Kenna
Night falls, and Evander and I haven’t said a word to each other. In fact, he’s been pretty much unseen for most of the dozen or so miles we hiked today, all of which were done with me blanketed in my shadow and him running somewhere in his fox form.
Or wolf form. I honestly have no idea. All I know is that whatever happened between us last night has made us both unwilling or unable to even look at each other.
I know better, which is the worst part. I know better than to kiss a friend and think everything will go back to the way it was before. That’s like, a cardinal rule in friendship between opposite sexes, right?
Maybe it did go back to the way it was before, actually, because now we’re not speaking, and I have no idea where he is or what he’s up to.
I let my shadow fade and huff out a breath as I come to a full stop in a moon-soaked clearing, my legs aching and feet blistered a
EvanderFlynn and Connor found us right in time. I feel like I’m hanging on to the only shred of self control I have left, and the guilt of keeping the truth of what’s building between me and Kenna is eating me alive.Flynn, thankfully, has taken over entertaining Kenna. For the past day, we’ve been traveling as wolves with Kenna riding on my back, but we’re closing in on the border between the Highlands and the Roguelands now, and we paused to take a break, and Kenna demanded to walk.So, we’re walking, and I’m watching Kenna and Flynn tease each other, and I’ve been purposefully slowing my pace to give them more space.They get along, and while his obvious flirting grates at every single one of my nerves, she’s smiling. She’s also giggling and blushing as Connor, and I walk a few yards behind them down a rough trail leading out of the heavily wooded mountains.&
KennaI just killed someone. I watch the unfamiliar man twitch on the ground as foam bubbles from his mouth. His eyes glaze over–eyes I wonder if he inherited from his mom… or dad. I wonder if someone who loves him is waiting on him to come home. If he has a mate and children. Brothers, sisters….I tear my gaze from the dead man and look out over the dark forest at the shadows creeping toward me. There’s more of them. More men. More Rebels. We’re being attacked. My body acts on instinct as my mind tries to catch up to what just happened, and I whirl to where I saw Evander get stabbed repeatedly while he just–he just stood there and took it. He stood there, screaming my name as I got carried away and didn’t even blink when he was being brutalized because I…“You’re distracting in every way….”His words from the night we kissed in Tiscoln rush through my head as I take a single step in his direction but pause. He’s not moving. His chest isn’t moving. Oh, my Goddess. No. No. No,
*Isla*Rain pounds my back as I follow Alpha Ernest up the wide marble steps to a home I never expect to see in real life. I look around quickly, but he is walking fast, and I don’t have much time to see the outside of the mansion. I only know it resembles a castle. The dreary sky seems fitting, considering my bleak outlook.Likewise, this castle is fitting for an Alpha King.Under the wide porch, there is a bit of shelter from the wind. I pull my thin cloak around my shoulders. When Alpha Ernest’s fist pounds on the door, I jumped. Everything about this day is unexpected and has me on edge.The door opens a bit and a man with a thin, long nose gapes out at us. He is wearing a butler’s suit, and I relax only slightly.Not that I expected the cruel king to open his own door, but I am thankful not to be faced with him right away.“Greetings! Greetings!” Alpha Ernest says in his jovial, exceedingly loud voice. He laughs in the back of his throat, his gruff tone as raspy as the thunder in
*Maddox*I hear the word come out of Alpha Ernest’s mouth, watch his gums flap as his fat cheeks shift into a smile, his greasy mustache dancing as he tips his head up and blinks at me.He’s like a shoddy used car salesman, trying to convince me to take something I don’t want or need.Something that’s broken and doesn’t even work correctly—something that will never serve its intended purpose.What he doesn’t know is that I’ve already been considering finding a breeder for the last few months. I just haven’t had the time to try to find a woman who would fit the requirements.Everything he’s said is true. I certainly don’t ever want to marry again, no matter what. Even thinking about my wife makes my heart tighten up and my eyes begin to water. I have to immediately push her beautiful face from my mind. No, I will not ever take another bride.That means, in order to have an heir, I have to find a woman who’d be willing to carry my child knowing that there are no strings attached.That s
*Isla* The head maid lets go of me when we hear a male voice demanding to know what she is doing. She turns to address him as I cover my face, pain radiating through my cheeks and nose. “Beta Seth,” she begins, “this girl was being careless with the king’s belongings and disrespectful to me. I was simply teaching her a lesson, the same way I would teach any new servant a lesson, sir.” I wipe a bit of blood from my upper lip with the back of my hand and turn to see a handsome man walk into the room. He is tall with dark blond hair and white shoulders. His green eyes are focused on the other woman in the room, and his intense stare has her rigid stance wavering. “How dare you?” he demands. “You were asked to show Miss Isla to her room, Mrs. Worsthingshorethinshire. No one asked you to teach her anything. I can’t imagine she did anything careless. What could she have possibly done? I didn’t see anything broken between here and the king’s offices.” I watch as the woman’s throat moves
*Isla*I sit on the bed in my new room, not sure what to do, grasping my bag. I look around, but I’m not sure what to do.Why am I here?If I touch anything else, will someone come flying out of the closet and slap me again?Beta Seth has assured me that this is my room, and I can do whatever I want, but I am still hesitant. I can’t help but think that this is all a huge mistake.Mrs. Worchestshire or whatever her name was had mentioned that she thought I was meant to go to the maids’ quarters, and while Beta Seth said that wasn’t right, I can’t help but think maybe someone will come and take me there soon.If I get too comfortable in here, I will just have to go.And this is the nicest room I’ve ever seen.I haven’t been sitting here too long when there is a knock at the door.I look up, and a girl with brown hair and wide hazel eyes is staring at me, just her head sticking in the door. “Hello, Miss,” she says. “May I come in?” “Yes, of course,” I say, starting to get up.“Oh, no, d
*Isla*I sit on the edge of the bed for a few minutes after Poppy leaves, contemplating what to do. She’s turned the bathtub on, so I know I have to go into the bathroom eventually or else the tub will overflow.I want to take a bath. It sounds luxurious. I can’t remember the last time I did anything like that for myself. For the last few years, everything I’ve done has been for my family.But… the idea of taking my clothes off and soaking in the tub in this amazing room seems frightening and foolish.All of this has to be a mistake, and when they find out about it, shouldn’t I at least be dressed?Still, if I take a quick bath, maybe I can be in and out before Poppy returns. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about this castle it’s that it is huge.Setting my bag down on the chest at the end of the bed, I head into the bathroom and take my clothes off, hanging my wet, dirty clothes on a hook on the door, embarrassed by my old underwear and bra that doesn’t really fit me correctly. I d
*Isla*“Miss Isla? Miss Isla, are you all right?”The sound of Poppy’s voice has my eyes flying open, and I realize I haven’t quite blacked out, but I have come close. I blink a few times and note she has her arms around me, and I have one arm on the bed. “I’m fine,” I tell her, blinking my eyes as I try to clear my head. “I’m fine.” I try to push myself up onto the mattress but find myself floundering, unable to get my limbs to cooperate.“Here, lie down for a moment. I’ll get you some water.” She begins to lift me up onto the bed, which is so tall, it’s nearly waist-high on me.“I can manage,” I assure her, and she lets me go. Somehow, I manage to climb up onto the bed, and Poppy heads into the bathroom, muttering under her breath that it’s taking far too long for them to bring my food.I sit there for a moment, staring at the door that King Maddox has just left through. My cheeks heat just thinking about him.That was the king!I feel like such a fool. I should’ve known that it was