XANDER ALVERIUS'S POV I witnessed Peony's back walk out of the room followed by her witch friend. The disappointment radiating from her eyes was so strong that even her sweet floral scent turned bitter. I gritted my teeth, then shot Killian a glare. "What kind of nonsense did you feed her?" I asked.He shrugged ignorantly. "She demanded the truth, I gave it to her." I launched myself at him, all my strength concentrated in my legs. I grabbed his neck with my right hand and shoved him quickly into the wall. My blood ran through my veins like a raging river of wolf strength. I gripped harder, but Killian remained erect, his face slowly going pale.I knocked the man to the ground. "You're going to pay for this."Killian dropped on the ground and groaned in agony as he clutched his red palm-marked neck."Can't wait," he said sarcastically.While exiting the Tower, I sent a mind-link to all Blue Moon members. I knew it was impulsive, but no one knew Peony's next move. I'd better warn ev
PEONY CRIMSON’S POV"Girls, go to your rooms and pack your clothes. We're getting out of here right now." I shouted at Rose, Jasmine and Violet who were watching TV in the living room. They turned around, looking at each other in confusion."Why?" asked Violet, curious and stiff.As she straightened her legs and stretched, Jasmine, who was curled up in the corner of the sofa, yawned."I'm sleepy, Ma. Why not tomorrow?" she asked sleepily. Rose gave a pillow for Jasmine to lean on, then shot a worried look at me.I dashed into the girls' room and reached into the closet to retrieve a big bag, acting as though it was my final day on earth.Every time I stuffed my girls' things into that large suitcase, a lump formed in my stomach—a sickening, creeping feeling. Like before, we moved around a lot, and I never thought of Blue Moon as my permanent home. I was still unaccustomed to the anxiety and strain it caused, regardless of how frequently I moved.Violet yelled, "Ma, we can't just leav
PEONY CRIMSON'S POVI could see my girls laying in bed with numerous medical instruments attached to their bodies via the transparent glass wall. At first look, they resembled ones in the mortal world, but magic controlled the technology. The infirmary could no longer give the necessary care, so we were in a private room in the tower. Nothing but the pulsing sounds of heart monitors and breathing apparatus filled the room, creating an atmosphere filled with tension and anxiety.The senior healers from the infirmary and the witches took turns checking on them and reporting to Azalea. Then the archmage gave a short nod allowing me to enter. She watched me for a while before leaving me alone in the room."Violet...."I walked over to my eldest daughter's bed. My heart rippled at the sight of her so fragile in the crystal green light. I grabbed her hand tightly, trying to give her some warmth and strength, even though I knew that my own strength felt so weak in front of her."My dear Jas
PEONY CRIMSON’S POVEven after seeing me explode with emotion, Azalea still looked at me with pity. She reached out and squeezed my left shoulder as she smiled thinly. "I get that you're upset about this, but you're not in the right mind. All you need is delicious food and enough rest, then we're up to discussing this matter again.""You're wasting too much time!" I snapped, then muttered wryly, "I'm wasting too much time," my hands clenched into fists, I stared at the archmage with all the inferno burning inside me. "It all ended up like this. If you don't pull out that curse right now, they....""Let's not jump into the conclusion too fast, okay?" Azalea interrupted me, patting my shoulder. I brushed her hand away roughly.I vaguely felt something warming up from inside my chest. Emily was spreading her energy to calm me down. She didn't say anything, just wanted me to be one step more capable of thinking clearly. I breathed in and out, feeling all the freshness of oxygen filling m
PEONY CRIMSON’S POVThat morning, Xander delivered on his solemn promise to take me—or rather, drag me—through the packhouse's hallways.In addition to making sure I showed up for the meeting, he dispatched two deltas to escort me. Around a big table were the most powerful members of the pack, all seated and waiting. They were essentially in charge of the pack. It was inevitable that the topic of conversation would revolve around my destiny, given their presence here.I was placed on the far side of the table, facing Xander who sat at the other end. Azalea sat on his right side, looking at me with a flat, unreadable stare. There were no words spoken in this room. Not only were they waiting for the Alpha to say something, but they could feel his emotions beginning to seep into the atmosphere. I could feel the fire of his rage bursting through my mental barriers because of the mating bond.The meeting opened after Stuart received the signal from the Alpha. He explained everything from
PEONY CRIMSON’S POV"Get off of me!" I struggled to break free from Xander's excruciating hold on my hands as he pulled me towards the tower. My heart was being squeezed by the bond, causing my chest to hurt, as Xander and I were experiencing similar strong emotions that may clash.Quietly, the two witches trailed after. Even though I was clearly dragged against my will, they chose to disregard me. I realized that with Xander's marriage to Azalea, he automatically gained power and authority over the Ravens as well. The wolf pack and the coven were normally partners on the basis of mutual benefit. One cannot dominate or control the other.Xander slammed the door to the room where the triplets were being cared for and shoved me inside. Gloria caught me in time before my face hit the floor. The door slammed before my eyes, even as I tried to pull the knob. It was stuck frozen by magic."Don't you fucking let any of them leave this room!" Xander's anger-filled voice rang out from behind
PEONY CRIMSON’S POVThe sweet warmth in Xavier's arms brought a sense of safety and serenity to my soul. For a few seconds, the world seemed to be ours alone. I drank in the rhythm of his heart, merging with my own. To the love I found in the way his eyes looked at me, a single tear slid from the corner of my eye.As he gently set me back down on the ground, out of nowhere an excruciating pain pierced my chest, making my breath catch in my throat."Ouch!" I hissed softly, trying to endure the pain. Xavier noticed immediately, his eyes full of worry as he released his embrace."Peony, what happened?" His voice was full of anxiety."Ughh!" I groaned, "I don't feel good."I squeezed my left chest, which felt as though thousands of needles were sticking out of it. My head was heavy and my breathing was laborious. Breathing became challenging, as if something were tightly constricted around my chest. The intense beating against my ribs and the churning sensation in my stomach made the pain
PEONY CRIMSON'S POVThe bright light gradually went out of my perception as my surroundings shifted. We were standing in the front yard of the packmansion, which appeared to be glowing after some repairs, with Xavier's hand still around my waist. The procession of maids and employees greeting us surprised me even more. "Welcome back," Xavier whispered, landing a sweet peck on my forehead."Welcome back Luna Peony." they all bowed respectfully.I didn't see this coming. Really, the last time I was here, they all seemed to have forgotten about me. Yet now they were bowing respectfully to welcome my return to White Moon. Xavier led me inside. I glanced at the maids and caught Fey among them. She threw me a fleeting smile of encouragement before bowing again. "What? Why do they call me that?" I asked, "I don't need this kind of excessive respect."Xavier giggled softly. "You need to. Zedd announced it officially yesterday."As I tightened my grip on Xavier's arm, I looked back. There w