Date: 2023-02-27 00:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Fiction; Fantasy; Dark Fantasy; Romance; Action & Adventure
Description: Get ready for the final book in this completed spicy shifter romance from USA Today bestselling author Jessica Wayne… I signed my wife’s death warrant. An alpha without my beta, I’m a soldier with no moral compass. A savage shifter with no chain. The king stole my wife. My mate. My beloved. I’ve killed for far less. Even as the curse has been broken, I’ve never felt such bloodlust. Such a driving need to paint the realm crimson. And before the first snow dusts the Shadow Lands, I will have his head on a f*cking spike. Get your copy of the final book in this action-packed, steamy, shifter roman
Publisher: B.A.D. Publishing

Stolen Mate

Shadow Cursed

Book Three

Jessica Wayne

Contents

1. Kiya

2. Merrick

3. Merrick

4. Kiya

5. Merrick

6. Merrick

7. Kiya

8. Merrick

9. Kiya

10. Merrick

11. Merrick

12. Kiya

13. Merrick

14. Kiya

15. Kiya

16. Kiya

17. Merrick

18. Kiya

19. Merrick

20. Merrick

21. Kiya

22. Merrick

23. Kiya

24. Kiya

25. Kiya

26. Merrick

27. Kiya

28. Kiya

29. Merrick

30. Kiya

31. MacKenna

32. Kiya

Also By Jessica Wayne

About Jessica Wayne

Shadow Cursed, book 3

By Jessica Wayne

Copyright © 2022. All rights reserved.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, businesses, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places, or actual events is entirely coincidental.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission of the author, except for use of brief quotations in a book review.

Edited by Dawn

Proofread by Tasha Lewis

Cover Design by TwinArtCoverDesign

Alternate Cover Design by Covers by Christian

Those who stand up and fight very rarely feel the unburdened joy of victory.

Instead, they’re haunted by their losses.

By their sacrifices.

Blurb

I signed my wife’s death warrant.

An alpha without my beta, I’m a soldier with no moral compass.

A savage beast with no chain.

The king stole my wife. My mate. My beloved.

I’ve killed for far less.

Even as the curse has been broken, I’ve never felt such bloodlust.

Such a driving need to paint the realm crimson.

And before the first snow dusts the Shadow Lands, I will have his head on a f*cking spike.

Chapter 1

Kiya

“I know you think I’m heartless.”

Chest rising and falling in rapid succession, I glare back at the man pacing in front of me. He’s dressed casually—riding pants and a white shirt splattered with my blood. His dark hair is more grey now than the last time I was here, his gaze far more haunted.

When I look into his eyes now, I see obsession.

Madness.

And if I didn’t hate him so much, I might feel some pity for the way he’s lost himself to this disgusting plot where he will create an army of shifters to fight for him. An entire line that will carry his twisted legacy long after he’s rotted in the dirt.

I wheeze, sucking in a breath that causes pain to shoot through my chest. My body is battered and bruised, but Julius will not break me.

He’ll have to kill me first.

“Sadistic fuck is more like it,” I spit out. Every muscle burns. My face is still stinging from his slap. There are lacerations down both of my arms, and blood drops from wounds there and the lip he split mere seconds ago.

The putrid stench of human waste assaults my lungs every second of every day, made even worse by my enhanced senses. I may not be able to feel my wolf, but that particular ability has remained.

It should be a win, but all it does is make it more difficult to survive.

The cool stone walls surrounding me contain most of my screams. That or those residing in this castle cannot be bothered to care that the woman they once regarded as their princess is being tortured below. The area is open, with heavy chains instead of the bars of a prison. After all, it’s easier to cause your prisoners pain when they’re accessible.

Pain.

Julius believes the torture will make me shift. That his abuse will force me to become my wolf. And, no matter how many times I’ve told him the truth—that I cannot shift because he killed Merrick—he persists.

Merrick.

Grief swells in my chest. It burns my throat as I fight back another onslaught of tears.

“Such a mouth on you now.” King Julius kneels in front of me, just out of reach, thanks to the chains binding me to the wall. He wipes the side of his face with the back of his hand. “That savage had his way with your mind as well, didn’t he? Poisoning you to your own land. You always were weak, Kiya. But this type of treachery is pathetic. Even for an orphan like you.”

“This is not my land,” I snarl. “And you are not my king!”

Julius grins and straightens. “I am your king, you pathetic girl. And this kingdom is your land—your home—at least until your child is old enough to be off the breast and I can bury you beneath it.”

“Yes. Because beating me is conducive to me carrying a child.”

“You admit it then?” he questions, brow raised. “You are carrying the child of that animal?”

“I’m not pregnant,” I growl. “Are you hard of hearing? Or just that fucking stupid?”

He crosses his arms and eyes me in a way that has my blood running cold. “For both our sakes, I certainly hope you are. Because it will be rather distasteful for me to have to take the loose leftovers of a fucking savage.”

Loose leftovers. The fucking bastard.

My heart stills, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. “I won’t let you touch me,” I growl. “I will impale myself on whatever I can find before I let you anywhere near me, you murderous asshole!” I scream it, spittle flying from my mouth as I do.

But Julius is unaffected by my outburst. “You don’t have a choice here, Kiya. You never have had one. Not when your bitch mother died, not when Pallgard brought you here, and certainly not when I fucking sold you to that savage. What the hell makes you think you have a choice now?”

“Someone will come for me,” I choke out. “Someone will come. And you will die.”

The king grins. “The savage is dead.”

“Is he?” I sneer. I couldn’t help but overhear the guards saying that the men you sent after him haven’t returned.” It’s hope—and in my situation, any shred of it could be what helps me cling to rational thought long enough to escape.

But Julius remains stone-faced. “He’s dead,” he tells me. “Had there been anything left of him, I would have brought his body down here to rot right alongside you. There is no one coming. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you’ll stop suffering.” He straightens. “Now, shift, Kiya. I want to see what you are. What you’ve become.”

“I. Can’t.” I’ve spoken those two words more times in the last few days than I have in my entire life. My mother would tell me to stay strong, no matter what. That saying ‘I can’t’ means giving in to weakness.

But there’s no chance I can shift. Ever since I was ripped from Merrick’s side, my wolf has been out of reach.

I cannot feel her.

Cannot sense the power in my veins.

And that’s even more terrifying than the idea of being forced to carry the bastard child of the man before me.

Julius clicks his tongue and shakes his head. “Such a shame, Kiya. Your time is running out.” He turns toward the guard, a man who has stood by and allowed me to be tortured for the last three days. “Bread and water three times a day. Meat for dinner only. Understand?”

“Yes, My King.” The man bows his head, and the king turns away.

I pull my knees up to my chest and rest my forehead on them as I close my eyes and silently plead for my wolf to return to me. Without her, I stand very little chance of an escape. And the longer I stay here, the more I believe that Merrick really is dead and the less practical I want to be.

After all, if he’s dead, there’s no reason I need to survive.

I can kill Julius and await my own death once his soldiers catch up to me.

“Don’t be a fool, girl.”

I whip my head up and stare into the eyes of the late queen of Viridia. Which is impossible for two reasons.

One: she’s dead.

And two: we’re nowhere near her son’s kingdom of Viridia.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“I warned you,” she coos as she strokes the stone wall behind me. “I told you that dark times lie ahead, and yet you ignore me.”

“I didn’t ignore you,” I reply. My last conversation with Merrick runs through my mind for what must be the hundredth time since we were ripped apart.

“Are you ready for what comes next?” Merrick asks me.

“I am.”

“Kiya, it is noble to be afraid. Refusing to acknowledge that emotion can get you killed.”

“I’m not refusing to acknowledge it,” I reply, turning my head to look at him. “I’m terrified, Merrick. Terrified that I’m going to lose you. Your family. My family,” I add because they are mine. Every single one of them.

He reaches over and rests a hand on my shoulder for a moment as our horses continue walking. “We will survive this. Obtaining the aid of Viridia was a huge victory, Beta. Do not let that pass you by simply because of what was said to you this morning.”

“You believe in them, then?”

“In ghosts?” he questions.

I nod.

“It would be foolish not to,” he replies. “There are lands saturated with magic where unexplainable things take place.”

“Have you ever seen one?”

He shakes his head. “But I believe you did.”

“Why? Why do you not think me crazy? Because of what Grendel said?”

Merrick chuckles. “No. Because you believe you did.”

“Your faith in me is astounding. I tell you I saw a ghost, that she practically condemned us to a future full of pain, and you believe every word of it.”

Merrick stops Boots, so I pull Starr to a stop. Then, he reaches out and takes my hand. After turning it over, he presses a kiss to my palm. “My love, you could tell me you saw a three-headed donkey, and I would believe every word of it.” His challenging smile brings one to my face despite the rocks churning in my gut.

“I love you,” I say.

“And I, you,” he replies then releases me.

“He loved you so much, girl, and you are the reason he’s dead.” The older woman looks down at me, her eyes burning brightly. “Yet, you do not seek vengeance, do you? No, you sit here in your own filth, waiting to have your baby ripped from your womb.” She growls the words, a snarl.

Anger burns through me. White-hot rage until all I can think of is ripping her throat out. I lunge for her. Pain stings in my wrists as the shackles rip me back against the wall.

The woman laughs.

Then disappears.

“She wasn’t here,” I whisper as tears stream down my cheeks. “She wasn’t real.”

“Oh, Kiya.’

The familiar voice hits me with a fresh wave of hope, and I look up into Peter’s familiar gaze. I lunge forward, as close as the chains will allow. “Peter! Did Merrick send you? Is he alive?” My throat burns, and I clench my hands into fists as I await his response. Fingernails biting into my palms, I watch his every expression.

And with each passing heartbeat, I realize that there’s something I’m missing. Something that’s been right in front of me this entire time.

Peter shakes his head and rubs his palms on the brown riding pants he wears. Sweaty palms, guilty party. I recall the lesson my mother taught me, and right now, I am really, really hoping it’s not true. “Merrick didn’t send me, Kiya. He is dead.”

I close my eyes and shake my head. “No. You’re lying. We’ll find him together. Please, you have to get me out of here.”

He swallows hard, and his expression falters. And then the stench of his guilt, his betrayal, leeching off of him like heat from a swamp, slams into me. I stiffen, and all hope I’d had vanishes.

“I’m not here to get you out,” he says softly. “You belong here. Even if it’s hard to believe right now." He steps forward and brushes the hair from my eyes, the physical contact churning my stomach.

I tilt my head up to look at him, and a low growl escapes my lips. He backs away—quickly. “I should have let Merrick kill you.” The tone lacing the words that leave my lips makes them barely human. They’re animalistic. The threat of a predator.

Peter pales slightly. “This is what’s best for the realm. Merrick is an abomination. His entire family are abominations. If you could have just seen that… If you would have just paid attention!”

“If they’re such abominations, then why the hell did you help the king capture me? You do realize he plans to use me as breeding stock, do you not? Like I’m a fucking cow!”

Peter’s expression hardens until he bears no resemblance to the man I once defended. “A means to an end. Merrick and his family must be stopped. Best way to do that is to create a controllable army of our own with skills that rival theirs.”

“If you’re going to create an army that rivals them, then why the need to wipe them out, huh? Why not just leave them alone!”

He shrugs. “The king has his reasoning.”

Tears burn in my eyes. “And what about Lea? She’s human, and she’s going to die with that family.”

“Lea made her choice when she fucked one of those creatures.” He moves in a step closer. “Just as you made yours.”

I lunge for him. Chains bite into the flesh of my wrists as they hold me firmly in place, but Peter falls onto the ground and scrambles back. “You’d better be afraid,” I warn. “Because the second I’m free, I’m going to do what Merrick threatened. I’m going to rip your fucking throat out.”

Peter gets to his feet and brushes his pants off. “You’re never getting free.”

“Was any of it true? Were you ever my friend?”

Peter sighs. “I could have been. If you’d made different choices, Kiya. You shouldn’t have fallen for Merrick. Things could have been different.”

“I’m going to kill you,” I reiterate with a smile.

“He might be more foolish than you.” I glance at Grendel’s mother who shakes her head, watching me with a sort of twisted satisfaction.

I turn back to Peter and cock my head to the side. “I may be a chained animal right now, Peter, but make no mistake. I will break free. And when I do, you’re the first one I’m coming for.”

Chapter 2

Merrick

Blood crusts nearly every inch of my exposed flesh, just as it coats my boots, pants, and the armor plate over my chest. The sun is high overhead, beating down on us despite the chill clinging to the air. No snow has fallen yet, but it’s on the horizon. A winter that will set us back significantly.

That’s a problem for another day, though. Another week. Another month. I nod at the soldiers as we pass, moving through the tents surrounding our home, a camp for Viridia’s soldiers.

Beside me, my brother strolls silently. Some men are born to be diplomats but can be deadly if needed. However, some men are born savage. They shine when they have a blade in their hand, and that is MacKenna.

He’s lethal—at one with his blade as though it’s an extension of himself. Skills I’ve been jealous of ever since I trained him to use it. If ever it were possible to win a war with a one-man army, it would be with MacKenna Umbra.

“Fuck. They just keep coming. We can barely catch our breath before we’re finding another fucking scouting camp.”

“We’ll break through.” My body is worn, my muscles liquid, but there is no way in hell I will rest until I have Kiya back.

King Grendel of Viridia—our one and only ally—steps out of his tent and crosses over toward me. His golden armor is splattered with blood from the fight we just returned from, his expression dark.

“His men need more training,” I tell MacKenna through our bond. “Think you can manage it?”

“They need a hell of a lot more than training,” he rebuts. “Most of them have never seen war.”

“Now they have,” I reply.

“Fine. I will do my best.”

“That’s all I’m asking for.”

“Merrick,” Grendel greets as soon as we reach him.

“MacKenna is going to train your men,” I tell him. My tone leaves no room for argument, no chance for him to refuse. While they can hold and swing a blade, it was made painstakingly clear today that Julius’s men are far better trained.

“My men are trained,” he retorts.

“Barely,” MacKenna grumbles.

“They can fight.”

“They are not seasoned.”

“And your brother is? I’ve seen him with a blade, and he is quite talented, but I wouldn’t consider him seasoned. He’s not even thirty yet.”

MacKenna snorts, and I glare at him. Grendel knows nothing of what we are, nor does he know MacKenna has been alive far longer than that.

“MacKenna has been training with a blade since he was old enough to hold one in his hands. You will allow him to train your men, or every fucking time we step onto that battlefield, we are going to get our asses kicked.”

I’m expecting more of a fight. More pushback, so when Grendel sighs and nods, I’m pleasantly surprised. “Very well. I’ve seen you with a blade, MacKenna, and it is quite impressive. I would be honored if you’d train my men.”

“Fan-fucking-tastic,” MacKenna says sarcastically. “I’m going to grab a bite.” He marches into the house and immediately veers off toward the kitchen while I lead Grendel upstairs and toward my study.

I can still sense Kiya here. Still catch her scent when I walk into a room, and it’s the only thing that has kept me going since we lost her. We’ve been barely holding the lines for the last two weeks. Been kept just busy enough that it makes a rescue mission fucking impossible.

“How are you holding up?” Grendel questions as he runs his hand over the map pinned to my far wall. A map detailing exactly how I am going to get my wife back. If I can come up with a fucking plan that is successful and doesn’t instantly lead to our deaths.

Dying does not scare me. I’d been more than ready to do that just to free her of the bond between us. But if I go, there will be no one to save her. And I will bring my beta home.

“I am uninterested in your pleasantries,” I tell him. “Say what is on your mind so I can try to get some fucking sleep.” I’m on edge tonight as I am every single night. My wolf slithers beneath my skin, urging me to break free, to run.

It’s only been three days since I shifted, and already, I’m losing my fucking mind.

Kiya has been trapped in her human form for two weeks, thanks to the command I inadvertently gave her when Julius came for us both.

Do not shift.

The longer she is without her connection, the deeper into madness she will slip.

If she does not find relief soon, I will lose the Kiya I love.

Then, there will be no life for me anyway. Falling on my own blade would be a mercy.

“Whiskey?” he questions, gesturing to the amber bottle on the edge of my desk.

“Fine.”

Grendel pours some from the bottle then hands a cup to me and takes a seat in one of two wooden chairs before the fire crackling in my hearth. “I know you said no pleasantries, and that is not what this is. I am genuinely concerned with your well-being, friend.”

I arch a brow and study him. “We’re friends now?”

Grendel chuckles. “I’d like to think so.”

“Hmm.” I take a drink, enjoying the way the whiskey burns the back of my throat. Truthfully, I wish it hurt worse. Pain I understand. It’s this waiting stasis that makes no fucking sense. The strategizing is debilitating.

“I know you’re hurting. We will get her back.”

“I know we will,” I reply. “But it’s the state she’s in when we find her that concerns me.”

“You believe he will have hurt her?”

I believe she will have lost her mind. “I don’t doubt that for a second.”

Grendel mutters, “Fucker,” under his breath.

“I will not wait much longer,” I warn him. “There will come a point where I will risk everything to get Kiya back. Even if it means sacrificing this fucking war.”

Grendel eyes me cautiously. I can read him like a fucking book, though. He worries I’m a loose cannon. And he’s not wrong. Though I have far more teeth than a cannonball. “We need to remain focused. I want to get her back as well, but the war is bigger than a princess,” he says.

“She’s my wife,” I growl. “And she’s all that matters.”

“I meant no offense.”

“Offense fucking taken.” I stand up and begin to pace. “How the hell does he have this many men who will take up the sword for him?”

“Julius is a slimy bastard,” Grendel tells me. “He is manipulative, treacherous, and cares for nothing but himself. When his wife died, he bedded mine when we attended her funeral. Neither one of them thought I knew of it, but I had married for love. And I wanted to give her every chance to redeem herself.” He stands and crosses toward me. “Love makes us blind, Merrick. It makes us weak.”

A low growl leaves my lips. “Do I look weak to you?”

“No,” he replies honestly. “But you are dangerous. And dangerous men only create dangerous situations for those they love. You have a home here. A family worth fighting for. We keep doing things my way, and Kiya will have a home to return to.” With his free hand, he grips my shoulder and downs the rest of his whiskey before turning to leave.

Once the door has shut behind him, I hurl the glass into the flames. It shatters, sending them flames angrily dancing for the span of a heartbeat.

“I imagine that conversation did not go well.”

I look over as my mother and Ferris move into the study. My uncle carefully closes the door. “He thinks we’re doing things his way. That I’m simply waiting to get Kiya because he has ordered it so. Bloody fucking kings.” I shake my head and fight the urge to throw my entire damned desk into the flames just to watch something else burn.

“Let him think that,” Ferris tells me. “It will do you no good to pretend otherwise.”

“Have you heard from Zane?”

He shakes his head. “The vampire hasn’t been back today. Last I heard, he was searching for a way to get through. The castle is so heavily guarded he’s unsure he’ll be able to get in and out without being caught.”

“Fuck.” I drop my head and close my eyes, sucking in a deep breath. Knowing Grendel would recognize my absence, I sent the vampire ahead to scout. He is one Grendel does not know about, a player who has yet to be placed on the board. Knowingly, at least. And if anyone stands a chance at getting in, getting Kiya, and getting back out without being seen, it’s him.

Considering how fucking fast he can move, he was the only real option. But if even he can’t find a weak point, what good does that do for the rest of us? What chance does she have of surviving this?

“Give me some fucking news that doesn’t make me want to run myself through,” I snarl.

My uncle steps forward. “Peter still hasn’t returned, and there’s been no sign of him anywhere near the property lines.”

“That’s not good news.”

“No,” he agrees. “But it’s news.”

“Keep me posted. If that fucking worm shows up again, I want to know where the hell he’s been.”

“Lea is harvesting medicinal herbs as quickly as she can, but we might need to send people to Viridia to get more.”

“We do that, we put them at risk. Julius’s men are encroaching on that border to keep us separated.”

“We may not have an option,” she says softly.

“Use the herbs intended for the springs if need be,” I snap. “I’m not feeling overly calm these days anyway.” I stand and head for the door. After damn near ripping it from its hinges, I stomp downstairs and through my house, now teeming with people Grendel brought with him, and down into the only silent place remaining.

My springs.

The first place I had my hands on Kiya.

As soon as I step inside, I can all but see her standing before me. A ghost haunting my every moment. When I’m awake, she’s all I can think of. When I sleep, I have nightmares of what might be left should we not get to her in time.

After stripping out of my clothes, I make my way into the pool. It’s warm around me, lapping against my flesh like a tender embrace. I don’t fucking deserve this quiet. As I let my muscles relax in the water, I allow my mind to wander, crafting my plan for what I will do should I never see my beloved again.

They thought the beast was savage before?

Just wait until I get my hands on Julius.

I have laid waste to thousands of men. Wiping out entire armies in a single evening. And now I cannot even rescue my wife from a pathetic fucking human. Never have I ever longed to be cursed as I do now.

The curse.

I jump out of the water and dress quickly then rush out into the hall. After sprinting past my mother—who looks rather confused—I make it to Savvee’s door. She answers quickly, pulling it open and shutting the book she was reading.

“Merrick? Is everything all right?”

“Curse me.” I shove into her room and shut the door.

“Excuse me?”

“Curse me again. Just as your mother did.”

“Merrick, I can’t—”

“Please, Savvee. If you turn me into the beast, I can get in and rescue Kiya. I can’t just fucking sit here waiting!” I drop to my knees, willing to beg and plead for her to do to me what I once despised her mother for. “Please.”

Savvee kneels in front of me and sets her book aside. She takes my hands into hers and stares up at me. “Even if I was able to curse you, Merrick, doing so would destroy the man you are now.”

“I don’t fucking care. I just need Kiya to survive.”

“Kiya will care.”

I push to my feet and angrily shake my head. “If you make me what I once was, I can save her.”

“Magic is directly tethered to your emotions when you cast the spell,” she says softly. “My mother was angry, hurt, broken—which made her immensely powerful.”

“Losing Kiya doesn’t make you fucking angry?” I snarl.

Savvee is completely unthreatened by me as she retrieves her book from the ground and sets it gently on the bedside table. “Yes,” she replies. “It does. But cursing you is not something I believe in, and therefore, it won’t work. Should I even try, I could condemn you to a life as a beast. Or—worse—as a man. Do you truly wish to risk everything on the off chance it will work? My magic is different from my mother’s, Merrick. Which means it will not have the same result.”

I hear what she’s saying, the logic behind it, and even as the failure settles in my soul, I cannot help but plead once more. “I don’t know what else to do, Savvee. Every day she is there, every moment she is away, Kiya slips further and further into a place where I am unsure I can reach her.”

Savvee walks forward and takes my hands in hers again. “We will get her out,” she says. “Zane will find a way through. And as soon as he discovers a weak point, we will be able to get her out. We just can’t lose hope.”

Chapter 3

Merrick

I shove into the medical tent, not expecting to see my mother and Lea working hard to stitch two wounded men—one with a gash to his forehead, the other a slice to his upper arm. “What the hell happened?” I demand.

My mother is the first to look up at me through dark lashes. “Your brother.”

“MacKenna,” I growl. “Training?”

“He’s so damned fast,” the younger of the two soldiers comments. I can see the admiration in his bright gaze as he looks to me. “Like lightning.”

“Yeah, well, I’m going to kick his ass next time,” the older man with hair greying at his temples comments.

“He should not be so rough with the humans,” my mother says to me through our pack bond. “One of them will be killed, and then we will have an entirely new problem on our hands.”

“I will deal with him. Were there any others?”

“We’ve been stitching them up all morning,” she replies. “One will be unable to fight for at least a month. We’d barely managed to reattach his finger.”

“Fuck.”

“All done,” Lea announces as she clips the thread attached to the younger man’s brow. “Steer clear of the hilt of his blade,” she orders.

The boy flushes with color. “Yes, ma’am. I will do my best.”

With a bright smile, Lea steps away, and he hops down off the cot.

“Thank you so much, Lea. You are an angel.”

“I try.” After rinsing her hands, she turns and waits for my mother to finish with the older man.

“You need to remain off the field for the next week,” my mother orders.

“A week?” he chokes out.

“Yes,” she replies.

“Kicking my brother’s ass will have to wait,” I offer.

The man shoots me a grin. “I suppose that gives me more time to work on my form.”

“It does.”

“Off the field,” my mother repeats.

“Of course.” He hops down off the table. “Thank you, Lark. Lea.” He dips his head in a nod at both women and then grabs his sword and heads out of the tent.

“MacKenna has lost his damned mind,” Lea snaps as soon as the humans are gone. “He seems to have forgotten he is sparring with humans.”

“I will handle MacKenna. He’s not known for his patience.” I rub a hand over my face. “Do you both have everything you need?”

“We do. For now. I trust you were informed about the shortage of healing herbs?”

“I was. Start pulling from the reserves used to stock the spring.”

Lea looks to me then Lark, and finally back to me. “Are you sure that’s such a good idea? Your temperament—”

“I am not at risk for gutting anyone as my beast anymore,” I reply. “Pull from them as you need.

My mother’s gaze narrows on my face. “Are you all right?”

“No.” My response is short and true. I see no sense in lying when my entire fucking world is crumbling around me. “I will go deal with MacKenna. Keep me updated if you have any more training injuries.”

Without waiting for a response, I turn and make my way toward the training field. What once was my private solitude—a way for me to keep my skills honed when I had no one to spar with—has now turned into the training field for every one of Grendel’s men.

They line the clearing in a circle, all of them watching MacKenna spar with a shirtless human man on top of a balancing beam that is part of my self-made obstacle course. MacKenna darts out with his blade, damn near impaling the soldier.

His body is coated in sweat, which tells me he’s likely been out here since well before sunrise.

“Get him, George!” someone from the viewers calls out.

“Kick his ass, Mac!” Maverick remains at the edge of the circle, watching with complete and total amusement. Maynard is beside him, his expression one of clear concern. Though he is older than MacKenna, there’s no doubt in my mind he was ignored when he came to tell MacKenna to take it easy.

Likely at Lea’s bequest.

MacKenna flings his sword to the ground, does a front flip, and knocks the young soldier’s feet out from under him. He goes down—hard.

MacKenna throws his head back and laughs. “Who’s next?”

Aside from the soldier doing his best to get to his feet, no one moves. “I’ll do it,” I call out. All eyes turn to me—including MacKenna’s. While he may beat me with a blade, none are equal to me bare-knuckled.

I strip my shirt off and march into the clearing as MacKenna drops down and sits on the balance beam. He grins at me.

“You really want me to embarrass you in front of everyone?”

“I’ll take my chances.” I toss my shirt to the side along with my blade and both daggers I keep at my waist.

MacKenna grins. “Hand-to-hand, then?”

“You’re fighting with your strength; I’ll use mine.”

MacKenna shrugs and jumps up to his feet, balancing with complete and total confidence as he backs to one end of the beam.

I move to the other side and face him, just as comfortable on the beam as I am on flat ground given that I’ve spent my entire life training here. I’ve mastered the balance beam, the wheel, and the rope climb ten thousand times over. And while I should feel guilty for knocking my brother on his ass, he clearly needs someone to humble him before he kills one of Grendel’s men and begins a second war.

Fuck, we’re not even done with the first one.

He takes a step toward me then another. I move in, fists raised. MacKenna drops down to his hands and kicks out, trying to knock me off the beam, I grab his leg and send him tumbling to the ground.

Those watching throw their heads back and laugh as MacKenna grins up at me. “Good one, old man.”

“I’m not that much older than you,” I reply as he jumps back up on the beam.

He charges; I step back.

He defends; I attack.

We spar until I’m just as sweaty as he is, both of us having taken our licks. My jaw aches where his fist impacted with it, but the blood dripping from his brow makes that burn a lot less significant. I’ve held back some, but not nearly enough as I used to.

MacKenna has been training.

A much larger crowd has gathered, including my uncle Ferris, who must have just returned from the village, and our two youngest brothers—Myke and Maxwell. Both are grinning widely, watching us intently.

So, I take the larger crowd as my sign it’s time to give the lesson I came out here to give. MacKenna rushes toward me, so I drop my shoulder and charge. Pain radiates up through my neck as I slam into him, taking us both to the dirt.

He bucks, scrambling to flip me over, but I put him in a headlock, wrap both legs around his waist, and arch my back. My brother hits at me, trying to get me to release him. He thrashes, but I hold strong.

Finally, he taps out.

I shove him off me and stand as he gets to his feet, bends at the waist, and coughs.

“All right, men, you’ve seen enough,” Ferris calls out. “Dinner is about to be served, so the lot of you better get your asses there before it’s gone.”

With grumbles and a few shouts of, “Way to go, Merrick!” the men walk away.

“Boys, let’s go get some food in you,” Ferris says as he scoops up Maxwell.

“Come on, Uncle Ferris! Can’t we stay for a bit? I want to watch the next round!” Myke complains.

“Not today. Your mom will be looking for both of ya’ soon.” He takes the boys back toward the dining tent, leaving Maynard, MacKenna, Maverick, and me behind.

“Surprised you joined me,” MacKenna says as he grabs his water skin and takes a large drink.

“You’re going to kill someone,” Maynard scolds.

“No, I’m not.” MacKenna puts the lid back on his leather skin and then turns to me. “That why you’re here? To show off?”

I cross my arms. “Grendel was already hesitant to let you train his men. You’ve been at it less than a fucking day, and you’ve already sent men to the medical tent. Keep showing your ass like that and end up killing someone, we’re going to have another problem on our hands.”

“If you wanted someone to train them softly, you shouldn’t have asked me.”

“I asked you because you’re the best with a blade. You were supposed to show them tactics, not kick their asses from here to fucking Viridia,” I snarl.

“Learn by doing. That’s what happened with us, right?”

“Do you really want to compare yourself to Father?” Maverick questions.

MacKenna whirls on him, eyes blazing gold. “I am not like Father.”

“I never said you were,” Maverick snaps. “But you used to hate how he worked us. How he trained us without any type of break. Fuck, he nearly killed me the summer before he died.”

To see Maverick this upset is a surprise. Normally, as the middle brother, he’s calm. Collected. Now, he’s red-faced, hands balled into fists. MacKenna would kick his ass until the sun goes down if he so chose, but we know he won’t.

Because beneath this façade he is putting on, MacKenna has the most tender heart out of all of us. He’s the one who feels everything all the time. The one who was the most affected by what our father did. Even if he’ll never admit it.

“I’m not training them like our father trained us. But we’re at war. They need to be ready.”

“They won’t be if you keep sending them to medical,” I shoot back. “You are not human,” I remind him. “They are. You should be lowering your methods to their standards, not raising them to yours. They will never achieve them if you continue doing that.”

MacKenna mutters something under his breath. “I make no promises. You don’t like the way I train? Then pull me the fuck off of it.” He retrieves his shirt and sword then stalks off into the trees.

“What is up his asshole?” Maverick questions.

“A witch,” I tell him. “He’s been different since Savvee arrived.”

“You don’t think she’s—” Maynard starts.

“Cursed him?” I interrupt. “No. She hasn’t done anything to him. He just doesn’t trust her, and for whatever reason, it’s eating him up inside.” After a moment, I clasp a hand on Maverick’s shoulder. “Let’s go eat. We’re on first rotation tonight.”

Chapter 4

Kiya

“Sit.”

Chains binding my wrists, I’m shoved down into a chair in the dining hall. Julius sits at the other end, eating something that makes my mouth water. Smoked meats, vegetables, and freshly baked bread line the center of the table, though no plate takes up the space in front of me.

No dish for me to devour.

“What the hell is this for?” I snap.

Julius glances up and wipes his face with a piece of white cloth. “I thought you could use a warm meal. A bath, perhaps.”

I narrow my gaze. “And what game is it you’re playing at? Because I have to warn you, I’m in no mood.” While my injuries have healed, every muscle in my body continues to ache. My joints might as well be full of sand for how well I’m moving.

What I can’t quite begin to understand, though, is whether that’s because I cannot shift or because I’ve been chained in the same damned spot for the last two weeks.

“No game,” he replies. “I’m simply tired of fighting with you.”

“We’re not fighting,” I snarl. “Though, if you’d like to, remove my chains, and we will.”

Julius grins, the challenge shining in his gaze. “I’ve no doubt you would best me, Kiya. And I may be a lot of things, but a fool is not one of them.”

“We can agree to disagree on that,” I say sweetly.

Julius chuckles. “You know, I never told you this, but I’ve always admired your outlook. Even as a child freshly ripped from the streets, you managed to maintain this hard outer shell.”

His words are slime slicking my skin. I don’t respond.

“Eat, Kiya. The food is not poison.”

“I don’t want anything from you.”

Julius’s victorious expression tells me he enjoys my stubbornness, and it’s that fact that has me reaching for a chunk of bread. Dirt coats my hands; blood is crusted beneath my fingertips and dried on my wrists. Still, I eat.

And the moment the bread slips down my throat, I have to bite back an audible groan.

“I’m leaving tomorrow morning. Going to see your late husband’s family,” he says. “Is there a message you’d like me to hand over?”

The bread that tasted so good moments ago turns to ash in my mouth. “What?”

“Ahh yes, did I not tell you? Seems Grendel has joined them in this foolish war. It is my intention to allow them to surrender.”

The faces of my loved ones—of MacKenna, Maynard, Maverick, Maxwell, Myke, Lea, Ferris, and even Lark—flash through my mind. Surely, they wouldn’t have been so foolish. If Merrick really is gone, why have they not run? Abandoned this realm and sought refuge somewhere else?

My stomach plummets to my feet, and dread slips up my spine like a dagger made of ice. “You cannot hurt them.”

“I can do whatever the hell I want,” he says simply. “Which is something you would do well to remember. I will give them the chance to surrender. To come here and join my ranks. Should they choose to continue fighting against me, I will march my army to their borders and bring every single one of their heads back on spikes to decorate your dungeon.”

I jump up from the chair and lunge toward him. My hands close around his throat before the guards manage to reach me, so I squeeze as fucking hard as I can. His face turns purple as they try to rip me from him, but I don’t relinquish my grip.

If he dies now—something slams into the back of my head, and I’m ripped backward, but I don’t stop fighting. I slam the back of my head into the nose of my attacker, and warm blood sprays the back of my neck.

The man grunts, so I spin and grab my chair, slam it into him, and sprint for the door.

“Get her!” Julius roars.

My feet slip against the marble floors, but I don’t stop. I run as fast as I can, dodging guards and narrowly missing slamming into maids. The front door is just ahead, but two guards race in front of it—blocking my exit.

Heart pounding, I turn to the left and race toward the kitchen. As I slam through the doors, the scent of food assaults me. Servants I’ve known for years step out of my way, letting me by even though it will likely cost them to do so.

My hand closes on the door, and I rip it open, bounding out into the night air.

It envelops me, the grass cool against my bare feet.

I race toward a tree near the wall. If I can get up it fast enough, I can disappear into the city. Then, I’ll be able to—something pierces my back, and I scream, falling forward to the ground.

But I don’t stay down long. Through the pain, I manage to stand and make it another few steps before another arrow plunges into my back. I wheeze, my breath leaving my lungs in a whoosh.

Crumpling to my hands and knees, I try to crawl.

A man appears before me. Crimson eyes bright with anger. “We don’t have long,” he says as he reaches down to grab me.

“Zane?” I choke out.

“Princess,” he replies. “Long time no see.”

“What are you doing here?” I ask as he begins to run—and slams into something.

We tumble to the ground.

“What the fuck?” Zane snarls. He gets up and raises a hand, gently pressing against the air. There’s nothing there.

He lifts me again and tries to leave, but when he holds me, we’re met with a solid barrier. Something holding us in place.

“Son of a bitch. Can you stand?”

“Yes. I—” He sets me on my feet and begins shoving the sleeves of my white tunic up. He kneels and checks my ankles.

Guards rush toward us, so Zane throws up a hand, and they freeze in place.

I gape at the men who—until mere seconds ago—were charging us. “What did you do to them?”

“It won’t last long. My magic is not as strong in this realm.” He checks my ankles. “I need you to turn around, Kiya. Fast.”

I do as he says, and he straightens before he pulls the back of my tunic down to bare the back of my neck.

“Son of a bitch,” he mutters.

“What is it?”

Zane grips my arms and turns me to face him. “You’ve been marked. Warded. You cannot leave this place. Not until it’s been cut off of you.”

“Cut off of me?” I choke out.

He looks back at the soldiers then turns to me, cheeks flushing. “And I can’t do it now. Fuck!”

The men begin to move again, so Zane waves his hand. He sways on his feet. “We need more time. We need—"

“Zane. Go. They cannot catch you. Please. You have to warn Maynard and the others. Julius is coming for them.”

“They already know it,” he says quickly. “Listen to me. We’re coming. Merrick is coming for you.”

“Merrick?” I choke out. “He’s alive?”

“Last I saw him, he was. Shit. I have to go. If I use any more magic, I’ll end up right beside you. I’ll be back. You hear me? We’ll be back.”

Unable to speak, thanks to the burning lump in my throat, I simply nod. Tears stream down my cheeks as Zane offers me a slight smile and vanishes.

The world comes back to life, roars from the guards louder than the beat of my heart as they close in around me. With nowhere else to go, I turn to face them as they part, and Julius steps through.

“Didn’t see that coming, did you?” he snarls. The ring around his throat from my hands brings me an immense amount of joy in the midst of this pain. And knowing Merrick is alive? That I will see him again?

It’s icing on the cake.

A victory to be celebrated—even if only silently. I can’t be sure Julius knows he’s alive, and I certainly won’t be the one to tell him.

No, I’ll let Merrick do the honor. As he’s tearing this place apart to get me back.

“Why the hell are you here?” I question as I sit up. Peter sits in a chair directly across from me, a book in his hand. He closes it and levels his gaze on me.

“You shouldn’t have attacked him.”

“You shouldn’t be down here,” I retort. “Or aren’t you afraid of what I’ll do to you?”

He completely ignores my threat. “King Julius is not going to tolerate the way you’re acting. If you want to survive, you need to play along. Give him what he wants.”

“I’ll give him nothing,” I spit back.

“Then you’re going to die here.”

No, I won’t. “My blood will be on your hands,” I tell him. “As will the blood of every single person residing in the Shadow Lands. Should he succeed and kill them, it will be your fault.”

His gaze hardens. “I told you. They’re abominations.”

“Then why do you look so bothered when I bring it up? Merrick took you in when you needed a place, and you’ve betrayed him. That can’t sit well with you.”

“Merrick didn’t take me in. I went to him. So that my father could learn what he needed to.”

‘Your father?”

“You killed him,” he replies, his gaze darkening.

And then I see it—a glimmer of recognition—and I cannot believe I missed it before. “Pallgard,” I whisper.

“Yes. The man you cut down in cold blood. Do you know I had to help them get rid of his body? I had to look down at my dead father and pretend that I didn’t know him.” He spits the words out, and I see even more of a resemblance to the man I drove a dagger into what feels like lifetimes ago.

Merrick snapped his neck and finished him because he’d attacked me.

The moments following Pallgard’s death had brought Merrick and me even closer together, and while I won’t feel guilt for killing a man who tormented me, I do feel guilt that his son had been the one to help bury him.

“Your father attacked me. He tried to rape me.”

“Lies,” Peter snarls. “He was there, doing his job, and you slaughtered him.”

“How can you sit there and act like he was a good man? I don’t recall you ever coming with him here.”

“My mother was not allowed to reside in the castle because my father was not allowed to take a wife, thanks to his station. We were kept a secret. That is until Julius discovered me. Then, he offered me a place here as long as I was of use.” He leans in. “I’ve been of use.” Peter stands. “Keep doing what you’re doing and the king will kill you.”

“Why do you care? Now that you know what I did.”

“Because I want to be the one to kill you, Kiya. And if Julius or his goons do it first, I’ll miss my chance to do to you what you did to my father.”

He stands and leaves, slamming the door behind him. I stare at the wall, trying to recall if I’d ever heard mention of a son. But there was nothing. A son? Sent to spy on the Shadow Lands?

He’d been so kind, though. So sweet to me.

Until I killed Pallgard. I thought it was Merrick’s irritation that had Peter pulling away. But really, it was what I had done, and I’d been too wrapped up in my own feelings to pay any attention to Peter’s.

“He’s right about one thing, you know. You’re going to get yourself killed.” Patty’s voice grates over my already frayed nerves. Whereas Grendel’s mother had been kind when we’d first met back in Viridia—granted, I had no idea she was a ghost or that his lands were charged with magic—this version of her is a nuisance. Whether she’s real or I’m hallucinating is yet to be decided.

But one thing is certain. She seems to be here to stay.

“As long as I take him out with me, I don’t care.”

She snorts. “I very much doubt you are strong enough to do that. If you were, wouldn’t you have done it already?”

“I got close last night,” I reply.

“To making him pass out? Sure. You should have snapped his neck as soon as you got to him. It’s what Merrick would have done.”

“It’s what Merrick will do,” I reply, turning to face her. “He’s alive. My Merrick is going to come for me. You’ll see.”

Chapter 5

Merrick

“If we go through the Feral Swamps, we might be able to break into Aurum undetected,” Grendel’s head guard, Thomas, offers.

“You want to brave the swamps? Are you mad?” Neal, the king’s right hand exclaims. “That place is crawling with Cursed Men and monsters alike!”

Thomas looks to me. “Your lands border the swamps, do you agree?”

“That it is foolish to go in? Yes. We do not have the manpower for an all-out brawl with the swamp men,” I tell him. “They are stronger, faster, and far more resilient than any human.”

“Than any human?” Thomas chuckles. “You behave as though we are not all humans.”

“They are not,” I say, mentally kicking myself for my misspeak. I hardly slept last night, and my wolf is restless. The combination makes me fucking volatile at best. “And facing off with them will vastly dwindle our numbers.”

“Then how do you propose we get to Julius? It is your wife stuck over there.”

I growl, and Maynard grips my forearm. “Thank you for the reminder,” I snarl. “And as much as I wish we could rip through those fucking swamps to get her back, I will not lose my brothers to those damned men.” The vision of Madox, broken and bloodied, fills my memory, and I’m forced to shake it off.

“If the swamps are off the table, I do not see how we can get through unnoticed. The cliffs are too steep, the forests too dense and crawling with his scouts. Everything on their side of the river is.”

“We will find another way,” Grendel says, speaking up for the first time since this ridiculous waste of time started.

I’ve spent weeks pouring over these maps. Scouting those woods.

So far, getting through seems impossible. Unless, of course, you can move unseen as Zane can. And I’ve yet to even hear back from him.

Metal armor scrapes as a soldier rushes into Grendel’s tent. “My king,” he greets, breathless. “I’m so sorry to interrupt, but King Julius is on his way here. The scouts just arrived.”I look to Grendel, a snarl leaving my lips.

“Where is he?” Maynard demands.

“Almost here,” the soldier replies.

“I should ride out first, Your Highness, see what it is he wants.” Thomas turns to leave.

“No. I will meet with Julius. Merrick at my side.” He looks to me for acknowledgment, so I offer him a nod. He claps his hands together. “Let’s deal with this then. Perhaps he’s here for a surrender?”

“Beta?” I call for her through our bond, hoping Julius was foolish enough to bring her with him. If she’s near, I can get to her and kill them all. But there’s no answer, and my hopes turn to bitter, bitter ash.

We move through the grounds and climb onto the horses already waiting for us.

Maynard offers me a slight nod then moves back to where he stands beside Maverick and MacKenna. My mother and two younger brothers are nowhere in sight, which is probably for the better. Rage burns in my gut, churning like poison as we push our horses into a gallop and head for the top of the hill a few miles from the house.

I can make out the sight of two horses waiting for us, dark spots against the green grass. Every step we take makes me long for the day I can drive a blade into his heart and be done with it.

“Is she with him?” Hope blossoms through MacKenna’s voice.

“No,” I reply.

He does not respond, so I focus instead on keeping my head. At least for now. Should the opportunity present itself, I will not hesitate to shift and rip his fucking throat out. The moment we reach the bottom of the hill, I can smell the king. His treacherous stench fills my lungs, and with it, my bloodlust grows.

We reach the top, and his gaze lands on me. “When my men did not return, I assumed you were alive. What a shame I was right.”

“For you, my survival is deadly,” I snarl.

He chuckles. Arrogant fucking bastard. “You should know that I left orders for my men. Should I not return, they are to cut your wife’s heart out and feed it to the dogs.”

My stomach clenches; rage bubbles in my blood like acid.

“Why are you here?”

Julius turns to Grendel now. “Your surrender, of course.”

Grendel chuckles. “Then I fear you’ve come a long way for nothing. Return your daughter to her husband, and we can discuss your surrender.”

Julius looks to me. “Did you tell him just why Kiya is so important to me?”

“You wish to take an heir and are hoping to do so by kidnapping your grandchild. Hardly diabolical, Julius. Though it is despicable.”

The smile on Julius’s face spreads. “Kiya’s child with this savage is not just any child,” he says. “The thing that comes from her womb will be faster, stronger, and more ferocious than any soldier you’ve ever seen.”

“You believe in old fables, then?” Grendel chuckles. “I didn’t take you for a fool.”

Julius turns to Grendel, shifting his gaze from me to the other king. “You have no idea who you ride beside. Or, more accurately, what you ride beside. It’s going to be what gets you killed.” Now, he turns back to me. “Your wife is struggling to keep her head,” he says. “In fact, just yesterday morning, I heard her talking to someone who was not there.” He clicks his tongue. “Her attempt at an escape last night was met with quite the failure. Ended with her back being pumped full of arrows.”

I lunge off my horse, but the man riding with Julius points his crossbow at me—loaded and ready to fire. I stop.

“She’s alive. As you well know, she’s hard to kill. Nearly as hard as you are.” He clicks his tongue. “Though she screamed when we ripped them from her body.”

I’m shaking. Vibrating with rage. My wolf surges to the surface, and as I clench my hands into fists, I can feel the bite of my claws into the tenderness of my palms.

“You kill her and you have no negotiation,” Grendel warns. “The only reason we have not taken your kingdom is because we wish to ensure her survival.”

Julius doesn’t tear his eyes from me. “Is that right?” He cocks his head to the side. “I have to thank you, savage, for turning her into one of you. It’ll make it easier to ensure I get what I want from her.”

“Stand down, Alpha. He is baiting you. There’s wolfsbane on that arrow.”

Maynard’s warning is not needed because I can smell the wolfsbane from where I stand. He cannot attack me directly because it would push us into a battle that he is unprepared for. But if I attack first, I’ll be giving him a reason.

So, I do the impossible.

I keep my head.

“Your time is running out, Julius. And the first chance I get, I am going to fucking gut you.”

“Yes, I heard that was a specialty of yours.” Julius chuckles. “You know I have the manpower, Grendel. I also have the high ground. Should you continue this foolish fight, I will take your kingdom just as I am going to take his.”

“You haven’t the manpower, Julius. Or can you not count? My fighting force is twice the size of yours. I merely left half of them home. So, please, do try to take it from me. My men will defend our lands and your back will touch the grounds of Viridia before the soles of your shoes ever do.”

Julius grins, completely unfazed. “Tell me how to make her change,” he demands, turning toward me.

“Change? Have you lost your mind?” Grendel laughs, but when he meets my gaze, that laughter dies, and he falls silent.

“Tell me, or I’ll continue my attempts to force it.”

“She won’t change,” I tell him. “Not unless you take me to her.”

Julius stares at me for a moment then shakes his head. “Do I look like a fool? You’ve taken out entire armies by yourself. The last thing I’ll do is bring you behind my walls to the one leverage I have.”

“If you truly think so highly of me, then perhaps you shouldn’t have stolen my mate,” I growl.

“Tell me now. Or I will cut her to pieces until she finally has enough and changes.”

“One mark,” I warn him, “one missing hair from her head, and I will ensure your death is more painful than the combined deaths of every single one of the men I will tear through to get to you.”

He swallows hard. “Your threats are useless to me. If we are not going to discuss surrender, then I will accept your defeat.” He turns his horse and races through the soldiers who part to make way. They all turn to leave, but Grendel and I remain where we are until the last row has marched out of earshot.

“You’ve been keeping a secret from me,” Grendel accuses. “And you’re going to come clean.”

“Fine. But not here.” I turn Boots and gallop back into the confines of our camp. After dismounting, I turn to Maynard. “Get Maverick, Ferris, and MacKenna, and meet me in my study.”

Chapter 6

Merrick

Grendel follows me into my study, his unease growing the moment we’re behind the closed door. Without bothering to offer him a drink, I move toward my desk where I take the entire bottle of whiskey and turn it up.

“I should have fucking killed him right there.”

“Doing so would have risked Kiya.”

“Not if I fucking slaughtered them all and got to her before his men got back to order her death.”

“Is that truly a risk you’d want to take?”

I take the bottle and fling it into the fire. It shatters, and flames shoot up to the top of the expansive hearth. I wish I could walk right into them, let the fire devour me whole.

“I didn’t think so.” Grendel crosses his arms. “Now, tell me what the hell you’ve been keeping from me.”

“Not until my brothers and uncle arrive.”

“Why?”

“Because after what I tell you, you’re going to want proof. They will help give it to you.”

The door opens, and I expect my family to be on the other side, instead, Zane slips inside, his crimson gaze leveling on the king, then on me.

“Who the fuck are you?” Grendel demands.

“Not your fucking problem.” The vampire moves past Grendel and straight for me. “For you, however, we have a big fucking problem.”

“What is it?”

“Someone better tell me what the hell is going on,” Grendel snarls.

The door opens for a second time, and Maynard walks inside, followed by MacKenna, Maverick, and Ferris.

“Zane? When did you get back,” Maynard asks.

“Now.” He turns back to me. “Kiya has been branded.”

I grip the sides of my desk as I glare up at him. “She’s what?” I ask through clenched teeth.

“They’ve managed to place a ward on her skin. It prevents her from leaving the kingdom. At least until either the witch who cast it is dead or the ward is cut from her body.”

All noise is drowned out, thanks to the roaring of blood in my ears. My heart pounds, adrenaline obliterating damn near all of my senses. I lift my desk and roar as I fling it across the room. It slams into the wall and splinters, leaving wooden shards and paperwork scattered across the room.

“What the fuck is going on?” Grendel yells it now, so I turn to him and shift. My body contorts, bones breaking and twisting, fur shooting through my flesh until I’m standing before him on all fours.

“Do not let him leave right away.”

“Yes, brother,” Maverick replies as they block the door.

“No. Not possible. No.” He turns to my brothers and uncle. “It’s just a story.”

“Does it look like a fucking story?” Zane demands.

The king gapes at him and then at my family as they quickly shed their clothes, leaving them in piles on the ground, before they shift. Their bodies break apart and re-form in the span of a few heartbeats.

Grendel stares at them then turns to me. “This is—impossible,” he whispers. When he reaches for me, I step back.

“I wouldn’t touch him,” Zane warns. “He’s a biter.”

I shift once more, returning to my human form. My brothers and uncle, however, remain as wolves.

“The savage army that tore through war camps and decimated hundreds of men in a night? That was me. For a hundred years, I was cursed to roam the nights as a creature, not quite a man but far deadlier than a wolf. Julius came to me because he’d wanted my army; he offered me Kiya’s hand in marriage in return.”

“A hundred years?” He appears almost awestruck, fascinated by my confession. But I don’t have fucking time for fascination. Not when my beta has been fucking branded.

“Is Kiya—is she one of you?”

“Yes,” I tell him truthfully. “Though she wasn’t originally. She is my mate. My beta.”

“And Julius knows this.”

I nod. “He wants our child because he believes that child will give him the power to rule the realm. He doesn’t know that I was cursed, that the creature he is seeking no longer exists.”

“This is unreal.” The king sits down on a stool and shakes his head. “You are wolves.”

“Shifters,” MacKenna corrects as soon as he’s changed back. “And no one is more important than our Alpha, except his beta,” he replies.

“Is she pregnant?” Grendel questions.

“No,” I reply. “But if we don’t get her back, she is going to descend into madness.”

His brows draw together. “Madness? Why?”

“When Julius abducted her, I ordered her not to shift. In doing so, I willed her to remain in her human form. Without being able to shift, Kiya’s wolf will take over. It will obliterate the humanity left in her until there is nothing but the wolf.”

His brows arch up. “This is far more dire than you stated previously. Secrets like this, Merrick, they will cause us to lose this war.”

“We have no more secrets,” I reply. “But I fully expect this one to remain solely with you. Your men are not to know a damned thing.”

Grendel nods. “They wouldn’t believe me even if I told them.”

“Our family is more important than any war,” MacKenna threatens. “Than any king.”

Grendel glares at my brother. “I understand that. Your secret is safe with me, but it does move our timeline up. We need to get to Kiya before the king can force her to—change,” he adds the last word as he gestures to us.

“He’ll kill her before that happens,” Maynard says. “An alpha’s order is unbreakable unless the alpha dies.”

“Which I’m willing to do if it comes down to that.”

“The fuck you are,” MacKenna snaps. “We’ve already covered this, Merrick. If I have to rescue Kiya, only to tell her you’re dead, I’m going to find a way to resurrect you just so she can kill her yourself.”

“He’s right,” Grendel says. “You are far too valuable. We simply need to move up our timeline.”

“I think we’ve run out of time,” Zane tells us. “They’ve fucking tortured her, Merrick. She was bloodied and scraped when I saw her.”

“You saw her?” I move toward him.

“How the fuck do you think I knew she was branded? I was scouting the outside, looking for a way in, when this woman comes barreling out of the kitchen. She raced toward the wall, so I went in to get her. But I couldn’t fucking leave with her. Every time I tried, we hit a barrier.”

“You left her there? You had her with you, and you left her?” I choke out even as I hear the very reason he had to.

“If I could have carved that fucking thing off her neck before the guards caught us, I would have. But doing so without knowing just how intricately bound it is could have killed her. You need a witch to determine whether or not it’s a soul ward.”

“A soul ward?” MacKenna asks.

“It is a brand on the skin, but it is tied to her very being. If it’s a soul ward—” He shakes his head. “There is no way to break it unless the witch who placed it is killed.”

“Then that’s what we’ll fucking do,” I growl.

“If it’s not a soul ward?” Grendel asked. “You can remove it?”

“It’s going to hurt like a motherfucker, but, yeah, we can remove it.”

“She’s alive though?”

Zane turns to me. “She is. And was quite relieved when I told her you were, too. She believed you were dead.”

I sit down in my chair, amidst the ruins of my desk, and imagine the pain she must be suffering. The weight of everything my beta is carrying on her shoulders.

“Merrick,” Maynard starts. “If what Julius said is true, and Kiya is slipping away, we have mere days before we lose her forever.”

Gathering myself, I stand and turn to MacKenna. “You and Ferris up for a trip?”

My brother grins savagely. “Always.”

“Maynard, you and Maverick stay behind. We need to ensure our family is safe here, too.”

“I can and will protect them,” Grendel interjects, his tone slightly offended.

“I don’t know you well enough to trust you,” I tell him truthfully. “And you just learned a secret that I do not share lightly.” He opens his mouth to argue. “Besides, we can move faster if there are fewer of us.”

“We’ll stay behind,” Maynard says.

“Even though it’s bullshit,” Maverick grumbles.

I clasp a hand on Maverick’s shoulder. “I need you here, brother. Protecting the others.”

“Babysitting is not my forte.”

I chuckle. “No, but it is Maynard’s.”

“Pack your things,” I tell MacKenna and Ferris. “We leave at nightfall. You coming too, Zane?”

“Fuck yeah, wolf. I do love a good fight.” He follows my uncle and brothers out, so I turn back to Grendel.

“I can send men with you,” he offers. “They can linger in the trees while you slip inside the castle so, if you’re followed, you have backup.”

“Only a small number,” I tell him. “Otherwise, we won’t stand a chance of making it through unnoticed.”

“Half a dozen.”

“I only need five,” I tell him. “With me, MacKenna, Zane, and Ferris, that will make nine. Savvee makes ten.”

“You’re taking the witch?”

“I am. I need to know what the fuck this ward is.”

“Understood. Thank you for confiding in me, Merrick.”

I don’t point out that, had I not wanted to tell him, I never would have because letting him have this win seems more important. The more Alexander Grendel trusts me, the more I believe that he won’t harm my family.

I nod. “By my best guess, it will take at least four days to go around his latest camps. Perhaps we’ll get lucky and catch him on the road.”

“Doubtful. If I were him, I would have raced back to the castle. I doubt you’ll beat him. Especially if you’re going on foot.”

I wish he wasn’t right. Wish we could risk taking horses in order to make the journey faster. But doing so will only make us more of a target. So, while we can ride to the edge of the Shadow Lands, once we reach the trees just before we arrive at the bridge, we’ll need to send them back.

Grendel reaches out, and I take his offered hand. “I will hold the line while you are gone,” he promises. “They will not make it past my men.”

“Thank you.”

By the time I make it to Savvee’s tent, she’s already gone. Though, it only takes me mere seconds to discern just where she is.

“What the fuck did you do?” MacKenna bellows.

“What needed to be done!” Savvee screeches back.

I shake my head, frustration weighing on me as I shift directions and walk straight into MacKenna’s tent.

Savvee turns toward me. Ever since we embarked on this war, she’s kept her attire fit for a fight, swapping out dresses for riding pants, boots, and men’s shirts. Her hair is braided in a crown around her head, her eyes piercing.

“What the hell is going on?”

“Will you please tell your dimwitted brother that you asked me to enforce everyone’s blades?”

MacKenna whirls on me, eyes wide with betrayal. “Are you fucking serious? She’s a witch!”

“She has been nothing but helpful since we found her.”

“Have you forgotten that it was witch magic that put us in the position we were in? Her fucking mother cursed us!”

“And I helped you break it! Without me, you’d still be running around on all fours during the day. Though, to be honest, I would have preferred you not to be able to talk.”

MacKenna’s cheeks heat. “I don’t want your magic touching my fucking blade. For all I know, you’ll melt the damn thing.”

Savvee rolls her eyes. “Fine. I’ll ensure everyone else has blades that will never dull. But you, MacKenna Umbra, can sharpen your own damned weapon.” She turns on her heel and starts to stalk out, but I step in front of her. “I do not want to be lectured right now.” Her almond eyes darken, power snapping around her like netting.

“And I’m not planning on lecturing you. Whatever happens between you and MacKenna is on you both. Though I ask that you put it aside until we rescue Kiya.”

She glares back at MacKenna then turns back to me and crosses her arms. “Fine. What do you want?”

“Zane said a witch branded her.”

“Branded her? A ward?”

I nod. “He said it’s been tattooed on her body and she can’t leave.”

If I hadn’t already known what a dire situation this is, Savvee’s expression would have given it away. “Are you going after her?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll go pack.”

“Are you fucking serious?” MacKenna growls. “We don’t need her.”

“We do,” I counter. “The ward will need to be removed—”

“Zane can do it.”

“Zane is not a witch from this realm,” Savvee tells him. “His magic is not as strong as mine.”

“She has abilities we do not possess,” I tell him.

MacKenna glowers at me. “Until she uses those abilities to fucking betray us.”

Savvee rolls her eyes. “I’m in. When are we leaving?”

“Tonight,” I tell her. “Pack lightly. We’re taking horses to the boundary line then going on foot as we move through enemy territory.”

“On foot? That’s a week’s walk. At least.”

“We have four days. Horses will bring too much attention,” I tell Savvee. “We need to sneak past Julius’s army, and to do that, we need to be on foot.”

She doesn’t complain or argue further. “Fine. I added the charm to your blade already.” With one final glare at MacKenna, she stalks out of the tent.

“You have no right to have her fuck with our weapons.”

“Savvee is here to help, MacKenna. And if you weren’t so blinded by your prejudices against witches, you would see that.”

He shakes his head. “Trusting her is a mistake. She’s going to betray us; it’s only a matter of time.”

“Do you resent her mother for seeking vengeance?”

He glares back at me. “Of fucking course not. But she shouldn’t have gotten it at our expense.”

“I agree. But Savvee has done nothing but try to make things right.”

“And when she betrays us?”

My reply is without hesitation. “If she betrays us, then I’ll kill her myself.”

Chapter 7

Kiya

“Kiya.”

My head whips up from where it’s resting against the stone floor. Vision blurry from what little sleep I managed to grab, it takes me a moment to make out the form standing directly in front of me.

I scramble back, and the woman straightens. “Impossible,” I choke out. “You can’t be here.”

Bonnie smiles then moves to stand beside Ezra. Grief wells up in my chest, tightening it until my heart feels ready to explode.

“Hello, Kiya.” Bonnie’s voice is so achingly familiar that it breaks my heart all over again. Her gown is a deep purple, similar to one I made for her when I’d been a teenager. It had been her birthday, and I’d desperately wanted to repay some shred of the limitless kindness she’d bestowed on me.

“But this isn’t possible,” I whisper. Using the wall as a brace, I push to my feet. Legs weak, I wobble some. Neither makes any move to get closer to me, though both remain standing just where they are. “Bonnie? Ezra?” I choke out. “You’re here?”

“We are,” Bonnie says softly.

“Hello, girl,” Ezra greets.

“I don’t understand. How?”

“She’s a bit slow,” Grendel’s mother calls from the corner.

Bonnie glares at Patty. “She’s not slow.”

Grendel’s mother doesn’t reply.

“Ghosts? You’re ghosts?”

Ezra smiles. “We’re here for you.”

My mind cannot believe they’re here, but my heart is unwilling to pretend it’s not happening. “I’m so sorry for what happened.” Tears stream down my cheeks as the words tumble from my mouth. “I’m so sorry. You deserved better. You both deserved so much better.” The last time I saw them, they’d been lying on the grass after Julius had them beheaded for trying to come to me. “It’s my fault. It’s my fault you’re dead,” I choke.

“No, child. It’s not.” Bonnie smiles softly. “You did nothing wrong.”

“But you need to get out of here,” Ezra says. “You’re not safe.”

“I know that. But I’ve tried. I nearly made it, but they’ve branded me.” I move my hair aside and turn my back toward them.

“Dammit,” Ezra curses.

“Zane said Merrick is alive.” I whirl back on them. “He will come for me. He’ll rescue me, and then we can burn Julius’s regime to the ground.” I clench my hands into fists and glare back at them.

“Merrick—”

“Is dead,” Grendel’s mother interrupts Bonnie. “Or haven’t you heard? Kiya got him killed, just as her recklessness caused your deaths.”

“He is not dead. Zane said so.”

“So you’re basing your information on a vampire? Smart.”

“Vampire?” Ezra breathes. “They’re real?”

I nod. “And Merrick sent him here to find a way in. He moves faster than any man can.”

“It’s only a matter of time before Kiya gets him killed, too,” Patty announces.

“You watch your damned mouth,” Bonnie snaps. “Kiya has never hurt anyone.”

“Tell that to her husband’s brother,” Patty replies.

“How do you—” I trail off as a wave of nausea slams into me. My legs give out, and I drop down to my knees, my palms scraping against the stone beneath me. Straw pokes my knees from the makeshift bed I was granted, but I barely feel it now. Not as a chill spreads through my body.

A heavy door scrapes against the floor, and even as I know they cannot be harmed again, panic has me looking to Bonnie and Ezra. “You have to hide! Leave!” I whisper loudly.

“They cannot see us,” Grendel’s mother groans.

“How are you feeling today?” Julius’s voice precedes him, but a second later, he steps into view, a smile on his face. He’s wearing riding pants and an armor plate today, his sword sheathed at his hip.

I don’t respond.

“Nothing?” He clicks his tongue. “I thought I raised you better than that.”

“You didn’t raise me,” I snarl.

He grins. “Perhaps. But I’m the reason you’re alive. Or have you so quickly forgotten that?” Julius turns to look at someone I can’t see. “She smells. Fix it.”

My stomach rolls as two guards carrying buckets come into view. I grind my teeth together and remain exactly where I am. Even when they rear back and splash me with ice-cold water, I do not let him see it affect me.

It will not affect me.

“Much better.” He crosses his arms. “Without me, you would have been raped and left for dead in those streets.”

“Without you, I would have found a way to survive.”

“You really do think that, don’t you?” Julius shakes his head. “Women really only have two purposes in life. To bear children. And to serve—whether that’s in the kitchen, cleaning, or with your legs open depends on the situation. Mark my words, Kiya, you would have ended up fucked and discarded. Though, perhaps that will happen to you after all,” he adds with a click of his tongue.

I swallow hard because, in his kingdom, that’s exactly right. I saw girls no older than I was, stolen off the streets and turned into glorified breeding stock for men who wanted heirs. It’s the first thing I would have changed when I took over.

If I’d ever been given that chance.

“Silence. Good girl.” He takes a step closer, and I grind my teeth together. I want so badly to see his blood on this floor. To taste it on my tongue, feel it slipping down my wrists. “I saw your husband.”

My head whips up to him.

“Yes. It appears he is alive—for now.” He pulls back and leans against the far wall. “Get her up.”

Two guards rush me, but I thrash, fighting back. My weakness makes me no match for them, though, and in seconds, I’m chained with my arms above my head.

“He is going to kill you,” I say with utmost conviction.

“Merrick will never make it past my defenses,” he replies. “I’ve made sure of that.”

“You have no idea what he is capable of.”

Julius crosses toward me and presses his hand to my flat belly. My stomach heaves, bile rising in my throat as he massages it with his palm. “Is there a child in there?” he questions. “Tell me now, Kiya, or I will assume there is not. You really don’t want me to do that.”

I spit in his face, and his palm cracks against my cheek. Blood fills my mouth, but I smile anyway.

“Start breaking things,” Julius orders the guard. “She will change, or she’ll suffer.”

I’m beyond terrified of what’s to come. But I know there will be an end. Because Merrick is going to come for me, and I can survive anything as long as it ends with me at his side.

The guard steps forward and grips one of my fingers. “Change,” he orders, his gruff voice grating against my soul.

“Fuck. Yo—” I scream as my finger cracks. Pain shoots through my hand and radiates up my arm.

He grabs another finger. “Change.”

I suck in a deep breath and wait for the pain, though I do not respond.

He yanks it out of place.

I whimper.

“Not enough. Shatter a fucking knee,” the king orders. “Whatever it takes. Break her.”

I lie on the floor in a puddle of my own blood, vomit, and saliva. My body has already healed my broken fingers thanks to the quick healing abilities I still maintain despite not being able to feel my wolf.

Every inch of my body has been battered—except, of course—my abdomen. No, he left it alone and went for my fingers. My knees. My ankles.

I whimper and curl in on myself as best I can. It’s damn near useless, though.

“My dear, sweet Kiya.” A soft feminine voice fills my ears. One I never thought I’d hear again.

I open my eyes and look straight into the familiar face of my mother. Emotion wells in my chest, it smothers me, making it almost impossible to breathe. “Mother?” I whisper.

“Yes, my dear.” She reaches out and runs a hand along the side of my face, but I cannot feel the warmth of her touch.

“I miss you,” I cry. “I miss you so much.”

“I miss you, too, my sweet child. What has become of you—it’s—I’m so sorry I failed you.”

“You didn’t fail me,” I whisper. “I failed myself. I should have killed Julius. Should have done it the day he came to visit me in the Shadow Lands.” My vision wavers, so I close my eyes. When I open them again, my mother is still there, sitting at my side.

“You are strong, Kiya. Far stronger than he gives you credit for.”

“I don’t know that I am.”

“You are holding out when you could give in. Make things easier on yourself.”

Tears slip down my cheeks. “I cannot shift,” I whisper. “I tried. For some reason, I am unable to reach my wolf. I thought it was because Merrick was dead. But he’s alive.” I tilt my face up to hers. “What is wrong with me?”

“Nothing, child,” she says softly. “But you need to get up. You need to fight. You need to survive.”

“I’m trying.” I force myself to move despite the burning in my bones. After sitting up, I lean back against the wall and stare at the door. It remains closed, but I’ve no doubt Julius will be coming through it again.

And when he does, I’m not sure I’ll have the strength to keep him away.

“Please don’t leave me,” I whisper to my mother.

She takes a seat at my side. “Never, my Kiya. Never.”

Chapter 8

Merrick

“We need to stop for a few hours,” Ferris announces as he tosses his pack to the ground. “Give everyone some time to eat and take a break.”

He doesn’t say it, but I know he means the humans. While we cannot go on indefinitely either, our stamina is far greater than theirs. I want to keep moving. Keep pushing until I have Kiya at my side. But we may need the humans, so I nod in agreement. “Fine. But we’re not resting long. Take the break you need; we’re moving again in a few hours.”

“I’ll make sure no one can see us,” Savvee offers.

“I can help with that.” Zane moves to her side, and the two of them head a bit farther into the trees to begin laying wards.

My gaze goes to MacKenna, who’s watching the two of them with the gaze of a jealous man. “You are watching her quite intently,” I comment.

He glares at me. “I don’t trust her.”

“Do you trust Zane?”

“Debatable.”

“I heard that!” Zane calls back. “Fuck you too, little Umbra!”

“And that’s why,” MacKenna snarls. “Bastard is always listening to us.”

Ferris chuckles. “He gets under your skin, but not nearly as badly as she does.”

“She’s gorgeous,” Nox—one of the men Grendel sent with us—comments as he runs a hand through his bright red hair. “I can’t understand why you wouldn’t want her to get under your skin.”

MacKenna growls, but Ferris steps closer to his side.

Nox pales slightly but doesn’t say anything else. Smart man.

“Let’s get a fire going,” my uncle orders. “Nox, Liah, Geoff, go collect some wood.”

“On it,” Liah says as he hops up. The three men head into the trees at the same time Savvee and Zane emerge.

The two take seats beside their packs, and Savvee leans back to stare up at the canopies above us, not saying a word. She’s uncomfortable around MacKenna, though I can sense the same desires radiating from her as from my brother.

It’s frustrating to know and not be able to convince them of the other’s affections. If it were Maverick? I would be upfront. But MacKenna is so damned stubborn he’d refuse her just to spite me. So, I keep my mouth shut and lie back, staring up at the sky in the same way Savvee is.

Trees here on the edge of the Shadow Lands are far taller than anywhere else in the realm. Pack stories say it’s because the blood spilled here when the lands were originally taken by my pack was considered so great a sacrifice that the ground reacted to it, throwing up trees to grant the pack shelter from any further attacks.

I’ve long since stopped believing in such stories, but it paints a good picture. Then again, history almost always reflects positively on those speaking it. The truth is I’ve no idea whether the pack had rights to this land when they took it or not. All I know is that I will protect it and open my village to any seeking safety and security.

My penance, as I can consider it. A way to atone for the lives I’ve taken ever since I was cursed.

“So, Zane, tell us of your realm,” Bart—another of Grendel’s men—asks as he unrolls his pack and lies down.

Geoff, Liah, and Nox return with armloads of wood, which they place in a strategic pile before us. Zane delights the humans by setting them on fire simply with the snap of his fingers. It roars to life, no sparks, no gentle growing of the flames.

“There’s not much to tell,” he says as he leans back. “Cambrexia is not too different from here.” Since the humans have no idea of his true nature or ours, he keeps his answers vague.

“When you came here, did you cross paths with any pirates?” Liah asks.

“Yeah!” Bart adds, excitement lacing his tone. “We’ve heard stories of Neo—the pirate king. Did you see him?”

Zane chuckles. “I truly wish I had a better story for you, but no. I did not cross paths with the infamous Neo. Though, I have heard of him as well.”

“Fascinating,” Phillip—another human—adds. “We’ve grown up on stories of how dangerous those seas are. But I’ve always wondered how much is fable and how much is the truth.”

“Given the number of ships that go down in the Cerulean seas,” Zane starts, “I’d wager there’s quite a lot of truth in the stories.” Zane leans back. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to get some rest.” He closes his eyes and falls silent as MacKenna plops down beside me.

“Any thoughts on how we’re going to save her if that ward is soul marked?” MacKenna asks, his voice filling my mind.

“I’m hoping it is not.”

“Hoping will not make it so.”

“Should the mark be soul-binding, I will hunt the witch down who placed it upon her flesh and rip her heart out,” I say.

The fire crackles between us as the humans fall into their own quiet conversations. All around me, the realm is alive, from the hoots of owls to the chirping of insects on the ground and in the trees above us.

So much life.

And yet, I feel empty inside without my beta.

I’m coming for you, Kiya. I send the message up to the stars in hopes it reaches her and gives her the strength to keep surviving. To keep clinging to reality.

“What are you going to do about your feelings for the witch?” I ask MacKenna. While he may not be willing to admit it yet, I can sense how he feels.

“Nothing,” he replies then leans back and closes his eyes.

Something moves in the trees an instant before I catch the scent of a dying man. I jump up, blade at the ready, and MacKenna, Ferris, and Zane do the same. The humans are the last to be ready as more bootsteps fill my ears.

Men wearing bright gold armor step out, smiles on their faces. “Well-well-well, isn’t this something,” the one leading the group comments as he withdraws his sword. “By order of King Julius, lower your weapons.”

“How the fuck did they get through the wards?”

“I don’t know, brother,” MacKenna replies.

“You lower yours,” I tell them. “You are on my land, not Julius’s.”

The one grins at the half-dozen soldiers behind him. Then, he turns back to me, that smug smile on his face. “This entire realm belongs to Julius. Not some fucking pathetic leader who deemed himself an Alpha.”

“You will die for that remark,” Ferris growls.

He looks back and grins at his men. “Kill them.” The humans charge.

MacKenna’s blade meets the steel of another’s at the same time mine does. I spin and kick out, knocking the soldier back two steps. He grunts then swings his blade out again, damn near catching my abdomen.

I drop down and sweep his legs out from under and then jump up and drive my sword down into his throat. It takes less than two minutes before the soldiers are defeated, all of them lying on the ground.

“Your bitch is going to die,” one of them chokes.

I whirl and rush over, dropping to my knees beside the man who spoke. He glares up at me, murder in his blue gaze. “What the fuck did you just say?”

“Your bitch,” he chokes. “She’s been real bloodied. And the king hasn’t even gotten his hands on her yet.”

I grip his throat and slam his head back into the dirt. “What the fuck does that mean?”

He grins, blood dripping from his mouth. “He gonna fuck her real good until she gives him an heir.”

Red invades my vision as I tear the soldier’s throat out with my bare fucking hands. Warm, sticky blood splatters my chest and face. It drips down my arm, and I suck in breath after breath, trying like hell to contain my anger.

“How the hell did they get through the wards?” I hear MacKenna ask.

“The wards keep people from seeing in. They don’t stop them from walking through and stumbling on us,” Savvee tells him.

“Security measure,” Zane adds. “Not a deterrent.”

I can hear them talking, but it sounds like they’re miles away. Every labored breath is painstaking as I try to gain control. My wolf surges, hands partially shifting until claws are digging deep into the fresh dirt.

Kiya.

“Easy, Merrick.” My uncle is at my side, his hand on my shoulder.

“He’s. Going. To. Rape. Her.” I choke on the words, each one burning worse than the last.

“We’ll get to her first.” Savvee is at my other side. I look up at MacKenna, but he looks just as close to losing it as I am.

He breathes heavily, sucking in breath after breath, though his eyes are burning a bright golden color that tells me his wolf is not far from the surface.

“I’ll go ahead,” Zane offers. “See if I can get inside.”

I nod. Unable to breathe as the world closes in around me. I knew it was a possibility. Knew that he would do anything he could to get what he wants—a child. But hearing it confirmed breaks me.

"No more fucking breaks.” I push to my feet, grab my sword and pack, and then turn to face them. “Keep up, or I’m fucking leaving you.”

Chapter 9

Kiya

“Now, are you planning to change today? I have somewhere to be and would hate to miss it.”

“I told you,” I growl. “I cannot shift.” My mother still remains at my side, and sometime during the night, Bonnie and Ezra returned. Patty, too, though she still sits in the corner, making comments about all the ways I’ve failed.

“So you say.” He gestures off to the side, and a hooded figure is shoved forward. “I have someone for you to meet.”

A black cloak covers most of what I can see, though, as she moves forward, I note the way she steers clear of him. Fear radiates off of her in waves, mixed with something else—hate. Yes, I know that one well. Julius shoves her forward, and she falls to the ground, her hood falling back and revealing her face.

She’s absolutely gorgeous. Ethereal.

Light freckles dot high cheekbones, and her pale eyes are very nearly the same shade as her ash blonde hair. Her chin is bruised, her lip busted, and when she moves to stand, I catch sight of golden shackles around her wrists.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispers. A tear slips down her cheek.

“Who are you?”

“No need for introductions,” Julius snaps. “Read her.”

The woman swallows hard and creeps forward. “May I touch you?”

“Do not let her touch you,” Ezra growls. “She is an enemy.”

“She’s frightened,” Bonnie tells me.

“Just as you are,” my mother adds.

“What is your name?” I ask, ignoring Julius’s order.

“Ona.”

“Read her, Seer,” he snaps.

She closes her eyes, and when she opens them again, they’re shimmering with tears even as power swirls within the pale depths.

I hold my hand out. “Go ahead.” The idea of this woman suffering any more than she already is breaks my heart. So, I allow her to do what I probably shouldn’t. There’s no doubt in my mind he’s using her to decide whether I’m pregnant or not.

And the sooner he figures out I’m not, the sooner he’ll free me so he can try to take me to bed.

Then I’ll have my chance.

To rip his fucking heart out.

Her cool fingers touch my skin, and she closes her eyes. Power radiates up my arm, flashes of lightning that continue to climb until we’re both completely surrounded. Seconds tick by until she rips her hand back and stares at me in complete and total wonder. Gone is the fear on her face.

“Well? What did you see? Is she with child?” Julius questions.

She cocks her head to the side to study me. “She is very strong.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

Ona turns to him and grins. “She will not break. No matter how much you push her, you will not win.” She barks out a laugh, and Julius’s cheeks turn crimson.

“Answer my fucking question, or I will have you killed.”

Ona takes a step backward—directly in front of me. She’s so close that I can smell the perfumed water still clinging to her skin from whatever bath she last took. My mouth waters, a hunger I’ve never experienced burning my belly from the inside. “Get away from me,” I growl as my vision turns red.

Kill her. Feast. Become stronger, a voice in my head whispers to me.

“Go ahead,” Ona says. “Kill me.”

I shake my head. “No.”

Feast! the voice roars.

“Get the fuck over here,” Julius orders.

“Come and get me,” Ona taunts. She looks back at me. “Kill me,” she pleads. “It’s better than what’s been happening to me in these walls.” She fully turns to me and lets the cloak fall open. Beneath it, a sheer nightgown barely covers a bruised and battered body.

Rage pummels me.

“Yes,” Ona whispers, a grin spreading over her face. “Get angry.”

The king’s eyes are wide, his cheeks pale. “Get. Over. Here. Now,” he snaps.

“Come and get me.” Ona reaches up and runs a sharp fingernail over the flesh of her throat. Copper tang clings to the air and pushes my hunger into damn near starvation.

“Hold steady, girl,” Ezra tells me.

“I can’t,” I choke out. Saliva fills my mouth, and my stomach twists into knots.

“You can do it,” my mother tells me.

“Kill me,” Ona orders. “Kill me and become closer with the animal in you. She’s the only way you’ll survive.”

“Guard!” Julius bellows.

The heavy footfalls of his men echo down the steps, and my panic grows.

“Kill me,” Ona pleads. “Please. Please—”

I snap. My hands close around her throat, and I wrench her toward me then bury my teeth in her throat. I rip, shredding the flesh like it’s nothing. Her blood fills my mouth, and, for a moment—a brief, carnage-filled moment—my hunger is sated.

Until I open my eyes and stare into the horrified faces of Julius’s guards. My hands tremble as I shove her body to the ground and scramble back against the wall. I curl my knees up as tears burn in my eyes.

What the hell did I just do?

Ona’s face is turned toward me, her eyes wide open, lips curved into a slight smile as though she is at peace with her horrific death.

“You are an animal.”

I look up at Julius, but he merely grins at me. Gone is the horror on his face, the anger. It’s been replaced with a twisted satisfaction as though I just gave him every shred of information he needed.

“You should be proud. You’re even more valuable than I could have imagined. Perhaps I will keep you around once you’ve given me a child.” He cocks his head to the side, looking immensely proud. It makes my skin crawl. “I’m leaving for some time. When I return, you will either prove to me you’re with child, or I’ll take matters into my own hands.” He turns and leaves while the guards retrieve Ona’s broken body and retreat after him.

A soft whimper echoes off the walls, and it takes me a moment to realize it’s me. Sobs shake my shoulders.

“What have you done?”

I look up at Bonnie. “I’m so sorry,” I whisper. “I don’t know what happened. I just snapped.”

“He made you a monster,” she replies. Eyes wide with horror, she stares at me as though she doesn’t know who I am. As though she’s just as scared of me as those guards were.

“He made her strong,” Ezra counters. “A warrior. No one will harm you ever again.” He crosses his arms and stands up straighter. “I’m proud of you.”

“Yes,” Grendel’s mother replies. “Let us be proud of the killer.”

“She was taunted,” my mother snaps.

“Taunted by a tormented girl,” Patty retorts.

“Julius had been hurting her,” I tell them. “You saw. You saw what he’d been doing to her.”

Bonnie nods sadly. “We did.”

“You gave her a mercy.” Ezra kneels beside me. “He never would have stopped.” He reaches forward and places a hand on my shoulder, but I can’t feel the warmth or weight of his touch. “I have seen and covered up Julius’s crimes. What you did for her was a mercy,” he repeats. “You must believe me.”

I shake my head. “I killed her. Ripped her throat out.” The words are spoken on a choked sob. What would Merrick think of me now?

“Merrick would think you a warrior,” Ezra tells me.

I turn toward him. “How—”

“It’s all over your face.” His kind smile is one I’ve memorized, but seeing it now breaks my heart.

“I miss you guys.”

“We’re right here.” My mother crosses over and rests her hand on the shoulder of her husband.

“Not really, though.”

“They’re as real as me,” Patty says.

“You’re ghosts.”

“Thank you for pointing out the obvious, child,” she retorts.

Ignoring her sarcasm, I turn toward the pool of blood still at my feet. Hands shaking, I study the crimson coating my fingertips. It’s buried beneath my fingernails, and I know it’s coating my hair, face, and clothes.

My stomach rolls.

Sweat beads on my skin.

I lean my head back and try to take deep breaths in order to ease the pain in my gut, but it’s no use. It heaves, and I’m forced to my hands and knees as blood-covered vomit spews from my mouth.

Tears burn in my eyes. They slip down my cheeks as I come to the horrific realization that something is very, very wrong with me.

Could it be the brand? Could that ward be making me sick as well as keeping me here?

As soon as my stomach stops heaving, I collapse onto the ground. My body shakes violently, muscles seizing as I curl in on myself and cry.

Chapter 10

Merrick

Mud crusts my hair, shielding its true color as we sneak into the village at the base of the bridge leading to the Shadow Lands.

Behind me, MacKenna, Ferris, Zane, and Savvee walk with the five men Grendel sent with us following at a slight distance.

The village that once bustled with activity is nearly empty now, no carts lining the street. Though the moon is slowly sinking from the sky, it should have already been active. At the very least, some of the villagers should have been moving from the pub back home or vice versa.

It’s unusual. And in my world, that means something is horribly wrong.

“I smell no death,” MacKenna whispers.

I nod, letting him know I heard him even as the scraping of boots against gravel demands my attention.

“Why the fuck do we have to keep patrolling? No one is here,” a man complains.

We duck into the nearest alley, flattening against the wall so the guards can’t pick us out from the shadows. A door opens just behind Savvee, and she falls backward. Moving like a blur, MacKenna rips her out of the doorway, shoves her behind him, and has his blade up in the blink of an eye.

“Easy,” a familiar voice whispers. “Is Merrick with you?”

“Who the fuck are you?” MacKenna snarls.

“Did you hear that?” one of the guards says.

“Get inside before they see you!” the man whispers.

MacKenna looks to me, and I nod. He shoves Savvee inside first then follows behind her. The six men with us move in next, and I follow them, shutting the door just before the guards round the corner. With my enhanced hearing, I can make out their footsteps just outside the door.

We remain completely silent until they retreat.

Then, I turn and breathe a sigh of relief when I see Noah standing just before us. “Old friend,” he says with a smile as he wraps his arms around me in an embrace.

“Noah,” I greet. “This is my brother, MacKenna, Savvee, my uncle, Ferris, Phillip, Geoff, Bart, Lia, and Nox.” I introduce everyone in our group and then turn back to my old friend. “What the hell happened?”

His expression falters. “After your fight on the bridge, King Julius sent men here. They’ve put us under lockdown. We are only allowed to leave our homes while the sun is high in the sky. Anyone caught out after dark is killed in the streets.”

“Motherfucker,” MacKenna snarls.

“How many are here?” Savvee wonders.

“A dozen,” he replies. The slump of his shoulders alludes to just how defeated he feels.

“Why have you all not overrun them? There are far more of you.” Judgment laces the witch’s words.

“What will we do?” Noah questions, a crease forming between his brows.

“I can feel your power,” Savvee retorts.

“Yes. But I am the only one here. Most of these people are farmers,” he says. “Healers. We’re not warriors. I might have power, young witch, but one well-placed arrow and my daughter is left to fend for herself.”

Savvee’s mood shifts. She purses her lips and nods in understanding. “I apologize. I didn’t realize you had a child.”

He offers a slight nod. “I’ve kept her hidden below the house. Down in the cellar. I’ve tried to keep people safe, but there’s only so much I can do.”

“Do they know of your abilities?” I question.

“No. Thankfully, I’ve managed to keep that hidden. Though, I’m not sure how much longer. They’re doing random searches of our homes. The second they find anything to implicate me, I worry that will be my end.”

“Can you not leave?” Zane asks. “Sneak out and take your daughter somewhere safe?”

“I could,” he says. “But we would be abandoning our people. Without me—”

“I will take care of the guards.” Savvee rolls her shoulders. “Do they all linger at the pub?”

“You have to be fucking kidding me,” MacKenna growls. “What the fuck do you think you’re going to do?”

Savvee turns to him, and her power flares to life. Eyes shining brightly, she glares up at him. “Despite what you seem to think, I’m no damsel.”

“Oh, I don’t think you’re a damsel,” he counters. “You’re a wolf hiding in the clothes of a sheep.”

“Spoken from a true predator,” she snaps.

“And you are one,” my brother points out. “Against a dozen.”

She moves in closer and jabs a finger in his chest. I can feel his rage but, beneath it all, his concern. “You are a warrior. As is your brother and every man we brought with us. So how about you put your skills to good use, and help me rid this village of its infestation.”

MacKenna looks to me.

“We need to save them,” she pleads. “Then we go on our way.”

“We’re running out of time,” I tell her.

“Will you’ll leave your friend to fend for himself?” she snaps.

I glare at her then look to Ferris. I can feel his agreement with the witch, though he won’t speak it out loud.

“It will only take us a short amount of time to deal with these soldiers,” she says. “Then we can get back on the road.”

I swallow hard. Getting to Kiya is my top priority. Especially after what the guard told me Julius plans to do.

But can I truly leave these villagers to suffer?

“He’ll send more men,” MacKenna defends. “We’re better off to hit them on our way back, take them with us.”

“We don’t know if they’ll be alive then,” Ferris interjects.

MacKenna looks from my uncle back to me. “Alpha, I’ll follow your lead. As always.”

Everything in me wants to continue forward. To leave these villagers to defend their own. But I know if it were Kiya in my shoes, she would have made the choice to help them first. So, I sigh. “We kill them all. Tonight.”

Wearing a borrowed dress that pushes her breasts up to near spilling out of the top of it, Savvee saunters through town. We cling to the shadows between buildings, blades at the ready. Ferris and Grendel’s men are on the opposite side of the street while Zane, MacKenna, and I remain on this side.

Noah insisted on coming, but with his daughter’s life on the line, should things go wrong, I insisted he stay behind and pack supplies.

After all, if this goes south, we may very well need his healing.

“Oh boys!” Savvee calls.

“I don’t fucking see why she had to put herself forward as bait,” MacKenna growls through the alpha bond.

“You worried for her safety, brother?”

“Hardly. I just don’t want to have to watch her fucking flaunting herself.”

If I weren’t so heartbroken over my own situation, I might have smiled at the agitation I recognize clearly as very real feelings.

“What the hell do we have here?” a man says as he and two others walk down the street. The moonlight glints off their armor, though they leave their blades sheathed at their sides.

Morons.

“I’m merely looking for a good time.” Savvee stumbles, the mug in her hand spilling ale on the ground.

The men study her, their grins evidence enough of their plans for her. It makes my stomach churn, my skin crawl, and a blinding rage creep up my spine. Still, I remain where we are. We need them all in one place for this to go down easily. “What kind of good time?”

“The kind that involves more than you three.”

“Oh? I think we can make that happen.” The man looks to his companions then reaches out.

Savvee takes his hand.

Beside me, MacKenna growls.

I look over, not at all surprised to see his wolf trying to come out. Eyes bright and gold, they might as well be shining all by themselves. “Keep it together,” I say, careful not to infuse the order with my power as alpha. I learned that lesson, and I have no intention of doing it again.

“I’m fucking trying,” he growls.

I turn my attention back to Savvee as she continues talking to the guards. “I am so glad to hear that. I’ve been bored out of my mind.” She follows them as they walk down the path that leads through town. We continue sneaking after them, ducking in and out of shadows until we reach the outside walls of the pub.

Savvee and the men step inside, and I hear loud cheers.

I slip out in front of the building and peek into the window, remaining low enough that no one can see me. Seated at the tables, I count at least nine men, which makes the three with Savvee twelve. The one that took her hand pulls her into his lap.

“Let me up. I want a drink,” she says.

He rips her back down. “How about you earn that drink,” he replies.

I start for the door, but Savvee smiles and turns to straddle him. She cups his face with her hands.

“What the hell—” MacKenna comes to kneel beside me.

“I will gladly earn it.” Power flares down her arms, and she throws her head back and screams as it pours out of her.

We burst inside, but the second we’re in, the man she was touching bursts into flames.

Chaos erupts.

Ferris and the others follow us in. I raise my sword, metal crashing against metal as I bring it up to block the attack of one of the men.

Savvee rushes forward, dagger in hand, and drives it into the eye socket of a second man.

I drive my blade into the belly of my opponent. He falls to the ground, and I spin, prepared for another, though there’s no one standing.

In fact, the only men still breathing are the ones who came with us.

Breathing ragged, she turns to face us. “They died too easily.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Geoff starts. “You fucking burned that one.”

“They shouldn’t have put their hands on me. I have no tolerance for men who take what is not theirs,” Savvee snarls. “Let that be a lesson to all of you,” she adds, glaring at Grendel’s men.

“If I weren’t already in love—” Zane starts.

“You better not finish that fucking sentence,” MacKenna snaps then turns to me. “We need to send the villagers to our camp,” MacKenna says. “Otherwise, their freedom will be short-lived.”

“I agree.” I turn toward Geoff. “You choose two of your men. You will take them and the villagers in this camp back to ours.”

“We were ordered to remain with you.”

“You were ordered to do as I asked, were you not?” I snap back.

The man hesitates for a moment then nods. “We were.”

“Then you will do as I say and escort these people—safely—back to our camp. Take them on the same path we took here. Should you move quickly, you should be able to make it to the Shadow Lands safely.”

“Understood.” He dips his head in a nod then turns to his men. “Liah, Nox, you’re with me.” He turns back to me. “We will see them safely.”

“Go get Noah; have him wake his people. They need to pack and be gone within the hour.”

Without another word, the three of them rush outside and into the street.

“Anyone want a drink?” Savvee questions as she strolls over to the bar. “I could sure as hell use one.”

“You just fucking burned a man alive.”

“Yes. And I would have killed every one of them had you all not crashed my party,” she replies to MacKenna.

He continues to stare at her. “Then why the fuck didn’t you leave the swamp? Clearly you could have.”

She swallows hard and levels her gaze on his. “I didn’t want to face what my mother told me I’d find if I did.” Without elaborating, she sets glasses on the counter and begins to fill them with whiskey. “Now, drink up.” She hands out glasses. “Then we go get our Kiya back.”

Chapter 11

Merrick

The kingdom is quiet, aside from the guards strolling on top of the walls. MacKenna, Savvee, and I remain in the shadows, waiting for the distraction Zane promised when he, Ferris, and Grendel’s men split off from us at the kingdom’s edge.

My heart is in my throat, my stomach in knots, but the adrenaline in my system is a strange sort of calm. My wolf surges, his desire to break free and take over is strong, but doing so will only put us at risk.

I close my eyes and inhale deeply, trying to get a sense of the numbers we’re facing, but the information is not pleasant. There are far too many scents to pick up on, meaning Julius didn’t take nearly the number of men with him we’d hoped he would.

Truthfully, the urge to leave now and catch him on the road is strong. But I’m so close to Kiya, I cannot give up now.

“Beta,” I call out through our bond. “Hear me, Kiya.”

No response. I try not to focus too intently on that. Doing so only makes the fear in my gut grow. And if it expands much further, it will eclipse me.

The sky turns orange seconds after a blast makes my muscles tense. Soldiers yell and rush toward the other side of the walls, leaving a momentary opening for us. MacKenna and I throw two grappling hooks up and being our climb.

My muscles bunch and burn with the exertion of scaling the walls, but I don’t slow. Not even as the rope bites into my bare palms. Any injury it causes will be healed within minutes, so dwelling on the pain is useless.

It takes seconds to reach the top of the wall and fling ourselves over. MacKenna and I both draw our swords, then check for any signs we’re not alone. With the soldiers distracted, we have mere minutes to get into the castle without being seen.

MacKenna turns and grips the rope, pulling it up until Savvee appears over the edge. Her boots touch the stone soundlessly, so we turn and look for our point of entrance—a wooden door that should lead us inside.

Below, the soldiers scramble toward the source of the explosion, not at all bothering to pay attention to what’s happening above them.

Lucky for us.

We reach the end of the walkway then move as quickly and quietly down the stairs as we can. Still unseen, we manage to slip into a servants’ entry before the guards see us.

But that is where our luck ends.

A guard turns and spots us. I charge—blade raised—and before he can get a word out, he’s silenced with the steel in my hand.

His body falls to the ground, and we continue moving. Savvee between us, MacKenna and I eat up the floor. With no knowledge of this layout, we’re practically fighting blind.

“Kiya! Please. Answer me. We’re here. Where are you?”

Nothing.

The scent of a woman hits me—and I whirl as a grey-haired woman comes around the corner. She sees us—eyes widening—but she does not scream. Does not call for help. “Are you here for the princess?”

I rush toward her. “You know where she is?”

The woman nods. “But I fear you might be too late. They say she’s gone mad.”

“Where is she?” I demand.

“You’re her husband. The savage from the Shadow Lands.”

“Yes.”

The woman studies me as though she’s discerning whether Kiya is better here or with me. Finally, she nods. “This way.” She turns and moves quickly down the hall. We pass portraits boasting men as they sit upon a throne, their queen’s beside them.

I stop at the end of the hall. Eyes widening, I stare at the final portrait on the wall. A young Kiya—maybe thirteen—stands beside Julius’s throne. She looks so broken, her gaze dark even in the portrait.

It breaks my heart.

“Hurry!” the woman calls back, ripping me from my thoughts.

“Kiya!” I call out.

“Can you reach her?” MacKenna questions through the alpha bond.

“Not yet.”

“It’s possible he has her in silver.”

“Maybe.” I try to hold onto that, try to cling to that rational explanation for why my mate is not responding to me. But even I know that’s unlikely. Most chains are made of iron. I doubt Julius would know enough to forge them with silver.

Footsteps ahead have me grabbing Savvee and tugging her through a door. MacKenna follows, but the maid remains just outside, though I can sense her directly on the other side of the now-closed door.

“What the fuck are you doing out here?”

“My duties,” she responds. “Is something the matter?”

“Not anything you need to worry about. Just some fucking animals that need to be put down. Get your ass to your quarters and stay put until this is done.”

“Yes. Of course. I will head that way now.”

Moments pass as my heart hammers. Until finally, she opens the door and gestures for us to follow her out into the hall.

“Thank you,” Savvee whispers. “For helping us.”

“The things they have put that poor girl through.” She swallows hard. “She deserved far better than what she has gotten. I certainly hope you give her that,” she adds as she continues to bustle down the hall.

And with every step we take, every moment that passes where Kiya does not respond to me, I lose hope.

Chapter 12

Kiya

Pain throbs in my brain. It sears my eyes, the blood in my ears pounding so loudly it’s as if someone is hitting me over and over again with a damned mallet. I clench both hands into fists, holding them against my ears to try to block out even a bit of the sound.

Every muscle in my body aches. My joints feel like they have sand between them. Each slight movement is agony. Each breath labored.

And all of that pain pales in comparison to the ache in my gut. I’m starving. The bread they left for me did nothing but turn my stomach into a pit. The hunger grows with every single moment until no part of my body remains that isn’t on fire.

“Hang in there, girl,” Bonnie whispers.

“You can do it,” Ezra adds.

“You are strong,” my mother whispers.

“Lies,” Grendel’s mother adds. “She deserves all the pain she’s feeling.”

“If I could kill you—” Ezra starts.

“But you can’t,” she replies. “Besides, Kiya knows I’m right. She was warned, and she ignored it.”

“I couldn’t have ignored it even if I’d wanted to,” I growl. “He attacked us on the road right after we spoke,” I grind out through clenched teeth.

“You should have traveled with my son,” she replies coolly. “Though, you already know that, don’t you?”

The door scrapes open, but I remain where I am.

Peter steps down, holding a plate in his hand. I look at the man I’d once considered my friend and imagine ripping his throat out just as I did Ona. I want to tear him apart and leave him as a trail of carnage warning Julius that what awaits him down here is the same damned thing.

“This is for you.” Peter steps forward and tosses the chunk of raw meat he’d been carrying on the platter at my feet. My stomach clenches, the copper scent of old blood filling my lungs.

Saliva fills my mouth as I stare down at it, imagining the way it would feel to sink my teeth into it. It’s what I need.

Meat.

Sustenance.

Pain shoots through my stomach, and I groan, wrapping both arms around my waist.

I will not give in.

It’s right there, though. Taunting me. The animal that I haven’t been able to feel since Merrick’s death slithers beneath my skin, there but just out of reach. They think feeding her will bring her forward.

But all it’s doing is turning me into the predator they believe me to be.

I want their blood on my tongue.

Their flesh in my teeth.

Just as I’d had Ona.

“Are you okay?” Peter questions.

“Like you care,” I rasp.

“I do,” he replies. “Even though I know I shouldn’t. It’s twisted. To give a shit about the woman who stole my father from me.”

I can sense the truth in his words. He believes them, believes that he’s sacrificing me for the greater good. “You’re lying to yourself.”

He shakes his head. “I’m not. But I understand how you might feel that way.” Peter kneels just out of reach. “You have to eat, Kiya. You need your strength. You need to shift.”

“You’re going to want to leave,” I reply, cocking my head to the side. “Because I am thinking of at least a dozen ways I could kill you.”

Kill him. Feast. Devour.

Peter is completely unfazed.

Mistake.

I lunge for him, kicking my legs out to trip him as he tries to backtrack. He falls, and I grip his ankle.

“No! Kiya! Stop!” he screams as he tries to scrape at the stone floor. My hunger is all I can feel, though.

The blood pounding in my ears is all I can focus on.

Food. Feast. Yes.

Beside me, Bonnie shakes her head sadly. Ezra raises his blade. “Kill him,” he orders. “Then kill them all.”

I grin at him then turn back to Peter. He continues to try to escape. And when that doesn’t work, he flips over onto his back and slams his fist into my jaw. It cracks and pops, but I maintain my hold on him.

“I’m a monster, remember?” I slur, the pain in my jaw muted by my hunger. “And you cannot hurt me anymore.”

Peter is terrified. “I’m sorry. I’ll let you go. I swear, just don’t—” He trails off, clearly no longer confident in what his new master is creating by keeping me locked down here. But I can’t be bothered to care. He helped do this to me. Merrick may have turned me, but they made me an animal.

Peter’s eyes are wide.

Pleading.

He says something, but I ignore it.

My stomach screams at me, hunger turning near impossible to ignore.

So I don’t.

I lunge forward and bury my teeth into Peter’s throat. Blood soaks my lips. It fills my mouth, and I groan, the flavor of his flesh satiating the hunger in my belly.

Peter’s screams die within seconds, and he goes limp.

But I don’t stop.

I tear, feasting on him, feeding the animal within.

“That’s right, girl,” Ezra coos. “Enjoy your meal. Then take them all.”

“Girl, stop!” Bonnie screams. “He’s dead!”

“Let the girl eat,” Ezra argues.

“Yes. It might be her last meal after all,” Grendel’s mother claims.

“Yes, Kiya. You are stronger than they believe,” my mother says.

I feast, tearing at his flesh with my teeth. Blood splatters my body as I devour him.

Yes. This is what we need, the voice coos.

When I pull back to look down at Peter, I no longer see a man. I see my prey. A meal. His head lolls to the side, and he has very little left of his throat. What does remain is covered in blood. I still want more.

“Kiya!” someone bellows my name. A man.

Warmth spreads up my spine, heat boiling my blood as I look up and into a bright golden gaze. Alpha. The word spreads through my mind, but even as I know it should mean something, he should mean something, I’m so damned hungry that it’s all I can focus on.

I growl and rip my meal toward me.

The man’s gaze darkens.

“We need to get that ward off of her before she shifts,” a man with crimson eyes warns.

“Kiya,” my mate says. “Come here.”

I whimper, longing warming me. Is he really here? I drop to my knees. “Merrick?” I choke out, the hunger being driven back by my need to feel him.

“Yes, my love.” He approaches slowly then crushes me against him—and holds. “Get it, now, Zane.”

“What are you—”

Pain sears the back of my neck, and I thrash, screams making my throat raw. “What are you doing?” I roar.

“I’m so sorry, Kiya. We have to.”

My vision wavers, and I lose the fight. I lean against him as my flesh is torn from the back of my neck and thrown to the ground. Then, my alpha releases me. “You. Hurt. Me,” I stammer as my body begins to shake.

“Shift, Kiya,” he orders, the words laced with power.

“I can—” I’m unable to finish the sentence as my body begins to spasm. I arch up, cracking bones filling my ears.

I throw my head back and open my mouth to scream.

But before and sound leaves me, Merrick is there, clamping a hand over my mouth.

I thrash against him as the pain consumes me.

Heavy boots signal guards, and my alpha jumps to his feet, shoving me behind him as he whips out a blade. Four guards rush into the room.

They grin at him then look at me. But I’m useless, my body breaking from the power my Alpha has over me. My knees bend backward, my arms doing the same. Joints become dislodged, my back snapping up and then back into place.

“Look what we have here,” one of the guards exclaims.

“Let her go, and I’ll let you survive,” Merrick growls.

The guard chuckles. “You’re outmatched, asshole. The king is going to be quite pleased that I’ve captured you. When your head was not returned, he was pretty damn pissed.”

“Glad to be the thorn in his side.”

“Now he won’t have to fuck her himself. He’ll be glad for that.”

My alpha snarls, “He touches her, and I’ll cut his cock off and feed it to him.”

“I offered,” the guard says. “Though she’s a bit more animal for my tastes.”

Bones continue cracking and twisting as fur sprouts from my body. I can feel the end coming, and that’s all I can focus on.

Because this pain cannot last forever.

“Hang in there, love,” my mate coos in my mind. The bond slams into me, stronger than I remember.

Bonnie and Ezra fade away, disappearing. Grendel’s mother follows. My mother is last. She offers me a smile and a wave then vanishes from sight.

“No,” I whimper. “Come back. Please.”

My body falls still, though I am unable to move even when the guards rush Merrick and Zane.

Merrick.

I breathe his name.

Light flashes, and the men fall to their knees as a woman runs in.

Dark hair, almond eyes.

I know her, but all I can focus on is the fact that she smells divine. My wolf surges forward, shoving recognition for anyone but my mate back.

“What the fuck happened to you?” The newcomer steps closer, and I growl as I get to my feet. I stalk forward and she stops. “Kiya, it’s me. Savvee.”

I growl again. The name used to mean something to me. It should mean something to me. But I’m hungry. So hungry. And the man still lying in a pool of his own blood is not enough.

Merrick steps in front of me, blocking her from view. “Kiya,” he says softly.

I stalk forward.

The woman glances back toward the stairs. “Mac! You need to get your ass down here!”

“Why is she still trying to eat us?” Zane demands.

Footsteps sound on the stairs, and a scent hits my lungs. It’s familiar, welcome. Pack. A man with white hair rushes down the steps, blood splattering his tan skin. His golden gaze finds mine, and he freezes. “Son of a bitch. Is that Peter?”

“What the hell is wrong with her?” Savvee questions.

“She spent too long in her human form,” Merrick says. “Her baser instincts have taken over.”

Can’t he see me now? I am my wolf!

“Kiya. We need to leave. More guards are on their way,” Merrick starts.

He reaches for me, but I growl.

“Fuck. We don’t have time for this.” MacKenna offers his blade to Savvee. “Don’t fucking lose this.”

She rolls her eyes, her scent shifting to annoyance. Though, there’s something else with it, a sort of acceptance that he is with her now. Are they a pack, too?

He turns to me. Then his body changes, morphing into that of a wolf. Grey and black dust his back and head while his belly and legs remain mostly white. But it’s his eyes, huge and gold, that calm the storm in me.

He is like me.

My pack.

My alpha shifts next. His white wolf is stunning, and when his scent fills my lungs, a new emotion slips into my mind.

Longing.

“Come with me, Mate,” a voice coos in my mind.

“If she eats me, I am so haunting you,” Savvee says. Colorful sparks flare to life on the palm of her free hand. Seconds later, the shackles attached to my front legs fall off, clattering to the stone ground. I look up—free for the first time in I don’t know how long.

Time to eat.

I lunge for her, but the massive wolf throws himself in front of her. He lets out a warning growl. “Easy, Beta. She is a friend.”

“I have no friends,” I growl back.

“She is our pack.”

When I don’t immediately respond, he backs toward the door, Savvee moving out first. I hear her mutter a curse then the sound of metal echoing off the walls.

“We better hurry!” She rushes out of view. The wolves follow, and so do I.

At least four bodies lie on the floor, unconscious, but I can still hear the steady thumping of their hearts. Kill them. The urge is there, a driving desire for more.

“Come,” My alpha’s voice is loud in my mind, and I’m unable to do anything but obey. I follow, my paws padding against the stone, though I keep my gaze ahead, ready to kill should they turn against me.

Chapter 13

Merrick

Kiya’s drenched in blood, eyes wide and wild, kneeling before a corpse is an image I will never get out of my mind. She’d been crazed. The mate bond damn near completely severed thanks to the animal who had taken over.

We stop three miles outside of the castle. Ferris waits for us in his wolf form, the blood soaking his side finally dried. He’d been damn near killed along with Grendel’s remaining men just after they’d blown a fucking hole in the city’s walls as a distraction.

Shit, had it not been for Savvee and Zane, the wards at the city’s edge would have prevented us from breaking in.

“Leave us,” I order MacKenna and Ferris through our bond. “Take Savvee and Zane, and go deeper into the trees. Find somewhere to hole up for the night.”

“What the hell are you going to do? These woods will be crawling with soldiers soon.”

“I need time with my beta,” I reply then turn toward her. Her white fur is covered in blood, her gaze wide and untrusting as she glares at us—teeth bared. “She still trusts no one, and having you all here will only make things worse.”

“Very well. We will meet you at the mountain range,” Ferris says.

“Great that you guys can have a conversation, but I’d love to be included,” Savvee snaps.

MacKenna shifts, and Kiya takes a few steps back.

Savvee remains where she is though, the hunger in her gaze likely apparent to everyone but my brother. “We’re going for a walk. Follow.”

The witch doesn’t counter, doesn’t argue, just offers a curt nod with a glance spared at Kiya. “Good luck,” she tells me as MacKenna reaches down and retrieves his and Ferris’s bags. They move through the trees, but I wait until I can no longer sense them before I take my bag into my mouth, and turn back toward Kiya.

“Come.” Once again, the order is laced with Alpha magic. I hate myself for doing it, but it’s necessary. She’ll run the first chance she gets, and within a day, the Kiya I love will no longer be alive.

Her wolf will fully take over.

She follows silently as I run through the trees, putting more distance between us and those who will come for her the moment they realize she’s gone.

When I’m happy with the space, I stop and turn toward her. She steps into the small clearing, movements calculated. Even as scared as I am of losing her, I cannot help but appreciate the strength and grace of her wolf.

She’s stunning.

I drop the bag, then shift, my bones popping until I stand before her as a man.

“Shift back, Kiya.”

She drops her head and growls.

“Shift, Kiya,” I repeat, this time through our bond. She’s still there, a light flickering in the distance. “Come back to me.”

Kiya whimpers as the order does its work. Her body contorts, but I cannot hear the sound of her popping joints over the blood in my ears. Breathing ragged, she kneels in the dirt, fingertips digging into the soft ground.

But she doesn’t look at me.

I rush over and drop to my knees in front of her, but the second she senses me closing in, she scrambles back.

“This is a trick,” she says, her voice echoing through my mind.

“No, it’s not,” I reply. “I’m here, Kiya.”

“No.”

“Mate.”

“No!” she screams as tears fill her eyes. Her tone is tormented, her body battered. She charges toward me, slamming her slight form into mine and knocking me back a few steps. “Get away!”

Before she can run away, I reach out and grip her arm then spin her around and yank her against me. My mouth claims hers.

It possesses.

It proves to her that I am here.

That I am fucking alive.

She fights against me for a moment then leans into me and opens. I drive my tongue into her mouth, sliding it against hers and she moans against me, giving just as much as she takes.

Kiya pulls back, and I release her.

We stare at each other, breathing ragged.

And then she crumples to her knees, and vomit spews from her mouth, splattering on the pine-needle-covered ground.

I sink to my knees and grab her hair, pulling the crimson-crusted strands out of the way as she heaves. Her shoulders shake, and sweat slicks her skin while we remain there, me feeling completely and totally useless.

“What is happening to me?”

“You ingested raw meat while in your human form,” I tell her, thinking of Peter. “Your stomach cannot handle it.”

She groans and heaves again then stills. I sit back and pull her into my lap, cradling her on my knees. Kiya is limp against me. “Are you real? Are you really here?”

“Yes, love. I am here.”

She shakes her head. “I cannot tell anymore. So much of what I’ve seen is impossible.”

I reach down and clutch her hand, yanking it up to my chest where I place her palm over my beating heart. Eyes closed, she remains still. “I am here, Kiya. I am real. Please. Feel me.”

Tears roll down her cheeks, and she shakes her head again. “Until Zane showed up, I thought you were dead. I lost my wolf.”

“You didn’t lose your wolf because I died, Kiya,” I tell her. “You lost her because I was a fucking bastard and willed you not to shift.”

She looks up at me now, and in the depths of her gaze, I see remnants of my wife.

Of my Kiya.

“Willed me?”

“The will of an Alpha,” I confess. “I wasn’t paying attention, and when I told you not to shift—“

I expect her to hate me.

To turn away and dismiss me.

So, when she reaches up and cups my cheek, I’m momentarily frozen in place. “You’re warm,” she says. “I can feel you.” She chokes the words out and then moves so she can straddle me as she wraps both arms around my neck.

“I’m here, my love.” I wrap my arms around her and hold on, unwilling to let her go even if she were to pull away right now. Warmth rushes through me, our connection forming once more as she opens herself up to the mate bond again.

“You came for me.”

“I would have crawled through fire to get to you.” I pull away and cup her face, running my thumbs over her cheeks. “I’m only sorry it took me so long.”

After helping Kiya into my shirt and pulling on a pair of pants, we make our way through the trees and toward the mountain range. She’s weak, barely hanging in there, though she insisted on walking anyway.

I can sense my brother before I see him, so when he steps from behind a tree, I’m not surprised.

“MacKenna,” Kiya says, her voice shaky.

“Good to see you, Beta,” he replies with a grin as he wraps his arms around her in an embrace that warms my heart. When he releases her and steps back, I move behind her just in case she starts to fall. MacKenna shifts his gaze to me. “We were worried you weren’t coming.”

“It just took us some time,” I tell him. “You have a camp set up?”

“We do. Food, too. I managed to hunt down a stag while Ferris and Savvee prepped a fire. Zane spelled the area so no one will see us should they pass by.”

“Cooked food?” Kiya says. “That sounds amazing.”

“You didn’t get your fill of Peter?” MacKenna jokes.

Kiya pales. “I can’t believe I killed him. And I can’t believe I actually feel guilty about it.”

“You shouldn’t feel guilty,” I tell her truthfully. “The death you dealt him was far quicker than mine would have been.” Just the knowledge that the traitorous bastard managed to hide his true intentions from me pisses me off.

“You did a number on him, though,” MacKenna says. “And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t proud. Now, let’s get you some food that doesn’t taste like a treacherous fucker.” He turns and starts walking through the trees. We follow until MacKenna disappears behind a barrier.

Kiya stops. “Did that just happen?”

I smile. “Magic, love.” Taking her hand, I pull her through the soft barrier and into the middle of camp. Savvee, Zane, and Ferris both whirl on us. My uncle rushes forward and envelopes Kiya in a breath-stealing hug before setting her back down.

“Beta, it is so good to see you!”

“You too,” she replies with a smile. Exhaustion tugs at me through our bond, but she doesn’t let it show on her face.

“Good to see you on two legs,” Savvee says with a smile.

Guilt momentarily threads through the exhaustion. “I’m so sorry.”

“For trying to eat me?” Savvee shrugs. “It’s all right. I don’t have many friends; better not start alienating them now.”

“Zane,” she says softly. “Thank you.”

“For carving a hole in your body? Sure.” He grins.

“You gave me hope when I had none.”

“It’s nothing,” he waves it off, clearly uncomfortable with the show of emotion.

“We need to check that spot.” I move behind her and gently slide her hair off the back of her neck. The flesh we’d carved is still raw, though her healing has taken over and completely closed it, leaving only a bright red spot.

Kiya relaxes slightly, so I guide her over toward the fire. The chill in the air barely touches me, but given how weak she is, her skin is cold to the touch. After releasing her hand, I make quick work of the fur blanket tied to my pack, dropping it to the ground. Kiya takes a seat on it and holds her hands up—palms to the flame.

The aroma of freshly cooked meat makes my stomach growl, so I peel a chunk of it from the cooked animal and offer Kiya some.

She takes a bite, then another, and finally grabs the entire thing from my hands and devours it. No one says anything to her as she goes for seconds and then thirds.

And it’s not until she slows that I take my first bite. The flavor is decadent on an empty stomach like mine, so I eat until I’ve had my fill then wrap an arm around Kiya and pull her toward me. She rests her head on my shoulder.

“What happened to you in there?” I ask, needing to know even as I fear hearing the answer. I’m unable to picture anything but the worst.

“Julius wants our baby,” she says.

“But you’re not pregnant—right?” Savvee questions.

“No.” Kiya shakes her head.

“Female shifters can only get pregnant when in heat,” MacKenna explains.

“Hold on, we go into heat?” She turns toward me. “You didn’t think to mention this to me?”

“It hadn’t come up,” I say. Truthfully, I hadn’t given it much thought either. We’ve had a hell of a lot bigger things on our plate.

Savvee’s eyes widen. “What do you mean by heat? Like an animal?”

“We are animals,” MacKenna tells her.

“This should be handled more delicately.” Ferris shakes his head.

“I think the Umbras are doing a stand-up job,” Zane adds.

“In case you missed it, uncle, we’re not a delicate bunch,” MacKenna says as he tears off another piece of meat and pops it into his mouth.

“Your heat comes once a year,” I tell her. “We’ll discuss the rest of it in private.” I add a pointed glare at MacKenna, who simply shrugs.

“So, not pregnant,” Savvee comments. “But she was human, she could have—”

“The baby would not have survived the change,” Ferris says. “And she wasn’t,” he adds quickly. “We would have been able to hear the heartbeat.”

Silence falls over our group, so I press a kiss to Kiya’s forehead. She still smells of Peter’s blood, and my need to get it scrubbed from her skin is far greater than my desire to remain in this conversation any longer. “There is a spring nearby?” I question.

“Yes. Through the trees,” Savvee explains. “The barrier doesn’t extend there, though, so be careful.”

“Are you up for it?”

Kiya nods. “I want to be clean—desperately.”

I stand and pull her to her feet. Then I reach down and grab my bag.

With our stomachs full, we walk in silence through the trees until we reach the edge of a small river. The water rushes past us, and I turn to face Kiya. “I can let you wash in private if you wish.”

“No.” Her response is instant. “I need you with me.” She reaches down and pulls my shirt up over her head, revealing her still-healing body. By tomorrow, every bruise will have faded, but for now, they remain behind, a map of the pain Julius caused her.

“I cannot wait to kill him,” I growl.

“He’s mine,” she replies.

I step forward and cup her face. “Tell me he didn’t—”

“He didn’t,” she says quickly. “He’d threatened to when he got back from wherever it is he went. If I didn’t show signs of being pregnant, he was going to take matters into his own hands—his words,” she adds. “Use me as breeding stock.” Tears fill her eyes, and she shakes her head.

“What did they do to you, love?”

Chapter 14

Kiya

“What did they do to you, love?”

His voice is paradise to me. The fact that he is here with me, that we are no longer apart, warms me even as his question weighs down my joy.

I swallow hard. I could lie to him. Make him feel better about the time I’d been held, but doing so accomplishes nothing. So, I tell the truth. “They tried to force me to shift. Beat me. Starved me. Broke my bones. Threw cold water on me when I was so covered in waste that he couldn’t be near me.” I want to move on, though. To focus on the fact that my love—my mate—is alive and standing in front of me. “It doesn’t matter now. You’re here. I’m free. And soon, he’ll be dead.”

Rage radiates off of Merrick, forcing his massive body to tremble. “Yes. He will be,” he snarls.

I touch his chest, the warmth of his flesh still a surprise to me. After seeing Patty, then Bonnie and Ezra, and finally my mother—I couldn’t help but worry that he wasn’t real either. Or worse, that they were ghosts sent there after Julius followed through on his promise and stole everything I care about while I’d been helpless to stop it.

I pull away, leaving Merrick standing on the embankment, and step into the water. It’s cool as it laps at my ankles. I move in farther, watching crimson stain the clear liquid as moonlight shines upon the surface.

I don’t stop until I’m waist-deep. Then, I dunk down and scrub Peter’s blood from my hair. When I surface, Merrick is standing in front of me. I’m overcome with emotion, with feelings I’d blocked out of my mind to cope with Merrick’s death. There’d been a part of me—even after seeing Zane—that had wondered if he hadn’t been lying when he’d told me that Merrick was alive.

I’d been afraid to hope. Afraid of what would happen should that hope be ripped from me.

“One of these days, I’ll stop crying.”

Merrick pulls me toward him and rests his forehead against mine. “I’ve asked you not to hide your pain from me, beta.”

“When I thought you were dead, it killed me, Merrick. I can’t go through that again.” I take his hands and pull him closer.

“My love,” he whispers as he cups my face. “You won’t. We will never be apart again. I swear it.”

Tears roll down my cheeks, and I nod.

His thumb strokes my cheek. “You are everything to me, Kiya.”

“You are everything to me, too.”

“We’re together now, beta. And I’m not going anywhere.” I lean into him, wrapping both arms around his waist and laying my cheek against his chest. I can hear his heart beating, a steady thump, thump against my ear.

“Tell me this is all going to work. That this fighting will serve a purpose.”

“It will,” he assures me. “We’ve put a dent in that fucker’s numbers, Kiya. You haven’t seen it yet, but we’re fighting—hard. And we’re going to continue fighting. Until the last man loyal to him falls.”

I swallow hard, my throat constricting. Merrick’s face is bathed in shadows, but through our connection, I can feel his emotions just as clearly as I can feel my own. He’s resolved in his convictions, and he truly hopes we’ll survive.

Hopes.

Because even he knows it’s not a sure thing.

“Fuck, I missed you.” Merrick grips my chin and tilts my face up so he can capture my lips. I sink into the kiss as his lips tenderly brush mine.

That tenderness changes though, turning frantic.

With his lips.

His hands.

He heals this broken soul of mine.

“How is your stomach?” he whispers against my lips.

“Much better.” I cup his face. “I still can’t believe you’re alive.”

“Had Grendel’s men not shown up when they did, I wouldn’t be.”

“Zane told me his men saved you.” I pull back to stare into his eyes.

Merrick nods.

Appreciation warms my belly as my gratitude toward a man I once hated nearly as much as Julius grows. “I’ll need to thank him. Even if his mother made me hate myself.”

“His mother?”

“Back in that cell. When I was losing my mind,” I start. Then, I close my eyes and shake my head softly as I take a deep breath. I can recall every single moment of my time in captivity. From the moment Julius hauled me into every painstaking moment of torment. Which means the three people who were my only companions during that time are easy to remember as well.

A surprising amount of grief settles on my shoulders.

“What is it, beta?” Merrick’s tone is concerned now.

“I just. I saw things,” I say, emotion clawing at my throat.

Merrick’s eyes flash with anger. “I am so sorry. I cannot imagine what pain my mistake caused you. I swore to myself, even as a child, that I would never use that power. Removing someone’s will to choose for themselves is not an ability anyone—Alpha or not—should possess.”

I sense him panicking, his fear over my potential reaction to his earlier confession growing. I quickly reach up and touch his cheek. “It’s not that,” I say with a forced smile. I know Merrick is expecting me to be angry with him, but I’m not. Not even a little bit. He was that beast for over a hundred years. The fact that he’d forgotten about the power of his words is not something I can blame him for.

“You’re not angry with me?” he asks cautiously.

“Did you sense I was angry when you told me?”

He shakes his head. “You’re grieving now, though. Why?”

I look down at the water and then back up at him. “When I was being held, I saw things,” I repeat.

“Things?”

“People,” I say. “First, it was Grendel’s mother—since I’d seen her before, though I assumed the grounds at Julius’s castle were also powerful, and I didn’t think anything of it. She was mean, though. Told me that I was the reason you were dead.” My throat constricts, emotion tightening its hold on me.

“But I wasn’t dead.” Merrick cups my cheek again, and I lean into his touch. A touch I never thought I’d get to experience again. “It wasn’t real.”

Bonnie and Ezra’s faces swim into the forefront of my memory. “Not too long after that, Bonnie and Ezra showed up.”

Merrick stiffens. “Bonnie and Ezra.”

I nod even as a tear slips down my cheek. “Then my mother appeared.”

“Fuck, Kiya. I’m so fucking sorry.” He cups my face and rests his forehead against mine.

“I should have known they weren’t real. But seeing them again meant so much to me. I was hoping—”

“That they were real and you’d continue seeing them,” Merrick finishes.

“Yes. I know it’s foolish, a childish fantasy, but I’d hoped they weren’t gone forever.”

“I am truly sorry, my love.” Merrick presses a kiss to my forehead. He lingers there, soft lips pressed to my skin for a few moments. “I wish I could bring them back to you,” he whispers.

“In a way, you did,” I reply. “It was coupled with the worst weeks of my life, sure, but for a time, I did get to see them again.”

“I should have been able to protect you. Protect Bonnie and Ezra,” he says. “I’ve failed since the moment you came to me. Every fucking second of your time at my side has been merely a fight for survival.”

My chest tightens, and I reach forward to touch his arm. Merrick pulls away, and I make no attempt to hide the pain that brings. “I’ve been trying to survive since my mother died,” I tell him truthfully. “My time with you? It’s consisted of the best moments of my life.”

“How the fuck can you say that?” he demands, his bright gaze darkening. “You’ve suffered…immensely. Forced into a marriage you didn’t want. Burdened with a curse that wasn’t yours. Losing Bonnie and Ezra…it’s been one thing after another. One attack after another.”

“I love you,” I say. “Whether or not I wanted this marriage is beside the point because it was the best possible thing for me.”

“So if I tell you to go?” he asks. “If we kill the king and I order you—as your alpha—to return to Aurum and rule it alone…”

“Then I would be fucking miserable.” I’m horrified at his suggestion. And if I didn’t understand the motivation behind it, then it would have broken me.

“If we’d never met, Bonnie and Ezra would be alive. You would never have suffered. Madox—”

“Would be alive,” I say softly. Merrick’s jaw tightens and he looks away. He hasn’t had the time to grieve. To feel the loss of his brother. Yes, time has passed, but in that time, we’ve been fighting a war. I reach out and touch his arm again, grateful that this time he doesn’t pull away. “They would all likely be alive,” I say honestly. “But I would probably be dead.”

His head whips toward me. “No.”

“Yes,” I counter. “I’m not being dramatic,” I tell him. “The king despised me. And if I’d had no use to him, he would have had me put to death, likely allowing Barclay to take what he wanted from me first.”

Merrick’s cheeks redden, his gaze turning murderous. I can feel the anger pouring through him via our mate bond, and if I weren’t so in love with him, it might have terrified me. This man is power.

Strength.

Mine.

I continue, “You would still be cursed. As would your brothers and mother, but you would all be safe.”

“For now.”

“Yes. The king would eventually have come for these lands.” I turn to face the water. “He wanted them, and he’s not a man accustomed to not getting what he wants.”

Merrick is silent, though I can feel his shifting mood. “Do you regret any of it?” he asks.

I turn toward him. “Not even a moment.”

Merrick snakes a hand behind my neck and yanks me toward him. His mouth claims mine, and I slip into it, falling into a kiss that eases the pain from the last few weeks from my mind. His tongue slides against mine as his grip tightens.

I cling to him, gripping his biceps, then pull myself up and wrap my legs around his waist. The water sloshes around us, but all I can hear is the beating of our own hearts. The kiss turns frantic, the frenzied passion taking over.

I never thought I’d feel this way again.

Never thought I’d get to taste his kiss.

Merrick’s fingers scrape deliciously over the skin of my thighs as he slides them up my body. I inhale, the scent of pine mixing with the lavender that constantly clings to Merrick’s skin.

It’s intoxicating, the overwhelming passion that I feel pouring off of him through our bond. It mixes with mine, potent and world-shifting. I reach down between us, shoving my hand between our bodies, and grip him.

He’s solid in my palm, but too soon, he’s pulling away, and I’m sliding down his body.

“I want to take my time,” he growls. “Love you the right way.”

“Any way with you is the right way,” I retort. “And I want you. Now.”

“So insatiable,” he whispers against my lips.

“With you, yes. Please, Merrick.” I’m desperate for him. Desperate for this stolen moment in the middle of a river with the man I love.

The chill in the air nips at my skin as he deepens the kiss. I don’t even notice that he’s carried me toward the bank until he’s laying me back on my discarded shirt. He positions himself over me, close enough that I can see every fleck of color in his gold irises. With a soft smile, he reaches down and scrapes his calloused palms against my breasts.

His thumbs caress my nipples, and I moan as I lean my head back, heat pooling in my belly. Desire, love, passion, warmth, hope—Merrick makes me feel all of it and so much more.

“So fucking perfect, my beta,” he whispers then presses his lips to my belly. My lips part on a sigh. Then, he lowers his mouth, trailing kisses down to my core. The throbbing between my legs nearly drops me to my knees. Would have if I weren’t already on my back.

Lightning shoots through me, straight to the top of my head then down to my toes. I buck against his mouth, my hands gripping his hair. I hold the thick strands as Merrick sucks my clit into his mouth.

“Yes!” I cry out, right on the verge of falling into the depths of pleasure. I give in, lightning shooting over my skin as my release consumes me. “Merrick,” his name leaves my lips on a plea, but he doesn’t let up.

He continues devouring me.

Until my body becomes useless.

Only then does he release me. Merrick leans back to stare down at me. He sits there, bathed in moonlight, carved from stone.

And the scars that once terrified me only make him more beautiful.

He positions himself back between my legs and captures my lips right before driving into my body.

My cry is swallowed by our kiss, my skin deliciously sensitive as I come alive in his capable hands. With him inside of me, the entire world becomes right. With him, I have everything I’ll ever need.

He thrusts into me, over and over again, stretching my body to perfectly fit him. Through labored breaths, the pleasure consumes me. And when he comes, I fall with him.

He breaks the kiss and rests his forehead against mine. Our breathing ragged, we remain that way for a few heartbeats. Honestly? I could stay here forever. If only it were possible.

“I love you, Kiya. With everything that I am. My soul is yours, mate.”

“I love you, too,” I whisper.

We lie wrapped in each other, the sound of our hearts mixing with the steady thrumming of the water as it ripples down the stream. It’s perfection, this little slice of quiet we’ve carved amidst the chaos of our lives.

And then Merrick shatters it with one sentence. “I tried to get my mother to kill me,” he admits.

I shoot up to my knees and gape down at him. “What?” I nearly choke on the word, the very idea of Lark slaughtering her own son driving a blade of anger straight into my chest. “Why?”

“When I’d realized what I’d done. That I’d cursed you to a future of madness,” he says softly. “I begged her to run me through so the bond would be broken and you could shift and escape.”

I’m horrified.

Angry.

And I don’t hide any of it. With both hands planted on his broad chest, I shove up to my feet. As soon as he follows, I reach down and grip my discarded shirt, slipping it back over my body.

Merrick remains where he is, gloriously naked. It’s all I can do not to let my gaze rake over him.

“Merrick Umbra, so help me, if you ever try to die for me again, I will put you in the ground myself.”

The corners of his lips twitch in a partial smile. “Does that not defeat the purpose of keeping me alive?”

“You can’t think that was what I would have wanted.”

“As my mother pointed out. I, however, merely wanted to keep you sane and alive.”

“Without you, there is no living for me. I’d rather go insane a thousand times over than lose you.” The mere idea of being rescued only to learn he’d died makes me want to slam my fist into his jaw.

Something I would do if I didn’t think it would hurt me worse.

“I would die for you, Kiya, if it ever comes down to that. Pretending otherwise is a lie.”

I move across the distance to him. “Then you should know I would gladly do the same.’

A muscle in his jaw twitches.

“You and I are equals, Merrick. We’ve already covered that. And if you get to sacrifice your life for mine, then you need to remember I will do the exact same thing.”

“I’m the Alpha.”

“And I’m your Beta,” I shoot back. “Which honestly makes you far more valuable.”

“The pack will have another Alpha,” Merrick says as he cups my cheek. “But there is only one you, Kiya Umbra. My wife.”

Chapter 15

Kiya

I wake with Merrick pressed against my back. With a soft smile on my face, I roll over to face him. He’s awake, golden gaze pinning me as a dying fire crackles in the background. After making love two more times near the water, we’d finally come back to camp.

MacKenna, Ferris, and Savvee had been asleep, but Zane smiled in a way that told us he knew exactly what we’d been doing. And I was far too satisfied to be embarrassed.

“Morning,” I whisper.

“Good morning, mate,” he replies then kisses me quickly. “Are you up for a journey today?”

“Yes. I feel better than I have since—well—since we were separated.” In demonstration, I stand and stretch, enjoying the way my muscles warm with each movement.

“Good morning,” MacKenna greets as he steps into the clearing, Zane at his side.

Savvee doesn’t stir, but Ferris sits up.

“Our night was relatively uneventful, though a handful of soldiers were patrolling about a mile to our south. We need to get moving.” MacKenna crosses over to Savvee and kneels. “Wake up, witch.” He shakes her shoulder, but she doesn’t stir. “Wake the fuck up,” he orders.

Rocks settle in my gut, and I push to my feet, scrambling over to her side, Merrick just behind me. “Savvee?” She’s pale, her complexion ashy. “Savvee!” I lean down and press my ear to her heart, but I can find nothing.

No sound of life. I sit up. Tears burn in my eyes. This cannot be happening.

“Wake the fuck up. This isn’t funny,” MacKenna snaps. “Savvee!”

Her almond eyes flutter open, and she stares up at me, confusion marring her expression. “What the—” She rolls her face to the side and sees MacKenna. “What the hell are you doing?”

“You didn’t wake up!” he bellows. “Don’t fuck with us like that. I don’t want to have to cart your fucking body back to camp.” He gets to his feet and turns away, stalking toward his bedroll.

“What crawled up his ass?” Savvee questions as she yawns.

“We’ve been trying to wake you,” I tell her.

She lies back and yawns again. “The drain on my magic from the fight and the barrier must have been too much,” she says. “Once I hit my limit, I’ll sleep like the dead.” Savvee shoves her blanket off and stands. “Sorry to have disrupted your morning, animal.”

MacKenna glowers back at her as he packs his bag and slings it over his shoulder. Merrick chuckles behind me, so I turn to face him. “Did I miss something?” I question.

“Just the two of them misunderstanding that there’s a fine line between lust and hate, my love.”

We pack quickly then begin our journey toward the Shadow Lands. I am more than ready to step foot back in the halls of my home. It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve seen the place that once terrified me. Nerves hit me out of nowhere.

“What is it?” Merrick asks through our mate bond.

“I’m scared. That Julius will find us again once we reach the Shadow Lands.”

“He will know you returned home,” he says. “But we’re surrounded by Grendel’s army. Protected with numbers we won’t be shielded with should we go anywhere else.”

I’m relieved, even if the voice in the back of my mind continues to plant seeds of doubt over our survival. I force that fear away and focus on action. As we walk, I let my mind race, running over all possible outcomes of the war we face. We could march straight for the city, but with them having the high ground, we would be sitting ducks should he use any of his defense tactics.

That is if I hadn’t overheard him and Pallgard discussing every last one of them. I run through the list, from the oil-tipped arrows to the catapults with massive boulders shot out at the attacking army. Granted, the wards are a new one, but if I can come up with a way to get past his original ones, Savvee and Zane can surely help us with the magic. Then, we might stand a chance at a full-on assault rather than waiting him out and taking his army on a little at a time.

A branch crunches.

We whirl with Merrick, MacKenna, Zane, and Ferris all donning blades.

Three men step from the trees. No. Not men. Their flesh green and rotting, their teeth yellow, these are men from the Feral Swamps. What the hell are they doing out here?

“Pretty little things,” one hisses toward Savvee and me.

“We like pretty,” another adds.

“You’re a long way from home,” Merrick growls.

“We have no home,” the first one who spoke spits out. “Some fucker killed our people, and we’re on the hunt for him.” He cocks his head to the side. “Any clue where we might find someone like that?”

If only they knew he was standing right in front of them. After Madox was murdered, Merrick slaughtered every single one of the men who’d even been close to his brother when he was butchered.

“Sounds to me like you fuckers got what was coming to you,” MacKenna says. “But we’re a merciful bunch. How about we send you to hell right alongside them?”

The men grin. “You’re outnumbered.” At least two dozen of the swamp men step from the trees. They ooze from the forest like the festering sores they are, and the very plants seem to wither in their presence.

“This is bad,” Savvee whispers. “With the curse, these men are far stronger than our typical enemy.”

I look to her. “We’re not helpless. And I watched you drop all of Julius’s men in that dungeon.”

She turns to me, eyes wide. “Because they were men. Magic already courses through their veins. Aside from the charms I used to keep myself hidden, my magic is useless against them.”

“That would have been nice to know beforehand,” Zane growls back. “My magic is not typical battle magic,” he replies. “Fuck, where’s Sienna when you need her?”

Before I can ask him to elaborate, or question who Sienna is, the men step closer.

“We’re going to kill you,” the man in front says, pointing to Merrick. “Then you,” he adds, gesturing to MacKenna. “Then, you.” He finishes with Ferris. His dark gaze shifts to Savvee and me. “And I’m going to take great pleasure in breaking both of you.”

Merrick charges. Blade raised, he swings it with expert precision.

MacKenna follows suit while Ferris and I shift. Zane blurs forward, disappearing from view before I hit the ground on all fours.

My predator surges forward of her own volition, shoving through all of my rational thoughts as she does so. I charge, my teeth tearing at rotting green flesh. The putrid stench rolling off of them is nothing compared to the vile toxin that sears my tongue.

But I continue. Even as my legs grow weak and my eyes heavy, I tear through the men.

At some point, Merrick shifts, though MacKenna remains as a man, fighting through the herd of Feral Men gunning for us.

“Shit! My magic isn’t working on them!” Zane yells then blurs out of sight again. A swamp man hits the ground less than a heartbeat before he re-appears.

Ferris whimpers, and I turn just in time to see him slammed into the trunk of a tree. I sprint over and slam my massive body into the gut of his attacker.

The man is on his feet in seconds though, and I’m barely remaining on mine. “You are a pretty wolf,” he coos. “I’ll wear your pelt with pride.” He raises his blade and swings it down.

I don’t move fast enough.

The iron bites into the flesh of my side, and I let out a pained howl.

“Kiya!” Merrick’s voice echoes through my mind, and I use it to fuel what’s left of my strength as I jump up and bury my teeth into the flesh of his arm. I tear, shredding skin and muscle from bone.

Before he can retaliate, his head lolls to the side, revealing a blood-stained MacKenna behind him. The ferocity of MacKenna’s expression is one I’ve never seen on his face before. As though he lives for the fight.

For the scent of spilled blood.

But he doesn’t remain there long.

Savvee screams, and I waver as I try to turn. My legs go out from under me, and I collapse right where I stand, giving me a front-row viewing as MacKenna charges the man who has just driven his blade into the witch’s belly.

She falls to the ground, and MacKenna roars as he swings his blade, bringing it down true and center right through the man’s skull.

Her attacker stills then slumps to the ground.

“You’d better not die,” he orders Savvee as he reaches down and lifts her from the ground. Merrick’s wolf nuzzles me as he falls to my side, but before I can respond in kind, my vision goes black, and all thoughts dissipate like water droplets sizzling beneath the hot sun.

“Kiya, wake up.” Savvee’s voice breaks through the darkness, and I sit up quickly, a foul stench assaulting my senses. By the time I’ve managed to open my eyes, she’s moved back a few steps. “Thank goodness.”

“What happened?”

Merrick groans, so I turn away. He’s lying a few yards away from me, completely naked aside from a blanket thrown over him. He sits up, muscles tightening as he does, and meets my gaze. “Are you all right?”

I nod. But when I pull my blanket up more tightly on my chest and try to move, pain shoots through my side, and I hiss.

“Don’t move, or you’ll tear out the fucking stitches,” MacKenna snaps.

“What the hell happened?” Merrick demands. He grips the blanket and stands, swaying on his feet for just a moment before moving—slowly—toward me. He sits down directly behind me then wraps his arms around me carefully so I can lean back against him.

“The Cursed Men’s blood poisoned you,” Savvee says. “I’m not quite sure how, especially given that it didn’t happen to you in your beast form.”

“That we know of,” MacKenna adds. “You were missing for quite a while.”

“I don’t recall having any issues,” Merrick says.

Ferris groans and rolls to his side. “I feel like I was stampeded by a herd of horses.”

“You are all lucky as fuck to be alive.” MacKenna shakes his head.

“We’re lucky you didn’t shift as well,” Ferris tells him.

“I’ve always been better with a blade than teeth,” he retorts.

Savvee sits down beside the fire, her arm banded around her stomach. MacKenna’s gaze sharpens on her, though, even as I sense he wants to, he doesn’t help.

“Are you okay?” I ask. “I saw what happened.”

“I’ll survive,” Savvee says with a forced smile. “It’ll be an epic scar though.”

MacKenna shakes his head angrily and then leans back against the trunk of a tree. “I moved us a few miles away, and Zane managed to put up a barrier to shield us from prying eyes.”

“I’m not sure how long it will last,” the vampire says. I look over, surprised to see him looking worse than I’ve ever seen him. “My magic didn’t work on them, but it sure as fuck drained me to try.”

“I could strengthen it,” Savvee adds. “But MacKenna won’t let me.”

“Because it drains you, too, and I don’t want to have to carry your fucking body back home.”

“So you keep saying,” she snaps.

MacKenna doesn’t reply. “We’ll need to stay put until everyone can travel again. We have at least a day’s walk back to the Shadow Lands.”

“Do you think we got all of them?” I ask. “The Cursed Men?”

Merrick’s fingertips graze the side of my throat as he brushes my hair back. “It’s possible.”

But I can feel that he doesn’t fully believe that. “You believe there’s more. No sense in lying to me,” I add, tilting my face up to look at him.

“Fair enough. I am not sure. I want to hope so, but it’s also quite possible they’ve established a new camp.”

“Outside of the swamps?” Savvee asks, her face paling.

“I wish I knew,” Merrick says softly. “We need to be extra cautious going forward.”

“They were a scouting party,” MacKenna announces. “While you all napped, I dealt with the one I left alive.”

“You left one alive?” Ferris demands.

“Not anymore,” MacKenna replies. “But I was able to gather some interesting information when I was cutting pieces of him off.”

“That’s savage.” Savvee stares at him, but MacKenna refuses to look at her.

“It was necessary,” MacKenna snaps.

“What did you learn?”

He looks to Merrick. “As I said, they are a scouting party. And they’ve been brought on by King Julius, who has offered to give them the Shadow Lands should they help him capture and kill us. Though, they didn’t know who we were when they attacked. So there’s that.”

“Fuck,” Merrick growls.

“Every fucking body wants a piece of our lands.” MacKenna shakes his head.

“We’re going to run out of time,” Merrick replies. “If Julius manages to keep recruiting our enemies, we won’t stand a fucking chance.”

Chapter 16

Kiya

Home comes into view on the horizon, and my body instantly relaxes. I can smell the lavender of the springs, feel the softness of my sheets as I climb into them. I can all but hear the laughter of Myke and Maxwell and see Lea’s smiling face.

There are tents now lining the open spaces around the house, and, even from up here, I can see people moving throughout the space. Some train on the training field; some simply laugh as they dive into the pond near the waterfall.

The place is crawling with activity, and even as thankful as I am for Grendel and his help, I’m a tad disappointed there will be no quiet.

“Are you okay?” Merrick asks as we stop at the top of the hill.

I smile at him. “Absolutely.”

“Well, while I hate to cut this journey short, I need to check in with Corrine. If I don’t show back up at those caverns soon, she’s going to kick my ass from here to Cambrexia,” Zane jokes. “You know how to find me.”

“Thank you.”

He nods. “Kiya. Little Umbra, witch, Uncle F, it’s been a pleasure.” Without waiting for a response from anyone, Zane blurs out of sight, leaving the trees around him swaying as he passes.

“He’s a fucker,” MacKenna grumbles.

“A friend,” Merrick corrects. “Now. Let’s go home.”

By the time we reach the base of the hill, Grendel and a handful of men are already waiting for us. With my fingers threaded through Merrick’s, I return the king’s smile. He’s dressed casually, in riding pants and a soft grey tunic, and his expression is one of relief.

“This is a victory we all needed,” he says softly. “It is so good to see you, Kiya.”

“You as well,” I reply, taking his offered hand.

He covers mine with his other and squeezes gently.

“I’m going to go let mother and Maynard know we’ve returned,” MacKenna says.

“I’ll come, too,” Ferris offers.

“I’m going to bathe. For hours.” Savvee offers me a smile. “Talk soon?”

“Absolutely.”

As the others walk away, I return my attention to Grendel. “Thank you for saving Merrick. For standing by your promise to fight with us.”

“It has been my absolute pleasure,” he replies, finally releasing my hand. “Your husband is quite the warrior.”

“That he is.” I squeeze Merrick’s hand, sensing his unease at the compliment. Why? I can’t imagine, but if he’s uncomfortable around the king, it must be for good reason.

He turns to Merrick. “Geoff, Liah, and Nox returned with your villagers. The others?”

“Dead,” Merrick replies. “We were attacked by Julius’s men the moment we stepped foot into the castle. We barely made it out alive.”

Grendel’s expression falters, and I can see that he genuinely grieves the loss of his men. Yet another difference between him and Julius. To the former, soldiers are his people. To the latter, they are expendable.

“I am so sorry to hear that,” he says. “They were good men.”

“They were,” Merrick replies. “And they fought with honor.”

“I am truly sorry for your loss,” I say softly. “And that it came because of me.”

“Do not apologize, Kiya. They would have been honored knowing their lives were what helped bring you home.”

Guilt settles on my shoulders, an all too familiar emotion these days. “Thank you.”

“My scouts have spotted Julius at a camp near the mountains. On his side of the river. They have been sent back and will report any movement.”

“It has been a long journey,” Merrick tells Grendel. “I wish to get my beta home. Settled.”

The king nods in understanding. “Of course. We can talk strategy tomorrow. Please, rest easy, knowing you are safe and surrounded by friends.”

I nod and smile, then let Merrick lead me away. The moment we step across the threshold and into the main house, the rest of my stress fades away.

Here, we are safe.

Here, we can collect ourselves before dealing the final blow that will force Julius to his knees.

“Come, beta. Let us rest.” Merrick leads me through the empty house and up the stairs into our bedroom. Tears blur my vision as I take in the sight of our bed, our dresser. The window I used to stand at each morning, waiting for Merrick to emerge from the trees, is covered with a thin sheet, the copper tub already brimming with steaming water scented with the lavender that floats along the surface.

I cross the distance and dip my fingers into the water, groaning with anticipation.

“I had Maverick and Maynard fill it the moment we were close enough they could hear me through the alpha bond.”

I glance back. “You are too good to me.”

“Not good enough.” Merrick falls to his knees before me and presses a kiss to my abdomen. “I will spend my life making up for all the ways I’ve failed you.”

I drop to my knees in front of him then lean my forehead against his chest. “You have not failed me. Not at all.” Then I tip my face up. “Unless, of course, you do not allow me to bathe in that tub.”

Merrick grins and pulls me to my feet. He strips me out of my clothes, removes his own, and climbs into the water. When he holds out a hand for me, I climb in, the warm water enveloping my aching body as I slip down into it.

Lavender fills my lungs, soothing my frayed nerves and easing me back into a life at Merrick’s side.

“Relax, Beta,” Merrick whispers as his fingertips brush the hair from my neck. His large hands cover my shoulders, and he begins to knead my tense muscles. Pleasurable tingles spread through me, and I relax further, my head dropping forward as I close my eyes and drift.

Morning comes far too soon, and with it, Merrick climbs out of bed. It dips and rises, drawing me further out of sleep. I crack open my eyes and get a glorious glimpse of his ass before he pulls on riding pants and turns to lace them.

“You should never cover that up,” I say with a smile.

Merrick chuckles before leaning down to capture my lips with his. “Then how would I ever get anything done?”

“You wouldn’t. That’s the point.” I push my covers down and stretch, giving him a full view of my naked, relaxed body.

Merrick growls. “You kill me.”

“I have no idea what you are talking about,” I reply with a grin. Merrick throws the covers off of me then climbs onto the bed and spreads my legs with his large hands. A sigh leaves my lips as he traces his tongue over the inside of my thighs.

“I have places to be,” he whispers.

“Uh-huh.” My response is breathless, my need endless.

Merrick runs his tongue over my center. I buck against him, but he places a hand on my belly, firmly holding me in place as he slips his free hand beneath me. His tongue caresses my clit softly, and pleasure shoots through my body.

I can sense his arousal, smell it as his scent fills the air. And it pushes mine further. Every touch, every graze of his tongue brings me nothing but pure, unfiltered bliss.

“You taste divine,” Merrick whispers then sweeps his tongue over me again. My body quivers, trembling beneath his talented mouth.

I am always at his mercy. Driven by my love.

With shaking hands, I grip his hair, threading my fingers through the strands as he continues massaging my core with his tongue. My body turns feverish as my release mounts, every stroke of his tongue driving me further and further up.

And then—I crash.

My release tears through me, completely decimating every thought in my mind. I cry out, all but screaming Merrick’s name as I shatter. He continues sucking, tasting, drawing every single moment of pleasure out of me.

And then, he’s gone.

Only to be replaced by his body as soon as he’s shed his pants.

He climbs on top of me, positioning himself at my entrance. Slowly, he fills me, pressure turning to pleasure as my love fills my body with his own.

I grip his shoulders, clinging to him.

He pulls back then slams into me again. Merrick sits back and grips my breasts, running his thumbs over my taut nipples. The feel of his calloused thumbs caressing them sends my heart rate skyrocketing. Every sensation is new even as I’ve been with him more times than I can remember.

Merrick drives into me, burying himself over and over again until another wave of pleasure consumes me. Our bodies, slick with sweat, come together as he falls alongside me, his release filling me.

Breathless, he rolls off to the side, curling me against his body.

“That’s one way to wake up,” I say as I press a kiss to his chest.

“The only way to wake up,” he replies. “I do not wish to leave this bed.”

“Neither do I, but we have a war to win.”

“You had to remind me.” Merrick presses a kiss to my nose. “Come, and let’s get some breakfast before you convince me to do nothing but stay in bed and ignore the burning world around us.”

Chapter 17

Merrick

“Where is Zane?” Grendel asks as soon as I step into his tent. “I would have loved to thank him for aiding in the return of Kiya.”

“Gone,” I reply. “This is not his fight.”

“He was quick to be at your side when it was needed.”

“Because he felt he owed me a debt.” Not entirely true, though Grendel asking questions about the vampire is not good for him. He wants his visit here to remain quiet given that he is the only vampire in the realm—that we know of. Best to keep it that way. “We need to speak about the Cursed Men.”

Grendel cocks his head to the side and crosses his arms. “The ones from the swamps?”

“They have been hired by Julius.”

Grendel’s eyes widen, and his liaison, Rupert, steps forward.

“You’re sure of this?” the man asks.

“MacKenna was able to discern as much when we were attacked on our way back.”

“So the information comes from your brother?” Rupert asks.

Unease settles over me. “Why the fuck does that matter?”

The king’s liaison smiles uncomfortably. “MacKenna has a bit of a bloodthirst about him, does he not? Is it possible—”

“My brother is not a fucking liar,” I snarl, slamming both palms down on the table between us.

“Merrick?” Kiya calls through the bond. “What is wrong?”

“Nothing,” I growl.

The king’s liaison jumps back, nearly falling on his ass as he does. Fucking coward.

“Rupert meant no offense,” Grendel steps in. “He’s simply validating the information.”

“We were attacked by Cursed Men.” I straighten and cross my arms, though my gaze stays firmly on the wormy man at Grendel’s side. “Or are you going to question my word, too?”

“Of course not,” Rupert replies.

“Merrick. I’m coming.”

I don’t respond to her, focusing instead on not killing this fucking worm. “You will heed anything my brothers tell you as though it came directly from me. MacKenna may have unorthodox training practices, but he’s as fucking honorable as they come. Question him and you question me. And—well—I don’t have to tell you what I’ll do should you start questioning me.”

“Men, we do not need to start fighting amongst ourselves.” Grendel moves up to stand beside his liaison. Rupert looks down, not meeting my gaze any longer.

“Yes, your highness,” he replies. “Of course, I meant no offense, Alpha Umbra.”

“Of course,” I retort then shift my gaze back to the king. “It was a scouting party we ran across, and it’s my belief they have a larger camp somewhere near our borders.”

“You did not pass any others?” he asks.

“No.”

“Shit. What kind of man recruits barbarians for his fight?”

“The same type of man who will start forcing children to carry a blade in his name should we not put an end to this war.” I feel Kiya even before she pushes into the tent and begins speaking. Her hand goes to my lower back, and a calmness washes over me.

“Children? Has he no honor?” Rupert shakes his head.

“He does not. King Grendel, it is good to see you.”

“Alexander, please,” he says with a smile that makes me want to cut his fucking tongue out for daring to speak to her.

The way he watches her, the heat in his gaze—it angers me.

I wrap an arm around her waist and pull her slight form against me. “My love, you should have slept longer.” After breakfast, I’d carried her to our room myself and waited until she’d fallen asleep.

“I will sleep plenty when this is over. Did you tell them of the Cursed Men?”

“He did, my lady,” Rupert says as he bows his head. “We were about to come up with a plan, though you do not need to concern yourself with it.” The dismissal is clear in his voice and has fresh anger bubbling to the surface. Every time this man opens his mouth, I want to remove his fucking tongue.

But before I can defend her, Kiya clears her throat. “I am getting incredibly tired of men underestimating me, Rupert. Do not make the same mistake so many others have.” She turns to Grendel. “What is your plan?”

He looks from her to his aid, then back to her, and chuckles. “Well, we were about to formulate one, right, Merrick?”

“Correct,” I reply, grinning at my wife.

The liaison has yet to speak again, his flushed cheeks visual evidence of his embarrassment.

"Fantastic. Then how about I give you the rundown of his defenses and an inside look at the routine he followed prior to my marriage to Merrick?”

By the time Kiya is done filling us in on Julius’s defenses, running the mortified liaison out of the king’s tent, both Grendel and I have a clearer picture of what it is we’re up against. Arrows, cannons, underground tunnels for his troops to flank—there is quite an impressive list.

But now we know where they all are, making it far easier to avoid them.

“There’s also the matter of the magic wards he has placed around the perimeter.”

“Wards?”

“Ahh yes.” Kiya reaches up and rubs the back of her neck where her now-healed flesh carried one of those marks. “He has a witch working with him, though I’ve never seen her.”

“You didn’t see her when you were imprisoned?” I ask.

Kiya shakes her head. “It wasn’t until Zane told me of it that I even knew I was marked. They must have done it while I was unconscious.”

“Better for you that way, I imagine.” Grendel mutters a curse. “This bastard is proving to be far more annoying than I would have imagined.”

“He’s desperate,” Kiya replies. “And desperate men will go to any measures in order to succeed.”

“You say he will start recruiting children?”

“If he hasn’t already,” Kiya replies. “The moment he feels as though we’ve outnumbered him, he will rip anyone old enough to hold a blade from the streets.”

“What did your scouts turn up?” I question, crossing my arms. “Anything new?”

“Julius left the camp last night in a rush. My guess is that word of Kiya’s escape reached him. He should be returning to his castle sometime today, depending on how hard they ride.”

“Then we do not give him the chance to leave again.”

“An all-out assault on the city will end with civilians dead,” Kiya warns.

“No. My men will not harm anyone who is not wielding a blade,” Grendel says. “We do not slaughter innocents.”

“Maybe not. But Julius’s men will kill anyone in the way. Our best bet is to set up a camp somewhere between here and the one your scouts saw him leaving. So, when he leaves the city again, we can capture and kill him. We’ll have the manpower and the element of surprise.” She studies the map, and I watch her expression, turned the fuck on by the way her mind works.

Kiya may have been raised to remain silent unless spoken to, but she has the mind of a queen and the strength of a warrior.

“That is a brilliant plan.” Grendel looks at her approvingly.

“Here,” she presses the tip of her finger to a spot on the map between where Grendel marked Julius’s camp and Aurum.

“We’ll be leaving a fortress,” Grendel warns us.

“Do you see another way?”

He sighs. “This does seem to be the simplest. Though the Cursed Men will need to be dealt with first. We have the better grounds here, and if we leave before dealing with them, we leave ourselves open to being surrounded.” He shakes his head slowly and continues to stare down at the map. “If they have set up camp, I want to find and destroy it first. They, as of now, pose the larger threat because they are an unknown.”

“Kiya and I can go out today. Track their camp and report back with location and numbers.”

“You two would go out alone? That seems foolish.”

“Yes. As you well understand by now, we are perfectly capable of blending in with our surroundings. We’re the safest option.”

Kiya’s heart rate increases, and she asks, “Does he know?” through our bond.

“Yes.”

Grendel looks from me to Kiya, then back to me. “I am not entirely comfortable risking the two of you.”

“Get comfortable,” I grumble. “Because that is precisely what is going to happen. Kiya needs training. She needs to get comfortable with her wolf again. This serves two purposes. We can move relatively undetected where your men cannot.”

My tone leaves no room for argument, and Grendel purses his lips. While he might be a fair leader, I cannot imagine he is a man used to being told no.

Finally, he sighs. “Understood. I only ask that you do not engage them alone.”

“I won’t risk Kiya,” I reply.

Chapter 18

Kiya

A light breeze sends the tree branches swaying around us. While most of them are barren, there are enough with bright green needles remaining to keep Merrick and I hidden as we creep closer to the enemy camp.

We’d attended a lunch with his family, a reunion that I hadn’t realized how desperately I’d craved. Even Lark was happy to see me, and that warmed me more than I would have thought it would.

She and I have never had a great relationship, with her believing I was not good for her son, but now it seems that we may be able to put it behind us. And wouldn’t that be nice? Even if I can never fully forgive her for the hand she had in the cursing of her entire family. The pain they suffered is not something I will ever be able to fully forget.

“You all right?” Merrick asks, his voice sliding through our bond like freshly churned butter.

“Yes, love.” It didn’t take us long to locate the Cursed Men thanks to the putrid stench that caught us the moment we were downwind. Here, it’s far more pungent. Rotting flesh mixed with the sour stench of puss.

They laugh somewhere just ahead, hidden only by the crest of the hill separating us from them. Merrick’s massive wolf moves beside me while I—in my slightly smaller wolf form—zero in on the sounds and scents of our enemies.

“Listen to them, Beta. Listen for the different voices and their placement within the camp.”

I don’t respond, just close my eyes and focus all of my energy on homing in on the sounds. As I do, I block everything else out—sight, sound—all of it.

Until all I can do is hear.

“Julius asked us to remain here until we’re needed.” The raspy tone is male and slightly higher pitched than the next one who speaks.

“Julius can suck my big fucking cock,” another man replies. “We know where they are. Let’s just go fucking end things now.”

“Because we’re not being paid to do that—not yet, anyway,” a man with a deep, gravelly voice calls out. “When he orders us to do just that, we will make our move.” His voice grows closer, and I mentally paint where the voices are coming from.

Two men sitting close to each other—a third joining.

Someone belches—make that four men together.

“Yeah, well, ’ss getting borin’ sittin’ ‘round ‘here all the time.”

Five.

“Then go find yourself something to do.”

“Like what? We’re not allowed to leave this bloody camp.”

“How many are there?” Merrick asks.

“I count at least five.”

“Very good. Focus on their scents. Do you still sense only five?”

I breathe deeply, inhaling the scents of the world around me. The putrid stench is an assault on my senses, but I force myself to let it seep in. It’s strange how I never noticed that everything in the world has its own scent marker. Rabbits smell one way, trees another. Fresh dirt is surprisingly pleasant, and each of the men in that camp has his own varying stench.

“There are more than five in the camp,” I tell him through our bond. “But I can only hear five distinct voices.”

“That is correct. Five are closest to us, the others are farther inside the camp.”

“How many?” I ask, slightly jealous that he’s able to discern so much from the same amount of information I have.

“Too many to scent. We need to get a closer look.”

“How do we do that without getting caught?”

Merrick drops his snout to the ground then takes a few cautious steps forward. “Follow me, and watch your step.”

I tread carefully, paying close attention to every scent and sound surrounding us. As we inch closer, we come to the peak of our small hill overlooking the war camp below. My heart pounds in my chest as the pungent stench grows to near-unbearable.

Below us, dozens of men stalk, their flesh rotting right off their bones. Some are missing huge chunks; others are in the same state of decomposition as the men we crossed paths within the swamps.

But all of them—every last one of them—are damned.

“There are so many of them,” I say.

“Far more than we originally thought. It’s going to take a small army to take them on. Even still, our numbers will be vastly dwindled by this fight.”

Dread coils in my belly, and Merrick turns away, stalking back through the trees. I follow carefully, watching the world around us. As soon as the stench is no longer present, Merrick shifts.

When he’d been cursed, his transitions were immensely painful. Now, though, it’s seamless and takes less than a handful of seconds to complete.

“You’ve got this,” he says to me.

I hesitate a moment longer then allow my body to shift back to its human form. Every pop, break, and twist is another shooting of pain through me, but by the time the shift is done, I’m standing before him, body slick with sweat, the pain little more than a dull ache.

“You’re getting faster,” he says with a prideful smile.

“Am I? It still feels like an eternity.”

Merrick chuckles. “It will feel that way for quite some time.”

“What does it feel like for you?” I ask as I draw in a deep breath—then another.

“Like breathing,” he replies. A branch crunches, so I whirl. “The scent, love, it’s a—”

“Rabbit,” I finish, noting the earthy scent.

“Yes.” He grins at me.

More relaxed now, I turn toward him and cross my arms. “What are we going to do about the Cursed Men?”

Merrick’s lips flatten into a tight line. “We’re going to need quite the numbers to decimate a camp that size.”

“And if we don’t? What if we move around them and set up somewhere along Julius’s route? Take him out before—”

“They will still come for us,” Merrick interrupts. “Those men are barbarians. They’re soulless. And if we’re lucky, the only remaining cursed men walk that camp now.”

“It’s a risk.”

“A necessary one,” he replies.

The idea of Merrick going up against these monsters, of fighting them, terrifies me. The last time he faced them, he’d survived. But the last time, he’d been a cursed man himself. A beast with enhanced strength, speed, and healing abilities.

Merrick reaches out and cups my cheek, his thumb stroking tenderly along my flesh. “All will be well, Beta.”

“Hopefully. It feels like we keep stepping backward while Julius makes all the leaps toward us.”

“We have you back.”

“But the war is not won.”

“Mine is. I fight for you, Kiya. For you and our people. As long as you draw breath, I am victorious.”

My heart skips a beat, tumbling in my chest with his declaration. What have I done to deserve such devotion?

Such blinding love?

He pulls me closer and breathes me in a moment before capturing my lips with his. The kiss is sweet, tender—a mere promise of what’s to come later. Because as soon as he pulls back, Merrick grins, shifts, and runs off into the trees, leaving me to follow.

It’s nightfall by the time we make it back to the Shadow Lands.

On the outskirts, we shift and dress quickly then step from the trees side-by-side. The men standing guard closest to the trees we emerge from offer us nods as we pass.

As we make our way down the center aisle, I stretch my senses, listening for any voices I might recognize.

I hear none, though Merrick shakes his head with a soft laugh.

“What is it?”

“Maverick is frightening children again.”

“What?”

“It’s a joke, my love.”

“I can’t hear anything.”

“Your senses will still take some time to completely hone. Come.” Merrick guides me off the main path and toward a large bonfire. Maverick sits directly across from it with a handful of children seated on the downed log on either side of him.

MacKenna lingers at the edge of the ring, carving something with a blade and piece of wood in his hand.

Savvee sits opposite Maverick, hanging on every word Maverick says. Though, if her expression is any indication, it’s not because she approves of the message.

“The wolves stalked the villagers, each of them watching with hunger in their gazes. And then, when the little boy wandered just outside of the walls, the wolf grabbed him!” The children gasp in unison. “Dragging him off to the trees.”

“Did he die?”

“Did the wolf bring him back?”

Maverick is hammered with questions while MacKenna chuckles and Merrick mutters a curse.

“Not a very pleasant story,” I comment.

“No,” Merrick agrees. “I—”

But before he can finish, two balls of light appear in the center of the circle. Silence falls over everyone as Savvee raises her hands. The orbs morph into images, a visualization of the wolf dragging the little boy off into the woods.

Just before he reaches the tree line, though, the little boy is dropped. He leaps up, but when the wolf comes back for him, the little boy stands his ground. He rears back and slams his foot into the wolf’s mouth, and the creature whimpers and runs away into the trees while the little boy cheers victoriously.

The kids throw their heads back and laugh while Maverick tries his best to hide his own amusement.

“That’s how the story should have ended,” Savvee announces.

“Except it’s not realistic,” MacKenna calls out as he continues carving whatever it is he’s working on.

“Come on, kids, I sense this is about to get immensely uncomfortable.” Maverick stands, and the kids pepper him with questions as they walk away.

Savvee turns to MacKenna. “Do you have something against a happy ending?”

“Other than the fact that they so rarely exist? Of course not.” He continues driving the sharp edge of the blade over the wood, sending shavings flittering to the ground. Magic sparks at the tips of Savvee’s fingers, and if it weren’t for the extremely subtle tightening of MacKenna’s jaw, I would have thought he didn’t see it at all.

“You are the most infuriating man I’ve ever met.”

“Good.”

“Good?” she repeats, cheeks turning a deep shade of crimson. “Good? You can’t even allow children of war to have a happily ever after in a mere story!”

“They should be prepared for what’s coming.”

She glares at him. “You’re a bastard with no heart, MacKenna Umbra.”

He looks up at her now. “And don’t forget that.”

Savvee whirls on us, shaking her head angrily. “Your brother is an asshole.”

“So I see,” Merrick replies.

“I’m going to bed before I try to turn him into the roach that he is.” She stomps past us.

Merrick steps closer to his brother. “She’s going to kill you one of these days.”

MacKenna shrugs. “Then I guess it’ll be one hell of a story.”

“Why are you acting this way around her?” I cross my arms.

“Because she doesn’t need to get too comfortable,” MacKenna replies as he pushes to his feet and shoves whatever he’s carving into his pocket before I can see it. Then, he replaces his dagger in the holster at his waist.

“Savvee is our ally.” Merrick’s tone is sharp, though MacKenna doesn’t seem bothered in the least.

“For now,” he replies.

Anger toward Merrick’s brother burns hot in my veins for the first time since we met. I jab a finger into his chest, and his eyes widen, though he maintains his ground. “Listen to me, MacKenna Umbra. I spent days in that swamp with Savvee. We bled and sweated together as we carried Madox’s remains home. She didn’t complain—not even one time. And when she broke the curse—as she promised—she continued to stay and fight a war that is not hers to fight. She has nothing to gain from us winning—or losing. Yet, here she is, fighting, despite the fact that you continue to treat her like utter and complete shit.”

“My apologies for offending you, beta,” he replies, his shoulders slumping forward ever so slightly beneath the weight of her tongue lashing.

“You didn’t offend me,” I snap. “You pissed me off. You don’t have to like her, but you do have to treat her with the same respect you afford me.”

The corner of his lip twitches, though good on him for not cracking a smile. “Understood, beta.” He lifts his gaze to Merrick. “Alpha.” Then he turns on his heel and literally skips away.

“He did not just skip.”

“He did,” Merrick says. His tone has me turning, and I catch him grinning widely at me.

“Why the hell are you smiling? He’s being an ass!”

“MacKenna is absolutely being an ass,” he agrees. “Though, can you not sense why?”

“There is no excuse for his behavior.”

Merrick continues to stare at me as though realization is going to dawn at any moment. When it clearly doesn’t, he sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “MacKenna has feelings for the witch,” he replies. “While I am not sure how deep they run—I can tell he is not happy about them.”

The air whooshes from my lungs, and I gape at Merrick. “Feelings? But he treats her like utter shit!”

“Would you not agree that is how I acted upon our first meeting?”

“But—I mean—you had your reasons.”

“As I imagine he has his.” Merrick threads his fingers through mine and pulls me toward the house.

“Why are we—” Merrick cuts me off when he turns and yanks me against his body in a blur of movement that sends my heart racing.

“You are sexy as fuck when you take charge, my love. And I intend to show you just what it does to me." We push into the house, slipping up the stairs and toward our room. With everyone occupied with dinner, we see very few people.

“But the king—” I start.

“Can wait until tomorrow,” he interrupts then slams the door behind us.

Chapter 19

Merrick

With Kiya sound asleep, I slip out of our room and down the stairs. I can hear the voices of my family in the dining hall, so I smile and head straight for them.

“Rupert is getting on my fucking nerves,” MacKenna snarls. “I can’t tell you how many fucking times he’s interrupted me during a training session and given direction. Like that damned worm has ever touched any kind of fucking steel.”

“We can’t all be MacKenna Umbra,” I say as I breeze into the room.

Maverick chuckles as MacKenna grins at me. “Isn’t that the damned truth,” he replies.

Savvee is not here, but Lea leans against Maynard as she reads. My mother sits beside my uncle, both of them with mugs in their hands. Maverick sits opposite of MacKenna, so I take my seat at the head of the table.

“How did today go?” my mother asks.

“Kiya did well, though I knew she would. She’s quick to learn.”

“What about the camp?” MacKenna asks. “Did you find it?”

“We did. It’s not great news,” I tell them truthfully. “And given that we can’t shift and fight—we’re going to be outnumbered.”

“How many?” Maynard asks.

“I saw at least sixty, though there were scent markers for far more than I could discern.”

“Son of a bitch.” MacKenna runs a hand over his face, and for the first time since we started using language my mother never approved of, she doesn’t correct him. Honestly, her exhausted expression makes me wonder if perhaps she’s not thinking the exact same thing.

“We can’t keep going at this rate,” my mother says. “I watched war tear these lands apart when your grandfather settled here. And it’s going to happen again.”

“The villagers are safe—”

“For now,” she interrupts Maynard. “But they will tire of those caves, and when they do, things will begin to get ugly.”

“Let’s hope we can end this before it gets to that point.” I cross my arms. “We’re going to need to go with the soldiers to deal with the cursed men,” I tell them before turning to MacKenna. “Think you can get word to Zane?”

“I can. If we’re lucky, his mate will step in. She’s damn near as lethal as he is.”

“Then send for them both,” I tell him. “I want them to linger just out of sight so, if something happens, they can get in and get our people out of here.”

“Wait.” Maverick shifts in his seat. “You aren’t going to take them to the cursed men’s camp?”

I shake my head. “Kiya is not trained well enough to fight them—not on this scale. And mother needs to remain here with Maxwell and Myke. And while I do not believe Grendel is the snake that Julius is, I do not trust him. Especially not now that he knows our secret.”

“I can fight,” my mother says. “I’ve been well-trained.”

“Yes. Which is why you and Maverick will be staying put.”

“Wait—why can’t I go?”

I turn to Maverick. “Because I need people here, too. I have this feeling—” I trail off then take a deep breath and continue, “I imagine the nerves are from being separated from Kiya again, but I won’t risk it. With Kiya gone, Julius is a loose cannon. There’s no telling what he’ll do.”

“What about the able-bodied fighters in our village?” Ferris asks. “We can have them come—offer aide.”

I shake my head. “We need them there to protect the people. Should we fall, we cannot leave everyone unprotected.”

The table around me grows silent, everyone processing the very idea that we may lose this fight. My family has held these lands for centuries. Starting with my grandfather, and leading up to me. If I were to lose them now—I push the thought aside.

Our lives are worth more than these lands. Which is something my father never understood but I accept.

Should it come down to our lives or the land, I will get my people out before I would let their blood soak this soil.

“I’ll get word to Zane,” MacKenna says again. “Then we’ll go from there.”

“I will be filling Grendel in on what we found. Chances are he will be wanting to march on the camp within the next couple of days. Will the men be ready?”

“They’ll have to be.” MacKenna leans back. “He has quite a few talented fighters in his ranks, but a good portion of them are green. We’ll need two times the number of fighters we would typically need. Which, given who we’re facing, are four-to-one numbers, not including us.”

“I assumed as much,” I reply. “We’ll get the numbers and wipe out that camp.”

“What then?” Maynard asks. “What’s next?”

“We are going to set up camp between Aurum and the war camp Julius continues to travel between. Then, we’ll catch him on the road and kill him while he doesn’t have the soldiers to protect him.”

“That almost feels too simple,” Maynard says. “Doesn’t it?”

“Simple?” Ferris chokes on some of his ale. “We’ve been at it for weeks,” he says. “And that’s only the direct fighting. The king has been trying to start a war with us since he sent Kiya here months ago.”

“Even before then,” I remind him. “Both kings sent scouts onto our lands.”

“Do you believe we’ll have any trouble with Grendel once Julius is dealt with?” my mother asks. “I’ve never seen a king who didn’t desire that which isn’t his.”

My thoughts drift to Kiya. To the way Grendel watches her when he believes I’m not looking. If he desires my wife, who’s to say he won’t turn on us and try to steal the very land from beneath our feet?

“Truthfully? I don’t know. Though I imagine he would hesitate now, given that he knows the truth about us. All we can do is play this smart, watch our backs, and push forward as though he is a snake waiting to strike.”

“Fucking kings,” Maynard groans.

“Fucking kings,” MacKenna repeats.

“All I know is that I am looking forward to sleeping in.” Lea yawns, and Maynard presses a gentle kiss to the top of her head.

“That will be the day.” MacKenna raises his mug. “To the day we’ve successfully toppled an entire regime and can spend a lazy morning in bed.”

“Brother.”

I glance over at MacKenna as he falls into step beside me. He’s dressed for training today with his white shirt tucked into brown riding pants. Boots ride up to his knees, his sword sheathed at his side. “Did you send word to Zane?” I question. My tone is sharper than it should be, but I woke up irritable this morning.

Kiya was already gone, so I tell myself that’s why, but there’s this nagging irritation clawing at me that I cannot quite pinpoint.

“I did. Messenger left before dawn. He will ensure the vampire shows up.” Even MacKenna is short, and it makes me wonder if it’s not the stress finally getting to us.

“Let’s hope he gets here in time.”

“With how fast he can move? I bet he gets here before we leave,” MacKenna retorts.

“Good.”

“How’s our beta this morning?” MacKenna questions.

“Likely still pissed at you.”

He snorts. “I assumed as much.”

“Though, she was less angry when I told her why you’re acting like such a miserable ass towards the witch.”

MacKenna stops, so I do the same and turn to face him. Eyes narrowed on me, he crosses his arms. “And just what reasoning did you give her? Seeing as how my basic mistrust of witches is clearly not enough of a reason for any of you fuckers.”

“You have feelings for her.” Before he can respond, I turn and begin walking again.

MacKenna remains rooted in his spot until I’ve nearly made it to the training field. It’s then I hear the soft padding of his footsteps as he rushes toward me.

“What the fuck did you just say?”

“Don’t lie, brother. You are not a coward.”

“And I don’t have feelings for the witch.”

Because I understand just how frustrating unwanted feelings can be, I stop walking and turn to face him. “I am your alpha,” I remind him. “And the scent you give off in the witch’s presence is one a wolf emits when his mate is near.”

MacKenna’s face pales near comically. And if he didn’t look so fucking shocked himself, I might have been irritated. “Savvee is not my mate,” he snarls.

I cross toward him and place my hand on his shoulder. “We don’t get to choose.”

“She is not my fucking mate. You’re wrong. Whatever sense you believe you’re picking up on is fucking wrong. I despise the witch. Everything about her makes me want to cringe.”

At that exact moment, Savvee rounds the corner and stops.

MacKenna stiffens, and the mating scent fills the air around him. Only, this time, I am not the only one who realizes it. My brother’s cheeks flush, and he whirls on Savvee.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

“Looking for Merrick,” she replies with a cool façade that I see right past. While she likely has no idea what’s going on, she feels a similar attachment to MacKenna.

“As you can see, he’s busy.” MacKenna takes a step closer, his hands balling into fists. “So get the fuck gone, witch, no one wants you here.”

Her gaze turns molten, her body tensing. “You’re a real asshole, MacKenna. Come see me when you’re done dealing with his temper tantrum,” she tells me then turns the corner and disappears from view.

Every muscle in MacKenna’s body is tense as he faces me again. “She cannot be my mate. And even if she is, I’d rather die than be mated to a fucking witch.”

I cross over and grip my brother by the front of his shirt. We’re damn near the same height and build, which means that, if he ever were to challenge me as alpha, I cannot be entirely sure who would win.

Even still, my brother has always needed to have sense knocked into his damn thick skull. "You may not want her—that’s on you. But treating her like shit because you choose not to deal with your feelings isn’t fair to her. Figure your shit out, MacKenna, before I figure it out for you.” I shove him back a step as I release him.

“This is not your business as alpha,” he snarls.

“No,” I agree. “But it is my business as your brother.”

Chapter 20

Merrick

By the time I’ve made it to Grendel’s tent, I’m pissed off and ready to spill some fucking blood. Which doesn’t make things any easier when I step inside and see Kiya standing near the king, both of them laughing about something.

Blood begins to pound in my ears when he pats her upper back.

Kiya’s gaze finds mine. “Easy, love.”

“He better get his fucking hands off of you if he wants to keep them.”

“Merrick!” Grendel greets. “We were just talking about the interesting start the two of you had to your marriage.”

“Oh?” I snap, quite a bit harsher than I meant. “Is that right?”

“Sounds like you were quite the brute,” he jokes, completely unaware that I want to rip his throat out.

“What can I say, I’ve always been a bit of an animal.”

Grendel throws his head back and laughs again as Kiya moves away from him and crosses toward me.

“Are you all right?”

“Fine,” I send back through the bond. Then, out loud, I ask, “What are you doing here?”

“I was just talking to Grendel about my time with Julius.”

My back stiffens. She hasn’t even spoken to me in detail of such things. If he cornered her—

“I didn’t tell him much,” she says quickly.

“And I didn’t pressure. I cannot fathom the horrors you saw while in his possession.”

“She’s here now,” I say, flattening both palms on the map laid out on top of the table between me and Grendel. “We need more men than we thought,” I tell him. “For the assault on the Cursed Men’s camp.”

Grendel’s expression sobers. “I feared as much. How many?”

“I’d estimate near two hundred. Possibly more if you can spare them.”

“Fuck.”

“They are stronger than typical men,” I warn him. “Faster. Harder to kill. You’ll need at least four human soldiers to one of them.”

“What about your kind?” he questions.

“I will not take all of my brothers.” I say it quickly to head him off. “I refuse to leave those in my protection here without a member of my pack.”

“Kiya will be here.” He smiles at her as though his approval fucking matters.

“Kiya is not trained,” I growl.

Grendel shifts his gaze from the map to me. “She is still a wolf, is she not? As are your two younger brothers and your mother.”

I step forward, a predator about to put his prey in its place. “Let me make this very clear. I am not under any circumstances leaving untrained fighters here to defend an entire fucking camp.”

“And I cannot send two hundred of my men to their deaths.”

“Then this is not a fight we can win,” I snap back. “I will take MacKenna. The others remain here to protect the camp.”

“I have seven hundred soldiers here. If I send you two hundred, then that leaves five hundred here. They can protect your people.”

It takes everything in me not to laugh in his fucking face. Kiya’s hand goes to my arm.

“Easy,” she says. “He is frightened.”

I don’t respond to her. “This is the way it is. Take it, or I’ll take my people, and we’ll fucking leave this realm.”

Grendel’s cheeks flush. “You started this war. Begged for my help.”

“I did. And you’re getting something out of it, too, are you not?”

“Do not forget who you are addressing, Alpha,” he replies. “I am a king.”

“Do not forget that you are not my king,” I say, mirroring the words he spoke to Rupert, who, conveniently, is not fucking here. Why would Grendel want an audience as he tries to bed my wife?

“Okay, this has grown increasingly uncomfortable.” Kiya chuckles nervously, her attempt at diffusing the situation. “Perhaps we need to take a break and come back to this.”

“I will not budge on this. Push me, and I’ll begin to wonder just why you want all of us gone,” I growl, looking to Kiya then back to him.

Surprisingly, the human seems to get the hint. Grendel runs a hand over his face and then sighs. “No reason,” he replies. “I’m simply worried about the hit our numbers are going to take. Removing this threat is important—yes, but so is having enough able-bodied men to fight the final battle once we find Julius.”

“Understood,” Kiya replies. “But you need to remember that kings have been trying to take Merrick’s lands since before he was born. Trust is not something that either of us gives freely. You have it—for now—but pressuring us to separate does not strengthen that trust. In fact, it does the opposite.”

Grendel nods and smiles softly at Kiya. “You have the mind of a queen.” Lust and need fill the air around us, and I grab Kiya’s arm to rip her back toward me.

“Watch your thoughts around my wife, Grendel. I can sense your fucking attraction, and it’s pissing me off.”

Grendel throws up both hands. “I apologize. It is merely appreciation,” he says quickly. “Not attraction to anything but the way her mind works. Again, I apologize.”

“We done here?” I snap.

“Yes. Prepare your brother, and I will prepare my men. You leave tomorrow.”

I yank Kiya out of his tent and toward the trees bordering the camp. We move directly past the guards with Kiya having to near jog to keep up. The moment we reach the tree line, I wordlessly shed my clothes and shift.

My wolf explodes out of me, his need to run off anger nearly as great as my own. I don’t have to look back to know that Kiya is stripping off her clothes as well. Seconds later, I hear the familiar popping of her bones and look back just as her wolf stands on all fours.

She’s magnificent. A stunning beauty whether she’s wolf or woman.

And Grendel is trying to move in on her.

I turn and sprint through the trees. Kiya follows, running after me without sending a word through our bond.

We run until I’m calm.

Hours into the trees, and we’ve crossed no camps, so I pad my way over to the edge of a lake and shift back to two legs. I watch as Kiya’s body contorts, bones snapping and twisting until she’s standing in front of me, slightly breathless.

“Better?” she questions, crossing both arms beneath her bare breasts.

My hunger for her grows more and more each second until I can barely contain myself. Especially knowing that fucking Grendel craves her. The need to possess her takes over, and I cross over, grip her by the back of the neck, and crush my mouth to hers.

Kiya gives beneath me, lips parting, hands gripping my arms as I fuck her mouth with my tongue.

I own her. But my possession is not nearly as strong as the control she has over me.

“You are mine,” I snarl against her lips.

“It was never a question,” she replies.

I pull away. “Grendel sure as fuck thinks it is.”

Kiya comes to stand beside me. “He’s intrigued by me, though I do not believe it’s lust.”

“Then you’re not paying attention,” I growl.

She’s silent a moment, then asks, “What happened?”

I whirl on her. “Were you not in that tent?”

Kiya’s gaze narrows on me. “Yeah, but you were angry before then. What happened?”

I mutter a curse then turn to face the water. “I woke up fucking pissed that you were gone. Then MacKenna and I got into it.”

“I went to see Savvee. What did you and MacKenna fight about?”

“Savvee.” I glance over at Kiya. “She’s his mate.”

My wife’s eyes widen so far that, if I weren’t already so damned angry, I might have laughed. She looks just as shocked as MacKenna was when I told him what it was I sensed. “Seriously?”

“Yes.”

“As in—”

“The other half of his soul. His one true mate.”

“How the hell did that happen?”

I shrug. “We don’t often get a choice in the matter,” I reply. “Something MacKenna is quite pissed about.”

“Shit. He hates her.”

“He does,” I reply. “Though, not for the reasons he claims.”

“Do you think he’ll tell her?”

I wish I could tell my beta yes. That my brother would come around and embrace Savvee as his mate. But I know MacKenna too well to think that, and I respect my beta too damn much to lie. So, I shake my head. “I doubt it. MacKenna doesn’t want a mate,” I tell her. “And he certainly doesn’t want a witch.”

“That’s so shortsighted. Savvee is amazing.”

“She has earned my respect,” I admit. “Which is not something I can say of a lot of people.”

“Stubborn ass Umbras. That’s what you lot are.”

At her words, I crack a smile, though it fades quickly. “I don’t believe I’ve apologized enough for the way I treated you when we first met.”

“And I told you it’s not necessary.” Kiya takes my hand and pulls me closer to the water. After releasing me, she moves into it slowly, so I get the immense pleasure of watching the liquid devour her curves. As soon as it’s up to her waist, she turns toward me. “Now, come make love to me in the water like we’re not at war and the world is at peace.”

I move in after her, eating up the distance between us until my mouth is on hers, my hand snaking around her waist and yanking her toward me. I drop my other hand between us, and she parts her thighs for me as I slip my finger down and stroke her clit.

Already slick for me, she moans against my mouth, and my cock hardens until it’s near painful.

Never will I tire of my mate.

Of my Kiya.

My desire to possess her takes over all rational thought, so I grip her perfect ass and lift her up to slide her down on my cock. She’s tight and so fucking wet.

“Yes,” Kiya whispers and wraps her legs around my waist.

I pull back, sliding out, then drive into her—hard. Her tits bounce, and water splashes up on the both of us. Holding her up with one arm, I grip the thick strands of her hair with my free hand and pull her head back, exposing her throat.

I press my lips to her flesh, nipping and tasting as I drive into her at a pace that sends both of our hearts racing in tandem.

Every touch.

Taste.

Sensation.

They’re all heightened when we’re together. So much so that I cannot imagine how I ever lived my life without her.

She comes, my name a heady plea on her lips as my own release takes over. I fill her, my release easing the jealousy I felt earlier until none of those feelings left. And when I’ve finished, when we’re both so damned sated that we can barely stand, I continue to hold her, clinging to the woman I love in our own private, watery paradise.

Chapter 21

Kiya

I come awake, drenched in sweat. The covers are tangled at my feet, and I’m drawing breaths as though I’m struggling for air. I gasp as the cool night air hits my pebbled nipples. The area between my legs is drenched, the throbbing so damned painful I’m sure if I don’t get relief soon, I’ll explode.

I reach out for Merrick but grasp only sheets.

“Merrick?” I choke out as I roll over to my side. He’s gone, the empty room bathed in dying firelight.

Pain shoots through my belly, and I groan, rolling off the edge of the bed and hitting the floor. My ears ring as a new wave of pain ricochets through my head after its impact on the hard wood.

“Merrick!” I call out then whimper as I curl into a ball on the floor.

The door bursts open, and MacKenna rushes forward. “Kiya! What—”

“Get the fuck away from her!” Savvee roars as she sprints toward me, putting herself between me and MacKenna. “She’s in heat.”

MacKenna pales, and, even from where I’m lying on the floor, I can see the twisted pain on his face as he takes a step back. “I can’t—”

Savvee throws up a hand. “MacKenna, as much as I’d love to knock you on your ass, don’t make me do it for something you cannot control.”

He takes a step closer. “I can’t—”

Savvee slams him with magic that sends him spiraling out of the door. He hits the wall opposite the door, and it splinters.

“What is happening to me?” I choke out, another wave of pain exploding in my abdomen. The heat is unbearable. The pain growing more and more with each wave.

“That knock some sense into your thick skull?” Savvee calls out. “Get Merrick!”

Thundering footsteps carry MacKenna away, so Savvee whirls on me. “Hang on, Kiya. Merrick is on his way.”

“What’s happening?”

Savvee turns, and I look to the doorway as two of Grendel’s guards step up to it. “Back away—now.”

“What’s wrong with her?” one asks, doing the exact opposite and taking a step closer.

“Merrick,” I call out through our bond. “Please.”

“You’re going to want to leave. Kiya is sick. Merrick is coming now.”

“Sick?” the other asks. “We can take her to—”

A roar splits the night.

“That’s your cue to leave,” Savvee warns. “Now.” The two men take one final look at me, and Savvee raises her palm. “I will throw both of you out of here should you ignore me.”

They turn and leave, so Savvee rushes forward to close the door. Merrick’s massive palm stops her though, and he all but explodes into the room. Eyes wild, he’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

Sweet, sweet relief.

“About fucking time,” Savvee growls.

Merrick inhales deeply, his chest expanding as his eyes shine an impossible gold. “How did you know to be here?”

“I came to tell you that her heat was coming, I could tell when I saw her yesterday.”

“Thank you,” he says, his gaze never leaving mine.

“Yeah.” Savvee throws a sympathetic smile my way as another bout of pain sends me curling in on myself all over again. I close my eyes, hear the door close, and then, seconds later, cold hands are on my hot flesh.

“It hurts,” I choke out. “So bad.”

“I’m so sorry.” Merrick starts to lift me.

“No,” I growl then press my palms to his chest and shove him back on the floor. Merrick’s gaze darkens.

“Take what you need from me, beta,” he says, voice low and deep.

“I need—” I trail off as his tongue darts out of his mouth and licks his bottom lip. Remaining on all fours, I climb up his body and then position my throbbing core directly over his mouth. Merrick grips my thighs and yanks me down onto his tongue. “Yes!” I scream out, gyrating my hips to the thundering of my own heart as he sucks my clit into his mouth, his fingers tightening their hold on my hips.

The orgasm tears through me. Relief pummeling me until I can barely sit up. Then, Merrick shoves me up and climbs out from under me. He shoves his pants down as I turn—still on my knees.

His massive dick springs free, spurring new desire inside of me. I grip his ass and pull him toward me, taking him into my mouth.

“Kiya,” he breathes my name as I suck, releasing him with a pop then covering him again. I take what I so desperately want as the intensity of his lust drives mine right back up. The heat between my legs turns to an inferno in my belly, and another wave of pain has me pulling back from him.

Merrick yanks me up to my feet, bends me over, and drives into me in one fluid movement. The friction of his hard shaft as it slides into my body is enough to send me tumbling over the edge once again. I cling to the sheets, hands gripping them like a lifeline as Merrick holds my hips and fucks me.

Harder and harder, he drives into me.

Over and over again, until I’m barely clinging to any sanity.

Suddenly, his grip tightens on my hips and he slams into me—then stills. His dick throbs inside as he fills me. Finally, the pain in my belly subsides; the heat in my body becomes more manageable.

With the only sound our combined breathing, Merrick pulls out, lifts me, and sets me in bed before climbing onto the mattress beside me.

“This is horrible timing,” I whisper, finally able to think of something other than his hands on my body.

But even as I speak it, my body temperature begins to rise again.

“Making love to you is never bad timing.”

“That was not making love,” I counter. “That was fucking. And it was amazing.” I yawn, exhaustion settling into my bones as I close my eyes.

He says something, but the darkness pulls me under, and I drift, embraced by the one thing I cannot live without.

My body is on fire, and Merrick’s hands are the only thing that brings me relief. I come awake, alone in the bed. Merrick’s back is to me as he kneels in front of the fireplace, poking the wood with an iron rod.

“You’re too far away.” The ache between my legs is back, the fire in my belly burning through my veins. It’s the sweetest kind of torture—this need for him. The release is better than anything I’ve ever felt, but the pain of not having him is very, very real.

I need him.

Want him.

Crave him.

Merrick stands, his bright golden gaze shining brighter than I’ve ever seen it. “I can feel your need,” he replies.

“Good.” I turn and get on all fours on the bed, putting my ass up for him to see. “Then give me what I need.”

Merrick crosses over to the bed, kneels, and buries his face between my legs. His tongue runs over my clit, and he draws it into his mouth, sucking, tasting, devouring, as his hands grip my ass.

My muscles quiver, every part of my body tingling. “Please, Merrick,” I cry out.

“What do you need, my beta.”

“You. Inside of me.” I writhe in his hold, but he’s back on me, his teeth scraping delicately against my heat. The throbbing intensifies, turning painful. “Please.”

The mattress dips as Merrick climbs onto the bed behind me and positions himself between my legs. He grips my hips and drives into me. My body stretches, but the pain vanishes the same instant he fills me.

He slams into me, slick and delicious, our friction sending me climbing back up over the edge once more. I come undone around him. And when he comes, the heat subsides. Exhaustion pulls me under, and I roll to the side as soon as he withdraws. He climbs onto the bed and tucks me against his hot body.

“Sleep well, Beta,” he whispers.

Chapter 22

Merrick

Kiya’s need wakes me even before she does.

My cock is hard as stone, my muscles taut with my own desires. I get to my knees then slip down between her legs and run my tongue over her slit. She moans and writhes beneath me, arching up into my mouth as I slip my tongue into her pussy.

She’s wet and so fucking warm.

I slide both hands beneath her ass, kneading the flesh as I draw her clit into my mouth. I slip my finger down over her ass, and she moans again, whispering my name.

“Merrick.” It’s a breathless plea.

“I cannot wait to possess every part of you, beta,” I say against her core.

“Yes,” she replies.

“Not yet, though,” I murmur as I slide a finger into her pussy. She groans and thrusts her hips up. “Are you ready?” I run my tongue over her again.

“Yes.”

“Tell me what you want, Kiya. You know I love it when you fucking tell me.”

A growl rumbles in her chest, and she pulls away, sliding up until she’s sitting on her knees in front of me. The carnal smile on her face heats my blood. It’s more animal than woman and calls to the predator lurking within.

“I want you,” she starts, “To fuck me like you own me.” The words are spoken with the utmost confidence, the heat spurring her forward.

I fucking love it.

Even from here, I can taste her heat.

Her desire.

And my body responds in kind. Lying back against the mattress, I fold my arms behind my head and look up at her. “I want you to come and take it.”

Kiya doesn’t hesitate; she attacks, straddling me and sliding down on top of my cock. Her pussy envelops me, tightening around me as she rides me. She slides off me then slams back down, crying out.

“Yes!” she screams, taking what she wants.

Her hands go to her breasts, and she gently pinches her nipples then slides her hands up and buries them in her own hair. She looks like a fucking queen on top of me.

Powerful.

Ethereal.

Mine.

When she comes, her pussy tightens around me, so I let her ride it out. Then when she slows, I flip her over onto her back and slam into her. Now, I palm her breasts, running my thumbs over her nipples until I come—filling her body.

Then, I fall to the side and suck in a labored breath.

“You’re going to kill me,” I joke.

“Uh-huh,” she says, drifting off to sleep again.

I lie awake, staring up at the ceiling, thinking of all the ways we’ve been together over the last two days since her heat set in. Thankfully, the king understood that Kiya was unwell and chose to not push the issue of leaving the cursed camp alone—for now.

It’s risky, though, and with each passing hour, I grow more and more stressed that we are running out of time.

“How is she?” MacKenna’s voice comes through the alpha bond, and while I know from his wide eyes and the scent he was giving off when he came to get me—he’d been called by the mating call as well—I can’t exactly blame him.

Every unmated male near enough—human and shifter alike—will be tempted by the call of a female shifter in heat.

“Sleeping now. I believe it’s beginning to wane.”

“Good fucking thing,” he says back. “Everyone with a cock has been acting like a fucking asshole. And only a handful of us know why. We’ve had fights breaking out all over the damned camp.”

“Grendel?”

“Chomping at the bit to leave. Kept trying to get Maynard to lead the men. He refused, said he follows orders only from you.”

“Shit. As soon as I know she’s okay, I will intervene.”

“Do not worry about us, brother. We have things handled.”

The connection falls silent, and I’m beyond grateful that things between MacKenna and me seem to be back to normal. That is if his tone is any indication anyway.

Kiya groans, so I roll to my side to study her expression. She’s far calmer now, the heat of her body having faded to a normal temperature. I’d heard stories of females in heat, mainly from my father when he sat me down as soon as I hit sixteen years old.

He’d been detailed—overly so if I’m being honest—but it did not prepare me for Kiya’s need.

My muscles are sore as though I’ve been wielding a blade and not fucking my beta for the last two days. For the first time in those two days, my cock is not hard as a damned rock, and my heart is beating at a normal rhythm.

Not that I’m complaining.

These last two days have been complete and utter bliss with me only leaving the bed to grab the food and drink left at our door by either Lea or Savvee.

I run the tips of my finger over Kiya’s temple and down the side of her face. I hate that I have to get out of this bed at all. That I have to leave and fight a war if only to have a future that results in far more mornings just like this one.

But until Julius is dealt with, I will wield my blade, a warrior fighting for a family with the woman he loves.

Chapter 23

Kiya

Food. I can smell it. Taste it. My stomach growls, pulling me the rest of the way from the bliss of sleep.

I open my eyes as Merrick sets a tray of meat, bread, and various fruits beside the bed. He smiles at me as I stretch, yawning like I’ve been sleeping for weeks rather than days. “How do you feel?”

“Amazing.” I smile. “Like I can think about something other than you inside of me for the first time in—how long has it been?”

“Two days,” he replies with a chuckle. “Of pure and complete bliss.” Merrick leans down and presses his lips to my forehead, kissing me noisily. “The heat has passed now, I can feel it.”

“So can I,” I reply as I sit up and lean back against the headboard. “And I have to say, I’m grateful that you didn’t warn me about that ahead of time.”

He arches a dark brow. “Oh?”

“Had you, I wouldn’t have believed you anyway.” I laugh. Every muscle in my body is all but jelly at this point. Honestly, I’m not entirely sure I could walk even if I wanted to. “That was—intense.”

“The heat usually is. We’re lucky your first one didn’t last longer. They’ve been known to go for weeks at a time.”

“Weeks?” I choke. “Seriously? How would someone even be able to walk after that?”

“Very awkwardly, I imagine,” he replies. After sitting down beside me, he reaches out and cups my cheek. “You know what this means, don’t you?” His tone is serious now, his expression a match for it.

It takes me a moment to catch up, but when I do, there’s an anxious pit in my belly. “I could be pregnant.”

He nods. “Had I been thinking, I would have not—”

“No.” I reach out and take his hand. “We will not refuse ourselves a future because of Julius. If I am pregnant, then you and I will celebrate it.”

Merrick purses his lips.

“Promise me,” I urge, even though my own fear is large enough it could swallow me whole. If I do end up pregnant, and Julius does capture me, what if I can’t escape again? What if he rips this child from me and I’m unable to protect it?

“I can feel your panic, Kiya.” He cups my cheek. “But I promise you that I will never let that fucker get his hands on you again. If you are pregnant, my love. We will celebrate bringing new life into this world, and I will bloody my blade until this place is safe for our child.”

Tears blur my vision, and emotion burns my throat. I’m terrified of what we stand to lose but even more excited at the idea of bringing a child into a world where its father is such a hero.

I take a deep breath and wipe away my tears as soon as Merrick withdraws his hand. “As much as I really do not wish to leave you, though, I need to check in with Grendel. Apparently, there were quite a few fights while we were indisposed.”

“Fights?” and then I recall MacKenna coming to the door. And Savvee stopping him. “Wait—MacKenna—Savvee hit him with magic. Is he okay?”

Merrick chuckles. “MacKenna is fine. He was affected by the heat just as every unmated shifter and human male was.”

I can feel my face turn pale. “I’m sorry—what?”

Merrick’s smile is blinding. “Your heat was a siren call, my love, but Savvee managed to keep them at bay. Though, as you can imagine, since very few people knew of what was truly driving them to anger, there were short tempers, which resulted in quite a few fights.”

“Oh my gosh.” I cover my face with my hands. “I cannot believe that.”

“It’s not your fault.” The mattress dips, and Merrick’s lips graze the skin of my cheek.

“But how am I supposed to face MacKenna again?” I look up at Merrick. “When he knows I was—” I shiver. “This is not a comfortable situation.” I throw myself back on the bed and groan.

Someone knocks on the door, so I pull the covers up.

“It’s just Lea,” Merrick says with a smile. “And Savvee.” He pulls the door open, and both women peek their heads in.

“Is it safe?” Savvee asks.

“Are you both clothed?” Lea questions.

“And with that, I will leave you for a time.” Merrick grins at me. “I love you, Kiya.”

“I love you, too.” My heart swells, and when he leaves, shutting the door behind him, I’m a bit sad that our time locked in this room has ended—for now.

“So, while I don’t want to know everything, I am curious what it was like.” Savvee plops onto the corner of my bed as Lea places a tray of fruit on the bedside table.

“Like I couldn’t breathe unless we were—” My cheeks heat. “You know.”

“Oh, we get it,” Savvee beams.

“Thank you for being here—for keeping—”

“MacKenna from getting himself murdered? Sure. Anytime.”

“You knocked him clear through a wall.”

“That might have been a tad excessive, but I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it.” Savvee pops a grape into her mouth. “He would have hated himself for touching you even if you wouldn’t have exactly complained and he was out of his own head.”

“Tell me I wasn’t—”

“You were both fine. He was backing out of the room before I hit him. I only wanted to send the message home that he needed to get Merrick. Trust me, he hates himself, even knowing there’s nothing he could have done to avoid the pull.”

“He even thanked her,” Lea says.

I arch a brow and look to Savvee. “Really? Words that were not tainted with resentment were spoken between the two of you?”

“Shocking, I know.”

“Merrick said there were fights?”

“MacKenna started more than one, though Maynard—mated male that he is now—”

“Wait, what?” I look to Lea, who grins. “You’re both mated?”

“You can’t say anything. We did it in private. Merrick is the only one who knows, and I begged him to let me tell you.”

“How is Merrick the only one who knows? What about Lark? MacKenna?”

“He officiated it. We were mated while you were gone. I wanted to wait, but I also wanted Maynard.” Her color deepens. “I love him so much. The idea that anything could happen and I’d miss out on being his—”

“I completely understand.” Reaching out, I cover her hand with mine. “And I think it’s fantastic. But when this is all over, I expect to be allowed to throw you an actual wedding. Where your mating can be celebrated.”

A tear slips down her cheek. “And I will let you.”

“Great.” Savvee claps her hands. “Now, I imagine you want a bath and to dress?”

“Very much so.”

“Fantastic.” Savvee snaps her fingers, and water begins to fill the tub in our room. I stare at it, always in awe at the skills she possesses. As soon as it’s full, she stands and gestures for me to get out of bed.

I do, not at all concerned with my nakedness, and cross toward the tub. As I sink into the water, my entire body relaxes, pleasure warming me from the inside out.

“Having fun without me, beta?” Merrick coos through our bond.

“Never,” I reply with a smile.

I step out of the room and am immediately hit with the scents of two men I don’t instantly recognize along with Merrick. I turn toward the study, noting the partially cracked door, and listen carefully for the voices inside.

“You’ve been out for days,” Grendel says. “You cannot blame me for wishing to move forward with our plan.”

“I can,” Merrick replies. “Because you asked a member of my pack to directly disobey an order I gave him.”

Grendel’s irritation reaches me even where I stand near the door.

“Your pack?” Rupert snorts. “You treat your people like they’re animals? It’s a wonder you have any following at all.”

Anger burns through me, so I head straight for the study and shove the door the rest of the way open. All three men turn to me. Ignoring the king for now, I march straight up to Rupert and jab my finger straight into his chest. “You listen here, asshole. Continue speaking to my husband that way and I’ll hand you your manhood on a fucking platter.”

Rupert opens his mouth and then closes it again, reminding me of a fish out of water.

“Kiya, I don’t think—” Grendel starts.

“And you,” I snarl, turning to him. “You knew I was—out of it—and needed Merrick to care for me, yet you still tried to pressure someone who is not the Alpha of these lands into disobeying an order and placing not only him—but his brothers in direct danger. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

Grendel honestly looks ashamed. I expected him to push back, but he looks relatively mortified. Good. I turn to Merrick, who has leaned back against his desk and is grinning widely at me. “Well said, Beta.”

Rupert starts toward me, his face red. “How da—”

“I urge you to not finish that sentence.” All amusement gone from his face, Merrick moves up to my side. “And if you so much as breathe any closer to my beta, I will cut you down where you stand.”

“Back the hell up, and show her some respect, Rupert,” Grendel orders. “She is Merrick’s wife, and therefore, you will treat her as a queen.”

“Yes, your highness,” Rupert growls, though his expression is not one of a man who will let this go.

“He needs to die.”

“Not now,” I tell Merrick. “Though we do need to watch him closely.”

“He hates you. That makes him a threat.”

“I promise to watch myself. But killing him before he has tried to harm me would mean starting a larger feud with Grendel. Things are strained enough as it is.”

“We are all adults here,” I say, stepping back even closer to Merrick. “Therefore, I assume we can come to an agreement.”

“Yes, of course.” Grendel offers me a friendly smile, though I can sense his unease. He is losing trust in us, which does not bode well for the rest of his war.

“Now that the beta is well, I can leave tonight. Take your men and MacKenna, and surround the Cursed Men’s camp. As soon as they are destroyed, we will re-group and move forward with our plan to intercept Julius.” Merrick crosses his arms. “I assume you still have scouts keeping tabs on him?”

“Yes,” Grendel replies. “Should he leave the castle, we will know about it.”

“Then that seems the most logical course of action. Do you agree?”

Grendel nods. “It is settled then.” He turns to Rupert. “Prepare those who are going with the Alpha.”

Rupert dips his head in a nod, shoots another glare my way, then turns and leaves.

“I do not have to tell you that should he become a problem, I will be well within my rights to kill him.”

“If he becomes a problem, I’ll order it myself,” Grendel replies. He reaches out and takes my hand. “You look well, Beta. You’re feeling better?”

“I am.”

“What a strange illness to come on so quickly,” he says with a slow shake of his head. “I am quite grateful it was not more serious.”

“As am I.”

“Good.” He turns to Merrick. “There is something else.”

I can feel Grendel’s mood shift, radiating with discomfort, and it puts me on edge.

“Is this regarding MacKenna?” Merrick questions.

“Yes. He is—"

“MacKenna is twice the swordsman I am,” Merrick interrupts. “He always has been. Regardless of his tactics, he is efficient.”

“Yes, but MacKenna is not a natural leader. And it shows. He is driving my men into the ground. You said you would handle it.”

“And I did. If your men are being driven into the ground as they say, then they are not meant to be warriors.” Grendel opens his mouth to respond, but Merrick cuts him off, “You already have obedient soldiers. However, if you want warriors who will live and die by a blade, capable of taking on ten to one odds and surviving—MacKenna will deliver those.”

“I’m not questioning your brother’s abilities, but—” He trails off, looks left and right, then moves in closer and drops his voice. “My men are not shifters as you are,” he says. “Your brother is. His endurance and speed are faster than they will ever be. Unless—”

“I’m not turning your men,” Merrick says quickly, his frustration making me wonder if this isn’t an argument they’ve had before. “As I told you, they would be loyal to me at that point—not you. I cannot imagine you want to hand over half of your soldiers to my pack.”

Grendel flattens his lips into a tight line as he chews on Merrick’s words. “Very well.” He turns to me. “I am grateful to see you, Kiya. Merrick,” he adds as he turns and leaves the study, shutting the door behind him.

“You don’t trust him,” I say as soon as Merrick and I are alone.

“I trust very few people,” Merrick replies, moving around to his chair. “And no king will ever be on that list.”

“And if we’re successful? If we put Maynard on the throne?” I ask with a smile on my face. I move around the desk to sit on his lap. It’s not until I’m behind the desk that I realize it is not the same one as before.

Merrick snorts. “Maynard may sit on a throne, but he will never be a king in the way Grendel is.”

“True.” I reach out and run my finger over the wooden top. “Is this a new desk?”

“It is.”

“And what happened to the old one?”

“I threw it against the wall, and it splintered,” he says calmly.

“You did what?”

“When Zane told us of your brand.”

I weave my arms around his neck and lean in to kiss his cheek. “How sweet. You broke a desk for me.”

Merrick cups the back of my neck and kisses me. Then, he says, “My love, I would burn the world to the ground for you.”

Chapter 24

Kiya

Watching Merrick ride off into the night damn near kills me.

Yet, here I stand, somehow still breathing, as half of my heart disappears over a ridge, two hundred soldiers behind him. How the hell am I supposed to do anything but worry until he returns?

“Well, boys, let’s get you fed.” Lark guides Myke and Maxwell away from the crowd while Maverick, Maynard, Ferris, and Lea remain beside me. Savvee is somewhere in the camp, though I haven’t seen her at all today.

If I had to guess, I’d say she’ll turn up now that MacKenna is no longer on the grounds.

“We should have gone, too,” Maverick complains. “They could have used us.”

“We’re needed here,” Ferris tells him.

“No one is going to attack this camp,” Maverick replies. “Grendel kept half his army back.” He lowers his voice. “Plus, Z—”

“A good leader must always plan for their opponent to do something incredibly foolish,” Ferris interrupts then rests his hand on Maverick’s shoulder. “Come, let’s eat. We’re on patrol tonight.”

Maverick grumbles as Ferris leads him away.

“Merrick will be fine.” Lea wraps an arm around my waist and leans against me. The warmth of her embrace is lost, though, dulled by the chill in my bones.

Something is wrong.

Something feels—off.

Though, I can’t pinpoint just what it is, nor discern whether it is a true feeling or a reaction to the danger Merrick is placing himself in. Truth be told, it could be either.

“I’m sure he will be,” I reply as I turn back toward Lea. “Shall we go find Savvee? See if she’s recovered from wanting to murder MacKenna?”

Lea laughs, and Maynard shakes his head. “My brother’s stubbornness is legendary. Aren’t you glad I’m not nearly as hard-headed?” he asks Lea.

She beams at him, the firelight from lanterns lighting the way casting beautifully off of her dark skin. “You? Not hard-headed? My love, I fear you’re confusing yourself with someone else.”

Maynard leans down and presses his lips to hers. “This is why you’re perfect. You refuse to allow me to get away with anything.” He looks to me. “Let me know if you need anything, Beta.”

I smile at him, so damned happy that he and Lea are together.

To love is a gift.

To feel like you have to keep it hidden is bitter torment.

And they were forced to hide their feelings for far too long.

“I will, thank you.”

With one last look at Lea, Maynard jogs away, headed toward the dining tent as Lea and I veer off toward the house.

“You seem so happy,” I comment, looping my arm through Lea’s.

Lea beams. “I really am. It still seems so surreal. I’d wanted him for so long, craved him, but being together was impossible due to the curse. I was unwilling to have him watch me grow old while he stayed young, and he didn’t want to lose me. Then, once the curse broke, he told me that we were mates. Mates! Can you believe that? Or, rather, I guess, I’m his mate? I suppose humans don’t have those, do they?” She laughs. “It’s all still so new.”

“It’s lovely.” I’m unable to stop smiling. Her joy is absolutely infectious. “And about damned time. Now, if we could just get MacKenna to realize that Savvee is perfect for him.”

“You trust her, then?”

I nod. “With my life.”

Lea lets out a breath. “Good. I like her.”

“She was the only reason I survived that swamp.” Dark memories press down on me, making my unease even worse. “I think I might have lain down and died otherwise.”

Lea stops walking and takes my hand in hers. “There is not a single part of you that will not fight until you’ve breathed your last breath, Kiya. I’ve known that since the moment we met.”

Her words warm me even if I do not completely believe them. “I’m glad you think so. But I’d just lost Merrick. Madox was—” I swallow hard, emotion clawing at my throat. “I’d been attacked by those men—stabbed. Savvee kept me going when I wanted to just quit.”

“I will give Savvee credit where it is due, Kiya. And I am so grateful she was there for you. But she is not what kept you going. I’ve seen people quit even when others were begging them to carry on.” Something flashes in her eyes, a darkness I’ve rarely seen—and only witnessed when I can tell she is reliving her past. “You’re here because of your strength just as she is here because of hers.”

Lea’s eyes shimmer with unshed tears, and once again, I find myself wondering just what brought her to the Shadow Lands. She never speaks of her time before, and I’ve never pressed because I know just how horrible dredging those memories can be.

“Thank you,” I finally say. Because even if I don’t agree with her, even if I believe that, without Savvee, I would have given up, Lea’s words soothe an ache that has been with me ever since I stepped foot in those swamps.

The truth is, every moment since I was brought to the Shadow Lands has changed me. But that time in the swamps? It taught me more about survival and loss, grief and pain, than any other instance in my life has.

Even the loss of my beloved mother.

Lea and I continue our walk in silence, both of us wrapped up in our own thoughts, and by the time we’ve reached the house, I’ve managed to gather my emotions once more.

I open the door—and an unforgettable stench slams into me, stopping me in my tracks. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as my wolf surges to the surface, a direct reaction to the threat lurking somewhere ahead.

A low growl escapes my lips, and I tip my face up, breathing in deeply.

Enemy.

“What is it?” Lea demands.

I don’t answer. Instead, I bound up the steps, taking them two at a time until I reach Savvee’s door. I shove it open and race inside, but the moment my brain realizes what my eyes are witnessing, every muscle in my body goes rigid.

Her mattress has been slit down the middle, books shredded, tables broken.

Not one inch of her room has been left untouched by the cursed men, whose stench still lingers within. The question is: How the hell did they make it in the house with none of us realizing it?

“Oh my—” Lea covers her mouth with a shaking hand while I step farther into the room. “What happened?”

I close my eyes and inhale deeply, trying to discern just how long ago they left. “Go get Maynard,” I growl.

“Okay.” Lea turns and races from the room, skirts in her hand. I stalk to the window and look down, noting the disturbed dirt just outside. It was a good drop—but, with how invulnerable the cursed men are, doable.

Continuing to breathe deeply, I search for any sign that Savvee was injured. The cursed men’s stench is so pungent it masks the blood until I’m directly over a pool of it. The corner of her end table is coated in it, and the floor boasts a good amount.

My own blood chills, and my heart begins to pound.

Savvee. Not Savvee.

“Beta!”

I whirl as Maynard and Maverick rush into the room. “What the fuck happened?” Maverick starts.

But Maynard’s wide gaze tells me he knows exactly what I do. And likely discerned it a hell of a lot faster. “She’s hurt. We need to—”

A shrill scream deafens the otherwise quiet night, and adrenaline surges through my system, an awakening of every nerve. Every sense.

“How the fuck did we not smell them?” Maynard rips his blade out and turns to Maverick. “Go find mother, the boys, and Lea in the medical tent. Get them to the springs, and bar the fucking door.”

“I can fight!” Maverick insists.

“You will.” Maynard turns to me as soon as Maverick nods and rushes out through the door. “Stay with me, Beta. We need to get you to safety.”

“I’m going to find Savvee.”

“We are going to find Ferris and then Savvee.”

I could argue.

Pull rank as his beta.

But I don’t. Because Maynard would give his life for me, and he deserves the respect of me following his lead.

“Okay.” I withdraw the dagger at my waist, and the two of us race down the steps. The house is eerily quiet compared to the chaos outside. And the moment we burst out onto the grounds, a small part of me wishes we could remain inside for even a moment longer.

Because then I wouldn’t be forced to see such a horrible scene.

Fires shoot up into the sky, tents burning.

Men and women scream as they run for safety, only to be cut down by the walking corpses that are the cursed men. A child screams and falls to the ground, and before I can get to them, a man blurs in front and retrieves the child while a woman drives her blade into the throat of the cursed man.

Zane and Corrine.

They disappear from my sight—child in tow—so I turn to Maynard.

Just ahead, I can see Maverick ushering Lea, two crying boys, and Lark behind some tents and toward the back.

But three cursed men chase after them.

“Maynard!”

“Fuck!” We take off toward them, sprinting as fast as we can.

Someone slams into me and knocks me off to the side. I jump to my feet, growling as I face off with Rupert. He stands in front of me, a blade in his hand. It’s coated in blood, and from the scent of it, I know he’s killed the king.

“You killed your own king?”

“He was so driven by his own vengeance that he put our entire kingdom at risk,” he snarls.

“Did you let them in here?”

“No,” he replies. “That was the sorceress.” He takes a step closer. “But I may have been the one to alert them of your husband’s departure. I imagine he’s going to meet the same fate you are, very, very soon.”

“My husband is hard to kill,” I reply. “As am I.”

“You’re a pathetic woman,” he growls. “And I am going to finally teach you your place.”

He lunges, and I dodge to the side. Then, because I’m so tired of being underestimated, I let my wolf free. She surges out of me, and as she does, Rupert’s eyes widen, and he scrambles back.

“Evil! You’re evil!” he bellows.

I growl then jump toward him. My paws hit his chest and pin him to the ground as my jaws close around his throat. I tear then spit torn flesh to the ground beside him. Copper stains my mouth and drips down into the fur of my body, but I don’t take pleasure in the kill.

Instead, I shift and search a trunk for a large white tunic. After belting it at my waist, I grab my dagger from the ground and run back outside, the grass cool on my feet. If I wasn’t so damned worried about our people killing me for simply being a wolf, I would have remained on all fours.

I scour the destroyed camp for any sign of Maverick and the others—but see none.

Knowing they’ll be at the house, I start for it if only to ensure they’re alive. But the moment I reach the edge of the camp, the wind changes, and a familiar scent fills my lungs. Followed closely by the overwhelming aroma of fresh blood.

Savvee.

Gripping my blade, I rush toward the trees without bothering to look behind me. Getting help will waste more time than I have. Images of Madox’s dead body fill my mind, and I try to shove them aside.

The Cursed Men will claim no more of those I care for.

I don’t shift, though I sprint as fast as I can, my feet padding softly against the forest floor. I jump over fallen trees, slip through branches, and make my way over small streams threading their way through the land like veins snaking through a body.

Finally, the scent grows headier, and a man laughs.

“Little witchy. We always did wonder what you looked like. Always hiding about in that cottage.”

“She’s a mousy sort, isn’t she?” another says.

“Fuck you.” Savvee wheezes.

“We’d rather not. No need to be tainted by a fucking witch.”

A soft grunt fills my ears moments before a man laughs again. Anger turns my vision red as I creep in closer, hiding behind the trunk of a large tree.

“Remove these silver bindings, and we’ll make it a fair fight,” Savvee replies. Her voice is little more than a whisper, her tone shaky. And as she draws in a breath, I can hear the wheezing from what is likely an immense amount of pain.

Her face is bruised and bloody, her arms covered in lacerations.

She’s on her knees, and by the looks of how she continues swaying forward, I imagine standing is not an option.

Her two attackers are at least twice her size. Massive, burly beasts with green, decaying flesh and rotting teeth. The larger one has no hair while the shorter man has patches covering his rotting skull.

“Let’s just kill her and get it over with.” The larger man rips a blade from his waist.

“Not until she uncurses us!” the other argues as he slams a hand into the much larger man’s chest.

Savvee laughs, though the sound is tortured. “Even if I could remove your curse, I never would. You deserve to look as ugly on the outside as you do inside. Fucking rotting corpses. Pathetic excuses for men. Tell me, did your cock fall off first?”

The large man barrels toward her, but the shorter one stops him. “I got a big fucking cock.”

“Oh, I’m sure you do.” She fakes a pout then coughs until blood splatters the ground at her knees.

I ready my blade and move in closer, trying to stay out of sight of the men who currently have their backs turned to me. My heart races, a heavy thundering as I take another step closer. Then another.

Savvee sees me, her eyes widening, and she shakes her head softly enough the men don’t notice anything as they continue arguing over what to do with her.

She would have given her life for me in those swamps.

And if it comes down to it, I’ll give mine to save her now.

“I’m sorry, Merrick,” I send through our bond, hoping he’s somehow near enough to hear me.

Chapter 25

Kiya

The men continue arguing, so I use it to my advantage. Blade in one hand, I notice a rock the size of my fist on the ground. I bend carefully and retrieve it with my free hand, the weight only slightly affecting my movements.

Then, I charge, jumping and driving my dagger into the shoulder blade of the large man. He roars in pain, and the shorter beast turns toward me—murder burning in his dark gaze.

I swing—the rock in my hand putting that much more strength behind my hit. He goes down—hard—his head slamming into a stone jutting partially out of the ground. The bastard gasps for air—then falls still.

“Kiya!” Savvee roars.

I turn as the larger man swings his blade at me. I dodge, managing to avoid being impaled, though the blade tears through the fabric of the tunic I wear—thankfully not nicking me in the process.

“Little bitch!” he bellows as he charges me.

I turn and run, trying to lure him away from Savvee, but stumble and fall forward, scraping up both of my hands and dropping my dagger in the process.

“Run!” I tell Savvee.

But she’s crawling toward the dead man, not trying to leave the clearing at all. Her shackled hands make it near impossible to move quickly, though, so the big burly man stomps over and grips her by the ankle.

He drags her back then flips her over and kneels—pressing his knee to her chest. “Keep moving, and I’ll slit her throat.”

A wolf howls in the distance, and the first ray of hope I’ve had since finding her room destroyed fills me with warmth.

“I’m coming, beta!” Merrick’s voice surges through our bond, expanding that hope.

“He’s going to slaughter you,” I say, grinning up at my attacker.

The man smiles. “Is he, though?”

A great, white wolf bounds into the clearing, golden gaze so bright it’s near blinding. Teeth bared, it snarls as it races toward the man. MacKenna. I push to my feet and sprint to intercept him.

“Don’t, MacKenna!” I scream. If he bites the man—something snaps. A ping followed by pain sears me from the inside out.

I drop to the ground and scream as pain radiates up my leg and into my abdomen. My blood burns as it carries the toxin through me.

MacKenna snarls, his furry body slamming into the cursed man.

“Kiya!” Merrick bellows as he explodes into the clearing. Blade held high, he charges straight for the Cursed Man. Metal clashes as their blades meet, the echo of it filling my ears. I fall back to the ground, vision wavering as I begin to tremble.

“Sorry about this,” a familiar voice says as a man comes into view above me. Crimson eyes level on me as the world goes dark.

When I wake, my first sense is one of warmth.

I’m enveloped in blankets, Merrick’s large arm draped around my waist. I stretch lazily, though, as soon as I use any physical effort at all, an ache thrums through every muscle and joint.

“Easy, Kiya,” Merrick coos, his breath warm against my ear. “You were poisoned.”

Pain throbs in my head, and I lie back down, pressing the heels of both palms to my eyes. “What happened?”

Merrick shifts, so I crack open an eye as he sits up, the blankets falling to his scarred chest. Half of his hair has been pulled out of his face while the rest dusts his shoulders. “You do not remember?”

“I—” And then it all comes back to me. “Savvee, is she—”

“Alive,” he says. “Thanks to you.”

I breathe a sigh of relief and settle back into the blankets. “We nearly both died.”

“Yes, but you didn’t. You fought admirably, Beta.”

“You’re not angry with me?” I crack open an eye to study him in the soft firelight.

“As your mate, I am furious that you risked your life. But I am also quite proud to belong to such a strong woman. You are a warrior, my love.”

“A warrior who got her ass kicked,” I groan. “The others? MacKenna? Ferris? Your mother, the boys, Lea, Maverick, and Maynard?”

“All alive.” Merrick strokes the side of my face. “As are Zane and Corrine.”

“I saw them,” I recall. “They saved a child.”

“They saved all the children,” he replies. “Got them and the rest of the villagers we took in on our way to rescue you from the castle into the springs. And Zane is the only reason we got you back in time.”

“In time—” I move the blankets and study the unmarred skin of my ankle.

“The trap was coated in wolfsbane,” Merrick tells me. “We were able to get you the antidote just in time. Why were you barefoot? It wasn’t long after we left that they attacked, yet you were not wearing what you had been. Did they—” He closes his eyes, a growl escaping his lips.

“No. I had to shift. Maynard and I were running after Maverick and the others when someone attacked me.”

“He said you were behind him. But by the time he reached Maverick, you were gone.”

“Rupert attacked me.”

Merrick’s gaze darkens, a low growl radiating from his chest. “We found his body.”

“He told me that he let the cursed men know you were gone. That Grendel was after some ridiculous vengeance and that he was going to put me in my place. So, I shifted and ripped his fucking throat out.”

Merrick growls then leans down to bury his face in the hollow of my throat. “My beta. My wife. So fucking strong. I only wish he was still alive so I could kill him all over again.”

“Were you attacked on the road?”

“No. When the wind shifted, we caught their scent. Then we found the scouts. They’d slaughtered them, which is why we were not alerted of their movements.”

“Dammit. The wind shifting is what alerted me to Savvee, too.”

“We weren’t far, so when that happened, we turned around and headed straight back. I sent scouts ahead to the camp, though. It’s been cleared out.”

“Dammit. So we have no idea where they are.”

“We have a pretty damn good idea. By the time the fighting was over, we counted seventy-two cursed men’s bodies.”

“Seventy-two. That’s more than we thought were down there.”

“Yes. Which likely means there aren’t many left. My best guess is that, when they realized we were not coming, they came here and jumped into the fight.”

“Grendel’s soldiers fought valiantly, MacKenna is proud. As am I.”

“I want to see everyone.”

“Are you sure? Kiya, you—”

“Yes.” I sit up and stretch. My back pops, and the stiffness abates, though I still feel an ache deep in my bones. One that I know is residual from the wolfsbane.

Despite my objections, Merrick insists on helping me dress in a pair of pants, boots, and a loose shirt before wrapping an arm around my waist and guiding me toward the door. My legs feel weak, as though I ran for days without rest, but I’m steady enough that I don’t have to give him my full weight.

We step into the hall, and my gaze lands on Savvee’s closed door. MacKenna sits just outside, leaning against the wall directly next to her door. He looks up from whatever it is he’s carving and offers us a nod.

“He’s guarding her?”

“Hasn’t left since we got her back here,” Merrick tells me.

By the time we make it downstairs, I have a pretty damned good idea of the damage dealt to us last night. The floor is littered with injured men and women. Some unmoving, others writhing in agony. Lea, Lark, and a woman I don’t recognize are running between them. Corrine helps, too, though she seems to be more focused on those who are lying damn near perfectly still than those lucid enough to cry out for help.

Zane steps up and smiles at me, though it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Vampire blood doesn’t work the same here as it does in our realm,” he tells Merrick. “I’m sorry.”

Merrick’s mood shifts to disappointment, but he nods. “Thank you for trying.”

Zane looks to me. “I’m happy to see you on your feet.”

“I’m grateful to be on my feet. Thank you. Both you and Corrine are amazing.”

The vampire beams at me. “And we appreciate you saying as much.”

The door shoves open, and Thomas—the head of Grendel’s guard—rushes in. “We have a problem.”

“What is it?” Merrick demands.

“You’re being summoned. By King Julius.”

My blood runs cold. “Merrick, we don’t have the numbers to deal with him. Not now.”

“I know.” He presses a kiss to my temple and then starts to leave me.

“No. I come with you.”

“Kiya.”

“Not negotiable.” Pulling the rest of the way away from him, I straighten and surprise even myself when I’m able to walk unassisted. Beside Merrick, with Thomas behind us, we step out onto the stairs of our home. Maynard joins us there, offering me a slight smile. Then, together, we walk out and into the remnants of what once was our camp.

Tents have been completely burned to the ground, resulting in nothing but ash. The stables as well—though I see Boots and Starr grazing nearby, and knowing they are safe brings me relief.

Bodies are being collected and placed into two piles. Our enemies, and allies.

Grendel’s remains covered with a golden sheet just outside of our house. My heart aches as I study his fallen form, and I know that I will grieve the loss once the rest of this fight is over. Once I have had a chance to breathe.

I make a note to ensure Rupert’s body does not end up being placed with our allies. He was a snake, and he deserves to burn like those he led into our home.

Julius smiles at me when he sees me, and the sight of it sends my rage burning. We should kill him now. Lay waste to him right here in the center of our village.

“Kiya. You look far better than last I saw you,” Julius says.

A low growl escapes my lips.

“You have a lot of balls to walk into this camp,” Merrick tells him.

“Is that what this is?” Julius looks around. “Funny, I thought a camp had tents. And more living than dead.”

“Why the hell are you here?” I demand.

“To take you back to Aurum.”

“And why the fuck would she go with you?” MacKenna steps up on Maynard’s other side.

“Because if she doesn’t, I will send my men in to put an end to this pathetic war you seem hell-bent on waging.”

“We are not outmatched by your soldiers,” Thomas says.

“No,” Julius replies. “But we will still win. And should we fight, there will be no surrender offered. No prisoners of war. You will all be slaughtered like the animals you are. Your bodies left to rot into the ground. I will order my men to kill every man, woman, and child who stands on these grounds.”

My blood runs cold, panic making my limbs tremble.

“You won’t win, you slimy fucking bastard,” MacKenna growls.

The cloaked woman removes her hood, and power snaps around her like lightning. Her eyes—a shocking white—swirl with colors that should be impossible.

“A sorceress? We have one of those,” MacKenna says, his tone neutral despite the fear I can sense rolling from him. Fear. Never a good thing when MacKenna is afraid.

“Not like this one you don’t,” Julius replies with a grin. He turns to Thomas. “Your king is dead. Your men slaughtered. I will allow anyone who wishes to leave safe passage back to your kingdom—as long as you do not take the Alpha or his people with you.”

Thomas remains silent.

“You have until morning to leave. Should you not go, we will take it as an act of war, and I will have Duleh seal your camp as my men slaughter every living thing in it.”

He turns to go back to his carriage.

“Julius,” Merrick calls out.

Julius turns around. “There is no surrender for you, Alpha. I’m afraid I’ve grown rather tired of you. Kiya will live—so long as she bears me heirs.”

Bile churns in my stomach.

“I’m going to cut your fucking heart out,” Merrick tells him. “And then I will watch your body burn.”

Chapter 26

Merrick

Thomas stands beside me, watching as the majority of his surviving soldiers leave the camp, bags on their backs. One after another, they walk away, all while he mutters curses under his breath.

Truth be told, I’m rather surprised he stayed behind, given our previous arguments. The camp completely empties with some of the men being carried on fabric hammocks between the soldiers. They march away, and as the camp slowly drains of life, the realization that we’ve just lost settles on my shoulders.

Without an army, we can’t stop Julius.

There’s no damned way we can make it through his ranks.

Not when we’ve no one left to fight for us.

“Fucking cowards,” MacKenna snarls.

It had taken an alpha order to prevent my brother from slaughtering those who chose to leave. And even as I’d sworn to never use that ability, I knew him killing those leaving would force us closer and closer to the cliff we’re getting ready to fall off of.

Only two dozen of Grendel’s soldiers chose to remain, and they were the ones who’d worked closely with MacKenna.

“What is your plan?” Thomas asks.

“We need to prepare the grounds for war. Get any who cannot fight to safety.”

“Where?”

I nod then turn toward the house. Since I am unsure of Julius’s sorceress’s abilities, the last thing I need is her overhearing any damned thing I say.

“We’re warded,” Zane tells me as he, Corrine, and a limping Savvee cross over toward us. Corrine has her arm wrapped around Savvee’s waist, keeping the witch on her feet.

I can sense MacKenna’s concern at war with his mind, though he remains quiet.

“No one can see or hear inside?”

Zane shakes his head. “Though, with a camp this large, I can’t say how long I can hold it. The three of us are managing, but—”

“Savvee needs to go to safety with the others,” MacKenna says.

Her brows furrow and she glares at him. “No. I will absolutely not be leaving.”

“You have to. You cannot fight.”

“I still have my magic, you insufferable ass.”

His jaw tightens.

“Not that I want to get in the middle of whatever this is,” Corrine starts, “But Savvee’s magic is helping to hold the barrier in place. Should she leave, it will fall, and Zane and I cannot hold it long enough. Our magic is not nearly as strong here as it is in our own realm.”

“Realm?” Thomas questions. “You’re from a different realm?”

“Cambrexia,” Zane says quickly. “Either way, she’s staying, little Umbra. Keep up.”

“Call me little Umbra again and I’ll feed you your own cock.”

Zane grins at him as though MacKenna has just paid him the highest compliment. “You remind me of someone,” he says. “And I once kicked his ass, too.”

“We cannot start fighting between us,” Maynard says as he runs a hand over his face. “Ferris and mom are readying the boys and the other children for transport,” he tells me.

“Kiya?”

His expression tells me damn near everything I need to know. “In your study.”

I leave the others behind, sensing my wife’s pain. Her guilt is smothering me, her fear consuming me. I wish I could ease it. Wish I could tell her that everything is going to be fine, that it will all be worth it.

But how can I lie to the single most important person in this entire fucking realm?

I pass over my blood-stained floor, noting that most of the living have been placed on cots in preparation of being carried, while the dead are now covered with sheets. With so few left behind, we really do not stand a chance.

I know it.

My family knows it.

Thomas knows it.

And Kiya knows it. Likely better than most.

After checking the study and not finding her in there, I move into our room. Kiya’s back is to me as she looks out the window. “I used to stand here every morning, waiting for you to come back,” she says without looking at me. “I wondered what could possess a man to spend his nights in the forest.”

“I remember.” After closing the door behind me, I cross toward her and put my hand on her lower back.

Kiya looks up at me, tears rolling down her cheeks. “It felt so final then. My fate,” she adds. “And then I followed you into those woods, and that’s when everything began to change for me.” She closes her eyes and sucks in a ragged breath.

My heart aches for her, my soul cracking beneath the weight of her grief.

“And now, everyone is going to die. Because of me. Because of what the king wants.”

“Not because of you,” I say, turning her to face me. I cup her cheeks, running my thumbs across her face to wipe away tears. “Because of him. None of this is your fault, Kiya. You have to see that.”

“I don’t,” she replies. “I never have. Him bringing me here was not my fault, that much I know. But the rest of it—” Trailing off, she turns back to the window. “I cannot help but feel as though the rest of it was entirely my fault. From killing Pallgard to not killing Julius when he’d whipped me. We could have ended it back then. Right?”

I shake my head. “His soldiers would have come for us, and you know that.”

“But Bonnie and Ezra would still be alive.” Kiya crumples, and I sink to the floor with her, cradling her trembling body in my arms. “Madox would still be alive because he wouldn’t have needed to follow us into those swamps. We could have taken a small army with us. Could have kept him here.”

I run my hand over her hair, smoothing the soft strands. “We cannot look into the past, Kiya. For it holds nothing good for us.”

She falls silent, and we remain sitting until the sun sinks lower in the sky. “What if we die tomorrow?”

“We won’t.”

“What if we do?”

“Then we will be together in whatever awaits us after this life.” I cup her face and tilt it toward me until I can see the pain reflected in her eyes. “Death cannot keep me away from you, Kiya Umbra. I thought you’d know that by now.”

She closes her eyes, and tears slip out. “I will die before I let him take me.”

The very thought of my beta being captured by Julius—“He won’t get his fucking hands on you.”

“I just want you to know that. I will not bear children for him. I will not live that life. Should it come down to it, I want someone to kill me. If no one is left to do so, I’ll do it myself.”

I grip her face, holding it so I can see into her eyes, but she refuses to look at me. “Kiya. Look at me please.”

Still, she avoids my gaze. “Kiya.” Finally, after swallowing hard, Kiya levels her beautiful chocolate gaze on me. I’ve lost myself in these eyes more times than I can count. Now, they’re so full of tears I can damn near see my own reflection.

“Promise me, Merrick. Promise me that you won’t let me go back there. That, should it come down to it, if you can, you will use your final breath to take me with you.”

Her voice is shaky, the words a sobbing plea, and even as it rips my heart out—even as I want to refuse—to tell her that, if it does come down to that, I want her to run, but instead I nod. Because no matter how badly I want my beta to survive, I won’t subject her to a life at Julius’s mercy. “You will never go back with him,” I vow.

Her shoulders begin to shake as she cries. Kiya straddles my lap and wraps both arms around my neck as she sobs against my chest. I hold her, my own tears burning in the corners of my vision.

As an Alpha, I can see our defeat.

As a warrior, I sense that we are about to make our last stand.

But as her husband? I want to believe in a miracle. Because that’s precisely what we’re going to need.

Eventually, her sobs fade, but Kiya remains pressed against my chest. “How are you so calm?”

I cup her cheeks and pull her back enough so I can look into her eyes one final time before we must begin preparations. “Because if I were to die tomorrow, I have lived a life where I was allowed to love you. And, my dearest Kiya, that is something I will never regret.”

“Even if loving me is what gets you killed?” Her bottom lip trembles.

“I knew from the moment I met you that I would love you until the day I died. Your love isn’t what will have killed me, though, Kiya. Your love is what helped me live.”

Noah looks to me and then to Kiya. “You’re certain I cannot stay?”

My gaze drops to his leg. My mother had been forced to amputate it the rest of the way after a cursed man sliced it nearly completely off.

“I am not helpless, Merrick,” he says.

“I know you are not. But you’ll be better suited to aiding the others as they make the journey to the caves. You can protect them.”

The sorcerer takes a deep breath then reaches out and grabs his daughter’s hand. The young girl walks beside the cot being carried by two remaining soldiers. “Thank you,” he says to me. “Without you, I imagine Julius’s men would have slaughtered our entire village.”

I swallow hard. Truth is I’m not sure they wouldn’t have been better off there. Nearly half of the people he brought with him perished last night—men and women slaughtered because they were here on my lands.

“Be safe, my friend. You have a place among my people when this is all over.”

“I will take you up on that.”

The men carry him away, setting him down beside the group as they wait for the rest of their supplies to be packed.

My mother’s hand lands on my shoulder. “You are ten times the man your father was.”

I turn to her, surprised by her words.

“He was not a good Alpha, and I want you to know that I always knew it.” Tears brim in her eyes. “I was so conditioned to believe that speaking ill of him meant condemning my soul. He was my mate.” She sniffles. “But I need you to know it. Need you to understand that you and your brothers are far more than he ever was. You are good men. Honorable men. And I am so beyond proud of each and every one of you.” A tear rolls down her cheek, so I do what I haven’t done in over a hundred years.

I wrap my arms around her and embrace her.

She returns the hug then, after a few heartbeats, releases me to wipe her eyes. “You’d damn well better survive, Merrick Umbra. Do not make me bury my sons.”

“Please don’t make us go!” Myke slams into me, Maxwell right behind him. Both boys cling to me, holding onto my legs tightly until I force them to back away and kneel.

“Listen to me, boys. You need to protect Mother and the others. Keep them safe.” I look to Myke. “Should anything happen to me, Maynard, MacKenna, and Maverick, you will be Alpha of our pack.” My younger brother pales.

“I don’t want to be alpha,” he insists. “Merrick, I—”

“Listen to me,” I interrupt. “You are strong. Brave. Everything an alpha needs to be. And should it come to that, I know you will make a damn good one.”

Myke chokes on a strangled cry but nods. “I promise,” he whispers.

“Good boy.” I kiss the top of his head and then give Maxwell a hug before watching them both walk away with my mother.

“We will see them again,” Maynard assures me.

“We will,” I say, though a part of me honestly doesn’t believe I will ever again set eyes on them again. Pushing that to the side, I turn to face Maynard and MacKenna as Lea stalks from the house wearing riding pants, boots, and a tunic.

Maynard’s mood shifts the moment he sees her. “You’re supposed to be on your way to the caves.”

“And you’re a fool if you think I’m letting you stay behind without me.” She puts her hands on her hips.

Kiya comes out of the house next, followed closely by Savvee, who is still limping. My gaze locks with my wife’s as she comes down the stairs. Every movement she makes speaks to the resolve she carries.

“What will you have us do?” Thomas questions.

I turn to him and meet the gaze of the others standing near him. “We’re outnumbered, and Julius knows it. But that doesn’t mean we’ve lost. We will stand our ground. We will defend until our dying breath. These lands belong to those who are willing to bleed for them,” I tell them all. “You all stand, willing to die to protect this place. Should we be victorious, you will always have a place in the Shadow Lands.”

They offer me nods, all of them looking far too exhausted to be fighting.

And as I look to the horizon where I know Julius lingers, waiting for his moment, I cannot help but believe—if only for a moment—that our miracle will come. Because this place and these people are mine to protect.

I face them again. “Now, we need to prepare for war.”

Chapter 27

Kiya

Ever since my mother passed, I’ve wondered if perhaps I was cursed.

Then Pallgard found me.

At first, I’d believed he was my hero. A man coming to pull me from the gutter and give me a life I’d only ever dreamed of. Of course, that fantasy lasted mere moments before he showed his true colors.

From then on out, I lived in a prison. The doors and windows might as well have been barred as every moment of my life was scripted. From sun up to sun down, I’d done what was expected of me.

Then came my marriage to Merrick. Everything about those first few weeks pushed me to believe I’d been handed a death sentence.

What’s ironic, though, is that, as I sit beside a fire, the stars bright and shining overhead, waiting for a killing blow that is sure to come, I finally feel free.

Merrick’s arm is around my waist as he throws his head back and laughs at something MacKenna has said. Maynard and Lea both laugh, as do Zane, Corrine, Thomas, and a dozen of the soldiers who stayed behind.

Savvee is silent beside me as she stares into the bright flames.

This place and these people are everything to me, so I have to believe that luck will be on our side. That the plan we’ve crafted is so beautifully diabolical that Julius will not see it coming.

We have to kill him and the sorceress.

Then the soldiers will fall into line.

Cut the head off the serpent, and the body will die.

“Are you all right?” Merrick asks me as the others fall into conversation together.

“Tired,” I tell him truthfully.

“I can solve that.” Merrick stands, lifting me with him. “We should rest while we can. MacKenna and I have watch just before dawn.”

“My men will handle it until then,” Thomas offers. “Sleep well, Merrick. Kiya,” he says with a nod in my direction.

“Thank you, you too.”

I let Merrick lead me into the house and up the stairs. As soon as we’re behind the closed door of the bedroom, my eyes begin to burn with tears I refuse to shed. I’ve already cried enough. Already grieved what might come tomorrow.

Tonight is about living as though it is our final night.

Merrick comes to me gently, his hand caressing the side of my face as he presses his lips to mine. I open beneath him and stretch to my tip toes to wrap both arms around his neck. Leaning into him, I deepen the kiss, slipping my tongue into his mouth to dance with his.

The moment is not rushed.

There is only us… and the shortest night of our lives.

Merrick’s fingers slip beneath my tunic, and we part long enough for him to pull it off over my head. I do the same with his, tossing it to the ground before I pull him closer. My fingers dig into the muscles of his back as he lifts and carries me toward the bed.

When he lays me back, I start on the laces of my pants, but he moves my hands away. “No, love. I want to take my time.”

I stop moving and watch as he climbs off of me to remove his boots and pants. As soon as he’s naked, completely and gloriously bared to me, he climbs onto the bed and kneels between my legs, right at my bended knees.

With strong hands, Merrick slowly undoes the laces of my pants. He slips my boots free, taking time to run his hands up my legs before gripping the top of my pants and slowly drawing them down my body.

He tosses them to the side then leans down and presses his lips to my calf. As he trails his mouth up the inside of my leg, I shiver. He continues up my body, hot breath fanning over my core. But he continues, pressing kisses to my stomach. When he reaches my breasts, he draws a pebbled nipple into his mouth and rolls the other between his thumb and forefinger.

I moan and reach down to grip his hair.

Pulling his face up toward me, I take his lips in a furious kiss. He parts my legs with his knees and slips into me.

One thrust and I come undone. My release warms me from the bottoms of my feet to the top of my head, turning every muscle in my body to liquid. Still, I want so much more. Lifetimes of being like this.

I wrap both legs around his waist and hold him to me, urging him to go faster but hoping that this night never ends. Merrick breaks the kiss and buries his face in the crook of my neck, so I tighten my hold on him as tears slip from my eyes.

His body shudders as his release breaks, and as he stills inside of me, he takes my mouth again. In his kiss, I taste his goodbye. In mine, I know he feels the same.

So, in the darkness of our room, Merrick slips out of me and tucks me against his side. We do not speak of tomorrow.

And we do not dare hope for a future past what awaits us when dawn breaks.

Zane and MacKenna are arming themselves with freshly sharpened daggers while Savvee stares up at the rising sun, arms held out to the sides. She’s steadier now with only a few bruises marring her face evidence of the attack that nearly claimed her life.

Ferris and Maynard speak in hushed tones with Maverick, though, thanks to my hearing, I can make out that they’re giving him a final crash course in what happens should we come across any cursed men.

Merrick slides up beside me and presses a kiss to my temple. I look up at him. Dressed in a black shirt that’s tucked into his leather riding pants, he looks ready for war. He’s pulled some of his hair back again and left the lower half loose around his shoulders.

My warrior.

My alpha.

My savage.

“If it looks like we’re going to lose—” he starts.

I shake my head. “I am with you until the end, Merrick.”

He swallows hard. “You will remain at my side?”

“Unless I have an opportunity to kill Julius,” I promise. “Because when that moment comes, I will be taking it.”

He starts to argue but simply offers me a nod.

“Are we ready?” he questions.

Everyone shares looks. Gazes that might be our final moments.

“What the hell.” Savvee marches over to MacKenna, snakes a hand around the back of his neck, and yanks his mouth down to hers. He doesn’t fight her off, doesn’t shove her away.

Not that he’d have a chance to do either because, less than a second later, she’s releasing him and heading toward the trees where she is to wait until it is her turn to play her part.

MacKenna is completely stunned—lips parted, golden gaze a mixture of fury and intrigue. But there’s a hint of spice clinging to the air, a claiming scent that is so faint I would have missed it had Merrick not told me of their connection.

“That was awesome.” Maverick laughs. “And so worth the likely death sentence.” He turns and follows after Savvee.

MacKenna, who finally manages to compose himself, starts in the other direction. Ferris, Lea, and Maynard follow closely, but before I can go back toward the house, Merrick grabs me and captures my lips in a scorching kiss that rockets straight through to my core.

“Looked like a good idea,” he whispers against my lips.

My heart burns as I force myself to turn and put one foot in front of the other. As Merrick walks beside me, I scan the trees for any sign of the soldiers who stay behind, or Zane and Corrine. But there are none, they might as well be trunks themselves thanks to the cloak Zane applied to them all. The moment they stepped foot into those trees, they became invisible.

Now, though, the barrier he, Corrine, and Savvee had placed over us last night is gone, replaced with wards meant to drop anyone who crosses the barrier and comes near the house.

My love and I are bait.

And Julius is the shark.

As soon as we’re on the porch, Merrick reaches down with his left hand and grabs mine. Our fingers interlock, and he uses his right hand to remove his sword.

Less than two minutes later, Julius, the sorceress, and an entire army appear on top of the hill. They march toward us, moving painstakingly slowly.

“Hang in there, my love,” Merrick tells me.

“I love you.”

“Not nearly as much as I love you.”

Time seems to stand still around us as we await their arrival. Once Julius’s face comes into view, my adrenaline kicks into overdrive. My muscles tense, my heart pounds, and I struggle to cling to our plan when all I really want to do is throw my dagger and hope it sticks in his fucking eye.

“I have to admit…” Julius says as he stops just barely on that side of the boundary line. Our hope is that he will come through first—fall victim to the magic embedded within—and we can put an end to this before it ever starts. “This is not quite what I was expecting.”

“So sorry to disappoint,” Merrick replies, his tone cool.

“Have you decided to make this easy?” He pulls out his sword. “Let me execute you now and take Kiya back unharmed?”

“I will never go with you, Julius,” I say. “I will die first.”

Julius clicks his tongue. “You will be coming with me. There is no other option for you.”

“Then come and get me, asshole.”

“With pleasure.” Julius starts to urge his horse forward, but the sorceress throws her hand out.

“Stop.” Her voice radiates with power. “Send some men to retrieve her.”

Julius’s eyes narrow, but he turns behind him. “Ten of you. Go bring her to me.”

“Wow. Ten? You must think highly of me,” I taunt.

“I believe you’d be worth at least fifteen, my love,” Merrick adds.

I grin at him and then face forward when I hear the all-too-familiar clinking of armor plates. Ten men cross our ward without hesitation. They make it two steps before each and every one of them stops and stares at his hands.

Seconds later, they let out a scream as their flesh begins to smoke. The stench of burned flesh fills our clearing as Julius looks on horrified. The sorceress waves her hands, but when her magic has no effect, even she looks a bit concerned.

The men fall to the ground, their heads slamming to the dirt. Where they remain—unmoving.

“You bitch!” Julius growls.

“Yes. Well. We did say you should send more.”

“The wards cannot last forever,” the sorceress says. “The more who cross it, the weaker the magic gets.”

Even as I already know what Julius will do, the fact that he turns and yells, “Bring her to me!” to every single man behind him horrifies me.

Yet, he does, and they all follow his order. Soldiers come slamming into the barrier, and Merrick takes my hand as we turn back into the house. Zane comes blurring to our side, Corrine on our opposite side.

“As soon as they come through the door, back away. Once there are enough of them in, I’ll take them out.” Zane rolls his shoulders.

“Be safe,” Corrine orders.

“Always.” He blurs over and kisses her noisily then waits. Men scream in agony outside the door, their calls for mercy deafening.

And even as I know they’re here to kill us, I can’t help but feel a twinge of guilt in their suffering.

“Get ready,” Merrick says.

“Ready.” Zane rolls his shoulders again then bounces back and forth on the balls of his feet. The door splinters, and soldiers pour in. Zane grins at me then disappears.

When he reappears, the floor is painted with the blood of at least four dozen men. Their bodies lie in pieces while Zane breathes heavily in the corner. Corrine is beside him, standing with her blade at the ready.

“Is he okay?” I ask.

She nods.

More soldiers come running in, eyeing the carnage of their people. I look to Merrick.

He looks at me.

And we shift.

Our clothes shred from our bodies as they crack and change—morphing into our wolves. The entire moment only takes seconds, but in those seconds, some of the men who’d been ready to attack have turned and run the other way.

Good.

We lunge forward and attack. My jaws close around the leg of one of the soldiers, and he howls in pain. I shove him down and rip at his exposed throat with my teeth then move on to the next man.

They swing their blades, but I move too quickly, and by the time I’m able to stop moving—soldiers lie dead in the foyer of our house. Merrick backs until he’s beside me.

“Fucking wolves,” one of the soldiers sneers. “Nothing but fucking animals.”

Corrine blurs in front of us. “I take offense to that.” She bares her fangs and rips into the soldier’s throat before throwing his corpse at the others. “Who’s next?”

Chaos explodes around us as we fight to keep the soldiers bottlenecked in the foyer. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long before we’re outmatched. However, as soon as we are, we race for the springs—Zane and Corrine beating us there.

Merrick and I bar the door. Then we shift and dive down into the water. Since I still cannot swim, Merrick takes my hand and pulls me with him, swimming quickly beneath the surface and through the tunnel he’d once used as his beast.

We emerge outside in the pond.

“Here.” Savvee pulls me from the water while Maverick helps Merrick.

In the trees, I can feel the others watching.

“Are they inside?”

“They should be,” I tell Savvee.

She closes her eyes, holds out her hands, and the world around us begins to hum as she chants. More screams from inside the house. Cries of panic.

Soldiers plead for their lives as another set of wards come to life.

And then—silence.

My heart hammers in my chest.

Even as I imagine we’ve barely managed to touch Julius’s numbers, I cannot help the flame of hope blossoming in my chest. At least, until the soldiers come running around the side of the house.

Our warriors pour from the trees.

Merrick and I shift, as does Maverick. Savvee throws up her hands, and energy pours from her. She crumples, but MacKenna grabs her before she can hit the ground. He holds his blade out and sets her gently to the side before engaging in the fight.

With teeth and blade, we fight our way through Julius’s men.

But the more we take out, the more attack.

Exhaustion pulls at my bones, and I stumble forward. A blade catches my hip, and I howl.

“Get back!” Merrick roars in my head. “Retreat!” he yells.

“Retreat!” MacKenna yells—the only shifter still in his human form.

We begin to fall back, but the sorceress steps through the sea of soldiers.

“My turn.” She hits me with a blast of magic that sends me skidding to the ground. The last thing I hear is Merrick yelling my name.

Chapter 28

Kiya

“You and I just cannot keep our paths from crossing, can we?” Julius grins at me.

Wrists bound in front of me, I’m helpless. Unable to shift, to do anything that might put an end to this. That might save the lives of everyone I love. MacKenna and Merrick are chained on their feet, their arms chained above their heads. Both men’s chests are bare and slick with blood and sweat.

The days have blurred together, so it is impossible for me to know how long we’ve been back in Aurum. All I recall is waking up one morning in the dungeon with Merrick, MacKenna, and Savvee. Why he’d kept them alive, I can’t be sure. Though I imagine it has a lot to do with forcing me to watch them suffer.

Sadistic fucking bastard.

Maynard, Lea, Ferris, Maverick, Zane, Corrine, Thomas—we have no idea what happened to any of them. But we fear the worst even if each and every one of us is afraid to ask.

My body is battered, my face bruised.

Savvee is chained beside me, her mouth bound with a leather gag, wrists chained behind her back. Silver, she’d said before they’d shoved the gag into her mouth. Silver that blocks the magic in all of our veins.

We’re unable to shift or fight back while they torment us.

“Handy thing, silver,” Julius comments. “I never would have known about it if it weren’t for Ivy.” He glances back at the sorceress. Her white hair is pulled back in a tight braid, her face lined with her years.

But her eyes—impossibly pale—swirl with a darkness that eclipses even Julius’.

She beams at him. “It is my pleasure to serve you.” She bows her head, her wrinkled cheeks scrunched further in a smile.

“Let them go,” I choke out. “You want me. You can have me.”

“I do have you. And I plan to keep you. But watching you break over the torture of your loved ones is something I cannot bear to pass up. Though, I don’t know that I’ve properly thanked you for luring Grendel from his kingdom. It was quite handy that he was killed for me.”

“You’re a coward,” MacKenna spits out. “Otherwise, you would have done it yourself.”

Julius grins at him. “A true leader knows his worth, animal. And I am better served ruling than bleeding in some ridiculous fight.”

“Spoken like a true coward,” Merrick retorts.

Armor plates jingle just outside the door moments before it’s shoved open and a red-faced soldier rushes in. “Your Highness, we need to get you to safety. There’s been an attack.”

I look up and meet Julius’s gaze. Is that fear behind his eyes? Is it possible Maynard and the others survived?

Julius straightens. “Very well.” He looks to Merrick. “You have quite outlived your usefulness. In fact, the both of you have. Kill them,” he orders the sorceress, gesturing to both Merrick and MacKenna. “But make them suffer.”

“No!” I scream. My throat burns, and I yank against my chains, pulling until the wounds on my wrists re-open.

I cannot even speak to Merrick through our bond. The silver binding us has even stolen that pleasure from me. But when my gaze meets his, I see the words I know would be in my mind.

I love you.

Savvee roars from behind her gag, a muffled scream as she fights against the chains binding her.

Julius steps back to watch as the sorceress turns to a table full of sharp blades and various tools I hadn’t seen before we were brought here—and never thought could be used on a living thing.

She retrieves a dagger then turns back to MacKenna and Merrick.

“Touch them and I’ll fucking rip you apart,” I growl. “I will rip you the fuck apart. I swear it.” I spit the words out, blood still dripping from my split lip.

The witch turns back to me and grins. “Do you know what makes me so incredibly powerful? So much more powerful than your weak friend here?” she questions as she raises the dagger and walks toward Savvee.

“Don’t fucking touch her!” MacKenna bellows.

Savvee’s gaze doesn’t leave the witch’s though. Not even as she bends down and drags the blade across her cheek. Savvee groans, but the sound is muffled. Blood bubbles and pools on her skin, and the witch straightens.

“Silver blades cannot be tolerated by supernatural beings. Usually.” She raises the same blade and drags it down her wrist. Her blood does not bubble. It simply floods to the surface and then disappears as her injury heals itself. “See, I have suffered far more loss and pain than any of you will ever understand. And that pain strengthened my magic to the point of my near invincibility. So, your threats, your puny attacks, they mean nothing to me.”

“Your Majesty, we must go!” the soldier pleads.

“Not yet. I want to see her suffer.” His gaze is firmly on me, but mine is trained on the sorceress as she straightens.

“Now, you will learn what it means to suffer.” She whirls on MacKenna and sends the dagger flying straight toward him. Chains shake, and he grunts as it burrows into his chest, not stopping until it’s buried to the hilt.

Savvee screams from behind her gag.

“No!” Merrick bellows, his eyes wide as he stares at his brother.

The world around me slows as I throw my head back and scream. Then I use my body weight to throw myself forward against the chains. Something pops, and pain shoots up through my arm, but I ignore it.

I continue ripping, pulling, as the energy around Savvee beings to expand. Her eyes roll back in her head, and energy snaps around her, a web of power. The humming begins to build, so the sorceress turns to her and charges—another blade in her hand.

But Savvee opens her eyes, and the woman is tossed backward into the wall.

“Get Kiya!” Julius orders the guard.

“Kiya!” Merrick roars my name as he yanks on his chains, pulling and tugging. I do the same, fighting, but when something slams into the back of my head and I fall forward, I keep my gaze firmly on his.

Wide-eyed and terrified, he continues fighting.

The sorceress gets back to her feet as I’m dragged from the cell.

“No! Merrick!” I claw at the bricks, but as dazed as I am, still shackled in silver, it’s no use.

Julius’s guard throws me over his shoulder and carries me up the stairs.

“I do hope you had time to say goodbye,” Julius sneers. “Because the next time you see them, it will be their eyes on—” something whirrs past us, and the guard drops me. I hit the ground with a heavy thud, my ears ringing.

Julius scrambles back, eyes wide. He mutters a curse and then disappears through a door carved into the side of the wall.

I try to push up but fall back down, splitting my lip on the stone.

“Shit! Sorry, Kiya. I didn’t have a choice.” Thomas comes into view.

“Did you have to knock her out?” Maynard kneels beside me, and I smile up at him.

“Am I dead?” I whimper.

“No. Where’s M—”

“Merrick!” The thought of him suffering, of him meeting the same fate as MacKenna, fuels my adrenaline. I stumble to my feet and turn back down the stairs. The door is ripped from its hinges, and Merrick comes sprinting out, a dagger in his hand.

He stops when he sees me.

My bottom lip trembles as Merrick wraps his arms around me and crushes me against his chest. He holds me up and presses a kiss to my temple.

“Fuck, you look rough. Where are MacKenna and Savvee?” Maynard asks.

A sob rips from my chest, and I push away from Merrick, nearly falling down the stairs. The sorceress’s head rests near the door, her body off to the side. But it’s not the sight of her that holds my attention.

Savvee sits in the corner, MacKenna’s head in her lap. Tears stream down her face, and her shoulders shake with violent sobs.

One hand pressed to his chest, she strokes his hair with the other.

My heart shatters, my soul breaking right alongside it.

“No,” Maynard whispers.

I take in the scene as Maynard falls to his brother’s side and takes his hand. Merrick remains at my side, though Thomas and Zane both hang near the door.

Savvee continues chanting in a language I cannot understand.

“Julius will not get away with this,” Merrick growls.

I turn toward him. “No,” I cry. “He won’t.”

With one final look at MacKenna, Merrick and I head for the stairs. I bend and retrieve a sharp blade from the floor near the overturned table. Then, I follow him toward the entrance I watched Julius disappear into.

Merrick tries the door, but it’s stuck. “Fucking coward,” he growls.

“This way.” I start up the stairs and head for the second servants’ entrance. “These are hidden all over the castle,” I manage despite the grief swelling in my throat. I allow that grief to seep through my body now, using the loss of MacKenna to fuel my anger.

We slip into the servants’ entrance lit only by lanterns hung on the walls. Before I can fully process what is happening, Merrick is ripping me behind him and bringing his blade up. A woman whimpers and cowers down, covering her face with both hands.

“Wait!”

I drop down and move one of her hands. “Margarie?”

The woman slowly lowers her hands and stares up at me. “Princess?” she whispers. “Is that truly you?”

“It is,” I reply as I pull her to her feet. While she was never overly kind to me, she was never rude either. So when she wraps both arms around me, I’m taken completely by surprise.

“We thought you dead, girl. He told us your husband killed you.”

“No.” I pull away. “Though, if Julius had his way, I would be dead.”

“Are you here to kill him then?”

“What would you say if we were,” Merrick questions.

Margarie looks to him then back to me. “That it’s about damned time. He’s in his quarters,” she says. “But with the commotion outside, he’s going to be heavily guarded. I don’t know how you’ll manage to get past him.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Merrick growls.

Margarie’s eyes widen. “You can continue through these halls, though the passage leading into his room has long been sealed. It will get you close, though.”

“Take us.”

Her expression darkens in the firelight. “Bonnie was my friend,” she says softly. “And if the rumors are true, he killed her.”

“They are,” I reply. “But he’ll never hurt anyone after tonight. I promise you that.”

She smiles softly at me then gathers her skirts. “Let’s go, then.”

Margarie leads us up a set of narrow stairs. We move through the walls as the soldiers rush through the halls on the other side. Heart in my throat, I listen for any sign that Julius has left his chambers but find none.

Truthfully, if he left them, we’d stand a better chance of sneaking in and waiting for him to return.

But, he is not a king that leads from the frontlines, so the chances of that happening are next to none.

We reach the end of the hall, and Margarie holds a finger to her lips as she opens the door and slips into the hall. A moment later, she returns and pulls it open. “Quickly.”

We follow her order, ducking into an alcove to remain out of sight.

“Good luck, girl,” she whispers before disappearing back into the private entrance.

“Wait.” Merrick checks the corner then turns to me. “Let me see your wrists.”

I offer them up, and he lifts his dagger and slips the tip of it into the lock. A few seconds later, it pops open, and he catches it before it can hit the ground, repeating the actions with the other. As soon as the silver is free from my wrists, I feel my wolf return.

Magic surges through my veins.

“Better?” Merrick’s voice in my head is like a symphony in my ears.

“Yes.”

He dips his head in a nod then moves past me. I fall into step behind him, and we sneak toward Julius’s quarters. When we reach the end of the hall, I peek out and note the four men standing guard at his door.

“He’s guarded.”

“I can smell them,” Merrick replies.

“There are likely more inside.”

“Then we need to deal with—”

A commotion behind us has us both turning and prepping for a fight. Instead, Maynard, Zane, Thomas, and Savvee move out of the servant’s tunnel. Followed by MacKenna.

The impossibility has me covering my mouth on a gasp.

“How?”

“I do not know.” Merrick starts for his brother but stops as Zane blurs out of sight. “There is no alpha bond,” Merrick tells me. “No connection.”

“MacKenna?” I whisper.

“We shouldn’t speak,” he replies, tone cool.

Zane blurs back, appearing just beside us. “Coast is clear—out here, anyway,” he replies. “We can buy you time as you get to your king, but it sounds like his room is packed with fucking soldiers.”

“What happened to my brother?” Merrick demands, whirling on Savvee.

“I brought him back,” she deadpans.

“No. You didn’t. That is not MacKenna,” he accuses.

“Perhaps we should discuss this later,” MacKenna comments as he moves past us and into the hall. He’s cold—lacking any and all emotional responses.

“Later,” Merrick warns Savvee. “You’re going to fucking explain what you did.” He turns toward me. “Are you ready?”

“Let’s fucking end this.”

“We head for the room, stopping just outside the door. Zane grips the handle and rips it open. We rush inside only to be met with the steel of blades. I duck and dodge as Merrick, MacKenna, Maynard, and Zane fight. Savvee uses her magic, though she is waning.

I spot Julius slipping through a door, so I sprint, gripping it as he tries to slam it in my face. “Not so fucking fast,” I snarl, shoving my way through. I throw my body into him, knocking him down a flight of steps and tumbling into the dark with him. I feel something break in my side, but the pain is nothing compared to the rage I feel.

I rear my fist back and slam it into his face.

Bones crunch.

But it’s not nearly satisfying enough. So, I step back, blood dripping from my chin. “You wanted me to change, didn’t you?” I question then let my wolf free.

Julius’s eyes go wide, his expression morphing from one of anger to terror in the blink of an eye. And as soon as I’m standing on all fours, facing off with him at the bottom of a servant stairwell, I feel a bit hollow.

While I want him dead, I know his blood will not change anything that has happened.

It will, however, fix the world going forward.

I lunge for him, but he sidesteps out of the way and goes to sprint up the stairs. He stops when he sees Merrick standing at the top, bloodied blade in his hand.

Julius turns back to me as I stalk closer.

“You both are fools. Abominatio—!” he starts to scream, but the word never comes out because my jaws close around his throat, and I bite down. Blood explodes into my mouth as I tear through his flesh.

His erratic heartbeat slows—steadily fading.

And then—gone.

I shift and fall back against the stone, a sob burning in my chest. Merrick moves down and takes my hand to pull me to my feet.

Behind him, someone shoves a blanket down, and he offers it to me. I wrap myself in the fabric and then let Merrick guide me past him and up the stairs as he retrieves Julius’s broken body. We carry it out into the room where I meet the exhausted gazes of Savvee, Zane, Thomas, and Maynard. MacKenna, however, looks so damned detached that he might as well be a different person altogether.

“We need to show this to the kingdom,” I tell them. “They need to know he is dead.”

Merrick hoists Julius’s body up onto his shoulder and heads for the door. “Then let’s do just that.”

Chapter 29

Merrick

Standing beside Kiya, we look down at the soldiers and villagers who have gathered in the courtyard. My gaze finds Lea and Ferris, who stand beside a bloodied—but alive—Maverick. Maynard is beside me at the top of the stairs while Savvee and MacKenna are positioned on Kiya’s other side.

Thomas is behind us, though he stands alone because every other soldier who remained behind with us was cut down in the Shadow Lands. My heart aches for them, but not nearly as much as it does for MacKenna.

Unlike the connection tying me to the rest of my pack, there is a gaping hole where MacKenna’s connection used to be.

He may be living—just as Savvee said. But he’s not alive. And that hits harder than his death would have.

Two brothers.

I’ve lost two brothers in the span of a few months.

One to the swamps.

One to a king.

“Your king is dead,” Kiya announces, her voice carrying over them from where we stand on the front steps of the castle. Julius’s body is laid out before us, his shredded corpse a stark reminder of who they were fighting for.

And who fucking lost.

The entire village cheers. It’s overwhelming, the level of relief reflected on their faces as they stare at his body, eyes wide—some brimming with tears. Which, combined with the smiles on their faces, show the level of relief they feel.

I can feel Kiya’s pride. Her joy over bringing peace to these people. “Never again will you live in fear of Julius. He will never march onto your streets and demand double taxes. He will not order deaths and mutilations on whims. Which means you have a choice.” She takes a step down toward them. “Swear loyalty to your new king or leave.”

The soldiers do not hesitate. They drop to their knee and lower their heads. “Our loyalty is to you, your highness.” A man in front raises his head to look at her.

“I am not your queen.” She looks over her shoulder at Maynard. “Maynard, come.”

I can feel my brother’s confusion. Even as he makes his way forward. My grief is momentarily pushed aside as pride takes its place.

“Lea?” she calls out.

Maynard’s mate looks just as confused as he appears as she makes her way through the gathered crowd to stand beside him. “Your new king!” she announces, gesturing to Maynard. “And your warrior queen!”

The crowd cheers.

“What? What the hell—”

“You will make a wonderful and fair king,” Kiya says as she kisses him on the cheek. “Should you choose to embrace your new leadership role.”

He looks to me. “But this is your kingdom, brother. You are the alpha.”

“Yes. I am the alpha,” I agree. “But I am no king.”

Maynard simply stares on in shocked confusion. Even as the soldiers throw their heads up and call out, “Long live King Maynard!”

Kiya steps back and leans against me. I wrap an arm around her shoulders and breathe her in. After everything we’ve been through, everything we’ve faced, I cannot help but fear what’s to come next.

Is it really over?

Or is this merely a break in the storm?

“I vow to be a fair leader,” Maynard calls out, finally finding his voice again.

I look to my uncle, who is beaming with pride. Maverick and Zane both grin right alongside him. There is no other who will be as great a king as my brother. Though, not seeing him every day is going to hurt more than I will ever admit.

“Your majesty, I can brief you should that work for you?” The man who’d first addressed Kiya straightens.

“That would probably be a good thing,” Maynard laughs nervously then looks back to me. “Brother?”

“I’ll be by your side as long as you need,” I tell him, pride for the man he has become swelling in my chest.

“Is this truly happening?” Lea asks Kiya.

“It is.” Kiya pulls Lea in an embrace and whispers, “You are going to make a fierce queen, Lea.”

She sniffles and pulls away as Maynard takes her hand. Together, they follow the guard into the castle.

“I’m going to watch their backs,” Thomas adds. “Ensure none of these fuckers want to change regimes for the second time today.” He follows them with a nod at Merrick.

MacKenna leaves without a word, fading into the crowd.

I turn to Savvee. She watches my brother disappear from view, and a silent tear streaks down her cheek.

“What the hell did you do to him?” I demand.

She turns to face me. “I didn’t understand the full weight of the magic.” She closes her eyes. “The spell I used—it brought him back. But at a cost. MacKenna’s soul is no longer tethered to his body. He’s aimless, disconnected from everything that made him who he was.”

My chest tightens as Kiya gasps.

“He’s alive,” Savvee says, turning back to the crowd. “But he is heartless.”

It doesn’t take me long to find MacKenna. Even though I cannot feel him, my brother seems to have enough sense not to take off. He’s seated on a stool in a tavern on the opposite side of the city from the castle, downing ale as villagers celebrate the new regime around him.

When I walk in, they all cheer, so I offer a forced smile and wave as I make my way over toward my brother.

“Quite famous these days,” he comments then holds up a hand and orders another drink.

“I know what happened.”

“Good for you. So do I.”

I study him, fresh grief settling as I take in his emotionless expression. “What does it feel like?”

“I feel like myself,” he admits. “But less weighted? If that makes sense.”

“There is no alpha bond,” I tell him.

“So I can tell. I also feel no joy over our victory. No sadness over Madox. Not anymore.”

“We will find a way to fix you,” I promise him, my hand clutching his shoulder.

He turns to me now. “Why?”

“This is not normal.”

“Does that make it something that needs to be fixed?” MacKenna turns toward me. “Do you not understand, brother? I feel nothing. No pain, no sadness, no stress. I am free.”

“And what good does that freedom do if you feel no joy for it?”

MacKenna shrugs. “Then perhaps you should have left me dead.”

“Savvee is who brought you back. Your mate.”

“I have no mate,” MacKenna replies. “Because I have no wolf. It is gone. All of it. Every connection I ever had.”

“We will find a way to fix you. To make you whole again.” I take the drink offered and down it in a matter of seconds. When I put the mug down on the wooden countertop, my brother looks at me.

“It should bother me that I cannot feel my wolf.” MacKenna lifts his mug and drinks. Then he places it back on the counter and turns to me. “But it doesn’t.” He stands and tosses a few coins on the counter, turns, and leaves the pub.

My chest aches for him, for the fact that he may never again experience joy, love, or the pain that occasionally comes with it. Because, even as I wish no pain upon those I love, it’s a necessary part of life.

“Another?”

I look up at the barkeep and nod. “Just keep bringing them.”

He grunts in acknowledgment and turns away from me. I use the opportunity to study the other patrons. They’re happy; that much is clear enough to see from the smiles, loud chatter, and clinking of mugs.

And this is what I must remind myself of. This is why we risked everything.

After all, those who stand up and fight very rarely feel the unburdened joy of victory. Instead, they’re haunted by their losses. By their sacrifices.

And it’s simply something we will all have to get used to.

“There you are.”

I glance up from the book I’m reading as Kiya slides into the study. I’ve been scouring Julius’s books, looking for anything that might be magic in nature or possess anything to help us bring MacKenna back and explain just what happened to Kiya in that dungeon.

“Are you okay?” I question as I shut the book and put it back.

Kiya’s eyes are red, and in her hands is a small, crocheted horse. “Bonnie made this for me. I’d forgotten that I’d stashed it beneath my dresser years ago.”

“It’s lovely.”

She smiles. “It really is.” She sets it gently on the desk and then crosses toward me. “They’ve already cleared out Julius’s room and set it up for Maynard and Lea. Zane left a few hours ago to let them all know it’s safe to return to their homes. He will escort Lark, Myke, and Maxwell here.”

“That’s good.”

Kiya crosses toward me and presses her hand to my chest. “I am so sorry about MacKenna. About all the pain you’ve suffered—”

I don’t let her finish that sentence before I’m yanking her against me and crushing my lips to hers. She sinks into the kiss as I run my tongue over the seam of her lips. Kiya moans and grips my arms.

“Hey, isn’t this my place?” Maynard jokes as he strolls into the study.

I pull away after one more heartbeat, facing my brother. “I suppose it is. My apologies, Your Highness.”

Maynard smiles. “Can’t say I’ll ever get used to that. They want to throw Lea and me a wedding and then crown us both. Crown us? Why does it have to be a big ceremony? Can’t they just put them on our heads and be done with it?”

“It’s necessary,” Kiya tells him. “You’ll have a crown placed on your head as you vow to use your lives to serve the kingdom and those who live in it. Once the ceremony is done, the kingdom will officially be yours.”

“Strange. I never thought I’d be anyone’s leader.”

“No one can do it better,” I tell him.

He swallows hard then runs the tip of his finger over the leather-bound books. “You’ve seen MacKenna?”

“Yes.” I sigh.

“Savvee has been holed up in that dungeon, scouring the books the sorceress left behind. She’s searching for answers. And I have a feeling she won’t stop until she finds them.”

Hope blossoms in my chest. “Why did I not think to do that?”

“Because you are not a witch,” Kiya offers. “If there is an answer, she will find it.”

“Let’s hope she does. Because emotionless MacKenna is not something I ever want to get used to,” Maynard says. “I had them set up a room for both of you. I wasn’t sure which one, but a woman named Margarie said she’d give you your old room? Is that okay?”

“It is.” Kiya smiles softly then reaches back and takes my hand. “Can we sleep?”

“Yes, my love,” I reply. “It is time to rest.”

Chapter 30

Kiya

“Do you, Lea Partridge, take Maynard Umbra to be your husband? Do you agree to stand beside him, in sickness and in health, in joy and pain, and rule alongside him as Queen of Aurum until death do you part?”

Lea beams at Maynard. “I do.” The flowing white gown is covered in gemstones that twinkle from the candlelight overhead.

Maynard is dressed in white as well, though his robe is a bright crimson edged in gold. The two of them look like the king and queen they are becoming today. And even as I’m sad to see them go, I could not be happier that they will live long, joyful lives in this place.

It’s been nearly a month since we defeated Julius. And the city has never been more lively. The place is happy now, the streets clean, thanks to Thomas taking over as head of the guard. He and his soldiers patrol the streets, not for extra taxes—but to handle those who would harm others.

Merrick stands beside me, his fingers entwined in mine. He’s dressed far more elegant than I’ve ever seen him, and while he looks immensely handsome in his coat, I cannot wait to get him out of it.

Myke and Maxwell keep grinning at each other, both of them dressed in elegant threads, their hair pulled back at the nape of their necks. Lark grins down at them, a weightlessness I’ve never seen reflecting on her face.

MacKenna is beside Merrick, standing quiet and stoic as ever, while Ferris and Faera cannot keep their tears to themselves.

Savvee is nowhere to be found, though I’ve seen very little of her since the night she saved MacKenna’s life, possibly losing any chance of ever having him. She’s spent nearly every night scouring texts for an answer.

And still—nothing.

My gaze continues around the room, scanning faces new and familiar. And all—welcome. This place once haunted my every waking moment. But now, Aurum will be a peaceful kingdom. With fair rulers. The children that grow in these halls will know love.

Joy.

Laughter.

And that brings me immense pleasure.

It doesn’t take me long to find Zane and Corrine. They’re standing beside a man and woman I’ve never seen before. Though, both are equally royal in pale green robes. The woman’s white hair is piled high on her head, a ring of golden leaves surrounding it.

Her violet eyes miss nothing even if they do mist as she looks to the man beside her.

“I do,” Maynard says, pulling me back to the present.

“Then it is my great honor to pronounce you King and Queen of Aurum. Please turn and face your people, your highnesses.”

“Not quite yet.” Maynard pulls a laughing Lea toward him and captures her lips in a scorching kiss that damn near sets the place on fire. When he pulls away and they face the crowd, cheers erupt from every single person in the stands.

The two of them move down the aisle, hand-in-hand, while I wipe tears from my cheeks.

And as we follow them, watching the two of them climb into a horse-drawn carriage for their ceremonial ride through the city, I cannot help but feel completely and totally overjoyed. Especially because Merrick and I have our own celebration to attend tonight.

A private one.

My hand drifts to my belly, covering the little life I can feel blossoming there.

“Merrick Umbra?” A feminine voice from behind has us both turning. The woman with white hair stands beside the man I imagine is her husband.

“Yes.”

Zane blurs to the side of the man and grins. “Hey, Ward.”

“Zane,” the man greets.

“I am Sienna Faremin; this is my husband Daxon Ward.” She holds out her hand and I take it while Merrick shakes her husband’s offered hand.

“You are the Elven Queen,” Merrick comments.

I gape at her. “Elven Queen?”

She grins at me. “Trust me, it’s still a shock to my system as well.” Sienna glances at Zane and then back to us. “Zane tells us that your brother is—”

“Being a massive dick because he has no heart,” Zane finishes.

Daxon groans. “Seriously? Could you be any more of a fucking asshole?”

“Probably not,” Zane shrugs.

Corrine elbows Zane. “Stop.”

He beams down at her. “Only because you ask, love.”

“My brother was killed. The witch who brought him back was unable to fully heal his soul—or that’s what she believes. He is unable to feel any emotion or connect with his wolf.”

Sienna’s gaze saddens. “I cannot promise anything, but if you would like and he agrees, we can take him back to Cambrexia with us. The elves there are ancient, and if anyone can help your brother, it would be them.”

“You would do that?” I ask, honestly surprised that this woman we’ve never met would take on such a burden.

“I would.” She smiles at Zane. “Zane doesn’t have many friends, so when he vouches for someone, we take notice.”

“What can I say?” Zane says. “I’ve become quite popular these days.”

“I’m just surprised no one killed you,” Daxon comments.

“Don’t be jealous, Ward. You’re still my best friend.”

“Oh, joy,” Daxon comments dryly.

The entire interaction amuses me. The two men, although outwardly arguing, carry genuine respect for one another. And friendship like that is rare.

“Merrick?” I ask, turning my attention back to him. He’s clearly unsure of where to go, pulled between his drive to help his brother and his fear of losing him forever.

“If MacKenna agrees to go with you, I would offer you my endless gratitude for helping him.”

Sienna smiles. “We will do our best. It was a pleasure to meet you both.” She beams at me. “Motherhood is the greatest gift. Congratulations.”

Merrick draws me in closer, and I rest my hand against my stomach once more. I’ve wanted this for so long. This family I have now, it feels surreal. As though I may be dreaming and tomorrow I will wake still in Julius’s clutches.

“Are you happy?” Merrick grips my chin and tilts my face up to his.

“I am.”

He smiles. “I am, too, Beta. You have given me everything I’ve ever wanted, and I will spend my life thanking you for it.”

Chapter 31

MacKenna

Bags packed, I stare down at the carving I’ve spent the last few weeks working on. The wolf is seated, its head tilted upward, mouth open on a howl. I can recall the pride I felt after seeing it take shape.

The joy I’d predicted in giving it to my firstborn niece or nephew. But now, when I look down at it, I feel nothing.

No pride.

No joy.

It should feel wrong to be detached, but I cannot be bothered about that, either.

The knock at my door is not unexpected, and even as I cannot feel my wolf, I sense her before she pushes it open.

Savvee steps into my room, her dark hair braided over her shoulder. The dress she wears is a deep blue and complements her skin nicely. Though, even as I can see she’s attractive, I feel no arousal when I look at her.

Then again, I feel none of the hatred I recall either. So, I suppose, that can be considered a good thing. Perhaps we can part ways as acquaintances, and she can move on with someone who can give her all she seeks.

Tears shimmer in her eyes. “You’re really leaving then?”

“I am.” I sheathe my sword and then secure the top of my bag.

“Were you even planning to say goodbye?” she demands, crossing her arms.

“I didn’t think it was necessary.”

“Not necessary?” she gapes at me. “Are you serious? After everything.”

“We were nothing, even before,” I remind her. “I am not sure why you think I would feel attachment now.”

Savvee’s plump bottom lip quivers, and if I could hate myself, I know I would. Because, even as I never admitted it to her, I had felt an attachment to the witch. An attachment that is now gone.

“You’ve always been such an asshole.”

“Perhaps.”

Savvee crosses closer, and I breathe in the scent of whatever flowers adorned her bath this morning. It smells nice, so I take a deeper breath. “I’m so sorry.”

“For what?”

“For doing this to you.”

“You brought me back to life.”

“And in doing so, I killed everything that made you—you.”

“I’m surprised you do not prefer me like this. As you said, I was an asshole.”

A tear slips down her cheek. “I will find you again. When I have an answer.”

“Why would you look?” I question.

She slams her palm into my chest and shoves me back a step. “Because I am going to bring you back, MacKenna Umbra. Because I’d rather you hate me than be unable to feel anything at all.” Savvee turns on her heel and exits the room quickly, leaving me staring after her.

Saying goodbye to my family should be difficult.

But it was the easiest thing I’ve ever done.

Yet, knowing Savvee is not giving up fills me with—well—something. Not quite emotion, but not emotionless.

And that means something…doesn’t it?

Chapter 32

Kiya

Hand resting on my swollen belly, I sit near Bonnie and Ezra’s graves. I’ve spent more than a few lazy afternoons sitting out here, talking to them.

With Lark, Myke, and Maxwell still residing in Aurum with Maynard and Lea, the house has been eerily quiet. While Maverick did return with us, he chose to live in the village. MacKenna occasionally sends us letters, but it’s been three months since we last heard from him.

Emotion clenches my chest, so I shove it aside and rub my belly.

Someday, MacKenna will return home. And as long as I believe that, as long as I hold out hope, Merrick’s brother is not lost.

“Are you all right?” Merrick takes a seat behind me, his legs stretching out to envelope me.

I lean back against his hard chest. “I was just thinking of MacKenna.”

Merrick presses a kiss to the top of my head. “He will be all right, love. MacKenna is resourceful.”

“I know.” I tip my face up, and Merrick kisses me gently.

Coming home had been surreal. And by the time we’d arrived, the villagers had put our house back to rights and cleaned the grounds, removing all evidence of death. We’d had one massive celebration that night, a huge party to celebrate our victory.

Merrick’s fingers trace lazy circles on my belly. “How is our baby?”

“Growing,” I say with a laugh.

The baby kicks, and Merrick chuckles. “Feisty. Just like momma.”

“More a troublemaker like their father,” I reply.

Merrick’s hands slip from my belly up to my shoulders, and he begins to knead ever so gently.

“Did everything go all right in the village?” I ask as I fight the urge to melt right here in his hands.

“It did,” he replies. “Maverick has begun training those who wish to become proficient with a blade, and he’s far more patient than MacKenna ever was.”

“Maverick seems happy. With where he is.”

“I believe so,” Merrick replies. “Ferris is overseeing it, and that’s going quite well, too.”

Our numbers have tripled in the last eight months with humans and shifters alike seeking refuge from other kingdoms. It’s been wonderful to see the village so full of life again. It’s flourishing now, and trade has opened up between us and the village bordering Aurum.

The queen of Viridia even sent her congratulations for the coming birth of our first child.

With Julius gone and Maynard King of Aurum, the realm has descended into a peace it has not experienced in generations. A peace I can only hope will extend until well past the lifetimes of our children and grandchildren.

Merrick’s hands continue kneading my muscles, and I groan. A delicate spice fills the air around us, and I smile.

His attraction warms me.

“Are you feeling well enough for me to love you beneath this tree, my love?”

In a move I wish was far more graceful than it was, I straddle him and press my lips to his. “I am.”

Merrick grins and reaches up to slide the sleeves of my yellow sundress off my shoulders. The cool air of late summer slides over my pebbled nipples as the dress pools just above my belly.

He leans down and captures one in his mouth, sucking gently. Pleasure shoots through me, and moisture pools between my legs. I run my hands over his bare shoulders then slide them between us and undo the laces of his riding pants.

Merrick lies back against the grass as he moves his pants down just enough to free his dick. After adjusting my dress—and being quite grateful I avoided any undergarments today—I grip him and slide down onto his hard length.

“Yes,” I whisper as he fills me, the delicate friction sending my heart rate skyrocketing.

Merrick does that to me, though—drives me absolutely wild.

His hands grip my thighs as I move, grinding against him so he hits the pillowy flesh inside of me. My orgasm builds as I look down into Merrick’s impossibly golden gaze. It brightens the closer he gets to his own release, so I move faster.

Rocking against him.

“Yes!” I cry out when my release tears through me. My muscles turn to liquid, my body clenching around him.

His release follows damn near immediately, and his hands tighten on my hips to still me as he comes.

Together, in the early afternoon sun, Merrick and I make love.

A life without pain is all I ever wanted.

And with Merrick, I found that and so much more.

Get your copy of Heartless Wolf!

He’s a shifter with no heart. So why am I so desperate to give him mine?

MacKenna is a warrior.

An animal on the battlefield.

And he hates me for what my mother did to his family.

When I agree to help him find his wolf again, the last thing I want is to be pulled into his madness.

Yet, the more time we spend together, the more I start to wonder if perhaps my love isn’t enough to save the both of us.

Also By Jessica Wayne

Fae War Chronicles

Ember is dying.

But as she will soon discover, some fates are worse than death.

Accidental Fae

Cursed Fae

Fire Fae

Vampire Huntress Chronicles

She’s spent her entire life eradicating the immortals. Now, she finds herself protecting one.

Witch Hunter: FREE READ

Blood Hunt

Blood Captive

Blood Cure

Curse of the Witch

Blood of the Witch

Rise of the Witch

Blood Magic

Blood Bond

Blood Union

Rescued by the Fae

Healed by the Fae

Mated by Midnight

Barbarian. Beast. Murderer? One thing’s for sure, nothing is as it seems in this crazy town.

Midnight Cursed

Midnight Hunted

Midnight Bound

Accidental Alchemy

My job is to keep the things inside these supernatural books from coming out…unfortunately, I suck at it.

Dragon Unleashed

Shadow Cursed

He can have her body. But never her heart.

Savage Wolf

Fractured Magic

Stolen mate

Blade of Ice

Rise of a Warrior

Fall of an Empire

Birth of a Queen

Cambrexian Realm

The realm’s deadliest assassin has met her match.

The Last Ward: FREE READ

Warrior Of Magick

Guardian Of Magick

Shades Of Magick

Rise of the Phoenix

Ana has spent her entire life at the clutches of her enemy. Now, it’s time for war.

Birth of the Phoenix

Death of the Phoenix

Vengeance of the Phoenix

Tears of the Phoenix

Rise of the Phoenix

Tethered

Sometimes, our dreams do come true. The trouble is, our nightmares can as well.

Tethered Souls

Collateral Damage

For more information, visit www.jessicawayne.com

About Jessica Wayne

USA Today bestselling author Jessica Wayne was only seventeen when she wrote her first full-length novel. Titled One Lovers Ill Will (A book that never saw the light of day.), it was at that moment she realized she wanted to be a full-time author.

Life had other plans, though. After spending seven years in the Army, Jessica finally had the time to push forward with that dream.

Now, a wife and mother of three, Jessica spends her days crafting worlds in which anything is possible.

She runs on coffee, and if you ever catch her wearing matching socks, it’s probably because she grabbed them in the dark.

She is a believer of dragons, unicorns, and the power of love, so each of her stories contain one of those elements (and in some cases all three).

You can usually find her in her Facebook group, Jessica’s Whiskey Thieves, or keep in touch by subscribing to her newsletter via her website: www.jessicawayne.com.

TikTok

Patreon

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

BookBub

Table of Contents

- Title Page
- Contents
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Blurb
- 1. Kiya
- 2. Merrick
- 3. Merrick
- 4. Kiya
- 5. Merrick
- 6. Merrick
- 7. Kiya
- 8. Merrick
- 9. Kiya
- 10. Merrick
- 11. Merrick
- 12. Kiya
- 13. Merrick
- 14. Kiya
- 15. Kiya
- 16. Kiya
- 17. Merrick
- 18. Kiya
- 19. Merrick
- 20. Merrick
- 21. Kiya
- 22. Merrick
- 23. Kiya
- 24. Kiya
- 25. Kiya
- 26. Merrick
- 27. Kiya
- 28. Kiya
- 29. Merrick
- 30. Kiya
- 31. MacKenna
- 32. Kiya
- Also By Jessica Wayne
- About Jessica Wayne