Rhys Borderlands Novels & Stories

This sees Rowan shielding Aurora at the border river as Kael attempts to corner her, escalating the personal rift into an outright declaration of war. The border river rushes past us, cold, swift, and swollen with the seasonal rains. The dark waters churn over jagged rocks, marking the strict line between the Crescent Moon territory and the Ashford lands. I stand on the muddy bank, the sharp scent of damp earth filling my lungs while my hands tremble inside the pockets of my cloak.

The plants become stranger and more vibrant, and the air seems to shimmer with an otherworldly energy. "Where are we?" I ask, unable to keep the awe from my voice. Asher glances back at me, a mysterious smile playing on his lips. "The borderlands," he says. "The place where our world and the world of the Fae intersect." My eyes widen. "The Fae? But they're just myths, aren't they?" He chuckles. "Oh, Lyra. You're about to learn that many of the stories you were told as a pup are far more real than you ever imagined."

My mother's dagger at my hip. Kael watched me from the doorway. "You look like death." I met his eyes in the mirror. "Good." Ryker handed me a dark cloak. "The Rogue King doesn't negotiate. He takes what he wants." "Then we give him what he wants." "And if he wants you?" My hand found my mother's dagger. "He can try." The borderlands were dead. Fog clung to the ground like something rotting. Trees reached toward the sky with twisted, naked branches. No birds. No wolves. Just silence.

He just stood there, his jaw dropped, and brows furrowed. “She is my mate. I can feel it. I can feel the mate bond.” I admitted, and my wolf growled to confirm it. Rhys stood in shock, staring at me as if I had just said something crazy. He took a deep breath, and finally opened his mouth to talk. “More of a reason why you should not see her now unless you want to lose your fated mate.” He paused, sighing. “Let’s go to the border for the patrol. I am sure we will come up with a plan.” He continued. I could feel the turmoil burning inside me slowly cool down, my hot deoxygenated lungs coming back to life.

It made her feel small, but not the way Aldrian made her feel small; this was the smallness of being part of something bigger, not the smallness of being crushed under someone's boot. Kael pointed toward a line of ancient stones cutting across the forest floor like a scar. The stones were grey and weathered and covered in moss, but Lyra could see symbols carved into them, symbols that glowed faintly in the fading light. "The border," he said. "Beyond those stones is my territory. Lycan land." Lyra stared at the stones and felt her wolves stir in her chest. The white wolf was alert and curious while the dark wolf was wary and ready to fight, and she pressed her hand to her heart to calm them.

There was no time to celebrate the balanced ledger; the countdown to the southern invasion was already ticking. Twenty-four hours later, the lush, temperate valleys of the central continent gave way to the jagged, crimson-clay cliffs of the Bloodmoon Pack territories. This was the southern border—a vertical landscape where the land fractured into deep, prehistoric canyons that dropped straight down into the black, churning waters of the Sunken Borderlands. Natalia and Dmitry rode at the front of a lean, high-speed cavalry unit, their mounts kicking up red dust against the darkening sky. Beside them, her oilskin cloak snapping in the coastal gale, was Commander Cheryl.

He pulled it open to reveal a young scout, his face flushed red from the cold, gasping for air. "My King... my Queen..." the boy wheezed, leaning against the doorframe. "News. From the border of the Grey Marshes." "Slow down, Leo," Esmeralda said, standing up and walking toward him. She grabbed a glass of water and handed it to him. "Drink. Breathe." The boy took a messy gulp and wiped his mouth. "It’s Rhys, sir. He was trying to slip through the southern pass. He had three guards with him, but they didn't stand a chance."

Moss glowed faintly in patches, as if remembering fire. The borderlands were close. Their company rode in grim silence. Rylan and two scouts took the lead, navigating through ancient, overgrown paths that hadn’t seen footsteps in decades. Even the horses grew quieter, ears flicking, eyes darting. As if they, too, felt they were crossing from the known into myth. Nyxar was a silent presence beside her. They hadn't spoken since the eruption. But his nearness grounded her, even as the world unraveled. Ekreth had vanished again, slipping into the shadows of the terrain like smoke. Lyra didn’t know if he followed by air, but she felt him - just outside her vision, always just behind the veil.

"Anyone want to explain how exactly we became blood-bonded mates while committing treason?" "Long story," I mumbled. "Involves dying." "Why does everything with you involve dying?" "Bad luck. Cosmic trials. Poor life choices." Prince Darius pulled out a small compass from his jacket. "The Borderlands are three days hard travel northeast. We have no supplies, no allies, and a kingdom hunting us." "We also have something the Void Emperor did not anticipate," Rhett added. "We have each other. Five people who should not be bonded, allied before we were supposed to meet, committed to destroying his plans."

His skin was tanned, as if he spent most of his time outside – killing territory passers – and he had a light stubble lining that perfect jaw. “Name’s Chase, never come into my territory again” he says and I’m suddenly pushed backwards. I land on my bum again, knowing that it will join the parts of me that will become blue. I scramble up, rushing towards Felix. For the first time in our lives, he wraps an arm around my waist, comforting me. “If I see any of you close to the border again – I will end you!” Chase warns. He glances at me for a second, giving me a wink before disappearing into the woods. When he’s gone I nestle my head into Felix’s shoulder, tears leaking out of my eyes.