ZEKE: My world spins off course. Hours after the show and she's still missing. I let her slip away from my hold and the mare thought of that is ruining me. I can't think straight. My wolves have searched everywhere for her. They've raided the territories of all of Moon Grove's enemies, including hunters, but I still can't find her. The more time passes, the more danger she will be in. Her sudden disappearance had me using our pregnancy as an excuse on live TV. The entire world knows I'm expecting a baby a little too early. This isn't how I meant everything to go down. I clutch the side of my head and pull at my roots. I'm in my study and the next thing I know; I swipe off the contents on my desk, shoving them to the floor. My palms support me on the desk as I breathe hard. I sense her presence before she speaks. "Zeke, I think we are looking in the wrong direction," Drusila says. She doesn't have to tell me. I realized it the second my wolf, Aiden, came with the news after reques
MARE: A hand removes the covering over my head when the car stops. Dawn is still with me, and I'm somewhere in the middle of the woods. There's a mossy stone walled cottage outside the window. I see it's country styled. Dawn says, "This is your new home. Wendy and Bessie will train with you every morning for a few days." I have had so many new homes in the space of days and I'm tired already. "How long do I have to stay here?" "It all depends on you, Marelyn. How long will it take you to get stronger?" Of course I can't answer a question like that. It's not within my reach to know what the coming days will hold. What powers do I have, exactly? These are question that will be answered inside here and I can't wait. I get down from the sedan and Dawn follows me, but Holly remains inside the car with the Chauffeur. Dawn leads the way into the small building. There's a front porch and a nice foyer after the door with two rocking chairs placed side-by-side each other. The enormous
I keep thinking about everything Wendy revealed to me. It's on my mind every second of the day. The chef arrived a while later and my diet plan comprises bread and lots of pastries. I scowl at the sight. By late afternoon, Bessie shows up just as the chef takes his leave. I'm bored. Wendy left me with that heavy piece of information and disappeared for the entire day, but they are back now. I'm in the living room when they walk in. Bessie's wearing a dark leather jacket over a tiny green dress and a black pantyhose. She rocks her outfit with a black nosebleed boot and shoves her red hair to one side of her face. She looks as mean as a rock. "Does she understand what she must do?" Bessie asks Wendy, who's standing behind her while looking at me throughout. "She has. I made sure of it." Wendy steps forward in those denim shorts and urban black tee. Today, she sports cat-framed glasses, and the freckles sprinkled over her cheeks glisten. I know what I'm headed into. Stage one didn
The next two times I try, I'm still a failure. I just can't get it right and they are not being helpful, too. Bessie's looking for perfection, but it's like the universe gave them a mockup version of a bloodline. It's day three with this sick, orange-juice-and-cleansing-gel method. I want this over soon or I'll lose my mind. I hear someone calling from the foyer. At this stage, the house door's always left open. It seems safe since there's only six people who know about it. I discern the male voice and quickly skip down the stairs. I'm bored as hell, so when I see Jai-Blynn, a rush of relief floods through me and I ram into him, throwing my arms around his waist. He chuckles and his chin rested at the top of my head vibrates. My wolf can't deny she missed him. She's purring all over the place and has totally forgotten his betrayal. She really needs company. "You seem happy." He pulls away, smiling down at me. I smile back because I've missed this playful and carefree side of him
I make excuses on his behalf in my head. I tell myself he didn't mean that, but I'm not stupid. He does mean what he said. For someone whom the Alpha saved, he seems to hate Zeke a lot. It goes far beyond protecting wolves and humanity. The beta acts like he has a personal vendetta against Zeke, someone he owes his life to. I can't understand it. Dawn and Coral pick me up from the cottage hours later. I leave Jai-Blynn behind to answer to Isolde's summon. She's here today. The eldest Diamond wants an audience with me. She wants to gauge how far I've gone with the plan we all had. 'Train me and I'll think about destroying the legacy Alpha.' I'm headed for the Diamond circle with Dawn and Coral now. It's the fourth day of training and the cravings have spiked. I do not doubt I'm pregnant one bit. I clutch my stomach again, thinking about how Zeke has not even shown up for his heir till now. The video of him kissing that beautiful actress comes to mind, and I hit the side of my head wit
************************* ZEKE: I've left this place untouched for two years and I don't know why I'm back here, even when I know it's too much to handle. My hands are in my pockets as I walk further into Scarlett's room after flipping the light switch on. This used to be 'our' space, but now it's just hers, and everything is just as I remember it...painful. I don't know why I'm here, and why it has taken me so long to do this. I still smell her. She's so alive within these walls, and I see why I ran. A ray of hope sparks in my chest. I'm thinking about a line of possibilities that will only end up hurting me. It's cruel, even for me. I walk over to the wide, fully stacked closet first. All of her clothes are still in here, like she never left. I lift my hand in the air, faltering as it inches closer to the brown coat facing me. My heart cracks. I used to love this coat. I still do. Hours go by. I'm slumped against the wall of the b
MARE:Earlier...It's my father's voice I hear. Isolde says what she says and his voice erupts in the back of my mind. He didn't realize what he had done that day when he told me what memories really are."Strength is measured not only by your power alone, but by the strength of your mind," Ivan had said.I remember staring at my father for a long minute. It only makes sense now, but I already know I shouldn't treat this lightly.Isolde asked me to give her access to my memories and it felt so intrusive. I do not know how to take it because I do not know if I have a choice yet. These witches have decided everything for me until this point. They wouldn't need my opinion now."Why?" I leave my thoughts and ask, watching each of them like a hawk."To defeat the Legacy Alpha, we need to start from where it all began; the Celtic Isle." Isolde holds my stare and the grave look in them has my heart racing."I don't know what you are talking about." Actually, I do. Not only have I read the boo
I'm begging for this to be a lie. He can't do this to me. I slam my fist to my chest, feeling choked as the tears roll down my cheeks. I raise my head to the ceiling. It's crazy how I've formed a bond with a child I've not even met. A child I should not even want. Jai-Blynn grabs my knee first and stands. Then he grips the scruff of my neck and pulls my face to his. He says in a low voice, "Do you understand?" I don't. There's nothing I can grasp at this moment except his betrayal, which cuts me like a blunt knife. I'm staring at him like I have nothing better to do because I want to see for myself. I won't believe it just yet. Maybe there's someone forcing him to do this to me. "Mare, I won't ask you again." He breathes, and I shiver from the coldness in his voice. I'm wondering what has changed. How did everything go from this to that? This isn't the Jai-Blynn I know. This isn't the man who kissed me in the Alpha's study and promised to protect me. "I won't let my child die,