I couldn't believe it. It worked. Breaking the amulet worked. Ronan was right. It was the cure.Everyone stopped. Even Gwenna. We were all dumbfounded and amazed, like a miracle from the Moon Goddess was happening right before our eyes. Because it was.Leo's eyes captured mine as I walked slowly to him. I reached up and ran a finger along the place where his scar used to be. How was this possible? It looked like it had never even existed. His skin was smooth, and I could fully see the gold radiating from his eyes as he observed me."Leo…your scar. It's—" He looked down at me and nodded. "I know…I can feel it." "We did it," I whispered. He leaned forward and placed his forehead on mine. "No, princess. You did it." I brought my lips up to his, and he kissed me with a flood of emotions backing him. I never wanted to let go. But then, he pulled away, eyes large."Erylis…" he breathed. "Malissa… Nia, I—" I smiled at him, which instantly brought down his panic. "Are safe," I co
*ONE WEEK LATER* Morning air breezed through the open window, tickling my face and alerting me of the start of a new day. It'd been a week since the battle against the Ancient Alpha and Gwenna's banishment. Aaron and Jude ended up having to use force, but she left quieter than expected, and it left me with a feeling of unease. I had no doubt that she was out there plotting her revenge. But whatever it was, we'd be ready this time. I turned onto my stomach and stretched my arm out over Leo's chest. He stirred at the contact and awoke with a smile. "Good morning, princess," he said, his voice groggy from a goodnight's sleep. I grinned and pressed a kiss to his lips."Good morning, my Alpha." The words rolled off my tongue so effortlessly, and it elicited a small growl from him. Not only had we defeated an Ancient Alpha together, but we also earned the trust of the pack again, and Leo was kept on as Alpha of the Bloodmoon pack. "You know, if you keep using that name, you might
"It's not going to work," I muttered as I drew back another sharp breath. "Don't—say—never," my mother said while she pulled back the sides of the golden dress that almost fit my naturally wide hips. If I sucked in anymore, I'd faint before making it to the mating ritual. On second thought, that might not be such a bad idea. "Mom, if I can't fit—" "Hold on—almost got it…" I felt one final jerk, pulling my arms back and curving my spine before I heard a clasp connect and the zipper slide right up the seam. "I told you I'd get it." My mother smirked as she stood up straight and blew a loose crimson curl out of her face. She took a step back to admire her work and covered her mouth with her hands at the same time, the sides of her silver eyes turned upwards. "Oh, Nia, it looks better than I imagined."I swore once she finally closed the loop on the back of the dress, it would prove to be too small and unflatteringly emphasize every curvature of my body. But instead, when I li
Alright. 'Enemy' might not be the right word—but neither was 'friend' or 'acquaintance.' Maybe 'mutual disdain' was the correct choice. Even my father couldn't explain his relationship with Ronan. All I knew was that when they were younger, they were close friends. However, as they grew older, each began to develop very different outlooks on life. Ronan always believed that in order to be a good leader, one had to think with his head and follow duty over all other desires. To him, it was better to be strong and tough rather than let anyone know your weakness. There was no room for forgiveness. My father, on the other hand, couldn't be more opposite and dealt with matters using intuition and his heart. He thought that by embracing his humanity, he could connect with his pack and lead with patience instead of fear. Eventually, these differences drove them apart, as Ronan continued to do things that my father didn't agree with. And once he became Alpha of the Bloodmoon pack, it only
There was nothing. No one spoke—everything was still. I strained my hearing to try and pick up anything, but it was as if they had both just vanished into thin air. I took a step closer to see if I could see any more movement in the crack, and it was when I lifted my foot for one more step that a secondary one crossed the frame. "What do you mean 'kill you'? What is it?" My father's voice carried on as he moved past the door and set what sounded like a mug down on his desk. Leo cleared his throat. "My father wasn't a bad man. He just…did a lot of things a lot of people didn't agree with, and in his own way, was very protective of his pack." Leo paused, seemingly waiting for a response from my father, but when it didn't come, he continued. "Before he took over from my grandfather, and after your falling out, he experienced a lot of hardship. As you know, my grandfather wasn't the kindest father figure, and during his training…well, my father, to put it lightly, was emotionally
I hesitated and remained against the wall in between both rooms. A soft chuckle came from him. "You might as well come in," he called out to me again. "Unless you want to get caught standing out there. Your call." Ugh, I hated the smugness in his voice. It ground against me in ways that I couldn't even comprehend. But even still, I felt a pull toward the room that I couldn't deny. The wolf inside me was reaching for him and begging me to listen. I sighed and pushed open the door to reveal Leo standing in the same position, with his fists on the table. His hair was slightly tousled as if when talking to my father, he had continuously ran his hands through it. Pieces fell into his face, touching the scar that came in contact with one of his eyes, which looked at me with a growing sense of familiarity. He had changed so much."H-how long have you known I was there?" I asked as I stepped into the room. "Long enough. I'm sure your father did too, but that's not my concern." His
After Leo left, I took a minute to regain myself and then snuck out of the building in the same manner I had gotten in. When I returned to the festivities, everyone was still in full swing, moving their bodies in tandem with the music—new and old mates alike. I leaned against one of the pavilion pillars and smiled. It was a beautiful sight to see and I felt my wolf whine at the desire for that to be me and Leo. But as soon as the thought popped into my head, I shook it free. Keep focused. This is Leo I was talking about. The same Leo who, when I was 4 years old, chased me around the forest grounds at full speed just to incite fear. The same Leo who, once I turned 12, read my journal out loud to all of the children of Bloodmoon Pack detailing all of my private secrets, including the crush I had on one of his friends. That was Leo. The obnoxious, self-centered, egotistical b*stard that made growing up even harder than it needed to be. Not the one who stood in front of me, toned, and
"WHAT?!" I moved directly for Malissa's mouth, covering again in an instant. As soon as she calmed down, I let go, but her expression of utter shock didn't leave her features. "Nia, you can't be serious. Please tell me you're not serious." I moved her away from the edge of the building and glanced around before rubbing my temples. When I didn't respond, Malissa understood it was silent affirmation. "F*ck…" she whispered, running a hand through her natural curls. "When did you find out?" "As soon as he showed up today," I started. "I had been feeling off all day…I thought it was due to the ritual but when I saw Leo, well…it was like something clicked. I-I don't know how to describe it." Malissa paused and I could almost see the wheels turning in her head, as if she were processing everything I had said. "Well, maybe we should take this as a good sign, yeah?" she spoke up, a smile crossing her face like she had just come up with an idea to solve all of the world's problems.