RYLAN'S POVIt's been three days, three fucking days since we signed the treaty with the Bloodtrail pack. I've had no time to rest for three hours straight. Shuffling between meetings and whatnot, attempting to ease the increasing tension amongst the families around the borderlands. A lot of them were relocating while most had settled in the town's central for the time being. If that wasn't enough trouble for the first inhabitants, they now had to squabble for space, food amongst other things and I'd be a pathetic liar if I said I had this under wraps.I didn't. Hell, I couldn't even wrap me a present if I was handed a bow and some tape, talk more of the situation at hand.How did my father cope? I wondered as I kneaded my temple with both fingers, wincing at the gradual crescendo of the council's voice. Here they were again, arguing shamelessly and ignorant to the fact that their voices could be heard from miles away. Every now and then when we thought we'd dealt with an issue at h

NEILLA'S POV His eyes closed briefly for a second and we charged in for the kill. My hand swung high in the air...a sharp slap to his handsome face as the end result. Another beautiful chorus of gasps filled the air again to my satisfaction."Outrageous!" A miserly looking old man dressed in a pretty expensive attire shot out.I watched his eyes fly open with resentment, blazing a deep orange that bordered on red. If that was the color of his other side, it meant that the ancient Alpha was withering away faster than we all thought. One look in those terrifying eyes was enough to have me shaking in my boots but I didn't want to back down like a coward.After all, I didn't ruffle up the guards for no reason.I looked at his raised hand that stopped midair as he fully settled his eyes on me. He closed his eyes again for a brief second, battling to control the demon he had for a wolf. When he opened them for the second time, they were back to his usual opal green irises. "How dare you,

NEILLA'S POVTwo hours after, I got back to the shelter to pick work up from where I'd left off. Mirald was nowhere in sight but soon showed up in the room I was. Someone must have informed her of my arrival. She dashed in breathing hard like she'd just taken a marathon race in ten seconds. In a heartbeat, she was right behind me, breathing down my neck for reasons best known to her. If I took a quick guess, I could bet on my bottom dollar that she was on a self-imposed mission to find out the reason why I'd spent too long at the palace. "Bitch, you were away for almost the whole day. Did something happen?" I rolled my eyes at her exaggeration. We both knew I was only out for a couple of hours. It was barely midday. "If I wasn't your friend, I'd say you make mountains out of puny little molehills."She delivered a sharp slap to my arm. "Do not avoid my question. What was so important that Rylan sent a guard to you?""Ow!" I winced at the pain that spread throughout the area she str

RYLAN'S POVI walked out of yet another unsuccessful meeting with the council members whose disagreeable nature had began to tick me off in the wrong way. This time, it was just me in attendance which ended in a total flop. As always, I lost my temper, there by losing my control and the beast within snatched the chance of my slipup to grab one of the elderly men by his neck.It resulted in a query from them. Old suckers!Whoever brought up the notion that elders were the epitome of wisdom had to have been blind drunk and stark stupid at the time to suggest that.The thudding sounds of my combat boot bounced off the walls of the long hallway in a resounding echo. I took a fleeting look at the spot where Neilla and I had shared that fleeting intimate moment which lasted at barely two minutes. All that came to mind was the feel of her body pressed into mine, nothing but proof that her rightful place was in my arms."And right beside you to rule as Luna." My wolf interjected. Ever since t

RYLAN'S POVThe end of the hallway had never stretched further than this minute. It was like a never ending tunnel, narrow and cold stretching into eternity.Okay, maybe that was exaggeration but still."How did it happen? Sheila ought to be here as planned, isn't she?" I queried, my voice deepening by several tones attempting to betray me. Since my mother's death, I lost the ability to feel the pain of anything else. Hell, I even forgot how to feel love.That would change after now.The soldier moved ahead, not stopping for once to look but replied quickly. "She is. She has taken her position right beside the alpha's sickbed, your Majesty."His reply did not pacify me completely, still it managed to take a little weight off my chest to know that he was at least in capable hands. "Good."No words were exchanged as we continued on our way briskly to my father's quarters. It bothered me to know that despite our almost altercation, Zadik still followed right behind me. A small feeling of