That evening, I had planned to visit Vidarr, other warriors, and Riona, but my exhaustion decided otherwise. Fortunately, it turned out that my old rooms were still awaiting me, and Ellaria merely needed to send someone to bring me fresh sheets and towels. There was something amazingly soothing about lying my head on a familiar pillow. Sleep had come almost immediately.In the morning, it was the commotion outside my door that pulled me out of my dreamless sleep. It took me three seconds to realize that Garren had returned. I heard Zeno's slightly grumpy voice and felt a strange tug in my heart, as if I actually missed that annoying prick. A grin cracked my lips, and I rushed out of bed to wash myself and put on some decent clothes. Thankfully, my sister filled my wardrobe with more than a few tunics, leggings, leather jackets, and comfortable boots. I picked my usual dark colors and rushed outside.At first, I was convinced I would have to run to Garren's mansion to meet him and Zeno
I blinked, struggling to comprehend Riona's words, or rather, refusing to acknowledge their meaning. A few hectic heartbeats passed before a peal of humorless laughter tore through my throat. “That's absurd!” I shook my head.She wasn't laughing. “I only tell you what I see and feel, and I take my magic seriously.”I leaped to my feet and dragged my trembling hand through my hair. “You know who my father is. You know him. He might be strong, but Erebus Jordart is not an Alpha.”Her eyes locked on mine. “There were secrets in your family, things you know he kept from you.”“I know!” I threw my hands up as frustration hit me. “But they were all about my mother! He didn't want to talk about my mother! Never even once have I wondered that might not be—”“Have you truly?” Riona's brows rose. “Both, Ellaria and your father have green eyes and auburn hair, and yet somehow, your eyes are striking blue and your hair is nearly white.”“It happens in families,” I reasoned. “Besides, I've always
I wasn't sure how I found myself back in my room, but I was now sitting, curled up on the bed with my back against the wall and my hands tightly hugging my knees, pressing them against my chest. The scorching trails of salt on my cheeks were all that was left of the tears I had shed.I had long to stop treating Erebus Jordart as my father. Throughout my childhood, he had been merely the man who graciously allowed me to stay in his house in exchange for becoming his servant. He had left me with various women at first. Those had taught me house chores before I could properly talk. It was Ellaria who had taught me how to read and write, and I had learned everything else from the books she had often brought for me.I had been treated as a slave in the house I'd lived in, and I had never known why until now. The lost pieces completed the picture I had failed to see before. The realization triggered a bubble of bitter laughter. How many times had I tried to please the man I called my father
I could feel the war drums pounding inside my head. I was, unfortunately, familiar with that feeling, worse than the worst type of hangover—the sign that the wolfsbane was slowly leaving my body, with the word “slowly” being the key in that process.I cursed my stupidity with every dry and painful breath I took. I should have known better than to be trustful. Hadn't I learned not to trust anyone, kids included? But what was done was done, and now I had to face the consequences of my foolish decision…My senses were unhurriedly waking up, revealing my current situation inch by inch. I was lying on a few wooden boards inside a wagon. I was gagged with a piece of rough cloth. My hands were tied with a rope on my back, and another piece of rope was used to restrain my ankles. The wagon was on the move. I could feel the unsteady rocking from every turn of the screeching wheels. The sound of horses stomping hooves suggested the paved stone road. Where was I being taken? Had my abductors tak
No, no, no, no! This couldn't be happening! They worked for the resistance, so why would they ever decide to collaborate with Alpha Khaos?! Eyes widening, I shook my head, cursing them all.Demir laughed in my face, the sound being parroted by others in the room. Only one seemed outraged by Demir's words—the witch.Nerezza snarled as she stepped toward Javaid. “If you're planning to give her to Khaos, you're nothing but rotten fools!”Demir snorted. “And what exactly is so foolish about getting rich by getting rid of a wretched girl? She gave herself to an enemy. She deserves to be ripped off her skin for that.” He turned toward me and spat on the ground, an inch away from where I sat.My hands fisted as I glared at the bastard, but he only smirked and returned to sit on his chair by the table.Javaid scratched his honey-blond beard, his gray eyes flickered between me and the witch. Finally, he turned to Nerezza. “If you suggest we kill her now, I'm all for it. She is bound to die any
I needed a weapon. I had to find a way I could fight and then escape this place. I couldn't just sit in this cell waiting for Nerezza and the others to drag me out and kill me.Unknowingly, my thoughts drifted to Alanto. Was anyone from the resistance looking for me? Then again, why would they? After the deal I had made with Kaan, Garren had gained more shifters, and his resistance group had never been stronger. As cruel as it might sound, he no longer needed me. He had far stronger warriors in his squads. The one who would look for me was Ellaria, but even assuming she could find me, she would need to take at least a few more warriors eager to fight Javaid's group.I drew an uneven breath, struggling to put my hectic thoughts in the right order. I couldn't count on being miraculously rescued at the last moment. Now that the wolfsbane was no longer poisoning my blood, I had to find my leverage and a way to save myself. Drawing another breath, I pressed my hand against the dirty wall a
KAANI had spent the last three days in the constant run. My wolf's fur had been covered with several layers of dried blood, not my blood. It didn't matter. I could have killed hundreds to get to her. From the fucker I had caught two nights ago, I knew that she had been taken somewhere around those woods. They had kidnapped her and wanted to sell her to Alpha Khaos. Never had I felt rage greater than when I learned about this. But the fury wasn't all I felt. The guilt and anguish stormed my veins as I ran. Had she died or suffered, I would have been to blame.I found no traces of Alpha Khaos's men in the area, which gave me hope I wasn't too late, but the restlessness had sunk heavily in my heart, fueling my muscles to run faster. I passed the woods, and a small valley emerged. I vaguely remembered raiding the nearby village years ago. Shifters and witches lived there then. Now the village was gone, and perhaps a few creatures still lived by the Sangue Hill the witches used to call sa
ASENA I felt a gentle stroke on my cheek, and my lips curled up in an instant. The citrusy scent caressed my nostrils with every inhale. For the first time in my life, I felt whole. The remains of anxiety were still there as I slowly recovered, but Kaan's words and every slightest gesture brought more and more peace. I still clasped my cheeks or pinched my skin just to remind myself I wasn't dreaming. My dreadful moments were over. He had come for me. He had saved me. He had done everything to ensure my safety. My mate. Caspian had been forced to stay in Collisville while Kaan had gone to find me, but Kaan wasn't alone. He had a rather unexpected companion—Dritan. I learned that it was Dritan who had contacted the resistance in Alanto. They—mainly Ellaria, Vidarr, Aeron, and Garren—were more than willing to give Dritan every piece of information after I had been kidnapped. They had given Kaan the place to start looking for a trail, and he found me. Emotions formed another knot in my