Caleb’s POVThere was darkness, but it was not empty.I walked through it. The earth formed wherever my feet touched the ground. That was how it all was, here: things came into existence as I passed through them. I couldn’t see the trees growing around me or disappearing behind me, but I was acutely aware that they were there.An owl flew overheard, a lantern dangling from its talons. Its warm, orange glow bobbed above me, but it didn’t light my way. It lit up its own, small circle, which followed it into the distance before it, too, disappeared.“Where am I?” I called out into the darkness. Nobody answered.Driven by instinct, I shifted out. Knight’s huge form split my skin; his soul was quiet, though, leaving me alone as I padded on his paws through the dark. Up ahead, a star flickered into existence. It burned brighter and brighter the closer I got. When I finally reached it, it seemed as small as it always had. Its silver was like molten metal, shimmering softly in a light of its

Rhiannon’s POVCaleb was sat with me in silence, just holding my hand up to his heart, when it happened.Finally, finally, I managed to peel my groggy eyelids back. And his bloody eyes were shut, so he couldn’t even see the monumental feat I’d just performed. Pssh, I thought. Clearly his love doesn’t mean all that much if he isn’t even looking when I–“Fuck off,” he whispered, staring down at me. “Rhi?”I tried to talk but no sound came out. I just kept staring up at him, tracing every perfect line of his perfect face. I’d started to think I’d never see it again.His dark hair was mussed, like he’d been running his hands through it. I wanted to smooth it out, to wrap the waves around my fingers teasingly before sliding my whole hand in, gripping it at the roots and tugging his head down until his lips met mine.Tired eyes widened as he comprehended the fact that I really was looking back at him. I worked my jaw, trying to talk, but she shushed me.“I’ll get a Medic. Easy, easy.”I tr

Hyacinth’s POVI stared down at Rhiannon and tried to hold back a fresh wave of sobs. I should’ve cried my eyes dry by this point, surely, but there always seemed to be more to fall.‘Don’t feel bad about it, girly!’ said Dolly. ‘These are sad times indeed. Your poor sister. And poor you! It’s always okay to cry, Cinnie, even when you feel like you’ve cried a river and a lake and an ocean’s worth of tears already.’‘But it’s her who should be crying, not me,’ I whimpered. The tears started to fall. I couldn’t help it.Rhiannon was too still. She looked smaller, too, her duvet tucked up almost to her chin. There was just a gap for Foxy Spangle’s cute little nose to poke out. He’d barely left her side since she’d been poisoned.It had been almost a month since everything had happened with Marcella. That meant it had been almost a month since I’d last spoken to my sister. And that meant it had almost been a month since I’d realised the obvious: that Stephen, my sister’s chosen mate, was

Kieran’s POVIt was easier to say I was moving on than to actually do it. I sighed, turned the page of the book I was reading, and tried to focus on the words. The book was one of war strategy in werewolf packs, describing different formations, the best positions to claim on the battle field, tactics, and ways to keep your wolves motivated. It was the sort of thing I often read, finding interest in running and ruling a pack, and trying to put what I learnt into my training as a Warrior Wolf. I’d always thought that I’d be a better soldier if I understood the scope of war as a whole.Even my favourite subject couldn’t distract me from Amelia. Not for long. I’d been trying, really trying, to throw myself into my new (or was it old?) life back in Moon Chasm, spending time with Maia and Carla and the others, re-hashing old friendships and forging new ones. It didn’t help. At all.The hole where my heart used to be wasn’t like the gorge in the earth that we’d somehow caused. It was a bla

Rhiannon’s POV Caleb and I snuck around, stealing kisses but never having the chance to do anything more. Guilt still gnawed at me over Stephen, but after seeing him cuddling Cin and remembering that he’d mindlinked her over me in his time of need, I didn’t feel as bad as I once did. “We don’t have to worry about Amelia anymore,” Caleb murmured, carding his hands through my hair, his chest heaving between desperate, open-mouthed kisses. “I’ve told her that I won’t be parted from you.” “You sound like an old-timey gentleman,” I teased, cupping his jaw and feeling the scratch of his stubble against my palm. “I like it.” I punctuated my sentence by nipping his lower lip, and then we were kissing again. His every touch was like starlight, its bright heat spilling straight into my veins and making every part of me throb. I ached to go further, to do more, but I knew I had to speak to Stephen first. I had to tell him the truth, that we were chosen mates only and nothing more, but for the