Iris POV"She's been sick for the past two weeks," my mother's said to the royal physician as I lay on the bed, my eyes raised to the ceiling, trying not to roll my eyes at her again. "...fever and she's always pale...""Mum, it's always winter here; are you expecting me to get a tan when it's always snowing?""You're paler than me." Tyra felt my forehead with the back of my hand. "Why are you heating up?""Maybe because I'm not cold-blooded?""Haha, Iris, your sarcasm stinks."Mikaela pushed her friend: "Tyra, you're strangling her with all your hovering around!" "Thank you, aunt," I sighed, relieved, as she pushed my mom away. Not being mean; this was our usual joke.I had never felt so much love before coming to the vampire clan. Contrary to what I thought, the people took me as one of their own, teaching me their customs and directions.In just two months, I had become one of them.I, Tyra, and Mikaela were more than best friends now; we were always with each other to the extent t

IRIS POV My mother looked at the letter with worry before looking into my eyes as I cuddled Andrea against me.She swallowed hard, trying not to lose her composure, but I knew something was wrong with what she had just read.I looked into her eyes, then down at my baby's face. Andrea, now a year old with her father's sandy-colored air and gray eyes, sucked on her bottom lips as she slept.I slowly went to her crib, just beside my bed, and laid her on it, rocking it back and forth until she slept fully.I've never been so glad I went against my abortion decision; staring into her beautiful, innocent face felt like a lifetime of happiness. She was my will to live, and holding her close gave me hope.My mother and Mikaela loved her so much that, though Axl always complained about her being snappy to him, he loved adoring her, finding every opportunity to be with her.I caressed her hair, kissing her on her forehead, then I went to my mother, peering into her worried face before asking,

IrisI rocked Andrea in my arms, watching her face cry so loudly that I was getting worried. Throughout the day, she had this uncomfortable cry at the tip of her tongue, screaming like she was in pain.We were all worried. My mother had done all she could, from dabbing her with cold water to giving her a series of drugs, none of which seemed to have been working.She had woken up that morning screaming at the tip of her tongue, refusing to eat, and whenever I tried to force her, she would run a temperature.Holding her, I looked up at my mother and Mikaela, whose faces were drawn with the same worry as mine.Not knowing what was going on with Andrea, Mikaela had sent Axl away so, in case anything was to happen, he wouldn't get hurt.I understand perfectly; nobody loved Andrea more than Axl—or so he thought.I looked up at my mother, my face questioningly tight, but she didn't get me."What do we do now?" I asked my mother, "Where is the priestess?" "They should come anytime from now,"

TRISTAN'S POV It had to be my legs pulling back or my instincts; I didn't know which. All I knew was the fact that I shouldn't be here at this moment. I stopped pulling back because it wouldn't help me, especially when Aidan had that challenging smirk."You killed Atlas?" I asked again, sounding like a broken record, knowing it would soon be my turn if I didn't find a way to get out of the weaponry. I straightened my shoulder and smiled, "I should give it to you; you are smart."Aidan shrugged, "Someone had to be between the three of us, so I picked me." He walked behind me, bending over Atlas' body and opening him up, "since, you know, I don't think there's any use hiding it, and besides, doesn't it look like art?"I could see at last that his body was stabbed in so many places before his neck was slit that I turned away immediately."In some way, Tristan, I helped you do what you've been so scared to do: get rid of Atlas.""Should I say thank you"? I asked cynically.He shook his he

Before Gael could stop me, I was running out of the tent, almost falling over my dress; as I ran to him, he had his eyes on the sky, focused on nothing in particular as he continued to gasp repeatedly.I knelt beside him, unsure where to place my hand, for his body was covered with dried and fresh blood dripping.I heard my mother yell, "Hold your fire!" Cover the Alpha! "Go to the royal hospital now!"I caressed his hair, and tears began falling from my eyes. There were bruises on his feet, which made me wonder how fast he had run and from where.Bloodcanine prolly. But from whom? Were the other Alphas okay? What of Alpha Aidan?I snapped out of my thought when I heard him muttering so faintly I couldn't make out what exactly he was saying."Tristan," I whispered, bending my face close to his, but he could only make out my name before he growled so loudly that even I had to gasp.Something ate him from the inside; he stretched from the pain, and his face darkened with the torture.Und