Mid-morning came quickly with sounds of death and mourning. Adolph’s men gathered the bodies of the fallen to be burned and packaged their personal effects to return to their families. The death toll for the werewolf kingdom wasn’t as large as it had been. The vampires who had not been slain surrendered easily, staring at Eden’s dead body as it was hauled onto the pyre. Adolph had never seen a corpse like Eden’s. He looked regal and just sleeping though he was not breathing. If he had a pulse, it was imperceptible, yet something was unnerving about the sight of Eden. He may have died a half-breed vampire, but he had drunk from the vampire queen, his mother. Much like the Raymond family had a tie to the moon goddess, he considered the idea that perhaps the vampire’s royal family also had a connection to the moon goddess that would account for any surprise powers they had. Adolph watched them stack brambles and sticks around the pyre before pouring oil over the pile. He would feel bet

Adolph was sure that his head would be ringing for at least a few days after the celebration ended. He’d sent the fastest riders out to every pack to announce the official fall of the vampire queen. As far as he knew, the entire country had broken out in celebration. The men who had fallen in the last battle were lauded as national heroes in their packs and Adolph’s heart. He would add them to the list of people to be given title and status posthumously. While the entire nation celebrated, he still wasn’t sure what to do with the vampire territory. The news from the border said that there had been no suspicious activity and no signs of the castle, meaning that both Annwn and the vampire queen’s castle maintained their protections despite the death of Morrigan and Eden. He didn’t know what that meant, but until they found a way around it, they would need to be cautious. He wrote out an order to advance the order a few miles towards cliffs overlooking the sea every week. He would be

“I think we should talk about the prince,” Laurel said as they lay in bed early the morning after they’d held open court. Raven had been beside herself after the dinner was over, teary and emotional as she was shown back to her old rooms. Irene dabbed at her eyes and tried to maintain a brave face, but he had a feeling that Henry, Dorian, and Liam would all be dragged through the castle exploring all of their favorite places from their old studies to the gardens. The rest of his cousins would be doing the same, likely, happy to explore the castle with new eyes. Maybe they would end up chasing a frog or two around the pond. Whatever they did, it would be nice to have more than him, Laurel, and Basil at formal meals going forward from time to time. They would return to their packs at the end of the week to check up on things and carry on with their duties, but there would no longer be such a ceremony around them coming to visit. He imagined Basil would be pulled out of his drunken s

Gavin looked at the seats where the other ministers used to sit and seethed. In their places were elevated commoners and warriors as courtiers along with all the pack leaders, the alphas, and lunas. He sat across the table from Basil, but he never felt so alone or powerless. Adolph had been cruel in the way he’d allowed his ceremonial title to remain, a cold gleam in his eye every time he glanced at Gavin. He would pay for this but Gavin held his tongue as people began to speak about their options. Annexing the territory of the vampire queen was partially in their interest. More land typically meant more power, but the land had been barren since time immemorial. If the land was truly barren, then annexing the land would just bring more mouths to feed. After all the upheaval, they wouldn’t have the food stores to make it through the year. Adolph watched Gavin contemplating it. His thoughts were clear on his face, and to a degree, Adolph agreed, but there was no way around it.“I th

*The scent of blood filled his nose, seeping under the doors.* *Cries of agony and fear filled the air. He ran through the door to find Laurel in her birthing bed, growing paler by the moment, reaching for him with a trembling pale hand.* *Servants rushed around in a flurry, screaming for towels.* *The healer looked harried and he felt their bond trembling.**It shook, strained, and stretched until he felt it about to break.* “Laurel!” Adolph cried, sitting up in bed. He was alone in bed and it only made his heart run faster. He threw off his blankets and jumped from the bed. “Laurel?” Adolph called, entering the bathroom. Laurel flinched, looking up at him from in the bathtub, her body obscured by the layer of bubbles on top.Her face turned bright red, “A-Adolph, what’s wrong?”He shuddered, slumping back against the wall before crossing the room in quick strides. He fell to his knees beside the tub and pulled her close to press their lips together. She gasped as he pulled her aga