-Willow- “Carter?” I called as I knocked on Carter’s bedroom door. I had asked the servants where he might be, and their best suggestion was his bedroom. Yet as I knocked, there was no response, and when I tried listening to hear if he might be in there, I couldn’t hear a single sound. “Carter?” I knocked again, but there was no response. I sighed, taking a few steps back and then placing my hands on my hips, unsure what to do next. If he wasn’t in his room, then where was he? I walked away from his bedroom and began searching the palace for clues. I found some empty glasses of scotch around, and I knew Carter had been there, but those were the only clues I found as I searched. Did he live off of anything else? I did take notice that it was his father’s favorite drink, so he was clearly trying to connect with his father too, but he needed proper sustenance if he was to rule as temporary king until the council could make a decision. Cain hadn’t been trained for the throne in the way

-Willow- Cain’s words cut me even deeper, but he was also my mate. Both sons were now calling out for their father, saying they needed him. It broke my heart, and I wished I could do more for both of them, but I couldn’t bring back the dead. No one could, and so there was nothing else for me to do but just lie there and hope Cain was comforted by my touch. He seemed to be as his tears stopped and his body grew lax on top of mine. Slowly, he drifted back to sleep, and this time he rested much better. He wasn’t haunted by nightmares, or maybe it was memories? At least he was sleeping. “How do I help you?” I whispered as I ran my fingers through his hair, but I knew he didn’t hear me. Maybe we can get naked? my wolf suggested. “That’s not funny.” I wasn’t trying to be. “Could you come up with a better idea?” It was what you needed when you were sad. “I was angry and felt betrayed by Carter. This is entirely different. So come up with a better idea,” I demanded. This is my best id

-Willow- “How is he doing?” Eva asked me as she sat across from across me. We hadn’t spoken in a while for more than one reason. She knew I knew she had told Cain about the powder, and I had been mad, but after everything, it felt so small compared to what we were now dealing with. So I had called her, and she had come over. Though I knew she didn’t care much about Cain, I knew she was very worried about me if she had gone to him with her concerns, and for her to ask how he was meant a lot. “Not good,” I admitted. “I catch him up at night just staring out the window.” “Weren’t you going to see Carter?” “We were. Cain wants to get more wolves out there to help, and we have already sent some fighters ourselves, but he knows his brother isn’t doing very well, and I think he wants to pick the right moment.” “Which is when? If Cain is walking around like a zombie, I’m guessing Carter is too."Eva asked. “Yeah, he isn’t doing very well either. I almost feel more bad for him,” I admitt

-Willow-Cain and I went to the palace the next day, leaving Henry to keep an eye on the pack. We walked inside, feeling the heaviness in the air. As a servant came by, I called out to her.“Have the prince and queen left their room or the king’s office?” I asked.“No, my Princess. They are still there.”“Have they eaten?”“A little. The prince seems to do better,” she explained.I nodded, thanking her, before she walked away. I turned to Cain, seeing the pain on his face.“Who do you want to go see first? Or should we split up?” I asked.“Yes, I will go see my mother first. I think it would be best if I did that alone. I will see you in my father’s office if you can get inside,” he told me.“Okay, see you in a bit.”We split up as he went to find his mother and I went to check on Carter. I knocked on the door to the king’s old office and was surprised when I heard Carter coming closer, much faster. He opened the door, and I saw he looked a little better. His hair and clothes were sti

-Willow- I was cleaning out the office when I heard something behind me. Slowly, I turned only to let out a startled scream. Despite expecting someone to be behind me, the last person I had thought would appear stood in the doorway, wrapped in a long robe. The queen had arrived. “Your Majesty,” I said and bowed my head. Her tired eyes scanned the room, looking at every corner, and then landed on my hands, which held the empty wrapping of a candy bar. “What are you doing?” she asked. “Um… cleaning up.” “Why?” “Because your son has been staying in here, and I thought he might want a cleaner room,” I explained before I walked over to where the trashcan was and threw it in. When I turned again, she had come closer to me, a strange energy surrounding her, but I knew that was to be expected from a grieving mate. She had been with the king for many years after all. “Where is he?” she asked. “Cain and I came to check on you two, and right now they are out walking,” I explained.” The