*Alec*Watching Ember train was like seeing a fawn walk for the first time. I had only ever seen her in dresses and skirts, but now she was wearing plain trousers, a blouse, and a new set of leather protective gear. She seemed uncomfortable in the outfit, moving stiffly and hesitantly. I knew from experience that the leather would soften with time and use, and that practice was the only thing that would make her more comfortable with this new experience.I doubted that the princess had ever had an opportunity to train before. From the way the Alpha King had treated her at the Silver Crescent, I guessed that he wouldn’t have wanted his daughter to be able to fight back against him or any of the other males that would end up around her. He would have wanted to keep her docile and submissive, easy to control.The thought made me angry, and I growled into my coffee cup. I had decided to take breakfast in my office that morning so that I could observe Ember’s first training session. T
*Ember*It was dark when I woke up.I blinked, trying to understand how I had gotten into bed again. I knew that I had gotten up and had breakfast, and I remembered arguing with Bryan and Rhys about training. I had changed into those stiff leather garments and then met the two of them out in the back yard. It had been painfully obvious after one attempted punch that I had no idea what I was doing, and Rhys had told me to sit and watch.But then what happened? I remembered that strange numb feeling and the thrill of power rushing through my veins, and then there was nothing but an image of Bryan sobbing in pain and Rhys’s eyes, haunted by fear.How bad had I hurt him? I didn’t know how I had done it, but I was certain that whatever had happened had been my fault.What would Alec think? I groaned inwardly. I briefly recalled him carrying me upstairs, saying something to me, but I couldn’t remember what. And then he had been gone, and the maid who had helped me the first night i
*Ember*I stared deep into Alec’s eyes, and I knew that he was telling the truth. Relief and joy rushed through me. The man who had helped me and made me feel loved was here, standing in front of me, far more solid than the shadow he had been back at the castle. Everything he had said had made sense and fit with what I had known about the hooded stranger who had visited me all those weeks ago. I recalled the magnetic way we had been drawn together in the library, now sure that I hadn’t been misreading the situation.But then a trickle of anger soured my elated thoughts. I understood why he hadn’t been able to rescue me sooner, but why had he not just told me who he was when he ambushed the carriage? I would have gone with him willingly, enthusiastically. I would probably have even fought for him! Had he just planned to bed me and leave? Had he intended for me to never find out?As if reading my mind, Alec cast his eyes downward in shame. “I should have told you sooner, I know,” h
*Ember*The low rumble of his voice sent a shiver of desire through me. My core ached with need. The pleasure still hummed in my blood as Alec leaned over me. His grin was still his place. His purple gaze seemed to be glowing in his face. He trailed his lips against mine and skimmed his fingertips up the inside of my leg. It was almost ticklish, yet the sensation stroked the desire burning in me. I felt myself getting wetter, soaking the sheets beneath me with desire and anticipation. I panted with anticipation of when his hand would reach my core and what he would do to me.“I could taste you forever,” he whispered. “I could have you forever.”My eyes fluttered closed, imagining a hazy dreamscape made of just us and the endless pleasure we could have together. He leaned down and whispered in my ear. “I dream about that too,” he said as his fingers fluttered where his tongue had been just moments before. I moaned, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and threading my hands
*Alec*As soon as the door closed behind Rhys, I sank into my chair and leaned back. The sturdy oak desk I had spent countless hours at since becoming Alpha gleamed in the low candlelight that flickered around us, casting shadows on the walls. For the first time, it felt like a barrier between us as he fixed his gaze on me.teThe silence stretched on for what felt like hours before he spoke.“You want to go,” he said before I had even thought of a way to rationalize the risk. He cocked an eyebrow at me. “Even knowing that Sawyer is as slippery as it gets, you want to go?"“What other choice is there?”“Haul her ass to the Maidens,” Rhys said. “If she’s really part of this extinct pack, then they’re the only ones that can help her. What is the issue?”I winced. Hearing it put so plainly only made me want to dig in my heels because it couldn’t be so simple. I couldn’t stomach it being that simple. I thought back to Sawyer’s face when he told us about what he suspected about Embe
*Ember*I rushed through the forest, my heart pounding in my chest like a drum. I didn’t know if the attacker was already gone from the area, but I had to see. I had to try. Fear and the anticipation of a fight pounded through my veins. The wind blew, making the trees rustle, adding to the noise of the forest around me. The further I ran, the denser the forest grew until there was barely any light filtering down from the sky.They had to be nearby. They couldn’t have gotten far, and when I found them, I’d make them pay for what they did to Mary. I followed the trail of blood on the leaves and disturbed leaves. The scent of blood started to grow stronger on the wind, pushing me forward. Mary’s bloodied face and wide, panicked eyes flashed through my mind. Anger surged through me, pushing me to run faster. If I could just catch up to her attacker, I’d get revenge for her.I shoved branches out of my way, ignoring the way my clothes snagged on the underbrush. I skidded to a halt as
*Ember*I spent the night awake and alone. Though I was hungry, I couldn’t force myself to eat. I was too angry, too hurt, too confused to even think about it. Dawn’s light was coming in through the window when I heard a knock on my door.“Please go away.”The door opened, and before I could say anything, I saw Lauryn walking into my room with a sunny smile and a tray of food.“I hear you had a rough night,” she said. “Made rougher by your own choices, sure, but rough nonetheless.”She set the tray down and took a seat. “And now that we’re not tiptoeing around it all, I think it’s about time you got a crash course.”I frowned. “A crash course in what?”“In what is very likely your own history,” she smiled. “Your connection to the Maidens of the Moon Goddess and the pack that no longer exists. The pack never had a name, but it and its members left an impression. The Maidens of the Moon Goddess is the only connection we still have to the pack.” A sly smile graced her lips.
*Alec*Ember’s eyes lit up at my words. Her whole body quaked, and her eyes fluttered closed as she let out a soft keening sound. I smiled, trailing my fingertips down her neck and between her breasts. Her muscles quivered under my touch. She squirmed and opened her eyes. “What do you say?” I asked. “A good plan?”She bit her lip and nodded. Her eyes glowed in the firelight, filled with heat and desire. She looked at me as if she wanted me to eat her alive, and by the Goddess, I was starving. Without another word, without another thought, I kicked off my boots and shoved my trousers down and off. She reached up to me, and I caught her hands in mine, kissing them gently before drawing them up to my shoulders. I eased her knees apart again so I could fit my hips between them. In the low light, I could see her core glistening with desire and the way her sweat drew in the warm firelight. “Ember,” I said almost breathlessly. An ember ready to set me ablaze. Maybe I was alrea