After leaving Leana, I expected to feel the darkness closing in, but the darkness never came. I miss my mates, I want to return to them, but there’s no darkness inside me. None. When I return home, I search for where Ennata might be, marking off the areas where King Raphael and my father said they’d searched and hadn’t found her. As I look at the map, I begin to see a pattern developing. They may not realize it, but between the two of them, they’re narrowing my search to the north and west of here. There’s another city in that direction, one that I think has the offices where Leana’s family maintains a business. Maybe when Leana comes back, and we deal with my father, we can start there. It’s mid-afternoon when my phone rings. I'm excited, hoping it's Leana telling me she's coming home tonight, but instead of Leana, I see that it's Prince Reyes calling. “Prince Reyes, is everything okay?” I ask. His call is unexpected. “Yes and no. Currently, everything is well, but my father wante

I stared at my father’s head on the pike for much longer than I would have thought. I didn’t expect to feel sadness at his death, but I do. He deserved what he got, but he was still my father. Once Riley finishes her phone call, we move away from the castle. The vampires will come looking for us tonight and I need to make sure we have a place where we can be safe until the others arrive. “There’s a pack that isn’t far from here, the three of you would be safe there,” I tell Leana. “You mean Alpha Leonardo’s pack? I don’t know that he’ll allow you on his pack lands, Drake,” Leana says, but I already knew that. Alpha Leonardo and my grandfather had an uneasy alliance, but that alliance had improved over time. I’m sure it's gone now that my father killed my grandfather. “I’m sure he won’t, Leana, but you, Betas Clint and Riley will be safe,” I tell her. “I’m not leaving you.” “Leana, you need….” “To stay with you,” she interrupts me. “Don’t make me angry right before we go to war,

It was eerie hearing the sound of two Guardians and their wolves speaking together. There was no excitement, no fear in their voices, only an acknowledgement that the war was about to begin. I felt Leana’s power, combined with Riley’s push out and away from us and I heard the screams as the wave of power rolled over the castle, turning the first group of vampires to dust. I leaped into the battle a moment before Clint and Alpha Leonardo did. As one, the three of us created a barrier in front of Leana and Riley while they pulled on their power to strike again. I know the werewolves are at a disadvantage. Besides Leana and maybe Riley, they can’t track our speed, so I take a step ahead of the others and swing my arms, slowing several vampires before leaping on another one to decapitate it. I hear the snarling and snapping of teeth and the hiss of vampires behind me, then more screeching as Leana pushes out her power again, taking out another large group of the attackers. But as I wa

Over the next week, I establish myself as the new king in this area. I get the castle cleaned out and now that my entire clan is able to be in sunlight, we rip all the heavy curtains off the windows. I keep them since we’ll need them in case anyone ever comes to visit, but for now, we can let the light back into the castle. It changes the entire feel of the place, a place where a favored daughter of the moon could live contentedly. Something else that becomes apparent very quickly is that my clan, just like me, no longer has the insatiable thirst associated with being a vampire. We still don’t eat food, but now, we aren’t bloodthirsty creatures of the night and since there is always a supply of willing humans who enjoy being fed on, everyone wins. I’ve also noticed that while my clan members are behaving themselves, they all seem to take pleasure in my mate’s scent. She, thankfully, has no fear, and they all know that she could vaporize them on the spot, but I don’t like the covetou

The moment the witches walk into the room, they recognize me for what I am. I stand quickly, but not faster than my mate who jumps in front of me, snarling viciously. I can tell the difference between Kella and Leana now and I know when the two of them are working together as they are right now. “Easy,” Alpha Liam says, putting his hands up. “King Drake is my daughter’s mate. He’s on our side and if you kill him, it will be an act against the Guardians.” “We understand that our alliance is new and tentative, but we wouldn’t have asked you to join us if we didn’t trust Drake. Please think carefully before ruining the tentative bond we've created by trying to hurt him,” Guardian Angel says, moving to stand in front of me and partially in front of her daughter. I notice she said 'trying' to hurt him, meaning, they have no intention of letting the witches hurt me. I already didn’t like it that Leana was standing in front of me, but I really don’t like both of them in front of me. I’m no