THE SILVERLIGHT HEIR

DOMINION SERIES

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 EMMA COLE

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Inky Dark Publishing LLC

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 CONTENTS

About the Author

Other Works By Emma Cole
Blurb
Trigger Warning

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22

Acknowledgments

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 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emma Cole is an indie author that writes across the genre board. Nothing is off limits, so that means
mature audiences only. From light and fluffy to down and dirty—if it strikes her fancy and has a story
to tell she’s on it.
Want to stalk the author? You can catch her on most platforms

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 OTHER WORKS BY EMMA COLE

Remington Carter Series

Echoes
Requiem
Clarity
Resonance

Dark Duet
Lark
Nightingale
The Complete Dark Duet: Lark & Nightingale

Bad Habits Duology

No Good Deed
No Bad Deed

Twisted Love Series

The Degradation of Shelby Ann

Blackbriar Academy
The Order: Hit and Run
The Order: Ascension

Order of the Wraith

Avarice: House of Mustelid (Wicked Reform School)
Alie and the Cosmic Convicts (standalone)

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 The Silverlight Heir © 2023 by Emma Cole
All rights reserved.

This book is protected under Copyright Laws. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is
prohibited. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or
by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without
the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical
reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. No portion of this
material may be used for training artificial intelligence without prior written permission of the author.
For permission requests, please contact the author.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this story are
either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual
events, business establishments, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Cover by Rainy Day Artwork (Nichole Witholder)

Published by
Inky Dark Publishing LLC

www.emmacolebooks.com

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 BLURB

A secret girl, the Silverlight Heir,

Tainted from birth, beyond repair.
Fated mates, yet cast aside,
Twisted bonds, a rival's bride.

Stella has been hidden away from supernatural society, sequestered in her
wolf shifter pack as a half-breed dhampir orphan, the knowledge of her
existence hoarded for a chance at her untapped power.
An accidental meeting with her mate exposes the secret and sets her on a
dark path of pain and betrayal foretold by a prophecy the wolf elders have
kept to themselves. Hidden agendas, political intrigue, and a desperate bid
at freedom conspire against Stella at every turn.
When it appears that she'll fall to the same circumstances that left her an
orphan, fate gives her a new avenue of hope. But she'll have to be strong
enough to grab onto it to pull herself from the pit of despair her unfaithful
mate has cast her into.
What happens when a girl who has been oppressed, reviled, called an
abomination and treated worse rises up to take destiny into her own hands?

Find out in The Silverlight Heir, the first book of the Dominion Series.

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 TRIGGER WARNING

This is a dark-themed RH paranormal romance with content such as

cheating, violence, gore, strong/vulgar language, explicit scenes that may
include dub/noncon, self-harm, and other themes that may not be suitable
for all audiences.

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Never settle, always be the Chosen One in your story.

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Mariana
Twenty Years Ago

“Y ou're my mate. It’s humiliating for me that you took another. I'll challenge
the little harlot and rip her throat out!” A slap of skin on skin drifted over
to my hiding place along with the whine of the alpha’s mate. The new alpha,
anyway. The previous one didn’t even know he no longer held the position.
I pushed myself further into the shadows of the balcony and prayed the wind
stayed in my favor. If either of them came out now, through the open glass
doors, I’d be caught.
“You will not threaten me or Mari again; do I make myself clear, Katrina? If
there’s a next time, I’ll dust the marks in silver, then everyone will know of your
disobedience.” Another whimper, and I imagined Katrina cowering in fear.
The threat of permanent disfigurement to a female was the ultimate
punishment, right above the implications of a second mate. She would never
live down the stigma of it. I tried to feel sympathetic toward her, but I had my
own issues after being hijacked before meeting my mating candidates. She was
more than welcome to keep the former alpha's younger brother. I hadn't asked
for him to mark and mate me.
I rubbed the constant reminder that took the form of the scarred imprint of a
bite on my nape. The former alpha and a regiment of soldiers had been forced to
meet and thwart an attack by the Shadow Clan led by the Vae himself. The
leader of the elite vampire kiss was intent on stopping the binding of the
Silverlight Heir to any of the wolf shifter families, and it had left an opportunity
the previous beta couldn’t resist.
In every generation that an Heir was born, the vampires went into a frenzy
to steal her power for their own agenda. Not that the wolves didn't have one as
well, but tradition dictated that one of the firstborn sons of the seven ruling
families would mate with her, while the other six males would become her
personal guard, and the alpha seat was passed on to the next in line. An event
the new alpha wasn’t leaving to chance. He wanted the top position, and
claiming me had cinched the deal for him.
The birth of the Heir, the female who bore the mark of a star and crescent
moon, was always preceded by the firstborn males of the ruling families, her
potential mating candidates, being born in the same year. The vampires claimed
they had their own portent, but as far as I was aware, it was always dismissed as
rumor and ignored.
Hence one very irate vampire bent on capturing me before the ceremony.
And the absence of my mating candidates.
The slamming of a door caught my attention, and I listened to the silence
that followed for long moments. I was sure the room was empty, so this was the
chance to make my escape. The new alpha hadn't had time to indulge in rutting
me since more than a few of the pack members had voiced concerns over the
arbitrary claiming of me by a second son, the former pack beta. They took it as
an omen of dark times ahead, and he had had to lock me in a room to deal with
the situation. I’d used the opportunity to sneak out the window and jump to the
balcony next to it. Thankfully, the contingent of guards that had been sent to
escort me had instructed me to wear boots and sturdy pants. I’d been given the
explanation that I could change when I arrived since I needed to be in functional
clothing until we reached the safety of the pack lands the ceremony was being
held on. Not a fancy dress and high-heeled shoes. The hosting location of the
ceremony changed for each Heir, but the vampires still found out and always
attacked.
Throwing a leg over the balcony railing, I worked my way down until I was
left with no choice but to drop to the ground. As a shifter, the distance wasn’t an
issue, but looking down at any drop from a height more than twice my own
made my stomach flip. Pampered and protected, I wasn’t as in tune with my
nature as others. At least the guards were watching for intruders trying to get in,
not pack members trying to escape. Which was probably why I’d gotten as far
as I had. Being small, I made it through the gardens and crawled into the
underbrush leading into the woods undetected. I didn't have to cover my scent as
the guards would most likely ignore it, assuming I was another soldier
positioned in defense against the vampires.
I made my way painfully, slowly collecting scratches that rapidly healed and
snags in my clothing and hair from sticks and twigs on the forest floor.
Eventually, I’d gotten far enough that I thought I could get up to make quicker
time. By the time the forest gave way to empty fields, I’d realized my folly. My
path had led me parallel to the road I’d come in on, which happened to be the
direction the Shadow Clan infiltrators would be coming from. It was my bad
luck to get the attention of one of the more powerful members of the kiss.
His tall form melted from the shadows—hiding where I’d only just passed.
He was on me, his fangs sunk in my neck, before my feet obeyed the urge to
run. The smell of the blood attracted two nearby others, but the assailant tucked
around my body, refusing to share. I scratched and kicked to no avail, but the
rushing of the two other males made him withdraw from my neck and push me
down to the ground so he could face them.
The instant he was engaged, I ran. But of course, they gave chase.
By now we had the attention of both sides, and from the yelling and
advancement of the shifter soldiers, they knew who I was. I didn’t want to go
back there, but death didn’t appeal to me either. The decision was removed from
my hands when another vampire male melted into being directly in my path.
This one was different from the others, and he didn't instantly attack. He glared
at the wounds in my neck before tossing me over his shoulder and employing
his speed to cross well behind the lines of fighting and into vampire territory.
“You cannot remove a part of yourself, Mari.”
I was so surprised that it spoke to me that I momentarily forgot I was over
the shoulder of a vampire and being kidnapped. Again.
Choosing to ignore whatever it was, I struggled, kicking and hitting my
captor. Other than a tightening of his arms over my legs, he mostly ignored me
as we sped farther away from pack lands. My hair was coming loose from the
bun I'd put it in, and long blonde pieces trailed after me like a banner.
Eventually, the male slowed and set me on my feet, but he kept a hold of my
arm. We were in someone’s barn, and it didn’t appear to have been in use for
some time.
 “Let me go! You have no right to take me!” I pulled against the vampire’s
grip, not understanding why my strength had failed me. I was as weak as a
human and becoming more terrified by the second.
The male’s eyes swirled with silver around his pupil while his fangs
descended. Ignoring the side of my neck with the punctures, he dragged his nose
up the other, inhaling my scent, until he encountered the alpha's bite on my
nape.
“They couldn't have claimed you! I have them busy at the edge of the
territory. Whose mark is this, girl?” He abruptly let go of my arm, and as I was
still pulling away, my bottom promptly hit the dusty floor.
Unsure of what else to do for the moment, I answered him. “The alpha's
brother. The prior alpha, I mean.”
I might not have answered as far as the vampire standing over me was
concerned. His head was cocked to the side, his gaze distant. With a snarl, his
eyes focused, and he pounced on me.
“They're closing in. It’s now or never. I refuse to lose this opportunity.” The
vampire unhooked his pants and shoved them down far enough to expose his
semi-erect penis, and I knew what he had planned.
Scrambling back until I hit a stall door did me little good. He yanked at my
pants, not bothering with my boots or even getting my pants down all the way.
He flipped me over and pinned me to the floor despite my struggling.
“I apologize that it has to be this way. Please forgive me and know I will
make it up to you.” With his last word, he sunk his fangs into my neck before
withdrawing them to suck at the wounds they’d left.
His length hardened against my rear end, trying to slip between my legs only
to find it completely dry. With a huff, his mouth left my neck, then his bloody
wrist appeared in my vision. I tried to turn my head, but he held it pinned with
his other hand as he crushed my front to the floor with his chest.
“Drink.” He smeared the blood across my closed lips, pressing until my
teeth threatened to break through them. Only then did I surrender.
Instantly, I was lost. His blood was like an inferno of desire washing through
me.
“If our mating were not possible, my blood would not affect you so.” The
whispered words only added to my confusion and helplessness since I’d always
been told that any claim the vampires tried to make for the Heir were lies.
But the entity that had chased off my wolf perked up at the blood. I could
feel it becoming stronger even as the smell of my arousal filled the air around
us. The vampire bit me again, this time eliciting a soft moan from my throat,
and found purchase with his dick between my thighs. He slid home, taking my
innocence as he tried to seal the bond. The mark I’d already received from the
alpha was interfering, burning me from the inside out. My wolf appeared,
snarling at the now-sated entity, but the damage was done. I climaxed as the
vampire shot his seed deep inside me where he remained buried until the sounds
of others approaching intruded.
Scrambling away when the vampire’s weight left me, I pulled my underwear
and pants up as I ignored the commotion outside the barn. I was ruined. Had I
stayed in the pack compound, at least I wouldn't be in the situation I found
myself in now. I wiped my eyes and nose on the sleeve of my shirt and tried to
ignore the throbbing between my legs and in my neck. Escape from the
vampires was all that mattered now. If the pack or my kin would even have me
back after being defiled by one of the monsters.
Mind in disarray, I scanned the barn for a way out that didn’t involve facing
my captors. As I was trying to pry open a loose board enough to slip through,
the noises outside changed. The snarl of a wolf, followed by several more,
filtered in through the walls, and I knew the soldiers had arrived. I gave up on
the board and braved the entrance to the barn. I wouldn't let them fight alone
while I hid with my shame pooling in my underpants.
My wolf was at the forefront, and the entity was buried. The she-wolf was
pissed and out for retribution. My fingertips lengthened into claws as I faced the
unprotected back of the vampire that had defiled me, standing guard as he
watched the skirmish between forces. At a glance, the wolves appeared to have
the upper hand, but I didn't care about that. I was going to shred the bloodsucker
in front of me.
Pushing off the ground with all my shifter strength behind me, I leapt at the
vampire. He turned as if he’d known I was there all along, but I still managed to
land a swipe across his face, my claws opening furrows from his cheek to his
jaw. I'd aimed for his neck, but he'd tucked his chin at the last moment. Even as
his hand clamped on my wrist to prevent further attack, I noted with satisfaction
that they were deep enough to likely scar.
I screamed in his face as I swung with my other hand, but he caught that one
too, so I resorted to kicking him to gain my freedom. Our scuffle brought the
attention of both sides, and soon we were surrounded by shifters and vampires,
each jockeying to reach me and my assailant while I tried to escape.
When it became apparent that the wolves were going to overpower their
foes, the male gave up, and at some unseen signal, the vampires began to
disappear. He was the last to go, a forlorn look on his face directed at me as he
melted into the shadows.
 Now that the fight was over, I would have to face the consequences of my
flight from the compound, and from the looks of horror and disgust on the faces
of my nearest rescuers, they weren’t going to care that I’d been running from the
new alpha.

“Q uickly now, ma’am,” the female attendant urged me from outside the
shower door.
I couldn't even have the luxury of processing in a hot shower alone. No,
mating candidates were all down in the meeting room, waiting to confront me
for…well, everything.
After washing, I opened the stall door to step into the towel the attendant
held. I kept my stare fixed past her to avoid the disapproval written all over her
demeanor. It wasn’t like I'd chosen any of this, yet somehow I was the one to
blame.
“You can go; I can dress myself.” I didn't care to have the woman and her
attitude around.
“Sorry, ma’am. Alpha’s orders not to leave you unattended.”
Of course. “Then you can wait by the door while I get myself ready.” The
woman started to protest, but I cut her off. “It wasn’t a request,” I gritted out. I
could feel my wolf shining through my eyes, and that, more than the words, was
probably the reason for her acquiescence.
I tried not to waste any time, plaiting my hair back to expose the savagery
my neck had suffered in the last day. Let them all face what I had been forced to
endure. The mating mark wouldn't fade, and the vampires had apparently been
from one of the bloodlines that caused their venom to scar despite my rapid
healing. I couldn’t have had the luck to get bitten by one that wouldn’t leave a
mark. At least the soreness between my legs had already abated.
When I was ready, clothed in proper attire of dress and flats, I motioned for
the attendant to lead the way. Two flights of stairs and several turns later, the
cacophony of raised voices, more than there would have been with only the
mating candidates, filtered out of a door.
The elders had arrived. I was sure they’d been waylaid by the same attack
the suitors had gone out to deal with. I wondered if my parents were in
attendance then mentally kicked myself. Of course they were. They were the
proud lower class that had birthed the Silverlight Heir. After this, however, I
didn't doubt they’d be mortified and ready to shun me at a moment's notice.
An attendant halted me in front of the meeting room door before knocking
for admittance. The manservant stationed inside opened it and ushered me in
while blocking the attendant. She seemed disappointed to be excluded from the
proceedings, so I guessed she was hoping to have a front-row seat for gossiping
later on. She could likely dine out on it for a month if she were to get all the
information first hand.
The room went silent as I hesitantly stepped inside. Larimer, the new alpha,
got up from his spot and started in my direction, but I squared my shoulders and
made my way to one of the empty seats at the table. He might have arbitrarily
claimed me, but I hadn’t been willing, and I was going to make that very clear.
Several of the men near me stiffened as their nostrils flared, taking in the story
of the scents on me regardless of the shower I had taken. Others blatantly stared
at the marks on my neck, their faces set in furious lines.
These men were to have been my suitors, and I would have picked the one
most compatible with my wolf from what I understood. Now, that was an
impossibility. The elders—leaders of our species despite their varied ages—sat
at one end of the rectangular table. I needed them on my side as theirs would be
the final say in my fate.
The one at the head of the table spoke first. “Mariana Crayton, thank you for
joining us after your ordeal. As the Silverlight Heir, you should not have been in
such a position. This meeting is to determine what, if anything, can be done to
rectify matters.” He’d thanked me for coming as if it were a choice. At least I’d
be present for whatever was decided.
“Thank you for allowing me to speak on my behalf, Elder Martin.” With my
position, I’d had multiple occasions to meet the seven elders and had learned
their names over the years.
“That is not quite how this is going to be conducted, Mariana. We will ask
questions, and you will answer them,” another man responded. Elder Balfor was
a cranky bastard that had always rubbed me the wrong way, and the dislike
seemed to be mutual.
“Technically, she’s my mate, so anything she needs to impart will go
through me.” Several seats down from me, Alpha Larimer pounded a fist on the
table. From the glare aimed at him by a man who shared some of the same
features, he wasn’t the only one who wanted to hit something.
Elder Balfor had a gleam in his eye I didn’t like. He pointedly asked Alpha
Larimer his next question. “So, as her mate, you take full responsibility for her,
no matter what?”
 The alpha gulped a bit nervously now, but he couldn’t back down without
losing face. Well, more than he already had. “Yes, of course, Elder.”
The elder in question nodded his head at his colleague, giving a terse,
“Proceed.”
It seemed Elder Martin was going to be the one conducting the interview
while the others observed, and I was hopeful that he’d get everything
straightened out soon.
“Mariana, when you arrived at the Wolfsbane compound, who were you
escorted by?”
I wasn’t sure why that was relevant, but I answered him anyway. “Two
guards sent out to meet our party and three female attendants I had traveled
with. The rest of my retinue were guards, and they were directed to assist forces
already engaged with the vampires.”
Elder Balfor cleared his throat, pointedly looking at Elder Martin, who
steeled his expression before addressing me.
“Thank you, dear. From now on, keep your answers concise. If we need
clarification, it will be addressed then.” I was taken aback by the rebuke from a
man I’d been somewhat friendly with on prior occasions, but again, I just
nodded my agreement. “Upon entering the manor itself, who was present?”
“Larimer. Alpha Larimer.” I received a raised brow and pointed look at
either the lack of a title or maybe my correction being considered an
elaboration, but no comment otherwise.
“There were no other witnesses when you allowed the second son of the
Wolfsbane Pack to claim you without a ceremony or meeting your other mating
candidates?”
“What? No! That’s not what—” Elder Balfor held up a hand, halting my
denial. Tears pricked my eyes, but I refused to shed them in their presence. They
were doing this on purpose. From the time I’d had my march of shame after
being rescued from the Vae, to their blatant refusal to hear my side of things,
something I’d done, or had done to me, seemed to have made them turn against
me. Quietly, voice thick with emotion, I answered, “No, there were no
witnesses.”
“And when you were confined to your room, did you not disobey a direct
order from your alpha?” The men around me shifted uncomfortably. They knew
what was happening too, and they were allowing it.
“Yes.” I glared at Alpha Larimer. This was all his fault.
“Did you flee the compound and attempt to escape pack lands to avoid the
consequences of mating with Alpha Larimer, resulting in being attacked by
vampires and having to be rescued at the detriment of the soldiers?” Even Elder
Martin looked ashamed to ask the question.
“Yes, but—”
Elder Balfor interrupted. “You will be removed without further input on the
decision if you do not cease trying to have your excuses heard.” Dislike was no
longer a strong enough word to describe what my wolf and I felt for the man. I
hated Elder Balfor. I grappled with her, trying to keep her calm when she
wanted to retaliate against him. Shifting now would only give them more
ammunition.
Elder Martin didn’t even look at me as he asked the last question. “You
received a mating bite from Alpha Larimer. Are you still a virgin?”
“No,” I choked out. Alpha Larimer’s head snapped in my direction. Surely,
they could smell the vampire on me and had gotten the account of the soldiers
that had found and escorted me back.
“It’s settled then,” Elder Balfor announced. “The Silverlight Heir is bound to
the Wolfsbane Pack, and Larimer is the new alpha. As the ceremony and rituals
were not observed, the covenants do not apply. Mariana will be second mate.
The prior alpha, as well as all the alpha mating candidates, will be remanded
into the ranks for the elders. The second-born sons will all be promoted as the
new alphas as they’ve completed years of preparation for the ascensions and
were not at fault here. All further responsibility for Mariana will be provided by
Alpha Larimer. May the next cycle not be as disastrous as this one. Alphas,
report to Elder McAvoy by morning and be prepared to leave. Dismissed.”
My wolf won the struggle. Fingernails and fangs elongated, and a roar came
from me as I lunged through the departing men to attack my new mate. I scored
a gash in his neck and must have hit my mark as blood fountained from the
wound. Hands latched onto me, avoiding my kicks and lethal claws, though I
managed to bite one and got clubbed in the temple for my trouble. My wolf
receded, as did reality. Still in denial, my mind screamed as blackness overtook
me.
I woke in an unfamiliar room with sunlight streaming through a window.
My body lurched upright in the bed as the events of yesterday bombarded me.
At least, I thought it was yesterday. By the lack of pain in my head and neck, it
had been at least overnight. My healing abilities wouldn’t have worked any
faster than that with the vampire bites. At the thought of the bites and the elders’
ruling, my breathing became rapid. My wolf whined in commiseration in my
head, and I felt the immediate urge to run, to escape. The room wasn’t small, but
I needed to be outdoors.
 As I slipped from the bed, I had to take in my state of dress. Or rather
undress. Someone had put me in a nightgown with only panties underneath.
Frantically, I dashed to the wardrobe on the wall, yanking open the doors to find
more nightgowns and dresses. Leaving the doors open, I began pulling out the
drawers underneath, coming across underthings and finally some basic tops and
drawstring pants. They weren’t the serviceable clothing I had had before, but
they would do. I hastily threw them on and found a bathroom behind a curtain
as I searched for shoes. There weren’t any as far as I could tell, but I made use
of the facilities and straightened out my hair. I’d just have to go barefoot.
To my and my wolf’s consternation, the door to my chamber was locked. A
growl rumbled through my chest as I tugged on the handle. Abandoning that, I
beat on the door.
“Someone open the door!” I yelled. Surely, I hadn’t been left alone.
After several minutes, my hope that someone would answer my pleas
dwindled along with the strength in my legs. I slumped to the floor in defeat.
There wasn’t a clock in the room, but by the movement of the sun across the
window, I knew some time had passed.
“The window!” I jumped from my place on the floor to cross the room, and
thankfully, the window was fully operational. My jubilance only lasted a
moment when I registered that I was in one of the towers of the manor. Even
with my wolf, a four-story jump likely wouldn’t turn out well. But people were
visible. “Hey, someone let me out of here!”
Faces turned up in my direction, and finally, I had someone's attention. A
guard yelled for me to get back in while another ran for the front of the manor
and out of my sight. I pulled back in and went to wait at the door after closing
the window.
It wasn’t long before footsteps were audible, followed by the sound of a lock
being turned by a key. A guard and the alpha stood on the other side of the door
when it opened.
“Thank goodness. No one came, and I can’t stay in here a minute longer.
Why am I locked up again?” The words poured out my mouth with the anxiety I
still couldn’t dispel.
The alpha didn’t look pleased. “You’re locked in because I ordered it so, and
you will not be leaving this room anytime soon.”
My face and stomach fell at the alpha’s decree. “But why? The elders said I
was your mate, not your prisoner.”
“Do not think to defy me in my own home.” In the blink of an eye, the alpha
went from outside the door to inside, gripping my neck. I froze in fear in the
face of his anger. “I’ll explain as I’m feeling lenient, but make no mistake, I will
have your obedience. My first mate was not pleased with your addition, and
with the transition of a new alpha, it seemed prudent to cede to her wishes on
the matter. Apparently, just the sight of you is humiliating for her. Besides, I
want you here for when I have need of you. Do you understand?” His eyes
dropped down, tracing along my curves to reinforce his meaning.
I nodded my head, unable to get enough air to speak. The alpha seemed to
realize my predicament and abruptly let go, leaving me to stumble and catch
myself unassisted. After a few breaths punctuated with coughing, I rubbed at my
bruised throat and blinked back tears.
“How long?” The whispered rasp hurt to push out, and I hoped it wouldn’t
take long to heal. The alpha hadn’t exactly been pleasant before, but now he was
outright hostile.
“As long as it takes my first mate to become pregnant. That was her request
to keep my household running smoothly. You can thank her for your
accommodations since she wanted you out of sight. The perks normally
afforded to the Heir upon her mating were not permitted. You’re destitute and
now my responsibility. The exchange won’t be taking place either.” He appeared
most put out by the second issue, and I knew why, not that I was sorry that he
wasn't going to push for me to mark him in return. The ceremony that
completed the mating with the exchange of mating marks was supposed to
strengthen and bond the entire pack, which then began the process of unlocking
the potential I carried.
Except there was one small problem with that, making the forfeiture of the
exchange a blessing in disguise. I hadn’t felt the power, or what I now suspected
was the entity inside me, since the incident in the barn. My silence must have
been suspicious since the narrowed eyes of the alpha homed in on the rapid
pulse in my neck. I covered my realization by rubbing my throat again. It really
was still bruised.
Despite it all, I tried one more time. “Please, can I go outside? I can’t stay in
here. I’m going stir-crazy.” Even the guard, who had studiously pretended to
ignore the scene, looked sympathetic at that. Locking a shifter indoors was
usually reserved as a punishment or for protection in rare instances. I hadn’t
done anything wrong.
“Until further notice, you will remain in this room. A maid will be sent with
meals and to clean the chamber.” The alpha left, pulling the door shut behind
him, and the sound of the lock engaging signaled the release of my tears.
No longer the Silverlight Heir, I was a prisoner. A commodity. No longer did
I have a future to look forward to. I collapsed face-first on the bed, sobbing at
my situation.
T hat night was the first of many where I had to suffer the company of the man
that had usurped my future. Each time the alpha left, for I’d never call him
my mate, I’d glimpse the guard staring stoically at the opposite wall if I chanced
to look. Then I’d scrub myself raw in the shower.
Five weeks into my personal hell, I began having vivid dreams of blood,
often starring the gushing neck of the mousy attendant that visited my room
thrice daily. I’d wake up sweating and partially shifted only to run to the
bathroom to throw up my dinner.
One night later that week, the woman was doing her cleaning while I ate.
Apparently, there had been an announcement earlier in the day that had kept her
noon visit to a lunch drop-off only. The alpha’s first mate was finally expecting.
It was during her excited explanation that bloodlust consumed me, and I
snapped, only to resurface hours later when the alpha entered for his nightly
visit to discover me covered in blood and the maid mauled.
“She's gone feral,” came from the guard as I registered the copper tang
filling my mouth, making it water.
I ignored the guard and the cold congealed blood of the dead maid as I eyed
the pulse in the alpha's neck. While he stood frozen in surprised horror, I
launched myself at him, intent on getting to the liquid in his veins that sang a
siren’s call to me. At the last moment, he came back to himself and batted me
away even though the guard had been a second behind him in action. I landed in
a crouch on the floor near the bed, growling, not caring about the sight I must
have made.
“Get the bindings.” The alpha never took his gaze off me as he gave his
command to get the special silver-laced ties used to subdue unruly shifters. Or,
like me, those lost to bloodlust. The words registered, but again, I didn't care.
The alpha slowly approached, and this time, when I lunged at him, he caught
me. He wrestled my flailing body to the floor, covering me with his larger frame
while pinning my head to the ground with one hand. The other held both wrists
above it so tightly that the pain from the grinding together of my bones briefly
pulled me from my haze. Moments later, the smell of the blood in the room
dragged me right back into my delirium.
The need for blood worsened to the point that I only vaguely noticed
pressure lifting off, burning on my arms and legs, then something being shoved
in between my snapping teeth. Cognizant of being moved, I couldn’t tell where I
was going, but a short time later, a cold rush of fluid in my overheated neck
gave way to a blissful floating.
Snippets of conversation occasionally intruded on my serenity, but I couldn't
make sense of them. Until suddenly, I could.
A woman’s voice reached me, distorted but understandable. “She’s
definitely carrying. I performed the test twice and ran a sonogram. I’d estimate
six weeks, give or take a few days. I’m hypothesizing that her condition is a
direct result of the fetus. She’s highly anemic and should have a better diet as
well as supplements. You know our females face a high risk from the short
pregnancies, as just yesterday I explained this to your mate. Uh, first mate.
Apologies, Alpha.” The voice sounded scared at the mistake.
“Find out what she needs and speak to no one of this. Do you understand?”
There was a brief pause in which I imagined the woman nodding. “Keep her
here, and if my first mate shows up, do not let her find this one. Stars, she was
supposed to conceive first.” I finally found the will to crack my eyes open in
time to see the alpha rubbing at his forehead.
“Yes, Alpha, I understand. One last thing, though. It was odd, but in addition
to the anemia, she appears to have suffered blood loss. I couldn’t find any
source of internal bleeding or bruising, and once the IV was started with a
transfusion, she calmed further. Pregnant women, shifter or not, should have a
larger blood volume than normal, nearly double.” The woman, who I assumed
was a doctor, chose that moment to glance my way and stopped speaking on the
matter. “Well, how are you feeling, Mari?”
After a quick look at the alpha, I answered with a brief, “Fine.” I tried to
shift my slowly-waking body but found a band around my chest holding my
torso to the bed. Matching ones held my wrists, and when I tugged on my legs, I
found my ankles secured as well. My wolf was whimpering at being further
restricted, and I had to agree with her. This was torture.
“How much did you hear? Wait, Anna, you’re dismissed. I’ll have a guard
fetch you when I leave.” He waited until she departed, leaving the exam room to
us. I was fairly certain we were still in the manor as the area smelled the same
under the antiseptic odor.
I warily answered his question. “I know I'm pregnant, and that it’s likely
well ahead of your mate’s.” I didn't recognize myself as his mate and wouldn't
acknowledge it either.
If the thunderous expression was anything to go by, he’d caught my slight.
“You will keep this information to yourself, Mariana.” I scowled but nodded
anyway. “The maid has been disposed of, and your room will be set to rights by
the time you return.”
 “What are you going to do about the baby?” I didn’t want to be pregnant
with his child, but it was mine, too, and I’d tear apart anyone that tried to take it
from me. He must have seen the warning in my eyes as he answered carefully.
“For now, you will receive the care you need, and everyone involved will
remain silent on the matter until I come up with a solution. I will not have chaos
in my home.”
I nodded again then turned my head away from him, closing my eyes as I
did so. For whatever reason, the normally cruel alpha left the exam room, letting
my behavior go. I slipped back into a fitful rest, this time unaided by any drugs.

“I just don’t understand it. There isn’t any trauma or bleeding that I can find,
yet you’ve needed two blood transfusions and a double dose of iron over
the last three days. I have to be missing something.” The doctor was talking,
mostly to herself, as she tried to puzzle out what was going on with me. “I want
to try another internal sonogram; maybe the answer lies with the pup.” And
thank goodness it was only one. Apparently, the alpha’s mate was carrying a
litter of three. No thank you.
I submitted to the exam, getting into position and ignoring the probing until
the doctor started rapidly tapping on the screen, pushing hard enough on a spot
inside to be uncomfortable. A look at the blobs on the screen didn’t reveal
anything to me, but it made sense to her. Or maybe not from the puzzled
expression she had.
“Is something wrong?” My question snapped her out of her daze.
“Well, I’m not sure.” At my palpable fear, she clarified, “The fetus appears
fine, but what it’s doing isn’t normal. It looks like there is a second, smaller
umbilical cord wrapped around the other.” I peered closer at the screen, trying to
understand, and pushed down my fear. “See how there are these small gaps
indicating space between the cords?” I nodded even though it didn’t look like
anything but varying shades of white and gray with red and blue spots that were
there one second and gone the next. “The red and blue are the blood flow. The
fetus, I think, is absorbing the blood, but the volume is too much for the size. I
need to call someone in for a second opinion.” She removed the wand, and the
image on the screen disappeared. After helping me get settled in the bed, she
excused herself.
 A short while later, the alpha appeared, less than pleased, followed by the
doctor. “What is so important that you interrupted me in the dining hall? The
entire point of this setup is to avoid my mate, who is now suspicious.”
The doctor screwed up her courage and proceeded with her request anyway.
“I need a second opinion. I don’t understand what I’m seeing on the scans or the
bloodwork. Nothing like this has ever cropped up in my career.”
“Absolutely not! No one else is to even know she is carrying yet. Tell me
what the issues are.” The doctor relayed everything from over the last few days.
“Are there any other tests you can perform to figure it out? Or would it be better
to terminate?” The doctor's gasp echoed mine. Shifters did not abort. If there
was something wrong with the baby, my wolf should have detected it and
expelled it already. He had to know that. At the threat, a sensation moved
through me. One I hadn’t felt in weeks.
“He will not harm the infant. I will not allow it.” The entity spoke in my
head, and my wolf cowered from it. White light, tinged in black began to glow
around my still-flat belly. It grew brighter, catching the attention of both the
alpha and the doctor, until a halo surrounded it.
“What is that?” The alpha pointed at the glow, and the doctor was just as
surprised.
“It said you won’t hurt the baby. It won't let you.” My answer was fierce.
“Alpha, I believe this may be something peculiar to being the Heir. I would
need to consult the elders—” The doctor was cut off by the hand around her
throat.
“You will not be contacting them or anyone else. The elders already denied
my right to the transference; I won’t let them take my second chance. Monitor
her and report any changes immediately." The alpha dropped the doctor and
stormed out of the room.
She took a moment to catch her breath and met my terrified stare. I didn't
know how, but I wouldn't let him hurt my baby.

T he next three months passed much the same—stuck in my room, blood

transfusions, and conversations with the entity.
It reassured me that the baby would be fine but wouldn’t tell me how it
knew or what the anomalies meant. I had been permitted a monitor so I could
ring the doctor for any concerns or changes even though she monitored me with
daily visits.
There was one perk to it all. The nightly visits from the alpha stopped.
Seemed he was wary of what the entity might do to him.
It was in the middle of the night when a gush of hot fluid woke me from
another uncomfortable rest. I’d only just gotten to sleep, it seemed, and I was
annoyed that my bladder had finally given up to the pressure on it. I heaved
myself out of bed, huffing with irritability, then realized it wasn't urine that I
smelled. The cramping that soon followed heralded the realization that I was in
labor. It wasn’t unexpected since wolf shifter pregnancies were much shorter
than humans, but still, I wasn’t ready to face my baby being outside my body
and unprotected. The entity had already explained it couldn't transfer to it.
I grabbed the monitor off of the bedside table and pressed the button to alert
the doctor that I needed assistance. Hopefully, she’d respond quickly as she
knew my time was near. The guard wouldn’t open the door for me as had been
proven time and again when being contained in the room had driven me to the
brink of sanity, and I’d begged to be let out.
Using the time in between the cramping, I managed to shower and strip the
bed before I heard a key turning the lock. The doctor entered, followed closely
by Alpha Larimer. The fitted sheet was halfway on, and she rushed to help
finish it, directing the alpha to get towels from the bathroom.
"How far apart are the pains?" she asked as she helped me onto the pile of
towels.
I hesitated to expose myself under the scrutiny of the alpha. Besides being
highly uncomfortable, I’d put a sanitary napkin in my underwear to catch the
fluid that continued to come out.
"Mari!" The doctor snapped her fingers in front of my face. "How far
apart?"
Focusing only on her, I gave my best answer. “Ten minutes or so?
Sometimes longer or shorter? I’m sorry. I wasn't keeping track while I cleaned
up.”
“No, that’s okay. As long as they're not back-to-back, we can move you
down to the clinic.” Shielding me from the alpha, she did a brief check to see
my water had broken. “Let's get a robe on and move you downstairs.”
“Wait, I need the basket from the wardrobe.” The alpha crossed the room to
get it, annoyance in his manner despite his lack of complaint. When the doctor
saw its contents, she glared at him before giving me a look of pity.
I didn't understand why she would be concerned about baby clothes. I'd
handmade several gowns and blankets in white and yellow from the supplies I’d
begged the maid for. I wasn't sure when the alpha had planned to get supplies
for the baby, and it had helped occupy my time.
“Okay, slow and careful. The delivery room has been set up all week, so it’s
ready. It’ll only be me and the alpha unless something goes wrong.” Her
warning was blunt, but at least she was prepared.
“We will not be calling for assistance. As soon as she delivers, my first mate
will need to be hurried along. It’s the only way to ensure this pup isn’t my heir.”
The doctor was appalled. “You want me to induce your mate prematurely?
Do you know the risks? Of course you don’t.” She didn't even give him a
chance to talk. “It’s dangerous enough with Mari. She's been allowed no
exercise, has had issues that still require transfusions and higher doses of iron,
and I have no assistance if she or the pup go into distress.” The alpha glared
until she cowered in submission under his dominance, baring her neck to him.
“You will handle it. All of it.”
The doctor nodded her head at his decree, and it was then I realized I’d
never felt the urge to submit to him, meaning he wasn’t dominant over me and
couldn't force me in that manner. My musing didn't last once another cramp hit,
and I had to brace myself when my legs didn’t want to work.
“Yes, Alpha. We need to get her to the clinic.”
We made our way past the guard who played dumb. They all did. There was
no way the entire pack wasn’t aware of what was happening, but there wasn't
anyone brave enough to address it.

S everal grueling hours later, a baby’s cry rang out. Followed momentarily by a
gasp from the doctor.
“Her eyes!” The doctor shakily placed the towel-wrapped infant on my
chest. “Alpha, the child—” A sharp motion from the alpha silenced her. I held
my arms out, wanting to see her myself.
“It’s a girl?” I ignored the answer if she gave one, too busy checking over
the tiny body. She was definitely a girl, and she even had the same moon and
star marking I had. Except hers was on her ankle. My finger traced it while the
doctor bustled around and mumbled to herself.
She did something to the umbilical cord, then I was able to snuggle my baby
girl better, and that's when she opened her eyes for me. They swirled with silver
around her pupils before settling down to a solid shade.
 “So you fornicated with the Vae himself.” The alpha was furious, and I
clutched her to my chest. “There will be no need to accelerate my first mate’s
pregnancy. If the half-breed lives, it won't be eligible to rule anyway. The plan
still stands. See that it’s carried out.” The last was directed at the doctor who
paled as she nodded.
“What did he mean?” I dared to ask after he’d gone.
The doctor didn't answer, continuing to finish the birthing process and clean-
up. She avoided my eyes even as she helped the baby latch and got me settled.
Then she left, promising to come check on us after she’d handled a few things.

“S tyliana Ethari. That's her name,” I informed the doctor when she came
back. “Stella for short. It means luminous star. Well, it’s a bit backward but
close enough. My little Stella.” I stroked my daughter’s soft cheek as her little
lips pursed in reflex, searching for food.
“Mari, I have some people I’d like you to meet.” The audible strain in the
doctor’s voice had my hackles rising and my wolf growling. I resisted when she
tried to take Stella. “I need to check her over.” Reluctantly, I relinquished her
while I eyed the strangers, a man and a woman, standing just inside the door.
My attention was split between the doctor checking Stella and making sure
the strangers stayed away. They appeared to be a couple, and I wasn’t sure why
they would be here since I’d been in isolation all this time.
“Anna, who are these people, and why are they here?” I asked. I wasn't
interested in being polite; my wolf was upset, and I was inclined to agree with
her.
The woman's expression soured, and the man looked like he’d rather be
anywhere else. He vaguely reminded me of one of the guards outside my room,
and I inhaled to better catch his scent. Yes, he'd definitely been in the vicinity of
my room before. It wasn't like I’d seen their faces often, but scents didn't lie to a
wolf.
“We people are the ones that have been directed to care for your abomination
of a whelp. I would advise you to watch your tongue.” And I would advise her
to shut the hell up regarding my child! The woman didn't know she’d just
enraged not only myself and my wolf but the entity that hid inside me as well.
“You will not touch my daughter. Leave! Anna, give me Stella back.” When
the doctor hesitated, momentarily frozen by the dominance in my voice, I darted
over and snatched my daughter off of the warming station where she’d been
examining her. “She is mine!” The snarl was punctuated with a partial shift, and
I anxiously checked to make sure I hadn’t hurt the baby.
The guard interrupted while I edged to a corner of the room farthest away
from them all.
“Anna, has she not been informed?” Anger resounded in his voice.
“It’s a delicate situation, and I followed our alpha's orders. Just like you do,”
the doctor pointed out.
“Informed about what? Someone explain!” I was rapidly losing the struggle
with my wolf. She wanted me to put Stella down and attack the occupants of the
room. I couldn’t juggle the baby, my wolf, and keep them all at bay. I cursed my
ineptitude. Had I embraced my wolf when I was younger, or even tried to assert
my newfound dominance, I might not be in this situation, but I also might not
have my Stella either.
The doctor sighed. “Mari, this is Angela and Corbin Ambrose. The alpha
has decided it would be best if the baby was cared for by them.” Her gaze was
sympathetic, but she didn’t appear inclined to disobey the alpha. More dominant
or not, I couldn’t go against a direct order. It would get back to the elders by
rumor alone, and they’d demand my daughter be destroyed. I couldn’t let that
happen.
My heart rate picked up until I felt it would crash through my chest, tearing
a hole through flesh and bone. “No, they can’t! She's mine! There’s no reason to
take her from me. Tell them, Anna, tell them I haven't done anything wrong.”
Tears steadily coursed down my flushed cheeks as I tried to find a way out of
this.
Out of patience, the woman crossed the room, her intention plain. “For
heaven's sake, girl. We all know you’re the alpha's concubine, and no man wants
a crying baby getting in the way of his time with his whore.” She reached out as
if she fully expected me to hand Stella over.
Before I could react and take a chance on forcing her submission, the glow
that had surrounded my belly weeks ago bloomed to life, encompassing me and
the baby. The woman, Angela, fell back with a screech when her fingertips
touched it. The doctor and her mate rushed to help her, wary of the glowing
nimbus. Angela let the doctor pull her hand out to examine it, revealing already-
healing burns.
“Filthy witch,” Angela accused, glaring in my direction from between the
other two. “The alpha will hear of this!” Not letting the doctor examine her
further, she swept from the room in righteous indignation.
 The guard, Corbin, looked between me and the door, worry evident in his
mien. “I’m sorry, but we weren't given a choice either, little Heir.” He followed
his mate out the door, leaving me with the doctor.
“Mari, you know—”
“No, they can't have her.” I wasn't budging on my stance, so the doctor only
nodded her head and followed the couple through the only exit to the
windowless room in the heart of the manor. Which I was sure was blocked by
another guard.
I eventually settled down, as did the glow, and moved back to the bed to
nurse the baby.

S ometime later, the alpha showed up with the doctor. We had the same
standoff, and he had no choice but to relent. He refused to let me stay in the
clinic any longer, instead ordering me returned to my room.
Dressed in one of the sleeping gowns and wrapped in a blanket I had made, I
packed the baby up to go back to my room. At least now I knew why the doctor
had given me that look when I asked for the basket; it had already been decided
to try to steal my Stella. My little star.
We were taken back up through the servants’ stairs, avoiding almost
everyone except a few stray staff who kept their eyes averted and necks partially
bared when the alpha passed with us.
He left me at the door, and the doctor followed me in to assure me a maid
would bring supplies for the baby when she brought my dinner. I only then
noticed night was falling through my window. Time had been a fluid thing over
the last couple of days.
I made a roll out of sheets at the head of my bed for Stella to rest in and laid
down beside her to get some rest myself.

T he turning of the key in the lock woke me immediately, and I faced the door,
protectively hovering in front of Stella. I wasn’t stupid enough to think they
wouldn’t try again.
 It was only the maid coming in with a bag of diapers and wipes and other
infant supplies as well as a tray of food for me. She didn't speak, just dropped
the items off on the floor inside the door before retreating.
Warily, I inspected everything. The baby stuff seemed okay, and I couldn't
smell anything in the food. Deciding to chance it because going without
wouldn't help me feed Stella, I tried a few bites and waited. When nothing
happened, I finished the meal and changed and fed Stella before climbing under
the covers.

A fitful night’s rest punctuated with a baby who woke up every few hours and
the worry nagging me, left me exhausted the next morning. Several days
followed in the same manner, and no one except the maid came by.
My milk came in, and with the more frequent diaper changes, the smell
began to bother my wolf. Needing fresh air, as it would be hours before the
maid did her afternoon cleaning, I laid Stella down for a nap and opened the
window. I’d frequently hung out of the window to help keep the effects from
being locked up at bay.
Apparently, it was the chance the alpha had been waiting for. A quick
movement from the adjacent tower, then pain spread through my chest, followed
by full-on paralysis. My legs gave out, and I slumped to the floor in a heap,
hitting my head on the sill on the way down. On my side, with my legs
awkwardly bent under me, I watched the door open.
"Get up! Get up, now!" The entity screamed its demands in my head, but I
couldn't so much as twitch an eyelid.
Corbin entered, followed by the alpha and Angela. While Corbin tried to
stay stoic, his eyes strayed to me more than once, pity in his gaze. The alpha
backed off when I lit up, but the glow couldn't reach far enough to encompass
the bed where my Stella lay. He watched as Angela bundled the baby up and
turned to leave the room.
I managed to get a noise past my throat, and alarm filled their eyes. My
healing was burning through whatever had been in the dart that was still stuck in
my chest, though I was sure the entity was helping as well.
The woman scurried from the room without waking my Stella, and the alpha
only lingered long enough to issue yet another demand.
 “Stop this nonsense and learn your place, Mariana. You're lucky I don’t have
it destroyed.” He left as maternal fury suffused my body.
I could move my fingers now, and the guard was quick to notice.
“I’ll protect her with my life, little Heir. I promise. And I’m sorry.” He shut
the door, and the lock clicked into place before I could do much more than
straighten my legs.
It took several more minutes before I could remove the dart and get up, but
when I did, I raged. As I came back to myself, I found the room destroyed, with
only Stella's belongings left intact. In an instant, I seized them and curled up in a
corner of the room, clutching them as I sobbed.
No one could get near me unless I was asleep. Not even for food. I
alternated between trying to break down the thick door to screaming from the
window, though I eventually gave up the latter after the third time I was shot
with a dart. During those times that I was incapacitated, the alpha and a maid
would come in. He would berate me for disturbing the pack while the maid
cleaned my mess and left a meal.
I wasn’t even allowed to express milk into a bottle for the baby. For all I
knew, she was already dead. Those thoughts sent me spiraling even though the
entity was sure she wasn’t. I begged it to go to her, tried everything to set it free,
but nothing worked.
Finally, it explained to me that while I lived, it could not leave me. I was
still the Silverlight Heir, and without the ceremony to free its binding, it couldn't
do more than protect the host.
I began to suspect it had known something of what events would unfold
when it forced my wolf down and allowed the Vae to capture me. It wouldn’t
confirm my accusations, but it didn’t deny them either. It had planted the seeds
for a plan to grow, and a week after my Stella was stolen from me, I knew what
I had to do.
My wolf didn’t agree, since what I was considering was anathema to her and
any shifter. As soon as she understood what I meant to do, she took over, and I
spent the next two days in my wolf form. I wasn’t sure if the entity couldn't, or
wouldn't, force her like it had done before, but for whatever reason, it didn't.
As soon as she was too exhausted to hold on any longer, it finally took over
and pushed her consciousness down. Maybe it was a kindness for her not to
witness it.
“You will protect her, right? None will be able to harm her?”
“Nothing will happen that should not.”
“That's not good enough! I want your vow to protect her. Guide her and
keep my fate from befalling her.” It wasn’t giving me what I wanted, and I felt
its worry that I might back out. “What are you hiding?”
“There are things you cannot know. I promise to help her find happiness
and protect her from what I can. I can assure you she will reach adulthood,
and her mates will come for her.”
I could sense that it had told the truth about not being able to leave me, so
this would have to be enough. I had to protect my daughter.
“Please, tell her about me? Make sure she knows I love her to pieces,
always.”
“Of course, Mari. I will keep a part of you when I go and use it to shower
her with your love and comfort. You will be able to watch over her, always.”
I knew I had to be quick; the guard would stop me otherwise, even if it were
inadvertently with the darts. Throwing open the window, I ducked to the side. A
dart sailed in, missing its mark. Backing up for a full run since it would take
more effort than usual with my wolf subdued, I gathered my courage.
“I love you, my Stella, my little star. Shine bright, darling,” I whispered as I
launched myself from the window. A dart hit me after I managed to turn head
down, but it was the entity that stole my consciousness before the end.

OceanofPDF.com
Stella
Present Day

"Mad Mary, Mad Mary,

Locked in her bower.
Mad Mary, Mad Mary,
Leapt from her tower."

I tgrew
was always the same thing. You'd think as the children who’d teased me
up, it would have stopped. But no, even at twenty years old, the
chant still followed me through the younger generation. They couldn't even
get my mother's name right. It was Mar-ee, not Mary.
Normally, I avoided anything to do with being around others if at all
possible, but with the coming celebration due to the elders’ visit, I needed
blood from the kitchen. I couldn't go hunt for it with the alpha's decree that
I not leave the village that surrounded the manor, an order that was always
in effect when there were visitors. So the kitchens it was, where hopefully
there would be fresh blood from all the butchering that had been done in
preparation.
Besides the horrid nursery rhyme, whispers of dhampir and half-breed
followed wherever I encountered those who didn't care for my existence or
the fact that I remained in the pack…which was most of them. It hadn't
been as bad when I was little, but around the time I hit puberty, the cravings
started. Snack on one bratty girl, and suddenly the pitchforks and torches
came out in force. Thankfully, my glowy buddy came to the rescue, like it
always did.
The shadow-like entity that could light up at a moment’s notice sat
unobtrusively in the corner of mind, offering companionship with its
disembodied voice, and ever on alert for any threats to me. When I was
little, and even now, it was my best friend and protector, all rolled into one.
Unfortunately, it couldn’t help me stave off my hunger as it drew its energy
from mine and also seemed to mature with me as I got older. I wasn’t sure if
it had a gender or name since it tended to shy away from those answers
when I asked, but it was always there when I needed it. It had an uncanny
talent for storing memories that it could pull out for me whenever I wished.
Musing on all the times it had prompted me into an action that would help
me avoid trouble, or comforted me with those memories when I hadn’t, I
looked around to make sure I was alone as I neared the pack manor.
Taking the servants’ entrance, I slipped into the halls and down to the
kitchen. One of the helpers got the attention of the cook, and a hush settled
over the room.
"Umm…" I didn't want to ask out loud, but the cook knew what I was
after.
"You'll have to come back in a few hours, girl. Everything was already
used or disposed of. Somebody took it upon themselves to decide what is
and isn't needed." A pointed glance was directed at a servant I knew to be
friends with my adopted mom, Angela, who didn't even try to look contrite.
She'd probably done it on purpose.
I sighed but nodded and left anyway. I'd be in so much trouble if I got
caught showing my face while the elders were here. Last time I'd been
young enough to have a sitter while Angela and Corbin attended the feast,
but this time I’d been left to my own devices with a stern warning to behave
myself and keep out of sight of the visitors.
 Deciding to find a new book to occupy my time, I made my way to the
small library in the village. I'd seen others reading on electronics like
phones and tablets, but I'd never been permitted to have one. Angela didn't
think spending money to entertain the half-breed was necessary. Corbin
helped where he could, but he was usually on duty and couldn't police her
every move. At least he did stick up for me. It was okay, though. The smell
of the books was almost as good as the stories themselves.
I'd gotten three new books that had just come in. Since the librarian was
one of the few who didn't have an issue with my presence, he often ordered
books I liked. More intent on the books than my surroundings, I ran into
one of the people I'd have liked to avoid the most.
Malachi. The alpha's son was as pleasant as the alpha himself, puffed up
with his self-importance.
"Stella, my dear. Looking forward to our mating?" The creep loved to
remind me I'd been promised to him since his birth.
As soon as we turned twenty-one, we'd be mates, and the supposedly
vast power I held would be given to the pack. Power, my big toe. If I had
anything besides an imaginary friend and a tendency to glow in self-
defense, surely it would have been apparent by now.
"Go away, Malachi. Shouldn't you be getting ready for the elders’ visit,
anyway? Or did Daddy kick you out while he handled the adult things?" I
smirked as he turned red, his wolf flaring in his eyes.
It didn't matter; neither he nor anyone else could touch me unless I
allowed it. I wiggled my glowing fingertips just in case he needed a
reminder. It worked as it usually did, and he stalked off, mumbling about
bitches knowing their place. I ignored him and got back home, sneaking to
my room to avoid Angela who was getting ready in hers.

B ywith
the time I deemed it had been long enough that I could check back in
the kitchen, I was nearly starved. I still needed regular food, but it
didn’t fill the void that would eat at me until I sated it, so I had to have
blood several times a week—whether from a hunt, or from what the cook
would set aside for me. Animal blood wasn't quite satisfying, but it worked.
 I crept through the streets and into the back of the manor, retracing the
same route I'd taken earlier. I made it into the kitchen and got what I needed
without a hiccup until I was almost past the door that led to the dining hall.
I'd been so thirsty, and the hall was deserted, so I'd thought it would be
okay to take the edge off.
Wrong. The door opened, and the servant bringing in a tray full of
empty dishes ran directly into me, spilling the blood and glassware
everywhere. The servant and I went down in a tangle and landed in front of
the open door in direct view of the table.
The servant raised a hand to slap me, but my trusty glow kicked in,
burning her everywhere it touched. Her shrieks brought more attention, and
then the yelling started. I had to consciously pull the light back as others
tried to assess what was happening. At first, they didn't catch on that the
blood was from a deer, not either of us sitting amid the sea of broken glass.
All that would have been bad enough except we'd caught the attention
of the elders. Or one of them, at least.
"Alpha Larimer, you said the Silverlight Heir was dead!" The shout
came from a man I didn't recognize. He had some gray strands in his dark
hair, so I knew he was older. The aging process was very slow, which made
age hard to figure out unless you knew the person, which in this case I
didn’t.
The alpha glared in my direction, and I saw Corbin rushing toward me
with a panicked expression on his face.
"This is not Mariana. She did indeed pass on," the alpha was quick to
say, conveniently leaving out that he was the cause. Bastard.
Corbin reached for me while other servants helped the girl up and
started to clean the mess.
"Come on, Stella. You know you shouldn't be here." He spoke low
enough that his voice wouldn't travel in the room of wolves with their
excellent hearing.
I nodded and let him lead me out, booking it back to the house and
leaving him to go back in and face the crowd alone.
Angela was going to kill me. Or try, anyway.

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Riddick

T he shock of Elder Balfor's accusation only echoed my own. There was

obviously something very shady going on with Larimer, and my former
pack. It was already surreal to be here after losing my place at the
Silverlight Heir's side, be it as her mate or her guard after my brother’s
betrayal. The former alphas, the elders, and I had been here twice since the
debacle with the vampires, subsequently being designated as nothing more
than the elders’ lackeys.
Taking matters into my own hands after a glance at my fellow alpha
knights, I questioned Larimer. "Then who exactly was that? And why was
she rushed out of here, brother?" I asked, daring him to lie with a dark brow
raised in his direction.
Eyes darting from person to person, Larimer finally settled his irate
gaze on mine. "She is Stella. Mariana's daughter."
The hall erupted into a cacophony of questions and accusations.
I only had one.
 "If she's her daughter, and she has the Silverlight, is she not now the
Heir and one of the alpha knight’s mates?" I couldn't include myself as I
was her uncle, and even our culture, as backward as it could be, wasn't that
bad, but if there was any chance at all to reclaim the birthright of my fellow
knights, I wouldn’t let it slip through our fingers.
Silence fell over the dining hall as everyone zeroed in on the elders
awaiting their reaction.
"This is highly unexpected, but Riddick is not wrong. Why have you
hidden her, Alpha Larimer?" Elder Martin was polite, but he held himself
rigidly, and his wolf peeked from his eyes.
Larimer started and stopped several times before he got his explanation
out. "She's tainted. I am not her sire." My hope soared. She isn't related to
me.
Elder Balfor was the first to recover. "And who is her sire?" The alpha
paled and looked around at his pack members in attendance. Variations of
guilt pulled at their features when faced with scrutiny from us and the
elders. "Wait. I would prefer to move to a meeting room." The alpha nodded
and stood from his seat, waiting while the rest of us followed suit, and
refused to meet my eyes when I glared at him as I passed.

W hen we were seated around the meeting room, déjà vu struck. We'd all
been in a similar set-up two decades ago, and now the wrongs from
that day might be righted. It was even possible I’d get my pack back,
though it would be a long road to fix the damage my brother had done to it
during his tenure as Alpha.
I waited eagerly behind a stoic mask to find out, as the Alpha of the
Wolfsbane Pack spilled.
"The Vae is her father? In what scenario did you think you had the
authority to hide that information? Not to mention the pregnancy should
have been terminated. Crossbreeds are forbidden. You know this!" Elder
Balfor was irate. The rest of us, I thought, had just realized one of us would
be mating the dhampir, while the others would be her protectors. We were
too stunned by the turn of events to voice our feelings just yet.
 Larimer continued to explain, while a deep-seated hatred bubbled in my
veins, that the Silverlight had interceded and prevented any harm to the
baby or Mariana. But upon her birth, she had fits of rage and had to be
tranquilized with darts that could withstand the light long enough to work.
Then she'd jumped from her tower, leaving the child an orphan and that the
Silverlight seemed to have transferred to the infant.
His story was plausible for the situation except, even through my anger,
something wasn't ringing quite true. Having picked up on it as well, Elder
Martin further questioned the alpha.
"So, Mariana killed herself for no apparent reason, and then you
decided not to inform the council that she had borne a child? A female at
that? And your entire pack kept the secret for twenty years despite multiple
visits from us? I think you'd better elaborate, Alpha Larimer."
The alpha, seeing no one was coming to his rescue, admitted his part in
it. He even bared his neck in the wake of so many in the room who held
more dominance than he did, and who were as pissed off as I was from the
energy rising in the room.
"Katrina, my first mate then, had more support than I did after my…
actions.” At least he acknowledges that his perfidy had an impact that
reached farther than the betrayal of his own flesh and blood. “I caved to her
desires to keep my pack running smoothly. Mariana was never permitted
out of her room other than check-ups with the doctor and when she gave
birth. She never set foot outside after the day she arrived here." He paused
before admitting the rest of it, defiantly jutting his chin out as if what he'd
already revealed hadn't been bad enough. "My mate refused to have
Mariana out in public, shaming her, and since Mariana wasn't allowed to
complete the binding ceremony…she was relegated for one use."
He winced at the berating he received in response to his treatment of
Mariana. That was not what was supposed to have happened. It was done as
a punishment, yes, but even the elders now seemed contrite about the
results of their decree from years ago. As for Larimer, he and his mate bore
the brunt of their anger; there was a reason females weren't supposed to run
things.
"Alpha Larimer," Elder Martin addressed him, quieting the group, "you
should be stripped of your title and position at the least. I'm reading
between the lines that you thought to keep the girl for yourself?"
Quietly, the alpha answered, "She's betrothed to my son."
 "Not any longer, she's not," snapped Elder Balfor, causing the alpha to
wince. "Does she bear the mark?"
"Yes," he muttered. Then, seemingly in an effort to be helpful, or maybe
to show his willingness to comply, he added. "It's on her ankle."
"Then it's settled. Fetch the girl, and we'll have the choosing done here.
Make arrangements for her belongings to be packed and ready by morning.
We'll depart before midday. You will make the announcement to your pack
tonight." The alpha winced again at Elder Balfor's words, but frankly, he
was getting off easy with a bit of public humiliation.
"Yes, Elder." The alpha went to the door and spoke with the guard about
finding the girl, Stella, immediately. He came back and resumed his seat.
"She'll be here shortly."

A commotion could be heard in the corridor. Two irate females and a male
were arguing about the "half-breed." Sighing, I got to my feet and
pulled the door open to find the alpha's mate, Katrina, and another woman
trying to stop the girl who had been glowing in the dining hall from
entering. The guard was berating Katrina’s companion.
"Angela! Cease immediately and return home. We're no longer
responsible for Stella. And don't think I won't deal with you later for
interfering." A tall woman, who would be pleasant to look at were it not for
her features being pinched in an unbecoming manner, gaped at the guard
until she realized I was staring at her from the meeting room. At that point,
she paled and scurried off, abandoning Katrina. The same guard addressed
Alpha Larimer's mate.
"Mistress, please return to your quarters." She wasn't cowed until the
alpha barked at her to leave. "My apologies, elders, alphas. My mate and I
have raised Stella here, and one of us is obviously more fond of her than the
other." The man turned to the girl and spoke in a softer tone to her. "Go on
now, Stella. It'll be okay. I promised your mama that I’d protect you, and I
won't break that promise now."
The man was brave, I'd give him that. At least someone had tried to help
Stella's mother. I tried to distance myself from thinking about how it was
Mariana that one of us had been intended for, not to mention how much
older we were than Stella.
The girl hesitantly entered, eyeing the alpha as she stepped through the
door. She squeezed the guard’s hand in affection as she went, and I
immediately made a mental note to request a pack change for him if he
were amenable. Alpha Larimer didn't look too pleased with the revelation
that his guard might be more loyal to her than him, and I refused to leave
someone behind that was only guilty of upholding his promise to an
innocent child.
The girl, Stella, stepped up to an empty seat at the table and nervously
sat down. I was momentarily stuck by the door, transfixed by the scent I had
picked up as she passed. She smelled divine, and my wolf clamored for me
to touch her. I regained my equilibrium and retook my own seat, several
down from her, while the guard closed the door.
"Stella," Elder Martin began, "you are the daughter of Mariana Crayton,
the previous Silverlight Heir?" Stella nodded at the elder. "Can you show us
your marking, please?"
Stella silently rose from her seat to place a foot on the chair and pull up
her pant leg, revealing the sickle moon and star on her skin. Except, instead
of pure white, it was edged in black, almost as if it were a tattoo.
The elder must have had the same thought. "Is this a joke, Alpha
Larimer?"
The alpha shook his head. "I told you she is tainted. Girl, show them
your Silverlight."
Stella complied, and a steady glow emitted from her, but it was also
edged with black. It had to be from the vampire of her parentage. I reached
out to touch it only for Larimer to yell for me to stop.
"It will burn you if you touch it."
I shrugged. "And how else should we prove this isn't some elaborate
ploy?" I stretched my hand out, pressing my fingers into it. While there was
a sensation, it wasn't unpleasant. "It doesn't hurt. Maybe the burning is in
defense?" The girl's eyes widened at my perception, but it had been fairly
blatant. The girl hadn't lit up at the collision in the dining hall, the light only
flaring when the servant girl had attempted to hit her. Plus, she had drawn it
back before the guard outside the door had touched her and helped her from
the floor.
 "It's DarkFyre," Elder Matthew said in awe. He rarely voiced his
opinions, and I thought it shocked everyone in the room, besides Stella, that
he’d voluntarily opened his mouth. "The legend! I need to get back to the
citadel and find it. Something about the light meeting the dark and mating."
We all realized at that point that although he was staring at Stella, he was
talking to himself.
The other elders appeared concerned, but I couldn't remember anything
about a legend, and from the baffled expressions on my fellow alpha
knights, they hadn't either. I didn't bother counting Larimer.
Elder Balfor clapped his hands together. "Good enough. My dear, please
state your full name for us."
"Styliana Ethari Crayton." Her voice was soft, yet it carried around the
room.
"You do not carry your sire’s name?" Elder Balfor asked.
"I–I do not know, Elder."
"Hmm…for the best, I suppose. Would only be more stigma to deal
with. Anyway, please stand back so the alphas may come around you. Not
you, Larimer. You won't be interfering again, or I'll call for a vote for
execution." The alpha paled at the threat and fell back into his seat. "Now, I
want you all to touch her skin. The Silverlight, or DarkFyre, should handle
the rest. We'll know when it works."
That was it? We just had to touch her at the same time? I glared at my
younger brother for his past selfishness.
I was the first to reach her, lightly gripping her arm above the elbow.
My grip spanned her arm almost double, and she looked so fragile against
my size. The other six all got into position, and soon her arms were covered
in the hands encircling them.
For a moment, nothing happened, then several of us cried out in surprise
at the burning sensations on our necks. I watched as a single, black-edged
white star appeared on my nearest fellow alpha. Then, glancing from him to
the next and so on, I noticed they all had the star.
"Congratulations, Alpha Riddick. The light has chosen you!" Elder
Martin proclaimed. One of my fellow alphas helpfully took out his phone
and snapped a picture of my neck.
In addition to the star, I sported the same sickle moon as Stella. I
swallowed hard and felt the dread in my bones.
 "Seems history is always bound to repeat itself, my dear Stella." Elder
Balfor was entirely too jovial about the situation as he informed her of the
news. "While the others are your guardians, Riddick here will be your mate.
Except he's only just petitioned one of the seven families to take one of
their daughters as a mate, and he has received our approval. This was to be
his last trip as a knight before his mating ceremony next week. Maybe the
female and her family will bow out with recent developments." The girl
was nearly as pale as her hair as she stared at me with accusation in her
eyes. "Riddick, be sure to let me know of the outcome. You will all need to
set up living quarters somewhere. The Citadel would be happy to have you
on a permanent basis."
I'd only just escaped their greed. I couldn't go back to that. Following
through with the original mating agreement not only freed me, but also my
fellow knights as they now went where Stella did. If I did not follow
through with the pending betrothal and subsequent mating from my
petition, we would all be living with, and at the mercy of the Elders. All I
could do was hope Stella understood.

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Stella

"I don't understand why you have to accompany her. Have we not
sacrificed enough for the girl?! You're my mate. You're not even related
to the little abomination!" Angela's shrill tirade, which would have been
audible even without my sensitive hearing, was my soundtrack as I packed
my personal items.
"Enough, Angela! It's been decided. Now, either help or get out of the
way. We're to take our leave by daybreak—before the bloodsuckers get
wind of a new heir. Stars only know how she's been kept off of their radar,
but now word will spread swiftly. We can't afford to be caught mid-travel."
Corbin's voice dropped as he muttered the last bit, mostly to himself I
imagined, but Angela wasn't done with him, not by a long shot.
"You mean you, Corbin! I'm to be left behind, alone, required to fend
for myself. We both know you only mated me because you were forced to!
Her, her, her! It's always about the girl, always has been. I should petition
the alpha to have our mating dissolved!"
 The threats and accusations became unintelligible as I plugged my ears
with bits of cloth I kept around to drown the shrewish woman out. How any
one person could be so miserable was a mystery to me. She must like being
that way to keep on the way she did. Idly, I wondered if she'd actually
follow through with having their mating reversed. It was nearly unheard of,
and the only divorced female I knew of had been all but ostracized when
she returned from her ex-mate's pack. But Angela would likely be fine since
the luna was her best friend and confidante. From what I'd pieced together
over the years, Katrina had helped push them together in the first place.
Angela had been hellbent on having Corbin as her mate, and the alpha had
decreed it be done when he arranged to have me adopted. I couldn't bring
myself to feel sorry for her, though, not after the way she'd treated me my
entire life.
There was no love lost between me and my foster mother. I'd learned
that when I'd only had myself to rely on for comfort. Sure, I could rely on
Corbin when he was around, but he was usually kept too busy, and if
Angela caught him being affectionate, she used it as something else to
complain about.
Needless to say, for a wolf, I was starved for the simple touch of pack
and had grown used to the feeling of not belonging. Forced to be present,
yet ignored unless I could be of use, I worried that it would be much the
same now. Livid didn't describe how angry my wolf and I were that our
mate was to be with another, but as usual, it didn't seem that I had a choice
in the matter. My entity was strangely silent on the matter, but maybe it
knew something I didn’t. If that were the case, I could only hope it was
good.

"W hat does the ceremony entail, Corbin?" I asked nervously as we

walked back to the manor. My packed belongings had been picked
up by the council guards and taken to the vehicles. I had a small bag stuffed
with a change of clothes and a few of my favorite books slung over one
shoulder as I followed my guardian's stiff form.
 "I'm not sure about all of the details, Stella. Just try to follow their
instructions and keep your glowy friend under wraps, please." His evasive
answer only made my nerves worse, and while my entity was still quiet, my
wolf was not. She didn't like anything about the situation. If we couldn't
have our mate to ourselves, then she didn't want him at all.
“You don’t know, or you don’t want to tell me?” My voice was shaky,
while my tone was harsh. I rarely bucked authority, it made my stomach
twist with nervous anxiety, but I couldn’t afford to be complacent when my
entire life was about to be uprooted. I’d always assumed that any change
would be an improvement compared to what it had been so far, but in this
case, I thought it might actually get worse.
When Corbin continued to walk without answering me, I stopped in the
middle of the forest path. With the elders’ visit, there was little foot traffic
tonight, so there wasn’t anyone to witness my mutiny, not that I could see
anyhow. I was sure there were guards about, but I didn’t really care what
they reported back. There wasn’t anything Alpha Larimer could do to me at
this point.
Corbin took a few more steps before he realized I wasn’t following him
and turned to me with a sigh, a frown settling on his usually affable face.
“Stella, we don’t have time for this!” he admonished, waving a hand at
me where I stood with my arms crossed tightly against my chest. All he got
in return was the narrowing of my eyes as my wolf filled them with a feral
light in full support of my stance. “Fine. If you must know, you’ll be
introduced, the knights will swear their allegiance to you, the elders will
perform a binding ritual, and you’ll be mated—in front of witnesses. I’m
not aware of the order of events or any further details. Is that what you
wanted to know? Can we please go now?” His discomfort and exasperation
with the topic was plain, but he didn’t lose his temper with me. He rarely
did.
I nearly balked at the idea of the mating and ritual parts being in front of
witnesses, but I held my tongue and nodded, dragging my feet across the
packed dirt. Relief fairly radiated from Corbin as we finished our short trek
to our destination. My thoughts were too busy racing through my head to
protest him taking my hand to prevent any further delays on my part.
His revelations were what I’d suspected, hence my willingness to defy
my guardian. While the vast majority of the pack generally ignored me,
some of the members delighted in tormenting me—like Malachi’s sisters.
They’d let slip, on purpose I was sure, how my mother had been treated
before her death, used as a concubine by the alpha when his power grab had
failed. How they knew the details, I hadn’t the foggiest, but their scent and
words rang true to both my wolf and the shadowy protector in my mind, so
they at least believed what they’d said.
They also enjoyed telling me all about how Malachi would mount and
knot me, taunting me with horror stories of matings gone wrong, where the
male would go too far and rip the female’s throat out during the time they
were locked together, unable to separate or escape. The sisters, and their
mother, were dead set against their heir mating a half-breed like me, but the
alpha ignored their objections. I was almost positive that had I been forced
to mate Malachi, I’d have soon been in the same position as my mother
since I had little doubt they’d fail in unlocking whatever powers resided in
me without the help of the elders. With how our ruling council reacted to
my existence, and Alpha Larimer’s reaction to them finding out, there was
no way he’d have approached them for assistance.
My musings stuttered to a halt as Corbin led me through a side entrance
to the manor’s chapel—the sacred place where members of the pack
communed with the gods and where all of our important events were held…
not that I ever got to attend them. My mere presence was a portent of
calamity and bad omens. While the information Corbin had given me was
enough to confirm my suspicions, it also raised my apprehension through
the roof. I had demanded to know, so I wouldn’t complain that I didn’t like
what he’d had to say, but I was two seconds from fleeing like a deer when it
realizes a predator is stalking it.
Unfortunately for me, his intuition was on point, and his grip tightened
on my hand as he rapped his knuckles on the sturdy wooden door. The
clanking of old tumblers moving in the locking mechanism heralded the
door unlatching to swing wide. We were greeted by one of the older women
that served at the manor, and before I could voice an objection, she whisked
me off to a room a short distance away.
Upon entering, I found it to be the preparation room for the female
wolves. My long-time desire that I’d always kept pushed down and hidden
deep, only to be taken out and examined on the rare occasion, bubbled up
inside me. My wish that I was a normal woman and a full shifter who
would eventually pick a mate and get to experience the rites of womanhood
and mating that everyone else was entitled to had finally come to pass,
albeit without my choosing, or the normal parts. Then the words out of the
attendant’s mouth immediately dashed any joy I might have eked out of the
situation.
“Come on now. Let’s make this quick. Your filth will taint the chapel
and anger the gods the more you linger. Your kind has been a curse on this
pack long enough. Maybe now our fortunes will change.”
Her brusque manner had me stripped and washed in minutes, my skin
still damp when she roughly jerked a white shift over my head. I wasn’t
sure if she’d meant ‘my kind’ as the fact that I was half vampire, or the
Heir, but either way, it barely stung. It wasn’t like I was a stranger to the
derogatory term. I was used to the vitriol spewed at me by my fellow pack
members.
Maybe this mating is a blessing after all.

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Stella

“—B utwithyoua may call me Cyn, m’lady,” the suave golden man stated
bow. He remained in position, his eyes raised to mine,
obviously waiting for my acknowledgement, but it was all I could do to try
to control the chattering of my teeth, let alone speak.
Cynfell Blackfang had introduced himself, as had all of my other
guardians, while I stood there in the shift the servant woman had dressed
me in, my still-wet hair done up in a coronet of braids. I’d barely paid
attention to their names, something I was sure to regret later, but with my
wolf repressed by the ‘mating tonic’ the woman had insisted I drink, I was
half-frozen in the stone chapel. Normally, my wolf would have
automatically handled the issue, but with the suppressant, she was unable to
regulate my temperature. When I’d given my entity a mental side-eye for
not burning through the poison, I’d gotten a rush of comfort and a hint of
the maternal love it occasionally shared with me—a gift from beyond the
grave. I’d sorely needed that as a child, but not so much now.
 “Stella!” My gaze snapped to Corbin, his sharp hiss giving me a small
burst of adrenaline to help lift the fog induced by the laced tea. “Accept his
fealty,” he murmured out of the side of his mouth as he eyed the elders, his
nervousness pinching the corners of his lips. Nodding, which was the most I
could manage without tipping over, I accepted the protection of the last of
my six guardians.
The frown on Cyn’s lips preceded his demanding vocalization regarding
the state I was in. “What is the matter, little one?” he asked quietly,
breaking away from the line of his fellow knights to kneel in front of me. I
didn’t miss the way Corbin flinched at the endearment, but my attention
was stuck on the way Cyn had swept his cape out of the way. I wasn’t sure
if it was ceremonial or something they regularly wore, either could be the
case with official business and a mating, but the deep red of the fabric had
me transfixed, wishing I wore something as substantial. That, and the fact
that I was the only one almost naked while everyone else had an abundance
of clothing to protect them from the chill. “Stella?”
My eyes tracked from his cape to the dusky gold skin at his throat
before continuing up to the shining golden depths of his eyes. Even his hair
appeared to be spun from the precious metal, and it framed his face in loose
waves that curled up around his ears.
“What is wrong with her?” That came from my mate-to-be, I believed.
There was no reason to try to look when I held the picture of him just fine
in my mind. I remembered his close-cropped black locks, the brightest
cornflower blue eyes I’d ever seen, and the devilish dimple sitting in the
center of his square chin. An internal eye-roll from my glowy friend was
followed by a pulse of heat, just a little to dispel the worst of the effects.
The horrid bitch must have dosed the hell out of me. If she hadn’t scuttled
off like the rat she was after shoving me through the chapel door seconds
after I downed the noxious concoction, I’d have been tempted to try my
luck with getting at her, steady or not.
“Wolfsbane,” I whispered in a husky slur. With Cyn directly in front of
me, he’d heard me just fine, and I couldn’t help but notice the immediate
panic blanching the healthy color from his face as his eyes widened, filling
with a mix of anger and regret.
“I’m sorry, little one. We should have found you sooner,” he responded
quietly before raising his voice to confront Alpha Larimer while using
rough, jerking motions to get his cloak loose from the clasp at his throat.
“Was this done on your orders, Alpha?” he demanded.
The sneering tone clearly expressed Cyn’s disgust with the man, yet his
hands were gentle as he cocooned me in his cloak after unfurling the thick
fabric behind my back. Barely a breath later, my feet left the cold floor and
my world shifted, resulting in my stomach roiling in protest at the abrupt
move. I closed my eyes, doing my best to keep my gorge down, but my ears
worked just fine.
As long as I could remember, Alpha Larimer’s tone had been harsh or
commanding, but now, and earlier, in the presence of the elders and the
knights, he blustered, unable to stand up to true alphas. “It’s given to all of
our females before a traditional mating ceremony to prevent them from
injuring themselves or their mates. I can’t help that she’s having a bad
reaction to it. We’ve never had this happen.”
“How much was she given?” I thought that came from one of the elders,
but I couldn’t be sure. I did recognize the snide voice of the culprit, though,
when she spoke next. Either she’d been hovering outside the doors to gather
first-hand gossip, or she’d been sent for.
“The abomination was given the standard mating dose. It’s not my fault
if she isn’t strong enough to withstand the effects. If she were pure, this
wouldn’t be an issue.”
Standard dose, my abominable ass. That nasty concoction had had
enough wolfsbane in it that I could barely get it down without instantly
puking it back up.
I missed what else was said as I was pulled from the arms of my
champion and into those of my soon-to-be mate. A ringing in my ears
drowned out anything else in the room while my spotty vision dimmed. The
shivers weren’t as bad with the cloak and the body heat from the men, but
as my senses came back to me, I caught the demand to ‘get it over with.’
A second later, my cocoon was removed, letting the cold infiltrate my
bones again, but that wasn’t the worst of it. No, the worst came when they
removed a decorative screen concealing the mating bench they apparently
thought I was going to submit to. That’s what they meant by a traditional
mating ceremony. Which meant… Oh, stars no, they aren’t watching that!
My thoughts screeched at my companion to do something, but all I got
was a feeling of refusal that I didn’t understand. I tried to light up, yet there
wasn’t even a flicker coming from my skin. I twisted and bucked as Riddick
tried to bend me over the bench, but all my clumsy struggling only upset
my stomach worse. Maybe that was what my stubborn friend was after
because two seconds later, it utterly rebelled, emptying itself all over the
alpha knight.
Since he’d been in front of me, grim faced, doing the elders’ bidding by
attempting to lock my arms in, it all went on him and the floor, sparing me
from everything except the horrid aftertaste. He instantly jumped back, but
even his reflexes weren’t enough to save him from the brunt of it. I glared
up at him through watering eyes, my vision clouded by involuntary tears,
sure he could see the disgust I held for him.
Standing, albeit a bit wobbly, I used the hem of the shift to wipe my
mouth as I ignored the demands from the elders and Alpha Larimer for
someone to clean the mess up and for Riddick to finish the job. The gist I
got was that he didn’t need clothing to complete the ceremony and that we
were wasting time. What they didn’t account for was my rebellion.
Considering my social status, I had always tried to be compliant, to not
make waves, but I was done now. Done being walked on, done being
vilified by my own people, and I damn well wasn’t going to be raped by my
mate to suit the whims of disgusting old men.
The hotter my anger burned, the faster something else took over.
Something I’d kept under strict control after that first accident. My more
bloodthirsty side had decided to take advantage of its wolf counterpart; with
her subdued, it demanded sustenance and retribution for what they’d tried
to do. What Corbin had brought to me before I packed had been enough to
take the edge off and sustain me for a day, maybe, but with the wolfsbane-
laced tea and the blood now painting Riddick and the floor, I was sorely in
need of replenishing my strength.
Riddick noticed my tiny yet sharp and deadly fangs emerging a split
second before I launched myself at him. He was half-undressed but still
managed to dodge me.
I vaguely heard Corbin trying to calm me. Unfortunately, that wasn’t
going to happen unless he had a blood bag to throw my way to distract me.
Someone else must have had the same thought because an instant later the
sweet, mouthwatering scent of blood hit my senses like a freight train. I’d
never smelled something so good, save the one time that I drank from the
bratty girl, but even that paled in comparison to the scent I was homing in
on.
 As I spun around, intent on getting my fangs into whatever the smell
was coming from, a man appeared directly in front of me. I nearly shoved
him out of my way until my brain registered what my body was already
moving in on—he was the source of my desire. Blood was trickling down
his neck despite the small cut already sealing up.
“Roman, no!” The harsh command came from my mate-to-be, but it
was too late. I was already latching onto the neck of the tall raven-haired
man as he knelt on one knee and held his arms out to the side. His attempt
to appear non-threatening cracked me up; I might be small, but I could be
vicious when the occasion warranted it. I did hunt in my wolf form after all,
not to mention stalking animals for their blood. I was just as much a
predator as they were.
And that was about my last coherent thought for the next few moments
while Roman’s blood hit my system and slaked my thirst. A mix of
arousing heat and satiation bloomed through my body, causing me to wrap
my arms and legs around my meal. I couldn’t decide if the urge to keep
drinking was from actual need or the fact that I’d so rarely had my hunger
satisfied that I was afraid to lose a drop. But the arousal scared me. I knew
the others around me could sense it, and my self-preservation instincts
hadn’t completely left me in my feral state.
The fear was enough to partially dispel the haze of bloodlust, but it fell
short of giving me enough autonomy to release my prey, not that he seemed
to mind. He was quite willing if his arms, and subsequently his cloak
coming around me, had anything to say about me feeding from him.
Something else was willing as well, and I felt my body flush with both want
and embarrassment. If I wasn’t supposed to sink fangs into the man, I
definitely wasn’t supposed to be noticing his erection…the first one I’d ever
been this up close and personal with. Nudity wasn’t much of an issue during
pack runs, or regarding shifting at all, but as I wasn’t exactly welcome
around the pack for the most part, I tended to stay away and take my runs
solo.
“She’s just hungry. Leave her be.” I already recognized Cyn’s voice, and
I liked him even more for sticking up for me, but the harsh whispered
warning that came from him next concerned me. “This isn’t the place to air
Roman’s tendencies.” The body I was wrapped around flinched. In
response, my fangs retracted to avoid tearing at his throat, letting the skin
knit itself back together as I caught the last drops on my tongue. My
partially sated hunger pushed at me, demanding that I not waste any of the
tantalizing blood, but it didn’t account for the intimacy of the act. By the
catch in Roman’s breath, he was certainly affected.
The hushed argument ceased when one of the elders intervened, his tone
annoyed and his words dismissive. “We all need to be making our departure
soon. Seal the mating for now, then claim the girl after you arrive at your
destination.”
I lifted my gaze to peer over Roman’s shoulder, directly at where the
elders were having their own hushed conversation, catching enough to
make me consider running away. They had no interest in my well-being;
they only wanted to control the power I would eventually wield.
The scolding voice from my entity immediately stopped my thoughts of
escape. “You need them, Stella. Your guardians will help you reach your
full potential, and you must be mated to whom the fates chose for that to
happen. There is no other option.”
“Why?” I asked, directing the question through my thoughts rather than
with my voice, but as quickly as my ever-present companion gave its
warning, it retreated back into the depths of my subconscious. Never before
had it seemed so far away, the foreign sensation of being alone in my head
feeling almost like abandonment. Whatever was going on, it knew about it.
It had stored memories of my mother, pulling them out to comfort me in the
dark years of my upbringing, so it stood to reason it must have knowledge
of my future too. I could only trust that the plan was in my best interests; it
was stuck with me after all, that much I knew for certain. It was bound to
my very soul.
Years ago, it had warned me that our relationship was symbiotic, that
we would both die were I to successfully separate us. In a fit of
discontented anger, I’d tried anyway. I was a teenager, desperate to be
normal and accepted, and thought that cutting out what made me different,
no matter that I couldn’t do anything about the biggest obstacle—my
vampire sire—would go a long way toward acceptance. The result had been
two days of unconsciousness, with several more of feeling like my chest
had been carved open. It wasn’t something I’d ever considered trying again.
Roman’s arms tightened around me like steel bands, and my head was
pushed down over his shoulder, my only warning before a sharp pain at my
nape pulled a shriek from my throat. This time, I lit up, the reach of my
tainted light encompassing my mate and guardians as I stared, wide-eyed in
shock, at the group of men. The ones in my direct line of sight flinched, but
they didn’t appear to be in any pain. And then the connections popped open
in my heart and head while what I imagined were strings of energy
connected me to all of them, the one to my mate brighter than the rest.
For a brief moment I heard what had to be his thoughts, moving too
quickly for me to make sense of them before becoming muted. As soon as
that settled, the rest followed suit, leaving me wrung out and suddenly limp
with exhaustion. I’d never heard of this happening when wolf shifters
mated and worried what it meant for me. I’ll never escape them with these
bonds.
Soft exclamations of my guardians’ surprise reached my ears as my
eyes drooped, but the pleased remarks from the elders clued me in that it
was something unique to the Silverlight Heir. When her mate marked her,
her guardians were bonded to her as well. I slipped into unconsciousness,
barely flinching when Riddick pulled his fangs from my neck.

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Stella

M yacross
body jerked forward only to stop as it came up against something
my chest. An instant later, cursing met my ears. “Fuck! Why
isn’t this road maintained?” I opened my eyes to find myself strapped into
the passenger seat of an SUV and Cynfell in the driver’s seat.
The panic was instantaneous though I did my best to tamp it down. I’d
seen vehicles before, even knew what a lot of them were called from paying
attention to those around me and the books I’d read, but I’d never been
permitted to be in one. The moving sensation was as foreign as the muted
impressions I was getting from my bonds. Not to mention someone had
dressed me while I’d been passed out.
As we hit another rut in the dilapidated road that led out of the pack
lands, a growl trickled from my throat, my wolf pushing to the forefront to
voice her feelings on the subject.
“Don’t you dare shift. You’ll tear up my vehicle and hurt yourself,” Cyn
warned, navigating around the worst of the potholes in a nauseating zigzag
pattern. He of course noticed me pressing the back of my hand to my
mouth. “And no fucking puking in here either! Stars, I could strangle them
all for their bullshit.” The last was muttered under his breath, more to
himself than to me as far as I could ascertain.
I felt my gorge rise, but I swallowed it down, not because Cyn told me
to, but more out of not wanting a repeat of earlier events. “No one likes to
vomit, but your weaving around is making me sick. Maybe you could try
driving a bit slower?”
“If we go any slower, we won’t make it to our destination on time. We
would prefer to avoid news of your existence reaching the Vae, and we sure
as hell don’t want an outright war in front of the humans. It’s a pain in the
ass to take care of the fallout.”
“Well, if you don’t want me to soil your vehicle, you’ll have to make
do. I’ve never been in a car, and it’s making me ill.” I ignored his skeptical
glance and concentrated on staring at my knees. The head and tail lights
bobbing around in the dark of the predawn hour, as well as the lights
shining in the side mirror, blinded me every few seconds, only making my
vertigo and nausea worse. Thankfully, he took pity on me, slowing down
and lessening the severity of my motion sickness.
I felt a bit guilty. I hadn’t meant to be short, but I’d had about enough of
everything, and I was certain I was still in a fair amount of shock. He might
have tried to intervene in the chapel, but one act of kindness from a stranger
didn’t negate the fact that he was a stranger. For all I knew, I’d be no better
off with him than I would with my so-called mate that had marked me then
apparently dumped me off. Hell, I didn’t even know how I’d ended up
alone in a vehicle with Cyn or where my mate was.
“But he’s not really a stranger anymore, is he, little star? If you try,
you can feel that he means you no harm. And don’t worry, if that
changes, or if you genuinely feel threatened, your light will defend you…
even against your mate.”
I wasn’t sure how long it had been since it had pulled out that term of
endearment, the one my mother had used in the memories it had shared
over the years. Its strange behavior since the alpha knights showed up had
me almost as anxious as being mated to their leader and leaving the only
home I’d known. The reassurance that I could protect myself if need be,
helped a little, but I was almost afraid to poke at the bonds in case they
could feel me.
 Reading my thoughts, it guided me through the exercise, explaining that
they would only sense heightened emotions unless I wished otherwise. Oh,
that’s just lovely. They all know I’m scared to death, then. A faint chuff of
amusement was all I got in return, so I practiced concentrating on the lines
that led from me to them.
Some were thicker, while others looked like they might snap if I
prodded too much, but they all shone in various shades of silver...until I
touched them. The closest was Cyn, of course, and I wasn't sure if it was his
proximity or his acceptance of his role that made the strand so strong. It was
so strange to be able to feel his intentions like my companion had said I
would. Underlying everything was a keen sense of duty, a general feeling I
got from all of the bonds.
I didn't delve any further, partially afraid of what else I might find, but
also worried it would be an invasion of privacy. After all, I hadn't asked,
and I knew I wouldn't like it if it were the other way around. My theory was
immediately proven correct with the next thread I touched. I'd barely made
contact when the silver was overtaken with a red so dark it was almost
black. Awareness, not from me but from who I thought might be Vance, ran
down the thread, closely followed by emotions that drowned out any duty
he might feel. Rage, hate, and disgust bombarded our connection, and I
realized it was all directed at me.
The speed and force with which I slammed the door closed cracked
something within me. A searing streak of pain ran through me, then the
strand that connected me to my guardian dimmed to the point it was almost
slate gray. The pain quickly disappeared, but I wasn't the only one affected.
The vehicle behind us jerked to the side of the shitty road and stopped.
Cyn slowed to a stop with a curse. "What the hell happened?"
At first, I thought he was asking me, so I slumped down in my seat with
guilt, but then a voice came from a handheld radio he must have had tucked
away.
"Someone went traipsing around where they don't belong. Tell the
bloodsucker to keep the fuck outta my head."
I cringed at the anger in the voice, staring straight ahead at the lights of
the other vehicles that had pulled over as well. My embarrassment was only
rivaled by my shame, both emotions completely smothering my spark of
anger at bearing the brunt of the man's vitriol. I expected the same type of
reaction from Cyn, but when the radio burst out with overlapping
admonishments, he turned the volume off and cleared his throat to get my
attention, as if he didn't have it already.
Reluctantly, I shifted my gaze to his, noticing his cocked brow, but I
wasn't about to open my mouth. I'd gotten the message loud and clear.
"Are you okay? Vance was out of line." I offered a curt nod in response,
remaining silent thanks to a tongue frozen in disbelief. Rarely did anyone
stick up for me, yet my new guardian had done so twice in the same day.
"What were you doing? I thought I felt you, but then the sensation
disappeared."
Braving the chance that he'd turn on me, I tentatively answered his
question. "I was exploring the bonds. I didn't mean for anyone to notice."
He was quiet long enough that I thought he wasn’t going to respond
until he shook his head and reached over to pat my leg before putting the
vehicle into gear and pulling out to rejoin the others in front of us. “I
imagine you have to be curious, we are too, but maybe wait to explore until
we’re safely settled on my family lands? And don’t worry about Vance. I’ll
talk to him. He has some…issues he’ll have to work out.”
My attention jerked up to him from where it had been studying the place
he’d so casually touched. I barely paused on the ‘issues’ Vance might have,
concentrating on the first part as we bounced our way down the road again.
My knowledge of other packs was limited, and it hadn’t occurred to me that
we’d be going to one of my guardian’s homes. If I’d had time to absorb
everything I was sure I’d have realized, but right then all I could think was
that my mate would be taking another, and it was likely one of Cyn’s family
members. The thought rankled. I didn’t want to dislike him for the
circumstances I found myself in, yet my feelings on the matter couldn’t be
ignored. I was certain the woman in question was going to have some of her
own, whether she aired them or not.
“Stella?” he prompted, briefly flicking his eyes from the road to me and
back again.
At my nod, his shoulders relaxed, and he fiddled with the display on the
vehicle before turning the volume back up on the now silent radio. It
seemed he was content to continue the drive with the low music filtering
through the speakers filling the space around us. I wished it were as simple
as someone agreeing with me to ease my tension.
A gentle flutter of reassurance came from my companion. If it felt I was
on the right track, I’d have to trust it, but I just couldn’t see how this would
turn into anything except disaster.

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Stella

I tandtookoverstimulating
almost two days to drive to my new home, a very uncomfortable
two days. Although I guessed it was better than their
usual mode of travel—flying in an airplane. The alphas had plans to stay
with Riddick until after the mating, at which point they’d begin a circuit of
travels with the elders, and they’d driven several SUVs, grouping up as
needed to switch off driving. It made sense that they'd want their own
vehicles, though it sounded like the tour was called off now, or that they
wouldn't be part of it anyway now that I was in the picture.
Other than short stops to use restrooms or eat, we drove nonstop. Since
I’d never ridden in a vehicle, let alone knew how to drive, one of the other
knights joined us when Cyn needed to rest, all but Tobias and Cyn keeping
their distance. I didn’t understand why my mate refused to come near me,
though Roman played some part in that if Riddick’s reprimands to stop
staring at me, which he was doing any time I chanced to look his way,
meant anything. I really couldn’t help myself though. The blood bags that
had been packed, ones I’d have been content with prior to meeting him,
barely took the edge off of my hunger so that I could eat real food, and I
just knew Roman would have let me feed from him again. Neither of my
guardians would fill me in on what the problem was, and I couldn’t ask
Corbin since he’d had to escort the elders to the airport before he could
catch up with us.
I wasn’t under any illusion that it wasn’t to pump him for information
regarding me or my mother. Their excitement over a second chance at
locking the Heir in before the vampires got their hands on me had been
fairly apparent. Or maybe it was to give him further directives in regards to
my care. Either way, Corbin was a prime candidate to do their bidding and
give them any information they might want.
When I'd asked where Corbin was, my guardians had lent credence to
my concern when they'd griped about him being the elders’ newest angle to
keep tabs on the alpha knights. While I didn't understand exactly what the
problem was between the two groups, I knew the elders had taken them
over after the failed binding to my mother, and I didn't exactly get the warm
fuzzies from the council members. From what I gathered, there was a very
real chance Corbin’s loyalty would be to the ruling council and not to me at
all. He’d taken directives from Alpha Larimer after all.
As for Tobias, he was short for a wolf shifter, not much taller than I
was, but he was built like a brick, solid and strong without being fat. At
first, he’d been nervous when I asked about his hair. A white shock broke
up the black a bit above his temple, hanging down onto his forehead. It
pointed right at one of his bright gray eyes. His friendliness returned when
he realized it was only curiosity and not condemnation like others had given
him over the years.
According to him, it was a trait that hadn’t shown up in several
generations in his family, and some thought it meant he was cursed,
especially since it had only come in after the fiasco with my mother. His
family of fishermen wouldn’t have taken him back even if the elders hadn’t
remanded his services. Since they were convinced that it was a bad omen,
they didn’t want him to associate with them for fear of damaging their
business. A bunch of nonsense in my opinion, and I told him so, but he’d
only shrugged, long used to being disowned by now.
After our initial meeting, I’d climbed into the backseat and immersed
myself in the books I’d packed unless we stopped to eat or relieve
ourselves. It helped immensely to lose myself in familiar make-believe
worlds, particularly with the bombardment of the human world. My nose
itched with foreign scents, my ears hurt from the loud noises, and my
equilibrium was having a terrible time with the speed and motion of the
vehicle I was in, not to mention those that would occasionally zoom past,
appearing entirely too close for comfort.
But with each mile we covered, bringing us closer to our destination,
my anxiety ramped up. And now, here we were. Well, at least we were at
the boundary of the Blackfang lands, driving up a distinctly more well-kept
road than the one that had led out of Wolfsbane territory.
We’d barely come to a stop on the circular cobblestone drive in front of
the sprawling, two-story pack house when a woman appeared in the
window of the driver’s side door. Cyn opened the door, and the woman
didn’t waste any time before throwing her arms around his neck. With her
coloring, similar to Cyn’s, I assumed she was a relation of his. He
confirmed it with a laugh, teasing her by saying that he couldn’t breathe
because she was hugging him so tightly.
“Well, I have to get my hugs in when I see you since you’re never
around, big brother,” she retorted, giving him a mock glare when she eased
back to put a bit of space between them. Glancing past him, she spotted
Tobias, and her smile returned. “It’s been forever, Toby. I can’t believe you
were all granted leave to attend Rozlyn’s mating. She’s been so excited. The
entire pack has done nothing but talk about it since we found out.”
Both men stiffened, causing a wrinkle of confusion to appear behind the
woman’s eyes, but before she could comment on it, Tobias spoke up. “Nice
to see you too, Esta. Did Riddick happen to tell you we have one more in
our company?” He hiked his thumb in my direction as he shifted to partially
turn in his seat, his kind gray eyes clouded with pity.
Putting the pieces together, I figured out that this woman, and
subsequently Cyn, were related or close to the woman I would be expected
to share my mate with. Betrayal raced through me. No one had seen fit to
prepare me for this or give me the slightest detail about my own damn life.
Stars, I hadn’t even gotten out of the vehicle yet, and I was already expected
to face a situation I didn’t have the slightest idea on how to handle. My
instincts were little help, telling me to run and never look back, my wolf
wanted to do damage to everyone, and my starving vampire half was still
trying to convince me to sink fang into one of my guardians to see if Roman
was a one-off or if they would all taste as good. I settled on what I was
well-versed in…pretending I didn’t care and giving what one of my favorite
book heroines called RBF: Resting Bitch Face. Tobias had the grace to
wince when I turned it on him, but it was too late to warn or prepare me—
something he should have already done—as the woman, Esta, shifted to
peer around Cyn.
“Riddick mentioned that you had a guest coming along, but he wouldn't
say more, only something about security precautions. I’ve had another room
prepared in the family wing. Frankly, I was surprised I hadn’t heard from
you directly…” Her eyes widened as she trailed off after getting a good
look at me.
As warm and golden as Cyn was, I was just the opposite—coldly
ethereal, pale moon-lit skin, otherworldly silver eyes topped with black
brows and lashes, and the occasional sooty strand running through my
silvery, almost white hair. The stink of her fear reached my nose as I held
her gaze. I watched her take a deep breath, obviously trying to scent what
her eyes were telling her, but I didn’t scent as a vampire or as a wolf, unless
I wanted to. Whether it was due to the peculiarity of my mixed heritage or
being the Heir, it was just something else that had divided me from my
pack. But I couldn’t hide the color of my irises, a blatant mark from one of
the most feared vampire leaders in the world. Talk of my eyes matching the
Vae’s had reached my ears through taunts or whispered words between
members of my former pack, usually followed by tales of some horror he’d
inflicted on unsuspecting wolves. Surely it couldn’t all be true, but I’d been
born, so some of it had to be. I just couldn’t tell what was rumor and what
was real, mostly because I didn’t think anyone really knew what the truth
was. It was much easier to have a villain to blame, and the Vae was the
perfect target.
Cyn gestured for his sister to move back, unfolded himself from the
vehicle, then came to open my door, a hand held out to help me gain my
feet. I felt underdressed and grubby in leggings and a hooded sweatshirt,
not having done more than a perfunctory wash up at rest stops, but I held
my head high, refusing to let on that I felt lesser.
“Esta, this is Styliana Ethari Crayton, the Silverlight Heir and my
charge. Stella, meet my sister, Esta Blackfang, Luna of the Blackfang
Pack.” Cyn kept a firm grip on my hand, as if I might run off if he didn’t
anchor me in place, which could have been a possibility had I known a
thing about my surroundings. From the corner of my eye, I caught Tobias
getting out of the SUV and my other guardians heading our way with my
mate in the lead. He didn’t look too pleased, but then again, he’d had that
stick-up-his-ass expression stuck in place for the majority of the times I’d
seen him.
“Crayton? I thought the girl had died, Cynfell?” The words seemed to
have come out in a knee-jerk reaction, for an instant later, the woman paled
further and slapped a hand over her mouth.
“Esta!” Cyn reprimanded. “Stella’s mother did pass. There’s been an
unfortunate series of events I’ll fill you in on later. For now, we’d like to get
settled. We’ve been on the road non-stop.” Cyn’s answer was quite
sugarcoated, but he’d come to my defense again, or rather my mother’s.
Esta immediately attempted to fix her faux pas. “I apologize. I spoke
without thinking. We’re honored to host the Heir for the duration of your
stay.” Glancing past her brother to Tobias when I didn’t bother to respond,
she posed her next question. “Toby, were you chosen to be mated?” The
question was innocent enough, though still a bit rude in my opinion, but her
nervousness was more than apparent, so I couldn’t completely fault her.
Tobias shook his head, and by then, Riddick and company had reached
us, as well as several men I didn’t recognize.
“Esta, I see you found your brother while your mate found me,” Riddick
announced. His tone was jovial enough, but there was more than a little
underlying tension to his manner. I didn’t feel sorry for him at all if he
hadn’t bothered to fill in his soon-to-be in-laws on recent developments, i.e.
being mated to me. It was also the closest I’d been to him since he’d
marked me. I had half a mind to throw him to the wolves, so to speak, yet I
couldn't quite bring myself to do it even though he deserved that and more
for the way he’d treated me. Not only could he not stand to be in my
presence, his disgust couldn't have been more plain when I'd fed from
Roman. I couldn’t help my nature any more than he could help his, and it
was a blow to my heart that my mate wouldn’t accept that part of me.
“Yes, he did,” the luna replied sharply, pulling me back to the present. “I
believe we need to have a meeting, Riddick—a private one.”
I wanted to shrink into myself after her pointed glance in my direction,
but I kept my spine straight and my expression as aloof as I could manage.
There was little doubt she didn’t suspect who I was to her future son-in-law,
and by the tension in the air, everyone else was aware that she was less than
pleased. Again though, who could blame her?
 “We were just discussing that, dear, but let’s get everyone to their rooms
and fed first.” Esta’s mate smoothly slipped in next to her and pulled her
from the center of the group. He was a burly man, but he didn’t appear
angry, and his nod in greeting toward me was nice enough. With a few
simple commands, he had our group moving and servants attending to our
vehicles and belongings.
Entering the pack house was a whole different world than that of the
Wolfsbane manor. There was a feeling of peace, the rooms were bright, and
the pack members we encountered on our way were curious but welcoming,
all dipping their heads as we passed. So of course anxiety had to bombard
me. Things would change the instant they found out who I was, what I was.
I dreaded the polite smiles and open expressions turning once they realized
what my presence meant.
I must have been broadcasting my feelings through the bond since Cyn
fell back to walk next to me, his pinky brushing against mine. It wasn’t
much, but to the girl whose very existence had been that of a pariah, it
meant everything. Then Riddick had to ruin it. He looked over his shoulder,
his gaze going to where our hands touched, for an instant before turning
back to face our hosts. More weight piled on my already heavy heart; it was
obvious he was attuned to me, but he’d chosen to ignore me. Again. I
cursed all the books I’d read over the years. They’d lied to me…
Finding your mate was utter bullshit.

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Stella

A fter a brief discussion with her mate, Esta put me in what was formerly
a nursery. I assumed it would be one again soon, too. The thought sat
sourly with me, my wolf just as disgusted and hurt by the thought of
Riddick breeding with another. At least my guardians were pleased with the
arrangement as it had doors connecting to the rooms on either side of it. The
only hiccup was when Cyn insisted on staying in one of them instead of his
old room, which he said Riddick should take. Esta had narrowed her eyes at
her brother but held her tongue when her mate had approved the change. I,
on the other hand, was about as happy to have Riddick that much closer to
his betrothed as Esta was to have Cyn next to me. Really though, who the
hell is getting the short end of the stick, here? My mate can’t be bothered to
even attempt to stay with me. Not that I particularly wanted him to after the
way he’d acted, but I couldn’t say anything because I was the dirty little
not-so-secret. I hadn’t asked to be in this situation, and while Esta hadn’t
done anything too bad yet, I was certain it would be coming as soon as they
had their meeting. Which I wasn’t invited to. I didn’t necessarily want to
go, but I’d have liked to know what was said about me so I could prepare
myself for the fallout.
What I didn’t expect was for Vance to be put in the other room. I almost
sparked up when he turned his glower on me upon hearing the
announcement. His nearly black eyes pierced me with an intelligence that
belied his almost meathead physique. He wasn’t hard on the eyes, not at all,
but he was tall and built in a way that I expected from the guards back
home where brains were second to brawn.
“Stella?” Cyn’s calming voice broke our stare down, but I didn’t turn
too far. I had to keep the beastie in my sights in case he tried to eat me or
something. I could still feel the echoes of his anger when I’d touched our
bond, the one that looked like it would snap at any moment, and I doubted
he’d get over it any time soon. “Come on, I’ll get you settled in,” he urged
when I didn’t answer, and I realized the entire group was staring at me.
Flushing beetroot, I let Cyn take my elbow and steer me into the room,
breathing a sigh of relief when the door shut behind us. I didn’t even care if
it was proper or not; I was just happy to be out of the vehicle and away
from prying eyes.
Cyn quickly showed me which doors went where, then left me to my
own devices with the assurance that someone would be by to bring food.
My stomach rumbled at the mention of it, but I didn’t know how to tell him
that I already needed more than what the staff would be cooking. I
shouldn’t have needed to feed yet. I’d had the last bag of blood earlier in the
day, and it should have kept me for a couple days. At least that was how it
had worked before they showed up. Something was wrong with me, but I
hadn’t a clue on who to turn to for help, and I was afraid to alienate Cyn by
bringing it up. He and Tobias felt like my only allies, and I was sorely in
need of them, so I pushed down the pulsing I felt in my fangs, and went for
a shower. Another dilemma was clothing, but at least that was something
normal and not mortal enemy related.

I woke up hungrier than I was when I’d gone to sleep despite eating the
tray of food that had been left while I was in the shower. Other than the
light filtering in from the bathroom, my room was dark, but what had me on
high alert was the weight on the bed near my feet. With alarm swiftly rising
through me, so did my light, and as it flared, I caught the dejected
countenance of my mate.
The glow dissipated, leaving me seeing spots as I scooted up into a
sitting position, but my ears worked just fine when Riddick asked, “How do
you not burn everything around you?”
After days of avoidance, that wasn’t at all what I thought his first words
to me would be, but I answered him anyway. “Magic and intent, I guess.
Although I can burn items if I try.” My vision came back in degrees while I
waited on him to say more. After a few moments, I was getting more than
uncomfortable, and I finally snapped at him. “What do you want, Riddick?
You couldn’t be bothered to come near me since our mating, and now
you’re sneaking into my room while I’m asleep.”
He had the grace to look ashamed, but then he straightened his
shoulders and ran a hand through his sooty locks before clearing his throat.
“We need to have a discussion. Before I get into it, please understand that I
wouldn’t have chosen to do this lightly, but I don’t see any other way, short
of running and exile, to avoid it.”
“If you expect me to feel sorry for you, you’ve seriously overestimated
our mate bond. I didn’t even recognize that you were in here until I saw
your face. Surely that says a lot on the subject.”
With a brow arched in surprise, he reached for my hand where it rested
on top of the blanket, pulling back with a sigh when I jerked it out of his
reach.
“You’re blocking it, and the bonds to the others. None of them are
strong enough yet to withstand you shutting us out. If they break, I don’t
know what will happen to you or the rest of us. That’s part of what I wanted
to discuss, and I apologize that I kept my distance, but my wolf has been
rather insistent that I finish our mating, and I didn’t think you’d be
amenable to that.”
Hunger, mixed with my growing anger, wrecked my composure,
resulting in my fangs dropping involuntarily, which earned a flinch from
my lying ass mate. “Try again, Riddick. I heard you when I fed from
Roman—at least he was nice to me. You just tried to pin me down and rape
me on command. Even now, you’re staring at my fangs like you don’t grow
bigger ones when you shift and hunt for your meal.”
 “That’s not true! You don’t understand anything,” Riddick spat before
diving into a nearly unhinged rant I wouldn’t have expected from him. He
seemed like such a cold man, besides the brief time I’d seen him before the
chapel, that I could only stare, wide-eyed, as he went off.
“Roman never should have been the one to insert himself that way; he
has no control. And before you point fingers, it was your mother and my
brother that started all of this. Had she only stayed put, the elders would
have dissolved his claim. Instead, she took off and destroyed all of our lives
in the process. The minute she let the Vae claim her, that was it. I couldn't
even challenge my brother for my place after their decree. We no longer had
a say in our future. Our entire lives, all seven of us were brought up with
the knowledge that one of us would get our true mate, while the other six
devoted the rest of their years to protecting the Silverlight Heir.
“Our sense of duty has been ingrained into our very beings. We were
stripped of all but our titles, and we’ve been the council’s lackeys for the
last two decades. Why wouldn’t I obey orders when it’s all I’ve ever
known! I’ve done everything I could to reclaim some of the many years I
have left ahead of me. I've spent years devising a plan and convincing the
elders that mating me, and eventually the others, off for political gain would
be more in their favor than keeping us in their service. They made it clear
that if I don’t follow through, we’ll all be back at the council’s citadel. We
were all displaced with the ruling regarding Mariana; there isn't anywhere
we could go that wouldn't disrupt the current status quo. Wherever you go,
so do I and the rest of the knights. I can’t go back, I won’t, so what do you
expect me to do?” By the time he finished, the bedspread was clenched in
his fists on either side of him, and his hands had shifted enough to puncture
the fabric. From the glow in his eyes, his wolf was riding him hard.
I almost caved and agreed to do whatever he wanted in the face of his
anguish, used to bowing down before others to keep the peace, but my own
wolf vehemently opposed that idea. “I could ask the same of you, Riddick.
I’m not my mother, and I wasn’t involved in events twenty years past, yet
I’m expected to bear the brunt of it all? Do you really think that our bonds
will survive what you’re proposing to do, as thin as they are? Or how about
my biological needs? I can’t help any of that, but you’re laying it at my
feet.” My voice shook with anger, hurt, and a bit of a growl from the beast
that resided in me.
 Riddick looked down at his hands, and, realizing what he’d done,
shifted them back before giving me a hard stare. “We’re all at the mercy of
our council. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that anyone else is pulling the
strings. My piece of shit brother may have been able to hide you since the
elders rarely visit there, but make no mistake that they’ll be watching for
any reason to take control of you. Word will spread, if it hasn’t already, and
while the elders are not… Never mind, I don’t know who might be
listening, and I can’t risk it.” He clammed up as he seized my hand in his,
and then I felt a push on my mind as our thread lit up. Tentatively, I
mentally touched it, and that was all he needed to infiltrate my thoughts.
“Simply put, if they handle our second Heir as poorly as they did our first,
the wolves would revolt, and our enemies would use it to their advantage.
They won’t be able to deal with the vampires en masse as well as a
rebellion.”
Shock held me in place long enough for him to pass his message along
before I snatched my appendage away from him. I didn’t know we could do
that. What else he could get from me, or what knowledge was he keeping
from me regarding my abilities and our bond?
“Don’t do that! Everyone had a fit when I accidentally did it to Vance,
and here you are doing worse than that.”
“Stella, I don’t have the luxury of time to fill you in on everything that
you should have been taught. We all need to strengthen the bonds as much
as possible before the…” I knew what he meant, but he wasn’t getting out
of it like that.
“The mating? See, you can’t even say it, but you’re planning to go
through with it! All while you sit here and preach at me about your
sacrifices and expect me to build something up that I don’t even want.” And
boy was that the wrong thing to say.
“Don’t lie to me! We both know that you are. You want this mating to
be on your terms, and since that’s not happening, you’re being a brat! I tried
to come in here, to apologize and devise a way to make this work for
everyone involved, but all you can do is throw a fit.” His shouting scared
and angered me to the point that I was glowing before he finished. We were
about to find out how true my companion had been about being able to
defend myself against my mate if he tried to touch me, but a moment later, a
knock at one of the connecting doors interrupted us.
 Cyn didn’t wait for an answer to open it. He swung it wide and stood in
the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest and a pointed glance from
me to Riddick. The man was not at all amused.
“Riddick, why are you yelling at her?” he demanded, staring the alpha
down.
Surprise lit my mate’s face before he schooled it, then he was glaring
right back at Cyn. “She’s going to break the bonds. Why wouldn’t I be
upset?” he asked incredulously, waving a hand in my direction.
“Stella? Is that true?” The hurt in his voice was mirrored on his face. I
hadn’t consciously been thinking of breaking them, wasn’t quite sure how
to purposely do it, but I guessed me sitting there all lit up kind of proved
Riddick’s point.
Feeling like a jerk because Cyn, at least, didn’t want them broken, I let
my light fade and tried to explain. “I didn’t say that, exactly. I don’t want to
be in this situation. How would you feel if your mate was using you? If you
were taken away from the only home you’ve known, crappy as it was, and
brought along to share a house with his betrothed? Would you want to
‘strengthen’ the bonds? The bonds that kept you tethered to him?”
They had the grace to look ashamed of themselves, though I highly
doubted it would change anything.
“What can I do to make this better for you?” Riddick asked after the
silence started to become uncomfortable. I wanted to laugh in his face, but
then I started to seriously consider his request. It wasn’t like I was going to
be able to avoid the upcoming ceremony, not without a miracle, and if my
life had taught me anything, miracles weren’t in the cards for me.
“Let me leave. Get me as far away from here as you can and leave me to
live in peace without having my future be as shitty as my past.” I bit my lip
before I added on to my demand. “And let me have electronics. I’d like a
phone, an e-reader, and a computer, all with internet access. The elders
mentioned that I have money, so it won’t even cost you anything.”
Confusion creased Riddick’s brows. “Yes, you already have access to
your funds, or I do until you come into your full potential and present to the
council, but we can’t separate, Stella, not now at any rate. It would surely
break our bond.”
“I-I’m not opposed to that,” I whispered, staring at my blanket-clad
knees. “You say you want to make it work, to try for a compromise, and I
ask for so little, yet you refuse me. You’re no better than your brother,
Riddick, taking what doesn’t want to be taken, consequences be damned.
Please, both of you leave so I can get some rest. I’m still tired.”
And I really was. My body felt lethargic, with hunger pangs making it
difficult to control my baser sides that wanted blood and meat. I could smell
the blood beneath their skin, hear the pulses beating through their bodies,
and unequivocally knew that neither of them were offering themselves up.
So I needed them to get out.
“Breaking the bonds isn’t the answer, little one. We can’t take the risk,
but we can let you have some time to yourself.” Cyn gave Riddick a
moment to get off of my bed, and when my asshole of a mate refused, he
straightened up from his lean against the doorframe and started toward him.
“Riddick, come on. Go find what she asked for while I get her some blood.
I know you have to feel her hunger. It’s been pushing at me since I came in
here.”
From his stiffening shoulders and raised brows, Riddick’s surprise was
evident. It pissed me off enough to bare my fangs at him regardless of the
way he felt about them. He’d used our connection when it was convenient
for him then ignored anything else coming from me. “Yeah, so much for
wanting to work on the bonds, huh?”
Scrubbing at his face in his frustration, he finally stood up and stalked
out without a backward glance. With a short “I’ll be back soon,” Cyn left
me to my foul mood. I just hoped that I could talk them into some sort of
compromise when they came back.

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Stella

I should have known not to get my hopes up that they’d follow through.
When a timid knock came at the door, I knew it wasn’t either of the men
returning. On the other side was a nervous servant girl, who thrust the jar of
blood at me and mumbled that Cyn had sent her because he and Riddick
had been called into a meeting. I’d barely made out what she said before
she bobbed her head and took off at a pace just shy of a run.
Standing there with my jar in hand, disappointment turned to anger, and
were it not for the demands of my stomach, I’d have thrown it against the
wall. Instead, I slammed the door and retreated back to my bed before
carefully unscrewing the lid. The contents were still warm, not at all
congealed, making it much more palatable than the bags had been, as they’d
been mixed with an anticoagulant for travel. With barely a breath in
between gulps, I downed the entire jar. Though it took the edge off, it left
me feeling bloated and unsatisfied, and I had to wonder if something was
wrong with me.
 Suddenly, the room felt claustrophobic, and before I could second-guess
myself, I slipped out of my room, barefoot, and went in search of the
nearest exit. I needed to get outside, shift, and run off some of the anxiety I
couldn’t seem to shake—and maybe hunt a few critters to see if that would
help soothe the burning ache in my stomach. I imagined the unwelcome
sensation was much like the human indigestion I’d read about, but it wasn’t
something I’d ever encountered myself, and I didn’t care for it at all.
I’d only made it halfway down the hall when the back of my neck
prickled with warning. My instincts screamed that I was being hunted, and
when I surreptitiously sniffed at the air, I managed to catch a somewhat
familiar scent. Spinning around, I confronted my stalker.
“If you hate me so much, why are you following me?”
“Why are you out of your room?” he all but growled at me, getting right
up in my face.
I immediately held up a glowing hand, not a bit opposed to using it if
need be. “I’m going for a run.” My tone brooked no argument, daring him
to stop me, all while I quailed inside at standing up to the dark-featured,
towering menace of a man. He was built solidly, even for a wolf shifter, and
I doubted I had any chance of outrunning him if it came down to it, not that
I planned on trying since it was fairly pointless at the moment. I had
nowhere else to go.
His glower lifted slightly at my answer, but I wasn’t about to quench my
light.
“How long has it been since you shifted?”
That wasn’t what I’d thought he was going to say at all. I’d figured he’d
outright tell me no after he was so nasty to me before. “A few days before
you all showed up. I’m starting to go stir-crazy after being cooped up while
traveling and now in that room.”
With a sigh that sounded like mostly annoyance, he pulled a phone out
of his pocket and started tapping away. A few moments later, it buzzed, and
the grunt that escaped him definitely wasn’t a happy one, nor was the dark
look he shot my way before more tapping ensued. I was starting to feel a bit
silly for standing there holding my hand up when he obviously didn’t give
two shits about it. As unobtrusively as possible, I let the light fade and
lowered it to my side. But of course he didn’t miss the move, though he
didn’t do more than give it a quick glance. After another round of what I
assumed were text messages—I’d seen others send them and read about
them plenty—he shoved the device back into his pocket and stalked past
me.
I wasn’t sure what to do until he stopped and looked over his shoulder,
impatiently barking out, “Are you coming or not, princess? I don’t have all
day. Some of us actually have to work for our keep.”
The urge to tell him off was strong. I was hardly a princess, but it was
most certainly a step up from ‘bloodsucker,’ so I kept my mouth shut and
hurried to follow after him.
By the time we made it outside and to a wooded area well away from
the pack house, I was annoyed with him all over again. His gait seemed
normal enough, but I had to scurry after him, taking two steps to his one,
and my face was on fire from embarrassment after all the odd looks we’d
gotten on the way. When he kept on, right into the tree line, I’d had enough
and stopped in my tracks.
“Could you please slow down?” I yelled at him as he disappeared. The
jerk had to be doing it on purpose. He’d known when I left my room, so he
had to know I wasn’t following him any longer, yet he didn’t reappear. With
a frustrated growl, I stomped after him…only to find him butt naked and
covered with scars from his neck to his thighs. Bite scars.
I hadn’t thought anything about his high-collared shirts or long sleeves
and pants since I’d only been around him a few times, but I had a feeling it
was the norm and not coincidence. As he shucked his underwear down his
legs, I studiously ignored all but his face. His reaction and general vitriol
were understandable now, but it was also why I wouldn’t be turning my
back on him now. I wasn’t so sure I was comfortable being out here alone
with him either.
“Getting yourself an eyeful, princess? I’m sure you recognize the
handiwork of your kind.” There was a challenge in his tone, one I didn’t
know how to answer. I had no desire to engage with him, I only wanted to
go for a run, but yet again, here I was, dealing with something I’d had no
hand in.
“I had nothing to do with whatever happened to you. Until Roman, I’d
only ever bitten one other person, and it was out of my control, much like
the night of my mating. If you only brought me out to prove a point, or be
hateful, please, just leave.” Having said my piece, I stepped behind the
nearest tree that would shield me from his gaze, hoped others weren’t
watching, and quickly shed my clothing. An instant later, I was on all fours,
my black-streaked, blazing white fur a beacon as I took off at a dead run,
putting plenty of space between me and my biased so-called guardian.
My wolf, overjoyed at the freedom running through the forest granted
her, took over, guiding us through narrow deer trails while I retreated and
let her have free rein. I only roused when the scent of a rabbit caught her
attention, spiking her excitement until she was in a frenzy. It brought out
my other side as well in anticipation of the blood the little creature would
provide.
We both chose to ignore the inky black shadow that appeared here and
there in between the trees, silent as death, keeping its distance. I was
perfectly fine with the wolf guarding us as long as he didn’t get too close or
try to steal our prey. And then he was relegated to the edges of my mind
when my wolf flushed the plump rabbit from its hiding place and pounced.

A fter our return, a walk made in the most uncomfortable of silences,

Vance left me at the door to my room. With lack of anything else better
to do, I took another shower, killing time and cleaning up bits of blood on
my face, left over from my meal, and random forest debris in my hair. I’d
just tied off the end of my long braid when a perfunctory knock came from
the hall door barely an instant before it swung open.
A somber Cyn came in first, followed by Riddick, who shut the door
behind him, before they both took a seat. Cyn sat in the rocker in the corner,
my mate on the foot of my bed. When neither of them spoke, I broke the
silence for them.
“Good meeting, I take it? I’m sure it must have been since you left me
to a scared servant girl and tall-dark-and-moody next door.” My snark was
only met with a brow raise from Riddick and a sigh from Cyn. Their refusal
to engage didn’t exactly bode well for whatever new bit of information they
were here to impart. I highly doubted they’d come by to hang out with the
half-breed. “Spit it out already. You’re stressing me out after I just got back
from a run.”
“We’ll get to the meeting, but first, let’s deal with your requests.” Two
boxes fell out on the bed as Riddick upended the bag between us. “We
weren’t able to get a new laptop on such short notice, that will have to be
ordered, but the pack has cell phones under a business account, easier to
deal with the humans that way with so many on the same plan, and they had
several on hand. The tablet Corbin brought with him. If it wasn’t wrapped
in cellophane, I’d be concerned it had been tampered with, but the seal is
intact.” He nudged them toward me, but I was hesitant to take them. “Do
you not want them?” he asked, confusion wrinkling his forehead.
“It’s not that I don’t want them, but I didn’t think you’d actually get
them. Though I guess you didn’t really, since I assume pack members
automatically get them, and we’re all going to be that soon enough, right?
Plus, the tablet is from Corbin.” At his careful nod, my shoulders slumped
in disappointment. It seemed to be a theme with him, and I had a feeling
being let down by my mate would continue to be a regular occurrence.
Material items weren’t necessary, but I wasn’t getting anything else from
him either, and my wolf was highly offended that he hadn’t made more of
an effort. Human me understood, not that it made it better. What added to
the hurt, though, was my foster father staying away. “Why didn’t Corbin
bring the tablet himself? He knows how much I’ve wanted one, and he
obviously made a special stop to get it.”
“Corbin’s arrival was the reason for the last-minute meeting. There are
directives from the council he has to relay and execute. Besides those
immediate tasks, he’s been traveling and will need a chance to settle in and
be briefed on his responsibilities here, the ones separate from his council
duties. So there’s no confusion, Corbin did know that you wanted a reading
tablet and took his first opportunity to procure it for you. As he didn’t want
you to wait on it, and he overheard me asking if there was somewhere
nearby that I could get one, he asked me to give it to you.” Exasperation
and impatience edged his tone, as if he’d rather I not ask questions, but
when I glanced in Cyn’s direction, he nodded, backing up Riddick’s
explanation. It was plausible, so I let it be, but there was another problem.
“I don’t know how to use any of this,” I said in a small voice. I’d seen
them used, but that was quite a bit different than doing it myself, and rather
than fumble around and embarrass or frustrate myself, it was better to admit
it upfront.
“The phone is already set up and ready to go. As for the tablet, you can
use my credit card until we get you your own…” He trailed off as I shook
my head, completely frustrated with his thickheadedness. Again with the
confusion—it was a perpetual state for the man since we’d met.
“I don’t know if you’re playing the inept jackass on purpose, or what,
but surely you wouldn’t be leading your merry band of ‘knights’ if that
were the case, so I can only come to the conclusion that you’re being cruel.
What part of ‘I don’t know how to use any of this’ was I not clear on?” It
was pure stubbornness that kept me from instantly apologizing when he
glared at me. Generally, I tried to remain unobtrusive and compliant, except
in the case of dealing with those my own age…like Malachi. I’d rarely
argued with those in any position of authority, but since our stars-cursed
mating, my mouth had gained a tendency to run off with itself. I’d well and
truly lost my filter. My emotions were running rampant. One minute, I was
timid and afraid. The next, I was full of fire and sass, and frankly, it was
exhausting.
“I thought you meant you needed help setting it up, not that you’d never
used one at all,” he bit out, shoving the boxes back into the bag. “I figured
that you must have had a friend or two that at least let you use one. I don’t
know a damn thing about you. We haven’t had time to do more than
superficially acquaint ourselves, and you’re so prickly, I can’t do anything
right!”
My anger fizzled out, leaving melancholy in its place. Voice low yet
calm in the face of his raised one, I reminded him of one simple fact. “Had
you bothered to use any of the time while we traveled here to get to know
me, you would already have your answers. Please, take them and go. The
idea of them was much better than the reality.” Before I could get to my
feet, my silent guardian interrupted.
“Did those assholes let you have anything normal?” Cyn griped, glaring
at me and blatantly ignoring my request for them to leave. I could almost
feel a sense of protectiveness coming from him through our bond. I didn’t
have the energy or interest in talking about my adoptive mother, or the
things she’d denied me. It also wasn't as if I'd had any friends besides the
librarian, and maybe the cook that kept blood to the side for me when she
could, but neither of them would have crossed Angela. I could only shrug
under his expectant gaze, no point in trying to explain motives I didn't
understand myself.
“What do you mean?” Riddick asked, turning his attention to me
without giving Cyn a chance to answer and, not to mention, completely
skipping over my earlier remarks. “Have you truly been cut off from
everything? I can understand, to a point, because they didn’t want to chance
anyone finding out about you, but surely you’ve watched television or
listened to a radio?”
“Yes, I was able to watch television and listen to music channels when
my foster parents weren’t home, and I even used the landline a few times,
but I preferred to read. And really, does it even matter? I hardly think that
my life before you showed up is of any interest to you, or you’d have made
an effort to find out sooner.” I was suddenly ashamed of how little I knew
of the world and its technologies, which had me feeling extremely
defensive as seemed to be my default in recent days. Truly, I was surprised I
hadn’t lit up yet. Though it could have been that neither of them were
threatening me, so much as they were annoyed on my behalf.
Yes, I had preferred to read for the majority of my free time, and I’d
learned quite a lot from that, but books couldn’t substitute the real thing. It
made me feel inadequate, and I refused to be seen as inferior or stupid
because I couldn’t run everyday gadgets.
Cyn pinched the bridge of his nose while simultaneously embarrassing
me in the next instant, so I guessed my feelings didn’t mean shit to him
after all. “I tried to tell you earlier. She’s never been allowed anything. Do
you not listen? You saw that shrew of a woman that raised her. Did you
really think she did anything but make your mate’s life miserable? Stars,
she almost threw up on me because she’d never had a chance to ride in a
vehicle, Riddick!”
I held my hand up to prevent them from continuing. “Can we not
discuss this right now? I can’t say that I care to be talked about, or around,
like I’m not even here. I’ve spent my life being invisible or ridiculed, and I
just can’t deal with it any more today.”
“Riddick…” Cyn’s tone was full of a warning I didn’t understand, but I
didn’t quite care to pursue that either.
With a sigh, Riddick stood and carried the bag to the dresser. Leaving it
on top, he turned and crossed his arms, staring at me with dark eyes full of
pity. “You can turn those on later if you’d like. One of us will help you with
them. I was hoping they could be a distraction, but I see that that won’t
work out today.” He paused and sent an apologetic glance at Cyn, who
shook his head, pinching his lips together as if he needed the physical
action to keep his words at bay. He stood there silent and stoic. “News of
your discovery has run through the packs like wildfire. Everyone is curious,
as well as generally skeptical. The elders have decided that you’ll make
your first semi-public appearance…at my mating ceremony to Rozlyn.”
My wolf tried to howl her displeasure, but it came out more a muffled
grunt when I held the sound trapped in my throat as I doubled over feeling
like I’d been kicked in my chest. Nausea twisted my stomach, and a
prickling chill ran across my skin, eliciting goosebumps in its wake, as I
tried to process the abject horror of the situation. I’d known, in theory, that
Riddick had plans to go through with the mating, the phone for pack
members was even more proof of that, but stupidly, I’d held out hope that
he’d find another way. To make me attend was plain cruel.
I took a few minutes, minutes that I spent under silent scrutiny, and I
knew they had to feel at least some of what I was, but they let me be.
Eventually, I straightened and managed to ask in a relatively normal tone,
“Does the pack know I’m your mate, too?”
Both men shook their heads while Riddick expanded on the answer.
“The alpha and luna do, as well as their daughter Rozlyn and those close to
them, but the pack as a whole has not been informed. You’ll be attending as
the Silverlight Heir, nothing more.”
“I see. I’d like to be alone now, please.” Retreating into myself, I stared
at a spot on the wall until Riddick nodded with a sigh and made to leave.
“I’m sorry, Stella. If I’d known you existed…” He didn’t finish the
thought before leaving, closing the door softly behind him.
Cyn stepped into my line of sight, though I didn’t let my eyes focus on
him even when he stooped down to try to catch my gaze. “For what it’s
worth, he absolutely doesn’t want to go through with the mating. He’s
trying to balance what your bond needs while holding himself away from
you as much as possible, so he, and his wolf, don’t get more attached than
they already are. I know it’s hard right now—”
An ugly noise of false mirth and derision stopped him mid-platitude. He
had my attention now, but probably not in the manner he thought he’d get
it. “Do you honestly think I’d be happy to hear you insinuate that if he
didn’t push me away, he wouldn’t go through with it? Is that not cruel?”
The pity on his face didn’t endear him to me at all. “Wouldn’t it be more
cruel to allow you to believe he only wants you for his own gain? If he
could let you go, he would.”
 I hadn't thought I could hurt more than I already did. “You deny that he
only wants to use me, yet you say he can't let me go either. Which is it,
Cynfell Blackfang? I find it ironic that we're with your pack, where my only
value is as the Silverlight Heir, the perks that come with that status, and
where my mere presence dictates you'll stay with your fellow knights.
Seems to me you have quite a bit to gain from Riddick mating into your
family.”
His golden complexion flushed red with his rising ire, but I wasn’t
about to back down. I kept my accusing glare firmly in place.
“I am your guardian, Stella, and could I not feel your pain and distrust, I
would consider breaking our bond for such allegations. I’m doing my best
to have patience since you're young and the situation is unpleasant at best,
but you may as well deliver yourself to the council’s citadel if you plan to
alienate all of us.”
“Do not let him break your bond! The others would follow suit. Trust
me, you do not want to be without your guardians—or your mate.”
"Why? What do you know? I don't understand!" But there was no
answer forthcoming, only a brush of comfort and affection before it settled
back down. I almost thought it was in some sort of hibernation, but it was
too alert for that. Maybe it was conserving its strength and didn't want to
tell me something was wrong? The notion didn't bear thinking about, I
didn't know what I would do without my lifelong companion.
Fear cycled through me, paired with a maelstrom of other negative
emotions, paralyzing my body until I gave in and let it all out. Once the
tears started, they didn't stop, and somehow, I found myself clinging to
Cyn's broad chest. I was sitting sideways across his legs, one of his arms
holding me to him while the other rubbed circles on my back in an effort to
calm me.
And then I cried harder when my fangs dropped, hunger beating at me
again when I caught his scent. Something is wrong with me. There was no
reassurance from the entity that resided in me, and I couldn't bring myself
to admit my suspicion aloud, not that I had a chance of getting my sobbing
under control anytime soon. The best I could hope for was to fall asleep and
escape my miserable existence, at least for a short while.

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Riddick

S tella’s hunger and heartbreak beat at me as I stood on the other side of

her door, unable to make myself leave while my packmate comforted
her. It should be me with her instead. ‘You’re being cruel.’
Her words echoed in my head as her sobbing cries filtered through the
door, further distracting me from my duties. Concentrating on anything but
the need to soothe her hurt, and the instinct to seal our mating was getting
harder by the day. I wasn’t even sure if I would be able to go through with
the ceremony with Rozlyn, or if my wolf would revolt and go feral. The
more I came around Stella, the harder it became to see the bigger picture
and subdue my very nature. So far, the human side of me had prevailed…
the practical, rational side, anyhow. The side that was ecstatic to find my
mate was firmly locked down to avoid letting my feelings derail years of
careful planning.
“Don’t shame my daughter, Riddick. The time for second thoughts was
well before now.” Esta’s voice was low, yet firm with warning. I’d sensed
her approach, using the time to compose myself. Either I’d failed miserably,
or the luna’s perception was far greater than most.
Shoving down the urge to snap at her, I again smoothed my features into
the familiar stoic lines I’d perfected over the years in the service of the
elders and straightened to my full height. “I’m distinctly aware of the
situation, Esta. If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be out here while my mate sobs her
eyes out on your brother.”
“That’s my point right there! The ceremony with Rozlyn is fast
approaching, and you’re bandying it around that you already have a mate.
Maybe—”
The dominance I let eke out cut her off quicker than the slash of my
hand through the air, but the nearly imperceptible submissive tilt to her head
kept harsher words from my lips. “What would you have me do? She is my
mate, and the manor staff is well aware of it. We’re in the family wing
where we should expect a modicum of privacy, are we not? The
announcement will go out soon enough, anyway, after the mating ceremony
to Rozlyn. If the Vae even suspects that she hasn’t been locked down yet,
we’ll have a vampire invasion looming over our heads as well as the—” It
was my turn to shut the hell up. It was one thing to speak of my mating
situation in the halls, but another entirely to jeopardize the pack by voicing
anything against the council or inciting fear of the Vae coming after the new
Heir. Especially after the events with Mariana.
“As I was going to say, maybe, the girl should be sequestered in a more
private and defensible location. At least until the Vae makes his move and
you and Rozlyn have had a chance to settle into your mating. I sympathize
to a point because you and Stella have a true mating and it’s difficult to go
against it, but with her underfoot and available at a moment’s notice…”
Esta shrugged as if she were too delicate to continue the prettily worded
demand that I put Stella aside. Intuition told me that she didn’t have her
mate’s approval to meddle, so he likely didn’t know a thing about her
interference, though he soon would if she attempted to press the issue.
“Stars, Esta,” I snapped before lowering my voice so that even I could
barely hear myself. “You know nothing of the toll a mate dictated by the
fates takes on a person. She suffers as much as I do, if not more. She’s
never had any sense of pack, she’s been relocated, essentially rejected by
the one person that should never do so, and has new abilities you cannot
understand that she’s supposed to figure out when she hasn't the barest
knowledge of the how the world works, and you want to, what, cloister her
like this is the Middle Ages? Not to mention you’re stating that this wing
isn’t secure enough. Or should I say you don’t want to tempt the Vae into
coming into your home—where your child resides, who could become a
casualty in this never-ending conflict over the Heir?”
Immediately, Esta went on the defensive. “It was only a suggestion.
Take it or leave it, but you should understand what it’s going to do to both
of them to reside so close together. You cannot go from one to the other,
Riddick. You’ll have to make a choice.”
“Again, what are you suggesting I do?” I wanted her to spell it out
because although I’d considered that it might be the more humane option,
the very thought brought my wolf to the forefront where I struggled to keep
him at bay.
Determined to advocate for her daughter, the luna swallowed hard and
said her piece, nearly tripping over her words in her haste. “After the
ceremony with Rozlyn, finish mating the girl and relocate her with her
guardians to watch over her until you’ve established your relationship with
Rozlyn.” The woman finally realized she was digging her own hole as I felt
my fangs lengthen in my mouth. She shook her head but gave a last
warning before changing the subject to what she had likely been sent here
for in the first place. “Mark my words, Riddick, the set-up you have now is
going to cause you issues later on, and I won’t stand idly by while you
discard my child as a political pawn. I’ll let the matter rest for now because
there’s been news. Rumors have been proven true; the Vae is distracted with
his own troubles. The meeting will commence shortly for the scouts to be
debriefed on what they know.”
A short nod was the only civil response I could manage as I watched,
along with my wolf, albeit with a tight leash on him, as Esta turned on her
heel to disappear back the way she had come, no doubt headed to join her
alpha at the meeting. I took a few more moments to rally my composure
once again, but it was a moment too long. Stella’s door cracked open, just
far enough to reveal the woman sleeping on her bed and one pissed off man
glaring out at me.
“Despite what my sister said, there’s still time to call all of this off.”
“You know I can’t.” He did know, but he shook his head at me anyway.
“You’re hurting her. If you put her in isolation, only to throw her over
for my niece, prepare to feel the backlash from it. I don’t know how you’re
still standing on two feet unless you’re somehow blocking her. The rest of
us aren’t her mates, yet we can all feel it to varying degrees.”
“I’m aware, Cyn, but I don’t see any other course to take. I have to
block her as much as possible for my own sanity. As for my wolf, he’s not
far from going feral if I don’t keep at least some contact with her, which
only makes my duty that much more unpalatable.” I shrugged, at a loss for
anything else to say. For one, I didn’t want to chance waking Stella. For
two, who knew who else was listening in, either in spite of or despite my
earlier barbs directed at Esta about the security of her pack.
With a sigh, Cyn’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “I’ll speak with the
others about taking some of the burden from you and Stella. Maybe if we’re
actively working with her, it will help to give her a sense of pack, one that
she sorely needs regardless of the reason. Everyone else should be fine with
it, but I’m sure Vance is going to be thrilled with the arrangement, so
prepare to get an earful from him. Though I’m not so sure he holds as much
animosity for the girl with the way he’s been following her around.”
I couldn’t stop the growl that trickled from my lips. So much for my
control. “He’s not planning to hurt her or…?” With the way my wolf was
riding me, I couldn’t voice my concern unless I wanted to shift right there
in the hall like some out-of-control pup. My feelings on the subject of my
fellow alpha touching my mate in violence or desire must have been strong
enough to push through the bond, since Stella's brow creased in a faint
whimper. I feared I was losing my hold on the block I’d painstakingly
erected. Or you’re an idiot male and she’s having nightmares after crying
herself to sleep. Whatever the reason, I tipped my head at Cyn and started
to back away.
“I don’t know what his intentions are other than I know he wouldn’t
harm her, but if he helps her, I won’t stand in his way. I’d suggest not
neglecting your bond to the point it might become a problem, at least not
until you’ve gone through with mating my niece. Once broken, I don’t
imagine it can be repaired, and I don’t know what would happen to the both
of you.” Cyn, usually not so hostile, especially to me, seemed to have
firmly become what he’d been intended to all along—Stella’s guardian.
And damn anyone else, me included, that hurt or upset her.
Feeling as if I was suddenly on the outside looking in, I gave him a nod,
wrapped my duty around me like a shield, and headed for the debriefing
before I had to manufacture an excuse for my tardiness, all the while
racking my brain to figure out how to strengthen the bond while refraining
from anything else with Stella. Turned out, Stella herself, or her wolf rather,
fixed one issue for me. Unless I developed a taste for that sort of thing.

Stella

A tover.
some point during my breakdown, I fell asleep, and my wolf took
I spent the majority of the following week stuck on four legs,
running through the forest with my dark protector shadowing me or curled
up on my bed, ignoring the revolving door of men. Riddick, along with the
rest of my guardians, had decided to take turns coming to my room to try to
get me to shift back…or to make sure I didn't go the route my mother had. I
wasn't sure who had which agenda, or maybe they were all a mix of the
two, but it did give me an opportunity to get to know them, when I felt like
paying attention anyway.
The visits also had the added benefit of strengthening the bonds like
Riddick had wanted in the first place. As far as my wolf was concerned
though, our mate was a chew toy. He narrowly missed getting a chunk taken
out of him several times until he got the gist that he’d get snapped at if he
came within reach. My guardians were wary until they realized they could
touch me without repercussion, albeit only in their shifted forms, and sans
Vance, who didn’t bother to try. He only popped up to check on me
occasionally, and of course stalk me, if I so much as thought about wanting
to go outside. Thankfully, the door latches were easily maneuvered with
paws, and I hadn’t encountered a locked one yet, so I could come and go as
I pleased for the most part.
Today was Cassius’ turn. The blond giant of a man with the bluest of
eyes came in with a smile and started shucking his clothing without a care
while I turned to avoid his brief nudity. I had to admit that next to Cyn, and
my grudgingly growing attachment to Vance, he was my favorite. He didn’t
try to placate or cajole me into doing anything at all. He would just come in
and ask the same question before shifting to join me where we would nap or
talk through our bond. Had the feeling of ‘pack’ not been a welcome
novelty, they’d likely have received the same treatment as Riddick, but my
wolf, and I, craved what we’d never had—family. I was fond of Corbin, but
it wasn’t the same at all, besides the fact that I was annoyed with him for
stopping by only to tell me I needed to shift back and accept my duties.
That he’d obviously been full of guilt while making the demand hadn’t
escaped me, but he’d still done it.
I was about to brave seeing Cass’ bare ass to find out what was taking
so long when he finally asked a variation of his usual question. “Are you
planning to change today?” A huff from me was enough of an answer for
him, so a moment later, the mattress dipped beneath the bulk of his wolf.
“I’m not pushing you, glow bug, but soon, we won’t be able to cover for
you. The elders will call us back—”
“I’m tired today, Cass.” He didn’t get angry that I’d cut him off, yet I
could feel his resignation through the bond. It felt aimed more at the
situation, or possibly the elders, than it did me directly, but I really was
tired, so I didn’t pursue it. My hunger had been growing the longer I stayed
in my wolf form despite the small woodland creatures I consumed on my
runs, and my guardians were starting to notice, as evidenced by his concern.
“I’ll talk to Riddick so you can feed from one of us. The animals you
hunt aren’t enough.”
Sending him the equivalent of a shrug through the bond, I closed my
eyes to rest. I wasn’t sure they could even help me at this point. My
exhaustion didn’t stem only from craving stronger blood than I was getting,
but also that my lifelong companion barely stirred from its place inside me
anymore, was also draining me. A sensation much like the inside of my
head being petted came in response to the concern that I wouldn’t share
aloud.
“I’m still here, little star. The wolf is right. You need to feed, and on
powerful blood.” A mental head shake was my reply. I didn’t want to be
more beholden to them than I already was. Frankly, I wished I didn’t exist,
my life was only one pain after another, but until my body gave up on me, I
was stuck. I couldn’t do what my mother had, but I could let nature take its
course. “She did it to protect you.”
“I know.” When I didn’t elaborate, it dropped the subject, and when its
voice came next, it was weaker than before.
“I don’t have enough energy to share. I must conserve what I have. I
can only observe and guide you. Now, pay attention.”
 My companion pulled away, and I thought it had gone dormant again,
but as soon as I started to drift, a nudge started at my consciousness, one
that pushed me into the silvery thread of the mate bond. Riddick didn’t
seem to notice I was there, and my instinct was confirmed when a phantom
touch led me to feel what I could only describe as a bubble around me
before the touch disappeared. I could see through his eyes, hear him speak
as if it were me, but also not. It was the strangest sensation, but one that I
was quickly distracted from by the subject matter.
“Why can’t she feed from me? I’m her guardian, it’s my duty to see to
her safety and welfare.” Roman stood toe-to-toe with Riddick, close enough
that I could see the slight change around his pupils housed in vivid golden
rings. Whether it was his wolf riding him, or that they always had that
shape, I didn’t know, but with his current ire, I imagined it was a bit of both.
“You cannot pretend to be so ignorant, Roman. We’re both aware that
you are the worst choice to offer a vein up.” Riddick’s retort almost felt as if
it were coming from my own lips, save the bubble shield between us.
Roman jerked a hand through his sooty locks, leaving them a spiky,
disheveled mess, with a growl of frustration rumbling in his throat. “You
can’t pretend that I won’t eventually seek it out. Why not take care of both
issues within our bond? Unless you have another reason to protest?”
Anger oozed through Riddick like poison from a festering wound. That
was exactly his problem; his jealousy and his wolf’s chanting demands to
‘claim’ me bore down on him until I expected him to explode. I was itching
to climb out of my non-existent skin, but the man just stood there, still as a
statue, until he forced almost every bit of it back down to wherever he
locked his emotions up. Something that surely gave him heartburn, or
indigestion at the very least.
“I’m very aware of your reaction to being fed on, Roman.
Unfortunately, I was quite able to feel my mate’s desire at the ceremony. I
can’t allow it, not until I wear her mark and finish the claiming. For now,
we need to concentrate on what has the Vae so distracted. If the scout is to
be believed, the Vae’s second has been struck with an affliction that has
necessitated he be restrained to his quarters. Without his second, the blood
sucker doesn’t dare leave his citadel and divide his resources.”
“Remember this, little star.”
“Remember which part? The claiming or my sire’s second?”
 “Both.” The one-word reply was the only answer I got as I sensed my
companion return to its dormant state. Trying to decipher what the warning
meant, if it were even a warning, I registered the pissed off growl from the
man in front of me/Riddick.
A sneer twisting his full lips, Roman turned to leave what must have
been Riddick’s quarters. “Always the never ending war between wolves and
vampires with you. You can’t even pull the stick from your ass long enough
to help your mate. Deal with the consequences of your jealousy then,
Riddick when she loses control. Maybe she’ll latch onto your betrothed or
future in-laws and end this charade.”
Making heads or tails out of my mate’s emotions was suddenly an
impossible task, and I was certain I had missed something important at
some point, but an almost draining sensation took root in my chest. The
instant lethargy caused me to fade away from the man, and my
consciousness settled back into my four-legged body only to pass out a
moment later.

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Stella

“C ome on, we’re going out for some exercise. You’ve barely moved
from that bed all day, and it’s starting to stink like dog,” Cyn said,
earning a narrow-eyed stare from me. I ignored the fact that he might have
had a point since I still hadn’t shifted back yet. It wasn’t like I was about to
tell him I’d nearly made myself comatose after ending up in Riddick’s head
—if it had even been more than some weird dream my subconsciousness
had cooked up.
Dragging my tired body off the bed and to the door, I sat and waited
patiently for Cyn to lead the way. “Are you coming? You’re the one that
wanted me to get up.” I was less than amused with whatever game he was
playing. We both knew I could open the door just fine, but I wasn’t about to
waste any more of the little energy I had when all I wanted to do was climb
back into bed.
“What has you so grumpy, little one?” he asked as he reached out to
unlatch the door.
 I managed to hide the flinch his term of endearment triggered, turning it
into the equivalent of a shrug in my canine form. The reminder that Corbin
had all but abandoned me was still a fresh wound on top of everything else.
Really, what wasn’t there to be upset over? But I didn’t communicate that
either. Instead, I prepared myself to hurry and catch something to eat so I
could return that much sooner.
Cyn sighed and ducked back into my room to change, quickly catching
up to me as I navigated the manor’s halls.
Once out of doors, my wolf perked up enough to mostly take over. I let
her run on instinct while I contented myself as a hidden passenger, deep in
the mind of the predator that hunted the lush forest. It was a danger Cyn had
already warned me about, but I didn’t care. Ending up feral, living out my
days without the hurt and hopelessness I had to deal with in my two-legged
form, didn’t sound like such a bad idea.
We hadn’t been wandering for long when I was rudely jolted back to the
forefront of my consciousness by a body slamming into me, rolling us
across the pine-needle-strewn ground. I didn’t recognize the wolf, with her
gold-tinged auburn pelt and form slightly larger than mine, but she carried
my mate’s scent, faint as it was, which triggered a blinding urge to rip her
throat out. The ruff around her neck was between my jaws as I shook her
like a ragdoll until the shock of my actions, or rather my wolf’s, penetrated
my mind enough to regain control of my instincts. I released her before my
teeth could worry through the thick fur to pierce her jugular and cause me
more problems than I already had.
Instantly, I shifted, disoriented from not changing form in so long, and
grounded myself by cataloging the scent of crushed saplings covering my
skin and the feel of the leaves in my hair. It was a good thing too, for my
wolf wasn’t the only one outraged. I wasn’t worried about a second attack,
not from her anyway, since my light kept me well protected. It was the
battle against the savage need to sink my fangs into the bitch and drain her
dry that concerned me most.
I had a good idea of who stood before me, holding a hand to her neck
while glaring at me from behind a long, messy curtain of auburn hair. It hid
much of her golden skin, a family trait I was beginning to hate, but it wasn’t
fully successful at keeping her modesty intact. Though I doubted she had
any, most didn’t.
 “You little bitch,” she growled at me. Her eyes flashed to wolf and back
again, yet she kept her distance from my dark-edged light, not daring to
brave a burn. “I’ll have you banished from this pack and sent to the elders’
Citadel where you belong.”
Disbelief coursed through me, helping to dispel some of my murderous
rage. The young woman couldn’t be much older than me, if she was my age
at all. And who the hell was she to talk down to me when she was
technically stealing my mate? Which I assumed she’d just found out about
since she’d decided to seek me out and attempt to get rid of me.
“I think you need to toddle off back to your parents before I decide
you’re better off as a snack-pack and this arranged mating can go fuck
itself. You attacked me, you bratty little shrew.” My voice, raspy from
disuse, gained strength as I tore into her with words instead of teeth. “Don’t
act like you’re hurt either. We both know you’re not, and it’s the least you
would deserve for letting your jealousy override any sense that might be in
that spoiled head of yours.”
I’d barely finished dressing her down when the sound of fast
approaching others divided my attention further. At least it had the effect of
tamping down the simmering rage I was keeping in check. As did the pair
of bare behinds that appeared directly in front of me. They made a wall of
living flesh, blocking me from the two snarling wolves doing the same in
front of the girl. Her guards, I presumed. Too bad they hadn’t kept better
track of her to begin with.
“Rozlyn, go back to the manor,” Cyn said. He didn’t raise his voice, but
there was a clear warning in his tone.
The wolves changed to men, though I could only see parts of them
around Cyn and Vance. I ignored everything else as I forced my fangs back
in shame. The silvery scars that littered the expanse of Vance’s flesh told a
story I couldn’t ignore. One I couldn’t resist trying to touch. Neither male
had seemed a bit concerned when they breached the bubble of my light, nor
had it tried to hurt them, but at the barest touch on an unmarred spot of his
back, Vance flinched and swiftly changed back into the beast who spent his
time stalking me.
Something akin to a steel door blocked his end of the bond, but I sent
my regret and apology through to him anyway. A faint chuff from the throat
of the wolf reached my ears before his weight pressed against me as he
rubbed his thick coat against my bare legs. A moment later, he was gone,
advancing on the men who protected their future luna while she argued with
Cyn.
“You’re my uncle! You should be taking my side,” the girl hissed, her
nose flared in disgust, yet Cyn wasn’t tolerating her antics.
Ignoring her altogether, he addressed the guards instead. They eyed
Vance with trepidation, their wolves shining through in warning, but they
didn’t try to challenge his authority. “Take her to her parents before she
brings the whole council down on the pack for threatening the Heir.”
The guards hesitated, looking at each other like neither of them wanted
to deal with the girl’s fit, until Vance growled, then they firmly gripped her
upper arms to escort her as commanded. She immediately jerked free from
their grasp and dropped as she changed, running off ahead of them, much to
their exasperation. Both nodded in our direction before shifting to chase her
down.
As soon as they were out of sight, my nakedness came to the forefront
of my mind, as did Cyn’s. I did my best to keep my eyes from wandering
while trying to surreptitiously cover my boobs with my bedraggled hair.
“I apologize for my niece, Stella, she shouldn’t have acted like that. Are
you okay? She hit you pretty hard.” He reached a hand out, but I shied
away, uncomfortable in my own skin after being a wolf for so long, but
also, the whole naked thing.
“I’m fine. Pissed, but fine. If you don’t mind, I need to finish my hunt.”
Really, I was more than pissed, I was hurt too, but I was certain he could
tell that through the bond even though I tried to keep it from seeping
through. I just really wanted to sink back into my wolf and stay there.
Holding his hand up, he forestalled my change. “I need to speak to my
sister about Rozlyn, but I’d prefer you returned to your room and fed from
me first.” My shock must have been written all over my face because he
explained further. “Riddick has agreed that you can feed from me to see if it
helps your energy. I’d prefer to do it without an audience, and I’m certain
there will be one lurking soon. Besides, Vance needs some time to run
himself. He tends to avoid being unclothed unless it’s around us—he
doesn’t like to have his scars gawked at.” I took the ‘us’ to mean him and
the other alpha knights and tried to hide my hurt. It wasn’t like I was
included anyhow, just a nuisance that had her perks.
Wrapping my dignity around me as best I could, I declined his offer.
“And I’d prefer not to feed from you. If my mate cannot bring himself to
provide for me and feels the need to delegate the task, then I simply will go
without.” As I stepped back, I couldn’t help but add, “I’d rather not be
mated at all than suffer through whatever farce this is.”
Whatever he might have said was lost as I changed and sprinted away
from him. I locked the bonds down hard enough that I felt a jolt of alarm
from Riddick before the connection was muted and stretched as thin as
could be. It wasn’t long before I caught glimpses of my shadow guard, but I
continued to run until I was too exhausted to go further. At that point, I
found a spot on the forest floor and went to sleep without any intention of
going back to the manor or returning to my human form.

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Stella

I was in Cyn’s mind. There hadn’t been any type of push, and my
companion was still quiet, but I’d managed to get there somehow. I could
only chalk it up to an evolution of my abilities and self-preservation, for I
most assuredly wouldn’t have been privy to the conversation without
hitchhiking.
“She threatened to eat my daughter. I want her gone, Riddick!” The
hysterical demand came from Rozlyn’s mother. With her behavior, it was
more apparent why she wasn’t the pack leader despite it being her birthright
after Cyn left. Not that Larimer had been any better behaved, but there
hadn’t been another option after what he’d done.
“If she leaves, we all go with her, Esta. If you’d like to formally break
the betrothal, then so be it.” The strange sensation of words coming from
my lips, yet not, nearly jolted me out of Cyn, but I pushed back against the
sucking sensation I assumed would take me back to my body.
“Do you speak for Riddick now, Cynfell?” Antony, the pack alpha
asked. It wasn’t said unkindly, but the warmth that had been in his blue eyes
the couple of times I’d seen him was decidedly chilled.
“He doesn’t, but I’m of the same opinion. Stella is my mate whether it
pleases anyone or not. There isn’t anything I can do, short of breaking the
bond and rejecting our mating. Who knows what would happen to either of
us if we attempted it. I, for one, don’t plan to find out, so make your
decision. We all stay, or we all leave.”
I felt decidedly violent toward Riddick as he spoke of me in such a way.
Had I known a way to control Cyn’s body, I’d likely have smacked the man.
Interestingly, I could feel some of Cyn’s outrage as well. Whether it was at
his brother-in-law or Riddick was a toss-up, but I imagined it was a bit of
both.
Of course, Esta couldn’t keep her trap shut, a trait her daughter had
apparently inherited. “I still say the girl has to be punished. She cannot
threaten the future luna of our pack and not be held responsible. It will
invite unnecessary challenges.” I had to roll my eyes at that one. If Rozlyn
wasn’t in charge, which she wouldn’t be as a beta mated to an alpha that
was destined to take over, there wouldn't be a need for anyone to challenge
her.
Riddick sighed wearily before responding. “Rozlyn attacked Stella, not
the other way around. Stella only defended herself and exercised an
unheard of amount of restraint. Had Rozlyn suffered permanent injury or
even death, Stella wouldn’t be held accountable. Besides, Stella’s position
in our mating is precarious. With the elders demanding confirmation of our
sealing of the mating, it might be best if that was handled before the
ceremony with Rozlyn.”
My control wavered from the lodestone that slammed into my gut at
him blithely discussing fucking me before taking his next mate. The slip-up
piqued Cyn’s suspicions, who poked at our thread, but the next statement
from Antony, and Riddick’s subsequent agreement, was enough to hurl me
back into my body.
“This conflict needs to be put to rest before it affects the rest of the
pack. If Stella is to stay, the ceremony with Rozlyn will be moved up. You
have five days to prepare the girl and finish the mating.” The smirk on
Esta’s face was the last thing I registered before I came to.
My wolf was feral when I jolted back to awareness. She didn’t
understand anything but the need to hurt as she hurt, as we hurt. And Vance,
standing over me in wolf form, trying to wake me I fleetingly thought, bore
the brunt of my attack.
I likely wouldn't have been able to do much had I not taken him
unaware, but apparently he’d stopped being wary of me at some point.
“Stella, stop,” he commanded, reaching through the frenzy of my wolf
to speak to the woman inside. The idiot didn’t even attempt to defend
himself.
I’d lost all control of her, though, and as a last-ditch effort to avoid
seriously injuring him, I forced the change. Then I promptly collapsed in
response to the bone-breaking agony the shift resulted in. My body hurt,
and I was so hungry, I’d have taken a bite out of Vance if his thick fur
hadn’t provided a daunting deterrent.
He immediately flipped over, knocking me off him, and shook his fur
out in annoyance. There was no way I was capable of chasing him down at
the moment anyway. I was too tired. It was only my second time traveling,
or whatever it was, and the energy suck had been the same both times along
with the whole loss of control thing after. I prodded at my wolf, who was
licking her own wounds. She wasn’t happy, but neither was I, and I didn’t
see that changing anytime soon.
Temporarily ignoring that I was nude, I tried to apologize to Vance, but
I only got a mental grunt in return. When he turned and took off, I’d have
shifted and done the same—had I been able to do more than lie curled in a
heap on the prickly forest floor.
I gave up. I was going to stay where I was until I could muster the
energy to get on two feet or four, whichever came first, and then I was
going to start walking in any direction that didn’t include asshole wolves.
I’d been abandoned by my guard, essentially the same by Corbin, and of
course by Riddick, while my life-long companion was doing something
akin to hibernating.
I didn’t get more than a few minutes into my plan before I sensed
someone’s rapid approach from behind. They were nearly on me when my
bonds let on that it was one of my guardians. It was a relief to drop the
weak glow surrounding me, the only defense I could muster.
Expecting a blanket, or even my clothing, I didn’t expect for Roman to
shove his bleeding wrist in my face.
“Feed, Stella, you cannot be this weak,” he commanded and chastised
all at once, but his order was moot. I latched on before the last word made it
past his lips.
Slipping down to the forest floor, Roman cradled my back to his front
without disturbing the grip my hands and mouth had on his arm. I must
have blacked out for a moment as his blood sent my mind spiraling and
healed aches and pains I’d only vaguely been aware of.
When I came back to myself, the thought that I’d nearly been human-
weak hit me hard, as did the moans coming from the still man behind me.
Despite my disorientation, I forced myself to let go of his wrist and turned
in his limp embrace, worried I'd taken too much.
“Stars, I’m so sorry,” I apologized when I saw the state he was in. His
normally pale complexion was more so than usual, with slashes of color
riding high on his cheeks and the peek of golden eyes fever-bright behind
their half-mast lids. Panic nearly had me yelling for help, but the threat of
the council stood stark in my mind. Who might overhear and tell tales?
Instead, I did what I’d promised I wouldn’t and intruded on Vance. “I hurt
Roman. Please help him!”
I immediately backed out and chanced pushing into the thread I shared
with the injured, only to find that he was blissed out without a care in the
world—well, besides the part where he imagined returning the favor.
Except in his fantasy he was sinking something else into me other than
fangs.
Blushing from the hazy picture I’d gotten from him, I closed down my
end of the bond as much as I dared so I didn’t injure him further. It
appeared blood loss was his only issue besides being a horny male, and
those weren’t anything I could fix for him.
“What the hell did you do?” Vance grumped, dropping down next to
me. Fully clothed, he shoved a bundle of my own at me. “I left you for ten
minutes, and this is the shit I return to.”
Shaking from a mix of upset and the residual effects of feeding from
Roman’s potent blood, I pulled my clothes on while trying to explain. “I
don’t know what happened. I thought you left me, then Roman was there,
making me feed. After that, I lost some time, and when I recovered, he was
like this.” I didn’t mention that I’d overstepped with Roman as I had with
Vance. The hard-assed guardian hadn’t brought it up, so I hoped he’d let it
go as an emergency situation. I certainly wasn’t going to address it.
Mumbling to himself more than speaking to me, Vance examined his
fellow guardian. “Fucker is high as a kite. We’re not telling anyone else
about this. You shouldn’t have been able to do this.” Without a clue as to
what ‘this’ was, I hovered impatiently and tried not to wring my hands like
some damsel in distress even though that was exactly what I was.
“You grow as I grow, little star. You will become what they crave, what
they need, as I do and will for you.”
“Sure, now you speak up. Your meaning is clear as mud like that
blockhead of a wolf is spouting.” I was angry that my companion hadn’t
helped me refrain from hurting Roman. The man had been nothing but nice
to me. He'd even fed me, twice now, despite Riddick forbidding it and
refusing to do so himself. Roman had flaunted Riddick’s edict, and this was
the thanks he got.
“Tell the angry one that you aren’t unaffected, that you created a
loop.” It gave its choppy advice and curled back up to once again shut me
out. Left with no other choice, I relayed the information to Vance, who was
done with his examination and in the process of slinging Roman over his
shoulder.
“Uh, my friend said to tell you—” He cut his eyes toward me, daring
me to say another word, and all but beat on the connection between us.
Hesitantly, I opened my end and fed him the cryptic remarks.
Some sense of understanding came through the bond as well as
resignation. I didn’t understand and conveyed my frustration.
“Would you mind sharing? I hurt him.” I hated that even my mental
voice trembled with emotion, but linked as we were, there was no hiding
how I felt.
“It’s not my place to tell his story, but I sent Roman to you because I
knew he would take any chance to let you feed from him again. Paired with
the information you gave me, my theory is that you’ve developed venom
much like he’s addicted to, and in turn, you consumed tainted blood.
Imagine an opium den, but the vampire is the drug as well as the victim. He
didn’t react this way when you fed on him in the chapel, so I thought it
would be safe enough. It would have kept him from seeking it out and you
from withering away. We need to get him to his room so he can eat when
your venom wears off.” Vance didn’t lay the blame on me, but he didn’t
have to, really. We were both at fault.
Horrified at my inadvertent role in Roman’s state, I nodded and started
the trek back, keeping to the forest as long as I could to keep out of sight
while I tried to come to terms with the situation. I’d had an inkling that
Roman liked to be bitten a little too much, but I hadn’t understood it was an
addiction. I had no idea what to do with that because those things were out
of my realm of experience—much like most everything else had been since
Riddick barged into my life.
We managed to make it to Roman’s room without encountering too
many people, and those that we did come across had the good sense to mind
their own business. The others must have been occupied with their plans for
Riddick or doing who knew what. Whatever the case, we were able to get
Roman into bed, and the instant his back hit the bedspread, I hightailed it
for my own room. I had to figure out what my options were before I was
forced to watch my mate take another. Leaving might not be possible if I
couldn’t sustain myself without them.

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Stella

A perfunctory knock came before Riddick opened my bedroom door. I’d

cleaned up but hadn’t had time for much else, so I stood there in front
of the wardrobe, clad only in a long T-shirt and panties while I hunted for
the softer leggings I preferred. None of it had kept my mind off of the day’s
events, but it had at least given me something to do with some semblance of
normalcy. I couldn’t deny the nerves that spiked through me and into the
bond as my gaze connected with that of my mate’s. His bright blue eyes left
mine, trailing down my body, inducing an unfamiliar line of heat that
marked his path all the way down to my feet before traveling back up to my
face. Whatever he saw there broke the spell, and he shook his head, clearing
his throat as he stepped over the threshold.
After closing the door behind him, he failed to move or speak,
indecision written all over his face while he stared at a point over my
shoulder. If he couldn’t bother to look at me, I didn’t want him in my space.
My irritation about his avoidance came out as I snapped at him. “What do
you want now, Riddick? Did you come running when you heard I’d shifted
back?”
Guilt radiated down our thread until he abruptly slammed his end shut.
A headache immediately blooming in response to the unnecessary
roughness of it. I held in the wince out of sheer stubbornness until my rapid
healing took care of the pain, then I made sure my own connections were
well guarded so as not to leak anything any of them could use against me.
Had I not fed from Roman, I knew the healing would have taken longer,
and I wasn’t sure I could have stopped anything from leaking into the bond.
It was something I kept in mind while I tried not to think about what I’d do
when I was hungry and weak again.
“It would appear so, wouldn’t it?” he muttered, self-deprecation heavy
in his tone. I only raised a brow, cocking my hip to rest my hand on it as I
waited him out. His jaw clenched tight enough I expected to hear his teeth
creak and crack before he deigned to grit out what I already knew. “The
date of the ceremony has been moved up. I don’t know how to make any of
it more palatable and can only offer my heartfelt regret that you, that we,
can’t have the mating we deserve. If you’d be amenable, I’d like to seal our
bond before I have to…” He shrugged helplessly, but he didn’t have to say
it. We both knew what he meant, though I didn’t let him off so easily.
“Before you have to, what? Do your duty and take a second mate like
your brother? Will I be expected to watch you fuck her too, or will I be
expected to wait in my rooms like a good little mate for you to give me
your attentions?” I nearly slapped my hand over my mouth at my waspish
tone, not quite sure that I hadn’t been possessed and that the words had
actually come from me. But my companion was silent, nestled in its hidey-
hole, so it only left me. Riddick didn’t give me long to suss out where my
backbone had come from.
“Do not compare me to my brother. This is not the same situation
whatsoever. I’m only doing what is needed to protect all of us. Have you
not considered that you’re not the only one who’s affected? You do realize
that the woman is my friend’s niece, that she knows she’s only making a
political match and has no hope to expect more than that entails, do you
not?”
No way is he sticking up for her!
Narrowing my eyes at the insufferable man, I let him know exactly how
I felt about his martyr ways and the harpy he intended to mate. “It would be
simpler, don’t you think, to dissolve the betrothal? Save everyone the
heartache you’re orchestrating by falling on your own sword in pursuit of
what? Your duty? Seriously, Riddick, you’re standing here defending her
while expecting me to consummate our mating? The girl is a spoiled brat,
and she’s lucky I exercised enough restraint not to rip her throat out when
she came after me.”
Flags of anger appeared on his carved cheekbones, but he held his
temper and kept his voice at an even tone. I’d have preferred he yelled
instead. “This arguing is getting us nowhere. I came to make amends for
driving you to remain in your wolf form for so long and hoped to seal our
mating to alleviate the unrest in our bond.” My eyes widened at his blatant
lies, but he mistook the reasoning and thought he’d gained traction with the
story he’d fabricated. He stepped toward me, relief softening his features
and trickling through our connection. The man was sorely mistaken if he
thought I was that easy.
Quickly, I held my hand up to stop him. “Don’t even think about
touching me unless you want to find out if you’ll burn or not.”
It was his turn to be surprised, but he recovered fast enough to switch
gears. It was smooth, so smooth he had to be well practiced, something I
made a mental note to watch out for. I didn’t appreciate being manipulated.
“Fine, we can table our mating for the moment, but we need to speak
about the altercation with Rozlyn—and the compromise I had to make to
manage the situation.” My snort of disbelief told him exactly how I felt
about the line of bullshit he was trying to feed me. Irritation creased his
brow as he forged on. “Do you have to be difficult? Must I play the
peacekeeper with you as well as everyone else?” He delivered his lines as if
he’d single-handedly diverted disaster, when in all actuality he was the
lackey following the orders of not only the elders, but of his soon-to-be
father-in-law.
“Maybe you should try telling the truth if you don’t like it. I know what
you’ve done,” I accused, pointing my finger at his chest. “Stars be damned
if I’ll take the blame for anything concerning that twit you’re betrothed to. I
think I’d prefer to take my chances with the council—”
His hand was over my mouth, eyes wide with alarm, before I’d
registered that he’d moved. I struggled against his hold, ready to see how
well my light would work against him when he pushed at our connection
with panic riding the bond. I’d felt many things from my duty-bound mate,
but panic wasn’t one of them, so I relented and allowed my shield to let him
in.
“Never speak that aloud again, Stella. You don’t understand what you’ll
face when the council decides to summon you.”
“What do you mean ‘when’? Is this all for nothing then?” With our
connection open as it was, I couldn’t hide my hurt and betrayal, nor could I
shut him out with the warning to keep the matter private.
He slid his hand from my mouth to cup my cheek as he dropped his
forehead to mine, his eyes closing to hide their flash of regret. “There is so
much you don’t know and more that I can’t bear to confess,” he said
cryptically. “There is the smallest chance that we will be left alone to live
out our lives in relative peace with the path we’re on now. More than likely,
it will only buy us time. Time for you to come into your powers and time for
the elders to orchestrate events to be in their favor. There was unrest when
the last hei—your mother was lost to our world. No one was brave enough
to say it directly in their presence, but the shifters and vampires alike
blamed the elders for what transpired. Their leadership was questioned.
The one thing the elders and their army could not stand against, even with
all of the black magic they’ve cultivated, would be their own turning and
revolting on them at the same time the vampires attacked.”
“Black magic?” I interrupted, my disbelief clear as day.
Riddick sighed and let his hand slip from my cheek as he stepped away
from me, leaving me feeling cold and very alone. “There are things in this
world that are hidden, including ancient practices that should have been
left behind and erased from history. The elders are old but dangerous with
their knowledge, and they have no intent to lose their seat of power. Just as
your light has darkness to it, so can any other magic or ability.”
Fury barreled through me, remembered moments of being called an
abomination and worse only fueling it further. “I’m not evil and neither is
my light!”
“I didn’t say it was. I said it had a darkness to it. That allows any
ability, magic, whatever you want to call it, to have the potential to be used
for good or bad. What the elders will do if they harness it and twist it to
their agenda will not be in anyone’s favor but their own. I cannot explain
everything. Even if I were to try, you have no filter when you’re upset, and
the risk is too high to chance it. It would be treason, Stella. I can only
promise that I will do my best to protect you. It is my duty, and that is the
one place I refuse to fail.” His end of the bond shuttered tightly as he
straightened his posture, obviously done with the conversation that made no
sense to me. He could have at least given me a chance to understand, but
no. Keeping me in the dark seemed to be everyone’s plan so that I could be
used with no way to know how to help myself. It was a very good strategy,
just not for me. Resentment bubbled up until I couldn’t contain it any
longer.
“So far, your duty has only been to degrade and violate me. I’d hate to
see what happens if you were any worse at it. Tell your men to stay away
from me and keep your she-bitch on a leash, or I won’t refrain from ending
her if she comes near me again.”
His expression went from shock to anger, but at the end, he blanched
with my threat. He must have understood that I wouldn’t hesitate a second
time, and I wouldn’t. If all they wanted to do was use me, I had to look out
for myself. Some sense of dread-inducing determination flitted through our
bond before it was gone again, and without a chance to figure out what it
meant, Riddick found his voice.
“You know nothing of being degraded or violated, and you will see all
of us at the mercy of both in the care of the elders if you get us exiled from
here,” he all but hissed at me, flags of rage riding high on his otherwise pale
cheeks. The man had well and truly lost his temper. His wolf peeked out as
it rode him, egging him on, but he couldn’t take back what his loss of
control made him say next. “I see letting you feed from Cyn has only made
your attitude worse. I won’t make that mistake again. Consider yourself
grounded until further notice.”
“Grounded? Try to keep me locked in here, and I’ll burn the entire
manor down around your ears, you arrogant asshole.” Matching his glare
with my own, my brain caught up with the rest of what he’d said. With a
smirk, I enjoyed correcting him. “And for your information, I refused to
feed from Cyn, but Roman was more than obliging.” I didn’t know where
my vindictive cattiness had come from since I’d never acted out in such a
manner in the past, but it was as if I didn’t have control of my emotions.
Usually, I’d hide and shut down, bury myself in a book or find some other
solitary task to occupy myself, so maybe that’s why I took it over the line
when I saw Riddick’s reaction. “What, jealous that your second will do
what you won’t? Or is it that I reacted the same way as last time, a reaction
he returned, if you must know, and all you got for your trouble when you
tried was puke on your shoes?”
Stricken expression still haunting his face, he hoarsely asked, “Is that
what you want, Stella? To get your pound of flesh for the wrongs you’ve
been dealt? I can promise, you’ll only hurt Roman in the long run. There’s a
reason I delegated Cynfell to be the one to assist you.”
Huffing in discontent, I returned my attention to the wardrobe and
snatched the first pair of leggings from the top whether I liked them or not.
It gave me a moment to gather my thoughts, but I was still in retaliation
mode, and it didn’t seem to be winding down any time soon.
Riddick watched impassively as I took my time sliding the curve-
hugging material up each leg. He briefly tracked my progress when I lifted
my shirt to slide them up into place before he returned his accusing gaze to
mine.
“Other than me apparently having developed some sort of drug-like
venom since the last time I bit him, he was fine. Better than fine if you must
know. The images in his mind…” Wanting to hurt him like he’d hurt me, I
tried to send what I remembered. With the barriers in place, I was unsure if
Riddick would get them or not, but I must have figured it out since his
reaction was instant and explosive. It was also the last straw as far as I was
concerned, even if I slightly deserved it for rubbing Roman’s private
thoughts in his face.
“If you sink those fangs into any more of my men, I’ll have you
muzzled,” he bellowed, no doubt letting everyone within the wing in on our
disagreement.
My gasp was more from hurt than outrage, though I hoped he just
thought I was angry. I was tired of wearing my heart on my sleeve. If my
reaction hadn’t been so immediately visceral, I might have questioned the
extremes in his tone and behavior, but I was done. More than done. I was
ready to burn it all down.
Before I’d barely thought of it, my light surrounded me, scorching the
rug as it headed for Riddick. He wasn’t at all wary of it—he hadn’t been
given a reason to be until now. An instant before it touched his boots, his
sense of self-preservation kicked in. Uncertainty crept into his expression,
eradicating the anger that had prompted his cruelty. As the leather tips were
engulfed in the black-edged glow, they began to smoke, heating rapidly
enough that an almost yelp came from his lips as he jolted backward,
moving out of the ever-creeping reach of my light.
“Knock it off, Stella. A tantrum isn’t going to help matters. I apologize
for the muzzling comment. It was out of line.” I ignored his efforts to
placate me. “Roman cannot be the one to assist you, and I reacted to my
orders being disregarded.” He was so confident that I’d stop being pissed
and agree with him. I didn’t think it crossed his mind that the dumb, starry-
eyed girl was done dealing with him.
My tone, deceptively even and low, increased in volume until the last
was screeched at him. “A tantrum? Is that what you think this is? Maybe
you should go speak to Rozlyn like you just did me, your real mate, and see
how well that goes over. Or maybe you should put her through an ounce of
what you’ve already put me through since you lot barged into my life. And
maybe, just maybe, if you had protected my mother, none of this would be
happening right now. Stars know I likely wouldn’t have been born, or the
Vae might have successfully taken her away and I’d have both of my
parents in a happy little family. Who knows. What I do know is that you’re
jealous of your second and that a ‘tantrum’ is about to be the least of your
problems if you don’t take your mangy ass out of my room in the next two
seconds!” For good measure, as he realized I meant business and made to
leave my space, I singed his ass, burning a circular spot through the seat of
his pants clean through to the skin. I let my light die as the heavy door
closed with a thud.
“Dammit, Stella, that was uncalled for!” The muffled, pained
exclamation came from the other side, but it lacked any anger. That absence
puzzled me, but it wasn’t enough to overtake the other emotions I felt. If it
had been the other way around, not that I would have treated anyone like he
had me, I’d have been pissed to have my behind lit up, but maybe he’d run
out of anger and decided to have the decency to be ashamed of himself.

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Riddick

B are ass already healed and not giving a damn about it hanging out of my
pants, I burst into Roman’s room. My second was lucid, but he appeared
hungover, something we didn’t tend to get with our amped up metabolism
and rapid healing.
“Come to take me to task, Riddick?” he said carefully enough that I
knew he was trying not to slur. I had to avert my eyes from his bare chest
and open trousers. The scent alone let on what he’d done. I didn’t need a
visual too. It also explained where his partner in crime had gone to because
there was no way he had gotten back into his rooms without assistance.
“I warned you, Roman. You knew feeding her was going against a
direct order.” My fists clenched as my gaze strayed to the bunching muscles
when he shifted to set his water bottle on the table next to his chair.
A smirk tugged up one corner of his sinful mouth, a sentiment reflected
in his feral golden eyes. With him, the wolf was always just below the
surface. “Jealous much? We both know Stella is in charge now, even if she
doesn’t. We follow you, Riddick, not out of duty, but out of brotherhood.”
At my grunt of disagreement, he assumed I’d taken offense to the familial
term, instead of his mention of jealousy, and amended his statement with a
roll of his eyes. “A brotherhood as pertains to the group, not our sexual
encounters.”
“I’m aware of our dynamic. My irritation is over duty. My mate just
stomped all over that before she shoved it down my throat in the most
spectacular fit I think I’ve ever seen out of a female. Honestly, I didn’t think
she had it in her, but the girl is a spitfire underneath the timid shell she uses
as armor. I’d have been ecstatic if it hadn’t been directed at me.”
Roman quirked a brow, confusion replacing the alertness that had
started to seep in more by the minute. “What did you do to her this time? I
haven’t been out too long.” My hesitation gave him ample time to make an
educated guess. “Stars, Riddick, please tell me you did not reprimand her
for feeding from me? You didn’t see her. She was so weak…” He shook his
head at me, lip curling in disgust as I dropped my gaze to the floor.
“That was part of it, and I’m quite capable of chastising myself, as is
she, but I’d lost my temper and handled the rest badly already. I don’t
particularly want to rehash it right now. I need to know you won’t feed her
again. She said she developed a venom? I also need a pair of pants before I
leave to deal with the never-ending list of responsibilities I’ve
accumulated.” I kept my tone even in hopes of avoiding any further
argument. My second was too keen though and wasn’t one to let much
slide.
“Why do you need pants, and what exactly did she do to you in
retaliation? As for the responsibilities, you brought those on yourself.”
Roman shrugged, conveniently bypassing the new effects of Stella’s bite
and the reason for the state I’d found him in.
In answer, I turned to show him what pissing off my little mate had
gotten me. An ember of pride burned in my chest because she’d stood up
for and protected herself. I just hated what it had cost me to prompt it. It
wasn’t her fault I was irrational about Roman’s safety. She didn’t know she
was poking an already frayed nerve, nor should I have lost my temper about
it. I remained turned so I didn’t have to see the censure on Roman’s face,
though I heard the sharp intake of breath just fine when I confessed. “Don’t
mention muzzles around her, or she’ll cook your ass. And we’re going to
talk about the venom. She didn’t have it when she bit you back at the
Wolfsbane pack-lands.
 “If you came here to make yourself feel better, you can fuck off,
Riddick. You don’t want to let her go, but you won’t let us help. Stars be
damned if you think I’ll continue our arrangement behind her back after
you forbade me from being what she needs while she’s what I need in
return.”
My head snapped to the side as I pivoted to face him again. “What are
you talking about? You don’t need to be the one to feed her, and we can’t
afford for you to be off your game.” It was my turn to conveniently ignore a
subject.
“Do you really think that I’d have lasted much longer? I was days from
seeking a den. I’m not sure I could have lasted until your arranged mating.”
Roman got up from his seat, only the slightest tremor in his hand hinting at
his inebriation.
Even watching the play of muscles under his pale skin as he crossed to a
steel-banded trunk in the corner of the room couldn’t distract me from his
confession.
“I thought you were managing, Roman. Why didn’t you come to me?” I
left off that the mating had been moved up. It seemed like it was tempting
fate to mention it now. If he'd set that date to run to a den and drown
himself in venom until one of us dragged him out, then it was less time I
had to plan to prevent it. “The nearest kiss is days away if you drive.” I
added the last when he stood with his back to me, not making any move to
open the trunk.
A hollow, ugly laugh tore from him. “What would you do, Riddick?
Fuck it out of me? Let me beat you until both of us were temporarily
relieved of our demons? I’m a bite junkie. Stop pretending I’ll suddenly
recover.”
More shame heaped on the load I already carried. He’d only become
addicted after I fucked up—a capture that should have been a kill if I’d had
my way. It was a mark against my honor that one of our own had been stuck
behind, let alone long enough to fall under the spell of the Siren’s Kiss
venom. We’d gone back for him, but we weren’t in time to fully save him.
It had been their revenge for taking their leader’s eldest heir. Now, his body
craved the bite, a genetic mutation that particular kiss foisted off on its
victims in order to ensure willing donors. They’d made a business out of it
—blood dens and brothels hidden here and there throughout the world.
 Snapping out of the memory of the way we’d found him, I answered
him with my own selfish needs riding me hard. “So you got your needs met
by my mate, while she won’t bother to consider letting me touch her.
Should I go elsewhere for this as well?”
Shock rounded his eyes as he turned to stare at me. “Who are you? Are
you that jealous of the both of us that you’ve turned to cruelty as a defense?
Don’t mistake that the situation is your doing as well, brother. I went along
as it was the best plan, all of us did, but that was before we discovered
Stella. Do you also not understand that the rest of us will never have a mate
of our own? We get to watch and protect for the rest of our very long lives
as you squander what we wish fate had handed us. I support you in your
decisions, whether I like or agree with them or not, but don’t try to unravel
us from the inside, or it’s all for nothing.” His soft tone at the end drilled
home his disappointment, making my chest ache in a way I’d only felt from
Stella.
I only had one defense, and thankfully it was one he’d understand.
Simply put… “I want my mate, and I can’t have her.”
Determination pushing the sorrow from his gaze like a switch had been
thrown, Roman shook off the last of his high and shot me a scathing glance.
“So do I. Now lock the door and strip. Then find something to put in your
mouth so the maids don’t hear you.”
It was my turn to stare at the harsh tone, but I did as he ordered.
Swallowing thickly as I shucked my pants, I gave the last directive I’d
permit myself to give before it was over and I left the room. “Lock it down.
Don’t let her get curious. I’ll tell her about this after everything settles.”
Roman shook his head as he tossed a towel in my direction. “Keep it off
the floor unless you want to clean it up. And Riddick? If you don’t tell her, I
will.”
I could only nod my assent as I knelt on the rug-covered stone. Placing
the towel within easy reach, I stretched my arms to clasp my hands over the
foot of the bed and let my head hang down between my shoulders.
The heat from his body came before his breath coasted over the crook of
my neck. “Are you jealous that she’s bitten me twice, but you don’t even
wear her mark?”
I shivered with anticipation but cringed internally as Roman’s barb hit
home. He knew I was.
 His body heat disappeared, and a chilled line snaked up my back,
replacing it. I waited as he continued to tease me, dragging the tapered
leather tip up and down my flesh.
“Are you afraid she’ll want me more than you? The man that’s
mistreated her and the guardian that’s nourished her… I wonder which she
would choose if she had a choice?” Anger filled me, but still, I held my
tongue and position. “How does it feel to know you hurt her every time you
open your mouth?”
The first crack came, a whistling preceding the contact with my skin
and the subsequent fire that lit up my nerve endings. The pain wasn’t
enough to elicit more than a low grunt, but Roman heard it all the same.
“I told you to gag yourself,” he hissed, throwing a clean pair of rolled
socks at me. It wasn’t like anyone eavesdropping wouldn’t hear strikes, but
Roman was quiet enough that they’d have to lean up against the door to
hear him. Otherwise one could only guess as to what was happening in
here. I reached for the socks regardless. As I completed the degrading task,
he kept on with the taunts and recriminations. “Were you hoping I’d stick
something else in there? Maybe you should have thought about that before
you threatened to muzzle your mate for wanting what she needs to survive.”
He’d always been great at pulling my demons to the forefront, exposing
every regret, and this time was no different. Though it stung more than the
barrage of hits he landed with the whip. I was lucky he’d insisted on
muffling me, for the next lash struck the inside of my thigh, dangerously
close to unmanning me in the process. The muffled yelp was as much from
fear as pain, and I had to consider that Roman might not be in the right
frame of mind to relieve my stress and clear mine.
A dark chuckle sounded behind me as I tucked my hand behind my
balls to shield them. “Put it back, Riddick. Don’t you dare touch yourself.”
My shoulders tensed, I almost called a halt, but then I slowly let my
hand slip from its protective embrace and lifted it to clasp the footboard
again. Knuckles white, my grip tight enough that the wood creaked under
my strength, I waited to see what he’d do. A shudder worked through me
when his breath hit my ear at the same time he drew the barest touch across
my sac with his fingertips.
“Do you think you deserve to be struck here? It’s the only reason I can
fathom that you’d have trust issues after all these years of our
arrangement.” I shook my head. Whether it was in answer to his question or
a denial that I didn’t trust him, I wasn’t sure, but he didn’t pursue it.
“Maybe I should make you put your cheek to the floor and reach back to
hold yourself open. You’ve never complained about a bit of punishment
here.” A finger passed over the smooth expanse of skin between my balls
and my ass to land dead center on my hole. I couldn’t control the gooseflesh
that followed the whole-body shiver his touch and threat elicited. Another
laugh, this one throaty with his own desire, preceded his retreat. “Well, that
got a rise out of you. I was starting to wonder if you’d only come to me for
pain to relieve your own.”
Not quite shame lit my cheeks with heat. The half-hard length rising
between my legs hadn’t been unexpected at some point, but Roman
generally didn’t exploit it during this phase of things. I had my doubts as to
him planning to do anything after he was done wielding his whip. The sour
taste that left in my mouth wasn’t wholly unexpected, yet I couldn’t blame
him if he wanted to refrain. His anger with me was valid. Besides, Stella
was an issue we’d need to resolve.
My inattention earned me several blows hard enough to break the skin. I
arched my back against the short-lived agony before settling back down.
“If your mind is going to wander, we can be done.” I shook my head
and braced for impact, but his word hit me first, instantly hardening my
cock further. “Would you pay better attention if your little mate were the
one behind you while I told her what to do? Could you imagine her painting
your back with welts and blood, her dainty fingers touching you, bringing
you to the brink until you painted the floor in your seed?”
I could. I could imagine just that. The only thing better would be a
mirror so that I could watch Roman stand behind her, his body molded to
hers, holding her hand to teach her the proper way to inflict the pain I
needed while taking care to lay the stripes where she intended without
causing real harm. A groan, a combination of the next blow and my
imagination, was louder than I intended. It immediately piqued Roman’s
curiosity.
Surprise was evident in his tone. “You like the idea of her with me while
you kneel before us? I don’t understand, Riddick. You were pissed and
forbade me from her.”
I hated the hurt in his voice, but I couldn’t reassure him because I didn’t
understand it myself. In the heat of the moment, fantasy wasn’t the same as
reality, and it was safe to let my thoughts run wild. That didn't mean I
wasn't possessive of my mate, no matter our current situation, and I couldn't
trust Roman with her, or her with him, not yet at any rate.
Our sessions were supposed to be guilt and judgment free, but I had a
feeling they wouldn’t be able to continue after this if we remained at odds
with one another. My only answer, gagged as I was and unwilling to chance
ending it early, was to shrug my shoulders. I didn’t dare open the link
between us; with Stella so starkly in my mind, there was no way I could
keep from broadcasting to her exactly what was happening in here.
More hits, then without letting up on the steady ever-moving barrage, he
capitalized on my thoughts, his intuition spot on. “What would happen after
we finished and released you from your position? Would she watch while I
take you? Or should we put her in the middle, the both of us rubbing against
each other, deep between her thighs? Do you think she could take them
together? I’d be worried we might hurt her, but maybe it would be a good
hurt, one to make her scream as she soaks our cocks. Her whimpers would
fill our ears while we kept going, dueling with our lips and tongues, just out
of her reach.”
I panted, my head once again hanging low, my prick so hard it pointed
at my face as moisture beaded from the tip. I ached to reach down to give
myself the few brief, rough strokes it would take to finish me off.
As if he could sense it, he warned me again without missing a beat in
the familiar pattern he wielded. “Keep your hands where they are. If you
plan to get off, it will be without touching yourself.” My eyes widened in
disbelief. What the fuck is the towel for then? There was no way that would
work, and I’d be hot-stepping to my room soon enough to take care of the
massive erection I’d have to force into pants. “I think I’d like to have her on
her knees first, holding our dicks together as she tries to fit them both in her
mouth, not allowed to get off until she makes both of us come down that
pretty throat or on her bare tits. We’d introduce her to a bit more technology
she’s missed out on, one to drive her crazy and make her drip down her
thighs but fall short of giving her what she needs.
"She’d struggle to fit us both, then give up to tongue, over and under the
ridges, dipping the pink tip into the slits as she desperately tried to coax the
cum from our balls so she can end her torment. In desperation, she’d take
us, one at a time to suckle between her lips—”
My back hunched as I blew without ever touching myself, proving
Roman knew my capabilities more than I did myself. Most of the mess hit
my chest, while the last of it slipped down my shaft. I barely got the towel
before it dripped to the floor, my body sluggish with endorphins and the
shock of the handless voice-and-whip-activated orgasm.
Roman, cognizant of the fact that I’d finished, let his whip fall to the
ground. Before he stalked back to the chair he’d occupied when I came in,
he threw a pair of sweats next to me. I could fairly feel the anger radiating
off of him. Confusion overtook some of the floating sensation, my ability to
metabolize and recover quickly a blessing and a curse.
As I staggered to my feet, using the towel to wipe the sweat and cum
from my body, I avoided looking his way. But when I had the pants and my
shirt back in place, I had little choice. Instead of the thwarted desire I’d
expected, I found his feral golden eyes shuttered against me.
“Roman, I—”
“Unless you’re going to rescind your decree regarding Stella, then don’t
bother. I’ll wait until the ceremony is over before I go hunting.” His tone
was devoid of anything except censure.
“Roman, I can’t. You can’t. You’re one of Stella’s guardians. She needs
you here. The ceremony is in four days, and she didn’t take the news well.”
That was an understatement, but I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t lose
one of my men. We’d been brought together by fate, but we’d turned into a
family over the years. The ramifications of our unit breaking were many,
and they were almost all dangerous for everyone involved.
He was past caring though, it seemed. Ignoring me until I sighed and
made to leave, he finally spoke as I gripped the door handle.
“Remember that I didn’t deny you as you’ve denied me.”
Back stiff, I gave a nod without turning and let myself out. The
interlude had been nice while it lasted, but I was just as knotted up as I’d
been when I’d gone in.

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Stella

A fter being relegated to my suite unless I had permission from the alpha
or luna to go for a run, I paced until I was stir-crazy. Despite my anger
toward my mate, I was also in denial and trying to think of every possibility
to put a stop to the imminent ceremony. I’d badgered my captive audience
with each scenario I dreamt up until long-suffering sighs were the only
response I got in return. That was the point that I lost my temper on Cyn.
Even though I knew I was unraveling by the hour, I couldn’t manage to
keep from blowing up. Besides the overwhelming stress, I almost felt like
puberty had hit again, which happened to coincide with the one and only
time I’d lost control as a teen. I couldn’t help but imagine one had to do
with the other, and, nearly on the verge of hysterical tears, I used my anger
to keep them at bay as I turned on Cynfell.
"Why do we have to stay here? Can we not set up somewhere else? Or
you take your pack back? It is yours, right?” The rapid-fire questions were
out of my mouth before I’d planned what I’d say, but no one had bothered
to explain why we had to be here or at the elders’ citadel. I could
understand wanting to avoid the latter, but I was running out of time, and
leaving was the only avenue that made sense to me. My mate was to take
another the next day, and neither I, nor my wolf, were having any of it.
She'd rather track the other woman down and dispose of her than
contemplate sharing, so why stay where that was a requirement? She was
already pissed I hadn’t dealt with Rozlyn when I’d had the perfect
opportunity to do so, and I couldn’t blame her. I was sorta pissed at my
restraint myself. I’d stuffed her down as much as possible, but without the
assistance of my oft-absent companion, she was getting harder and harder
to suppress.
Instead of answering, Cyn crossed his arms over his chest and remained
mute. My head felt like it might pop as my irritation with the situation and
stupid men skyrocketed. It didn't help that Riddick had just been here,
again, hinting at finishing our mating so he could report back to the council.
His visit had only riled my wolf up further—she wasn’t about to let him
near enough to try when he planned to take another mate. She had almost
taken me by surprise when she tried to force the change on me, a form she
knew he wouldn’t attempt to copulate with. Not that I was too keen on the
notion in my human form either, despite the way I was intrinsically drawn
to him.
Fate had matched us for a reason after all, and denying that call put even
more strain on the both of us, though I didn’t particularly care about any
strain he was under at the moment. I was still extremely unhappy with him
after our blow up, whether he’d tried to make amends or not. The only
reason I’d semi-forgiven him stemmed from my need to prevent the
upcoming ceremony. That, and I didn’t want him anywhere near that bitch
he was betrothed to. If he was chasing after me, that meant less opportunity
for him to be around her.
Hormones were the only explanation for the crazy going on in my head.
I’d never felt so out of sorts in my life, and over the years I’d had plenty to
get bent out of shape and plot revenge over.
A hunger pang disrupted my manic pacing, reminding me I’d burned
through the meal I’d made of Roman faster than I should have, but I pushed
away the thought of feeding from him. The last thing I needed was to lose
my control badly enough to hunt him down, Riddick’s decree be damned.
The turbulent emotions bubbled over the top, leaving me to yell at my
stubbornly silent keeper. “If you’re just going to sit there and be unhelpful,
you can leave!”
Cyn dropped his arms and got to his feet, still as mute as could be, and
headed for the door between our rooms. Hurt and shame rolled through me,
but I had nowhere to go to lick my wounds in private or permission to run
off everything I was feeling. I was trapped in my room, my guardians my
jailers, living in a fishbowl with a sense of doom and panic insistently
beating down on me.
Too proud to call him back to ask more questions he wouldn’t answer, I
glared at his retreating form until the door snicked shut. Then, in a fit of
rage, I used my light to melt the handle, latching mechanism and all,
soldering the door shut, before I collapsed facedown on my bed to scream
my heart out into the bedding.
I knew locking Cyn out wouldn’t last long, there were two other doors
after all, but I hadn’t expected him to tattle to Vance. With a sigh, I looked
up as he and Hunter came through Vance’s door, my stalker with his usual
glower in place and Hunter with dark-red brows raised over deep honey-
hued eyes.
Warily, I turned onto my side and drew my legs up, scooting and
adjusting until my back was against the headboard, my arms wrapped
around my knees. Hunter was the only one of my guardians that I hadn’t
seen much of and had interacted with even less. I didn’t know what reaction
to expect from him. Vance wouldn’t hurt me, I was almost certain of that,
and neither would Cyn, but there was something sinister about Hunter that
had the little hairs on the back of my neck standing at attention and my wolf
abandoning me to deal with the consequences by myself.
With her settling down, a decent amount of my inner turmoil settled as
well, but my anxiety only spiked when the tall man crossed the room to take
a seat in the chair nearest where I huddled on my bed. I felt the barest brush
against the connection between us and blocked my end with the bit of skill
I’d acquired in keeping them out of my head. He poked at the barrier
thoroughly enough I swore he was looking for a weak spot to push through.
Doubling down, I raised my chin in challenge.
The quick and blinding smile he flashed, accompanied by the pride in
his gaze, was wholly unexpected. My shock at his reaction fumbled my
control, and his voice, as honeyed as his eyes, sounded in my head.
 “Nice try, hellion. You need to practice shielding while you multitask.
We’ll work on that.”
“Get out of my head,” I snapped back, slamming the connection shut
hard enough to give myself an instant dull headache.
Hunter didn’t flinch or otherwise acknowledge that it hurt on his end,
though I was sure it had. Instead, he glanced at Vance where he was
propped against the open door frame. “I don’t think she likes me,” he said,
the corner of his full lips pulling up in a hint of a grin. It drew my gaze to
the scar that marred the center of the bottom one, and a moment later I was
caught staring at it. “Or maybe she does, considering the way she’s eye-
fucking my lips.”
My face heated all the way to the roots of my hair as my wide-eyed
gaze flew to his teasing one. I didn’t know what to make of Hunter’s
intimidating-to-the-point-of-being-scary mien versus the playful, provoking
attitude. Either he was playing me, or he was being candid and showing me
what hid underneath his intimidating bearing.
Whatever the truth, a game or not, he was right about one thing— my
interest had been piqued. First with Roman, on not one, but two occasions,
and now, to a lesser degree, with Hunter.
Guilt filled me as shame burned bright and harsh. With my desire for
my guardians, I was no better than Riddick was with taking another mate.
Unable to hold Hunter’s stare, I let mine slip away, studiously avoiding
looking in Vance’s direction to evade the censure and disgust I knew had to
reside in his expression. Tears tracked down my cheeks, and I hid my face
against my knees, letting my hair fall in a curtain between me and them.
I didn’t make a sound. My mortification was already at its limit, so I
couldn’t bear to completely break down in front of the men.
“What did you do? I asked you to talk her down and take her out for a
run, not make her cry,” Cyn hissed from Vance’s room.
Before either could answer him, my power lashed out, slamming the
door shut and knocking Vance the rest of the way into my bedroom. His
grunt of surprise was nearly hidden under Cyn’s shout, but I hardly
registered it since I had yet another issue to freak out over. Manipulating
objects was apparently the newest ability in my bag of tricks, and I was an
unstable mess who was developing them at a rate faster than I could master
any of it. Every mood swing had the potential to hurt someone,
intentionally or not… Maybe I was the abomination I’d been called most of
my life.
A strangled sob broke free with that thought, and with the release of the
first, I couldn’t stop the rest that followed. Twisting to my side, I buried my
face in my pillow to muffle my misery.
“What is happening right now?” Vance growled from across the room.
There wasn’t an answer forthcoming, from me or Hunter, and at that
point, I blocked their presence out. I’d done such a thorough job, I didn’t
notice Hunter had moved from his seat until the bed dipped beneath his
weight, his scent reaching me even through the half-soaked pillow. I
couldn’t place it, but it was spicy yet soothing. That sense of comfort fled
once his arms slipped under and around my body. He picked me up, settled
into my spot, and cradled me against his chest, slipping his fingers through
the hair at the nape of my neck to direct my face to the crook of his.
Sobs still wracked my curled-up body even as the sensations he evoked
from brushing against the mating mark zipped through me. An undeniable
burn in my gums heralded a struggle to prevent my fangs from coming out
to taste him. Both brought a small bit of coherency with it, as well as a
healthy dose of self-disgust at my reaction to another man touching my
mark. I tried to wriggle out of his hold, but he only tightened his grip on my
head, his other arm like a band of steel around my back.
“Sit still and breathe, Stella. I’m not going to hurt you.” Hunter’s voice
was softer than before as if he was trying not to spook me, but being
harmed wasn’t currently on my list of concerns. My reaction to him was.
Not that I had much choice in the matter of moving unless I wanted to hurt
him.
Too upset to form anything coherent, I dropped the barrier to my mind
just enough to speak to him. “Please let me go and leave. I’d like to be
alone right now.”
“Not happening, we have things to discuss. Like what Cynfell did for
you to weld his door shut. Or what happened for you to fall into hysterics.”
His tone wasn’t unkind, yet I didn’t appreciate his use of ‘hysterics.’ My
anger helped me bring my upset under control. Refusing to keep up the
intimacy of speaking through the bond, I answered aloud, though my voice
was a bit husky and watery from my crying jag.
“Cyn won’t help me stop the ceremony.”
 Hunter stiffened under me, his hand coming up to brush the hair away
from my face. As it came into my line of sight, I noticed the back of it and
his fingers were covered in tattoos; symbols made up of lines and swirls,
that reminded me of some type of ritualistic art.
“You know we would change the situation if we could, Stella,” he
started out, pausing, I assumed, for me to confirm his statement. But I didn’t
know that, and I wasn’t about to agree just to please the man, so I shrugged
instead. This time, he tried a different tack, his voice barely loud enough for
me to hear above my calming, but still choppy, hiccuping breaths. “I
imagine it’s a hard subject for Riddick to address. He knows it hurts you,
and it hurts him as well.” I scoffed at the thought of Riddick giving a shit
about anything but himself and his knights. Hunter snapped at me then,
causing me to draw my limbs back into a ball. “Stop it! You’re acting like a
child when I’m trying to give you your explanation. Whether you like it or
not, events have been set in motion, and we must follow through with them
for the safety of all of us. Now, like I said, I’m sure it’s as uncomfortable
for him as it is for you, but he’s used to being the martyr when it comes to
protecting the rest of us.
“Before we discovered your existence, Riddick painstakingly played the
political game. For two decades, we were at the beck and call of the elder’s
council, tasked with carrying out orders that not only hardened us, but
sickened us as well. We were used as boogeymen, the displaced alpha
guardians turned alpha knights. Eventually, even the elders started to run
out of the need to send us on mission after mission, so Riddick came up
with a plan to get us away from them.”
“I’ve heard this part,” I interjected, wanting him to hurry up and get to
the point. “You all had plans to make political matings that would, at least
on the surface, benefit the elders’ agenda and get them to leave you to live
your lives in peace.”
Curling a finger around my chin to yank it up toward his face, Hunter
stared down at me, irritation shining in the depths of his amber stare. “If
you’re such a know-it-all, then why are you continuing to have tantrums?”
My lips parted in shock, then the anger flooded in. “If you’re going to
be an ass, go join your leaders,” I snapped at him, singeing his too-tight
fingertips for good measure with a pulse of my light.
He loosened his grip but didn’t relinquish my chin as I’d expected and
gave me a pointed glance. “Alright, little firecracker, calm down before you
catch your bedding on fire.” He didn’t say tantrum again, but we both knew
he meant it, and so did Vance from the snicker I heard from his direction.
I didn’t take my eyes off of the man holding me, though. That didn’t
seem prudent at all. “Fine, please enlighten me then as to why I have to be
caught up in Riddick’s grand scheme.”
Cocking one ruddy, red brow, he paused as if waiting for me to come to
the conclusion on my own before he spit it out, even quieter than before.
“We need allies, strong ones, made of marriage and blood, so we can take
out our ruling council and cut the disease from our community.”
I felt the blood drain from my face while my stomach tried to flip itself
over. “You-you can’t,” I whispered, knowing it was a suicide mission. Even
if they succeeded in killing the elders, more would take their place, and they
—we—would be executed for treason.
Expression hardening into something lethal and fierce, Hunter narrowed
his eyes at me. “We can, and we will. Our plans and timeline had to be
adjusted once you came into the picture, but it will happen eventually.”
I relaxed, realizing he didn’t mean now. It would be years, if not
decades, before any of this came to fruition. Years and decades that I’d have
to allow my mate to be with another. Have children with another. Dejection
took over as I imagined my future, one long road of misery that ended in
my execution.
“Can I be alone now, please?” I asked politely in the hopes that they’d
go away.
“That’s your response to what I just risked all of us to tell you? You
wanted me out of your head, and I honored that request, but you’re going to
have to get with the program, Stella. Your life isn’t the only one on the line
here.”
“What do you want me to say? I look forward to sharing a hanging
scaffold with you? That I can’t wait to play second-rate mate in a place
where my very existence is hated by the pack leaders? I mean, did I not
already have to deal with that?” The men in my life were beyond
exasperating, and I had control over nothing. I hated all of it, and I was
starting to hate them too, or at least I should be.
With a sigh, he let my chin go and tipped his head back to rest on the
headboard. “It doesn’t have to be so bad if you make an effort. I understand
it’s difficult, but I think if you work on getting your abilities under control
—”
 Pissed again, I cut him off. “I would really like you to leave now.
You’re all useless, I don’t want to be here, and my abilities aren’t any of
your stars damned business!” I shoved against his chest, trying to get out of
his immovable embrace. A quick glance at Vance showed him sprawled in
the chair Hunter had vacated, more interested in whatever was on his phone
screen than assisting me.
“Do you know what I do, Stella? What my purpose is?” he asked softly,
but the edge of irritation made the softness more forced than before.
“Yeah, it’s to manipulate and lie to me to make life easier for all of you.
Now let go!”
“No,” he snarled in my face, his wolf peeking out, exuding menace that
I wasn’t so sure wasn’t directed at me. “I’m an assassin, Stella, from a
family of bloodthirsty smugglers that no one dared to cross if they wanted
to live. I work in the shadows, I procure what others hide, and I kill those
that get in my way. For the elders’ council, I was their deadly shadow, a
murderous puppet. I want my string cut, hellion, and you’re going to help
us, or I’ll make your life hell.”
By the time he’d finished, I hadn’t been able to hold eye contact, too
shocked to stare into those tortured wolf-ish eyes. Instead, my stare had
settled just below the scarred lip on the dimple in the center of his chin.
Vance getting to his feet startled me. More because I hadn’t noticed him
moving until he spoke. “I need to attend something. I’ll be back shortly.
Don’t maim the girl while I’m gone.”
He left despite my huff of outrage. I couldn’t believe he’d actually left
me with the self-proclaimed murderer and told him not to maim me, like it
was a regular occurrence.
“Touch me, and I’ll torch your ass like I did your leader’s, but I won’t
stop with scorching your pants,” I warned, preparing to blast him if he
didn’t let me go.
Instantly, I felt him breach what I’d thought to be decent walls around
my mind like they were tissue paper. A scream stuck in my throat at the
pain he inflicted as my fangs burst out, and the one thing that intrinsically
should have come to my aid abandoned me. My threat to burn him was
empty, but I couldn’t think about that then. I couldn’t think about anything
but making the claws rending my brain stop.
As abruptly as it started, it ended, and as if sensing I only needed to gain
the smallest bit of my faculties, Hunter taunted me with my newly
discovered shortcomings.
“So you think we're the only beings that can communicate mind-to-
mind? There are others, I assure you. There are those whose gifts are to
attack and manipulate weak-minded and unshielded individuals. Like you.”
Panting, hurt in a way I’d never hurt, and embarrassed, I defended
myself. “I didn't know—”
“Of course you didn't. You've been sheltered so others could use you.
What would happen if someone else were to control your abilities?” he
demanded, knowing he’d well and truly proven his point. I had to wonder if
Vance stepping out had been planned. If he’d wanted to avoid seeing me
hurt, or if he wanted to avoid seeing me in all my vamped out glory.
Angry, I lashed out. “Isn't that your purpose? To guard me? What a
perfect example of what not to do, you mangy mutt of a man!”
“Do you not have an ounce of self-preservation?” he scoffed, letting the
insult roll right off of him.
“Of course I do! Back home—”
“You mean the place you hid and skulked around to avoid
confrontation? The place where you hid your nature to avoid being called
names? That home? Hiding is no longer an option now that your existence
is known, Stella.” His stare flicked to my fangs and back again, but he
didn’t address them, and I was able to get them under control even though I
desperately wanted to feed. It was the only thing I had control of at the
moment.
I was off-kilter, unable to find my footing and fearing he was right. A
nagging bit of intuition told me I would never live up to his expectations if
he viewed me as a petulant, weak girl. I didn’t want to be like that, no one
did, I suspected, but I didn’t know how to fix any of it with the load of shit I
still had heaped on my shoulders.
“Then what am I supposed to do?” I whispered brokenly, the ever-
lurking tears welling in my eyes no matter how hard I tried to stop them.
“You train. With me, with Vance, with any of your guardians. You’re
ours to protect, and we’ll help you learn to protect yourself.” It sounded like
a vow, not that it was necessary since they’d already taken those, but this
one somehow felt more meaningful than the official one had.
But I still had one concern no one could, or would, protect me from. My
heart and soul were already in turmoil, and in two days they’d be destroyed.
What purpose would I serve then?
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Stella

T he ceremony was to begin in a few hours. I hadn't seen Riddick since

my meltdown with Cyn. I'd briefly sensed, and scented, his presence
while I was asleep, coming awake only to hear the click of Cyn’s door. The
coward hadn’t bothered to stick around, not that he could say anything other
than he was calling the ceremony off to appease me. I was tempted to melt
the repaired door again in retaliation, but as I’d been up until nearly dawn
with my anxiety-wrought insomnia, I pulled the pillow over my head and
pretended I could stay in bed all day.
Sometime later, I was officially awoken by a sharp rapping at my door.
Before I could drag myself from my cocoon of blankets to answer it, Cass
appeared from Vance's room to check it. It seemed that all of the knights
were gathering close in the rooms on either side of me. When Cass opened
the door, the bustle from the hall filtered in. Without waiting for an
invitation, a woman pushed through, her arms full of lacy fabric.
Tutting in gentle admonishment, she advanced on my frozen form in my
bed. “It's time to get up, Miss. We have a lot to do to prepare this morning.”
She had a smile on her matronly face. She didn't appear especially old, but
she was older than me for sure.
Immediately, I cut my eyes to Cass in question for reassurance. He gave
me a short nod before he went back to whatever he was doing in Vance’s
room. I had to assume he knew and had expected the woman. His lack of
vocalization also made me assume that he was avoiding having to explain,
which meant it had to do with the mating ceremony. Of course, no one
could have left me in peace to wallow in my own misery. Instead, I had a…
Well, I didn’t actually know what she was here for.
Refusing to move until I had an explanation, I waited for her to turn
from the wardrobe where she was hanging the mass of lace she’d come in
with. I didn’t usually question orders. It had been ingrained since birth to
submit to just about everyone around me, whether they were dominant or
not. Now, that nervousness threaded through my voice as she stepped back.
“Is there something I can help you with? I’m not sure what you’re here for
or who you are.”
The woman put a hand to her chest right where white lace poked out
from the neckline of a long-sleeved, gray calf-length dress. “I apologize,
Miss—”
“Stella is fine,” I prompted at her pause.
“Miss Stella, I’m Margot. The luna asked me to make sure you were
properly outfitted, and your—Mr. Valor informed me that neither he nor
your guardians have had a chance to source an appropriate dress for the
ceremony. If you don’t mind, we should get you ready.”
Raising a brow in disbelief, I shook my head. “I can dress myself, but
thank you for the offer.” I was damn well aware that I didn’t have anything
appropriate to wear, but I didn’t need to be foisted off on some random
woman. Nor did I need her as a witness to what I was sure would be an
emotional wreck as the minutes ticked away.
“I’m afraid I must insist, Miss Stella. The dress will need to be altered
to fit. I assure you, I’m a capable seamstress even though that isn’t my
primary duty. All the others are tied up with the schedule change.”
I chalked up her chattiness to nerves that I might kick her out, but when
Margot came forward as if she would bodily remove me from my bed, I
held up a hand. I had no intentions to let anyone manhandle me, whether
she was following orders or not.
 “Yes, well, that’s what happens when you move events up without
warning,” I snarked, annoyed and trying not to take it out on the woman.
“Why don’t you go handle your normal duties? I can shower and get the
dress on myself. You can come back and pin it or whatever you need to do
then.” I thought it a fair compromise, but Margot was shaking her head
before I even finished.
“Oh, that will be a bit off yet, though not too long I imagine. We’ll be
redecorating in here, too… Well, that’s neither here nor there. I’m all yours
today, and we should get to it before the time slips away. Can’t let our
esteemed guest be late, now can we?” she prattled away before she bustled
off to the bathroom, flustered and muttering to herself.
It took me a moment to make sense of what she’d said, sleep
deprivation and mounting grief muddling my head. “Margot,” I called softly
as my footsteps followed hers. “What is your position here?”
I stopped in the doorway to the bathroom, watching as Margot’s back
stiffened. She didn’t turn to face me, but neither did she shy away from
answering. “I look after the children, Miss. I was Miss Rozlyn’s nanny, and
now I help out here and there until my services are needed for the alpha’s
family again.” She reached out to test the running water before turning with
a clap of her hands. “Now, let’s get you in the tub, and then you can shower
off after a nice soak.”
My chest tight with emotions I was barely keeping in check, I could
only stare at the woman. Slowly, her painted-on smile fell in the wake of
my frozen stare.
“So we’re going to pretend that the bitch of a luna didn’t send me the
nursemaid to show me my place?” I all but snarled through the threads to
my mate and guardian, no longer focusing on the nanny. Hurt and jealousy
rode me hard, but I used my anger to smother them, unwilling to share my
pain with heartless men. A gasp from Margot pulled my attention from the
damning silence in my head. My light had come out to protect me. If I lost
control, the woman would have no chance to escape.
I pulled my light back, locking it down with everything else until I was
reasonably sure my composure and control were firmly in place. Without a
word of excuse, I stepped out of the doorway to let Margot pass. She didn’t
wait, but she did drop her head in a respectful bob before hightailing it out
of my suite altogether. I didn’t particularly care if she came back since I
didn’t want her there after all, but I wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t.
 With a sigh, I poked at the bond with Riddick. I hadn’t expected an
answer, but I also wasn’t expecting it to feel shut as tightly as a steel trap. I
contemplated, then immediately discarded, the notion of trying to purposely
project myself to him. All I needed was to be found passed out in the tub,
too drained to wake up for the upcoming torture.
Mad, and wanting them all to know it, I buttoned up my ends of all the
connections until my head ached from the strain on the bonds. Then I
flipped the water in the shower to as hot as I could stand it and climbed in.
Stars be damned if I’d primp and preen for the happy couple. And if the
niggling thought came that no one was happy, well, it was my pity party. I’d
wallow in it as I pleased.

K eeping my mind as blank as possible, my body on autopilot, I finished

in the bathroom. I’d barely opened the door before the scent of the men
reached me. My guardians had gathered during my time in the shower.
Well, most of them had. Cassius Tobias, Vance, and Hunter lounged about
my bedroom, silent but alert. Most notably absent were Cynfell, Roman,
and of course, Riddick. It seemed the four in my room were to be my
escorts while the other two attended to my mate. The word mate burned in
my mind. Bowing my head as a wash of agony tore at my wolf, I wished I
could scrub it, and him, from my existence. Before I knew it, the floor
blurred in my vision and a teardrop landed on my hand. Couldn’t they leave
me to myself? Today of all days, they could give me a bit of grace.
Before I could admonish them, Margot popped back in with a barely-
there perfunctory knock. The instant she saw my tears, she rushed forward,
dumping her armload on my bed as she came at me. “No, no, none of that
today! We’ll get you fixed up right as rain, and your guardians here will
take it from there. You just let me and them handle everything, Miss Stella.”
She all but dragged my stiff form back to the bathroom where she
proceeded to dry my face before she dried my hair until it shined. The mass
of loose waves hung down my back, appearing to be pure spun starlight, a
silver so fine as to be nearly white with a sparkling sheen.
 A frown twisted the woman's mouth down. I’d followed all of her
directions, twisting and turning while she wound me into the soft corset and
slip, before she pulled the long-sleeved lace dress over my head. As she
plucked at the loose spots in need of altering, I caught her mumbled
concerns that I would outshine the bride, but she couldn’t let the Heir go in
less than the best. I just ignored her. She wasn’t talking to me anyhow, and I
didn’t particularly care if I looked nice or not. If I had my way, neither I,
nor Riddick, would be going at all.
“Hold your arms up, dear. I wouldn’t want to stick you with a pin,” she
said. It took me a moment to realize she wasn’t still talking to herself, and
the flash of pins sticking up from their little red cushion had me hurrying to
comply.
By the time she was done tucking here and there, the dress was form-
fitting and a stars-damned nuisance to get off without bloodshed. After, she
bustled out with a “Be back soon.” I hid in the bathroom and sorted through
the bag of cosmetics she’d left behind instead of going out to face my
guardians.
Forgoing the natural pink of my lips, I painted them blood red but
stalled out with the rest. That’s how Margot found me, holding up a blusher
and trying to figure out how to apply it.
“Here, Miss, let me help,” she said, not unkindly, as she gently pried it
from my hand.
In a flash, my cheeks held the barest hint of blush, while my sooty
lashes framed my eyes with a thick coat of mascara. I became
uncomfortable when Margot stared too long, her gaze flicking between my
hair and eyes. Eyes that I knew had to swirl like Quicksilver from the force
of my turbulent emotions. Fear and disapproval were plain on her face as
she backed away and rushed out, leaving the door ajar behind her. I blew
out a breath, alternately relieved she’d left and sad that she’d treated me as
everyone else did in the face of my vampire heritage.
I heard her tell the waiting men that she’d be back with the dress, but
with the keen hearing of us all, she had to know we would hear her
muttering that the luna would have a fit if I outshined the bride, even if I
were the Heir. No one bothered to comment as the door shut behind her, I
for one didn’t care, and apparently neither did my guardians.
With nothing left to do but wait for my dress, I tightened the dressing
robe around me and stepped into the room.
 Immediately, I was the focus of the men. The tiny hairs at the nape of
my neck raised in warning, an intrinsic response to the predators
surrounding me. The tense atmosphere from the looming event had even
affected the alpha knights, their beasts just under their skin, waiting to break
out.
“Why did you shut us out?” Tobias demanded, an edge of hurt to his
voice. That part barely registered though, and I flinched back toward the
doorway to the bathroom at his uncharacteristic aggression, his wolf riding
him from the glow in his eyes.
Shaking my head, I refused to answer, then anger filled me when I felt
him trying to push through our connection. “Stop it! I’m allowed my
privacy.”
Cass, sitting next to Tobias on my bed, elbowed his friend. Tobias
turned his glare on Cass, but Cass was quick to head off anything he might
say aloud. I was sure they were speaking through their own connection, an
ability I had given them when I was mated to Riddick. The reminder only
further agitated me. “Glow bug, we were only worried you might not be…
okay since you were blocking us out.”
Confusion wrinkled my brow as I gave him the look he deserved for
that comment. Of course I wasn’t ‘okay.’ “Exactly how did you think I
would feel today, Cassius? Am I not allowed to cut off your invasion of
privacy when you’ve already taken over everything else in my life? Or
should I be complacent while you monitor me and ignore anything I voice?
You knew that woman was sent here to torment me just a little bit more, and
none of you had the compassion to even let me vent, let alone protect me.
So why shouldn’t I shut all of you out?” I looked at the ceiling, blinking
furiously to hold my tears at bay. I might not know how to apply mascara,
but I knew what would happen if I started crying.
Thankfully, Vance’s scoff, followed by Hunter’s blunt accusation,
staved the tears off. “Your mother managed to kill herself. It’s not out of the
realm of possibility that you planned to do the same. The situations are
similar, though you have it vastly better than she did from what I’ve
gathered.” Hunter held my outraged stare, not a bit of repentance in his
gaze. The others, save Vance, winced in what I assumed to be sympathy, but
who knew with that lot.
“Don’t speak of my mother,” I hissed, my fangs dropping with the loss
of control. It was too much. It was all too much. I was about to lose it, and
in a big way, if something didn’t give.
“Then don’t give us reason to be concerned,” he shot right back, not in
the least fazed by my fury.
“Since when are any of you concerned about me? The only thing you all
worry about is your own skin. I’m your ticket to freedom at the expense of
mine.” I stalked toward him, voice rising with every step until I was just out
of arm’s reach. “Believe me, if I wanted to end this, I’d take all of you with
me. Frankly, I'd rather escape from all of this, including you men, and live
my life in peace." I let them chew on that revelation for a moment, semi-
enjoying their expressions, varying from shock to annoyance, before I set
them straight. Apparently, no one had ever not wanted them. "And for the
record, my mother did it to save me in a selfless act of love—something
you know nothing about.”
“You can’t know that, Stella,” Cassius gently tried to interject, but I
wasn’t having any of it. I could prove it.
“Oh, I most certainly can. Here, I’ll show you.” Before they could act or
block me out, I ripped the connections open, shoving the memories down
the threads. The same memories my companion had shared once I was old
enough to understand and had demanded to see.
I watched as they saw into the past, felt echoes of their emotions with
our bonds so wide open. Cass paled when I was taken from her, and Tobias
hung his head in shame. But in the end, as my mother plunged to her death,
it was Vance that stood and left the room as he carefully closed our thread.
As for Hunter, a small sense of compassion came through. I assumed it was
all the apology he would offer, but I didn’t have a chance to find out since
Margot had returned.
A brief knock heralded her entry. She startled as she took in the heavy
tension in the room, but I had to give it to her. The woman rallied like a
champ, the lace dress draped over her arm now accompanied by another fall
of black fabric.
“Oh, dear, I hope I’m not interrupting. Time is getting short, and I really
must get you dressed.” I rolled my eyes at the bulldozer hidden behind
politeness but turned on my heel to head for the bathroom. Regardless of
my wishes, the ceremony was happening. “This won’t take but a few
moments, gentlemen,” she assured them as she closed the door behind us.
“Now, Miss Stella, I found the perfect accessory to go with your dress. I
think it adds a dashing bit of mystery to the whole image of the Silverlight
Heir attending the ceremony, if I do say so myself.”
As she spoke, she hung the dress over the towel bar, then she shook out
and unveiled the length of the black, minky fabric, lined with red. The
woman had brought me a stars-damned cloak, complete with a deep hood.
‘Say so myself,’ my vampire ass. I would bet just about anything that
Esta had demanded I be covered up so as not to be a distraction from her
perfect little darling purebred wolf of a daughter. My annoyance mounted
while Margot helped me dress. I didn’t want to attend, and she didn’t want
me to attend, so why the hell was I being forced to?
“The elders commanded it.”
I startled at Hunter’s voice in my head. I hadn’t realized I was
projecting. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. I already know that the
elders want me there, but why does it matter?”
“Apologies aren’t necessary. You were right in that we should have been
there for you to decompress if need be. We’re trying to do that now. In
shifts, though, so we don’t get distracted and compromise our safety.” It
made sense, and I was glad that they were trying, but I couldn’t help that I
felt it was too little too late, catty as the sentiment might be. “As for your
attendance, the elders are likely trying to prove that you’re a liability. Lose
control a few times in a public way, and our society will all but hand deliver
you, and us, to them.”
A shiver of trepidation, or maybe premonition, coasted down my spine.
I wasn’t made for all of this political posturing. I just wanted to live my life.
I didn’t voice it, in my head or otherwise, but Hunter must have picked up
on my emotions enough to figure it out.
“I’m sorry, Stella, but we all have our roles to play.”

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Stella

S urrounded by my guardians, I clutched the edges of the voluminous

cloak as if my white-knuckled grip represented the hold I kept on my
emotions and the power that begged to escape me. The black fabric, lined
with the deepest wine red, was an inverse match to those my guardians
wore. Whether by happenstance, or design, it made for a bold entrance to
the chapel.
I ignored the stares and whispers, staying hidden in the depths of the
hood, during the seemingly endless trek down the center of the chapel. My
feet traveled the same path that Rozlyn’s were soon to follow. The ache in
my chest drowned out much else as we finally reached the hidden stairs
near the front of the chapel. They led to one of the two balconies housed on
either side of the great stained glass window. In a tiniest bit of reprieve, the
balcony opposite us stood empty.
We faced the pack members in attendance, leaving us on display for the
duration of the ceremony as much as Riddick and Rozlyn would be. I’d be
on display. A mate kept like a dirty secret from the majority of the guests
and forced to watch hers take another. All to obey an edict to bless their
union with my presence as the Heir. How I was expected to endure it, I
didn't know.
The only saving grace—the recessed lighting had been dimmed and the
balcony was partially shaded by lattice on either side, affording the smallest
bit of protection from scrutiny.
As we took our places, my missing men took theirs. My breath hitched,
my chest seizing at the sight. Riddick stood with his second on one side,
Cyn on the other, and I knew I would never forgive either of my guardians.
I would never forget that they stood with him after they’d pledged their
lives to mine. I couldn’t help but feel this was the beginning of the end, the
results of which would culminate in disaster. The alpha knights weren’t
anything more than my keepers, my locks and chains that Riddick held the
only key to.
I didn’t try to smother the despair spiraling through me. Instead, I let
them feel every ounce of heartbreak and betrayal. I hoped it brought them
to their knees in shame. My lip curled in a silent snarl when they only
stiffened and shuffled closer. I could all but feel Hunter breathing down my
neck, likely would have if it weren’t for the hood I had no intention of
removing until I was safely back in my room.
Two of the men below broke their stoic stances to turn their heads and
glance up at me, alarm in their eyes. I refused to acknowledge their stares or
their attempts to speak through our connections. No, my glare, well hidden
in the depths of the hood firmly, bored into the back of Riddick’s head. The
man would do his duty at all costs, no matter if it martyred me right along
with him.
In an effort to refrain from imploding on the spot, I attempted to turn
my attention from the focus of the event. Perusing the well-kept stone and
stained glass, I noticed that the Blackfang Pack’s chapel was much different
than the one from my home. It wasn’t any smaller, though the crowded
seating might suggest just that at first glance. It was certainly more
welcoming, and you could practically feel the excitement in the air.
Unfortunately, the reason for the excitement only ramped up my agitation,
and subsequently my wolf’s, undoing any headway I’d made at distracting
myself.
Underneath my devastating emotions, my wolf’s had been all but
buried, and now she was vying with my vampire instincts that very much
wanted to go as feral as my wolf to protect our matebond with Riddick. I’d
kept such a tight leash after barely wrestling her back into submission when
I left my room, and now it was a struggle to contain her with my control
beginning to fray. I closed my eyes, took deep breaths, and pleaded with my
wolf to just get through the next hour.
“Do not react,” Hunter projected to me, but his warning was futile.
It was further proven that I must have pissed the fates off the day I was
born as the luna made herself known.
“Let me pass this instant!” The low growl from Esta carried to me
through the throng of men guarding me.
My wolf snarled in response, albeit not as quietly as hers had been. I
caught the alarmed gazes shooting up in my direction from the three men
below us when my eyelids popped open in anger. I vaguely noted the
chattering guests were none the wiser as the first couple rows of seating
were still empty, with Rozlyn’s party not yet present.
Spinning on my heel, I shoved my way through the wall of flesh
between me and my mate’s soon-to-be mother-in-law. My hood fell back in
the process, my fangs dropped, and I knew my eyes would be swirling with
a silver glow.
“Do not presume to command my guardians!” I snapped at the woman
who recoiled in the face of my sudden hostility.
“Her eyes,” Esta gasped before lurching backward. Her own were wide
and scared, her hand clasped against her throat as if I’d rip it out without
provocation. She might be right on the one point there, but she sure as hell
had provoked me. “She’s a monster! She cannot stay here. She’ll kill us
all.” I was sure ‘abomination’ would be in the next words the luna uttered.
Had she been in contact with my previous pack, or was the sentiment
something I would have to deal with anywhere I went for the rest of my
life?
“Stella, let us handle it,” Tobias urged in a whisper as he tucked his arm
around my back to steer me away from the luna.
Taken aback by her severe overreaction, I allowed him to lead me back
to the railing of the balcony as I replaced the hood over my head. Looking
up at Toby, I caught his stray thought, or possibly it was on purpose, that he
thought my eyes were beautiful. I also caught a sense of belonging from
him, something I assumed stemmed from his own treatment due to the
shock of white that stood out so prominently against the rest of his black
hair.
Try as I might, I couldn't get my eyes to stop glowing, so I moved
toward the row of seats off to the side. As the men dispatched Esta, I craned
my head to look around them, only to find the landing empty. I’d half
expected Roman and Cyn, if not Riddick, to come up at the commotion. My
disappointment, in both them and myself, crushed me when it became
apparent they hadn’t bothered.
Toby left me, mumbling that he was going to help Cass move the chairs,
while Hunter settled on a knee in front of me, gently taking my hand in his.
Sensing the direction of my thoughts, Hunter quietly relayed what was
happening.
“Vance is making sure Esta is returned to her mate and making it clear
that she shouldn’t have attempted to ambush you. According to her, she had
intended only to warn you not to ruin Rozlyn’s ceremony, but we all know
she was baiting you. I can only assume there is an underlying agenda, so we
must be more careful than ever. Do you understand me, Stella?”
It felt like he was asking more than the obvious, but seriously, how
much could they expect me to take on when I’d been a pariah up until
they’d crashed into my lives? Still was, I supposed. Yet I was to
unquestioningly fall in line with machinations I knew little about. Not to
mention contending with everything regarding my situation. But I did the
only thing I could do, what I’d been conditioned to do, and nodded my
agreement.
The tiny stress lines at the corners of his eyes relaxed at my gesture.
“Thank you, Stella. We’ll sort this out eventually. Somehow,” he muttered
as an afterthought, but he didn’t expand on it. He didn’t need to, really.
As Vance reappeared, his face like thunder, Hunter got to his feet. He
kept his hand in mine as we once again took our places at the railing, Vance
settling in closely behind me with Hunter up against my side. He refused to
relinquish my hand, even going so far as to lace our fingers together when I
tugged on it. I gave in and accepted the support as Toby and Cass took their
places and the music changed in tempo and volume.
The ceremony had begun.
Dressed in finery, Rozlyn was treated to a procession and ceremony that
loosely resembled that of the human world. Deep-seated envy wound
through me, echoing down the threads as I briefly lost my control on my
shield.
I must have made a noise, prompting Hunter to rub his thumb over the
inside of my wrist where my heartbeat fluttered with mounting panic.
“Steady now,” he said quietly enough not to carry, a hint of worry in his
tone.
A barely-there bob of my head was the only answer I could manage. He
and the other men likely assumed my jealousy stemmed from Rozlyn
mating Riddick, which it was to a point, but my newest upset came directly
from the difference in our ceremonies. I’d been drugged, nearly nude, and
almost raped under the direction of old men with too much power. The
perfect princess bitch got a pretty dress, flowers, and the support of her
family and pack. And your mate, my treacherous thoughts whispered to me.
Of course even my own mind had to drill it home.
My guardians, still stalwart in their resolve not to interfere with the
ceremony, stood as I did—in silence. Except where they were accepting of
the match, my heartbeat thundered in my chest until I imagined it escaping
its bony cage in an explosion of blood and gore.
Panic flooded through me as my control wavered. My entire being
demanded that I stop it from proceeding.
We had exhausted all avenues to convince Riddick to call it off, or at
least I thought we had, and now I got to watch the travesty unfold from a
bird’s-eye view. Best seat in the house, my unhinged thoughts offered. I
almost giggled, but the sound that involuntarily escaped my throat came out
too hysterical to be one of mirth. It did have the effect of drawing my
guardians’ attention. I could all but feel their concerned gazes centered on
me.
In a last-ditch effort to distance myself from the situation, I turned to
make believe, pulling a scene right from one of the books I loved so dearly.
I imagined that I was at an opera in my own little private box, scorning
the love story being acted out on the stage, able to leave if it bored me.
Except this wasn't a fictional story that I could walk away from.
This was my life. A life that I had no control over. The bubble I tried to
immerse myself in burst, leaving me blinking back tears I wouldn’t allow to
fall.
Resigned, I watched the alpha and luna give their blessing and take their
seats. The rest of the audience, including me and my guardians, took that as
our cue to do the same. And a good thing too as my legs were all but jelly.
A tear I couldn’t prevent tracked down my cheek still hidden in the
depths of the hood as the little princess bitch allowed Riddick to lift her
veil. That was the point of no return for my handle on my emotions, and,
subsequently, my light.
It was another nail in the coffin when he took her hand in his, and the
pain radiating from my chest could no longer be contained. A shift in the
atmosphere had the men crowding closer to me and the guests below
shifting almost imperceptibly. They thought they were safe, but the animals
within them knew better.
“Stella, cut it out,” Hunter, the one seemingly appointed to be my
keeper for the duration, whispered.
“I can’t,” I replied just as quietly, not realizing my walls were well and
truly down, allowing all of the men to feel the deadly intent from my light.
It was the harbinger of my manifesting grief and betrayal, an unstoppable
force if I wasn’t holding the reins.
With my shield down, Hunter spoke directly through our thread.
“Ground yourself, Stella. We cannot afford for you to lose it in here.”
If only it were so easy. Problem was, control had come naturally to me,
save that one time, and if it wavered, my shadowy companion had been
there to pick up the slack. Without it, for it still slumbered, I had no backup
plan.
Vaguely aware that Riddick followed the officiant’s lead, I took what
Hunter suggested to heart in a very literal sense. Feeling faint with the effort
of holding my light in, I toed my shoes off and focused on the balcony
floor. With my bare feet in contact with the only source of nature I could
access, I directed the energy into it, careful not to overload the stone, but it
did little to ground me. My feet began to glow with a halo of black-tinged
light.
“Touch her now!” Hunter commanded, briefly gaining the attention of
my mate and guardians below.
Those surrounding me gripped my hands and arms; behind me, Vance
touched my neck, avoiding the mark there. I was hyper aware of the scar
denoting Riddick’s claim as it itched, almost to the point of burning, and I
wished that Vance would scratch it since my hands weren’t able. More
distracting, though, was the light eating its way across the balcony floor,
slow but unchecked. It flared higher in the face of my panic, and I flooded
what energy I could to my guardians, accidentally hitting the men below
through our bond—and subsequently into Rozlyn since Riddick held her
hands.
At her sharp gasp of surprise, my anger grew. It was my stars-damned
energy, and I would fry the woman before I allowed her to share in it. My
intent was to pull it back from her, as well as everyone else in the loop of
power, but I accidentally pulled too hard, causing the couple below to flinch
in response.
I might have taken a small perverse pleasure in their sallow
complexions as the energy drain immediately took its toll, but I knew I
couldn’t control any of it with any sort of competency and was lucky it
hadn't rendered them unconscious. “I need to leave, now,” I begged my
guardians, but they refused to budge. It could have had something to do
with my light conforming to an invisible outline, edging around us without
touching unless someone attempted to move.
My panic was mounting by the second as my fire spread, so I pushed it
down, shoving it into the stone, hoping to smother it. It seemed to work for
a moment because relief trickled down the bonds, but then, as if it had
traveled through a tunnel, it reappeared, climbing the stone walls toward the
ceiling. It was only a matter of time before someone noticed it, with
hysteria soon to follow, not that I could blame anyone. I was out of control.
The only blessing? So far, it hadn’t destroyed anything or even left a
scorch mark, but I didn’t have any confidence that it would remain that
way. Maybe I jinxed myself, maybe it would have happened anyhow, but
my thoughts manifested when Rozlyn tipped her head to the side, baring her
neck in anticipation of Riddick’s mating bite.
It didn’t matter that he declined, hiding his refusal in a gallant bow that
ended with him raising her hand in his to expose the inside of her blue-
veined wrist. My wolf tried to rise, urging me to shift and stake our claim
by ripping the bride to shreds. I couldn’t fight her and attempt to subdue the
flickering flames my light had produced at the same time.
My fangs dropped while my hands shifted, but the men who held my
hands refused to relinquish their grip even though I was sure I had to cut
them. I smelled their blood in the air, though they didn’t make any sound of
pain, and begged my wolf not to hurt them just as I’d begged my light not
to burn them.
 A whimpering whine cut off as I doubled over in pain when Riddick
sank his fangs into Rozlyn’s petite wrist. The mark at the nape of my neck
flared to life as an agonizing ripping down my spine jerked my body
upright again. The violent motion dislodged my hood, exposing my starlit
hair and blazing silver eyes to all and sundry.
“Get her out of here,” Hunter snapped at Vance. Toby and Cass shifted
to close ranks in front of me to block me from the guests below who had
turned their attention from the ceremony to the commotion on the balcony. I
barely registered gasps and cries of fear, unsure if they were from those that
had caught sight of me in all my vamped out, partially shifted glory, or the
flaming, black-tinged light eating its way across the chapel above them.
Hunter attempted to penetrate my mind, but something had finally
woken my companion. It roused only long enough to eject him before
blipping out again, and I didn’t have the extra cognizance to dwell on it.
The pain was tunneling through my chest, driving into my heart. I dropped
toward the floor with a scream, with echoing grunts coming from the men
as they were afflicted through the bonds. Vance caught me before my knees
could slam into the unforgiving stone, but when I tipped my head up, ready
to beg for him to do something, anything, to make the agony stop, my
breath froze in my chest. The entire ceiling was engulfed in a conflagration
that most certainly burned from my unnatural flames. At some point, the
old chapel had been updated, so the sprinkler system kicked on, adding yet
more shrieks from below. The thunder of feet and shouts for order added to
the cacophony.
I keened from the pain, fear, and grief, my wolf joining in a mournful
howl in my mind. We both knew we’d never be accepted after the
disastrous event, and our mate was no longer only ours. My heartbreak
doubled when I turned my head into Vance’s chest, expecting some
semblance of comfort, and he shoved me away. I’d forgotten my fangs were
out.
He immediately realized his error, a mix of guilt and repulsion trickling
through the thread that connected us before I wrestled it shut. His knee-jerk
reaction was the shock I needed to get myself under control. It helped that
the pain was abating even if it wasn’t completely gone. I could only assume
Riddick had been separated from Rozlyn, or that their bond was settling,
and with it, the side-effects it had caused.
 Curling my hands into fists, ignoring the claws piercing my palms and
my guardians trying to speak to me, I willed the light back into me. It came
in a trickle at first, then more rapidly, until I became overloaded by the
sheer mass it had grown to, but I kept pulling while the sprinkler system
soaked me in icy water. I refused to let any of the men near me, shutting the
threads one by one when they tried to speak to me.
The fire was nearly contained, the five of us left in the circle untouched
by the heat of the flames, but that didn’t mean we had escaped the smoke.
The water wasn’t doing much to clear it, and we all succumbed to coughing
fits. Not that I cared if I were to perish there, I was beyond that.
Roman and Cynfell appeared on the landing, shirts over their faces. I
allowed the smallest of cracks in my shielding to ask Cyn where Riddick
was. When his gaze shuttered, I didn’t need to hear him to know Riddick
wasn’t coming, so I shut the connection again. Hunter pressed, and he
would have gotten through, but I let my sorrow take over. I pulled the rest
of the fire into myself, causing my body to glow from within, hoping my
racing, damaged heart would break for real from the strain of holding that
much power at one time.
“Little one, let us help you,” Cyn begged, holding a hand out for me to
take.
I only had one word for him. “Liar!” He didn’t want to help me, none of
them did. I was a tool to use as they saw fit, a pawn in their game, one I
never wanted to play. Without warning, a sensation akin to a joint popping
broke through the barrier my companion resided behind. The power I’d
collected flowed into the entity until it outgrew the place it had carved out
in my mind.
“Sleep now, little star. All will be well in time.”
My companion sounded different, but the pressure in my head felt like it
was going to crack my skull in two. While gripping the sides of it as if to
hold it together, I passed out, leaving the aftermath of the ruined ceremony
and chapel to the men who deserved to clean it up.

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Stella

I was vaguely aware of being moved before someone started slapping my

cheek and yelling.
“Stella, wake up now!”
Pretty certain it was Riddick, I ignored him and his attempts to get my
attention through our mate bond. My head felt heavy, like it was too full,
with everything filtered through a cottony thickness I couldn’t clear. No one
had any chance of getting through the muddled mess I’d caused when the
energy did whatever to my companion. I could only hope that I hadn’t done
permanent damage to it or myself.
I tentatively tried to poke at the space it used to reside in, which had
swollen well past its previous boundaries. The barest sense of comfort
came, but when I tried again, my discomfort grew, causing me to moan in
pain.
“Stella? Are you ignoring me?” Riddick asked incredulously as I
attempted to bury my face in the smoke-laden fabric of my cloak.
 “Would you stop? Stars, my head hurts.” My croaking voice was
punctuated with a very real cough inspired by the scratching inside my sore
throat. In turn, my head throbbed anew, eliciting a whimper that shut him
up for a moment.
The silence was a relief, except I could almost hear the buzz from them
speaking through the bonds. It had never happened before, but I was
certainly picking up on it now.
Seemingly coming to a conclusion, Riddick spoke again, softer but still
demanding. “You’re not recovering as you should. You need to take energy
from us so you can heal.”
My stomach roiled at the mere mention of taking more energy into
myself. No way would I be tapping into anyone anytime soon. I didn’t think
it would help anyway. I was fairly certain I needed to become accustomed
to my companion’s expanded living quarters, and I needed to feed, which I
wouldn’t accept from any of them after last time.
“Not happening. Get out.” Short and to the point, I dismissed my mate.
“Stella,” Cyn intervened, “we need to know what happened. The alpha
wants an explanation, the pack is scared and demanding your banishment,
and… A report will have to be sent to the council.” The last was
unwillingly divulged, I was sure. I assumed Riddick prompted him to
deliver the not-so-veiled threat.
“I don’t have anything to say on the matter. You were all there, so you
saw what happened, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t pretend you don’t
know the reason behind it. If you lot hadn’t forced me to attend, it could
have been prevented. Blame yourselves.” My anger grew at his obvious
avoidance of the real problem.
“We’re well aware of that, little one,” Cyn said, gentling his voice, “but
I meant we need to know what happened with you. Where did the energy
that you gathered go? Why aren’t you healing?”
“Oh.” I was momentarily taken aback by their concern. They were all
there for me. Whether it was an oddity or duty, I didn’t know, but I was
extremely hesitant to tell them what I did know. How could I explain that
my childhood glowy-friend had turned into an energy-sucking parasite and
that it was growing and about to make my head pop? I didn’t think that
would go over so well, and I found myself quite protective over the entity,
aching head or not.
 Besides, pulling energy, even if I could safely figure it out and stomach
it, wasn’t all that I needed. It was a safe bet my inability to control my
emotions or my light had been heavily affected by needing to feed from my
mate or my guardians.
So I gave them the best answer I could. A shrug and silence.
A buzzing came from one of them, followed by a sigh and a voice full
of frustration. “I have to go. Please handle this and report back tomorrow.” I
assumed that was directed at Cyn or one of the other men since I still hadn’t
opened my eyes. Had I not smelled the familiar scents of my room, I
wouldn’t have known where I was. “I’m sorry, Stella. You don’t know how
it pains me to have to leave you now…” Well, there wasn’t a good way to
finish that sentence when you were going to fornicate with your new mate
while leaving your first one injured.
I didn’t have a bit of sympathy for the man. He could rot for all I cared.
My wolf wanted to protest, but she wasn’t up to much just yet either, so at
least I didn’t have to fight with her.
Riddick let out one of his ever-waiting, long-suffering sighs and left the
room. The awkward silence left in his wake made me want to curse him
again.
With a groan, I forced my eyes open, squinting against the low light,
and zeroed in on Cassius and Tobias where they sat at the foot of my bed. “I
need a shower and clothes. Would you and Toby mind helping me get to the
bathroom?”
The men got up and helped me while the others thought to have their
say. Except Vance. He looked me over, nodded his head, and took his leave.
Cyn had barely opened his mouth before Hunter was speaking over him, but
I cut them off by holding up my hand. The gesture was meant to shut them
up, but a flash of light hit them both, shoving them back before they caught
their balance and stared at me in shock. Curling my hand into a fist, I held it
against my chest to prevent anything else from happening.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to,” I whispered, tipping my head so my damp
and ratty hair blocked them from my sight.
“Come on, glow bug, let’s get you to the shower.” Cass swept me up,
not at all bothered that I could have seriously hurt him, while Toby went
ahead. Desperately needing the comfort, I took a chance and buried my face
in his neck, inhaling his scent. The normal woodsy tones were
overshadowed by sweat and smoke, but it did the trick. My wolf settled,
exhaustion claiming her as she accepted that Cass and his beast would
protect us. I was slightly concerned that he was uncomfortable when he
stiffened for a moment, but then he shifted and his hand came up to cradle
the back of my head as his strong arms supported my weight.
“We’ll start training tomorrow, Stella. Get some rest.” Hunter sternly,
but not unkindly, informed me. Cass took that as his cue, heading for the
bathroom.

O nce the men had left me in peace, or what would pass for it on the worst
day of my life, I settled into bed with one of my favorite books. I
couldn’t concentrate, but I knew the story well enough that it played out in
my head like a film. The passages my gaze caught on were more a reminder
to keep me from daydreaming.
Slowly, without noticing at first, I started to feel uncomfortable, like my
skin was too tight and my bones ached as if I’d slept in an awkward
position. When it was irritable enough to catch my attention, I put my book
on the nightstand and went to get a drink of water from the bathroom,
hoping stretching out was all I needed to gain relief.
I stared at my reflection in the mirror above the sink. Despite my
shower, I still carried the grief in my eyes, along with dark circles below
them that I was well aware meant I needed blood sooner than later. My
aggravation with being stuck in my room without an escort wore on me, as
did whatever stars-damned affliction I’d picked up that made my body feel
like a stranger. Was it a side-effect of the day’s events? After checking on
my companion and discovering there wasn’t any change there, I dismissed
the thought. The saying, something about ‘Climbing out of my own skin’
came to mind.
Unable to shake the feeling that something very bad was about to
happen, I took the glass and headed for my bed. I hadn’t quite made it
across the room when my mating mark lit up, burning as if I were being
branded.
I dropped to my knees, the glass shattering when my grip loosened, and
I clutched and dug at the back of my neck. It wasn’t hot to the touch, but it
burned nonetheless.
Images flashed at me, my consciousness pulled from my room to
wherever Riddick was and back again. I shrieked in rage as much as pain,
that of both body and soul.
“Stop it!” I cried out, ordering my companion to no avail. It wasn’t
active at all, and I couldn’t stop seeing the scene play out while my
projection abilities went haywire. “I need Hunter,” I begged through the
threads, hoping he could render me unconscious or at least figure out what
was happening to me.
Vance was the first of my guardians to make it to me, though he
checked the door to the hall before he knelt next to me, avoiding the shards
of glass. “What’s wrong with you?” he asked, entirely too calmly for my
liking.
“She’s more tied to Riddick than we knew,” Hunter filled him in,
coming through the same door while Vance took up guard against the hall
door. “She’s also hidden that she can astrally project herself through the
bonds, and further, I suspect, once she gets a handle on it.”
I’d have chewed him out for gossiping about me, but he’d managed to
press through our thread much like he had before, but without the pain. Or
maybe I just didn’t notice it with my neck on fire.
“Please make it stop,” I whimpered, tears dripping down my cheeks.
“I’m sorry, Stella, but I can’t. I can see what’s happening, and we can all
feel it to a point, but you and Riddick have blocked each other. He doesn’t
know what he’s doing.” I did the only thing I could do. I opened my bond
with Riddick and shoved everything that was happening at him.
He ignored me, strangling our connection even further in an effort to
keep me out, until Vance stormed out into the hall, slamming the door
behind him. A few moments of agony more, and the bond opened. “I didn’t
know.”
Not an apology. Anger filled the void of despair as the burning slowly
abated. “You knew it hurt me when you claimed her in the chapel. Don’t lie,
you sorry excuse for a mate.”
I felt his anger in the bond, not that I cared if he was mad. “I thought
that was a one-time event, and I meant I didn’t know you would see it.”
“Oh, so it’s acceptable to burn me through your mating mark when
you’re unfaithful as long as I don’t witness the infidelity? Too bad you
couldn’t get up, huh, mate? Maybe I should mark you and see what happens
when I touch other men.”
“You will not. I’ll be there in the morning, I have things to deal with in
light of the newest developments. I have no idea how I’m going to explain
this and convince them to keep it quiet.” Whether he meant I wouldn’t mark
him or touch other men, I wasn’t sure. He certainly wouldn’t be dictating to
me after I’d seen strobing images of him trying to get his dick to work,
culminating with Rozlyn on her knees in an effort to help him out.
I sucked it up and calmly entreated him to do the right thing. No matter
how it would hurt, it couldn’t be worse than what I’d just experienced. I
couldn’t deal with that every time he tried to touch her, and I knew he
wouldn’t refrain, be it by choice or not. “If you care at all, you’ll let me
go.”
“I do care, but you’re not the only person affected. I’m sorry, Stella.”
The crushing hurt I felt when he reiterated what I was already well
aware of was the rotten cherry on top of the shit sundae I’d been served.
Without bothering to reply, I blocked our bond until the now familiar
pressure and discomfort came from stretching it so thin. If he doesn’t want
me, I don’t want him. My wolf whined, but I felt her grudging agreement
along with her upset that Riddick’s wolf had to be suffering in the same
way.
“You’ll be fine, Stella,” Hunter murmured, jarring me out of my
thoughts. I was too wrung out to be embarrassed that he’d heard all of that,
and he’d find out sooner or later anyhow. All I wanted was rest and for
Riddick to refrain from anything else until I’d had a chance to get some.
After helping clean up the glass and settling me back in, my hovering
guardians grudgingly left the room. I had a feeling they expected another
outburst, but Riddick must have gotten busy or gone to bed by himself as I
was able to drift off soon after, the pain and pressure to leave my body
having gone.

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Stella

T his isn’t happening again.

Of course I’d projected back to Riddick after I’d fallen asleep. That
was just how my luck went. Thankfully, he was dressed and not in a room
with Rozlyn anymore. I was certain he was in the same room he and Cyn
had met the alpha and luna in, though he appeared to be staring out a
darkened window into the moonless night.
I very much did not want to be privy to whatever he was waiting to
discuss with the alpha, which would certainly be about me. Willing myself
back to my body, I waited for the sucking sensation that had accompanied
my traveling before, but it didn’t do a bit of good. It appeared I was stuck.
Unable to leave, my pulse rose with my panic. What if I can’t get back
to my body?
“Stella?” Riddick questioned through our connection, jolting me from
my near meltdown. I could feel him prodding around our bond. I could also
feel his overwhelming guilt, not that I had any sympathy for it.
 Figuring he thought I was trying to reach out to him, I made sure my
end was shut tight. Until I could get back to my body, it was best to remain
quiet and still, so as not to raise his suspicions more than I already had. That
lasted all of two seconds since Riddick pulled his phone out to send a
message to Cyn, asking him to check on me, and I immediately set to trying
to pull myself from him.
The strange sensation of being in another body but not in control wasn’t
as jarring as previous times. I had a suspicion that I was more voyeur than
full immersion. Understanding and competently wielding my rapidly
evolving gifts had climbed to the top of my priority list. I had no intention
to be controlled and used for the rest of my life and would hone the abilities
gifted to me by circumstance of my birth to free myself from the chains of
the men that sought to own me.
It wasn’t long until the sleep-rumpled pack alpha came in, irritation
radiating from him, with a prune-faced Esta in his wake. My wolf perked up
at the luna’s entrance, and I redoubled my efforts to get back to my body.
What would happen if my wolf took over in my current state, I didn’t know,
but I didn’t want to find out. It also hadn’t occurred to me before, but I
wasn’t so sure Riddick’s wolf wouldn’t detect her if that happened, and that
just plain spelled trouble.
Frustrated, yet still unable to budge, I turned to brute force, squashing
her down none too gently. The promise of a run finally attained her
cooperation right as I was about to chance calling for Hunter to see if he
could help me. I was glad it hadn’t come to that since stars only knew how
that conversation would have gone.
In my struggle with my wolf, I missed the beginning of the
conversation, but I tuned in soon enough to gather that Riddick’s failure to
consummate and seal his mating to Rozlyn had been revealed. It was right
in time for shit to hit the fan.
Brows lowered, Alpha Antony’s eyes shined with impatience and a hint
of his wolf. “Riddick, I’m certain you can appreciate the delicacy of the
matter when I have to put aside any fatherly sensibilities to ask why you
haven’t finished your claim on my daughter or your other mate. Is there an
issue with your manhood you haven’t been upfront about?”
Oh, how I wished I could have seen Riddick’s face. The indignation
flooding my mate left me silently snickering to myself.
 “Of course not,” he replied, keeping his voice level in the face of his
annoyance. “There have been complications, but I’m not sure I should be
divulging them since you are Rozlyn’s father.”
Without waiting for the alpha to reply, Esta butted in. “It’s that girl
Stella’s fault, isn’t it? She’s been nothing but trouble since you brought her
here, Riddick. I want her gone. Do you understand me? We accepted your
suit for Rozlyn in good faith and gave you leeway for the elders mating you
to the Heir, but this has gone too far—”
The alpha growled at his mate, immediately gaining her submission.
She ceased her prattling and tilted her head to expose her neck to him. Her
eyes promised retribution, of the bedroom sort, I supposed, but the damage
had been done.
“Is this true, Riddick? Is the Heir preventing you claiming either one of
them? If so, I need to inform the council. She’s already proven she’s a
danger.” My heart sunk with Antony’s words. I didn’t want to be in his
pack, but I didn’t want to be sent off to the elders to endure who knew what.
My mate had his arguments prepared though, and I watched him back
Antony into a corner he couldn’t escape without taking a blow to his pride
and possibly losing his position, or his head.
“Stella is only just now coming into the powers merely hinted at by the
ancient texts. She has been kept ignorant of the world and largely shunned
by my former pack. Stella will learn control with the help of her guardians,
my fellow alpha knights.” He started out, neutrally enough, but his tone
chilled as he continued. “I kept my word to the detriment of my mate by
continuing with the ceremony with Rozlyn as you saw in the chapel. The
subsequent side-effects have left Stella in debilitating pain that I cannot
help but share in. It is why I am here instead, dragging you from your beds
in the middle of the night. I need more time to complete our agreement and
will continue to try until I have succeeded.”
I had to give it to the man; he was able to dance around the topic of
rutting the alpha’s daughter, and his impotence, without missing a beat.
Unfortunately, the alpha wasn’t so easy to sway.
With a glance at his fuming mate, Antony crossed his arms over his
thick chest. “As a compromise, the girl will be sent to the council with your
men while you remain here to fulfill your duties. Not now, Esta.” He put his
hand up at the gasping protest she emitted. I assumed it had to do with Cyn
being sent away, as the woman seemed to adore her brother. “Once you
have an heir with Rozlyn, we can revisit allowing the girl to return. That
will allow ample time for her to learn control and for you to adhere to your
responsibilities.”
Apparently, the alpha thought his decree would be the final say, but he
should have understood that Riddick was too selfish to let me go, or my
presence would have been a moot point.
My mate had an ace up his sleeve, one that left me incensed at his and
their audacity. Eyes narrowed in challenge, Riddick snapped out, “Have you
so quickly forgotten the financial agreements that were made and then
amended after my arrival? Does Cynfell know that your bad investments
drove this pack to the brink of destitution? That the not insubstantial sum in
our original contract would have only sustained the pack long enough to
postpone the inevitable for a few months, a year at most? That you sold his
niece?” He ignored the alpha’s blustering and Esta’s slack-jawed mien.
“No, I bet he doesn’t because he’d challenge you in an instant. You’re
already under the elders’ communal thumb. You made the deal to house the
Heir, fully aware she was my mate, provided you had access to the vast
amount of funds held in trust for her. You argued that you needed the
resources to protect your people should the vampires come for her.
“What you didn't plan on was me being a hindrance or for my approval
to be required regarding all accounting. You thought I would give you free
rein in her stead since we both know she was never intended to wield even
the power of money without the say-so of a mate puppeted by our council.
Do not think to threaten me, or I will cut you off at the knees financially
and let Cynfell deal with you as he sees fit."
The alpha paled but didn't otherwise show his trepidation. As for me, I
couldn’t believe it, but maybe that was being naive. Riddick had dangled
my money in front of them. Money I only vaguely knew about, and had
certainly never seen, or been allowed to access. Yet there he was, using it to
bribe the broke alpha and caving to the shrewish luna’s demands.
“For now, I’ll make a compromise, but only until I have met the
requirements of the contract and Stella has had a chance to be educated on
her abilities as she should have already been. Once those commitments are
satisfied, discreetly on both our parts, of course, Rozlyn is free to pursue the
man she fancies if she still does at that time. Regardless of what she
chooses, I will be free to begin making up for the betrayal I have served the
mate fate gifted me.”
 “And what would this compromise entail, Riddick?” Esta spat, braving
her mate’s ire.
“I’ll allow Stella to be relocated outside of the manor as long as she’s
still within the pack commons where she can be protected. In exchange, I
will figure out a way to work around the difficulties with completing the
consummation. As for you, Alpha, you will not be contacting the council
unless you want to forfeit all financial support and for Cynfell to be advised
of all that has transpired.
"You spoke of agreements made in good faith. Yet you were quick to
jump to dishonorable means to secure funding you didn’t earn, while
attempting to banish the rightful owner of said funds, wholly to placate your
mate, and I’m sure, your daughter.”
Riddick’s tone brooked no room for argument, and the alpha, looking
like he was suffering from a great deal of constipation, didn’t attempt to do
anything but agree. Esta nodded her head, but I didn’t miss the calculating
gleam in her eye. She would need to be watched, though I couldn’t shake
the feeling that watching her wouldn’t be enough to protect myself from her
machinations.
Dejected and disgusted with my mate, I finally felt the tug back to my
body. I welcomed it with great relief, wanting nothing more than to be rid
of Riddick’s presence for as long as I could manage it. My only comfort? I
had a plan to adhere to, and then I would make a bid for my freedom.

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Stella
One Week Later

“W hy do I have to do this, again?” I whined as Vance lobbed yet

another stick at me. It bounced off the shield made from my light, an
inch in front of my nose. When it landed, it was charred, but that was about
it, not quite what I was supposed to be accomplishing.
“Because Hunter said so.” Vance said it slowly, like my hearing or
comprehension wasn’t up to par. He liked to irritate me, which was
probably why Hunter had assigned Vance to help me. If anyone could goad
me into accessing my abilities, it would be him.
“Admit it,” I snarled. “You enjoy throwing forest debris at my head.” A
rock bigger than my head came at me a whole lot faster than the stick had.
Out of fear, I threw my hands up, halting the small boulder in its tracks until
my arms shook and I lost my hold on it. As it fell to the forest floor with a
thump, I stared at an equally surprised Vance, wide-eyed with shock. He
recovered much more quickly than I did. I still couldn’t believe he’d done
it. Thumping came at the closed threads, the others feeling my fear, but I
knocked back, shooing them off with our new system. The last thing I
wanted were witnesses right then.
“You were supposed to disintegrate it, Stella. What the hell was that?”
Vance’s eyes narrowed as he stalked toward me, but I didn’t have an answer
for him. I hadn’t moved anything in that manner since I’d slammed the
doors when Cyn pissed me off—which Vance should remember.
“I don’t know. That hasn’t happened since I melted Cyn’s door latch
shut. You scared me, Vance. It was instinct more than anything else.” I was
mad, so my voice was waspish as a result, not that he didn’t deserve it.
The bastard grinned, a rare occurrence for the perpetually grumpy
guardian, and one that I wasn’t in the mood to appreciate. “Good, then you
do have some sense of self-preservation. I was starting to wonder. Seems I
just have to inspire you a bit more to get results.”
My jaw dropped at his audacity. When I found my voice, my fear had
abated, and the ever-present sadness had returned. He’d thrown a rock at
my head, and even with my shield of light, it was large enough that it would
have knocked me down, if not unconscious. Hurt laced my tone as I
informed him I was done and turned to walk away. “Go torment someone
else. I don’t need a bully to hurt me. I had plenty of rocks thrown at me as a
child, and I won’t take it from someone meant to protect me.” It wasn’t the
reaction he wanted, for he chased after me.
“Stella, I’m sorry, but we need to figure this out. It’s been a week of
training without any improvement.” It was strange to hear him talk so much
since he’d largely been my silent shadow. He’d stopped calling me blood
sucker weeks ago, after we’d first arrived, but I hadn’t thought he liked me
or felt more than pity for me.
“You don’t like me, Vance,” I said, voicing my thoughts and refusing to
stop. “Why are you even here? We both know you’d have no issue fobbing
the task off on one of the others. I’d also suggest that you leave me alone.
I’m hungry, and I might actually try to hurt you if you push me.” I still
couldn’t forget the way he’d recoiled from me when my fangs had dropped
at the mating ceremony. There was no reason to call him on it, yet I
couldn’t let it go either.
“I’m trying to help you. You’d heal from a rock, and I didn’t throw it
that hard.” He grabbed my arm, but I jerked away from him. “Stella, stars
damn it, will you stop? I’ll take you for a run.”
 I turned on him then, lighting up in warning, but he held his ground.
“Tell me why, now.” His brow wrinkled in confusion, prompting me to
expand on my demand. “Speaking to me, Vance. You don’t talk. Like ever.
What’s the deal?”
Understanding dawned on him. “I don’t dislike you, Stella. I just don’t
care for your parentage, but you’ve been dealt a pretty shitty hand, and I
can empathize with that. Besides, I talk to the other alphas. Would you
prefer I was quiet?”
I didn’t know where to go from there. My feelings were hurt, something
that seemed to be a permanent state of being for me, but I didn’t detect any
deceit on his part. Before either of us could say anything else, a voice I
didn’t care to ever hear again spoke up behind me.
“Aren’t you supposed to be on a leash after you ruined my mating
ceremony?” I turned to find Rozlyn approaching with a guard a few steps
behind her.
Vance shifted to get between us, but I held a hand up. I didn’t need him
to run interference with the girl. It was more than time to show her that I
wouldn’t deal with her nonsense. “I do believe you are trespassing, Rozlyn.
You weren’t invited, so you should leave.”
Her complexion turned a lovely shade of puce as her guard glanced
back and forth between us. He looked like he wanted to say something, but
instead, he rolled his lips in and rocked back on his heels.
“This is my land, you half-breed bitch. I’ll go where I please.” I rolled
my eyes at her and crossed my arms so I didn’t torch the spoilt brat.
“I came to tell you that you need to stop with whatever black magic
your kind practices and to leave me and Riddick alone.”
I couldn’t repress the groan that escaped me. “You do realize that you
are both causing me physical harm, right? Whatever he, or you, suffer as a
consequence isn’t my fault. Maybe you should stop trying to be intimate
with another woman’s mate.” Done with her crap, I stepped sideways,
intending to go around her.
Contrary as ever, she matched my steps, getting directly in my way.
With eyes narrowed in hatred, she attempted to deliver information that was
already a sore subject. “How do you like living in the honeymoon cottage?
If you weren’t a danger to others, Riddick and I would be there now.”
“Roz, stop it,” the guard whispered, hurt in his eyes. Rozlyn’s features
softened as she turned to look at the guard. Putting two and two together, I
figured he had to be the mate she’d chosen but hadn’t been allowed to have.
I could have felt sorrow for her if she weren’t so awful.
“You’re taking her side, Merle? If she would just leave him be, I could
do what I have to so we can be together. Instead, she’s being jealous and
making it impossible.” She stomped her foot like that was going to do
anything to help the situation rather than accepting the truth that I didn’t
have any control over any of it.
“Rozlyn, you put yourself in that position. You could have refused,” I
tried to point out, as civilly as possible.
“That’s rich, coming from you. You certainly didn’t hesitate to spread
your legs.” Her snort of disbelief wore on my last bit of patience.
Pointedly raising a brow in her direction, I quickly disabused her of that
notion. “Yes, I did. What you choose to do is your business, but I won’t
allow an unfaithful mate to touch me.”
“I don’t believe you. Everyone knows that you’re putting out for all of
them. Don’t try to deny it. None of the alpha knights have accepted any
suits offered to them.” Shock coursed through me at her accusations, but her
next words had me lighting up. “No one wants you here. You’re a danger to
this pack, and it’s only a matter of time before my mother talks my father
into getting Riddick to send you away.”
Vance remained at my back, my silent shadow once again, but Merle
stood between me and Rozlyn when I pointed a light-limned finger in her
direction. “You’re a petty little princess bitch throwing a fit when you don’t
have a stars-damned clue what you’re spouting off about. You’re broke.
Your parents made bad decisions and sold your ass to the highest bidder for
a political match.”
“Stella, watch what you reveal,” Vance warned through our connection,
keeping it private from the others. “We’ll be having a discussion as well,
away from sharp ears. Cynfell will not like this.”
“Cyn doesn’t know, and to keep the peace, he will not be informed.” I
could feel Vance’s surprise at my stern tone, then the tiniest bit of pride, but
I was too busy wrecking the perfect bubble Rozlyn existed in. “That dowry
you had? Provided by Riddick. But even his deep pockets weren’t enough
to rectify the destitution you were about to find yourself in. Finding out I
was the Heir and mating me? That’s what is saving this entire pack right
now. You see, it’s my money you’re spending while you rant, rave, and
spread lies behind my back. It’s why your mother can’t ‘send me to the
council.’ Grow up, Rozlyn, and realize you were a pawn in your parents’
game.”
“You can’t talk to me like that. Merle, tell her!” The man only shook his
head without bothering to turn around. At least he had her welfare in mind,
even if she didn’t.
“Roz, I think we should go. I shouldn’t have let you talk me into coming
out here.” From Merle’s expression, I didn’t doubt they’d be having words
later.
“No!” she shrieked, accompanied by another stomp. “I want her to
agree to unhex Riddick. The longer she punishes him, the longer it will be
until we’re free to be together.”
Having had enough of her antics, I told the girl off. “I’m not a witch,
you racist twit. Get it through your head that Riddick and I are true mates,
and I don’t even want him! I have no control over what happens every time
you get on your knees for him. I’m done arguing with you. Take your guard
and leave. We both know I was banished to the outskirts to appease your
mother, but the entire pack was warned off from coming to this area. Should
I let your parents know you and your guard require discipline, or should I
handle it myself?”
I let the light grow around my hand until it crept toward them. Merle
backed away, grabbing Rozlyn’s hand before dragging her off the way
they’d come.
“Good riddance,” I muttered under my breath as I attempted to coax my
light back. It had gotten stronger since my companion grew and wasn’t as
obedient as it once was.
“Stella,” Vance said, warning in his tone.
“I don’t want to talk about it, Vance. Now take me on a run so I can
hunt. I'm hungry, and it was difficult to refrain from eating the rude girl.” I
turned to face him only to find that my demand had been met with an eye
roll more suited to someone of my age rather than Vance’s. “Why are you
just standing there?”
“I’m your guard, remember?”
“Yes, and I’m starting to believe that you’re possessed. You’re acting
strange.” My suspicions were confirmed when he grimaced, though it
wasn’t what I thought it was.
With a sigh, he fessed up. “I have a hypothesis, and I’d prefer to keep it
private. I believe that training with you has kept me in close enough
proximity, and with our connection open, that you are serving your
purpose.”
Frowning, I stared at him. “I don’t understand. I’m serving a purpose?”
“Yes, Stella. We, the other knights and I, have discussed your sudden
development with venom you didn’t have. As far as we’re aware, it wasn’t
an attribute you possessed before you bit Roman the first time. The Vae isn’t
of the lineage that would produce the addictive aphrodisiac, so it stands to
reason that something prompted you to develop it. Your guardians are
meant to serve you, but from the research I’ve managed to do, it’s to be a
symbiotic relationship.”
I had forgotten Vance was a scholar at heart. It had come as a bit of a
shock when Hunter first informed me, after I’d woken from my day-long
recovery, that I was to keep Vance abreast of any changes I noticed.
“What’s that have to do with your personality transplant?” I snarked
back, annoyed with his avoidance.
“Simply put, Stella, you’re influencing me.” He shrugged when I gaped
at him in horror.
“Are you saying I’m forcing you to like me?” My stomach turned at the
thought of taking his, or anyone’s, free will from them.
Vance sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, more of his usual, or
old usual, peeking through. I was alternately relieved and wary at the same
time. “No. Think of it more like a mood stabilizer humans use.”
Unable to help it, I snorted. “So I’m a magic pill for all of you when you
need something? That sounds more than a tad convenient.”
“I’ll give you the texts that I found. In order for you to be what we need,
we must, in turn, be what you need.”
Realization dawned as I remembered my entity telling me much the
same. It was the first bit of hope I’d had that there was a benefit to having
the men as my guardians. My mood had been largely melancholy since I’d
made it back to my body the night of the mating. The traveling had taken its
toll, leaving me unconscious for most of the next day. I’d awoken with the
rending pain I now associated with Riddick being intimate with Rozlyn, or I
was certain I’d have needed longer to rest. Regardless, awake I had been,
and it was only to find that I’d been moved in my slumber.
Rozlyn’s barb had found its mark, though I’d tried to hide it. Upon
waking, and after I stopped screaming, the men informed me that we’d been
reassigned to the furthest dwelling still within the main patrol range. The
quaint cottage was barely big enough for all of us, but that wasn’t the worst
part. It was that it had been prepared for the newly mated couple to have
bonding time away from the rest of the pack.
It made the fact that everything I’d endured, from the drugged mating,
to being relegated to a nursery I would only stay in until it was needed for
children that should have been mine, to being forced to attend Riddick and
Rozlyn’s ceremony—was one injury after another. To top it off, Riddick
had agreed to stay away until Rozlyn was pregnant.
I didn’t want to want him, but he was my mate, and his actions were
slowly carving me to pieces. Why won’t he let me go? There was only one
conclusion I could come to, and that answer was greed.
Shaking off my bad mood as best I could, I motioned for Vance to turn
around. It effectively ended our conversation, but I let him know I needed
to hunt. My fangs burned with the effort to keep them hidden, and I wasn’t
sure my guardian’s newfound acceptance of me extended that far.
As soon as his back was turned, I stripped, shifted, and took off into the
well-marked boundary of my newest prison. I still planned to escape, but
maybe I could get my guardians to help me. Only time would tell, I
supposed. As I caught the scent of a rabbit, I let my focus go and became
one with my wolf, reveling in the freedom it offered.

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Stella

A slittle
the days went on, tension mounted within the small house. I still had
control over my abilities, and Riddick hadn’t managed to
impregnate Rozlyn. The pain continued almost daily unless Riddick and
one of the other knights were sent off with a contingent of pack guards to
deal with skirmishes at the border. I didn’t ask, but I assumed they were
with vampires or others who wanted to take and use me.
Too bad I was broken, unable to wield even my light safely anymore.
Vance and Hunter surmised that while I was in such emotional and physical
turmoil, I’d have little chance of controlling powers that had manifested and
grown. So we were all at an impasse since Riddick couldn’t mate Rozlyn
without my pain rendering him impotent. The one time I’d suggested doing
like humans sometimes did and using a turkey baster, or the medical
equivalent, I was informed it was against the contract. Not a bit interested in
what else was in the contract, I’d retreated to my room to privately await
the next round of agony my mate’s duty would inflict on me.
 During one such session, I passed out, waking with a fever that refused
to abate, and that was the catalyst that set into motion events that I didn’t
believe anyone could have predicted.
Moaning in pain, my skin dry and hot while I froze inside, I couldn’t
control my fangs coming down. I vaguely heard one of my guardians
cursing before I was picked up and carried from my sweat-laden sickbed.
“Aaah!” I shrieked as I was lowered into a freezing bath. The cold felt
like a thousand needles pricking my skin, but the men wouldn’t let me up.
Multiple hands kept all but my face submerged.
When I managed to drag my eyes open, Riddick stood, a stricken
expression on his handsome face as he observed the direness of my state.
With my clothing soaked and clinging to my body, my weight loss was
more than apparent. It had only been a few days, but the illness had
progressed rapidly, eating away at my already starved body.
I hadn’t told the men, but the prey I caught in the woods no longer
remotely satisfied my craving for blood, so my body hadn’t stood a chance
when whatever affliction had struck. I stood a very real chance of dying.
The notion was an attractive one, though I felt a heavy bit of guilt,
remembering my guardians’ reaction when they'd thought I was
contemplating it before.
“Hunter, what is wrong with her?” Riddick demanded, crossing the
room to kneel on the wet tiles next to the foot of the bath, the only available
space with the others keeping hands on me so I couldn’t try to climb out.
It wasn’t Hunter that answered him, but Roman. “I-I’ve seen this
before,” he started out hesitantly, visibly girding himself as he continued.
“It’s a wasting disease that affects vampires. Whether they choose to stop
feeding on their own, or they’re being punished, which is more often the
case in blood dens. This is how a vampire starves to death.”
Toby took off as Riddick laid into the men. “How long has it been since
she’s fed? Why wasn’t I called sooner?”
A croaking bark of laughter, devoid of mirth, escaped my parched and
sore throat, drawing their attention to me once again. Lips shivering from
the cold, I gave him the answer he already knew. “You made a deal to stay
away, remember? Why should you be apprised of anything regarding me?
You should leave, Riddick, before your spoiled little princess bitch notices
that you’ve slipped your leash.” I couldn’t help but add the last bit on, and
from the change in his expression, he was well aware of what Rozlyn had
said to me during her last ambush.
“She has been feeding, except the last few days since the fever set in,”
Vance interjected, derailing the standoff between me and Riddick as we
glared at each other.
“I’ll have bagged blood supplied as soon as this fever comes down. I
want to continue monitoring while she’s in here so she doesn’t become too
cold,” Hunter informed Riddick, then dismissed him in favor of speaking
directly to me. I was surprised, but Riddick seemed downright shocked. I
had a feeling that his men were becoming more mine as time passed, which
was how the bonds between the Silverlight Heir and her guardians were
supposed to work from what I understood. “Stella, I would appreciate it if
you would agree to open the channels. You can keep yours and Riddick’s
closed, for obvious reasons, but I’m afraid something will happen to you,
and we won’t know until it’s too late to seek help.”
I shook my head before he even finished. My bones ached from the
cold, but I wasn’t so far out of it that I would willingly let them all inside
my head. “Not happening. I can’t live in a fishbowl.” Whatever he might
have answered was lost when Toby came back in, only in tight shorts,
bearing a cup of what was plainly blood from a freshly caught animal. The
scent of it turned my stomach, and finally, my fangs retracted.
“Here, you need to drink this,” he said, helpfully holding the cup out for
me to take, but I couldn’t.
“I can’t. I’m sorry. It’s going to make me sick.” His face fell as sharp
intakes of air and cursing filled the room.
“You will,” Riddick decreed. He reached for the cup, plainly planning to
force me if I wouldn’t accept it on my own, but the phone in his pocket
started buzzing first. With one hand, he took the glass while pulling the
phone out with the other, only to sigh in frustration. “I’ve been summoned.
I knew we were being watched, but this is ridiculous. Cyn, get this in her,
no matter what. I’ll be back as soon as I make a few things clear with the
alpha.”
Riddick left, something I hardly noticed or cared about since I was too
busy glaring at Cyn, daring him to try. The others knew I’d fight, or at least
suspected it, and I soon found myself being force fed blood I knew
wouldn’t stay down.
 “Fuck all of you,” I rasped, wiping my mouth when they turned me
loose.
“You have to eat, Stella,” Cyn quietly and guiltily admonished before
turning to Hunter. “Can we get her out of there? She’s turning blue.”
Hunter nodded, but as they pulled me up, my stomach heaved. The
blood sprayed violently in, and out of, the tub, leaving a mess reminiscent
of a massacre.
“Fuck, that’s not good.” It was Vance that spoke, but everyone had to be
thinking the same thing. I knew I was. “I’ll help you clean up. Everyone
else, out! Toby, you and Cass get her bed changed. Roman…” Roman
nodded, his golden eyes with his ever-present wolf peeking out, bled dark
as his pupils expanded. Blood spattered as he was, it made for an
intimidating sight, but I wouldn’t aid in his addiction. I readied myself for
the stand I planned to take.
The men moved quickly then, with Vance stripping, cleaning, and
redressing me with as much dignity as possible. Once I was in bed, topless
Roman closing in on me, ready to sacrifice a vein, I drew my light forth.
Using every bit of energy and control that I could, I kept it from burning my
bedding, but the men that tried to breach the darkened ring scorched their
fingertips trying.
“I won’t feed from any of you. We don’t know for sure that this isn’t
catching. If Riddick deigns to show up and offer blood, I’ll attempt to
accept it as his duty, but I won’t put you in danger unless it becomes
necessary.” Angry and crestfallen expressions met my decree.
“Glow bug, I think it’s more than necessary now,” Cyn tried, but I
shook my head.
“When I can no longer control myself, then it will be. Leave it for now,
Cyn, please.” The men left me to rest, but one of them poked their head in
every so often to check my temperature. When the burning started in my
neck, my fever returned, and I wept into my pillow, too weak to even
scream any longer.
R iddick didn’t come back that night or the next. More skirmishes had
popped up, and my guardians refused to leave my side, so Riddick went
alone. It was late in the evening, and although I had gleaned that he’d return
before midnight, I knew he wouldn’t show up until he’d attempted to
service Rozlyn.
I’d distracted myself from the dire situation by asking Vance to go over
everything he knew of the lore surrounding the Heir. The little I knew, I’d
learned from my companion, but when I’d tried to rouse it, I hadn’t been
able to feel but the tiniest hint of life. I worried that it was wasting away as
I did, and I didn’t know what would happen if it perished.
Zoning out, I snapped to attention when Vance grunted, a noise of
excitement in his case.
“I think I’ve found something. I remember Elder Matthew speaking of a
prophecy. This has to be it.” I didn’t know that it would help anything, but I
was interested to hear it. “It speaks of you, Stella. I’m certain of it.”

“A secret girl, the Silverlight Heir,

Tainted from birth, beyond repair.
Fated mates, yet cast aside,
Twisted bonds, a rival's bride.”

H egone,”
stopped and turned the page before flipping it back again. “The rest is
he growled, eyes shining with his wolf in his frustration. “The
pages have been ripped out. We need the rest, stars damn it all!”
“Vance, it’s fine. We’ll look for it,” I promised, though I wasn’t sure it
would matter in the long run.
“You see it’s about you, right? You’re the secret girl, a mixed breed.
Riddick is your mate, but maybe the plural is for both of you? I don’t know
what the twisted bonds are about though, or who is the rival or their bride.”
He was muttering to himself by then, paying me little attention.
A growing burn started in my neck, prompting me to glance at the
clock. Riddick had kept his activities to around the same time, maybe as a
way to warn me, but I hadn’t expected him to be back yet. I didn’t have the
strength to deal with another night of agony. My body knew what was
coming as the pain increased, and a whine left me as my fangs dropped.
I was going to go feral.
“Vance! Leave, now!” His head came up sharply, immediately homing
in on my fangs. When he didn’t move, I pleaded again through our
connection, not trusting myself to speak aloud and break the fraying thread
of control I held on the two beasts who lived within. “Get out, please. I
won’t feed from you. Lock me in and warn the others.”
He stood, though I couldn’t enjoy the relief that he was going to leave
since he directly went against my wishes and opened his own connections
to the other men. I could hear them calling me, alarm pounding through the
bonds. I sensed them coming from their patrols in the forest nearest my
cottage.
“You will feed from me, Stella. I won’t allow you to go without.”
I shook my head and covered my mouth with my hand.
“Don’t argue, or I’ll wait until you completely lose your hold on your
instincts.”
“No,” I whispered, more from the thought of tearing into him without
any cognizance of my actions than protest against his demand, but he
seemed to understand. He pulled his shirt off as he placed a knee on my
bed.
“Yes, now come here.” I didn’t fight when he settled, facing me, and
pulled me to him. My gaze was fixated on his scars, the knowledge of how
he’d gotten them forefront in my mind. “You’re not them, Stella. I know
you’d never hurt anything willingly. I’m not afraid of your bite, other than I
might enjoy it. Let me serve you as I’m meant to.”
It was all the vampiric creature that lurked beneath my skin needed to
take over, and I allowed it. My fangs breached the skin high on his chest,
unable to reach his throat, before pulling back just enough to leave the tips
in to prevent the punctures from closing. My throat worked in tandem with
the suction from my mouth, my fangs pulsing in and out as needed to keep
the blood flowing.
A moan escaped my throat as the bedroom door burst open. The rest of
my guardians had arrived.

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Stella

M yCyn’s
mind buzzed with the silent conversation they were having, but
whispered exclamation upon finding me feeding from Vance
was the only word spoken aloud.
“Stars, Stella, let him go!” He rushed toward us to rescue his fellow
knight, but Vance held his hand up. Cyn’s eyebrows danced on his face as
his expression went from shock, to concern, then back again at whatever
Vance relayed to him.
They all came to an agreement, piling onto my bed until the frame
creaked in protest. My strength returned, bit by bit, though my body
couldn’t repair itself quite so quickly. The best part? Vance’s blood didn’t
make me ill. Instead, I craved more of it.
I was suddenly glad I hadn’t been able to reach his neck, for I’d have
drained him dry in my frenzy. Vance’s hands came up to frame my face, and
my gaze turned up to his without turning him loose.
“Let the others feed you as well, Stella. I can feel your pulse is stronger
already.” I didn’t want to let go of him and neither did my wolf who had
roused with the intake of sustenance. Abruptly, my fangs retracted and my
mouth filled with the longer teeth of my wolf. Before I could stop her, she
sunk them into his chest, leaving her mark on Vance, claiming him as hers.
The room froze before a heady cloud of sensation blew all of my
threads wide open and filtered through, taking the men along for the ride.
Moans sounded out as we fell on one another. My legs rubbed together until
Vance shifted me so I straddled him, allowing my hips to grind against his
suddenly straining length.
Gasping for air against the overwhelming arousal and need for more
blood, I tried to bring everyone some semblance of control. “I can’t stop it.
You all need to leave.”
“We’re not going anywhere, glow bug,” Cass informed me before
taking my lips with his. It was my first kiss, and where I’d always thought
my first would be sweet and gentle, this was dominant and carnal. The
blond giant pulled me from Vance’s lap as he fell back, allowing me to
assume the same position, though my inner thighs burned with the stretch
required to settle on either side of his thick trunk. He only let me up enough
to redirect my head, nestling my face in the crook of his neck. “Now feed.”
I didn’t waste time piercing the vulnerable flesh, briefly noting his skin
tasted of sweat and man before the mouth-watering taste of his blood hit my
tongue.
A growl in my ear preempted Toby leaning closer to get level with my
face, demanding my attention. “I need to touch you, Stella. Tell me I can,”
he begged. Relief filled his eyes when I met his gaze with the slightest of
nods so that I didn’t hurt Cass.
The heat building within me smothered any inhibitions I might have
had, evidenced by my hips arching to give Toby’s hands better access. I
vaguely registered the men crowding closer, tracing mindless patterns on
my skin as I gave permission to them all. The first feather-light touch
between my legs startled me enough to penetrate the fog in my brain.
Turning my head, I found Hunter with claws out, having helpfully
shredded the center of my sleep shorts to give Toby access. I shuddered as
Toby purposefully dragged his finger through the slick flesh, circling my
entrance with the tip. His hand was out of my sight, but it certainly wasn’t
out of Vance’s, Hunter’s, or Toby’s as they fixated on the space between my
legs. My wolf preened under their attention, basking in the adoration she
should have had from our mate.
 I pushed any thought of him away as Roman took his chance, sidling up
and crowding a still slightly dazed Cass. The blood loss and the pleasure of
my bite had done my sweet guardian in, though I didn’t think he’d gotten
much of the venom Roman so craved.
Roman’s body was littered in bite scars, though not as heavily as
Vance's, and I imagined the majority of them had been consented to in
Roman's case. I also found that I didn’t like that others had marked him.
He’s mine. I couldn’t help the thought. I was positive he’d been mine, and
only mine, since he offered to feed me when he’d sworn me his fealty. The
others had held back, used their and Riddick’s reservations as a shield, but
Roman hadn’t.
“I want you,” I whispered, staring into his feral golden eyes. His stare
softened from desperate desire to something more tender.
“I’ll give you anything you need, princess,” he replied, pulling me onto
his chest and rolling until his upper half covered mine. He stopped at the
edge of the bed to the chorus of protests from the others, but as he hooked
one of his legs around mine, drawing it toward him, it left me spread and
accessible while he trailed nipping, open-mouthed kisses up my neck and
across my jaw before his lips landed on mine.
When one of his hands came up to trace the tips of my breasts in
leisurely exploration, I pressed up into his touch, needing more even though
I was unsure how to voice it. In the end, I needn’t have worried. He knew
what he was doing. As soon as the rosy buds stiffened into hard peaks, he
abandoned my lips to take one in his mouth while his fingers pinched and
rolled the other without mercy.
I cried out, throwing my head back, my barely slitted eyes riveted on
Roman’s movements until a commotion near my feet drew my attention.
Vance, in all his dark and scarred glory, climbed up the bed, nude, with his
manhood on full display if I dared to look further. Roman, apparently more
than willing to accommodate his fellow knight, slipped off to the side
without relinquishing his hold on either breast.
“Tell me to stop, Stella.”
I shook my head at Vance’s demand.
“Then prepare yourself.”
It was the last warning he offered before he lifted my free leg, spread
me wide, and surged forward. His lips unerringly homed in on my pleasure
center as he allowed my leg to settle on his shoulder. I’d never felt anything
like it. The things they were doing to me, the feelings they evoked, wrecked
me in the best way.
After Roman had his fill, he lifted away, exposing my flushed chest
where darker red patches stood out on my breasts, the casualties of his
beard-roughened cheeks.
Looking me in the eyes, he asked for what we both needed. My flesh
had plumped, and I’d lost some of the frailty starvation had caused, but I
was far from sated, and my guardians were more than willing. “Let me feed
you, princess.”
I nodded, noting the relief in his eyes, knowing without a doubt that
he’d held himself in check for my benefit. My eyes closed and my lips
parted in a gasp as Vance dipped his tongue inside me, using his thumb to
work the hard nub above.
“Stars, what are you doing to me?” I breathed out, instinctively pressing
my sex harder against him.
If anyone answered, I didn’t hear it, for Roman cradled my head and
drew it up to his neck. A frenzy hit me, and I roughly sank my fangs into
his bared throat. His body went lax next to me, save for the support he
offered, due in part, I was sure, so that I couldn’t disengage.
Pulsing my bite, I kept the holes wide, creating that same loop pleasure
we had ended up in the last time I fed from him. Then his voice sounded in
my head.
“I pledge myself to thee, in this life and beyond, my body your shield
and sword, my blood my fealty. By the stars, the moon, and goddess makes
three, I swear my oath on pain of the Hanging Tree.” Roman finished, our
thread strengthened into an entwined tether, and my fangs once again grew
to that of my wolf’s, marking him in an instant before retracting. A
contented sigh left his lips as his head lolled the side, the hand supporting
me following it when he lost consciousness.
Vance redoubled his efforts as Cass and Toby fell on each other, a sight
I’d never seen, and one which pushed me over the mountain of desire the
men had built within me. I felt my entrance pulse around Vance’s tongue,
wishing it filled me instead of barely breaching me. I peaked again when he
turned his head and marked me, my blood perfuming the air to mix with
theirs and the scents of our arousal.
Sitting back, Vance roughly squeezed his swollen length and spurted on
the punctures in my inner thigh before reaching out to smear his spend,
mixing it with my blood. A second later, he repeated the same pledge that
Roman had.
The others, impatient for their turn, moved in. Cyn pulled an
unconscious Roman near the pillows and out of the way so he could take
his spot, not at all minding the seed the sleeping man had left painted across
my hip and stomach, while Hunter took up the position Vance had held.
I’d barely had a chance to marvel at whatever Roman had done to bind
us as haze more encompassing than the last engulfed us. I was barely aware
that I fed from, and marked, them all, though only Vance had marked me in
return. At some point, I ended up opening the bond with Riddick, somehow
straddling both his and my mind.
I felt his guilty acceptance that his dick finally worked, until he realized
it was my desire that fueled his erection. It wasn’t meant for Rozlyn, though
that’s how he planned to use it. Despite the shame riding him, his anger and
jealousy leaked through.
“Stella, what have you done?” he demanded, but I wasn’t at all certain,
or even of sound enough mind, to make a guess. My body still writhed with
the attention four of my guardians paid it. I couldn’t have formed much of a
thought, to be honest.
I refused to feel guilt over what I and my guardians had done.
Obviously, there were extenuating circumstances, but I wouldn’t blame
what we’d shared on anything of the sort, not yet at any rate, while my head
and theirs were still befuddled.
Refusing to watch as he sealed their bond, I attempted to block him out,
but as he neared a splayed-out Rozlyn, my shadowy companion showed
itself.
“I think not, alpha.” The entity stretched through me into Riddick,
traveling down his dick and deflating it in seconds. “Just in case you get
any ideas, I’ll add a band of protection. You are not free to give that
which you promised to another.”
A black band of shadows appeared in a ring around the base of
Riddick’s now flaccid penis before it absorbed into his skin. My companion
had essentially castrated my mate, and I couldn’t find it in myself to offer
any sympathy. As a final blow, he was left unconscious while Rozlyn
screamed her frustration.
We, my companion and I, left Riddick and returned to my body. The
entity went back to its space without another word while I basked in the
center of my guardians, too worn out and still affected by whatever had
overtaken us to be bothered about much of anything.

“W hat the hell have you done?” Riddick shouted, bursting into my
bedroom, jolting us awake. My mate stood in the open doorway, a
look of horror on his face as he surveyed the naked flesh on display.
I couldn’t find it in me to apologize, though I was embarrassed as we
struggled to sit up and untangle our limbs. Reality and modesty set in
without the fog that had facilitated the event. “My fever broke," I offered,
immediately cringing at the chuckle behind me. I was pretty sure it came
from Cyn.
“So did my dick, Stella!” More than one of the men choked, and
suddenly I was being stared at by all of them.
Oh stars, I'd forgotten about that. My cheeks blazed anew with the
memory. At a loss for words, I shrugged and reached out to pull the corner
of the rumpled sheet over my body.
Cyn came to my rescue. “Wasn’t that already the problem? You were
breaking your mate, too.” Surprise shot through the room. Cyn was the last
one I would have thought would have said that, and I wasn’t the only one
with that opinion if the others’ expressions were anything to go by.
Eyes narrowed in anger, Riddick pointed a finger at Cyn. “Would you
care to explain what you’ve all been doing with my mate behind my back? I
didn’t believe Rozlyn when she tried to tell me because it would have been
difficult to hide, but this wasn’t some innocent party. I can smell your scents
and hers all over this room.”
“I think I can explain,” Vance interjected when Riddick appeared ready
to resort to violence to get his answers. “I didn’t think I had the translations
correct and waited to say anything in case I was wrong. Riddick,” he said,
staring intently at my mate without a care regarding his nudity, “I believe
we’ve been lied to. I’ll need to check the texts again, but I fear we would
have run out of time if Stella’s instincts had not taken us over. If I’m right,
there are others that we have done a great disservice to.” Guilt filtered
through our bond, but I stored my questions away for another day.
 “I don’t care about others right now, Vance! I want to know what
happened here. Can you tell me that?” Vance didn’t flinch in the face of his
irate leader’s wrath, but I was sure he also didn’t miss that Riddick was
cataloging the marks I’d left on them.
Abruptly, the hair on my arms raised in warning, and I was about to say
something was wrong when the last voice I cared to hear came from behind
him.
“Yes, Vance, would you care to explain why you wear your charge’s
mark on your chest? Actually, I think it’s more than just you, isn’t it?”
Turning her smug stare in my direction, she lifted the corner of her lip into a
sneer before she addressed me. “I thought you refused to spread your legs,
mutt.”
We were all shocked into silence as we surveyed one another, and yes,
visible on each of the men, were my marks. The most damning evidence—
the star inside the new addition of a sickle moon. Riddick was as frozen as I
at the implications the change in the marks appearance represented. We sat
in silence long enough that my guardians took action to deal with Rozyln’s
judgment and scrutiny.
The men climbed off the bed and blocked me from her sight, not
bothering to even attempt to cover up in front of the now gawking girl, an
error I would inform them of later. They were mine. I startled at the
vehemence in my thoughts, worried I would go feral if Rozlyn so much as
dared to get within touching distance of my guardians, but I needn’t have
worried.
My perfidious mate was quick to redirect her attention. I craned my
head so I could see, only to find dread filling Riddick’s eyes before they
shuttered and he turned to face his second mate. His tone was as neutral as
his expression, and without the bond open, I couldn’t glean an inkling of his
true feelings. “Rozlyn, would you care to explain why you are trespassing
again? Not to mention you entered a pack member’s residence without
invitation, nor do you have the authority to do so.”
Rozlyn’s cheeks pinkened in anger, embarrassment, or both, as she
hissed back at him. “You’re breaking our mating contract! I followed you to
be sure before I inform my parents.”
I was taken aback at the level of anger she held for Riddick compared to
the possessiveness she’d demonstrated the first time she ambushed me.
Seemed the situation had taken its toll on the girl, and she’d turned bitter
toward him. I’d have welcomed her to the club, but I really couldn’t stand
her.
Riddick didn’t answer her but instead looked at someone out of my line
of sight. “Merle, take her back to the manor. On the way, please remind her
of the consequences the alpha warned her about should she disobey and
trespass, harass, or otherwise injure the Heir.”
The girl paled as her lips parted, likely to protest, but she shut them
again at whatever was in Riddick’s expression. With his back to me, I
couldn’t tell, but she quickly bowed her head and didn’t protest when Merle
took her arm and guided her out.
“Now, who would like to give me an actual explanation for what
occurred here before my wolf overtakes me and has his bloody way with all
of you?” Riddick growled, his eyes glowing with the otherworldly light of
his beast.
Vance stepped up, picking up where he’d left off when he’d been
interrupted by the princess bitch. “There was a section of text that I’ll need
to find in my notes, but essentially, it’s about, what I assume, is the
prophecy, though we only have part of it.” Riddick waved his hand
impatiently, earning himself a glare in the process. “It said when the light
meets the dark and creates a fire in the black night that dominion scorned
will—”
“I would advise you to pack the essentials and anything you don’t
want left behind. The time has come for you to leave.”
I wasn’t the only one who heard my companion. It had tapped into all of
the threads to deliver its message.
“Why do we need to leave?” I asked, my panic coming through loud
and clear.
“Fucking Esta,” Riddick murmured, granting him our full attention.
When he looked up from the screen of his phone, regret stood starkly in his
bright blue eyes. “I’m sorry, Stella. I didn’t think she’d stoop so low.”
“What has my sister done?” Cyn demanded, anger in his voice, but I
could feel the worry radiating from him through our bond, which was much
stronger than it had been. A cursory check, for there wasn’t time for more
than that, confirmed that all of the threads resembled mine with Riddick’s,
or at least how it had first appeared, not the dulled line it had become.
Shaking his head, Riddick pocketed his phone. “Corbin just tipped me
off that the elders are on their way to retrieve Stella and take all of you into
custody.”
“On what charges?” Hunter snapped, having remained quietly in the
background up until then.
“For the development with the claiming mark of the Silverlight Heir.
According to them, you’ve all mated with Stella without their consent or
hers. They believe you’ve forced her and are on a ‘rescue mission.’ They
will be here by nightfall.”
Grim determination took them over, and each one sent reassurance
through our bonds as well as a sense of fierce protectiveness.
“Where will we go?” I questioned aloud. No one would take us in and
face the might and wrath of the council. Though I wasn’t sure how they
would explain that their elite force of alpha knights were suddenly persona
non grata.
“We have safe houses and an entire network of smugglers. My sister
would be more than happy to make us disappear.” Again from Hunter, who
still hid behind a cagey mask, but as with the others, something had
fundamentally changed between us last night, so I sensed that he was telling
the absolute truth. It also made me extremely curious about his sister, who I
knew to be the alpha of his old pack.
“That won’t be necessary, Hunter Cross, though Henrietta would
have been a wise choice.”
We all startled again at my companion’s disembodied voice. I swore it
was changing, but I couldn’t be certain.
“How do you know my sister or anything about our pack?” Hunter was
less than accepting of my glowy friend. No, he was downright hostile.
“I know what you allow Stella to know. My little star is yet untrained
in absorbing the information offered, but it was what I was made for…to
assist, teach, and above all, protect, my host.”
It was the first time I had ever been actively uncomfortable with the
entity. It had always been a part of me, or almost always, but it had never
referred to me as a host before, and I found that I didn’t care for it, not one
bit.
“Where exactly should we go then?” Riddick asked, cutting to the
chase.
“It is time for Stella to meet her sire. Now, it would be prudent to
make haste.”
 It went back into its space, something I was getting more familiar with,
and that time, I could tell that it was drawing more energy, as if it had
depleted its own.
Shrugging at the questioning glances, I not-so-gracefully got off the bed
and dragged my sheet with me to the shower. I wasn’t about to meet my sire
covered in the essence of my guardians. Since even my head spun at adding
six men to the mate mix, I could only imagine the reaction of my sire.
If he didn’t kill us on sight.

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Stella

“C ome, we must hurry. They’ve blocked the roads, but the alpha gave
me a route that will be clear of sentries.” We all gave Corbin the look
he deserved for expecting us to believe that. Exasperated, he quickly
explained. “It’s a small token of apology for his mate’s actions.”
With a sigh, Cyn stepped forward, reaching a hand out for the paper
with the barest of maps sketched on it. I wouldn’t have been able to make
heads or tails of it, but I’d been relegated to a medium-sized pack and
surrounding forest. I couldn’t do more than tell the cardinal directions, and
that was more due to my wolf than anything taught.
After perusing it for a moment, Cyn nodded. “The gate we’ll go through
leads underground and comes out at a grated culvert. The rest isn’t
something I’m familiar with, but it’s the route I’d have chosen as well.
Corbin, I want you to stay topside and let us know if anyone heads in that
direction. There are three branches we can take, all with separate exits. The
other two lead in the wrong direction, and doubling back would be difficult
if we’re being hunted, but not impossible.”
 The others nodded along with Cyn’s explanation, and Corbin agreed
without hesitation before he walked up to me. “Stella, it has been my honor
to be your father. I’m only sorry I didn’t do a better job. I must also
apologize for staying away since we arrived. Your guardians will explain as
I cannot. I am only glad that they were able to assist me in time for me to
fulfill the promise I made to your mother.” I allowed him to hug me and
embraced him in return, but I was still hurt by his abandonment. Then he
uttered words, meant for beyond the grave, that brought fear to my heart
and tears to my eyes. “She’ll be safe now, little Heir.” Releasing me, his
eyes wet with the sheen of unshed tears, Corbin stepped back.
“Wait, are you not planning to meet us? I don’t understand.” I looked
from him to my guardians and back again, panic and grief filling me.
“It would not be safe, Stella.” Turning to Hunter, he begged my
guardian, “Please, tell her. I cannot bear for her to believe the worst.”
“The council put a geas on him. He knew it but was unable to speak of
it. They demanded he spy and report to them. I felt something off with him
when he arrived and discovered he’d been tampered with. He stayed away
from you so he couldn’t report anything. The elders will likely seek his
punishment for not notifying them before Esta did. That woman doesn’t
understand the chaos she’s caused, and it will not end in her favor…
Nevermind that, now. We must go before it’s too late.”
I felt the blood drain from my face at the information Hunter relayed.
“Corbin, I’m so sorry,” I whispered, my love for him bolstered by the
knowledge that he’d only tried to do what was best for me. My mind shied
away from what might happen in the future, my fear for my former
guardian an ache in the pit of my stomach.
“Do not fret, Stella. I’ll contact you when I’m able.” From the shadows
in his eyes, we were both aware there was little chance of that. “Goodbye,
darling girl.”
I lifted my hand, curling my fingers in a wave as he slipped from the
house. I dared not speak for breaking the dam holding my emotions back.
We didn’t have the luxury of time for me to break down.
The men had forgone their cloaks, stored safely in the huge tactical bags
they’d packed in a mad rush, in favor of tighter-fitting matte black clothing.
They shouldered the large packs while I wore the cloak, now cleaned, from
the mating ceremony. It was the only thing in the cottage that would be
warm and stealthy enough to get me through the cold of the late autumn
forest without shifting. A blazing white wolf would be more conspicuous
than anything else, so despite my hesitance, I wore it without complaint.
I froze as Riddick stepped right up to me, pulled my hood over my hair,
and carefully tucked in any stray pieces. “The tunnel is long, and dusk
should be upon us as we exit. If, for any reason, we get separated, do not
stop until you reach the Vae. We will return to you as soon as possible. Do
you understand me, Stella?” His wolf rode him, the urge to change stark in
his blue eyes. I nodded as I looked away, noting the others’ beasts were
peeking out as well. Riddick growled at my inattention. “Words, Stella, I
need to know you’ll protect yourself and run.”
“Yes, I understand,” I rushed out, fearing the worst for the chances of
our escape.
“Good. Knights, move out.”
At Riddick’s command, the men formed a silent line, with me in the
middle, and we quietly stole into the shaded forest.

T he trek through the underground tunnel took what felt like hours. Hours
that were full of creeping roots I thought were creepy crawlies and
creepy crawlies I mistook for the roots. Walking though patches of sole-
deep, muck-ridden water was great too, but I knew capture would be the
alternative.
I managed to keep my shrieks of surprise inside, but I was well aware
the men’s patience wore thin when they all, one by one, muted their ends of
the connection. It wasn’t my fault I was unused to dealing with such things
on a regular basis. I thought I’d done well to keep silent and hadn’t felt
completely useless until I realized I’d been cut off.
Was it their intention to make me feel less than or a burden? Doubtful,
but that was the result nonetheless. So when we paused at the grated exit
and Riddick finally opened his bond, nudging me so I’d let him in, he
received the brunt of my upset.
“Stella, they didn’t intend to hurt you,” he started, but I cut him off.
“I’m aware. I’m feeling poorly about not being able to control my
reactions to the point that blocking me out was necessary.” I refused to lift
my head, once again protected by the depths of the hood.
“They needed to concentrate, and you can’t be expected, at half our age
and sheltered as you were, to be hardened to strange environments. Now,
we wait for Corbin to let us know whether anyone has come this way since
we left. Can you keep it together just a while longer?”
That pissed me off. “I’m not so selfish or pampered as to jeopardize us
by being difficult, Riddick. We’re literally running for our stars-damned
lives!”
“I didn’t mean… You’re right. I’ve done you a disservice again, m’lady.
My apologies.”
My jaw dropped at his about-face as I gave in and tipped my head up to
see his face. With his expression shuttered to blankness, I couldn’t read
him, and he was obviously practiced at communicating without sharing
more than that since I couldn’t get a very good read through the bond either.
He was hiding something, and my intuition told me I wasn’t going to like it.
But once again, we were out of time for me to catch up.
“Corbin messaged. We’re clear, but the elders have arrived with a
contingent of soldiers from the council’s citadel. He only waited to hear
we’d made it and sent the warning they are sending a contingent out to
retrieve us.” Guilt flashed in his eyes. I assumed it was about Corbin, but I
couldn't let myself think about what he faced. If we were caught, it all
would have been for nothing.
“Let’s go then,” Roman prompted, gesturing for Cyn to release the
grate.
A few moments later, with a rusty squeal we all winced at, it swung
open. As soon as it was shut again, we took off, running as silently as
possible through the thickening forest. We didn’t have a choice but to beat
the wolves chasing us to the Vae’s border.
We crossed miles on foot, but our pace eventually took its toll. I didn’t
have the stamina the men did; enhanced physical prowess didn’t constitute
the same level as long-term conditioning did.
My body wasn't yet healed from the ravages of the fever and my
inability to hold blood down. It had been less than a day, and while I was
recovering, I would need a week's worth of feeding sessions to recuperate.
It was obvious my struggle to keep up affected our progress, and Riddick
called a halt.
 “Prepare to shift. More ground can be covered on four legs rather than
two, and Stella’s wolf will be better able to handle the terrain.” He was
being nice, avoiding directly blaming me for slowing us down.
“I’m sorry. I’m not used to running long distances, and—” The men
brushed off my apology, opening their threads to offer reassurance while
they silently and efficiently went about their business. Within minutes, their
clothes were stored in their packs and Riddick was securing them to the
backs of their wolves.
I stood stunned, never having seen them all shifted, let alone all
together. Vance’s inky dark coat was familiar, as was Toby’s, the shock of
white standing out, Cyn’s golden self, and Cass’ giant, shaggy blond wolf,
but the others were new, and together, they were a sight to see.
Hunter’s auburn coat and cream-colored stockings reminded me a bit of
a red fox, but it was Roman’s wolf which held my interest the most. He was
black as midnight, with silver markings on his legs and muzzle. In the midst
of all that darkness, his golden eyes stood out starkly. Roman dwarfed my
small frame, but dipped his head when I reached out, allowing me to rub a
silky ear before he chuffed and turned in the direction we needed to go.
I took that as my cue to shift, but Riddick hadn’t yet either. “What are
you doing?” I demanded when he took some items from his pack, added
them to Hunter’s, then stowed it under some bushes growing at the base of
a tree.
“Stella…” He trailed off, pain twisting his features.
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” I frantically looked him up and down
for an injury, more confused than ever when I couldn’t find one.
When the others moved well away, I understood something was
happening, but once again, I hadn’t been clued in or allowed any input.
“Stella, I won’t be continuing with you at this time. I’ve trusted the
others with my life for years, as they have me with theirs. They’ll get you to
your sire, and whether that pans out or not, they’ll make sure you’re
protected.”
“Why aren’t you coming with us? This doesn’t make any sense!” I didn’t
want him to go. No matter what, he was my mate. This was our chance to
be together, and he was squandering it. “Is it because of Rozlyn?” It hurt to
ask, and I didn’t want to be that girl, begging for a man’s love and attention.
I’d despised those weak-willed heroines in the stories I’d read, but this
wasn’t make believe. If he wanted her, which he’d denied in the past, I’d let
him go, but I couldn’t let go of the chance to be whole.
“It is not. I’m staying back to buy you all time to cross the border. We
won’t make it as is, and I’m the logical choice. I’ve commanded the men
sent after us, so I know how they operate. If they have me, and I tell them
you’re out of reach, they’ll likely believe me. They wouldn’t consider that
I’d leave the mate I’ve refused to relinquish.”
“What if it doesn’t work? Then what? We’re all captured anyway.
There’s no point in going back unless you have an ulterior motive, which,
let’s face it, Riddick, is how you operate.”
Shame filtered through the bond. Whether his reaction was too strong to
control or he was letting me feel it to further his game, I didn’t know, but I
was too upset to care. He was sacrificing our bond again. How I ever
deserved to be mated to such a person I didn’t know.
“Stella, I know you don’t understand now, and I don’t have the best
track record, but do you think the others would let me go if it wasn’t a solid,
legitimate plan? If I’m there, they will assume the others are as well, and
that they’re being ambushed, or any one of another dozen scenarios. I also
need to save Cyn’s family, and yours, from being put to death.”
“What?” I nearly shrieked through our bond, causing him to wince in
pain.
“Corbin, as well as Cyn’s sister, niece, and the alpha, will face
punishment for letting us go. I’m going back to do what I can to mitigate
the damage. The elders will use me as bait to lure you. True fated mates
cannot be separated long term without side effects,” Riddick patiently
explained despite the urgency of the situation.
I hated that he made sense. As ridiculous and disgusting as I found the
machinations of our ruling council, I didn’t want Corbin to die. The others I
couldn’t have cared less about, but Cyn obviously did, and I couldn’t fault
him for that. He had left with me after all, and that showed where his
allegiance was.
“How will you get back to us?” I questioned, leery that he planned to
come at all.
“I’ll figure that out as soon as I can,” he hedged, setting off my sense
that he was lying. I didn’t have another choice though. Our time was
running out, and I wouldn’t be kept, a pawn to be controlled by power-
hungry men. I could only hope my sire wasn’t as awful as the elders were.
 “We will meet again, Stella. This isn’t the end of our story. I refuse for it
to be.” He stepped up to me, resting his forehead on mine, letting his wolf
come to the front. I let mine do the same, granting them both the first, and
last, time to meet in peace, blocking out all that had gone before to allow
them a goodbye.
I didn’t expect Riddick to close the distance between our lips when our
wolves retreated, but he did. He pressed hard against me, desperation in his
grip, as we shared our first kiss. Breaking off with a panting breath, he
stepped back, anguish in his eyes.
“Shift and run. Don’t stop, Stella. Promise me you won’t stop.”
“I won’t,” I offered, knowing a nod wouldn't suffice.
“Give me your clothes and shift. I’ll put them in Vance’s pack.”
I knew then that little slipped by him, and with a certainty I couldn’t
deny, I realized he wasn’t as upset about my bonding with my guardians as
he had acted. If it wasn’t so unfathomable, I would have thought that he’d
allowed it to happen.
Unable to voice my suspicions, I filed them away to pin him down with
later and hurried to change.
Riddick stood watch as we ran toward what I hoped to be our salvation.
Before we were completely out of sight, I stopped and turned, taking in his
wave under the light of the moon before he melted off into the darkness.

A sense of urgency overtook us, and we ran as fast as we could until we

reached the border of the Shadow Clan lands, home of the Vae, my sire.
“How will we cross?” Cyn asked, the threads open enough to easily
keep track of each other in the dark of the night.
“I will hide you from sight. Keep the connections open. I will need
energy and the contact to get you to your sire.”
None of us cared to question the entity. It hadn’t been wrong so far.
Indeed, it seemed to have planned to meet my sire all along, but either way,
hidden or not, we were going to get to our destination.
I didn’t believe it would work, and from the shock I felt through the
thread, the men hadn’t either, but when we passed the first vampire sentries
in plain sight, they didn’t even look our way. It was then that Riddick
reached out.
“Stella, I hope you can hear me. I’m not sure how far the range is with
our connection. I just want you to know that I wish I could have been the
mate you deserved. I offer you my sincerest apologies for the hurt that I
caused and will cause you.”
“Riddick! What are you doing?” I cried out through our bond, sensing
his despondency.
“The soldiers will be upon me any moment, and I will not let you suffer
on my behalf. You have the others now. They’re good men, Stella. Let them
give you what I could not. Let me grant you your wish to be free of me, as in
good conscience I should have already done. I was too selfish, daring to
dream that I could have a happy life. I wish you the best, my mate.”
“Stop, please!” I felt a strain on our bond, a painful ache that took my
body over.
My guardians crowded around me, on high alert to nothing they could
see, but they could feel through our bonds. The buzzing of them conversing
became overwhelming, all of them talking over each other until they bowed
their heads as one.
“Styliana Ethari Crayton, I repudiate you.”
The break was instantaneous and agonizing. My glowy buddy came out
in full force, protecting us all with my light as my wolf screamed, the sound
ending with a mournful howl. The others joined in until we shared our pain
as one.
After that, my mind was a broken haze of urgency and grief. We’d had
the fortune to not be near any sentries, so when my light was extinguished,
we were able to continue our journey unaccosted by any hostile vampires.
Our pace slowed to a walk at times, but I really didn’t care. My body and
mind were beyond exhausted.
Once we made it within sight of the Vae’s citadel, a curious description
in coincidence with that of the council, I had managed to box up the worst
of the pain into something I would need to deal with later.
It helped that my companion became more active as we neared the
gigantic stone structure. The buzzing it put off was the center of more than
only my attention. It was apparent my companion was excited, expectant
even. How much of what I’d gone through lately had been facilitated by it?
A niggling feeling told me I wouldn’t care for the answer.
 As we stopped in front of the gatehouse, the entity stopped whatever it
had been doing to hide us, much to the consternation of the guards at the
gate. We immediately shifted, the men blocking my nudity with theirs.
My light came out, thankfully harmless to my guardians, burning
whatever they shot at us, bullets or arrows, to ash, as Roman yelled over the
commotion. “We wish an audience with the Vae!”
Vance found my cloak, helping me into it before donning his own
clothing. It had to be a strange experience, six men and a woman shifting
and dressing while being attacked, but I preferred it over being naked.
The guards stopped firing on us when they realized it wasn’t having any
effect, but when I let my light fade, we were surrounded. Vampires ringed
around us, their fangs longer than mine and hostility in their eyes.
“Please!” I shouted. “I need to speak with him.” The guards on the
rampart put their heads together, conversing too quietly for us to hear. It
lasted long enough that I was sure they were going to deny my request, but
their leader must have come to investigate himself.
“What could possibly bring wolves to my door?” the man asked,
amusement in his voice. “Are you here to volunteer as blood bags, or do
you have a death wish?”
With the distance, I could only tell he was on the taller side, and I
thought his short hair was dark. Other than that, his face was slim and his
body was trim, and he had the same silver eyes as me that glinted in the
moonlight.
Throwing back my hood, I let my light line my body until my silver
eyes swirled and my starlit hair glowed. “Neither. I’m here to ask for help
from my sire.”

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 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Stella’s story continues in The Citadel of the Vae, Book Two of the
Dominion Series

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