All Chapters of MATED TO MY BROTHER'S ENEMY : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Sister’s Regret.Lyra placed her head against the cool stone of the guest chamber window, which was covered in snow that fell in thick layers over the Northern Peaks. Her breath fogged the glass, which took on ghostly designs that brought to mind childhood games. She drew in the condensation, a raven, a crown, a smiling boy’s face.The brother who went missing, who later became a monster.A light knock broke into her reverie. “Come in,” she murmured as she sat still.Mira came in with a tray of tea and bread, which she placed on the little table by the fire. “Lord Thornfield had left this out for you, my lady. You didn’t have your evening meal.Thank you. Lyra’s words fell flat for her. “You may put it there.Rather than go, Mira stayed by the door. “My lady? Are you well? You’ve been standing at that window for what seems like forever.Lyra finally looked back at Mira, which caused the former’s eyes to widen at the sight of Lyra’stear-stainedd face. “I’m fine,” Lyra said, but her voic

THE COUNCIL VISITS NORTHERN PEAKSThe Northern Peaks' great hall looked like a vast rock cave. Supported by enormous wooden beams, the high ceiling had charred black from years of smoke over the fireplace. On banners hung between metal lamps creating leaping shadows on the walls, Northern Pack emblems, a silver wolf under two peaks, were displayed.Even with the roaring fires blazing, Princess Lyra went across the thick wooden doorway, and her breath vaporized the frigid air. Three anxious council members followed her, uncomfortably shifting. Here in this warrior-designed chamber, their finery seemed to shock. Lord Aldwin cradled a leather pouch close to his torso. Counselor Garreth, Lady Elena Moon, had been staring at the swords hung on the walls. Though it was chilly, Master Cromwell's ashen face glistened with sweat.Marcus rose from a throne carved from a massive oak at the far end of the corridor. For most men, the seat looked too broad, but he filled it. He had shoulders, scarr

Omega's Instinct:Carried by the morning breeze, the sharp scent of smoke entered Lyra's little window. She placed her hand on the cold glass and observed orange flames dance on the stable roof throughout the patio. Below, guards ran; their cries a constant drone against the stone walls.Her chest grew tense but not from the smoke.A weird sensation crept her backbone, an uneasiness that had nothing to do with the fire. She had felt this before, when Kael was upset and his rage appeared to poison the air.This was tougher, more powerful.Lyra drew back from the window, throat in her hands. Waves of evil intent and deliberate cruelty descended on her in sync with her heartbeat, intensifying the feeling. Someone nearby was so consumed with hate that it burst out of them like forge heat.Her knees sank out.My love! Mira burst in, cheek flushed from running. Are you? She felt real, anger, joy, the excitement of watching something burn, but they weren't hers.Mira fell to her knees next t

Moonlight WreckageSilver moonlight streamed through the fractured arches of the ruined temple, spilling fragmented designs over the moss-covered rocks. As Lyra crossed the decaying doorway, her bare feet made no sound; her dark cloak merged with the shadows that surged between fallen columns.She had known he would be here.Three hours earlier, as she looked out the window of her tower and saw Marcus emerge from the eastern gates alone, the certainty had pushed against her breast like weights. Too many fights and too many pals perished under Kael's unrelenting appetite for destruction, bearing down on his shoulders. But underneath, she felt anything different, a need for isolation that echoed her anguished flight from the suffocating walls of the castle.His armor abandoned beside him, Marcus sat upon the steps of the shattered altar. Silver reflected moonlight off his white shirt, which lit up the new bandages on his left arm where a knife had hit him in his rescue from Fletcher. Lo

Forbidden TouchWhen Lyra entered the war council room, her footsteps rebounded off the stone walls. Marcus was facing the door, studying a map on the oak table; however, she felt his awareness of her presence as warmth on her skin. Between them, the mate bond buzzed stronger now, one month of shared awareness.King Aldwin glanced up from the war reports spread across him. Dark circles accented his eyes, and streaks of premature gray speckled his normally well-tended beard. "Daughter. Sir Marcus thinks he has discovered a soft spot in Kael's siege lines. "As she looked over the parchments, Lyra was sitting opposite Marcus at the table, and took precautions not to brush her fingers. Tension was all but insufferable, even with the distance of oak and iron between them. Her mind felt his at the rim, strategic thoughts interrupted by the low-level awareness of her closeness echoing her diversion.Marcus pointed a damaged finger at the map, his voice professionally steady, even though she