Clara Sisley had been watching me, and she spoke, “Careful, step-sister. Your murderous intent is plain on your face. Perhaps my little brother couldn’t finish the job, but I assure you – I can and I will if you make one wrong move.” Elena hissed and bared her teeth, but I shut my eyes as if to shut out her presence as well. We need to stay calm, I told Elena. We’ve learned so much, and I can’t stupidly try to take on the Alpha, the Lieutenant, and Sisley all at once. Prince Legiere whistled and then burst into laughter. “Hotheads both of you! Like brother, like sister. There’s a saying in our pack that redheads are doomed with short tempers. You realize that you’re threatening my concubine, don’t you?” Sisley glared at Prince Legiere. “I’m quite curious about what your brother and future mate would say about all of this, Prince Deanneth? Did they approve of you sneaking out of Khordon with just two of your bodyguards to have a pleasant stay in Bragne? Or will the messenger hawk th

Clara Elena sprang backwards, but the Greater Vampire quickly accounted for her movement. Hideous burning pain grazed my upper arm, but to my relief, the silver bullet lodged itself into a pine tree right behind me. I wanted to control my own body, but Elena still was not done. The vampire cursed in his language. The rifle was an ingenious invention created by Greater Vampires in olden times, but it had a glaring weakness: it could not be reloaded quickly. In an army with several Greater Vampires staggering their shots, it was a weapon that wiped out packs of werewolves in extended battles. But in a one-on-one fight, it had no advantages against the brute strength and agility of a shifted werewolf. Elena pounded the floor with my limbs, and she leaped forward to slash at the vampire’s throat. He sneered and brandished his rifle like a rapier. The silver bayonet just narrowly missed my heart, but it raked across my waist. Elena and I shrieked together at the fiery pain. I had no doub

Clara The den was located within a stone cave. I sniffed out the entrance hidden by evergreen shrubs, nettles, and rocks. Gently, I pounded on the rocks outside and barked in a series of lilting tones and whines. I put my ear to the flat boulder that blocked the entrance and heard the tell-tale echo of footfalls within. Prince Legiere watched me carefully, and I felt a sense of unease as his indigo eyes took stock of my entire body, from the tip of my head to the bottom of my feet. He pulled out his pipe, stuffed it with unda, lit the end, and began to smoke nonchalantly. Seeing him so calm made me feel irrational anger. “Do you not care?” He breathed in smoke and smiled. “About you? Oh, I care immensely about you.” His impudent attitude grated on my nerves. I shook my head at him. “Not me. This whole situation. You look like we just come back from an invigorating hunt for deer.” He sighed. “Still on about that, eh? You know, maybe you and Prince Griffin are meant to be for each

Clara Prince Legiere spun around and shifted into his werewolf form. The two at his heels did the same. He did not wait for me as his paws flew over the darkened grass and sandy pathways. I looked back at Prince Griffin and thought of Hazel. But already, Prince Legiere was a single dot in the distance. If I didn’t follow him, he would be far out of my sight. I was torn between two existences: to stay in a doomed pack with an Alpha who despised me or to finally find my freedom in some unknown pack further to the south. Griffin’s emerald eyes bored into me. “Go,” he said softly. There was no anger or haughtiness in his tone. I realized that he was giving his blessing to leave. “I will tell Hazel all that has gone on here,” he said. My throat squeezed in pain, but I managed to whisper, “Don’t let those damn vamps get you, you hear?” He laughed sadly, the sound of the gentle summer breeze fading into rustling grass. “Do you have so little opinion of me, Clara?” His eyes hardened. “The

Clara We wound our way slowly up the twisted stairwell with stone buildings, stores, and marketplace stalls infesting every step. The stone steps were massive, and hundreds of werewolves stepped down and up in a great mass of bodies. A cacophony of noise assailed my ears: werewolves barking, heckling, laughing, and bargaining all at the same time. I couldn't easily discern rank by scent, as perfumes, spices, sugars, and of course the burning stench of pipe smoke filled the oddly warm air. Sweat beaded down my back. The time was the autumn's harvest, but Khordon burned me like a midsummer's day. Werewolves held lacy parasols over their head to shield their heads from the unrelenting sun. Part of me thought these prissy Khordonian werewolves looked ridiculous, but another part of me wanted my own parasol to hide away from Diantha's rival, Soliere the sun. Prince Legiere snapped his fingers. The retinue all halted as one. He pointed at a stone stall at the side of the road, and I saw p