Daniel wasted no time in telling his mother the truth that day. That is, that he and Beth had secretly been in a relationship for weeks now, technically months since they had definitely been tip-toeing around each other in poor, secret denial long before they truly pledged themselves to each other.Beth was not ready. She was still adjusting to being back in the Heether territory, still adjusting to the relief and anger and determination to take Andrew down even though she was undoubtedly pregnant. She had only just confessed to Anna about that, and Luna Margaretta already knew? Before Beth had had a chance to ready herself?"It'll be all right. She'll come around." Daniel placed his hands on her belly, which had not yet begun to grow but would soon swell with the life of their growing baby. "It's important that everyone's on alert, keeping them in the dark will only make things more dangerous."She swallowed hard. Daniel was right, but that didn't mean it make it any easier. Anna had
This was never going to go to Union Court. It was going to go straight to war, and Beth was ready to fight. Andrew Troy had manipulated his way to victory every time but now, he would get what was coming to him.No one knew where his father was so he was all but Alpha King of Gold Nation now, which made him the most influential party in Union Court. Like hell Beth was going to bother bringing up a grievance against the most powerful member there. That was going to be open and shut and he was just going to find a way to punish everyone involved, and with legal backing.Better to just take the fight to his face and show him what was what. Beth already had her sleeves up and claws out.... Except Daniel and everyone else forbid her from leaving the Heether pack house. Completely."I am not an invalid!" she shouted. "I can still fight!""Beth... Please. You're going to stress out the baby.""The baby is stressed out because you're leaving me behind!"Daniel held her tight, stifling her st
The rogues won.Andrew smiled as he placed the tattered letter inside his stylish jacket for safekeeping. It would make for a good memento once he did the deed and ended the war for good, branding Daniel as a power-mad despot who had tried to rally the greedy Alpha Kings against the honorable Gold Nation.The rogue leader Karthen had even mentioned it might be possible to frame it as Daniel attacking the combined forces of Iron and Bronze, with Gold Nation coming to the rescue. After all, Alpha Matthew Catii was the only survivor, and he was so weak it would be no trouble bending him to his will.Now all Andrew had to do was meet with Karthen, collect the heads, and this stupid pretend war would be over."I think I'll go in ceremony," he announced to his Beta. "Gather the troops just in case since we might be stabbed in the back by the rogues... Well, either way we would have turned on them next. It's almost over, friend. You've served me well.""It's an honor to be with you at the mo
“Mommy, I wanna go. I wanna go! I don’t like her, Mommy!”From the bed where she lay trapped under heavy, sweat-soaked covers, Beth strained to reach for the little girl screaming and hiding behind the other woman in the room, the one who stood over and stared down at Beth’s pale, gaunt face with a cold smile and glittering eyes. But she had no more strength. Her hand fell upon the sheets like a dead thing, skeletal fingers trembling.“Mommy,” the child sobbed and tugged on the other woman’s shirt, small face turned away. “She’s scary, I don’t want to. I don’t want to! I don’t want to!”“It’s all right. You don’t have to go to her. Mommy will protect you. Mommy will protect you from the bad, scary lady.” The vicious smile she shot Beth was victorious and smug, full of poison, and she stroked the girl’s hair while motioning at the attendant standing by the bedroom door. “Take Caroline to her room,” she ordered. “I want to speak alone with our guest.”“Mommy, no! Mommy!”“I’ll come find
It was so peaceful here it hurt.How long had Beth suffered that the first moment without pain, only calm and quiet, could hurt her so badly? She doubled over and fell to her side, half-sprawled, half-curled. She had no idea where she was or what had happened to her, but this was too much to take in. This empty place she could neither describe nor even properly see, hear, taste, nothing - this place where she was no longer in pain, no longer dying, this place where her body had at least found peace and respite from the torment, the agony... She didn't know if she could take it. She didn't know who she was without the pain."Come."The gentle voice came from above her, and all at once, someone was standing in front of her. Beth's gaze drifted up, following the woman's willowy frame until it rested upon her face.And oh, she was beautiful. Young and old at the same time, innocent but wise, joy tempered by age-old tragedy. She had the softness of feathers, the brilliance of wildflow
Cold fury flared inside her, ugly and jagged. Matt? Matthew? Disgusting bond-traitor Matthew who had thrown her away and jumped into her sister's bed, steal away her daughter, and help turn everyone she loved against her because she had been stupid enough to believe that true love could triumph? That Matthew from the life before?"Tell the gentleman I'm not accepting any more company tonight. He should leave immediately."David blinked. The aged man knew nothing, and he had always been so firmly entrenched in propriety and manners, so she couldn't blame him for his surprise at her callous response. "...Should I arrange for him to see you tomorrow, then?" he asked, hesitant."Nope. I can't imagine there's anything he needs to discuss with me that he can't handle with his fiancee. Annalise's room is just around the corner. And since my father's around, I'm sure he can help, too.""But Miss Elizabeth. You should meet your sister's future husband at least once when he's come all this way
But now that he was close enough for Beth to see properly, there could be no mistake. But he was so young! She had only ever known this man in her previous life after he was fully grown, the most dangerous werewolf no one ever dared to cross one-on-one...But here he was right in her family home, glaring daggers at Matt. Moon Goddess, he still had a fearsome aura. Even at this age, had he already been so frightening? He had grown up to become ruthless, savage, the terrifying dictator of his pack's territory who ruled in blood and violence, but he couldn't be but still in his teens now. How unsettling...especially since toward the end of Beth's life, there had been those so terrified of this man that they refused to speak his name.Daniel. Daniel Heether, the younger brother of the man she was supposed to marry, the youngest son of the Heether family. This was the young man who called her 'sister-in-law' now, and in just a handful of years, would bathe in the blood of countless werewol
Warren stared, stunned by her sudden outburst. So was everyone else, including the heads that were peeking out of the doorway behind them in the wedding hall, and the messenger who had come bearing the news looked not only shocked but infuriated. He shot Beth a hot glare before looking back at Warren, mouth open to say something, but the other man beat him to it."I'll be fine, Elizabeth," he said at last with a winning smile, and nodded at the messenger to move back down the steps and leave them be. "It must be the nerves. And here I thought you weren't nervous at all! Come on, let's get you down and -""Forget nerves! Warren, trust me on this. Don't go, do not go!" Beth tore off her wedding veil and tossed it on the ground, shoulders shaking with the effort to hold in all the impossible things she wanted to shout. But no, she had to figure out how to open his eyes without resorting to telling him wild time travel stories. Who would believe it if she tried to say she had come from th