

In the treacherous City of Temple where supernaturals and humans intertwine, only the most cunning will survive.

Teaming up with a handsome shifter named Ephrem, the banished Princess Lilliana must find her stolen Ardent talisman before a sinister enemy uses it against both rival wolf pack strongholds. Thrown onto a path neither of them expected, they stumble across a third cell of supernatural shifters lurking in the city's Outlands where tensions mount. These new strangers want nothing more than to disrupt the two royal strongholds, the ArcKnights and the MarkTiers, and reignite a long-forgotten feud from decades past.

Books in The ArcKnight Wolf Pack Chronicles:

ArcKnight

Sovereignty

Revenant - Coming soon!

Book 2 Sovereignty is Now Available!

Want FREE books? Sign up for Alexia's Newsletter HERE

***Don't forget to continue the story with***

Sovereignty (The ArcKnight Wolf Pack Chronicles #2)

Available Now!

Connect with Alexia Purdy:

Sign up for Alexia's Newsletter HERE

Alexia Purdy's Website

Twitter

Instagram

You-Tube

 Alexia Purdy's Facebook Fan Page

A Dark Faerie Tale Series Facebook Fan page

Reign of Blood Series Facebook Fan Page

More books by Alexia Purdy:

The ArcKnight Wolf Pack Chronicles:

ArcKnight

Sovereignty

Accursed Archangels Series:

The Unbreakable Curse

The Cursed Labyrinth

The Irredeemable Soul

The Vampires of Vegas Series

Reign of Blood

Disarming

Elijah (The Miel Chronicles)

Amplified

A Dark Faerie Tale Series

The Withering Palace #0.1

Evangeline #0.5

Ever Shade #1

Ever Fire #2

Ever Winter Tale #3

The Cursed #3.5

Ever Wrath #4

Without Armor #4.5

History of Fire #5

Ever Dead #6

Legends of Fire #7

Guardians of Fire #8

Other Stories

The Fall of Sky

Papercut Doll

Wicked Grove

Poetic Collections

Whispers of Dreams

Five Fathoms

Anthologies

Soul Games

Faery Worlds

Faery Realms

Once Upon a Curse

The Shapeshifter Chronicles

Once Upon a Kiss

Fuse: A Collection of Fantastical Tales

Once Upon a Quest

Dark Waters: A Mermaid Anthology

ArcKnight

The ArcKnight Wolf Pack Chronicles #1

Copyright © August 2016 Alexia Purdy

All rights reserved

Published by

Lyrical Lit. Publishing

Cover Design by Melancholy Muse Designs

Photography Depositphoto.com

www.alexiapurdybooks.com

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, duplicated, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious and are products of the author's imagination and any resemblance to actual events, or locales or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.

Dedicated to my fierce family pack. Roar. :)

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Bonus Scene: Wolf Romp

About the Author

Sneak Peek: Blood Warrior

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Acknowledgements

PART I

Prologue

Lilliana

I smeared the mascara down my cheeks, leaving behind angry stripes where my fingers dug into the dampened skin. No matter how much I wanted to claw my dang eyes out, scream and slam my fists into the moldy walls of the alleyway buildings, I hated to admit that I'd been incredibly wrong about everything up until now.

So. Very. Wrong.

It wasn't hard to understand the how or why of it all. It was the who, the what, and the when of the situation that killed me. My stupidity had taken a dive into an all-time low, and I felt like I was drowning in a puddle of putrid, bottomless muck. There was no air in shit this deep.

And it was all my fault. All. My. Fault. How could I have been so naïve?

"Dammit!" I screamed out into the rain. It was pouring and blinded me when I attempted to peer up into the disappearing sky. I couldn't see much above the buildings, the rain shot down like spears dropping from the sky. It pelted my head and forced me to look down to shield my already reddened eyes.

At least the rain absorbed my tears as it washed away my makeup. It was befitting, really.

You see, I'd failed tonight. In more ways than one. I was so screwed. If there was a remedy for the problems I'd caused this evening, I was all ears. No one could help me now, and I was on my own. There would be no pack for this wolf girl. I was a loner now. Kicked out of my pack for my stupidity, defiance and utter belief that I was invincible... untouchable.

How wrong I'd been. So trusting and vulnerable.

I was as good as dead out here.

Chapter One

Rafaela

The room shut down when I stepped into it. It was obvious what the subject was about, but I didn't have time to be offended. Even though it wasn't just about me, I should've been told first.

Jutting my chin out, I kept walking. No one could know the turmoil tossing inside my mind. I had to appear composed, calm and undeterred. There could be no weakness showing. Weakness meant death and inferiority. It wasn't a trait of a leader of a wolf pack. Especially not one like the ArcKnight pack.

It wasn't enough that I had to deal with the banishment of my only sister, Lilliana, who'd been relieved of her Ardent talisman and thrown out last night for losing an important artifact from our pack's store of weapons. Without both, our pack magic was weakened just that much more. Banishment was the only thing left to do with her, but I should've been there when they made her leave. She'd been nothing but a thorn in my side, a constant splinter digging its way through my epidermal layers until the infection she tends to spread overcame me in a feverish rage. She'd pushed me to the limit, and no matter how much I loved my younger sister, her behavior could not be tolerated any longer if I were to remain in control of the ArcKnight werewolf pack. I was to be queen, and any disrespect from any of its members, even my dear sister, couldn't be forgiven.

Regardless, I should've been notified when she was taken to the gates and unceremoniously let go. Why I hadn't been told was a sore point between me and my soon-to-be husband Gil, and I was intent on finding out the reason for it.

Holding my head high, I strode through the main meeting room of the mansion our pack inhabited in the outskirts of Temple, California. It was a rather large city smack dab in the middle of the state's coastline, but the amount of supernatural activity here tilted the scale in favor of groups like ours. The landscape was pleasing. It was surrounded not only by mountainous desert, orchards, and thickly forested mountains, it also had an affinity to magic. Regular people settled here too, yes, but the ones with an affinity to the supernatural far outnumbered them.

These were dangerous times to be lacking magical talents.

I made my way to the front of the room and felt every single pair of eyes raking my hide as I reached the podium where Gil waited. The amusement dancing in his eyes made me even more furious. He enjoyed attention from anyone who would give it to him. I was pretty sure I'd committed happiness-suicide deciding to stay with him as my betrothed, especially after catching him many times over surrounded in the company of women with questionable intentions. I didn't stay with him for love. There were other things far more valuable, far more desirable.

I hadn't actually caught him technically cheating as of yet, but I had my suspicions. If I ever did, there would be hell to pay, and I made sure he knew that. I aspired to far greater things than just being his wife. Power was one thing I craved, and this position would grant it to me. I'd waited a long time for it.

For now, it was time to clean up the fine mess Lily had left me. I'd have to organize a search party to find and retrieve the artifacts Lily had lost. It hadn't truly been her fault. She may have been a conniving sneak and smart as a whip, but someone had outsmarted her. All her scheming to play with an ancient artifact had turned on her when her accomplice stole it, leaving her to take the blame and rot in banishment. I'd find this traitor and hopefully bring my sister home. But I had other issues to deal with first.

As I reached Gil's side, I gave him an unreadable, hard stare before spinning toward the crowd of eyes awaiting the next move from its royal rulers. Gil and I were practically married, and everyone knew we were the leaders of the pack ever since Gil's father had fallen ill a few days ago. He was dying a slow, painful death at this very moment in a bed down the hall. It sucked that he'd be gone soon after being fatally wounded and infected with a rapidly progressing virus by an unknown perpetrator, but that was the law of the land. Kill or be killed. Fight or die. There was no leniency in times like these. His attacker would pay soon enough.

I let out a long, calming breath as I observed the restless crowd before me. My thoughts were chaotic and lingered with my dear little sister. No matter what, I loved Lily, and the worry choking me inside was all for her. I hoped she made it out alive. Without a pack to back her up, she was as good as dead or forever cursed to the endless dangers plaguing any banished supernatural in the city or the wild. Most died within a year of banishment if they remained in the city, but some survived by seeking refuge in the vast wilderness surrounding Temple. I hoped she was smart and found isolation to her liking because the city was full of hungry souls looking to devour everything that happened to tumble into their embrace. Lily was known for making some rash and spontaneous decisions that usually didn't pan out well, but she was an experienced fighter and could take down wolves twice her size.

I hoped her smarts would kick into play now more than ever.

Still, such hopes did nothing to settle my nerves as I faced my pack with nothing but humiliating rumors circulating around the group faster than a wildfire on gasoline. It was time to squelch the flames before it consumed my pack and destroyed all I held dear.

"Welcome, ArcKnights. I've called this vital meeting to address some urgent issues currently needing attention. I hope someone is willing to volunteer this time. I really hate assigning positions when those who are better suited for certain things should just go ahead and show some initiative and take the positions offered. This is the time to come together and fight for what we hold dear. Our pack. Our family. We really want to avoid what happened last time, don't we?"

A ripple of murmurs ran the course of the room, and I turned toward Gil, giving him the signal to continue the speech. Alphas had to present as united or the pack was in danger of complete disintegration. We'd been conditioned for this very thing since we learned to speak.

"Thank you, Rafaela. My love. As acting Alpha of this pack, I am required to inform you that our ruling Alpha died twenty minutes ago."

The pack burst into a flurry of murmurs, gasps, and whispers. The room vibrated with movement and unrest as the realization that we were leaderless washed over every soul. I drilled my eyes into Gil for a brief moment, trying my best to camouflage the effects of the shocking news. Why hadn't he told me before the meeting? How could he withhold such vital information from me?

I thanked my solid composure for keeping my face from crumbling, and I ripped my gaze from him, focusing on the exit sign at the rear of the room. The red light glowed indifferently as I let its outline mar my sight with its destitute existence. Gil's face had betrayed nothing of the news earlier, and it was usually easy for me to read. Years at his side had trained me to anticipate every move, every need, every want, every emotion he could ever have. Yet, as of late, I'd discovered how very little I truly knew about not only my fiancé but also my own sister as well.

There were strangers all around me, and I'd never felt more alone than I did at that very moment.

Later, I'd let Gil have it for leaving me out of such a critical loop. He'd have to learn to respect me as co-leader of the pack and as his spouse if this union was to work out. If not, the consequences would be grave, not only to my family, but to the entire pack as well. This included Gil.

"The services will be held later this evening, and I suggest everyone be in attendance." He turned toward me. A lingering question in his eyes he failed to voice remained. "That is all." He stepped down off the stage and made his way toward the rear of the room before disappearing through the doorway.

Everything changed today. I knew that more than anyone here. I followed behind, not trying to catch Gil but hoping I would make it out of the auditorium and back to my rooms before my anger surfaced, before I broke down, before the tears.

This was just another thing I couldn't control. I never had control over anything from the start. How could I let myself think otherwise?

It was time for changes indeed.

Chapter Two

Lilliana

A movement caught my eye from a darkened alleyway at my right. I clutched my useless, soaked jacket and scurried past the ominous opening, hoping to avoid any unwanted attention. The city was no place to wander at night. Especially for a girl like me. Even the humans were smart enough to stay indoors and out of the desolate avenues, crooks and crannies of the city, especially when the dark skies poured out endless rain.

"Hey." A voice hit me from behind, and I craned my neck around to get a peek without stopping. The stranger wore a dark rain jacket with a hood that completely covered his face. Perfect. "Hey, lady, don't I know you? I do, don't I?"

"No. I don't think so," I hollered back and sped up, crossing the street and stepping into a curbside river of dirty city water. I gasped as the freezing liquid hit my skin and soaked through my socks and shoes. I'd have to dry them out somehow, if I could even find a dry enough place. Every doorway, every staircase I passed was locked up tight for the night. If I came across any viable shelters, it would be a blessing. The way things were looking, I was going to shrivel up and die from pneumonia before anything good happened.

"Wait! I do know you! Just hold up there, lady!" The man yelled at my back, echoing closer than ever.

My heart raced in a panic. Could I risk a confrontation with someone? I was frozen to my marrow and exhausted. It wasn't faring well for a fight in these conditions.

His steps crept closer. I could still hear him through the raindrops and my thumping heart.

Shoot!

"I'm sorry, I'm really in a terrible rush—" My body jerked back as the words left my lips and he grasped my jacket, giving it a good, hard tug.

"I'm talking to you! Don't you know it's rude to ignore someone?" A haughty chuckle escaped the man's throat as I managed to peer up through the hard rain slamming into my face. I was sprawled onto my knees as he pulled me to the ground. Stupid jerk!

"What the hell is your problem?" I barked at him, jumping to my feet and backing up enough to pull out one of the weapons secured to my belt: two short baton sticks. They weren't my favorite weapons, but they'd been the only ones I'd been able to grab before they tossed me out of the ArcKnight palace.

The man was two heads taller than me and showed off his shiny grill as he threw me a menacing smirk. He was out here to cause trouble, nothing more.

I cracked my neck, readying for the struggle. At least it would warm me up in this icy rain.

"Got yourself some pretty sticks, I see." He swatted at one of my arms, smacking the back of my hand hard. It stung enough I stepped back, taking in a quick sniff of wet, earthy air.

"You shouldn't have done that." I jolted forward, swinging my arm in a full arc to slam one of my batons against his temple. The satisfying crack and his subsequent stumble felt incredible. It'd been weeks since I'd actually sparred with someone, but a street fight would definitely do the trick to oil up my skills.

Before he could recover, I kicked his thigh with the heel of my boot, right where the muscle would spasm and give, bringing the giant man crashing to the ground. I miscalculated a spin kick toward his face by a millisecond and joined him on the ground as he grabbed my ankle and pulled me off my feet.

My breath rushed from my lungs as I slammed against the concrete. The smell of rancid garbage, weeks-old leftovers and whatever else strewn across the alleyway filled my nostrils as stars sprayed across my vision. Staring up into the darkened, cloudy night sky, I considered calling my wolf forward. I hated shifting to fight a human, and this man was nothing more than a mere mortal, but he had almost over two hundred pounds plus a few feet on me. Even with his clumsy, oversized body, he was faster than I'd given him credit for. He'd bested me with nothing more than a mere snatch of my legs. If things didn't turn in my favor, I wouldn't have any other choice.

"Shit," I muttered. I shut my mouth and eyes as the pouring rain assaulted my face. I coughed and sputtered, blinking to try and stay focused on my assailant.

His darkened eyes—colorless in the washed-out night—narrowed, followed by a sinister grin.

"That's right. Stay down, bitch. Just the way I like my women."

I lifted my leg with a snapping jerk, kneeing him in the balls and bringing his body, now crouched over me, falling into a massive heap, pinning me down.

He exhaled a rumbling complaint that shook my chest as I struggled to breathe under his weight. The behemoth wasn't rolling off me anytime soon, for the pain and subsequent collapse had angered him even more. If I didn't get out of this precarious wedge, I'd be more than just breathless.

I resorted to smacking his face with my fists in rapid succession.

"Get the hell off me!"

"You bitch! You'll pay for that!" His acrid breath filled my nostrils, adding to my discomfort.

Thwack!

A loud crack resonated near my face right before the jerk went slack. Great. A freak ice storm hail ball must've hit him right in the head or something. Now there'd be no way I could roll him off me before I'd pass out from lack of oxygen.

Death by suffocation via squashing. What a way to go.

I wondered what the people who found us would say. Both dead in the alleyway come morning light, one by hail, one by suffocation. I could see the headline now: Former Princess Dead from Suffocation, Buried Under Giant Assailant Killed by Freak Storm. She shall be missed, yada, yada, yada. Yeah... I don't think so.

"Give me a break!" I yelled as loudly as I could, but my chest was burning with a thousand tiny prickling spasms with each shortened breath. I pounded on the guy, shoved and bucked to no avail.

The next second, a rush of freezing air encircled me as the weight of the man fell away to the side. Another man in a drenched hooded jacket now stood over the body of the would-be rapist creep. I took the opportunity to crawl away and use the nearby building wall to lean against as I caught my breath. My batons were somewhere in the wreck of the alleyway, but I couldn't even concentrate enough to try and find them. Almost suffocating was no walk in the park.

"You all right?" The new guy didn't approach but waited to see how I would react. How nice of him. He was probably waiting for me to catch my breath to ask me for something obscene. Like that was going to happen. I'd die before any man could do anything to me, and I'd make sure he'd pay for it dearly.

"I'm all right." I barely managed to speak above a whisper before another cycle of violent coughing arrested my efforts.

"You don't look all right. Royalty shouldn't roam the city unescorted, especially during violent downpours."

I scoffed at his rough voice and made the mistake of taking my eyes off the guy as I kept trying to inhale without pain. When I looked back up, I found nothing. I darted my eyes across the alley, but the culprit intruding on my destitute mood was now nowhere to be seen.

"Who are you?" I called out into the storm, my chest slowly recovering from the assault. A rumble of thunder swallowed my thin voice before I could finish my question. Still, squeezing my eyelids closer together to avoid the stinging rain, I kept searching for the stranger.

A rush of air pushed at me as a figure dropped in from above, landing quietly into a nearby puddle of water. Crouching, he slowly straightened and peered at me from underneath his hooded jacket. The man was not much taller than I was, but with his broad shoulders and meaty frame, he could easily take me down without much effort.

Unless I shifted. Then he'd have a beast to reckon with.

In a quickened flash, the stranger closed the distance between us until our noses were millimeters from touching.

I gasped.

"Princesses don't belong lost in the rain... in the darkness."

"I'm not... royalty. Not anymore." I let out a long breath, feeling a wave of sadness contrast with the warm ripple he'd evoked within me. His face was barely visible under the dim streetlamps. The enticing angles I could make out led to a pair of dark, stormy sea-blue eyes presenting an infinite abyss as they reflected the scant light. His irises emitted a dull glow from within, making their own eerie auras. I held my breath, stunned.

"I don't know what you mean, Princess. Once royalty, always royalty."

He pulled his hood back to allow me to see his face as he lowered his head and eyes to the ground in a show of submission and courtesy. He had dark black hair cropped close to his scalp on the sides and longer on top. His light olive complexion gleamed with raindrops that sat on the short stubble lining his chin and cheeks.

I relaxed, realizing he was a guard. I didn't know if he was ArcKnight, but he didn't appear to want to attack me. He could be MarkTier pack for all I knew, but his gestures were those of a subservient royal guard. I was less than deserving of this cordial treatment. I was less than zero now. Apparently, he didn't yet know about my banishment.

"You haven't heard, have you?"

Confusion spilled across his features. "I'm sorry, m'lady. I do not know what you mean. I'm a perimeter guard. I rarely enter the MarkTier palace grounds."

So he was MarkTier. His eyes glided up to my face. If he knew now what I meant, he didn't say it. Maybe he wanted me to say it. He was just like a good royal guard dog. No questioning anything the royals did. At least he'd had no orders to extinguish the banished ArcKnight princess. What a relief.

But who had told him to help me? My confusion felt like a rock in my stomach. Great.

I frowned, pressing my lips tight. I hated this. To say it out loud made the cut deeper than it already was. I was glad my new tears disappeared into the droplets of rain sliding down my cheeks. If I were still a royal, I would reprimand him for embarrassing me. But I wasn't. And I'd never be one again.

"I've been banished," I whispered, but I knew he heard me. I spun on my feet and walked away, the words still bitter on my tongue. I didn't want to see the look of pity he'd give me now that I'd told him the reason for my unusual appearance beyond the gates of my palace. I had nowhere to go. No money, nothing. I'd been put out with the clothes on my back and one bag of possessions. My walk of shame through the kingdom and out the gates into the middle of the night was the worst thing that had ever happened to me. Even so, I was determined to make it, no matter what.

A hand clasped over my shoulder, and I whirled around, a guttural rumble emitting from my throat from the morph I was holding back. It wasn't wise of him to startle a shifter. I knew my eyes would startle anyone not of my world, but my unusual, yellowed eyes and the fangs growing from my jaw as I let the shift change my features should have been enough to scare anyone to bits. Not him. He let his arm drop to his side as he watched me fight the morph.

There was no fear in his stormy blue eyes. In fact, there were no emotions betraying his feelings at all. Just like a good soldier. His lack of response stifled the fire increasing in my veins and readying me to fight. Deflated, I let go of my wolf magic and let my human side slip back on.

Exhaling deep breaths into the night air, I closed my eyes and tilted my head back.

"Leave me alone." Tears kept coming, and I wanted to drown in them.

"M'lady, I cannot leave you here alone. It's not safe."

I whipped my eyes open and glared at him. "I told you I was banished. You can stop with the formalities and get. I don't have time to waste on a pathetic royal guard. Especially a MarkTier. I'm okay on my own."

"If you come with me, I know a safe place where you can get out of the rain and get warm."

I laughed. It came out more hysterical than I intended, but I was not in a mood to keep it together any longer. The fact that he offered me any shelter at all, most likely his home, was gracious, yet the knowledge that it was most likely on ArcKnight territory made the offer even more bittersweet. I was banished not only from the royal ArcKnight palace but from lingering on any of the pack's territories, which included a substantial chunk of the city.

I was truly alone now.

"You'd be punished for harboring a non-citizen... a traitor like me. I can't. You know I can't."

He held out his hand. It glistened with water, for he was soaked to the bone, just like me. The cold rain didn't affect him at all. I was the one shivering and on the verge of hypothermia, and yet he waited patiently.

"It's beyond the ArcKnight border. I promise." His eyes gleamed in the momentary moonlight sneaking past the storm clouds above. They were breathtaking and unusual. I'd never seen another shifter with eyes like his.

It may be beyond the ArcKnight stronghold, but they weren't the only pack ruling the city.

"But the MarkTiers...."

"They have no jurisdiction there either."

Staring at him in disbelief, I let my eyes linger on his for an eternal moment. His offer brought more questions to my mind than anything else. Even so, there was something there that held me in a trance and beckoned me to follow. Taken in by that hypnotizing cobalt sea, I reached out, accepted his hand and let him lead me through the murky city paths I'd never trodden, deeper into the unknown.

This place was now my new home, and it was nothing but strange and frightening.

But what choice did I have?

Chapter Three

Gil

I focused on the garden outside my window. Fidgeting with the hard platinum metal bracelet that marked me as Alpha of the ArcKnight pack, I couldn't help but to scowl. The road was always painted gold for the prince of the pack. Anything I wished would be brought to me at a moment's notice, anything at all.

The one thing I wanted was the most impossible to obtain. My father died today after being attacked by an unknown assailant, and I wanted that person, creature or thing to hang for it.

It was my only wish.

Not this circus going on around me as I lamented, staring across the expansive gardens my mother maintained. She was out there now, pruning, digging up the dirt, planting and nurturing her precious brood of flowers, fruit trees, and other horticultural specialties I knew nothing about. I'd never taken to her green thumb, but as I watched her systematically work her gloved hands through the rows of tulips, petunias and other flowers she alone kept alive, I wished I could obtain her level of peace.

I had no such luxury.

Her husband was dead before his time, and she was calmer than a calm before a storm. I loved and hated this characteristic of hers, but that was my mother. Adelaide had no head for war or peace, but her mere presence calmed everyone who had the pleasure of meeting her in person. It was an ability that mystified me, and sometimes I could see the same trait in my partner, Rafaela. My parents had chosen her to be my betrothed when I was born, though I highly suspected my mother had more to do with it than my father. Rafaela was a perfect mate for me, but I knew that fate had nothing to do with it. Adelaide had everything to do with the choice.

"It's time." Right on cue, my beautiful bride-to-be's voice interrupted my reverie. I didn't look away but continued to stare, lost in the repetitive movements of my mother's hands.

"My mother?"

Rafaela approached the window and breathed out, looking tired. "I'll take care of it."

She swerved around, her long, dark brown hair swinging into my sight as she left to retrieve my mother. The soft breeze replacing her left a trailing scent of honeysuckle and spring air. Closing my eyes, I let it swirl around me. Rafaela was... intoxicating. That was the word. No one compared to her, and I didn't know how my parents had found her so many years ago. Her parents were not ArcKnights. They were from another pack, far from here on the other side of the world. They'd been summoned for the pairing since they had a newborn daughter of the right age and wished to forge an alliance with our pack. They'd relocated and had happily sealed our futures with a blood oath, swearing our families' bond forevermore.

Now, at the age of twenty-two, we were normally free to get married when we wanted to. The only exception to that was if the ruling Alpha died or was in any way disabled, we were to be married within three days to take the head position in the family.

We had two days to set up a wedding.

I knew Rafaela had it all under control and was probably a tangle of nerves, as was I, but it was too soon. We had just become adults, and with marriage, a whole other set of problems came with it.

I wasn't looking forward to it, no matter how much it was my destiny.

Pulling my eyes from the glass, I turned to grab my jacket. It was time to get this show on the road. I loathed funerals, especially when it involved a family member. Who didn't? I was now tasked with finding my father's killer, and I was pretty sure the one person who could help me had just been banished into the city and was probably dead by now.

I shouldn't have banished her so quickly. It was a rash decision to send Lily away so soon. I was distraught and didn't even wait for Rafaela to come when I had Lily shoved out the gates.

Most lone wolves didn't survive a night out in the ghettos of the city, beyond the borders of the Arcknight stronghold. Nope. I was positive Lilliana, my fiancé's sister, was good as gone. I was kicking myself for being so naïve as to let the elders handle her fate and for me delivering it too swiftly. It never occurred to me until afterward that she could have some answers about the circumstances surrounding his death. Now... that was a dead end. Finding her in the tangle of derelict houses and destitute streets was almost a near impossible feat in a city the size of Temple; it could rival New York City. Besides, there was a rival pack nearby who would certainly be eager to sink their teeth into her.

The MarkTiers shared the city with us, but they held the south side of town whereas we held the north. The in between, east and west were the neutral lands, formally called Temple City, but were not governed by either pack. No one crossed the other's territory, but the in between? Anything goes.

"Ready?" Rafaela asked, returning from retrieving my mother.

I nodded. "Yes. You?"

She sighed and gave me a somber smile. "As I'll ever be."

"Tell me something, love?"

"Yes?" She perked up and waited as I gathered the words I wanted to say. If it didn't come out right, I could offend her. That was something I didn't want to do.

"Do you think Lilliana might know who did this to my father?"

Rafaela's once bright face tightened when I mentioned her sister. She did love her younger sibling, but their relationship was probably based more on duty, not love. I never did pay any attention to it. Though Rafaela rarely showed her sister more than a slight cold shoulder, Lilliana would never speak wrongly of her older sister. The two were thick as thieves in private; it was the royal public life that had worn down—but not quite broken—their connection.

"I don't know." Rafaela lifted her chin as she subjected me to her cold, dissecting glare. "And if she did, she'd have told me."

"She always told you everything, right?" I toned down a challenging glare. Treading carefully here was a must.

"That I know of... yes." Rafaela let her eyes fall away and studied the ground. I knew she was holding something back. The sisters had been distant as of late, and I wondered if Rafaela realized just how big the divide had become. It would grow even worse once she became my wife.

Pack before family. Always. But what defined those lines?

I reached for her and grasped her hand in mine, giving it a firm squeeze. Sooner or later, she'd tell me what had happened between them. I was her mate. There could be no more secrets.

"Shall we go?"

Chapter Four

Lilliana

The rain pounded the windows with a furious violence. I imagined hundreds of frightened children and pets cowering under the covers tonight. Sometimes I wished I was young again; free of mistakes and wrong turns, fresh and brand new without history or future marring my existence. The things that could never be undone dug into my skin, forming invisible scars that no one could see except me.

The royal guard set his backpack down and shed off his soaked jacket before hanging it on one of the hooks lining the wall near the door. I dropped my own to the floor on top of my pack. I was soaked to the bone so it didn't really matter to me. I'd have to wash all my clothes anyway. Most of my stuff was probably ruined.

Still freezing, I hugged my arms around my frame as I scanned his apartment. It was cozy, warm, simple and lived in. It was far from immaculate, but it was safe. That was all that mattered. I was used to palatial accommodations, but this was paradise to me compared to the freezing rain outside. Picture frames lined the walls and tables, filled with smiling faces. Two young boys who were apparently related grinned toothy smiles into the camera. Only one was a formal picture of a man and a woman standing proudly behind the two boys. Their smiles were genuine and made their faces radiate.

I picked the last picture frame and studied it closer. I'd never seen such happiness in my parents. Though my sister and I had been loved and doted upon, I could barely remember my parents ever smiling with such joy, such vibrancy. My fingers ran across the smooth wooden frame, a rush of melancholy overcoming my misery. This guard had grown up happy, cared for. I wonder if he knew how much richer he was compared to me.

"You can take a shower if you like. The bathroom is down the hall to the right. Last door on the left. Here." He held out a dark green towel along with a shirt and some elastic waistband shorts. He must've guessed my stuff was all soaked through and through. I was relieved I wouldn't have to ask for anything, but there was one question lingering in my mind.

"Thanks," I whispered. He turned away and was headed toward his room to change. I assumed. "Wait!"

He paused and turned, awaiting my question. "Yes, m'lady?"

"Please don't call me that. Call me Lily or Lilliana."

His eyes looked thoughtful as he pondered this, but he didn't speak. I was sure it was against everything ingrained in his soul to call me by name. It just wasn't done in the royal court.

"What's your name?" I asked.

His eyes widened with a smidge of uncertainty flashing behind them. I couldn't quite make out all his features in the darkness of the apartment. I wasn't sure if he was offended or not. I couldn't wait to see his face in pure daylight.

"It's Ephrem." He continued toward the room on the other side of the apartment where he pulled off his shirt and tossed it to the floor. I couldn't rip my eyes from him and, naturally, he glanced over and caught me watching him. Great.

He definitely knew who I was. I wondered how he could know that. I stayed away from the cameras. No one was interested in the lowly younger sister of a crown princess of a royal werewolf line. In spite of my lineage, the way he caught me staring at him made my face burn scarlet like I was still a schoolgirl. I was never more relieved to be standing in the dark with my features cloaked by the dim light.

A flash of green at his chest caught my attention as he shifted his weight, turning to leave.

"What's that?" I asked, desperate for him to stay just a moment longer.

"Pardon?" Ephrem never looked down, but his jaw tensed. He knew what I was talking about, and I was even more curious now that he'd given me a reason to investigate further. He didn't want to straight out tell me what the talisman around his neck was, so I'd squeeze it out of him, whether he wished to volunteer the information or not.

"You know... that pendant you're wearing. What is that?"

He reached for the necklace, curling his fingers around the emerald stone embedded in a dull, platinum finish setting pressed with tiny runes. I'd never seen it before, yet it was oddly familiar.

"This was a gift from my mother." He searched my eyes for a moment. "Every royal-blooded family member has one."

"What do the runes mean?"

His eyes drifted to the window where he watched the rain pelting against the window. Swallowing, he cleared his throat and let out a breath. "It doesn't mean anything. Just a gift."

What a lie. He knew that I knew every royal family member had an Ardent talisman. It wasn't completely unheard of for minor royals like a king's nephews or cousins to join the ranks of the royal guard, but it was certainly unusual. And even then, their rank would make them captains, not scouts on the periphery of the court's domain. What was he hiding? I felt my anger pulse to my face, most definitely turning it an eggplant shade of purple. How dare he lie to me? I may be pampered royalty, but I felt the same emotions as everyone else. In fact, his deception burned into me like a branding iron.

"Where's your talisman, Lily?"

I reached up to my neck, feeling nothing where the metal of my pendant should lie. I felt vulnerable and weak without my necklace.

"I—I don't know."

I looked away, breathing in deeply so as to not lose my head over such a matter, but not a moment later I flicked my gaze back toward him when I heard his door click shut. The bastard had left me there to stew in my own anger. MarkTiers were raised differently from ArcKnights. They might treat royalty with the utmost respect, but they were more secretive than the CIA. But I'd get it out of him sooner or later. There would be nothing he could hide from me.

Damn. If only I hadn't caught sight of his well-developed, trim warrior's body before he'd disappeared behind the door. He kept in shape, that was a definite. I was pretty sure every soldier in our guard was required to stay in perfect shape, but I'd never seen one without his armor on. The way it made my body ignite underneath my skin had me beelining toward the bathroom to hide, my anger dissipated.

Once there, I pressed my back against the closed door and closed my eyes before I turned on the light. This tiny space was a sanctuary, and if all I had to do was deal with a hot, introverted guard, this was going to be a piece a cake. I just hated that I currently looked like a drowned rat. My reflection was horrid, and I groaned as I stepped forward and swiped the stringy strands to the side, squeezing the water from my mane.

"Drowned rat, indeed," I sighed. Looking away, I stared at the standard tub/shower combo and sucked in a deep, centering breath. Gone was the luxurious bath suite back home. This was my life now. Yeah, that royally sucked, but now that I had nothing, this was better than the alternative. Beggars can't be choosers.

At least now I had Ephrem. Whoever this soldier was, I intended to know more about my knight in shining armor. Maybe he could be an ally. A comrade. Maybe he could help me retrieve what was stolen from me and help me get my life back.

Maybe he was what I needed after all. I couldn't wait to find out.

Chapter Five

Ephrem

I leaned against the door, grateful to have a barrier between me and the princess. She was apparently used to commanding her way around people, especially guards. It made me chuckle. Regardless, this wasn't her domain and she was right, she was no longer royalty here. I owed her nothing, and she didn't have any power over me.

Blowing out a breath, I proceeded to peel off the rest of the drenched clothes clinging to my muscles. It'd been a long night, and with Lily in my care, things were much more complicated now than they'd ever been before. I'd never saved a royal before. Banishment was as good as death to any soul. Why did I have to stumble upon a royal of all people tonight? Especially an ArcKnight royal? It was one thing to save one of my own pack, a MarkTier, but the opposing pack in the city of Temple was a whole other matter and held a bottomless pit full of possible problems.

If only it'd been another guard who'd found her tonight.

I clutched my Ardent talisman, feeling its magic hum beneath my fingers. The presence of any royal-blooded wolf always excited the stone, and its constant thrumming against my skin made my head feel light and dizzy. Not that I needed any more help with that. Lilliana was unique in her own way. What little I knew of her from the brief spotlights I'd seen in the media was not much, but I knew from the moment I first spotted her years ago that she was different from the rest of the royals, even her sister, Rafaela.

Tossing my sword to the side, I rolled my shoulders back before heading into the master bathroom. I thought about nothing but Lily as the steamy water recharged me. Never in a million years had I thought I'd ever meet her face to face again. She apparently didn't remember me from when I'd been part of the royal guard for my pack thirteen years ago.

When I was still a boy and escorting the royals of the MarkTier pack to the ArcKnight palace for negotiations over land disputes, I met Lily. That same meeting had left the two packs forever separated. They failed to come to an agreement for control over a portion of the neutral lands, and in the process of all the disagreements, the promise we'd been held to as a betrothed couple had been severed. If we'd married, it would've united the two feuding kingdoms and satisfied an ages-old prophecy for peace. Even if she and I were both second born in our lineages.

But it was never to be. There could never be peace.

I wondered if Lilliana knew she was supposed to be my bride once upon a time. Her memory failed her, but I remembered her clearly and more than anyone I'd ever met before. I wasn't going to refresh the past for her either. I was no longer the skinny kid looking at the much younger five-year-old named Lily, who would've been my bride thirteen years later. Instead, here we were, both on alternate paths and unmarried. How ironic it all was... or could it just be some sick and twisted coincidence?

Either way, I shut my eyes and squeezed them tight, hoping to block all thoughts of the past and what could've been or should've happened out of my mind. It was no use. No matter how long I'd waited to finally have her in my arms, this was by far not the way I'd imagined it. Not even close.

After my shower, I lay on my bed, staring up at the shadows the rain threw against the ceiling. It was pleasant, yet I couldn't sleep for the life of me. Training Lily wouldn't be an easy feat. She was older than most trainees I'd worked with, set in her ways and stubborn as a boulder. Somehow I'd have to help improve her combat skills so she wouldn't end up under another behemoth of a man and almost crushed to death trying to survive the neutral lands of Temple. If I hadn't been there at the right moment tonight, she'd have been a pancake.

Not the best way to go, but certainly not the worst either.

I chuckled to myself as I placed my hands behind my head, listening to the tiny noises coming from the other bedroom. The wall was thin, and I could hear each and every little creak the bed made as Lily tossed and turned, evidently as restless as I was. I felt for her. Even though I'd never been officially banished and had instead been assigned to monitor the lawless parts of the city, it was as good of a punishment as any banishment could be.

I hated the job, but I had no choice on whether I wanted to do it or not.

The lightning flashed outside my windows, followed by a gut-trembling rumble of thunder.

I heard a gasp and sat up to find Lily standing at the edge of the couch in the living room, pale enough to be a ghost and trembling. I could see her through my open door.

I jumped up and called out to her. "Are you all right?"

Her lips trembled. "The storm... it's louder here than it is back home."

Her hands instinctually clasped over her ears as another bolt hit. The buildings were some of the tallest in the world here in the city of Temple. Much like New York City, most of them had lightning rods to ground the lightning. My apartment building was no exception, but we were near the top of the building where the strikes resonated with roars of noise.

"It's just hitting the metal poles rising from the roof of the building. They're made that way so we don't get electrocuted." The explanation did little to settle her nerves as she tried to pull her hands away from her ears to listen to my words.

"It's not just the noise." Another boom and she buckled to her knees while her face contorted in agony. Her pain made my talisman vibrate even harder, and pounding static pinged against my chest. I grabbed for it, and it zapped my hand with a biting hit. I yelped and yanked the thing off, dropping it to the floor.

That had never happened before.

It was emitting a bright moonlight glow into the darkness of the room, illuminating Lily's features as her pain grew, her face morphing into sheer terror as she screamed. Her gasping made me lunge for her, down onto the floor, flicking an eye onto the talisman as I slipped my arms around her.

"Lily!" I pressed her to my chest, hoping she wouldn't hurt herself with the spasms.

The pendant had scorched my skin where it had been resting against my chest, and I flinched as Lily's weight pushed against the injury. The pendant continued to glow, pulsating now and then like a heartbeat. I picked it up, holding it by the chain. It was still glowing red hot. It slipped and landed on Lily's arm, but it didn't burn her.

What the hell was going on?

I held her tight, avoiding the glowing talisman. It had never done that to me during a lightning storm before. In fact, I'd never seen it glow quite so much before. Could it have something to do with Lily? If so, why?

It was because it was her talisman all along. Of course.

I cradled her in my arms as her eyelids fluttered while she lost consciousness. I slipped the pendant around her neck and watched it seep energy into her. She remained unscathed, and a moment later, went completely slack but was breathing softly. The talisman seemed to go dormant, the light ebbing until it was extinguished.

The storm outside calmed to a drizzle, and the lightening distanced itself from the building, still flashing in the distance but farther away with each passing second.

Checking to make sure she was still breathing, I found she was quietly sleeping now. I reached for the talisman, now cool to the touch, and studied its tiny runes and the moon stone set into the pins. It looked harmless and, as always, strangely beautiful. It had always drawn me, and I knew the moment I tried to take it off that it was not supposed to be anywhere else but with her now.

I don't know what it was that drove me that moment to leave it around Lily's neck, but I did, and I stared at it as it slid down her neck and in between her breasts. Her beautiful figure had not escaped my notice, and I averted my eyes from her smooth, milky skin and looked back at the talisman.

It was glowing again, but not nearly as intensely as before. How? In all the time I had owned it, it had made only a slight shimmer for me when I was in need of some extra power. I'd come to believe it gave it to me whenever I was exerted, hurt or depleted. I'd come to take comfort in its familiarity and calming presence. It was very much alive, though I'd often wondered what it was and where it'd come from. It had been in my possession for as long as I could remember. My mother would just smile and tell me it was a gift from someone special. Nothing else ever came of it, and I knew better than to push the issue further.

Watching it calm Lily by slowing her breathing and soothing her heart rate, I could feel her anxiety die with it. Now, she slipped into an alternate world, deep into dreams where nothing of this world could follow.

It had never been my talisman in the first place. I'd known that for a long time, but now I fully understood. It was a dowry from the days of our betrothal. How could I have known it would want to return to its rightful owner if I ever saw her again? How could I have been so blind?

It was an ArcKnight relic, and it had been given to me when I was promised to Lily. So where was the MarkTier talisman that was its mate, the one I'd given up to Lily when she was promised to me?

I didn't see it around her neck. I had to find it. It would want to return to me, too, if Lily's had literally scalded me to be replaced around its owner's neck.

Wait a minute....

She'd been banished, but for what? What sort of thing would deserve such a fate in our strict pack societies?

Every royal-blooded wolf had a talisman. It was the essence of our powers and only left a wolf's neck when exchanged with a mate's pendant. If it was ever lost, banishment was always the punishment for such a crime.

Maybe Lily had lost my talisman... or it'd been stolen from her.

I had to find out who would've done such a thing, why and how.

I hoped Lily had some answers for me when she woke up. Otherwise, it was only a matter of time before someone wielded it against me.

The clock was already ticking in a game I didn't know I was playing until now.

Chapter Six

Lilliana

The rain finally relented near morning, but sleep had eluded me most of the night through. I remembered tossing and turning, trying in vain to sleep, but I was sure I'd gotten to my feet and walked out of the room at some point. I just don't remember getting back to bed. I must've received a blow to the head fighting that vagrant in the alleyway, and it was surely worse than I'd imagined.

Ephrem had given me the guestroom to sleep in, and it'd been quite comfortable. What a gentleman. I was still holding out hope that he wasn't a serial killer or anything crazy like that. A girl can never be too careful, especially since neutral territory meant it was a free-for-all for everyone outside the two main royal strongholds.

The sun snuck through the slits in between the curtains, slamming me right in the face. I turned away, pulling a pillow over my head as I groaned. Life sucked right now. What did I have to look forward to? Everything I'd been used to was gone. My entire life had been swiped away from under my feet, and it had left me without any future. All I had left was a past that meant nothing to me now.

"Absolutely nothing," I mumbled, and let out a defeated sigh.

"What did you say?"

I jumped at the voice, my heart racing. Ephrem stood at the doorway, a tray of food in hand, looking confused. I wondered how long he'd been standing there watching me feel sorry for myself. I had a lousy poker face; every emotion spilled out across my features. From his expression, I could tell I'd been contorting my face as I fought out my internal battle. He probably thought I was insane.

Perfect.

"I—I'm just thinking about... you know... stuff. What's that?" I eyed the tray of food he was balancing. Not exactly servant quality, but I'd forgive him if he dropped anything just to get another glimpse of his rock hard body.

Ugh, there I went again. Not like he wasn't something to look at. I'd just been deprived of any decent sparring between me and a guy since I'd come of age. It was like my family didn't want me to fall in love with any potential male suitor. The why of it all eluded me. I was a nobody royal, not even royal now, but still, there hadn't even been a whisper about me getting betrothed to anyone. Was I supposed to remain celibate forever? Hell, no.

My poor attempt to evade his scrutiny wasn't missed by Ephrem. His suspicious eyes had lingered momentarily before he broke our connection to place the tray on the bedside table.

"I made breakfast. I make my own every morning, just added extra for your plate."

"Wow, I—you didn't have to do that. Really." Strike that. I was starving.

"Nourishment is not a favor, it's a necessity. Please... eat. You'll need your strength."

I lifted an eyebrow, questioning his statement.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Training. You need to start your training today if you're to survive the streets of Temple without pack protection. You can't stay holed up in the apartment all the time. You'll need to walk the city now and then, especially if you need things. I can't always watch you, either. You'll have to learn to fend for yourself."

"Whoa... whoa now, soldier. I've been trained. Believe me. You saw for yourself! That was one thing I did get a say in at the palace. A secondary royal with no chance of reigning over a pack or even getting married, for that matter, usually gets to do whatever the hell they want to do to keep busy. I chose to train in the art of fighting, if you must know. I'm pretty sure you can't take me down as quickly as you think you can." I shoved a strip of bacon into my mouth and chewed aggressively. He was underestimating me. Just like everyone else did. Good grief.

He scoffed and shook his head, looking like he didn't believe me. I didn't blame him. Most royals don't voluntarily choose to be trained in the arts of self-defense and martial arts. Yes, all royals were trained in the ArcKnight stronghold, but maybe he didn't know this. I wondered if the MarkTiers trained their royals at all. Maybe not. Maybe they depended on the assistance of bodyguards more than my pack did. Maybe he'd joined the guard so he could get a little adventure.

My pack? No... my former pack.

I sighed. Screw it all. I wasn't going to put myself in any more danger if I could help it, but I could defend myself. I had always been more of a tomboy when I was younger, and my parents had been more than happy to keep me busy by sending me off to be trained. I was one less person to mind when they had the affairs of the kingdom to keep them occupied. I knew this more than anyone else did and had taken the opportunity to learn something I desperately wanted to learn.

"All right, I believe you. And I did get an excellent show of it last night. Even so, we need to test your abilities and expand your training. You don't think they actually took training a royal seriously, did you? Your trainers didn't do you any favors."

It was my turn to frown at this, knowing he'd just insulted my formal training. What a jerk, but that was fine. I was game. I could take him down if I wanted to. I didn't need a test or anything crazy like that. He didn't know what he had coming, and I would relish giving him a few bruises.

"Fine," I mumbled. "Can I get more bacon?"

He nodded and turned to leave the room. "There's more on the stove. You are free to use anything in the apartment as yours, m'lady."

"I told you to stop calling me that!" I called after him, but he'd already left the room, leaving me talking to the air.

I hated that, but I stuffed down my anger when I eyed the tray of food he'd handed me. No one can stay angry around food when an empty growling and protesting stomach was involved. I hated to admit it, but the eggs, sausage, toast and bacon he'd piled high on the plate looked absolutely delicious. How could I say no to such a feast? Oh, heck no!

Jumping off the bed, I felt a thump against my sternum. I looked down and saw the talisman Ephrem had been wearing last night. How the hell was it around my neck now? I peered down at it, running my fingers over the warm metal and rotating it in my hand.

The runes were unfamiliar, like a language I'd never seen before, yet they felt like I'd seen them before. The metal felt alive and warm, like it produced its own heat. I swore I could feel it humming just under my skin. The stone was the color of the moon and shimmered under the sunlight from the window.

Was it an Ardent Talisman?

I shook my head and let it drop back to my chest. I'd have to ask Ephrem about it later. There's no way he had one. It was only for those of royal blood, right? I sighed. Too many things swirled in my head to add one more. First, breakfast was calling with a fury.

I stuffed the deliciously greasy food down my throat in five minutes flat, only scowling when it was all gone. I hadn't realized how famished I'd become. Getting banished was hungry work.

It wasn't all that bad having a hot warrior who could cook looking after me now. Maybe banishment wouldn't be so dreadful after all.

Chapter Seven

Ephrem

"Fuck!"

Lily pushed off the ground, pissed all to hell. It was the fifteenth, maybe more, or so time that I'd dropped her to the ground. Can't say it wasn't painful for me either. She wasn't made for this kind of punishment, and I hated doing it. My friend Jason and I were dedicated to beating her ass to the ground in as many creative ways we could think of just to prove how pathetic her so-called training in the ArcKnight stronghold had been.

Hey, she hadn't believed us. The look on her face now proved she was rethinking everything I'd told her and calculating just how hard this was going to be to level up.

I hoped she'd overestimated. She was getting her ass handed to her.

"Are you going to give up now? We just got started on the good stuff." Jason smirked as he bounced on his feet, waiting for Lily to attack. Her face was flushed scarlet, and her long dark hair clung to the sweat drenching her face and neck. Flustered wasn't the word to describe her in this state. If I hadn't already spoken to her some, I'd say she was down for implosion any second.

"Come on, Lily. What are you waiting for?" I called out. She needed the push. There was nothing else she required. She had the skills. They just needed refining, and we were the best of the MarkTier pack who could train her.

Jason was now first scout of the Outlands Legion. That's what the soldiers who guarded the Neutral Lands called themselves. We were an organized bunch. A well-oiled machine. The army was made up of only MarkTier soldiers because the ArcKnight pack had their own group of legionnaires scouring the edges of the Outlands near their borders. Here, we intermingled now and then, but it didn't happen often. Only if necessary. If Jason knew Lily was an ArcKnight, he'd have an epic fit. He may have followed me out here in banishment and was my best friend, but he was still a spoiled rotten MarkTier nobleman soldier if I'd ever seen one.

Regardless, he was the only person in the world I trusted enough to help me train Lily and keep his damn mouth shut if he happened to figure out who she was. There was a list a mile long of people who'd want her dead if they knew who and what she really was, but I wouldn't allow it. She'd been my betrothed, and I respected her even though we were no longer promised to each other. We had been once, and that was all I needed.

She curled her fingers into her palms, turning her knuckles stark white as she screwed up her face in a furious rage. "You're going to pay for that last bit."

Jason waved her over, tossing her a wink as he continued to bounce back and forth on his feet. "Give me what you got, babe."

I never said he wasn't a chauvinist pig, but it was darn good for angering Lily enough to push her into warrior mode. Rage was more useful than the giving up that had passed across her face when she'd discovered just how poor her training had been.

"Whatever, jerk. You got a date with the floor!"

She lunged toward him, flinging her body into the air near the ground. She grabbed onto Jason's ankles and yanked with all her might. This movement threw him to the floor next to her, catching him off guard enough so that she could let go and turn, grabbing his arm and folding it behind his back as he faced the ground. She sat on his back to keep him from escaping.

Jason jerked and bucked as best he could with his one good arm, but she squeezed him with her thighs and pulled his arm even harder. It wasn't looking good for him.

"Relent!" she demanded, giving his arm another pull for good measure.

"Stop! Okay, okay! I give!" Jason's purple face and the veins popping out his temples told me he'd had enough.

I clapped, shaking my head and chuckling. Where Jason had skill on Lily, she had speed and was petite enough to evade his grip. It was surprising, but I couldn't have been more thrilled to see her prevail in combat.

"Well done! I need to see you fight like that more often." I grinned at Lily as she breathed hard, matching my smile with her own. Her teeth gleamed white and perfectly straight. Jason, whose frown deepened the lines in his sun-aged face, couldn't be more upset as he rubbed his arm. "You got beat by a girl, ol' buddy," I said.

He growled, the low resonating hum of his wolf boiling underneath the surface while his eyes flashed yellow.

"Whoa now, we don't want any crazy happening, now do we?" I narrowed my eyes at him, and he immediately calmed. He wasn't my second lieutenant for nothing. He knew exactly what he had to do when he had to do it. Jason jumped to his feet and huffed as he walked away to cool off.

I turned toward Lily as I heard the door to the locker room slam.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

She grabbed a towel from the rack on the side wall and rubbed her neck with it. Her hair stuck to her face and flared out in a slight halo.

"Better now. I thought he was going to pound me into the ground." She wiped her face and rubbed her shoulder. "I think my shoulder is going to have some marks on it tomorrow. Let's not forget how much my entire body is going to hurt tomorrow."

I waved her over. "Let's put some ice on your shoulder. You did great. Keep at this, and you'll be a legionnaire in no time."

She rolled her eyes. "Are they all like him? Damn. Some friend you got there."

"Jason is a bit rough around the edges, but he's a loyal and courageous friend. He's always had my back."

She nodded as her eyes darted to the ground, a tiny frown pressing on her lips.

"I've never had friends like that. I thought I did, but...." She shrugged. "Oh well, right? Can't trust anyone." She quietly walked toward the ladies' locker room without another word.

"Wait. Why? What do you mean?"

I jogged up to her as she came to a stop, still looking upset.

"Look, it's nothing."

"Lily." I reached out and touched her shoulder. She winced, so I pulled my hand away. "Sorry."

"It's all right." She sighed and met my eyes. "You know why I'm banished, right?"

I nodded, but I still want to hear her version of the story. "Just what the news has said about it, which isn't much. The royals usually make that kind of news go away fast."

She rubbed her hand over her hair, pressing her tousled strands back and looking more frustrated. I could tell she wanted to say more.

"Well, it's because... I lost my Ardent talisman. It was like yours." She picked up the pendant still hanging around her neck. "But with just one rune on the back of it and more of a topaz-colored gem."

This piqued my interest, but I didn't want her to notice.

"Do you know where you lost it?" I asked quietly.

"I—I actually didn't lose it." She bounced from foot to foot, fidgeting with the edges of her shirt as she stuttered. "It was stolen from me."

"You know who took it, don't you?" I already knew the answer to that. She was a horrible liar. Her guilt was displayed across her face like a billboard sign.

"Yes," she whispered.

"So why didn't you get it back? You might be reinstated if you find it."

Her shoulders drooped as she shook her head. "My best friend, Elise, took it. I couldn't have her hunted and killed. I had to tell the council it was stolen and I didn't know who had it."

"But she did steal it. Why would you defend a so-called friend like that?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I couldn't let her be hunted like that. I've seen what they do to traitors. I couldn't let her be thrown to the wolves. I couldn't watch someone I loved die because I was stupid."

"But you'd rather be banished and die in the Outlands? Does that sound right to you?" I walked away toward the locker room, fuming. She'd let her friend steal the Ardent amulet? My talisman? What kind of person lets anyone get away with that? My life was in danger because of her carelessness.

I stopped, realizing she didn't know it'd been my amulet she'd lost. "You know wolves usually don't survive without their amulets. The ones that have them, I mean. They just get too weak to protect themselves."

"Yes." her voice came out in a whisper, cracking as though she was holding back tears.

If I looked at her now, I'd beg her to forgive my harsh voice. I usually relented for no one. That was, until now. I risked a peek at her, and my heart turned to mush. "We'll find her."

Blinking away the salty sweat mixed with tears surely stinging her eyes, she gave me a nod. "I know." Peering up at me, her eyes sparkled. "You'll help me, won't you?"

Even if I wanted to say no, there was no way I could turn her down now. Not with her looking at me like that.

Well, darn.

"Yeah. Of course. I'll help you."

Lily studied me for a moment before giving me a smile that could suck my soul in and never let it go. There was no denying she had a subtle power to entrance anyone who spoke to her. I was pretty sure she was used to getting her way. Even then, I was also certain that she was more vulnerable than she'd ever admit.

I was a sucker for vulnerable.

Chapter Eight

Rafaela

"You can't hide things from me. We're partners, remember?" I kept my voice low, knowing the walls had ears, even in our bedroom.

Gil let out a long sigh as he yanked off his boots. The silence that followed infuriated me even more. Our ceremony had been quick and nothing special. Usually, marriage ceremonies were a large extravagant thing, and we'd be having a real celebration as soon as I set it up, but on the eve of burying the leader of our pack, the ceremony had been abridged.

Husband and wife. I didn't feel like an equal whatsoever. In fact, after the humiliating announcement yesterday and subsequent funeral, I hadn't had time to corner Gil about not telling me his father had passed. This was unacceptable, and I'd be damned if I was going to let it go.

"My husband must tell me everything from this moment on. You get that, Gil? We're no longer kids, we are rulers. Both of us."

"I get it." Gil sat up, staring off toward the wall, his back to me. "I apologize for not telling you. Had I known you'd lose your head over it, I would've rushed to tell you my father had died. I figured you'd hear it just as fast as anyone else."

"You can't expect me to find out when everyone else does. That's not how it works. You tell me these kind of things first. Not second, not third, or with the masses. First. Always."

I hated sounding like my mother, who was now Queen Mother, assuming the position since Gil's own mother was not up to the task. She wasn't all there anymore, and I knew my mother was having her own ordeals now. Her position was one of grace, keeping things running smoothly in the castle. Mainly helping me out.

The only person not here to help me out was Lilliana. She'd be my righthand girl if she hadn't got herself banished for losing her Ardent talisman and getting another artifact stolen along with it. The foolish girl could die if her source of power fell into the wrong hands. It was all I could stand to think of her right now while I was still so mad at my new husband.

"Gil?"

"Okay! I told you. I won't do it again. You'll be the first to know everything, always!" Gil's voice echoed in the room, and I cringed to think someone could be listening to our fight.

"Keep your voice down," I hissed. I threw my hands up into the air. It was no use to argue now. It was over, and the past was unfixable. I knew that more than anyone else.

"I'm sorry, Rafaela. Really... I am." Gil was facing me now, and I sank down into the bed, defeated even though I'd won.

"Okay."

Slowly peeling our clothes off, we readied for bed. I slipped on a camisole and let the cool, silky fabric calm me. I was exhausted from the last few days; tired beyond belief. My fight had been extinguished, and I didn't want to spend my wedding night angry.

"Tomorrow, nothing will ever be the same," I said more to myself than Gil.

Gil turned toward me and shifted in bed, pulling me into his arms.

"Hey, it'll be okay. You'll see. No one else is as capable of running the pack like us. You know that, right? I'm here for you and you for me. We'll keep it going just fine."

"I know. It's just... Lily's gone, and things have gotten crazy here. We have enemies within the pack and outside it too. There's so much to lose. I need her. She's my sister."

"It'll be fine. I got your back. Lily's a tough girl. If anyone can make it in the Outlands, she can. You know that."

"Can't we pardon her?" I sat up, pleading with my eyes.

Gil pressed his lips together, frowning slightly.

"I would if I could. You know that. The elders won't allow it, no matter what we want."

Slumping my shoulders, I slid back into the bed and turned away. He was right, but that didn't mean I had to like it. "Sometimes I wish we weren't royals. It's an enormous weight on our shoulders that feels like it's an ocean's worth of water to drown us. It's impossible, isn't it? Maybe if she gets the talisman back?"

"One step at a time, of course."

I reached back around to snuggle into his arms. In spite of everything else, he made me feel safe and loved. Those were always the reasons to keep coming back to him for more. We were partners, more now than ever, and we had to keep it together. Especially me.

"Rafaela?"

"Yes?" I turned to peer into Gil's eyes. They always held me captivated. Even when I thought I couldn't know anything more about him, he never failed to show me something new. I longed to get lost in them and forget everything that had gone wrong.

"The talisman that was stolen from Lily... we have to find it."

"I know. I have a team already investigating it."

"No. I mean, it's the second one stolen from our wolf pack in the last decade. You know what it means if someone uses it against us, right?"

I frowned, sitting up as I thought about what he'd just asked.

"Yes. The owner of the talisman dies if another uses it against them. But the owner of the last stolen talisman is already dead."

"Yes, they didn't use it against its owner, but Lily's still vulnerable."

"We shouldn't have banished her."

"I had no choice. The person who stole it from her has something to do with my father's death, and the elders made me."

"Fuck the elders!" I jumped out of bed to pace the room while I seethed. "All they ever tell us is the prophecies this and the prophecies that. I'm sick of them deciding what we can and can't do. They know nothing. The predictions were made in an older world, another time. How can they apply to us?"

"The one of the four talismans. Remember? I think the person who stole Lily's talisman and the other one almost a decade ago is close to acquiring two more."

"But they would have to be from the MarkTiers, from our rivals! How would we know if they are also missing two talismans? It's not like we chat on the phone every week. They hate us."

"As we do them."

"This can't be good. We need to know."

"I'll set up a meeting."

"What if they refuse?"

"When have they refused? We've never asked before."

"Both packs have been in a silent stalemate for as long as I can remember. The last time they were here was after Lily's betrothal to that prince... what was his name?"

"Ephrem."

"Right. Not since then, and you and I both know that didn't end well at all. We haven't heard from the MarkTiers since, except when there were scuffles in the Outlands between the guards. That's it. Not exactly encouraging."

"I know." Gil lay back onto the pillows, rubbing his face. He hadn't shaved today, and the dark circles under his eyes matched my own. The events of late must've worn on him, too. I'd been too preoccupied with my own worries to have noticed. My insides soured.

"We have to help her. Lily."

"We'll figure it out." He nodded, sighing before covering his eyes with his arm. He needed sleep as did I. How could we ever rest again when things were so complicated? How did I even begin to help Lily out from this side of the stronghold? If she was even still alive. I hoped she was. Finding her talisman before anything more happened was a priority. If only the Elders saw it that way.

If only....

Chapter Nine

Lilliana

I wrapped my wrist, feeling a stinging burn from practicing all week long deep within the joint. I just soaked it, but the constant ache made me realize how much I missed my talisman. It had a certain amount of healing magic in it. Even though I had Ephrem's, which was technically my original talisman, once we'd traded gems only the one stolen from me could heal my aches and complaints.

That was a major loss.

"Here." Ephrem took my hand into his, seeing that I was having a hard time securing the bandage enough to keep it from slipping.

"I can do it," I groaned, stubbornly relenting. I hated asking for help, but it seemed that attitude was flying out the window as of late.

"Sure. I can see you're doing just perfect without help." He smirked as he loosened the bandage to rewrap it. Once done, he gave my hand a sympathetic pat before turning away and grabbing his jacket. "I got something for you today."

I perked up immediately. "You did?"

"I went to a medicinal worker I get stuff from when I'm in need of a health boost."

My shoulders drooped. Great. He got me some healing drugs. Perfect. I was hoping for a present or something. The lackluster life here in the Outlands part of the city made me want to scream. So what if I was a pampered princess? One did not enjoy the humdrum life after knowing what could've been, even when it was all my fault that I was here.

"Here." Ephrem handed me a small glass vial with a corked top. Colorless liquid sloshed within, silver in appearance.

"What is it?"

"It's a healing potion procured from a reliable source in the forest. And I got a healing salve to rub into your sore spots."

"Well, that's reassuring. Drugs from mysterious peddlers who live in the woods. I'm feeling quite confident here."

"Just drink it. You'll feel tons better."

"Says the person about to slip someone a roofie."

He grinned and tossed the bandage aside. He squeezed some salve onto his palm and held it out to me.

"Here, give me your hand."

I did as he asked and let him rub the strong-scented salve into my wrist. It smelled like tea tree oil mixed with cough syrup. I wrinkled my nose up at the stench but let him work it in until my skin was bright pink and the soreness was effectively massaged away.

I glanced up to watch him concentrate as he worked. It was oddly intimate and sent a prickle of gooseflesh up my arm. The attention relaxed me and set my insides aflutter in an unexpected way. His hands were soft yet firm and not overlarge but not small either. Neatly trimmed nails and tanned skin that could massage in just the right way were a total turn-on. I squirmed under the rush of feelings he gave me.

"How's that?" he asked, leaning back to grab the wrap before he began rolling it over my skin.

"That was... fine." My breathy voice gave away the dreamy state he'd left me in, so I cleared my throat. "Thank you."

"Don't forget to drink your roofie-infused cocktail." He winked and stood up. I already missed his touch.

"Wait, what? Don't make jokes like that! It's not funny, and I won't be drinking it now."

Ephrem rolled his eyes as he slipped his jacket on. "Suit yourself. I'm not the one unaccustomed to hard training and bitching about every little ache and sore muscle. Besides, it was your joke to begin with." He winked once more right before he started for the door.

"Where are you going?" I jumped to my feet and stood in the doorway, blocking his way.

"Out."

"Why?"

"If you haven't noticed, I don't have room service here. There's a thing called a grocery store where I buy food and necessities and haul them back here all by myself."

"You can't send your friend?"

"He's not a golden retriever."

I frowned. He was often leaving the apartment to run errands. Besides our training sessions in the downstairs gym, I hadn't left the building in over a week. I was getting cabin fever.

"Can I go?"

It was his turn to frown. His features darkened at the suggestion.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Oh come on! Why not?"

"If the people who stole your talisman see you out there, they might expedite their plans for world domination." His smile returned, but it didn't hide his concerns. Too late. I'd already seen his concern for my safety. It sent a warm drizzle down my insides to know how protective he'd become.

"Okay. But if you see anything or find out anything, you have to tell me immediately."

"Will do, m'lady." He smirked and motioned toward the hall. "Can I get by now?"

"Oh." I moved and let him pass. "And get me some Skittles."

His face contorted at the mention of the sugary snack.

"Just one pack. Please? I have a sugar addiction," I added, giving him a sickeningly sweet smile. "Withdrawals suck!"

"All right. Just one. I'll be back soon."

"Okay," I said. I watched him head toward the elevator before closing the door and locking all ten locks he had attached to it.

Paranoid much?

I sighed and slipped down onto the couch. I didn't want to watch TV or do anything else really. I was tired of being held up in this prison. It wasn't that bad, but I loved the outdoors. I knew it wasn't safe, and he was right; if someone saw me, I could be in real danger. Not that I wasn't already in danger with my talisman somewhere out there. Both our lives were in peril, and here I was sitting on my ass doing nothing.

This wasn't me. I couldn't just sit here and wait for my destiny to slam into me like a freight train. Hell no.

I peered down at the bottle of healing elixir and yanked the cork out. Downing the fluid in one swallow, I hoped it would do its magic and help my aching bones. It burned going down, like a swig of pure alcohol, making me sputter and cough. I bent over as the liquid fire spilled down my chest and across my stomach. I felt it seep down and across my skin as tiny pricks stung my entire body.

He should've warned me that it would be unbelievably unpleasant to ingest. Of course, he left that part out. I wouldn't have refused it like a little wuss. It pained me to admit how so very right he'd been that I wasn't as hard a warrior as I'd thought myself to be. In fact, I couldn't be softer than a cotton candy puff. If I ever made it back to my pack's stronghold, I'd hang my trainers for going so easy on me. It had done me no favors.

A moment later, the burning subsided, and I could breathe without tensing up again. Flexing my wrist, I felt a huge difference. No pain! I grinned and jumped to my feet. It was time to get busy finding that traitorous bitch so I could get my talisman back. There was no telling where she was, but I'd pick Ephrem's brain when he got back and make him take me around the city. If the Outlands didn't cough her up, I'd march right over to the MarkTier stronghold and find her myself.

How did I know she was there? Call it intuition, but I'd bet my left arm that she wasn't hiding in ArcKnight territory, and it'd be beneath her to hide in the Outlands. She'd grown up a noblewoman. Plus, I bet she needed more talismans. There were only two places in the world to find them: The ArcKnight and MarkTier palaces.

I was betting on the latter.

Chapter Ten

Gil

"Where is she now?" I absent-mindedly shuffled the papers on my desk as Alec, the general of the army, stood at attention in front of me. "You placed a tracker on her, yes?"

"Yes. We tracked her to Savannah Street and then the signal died. The rains were heavy that night. We have cause to believe it damaged the tracker."

"Didn't you also send someone to tail her?"

Alec nodded. His face remained calm even under my questioning. He'd been First Lieutenant since I could remember and was loyal beyond words. Having me apparently doubt his abilities certainly hurt him. "Yes. She's in the Outlands but safe. I have someone with her now."

"Good. I want a full report on her actions as of late."

I narrowed my eyes at the leader of the guard. The man wasn't massive or overly bulky, but he was in excellent shape and carried more scars on his body than anyone should. He'd been nothing but absolutely faithful to the House of ArcKnight, but now that I was king, I had to assert my authority, even if it meant I wouldn't be making any friends.

"Of course, Your Majesty."

"Does she have the talisman back?"

Alec shook his head. "No. She doesn't have it back as of yet, but I know for certain she's on the hunt for it too. So is my contact."

"I can't let her return without it. In fact, we need to find the talisman before she does. Tell your men to find it now or I will be sending a hunting party to kill her. If whoever took her talisman contacts her, we can't risk letting her become compromised."

"I understand, Your Highness."

"Oh, and Alec?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Don't say anything of this to Rafaela. She can't know we're tracking Lily. If she knew we have her location, she'd insist that I bring her back to the palace. I can't do that until the talisman is found."

Alec bowed, his hardened dark eyes drifted toward the ground. No amount of grinding his teeth would allow him to speak his mind to me as he had to the previous Alpha. I felt I could be a great leader one day, but as of now I was young and inexperienced. This was crippling the efficiency of the ArcKnight stronghold and of the army. I could admit that, at least to myself.

I wondered if my father would've let things get this bad if he'd been well enough to handle this before he died. Banishing a royal for losing their Ardent talisman was a serious matter. There should've been more of an investigation. I should have kept Lily in the palace until I knew more about what was going on. If I hadn't sent her away so rashly, none of this would've happened. Now, whoever had the talisman could use Lilliana against the entire pack. If she were still here, she could have been watched. Now I couldn't be certain she hadn't already been compromised. If whoever stole the talisman had somehow contacted her, threated to use it against her, she might be persuaded to commit any number of crimes against us. Until the talisman was safe, she was a liability and could not come home.

Alec remained bent over, waiting for me to dismiss him. His barely concealed contempt didn't make me feel any better about screwing up. Aside from Rafaela, no one had mentioned it explicitly, but I knew everyone was thinking about the prophecy. All one needed was four active Ardent talismans and they could rule the world: two from the ArcKnight and two from the MarkTier.

The mistakes were piling faster than the solutions. I dismissed Alec, and as he turned to leave, a stiff smile played about his lips. What wasn't he telling me? I opened my mouth to call him back but stopped. If he hadn't told me already, he wouldn't with any further prodding. I'd have to earn his trust, and so far I was doing a piss-poor job of it.

Chapter Eleven

Lilliana

I hugged my body as I stood on the edge of the sidewalk curb. It seemed like it never stopped raining here, and the constant downpour was wearing on my nerves. I knew it had to do with some high or low pressure system, whatever, but I was tired of the gloom. Especially since it was my first day out of Ephrem's apartment building. I was alone, but he'd set a time to meet up in an hour. He didn't quite trust me to be on my own yet, but it was the price I had to pay to get some fresh air.

And hopefully track down Elise.

Blinking away the rain lining my lashes, I tried hard not to let the sting behind my eyes bring out the tears. Thinking of her brought too many memories, and the way things had ended had left me empty, torn and distrusting of everyone. I'd never be the same. All because of her.

I crossed the street, hoping the movement would shake her from my thoughts. I'd wandered around the city near Ephrem's building, grabbing a few essentials at the corner market and checking out a bookstore where I'd picked up a paperback I'd been wanting to read. I hoped it would survive the rain okay since I had it tucked in its plastic bag inside my coat. The icy rain chilled me to the bone even with several layers and an umbrella to keep the water off me. Still, the wind blew the water sideways, and I was now a sopping mess. I hoped whatever diner Ephrem had picked to meet me at had some decent tea or coffee. Let's not forget food. I was already starving, and I still had fifteen minutes to kill before Ephrem showed up.

Standing outside the diner, I peered through the steamed-up windows for any sign of the man. Not locating him, I groaned and turned to stare at the rain-soaked streets. Cars rushed by without regard to the spray of water they sent flying into the air. People pushed past, stepping into puddles and sending up dirty water that spotted the bottom of my pants.

I cursed under my breath and tried to avoid the edge of the sidewalk. I could wander into yet another shop that sold endless amounts of tourist junk like the one I'd just left, but I had no desire to repeat the experience of the last three stores.

"Screw it," I muttered, hurrying toward the diner's entrance. At least if it was busy inside, I could get us a table and some hot liquid into me before I froze to death.

Within the diner, the place was bustling. All the counter seats were taken and the waitresses moved with quicksilver speed, dropping orders on the counter, taking orders without writing them down and weaving in and out of the crowds with practiced ease. Their red and white uniforms were reminiscent of the fifties diners, and I saw that they served malts and a jukebox blasted in the corner. How anyone got their orders right was a miracle.

"How many, miss?" The hostess smiled at me as she approached. She wore the same uniform as the waitresses but sported bright red lipstick and light blue eyeshadow. Smacking her gum, she waited for me to answer as she held her hand to her hip and shoved a lock of dark blonde hair behind her ear. Her nametag read "Ruthie."

"Oh, um... two, please?"

My lack of experience in diners was so apparent, I kept my head down as she waved me on to follow her to a booth near the rear of the restaurant.

"I'd get you one closer to the front, but this is all we have. Unless you want to wait about fifteen minutes. This okay?"

I nodded while wiggling out of my soaked coat. The material sighed beneath me as I slid down into the red pleather booth.

"Your waitress is Mandy. She'll be over in just a minute."

"Thank you."

She smacked her gum and smiled before walking away, sashaying her hips. She certainly had her role down.

I scanned the room one more time to make sure no one had taken any interest in me before taking a peek at the menu. I'd eaten a lot of the items listed, but never in a diner. I hoped the food was good here. My stomach growled in agreement.

"Hey."

I jumped and stared up at Ephrem, who was just as wet as I was. He looked confused for a moment before sliding down into the seat across from me.

"Geez, you scared me. You might want to make more noise when you sneak up on someone." I breathed in a calming breath, feeling my heart still pumping like mad. Ephrem hadn't been there a minute ago. In fact, he hadn't even been in the diner a second before I looked at my menu. How did he do that?

"I apologize. I tend to be silent. I'll make sure I stomp all the way down the aisle next time."

He shook his coat off and shoved it to the side. The shirt he wore was black with a light gray skull pressed into it. "Death is but the beginning" was written above it. I wondered where he'd gotten it. It definitely complimented his arms and chest, fitting snuggly over them.

I ripped my eyes from him to stare at the glossy menu once more.

"What's good here?" I asked.

"Oh, you know... same old stuff. Burgers are always good. I love their meatloaf. I suggest getting a sandwich or burger. Those are always safe. With fries of course. Maybe a BLT?"

I stared at the menu for a minute more before the waitress arrived. After we ordered, we sat in silence, listening to the jukebox as it played "California Girls" by The Beach Boys. I quietly tapped my fingers on the glossy surface of the table, wondering what Ephrem was thinking. His hair was sticking up in spikes, wet and stiff. His face still had a light sheen of rain where he hadn't wiped it away with a napkin.

He was definitely handsome. I could see more of his features in the light of the diner than in his apartment or the workout gym. He was older than me, but I didn't know by how much. The few lines on his hardened eyes told me he'd seen a lot of action in his lifetime. I'd seen the scars lining the skin of his chest and back during training, and each one held a story I wanted to know. He'd finally told me what I'd begun to suspect, that he was a prince and not a lesser royal, but that had only raised more questions that wanted answering.

All these questions flew through my mind while the silence between us felt a tad uncomfortable. I hoped he wasn't a man of few words. He seemed more at ease in his own home than out here in the open. It was probably because he was on guard every second out here, but I needed someone to talk to right now. I'd been dying inside myself, screaming for answers, and had to get it all out. It was the only way to feel lighter and more focused.

"So... did you find anything about Elise today?" I asked. I hoped he had. I hadn't run into any clues around town or noticed any odd behavior from anyone. I also hoped I wouldn't run into anyone who'd recognize me. I'd even pulled my hair away from my face, but without makeup, I looked younger and less refined. Not completely different, but I hoped it was enough to hide my identity. I'd bought hair dye at one of the stores just in case, and now my normally brown hair was a pleasant dark blonde.

"I found a few leads."

I waited a few seconds for further explanation. He couldn't really leave me hanging like that, could he? "What sort of leads?"

That was the moment the waitress plopped our drinks in front of us. I was having a hot tea and a glass of water while Ephrem had a large cup of coffee in front of him.

"The kind that require a lot more footwork."

I flicked my eyes up, confused. "What?"

"You asked if I had any leads and what kind. I just said they were the kind that required more looking into."

"Oh." I frowned and stared down at my tea. "Can I help?"

"You need to go back to the apartment. No sense in looking for anything more today. Forecast says more rain, and it's getting stronger the longer we're here."

"Does the rain ever stop here?"

Ephrem stared at me in disbelief. I wondered if I'd said something off.

"What? Do I have food on my face?" I asked.

"No. It always rains here. You do know this place is cursed, right?"

I stirred my tea, feeling foolish for forgetting common knowledge. "I forgot."

"Well, you need to remember everything you've been told about the neutral area between strongholds. The Outlands of Temple are cursed. Yes, it's a large city and thrumming with people, but it's also a supernatural focal point. A vortex of some sort that attracts people. Normal and supernatural alike."

I gulped. "So it rains here all the time. Why would anyone want to stay here?"

Ephrem rubbed his face, scratching his chin.

"Look, I don't know how much they've told you, but like I said, it attracts people. It attracts all sorts of unsavory people too. That's why it's dangerous to go traipsing around this place at night. Actually, it's not safe at any time. No one leaves willingly, either. This place is like... I don't know... like the strongest magnet in the world. It draws you in, latches onto you and never lets go. People are warned to never come here. Only those of superior supernatural powers are ever able to break the hold it has over them.

I stared at him in horror. "What? Are you saying I'm stuck here?"

He frowned, letting his eyes drop down to his coffee as he added sugar and cream to it. Stirring furiously, he took a moment before answering me.

"Technically, yes."

"I can't stay here forever. I need to get out of here and do something with myself. I've been shoved out of the only place I've ever known, and I can't even go back. I'm not staying in this shithole a moment longer than I have to." I was furious that I'd never known these things. This was the kind of stuff one should be told. Especially as a royal.

"And what do you mean by 'technically'?"

Ephrem's smile lit up his face, and I realized how much of a prankster he really was.

"What the hell, Ephrem? That's not funny!"

"You should've seen your face!"

I crossed my arms and stared at him, giving him the stink eye.

"Look, I'm sorry," Ephrem offered while reaching across the table toward me. I jerked away, on the verge of strangling him. "I didn't mean the part about being stuck here forever. You can leave whenever you want."

"It wasn't funny."

"I know. Look...." He settled back and ran his fingers through his thick black hair. "What I mean is that it can have that effect on you if you don't find the talisman. Our supernatural blood helps us remain immune to this place. People can visit and be okay, but the humans who live here... they never leave. They're too weak."

"Sucks for them," I mumbled.

"Yeah, it does." He fell back into his silence again, and I wondered why we'd wasted our time today. If it was raining every day, why bother going anywhere?

"I have no idea how I'm going to find it."

"Did your friend... err... did Elise every mention the Outlands to you?"

I shook my head. "No. She never broke character. She was that damn good. I can't believe she managed to become my best friend and fool me so easily. I was so stupid."

"You weren't stupid. It could've happened to anyone."

"Not me. I was the most paranoid of them all back home. I didn't take anyone's shit. She got to me. Me. Of all people, she got to me. I'm a fucking failure. Now you and I are going to die if we don't get the talisman back. I'll never be able to go home."

Tears prickled in the back of eyes again, and I wanted to run from the booth, but that was the precise moment the waitress arrived to plop down our food. I tucked my chin into my chest and refused to look up until the woman left.

"I have my connections looking for Elise in the MarkTier stronghold."

I perked up at this and gave him a hard look. "Do you think they'll find her?"

He shrugged, wiping his face with his napkin. "I don't know, but once we have a lead, we'll go there ourselves and find her."

My eyes widened. "You mean go into the MarkTier palace? Me?"

He nodded. "Yeah. That's how we get the talisman back. You'll have to face her. You're ready, aren't you? You're the only one who could shake some sense into her. You know her."

I swallowed, feeling the air growing tight all around me.

"I—I guess so. It's just... I don't know about walking into the palace like that. They're adversaries of the ArcKnights. I would be public enemy number one there, and I...."

"No one will know who you are. You'll be okay. I'll make sure of it."

I gave him a weak smile and nodded absentmindedly. Walking into the MarkTier palace was probably the first thing on my list of stuff I'd never do. It was going to wreak havoc on my nerves. What if I gave myself away? What if someone recognized me? What then? I would be as good as dead.

"How will you make sure of it?" I asked.

He reached into his pocket and set an object on the table.

"It's a replacement talisman. Non-magical, of course, since it belonged to my great-grandfather, and the magic faded when he died. But since all the MarkTier royalty wear one, I have to be seen with it on. It won't pass a close inspection, but few people outside my immediate family have seen my talisman up close. That's for me to wear so you can keep mine on so you can stay strong." He reached back into his pocket and set down something else. "And here's something for you to wear. A ring."

My eyes widened. Now he had to be pulling one over on me, because I couldn't believe what I thought he was suggesting.

"A ring for what?" I asked, not wanting to hear his answer.

"You'll be my wife. We'll say we got married here in the Outlands and I'm bringing you back home for a visit. They'll be obligated to accept you, no matter what. Now, there will be questions that you'll have to answer, so we'll have to make sure we get our stories straight. We leave in two days."

I felt dizzy, like the blood was draining from my head.

"You've got to be kidding me...."

Chapter Twelve

Ephrem

The walls of the MarkTier palace loomed ahead, towering like giants contemplating on whether to crush us underfoot or ignore us like insignificant specks of dust. I was hoping for the latter. If we were caught, the punishment would be severe for both of us. I'd be permanently banished the same as Lily or worse, and she might be imprisoned for espionage. Everything depended on me convincing the guards that she was my wife. I prayed neither of us cracked under pressure. Well, honestly, I hoped Lily wouldn't lose her edge. She was a firecracker, but push against her enough and she could shatter. She was more fragile than she thought.

"Identify." The lead guard at the gate motioned us forward. I could see his eyes flash with recognition as he looked at me, but the spark faded the moment he turned his attention toward Lily. "Master Ephrem, it's been a long time."

I glanced at Lily, finding her with a lifted eyebrow as she watched our interaction with amusement. That woman got under my skin without having to say a word. It was something I was going to have to adjust to since we were going to be spending so much time together. I still wasn't used to having anyone near me for extended periods of time, especially a beautiful, disarming woman. I tightened my grasp on her hand and she returned an affirming squeeze.

"Rolston, so good to see you! Yes, it has been a long time. How are things holding up in the palace lately?"

"All right. Same old shit, different year." Rolston's suspicious scrutiny was making Lily fidget. Hell, I could feel a sheen of sweat building on my skin as I tried ever so slyly to appear calm and collected. No matter how many times I came across the gates, I'd never had to lie to enter my own city.

"Sounds about right. Listen, I want to introduce you to my wife, Lila. We just eloped a few weeks back. Crazy, huh?" I slipped my arm around her waist, pulling her close to my body until her warmth encircled me. Her scent filled my lungs as we waited for Rolston's permission to cross the wall. It was so intoxicating, I felt my heart flip from her proximity. She did something to me. Something disorientating and hypnotic. If Rolston hadn't looked like he was going to burst out laughing, I might've turned to kiss Lily. Never had I been so relieved that we'd picked a name close enough to hers that I wouldn't stumble on it, much less forget it altogether when she was this close.

"You're kidding, right?" Rolston shook his head and snickered, amusement dancing in his eyes. "The perpetual bachelor has been conquered? I can hardly believe it, man! Congrats!"

He reached out to shake my hand, and I relaxed as he squeezed it, jovially pulling me away from Lily for a rough, brotherly embrace.

"Thanks. Wait a minute....What do you mean by 'perpetual bachelor'?" I frowned at Rolston's assessment of me. I'd obviously kept to myself for far too long if people thought I'd never get married. It was somewhat disturbing to be told such a thing. Had I been so careless with the opposite sex that I'd been labeled a loner? Apparently I had.

"Hey, I'm just pulling your leg. Nice to see you've settled down. Pleased to meet you, Lila. Let me tell you, there's going to be a lot of broken hearts from the ladies tonight. The most eligible MarkTier bachelor is off the market! Congrats! Don't let me hold you up. I'm sure your father will be dying to see you."

I could feel Lily's piercing stare in my periphery. I nodded, swallowing down the desert in my mouth at the mention of my father. "Right. He'll be thrilled to see us."

I hoped my voice hadn't come out as dry and spiteful as I felt. It wasn't my fault my father and I had always been at odds. My isolated position in the Outlands of Temple was all due to my violation of the rules my stringent father had laid down. It wasn't an official banishment, and I was still permitted to return to the palace, but it was made known that I was not wanted around. It was impossible to please the man.

"Welcome back!" Rolston waived toward the gate operator on the other side who nodded and proceeded to open the massive metal gate.

"Thank you, Rolston. Nice to see you again too!"

I grabbed Lily's hand and walked forward, clearing the gate. I was relieved Lily hadn't said anything to Rolston. The fewer people she interacted with, the better.

"Perpetual bachelor?" She snorted a giggle and cleared her throat. "Do tell. Oh, and don't leave out any juicy bits about your father, either. He's dying to see you."

"Enough already," I muttered.

She poked me in the side as we continued on. It was early morning, but the streets were already bustling with people. The marketplace occupied the central strip of the palace grounds where traders and sellers could swap wares without entering the center of the city where the royal palace stood. Where my father resided.

"So I've got a sort of a reputation with the ladies. Not that I actually took an interest in any of them. It's not easy being royalty and finding anybody decent. Everyone tends to be so fake."

Lily mulled over this quietly, and I had to turn to check on her after a few minutes of silence. She looked solemn, as though my comment had brought up something to think about. Possibly something from her own life.

When she spied me watching her, she finally spoke. "I know what you mean."

"About what?"

"About people being fake."

"Yeah, I guess being who you are, you would have to deal with the same thing. Have to be careful with everyone, really. Everyone always has a hidden agenda."

"Is that why you never married?"

I squeezed her hand and pulled her toward me as a rush of carts sped by. Pressed to the wall in a little indention of a building, I held her to me as the flow of traffic continued. Again her warmth and scent swept my reasoning far from me.

"No. I just never met the right one yet." I peered down into her shiny brown eyes. They were unusual in coloring, somewhat striated but not enough to be readily noticeable. Regardless, they were enticing.

"How do you know if you haven't?"

I fixated eyes with her. I wanted to kiss her now more than anything, but I held it in and shoved it down further than any thought I'd ever let flutter into my head.

"Well, I suppose that technically I have. I met her briefly, years ago, but...." Lily's questioning look made me desperate to change the subject. "Come on, here's our chance to cross. We have to head to the house of a friend of mine. He'll know where to find that girl who stole your talisman."

Lily followed behind quietly, never letting go of my hand as we made our way further into the city. I felt sorry for not letting her know the truth about us. About our pasts. Our betrothal. I wished she'd been told, but how would things have been if she'd known? Would she have felt the same way I felt now? I never married or even considered another woman in my entire life because I was betrothed still, in my heart and mind. What my parents had failed to sever completely when they didn't return our original talismans to us had left us in limbo. We were bound together, no matter what anyone else thought.

I still felt the same way now.

I reached for my talisman only to find the unfamiliar feel of my grandfather's inactive pendant. Lily still wore mine, and I was glad she did. It was where it was supposed to be, for now. I'd only get it back when she found hers, which had originally been mine. I wished things had been different between our packs. I would have loved to have this woman as mine, and I as hers.

"In here," I whispered. We reached the main living quarters for the higher-ranking officers of the guard. Even though I lived in the Outlands ninety-nine percent of the time, I still had private quarters in the palace because of my royal lineage. It wasn't the suite of rooms I'd grown up in, but it was far more luxurious than what most of the guards had. Even so, I rarely used it. Hanging around the palace when I was the prodigal son returned was never easy or fun for me. I avoided the palace as much as I could.

At any rate, it still felt good to be back home.

This entrance was rarely used, and we had plenty of privacy as we walked down the hall to a single doorway. Unlocking the door, we hurried inside before shoving it closed behind us. I switched the lights on, illuminating the expanse of a good-sized living room. The place included my bedroom to the right and an oversized bathroom right next to it. It was meant for the first lieutenant but I, being a prince, was still entitled to better living quarters than an ordinary legionnaire, in spite of my partial banishment.

I would've been fine with a regular cot like those used by the many soldiers in my army, but who was I to argue with my father, the ruling Alpha of the MarkTier pack? It was pointless and would only bring me more pain than I'd already been dealt. I'd do it all over again regardless of the consequences. My actions had not only estranged me from my father, they had also saved my brother, Etan, the heir to the throne. His life had been endangered, and the decisions I made to save Etan had kept him safe. That was all that had mattered to me at the time.

"Wow, nice digs!" Lily dropped her bag and rubbed her shoulder before she headed through to the bedroom and took a good hard look at the bathroom. She seemed amused yet happy with the accommodations. It pleased her, to say the least. If we ever did get married, we'd be spending a lot more time here.

If we ever did.

She didn't know anything about that.

"Yeah, it's pretty comfortable, but I don't live here most of the time."

"Still, it's yours, right? No one else gets this place when you're not here?"

"No. It's all mine. I wouldn't mind living with the other soldiers, two to a room in modest cots, but my father wouldn't hear of it. Even though he banished me from the main royal housing area and removed me from all things having to do with imperial politics, he wouldn't ever consider letting his son live in 'squalor.' That's how he thinks the soldiers live."

"He's definitely got a skewed view of things."

"You could say that. Hence, why I'm the only soldier living like a prince here."

Lily smiled as she stared out the windows overlooking the training grounds. Dozens of soldiers marched about doing everything from mucking the horse stables to working out to training new soldiers. It was an impressive inside view of the workings of a massive army and I could have sat there and watched that well-oiled machine all day. It was an admirable accomplishment to run a kingdom so massive that it required such resources.

Lily sat on one of the sofas, rubbing her fingers across its soft surface. She looked like she wanted to ask me something but couldn't find a way to word it.

"Everything okay?" I asked.

She nodded and sank back into the satin pillows. "Yeah. I was just wondering something. What happened to get you banished from the palace? You're a prince. I know better than anyone that you'd have to do something pretty bad to get kicked out like that."

Scratching the stubble on my chin, I realized I hadn't told her what had gotten me in this predicament. I headed toward her and slid down onto the seat next to her. It was about time to confess it all. She'd told me why she'd been banished, and now it was my turn.

"Well," I sighed, closing my eyes as the memories rushed past. "My older brother Etan and I were very close. We did everything together. We're only about ten months apart so you can guess that we were practically twins."

"Whoa... that is pretty close! My sister Rafaela and I are two years apart." She cleared her throat, looking guilty for interrupting me. "Please, go on."

"One day, Etan wanted to check out the Outlands. I didn't want to, but as brothers go, he could be quite convincing."

Lily listened intently, her dark eyes glistening in the light shining in through the windows. They looked dreamy, like she was picturing the details of my story in her head. I wanted to kiss her. No one had ever listened to me so intently.

"Once we made it into the city, there was a place called the Pit. It's where people go to bet on street fighters and either make or lose fortunes. Well, Etan wanted to fight in the Pit. I begged him not to; some of the fighters will fight to the death, even though the rules are to fight until one is down for more than ten seconds. There are some fighters who fight dirty and don't stop until the opponent is near death or dead. I couldn't risk my brother's life for this petty crap. Still, he wanted to fight, so what could I do? He's the first born, and as usual, did pretty much what he wanted.

"Once we were there, he signed himself up for a fight—under a fake name, of course—regardless of my protests. I stayed close to help him out or intervene if I could. But in the Pit, intervening would only bring the fighter certain death. I had to be careful.

"When it was Etan's turn to fight, he had the unfortunate luck to be paired with one of the champions, a beast of a man who I knew Etan probably couldn't subdue. I was practically having a panic attack at the thought of him dying on my watch.

"When it came down to the end, I knew we had no way out. I absolutely refused to watch my brother die in front of me. I sent a message to my father to help us. I have to hand it to Etan, he held his own for several rounds, but right before the final blow that would have certainly ended his life, the royal guard swooped into the place and snatched us right out.

"You'd think that would have been the end of it, but rules are rules, even in the Outlands. The pitmaster approached the court with a demand for my brother's life. He had a right to it. We'd intervened in the fight and stolen a warrior that was rightfully his. You see, once a fight is interrupted, the fighter becomes the property of the curator per contracts signed prior to the fight.

"My father was furious, blamed me for leading Etan to the Pit! I couldn't believe it, but I let him think it. My brother was to be Alpha one day and didn't need to be fighting in any pits for his life. I volunteered to take his place in exchange for fighting for my freedom. It was the only deal the pitmaster accepted."

Lily's mouth stood agape as she heard the last part. Horror crossed her lovely face.

"What? Your father gave you to the pitmaster? Just like that?"

"Yes."

"How did you get out?"

"I was contracted for one hundred fights. I had to win all of them to receive my freedom from the Pit. Gladiator style."

Lily eyed my chest. I knew she'd seen the scars, the damage caused from my time in the Pit. Now she knew why.

"How long did it take you to make it through that many fights?"

"Five years. I had to recover from the bad ones, which took months sometimes. I won each one and was released back to my father's custody. That was when he made me first lieutenant of the Outlands Army, a branch of the MarkTier Battalion. I was effectively banished, but since I was a soldier, I had to have quarters on the palace grounds. There was no returning to my royal house, where my family resides, so here I am."

Her face morphed from horror to sadness to a fiery anger. I wondered what she thought as we sat in silence. Finally, she broke through it with her solemn voice. "So Etan left you hanging? All this time? Was he not punished?"

"I'm sure my father had him punished, one way or another."

"But what about restitution? He owes you. How can he continue on knowing the debt you paid on his behalf?"

I shrugged. "It doesn't matter. He's still in line to be Alpha, and that's where he should be."

"You're not a cast-off. If anyone deserves the throne, it's you."

"I'm second in line. I will never rule or be anything more than what I am now. That's just the way things have always been. You of all people should know how little a second-born is worth."

I jumped to my feet, feeling disturbed from her pointing out the obvious. I knew why she was upset for I had felt such things lying in the darkness, sleeping on the ground when I was enslaved to the Pit. I'd let those feelings run their course and had no interest in digging them up. It was all water under the bridge.

"Ephrem?"

"Yes?"

I heard her approach from behind until her arms slid around my stomach and hugged me tight.

"I'm sorry. I know what you mean. I can't imagine having to go through so much for your brother, but I understand why you did it. You love him, and I would've done the same for my sister. Please don't be mad. I don't want any bad blood between us. You're all I have out here, and I want us to be okay."

"We're okay. It's all over and done. Nothing to worry about."

"Good." She leaned against my back, and the warmth of her body made mine spark with energy. I placed my arms over hers and let her melt into me. I could have stayed like that forever. She had to have felt the same as me, right? This wasn't imagined or a manifestation of my innermost desires, it had to be real.

I had to find out how she felt about me.

Turning around, I pulled her into my arms. She let me and pressed her slender body into my chest. Every breath I took filled me with her essence, and I couldn't resist her anymore. I reached for her face, stroking her cheek gently. She peered up at me with hooded eyes and lips parted. She didn't make a move to escape. In fact, she raised her face closer to mine, urging me onward.

I gave in and kissed her soft, supple lips, wanting to devour her, to feed the constant hunger of desire which had plagued me for the past week. I'd waited years to kiss those lips. How many nights did I lay wide awake in the Pit and in my lonely apartment dreaming of her and wondering if she knew of my promise to her? Our betrothal had been unceremoniously discarded by our families, but I'd held onto it for dear life through the years of fighting, pain and suffering.

We'd both been discarded by the ones who thought we were nothing but a nuisance. Unwanted offspring. Yet here we were, still willing to sacrifice it all for our families. It had to mean something. All those old prophecies about forbidden love a la Romeo and Juliet; feuding families and unending war. It was all coming to fruition whether we fought it or not.

I didn't want to fight it. I took her love with open arms, embracing her spirit that was stronger than anyone could have dreamed. She was mine and I was hers. That was all that mattered.

I took her to my bed. I was grateful for this private place at this moment as I took her as mine and made love to her, kissing her, caressing and taking her over and over until we were both spent and lost in each other's bodies, tangled together forever. I loved every second of it, and as the daylight faded, I wanted nothing but more time to spend with her.

But time wasn't on our side. The encroaching night brought with it the need to get to work and find the talisman before it was too late for both of us.

"We have to go," Lily whispered. She'd been having the same thought.

"Okay," I said, rising. "Let's finish this."

Chapter Thirteen

Rafaela

I waited until sundown to sneak out of the ArcKnight palace. It wasn't the safest time to go trotting about, but I had to get to my sister, and the cloak of night was what I needed. My spies had told me she had made her way to the MarkTier palace. I had to get to her before she was discovered and they killed her. I couldn't tell Gil; he'd never let me go. Instead, I had my spies find me a way into the palace, and I had decided to go with my best guards to retrieve her myself.

Why the hell she went there was a mystery to me. I knew she was hunting the one who had stolen her talisman, but to go to that palace was suicide. I couldn't let her die. My mother had entrusted me with her safety long ago. I had sworn I'd keep her safe. If only I'd been there when she'd been unceremoniously tossed out of our stronghold by Gil. I'd never forgive him for that.

Making our way through the city via underground tunnels was not ideal. It was dark and smelled of a thousand years of mold and stink. I was more than grateful to approach the main ducts into the MarkTier palace grounds. Exiting onto the streets of the pack's kingdom, I noticed that the place was not unlike the ArcKnight stronghold. I almost thought we were back home and had walked in circles, but this place wasn't quite the same. I followed behind my first lieutenant, Alec, who had protested my presence. But, like my sister, I was a well-trained fighter and insisted I go with his team. How could I be queen when I couldn't even protect my own sister?

"Where to?" I asked Alec. He motioned toward the west and then to the mid-section of the circular palace grounds.

"The palace is in the middle of the city. There we'll be taking more tunnels into the servant's quarters. Then, we're on our own finding Princess Lilliana."

I nodded, scanning the horizon and palace towers. I placed my fingers over my Ardent talisman. I could feel its connection to my blood nearby. She was close. I hoped we could get to her before any of us were discovered. If not, there was going to be a hell to pay.

"We'll leave most of the guard on the outskirts of the royal house. There's too many of us to go unnoticed."

"What if something happens?"

Alec bore his eyes into me as though to drive home the seriousness of the situation. He was a good fifteen years older than me and was much like an older brother. He advised me on things but still took orders from me, even though Gil was our leader. I was eternally grateful he'd chosen to listen to me on most subjects. I suspected that he was secretly in love with me and loathed Gil, but I was in no position to ever ask him. It could endanger us both.

"Then it's up to you and me. We'll have to fight our way back out. You understand why I didn't want you to come in the first place, right?" The look in his dark eyes gave me the chills, but I nodded, straightening my shoulders as I returned his stare.

"Of course I understand. I'd be here no matter what. This is my sister's life we're talking about."

Alec shook his head, mumbling something about royals being too hardheaded to truly understand as he stepped away to speak with the other guards. He rolled his neck and pulled his hood over his head. If it were up to him, I wouldn't be there. I didn't care. I'd be there for Lily if it cost me my life. Blood is thicker than obligations.

"Here." Alec returned, holding out a sheath. Staring back at him in surprise, I realized it was a dagger of some sort.

"A knife?" I asked. He nodded and urged me to take it. When I did, I undid the clasp and slid the blade out. It shined like moonlight across my face. "Where did you get this?"

"It was your father's. He entrusted me with it. He wanted me to give it to you when you were ready. I think this is as good a time as any."

I turned the blade in my hands. It felt warm, alive. It was simple yet elegant, with a black handle carved with runes. Leather straps were twined around it for extra grip. The blade itself had etchings in the metal that matched the talisman around my neck. It was luminescent and emanated a soft glow. It was beautiful and hummed energetically under my skin. I loved it immediately.

"Thank you. I didn't know my father even owned anything like this. I mean, he had his choice of weaponry, but this... it's different. You know what I'm saying?"

Alec nodded, a satisfying grin making him look younger in the torchlight. He turned away, glaring down the passageway.

"There's a lot about your father that you didn't know. It's really a shame he died before you and your sister got to know him better. He was a brilliant man. A good friend and mentor." Alec was facing away from me now, but I could tell he was lost in his thoughts.

"I wish I could've had more time with him," I whispered, clutching the dagger to my chest. "Thank you, Alec. I'll treasure it always."

"It's for your protection. Keep it on you always. It will keep you safe." He motioned toward two of our guards who were returning from scouting the tunnels ahead. They motioned that we could continue, and Alec turned back toward me, his hardened soldier's expression back on as if nothing had occurred between us moments before. "It's time to go, Ella."

He abstained from using my royal title, instead calling me by my childhood nickname in case we were being spied on. The MarkTier guard would throw a party if they knew they'd captured a rival royal in their midst. I'd never hear the end of it until they put me to death.

"Yes. Let's go."

Chapter Fourteen

Lilliana

"There." I pointed out to the crowd from our crouched position atop the roofs of the marketplace. It was dark and hard to distinguish one person from the next, but I'd know that silhouette anywhere. I'd grown up with that face, and the bitter seeds of betrayal burned away the last bits of any love I'd felt for that woman.

Elise.

Ephrem looked in the direction I was pointing. Her long black hair was so dark, it appeared a deep blue rather than just black. Her eyes were clear cerulean with lips crimson to compliment them. She was the picture of Snow White come to life. I wouldn't have missed her in a crowd no matter how hard she tried to blend in. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought she was a princess, especially with the handsome male companion hovering ever so close to her. A couple like that had to be royalty.

"Shit," Ephrem cursed and pulled his eyes away from the couple. His sudden change in demeanor made my stomach drop. As I glanced between him and the handsome man next to Elise, I felt my face pale with realization.

"Who's that next to Elise?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

"It's no one other than my brother, Etan."

My eyes widened as I observed the couple. The way she touched his arm and laughed at his jokes nauseated me. She had her act down to a T, flipping her hair just so and fluttering her dark eyelashes at him with pure feminine seduction.

It was sickening. If anyone could win the award for best actress, it was Elise. She had tricked me all my life, and now she was working her magic on Ephrem's brother.

Possibly for the throne.

No... could she?

I narrowed my eyes, casting all the evil in the world in her direction. She was after the MarkTier throne! With the magic of my talisman and three others, she might be able to get what she wanted. That didn't answer my question about why she wanted the damn throne in the first place. Besides power, of course. For some people, that was enough. She had no prospects of gaining such a position in the ArcKnight court, but here, the world was her oyster.

My hatred burned an inferno deep inside my broken heart. That traitorous fiend!

I wasn't the only one flustered by what I saw. Ephrem was showing signs of losing it as we both slipped back down out of sight. I hated to think that this was what we were up against. We were doomed if she was under Etan's protection. How could I swipe my talisman back when she was being guarded like that? There was a ring of bodyguards around them, mostly for Etan, but hell, it might as well be an iron wall.

"Well, there goes our plan to do this discreetly," Ephrem groaned.

"He's your brother. Surely you can convince him to help us."

Ephrem looked away, frowning. "He won't help us."

"Why not?"

"We haven't spoken since the Pit. We haven't even seen each other since. I doubt he'd help us."

I glared at him, feeling all hope for retrieving my talisman float away with the breeze.

"You don't know that."

"I do. Now think of something else, or we might as well leave."

I stood and paced the roof we stood on. The perimeter had a half wall to keep the people down below from seeing us so there was no fear that we'd be spotted. I couldn't just sit there and watch all hope to save myself drain away. There had to be a way. Why was he so stubborn?

"Okay, fine. Look. She has to be staying somewhere in the palace, right? Any royal harem is usually kept near them for entertainment purposes, if I recall right. Gil had something like that, but none of his concubines were up for the throne. Rafaela hated that he had a harem and immediately got rid of the girls when they were engaged, much to his dismay. There were special hallways the girls used so as to not be seen entering and leaving Gil's room. Do you have that here? Where do you think he would've set her up?"

Ephrem scowled at the suggestion, but it disintegrated a moment later as his face brightened with a new idea.

"You're on to something there. That's exactly what we're going to do. Come on."

"Wait! Where are we going?"

He grinned wickedly at me and winked. "You'll see."

***

From inside the tunnels, which ran along the walls of the palace and underneath, I felt sure we'd never discover where Etan was keeping Elise. I bet she was living in the lap of luxury while I was out here busting my ass and walking through dusty passageways that hadn't seen a good thorough cleaning since they'd been secretly inserted into the building plans. The amount of cobwebs alone made me want to squeal in horror. It made my blood boil at the thought, and I couldn't wait to pay her a visit to show her just how much pain she'd caused me.

First, we had to find the place. Luckily, Ephrem had been a curious child and knew these passages by heart. Now he led us to the part of the royal stronghold he believed would've been given to my ex-best friend. Though it could house a harem if need be, the practice was now frowned upon. Etan would probably have Elise there all by herself.

How quaint.

"Are we there yet?" I hissed out into the darkness. The sole light came from a lonely lamp Ephrem carried in his hand. In the other he held out a short sword, a Casinlan. It was a sword he'd pulled out right before leaving his apartment in the Outlands of Temple. I'd seen one before. Gil had one just like it. Only royalty had these kinds of swords because the metal to make them was exceedingly rare and the process used to create a single blade was an extremely specialized technique. Few blacksmiths knew how to duplicate them. I didn't even know if there were any more alive who knew how to make one of those swords.

I had one with a slightly different design back home. I wished I could have grabbed it before being unceremoniously tossed out into the Outlands. Rafaela hadn't even been there when they'd led me out the doors and slammed them shut behind me. It was a special sword given to me by my mother, and the metal had a luminescent quality. I'd forgotten about it until now.

It was bittersweet to think about how much hell Rafaela had probably given Gil for not letting her say goodbye to me. I hoped she gave him and the Elders an earful of contempt.

The thought of my sister comforted me as we walked along the damp, rank halls. These had been made for the royals to escape through in case of emergency, but I bet that Etan didn't even remember they were there. Ephrem hadn't spoken much about his brother since he'd told me what he did to save him. I didn't ask. It was probably a sore subject.

"Here." Ephrem tugged me toward the right and into a small inlet where an old rusty door stood, the same color as the stone. He felt around the top of the doorframe and produced a dusty key. As he turned it in the keyhole, the old lock screamed through the silence. In the darkness, it sounded like a battleship landing in the middle of the city.

I gulped as he paused and listened hard for anyone who might've heard us. After a few moments, he turned the key once more. The lock gave a resonating click, and the door swung open toward us.

"No one uses this much, do they?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Nope. I think I had the only key, actually. Strange, but I loved wandering these halls as a kid. I forgot about them until you reminded me. I doubt Etan has even bothered to check them out since then."

"That's a shame; this could be a fun exploration."

"Yeah. When this is all over and our packs are best friends again, I'll take you around the whole thing. It's huge."

"Sounds like a date."

He smiled, revealing a small dimple on his right cheek that made my heart jump. Never was I so relieved that the darkness shielded my red face. He was sexy as hell, and one taste wasn't enough for me.

We continued through the doorway into a sort of in-between crawlspace. I could see the support beams behind the walls of the interior room. There were pinpricks of light all over this area. I stepped forward, pressing my face against one such hole to find that we were inside the wall of a vast apartment furnished to the nines with silk pillows, silk settees and luxurious amenities throughout. I was immediately jealous, for if this was what Elise was basking in, I'd been ever so wrong about every part of our friendship all these years.

I hated that she had betrayed me. I'd confided in her like no other. No one knew me as she had. Every significant event in my life, every sordid detail, every crush, every tragedy, every secret... she knew them all. When she'd turned on me, she'd ripped out the last bit of trust I'd had left. It would be a long time before I let anyone else in like that.

"Is this it?" I asked, my question was loud in the silence of the room. Ephrem nodded and motioned me toward him. He stood before a carved-out rectangular area in the wall where hung what looked like the back of a painting. I was betting this was the way in.

He pushed at the painting, and it made a soft whirring sound followed by several nearly inaudible clicks. I hoped no one was in the room, for when the picture started to move to the side, it would be obvious we were there.

I held my breath and stayed to the side of the entrance in case we were suddenly ambushed. When nothing happened, we both stepped in and took in the immaculate surroundings. Ephrem reached back to replace the painting. At least we had a route of escape. I really hoped we didn't need it. If the talisman was here, it would make things all too easy.

"Okay, look around, where would she keep her valuables?" Ephrem began checking drawers in the sitting area, and I headed toward the adjoining bedroom. Inside was an oversized bed with a lush satin comforter and mounds of pillows. Even the vanity desk to one side was abnormally large and strewn with jewels, brushes and hair clips. I had a sickening feeling she'd been there a lot longer than just the short time since she'd stolen my talisman. She'd been a mole the entire time, and I'd been none the wiser. I swore it would never happen again, and if I got ahold of her, her death would not come fast enough.

I sifted through her jewelry chest and found a false bottom in one of the drawers. Surprised, I shifted the plank of wood and scooped out a small burlap sack. I could feel my fingers tingle as I turned it over in my palm. This was it. I knew it. I ripped the cord loose and dumped my talisman plus two others into my hand.

Pay dirt!

"I got it!" I rushed back into the living room to find Ephrem with his arms up and a gun pointed at his chest. Elise had entered the room when I'd been in the bedroom. I stared hard at my old friend.

"I should've known you'd try to steal it back. Stupid, really. I never thought you'd get this far. This place is a fortress. How did you get in here, anyway?" Elise scowled as she moved the gun from Ephrem to me and back again, not knowing which one to shoot first. I could see she wanted to do it. Her eyes burned with rage, and her psychosis was apparent to me now. What an actress. Absolutely award-winning. What a fool I'd been to believe she was my best friend.

"Elise, put the gun down. We're friends, remember? I was banished and never gave them your name. No one is searching for you. I swear."

I hoped to appeal to her good side, but I was afraid I was going to lose this battle. One of us had to subdue her, and I was scared that one of us would get shot in the process.

Her gun flashed under the bright overhead lights. The scent of silver oozed from its metal encasing. There would be blood, she craved it, wanted it. There would be death along with it. There was no way either of us could get far with a silver bullet in our guts.

I glanced at Ephrem, relieved to find that he was the picture of pure calm under pressure. Something had to give, but I didn't know what.

"Elise... please. Put the gun down. You were my friend. Don't you remember? We did everything together. Our tea parties were all the rage at the palace. We'd wear the best crinoline dresses, tiaras, jewels, things most little girls couldn't even dream of. You did it all with me. We were partners in crime. Remember that? Please remember."

Elise's evil smirk melted in confusion. Her eyes glistened with a swell of unshed tears as her thoughts jerked her back into the past. I wanted her to remember that it couldn't have all been an act. It had to have been real in some way, right? There wasn't a person alive who could fake that kind of kinship for so long. I had to play with those tiny threads of hope I was tugging at in the hope of pulling her back into the life we'd shared. She had to know it'd been real. She had to.

"I stole your talisman. There's no going back from that. I've taken three of them; yours, one from each ArcKnight and MarkTier armories, and I'll get one more tonight. All four will be mine to use as I wish." She looked like she was brushing off the cobwebs of the past, and her devious side had taken control once more.

"Elise, please don't do this. If you do, I'll die. You're my friend. You were my only friend for the longest time. You know that. You still are. Don't do this. I won't give you away, I promise."

"What do you mean you're stealing another talisman tonight?" Ephrem interrupted. I wanted to strangle him to keep him quiet, but he had a point. If she was going to steal another talisman, who was her intended victim?

I met Ephrem's eyes as we both realized what was going on. Tonight Etan was to marry Elise in a royal ceremony and he would give his amulet to her. She didn't have a talisman to give him in exchange—she wasn't of royal blood—so one would be made for her. With the three others she'd stolen, she'd have everything she needed. She would then kill Etan and me when she used our powers and took the throne as ruler of the MarkTier pack. Then she'd be able to overtake the ArcKnight stronghold. With her unnatural powers from the talismans, it'd be a one-sided fight.

I had to stop her. She could never marry Etan. It would be disastrous for both packs.

"You think I'm stupid enough to tell you?" Elise scoffed. "I shall have everything I've ever wanted tonight, and you won't be getting in my way. I'll have you strung on the gallows and burned before you can even call for reinforcements. This is just the way it is. Now... give me the talismans, old friend. I promise I will make the deaths of your sister and her beau as quick and painless as yours."

She stepped forward, her gun still aimed at Ephrem, the naturally larger threat, but she was heading toward me. She was a little too confident. Before she took another step, I'd decided who was going to live through this.

I slid the talismans around my neck to join with mine and summoned their powers. A soft vibrating hum came from each of them, surprising me. I gasped as the four talismans reached for one another, connecting their energies through my flesh.

The moment they linked, I took off running toward Elise, shifting as I flew through the air. She had half a second to realize that I'd already been wearing a talisman, and confusion spread across her face. Soft fur blossomed over my skin as my bones transformed and slid into position. My clothes ripped and fell away, and I was a wolf before my feet even hit the ground. I slammed right into Elise, sinking my canines into her forearm.

Her scream hurt my ears, but I held on with a ferocious grip as she attempted to shake me off.

"Get off me!" Her screech echoed out through the door and down the hall.

Elise's eyes widened in surprise, her gun had flown to the floor and under the sofa. She growled and roared as she morphed, trying to throw me off with the shift. Her arm got loose of my jaw, but the moment she changed to a wolf, I had my mouth clamped at her throat.

Her whine was barely audible over my growl as I shook her body back and forth. Blood sprayed across the doorway and stained the walls. She scratched helplessly at my legs, never one to give up easily.

Right as she was starting to yield and weaken, the world lit up like an atom bomb explosion as a gun fired and something feeling like a runaway train smacked into me.

Chapter Fifteen

Ephrem

I barely heard the shot. I felt it more than anything, but I wasn't the one injured. It came as an odd, disjointed sensation followed by Lily's collapse to the ground. I was stunned, and pain had me hunching over as I lost breath. Lily's body morphed back to human a moment later, and her naked body lay eerily still while a blooming puddle of blood poured from her chest.

I rushed toward Elise, who was now turning back into a human, grasping at her neck as blood sprayed out in time with her pulse. She gasped for air and flopped about the floor in confusion.

My anger surged against that woman for hurting my Lily, and I could feel my wolf surface as I fought the morph, growling at the maniacal woman. I would've torn her to pieces with my claws right that second if I hadn't spotted my brother standing in the doorway with a gun raised toward me.

"Ephrem!" Etan shouted. He'd caught me off guard, but I continued to approach Elise, hungering to finish what Lily had started. My face was partially transformed, and I gave Etan a show of fangs as I unexpectedly pounced toward him and knocked the gun from his hands.

"Thieves!" Elise gurgled. "They're trespassing in my apartment! They're nothing but thieving traitors! Kill them now!" The outburst did nothing to help her condition, and she fell back onto her knees, struggling to breathe while still clutching her bleeding neck. She was paling by the second but didn't seem to notice how much blood she was losing.

"Elise...." Etan's voice was filled with panicked concern for his mate.

She slumped to the floor, tears streaming down her face.

"Elise!" Etan jumped toward her, but I was already there and gave him a shove backward.

"You shot Lily!" I hollered and gave my brother a sucker punch to his face. Blood oozed from his lip, and he touched his swelling cheek before bum-rushing me, slamming into my chest and sending us both toppling across the room, smashing furniture as we went.

We kept at it, punching and kicking, shoving and pulling each other until the room was shattered and there was nothing left unbroken. Exhausted, we both crawled to our knees, huffing for breath and spitting blood to the floor.

I waited, crouched and ready to pounce if needed. My snarls were now a low vibrating hum in the back of my throat as I eyed Etan, keeping his every movement in my periphery. At least my brother hadn't also shot me before I disarmed him. He very well could have. I hoped he knew what was going on here. If not, he was in for a rude awakening.

Movement in the hallway caught my attention, and Etan backed away from me as his guards rushed into the room. Realization passed across his face as he finally took a moment to consider what was happening.

He pointed at Elise. "Guards, strip her of any weapons or artifacts and bring them to me. Then take her away and have her wounds treated, but do not let her out of your sight."

As more guards surrounded me, I held my hands up and morphed completely back to my human form, blood dripping from my nose. I didn't care. It bothered me little to be beaten and bruised. Etan looked worse for wear. I was more concerned for Lily, who was unconscious on the floor and still bleeding.

Etan called his guards off, and I knelt down to scoop her up, pushing her long hair aside to examine the wound. The bullet was most likely still embedded in her flesh, and the entry wound was dribbling blood. I felt for a pulse. It was weak, but it was there. I had to do something or she'd die in my arms.

"Ephrem, are you okay?" Etan asked. His breathing was hard, but he wasn't seriously hurt. His face was already swollen on one side where his eye was completely shut. Blood drizzled from his nose and mouth, and I'd knocked out one of his bottom teeth.

I nodded. "I don't think Lilliana is, though."

"What?" His eyes widened as he stared down at Lily. "As in Princess Lilliana?"

"Yes."

"Holy shit, what's she doing here? I heard what Elise said about the talismans. I thought she was being attacked...I—I really liked her. I was going to marry her, you know." He turned and looked at the guards who were picking Elise up off the ground. One of them met his eye and shook his head. As they set her back down on the floor, I saw that she was perfectly still and deathly pale.

Etan walked over to her and knelt down. "She's dead." His voice was low and hollow.

"But Lily's not! Do you have any healers nearby?" I desperately looked around. I grabbed a thin blanket from one of the destroyed sofas and pressed it down on Lily's gushing wound.

"I'll send for one." Etan stumbled to his feet, still stark white from shock and ran right into one of his guards. The guard pointed behind him, and Queen Rafaela stepped in followed by her lieutenant Alec and a couple of ArcKnight guards.

"What's going on here?" Rafaela asked as she rushed into the room. She dropped onto the floor next to Lily and checked her injuries. "What happened to my sister? Lily!" She shook her, tears already staining her face. She was dressed in the dark clothes of a guard. In disguise. I wondered who'd let her in, but the more pressing issue shoved that thought out of my mind.

Rafaela jerked her eyes toward me, hatred and fear mixed in a violent cocktail within them.

"Do something!"

I bent down near her, feeling her weakened pulse as a mess of blood bloomed around her. She paled before my eyes, and I felt a heavy weight hit me in my chest. We were still betrothed, and it meant a lot more than just a promise. Magic was involved, and unless something was done, this wouldn't end well for either of us. If she died, it could kill me too. I peered up toward Etan, who had sent a guard for the healer and was again kneeling near Elise. He looked stunned as it dawned on him that the ArcKnight queen was in his palace and his love was dead. Lily's talisman, along with the others that had been stolen, dangled from his fingers. They must have fallen off during the struggle.

"Etan! Give me the pendants. Now!" I waved him over, and it took a moment for it to register, but he finally made his way over toward me.

"They're not Elise's. I don't know who they belong to." He held them out, still looking shocked and confused.

"I know. One of them is Lily's, which was mine since we exchanged them at our betrothal years ago. I fear the owners of the other two are already long dead."

"But they still hum with magic. How?" Etan flicked his eyes between Lily and me. He truly had been clueless about Elise. The shock of it was still preventing him from thinking straight. In spite of what he'd done to Lily, I felt sorry for him.

Elise was dead. She'd hidden her treachery from him, but he had loved her. I could see that. I shook off my pity. I'd make him accountable for hurting Lily, but right now I had work to do. There was still one hope. A talisman began to lose its magic after its wearer's death, but this was a long, slow process unless it was intentionally drained in the process of killing the wearer. If the talismans of the dead ArcKnight and MarkTier wolves still held fragments of magic, it meant that Elise had never used them against their owners and they had died of natural causes. This gave me a chance to save Lily. One talisman alone wouldn't be enough, but four? That might work.

But one of the talismans was mine. I could die trying to use it to save her life, but it was a risk I was more than willing to take.

Inhaling deeply, I swallowed down the fear blossoming in my stomach. "I can save her."

I laid the first two of the three of the talismans around her neck, lifting her head with gentle control and avoiding the area Rafaela was pressing down on to slow the bleeding. She threw me a concerned look but didn't stop what she was doing. I tried to reassure her with a curt nod, but I could tell her patience was wearing thin.

"Okay. You'll have to let go for me to do this, Your Highness. It could be... damaging."

Rafaela nodded, her tears still sliding down her cheeks as she backed away and stood. Her delicate hands were stained with Lily's blood. Etan also retreated to the door of the apartment. He looked less pale, donning an unreadable expression as he pulled Rafaela away to give us room.

At least he had finally regained his wits.

I slipped the last of the three talismans―my own, hers, and one from a dead ArcKnight―around her neck and held onto her shoulders. Closing my eyes, I tried to remember what my grandmother had told me about Ardent talismans and how they worked. She'd taught me the lesson so long ago, on the day of mine and Lily's betrothal, actually. My grandmother Julia had visited me the morning before I made the trip to the ArcKnight stronghold when I was thirteen. She'd been so proud of my accomplishments and my hard work. Even though I was so young at the time, she treated me like an adult, with respect and love.

Her warm words of encouragement were a stark contrast to my mother's less affectionate demeanor and gave me the drive to do better than anyone else. Even my brother Etan. I was a second-born, so Etan got all the attention, but she believed I'd become a high commander of the MarkTier army with proper direction.

My parents hadn't been so optimistic, but they'd never told my grandmother otherwise. She'd been a woman to fear. I was glad she'd had the foresight to tell me what I'd need to do to save my equal, my future bride, when the time came to marry and bind both packs together forever. Without her intuitive lesson, I wouldn't have known what to do.

Her words echoed in my head now, clear as a bell, while I caressed Lily's soft hair.

"Remember, Ephrem, if a time ever comes when you have to heal your mate, you have to offer your power freely to her. Place your talisman around her neck and whisper these words. They are full of ancient power, passed down through our packs across centuries: Curáre spiritus meus anima. Say it like that while touching your mate, and you both will heal. Don't forget. It could save both your lives."

I closed my eyes and whispered the words aloud. A roaring buzz rose up from the talismans, growing louder with each passing second. It vibrated through my fingers as the power made its way through Lily and then up my arms and into my chest. My head began to spin as the magic flowed through me and then back into Lily. Her body began to glow softly under my hands, and she started to tremble. Light shined from the gunshot wound as the silver bullet melted and dripped out of the wound and onto the floor where it solidified into a tiny ball, clinking as it hit the floor and rolled harmlessly away.

I groaned in agony with the worst pain I'd ever felt in my entire life. It had me fighting to stay conscious as it siphoned my energy and traded it with Lily's injured life-force. The mixing of energies was excruciating. I couldn't breathe, and the world felt like it was collapsing in on me.

The wound hissed as it stitched itself closed, and the light seeping through her skin began to fade. I could feel every little pull and tug of skin and muscle as her injuries closed up. I felt the magic return to the talismans, calming the stinging buzz that had filled me moments before. The moment the light died, my hands fell away and I collapsed to the ground next to Lily.

Fighting to stay awake, I peered into Lily's eyes as they fluttered and opened. Beautiful brown irises connected with mine, and I tried to smile, but my muscles refused to move. All I felt was an overwhelming urge to sleep. My magic was depleted, and I hoped that when I woke up again, it would be those same beautiful eyes staring back at me.

Lily....

Chapter Sixteen

Ephrem

"The Elders of the ArcKnight and MarkTier packs have convened, and we have come to a settlement on the matter of Lilliana ArcKnight and Ephrem MarkTier. Under each pack's laws, both parties are to be executed for espionage and traitorous actions that have endangered the leaders of both packs."

The crowded room echoed with a rush of whispers and gasps. Lily refused to look at them and focused on a faraway wall with her chin held high. Her recovery had taken days, and I hadn't seen her since the night Etan had shot her. She couldn't even look at me now, for she wasn't allowed to turn to get a glimpse of my face. Her face burned scarlet as she listened to the words the magistrate spoke. She didn't seem aware of it at all. At least I'd gotten to meet her before we died. That was all that mattered.

We would die together, like lovers should. There was something poetic about it.

"However...." the Elder magistrate cleared his throat as he stood at the podium, looking older than dirt and quite possibly giving his last speech. His wrinkled face looked punched in, which scrunched up his eyes and nose into little holes on his wide face. Lily hated him. He was the one who'd advised Gil to banish her.

After making sure his dramatic pause had made the appropriate impression, he continued. "Given the malicious nature of the deceased, Elise ValKot, whose plan to dominate both packs with stolen royal talismans, both parties have been pardoned and must return to their previous states of servitude or banishment as detailed in previous judgements. That is all."

Relief poured into me, but neither I nor Lily could celebrate the verdict. The crowd appeared pleased, but hushed whispers still echoed, leaving the mood somber. Dismissed, Lily turned toward me where our eyes met. Mine had never left her the entire time the court was in session, despite being told not to look at her.

It wasn't the verdict we'd wanted, but we'd been spared and could move forward with our lives. Still, I couldn't feel too overjoyed. Lily was still banished. She would never be able to return home now. There was no overturning the Elder's wishes.

Lily lowered her gaze from mine.

She can never go home....

The room felt stifling, and I could see tears already filling her eyes, yet she refused to cry. As soon as most of the crowd had left the room, she stepped down from the platform and rushed out the doors, avoiding everyone, including her sister Rafaela, who called desperately after her.

I hurried to follow but ran right into Etan, who held me at arm's length and shook his head. "Let her go."

"Get out of the way. I have to find her."

"She's banished. You can never marry her now."

I stopped struggling and gave my brother an icy glare. "It doesn't matter to me. I love her. You'd never understand, anyway. You don't know what love is."

Etan frowned and let me pass. I felt his eyes on me as I raced toward the door, shoving past the stragglers until I stepped out into Paladin Square. It was the only place where both wolf packs were allowed to mingle, to hold dual councils such as what had just occurred. Even so, both packs remained divided, ArcKnights on one side of the square, MarkTiers on the other. Some things never changed.

I ran, overtaking Rafaela, who had given up chasing her sister, and made my way into the Outlands of the City of Temple. There I scanned the streets and alleyways, trying to find the girl who owned my soul. She was the only one I'd fight for, the only one I'd never let go.

"Lily?" I found her sitting in the middle of the busy diner we'd eaten at. She sat staring at the polished veneer of the table, tears dripping down her flushed cheeks. She was immune to MarkTier and ArcKnight rule now, so therefore safe from any harm from either side. No one would hunt her. She would be a standard citizen of Temple. Nothing more.

It was bittersweet. She'd never be able to return home now.

I slid in next to her, my lungs burning from the long chase. I exhaled and waited, letting her collect her thoughts.

"You can stay with me," I offered.

"We could never marry." Her voice shook.

I took her hands into mine and held them to chest.

"I don't care. Feel that? My heart is yours. We are one. We don't have to marry. That doesn't matter to me. All I want is to be with you. Say you want that too."

She shook her head and peered up at me. Her sadness broke my heart, but I couldn't let her go through it alone. I wanted her to know she was safe with me. Always.

"I love you," I whispered and placed my talisman into her palm. She stared down at the stone, and it shone like moonlight and shuddered with a tiny jolt of power as it touched her skin. She smiled and curled her fingers over it.

"I love you too." She pulled off her talisman and placed it in my hands. "Forever. You and me. Okay?"

Those words were all I needed to hear, and I couldn't have smiled any wider. "Yes. Forever."

Part II

Chapter Seventeen

Ephrem

The night was unforgiving. I wiped the blood blurring my vision and staining my sweat a crimson red. I was losing my edge. It had been a busy evening, beginning at sunset, and had continued well into the night. My muscles strained as I picked up another weapon that had been tossed to me from the sidelines by the pit master's assistants. The Pit was nonstop commotion until the last of the fighters were worn out and spent and the reigning champions were paid to the last dime. I wouldn't be getting paid. This was my indentured servitude, paying for dues already owed; I was a slave until I'd met the requirements for freedom. I was six fights away from it, and every minute elated my soul with thoughts of the endless possibilities for the future.

I wanted to return home. To see the streets of the MarkTier palace once more felt like a distant memory, a dream I kept repeating in my mind. It was the only thing keeping me going. It was my fuel on nights like these when all the amateurs took their turns attempting to take me down and make me bleed. I was the top champion, of course. Undefeated and unyielding. A prized gladiator to parade about the city streets before a night of hellish fighting.

Just a pawn. A trophy prince.

When the last duel was over and I held my foot over the last fighter's neck, ready to press down with a lethal pressure, I would finally return from the place my conscience fled during these fights. The call to end the fight had been given, and I'd let the fighter go, which was fortunate for them as I had killed countless many before this one. It was second nature to kill without remorse, without a thought to who the fighter was. I didn't care. Their blood was the currency for the freedom I desired.

My brother had left me here to rot. It was a bitter truth, and I remembered it with each passing of the sun across the sky and through the eternal nights when things were quiet and there were only my thoughts to keep me company. That, and the spray of stars in the heavens. It was the only time I felt like myself.

I wasn't lost. I knew who I was and what I had to do to keep going. It was keeping the poisonous rage from tainting my soul with its hate.

It was nights like these I remembered the reason I had to go on. Thoughts of her would flit through my mind, reminding me of what could have been. The girl was my betrothed, Princess Lilliana, and I'd watched her grow up from afar on the rare occasions her face would flash on the screens above which constantly played the world's affairs and kept me awake at night. It was her face I'd search for when I glanced toward the bright rectangles displaying the chaos of the world.

The fighters all slept in the same common room full of uncomfortable cots, but the pit masters saw no harm in allowing us this one outside pleasure. Maybe they thought it was better that the fighters didn't remain ignorant and should know what was going on in the world. I didn't know if it was to keep us docile or to keep our heads filled with the horror of life outside these walls. It was baffling. Not all the fighters that fought in the pits were slaves; some did it to gain a better life and earn money.

Not me. I was once a prince. A lowly second born prince who'd never rule the wolf shifter pack I'd grown up in, but I was a prince nonetheless. Instead of living in the lap of luxury, I was stuck here paying a blood debt owed by my brother, Etan, the future ruler of the MarkTier pack.

In his place, I fought. In his place, I spent blood, sweat, and tears. Enslaved until I'd fulfilled my quota of contracted matches. Only then would I be free to leave and maybe, just maybe, seek my betrothed. My brother had broken a sacred rule of the Pit. Fights weren't to be interfered with. If it was, the fighter becomes the property of the Pit Master. I'd intervened to save my brother's life. If he died, he'd never become Alpha of the MarkTier wolf pack.

But he would never serve a day of his life in the Pit. Instead, I had served and bled his penance.

Things were never simple when it came to the royals of the wolf packs living in the city of Temple. Nothing ever was in this supernatural hell. Little had I known that once I completed my term here in the Pit, I'd never return to live as the pampered prince I once was. Instead, I was assigned a high-ranking position within the MarkTier Outlands Legion and never truly live as a royal again. My future was marked null and void, with a large black streak across it, and replaced with the destiny of an outsider; a castaway.

Nevertheless, I was still me. Still Ephrem, second born of the MarkTier wolf pack's royal stronghold, and I would persevere.

Why? Because she was out there, and I was destined to find her again.

Chapter Eighteen

Lilliana

I rubbed away the puffiness of sleep that still masked my features. The previous day at the trial in Paladin Square had left me emotionally drained and exhausted. Afterward, I had run through the city without a thought to where I'd end up. Somehow, I'd made it to the diner Ephrem and I had once eaten at. Maybe I was seeking a sense of comfort and familiarity when I sat at one of the tables and waited for destiny to take me away. Whatever it was, I didn't know where else to go.

How had it felt to be forever banished from my home at the ArcKnight palace? I didn't quite know, but it wasn't good. I felt lost, tossed out like yesterday's garbage. Worthless and unwanted. At least, that's how I felt now.

On the other hand, Ephrem had also returned to the diner and joined me with a smile. Instead of rejecting me, as my own pack had done, he'd wanted us to exchange our Ardent talismans again. His promise of marriage was still valid, and our betrothal was still very real, even if the royal packs of MarkTier and ArcKnight wouldn't ever acknowledge our bond. We didn't care. We were in love.

He had saved me, and he didn't even know it.

Now, the morning after the beginning of my new life, I peered across the bed to watch Ephrem softly breathing as he lay next to me. Only a sheet covered him below the waist, but with a glance downward, I felt the hot rush of blood heat up my face. It was hard to look away so I didn't, getting a long look at his naked torso.

He could be a god. There wasn't an imperfect spot on his body. Even with the array of faded scars scattered across him, there was no one more enticing to me than he was. After all, he was now my fiancé. I couldn't believe it. Our betrothal had been voided and he didn't owe me anything, but he still wanted to marry me. With or without the consent of his family. It made my heart swell with love for him, and I snuggled up into his side just to feel his strong arms around me. His scent was heavenly along with a comforting heat that kept the cold away.

He was all I needed and all I had left.

Hours later, we both awoke late into the brand new day, preparing for whatever came our way. He was still a guard in the Outlands Legion, but I hoped his job wouldn't separate us for long. I would be staying there while he was at work, but I was free to explore the city.

What would I do in the Outlands of the city of Temple? I'd never had to work a day in my life. I'd been a pampered princess until Elise, my only so-called friend, had ripped it all away. Would I ever recover from her stealing my talisman? I didn't know. The betrayal had run so deep; I still couldn't believe she'd tricked me for so long. But that's the way things had gone, and it was all over and done with now. I was banished forever from my home because of her, so here I was, living my new life.

I'd gotten the better end of the deal. She was dead and had gotten no less than what she deserved. Even the pain of losing a friend didn't overtake the anger I still felt toward her. She could rot in hell. I didn't care anymore about her, or the past. There was only looking forward. If I wasn't going to lose myself in misery, I had to keep moving.

"Are you heading out today?" Ephrem's voice awoke me from my thoughts.

"Yes. I was thinking―I should get a job or something." I rubbed my fingers over the edge of my coffee mug. The dark liquid was bitter and sharp, just like my thoughts.

"Stick close to this area. I don't want you working late in some far off neighborhood. You know how dangerous it gets here. At least I know you'll be able to take down any delinquents who have the unfortunate luck to cross your path." He stepped out of the bathroom, fastening his belt before grabbing an array of weapons and packs off the dresser in his room. His miniature armory took up most of the space on the furniture, but he'd have to make room for my stuff.

Strike that. Our room. It was our apartment now.

I really liked the sound of that.

"I'll keep that in mind. Maybe the bookstore down the way needs some help. I'm not sure what having a job is like, but hey, it'll help me move on."

"That's the spirit. At least we know you won't be hunted by either stronghold now." He bent over toward me and kissed me gently. "And since we have our talismans back, there's no more fear of being manipulated. What more could you ask for?"

His smile lit up his face, and I beamed. One look brought flurries into my core, sending goosebumps flaring across my skin. I couldn't believe how lucky I was. Ephrem was the sexiest soldier I'd ever met, and he wanted me here, with him. His enthusiasm was contagious.

"True. Listen, I never did thank you. You know... for saving my life."

He slid onto the bed beside me and pulled me into his arms. It was the only place I felt safe now, even in the calm enclosure of his apartment. I wondered if I'd ever feel safe or trusting of anyone ever again.

"I'd do it again if I had to." He kissed my head, and I peered up into his dark blue eyes. They were hypnotizing, and there was nothing I wanted more than to hold him tight and never let go. I hoped he knew how grateful I was for his love, for his strength. I'd never have made it out here without him. I was sure of it.

"I know. I'd do it for you too. Just wanted to thank you."

"You're welcome."

He stood up, grabbed his freshly sharpened knife and slid it into the sheath already attached to his belt. He was ready for another night patrolling the Outlands for any danger to the MarkTier pack. His rounds didn't necessarily bring him into the area his apartment was in, which was a neutral zone between both pack strongholds, but he promised he would pass through at least a few times to check the area.

His promise was the only thing I knew would be real. His words were the only ones I trusted. I hoped he stayed in my life for a long time because I needed this reassurance.

"If you need anything, you can get ahold of me with this." He pressed a small cell phone into my hand. "It's got my number programmed into it. Message me, or call. Either way, let me know how you're doing. I promise I'll answer or call you back as soon as I can."

I nodded. "Okay. Thank you."

I watched him slip away and out the door, leaving me alone in his modest apartment. It was cozy, but it felt incredibly empty without his presence. Funny how little time it had taken for him to become such a big part of my world that when he was gone, it felt terrifying and alone.

I pulled my jacket over my clothes and slipped the cell phone into one of the pockets. It was time to step out into the world and start living my new life. It was a new adventure, and I should have been more excited.

Instead, the dread filled me, only to be amplified when I walked through the door. There would never be peace here. The packs made sure of it. There was nothing but an unforgiving world out there, but I was determined to find my place, no matter what.

Chapter Nineteen

Rafaela

My head ached from studying the reorganization plans for some of the ArcKnight military divisions. My general and right-hand man, Alec, had recommended the changes. Each page was blurring into the next as I peered over the mess of charts, graphs, and names. It was a massive task, and I was lucky he was there to walk me through each section. The sheer number of soldiers who'd been promoted, needed promotions—or demotions—in the ArcKnight Outlands Legion was overwhelming. It was a relief to find the whole process was more formality than my duty. Alec had it covered, but he had to formalize the plans by showing them to me.

I'd rather be doing a dozen other things.

There were literally thousands of soldiers. How had I ended up with this task? That's right, Gil didn't have a head for this, or so he'd told me. This was one of the unsavory duties to fall to me when Gil decided he had better things to do than deal with this. I personally believed he just hated how inferior Alec made him feel because of his lack of experience in the field. That was one thing I didn't mind; Alec one-upping me. He could talk about war strategy all he wanted. It went in one ear and out the other. I just liked to hear him talk.

Gil refused to waste his talents on this mundane crap. He pawned it off on me. He was a genius at politics but lacked any ability in military tactics and ceremonial duties. The latter was my job since he'd assigned it to me before swooping out of the room earlier. The first was Alec's problem.

Luckily, it didn't bother Alec to take over the Alpha's duties when it came to the military; it was second nature to him. However, it made him fume to see Gil treat me like a common party organizer.

"So we're using the west training stadium for the promotions ceremony, right?" I yawned, stretching my arms out before slumping into my chair. I was already tapped out for the day, and it wasn't even noon.

"Yes. It's the largest one. We can assemble the troops inside with plenty of room for families. The soldiers with promotions can actually take up one small section near the center while the spectators take the rest of the seating. A lot of visitors will be coming."

"That's perfect. Just remind me where I'm supposed to be in all this?" I pointed to an elevated seating area protected with bulletproof glass. "Here, right? Isn't it kind of claustrophobic in there?"

"It's for your protection. Since it will be open to the citizens of Temple, we can never be too careful."

I exhaled sharply, nodding in agreement. My mind was fried. "Sounds perfect. Where will you be during the ceremony?" I lifted an eyebrow at him, hoping he'd be nearby, in the box.

"At your side, of course." A mischievous twinkle in his eyes made my stomach flutter. The intensity of his stare and his close proximity as he sat beside me didn't escape my notice. I knew how fond he was of me, even though he'd never told me out loud. He was fifteen years my senior, and I was married. It was a barrier we'd never cross, and deep down, I knew he knew that. Still, he was gorgeous to look at, and I enjoyed his company a lot more than Gil did. Luckily, no one else noticed the way Alec preferred discussing such things with me instead of the Alpha. Gil just didn't have a head for these things.

So it all fell on me. It was inevitable, but Alec made it as painless as possible. Even so, I usually ended up leaving everything up to him in the end.

"Who's presenting the awards if you're in the box with us?" I asked.

"My second lieutenant, Richard, will be doing the honors." Alec released me from his intense stare, but it was already too late. It had left a mark on my soul, and I felt oddly cold without it.

"Sounds good. Looks like we got things put together pretty well, right?"

"Yes, m'lady."

I didn't move, waiting to see if he had anything else to say. Sometimes I wished he would tell me something more. Anything would do. I loved to hear his voice. His passion for life was addictive.

"Well, I guess I'm done here, then." I stood, but Alec was at my side with his hand on my arm before I could turn to leave.

"Wait, Ella...." Alec's eyes shined as we stood face to face. He was so close that if I stepped forward, I'd bump noses with him, possibly lips. I had to hold my breath in as I watched his nostrils flare, a sign of desire or challenge from another wolf. And there was no doubt as to which one it was. He was indulging in my scent, and if Gil were there, it would have been a highly offensive move. "I need to talk to you about something. It's been bothering me for some time, but I...."

My breath stuck in my throat as I heard the door to the conference room creak open. I immediately sank down into my chair and avoided looking at Alec, who was probably now glaring at whoever had arrived.

I knew who it was. I felt it deep inside and radiating from my Ardent talisman. The medallion had belonged to Gil before we were betrothed, but I'd worn it since then. It connected me to my mate in more ways than one, telling me when he was near or strayed too far.

This wasn't the only time I'd been relieved that my talisman wasn't powerful enough to link us completely. That would've made interactions with anyone like Alec quite plain to Gil.

"Oh, hello, Alec. Is Rafaela here? There you are!" Gil reached around the highback chair to give me a light peck on my cheek. I prayed my face was not burning scarlet hot, for it felt stifling in the normally cool conference room now. "Have you finished with this mess yet?" He waved an arm at the papers on the table.

The tangled stacks of documents were piled high. An organized chaos. It was a pile of disarray indeed, but I liked it. It was what Alec and I did best, making order from disorder, and rearranging things to create the beauty of it all. I wished I could achieve such harmony working alongside Gil.

"Yes. We just finished, actually. What about you? What shenanigans have you been up to?" I joked, hoping to lighten the atmosphere.

Gil's mischievous smile made his dimples stand out, and I watched him shove some of the papers aside without regard, which infuriated me and most definitely grated on Alec's nerves. I could sense the tension overtaking his previous relaxed demeanor. I hated seeing Alec like that. I'd known him my entire life and had never seen him so uptight when he'd served Gil's father.

"I've got the perfect idea to add more rooms to our wing of the palace." He spread another blueprint he'd brought in and pointed to a new set of rooms near our master bedroom. "We'll reinforce the insulation in our room when we tear down the meeting room next to it here, turn part of it into a nursery, and in this part here," he pointed opposite the nursery, "we'll add a suite for our mothers to share. It'll be a much bigger area than they have now at the north end of the palace. They'll be closer, too, for when our children need them. What do you think?"

My eyes widened. "A nursery? Why would we need a nursery?" The pit of my belly sank when it dawned on me what he meant by that.

"Well, when we have a baby, we'll need one. That's the next step, isn't it?"

I jumped to my feet, feeling ill as my head spun at the notion. I wasn't even over the banishment of my sister and was missing her dearly. To think about having a baby now? It wasn't the right time. I was much too busy. We were still so young.

"Now? A baby?" My voice cracked as I struggled to keep from stuttering. He'd sidelined me with his plans, and I had nothing to counter it.

"Yes. Of course now. Why do you think I want to expand this section? It will take months to complete, so we need to start right away. The sooner, the better. Some people get pregnant immediately after marrying. It could happen."

Not to me. No way in hell. A baby? I didn't want to start a family. Not yet.

"I don't know, Gil. Is it really a good time to be thinking about that already? We just got married and I... well, losing Lily hasn't been good. For me, or my mother. Maybe we need to think on this. It's a huge step."

The silence that followed made me want to curl up under the table and hide. That or walk out the door. Alec, who'd been swallowing down a violent shock of surprise, looked somewhat amused now, and his eyes darted between Gil and me with great interest. Gil, on the other hand, was near breaking point, and purple in the face.

"What? You don't want to have a kid, then?"

"I'm not saying that. I just think we should wait until things get more settled. We just took over from your father. He just died, for goodness sake! Plus, we're still searching for whoever killed him. It's just not a good time."

"You don't want to have a baby with me. Right?" Gil's face darkened, and an unsettling calm spread across his face. It chilled me to the bone.

"I never said that."

"You don't have to. I know you loathe the idea. You told me for years you weren't sure about having children of your own. Well, that's the duty of an Alpha's mate. To have babies for him. To give him heirs. If you don't have a baby soon, I'll have to look for someone who will." Gil jerked away from me as I reached out. He strode out of the room and slammed the door behind him without looking back.

"Wait! Gil!" I rushed to stand but found myself staring dumbfounded at the door.

Alec's hand was on my arm again, halting me in my steps. My heart raced, and I was still shaking from Gil's outburst.

"Let him go. He doesn't mean it. Where else is he going to find someone as special and as capable of running things as you? He's just mad and impatient because you told him no."

"We're not in school anymore, Alec. He could be deadly serious. You don't think he'd do that, do you? Find another mate?"

"I doubt it." He led me back to my chair where I sat down, still shocked by Gil's threat. I was with Alec on this. I doubted Gil would do anything, but it was unsettling and had wrecked my nerves.

"Here." Alec placed a glass of cold water in front of me. "Drink. Don't let him get you down like that. He's just trying to push his authority on you."

"Thank you." I swallowed a few mouthfuls before replacing the glass back on the table. "It's been so tense since his father died. And it didn't help that I snuck into the MarkTier palace. He's mad because I could've been killed, and I'm sure he doesn't trust me as much now. I understand that, but he's not telling me things anymore either. I can feel it. His lies stab me in the heart. Why? He knows I'll know when he's lying. He's never been good at hiding his emotions. Why would he risk that?"

"Because he's upset. Just let things settle. It'll be all right."

I closed my eyes and nodded. "I guess. I just feel like everything is not working out right."

"Give it time."

"I will." I sighed and looked at Alec once more. "What were you saying before we were interrupted?"

"Oh, it can wait. Nothing important." He gave me a soft pat on the hand before turning away to leave.

"Okay," I breathed out, trying to calm my shaking body. "We'll finalize things for the ceremony later. I'm going to be lying down if anyone needs me."

"Yes, m'lady. Rest well."

Chapter Twenty

Ephrem

"Hold on." I kissed the top of Lily's head and headed for the bedroom. Our bedroom. It was surreal to think that she was here with me for the long haul. Her banishment was a cruel twist of fate, but to be told it was a permanent situation made me realize some things happened for a reason. This thing between us could actually work. Her and I. I intended to marry her, banishment be damned. She was my mate, and I felt it down deep inside that it was the only thing that was real. It was everything.

"What are you doing?" Lily called after me. I had a surprise for her, and I didn't want her to see what I'd gotten until the last minute. I'd spent hours looking for it, but when I finally found it, I knew it was perfect.

"Hang on. You have to promise to close your eyes before I come back in," I requested.

Her moans made me confident she was listening. When I returned, I relished watching her with her eyes closed. Her face was twisted in frustration, but the stress from before was gone. It was a different concern etched across her face, but I wanted to make it all go away. Even though she'd protest and I knew that I could face permanent banishment from the MarkTier Outlands Legion, I didn't care. I'd risk it all for her. She was worth every one of the consequences.

"What is it? You're killing me here!" Her hands waved in the space between us, and I clasped my free hand over one of her wrists.

"Patience, my love." I bent forward and kissed her impossibly soft lips, gently at first, but with increasing pressure and urgency. Her mouth was sweet like candy, and I couldn't get enough of it. I had to force myself away, for I knew if I kept going, I'd never stop.

She was a drug that stirred my most primal needs.

"Okay." I settled next to her and held up the box. "Open your eyes."

She obeyed. Her eyes first met mine and then slowly slid down to the small velvet box in the palm of my hand.

"What is it?"

"Open it."

She hesitated, glancing from my hands to my face, a glint of exhilarated fear dancing in her pupils. I held my breath as she reached over and plucked the box from my grasp. Anticipating what was to come, I said a silent prayer to get the reaction I craved from her. In my heart, I knew it was what I really wanted, and I couldn't wait to see her joy from my gift.

The dark velvet box clicked open in her fingers, and she stared at the contents with increasing wonder. Moments passed as she continued to study the item. I could no longer hold my breath, and I exhaled slowly, waiting impatiently.

"Lily?" I asked. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I had to know what was running through her mind.

"Mm?" she answered, still staring at the box, entranced.

"I know things haven't turned out how you imagined them, but I know, deep inside in my heart, that I want us to be together, always. Will you marry me?"

Finally, she flicked her eyes up to me, as though she hadn't heard a thing I'd said. Her face was pale, fading from the flushed pink it'd been a moment before. It wasn't the reaction I'd expected, but I had to remember that nothing Lily had done since the trial was what I'd predicted.

She'd gotten a job at the diner, not the bookstore, where I thought she'd like it better. It would've been a quiet place where she could work in a pleasant atmosphere, but she'd chosen the chaotic mess at the diner. Granted, it was a well-oiled machine and would keep her busy, but I couldn't quite pinpoint why she'd want to be there. She wasn't entirely unrecognizable to the public, but her hair wasn't the same color as before, and the media were forbidden to seek her out in the city, so she was pretty much left alone. The only thing I could figure was that she wanted the stimulation. Something to exhaust her so she didn't have to think about the unpleasant in the middle of the night.

Nothing like passing out cold to keep yourself from being run ragged over by thoughts you can't do anything about.

"Lily?" The silence was maddening, but she was lost in her head as she turned the ring with her fingers to let the light catch on each of its facets. "Are you all right?"

She nodded and replaced the ring into the tiny black box without trying it on. She snapped the lid shut and held it out to me.

"I love you, Ephrem, but I can't marry you right now. I'm sorry. I want to. Really, I do. I've never felt this way about anyone, but the timing is all wrong."

She pressed the velvet box into my hands and got to her feet. Folding her arms, she walked to the window and stood staring out into the street. It was raining again, as it usually did in Temple, and the raindrops played a shadowy dance across her pretty face. Her brown eyes shined against the muted daylight seeping through the gray clouds. They flitted across the scene down below, and I fought against the feeling of crushing disappointment in my stomach.

Sucking in a deep breath, I stood.

"Take all the time you need. I'm here for you. You know that, right?" I joined her at the window and slipped my arms around her svelte body. It fit into mine like a puzzle piece. We were meant for each other, she had to know this. I knew it down to my marrow that it was true. The question was, did Lily know it too?

I hoped she did. I needed her to, but I wasn't the kind of guy who would force something on a woman. She'd have to come to me with an open heart and mind, willingly. Right now, her mind was closed up, watertight.

"I'm so sorry, Ephrem. I don't even know why I feel like I need more time. It's just... everything happened so fast. I don't even know who I am out here in the Outlands. Princess Lilliana is gone forever. All I'm left with is a bunch of broken pieces scattered about that I have to pick up all by myself. I know you want to help, but it's something I need to do for myself. I love you, but I need to find out who I am now, without the royal part of it all. Who am I now?"

"You're still you. Just because you don't live in the palace anymore doesn't mean you can't be who you are. Nothing changes that. You're still here, and you're a strong woman. You'll get through this."

"I know." She sighed, reaching up to hold her forehead. I hoped I hadn't caused her a headache. For all I knew, she had been thinking about her life since the trial almost every waking moment. I didn't want to add to the stress of that transition. "It's just, I've always known where my life was headed in the palace. Out here, it's all foreign. The future has never looked so murky."

She waved her hand in the air venting her frustration. I understood, and yet I didn't. I'd have to let her do what she needed to, so I kept silent.

"I'll be back soon," I said. I threw on my guard's belt and pulled my back scabbard over my head. The familiarity of the sheathed sword resting against my back helped steady my emotions. With nothing more to do, I turned to her and pulled her closer to kiss her goodbye. "I'll see you later?"

She nodded and gave me a weak smile. I hoped my proposal wouldn't continue to give her any more anxiety. I'd wait for her forever. I'd already waited years. What's a few more?

Chapter Twenty-One

Lilliana

The night air was a mixture of ozone and damp concrete. I relished the feel of the cool air still infused with moisture from the earlier downpour. I was getting used to the frequent rain here, and it was moments like these that made me like it, moments when I could stand at the edge of a sidewalk, tilt my head back and breathe the fresh rain-infused air deep into my chest. It was head clearing, and I craved more. Especially after Ephrem's proposal. Maybe it was just how clean it smelled in the usually polluted city, but it was enough to re-energize me after a busy night at the diner.

The cars zoomed by as I waited for the signal to flash green so I could cross. The diner wasn't far from Ephrem's apartment, but I wasn't headed that way. It was early in the evening, and I needed more time to clear out the cobwebs clogging up my thoughts. A long walk through the city was what I needed. Luckily, I was getting to know what streets and narrows to avoid where the derelicts loved to hang out. This street was fairly safe, and I enjoyed the walk to the nearby Antes River. There was a park that ran along it, and I could feel the earth calling my name.

My fingers itched to touch trees, grass, and flowers... anything alive. There was a preserve on the ArcKnight palace grounds where the royals could shift and run freely. I missed the feel of the earth beneath my paws. There was no such sanctuary here. Even the park, with miles of semi-wilderness, would be too risky to shift in and run through.

When I was younger, I used to help my mother out in the garden at the edge of the preserve. I'd forgotten how much I loved the feel of the dirt under my fingertips. The earthy mulch and grit was more life-giving than the man-made concrete surrounding me now. Life and royal responsibilities always got in the way of enjoying the small things, and I had rarely gone back to the garden and preserve as an adult.

Now the urge to touch the ground had me tearing my shoes from my aching feet when I arrived at the park, just to walk barefoot on the soaked grass. Few things in life compared to how it felt to be one with the earth. I wondered if shifter wolves drew power from the ground. Had living in these concrete cities inhibited a deep carnal vibration that filled us with more magical potential than anything else? I knew this city had a supernatural affinity, but walking on the sidewalks did nothing to show its potential like walking barefoot on the very surface of the earth.

Like a skin-to-skin embrace, it fed my soul more than I could've imagined. I needed this, and it made me realize that it wouldn't be so bad out here—with Ephrem, of course. The turmoil inside had kept me from saying yes to him, but I didn't want to lose him. I decided I had to take him there one day so he could feel the flood of intoxicating power emanating from the ground. It was a wonder there weren't throngs of people across every square inch of the park.

I knew I'd have to go there every day for the rest of my time in the Outlands. It was the only way I would ever feel at home again.

"You're not human."

The voice came from behind a large oak tree, and its resonance chilled me to the bone. It was full of magic and made the goosebumps rise up across my skin. I peered around to get a good look at the person who'd spoken.

He stepped to the side so I could see him but remained in the shadows. His hair was a dark obsidian, and it framed his chiseled face. His eyes shined gray like the moon, making his black eyebrows and lashes stand out stark against his pale skin. He wore a fitted black sweater and snug black jeans that showed off his slender but athletic body. Shivering in my coat, I wondered how he wasn't freezing, for the night was several degrees cooler than it had been a half hour before. It didn't seem to bother him at all.

"Who are you?"

The clouds blocking the moonlight allowed a line of silver to shine through, piercing the thickness of the shadows and revealing more of his face to me. His jet-black hair touched his shoulders ever so slightly, and he walked with a slight limp I just barely noticed. I'd never before seen this man, even though I felt an odd sense of familiarity. He obviously knew I was something more than human, as was he.

"I apologize for approaching you like this, but I didn't know how to get you alone."

"What do you mean?"

"My name is Grayson. I'm a scout for the KelHan wolf pack. I've been waiting to meet you without the MarkTier prince around."

The KelHans? The pack name didn't ring any bells.

"Why would you do that?" I didn't get any closer. The hairs on my neck rose with each word he spoke. I racked my brain to try and remember the names of the various families I'd heard of over the years, but his pack's surname didn't come up. "I've never heard of your pack," I said, more than a hint of suspicion creeping into my voice.

"That's because we stay out of wolf politics and have remained isolated for a long time." He cocked his head to the side, which illuminated his eyes even more under the moonlight breaking through the cloud cover. They reflected back at me like a wolf's would, but he remained in human form. How did that happen without a partial morph? I didn't like the waves of menacing air drifting toward me. He obviously wanted to test my defenses, but I was more than up for a challenge this time. I could hold my own.

I pulled out my stick weapons. He needed to know I wasn't down with being messed with.

"Why come here then?"

"We are owed a debt, and we've come to collect."

"What sort of debt?"

"You're involved with the MarkTier royals, are you not?"

I narrowed my eyes. "What does that have to do with anything? It seems you need to be speaking to them directly."

He sneered, and the shine of madness gleamed in his dark eyes. The moonlight dimmed behind the clouds, but it felt more as though he was casting his shadow toward me, making the light disappear. He flashed a smile, with a glimpse of fangs, and I gasped. His canines were sticking out in a challenging manner as if he was preparing to fight. Shifters wouldn't flash their teeth like that unless they were about to tear into someone. I kept my senses on full alert.

I cursed to myself, realizing my shoes were still dangling from my fingertips and not on my feet. I reached down and slipped one on before hopping on the other foot without taking my eyes off him. Grayson's smile faded, but he didn't come any closer. I could've sworn he was amused, enjoying my struggle.

"I need Ephrem. You're close to him."

I scoffed. "What makes you think I would bring him to you?"

His narrowing eyes stabbed me in the chest. He gave off waves of magic I was unfamiliar with, and my mood darkened.

"You'll bring him to me because I have something you want."

"I doubt that," I muttered. There was only one thing I wanted, and it was to go home.

"Oh, you'd be surprised." He reached into his pocket and produced a small bracelet. It gleamed under the streetlights and seemed to emit its own light. I stared hard at it and couldn't look away. It was beautiful and unusual. The etchings in the metal glowed just a bit brighter than the rest of it. Something about it made my mind calm to a numbing, pleasurable hum while the world blurred around me. Even Grayson's voice came out muted.

"Put it on," he said as he held it out to me. I stepped forward, unaware of what I was doing. Even when I felt his cold fingers slide the silver bracelet onto my wrist, where it clamped down snug against my flesh, I didn't fight back. I couldn't. My desire to do anything but what he asked fled my mind, and now there was nothing but a blissful cloud of euphoria.

"That's right. You'll get me what I want. Lead him to the edge of the city via the northern gates and take him into the forest. If you do not, you'll suffer agonizing pain from the silver now poisoning your blood. It won't hurt for three days, but after that, you'll want nothing more than to die, and you'll beg for it. Bring him to me within that time, and I'll make sure it never hurts you. You'll act normally like nothing has happened until you bring him to me. Then you will belong to the KelHan pack forever. Understood?"

I nodded. Understanding wasn't exactly what I felt at the moment, but it penetrated my brain along with his threat, and the drive to appease his request was overpowering. I had to do as told or I would writhe in pain from silver poisoning until I died. I didn't want to die, did I? At that point, it was irrelevant. I didn't care either way. I just had to obey.

"Yes... I understand."

Chapter Twenty-Two

Rafaela

Tapping my fingers on the arms of my chair, I struggled to feel settled. The day had dragged on, and sitting around in court wasn't the most ideal way to spend my time. There was one last case I had to sit through, but I was far from invested in what was going on. I felt sorry for the petitioner because I was ready to end it. If he didn't have a good story in two sentences, he was out of luck for my favor.

I hated how Gil made me do these unsavory tasks. He should have been there, listening to the endless droning of petitioners with their constant problems needing fixing.

"The petitioner's representative, Alec StaNover of ArcKnight, please enter the room and state your case."

I straightened when Alec came through the rear door of the court. I was surprised to see him here because he hadn't told me he was coming or that he needed an issue to be resolved. Why I didn't know about this was baffling me. He was as close to a best friend as I had. I'd first met him when he was barely twenty and part of my father's advisory board. He'd always had a good head on his shoulders and was often the only one of the council who paid me any mind. He had always listened to my concerns and never brushed me off. He'd relay these problems or suggestions to my father and always gave me credit. I didn't doubt that the others wondered if he had a thing for me, but his flawless record, vast wisdom of the world and the workings of the army only helped him rise to first lieutenant and later general of the army of the ArcKnight palace.

It was this kind treatment which had caught my attention far before I married Gilbert. But Alec wasn't royalty and never would be. He was a nobleman, but nothing he could do would ever make him in line for the throne. Gil was the last of his line, and if I didn't produce an heir, he would be the last. When a royal couple cannot produce an heir is the only time the ruling Alpha can choose a non-royal successor.

I often wished Alec had been my husband. He understood me more than Gil ever had, but it wasn't meant to be, and it was a bittersweet fruit to swallow. As I watched him approach, his fit and lean body always well-conditioned from physical exertion, my heart involuntarily flipped inside my chest.

"Thank you, Magistrate. I have a very serious issue I have to deal with on behalf of our Alpha leader: Gilbert of ArcKnight." He moved his eyes to me. They were full of pain, not for him, but... for me?

My eyes widened. What was going on? Gil, again, had withheld information from me. Why would he send Alec to my court session without letting me know? I'd just seen Gil that morning, and he'd acted as though nothing was wrong as he prepared for the day. I couldn't believe it. My fury rose, mixing with hurt and a queasy sensation. This wouldn't be good at all, and I could already tell that I was in for a worse surprise than I could've ever anticipated.

I was going to kill Gil when this was all said and done.

"I have to duly note that one of the judges seated here today is in direct relation to this matter, and her opinion will be null and voided from the final judgment due to conflict of interest. Is that clear, m'lady?"

He was speaking to me. I opened my mouth but choked on the words. I wanted to hear what Gil had sent Alec about, but the dread that spun all around me told me it would be nothing good.

Clearing my throat, I nodded and finally managed to squeak out a response. "Yes, I understand."

"I understand," Alec confirmed after I spoke. He gave me a sympathetic smile before moving his gaze back to the magistrate.

"Magistrate Nathan, I, Alec StaNover of House ArcKnight have been sent by Gilbert of ArcKnight to lay before the council a most concerning situation of vital importance to our leader." He paused, his eyes back on me as he spoke, just as if he was speaking to me alone. I knew his words had been patterned by Gil, but the way he was saying them to me was more apologetic than anything else.

I braced myself for the worst. This was going to rip me to pieces. I already knew it.

"State the situation," Magistrate Nathan said, motioning for him to proceed.

Alec cleared his throat and managed to rip his gaze away again. He stared straight ahead, speaking the script my husband was forcing him to speak.

"It has been two months' time since our Alpha, Gilbert, and Princess Rafaela have been wed. They had been courting for two years prior to the marriage. This relationship has not sired any heirs for the royal lineage. Our leader is concerned that his mate may be barren and requests that the ban on polygamy for the Alpha be lifted in the hopes of conceiving an heir as soon as possible."

The rush of gasps and protestations rose up from the room. Stunned, I couldn't speak or breathe. My whole world had been upturned. How could Gil do this to me? No one in the ArcKnight line had ever requested a second wife or had ever had the need for one. I couldn't even wrap my head around this betrayal.

Magistrate Nathan slammed his gavel, beet red and visibly angry at the sudden discord in the room. "Silence!"

The noise died down, but I was screaming on the inside. Now I knew what Gil really thought of our relationship, and it was crushing.

"Does the petitioner have any medical evidence of his mate's barrenness?" he asked.

Alec didn't squirm or even flinch at the request. He produced a letter folded in thirds and held it out to the officer of the court for presentation to the magistrate.

"His Royal Majesty, Gilbert of House ArcKnight, has supplied the queen's medical records as evidence."

"What?" I scoffed. "This is absurd! I've never been tested for infertility. Whatever he is showing you has been falsified!" I gripped the edges of my chair until I was certain the wood had become one with my flesh. This was insanity. Gil should have his head checked for bringing such obscene allegations against me.

Yet, my heart was breaking. How dare he?

Magistrate Nathan looked over the creased paper, ignoring my outburst. He stared down his nose, through his glasses, as he scrutinized the document. I felt my heart skip beats and my head spun while I waited for his analysis. If he approved Gil's request for a second mate, my chance of getting pregnant would be reduced to zero. It was insulting and devastating at the same time. How could he do this behind my back when I'd done nothing but love him with the deepest devotion a mate could ever give to another? Why didn't he just divorce me?

I swallowed back the tears threatening to flow. I hated the thought that because he was Alpha, he had the power to request a test on me without my consent. Every time I went to the doctor, I never suspected this could ever happen. I'd trusted him, but now that was all gone. He'd taken my heart and trashed it. Kicked it across the field like a practice ball to receive all the abuse before the one used for the game would be presented, all shiny and new.

I was defeated if the magistrate granted Gil's wish.

I glanced over at Alec and found a reserved sadness shining across the surface of his eyes. He was hurting for me, and he was letting me know it. Years of friendship had taught me the small signs of emotion he let escape from his expression. It was just enough for me to see how he felt about all this, and I was able to breathe again. He calmed me without any words. He was merely a pawn in a game we'd both been forced to play.

He didn't break our connection as we waited but instead willingly accepted my grief. He gave me the tiniest of nods before bowing his head slightly. His respect was there, and he was more ashamed of the situation than Gil would ever be. Alec was my lifeline. Him, not my husband. I couldn't count on Gil any longer, and that realization was bittersweet.

"It appears the result is legitimate. Queen Rafaela may examine it now." Magistrate Nathan handed the creased paper to the court guard who then brought it for me to look at. I stared at the paper, complete with the Temple City Laboratory & Research Operations logo embossed into the paper. It was definitely authentic. To have confirmation that my husband had gone behind my back to have me tested for something I hadn't ever thought of as a problem was degrading. I'd never forgive Gil for this insult. Never.

"This is ridiculous." I crumpled the paper and tossed it behind me. I straightened, composing myself to remove all traces of the grief that had fought its way to the surface of my face. "It's absolutely absurd."

My mouth tingled as the blood rushed to my face and my fingers turned marble white squeezing the arms of my chair. Everything turned numb as I waited for the verdict. It wasn't as if I didn't already know the magistrate's answer to this situation. I was more helpless at that moment than I'd ever been in my entire life. I'd been caught weaponless, and Gil had struck me down. It was all over now. Everything we'd built had been burned to ashes, and there was nothing to do but grin and bear it.

"Unfortunately, this was initiated by the concern and request of our Alpha. With the surrounding circumstances and the urgent need for an heir, I am inclined to grant the Alpha his request for a second mate. This matter will be revisited once an heir is conceived, by either Queen Rafaela or the as-yet-unknown second mate. The court is adjourned for today."

The crack of his gavel should've made me jump, but instead it felt like my soul fracturing. I couldn't believe it. I'd lost against Gil. He'd completely deflated me in less than ten minutes without even being present.

The crowd slowly departed, full of sympathetic looks, but I remained seated, ignoring their faces. I feared my legs would fail me if I stood now. Falling gracefully was impossible. That was all I needed. Humiliation upon humiliation. No, thank you. I could sit there all night if I had to.

"M'lady?" A voice cut through my thoughts, so I lifted my head to find Alec standing next to me offering out a hand. "Let's go."

My lips quivered, and the very real fear that I'd burst out into tears before getting to my chambers was more frightening than anything else. The only thing I could manage was a shake of my head.

I can't go back there with Gil. I can't.... I swallowed down a sob.

You don't have to.

My eyes widened, and the sheen in my eyes gave way to a single teardrop trailing down my cheek. He cupped my cheek and wiped away the tear with a finger.

He could hear my thoughts. But how?

"Alec?"

He kept his hand on my cheek while moving a finger to his lips to silence me.

Don't speak. I know you can't go back. I've readied the largest guestroom for you. As for our ability to speak to each other in our heads, you can't let anyone know about this. Agreed?

I nodded, taking his hand and slowly rising on my wobbly legs. With his assistance, I managed to step down from the dais and walk out of the courtroom. No one would think much of him holding me up. The verdict had probably already spread to the high winds, and I was expected to look upset and distraught in one way or another.

What do I do now? I thought.

We'll figure it out. Let's get out of here first.

I exhaled as we left, feeling more like myself again. Truth be told, it was calming to be in Alec's presence. This telepathy of his was awkward but useful. I was glad I had an ally in all this mess, for it was going to take a war to set things right.

I curled my hand into a fist. I was more than ready to fight.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Ephrem

Walking the streets of Temple City during yet another rainstorm was cathartic in ways I couldn't explain. The tapping of droplets against the hood of my rain jacket gave me peace when there were so many things flying around inside my head. The smell of soaked asphalt and clean ozone were revitalizing as I made my way down my nightly patrol route. I had hours to go before my shift was over, but it never bothered me to wander the streets. It could be worse. I could be held up in the MarkTier palace like my brother, Etan the current Alpha of the MarkTier pack, bored with politics and the incessant banter about rules and regulations. I didn't envy his life one bit, even with the suffering I'd had to go through for things to be the way they were.

Etan still wasn't used to his position. My father had abruptly stepped down from the throne, and Etan had only recently taken over as Alpha. He hadn't even been required to marry beforehand. It was a curious thing, and something we were all still trying to understand, but my father had so far remained silent on his reason for abdicating.

I made my way out of the center dominated by tall skyscrapers and condominium buildings, and the avenue opened up to the central park area where the river ran through the city, swelled with rain. It rushed past in turbulent rapids, deadly and unstoppable. I wondered how many had lost their lives in its freezing embrace, pulled down below, their lungs filling with water with every toss and spin. There were probably more than anyone would care to admit. Nameless victims, forgotten as quickly as the passage of the torrent.

A chilling sense of being watched swept over me, and I scanned the darkened horizon for the culprit. The park was empty. Nightfall and bad weather always kept people indoors. One had to be a fool to be wandering about in the soaking rain like me. I was used to the rain, and it was a comfort in the isolation of night more than anything else. But I wasn't alone tonight, and the feeling of something unnatural with a touch of dark magic unfurled itself as a swirl of fog began crawling across the park toward me.

Even I knew when it wasn't wise to be alone.

I walked away toward the looming buildings ahead of me. I needed backup before investigating the park. It was unusual supernatural activity, and I was pretty sure it was up to no good. Passing the first building, I turned to stare back at the phenomenon and decided it was definitely artificial; the fog swirled at the edges of the park but didn't extend beyond it.

I reached the shelter of an awning and pulled out my phone. I dialed my friend Jason, who was also on patrol; hopefully he was nearby.

"Yo," he answered.

"Hey, I have a suspicious fog forming in the park near the western side of the city."

"Citadel Center?"

"That's the one."

"I'm three blocks away. Where you at?"

I'm at the corner of Fourth and Anubis."

"Be there in two."

The click of the line let me know he was on his way. I stuffed the phone back into my jacket and continued to study the fog bank. It seemed to stall for a few minutes. Was it watching me? I could feel the prickle of eyes on me once more. I couldn't shake off the uneasiness, but I wouldn't risk entering it alone. This buddy system had kept me and my friend Jason alive many times, and we weren't about to abandon it if it worked.

"What do you have for me?" Jason jogged up, jumping up from the soaked street and onto the damp sidewalk to join me under the awning. He was as drenched as I was and turned to eye the park when I pointed in that direction.

"What do you think of that fog? It's watching us. I don't know how I know that, but it doesn't move like a normal fog would, and it's emitting some kind of coarse energy."

Jason studied the haziness, scratching his goatee as he assessed the situation.

"You're right. It's strange. Almost feels like a pack."

I nodded but didn't look in his direction. I was leery to let my gaze wander from the fog. It licked the edges of the street as if it was thinking about spreading, yet it didn't. It did give off a pack essence, but I saw no one near it or us. Nor did I smell any wolf shifters nearby. How was it possible for a pack to have an unnatural talent to affect the weather like that?

Jason growled, a low rumble in his throat, as he flared his nostrils.

"Whatever it is, it wants us to go into it," he said. He turned toward me, and I noticed that his eyes shined with an unnatural golden glow as they morphed into his wolf aspect. He'd maintained his human form but had changed just enough to enhance his senses of sight and smell. We both sniffed the air, but it held nothing more than the ever-present damp city smell.

I didn't know why the thought filled my mind, but something I'd learned in school returned to me just then. "You don't think they're back, do you? That one wolf pack that was banished centuries ago?" I didn't elaborate, knowing my comrade would know what I was talking about.

"Never know. The energy in this place attracts all sorts of unsavory types, even the ones never allowed to return."

There were the legends, of course: an unusual pack who didn't turn into just wolves but could also transform into flying stone-like creatures. They could manipulate nature in a way no pack ever had. Of course, they'd been banished from the MarkTier stronghold centuries ago and had never been heard from again.

A wolf gargoyle pack.

The thought made me shudder. Could they still exist? If they had returned, I had to notify the council immediately. They were yet to be in violation of the terms of banishment if they remained in the Outlands part of Temple, but how much longer before they broke that condition? If they had come this far, what was to stop them from returning to the MarkTier stronghold?

It worried me, but I was getting ahead of myself.

"Time to check it out." Jason motioned me forward, and we split up. He'd went left and I took the right. This way whoever was behind this couldn't catch us both at the same time. Still, we didn't stray too far apart so we could keep track of one another.

I pulled out my sword and prepared to fight. Whatever was causing the fog was beckoning to us, and I wasn't about to willingly hand my ass right over to an enemy.

I strained my memory to remember all I'd read about the wolf-gargoyles. They'd been banished for stealing dark magic inside the palace grounds. They were supposedly the ones who had cursed the city of Temple with its rainy weather. It was the type of weather they preferred, but they had left town for an unknown destination, and the gloom had remained.

Their pack had been assimilated into the MarkTier pack a long time ago when their Alpha was defeated by ours. That was the extent of the history taught to us, but I knew there was more. I faintly remembered something about them being able to turn into stone and fly, like gargoyles. Angels of stone and death. That was the tale told to me by a nanny when I was younger.

They carried swords of dark obsidian and were cursed to roam only during the night as gargoyle warriors or in their human form. During the daytime, they used to be regular wolf shifters, but once they were cursed, they were turned to stone under the sun's light. It was an odd story whose origins had been lost long ago, but like everything else unusual around these parts, I assumed there was some truth behind it. It was said that some of them would situate themselves as statues, but others would hide and then hunt in the Outlands during the night.

What had banishment done to them? Had isolation driven them to the brink of insanity or made them desperate to seek vengeance?

I motioned to Jason, but he shook his head. Nothing was going on. No one was there. Nothing but the dismal fog that appeared to be watching us as closely as we were watching it. Not convinced it wasn't malicious, I reached toward the mist, feeling the energy within it excite as I got closer.

"I wouldn't touch that," Jason said as he jogged to my side. "Heard reports of acid rain falling. This could be full of that crap."

I lowered my arm and laughed. "Acid rain?" I wrinkled my nose at the fog as it suddenly withered away, retreating into the park. Was that a low-sounding groan I heard along with it? "I don't know about that, but it looks like it's moving away anyway."

We both watched it dissipate into the forest until nothing but the regular gloom of moisture floated about. The feeling of being watched receded with the fog, but I wasn't through investigating this phenomenon. I had some research to do on this banished pack that had once belonged to my family's coalition. It was curious that the fog had reminded me of the gargoyle pack. I was almost positive it meant something, and Etan had to be warned, just in case.

"Come on," I said to Jason. "It's time to pay my brother a visit."

Chapter Twenty-Four

Lilliana

I watched the sunrise through the window in Ephrem's living room. It was our living room now, but I wasn't quite used to calling it that yet, even though I'd been there for months. Funny how things had turned out for me. I'd never hurt anyone in my entire life, yet here I was banished forever from my childhood home. The homesickness crawled up my chest and swelled in my throat, making it hard to breathe.

Large tears tickled my eyes, and I fought to keep them from falling. I was sure my face was a blotchy mess. My fair skin always looked horrid when I cried. I would have to wash up soon and crawl into bed before Ephrem came home. I'd rather he never see me like this.

My heart was pounding underneath my breastbone while my ragged breathing choked underneath as I struggled to get through this rage quietly. Rafaela was still in the royal palace, and the last I'd seen of her was her stoic face as Alec held her up before they walked away toward the ArcKnight limo. It was her image on the news when it was announced her husband would take a second mate that broke the dam of tears.

I missed my sister. I couldn't believe I wasn't there to comfort her.

She was all I had left. My mother was there, but I'd never been particularly close to her. I was hoping Rafaela had the wits to manipulate things at court, but seeing her pale, shocked face after the recent decision regarding her own future told me I was far from her thoughts right now. Gil was going to have his hands full dealing with her wrath. At least she had the comforts of home to help her through this hard time. Mother was there. Hell, even Alec, who was more family than anything else, would see her through any hardships she would have to deal with.

But I was alone. Save for Ephrem, there was no one in the Outlands who had my back. It was disconcerting.

My head was spinning and filled me with nausea I couldn't shake. I jumped off the bed and ran to the bathroom to throw up. Flushing down the contents, I washed my face and stared at my pallid reflection in the mirror. Dark bruises under my eyes made me look like I was either anemic or hadn't slept for weeks. I couldn't deny that I hadn't gotten much rest since my banishment, but my body felt worn out like I was fighting off some internal battle and sorely losing. Maybe I was just sick, but I wasn't one to get ill often.

Blood trickled down out of my nose and dripped into the sink. I reached up to touch my face, feeling the warm blood against my clammy skin. Grabbing a wad of tissue, I held my nose tight to stifle the dripping.

I never got bloody noses. Something felt odd, and my skin was crawling like a thousand ants crept just underneath the surface. There was something tugging at my mind that I couldn't quite put a finger on. Something had happened that evening that I couldn't recall. Something was wrong, but what was it?

Squeezing my eyes shut, I made my way to the bed and leaned against the headboard. The entire night was a foggy blur. My memory was so hazy, I wondered if I'd been drinking. Drinking had never been a habit I'd gotten into, but if I had, would it have explained the blackout? I couldn't be sure, but my head was pounding as I rested my head on the hardwood design of the headboard. I couldn't lie down yet; I didn't want to swallow gobs of blood. Instead, I gathered the pillows on the bed and stacked them behind me.

Settling back, I checked my nose. It had stopped bleeding, along with the constant spinning of the room. I hoped it wouldn't come back. Whatever was ailing me slowly receded after I closed my eyes and sank back into the mountain of pillows. I couldn't wait to see Ephrem and longed to have his strong muscular arms around me while he whispered words of love. He'd make sure I was okay. If only he'd return.

Grayson. I had to tell Ephrem about Grayson.

No. He'd forbid me to seek him out again. Besides, Grayson wanted something from Ephrem, didn't he? Well, I needed more information from Grayson first. I groaned in frustration. Something was off about this whole thing, but my current state of confusion wasn't helping me remember.

Ephrem would do anything for me. I felt it in the core of my body. He would. Wouldn't he? I hoped so, for there was something I had to ask him. Something he would have to believe for him to follow wherever it was I would take him, whether to the ends of the world or deep into the dangerous places that existed in this lonely place.

Something told me he would follow me anywhere. I was counting on it, but I couldn't remember why this was so important to me at the moment. I needed sleep. That was it. The endless night had eaten up the last of my energy. Luckily, I didn't have to work in the morning. There was no way I could handle the bustle of the diner. I would get the rest I needed to do what I had to do.

Whatever it was I had to do...

Chapter Twenty-Five

Rafaela

I pulled the shawl around my shoulders as I stared out over the palace grounds and beyond the massive wall that separated the ArcKnight stronghold from the rest of the city of Temple. It was obscene in size, but necessary to keep us safe. My home was acres wide and took up most of the northern side of the city. The tower I stood in was the tallest point of the palace, and I could see beyond the wall, past the city to where the wall of the MarkTier stronghold began. It ran for miles in both directions, a perfect reflection to ours, and just as intimidating.

Between walls lay the enormous city that could rival the world's largest. It never failed to amaze me how this vast city held so much power within its boundaries. Beyond the wall, in the Outlands, my sister roamed. I could feel her longing inside, troubling my spirit along with Gil's betrayal.

Sometimes I thought it might be better on that side of the wall. Lawless, ungoverned but free. Dangerous, chaotic, but never suppressed. As the Alpha's mate, I was bound to so many rules, customs and laws, it was impossible to understand where I stood in the hierarchy of it all.

Women were considered equal and could rule as Alphas too. It didn't matter if this situation had been reversed and I had requested a second mate. I probably would've been granted one if my mate tested with low fertility. But I would've never asked for such a thing. To have done that to me was unforgivable. If Gil did find another mate, it would send a crack down the center of my heart.

Never hold on too tight. Never love more than you are loved. I'd forgotten the things I had told myself and learned from watching others' hearts break.

How naïve I had been to think I'd be immune to such devastation.

"You called me, m'lady?" Alec's voice echoed behind me, but I didn't turn from the scenery.

"Yes. Thanks for coming. I need to ask you something." I ripped my gaze from the city and turned toward Alec. His dark eyes were fixed on me as he patiently waited. His dark hair had grown some, and I wondered if he was letting it grow longer. Some soldiers kept it long and pulled back at the nape. It was a personal choice. I'd never seen him with longer hair, and it made me realize how little I knew about his personal life.

"Please, sit." I waved toward a pair of chairs nearby. A tray set with tea and finger sandwiches was waiting on a table where I'd had the servants place it earlier. I rarely sat in my rooms alone with Alec. Most of the time we were in the conference room, and it was always about business.

I was tired of business. I needed to know more about Gil and try to set in motion a plan to change things. Who better to help me than Gil's right-hand man? I felt guilty asking Alec to help me, but he was the only person I trusted enough to ask the unthinkable questions. He knew more about the workings of the ArcKnight stronghold than Gil did, and if there was a chink in anyone's armor, Alec was the person to ask about it.

"We never speak informally, in your chambers," Alec observed as I poured us both some tea and offered him the sandwiches. The curiosity in his face lifted my spirits. It was comforting to know he was interested in what I had to say. It was rare to find that in a man, especially in a pack hierarchy, even when women were considered equal. There were always those opposed to the modernized ways of running things.

"I know. I think it's refreshing. Don't you?" I smiled.

He tipped his head in a nod but didn't touch the tea or sandwiches. "What's bothering you, Ella?"

"Have you ever heard of an Alpha being stripped of their title?" I leaned back, ready to hear his opinion on the subject.

Moments passed as he studied me. He didn't look surprised but was eyeing me for information. I didn't give him any. Instead, I took the same amount of time to avoid his gaze. I knew if there was someone I couldn't bullshit, it would be him. He knew me better than my own husband did, and I wouldn't be able to hide any of my intentions once I looked up. I needed his honest outlook on things, but more than anything, I needed him on my side first.

"Yes."

My eyes snapped up to meet his and found them twinkling with the excitement contained within.

"And? How was it done?"

He hesitated, not because he was afraid to tell me what he knew, but because he was a cautious man, and each moment told him more about my plans than any words ever could.

"First of all, this isn't ever to be taken lightly. Second, it's only been done once before."

"In the ArcKnight pack?"

He nodded. "I need to know something first, Ella, before I tell you how to do it. I need you to be perfectly honest."

How easily he made me wait to hear what I wanted to know.

"Of course. What is it?"

"If you decide to do this, there's no going back. Severing the ties of an Alpha to his pack will be detrimental to all involved. The Alpha is basically demoted to nothing and is left shattered. It's an unforgivable action, and it leaves the house divided, no matter how delicately it is treated. I need to know that you're willing to risk it all; your life, your heart, your husband...."

He lowered his eyes to the ground when he said the last part, and I wondered what more he wanted to say.

"And you'll have to pick a new mate before you even start. Someone who will challenge Gil for you and win." Now he was looking at me with an intensity I could feel penetrating my soul. It took my breath away.

I let the words percolate in my head for minutes, looking away as I finally exhaled the breath I was holding. I was elated that he was already on my side by willingly offering concern about what I wanted to accomplish. Anyone else would have arrested me for treason, but Alec wasn't that kind of person, and I was counting on it.

"I understand." I finally answered.

His breath filled the space between us as he collected his thoughts. I'd never seen Alec nervous, but this was the closest I'd ever gotten to see him fidget. It was amusing, and I wanted to see more of this vulnerable side of him. He, who was so composed and sure of himself, was nervous when it came to speaking about overthrowing his leader and me finding a new mate.

I wondered if he knew who I would pick.

"All right. It's not going to be easy, but it's quite possible for you to challenge him for the Alpha position and win. You've got the advantage of the popular vote, especially after Gil publically humiliated you." He paused, checking to see if he'd offended me before continuing. "You definitely have the sympathetic female vote and a ton of people are on your side. You're their favorite, that much is definite."

He was back in business mode, and I already missed the vulnerable side. I wanted to see it again. I knew the only way to get it was to surprise him and jolt him out of his comfort zone once more.

"I want you to be my mate." I waited calmly after I spoke. His lips parted as he swallowed the upcoming words and peered back at me. Speechless, I prayed he would say something soon. Even though I'd wanted to shock him, the silence was nerve wracking.

"I—I, um...." He stumbled on his words. I had caught him completely off guard. Good.

"It's all or nothing. Are you with me?" I asked softly, closing my eyes. If he rejected my proposal, I didn't know what I was going to do. He was the only one I had ever considered for the position, and there really was no one else I wanted for a mate. My heart felt like it was going to burst in those eternal moments as it seized in my chest and the air seemed to grow thin. I swore my lungs threatened to shrivel down to nothing.

He couldn't say no, could he? Had I ever doubted his feelings for me before? Never had I thought of it more than I did now, and the possibility that he could reject our future together after all we'd been through would be worse than Gil's betrayal. How had it come to this point? How had I married the wrong man and believed with all my soul in the worst choice of mates? I could've ended it long ago, even with a betrothal in place. We were free to marry who we wanted if the match wasn't well paired. I could have done it years ago when I first realized Alec had feelings for me. But I would have never been a royal. Instead, marrying Alec would have made me just a noblewoman.

But I hadn't, and there I was, with my heart in my hand and ready to take the fall. Now we could challenge Gil for the throne and rule together.

I squeezed my eyes shut. His silence was maddening.

Warm lips pressed to mine, interrupting my thoughts, and the rustle of Alec's movements as he took me into his arms finally gave way to a rush of breath. The way he kissed me made the world tilt on its axis, and I'd never felt such exhilaration. I kissed him back with every cell of my being, and I never wanted him to let me go.

He was the first to pull away and gaze into my eyes.

"I'll be your champion. My answer is yes. It was always you, Ella. Always. I never thought I'd be able to tell you, but it's always been all or nothing for you."

Chapter Twenty-Six

Ephrem

The council's conference room in the MarkTier palace was stifling. It was a place I did not frequent often. Banishment included exclusion from all political matters unless it had to do with the security and protection of the royal palace. Yet, here I was, facing my brother Etan, with the elders surrounding us. Their suspicious eyes bore down upon us as they observed our discussion from their seats. The table was U-shaped and every one of them had their glares fixed upon us.

Never was I more relieved that it wasn't my job to appease them and inform them of all matters concerning House MarkTier. Poor Etan. Being the first born brought with it an incredible number of disadvantages. I wasn't one bit envious of him.

Alderan, one of the council's youngest but most outspoken members, waved his hands in the air, perturbed. "You're speculating. The KelHan pack has not been seen around these parts in over a century. They are most likely all dead out in the forests of California or up in Oregon. This is insanity to believe they've come back."

"We've presented as witnesses to what we saw. It's possible they are planning something malicious, but we can't approach them without backup. The park is on MarkTier territory, but I need permission to engage so as not to break any agreements in place between the packs." They were trying my patience, but I held my tongue as I waited for their response. It wasn't a matter of if the pack was back. They were. So what was the issue here?

"Request denied. You will not engage in any kind of contact with these strangers. I am not convinced they are the KelHans. More evidence is needed."

"And if we are wrong about this, Alderan?" Marianne, one of the oldest women on the council, leaned forward, her face hardened and concerned.

"Marianne, if they dare return, they would suffer grave consequences. Their lives would be forfeited for breaking the terms of their banishment. I'd like to think they wouldn't risk such a thing."

"But what of the slim chance they do risk it?" Jason asked. "What if they no longer have anything to lose?" He was standing next to me, and it looked like he was grinding his teeth down to nubs as he listened to the council.

"And what do they have to gain?" Alderan asked. "It's all speculation. If they do return, then so help us all. They are demonic and cursed. They were in their infancy when banished from our lands. The extent of their powers is unknown. It wouldn't be a pleasant reunion, to say the least."

"Then we can't risk not taking action now," I demanded. Glancing around to the council, I could tell I wasn't the only one feeling this way. But Alderan, despite his relative youth, had risen as the leader of the council. Nothing got approved without him saying so. It was downright annoying when he was obviously wrong.

"That is not up to you to decide." His eyes bore into me, daring me to keep arguing.

There was nothing more to say. I backed off and lowered my head as he dismissed the court and the elders. It would earn me a night in the brig to continue, so I yielded.

"Come on, man. Time to hit the road." Jason placed his hand on my shoulder, urging me out. I shook my head, not believing the council could be so naïve. Well, not all of them. Many held a reserved concern in their eyes as they emptied their seats. The good it did me.

I spotted my brother waiting on the sidelines for me, sympathy ebbing from his eyes.

"Etan?"

"I can't help you. You know that."

"I know. But the KelHans are here. I swear to it. This could be bad. They'll come for you. They could destroy everything before we can be ready to fight back." I glowered at the last of the elders leaving their seats. "They'll come for us all, and when they're done, they'll go after the ArcKnights too. Then what?"

Etan's silence and somber expression were answer enough.

I shook my head. It was useless to plead my case.

"What happened? You were always so gung-ho to get shit done and do it your way when we were younger. Now you're an empty shell taking orders from everyone but yourself. Where's the brother I sacrificed myself for? I bled for you and here you stand, a coward still."

"I can't help you!" Etan snapped. "Even if I wanted to!" His own frustration swam across his face. I loved my brother, but I knew he had his hands tied. His lack of fight reignited my anger in ways I'd never expected. It tasted like acid on my tongue.

"You never wanted to help me," I snarled.

I couldn't hold back the pent-up rage which I'd kept locked up tight, deep in the crevices of my mind. Maybe I'd avoided facing these feelings for so long because I hadn't quite forgiven Etan for what happened in the Pit. His immaturity and impulsive ways were the reason I'd been a slave for so many years. Now, when I needed him to fight with me, he cowered in the corner like a dog for its master's command.

Pathetic.

Still shaking my head, I marched out of the room. The council could kiss my ass for all I cared. If they weren't going to help me, I had my own band of loyal soldiers who would, no matter what happened. There was one thing I'd gained from my time in the Pit, and it was the respect of every fighter, soldier and veteran in the MarkTier stronghold and in the streets of Temple. No one messed with Ephrem.

It was time to call in some favors.

***

There were others I could have called to the cause, but I didn't have time to negotiate with the pit masters at the moment. There were warriors all over Temple who'd fought alongside me and now sat in my gym chatting the morning away as we waited for the stragglers to arrive. Everyone had jumped at my request for help, and all were trained warriors, hardened by the very same pit that had forged me.

"All right, people," Jason's voice boomed across the crowd. "Let's get this started!" They were my friends, but he was my second-in-command for a reason. I was the strategic observer, always planning, always evaluating situations to the best of my ability. He was the voice of the campaign, the motivator and drill sergeant. Under him were his ranking officers chosen for specific purposes. The leaders were all MarkTier, but the crowd before us was a mixture of people from ArcKnight to MarkTier to just plain citizens of Temple. All were shifters of some sort, but only the wolves could belong to the royal packs.

"The KelHans were banished from our pack for a good reason. The archives state they violated a peace agreement with the MarkTiers. They stole magic that shouldn't have been theirs from the local magi and used it for their own devices. Unfortunately for them, the use of such magic came with a curse that affected their entire pack.

"This curse inhibits their transformation to wolves during the daylight hours and freezes them into stone. They usually take refuge on the edges of buildings, high above the streets, where no harm can come to them as they rest, encased in stone. During the night, they are free to roam as grotesque flying monsters."

"Whoa—wait," someone said. "They're gargoyle shifters?"

The crowd erupted in a rush of shocked whispers.

"Yes. They're wolf-gargoyle shifters now. The question is, why would they return now? Ephrem and I speculate they are here for vengeance, but they have no real advantage with the weakness the curse provides. On the other hand," Jason exhaled slowly, his face already projecting the bad news to come. "We can't confirm it, but we have reason to suspect the fog they have been creating near the edges of town is just a taste of what's to come."

The heads bobbed in agreement. The fog hadn't been an isolated phenomenon near the park. We'd learned that it had been spotted in all the forests surrounding Temple. It was this that brought the next concern up.

"We believe the fog will stretch over the city when they strike. It will block out the light of the sun to make the area an eternal night. With the sun gone, the KelHans will have the ability to transform at will into their gargoyle selves, as they do during the night."

The chatter rose again. Confusion, curiosity and not a little fear filled the faces before us. I didn't blame them for being afraid, but I had to get them focused or we'd lose perspective before we even got started.

"If they do cover the city with fog, countless civilians will be put at risk. We've therefore decided to strike at them first."

One of the warriors, a man named Luke, stood up from the crowd. He was a good friend of mine who'd often fought with me in the Pit. He was much like me and definitely erred on the side of caution. He'd been a mentor and helped me survive when I first started in the Pit as a young, naïve kid trying to fight for his life. I would have never made it out without his help, and I owed much to him. He was here out of loyalty and friendship, not for any owed debts.

"Won't that be dangerous?" he said. "We don't even know what we're facing. None of us have fought gargoyle shifters before."

"It will be touch and go when we start, but I urge everyone to pay attention to all their movements, fighting styles, and offensive maneuvers. The sooner we can pinpoint their strengths and weaknesses, the faster we can overtake them."

"All right, let's get this show on the road." Heads bobbed as Jason dismissed them to get ready. Weapons were handed out from my own private armory. I was no longer officially welcome in polite company, but as the brother of the Alpha, I still had limited access to the MarkTier palace. It had taken years, but I'd eventually been able to stock my armory without anyone blinking an eye.

Save up for a rainy day, right?

As I scanned the crowd, my chest swelled with pride. They hadn't come out of obligation but out of friendship and loyalty. These were my comrades, my friends. I knew each man's face, voice, and personal quirk. In the times when I'd been broken and bleeding, they'd had my back as I'd had theirs. There was no better company in dark times such as these.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Lilliana

I pressed my forehead against the cool window. The rain left large diamond drops sprayed across the glass. The clouds covered the sun, and the dismal gray light it let through wasn't enough to lighten the world's misery. It was fitting. This place was so often melancholy, it fit my current mood and state.

Pressing my hands together, I began wringing them until a creeping numbness crawled up my arms. What was wrong with me? There was something going on, and I could feel it fluttering in my veins. That man... Grayson. Who and what was he? He had cursed me or worse, infected my blood with some sort of manipulating poison. I couldn't breathe as I stood there watching the city awaken. There was nothing I could do to get rid of whatever he'd done, and there was only one thing left to do.

Waiting for Ephrem to return had been torturous. Even when he had finally arrived, I'd been nothing but silent as the hours passed. He'd rested, but sleep would not come for me.

I had to return to the park and seek Grayson out, discover what he wanted so I could rid myself of this dark magic. There was no one else who could help me, not even Ephrem. Even the pull to get him to come along wasn't enough for me to ask him to go with me.

I'd never risk him. Even though I should have told him what happened. No, it wouldn't have solved anything. It would have put him in danger. That was a certainty. Jumping to my feet, I paced the room until I swore I was wearing out a path on the wooden floor. I hated this feeling of helplessness.

"I have to go," I mumbled to myself. Ephrem had left again early. I swore the man never slept much. It made me miss him terribly. My body ached to feel his embrace, warm and tender. There'd been no one else who'd ever made me feel that way. The way his words whispered into my ear in the middle of the night when the need was strongest and our bodies craved each other's touch crept across my skin and dulled the crawling curse that now inhabited it. I hugged myself, the longing for his touch keeping me in place.

But he wasn't returning. I knew something big was happening out there that kept him so busy, and it made me wonder if it had anything to do with the KelHan pack. Maybe it did. Maybe he was already taking care of this mess and I didn't even know it.

Even so, I had to get back to the park and fix this now. I couldn't be a vessel for anyone's malicious intents. Grayson was going to pay for trying to use me to get to Ephrem. I'd rather die than give up my love. Grayson and his people meant nothing to me. They were not my family. They were barely human. I could feel the lack of spirit when I looked upon him. Whatever had happened to his people had left them empty, hollow, perverted. If they wanted Ephrem, they'd have to get him some other way, and I'd still be standing in their path.

I quickly showered and then forced down a dry breakfast of toast with jam. I was determined to get out into the city and find Grayson before Ephrem did. I strapped on my weapons and threw one last glance at my reflection in the bedroom mirror. The woman staring back at me had paled to a grey-white complexion, no longer looking human either. Gone was the soft humming pink underneath my cheeks and across my lips. I was now a faded version of Lily, and I hated it.

He had done this to me. Grayson. And only he could fix it. Whatever poison he'd managed to slip into me had to be purged, and I would beat him down until he removed it.

Grayson KelHan didn't know what wrath he'd incurred by messing with me.

***

The park was busy. People weaved in and out of it with screaming children despite the early morning rain. I guess the moisture didn't deter anyone, for rarely was it ever dry in the city of Temple. I wanted to laugh when I eyed the ever-present clouds high above the towers. Where was the sunshine, the life-giving light? How did these people live here and not notice what they were missing? It truly baffled me.

At least the fog wasn't in the park. It wasn't even lingering on the horizon. The clouds were up high after the drizzle and appeared exhausted of their load. Wrapping my coat around my body, I waited by the central fountain for any sign of the fog or Grayson. What if it didn't come during the day? I shaded my eyes and stared up at the thick cloud cover. It darkened the city enough that it could be dusk if I didn't know any better. Frowning, I decided to walk farther into the park where people tended to not wander. In places, the forest was too thick for comfort.

Once I'd entered the dense canopy of deciduous trees, I felt the shift. It hardened like crystals solidifying in thin air. The cold penetrated my coat, and I started to shiver. Tightening my coat and crossing my arms to hold in heat, I stepped farther down the path, feeling the woods watching me with a thousand pairs of eyes. I could still hear the distant murmur of the crowd, but it faded the farther I walked until only the haunting silence of the woods embraced me.

I thought I'd feel afraid, but I didn't. The agitation in my blood calmed with the sway of the trees and a strange sense of tranquility I'd been lacking since I'd met Grayson.

With the snap of a twig I jumped, spinning around, searching for anyone nearby. I could feel them, which was strange. It felt familiar, like the connection I had with my sister Rafaela. She wasn't there, though, and it wasn't exactly the same.

"Hello?" I called out to the forest. Only the lonely rustle of leaves returned my call as I waited for an eternity to hear anything else. Then, a faint scent found its way toward me. I had smelled it before, and I knew who was coming.

"Grayson? Are you there? I need to speak to you."

Silence. Why was he hiding from me now when he'd been the one to seek me out the other day? I swallowed hard, my mouth dry in spite of the moisture in the air.

"You have not kept your side of the bargain." The disembodied voice echoed through the trees as if it was part of them, the leaves, even the sky, and not of Grayson KelHan.

"What bargain?" I demanded of the emptiness. "You tricked me! You did something to me, and I want you to fix it!" The scent and feeling of a presence grew stronger as the wind lashed at my hair and froze my face, causing my eyes to tear up. I was shivering madly as the temperature dropped with each passing moment. The clouds could barely be seen beyond the thick canopy of branches and leaves swaying above. It was then that I realized I'd gone farther into the woods than I'd thought, and I was no longer on a path but deep in the forest without a way of knowing in which direction I had come.

How had that happened? I studied the woods, looking for any sign of the path, but there was nothing, no landmarks to be seen beyond the gigantic trees. They weren't as big as the redwoods I'd visited as a child, but they were definitely distant cousins of the giant trees. There was no hiding from whatever was coming. The branches were high above my head and out of my reach unless I shifted.

I didn't want to shift, but the icy wind was wearing me down. I'd have frostbite in no time if I didn't leave soon. Stumbling over some rocks, I began moving in the direction I thought the city was. No one was coming, so why wait for death?

"Don't go."

I paused, hearing Grayson's voice in the wind like a howl of pain.

"What do you want?"

He stepped out from behind an enormous tree on my right, wearing nothing but his shirt and dark jeans. His feet were bare and stark white while his hair flew up in wisps, making him look younger than he was. I couldn't put a finger on it, but something told me he was not mortal. This man was older than my grandparents. But how did I know that?

"I'm sorry for the discomfort you've felt as of late, but I've only awoken your own dormant magic. It calls to our blood now and won't rest until you know who and what you are." He tipped his head, watching me with studious eyes. "I only put a mere suggestion in your mind to bring Ephrem to me, though I see you're much too strong for that."

"What the hell are you talking about?" I backed away. I'd never been one to scare easily, but what he was saying felt like he was telling the truth. What did he know about me?

"Your parents, are they living?"

"My mother is. Why?"

"I'm surprised she never told you. Your father might have, perhaps, if he was still alive...."

"What about him? What did you do to me?"

I tripped on a stone, hitting my arm against another hard rock on the ground. The terrain under the leaves was treacherous, and I'd been naïve to not pay attention. Now my arm was burning with a violent pain.

"Shit!" It was broken. I could feel the bone shifting underneath my skin. It would heal faster than a human's would, and even faster if I shifted, but I wouldn't shift unless I had to. It was too draining to shift completely. I couldn't risk it yet.

"It should be fine in moments. The magic you've awoken is more powerful than any shifter's blood." He knelt down beside me and reached for my arm.

"Don't touch me!" I snapped. I tried crawling back, but my arm was badly broken. I pulled it out of my jacket with great effort, wincing at the jolt of agony but barely feeling the cold air because of the adrenaline coursing through me. Holding my arm out, I pushed my sweater up and noticed it was broken in two places, with a blossoming bruise already taking up half the arm.

Then a fire ignited in my blood, starting in my chest, and rushed toward my arm. I had just enough time to grip onto Grayson's arm and scream. He held fast, using his other arm to keep me upright as he pulled me in against his chest, cradling my arm with his own.

"Shh ..." He rocked as the inferno within my arm sent me into a state of panicked convulsions. I could feel the beckoning loss of consciousness tugging at me as I clamped my mouth down and moaned through my teeth. "It'll be over soon. I promise. Then I can show you what you really are. You'll be all right."

His words were anything but comforting. The pain was too much for me to attempt to speak, so I concentrated on staying and crushing Grayson's hand was a plus. The who'd done this to me was now saying it was my own magic? He must have his head screwed on wrong because there was no way my own powers could do this.

I heard a crack, and my arm shook. Just as suddenly as it had begun, the pain tumbled away until there was only a dull heat left in the spot where I'd broken the bone. Catching my breath, I let myself relax. I closed my eyes, exhausted from the pain, and barely noticed that Grayson was still holding me.

"What did you do to me?" I whispered. There was no energy left for harsher words, so I submitted to resting against Grayson. I'd deal with him later.

"I didn't do anything. You're a KelHan. Blood calls to blood. Our curse hadn't touched you since your family left before we were banished, but the powers we have still live inside you, once dormant but now very much alive. You, however, do not suffer its consequences."

"That doesn't make any sense. What powers?" My energy began to return. I'd never healed this fast. I was able to sit up within five minutes from something that would have knocked me out for days before all this happened. I reached up to feel my arm. It was perfectly straight and smooth; no swelling or bruising at all. How was it possible? I hadn't even shifted.

"Your family defected before the curse was placed upon us. The KelHan pack was aligned with the MarkTier pack for centuries. We thrived and lived in harmony. One day, our leader Gregory put into motion events that would change us forever. He stole an enchanted artifact from the MarkTier royals, which had been given to them by powerful magi.

"When he took it, he used its powers to try and overthrow the MarkTier royals and claim the queen as his own. But he wasn't yet strong enough, and when he used the power, the power of flight, he cursed his entire family. In exchange for the skies, we were made to spend the daylight in the guise of stone, frozen and unable to move... forever cursed as gargoyles. Even when we roamed the night, we were no longer beautiful wolves but grotesque monsters with wings."

I pulled out of his arms now that I could move and was feeling better. Still unable to get to my feet because of dizziness, I gave him a cold, pointed stare.

"You're insane to think I'd believe this garbage. You don't know my family at all!" I reached down to my belt and yanked out my hunting knife. I was still unable to move my injured arm fully, but I could use my other one quite well.

"It's the truth," he offered. He held his hands up in a show of peace, but I wasn't going to let my guard down around him again. Bad things happened around Grayson.

"How do you know that?"

He sighed, obviously thinking I'd be easier to convince. He quietly thought to himself before holding his hand out. "Give me your hand."

I hesitated, but after what I'd been through, I figured why not? I gave him my left hand, my good one. He cradled it in one hand and traced a symbol on my palm. The moment he lifted his finger from my skin, a rune began to glow in an eerie, bright yellow color.

"This is the mark of the KelHans. All descendants have it."

"What―?" I gasped.

My eyes widened as he showed me his. It was a different rune but had the same glow as mine.

"Yours is different," I pointed out, pulling his hand toward me to get a better look. It was a square with curved spikes extending inward and outward from each corner. Glancing at mine, I saw the same spike shapes but with a circle.

"Most of us are not from the exact same family. Like the MarkTier and ArcKnight packs, the KelHan pack consist of hundreds of families. Not directly related but part of the same pack."

I peered up into his eyes. They were a shiny, dark gray, like polished stone. There was no malice there now, but a deep-seated sadness which emanated from them, penetrating my soul. That look was a cold draft in the already frozen forest, but in spite of it, I felt warm.

"I'm not cold anymore," I said. I pulled away, swinging my eyes around to study the forest. It was still frigid, and the bite of the wind was still there, but it no longer bothered me. I held out my palms and stared down at them. My skin was not as pale as it had been earlier, but a faint hint of grey-blue could be seen beneath the surface. "What's happening to me?"

"Your gargoyle blood has stirred. The cold does nothing to us, but the stone color is from the curse. You'll look pale, but not as bad as the rest of us. We've dealt with the curse every day for centuries."

I looked at my hands again. "And what does this mean?"

"You can transform at will now."

"Transform into a gargoyle?"

He nodded. "A wolf-gargoyle."

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Ephrem

We searched the entire perimeter of the city, but the day had yielded nothing at all. The fog had made no appearance. I was sure it would come out later when it was dark, so I sent most everyone home to rest up. I retreated home myself to sleep for a couple hours. Exhaustion and lack of sleep were dangerous cohorts. Besides, I hadn't seen much of Lily in days and was missing her more than I'd ever dreamed.

I'd never rushed home before I had Lily. She was everything to me, but I doubted she knew how I felt. It bothered me that she'd been so distracted lately, but I let her have her space, knowing that to do otherwise would smother her. Lily wasn't the kind of woman who liked to be spoiled. At least not now. Maybe in her previous life at the palace.

I wondered what was going on with her. She'd retreated into her mind so much lately, rarely speaking of her thoughts and desires. Her cold shoulder was hard to take, but I didn't want to push. She'd come around eventually. I hoped.

"Lily?" I dropped my jacket on the couch as I entered our apartment. The silence seemed abnormally present. No response. I checked each room, but she wasn't there. I figured she'd gone out for a walk since she was off work. I hoped she'd return before I left again in the evening. I thought about calling her, but she needed her space, and I didn't want to interfere in her alone time, so I sent a quick, concise text instead.

Home for a few hours to rest. Love you.

I didn't expect her to answer. She sometimes went hours without checking her phone. I didn't think the royals were on their phones half as much as people were in the city. There was hardly a need to communicate by text when servants were constantly at your disposal. It had taken me some time to get used to her mannerisms, but she was adjusting too.

After peeling off the last of my clothes, I slipped into bed and closed my eyes, feeling the fatigue run over my muscles in a soothing ache. The bed felt like a slice of heaven underneath my worn-out body. It had been a long day patrolling Temple, especially with this new threat lingering on the edges of town.

But was it even a threat?

Without further evidence of malice, I was going to have to let it go soon.

I struggled to sleep as the minutes ticked by. There was too much on my mind, mainly Lily. After an hour, I felt certain she was in peril. Stuffing a pillow over my head, I tried to calm my overactive imagination before checking my phone for the hundredth time since I'd texted her.

Sure, she would text within an hour, usually. Had she ever gone longer? Yes. That was the unfortunate part. She had gone up to about six hours without answering a text. Most of the time, it didn't feel like an eternity because I was working and something always came up. But something was different today. I didn't know how I knew. Maybe it was our bond. She still wore my Ardent talisman and I hers. It connected us to a point. Maybe this anxiety bothering me wasn't exactly mine. It could possibly be a second-hand projection of her emotions.

I sat up. The revelation that she really could be in some sort of danger was all too real, especially with the night fast approaching. Tossing off the comforter, I was about to jump out of bed when Lily suddenly appeared in the doorway.

"Hi," she said, looking just as exhausted as I was. Leaning on the door frame, she seemed pensive and quieter than usual.

"Lily!" I swung my legs over the side of the bed and waited for her to join me. When she didn't, I wondered if I should approach her or not. Something was troubling her greatly.

"What do you know about the KelHans?" she asked, picking at the doorframe where scuffs marred the painted wood. Her tone wasn't accusatory, but it left me wondering what she was getting at.

I paused, confused. How would she know about them?

"They're wolf-gargoyle shifters who used to be part of the MarkTier pack before they were banished. Did you encounter them in the fog?" I asked. She nodded but didn't make a move for the bed. I sighed. "They're dangerous and haven't been seen around Temple for centuries. But they're back. At least I'm pretty convinced they are."

"Do you know what they've been doing since they were banished?" That last word made her wince. It probably brought back recent, painful events.

How did she know so much?

"No. They disappeared after they were banished and haven't been seen around these parts for centuries. Most believed they died off in the wild, unable to survive isolation. No one has heard from them since they left."

"Why would they return? Why now?"

I shrugged, holding back my own question about why she was asking me these things. "I don't know. How did you encounter them? Did they hurt you?"

Her silence told me as much. She continued to pick at the paint, and tiny chips fluttered to the floor like snow.

"I need to show you something," she said and began to walk toward me. I waited as she sat down, wondering what was going on. She was acting odd, elusive even. I hoped she hadn't run into the KelHans while I was on patrol. There was no way to tell how many of them were still alive. And who knew the extent of their powers now?

Lily slipped onto the mattress next to me, wringing her fingers together. Her distress did not go unnoticed, but I feared speaking would knock her off her trajectory. I needed to hear what she had to say before she could shut down and keep it inside. We usually told each other everything, but this was something else. She was nervous, scared even. I hoped I didn't make her feel that way about telling me things.

I reached around her shoulders, pulling her in for a side hug. She stiffened but relaxed after a moment.

"What's wrong, Lily? You can tell me anything, you know that."

She kept her eyes down, pressing her hands together as she continued to fidget. She was mustering the courage to tell me something unpleasant. I was ready to hear anything. There was nothing in the world that could get in the way of my love for her.

Finally, she held up her right hand. "Have you ever seen this before?" On her palm, a small rune was glowing. It emanated from under her skin, like a tattoo of light. It was oddly familiar.

"I have seen it before in my studies," I answered. "It's one of the many runes which represent some of the wolf packs across the world. Usually, it's hidden under the skin on a specific part of the body, depending on the wolf pack involved, and can only be seen via black light. It's an ancient shifter mark that has faded, for the most part, over centuries of intermixing shifter bloodlines with humans.

"The more human our kind have become, the more this magic has disappeared from our powers," I offered.

The symbol on Lily's palm was vibrant and new, just like one of centuries ago. How was it possible? It didn't need any kind of black light to be noticed.

"I've never seen that on you before," I said. Reaching out, I ran my fingers across the fiery emblem. It was flat and warm whereas the surrounding flesh of her fingers felt cold as stone. It was then that I noticed the unnatural pallor of her skin. I followed her arm up to her face where it was apparent her color was more than just fair. It had an underlying tinge of blue-grey, making her look almost ethereal. In the dim light of the dusk seeping through the curtains, she could have passed for an exquisitely carved statue.

"Lily? What's happened to you?"

Realizing I was staring, her hands flew up to her face. She covered her cheeks as she pulled away from me, her eyes wide with fear.

"It was Grayson. He's from the KelHan pack. I met him in the fog the other day. He did something to me but said he only woke up magic lying dormant in my veins. He said...." Lily inhaled sharply, her panicked voice shaking as she spoke. "He said I was part KelHan, but the curse doesn't affect me completely because my family defected before the curse was placed on their pack when they were all banished."

Confused, I stood up. Anger surged through me like a wildfire.

"Why didn't you tell me you spoke to Grayson? You―Part KelHan? No. That's not possible. They're supposed to be dead or dying off."

"He's very much alive, but I've never seen any others." Lily reached for me, tears shining in her dark eyes. "Ephrem, I didn't know he'd be there today. It's like I was compelled to return to the park. I don't remember wandering into the forest. It's all such a blur. My blood was on fire, and then the symbol appeared. I even healed a broken bone without shifting. How is that possible? I don't know what's going on. I think he's done something to make me do what he wants."

"Did he hurt you?" I reached out and traced her jawline with my fingers, pushing loose strands of her dark hair away from her blanched face. Gone was the healthy pink glow she'd once had. Instead, she resembled light gray marble.

"I don't know. He said me being near another of our pack"—she made quotation marks in the air—"sparked the transition." Her eyelids fluttered rapidly, allowing a single tear to drop down her cheek. "What does it all mean? Ephrem, I don't know what to do."

She buried her face in my chest as I held her tight, rubbing her back as gently as possible. My soul ached that Grayson had done something to her and I hadn't been there to stop him. He was going to have hell to pay now.

"Look, I'll go to the archives at the MarkTier palace. You probably shouldn't return there with me, after what happened with Elise, but I'll see what I can find. There must be something there that could help us with all this. I know the historian and archivist. His name is Langley, and he knows everything."

She nodded. "Okay." A faint spark of hope shined in her eyes. "I can see about getting hold of Rafaela. She might know something about our lineage or know someone who does. My mother might even know something."

I agreed. I pulled her in for another tight hug, and my lips found their way to hers. They were still soft but only slightly warm, like she'd just come in from the frigid air instead of having already warmed up in the safety of our apartment. The cold on the rest of her body was coming from inside her, not from the weather outside. She was so confused, and I hated that I couldn't help her yet.

Knowing I couldn't go with her, I decided to assign Jason to accompany her to the ArcKnight palace via the underground tunnels. I hated leaving her, but I had to talk with Langley myself. He wouldn't divulge sensitive and classified information to a stranger.

I hated our laws even more. Being engaged to Lily but forbidden to marry under the laws of our packs was unjustifiable. I didn't care what they would say when we did seal our vows. I would deal with the wrath of the MarkTier and ArcKnight courts when the time came. If we had to leave Temple forever, I would. As long as I was with Lily. In the end, that was all that really mattered.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Rafaela

Turning the ring on my finger, I had the urge to pull it off and fling it out the window. I'd locked myself up in my new quarters to avoid the ridiculous parade of women bidding for the position of Gil's possible second mate. Hordes of young women from all over the country had been invited to jostle their goods in front of him in hopes of getting the position. Pathetic.

It was all a huge waste of time, except Gil didn't know that just yet.

Regardless, his betrayal stung like a fresh cut down the middle of my soul.

"Alec?" I called out.

"Yes, m'lady?"

"You don't have to call me that anymore. Call me Ella. I like that better." I smiled as he emerged from the living room. He was always respectful and insisted on sleeping on the couch when we spent the nights talking until the early hours of dawn when we couldn't fight sleep any longer. I admired his restraint, but he wouldn't need it much longer.

That night I planned to sever my bond with my mate and Alpha. If done properly, I would be able to oust Gil and take the ArcKnight throne. I had a right to it as much as he did since he'd betrayed me so. I was betting he hadn't realized I would take it so badly. He expected me to stay placated and allow him to sire an heir with another woman, who would take my place at his side as queen and leave me as a secondary wife to the Alpha of our pack, discarded like yesterday's garbage.

Not this queen. I was more than prepared to offer a challenge for the throne. No one had challenged an Alpha in over a century. It was time to spice things up again.

"Very well, my love," Alec said, pulling me into his arms. The warmth of his body spread over mine, sending sparks all across my skin. He smelled amazing; an enticing woodsy cologne lingered on him and threw my senses into overdrive. I'd never let myself get too close to him before, he was that tempting. Primal, even.

"Do you think we'll win?" I asked. My trepidations made me hesitate. Somehow things were never certain in my life. I'd never felt the comfort of a secure path from the time I was a child and had been brought to the palace. My memory failed me for the years before that. I was far too young to remember, but moving here had been life changing for my entire family, and I wasn't about to lose it all because a man wanted to have everything without me. He wasn't the only one in need, and I was more than happy to show him so.

"I'm your champion. Tomorrow is a day of history in the making. It's been done before, but never like this. Gil is an excellent fighter, but the centuries of taking the throne by inheritance has left us with weaker leaders. I've kept my mouth shut about it for too long and watched the disintegration of the kingdom accelerate in his hands. I'm honored to accept the challenge of changing things for the better. For us and for the kingdom."

My lips upturned into a smile. The confidence he exuded was enough to swat my doubts away. Gil had never been so sure of himself like Alec. Though I loved Gil, and probably always would in some form or another, his betrayal was unforgivable.

"Thank you, Alec. I can't think of anyone who is more suited for this than you are."

He bent down, kissing my lips, softly at first then harder and more urgently. We hungered for each other, and it was more than we could stand to break apart, breathing hard and full of insatiable longing. I never wanted to let go, and it was obvious he didn't either. If we got through the next few days alive, life would be sweet indeed.

"Alec?"

"Yes?"

"Are you scared?"

I rubbed my face on his chest, breathing in his heavenly scent and listening to his breathing while his heart beat in my ears. Something about him calmed me. Even when I was younger, he'd always been a strong, steady presence. At my father's side, he'd led the MarkTier army as he did now, even though he was younger than many of the soldiers he commanded. It made no difference to me that he'd been the highest-ranking officer through my teenage years. I'd always had a thing for him, especially since he always had my back and had stirred my inner emotions more than once.

"Do you mean am I scared of fighting Gil?" he asked.

I nodded.

"No, I'm not scared. I always knew I would have to face him one day." He winked. I wished I could feel as calm about this situation as he did. I wasn't the one going into the ring to risk my life.

His uncanny intuition always surprised me. He kept it to himself, which had served him well. I wondered what Gil would have done if he'd discovered Alec was gifted with telepathy. Alec had never told him, and it was information he'd withheld for a good reason. I'd long suspected he had some sort of telepathic ability, but until recently he had not used it with me. I loved hearing his voice in my head. It would be our secret bond until the day we died.

"How could you know that?"

He led me to the sofa where we both sat. Facing me, he cupped my cheeks and stared intently into my eyes. "I've loved you since the moment we met. You were but a young girl, and I was a young man, but your father respected me, and I admired his leadership. I remember after one trying day when I felt beaten and ridiculed by the soldiers with more experience, I visited your family's quarters. Your father had summoned me there to assess my abilities as a leader. I was twenty and already a hardened soldier so you can imagine my surprise when, while I waited, I felt a small, warm hand slip into mine.

"You were there. Only five years old but full of the wisdom that comes from an old soul. I could read your thoughts, and they were calm and soothing as you smiled up at me and squeezed my fingers. You were a cute kid, and in all my turmoil, you gave me a sense of relief and calm.

"Your incessant inner chatter was, at first, confusing as we waited there silently. You held a small tulip in one hand, freshly plucked from the gardens your mother kept. Dirt streaked your skin and dirtied your knees, but you looked more like a princess than any other girl your age.

"Then, right before your father summoned me, you handed me the tulip and spoke to me for the first time ever. 'Don't worry,' you said. 'My father likes you. He's going to congratulate you, not scold you. If you were in trouble, you'd never be allowed to come here.'

"Impressed with your mature wisdom, I took the flower. Then you walked away, and I felt an ocean of relief wash over me. You'd given me what I needed. Something that I already knew but didn't believe. It was the reassurance that I was an able soldier and somehow special, not just a drone. It was because of the flower you handed me with that innocent smile and the knowledge of a thousand years swimming behind those eyes.

"You were right. Everything you said came true. Your father congratulated me and gave me a promotion that would change the direction of my military career. He took me under his wing. He was a military leader himself and had inserted himself into the MarkTier structure easily. When your family invited me there that day, I became part of it and was treated better than my own blood had treated me. I'll never forget his kindness. And...."

He paused, taking my hands in his and tracing the lines of my palms. It sent shivers up my arms and down my spine. Every touch was more than I could ever ask for, full of unspoken courage and love. "And as I got to know you and your sister, I knew there was only one place I belonged."

He flicked his eyes back up to mine. They were filled with an intensity I'd never seen in man, ever. "It was always you, Ella. You chose me a long time ago with a tulip. You chose and branded me for you. I will love you forever, until the day you die. Even if you had never been mine and remained with Gil, nothing would change how I feel. I'd never betray you. I'd kill any man who hurts you, for I am yours. Always."

His words penetrated deep into my mind, touching a place I feared to tread. All these years he'd given me everything and would stick with me to the end. I knew I'd made the right decision immediately, and the smile stretching across my face couldn't get any wider.

"I knew too," I said, "but I fought it. I wish I hadn't, and I'm sorry you had to wait so long."

"Don't ever be sorry. Things happen the way they should. Never doubt it."

Inhaling deeply, I relaxed into his embrace. "Thank you. For everything. I never have thanked you for all you've done for me."

"You've thanked me every day. I heard it in your whispers. In your dreams." He rubbed his cheek softly against mine.

I beamed and took in his handsome face. I reached up and traced the outline of his lips with my fingers, feeling the heat of his skin beneath them. We were pressed together, with just a sliver of cloth between us. That night, we would confront Gil and petition the council to sever our bond. That night, Alec and I would forge a new bond with one another. And this bond would last forever.

Then the real fight would begin.

Chapter Thirty

Lilliana

The ArcKnight palace hovered high above me as I walked the streets of the stronghold. Wearing a hood over my head, it was easy to disguise myself in the evening crowd. No one recognized me. Was I so forgettable?

I had left Jason behind, refusing his help to protect me in the ArcKnight stronghold. It took some convincing, but I managed to make him stay and not tell Ephrem. No one knew this place as well as I did. I didn't need a bodyguard here.

I paused and looked up. The walls of the castle stood majestic against the darkened sky. I had yet to see a ray of sunlight and wondered if the KelHan pack had anything to do with it. It gave a chill to the air. I didn't feel as cold as I thought I should, but dressed weather appropriate so as to not arouse suspicion. I could have worn a tank top and shorts and not felt one bit uncomfortable. It was a sobering thought and a reminder of this new power humming in my veins.

I had to find out what was going on and why I'd never been told I was a descendant of the KelHan wolf pack. My mother was going to be my first stop.

I stepped behind a row of the shops and found the doorway I needed. Standing before the tunnels that matched the ones I'd used to enter the MarkTier palace, I grinned to myself. Funny how divided the wolf packs were, but there was evidence of their unity from long ago. Both palaces held secret passages for the royals to come and go without being noticed. Both had a hierarchy that was far too similar to be a coincidence. So many similarities, yet so far apart. It made me wonder what exactly had split the packs so severely that there had been no turning back.

Spreading out the set of lock picks Ephrem had acquired for me, I set to breaking in, fiddling with the tumblers until I heard a satisfying click. My inquisitive childhood was paying off big time. I slipped into the darkened corridor and shut and relocked the door behind me. They really needed to seal up this entrance, for it was far too easy to sneak into. I doubted Gil frequented these halls much. He wasn't the kind of guy to traipse around dirty, forgotten hallways.

My sister Rafaela, on the other hand, probably knew these halls backward and forward in her sleep. She was all about being prepared for those just-in-case scenarios. Not only that, she was the only reason I knew about them. Our childhood adventures had allowed me a lot of time to wander the halls without supervision. Who cares about a second-born royal daughter? They preferred having me out of the way.

I'd been fine with that. It had prepared me well for this day.

Finding the door I was looking for, I reached out and rapped on the dusty wood. I listened for movement, hoping it would be my mother who opened the door. The last time anyone knocked on this door, I was the one who'd done the knocking when I was eleven years old. Time had flown since then.

The locks clicked in succession, and my mother opened the door. Her smile was all it took for me to step in, close the door behind me and fall into her open arms.

"Lily! My sweet daughter. How I've missed you."

"Mother!" I inhaled her sweet lavender scent. It evoked a flood of memories that stung the back of my eyes and made me force down the sobs. "I need your help."

She stroked my hair and kept me close for minutes before letting go and leading me to the nearby reading chairs. I'd never been really close to her, but now I wished I had taken more time to talk with her. Books were stacked on the small table between the chairs where she loved to sit in the afternoons and read stories. She'd read her entire life, and I remembered her telling us bedtime stories when my sister and I were younger.

The thought seized up my throat once more.

"It's been so long. You're looking quite pale. What's been going on?" she asked.

"I...." I wrung my hands together, searching for the words to say. Staring down at the dark gloves I wore to hide the bright rune on my hand, I decided it was all or nothing. If my mother knew about the KelHans and my relation to them, she'd have to see the symbol.

I yanked the glove off and flipped my hand over to show her the mark.

Her lack of surprise confused me. In fact, she didn't flinch once as she reached over, cupped my hand and peered at the glowing lines. "I wondered when it would show up."

"What do you know about this?" I asked, surprised. I didn't want to presume anything about her knowledge of the wolf-gargoyle pack, but there were so many questions I had about them and about me. About us.

She patted my hand gently before letting go and leaning back in the chair. She took a deep, steady breath before she spoke. "I've been waiting a long time for this to happen. I was afraid it would while you were so far away. So vulnerable. I'm sorry you have to go through this alone."

"What am I? Are you one too? Was my father?"

"No. We're not KelHan. We adopted you when you were born. Your mother was part KelHan and was unable to care for you."

The world froze as I struggled to wrap my head around her words.

"What?"

But Rafaela was my sister. Wasn't she?

"Rafaela is our natural daughter," she said, answering my unasked question. "But you are both my daughters. You've always been my daughter."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?"

My mother's brown eyes looked tired. I noticed the tiny crow's feet spreading across the skin around her eyes for the first time. She looked older. Had my banishment been that hard on her? What else was going on at the palace? Of course, it had been hard for her. I was her daughter, no matter what. So was Rafaela, and I imagined her ordeals had been taxing too. It was bittersweet to see the pain I'd caused my mother.

"I wanted to tell you. Believe me, I did. Your father thought it best that we wait until you were older. Then, when he died, I just didn't know how to bring it up."

"So what am I? What does it mean to be part of the KelHan pack?"

"You are an ArcKnight. There is no Kelhan pack. Most of them died after they were banished to the forests. Pampered all their life, they were in no condition to learn how to hunt or survive off the land. They could not return to Temple. The MarkTiers left them for dead, never to return. Their numbers dwindled, and their curse rendered them outcasts in all pack communities.

"There were some, though, that had defected before it all happened. Those KelHans felt the effects of the curse but were not completely affected by it. That means you have the power to transform into a gargoyle at will but are not turned to stone during the daylight hours. The cursed do transform to stone during the day hours and can roam only when the sun doesn't shine or at night, where they can transform at will into their human forms or monstrous gargoyles."

My heart struggled to pump. It fluttered in my chest, for I'd forgotten to breathe. I finally took a breath of life-giving air as her words sank in, yet they felt like chains dragging me down to the bottom of a muddy lake, with no escape in sight. How had things gotten so out of control?

"So what does this mean for me? Why are they seeking me out now?"

My mother's concern was etched on her tired face. I hated to bring up things that happened so long ago, but it was necessary.

"There was an ancient prophecy your mother told me about before she died, shortly after your birth. It was about a curse-breaker who could morph at will and was not held to the curse like the rest of the KelHan pack. This person must willingly sacrifice themselves for the KelHans, lead them, and finally bleed for them. They give up everything to help the pack. Only then would the spell be lifted, letting them roam the world in the daylight once more. It could be you, this person they seek. They must win you over, and you must accept them, love them, as your own family."

"Then die for them?"

"I don't know. Your mother never told me if it meant death or just a blood sacrifice of some sort. She probably didn't even know. The legend has been distorted over the years, and there were none of their elders left to keep the records straight. Now they are all but extinct. I even believe the MarkTiers think they are all dead."

"So the KelHans might need me to save them?"

"Yes, I believe so."

"I've never transformed into a gargoyle," I said. I didn't know why that was the first thing that hit my mind, but it was a concern. "I don't know anything about these powers."

My mother reached out and touched my hand, turning it back over and examining the rune again. "I wish I had more answers, but there is one more thing I can tell you about the MarkTiers and the KelHans."

Curious, my eyes widened. "What's that?"

"I know you're in love with Prince Ephrem, which never surprised me. He never told you that you were betrothed to each other when we came here, did he?"

My mouth fell open. "What?"

"It's true. But when our packs had a violent disagreement about territory, they cut us off."

"He knew this, right?"

She nodded. "He's eight years older than you. He's known his entire life since he was thirteen years old and you were five."

"Why would he not tell me?"

"Maybe he thought it wasn't valid anymore. I can't say. Maybe he didn't want you to know."

I digested this information, deciding it was irrelevant now. Maybe that was why he'd never told me. There was no point in holding onto the past.

"And what about the KelHans?" I reminded her.

"Ah, yes. Wait here." My mother stood up and walked gracefully to her room where I heard her rummaging through her things. I patiently waited and didn't move. I couldn't currently do anything about what she'd told me, so I pushed it to the back of my mind. There had to be something more immediately useful, I just didn't know which questions to ask anymore.

"Here." My mother held out her hand as she returned to the room. "I saved it all these years even though you had a new Ardent talisman made when we joined the ArcKnight pack. This is your talisman from the KelHan pack."

I got to my feet and peered into her palm. A bright blue stone inlayed in silver was looped through a simple platinum chain. I reached out as she offered it to me and slid my fingers over it. It flared to life as I picked it up and hummed with energy, revving up after decades lying dormant and unused.

"Wow... it's so alive." I studied the blue stone as it pulsed with light. I'd never seen anything like it in my life, and the urge to slip it on grew with each passing moment. Whispers fluttered in my ears, filling my mind with information I should have known from birth. The talisman held my heritage, centuries of knowledge, and the agony of my cursed forefathers called out across time, begging me to save them.

I clutched the pendant, not realizing I was crying until my mother pulled me into her arms.

"I'm sorry. I should have given it to you a long time ago. I didn't want to accept the truth of your pack's curse. I didn't want it to follow you into this life. Forgive me if I made a mistake."

"There's nothing to forgive. Thank you for giving it to me now. It's helped me more than you know." I hugged her back and wiped the moisture from my eyes. No matter what, she would always be my mother. "I have to go."

She nodded, smiling through her tears. "Thank you for coming. I know you risked so much returning here to see me."

"Tell Rafaela I love her too."

I smiled and headed toward the door in the wall. I paused before I opened it, let out a breath and closed my eyes. It was possible I'd never return there again, and it was harder this time than it was the day I'd been banished.

"I love you, Mother."

"And I you, my daughter. Be careful out there."

"I will. Goodbye."

I opened the door, stepped through into the tunnel and closed it again. I swore to myself I wouldn't look back. I knew it would break me if I did.

Chapter Thirty-One

Rafaela

I stood before the Royal Court, my head held high and my eyes focused ahead. Alec stood beside me and did the same. We both avoided meeting Gil's angry eyes as the magistrate banged his gavel over and over. The crowd was on fire, hollering out encouraging shouts and maddening chants. I'd just presented my challenge to Gil, and he wasn't taking it well.

His response of, "You can't do this, I won't allow it," had earned him a sour welcoming from the crowd, and they had shot him down. It didn't help that he'd brought his new concubine to the proceedings. She cowered in her seat next to him, trembling as she kept her head down. She had no idea what she'd gotten herself into, and it pained me none to not care.

"I can challenge you for the throne as can anyone in the pack. It's an old law, but it is a law. I see you as unfit to rule and, therefore, challenge you for the throne of the ArcKnight pack."

His eyes burned with a violent hatred I'd never had the pleasure of having directed my way. He reserved such disdain for his underlings, but I was no soldier or peon to step all over anymore. My challenge for the throne required a prompt response or he'd forfeit his reign.

"I will never step down. You're a woman. Women are forbidden to challenge a male counterpart for the throne."

"That is true unless they have a male champion to fight for them."

The purple-red color blossoming on his face along with the bulging veins along his temples made me wonder if Gil was going to have a coronary. He was far too young to be so stressed out. I almost wanted to back away in case he exploded.

"Queen Rafaela," the magistrate said, "who have you chosen to fight as your champion for the title of Alpha?"

I held my arm out to Alec, who edged closer, with his back straight as a board. Never had I felt surer of my decisions than I did now. He had agreed to defend me, whereas Gil had failed me in the worst possible way. The pain of his betrayal lingered beneath my surface, but I shoved it so far down, I hoped it might never break through again. He was something I had to get rid of, like a thorn, a parasite eating away at my life, my pride, my love. This was going to hurt him more than me, but nothing ever went the way I wanted it to. He'd tried to cast me aside, and I would relish this payback with every savory bite.

I waited for the crowd to quiet down before announcing my champion. "Alec of the StaNover bloodline has accepted to undertake this challenge in my name."

Another wave of gasps, shocked expressions, and curious chatter flurried about the room, making the magistrate more annoyed than before as he slammed the gavel down, over and over.

"Silence! I will have the crowd removed if need be." The mass of people fell mute, too invested in the outcome to risk being kicked out. "Very well, Queen Rafaela," he said when he was satisfied. "When do you propose this will happen?"

"Tonight. They fight until there is only one champion left standing in the midcourt arena."

"To the death?"

I eyed Gil, whose expression now bordered on catatonic. He'd sat down, speechless, and was staring at the hardwood floor before him. Was he so resigned already? Had he no fight left in him? It made no difference to me, but a small part of me still ached with hurt for him.

Still, it served him right.

"No. Only until one champion is down for more than ten seconds. Then the loser may choose to stay on, demoted, or leave the ArcKnight stronghold with his new bride." I snickered slightly, trying to hide my defiance.

I'd meant the last part for either Gil or Alec. I couldn't predict the future, and even with the utmost confidence in my new fiancé, I had to contemplate the very real possibility that we could lose. I'd not watched Gil in combat for a long time, but Alec had. He'd assured me it would be quite a fight, but he was certain he could beat the Alpha. I prayed he was right, for I'd have to leave my home forever if we lost.

"Does the Alpha accept the challenge?" The magistrate waited, along with the impatient crowd. It would be the fight of the century, and everyone was sure to want to be there.

"Yes." Gil looked up at the magistrate. "I accept, but with one condition."

"What is that?"

Gil turned toward me. "If the queen's champion loses, she stays as my second mate, and Alec will be banished forever."

I clenched my fists together and drilled an acidy look into him. How dare he? If the magistrate agreed, I'd be left there to rot as a lowly secondary wife. The worst part would be that Alec would have to leave his home and his beloved army.

"Impossible," I snapped.

"That is not your decision," The magistrate said, smirking. He obviously favored Gil, and I made a mental note to have him demoted when this was all over. I could tell he believed Alec and I would lose. I would see to it that he begged for our forgiveness. "I concur with the King. If he wins, the challenger will be banished from the ArcKnight stronghold forever and Queen Rafaela will remain as second mate. If Queen Rafaela's champion wins, the former Alpha must leave with his new bride. The challenge will be held at dusk, in the arena."

The gavel slammed, and I jumped slightly. The rush of chattering began once more, and Alec slipped his hands over my shoulders.

"It'll be over soon. Don't worry. I've got this."

I reached up to touch his fingers, feeling the loving warmth radiate from them. "I know."

"There's no way I would leave you here, you know that, right?" He pulled me in, his lips brushing against mine. Each touch sent sparks down my core.

"I know. There's no way I would ever stay here with him. A lowly second wife? How dare he? After everything I went through to help him. I always made sure everything was in order, and he pays me back by discarding me for another because I haven't gotten pregnant yet? No one treats me like that and gets away with it." I hugged Alec tighter and felt safe and secure. "I'm glad this happened, or I'd still be at his side, unhappy and used up without ever knowing true love. I have you now, and that's all that matters."

Alec beamed and took my hand, leading me out into the corridors reserved for the royals so they could leave court safely. The challenge was at dusk, and there was so much to do beforehand. It was easy to break a vow in our pack. One just had to renounce their spouse. For those with royal blood, the process was the same except when challenging for a position, such as Alpha. I had to be married to be Alpha, and since I was a woman, I couldn't challenge Gil directly. If the Alpha was a woman, I could. It just kept things fairly matched. Instead, Alec would fight for me, and if he won, he would technically take over as Alpha even though I would be the one in power.

Sharing the throne with Alec would be so much more agreeable. He had grown up treating the women in his family with the utmost love, respect and equality. Gil's childhood had involved spoiling him and conditioning him to be like his chauvinistic father, who had suppressed his mother in ways I would never impose on anyone. No wonder she'd lost her mind living here. Who could blame the poor woman?

And what of the frail former queen? What would become of her when I won?

I gulped down a twinge of panic. I'd been taking care of Gil's mother. I made sure her servants treated her well, kept her clean and presentable, even when she wasn't all there. I wouldn't be seeing her much anymore, and I prayed my replacement was half as kind as I'd been to her.

Every action, no matter how well intended, rippled across our lives like a pebble thrown into a pond, affecting everyone we loved. Despite the potential heartache, I knew that when this was all over, it would be for the best, for everyone.

Everyone except Gil.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Ephrem

Langley shoved a stack of books toward me. They were old and smelled of the must of centuries. Everything I wanted to know about the KelHan pack was contained within these stacks. Langley warned me I might not want to know what was in there. That some things were meant to be buried forever. I gave the old man a curt nod, noting his beady eyes, filled with more knowledge than any man should ever possess. His warning had not been given lightly, and I thanked him for his concern.

It had everything to do with my fiancé, Lily. For her, it was worth shaking out the skeletons, even when it involved a centuries-old curse.

Settling down at one of the desks, I flipped through the delicate papers. The archives were vast, dark and reeked of old leather. Langley practically lived there, biding his time documenting the current events and organizing the ancient ones.

"I found another one." Langley approached the desk with another book of bound papers. The pages were uneven and had been woven into the book seemingly at random. It was thinner than the other massive volumes he'd given me earlier.

"I appreciate this, really. Is there any way you'd happen to know anything about a KelHan shifter named Grayson?"

Langley rubbed his white beard thoughtfully. He could play Santa Claus each winter if he wanted to, but I doubted he'd ever thought of taking such a job.

"I think this is the volume you need to read the most carefully. It has family trees as recent as this century, sketches of the leaders of the KelHan pack and details about the prophecy they used to claim would one day save them." A long, aged finger reached out of his long robe and tapped the volume he'd just brought.

"Thank you again, Langley. This helps a lot." I grabbed the volume and flipped to the first page. Langley was already gone before I looked back up, and I wondered if he'd even heard me thank him. It didn't matter; I had what I needed. I just needed to narrow it down even more.

The first page was a decorated family tree. I followed the tree to Grayson KelHan's branch. It indicated he'd never married but had remained celibate for centuries. Impressed, I followed the lines that listed his parents, who were now deceased, having died shortly after their banishment. Grayson had a sister, but her whereabouts were unknown, for she had disappeared shortly after leaving the MarkTier stronghold.

Flipping through the following pages quickly became tedious. There were extended branches of more families than I could ever count in the KelHan pack. If MarkTier was big now, it had been quadruple it's current size when the KelHans were part of the pack. How had such a great pack disappeared off the face of the earth? How was it that Grayson had been born in the 1600s and was still alive?

They were immortal. The rumors about the curse allowing them to live were true. If Grayson was really four hundred years old, where were the rest of them?

A feeling of doom filled my gut as I passed the next section: a list of known dead in the KelHan pack. There were almost as many names there as in the pages of all the lineages. It was heartbreaking to find that there were less than a hundred left of them at the last census, which had been taken at the turn of the century.

What had killed them off? It had been a slow but unrelenting extinction. Had the curse driven them to their deaths? Had it involved some sort of disease that could wither them into dust? It had something to do with their gargoyle abilities. It had to.

"Do you remember the hall of statues?"

I looked up from the book and watched as Langley walked past me and plucked another volume from a wall of bookshelves. I'd need a very tall ladder to reach the top of that stack.

"Yes. It's located in the catacombs of Temple, right? Near the western edge of the city? Right next to...."

"Right next to Center Park."

Something clicked in the back of my head, and I struggled to understand what it meant.

"There is one large room down there, full of gargoyle statues. They were a sight to behold. Wings tucked on their backs. Grotesque faces with tusks extending down their chins. The talons! Those things could shred anyone into strips of meat."

"What are you getting at, Langley?" I asked.

"Well, I'd totally forgotten about the statues, but I thought you should know that there is an entrance to the catacombs on the outside of the city. The tunnels run for miles under the forest. There, the boundaries of Temple do not reach, and the woods take over. If you count the known dead KelHans, you'll find they match the number of statues exactly. Every one of their dead is encased in stone, trapped. Dormant and waiting."

I gawked at him, shocked at his revelation. "Their dead remain frozen in their stone prisons? But why? I thought they were immortal, but here it says most of them are dead."

Langley shrugged. "Some say the only reason we are alive is because we agree with this life given to us. What happens when we no longer cooperate?"

He walked away, leaving me more baffled than ever.

"What?" I asked out loud. He was already gone, back into the stacks of ancient manuscripts and his own mind. Sure, he was a bit senile; he was the oldest resident of the MarkTier stronghold. I doubted he would live much longer, but while he did, his knowledge was bottomless.

Looking back down at the pages before me, I shook my head. Who would have thought the KelHans were buried beneath Temple? It was crazy that they would return them to the city's hidden catacombs. The only thing that bothered me was how they died. Were they just hibernating? Waiting? If so, for what? How did one kill an immortal flying stone creature? There had to be more to the curse than anyone had ever heard. I hoped I could find it in that book.

As if reading my mind, the next page grabbed me. It had a drawing of two people. One was labeled Grayson KelHan and the other... the other was Lilliana. Well, it looked exactly like her, but the caption identified the figure as Malia KelHan. It was a drawing of Grayson's sister.

And she'd been reincarnated as Lilliana of ArcKnight?

What did it mean? I flipped past the next few pages, hoping to find something else having to do with Lily or Malia. How could she be the perfect doppelganger of a long-dead KelHan? Especially Grayson's sister? There was something there I wasn't comprehending, and I had to find it.

"Langley?" I called out into the stacks, listening for the familiar shuffle of the old man's worn-out leather shoes and his robe swishing past the rows of books. I called out once more, hoping he hadn't yet left.

"Lang—"

"I'm right here." He appeared next to me, and I gave a little jump.

"Geeze, Langley. Make some noise!"

"I apologize. I thought I might have left out something important, and I was right. Here." He held out another older book that looked like a diary of some sort. The outside was well-worn leather. Inside, the pages were weathered but newer than some of the others I'd been looking through. "It belonged to a KelHan. I believe her name was..."—he flipped open the cover and narrowed his eyes—"... ah, yes. Malia. I think this is what you're looking for."

He placed the book in my hands and disappeared into the stacks once more. I listened to the rustle of his robes before opening the book. It did indeed belong to Malia KelHan. The girl Lily resembled. Flipping through the elegant script handwriting, I found that a lot of it was useless to me: a girl's dreams, desires, wants and daily activities. It was a recording of her life from the day she turned sixteen to around the time she would have turned twenty. I was impressed with how meticulously she documented mundane things. But there were gaps. Large periods of time when she didn't write in her diary at all. I wondered what she'd done during that time.

Skipping through toward the end, I stopped on one page where the rune that graced Lily's palm had been hastily drawn on one of the pages. There Malia's writing changed, became more desperate, as though rapidly scratched onto the paper. I turned to the next page and stopped.

I don't know how I'm going to tell Grayson, but I figured out how to break the curse. Unfortunately, it still involves death. If I succeed, I might not see my brother for a very long time. I know he will figure it out and find me when the time comes. He will have to sacrifice so much while I rest in oblivion and he lives on in this wretched world. If I succeed, I'll break the curse on all my people. In the meantime, those who do not wish to live another day with this curse have taken my potion to petrify them until I return. They feel no pain, no wants, needs, cold, heat or even hunger. The potion turns them to stone indefinitely, resting in an eternal slumber until I return to revive them.

When I return, Grayson will have to activate my memories. It might take some work and time to remember what I'm supposed to do, but once he contacts me, it will return like water rushing through a broken dam. Only then will I be able to break this spell placed on my family and my pack. I only hope my reincarnation cooperates with him and understands what must be done.

I must die so that my pack can live. When I awake in the future, I will bring the MarkTiers to their knees.

Those were the last words written in the diary, but there was a folded sheet shoved into the blank pages that followed. I pulled it out and found yet another diagram of the rune of Lily's palm and several ancient words written in what looked like Latin. Three words caught my eye: Ultionem reputabuntur mihi.

I hurried to the front of the archive where the modern reference books were kept and pulled out the Latin to English dictionary. I flipped to the page I needed, and my heart sank when I read the translation: Vengeance will be mine.

It was the spell Lily needed to unleash whatever magic Malia had laid out for her return. Grayson would have the second part of the puzzle, I was positive. Wherever Lily had to be when she muttered these words was where Grayson would lead her. The words would unleash her army of gargoyle shifters, awakening them from their sleep, ready for war against the MarkTiers.

This couldn't happen. I wouldn't allow it.

I rushed out of the archives, diary in hand, to seek out my brother, not knowing if I would tell him of Lily's involvement. She was in danger, and I couldn't risk her life, no matter how foul her nature could turn once her vengeful spirit returned in full force.

My love could bring my family to its knees, but what else could I do?

Chapter Thirty-Three

Lilliana

I stared at the growing fog swirling before me. I hadn't returned to Ephrem's apartment. Instead, with both talismans hanging from my neck, one ArcKnight, and one KelHan, I found myself making my way back to the forest. Back to Grayson. He had so much to answer for, and I was angry he'd withheld so much from me. My heritage and my entire existence.

"Grayson!" I stepped into the dense cover of mist, heart pounding in my ears, for I'd run the entire way from the ArcKnight palace to the edge of Temple. "I know what I am now," I called out into the woods. "You need to tell me why."

I waited, feeling the rush of cool air and moisture swirling around me, clinging to my clothes and exposed skin. I felt the rune on my hand grow in intensity underneath my leather glove. If I pulled it off now, it would surely be glowing brighter than the moonlight filtering through the canopy.

"Grayson!" I yelled out again.

"I knew you'd return."

I whirled around, startled by his sudden appearance.

"You knew. You knew I wasn't born into my pack, but yours. The KelHans."

Grayson's stoic face told me nothing. He dropped his eyes to the ground. "I'm sorry if the news is less than comforting, but there's also more to it." He peered back up again, but before he could continue, his eyes settled on my necklaces.

"Two talismans. One ArcKnight,"—he tilted his head, giving me a tiny smile—"... one KelHan." He fingered the KelHan talisman. "This one belonged to my sister. Did you know that?"

I reached up and grasped the pendant from his grip, feeling its pulse beneath the surface. "What do you mean?"

"My sister Malia sacrificed herself to save us. When she returns, she will be free of the curse that holds us. Most of my family has chosen to sleep, frozen in stone to await my sister's return. She was part witch and wove spells to keep us safe. Then she died, leaving me to endure immortality to await her return. My pack will rejoice to know our wait is over."

I stepped back. "What are you talking about?"

"My sister has been reincarnated. You are the exact duplicate of her, down to the rune glowing on your right hand. Reborn into this world free of the curse. Now you can ignite the path to freedom for our pack and release them all from their stone prisons so we may roam the earth again. It won't matter if it's day or night, we will be able to move and transform at will."

"I still don't understand. I'm not her." Was I? I could sense there was a spark of truth in what he was saying, for his words stirred something inside my marrow and dislodged old memories from the back of my mind.

"You are Malia, my sister," Grayson said. The corners of his lips upturned, and he reached out toward me. "You've been reborn and must prepare to lead us as we seek our revenge. We will have our vengeance against the MarkTiers. You made it all possible."

I continued to shake my head, baffled by his words. "I would never go against the MarkTiers. Ephrem is a MarkTier. We're engaged."

"You will do it. You are bound by blood to do so. But first, you will free our pack." He reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out an old, rusted key.

"How am I supposed to do that?"

He gave his head a small tilt, smiling with amusement. I bet he was enjoying my confusion; I could see it in his face.

"Come with me, and we will save our people and claim our vengeance."

My talismans hummed against my skin. I clutched them in my hand, wondering if they were going to explode with the amount of energy they were emitting. Peering down to my chest, I saw that both had melted together. Two stones, side by side, surrounded by the platinum encasement. I didn't know what it meant. One had been MarkTier, turned ArcKnight when Ephrem gave it to me, and one was KelHan, but both were mine. Since both were bonded to me, Ephrem's was mine more than his now. Just as my own ArcKnight talisman was now more his than mine.

"What's happening?" I whispered into the air, peering up at my brother. Grayson was my brother. Yes. It felt right to say this to myself. But what were my talismans trying to tell me.

"Your talismans have fused. You've been bonded to more than one. It's most curious; I've never seen that happen." Grayson's voice had changed. It was deeper, harsher. I eyed the creature before me, but I was no longer frightened. In fact, an odd feeling of déjà vu filled me as though I was walking in a dream, in a place I'd been before. Many, many times. "Please help me help our people," he said.

"How do I save them?" I asked. He held out his arm. It was a claw with talons the size of my entire fist. His whole body was growing as he began his transformation.

"Malia, my sister. I'll take you to them now. You can save them. Make us whole once more. All you have to do is take my hand."

The odd swimming feeling in my head clouded my thoughts. I couldn't protest, and I didn't want to resist. If there was one smidgen of truth that our people, the KelHans, could be saved, I had to go with Grayson.

I took his grotesque hand, and he completed his shift. A monstrous troll-like figure with spread wings stood before me. He motioned for me to jump onto his back.

"Lily!" A familiar voice shot out from behind me, and I spun to find Ephrem running toward me. "Get away from him!" He held out his sword as he ran, ready to impale Grayson. I stood between them, but he was faster than I was and sped past me toward Grayson.

Grayson bared his teeth and shoved me to the side, but it wasn't hard enough to hurt me. A second later, Ephrem's sword smashed against the gargoyle's arm. A deafening twang sounded and sparks flew from the impact, but neither stopped. The stone warrior swiped at Ephrem, but he dodged it easily. Grayson's size made him slower, but he managed to grab hold of the sword and squeeze his fist around the blade. Ephrem was forced to let go while Grayson flung it to the side.

"A MarkTier prince. I needed your help before, but you did not come. No matter. I have what we need. My sister will help us, and then our wrath will bring all to their knees."

I finally managed to get to my feet. It had been too dangerous to move with Ephrem's sword swinging.

"You can't awaken them. You don't know what they'll do. Let them slumber. They don't want to live that way!" Ephrem yelled over the rumbling growl resonating from the gargoyle's throat. It made my skin vibrate. I ran toward them, screaming and hoping they would hear me.

"Stop this! Don't hurt each other, please!" At that moment, Grayson was turning, swinging his tale toward Ephrem and me. Unfortunately, I caught the tail end of the massive appendage, which uprooted me and threw me several feet.

Thwack!

I was sent flying into a tree. My vision blurred and flickered out, but I could still hear the ruckus as I collapsed to the ground, unable to move, stunned from impact.

"Lily!" Ephrem screamed. Another scuffle and the scrape of metal.

"You shouldn't have done that," Grayson said.

I struggled to open my eyes, but they were heavier than boulders and refused to obey.

Turn. Turn already!

I heard Ephrem laugh. "So you do bleed." Hatred dripped from his words, and I had never heard him speak with such venom before.

My thought began to fade, and I wondered if I'd broken my neck. Moments passed, and I still couldn't move. I had to shift. This injury was too serious to recover from without help.

"We're still human, or have you forgotten that about your kindred, Prince?"

"It doesn't matter. I won't let you bring down the packs. Your intentions are not honorable."

Grayson huffed, and the rumbling in his voice increased. "What do you know of honor, MarkTier?" The ground shook as he ran, and it grew closer with every step.

"Leave her alone!" Ephrem's footfalls followed, but he was too late. Grayson scooped me up. I felt my fur ruffle and distantly realized I'd managed to complete my transformation into a wolf. He turned with me in his arms and growled toward my love.

Ephrem.... My eyes fluttered, and I caught a momentary glimpse of him trying in vain to catch up to Grayson's gigantic strides.

"She is one of us," Grayson snarled. "The ones your family banished and left to rot. She doesn't belong here." I could feel his muscles dig into me with every movement, causing excruciating agony, before he pushed off, shooting into the sky.

Ephrem shouted my name, but the rush of the wind deafened my fading senses. I saw black night intermittently sprayed with bright twinkling stars before my vision blurred once more. We were beyond Ephrem's reach, skimming the thick canopy of the forest.

Unable to do anything, I tried to relax. I felt an overwhelming relief that Ephrem was safe. The need to protect my newfound brother had also surfaced during the fight, even though Grayson was able to handle the powerful MarkTier warrior. My love. My fiancé. I had watched their fight in great fear of losing them both.

I'm so sorry, my love, I tried to whisper, but the words didn't make it past my tongue. One day, I hoped he would forgive me and understand what I had to do. This was my destiny, and I had to allow it to happen. I had to do it not only for me but to also help my family. I had never belonged anywhere, and now I knew exactly why.

Not ArcKnight. Not MarkTier. Just something else entirely.

KelHan.

As we fled into the night sky, I locked Ephrem's love down deep inside my heart, hoping it would be enough to keep it from hardening like the statue creature holding me now and sustain me through the trying times ahead.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Ephrem

"We have to prepare for the worst possible outcome," Etan suggested.

With these words, my brother threw a concerned look my way. I was closed off, cold and silent. He'd never seen me this disturbed. It's been mere hours since Lily's disappearance, and I'd run myself ragged searching the woods for the catacombs rumored to hold the KelHan pack beneath the edges of the city of Temple. We had yet to find them, which led me to believe that the rumors about their location had not been true. Wherever the frozen KelHan family was kept, we'd lost precious time to our enemy.

"What then? What happens when a gargoyle army comes for the MarkTier pack? What then, brother?" I demanded.

My grim expression made all of the officers nervous. They'd never seen their commander acting so bleak as if we'd already lost the war. Etan looked like he wanted to shake me back into myself, make me realize this was the only way we could save Lilianna. We had to figure out the gargoyle army's weakness before they hit. He already had people sifting through the archives with Langley, trying to uncover every piece of information on the KelHans there might be. So far, they'd had no luck.

No one had fought a cursed gargoyle army before. They'd been hibernating for centuries, waiting for Lily to reignite their fire for living and vengeance, not against the ArcKnights but against us, the MarkTier pack. But if we fell, the ArcKnights would be next. There would be no stopping the KelHans if they got past us, and the ArcKnights would be caught unawares because of our lack of communication.

"I don't know, Ephrem. We'll work day and night on this. You know that. What we need to do now is find someone who knows a way to defeat the KelHans. They must have a weakness. It's just a matter of time before we find it."

I chewed on my lip for a moment, erratically pacing the room. I tried to think of something and hoped it would click sooner rather than later. I was usually a genius when it came to military matters, and I knew Etan needed my expertise now more than ever. I would come through, there would be no doubt about that.

I spun and walked toward my brother, the sudden feeling of elation and hope pumping another rush of adrenaline through my system. For the first time in days, I felt hopeful.

"I know what we have to do," I said.

"What?" Etan watched me cautiously.

"It's time we renegotiate our treaty with the ArcKnights. There's nothing more in our archives about the KelHans, but we haven't searched their records. They could have the answer and not even know it.

Etan considered this before agreeing. "That's reasonable. We'll have to get ahold of their Alpha and see what we can do. It won't be easy. He's notoriously stubborn." He waved for one of his messengers. He squared a sheet of parchment on the desk and began to pen a letter. "I really hope he listens. Gilbert, right?"

I shook my head and placed a hand on the table.

"No. Not Gil. He's no longer the Alpha of the ArcKnights."

Confused, Etan stared back at me. "What do you mean?"

"I mean he was challenged for his position and lost. He's been banished since last night."

"Wow. Okay, so who's Alpha now?"

I smirked, knowing the answer would surprise everyone in the room. "Queen Rafaela. Her new mate, Alec, is the general of the ArcKnight army. Make sure you address them properly. She's the Alpha, but he's her partner; we must include both names. We don't want to screw this up."

Etan shook his head, beaming at the thought of a new relationship with the ArcKnight pack. It was funny how it took the threat of war to bring people together. At least, that's what he was hoping. I knew a different truth when I saw the look in Grayson's eyes as he flew away with Lily.

There would never be peace. Not here. We'd made sure of it.

Bonus Scene

Wolf Romp

Ephrem

"Ephrem, I want to go for a run."

I eyed Lily, taking in her classic beauty, something I could never get enough of. Long, ebony lashes framed her brilliant brown eyes, emphasizing them against her pale skin. I loved every detail of her face. It was better than any painting or rare work of art. I wanted to behold it for an eternity, but I instead decided to burn her image into my memory for the times I couldn't have her in front of me.

"A run? All right. Where to?"

"Anywhere. I need to breathe again. Fresh air. Not this polluted excuse for oxygen. This city gets stifling. How do you stand it?" She closed her eyes, and I could see the strain etch itself on her features.

We'd been sitting at the diner talking about our recent disappointment in court. The magistrate had upheld Lily's previous banishment from her home, the ArcKnight wolf pack stronghold. She'd gotten her stolen Ardent talisman back, which held an unknown amount of supernatural power—including the ability to control her if it got into the wrong hands—but it had been all for nothing. It was all Elise's fault, Lily's former best friend. Now, Elise was dead, Lily remained banished, and I continued as the general of the Outlands Army instead of Second Prince of the MarkTier pack. We were in no better positions, but at least we hadn't been executed for putting the reigning Alpha of the MarkTier pack in danger when we'd gone after Elise, who had happened to be my brother Etan's new fiancé.

I was fine where I was, but my heart went out to my love. She missed her family, and it broke her heart to be forbidden from returning home ever again.

"Come on," I said, motioning for her to follow me as I slid out of the booth. We both needed to get away, and I knew just the place where we could shift in peace without being disturbed. It was part of the neutral territory between wolf packs' territories, but it wasn't under any kind of restrictions except that it belonged to the supernaturals of the City of Temple. Humans weren't allowed unless they had knowledge of those with second natures or a relative who had magical abilities. This kept it open for shifters to roam freely without the worry that we would be spotted, or worse, hunted down by a human.

"Where are we going?" Lily joined me, slipping her hand into mine. It sent a burst of sparks up my arm, and I paused, momentarily admiring her again. "What?" She fidgeted, averting her eyes to the floor.

She was definitely not used to someone blatantly adoring her and touching her at the same time. Royals led such isolated lives, it was a wonder all of us didn't go insane. Especially wolf royalty. We were pack animals, and royal life kept most of us in constant isolation, even from many of our relatives. We were like fragile vases placed on pedestals, lit up to admire and chat about, but never to touch or feel against the skin.

It was far less glamorous than it would seem.

"I'm taking you to the Outlands Preserve. It's made for shifters and magicals like us. A place to escape."

She stopped as we reached the sidewalk, letting the heavy glass doors of the diner swing shut behind us before she spoke.

"Whose territory is it under?" Fear swam behind her eyes. I couldn't wait to reassure her that she had nothing to be concerned about.

"Not to worry. It's in the neutral zone between territories. That's why it's part of the Outlands, not part of a stronghold."

She visibly relaxed. Her fear of treading onto forbidden royal grounds again was very real. She was not only banished from the palace stronghold of her pack but also of my pack, the MarkTiers. It was a damn mighty shame, because I could still trek back and forth into my family's palace with official military business. Otherwise, I'd be ousted from my stronghold like she was.

I'd gotten the better end of the deal, and I wish I could give it all to her.

"Let's go."

The City of Temple was vast, flanked on both sides by the two wolf pack strongholds. It was longer than wide, comparable to New York City in size, and full of tall skyscrapers that brushed the clouds. Most of it was considered neutral territory, full of humans who lacked magic, but it was also packed with supernaturals of all kinds. I liked living out there better than in the palace. It lacked the stuffiness of the stringent royal rules.

We followed the streets until the buildings became sparse and the copses of trees grew thicker, replacing the concrete with greenery. Once we hit the trails of the park surrounding Temple, we would be free to walk deeper in toward an area called "Wolf Romp Trails," just to be sure we wouldn't be disturbed by humans.

The name itself caused Lily to chuckle.

"Wolf Romp? Really?"

I shrugged. "It had to be obvious yet dumb enough for people to not look into. And it's enchanted, just in case. Those normal humans who do wander too close will find themselves drawn off onto another trail. Very few have the willpower to overcome the suggestion."

"That works for me," she laughed as I led her to a set of trees where there were hollows for placing our clothes before we shifted. In the holes were ledges, several inches below the lip of the entrances, to keep our stuff hidden if anyone was to walk past.

I loved going out there to run. It afforded me the fresh air I craved while giving me the space to stretch out my wolf legs, which rarely happened within the boundaries of Temple.

Lily needed that now, and I was all too happy to show it to her.

"Clothes here." I motioned to the holes in the trees, and she flushed pink before stripping off her clothes, beating me to the punch. "At least you're not shy." I gave her a playful wink.

She grinned back. "Oh, I'm way past the shy stage. I need to feel the grasses on my breasts and the air through my fur badly enough that I wouldn't care if the Pope was waltzing through here at this very second. Clothes are off!"

It was hard not admiring her stealth and beauty. Her body was hard as rock but sleek and curvy in all the right places. Her thin structure was muscly enough to show off her strength yet soft and womanly enough to arouse my inner beast immediately. That, and her ample breasts, looking perky in the cold evening air, had me turning away, breathing hard as I stuffed my own clothes into one of the hollows.

I was going to enjoy this night. I could already tell.

"Hey, wait!" I called out after Lily as she took off, but she was already morphing. Fur sprung out of her pores, and she began to sprint, faster and faster, until her legs shortened as she jumped into the air to complete her transformation. Her snout elongated, and she landed on four pads. She came to a stop before turning back to eye me with brilliant yellow wolf eyes.

She called out to me, howling as the night air turned crisp and sent a spray of goosebumps over my body. I heeded the summons, running toward her in a quick jaunt before letting the morph overtake me and spread a warm encasement of fur over my body. I skidded to a stop next to her, full wolf, and she stepped closer, licked my face with her tongue and then took off running again.

The woman was fierce, and I liked her energy. I had plans to help her burn some of it off.

Jumping after her, I let the rush of wind jet through my fur. It was exhilarating. My long, coarse hair was black with streaks of tan through it. My eyes were a sea-tossed blue, and when I was shifted, they reflected the moonlight like a mirror. I could still feel my Ardent talisman beating against my chest and hidden in my fur. The closer I got to Lily, the more it warmed, flaring to life and pulsing along with my heart.

Her fur was a brilliant dark gray peppered with black hair. If you faced her one way, she was almost silver in color. From another point of view, she turned a dark, oily black. It was an unusual coat color, but I loved every inch of her, animal and human alike.

The forest thickened before it gave way to a soft, gleaming meadow, a small creek trickling through the center of it. The soft grasses swayed in the cool breeze as the moon overtook the sky and the last remnants of sunlight faded away beyond the canopy of the trees. The night air tickled my nose, and as I came up alongside Lily, I buried it in her fur, inhaling her scent like a drug.

It aroused me even more.

She lapped at the water in the creek, panting from our initial run, and I joined her at the water's edge. As I drank, she let her tongue slide over my head, slicking back the thick fur before nudging me.

We could speak this way telepathically, but most of the time, the silence of nature was the best part of being shifted.

Her gleaming eyes shined in the moonlight, and I could smell her desire permeating the air around us. I could tell she was also taking in my scent as I approached her. She hopped to the side, bringing her legs down as she jumped from my advances, teasing me. It was pure torture, and after a few minutes of this playful romp, I backed away and gave her a stern glare.

I want you.

Come get me.

I don't want to hurt you.

Like you even could.

Would you be so bold if I wasn't shifted?

She cocked her head to the side and yipped. Try me.

I changed back to my human form and fell to my knees. She watched me through her wolf eyes, trying to figure out my intentions. Don't you want to run?

We've done enough running, don't you think? Lie with me.

She pranced forward and stared into my eyes. We were face to face, and her hot breath tickled my nose and cheek. She was scared to let go, scared to love me back. I'd known this before our trial and had brought her here to figure out how she truly felt. That was why I'd shifted back to human form and waited for her to come to me, in the middle of nowhere, out where wild things grew and nothing stood between us like banishment, sorrow or disappointment. She had to choose whether or not to shift back. She could refuse, or she could give herself to me.

It was just us out there amongst the reeds and wild grasses. Just her and me. She could take me or leave me, but I had to know for sure where her heart might lie. Was it actually mine or not? She had told me she was mine at the diner, after our trial, but this ritual would prove to us both that we really meant it.

There was nothing like making love outdoors, naked and vulnerable, while wearing nothing but our talismans to keep us warm, then to shift into our wolf forms and make love again. It was the wolf shifter's way of sealing a love bond.

"Lily," I said. My breath puffed out in steamy clouds, for the night was frigid, but I wasn't cold. My want kept me warm, and my heart pumped the blood to my limbs, desperate to be touched. "Love me. Show me you want me. I know things have been difficult lately, but I am here. I'll always be here for you. Tell me you want me to be here always, or tell me to go. It's all or nothing, but don't tell me one thing and feel something else. This seals our love, here, with only the magic of nature to bear witness to our pact."

My call to her was the norm. Most shifters mated to one another in a similar ritual. Most wolves were in packs, except for lone wolves. Her and I, we had that in common. We were not of packs. We were alone in this world, and I was inviting her to accept me, love me and shift into a human woman. I was asking her to take from me what she needed out here in the wild. Or she could remain as a wolf and rip my throat out, rejecting me, or leave me to forever nurse my broken heart. I prayed she'd pick my love. I wanted it more than anything I'd ever wanted before.

Her whimper echoed in the night, and she crept closer to me, lowering her head in submission to me as her Alpha. Two lone wolves, and she had allowed me the position of Alpha. She could have made me submit, but she'd given it to me freely, and my heart felt like it had grown to the size of the moon with love for her. I'd make it worth it, no matter what the future brought. I'd be her strength and foundation, and she'd be my light in the vast darkness of life.

"Lily," I whispered to her, holding out my arms as she morphed back to human form and collapsed into them. I knew her answer then. Pulling her more tightly to my chest, I found her unbearably soft lips and kissed her until the heat of our bodies demanded more. Her beautiful breasts pushed against my skin, and I could feel them beckoning for me to touch every inch of them. My hands explored as she lay back onto the soft pillow of grasses and let me skim her body with my mouth and fingertips until she begged for more.

The night was forgotten, and we made sweet love until our bodies were sore from the earthen bed and our desires were spent. We sealed our love that night with every caress, and each time I took her, slipping into her sweet, wet and ready entrance, her pleasurable whimpers came between words of desire. Again and again. And when as humans we needed to recharge, we shifted into our wolf forms to join bodies once more.

Once fully spent, we held each other close as the night wore on. I ran my fingers through her dark, lustrous locks while her fingers traced the edges of my muscles. In that moment, I knew we would never breathe without each other's love ever again.

"Lily?"

"Yes, Ephrem?"

"Remember what you told me? It's you and me. Forever."

She nodded. "Yes, I remember. I'd like that. Very much."

"My heart is all yours for the taking. I'm here until the end."

She smiled, leaning forward to meet my mouth with a tender kiss.

"Always. Until the end."

Liked the story?

There's more!

Sovereignty (The ArcKnight Wolf Pack Chronicles #2)

Now Available!

Sneak Peek

Blood Warrior

The Alexa Montgomery Saga: Book One

by

H. D. Gordon

Copyright 2011 © Heather Gordon.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

Cover Design by Mae I Design

~Chapter 1~

It wasn't dead when I found it.

I'm not even sure what drew me to the window in the first place. But I went. I suppose I should have, even could have walked away at that point... let nature take its course. But, I didn't.

Its neck was broken. Its wings outstretched and feathers splayed in a way more peacock than blackbird. I pushed open the window, having almost forgotten its deceitful boundary, though the glass was stained where the two had collided.

And then I tilted, just bent my upper body so I was leaning over it. It was in pain. No, I couldn't be sure of this, and yet, I was. I think the eyes captured me, held me there until the option of walking away had faded, leaving me with no choice at all.

I backpedaled, reached out a calloused and cracked hand, and grabbed Capote off my desk. Returning to the window, I raised the hardcover.

My hesitation was brief, but present. The bird lay wounded beyond repair. And, somehow, I thought I knew what it wanted, what I would want were I the broken blackbird.

Or maybe I justified certain wants with inferred ones. Either way, it was the right thing. I took no pleasure in watching something suffer. Nor would I let it.

The book fell at exactly the same moment the door opened.

~Chapter 2~

My mother entered the room, and I reluctantly turned to face her. I had been in a good mood. I didn't particularly want to change that. But there she stood, and that meant she had a reason. She never visited for a simple chat.

Her eyes flicked briefly to the window. If I hadn't been watching, I would've missed it. She didn't comment. She didn't ask about the lone black feather sticking out from under Capote. She just gestured to the bed, and I took a seat.

She carried the makeup in her hand, and I refused to wince as she applied it none too gently to my eye.

"There," she said, leaning back to examine her work.

I blinked a couple times to clear my vision and went to study myself in the mirror. My black eye was still visibly swollen, but at least the foundation she'd applied covered up some of the bruising. I stared at myself, almost ignoring the fact that I'd become reasonably comfortable with this routine.

"Thanks," I mumbled.

It was all I ever said to her when this happened, and it occurred to me that it was strange to be thanking her for covering up an injury she had caused. Still, I had learned long ago to enjoy these moments with her. These moments when I could almost believe her when she said it was necessary for me to endure the physical pain she inflicted.

"Now go," she said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Or you'll be late for school."

I nodded and grabbed my loaded backpack off its hook as I headed out the door.

"Hey, wait!" my little sister, Nelly, called from upstairs.

I was tempted to shut the door behind me and head off without her, but I knew that would only piss off my mother. I suppose that's why I was tempted. I felt good this morning, stronger. And I realized much later this probably had something to do with the blackbird.

As it was, my mother shot me a warning look as I stood in the open doorway and waited impatiently for Nelly. A few moments later, she came running down the stairs with her backpack in tow. I rolled my eyes as I took in her usual perfect and prim appearance. Her golden-brown hair hung perfectly straight across her shoulders, and her makeup was light and tasteful. We were both very pretty, but most of the time I couldn't help but feel mildly jealous of her. I had my reasons. Believe me.

She was wearing a baby-blue button-down blouse and light-colored jeans. I looked down at my wrinkled T-shirt and sweatpants. Mom always got her the good stuff. At least the pants fit me nicely.

"Don't you look pretty?" I said. "Can we go now?"

This earned another glare from my mother, which I pointedly ignored by pushing the hair that had fallen out of my sloppy ponytail off my face.

Nelly just smiled genuinely and swept past me through the open door. It was childish, but I sighed and rolled my eyes again. Nelly certainly is the diplomatic one. Me? Not so much. Still, I felt bad for making fun of her this morning. It wasn't her fault she didn't have to "prepare"—that's what my mother called it—like I did. And, truth be told, I was glad she didn't get the same treatment from my mother. Nelly's more fragile than I am, and I wasn't sure she could take it.

Just before I closed the door, my mother called out to me. "Alexa—"

"I know, I know," I said, cutting her off. "Don't stop until we get there."

Like what you read?

Visit H.D. Gordon here:

Facebook

Website

Twitter

Intsagram

 YouTube

Acknowledgments

Alexia Purdy

I seriously don't want to leave anyone out but with this two-second memory of mine, I will. First of all, to my family who put up with this crazy mind and love me no matter what. I love you too! I want to most definitely give kudos to all my beta readers who read my stuff in the raw and still love it. You rock! Michael K. Rose for your constant support, insight, and the ability to turn my cruddy writing into a shiny gem. Kendra Gaither for your constant friendship, help and insights. So lucky to have met you! Melissa Pearl for your amazing friendship and showing me it's never over until the world stops spinning!

For anyone I've forgotten (shame on me) you should know who you are and that you mean so much more to me than you'll ever know. Stay amazing.

About the Author

Alexia Purdy

Alexia is a USA Today Bestselling author who currently lives in Las Vegas and loves spending every free moment writing or hanging out with her four rambunctious kids. Writing is the ultimate getaway for her since she's always lost in her head. She is best known for her award-winning Reign of Blood series, and A Dark Faerie Tale Series.

Connect with Alexia Purdy:

Sign up for Alexia's Newsletter HERE

Alexia Purdy's Website

Twitter

Instagram

You-Tube

 Alexia Purdy's Facebook Fan Page

A Dark Faerie Tale Series Facebook Fan page

Reign of Blood Series Facebook Fan Page

More books by Alexia Purdy:

The ArcKnight Wolf Pack Chronicles:

ArcKnight

Sovereignty

Accursed Archangels Series:

The Unbreakable Curse

The Cursed Labyrinth

The Irredeemable Soul

The Vampires of Vegas Series

Reign of Blood

Disarming

Elijah (The Miel Chronicles)

Amplified

A Dark Faerie Tale Series

The Withering Palace #0.1

Evangeline #0.5

Ever Shade #1

Ever Fire #2

Ever Winter Tale #3

The Cursed #3.5

Ever Wrath #4

Without Armor #4.5

History of Fire #5

Ever Dead #6

Legends of Fire #7

Guardians of Fire #8

Other Stories

The Fall of Sky

Wicked Grove

Papercut Doll

Poetic Collections

Whispers of Dreams

Five Fathoms

Anthologies

Soul Games

Faery Worlds

Faery Realms

Faery Tales

Lacing Shadows

Destiny's Dark Fantasy

Once Upon a Curse

The Shapeshifter Chronicles

Once Upon a Kiss

Fuse: A Collection of Fantastical Tales

A Plague of Dragons (A Dragon Anthology)

