOR BAYESYou could have heard a werewolf fart in the silence that followed after I had confronted the witch, starting her down until she released the maiden in her iron claws with a sullen demeanor.“This does not concern you, your highness,” The Witch announced, and a gasp floated through the crowd before the woman added, almost as an afterthought,“With all due respect. We're fine, I was just reminding the maiden of a few things, of her duties.” Ma Jules grated, narrowing her eyes at the woman who was trying to tug her hand free before I placed my hand over hers and the witch jerked away, yelping.“She attacked me Hect- Your highness! It was most definitely not okay.” Nola growled, cutting her eyes at the woman and looking pointedly at her feet.I felt the white heat of rage flood around the corners of my eyes as a guttural growl rumbled through the crowd before I realized it was coming from me and clenched my teeth to keep from biting off the hag's head.No one touched my maide

HECTOR BAYESWhat I was doing, what I planned to do, as I led the woman right through the watching crowd of dignitaries and rubber-mouthed werewolves was nothing short of insane. It was batshit crazy!”Where are we going?” Nola’s frenzied whisper came from below and i looked down to see that she was watching me avidly. The salt drying on her cheeks in the frigid bite of the wind that was blowing a whistle through the sepia blackness.I hesitated, a flicker of confusion raking through my form as I paused with one leather-bound foot in front of the other.The royal throne room was the only colored building in the stone fortress. A staggering edifice of bronze and multi-colored diamonds shone oddly in the watery fluorescent of the moon.It was risky, what we were doing. Everyone had seen us leave, and if they looked for the maiden, which I suspected they would sooner than we could finish like I suspected they would, then it was only a matter of time and a good head on their shoulders bef

HECTOR BAYESThe mountain city’s throne room was carved from the tears and sweat of the village workers thousands of years ago, but I don't tell the maiden that as we entered the ornately designed expanse, closing the door softly behind us.“Hector,” Nola breathed, and heat swarmed my chest until I was about as puffed up as a courting rainbow peacock.I watched the woman’s eyes go wide as she took in the red, high ceiling of the throne room and the gold cups of the snake-like chandelier that was swinging slowly in the space.“It's beautiful,” The maiden gasped, walking up to the glossy shine of the gold glass walls and scrubbing it back to its shine when her breathing fogged up the pale yellow glass.I followed her tentative steps, touching each gold-lined crevice until we were at the foot of the great dias where my throne was.Small silver skulls lined the frame of the square seat where the diamond had been matted with brown fur.I did not need to tell the maiden that the skulls were

NOLA REYNOLDS“All this time, those maidens you kidnapped, what did you do with them?” I asked, remembering the kind-faced old maiden I’d seen at the Lycan’s welcoming party. Esmeralda?I made a mental note to speak with her next before I felt the man shift beside me, glancing at the window over my shoulder so that I turned to look.Empty. Surely no one could see us from outside, could they? Not unless they had their faces pressed up against the glass.“I never hurt anyone, Nola. Ever. I only used the cave to help them transition, get them jobs and houses for their new life in the mountain city.” The Lycan beast gritted and more goosebumps collided on my skin.I allowed my shoulders to drop, feeling the weight of caution drop from me as something thawed in my heart when I lifted my eyes to meet the man’s gray orbs.I opened and closed my mouth wordlessly under the man’s gaze, realizing with horror that I’d been thrusting my chest out to him so that my nipple was so close to his mouth