*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
*Ember*I hadn’t seen Alec since the day after I woke up alone in his bedroom, but this morning I was planning to invite him to have breakfast with me. As I approached Alec's office, I grew a little nervous. I knocked lightly, but the door swung open. “Good morning,” I said as I pushed the door open. As expected, he was sitting at his desk, his focus fixed on the papers on his table as he scribbled on paper and muttered to himself. The air in the room felt heavy, charged with tension despite the early morning light and the breeze coming through his open window. The air was so crisp. "I thought we could have breakfast together and maybe go for a walk after?"His response was barely a murmur. He didn’t even look up at me. "I'm busy, Ember. Perhaps some other time."“Oh…” I swallowed. “Okay… Maybe lunch?”“No,” he said, flipping a page. “I have a meeting then.”The chill in his tone pierced through me, and I could feel my heart sink. My shoulders slumped. “Dinner?”He
*Ember*As the cart rolled along the dusty road, the familiar sights and sounds of a large group of people drew nearer. I looked up the road and realized that we had caught up with the rogue carnival’s caravan. As we approached, I saw Sawyer hop off a tall cart and stand off to the side as our cart rolled closer. When we were close enough, he started walking alongside us with a broad smile on his face."Lovely Lady Lauryn, what an unexpected pleasure to see you again so soon!" He smiled. “I suppose you did miss me more than I hoped.”Lauryn scoffed and rolled her eyes. “You can stop while you’re already so far behind.” Sawyer grinned. “I think I’m further ahead than you want to admit. You’re here, aren’t you?”“Not because of you.”“That’s what you think,” he said with a grin. “But I think I have enough time to convince you otherwise.”Lauryn’s expression cracked into something like a smile. I listened to them talk, but my mind wandered to look at the surroundings we pas
*Ember*I couldn’t sleep much after talking to Cassandra. The more I tried to push her words and my suspicions from my mind, the more they seemed to consume me. Before I knew it, the moon had risen, fallen, and the sun was rising. The caravan’s watchers blew the horn to get everyone up and start packing. Exhaustion made every movement hard, but eventually, I got back into the cart with Lauryn. Lauryn looked like she always did, but when I saw Sawyer, he seemed stiff, like he was avoiding coming over and pretty much ignoring us. I looked over at Lauryn suspiciously. Even though I was exhausted, the situation was weird. As the caravan started to move again, the rhythmic clip-clop of hooves and the soft murmur of conversations faded away as I looked at Lauryn. She cocked an eyebrow at me. “What is it?”I shook my head, blinking slowly as Sawyer started to come towards us. “You look like you didn’t sleep at all,” Sawyer grinned, but it didn’t reach his eyes. I shook my
*Alec*As I arrived in the rogue village, the air was alive with a vibrant energy that pulsed through the bustling streets. The stars had begun to shine in the sky, and the moon had started to rise. Laughter and singing filled the air as I walked through the village’s center past the party going on. Half-dressed women hung on the arms of various men. Others danced with each other lifting full cups as they twirled around. Giggling couples whirled around the bonfire in the center of town.I recognized a few faces from the carnival among the group, but most of the villagers were unknown to me. Most of them didn’t even acknowledge my presence, either too drunk or otherwise occupied, as I walked past, heading toward the largest house in the area. It wasn’t at all like the castle. I assumed it probably had eight rooms in it, but it had a sort of comforting feel. I could feel the mist of a large body of water on the breeze and the scent of a garden. Soon, I saw Sawyer standing on th